Gospel: John 4:5-42
Title: Worship: not Style but Spirit
Introduction
Our gospel reading today relates one of the many accounts of Jesus' proclaiming something completely new and unexpected.
The woman at the well brings up the issue of divided worship and it seems to me to be so very relevant to what is happening here in Lymington parish.
Passage
Let's look at the verses concerned, in a little more detail, and you'll see what I mean.
p91 John 4:20,21,24 The Samaritan woman says to Jesus, “Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
It sprang out of the bible at me that here was a parallel of what has been happening here in Lymington for many years.
Remember the Samaritans and the Jews had a common heritage, the same scriptures and the same general beliefs, but their worship was focused in two separate locations; the two mountains if you like.
The one was Mount Gerazim where Moses built the altar of blessing, the other Jerusalem where the temple was built.
There had arisen a great sense of division to the extent that Jesus could use the notion of a “Good Samaritan” to shock his Jewish hearers.
Now the obvious parallel in this parish is the with our two locations – All Saints and St.Thomas.
Division
But of course there is far more at stake in the passage, and in this parish, than the issue of location.
The woman is using the language of division and coercion isn't she?: “YOU say people MUST worship in Jerusalem”
Them and us, with both factions claiming to be right and requiring the other to convert to their opinion.
We hear it in the parish, don't we?
The ardent All Saints person who derides St.Thomas for ritual and stuffiness; the ardent St.Thomas person who derides All Saints worship as happy clappy.
Thank God the vast majority focus on what unites us rather than divides.
Jesus' response
Which brings us back to Jesus.
You'd expect Jesus the Jew to defend his own: of COURSE Jerusalem is the place to worship, not some crummy Samaritan mountain.
But he doesn't do anything of the sort, does he?
He shuts down the whole “them and us”, “better and worse” debate completely.
It's not the place, he says, but the spirit and the truth of the worship.
So what does that tell us in the parish?
Not style but spirit
Most obviously it tells us not to get hung up about whether worship takes place in All Saints, or in St.Thomas.
But the implications of the Samaritan context go much deeper for us, because Samaritan worship was different to Jewish worship, particularly in regard to the rituals.
So Jesus here makes it quite clear that we can't say that any STYLE of worshipping is inherently superior to any other.
It's not the form of the worship but the spirit which interests God.
My mountain
Again we have all heard some “them and us” words spoken in the parish:
“The 8 o'clock is the ultimate worship because it is timeless and peaceful, with no interruption of music.”
“The Parish Communion is clearly superior because of its modern liturgy and excellent music.”
“Matins was traditionally the main service of the church, and in those days the church was full.”
And so on.
People who talk like that are standing on their own little mountain saying, you MUST worship here. This is the only right way to worship.
But Jesus is quite clear about it: it's not the style, not the location, its the spirit and the truth which matter to God.
So let's give thanks for the type of worship which helps us to draw close to God.
And give thanks without making the appalling error of thinking that our worship is therefore superior to everyone else's.
Family Time
Which brings me to another great cause for thanksgiving: the advent of Family Time.
It takes place in the hall here at 9.30 every Sunday and offers a very different style of worship to anything else in the parish.
It begins with an extended social time to gather people together.
They sit at tables, in groups of 4 to 6, and can have breakfast while they chat.
The bible teaching is based on DVD film clips, interactive activities and group work involving personal reflections and testimony.
There are separate areas set up with activities for younger people to engage in the theme with their parents and for teens to discuss the implications of the bible topic for their lives.
The music tends to be bouncy action songs or modern choruses played on a CD player.
While all this is going on people can move into the Bethune Room at any time, which is set aside as a Sacred Space containing a series of prayer and bible points.
There is not really a very clear beginning nor a very clear end, and some people leave part way through to join the 9.30 communion next door.
It is very different.
How it came to be
Family Time was designed and put in place by our Informal Worship Leadership Team in response to the challenge we gave them.
