What do we do when we go to church?

Robert Letham writes:

"We recall the words of the author of Hebrews that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). Later, he declares that in church worship we have come to Mount Zion, to the spirits of just men made perfect (Heb. 12:18-25). We remember also the teaching of Revelation that when the church gathers for worship it joins the angels and the church triumphant in heaven around the throne of the living God and of the Lamb. We are not alone. The church is not a lecture room; we are gathered with saints present and past – and the angels too (see 1 Peter 1:10-12) – as we meet around the throne of God in heaven. We have access to the worship of the renewed created order, the church centrally included. We are with the saints and the angels, the apostles, prophets and martyrs – and above all with the Lamb of God once slain, now risen, and with the holy and undivided trinty.” (p156)

Through Western Eyes: Eastern Orthodoxy: A Reformed Perspective (Fearn, Mentor Christian Focus, 2007)

Impressive but dead

In his sermon on Sunday evening, Glen argued that if you mess with the heart of the gospel you risk killing the church and being left with a corpse. It might still be a big, impressive, sprawling body with much to admire, but it might still be dead.

Church Preaches Bible Shock! (version 4)

The Today Programme this morning mentioned this article from the Daily Mail. A similar article appeared in the Telegraph. A couple of people from St Nick's, Seven Oaks are apparently outraged that their vicar and curate should preach that women should be silent in church and that wives should submit to their husbands (1 Cor 14; Eph 5; Col 3). It turns out the sermons in question were two from the curate from 1 Peter 3 which can be heard on the church website and there has been some misunderstanding over some leaflet or other supposedly written by the Rector.

The Mail article is an extraordinary example of making a story out of nothing. No doubt there is a great deal of selective reporting and spin. I'm sure, for example, that the ministers had no intention of saying that women's disobedience to their husbands is the only or even the chief cause of family break up. As the article points out, the church would want to emphasise that men have a primary responsibility to love their wives. It is incontrovertible that marriages and families in Britain are not generally working brilliantly and confusion about the roles of men and women is an important factor.

It's come to something when quoting the Bible outrages that bastion of traditional conservative values, the Daily Mail.

It's interesting that a number of people have apparently said they have cancelled their direct debits / are leaving the church.

I would have thought that people might have expected this kind of teaching from a conservative Evangelical church. Similar things would be taught in many other churches and it is hardly newsworthy. Or rather, its sad that apparently it is!

Angus Mclay the rector of said church describes the events under a very similar headline: Church believes the Bible! Shock! Horror! He does a good job of supporting his curate and highlighting how careful the preacher was to avoid misunderstanding and stress the equality of men and women. He also denied wearing a kilt to church, for the record!

Should we exile the kids?

I thought David Gibbs made some excellent points in his 'Unity in the gathering or 'adult only' church?' where he made the case for keeping children in church meetings instead of sending them out for children's Sunday school. Good on The Briefing for publishing it (Jan - Feb 2010, Issue 376/7, pp30-32).

You'd have to have guts to abolish the Sunday school and it'd be hard to keep your own kids in if everyone elses' were going out, but I think his biblical and theological arguments are persuasive.

In his church, only under 3s can go out for the sermon.

It's interesting to note that Sunday school during the morning service only goes back to the 50s and 60s.

What is Sunday morning for?

Our gathering for worship is an exercise in covenant renewal, a weekly celebration of the resurrection, and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet to come.

Why We Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck stolen from blog of dan

Church's ministry to Scripture

St Francis Turretin describes the church's ministerial function in relation to Scripture:

The church is charged to be the :

• keeper and preserver of Scripture
• guide, pointing to Scripture
• defender of Scripture, vindicating the genuine canonical books
• herald, proclaiming the truths of Scripture
• interpreter, unfolding the true sense of Scripture

Tim Ward, Words of Life (IVP, 2009) p154, citing Institutes 2.16.1-26

Similarly, Article 20 of the 39 calls the church "a witness and keeper of Holy Writ" (Ward, p155).

