Sermon preached the morning after the 'meaningful vote' on 15th January 2019 on Romans 12: 1-5
Paul tells the Romans, ‘Be ye not conformed to this world’. It is one of the handful of his sayings that I find myself returning to again and again.
It is a simple message to remember. ‘Be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’
Christians are called, not to copy others, not to fit in with the general consensus around them, but to strive rather tune into God’s will.
The judgement of history has not been kind to those who have failed this do this. In Germany in the 1930’s, many church goers said, ‘well the Jews had it coming,’ only later to hang their hands in shame before their descendants.
And many church goers in this country justified slavery and Empire by agreeing with a consensus that white people are superior to black people, views which we now agree to be abhorrent.
It can be hard to resist conforming to this world. It is hard but we have the Holy Spirit to help us, to guide us and to propel us.
The seventeenth century mystic known as Brother Lawrence described the soul as a small boat with the Holy Spirit in our sails, an image which somehow holds our own fragility together with the power we have in the Holy Spirit.
Because we are fragile. Without the right wind in our sails we have no direction and no forward motion.
Yesterday evening we saw our parliament and our government adrift. And they reflect only our own paralysis. We are a divided nation. Divided over where our place in the world lies.
We have people here today I am sure who voted one way in the referendum and people who voted the other way. Maybe even people who have changed their minds since they voted. We probably cannot agree on what our parliament should do next. We are lucky that we don’t have to agree. It is the misfortune of our MP’s that they have to find a way to agree.
Because if they don’t agree, nothing will be done.
And sometimes we too have to agree or nothing will be done.
Yesterday, at the AGM of our Mothers Union branch, I was struck by how much is being done. We have agreed on much and set out to do much.
And in many of the things we have done, we are not conforming to the world.
The world says that people should be forced through hunger to work in jobs they find impossible to do, but we feed the hungry.
The world says that we must look out for ourselves and this leaves many people alone living isolated lives, but we visit the sick and the lonely.
Why are we so certain that this is where the Holy Spirit is propelling us, when doing so means we do not conform to the consensus view in our community?
We have two reasons to be confident that we have felt the wind of the Holy Spirit in our sails.
The first reason is that we listen to the Spirit in community, as Paul says to the Romans, as one body of Christ. We listen to the Holy Spirit together. We correct and nudge each other.
And the second reason is that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2: 16). The Holy Spirit points us towards Christ. We test all our thoughts by thinking of Jesus. Through him the Holy Spirit reveals to us the wisdom of God.
And when this wisdom is revealed to us, we have the strength and the confidence, standing together, to resist our instinct to conform to this world.
What is the wisdom of God? What is its strength?
Listen to the words of psalm 19
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.