Faith Story by Oliver Dingwell

It may be a surprise to you, but when Miriam found out that I would be in St. John’s this weekend and asked me if would share my faith story, I responded with a very adamant no.

            Our wonderful tradition here at Cochrane Street of sharing our faith stories during lent was an idea that Miriam and I decided to implement during Lent 2016 and it has been a wonderful blessing to us all. The stories that have been shared here over the past two years have given us inspiration and insight, challenge and wisdom. I, too, was inspired by the words of various members of our church family and it made me think deeper about my own faith, especially as I began writing applications and lengthy essays for ordination and seminary. However, I have never felt the need, or the desire to publicly share my own story of faith. I think that probably stems from a fear of what some have described as the dirtiest and most taboo word in The United Church of Canada: evangelism.

            However, evangelism does not have to present itself in the same harmful way that we see in The United States of America, where there is an attitude of Christian supremacy, where the need and desire to convert heathens is still at the heart of many evangelical churches. Instead, evangelism can be a public witness to the power of faith in our lives, it can be a testimony to the power of love working in and through us. Evangelism can be an active living out of our faith, speaking out against the injustices of our world that prevent love from being fully realized. Evangelism doesn’t have to be a dirty word.

            I hemmed and hawed over Miriam’s proposal until I eventually decided yes. I hope that my own personal story of my experiences within the church and with my faith are of some interest to you all.

            For as long as I can remember, I have been involved in the church. I have always felt a call to ordained ministry. I legitimately cannot remember a time when the church was not a central part of life – to this day I can count on one hand all the times I missed worship on Sunday morning.

            This relationship with the church, faith, and spirituality, was not the overwhelming trend for the rest of my family. Although my maternal grandparents were faithful church goers and very active members of our home congregation, serving on session, stewards and were members of the men’s club and UCW; they were certainly the exception to the rule.

My parents and my paternal grandparents were not regular churchgoers. Although my paternal grandfather attended church most Sundays he was not heavily involved in the life and work of the church. On the other hand, my paternal grandmother’s faith can be best described as “staunch” atheist. A quick aside, the famous family story is that in her last months, Rev. Clayton Parsons (who some of you may know) came to visit her. My grandmother was not well, and as Clayton went to leave, he told her, “Joyce, if I don’t see you later, I’ll see you on the other side.”

 “Yeah, don’t count on it” was my grandmothers reply. It may have been the only time that Rev. Parsons was ever left speechless.

My parents attended church casually, probably two Sundays a month at best. They did not serve on committees or anything like that. This all changed around the time I turned two. The “terrible twos” I believe they’re called. For whatever reason, I would wake up on Sunday morning and insist that we would be going to church that day. If the answer was no, I would throw wild and now, legendary, temper tantrums. Needless to say, my parents became regular churchgoers pretty quickly – and the rest is now history, Mom now serves as the Clerk of Session and Dad as the Church Treasurer in our home congregation of Humber United in Corner Brook.

            My talent for singing was quickly becoming apparent around this time as well. The story goes that I would be walking around the house, singing (or screaming – it’s not quite clear), at the absolute top of my lungs – “O LORD MY GOD, O LORD MY GOD” over and over and over. My parents had absolutely no idea what to make of this, but it was eventually discovered that I was trying to sing the first line of the introit that my congregation used every Sunday, “How Great Thou Art.”

One year later, at the age of three, I had taken to singing solos of “How Great Thou Art” after church. The organist would gently accompany me and a small, but faithful crowd of grey-haired ladies would sit and listen to me sing the same solo week after week. Soon after this became a regular performance, I decided that I had enough experience – so at the tender age of three, I decided that it was time to join the Senior Choir. And so I did. One of the old Junior Choir gowns was altered and I proudly took my place in the choir loft along with the other members of the choir as I belted out the introit, “How Great Thou Art” each and every Sunday.

There are too many good stories from my childhood regarding church to tell you here – we would be here well into the evening if I had to regale you with all of them. The highlights include: forcing my entire family, including my atheist grandmother, to participate as I played church on Sunday evenings after family supper (complete with actual bulletins and miniature hymn boards that my father had made for me for Christmas) or instead of playing with a dollhouse or actions figures like other children, my Beanie Babies would take part in General Councils and Congregational Meetings – because that seemed perfectly normal to me. 

It was around this time that I also grew deeply suspicious of Sunday School – “why did I have to go downstairs when everyone else got to stay up there? What were they doing up there? What was I missing?” So around age six or seven I stopped going to Sunday School and stayed upstairs for the entire service – which, I think, seemed perfectly normal to the rest of the congregation, I think the only ones who were displeased may have been my parents, not because they objected to me being upstairs, but because they were the Sunday School Superintendents at the time of my revolt.

As I grew older, I was of course, confirmed and began to take on a more active leadership role in the church. At the age of twelve, I chaired my first church committee “The 50th Anniversary Committee for Humber United Church” – looking back on this, I now realize that my mother actually did most of the work, but I was immensely proud to be the chair of a committee. At the age of twelve I was also given the opportunity to lead worship and preach one Sunday when our minister was away – I was so excited for this opportunity. I can still remember that the Old Testament reading for that day was Noah and the Flood, and I compared it to the American reality show Survivor, which was at the peak of its popularity. I called Noah, “the ultimate survivor.” Looking back on the manuscript and knowing what I know now, it was a pretty terrible sermon, but… not bad for a twelve year old.

Throughout high school I took on a greater role within the church: becoming a member of session and becoming the youngest Chair of the Official Board in the history of the United Church of Canada. Also around this time, I began exploring what was happening beyond the walls of my own congregation: I took an interest in the United Church’s commitment to social justice and to living out our faith at all times, just not on Sundays, echoing the words of the Letter of James: “let us be doers of the word and not hearers only.” I started to attend district and conference meetings and sit on those committees as well, and in 2012, I served as a Commissioner to General Council in Ottawa.

When I came to University, I was misled by attending another United Church here in St. John’s (which shall remain nameless), but I eventually came to find this wonderful community here at Cochrane Street. Here I was able to grow and be supported by this congregation of wonderful people and receive mentorship, support, and lots of understanding from Miriam. It broke my heart to leave here in 2016, but I have been lucky enough to find another rich community of faith in Toronto where I can feel supported and encouraged as well, although, it will never replace Cochrane Street.

Now all of this is not to say that my experiences with the church have always been positive. I have often, especially in my earlier years, left committee meetings and church events with tears streaming down my face. There were those who discouraged and even sought to prohibit me from participating in certain aspects of church life when I was in junior high, there were those who thought that I was too involved in the church for a young person, and there were those who discredited my ideas. I have served as a verbal punching bag for clergy and laity alike, and often when I doubt myself, those screams of anger and belittlement still ring in my ears. Being this young and being this active in church means that although I have experienced the best of the church from a very young age, I have also experienced it at its worst.

It may surprise you, that more than once I have thought about leaving the church, about throwing in the towel and doing something else in life entirely. However, in my experience, the call to ministry, the call to a life of faith is like a bungee cord – each time you try and run away from that calling, you get flung back to it. Despite all the negative aspects I have experienced in the church, I have always known that God’s love is so ridiculously wide that I can never escape from that embrace.

I still have no idea what drew me to the church at such a young age or what keeps me here. Perhaps it was the fellowship, perhaps it was the music, or perhaps it was the community friendly and supportive people. Perhaps it is the unending love of God that keeps calling me back, giving me no other choice but to live my life in response to wonderful gift of unconditional love. Whatever it was, it stuck, and it continues to stick.

As I go forward in life, in ministry; my greatest hope is that I can help the church continue to operate at its best and not at its worst. To enable the church to be a place of love, compassion and caring – a place of family and belonging, for people like me, and for people like you. That is my story of faith – a story where God’s love, support, and encouragement is lived out through ordinary people doing extraordinary things. May we all know God’s love in this way. Amen.

Beloved

            I love the story of the transfiguration. It is full of mystery. There is no way to explain it or make sense of it so I’m not going to try. It is simply one of those glorious holy moments when God comes close and something amazing happens. It seems to me that it happens at just the right moment.

The disciples have been with Jesus for quite a while. They’ve heard him teach. They’ve seen him heal. They’ve watched him change the world around him. But lately Jesus has started talking about things that the disciples don’t quite understand.  And not only do they not understand it, they don’t like it. Jesus is talking about dying and being rejected and rising in three days. It was confusing for the disciples. It sounds like the end of something that has given them so much life. The disciples want to press rewind and go back to the days when Jesus was healing and teaching. It was easier. There was no shadow hanging over them. No end in sight.

            Our gospel reading begins with an invitation. Jesus invites Peter and James and John on a bit of road trip up the mountain. I imagine the disciples walking up the winding path to the top of the mountain heavy hearts because they don’t what is going on. But then Jesus was always surprising them so this was nothing new. When they finally reach the top of the mountain something extraordinary happens. It says in our reading that Jesus “was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.” (Mark 9:2 – 3) But it doesn’t stop there. Elijah and Moses appear. They are to Jesus. About what? The gospel doesn’t say. And Peter, well Peter just doesn’t know what to do or what to say. He, along with James and John are terrified. Not knowing what to say or do, Peter calls out, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here, let us make three dwelling places, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Mark 9:6)   The words are barely out of Peter’s mouth when a cloud overshadows them, and a voice says, “This is my son, the beloved, listen to him!” (Mark 9:7)

            These words echo the words from Jesus’ baptism at the beginning of Marks’ Gospel. It is a promise of love. Dr. Matt Skinner writes, “Because the Transfiguration is so bizarre and unusual, it can be easy to assume that we’re supposed to approach it with sober reverence and awe. But that isn’t how God views it. For God, the Transfiguration presents an opportunity to declare love for the one called “Son.” If God is capable of smiling, this would be the occasion in which that happens. I don’t see how anyone can talk of one’s “beloved” without breaking into a pleased grin.” (https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2341)

            For one shinning holy moment Jesus stood in the glory of God basking in that love. Peter, James and John are reminded that Jesus is God’s beloved. It somehow puts all those things Jesus has been talking about death, rejection and rising into perspective. They are insignificant when they are reminded Jesus is God’s beloved. Peter fill with both terror and awe wants to hold onto this holy moment. The challenge of those holy times when God comes near to us, is that they come so quickly and are over so quickly. It says in verse 8, “Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus.” (Mark 2:8) As they walk down the mountain, they are no longer worried about what comes next. They know what they must do. Listen to Jesus.

