ST MATTHEW'S WESTMINSTER
  • Welcome
  • Livestream
  • Music at St Matthew's
    • Resources >
      • Sermons
  • Safeguarding

3/4/2010

The Resurrection of St Matthew's, Westminster (Jonathan Aitken)

1 Comment

Read Now
 
Picture
Not so long ago I was standing in a supermarket queue when a rather gushing lady asked me for my autograph.  Surprised yet secretly flattered I reached for my pen.  But deflation arrived, fortunately just before I signed her book, when the autograph hunter’s flow of compliments came to the unexpected crescendo: ‘Thank you so much – Lord Mandelson’.


Non-recognition is often with us.  The powerful story in St Luke’s gospel describing the failure of the walkers on the road to Emmaus to recognise the risen Christ has an evergreen ring of truth to it.  Yet how often do we fail to recognise the Lord’s presence in situations right on our own doorstep?  In this opening essay for our website I suggest that we may not have recognised what I will call ‘The Resurrection of St Matthew’s Westminster’.

By the mid-1990s, St Matthew’s needed a new mission, having emerged from the immediate post-renovation period following the fire in 1977.  Philip Chester, then university chaplain to King’s College, London, was appointed by the Bishop at a time when the church in London was being called to renew its commitment to mission and ministry.  Father Philip and the church community responded to this call and adopted the following mission statement:

 ‘St Matthew’s Westminster is a church in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England where everyone is welcome whatever their background.  The church seeks to develop an understanding of community in the heart of the city through our threefold ministry of prayer, hospitality and dialogue.  The daily rhythm of Eucharist, Morning and Evening Prayer is at the heart of our common life.’

This is a mission statement rich in phrases which deserve theological reflection.  To single out one or two of them:

‘Everyone is welcome whatever their background’ are words which visibly come alive every Sunday morning at St Matthew’s.  Occasionally as I look at our diverse, vibrant and encouragingly full congregation at St Matthew’s I ponder on St Paul’s writings in his first letter to the Corinthians about the unity and plurality of the body of Christ.  Or more irreverently I think, ‘Who else but God could have got us lot together?’  The mission is being well accomplished.

As for ‘developing an understanding of community in the heart of the city through our threefold ministry of prayer, hospitality and dialogue’, the discussion this essay will highlight is hospitality.

Father Philip, who is personally much ‘given to hospitality’ (Romans 12:13) and a ‘lover of hospitality’ (Titus 1:8) has devoted considerable theological thought to this concept having been much influenced by a remarkable book on Christian hospitality by Elizabeth Rankin Geitz, Entertaining Angels.  The title is drawn from Hebrews 13:2 ‘Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by so doing some have entertained angels unawares’.  This verse is a reminder that hospitality has been esteemed as a virtue throughout Biblical history.  The laws of Judaism were framed in accordance with the spirit of hospitality (Leviticus 19:33-34) and even before giving the giving of the law Abraham and Sarah provided a supreme example of hospitality (Genesis 18;2-9) when they welcomed three heavenly strangers offering them a meal of milk curd, calf meat, and cakes.

In the first century, Jews believed that the way they received a stranger was how God would receive them at the great eschatological banquet at the end of time.  Jesus himself was a beneficiary of this tradition.  To spread the good news he travelled and often stayed in the homes of hospitable people, sharing his wisdom with those who entertained him.  Similarly Paul on his travels was entertained in homes as he preached the gospel.  Without such hospitable welcoming the gospel message might never have spread beyond the borders of Palestine and there might never have been one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.  The 1st Century theological concept that hospitality embodies the grace of God is just as relevant in the 21st Century, and St Matthew’s makes a determined effort to live up to it.

At the end of every service, Father Philip exhorts his congregation: ‘Do please stay for some refreshments’, repeating his invitation again as he shakes hands with individual worshippers.  The result is that about half the congregation do stay on for a glass of wine or cup of coffee and this gentle transformation of parishioners into party-goers makes its own special contribution to the relational cohesiveness and inclusiveness of St Matthew’s.

In this, and its many other forms of welcome, St Matthew’s becomes a link in a chain of hospitality that reaches back through Sarah and Abraham, through Jesus, through Paul, and through countless Christians throughout the ages.  The theological cornerstone here is that a decision to extend hospitality in the name of Christ can be the entry to a sacred relationship where God is present.  It follows from this that those who offer hospitality to strangers often receive far more than they give.  This was the experience of the travellers on the road to Emmaus who urged their unknown companion: ‘Stay with us because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over’ (Luke 24:29).  By welcoming the stranger into their house they discovered they had welcomed Jesus.  In its own way the enlargement of the tent of St Matthew’s has brought several people of the parish into a close relationship with Christ because of their inter-reaction with those who were already walking closely with Him.

So this essay ends, more or less where it began, with the story of the walk to Emmaus.  Just as the walkers were slow to recognise Jesus, so perhaps we the congregation of St Matthew’s have been slow to recognise that our church has had its own resurrection experience.  We are blessed today with a happy, prayerful and growing body of Christ, transformed by a new sense of mission and purpose in the 21st cenutry.  So when we next recognise our Lord at the breaking of the bread, let us also recognise the joy of the resurrection of St Matthew’s.

Share

1 Comment
stephen lyons
28/9/2010 08:27:54 am

I thoughrully enjoyed reading the Guadians hunt for Johnathan aitken recently-now-a few days later i have heard the mans hillarious account of arriving at Belmarsh Prison.
More so though is the humour and charm that he speahs with-and then he tops it all with ackowledgeing Christ as the Hero1-wonderful stuff!-From darkness to light -i love it and woulden joy meeting the man-Where is he?!?!?!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

Details

    Back to resources

       Sermons
    Essays
    Lectionary
       Prayer
       The arts
       Links

    Archives

    May 2016
    February 2014
    December 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    September 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    October 2004
    November 2001
    December 1999
    May 1999
    February 1999
    January 1999
    March 1998
    January 1990

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Ann Carlton
    Chris Rogers
    Christian Unity
    Christmas
    Easter
    Epiphany
    History
    Holy Week
    Hospitality
    Human Rights
    Human Sexuality
    Incense
    Jonathan Aitken
    Lent
    Margaret Withers
    Oberammergau
    Our Mission
    Passion
    Remembrance
    Resurrection
    Robin Crawford
    Rowan Williams
    Science
    Tamara Katzenbach
    Walsingham
    Westminster Forum
    Women Bishops

    RSS Feed

Privacy & Safeguarding

Privacy Notice
​
Safeguarding

Other websites

St Matthew's School
Conference Centre
History of St Matthew's
Picture


© St Matthew’s Westminster, 2010-20   |   20 Great Peter Street, Westminster, London SW1P 2BU
 +44 (0)20 7222 3704  |  office@stmw.org  | ​
|  School   |   Conference Centre | 
Picture
  • Welcome
  • Livestream
  • Music at St Matthew's
    • Resources >
      • Sermons
  • Safeguarding