Can't make it to church - Sunday 4 February 2018

Well today gives just two weeks before Lent is upon us (2 before Lent) and it also a day full of Suffragettes and women's rights, emancipation and the like. So perhaps it's fitting that we start off with mention of the greatest and longest-serving female of all time: Wisdom (Sophia) – something we all seek and yet rarely listen to – resides with understanding.

She has both knowledge and good sense. Thus begins our Old testament reading which, having suitably armed us leads us to consider that wisdom has from the very beginning of creation been with us as a created thing. One of the challenges the early Church struggled with was the through that some also consider Jesus to be created; they reasoned that the created is less than the creator and so He must be inferior (subservient) to God the Creator. Not a good thought for those who tell me that Sophia is a member of the Godhead (not a popular thought for some as the centenary of women getting the vote falls on this day I guess).

But sexual politics aside (and that’s where I think they should remain) there is something quite special for us to consider in the fact that before the world was created God (the three persons) considered wisdom to be an essential element to have in place. Some have dialogued with me over the years to put forward their case that Wisdom created, or was a co-creator of, the physical world, but I don’t think this is the case. What we find in this Proverb is wisdom is an essential ingredient necessary for the order and stability of created world. Sadly, Adam and Eve missed out on using it in the garden and we’ve managed to largely ignore her ever since! Take a look at world history or noticed today’s world and the state it’s in with divisions, conflict, totally lunatic politicians and leaders and the like today?

God possesses Wisdom but she is not part of the Godhead, but is one who was, and is, commissioned by the Godhead.

So have started in a way that some will not find popular, let’s see if the New Testament can dig me out of the hole I’m potentially digging on this ‘Second Sunday before Lent” - and thankfully, the answer is a resounding 'Yes'! The Colossians reading tells us that Jesus is not only not created (phew - knew that of course, but many who speak of the Holy Spirit as an 'it' also speak of Jesus as if He was created and adopted rather than the creator).

The trinity is one substance with three individual, distinct and separate, natures and since God 'always was, is, and will be' it makes sense that He created everything - including wisdom - and that taking flesh He died, rose again and is the head of the Church. There's no doubt about anything in this reading and it not only gives us confidence to put our confidence in Jesus, the Christ, but provides a litmus test for the many religions out there with regard to their authenticity and Christian characteristics.

It seems to me that wisdom is found supporting, confirming and clearing the way for faith in the Trinity and in Jesus, the Saviour of the world is described in the Colossians passage. The cherry on the readings today finding its place in the John 1 passage (or Gospel reading) before us today.

Point one: In the beginning, the Word was already there.  Check.

Point two: The Word was with (The) God, and the Word was God.

Point three: Everything that was made was made through that self-same Word.

Point four: Jesus, the living Word of God is the light of the world and nothing can overcome His light (just like physically/optically speaking) darkness cannot over come light either.

Point five: The Word, who is fully god, became a human being and took upon Himself our sin, and died in our place, so we could be one with the Godhead with all that means.

Now these three passages combine together to create in us an understanding, and from that understand there comes a wisdom, and that wisdom calls us to embrace God's solution for all humankind: And this is Jesus the Christ and the cross and the resurrection power enacted in us through the Holy Spirit.

Now it is essential that we understand this because we are about embark upon a journey (called Lent) which will be (or at least it should be) self-examining and challenging and so the facts of today's readings are what will sustain us.

So, here's the 'two week warning' - get ready for a voyage of discovery, change and blessing. But never lose sight of the fact that this 'Christian' thing requires one to be different, honest, courageous and bold. People get ready - it's almost here!

The Collect
Almighty God, give us reverence for all creation and respect for every person, that we may mirror your likeness in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Proverbs 8.1, 22-31
“I, wisdom, live together with understanding. I have knowledge and good sense.

“The Lord created me as the first of his works, before his acts of long ago.
I was formed a long, long time ago. I was formed at the very beginning, when the world was created. Before there were any oceans, I was born. It was before there were springs flowing with water. Before the mountains were settled in place, I was born. Before there were any hills, I was born. It happened before the Lord made the world and its fields.
It was before he made the dust of the earth. I was there when he set the heavens in place.
When he marked out the place where the sky meets the sea, I was there.
 That was when he put the clouds above. It was when he fixed the ocean springs in place.
It was when he set limits for the sea so that the waters had to obey his command.
When the Lord marked out the foundations of the earth, I was there.

I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day. I was always happy to be with him. His whole world filled me with joy. I took delight in all human beings."

Colossians 1.15-20
The Son is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. The Son is first, and he is over all creation. All things were created in him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can’t be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. All things have been created by him and for him. Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together. And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything. God was pleased to have his whole nature living in Christ. God was pleased to bring all things back to himself. That’s because of what Christ has done. These things include everything on earth and in heaven. God made peace through Christ’s blood, by his death on the cross.

John 1.1-14
In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him. Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not overcome the light.

There was a man sent from God. His name was John. He came to be a witness about that light. He was a witness so that all people might believe. John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. The Word was in the world. And the world was made through him. But the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him. Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God. To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does.

The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father. And the Word was full of grace and truth.

Post Communion Prayer
God our creator, by your gift the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise, and the bread of life at the heart of your Church: may we who have been nourished at your table on earth be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross and enjoy the delights of eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Can't make it to church - 8 February 2015

What's in a name?

Today's readings all cause us to ask this question and then provide some potential answers too.

