Worn Out Shoes

John 6:24-35

“I think I need to buy a new pair of shoes” I announced to my family a few weeks ago. The news was met with stunned silence. For I I am proud to say that I have worn the same pair of black lace up’s, almost daily, for the past four years and have constantly remarked upon their great value for money. But now suddenly a hole had appeared, so large that during the recent rain storms, I did end up literally walking on water.

Now my family knows from bitter experience that I am not always to be trusted when shopping for things to wear. “Oh Dad” they chime as I come home with something, they say is totally unsuitable. “So make sure you go to Marks and Spencer’s” was my wife’s forthright advice. So one Friday, that’s exactly what I did. Well, they had a pair in my size - £39.99! – and I’m not paying all that just for shoes. I went to Clark’s, where there was a sale on – 75% reductions – it said in the window – well there was a pair in there reduced from £60 to £40 – no thank you, I thought to myself.

It was just when I was on the verge of giving up hope, and to be honest, losing interest – I came across Shoe Zone, Quality footwear at prices everyone can afford – it said in the doorway – and there I found a nice pair of black shoes with leather lining and insock – for £12.99. Well, I jumped at the bargain. Predictably my family did not share my joy “False economy, you’ll see” they chimed.  They’ll fall to bits before the summer is out.

Well, I’ve not said anything more, but the truth is I don’t know how many more journey’s up and down Ridgeway Road they’re going to be able to make, these bargain shoes of mine, – I can already feel the pavement as I walk– and if I go over a stone it’s already digging in. Heaven knows what will happen when it next rains.

Now whether you acknowledge God or not, the truth is that life is a rocky terrain. The pilgrimage we must all undertake is a tough one, there are blessing s and despairs all jumbled up together in a way that’s hard to sort out. We need the best protection we can find, we need tough shoes if we’re going to get to the places in our lives that will be most inspirational.

Sometimes when people come to  enquire about baptism – they ask me how much it will cost. They are amazed when I say that it’s free and that we’re just delighted to have you, but as we discuss what it really is about this sprinkling of water over a baby’s head, I hope the truth emerges that deep down, inside, it costs us a great deal. Only not in the way we thought.

Eloise’s baptism is equipping her for what lies ahead. The consumer world suggests  that you will need all manner of airs and graces to succeed – but most of those airs and graces  end up being £12.99 and available from Shoe Zone – Baptism says that what you need is The Grace – The Grace that comes from God. And all you have to do is get down into the stream of that Grace and it’s yours. The getting down, though, the giving of yourself like that, it does actually cost a bit – when everyone else is telling you – NO!

In our reading the disciples could not understand the way Jesus was coming at them. He had fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish and he had saved them from a great storm by walking on the water- so they asked him what costs would be involved in following him. “What do we need to be doing” they ask insistently, and they expected the tasks to be hard, they expected the work to be too much. They thought there was bound to be a catch.

But Jesus says to them ..all you have to do is believe – believe in the one God has sent, believe in me.

All you have to do is come as Eloise and her family are coming today, trusting in God and his goodness, because that which has been done and is being done in Christ – draws us into his love.

It’s more than £12.99 though, it’s more than £39.99 even – for it does mean swimming against the tide of opinion, it does mean seeing love happen in strange places, feeling love happen in suffering times as well as joyful times.

Shoes for the pilgrimage of living – that’s what Spirit is fitting out for Eloise this morning and for each of us when we are tempted to walk a way that is less costly – or worse still never set out at all for fear of the scars and the blisters.

I think I’m going to have to repent! I think I might have to turn back to Marks and Spencer! My family will just love it! …and you, is there any poor quality footwear you need to ditch, and I don’t mean just shoes,  so that you can journey more closely to Christ –as we pray Eloise will do.

RH 2.8.09