Sermon - February 18, 2024
Sermon - February 11, 2024
Sermon - February 4, 2024
Sermon - January 28, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEVHht6zQGU
Sermon - January 21, 2024
Sermon - January 14, 2024
Sermon - January 7, 2024
Sermon - December 17, 2023
Sermon - December 10, 2023
Sermon - December 3, 2023
Sermon - November 19, 2023
Sermon - November 12, 2023
Sermon for Remembrance Day - November 5, 2023
Sermon - Reformation Sunday - October 29, 2023
Sermon - October 22, 2023
Sermon - October 8, 2023
Sermon - October 1, 2023
Sermon - September 24, 2023
Sermon - September 17, 2023
Sermon - September 10, 2023
Sermon - July 30, 2023
Sermon - July 23, 2023
Sermon - July 2, 2023
Sermon - June 25, 2023
Scripture reading: Gospel of John 14:1-14 NRSV
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Message:
Today’s scripture reading from the Gospel of John
which we are reading after Easter is actually telling us about a time before Easter.
It is a discussion that Jesus and the disciples have
before Jesus goes to the garden with the disciples and
is arrested and then eventually crucified.
And it is important for us to know as we listen to the words of Jesus today
that this passage comes right after Jesus tells the disciples that they cannot go where he is going … yet.
It is important for us to know that Jesus gives them the new commandment to love one another and right after that Simon Peter says to Jesus why can’t we go with you now?!
It is important for us to know that this is where Jesus tells Simon Peter
that he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows!
It is a deep moment …heavy stuff … and right then
right when the disciples are confused and sad and worried that is when Jesus says the words we hear today “do not let your heart be troubled.”
This is not the only time that we see Jesus intervene
when the disciples are sad or worried.
If you recall the story of the two disciples on the road
to Emmaus which we often read around Easter
Jesus met the sad and worried disciples after Easter
on the road to Emmaus right in the middle of their fears and dashed hopes.
Today we see that this is something that Jesus did before Easter too.
Jesus is with us in all our times of challenge and trial because … Jesus loves us.
That is a very important lesson for us to remember …
Jesus loves us and so Jesus is with us when we are sad or worried, anxious or afraid.
This may be a time when some or all of those of you
who call Norval Presbyterian Church home
are sad or worried, anxious or even afraid.
This is a time of change … and while you have faced change before
with vacancies of different kinds and lengths this change is different.
This change begins with your outgoing minister
talking about amalgamation or dissolution of the church.
This time of change begins with me your incoming Interim Moderator
talking about amalgamation or dissolution and asking you not to be afraid
not because I can promise you that what lies ahead is an easy road
not because I don’t understand how challenging this may be for you
not because I do not care about you or Norval and its history
but because I am asking you to trust in the love of Jesus Christ.
Have you ever played the children’s game “Simon says?”
It’s a follow-the-leader game where one person tells and
shows the others what to do and then the rest of the people are supposed to do what the leader says.
The trick of this game is that if the leader does not say “Simon says” before the instruction then even if the leader does that thing you are not supposed to do it or you are out. You lose!
Let’s play! Simon says touch your ears (touch ears).
Simon says point to your eyes (point to eyes).
Simon says point to your mouth (point to mouth).
Did you do all of those things? Did you like that game?
Was there something missing in our game? What was missing in our game?
That’s right there was no trick!
I said “Simon says” every time and so there was no trick and so no one got tricked or was out of the game!
That’s because I want us to think about what we heard
in the reading from the Gospel of John today
where it said that Jesus is the way and that Jesus shows us the way to go.
When Jesus shows us the way it is not like playing “Simon says” because …
Jesus never shows us the wrong way to go and so there is no trick and
no one loses.
As long as we follow Jesus we can’t lose!
I know that hearing about and talking about
what lies ahead may be uncomfortable and a bit scary
but I also know that the foundation of this church
and its long history of ministry is a deep and abiding faith a faith that has held you up in many times of trial personally and as a community.
Because I know that I know that you are up to the challenge that lies ahead.
For my part I am trusting in Jesus to help me to walk with you during this time.
I believe that even though being an Interim Moderator
is not a call in the way that being called to Ministry in a congregation is
I am here to be in ministry with you during this time
according to the will of God as the Spirit works
in and through Presbytery and in me.
I believe that together we can continue to follow Jesus and find the way in which Norval is meant to go. I believe that if we are upfront, honest and clear with one another working together to discern the path ahead for the good of the church of Jesus Christ then God will be pleased to bless us with the fruit of Spirit. I promise that I will be honest with you with compassion for the challenges that you face.
No final decisions will be made that do not have the support of the congregation.
Our polity does not work that way and I will follow our polity to the letter to assure that everyone is informed and able to contribute to decision making in the months ahead.
The work of this congregation is to trust in Jesus. It is to trust in Jesus together.
Did you notice earlier in this message when quoting our scripture today
I said “Do not let your heart be troubled.”
In our reading today we heard it read “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
Some Bibles interpret this passage from the original Greek differently.
Some Bibles say “heart” and some say “hearts.”
The original Greek says “heart.”
Just one heart not plural many hearts. Just one.
If we think about this passage in the way that it was originally written in the Greek
with a singular “heart” then we can think about how Jesus was talking to the disciples that group of his followers as if they had one heart.
If the followers of Jesus then had one heart doesn’t it make sense that they helped one another, encouraged one another, prayed with and supported one another?
And if we who are the followers of Jesus now have one heart then doesn’t it make sense that we are supposed to do the same?
To help one another, encourage each other, pray with
and support each other?
And …
If we have one heart does anyone get left out?
If we have one heart does anyone get tricked and lose?
If we have one heart how do we live?
Jesus tells the disciples and us that by following him we will find our way to God
we will know God by knowing Jesus.
And how do we know Jesus? By seeing what Jesus is doing and by following him and doing the same things. By living together as people with one heart loving each other and all the people of the world in the way that Jesus does.
This is how we will live not by being tricked or left out but by following Jesus and loving God and everyone.
This is meant to be a time for all of us to lean even more on God and on our faith and say boldly, we will listen to Jesus, we will follow Jesus, we believe that Jesus knows the way we should go.
Because we believe that God loves us and so in faith we have the confidence to step out boldly into this new direction which God intends for us.
Do not be afraid, do not let your heart be troubled for God will be with us every step of the way! AMEN.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Message:
Today’s scripture reading from the Gospel of John
which we are reading after Easter is actually telling us about a time before Easter.
It is a discussion that Jesus and the disciples have
before Jesus goes to the garden with the disciples and
is arrested and then eventually crucified.
And it is important for us to know as we listen to the words of Jesus today
that this passage comes right after Jesus tells the disciples that they cannot go where he is going … yet.
It is important for us to know that Jesus gives them the new commandment to love one another and right after that Simon Peter says to Jesus why can’t we go with you now?!
It is important for us to know that this is where Jesus tells Simon Peter
that he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows!
It is a deep moment …heavy stuff … and right then
right when the disciples are confused and sad and worried that is when Jesus says the words we hear today “do not let your heart be troubled.”
This is not the only time that we see Jesus intervene
when the disciples are sad or worried.
If you recall the story of the two disciples on the road
to Emmaus which we often read around Easter
Jesus met the sad and worried disciples after Easter
on the road to Emmaus right in the middle of their fears and dashed hopes.
Today we see that this is something that Jesus did before Easter too.
Jesus is with us in all our times of challenge and trial because … Jesus loves us.
That is a very important lesson for us to remember …
Jesus loves us and so Jesus is with us when we are sad or worried, anxious or afraid.
This may be a time when some or all of those of you
who call Norval Presbyterian Church home
are sad or worried, anxious or even afraid.
This is a time of change … and while you have faced change before
with vacancies of different kinds and lengths this change is different.
This change begins with your outgoing minister
talking about amalgamation or dissolution of the church.
This time of change begins with me your incoming Interim Moderator
talking about amalgamation or dissolution and asking you not to be afraid
not because I can promise you that what lies ahead is an easy road
not because I don’t understand how challenging this may be for you
not because I do not care about you or Norval and its history
but because I am asking you to trust in the love of Jesus Christ.
Have you ever played the children’s game “Simon says?”
It’s a follow-the-leader game where one person tells and
shows the others what to do and then the rest of the people are supposed to do what the leader says.
The trick of this game is that if the leader does not say “Simon says” before the instruction then even if the leader does that thing you are not supposed to do it or you are out. You lose!
Let’s play! Simon says touch your ears (touch ears).
Simon says point to your eyes (point to eyes).
Simon says point to your mouth (point to mouth).
Did you do all of those things? Did you like that game?
Was there something missing in our game? What was missing in our game?
That’s right there was no trick!
I said “Simon says” every time and so there was no trick and so no one got tricked or was out of the game!
That’s because I want us to think about what we heard
in the reading from the Gospel of John today
where it said that Jesus is the way and that Jesus shows us the way to go.
When Jesus shows us the way it is not like playing “Simon says” because …
Jesus never shows us the wrong way to go and so there is no trick and
no one loses.
As long as we follow Jesus we can’t lose!
I know that hearing about and talking about
what lies ahead may be uncomfortable and a bit scary
but I also know that the foundation of this church
and its long history of ministry is a deep and abiding faith a faith that has held you up in many times of trial personally and as a community.
Because I know that I know that you are up to the challenge that lies ahead.
For my part I am trusting in Jesus to help me to walk with you during this time.
I believe that even though being an Interim Moderator
is not a call in the way that being called to Ministry in a congregation is
I am here to be in ministry with you during this time
according to the will of God as the Spirit works
in and through Presbytery and in me.
I believe that together we can continue to follow Jesus and find the way in which Norval is meant to go. I believe that if we are upfront, honest and clear with one another working together to discern the path ahead for the good of the church of Jesus Christ then God will be pleased to bless us with the fruit of Spirit. I promise that I will be honest with you with compassion for the challenges that you face.
No final decisions will be made that do not have the support of the congregation.
Our polity does not work that way and I will follow our polity to the letter to assure that everyone is informed and able to contribute to decision making in the months ahead.
The work of this congregation is to trust in Jesus. It is to trust in Jesus together.
Did you notice earlier in this message when quoting our scripture today
I said “Do not let your heart be troubled.”
In our reading today we heard it read “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
Some Bibles interpret this passage from the original Greek differently.
Some Bibles say “heart” and some say “hearts.”
The original Greek says “heart.”
Just one heart not plural many hearts. Just one.
If we think about this passage in the way that it was originally written in the Greek
with a singular “heart” then we can think about how Jesus was talking to the disciples that group of his followers as if they had one heart.
If the followers of Jesus then had one heart doesn’t it make sense that they helped one another, encouraged one another, prayed with and supported one another?
And if we who are the followers of Jesus now have one heart then doesn’t it make sense that we are supposed to do the same?
To help one another, encourage each other, pray with
and support each other?
And …
If we have one heart does anyone get left out?
If we have one heart does anyone get tricked and lose?
If we have one heart how do we live?
Jesus tells the disciples and us that by following him we will find our way to God
we will know God by knowing Jesus.
And how do we know Jesus? By seeing what Jesus is doing and by following him and doing the same things. By living together as people with one heart loving each other and all the people of the world in the way that Jesus does.
This is how we will live not by being tricked or left out but by following Jesus and loving God and everyone.
This is meant to be a time for all of us to lean even more on God and on our faith and say boldly, we will listen to Jesus, we will follow Jesus, we believe that Jesus knows the way we should go.
Because we believe that God loves us and so in faith we have the confidence to step out boldly into this new direction which God intends for us.
Do not be afraid, do not let your heart be troubled for God will be with us every step of the way! AMEN.
Sermon - June 18, 2023
Sermon - June 11, 2023 https://youtu.be/FqCSI9S3bbw
Isaiah 43
43But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia* and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,
and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth--
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.’
8 Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this,
and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
and let them hear and say, ‘It is true.’
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no saviour.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
13 I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work and who can hinder it?
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.*
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honour me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
This is one of my favourite bible passages,
And I want to use it to reflect on our journey together over the past few years,
This is the last time I will preach a sermon as your minister.
There are so many things I could say to you today.
There are things I want to thank you for –
Especially for your loving care of me and my family –
I always knew that I had time and space to address family matters.
Thank you for being friends on the journey,
Thank you for being partners in ministry.
I could also talk about what we accomplished together.
I could talk about regrets. Things I wish we had accomplished together.
There are so many things to say, but for I want to use this time
To wish you well on the journey.
To depart from here with thanksgiving and a sense of God’s providence.
We’ve come to the end of a pastoral arrangement that began in January 2020.
We began with high hopes for this time in ministry –
Hopes of growth and vibrance
We had dreams and ideas for how we would begin to revitalize the congregation.
We know what happened next.
The pandemic, and an unprecedented series of events
That meant we were apart from each other for a long time.
My ministry turned to online worship and virtual pastoral care.
We did not have the opportunity to make connections or get to know each other.
This was not at all what we had expected or hoped for.
One of the most difficult aspects of doing ministry during the pandemic
Was preaching every week when there wasn’t much going on.
What could I do, all those months, except reassure us over and over
That God is here. That we do not make the journey alone.
If I had to name a theme that has emerged in my preaching while I’ve been with you
It is that God is here and we do not make the journey alone.
My message today won’t be any different – the theme is exactly the same.
A bit like a broken record.
The prophet Isaiah speaks on behalf of God
And he says that God says “I will be with you.”
When you pass through the waters I will be with you.
We are thinking about water today.
Cali’s baptism is a moment of celebration for this community and for her family –
And it is a reminder that God has called each of us by name.
“I have called you by name, and you are mine.”
How marvellous is this promise that we are named and known.
The God of the Universe takes an interest in you –
In baby Cali – in her little fingers and toes
And every hair on her head.
Just as the God of the Universe takes an interest
In your arthritic fingers and toes
And the hairs that are sprinkled with grey.
At each moment in our lives, we are named and known
By the Creator.
Another amazing promise is that God is doing something new!
The text itself implies that we might have trouble noticing this new thing.
It might feel frustrating to be left without a minister,
And yet God is very clear that a new thing is springing up.
I don’t know what this will look like for Norval Church.
It will be something different.
Something you might not have imagined.
But whatever comes in terms of dissolution or amalgamation,
You will know that you are not alone.
The same God who was with this congregation for the past 185 years
Will be present for whatever happens next.
The same is true for me. The God who has been with me
For 47 years will be present with me for whatever happens next.
There is plenty of good news here.
The same God who created us and named us
Is walking with us into the future.
