John Davies - Notes From a Small Vicar

On being sheep

Sheep need a leader. And ultimately sheep need a shepherd. And this isn’t a sign of weakness or stupidity. It’s a sign of wisdom and strength.

It's not stupid to want to group together in a big flock. That brings safety and security.  It's not stupid to want to be guided by someone. That brings order and stability. What is stupid is getting mixed up in the wrong flock; what is stupid is following the wrong leader. Jesus said: 'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves'. [Matthew 7.15] 

Sheep aren't that stupid. They learn quickly which leader to follow. Not the aggressive dog with the growl; not the shrill shouting youths messing about up on the moor. They learn quickly the sound of their shepherd's voice, and it is that which directs their way. 

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. John 10.27

We are the sheep of Christ. We flock together here, the rams and the lambs, the bold ones and the old ones, the timid ones and the careless ones. Our shepherd expects us to do just three things: to flock together, to listen to his voice, and to embrace the new sheep he will bring in from outside the fold.

- from today's talk, On being sheep.

The disciples: joy in disbelieving

The disciples: joy in disbelieving - today's talk, which owes rather a lot indeed to last week’s talk on Thomas.

Dedication of a Diamond Jubilee Tree

We gathered on Bridestowe Sports Field this morning to plant a White Chestnut - or conker - tree, and dedicate it to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (It's her birthday today, I'm told).

Generations of conker players will benefit from this addition to the field. As a wordsmith in the community I was asked to make the dedication, and so this is what I said:

In this Sports Field, 
Place of leisure, enjoyment and play,

We dedicate this Diamond Jubilee tree
In thanksgiving for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second’s example of dedication and service, for her quiet but certain faith in the higher authority of God.

As we gather here we commit ourselves afresh to serve
Our local community, our nation and our world
For the sake of the common good and the building up of the kingdom of God.

And we pray that this tree will grow and flourish to bring pleasure and enjoyment to generations to come, and inspire them in their lives and service. Amen

 

Thomas - faith in two minds

We should not be afraid to doubt, if we see it as a means of learning and growing in our faith. And we should not be afraid to engage with other people who express their doubts, for Jesus yearns to meet them and show that he accepts them, and say to them, 'Peace be with you'. 

We live in an interesting time and place when it comes to issues of faith and unbelief. On the one hand there is what the previous Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey describes as ‘the marginalization of public faith’ where Christian practice is being called into question and challenged by secular voices, as witnessed for instance in the ongoing debate about the suitability of opening council meetings with prayers. On the other hand there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that those outside of religion increasingly see it positively. In his Easter sermon last week the current Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams noted the way in which some secular commentators ‘no longer see [faith] as a brainless and oppressive enemy, it is recognized as a potential ally in challenging a model of human activity and social existence that increasingly feels insane, a model [of] unlimited material growth and individual acquisition.’ The Archbishop said that ‘We may groan in spirit at the reports of how few young people in our country know the Lord's Prayer, but there is plenty to suggest that younger people, while still statistically deeply unlikely to be churchgoers, don't have the hostility to faith that one might expect.’ 

We live in a time and place where no-one can take Christianity for granted any more. Believers and churchgoers can’t assume that their friends and neighbours outside the faith know and understand what it is about. And there are many outside the faith who have genuine interest, genuine questions, sincere doubts. In the spirit of Thomas, this situation should be seen as a good thing, to be embraced; those who have faith should be encouraging others to raise their questions, to air their doubts, we should be thrilled to try to help them in their understanding, we should seek out and encourage such conversations as they will stretch us and challenge us and help us to grow in our faith too.

From my talk today, Thomas - faith in two minds.

 

Surprised by Joy

Surprised by Joy - my Easter talk at four churches today. It has some affinity with a sermon preached at Christ Church Norris Green in 2005, which I recycled as the Vicar's Message in the Lydford magazine this month.