150th Anniversary of the building of St Peter’s

Scarborough, 1 July 2008

The Lord is the living stone, a precious cornerstone, a keystone, a rock. These phrases are used frequently in the scriptures. Strong and protecting, lasting and faithful, surprising source of life and that which holds life together; for a foundation or for stumbling.

As we come together to celebrate the anniversary of this building, we remember that Christ is all these things to us. He is the one who gives us strength, both in our being and in our life and work. The rock protects from peril, from wild animals, from flood. It provides shade and shelter. It hides us from our enemies.

Lord, you are our shield.
Lord, have mercy.

You are our King.
Christ, have mercy.

You are our God, the living God.
Lord, have mercy.

Sermon

I have celebrated Mass in some interesting places in my ministry as a priest and recently as a bishop. You are asked to celebrate Masses in schools – halls and classrooms – in houses, places of work; ancient basilicas, functional modern churches, humble country churches; churches that are far from inspiring, churches that are packed full of history and have a story to tell. Then, of course, I had the privilege of ministering in Kenya where I could find myself saying Mass with the backdrop of Lake Victoria, one of the most beautiful rift-valley lakes, or the Nandi Hills, or the Nyabondo plateau where I lived. A tree in the middle of the field could offer the perfect liturgical setting for a solemn celebration with a vast congregation, or sacking spread across four poles would provide a make-shift baldachino for a local feast day. More recently I had the privilege of celebrating Mass up in the mountains above Lourdes with the young people of the diocese on the recent Pilgrimage. All we had was a large rock and a grassy bank, but it was as awe-inspiring as any man-made Cathedral I have been in.

Today we are celebrating the anniversary of this building, St Peter’s, Scarborough, an illustrious and dearly loved church, both locally and throughout our diocese. First of all, let me congratulate all of you on this wonderful occasion, and in doing this I include all those who have gone before us, all those who worked so hard at the church’s inception, and all those who have striven to keep this place a worthy Temple to the glory of God. May they all receive the reward of their labours.

In many ways this building is a monument to the steady growth of the Church in this area over many years. It is not a miracle in itself, but a sign of the pilgrimage of the people of God in this part of the world throughout the last two hundred years or so. As a building many say that it is a “beautiful specimen of ecclesiastical architecture”, “handsome”, “presenting great solidity, combined with quaintness.”

I am sure that each one of us here this evening would have our own opinion as to the architectural merits of the church, but what we would all agree on, I hope, is that it has been and still remains a sign of the presence of the people of God in this area, and a symbol of the presence of God among his people. And in the end, glass, stones, paint and decoration are of no value if they are not a means to enable the community to come together in prayer and worship and celebrate the presence among us of our God, Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Yes, it is good to celebrate the anniversary of a building. It is right and fitting, and it is what we Christians do, we celebrate everything in the light of God’s everlasting love towards us. However, in the end it is not because of the bricks and mortar that we are celebrating, but what they symbolise and enable – the gathering of God’s people in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the praise and worship of the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son. This is the essence, this is what today’s feast is about and in the end it goes beyond bricks and mortar, paint and decoration. It is about the precious cornerstone, Christ himself and the living stones which make the spiritual house that is us, the people of God.

So we thank God for all that this place means now and has meant in the past, but let us never forget the underlying truth – Jesus Christ is the precious stone and we are the living stones making this spiritual house. Church is far more about our God and his calling together a people in worship and prayer, than about buildings and architecture.

I would like us all to take a phrase away with us today to ponder and to move us into the next 150 years. It is the last sentence from the second reading:

‘You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who has called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’

And so

We thank you, Father, for this house of prayer in which you bless your family as we come to you on pilgrimage. Here you reveal your presence by sacramental signs and make us one with you.

Here you build your temple of living stones, creating its beauty from the holiness of our lives and you bring the Church to its full stature as the body of Christ throughout the world.

And so in communion with all the angels and saints we bless and praise your greatness.