            I think that we all need those holy moments that remind us what we are about as a people of faith. It can be hard – especially when it seems like everything is going wrong. We don’t know when those holy moments are going to come. God’s love, as we will sing later, colours outside the lines and is always full of surprises. Here is what we know. God is love. God is with us in our doubt, in our sorrow and in our joy. When God calls Jesus beloved, God is reminding Jesus who he is and what he is about – love at work in the world. Jesus and the disciples, leave the holy place, God’s words echoing are echoing in their hearts. “This is son, the beloved. Listen to him.”

It’s a message for us today. For those moments when we get discouraged or when we forget that God loves us. We can remember God’s words to Jesus because they are for us too. And if we listen to Jesus and follow in his ways, then our world will be filled with loving community. Because when we love our neighbours as ourselves and we do unto others as you would have them do unto you, our world is a better place for everyone. It means safe places to live and food on the table and abundant life for all. And when the task seems daunting, we remember that each day God whispers in our ears, “You are my beloved, with you I am well pleased. Amen

Unclean Spirits?

The reading from Mark is one of those ones that doesn’t easily translate into our modern context. We don’t often talk about unclean spirits or demon let alone someone command that unclean spirit to leave. We see it maybe in sci-fi movies or maybe alien moves.

Just because it doesn’t easily translate to our modern world, doesn’t mean that we don’t know about unclean spirits or long for someone to command those demons to be gone. We know demons – we call them things like low self-esteem, self-doubt, anxiety, depression, perfectionism, anger, addiction to any number of things drugs, food, shopping alcohol, money. We know demons in our world, we just call them by different names. Maybe your unclean spirit is the voice inside your head that keeps telling you that you aren’t good enough as you are or maybe fear isolates you from community. Nadia Bolz-Webber Pastor, preacher and author writes, “I’ve confessed this before but I don’t always know what to do when it comes to talk about demons in the Bible.  Especially when the demons talk and have names and stuff like that. I’m never sure if back then they had the exact same things going on that we do, but they didn’t know about things like epilepsy or mental illness so they just called it all demon possession.  …But I do know that many of you, like myself, have suffered from addictions and compulsions and depression – things that have gotten ahold of us, making us do things we don’t want to. Or making you think you love things, or substances or people that are really destructive. So maybe if that, in part, is what having a demon is, maybe if it’s being taken over by something destructive, then possession is less of an anachronism, and more of an epidemic.” (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber/2013/06/demon-possession-and-why-i-named-my-depression-francis/)

Uncleans spirits or demons in our world today are those things that take us on a self-destructive path. I wonder how many of us hear wrestle with our own personal demons. I call my worry and anger and self-doubt.  What names do you call your demons?

And there are days when I wish I could tell that demon to leave me alone as Jesus did in our reading today. In our reading from Mark this morning is Jesus first public act of ministry. So far in chapter 1 we have John preparing the way, Jesus’ baptism, and forty days being tempted in the desert Satan. Jesus called his first disciples and together the go to Capernaum which is where we start today.

Jesus is in the temple and he begins to teach and everyone who hears him is amazed. They say he teaches like one with authority. He wasn’t anything like the scribes. The words of scripture came to life in new ways. As Jesus is teaching, a man enters the temple and he is filled with “an unclean spirit” (Mark 1:23) We don’t really know what that unclean spirit ways. The minute the man enters, he cries out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazraeth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:24) But Jesus has no part of these unclean spirits and say, “Be silent, and come out of him.” (Mark 1:25) And the unclean spirit leaves the man. And now the crowd is even more amazed.

David Lose in his commentary on this text writes, “Notice that the very first thing Jesus does in Mark’s Gospel is cast out an unclean spirit. We don’t always know exactly how to process “unclean spirit” in modern terms (and certainly want to avoid the way it has been conflated with mental illness over the centuries!), but from other passages in Mark we can easily imagine its impact and effects on the life of the man this spirit holds captive. He has likely become a danger to himself and others. If he hasn’t already, he will likely soon be socially ostracized. And we can imagine the distress of those who love him. Anguish over his plight, fear about his future. (http://www.davidlose.net/2018/01/epiphany-4-b-against-the-robbers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+davidlose%2FIsqE+%28...In+the+Meantime%29)

Sound familiar? Jesus wasn’t just at work then but at work today. And Jesus stands with us and for us just as he did for that man so long ago in Capernaum. Jesus not only invites us to follow by stands up and says, “Be silent, and come out” to all those unclean spirits that hold us captive.  Our God as David Lose so eloquently puts it, is “God is opposed to anything and everything that robs [us] of abundant life” (http://www.davidlose.net/2018/01/epiphany-4-b-against-the-robbers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+davidlose%2FIsqE+%28...In+the+Meantime%29) Jesus, the Holy One of God, comes to bring us abundant life. It is a gift beyond measure. It is a promise that when the unclean spirits come we are not left on our own. It is not a matter of if it is a matter of when. We all face challenges – some big and some small. In all these challenges Jesus stands with us silencing those demons that do us most harm. Nadia Bolz-Webber, “I think our demons totally recognize Jesus right out of the boat and our demons are afraid of him.  Which is why they try to get us to stay away from people who may remind us how loved we are. Our demons want nothing to do with the love of God in Christ Jesus and so they try to isolate us and tell us that we are not worthy to be called children of God. And these lies are simply things that Jesus does not abide.” (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber/2013/06/demon-possession-and-why-i-named-my-depression-francis/)

Love has a way of making us whole. The love that Jesus showed to the man with an unclean spirit is the love that he shows to each one of us. As we head into this week, carry that promise in your heart and help be that face of love for friends, for family, for neighbours and strangers. Love changes us and it changes the world. It is much like the reminder I had from an article called “The radical but gentle faith of Mister Rogers” How many of you remember Mr. Roger’s neighbourhood? I grew up with his song, “Won’t you be my neighbour?” and the closing benediction, ““You’ve made this day a special day by just your being you. There is no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/01/30/the-radical-but-gentle-faith-of-mister-rogers/?utm_term=.d889e0f741a6) Fred Rogers was also a Presbyterian Minister. He lived his faith by reminding each of us of the importance of caring for one another. It says in the article, “ Rogers thought of the act of loving and accepting someone as your neighbor as holy business, as he said in a 2001 commencement address at Middlebury College: “When we look for what’s best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what God does; so in appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something truly sacred.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/01/30/the-radical-but-gentle-faith-of-mister-rogers/?utm_term=.d889e0f741a6)

Sundays we gather for that reminder that we are God’s beloved children and we can participate in the sacred act of sharing that love with others. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. That is a both gift and promise. Amen.

Fishers of People

I begin with thanks to the people who put together the lectionary. Today we have two great stories about how God calls. First, we hear about Jonah – who really doesn’t want to have anything to do with what God’s call to help the people of Nineveh. Doing exactly what God asked of him! It only took being thrown overboard and sometime in the belly of a whale. In our next reading we have the first disciples who hear nothing but, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” (Mark 1:17) It seems that Simon, Andrew, James and John leap at the chance to follow Jesus. They drop everything to follow him. It is two completely different ways to respond to God’s call and God’s grace. I for one am thankful that God works with us no matter where we find ourselves.

            Today we start with Jonah. A story of God’s grace and the winner of the bible’s prize for most reluctant prophet. God says, “Go” and Jonah runs away. In his attempt to flee from God’s call he gets thrown overboard and spends “three days and three nights” in the belly of a whale. During that time Jonah prayed until finally the whale spit Jonah out on dry land.  Again, God says to Jonah, “Get u, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim the message that I tell you.” (Jonah 3:2) Jonah drags his feet but he goes to Nineveh. When Jonah finally arrives, you can hardly say he spoke a prophetic word with any kind of conviction. Oh yes he said the word that God asked him to speak. But I don’t think he did not put his heart into it. You might say his preaching lacked a certain amount of punch.

I imagine Jonah delivering his prophesy in the most monotone voice he could muster “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” No mention of who was doing the overthrowing. No mention that God had sent him on this mission. No talk of hope or of God’s abundant grace. Just, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” In spite of all that or perhaps because of all that the people of Nineveh listened but Jonah sulks. He is angry because he knows too much about God’s grace. Jonah plain and simple does not like the people of Nineveh. They are his sworn enemies and for him the idea that they would be saved is horrifying. On this front you cannot blame Jonah. The Syrian army was cruel. The King never relented. Some biblical scholars say that the people of Nineveh repented is more unbelievable than Jonah spending three days in the whale.

You can understand why Jonah did not want God’s grace to extend to the people of Nineveh. You can understand why Jonah said no to God and fled. The story of Jonah and Nineveh tells us everything we need to know about God’s grace. Jonah says it best in chapter four, “O Lord! Is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abound in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.”” (Jonah 4:2) God’s love reaches beyond our imagining and invites us to follow in our own ways.

This story is a gentle reminder that in spite of our no’s, God’s answer is always yes. God finds ways to work through us even when we are reluctant to follow or have closed our hearts to the abundant nature of God’s grace.  Jonah did not want to do as God asked, yet God still works through him to change the hearts of the people of Nineveh.

            The story of Jonah stands in stark contrast to our Gospel reading for today. Instead of running the in the other direction – Simon, Andrew, James and John drop everything and follow Jesus. It seems to me that the people of Nineveh and the story of the first disciples have more in common with one another than God’s chosen prophet Jonah and the disciples. When the people of Nineveh hear God’s word proclaimed they stop all that they are doing and repent – and not just a select few. Everyone from the King to the barn animals change their hearts and their ways as they sit in sackcloth and ashes repenting. In the same way, the disciples drop their nets, leave behind family and friends and go to pursue a new calling as fishers of people.

