May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Could all of the kids please come up here?
Are you ready to be counted?
Do any of you know what a census is?
Why did I ask you about a census?
Why did we come to church tonight? What is special about tonight?
We are all here tonight because we believe that there was something special about a baby who was born more than two thousand years ago. We are here because we believe that boy has something to offer to us in our lives today. That boy who lived so long ago can still change our lives for the better.
Do you ever insist that God give you something?
Do you pray and expect that your prayer will come true?
Good. That little baby was just one of the people talked about in the Bible who told us to do that. God wants us to ask for things. God wants to give us things.
Does God insist that we do anything?
(Love God, love ourselves, love each other … love)
What happens when we don’t do what God asks of us?
(God forgives us)
What happens when God doesn’t do what we ask?
?
Are there other things that God asks us to do, not what we must do but some things that would be a good idea?
- Taking care of the poor and the sick
- Helping each other
- … (lots more)
Why do we go to church?
- Worship God
- Pray
- Learn
- Community
God asks us to go to Church. In church, we learn about what God wants us to do. In church, we gather so that we can do God’s work together. In one way, church is kind of like that census: we are counted by God and by each other as helpers who are trying to make the world a better place.
Are you ready to be counted?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Jesus Emmanuel
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
There two very important words in our Gospel today. Well, there are more, but I’m just going to look at two of them.
Jesus and Emmanuel.
Jesus – he will save.
What does Jesus save us from?
(Sin) But what is sin?
Sin is turning away from God. That is why we are called to repent. The word which we translate as repent does not mean to be sorry for what we have done. It means to re-turn. It literally means to turn back around and continue on a different path.
When I first felt called to become a priest, I sinned against God. I turned away from that call. I put my head in the sand and pretended that I didn’t hear. This is a common reaction to any call from God. When God calls to us, we don’t always want do to what God asks of us. This is sin – resisting God’s call, acting in ways which we know we shouldn’t, doing things which we know we shouldn’t.
This is what Jesus saves us from – ourselves.
But how?
Emmanuel – God is with us.
God understands us, not only as our creator, but as a fellow human being. God walks with us through all of our lifelong journey.
When we experience the joys of our life, God is with us.
When we experience the pain of loss, God is with us.
When we follow God’s call, God is with us.
When we turn away from God and walk in the path of sin and despair, God is with us.
This is the true meaning of Christmas. This is the incredible grace of God. God is with us.
There two very important words in our Gospel today. Well, there are more, but I’m just going to look at two of them.
Jesus and Emmanuel.
Jesus – he will save.
What does Jesus save us from?
(Sin) But what is sin?
Sin is turning away from God. That is why we are called to repent. The word which we translate as repent does not mean to be sorry for what we have done. It means to re-turn. It literally means to turn back around and continue on a different path.
When I first felt called to become a priest, I sinned against God. I turned away from that call. I put my head in the sand and pretended that I didn’t hear. This is a common reaction to any call from God. When God calls to us, we don’t always want do to what God asks of us. This is sin – resisting God’s call, acting in ways which we know we shouldn’t, doing things which we know we shouldn’t.
This is what Jesus saves us from – ourselves.
But how?
Emmanuel – God is with us.
God understands us, not only as our creator, but as a fellow human being. God walks with us through all of our lifelong journey.
When we experience the joys of our life, God is with us.
When we experience the pain of loss, God is with us.
When we follow God’s call, God is with us.
When we turn away from God and walk in the path of sin and despair, God is with us.
This is the true meaning of Christmas. This is the incredible grace of God. God is with us.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Slow Down
May the words of my (our) mouth(s) be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Where has all the time gone?
Before Advent started, Bishop Sue sent a message out to all of the clergy telling us not to plan too much. She told us to make sure that we had time to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord. After all, that is what Christmas is really about.
It is not about buying things. It’s not even really about giving presents to our friends and families.
It is about the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives. It is about the coming of Jesus Christ into my life.
Where has all the time gone?
This is supposed to be a time of preparation. It is supposed to be a time when we slow down, when we take a step back and take a good look at our lives.
My last week started as usual with a very busy Sunday. On Monday I had a morning meeting in Truro followed by the AGM for the co-op in the evening. Tuesday – catch up on reading, try to clean my office, Cape Smokey Christmas concert. Wednesday – laundry, the rest of the day is a blur but there was some family time. Thursday – visiting, service preparation, invites for next Sunday, bulletins, vestry meeting and getting a start on this. Friday – meeting in Sydney, celebration of new ministry for Gloria McLure-Fraser. Saturday – visioning session in Ingonish, visiting and finish writing this. Plus finding time for prayer at least twice a day. And now we’re back to Sunday.
Where has all the time gone?
And after all that, I know what I want to talk about today, but all of you are going to have to help me. There just hasn’t been time to put it all together.
With all that we have going on in our lives, how do we find the time to make ourselves ready for the coming of our Lord?
…
How do we find the time to slow down and take stock of our lives?
…
Please help me, because I don’t know. All I know for sure is that we need to do it. Even in Jesus’ time someone with as much insight as John the Baptist had trouble being sure that Jesus was the Christ. How, in my overly busy life, am I ever supposed to see what is Christ-like in those around me let alone recognize Christ, himself, when he steps into my life.
…
The busier my life gets, the more often I think I have to do it alone.
When I get overwhelmed, I forget to ask for help.
I have a feeling that I’m not alone. Is there anyone else here who has that problem?
Who can we ask for help? Who do you turn to when there just isn’t enough time or energy to do everything you need to do?
… (God)
Let us share a repeat after me prayer.
Gracious God,
When life is easy
I forget to give thanks.
When life is busy
I forget to take time for you.
When life is hard
I forget to ask for help.
Please God,
Help me to remember
To look for you in my life.
Help me to remember
To slow down and pray.
Help me to remember
That you are always there to help me.
Help me to be ready
For your birth.
Amen.
Where has all the time gone?
Before Advent started, Bishop Sue sent a message out to all of the clergy telling us not to plan too much. She told us to make sure that we had time to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord. After all, that is what Christmas is really about.
It is not about buying things. It’s not even really about giving presents to our friends and families.
It is about the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives. It is about the coming of Jesus Christ into my life.
Where has all the time gone?
This is supposed to be a time of preparation. It is supposed to be a time when we slow down, when we take a step back and take a good look at our lives.
My last week started as usual with a very busy Sunday. On Monday I had a morning meeting in Truro followed by the AGM for the co-op in the evening. Tuesday – catch up on reading, try to clean my office, Cape Smokey Christmas concert. Wednesday – laundry, the rest of the day is a blur but there was some family time. Thursday – visiting, service preparation, invites for next Sunday, bulletins, vestry meeting and getting a start on this. Friday – meeting in Sydney, celebration of new ministry for Gloria McLure-Fraser. Saturday – visioning session in Ingonish, visiting and finish writing this. Plus finding time for prayer at least twice a day. And now we’re back to Sunday.
Where has all the time gone?
And after all that, I know what I want to talk about today, but all of you are going to have to help me. There just hasn’t been time to put it all together.
With all that we have going on in our lives, how do we find the time to make ourselves ready for the coming of our Lord?
…
How do we find the time to slow down and take stock of our lives?
…
Please help me, because I don’t know. All I know for sure is that we need to do it. Even in Jesus’ time someone with as much insight as John the Baptist had trouble being sure that Jesus was the Christ. How, in my overly busy life, am I ever supposed to see what is Christ-like in those around me let alone recognize Christ, himself, when he steps into my life.
…
The busier my life gets, the more often I think I have to do it alone.
When I get overwhelmed, I forget to ask for help.
I have a feeling that I’m not alone. Is there anyone else here who has that problem?
Who can we ask for help? Who do you turn to when there just isn’t enough time or energy to do everything you need to do?
… (God)
Let us share a repeat after me prayer.
Gracious God,
When life is easy
I forget to give thanks.
When life is busy
I forget to take time for you.
When life is hard
I forget to ask for help.
Please God,
Help me to remember
To look for you in my life.
Help me to remember
To slow down and pray.
Help me to remember
That you are always there to help me.
Help me to be ready
For your birth.
Amen.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
What is Baptism about anyway?
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
What is baptism all about?
What was baptism about in the time of Jesus? Does anyone know?
Well, the Jews had a ceremony called Mikvah. It was a ritual of cleansing. It was not really about sin. It was about being ritually clean so that you could enter the temple. For example, if you had been defiled by coming in contact with the dead you had to go through the ritual immersion of Mikvah to return to the temple. It was also required of those who wished to convert to Judaism. You could go through Mikvah more than once if you needed to.
John the Baptist took this ritual and adapted it as a rite of conversion to his particular branch of the Jewish faith: those who believed that the time of the Messiah was upon them. For him, baptism was about being ready to enter into the presence of the Messiah, not the temple.
In the early church, what age do you think people were typically baptised?
Usually, they were baptised as adults. Baptism gave you full entry into the church. The only time children were baptised was when a whole family got baptised together.
As Anglicans, what do we believe baptism is all about?
If you open your BCP to page 532 and read the paragraph starting “Dearly Beloved” you will see what the church believed in 1662. These explanations and prayers have changed only slightly from that edition of the prayer book.
What does this paragraph tell us?
1. Without baptism, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
2. Through baptism we receive the Holy Spirit.
3. Through baptism we become part of the Christian community.
4. Through baptism we become members of the body of Christ.
… …
What has changed in our understanding of baptism since these words were written?
Now we turn to the BAS. Please open it to page 156 and look at the last paragraph read by the celebrant. What does this paragraph tell us about the change in our understanding of baptism?
…
It is the sacrifice made by Jesus that frees us from sin, not anything that we can do. It goes on to talk about baptism as being a way to be made one with Christ and to be cleansed from sin.
This is a very important distinction. Christ’s sacrifice frees us from the bondage of sin. By baptism we are cleansed from sin and enter into the community and body of Christ.
This is a very subtle difference, but worth thinking about.
If you haven’t already done it, please open your BAS to page 158 and we will renew, together, our baptismal covenants.
What is baptism all about?
What was baptism about in the time of Jesus? Does anyone know?
Well, the Jews had a ceremony called Mikvah. It was a ritual of cleansing. It was not really about sin. It was about being ritually clean so that you could enter the temple. For example, if you had been defiled by coming in contact with the dead you had to go through the ritual immersion of Mikvah to return to the temple. It was also required of those who wished to convert to Judaism. You could go through Mikvah more than once if you needed to.
John the Baptist took this ritual and adapted it as a rite of conversion to his particular branch of the Jewish faith: those who believed that the time of the Messiah was upon them. For him, baptism was about being ready to enter into the presence of the Messiah, not the temple.
In the early church, what age do you think people were typically baptised?
Usually, they were baptised as adults. Baptism gave you full entry into the church. The only time children were baptised was when a whole family got baptised together.
As Anglicans, what do we believe baptism is all about?
If you open your BCP to page 532 and read the paragraph starting “Dearly Beloved” you will see what the church believed in 1662. These explanations and prayers have changed only slightly from that edition of the prayer book.
What does this paragraph tell us?
1. Without baptism, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
2. Through baptism we receive the Holy Spirit.
3. Through baptism we become part of the Christian community.
4. Through baptism we become members of the body of Christ.
… …
What has changed in our understanding of baptism since these words were written?
Now we turn to the BAS. Please open it to page 156 and look at the last paragraph read by the celebrant. What does this paragraph tell us about the change in our understanding of baptism?
…
It is the sacrifice made by Jesus that frees us from sin, not anything that we can do. It goes on to talk about baptism as being a way to be made one with Christ and to be cleansed from sin.
This is a very important distinction. Christ’s sacrifice frees us from the bondage of sin. By baptism we are cleansed from sin and enter into the community and body of Christ.
This is a very subtle difference, but worth thinking about.
If you haven’t already done it, please open your BAS to page 158 and we will renew, together, our baptismal covenants.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Jesus Remember Me
I speak in the name of the one, true and living God: Creator and ruler of the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
Time to learn a new hymn. It’s a very short one from Taizé which repeats over and over again.
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
Today we celebrate The Reign of Christ or Christ the King. It is also the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost, the last Sunday in the church year.
Today is our last regular reading from the Gospel of Luke for two years, and we end with not one but two very important readings from Luke.
Our first reading is called the Song of Zechariah. Does anyone know who this song is about? … There is a huge clue near the end of it. “You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation.”
Zechariah is the husband of Elizabeth. He is the father of John the Baptist. This song comes near the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, just after Mary tells Elizabeth that she is pregnant. The song tells us of the history of Israel and the promise of a new covenant; a covenant brought to life in Jesus Christ.
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
Our second reading from Luke takes place upon Golgotha … the place of the skull, where Jesus is being crucified along with two convicted criminals. Even upon the cross, Jesus has compassion for those who are hurting him. They torment him and he forgives them. They taunt him and he explains their actions to God.
“He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”
“This is the King of the Jews.”
“Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
None of them get it. None of them understand that Jesus is not there because of his own inaction. He is there because of their own sins. He is on the cross because of our sins. He is on the cross because of my brokenness, because of my sins.
Out of all of those gathered around Jesus, only one acknowledges his own faults. Only one of them does not push Jesus to save himself or anyone else.
What does he ask of Jesus?
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
And then we have one of those words which we need to look at: “Paradise.” Paradise is not Eden, nor Heaven, nor Nirvana, nor even the Kingdom of God. Paradise is the Jewish name for the temporary resting place of the godly dead; those who are righteous when they die.
Jesus tells the convicted criminal who admits that he has done wrong, who asks Jesus not to be saved, but rather to be remembered, that they will both end the day in Paradise. Jesus tells him that he is right with God. His sins, which he freely confesses, have been forgiven.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high has broken upon us, shining on us, as we dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and guiding our feet into the way of peace.
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
Time to learn a new hymn. It’s a very short one from Taizé which repeats over and over again.
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
Today we celebrate The Reign of Christ or Christ the King. It is also the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost, the last Sunday in the church year.
Today is our last regular reading from the Gospel of Luke for two years, and we end with not one but two very important readings from Luke.
Our first reading is called the Song of Zechariah. Does anyone know who this song is about? … There is a huge clue near the end of it. “You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation.”
Zechariah is the husband of Elizabeth. He is the father of John the Baptist. This song comes near the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, just after Mary tells Elizabeth that she is pregnant. The song tells us of the history of Israel and the promise of a new covenant; a covenant brought to life in Jesus Christ.
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
Our second reading from Luke takes place upon Golgotha … the place of the skull, where Jesus is being crucified along with two convicted criminals. Even upon the cross, Jesus has compassion for those who are hurting him. They torment him and he forgives them. They taunt him and he explains their actions to God.
“He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”
“This is the King of the Jews.”
“Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
None of them get it. None of them understand that Jesus is not there because of his own inaction. He is there because of their own sins. He is on the cross because of our sins. He is on the cross because of my brokenness, because of my sins.
Out of all of those gathered around Jesus, only one acknowledges his own faults. Only one of them does not push Jesus to save himself or anyone else.
What does he ask of Jesus?
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
And then we have one of those words which we need to look at: “Paradise.” Paradise is not Eden, nor Heaven, nor Nirvana, nor even the Kingdom of God. Paradise is the Jewish name for the temporary resting place of the godly dead; those who are righteous when they die.
Jesus tells the convicted criminal who admits that he has done wrong, who asks Jesus not to be saved, but rather to be remembered, that they will both end the day in Paradise. Jesus tells him that he is right with God. His sins, which he freely confesses, have been forgiven.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high has broken upon us, shining on us, as we dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and guiding our feet into the way of peace.
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Common Praise # 634)
Saint Andrew the Apostle - Who is he anyway?
May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Today we are celebrating our connection to Saint Andrew. Who here can tell us something about Saint Andrew?
… Wait …
What is he known for?
- Fisherman
- patron of Scotland
- brother of (Simon) Peter
- the first apostles
- fisher of men
Does anyone know how much of this is from the Bible and how much is from other writings and later traditions?