Many of you were baptised,
once small like Cali,
And strong arms held you, and put water on your foreheads
And named you and claimed you as God’s own children.
Women and men of this congregation
Today, I invite you to reclaim your identity as God’s own children.
Raised to new life in Jesus Christ,
Called together to be the church.
The work I will be doing at Knox College involves preparing students
To be ministers.
This year I taught a course called “Theology and Practice of Ministry”
When I took that course as a student 25 years ago,
The instructor knew exactly where the students were headed.
It was very clear what ministry looked like.
Today, nothing is clear.
The church has entered a new reality
And none of us know what to expect.
Except for one thing.
The Creator God, the one who named us and claimed us in baptism,
Who loved us enough to become incarnate in Jesus Christ –
That God is our constant companion into an unknown future.
May the Holy Spirit guide us each in our own direction,
as you and I take leave from each other,
we go confidently knowing that the God of the universe
goes with us.
We are not alone and we are loved. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God,
You have been with us as we pass through the waters – turbulent water and calm waters.
You are with us in the promises of baptism.
You are with us.
And we are grateful.
Remain with us in the days to come,
As we enjoy summer rest.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, June 12, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 16:1-15; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2
Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8 ; Leviticus 15:25-31; 22:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2
Tuesday, June 13, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 17:1-27; Hebrews 13:1-16
Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8; Hosea 8:11-14; 10:1-2; Hebrews 13:1-16
Wednesday, June 14, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 18:16-33; Matthew 12:1-8
Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8; Hosea 14:1-9; Matthew 12:1-8
Thursday, June 15, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 3:1-6
Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:18-23; Hebrews 3:1-6
Friday, June 16, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 24:1-9; Acts 7:35-43
Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:27-31; Acts 7:35-43
Saturday, June 17, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 24:10-52; Mark 7:1-13
Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 6:28-7:13; Mark 7:1-13
43But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia* and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,
and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth--
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.’
8 Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this,
and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
and let them hear and say, ‘It is true.’
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no saviour.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
13 I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work and who can hinder it?
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.*
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honour me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
This is one of my favourite bible passages,
And I want to use it to reflect on our journey together over the past few years,
This is the last time I will preach a sermon as your minister.
There are so many things I could say to you today.
There are things I want to thank you for –
Especially for your loving care of me and my family –
I always knew that I had time and space to address family matters.
Thank you for being friends on the journey,
Thank you for being partners in ministry.
I could also talk about what we accomplished together.
I could talk about regrets. Things I wish we had accomplished together.
There are so many things to say, but for I want to use this time
To wish you well on the journey.
To depart from here with thanksgiving and a sense of God’s providence.
We’ve come to the end of a pastoral arrangement that began in January 2020.
We began with high hopes for this time in ministry –
Hopes of growth and vibrance
We had dreams and ideas for how we would begin to revitalize the congregation.
We know what happened next.
The pandemic, and an unprecedented series of events
That meant we were apart from each other for a long time.
My ministry turned to online worship and virtual pastoral care.
We did not have the opportunity to make connections or get to know each other.
This was not at all what we had expected or hoped for.
One of the most difficult aspects of doing ministry during the pandemic
Was preaching every week when there wasn’t much going on.
What could I do, all those months, except reassure us over and over
That God is here. That we do not make the journey alone.
If I had to name a theme that has emerged in my preaching while I’ve been with you
It is that God is here and we do not make the journey alone.
My message today won’t be any different – the theme is exactly the same.
A bit like a broken record.
The prophet Isaiah speaks on behalf of God
And he says that God says “I will be with you.”
When you pass through the waters I will be with you.
We are thinking about water today.
Cali’s baptism is a moment of celebration for this community and for her family –
And it is a reminder that God has called each of us by name.
“I have called you by name, and you are mine.”
How marvellous is this promise that we are named and known.
The God of the Universe takes an interest in you –
In baby Cali – in her little fingers and toes
And every hair on her head.
Just as the God of the Universe takes an interest
In your arthritic fingers and toes
And the hairs that are sprinkled with grey.
At each moment in our lives, we are named and known
By the Creator.
Another amazing promise is that God is doing something new!
The text itself implies that we might have trouble noticing this new thing.
It might feel frustrating to be left without a minister,
And yet God is very clear that a new thing is springing up.
I don’t know what this will look like for Norval Church.
It will be something different.
Something you might not have imagined.
But whatever comes in terms of dissolution or amalgamation,
You will know that you are not alone.
The same God who was with this congregation for the past 185 years
Will be present for whatever happens next.
The same is true for me. The God who has been with me
For 47 years will be present with me for whatever happens next.
There is plenty of good news here.
The same God who created us and named us
Is walking with us into the future.
Many of you were baptised,
once small like Cali,
And strong arms held you, and put water on your foreheads
And named you and claimed you as God’s own children.
Women and men of this congregation
Today, I invite you to reclaim your identity as God’s own children.
Raised to new life in Jesus Christ,
Called together to be the church.
The work I will be doing at Knox College involves preparing students
To be ministers.
This year I taught a course called “Theology and Practice of Ministry”
When I took that course as a student 25 years ago,
The instructor knew exactly where the students were headed.
It was very clear what ministry looked like.
Today, nothing is clear.
The church has entered a new reality
And none of us know what to expect.
Except for one thing.
The Creator God, the one who named us and claimed us in baptism,
Who loved us enough to become incarnate in Jesus Christ –
That God is our constant companion into an unknown future.
May the Holy Spirit guide us each in our own direction,
as you and I take leave from each other,
we go confidently knowing that the God of the universe
goes with us.
We are not alone and we are loved. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God,
You have been with us as we pass through the waters – turbulent water and calm waters.
You are with us in the promises of baptism.
You are with us.
And we are grateful.
Remain with us in the days to come,
As we enjoy summer rest.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, June 12, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 16:1-15; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2
Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8 ; Leviticus 15:25-31; 22:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2
Tuesday, June 13, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 17:1-27; Hebrews 13:1-16
Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8; Hosea 8:11-14; 10:1-2; Hebrews 13:1-16
Wednesday, June 14, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 18:16-33; Matthew 12:1-8
Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8; Hosea 14:1-9; Matthew 12:1-8
Thursday, June 15, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 3:1-6
Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:18-23; Hebrews 3:1-6
Friday, June 16, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 24:1-9; Acts 7:35-43
Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:27-31; Acts 7:35-43
Saturday, June 17, 2023:
Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 24:10-52; Mark 7:1-13
Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 6:28-7:13; Mark 7:1-13
Anniversary Sunday - June 4, 2023 https://youtu.be/eaivocE0ZGs
Sermon - April 23, 2023
Sermon - April 2, 2023
Sermon - March 19, 2023
Sermon - March 5, 2023
Mission Sunday - February 19, 2023
Sermon - February 12, 2023 https://youtu.be/A0QuCT1Ti1I
Matthew 2:13-23
13Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20“Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
The reality of the holy family was danger.
It was a dangerous birth by virtue of the time period in history,
The age of the mother,
The lack of support.
And then Joseph has a dream and is warned that they must leave Bethlehem
It is not safe for them there.
Joseph probably didn’t know the details.
He could not have imagined the evil intention of King Herod.
That the king would order the deaths of all children under 2 years old
Because he was so threatened by the idea of a new baby king.
So Joseph and Mary and Joseph left their shelter in the night,
And like millions before and millions afterwards,
They would roam into the wilderness looking for shelter, looking for hope.
I love this story of refuge, that I read for you,
Because it reminds us of the very human nature of the holy family.
The way that Mary nuzzles Jesus, and kisses him.
The gentleness of Joseph.
They are subject to danger and threat just like any other family.
I love the way that the story tells about Mary and Joseph and Jesus
Encountering the shepherds on their way past –
Where they were greeted and sent on their way with blessing.
What is God doing in this story?
God provides the warning that they must flee.
It is clear to me that God is guiding these refugees as they move from place to place,
From Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth.
Eventually, they came home again.
This story reminds us that refugees are real people,
Flesh and bone, and they carry their babies in the middle of the night
Because it is not safe to stay where they are.
You will have heard about the earthquake that affected Turkey and Syria this week.
I don’t know if this is true,
But I heard that there were 23 million people displaced by that earthquake.
23 million.
For most of us, the idea of being forced from our homes is simply unimaginable.
And yet, the UN high commission on refugees
Says that there are 27 million refugees in the world today,
And that most of them are absent from their homes for at least 20 years.
Some of them are fleeing war.
Some are fleeing because of human rights abuses – for example, women who are mistreated in their homeland or LGBTQ people who are persecuted in their own lands.
Others flee for a variety of reasons – including the unsustainability of agriculture, worsened by climate change.
This is an unbelievable mess.
It seems to be a part of the human condition,
That home is not always safe,
That people must move from place to place to find safety and security.
We will wonder what we can do.
We can send money to Presbyterian World Service and Development.
That money is used to support partners who are already on the ground in the regions affected.
We can pay attention.
We can listen to the stories without turning away.
We can look for the humanity within the masses of people
Who we might be tempted to dehumanize, or remove them from their context
As real people with real needs.
Think about Mary nuzzling Jesus.
Think about all those women carrying babies – some yet to be born.
The truth is that we cannot solve the problem.
But perhaps this scripture is a reminder that God goes with us,
And with them,
On all journeys.
The most effective thing we can do is pray.
It is God’s power that will change things.
It is God’s accompaniment on the journey that will enable these souls
To wander without losing their identity or sense of self.
It is God’s presence that will give them hope.
That’s what I would like us to pray for today.
That refugees might have hope.
That they will find secure spaces to exist,
And find a home within themselves.
So we pray. And we ask God to change the realities that lead to this kind of homelessness
Change the systems that force people to flee dangerous situations.
Change us, so that we may love them even if we don’t know them.
That we will see the face of Jesus in each one.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and loving God, we pray for those who are forced to flee their homes for any reason. We pray for those who struggle to find shelter and safety. May we be shelters for others – providing resources and spaces to house and comfort. We pray for those who wander lost – always looking for home but never finding it. May all of us find a home in you. Amen.
Daily Scripture Reading
Monday, February 13, 2023: Psalm 119:9-16; Exodus 20:1-21; James 1:2-8
Tuesday, February 14, 2023: Psalm 119:9-16; Deuteronomy 23:21-24:4, 10-15; James 2:1-13
Wednesday, February 15, 2023: Psalm 119:9-16; Proverbs 2:1-15; Matthew 19:1-12
Thursday, February 16, 2023: Psalm 2; Exodus 6:2-9; Hebrews 8:1-7
Friday, February 17, 2023: Psalm 2; Exodus 19:9b-25; Hebrews 11:23-28
Saturday, February 18, 2023: Psalm 2; 1 Kings 21:20-29; Mark 9:9-13
13Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20“Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
The reality of the holy family was danger.
It was a dangerous birth by virtue of the time period in history,
The age of the mother,
The lack of support.
And then Joseph has a dream and is warned that they must leave Bethlehem
It is not safe for them there.
Joseph probably didn’t know the details.
He could not have imagined the evil intention of King Herod.
That the king would order the deaths of all children under 2 years old
Because he was so threatened by the idea of a new baby king.
So Joseph and Mary and Joseph left their shelter in the night,
And like millions before and millions afterwards,
They would roam into the wilderness looking for shelter, looking for hope.
I love this story of refuge, that I read for you,
Because it reminds us of the very human nature of the holy family.
The way that Mary nuzzles Jesus, and kisses him.
The gentleness of Joseph.
They are subject to danger and threat just like any other family.
I love the way that the story tells about Mary and Joseph and Jesus
Encountering the shepherds on their way past –
Where they were greeted and sent on their way with blessing.
What is God doing in this story?
God provides the warning that they must flee.
It is clear to me that God is guiding these refugees as they move from place to place,
From Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth.
Eventually, they came home again.
This story reminds us that refugees are real people,
Flesh and bone, and they carry their babies in the middle of the night
Because it is not safe to stay where they are.
You will have heard about the earthquake that affected Turkey and Syria this week.
I don’t know if this is true,
But I heard that there were 23 million people displaced by that earthquake.
23 million.
For most of us, the idea of being forced from our homes is simply unimaginable.
And yet, the UN high commission on refugees
Says that there are 27 million refugees in the world today,
And that most of them are absent from their homes for at least 20 years.
Some of them are fleeing war.
Some are fleeing because of human rights abuses – for example, women who are mistreated in their homeland or LGBTQ people who are persecuted in their own lands.
Others flee for a variety of reasons – including the unsustainability of agriculture, worsened by climate change.
This is an unbelievable mess.
It seems to be a part of the human condition,
That home is not always safe,
That people must move from place to place to find safety and security.
We will wonder what we can do.
We can send money to Presbyterian World Service and Development.
That money is used to support partners who are already on the ground in the regions affected.
We can pay attention.
We can listen to the stories without turning away.
We can look for the humanity within the masses of people
Who we might be tempted to dehumanize, or remove them from their context
As real people with real needs.
Think about Mary nuzzling Jesus.
Think about all those women carrying babies – some yet to be born.
The truth is that we cannot solve the problem.
But perhaps this scripture is a reminder that God goes with us,
And with them,
On all journeys.
The most effective thing we can do is pray.
It is God’s power that will change things.
It is God’s accompaniment on the journey that will enable these souls
To wander without losing their identity or sense of self.
It is God’s presence that will give them hope.
That’s what I would like us to pray for today.
That refugees might have hope.
That they will find secure spaces to exist,
And find a home within themselves.
So we pray. And we ask God to change the realities that lead to this kind of homelessness
Change the systems that force people to flee dangerous situations.
Change us, so that we may love them even if we don’t know them.
That we will see the face of Jesus in each one.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and loving God, we pray for those who are forced to flee their homes for any reason. We pray for those who struggle to find shelter and safety. May we be shelters for others – providing resources and spaces to house and comfort. We pray for those who wander lost – always looking for home but never finding it. May all of us find a home in you. Amen.
Daily Scripture Reading
Monday, February 13, 2023: Psalm 119:9-16; Exodus 20:1-21; James 1:2-8
Tuesday, February 14, 2023: Psalm 119:9-16; Deuteronomy 23:21-24:4, 10-15; James 2:1-13
Wednesday, February 15, 2023: Psalm 119:9-16; Proverbs 2:1-15; Matthew 19:1-12
Thursday, February 16, 2023: Psalm 2; Exodus 6:2-9; Hebrews 8:1-7
Friday, February 17, 2023: Psalm 2; Exodus 19:9b-25; Hebrews 11:23-28
Saturday, February 18, 2023: Psalm 2; 1 Kings 21:20-29; Mark 9:9-13
Sermon - February 5, 2023 https://youtu.be/rUIcGFe49tE
Luke 8: 43-48
43 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. 48 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
The rumours must have been flying about this man from Galilee.
