good morning and welcome to the dinery garden at canterbury cathedral on this saturday the 17th of june a lovely saturday morning here in england with a clear blue sky and it's saturday morning so we've come first to the front garden with uh harmony seven of the piglets here um but clemmy and one of her daughters are she's having a little mother's rest in a different part of the garden so we will go and join her part of the way through our service this morning but for the moment we'll as we generally do on a saturday morning enjoy them having their breakfast here we're continuing to remember with urgency in our prayers the situation in germany and in luxembourg and in the netherlands and in belgium in that area where those disastrous and catastrophic floods have taken place and the situation is still going on we think of all those and pray for the repose of the souls of all those who've died and those who have been bereaved those who are still missing and those who are desperately trying to bring relief and help and safety to that situation so we will remember them in our prayers as we go through and throughout the day and continue to do that while this is going on meanwhile we say our prayers together on this july morning and wherever you are bring your own concerns from your part of the world and your own intentions and particular thoughts of special people that you want to remember today oh lord open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise your light springs up for the righteous and all the peoples have seen your glory blessed are you sovereign god king of the nations do you be praise and glory forever from the rising of the sun to its setting your name is proclaimed in all the world as the sun of righteousness dawns in our hearts anoint our lips with the seal of your spirit that we may witness to your gospel and sing your praise in all the earth blessed be god father son and holy spirit blessed be god forever the night has passed and the day lies open before us let us pray with one heart and mind as we rejoice in the gift of this new day so may the light of your presence o god set our hearts on fire with love for you now and forever amen our psalm on this 17th morning of the month is psalm 87 her foundation is on the holy mountains the lord loves the gates of zion more than all the dwellings of jacob glorious things are spoken of you zion city of our god i record egypt and babylon as those who know me behold philistia tyre and ethiopia in zion were they born and of zion it shall be said each one was born in her and the most high himself has established her the lord will receive will record as he writes up the peoples this one also was born there and as they dance they shall sing all my fresh springs are in you our reading continues saint matthew chapter 25 and the lovely thing is that we have in chapter 25 placed there by matthew and ordered there as part of the illustration of the winding up of time we have the three parables and i've got to reach forward for you this morning i can't really get there you'll have to wait for your tummy to be tickled a bit later on i know you're smiling um we've we've read the first of those which was the parable of the maidens with their lamps and the five who ran out of oil yesterday and today we're on a different parable and i'm starting to read at verse 14 of chapter 25. jesus said it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted to them his property to one he gave five talents to another two to another one to each according to his ability then he went away the one who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them and made five talents more so also the servant who had the two talents made two talents more but the one who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them and the one who had received the five talents came forward bringing five talents more saying master you delivered to me five talents here i have made five talents more and the master said to the servant well done good and faithful servant you have been faithful over a little i will set you over much enter into the joy of your master the one also who had the two talents came forward saying master you delivered to me two talents here i have made two talents more and the master said to that servant well done good and faithful servant you have been faithful over a little i will set you over much enter into the joy of your master the servant also who had received the one talent came forward saying master i knew you to be a hard man reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed so i was afraid and i went and hid your talent in the ground here you have what is yours but the master answered the servant you wicked and slithful servant you knew that i reap when i have not sown and gather where i scattered no seed then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers and at my coming i should have received what was my own with interest so take the talent from this servant and give it to the one who has the ten talents for to everyone who has will more be given and that servant will have an abundance but from the one who has not even what they have will be taken away and casts the worst servant into the outer darkness in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth so here we are in a different location we've come up here with clemmy and her daughter whom we're calling winnie and they are just having a little bit of time free from the clamoring of the other piglets around their mother and they're having a very enjoyable little break away i've come back amongst the flowers of the dean's walk between the two walls which we've discussed very recently and i'm standing uh or sitting rather beside this lovely lovely mullein which looks like a tall candle here flowering in the middle of the valerian here and the white achillea also lovely wild flowers uh but uh kemi and winnie will deal with some of the thistles