… Wait …
The Bible actually says very little about Andrew. It says that he was a Galilean fisherman minding his own business when along came Jesus. The Lord called him, and Andrew got up and walked – he walked into the story of Jesus. From that moment on, his life was no longer his own; Andrew had no other story but the story of Jesus, the story that is told about Jesus, the story that Jesus himself tells.
The Bible tells us that he is the brother of Simon Peter and that, according to the Gospel of Mark, the first house that Jesus entered belonged to Simon and Andrew.
He is the son of Jonah or John and he was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. He is always named near the beginning in any list of the Apostles. He is one of the few who clearly recognize Jesus as the Christ. He was often present when Jesus did something important.
Everything you know or think you know about Saint Andrew comes from somewhere else.
Saint Andrew appears quite often in the Gospels, but he almost never does anything. He does not have any major roles to play like Judas and Peter. He does not go off and do things on his own. He answers a couple of questions as part of a group, but he never asks questions. He never does anything to put himself forward, to stand out.
Does anyone know what it means that the church is decorated with white today? What about Saint Andrew says that we should use white hangings (the official term for them is ante-pendia which means hanging before)?
We use white when we commemorate Teachers of the Faith, Spiritual Teachers, Pastors, Educators,
Monastics, and Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Which of these applies to Saint Andrew? Or for that matter to any Apostle?
They are all Teachers of the Faith.
Does anyone know what it means that I am wearing Red vestments? What about Saint Andrew says that we should decorate with red?
We use red in the church when we commemorate martyrs and missionaries. Which of those was Saint Andrew? If you don’t know, you will find a hint on the front of your bulletin.
He was actually both. All of the Apostles were sent to proclaim the good news to the kingdoms. They were missionaries. Saint Andrew is also a martyr. But how do we know that? The Bible says nothing about the end of Andrew’s life.
There is much information that is available about what Andrew went on to do in his later life. His life is described by some of the Church Fathers who wrote in the earliest days of the Church. There are even two books, the Acts of Andrew and the Gospel of Andrew, which can be found in a list of books rejected from canon sometime in the 4th or 5th century. In fact, there is so much written about Saint Andrew that some of it must be myth: fiction written to explain some theological or moral point.
I believe the Saint Andrew described in the Bible is a very apt choice as the Patron of this church and as one of the Patrons of this Parish. I also believe that this Parish is being called to live into the rest of what Saint Andrew stands for. As we go forward into Advent, I would challenge you to find out more about our Patron Saint. Find out what it means to us as a Parish that your ancestors chose to dedicate this church in his name. I also ask that you bring what you find and share it with our community.
Let us pray,
Brother of Simon Peter, you heard John the Baptist say: "Behold the Lamb of God," and you chose to follow Jesus. Leaving your nets, you became a successful fisher of souls. Lover of the Crucified Christ, you too were crucified like him. Teach us to live and suffer for him and to win many souls for Christ.
Today we are celebrating our connection to Saint Andrew. Who here can tell us something about Saint Andrew?
… Wait …
What is he known for?
- Fisherman
- patron of Scotland
- brother of (Simon) Peter
- the first apostles
- fisher of men
Does anyone know how much of this is from the Bible and how much is from other writings and later traditions?
… Wait …
The Bible actually says very little about Andrew. It says that he was a Galilean fisherman minding his own business when along came Jesus. The Lord called him, and Andrew got up and walked – he walked into the story of Jesus. From that moment on, his life was no longer his own; Andrew had no other story but the story of Jesus, the story that is told about Jesus, the story that Jesus himself tells.
The Bible tells us that he is the brother of Simon Peter and that, according to the Gospel of Mark, the first house that Jesus entered belonged to Simon and Andrew.
He is the son of Jonah or John and he was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. He is always named near the beginning in any list of the Apostles. He is one of the few who clearly recognize Jesus as the Christ. He was often present when Jesus did something important.
Everything you know or think you know about Saint Andrew comes from somewhere else.
Saint Andrew appears quite often in the Gospels, but he almost never does anything. He does not have any major roles to play like Judas and Peter. He does not go off and do things on his own. He answers a couple of questions as part of a group, but he never asks questions. He never does anything to put himself forward, to stand out.
Does anyone know what it means that the church is decorated with white today? What about Saint Andrew says that we should use white hangings (the official term for them is ante-pendia which means hanging before)?
We use white when we commemorate Teachers of the Faith, Spiritual Teachers, Pastors, Educators,
Monastics, and Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Which of these applies to Saint Andrew? Or for that matter to any Apostle?
They are all Teachers of the Faith.
Does anyone know what it means that I am wearing Red vestments? What about Saint Andrew says that we should decorate with red?
We use red in the church when we commemorate martyrs and missionaries. Which of those was Saint Andrew? If you don’t know, you will find a hint on the front of your bulletin.
He was actually both. All of the Apostles were sent to proclaim the good news to the kingdoms. They were missionaries. Saint Andrew is also a martyr. But how do we know that? The Bible says nothing about the end of Andrew’s life.
There is much information that is available about what Andrew went on to do in his later life. His life is described by some of the Church Fathers who wrote in the earliest days of the Church. There are even two books, the Acts of Andrew and the Gospel of Andrew, which can be found in a list of books rejected from canon sometime in the 4th or 5th century. In fact, there is so much written about Saint Andrew that some of it must be myth: fiction written to explain some theological or moral point.
I believe the Saint Andrew described in the Bible is a very apt choice as the Patron of this church and as one of the Patrons of this Parish. I also believe that this Parish is being called to live into the rest of what Saint Andrew stands for. As we go forward into Advent, I would challenge you to find out more about our Patron Saint. Find out what it means to us as a Parish that your ancestors chose to dedicate this church in his name. I also ask that you bring what you find and share it with our community.
Let us pray,
Brother of Simon Peter, you heard John the Baptist say: "Behold the Lamb of God," and you chose to follow Jesus. Leaving your nets, you became a successful fisher of souls. Lover of the Crucified Christ, you too were crucified like him. Teach us to live and suffer for him and to win many souls for Christ.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saint Andrew's Day Message
May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Sorry ... no spoiler today. You will have to come to church. (I will post the sermon after the service)
Sorry ... no spoiler today. You will have to come to church. (I will post the sermon after the service)
Monday, November 8, 2010
Remembrance Day Lament
I speak to you in the name of the one who died so that we might be free. Amen.
How many need to die before we finally get it?
How many need to come home wounded in mind and body?
How many need to sit at home praying that they will see their loved ones again, fearing that every call will be the one bringing news of their death?
Why, O God, do we have to hear over and over again about another soldier lost, more civilian casualties, the ongoing ravages of war?
We are all God’s beloved.
We are all made in God’s own image.
Why can’t we see that in each other?
Why can’t we respect our brothers and sisters?
Why can’t we look for what we have in common?
Why can’t we find joy in exploring our differences?
We give thanks to you, O God, that you hear our lament.
We give thanks to you, our Creator, that you made us in your image.
We give thanks to you, our Redeemer, that you walked among us to share our broken humanity.
We give thanks to you, our Sustainer, that you share our grief and take our fallen into the company of your saints.
How many need to die before we finally get it?
How many need to come home wounded in mind and body?
How many need to sit at home praying that they will see their loved ones again, fearing that every call will be the one bringing news of their death?
Why, O God, do we have to hear over and over again about another soldier lost, more civilian casualties, the ongoing ravages of war?
We are all God’s beloved.
We are all made in God’s own image.
Why can’t we see that in each other?
Why can’t we respect our brothers and sisters?
Why can’t we look for what we have in common?
Why can’t we find joy in exploring our differences?
We give thanks to you, O God, that you hear our lament.
We give thanks to you, our Creator, that you made us in your image.
We give thanks to you, our Redeemer, that you walked among us to share our broken humanity.
We give thanks to you, our Sustainer, that you share our grief and take our fallen into the company of your saints.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
A Vision for Tomorrow - All Saints finds Remembrance
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, Our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
This past Monday was All Saints Day. This coming Thursday is Remembrance Day. The way our church calendar works, both of these days are shifted to today. So today we celebrate both feasts.
What do All Saints Day and Remembrance Day have in common?
Well, there is the obvious. Today we remember those who fought and died for our freedom and on behalf of us for the freedom of others. I strongly believe that they are counted among the Saints, both those who have died and those who remain with us still.
Remembrance is not just about those who fought long ago. It is about the past, the present and the future.
We remember those who fought in the wars of the past who made it possible for us to live in a free world; those who defended the rights of religious and ethnic minorities throughout the world; those who risked and gave up their lives, their families, and their sanity for what they believed in.
We also remember those who fight today for the same rights; who fight for the rights of women and children; who fight so that others can do something as basic as to go to school.
We remember that we are a broken people. We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, for the day when war becomes unnecessary. We pray for the day when there is no longer a need for soldiers.
It is the same for the Saints. Last Tuesday we remembered our own loved ones who have entered into God’s Kingdom ahead of us. We count them among the Saints. We remember them and all who loved God in life today.
We also celebrate all who fear God today. This does not mean all those who are afraid of God. It means all those who believe that God has power to affect creation, that God has the ability to guide us towards a better life, that God loves us and walks with us on our lifelong journey.
Finally, we pray for the future of the Saints. We pray that there will continue to be people working towards the Kingdom of God after we are gone, that the people of God will know God’s presence in their lives.
But what does this all mean to us here?
Today we remember the richness of our tradition. We remember those saints who came before us: those saints who built this church, who formed this parish. We remember those who helped to establish the Anglican Church north of Smokey. We remember Simon Gibbons, who came here as a missionary and all those who struggled to build a life and a church here in those hard times.
We remember that we have a rich history of working with other denominations, from the very first days of our church here to the present. We remember that our ancestors, who all moved here from far and wide, worked together to make life here possible.
We remember the service that this church has given to the community. We have served as a meeting place. We have served as a place of worship. We have served as a centre for community outreach. We have even served as a base for mounting search and rescue parties.
We have served this community as it formed and grew into what it is today.
Today we still serve in many of the same ways. We still serve as a place for the community to gather, both here at church and in our halls. We still work with our brothers and sisters of other denominations. We still reach out with pastoral support for those in need within our community, at Highland Manor, at Buchanan Memorial Hospital, on their boats at sea, wherever we see the need.
We pray that we will continue to be of service.
That is where our work lies today.
This Advent we will be working on a mission statement for our parish. We will be seeking a vision of our place in this community, of our purpose here. As a parish, we will be looking for God’s call to us.
As members of the Body of Christ, we each do God’s work every day. We each have a vision of what our individual mission is in this world.
As a parish within the Anglican Church of Canada working with a unified vision, with a defined mission, we can make the world a better place. We can make the Kingdom of God just a little bit more present in our community today.
Thanks be to God!
This past Monday was All Saints Day. This coming Thursday is Remembrance Day. The way our church calendar works, both of these days are shifted to today. So today we celebrate both feasts.
What do All Saints Day and Remembrance Day have in common?
Well, there is the obvious. Today we remember those who fought and died for our freedom and on behalf of us for the freedom of others. I strongly believe that they are counted among the Saints, both those who have died and those who remain with us still.
Remembrance is not just about those who fought long ago. It is about the past, the present and the future.
We remember those who fought in the wars of the past who made it possible for us to live in a free world; those who defended the rights of religious and ethnic minorities throughout the world; those who risked and gave up their lives, their families, and their sanity for what they believed in.
We also remember those who fight today for the same rights; who fight for the rights of women and children; who fight so that others can do something as basic as to go to school.
We remember that we are a broken people. We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, for the day when war becomes unnecessary. We pray for the day when there is no longer a need for soldiers.
It is the same for the Saints. Last Tuesday we remembered our own loved ones who have entered into God’s Kingdom ahead of us. We count them among the Saints. We remember them and all who loved God in life today.
We also celebrate all who fear God today. This does not mean all those who are afraid of God. It means all those who believe that God has power to affect creation, that God has the ability to guide us towards a better life, that God loves us and walks with us on our lifelong journey.
Finally, we pray for the future of the Saints. We pray that there will continue to be people working towards the Kingdom of God after we are gone, that the people of God will know God’s presence in their lives.
But what does this all mean to us here?
Today we remember the richness of our tradition. We remember those saints who came before us: those saints who built this church, who formed this parish. We remember those who helped to establish the Anglican Church north of Smokey. We remember Simon Gibbons, who came here as a missionary and all those who struggled to build a life and a church here in those hard times.
We remember that we have a rich history of working with other denominations, from the very first days of our church here to the present. We remember that our ancestors, who all moved here from far and wide, worked together to make life here possible.
We remember the service that this church has given to the community. We have served as a meeting place. We have served as a place of worship. We have served as a centre for community outreach. We have even served as a base for mounting search and rescue parties.
We have served this community as it formed and grew into what it is today.
Today we still serve in many of the same ways. We still serve as a place for the community to gather, both here at church and in our halls. We still work with our brothers and sisters of other denominations. We still reach out with pastoral support for those in need within our community, at Highland Manor, at Buchanan Memorial Hospital, on their boats at sea, wherever we see the need.
We pray that we will continue to be of service.
That is where our work lies today.
This Advent we will be working on a mission statement for our parish. We will be seeking a vision of our place in this community, of our purpose here. As a parish, we will be looking for God’s call to us.
As members of the Body of Christ, we each do God’s work every day. We each have a vision of what our individual mission is in this world.
As a parish within the Anglican Church of Canada working with a unified vision, with a defined mission, we can make the world a better place. We can make the Kingdom of God just a little bit more present in our community today.
Thanks be to God!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Omar Khadr - the Modern Tax Collector
I speak to you in the name of the One, True and Living God. Amen.
- sing – Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.
(He climbed up in a sycamore tree,
for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed him by,
He looked up in the tree,
And he said, "Zacchaeus, you come down from there;
For I'm going to your house today,
for I'm going to your house today"
Zacchaeus came down from that tree,
as happy as he could be,
He gave his money to the poor,
and said: "What a better man I'll be.")
What is it about tax collectors that makes them so attractive to Jesus?
Last week we were told that a tax collector was more deserving of the kingdom of heaven than an openly pious man. This week we hear that Zacchaeus, a man who has become rich by collecting tax for the Romans, has brought salvation to his house.
Why do we keep hearing about tax collectors?
I think that this is one of those times where our world just doesn’t fit with the world of Biblical times. We just don’t have the same kind of person in our society. We don’t have such a perfect target of social hatred.
Or do we?
During the cold war, the equivalent would have been a traitor, especially someone who was selling military secrets just for the money.
But who is it today? We have a perfect example currently in the news. Anyone?
Omar Khadr. Someone who is a citizen of a western country, who was born and grew up here, who goes somewhere else to fight against the west.
Think about how the US military has treated Omar Khadr and you know exactly how the people of Jesus’ time felt about tax collectors. If the people of Judah had not been under the thumb of the Romans, they would gladly have rounded up all the tax collectors and held them without trial until they confessed to being traitors. There was no question about their motives. There was no acceptable excuse for what they had done.
This is why Jesus choses tax collectors. Jesus uses them to show us what is wrong in our society. Jesus uses them to tell us that such an attitude does not fit in the kingdom of heaven.
So what does this tell us about how we should see the Omar Khadrs of the world?
Zacchaeus was a wee little man.
Omar Khadr was a child.
Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham, a member of the people of God.
Jesus tells us that we are all children of God, we are all beloved. Omar Khadr is no different. He is beloved of God.
Jesus tells us that we are to seek out and to save the lost. There is no question that Omar Khadr is one of the lost. He was taken as a child. He was told that God would reward him for killing in the name of God. He was convinced that his home country was his enemy. He was taught to hate.
Omar Khadr became a target for hatred. He is not the real enemy. The real enemy is an idea. The real enemy is the belief that one person can be hurt by someone else’s beliefs, not what they do, but just what they believe. It is this idea which leads to “cleansing wars.” This idea has no place in the Kingdom of God.
Most of us are never going to meet a modern version of a “tax collector.” But this Gospel can still lead us toward the Kingdom of God. Jesus uses the tax collector to show us that the most hated in society are part of God’s people. And if the most hated are included, then all must be included. There is no one who is not welcome at Jesus table. No one is so lost that they cannot be found. We are called to follow Jesus’ teaching. We are called to seek out the lost and bring them back to this (point) table. Back to Church Sunday is past. The invitations should just have started.
