Sydney, 17 July 2008

God never ceases to provide for his Church in every time and season. Through the power of the Spirit he guides the Church on earth in the ways of his providence.
For our doubt, for our fear, for lack of trust in God’s providential love, we ask for mercy and pardon;
Lord, you are our Light and our help
Lord, have mercy
You are the stronghold of our life.
Christ, have mercy.
You are our Rock of safety.
Lord, have mercy.

Sermon

You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church – the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven – whatever is bound is bound whatever is loosed is loosed.

I would not profess to be an expert in financial matters or the stock market, but I have noticed that when anyone is trying to sell you something they always talk about its good qualities, its advantages and profitability in terms of guarantee, sure bets, and definite winners. If there is a down side it tends to be written, not said, and very often it is presented in very small letters and set in legal language. We all like certainties, money-back guarantees, deals that we can bank on – literally. None of us wants to loose or live in an atmosphere of insecurity, financial or otherwise.

There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit…Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit, so it is with Christ

I have moved house recently – in fact I have only been a bishop for less than six months – you should be able to see the Holy Oil of Chrism still glistening on my head! So over the Christmas period I had to move from one place to another and from one role to another. It was exciting, exhilarating, but it was also logistically quite difficult. It had to be planned and in order to complete the task on time and with some degree of success I needed the help of so many people. I was still doing the job of trying to run a seminary and theological institute and at the same time moving house and role. Thank God I am surrounded by willing, loving and gifted people who were able to come to my assistance and get the show on the road.
Most of us realise that in order to carry out and fulfil the important tasks of our lives we also depend on the gifts and cooperation of those around. Generally speaking, we can’t go it alone and get very far.
We look for our certainty, for our security in so many ways. Some profess to have found it in a particular cause, something to fight for or promote. Others find it in work or activity of some sort. Others still will say they have found all that matters in others or another human being. If we are honest and long-lived enough, most of us have to admit that none of these turn out to be that money back guarantee, the sure bet that we were hoping for. Even the most wonderful and intense relationships will never completely provide us with that certainty and security that we demand.
Today’s psalm tells us clearly what, or rather who our money back guarantee is, who is our sure bet, or better, who is the stronghold of our life, the one who shelters us, the one who is the rock who saves us, the one who is our light and our help – it is the Lord himself. And with Him whom indeed shall we fear, before whom shall we shrink? With him we will not stumble or fall.
In order to guarantee that security, that light, that help, he gives us the gift of the Church, his body on earth, infused by the one Spirit and graced in every way necessary for its continued health and growth. This Church is built on the rock of Peter’s confession – You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And we have the guarantee of Christ himself that nothing will ever overcome it, not even the gates of hell. Its freedom and development are provided for especially through the ministry of the successor of Peter.
St Paul tells us that gathered together in the power and strength of the Spirit, all God’s people will be gifted in such a way that everything necessary will be provided. And although there are many parts and many gifts, the one Spirit will form of them one body, bringing unity from the rich diversity.
This unity in diversity is in itself a precious gift, a powerful sign to the whole world of the presence and action of God among his people. It is through this that we will become a leaven to the world; it is through this that we will ourselves be renewed in Christ and become truly his family, as we prayed in our opening prayer.
With Christ as our sure foundation, gifted and drawn together by the one Spirit of Christ, protected by the special ministry of Peter’s successor may we cooperate in the work of the Church to make the mystery of salvation known especially to the poor, so that all will come to know the marvellous ways of God’s providence.