Gold Frankincense Myrrh

Sermon for the evensong service

Epiphany 2, 2011

Mr. Clive Jackson, Lay Reader, St. Lawrence’s Church York.

Have you a favourite view? Mine is not far away. The top of Sutton Bank at sunset at the end of a fine summers day, with Lake Gormire beneath and the Vale of York in front. The Minster Towers looking like a pimple in the middle. If you want one even nearer home, the West front of the Minster at almost any time of day or year.

I was in there the other day talking to visitors from South Africa who claimed that theirs was the view of Table Mountain and Cape Town from the sea. This reminds me that the collect we use for this, the second Sunday of Epiphany comes from the liturgy of the church of the Province of Southern Africa to give its full title. You will recall that Desmond Tutu was Archbishop of Cape Town some years ago. The Diocese of York had very warm relations with the Diocese of Cape Town, indeed priests from our Ministry Team have visited the diocese. Should you come to church on Ash Wednesday and see Father celebrating in a chasuble made of hessian – sackcloth – you will see one of the set of vestments made for him when he was there.

Today tourist authorities go to great lengths to publicise their famous views – come to the Taj Mahal and experience the romantic view – visit Niagara and get soaked on a boat ride to the bottom.

This is what God does and is doing at this time of the year. Showing us the greatest sight of all time. Himself, stripped of all splendour, pomp and majesty, a small, weak, vulnerable infant born among the straw and cows in that stable, but as his life shows, a power to be reckoned with.

Those early visitors to the Holy Family must have been Spirit lead. Look at their gifts. The Jewish shepherds, might have brought a lamb or two. But they also brought themselves to that manger where the Lord of All was. The Lord of All who would, ultimately, be the Lamb of God, the Agnus Dei, sacrificed for us to wipe away our sins because God loves us so much.

Then those Gentiles. Kings, Magi, Wise Men, call them by what name you will came from a very different background. It would seem that they were cultured, learned men to whom God had revealed His will through their scholarship. From the insights they gained they chose those three gifts to bring to the Baby at Bethlehem. We know them well. Regular singing of Christmas Carols has taught us their significance – Gold for a King, Francincense for a Priest and Myrrh for a sacrificial victim.

But you and I have always been taught that we are the Body of Christ on earth.

Are those gifts also for his Church?

So Gold for the Church, in this we can recognise his supremacy and what that means. Allegiance, loyalty and witness to His cause in this troubled world. Obedience to those two simple commandments which are very difficult to practice. Love God and your neighbour as you would like to be loved.

Then Frankincense. In psalm 141 it says “Let my prayer come before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” The Church, Christ’s body, as part of its being is to offer the incense of its prayers continually day by day. In the Eucharist, in the daily offices of the Church said by priests as part of their daily work and others as well. But also in our own daily prayers, tempering them with wisdom, avoiding selfishness and greed so that they arise, as does the incense as a sweet smelling offering to God.

Then there is myrrh, a bitter resin used in the embalming process in eastern countries. A reminder that little is achieved without sacrifice. As we have been told many times we witness to God’s goodness in though word and deed. In the countless things we do, often un noticed and unsung, cleaning our church and hall, counting collection serving drink after service, washing up, the list is almost endless. All a sacrifice to God of our time and talents. And also of sacrificial giving of money to forward the work of the church which is all part of our witness to God in the world.

Myrrh also reminds us of another sight, one which faces us whenever we come into church and that is the cross. As Archbishop Tutu said in one of his sermons “The Cross is God’s mark demonstrating his victory won on Good Friday, a victory made more clear in the glorious resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. The Cross declares that God has overcome evil and injustice, sin and death. On the Cross Jesus cried out in triumph It is finished ..I have achieved what you Father sent me to do.”

What splendid words at a time (1994) when things were changing in Southern Africa..

Looking at the world in 2011 it would seem that such faith, as is expressed in these words, is much needed to move things forward on a number of fronts about which we are all aware. Referring to one only, that of Unity in the Church. Do we know, have we thought , have we prayed about what is God’s will for His Church in this matter? Think and pray about it.

Archbishop Tutu’s words were spoken in St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town at a time when the proof that God can make call things new was happening.

So the prayer from South Africa which we use today is relevant in our day as we pray for the grace of God to again make all things new by transforming the poverty of our nature by the riches of his grace and the renewal of our lives and thereby making known his heavenly glory.

A.M.D.G.

January 2011.