Excellence & mistakes okay

We want to have a culture of striving for excellence but also allowing people to make mistakes. We want to be thinking about how we can improve, but there are times when it is adequate to do an adequate job. We mustn't be oppressively perfectionistic: anyone can have an off-day and that's okay. Neither should we misconstrue perfection as necessarily exactly-what-I would-have-done.

Scary Liturgy

According to Rev'd Doug Wilson's weblog:

Jerome commented that in the early church, when visitors used to come the church, they were commonly frightened at the Amen -- it had the sound of thunder, said by people who understood it.

The liturgical responses at Holy Trinity can be pleasingly hearty and lively, but to my knowledge that has never happened yet. May the Amen of the church put the fear of God into people!

Pig Cold & Church

See the C of E website and the Archbishops letter today regarding Holy Communion when people are a bit sniffly.

What's in a name?

I'm told that a certain church that used to be called something like High Street Strict and Peculiar Evangelical Free (Full Gospel) Church (Continuing) changed its name to something like Christ Church and found that numbers went up very significantly. It seems that many people who might go to a church like it to be called something fairly traditional and C of E sounding, not crazy cultlike. You live and learn, eh?

When is a "church" not a church?

I think we can say that The Episcopal "Church" (TEC, American anglicans) - or rather, denomination, as a denomination - is no longer a church. There may be churches among them, and Christians in those churches, but it seems to me that when a denomination deliberately, repeatedly and publicly declared its intention to blesses gross sin, disregarding the Word of God and the gospel it is no longer a church.

Rt Revd Tom Wright argues in the Times Online that the TEC has deliberately formalised schism, torn the Communion and walked apart. To my mind they can no longer be seen as authentically Anglican. Wright talks a lot of sense in that article, though I think he is wrong about the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Even if Anglicanism is already a confessional fellowship, it is no bad thing in such circumstances to have another confessing fellowship that fellowships more closely and confesses more loudly and soundly on the matters in dispute.

Learning from New Frontiers

I have some issues with New Frontiers. I am more or less a cessationist.

But I must say I was blessed to attend The Gate Way Church in Leeds on Sunday morning. They are Reformed Bible-believers. The worship was lively and encouraging. The youth band did a very good job, I thought, with the A-team away. The welcome was excellent. The coffee and biscuits good. The meeting was well "ancoured" (that means "led"). The sermon was long. I didn't hear it as I was in creche. It contained an excellent introduction to John 7 and the significance of the Feast, according to Mrs Lloyd, and can be heard online. The children's talk, on Saul going into a cave for a wee was fantastic and I plan to copy it. Delivery amazing.

I was impressed by 3 different coloured T-shirts: "Steward"; "Welocme. New? Speak to me"; "Children's Worker". The registration system for kids and their Guardians was great.

I don't agree with them but they are brothers with lots to teach us. They do their thing brilliantly. We need to work together and respect one another as fellow-labourers in our Master's Vineyard.

Church Cancelled Due to Swine Flu

If the government advising avoiding large public meetings due to swine flu, will you be cancelling church meetings?

The Urban Pastor, Rev'd Richard Perkins, has some thoughts from Rev'd Dr Andrew Nicholls (a former GP) on how churches can make the most of swine flu.

Evening Service

I think it would be very lovely to have the main Sunday morning church service fairly early, then have people from church round for lunch, then a little nap and the rest of the day free for family, rest, fun and private and family devotions. But I've always been a twicer - going to church morning and evening on a Sunday. Now I'm required to do so.

However, it would seem that a Biblical case for Sunday evening services can be made: Luke 24:9 and Acts 20:7 (John Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life, on the Sabbath, if I remember rightly)

The because approach: innovationg church for all

In our local Christian book shop I just stumbled across a book I didn’t know existed: The because approach: innovating church for all by Rev’d Andrew Baughen, Vicar of St James, Clerkenwell (Milton Keynes, Authentic Media, 2005). I don’t remember ever hearing a mention of it at vicar factory.


