Christ Church

Morningside

"Prepare and deliver an address on the theme of Pentecost. 
Analyse your own reactions to it and those of its auditors."

  Introduction

  On Trinity Sunday Simon Justice invited me to preach on the subject of training for ministry. Such an address could have been given in the form of a lecture on current diocesan provision, but I’m trying hard not to give lectures from the pulpit. I attempted therefore to relate the set Gospel of the day, the closing verses of Matthew, in which Jesus gives his final charge to his disciples, to my current programme of training and the training available to others in the congregation. As the sermon was delivered on Trinity Sunday it inevitably picked up the theme of Pentecost and spoke of our part in facilitating the work of the Holy Spirit. The text of the sermon is attached as Appendix 1 and the comments of those who Simon had asked to make comments on the sermon in Appendix 2.

 It seemed to me that the sermon contained themes which could be developed into an address on the subject of Pentecost. As part of the support which Christ Church provides for me, Elspeth Strachan has organised a small reflection group. I meet with this group every2-3 months. This seems to be an appropriate venue to deliver a brief address on the subject of Pentecost and to have it discussed, so as to be able to answer the questions set in the brief.

I developed a presentation specifically for the support and reflection group. Of that group of three people two have a MTh qualification and the third is someone with many years of varied church experience. This is a theologically literate group. The presentation was pitched at the level of a group familiar with theological issues and Bible texts. It depended on a significant degree of familiarity with the events of Pentecost. Two of the group had been responsible for the construction of Christ Churches Pentecost Services.

The purpose of the exercise was explained to the group. The presentation was given to the group without their having prior sight of its text or of the Questions to be answered. These were both given to them at the end of the presentation. After a pause for reflection we proceeded to discuss the presentation in the form of the TISEC questions. As a number of the answers ran into each other I have grouped the responses into a number of composite areas. The discussion is summarised in a section entitled “Discussion”, which is divided into the composite questions.

During the preparation of the presentation a number issues arose for reflection. During the course of the discussion and afterwards a further range of issues emerged. These are discussed in a section entitled” Reflections”.

The Presentation

Pentecost: What it should mean to us now.

Pentecost is remembered as the time when the Holy Spirit entered the members of the early church so that, in the absence of the physically incarnate Jesus, they felt enabled to under take the task he had left them.[1] [2]

What happened at Pentecost?

The early church received the Holy Spirit in the form of a sound “ like the rush of a violent wind” and being touched by a tongue “as of fire”.

Was the form in which the spirit came important?

For the disciples, yes. The wind would have reminded them of the greatest of prophets Elijah.[3] The tongues like fire would have reminded them of Isaiah.[4] Both of them were persecuted, and yet succeeded in difficult times and against the odds.

Why did they need the Spirit?

Perhaps because essentially they lacked confidence. They needed to be enabled. They had the power. They lacked the confidence to use it. After the Crucifixion[5], even after they had experienced the risen Christ,[6] [7] and after the ascension, they were uncertain and afraid. They hid away. [8]

So is the Spirit all that we need?

Well, yes and no. We all have rather different needs.

The spirit was not all that equipped the disciples to go, take out the word, to baptise and to teach. The spirit was the final enabler. During Jesus ministry the disciples served a 3-year apprenticeship. They under took a well-designed and executed part-time programme of training. That programme gave them all the knowledge that they needed. The programme gave them practise in all the skills that they would need. It taught them how to connect with God, and how to reflect. For the disciples, it wasn’t enough. They were empowered. But, they needed to be legitimised to act in a post-ascension world. They needed to be reassured that it was all right for them to do, on there own the things they had seen Jesus doing. They need to be enabled. The Holy Spirit, and in a very traditional Jewish way said, its fine, get on with it.

What might we take from this?

The early church was not left to undertake its task untrained and unprepared. Prior to the charge of the Holy Spirit they had been trained. In addition to that skill base they had lots of prior knowledge, lots of experience of life. As a group the combined accountants, lawyers, skilled tradesmen, doctors, soldiers etc. As we look at our selves and the church we see a similar situation, especially in a congregation like Christ Church.

What might we expect of the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps the same as happened for the disciples but in a form move appropriate for our times. Winds and flames have too much become a thing of television superhero’s. Our tradition might now much more, and going back to the ultimate Elijah, expect the wee small voice and a voice that can not be silenced.

So is this all we need?

No, like the disciples we need training, the support of a group and perhaps the ability to experience the continued workings of the spirit in a group. The spirit can act through individuals and through groups. This is important in the provision of training and encouragement for others. We can help the Spirit to be active.

So, how as a church might we respond to Pentecost?

We can enable and assist the provision of training and the development of skills within the church.

