Tavistock Parish Church – “The Way Ahead”

Plans are being made to hold a buffet supper at the Town Hall in Tavistock on Friday 14^th July at 6.30 pm to celebrate the life of St Eustachius’ Church and to look at how we can continue to develop our work in the town and the wider community in the years ahead. The event is called “The Way Ahead” and will be an opportunity to look at our future together, our financial situation, our plans to celebrate our 700^th Anniversary during 2018, and our hopes and aspirations beyond that. The evening will include entertainment and guest speakers.

There are many ways in which we invest our time, energy and resources to witness to our community. Steeped in history, St Eustachius’ Church provides a peaceful, sacred space for all who live in the community, the surrounding areas, and to visitors. It is a major focal point for the town, and a place where many people can, and do, go to find a quiet place in a world which, from time to time, may seem a place of confusion or anxiety. We all benefit from having a beautiful and well-kept Church at the heart of Tavistock.

St Eustachius’ Church is not only a place of for worship, prayer, pastoral care and heritage, but also a centre of musical excellence, and a venue for concerts and other events. Tavistock Church hosts everything from choral and orchestral concerts, to the Tavistock Music and Arts Festival, and the highly successful annual Friends’ Christmas Tree Festival, to highlight only a few events which take place during the year. More recently the Tavistock Heritage Festival and the Tavistock Passion have been wonderful events which have drawn many people to the Town.

Please come and enjoy the evening with us. For catering purposes the evening is ticketed. You are welcome to apply for a ticket at The Parish Office, 5A Plymouth Road, Tavistock or telephone on 01822 616673. You will be welcome. Please do come.

With my love and prayers

Christopher Hardwick     

Vicar

Risen, Ascended, and Glorified

The commissioning and sending out of the apostles, and the promise to them of the gift of the Holy Spirit, are Jesus’s words to those who follow him: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Then, St Luke describes Jesus’s Ascension as a physical event.  It is comparable to the Ascension of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9).  Elisha witnesses the Ascension of his master, Elijah, having been promised a double share of his master’s spirit. Similarly, the disciples look on as Jesus is taken and they receive the Holy Spirit from him at Pentecost.

The Book of Acts forms a kind of bridge between the Gospels and Epistles. It describes the way in which the Christian message spreads from the rural Palestinian world of Jesus to the largely urban world of Paul later in epistles, and then throughout the Roman Empire. Whereas the Gospels focus on Jesus, the Book of Acts may be said to focus on people talking about Jesus.

This spreading of the Good News about Jesus is possible because of the Ascension of Jesus and the subsequent gift of the Holy Spirit to his followers. His followers are inspired by the Spirit of God to spread Good News about the Son of God: “And you will be my witnesses”. And they were amazing witnesses, witnessing “to the ends of the earth” and passing the task and privilege of sharing the faith on to those who came after them.

We, in our term, are all called to be witnesses. Let us recall the words of the Service of Confirmation: “Let your Holy Spirit rest upon them” and: “Let their delight be in the fear of the Lord” … “God has called you by name and made you his own”. As the first disciples were called and then sent out, so are we. Called by name, and called for a purpose. Called not only to be people who talk about Jesus, but also called to be people who live lives that point to Jesus.

With my love and prayers this Ascensiontide,

Chris Hardwick

A Meditation for Holy Week – “And It Was Night”

 It was night

the horizon

swallowed

the sun

It was night

Rainbows

turned grey –

painters wept

It was night

the moon

showed

her fickle face

It was night

thieves took

joy

from that place

Stars strayed

far away –

and someone

slept

“And It Was Night” A poem by Victoria Field based on John 13.21-32

The theology of glorification, the glorification of the Son of God, is the central theme of the second half of St John’s Gospel from where tonight’s reading comes.  For John, Jesus’s final story begins with a supper – not a Passover supper as the synoptic tradition understood, but with a supper preceding the Passover.  Jesus is alone with his chosen disciples, including Judas.  Jesus knew that his hour had come.  The powers of darkness were closing in – Satan had already put it into Judas’s heart to deliver Jesus up to the authorities.  And Jesus – knowing that his Father had put everything into his hands, and that his story, which began with the Father, would end with his return to the Father – sets in train a series of events that would lead to the cross and to his glorification.  For us, of course – from our perspective, there is a paradox – we see betrayal and injustice that will lead to persecution, suffering and death.

