Faithful listening

Cathedral Newsletter 13 June 2024 (not written because of particular current concern)

Friends in Christ, St Andrew's Cathedral, like many Sydney Anglican churches, has a reputation as a good Bible-preaching church. Leaving me out of it, that's certainly true of my predecessors. And I have always valued a team pulpit, and I love the way colleagues like Chris and now Jonathan carefully handle God's Word of truth. Yet their different temperaments and approaches add richness to the over all diet of preaching. Even our Student Ministers are way ahead of where I was at the same stage. 

Many of us feel we have been blessed over the years with godly preachers who are faithful to the Bible, clear and engaging! Of course, such praise is always a temptation to pride, which preachers (especially) must guard against. 

However there is also a danger for us who listen as regular members here (and I listen to others preach regularly). We can begin to take faithful preaching for granted. We can become like restaurant critics, always demanding bigger flavours or something new and intriguing. We become bored with good preaching – looking for something to critique, instead of being grateful for healthy nourishment. "I've heard it all before."

What to do if we find the preaching we’re fed Sunday by Sunday is biblical, yet quite standard, and maybe a bit dull? ...When we hear nothing really new to us, except the old, old story of Jesus and his cross? Are we so well fed, that these become meals we feel we can skip as we feel like it? 

Here's an old hymn (#49, Olney Hymns) by John Newton, of 'Amazing Grace' fame. He often wrote a new hymn each week, while ministering in the parish of Olney!

But these days I doubt anyone is singing this one! Yet it’s title – “A Famine of the Word” – picks up a phrase from Amos 8:11. And the lyrics act as a good warning, even if I have no idea about the tune!

Gladness was spread through Israel’s host
When first they Manna viewed;
They laboured who should gather most,
And thought it pleasant food.

But when they had it long enjoyed
From day to day, the same;
Their hearts were by the plenty cloyed,
Although from heav’n it came.

Thus gospel bread at first is prized,
And makes a people glad;
But afterwards too much despised,
When easy to be had.

But should the Lord, displeased, withhold
The bread his mercy sends;
To have our houses filled with gold
Would make but poor amends.

How tedious would the week appear,
How dull the Sabbath prove?
Could we no longer meet to bear
The precious truths we love!

How would believing parents bear
To leave their heedless youth,
Exposed to every fatal snare,
Without the light of truth?

The gospel, and a praying few
Our bulwark long have proved;
But Olney sure the day will rue
When these shall be removed.

Then sin, in this once favoured town,
Will triumph unrestrained;
And wrath and vengeance hasten down,
No more by prayer detained.

Preserve us from this judgment, Lord
For Jesus’ sake we plead;
A famine of the gospel word
Would be a stroke indeed!

You could make a similar point about how our liturgy frequently and effectively recounts the gospel truths of confession of sins, and justication by faith alone in Christ alone, and yet we can allow familiarity to breed contempt.

May God deliver us in Sydney from ever experiencing a famine of his Scriptural word of truth. 

Warmly in Christ,

Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney