Fourth Sunday of Easter 2025/Vocations Sunday/APCM
10am Parish Communion followed by the APCM
Acts 9.36-43; Revelation 7.9-17; John 10.22-30
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you that you love us and that you have called us into your kingdom.
Give us the wisdom to know how you are calling each of us today,
and give each of us the courage to respond.
+In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
.
I wonder when someone last called you?
Perhaps you received a phone call, or did someone see you in town and call out your name?
Calling is such an important theme in Christian life. It is the way we understand God’s invitation to follow him and serve him. Calling is something that we share with every Christian in the world and through history – a call to follow Jesus, a call the be baptize people of God living together as the Body of Christ, and a call to take our place as part of God’s family, the Church.
Today is known in the Church as Vocations Sunday. Vocation means ‘calling’ and Vocations Sunday is a day when we think about the different ways in which God calls us to love him and to follow him, and we can serve him and others. Today is also the day when we will hold our Annual Parochial Church Meeting after this service. This dual focus for our worship today offers us an opportunity to give thanks for all that has been, and to look forward to all that will be. I would like to offer some reflections on what it means to be called by a loving God and to serve him by reflecting on the calling of God and to give thanks to God for the many, many opportunities we have had as a Church to respond to God’s call over this past year, both as individuals and as a community of faith.
Sometimes we may think of calling, or vocation, as being limited to special jobs such as a priest, a doctor, a nurse, a teacher. But the truth is that every single one of us has a calling or a vocation to follow Jesus. Calling is something that we all share. Calling though is also personal and specific.
Some years ago, John Powell in a book called ‘Seasons of the Heart’ (1988) wrote about there being an old Christian tradition that says God sends each person into this world with a special message to deliver, with a special song to sing for others, with a special act of love to bestow. No one else can speak your message, or sing your song, or offer your act of love.
These are only entrusted to you.
Each of us is loved and called by God. Expressing your special message, singing your special song, offering your act of love will not only bring you profound fulfilment it will also be enriching for others.
This is God’s calling to each one, our vocation is to unearth and to give of our innermost treasure.
God gives to each of us particular gifts, skills and characteristics that he calls us, by name, to share with others. Sometimes that will be a calling to be a good friend or neighbour, it might be a calling to be a brilliant cook or an administrator, or to drive a bus, or to volunteers for a charity, it might be a calling to serve in ministry in the church offering your time and talents to build up the worship and mission of the Church – it might be a combination of these things, and so much more. As we reading in 1 Corinthians 2.9: “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”.
So, time to reflect: where has God been calling us to love and to serve as a Church, and how have we been responding?
In our Parish, we are blessed with many ministries and opportunities to serve. We are called by God to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Throughout the past year we have been called by God in many and varied ways, and these are just some of the ways we have responded with faith, hope and love:
We have responded to many pastoral calls for conversation, and support, to specific calls for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals, journeying alongside Chizara, David and Munachi who responded to God’s call and came forward to be prepared for First Holy Communion and Christopher, Jane, Niah and Valerie called by name to be Confirmed by Richard, Bishop of Bedford, on the 5th May, 2025, the Sixth Sunday of Easter.
We have been called to pray and to worship together. We have been called to visit and care for the sick and the suffering, to walk alongside the anxious and comfort the bereaved. At times this past year this has included many of you, and your loved one. It is good to hear and see many of you recovering and coming through your health challenges and wellbeing struggles. I give thanks to God today for calling me to serve this parish as your Vicar, and I thank God for his mercy and love for us all.
Today, I also remember those who have been called by God to everlasting life, eternal rest. It is with love and thanksgiving for the gift of life, and in the hope of the resurrection to eternal life that we remember all those whose Funerals have taken place this past year, and amongst those known especially to us; Norman Gurney, Sylvia Rutt, James George ‘Jim’ Seamer, John Pryor, Donald Pryor, Pauline Pryer, Jennifer Baglin, Philip Hickin, Morris Pulham, Paul Bennett – Rest in Peace. As we honor their memory, may we celebrate the impact they had on our lives and it is my continuing prayer that we find comfort in our faith that our dearly departed loved ones are now in a place of peace and eternal joy.
Throughout the year, as a Church we have been blessed by the ministry of many angels, too many to name everyone by name, but by you all, all who have responded to God’s call, and those who have taken up specific roles in the life of our Church, giving time and talents to minister and to serve God. I am reminded of Malcome Guite’s poem here: The Last Beatitude:
And blessed are the ones we overlook;
The faithful servers on the coffee rota,
The ones who hold no candle, bell or book
But keep the books and tally up the quota,
The gentle souls who come to “do the flowers”,
The quiet ones who organise the fête,
Church sitters who give up their weekday hours,
Doorkeepers who may open heaven’s gate.
