Do it with gentleness and reverence
Easter 6: 27th April, 2008
Fr John Davis, Vicar of St Peter's, Eastern Hill
'Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is within you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.' (1 Pet 3:16)
This injunction from today's epistle is not a bad start for the establishing of some appropriate processes or rules of engagement in times of controversy or disagreement. Hope, gentleness and reverence. These are the key words. These are the key qualities highlighted.
Week by week, this place is pleased to welcome many visitors — some from far away, others simply from somewhere here in Melbourne. They might be here on the recommendation of friends, they may have googled some Anglican characteristics on the net and come up with us, they may come because of our reputation as an anglo-catholic city church — but they come. Some will be here today joining with our regular congregations.
It is always a great pleasure for me to be able to take groups of people around this historic church, pointing out particular treasures or interesting snippets about our past, but in the end we get to the fact that this is a living community of faith here; actively seeking to give expression to that hope that is within us, worshipping, offering care and service, enjoying each others company, reaching out beyond ourselves in this particular tradition of Christianity which we embrace. We ourselves are changing all the time. A community that has buried over 100 of its own number in ten years and yet has not diminished in size, is going to be different. People are indeed interested in hearing about what makes a place like this live now, not just what it has been in the past. Some at least come because they have heard good things about The Hill and would like to experience it for themselves.
Over time, a culture can develop. Perhaps a gentle and reverent rejoicing in the gifts and graces this tradition can offer. Perhaps an intentional generosity of spirit and easy going welcome. Perhaps a sufficiently large and diverse gathering of people and ministries to be encouraging rather than daunting. Perhaps a sense of being part of the mainstream of Anglicanism and playing our part in that, yet with a deep awareness of particular strengths that flourish here. Perhaps as the current custodians of a tradition, a central location and some fine facilities, positively rejoicing in the opportunities that are ours. All that together could start to express an observable culture of a community of faith that would be for instance very different in quality to a place that was say isolationist and defensive. People may well be searching for either. Our own parish vision statement gives a clear indication of what might reasonably be hoped for here now. It does though indeed take time and hard work to make a vision live.
All that can be the context for how we might seek to exercise our responsibilities in times of great change in the wider institutional church. Some of us find such change invigorating and refreshing and not before time. For some it raises major doubts and concerns and is deeply unsettling.
This week has seen the final step taken in a more than 30-year set of changes to the working out of the ordained ministry in this church as it applies to gender. The diocese of Melbourne is to be the second in Australia to consecrate a bishop who is a woman, and in our case also to a position relating to diocesan ministries and services rather than to a geographical area or region. Canon Barbara Darling, presently vicar of St James' Dandenong and the senior clerical canon of the diocese, has 30 years of varied and faithful service. She is a fine person. The archbishop's nomination of her for the concurrence of the Diocesan Council was warmly welcomed without dissent and the bishops of the Province have recognised the canonical fitness of the consecration. This will therefore now take place at the cathedral on May 31st.
For a small minority in this diocese, this appointment will not be welcomed. For some in our own anglo-catholic tradition this is so. For some here, this is so. Gentleness and reverence is what we have all been called to this morning. Remember again our baptismal calling to relationship with God in Christ, to a living and growing faith that starts out with the surprise and thanks that God cares and reaches out to us. Acknowledge too that we try to continue to live out this faith even, or perhaps especially, when it is hard or when we cannot understand. The Church, like we ourselves, holds the treasure of faith in earthen vessels. Perhaps with Dame Julian of Norwich we can hope and affirm that all will be well, finally, and in the meantime get on with what we can as best we can.
The gospel this morning declares that we will not be left comfortless; we will not be left orphaned. That Spirit which we will celebrate at Pentecost will continue to give us life -as individuals, as community of faith. That will be so. That is the promise. The question is, do we believe it?
The commandments of Jesus are all to do with love. They are absolutely not to do with multiple fine points of organisational structure or personal behaviour. Love God, love neighbour.
'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God. The Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' Jesus said: 'This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbour as yourself'. (Mtt 22:37-39)
We know the summary of the Law that Jesus declared even as he said clearly in this morning's gospel that he gave us a new commandment: to love one another as he has loved us. We are called to share back what we have ourselves already received. That is to be our most defining and apparent characteristic.
Today's gospel then includes this remarkable assertion:
"They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them'. (Jn 14:21)
This is the good news on a grand scale. This is a love that is declared to be greater than fear. This is an understanding of God's relationship to us and our relationship with God and each other, that is far bigger and far deeper than any points of difference or disagreement that we might have — or at least so it should be. May this be so.
'Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is within you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.' (1 Pet 3:16)
The Lord be with you.
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