            As usual with the Gospel of Mark, the details are scarce. Here’s what we know. Jesus has just returned from forty days in the desert and John the Baptist has been arrested. Jesus now begins his teaching ministry “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe in the Good News.” That’s all Jesus says before he walks up to Simon and Andrew and says, “Follow Me and I will make you fish for people.”  Simon and Andrew drop their nets and follow. We don’t know if they’d grown tired of fishing or if they’d known Jesus for a while. You might think that this kind of major life altering decision would take some time to make. You might think that Simon and Andrew would walk just outside of Jesus’ earshot and have a little conversation about what they should do. But that didn’t happen. They dropped everything to follow Jesus – no questions asked.

            Then the same thing happens again with James and John. Again, Jesus says, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” Once again, no questions asked, they drop the nets they are mending and follow Jesus. James and John even leave their father in the boat – confused by what is happening. There is something special about this story. The bible is full of people who respond in some way to God’s call.  But this story is different from the rest. The disciples just go. Jesus didn’t have to do anything to persuade them – they follow.

Often we talk about the courage it must have taken for them to go and leave everything behind not knowing what was in store for them. For me, miracle is the word that comes to mind. It is like some of the miracle stories in which Jesus says the word and they are healed. In this case Jesus says the word and they follow. Given, all the frailties and failings that come with our human natures, it really is miraculous.

            The contrast between the miraculous call of Simon, Andrew, James and John and the reluctance of Jonah gives us some balance in perspective as we all struggle to respond in faith to God’s call in Jesus Christ day by day. God still calls us today. We might be reluctant like Jonah or filled with excitement like Simon, Andrew James and John. The contrast shows that there are many ways of being faithful to God’s call but in all things God finds a way to use us and the gifts we bring. Can you hear that voice calling, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” Amen

Come and See

To really understand our gospel reading from John, you need to press rewind and go back a few verses. It really begins the day after Jesus’ baptism. John is standing there with two of his disciples. Maybe John’s disciples are wondering what John was getting on with saying that there, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! …And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1: 29, 34) Maybe they are preparing for the day’s work. Maybe they are just waiting for something to happen. As they are standing there Jesus walks by and John says, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” (John 1:37)

            John’s two disciples follow Jesus so they can figure out what John is talking about. When Jesus notices them following him, he says, “What are you looking for?” (John 1:38) The two answered by asking, “where are you staying?” [Jesus] said to them, “Come and see.” (John 1:38 – 39) They did just that. I’m not sure what they saw or what they did during that day. We only know that one of the two was Andrew and Andrew’s brother is Simon Peter. Inspired by what he saw that day, Andrew boldly tells his brother, “We have found the Messiah.” (John 1:41) Then Andrew brings his brother to see Jesus. Jesus takes one look at Simon and says, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).” (John 1:42)

            It is almost miraculous how Jesus calls the first disciples – it begins with looking for something and an invitation to come and see. And when they see what Jesus is about they drop everything and him. It is only after the calling of Andrew and Simon Peter that we arrive at our reading for today.

Our reading starts the next day when Jesus decides to go to Galilee. This is where Jesus finds Philip and says him, “Follow me” and Philip does without hesitation. Philip finds Nathaniel and tells him the amazing news about Jesus being the Messiah. Now we hit the first road block. Nathaniel is skeptical. Oh he hears Philip telling him about Jesus and how they have found the Messiah in Jesus, son Joseph of Nazareth. All Nathaniel says is “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46)

            It’s a bit rude – playing on stereotypes and preconceived notions about people from a particular place. It’s sarcastic. It implies that there is no way Philip is telling the truth. Nathaniel is a sceptic. Philip doesn’t get mad. He simply repeats the invitation he received from Jesus, “Come and See”

            It’s a powerful invitation – especially since it seems that so many people are looking for something more. I’ve found often wondering or looking for something that gives more meaning. Perhaps you’ve been there too.  I think most of us can identify with that search for deeper meaning can’t we? As a society it seems that we are all searching for something whether it is meaning, or hope, or a new way of living, or that “thing” that will help everything else make sense. It reminds me of one of U2’s great hits “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”

I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was one empty night
I was cold as a stone
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for

I believe when the Kingdom comes
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I'm still running.
You broke the bonds
You loosened the chains
You carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for

We are looking for “that something” that puts everything in perspective. I read an article in Christianity Today this week about the “new monasticism.” It is Christian monastic communities where people become “monks” but the target age is 20 – 35 and you commit to a year instead of a lifetime. In these communities they learn the ancient practices of prayer that have stood the test of time. The new monastic communities are attracting the people who call themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Perhaps if Nathaniel were living today he would be spiritual but not religious. In the article it says “'There is a deep spiritual yearning for substance and depth,' says Rev Ian Mobsby of St Luke's Camberwell in Peckham, London. 'But people immediately assume the church has nothing to offer to that. That is why people call themselves spiritual and not religious.'  'People are asking, "What are the anchors to life? What is life about?"' he says. 'New monasticism is trying to say to a world increasingly interested in spirituality that Christianity has a lot to say.'” (https://www.christiantoday.com/article/new-monasticism-why-are-so-many-young-people-choosing-to-become-temporary-monksupdate1/123897.htm)

            I think that the heart of Jesus’ invitation. It is like Jesus says to us, “Come as you are with your questions and your doubts and concerns and see what I am about.” Jesus didn’t really answer Nathaniel’s questions but Jesus somehow sees him as he is. Philip asks Nathaniel to come and see. When Jesus sees Nathaniel coming he says, “Here is truly and Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47) The Message translates this phrase, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.” (John 1:47) Nathaniel couldn’t hide his questions or doubts or that he did not believe Philip’s proclamation that Jesus was indeed the One, the Messiah that they had been waiting for.

            You can imagine that Nathaniel’s reaction to statement about his was just as direct. “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (John 1:48) I’m not sure what happened for Nathaniel in that moment but something big happened. The next words out of his mouth are, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49) It is amazing.

Jan Schnell Rippentrop writes, “Nathaniel is not one of those folks whose faith developed gradually. He is one who was also himself startled when the reality of Jesus snapped unexpectedly into focus. There is something about that fig tree remark that made who Jesus is clear for Nathaniel. The reader does not get to be privy to what exactly transformed Nathaniel’s view of Jesus. What is clear is that epiphanies of the Christ come to different people in such drastically different ways that it can even be incomprehensible.” (https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3529)

We come to faith in a variety of ways. For some it is just like it was for Nathaniel one-minute doubting and asking questions and then next minute full of conviction. For others it is a lifetime of questions and answers and gradually coming to believe. A friend of mine once describe the different ways of as faith as deep fryer faith and slow cooker faith –both create something beautiful.

Jesus invites us all to come and see. It is not an invitation rooted in the past but one that is given each day. With that invitation comes the promise that Jesus sees us just as we are and invites us to be about God’s work in the world. We come as we are with all our questions, fears, beliefs, doubts, joys and see what Jesus is about in our lives, community and world. Jesus to us today, “Come and see.” Amen. 

Baptism of Jesus

            I’ve been a minister for almost 17 years now. There are many things I love about the work I do but there is one thing that is always a joy for me – baptism. I enjoy meeting with the families and hearing about their little miracle and hearing about the challenges and blessings of being parents. But perhaps the part that I love the most is standing with person being baptised, placing water on their heads and reminding them that they are God’s beloved child. Every time I do baptism, I have the privilege of offering blessing in God’s name. It is a reminder to us that each one of us is special in God’s circle of love. We all are beloved children of God. The beautiful thing about baptism whether it is a baby, an older child, a teenager or a senior – is that it pure gift. You don’t have to earn the promise of God’s love. It is yours. It is mine. It is ours. No need to strive, or earn or be a certain way. God’s love is pure gift. And in our world where there is a price attached to everything or people have do or be a certain way to be accepted this is priceless.

            I think this is why Mark in his gospel gets straight to what is important. In Mark’s gospel there is no Christmas story. There are no angels or shepherds or dreams or genealogies because none of that matters to Mark. He says it in the first line of the gospel. “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) Then we meet John, clothed in camel hair and eating nothing but locusts and honey. He is a teacher and prophet called to prepare the way for Jesus. In this morning’s reading John is preaching about a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4)

            It sounds daunting doesn’t it? Repentance and sins are words with baggage. But repentance is about turning in a new direction and living in a new way. Sins are all those things that separate us from the love of God. Different perhaps for each one of us. They are the things that prevent us from remembering that we are God’s beloved. John is teaching and preaching to all who will listen about a new way living and a new of drawing closer to God. One day as the crowds are gathered, John says “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptised you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”(Mark 1:7 – 8)

            The very next words of the gospel are, “In those days Jesus of Nazareth of Galilee was baptised by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from haven, “You are my son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9 – 11) With that, Jesus begins his public ministry of teaching and healing.

            That is the starting place for all of us to. We are God’s beloved children and God is well pleased with us. This past year, we started hearing the hopes and prayers of parents as they bring their children for baptism. Each family offers something different but they are all grounded in a deep love for their children. One family wrote, “Our hopes and prayers for our daughter are that she is healthy in mind, body and spirit. We hope to raise her in a supportive community of family, friends and neighbors - where she feels protected and supported, encouraged and challenged, and treated with respect. We pray that she learns and reflects Christian values in her everyday life: that she has optimistic faith, patience and peace; that she is thoughtful, confident and brave; lives with intention and purpose; gives thanks and finds happiness from within and shares that happiness with the world.”

            David Lose writes, “In Holy Baptism God just chooses us. …God says that we are enough. Already. That we are pleasing to God and deserve to be loved. And that identity of being God’s beloved child – precisely because it is established by God – cannot be taken away from us or, for that matter, lost by us. Rather, God continues to come into our lives to call us beloved and blessed and promise once again to be always both with us and for us. That promise and blessing, in turn, helps us face all the challenges we mentioned earlier. Problems at home or in the community, concerns about the world or our personal lives. We can face whatever might be plaguing us with greater confidence knowing that God is on our side.” (http://www.davidlose.net/2018/01/epiphany-1-b-powerful-words-for-a-new-year/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+davidlose%2FIsqE+%28...In+the+Meantime%29)

            As each one of us meets the challenges of this day, this week, this month we are reminded that faith is not a magical cure all but the constant reminder that God is with us lightening the burden and providing hope. Any challenges we face we do so with God’s help and the support with support from our community of faith. With the words beloved ringing in our ears each and every new day, we are called to be about God’s work in the world. And there are so many ways to respond but they are all grounded in a new way of living that is rooted in God’s grace. This makes all things possible. Rooted God’s love, Jesus showed us what that new way of living looked like. It was the face of compassion. It was mercy. It was grace. It was life giving. It was healing. It was hope.