Today we find ourselves in difficult and confusing places (and I will probably make them all the more difficult buy the time I've finished).

Looking at Proverbs we find the feminine Sophia (wisdom) - and the John passage taking us to the word Logos (masculine).  So are we finding here the attributes of the invisible God (male and female - He made them both 'in His image') made visible and given the attributes of being? The Colossians passage takes us back once more into the invisible becoming visible and confirm this for Jesus, but what of sophia, are we seeing something earth-shattering but passed by (perhaps because it's all about suppressing the feminine) or something else?

It is a day of comparatives and the Collect and post communion prayer help us with this task as we find references to the tree of life (in the centre of Eden) and the bread of life and are encouraged do discern God's hand in His works and His likeness in His children (us).

The book of Genesis tells us of creation - and the tree of life (something tangible and physical) - and of Eden and before that, when creation was - the Spirit brooding. Is this sophia that which was present then - can we assume that there Holy Spirit and sophia are one and the same?

Are we, in the proverbs passage experiencing anthropomorphism* as 'it' becomes 'she'. In the John passage we see 'the Word' - part of the Trinity, become 'He' and that 'He' is, in case you weren't sure,is Jesus.

Some traditions have it that Sophia (hagia sophia - holy wisdom) is more than an attribute of God but the third person. God the source - God the word - God the holy wisdom.

We probably all know the John 1 passage in the English (and perhaps the Greek too):

En arche ain ho logos - In [the] beginning was the Word.

kai ho logos een pros ton theon - and the Word was with the God."

kai theos een ho logos - and God was the Word.

But probably have not registered the proverbs passage in the same way.

We have before us a real intellectual struggle as we find before us - The male Father - the female Sophia and the male Word as the Trinity? Many sermons I have heard over the years lean on this and use the 'in His image He made them both 

So wisdom - the third member of the Trinity? I would have to admit to struggling with this because of the the words: 'The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago,' for, as with the Jesus debate that was a big issue in 325 AD in Nicea+ - I trouble with this 'created' element for this implies subservience whereas I am under the impression that there is a harmony and equality. One substance - three natures as the traditional explanation of the trinity would have it.

But wisdom is more than being wise - and could it be that the glimpses of god and the ability to see what is good! right and holy and make it ours (something so very Holy Spirit-like) is something we ignore or diminish in today's society and with the Church of Christ.

Source - Wisdom - Word  is this (as some tell me)  Father - Spirit - Son?

The brooding Spirit of Genesis and the wisdom of Proverbs do indeed contain similarities and resonances BUT … in Proverbs, where we first hear about wisdom (which is why it is called both poetic and wisdom literature) and then have little epithets and saying by which wisdom can be seen and made ours - do we find someone to be added? Do we find the identity of the hagia sophia (holy wisdom) as the third person of the Trinity  or are we adding a fourth person to the party?

A sermon I listened to a few years ago spoke of women’s freedom from oppression and how sophia could lead them into freedom from the male dominated Trinity - either by adapting the Holy Spirit or be adding a new dimension for women to take up and reside with. The female, creation, voice of God perhaps?

And here I have to dash the idea to the ground and say that it is something anthropomorphic - that is giving human attributes and characterisation to something which is not truly a person but something to be embraced  - something that disrupts the ‘do this - get that’ linear world that existed then, and now! Wisdom says that whilst we can set things up to meet our needs and fulfil our expectations - we won’t always get what we have hoped for. Wisdom is so often borne out of experience - and that is often prefaced with the word ‘bitter’.

I would go so far as to say that wisdom confirms the rational expectations but also introduces the unexpected - and this cocquetishness is truly something alluring, attractive and yes, female. Wisdom calls out us and to recline in her presence - to explore and consider and take up the right path - often tempered by experience (ours and others) and with the subtext that from out most foolish of choices there can sometimes be fruit - but wisdom guarantees that fruit more consistently. 

So it is sensible to seek wisdom. But we do this in the knowledge that the Word (logos and Logos) guides and upholds us and sets us free by the light that they bring - The invisible God - made visible in Jesus, the Christ, calls us to walk the paths of wisdom as we walk the path of the Cross.

Wisdom is created and inferior to God - Jesus is one with the father and this is where the path that led to Nicea (325 AD) and Arianism  is found, and this confusion, whilst giving us the Nicene Creed, is merely misplaced.

So seek wisdom but remain steadfast in Jesus, the Christ, the invisible God made visible.

Accept no substitutes and seek no alternatives :-)

Proverbs 8.1, 22-31

Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? 

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 

Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped,before the hills, I was brought forth - when he had not yet made earth and field or the world’s first bits of soil. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race. 

Colossians 1.15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

John 1.1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

The Collect

Almighty God,

you have created the heavens and the earth

and made us in your own image:

teach us to discern your hand in all your works

and your likeness in all your children;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things,

now and for ever.

Post Communion Prayer

God our creator,

by your gift

the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise,

and the bread of life at the heart of your Church:

may we who have been nourished at your table on earth

be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross

and enjoy the delights of eternity;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Why not listen to this and as you do - invite Jesus to meet with you?

Hand Him the stresses and strains, the needs and the failings (yours and others)?

Listen and let His Holy Spirit fill and heal and enable you?

Yeah - I know it's not modern - but let the timeless enter into the temporal and rejoice in it!

*anthropomorphism - giving human characteristics to something which is not human.

+ Council of Nicea - worth looking up and reading about