6th Sunday after Trinity, 19 July 2020
Themes from today’s readings seem to be about seeing things in a new way, as we awake or move forward, as well as waiting for those times when God’s kingdom will come and evil will be destroyed. And these themes got me thinking about our return from lockdown, and our future – we do not want to go back, to hope for things that have past, but we hope for the future, as we wait patiently, as Paul writes to the Romans.
So I’d like to build on my evening sermon from last week and reflect on what it means for us as a community with lockdown slowly easing. And how we might not simply just go back to church, continue how we’ve always been.... Because something has changed for us during this time. One journalist put it like this: ‘disasters and emergencies do not just throw light on the world as it is. They also rip open the fabric of normality. Through the hole that opens up, we glimpse possibilities of other worlds.’
Last week I spoke about how, particularly for the younger generation, institutional religion is viewed with great suspicion – because it represents rigid structure, organised authority, power, hierarchical order, buildings. Institutions like the Church of England are seen as perpetuating white male privilege, and deeply homophobic. Given our history and some passages in the Bible, possibly like the one we heard today, this is hardly surprising.
One reading of the Gospel we’ve just heard is this: at the end of time, the weeds will be thrown into the fiery furnace, but the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. It’s a parable that has been used to propagate the myth that I, or we, are ‘special’ to God. The idea that we are the special chosen ones who are on God’s side who will shine like the sun in the kingdom of God. And others (be they non-believers, Buddhists, Muslims and so on) are the weeds who will be, as the Gospel puts it, ‘pulled up and burned in the fire’ at harvest time.
But this is a dreadful and harmful interpretation and it’s not what we believe about character of God. God’s love is expansive. It reaches into the very darkest and lowest places of existence and into the very darkest parts – the weeds, if you like – of our lives.
The message that we need to draw from this passage is about love. It’s not about us and them. It’s just about us! We know from the symphony of Scripture that nothing and nobody exists outside the presence of God’s infinite grace and perfect love. What I think these readings are saying is that ultimately God will destroy all of the works of darkness. And we rightly long for the day when death and injustice and corruption and violence will be destroyed and God will be all in all (1 Cor 15:28).
This is a message we need to be sharing. For many young people today, whilst not churchgoing, are nevertheless deeply spiritually engaged. They are looking for meaning and connection. One writer puts it like this: ‘I call this “religious remixing”: not secularism, nor traditional faith, but rather a freewheeling space in between, where a generation of spiritually hungry millennials (and Zoomers) seek out practices, communities, and senses of meaning that resonate with them personally.’
This is the new young generation. Far from being atheist – they hunger for, and are interested in, the spiritual, but outside of religious institutions.
This leaves some significant questions for us as the church, with our beautiful buildings, carefully crafted liturgy and creeds. How might we engage with this new younger culture? I wonder what we as a community might do, or how we might change. Change, gasp! Yes, the church is never standing still. As we slowly return to church physically after lockdown, might we, rather than simply going back to how things were, rather go forward, having learnt something new?
Many churches have thought deeply about engaging with modern young culture and some have decided to radically change their liturgy and style of worship. To better connect, they have introduced contemporary styles of music and singing – a music band with guitars, drums, a lead singer. Many young people are drawn to this style of spirituality. But that style simply isn’t us. And its only part of an answer where one size doesn’t fit all.
So, what would our response be? I don’t have any concrete answers to what new shape we might consider. But as the start of a discussion, I wonder what draws the 30-40 young people who sing with St John’s Singers? I’ve spoken to a number of them, and it seems to me that what draws them is a thoughtful, welcoming, inclusive, faith. A faith that’s not defensive; a faith that’s not black and white; a faith that doesn’t purport to have all of the answers. A church that is comfortable with doubt, questions. A faith that’s a life-long journey and that expresses itself in being sent out in service to the community, particularly the most vulnerable.
There are a series of books under the imprint: Ancient-future faith. And I think the title of the series expresses something important.
Our faith should be Ancient, in that it draws from the centuries old well of prayers and liturgy of the church. It’s an encouragement to go deeper in our faith, to draw inspiration from some of the mothers and fathers of the faith.
But our faith should also be a future faith, in that we don’t want a faith that has ossified and become stale. Rather a faith that reaches forward in new innovative ways, with music and singing and liturgy that enriches our services and provides meaning to a whole variety of people, so that we can be truly inclusive and welcoming.
So as we return to developing our Mission Action Plan in the coming months, we need to think creatively about developing our new vision and purpose. Not simply ‘going back’. But going forward, changed in some way. As we fling open the doors of our buildings to welcome our people, might we also fling open our hearts and minds to welcome with equal enthusiasm what new things the Holy Spirit is yearning to breathe into us.
References:
Tara Isabella Burton, THE TABLET | 4 JULY 2020 p.4-5
Revd Dr James Heard
Vicar, United Benefice of Holland Park