We are invited to be about that work of compassion, mercy, grace, living-giving, healing, and hope. When we feed those who are hungry we proclaim the good news that God is with us. When we walk in the shadows with those who are lost and hurting we offer the light of new life. When we support our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our lives proclaim the good news that we are all God’s beloved children. It is the promise that comes with baptism and that has called us and claimed us as Christ’s own everyday since. 

            Baptism is a new way of living. Mark knew that. He knew that there could be no better way to start the story of Jesus’ life than on the day of his baptism. Today, we are God’s beloved and with us God is well pleased. Amen 

Home by Another Road

            Depending on where you live in the world, it depends on what yesterday gets called. Here we call it Old Christmas Day – one last chance to celebrate the joy of the Christmas Season. For Orthodox and Eastern Christians, yesterday was Christmas Eve and today is Christmas Day. It was also the Feast of the Epiphany – the day the Magi from the east arrive bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I always love this day – maybe because it is like one last chance to delve into the Christmas Story but I think mostly because I admire those travelers from the east. They came not knowing what would happen or who they would meet along the way.

            Think about what they did. These wise ones who study the stars noticed something in the sky that made them curious. They’d never seen this particular star before. It wasn’t in any of their charts. Their curiosity led to follow a star to parts of the world perhaps they’d only imagined. As they travelled following that star, perhaps they talked among themselves about the meaning of the star. What is the universe saying to us? They landed on royalty.

So much so that they when they arrive in Jerusalem they start asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” (Matthew 2:2) In the palace King Herod hears about the visitors from the East looking for the one born to be king of the Jews and Herod and all Jerusalem are frightened.

King Herod was not someone to be trifled with. He was about power and he was politically savvy. He built an empire and somehow, he kept the peace with religious establishment and the engagement of those who were not Jewish. Herod was shrewd and cunning. In her commentary on this passage Jan Schnell Rippentrop writes, “This man, who had spent his whole life climbing to the political height he had achieved, is unlikely to favorably receive news that a baby is to be born with a right to Herod’s rule. Furthermore, Herod is used to getting rid of people who don’t serve his ambition. He:

had ten wives,

ordered multiple assassinations, including assassinations of some of his own sons, and,

changed succession plans multiple times as he decided who would take his throne when he died.

When Herod heard that a baby could get in the way of his plans, he defaulted to his regular pattern of figuring out how to execute the problem child.” (https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3523)

So you can understand why all Jerusalem was frightened by the news that the Magi were bringing. For Herod this was a threat to his power and when Herod felt threatened so did everyone. What is important to note is the difference between Herod’s kingship which brings terror and God’s kingship which comes as a baby filled with love. When the chief priest and the scribes quote form the book of Micah telling Herod that the king is born in Bethlehem, he says to the Magi, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” (Matthew 2:8)

The Magi, undaunted by their search to find the ones whose star they say at its rising, go to Bethlehem. There they find Jesus with his mother. The kneel and pay him homage and offer gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The Magi, attuned to every sign, are warned in a dream not to return to Herod so, as it says in Matthew, “They left for their own country by another road.” (Matthew 2:12) And they were right to do so. What happens next is what happens when those in power feel threatened. He searched out all those who might supplant him as king and killed them. Joseph was also warned in dreamed not to return to his home. He took Mary and Jesus and they flee to Egypt.

            It scary and terrifying part of the Christmas story in Matthew. One we don’t often tell or read about. We talk about the arrival of the Magi, but we don’t often talk about the courage that it took for the to defy Herod and take that unknown road back to their home. Like most endings, it is also a beginning. The beginning of journey for the Magi as they travel home by that new road. Herod did not have the last word. The Magi, trusting their dreams, head home by different road and just maybe they got the courage to defy Herod because they met Jesus who changes everything.

As we contemplate how we live in light of the good news of Jesus’ birth, we too can take a page out of the Magi’s book, and travel home by a different road. It is the road that calls us to be bold in caring, to stand up against injustice and to be a voice for those who need it. It is an uncertain road, but it is the one that will take us home.

Jan Richard writes this poem called Blessing of the Magi

There is no reversing
this road.
The path that bore you here
goes in one direction only,
every step drawing you
down a way
by which you will not
return.

You thought arrival
was everything,
that your entire journey
ended with kneeling
in the place
you had spent all
to find.

When you laid down
your gift,
release came with such ease,
your treasure tumbling
from your hands
in awe and
benediction.

Now the knowledge
of your leaving
comes like a stone laid
over your heart,
the familiar path closed
and not even the solace
of a star
to guide your way.

You will set out in fear
you will set out in dream

but you will set out

by that other road
that lies in shadow
and in dark.

We cannot show you
the route that will
take you home;
that way is yours
and will be found
in the walking.

But we tell you
you will wonder
at how the light you thought
you had left behind
goes with you,
spilling from
your empty hands,
shimmering beneath
your homeward feet,
illuminating the road
with every step
you take.

            The Magi come from East, from the direction of the rising sun, bearing gifts for the one who is the light of the world. At the dawn of this new year, let us remember, that no matter the challenges we face, that Jesus who brings light and life to this world, is strength and courage and grace for all the roads we travel. May the light that shines from the stable illuminate every path your travel. Amen. 

God Comes Near

We started our service today with the hauntingly beautiful Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It’s the first hymn in the hymn book. It is a hymn of longing, of hoping, of praying for the time when God comes near. Emmanuel means “God with us” The church has been singing this hymn for centuries “The antiphons, sometimes called the ‘O antiphons’ or ‘The Great O’s’, were designated to concentrate the mind on the coming Christmas, enriching the meaning of the Incarnation with a complex series of references from the Old and New Testaments.” Each antiphon begins as follows:

O Sapentia (Wisdom)
O Adonai (Hebrew word for God)
O Radix Jesse (stem or root of Jesse)
O Clavis David (key of David)
O Oriens (dayspring)
O Rex genitium (King of the Gentiles)
O Emmanuel

Put together, the first letter of the second word of each antiphon spells SARCORE. If read backwards, the letters form a two-word acrostic, “Ero cras,” meaning “I will be present tomorrow.” https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-o-come-o-come-emmanuel

            Advent is the time of getting ready and preparing the day when God comes near. The Mark reading set for the first Sunday of Advent is a bit scary sounding. Certainly not what you expect for a day of celebration. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with God coming near or the promise that God is with us. Mark writes, “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” (Mark 13:24 – 27) It doesn’t sound like we are waiting for something good. It sounds scary – maybe like the childhood story of Henny Penney and the sky falling.

            Mark’s “little apocalypse” may sound daunting but he is not talking about the end of the world in the traditional sense of apocalyptic literature. Mark is writing at the time of the destruction of the temple. The temple was the centre not only of worship but of their economic and community life. The destruction was an ending of something that was central to who they were as a people. Karoline Lewis writes, “At the heart of apocalyptic literature is encouragement and hope. To some extent, this is Jesus at his pastoral best. That which looks like devastation and defeat will be God's victory. Out of the theological turmoil and confusion surrounding the destruction of the temple will be a new presence of God. Out of the suffering and death of their Messiah will be new life. God's new way of being in the world will turn a cross into resurrection and a baby in a manger into salvation for the world.” https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1145

            At the heart of this season of waiting, is a hope that cannot and will not be dimmed. During the year and a half that we worshipped at the Seventh-day Adventist, we did so trusting that God was and is here with us on the journey. Those moments when it was hard and we had to learn how to be and do church in news ways, also reminded that together with God’s help so much possible. There was an abundance of God’s grace at every turn in the road.

            Today we celebrate our return home. We celebrate all those times when God drew near. The moments when we found hope when it seemed like there was no reason to hope. Those moments when we did not know which path to take and God guided us. It has been and will continue to be remarkable journey marked by God’s guiding spirit.

We do not know what the road ahead holds for us as a community but we trust in our God’s enduring presence to show us the way. God’s Spirit is with us as we begin the next part of our journey as God’s people. In the words of our hymn, “O come, O Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind … Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (Voices United, #1)

What My Church and Confirmation Mean to Me

“What Confirmation and the Church Mean to Me”

The 2017 Confirmation Class

In our confirmation class we’ve talked about a few things like God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, how the United Church of Canada works, prayer, communion and baptism. In our last class, Rev. Miriam asked us to write about what church and confirmation means to us. Here is what we said:

Church means that you celebrate God and your religious faith. Confirmation means to officially become a part of your church. I like the coffee time because I can get a snack and talk to people.

You get to talk to lots of people who care about you. I like the cookies Henrietta gave me because they taste good. I also love the time of fellowship after church. We get to socialize with the people of church community and we get to eat some delicious food (especially the cheese).

My church and my confirmation are important to me. I think that it is import to be part of and get confirmed at my church at a younger age. I love singing in the church choir which I especially love when Evan is teaches it. We get to sing lots of beautiful music.

I think it is important to stay with my church as long as I can since the population of the churches in Newfoundland is going down. Sunday school is fund because we do crafts and make lots of stuff.

What my church and confirmation mean to me is that it is a place where I can take a break from the problems I have and feel safe. It’s to be a part of something magical no matter how different your opinions are on society or politics. We are one! I like communion because the grape juice tastes good and they bread is chewy.

It means I’m an official member of this church. My church to me means learning about the Holy Spirit and eating the food after the church service. Confirmation is about coming closer as a member of the church. It is also a place I reflect on myself. It is a place I can ‘reset’ my mind and helps me be able to relax and be. 

Keep Awake

Have you ever had those dreams where you show up at the wrong time and wrong place for some really important function? When I was in school they all revolved around exams or papers. The dream would usually start with going to the classroom where my exam only to realize that I’m the wrong place and even worse than that I studied for the wrong exam. In the last number of years, I’ve moved on to Sunday morning dreams. I show up at the church but I can’t find my sermon or I didn’t write a sermon or sometimes I just can’t seem to turn down the right road to get to the church.

