Sermon preached at The Church of the Holy Trinity

Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia,

Sunday July 13th 201
The Re!erend "lan #eale
$%n &o!e 'ith Stories(
Matthew 13:3 And Jesus told them many things in parables. Jesus loved to
tell stories because he was in love with life and with all those whom he met.
r to say the same thing in another way! "lie #isesel wrote $at the end of
the preface of his 1%&& boo' (he )ates of the *orest+ )od made man
because he loves stories.
Around 1%,- a recently ordained curate had the audacity. temerity.
insouciance to comment to his priestly boss. senior in every way. about the
sermons the senior minister preached. John. why do you tell so many
stories. why not instruct the people in their creedal faith. in the doctrines of
the church/. (he senior answered the younger with patience and a
0uintessential twin'le of the eyes. (here once was a carpenter who wa'ed
in )alilee who spo'e in parables! do you understand. Alan/.
My trusted. faithful friend of nearly 12 years died this past wee' in
3vybridge. 4evon. "ngland. John *rancis #entworth #atson. 5rebendary of
"6eter 7athedral. died after a long and debilitating illness. Apparently the
funeral director in charge told a friend. 3 have never seen a man so
peaceful in death for many. many years. 3 cannot easily imagine my life
without John.
(oday8s )ospel reminds me of John8s inveterate. constant. inspired telling of
stories 9 sometime to amuse. sometimes to entertain but also many times
to share the good news of the )ospel of Jesus in stri'ing. relevant.
contemporary ways.
John. following the e6ample of his beloved :ord. told stories because he was
intentionally inclusive. radically respectful and ;rmly focused 9 and all for
the )ospel. the good news of Jesus.
%ntentionally inclusi!e) (he telling of a story is an inclusive action < it
see's to welcome. to o=er emotional hospitality to the hearer> it o=ers
space to rest awhile from competitive conversations. a respite from
straining to understand a strange language. an un'nown lifestyle. a peculiar
world. (he 5arable of the ?ower in Matthew 13 is also in Mar' and :u'e and
would be immediately accessible to the deni@ens of Jesus8 world. ?ome
brainless. heartless twerp could doubtless e6press the parable in profound.
polysyllabic. ponderous. pompous phrases but it would be e6clusive.
inaccessible. abstruse and $most awful in the Aingdom of )od+ elitist.
My friend and mentor. John #atson. told stories to include. engage. involve
his hearer. #hile his curate 3 imbibed almost imperceptibly the 'ind wisdom
of building bridges whenever. wherever and with whomsoever! the story
creates such a bridge and )od only 'nows what travelers will subse0uently
traverse that bridge to a better land.
(ruly the greatest story ever told. the old old story. is of )od born as baby.
living as man. dying as victim and resurrected as victor. (his story told with
passion. with e6perience. with gratitude will always include. engage. enlist
the hearer. (his is the story of which ?t. 5aul spea's. 3n his ?on. Jesus. )od
personally too' on the human condition. entered the disordered mess of
struggling humanity $Bomans -:1+.
Radically Respectful. #hen Jesus uses the story of the wandering sower.
when he recounts the frustrations. disappointments and Coys of such a man>
when Jesus spea's of farmers. shepherds. families 9 when Jesus does all this
De not only ma'e primal. psychic truth accessible! he aErms and honors.
he gives value to the wor'. the e6periences. the lives of all people. A story
validates the signal merit. role. e6istence of its characters.
Fut. also. the story gives respect to the hearer who is not caColed or bullied
into following the party line. repeating in parrot fashion the secret password>
no. the story allows personal reGection. a uni0ue apprehension on the part
of the hearer. :ater in Matthew 13. we read how the disciples came bac'
later to Jesus and said. Delp us understand.
(his past *riday 3 attended a performance of contemporary dance.
presented by FalletH. Iow 3 loo'ed forward to spending some time with
friends. to support my friend 7hristine 7o6 $*ounder and Artistic 4irector+
but! contemporary ballet. well. 3 was so wrong! it was all riveting. (he
story was there but also each of us could then enCoy our own ta'eJread on
the story 9 this is all part of being radically respectful.
As Kicar of ?t. Andrew8s. 5lymouth. 4evon John #atson would invite all
wal's of life. all manner of professions to come ;nd renewal in the church.
And once there. John would respect those who came and spea' to them of
eternal verities in terms. in words. in stories that would readily be
understood. And 3 'now that people feel valued. aErmed when their stories
are ta'en up and woven into the greater story of )od8s love a=air with men
and women 9 past. present and future. (o 0uote my colleague Mar' ?mith
from this morning8s wonderful study. )od ta'es the ordinary and ma'es it
sacred and. friends. this should be our mission and the mission of the
churchL
%ntentionally %nclusi!e, Radically Respectful and *irmly *ocused)
#e tend to praise raconteurs and envy their gift> though the telling of a
story is a winsome. attractive means to engage the hearer it must never
become an end in itself. serving to emphasi@e. underline the story<teller
rather than the purpose of the tale.
:isten to the radiant. refreshing. rewarding word from the prophet 3saiah 9
$Message (ranslation+ the words that come out of my mouth will not come
bac' empty<handed. (hey8ll do the wor' 3 sent them to do. they8ll complete
the assignment 3 gave them 3saiah MM:11. (hough at times we become
short<sighted and reverence the medium rather than the message. )od will
always be ;rmly focused in the telling of stories and the sharing of the word.
John #atson never lost the ;rm focus on the )ospel of Jesus 9 see'ing in all
ways. to serve all people in order to win some for 7hrist.
*riends. in the telling of the story of this faith community. of this church
e6pressed in hearts and souls as well as bric's and mortar we must not. we
dare not. lose the focus of this story 9 it is told to e6press and e6tol the
grace and wonder of the love of )od in Jesus 7hrist for all people.
$At this point the preacher was moved to sing the opening words of (he
Feverley Dill Fillies! listen to the audio or as' for some e6planationL+
(oday 3 honor the man who taught me much. my success in life and ministry
are largely due to John #atson> my failures 3 claim as my ownL
John taught me the importance
of the power of Anglican liturgy never to forgetting the responsibilities
of a good host in ma'ing guests as comfortable as soon and readily as
possible.
to listen 'eenly to stories and in them to hear the voice and march of
)od.
to strive to be courageous and to be holy impatient with bullies
whether seated in pew or bishop8s throne.
to live by grace and to see' to be gracious to all and!
in all things to be ready with a word to spea' of 7hrist and of Dis grace.
And. of course. 3 ;nish with a story that John often told. often told $yes.
that8s where 3 got that habitL+
A true story about a good. happy. poor man. a plumber. "very day he rose
early and brea'fasted with his large family at the end of which he opened
the family Fible. read a passage. then san' to his 'nees to pray. De rose to
his feet. clasping his bag of tools and with one hand holding the bag and the
other on the handle of the door. which led straight into the street he would
say:
*orth in thy name. :ord. 3 go
My daily labour to pursue
(hee. only (hee. resolved to 'now
3n all 3 thin' or spea' or do.
#ithout another word or a bac'ward glance he would close the door behind
him.
John8s labors have ended> ours continues! so be it. :ord. Amen.