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Christ Church
Morningside Sermon given by Michael Paterson, 30 September 2007
Over the years many gifts have been given to this church and congregation by people who loved this place and all it stands for, the stained glass windows given in memory of church members who worshipped here; the electric piano given by the late Alan Winchester in memory of his wife Eileen; the cushions in the side chapel given in thanksgiving for the life of Kathleen Cockburn are but a few of the gifts that surround us, each of which speaks of someone we have known and loved and each of which express the esteem with which this church and this congregation is held by the giver. Well this week someone unexpectedly came to see me to deliver a whole new set of gifts which he asked me to pass on to you the congregation. And so, keeping my promise, here they are - a tin of Baxter’s haggis, a jar of Co-op’s finest mayonnaise, a tin of organic cannelloni beans, a jar of baby beetroot, a tin of organic red kidney beans, a tin of Baxter’s Highlander Broth, a tin of Delmonte Pear halves, a head of fresh garlic and - my favourite of all – a fresh pomegranate. There were also some fresh potatoes and some teacakes but Susan and I had them for our tea!
I have been given food for distribution before but what made this gift so remarkable was not the interesting choice of food stuffs so much as the person who bought and brought them. For this wasn’t the lavish gesture of someone sharing things they didn’t need, nor the thoughtful presentation of someone who had just received a bonus at work or from their shares. What was truly amazing about these gifts was that the giver is homeless and sleeping rough. In the language of today’s Gospel (Luke 16:19-31), it would be fair to say, that on Tuesday 25th September at 4.30pm, Lazarus came to our (church) gate.
When I first met Jimmy 12 months ago he felt his life was over. Estranged from his family and caught up in a cycle of alcohol and violence, he was suicidal and on the point of ending it all. I never heard from him again and had no way of knowing whether he was alive or dead. In fact when he came to my door on Tuesday afternoon he had changed so much that at first I didn’t even recognise him. He was off the booze now, totally sober and going straight. He had made up with his family and after years of sleeping rough he was so proud to show me a letter from the Council offering him a house of his own from the middle of October. This Lazarus, who had lived off the scraps that fell from other folks’ tables, who had been to hell and back and had looked death squarely in the eye, had now risen from the dead and was looking forward to a whole new life ahead of him. And here he was at my door with two bags of groceries to say ‘thank you’ to this congregation for the help we gave him last year in getting back on his feet.
In the gospel parable we heard today two characters are named. Dives, Latin for ‘rich’, and Lazarus which means ‘the one who is helped by God’. And what was being played out on my doorstep was an encounter between a supposedly ‘poor man’ whom God had helped and a set of comparatively rich men and women – you and I – who run the risk of misinterpreting our comfort as a sign of God’s blessing and approval. I tell you having all this unfold on my doorstep sent shivers down my spine and left me humbled to the core.
Some Sundays we hear parables that are comforting like those of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son: stories that invite us to snuggle deep into the Gospel as if cuddling up in Grandma’s old quilts. But some parables – like the one we heard today - are not quite so soothing and disturb and unsettle us. They paint a picture of discipleship that’s not exactly painless, or simple or even feels safe. They teach us that some of the most serious offenses against God are not the things we have done, but the things we have failed to do - apathy, blindness, absence, neglect - And God says, that alone is enough to create a chasm between us.
I find myself desperately wanting these two parables – the one in the gospel and its enactment on my doorstep - to be about other people and not about me. I prefer to believe that they show up the failures of the welfare state, the inadequacies of government & Scottish executive policies. I want to believe that these parables are aimed at fat cat executives and wealthy rock stars and authors turned millionaires: you know, the kind of people who could really DO something about the people on the streets. After all, the truth is that although we live in a smart part of town, unlike Dives, despite the odd glass with our supper, we don’t so much feast in luxury every night as much as struggle to keep up with mortgage payments, school fees, failed pension plans and weekly church offerings. Indeed, despite appearances, some among us struggle just to make ends meet from one day to the next.
But maybe in this gospel God is trying to remind us that the world of rich and poor; the world of those who have and those who don’t; the world in which some people are highly visible and others treated as invisible; is not God’s creation, but our own. Maybe God is trying to remind us that everything-- our lives, our talents, our food, our ability to earn money, our desire to support our families, our shelter, even our faith, is pure gift. And because of that gift, the way we deal with Lazarus matters to God. The way we view poverty and wealth matters to God. The way we handle material goods matters to God. And that is just as true for us individually as it is for us a church community. Maybe through this parable, God is trying to remind us that no matter where we live, no matter who we are, no matter what the bank balance looks like, Lazarus is waiting for us at the gate. And somehow, through him, Christ is there waiting for us, too.
As we go into winter and the cold air and frost gather around us I expect we will see a lot more Lazaruses at our Church gate. We regularly have a couple who sleep behind the church centre and another man who sleeps in the front porch – in fact he was here last night. We also have people who regularly call at the Rectry and the Curate’s house. For casual callers we can offer something from our own fridges; for those who have homes but have fallen on hard times we can offer food to take away with them; If people call on a weekday we can direct them to St Catherine’s Convent where they will get a warm welcome and a hot meal. But what would you like us to do for those who genuinely have nowhere to sleep, or have been barred from hostels, or who come at weekends or bank holidays when everything else is shut?
Until recently our congregation had a good name among the homeless community of Edinburgh – we were known for our weekly collection of foodstuffs and non-perishables that are given to St Catherine’s Convent - a practice which I very much hope will continue; we were known to buy bus or train tickets or to top up people’s electricity cards in cases of genuine hardship and we were known to offer Ark Vouchers which people could exchange for food and clothing but sadly our emergency fund has completely dried up and the Ark has closed down and gone out of business. -
Regrettably in recent weeks our reputation is now in jeopardy as a result of one of the groups who use our church hall calling the police to remove some of our regulars from the church steps. It’s all rather tricky. As a charity ourselves, we certainly need to earn our living and hiring out our halls helps, but as gospel people we are also called to show a special care for those in need, not to have them threatened with legal action.
Jesus was right – the poor we will always have with us – but what would you like those in need to find when they come here? The weather is already changing and Lazarus will probably be back at the gate this week. Our Vestry – the group who represent you and make decisions on your behalf – meets tomorrow and will be considering this issue on their agenda. And so I urge you as members of this congregation to give Lazarus some thought and to let Vestry members know your thoughts on what is a very complex situation. Do you want us to keep emergency supplies of foodstuffs? Do you want us to have a fund for genuine cases? Do you want us to provide a covered space where duvets and blankets can be kept safe and dry? Or how do you see the way forward?
Today’s gospel ends with Abraham’s chilling indictment: ‘If the people will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ This week, through our Vestry meeting and in our own personal lives, let’s rise to the challenge of proving just how wrong Abraham was and honour Lazarus and Jimmy by helping others rise from the dead as we put our creed into deed and live out the faith we are about to profess. Amen
I acknowledge material from the writings of Susan Fleming McGurgan which are included in this sermon.
Follow up: The Vestry asked the Justice & Peace Action group to discuss how best we can respond to the issues Michael raised in his sermon and report back to their meeting on November 14. The Sermon provoked a lot of comment and discussion and several members of the congregation have written to express their views. Over £200 was donated towards an emergency fund. If you would like to be involved in any way speak to members of the Group – Maggie Bryant, Jenny Gibb, Ceci Stephens, John & Jean Williams, Michael Paterson.
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