Rev'd Anna and Friends

John 6 v51-59, 17 Aug 2024, Sermon by David Moore

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.


Sermon
Yet another week about eating.
We recently heard about Jesus feeding the multitude with bread (and fish). Jesus used that as a sign to point to who he was – the Son of God.

Last week, Yolande spoke about Jesus being the Bread of Life. Bread is the universal food, and its smell is lovely throughout the house. Jesus is the Bread of Life – we come to Him for spiritual nourishment. This bread does not perish but lasts forever.

Today Jesus takes this further. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Note his reference to “bread which came down from heaven”, yet another reference to the manna in the wilderness in the book of Exodus, which was treated by the Jews as the most perfect food, given by God, directly from heaven, pure and perfect.

And Jesus clearly said this in a way that could be taken literally as the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

What we eat becomes part of us as we assimilate the energy of our daily food and drink. We become assimilated into Jesus when we eat his body and drink his blood - a graphic way of him giving us himself. When we receive him in this way we are brought into a deep union with him, so that we and Jesus share his life and the life of God. We are each made in God’s image as we walk in God’s world.

Early in John’s gospel is the statement in 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us”. Incarnation – God becoming human flesh and blood. “Flesh and blood” is an idiom that often implies kinship, as in “my brother is my flesh and blood”.

This is also undoubtedly looking forward to the cross. Jesus’ body was given. His blood was shed. And why? To buy our salvation, or as Jesus put it, “to give my life for the life of the world”. This is looking forward to Holy Communion, when we remember Jesus’ sacrifice to pay the penalty of sin. The bread and wine are symbols of Jesus’ body and blood, given for each one of us. But this passage is controversial. Catholics use it to support the doctrine of Transubstantiation, which means that they believe that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ.

It is also used by Evangelicals to say that the only way to heaven is belief in Jesus – no exceptions. “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

Notice the similarity between v54: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

And v40 in the previous section: “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

So Jesus has repeated himself in a slightly different way.

So in this context eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus is not about cannibalism but about faith. “whoever believes in him shall have eternal life”.

Jesus saves, but to be saved we need faith, a response. To be saved, we need to eat, which means putting faith into practice. Active faith. Bread left in the pantry won’t feed you – you have to eat it.

True nourishment: Jesus himself, his words, his spirit. Given by Jesus. Perfect. Feasting on the words of Jesus nourishes us. We learn what God is like, how he acts, and what he wants.

This passage is also a metaphor for Holy Communion. As John’s gospel was written quite late, the readers would be familiar with Holy Communion. BUT eating and drinking at HC does not automatically get us to heaven. Many fools have come to God’s table but without faith. Many with faith missed out on Holy Communion, such as everyone in the OT, and the penitent thief on the cross, and the remote countries where people haven’t heard the Gospel.

So what of the Evangelical position that only Christians go to heaven? Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

I believe, in the words of a hymn, that “the love of God is broader than the measure of man’s mind, and the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind”. I believe God wants to forgive more than we want to seek forgiveness. I think it is a bit arrogant on our part to lay down to God who he can let into his heaven! I believe there are many people who live a life of faith, but not necessarily Christian faith, who when they meet Jesus on the day of judgement will exclaim, “I recognise you, you are the one I have spent my life worshipping even though I never knew your name!”

After the service at Lowdham earlier, someone said, “Jesus said that no-one comes to the Father except by me”.

Yes, I agree. Only Jesus was the pure perfect sacrifice for sin. Only he could pay our tab. As Christians, when we get to the Pearly Gates, we can simply say, “Jesus Christ has paid the tab for me”.
But a Muslim who has lived a life of faith, and a life of worship to the God that he knows, may say, “I hope my tab has been paid, but I don’t know”, may get the answer, “Yes, Jesus Chris has paid the tab for you, but you didn’t know his name”

I still believe it is our duty to share the love of God as that brings peace and love in this life, and that we, mere human beings, don’t have the authority to lay down what God can and cannot do.

