Bishop Tim's sermon at the Chrism Eucharist on Maundy Thursday in Lichfield Cathedral
Prayer
Gracious and holy God, you are the One who calls, cleanses, and commissions your people. In this Chrism service, as we gather to renew our vows and remember your mercy, speak to us afresh by your Spirit. Open our ears, soften our hearts, strengthen our hands, and renew our joy in Christ, who loves us, has freed us from our sins by his blood, and calls us to serve in his name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Acknowledgement and affirmation of the congregation and clergy
We gather today in this cathedral as bishops, priests, deacons, lay ministers, and faithful people of God, and it is right that we begin by giving thanks for one another and for the grace that has brought us this far.
This annual Chrism service is more than just a duty on the calendar; it is a moment of remembrance, renewal, and reassurance, as we stand once again in the presence of the One who first called us.
Many here come carrying both joy and weariness, encouragement and strain, hope and hidden burden, and the Lord who meets us today knows all of it and does not turn away from us.
So, before we say anything else, let us reassure ourselves that we are seen by God, loved by Christ, and still upheld by the Holy Spirit for the ministry that God himself entrusted to us.
About the Sermon title
With that assurance in mind, the word of God set before us today leads us into a simple but powerful truth for this Chrism gathering. Across the call of Samuel, the song of praise in Revelation, and the tears of the forgiven woman in Luke, one thread runs clearly through them all. God speaks to his servants, God restores his servants, and God sends his servants.
You and I are God’s servants
So today, in this chrism gathering, get ready to be called again, cleansed, and sent afresh by God. So, the title of this sermon is: “Called by God, Cleansed by Grace, Sent with Hope.”
Context and Relevance of Readings
Our readings today are 1 Samuel 3.1–10, Revelation 1.5b–8, and Luke 7.36–50. Let me very briefly explain their context and their relevance to us today.
In 1 Samuel 3.1–10, we meet a young Samuel in a spiritually difficult season…when “the word of the Lord was rare”; yet precisely in that barren moment, God begins to speak and call a servant who is listening.
In Revelation 1.5b–8, John writes to the church in a time of pressure and doubt, and he lifts their eyes to Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the risen ruler, the One who has freed us by his blood and will surely come again.
In Luke 7.36–50, Jesus is in the house of Simon the Pharisee, where a woman known only by her sin comes near with tears, love, and costly devotion, and receives from Christ the public assurance of forgiveness and peace.
These are not random passages placed side by side; together they speak directly into the life of the Church and especially into the vocation of ministers who need again and again to hear God’s voice, rest in God’s mercy, and serve in God’s strength. These Bible passages are highly relevant to us here at Lichfield Cathedral, because those renewing their ministry vows must do so not out of habit, guilt, or dependence on themselves, but through a fresh encounter with the God who calls, forgives, and reigns.
Three significant lessons
And so, it seems to me that from these readings, three life-giving lessons emerge for us today:
- First, God still calls listening servants.
- Second, Christ restores us through forgiving grace.
- Third, the Church serves in the confidence of Christ’s reign and His return.
As we explore these, we will see that each lesson prepares us for the next: God calls us, grace steadies us, and hope sends us.
1. God Still Calls Listening Servants
Context for this lesson
In 1 Samuel 3.1–10, before the call comes, the bible text makes clear that this is not a spiritually easy season: Eli’s house is failing, vision is dim, and divine speech seems scarce. Samuel is young, inexperienced, and not yet fully able to recognise the voice of the Lord, which means God’s call begins not with strength but with openness.
That matters for us, because ministry often unfolds not in ideal conditions but in tiredness, hesitation, and partial understanding.
The key passage
1 Samuel 3.8–10 “Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”
Exposition
The first thing to notice is that God takes the initiative: Samuel is not searching upwards so much as being addressed from above, and all true ministry begins there, not with our ambition but with God’s gracious call.
The second point is that Samuel must learn to recognise the voice of God, which reminds us that discernment develops gradually, often with the help of others, and even the sincerest servant does not hear clearly at first.
The third point is that Eli, though flawed and diminished, still plays a role in guiding Samuel into responsiveness; this serves as a quiet reminder that God often uses imperfect mentors, seasoned clergy, spiritual companions, and the wisdom of the Church to help us hear correctly.
The core of the passage is Samuel’s simple response: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” That is the attitude from which faithful service develops—not control, not performance, not expertise first of all, but willingness before God.
In a Chrism service, such as this, that matters deeply, because it is possible to renew vows with our lips while our hearts are noisy, hurried, bruised, or distracted; yet the Lord still comes near and says our name. So the first call on our lives today is not to do more, but to listen again—to become servants who can still say, “Lord, speak; I am here
Illustration
Think of a radio in an old rectory study: the signal is there, but if the dial is not tuned, all you hear is static.
The problem is not that nothing is being transmitted; the problem is that the receiver is crowded with interference.
So too in ministry: meetings, crises, emails, expectations, disappointments, and fatigue can fill our ears with static. But when we become still before God, we discover that the Lord has not fallen silent; he is still speaking.
Concluding statement of the lesson
So, lesson one is this: God still calls listening servants, and the first renewal we need is the renewal of attentive hearts.
Connection to the next lesson
Yet listening alone is not enough, because many of us hear God’s call while also carrying the ache of inadequacy, failure, or exhaustion. It is one thing to be summoned by God; it is another to feel worthy of standing before him. That is why the second reading from Luke is so precious: the One who calls us is also the One who cleanses us.
2. Christ Restores Us Through Forgiving Grace
Context for this lesson
Luke places this event in the house of Simon the Pharisee, where social respectability and inward pride are quietly contrasted with repentance and love.