And as for Omar Khadr – I hope that he will not continue to be forgotten. I pray that someone will show him that he is beloved. He deserves to know that there is far more power to be found in love than there is in hate.
Thanks be to God.
- sing – Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.
(He climbed up in a sycamore tree,
for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed him by,
He looked up in the tree,
And he said, "Zacchaeus, you come down from there;
For I'm going to your house today,
for I'm going to your house today"
Zacchaeus came down from that tree,
as happy as he could be,
He gave his money to the poor,
and said: "What a better man I'll be.")
What is it about tax collectors that makes them so attractive to Jesus?
Last week we were told that a tax collector was more deserving of the kingdom of heaven than an openly pious man. This week we hear that Zacchaeus, a man who has become rich by collecting tax for the Romans, has brought salvation to his house.
Why do we keep hearing about tax collectors?
I think that this is one of those times where our world just doesn’t fit with the world of Biblical times. We just don’t have the same kind of person in our society. We don’t have such a perfect target of social hatred.
Or do we?
During the cold war, the equivalent would have been a traitor, especially someone who was selling military secrets just for the money.
But who is it today? We have a perfect example currently in the news. Anyone?
Omar Khadr. Someone who is a citizen of a western country, who was born and grew up here, who goes somewhere else to fight against the west.
Think about how the US military has treated Omar Khadr and you know exactly how the people of Jesus’ time felt about tax collectors. If the people of Judah had not been under the thumb of the Romans, they would gladly have rounded up all the tax collectors and held them without trial until they confessed to being traitors. There was no question about their motives. There was no acceptable excuse for what they had done.
This is why Jesus choses tax collectors. Jesus uses them to show us what is wrong in our society. Jesus uses them to tell us that such an attitude does not fit in the kingdom of heaven.
So what does this tell us about how we should see the Omar Khadrs of the world?
Zacchaeus was a wee little man.
Omar Khadr was a child.
Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham, a member of the people of God.
Jesus tells us that we are all children of God, we are all beloved. Omar Khadr is no different. He is beloved of God.
Jesus tells us that we are to seek out and to save the lost. There is no question that Omar Khadr is one of the lost. He was taken as a child. He was told that God would reward him for killing in the name of God. He was convinced that his home country was his enemy. He was taught to hate.
Omar Khadr became a target for hatred. He is not the real enemy. The real enemy is an idea. The real enemy is the belief that one person can be hurt by someone else’s beliefs, not what they do, but just what they believe. It is this idea which leads to “cleansing wars.” This idea has no place in the Kingdom of God.
Most of us are never going to meet a modern version of a “tax collector.” But this Gospel can still lead us toward the Kingdom of God. Jesus uses the tax collector to show us that the most hated in society are part of God’s people. And if the most hated are included, then all must be included. There is no one who is not welcome at Jesus table. No one is so lost that they cannot be found. We are called to follow Jesus’ teaching. We are called to seek out the lost and bring them back to this (point) table. Back to Church Sunday is past. The invitations should just have started.
And as for Omar Khadr – I hope that he will not continue to be forgotten. I pray that someone will show him that he is beloved. He deserves to know that there is far more power to be found in love than there is in hate.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Are you a Pharisee or a tax collector?
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
How many of you here have ever used Facebook?
I’m glad to see I’m not alone. For those of you who do not use Facebook, don’t worry. What I’m going to talk about was around long before it ever hit the internet. In fact they were around long before the internet.
How many of you have ever taken one of those quizzes with titles like “Which character on the Simpsons are you?” (I’m Flanders). One of the latest quizzes going around is “Why is the inquisition after me?” According to that quiz, I practice witchcraft.
Well, today we are going to take a quiz called “Which character am I in today’s parable?” I am going to make a few statements. All you need to do is keep track of whether more of them are true for you or more of them are false. Here we go.
There is only one right way to do things.
If I study hard enough, I can learn the right way.
Some things cannot be forgiven.
Prayer needs to be done in a dignified manner.
Following the rules will make me closer to God.
Being a sinner will make God love me less.
I’m a better Christian than my neighbour who isn’t here.
If you answered true to more often than false, you are a Pharisee. If you answered false more often, you are a tax collector. I have to admit right now that I am a sinner because I envy those of you who can easily answer false to most or all of those statements.
I want most of those to be true. It would make following in Christ’s footsteps much easier.
I would love it if all of my study could have taught me the “right way.” I would love to have a list to follow that would guarantee my place in heaven and God’s favour on Earth.
Unfortunately that’s not the way it works. The only real difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector is that the Pharisee cannot see that he is just as broken as the tax collector.
I am broken. I am a sinner. Sometimes I am a Pharisee. I hide behind my knowledge. I do all the right things and I believe that makes me better that those who don’t. When I do that, I am wrong. I am not better. I am just as broken. That is part of what it means to be human.
We – I need to learn from the tax collector. “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I’m going to make a few more statements. Once again, keep track of your true / false balance.
It is possible to do things right.
If I trust in God, I can find the right way for me.
Some things are easier for me to forgive than others.
The way I pray feels right for me.
Following a set of guidelines makes it easier for me to feel close to God.
I am a sinner and God loves me anyway.
I am committed to trying to follow Christ.
Congratulations. If you answered true to at least one of these statements, you are on your way to being a tax collector.
Being a Pharisee is easy. It is comfortable. It is not dangerous. No one can hurt me when I know I’m right.
Being a tax collector is risky. As a tax collector I have to put myself out there. I have to invite others to attack me. I have to expect that I will do it wrong much of the time.
I have to hope that at least occasionally I am doing it right.
Thanks be to God!
How many of you here have ever used Facebook?
I’m glad to see I’m not alone. For those of you who do not use Facebook, don’t worry. What I’m going to talk about was around long before it ever hit the internet. In fact they were around long before the internet.
How many of you have ever taken one of those quizzes with titles like “Which character on the Simpsons are you?” (I’m Flanders). One of the latest quizzes going around is “Why is the inquisition after me?” According to that quiz, I practice witchcraft.
Well, today we are going to take a quiz called “Which character am I in today’s parable?” I am going to make a few statements. All you need to do is keep track of whether more of them are true for you or more of them are false. Here we go.
There is only one right way to do things.
If I study hard enough, I can learn the right way.
Some things cannot be forgiven.
Prayer needs to be done in a dignified manner.
Following the rules will make me closer to God.
Being a sinner will make God love me less.
I’m a better Christian than my neighbour who isn’t here.
If you answered true to more often than false, you are a Pharisee. If you answered false more often, you are a tax collector. I have to admit right now that I am a sinner because I envy those of you who can easily answer false to most or all of those statements.
I want most of those to be true. It would make following in Christ’s footsteps much easier.
I would love it if all of my study could have taught me the “right way.” I would love to have a list to follow that would guarantee my place in heaven and God’s favour on Earth.
Unfortunately that’s not the way it works. The only real difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector is that the Pharisee cannot see that he is just as broken as the tax collector.
I am broken. I am a sinner. Sometimes I am a Pharisee. I hide behind my knowledge. I do all the right things and I believe that makes me better that those who don’t. When I do that, I am wrong. I am not better. I am just as broken. That is part of what it means to be human.
We – I need to learn from the tax collector. “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I’m going to make a few more statements. Once again, keep track of your true / false balance.
It is possible to do things right.
If I trust in God, I can find the right way for me.
Some things are easier for me to forgive than others.
The way I pray feels right for me.
Following a set of guidelines makes it easier for me to feel close to God.
I am a sinner and God loves me anyway.
I am committed to trying to follow Christ.
Congratulations. If you answered true to at least one of these statements, you are on your way to being a tax collector.
Being a Pharisee is easy. It is comfortable. It is not dangerous. No one can hurt me when I know I’m right.
Being a tax collector is risky. As a tax collector I have to put myself out there. I have to invite others to attack me. I have to expect that I will do it wrong much of the time.
I have to hope that at least occasionally I am doing it right.
Thanks be to God!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Our Call to DO - And the Reasons Why
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
For about two months now, I have been talking about Back to Church Sunday.
We’ve talked about the studies which tell us that there are lots of people out there who only need to be invited to church by someone who really wants them to come.
We have talked about the huge success it has been in other churches in our own diocese.
We’ve talked about how it will only work if every single one of us commits to making it work. We all have to believe that there are good reasons to come to church. We all have to want our friends and neighbours to be here.
Well, it’s obvious that you believe that church is important. I got nearly ninety responses about this I they are all thoughtful answers.
I got twenty-three answers telling God and me what you are willing to do to show this to the community. Five of those were from people who were here from other communities.
I hate to say it, but I feel like the widow in our Gospel today. Coming to church is a very good thing, but it is empty if it doesn’t carry past that door. At the end of every service, we are called to go out and share the good news. We are called to go out and act on our beliefs. We are called not to just be but to DO!
For the next few minutes, I would like you to think really hard about what each of you are going to DO to share the good news. I don’t want you to tell me what it is. I just want you to do it.
While you do that, I am going to read a list of reasons why church is important. This list comes to me from a very reliable source.
A sharing of beliefs and talents
An expression of my small part in a greater world
Because I am a sinner
Belong to the church and pray for others
Church gives me a sense of the connectedness of all people
church gives me peace
Church to me is a circle of love, peace and joy
Closeness to God
Earthly good
Everyone could pray anywhere, but I need the feel of church and the people around me
Friends
Gathering with the community on a regular basis to share in the common cup
Gives me strength of mind and body
Gives me the spirit
God keeps me coming to church
Going to church gives me a feeling of peace and stability
Going to church makes me feel more a part of our community
Helps comfort me
I am comfortable in church
I am thankful for my family
I believe in God and I like to pray and give thanks to God for everything that he has given us in this world
I come for a sense of community
I come to pray and find it a peaceful place to be with others.
I enjoy being part of a family
I enjoy going to church. It keeps me happy and close to my friends.
I enjoy sermons - able to reflect on their meaning in my life
I enjoy the peace and sense of community it brings
I enjoy the services and the singing.
I enjoy worshiping with friends.
I feel a need to come
I feel at peace when I leave
I feel closer to god and my community
I feel nearer to God and my community
I feel the need occasionally to be with other people at time of prayer
I go to church to gather with others to pray
I go to church to hear the word of God and the prayers.
I keep coming to exercise my love of God in worship
I like to see and hear the lessons that are read and the word of God
I love God my creator
I need church in my life
I need Jesus in my life
I want our children to love church the way I do
I was brought up to go to church
I wish I could see Jesus
If I get up and don't feel like going to church, I talk to myself and say if it was a card game I'd be there, so I go
It begins my week with confidence
It gives me my own beliefs that I can control and cannot be influenced by others
It helps me feel closer to God and to learn more about him
It is a place where everyone gathers and I know I will always see familiar, smiling faces.
It soothes and reassures me
It was God who saved my life from addiction and from congestive heart enlargement
It's our duty
Keeps me whole and fresh
Make me feel good inside
My dad is the priest
My faith in God
My faith is my life
My faith keeps me coming to church
My need for glofifying God
Peace and tranquility
Peace, quiet, connection with God and other people in my community
People feel a need or connection when they go to church
Praise and prayers
Prayers
Respect for parents and other loved ones that cannot be here
Sense of belonging to a spiritual group
Setting an example for others to come
So many blessings to be thankful for
Spiritual guidance and peace
The chance to be with the family of our Father
The even keel it gives my life
The love and friendship of all
The opportunity to serve in any capacity I am able
To do good for my community
To expand my faith
To find comfort in praying in the presence of other people
To give thanks to God.
To hear the word of God
To help in church and parish life
To hold the community together and meed people
To keep me close to God
To partake in the Lord's Supper (obligation)
To please God and do his will
To pray for family and friends
To share my faith with my church family and to pray for others less fortunate
To worship and feel a sense of closeness with my community
To worship God
To worship God and make me feel great
Worship God who gave up his son for me and my sins
What a wonderful list.
Thanks be to God.
For about two months now, I have been talking about Back to Church Sunday.
We’ve talked about the studies which tell us that there are lots of people out there who only need to be invited to church by someone who really wants them to come.
We have talked about the huge success it has been in other churches in our own diocese.
We’ve talked about how it will only work if every single one of us commits to making it work. We all have to believe that there are good reasons to come to church. We all have to want our friends and neighbours to be here.
Well, it’s obvious that you believe that church is important. I got nearly ninety responses about this I they are all thoughtful answers.
I got twenty-three answers telling God and me what you are willing to do to show this to the community. Five of those were from people who were here from other communities.
I hate to say it, but I feel like the widow in our Gospel today. Coming to church is a very good thing, but it is empty if it doesn’t carry past that door. At the end of every service, we are called to go out and share the good news. We are called to go out and act on our beliefs. We are called not to just be but to DO!
For the next few minutes, I would like you to think really hard about what each of you are going to DO to share the good news. I don’t want you to tell me what it is. I just want you to do it.
While you do that, I am going to read a list of reasons why church is important. This list comes to me from a very reliable source.
A sharing of beliefs and talents
An expression of my small part in a greater world
Because I am a sinner
Belong to the church and pray for others
Church gives me a sense of the connectedness of all people
church gives me peace
Church to me is a circle of love, peace and joy
Closeness to God
Earthly good
Everyone could pray anywhere, but I need the feel of church and the people around me
Friends
Gathering with the community on a regular basis to share in the common cup
Gives me strength of mind and body
Gives me the spirit
God keeps me coming to church
Going to church gives me a feeling of peace and stability
Going to church makes me feel more a part of our community
Helps comfort me
I am comfortable in church
I am thankful for my family
I believe in God and I like to pray and give thanks to God for everything that he has given us in this world
I come for a sense of community
I come to pray and find it a peaceful place to be with others.
I enjoy being part of a family
I enjoy going to church. It keeps me happy and close to my friends.
I enjoy sermons - able to reflect on their meaning in my life
I enjoy the peace and sense of community it brings
I enjoy the services and the singing.
I enjoy worshiping with friends.
I feel a need to come
I feel at peace when I leave
I feel closer to god and my community
I feel nearer to God and my community
I feel the need occasionally to be with other people at time of prayer
I go to church to gather with others to pray
I go to church to hear the word of God and the prayers.
I keep coming to exercise my love of God in worship
I like to see and hear the lessons that are read and the word of God
I love God my creator
I need church in my life
I need Jesus in my life
I want our children to love church the way I do
I was brought up to go to church
I wish I could see Jesus
If I get up and don't feel like going to church, I talk to myself and say if it was a card game I'd be there, so I go
It begins my week with confidence
It gives me my own beliefs that I can control and cannot be influenced by others
It helps me feel closer to God and to learn more about him
It is a place where everyone gathers and I know I will always see familiar, smiling faces.
It soothes and reassures me
It was God who saved my life from addiction and from congestive heart enlargement
It's our duty
Keeps me whole and fresh
Make me feel good inside
My dad is the priest
My faith in God
My faith is my life
My faith keeps me coming to church
My need for glofifying God
Peace and tranquility
Peace, quiet, connection with God and other people in my community
People feel a need or connection when they go to church
Praise and prayers
Prayers
Respect for parents and other loved ones that cannot be here
Sense of belonging to a spiritual group
Setting an example for others to come
So many blessings to be thankful for
Spiritual guidance and peace
The chance to be with the family of our Father
The even keel it gives my life
The love and friendship of all
The opportunity to serve in any capacity I am able
To do good for my community
To expand my faith
To find comfort in praying in the presence of other people
To give thanks to God.
To hear the word of God
To help in church and parish life
To hold the community together and meed people
To keep me close to God
To partake in the Lord's Supper (obligation)
To please God and do his will
To pray for family and friends
To share my faith with my church family and to pray for others less fortunate
To worship and feel a sense of closeness with my community
To worship God
To worship God and make me feel great
Worship God who gave up his son for me and my sins
What a wonderful list.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Church has a Place in this Community - Let's Show Everyone
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Does everyone have one of the small pieces of paper and access to a pen or pencil? Good. You will need to use it by the end of my sermon today.
We first started talking about Back to Church Sunday a couple of months ago. Did anyone see anything about Back to Church services in the news in the last two weeks? Did you read about them?
