Ephesians 4: 1-16 Sunday 17.01.10 6.30pm

I want to remind you of the first sentence we have just heard from Ephesians - ‘As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received’.

I sometimes wonder what someone imprisoned for their Christian faith, say in China or the middle east, thinks if they have access to a radio and listen to the Church items which make the media, which our so called Christian country thinks worth reporting. Would they think ‘this isn’t what I am in prison for’ And if it leaves them feeling even more depressed I suppose we must ask – and whose fault it that.

In the first three chapters of his letter to the Ephesians Paul is explaining the mystery of God’s eternal purpose for the world. He begins with the words ‘ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ’.

He tries to explain the meaning of faith, he prays for his converts, and now he is speaking about the practicalities of living out this spiritual reality.

The calling we’ve received is the calling to be the new people of God bound together in unity under Christ. No different to the call heard by Samuel, the same God, the same call, yes, Samuel’s call was no different from the call God makes to us, God’s call is timeless, just as God himself is timeless. Of course we’re not called to be founding prophets, but God is calling us to use the gifts we have in a way which bring people to faith, works for the coming of the kingdom.

Paul outlines how being the new people of God will work out for the Ephesians, how it would affect them, how it would change their lives, how it still changes lives today.

He begins by stressing that though we may be diverse we are one people, Christianity has no sub-divisions. In Paul’s time that meant the Church was composed of both Jew and Gentile, without distinction, the important thing was that they were a holy people, set apart to belong to God, and therefore showing by their lives, a purity and righteousness.

But does today’s Church fit in with Paul’s criteria, what letter would he write to the Church of England today, or indeed to the worldwide Christian church. Would he sees us as one church, one body, or as a cross section of arguing, power seeking organisations? More keen on seeking prominence, counting the number of bums on pews, than showing love?

Paul began by listing the five characteristics of the Christian Church which are needed for unity: humility, gentleness, patience, understanding and love.

I don’t think it’s a surprise he begins his list with humility. For wasn’t that just the attitude Jesus displayed when he became a human being. It’s an attitude that recognises the worth and value of other people. Whereas pride - the opposite to humility - leads to discord, jealousy, to unhappiness.

Then we have gentleness. I remember in a school assembly trying to show the children that gentleness isn’t, as it sometimes seems to be portrayed today, a sign of weakness but just the opposite. It’s the sign of someone who is strong , strong enough not to fear the views of others, strong enough to accept difference to be able to serve others in love.

We all need patience, it isn’t always easy, but what right do we have to be impatient with others – mind you that doesn’t make it any easier as I know only too well, for I know I can be very impatient. Even though I know all too well that at times I can think/move slowly, but it is so easy to think it’s different when it is us.

We all know that Christ called us to love one another, and that we need that special kind of understanding, forbearance, which will enable us to live together in harmony, to live in peace with those we agree with and those with whom we find to hard to agree.

So Paul has set out the five characteristics which make or break our efforts to live together in Christian love. But to the outsider do the Churches seem to live such a life. And in turn do we keep to these ideals, or at least attempt to keep to these ideals. For no earthly person is truly good, truly holy, but we are all called to try to achieve these ideals, to listen to God and to respond like Samuel did.

So if Paul is right, that this is the path set down before us, why do we hear so much arguing between the Churches, between Church leaders. What is the reason for it? Why do people who I am sure all sincerely believe that they are following in the footsteps of Christ argue so vehemently.

The nature of Christianity is unity in Christ, at the Eucharist we say we are ‘One Body’, and Paul really did stress just how important unity is, and he reminds us where that unity comes from. He says this is the reality into which we’ve all been incorporated.

And do we stop to think how much damage we do to those on the outside when we take sides, show intolerance, even hatred. Is our downfall that we forget the first instruction that we have to have humility. And surely part of that humility is to admit we too are sinners. We live in a world where spiritual realities aren’t always seen in the visible church.

Surely one of the saddest parts of the problem the NI leader is facing is that they were both so quick to judge others, to call people sinners. Could they not see where they were going astray, did they hope that by criticising others their own weaknesses wouldn’t be found out. It seems that by being so judgemental they have given the media a field day, but it is sad for it must have caused so much unhappiness.

We are all sinners, we are all weak, but fortunately for us God still loves us, but he calls us to live our lives in true humility, with generosity of spirit, and if we do that won’t our lives be a better example of Christian love? I don’t think we bring people to Christ, through judging others, condemning, shouting loudly, being pious, I think people come to Christ through examples of love, compassion.

We are called to proclaim there is one faith, one baptism, one God - the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit, the one God who is above all and through all and in all, and if we can do this with humility and love are we perhaps on the way to ‘living a life worthy of the calling we have received’

Amen