John Stott “heartily” recommends it as having solid theory and experience leading to a realistic plan, passionately committed to Christ, the gospel and the local church. He says: “I cannot imagine that any individual or group could study it without being profoundly challenged and inspired”.

My own Bishop, Wallace Benn, says: “This is exactly the kind of book we need right now…. This is a superb book that should be read by all concerned about the mission of the church.” So I guess I ought to have a look at it!

Rico Tice said: “This book cuts you open. I found it confronted me with the realities from the Bible, from my local church and from the culture. Page after page provokes carefull reflection.”

Chris Green said: “I am thrilled with The Because Approach: gospel driven, evangelistically passionate, warm hearted, culturally relevant, and – above all – practical and achievable stratergies for us to be the people Christ wants us to be.”

Its recommended by Chris Wright, Christopher Ash and The Bishop of London too, amongst others.

On page 1 Andrew Baughan notes lots of debts including to Bill Hybels of Willow Creek, Rick Warren, Nicky Gumbell and Tim Keller of Redeemer Church, Manhattan.

The book is about the local church as God’s hope for the world with the promise that Christ’s church will prevail. The book suggests a six-fold strategic review for each local church.

The six steps (and main chapters of the book) are:

(1) Preparation

(2) Relationship building

(3) Respect Building

(4) Relevance building

(5) Response building

(6) Participation

Within each chapter there’s a section on Scripture, Setting and Solution followed by a study guide. Each section begins “Because…” and the chapter close with an “Expert Witness”, Mark Greene, Paul Perkin, Nicky Gumbell, Rico Tice & J. John

There’s a website at http://www.becauseapproach.com/index.htm which looked pretty rudamentary when I looked at it. Could be a problem at my end!

'The Necessity of Reforming the Church'

I’ve spent my day with John Calvin’s treatise of this name, which would make good reading for Anglicans today and especially for (would-be) ministers. Its available in the Library of Christian Classics series in Calvin’s Theological Treatises. Here’s the subtitle:

A Humble Exhortation to the most invincible Emperor Charles V, and the most illustrious Prince and other Orders, now holding a Diet of the Empire at Spires that they seriously undertake the task of restoring the Church presented in the name of all those who wish Christ to reign by Dr John Calvin (p184)

You have got to love his analysis. So clear. Good distinctions. Learned. And passionate. Get’s practical and talks about what really matters. Pastoral. Concerned for God’s glory and his people’s good. Yet so pungent. The rhetoric is turned up and its strong meat. You wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of Calvin’s polemic. A serrated edge, indeed. And he tells off Luther for putting it all to rudely and harshly!

They don’t make ‘em like they used to!

Which traditions & when?

When did our traditions start? 1980 choruses? 1970 homegroups? 1900 hymns? 1800 organs? 1600 doctrines? 250 robes? 33 sacraments?

The dates and contents are pretty arbitrary but the point is almost anything that you’ve done more than twice can be either praised or dismissed as a tradition.

Calvin on Electing Elders, Bishops etc.

In Calvin’s view a number clergy and the people to be served should be involved in candidates to the ministry.

In opposing the idea that Bishops (or even the Pope himself) have (or has) the sole and unilateral apostolic succession power of ordination, Calvin seemingly endorses the Early Church principle of having the people “elect” their elders (presbyter Pastor-teachers) in the sense that the magistrate and / or the people should usually have a veto on an appointment.

Calvin quotes Leo with approval:

Let him who is to preside over all be elected by all; for he who is appointed, while unknown and unexamined, must of necessity be violently intruded. (Ep. Xc)

Again:

Let regard be had to the attestation of honourable men, the approval of the clergy, and the consent of the magistracy and people. Reason permits no other mode of procedure. (Ep. Lxxxvii)

Calvin finds the same in Gregory and Cyprian.

(LCC, Calvin’s Theological Treatises, ‘Necessity of Reforming the Church’, p207)

This also has the practical advantage that the people are agreeing to follow and obey the godly teaching and example of the elder in approving him.

Calvin also explains the tradition that all the bishops of the provinces should assemble for an ordination, or if this cannot be conveniently done, “at least three… that no man might force an entrance by tumult, or creep in by stealth, or insinuate himself by surreptitious artifices. To the ordination of a presbyter, each bishop admitted a council of his own presbyters.” (p208)

Calvin is stinging, by the way, about Bishops who either through wickedness or fear keep good men out of the ministry and refuse to remove the unfaithful but rather try to unseat the godly Bible teaching ministers (p208f).

As Gregory said, Calvin says of Bishops: “those who abuse privilege deserve to lose privilege.” (p209). The Bishops must either change and appoint a different kind of man, Calvin says, or they cannot complain when they are despoiled of what is justice belonged to them. If they wish to be recognised as Bishops they must do their duty. Any man, whatever his title, who shows himself by his conduct to be an enemy of sound doctrine has lost all right to that title and office and authority. The ancient Canons of Church expressly forbid anyone to apply to a heretic so-called Bishop for ordination. Calvin is willing to face the charge that he has illegally made an incursion into the province of the Bishops (p209).

Speak up at the back there!

Our church services are pretty liturgical and the liturgy is good stuff - most of it from the Bible or there abouts. So let's do it approprietly: loudly, enthusiasticly for the creed, as if we really do believe it, hearty deepfelt "Amen"s, air-punching, "Lift Up Your Hearts" cheers, that sort of thing. Maybe we need to practice our war cries. Perhaps see how they do it down the football stadium.

As Revd Douglas Wilson puts it:

Those against liturgical worship will often caricature it as lifeless, cold, and dead. But too often the friends of open liturgy do everything they can to confirm the many prejudices. They mutter the creed, instead of wanting to shout it from the housetops. They mumble through psalms or hymns, rather than singing them the way they were written to be sung. The organist thinks her job description is to be a ball and chain attached to any hymn that threatens to get too robust. Instead of roaring amen at the conclusion of prayers, the corporate sentiment appears to be huh" (Mother Kirk, p. 151).

A Few Words on Speaking Well in Church

Its been a bit quiet here, not because I’ve had nothing to say, you understand, but because I’ve been putting Ecclesiastes 5v2b into practice: “let your words be few.”

I was surprised to discover last Thursday that I was due to preach in college chapel today on Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 / Acts 20:1-6. Its worth having a look at the rota every now and again.

Obviously because of the admonitions against foolish speech in Ecclesiastes 5 I had to cut all the best gags out of my talk, but here are a few jottings:

In order to keep my words few, I’ve put in lots of God’s.

I had far too many words for the 10 minutes allowed, of course, so there's plenty of exclusive material they didn't get in chapel today here!

Readings: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 & Acts 20:1-6

Prayer:

May the words of my mouth

And the meditations of our hearts

Be acceptable in your sight, O LORD,

Our rock and our redeemer. (from Psalm 19:14)

Ecclesiastes 5 is not exactly the most encouraging chapter for the preacher:

Ecclesiastes 5v2 - “Let your words be few”.

Perhaps I should stop there?

I was tempted to go and sit down at this point and leave you with a dramatic enacted sign – a piece of prophetic drama like Isaiah going about naked (Is 20:2-4) or Ezekiel acting out the exile (Ez 12:1-7).

I could have avoided the wearisome toil of preparation and all that “vanity and a striving after the wind” but frankly I was too worried about incurring Marion’s wrath.

But what of the possibilities of lectionary preaching?!

Perhaps Acts 20 can come to the rescue?

No doubt Dr Dr Sleeman can tell us the immense potential of a Salvation Geography reading of our verses from Acts, but I'm afraid I couldn't see it.

Acts 20 does at least rehabilitate sermons, if Ecclesiastes 5 has made us suspicious of them.

In Acts 20v2 we find Paul “speaking many words of encouragement”.

And in v7: Paul talked until midnight and as he talked on and on, Eutychus falls into a deep sleep and tumbles out of a window to his death!

Clearly the problem is not words themselves – nor even many words, nor long sermons.