Throughout the diocese, churches held this celebration and continue to do so. Many of them reported having double their normal attendance. On the same day we held our annual blessing of the book bags. That was a huge success too.
Thank you God.
Do you know why these events work? Why they draw people to church?
They work because they mean something to the community. People come to church when it means something to them or to the people who are important to them.
That is what Back to Church Sunday is all about. It is about showing people how church is important to me and to you. It is about helping people to find out how church can be important to them.
Now it’s time for your piece of paper. I need you to write three things on your paper.
1. Your name.
2. In a couple of words or a sentence, how is church important to you.
3. How are you going to show the community what church is about.
While you are doing this, I am going to talk about some of the possibilities for the third part. You can pick one of those that I mention or come up with one of your own.
Please put your piece of paper on the plate as part of your Thanksgiving offering to God.
Prayer Circle
Greeters (St. John’s)
Kid’s activities / kid’s greeter
Coffee / Tea
Writing notes to those who sign the guest book
Readers
Servers
Eucharistic ministers
Visiting (with me or by yourself)
Serving on vestry
Being available to serve on other committees as needed.
We have all been given many blessings in this life. We are all blessed with an abundance from God which we can give back to the glory of God.
Thanks be to God.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Does everyone have one of the small pieces of paper and access to a pen or pencil? Good. You will need to use it by the end of my sermon today.
We first started talking about Back to Church Sunday a couple of months ago. Did anyone see anything about Back to Church services in the news in the last two weeks? Did you read about them?
Throughout the diocese, churches held this celebration and continue to do so. Many of them reported having double their normal attendance. On the same day we held our annual blessing of the book bags. That was a huge success too.
Thank you God.
Do you know why these events work? Why they draw people to church?
They work because they mean something to the community. People come to church when it means something to them or to the people who are important to them.
That is what Back to Church Sunday is all about. It is about showing people how church is important to me and to you. It is about helping people to find out how church can be important to them.
Now it’s time for your piece of paper. I need you to write three things on your paper.
1. Your name.
2. In a couple of words or a sentence, how is church important to you.
3. How are you going to show the community what church is about.
While you are doing this, I am going to talk about some of the possibilities for the third part. You can pick one of those that I mention or come up with one of your own.
Please put your piece of paper on the plate as part of your Thanksgiving offering to God.
Prayer Circle
Greeters (St. John’s)
Kid’s activities / kid’s greeter
Coffee / Tea
Writing notes to those who sign the guest book
Readers
Servers
Eucharistic ministers
Visiting (with me or by yourself)
Serving on vestry
Being available to serve on other committees as needed.
We have all been given many blessings in this life. We are all blessed with an abundance from God which we can give back to the glory of God.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
By the Waters of Babylon
Loving God, we know that you are there for us in good times and bad. Help us today to acknowledge the pain in our lives and give it to you. Amen.
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept.
Sometimes life sucks.
There are days when nothing goes right.
As for our harps, we hung them up.
It is hard to rejoice when those we love are sick or dying.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song upon an alien soil?
How can we make ourselves sing when our hearts are breaking?
Sometimes the Lord’s song is a lament.
Sometimes what we have to say to God is full of despair.
Sometimes what we have to say to God is angry.
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
Those days when we feel like staying home, staying in bed, being entirely alone – those are the days when we truly need God.
When we feel the most alone, that is when we need to remember that God is always with us.
Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord, against the people of Edom, who said, “Down with it! down with it! even to the ground!”
Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting.
If we forget what has been done to us, we are fooling ourselves.
To forgive, we need to let it go.
We need to give it to God.
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy the one who pays you back for what you have done to us!
It is okay to be angry.
It is right to give our anger to God.
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, and dashes them against the rock!
Our true feelings can be ugly.
There is no safer place to share our feelings and our anger.
God is listening.
God hears us.
God shares in our pain.
Psalm 137
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *
when we remembered you, O Zion.
As for our harps, we hung them up *
on the trees in the midst of that land.
For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,
and our oppressors called for mirth: *
”Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
How shall we sing the Lord’s song *
upon an alien soil?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, *
let my right hand forget its skill.
Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you, *
if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord,
against the people of Edom, *
who said, ”Down with it! down with it!
even to the ground!”
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, *
happy the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us!
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, *
and dashes them against the rock!
Please keep your copy of the psalm at hand during today’s meditation. Refer to it as often as you wish, particularly during the third song (psalm 137 as found in the Czech-language Bible of Kralice.)
By the Waters of Babylon – David Drury (Russian)
By the Waters of Babylon I Drove My Car – Dudley Saunders
Ten Biblical Songs, Op. 99: No. 7 – Antonin Dvorak
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept.
Sometimes life sucks.
There are days when nothing goes right.
As for our harps, we hung them up.
It is hard to rejoice when those we love are sick or dying.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song upon an alien soil?
How can we make ourselves sing when our hearts are breaking?
Sometimes the Lord’s song is a lament.
Sometimes what we have to say to God is full of despair.
Sometimes what we have to say to God is angry.
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
Those days when we feel like staying home, staying in bed, being entirely alone – those are the days when we truly need God.
When we feel the most alone, that is when we need to remember that God is always with us.
Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord, against the people of Edom, who said, “Down with it! down with it! even to the ground!”
Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting.
If we forget what has been done to us, we are fooling ourselves.
To forgive, we need to let it go.
We need to give it to God.
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy the one who pays you back for what you have done to us!
It is okay to be angry.
It is right to give our anger to God.
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, and dashes them against the rock!
Our true feelings can be ugly.
There is no safer place to share our feelings and our anger.
God is listening.
God hears us.
God shares in our pain.
Psalm 137
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *
when we remembered you, O Zion.
As for our harps, we hung them up *
on the trees in the midst of that land.
For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,
and our oppressors called for mirth: *
”Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
How shall we sing the Lord’s song *
upon an alien soil?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, *
let my right hand forget its skill.
Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you, *
if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord,
against the people of Edom, *
who said, ”Down with it! down with it!
even to the ground!”
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, *
happy the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us!
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, *
and dashes them against the rock!
Please keep your copy of the psalm at hand during today’s meditation. Refer to it as often as you wish, particularly during the third song (psalm 137 as found in the Czech-language Bible of Kralice.)
By the Waters of Babylon – David Drury (Russian)
By the Waters of Babylon I Drove My Car – Dudley Saunders
Ten Biblical Songs, Op. 99: No. 7 – Antonin Dvorak
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Is Jesus really telling us to be like Robin Hood?
May the Words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Sometimes what we read in the Bible just doesn’t make any sense at all. Today in our Gospel reading we have a parable about a rich man. This isn’t unusual. There are a bunch of parables about rich men. There are even some other parables about rich men asking for an accounting of what they have entrusted to others. This is not the odd part.
The manager in this story has every right to be afraid of what will happen when he becomes unemployed. A rich man’s manager was better than a tax collector, but not by much. The only real difference between a manager and a tax collector was that the manager didn’t work for the Romans.
I can even understand the manager’s reason for slashing the bills of the debtors. While he still has the power to do it, he makes friends with the people by reducing what they owe. Kind of like a bank manager who knows they are going to be fired going through the accounts and removing all the service charges for the people who live near them. It’s not illegal. They have the power to do that if they feel it is justified, but under the circumstances it is more than a little questionable.
What I cannot understand is the rich man’s reaction. “And the rich man commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.” Why is the rich man commending his manager instead of being angry with him for squandering the master’s wealth? In our other parables like this the master gets at least upset with their less productive servants, but in this one the master thinks he did the right thing.
What am I missing?
Context. This story does not fit easily into our current context. Many stories in the Bible do not fit easily into our lives. This can make them really difficult to make sense of. It can also lead us down paths of meaning that the writers never intended.
If we were to take today’s Gospel and try to force it into our lives without looking beneath the surface meaning of the words I read a few minutes ago, the good news given to us would look something like this.
“Go out into the world and give away things that do not belong to you.”
This could clearly be found in the gospel according to Robin Hood, but it doesn’t sound like Jesus.
Sometimes context is everything. That is why we have started reading introductions before our Old and New Testament readings. These introductions put help us to understand the world, or rather worlds, of our Bible.
Sometimes the Gospel needs to be put in context too. Today, I think it would really help. Even with all my Biblical education I had to look this one up before it made any sense.
It was against the law for a Jew to charge another Jew interest. There was, however, a way around this law. The manager could lend say 50 jugs of olive oil to someone. He would give them a bill saying that they owed 100 jugs of olive oil. There is never any discussion of interest, that is just what it will cost the person to get the things that they need right now instead of waiting until they can pay for them.
An “honest” manager would pass all of this profit on to his master. A “dishonest” manager would keep some or all of it for himself.
Now this story means something else entirely. The master isn’t commending the manager for stealing from him. He is applauding a shrewd business decision. The manager has given back to the debtors the goods that he wouldn’t be able to collect anyway after losing his job. The rich man is still going to collect what is due to him.
Jesus is not telling us to steal from the rich and give to the poor. He is telling us to give back those things that don’t belong to us anyway.
Jesus is talking to us about repentance.
This leaves us with a very different question each of us need to think about. What is my dishonest wealth? What do I have in my life at the expense of someone else? What have I become at the expense of someone else?
And then – how can I give it back in a way that makes things better?
We are human. We make mistakes. We hurt others. By the grace of God, we can return to God and make things better.
Thanks be to God.
Sometimes what we read in the Bible just doesn’t make any sense at all. Today in our Gospel reading we have a parable about a rich man. This isn’t unusual. There are a bunch of parables about rich men. There are even some other parables about rich men asking for an accounting of what they have entrusted to others. This is not the odd part.
The manager in this story has every right to be afraid of what will happen when he becomes unemployed. A rich man’s manager was better than a tax collector, but not by much. The only real difference between a manager and a tax collector was that the manager didn’t work for the Romans.
I can even understand the manager’s reason for slashing the bills of the debtors. While he still has the power to do it, he makes friends with the people by reducing what they owe. Kind of like a bank manager who knows they are going to be fired going through the accounts and removing all the service charges for the people who live near them. It’s not illegal. They have the power to do that if they feel it is justified, but under the circumstances it is more than a little questionable.
What I cannot understand is the rich man’s reaction. “And the rich man commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.” Why is the rich man commending his manager instead of being angry with him for squandering the master’s wealth? In our other parables like this the master gets at least upset with their less productive servants, but in this one the master thinks he did the right thing.
What am I missing?
Context. This story does not fit easily into our current context. Many stories in the Bible do not fit easily into our lives. This can make them really difficult to make sense of. It can also lead us down paths of meaning that the writers never intended.
If we were to take today’s Gospel and try to force it into our lives without looking beneath the surface meaning of the words I read a few minutes ago, the good news given to us would look something like this.
“Go out into the world and give away things that do not belong to you.”
This could clearly be found in the gospel according to Robin Hood, but it doesn’t sound like Jesus.
Sometimes context is everything. That is why we have started reading introductions before our Old and New Testament readings. These introductions put help us to understand the world, or rather worlds, of our Bible.
Sometimes the Gospel needs to be put in context too. Today, I think it would really help. Even with all my Biblical education I had to look this one up before it made any sense.
It was against the law for a Jew to charge another Jew interest. There was, however, a way around this law. The manager could lend say 50 jugs of olive oil to someone. He would give them a bill saying that they owed 100 jugs of olive oil. There is never any discussion of interest, that is just what it will cost the person to get the things that they need right now instead of waiting until they can pay for them.
An “honest” manager would pass all of this profit on to his master. A “dishonest” manager would keep some or all of it for himself.
Now this story means something else entirely. The master isn’t commending the manager for stealing from him. He is applauding a shrewd business decision. The manager has given back to the debtors the goods that he wouldn’t be able to collect anyway after losing his job. The rich man is still going to collect what is due to him.
Jesus is not telling us to steal from the rich and give to the poor. He is telling us to give back those things that don’t belong to us anyway.
Jesus is talking to us about repentance.
This leaves us with a very different question each of us need to think about. What is my dishonest wealth? What do I have in my life at the expense of someone else? What have I become at the expense of someone else?
And then – how can I give it back in a way that makes things better?
We are human. We make mistakes. We hurt others. By the grace of God, we can return to God and make things better.
Thanks be to God.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Just Who Are God's People Anyway?
I speak to you in the name of the God who made us, the God who nourishes us, the God who never abandons us. Amen.
Just who are God’s people anyway?
The easy answer is us.
It’s true too.
We are God’s people. We gather here in his name to honour him and to be fed through his holy mysteries. We give of our resources of time and money to see that God’s work is done here in this community and throughout the world. At the end of the service I will send you out to continue to live life as God calls you to live it. Just before we share communion I even say: “The gifts of God for the People of God.”
We are God’s people.
But are we alone? Are we God’s only people?
No. It’s easy to see that there are more of God’s people around. Some of you have even married them. There are the United folk, the Presbyterians, the Roman Catholics, just to name the most common denominations around here. They, and all who follow Christ, are God’s people too.
We Christians are God’s people.
But are we alone? Are only Christians God’s people?
What makes someone one of God’s people?
Do they have to be free of sin? Do they have to avoid working for Revenue Canada? Not according to today’s Gospel. Jesus kept company with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus sought out those very people whom the “godly” avoided.
Do they have to be the right gender? Or the right social class? Jesus is quite clear about this too. If anything, it is easier to hear God’s call if you are in some way disadvantaged. The more elite you are in your society, the more distractions you have to pull you away from God.
Nothing we are or do makes us one of God’s people. It is by the grace of God that God names us as his. Not only that, but we cannot break God’s love for us. In our reading from first Timothy, we hear Paul’s voice telling us about God’s love. “Even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence” … “I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief.” Paul was not short of knowledge about Jesus. He knew a great deal about him and believed very little of it. Paul’s ignorance was of the vast scope of God’s love. He believed that he was one of God’s people. He found out just how much God loved him.
This love is what makes a person one of God’s people. Jesus makes it quite clear that everyone, whether they believe or not, is beloved of God. There is not a single person in creation who is not one of God’s people.
We are all here because we have been called as Paul was called. We have been shown God’s love in many different ways. We are called to share that experience. This is called “evangelism.”
When I was growing up, I spent considerable time with some of my cousins from Southern California. Their parents attended Pentecostal churches. They were Evangelists and they called me their favourite heathen. Their parents watched carefully to make sure that they didn’t start to believe the same things as I did and that they tried to “enlighten” me. This is not evangelism.
Evangelism is sharing the good news of God’s love in the way we act, both inside and outside of these walls. Evangelism is helping others to realize that God loves them too, that they are never alone. Evangelism is about opening ourselves up and letting others see what God has done for us.
At the end of October, we will be celebrating Back to Church Sunday. Evangelism is what this celebration is all about.
It is not about letting people know how much they need our church in their community. It is not about trying to build up dwindling numbers. It is definitely not about improving the offering.
Back to Church Sunday is about they shepherd going out in search of that one lost sheep. It is about going out to find that one precious person of God who is ready to see God’s love.
If even one person discovers the love of God, we will have succeeded whether that person comes to church with us or not.
If we can keep God’s love in our hearts and truly believe that God loves everyone, we will be a place where they want to come when they are ready.
Thanks be to God.
Just who are God’s people anyway?
The easy answer is us.
It’s true too.
We are God’s people. We gather here in his name to honour him and to be fed through his holy mysteries. We give of our resources of time and money to see that God’s work is done here in this community and throughout the world. At the end of the service I will send you out to continue to live life as God calls you to live it. Just before we share communion I even say: “The gifts of God for the People of God.”
We are God’s people.
But are we alone? Are we God’s only people?
No. It’s easy to see that there are more of God’s people around. Some of you have even married them. There are the United folk, the Presbyterians, the Roman Catholics, just to name the most common denominations around here. They, and all who follow Christ, are God’s people too.
We Christians are God’s people.
But are we alone? Are only Christians God’s people?
What makes someone one of God’s people?
Do they have to be free of sin? Do they have to avoid working for Revenue Canada? Not according to today’s Gospel. Jesus kept company with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus sought out those very people whom the “godly” avoided.