The parable Jesus tells about the 10 bridesmaids – the five foolish and the five wise, reminds me of those dreams – well at least on the part of the foolish ones who couldn’t get into the celebration because they didn’t pack extra oil. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven will be like this…” (Matthew 25:1) Did you notice that Jesus doesn’t is like but will be like? It is so clear. And yet the parable is anything but clear. There are 10 bridesmaids who all took their lamps to meet the bridegroom. 5 were wise and brought extra oil with them and 5 were foolish and didn’t bring extra oil. But the bridegroom is delayed and all those bridesmaids fall asleep. Finally, at midnight someone shouts, “The bridegroom is here! Come to meet him.” The Bridesmaids rub the sleep from their eye, get up and trim their lamps. Then the foolish ones realize that they are going to run out and ask the wise ones to share their oil with them. They refuse and send them off to buy more oil. When they come back, the bridegroom won’t let them in. Not only that the bridegroom says, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:12)

Here are some of my questions. So much of the gospel story is about love and mercy. Why didn’t the wise ones share with the others? Why did they get locked out? Jesus is all about opening doors for everyone. As you can tell, my sympathies are with those 5 foolish bridesmaids. Locked out of the wedding banquet after waiting so long and then running to get oil and running back to the feast only to be told they can’t come in. You can see why the parable reminds me of a bad dream. First not prepared. Second having to go on a mad dash to pick up what you forgot and then not being let in. This does not sound like the kingdom of heaven that I’m used to hearing about. The kingdom of heaven is normally a place where justice and mercy are plentiful. Where God’s love seems abundant.

A little context helps a lot with this parable. Matthew’s gospel was written long after Jesus’s death and everyone is waiting for his return. David Lose writes “By the time Matthew wrote this parable, the discipleship community may have been waiting for Jesus’ return for fifty years or more. Most of the eye-witnesses were likely dead. The church had spread, but it had also been oppressed. The Temple revered by both the Jews who confessed Jesus and those who did not had been destroyed, wreaking havoc on Jewish and Christian communities (sometimes worshiping together) alike. Where was Jesus? Yes, the waiting is the hardest part.” (In the Meantime, November 8th)

Waiting is hard and I would say many if not most of us are not all that good at waiting. I know I’m not. I like to have the things I want right away. Dr. Seuss in his book OH the Places You Will Go describes the waiting place as the most useless of all places. “Waiting for a train to go or the mail to come or the rain to go or the phone to ring or the snow to snow or waiting around for a yes or no or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for the uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or string of pearls, or a pair of pants or wig with curls or another chance. Everyone is just waiting.”

For over two thousand years, as a people of faith, we’ve been waiting for that day when Jesus will return. The early disciples believed that Jesus return was going to happen right away. It was a complete surprise to them that they waited for something that did not happen. It is almost as though Jesus is telling this parable to help us with what we aren’t good at – waiting. Because every parable says we do not know the day or the hour of Jesus return. But no one dreamed that it would take over two thousand years. The waiting Jesus was talking about is not a usesless kind of waiting. It’s not about watching the hours tick away on a clock. It is waiting with purpose. This is a kingdom of God parable.

Jesus showed us the way at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel – we heard them last week. The beatitudes set the stage for how we wait. Our calling is to comfort the grieving, to be merciful, to be pacemakers, to care for others in our midst. As we do all these things we are making God’s kingdom real. It’s the waiting Jesus talks about later in this chapter when he says,
“Come, you that are blessed by Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and visited me. …Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:34 – 36, 40)

            In this waiting time, we are sometimes going to get it just right like the wise bridesmaids. We are ready and celebrating at the feast. And sometimes we are going to be like the foolish ones, we are going to be late and not have everything we need to enter the celebration. But our God’s mercy is infinite and there are always second chances. As we wait in hope, for that day when Christ comes again, let us be about God’s work of mercy and compassion. Amen.  

Lest We Forgot

Memory and imagination are powerful. They have a way of reminding us of where we’ve been and pointing us to where we need to be. This past week I spent a lot of time remembering with my grandmother. She told about her parents, who I’ve never met, yet though her memory somehow they became real. Her father, who along with his two brothers, moved to London to become police officers because they were all over six feet tall. Her mother, who was 4 ft 10 and somehow managed to raise 10 children. How she went to the farm only for a few months and stayed a lifetime with my grandfather. Memory reminds us of where we’ve been. In this week of All Saints – it is important to remember those who’ve gone before us. Not only those who fought in battles, those who tended the home fronts, and those who built churches and raised families and cared for others.

Memory tells us where we’ve been. Imagination on the other hands helps us look ahead to the future. So many people over the years have gone into battle with brave hearts because they were imaging a world that is different than the current present.

In many ways that is what Jesus is doing in our reading from Matthew. Jesus and the disciples are gathered at the top of a mountain. Jesus is teaching them. He is helping them to imagine a future that is so different from their present. Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 – 11)

            It is hard to wrap our heads around those who are grieving or poor in spirit being blessed. It is not how we normally use the word “blessing.” We talk about blessings often as something that is going our way or seems really good. Susan Hylen writes, “The Greek word, makarios, which is central to the Beatitudes, is a fairly common word. It’s not really hard to understand, but it’s difficult to translate into English. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translates “blessed,” which is by far the most common translation of the Beatitudes. The problem with blessed is that it sounds a little unreal, like a quality that applies only to those saints whose stories we celebrate on All Saints Day and whose example may appear a bit unattainable to us.

New Testament professor Margaret Aymer has translated makarios as “greatly honored.” This is another good option for translating this word because it emphasizes the theme of reversal that is implied in the Beatitudes. The meek and the merciful are not revered by the world’s standards, but they are honored by God and by those who would align their lives with God’s ways.”  (https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3453)

            That changes how we read the beatitudes doesn’t it? They are a way of imagining a different future for all God’s children. In God’s kingdom, the one we daily strive for, those who are most vulnerable are greatly honoured. They who are grieving are greatly honoured. Those who show mercy are greatly honoured. The peacemakers are greatly honoured. Jesus is laying before us a new way of living the seeks the welfare of all – it is a world of peace.

            Eugene Peterson, in his translation of the bible called The Message translates Matthew 5 this way: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. … “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.” (Matthew 5:3 – 6, 9)

            There is so much happening in our world today that is difficult and sets us to be at odds with one another. Jesus is pointing us to a world where love, mercy, compassion and above all peace are real and lasting. Jesus is asking us to imagine a future that is the reversal of many of the norms of this world. If we pause for a moment we can catch glimpses of that peace and love at work in our world. Hold onto those moments because they help us to imagine what is possible.

            Memory and imagination allow us to both remember what was and hope for a better world.  Today we remember. Today we pray for peace. Today we follow in the footsteps of the prince of peace who asks us not only imagine a world of peace to live each day working for that peace. May it be so. Amen 

Everything after we say yes

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            There are several unwritten rules that our culture seems to abide by. Things we are permitted to talk about. Things we are supposed to stay quiet about. That is even more true in church. I grew up learning that you do not talk about religion, politics or money. I guess Jesus didn’t get the message. He is always talking about all three. It is tempting to believe that somehow we can parcel off those three parts of our lives and remain silent or pretend we don’t have opinions. Politics these days are hard to avoid – especially if we tune into international politics. It is hard to remain silent in the face of injustices and discrimination. The political arena shapes the world we live in with laws that govern our daily living. Money while it does not make the world go around, if you don’t have any it is a big problem. Money covers off those basic necessities of food and shelter. And if we don’t talk about religion our lives of faith then how will people know about what God does for us and it shapes our living.

The truth is, it is impossible to parcel off politics, religion and money from our daily living and conversation. This past week I attended a conference all about stewardship where I learned the best definition of stewardship. It is everything after we say yes to God. Wow! It is how we live from day to day. It is how we take care of our children or care for aging parents. It is how we care for others around us. It is how we do our jobs each day. It is how we use our money. It is everything after we’ve said yes to God.

Jesus knew that all too well. He is teaching the crowds when the Herodian and Pharisees show up. That is the bible’s way of saying trouble is coming. The Herodians and Pharisees don’t agree on much politically speaking but they agree that Jesus must go. Here is what you need to know about the Herodians and the Pharisees. The Herodians are fine with Caesar’s tax, given Herod’s cozy arrangement with Rome. For the Pharisees, the tax is a problem but so is the coin used to pay the tax. The coin proclaims Caesar as a god which runs contrary to the commandment that says ``you shall have no other God before me.`` So they set the trap with flattery and what seems like a simple question.

 “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" (Matthew 22:16 – 17) Their goal is to cost him his following or his life. If he approves payment of the tax, he supports the empire and people will abandon him. If says they should not pay the tax, he is committing treason.

Jesus calls them all hypocrites. "Show me the coin," Jesus says. With the coin in hand, Jesus then asks the two simple questions: Whose image is that? Whose title? They say, “The emperor’s” What follows is a well known passage of scripture. The King James Version translates it this way: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22: 21)

Dr. David Lose writes, “Because if their question is clever, Jesus’ response is ingenious or, more appropriately, inspired, leading to an exchange that is as revealing as it is brief. After asking if any of his questioners has a coin of the Empire – the only coin that could be used to pay the tax in question – they quickly procure one. Jesus asks whose image is on it, and they answer “The Emperor’s.” There’s more going on here than meets the eye, as along with that image is an engraved confession of Caesar’s divinity, which means that any Jew holding the coin is breaking the first two of the commandments. All of which leads to Jesus’ closing line, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And with this one sentence, Jesus does not simply evade their trap or confound their plans, but issues a challenge to his hearers that reverberates through the ages into our sanctuaries.” (In the Meantime, October 15, 2017)

Jesus knows what we know – everything belongs to God. We live in a place that governed by laws but we also follow in God’s ways. In Jesus time, the politics were complicated. The people were governed both by religious law and secular law. Jesus lived within the Roman Empire, ultimately under the rule of the Emperor. The Roman Empire granted Jewish people a unique status that allowed them to practice their religion and use the rules within their religion to govern themselves. Jesus owed allegiance to Rome and to his religious community.

