Seventh Sunday of Easter

Called to Serve with Joy

Over the past few weeks I've enjoyed the real privilege of helping to prepare our youth candidates for confirmation.  It’s been really exciting to work with them, to discuss various aspects of Christian faith with them and to share their company.  Given that they were my first confirmation group I suspect that I won't ever forget them.  We had a wonderful service at Bookham a couple of weeks ago and today, together with our adult candidates some of them will be receiving their first communion in the parish.

There was one particularly session in our confirmation classes which somewhat surprised the confirmation candidates. I asked the candidates to take a large sheet of paper and to list as many church activities they could which were run by volunteers. When seen on one sheet the list looked very impressive – from bell ringers, musicians, children’s leaders, to pew cleaners, flower arrangers and so on. What struck all of us was how much was going on and how much depended on the time given by people who see their activities as part of the expression of their Christian faith.

There is certainly plenty of going on and plenty of opportunities for people to get involved both inside the church and in the local community. But most churches find it increasingly difficult to find volunteers to help sustain and develop its activities.

That was the subject of a recent Deanery Synod meeting where we spent time working with members from other local parishes discussing ways in which we could encourage more people to get involved in the life of the church in a practical way.

One of the issues to arise out of that meeting was a sense that times have changed and finding people to help with day to day church activities is becoming increasingly harder. We are all living busier lives. We are working longer hours and have increasing family pressures. But following in Christ’s footsteps means that we are willing to hear his call and to live out his call to all of us to follow him. And to do so means that we should all – no matter how little time we have to offer – play a part in building the kingdom of God.

At that Deanery Synod I read a statement from a Church of England document called ‘We are all Called’. This is an extract of what I read:

All human beings are made in the image of God, and are called to become the People of God, the Church, servants and ministers and citizens of the Kingdom, a new humanity in Jesus Christ. Though tainted by sinfulness, God’s wonderful grace and love offer us all this common Christian vocation.

The young are called; the elderly are called. There is no retirement from the Christian pilgrimage. The beautiful are called, and also the unlovely. The sick are called as well as the healthy and the energetic. Activists are called and also quiet people. We are called regardless of our intellectual abilities or our formal education. We are called regardless of our race or nationality or social class.

Women are called, and men are called. We are all called no matter what our occupations may be. There is no special status in the Kingdom for those in ‘top jobs’ or ‘important responsibilities’. Cleaners and car dealers are called just as much as professors and lawyers and missionary nurses. And unemployed people and redundant people and ‘unemployable’ people are called just like everybody else.

One of my key thoughts about confirmation is that our candidates have been called to confirm their Christian faith in a public manner. They had a choice to accept the invitation to confirmation or to reject it. Once they accepted it they know that this now means that they have committed themselves to continue to live a Christian life and they will endeavour to give of their time, their talents and their resources.

In this mornings reading from Acts the disciples concern themselves with replacing Judas. Peter explained that one of the qualifications for discipleship was that the potential disciple had to become a witness to his resurrection and they go on to appoint Matthias as the new twelfth apostle.

That reading suggests to all of us that if we are to be witnesses to the love of Jesus then we too are called to become Disciples of Christ.

In today’s gospel reading we are reminded of a recurring biblical theme – that we belong to God – God knows us and makes us his own, long before we think of coming to him. And Jesus reiterates that as he will no longer be in the world – as he is ascended to heaven – he passes the baton on to all of us, those who are ‘in the world’ to continue his earthly work. And Jesus prays to the Father that he will protect and encourage us and that we may be sanctified which means that we are to be set apart for special use or purpose – to be made holy to serve his purposes.

Christ calls each and everyone of us to help build the kingdom of God here on earth. And he chose the church to be the vehicle to deliver that Kingdom which means that we are all called – confirmed candidates, you and me to put our hands up and say yes to committing some of our time in helping in the life and work of this church. Some may be able to give plenty – others little – but whatever we can give we need to give it with a spirit of joy – of believing and feeling that we are answering God’s call. Here at St Andrew’s we have opportunities for all to get involved – I simply invite you to think about what contribution you make and could make to the life and work of this church – feel free to contact Robert, Peter or myself if you would like to discuss how you can respond to God’s call.

The problem is that we can’t always believe that God could be calling us to serve his purpose. If that’s you – I simply invite you to meditate on the words of this poem:

You Can’t Mean Me!

You can’t mean me, God?
Can you?
I’m not anybody special,
or particularly different?
You can’t mean me.
Chosen last for every team!
Left at the back of the queue,
A wallflower in the dance of life,
Edged out by brighter blooms.
You can’t mean me!
So Moses grumbled – ‘I cannot speak’
You can’t mean me!
So Gideon exclaimed – ‘I’m the youngest son of the least of the tribes’
You can’t mean me!
So Isaiah lamented – ‘Unclean lips’
You can’t mean me!
So Jeremiah explained – ‘only a youth’
You can’t mean me!
So Mary said – ‘how can this be?’
You can’t mean me!
But you do, don’t you?
You do mean me.
All my gifts and graces,
Outweighed at times with all my faults and failings.
You want them all,
To be woven together
And shaped for your use.
You do mean me.
You mean us –
Like bread to be taken, blessed and broken,
To be named, ‘this is my body’,
And given to a hungry world.
Amen

Poem Courtesy of Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham

©Rev. Renos Pitterides - 24 May 2009

Posted: 24/05/2009