In the Anglican church, we have such a rich drawer treasures and resources on which we can enrich our lives and worship.
I noticed, while thumbing through the Alternative Service Book, in the section that is rather grandly listed as The Commemoration of Lesser Festivals there, listed for today, June 14th, is the feast of St. Basil the Great
St. Basil, was one of the great theologians of the Middle Ages, who was much involved with the Development of our Nicene Creed and the early Christian Liturgy. He was himself a very devout monk who lived his most of his life in a monastery where he set out the beginnings of our Christian worship today.
He was also, interestingly, tough on politicians which I suppose earns him an extra brownie point as political greed remains- very much with us.
How little some things change!
Greed and violence are still part of our world.
Only recently, we witnessed an appalling act of violence not a few metres from our front door.
I suppose that few of us can really get inside the head of those who commit acts of violence:
they seem to have lost all sense of moral value leaving heartache and devastation in the families robbed of their loved ones.
Perhaps there is some connexion between the absence of moral leadership in politicians and the
The Lord Jesus also lived in a violent society and ultimately was murdered by those who had also lost their moral compass.
In Mark’s Gospel we see one of the most quoted statements that he would ever make about having hope: the hope of FAITH in a world that denies hope. His wonderful parable of the Mustard seed that grows into a large tree
that in turn provides shelter and feeds the birds bringing life
and energy to our world:
That is something that makes the difference between hope and despair: the difference between giving up on life and finding FAITH and the will to go on.
Many people live entirely without hope: they are alone; they may have no friends; they may be struggling daily to exist in this recession.
Others may have lost their partner and may just be struggling with loneliness. Indeed, I remember one lovely lady whom Jan and I met one day who told us that her world was a daily struggle without her husband.
But, this delightful woman has the ability to set her mind on the right track ever morning as prayer plays a vital part in her Christian.
When I met her, she had just returned from IONA and you could just see she was filled with the holy spirit. But this day she was crying;
she had suddenly thought of her late husband; and so I took her hand and we just stood in the Street and I prayed with her and then she prayed too.
You see, she is a woman of FAITH: and FAITH fills her life. She is really inspirational. Jan and I love her: she is a real motivator in the darkness of this world.
Jesus’ reference to the Mustard seed occurs in all three Gospels: so we know that its inclusion has a special significance for us.
To the Jews, the mustard seed was the smallest of seeds. The reference to it becoming the tallest of trees isn’t quite accurate,
Jesus was attempting to make the point that out of these small seeds, grows our awareness of the kingdom of God.
Jesus offers us the certainty of living with him forever in a heavenly paradise.
This is his promise to us, based on the need to have FAITH that we believe in him and the holy Gospels which tell of his life and ministry.
So what exactly is elusive wonder that we call FAITH.
FAITH? What is it?
Well, I’m sure most of us have our own views on what faith actually is, but actually, Jesus, and later St. Paul make clear what Faith Actually as I will explain in a moment or two.
I recall many years ago Jan and I knew a very nice young man called Jim. We used to have him along to the house and we would sit chatting in the dusk of the Evening on Christian Topics. Ian was at that time in a Fundamentalist Group: We loved Jim.
I asked him a question: it appears on the surface to be a very simple question: and it’s this:
What is FAITH?
He looked at me as if I was an Islamic terrorist about to unload a suspicious parcel in a church service:
Why you Just BELIEVE! He said.
He looked genuinely shocked that I should have asked such an OBVIOUS question.
Ah, I said: But,what about the Mustard Seed with its emphasis on trust, growth and renewal?
Now, as I said, its quoted in the three Gospels, but in Mathew, it’s actually quoted twice.
There Jesus tells us that “If you have FAITH as small as a Mustard seed nothing will be impossible to you” Faith is actually abut TRUST: the word FAITH comes from the Latin Fides meaning to trust
So it’s not about what we think we can see: St. Paul tells us that it’s really about what we Actually do in our lives as Christians and less about what we think about what our personal belief actually is. Now, clearly, we all believe in God. But there is much more expected of us as I will explain in a moment.
St. Paul looked at what Jesus had said about Faith and he attempted to develop a core meaning to What he understood FAITH to be
(Now this is, about 20 years after the Death of Lord Jesus).
