Dear friends,
Sorry for the delay to this week’s update, but here it is, including a copy of my sermon plus a link to the readings for the second week of Lent. There’s also a reminder about the survey we are currently undertaking.
Please check out all the services and events coming up on our website at the usual link: middleESKmoor.org
If you haven't done so yet, I would be really grateful if you’re able to spare 15 minutes or so to complete our survey. It’s been designed to draw people together with common interests into some exciting new groups, and to explore areas and roles needing more support or development. There are three ways to respond, one of which I hope works for you:
- complete our survey online by clicking this link.
- email me back and I’ll email you a copy of the survey for you to print out and return.
- give me a ring on 01947 899842 to arrange for me to discuss with you.
I do hope all is well with you. Do get in touch if there’s anything I can help you with.
With blessings and all good wishes,
Anthony
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Sermon: It’s OK to get angry!
Please follow this link for the Readings and Prayers.
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts together be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock, and redeemer. Amen.
Peter’s faith was especially recognised by Jesus, and Peter was given a new name:
he was to be the rock, the source of strength and authority for a new community: the Church. Peter was to be the leader of the followers of the newly revealed Jesus, the Son of the living God. But in today’s Gospel reading, we have Jesus shouting at Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Jesus is obviously just a little bit angry with Peter! But why, what’s happened? At the beginning of our reading, Jesus tells Peter that he will be killed very soon. He also says that he will be raised on the third day. But Peter doesn’t hear or understand that part. He just hears the bit where the man he loves very deeply says he will be killed. The man that Peter adores, the man that Peter has invested everything in, will be killed. Imagine yourself for a moment in Peter’s shoes. What would you say? How would Jesus respond?
You say, “this must never happen to you, Lord!”
Jesus shouts at you, “get behind me, Satan!”
You’re confused. You love the Lord. You cannot bear to be separated from your Lord and Saviour. Jesus’ death is bad news. That bad news is too much for you to bear. Jesus tells you he’s going to die. But he wants you to know. There are no secrets. This is the plan, the plan God made long ago. Jesus has explained that to you too. But you still can’t bear to be parted.
Well, I think I would react in the same way. I can understand Peter's response to Jesus when the bad news became too much to bear.
By this stage of Jesus' ministry, it was clear to Peter and the other disciples that Jesus was their Messiah, but they had yet to understand that he wouldn’t be the conquering military king that would expel Israel’s enemies from the land given to them by God. They simply couldn’t grasp that part of the plan. Of course, we have the benefit of knowing the whole story. But when Jesus has a go at Peter so angrily, we see his human side and a very human frustration: Peter is still thinking in the old way and not in the radical new way of Jesus: his rule of love rather than the rule of power and vengeance.
The amazing thing about Jesus is that he’s fully human and fully God, so he gets frustrated, he gets angry, he knows what life is like, he gets emotional. And we have two emotions clashing here: Peter’s sense of loss, of grief; Jesus’ sense of frustration, of anger.
Peter's response would have been my response, I’m pretty sure of that. Would you have reacted in the same way? Maybe? We don’t want Jesus to suffer either, we don’t want him to die.
"God forbid it, Lord!" Peter says.
"God forbid it, Lord!" we say.
But Jesus, fully man and fully God, will not forbid it, will not prevent it either; will not prevent the humiliation, torture, suffering and death. The horror of what man does to man must be put on display by God for all to see. And Jesus is as scared as any of us would be. He gets angry about it.
We might imagine that Jesus calmly accepts all that’s to come. And the Gospels do, in part, paint that picture when the time does indeed come, and we arrive at Good Friday, at the end of our journey through Lent together. But today, in our Gospel reading, Jesus is angry, and he displays his full humanity. Jesus’ emotions are exacerbated by Peter's inability to understand and accept the full reality of what’s to come. Jesus didn’t really think Peter was Satan, of course, but I think he uses the title ‘Satan’ here to make a point.
However we think of ‘Satan,’ I think we can say that Satan characterises everything which opposes truth in this world, everything that stops us seeking the Kingdom of God, everything that stops us putting God first. Jesus likens Peter to Satan because he doesn’t want natural anxiety and sorrow to result in pessimism and negativity. Anger needs to be channelled positively. And Jesus’ anger reinforces his message of hope. It’s OK to be angry if that helps people see the bigger picture!
So, how does this speak to us today, in this place? Well, I can’t believe it’s just over a year since I had my interview for this post. My first anniversary on 21st May is rapidly approaching! And, over the last year, let’s be honest, we’ve uncovered together quite a lot of anger and frustration in the way resources and support have not quite reached Middle Esk Moor. My appointment here is a response to that, of course: I’m here to help us all to work together and chart a new path. That’s the calling I think I have that I was talking about last week. But we can only continue on the journey if we make the space, and devote the time, needed to acknowledge what has been wrong with the old way of doing things. Change can only happen amidst the reality of the world we live in. There will continue to be challenges. Things will not go according to plan!
We’ve begun to try new things and develop better ways of working together. And I think we’re making some exciting progress in lots of different ways. We have things to celebrate. But, alongside the positives, we need to continue to acknowledge the restraining factors that persist within our churches and our church structures: the diocese; the deanery; the wider Church of England. We need to acknowledge the quite understandable anger and frustration church structures cause. We need to face the reality of our lived experience head on. And it’s OK to be angry!
Jesus’ anger in today’s reading reinforces his message of hope.
It’s OK to be angry if that helps people see the bigger picture. And the good thing about facing reality, seeing that bigger picture, is that it unlocks us from the fear of unknowing, it frees us to make change, it enables us to move forward and live more fully; to seek the Kingdom of God. Yes, change is difficult. And, as we start to change more of the ways we work together over the next year, we will face many challenges. But everything becomes possible when we have nothing to lose, when we can let go of the past, when we can fully re-imagine the future. Jesus knew this. Jesus was prepared to risk everything. Jesus didn’t need Peter's fussing, however well meant, or needy. Jesus wanted Peter to face the truth and then accept what must come, so that he could be free to pursue the next phase of his ministry.
Jesus knew that Peter and the disciples would eventually find the strength to found and maintain the future Church: from his example, but also from within themselves. Facing reality, with hope, rarely disappoints when we undertake it with Jesus! So, let’s continue on the journey together, being honest with each other. Let’s celebrate! But let’s continue to channel, in a positive direction, our anger and frustrations too!
Amen.
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The Reverend Anthony Bennett
Interim Minister – the Benefice of Middle ESK Moor
middleESKmoor.org