It was, apparently, 65 years ago, in March 1957, that the foundation stones of this building were laid. I am not sure when the actual first service was held in the building, but I imagine it must have been in 1958 or 1959. A very long time ago! But I am told that the reading from John’s Gospel that we have just heard was used at that service, specifically focussing on verse 36: “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
“Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
I wonder, if someone were to ask you what you meant by church, how you would answer? Most people who don’t go to church would probably say “That building on Brixton Hill”, or something similar. We, who belong to a church, would be more likely to say “The people of God”. We would probably talk of Brixton Hill Church and its buildings, rather than Brixton Hill Church and its people.
Mind you, having said that, buildings are not unimportant. Yes, we’ve learnt how to manage without, during the pandemic – but it’s not the same! And I don’t know if you’ve ever visited a really old church – I know some of the former King’s Acre people visited my family’s 13th-century church in Sussex a few years ago. I’m going to be preaching there in a couple of weeks and am really looking forward to it. Anyway, the point is, in a really old church, or a Cathedral, especially in those chapels in a Cathedral that have been set aside for private prayer, you get the feeling that it has been “prayed in” over the years. You become aware of God’s presence in the building. Perhaps you do here – I know I do, sometimes.
Of course, any building requires a great deal of upkeep – Cathedrals have, sadly, had to start charging people who only want to look round, rather than attend public worship, because they cost so much to maintain. Even a relatively modern building like this one takes a great deal of maintenance – Robert has been having an awful time lately chivvying the builders who have been repairing it, just ask him!
But most of us would, I think, agree that while a church meets in a building; the church is more than the building. Much more. People talk, of course, about “going into the Church” when they mean getting ordained, or, occasionally, entering religious life as a nun or monk. But basically we are the Church.
The Girls’ Brigade used to sing
And they were not wrong. We, God’s people met here, this morning, or following on the Livestream, we are the Church. Well, we are part of the Church!
Of course, the Church here on earth is far from perfect. Never has been. Even back in the 1st century AD St Paul was having to write to the Church at Philippi and tell two of the women there, Euodia and Syntyche – or U-Odious and Soon-Touchy, as I have heard them called – to try to resolve their differences and to work together, and asked others in the church to try to help them do so. And, as we heard in our first reading, St Peter found it necessary to remind his readers that they should “Rid themselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.”
Church squabbles are nothing new! As our own history will soon tell us, if we look back – and I’m not going to go into any details, you know them as well as I do!
But although we are far from perfect, we know that the Church is also a place where Jesus is. The Church is also a place where Jesus is. “Look,” said John the Baptist, “There is the Lamb of God.” As I just said, in many, if not most, churches you can come in and feel that this is a place that has been prayed in, a place where God has been at work, a place where God is. It is a place of healing, a place of power. A place where, as St Peter reminds us, we are being built into “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.”
That’s pretty amazing, right? But then, there are people, we know, who feel that just attending public worship on a Sunday morning is enough, they don’t feel any need to take it further. I hope that’s not you – for you have, I promise you, nothing to lose by saying “Yes” to Jesus, to deciding to be God’s person, to deciding that what you say and do here on a Sunday should carry over and be part of who you are during the week, too. Truly, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
So we know that the Church is God’s people meeting together – or even not meeting together, for we remain God’s people during the week, when we are apart. We know, too, that the Church is a place where Jesus is, where we can say “Look, here is the Lamb of God”. At least, I hope and pray that this is as true of us as it is of many, if not most, Churches.
But there is another definition of “Church” that I’d like us to look at this morning, and that is, “The Church is the only organisation that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.”
“The Church is the only organisation that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.”
Sometimes we’re apt to treat the Church as though it were our own private club, a place where we meet our friends, a place where we receive the spiritual food we need, a place where we can worship God in the way that most appeals to us, and so on. In other words, it’s all about us! And, of course, in many ways it’s always going to be like that. We are inherently selfish creatures, and God has provided us with our churches for our own comfort and renewal. But nevertheless, it is still true that we should be looking outward, rather than inward. We should be reaching out into the community, loving people into the Kingdom of God – as, indeed, I think we are doing with our youth work and our Pop-In club, although much of our community work has been lost during the pandemic. But God will build it up again.
And you note that I said God will build it up again – we are not required to do it without help. St Peter reminds us that we are being built into a holy nation, God’s own people, not just for our own benefit – although I am sure that, too – but also “in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
“In order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
Jesus reminded us that when the Spirit came, we would be his witnesses throughout the world. Not that we could be, or that we ought to be, but that we would be. And so we are. If we are truly God’s people, then we are his witnesses, whether we’re here in Church, or out shopping, or at work or school. I know that, many years ago now, when I first encountered people who were consciously Christian, I really wanted them to like me. Quite the wrong reason for “inviting Jesus into your heart”, as we called it, but hey. Jesus is bigger than our wrong reasons! These young people – for we all were young then, very young – probably had no idea how attractive they were, but Jesus knew!
So, anyway. The Church is more than its buildings, nice though they are. The Church is more than professional Christians – clergy and so on. The Church is more than its people. The Church, too, is more than a base for reaching out into the community. All of these things are true. All of these things are part of being Church. But I would suggest that the main definition of Church, the one we want to look to on this Anniversary Sunday, is that it is a place where Jesus is. Jesus told us that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst of us. And that is Church. A place where, I hope, we can look up and see the Lamb of God. Amen!
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