Change and Chance

From the sermon from this morning with thoughts and prayers for the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion this week.
Readings 
Isaiah 43: 1-7 
Acts8: 14 - 17
Luke 3: 15 -17, 21-22
 

Change and Chance

10^th Jan 2016

Oh how we hate change, how difficult it is to change our lives to take chances, and yet over the last few weeks we have seen some the the most vital changes and chances been thrust upon us by God himself. In case it skipped your notice one of the biggest happened at Christmas, when God changed everything by coming to earth as a human baby, by taking an amazing risk, an unbelievable chance and again when everything changed when those wise men arrived to worship the infant and changed how God was perceived by Jew and Gentile.

This week the story moves on to  the Baptism of Jesus, the moment when everything changes, the moment when this man becomes who he was born to be, the  son, the saviour, now recognized in the words ‘you are my son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased’.

This dramatic moment of change for Jesus, when everything in his life will be altered beyond recognition is also a moment of chance, of opportunity, for all those who then and now will try to follow him.

‘Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name; you are mine’ these words from Isaiah ring in our ears saying to us all

“ Don’t fear, because I am with you, because I sent my Son to you, because he accepted his role as redeemer when he was baptised, you have the wonderful and life changing chance to become who you were meant to be, a redeemed and loved people.

I think we can clearly see that God certain 'does change'.

Now what is  truly remarkable  is that these great texts  are our readings on this Sunday, just before the Primates of the World Wide Anglican Communion beginning their meeting tomorrow.

It is being touted as a very difficult meeting indeed, with all the divisions that abound in the  communion being aired all over the media, such as newspapers, radio and internet, with the Guardian reporting that Archbishops from conservative churches in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Rwanda and Congo are likely to walk out of the summit within a day or two of its opening on Monday.

And the cause, of course, much  big than our mission to spread the Gospel, more important than world hunger, climate change, the refugee crisis and the devastating violence all around us, is the issue of human sexuality and  how we consider it in relation to the meaning of biblical truth. The Bible says many things, lets take a look at the prohibitions in Leviticus for example:

Look this squarely in the face and acknowledge that how we view things today is very very different to how it was in the past, in other words we don’t follow all of the laws that are given to us in the Bible, we break many things that were taboo, but today are considered normal. So the fact is ,change has come about :

So if you're going to ignore the section of Leviticus that bans things such as tattoos, pork, shellfish, round haircuts, polyester and football, how can you possibly turn around and quote Leviticus 18:22 ("You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.") as irrefutable law. And yet that is what is going on today.

Startling isn't it, as is another fact about the primates meeting

"Now perhaps and even more startling fact about the primates meeting is this. When the leaders meet this week there will be no women amongst them. Men will make the decisions. There are no female archbishops in the Anglican Communion".  (these words from  The Primates Meeting  - A busted Flush - posted on Facebook) www.unadulteratedlove.net

And what this means is that approx 50% or more of the people involved in the church have absolutely no say in what the primates decide"

Now contrast all that with the life giving opportunities for change that come from the teaching in the Gospels, how Jesus goes about his ministry, how he turns everything upside down, how he offers in a personal way the sentiments expressed by Isaiah, saying to each and everyone of us.

‘Do not be afraid for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name you are mine’

God it seems, unlike his people continually calls us to take chances, to change, to not be afraid of looking at the world with new eyes.

Now make no mistake, change is painful and hurts, there are always consequences, we can see this in the struggles over ordination of women, women bishops and of course with that big one of human sexuality.

Even small changes changes can be hard –  yet without  a willingness to embrace change  there would no church, people would have stuck to the old ways, no reformation, nothing would ever move and God’s purpose for the world would always be stifled.

Changing how we do things, how we respond to the word of God is constantly in flux, constantly changing, to keep it static is to entomb it.

This is what we as Christians must fight against, tying up the Almighty Word to suit our own ends. Now I am not saying that is what is going to happen at the Primates meeting, just really want to show you that no matter who we are, we can all fall prey to this refusal to accept that maybe, just maybe God wants us all to open our eyes to the chances for change and renewal we  all have to make, so that his world becomes a more just, a more equal and  a much more holy place.  Amen.