Sermon
preached at the Church of St John the Baptist, Eltham
at Parish Mass on Sunday, December 8th, 2019
‘John the Baptist appeared in the
wilderness of Judea proclaiming
‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ (Matt. 3:1)
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INTRODUCTION
I wonder what it must have been
like to be amongst the crowd of people who came to the river Jordan and
listened to John the Baptist? To have
stood there and heard him proclaim his message of repentance?
It was a thought that came to mind
when I stood with a group of pilgrims on the banks of the river Jordan a month
ago and imagined facing the great Forerunner. Of what do I need to repent? My failure to take the gospel seriously? Having a heart that’s quick to judge
others? And not quick to give thanks and
praise? My lack of generosity? All this and more I would – and do – need to
confess. Of course, having sensed all
that I may have turned away and ignored what I was hearing – run away from what
I knew to be true and buried myself in my usual round of work; of fun and
games. Of distraction. But, maybe,
something of what I heard might have pricked my conscience.
REPENTANCE
Today’s gospel, of course, is all
about the need for repentance. To face
ourselves with those awkward and painful questions – but questions which, in the
end, are an invitation to step into life, unbound by all that prevents us, ties
us down and causes pain to ourselves and – more importantly – to others. Advent is the season for preparation, not
just for the fun and jollity of Christmas nor (and I say this knowing I might
be labelled a heretic) is it ‘all about the children’…. So, what’s Christmas about? It’s about the coming of God and His Kingdom
amongst us. A time when many different
images are used to convey this message and the consequence of ignoring the
Reign of God.
DEVELOPING FAITH
If I stop and look back even earlier, I realise how grateful
I am that my own faith developed through the catholic tradition of the Church
of England. I learnt that one of the important elements in
our preparation for Christmas isn’t just about writing cards and buying
presents, but about preparing ourselves for the coming of the God-infant
of Bethlehem. Let me return to that
pilgrimage to the Holy Land for a moment.
One of the things that most touched the pilgrims was the plight
of the Palestinians, and some of them were moved to anger as we gazed at the separation
wall which runs close to the little town of Bethlehem. It’s a wall which stands for everything that
separates human beings and which God came to tear down that we might be
reconciled one to the other. But it also
stands for something much deeper – it stands for our separation from God and
from that primary relationship that determines how we live. So, as a catholic Anglican, I’m reminded of
the fundamental importance of repentance.
Of recognising my sin and owning it – trying to take down that ‘wall of
separation’ – of isolation. So, like
millions of others, I know I need to make my confession as part of my
preparation for Christmas.
“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.”
Some of you will know that the opening words of the
Confession are these: “Bless me, Father (or Mother), for I have sinned”. It’s an odd way to begin, to ask for a
blessing because one has sinned. Surely the
right way would be for the penitent to say, “Forgive me, Father, for I have
sinned”. But, no, that is the opening
request. For a blessing. Yet,
thinking a little more deeply, those words are right. For the very act of coming to Confession, of
acknowledging oneself as a sinner, is welcomed by God who rejoices in our repentance. It offers a blessing to the one who seeks
forgiveness.
MAKING AMENDS - THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
At the heart of the Christian Faith lies this matter of forgiveness
and reconciliation. It is, perhaps, the
most crucial movement in human life and the scriptures constantly remind us of
the way in which God is working to reconcile the world. Ever since the dawn of Christianity this need
for reconciliation has been realised and the sacramental life of the church has
reflected this. And whilst Baptism
cleanses us of sin, we don’t stop sinning and so the Sacrament of Confession,
or as it has become known the ‘Sacrament of Reconciliation’, has become, from the earliest times, part of the ministry of
the church.
Whilst there are so many references in the scriptures to the
need for forgiveness and reconciliation, probably the most powerful image that’s
moved people to make their confession is that of the return of the Prodigal
Son, which has also been called the ‘Parable of the Loving Father’. If you’re unfamiliar with the story it
concerns a young man who, having squandered his inheritance and lost all his
friends, decides to return to his home and admit his mistakes.