Lynda Wright in the book This Is the Day reflects on the need to not only spend time in prayer with God but also to be in relationship with others, to be part of the community. This is reflected in two central parts of Jewish spirituality: “’Devokut’ or ‘clinging to God’ – our need for contemplating the Mystery [of God] and in it finding our nourishment and ‘Tikkun O’lam’ or “repair of the world’ our responsibility to work for justice and the bringing in of God’s kingdom.” (This is the Day)

To be whole we need to be connected to all parts of our lives. We need time to connect with God through prayer and contemplation. We also need people. Recent studies show that loneliness is worse for our health than smoking or obesity. We need community and part of living in a community is those systems that help us live together. That is what the ten commandments are about. That is the role that government plays. That said we also know that governments can be corrupt or do things that hurt the ways we live in community. That is when we need to engage the system and let our voices be heard.

            With Jesus, no topics are taken off the table. Our whole lives are an offering to God. So of course, we give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.  More importantly we give to God what is Gods. Stewardship is everything, everything after we say yes to God. We give thanks to God by following in Jesus’ footsteps and living with compassion, with mercy, with grace and with love. And when it seems hard, we remember that we are made in God’s image and with God nothing is impossible. Amen.

Giving Thanks, Giving Back

I find one of the lines from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians a Paul’s line, “God loves a cheerful giver” from our reading this morning grates on my nerves a bit. It is a little too convenient for preachers like me. Every time the church needs to increase givings, we can use this one line to explain it all, “God loves a cheerful giver.” What does that have to do with living a life faith? What does that have to do with the abundance of God’s grace that we daily receive? Over the years, I’ve seen this one little phrase printed and quoted in so many ways, that I thought to myself, “I’m not going to preach on that phrase.” Famous last words.

So here we are its Thanksgiving and one of the passages set for the day is from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminding us that God loves a cheerful giver. Because that one line bothered me, I’ve never bothered looking too closely at the rest of the letter. I didn’t ask myself why Paul wrote this phrase? I’d skip right to our Luke reading and talk about the one leper out of ten who turned back to give thanks and the importance of gratitude. But this Thanksgiving Paul called to me and invited me to look deeper.

Our reading this morning is part of a larger story. Paul is writing to the community at Corinth from Macedonia where he is encouraging them in their faith. While he is there, he has a collection for the Christians at Jerusalem. The community in Jerusalem is poverty stricken and facing many hardships.  As Paul travels from community to community he collects for the community there. Paul is writing to inspire the community in Corinth not to forget about their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Paul writes, “If I wrote any more on this relief offering for the poor Christians, I’d be repeating myself. I know you’re on board and ready to go. I’ve been bragging about you through Macedonia Province, “Achaia province has been ready to go on this since last year.” Your enthusiasm by now has spread to most of them.” It is only then that we get to giving cheerfully. Paul is trying to remind them of the importance of helping brothers and sisters who need it and doing it with an open heart. The Message translates the same phrase with these words, “God loves it when the giver delights in giving.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

That changes everything doesn’t it! Giving generously and delighting in the act of giving is one way of saying thanks for the gifts we have. Carla Works writes on this passage, “How believers use their resources -- time, money, talents, and attention -- is a reflection of what they believe about God and God's actions in the world.  Furthermore, how those resources are used preaches a message to others.  Paul wants the Corinthians' actions to be a reflection of the gospel in which they believe.” (https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1319) God not only invites us to live out our faith by giving thanks but in giving back.

 This week, I read an article from the New York Times called, “Giving Proof” which reports on a study published in Nature Communications. The study explores what happens to our brains when we are generous. “Scientists at the University of Zurich and elsewhere began by recruiting 50 men and women and asking them to complete questionnaires about their current mood. They then were given 25 Swiss francs (about $25) once a week for the next month. Half of the 50 were asked to spend this on themselves. The other half were instructed to choose a new recipient each week on whom to spend the money. In other words, half the volunteers agreed to be selfish and the other half to be generous.” (https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/magazine/giving-proof.html?referer=http://m.facebook.com)

At the beginning each person was asked questions about giving gifts and personal cost while in an MRI so that the researches could monitor brain activity. The same thing was done at the end of the study. At the end of the study the people who were generous made more generous responses to the MRI questions and were happier people.

This, I think is what Paul is getting at – when we give thanks, when we give back, when we are generous – our lives change for the better. There are so many ways for us to be generous. We can share out time with friends and family. We help someone who needs it. We can host a meal for friends and family or for someone who needs company. We can give money. We can sit with someone who is grieving or going through a really hard time. We can raise awareness and write letters to make our community a good place for everyone.

This week I heard a wonderful story about a group of people in Port Blandford. Carol needed new shingles on her roof and a group of 20 volunteers showed up on Saturday morning and got the job done. Carol tells Here and Now, “It just makes you realize that in a world that’s so full of terrible things, it seems these days, that you just got to look across the road to your neighbours and there are wonderful things that are happening.” (CBC News)

This fall there have been a lot of things that make it hard to hold onto what is good between hurricanes and earthquakes that have devastated so many communities in so many places to and mass shootings that killed and injured so many. But the generosity of so many people have made it possible for people to find shelter, find healing, and find hope. Today as we give thanks for God’s many good gifts to us, we give thanks also for the generosity of neighbours, friends and strangers who somehow make our world a better place to live and whose actions remind us of God’s love at work in our community and in our world. For as Paul says, “God loves it when the giver delights in giving.” Amen

Feed My Sheep

John 21 is one of my favourite resurrection stories. It has everything – there is the reminder of God’s abundant grace and enduring presence. There is a meal of broiled fish and bread – that reminds of the meal we share with bread and wine.  There is an invitation to follow Jesus. As our congregation took a big leap of faith in setting up Cochrane Centre and building housing, other churches started asking what we were doing and why. We went to share our story with them. At the end of each presentation, I would share this story of Jesus’ invitation to follow. 

    Jesus had died and the meaning of the resurrection still had not sunk in with the disciples. They still didn’t really know what to do or how to live now that Jesus isn’t with them in the same way. They know that Jesus lives but they don’t know what it means. Discipleship is new work for them – it’s only been three years. They had a lifetime of fishing. Peter finally says to the other disciples, “I’m going fishing.” Maybe because there is comfort in the familiar. Maybe because at least he knows he can fish. Maybe because he does not know what else to do. Peter and the disciples spend the whole night fishing. The dawn is breaking and they’ve caught nothing. A voice calls from the shore, “Put the nets on the right side and you will find some.” 

    The disciples had nothing to lose at this point. All night they caught nothing. What harm would it do to cast their nets on the right side of the boat? And when they do. Amazing. They catch 153 fish. That is a lot of fish. The disciple whom Jesus love cries out, “It is the Lord!” And they disciples know it can only be Jesus. Peter jumps out of the boat and walks to shore. The rest of the disciples bring the fish in. The fire is burning. There is fish. There is bread. Jesus invites them to a feast. Not one person asks, “Who are you?” because they know deep in their bones that Jesus is with them. 

After breakfast, Jesus pulls Peter aside and says, “Peter, do you love me?” And Peter says, “Oh, Jesus, this is amazing. You are back. What are we going to do next? Do you have a plan? What did ask? Do I love you? Of course I do. So tomorrow we’ll put all the fishing gear away and get back on the road. Jesus says to Peter, “Feed my lambs.” Then Jesus grabs Peter by the shoulders and says, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter thinks he’s already answered that question. And says with a bit of impatience “Yes, Lord of course I love you.” Jesus says “Tend my sheep.”  Peter is starting to wonder about this conversation with Jesus. It seems to be going be going in circles. Jesus keeps asking him the same thing. Jesus looks Peter in the eyes and asks a third time, “Do you love me?” Now Peter is frustrated. Peter says, “You know everything about me. You know I love.” Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”

That is our calling as a people of faith. To love God, care for others and follow in Jesus’ way. It is not new. The church has been doing it in different ways over the past two thousand years. This city is filled with places that remind us that churches are about caring for others. Whether it is schools, or hospitals or seniors homes. In our daily living and community work we lived out this calling to care for others. 

    Today the first tenants are moving in at Cochrane Centre. Today ten people have new homes and it started with your firm conviction that God that was not yet done with this congregation, that we have more work to do as a people of faith. This congregation said no to dying. This congregation said no to selling its building. Instead you did something no other church in the city has done. You said yes to letting go of how it’s always been. You said yes to a new creation – Cochrane Centre an incorporated ministry of The United Church of Canada and not-for-profit. You said yes to a new way of living out our faith and following Jesus. 

    The last several years have been filled with those moments when the Holy Spirit’s presence is so strong that we had the courage to try something different and then the come the reminders that we are on the right path. There have also been challenges. We haven’t always agreed on the best way forward. There are faces we don’t see as often. Sometimes the path ahead hasn’t been clear. Somehow, through the challenges, the hard conversations and difficult decisions, we’ve kept at the heart Jesus’ invitation to “feed my lambs.” We’ve kept at the heart of the abundance of God grace. God’s grace and guidance has been with us through the whole process.

    Caroline Lewis writes what grace upon grace can really be, “-- a hell of a lot fish, … when you least expect it, just like the wine at Cana, when all hope is gone, when you wonder what you are doing, when you think there is no future, when your well has dried up, when you doubt that grace is true, when you question if grace is for you. This is the resurrection story we need. Desperately. All of us. That we will, indeed, experience the truth of the resurrection beyond the empty tomb. That Jesus will always show up on the shore [and] will invite us to share a meal once again” (http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4583)

    Today we are standing on the shore and once again Jesus invites us to a simple meal.  As we taste gifts of bread and wine we are reminded that our God’s grace never runs out. There is new life for all. After the meal, Jesus pulls each of us aside and says, “Do you love me? Feed my lambs. Follow me.” Amen. 

No Fair!

When I was a kid I had a keen sense of fairness – particularly when it came to my brother. If he got more than me – no fair. Or maybe it was the question “why did he get to do that and not me?” No fair! Maybe it wasn’t so much a sense of fairness but it seemed that it should be the same for both of us. As a parent now, I know m parents must have grown weary of my cries of no fair because sometimes I would be told, “Life’s not fair.” Fair doesn’t always mean the same. At the heart of the no fair complaint is the idea that somehow we are missing out on something a sibling or neighbour has or that someone has received something more or better. This not something that exist between sibling. It is part of our culture. We expect that that who work the hardest, longest best will get the biggest reward. We expect that those who’ve done the right things be held in higher esteem than those who have not. 

