Sunday Sermon, 14 June 2026
The Second Sunday of Trinity, St Andrew’s Church, Sedbergh
You can read the sermon below, or listen here:
A reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Romans 5.1–8 NRSVA
Last month, a friend and I went to see Paul Simon live in concert in Liverpool. It was a great gig!
But I was aware what a privilege it was. As we arrived at the venue we had to show the tickets that gained us access. Although we went for the most affordable seats, they were still expensive, and out of the reach of many people. As we entered the vast arena, we could see the premium front row seats that cost even more. As I looked up to the luxury corporate booths, I saw business people and executives who had access to complimentary tickets out of the reach of us ordinary folk. And of course, there are always those lucky few who get to go backstage and meet the performer themselves.
This is just one example of the many social hierarchies that shape and form our society. In every area of life, there are structures which privilege those who hold wealth, power, and status. This phenomenon has been referred to as the ‘Social Pyramid’ – a few at the top, with the majority at the bottom.
It was even more pronounced in the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago, when St Paul wrote his letter to the Christians living in Rome. The emperor was at the top of the pyramid, and the vast majority were at the lowest levels, living in poverty, or close to it. In their day, as in ours, they knew that access to the best that society offers was only available to the privileged few.
This is why St Paul’s letter to the Romans is like a lightning bolt from the sky, which challenges and subverts the traditional power structures.
In it, he preaches a radical new message – the idea that access to God and the spiritual life is in no way limited by human social expectations or achievements. Rather, it is open to all.
He writes to the Romans that through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, “we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand.” (Romans 5:2 NRSVA)
The language Paul is using here is reminiscent of a throne room. Usually only those who are worthy of honour are permitted to approach the sovereign. In our country, an audience with the King is the privilege of just a select few (although I know there are some in our congregation who have had the honour of meeting King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales!)
But St Paul is teaching that access to God is open to all. We gain access to God not because of our own social standing, or our own achievements, or our own good deeds – it rests upon God’s love and initiative, and this access is offered to everyone through the preaching of the Gospel.
It is summarised at the end of our passage this morning: “God proves his love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
In the book of Romans, Paul takes time to explain that all humanity is in the same situation – we have all fallen short of God’s glory, we have all sinned, and the only way to be made right with God is not through our human effort, but through trusting in Jesus Christ.
This is why it depends on faith, not works. God has made peace with us, through Christ, even though we don’t deserve it. All that is required of us is to accept the free gift, and to trust that we have access to God because of Christ’s saving work.
This is a radical message, both at the personal and the social level.
It is significant personally, because it reminds us that God’s love for us doesn’t rest on our own good works or accomplishments.
There are often times when we are tempted to feel that it is only a select few who are worthy to come into the presence of God, and kneel before his throne. Perhaps only those who are truly righteous, pious, or humble, like the great saints of old. Certainly not someone ordinary like me or you. After all, God sees into our hearts. He knows our deepest thoughts and desires, and we may feel deep down that we are not worthy of coming before him or gaining access to his throne.
But this is precisely Paul’s point. It is in our weakness that God has opened a way for us to come before him. He removes our shame, he gives us a living hope, and he invites us into the heavenly places. We have free access to God, and this is received by faith as a gift, not through our own works.
This gospel message is also significant for society, because if all people have been offered access to God regardless of background or situation, it follows that we should seek to reflect this in society by removing the hierarchies and power structures which privilege just the few.
This is one of the reasons St Paul is writing to the Romans. He is concerned that they have separated into different groups – Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, and what he refers to as the ‘strong’ and the ‘weak’. But the church is not meant to reflect social hierarchies. It is meant to be a place of radical acceptance and welcome, where we do not distinguish according to social status.
In a world which now has its first trillionaire, it causes us to reflect on the gap between rich and poor. While we can be thankful that our society has historically valued universal access to education, healthcare, and opportunity, we must also recognise that our world remains deeply unjust in many ways, and the gap between rich and poor is increasing. As the church, the Gospel compels us to be concerned about these things. God’s love is made real and tangible in our love of neighbour and care for wider society.
I began by sharing my experience of a Paul Simon concert recently. I’d like to close with a thought from one of his later songs, called ‘Wristband’. In this song, he reflects on the way in which access is limited in our society to those with wealth and status. The chorus goes like this:
Wristband, my man, you've got to have a wristband
If you don't have a wristband, my man
You don't get through the door.
There are many doors which are closed to the poor and those of low status in our society.
St Paul’s radical gospel message tells us that the most important door – the door to peace with God, and the gift of the Holy Spirit – is open to all.
May our church become a place which reflects this generosity and openness. May we be excited to share the generous love of God with those around us. May we welcome one another as we have been welcomed by Christ. And may we delight in the grace in which we stand, and in the hope of salvation that we have been freely given.
Amen.