Living in love, peace and harmony – led by our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ

Living in love, peace and harmony – led by our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ 

Sermon the 2^nd Sunday of Advent, 8^th December 2019, preached at St. John's Hills Road, Cambridge. 

Today's Bible readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12.     C.f. Matthew 11; John 1. 

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen. Please be seated. 

I am an animal lover. My family in Oxfordshire has the most adorable little cat, called Nelson. (Actually, he's not so little really). I always love to see him (and my family) when I go on my travels in the vacation, and when I'm with Nelson I often get sidetracked from whatever I'm doing – by feeding him when he pretends not to have been fed, cuddling him, being followed around by him, supervising him when he decides to take a walk across my computer keyboard with the Word Processor open, or taking photos of him. He's doing rather well for a cat who's in his late teens – and he's certainly well loved by us all. 

Putting Nelson within the context of the zoo seen in today's first reading therefore might seem like a somewhat horrific idea, which neither myself nor my family would entertain at face value. I couldn't possibly imagine putting him with a wolf, a leopard, a lion or even a cow. But, of course, that's not what the reading is getting at; Nelson is quite safe. Rather, it is a vision of peace, harmony and unity within diversity – and diversity in unity – that this reading points us towards. It might seem at best idealistic, and almost utopian; but this is something we ought to pray for and help foster, as we seek to bring about the Kingdom of God here on Earth as it is in Heaven. 

Advent presents us with a perfect opportunity to think about these things. It is a time of repentance and expectation, as we prepare to greet Jesus Christ at His birth. Throughout the season of Advent, we remember those who prophesied and prepared the way for our Lord; on Advent Sunday, we remembered the Patriarchs, and over the next two weeks we will remember John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and their roles in preparing the way for the Messiah. On this, the Second Sunday of Advent, we particularly remember the Prophets. 

Advent also marks the start of the Church's new liturgical year. In this year's Lectionary, in our cycle of readings we will hear much from St. Matthew's Gospel throughout the year. St. Matthew was a Jewish Christian, who was particularly familiar with the teachings and prophecies of Judaism; one of his crucial aims was to remind the readers of his Gospel that Jesus is indeed the fulfilment of all of these prophecies. In our Gospel reading today, we meet John the Baptist and hear some of his testimony. Can we think of him as a Prophet? He actually denies being a Prophet in St. John's Gospel; but in Matthew, Jesus affirms John the Baptist as a Prophet. And functionally yes, he is indeed a Prophet; he was the immediate forerunner to Jesus, and points us directly towards Him. 

John the Baptist comes preaching a message of repentance; a call to repentance, in preparation for the coming of Christ. For many, Advent presents us with an opportunity for self-examination and fasting – in a similar way to Lent. Are we doing our best to love God? Are we doing our best to love our neighbours as ourselves, to help those less fortunate than ourselves, even when it might not be all that easy? And are we loving ourselves, as dearly beloved children of God? 

Sometimes, we are very successful in some or even all of these areas; other times, maybe less so. And it may come more naturally at some times than at others. But we are still called to - and God is infinitely understanding and patient with us, even if our understanding and patience is limited. For it is God who loved us first, and is the source of all love so that we might love ourselves and others, as well as loving God. How well do we welcome our neighbours? How might we do better? Wherever we may be in this, Christ Himself is before all things, and all things hold together in Him. 

We are of course not perfect; for only God is perfect. Yet, we are called to try as best we can. The Holy Spirit, which has resided within each and every one of us since our Baptism, leads and guides us; we just have to remain open to the grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

We are called to live in peace, and to celebrate our diversity in unity - and our unity in diversity. John the Baptist's call is that of Jesus Christ, who universally calls all people to Himself – for all people are created in the image of God, and through Christ. It is a call of repentance, and a call to love. 

Let us again consider that seemingly unlikely zoo from our reading from the Prophet Isaiah. We are called to proclaim, practise and enact equality – one of our country's greatest values – and standing up for the weak and defenceless. We have much more in common than not; and how powerful we can be when we all come together, work together, flourish together, and live together as best we can. 

