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Cleansing & Renewal We prayed a few minutes ago, the words of a prayer which date back 1500 years – for that’s when the Collect for today, the sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, was compiled. The prayer, or collect, was asking God’s protection for the church. And it’s a reminder to us that even then, that far back, - in the fifth century - the church was facing both the challenges of internal dissention and debate over some of its doctrines, it was facing immorality in the church - and it was facing opposition and persecution from outside the church. “O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy church; and because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” In every age and generation the church is always in need of God’s continual “pity” – or “compassion” as we might otherwise translate it – for the simple reason that the church is not perfect -! and it needs cleansing and renewing. We might be tempted to think that in the fifth century, being so close to the time of Christ – that there were few problems in the church; that we would see the pure gospel being lived and proclaimed.! Yet what we see is the church, even then, in need of renewing. The church at that time was being split with theological debates – and these theological differences led, literally, to physical opposition and fighting and warring. The church today is also in need of Gods continual compassion and renewing – for aren’t we, who make up His church today – just as frail and human? The Anglican Communion today is currently being faced with a major split – and its world-wide, and the split is being caused by certain Bishops and congregations who, in my understanding, clearly contravene what I think is the unmistakable teaching of scripture and who have ordained practising homosexuals, and have approved the blessing of same sex relationships. This split and polarisation within the Anglican Communion is so serious that the Communion may not even survive in its present shape or form. I must admit that it is not something which I enjoy reading or even thinking about. Other denominations in N.Z. have faced or are facing these same questions at this very moment. The Presbyterian Church has just voted on this matter to maintain the scriptural values, and sooner or later the Anglican Church in N.Z. will no doubt be again ‘pushed’ by certain liberal minded individuals to debate this matter again as to whether this is permissible or not. It is interesting to note that in the Presbyterian Church debate there were those who stood firm in the traditions and teaching of scripture and who called for the church to follow Scripture, and not Shortland Street, to follow Christ, and not the culture of the day! The church today – as was the church in the 5th century - is under threat of false teaching, it is under threat of immorality, it is under threat of acquiescing to the pluralism and materialism and traditionalism of the age - and if it goes down that track – I believe it will forfeit its distinctive and unique call by Christ to be a light in the darkness. But there are many other aspects of Church life which we could easily point to, and declare “Yes”! - that area needs renewing too! Our concern for those who don’t know Jesus Christ; our concern for the poor, our concern for injustice; our concern for the 15,000 unborn children who are aborted every year in this country alone; - and so we could go on and on. So the Collect for today, the 16th Sunday after Trinity, is still relevant for us! – for OUR church – for each of us are also in need of cleansing and renewing, aren’t we? But perhaps, in contrast to what the church IS – we can pause for a few moments and catch a reminder of what the church is both called to be and is going to be. For a start – its good to remember that the church is not a human institution. It was not founded by the Pope, or St. Augustine, or Joseph Smith, or William Booth – but by the Son of God. The church is a Divine – not a human institution – and Jesus reminds us that His church will prevail. It is through His Church, we are told, that “the angels and archangels will learn the wisdom of God.” (Eph.3;10). In the epistle this morning, from the letter to the Ephesians, which next Sunday we will commence looking at in more details – Paul reminds his readers of what we are called to be - a people filled with the Spirit, and who are rooted and grounded in Christ’s love. So let us bow our heads in prayer as I pray again this prayer of renewal – not just for the church as a whole, but for each of us. :- “O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend – “US” - thy church; and because WE cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve US evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” |