He tells us TWO things about FAITH. In our Reading this morning he tells us that in our life we
1.Walk by FAITH and not by Sight.
2. The Mustard seed is Something that Grows and sends out many Branches.
To Walk in this way means we need to worship God through ACTION
in What Paul calls “buying Out The Time” by doing everything we can to help those around us.
WE can do this because we have Certainty through What we actually do with our FAITH.
The Mustard seed of FAITH has to be planted. It needs to be watered. Nourished and cared for.
So how can we do this? What motivates us to do this?
St. Paul sets out to tell us. He tells us that “Faith is the sure expectation of things hoped for”.
He says that though Faith in Christ Jesus, FAITH is built on what we do with the Grace and Talent God gives us. (remember The Parable of the Talents?)
FAITH exists though we may see we have no visible evidence of God.
For St. Paul, FAITH is the “Sure Expectation of what we hope for” is what we do without visible evidence of actually seeing God ( as Paul surely Did).
Interestingly, the original Greek text has also another meaning as well: the idea of FAITH as a title deed or ticket which entitles us to heavenly life based on the idea that we trust in God
But this Title deed does have conditions attached:
Jesus’ parable of the Mustard Seed makes clear that he sees our faith to be something Growing; something almost organic.
While the grace of God, is God’s Free Gift to us as the opportunity to worship him, by FAITH, but Though we are given the Mustard Seed of FAITH in God’s grace, it’s not, what you might say, and I mean no disrespect, a supermarket Bogof: a buy one get one free.
FAITH is an ACT which we do: which is why the early Church used the prayer called The ACT OF FAITH which is still used by our Roman Catholic brethren today. Moreover, this action is not about the act of believing but it is about what we actually do for others in our lives as Christians.
Through Churches Together we have a wonderful opportunity to mix with folk from other Churches.
I want to tell you that some we have met are truly unforgettable. One Lady I know is truly remarkable: Her whole aspect is one of love and kindness. When she speaks everything she seems to say is something you need to hear she sparkle in her eyes that she is a truly loving and FAITH centred individual.
One afternoon I met her and she began to Pray.
I was so deeply moved by this woman that I prayed with her too. When she prayed, her face lit up with Joy: She had a stillness and calm that was so wonderful to behold.
This woman had absolute FAITH and total conviction of God working in her life. She made things happen. Her kindness to others is deeply humbling. When she speaks, it loving, supportive and upbuilding Her faith is something that just hits you. It makes you want to be around her.
Truly, I would rather spend five minutes in her company than all the rather stodgy Academics that I have known over the Years: perhaps with one exception, my Late Friend Gordon who was always inspirational as was his father who was someone who lived by faith every day of his life.
Kenneth’s take on Faith was that every day we need to practice feeling good.
Here then is a great truth:
If we feel good about others, then we feel good about ourselves
Gordon began every day of his Life with the Psalms:
in the heat of the day seek out the Psalm For in that peace; your rest and calm
So what can we do to apply Jesus’ view of FAITH as Something vibrant, positive Loving and ACTION-CENTRED?
Well Casting the Net is upon us and its going to be provocative and challenging. But in this new Mission Shaped Church, there are going to be people who’s’ lives are turned around in the richness of Faith.
One truly Awesome practitioner of Faith was an American minister from New York; Norman Peale:
And I want to leave you with three of his best FAITH take-aways. So here they are:
To get anywhere with faith learn to pray big prayers.
The bigger your problems, the bigger your prayer should be. Drive your prayers deep into your doubts fears. That’s Walking by FAITH and not By Sight
What you do-and do for others is far more important than what you think about yourself.
If you Show kindness, Love and are supporting of others
This will always be the test of what people really think of you. Are you a Joy or are you a bit of a misery? So Speak thoughtfully and kindly and feelingly and you too will be Loved and you will always be an effective ambassador for Christ
3.Finally, and most importantly, affirm your Love of God in the Deeps of prayer: And at the close of the day Empting your mind of all your problems
unburdening yourself In the Suggestive power of words that suggest tranquillity:
serenity and Calm; picture it in Your mind.
And in the night watches when your head is on the pillow you have the peace and calm of a FAITH filled mind.
We might recall the familiar words of the Psalmist who would say:
I laid me down to Peace And Sleep,
for only the Lord God Makes me dwell in Safety.
