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Sermon - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (B) - 2nd August 2009
St Albans Anglican Church Epping 7 and 8am
Reading: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, Psalm 51:1-12, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:24-35
Whenever I hear Ephesians 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love…” quoted as the reason for someone speaking in public in this diocese, I quake because in my experience, what the speaker is about to do is attempt to destroy the credibility of another person or their argument in the most unloving manner. The most famous occasion for me that this verse was sighted was at the Electoral Synod in 2001. At that synod when debate about the candidates was taking place this verse was used to destroy any chance that Bishop Robert Forsyth had in being elected Archbishop when it appeared at that stage that he was going to be elected instead of the other candidate that certain speakers were supporting. Such behaviour was cruel and there was no evidence of another section of this reading, “I beg you to lead a life … with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. (vv1-3) There was no humility, gentleness, patience or forbearing. Robert and his family were devastated when they heard that such behaviour was exhibited, as were many people, I myself included, at the synod session.
Many people ask me why it is I speak out in public when the media ask me in the context of a newsworthy issue such as in relation to the recent loss the Diocese See Fund that has incurred because of the Global Financial Crisis. Am I being disloyal or do I like the sound of my own voice? You will see that my letter in the edition of the Epping Parish Magazine that has come out today discusses my reasons for so doing. I quote some of what I have said.
“I speak because the business of the Church must be open and transparent. One email that I received asked me to explain why it was that I dared to speak to the secular press. It was not the thing to do to speak to the outside world. I thought that Connect09 was about making contact with the society in which we live. Also in the secular world are the people who make up the parishes of the Diocese and they would have not known of such losses had not the secular press taken up the issue.
The Archbishop has written in … Southern Cross (SC July 2009)
“It is uncomfortable to have our affairs so open to scrutiny and comment in the secular press, but this is far better than secrecy and lack of disclosure”.
I believe that the Church should be setting the standards when it comes to openness and honesty. It should not be hiding away from scrutiny. Secrecy only leads to unsatisfactory results, deception and doubt.
Jesus said, “Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, … Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one”.
Such openness is demanded of secular organizations. The Church must be more than scrupulous in all its dealings.
The Church, even as it seeks to promote honesty in our society is itself riddled with a lack of honesty. The Church is made up of frail human beings. I believe that if I have an opinion, it should not be aired behind someone’s back. I should have the courage of my convictions and I should speak the words I wish to say in the open. Too often, church members are too frightened and sometimes too insincere to speak up in public. Too often they are bullied into keeping quiet. Too often people only say in front of those who matter, what those who matter want to hear. The people in power are fed what they wish to hear. Remember the king sometimes has no clothes! Having a different opinion is not saying that I totally disagree with everything you say. None of us has all the answers. We need to hear other opinions to make the best decisions.”
The verse in question goes on;
“But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
I speak out knowing that I do not know the mind of God on all things, but that we all need each other to be the body of Christ and discover God’s mind on the matter a little more clearly. We all have different roles to play, knowing that we are all different. I do not say anything behind a person’s back that I would not say to their face. I support the Archbishop as my father in God. He and I believe in the same God, we are both members of the body of Christ, but God is beyond all names and shapes and his experience of God is different to mine as it is to yours. We need every believer to tells us more about how God reveals God’s self to each and in so doing we all draw closer to God, or as the readings also says our gifts are;
“… to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”