It is most important to remember when visiting the Holy Sepulcher that you are at a very ancient site. The first shrine over the holy tomb was built at the request of Helena the mother on the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century and there are many remains to be seen today of the great church of Justinian built in the 6th century. The present building is largely Crusader from the 12th century. Jerusalem itself has been conquered and rebuilt many times over the 2000 years. Vespasian flattened it in AD71 and other conquerors have done their damage. In addition the walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt several times and the Ottoman walls we see today enclose a far greater area than the walls of Jesus’ day. Not only has the shape of the city changed but it has been built on and over many times. After the 1968 War and the destruction of much of the Jewish Quarter, extensive excavations were able to be carried out, revealing an amazing amount of commercial and residential building from the Roman times, all of it one floor below the ground level of the modern city.

And so one enters the Holy Sepulcher. On my second visit with a wonderful guide leading us we began our visit by touching the top of Calvary. In itself that experience does not make sense because it is almost impossible to appreciate that you are on top of hill or outcrop. But our guide slowly led us down through the building for something like four floors stopping every so often to point out the outcrop of rock which is reputed to be Calvary. Finally we reached the excavations under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which were made in the last 50 years and which revealed that the church was built over an ancient quarry from which the stones of the Temple had been cut. Standing on what would have been the quarry floor way below the main part of the Church you could get an idea of an outcrop of rock rising out of and above the quarry. One of the most thrilling discoveries in those excavations was a piece of graffiti dating from the 2nd century which depicts a boat with oars with the latin inscription, “we have come”. It is almost certainly Christian graffiti predating Helena’s shrine attesting to the authenticity of the site of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This site had been revered and honored from the earliest Christian times. But what struck me even more was when looking at the rock surface of the outcrop reputed to be Calvary was to be told that an Australian geologist several years before in a similar group had said “this is spoiled stone unsuitable for quarrying. That is why this seam was not touched.” Our guide simply added: “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.”

Yes I thought the rock of rejection, that is Calvary, signifying as it does to us the place of the crucifixion and defeat of Jesus, has become through the mighty act of God in the resurrection, the sign of God’s victory, of Good over Evil. Since that powerful experience not only has the Church of the Holy Sepulcher taken on new significance for me but the references to rocks and stones in the scriptures have come alive.

Jacob in response to his vision of the ladder linking earth and heaven and heaven and earth took a stone and used it as a base for a pillar to mark the place which he regarded as the house of God and the gate of heaven. Peter in the second reading elaborates on the image of stones referring both to the Rock or the “living stone” which is Christ upon which faith is built but also to ourselves who are to be “living stones” constructed into spiritual house.

Of course rocks and stones have much to do with foundations and are appropriate today as we celebrate the 158th anniversary of the foundation of this church. It is easier for us to focus on what we see, that is this church, a place we love and cherish. And yet we know that beyond what we see here is the vision of the parish’s founder but even more so the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Father Houghton was not building for his own gratification or reputation when he founded the Church of the Transfiguration. No, he wanted to build a church to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to this part of the city available freely and for all. He strove to make this place one of welcome and availability. Early commentators mentioned the fact that this church was open every day and that there were daily services. That may not seem so remarkable to us but it is a witness we have maintained. We are here for all who come.

The church building itself has been adorned and extended. One hundred years ago the exquisite Chapel of St Mary was added by the second Father Houghton as a memorial to his wife. Eighty years ago the altar piece in the Holy Family Chapel known as the Brides’ Altar was added through the gifts of brides who had been married here. The building has grown and like any building shows signs of its age. Much is being done and there is much more to be done to keep this building as a living sanctuary for the future. The second parish house was demolished last year to make way for our new parish house which will be the first four floors of Sky House. All this provides challenge to the parish to maintain and to utilize the buildings. But much more importantly on this day is to renew the faith that undergirds our vision and mission in this place. Jacob experienced the vision of God in that holy place in the desert. Jesus visited the holy place of the Temple at Jerusalem which he found necessary to cleanse before he prayed. Peter writing at time when the Jerusalem Temple was no more recognized that far more important than the buildings was the faithful, dedicated and committed heart. That is what will make us a strong parish; that is what will inspire our vision and our mission; that is what will be the foundation for our dedication to God’s future for this place.   Amen

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