Muttering

What is Muttering?

A dictionary definition:

mut·ter (mtr)
v. mut·tered, mut·ter·ing, mut·ters
v.intr.
1. To speak indistinctly in low tones.
2. To complain or grumble morosely.
v.tr.
To utter or say in low indistinct tones.
n.
A low grumble or indistinct utterance.

On the day I was licensed as priest in charge at St. Mark's Bishop Geoff leant out the pulpit, wagged his finger at the congregation and said "No muttering". Apparently the congregation had a reputation for grumbling and complaining. I suspect that some have reverted back into this old habit, but as it is "a low grumble of indistinct utterance" I never quite hear it first hand. I just get second-hand reports and see the effects of this when people "vote with their feet".

Why Do People Mutter?

We mutter for a variety of reasons: because we don't get what we want; or we don't get what we expect; or we don't like what we get; or we just don't like the discomfort caused by change. A few years ago I heard the former Bishop of Durham say, "I was shocked by the selfishness of people in the churches!" He found it very difficult to bring about the change that he could so clearly see was necessary for the future health of the church in his Diocese.

The Danger of Unbelief

The people of Israel used to mutter and grumble about Moses and Aaron. In Numbers 14 they even wanted to go back to Egypt rather than enter the Promised Land. It got so bad at one point that it turned to anger and "the whole assembly talked about stoning them" (v10). God was not pleased with their contempt for His promises and their lack of faith. They then had to endure 40 years wandering in the wilderness. I hope the Church in Bredbury will not make the same mistake. I hope we will heed the warning of Hebrews 3:7-19

7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” 12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” 16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Indifference about the Lost Sheep

In Luke 15 the Pharisees were muttering about Jesus. "This man," they said, "welcomes sinners and eats with them!" So Jesus told a few stories. One was a story about a shepherd who cared so much about a single lost sheep that he left the other 99 (who were not lost) to look after themselves while he went searching.

Jesus doesn't elaborate about the bleating that went on while the shepherd was away. Here in Bredbury I suspect that I may have upset a few folk when I reminded them at the last Annual Meeting that we are Parish of 10,000 people with a church membership of 150. As I have the cure of souls for the whole Parish if I were to apportion my time fairly, based on a 50 hour working week, I would be spending 45 minutes a week with them. I did try to reassure everyone that they would be getting more time than this, but I was trying to make the point that we church folk can be very wrapped up in ourselves, our services and what we want, when Jesus is calling us to journey out to meet the people who don't want to come to church.

Earlier this year we also started a fortnightly "Interactive" cafe-style church service on Sunday mornings at the same time as the normal Anglican hymn-sandwich style service. This means that on one Sunday a month I am not in the "Victorian" building. I suspect that a big part of the grumbling and muttering that occurred over the summer was because the people who put the money on the plate don't think they are getting their money's worth at their preferred service. The fact that the "Interactive" service is proving to be a haven for lost sheep doesn't seem to have sunk in yet.

Missing Out on the Party

Jesus went on in Luke 15 to tell the story of a Father with two sons. One son left home and was wasting his life away. The other stayed at home and "slaved" for his Father. When the lost son came home the Father threw a huge party to celebrate, but the older son would not join in. He was too angry.

There are a couple of sad things about this story. Firstly, the older son never shared his Father's compassion for his lost brother. He was just critical and condemning. Secondly, the older son felt like a slave. He was serving his Father out of duty rather than love. Both sons were lost, but only one of them realised it.

Many church people are missing out on the party because they have not yet made the journey from servanthood to sonship. There are some who have not experienced the transforming love of the Father for themselves and so they do not share his generous heart for the lost.

O Lord have mercy on your church!