URC General Assembly Service

This year, building on the advances and wider use of technology, all URC congregations, members and friends, have been invited and encouraged to come together for the General Assembly service – the sermon for which will be given by General Assembly Moderator Clare Downing and a version of her message is included below. Perhaps you might like to hold all those attending the Assembly in your prayers as they discuss and debate issues from pensions and safeguarding to anti-racism and modern day slavery.

Reading:       Mark 6:14-29

Sermon   ~   Rev Clare Downing

Going to the pantomime wasn’t part of our family tradition. I only really discovered the joys of the panto in my late teens when a group of us regularly met up to hit the theatrical hotspots of Torbay. Despite, or maybe because the panto was clearly not ‘cool’, we entered into the spirit of the occasion with gusto. Cheering, shouting, booing and hissing with the best of them. Everyone knew who were the goodies and the baddies – the heroes and the villains – and reacted accordingly.

During this year, the young people of the United Reformed Church have been concentrating on heroes and villains. So too have Mission Council and General Assembly, and so will we today.

In real life, it’s not always so easy to judge. And the bible is full of flawed characters, who aren’t clearly one or the other. The heroic villains, or the villainous heroes are to be found all over the place – even in the story we have just heard.

On the surface it’s simple. John the Baptist is the hero. He’s God’s spokesperson, preparing the way for Jesus. In true superhero fashion he even wears odd clothes, though not going so far as to wear his underpants on the outside. John stands up for right, even when it’s going to get him in big trouble. He’s not afraid to speak out against the powerful when they misbehave. So much so, that he is imprisoned because of his insistence that King Herod’s marriage is unlawful, immoral.

But John isn’t perfect. His preaching is challenging, but not always encouraging. He knows that he is the warm up act for God’s chosen one, and his expectation is that Jesus will be very much like him – only more so. He’s so disappointed in Jesus that when he is in prison, he sends his own disciples to ask whether Jesus really is the one who they had been waiting for. John – a hero, but with weaknesses and limitations.

Then there is Herod. Obviously, a villain – and yet he respected John, liked to listen to him. At the beginning of the reading – before we have the flashback to John’s death – we hear him thinking that Jesus, who is performing miracles and healings must be John, raised from the dead. He has definitely picked up on the fact that something big is going on.

The trouble with Herod is that he seems willing to listen to any voice. He’s easily swayed. He makes rash promises, and his need to ‘keep face’ in front of his friends means that he cannot pull back from fulfilling the demand of his step-daughter, Salome. Changing your mind takes more strength of character than Herod can summon up.

What about Salome? She doesn’t have much more than a walk on – or to be more precise, a dance on – part. Perhaps she is a good, obedient child, wanting to please everyone. Dancing for her step-father, asking her mother for advice. The innocent abroad in the power games of her family. There again, is she the knowing teenager, playing the powerful adults off against each other? The way in which she embellishes the request for the head of John the Baptist doesn’t endear her to me. But even so, maybe we can reserve judgement on her.

Herodias is the one who is most clearly the villain of the piece. Her grudge against John so strong that it will stop at nothing. Her undue influence over both husband and daughter makes sure that she gets her own way. She knows what she wants and doesn’t care what she needs to do to get it.

So Herodias is the one who comes on stage and gets booed and hissed by the audience – and yet there is still a question about whether she is totally bad, or whether she is simply reacting to the circumstances she finds herself in. I’m not willing to condemn her completely without knowing a bit more of the back story.

What a collection of characters – and whilst we may not easily identify with any of them, the reminder of the complexity of being human, and our own ability to be both hero and villain is important.

Two things that stand out in their stories, are part of all of our lives too. The first is the question of which voices we listen to. Herod listened to John, perhaps even listened for the voice of God through him. But in the end, listening to the vindictiveness of Herodias was a bigger influence. We are surrounded by voices – family and friends, media of all sorts, fake news. Listening for the right voices – for God’s voice amongst the tumult – is not always easy, but is vital in our discipleship.

The second is all about power. Of course, in the church we pretend that power games don’t happen. We’re often afraid even of the word. But let’s not fool ourselves – all of us have power and influence to some extent. It may be limited in its scope, but it’s there. We are called to use our power for good, not evil. Within the life of the church, we are to build one another up, to encourage each other, to work for the good of the whole world.

One more question to ponder. In fairy tales and pantomime there is so often a point at which someone is granted a wish (or three). So if you could ask for anything – even up to half of Herod’s kingdom – What would you wish for on your platter? Who would you ask for advice? And how would you use it for good?

God, the giver of all good gifts, wants to share those good things with us, and wants us to use the gifts well. We may never be superheroes. We will always be flawed. But the call to be disciples – followers, learners – should lead us to a place where we listen to God’s voice, and exercise the power we have wisely and for the good of all.

Prayers of intercession

Eternal God
We come to you with our prayers of concern for the big issues affecting us and our world
We pray for all who are suffering because of climate change
And for all who are taking action and speaking out on behalf of your creation
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer

We pray for all who are suffering because of the COVID 19 Pandemic:
those who have lost loved ones, health, or livelihood
And we pray for all who are working to tend the sick,
support those in need and who minister to the bereaved.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer

We pray for all in positions of authority and responsibility,
that they may exercise power with justice and righteousness
And we pray for all who speak truth to those in power
on behalf of the oppressed and downtrodden
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

Lord Jesus
Through baptism we became part of your world-wide family.
Help us to faithfully proclaim your gospel on behalf of all people
and to walk your way of sacrificial love through testing times,
listening only to your voice as we speak your word
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

Holy Spirit, comforter
We pray today for all prisoners, victims of torture,
prisoners of conscience and those condemned to death.
As Jesus sent words of comfort to John in prison,
may you send people who may speak comfort to all in captivity at this time.
We pray for all who are ill in body, mind or spirit and for all who mourn.
In a moment of silence, we name before you now those who are particularly on our hearts this day
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer
Amen

We bring our prayers together as we share the prayer that Jesus taught his first followers…Our Father…

Blessing

Go into the world to speak with courage.
Go into the world to act with compassion.
Go into the world to encourage your neighbours.
Go into the world to share the good news.
And may God – creator, son and spirit
inform and inspire our thinking, our speaking and our actions
and bless us today, and every day to come.
AMEN

Hymns used:

• The Kingdom of God is Justice & Joy (Tune Out Skerries)
• I come with joy a child of God
• Eternal God, your love’s tremendous glory