Jesus was moving through the countryside teaching and healing.
And has he moved he gathered a crowd
Like a snowball gathers snow and grows.
This crowd kept growing and on this day,
There is barely room to move
Because people are crushed in on all sides.
Everyone is touching someone else whether they want to or not.
It is actually a vaguely terrifying image,
Bodies crushed together – it feels suffocating.
There is a woman on the edge of the crowd.
She is considering her next move –
Because she is not permitted to be in contact with other bodies.
You see, she had been bleeding for 12 years.
In that culture, women were impure when they were bleeding,
And so this woman would have been separate from others.
For twelve years she had not been able to hug her sister or tousle a child’s hair.
She had been left out of family meals,
Left out of worship,
Left out of all the community rituals that make us who we are.
This is a tragic story of a life destroyed by a medical condition
In a culture that interpreted blood as unclean.
It’s hard to imagine what it was like for this woman.
Can you imagine what it would feel like
To be cast out of your family and social circles?
Can you imagine the loneliness, the sense of worthlessness.
This woman has a dilemma because she’s not supposed to be in that crowd.
She’s breaking all the rules as she begins to move toward Jesus.
Inch by inch she navigates the crowd, slipping past, pushing sometimes,
Until she is just close enough to Jesus
That she can reach out her hand
And touch the hem of his cloak.
His garment – a piece of cloth.
She reached out and touched a piece of clothing belonging to Jesus
And she was healed instantly.
Somehow she knew this in her own body.
She must have felt the energy flow through her limbs,
Settling at the very centre of her being.
This story is not just about physical healing.
It is about finding wholeness.
This woman’s healing was not only physical.
It was emotional and social.
By healing the issue of blood, Jesus healed this woman’s whole life.
She would be permitted to join society again,
Perhaps to reconnect with her family.
She was free from the financial obligations of medical care,
And the charlatans that treated her symptoms.
It is very likely that this woman had not touched or been touched in 12 years.
Can you imagine that?
And the relief that must have come when she touched Jesus’s cloak.
The relief that must have come when she realized
that she was now permitted to be in the crowd
that she could touch again and be touched.
It’s hard to know exactly what is happening here in terms of healing.
Energy somehow flows out of Jesus into this woman.
She knows it and he knows it.
The disciples don’t have a clue. Jesus is asking “Who touched me”
And the disciples are saying “Everyone is touching you”
But Jesus knows that power has left him and gone into someone else.
Whatever is going on here, there is healing happening.
Energy is flying around, moving from person to person.
A life is transformed.
All because this woman was brave enough to reach out and touch.
Jesus commends her for her faith.
I wonder what faith looks like in this circumstance?
Did she understand that Jesus was the messiah who had come to heal all things?
Did she just believe that this itinerant healer might be able to do what others had not?
Was she so desperate that she was willing to risk social consequences
For breaking the rules?
Or was there a persistent certainty in her that healing was possible
And she relentlessly pursued it.
Perhaps that is what faith is all about.
It has to do with our understanding of who Jesus is –
That we can approach him,
That he is accessible.
That he offers healing.
The persistent belief that healing is possible.
This woman breaks all the rules in pursuit of healing.
She will not stop until she finds it.
She comes to the right place,
And in an instant her life is transformed from one who is on the outside to one who belongs.
Our bible study group spent some time wondering
What she did after this healing?
Did she go and perform ritual cleansing baths?
Did she go and find her family?
Maybe she joined the crowd and stayed with Jesus.
Whatever she did, she was whole.
There are situations in each of our lives
That require healing.
Sometimes that healing will be physical, sometimes it is spiritual.
But healing is available.
Faith is about the persistent belief that healing is possible,
And we are invited to seek it relentlessly.
Where do you need healing in body, mind or spirit?
Are you willing to move toward Jesus?
Are you willing to reach out your hand and touch his cloak?
Are you ready for the surge of power that will surge through you?
Are you prepared for the possibility that you will not be the same afterwards?
May you be courageous enough
To reach out and touch Jesus
So that his healing may be evident in you.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of life, we ask that your healing power will move through us and through our community.
May we be brave enough to reach out and touch Jesus.
May we be persistent in our belief that healing is possible.
We ask your special blessing on those who are suffering from long illnesses.
Offer them your comforting grace and loving embrace.
We ask all these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, February 6, 2023: Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 22:3-20; Romans 11:2-10
Tuesday, February 7, 2023: Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Wednesday, February 8, 2023: Psalm 119:105-112; Proverbs 6:6-23; John 8:12-30
Thursday, February 9, 2023: Psalm 119:1-8; Genesis 26:1-5; James 1:12-16
Friday, February 10, 2023: Psalm 119:1-8; Leviticus 26:34-46; 1 John 2:7-17
Saturday, February 11, 2023: Psalm 119:1-8; Deuteronomy 30:1-9a; Matthew 15:1-9
43 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. 48 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
The rumours must have been flying about this man from Galilee.
Jesus was moving through the countryside teaching and healing.
And has he moved he gathered a crowd
Like a snowball gathers snow and grows.
This crowd kept growing and on this day,
There is barely room to move
Because people are crushed in on all sides.
Everyone is touching someone else whether they want to or not.
It is actually a vaguely terrifying image,
Bodies crushed together – it feels suffocating.
There is a woman on the edge of the crowd.
She is considering her next move –
Because she is not permitted to be in contact with other bodies.
You see, she had been bleeding for 12 years.
In that culture, women were impure when they were bleeding,
And so this woman would have been separate from others.
For twelve years she had not been able to hug her sister or tousle a child’s hair.
She had been left out of family meals,
Left out of worship,
Left out of all the community rituals that make us who we are.
This is a tragic story of a life destroyed by a medical condition
In a culture that interpreted blood as unclean.
It’s hard to imagine what it was like for this woman.
Can you imagine what it would feel like
To be cast out of your family and social circles?
Can you imagine the loneliness, the sense of worthlessness.
This woman has a dilemma because she’s not supposed to be in that crowd.
She’s breaking all the rules as she begins to move toward Jesus.
Inch by inch she navigates the crowd, slipping past, pushing sometimes,
Until she is just close enough to Jesus
That she can reach out her hand
And touch the hem of his cloak.
His garment – a piece of cloth.
She reached out and touched a piece of clothing belonging to Jesus
And she was healed instantly.
Somehow she knew this in her own body.
She must have felt the energy flow through her limbs,
Settling at the very centre of her being.
This story is not just about physical healing.
It is about finding wholeness.
This woman’s healing was not only physical.
It was emotional and social.
By healing the issue of blood, Jesus healed this woman’s whole life.
She would be permitted to join society again,
Perhaps to reconnect with her family.
She was free from the financial obligations of medical care,
And the charlatans that treated her symptoms.
It is very likely that this woman had not touched or been touched in 12 years.
Can you imagine that?
And the relief that must have come when she touched Jesus’s cloak.
The relief that must have come when she realized
that she was now permitted to be in the crowd
that she could touch again and be touched.
It’s hard to know exactly what is happening here in terms of healing.
Energy somehow flows out of Jesus into this woman.
She knows it and he knows it.
The disciples don’t have a clue. Jesus is asking “Who touched me”
And the disciples are saying “Everyone is touching you”
But Jesus knows that power has left him and gone into someone else.
Whatever is going on here, there is healing happening.
Energy is flying around, moving from person to person.
A life is transformed.
All because this woman was brave enough to reach out and touch.
Jesus commends her for her faith.
I wonder what faith looks like in this circumstance?
Did she understand that Jesus was the messiah who had come to heal all things?
Did she just believe that this itinerant healer might be able to do what others had not?
Was she so desperate that she was willing to risk social consequences
For breaking the rules?
Or was there a persistent certainty in her that healing was possible
And she relentlessly pursued it.
Perhaps that is what faith is all about.
It has to do with our understanding of who Jesus is –
That we can approach him,
That he is accessible.
That he offers healing.
The persistent belief that healing is possible.
This woman breaks all the rules in pursuit of healing.
She will not stop until she finds it.
She comes to the right place,
And in an instant her life is transformed from one who is on the outside to one who belongs.
Our bible study group spent some time wondering
What she did after this healing?
Did she go and perform ritual cleansing baths?
Did she go and find her family?
Maybe she joined the crowd and stayed with Jesus.
Whatever she did, she was whole.
There are situations in each of our lives
That require healing.
Sometimes that healing will be physical, sometimes it is spiritual.
But healing is available.
Faith is about the persistent belief that healing is possible,
And we are invited to seek it relentlessly.
Where do you need healing in body, mind or spirit?
Are you willing to move toward Jesus?
Are you willing to reach out your hand and touch his cloak?
Are you ready for the surge of power that will surge through you?
Are you prepared for the possibility that you will not be the same afterwards?
May you be courageous enough
To reach out and touch Jesus
So that his healing may be evident in you.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of life, we ask that your healing power will move through us and through our community.
May we be brave enough to reach out and touch Jesus.
May we be persistent in our belief that healing is possible.
We ask your special blessing on those who are suffering from long illnesses.
Offer them your comforting grace and loving embrace.
We ask all these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, February 6, 2023: Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 22:3-20; Romans 11:2-10
Tuesday, February 7, 2023: Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Wednesday, February 8, 2023: Psalm 119:105-112; Proverbs 6:6-23; John 8:12-30
Thursday, February 9, 2023: Psalm 119:1-8; Genesis 26:1-5; James 1:12-16
Friday, February 10, 2023: Psalm 119:1-8; Leviticus 26:34-46; 1 John 2:7-17
Saturday, February 11, 2023: Psalm 119:1-8; Deuteronomy 30:1-9a; Matthew 15:1-9
Sermon - January 29, 2023 https://youtu.be/wDN9NRxaU4Q
Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus says a lot of surprising things.
This set of blessings, or beatitudes as we call them,
Are among the most surprising.
Here, Jesus is pronouncing blessing on those who are least valuable to society.
These blessings are not for the Roman imperials or the Jewish establishment.
They are for those who are the least and the lost.
They are for those that God deems worthy,
Not because of their own virtue or accomplishments
But because God chooses to be on their side.
All of those that society deems worthless
Are worthy of special care in the Kingdom.
Notice that these blessings are not written as commands –
Jesus is not telling us to go be poor or go be merciful so that we might be blessed.
No, these blessings are gifts that are given without condition.
They are simply the ‘way things are’.
The poor are blessed. The meek are blessed. The persecuted are blessed.
These sayings are surprising for a couple of reasons.
First, as I have stated, they are intended for those who are undervalued by others.
Second, they are surprising because they do not, at first glance,
Match our experience.
It does not feel blessed to be in mourning,
Or poor.
Meekness is not often rewarded in our culture.
Peacemaking is sometimes a laughable enterprise.
What is Jesus saying here about the ways that blessing operates in our lives?
God’s blessing is for those whom we least expect.
God’s blessing turns everything upside down – so that the poor are fed
And the rich turned away empty.
There is special grace for those who need it most.
The beatitudes are not only a vision for the way things might be.
They are a statement about the way things are.
As we hope in God’s continual transformation of the world,
We see seeds of new life sprouting in between cracks in the cement.
We see resurrection power emerging in the midst of grief.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Let’s talk about that beatitude, because it is perhaps the one that is closest to our hearts.
Or easiest to imagine.
When this passage refers to those who mourn
It is not only talking about individual loss.
That is part of it – those who have lost a loved one.
Or in our culture – lost a job, an opportunity, a relationship.
Those losses matter and this blessing is intended for all who mourn.
It goes a bit deeper though, toward the grief that we feel for the state of the world.
It is a grief that remembers that the way things are
Is not the way that they are supposed to be.
There is grief because of human suffering, and grief because of the destruction of creation.
Our grief extends to a world that is destroyed by violence.
Blessed are those who mourn.
This week in Memphis, 29 year old Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by police.
This kind of brutality repeats endlessly.
Tyre’s mother spoke about her pain, that she was not there
While her son was calling out her name.
This event is deeply rooted in systematic violence and racism
And we mourn a world that does not know how to solve these problems.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Last week evidence of more children’s bodies were discovered at former residential schools.
We mourn with our Indigenous siblings,
grieving our own role in colonialism and oppression.
In our grief, there is a longing for a world in which all children are safe
Where cultural differences are valued and honoured.
The systematic violence and racism of the past is repeated in the present
As Indigenous communities continue to suffer higher rates of suicide, unemployment, imprisonment and more.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Closer to home, Norval church is entering a period in which there will be some grief.
I have announced my departure in June,
And I imagine that we will have some grief to process together
As our time draws to a close.
And then there is our anxiety about what happens to our building and our ministry
As we consider amalgamation or other options for the church.
I understand that this process will trigger deep grief in some of you,
This has been your home for generations
And there is a great deal of sadness as we watch the decline
And recognize the need to change course dramatically.
We simply do not have the human resources to sustain ministry in this building.
Blessed are those who mourn.
The grief, the sadness, is not the end of the story.
The promise here is that those who mourn will be comforted.
Tyre Nichol’s mother made a statement about her son’s death.
She encouraged others to pray for the families of the officers who carried out the attack.
It is hard to imagine such generosity –
There is a level of grace operating here that is beyond what we might expect in this situation.
God is actively involved in this work of blessing.
Blessing is an ongoing activity – God is continually pouring out blessing
Even as we shed tears amid our sorrow.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
As Jesus offers these beatitudes, he is saying that the blessings of the Kingdom of God
Infiltrate the present.
That thing we hope for – mercy, comfort, healing, clarity –
All of those things are available in the present.
They are available for us.
Even as the Norval community mourns its current situation,
There will be blessing.
There will be opportunities to remember and celebrate
The thousands of ways that this community has served Jesus Christ.
There are photos to be looked at and stories to be told.
There is the work of determining what comes next –
Discerning what our next stage of life might be as a congregation.
In those conversations about discernment, we will find blessing
As God begins to unfold a new vision for this congregation’s life together.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Do not be afraid, my friends.
The power of Jesus Christ and God’s redeeming Spirit
Are operating in everything we do.
We are blessed beyond measure.
May all those who mourn find comfort. Amen.