Victoria, in her poem which speaks of sun and moon, light and dark, day and night, places this paradox before us.  Matthew, Mark and Luke in their gospels mainly make a contrast between two ages – between this age, and the age to come.  John however, in his Gospel, makes a contrast between two worlds – the world above and the world below: “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world” (Jn 8.23).  It is into this world, which stands in contrast to the world above, that Jesus comes to be light (Jn 11.9).  This world is the realm of darkness, and Jesus is himself the light (Jn 8.12).  The sun rises in the sky, as if to show itself to us in all its brightness and freshness – “What was come into being was life”, John records at the beginning of his Gospel, “and the life was the light of all people” (Jn 1.3b-4). And Victoria writes: “It was night – the horizon swallowed the sun; it was night, rainbows turned grey – painters wept.  The moon showed her fickle face, thieves took joy from that place” – “and it was night” (Jn 13.30).

Why did John include this one seemingly insignificant detail? “And it was night” (Jn 13.30).  The darkness of night shows us the contrast between Jesus, the light of the world, and the powers of darkness.  Throughout that night, and throughout the days that follow, it appears that darkness has triumphed over the light.  Judas leads a group of soldiers and betrays Jesus with a kiss.  Jesus is arrested, brought to trial, and finally brutally beaten and nailed to a cross to die.  When Jesus’s dead body is laid in the tomb and the grave is sealed, darkness does indeed conquer the light.  There is no glorification here.  All hope would be gone if it were not for the reminder that comes from the opening verses of John’s gospel: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it”. (Jn 1.5)

During Holy Week we are presented with the reality of darkness.  It is the reality of human betrayal.  In spite of the fact that light has come into the world, human-beings love darkness rather than light. Those for whom Jesus had been born refuse to come to the light because their deeds were evil.  In John’s Gospel the crowing evil is hatred of the light – unbelief in Jesus.

Jesus’s opening words, recorded by John, deeply penetrate our being – they expose the weakness of our nature: “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me” (Jn 13.21).  In the darkness of this moment, to whom does Jesus speak?  It is far too easy for us to glance knowingly at Judas – to point the finger at him and away from ourselves – for this is the story not only of personal betrayal, but of human betrayal – betrayal by humankind: “It was night, thieves took joy from that place” – and then Victoria exposes the raw truth of the moment: “stars strayed far away – and someone slept”.

Who really betrayed Jesus that night? Who was it that strayed? And who was it that slept?  Mark records that they all began to be sorrowful and began to say to Jesus “Is it I?” (Mk 14.19).  In our sorrow at the unfolding of the events of Jesus’s Passion, we have to ask the same question “Is it I?”

“Stars strayed far away and someone slept”.  We are brought face to face with the reality of human betrayal.  Judas goes about his business and it was night.  He goes out into the night – not only into the physical night where the rays of the physical sun could not penetrate, but also, away from Jesus’s presence – into that spiritual night where the light of the true sun did not shine.

“And someone slept”.  Where was the blind man who had received his sight? Where was the lame man who had been healed?  Or the sick Gentile boy who had been made well? Where were the hungry who had been fed, the lepers who had been cleansed, and the deaf who could now hear? And where were Jairus’s daughter, and the widow’s son, and Lazarus, all of whom Jesus had raised from the dead?

“Stars strayed far away and someone slept” … “Is it I?”  We are brought face to face with the reality of human betrayal.  We are brought face to face with our own vulnerability and weakness.  God’s Son is betrayed, and someone slept.

Candlemas

The Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Luke 2.22-40: When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons. ‘Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’ And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary,’This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

The Calendar and Lectionary of the Church keeps the 2nd February as Candlemas (also known as “The Presentation of Christ in the Temple”). The Feast of Candlemas is not an optional extra, but the natural climax after forty days, of the Christmas/Epiphany season. It is a celebration rich in meaning. The revelation of the child Jesus in the Temple, greeted by Simeon and Anna, calls for our rejoicing. Simeon’s words are prophetic: He speaks of the “falling and rising of many”, and of “the sword that will pierce”. By speaking in this way, Simeon points towards Easter, and Jesus’ suffering.

