R Pittarides’ First Celebration (29 June 08)

Peter and Paul

There is a wonderful episode of Yes Minister called the Compassionate Society. Jim Hacker goes to visit a new hospital which the civil servants are immensely proud of. Whilst visiting the hospital the manager tells Jim that it is one of the best run

hospitals in the Country. There is just one problem – it doesn’t have any patients. Sir Humphrey explains ‘Having patients around would be no help at all to the smooth running of the hospital – they would just get in the way.’

The joke is of course that the civil servants have become so obsessed with their own roles and efficient working that they have completely lost sight of their purpose. I’m not for one minute suggesting the same is true of our church. But on this day we remember two great founders of the Christian Church, Peter and Paul. We celebrate with Renos his ordination as priest. And we are drawn back to our fundamental purpose. The purpose founded in Peter’s confession of faith – You are the Messiah, son of the living God. This confession of faith, this knowing who Jesus was and is, and then building up the church on that faith.

Each time we come to church we are invited to proclaim our faith. Peter’s proclamation was followed by a call to ministry. If we truly listen to God, we will all hear the call of Jesus to ministry of one form or another. It may well take time to understand how our gifts, time, skills and situations are to be used by God. But the call does come. For some, like Renos it is to a publicly authorised ministry. Many serve in roles less prominent and not necessarily clearly linked to the Church, but still very much part of our Christian calling. All types of service flow from shaping one’s life more and more to the gospel, which inevitably leads to an ever-increasing likeness to Christ.

Ordinations usually take place at Petertide – the festival of St Peter. The laying of hands at ordination is a tradition going right back to Peter himself – it marks the unbroken continuity of faith and the handing down of responsibility for the mission of the church. In Acts chapter 13 we read of Barnabus and Saul (who became Paul) having hands laid on them before they were sent out to be apostles of Jesus – ‘the Holy Spirit said, “set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting they laid hands on them and sent them off.”’

As Renos was ordained on Friday night Bishop Ian said the words “Send down the Holy Spirit on your servant Renos for the office and work of a priest in your Church.” In doing so he echoed the words spoken by Peter as he sent people out to be apostles.

Jesus call of Peter, and Paul’s conversion, were accompanied by their names being changed. Jesus named Simon Peter, the rock, which became a play on words, his name symbolised the role Jesus’ saw him taking on as the foundation for his body of disciples, which was to become the Church. Saul, who Luke writes, ‘was also called Paul’ is referred to as Saul only at the beginning of his story in Acts. He soon becomes Paul. I was musing over whether Renos’ name should also change. But Renos, short for Eireneus, means peace which is quite appropriate. And anyway my main thought was ‘Very busy’.

Peter and Paul wanted to change their names as an outward sign that they had given over their lives to being apostles for Jesus Christ. Many people like to wear a cross or display a fish sign in their cars. Those who become monks or nuns take on a new monastic name – a new Pope chooses a Regnal name by which he becomes known. Those who are ordained do of course get a name change as well – we drop our Mr, Miss, Ms or Mrs and become the Reverend.

But with any outward declaration of discipleship comes obligation. Whether we are priests or sideswomen, greeters, youth leaders or musicians, there comes with the role a need to remember the fundamental purpose of declaring Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, and then shaping all that we do so that our faith and the Church is constantly built up.

All of us here are growing as ministers of Christ. Simply by coming today, however weak in faith we may feel, we have responded to Gods’ call. From the time we move from being an enquirer, a seeker of faith, to making a profession of faith, we take on the role of minister of the gospel. It might not be such an outward, visible role as that of a priest, but it is equally important and intended.

In the first letter of Peter the message that everyone in the church is part of the priesthood is explained. “like living stones build yourselves up into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Those spiritual sacrifices are the times when we reflect the complete love of Jesus Christ for other people. When we shape our lives around Jesus’ gospel. Peter goes on “You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you.”

It is because we are all part of a royal priesthood, where Christ is King, that we need to identify people who will help us. Help us in the task to which we are all called of building up the church. A World Council of Churches paper says that the Church needs people who are publicly and continually responsible for pointing to the fundamental dependence on Jesus Christ. Ministers through their work and their way of life draw the church forward in its mission.

But the document goes on to express strongly the communal dimension of the priest’s role – ‘The exercise of ordained ministry is rooted in the life of the community and requires the community’s effective participation in the discovery of God’s will and the guidance of the spirit.’ In other words, without the priesthood of the whole body of the church the minister’s role is ineffective – it loses its purpose.

The role of us all as ministers is to help people come to know who Jesus is. In our gospel reading Jesus described Peter as ‘blessed’. He was blessed because God had given him the ability to see who Jesus is. Peter could be the rock only because he knew Jesus as the Son of God. And that is true for all who build up the church. The church is built of people who, like Peter, are blessed – who know who Jesus is. Jesus’ bidding to Peter, Peter’s purpose of building a church was fulfilled. We are those who are now blessed as members of that church today. Jesus ask us ‘Who do you say that I am?’ And as we make our faithful response he replies ‘you are the rock on which I will build my church.’ May God send down his Holy Spirit on us all in that calling.