quite easily the thistles look quite pretty when they're flowering those flowers must be clipped off before they seed or we get thistles absolutely everywhere but meanwhile someone's going to enjoy them a little bit but at the moment they're enjoying the remains of our friday fish and chips which we always save a bit for and that's a special treat for mother and the one daughter who's there to keep her company let's go back to our parable of the talents this is told also in st luke's gospel but here in st matthew's gospel the word talent is used and it was of course a a roman coin of enormous value 6 000 denarii for each talent but we because of this parable we in the english language have appropriated that word to mean special gifts and skills or a special gift and skill that a human being has a particular talent it comes just from that from that roman coin word but the inference and the way in which it's used comes from this parable told exactly in the way that matthew has told it special matthew shall we call it in the way of his telling this parable and one has to put at the beginning the kingdom of heaven is like there's a special word also a special phrase also that matthew uses at the end of this which is a favorite of matthews i think it's used once in saint luke's but the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth that's very much matthew language saying that it'll be a place of great happiness once the the the folk have missed the boat here are warning lessons act now find the resources now we saw all that yesterday in the parable of the maidens who went out and were naturally sleepy waiting for the bridegroom but then five of them when they woke had brought enough oil to keep the lamps burning to greet him and the other five uh just had no time now to get the lambs well it's not that parable we're dealing with today but the lesson is much the same that what is given and expected of those with a duty to do will in the end be required of them and that is something that just over arches the three great stories of the kingdom of heaven in the way matthew tells it for his people at that time and then hands it on to us in his evangel his gospel what we have here is not only the the sense of these enormous sums of money but also the character of the servants and the master in the parable remember this is a story it's it's a a kind of metaphor for an aspect of the kingdom of heaven for jesus always says the kingdom of heaven is like for nothing on earth can describe it but little aspects of it can be given in the pictures and even in the words and the the fig tree with its fruitfulness or no fruitfulness and the vine all of those things and at this time we're thinking of resources given and how they're used and clearly the master already has a good idea of the servants capacity to fulfill their duties and be willing to fulfill them and on this occasion the first servant is clearly the one that you trust most because that servant is given more and the servant then takes the five talents and he makes of them while the master is away ten talents here's your five and this is what i've done with the gifts you gave me the talents you gave me and then likewise with the second servant there's trust there but the responsibility is less and then the first servant well obviously the master knows that servant as well for little is entrusted but even that is too much and the servant is afraid of taking the risk of using the talent you can see that as a a special unique creative gift for that servant or you can see it as the what it is a a sum of money six thousand denarii given to that servant just the one talent and the master is away when he returns he calls them and we we see and there's a rhythmic progression to this parable which is really lovely um and as that rhythmic progression happens the same thing is said to the first two servants well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your master quite often enter into the joy of your lord and those two receive that and that the sense of the the joy which is is is there a waiting but they've come from working in the lord's vineyard if you like or fulfilling what is expected of them in duty and fruitfulness and coming to return rather like the disciples return from their mission the in the mission of the twelve and the mission of the seventy when they return and jesus welcomes them back there's that sense also but with the last one it's the servant who analyzes the character of the master i knew that you were a hard man reaping where you had not sown seed and leaving it to others really and the master doesn't in the parable doesn't quibble with that that is what is expected that that which is given if you like the broken fragments of the bread collected from the feeding of the 5000 will now be taken into the hands of those scent and used to take that good news that gospel that evangel out into areas which have never received that gift and to kindle the desire to use the talents all of that is contained in this parable and there are there are rather like in any drama where there's a an an allegory going on um there are things which people can can say as children like to say the same thing several times in a story or even the psalmist repeats the same thing several times in the psalm and here well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your lord twice and then weeping and gnashing of teeth that uh becomes a methane's statement but all is there talking about the fact that time is an a finite quality and talents are unique and i'm using that word as we use it now in our english language meaning unique gifts of creativity completely different for each one and sometimes lying hidden and buried until they're discovered and when they're realized they're there to be used and shared and developed and that's what this parable is about it's told in a dramatic form because matthew is urgent to give his little