Closing prayer
Christ in My Life: Thank you for creating me free and respecting my freedom. Because you made me free, I can love, and in loving, I come to resemble you and enter into your friendship. O Lord, purify my heart. Help me to choose more often, more definitively, and more passionately to give myself to those you have put under my care. I want to love with all the force of my freedom, just as you do…

Bread is such a simple food, Lord. It’s so normal, so basic. And that’s how you come to me. O Lord, open my eyes so that I will see you as you truly are in this mysterious sacrament. And open my eyes so that I will see you as you truly are, present and active in the normal, basic activities and events of my life. You came to walk with me and accompany me through life. I don’t want to walk alone anymore…

I want to be like the Eucharist. I want my life to nourish the hearts and souls of those around me. I want to pour out all my energy, all my talent, and all my love for the sake of your Kingdom, bringing others closer to you and closer to the happiness you created them to enjoy. How can I give myself more? How can I be more like you? Teach me to do your will, Lord, and to seek first your Kingdom…
Amen

Can you help build a shed?

Could you spare a couple of hours after church this Sunday (4th August) at St Mary's to help build our new shed? We will be helped by the Community Payback team that includes someone who builds sheds for a living.

Can you bring with you (or lend) a cordless drill or cordless screwdriver, please?

We plan to start around 10:30am. If you can help, please call David on 07718077584 or comment here. Thank you.

John 6 v1-21
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Jesus Walks on the Water
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

Sermon 28 July 2024, David Moore

So we have just got to the end of our Christmas series, ending with Simon’s thoughts on the boy Jesus coming of age and spending the days following the Passover asking questions of the religious teachers in the Temple, while his parents went spare looking for him.

And as Simon said, this boy wasn’t just any boy, but someone really special. Really special. His birth was announced by an angel, and not just any angel, but the top man. And the angel returned to warn the family to flee the murderous intentions of Herod.

Fast forward a couple of decades, about which the Bible tells us nothing. Nothing at all. So who is Jesus? What does he stand for now that he has grown up?

His mother of course knew he was special. Even before he did his first miracle, she knew he could do something about the crisis of running out of wine at the wedding feast in Cana. Not just say, but do. And the result? They had wine aplenty, and quality stuff at that.

This led to a period of ministry in Galilee, up in the North of the country, just a few miles south of the current borders of Lebanon and Syria. It was a time when the 12 disciples gradually realised, like Mary, that Jesus was something special.

There are six main events towards the end of the Galilee ministry before Jesus set his face to Jerusalem, a journey that would end in his death and resurrection.

Firstly, he sent out the 12 on a mission. (He also sent out 72 on another mission).

Then there was the ex*****on of John by Herod, to fulfil a rash promise he made to a pretty young dancer, Herodias’ daughter.

Thirdly, Jesus retreated from the crowds to grieve for his cousin and soulmate. The crowds caught him up, and at the end of the day, Jesus fed 5000 men, and all their families.

Immediately after that, the disciples crossed the sea by boat, Jesus went to pray, then walked on the water through a storm as the disciples got a bit rattled. These two miracles are the only ones recorded in all four gospels, and they come together in all four.

Fifth, the disciples gradually realise that Jesus is rather special. And finally, there is the moment when Jesus asked directly who people, and then they themselves, thought Jesus was, and Peter declared that Jesus was the Son of God.

The last two are probably distinct events, although John’s gospel has it a little more low-key, and records just a single event.

But whichever way you look at it, Jesus had to be completely sure that all the disciples had figured out that he was the Son of God before he went to Jerusalem, to ensure they wouldn’t get the wrong end of the stick.

John does not record the death of John the Baptist, and his narrative of Jesus’ life is less chronological and more symbolic than the other three gospels. He does not introduce this story, as the other three gospels do, with Jesus wanting to withdraw from the crowds to grieve and pray given such sad news. But John does mention one little detail, and it is not insignificant. “The Jewish Passover Festival was near.” So John had been executed just before Passover, and Jesus knew that his death would also be at Passover.

