St Margaret's Church Prestwich

Rev Helen gave this sermon at St Margaret’s on Wednesday 10 January 2024. Here it is for you again.

Today the Church of England commemorates William Laud who was a high churchman.

William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury during the 1630 and 1640’s, this was a very tumultuous period of English history right before the English Civil War when to two rival factions were fighting for dominance, (sorry I’m a historian and I love this period, I’ve really had to restrain myself here), I think it’s fair to say that these factions have several different names Royalists and Parliamentarians, Cavaliers vs Roundheads but I think the one that one that helps to understand this situation is High Churchmen vs Puritans and parliament had a lot of puritans whereas William Laud was a high churchman like the king and this was a difficult time to have those views.

Laud was part of a movement named Laudism, they were very interested in liturgy of the church, the ceremony and look of the church, the beauty of the church with things like colours, candles, vestments, statues. The puritans however had a very different attitude to the church, white washed churches, no pomp or ceremony, they though Christmas Day should be a day of fasting and prayer (I don’t know what they would have thought if they had seen how we celebrate Christmas now) Oliver Cromwell was one. They would have hated a church like this. Unfortunately for Laud the Puritans were dominant during this period and Laud spoke out against them, he was impeached, imprisoned in the Tower of London and eventually executed on 10 Jan 1645, Charles I had tried to protect him but he himself was in danger and was executed 31 January 1649. The high church movement wasn’t killed at this point but stayed very dormant for many years really rearing its head with the Oxford tractarians in 1820’s and 1830’s.

Laud went to the extreme for his principals, he believed so strongly in it that he was willing to die for it, he was following Jesus example to it’s natural conclusion as Jesus did the same, he was willing to face resistance, humiliation and execution for his principals, killed by those he came to save. So is this what you have to do to truly serve out God’s call on your life, go to these extremes like Jesus, William Laud and the many other martyrs within Christianity. Is this what being called into God’s service really means?

It’s something I think about a lot calling. We hear today Samuel’s story, he’s surprised, he doesn’t know how to react, he’s nervous, he mishears, he misunderstands it and that’s what it’s like in reality, I can vouge for that and I’m sure many other people will tell you the same. So how do you follow the call on your life started by God.

In todays gospel we see Jesus at the start of his ministry and what is he doing? He’s helping those who are in need, preaching the gospel and telling the story of God, telling his story The Kingdom of God is near, repent and believe in the Good News.

So when you ask about how to follow Jesus and what does it mean to be his disciple, he tells you in this gospel and it doesn’t mean you have to meet a really grizzly end. Be with the sick and those who are in need, with those who have less than you, proclaim the gospel and pray. Speak to God tell God how you feel and be honest, say it as it is, call a spade a spade, when it’s great and when it’s not.

We all have our vocations in life to follow and being a disciple or following God’s call on your life can come in so many different forms. So think about it like this? What are you good at? What gives you joy? Are you truly following God’s call on your life? it could be anything speaking, writing, teaching, music, singing, helping people, being kind to people, bringing the best out of people. there are so many times when we worry about meeting our potential and having goals and target but how about just doing what you’re good at and using that to impact the life of others because we are all different and that should be celebrated. I think, and this is my own personal philosophy, we were all created as extraordinary and unique people who are all brilliant and amazing in our own way and don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. We can all live out our potential so be you, not the person people think you should be, be you. Follow God’s call on your lives you don’t have to go as far or the same way as William Laud because there’s so many different things that you can do, all you have to take that brave step and if God is with us there really is nothing to be afraid of as God will be there supporting, helping and cheering us on!

So are you living out your full potential and following God’s call on your life? it might not be easy, it might be difficult at times but sometimes that’s the point, following God’s call isn’t easy, it might take you to unexpected places or do things you never expected although sometime that’s when we can do our best work and I’m going to illustrate this with a quote from the person who taught me that philosophy I just mentioned and it’s quite poignant as today is 8 years since he died, a man named David Robert Jones but you’ll know him better by his stage name, David Bowie

‘Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting’