Sunday 8.02.09

The gospel reading this morning leaves us in no doubt as to some of the key characteristics of Mark’s contribution to the New Testament…succinct, pacey, direct.  This is the earliest gospel and, arguably, reveals less evidence of editorial reflection than the other gospels; v.29 opens in typically breathless fashion – ‘As soon as…’  We are launched into another narrative.  The previous verses detailed the encounter between Jesus and the seriously disturbed man effectively silenced and healed in the synagogue on the Sabbath; immediately after this, Jesus moves on… and then on again.

I suppose that we should note the busy-ness of Jesus’ life.  He moves from the synagogue to the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law ( on the Sabbath, note… no theological niceties, merely the conclusion that we must draw ), thence to a meal in which the unnamed mother-in-law waits on her guests; evening follows, with townspeople gathering to see Jesus… presumably very demanding… yet while it is still dark on the Sunday morning, Jesus is up and out for quiet prayer.  When his disciples track him down, the immediate challenge is to go out into Galilee and the surrounding areas.  Put bluntly, this is a very busy 24 hours: attendance at worship, the many-fold dimensions of practical help, table fellowship, the discipline of private prayer… all are represented, and with it we are given some sense of what it means to talk about the constructive, purposeful occupation of the saints, the people of God.

There is so much that I could say here.  I spent a fair bit of time with a Nigerian couple in Manchester who believed that it was wrong for Christians to engage in secular employment… something with which I continue to disagree profoundly, yet I never convinced them of this.  I understand the so-called Protestant ‘work ethic’ – the glories of gainful employment, high levels of motivation, a sense of worth developed through such use of time – yet I deplore talk of ‘prosperity gospel’ with its conviction that worldly wealth is a sign of divine blessing.  I have spent time with the young unemployed who have been desperate to work, angry with God that this has not been possible.   I resist the temptation to offer sound bytes on the times in which we find ourselves at present.  Yet… well, I do share in the conviction that there is no idleness in the Kingdom – and prayer is activity every bit as much as giving lifts or painting walls or attending meetings.  In Christ, we are absorbed into life that is consistently purposeful and imbued with meaning – a powerful message for these times. 

Surveys suggest that ministers work an average of a 50 hour week, but for me this is a largely meaningless statistic.  Many people within the church work 40 hours and upwards in so-called secular employment and then offer many hours of additional, unpaid work in Christian service on top of this…net conclusion: many church members effectively work harder than the ministers whom they support.  Playing with figures is neither here nor there, of course… nor is point scoring or anything which amounts to us.  The issue is that with Christ, we share in the supremely creative, redemptive, transforming work of God.  How then have we found ourselves in a situation where many regard church as ‘boring’?  You know my views on this: so often, we have stifled the liberating life of faith with the regimented constraints of institutional religion.  Little wonder that one of our closest Christian neighbours in the city centre proclaims that it seeks to offer, ‘faith without religion’.

However busy Christ appears in these verses, an unbroken strand of the passage – perhaps predictably – is that of concern for the well-being of others.  The unnamed mother-in-law with an unknown ailment; physically and mentally disturbed townsfolk gathering at the door; a ministry of help developed and sustained only because Christ drew deeply on himself and deeply on the parent-God.  The Christ who prayed was empowered as the Christ of purpose.  I have never understood those who present us with a Christ for whom ministry was effortless, serene, forever undiminished; after all, this is the Jesus who said that power had left him when the woman touched his clothes in the crowd.  What you and I would recognise as ‘normal requirements’ were not bypassed; we cheapen Christ, lessen Christ, dehumanise Christ if we contend that his concern for the well-being of others was something that did not affect him to the very core of his being.

The ministry of ‘well-being’ continues at the heart of ‘church’.  Whilst there are many whole, balanced people within the community faith, there is some evidence that churches are attracting more broken people than ever; there is nothing wrong with this – we offer healing to the hurting; better a hospital for the sick than a museum for saints.  It is interesting that in our work with the homeless, we engage with folk who actively feel cheated unless there is prayer and comment.  Many dozens of people continue to ask for prayers from those who commit regularly to the ministry of intercession here at Carrs Lane; I am in no doubt that this continues to be at the heart of our work.  I don’t remember all that much about my training for ministry, but I do remember the maxim that those in ministry should spend no more than 25% of their time at a desk… ministry is about personal or prayerful encounter, well-being not desk-bound.

The final thing I note about the gospel reading this morning is that it is a passage rich in initiatives.  The disciples told Jesus about the illness of Simon’s mother-in-law; in turn, she waited on others; the townsfolk gathered at the door; Simon and his friends actively sought out Christ at prayer the following morning.  It is a passage of glorious interaction.  Faith has never been about a dynamic Christ and a passive people; it is not even accurate to talk about leader and led in simplistic terms.  It is about partnership.  I know that it is fashionable to emphasise the fact that we are human beings rather than human doings; quietness and reflection and waiting on God all enrich our spirituality; frenetic activity doesn’t obliterate the need for any other dimension to faith.  However… activity has always been a characteristic of the people of God; risk-taking means that we necessarily open ourselves up to the possibility of failure… and the lessons which this brings; yes, things kick-started are not always well-sustained or developed in some churches, but a discerning people must always be open to the possibilities of new initiatives.  I love the interactions present in this passage today… and even at the very start of his ministry, Jesus’ friends had the confidence to bring people and requests to him openly.