God knows the depths that often go unspoken
Amongst the shy, the quiet, and the kind,
Or the slow healing of a heart long broken
Placing each flower so, for a year’s mind.
Invisible on earth, without a voice,
In heaven their angels glory and rejoice.
I will say a little more in the Vicar’s Report at the APCM:
{Today I am giving thanks to God for his calling on the lives of us all in his Church, amongst those: Chris Parker and Nettie van der Weerd, our Churchwardens, for Andrew Rutt, PCC Treasurer and Ruth Marshall-Jones, our PCC Secretary, who steps down from this role today following 8years faithful service in that role, all our PCC and Deanery Synod members and all who serve on committees and working groups here; for the Eco-Group and all who work to care for the Buildings and Ground that we are richly blessed with, for Rosemary Bentley, our LLM and fellow colleague in ministry here; for Mandy Anning our former Parish Administrator; I give thanks to God for Jenny, our Sacristan and for Richard coordinating the Serving Team here, for all our servers and all who contribute to the planning and leading of worship; for Rob Butcher our Organist and Director of Music, choir members and worship band musicians, Sue Thorn and Bill Fudge in particular for their help and support during Rob’s time off sick earlier this year; for Helen Tranter our new Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO); for Emma Pallett, all our Sunday School leaders and helpers; for all our Youth Leaders and Helpers; for those who made the trip to our Mission Partner in Mafambisa; and for Emma, Sally and Chris, and absolutely everyone who pulled together to make ‘Deep Sea Divers’ Summer Holiday Club 2024 a wonderful week for all; for Maggie McCloughlin and Mother’s Union, for Charlotte Smith and all those who ring our Bells calling us to worship, to remember and to celebrate; for those who give generously, fundraise, promote and support charities working across the world; those who care, visit, clean, serve, read, lead in prayer and worship, offer PA support, arrange rotas and assist with parish administration, for us all seeking to be Christ-Centered – Welcoming – Inclusive – Outward Looking].
We have been called to serve the local community and the wider world, as well as the Biggleswade Deanery, Churches Together in Biggleswade and Diocese and we have responded in many different ways: just to raise up some of these callings and responses this past year: we were pleased to host a Deanery Lent evening worship with Richard, Bishop of Bedford as the Preacher, as well as Diocesan Quiet Day for Clergy in March and a Deanery Synod meeting on Vocations in October. We were invited to join with the Diocesan celebrations marking the 30th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women, and the Mother’s Union gave a wonderful tea-party celebration too. In March we were delighted to host the Mayor’s Civic Service: Youth & Community 2024 focus with Miss Zoe Linnington, Head of Edward Peake school as the speaker. We were invited to lead the Churches Together Good Friday Service in the Market Square, Remembrance Day & Armistice Day services, and to speak and pray at the Christmas Light’s Switch-on once again this year.
We welcomed Bishop Alan, Bishop of St. Albans here on Sunday June 30th to preside, preach and bless our New Heating System. We’ve been responding to God’s call on the Church to grow younger and more diverse, working alongside children and young people of the parish in Sunday School, Holiday Club, Youth Groups and on the mission trip to Mafambisa. We have responded to our local schools calling on the church throughout the year to host services and lead Collective Worship in schools, and to served on Governing Bodies throughout the year when the education system changed from the three to the two-tier system, and to celebrate the newly formed St. Andrew’s Church of England Primary School and Edward Peake Church of England Secondary School. We’ve responded to the needs of the sick, in particular by building up regular Home Communion visits in Care Homes in the Parish. We’ve responded to the community call for hosting music concerts and events throughout the year, alongside hiring out the Chapter House to uniformed organisations, charities, and local groups. We’ve responded to emergency calls for funds, alongside hosting fundraising events throughout the year including the Country Fayre and a Christmas Bazaar, and with your support raised giving in the parish through our Generous Giving focus in the autumn. And we could go on. The point of looking back today is to give thanks to God, remembering that God’s call is a gift, and responding to it brings life, purpose, and joy.
On Vocations Sunday, we give thanks to God for his call on our lives may we also give thanks for the work of the PCC, who have worked with Canon Tim Lomax on our new Mission Action Plan, launched on St. Andrew’s Day in 2024, calling us to be ‘Christ-Centered, Welcoming, Inclusive and Outward-Looking’. In this coming year, may we open ourselves more fully to God’s call, trusting that God will equip us and guide us. Let us pray for each other, that we may grow as a community where all are encouraged to discover their true calling. As Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
As we look back, may we give thanks for all that has been,
As we look forward, may we give thanks for all that will be.
+In the name of Christ, Amen. The Revd. Liz Oglesby-Elong
Vicar of the Parish of St. Andrew, Biggleswade.