Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
Last Sunday we had a lovely party in the church garden to welcome back some special visitors. It was a most pleasant event, and comes on top of a series of social gatherings such as the Jubilee Bazaar, and the brunch we all enjoyed after the liturgy in June when we celebrated St. Peter and Paul, since Paul is our patron by dedication of the church.
We are all grateful to the team that so smoothly and graciously ensure that these events go without any problems. We are richly blessed by them – as we are by the generous giving of time, and finances, and energy in every aspect of our congregational life together. Where would we be if we were not willing to work for things that matter, and it is intrinsic in our baptism that we assume the responsibility of being co-workers with Christ, in his mission to transform God’s world. The two words that perhaps sum up what we do are ‘worship and work’. One of the key characteristics that conjoins the two is ‘hospitality’.
Many years ago the bishop in a diocese where I worked said, ‘God doesn’t need a building to live in – he needs somewhere to show his hospitality.’ Church life is an expression of and an attempt to share with others, the hospitality of God.
All are invited, all are included
All are made welcome, none are excluded
This is the table of Christ
Come if you’re young, come if you’re old
Come if you’re broken, come if you’re whole
Come if you’re weary of the trials of life
This is the table of Christ.
Jesus the host washes your feet
makes you his guest and lays on a feast.
This is the table of Christ,
come if you’re rich, come if you’re poor,
come if the church stops you at the door,
come and eat bread, come and drink wine.
This is the table of Christ.
Eat and remember Jesus the one
Who gave up his life so you could belong,
This is the table of Christ.
Come if you’re thirsty, come and be filled
Come and be clean, come and be healed
Come and be held in the presence of God.
This is the table of Christ.
(Words by Jonny Baker, taken from the book: ‘The Hospitality of God’ by Michael Perham)
Hospitality is the characteristic of the Old Testament reading this morning. The episode in the life of Abraham is the inspiration for the very famous icon of the Russian iconogropher Rublev. In this encounter between Abraham and the angels, and influenced by Rublev’s interpretation many see a foreshadowing of the Holy Trinity, positioned in such a way, gathered around a table with food, that seems to invite us to join the life this Trinity, and to share in the real and spiritual food of life with the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Many pages of words have been spent on the interpretations of the icon – and you will either find the hermeneutics of the icon by different people compelling and persuasive, or tenuous, speculative and over emphasized. I have to say, I have never liked the icon, (there are many Byzantine examples that are better) and I am indifferent to some of the interpretations of it, as it rather obscures the beauty of the scripture.
Let’s concentrate on that. Abraham, encounters three angels or divine beings as he sits at the entrance of his tent by the oaks of Mamre. His first reaction is one of worship. He recognizes an epiphany of the divine, so what else can a human being do? He bows down in the divine presence, and greets the manifestation with the title ‘Lord’. In the scriptural tradition all such manifestations, such as the Archangel Gabriel’s appearance to Blessed Mary are considered to be as if God was present.
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