Let’s go back a few thousand years, and refresh ourselves on what Passover was all about. The Jews were in slavery in Egypt, and Moses was sent by God to liberate them. After a number of plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh was unimpressed and hardened his heart. The final one was that there would be a death in every household. The Angel of the Lord would kill the firstborn of every Egyptian household. But the Jews were told to kill a lamb, and spread its blood over the door frame, and that way, the angel would ‘pass over’ that house and spare the oldest son. But here too there was a death. The lamb effectively died in the place of the oldest son. Perhaps it was in this moment that Jesus decided that Passover was the right time, given all the symbolism and meaning to Jews everywhere, that it would be the perfect time for him to offer himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Perhaps he has already decided – we will never know. But the next year Jesus went to Jerusalem to die for us.

Given John’s symbolic narrative, why does he mention that ‘The Passover was near’?

There are parallels here. Jesus provided food for people in need, he walked on water, and he retreated up a mountain.

Moses prayed to God in the desert, and God provided Manna from heaven. Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea, and went up a mountain to receive the 10 commandments.

This account has Jesus taking the initiative and asking Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

In the other three Gospels, the disciples came to Jesus and suggest that the crowd be dismissed so they can search for food (although it was the more remote side of the sea). Jesus told them to provide for them. Although the words are different, the outcome is the same: the disciples were utterly unable to feed the crowd. But in all four gospels, there is mention of the 5 small loaves and two small fish. Here we are told that a boy offered them to Jesus. What faith! What generosity!

But this is where Jesus starts: he takes what we have, and what we can generously offer, and multiplies it more than we can imagine.

BTW, I would love to have been a fly on the wall to see the expression on the disciples’ faces as they started to hand out the food, and the more they handed out, the more there was!

John doesn’t describe this as a miracle, but as a sign. Signs point the way, and show us where to go. The purpose of this event was not just to feed a hungry crowd (although it did that too), but to show us something else about who Jesus was. He had the power over substance and could create food. He could have started from scratch, but chose to use the gifts of a boy. Just imagine how that boy felt afterwards. “Dad, Mum, I shared my lunch with Jesus, and he fed the whole crowd with it!!!!”)

Notice that the crowd had eaten all they wanted, and there were still 12 baskets of remains. God provided abundantly, not ‘just enough’. Just like the wine at the wedding.

When evening came, Jesus sent the disciples on ahead in the boat, while he got a bit of time to pray, as usual by going up a mountain. It got dark, and the other gospels tell us that a storm brewed up, and by 3 or 4am the disciples were afraid, and Jesus showed up walking across the water. Just imagine it – almost pitch black (unless there was a moon – certainly there were no artificial light) and a shadowy figure came close. Frightened is probably an understatement, and terrified still doesn’t quite cut it, until Jesus spoke to them, and in utter relief, they realised that they were safe after all.

There was a similar episode near the start of the Galilee ministry where the disciples were caught in a storm and Jesus was asleep in the boat. Jesus was woken up, and he calmed the storm. “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!”

But now, they had seen Jesus live, work, preach, heal and perform wondrous signs over a number of months or even years, and it was dawning on them who Jesus really was.

In Matthew’s account of this incident, after the wind died down, they worshipped Jesus, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God”.
A little while later we see Jesus ask the disciples, “Who do people say I am?” – easy, we have heard people discuss this. “Who do you say that I am?” – eek – got to nail my colours to the mast!
Peter replies, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”.
So right from the Old Testament prophesies to the angel speaking to Mary and Joseph, the Holy Spirit speaking to Elizabeth and Zechariah, (John the Baptist’s parents), and the disciples seeing Jesus and the Signs of the Kingdom, comes the inescapable realisation that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, God incarnate, God in human flesh, the one who takes away the sins of the world, and the one who will return as Judge.