I’m guessing things weren’t much different in Jesus day. Somehow, we want what the other has. Then Jesus comes on the scene telling parables that open our minds and change our hearts. Today is a kingdom of heaven parable. Parables about the kingdom of heaven remind us of the difference between our world and world shaped in God’s image. Today’s parable gets to the heart of what’s fair. This parable reminds us that our sense of what is fair is so different what God says is fair. It is one of those challenging parables because sometimes I think we would like to keep God’s grace in a box and dole it out only to those we think are worthy or who have earned it. 

Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out to hire day labourers.” They agreed to work for the usual daily wage and went to work in the vineyard. Life for day labourers was extremely difficult. They went to the market place each day hoping and praying that someone would hire them. It was a precarious way to earn a living. The usual daily wage for day labourers is barely enough to support a family. You can imagine how important it was to get hired.  The landowner returned to the market at 9 o’clock, and noon and three and saw people waiting to be hired for the day. So hired more workers each time. Each time the landowner told the workers hired later in the day that he’d pay them a fair wage. At the end of the work day all the workers are told that those who were hired last would be paid first. So the labourers all line up. The landowner then pays those hired later in the day the usual daily wage. They must have been shocked. They did not expect this at all. They were only expecting a portion of a day’s wage instead they got the whole thing. 

    As the line worked its way toward those who were hired at the start of the day, you can almost feel the expectations rising. Can imagine what those hired first are thinking? They ones who’d worked hard all day. The ones who saw everyone get the full days wage. They were expecting some kind of a bonus. They are probably thinking to themselves, “If they got the full day’s wage, then I surely will get more. I worked through the heat of the day” Not unreasonable. But when the land owner hands them the same as those who’d been hired late in the day, they cried out, “no fair. I worked all day, through the heat of the sun and I get the same as they do? No way.” The landowner says, “'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” (Matthew 20:13 – 15) It is the kind of parable that turns people’s expectations upside down. 

    In this kingdom of heaven parable there are no favourites. This is God’s generosity at work. The truth is no one has been robbed of anything or treated badly. It is more a problem of expectations. Those who worked longest and hardest expected that they would get more than those who only worked a portion of the day. It does not jive with their sense of justice that says, “those who work hardest and longest deserve the most.”  From the perspective of the one who was hired late in the day – it is an unimaginable gift. He is the one who worried about going home yet again with no money for food. For him it is a story of incredible grace. 

    And so it is with God’s grace. It is generous. It gives us all that we need. It is a parable that reminds us that God’s kingdom is for everyone those who laboured through the heat of the day and those who come late. We all get the same gifts of grace, forgiveness and abiding love. 

It is perhaps easy imagine that this parable has nothing to do with our daily living. But maybe there are times where we too might confess that we resent that others have something we want or don’t have. I know I’ve been there. It is hard place to be because the resentments grow and fester and it has a way of blinding. When hearts are filled with resentment it is difficult to appreciate what you do have. Filled with longing for what others have we miss the signs of God’s grace at work. Jesus reminds us that God’s generosity is not limited by our expectations of what is fair. 

    The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out to hire labourers for the work of the vineyard – and gives everyone gifts of grace. The kingdom of heaven is not like the world we inhabit day to day. The kingdom of heaven has nothing to do with fair or not fair. It is the promise that all who follow in Christ’s way will receive gifts of grace, forgiveness and abiding love. It is generosity beyond our imagining. Whether they worked through the heat of the day or were hired at the last minute, we God’s grace defies expectations. The gifts of the kingdom are for everyone. That is good news. That is grace. Amen

Parting the Sea

All week I have been focusing my attention on the few lines I was struggle with. “Then the waters returned and covered the chariots and chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained.” (Exodus 14:28) I’ve been thinking about their families and the people who will miss them. That led me to thinking about all the refugees that have drowned in the sea because they were on overcrowded boats. And then given the choice between returning to their home and getting in an unsafe boat. They choose the boat, hoping for something better.

      I stewed. What to say. How is this a story of liberation? I asked these kinds of questions until I happened to watched a video preview for a new bible study called, “Following a Nobody from Nowhere: A series of videos on the invitation to follow Jesus.” Greg Boyle reminded me that God is always about those who find themselves on the margins. The quote that stands out comes from Richard Rohr, “God is in immediate personal solidarity and union with what I’m suffering right now. That Jesus you will fall in love with. That Jesus you will give your life for.” (theworkofthepeople.com) 

      Then I knew. It was like I was looking through microscope and I was only focussing all my attention on one part of the story. Jonathan Sacks in his book, Not in God’s Name writes “The Talmud records a striking passage in which the angels are portrayed as wishing to sing a song of triumph at the division of the Red Sea. God silences them with the words, ‘My creatures are drowning – and you wish to sing a song?’” (Jonathan Sacks, Not in God’s Name) So we too lament the terrible parts of this story. But we also need to zoom out and remember that God is with those who are most vulnerable in our communities.  We need to remember why Moses was standing at the edge of the Red sea, staff in hand, like Gandalf not letting the Egyptians pass. 

The Israelites came to Egypt seeking refuge from a famine. They were welcomed because Joseph who both listened for God’s voice and was a shrewd planner who saved the Egyptians from suffering during the famine. But then it changed. Exodus beings with these words, “Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and that whole generation. …Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land. Therefore they set task masters over them to oppress them with forced labour.” (Exodus 1:6, 8 - 12) By the end of the first chapter of Exodus, Pharaoh has told the midwives to kill all the boys. When I tell the Godly Play story it is described this way, “When they came to Egypt, the found food and work, but Pharaoh trapped them. They could not go home again. They had to do what the Pharaoh said. They had to live where Pharaoh said.  They had to go to bed when Pharaoh said. They had to eat what Pharaoh said. They had to do the work that Pharaoh said. They had to do everything the Pharaoh said. They were slaves.” (The Complete Guide to Godly Play vol. 2 page 69)

      It was a terrible time for the Israelites. God called a leader, Moses, to lead the people to freedom. This was no easy job. Pharaoh did not want to lose his labour force. Ten plagues came and went and still Pharaoh would not let the people go. Moses would go and beg for his people’s freedom until finally the Pharaoh let them go. It says just before our reading for this morning, “When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him; … The Egyptians pursed the Israelites, who going out boldly.” (Exodus 14: 5 – 6, 9)

      They are terrified. Many cried out, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11) In the midst of the fear, God was there. The pillar of cloud was going before them and it followed them, at night a pillar of fire. When it seemed that there was no escaping the wrath of the Egyptians. Moses raised his hand and the waters were divided and they walked to freedom.

      The journey was not easy. At many points along the way, the Israelites were not always sure which way to go. The same is true in our own lives. We do not know where to go or which way to turn or how to live. The good news for all of us is that God is with us in this moments –reminding us of mercy and compassion. The good news for our world is that God is with those who are most vulnerable. It is our calling as a people of faith to help make our community, our country and our world a safe place for all God’s people to live.

      It sounds like a daunting task – changing the world. We do not do this work alone. God will guide us as we show mercy, act with kindness and show compassion for all those in need. Together, by God’s grace we can help shape a future when the most vulnerable in our community are cared for. Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Where Two or Three are Gathered

      I have always found our gospel reading for this morning challenging – to the point that I almost didn’t preach on it. There is something a bit scary about two or three people gathering and having the authority to bind things in heaven and earth. It seems so final and it doesn’t seem to be in keeping with the good news of God’s abiding love. Because I know, and perhaps you know, what can happen when two or three people are together. They can bind on earth and in heaven that this one is in and that this one is out. They can loose and on earth and in heaven a variety of terrible ideas.

      I know because sometimes when I am gathered with my closest of friends how the conversation can go. Its starts off innocently enough. Perhaps with the question “did you know?” And before you know it, you’ve arrived at “well I never really liked so and so anyway.” It is human. Most of us do it. It happens among friends, in families, in community groups. People think it shouldn’t happen in churches. But human beings make up the church. And sometimes we don’t get along. Sometimes we are unkind with one another. Sometimes we can’t resist the urge to judge. So it makes me wonder, “What was Jesus thinking trusting two or three people to bind and loose things in heaven and on earth?”

      Then I read these words by Stanley Saunders, “The point of Matthew 18 is not that the church or its leaders possess special authority or insight when dealing with disputes, but that whenever it does exercise authority, it must pay ceaseless attention to the least powerful members of the community. Whenever and whatever we bind or loose, the Christian community is called to defend the interests of the least ones in our midst, as well as to create the space and conditions for forgiveness and restoration to flourish.” https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3392 It helps put our reading in the context of everything that happens in Matthew chapter 18.

      The chapter opens with the disciples asking Jesus, “Who get the highest rank in God’s kingdom?” (Matthew 18:1). Jesus answers the question by placing a child in their midst and reminding them whoever becomes like this child will be greatest and if you welcome a child you welcome Jesus. And he doesn’t stop there, if you put a stumbling block in front one of these little ones it would be better for you to be dropped in the lake with a milestone around your neck. In the verses just before our reading, Jesus reminds us what happens when there are 100 sheep in the fold and one wanders off and gets lost. God goes after the lost sheep because he does not want to lose a single person.

      It is only after Jesus reminding us of the importance caring about the well-being of all these, that Jesus begins his teaching for today, “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love. Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” (Matthew 18:15 – 20)

      This reading is not about binding law. It is about living together in community. It is about how we treat one another and work out our differences. Dr. David Lose writes, “All of which makes me think that this week’s passage is not simply the product of an all-too-legalistic Matthew (as many, including myself at times, have been tempted to read him), but rather is offered by someone who knows that relationships take work to maintain and that community is harder to forge and nurture than we might imagine. Because – think about it – going to someone with your concern or grievance is a lot harder than talking behind his or her back. Bringing others to listen closely to what is said a lot more courage than posting something on Facebook. And working out disputes as a community together rather than simply dispensing judgment can be really, really hard.” (In the Meantime, Wednesday September 9, 2017)

      The good news is this. Jesus knows we are going to get it wrong. That people are going to get hurt. That at some point we are all going to say the wrong thing and hurt another. So Jesus gives a roadmap on how to work it out. Jesus offers us the reminder to care for the vulnerable in our community. Jesus reminds us about the importance of forgiveness. Jesus reminds us that when we are lost God is always seeking us out. And then Jesus shows how to work it. Talk with one another. Listen to one another. Don’t give up on another. Offer forgiveness. This is the hardest work we will do because it means being vulnerable. It means admitting we are hurting. It means admitting we are wrong. Thankfully, we don’t do this hard work alone. Jesus says it so well, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” (Matthew 18:20) This is the work of the body of Christ and Jesus us entrusted us with binding and loosing all matters in in heaven and on earth.