The challenge was to find a style of worship focusing on the needs of young families.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to that dedicated team led by Sue Lee.
It's very early days of course, but the indications are that Family Time meets a real need in our community.
Last week, for example, there were 30 adults with 16 children worshipping at Family Time.
A congregation of 46 – more than many parish churches have at their main Sunday service.
Another great outcome is that four or five people each week are needed to lead Family Time – operating the projector, leading the discussions, setting up the Sacred Space etc. so it is also helping to grow new leaders in the parish.
In terms of mission, we have seen people come to church who have never been to any sort of church before – and that is a very rare thing indeed.
Family Time is on the leading edge of the Fresh Expressions movement in the Church of England and it's happening right here.
Not the only way
But wait a minute!
Am I now saying that Family Time the best sort of worship?
No! As we've learnt already, it's not the style but the spirit which matters to God.
For some people, Family Time will be the opportunity they need to worship in spirit and in truth.
For others it will seem like a very distant and puzzling mountain.
And we could say the same for any of our five morning congregations, each with its own distinctive style of worship.
Our one parish provides all these varied opportunities, so that people can choose the worship which draws them to God.
Divisiveness of nasty comments
We'd all agree that the most divisive thing in a church is nasty, judgemental gossip.
I have the opportunity to experience at first hand the value of ALL our types of worship, so I find that kind of divisive chatter very upsetting.
A particular service is not some distant theory to me, but a holy gathering of people I have come to know and respect.
If, for example, someone complains that “Matins is outdated” or “The 9.30 is too ritualistic” they are attacking something very precious to me and to an entire congregation of fellow Christians.
It's vitally important for our unity that we speak well of one another, both in public and in private.
That's not so hard is it? To speak well of one another?
Give thanks for our unity in Christ
So let's not moan about the divisiveness of different buildings or different types of worship.
Instead let's thank God that we can offer all sorts of people the opportunity to worship in spirit and in truth, and so find unity in Christ.
As St.Paul put it, “Though we are many, we are one body. The body of Christ.”

Sowing and Reaping
This sermon concluded a series based on outlines from www.givingingrace.org. It was written from scratch to give a summary of the series and to be more specific to the situation in this place.
Recap
Over these five weeks we've been talking about giving, giving money, Giving in Grace.
We've given plenty of time to the topic because it's hard to take on board.
What have we learnt from Paul's teaching to the church in 2 Corinthians?
We've learnt that often the comfortable rich, like the Corthinthians, are comparatively less generous than the poor, like the Macedonians.
We've learnt that giving which is proportionate, planned, and given in grace, is a blessing to the giver as well as the good causes which receive the money.
We've learnt that Christian giving is an important ministry, it's a spiritual discipline just as much as praying, reading our bibles or sharing our faith with other people.
And now, with those basic principles in place, Paul moves on to his final point.
Now we know about the blessing which flows from giving in grace, Paul asks us to leap in with both feet and enjoy the ride.
Those who sow [plenteously/bountifully] shall reap [plenteously/bountifully].
Just do it! And do it with joy in your hearts, because, he says, God loves a cheerful giver.
Market set up
Yesterday, just before 8 am I stepped out of the Stanwell House hotel to look along the High Street.
I just wanted to see if Geoff Townley was coming with the list of attendees for the Men's Breakfast.
But I got stuck!
It was so beautiful out there that I just stood in the cold completely captivated.
The bright sun was making deep shadows on the other side of the street, the shadows moving so fast before the rising sun that you could see them move on the roof tops.
The market traders were finishing their setting up, unloading their white vans onto tables and racks.
Bamboo plants, pyjamas, old tools, olives – all the necessities of modern living.
A few brave shoppers were early-birding, even one garden enthusiast with his trusty wheelbarrow, making sure he had the pick of the plant stall before the crowds arrived.