Do they have to be the right gender? Or the right social class? Jesus is quite clear about this too. If anything, it is easier to hear God’s call if you are in some way disadvantaged. The more elite you are in your society, the more distractions you have to pull you away from God.
Nothing we are or do makes us one of God’s people. It is by the grace of God that God names us as his. Not only that, but we cannot break God’s love for us. In our reading from first Timothy, we hear Paul’s voice telling us about God’s love. “Even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence” … “I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief.” Paul was not short of knowledge about Jesus. He knew a great deal about him and believed very little of it. Paul’s ignorance was of the vast scope of God’s love. He believed that he was one of God’s people. He found out just how much God loved him.
This love is what makes a person one of God’s people. Jesus makes it quite clear that everyone, whether they believe or not, is beloved of God. There is not a single person in creation who is not one of God’s people.
We are all here because we have been called as Paul was called. We have been shown God’s love in many different ways. We are called to share that experience. This is called “evangelism.”
When I was growing up, I spent considerable time with some of my cousins from Southern California. Their parents attended Pentecostal churches. They were Evangelists and they called me their favourite heathen. Their parents watched carefully to make sure that they didn’t start to believe the same things as I did and that they tried to “enlighten” me. This is not evangelism.
Evangelism is sharing the good news of God’s love in the way we act, both inside and outside of these walls. Evangelism is helping others to realize that God loves them too, that they are never alone. Evangelism is about opening ourselves up and letting others see what God has done for us.
At the end of October, we will be celebrating Back to Church Sunday. Evangelism is what this celebration is all about.
It is not about letting people know how much they need our church in their community. It is not about trying to build up dwindling numbers. It is definitely not about improving the offering.
Back to Church Sunday is about they shepherd going out in search of that one lost sheep. It is about going out to find that one precious person of God who is ready to see God’s love.
If even one person discovers the love of God, we will have succeeded whether that person comes to church with us or not.
If we can keep God’s love in our hearts and truly believe that God loves everyone, we will be a place where they want to come when they are ready.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Saint Mary the Virgin
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
In the Anglican Church here in Canada, we have a book called For All the Saints. It lists all of those saints that we recognize and celebrate during the church year. In our tradition, we translate or shift most of these saints’ days off of Sundays. We do this because Sunday is the Lord’s Day and that comes first.
Since we usually don’t come together on weekdays anymore, this means that we don’t celebrate many saints’ days, with a very few notable exceptions.
There is one time when we are allowed to shift a saint’s day onto a Sunday. We can do this with our patronal saint; the saint that our church is named for. I missed doing that this year but I will try to remember for next year.
Then there are nine feast days that we celebrate on Sundays when they happen to fall on a Sunday. Five of these nine days help us to remember particular events in Jesus’ life.
The other four days we celebrate saints who are particularly important to the Christian tradition. We celebrate the birth of Saint John the Baptist. We celebrate Saint Peter and Saint Paul. We celebrate Saint Mary the Virgin. And we celebrate Saint Michael and All Angels.
Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Mary the Virgin. I am going to read to you what For All the Saints has to say about Saint Mary the Virgin.
Saint Mary the Virgin 15 August
Holy Day
August
Mary is honoured because she was the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God — and because the Gospels testify that she was a virgin when she conceived and gave him birth. Their witness to such a wonder has generated much of the devotion that is paid to her. But it is not the only reason, for the evangelists also portray her as the archetype of all the people of God and the person who leads their praises of the Almighty.
In Luke’s account of the Annunciation, Mary was perplexed by the meaning of God’s word to her and yet chose to accept the wondrous service which it ordained her to accomplish. After the birth of her son, Mary continued to be puzzled whenever she met with a further sign of his divine origin or with hints of what he was meant to do. But she was always patient in her puzzlement; in Luke’s words, “Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” The fruit of her pondering may be reflected in the fact that all the evangelists say that she followed her son from Galilee to Jerusalem and stood with the small company of women who witnessed his crucifixion. The Book of Acts adds that, after the resurrection, she shared in the disciples’ community of prayer and watched with them for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
An ancient tradition testifies that Mary was taken up in glory as soon as she died, and Christian devotion has never begrudged her the place of highest honour in the presence of God. It has delighted in the conviction that she who responded to God’s perplexing call with praise must already enjoy the reward of faith — and that she who gave the Son of God his human life has received all the fullness of the eternal life which he was born to give.
Mary has been important to our understanding of Christ from the very birth of our church. She shows us again and again what it means to adore God.
She is always a little bit confused when she sees signs of God’s presence in her son and in the world around her. She doesn’t understand quite what it is all about.
This is very important. God is more than we can imagine. God is different than we can imagine. We can hope to understand something about our relationship with God, but we will never fully understand God.
Mary’s response to her puzzlement is just as important. She doesn’t get frustrated. She doesn’t turn away or deny what she sees.
She brings her experience into her heart and lives with it. She thinks about it. She tries to make sense of it.
But most of all, she loves it. She treasures every contact she has with God.
By the grace of God, may we do the same.
Thanks be to God.
In the Anglican Church here in Canada, we have a book called For All the Saints. It lists all of those saints that we recognize and celebrate during the church year. In our tradition, we translate or shift most of these saints’ days off of Sundays. We do this because Sunday is the Lord’s Day and that comes first.
Since we usually don’t come together on weekdays anymore, this means that we don’t celebrate many saints’ days, with a very few notable exceptions.
There is one time when we are allowed to shift a saint’s day onto a Sunday. We can do this with our patronal saint; the saint that our church is named for. I missed doing that this year but I will try to remember for next year.
Then there are nine feast days that we celebrate on Sundays when they happen to fall on a Sunday. Five of these nine days help us to remember particular events in Jesus’ life.
The other four days we celebrate saints who are particularly important to the Christian tradition. We celebrate the birth of Saint John the Baptist. We celebrate Saint Peter and Saint Paul. We celebrate Saint Mary the Virgin. And we celebrate Saint Michael and All Angels.
Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Mary the Virgin. I am going to read to you what For All the Saints has to say about Saint Mary the Virgin.
Saint Mary the Virgin 15 August
Holy Day
August
Mary is honoured because she was the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God — and because the Gospels testify that she was a virgin when she conceived and gave him birth. Their witness to such a wonder has generated much of the devotion that is paid to her. But it is not the only reason, for the evangelists also portray her as the archetype of all the people of God and the person who leads their praises of the Almighty.
In Luke’s account of the Annunciation, Mary was perplexed by the meaning of God’s word to her and yet chose to accept the wondrous service which it ordained her to accomplish. After the birth of her son, Mary continued to be puzzled whenever she met with a further sign of his divine origin or with hints of what he was meant to do. But she was always patient in her puzzlement; in Luke’s words, “Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” The fruit of her pondering may be reflected in the fact that all the evangelists say that she followed her son from Galilee to Jerusalem and stood with the small company of women who witnessed his crucifixion. The Book of Acts adds that, after the resurrection, she shared in the disciples’ community of prayer and watched with them for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
An ancient tradition testifies that Mary was taken up in glory as soon as she died, and Christian devotion has never begrudged her the place of highest honour in the presence of God. It has delighted in the conviction that she who responded to God’s perplexing call with praise must already enjoy the reward of faith — and that she who gave the Son of God his human life has received all the fullness of the eternal life which he was born to give.
Mary has been important to our understanding of Christ from the very birth of our church. She shows us again and again what it means to adore God.
She is always a little bit confused when she sees signs of God’s presence in her son and in the world around her. She doesn’t understand quite what it is all about.
This is very important. God is more than we can imagine. God is different than we can imagine. We can hope to understand something about our relationship with God, but we will never fully understand God.
Mary’s response to her puzzlement is just as important. She doesn’t get frustrated. She doesn’t turn away or deny what she sees.
She brings her experience into her heart and lives with it. She thinks about it. She tries to make sense of it.
But most of all, she loves it. She treasures every contact she has with God.
By the grace of God, may we do the same.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Give Me Oil In My Lamp
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.”
God is calling us to be ready to serve at any time. God is calling us to be watching at all times for the need. God is calling us at all times to be aware of his presence.
I don’t know about you, but I find that everything I do takes some of my energy. By the time I have done everything that I need to do I have very little energy left.
Always watching, always being ready to act, this could take up all of my energy all by itself. How am I, how are we, supposed to find the energy to do this and to do everything else we have to do? It’s hard enough to find the energy to plan some time for God each day, but God is asking us to devote all of our time to him, or at least to be ready to jump in when needed and be aware enough to notice the need.
I just don’t have the energy to do that.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
God wants us to do this. God wants us to notice when he is acting in our lives. God must have given us some way to do this. But how?
I think we need help. When we need help from God, what do we do?
Yes – we pray!
I think I know just the right prayer for to ask God to help us stay vigilant. It is a song called “Give me oil in my lamp.” I’m going to sing the verse to you first, then we will all repeat it. I’ll do the same for the refrain. Then we will sing the whole thing over a few times.
Teach:
Give me oil in my lamp,
Keep me burnin’, burnin’, burnin’
Give me oil in my lamp I pray – Halelujah
Give me oil in my lamp,
Keep me burnin’, burnin’, burnin’,
Keep me burnin’ ‘til the end of day.
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna to the King of kings,
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna to the King
Amen.
“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.”
God is calling us to be ready to serve at any time. God is calling us to be watching at all times for the need. God is calling us at all times to be aware of his presence.
I don’t know about you, but I find that everything I do takes some of my energy. By the time I have done everything that I need to do I have very little energy left.
Always watching, always being ready to act, this could take up all of my energy all by itself. How am I, how are we, supposed to find the energy to do this and to do everything else we have to do? It’s hard enough to find the energy to plan some time for God each day, but God is asking us to devote all of our time to him, or at least to be ready to jump in when needed and be aware enough to notice the need.
I just don’t have the energy to do that.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
God wants us to do this. God wants us to notice when he is acting in our lives. God must have given us some way to do this. But how?
I think we need help. When we need help from God, what do we do?
Yes – we pray!
I think I know just the right prayer for to ask God to help us stay vigilant. It is a song called “Give me oil in my lamp.” I’m going to sing the verse to you first, then we will all repeat it. I’ll do the same for the refrain. Then we will sing the whole thing over a few times.
Teach:
Give me oil in my lamp,
Keep me burnin’, burnin’, burnin’
Give me oil in my lamp I pray – Halelujah
Give me oil in my lamp,
Keep me burnin’, burnin’, burnin’,
Keep me burnin’ ‘til the end of day.
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna to the King of kings,
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna,
Sing Hosanna to the King
Amen.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
God's Trust in our Stewardship
I speak to you in the name of the one true and living God. Amen.
I talk quite often about how much God loves us. My faith in God’s love gives me great comfort. God’s love does not depend on our actions. God does not just love us when we are being good. God loves us when we are doing evil. God loves those who have faith. God loves those who disbelieve. God became human and died on the cross for all of people. For people just like you and me, complete with all of our flaws. God loves us, every one.
But what does this love look like? How about this: Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
For those who are curious, that is from the end of the first chapter of Genesis.
That is quite the vote of confidence. Not only did God use herself as the mold for us, he gave us dominion over everything else in creation. That’s pretty heady stuff.
God trusted us to have dominion over all of creation. God trusts us to rule over it. God trusts us to take care of it. God trusts us to use it wisely.
Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. – The beginning of chapter 4 of first Corinthians.
More heady stuff. Through Christ, we not only have dominion over creation. We also are stewards of God’s mysteries. Once again, we are shown God’s amazing trust in us. But this time our responsibility is set down as well. As stewards, we are required to be trustworthy.
That’s what our Gospel is about today. What does it mean to be a trustworthy steward of God’s gifts to us; of our inheritance?
Does it mean that we should store up our gifts? Save as much as we can for a day when we have little to give? Should we “tear down our barns and build larger ones, and there store all our grain and goods?”
That would be the frugal thing to do, but it isn’t good stewardship. Stewardship is about the good use of our gifts, not about the storage of them.
Our Gospel today talks about one other aspect of stewardship.
The rich man in our reading makes a crucial mistake. He believes that physical possessions, or material wealth, can satisfy his inner being, his very soul.
No amount of stored wealth can do that. We may delude ourselves into believing that it is so, but it just isn’t.
True satisfaction, the fulfillment we feel in deep in our hearts, only comes from action. It is in the moment and it is another gift from God. It doesn’t do any good to store it up. Saving it only makes it smaller.
There’s a funny thing that happens when we practice this kind of stewardship. When we choose to give a portion to do God’s work: a portion of our time, a portion of our wealth, a portion of our hearts, what is left over is somehow more that we started with. When we show God that we are worthy of his trust, God shows us just how much he has to give.
Thanks be to God.
I talk quite often about how much God loves us. My faith in God’s love gives me great comfort. God’s love does not depend on our actions. God does not just love us when we are being good. God loves us when we are doing evil. God loves those who have faith. God loves those who disbelieve. God became human and died on the cross for all of people. For people just like you and me, complete with all of our flaws. God loves us, every one.
But what does this love look like? How about this: Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
For those who are curious, that is from the end of the first chapter of Genesis.
That is quite the vote of confidence. Not only did God use herself as the mold for us, he gave us dominion over everything else in creation. That’s pretty heady stuff.
God trusted us to have dominion over all of creation. God trusts us to rule over it. God trusts us to take care of it. God trusts us to use it wisely.
Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. – The beginning of chapter 4 of first Corinthians.
More heady stuff. Through Christ, we not only have dominion over creation. We also are stewards of God’s mysteries. Once again, we are shown God’s amazing trust in us. But this time our responsibility is set down as well. As stewards, we are required to be trustworthy.
That’s what our Gospel is about today. What does it mean to be a trustworthy steward of God’s gifts to us; of our inheritance?
Does it mean that we should store up our gifts? Save as much as we can for a day when we have little to give? Should we “tear down our barns and build larger ones, and there store all our grain and goods?”
That would be the frugal thing to do, but it isn’t good stewardship. Stewardship is about the good use of our gifts, not about the storage of them.
Our Gospel today talks about one other aspect of stewardship.
The rich man in our reading makes a crucial mistake. He believes that physical possessions, or material wealth, can satisfy his inner being, his very soul.
No amount of stored wealth can do that. We may delude ourselves into believing that it is so, but it just isn’t.
True satisfaction, the fulfillment we feel in deep in our hearts, only comes from action. It is in the moment and it is another gift from God. It doesn’t do any good to store it up. Saving it only makes it smaller.
There’s a funny thing that happens when we practice this kind of stewardship. When we choose to give a portion to do God’s work: a portion of our time, a portion of our wealth, a portion of our hearts, what is left over is somehow more that we started with. When we show God that we are worthy of his trust, God shows us just how much he has to give.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Power of Prayer
I speak to you in the name of the One True and Living God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
I will start by warning you that I am hoping for answers to the questions I ask today. Is that okay with you?
…
Second question: Why do we pray?
- Thank God
- Ask for help
o For ourselves
o For others we know
o For certain groups
- Guidance
- Mad at God or someone else
- To find peace
- To get closer to God
…
Who prays?
- Christians …
- Prayer is common to virtually all of the world’s religions in some for or other
…
How do we pray?
- Prayers written by someone else
o Prayers of the people
o The Lord’s Prayer
o The psalms
o Hymns
- Prayers we create ourselves
- Silently
- In groups like church
- Alone
- With some focus to help us
o Incense
o Prayer beads
o A cross
o Something we see that reminds us of God (Nature, Children)
o A labyrinth
- Standing, Sitting, Kneeling, Walking
…
What do we expect to accomplish through prayer?
- A closer relationship with God
- An improvement in our life
- An improvement in someone else’s life
- Not necessarily what we asked for
…
Can we see the effects of our prayers?
- Sometimes
- Often not
…
I am going to go back over the questions now and let you know what I came up with as a single answer for each of them.
Why do we pray? I believe that we pray because we have faith in God. Because of that faith, we are drawn into conversation with God.
Who prays? Everyone prays whether they intend to or not, whether they believe in God or believe that there is no God. Every time we notice something amazing we are praying. Every time we have concern for someone who we can’t directly help, we are praying. Just by being human, reacting as God intended to the world around us, we are praying.
