Dear Friends
Thank you to everyone who has responded to my Candlemas sermon so generously. I know that many of you are delighted with the new position of the font as I am too and we are beginning to be able to see just what a difference the refurbishment will make to our church. It will be a joy to baptise the youngest member of our family on Mothering Sunday, when the star of the Roving Nativity, Dorothy, will be in church with all her family and friends.
I have been asked by many if I could print the text of the sermon and it follows here:
Today it is five years precisely since Bishop Michael came as the Patron to launch our appeal for £339,000. It was at 3.00pm on the Sunday afternoon and the church was full of people from the community as well as our own congregations. It was an optimistic celebration of the vision that had emerged over several years about what we are being called to be and do as the Body of Christ in this town.
Then, as today, the readings were set for the Presentation of Christ in the Temple – often known as Candlemas – and in the eastern tradition as ‘The Meeting of the Lord’. In early Christianity it was thought of as a bitter sweet festival: the light of Christ perceived by Simeon and symbolised in a candle procession, contrasting with the dark pain suggested by Simeon’s words about Christ being a sign that would be opposed, and about a sword that would pierce Mary’s heart. And this bitter sweet quality has been harnessed by Anglican liturgy making this festival the pivot around which we turn from the Christmas to the Easter cycles.
On the one hand the festival completes Epiphany. The Advent looking out, full of expectation – the Christmas beholding of the Word made flesh – and the transforming radiance of Epiphany all leading on to the acceptance of death in the words of Simeon … Now Lord, let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation’ And that death leads us on to the Lenten and Easter themes: the one who is here offered with sacrifice in the Temple will one day be offered in sacrifice outside it.
I wonder how many of you can remember what Bishop Michael had to say five years ago?
He spoke about the Temple being a place where the light of God shone brightly, a place to listen the word of God, to celebrate the sacraments, to hear forgiveness, receive blessing and be renewed. He explained why Luke strove in his gospel to portray the Temple as a place that mattered and then told us that this church matters too – and has done to the whole of this community for over 800 years – it was in some inarticulate way an icon of Christ.
He spoke passionately about the new roof providing protection for two parts of our church: the holy place of God’s presence – the altar – beyond the holy of holies where we focus on the sacrament, because this church is primarily a place of worship. But he also spoke about the nave as a market place for the community of the town – the place of meeting – the place of hospitality – for theatre – concert – council chamber – a place where people could come and find love, care, concern and companionship…
And one of the aspects of the incarnation is that Christ became like us to share and fully know what it is to be humdrum, ordinary people – he did not always want to be in the holy of holies but also in the market place of life - and our church can be incarnational too. For in the meeting of humdrum and ordinary people in this place there is always the chance that men, women and children may be surprised to discover that they are also meeting with God.
Bishop Michael was inspired and inspiring in his words on that day five years ago. For what a five years we have had, together with this community we have raised £450,000, we have provided the nave and the holy of holies with a new roof and now we have started the work which will provide brand new facilities and features to make this a place of meeting, hospitality and love for the twenty first century.
Everyone has played a part in our endeavours and what a place of meeting this has become as we have used the nave for theatre, concert, compassionate listening, council chamber and community activity – we will never know how many encounters with God have happened in all this activity – but in a sense that is not our business – it is for God to know that.
But this much I do know: there has been growth in fellowship and joy amongst us – there are new people arriving to join us, delighting to be members of the Body of Christ in this place – our worship continues to honour God – this place remains a powerful icon of Christ in the centre of our town and we have a heart and a generosity to enable the vision we had five years ago to be brought to reality by St James Festival day on July 25th this year. So well done and thank you for all that you have contributed so far.
When we set out we planned for the appeal to last for five years – so today we could have been home and dry – except of course, the amount that we needed to raise has increased over those years. We have far exceeded the £339,000 but we have not yet quite reached the target we need to complete the whole.
So today I am asking you to consider whether you can give an interest free loan to the appeal. This would be for a period of five years and we would pay it back in equal instalments each year. If we can raise a significant sum in this way, our appeal treasurer might be able to smile again but perhaps more importantly we will be able to meet all the bills for the final stages of the project. So please think if you could give us a loan in this way.
Another way you could help if you are unable to give us a loan – is to give us a monthly amount by standing order as some have been doing since the start of the appeal – and indeed, if your monthly giving came to an end – could you restart this process or increase the amount.
And finally, if you could give us a one-off gift, that too would be gratefully received.
All the paperwork needed to set any one of these methods of giving in motion is in church today and in the Parish Centre.
We need another £50,000 and the more we can raise today, the less will be needed later on. We are not going to stop our fund raising events – BECAUSE FUND RAISING IS FUN! – and of course, we will need to repay your generous loans.
Bishop Michael ended his sermon with the promise to return to rededicate this beautiful church as a fitting place to worship God and be a place of meeting for the 21st century. He has 25th July 2010 at 3.00pm in his diary to do just that – so together let’s make it happen. AMEN
This has been a longer letter than usual but I cannot finish without wishing you all a good Lent and may you all be blessed in what you are taking on and giving up.
Peace be with you.