We can recognise the range of skills already present in the church.

We can work to help the spirit to be active in others. This may be what the spirit is calling on us to do.

We can remain open minded about how the spirit might work.

Discussion

Questions on the Pentecost address used as the framework for discussion

1.    What message did you take from the address?

2.    What did it say to you about the meaning of the Holy Spirit?

3.    What did it say to you about the role of the Holy Spirit?

4.    What were the strengths of the presentation?

5.    What were the weaknesses of the presentation?

6.    What was missed out that you would have included?

Question 1: The message of the address.

The importance of the Holy Spirit to us now.

Confidence is rather important. A lack of confidence can stop us doing things, which we are equipped otherwise to do. The development of confidence was a key issue for the disciples.

Training is important. It helps the spirit to function

Mystery is important.

The Holy Spirit can work on individuals and on Groups. The spirit can work directly and through the medium of us

Experiential events can have wide repercussions.

Question 2+3: The role and meaning of the Spirit

Is it God the Father or the Holy Spirit who controls us and influences us? Does it matter to discern which?

Two or three people met together are helpful to the spirit.

The concept of being legitimised, not the same as ordained, is thought provoking and has consequences for how we organise in the church.

Is the word "skills" an appropriate alternative to "Competencies"? “Skills” comes with some historical baggage.

The interplay of giving and receiving is significant. The Spirit enables us to enable others.

Anonymous Christians can reflect the humility shown by Christ himself.

A person is a person though other persons.

The Holy Spirit existed before the incarnation of Christ.

The Spirit helps us to think beyond our own selfish boundaries.

Question 4: The strength of the presentation

It presented a rich subject with much to explore. It engaged the attention.

A number of the points were novel.

It engaged the attention through the range of issues. These made a good basis for subsequent discussion

Question 5+6: The weaknesses of the Presentation

Not all of the points worked as triggers.

The title should have been a question not a statement.

The use of the word “ should “ can bring back negative thought from childhood.

More short sentences would have had more impact.

Rich presentations are not always memorable.

Many areas of scripture are best considered as mysteries and left as such. The nature of the Spirit is one of these.

A reminder of the events of Elijah on Mount Horeb and of the call of Isaiah might have been appropriate.  

Christ Church: Sermon for Trinity Sunday, 22 May 2005

In the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit Amen 

Text: Go therefore to all nations and make them my disciples; baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28, 16-20)

Birthdays and anniversaries are important to us all. Last week we celebrated Pentecost, the birth of the church.[9] An event associated with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today, as a result, we can celebrate Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday encourages us to think about God as  Trinity. A God who we can now regard as complete, following the gift of the spirit, the anniversary of which we celebrated last week. Today I would like to begin where Sue Kirkbride finished last week. Sue’s final words were “God enables us by the Spirit”. This of course asks more questions than it answers. The key question is probably "enables us to do what"? This will be the basis of my reflection in the next few minutes.

Each year each of us has a birthday, whether we like it or not, and at my age I’m not sure that I do. The number just goes on getting bigger. While being old is better than the alternative, it does, I find help to focus your mind on the things, which are really important. As one looks back, one of the things one absolutely does not regret is not having spent more time in the office. While today is not an exact anniversary it is close to two very important dates for me. Around this date in 1984 I preached my first sermon, in St John the Baptist Church, Wateringbury, Kent. It was on the text of Elijah on Mount Horeb and the small voice.[10] Small voices are important to us all. I think every one remembers their first sermon. The second important date was in 2003, My ministry selection conference in Ely. Having offered my self as a candidate for ordination, with your support, I went to have my vocation tested. It was a period of very mixed emotions. No one offers them self for ordination unless they are convinced of the genuineness of that call. It clearly is something that matters to you rather a lot. Convincing a panel of selectors of its validity is some thing else. With the help of the Spirit I surmounted that hurdle. So here I am today.

 Having just finished a placement in another church, as part of my training for ministry, Simon kindly suggested that I might like to say a few words about training and the programme, which our church runs. In addition I will be available in the Hall during coffee to answer any questions that people have and to provide more detail about the various options. This is important, at this time, because the programme is not just one which trains for ordination. It is also designed to train for a range formal and informal lay ministries. As a result it is a practical approach by the church to help us all to answer the call of the spirit and to help the church to work through us.

Now one of the things that I have been trying to get away from during ministry training is the temptation to use a sermon slot as an opportunity to deliver a lecture. After 40 years as academic old habits tend to be hard to move. So to avoid giving a lecture I thought that I would be appropriate to reflect upon Today’s Gospel reading.

Our reading today comes right at the end of Matthew’s Gospel.[11] It deals with Christ’s final command to his disciples. So let us look at what they were charged to do, things which could only be done with the help of the Holy Spirit.

