When I read the readings for tomorrow I couldn't face the prospect of preaching a typical sermon: of discussing how this was not the first feeding miracle in Matthew's gospel. Or of speaking about how this feeding imagery will be interwoven throughout the gospels until that fateful meal in the upper room and beyond.
And nor could I face the idea of exegetical gymnastics with the reading from Isaiah. Such a fantastic and startlingly graphic and beautiful reading.
So I've decided to do something a bit different, to my usual delivery. I must admit, I'm on a bit of a journey with preaching at the moment. I'm revaluating its purpose and my role within the preaching ministry. I'm wondering about its effectiveness and I'm wondering about how I should go about my preaching.
I'm also wondering about my preaching voice. Not my tone and style of delivery, but the voice I bring to bear on the texts I am called to interpret afresh to each new generation, in and out of season. I'm not sure where the journey is leading in the long-term. (Probably in a big circle - like the pastoral cycle!)
I'm aware that scripture is potent and powerful. I'm aware of the responsibility of preaching. But I'm also aware more and more of the need to use the voice that I have been given to preach in the context in which I am planted. I'm also not sure where this goes missiologically, but I do pray that I'll be open to the Holy Spirit's leading with every fresh reading I am called to speak about.
----------------------------------
Here are the NIV versions of the readings for tomorrow:
Isaiah 25:6-10
6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will
prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
9 In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he
saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” 10 The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain;
but Moab will be trampled in their land as straw is trampled down in the manure.
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” 10 The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain;
but Moab will be trampled in their land as straw is trampled down in the manure.
Matthew 15:29-37
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea
of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great
crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and
many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The
people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the
lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and
said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three
days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they
may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we
get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus
asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the
ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when
he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in
turn to the
---------------------------
here And here is the response/sermon/poem (after a large build-up - this could have been two blog posts!)
11AM Spoken
Traditional Language Eucharist. Wednesday 4th December 2013. St.
Mary’s Nantwich.
Isaiah
25:6-10 + Matthew 15:29-37
May I speak in the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Come to the
banquet!
Come to the
feast!
Bring the
sick!
Bring those
who have no hope!
Bring those
who are broke!
Bring those
who are broken!
Bring those
without a dream!
Bring those
without a reason to go on!
Bring the
lost and the never known!
Bring the
homeless and the wanderer!
Bring the
bereft of options and the blessed of lack!
Bring the
heavy hearted and the thin-waisted!
Bring the
poor!
Bring the
sick!
Bring the
hurting and the helpless!
Bring the
cursed and the blinded!
Bring the
ones who carry shattered dreams!
Bring the
ones who’ve never taken a step in their lives!
Bring those
whose lives are yet to truly begin!
Bring the
shrieking and the shattered!
Bring the
frozen with fear!
Bring the
excluded and the un-honourable!
Bring the
tired who suffer from a tiredness most people will never know!
Bring the un-cleanable!
Bring the
unredeemed!
Bring the
peace-less and the placeless!
Bring the failed
and the faint!
Bring life’s
folly’s!
Bring those
familiar with false hopes!
Bring the
jaded and germ-bearer!
Bring the
pestilence’s fodder!
Bring the
diseased!
Bring them
all!
Gather them
in!
Bring them
to a feast!
Bring them
to a banquet!
Bring them
to a feast of heaven!
Bring them
to a meal that is a miracle!
Bring the
world weary to this most amazing of matinee meals!
Bring them
on mats!
Bring them on
crutches!
Bring them
on heavy laden backs!
Bring them
because....!
Bring them
because they have no other hope!
Bring them
because they will appreciate the opportunity!
Bring them
to the one who speaks of living water!
Bring them
to God’s Son!
Bring them
to the Divine!
Bring them
to the man who is acquainted with sorrows!
Bring them
to the one who can bear their burdens!
Bring them
to the feast!
The feast of
the king!
The feast of
the friend!
The feast for
the faithful and faithless!
Bring the
lame!
Bring the
blind!
Bring the
crippled!
Bring the mute!
Bring them
to his feet!
Bring them
before the day is done!
Bring them
to the saviour son!
Bring them
for they have nowhere else to go!
Bring them
because no one else wants to know!
Bring them
to the Father’s heart!
Bring them
to the mountain!
Bring them
to the fountain that flows with water that never ends!
Bring them
into the saviour’s presence!
Bring them
and bring yourselves!
Bring all
that you bear!
Bring your
fears and your anxieties!
Bring the
dreams you’ve let go of!
Bring the
hurts only you hold!
Bring the
loved ones whose grip you long for!
Bring the
cherished memories!
Bring your
hopes that are beyond hope!
Bring your
need of miracles!
Bring your lives
of potential!
Bring your
woes and weary words!
Bring your
mouths filled with petitions that scratch your throat!
Bring your
visions and your dreams!
Bring
yourselves and your weaknesses!
Bring your
joys and delights!
Bring your
world weary wants!
Bring your
fading passions and desires for peace!
Bring your
anger and your guilt!
Bring your
frustration and your faith!
Bring your
delight in autumn and your despair at winter!
Bring your
shattered reasons and your battered aspirations!
Bring your
loved ones in your heart!
Bring the
poor!
Bring the
sick!
Bring the
dying!
Bring the accusers!
Bring the
shattered!
Bring the
beaten and the bruised!
Bring the
beater and the bruiser!
Bring
everyone and everything up to the mountain!
Bring them
all up to the mountain!
Bring them
to the feet of the Lord!
Bring them
to a banquet of loaves and fish!
Bring them
to a banquet of aged wines and the best meats!
Bring them
to the mountain where the shroud of death will be destroyed!
Bring them
to the mountain where the Lord will wipe away all tears!
Bring them
to the mountain where the Lord will clear away the world’s disgrace!
Bring them
to the mountain of the Lord!
Bring them
to the mountain of the Lord where the saviour gathers around him the crowds!
Bring them
to the mountain where the people gather!
Bring it
all!
Bring them
all!
Bring them
to the mountain of the Lord!
Bring them
to the feet of the Lord!
Bring them
to the table of the Lord!
Bring those
we have loved and those we have lost!
Bring the
joys and the despairs!
Bring the
forgotten and the failed memories!
Bring them
to the table of the Lord!
Bring them
before the bread and wine!
Bring them
before this cup of his blood!
Bring them
before this plate of his flesh!
Bring them
and bring yourselves!
Bring
everything before the Lord!
Bring it to
the mountain!
Bring it to
the saviour’s feet!
Bring it to
the table!
Bring
yourselves and receive!
Receive!
Receive!
Receive!
AMEN.
1 comment:
A pity I couldn't be there...hope it went well :0)
Post a Comment