______________________________
On 24 January 1798 George III of England, in response to the war with France, made a proclamation that on 7 March that year the people should observe a “public fast and humiliation” “to obtain pardon of our sins”, “tender the favour of Almighty God and … avoid his wrath and indignation”.
For this Fast Day the Rev. Charles Simeon published a sermon outline on the text, 2 Chronicles 29:10-11 which he entitled, “The use if covenanting with God”. In this outline Simeon argued that God normally sends calamities on his people as a warning that they should repent of sin and so avoid God’s anger and receive his blessing.
In November 1815, when the Colony of New South Wales was in the grip of a server drought, with cattle dying and crops failing, and following the untimely death of a prominent citizen in his mid 30’s, the Rev. Samuel Marsden used Simeon’s outline in one of his Sunday sermons. Marsden exhorted his congregation to examine themselves, to see what sin might be lying within, to repent, and to seek God’s favour that he might turn away his wrath, of which these disasters were indicative, and shower blessing upon the people. (The Sydney Gazette reported the drought broke that same month.)
In January and February 2011 Australia and New Zealand have faced a series of unprecedented disasters. We live in different times so we do not expect our Head of State nor our politicians to recognise God’s hand in the ordering of the world. And we don’t expect anyone to call us to a national day of fasting. Also, most Australians would not expect the clergy to have anything much relevant to say about these disasters.
Never the less, the thrust of Jesus’ teaching, and the teaching of the whole of the Old and New Testaments, is that calamites are warnings that life is fragile and we will all face judgment. A natural disaster reminds us that we will face judgement and that therefore we should now repent of sin and seek God’s favour.
As a chaplain approaches a hospital bedside and listens to the story of the person in that bed, the chaplain must remain open to the possibility of encouraging the patient to reflect upon the warnings God has graciously sent to them in their life, to repent of sin and seek God’s favour so that they will receive his ultimate blessing of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank David, The spate of recent disasters are certainly on peoples minds as they lie in hospital and watch these tragic images streamed into their rooms. These external images can superimpose over, and combine with, whatever personal circumstance has brought them to hospital. The chaplain may be simply asked what is happening in the world?
ReplyDelete