What we need is the right sort of speaking and listening, and the right sort of attitudes.

And Ecclesiastes 5 can help us.

v1 tells us to watch our step.

We are to guard our steps when we go to the “house of God”.

I know there’s no such thing as the house of God today, not like the Jerusalem Temple, anyway.

Or rather Jesus is the House of God

But in 1 Timothy 3, Paul says, “I am writing these things to you so that… you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God.” (vv14-15).

The church is God’s house and there are house rules – we’re to mind our manners.

We are being built, 1 Peter 2, “like living stones… as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

1 Cor 11:18 warns us against divisions when we come together as a church.

God is everywhere, of course, but Jesus tells us he is specially with us where 2 or 3 gather in his name (Matthew 18:20).

If guarding your steps mattered when you came to the Temple, how much more for us:

“For you have not come to what can be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them…. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel…. Let us offer God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:18-19, 22-24, 28-29)

We’ll want to think about how these verses apply when we’ve come together as a church, when we speak and sing to God,

and how we speak to and about one another in the church, knowing that all our speaking is done in God’s hearing.

v1 tells us that “to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools”.

“Take care then how you hear.” (Luke 8:18)

“Know this, my beloved brothers:

let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1:19)

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

as in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1 Sam 15:22).

The systematicians amongst you may have noticed the false dichotomy in v1.

Better to listen than to offer the sacrifice of fools, but its not just a choice between silent listening or foolish sacrifice.

There is a Third Way.

Rather than offering “the sacrifice of fools”

we are to “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”

We worship God, of course, with our lips and our lives:

“Do not neglect to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:15-16)

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Those of us who are prone to engage our mouths before our brains would do well to heed the admonition of v2:

We are not to be rash with our mouths,

nor let our hearts be hasty to utter a word before God,

v2, “for [because] God is in heaven and you are on earth.”

In other words, we are to know our place! : “God is in heaven and you are on earth.”

That’s one reason why we are to “do all things without grumbling or questioning.” (Philippians 2:14)

After all: “Our God is in the heavens; he does what pleases him.” (Ps 115:3)

He wants it this way!

Next time you find something to grumble about,

just remember that your loving heavenly Father is the King of the Universe and you’re not – and it’s a good job.

The All Wise God thought it’d be best this way,

and who are we to argue with him?

Does God need our advice?

“My thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,

declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is 55:8-9)

“Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?

Will what is moulded say to its moulder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Has the potter no right over the clay…?” (Romans 9:20-21)

Therefore, v3, we are to let our words be few.

“The more words the more vanity,

and what is the advantage to man?” (Ecclesiastes 6:11)

So: “… when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do,

for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Do not be like them,

for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:6-7)

We can’t inform, impress or manipulate our heavenly Father with our words.

Don’t be like the self-satisfied Pharisee who trusted in himself that he was righteous and treated others with contempt.

Our prayers are not for us to tell God how marvellous we are, or how much better than everyone else we are.

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (Luke 18:9).

Perhaps the ambition and arrogance of youth make many of us especially prone to foolish talk about the future.

We need to be careful of great boasts:

“… the tongue is [such a small part of the body but]… it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.

The tongue is set among [the parts of our body] …

staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,

and set on fire by hell….

no human being can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With it we bless our Lord and Father,

and with it we curse people who are made in the in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:5-10)

Remember you don’t know the future:

“The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favour,

but the lips of a fool consume him.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,

and the end of his talk is evil madness.

A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be,

and who can tell what will be after him?” (Ecclesiastes 10:12-14)

“Come now, you who say,

“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit

– yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

What is your life?

For you are a mist [perhaps we might say “a foggy vapour”]

that appears for a time and then vanishes.

Instead you ought to say,

“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

As it is, you boast in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13-15)

We might like to check out some of our songs for excessively bold claims about how godly we’re going to be, as all our days we sing this song of gladness (or whatever)!

Or what about how we speak to and about others in the church:

We need to be careful not to despise those who don’t live up to the very high standards we have for them.

