Sermon preached at The Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia Sunday May 12th 2013 The Reverend Alan

Neale A Person of Presence Living Together in Christ is the name of our own, our very own, year round program of Christian discipleship. Through the year we reflect upon four segments of discipleship service, giving, prayer and presence. I grow in the conviction that presence is the most fundamental segment of this program with it we are present to meet God, to hear and to know God ,with it we are caught up in the flow of being profoundly, psychically transformed ready for the final and eternal moment when we are present, very present, before our God. It is fundamental, primal, essential. Without presence we are as shades and shadows. On this Mothers Day maybe we celebrate that to mother well is to be present. But its not all celebration some grieve those who have died, some lament that their experience of mother was damaging and some mourn the absence of children through taking of life or taking of hope. Today is a mixed bag but we can still celebrate the ideal; and give thanks for those who have shown us motherly affection not forgetting mother church and Mother Mary. Late one night the young man returned home after a fun but tiring evening. He crashed into the kitchen, sloppily emptied cereal and messily poured milk into a bowl. He left a note, with all sincerity, that read, Mum leave the mess, Ill clean up tomorrow. Even later that evening, his mum returned home saw the mess, saw the note and and cleaned the mess. She got to her bedroom and there on her pillow was another note which simply read, Thanks, mum. Here is both an example of caring, attentive presence and also a trust in the very same. It is somewhat ironic, pastorally engaging, theologically incongruous that this past week the Church was remembering not so much the presence of Christ but rather his departure, his absence as he ascended into heaven. The Ascension story roundly confirms that the matter of presence and absence, of nearness and distance is one of profound and psychic significance to each of you and to me. Presence. In todays first reading from Acts 16, we observe the importance of being present. Present for God and His service. Present for others and their needs. And, encouraging others to be present for God. Present for God and His service. v. 16 We came to Philippi and were going to the house of prayer. Paul was definitely a man with a mission he did not allow personal suffering, nor physical danger, nor damage to friendships to impede his mission. But one thing , above all, was primary wherever he went he planned to be present with fellow Christians, to be present in worship and prayer. This was a priority. v. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Incarcerated, bound, doomed and yet, again, the primary importance of being with others in the presence of God. And make good note of this that when we commit ourselves to be present with the people of God, things begin to happen in the souls of others. See how verse 2 ends, And the prisoners

were listening to them not because they had no option but rather they sensed the power of the presence of God. Present for others and their needs. vv.27-28 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, Dont harm yourself! We are all here!. Paul was not so overwhelmed by his release, nor so excited by Gods power, eager for mission that he overlooked, ignored, discounted the jailer and his imminent danger. The Good Samaritan story! And though eager to savour freedom, joyous to be unbound Paul was present for the man as he expressed needs beyond even the physical for himself and his family. And, encouraging others to be present for God. vv. 33-34 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in Godhe and his whole household. At some time, in some way it should be our delight, and our duty, to encourage another to come with us and be present for worship or service or study. At some time, in some way I am convinced that someone we know is all too ready to respond well to an invitation to come with us to church. I heard this week that Epic Church (remember the one that rescues poor souls from stuffy buildings and stuffy churches?), that this church places a church visiting card on each of the chairs so that each may prayerfully pass it on to a friend, colleague or even a passing stranger. These pink cards encourage each of us to extend our commitment to be present for God; please take a little time to read them, to reflect on them, to pray about them and then complete them. Next Sunday I hope you will bring the card to church so that your intention may be offered to God and so that God be asked to blessed our intentions. In 2005 David Foster Wallace gave the commencement address at Kenyon College. He began thus, There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and asks, Morning boys, hows the water?. The two young fish swim on and then eventually one looks over at the water and goes, What the hell is water?. He concludes, The real value of an education [is about] simple awareness: awareness if what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us. We swim in the life of Gods grace but too often we are unaware, blind, indifferent being present opens our eyes, makes sensitive our hearts, awakens our minds; being present will remind us This is grace. This is grace. AMEN