How do we pray? There are as many different ways to pray as there are people on the Earth. I don’t believe any two people pray in exactly the same way. Just as each person’s relationship with God is unique, each person’s way of talking with God is unique.
What do we expect to accomplish through prayer? To make the world a better place. Every time we pray, we are working to bring the Kingdom of God more fully into the world. We may not accomplish exactly what we prayed for, but we do bring the world closer to God.
Can we see the effects of our prayers? I vary rarely see the direct effect of any single prayer. What I have noticed is that when my prayer life is healthy, my life is richer as are the lives of those I come in contact with. When I am lax in my prayers, I don’t do as well and neither do the rest of my family and all those I love.
Prayer is a powerful mystery and a gift from God.
This past week, to help myself with my challenge from two weeks ago, I wrote a prayer. I am going to pass out bookmarks now with that prayer on them. Once everyone has one, I would ask that we all repeat that prayer together to help each other make the world a better place.
(Hand them out)
Almighty God, you created all things and appointed me as a steward of your creation. Help me to find the time each day to remember what you have given me. Help me to give thanks. Help me to hear your call to service. I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Saviour. Amen.
I will start by warning you that I am hoping for answers to the questions I ask today. Is that okay with you?
…
Second question: Why do we pray?
- Thank God
- Ask for help
o For ourselves
o For others we know
o For certain groups
- Guidance
- Mad at God or someone else
- To find peace
- To get closer to God
…
Who prays?
- Christians …
- Prayer is common to virtually all of the world’s religions in some for or other
…
How do we pray?
- Prayers written by someone else
o Prayers of the people
o The Lord’s Prayer
o The psalms
o Hymns
- Prayers we create ourselves
- Silently
- In groups like church
- Alone
- With some focus to help us
o Incense
o Prayer beads
o A cross
o Something we see that reminds us of God (Nature, Children)
o A labyrinth
- Standing, Sitting, Kneeling, Walking
…
What do we expect to accomplish through prayer?
- A closer relationship with God
- An improvement in our life
- An improvement in someone else’s life
- Not necessarily what we asked for
…
Can we see the effects of our prayers?
- Sometimes
- Often not
…
I am going to go back over the questions now and let you know what I came up with as a single answer for each of them.
Why do we pray? I believe that we pray because we have faith in God. Because of that faith, we are drawn into conversation with God.
Who prays? Everyone prays whether they intend to or not, whether they believe in God or believe that there is no God. Every time we notice something amazing we are praying. Every time we have concern for someone who we can’t directly help, we are praying. Just by being human, reacting as God intended to the world around us, we are praying.
How do we pray? There are as many different ways to pray as there are people on the Earth. I don’t believe any two people pray in exactly the same way. Just as each person’s relationship with God is unique, each person’s way of talking with God is unique.
What do we expect to accomplish through prayer? To make the world a better place. Every time we pray, we are working to bring the Kingdom of God more fully into the world. We may not accomplish exactly what we prayed for, but we do bring the world closer to God.
Can we see the effects of our prayers? I vary rarely see the direct effect of any single prayer. What I have noticed is that when my prayer life is healthy, my life is richer as are the lives of those I come in contact with. When I am lax in my prayers, I don’t do as well and neither do the rest of my family and all those I love.
Prayer is a powerful mystery and a gift from God.
This past week, to help myself with my challenge from two weeks ago, I wrote a prayer. I am going to pass out bookmarks now with that prayer on them. Once everyone has one, I would ask that we all repeat that prayer together to help each other make the world a better place.
(Hand them out)
Almighty God, you created all things and appointed me as a steward of your creation. Help me to find the time each day to remember what you have given me. Help me to give thanks. Help me to hear your call to service. I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Saviour. Amen.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Martha and Mary and what is truly important
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Now as I was reading todays Gospel, I entered into a certain passage where a woman named Martha beckoned me deeper.
I love readings about Martha, Mary and Lazarus. They always have something to say about our strengths and weaknesses. They talk about how we are different. They talk about what it means to be human.
Last time we met Martha we were late in Lent and we were reading from the Gospel of John. Both today’s story and the one from John are almost certainly based on the same earlier source. In both stories Martha is serving dinner and Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. But our two writers use this beginning to tell us something very different about ourselves.
During Lent we talked about how Martha was the organizer and doer, Mary was the visionary, and Lazarus was the one willing to die so that Jesus could work through him.
In today’s story, we only have Martha and Mary. Lazarus stays well out of the picture. Martha’s part in this story is very similar. She is rushing around trying to make everything ready for supper. She is distracted and she has too much to do. And all the while she is rushing around, Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him talk.
When Martha starts complaining about Mary just sitting there while Martha is doing all the work, I find myself identifying with Martha. I can put myself in her sandals very easily. Especially right now, with Victoria away, I find myself rushing around trying to get everything done. I find myself torn between wanting Rosa and Paul to help me get things done and wanting them to sit and watch some TV so they won’t get in the way and make everything take longer. There is always something that needs to be done and never enough time to do it.
So what is Jesus’ response to Martha’s complaint? He says to her “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Well, what does that mean for us? Does it mean that we should all drop everything we are doing and sit listening for what Jesus has to say for us?
No – or at least not all of the time. Jesus did not tell Martha that she should drop what she was doing and join Mary. He told her not to stop Mary from what she was doing.
What Jesus was telling Martha is that what we think is necessary is not the same thing as what really is necessary. All of the work that Martha was doing was important and was worthy of being done, but in the big picture of the Kingdom of God, none of it was necessary. The only thing that is truly necessary from that point of view is our relationship with God. What Mary was doing was the most important. She was taking Sabbath time. She was listening to God.
That reminds me …. How is everyone doing in my challenge? -- I didn’t do so well this past week. I think I managed about three out of seven days, maybe four. I hope to be able to report a better result next week.
Remember, the challenge is to take time once each day to do something for God which doesn’t directly benefit you. This can’t be something you already do. It should be something new. Just spend at least ten minutes each day to show God that we remember that we have dedicated our lives to God.
Last week we read “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” I think that should include one more bit.
Thou shalt love the Lord your God with at least a little bit of your time!
I give thanks to God for his infinite patience. I pray that God will help be to be less distracted by my business and to find the time to sit back and listen to what God has to say.
Now as I was reading todays Gospel, I entered into a certain passage where a woman named Martha beckoned me deeper.
I love readings about Martha, Mary and Lazarus. They always have something to say about our strengths and weaknesses. They talk about how we are different. They talk about what it means to be human.
Last time we met Martha we were late in Lent and we were reading from the Gospel of John. Both today’s story and the one from John are almost certainly based on the same earlier source. In both stories Martha is serving dinner and Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. But our two writers use this beginning to tell us something very different about ourselves.
During Lent we talked about how Martha was the organizer and doer, Mary was the visionary, and Lazarus was the one willing to die so that Jesus could work through him.
In today’s story, we only have Martha and Mary. Lazarus stays well out of the picture. Martha’s part in this story is very similar. She is rushing around trying to make everything ready for supper. She is distracted and she has too much to do. And all the while she is rushing around, Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him talk.
When Martha starts complaining about Mary just sitting there while Martha is doing all the work, I find myself identifying with Martha. I can put myself in her sandals very easily. Especially right now, with Victoria away, I find myself rushing around trying to get everything done. I find myself torn between wanting Rosa and Paul to help me get things done and wanting them to sit and watch some TV so they won’t get in the way and make everything take longer. There is always something that needs to be done and never enough time to do it.
So what is Jesus’ response to Martha’s complaint? He says to her “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Well, what does that mean for us? Does it mean that we should all drop everything we are doing and sit listening for what Jesus has to say for us?
No – or at least not all of the time. Jesus did not tell Martha that she should drop what she was doing and join Mary. He told her not to stop Mary from what she was doing.
What Jesus was telling Martha is that what we think is necessary is not the same thing as what really is necessary. All of the work that Martha was doing was important and was worthy of being done, but in the big picture of the Kingdom of God, none of it was necessary. The only thing that is truly necessary from that point of view is our relationship with God. What Mary was doing was the most important. She was taking Sabbath time. She was listening to God.
That reminds me …. How is everyone doing in my challenge? -- I didn’t do so well this past week. I think I managed about three out of seven days, maybe four. I hope to be able to report a better result next week.
Remember, the challenge is to take time once each day to do something for God which doesn’t directly benefit you. This can’t be something you already do. It should be something new. Just spend at least ten minutes each day to show God that we remember that we have dedicated our lives to God.
Last week we read “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” I think that should include one more bit.
Thou shalt love the Lord your God with at least a little bit of your time!
I give thanks to God for his infinite patience. I pray that God will help be to be less distracted by my business and to find the time to sit back and listen to what God has to say.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Making Time for God
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Our world is a very busy place. When I moved my family here from Vancouver I was hoping to get away from that. And to some extent I have. At least here it’s not frantic. But it is still busy. There is never enough time to get everything done. I still hear the words “I don’t have time” far too often.
This business is a fact of life. It is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. It just is.
Many of the things that keep us busy are very important and truly need to be done. We have to work. We have to pay bills. We have to see that our children get where they need to be. And somewhere in there we definitely need to have some social interaction.
Life is just busy.
In our Gospel today we have the story of the Good Samaritan. In this story, we have three people all passing a badly injured man. All three of these people make decisions as they pass. They look at what rules they have to live by and weigh their priorities.
For the priest and the Levite, the need for ritual purity outweighs the need to help the poor, the needy, and the sick. For both of them, if they were to touch or even come to close to the man and he turned out to be dead, they would have to go through a long process to once again be ritually clean and to return to their jobs in the temple.
For the Samaritan, the priorities are different. For the Samaritan, there is a long history of his people and the Jews being enemies. He does not have the same religious reason to help the sick and needy. Since he was traveling deep within Judah and had the financial means to help, he was probably a merchant. He would probably know at least something about the Jewish rules of cleanliness. For him, if the man turned out to be dead, it could mean that his profits for his current trip could be drastically reduced or he might even lose money.
All three passers-by had nothing to gain and much to lose by helping the man. All three had to look at their priorities and make a decision.
All of the priorities that I have listed are personal. They are all about how helping the man will affect their day to day lives. What these priorities leave out is their relationship with God.
That’s what our Gospel today is really about: our relationship with God.
We don’t have the same problems facing us that the three men in our story did. None of us is going to have our livelihood damaged by helping someone on the side of the road. None of us will be kept from going to word because we came near someone who was “unclean.”
I think our problems today are even greater. In our Gospel today, none of the passers-by had any difficulty seeing the need. They all saw and they all made their decisions about how to respond. Our problem goes much deeper.
We are too busy.
We are not just too busy to help. We are too busy to see the need.
We have so much going on in our lives that we walk right past the need without ever noticing it. We never even get to the point of looking at our priorities and making a decision.
We are just too busy.
I am going to put out a challenge today, both to myself and to all of you.
For the rest of the month, I challenge us all to make time for God. I challenge us to do something every day which is not for ourselves. It doesn’t matter if it takes ten minutes or two hours, just that it happens every day.
There are so many things that we could do that it won’t be hard to find something. It might mean spending some extra time praying for someone or something in need. It might mean walking down the street and picking up the garbage in the ditch. It might mean dropping in on a neighbour we don’t know well and finding out how they are doing. It might even mean taking a walk in the woods and looking for things that remind us of the glory of God.
At the end of the month I’m hoping that this will have become a habit which we can’t break. After all, we are all here today not because we’ve dedicated our Sundays to God but because we’ve dedicated our entire lives to God. Let’s not keep God waiting any longer.
Our world is a very busy place. When I moved my family here from Vancouver I was hoping to get away from that. And to some extent I have. At least here it’s not frantic. But it is still busy. There is never enough time to get everything done. I still hear the words “I don’t have time” far too often.
This business is a fact of life. It is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. It just is.
Many of the things that keep us busy are very important and truly need to be done. We have to work. We have to pay bills. We have to see that our children get where they need to be. And somewhere in there we definitely need to have some social interaction.
Life is just busy.
In our Gospel today we have the story of the Good Samaritan. In this story, we have three people all passing a badly injured man. All three of these people make decisions as they pass. They look at what rules they have to live by and weigh their priorities.
For the priest and the Levite, the need for ritual purity outweighs the need to help the poor, the needy, and the sick. For both of them, if they were to touch or even come to close to the man and he turned out to be dead, they would have to go through a long process to once again be ritually clean and to return to their jobs in the temple.
For the Samaritan, the priorities are different. For the Samaritan, there is a long history of his people and the Jews being enemies. He does not have the same religious reason to help the sick and needy. Since he was traveling deep within Judah and had the financial means to help, he was probably a merchant. He would probably know at least something about the Jewish rules of cleanliness. For him, if the man turned out to be dead, it could mean that his profits for his current trip could be drastically reduced or he might even lose money.
All three passers-by had nothing to gain and much to lose by helping the man. All three had to look at their priorities and make a decision.
All of the priorities that I have listed are personal. They are all about how helping the man will affect their day to day lives. What these priorities leave out is their relationship with God.
That’s what our Gospel today is really about: our relationship with God.
We don’t have the same problems facing us that the three men in our story did. None of us is going to have our livelihood damaged by helping someone on the side of the road. None of us will be kept from going to word because we came near someone who was “unclean.”
I think our problems today are even greater. In our Gospel today, none of the passers-by had any difficulty seeing the need. They all saw and they all made their decisions about how to respond. Our problem goes much deeper.
We are too busy.
We are not just too busy to help. We are too busy to see the need.
We have so much going on in our lives that we walk right past the need without ever noticing it. We never even get to the point of looking at our priorities and making a decision.
We are just too busy.
I am going to put out a challenge today, both to myself and to all of you.
For the rest of the month, I challenge us all to make time for God. I challenge us to do something every day which is not for ourselves. It doesn’t matter if it takes ten minutes or two hours, just that it happens every day.
There are so many things that we could do that it won’t be hard to find something. It might mean spending some extra time praying for someone or something in need. It might mean walking down the street and picking up the garbage in the ditch. It might mean dropping in on a neighbour we don’t know well and finding out how they are doing. It might even mean taking a walk in the woods and looking for things that remind us of the glory of God.
At the end of the month I’m hoping that this will have become a habit which we can’t break. After all, we are all here today not because we’ve dedicated our Sundays to God but because we’ve dedicated our entire lives to God. Let’s not keep God waiting any longer.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Leap of Faith
May the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
This past Thursday all the clergy of this region met here in our parish. Each month when we meet, one of the things we do is celebrate the Eucharist. Instead of a sermon, we all share our thoughts about the readings for the coming Sunday.
Before we started our meeting, I had a pretty good idea what I was going to talk about today. After the meeting? – not so much. In fact, after the meeting, I couldn’t even remember what I had been planning to say. It was just gone.
I was left with lots of ideas swirling around in my head, no clear direction to go in, and a vague recollection of something important that I’d planned to say.
I spent way too much time trying to get back my plan so that I could write my sermon for today. It just wouldn’t come. Finally, last night I just decided to give up on that and write something else. I started over from the beginning. Read the readings again. Looked over my notes about where they came from and what words might mean something different that I would expect. Prayed for direction and sat down in front of my computer.
It wasn’t until I started writing this that I realized this is exactly what our Gospel today is talking about. As long as I was focussed on the past, I had no clue how to move forward.
Our Gospel today is a grim message of hope. Jesus is telling us that there is always a way forward. There is always a path that will lead us closer to the Kingdom of God. No matter how bleak things are, there is always a light shining in the distance.
The problem is that heading toward that light might mean giving up something which we are attached to. Something that gives us comfort or stability. Maybe just something that we are used to. We have to leave these behind in order to get closer to God.
This is a constant struggle in every one of our lives. Change is always happening around us and it would be much more comfortable if everything would just stay the same. Life isn’t like that. Kids grow up and move away from home. The jobs that sustain us disappear. New jobs take their places. New jobs that can’t be done by the same people. We grow older and can’t do what we used to be able to do. It is an endless list.
In the church today this is especially true. Less and less people are coming to church. Many churches in Canada are closing or merging. Many more are struggling to pay their bills and still maintain at least a bit of mission. The old model of church in North America just doesn’t seem to work anymore. Or at least not very well.