Prayer for the Week
God of life, we are grateful for the blessings that you pour out upon us whether we deserve them or not. In so many ways you comfort us in the midst of grief. We pray for those individuals who are grieving the loss of of a loved one, or a job, or an opportunity or a relationship. We pray for those who are fighting for a better world, and we join our voices in protest to you – how long, O God? Fill us with confidence that you are here and you are acting. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 30, 2023: Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 1:1-18; Philemon 1-25
Tuesday, January 31, 2023: Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 2:1-16; James 5:1-6
Wednesday, February 1, 2023: Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 3:1-13; 4:13-22; Luke 6:17-26
Thursday, February 2, 2023: Presentation of the Lord
Thursday, February 2, 2023: Psalm 112:1-9; Deuteronomy 4:1-14; 1 John 5:1-5
Friday, February 3, 2023: Psalm 112:1-9; Isaiah 29:1-12; James 3:13-18
Saturday, February 4, 2023: Psalm 112:1-9; Isaiah 29:13-16; Mark 7:1-8
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus says a lot of surprising things.
This set of blessings, or beatitudes as we call them,
Are among the most surprising.
Here, Jesus is pronouncing blessing on those who are least valuable to society.
These blessings are not for the Roman imperials or the Jewish establishment.
They are for those who are the least and the lost.
They are for those that God deems worthy,
Not because of their own virtue or accomplishments
But because God chooses to be on their side.
All of those that society deems worthless
Are worthy of special care in the Kingdom.
Notice that these blessings are not written as commands –
Jesus is not telling us to go be poor or go be merciful so that we might be blessed.
No, these blessings are gifts that are given without condition.
They are simply the ‘way things are’.
The poor are blessed. The meek are blessed. The persecuted are blessed.
These sayings are surprising for a couple of reasons.
First, as I have stated, they are intended for those who are undervalued by others.
Second, they are surprising because they do not, at first glance,
Match our experience.
It does not feel blessed to be in mourning,
Or poor.
Meekness is not often rewarded in our culture.
Peacemaking is sometimes a laughable enterprise.
What is Jesus saying here about the ways that blessing operates in our lives?
God’s blessing is for those whom we least expect.
God’s blessing turns everything upside down – so that the poor are fed
And the rich turned away empty.
There is special grace for those who need it most.
The beatitudes are not only a vision for the way things might be.
They are a statement about the way things are.
As we hope in God’s continual transformation of the world,
We see seeds of new life sprouting in between cracks in the cement.
We see resurrection power emerging in the midst of grief.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Let’s talk about that beatitude, because it is perhaps the one that is closest to our hearts.
Or easiest to imagine.
When this passage refers to those who mourn
It is not only talking about individual loss.
That is part of it – those who have lost a loved one.
Or in our culture – lost a job, an opportunity, a relationship.
Those losses matter and this blessing is intended for all who mourn.
It goes a bit deeper though, toward the grief that we feel for the state of the world.
It is a grief that remembers that the way things are
Is not the way that they are supposed to be.
There is grief because of human suffering, and grief because of the destruction of creation.
Our grief extends to a world that is destroyed by violence.
Blessed are those who mourn.
This week in Memphis, 29 year old Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by police.
This kind of brutality repeats endlessly.
Tyre’s mother spoke about her pain, that she was not there
While her son was calling out her name.
This event is deeply rooted in systematic violence and racism
And we mourn a world that does not know how to solve these problems.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Last week evidence of more children’s bodies were discovered at former residential schools.
We mourn with our Indigenous siblings,
grieving our own role in colonialism and oppression.
In our grief, there is a longing for a world in which all children are safe
Where cultural differences are valued and honoured.
The systematic violence and racism of the past is repeated in the present
As Indigenous communities continue to suffer higher rates of suicide, unemployment, imprisonment and more.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Closer to home, Norval church is entering a period in which there will be some grief.
I have announced my departure in June,
And I imagine that we will have some grief to process together
As our time draws to a close.
And then there is our anxiety about what happens to our building and our ministry
As we consider amalgamation or other options for the church.
I understand that this process will trigger deep grief in some of you,
This has been your home for generations
And there is a great deal of sadness as we watch the decline
And recognize the need to change course dramatically.
We simply do not have the human resources to sustain ministry in this building.
Blessed are those who mourn.
The grief, the sadness, is not the end of the story.
The promise here is that those who mourn will be comforted.
Tyre Nichol’s mother made a statement about her son’s death.
She encouraged others to pray for the families of the officers who carried out the attack.
It is hard to imagine such generosity –
There is a level of grace operating here that is beyond what we might expect in this situation.
God is actively involved in this work of blessing.
Blessing is an ongoing activity – God is continually pouring out blessing
Even as we shed tears amid our sorrow.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
As Jesus offers these beatitudes, he is saying that the blessings of the Kingdom of God
Infiltrate the present.
That thing we hope for – mercy, comfort, healing, clarity –
All of those things are available in the present.
They are available for us.
Even as the Norval community mourns its current situation,
There will be blessing.
There will be opportunities to remember and celebrate
The thousands of ways that this community has served Jesus Christ.
There are photos to be looked at and stories to be told.
There is the work of determining what comes next –
Discerning what our next stage of life might be as a congregation.
In those conversations about discernment, we will find blessing
As God begins to unfold a new vision for this congregation’s life together.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Do not be afraid, my friends.
The power of Jesus Christ and God’s redeeming Spirit
Are operating in everything we do.
We are blessed beyond measure.
May all those who mourn find comfort. Amen.
Prayer for the Week
God of life, we are grateful for the blessings that you pour out upon us whether we deserve them or not. In so many ways you comfort us in the midst of grief. We pray for those individuals who are grieving the loss of of a loved one, or a job, or an opportunity or a relationship. We pray for those who are fighting for a better world, and we join our voices in protest to you – how long, O God? Fill us with confidence that you are here and you are acting. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 30, 2023: Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 1:1-18; Philemon 1-25
Tuesday, January 31, 2023: Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 2:1-16; James 5:1-6
Wednesday, February 1, 2023: Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 3:1-13; 4:13-22; Luke 6:17-26
Thursday, February 2, 2023: Presentation of the Lord
Thursday, February 2, 2023: Psalm 112:1-9; Deuteronomy 4:1-14; 1 John 5:1-5
Friday, February 3, 2023: Psalm 112:1-9; Isaiah 29:1-12; James 3:13-18
Saturday, February 4, 2023: Psalm 112:1-9; Isaiah 29:13-16; Mark 7:1-8
Sermon - January 22, 2023 https://youtu.be/OTggxgl_a6Y
Sermon - January 15, 2023
Sermon - January 8, 2023 youtu.be
Luke 2:41-52
41Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
I have recently read 13 exegesis papers and sermons about the story of the boy Jesus in the temple
and Mary and Joseph’s desperate search for their child.
I should be an expert.
But there is a question that keeps coming back to me.
Why was the temple the last place
that Mary and Joseph looked for Jesus?
Why did it take three days for them to track him down among the scholars and teachers
Surely it should have been the first place they looked.
This passage suggests that Jesus was not a typical child.
His precociousness did not begin that day in the temple.
Mary and Joseph knew
that this was an extraordinary child,
And they must have known
that he was capable of a high level of discourse.
They could not have forgotten
their previous encounters in the temple,
When Anna and Simeon had recognized and celebrated the significance of the baby Jesus.
Still, Mary and Joseph,
upon realizing that they had lost God’s kid,
Looked everywhere but the temple.
We can imagine that they returned to all the places they had visited in the previous days.
Returning to the house where they had stayed…
The public squares,
The places where children played.
But the temple was the last place they looked.
If I were Mary,
I would not want Jesus to be in the temple,
Because his presence there represents
the reality that he is not an ordinary child.
Mary may have known this,
but she also knew other things,
And the words of Simeon may have echoed in her heart –
That one day a sword would pierce her own soul.
This journey back to Jerusalem
is a glimpse into the future,
When Jesus would march relentlessly toward death.
No mother wants to think about these things,
And while every mother wants their child to be special,
No one wants their child to be responsible
for the rising and falling of many.
Perhaps Mary did not want to find Jesus in the temple,
Enacting his destiny.
She might have known
that she was in danger of losing him,
And we can imagine her prayer “Please God, not today”
We will never know what Mary thought,
or why it took so long to get to the temple,
We only know that they found him there
among the teachers –
Where he was listening,
and more astonishingly, teaching.
To Jesus, it was obvious
that he would be found in his Father’s house.
Their search, in the end, led to the right place.
Faith formation is about our search for Jesus.
Jesus is never lost,
but sometimes we have trouble finding him.
Given the lessons of this story,
we might head straight for the temple to look for Jesus.
We may be looking in all the wrong places.
While the adolescent Jesus
is formed and shaped by the temple,
The adult Jesus does not remain in Jerusalem
Even as his entire life is oriented to the city.
No. The adult Jesus is not found in the temple,
Not most of the time.
The adult Jesus is found among the marginalized.
The adult Jesus is found among those teachers and leaders who are passionate enough
To engage him in conversation
about their faith and their traditions.
The adult Jesus is found among the crowds –
the hungry and the sick.
This is not rocket science, friends.
We know where Jesus is to be found today.
With the marginalized.
With those who are engaged in deep conversation
about their faith and traditions
With the hungry and the sick.
It is entirely obvious to me
that we will find Jesus in those places.
Yet those places are often the last place we look.
Perhaps we expect that Jesus is still in the temple –
That we will only find him in conventional “holy” places –
Like churches.
Jesus absorbed all that wisdom from the teachers and leaders,
Honed his skills as an orator
Learned the scriptures,
And then he left the temple and went out
Not to traditionally holy spaces,
But to the places where pain and suffering mingled
with a hope for salvation.
We need to stop looking for Jesus in the temple.
What we do at Norval Church is vitally important.
We absorb the wisdom of the bible and scholarship
Learn to take our place as disciples.
This is formation – and all of us – students, staff, faculty –
All of us are in the process of being formed.
But our formation will be incomplete
if we don’t look for Jesus
Among the marginalized.
Faith formation – finding Jesus -
is not primarily an academic exercise,
It involves sweat and tears –
Following clues,
Remembering what we already know about Jesus.
Perhaps ironically, we need to get out of the temple –
Out of our churches
And search for Jesus in places
where we don’t necessarily want to find him.
We know that he is with the poor, he is at tables where interfaith dialogue is taking place,
He is among the crowds who are suffering and dying because of disease and war and famine.
For Mary, there were consequences to finding Jesus.
The realization that Jesus
was not actually an ordinary chid.
The remembering of Simeon’s words
about the future pain she will endure,
And the recognition that she is one day closer to the sword that would pierce her soul.
Finding Jesus has consequences for us.
We are invited to remain with him at the margins,
Which will make privileged people like me intensely uncomfortable.
I would prefer if Jesus
was found in ivory towers
And beautiful sanctuaries.
He is there too, of course.
But if we really want to be formed
according to Jesus’ love
We need to search for him elsewhere.
This is good news.
The boy Jesus has become the risen Christ.
And thus spaces of marginalization
become spaces of transformation.
Spaces of conflict become spaces for dialogue
And the hungry crowd is not only fed, but healed.
There is life and hope
when we locate Jesus in the midst of the people.
There would come a day,
on the other side of tragedy and colonial violence,
When Mary would indeed find her son again –
alive and well.
The resurrected Jesus is waiting to be found,
Not in traditional spaces
but in the last places we expect to find God.
Among the poor. Among the sick.
Among the marginalized.
Among all those who are hoping against hope.
Let us seek him where he may be found.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of light, you have sent Jesus to us to be a beacon of hope. Help us to look for Jesus in places where we don’t expect to find him – among the poor and marginalized. We don’t expect to find God walking with the humble, but that is exactly what you have done. We pray that we will find you, and you will find us. We ask your special blessing on those who are sick and grieving. In this new year, give us a vision of hope and new life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 9, 2023: Psalm 89:5-37; Genesis 35:1-15; Acts 10:44-48
Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Psalm 89:5-37; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Acts 8:4-13
Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Psalm 89:5-37; Isaiah 51:1-16; Matthew 12:15-21
Thursday, January 12, 2023: Psalm 40:1-11; Isaiah 22:15-25; Galatians 1:6-12
Friday, January 13, 2023: Psalm 40:1-11; Genesis 27:30-38; Acts 1:1-5
Saturday, January 14, 2023: Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Kings 19:19-21; Luke 5:1-11
41Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
I have recently read 13 exegesis papers and sermons about the story of the boy Jesus in the temple
and Mary and Joseph’s desperate search for their child.
I should be an expert.
But there is a question that keeps coming back to me.
Why was the temple the last place
that Mary and Joseph looked for Jesus?
Why did it take three days for them to track him down among the scholars and teachers
Surely it should have been the first place they looked.
This passage suggests that Jesus was not a typical child.
His precociousness did not begin that day in the temple.
Mary and Joseph knew
that this was an extraordinary child,
And they must have known
that he was capable of a high level of discourse.
They could not have forgotten
their previous encounters in the temple,
When Anna and Simeon had recognized and celebrated the significance of the baby Jesus.
Still, Mary and Joseph,
upon realizing that they had lost God’s kid,
Looked everywhere but the temple.
We can imagine that they returned to all the places they had visited in the previous days.
Returning to the house where they had stayed…
The public squares,
The places where children played.
But the temple was the last place they looked.
If I were Mary,
I would not want Jesus to be in the temple,
Because his presence there represents
the reality that he is not an ordinary child.
Mary may have known this,
but she also knew other things,
And the words of Simeon may have echoed in her heart –
That one day a sword would pierce her own soul.
This journey back to Jerusalem
is a glimpse into the future,
When Jesus would march relentlessly toward death.
No mother wants to think about these things,
And while every mother wants their child to be special,
No one wants their child to be responsible
for the rising and falling of many.
Perhaps Mary did not want to find Jesus in the temple,
Enacting his destiny.
She might have known
that she was in danger of losing him,
And we can imagine her prayer “Please God, not today”
We will never know what Mary thought,
or why it took so long to get to the temple,
We only know that they found him there
among the teachers –
Where he was listening,
and more astonishingly, teaching.
To Jesus, it was obvious
that he would be found in his Father’s house.
Their search, in the end, led to the right place.
Faith formation is about our search for Jesus.
Jesus is never lost,
but sometimes we have trouble finding him.
Given the lessons of this story,
we might head straight for the temple to look for Jesus.
We may be looking in all the wrong places.
While the adolescent Jesus
is formed and shaped by the temple,
The adult Jesus does not remain in Jerusalem
Even as his entire life is oriented to the city.
No. The adult Jesus is not found in the temple,
Not most of the time.
The adult Jesus is found among the marginalized.
The adult Jesus is found among those teachers and leaders who are passionate enough
To engage him in conversation
about their faith and their traditions.
