Life! We all want to enjoy it, don't we?
Not just the physical fact of being alive - the stuff we're born with. Though that, of course, is essential.
But something more. Quality of life. Vitality. Vibrancy.
A life full of rich experiences and meaning and purpose. Life in all its fullness.
And the world out there promises so much, doesn't it?
Perhaps 21st Century Western society more than anywhere else or ever before, tells us we can have it all. It's there for the taking.
Success - in our relationships, sport, exams, career...
Fun, fame and fortune. Health, wealth and happiness.
We want to 'get a life' - and the adverts tell us that its our right to have it - because we're worth it!
Yet so often, what the world promises, it doesn't deliver. And the greater our expectations - the more disappointed we feel when 'life' lets us down.
We're left feeling empty, dejected, life-less.
And the cry which goes up from the human heart is: Saving God: give us Life!
The realization that the things of this world cannot satisfy our deepest needs, prompts us to look elsewhere - to look to God, the source of all being and life.
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ claimed to be "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (Jn 14: 6). Jesus said the reason He came into this world was so that in Him people might have life, and have it to the full (Jn 10:10).
But does Jesus deliver on His promise? Is He as good as His word?
The Bible reading, from chapter 6 of John's Gospel, is a very honest account. It tells us that when Jesus walked this earth and people heard Him speak and saw Him in the flesh - not everyone liked what they saw and heard. Some of those who started to follow Jesus turned back, because they found His teaching difficult, too hard to accept - offensive even. But when Jesus asked those who knew Him best if they, too, wanted to give up, Simon Peter answered: "Lord, who else can we go to? You are the One who has the words of eternal life!"
You see, the way to abundant life has never been easy.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not a soft option. But those who stick with it, discover that in Jesus we do indeed receive the gift of new life; overflowing life; a quality of life, a meaning and a purpose that nothing - no one - else can give.
Christians use a variety of pictures or symbols to communicate this. There are at least 3 of them scattered around the yellow service sheet today. Have a look at it now...
1st the fish.
Do you see picture of the boy peering into the font at a fish?
I'm glad to say there weren't any goldfish in the Priory font today! Not even any swimming babies...
But some people have a fish sticker on their car or wear a fish badge or have a fish like this (holds up a fish badge) in their home.
The fish is one of the earliest Christian symbols; it's found, for example, in the 1st Century catacombs in Rome. At that time, when Christians were being violently persecuted by the Roman Empire, your life was in danger if the wrong people knew you were a follower of Jesus. So when a Christian met a stranger, the Christian sometimes drew one arc of the simple fish outline in the dust. If the stranger drew the other arc, both believers knew they were in good company.
But why is a fish used as a sign of the Christian faith?
Look at the fish on the front page of the yellow service sheet. It has letters written inside it, the letters of a Greek word, because that's the language many of the early Christians used. It's the Greek word 'Ichthus', meaning 'fish'. These letters are also an acrostic, a word formed from the first letters of several other words. Here the word ichthus is made up from the first letters in ancient Greek of the words (transliterated) Iesous Khristos Theou Huios, Soter:- meaning: "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour."
A saviour is a rescuer. Someone who puts their own life at risk to save the lives of others. Think of those lifeguards you see on the beach in the summertime. They keep a careful watch on everyone who goes out into the waves in case someone gets into difficulties, maybe into real danger if the current is pulling a swimmer out of their depth or onto the rocks. Then the lifeguard rushes out into the sea to rescue the person who is struggling and who might otherwise drown. The lifeguard becomes a saviour.
Christians use the fish sign to communicate our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God's Son, our Saviour, our Rescuer. Because we know that Jesus is the One who rescues us from the mess we make of life lived without God; Jesus saves us from drowning in the consequences of our own selfishness and folly. And those who turn to Christ as Saviour find that life lived His way brings joy and love and peace that nothing can destroy.
2nd the cross.
There are pictures of the cross on the service sheet, and the sign of the cross was made in oil on the foreheads of Amy & Alex, Noah, Samuel and William just now.
But why a cross? It's a strange sign of new life, when you stop and think about it.
The Romans used crucifixion as a means of execution because death on a cross was the most horrible, painful way to die. A bad enough punishment for criminals and murders.
But Jesus was innocent. He didn't deserve death on a cross. Yet He willingly laid down His own life so that through His death and resurrection, a whole new way of life would be open to those who receive the sign of His cross, those who are unashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified. Still today, as in the time of the first followers of Jesus, some people find the sign of the cross offensive. This Christian teaching is hard to understand; it can be confusing. That's why it's so important to ask questions, to talk to others about it, to read what the Bible says and listen to those who can help us think it through for ourselves.
The last notice on the right inside column of the Priory weekly leaflet refers to an Alpha course starting this Autumn. Doing an Alpha course is a great way to deepen our understanding of such questions as 'Why did Jesus die on the cross and what difference can that possibly make to me now?' Or 'Can you seriously believe that Jesus rose again from death and that He's alive and able to have a relationship with people here today?' Whether you've been a church-goer for many years or if Christianity is something that seems alien to you or passed its sell-by date - Alpha gives you the chance to ask questions and think through some of these things that really are matters of life and death - as well as to have a good meal and maybe make some new friends. Do find out more about Alpha from David Webster or Chris Oliver.
The fish sign reminds us that Jesus Christ, God's Son, is our Saviour. The sign of His Cross reminds us that through His death and resurrection the way is opened for you and me to share the risen life of Christ - not just when we die, but right here and now.
And 3rd and finally, what else do you see more than one picture of on the yellow service-sheet? A bird, a dove. And what do Christians use the symbol of the dove to signify? The Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit - God's breath, God's energy - who comes and lives in us and enables us to live out our new life in Christ.
You cannot live as a Christian unless you are open everyday to the gift of God's Spirit. You cannot experience new life in Christ unless you allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to keep on turning away from what's wrong and to keep on turning to follow Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Without the Holy Spirit, our Baptismal promises are all talk and no walk.
In closing I'd like to tell you a short story. Picture the scene. Imagine a small island, where the birds (for some reason or other) have not learnt to fly. These birds are not penguins or ostriches. They have perfectly good wings, capable of flight - but they just don't use them. They don't know why they have these wingy things - maybe it's just for decoration or for flapping about in a panic. But they certainly don't use them to fly.
Then one day, there's a storm and a flying bird is blown from the mainland to the little island. You can imagine the excitement: "So that's what they're for!"
The other birds, seeing this flying bird, begin to try to use their wings - to fly. And not being accustomed to aviation, of course, they make mistakes, and there are some accidents. Some of the birds stop trying to learn to fly and they go back to hopping about on the ground, shaking their heads, saying:
"It's too difficult. It's very dangerous. We can't accept it.
It's much better to live on the ground - like we've always done before."
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we have wings. We're made to fly. Living the Christian life, living out the promises made at our Baptism - that's living life as our Creator designed it to be. Like a bird using its wings for flight rather than grubbing about on the ground. Jesus never said that it would be easy. But nothing truly worthwhile is ever easy. We need to work at it. And yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we need to keep on praying 'Saving God, give us Life'. And then, through Jesus Christ our Saviour and in the power of God's Holy Spirit, we will live Life in all its fullness.
Mary Barr
| 