Coming at the very end of the Christmas celebration and with Lent very close (Ash Wednesday is the 5th March), Simeon’s words make Candlemas a kind of pivot in the Christian year. On the 2nd February we take one last look at Christmas – yes, God became incarnate, he came to us as one of us. The word was seen among us – God took human form. And at Candlemas we celebrate the time when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to give thanks for his birth. The child was greeted by Simeon and Anna who thanked God for what they had seen. It’s a wonderful story, and Simeon and Anna are marvellous characters. Physically, they are nearing the end of their lives. The world in which they live is narrow and limited, and yet they have a sense of vision and a depth of understanding not shared by their contemporaries. They are radical in their thinking. What Simeon says about the baby must have sounded absurd, even shocking, to the people of the day. How could this baby from an obscure carpenter’s home be a “light to lighten the gentiles”? Simeon proclaims that Jesus would be a light to all people, a light to the whole world, Jew and gentile alike.

What was it that made Simeon so happy in the temple? What did he hold in his arms that day? Simply a child, a baby not fully matured. A baby that would grow and develop to be the saviour of all, the new Adam. This is what the people of Israel had been promised, and this is what has been given to each of us. Rowan Williams, writing some years ago, succinctly summed up the significance of Christ’s presentation in the temple with these words: “Simeon the priest, when he had received Christ in his arms so that he might present him to God, understood when he saw him, that he was not offering Christ, but was himself being offered”.

Today, the promise that, through Christ we may be presented and raised up to God, remains the hope of all Christians.

With my love and prayers                                             Chris Hardwick

One of the joys of the approach to Christmas is the number of nativity plays in schools, playgroups and Churches.  They are always well attended and those who see children and young people taking part see something which is very special and precious.  I am sure many of you will have attended such occasions and seen the story of the birth of Christ retold with familiar words and actions.

In the Bible, both St Matthew and St Luke tell the Nativity story, although they do so from different perspectives.  In both, angels play a significant part. St Matthew tells the story from Joseph’s view point.  Joseph has a dream in which an angel tells him to take Mary as his wife.  It is an angel who appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him to take his wife and child to Egypt because of Herod’s attempts to kill the child.  St Luke tells the story from Mary’s perspective and begins with the birth of John the Baptist.  Luke’s account also tells of the involvement of angels.  An angel speaks to Zechariah the priest, Elizabeth’s husband, and then to Mary with the good news that she is to bear a child.  Angels also appear to the shepherds on the hillsides of Bethlehem who then go to see the baby.  While, in Matthew, it is the wise men who make a long journey to find the Christ child.

In the Nativity plays we will see over the coming weeks, the accounts of Jesus’s birth, as recorded by both St Matthew and St Luke, are combined to give the story we know so well.  All the plays we shall see also contain “added extras” – the Innkeeper (at least one, sometimes many more – often with a speaking part), the ox, the ass, and three kings rather than wise men.  We make additions all the time and we interpret the story in different ways because there is a timelessness to it.  It invites us to use our imaginations, to think, to wonder, and to become part of the story ourselves.  What is most beautiful is that at the heart of the Nativity story is a God who comes to us.  God takes on our humanity and makes himself known to us.  God chooses to enter into a new relationship with human beings, with shepherds and wise men, and with you and me.

St John, who does not have an account of the birth of Christ in his gospel, says: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God …. And the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us”.  As Christmas approaches, we are all invited, once again, to celebrate God who makes himself known to us.  He comes to us to show us how to live and how to love.  All human life is part of this story, it is a story of care and concern, and of involvement with the world in which we live.  Jesus comes into all the complexities of human living to show us through his birth, life, death, and resurrection, that things can be different, things can be changed.  As Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men play their part in the story of pointing to Jesus and the new life he offers, so too we are invited to become part of this story once again this Christmas.

May the joy, peace and love of the Christmas season be yours.

Chris Hardwick