The cupola of St.Thomas was just visible over the brow of the High Street against the breath-taking blue of the early morning sky.
Just to be there, and to know God's delight, was pure blessing.
At moments like that you feel a dim echo of the love God has for the world.
Lymington, my town, beloved.
Caught up
Moments like that remind us that we're all caught up in this wonderful cycle of generosity and blessing.
Those perfect moments are like a pause in the cycle for us to get back on, to get a better grip before we go laughing on our way.
God gives to us, we share with others, the blessings flow on and on.
Reaping, sowing, reaping more blessings, sowing joyfully.
All about trust
Once inside the hotel we heard Pete Lawes talking about his work.
The sheer horror of some of the child abuse cases he has to take on.
The wonder and the privilege of helping to break the generational cycle of abuse; making a difference.
The hard decisions, battling between faith and duty, between judgement and mercy.
It's the same town, the same people, all beloved by God but there is darkness staining the perfect mornings.
Of course God is there in the darkness too, as Psalm 139 says: Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
So Pete asked us to share together our own approaches to these questions of evil and justice and God's power.[]
It all comes back to trust.
Trust in the God who loves us all enough to die for us.
Each one of us.
So our giving in grace is a real expression of our trust in God.
We know God will honour the gift and bring blessings from it, far beyond the ridiculous blessings we could buy for ourselves if we held onto the money instead – beyond even olives or pyjamas.
Rudderless
That trust in God is what keeps us heading towards God in life, it's what makes sense of everything.
We trust God to sort out evildoers, if not in this life then in the next; and we trust that in the end all manner of thing shall be well.
On Friday this week I went sailing with Sylvia Pepin in her Lymington River Scow, called Swallow.
I'm being tested next week to see if I'm good enough at sailing to go on the Sailing Instructor course.
The trouble is: the test involves sailing a Scow WITHOUT A RUDDER.
So Sylvia offered to take me out for some practice.
It would probably not surprise you to hear that sailing without a rudder is VERY much harder than sailing WITH a rudder!
The slightest shift of your weight can send the boat spinning uncontrollably and it's far easier to sail backwards or sideways than it is to make any progress forwards.
Sailing without a rudder is a metaphor for life without trust in God.
Without trust: a simple shift in our circumstances, an illness, a bereavement, a lost friendship and we're spinning out of control.
Without trust: it's so much easier to edge away from God than to draw nearer.
PCC
The PCC decided, towards the end of last year, that we should undertake this Giving in Grace programme.
It was a tremendous act of faith and trust, because it had serious implications for PCC members ourselves.
For a start: we realised it was absolutely necessary to start by looking at the PCC's giving; we could hardly ask others to do what we ourselves would not.
Secondly: the able bodied members of the PCC have committed to hand deliver the Giving in Grace packs to each household on the electoral roll and to answer any questions you may have.
But most importantly we had the trust in God and the respect for all of you, to know that you would respond joyfully.
Conclusion
Over the next few days: please take time to reflect on all we've learnt in these five weeks, read the information pack when it's delivered, pray for God's grace, and respond.
Seeds which stay in your pocket just rot.
Sow [plenteously/bountifully]; sow joyfully.
You will be amazed and delighted at the blessings which flow from there.

Proportional, Planned, Graceful
This sermon was based on an outline from www.givingingrace.org

Corinth
Boasting is not a word we would associate with goodness really is it?
We don’t really like boasting we prefer modesty, so it is with some surprise that we find Paul in this passage telling the Corinthians about his boasting about them!
So why has Paul been boasting about the Corinthians?
Well they were some of the first to respond to the needs of the church in Jerusalem and their example spurred everyone else into action, especially the Macedonians.
But unlike the Macedonians the enthusiasm in Corinth faded away.
So Paul has to write to them again with all sorts of detailed arrangements for their giving, and send the boys round to collect it!!
It conjures up a lovely picture doesn’t it: this letter being read out loud to the church.