christian community in that time when there are so many dangers around giving them the the the choice of using what they've been given to the glory of the kingdom so that the kingdom of heaven becomes like the ending of the five thousand the feeding of the five thousand as i've said when the baskets of fragments are taken up by others to be broken and given elsewhere and used seed spread by the sower just as the seed is spread as i was talking about the thistle down which hasn't appeared yet and won't appear for a little bit yet but pretty soon um and will float around the earth produces of itself but the gifts that humanity is capable of are talents which are unique to each one of us and so we rejoice today and give thanks for the word of talent which comes from this very parable that means so many things to us and the encouragement of each other to use their talents you're so talented people say to to folk it's a lovely thing to say and uh that we shall be saying right across this weekend because tonight we have the summer concert of our girls choir and already and i'm not in the least bit surprised already it's a sellout because we're here to give thanks for all the music they produce if you live nearby don't worry and if you live across the world you can do this too you can actually watch it online or afterwards you can you can receive it and play it again and there's also even if you're not able to come an opportunity to give to that but so that the resources can be given and the the music can multiply and that we hope will happen but this is a weekend of giving thanks for talents tomorrow it will be same with our boy choristers because this is always called tomorrow sob sunday when people grieve because they're leaving the community and their their life of of singing here in this community but they're going out to use those talents in a much much greater way and at the wedding yesterday when old foresters came back to sing for george who i said was the sub organist of norwich cathedral and brought many of his musical friends from our sister cathedral in norwich when they sang the great anson paris anthem blessed pair of sirens then the voices of those who had been young and even children when they were here just filled the building and outside too with the grand organ in its restored state just playing the music with enormous joy giving thanks for talents on this day well the dates that we are given today just fit with that beautifully because this was the day this summer day of the 17th of july 1717 when king george the first who couldn't speak english and had come over from hanover to be the king of england and probably needed interpreter for for most of his reign and didn't spend too much time in england anyway but was here and he had commissioned from handel whom he'd already known in hanover but had had come to england in the reign of queen anne but george already knew him and george wanted a festival which the people would enjoy in london and they would see their new king in a different light she felt and so he requested handel to write music to be played on the river thames by 50 musicians in a great barge and the king and those he had invited into another barge setting off from whitehall palace at eight o'clock in the evening and many many other boats came to join them from the citizens and handel's water music was played for the first time we tend to be used to the suite from handles of water music but in fact it contains three different suites it was a long piece and the king asked as the tide carried them up river to chelsea the king asked that it be played over three times musicians exhausted by the end of that the king stopped for supper at chelsea and got off the barge and at 11 o'clock at night got back on the barge and asked for all the music to be played again by the exhausted musicians as this time they went in the other direction back to whitewall palace well how thankful are we that that wonderful music by george frederick handel that orchestral music early in his career in england was performed and commissioned for the particularly the hornpipe of the the water music has been used on grand occasions and is so well known but at the same time how many times have i been in a country church or any church where i'm waiting to take the service and here the organist i remember it even at our little parish church at home the organist playing the air from handel's water music and that tune that da easy playing uh but just a melody that's that's caught our imagination gives us a chance to thank god for the music of handel in the way in which he wrote the stories of the scriptures not only messiah but one thinks of israel in egypt and the way he portrayed all the plagues and but i would want also to thank him for the music from judas maccabeeus and for the tunes see the conquering hero comes which is now used and was used at a funeral that we had the day before yesterday for the music for the easter hymn thine be the glory risen conquering sun handel had a gift for lifting the spirits in that way a talent and we're encouraged by handel's talent to use our own talents may they be completely different talents in any kind of creative work you can think of even in the making of relationships which is one of the best because it encourages others to discover their talents as well and then again if i go back to the date july the 17th in on july the 17th 1674 isaac watts was born now watts is really known as the godfather of english hymnady he wrote over 600 hymns and much more too uh wrote cautionary verses and and uh their parodied those cautionary verses in rather like hillary bellock yesterday with matilda but they're parroted by lewis carroll in alice in wonderland but let's think of his hymns because they are glorious hymns he spent most of his life as guests of the abney family at abney hall near stoke newington which had beautiful gardens and a place to go