First preached as a sermon
at Croydon Minster on the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, 12th January
2020. Readings: Isaiah 42.1-9; Matthew 3.13-17
+
The liturgical
year moves swiftly on,
like a
mighty flowing river.
No
sooner than we celebrate the birth of Jesus
Than we
celebrate the Epiphany,
and the visit of the Magi would have
been some while
after his birth.
And
today we celebrate
the Baptism of Christ,
which
we know to have been 30 years after his birth.
The
liturgical year
isn’t concerned with keeping to
time,
but with
revealing the mysteries of God.
The
Baptism of Christ sits beautifully
in this wonderful season of light
that spills out
from the celebration of his birth.
It is a rich,
and densely packed,
mystical moment.
The heavens open!
It is another Epiphany,
a manifestation,
a showing forth
of the glory of God
revealed in human flesh:
it is an incarnation moment.
It is a
moment
when
we apprehend
the
movement of the Blessed Trinity –
Father, Son and Holy Spirit –
the Spirit descends like
a dove,
and the
Heavenly Father declares
of
Jesus,
‘this is my
Son, the Beloved’.
*
I was
at our cathedral church in Southwark last week
for the Mass of Requiem
of a
former Vicar of Croydon,
Bishop Ronald Bowlby,
who
died just before Christmas.
Bishop
Ronnie was Vicar during the centenary celebrations
of the consecration of this church,
and this afternoon we
begin our celebrations
of 150 years
since the consecration.
In the
cathedral
there
is a crib scene
of life
size figures around the font of the cathedral.
Flanked
by his blessed Mother, Mary, and St Joseph
the Christchild
appears
to be resting on the font itself.
It’s a
fascinating juxtaposition
of the birth of Christ
and our baptism.
Baptism
is a birth:
birth into
the life of the heart of
God;
birth into
the Church,
the Body of
Christ;
birth in
the Holy Spirit.
And
that life itself
should flow out of us
into the world
that is created
and hallowed
by God.
One of
the tasks of a Christian
day by day
is to
proclaim,
live out
and be
God’s
blessing
in a world that seems bereft of
blessing today.
An
expression of that
will
take place today
from
the cathedral, as, after the Eucharist,
the
Bishop and congregation goes out
to bless
and hallow
the waters of the River Thames
from
the bridge linking Southwark Cathedral with St Paul’s.
It’s
not just a quaint ceremony,
but a confident declaration
that God’s blessing
is the life
running through our communities
like a mighty river.
As
Christ was plunged into the waters of baptism
at the hands of our own patron
saint, St John the Baptist,
so he bestows
and hallows
the
waters of the new Creation:
as he says,
‘The water that I will give
will become in [you] a spring of water gushing up to eternal life’ (John 4.14b).
Water
is the stuff of life;
the stuff of life
is made holy
by Christ:
the One
who transformed water
into rich wine at the
Wedding Feast.
The
River Wandle
no longer runs past the Minster,
but if
it did,
I hope
we would be out there
blessing the waters.
In the
absence of an actual river
we’re prompted to reflect on the
blessings
that we yearn
to see
flowing
from this church today:
we can touch people’s lives and
hearts
with the flowing
blessings of Christ.
*
We
want to see
the gospel of Jesus Christ flowing
like a mighty river
through the heart of this town of Croydon.
We
said that in our church vision day last summer.
This
church
is the ancient
and enduring
spiritual heart of Croydon.
We
don’t want it to be
a stagnant tributary,
but a life bearing
river,
teeming with blessing
and hope.
In the
prophet Ezekiel
we see a vision of the Temple
from
which flows water.
It’s the text known as Vidi Aquam
that will be sung
as water is sprinkled
from the font in this
liturgy.
Water flows
from each corner of the Temple
getting deeper
and deeper,
flowing from the Temple,
out
beyond
itself
into a stagnant salty sea
which is then
transformed
and teems with fish
and life.
Oh to
be that sort of Temple!
In the
150th year
of the hallowing of this building
may our culture and
expectation here
be one of
abundance
and
not scarcity;
one that celebrates the blessings,
the life of the teeming
town of Croydon.
When
it rains heavily
the Minster can appear to have a
moat,
such
is the poor drainage.
We
don’t want to be
a moated,
cut off community –
quite the opposite! –
we yearn to be
a community that flows
out
with life beyond ourselves:
are you; are we, ready for that?
A
church is consecrated;
people are baptised.
Both
are
temples of the Spirit,
houses of prayer
and of the abiding
presence
of Christ.
Tomorrow
the Church Council, the PCC,
will be considering
how we renew the life of
this church
by beginning to sketch out a
‘strategy’
for our work with
Children and Young People (CYP).
The young bring life.
As we
consider the place of the CYP of our church,
and honour that place,
we
find that it tells us about the sort of church
we might really be.
Do we merely tolerate
or really welcome
the
young,
or anyone for that matter?
How a
church treats its CYP
reveals a great deal:
about
how
seriously it really welcomes, cherishes and values
everyone -
regardless of age, background etc, - unconditionally;
about
how
open it is
to
transformation
and growth;
and about
how it
really values people
for
who they are now,
not just as
some sort of insurance policy
for the church
continuing
when we’re all dead!
Developing
a strategy for CYP
is one a way in to clarifying a
vision
of the church
and it has a missional impetus too:
engaging
with CYP means
also
engaging with
their families
and supporting parents and carers,
who are the primary
catechists –
teachers and
nurturers in the church;
it
makes us reflect
more widely
on catechesis beyond the young in
years,
to the young and
immature in the faith
(who may be
advanced in years);
it
makes us reflect
on the sacraments of initiation –
baptism and confirmation;
about how we equip,
and are equipped to be,
lifelong disciples;
it
makes us think
about how we connect
with other aspects of
the life of our wider community
institutionally
and personally,
with schools,
playgroups, young carers.
Christ
stepped out of the River Jordan
and his public ministry
of healing,
forgiving
and revealing the
mysteries of God
flowed out from him
in the wilderness.
As we
celebrate the consecration of this building
and our own baptism
both to
be temples of the Holy Spirit,
may we
be:
healed and healing;
forgiven and forgiving;
alive and
life-giving.
Then
we will truly be
a blessing
to our community
it all its
teeming diversity.
Pray
that the Holy Spirit
will flow around this church,
and this community.
Pray
for discernment and wisdom
and please pray particularly
for
our children and young people,
giving thanks
for the life they bring
to us
in Christ.
Amen.