Don’t scorn those whose faults you don’t think you’ll fall into.

Perhaps you’re tempted to be dismissive of the ministries of others without knowing all the facts, and while making all sorts of allowances for yourself in other ways?

“… how can you say to your brother,

“Let me take a speck out of your eye”,

when there is a log in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:4)

“Who are you to pass judgements on the servant of another?

It is before his own master that he stands or falls.

And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand….

Why do you pass judgement on your brother?

Or you, why do you despise your brother?

For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.” (Romans 14:4, 10)

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father.” (1 Timothy 5:1)

We need to be careful that all our talk is appropriate for us as God’s children:

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good for building up,

as fits the occasion,

that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)

“… sexual immorality and all impurity and covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints.

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place,

but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4-5)

The final verse of Ecclesiastes tells us that “God will bring every deed into judgement”, including “every secret thing” (12:14).

Remember that “whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:3)

So, in the church there’s to be no gossip, no slander, no back-biting. no critical spirit.

Sunday lunch and the college coffee break are not designed for well-honed sermon reviews.

As Mother might have said:

“If you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all”.

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking,

but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” (Proverbs 10:19)

“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” (Proverbs 21:23)

“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” (Proverbs 17:27)

Here’s a good proverb to remember (especially perhaps in Biblical Languages classes):

“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Proverbs 17:28)

– I guess you just have to work on a deep expression and a sagacious nod!

Iv v4 our passage focuses explicitly on how we make vows:

The wife and I were discussing this passage over our cocoa last week when I pointed out its irrelevance:

“You know all this vow stuff, well, I don’t know how many of us are in the habit of making vows.”, I said, “I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever made any vows, have you?”

Mrs Lloyd smiled tolerantly and said, “Well, what about when I married you?”

11 months on and I’d forgotten the whole thing!

So (if you’re married) how are you doing on your marriage vows?

Remember your promises:

to love, comfort, honour and protect your husband or wife,

forsaking all others,

being faithful to your husband or wife as long as you both shall live? (Common Worship: Pastoral Services p106)

Or what about the promises made at your baptism?

To reject the devil and all rebellion against God,

to renounce the deceit and corruption of evil,

to repent of your sins,

to turn to Christ as Saviour,

to submit to him as Lord?

Are you fighting valiantly as a disciple of Christ, against sin, the world and the devil,

remaining faithful to him to the end? (Common Worship, p353f)

Perhaps promises you made as parents or godparents?

(see Common Worship, p352f)

Is it time for a Reformation of family worship or to buy another improving gift?

And many of us will make vows at our ordination.

For the Anglicans amongst us:

http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/ordinal/deacons.html

and:

http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/ordinal/priests.html

We will promise, with the help of God:

to be diligent in prayer, in reading Holy Scripture, and in all studies that will deepen our faith and fit us to bear witness to the truth of the gospel;

to strive to make the love of Christ known through word and example, and have a particular care for those in need; to be a faithful servant in the household of God, after the example of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve;

to endeavour to fashion our own lives and that of your household according to the way of Christ, that we may be a pattern and example to Christ’s people;

to work with our fellow servants in the gospel for the sake of the kingdom of God;

to accept the discipline of this Church and give due respect to those in authority;

in the strength of the Holy Spirit, continually to stir up the gift of God that is in us, to grow in holiness and grace. (The Ordination of Deacons)

We’ll promise: “… in public prayer and administration of the sacraments, … [to] use only the forms of service which are authorized or allowed by Canon.” (The Declaration of Assent, Common Worship, p.xi, also in Canon C15 Of the Declaration of Assent, The Canons of the Church of England, 6^th edition, Church House Publishing, 2000, p99)

And say: “I do swear by Almighty God that I will pay true and canonical obedience to the Lord Bishop of [this diocese] and his successors in all things lawful and honest: So help me God.” (The Canons of the Church of England, 6^th edition, Church House Publishing, 2000, Canon C14 Of the Oaths of Obedience, p98)

In other words, I will obey the canons if the Bishop tells me to (as long as they don’t make any unlawful or dishonest ones).