The adult Jesus is found among the crowds –
the hungry and the sick.
This is not rocket science, friends.
We know where Jesus is to be found today.
With the marginalized.
With those who are engaged in deep conversation
about their faith and traditions
With the hungry and the sick.
It is entirely obvious to me
that we will find Jesus in those places.
Yet those places are often the last place we look.
Perhaps we expect that Jesus is still in the temple –
That we will only find him in conventional “holy” places –
Like churches.
Jesus absorbed all that wisdom from the teachers and leaders,
Honed his skills as an orator
Learned the scriptures,
And then he left the temple and went out
Not to traditionally holy spaces,
But to the places where pain and suffering mingled
with a hope for salvation.
We need to stop looking for Jesus in the temple.
What we do at Norval Church is vitally important.
We absorb the wisdom of the bible and scholarship
Learn to take our place as disciples.
This is formation – and all of us – students, staff, faculty –
All of us are in the process of being formed.
But our formation will be incomplete
if we don’t look for Jesus
Among the marginalized.
Faith formation – finding Jesus -
is not primarily an academic exercise,
It involves sweat and tears –
Following clues,
Remembering what we already know about Jesus.
Perhaps ironically, we need to get out of the temple –
Out of our churches
And search for Jesus in places
where we don’t necessarily want to find him.
We know that he is with the poor, he is at tables where interfaith dialogue is taking place,
He is among the crowds who are suffering and dying because of disease and war and famine.
For Mary, there were consequences to finding Jesus.
The realization that Jesus
was not actually an ordinary chid.
The remembering of Simeon’s words
about the future pain she will endure,
And the recognition that she is one day closer to the sword that would pierce her soul.
Finding Jesus has consequences for us.
We are invited to remain with him at the margins,
Which will make privileged people like me intensely uncomfortable.
I would prefer if Jesus
was found in ivory towers
And beautiful sanctuaries.
He is there too, of course.
But if we really want to be formed
according to Jesus’ love
We need to search for him elsewhere.
This is good news.
The boy Jesus has become the risen Christ.
And thus spaces of marginalization
become spaces of transformation.
Spaces of conflict become spaces for dialogue
And the hungry crowd is not only fed, but healed.
There is life and hope
when we locate Jesus in the midst of the people.
There would come a day,
on the other side of tragedy and colonial violence,
When Mary would indeed find her son again –
alive and well.
The resurrected Jesus is waiting to be found,
Not in traditional spaces
but in the last places we expect to find God.
Among the poor. Among the sick.
Among the marginalized.
Among all those who are hoping against hope.
Let us seek him where he may be found.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of light, you have sent Jesus to us to be a beacon of hope. Help us to look for Jesus in places where we don’t expect to find him – among the poor and marginalized. We don’t expect to find God walking with the humble, but that is exactly what you have done. We pray that we will find you, and you will find us. We ask your special blessing on those who are sick and grieving. In this new year, give us a vision of hope and new life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 9, 2023: Psalm 89:5-37; Genesis 35:1-15; Acts 10:44-48
Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Psalm 89:5-37; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Acts 8:4-13
Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Psalm 89:5-37; Isaiah 51:1-16; Matthew 12:15-21
Thursday, January 12, 2023: Psalm 40:1-11; Isaiah 22:15-25; Galatians 1:6-12
Friday, January 13, 2023: Psalm 40:1-11; Genesis 27:30-38; Acts 1:1-5
Saturday, January 14, 2023: Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Kings 19:19-21; Luke 5:1-11
Christmas Eve Service - December 24, 2022 https://youtu.be/2bYd9-AG0sg
Sermon - December 18, 2022
Sermon - December 11, 2022 https://youtu.be/eUZHkUFaReo
Sermon - December 4, 2022
Sermon - November 6, 2022 https://youtu.be/-D-RLzv4_Ms
Sermon - October 30, 2022 https://youtu.be/68CYMuQwzw4
Luke 19:1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Height is a bit of a sore point for me.
As a child, I was always made to stand in the back row for class photos
Because I was so tall.
I developed a lifelong tendency to slouch to make myself look smaller.
Not being able to find comfort in airplane seats or the back seat of a car.
There are advantages to being tall, of course.
I can see over the crowd, I can reach things on high shelves.
My mother tells about an experience she had a few years ago
She was seeing a medical specialist in downtown Toronto,
So we borrowed a wheelchair from the hospital and took her to the Eaton Centre.
She said it was absolutely awful,
Being only at waist height, she was whizzed through the crowd without having any control at all.
She said it was hard to see because others were so tall in comparison.
This must be the experience of children when they are in a crowd –
All they see are a sea of legs.
Zaccheus was a short man.
Or a young man. It’s hard to know exactly.
But the fact that he climbs a tree to see Jesus is evidence of both his stature and his age.
He’s like a kid at a parade that climbs a fence to get a vantage point.
Zaccheus is a short man – that’s what we remember about him from Sunday School.
But his height is not really relevant. It just causes him to climb a tree.
The real news here is that he is a tax collector.
Tax collectors often appear in biblical stories.
Widely reviled, because they were perceived to be greedy and in cahoots
With the Roman occupiers.
I read an article once in the Reader’s digest about a family in Saskachewan
Who received the honour of hosting Queen Elizabeth in their home.
The article talked about all the things they had to do
To make sure that their home was fit for a queen.
Jesus is not concerned one bit about the preparations.
He points to Zaccheus, and says “I’m coming to your house for dinner.”
We don’t know how this made Zaccheus feel,
But it certainly made the crowd upset –
Who is this man that dines with sinners?
I think this text might be meant to shock us.
That’s how serious Jesus’ actions are – how counter-cultural.
It would be like the King of England,
Doing a walkabout, shaking hands and gathering flowers,
And then pointing a sex-trade worker,
And saying “I’m coming to your house for dinner.”
To be a guest in someone’s home is to give them honour.
So Jesus is giving honour to those that the culture says are not worthy.
This is huge – in that culture Zaccheus should have been an object of shame
Because he participated in the oppression of his people,
And Jesus is going to his house.
It is perhaps difficult for us to understand the cultural weight of this text.
Jesus is making a very significant statement about who’s in, who matters,
Who is part of this great plan of salvation.
Thus it marks an important moment in the understanding of discipleship.
Zaccheus is happy to welcome Jesus,
And perhaps in response to all the grumbling,
He makes a promise to God, to be generous and fair in his financial dealings.
Zaccheus is himself changed by Jesus inviting himself to supper.
He finds self-worth, he finds strength to change his way of life.
Good things happen when Jesus comes to your house for supper.
Minds get changed. Lives get changed.
I thought we would have some fun with this text.
What if Jesus really did come to your house for dinner?
What would it feel like to open the door and see him standing there?
What would you serve?
What would you ask him?
What would you hope for from that evening? What precious burdens would you give to him to take away?
What would be changed about you?
Food for thought.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, please lift us up so we can see Jesus. Take away the barriers that prevent us from seeing Jesus at work in our lives. Help us to imagine Jesus near to us – healing and loving us.
This week, as we celebrate All Saint’s Day, we remember those who have died and rejoice with you in heaven. We thank you for their earthly lives, and the ways that they touched and blessed us. May we rejoice with them, and one day, be all together again. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, October 31, 2022: Psalm 142; Habakkuk 2:12-20; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Tuesday, November 1, 2022: All Saints Day
Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Psalm 142; Habakkuk 3:17-19; Luke 19:11-27
Thursday, November 3, 2022: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Zechariah 1:1-17; Acts 22:22-23:11
Friday, November 4, 2022: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Zechariah 6:9-15; Acts 24:10-23
Saturday, November 5, 2022: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Haggai 1:1-15a; Luke 20:1-8
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Height is a bit of a sore point for me.
As a child, I was always made to stand in the back row for class photos
Because I was so tall.
I developed a lifelong tendency to slouch to make myself look smaller.
Not being able to find comfort in airplane seats or the back seat of a car.
There are advantages to being tall, of course.
I can see over the crowd, I can reach things on high shelves.
My mother tells about an experience she had a few years ago
She was seeing a medical specialist in downtown Toronto,
So we borrowed a wheelchair from the hospital and took her to the Eaton Centre.
She said it was absolutely awful,
Being only at waist height, she was whizzed through the crowd without having any control at all.
She said it was hard to see because others were so tall in comparison.
This must be the experience of children when they are in a crowd –
All they see are a sea of legs.
Zaccheus was a short man.
Or a young man. It’s hard to know exactly.
But the fact that he climbs a tree to see Jesus is evidence of both his stature and his age.
He’s like a kid at a parade that climbs a fence to get a vantage point.
Zaccheus is a short man – that’s what we remember about him from Sunday School.
But his height is not really relevant. It just causes him to climb a tree.
The real news here is that he is a tax collector.
Tax collectors often appear in biblical stories.
Widely reviled, because they were perceived to be greedy and in cahoots
With the Roman occupiers.
I read an article once in the Reader’s digest about a family in Saskachewan
Who received the honour of hosting Queen Elizabeth in their home.
The article talked about all the things they had to do
To make sure that their home was fit for a queen.
Jesus is not concerned one bit about the preparations.
He points to Zaccheus, and says “I’m coming to your house for dinner.”
We don’t know how this made Zaccheus feel,
But it certainly made the crowd upset –
Who is this man that dines with sinners?
I think this text might be meant to shock us.
That’s how serious Jesus’ actions are – how counter-cultural.
It would be like the King of England,
Doing a walkabout, shaking hands and gathering flowers,
And then pointing a sex-trade worker,
And saying “I’m coming to your house for dinner.”
To be a guest in someone’s home is to give them honour.
So Jesus is giving honour to those that the culture says are not worthy.
This is huge – in that culture Zaccheus should have been an object of shame
Because he participated in the oppression of his people,
And Jesus is going to his house.
It is perhaps difficult for us to understand the cultural weight of this text.
Jesus is making a very significant statement about who’s in, who matters,
Who is part of this great plan of salvation.
Thus it marks an important moment in the understanding of discipleship.
Zaccheus is happy to welcome Jesus,
And perhaps in response to all the grumbling,
He makes a promise to God, to be generous and fair in his financial dealings.
Zaccheus is himself changed by Jesus inviting himself to supper.
He finds self-worth, he finds strength to change his way of life.
Good things happen when Jesus comes to your house for supper.
Minds get changed. Lives get changed.
I thought we would have some fun with this text.
What if Jesus really did come to your house for dinner?
What would it feel like to open the door and see him standing there?
What would you serve?
What would you ask him?
What would you hope for from that evening? What precious burdens would you give to him to take away?
What would be changed about you?
Food for thought.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, please lift us up so we can see Jesus. Take away the barriers that prevent us from seeing Jesus at work in our lives. Help us to imagine Jesus near to us – healing and loving us.
This week, as we celebrate All Saint’s Day, we remember those who have died and rejoice with you in heaven. We thank you for their earthly lives, and the ways that they touched and blessed us. May we rejoice with them, and one day, be all together again. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, October 31, 2022: Psalm 142; Habakkuk 2:12-20; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Tuesday, November 1, 2022: All Saints Day
Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Psalm 142; Habakkuk 3:17-19; Luke 19:11-27
Thursday, November 3, 2022: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Zechariah 1:1-17; Acts 22:22-23:11
Friday, November 4, 2022: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Zechariah 6:9-15; Acts 24:10-23
Saturday, November 5, 2022: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Haggai 1:1-15a; Luke 20:1-8
Sermon - October 23, 2022 https://youtu.be/Te66YhzfVmA
Sermon - October 16, 2022
As I read the text in preparation for today’s sermon
I was struck by the delightful detail at the end of our scripture reading
“The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.”
It has been quite a night for Jacob.
A night of struggle, pain and dislocation.
A night of blessing in which he saw God’s face
and lived to tell about it.
He’s likely stunned,
but perhaps satisfied because of his divine encounter
and the blessing he has received,
along with a new name and a busted hip.
This is like the image in a film in which the hero
has fought all night –
banishing monsters and dinosaurs and alien space ships – and wakes up the morning after with a slight limp
and a black eye and goes off into the sunrise.
Who’s ever had a night like that?
A night of struggle and pain and dislocation
when you fought all night long
And woke up to a rising sun.
I recall a night when I was about 19 years old
And involved in a very serious car accident
in the middle of the night
Shaken and bruised but miraculously not seriously injured.
But I remember driving home from the hospital
About 6am in the morning, along the 401
The sun rising over the frozen fields.
And feeling sick with the thought of what might have happened and yet also amazing gratitude for the fact that I was still alive to watch the sun rise.
You’ve likely experienced a long night -
A night with a sick baby,
or at a bedside of a loved one
A night on the tiles.
A dark night of the soul,
Or maybe an event or a time period in your life
when you struggled and persevered
and even found blessing.
We limp away from these experiences
with a mixture of exhaustion and awe,
Amazement that we have survived
as we come blinking into the sun
Disoriented and traumatized,
And astonished
because we encountered the divine
in the midst of the night.
The night challenges our limits and our identities.
We discover something about our own resources
and capacity to persevere.
As day breaks we limp away counting our blessings
and assessing our injuries.
“The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.”
The good news and bad news in this story about Jacob are all mixed up.
An injury is a gift
A blessing is preceded by pain.
And even in the midst of blessing, Jacob is still limping.
What is blessing, anyway?
We throw that term around
without a deep understanding of its meaning.
Blessings are not always what we expect.
Sometimes we are blessed by things that we don’t want. Sometimes we are blessed by things that make us uncomfortable.
Sometimes we are blessed as we are broken –
especially when we are broken open
so that God’s spirit can more fully inhabit us.
Sometimes it hurts to be blessed –
because the blessing might be something
that transforms us, makes us different,
makes everything unfamiliar.
Is the good news here that Jacob is blessed?
Or is the good news that Jacob is broken?
As the Harper Collins study bible notes:
this diminished Jacob is paradoxically more complete.
Although he is injured,
he has had an experience that grounds him.
He is more complete not only because the of the blessing but because of the injury.
It was the injury that prompted Jacob
to ask for a blessing in the first place.
Pain and blessing.
“The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.”
Jacob is a man marching home from battle the morning after.
Did he win? Did he lose?
It’s hard to say.
He came out blessed and broken.
Aren’t we all?
And isn’t this just part of our human experience to be blessed and broken at the same time?
And isn’t it true
that in the greatest struggles of our lives
we are both shattered and blessed.
Blessed and broken.
I invite you to reach back into your own experience.
When have you received blessing in the midst of brokenness?
I can only draw on my own experience here.
