Sermon preached by Mother Anne at the farewell service for Archdeacon Andy Wooding Jones - 14th September 2024
Readings: Deut 6 v 4-9; 1 Cor 1 v 18-25
Andy, I’m very touched to be asked to preach at your farewell service. It speaks to me of the importance of the abbey to your own spiritual journey and the close friendship you have established with us over many years. But I have to say I was also rather daunted – I have never before preached in a church, let alone a cathedral and as far as I know neither has any other abbess of Malling. As enclosed nuns we usually remain within the precincts of our abbey living a life of prayer and silence. But as a Benedictine abbess I am called upon to open up the scriptures and the Rule of St Benedict for our community, so in that spirit I offer a few words that I hope will speak not only to the congregation gathered here to say goodbye but specifically to you as you step out on the next stage of your journey of faith.
On this Holy Cross day we are asked to focus on the cross of Jesus Christ, a place of degrading and unjust death. We worship one who in willing obedience went to his death in silence without fighting to defend himself. Yet, as we have heard in our second reading, in that foolish self-offering God’s power was shown forth. In weakness we see God’s strength.
In our present times we are encouraged to promote ourselves, to create a perfect image, to be the best, the most noteworthy, the most outrageous if that is what it takes to be noticed. We must be successful and have our moment of fame. But as Christians we are called to a different path, the way of the cross, that in the eyes of the world is utter foolishness. It is a path of humility, of setting aside ourselves and opening our hearts in love to one another. We are not called to be successful but humble and obedient to God’s call, to be open to the unexpected and surprising work of the Spirit in our lives.
1500 years ago St Benedict wrote what he called ‘a little rule for monks’ in which he laid out a pattern for a life shaped by the gospel. It opens with the words ‘Listen’, ‘Listen carefully with the ear of your heart’. He bids us listen to the God who speaks to us through our leaders and teachers, those with whom we live and those whom we encounter as we go about our daily lives, as well as through the written words we are given in the Bible. It is a listening from the deepest part of ourselves where we know the love of God and where our heart is one with the heart of Christ.
Benedict echoes the passage we have heard from Deuteronomy which calls us to cherish the word of God in our hearts, to respond in love with all our heart, soul and might. The words of God are so precious that we must treasure them, incorporating them into our lives in ways that keep them ever in our minds, before our eyes and in our hands.
He did this by structuring the monastic day around regular corporate prayer, chanting of the psalms and listening to the scriptures. The Book of Common Prayer sprang out of a desire to make this rhythm available for all the people of God in this country and many of our cathedrals, including this one, are inheritors of this Benedictine tradition. But as well as this rhythm of prayer he encouraged study to engage the mind and manual work to engage the body, enabling monastics to listen and respond to God with their whole being.
For Benedict the foundation of this deep listening to God in all aspects of life is the cherishing of silence. He asks us to restrain our speech, even edifying speech, for the greater good of making space to listen to God, whether that be in silent prayer or in respectful listening to others. In these times when society, and indeed the church, is becoming so polarised there is a great need for people who can listen deeply and take their time to respond. It is the converse of what happens on social media which encourages quick, unthinking responses and so easily whips up conflict.
Our particular work at Malling Abbey is holding a rhythm of prayer wrapped around with silence that creates a spacious place for God’s work both in our own hearts and those of our guests. Centuries of prayer have created a ‘thin place’ where God’s presence is tangible. It is a place where people can slow down and start to see the world differently, to realise that the mystery of God is beyond anything a human mind can encompass. Our words can point towards that mystery but ultimately the words must fall away as we open our hearts to the love of God. Benedict expresses this beautifully in the Prologue to his Rule where he says that ‘our hearts will overflow with the unspeakable sweetness of love, enabling us to race along the way of God’s commandments.’
Andy, you have been a great friend to the abbey in recent years both in your support for the St Benedict’s Centre and in being a regular celebrant at our altar. We shall miss you, and we pray that as you move on your heart will indeed overflow with the unspeakable sweetness of love, enabling you to run with joy in the way that God is calling you. May you, and indeed all of us, find the way of the cross to be one of freedom and delight.
Amen