and sit and think and write his hymns and he gave those from his talent as gifts to us all to encourage us some of them are the most sublime hymns and i think if i would take top of the the chart is when i survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died my richest gain i count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride that him so much part of our christian hymnady but very much part of our own spiritual um resource to to to set the cross before us it's worth reading the whole hymn other hymns joy to the world the lord has come the christmas hymn um oh god our help in ages past which we've quoted over and over again a metrical version of psalm 90 and then jesus shall reign where air the sun that has that lovely line let every creature here's a creature here because winnie has come to be here with me with the flowers and have her a little morning scratch here um let every creature rise and bring peculiar peculiar honors to their king peculiar in that sense means unique honours i think of the the way in which gerald manny hopkins uses in his poetry the word inscape which means that by being absolutely themselves everything living on earth is giving glory to god let every creature rise and bring peculiar honors to their king that we in human terms need to discover what being ourself really means it's the first of the maxims of of the oracle of delphi know yourself and uh that is something that we ask the spirit's guidance in knowing so that we can discover in ourselves those talents so great praise to isaac watts there is one hymn that i do want to read and it's a beautiful one um but this is it there is a land of pure delight where saints immortal rain infinite day excludes the night and pleasures banish pain their everlasting spring abides and never withering flowers death like a narrow sea divides this heavenly land from ours sweet fields beyond the swelling flood stand dressed in living green so to the jews old canaan stood while jordan rolled between but timorous mortals start and shrink to cross this narrow way this narrow sea and linger shivering on the brink and fear to launch away oh could we make our doubts remove these gloomy doubts that rise and see the canaan that we love with unbeclouded eyes could we but climb where moses stood and view the landscape or not jordan's stream nor death's cold flood should frighten us from that shore a wonderful vision from isaac watts using his talent and then lastly um on this day on the 17th of july 90 1903 i've lost little winnie oh she's behind me um on the 17th of july 1903 james mcneil whistler the american painter who was painting most of his life here in england died and we remember him for many beautiful landscapes particularly the liver of the river thames and the river thames at night and those scenes which in color give atmosphere but we remember him also for beautiful portraits of people very fashionable people painted with a reality which was stark but perhaps one remembers him most for that portrait of his mother in all her character in all her severity i will say no frills this is mother and whistler in his talent for painting gives us just that a morning when we think about talents i have to say that i'd always thought that the other whistlers rex and lawrence were related to this whistler and i find it's not true but in fact uh we'll come to rex tomorrow because it's a day connected with him so i'm going to talk about him tomorrow instead and so let's uh think of the talents today of those given to us george frederick handel isaac watts james mcneil whistler and oh so many more but it might be a good thing for you on this day to give thanks for the special talents of those that you know to encourage them and to tell them what wonderful talents they are and what they've meant to you but at the same time to quarry deep inside yourself to see if there are any talents which you have buried deep in the ground because you've been frightened of the risk of using them let's say our prayers then on this particular day and bring your own prayers and intentions our own prayers in the anglican communion today are for the diocese of north dakota in the episcopal church of the united states and we continue in our own diocese as we pray for archbishop justin bishop rose of dover bishop tim at lambeth to pray for the parishes of the maidstone deanery which we shall name day by day but today we are praying for all clergy who have permission to help out in those parishes permission to officiate and the list is long but we give thanks for that ministry in the area deanery of maidstone we have a candle today to support our prayers this lovely mullein which bees have visited while i've been talking to you busy with their talent to make sweet honey so let's say the prayer and remember our friends in terrible trouble in those desperate floods in germany and northern france and luxembourg and belgium and the netherlands at the moment so the collect for the last time for this week a god you have prepared for those who love you such good things as pass our understanding pour into our hearts such love towards you that we loving you above all things may obtain your promises which exceed all that we can desire through jesus christ our lord amen together in our own language the prayer our savior taught us our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever are men moment for your own prayers on this day do okay god give you grace to use your talent for the good of his kingdom and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you upon those whom you love and those whom you would pray for today and always amen clemmy and winnie i'll go down and join them for a bit hi you're hiding in the thistles you've made a bed here for yourself well you're going to have a comfortable day that's lovely and shady when the sun gets hot we'll come and see you again later all right little girl all right going into hiding