I can testify that it is true that blessing and brokenness go hand in hand.
This time of year, I always think of my son Sam,
who died on Thanksgiving Sunday in 2007 at the age of 3.
Six years later, also on Thanksgiving Sunday,
we welcomed his baby sister.
So there is a pattern of blessing in brokenness.
But there are other things, too many to list –
gifts of grief that transformed me.
I travelled to India soon after Sam’s death –
and there I visited a Christian community
and I encountered a strong sense of liminality
that I didn’t experience in Western culture.
There was a tolerance for ambiguity,
a recognition that brokenness and blessing could coexist. Pain and hope could exist simultaneously.
It wasn’t a matter of choosing one or the other,
but a recognition
that there is no separating grief from joy.
I think their attitude was informed
by a cultural perspective that is able to perceive
and hold in tension a multitude of realities.
But it also a deeply Christian perspective.
We cannot understand the resurrection
apart from the cross,
nor can we understand the cross without the resurrection.
Life and death are always understood
in relationship to one another. Brokenness and blessing.
In our hope, there is grief for the way things are.
In our joy, there is longing for a better future.
Pain and blessing are deeply intertwined.
They cannot be untangled.
Jacob received God’s blessing willingly –
in fact he asks for it.
It comes even as Jacob struggles
with the aftermath of a bad night.
Blessing comes, amidst the pain.
Blessing comes even though Jacob seems hardly ready to receive it because he is so damaged.
Jacob was damaged by his own sin –
in stealing his brother’s birthright.
He was injured by the divine stranger.
The blessing came after both of these things.
“The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.”
We do not have to be whole
or perfect to receive God’s blessing.
We limp to this table
having struggled with our own sinfulness,
With our faith,
With our vocation
With our family life.
We limp to this table
carrying heavy burdens and bruised hearts.
And yet we come because we find a home here,
Among a company of others who also bear scars.
We are all vulnerable, all half-healed.
All ashamed and embarrassed about something.
Some of us bear wounds that others will never see.
We worship the one who was broken,
and welcomes us in our brokenness.
Half-healed, we come to his table.
Where we are served by a host whose hands
have not forgotten their wounds.
So come to the table that belongs to Jesus Christ,
and be served by the wounded healer
Come if you’re only pretending to have it all together
If you’re convinced you’re not good enough
If your hips barely function
If you’ve wrestled long and hard and you’re not sure if you’ve won the battle
If you’ve found blessing even in the midst of suffering
If you are broken in pieces,
and can’t even comprehend blessing.
There is a space created just for you
Come Because you need refreshment
Come Because the host loves you just as you are.
Come Because there is healing here.
Come, for it’s been a long night,
And joy comes in the morning.
A Prayer for the Week
God of blessing and promise, thank you for being with us during our long nights and days. Thanks you for the ways that you have blessed us in our brokenness. We pray for those who feel unworthy of the love they find at the Lord’s table. We ask your special blessing on those who grieve this week, especially the families of Betty McClure and Rob McGee. We thank you for their lives and legacy. We also thank you for the joyful experience of worshipping with other churches this week. Bless the churches of North Halton with a new energy for ministry. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, October 17, 2022: Psalm 129; Jeremiah 38:14-28; 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Tuesday, October 18, 2022: Psalm 129; Jeremiah 39:1-18; James 5:7-12
Wednesday, October 19, 2022: Psalm 129; Jeremiah 50:1-7, 17-20; Luke 22:39-46
Thursday, October 20, 2022: Psalm 65; Joel 1:1-20; 2 Timothy 3:1-9
Friday, October 21, 2022: Psalm 65; Joel 2:1-11; 2 Timothy 3:10-15
Saturday, October 22, 2022: Psalm 65; Joel 2:12-22; Luke 1:46-55
Thanksgiving Sunday - October 9, 2022. https://youtu.be/LTDKK3sMtQ8
Sermon - October 2, 2022 https://youtu.be/UoN-bJ1PBd0
Sermon - September 11, 2022
Service for Sunday September 11, 2022
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
CALL TO WORSHIP
This place for us is Holy Ground. The place where we sing songs of praise to the Lord, and repeat the stories of faith that inspire us to respond to Christ’s love. God called us here, in whispering winds and in burning flames, and with gracious presence disarms us of the barriers we have placed around us. Instead God meets us in our vulnerability, our humanity. Let us worship the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
PRAYER OF ADORATION AND CONFESSION
We gather as your expectant people, feet bare upon the earth, eyes turned aside in awe and No small bit of shame, hearts uneasy as we await encouragement, a word of solace or of hope. We gather, filled with stories and promises, halfway dreams of anxious possibility, prayers of wind and fire. In this hour, all our longings tremble in the silence that surrounds us. It is holy ground, this place that you have chosen.1
You have chosen for us to be here. And so we have come, bringing with us our memories and habits, Our shame and guilt, our pain and our hope. We bring you our confessions – Knowing that we show up here today with all the weight of our sin, And you liM it from our shoulders. Forgive us, gracious God. Liberate us from our own propensity for looking backward, And orient our eyes to the path on which you have placed us. Amen.
Friends, look around! This is a new day, a new beginning. We have been made whole, make free, made new. This is what forgiveness feels like!
Praise be to God.
Winged Words: Prayers For Common Worship & Common Life © 2006 The Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
CALL TO WORSHIP
This place for us is Holy Ground. The place where we sing songs of praise to the Lord, and repeat the stories of faith that inspire us to respond to Christ’s love. God called us here, in whispering winds and in burning flames, and with gracious presence disarms us of the barriers we have placed around us. Instead God meets us in our vulnerability, our humanity. Let us worship the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
PRAYER OF ADORATION AND CONFESSION
We gather as your expectant people, feet bare upon the earth, eyes turned aside in awe and No small bit of shame, hearts uneasy as we await encouragement, a word of solace or of hope. We gather, filled with stories and promises, halfway dreams of anxious possibility, prayers of wind and fire. In this hour, all our longings tremble in the silence that surrounds us. It is holy ground, this place that you have chosen.1
You have chosen for us to be here. And so we have come, bringing with us our memories and habits, Our shame and guilt, our pain and our hope. We bring you our confessions – Knowing that we show up here today with all the weight of our sin, And you liM it from our shoulders. Forgive us, gracious God. Liberate us from our own propensity for looking backward, And orient our eyes to the path on which you have placed us. Amen.
Friends, look around! This is a new day, a new beginning. We have been made whole, make free, made new. This is what forgiveness feels like!
Praise be to God.
Winged Words: Prayers For Common Worship & Common Life © 2006 The Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago
SERMON
Abram and Sarai leM everything behind. They had no idea what was ahead of them. They went only because God told them to. And they had to trust that God would be there with them, Wherever they went. I wonder what it felt like to leave home behind, With no guarantee except a promise Albeit a divine promise. I wonder how it felt to make what were really permanent goodbyes. Because they would never see their friends and family again. AMer that heart-wrenching farewell came several more small goodbyes, as they travelled from community to community. And they built altars as they moved from place to place.
I am intrigued by these altars. It’s fair to say they are not generally part of our liturgical tradiTon. We don’t have altars in our churches, We have communion tables. But it makes sense, I think, that people want to mark the places where important things happened. We do it all the Tme today with plaques and signs that explain who lived where And who did what important thing. We do it with gravestones. And piles of flowers like the ones leM for the Queen this week. It is no surprise that Abram and Sarai wanted to mark the spot where they found God – Both as a celebraTon of their experience And as a sign for other travellers that they too would encounter the divine in that place. You and I build altars in holy places – Our churches are monuments to the divine encounters
We build altars in our memories So that we remember the people and places which have shaped us in our life of faith. For many of you, Norval church is one of the most Significant ‘altars’ in your life – You have gathered in this building and with these people For generaTons. It is a physical space, but it is also an imaginary space – The church without walls, Always sent out into the world. For me, Camp Kintail has always been a sacred space – From the majesty of Lake Huron to the community Gathered around the campfire, It is a place where God is always just a breathe away. Think about this for a moment: What are those Tmes and places in which you believe you have powerfully encountered God? Where have you built altars along the way to acknowledge the power and presence of God?
We build these physical altars, We build these altars in our imaginaTons, To honour our experience of God in these places. As we journey through our lives, We are oMen called into new and different situaTons. SomeTmes, we are called to leave behind the altars We have built and move on to a new place.
Abram and Sarai were called on a long journey, Moving from place to place and wondering whether God would be in this new place. They knew that God had always been In every other place. They knew this because they could look back and remember The altars they built in those sacred spaces. Altars that they built, and leM behind. Isn’t it just human nature to doubt God’s faithfulness Even though God has been faithful every. Single. Time. Would God be here too, they wondered? And God was. Not only was God in that place, But God was in every place. God is in this place too.
Norval Church is on holy ground. Here, we are fed bread and wine, food for the hungry and the thirsty. Here, we pray for each other, and genuinely care. Here, we nourish and serve the world. All of these are signs that the holy one is among us And thus we are standing on holy ground. We’ve come to that point in the year That always feels like a new beginning. September is a Tme to make plans, To reimagine how we will live out our faith together. I wonder… What will we build here? What kind of altar or monument will we build To announce to the world that God is in our midst? How shall our hours of collecTve labour and ministry Be used to create a sign to the world That God is indeed this place? Our presence here in this community of Norval Should be a sign that God is acTve in this world. When other see us – not the church building But you and I serving God faithfully, We are providing a witness of God’s grace. We are saying to the world “God is here and God is doing something important.” It’s not hard to see signs of God’s acTvity in this community. Let’s celebrate that power of God working in our midst, Let’s work together on building an altar to give thanks to the Lord for what we have been given. Like Sarai and Abram, we can proclaim “God is in this place too!”
Let’s pause and enjoy the joyful process of discovering God’s presence in this place. May you find the divine in unexpected places and unexpected ways.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, you are indeed with us in every place. We praise you for those places we have built altars in the past – places we have leM behind, where we have been loved and nurtured by God and by community. We give thanks for this place, for Norval Church, and its witness to the love of Jesus Christ.
Send your special blessing upon those who are ill this week, that they and their caregivers may have rest and peace and healing. We pray for a world in trouble – for the James Smith Cree NaTon, for the naTon of Pakistan, and the United States as they remember 9/11. We mourn the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and we thank you for her life and witness to the gospel.
Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, September 12, 2022: Psalm 94; Jeremiah 5:1-17; 1 Timothy 1:18-20
Tuesday, September 13, 2022: Psalm 94; Jeremiah 5:18-31; 2 Peter 3:8-13
Wednesday, September 14, 2022: Psalm 94; Jeremiah 14:1-10, 17-22; Luke 22:31-33, 54-62
Thursday, September 15, 2022: Psalm 79:1-9; Jeremiah 12:14-13:11; Romans 3:1-8
Friday, September 16, 2022: Psalm 79:1-9; Jeremiah 8:1-13; Romans 8:31-39
Saturday, September 17, 2022: Psalm 79:1-9; Jeremiah 8:14-17; 9:2-11; Mark 12:41-44
Abram and Sarai leM everything behind. They had no idea what was ahead of them. They went only because God told them to. And they had to trust that God would be there with them, Wherever they went. I wonder what it felt like to leave home behind, With no guarantee except a promise Albeit a divine promise. I wonder how it felt to make what were really permanent goodbyes. Because they would never see their friends and family again. AMer that heart-wrenching farewell came several more small goodbyes, as they travelled from community to community. And they built altars as they moved from place to place.
I am intrigued by these altars. It’s fair to say they are not generally part of our liturgical tradiTon. We don’t have altars in our churches, We have communion tables. But it makes sense, I think, that people want to mark the places where important things happened. We do it all the Tme today with plaques and signs that explain who lived where And who did what important thing. We do it with gravestones. And piles of flowers like the ones leM for the Queen this week. It is no surprise that Abram and Sarai wanted to mark the spot where they found God – Both as a celebraTon of their experience And as a sign for other travellers that they too would encounter the divine in that place. You and I build altars in holy places – Our churches are monuments to the divine encounters
We build altars in our memories So that we remember the people and places which have shaped us in our life of faith. For many of you, Norval church is one of the most Significant ‘altars’ in your life – You have gathered in this building and with these people For generaTons. It is a physical space, but it is also an imaginary space – The church without walls, Always sent out into the world. For me, Camp Kintail has always been a sacred space – From the majesty of Lake Huron to the community Gathered around the campfire, It is a place where God is always just a breathe away. Think about this for a moment: What are those Tmes and places in which you believe you have powerfully encountered God? Where have you built altars along the way to acknowledge the power and presence of God?
We build these physical altars, We build these altars in our imaginaTons, To honour our experience of God in these places. As we journey through our lives, We are oMen called into new and different situaTons. SomeTmes, we are called to leave behind the altars We have built and move on to a new place.
Abram and Sarai were called on a long journey, Moving from place to place and wondering whether God would be in this new place. They knew that God had always been In every other place. They knew this because they could look back and remember The altars they built in those sacred spaces. Altars that they built, and leM behind. Isn’t it just human nature to doubt God’s faithfulness Even though God has been faithful every. Single. Time. Would God be here too, they wondered? And God was. Not only was God in that place, But God was in every place. God is in this place too.
Norval Church is on holy ground. Here, we are fed bread and wine, food for the hungry and the thirsty. Here, we pray for each other, and genuinely care. Here, we nourish and serve the world. All of these are signs that the holy one is among us And thus we are standing on holy ground. We’ve come to that point in the year That always feels like a new beginning. September is a Tme to make plans, To reimagine how we will live out our faith together. I wonder… What will we build here? What kind of altar or monument will we build To announce to the world that God is in our midst? How shall our hours of collecTve labour and ministry Be used to create a sign to the world That God is indeed this place? Our presence here in this community of Norval Should be a sign that God is acTve in this world. When other see us – not the church building But you and I serving God faithfully, We are providing a witness of God’s grace. We are saying to the world “God is here and God is doing something important.” It’s not hard to see signs of God’s acTvity in this community. Let’s celebrate that power of God working in our midst, Let’s work together on building an altar to give thanks to the Lord for what we have been given. Like Sarai and Abram, we can proclaim “God is in this place too!”
Let’s pause and enjoy the joyful process of discovering God’s presence in this place. May you find the divine in unexpected places and unexpected ways.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, you are indeed with us in every place. We praise you for those places we have built altars in the past – places we have leM behind, where we have been loved and nurtured by God and by community. We give thanks for this place, for Norval Church, and its witness to the love of Jesus Christ.
