Dear Friends
“I know there’s a God,” I pontificate to myself, “but I don’t see the need for Church and for ‘religion’ in my life.” And I continue in my musings, “Church always wants something from me—time, energy, effort, money, talents—and I seem to be giving without getting anything back.” And this sort of “spiritual but not religious” view of life seems widespread, even among Christians. We revel in Christianity’s superiority over “superstitious religions” because we think ours to be a religion of the intellect, of the mind, of rationality and reason, and therefore simply “agreeing with it” is enough. “I will worship God in my own way: I don’t need ‘Church’ to get in the way.”
And in rejecting Church I reject Christ.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in Heaven.
Matthew 7:21
Because it is not about a mental acknowledgment that shows us to be Christians—it is not the “spiritual but not religious” attitude—but those who do the will of the Father. And God gives us the opportunity to form ourselves as Christians by worshipping together. This is not a magic spell incanted over each person who attends—a spiritual inoculation to protect us from sin—but if we allow ourselves to be formed and transformed by the worship, to make the words said and sung by the chanters and the priest our words, the actions and rituals not as entertainment but as instituting my gratitude in my entire life, the prayers of the Church as my own prayers, then I may be seen as a true Christian.
Calling Christ, “Lord,” is not enough: I must do the will of the Father.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is not enough to know God exists—the demons know this better than we do—but we must do the will of the Father. And the Church gives us the opportunity to do his will: by serving each other and by serving the Church we are serving him and being transfigured into his likeness.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
The Apostle Paul, elsewhere from today’s Epistle reading, often uses the prefix “co-,” in Greek “συν-.” We are to be co-crucified with Christ and co-die with him, through our baptism, that we may co-rise with him and co-reign with him in his glory. In as much as we are joined to him we are joined to his activities and by participating in his activities we participate in the Kingdom.
The Lord today spoke in a parable. But not only did he give a parable, he gave the reason for parables. He told his disciples—which is to say, he told you and he told me,
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”
And on this St Theophylact of Ochrid says,
“The Lord speaks in parables for many reasons: to make his listeners more attentive and to stir up their minds to seek the meaning of what is said. For we are apt to be curious about sayings that are obscure in meaning and to disregard sayings that are clear. He also speaks in parables so that those who are unworthy may not understand what is said concerning spiritual mysteries.”
And so Christ himself gives the meaning of this parable, “The seed is the word of God,” and he gives the meaning of the seed which falls on the path, the rock, the thorns and the good soil. And I respond, “yes, I am the good soil,” since I “[hear] the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart.” But this is not the totality of what the Lord said, since he goes on to describe the good soil as “[bringing] forth fruit with patience.” Since it is not enough merely to receive the Word of God, we must bring forth fruit as well: in other words, to use the prefix beloved of the Apostle, we must co-sow the Word of God.
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, Co-workers.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 20th October
Discussion on the Divine Liturgy, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 21st October
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 22nd October
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We meet at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the parish?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
[email protected]