29th June - Revd. Canon Sylvia Chapman

Jo’s first Eucharist

He had highs and lows, he thought he could walk on water, he was with Jesus at The Transfiguration, he denied he even knew Jesus – we are of course talking about Peter – and I am so glad Jesus chose this strange mix of a man, who one moment could declare Jesus as the Messiah and the next say, I don’t even know the man. Because it gives me hope.

                                   Peter the impetuous.

It is about this very time in the church’s year Bishops all over the country will have ordained men and women to be priests in the church – these priests often using Peter as their mentor and vision for hope.

Why do they do that, I wonder?

Because it confirms for them that God calls a very mottly bunch of men and women indeed to be priests.

They are not super-human beings, but men and women of faith who sometime stumble as Peter did – thinking they too can walk on water.

They also have moments of high spiritual experience when they feel close to Jesus - and that nothing can take away the joy they feel.

They can deny, have doubts, get tired, fall asleep in the Garden when they should have been watching and waiting to protect Jesus in his hour of need.

In fact St Peter would not fit very well into any of the adverts you see in the Church Times for new Vicars.

Most parishes want supermen and superwomen, who are good at everything, especially children, will fill the pews, be excellent administrators, inspirational preachers and visit everyone, closely resembling the Archangel Gabriel if possible.

What a good job scriptures leave us so much information about Peter, it can give us hope because, we know that in spite of all Peter’s failings and foibles – it was he that was given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the founding of the Christian Church.

All these thoughts flooded over me, when just a few years ago I was fortunate enough to be a pilgrim to Rome and an attendee at the weekly audience with the Pope.

There with St Peter’s basilica towering over us, I found myself standing on my chair to get a glimpse of Pope John Paul – and then watching him struggle to speak to us – just a few months before he died.

Why doesn’t someone allow this priest to retire I thought, why does he have to suffer so.  Sometimes it was as much as he could do to lift his head – and there were glimpses of a catheter under his cassock.  It cannot be right I thought.

Then I realized this man had given his life to Christ Jesus – just as his predecessor St Peter had – there in Rome – and he had every intention of going on to the end, which unknown to us all, was not far away.

St Peter was a very ordinary man from Bethsaida on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  He was married and a fisherman by trade.  His home was in Capernaum and when Jesus called him he was given the added name Cephas.

Jo is a very ordinary Mum from Chelmsford.  Like Peter she has had her ups and downs, losses and pain, but through it all – whatever life has chucked at her, her faith in a living Lord Jesus Christ has shone through, often as an inspiration to others.  God has not given her the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven in quite the same way as Peter – and I don’t suppose crowds of people will jump up on their chairs to catch a glimpse of her, in her old age.

But God has called her to serve you the people of All Saints with – noticewith St Peter.

She brings with her a wealth of faith experience and a deep understanding of people who suffer.  She has read widely and pays attention to her family. She is a woman of prayer. Not afraid to sweep church floors with you, or to clean the toilets!!

However, unfortunately for you Jo is not superwoman – that post has gone elsewhere.

 She will however be able to point you to Jesus; God has bestowed upon her the gift of priesthood, which will stay with her for life – and each of us priests express and use those gifts in differing ways.

 I shall be forever thankful for the two parishes in which I served as a Curate many years ago – and when I look back I can see how many people within the congregations helped my formation.

The ex school head who in her eighties used to ask me round for tea – and then graciously asked me to pray for her, out loud.  She also used to ask me how I was getting on!! – and she listened.

The ex music teacher, then organist at Tiptree, who helped me to sing alone when it was my turn for Evensong  – I still write to her now 33 years on…….she is now inher eighties.

The funeral director, a member of the congregation, who asked me to allow people to sit down or stand up before rushing on with the service, ( my nickname in those days was white tornado – after the liquid wonder kitchen cleaner)  - available in the 80’s.

His advice, saved thousands of errors, in the conduct of services.

The male sacristan who stood by my side week by week as I learned to become a Team Vicar, he never knew just how much he helped me.

Those of you in this congregation – can if you want to – help Jo’s formation in ways she will be grateful for right into her retirement.

That will not be in constant criticism, but a sharing of the things of Christ Jesus in a gracious and loving manner.  Those of you called to help curates have a special calling – I know, because I have travelled the path and come out the other end of that help.  God has thought of you as a congregation able to support a new priest, do please reflect upon how you could answer that calling.

You may be a bit impetuous like Peter – or apt to deny when things get tough. 

The later Peter, as described in Acts was shown to be a humbler man, willing to wait for God to use him. 

But the question Jesus asked Peter – as indeed he asks Jo and you as the congregation is this:

Do you love me

Yes Lord we answer, you know that we love you.

Then feed my lambs

He said a second time, Do you love me?

Yes Lord we answer you know that we love you,

Then tend my sheep

He said a third time, Do you love me?

Yes Lord, you know that we love you – we are told Peter felt hurt that Jesus had to ask him three times.

Then Jesus replied to Peter – as he replies to us

Feed my sheep.

For Jo, this first presidency at the Eucharist takes on a special meaning in terms of ‘feed my sheep’.  Priests never forget their first celebration, nor does the sense of God’s presence and the privilege of serving him in this way wear thin.  Everything that happens within a parish to priest and people, gets offered up in the weekly Eucharist that they share together.  Thus is a community built up in faith and love.  The love between priest and people is very deep, very deep indeed.

Even those of us who are retired, still retain the sense of corporate offering and shared life, for the churches we are asked to help in.

It is a privilege that we daily thank God for.

Feed my sheep – means Jesus’ call to all of us, priests and people together.  It is something we do together and as we recall Jesus’ command to do this in remembrance of Him, we are also aware of His Presence within this most holy sacrament.

A prayer

Lord you know everything, you know that we love you.

Grant that we may feed your sheep and follow you to the end.

Amen.