Wednesday 25^th March

Sermon for the Institution of Philip Cochrane as Team Vicar

Gospel Reading: 

Luke :  1 :26-38

 The trouble with that Gospel Reading is that it tends to conjure up fancy Christmas cards and colourful stained glass windows.  In short, it’s all about Christmas!  And that may even lead us to wonder why on earth we’re reading this passage – and keeping this festival – within shouting distance of Holy Week and Easter, where the emphasis is not on the birth of Christ – exactly nine months away - but on his death and resurrection.  But that’s precisely the point.  What we need to do tonight is to drag the scene of the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary away from Christmas,  and place it in the cut and thrust of daily, costly discipleship of Christ.   In other words, we need to ‘read’ this scene not as a backdrop to Christmas Carol Services and the like, but as a way of  following Jesus on the way to the cross.

One way to do this, is to look at the three stage conversation between Gabriel and Mary,  which may give us some real clues about how our own struggling faith can be deepened and strengthened.

First of all, Gabriel greets Mary as highly favoured – which means she’s been chosen for something.  And her response? Instead of diving in with both feet, with a full scale C.V., list of aptitudes, and three letters of reference for the Gabriel to examine, Mary keeps quiet, partly because she is afraid and doesn’t know what to say, and partly because she wants to wait and see what this is all about.  This shows her to be both modest and shrewd –  in other words faithful reticence, not a common characteristic (I have to say) of today’s talkative Church!

Then Gabriel tells her that she’s not to be afraid, because she’s going to conceive and bear a son who’ll be called Jesus.  How does Mary reply?  Straight away she asks ‘how’.  There’s no superior or derisive tone in this – it’s a genuine question, based on faithful enquiry.  She wants to probe further.  As an answer, Gabriel tells her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and she’s not to be surprised because her cousin Elizabeth  in old age is already expecting a child, in accordance with the will of God.  And Mary’s response?  She places herself in the hands of God – this time it’s not faithful enquiry, but faithful trust. 

I’ve often thought that the trouble with the Virgin Mary is that so many people tend to regard her as a dead Roman Catholic!  But the scriptures tell us otherwise, and here is no exception.  It is her faith that shines through.  First of all a faith that is prepared to be reticent, and to hold back, when Gabriel greets her.  Then a faith that is ready to enquire, when Gabriel tells her what’s going to happen.  And finally  a faith that is ready to trust, when Gabriel tells her how it’s going to happen.  As we lift that scene out of its Christmas card, we can apply it to ourselves, when we come at the receiving end of God’s challenges.  We’ve all received at one time or another a knock on the door from God, which can take many forms;  an idea that’s come to us, a suggestion put to us from someone else, whether in conversation or even no more than a hunch of some kind.  And we’ve all been just as ready to turn it down flat – not available, too busy, my life is very hectic, I haven’t got the time, or I haven’t had the proper training.  All that, of course, may be true, but it won’t really do.  So we could instead see what the next stage is, and wait upon ourselves, and upon God.

And that’s when we might learn more about  this new idea, this fresh proposal, this new direction:  a job of some kind, an added responsibility, or something that might require us to give up what we’re doing already  But having got to this point, we can still say no.  This isn’t me, I’ve got other things more worthwhile to do that might be easier, or suit me better.  We’ve all played this game, and we’ll probably continue to do so from time to time.  But we could say yes – let’s give this a try, but how on earth is it going to happen? 

And that’s where we’re given the promise of God’s presence as we walk into the unknown and we may see examples of other people, in comparable circumstances, who’ve responded in their own way to new challenges, and not held back – in Mary’s case her cousin Elizabeth, in my case or your case, a similar companion in the gospel-journey. 

So that Gospel dialogue between Gabriel and Mary is very much part of tonight’s celebration here in St. Columba.  Of course the focus is on Philip Cochrane, but it introduces  this whole community, with its history, its disappointments and frustrations, and its hopes and wonderful opportunities.  Like Mary, Philip will need to know when to hold back and wait; he’ll also need to know when to ask the important ‘how’ questions; and he will certainly need to know when to move ahead, and to be encouraged and strengthened by God’s healing grace, for his mission here, in the service of his Kingdom.  May he – and you – be richly blessed!

+ Kenneth