In the parable there are some telling phrases, the first of
which is connected with why penitents ask – confidently – for God’s
blessing. As the repentant son turns to
home Jesus says this: ‘But while he was still far off, his
father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around
him and kissed him.’ (Lk. 15:20)
It’s this deep compassion – love – that the
father had for his son that is activated as the son makes that first step to
return that means God will bless all those who seek forgiveness for their
sins. Who seek reconciliation.
The other interesting phrase Jesus uses is
this: ‘when
he came to himself’
(Lk. 15:17). There is
something about sin which is unnatural.
We were not created for sin even though it has power over us. Or, to put it another way, we can be drawn
away from that which we were created to be and be enticed by its opposite. For sin is the corruption of our good
nature. When we sin we are ‘not
ourselves’.
In religious terms, to be ‘ourselves’ is to
live in the freedom that comes as we seek at-one-ness with God. And so the penitent kneels before the priest
and the priest encourages them: “The Lord be in your heart and on your
lips that you may rightly and truly confess your sins, in the name of the
Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit”
Making your confession – being open and honest – may be a
blessing in disguise, but it’s a costly blessing. After all, sin has a price.
And so, with such encouragement, the penitent begins
to open their heart:
“I
confess to almighty God
and before the whole company of heaven,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.”
But, hang on, you might say, ‘I don’t need to confess to
anyone except God, and I certainly don’t need to confess to the saints!’ Well, that’s true, to an extent. The problem, as I wrote in my book, is that
sin isn’t a personal matter between you and God: it disrupts the whole fabric
of the universe. Like throwing stones in
a pond, the ripples move out and disturb the water. And not just on the surface.
My sin affects earth and heaven, if you like, and I need to
acknowledge that and realise that the effects of what I do, ‘in my thoughts
and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do’, can
have a far wider effect than I might realise.
It’s what has been called the ‘Kicking the Cat’ syndrome – and if you’re
not sure what that means, have a word with me afterwards!
And we can’t always make amends for our sin. OK, sometimes we can. We can apologise to the ‘cat’, or ask
forgiveness of someone, do something to right a wrong and so on. But so many times it’s impossible to right
all the consequences of what we have done, even if we are aware of them. So the penitent ends their confession with
the words:
“For these and all the other sins that I cannot remember
I am heartily sorry, firmly mean to do better,
most humbly ask pardon of God
and of you, father, penance (advise) and absolution. Amen.”
Contrition for what we have done and a real desire to amend
one’s life must be part of the process.
Confession isn’t just about finding forgiveness; it’s also about
desiring to change one’s life. It’s
part, if you like, of the conversion process.
Many of us might say that we only sin ‘a bit’, but the truth
is that all sin has its effect on others and in order to right our
relationships with the world around us we need to be in a right relationship
with God. And that is where the Sacrament of Confession is so
helpful. To say ‘sorry’ to God in the
presence of another human being has a different effect on me than if I only
have to do so in my heart.
I have to face the truth of my sin when it is out there, in
the open (as it were). When we have
admitted that which has wounded our relationship with others and with God and,
in a real sense, wounded us.
CONCLUSION
So we lay it all out before God in the presence of another
human being. But that human being, in
his or her priestly role, is Christ-like.
And then, finally, the confessor assures the penitent of God’s
forgiveness:
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has left power to his Church
to absolve all who truly repent and believe in him,
of his great mercy forgive you your offences;
and by his authority committed to me,
I absolve you from all your sins, in the name of the Father,
and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Go in peace; the Lord has put away your sins,
and pray for me, a sinner too.”
There’s something immensely liberating in those words, “I
absolve you”. It can feel like a
great weight has been removed and, whilst none of us can be set free from the
consequences of our sin that awful burden of guilt can be lightened.
As we approach the coming of Christ you might consider
whether making your confession has its place in your Christmas
preparations. God has given every priest
authority to give absolution – it might just be your most important present to the
world – and yourself.
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