So it might be a good idea to have a look at the Canons!

According to v5: “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.”

Don’t make any vows that you wont or cant keep.

The messenger in v6 is the Temple Enforcer – the Priest or Levite or their representative - who comes to chase up that vow you made (c.f. Malachi 2:7).

The messenger is not going to be very impressed with:

“Oh, I’m sorry – my vow was a mistake” – and neither is God.

Maybe we’ve tried to excuse ourselves before now by saying:

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it”.

I imagine God would be even less impressed by vows made with your fingers crossed.

Don’t risk the anger of God by the promises you make (v6b).

“It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy”, and only to reflect after making vows.” (Proverbs 20:25)

If you wanted to build a tower you’d sit down and count the cost and work out whether you had enough to complete it, wouldn’t you?

Otherwise you’d start the foundation and not be able to finish, and make yourself a laughing stock (Luke 14:28-30).

The one “who swears to his own hurt and does not change” is the one who can sojourn in the LORD’s tent and dwell on his holy hill (Ps 15:4).

[Well, my words have already been a few too many]

The conclusion of our passage is the same as the conclusion to the book of Ecclesiastes as a whole: “God is the one you must fear.” (v7; c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13f; c.f. Luke 12:4-5)

We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)

And that will involve the sanctification of our speaking.

Silence.

Prayer.

* * *

Some other notes:

I’m giving the English verse numbers, the Hebrew verse numbers are one behind in this section.

V1 implies that going to church is not synonymous with being on the right track: especially then, one must watch one’s step.

On sacrifices see Is 1:11-20.

The mistake (v6), segagah, claimed to be an unintentional / inadvertent sin, a sin without knowledge or intention (see Num 15:22-31 c.f. Lev 4:2ff)

On rash oaths - Lev 5:4

Almighty God not All-matey-God

The people’s words to Moses about hearing God’s word: Dt 5:27

The commandment to hear God’s word: Is 34:1

The sacrifice here is the zebah, the peace offering, which is in part consumed by those participating in the sacrificial celebration (Ex 18:12; Dt 12:6-7). There may be some idea of the sacrificial banquet degenerating into foolishness?

The harlot of Proverbs 7:14 offers sacrifices and pays vows

On keeping your vows: Dt 23:21-23

On watching the feet etc. - Prov 1:15; 19:2b; 25:17; 4:27

On sacrifices: See Prov 15:8; 21:3, 27; Hos 6:6; Amos 5:22-24

Job’s promise of silence (Job 40:3-5)

“nothings”, habalim, frequently in the OT = idols

Many of us will be professional talkers.

Direct commands in this passage:

(1) Guard your steps when you go to the house of God (v1)

(2) Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God (v2)

(3) Let your words be few (v2)

(4) When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it… Pay what you vow (v4)

(5) Let not your mouth lead you into sin and do not say to the messenger that it was a mistake (v6)

Surely one of the main applications of these verses from Ecclesiastes is that our sermons shouldn’t just stumble from one lame gag to another.

It would be foolish to preach preoccupied with what other people might think of you.

Foolish to fear men, rather than God in your preaching.

Even if you can dazzle the congregation with your erudition and eloquence, and have everyone rolling in the aisles, it would be foolish to think that you could impress God.

This particular sermon has risked being more of a warning than an example and if you haven’t found it terribly amusing so far that’s because I’ve left out all my most brilliantly witty material.

In order to let my words be few, I thought I’d confine myself largely to pointing to some other passages of Scripture than shed light on our reading from Ecclesiastes.

* * *

Adam was meant guard the garden-sanctuary (Gen 2:8) and the priests were meant to guard the Temple (Num 18:7). The teacher tells us that when we come to the house of God we’re to guard ourselves.

Jesus fulfilled his vow “not my will, but yours be done”.

Jesus has the words of eternal life (John 6:68). The words he has spoken to us are spirit and life (John 6:63).