Jesus’ message for us today is that there is a way forward. There is a way for us to get closer to the Kingdom of God.
This is very good news. This is a grim reality. In order to move forward, we have to let go of the past. This does not mean we have to forget it or throw out everything that makes us what we are. Our tradition is a great strength. Tradition is like the arc of an arrow flying through the air. It is always moving forward, moving toward its final target. But you can look back along its path and see where it’s been. It doesn’t take any sudden, sideways leaps.
No, to let go of the past, we have to acknowledge that our past got us to where we are. It is from this point that we move forward. Letting go of the past means that we don’t look back to see what we are doing wrong. We don’t look back to see what we could change to make things better. Letting go of the past means that we look forward to find where we need to be next. We look forward to see where our next step should be. We don’t make a sideways leap to become something we have never been or a backwards leap to become something we used to be. We take a small step forward from where we are now. Step by step into the future.
Looking back is deadly. Looking back is indulging in nostalgia: longing for the way things used to be and lamenting the loss. Looking back locks us into pain and despair.
Looking forward we can see the light. It might be dim and way off in the distance, but it is there. Looking forward we can live in hope that things will get better. Looking forward we can take that leap of faith and move step by step toward the Kingdom of God.
Thanks be to God.
This past Thursday all the clergy of this region met here in our parish. Each month when we meet, one of the things we do is celebrate the Eucharist. Instead of a sermon, we all share our thoughts about the readings for the coming Sunday.
Before we started our meeting, I had a pretty good idea what I was going to talk about today. After the meeting? – not so much. In fact, after the meeting, I couldn’t even remember what I had been planning to say. It was just gone.
I was left with lots of ideas swirling around in my head, no clear direction to go in, and a vague recollection of something important that I’d planned to say.
I spent way too much time trying to get back my plan so that I could write my sermon for today. It just wouldn’t come. Finally, last night I just decided to give up on that and write something else. I started over from the beginning. Read the readings again. Looked over my notes about where they came from and what words might mean something different that I would expect. Prayed for direction and sat down in front of my computer.
It wasn’t until I started writing this that I realized this is exactly what our Gospel today is talking about. As long as I was focussed on the past, I had no clue how to move forward.
Our Gospel today is a grim message of hope. Jesus is telling us that there is always a way forward. There is always a path that will lead us closer to the Kingdom of God. No matter how bleak things are, there is always a light shining in the distance.
The problem is that heading toward that light might mean giving up something which we are attached to. Something that gives us comfort or stability. Maybe just something that we are used to. We have to leave these behind in order to get closer to God.
This is a constant struggle in every one of our lives. Change is always happening around us and it would be much more comfortable if everything would just stay the same. Life isn’t like that. Kids grow up and move away from home. The jobs that sustain us disappear. New jobs take their places. New jobs that can’t be done by the same people. We grow older and can’t do what we used to be able to do. It is an endless list.
In the church today this is especially true. Less and less people are coming to church. Many churches in Canada are closing or merging. Many more are struggling to pay their bills and still maintain at least a bit of mission. The old model of church in North America just doesn’t seem to work anymore. Or at least not very well.
Jesus’ message for us today is that there is a way forward. There is a way for us to get closer to the Kingdom of God.
This is very good news. This is a grim reality. In order to move forward, we have to let go of the past. This does not mean we have to forget it or throw out everything that makes us what we are. Our tradition is a great strength. Tradition is like the arc of an arrow flying through the air. It is always moving forward, moving toward its final target. But you can look back along its path and see where it’s been. It doesn’t take any sudden, sideways leaps.
No, to let go of the past, we have to acknowledge that our past got us to where we are. It is from this point that we move forward. Letting go of the past means that we don’t look back to see what we are doing wrong. We don’t look back to see what we could change to make things better. Letting go of the past means that we look forward to find where we need to be next. We look forward to see where our next step should be. We don’t make a sideways leap to become something we have never been or a backwards leap to become something we used to be. We take a small step forward from where we are now. Step by step into the future.
Looking back is deadly. Looking back is indulging in nostalgia: longing for the way things used to be and lamenting the loss. Looking back locks us into pain and despair.
Looking forward we can see the light. It might be dim and way off in the distance, but it is there. Looking forward we can live in hope that things will get better. Looking forward we can take that leap of faith and move step by step toward the Kingdom of God.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Thank God for Flying Pigs
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
And now for something completely different.
Possession. Casting out of demons. Flying pigs drowning themselves in the Sea of Galilee. Oh, my!!!
For those of you who weren’t in the Bible study on Monday, I’ll give you a bit of background for that last one. – The city of Gerasa was about 50 kilometers southeast of the Lake, which we now call the Sea of Galilee. Pigs, which have no sweat glands, would die long before they reached the sea by running. They must have flown down the hill.
So we have possession, casting out of demons and flying pigs all in one short story. This story seems to be completely out of our world view, and for the most part it probably is.
In Jesus’ time, most mental illnesses and some physical illnesses were thought to be caused by demons or unclean spirits. These demons were eternal somethings (the word literally means minor divinities) looking for somewhere to settle down. When they got into somewhere they weren’t supposed to be, for instance a human being, they caused all kinds of problems. Casting them out would instantly fix these problems, but there were very few people who could do this. Jesus was one of them. This particular man was possessed by many spirits, enough so that they called themselves legion (which would make 6,000 of them). Jesus was probably the only one with enough power to cast out that many.
Today we don’t blame sickness on demons, at least not usually. We do still have the rite of exorcism available to us in this diocese in the Anglican tradition. In order to use it however, I have to explain the situation to Bishop Sue and get her permission beforehand. And from historical accounts, some of which are quite recent, exorcism sometimes works.
But as I said, we don’t often blame sickness on demons anymore. So how do we make sense of this reading in our current world view?
Today’s version of this story would be about faith healing. We have our own legion of demons to choose from: cancers of all varieties, depression, cerebral palsy, dementia, addiction. The list goes on and on: diseases and conditions which are difficult or impossible to cure or even to manage with medicine.
We hear story after story about people traveling around the world for treatments which are not medically proven. Some of these people get better. Many don’t. This is a type of faith healing. This healing is sometimes medicine which just hasn’t been proven yet, but more often than not it is healing that happens because people believe so strongly that it the treatment will help. They have faith in the medicine. The power this kind of belief has over our bodies can be awesome and unexplainable. This is not the kind of faith healing that this story is about.
Placing that kind of absolute belief in God is transformative. It can sometimes accomplish the same type of physical healing, but that is only a side benefit. The healing that comes from faith in God transforms our lives in other ways.
If we look at the man healed in today’s story we see a man who has been cast out of society in just about every way possible. Jesus comes and the man kneels at his feet, acknowledging his power. Jesus transforms this man. Healing him of his afflictions does not make him just another ordinary citizen of Gerasa. No – he returns to a city which is terrified of him because of the extreme change. He goes back to a city where there is no real Jewish presence, where there are no followers of Jesus. He goes back to that city to proclaim a message which will leave him separated from the rest of society in a different way than before: just as isolated but with a real purpose to his life.
Modern examples of faith healing are everywhere. The most common examples are probably twelve step programs for addiction. A key step in these programs is acknowledging that we can’t do it ourselves. We need help from God. People who are successful in these programs are not cured of their addictions, but their lives are transformed in a way that can only come from God.
Faith healing is like this. Our body may or may not be healed – our souls are. By putting that kind of faith in God we are healed. Our demons are cast out. Even the ones we never realized were there. We all have them. We all have the power to give them to God.
Thanks be to God.
And now for something completely different.
Possession. Casting out of demons. Flying pigs drowning themselves in the Sea of Galilee. Oh, my!!!
For those of you who weren’t in the Bible study on Monday, I’ll give you a bit of background for that last one. – The city of Gerasa was about 50 kilometers southeast of the Lake, which we now call the Sea of Galilee. Pigs, which have no sweat glands, would die long before they reached the sea by running. They must have flown down the hill.
So we have possession, casting out of demons and flying pigs all in one short story. This story seems to be completely out of our world view, and for the most part it probably is.
In Jesus’ time, most mental illnesses and some physical illnesses were thought to be caused by demons or unclean spirits. These demons were eternal somethings (the word literally means minor divinities) looking for somewhere to settle down. When they got into somewhere they weren’t supposed to be, for instance a human being, they caused all kinds of problems. Casting them out would instantly fix these problems, but there were very few people who could do this. Jesus was one of them. This particular man was possessed by many spirits, enough so that they called themselves legion (which would make 6,000 of them). Jesus was probably the only one with enough power to cast out that many.
Today we don’t blame sickness on demons, at least not usually. We do still have the rite of exorcism available to us in this diocese in the Anglican tradition. In order to use it however, I have to explain the situation to Bishop Sue and get her permission beforehand. And from historical accounts, some of which are quite recent, exorcism sometimes works.
But as I said, we don’t often blame sickness on demons anymore. So how do we make sense of this reading in our current world view?
Today’s version of this story would be about faith healing. We have our own legion of demons to choose from: cancers of all varieties, depression, cerebral palsy, dementia, addiction. The list goes on and on: diseases and conditions which are difficult or impossible to cure or even to manage with medicine.
We hear story after story about people traveling around the world for treatments which are not medically proven. Some of these people get better. Many don’t. This is a type of faith healing. This healing is sometimes medicine which just hasn’t been proven yet, but more often than not it is healing that happens because people believe so strongly that it the treatment will help. They have faith in the medicine. The power this kind of belief has over our bodies can be awesome and unexplainable. This is not the kind of faith healing that this story is about.
Placing that kind of absolute belief in God is transformative. It can sometimes accomplish the same type of physical healing, but that is only a side benefit. The healing that comes from faith in God transforms our lives in other ways.
If we look at the man healed in today’s story we see a man who has been cast out of society in just about every way possible. Jesus comes and the man kneels at his feet, acknowledging his power. Jesus transforms this man. Healing him of his afflictions does not make him just another ordinary citizen of Gerasa. No – he returns to a city which is terrified of him because of the extreme change. He goes back to a city where there is no real Jewish presence, where there are no followers of Jesus. He goes back to that city to proclaim a message which will leave him separated from the rest of society in a different way than before: just as isolated but with a real purpose to his life.
Modern examples of faith healing are everywhere. The most common examples are probably twelve step programs for addiction. A key step in these programs is acknowledging that we can’t do it ourselves. We need help from God. People who are successful in these programs are not cured of their addictions, but their lives are transformed in a way that can only come from God.
Faith healing is like this. Our body may or may not be healed – our souls are. By putting that kind of faith in God we are healed. Our demons are cast out. Even the ones we never realized were there. We all have them. We all have the power to give them to God.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Justified by Faith not the Law
May the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Whatever is Paul talking about? That is one of his more convoluted arguments. I think it needs a bit of unpacking to have any idea of what he means.
Paul uses a few very key words in our reading today: justified, the law, faith, Christ, and grace.
That first word, justified, means to be made right or proved to be right with God; in other words, to be shown or made to be righteous. Being justified is the core of what Paul is talking about.
How do we become justified with God? … How do we become righteous?
The Bible is full of rules. Two weeks ago we read some of those rules during our service. Does anyone remember which rules we read? … The Ten Commandments. Today we read another set of rules which we call the summary of the law. The Galatians ask Paul if we are made right with God by following all these rules. What do you think he answered? … “No one will be justified by the works of the law.” That’s a pretty emphatic answer. Has anyone here read “The Year of Living Biblically?” A. J. Jacobs did a very good job of showing just how impossible it is to follow all of the laws all of the time. I thank God that this is not the way to be right with God.
Paul even takes it one step further that Jacobs did. Paul reminds us that Christ himself broke the law: “is Christ then a servant of sin?” On several occasions, the Bible makes a point of telling us that Jesus is breaking the rules set down in God’s law. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all talk about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. This is important because it breaks the ritual purity laws. All of the Gospels talk about Jesus breaking the Sabbath. He heals and does other work on the Sabbath and makes the point that the Sabbath (and other laws) are made for us, not the other way around. That is extremely important. The law is given to us. We are not given to the law.
Back to the question: how do we become justified with God?
“And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law.”
This is where grace comes in. Being righteous is about knowing that God loves us and responding to that. It is about faith. All it takes for our relationship with God to be right is for us to truly believe that we have a relationship with God and that God loves us. God became human and walked among us to show us what this relationship looks like and to prove that love to us.
So if the law does not make us right with God, why do we have it? Does it matter at all?
Absolutely! The law is very important. All of those rules show us how people throughout history have felt God’s call. When we look at them either individually or as a whole, they show us what is important to God. There are rules about taking care of ourselves. There are rules about taking care of the poor and the sick. There are rules about respecting each other. There are rules about respecting and honouring God. There are rules that show us where society was going wrong.
All of these rules are important. All of them can teach us something about God. Many of them require us to understand the people who wrote them for them to mean anything to us today, but they are all important.
Jesus told us that of all the laws, if we follow two specific ones, we have understood the heart of the law. I believe those two laws are impossible to break if you are truly living by faith. We read these laws earlier today. We call them the summary of the law.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
God calls us to love. First we are to love God. Next we are to love ourselves and everyone else equally.
If we follow the other rules but break these we are being ruled by the law. If we follow these two rules we are living by faith. If we break any other rule in order to keep the laws of love, we have understood God’s gift of the law to us. We are justified. By the grace of God, we are right with God.
Thanks be to God.
Whatever is Paul talking about? That is one of his more convoluted arguments. I think it needs a bit of unpacking to have any idea of what he means.
Paul uses a few very key words in our reading today: justified, the law, faith, Christ, and grace.
That first word, justified, means to be made right or proved to be right with God; in other words, to be shown or made to be righteous. Being justified is the core of what Paul is talking about.
How do we become justified with God? … How do we become righteous?
The Bible is full of rules. Two weeks ago we read some of those rules during our service. Does anyone remember which rules we read? … The Ten Commandments. Today we read another set of rules which we call the summary of the law. The Galatians ask Paul if we are made right with God by following all these rules. What do you think he answered? … “No one will be justified by the works of the law.” That’s a pretty emphatic answer. Has anyone here read “The Year of Living Biblically?” A. J. Jacobs did a very good job of showing just how impossible it is to follow all of the laws all of the time. I thank God that this is not the way to be right with God.
Paul even takes it one step further that Jacobs did. Paul reminds us that Christ himself broke the law: “is Christ then a servant of sin?” On several occasions, the Bible makes a point of telling us that Jesus is breaking the rules set down in God’s law. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all talk about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. This is important because it breaks the ritual purity laws. All of the Gospels talk about Jesus breaking the Sabbath. He heals and does other work on the Sabbath and makes the point that the Sabbath (and other laws) are made for us, not the other way around. That is extremely important. The law is given to us. We are not given to the law.
Back to the question: how do we become justified with God?
“And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law.”
This is where grace comes in. Being righteous is about knowing that God loves us and responding to that. It is about faith. All it takes for our relationship with God to be right is for us to truly believe that we have a relationship with God and that God loves us. God became human and walked among us to show us what this relationship looks like and to prove that love to us.
So if the law does not make us right with God, why do we have it? Does it matter at all?
Absolutely! The law is very important. All of those rules show us how people throughout history have felt God’s call. When we look at them either individually or as a whole, they show us what is important to God. There are rules about taking care of ourselves. There are rules about taking care of the poor and the sick. There are rules about respecting each other. There are rules about respecting and honouring God. There are rules that show us where society was going wrong.
All of these rules are important. All of them can teach us something about God. Many of them require us to understand the people who wrote them for them to mean anything to us today, but they are all important.
Jesus told us that of all the laws, if we follow two specific ones, we have understood the heart of the law. I believe those two laws are impossible to break if you are truly living by faith. We read these laws earlier today. We call them the summary of the law.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
God calls us to love. First we are to love God. Next we are to love ourselves and everyone else equally.
If we follow the other rules but break these we are being ruled by the law. If we follow these two rules we are living by faith. If we break any other rule in order to keep the laws of love, we have understood God’s gift of the law to us. We are justified. By the grace of God, we are right with God.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Trinity - Understanding (or not) the Holy Spirit
May the Spirit of God infuse my words and all our lives that we may come from here bursting forth with God’s purpose. Amen.