      David Lose concludes with these words, “There is so much that is challenging in our world just now – from hurricanes to displays of hate, from injustice to intolerance – that the world desperately needs us to be the Body of Christ.  Moreover, there is so much going on in [our lives] – from heartaches we barely sense to hopes we can scarce imagine – [we all] need to be cared for by, and to be part of, the Body of Christ. And so I’ll say it again: authentic community is hard. But also powerful. And healing. And a tremendous witness. And a heck of a lot of work, to be sure, but always worth it. And when we grow weary following the path Jesus set, perhaps we can remind each other that we have Jesus’ promise that each and every time we try, he is there with us – instructing us in the way of love, urging us on, forgiving us, and sending us out to be agents of reconciliation and peace, accompanying us wherever we may go.”  In the Meantime, Wednesday September 9, 2017) Amen. 

Voice of Hope

Our scripture reading today is at once challenging, disheartening and a gentle reminder of what is really important. Jesus and the disciples are in the region of Tyre and Sidon. They are not on home turf. They are in the land of the gentiles AKA – those who are not descendants of Abraham. Not long after arriving, a woman approaches Jesus and the disciples. She cries out“Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22) But no one paid attention to her. Jesus kept walking with the disciples following behind him. She is after all a Canaanite woman, a gentile – there was no need to listen to her. But she will not be ignored. Again, she says “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22) Still nothing.

She will not be ignored or pushed aside. Her daughter’s life is one the line. She knows about Jesus and what he can do. Again, she says, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22) The disciples are tired of this nagging and say to Jesus, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” Jesus knew his mission and it was not for her kind. Jesus says to her “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  And he keeps going. We might as well just say it like it is. Jesus is worse than rude. He dismisses her because of her race and keeps walking.

But she will not be ignored or pushed aside or told that she and her daughter’s life are of no account. She puts herself in Jesus path and kneels at before him saying, “Lord help me.” (Matthew 15:25) And still Jesus does nothing. Can you believe it? Our Jesus who heals. Our Jesus who is compassionate. Our Jesus who loves us back to life refuses to help this woman whose daughter is being tormented by demons simply because she is from the wrong place. And then it does not get better as the story progresses. He says, her, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26) He calls her a dog.

Most people would have walked away. First ignored, then dismissed and then insulted. But not this woman. She says “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” (Matthew 15:27) And finally Jesus see her – not where she is from – but her. A mother crying, begging for her daughter’s life to be restored. Jesus says, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” (Matthew 15:28) And in that moment her daughter is healed and Jesus mission and ministry changed.

I’ve read and preached on this story countless times. I’ve reminded myself that because of this woman’s persistence Jesus ministry changes – which it does. Barbara Brown Taylor writes, “through the Canaanite woman’s faith [Jesus] learns that God’s purpose for him is bigger than he had imagined and there is enough of him to go around. (Seeds of Heaven. p. 63)

Somehow this week I hear this story differently. I remember Jesus pushing the Canaanite woman aside and I think of the riots in Charlottesville. I watch as Jesus dismisses her and I think of the people who show up at protests using the hate filled slogans of KKK and Neo-Nazis. And when Jesus called her a dog and I am reminded of the divisions that are occurring in our own country and around the world. I think of the all the people who’ve been pushed aside because arbitrary lines have been drawn that say “you are in and you are out.” This gospel reading reminds me that racism isn’t new. It’s an enduring problem.

Dr. David Lose in his column In the Meantime writes “It’s way, way too easy for us to assume that God is on our side, looks like us, favors our positions, and endorses our views. Call it sinful, call it human, but let’s be honest: it’s really, really easy for us to imagine God is just like us. …And just as the Canaanite woman teaches Jesus that God’s mission and vision and compassion and mercy are bigger than what he may have initially imagined, so also might the Canaanite woman teach us the same at a time when synagogues are threatened, mosques are being fire-bombed, and neo-Nazis and white supremacists march the streets: every time you draw a line between who’s in and who’s out, you will find the God made manifest in Jesus on the other side. (Dr. David Lose, In the Meantime August 15th, 2017)

The good news, is that Jesus is changed by his meeting with the Canaanite Woman. Our Gospel reading, shows us a path that brings hope. A path to wholeness for communities. The Canaanite woman teaches Jesus that his mission is to share God’s love with everyone. No exceptions. The same is true today for us today.

As we watch the news and wonder what kind of world our children will grow up in. Pay attention to the signs of hope – for the signs that our world is changing for the better. There all the people who showed up to say no to racism, violence and hatred. The ministers, clergy, pastors, rabbis and leaders of many faith communities who formed a line of protection at the riots in Charlottesville. The people of Boston who showed up in droves to protest against the right wing free speech rally and whose voices drowned out the ones spreading hatred. The people of Vancouver who showed up to protest the anti-immigration protest and whose words of welcome were the only ones that could be heard. 

This is where hope is found. The everyday people like you and me who gather and use their voices to stand up for a world where all are welcome. As we head into the new week, let our voices be the voices of hope. Let the message of the Canaanite woman who showed Jesus the way of love, challenge us to be hope at work in our community. Let us pray and work for a day when our world will reflect that hope in every place. By God’s grace may it be so. Amen.

Wheat and Weeds

As you might imagine, the gospel reading for this morning has inspired me to think about wheat and weeds. Gardeners and famers all know that they don’t want weeds in their flower beds or fields. They take the good nutrients from the soil and they make it harder for the stuff we want to growing to grow. My front lawn, much to Scott’s chagrin, is a testament that very principle. We want grass but there are dandelions everywhere. For several years we even waged a battle with gout weed in our flower beds.

            Here is my problem. I like weeds – well maybe not gout weed. Some weeds have beautiful flowers. A field of dandelions is a glorious shade of yellow. When I come home from work and see that field of yellow, I smile. Queen Anne’s lace has a delicate flower. The thistle is beautiful shade of purple and green. The lilies of the field that Jesus talked about – beautiful red weeds that grow in every crack in the concrete. I’m not alone. The Iona community published a whole book called Dandelions and Thistles. My favourite poem from the collection is called Dandelions and Thistles.

In the beginning

God saw the cheerful unrepentant weeds:

Thistles and dandelions—

They were fruitful and multiplied.

They bloomed on poor soil

And in the barren wilderness;

They brought colour into a solemn world.

…

God, knowing the secret of life and death,

Created green shouts that spring up after rain,

flowers that follow sun

fruits that will only grow

if they fall in the earth and die.

These weeds – as down-to-earth as you or me

are parables of the wisdom and work of God.

            Jesus parable for us today is as complex as our relationship with weeds. Don’t get confused with last week’s parable of the Sower. This different. Jesus is talking about wheat and weeds. It is another kingdom of God parable. There once was a farmer who sowed good seed but at night while the hired hands were sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds. When the wheat started to grow so did the weeds. The farm hands came and asked the master if he used good seed. He says, “An enemy has done this.” (Matthew 13:28) When they ask if they should pull up all the weeds. The farmer says, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13:29 – 30)

This is a parable of God’s grace. It is easy to miss if we focus the weeds being bundled and burned. Pay attention to some other details in the parable. The person who planted the seed was the boss – the master. In Jesus’ day that was unheard of. The master doesn’t plant, the workers do. Then, the master instructs them to let the wheat and weeds grow together. Elizabeth Johnson says, “What Matthew most likely refers to, however, is darnel or cockle, a noxious weed that closely resembles wheat and is plentiful in Israel. The difference between darnel and real wheat is evident only when the plants mature and the ears appear. The ears of the real wheat are heavy and will droop, while the ears of the darnel stand up straight.” https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=979

Here is the challenge of the parable and for us in our daily lives. You can’t always tell the difference between the wheat the weeds and God looks on things very differently than we do. Maybe we humans are a strange mixture of wheat and weeds; good and bad. Sometimes we do wonderful things and sometimes we turn from God’s ways. The master, God, lets them both grow together because you can’t always tell who is going to be bear the fruit of the kingdom. That’s the beauty of this parable. God is telling is it not up to us decide who is the wheat and who is weeds – who is in and who is out. God is saying – leave that to me. Because sometimes – maybe most of the time – people will surprise you.

 That was certainly true of Jacob. God did not choose Jacob but not because he was perfect or even at first glance a good human being. Jacob is a liar and a cheat. He stole his brother’s inheritance and blessing and now his on the run from his rightfully angry brother. After a long day spent fleeing his brother’s wrath, Jacob find himself alone in strange place. God comes to him in a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder.  As he dream, God makes a promise to Jacob that echoes the one made to Abraham and Isaac before him:

            “I am the Lord... the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:13 – 15)

            Then Jacob changes. Love has a way of transforming lives. Jacob says, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, ... so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house.” (Genesis 28: 20 – 22)

            This is the heart of the good news. It is for all of us. God’s love transforms our lives. God takes the broken or missing pieces in our lives and makes us whole. Jacob was a strange mixture of wheat and weeds and yet God made him the heir to a promise. God says “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.” The same is true for us. God is with us no matter what. God knows our hearts. We too can pray Psalm 139, “O God, you have searched me and known me. ...How deep your designs are to me, O God! How great their number! I try to count them but they are more than sand. I come to the end – I am still with you.” (Psalm 139)

            God’s kingdom is beyond compare. God searches our hearts and knows us – the good and the bad – the weeds and the wheat and loves us and walks with us. That is God’s amazing grace to us. We do not need to worry about who is in or who is out. Our calling is simple – follow in Jesus way of compassion and love. Then leave the rest to God’s infinite and amazing grace. Amen.