Are you ready to get up
and beat the bounds, today?
Ready for a nice little walk
around the parish?
Beating the bounds
occasionally happens today,
but not so much
and definitely not in its
traditional form.
Usually during
Rogationtide
or on Ascension Day,
the parish priest
is supposed to lead his people
to the edge of the parish
and walk around it.
Along the way,
a group of boys,
usually choirboys or servers,
are supposed
to beat the boundary stones
with green branches.
Often, rather than
just beating
the boundary stone,
it would be the boys
that were beaten
instead.
Perhaps that's something
we could reinstate?
[PAUSE]
But why?
Why beat the boys?
The maim reason,
it appears,
is to ensure that
the next generation
knows where
the parish boundary is.
By beating the stones,
or beating the boys,
a clear memory of where
the parish ends
is reinforced.
This is important
because it reinforces
the parish's legal identity
and the priest knows
where his care ends
and the neighbouring priest's begins.
Beating the bounds
establishes the neighbourhood.
But now you see the problem.
Where is our boundary?
[PAUSE]
Parishes are supposed
to share boundaries
so that there are no gaps
between where one parish stops
and another starts.
That way,
the whole country
can be sure
that every community
can find its Christian needs
met by the Church
through local priests.
If parishes have
to cover the country,
where's our boundary?
Half of Kent?
More?
The Diocesan boundary
is the coastline of
the British Isles!
How are we expected
to beat those bounds?
[PAUSE]
Our smallness
does sometimes seem
to be overwhelming.
We have a big task to do
as Christians
and so little time,
so few resources
to do it.
And we feel swamped.
We're not getting any younger
and the world is getting darker.
Let's just make sure
that we are honest
with ourselves here,
about this.
We are small.
The task is great.
We feel swamped.
What are we going to do?
[PAUSE]
Let's change the question
a little bit.
Instead of saying,
it's all too much,
let's say,
"this looks hard,
but what can we do?"
Let's not focus
on our shortcomings
or on the size of the task.
Let's focus on
what we can do,
what we are doing,
what we're good at.
And make sure
that we do these things in Faith.
[PAUSE]
We see the disciples
talking with Our Lord,
the night before He dies.
And there are only twelve.
One has gone off to betray the Christ.
The others will run away
and say that they do not know
this Man from Nazareth.
Such failure!
Such fragility!
Such smallness!
And yet,
eleven come back
and see their Master
raised from the Dead.
And they understand.
They see things clearly.
They know their mission.
Eleven in Christ
become the Church
because they have Faith.
And they now know what to ask for.
And how to ask.
No longer will they ask
to be the greatest
or to sit at the right hand
and left hand of Christ in glory.
Nor will they ask
not to avoid tribulation.
They ask for blessing.
They ask for forgiveness
for themselves
and for their enemies.
They ask for the Truth to be known
through them.
At their asking,
they receive the sacraments
to give to the people of God
even as God Himself
fed multitudes with so little.
[PAUSE]
And we are so little.
It doesn't matter
for we trust that God knows
what He is doing,
and if we should find ourselves
in tribulation,
we should not fear
because Christ has overcome the world.
It is the World's influence
that tells us that
because we are small
we are insignificant.
Tell that to St Augustine
who lands on these shores
and reinvigorates a Christianity
that has been sidelined
following the end of
Roman occupation.
The disciples do what little they can
in Faith.
St Augustine does what little he can do
in Faith
We do what little we can do
in Faith.
And in being faithful
we find ourselves praying
in the Name of Jesus
and our prayers
will be answered
- not in a worldly way,
but a Heavenly way.
[PAUSE]
Our bounds are too big
for us to beat,
but in Christ
there will be no limit
to what will come
from what we truly do
in His Name..
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