EPISTLE TO THE ATHENIANS SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR A – 14 May 2023 : ACTS 17:22-31, PETER 3:13-22, JOHN 14:15-21

I speak in the name of the living God Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Here we are at St Paul’s Athens just up the road from the Areopagus – Mars Hill, where Paul, yes St Paul, made his famous speech we heard in Acts, the compulsory reading from the lectionary today. What does that mean for modern Athenians, members of St Paul’s and pilgrims and visitors today? I still find that sight of that rock incredible after over forty years living here. There is an exhibition of a series of photos taken there over the last 150 years featured in the current edition of the airport magazine. I often wonder what kind of epistle St Paul would have written to the Athenians.

We can get some clues from looking again at the speech, although it is hard to tell whether his famous words are a triumph or disaster of Evangelism preached from the rock that was where the ancient legal Court of Appeals was.

Areopagus aropagitou is still the name of the highest court in the land and we have heard mention of it frequently in the run up tothe elections. What do you think of Paul’s speech? He has done his preparation well – one of the basic rules of the pulpit and a law court, wouldn’t you say?

Imagine the apostle walking around this great city, where we are right now and talking and listening to people, while picking up on their concerns. Just as politicians are doing in this election campaign. BUT there is a big difference – Paul is trying to improvise, tap into their world view by acknowledging the religious language they use and are used to, while bringing his own life story and experience of Christ to bear.

Let us also look at the context within the book of Acts. In the section before today’s reading we find Paul stuck in Athens waiting for Silas and Timothy. Being Paul, he is not interested in taking a holiday, but immediately throws himself into the fray, arguing with anyone who will listen, in the synagogue and the market place.

Note he starts casually with compliments to put his listeners at ease. It is always good to appreciate the best in people and not assume or assimilate the worst. You don’t want to put the audience off before you’ve barely started because they will switch off. He has noticed that they are religious people. The listeners start to nod and relax and then preen themselves. But, he goes on they will worship almost anything and put up altars to them everywhere. He seeks then to introduce Christ to them but the Athenians are not ready to bend their knees to one true God and accept what Paul has to say; they like novelty and variety and to control their gods.  Paul is booed off the philosophers’ rock. Hence, no epistle to the Athenians, what is recorded, is only this famous, so called failed speech. with its insights into first century Athenian life and belief  and Paul’s unexpected sojourn here and encounter with the locals.

 

What comfort then does our Gospel reading bring today? Remember con forte the latin root of the word means with strength. Exactly that – news of the Holy Spirit,  the Advocate. On Thursday, we mark Ascension Day we move from forty days of Eastertide into Ascensiontide lasting ten days until Pentecost, a period in total of fifty days. The tides they are a turning.

They are indeed for the disciples after the Resurrection appearances and reassurance of the presence of Jesus. Now this passage from St John, recalling words from before the crucifixion could have thrown them into confusion and doubt. No doubt they went over all the conversations again and again. ‘In a little while you will see me no more.’ But what we learn between the witnessing of Ascension and waiting for the Feast of Pentecost is that this time the disciples were astonishingly content and devoted themselves to prayer.

We are asked to do the same in the ten day period of Ascensiontide, in the now well established global initiative started in 2015 by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York ’Thy Kingdom Come’. Amongst other things we are invited to pray for five people we know to come to Christ. This year I am wearing five bracelets to represent them. Do look up former Archbishop John Sentamu’s video on the website Thy

Kingdom Come. Nelly and I can also provide you with resources and ideas, if you are interested.

We need to prepare ourselves for Pentecost just as Jesus prepared his disciples for the Paraclete, the Advocate but also the Comforter. Just as Paul prepared to meet each community on his missionary journeys. Those descriptions of the Holy Spirit are worth examining in detail and I shall be back in two weeks, God willing, preaching again at Pentecost to talk about the Church’s birthday and what mutual flourishing looks like.

As we contemplate the bigger picture from the Areopagus overlooking this great and classical city of Athens, we await the promptings of the Holy Spirit at St Paul’s as we move into a time of transition as Father Leonard retires in a couple of months. We, too, need to be united in prayer and devotion to scripture and each other and the wider community at this time. We pray too for the elections in this nation of Greece and that the country may be steered by wise voters and statespeople of integrity.

Christians are Easter people but we are also disciples, followers of Christ who stay faithful and firm as Ascensiontide and the in between time draws close  committing to prayer and leaning on the Holy spirit to inspire us and draw us closer to Christ.

Let us pray: O God you withdraw from our sight that we may be known by our love, help us to enter the cloud where you are hidden, and sirrender all our certainty to the darkness of our faith in Jesus Christ. AMEN