Some words from the collect:

Members of several religious Orders were together in a room one evening when suddenly the light went out, leaving them all in darkness. The Benedictine simply went on saying his Office, which he knew by heart. The Franciscan knelt down and began to pray for light. The Dominican suggested to his companions that they should enquire into the nature of light, and consider the sequence of causes that might have led to its failure. But the Jesuit had left the room. He had gone to change the fuse.

This Sunday falls in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. All too often we hear about when different Christian groups disagree and fail to work together. We have had the ordination recently of 3 former Anglican bishops as Roman Catholic priests because of differing views about whether the episcopate should be open to women. Our reading from Pauls letter to the Christians in Corinth shows that disagreements among Christians are nothing new.

Corinth was a busy, cosmopolitan city on two major trade routes with ports on each side of a strip of land called the isthmus. Where cargoes used to be carried over the isthmus between the ports, ships now travel through the Corinth Canal. The Christians were a diverse group and contained a broad spectrum of differing social and economic classes, ranging from prosperous household heads to slaves. There were gentiles as well of Jews. We heard that Paul had baptised Crispus, who in Acts 18 is described as the leader of the synagogue in Corinth. This diversity was unusual in the ancient world and it created tensions and difficulties within the church.

It is not the case that disagreements are necessarily a bad thing. It is through the discussion and debate that ideas can be tested and progress made. It is important to keep the lines of communication open.

Paul wanted the Corinthians to turn from their current direction and was not afraid of some Christian infighting when he believed the truth was at stake. He believed that in Corinth the gospel was not just being undermined but had actually been misunderstood because the community was divided. Groups of Christians were being fiercely loyal to whichever one of the missionaries it was who brought the gospel to their own group. I belong to Apollos or I belong to Cephas or I belong to Christ.

I wonder how many we can think of in the church of today. Do we see ourselves aligned with, for example social activists or the evangelicals, traditionalists, feminists, or charismatics? There are so many labels that can be applied.

It is interesting to note that Paul does not appeal to them to stop bickering in the name of expediency or tolerance. Instead, he points to Jesus Christ as the ground of unity. Has Christ been divided? he asks rhetorically and points to the absurdity of identifying with a particular Christian leader rather than with Christ. Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptised in the name of Paul?

Paul insists that on the theological claim that the churchs unity stems from its centre, Jesus Christ. But this does not mean that there should not be a diversity of opinions and viewpoints. We should not confuse unity with uniformity. Later in his letter Paul writes of different Spiritual gifts. He says there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and varieties of service, but the same Lord; and varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. So unity in faith does not mean uniformity in thought and practice.

The Corinthians were prompted to change direction. Changing direction is what the word repent really means. In our gospel reading Jesus has made his home in Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and has started to proclaim, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

I wonder when Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, what is it about him that the fishermen saw? Unlike us, they probably did not know the stories of his birth, of the visit of mysterious travellers from the east, or what he had experienced in the wilderness, as he discovered what he must reject and turn away from. Yet at a time when there were plenty of wandering prophets, Peter, Andrew, James and John felt the astonishing magnetism of his presence and personality. They were prepared to drop their fishing nets and they immediately followed him. It was not just his personality that drew people, but also his remarkable healings. The healings were a sign of what God was doing through him. Gods kingdom was being announced. The reign of God was about to begin and it was therefore of supreme importance that everyone should choose the right side and the right direction.

It is interesting to note what kind of men the fishermen were. They were not men of great scholarship, or influence, or wealth, or social background. It was ordinary men that Jesus chose; who had not great background and, anyone would have said, no great future.

Matthew likes to find Old Testament prophecies to show that Jesus is fulfilling scripture. In our gospel he quotes the beginning of Isaiah chapter 9. those who lived in the land of deep darkness - on them light has shined. For Matthew, Jesus is the light shining in the darkness. Jesus calls us to repent and to come out of the darkness.

There are many ways in which there is darkness in our lives fear, illness, pain, sin, guilt, loneliness, and so on. Society too has its dark places. Hence our need of the light of Christ, and his light disturbs us because it shows up what is wrong.

In his parable of The Good Samaritan, he rejected the darkness of neglect and indifference, and urged people to care for one another.

He brought outcasts out of the darkness of rejection into the light of acceptance by the community.

He brought the sick and wounded out of the darkness of pain and illness into the light of well being.

We, as Christians, walk in the light Jesus brought into our world. By living it we become a source of light to others, a light for their paths.

This can be more effectively true when we spend less time arguing and disagreeing and more time following where he beckons and eager to embrace the tasks of the gospel; and so much more effective when we have a unity of purpose. This is why I find it so appropriate that in this week of prayer for Christian Unity, the churches of Kettering came together on Tuesday night, together with the police and the council to launch Street Pastors. The Street Pastors initiative is one way in which Christians can go out and demonstrate through action the concern that God has for His world. The work is practical, non-judgemental and unconditional. It can build relationships with people who would not otherwise come into contact with the church. It is just one practical way that we can show the joy of being in the light, and experience the joy of being a light to others.

So let us thank God for his calling and pray that we may be quick to follow where he beckons.

Amen

The Reverend Greg Roberts, 23rd January, 2011