While the disciples had the advantage of seeing Jesus in the flesh, we have the advantage of hindsight, and can look back on the accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Rather like last Friday at the Olympic opening ceremony. If you were in Paris, you got a really close-up glimpse of part of the event, whereas on TV you got to see the big picture.

Who do you say that Jesus is? If, like me, you believe that he is God incarnate, and holds us in the palm of his hand, let’s live our lives in that knowledge, and declare it boldly now.

ESCAPE TO EGYPT
Today, we delve into a story from the Gospel of Matthew.
The book of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, presenting us with an early picture of Jesus. Along with the books of Mark and Luke, it is known as one of the synoptic gospels because they share similar perspectives in telling the story of Jesus.
Here we have Matthew's account of Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus escaping to Egypt.
We should recognise that this is not just a historical account; it is a testament to God’s guidance, protection, and provision during times of great uncertainty.
This narrative focuses on this godly family, Joseph, Mary, and their infant son Jesus, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Messiah, was appointed for a specific mission—to bring humanity into relationship with God.
Joseph and Mary were selected by God as Jesus' earthly parents to protect, nurture, and guide him.
The family resided in Bethlehem, an initially insignificant town. However, with the birth of the Christ child, this town suddenly gained great importance. So, Christ was already making an impact.
Following Jesus' birth, they received precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the magi, who worshipped the child and then went on their journey.
Here is where the beloved nativity story, often recounted at Christmas, takes an unexpected turn.
I wonder if Joseph and Mary truly understood what lay ahead when they agreed to be the parents of the Christ child.
Unlike parents today, who receive cards and gifts from well-wishers, congratulatory phone calls, and help from family and friends to adjust to parenthood, Joseph and Mary’s experience was profoundly different.
An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream with a clear message: "Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him" (Matthew 2:13). Joseph responds immediately with obedience.
What a chilling decree Herod made—to hunt down and kill male children under the age of two in search of the infant Jesus. However, without hesitation, Joseph acts. Despite the fear and uncertainty, he might have felt, he chooses to trust and obey. This teaches us that when God calls us to act, our response should be immediate obedience, although this is not always the case as it can be difficult. We often hesitate when God prompts us to act, whether it's changing careers, moving to a new city, or repairing a broken relationship.
There are times when we must step forward in faith, trusting God and remaining steadfast against distractions. Obedience to God not only enriches our own lives but also positively impacts those around us who are influenced by our willingness to follow God's path.
This obedient couple, along with their infant child Jesus, find themselves in a precarious situation, preparing to escape to Egypt to protect Jesus' life. Egypt, known as Mizraim in Hebrew, held biblical significance as a place of both refuge and oppression. Outside King Herod's dominion but within the Roman Empire, it offered a safe haven for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, with its large Jewish communities providing a familiar environment.
Egypt symbolised God's protection and the fulfilment of His promises. Jesus' time there fulfilled Hosea 11:1, which says, "Out of Egypt I called my son," underscoring His role in restoring and saving God's people.
Could you imagine having to pack up your most precious belongings and prepare for travel at night? The journey to Egypt for Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus was undoubtedly extraordinary, filled with peril and uncertainty. Imagine the vast expanse of desert stretching out before them as they embarked on a treacherous route that could span up to a hundred miles. No doubt, with each step, the scorching heat of the day bore down on them, while the chilling cold of the night wrapped them in a shivering embrace.
They probably travelled with minimal resources, perhaps relying on a humble donkey to carry Mary and the precious infant, while Joseph walked resolutely beside them. Day after day, they might have navigated rugged terrains and desolate landscapes. Every night, they may have sought refuge wherever they could find it—possibly a cave, an abandoned hut, or even the open sky. No doubt the search for food and water was likely a struggle, with frequent stops to rest. The road could have been dangerous, requiring constant vigilance.
Unlike today, where we can check our journey details online and secure travel insurance. Joseph, Mary and Jesus only assurance was God, yet they pressed on, driven by the need to obey and protect their child from Herod's decree.