Send your special blessing upon those who are ill this week, that they and their caregivers may have rest and peace and healing. We pray for a world in trouble – for the James Smith Cree NaTon, for the naTon of Pakistan, and the United States as they remember 9/11. We mourn the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and we thank you for her life and witness to the gospel.
Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, September 12, 2022: Psalm 94; Jeremiah 5:1-17; 1 Timothy 1:18-20
Tuesday, September 13, 2022: Psalm 94; Jeremiah 5:18-31; 2 Peter 3:8-13
Wednesday, September 14, 2022: Psalm 94; Jeremiah 14:1-10, 17-22; Luke 22:31-33, 54-62
Thursday, September 15, 2022: Psalm 79:1-9; Jeremiah 12:14-13:11; Romans 3:1-8
Friday, September 16, 2022: Psalm 79:1-9; Jeremiah 8:1-13; Romans 8:31-39
Saturday, September 17, 2022: Psalm 79:1-9; Jeremiah 8:14-17; 9:2-11; Mark 12:41-44
Sermon - September 4, 2022
Sermon for Sunday, September 4, 2022
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
Malachi 3:1-5 1
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight - indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, unHl they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. 5Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swiN to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
Malachi 3:1-5 1
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight - indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, unHl they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. 5Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swiN to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Sermon
Paul and I have been married for 25 years. I decided to buy myself a piece of jewelry to celebrate, And in honour of our silver anniversary I decided on a silver necklace. This necklace is a symbol of what we have been through. In order for silver to be shiny, it must be purified. It must be put through the fire. Any of you who have been married for a long Hme Understand that marriage puts you through the fire. As you journey through life together you face challenges and trials, Alongside the joys and celebraHons. Paul and I have been through the fire. And my necklace symbolizes that we have come out the other side, Joyful, grateful and shiny.
In central India I saw women with thick bands of dark, unshiny metal around their necks. I learned that this metal was the women’s way of carrying their wealth, Instead of cash in the bank. These women were literally wearing their livelihood, their future savings. But their necklaces weren’t shiny like mine. The silver around their necks had not been through the fire of purificaHon, So it was a lesser-quality of silver, and meant they had to carry more of it. Silver is purified, made shiny, in the fire.
Like silver, you and I are someHmes put through the fire. The last 2 and half years have felt like a fire, And we are now at a point in the pandemic when we can take stock Of the damage that has been done. Some in our community have suffered mighHly during the pandemic, And conHnue to suffer. The pandemic has taken an emoHonal, financial, physical toll on many. And of course, there have been trials and tragedies unrelated to the pandemic That we have lived through – globally and individually.
Some of us are going through the fire right now. We are caring for loved ones who are dying. We are suffering from fear and loneliness. We are stuck in a job we don’t like, or struggling to make ends meet. We are burned out from carrying the weight of too many things.
The bible talks about the refiner’s fire – A purificaHon process designed to make God’s people more holy. Always, we hope that God will use the trials of our lives To bring about something beauHful, As it is promised that the Creator works all things for Good. SomeHmes, through these experiences we are purified, Made holier, more effecHve vessels of God’s grace. The passage we read this morning comes from the prophet Malachi. Malachi is announcing that God will send a messenger Who will be like a refiner’s fire. You may be most familiar with the words “Who can endure the day of his coming.” Which remind us of Handel’s great Messiah. Who can endure this refining fire that comes to judge and transform?
Another biblical text, Isaiah 43, shows us a different side to this refining fire – The God who promises to be with us through Hmes of trouble: But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
The good news is that we will endure these present fires Just as we have endured previous fires – Through the grace of God. I want to argue that Norval Church has not only survived the fires, It has thrived. Under the leadership of the session we have conHnued to reach out to a broad community during the pandemic, even when our doors were closed, our church was open. The Session has also begun to reimagine the ministry of the congregaHon Through the Norval project. This summer, we hosted an amazing evening of jazz and conversaHon, Which brought in friends from other churches to enjoy the music. These are all shiny bits of silver That show we have been refined by God, purified, made holy By our sufferings and trials.
You may have noHced that I always wear a silver bracelet. I bought my first bracelet in India aNer my son Sam died. Then, it was a symbol of resilience, a symbol of remembrance. Today I wear it to remind me that I have survived and thrived Despite the many fires I have walked through, and am walking through.
The fire transforms us, and transformaHon can be painful. But we are always accompanied by a God who loves us very much, So much that he sent Jesus Christ to show us that we are beloved children. We are being conHnually refined by the gracious love of God in Jesus Christ.
If you are walking through the fire, know that you are not alone. There will be giNs and blessings to be found as you struggle, As the fire of adversity shapes you and transforms you. But the God of the universe is always there, And the refiner’s fire will purify and strengthen you, And make you shiny, like gold and silver that has been put through the heat. May you feel the strength and power of God as you walk through the fire.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and loving God, as we walk through the fires, we pray that we will not be burned. Strengthen us through our trials so that we may be resilient and faithful. All over the world, peoples are going through terrible trouble. We pray especially for the people of Pakistan as they suffer through floods related to climate change. We ask a special blessing on those in our community who are ill, especially Rob McGee and Edythe King. Send our kids back to school with energy and excitement, and help us to transiHon from a resful summer into a busy Fall. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, September 5, 2022: Psalm 2; Jeremiah 18:12-23; 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Tuesday, September 6, 2022: Psalm 2; Jeremiah 19:1-15; 1 Timothy 4:6-16
Wednesday, September 7, 2022: Psalm 2; Jeremiah 20:1-18; Luke 18:18-30
Thursday, September 8, 2022: Psalm 14; Jeremiah 13:20-27; 1 Timothy 1:1-11
Friday, September 9, 2022: Psalm 14; Jeremiah 4:1-10; 2 Peter 2:1-10a
Saturday, September 10, 2022: Psalm 14; Jeremiah 4:13-21, 29-31; John 10:11-21
Paul and I have been married for 25 years. I decided to buy myself a piece of jewelry to celebrate, And in honour of our silver anniversary I decided on a silver necklace. This necklace is a symbol of what we have been through. In order for silver to be shiny, it must be purified. It must be put through the fire. Any of you who have been married for a long Hme Understand that marriage puts you through the fire. As you journey through life together you face challenges and trials, Alongside the joys and celebraHons. Paul and I have been through the fire. And my necklace symbolizes that we have come out the other side, Joyful, grateful and shiny.
In central India I saw women with thick bands of dark, unshiny metal around their necks. I learned that this metal was the women’s way of carrying their wealth, Instead of cash in the bank. These women were literally wearing their livelihood, their future savings. But their necklaces weren’t shiny like mine. The silver around their necks had not been through the fire of purificaHon, So it was a lesser-quality of silver, and meant they had to carry more of it. Silver is purified, made shiny, in the fire.
Like silver, you and I are someHmes put through the fire. The last 2 and half years have felt like a fire, And we are now at a point in the pandemic when we can take stock Of the damage that has been done. Some in our community have suffered mighHly during the pandemic, And conHnue to suffer. The pandemic has taken an emoHonal, financial, physical toll on many. And of course, there have been trials and tragedies unrelated to the pandemic That we have lived through – globally and individually.
Some of us are going through the fire right now. We are caring for loved ones who are dying. We are suffering from fear and loneliness. We are stuck in a job we don’t like, or struggling to make ends meet. We are burned out from carrying the weight of too many things.
The bible talks about the refiner’s fire – A purificaHon process designed to make God’s people more holy. Always, we hope that God will use the trials of our lives To bring about something beauHful, As it is promised that the Creator works all things for Good. SomeHmes, through these experiences we are purified, Made holier, more effecHve vessels of God’s grace. The passage we read this morning comes from the prophet Malachi. Malachi is announcing that God will send a messenger Who will be like a refiner’s fire. You may be most familiar with the words “Who can endure the day of his coming.” Which remind us of Handel’s great Messiah. Who can endure this refining fire that comes to judge and transform?
Another biblical text, Isaiah 43, shows us a different side to this refining fire – The God who promises to be with us through Hmes of trouble: But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
The good news is that we will endure these present fires Just as we have endured previous fires – Through the grace of God. I want to argue that Norval Church has not only survived the fires, It has thrived. Under the leadership of the session we have conHnued to reach out to a broad community during the pandemic, even when our doors were closed, our church was open. The Session has also begun to reimagine the ministry of the congregaHon Through the Norval project. This summer, we hosted an amazing evening of jazz and conversaHon, Which brought in friends from other churches to enjoy the music. These are all shiny bits of silver That show we have been refined by God, purified, made holy By our sufferings and trials.
You may have noHced that I always wear a silver bracelet. I bought my first bracelet in India aNer my son Sam died. Then, it was a symbol of resilience, a symbol of remembrance. Today I wear it to remind me that I have survived and thrived Despite the many fires I have walked through, and am walking through.
The fire transforms us, and transformaHon can be painful. But we are always accompanied by a God who loves us very much, So much that he sent Jesus Christ to show us that we are beloved children. We are being conHnually refined by the gracious love of God in Jesus Christ.
If you are walking through the fire, know that you are not alone. There will be giNs and blessings to be found as you struggle, As the fire of adversity shapes you and transforms you. But the God of the universe is always there, And the refiner’s fire will purify and strengthen you, And make you shiny, like gold and silver that has been put through the heat. May you feel the strength and power of God as you walk through the fire.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and loving God, as we walk through the fires, we pray that we will not be burned. Strengthen us through our trials so that we may be resilient and faithful. All over the world, peoples are going through terrible trouble. We pray especially for the people of Pakistan as they suffer through floods related to climate change. We ask a special blessing on those in our community who are ill, especially Rob McGee and Edythe King. Send our kids back to school with energy and excitement, and help us to transiHon from a resful summer into a busy Fall. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, September 5, 2022: Psalm 2; Jeremiah 18:12-23; 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Tuesday, September 6, 2022: Psalm 2; Jeremiah 19:1-15; 1 Timothy 4:6-16
Wednesday, September 7, 2022: Psalm 2; Jeremiah 20:1-18; Luke 18:18-30
Thursday, September 8, 2022: Psalm 14; Jeremiah 13:20-27; 1 Timothy 1:1-11
Friday, September 9, 2022: Psalm 14; Jeremiah 4:1-10; 2 Peter 2:1-10a
Saturday, September 10, 2022: Psalm 14; Jeremiah 4:13-21, 29-31; John 10:11-21
Sermon - July 31, 2022
Sermon - July 24, 2022
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ 22Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
23 ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” 29Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’
This sermon is part of a series on the Lord’s Prayer. This week, we are focusing on the verse “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Forgiveness is an incredibly complex topic.
Even this single sentence
“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”
Is complicated.
Churches cannot agree, for example,
whether we are asking God
To forgive our debts, our sins, or our trespasses.
It probably doesn’t really matter which word we choose,
Because they all have the same connotation –
We have done things that require forgiveness from God,
and from other people.
Others have done things to us.
This is the way the world works –
We hurt each other, ourselves, and we hurt God.
This sentence is a prayer of confession.
I prefer “forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us”
Because sin is perhaps an easier term than debts or trespasses.
According to the dictionary,
a sin is an immoral act that transgresses divine law.
When we sin,
we are living in a way that conflicts with God’s kingdom.
Sin separates us from God, from each other,
and even ourselves.
I may have told you this story before,
But I think it illustrates a central point.
About ten years ago, I was in Central India,
And I visited a church in a village called Kathiwada.
This visit was not like the other visits I made to local churches –
Where we were greeted with flowers and food
And beautiful buildings hung with colourful banners.
The difference in Kathiwada was that we were meeting
In a church building that had been intentionally burned down.
We met within smoke-stained walls,
Sky where the roof had been.
The culprits were bandits who came over the hills.
I was curious, so I asked the members of this church:
“Are you angry at the people who did this to you?”
After all, they had worked hard for generations
to build their church.
It was a sacred gathering place.
Can you imagine if someone came in
and burned down our beautiful Norval church?
How would we respond?
Their answer was surprising.
“No. We’re not angry. We’re Christian, so we forgive.”
Forgiveness is part of the Christian DNA.
It is a counter-cultural act that displays the glory of God.
The possibility of forgiveness arises only
because of God’s forgiving nature.
We can only be forgiven because of God’s action in Jesus Christ.
We can only forgive because of God’s action in Jesus Christ.
Left to our own devices,
forgiveness seems like an impossibility in certain circumstances.
And yet – in Jesus Christ, we are made free from sin,
And enabled by God to repair the brokenness caused by sin.
This is a pattern of grace that repeats through our lives.
We sin, or we accumulate debts or we trespass against others –
And then we are called to confession.
“Forgive us our sins.”
Next, we receive God’s pardon –
reminding us of our freedom in Christ.
And then, we are invited to translate that forgiveness
into our lives.
Because we are a people of forgiveness,
We seek forgiveness, and we offer forgiveness.
It’s not as easy as it sounds.
There are so many aspects of forgiveness
that we will find difficult.
Admitting what we’ve done wrong is the first step.
Taking stock of the harm we have done.
Receiving forgiveness – accepting it and believing it.
Forgiving ourselves for what we have done and left undone.
Forgiving others who have hurt us –
None of this is easy or straightforward,
And none of it is possible,
without God’s gracious first act of forgiveness.
Forgiveness can heal a broken community.
But when forgiveness is withheld, a community can suffer.
Jesus tells the story of a servant
who is forgiven a massive debt by his master.
The servant, however,
is unable to extend grace to a fellow servant.
This angers the generous master,
Who clearly expects that grace will be passed on –
That the forgiveness of debt will translated down the line,
So that forgiveness of one leads to forgiveness for another.
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
We have been forgiven by God,
But we sometimes have trouble
translating that forgiveness into our own lives.
It is difficult to imagine offering forgiveness
to someone who has harmed us,
Or our community.
Think about apartheid South Africa, for example –
How could black people forgive the white people
who had systematically subjugated, harmed, murdered –
Leaving black communities to suffer indignity and strife.
How is it possible that forgiveness
is even part of the conversation?
And yet, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has written several books
Arguing for the necessity of forgiveness in South Africa.
He, a black South African,
calls for his community to forgive the oppressor.
In fact, he believes that there is no future for that country
Unless truth-telling and forgiveness are part of the story.
The truth-telling part is important –
As we have seen with Truth and Reconciliation processes
here in Canada,
No repair of harm can happen until truth is told.
One then has a choice – to forgive or not to forgive.
To choose not to forgive is the easier choice,
But it’s not the life-giving choice.
Forgiveness does not imply that the relationship continues
with business as usual –
We may forgive someone,
and then choose to release that relationship, in Tutu’s words.
