St Wilfrid was a missionary. He brought the Gospel to the south Saxons, the last people of this island to hear and to receive the Gospel.

If St Wilfrid were alive today what would he say to us about mission in our post Christian world of individualism and hedonism?

He would begin by asking us a question.

What are you looking at as the main focus of your lives?

For him the answer was clear. JESUS CHRIST. More of that in a moment.

I am aware from reading the responses to the Way Ahead that contrary to what some think and believe this is not an Anglo Catholic Parish. Like most Anglican parishes we are a mixture of churchmanship – Protestant, Broad Church, Charismatic and Anglo Catholic. St Wilfrid’s is no exception. Indeed some would want to assert and impose their brand of churchmanship on the Vicar of the church if not now but in the future.

This is to miss the point. The question I pose to you all today – what are you looking at as the main focus of your lives?

To be blunt if the focus is not Jesus Christ then our mission as a church will fail whatever steps we take to improve our image and operation.

We have to put our individual agendas at the foot of the cross and look to him who is the author and perfector of our faith. But as we look at Jesus Christ and make him the focus and centre of our lives we become more like him – we become more Christ-like. The New Testament shows us what ways this happens and what it is to be more Christ-like. This ‘Christ-likeness’ is the key to our mission and evangelism. This is because it is only as we become more Christ-like that we have any integrity. Let us see what this Christ-likeness means.

John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way as he walked.”

St Paul explains this walking in the way of Christ. “Have this mind among yourselves which was in Christ who though he was in the form of God, did not court equality with God, something to be grasped for his own selfish enjoyment, but emptied himself taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of man and being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”

We are to be like Christ in his self humbling which lies at the heart of him becoming man for us. This is the first meaning of what it is to be Christ-like.

Second we are to be like Christ in his service. This is seen in that action on the eve of his death. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, “If then, I, your Lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example (Note the word ‘example’) that you should do as I have done to you”.

The point is this. Just as Jesus performed what in his culture was the work of a slave, so we in our culture must regard no task too menial or degrading to undertake for each other.

Third we are to be Christ-like in his love. In Ephesians 5:2 we read, “Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

“Walk in love”, all our behaviour is to be characterised by love. “Fragrant offering and sacrifice” – a reference to the cross – we are to love with self giving, Calvary love.

To be like Christ in the incarnation – humility To be like Christ in the foot washing – service To be like the Christ of the cross – love

We are fourthly to be like Christ in his patient endurance. Christ died an unjust tragic death. Today in Muslim countries and China, Christians have to endure active and unjust persecution.

For us the patient endurance is in the midst of apathy and criticism and the constant change founded or unfounded of hypocrisy. This patient endurance is described in the First Epistle to Peter as, “Though now you may suffer various trials so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than god which, though perishable, is tested by fire.”

Fifthly we are to be like Christ in his mission. “As you, Father, have sent me into the world so I send them into the world.” John 20:21 and as John 17 says “As the Father sent me into the world, so I send you.”

The Church’s mission to the world must resemble Christ’s mission. This means that as Christ entered our world so we are to enter other peoples’ worlds. As Archbishop Michael Ramsay said, “We state and commend the faith only in so far as we go out and put ourselves with loving sympathy inside the doubts of the doubters, the questions of the questioners and the loneliness of those who have lost their way.” This means we have to take Christ beyond the comfort zones of the Wives Group and the Choir, for example, to the 22 nursing homes full of vulnerable people, to the schools, to the flats opposite, to the homeless of Bognor, to the Polish immigrants. And our evangelism has to be like this:- As one writer has put it, “The most effective preaching comes from those who embody the things they are saying. They are the message.” Christians need to look like what they are talking about. It is people who communicate primarily not words or ideas. Authenticity gets across. Deep down inside what communicates now is basically personal authenticity”.

This is Christ-likeness. This is what St Wilfrid embodied in the midst of his stridency. Let’s listen to a Hindu and a Muslim.

“If you Christians lived like Jesus Christ, India would be at your feet tomorrow.”

“If all Christians were Christians that is Christ-like there would be no more Islam today.”

The Christ Ascending statue in the corner of the church embodies Christ-likeness. It is a prophetic sign to this church community of the need to be Christ-like. It was good to have it on the front of the cover of the Way Ahead magazine. As we look at it, it reminds us of the need to be Christ-like. We are Christ-like as we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit daily in prayer in the Word and in the Sacrament and especially the Eucharist which Jesus told us to do in memory of him. That memorial meal changes people into the likeness of Christ and makes us one with one another so that the Gospel can be seen to be real and alive – it possess an integrity of love which is irresistible. Let us wholeheartedly and single-mindedly focus on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour – for in him only is the Way Ahead for us in St Wilfrid’s and the church at large.

Father Andrew