I believe that on this journey, God provided for their needs and guided them safely through what might have been physically demanding and emotionally draining. The isolation and loneliness they experienced could have weighed heavily on their hearts as they travelled with their child, adding another layer of complexity to their journey. As you know, babies require constant care and attention.
In this tumultuous time, Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus became refugees, fleeing to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath. They left their home and familiar territory to seek safety in a foreign land, much like many families today who are forced to leave everything behind to escape for their lives. This situation is not unlike our world today. The selfish ambitions of those in authority in some parts of the world cause men, women, and children to lose their lives. Where is humanity? We can only try to visualise what those caught up in such catastrophes are going through now, and then in Bethlehem...
The fear, the desperation, the hope for a safe haven—these emotions transcend time and place, uniting past and present in a shared human experience of seeking safety and peace amidst turmoil.
Why is this happening in Bethlehem? It is because of one man threatened by the birth of Jesus Christ, fearing that someday this child would take his throne. King Herod, driven by rage and selfish ambitions, chooses to take such drastic and cruel action, resulting in fathers and mothers weeping with great mourning for their children, refusing to be comforted because their children were no more.
This is the Nativity of Jesus Christ. This is where the life of Jesus Christ emerges from. As the Lord God said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” God calls people out of various situations. Like many of you today, God has called you to be, to do, to go. Listen to His call and respond with obedience, trusting in His provision.
The story reassures us that when God calls and guides us to a place, He also provides what we need to get there and sustain us while we are there. Many of us face situations where we must leave our comfort zones. It could be leaving a secure job, setting up your own business, starting something new, moving away from family, embarking on a course, or a call to some kind of ministry.
The escape to Egypt reminds us that God’s provision accompanies His guidance. He will supply your needs, whether through opportunities, community support, individual support, or unexpected blessings.
When you show God that you are willing, there's a momentum. I dare you to say yes to God and see what happens. God will not just start to guide you and leave you midway on the journey; He will continue to guide. Remain in communication with Him. Remain prayerful. The Bible says He will never leave you nor forsake you. Mary was willing; Joseph was willing.
My husband and I believe that God wanted us to move to Nottingham. I’ve always told people we moved because of his work, as I wasn’t sure people would understand. We both agreed and said yes to God. We placed our house on the market and began to look for a property.
Shortly after placing the house on the market, the viewings began. Then the estate agent called me with exciting news: “You’ve got a cash buyer,” she said. “Opportunities like this are rare. You can’t afford to miss it.” In my heart, I said, "Oh no," knowing what this meant. Now we really had to move. And so, the momentum of saying yes to God began.
We sold to the cash buyer and agreed not to have any more viewings. We also agreed to move into rented accommodation once contracts were exchanged, even if we had not found a property.
The rented accommodation was small. We placed our household furniture into two large storage units in different areas of Essex and remained in rented accommodation for just under a year. To be honest, I did not anticipate it lasting so long. Finally, we moved to Nottingham into our new home. We attended a Pentecostal church.
Throughout this journey, prayer and seeking God's guidance were crucial. As a result of His guidance, I found myself here at St. Helen's in Burton Joyce and St. Mary’s in Lowdham. This outcome was certainly not what I had planned, but it was evidently God’s plan. I encourage you to say yes to God and experience how He directs your path.
Be quick to obey God’s guidance, trust in His provision, and rest assured that His promises will come to pass. Accept that there is a bigger picture and acknowledge that you won't always know the details or foresee what's ahead.
By embracing God’s will and following His plans for your lives, you can positively impact future generations, just as Joseph and Mary’s act of obedience and trust in the Nativity of Jesus Christ benefits us today.
I pray you carry this story in your hearts, allowing it to inspire and strengthen your faith. Trust God as you journey, no matter how uncertain it may seem, knowing that He is with you every step of the way.
Amen

