Why do we do what we do 1?

Why do we do what we do 1 ? ... Peace & Dismissal

Text :- Good Samaritan (Luke)

Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, speak to us, challenge us, mould us and shape us into the people you would have us be. In Jesus name we pray amen.

Why do we do what we do?

Sometimes it is said by critics of the church, dare I say especially of the anglican church that our traditions are outdated, that we are irrelevant to the world around us and we are just doing what we have always done.

This harsh critique may be true ... if ... we never asked the question - why do we do what we do
But actually when we delve into what we do, when we ask the questions of the traditions, of the actions we perform, of the words we say - we come up with perhaps surprising answers which are able to connect with our critics as well as todays culture and show them that we are indeed answering some of the fundamental questions and issues of life.

This year after Easter the Bible Study group looked at this service of Holy Communion, we took it section by section, prayer book in one hand and Bible in the other, and discovered that what we do here in HC is indeed what Christians have done over the centuries. That there are layers of meaning, that each of the actions of this service can help us encounter God and indeed help us on our life’s journey.

In the Bible Study we discussed that some days we come to worship and seriously engaged with the service, sometimes we come simply out of routine, sometimes we come with lots on our minds, sometimes we are happy, sometimes we are stressed, sometimes we are mourning, sometimes we come because we just want to get out of the house.

However you came to be here this morning, however you are feeling today, our church services have been structured in such a way as to hopefully allow every single person to engage, to participate with our worship and to receive from God.

The Christian community, the church, is called to be different from the world, we are called to show love not hate, we are called to build relationships, to support each other, to be there for one another, to cry with each other, to laugh with each other. Basically we are called to be holy, set apart from the world, different to others.

Let us take two why do we do what we do questions from our service this morning

Question 1 - Why do we do what we do ... when it comes to the offering of the peace?

Why do we bother offering one another a sign of peace?

The church is a community, made up of individual members, visitors, leaders ... beyond our own small groups of friends, looking around St Columba’s this morning, we do have babies, children, young people, young adults, parents, pensioners ... when we come together in church we are saying something powerful to the world. In a world which the individual is enhanced. Whilst of course we all have Personal preferences ... we are people who hold things in common, who are meant to look out for one another, we are all different yes, but we also are prepared to show love and concern for each other.

Our calling from God is to be at peace with one another, to like one another, to love one another.
In St. Columba’s we share the peace By reaching out the hand of friendship we are saying at the least - I have nothing against you, to visitors here this morning it is a sign we are saying hello and welcome. We are saying that as I come up for Holy Communion I have nothing against any of my neighbours.

When we share the peace with one another, we are saying - I am right with my neighbour, I have asked for forgiveness from those I have done wrong to and also I have forgiven those who have wronged me - it is not an easy peace but it is a quality peace, it is a peace which clears conscience and which allows us to be at peace with God and others.

Our second Question ....Why do we do what we do when it comes to the dismissal
The test: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord ... in the name of christ Amen

We are called to Go - We are called to go wherever God will place us in the coming week, wether that be at home, in the Golf Club, in the work place, the shops in Ballyhackamore, weeding the garden, in the gym, wherever that may be.
We are not just called to be there but we are called to be there in peace (right relationship with others around you and with God).

And we are not just called to be where we are this week, in peace but we are also called to love and serve the Lord. And that is the doing - the task to which we are called. We are called to love God and serve others.

Just over the last 10 days I have encountered in my ministry young people and adults who have problems being accepted by their peers, who turn to addictions, who are struggling with many and varied issues debt, despair, self harm. If the church is not engaging with these sort of issues, if we are not reaching out in peace to those who are struggling with life then what are we about.

Remember that when the Bible speaks of peace, it is the shalom, the peace that is deep, that is wholesome, it is where all is right in the world, a place of balance.

Who are you going to walk past this week?, Who are you going to be the Good Samaritan to this week? ... it is a huge question? the world is crying out for people to help, people to pause with them, to get a glimpse of God’s love.

I mentioned the people I have encountered in the last 10 days, people who have seen lots of people walk past them, people who are not like the man on the Jericho road - I am sure that not one of us, if we saw someone lying beat up, on the Kings Road out side church this morning would not dial 999 on our phone and get the ambulance out. But the people I have encountered have deep wounds, who don’t need plasters but do need genuine friends, people they trust.

We don’t need to look too far, I am sure there are people each one of us knows who would love a chat, a cup of coffee and someone to look them straight in the eye and say ... how are you ... really? There is a challenge! the bigger challenge then is to be prepared to say I will walk with you, I will find you somewhere that can help you. That in essence is the parable played out.

When it comes to our dismissal today, we should be excited - we have heard the Good news about how much God Loves the world, how much he has done for us. We should know that we are all in this together as a church and now we just need to get out there and show those around us Gods love for them.

This is how Bishop Tom Wright puts it:
“No church, no Christian can remain content with easy definitions which allow us to watch most of the world lying half-dead in the road. We need to find fresh ways of telling the story of God’s love; fresh ways of living this in our attitudes and behaviour – which will do for our day what this brilliant parable did for Jesus’ first hearers."

As we come to the communion rail today - are there people we need to forgive, to make peace with? People we need to seek forgiveness from.

As we go from this Service to day - are there people we need to serve, are there people whom we are tempted to pass by? who are they? how can I serve them?