First they were instructed to make all nations disciples.

Second they were instructed to baptise.

Third they were instructed to teach.

As we look back on the charge, it is not, at all an easy legacy. The charges, of course, as ever with Jesus teaching, leave a number of things unsaid. Inherent in the instructions are a number of questions. Many of these are issues, which have been concerning the church for some time.

 In relation to the first command we must ask what does being a disciple mean? Is there a single model or are there a series of options?  Did Jesus really mean all nations or just those, which were known at that time, the limits of the Roman world?

The instruction to Baptise, at first sight seems rather easier. Most of us have been baptised. We know about baptism. But beyond the action what is the significance of baptism.  Most importantly does it carry with it responsibilities? What are they?

The final instruction is perhaps the most difficult. Teaching is never easy. Teaching requires skills. Was everyone required to teach? What was to be taught?

So many Questions. So much responsibility. But of course they were not left on their own to do this: As Paul reminds us in his 2nd letter to the Church he established in Corinth.[12] The grace of Christ, The love of God and the Fellowship, the support of the Spirit is with those who become disciples. Paul reminded the Church that these gifts were most effective when disciples lived in peace with one another. We can be clear that those who are charged with following the instructions of Christ are never left without support. But what should be taught? What sort of things should a disciple do? Here our lesson from the Hebrew scriptures is of help.

In the opening chapter of the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew scriptures, we read that God created the Heavens and the Earth.[13] In creating the earth God created both physical and biological entities. God spent 3 days creating the physical entity; a day creating plants but only a part of a day creating humanity. God spent 6 days creating the world and one-day resting. Of course as a scientist who accepts evolution as the way in which God delivered his creation I do not take the time periods literally. Never the less the relativities seem to me to have something to say to us when we ask the questions "what should we teach"? and "how should we use our time"? How do we set a balance between reflection and service? Loving God means loving his creation. As Simon reminds us each week in his final charge[14] following our worship, our worship fits us to go forward and serve God and the World.

 Now all of this may seem to have strayed some distance from theological Education and the Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church, TISEC to its friends.

In creating training and developing the disciples Jesus spent three years teaching a small group. We know from the Acts of the Apostles that subsequently they saw their ministries in rather different ways.[15] As part of Jesus' programme of training he gave the disciples theological instruction both to help them and so that they would be in a position to teach others.[16] He also sent them on training placements.[17] [18]He instructed them in church history.[19] He taught them to be critical and contemplative disciples through both the medium of his discussions with groups such as the Pharisees [20]and periods of reflection. [21]He trained them as communicators.[22] He encouraged them to work as a team.[23] And perhaps above all he showed them the importance of being a servant.[24] The TISEC programme is also grounded in these skills.

Of Course the TISEC programme has an academic content. It deals with New Testament and the Hebrew Scriptures, with Church History and with Liturgy, with Contemporary Issues and Ministry, with Church Doctrine and with Mission and of course with that most challenging of all areas, Spirituality. All of these academic areas are linked to skills resulting in a programme which is at its heart practical, aimed at enabling people to do things not just speculate about them. It is this ethos which allows the one programme to be used in a variety of ways. It is a programme for training for ordained ministry. It is also a programme for training for lay ministries such as Lay Readership. But it is also a programme where those who would just like to know more and with out any other end in view can take 1 or more of the 27 modules, which make up the entire programme.

So I return to where we began. The final command, which Jesus gave to his disciples, was to find and baptise disciples and to teach them. He recognised that this needed training, for which he provided a model. He also recognised that this needed support, which he provided through the Holy Spirit.[25] The challenge Jesus gave to his disciples remains as his challenge to us. The spirit remains as our support. Our Church continues to provide training to help us all to take up that challenge.

Lord God, in every age you seek for those who are prepared to answer your call. Help us to hear your voice. Make us answer your call with joy. Involve us in a new Pentecost. Help us to answer your call by saying, here I am send Me. 

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen  

                              David Atkinson
                                                            7th August 2005

Appendix 2

Reactions of those in the congregation to the sermon

Simon had asked a number of people in the congregation to give feedback on the sermon.

General: OK, from the ministry team and members of the congregation.

Specific: (J W) Stimulated by the comment about disciples being sent on Placement. Liked the parallels about Jesus' training programme to current church provision.

             (P G) Liked the structure and the linkage of the various elements.

             (K M) Listened to the whole sermon, which she rarely does.

            (L L) Interested in how those who have previously been in powerful positions can adopt the servant role.

            (N B) Seriously interested in offering himself as a candidate for ministry and so interested in just how the whole system works and the support available.      

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