Today we have four readings from four different books in the compact library we call the Bible. Next week we will have another four readings from this library. And the next. And the next ….
Sometimes, in the seasons which we call Ordinary Time, three of these readings march through our library picking up near where we left off the last week. Sometimes, like the seasons of Lent and Advent and on feast days like today, these readings are grouped loosely around some theme. In both cases, the psalm is chosen as a reflection on one of the readings.
Today’s theme is the Trinity. Today’s readings all try to help us understand the mystery of One God in Three Persons. Since we spend most of the year reading and talking about Jesus and God, they all focus our thought on the Holy Spirit. Each of them does it from a different perspective.
Wisdom literature like we find in proverbs is some of the oldest recorded thought about God. In ancient Hebrew thought, Wisdom is birthed by God made out of God’s own essence. Wisdom comes before creation and either assists with creation or is delighted by it like a child looking on in wonder. Wisdom is always female and is looked at as the mothering part of God. Wisdom was seen as being active in our lives, helping us to understand our purpose in the world and giving us good advice on how to live. As I understand Wisdom, Wisdom is less powerful than God but uses what power she has all the time.
Next we move on to the Gospel of John. Does anyone remember the first words of the Gospel of John?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is one way the Greek culture interpreted Wisdom in John’s community. What follows is the Word “became flesh and lived among us.” So Jesus is Wisdom in a human body.
John also talks about the Spirit of truth which is another view of Wisdom. John understands the Spirit of truth as a messenger, continuing to bring God’s word to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension. The Spirit of truth does not have knowledge of its own, it merely bring the words of the Father, through Christ, to the disciples.
Finally we have the reading from Romans. This is the first time we directly refer to the Holy Spirit. In Paul’s understanding, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. It serves as kind of a conduit connecting us to God’s love. Like wisdom, it continues to advise us and encourage us to live a life according to God’s plan.
But wait, we have two more descriptions of the Holy Spirit yet to come today. When we recite the Apostle’s Creed, we are saying how we understand the Trinity. In that creed we give three lines to describe God and eleven lines to describe Christ. How many lines do we use to describe the Holy Spirit? … One … “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” Period. Not very helpful is it?
The last spot we describe the Holy Spirit is in the Eucharistic Prayer. Today we use Prayer 3 with the Trinity preface. In this prayer we say “you reveal your glory as the glory of your Son and the Holy Spirit: three persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendour, yet one Lord, one God.” We also talk about the activity of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that sanctifies, or makes holy, both the Eucharistic gifts and us.
These last two reflect current thought about the Trinity. The Apostle’s Creed, which was written and rewritten starting somewhere between the second and fourth centuries and ending around the seventh century, is so vague about the Holy Spirit that it would be hard to disagree with it. Our Eucharistic prayer today is much more specific. It gives an equal position to all three persons of the Trinity, including the Holy Spirit. It gives us some ideas about what role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives and in the activity of God. It doesn’t say a thing about how the Holy Spirit does its work or the gender of the Holy Spirit.
Are you confused yet? … I definitely am. We have several descriptions of the Holy Spirit which are at the least inconsistent and maybe even contradictory. Either that or the Holy Spirit has evolved from Wisdom into one of the Trinity. So how do we choose? Which one is right? Three of these are directly from this library and the other two are based on it.
This is where we see the grace of God. We don’t have to choose. All of these descriptions are probably in some way right. They are all examples of people, human beings with all of our frailties, seeking to understand their faith; trying to understand what the Holy Spirit is doing in their lives. They are all images which can help us to find the Holy Spirit in our own lives.
My favourite way of looking at the Holy Spirit goes a bit like this. Jesus told us that the good news, the Gospel, would continue to be written in our hearts. The Holy Spirit’s job is to help us release that good news into the world and she won’t give up until she succeeds.
Thanks be to God.
Today we have four readings from four different books in the compact library we call the Bible. Next week we will have another four readings from this library. And the next. And the next ….
Sometimes, in the seasons which we call Ordinary Time, three of these readings march through our library picking up near where we left off the last week. Sometimes, like the seasons of Lent and Advent and on feast days like today, these readings are grouped loosely around some theme. In both cases, the psalm is chosen as a reflection on one of the readings.
Today’s theme is the Trinity. Today’s readings all try to help us understand the mystery of One God in Three Persons. Since we spend most of the year reading and talking about Jesus and God, they all focus our thought on the Holy Spirit. Each of them does it from a different perspective.
Wisdom literature like we find in proverbs is some of the oldest recorded thought about God. In ancient Hebrew thought, Wisdom is birthed by God made out of God’s own essence. Wisdom comes before creation and either assists with creation or is delighted by it like a child looking on in wonder. Wisdom is always female and is looked at as the mothering part of God. Wisdom was seen as being active in our lives, helping us to understand our purpose in the world and giving us good advice on how to live. As I understand Wisdom, Wisdom is less powerful than God but uses what power she has all the time.
Next we move on to the Gospel of John. Does anyone remember the first words of the Gospel of John?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is one way the Greek culture interpreted Wisdom in John’s community. What follows is the Word “became flesh and lived among us.” So Jesus is Wisdom in a human body.
John also talks about the Spirit of truth which is another view of Wisdom. John understands the Spirit of truth as a messenger, continuing to bring God’s word to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension. The Spirit of truth does not have knowledge of its own, it merely bring the words of the Father, through Christ, to the disciples.
Finally we have the reading from Romans. This is the first time we directly refer to the Holy Spirit. In Paul’s understanding, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. It serves as kind of a conduit connecting us to God’s love. Like wisdom, it continues to advise us and encourage us to live a life according to God’s plan.
But wait, we have two more descriptions of the Holy Spirit yet to come today. When we recite the Apostle’s Creed, we are saying how we understand the Trinity. In that creed we give three lines to describe God and eleven lines to describe Christ. How many lines do we use to describe the Holy Spirit? … One … “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” Period. Not very helpful is it?
The last spot we describe the Holy Spirit is in the Eucharistic Prayer. Today we use Prayer 3 with the Trinity preface. In this prayer we say “you reveal your glory as the glory of your Son and the Holy Spirit: three persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendour, yet one Lord, one God.” We also talk about the activity of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that sanctifies, or makes holy, both the Eucharistic gifts and us.
These last two reflect current thought about the Trinity. The Apostle’s Creed, which was written and rewritten starting somewhere between the second and fourth centuries and ending around the seventh century, is so vague about the Holy Spirit that it would be hard to disagree with it. Our Eucharistic prayer today is much more specific. It gives an equal position to all three persons of the Trinity, including the Holy Spirit. It gives us some ideas about what role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives and in the activity of God. It doesn’t say a thing about how the Holy Spirit does its work or the gender of the Holy Spirit.
Are you confused yet? … I definitely am. We have several descriptions of the Holy Spirit which are at the least inconsistent and maybe even contradictory. Either that or the Holy Spirit has evolved from Wisdom into one of the Trinity. So how do we choose? Which one is right? Three of these are directly from this library and the other two are based on it.
This is where we see the grace of God. We don’t have to choose. All of these descriptions are probably in some way right. They are all examples of people, human beings with all of our frailties, seeking to understand their faith; trying to understand what the Holy Spirit is doing in their lives. They are all images which can help us to find the Holy Spirit in our own lives.
My favourite way of looking at the Holy Spirit goes a bit like this. Jesus told us that the good news, the Gospel, would continue to be written in our hearts. The Holy Spirit’s job is to help us release that good news into the world and she won’t give up until she succeeds.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Gifts of the Spirit - Pentecost
May the spirit of God infuse my words and carry them forth with God’s purpose. Amen.
Throughout the church year we have several seasons and days to which we give names. A couple of the seasons are Advent and Lent. Some of the days are Christmas, Easter, and the Ascension of Jesus. We just talked about that last one a week ago. Why do we name these days and seasons?
Do we do it to fill up our calendar? Or maybe to make our calendar more colourful? Maybe someone high in the church was just bored and started coming up with names to pass time?
No. We divide up the church year so that we can explore different parts of what it means to be Christian.
Advent and Lent are penitential seasons. This does not mean that they are times to remember everything that we’ve done wrong. They are times when we examine ourselves. When we look and see what we are doing wrong, what we could do better, and what we are doing right. They are times when we ask God to help us see ourselves more clearly.
Following Christmas and Easter we have seasons of celebration. Seasons when we rejoice in the grace of God; in the gifts of Jesus as the Son of God born in a human body and Jesus our resurrected saviour. We spend time talking and thinking about what those gifts mean to us.
Today is the day of Pentecost. This is another one of those named days where we change our focus.
Today is not about self examination. Today is not about specific gifts that God has given to all people.
Today is about God giving gifts all people.
Just a second … didn’t I just contradict myself?
Today is not about gifts that God has given to all people. Today is about God giving gifts to all people. These are subtly different. The first is about gifts like the resurrection. This is one gift given to all people. The second is all about Pentecost.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
We have all received the Spirit of God. This is a gift of God, but that gift looks different in each of us. Each and every one of us has been given personal gifts by God: different gifts from everyone else. We call these Gifts of the Spirit.
In the first letter to the Corinthians, some of these gifts are listed. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” This list is a good place to start looking, but it is by no means complete.
During Advent and Lent, we spent several weeks looking inwardly. Part of what we were doing was trying to identify our own gifts; the talents given to us by God.
Today, on Pentecost, we try to be aware of those gifts in a different way. Today we look at the difference between work and calling.
We all know what we are good at and what we are not so good at. We also know what jobs to avoid because we truly suck at them. Knowing this can help us make good career choices, good choices about hobbies, good choices about many things we do. This is looking at things from the perspective of work.
When we look at things from the perspective of calling we have to look in a different way. We don’t say “is this easy” or “is this hard.” We say “how does it make me feel to accomplish this.” When we make choices in life based on calling the things that are hard for us seem just a little easier. Things which we though we could never do become possible. Things which were already easy become a joy to do.
Finding your talents is relatively easy. Finding your calling takes more work. To find your calling you have to try different things; some things which seem likely because they fit your talents and some which you would say “I’d never be good at that.” Your calling might become your job. Your calling might be something else you do. You might have more than one calling.
When you find your calling and follow it, your life will never be the same. It won’t necessarily be easy, but it will satisfy your soul. When you find your calling and follow it, you won’t have to look for your gifts … they will be bubbling up within you looking for a way to explode out into the world.
This is what Pentecost is about.
Thanks be to God.
Throughout the church year we have several seasons and days to which we give names. A couple of the seasons are Advent and Lent. Some of the days are Christmas, Easter, and the Ascension of Jesus. We just talked about that last one a week ago. Why do we name these days and seasons?
Do we do it to fill up our calendar? Or maybe to make our calendar more colourful? Maybe someone high in the church was just bored and started coming up with names to pass time?
No. We divide up the church year so that we can explore different parts of what it means to be Christian.
Advent and Lent are penitential seasons. This does not mean that they are times to remember everything that we’ve done wrong. They are times when we examine ourselves. When we look and see what we are doing wrong, what we could do better, and what we are doing right. They are times when we ask God to help us see ourselves more clearly.
Following Christmas and Easter we have seasons of celebration. Seasons when we rejoice in the grace of God; in the gifts of Jesus as the Son of God born in a human body and Jesus our resurrected saviour. We spend time talking and thinking about what those gifts mean to us.
Today is the day of Pentecost. This is another one of those named days where we change our focus.
Today is not about self examination. Today is not about specific gifts that God has given to all people.
Today is about God giving gifts all people.
Just a second … didn’t I just contradict myself?
Today is not about gifts that God has given to all people. Today is about God giving gifts to all people. These are subtly different. The first is about gifts like the resurrection. This is one gift given to all people. The second is all about Pentecost.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
We have all received the Spirit of God. This is a gift of God, but that gift looks different in each of us. Each and every one of us has been given personal gifts by God: different gifts from everyone else. We call these Gifts of the Spirit.
In the first letter to the Corinthians, some of these gifts are listed. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” This list is a good place to start looking, but it is by no means complete.
During Advent and Lent, we spent several weeks looking inwardly. Part of what we were doing was trying to identify our own gifts; the talents given to us by God.
Today, on Pentecost, we try to be aware of those gifts in a different way. Today we look at the difference between work and calling.
We all know what we are good at and what we are not so good at. We also know what jobs to avoid because we truly suck at them. Knowing this can help us make good career choices, good choices about hobbies, good choices about many things we do. This is looking at things from the perspective of work.
When we look at things from the perspective of calling we have to look in a different way. We don’t say “is this easy” or “is this hard.” We say “how does it make me feel to accomplish this.” When we make choices in life based on calling the things that are hard for us seem just a little easier. Things which we though we could never do become possible. Things which were already easy become a joy to do.
Finding your talents is relatively easy. Finding your calling takes more work. To find your calling you have to try different things; some things which seem likely because they fit your talents and some which you would say “I’d never be good at that.” Your calling might become your job. Your calling might be something else you do. You might have more than one calling.
When you find your calling and follow it, your life will never be the same. It won’t necessarily be easy, but it will satisfy your soul. When you find your calling and follow it, you won’t have to look for your gifts … they will be bubbling up within you looking for a way to explode out into the world.
This is what Pentecost is about.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Christ's Ascension Charge to Us
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Who here knows what special day we celebrated on Thursday in the church? – Anyone?
We just celebrated ascension day. Some pretty special things happened long ago on ascension day. According to the Bible, this is the last day that anyone saw Jesus walking among them in the flesh. On that day, his closest followers saw him rise up or ascend through the clouds.
This may seem like a big deal, but really it isn’t. After all, Elijah did the same quite a bit earlier (though he did need the help of a fiery chariot). Ascending is not the amazing part of the ascension.
So what is important about the ascension? – We have a clue to it in today’s Gospel. Jesus said “The glory that you have given me I have given them.”
All through the Easter season we have been talking about the risen Christ. About what it means to us that Christ rose from the dead and walked again among his followers. We talked about God’s gifts of the sacraments and of the Church. We talked about God being with us no matter what happens. We talked about God’s unending love. We talked about all this and much more.
“The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Jesus is talking with our Father in heaven. When he says this, Jesus is passing on his purpose in the world to his followers … to us. Jesus, in that last day walking on Earth, gave us his greatest gift of all. He gave us the ability to carry out his purpose. He gave us the gift of unconditional love. He gave us the gift of being able to see the Kingdom of God.
Together with these great gifts, Jesus gave us a great challenge. … He sent us out to use these gifts. He told us to carry on in his name. He charged us with bringing about the Kingdom of God.
That is certainly something that deserves at least a few minutes to think about. (Several minutes of silence)
Who here knows what special day we celebrated on Thursday in the church? – Anyone?
We just celebrated ascension day. Some pretty special things happened long ago on ascension day. According to the Bible, this is the last day that anyone saw Jesus walking among them in the flesh. On that day, his closest followers saw him rise up or ascend through the clouds.
This may seem like a big deal, but really it isn’t. After all, Elijah did the same quite a bit earlier (though he did need the help of a fiery chariot). Ascending is not the amazing part of the ascension.
So what is important about the ascension? – We have a clue to it in today’s Gospel. Jesus said “The glory that you have given me I have given them.”
All through the Easter season we have been talking about the risen Christ. About what it means to us that Christ rose from the dead and walked again among his followers. We talked about God’s gifts of the sacraments and of the Church. We talked about God being with us no matter what happens. We talked about God’s unending love. We talked about all this and much more.
“The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Jesus is talking with our Father in heaven. When he says this, Jesus is passing on his purpose in the world to his followers … to us. Jesus, in that last day walking on Earth, gave us his greatest gift of all. He gave us the ability to carry out his purpose. He gave us the gift of unconditional love. He gave us the gift of being able to see the Kingdom of God.
Together with these great gifts, Jesus gave us a great challenge. … He sent us out to use these gifts. He told us to carry on in his name. He charged us with bringing about the Kingdom of God.
That is certainly something that deserves at least a few minutes to think about. (Several minutes of silence)
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