wfn.org | ACNS3392 The Licensing of Steven Brookes to Liverpool Parish

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3392     |     ENGLAND	|     5 APRIL 2003

The Licensing of Steven Brookes to Liverpool Parish Church

Sermon by the Rt Revd James Jones

John Belchem in his book Merseypride subtitled 'Essay in Liverpool
exceptionalism' quotes the writings of C.A. Healy of the Daily Post who 75
years ago served as Secretary of "The Society of Lovers of Old Liverpool!"

Yes, such a body existed! It was established for "the promotion of the study
of the history, traditions and development of Liverpool."

In an epigraph entitled "Liverpool's story is the world's glory" he wrote
"For over a century Liverpool has been the advanced agent of Civilisation;
our record as a pioneer of thought, of national, nay of world-service, is so
splendid that any cultivated man who knows the history of the great cities
of Old Time - Athens, Rome, Baghdad, Constantinople, Paris and London, and
measure our effort against theirs, then this city, the pioneer of railways,
nursing, lending libraries, blind asylums, ocean liners, cold storage, the
city through which the virile life of the old world has flowed to fertilise
the new, this, the chief city of New Time can inspire its sons and daughters
to be worthy of the nobility, sacrifice and endeavour of their fathers, and
our Society can play its part by keeping alive the story of our city's past
glories, of the wonders of the present, and so prepare the way for the
wonders of the future."

It brings a smile to the imagination to consider that we and in particular,
Steven, constitute "the wonders of the future!"

The wonders of the future would also include two football teams, the
Beatles, the host of comedians, poets and playwrights together with an
internationally renowned orchestra to mention just a few of our cultural
achievements. These are just a few of the reasons that make Liverpool's bid
to become European Capital of Culture so credible and cogent. This is a good
time to come to the City Steven.

This Parish Church lies at the heart of the City's renaissance. It finds
itself well placed within the sights of Liverpool Vision. The regeneration
of any city has to reach deeper and go beyond the facade of its buildings
however grand and spectacular they are. Urban renaissance which means
'living in a born again city' is about the quality of life which engages
people in caring for each other. This is a social, moral and spiritual
issue. Urban renaissance requires a vibrant, spiritual life.

Many cities can boast of prestigious developments in the centre. Yet many
cities also have fallen victim of the disease of urban diabetes. The blood
may pump around the heart but doesn't reach the further parts of the body
which deprived of the life blood of wealth and health atrophy and die. The
success of Liverpool's renaissance will be measured not just by the renewal
of life at its centre but by the degree to which the health and the wealth
are shared by the rest of the city.

Which brings me to our Reading from the Gospel this evening. The Nazareth
Manifesto. You will remember that He came to His hometown of Nazareth and to
the Church to great acclaim. "All spoke well of him and were amazed of the
gracious words that came from his mouth." Jesus got the sort of reception
that every incoming Rector coverts from his new Parish! Well, let me assure
you Steven you come with such an encomium. All indeed do speak very well of
you. You come to this Parish and Ecumenical Team with all the appropriate
gifts for City Centre ministry. The fact that you have come from Weybridge
in the South of England will not be held against you!

But the story of Jesus returning to his hometown is instructive. Because the
warmth of the welcome soon disappears and the toast of the party soon
becomes an object of hate and focus of synagogue rage. What on earth was it
that turned the people against Jesus and so very quickly? Why did they so
decisively reject the prophet whom they had so enthusiastically welcomed?

It is Jesus who is the author of the famous saying "A prophet is without
honour in his own country." The truth is that everybody loves a prophet
until they hear what he has to say! The church itself enthuses righteously
about the need to speak and act prophetically. But the moment anybody begins
to do such a thing the majority run for cover! In Jesus' case they were even
more sinister - they tried to kill him. What did he say that was so
offensive?

The mood changed when Jesus began to tell them that God loved those who lay
beyond the walls of their own community. The people loved Jesus until he
started to talk about the foreigners and how God loved them too. The wealthy
loved Jesus until he starts to talk about the loving the poor. The whites
loved Jesus until he starts talking about loving the blacks. The blacks
loved Jesus until he starts to talk about loving the Asians. The world loves
Jesus until he starts to talk about caring for the environment for future
generations. The citizens loved Jesus until he starts to talk about loving
the asylum seeker.

We all love Jesus when he gives us what we want. The sticking point comes
when Jesus challenges us to reach out to those on the edge, to those beyond
the boundaries of our own community and self interest.

The lunchtime Lenten Series here in the Parish Church is under the title "On
the Edge." It is a good series during which to welcome the one who will be
the next Rector. Although you come to this City with all the privileged
opportunities of the Rector, with all the access to people in positions of
power and influence you must never forget that to follow in the footsteps of
Jesus means to walk the edge and to speak prophetically not least about the
poor, the least, the last and the lost. More and more do I come to see that
one of the unique pieces of ground which the church inhabits is that no
man's land between the privileged and the poor. With two hands we are able
to hold together the powerful and the powerless and to mediate between the
two. That is the role of the prophet to interpret the one to the other. It
does not always make for easy listening!

The church is called to be prophetic both as a community and through its
individual Ministers who are anointed for such a task. The ministry of
Christians in the city to asylum seekers is a case in point. In this city
Christians are responding pastorally to the needs of those asylum seekers
who are being made destitute by Sections 55 and 57 of the Nationality Act.
Christians are also speaking out prophetically against these Sections
calling on the Government to act humanely especially given the plight of
Iraqi refugees over 100 of which are destitute in this city tonight. Surely
the current conflict and the hopes that Iraq might be led into the path of
democracy and peace we should be treating these refugees as compassionately
as possible so that we might set a good example which they can in turn take
back to their own country.

As Jesus found in Nazareth prophets are not always popular people. Yet we
need prophets today.

We have focus groups that but where are the prophets? We have spin-doctors
but where are the prophets? We have pollsters but where are the prophets? We
have image consultants but where are the prophets? We have politicians and
church leaders but where are the prophets?

As Jesus showed, the prophet has to endure the changing mood of the crowd,
the rage of the mob to protect their own interests. Who has the courage for
that sort of mission?

Kier Hardy one of the founders of the Labour Movement wrote words strangely
powerful and relevant 100 years ago, "The outcast in his lonely broodings
and his fits of remorse will get nearer to the heart of God than will those
who observe all the rites of Christianity but are strangers to its spirit."

The blessing that comes to us through standing with the poor is not derived
from some self-righteous satisfaction of having done good. Rather, it is
because in standing with the outcast and the poor we come dangerously and
safely close to Christ Himself who said "In as much as you have done to the
least of these my brothers and sisters you have done it to me." This is the
doing of God's Will on earth as it is done in heaven. This is our mission:
the earthing of heaven. This is the truly prophetic voice. Steven, I pray
that you will both hear it and speak it. And when you do unlike that crowd
that filled the synagogue in Nazareth I pray that our enthusiastic welcome
will not turn to rage.

The Rt Revd James Jones

__________________________________
For details about the Enthronement of the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury,
the Most Revd Rowan D Williams, visit http://www.anglicancommunion.org/

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