Art - https://benwildflower.com/products/flight-to-egypt-greeting-cards

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Come and worship the God who includes and affirms

We’re Celebrating PRIDE

On Sunday 28th July, 3pm at St Mary’s in the Lace Market. High Pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HN

Matthew 2:1-12 – Journeying With The Wisemen

On my journeys into work I have been relistening to the Fellowship of The Ring audiobook read by Andy Serkis who performed as Golum in the movies and I was struck by one of the passages. Frodo is just setting out from Bag End and remembers something that Bilbo once told him:

“He used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. Do you realize that this is the very path that goes through Mirkwood, and that if you let it, it might take you to the Lonely Mountain or even further and to worse places?” He used to say that on the path outside the front door at Bag End, especially after he had been out for a long walk.”” JRR Tolkien: The Fellowship Of The Ring.

While Frodo’s path doesn’t lead him to either Mirkwood or the Lonely mountain it does lead him to Rivendell and Lothlorien, places of rest and healing. But it also leads him to darker places of loss and fear like the Cracks of Doom and the Bridge of Khazard Dum. Frodo, and his journey, were to be a herald for change, a sign of the end of the current world order and a re-establishment of an older world order with the return of the true king. And at the end of the journey Frodo was changed, he was no longer the same hobbit that stood on a path remembering his uncle’s words.

Journeys have that power; they can change us personally and they can even have the power to change the world itself. In 1924, the sprinter Eric Liddell was slated to run in his favoured event, the 100m, at the Paris Olympics, an event that he’d spent years training and preparing for, and yet the organisers decision to hold the heats for that event on a Sunday meant that Liddell, a devout Christian, withdrew from the race refusing to run on the Sabbath. Liddell went on to win Gold in the 400m, an event that entirely took place on weekdays, his journey and choices have been immortalised in the movie Chariots of Fire It was during the second voyage of HMS Beagle that Chales Darwin made his observations that led to his publication “On The Origin of Species by Natural Selection”. More personally last weekend marked the 6th anniversary of when I went for my interview to start the Licensed Lay Minister training course, a personal journey that has led me to serving in numerous places I’d never imagined before then, and also led to me training for ordained ministry, I’m definitely not the same person that started that journey all those years ago.

When I was in primary school, we once did a Christmas play based on the journey of the wise men. We started with them discovering the star and making the decision to follow it, then followed their route to Jerusalem to the palace of Herod and then finally to the stable in Bethlehem. We had singing and jokes and excitement, and two of the kings nearly getting pushed off the stage. It was amazing, and it was fun, and it was a complete work of fiction. The simple fact is that we know very little about them from the bible reading we heard this morning. We don’t know how many there were, we don’t know their names, we don’t know what country they came from, we don’t even know how old Jesus was at the time of their visit. We know that the wisemen were most probably astrologers, given that they followed a star that foretold the birth of a new king of the Jews, but it is also possible that the Magi were classed as priest within Persia. Men of supreme holiness who were constantly looking for signs in the heavens of God moving in the world. And so they observed a star and followed it westward, first to Jerusalem and the palace of Herod and then on to Bethlehem and the place where the child was.

When the magi arrived at the court of King Herod, much like Frodo, they were heralds of change, for the old world order was about to pass as a new and rightful king had been born to the Jews. While Herod was only half Jewish, the prophets had foretold the birth of a king of the house and line of David. It’s easy to imagine all the confusion in the room at the time, the magi expecting a royal baby but not finding one, and Herod having no idea what they are on about. Their arrival and questions though heralded the amazing news of the birth of the Messiah, the anointed one of God. We are told that Herod and all of Jerusalem were disturbed probably rightly so, was the messiah going to start a war with the Romans? Was he going to kick Herod out of his Palace? Why was it that God had revealed this astonishing news to foreigners rather than his own people? While the Jewish priests and wisemen were able to direct the Magi on to Bethlehem, it wouldn’t have stopped the questions or the worry, these would eventually lead to Herod’s decision to slaughter the young boys of Bethlehem when the Magi didn’t return.

The journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem was only about 5-6 miles, that’s less than the distance from here (Lowdham/Burton Joyce) to Southwell Minster, but the minds of the Magi must have been racing trying to work out the significance, wondering what they would find? They had brough kingly gifts to be offered before a kingly throne and yet here they were travelling along another dirty road away from the capital to some small village to find God’s anointed one, a child so special that the heavens declared his coming. The end points of journeys are never 100% certain, Darwin didn’t know that he was going to write a theory that would change human history and scientific thought. The Magi didn’t know that God’s anointed would be found in a small village with his parents rather than a palace, but they trusted the sings in the heavens and followed obediently.

In the traditional Christmas carol, We Three Kings, we sing of the significance of the gifts brought by the Magi. All three gifts were expensive, brought for the new king’s birth. While we understand the significance of gold for a king given to the true king of kings, and frankincense used as a fragrance offering in the temple, we can occasionally overlook myrrh. The carol talks of a “bitter perfume” used to anoint the dead and yet it overlooks its use in the Old Testament. Myrrh was an essential part of the oil of anointing (Exodus 30: 22-33), this was the oil used to anoint the Tabernacle was used to anoint the Arc of the Covenant to make them “most holy”. God, born as a babe in Bethlehem, was brought the oil used to anoint the very place ancient Jews knew God inhabited with them. Eric Liddell knew that when he raced it was his offering of worship and glory to God, but he didn’t know where that offering would lead him or how God would use it for His glory, not Eric’s. The Magi had no idea the importance of their gifts of how God would use them for His own glory.

One of the great things about Lord of The Rings is that we get the whole story. Tolkien not only fills us in on how Frodo’s journey finishes but also, if you read all the appendices, fills in a lot of the information that doesn’t get covered in the main book itself. How I wish that was the case with the story of the Magi, I wish I knew what they told people when they got home. How did they react to all they had seen and heard, what did they think of it all? When I started my journey to become a Licensed Lay Minister, I had no idea where it would take me, in all honesty I still don’t know 100% what the ending of my current journey is going to be but I do know that I am called to carry on following along this path.

As a Benefice we are on a journey as well, it is our aim to grow in our faith and to help take God’s love to all the villages, to our family and friends and help bring more of them into the knowledge of that love and into the family of faith. Unsurprisingly this isn’t some quick trip but a journey that will take a while and possibly take us to places we didn’t imagine when we started it. But we know that we can trust in the God of love, we know that we can trust him to use our gifts for His glory as we continue on this journey. We too, with his help, can be heralds of His kingdom.

Each of us is called, by God, to follow our own paths, to journey along sometimes through green pastures, sometimes through the valley of the shadow of death; and we have no way of knowing where that journey is going to take us. Yet we are called, like the Magi, to trust the one who has called us too this journey and promises to never leave us. Like the Magi, we can’t begin to imagine how God will use our gifts for His glory, but we know that He will.

Part of my journey has exposed me to Celtic spirituality, which has a reverence for nature and change but also holds a huge respect for the importance of journeying. This it the “Celtic Journey Blessing”:

Bless to me, O God.
The earth beneath my foot,
Bless to me, O God,
The path whereon I go;
Bless to me, O God,
The thing of my desire;
Thou Evermore of evermore,
Bless Thou to me my rest.
Bless to me the thing
Whereon is set my mind
Bless to me the thing
Whereon is set my love;
Bless to me the thing
Whereon is set my hope;
O thou King of kings;
Bless Thou to me mine eye!
– Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations collected by Alexander Carmichael (Floris Books 2006)

I pray that we, as a benefice and as individuals, may take our next step on these journeys trusting in the God who led the Magi to Bethlehem. I pray that, like the Magi, we will freely offer Him our gifts for his use. I pray that our stories, like theirs may lead others to faith. Amen