Preacher: Revd Katie
Date: 22/03/2020
Sermon for Choral Evensong on Mothering Sunday, Fourth in Lent, 2020
Readings:
Micah Chapter 7
The Letter of James, Chapter 5
Psalm 31
Behold, we count them happy that endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
May the words on my lips and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
Today is Mothering Sunday, an invention of Common Worship, rather than the Book of Common Prayer. On Mothering Sunday we are allowed a break from Lent. Were our church services still taking place the vestments today would be pink (which some of our male clergy might find a little difficult?!) But men often look very good in pink! I always remember buying a pink baby-grow for my eldest son, but then had to endure the comments of admirers of my beautiful baby: ‘Oh, isn’t she lovely’. Much silent gnashing of my teeth ensued!
Today is however the strangest of Mothering Sundays. Many families are unable to gather in celebration for fear of infecting older relatives and young children with the virus which is dominating our world at present. And there is nowhere to go, with pubs and restaurants either closed or offering take-away service only.
We are all having to adjust our way of life, and that is not easy, in particular for those having to self isolate, or those of us who are older and tend to find change difficult at the best of times. Our normal routines are completely disrupted as we work from home, if we can, to protect both ourselves and those we love. But it is difficult to adjust.
And there is considerable worry for businesses, the employed and self employed, particularly those with mortgages or rent to pay, and those in the entertainment industries. It is a time to pull together. But some services continue. Our own Parish Church remains open for private prayer.
And thank Heaven for radio and television. It is time to buy in lots of box sets! Thank Heaven too for the wonderful Community response. My next door neighbours called to deliver a leaflet about The Watermoor Support Group, asking if I needed any shopping. So kind, (although it did make me feel very old indeed, a fact I am not good at accepting!)
So these extremely difficult times are bringing out both the best and unfortunately the worst in us. The panic buying has shown us to be selfish and self-interested, sins that we should be particularly aware of and try to resist in Lent. The Reading from Micah Chapter 7 begins: Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits as the grape gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat. There has been no bread, milk or potatoes in Supermarkets due to panic buying, with people buying in far more that they need; a call for repentance, surely.
And as always, it is the most vulnerable in Society who will suffer the most; the homeless, the sick, the elderly. But again the Community response has been heart-warming with all sorts of online initiatives set up to help combat loneliness, but only available to those who can afford mobile phones or computers.
As always, we have a choice as to how we respond in times of difficulty; selfishly or with compassion for others? The reading from Micah, continues: Trust ye not in a friend; the best of them is as a brier. That has not been my experience as my neighbours have checked to see if I and my husband are ok. I guess these words of Micah were written in a time of great trial. We surely have to trust each other in such times, to pull together, to look out for each other.
Micha urges us to look to the Lord, to wait for the God of our salvation; my God will hear me, he says. Of course Christians and those of other faiths will be looking to God to help us all through this time of trial and testing. Many will be praying fervently for the safety of their loved ones, and mourning with those who have lost family members to this virus. Despite appearances at times, we are all one family, by virtue of our shared humanity, which we also share with our Redeemer, the Light in our darkness.
It seems to me that the Psalm set for today, Psalm 31, has helpful things to say to us. It begins: In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine year to me; deliver me speedily; be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me; for Thou art my strength.
As well as thanking Heaven for radio and television, we Christians and those of other Abrahamic faiths, will surely thank God for our faith and for our Scriptures. They are a solid rock and foundation to hold onto in these difficult times. The Psalms in particular speak to us in troubled times, whey we might be tempted to feel that God has deserted us.
Psalm 31 however offers us words of comfort, even for those who have lost loved ones to this virus, and as many will in the days to come: Into thine hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. The number of funerals will increase during this pandemic. Please hold those Priests across the world who will be officiating, and Undertakers across the world who will be assisting them, often behind closed doors. Please hold them in your prayers. They too will need to turn to God and trust him as their rock and fortress. We don’t need to know someone personally in order to pray for them.
The Letter of James was written to the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the very difficult time for them of the Dispersion. That was a time of trial for them, just as this pandemic is for us. The letter of James continues: Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. I doubt that many are feeling merry spirits. But the Psalms are among the most beautiful and compassionate of readings in the Bible. They speak of struggle and wrestling, both with God and our contemporary situation, with which many will identify in these difficult days, I suspect. To wrestle with God is not to be unfaithful. It can be life changing, as Jacob found as he wrestled with the Angel, indeed with God himself.
Most people are trying to help their neighbour through, which is wonderful to see. The Sunday Times on this Mothering Sunday listed many films and box sets that are available for purchase. And online Choirs have been set up, with singers recording their part in isolation in their homes, but through the wonders of modern technology, engineers are assembling the each recording into a whole Choir. Amazing!
But others are on the front line in responding to this crisis. The Letter of James, from which I quoted above, continues: Behold, we count them happy that endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have see the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. The Letter continues: Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.
Doctors, nurses, and those retired and recalled to service especially need our prayers at this time. May the Lord guide them to offer themselves in service to others, to God and his people, and protect them from harm. It has been deeply worrying to hear of hospitals who are unable to procure sufficient protective clothing for their staff. Hopefully the supply chain will readjust before long, as the Supermarkets are gradually doing.
That opening quotation taken from the Letter of James says: Behold, we count them happy that endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; (meaning the intention or telos of the Lord) that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. Let us pray that our NHS staff may have the patience and endurance of Job as they care for their patients.
For me, Psalm 31, and those marvellous community responses mentioned earlier, offer the most helpful words to help us cope in this crisis. The Psalmist says: I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. Many will be broken as they lose loved ones to this virus, but people across our communities are working hard to ensure that no-one is forgotten.
As the Archbishop of Canterbury said this morning on the Service broadcast from the Chapel at Lambeth Palace this morning, with just as few singers present: Underneath are the Everlasting Arms. As was also said, those words are likely to be said at many a funeral in the coming weeks and months. But let us never lose our trust in the God of love and mercy. He is our strength, our strong rock, our fortress in time of trouble.
As Psalm 31 says, and as many in these difficult days will be praying, for different reasons: Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing, my strength faileth. Many among us will feel similarly.
But the Psalm has further words of comfort: But I trusted in Thee, O Lord; I said thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand. Those words could not have a more powerful resonance for us all at present. The Psalm continues: Make Thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me for Thy mercies sake. In these troubled times, may God the Father make his face to shine upon you; may God the Son give you courage to face your time of trial as did he; and may God the Holy Spirit give you the grace and courage to accept whatever each day brings: + and the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon you and those you love and pray for this day, this Lent and always.
Keep calm and carry on! Rev Katie