Leading Worship Course, Validation Sermon by Mrs Margaret Christine, 13th March 2011

Revelations 1:1-3 ; 3:19-22    John 10:1-9
 
ONE OF THE ASSIGNMENTS ON THE LEADING WORSHIP COURSE I UNDERTOOK WAS MOULDED ROUND “A FAVOURITE SERMON.”  NOW WHEN YOU THINK OF HOW MANY SERMONS ALL OF US HAVE HEARD – HUNDREDS – MAYBE THOUSANDS – IT WAS SURPRISING TO MYSELF THAT A SERMON IMMEDIATELY CAME TO MIND.  
 
IN THE REVELATION OF JOHN READING THAT WE HEARD AT CHAPTER 3 VERSE 20
WE READ “HERE I STAND KNOCKING AT THE DOOR; IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN AND SIT DOWN TO SUPPER WITH HIM AND HE WITH ME. 
THE REVELATION TO JOHN WAS WRITTEN AT A TIME WHEN CHRISTIANS WERE BEING PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH.  THE WRITERS MAIN CONCERN IS TO GIVE HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
AS WITH THE THEMES OF A SYMPHONY – THE THEMES IN THIS BOOK ARE REPEATED AGAIN AND AGAIN IN DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGH THE VARIOUS SERIES OF VISIONS.
 
IN THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE VERSION WE HAD READ TO US IN JOHNS GOSPEL CHAPTER 10 JESUS SAYS – I AM THE DOOR OF THE SHEEPFOLD.  OTHER VERSIONS USE GATE.   THE SHEEPFOLD  IN BIBLICAL TIMES WOULD HAVE BEEN A CORRAL – PROTECTED BY THORN BUSHES WITH PERHAPS A CAVERN BEHIND FOR THE SHEPHERDS.
JUST TWO WEEKS AGO RUSSEL BANKS, READER, GAVE A LOVELY CHILDREN’S ADDRESS HERE
ON THE SHEPHERD.  ON A CHAIR HE HAD A CIRCLE OF SHRUBBERY AND INSIDE WERE LITTLE
SHEEP.  THE SHEPHERD DOES NOT LEAVE THE SHEEP – HE SLEEPS WITH THEM – SOMETIMES
LYING ACROSS THE SHEEPFOLD.  SOME SCHOLARS HAVE SAID THE SHEPHERD WOULD SLEEP
ACROSS THE GATEWAY TO SERVE BOTH AS SHEPHERD AND DOOR.
 
AT THIS CHILDRENS ADDRESS MR.BANKS HAD A WHISTLE AND TOLD THE CHILDREN THAT
NOWADAYS THE SHEPHERD WOULD USE THE WHISLT E TO GIVE SIGNALS TO THE SHEEPDOG.
NOW AN ACTUAL DOG’S WHISTLE DOES NOT MAKE A SOUND.  THAT’S INTERESTING.
IT’S A TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SHEPHERD AND THE DOG. THE DOG KNOWS
THE DIFFERENT WHISTLES AND OBEYS.  NO-ONE ELSE HEARS IT.  OUR TWO-WAY COMMUN ICATION WITH GOD IS VIA PRAYER – OUR PERSONAL PRAYER – THAT NO-ONE ELSE HEARS.
IN THE COURSE PAPERS THERE WAS A PAPER ON SOME THOUGHTS ON PRAYER. THIS ANAONYMOUS QUOTE SEEMED APPROPRIATE FOR TODAY:   QUOTE
 –“ PRAYER IS SO SIMPLE.  IT IS LIKE QUIETLY OPENING A DOOR AND
SLIPPING INTO THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD.  THERE – IN THE STILLNESS – TO LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE, PERHAPS IN PETITION  OR ONLY TO LISTEN – IT MATTERS NOT.  JUST TO BE THERE – IN HIS PRESENCE – IS PRAYER”

THE HEBREW WORD FOR DOOR IS:  DELETH WHICH MEANS “ THE LEAF” OF A DOOR I.E. THAT WHICH HANGS OR SWINGS (ON HINGES OR A POST) AND CAN BE OPENED OR SHUT.
 
THERE ARE DOORS IN OUR COMMUNITY – ORDINARY DOORS.  HAVING DONE DOOR TO DOOR COLLECTIONS FOR VARIOUS CHARITIES – ITS INTERESTING THE DIFFERENT RESPONSES YOU GET. FOR EXAMPLE; THE GRUMPY MAN WHO SAYS “THE WIFES NO IN”.  THE HOUSE THAT IS OCCUPIED – YOU CAN HEAR THEM – THEY ARE JUST NOT ANSWERING THE DOOR.  SO THE ROLE IS REVERSED – WE ARE KNOCKING ON A DOOR – AND ITS SO NICE WHEN YOU MEET A CHEERY SMILE.
EARLIER THIS WINTER – WITH ALL THE SNOW AND ICE – THERE WERE ELDERLY, LONELY PEOPLE BEHIND A LOT OF DOORS.  ISOLATED, PERHAPS FRETFUL, PERHAPS LOW ON FOOD SUPPLIES.  I KNOW SOME PEOPLE DID KNOCK ON DOORS DURING THIS TIME.  IT WAS SO IMPORTANT.  IT WAS OUR CHRISTIAN DUTY.  ITS BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOUR. ITS OUR CHRISTIAN DUTY.