But I also recognise that – whatever our political beliefs are – it can sometimes seem almost impossible to imagine exactly what this utopian scene of peace, unity and universal celebration of diversity looks like. Many things are possible for us; yet, some things still prove impossible, even when we try our hardest. But who is it who leads all the animals in the Isaiaic zoo? And who is it who leads all of us today? 

It's the little child. 

It is this very little child who becomes Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, who comes into our world and leads us, who holds our unique, diverse, divided, united, pained, delighted communities together. Jesus, who is fully divine, now becomes fully human; and even when we cannot find a way to bring about this perfect peace and unity that we ought to strive for, we can rejoice in how nothing is impossible for God. 

Let us rejoice. Let us prepare to greet Him at His Nativity, and here today when we behold the very Lamb of God, as we meet with Him in the Eucharist. In the name of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Strong Foundations for Successful Performance

Strong Foundations for Successful Performance 

Bible readings: 1 Corinthians 12; Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49. 

Also consider: Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club's recent progress. 

A dream house's inner, invisible foundations are just as important as its outward, visible appearance; you cannot realistically have the latter without the former. 

These words might well describe the recent successes of my football club, Brighton and Hove Albion, and their current level of performance in the Premier League. Brighton, a club founded in 1901, were only narrowly saved from complete bankruptcy in 1997, and were promoted to the Premier League for the first time at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 season. Today, the Club enjoys great success, having recently beaten Everton and Tottenham Hotspur (apologies to any supporters of those clubs reading this!). 

Financial stability; financial instability. All kinds of team members – some staying for a short time, others for longer – and all working in their own fields. Different styles of leadership. All these variables have changed over the years with the Club, and for the greater good of the club; for example, the Club are now performing much better under our recently appointed Manager, Graham Potter – and yet his successes with the Club would not have been possible without his predecessor, Chris Hughton, who laid the foundations. 

I think this model is often seen in many other scenarios, such as in the Church – whether in our own communities or across the wider Church as a whole. As St. Paul suggests in his First Letter to the Corinthians, we all bring our own gifts to the Church – many different and sometimes unique gifts, but under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, and all for the same common goal. 

And whether we are considering our personal formation or the start of a new mission or project in our communities, we must take one step at a time – ensuring that, in order to achieve our goals that our foundations are not built on sand, but on rock. 

Care, Cambridge, the Church and I

Care, Cambridge, the Church and I

By Will Lyon Tupman (Girton 2014; Westcott 2019).

At thirteen years old, I was orphaned and had not been to school. It was almost impossible at that time to even imagine that, eleven years later, I would be a Cambridge graduate embarking on my journey towards ordination in the Church of England. How did this happen, and how crucial is Cambridge in my story?

Almost my whole life changed after the death of my parents; I started school and moved into foster care, where I lived for six years as my life gradually stabilised again. While I had initially thought even considering applying to Cambridge to be completely unrealistic, my foster carers encouraged me and sent me on an open day organised for people in foster care by the Cambridge Admissions Office. The team there frequently kept in touch with me throughout the application process, supporting and advising me along the way, while my school and foster carers helped to prepare me for my interviews and my exams.

I amazed myself, and made my offer to Cambridge to study the Theology and Religious Studies Tripos. I specialised mainly in Biblical papers, but I also studied numerous other papers including Christian doctrine, philosophy, ethics, and even New Testament Greek! In the spirit of St. Anselm's “faith seeking understanding,” this aided my understanding of the Christian faith – and my faith was also an aid to my studies. Having a greater understanding of my faith, through academic study, is helpful both for me and others around me, as I use my understanding and theology to help guide others in their Christian journey.

I loved my three years at Girton College; through Girton, and the wider University, I have made a great network of friends. College life suited me perfectly – and I especially enjoyed the countless Formals I attended! I was also very generously supported financially by my College and its Benefactors, by means of awarding me a bursary each year – boosted further for me, as I had been in foster care. I am very grateful for this, and for how Cambridge is continually working to ensure that the University is open and affordable to all.

