Significance and Silence
Sermon preached at
Christchurch, 13th February 2000
Isaiah 40, 12-15, 21-23; Matt 10: 26-31; Rev 4:
1-11
What is the significance of a human being? When we are talking about being open to God,
it seems like a good question to start from as the way we think about ourselves
will shape the way we pray to our creator.
I only have 12 minutes to discuss the significant of a human being but
here goes anyway!
Currently there are two ways of looking at the
question. The first goes like
this. The present observable universe
contains roughly one billion galaxies each containing between 100 and 100
billion stars. Our own solar system is
located between the spiral arms of eight of these galaxies of about 100,000
million stars. It is an average
planetary system containing nine planets, their various satellites, comets,
asteroids, meteoroids and interplanetary dust.
One particular planet, our earth, circulates the sun, which is an
undistinguished star that has burned out about half its supply of
hydrogen. We live 25,000 light years
from its centre. We live in a world that according to some current speculations
may be sent to have begun some 10 to 15 billion years ago. If this period of time were compared to be
12 hours on a clock face, with the beginning of the earth at noon and the
present moment at midnight, then the whole of human history would takes up
about the last two seconds before we reach midnight. Human beings and our activity is an infentessimally tiny part of
the universe. Human beings are
therefore utterly insignificant. How
can we think that God could ever be interested in us?
The second version of what a human being is goes
something like this. Somewhere in the
midst of one billion galaxies there exists a solar system of nine planets, in
which there is a small planet, which has existed over 10 billion years. On this planet there exists a life form
probably which will never be found anywhere else. This life form is unique, its existence is not the whole story or
purpose of the universe, but out of the whole structure of time and space the
Creator has decided that this life form has been given the gift of meaning and
observing the universe-a God given task.
And what's more, the Creator has entered into a relationship with
it. Out of all time and created
reality, this life form has the privilege of being able to relate to the
creator of all things. In this version
this life form plays a more significant part in the life of the universe, it's
time, history, and space, than can ever be understood.
In the first version we are totally
insignificant. In the second version we
are more significant and privileged than we can ever understand. Which version is the truth? Insignificant or significant? What we decide will determine above all what
being open to God really means.
Different people emphasise different things at
different times of their lives. But the
picture that we get from the Bible is that both things are true. In God's scheme of things we are both
insignificant, small, unable to even comprehend his Majesty, but we are also
totally significant, the apple of his eye, his desire. The Bible shows us that we relate to God at
both extremes. "It is he who sits
above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of
his hand and marked off the heavens with a span? Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as his councillor has
instructed him?" And in Revelation
the images that are used to describe God pile up upon themselves, simply unable
to describe the indescribable and getting all tongue-tied in the process. And when the twenty four elders see God face
to face what can they do? Well, they
just fall down flat on their faces singing "You are worthy, our Lord and
God, to receive honour and glory and power, for you created all things, and by
your will they existed and were created."
When we come to worship together or indeed in the run of our daily
lives, are we ever open to God enough to experience being overwhelmed by his
Majesty?
But the Bible also shows us that we are more
significant to God than we can ever grasp.
Every hair on our head is numbered (for some this is easier than
others!), every bird that falls to the ground is known to God. He created us a little lower than the
angels. He has given us the promise
that when two or three are gathered he is in the midst of us. God, the God of the thousand billion stars,
is nearer to us than we are to ourselves.
We want to look at different ways in which we can learn to be open to God over the coming weeks. In our recent review of worship one of the things that came out was that people wanted to learn more how to pray at home. We all struggle with prayer if we are honest, and so we will be exploring different ways of praying in the next few sermons. I would like today to start by offering a way of praying in which we acknowledge both how small we are before God, but also how close he beats to our hearts. It is the doorway to the mystery of this God we have been describing. It is the prayer to begin all prayers. It is silence
If you are wondering how to begin praying, start with
silence. And here is the main point
that I would want to get across today - silence brings us to both sides of the
reality of our relationship with God that we have been thinking about. Because when you are silent it can mean two
things. It can mean you are so
overwhelmed by what you are in front of that you just can't find the words to
do it Justice. But it can also mean
that you are so comfortable in the presence of someone, so aware of how much
they accept you, that words are not necessary.
Silence brings us to the realisation that God is everything and we are
nothing, that he is our centre, that our life and strength come from him. Mother Teresa says that silence gives us a
new outlook on everything, because the essential thing is not what we say in
prayer but what God says to us and through us.
The German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, said of his community that
we are silent at the beginning of the day because God should have the first
word, and we are silent before going to sleep because the last word also
belongs to God. Silence is well
recommended!
But it is also difficult, more difficult for some than
for others, because we all pray in different ways. When we begin to be silent sometimes it is as if ten monkeys are
jumping around in our heads. But I
would like to suggest this exercise to you based on what I have been
saying. This week see if you can find
ten to fifteen minutes every day to sit and be still before God. Jesus said go into your room and shut the
door. Maybe your room will beof on a
train or in a thebreak at work.
Wherever it is, just sit still in a comfortable position and start by
making your breathing relaxed. When you
are relaxed try and spend five minutes thinking about the Majesty of God, the
greatness of creation, the vastness of his gloryto. Then for the next five minutes you might like to try and be aware
of just how close this God is to you, how he has every hair on your head
numbered, how he knows your every thought.
Don't use words, just try and become aware of his presence in the room
with you.
There are two sides to our significance and many
different ways of praying and of being Open to God. It is in silence that we can come before him and grow in our
ability to listen to him and understand who he is, and therefore who we are.
A curate was to give a sermon on Sunday morning. The time was very precise, he only had a
certain number of minutes to give that sermon and therefore it was important
for him to have the correct time. It
was just before the service and he was going out of his mind because he had
misplaced his watch. Well, his wife and
kids were running all over the house looking for it. He was in a panic because time was running short, but suddenly he
shouted at the top of his voice, "Everybody freeze!" And everybody just stopped where they
were. Total silence-till they heard the
ticking. And in the silence they found
the watch.