Sermon by Rev. Neil Johnston – 9^th December, 2007

Matthew 3:1-3

‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his path’s straight.”

Cradling Christ at St Andrew's

In the wilderness one needs a sense of safety, and protective enclosure.

While preparing a way out of the wilderness one is vulnerable to the elements, the wind and the rain, the storms and the wild animals.

Our contemporary world is a wilderness,

- a wilderness of words, for too many are in a wilderness of despair.

I like to think that now with our buildings laid bare, the arms of our church and church centre stretch out with embrace to the city of Hamilton. In the words of a visiting city planner Hamilton needs “Cradling Spaces”, spaces of enclosure, and what is more fitting at Christmas time than that we imagine our buildings as a cradle for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

One thing a cradle does is support, protect and envelope, keeping safe from the elements and the world, what is precious and vulnerable. But the most precious thing in the wilderness is not the cradle; the protection itself is not as important as the “way”.

What is this way? What is this way in the modern world.

The first characteristic of this way which we cradle is that of vulnerablility –

We are vulnerable in the sense of our being open to scrutiny and question. We are accountable. Our security and our safety does not consist in our being dogmatic and unchanging. Our security lies in our trust, not our certitude.

But our trust is not naïve. We know full well how dangerous life is.

Our trust is fully informed. We know the difficulties but we go ahead anyway when called to do so. John the Baptist knew the risk he was taking, but he was  called by a greater security, and a higher power.

The second characteristic of the way of the Christ whom we cradle is a profound appreciation of diversity and difference. We understand the otherness of people. We do not have to agree, but we need to be prepared to listen, to dialogue and be part of a conversation. John the Baptist was different and did not submit to Herod’s coercion and conformity. We dare to be different when required. We dare to stand alone.

Thirdly, the way we cradle is one of responsible freedom, especially freedom from consumerism, and every other “ism”. John the Baptist lived the alternative lifestyle.

We purchase that which is necessary for life and we have an appreciation of the beauty and graciousness of life, but we also have a consciousness of the environment in which we live, the needs of the earth, and all its creatures. Our relationship to both people and material objects is not acquisitive, nor controlling.

Aggression and violence has no place in this cradle.

Fourthly, the way we cradle is committed to worship. We take time to reflect and think, and give worth to God alone. We have spaces in our life.

Spaces for play, for dreaming, for singing, for celebration.

Fifthly, the way we cradle is a way of mutuality and common life. Today this involves the whole world, not only Kiwis and Koreans, but all peoples. In prayer, we imagine a whole world together at the throne of mercy. The practice of prayer binds us to the largeness of God’s rule, not own small agenda, or the agenda of our particular tribe or nation.

The reason for cradling the Christ is because our modern world is a wilderness in which so many have lost their way or become disorientated.

We are not the perfect cradle, but we are his human cradle. Therefore we protect and cherish these holy things. In our buildings on this site we want to nurture these five characteristics, and others, which describe the Christ who is to be born in us.

Even as our redesigned buildings reach out to embrace Hamilton so together we will cradle the Christ child.