With over seven hundred societies and clubs at Cambridge, it was easy to get involved with the extra-curricular life of Cambridge – both in College and the wider University. Photography and writing are two of my favourite hobbies, so I spent two years as a photojournalist for The Cambridge Student. In addition to attending a number of Churches and working with the Christian Union, I was a Chapel Warden and Choral Scholar at Girton. During my time in Choir we had three fantastic tours – to Portugal, Toronto, and Hong Kong and Macau; I feel especially lucky to have had these experiences. Evenings with Girton's poetry society were a real highlight – even if I was probably better at enjoying the poetry of others than writing my own! I am also a keen runner, and enjoyed representing both my College and the University competitively (especially at Varsity!), and in my third year I co-captained Girton's team to win the College League in both men's and women's categories – the first time Girton has won both competitions in the same year. I also helped to run the very same open days I had once attended during my time at Girton, as a former Care Leaver.

After three fantastic years at Girton, I graduated with my BA and then spent two very exciting years in London. My time at Cambridge had perfectly prepared me to study my Master's in Biblical Studies at King's College London, a year which I also thoroughly enjoyed. After completing my Master's, I spent a year working as a Pastoral Assistant at St. Michael's Church in Croydon, a placement which has given me many invaluable experiences – both in the Church, and in the wider community. I have worked as a hospital chaplain, a refugee volunteer, and a College Chaplain at Croydon College – a diverse school, where I have also founded a Chess Club.

What does the future hold for me? It was during my time at Cambridge that I began discerning with the Church of England to see whether I have a vocation to ordained ministry. This initially began with a conversation with my College Chaplain, the Rev'd Dr Malcolm Guite; he was not at all surprised that I was feeling called by God in this way, and he encouraged me to pursue this further. I have continued this journey of exploration since then.

Following the Bishop's formal recommendation for me to train for ordination, I will be returning to Cambridge to spend two years of study, training, formation and placements at Westcott House, an Anglican theological college and a member of the Cambridge Theological Federation. Words can hardly describe how excited I am about this, and my whole future – something which Cambridge has been instrumental in helping to guarantee.

Nothing is impossible; everything is possible. Realise your potential; achieve your goals.

Poem: London, Lindisfarne, Learning, Living & Loving

Poem: London, Lindisfarne, Learning, Living & Loving 

By Will Lyon Tupman. Written during a retreat at Lindisfarne with King's Chaplaincy, summer 2019. 

^{A poem reflecting on my time at King's, my studies, my retreat, what I love about London, & my hopes & dreams for the future.} 

^{Composed by writing a set of one-line reflective sentences, before rearranging them into a new order.} 

I've loved studying Theology at King's and Girton. 

And photographing a place as beautiful as Lindisfarne has been thrilling; 

I love to run in lots of London Parks – Richmond, Wimbledon, Ally Pally. 

Go to the Ice Bar in Mayfair; it's very cool! 

Eating with one another has been wonderful. 

An afternoon tea with cake at Paul, please. 

Have a G&T at The Duck with Aleksandra and Sophia; 

And I've lost count of the different types of Mead I've tasted! 

Come to Evensong and Eucharist at King's Chapel! 

The heartbeat of Mass, Morning & Evening Prayer. 

Praying for peace around the world – just like at Lindisfarne. 

Writing sermons with the aid of Theology is always fun! 

Theology aids my faith; faith aids my theology. 

I love using my theology to help others explore faith. 

I wonder what I'll study next, at Westcott House! 

I hope to meet lots of new people in my ministry. 

I hope to minister God's Grace in many different places. 

I hope to be there for those in need – especially if others aren't. 

I hope to always keep learning; discerning; being formed. 

I hope to be exactly the Priest God is calling me to be. 

I hope to always be a good Christian, friend, family member; me.