The woman enters carrying a reputation that others know well, but she comes to Jesus not with excuses, but with tears, humility, and costly devotion.
The scene shows us that grace is not abstract theology; it is the transforming mercy of Christ meeting a real sinner in real need.
The key passage: Luke 7.47–50
“Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Exposition
Jesus does not minimise her sin—he names it honestly as “many”—but neither does he allow her past to have the final word, because where sin is great, his mercy is greater still. Her tears, her anointing, and her love are not attempts to buy forgiveness; they are signs that she has come empty-handed to the only One who can truly restore her. Simon sees a sinner and keeps his distance; Jesus sees a person in need of mercy and draws her into peace. That contrast should search all our hearts, because ministers can sometimes become more like the host than like the Saviour we proclaim.
At the centre of the passage stands the liberating word of Christ: “Your sins are forgiven.” For clergy and ministers, this is vital because we cannot sustain public ministry if we are privately living as though grace is only for others.
Some among us may carry regret over failures in judgment, words spoken sharply, prayers offered mechanically, pastoral opportunities missed, or the dull ache of not being the priest, deacon, or bishop we hoped to be. Christ does not invite denial, but he does offer forgiveness.
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And then comes his final word: “Go in peace.” That is more than emotional comfort; it is a restored relationship, renewed dignity, and the gift of a future no longer imprisoned by the past.
Illustration
A stained stole or alb may look ruined beyond repair, marked by oil, ash, wine, or age. Yet in skilled hands it can be cleansed, restored, and made ready again for use in worship.
So it is with us. The Lord does not discard those who come to him in repentance. He restores what seems spoiled, and he sends back into service those whom grace has made new.
Concluding statement of the lesson
So, our second lesson two is this: Christ restores us through forgiving grace, and no servant of God is renewed by pretending to be whole, but by receiving mercy afresh.
Connection to the next lesson
But forgiveness is not the end of the Christian story; it is the doorway into faithful service. Once we have listened and once we have received mercy, we are able to stand again, not in fear but in confidence. And that leads us to the great horizon of Revelation: the Christ who forgives us is also the Christ who reigns over us and will come again for us.
3. The Church Serves in the Confidence of Christ’s Reign and His Return
Context for this lesson
Revelation was given to strengthen believers living under pressure, not to feed speculation but to nourish endurance, worship, and hope. John begins not with anxiety about the world, but with adoration of Jesus Christ, whose death, resurrection, kingship, and coming shape the whole life of the Church.
For ministers in every age, that means our service is grounded not in what we can sustain, but in who Christ is.
The key passage: Revelation 1.5b–8
“To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him… ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
In Revelation 1.5b–8, the central phrases are: “loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood”, “made us to be a kingdom, priests”, and “He is coming.”
Exposition
First, observe the order: Christ loves us, Christ frees us, and Christ makes us a kingdom and priests. Identity in ministry starts with His actions toward us, not our actions for Him.
Second, the language of priestly service here belongs to the whole redeemed people of God, yet it speaks with particular force in a Chrism service, where ordained ministers are reminded that all our ministry is derived, received, and Christ-centred.
Third, the phrase “loves us” is present and living. Not merely loved us once, but loves us now. In seasons when clergy morale is low, when institutions feel fragile, and when the labour feels heavy, this present-tense love matters.
Fourth, Christ has “freed us from our sins by his blood.” That anchors today’s renewal not in sentiment but in the cross. We do not return to ministry based on willpower, but on redemption.
Fifth, he has “made us to be a kingdom, priests.” So our ministry is not self-invented. We are a people set apart for worship, witness, holiness, and service in the world.
Finally, “He is coming.” That means history is not drifting; the Church is not abandoned; and our labour in the Lord is not in vain. We serve between the blood that has redeemed us and the glory that will be revealed.
Illustration
A parish priest may spend years sowing seeds that seem slow to grow: preaching week by week, visiting quietly, praying faithfully, blessing children, burying the dead, encouraging the discouraged. Some days the fruit is visible; many days it is not.
But the hope of Revelation says that the story is not measured by today’s appearances alone. Christ is Alpha and Omega. He holds the beginning, the middle, and the end. Therefore, our ministry is never meaningless.
Concluding statement of the lesson
And so, our third lesson is this: the Church serves in the confidence of Christ’s reign and His return, and that hope gives courage for ministry today.
How Are We to Apply These Life-Giving Lessons:
First, let us make room again for holy listening: not only public prayer, but private attentiveness, where we learn anew to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
Second, let us come honestly to Christ for mercy, refusing both despair and pretence, and receiving again the word, “Your sins are forgiven… go in peace.”
Third, let us minister with renewed courage, remembering that we are loved, freed, and sent by the risen Christ who is coming again.
Rallying and encouraging statement to the clergy
Brothers and sisters in ordained ministry, do not mistake weariness for uselessness: the God who called Samuel still knows your name and still has work for you to do.
Do not mistake your wounds for disqualification: the Christ who forgave the woman still speaks peace over all who come to him in faith and repentance.
Do not mistake present pressures for the final word: the Lord who is and who was and who is to come still reigns, and your labour in him is not wasted.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, You love us and have freed us from our sins by your blood. Speak again to your servants; cleanse again those who minister in your name; strengthen your Church again with the hope of your coming.
Grant that in this diocese, in this cathedral, and in every parish and community we serve, We may listen with humility, serve with joy, suffer with faith, and persevere with hope, until the day when every eye shall see you in glory.
And now, Lord, renew your clergy in calling, holiness, courage, tenderness, and truth, for the sake of your gospel and the glory of your name. Amen.