They hear all Paul’s teaching, his criticism, and his reconciliation then they get hit with two whole chapters on their giving, or lack of it, and the fact that Paul is sending Titus round!
Preview
There are two messages in this passage for us:
First that good intentions aren’t enough;
Second that our ministry of giving is important: not just how MUCH we choose to give as our ministry, but HOW we give!
Good intentions
Inertia is a real problem isn’t it?
Sometimes we just don’t seem to get round to putting our good intentions into practice.
We hear the sermon, we see the need, but then life takes over and action is shelved for the moment.
That's why we've devoted so much time to this teaching programme, just as we did to the teaching on prayer last year.
Each one of us needs to have time to think, pray and finally do something about our ministry of giving.
Good intentions are not enough.
So how should we give?
Paul gives three guidelines: our giving should be proportional, planned and graceful.
Proportional
In his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 16, Paul tells people on the first day of each week to set aside a sum of money in keeping with their income.
In other words our giving is in relation to what we receive from God not what our church needs.
We don’t send the boys round like Paul did, we have no Titus here, but if you get paid monthly make contact with Henry Sanderson, and make arrangements for a standing order.
For those who pay any tax at all, a signature on a simple form means the church gets the tax you paid as well as the gift, so it's far better than simply putting cash in the offering.
For those of you who are not tax payers, and not on monthly pension or wage, then use the envelope scheme.
Just see John Dowlen, our envelope secretary.
Either way the point Paul makes is that our giving should be in relation to what we receive – proportional giving.
His second guideline is that giving should be PLANNED.
Planned
In this passage Paul is clear that he wants the collection to be a gift, the Greek word means literally ‘a blessing’, but how does Paul ensure that the collection is truly a gift and not grudgingly given?
His answer is that it is PLANNING which makes the difference between a grudging duty and a generous gift.
Planned giving is about a conscious decision to be caught up in the overflow of God’s grace.
Our gifts of money are the action of God’s grace taking shape in our giving, almost like a thermometer testing the temperature of our hearts and our faith.
So by planning our giving in advance, in relation to what we receive rather than any perceived needs, we fulfil the first two of Paul's guidelines for giving.
The final guideline is harder to tie down, but is the most important of the three.
Graceful
This last guideline is to do with the importance of our ministry of giving.
Its importance not to the receiver, whether the church or some other good cause, but to us.
Because we are changed by the act and grace of giving if we give as a ministry.
The issue here is our willingness to be caught up in the grace of giving and generosity.
Water illustration
God beckons us to the water, but will not drag us in, or pull us under.
We can choose to stay on the ground never experiencing the exhilaration of the water.
We can choose to dabble, getting our toes wet but little else,
or we can walk in and take his hand and experience the wonder and the joy of joining in his creative, life-changing ministry.
The metaphor of water is OK, but we have waterproof skin, the water doesn’t permeate our bodies.
In contrast, generosity and grace will reach the very heart of us.
Rich young man
There is a story in the bible of a rich young ruler who was ruled by his possessions
Jesus challenged him to take up the one thing he couldn't buy: the grace of giving.
As we know, he walked away from that challenge and, in so doing, walked away from Christ himself.
For that man, good intentions were not enough, nor are they for us.
Conclusion
Paul told the Corinthians that their good intentions had to translate into giving.
Giving which is proportional, planned and grace-filled.
Paul says he wants a gift that blesses, not money grudgingly given.
Frank Lake apparently coined the phrase “hardening of the oughteries”, the Christian condition “I ought to do this, ought to do that.”
For many of us, giving becomes something we ought to do, ought to have envelopes, ought to Gift Aid.
But Christian giving is far more than that.
When we give in a proportional, planned and grace-filled way we receive infinitely more than we let go.
We release God's blessings into the church and the world and God is glorified.
Like the Corinthians, we must turn our good intentions into giving in grace:
Not just reVIEW our giving but reNEW it.