WHEN OPPORTUNITIES ARISE – IN CHURCH – OR IN THE COMMUNITY – WE NEED TO TRUST.  ALL OF US LIKE TO BE IN CONTROL (none more than myself).  WE NEED TO LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL AS IT WERE AND TRUST IN THE LORD. 
THAT’S NOT TO SAY EVERYTHING WILL BE “BLUE SKY ALL THE WAY” – OBSTACLES MAY APPEAR, WE MAY FEEL INADEQUATE, APPREHENSIVE.  BUT IF WE ARE READY TO RESPOND, THEN WE, LIKE THOSE BEFORE US, WILL DISCOVER THAT WHEN GOD ASKS US TO DO SOMETHING, HE GIVES US THE RESOURCES WE NEED.  WE ALL HAVE GIFTS, TALENTS, SKILLS – OF WHATEVER NATURE – AND WE SHOULD USE THEM.

THERE IS A FAMOUS PICTURE OF A DOOR.  ITS CALLED “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD” BY WILLIAM  HOLMAN HUNT PAINTED IN 1853.  THE FIGURE OF JESUS STANDS AT A DOOR PREPARING TO KNOCK ON AN OVERGROWN AND LONG-UNOPENED DOOR, ILLUSTRATING REVELATION 3:20.
ACCORDING TO THE ARTIST – 50 YEARS AFTER PAINTING THE PICTURE HE FELT HE HAD TO EXPLAIN THE SYMBOLISM” - QUOTE “I PAINTED THE PICTURE WITH WHAT I THOUGHT, UNWORTHY THOUGH I WAS, TO BE BY DIVINE COMMAND, AND NOT SIMPLY AS A GOOD SUBJECT.  THE DOOR IN THE PAINTING HAS NO HANDLE AND CAN THEREFORE BE OPENED ONLY FROM THE INSIDE, RESPRESENT ING “THE OBSTINATELY SHUT MIND”.  TOWARDS THE END OF HIS LIFE, HUNT PAINTED A LIFE-SIZE VERSION, WHICH StILL HANGS IN ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL.
 
EDDIE ASKEW IS A VERY WELL KNOWN WRITER.  HE WAS DIRECTOR OF THE
LEPROSY MISSION FOR MANY YEARS.HE HAS WRITTEN MANY MEDITATIONAL
BOOKS.  IN “TALKING WITH HEDGEHOGS”  WHICH IN ITSELF IS AN
INTERESTING TITLE – HE HAS PUBLISHED CONTRIBUTIONS HE MADE TO
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY FOR  BBC NOTTINGHAM.  ONE OF HIS
CONBTRIBUTIONS QUOTES REVELATIONS 3 VERSE
20.  HERE I AM.  I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK.  IF ANYONE HEARS MY
VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN AND EAT WITH HIM AND HE
WITH ME.
 
ALL OF US ARE ON A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.  WE SOMETIMES MISS OPPORTUNITIES.   NOW ALL OF US CAN RECALL SOME OF THESE. WE COME TO A CROSSROADS – WHICH WAY SHOULD WE GO.  AND SOMETIMES WE JUST IGNORE THE PROMPTING – IT CAN’T BE ME.

 
HAVE WE COME TO A POINT WHERE WE REGARD OURSELVES AS SETTLING AT A DESTINATION RATHER THAN PROGRESSING ON A JOURNEY?
 
IN EDDIE ASKEWS MEDITATION HE  QUOTES A FEW LINES FROM A POEM BY T.S. ELIOT.  ITS PART OF NO 1 OF 4 QUARTETS – BURNT NORTON.  I QUOTE

“FOOTFALLS ECHO IN THE MEMORY
DOWN THE PASSAGE WHICH WE DID NOT TAKE
TOWARDS THE DOOR WE NEVER OPENED
INTO THE ROSE GARDEN”
 
AT THE END OF EDDIE ASKEW’S MEDITATION HE HAS A LITTLE DRAWING –BECAUSE HE IS AN ARTIST TOO – AND THESE WORDS.  LORD, IF MY DOOR SEEMS SHUT, PLEASE KNOCK A LITTLE LOUDER. AND, IF NECESSARY PUSH.

AT THE TIME OF PREPARING THIS – I WAS HANDED ANOTHER  CHURCH’S MAGAZINE WHICH HAD AN ARTICLE ON PUSH. 
PUSH  -  P     PRAY      U   UNTIL    S   SOMETHING      H HAPPENS
 
PRAYER IS A POWERFUL TOOL.  
 
ONE OTHER COMMENT ON PUSH.  I RECENTLY VISITED PAISLEY ABBEY AND
NOTICED THAT NEW SIGNS HAD BEEN PLACED ON THEIR DOORS.   THESE DOORS ARE 10 FEET HIGH, HEAVY WITH  METAL  CIRCULAR HANDLES.  NOW – ON EACH DOOR IS STUCK A HALF CIRCULAR LABEL WITH AND ARROW AND THE WORDS TURN AND PUSH.  A VERY SUBTLE AND WELCOMING MESSAGE TO VISITORS.
 
RETURNING TO MY OPENING -  THE FAVOURITE SERMON WAS OF COURSE ON REVELATIONS 3:20.  THE PREACHER WAS A FAMILY FRIEND – THE LATE REV.DR. CROWTHER GORDON.  IT WAS HEARD MANY YEARS AGO BUT THE VITALITY WITH WHICH IT WAS DELIVERED LIVES ON.
 
WE – ALL OF US – HAVE TO TURN THE HANDLE AND PUSH THE DOOR OPEN AND TRUST.  IT MAY NOT ALWAYS LEAD US INTO A ROSE GARDEN BUT IT OFFERS A COMPLETENESS TO LIFE.  OPEN THE DOOR.
 
AMEN