The Celebration of New Ministry of the Rev. Andrew Colman

The celebration of New Ministry of the Rev. Andrew Colman by the Right Reverend Bishop Geoffrey Woodcroft.

This is truly an evening to remember. All gathered in Saint Benedict's tables, most generous hospitality may our fellowship infectiously spread by word and ministry in the world, and especially our local context.

Gathering Christ's body tonight, we are joyfully prepared to celebrate the new ministry of a priest and parish that signifies a new iteration of church in a new narration of Jesus resurrection. We change. They are different. And we are the body again gathered in this local context.

Andrew Priest in the Church of God. By our appointment, you are the 2nd incumbent priest of this vital local expression of the body of Christ. We are the body and we are thankful for yours and Saint Benedict's expression of the body of Christ. We're thankful for yours in Saint Bens's willingness. To risk and relationship in love. To live sacramentally and together lead and teach in the local context to which Christ calls this church.

That is the local expression abiding in Jesus. From the gospel passage this evening, we heard if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish. And it will be done for you. Truly, this is the powerful mind of Jesus leading his body here and now. Now.

A body of which God called the likes of you and me to fill. This bodies, parts, members, disciples are intimately woven together inseparably, and therefore interdependent with one another for the flourishing health and strength the body needs. It is whatever you ask that absolutely terrifies me, because alone. Temptation towards selfish gain and power are too much for me to handle.

I'm probably the only one in the room like that, but I sure sense it. But you know, we're not asked as individuals. To ask for whatever we want individually. Rather, Christ tells the church to abide in me as I abide in you, just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine.

For all the branches those who abide in me and iron them bear much fruit. Because apart from me, you can do nothing. Apart from me alone, isolated this what I just read is so wildly liberating power of God to make the vine or body flourish by entrusting creation. To care. Making our sacrifice of ego, privilege, greed and fear is to retreat further into Christ's body, becoming one with Jesus as we are most certainly made one with one another. By our nature, dwelling in the one body.

No one Member asks God selfishly for fulfillment, but rather chooses the suffering of others. Other members ascending and descending the Cliff faces of life. To not only bear the pain of another. But to fully share one another's identity and freedom in Jesus body.

To ask whatever I want in Jesus body is to ask in Jesus selfish love not for self. But for that, which enables the church to look like Jesus, act like Jesus, and love like Jesus to the world around us, and indeed to each other.

Transformed members of Jesus body see and feel the world differently, more so than we do as individuals. The world is God's creation. Beautiful, touching, God's heaven pouring out in harmonic resonance. For the health. And flourishing of the whole of creation. As body, our fear decreases and curiosity increases.

Privilege decreases and extravagant beauty of the world is our first sight. Our greed is drowned in oceans of love and individual egos, tempered with a deep desire for respectful partnership. In this Vista, God's heaven is not only at hand.

God sits. On our left. As we truly embrace a life of communion. 7 disciples. Chosen to serve feed, and love deacons. One proclaims the coming of the Kingdom and is murdered because humans sometimes fear the light that Jesus gives.

No one person wants to be exposed for their darkness. They're less than image. And to push against the light and love often results in physical, psychological and economic violence, protecting the secrets and prisons in the darkness. 6 disciples deacons dispersed in six different directions. No one is a law is any longer alone. They fully comprehend the communion of Christ's body. They seek and serve Christ in all people's loving neighbour is self, wherever they may be.

One disciple, Philip. Works in a community that accepts the good news that God's heaven is close at hand. Yet he must wait for the affirming hands of Peter and John to convey the Holy Spirit upon all whom he has baptized. It does not go smoothly. Rather, Deacon Phillip. Is forced yet again to make a compelling case before the apostles, for the disciples born of the new contexts not familiar to the apostles.

To believe, be believed to have the Holy Spirit. Phillips story after this was proclaimed in the acts this evening. Thank you. Glad you all for doing that. Cast into wilderness, God challenges him to approach a stranger. Through their discourse, Philip imparts the wisdom and encouragement of Almighty God to an Ethiopian eunuch. To the end. That Philip selflessly shared the Holy Spirit. Look, here's water. What is to prevent me from being baptized? Why? I'm part of the church that has a history. Of finding reasons. That's over.

And the eunuch, the outsider. The stranger shows Philip how that changes tonight. As the narrative concludes, the new disciple went on his way rejoicing. Which I understand as one who has not only received the spirit of holiness, but one who is fully integrated into the body of Christ, the suffering servant, the light and love of the. World the eunuch in Philips life is much like a eunuch in Jeremiah's life hundreds of years before.

Ebed Melek, a eunuch employed by the same king who whom the court of Prophets convinced to be rid of the prophet Jeremiah for I don't know. Being nasty save Jeremiah from the heinous death so that Jeremiah could save not only the people of God the story of God's. Salvific acts through history.

But the very people who embodied the story. That was going to propel towards Christianity. Casting doubt. Casting down a dry well half Jeremiah's body is submerged in mud. Avid Melik took some of the King's clothes and told Jeremiah to and told Jeremiah to wrap the clothes around the ropes before hoisting him from. The death trap. This is Abbott Malik, an Ethiopian Munich, doing everything possible to make sure that this man Jeremiah comes safely into our presence again.

To prophecy what God is doing in our midst. Jeremiah is delivered in time to save the Hebrew people from annihilation by the Babylonian army. We, who embraced discipleship in Christ's body, who abide in Jesus, do well to consider both Jeremiahs and Phillips encounters with eunuchs. We should be exciting our imagination to interpret how God is speaking, acting and caring today.

Who is the unknown person or entity sent by God to rescue us from dysfunction? Who is the person we have yet to meet whom God calls us to reach, teach, and baptize? Who are the people in our daily lives we least expect to be God's vehicles to find us needing assistance, encouragement and a kickstart? Who is the vine dresser pruning and who are? The green shoots. And how must we abide today?

Discipleship abiding in Jesus is for life. It looks like Jesus talks like Jesus walks like Jesus. This is the age God chose for us to be alive in Christ together, US meeting one another, meeting God. Disciples know and trust one another. They know how to support and how to ask God for the stuff they need to do the vital work of support.

You are learning to abide in the body of Christ again priest and church meshing together in this new iteration of Christ in the local context. It may be frightening and disquieting. But Jesus words stand fast in your faith and experience. Love one another. Abide with one another. And ask this stuff from God. It is already given to you.

Turn around look.

Let us return all of us each week from God's mission to rejoice and give praise for the light and love. God shines through the church. And again, I pray Christ of the new covenant. Give us the happiness to share with full measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over all that you give us.

Amen.