We may choose to end the relationship because
it can’t sustain the weight of what has taken place.
Or because we are afraid of further harm.
Forgiving someone is not the same
as being in relationship with them.
Sometimes, however, miracles happen.
The homiletician Jared Alcantara tells a story
about Mary Johnson.
In 1993, one young man in Minneapolis shot and killed
another young man.
The teenager was convicted of murder, and went to jail.
Mary wanted to forgive this young man for killing her son.
But felt her heart hardened and broken.
One day she came across a poem about Mary the mother of Jesus, and the mother of Judas meeting each other.
Can you imagine –
the anger of one and the embarrassment of the other?
And yet, Mary the mother of Jesus kisses away the tears
of the mother of Judas Iscariot.
Forgiveness is possible.
Mary Johnson felt something in her soul change
when she read that poem,
And she realized that it was time to act.
She began to visit the young man in prison,
and they became friends.
After he was released, he moved into the apartment next door.
They remain in close contact,
And although he can never atone for what he did to Mary’s son,
Something beautiful emerged in the cracks.
Forgiveness opened up a doorway for new relationship to arise.
Desmond Tutu said that “Forgiveness is a conversation.”
I think this is an accurate statement.
It is a conversation we have with ourselves,
with God, and with each other.
It will never be an easy task.
But it is part of our work as Christians –
To learn the rhythms and patterns of confessing, receiving forgiveness, and forgiving others.
When we have difficulty, we are invited to turn to God,
Who is an expert in forgiveness –
And can inspire our hearts to do what we alone cannot.
May we find blessing for our own broken relationships.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and loving God, you have forgiven us, and we are grateful. Help us to translate that forgiveness into our lives. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to accept your forgiveness, so that we can forgive ourselves. We are followers of Christ, and therefore we are a people of forgiveness. May it be so.
We ask your special blessing on those who are hurting this week – those who suffer from chronic pain, those who are awaiting diagnosis, those who are undergoing treatment. We pray especially for Robert and Susan McClure on the death of Sue’s sister Debbie this week. May they find comfort and rest in your arms.
Loving God, fill us with a sense of your presence. Give us new hearts that are warm and loving, so that we can be light and salt to the world. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, July 25, 2022: Psalm 44; Hosea 2:14-3:5; Colossians 2:16-3:1
Tuesday, July 26, 2022: Psalm 44; Hosea 6:1-10; Romans 9:30-10:4
Wednesday, July 27, 2022: Psalm 44; Hosea 6:11-7:16; Matthew 5:43-48
Thursday, July 28, 2022: Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 8:1-14; Romans 11:33-36
Friday, July 29, 2022: Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 9:1-17; Ephesians 4:17-24
Saturday, July 30, 2022: Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 10:1-15; Mark 10:17-22
21 Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ 22Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
23 ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” 29Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’
This sermon is part of a series on the Lord’s Prayer. This week, we are focusing on the verse “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Forgiveness is an incredibly complex topic.
Even this single sentence
“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”
Is complicated.
Churches cannot agree, for example,
whether we are asking God
To forgive our debts, our sins, or our trespasses.
It probably doesn’t really matter which word we choose,
Because they all have the same connotation –
We have done things that require forgiveness from God,
and from other people.
Others have done things to us.
This is the way the world works –
We hurt each other, ourselves, and we hurt God.
This sentence is a prayer of confession.
I prefer “forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us”
Because sin is perhaps an easier term than debts or trespasses.
According to the dictionary,
a sin is an immoral act that transgresses divine law.
When we sin,
we are living in a way that conflicts with God’s kingdom.
Sin separates us from God, from each other,
and even ourselves.
I may have told you this story before,
But I think it illustrates a central point.
About ten years ago, I was in Central India,
And I visited a church in a village called Kathiwada.
This visit was not like the other visits I made to local churches –
Where we were greeted with flowers and food
And beautiful buildings hung with colourful banners.
The difference in Kathiwada was that we were meeting
In a church building that had been intentionally burned down.
We met within smoke-stained walls,
Sky where the roof had been.
The culprits were bandits who came over the hills.
I was curious, so I asked the members of this church:
“Are you angry at the people who did this to you?”
After all, they had worked hard for generations
to build their church.
It was a sacred gathering place.
Can you imagine if someone came in
and burned down our beautiful Norval church?
How would we respond?
Their answer was surprising.
“No. We’re not angry. We’re Christian, so we forgive.”
Forgiveness is part of the Christian DNA.
It is a counter-cultural act that displays the glory of God.
The possibility of forgiveness arises only
because of God’s forgiving nature.
We can only be forgiven because of God’s action in Jesus Christ.
We can only forgive because of God’s action in Jesus Christ.
Left to our own devices,
forgiveness seems like an impossibility in certain circumstances.
And yet – in Jesus Christ, we are made free from sin,
And enabled by God to repair the brokenness caused by sin.
This is a pattern of grace that repeats through our lives.
We sin, or we accumulate debts or we trespass against others –
And then we are called to confession.
“Forgive us our sins.”
Next, we receive God’s pardon –
reminding us of our freedom in Christ.
And then, we are invited to translate that forgiveness
into our lives.
Because we are a people of forgiveness,
We seek forgiveness, and we offer forgiveness.
It’s not as easy as it sounds.
There are so many aspects of forgiveness
that we will find difficult.
Admitting what we’ve done wrong is the first step.
Taking stock of the harm we have done.
Receiving forgiveness – accepting it and believing it.
Forgiving ourselves for what we have done and left undone.
Forgiving others who have hurt us –
None of this is easy or straightforward,
And none of it is possible,
without God’s gracious first act of forgiveness.
Forgiveness can heal a broken community.
But when forgiveness is withheld, a community can suffer.
Jesus tells the story of a servant
who is forgiven a massive debt by his master.
The servant, however,
is unable to extend grace to a fellow servant.
This angers the generous master,
Who clearly expects that grace will be passed on –
That the forgiveness of debt will translated down the line,
So that forgiveness of one leads to forgiveness for another.
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
We have been forgiven by God,
But we sometimes have trouble
translating that forgiveness into our own lives.
It is difficult to imagine offering forgiveness
to someone who has harmed us,
Or our community.
Think about apartheid South Africa, for example –
How could black people forgive the white people
who had systematically subjugated, harmed, murdered –
Leaving black communities to suffer indignity and strife.
How is it possible that forgiveness
is even part of the conversation?
And yet, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has written several books
Arguing for the necessity of forgiveness in South Africa.
He, a black South African,
calls for his community to forgive the oppressor.
In fact, he believes that there is no future for that country
Unless truth-telling and forgiveness are part of the story.
The truth-telling part is important –
As we have seen with Truth and Reconciliation processes
here in Canada,
No repair of harm can happen until truth is told.
One then has a choice – to forgive or not to forgive.
To choose not to forgive is the easier choice,
But it’s not the life-giving choice.
Forgiveness does not imply that the relationship continues
with business as usual –
We may forgive someone,
and then choose to release that relationship, in Tutu’s words.
We may choose to end the relationship because
it can’t sustain the weight of what has taken place.
Or because we are afraid of further harm.
Forgiving someone is not the same
as being in relationship with them.
Sometimes, however, miracles happen.
The homiletician Jared Alcantara tells a story
about Mary Johnson.
In 1993, one young man in Minneapolis shot and killed
another young man.
The teenager was convicted of murder, and went to jail.
Mary wanted to forgive this young man for killing her son.
But felt her heart hardened and broken.
One day she came across a poem about Mary the mother of Jesus, and the mother of Judas meeting each other.
Can you imagine –
the anger of one and the embarrassment of the other?
And yet, Mary the mother of Jesus kisses away the tears
of the mother of Judas Iscariot.
Forgiveness is possible.
Mary Johnson felt something in her soul change
when she read that poem,
And she realized that it was time to act.
She began to visit the young man in prison,
and they became friends.
After he was released, he moved into the apartment next door.
They remain in close contact,
And although he can never atone for what he did to Mary’s son,
Something beautiful emerged in the cracks.
Forgiveness opened up a doorway for new relationship to arise.
Desmond Tutu said that “Forgiveness is a conversation.”
I think this is an accurate statement.
It is a conversation we have with ourselves,
with God, and with each other.
It will never be an easy task.
But it is part of our work as Christians –
To learn the rhythms and patterns of confessing, receiving forgiveness, and forgiving others.
When we have difficulty, we are invited to turn to God,
Who is an expert in forgiveness –
And can inspire our hearts to do what we alone cannot.
May we find blessing for our own broken relationships.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and loving God, you have forgiven us, and we are grateful. Help us to translate that forgiveness into our lives. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to accept your forgiveness, so that we can forgive ourselves. We are followers of Christ, and therefore we are a people of forgiveness. May it be so.
We ask your special blessing on those who are hurting this week – those who suffer from chronic pain, those who are awaiting diagnosis, those who are undergoing treatment. We pray especially for Robert and Susan McClure on the death of Sue’s sister Debbie this week. May they find comfort and rest in your arms.
Loving God, fill us with a sense of your presence. Give us new hearts that are warm and loving, so that we can be light and salt to the world. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, July 25, 2022: Psalm 44; Hosea 2:14-3:5; Colossians 2:16-3:1
Tuesday, July 26, 2022: Psalm 44; Hosea 6:1-10; Romans 9:30-10:4
Wednesday, July 27, 2022: Psalm 44; Hosea 6:11-7:16; Matthew 5:43-48
Thursday, July 28, 2022: Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 8:1-14; Romans 11:33-36
Friday, July 29, 2022: Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 9:1-17; Ephesians 4:17-24
Saturday, July 30, 2022: Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Hosea 10:1-15; Mark 10:17-22
Sermon - July 17, 2022
John 6: 32-35
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
*This sermon is the latest in a series on the Lord’s Prayer. We will be focusing on the verse “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Several years ago, Paul and I hosted a group of young people
Who came to Canada from India for a visit.
There were two men, and two women,
And this was the first time they had left their home in Central India.
There was, for them, a fair bit of culture shock.
And for me also,
because it was fascinating having to explain to them
All the quirky ways that we live in Canada.
I took them through the Drive-thru at Tim Hortons,
And tried to explain why it made sense –
But all I could come up with
was that we were too lazy to get out of the car.
I had to tell them all about my dishwasher,
Because they could not fathom such a thing.
Again, it was difficult to explain why we needed a machine at all to wash the dishes.
This visit was certainly making me think through things.
One of the biggest surprises for me
was the reality that these young people
Were befuddled and bewildered by the fact that I did all these things by myself –
I cooked for them, and drove them around, and did my work –
And I did it all without servants.
Which was the thing that surprised the Indian visitors the most –
That we didn’t have servants.
In India, because of the large population,
It is common for even modest households to have staff.
I think they felt sorry for me because I was doing all this work.
One day, Roby, one of the young men, said he was hungry.
This surprised me, because my visitors did not eat very much –
But I asked him what he would like.
“Bread.” He answered.
“Ok, sure. Would you like white toast, or brown toast?
Or we have tortillas, or Indian chapati, or pita bread.
Or bagels. Or croissants, or crackers.”
By this point, Roby was utterly overwhelmed.
And I was again flabbergasted by how ridiculous Canadian life can be.
We have so many choices.
If I was in India, and asked for bread, I would be given chapati – a round flat bread,
Rolled by hand and cooked on a griddle.
In that part of India, they simply do not have a variety of choices.
My guests had enough to eat when they were at home,
But nothing like the choice and the sheer magnitude of what we eat here.
I have a memory of being in Jobat, India, on a hot sunny May afternoon.
When I say hot, it was about 45 degrees Celsius.
I was sitting on the floor in front of a hot griddle, which was attached to a propane tank.
I was with the minister’s wife, and she was teaching me to make chapati.
There was something very powerful about that moment for me.
Being taught a new skills was exciting,
But I was also aware of the privilege I carry as a wealthy white woman,
Who has a cupboard full of bread.
These friends were sharing what little they had with me.
Give us this day our daily bread.
I have an embarrassing confession to make about this verse of the Lord’s Prayer.
Obviously I’ve known this prayer my entire life.
I’ve recited ‘give us this day our daily bread’ a thousand times.
But it never really occurred to me that this verse is about food.
I’ve never been hungry a day in my life.
This prayer, however, is exactly what it sounds like –
It is a plea for food.
It is prayer asking that God will provide enough bread to survive for today.
This means something if you only have enough bread for right now.
Or maybe if you don’t have any bread at all.
Jesus lived in a time of upheaval and social inequity,
Where the rich got richer and the poor stayed poor.
This prayer comes out of the mouths of the poor –
Give us enough bread.
It is a desperate hope that there will be enough to fill empty stomachs.
I have tended to spiritualize this verse,
To think of bread as a symbol for something else –
Spiritual well-being, perhaps.
I’ve tended to skip over the idea of needing bread because I have enough bread.
When I pray this verse, I am asking God for enough.
Not just enough food, but enough love, enough joy, enough good work, enough time with family, enough strength to get through the day.
Give us enough of what we need Lord.
What does it mean for us to pray “give us this day our daily bread,”
When we are not hungry for food?
I don’t want us to lose the concrete and material nature of this text.
When Jesus said “give us this day our daily bread.”
He was talking about actual bread.
It’s about bodies, it’s about physical well-being,
It’s about poor people whose bread has been stolen by the rich,
It’s about a culture that does not look after its poor even though
It has been commanded to do so by God.
In Jesus’ time, and in ours, poverty is real.
So let’s not lose sight of the real material needs represented in this prayer.
At the same time, our needs go beyond the physical,
And God cares for those needs as well.
So I think it is entirely appropriate that as we pray “give us this day our daily bread,”
We are asking not only for bread but for whatever kind of sustenance we need.
Give us this day, the sustenance we need to survive.
Which raises interesting questions about what you and I need from Jesus.
What is it that sustains you, day in and day out?
What does God give you?
How has God sustained you in the past week?
What sustenance do you need for the week to come?
Jesus said “I am the bread of life.”
If we come to him, we will be given what we need for today and tomorrow.
Let us be thankful and joyful for the ways that we have been sustained –
Let us share what we have in order to sustain others,
And let us call upon the bread of life so that we will not hunger or thirst,
But be filled up with good things. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Gracious and loving God, give us this day our daily bread. We pray for those who are hungry for food – that they will have full stomachs. We pray for those who are hungry for love, that they may know they are loved beyond measure. We pray for those who are hungry for justice, that your righteousness will prevail. Thank you for the ways you sustain us with every breath.
We ask your blessing on our church community as we enjoy these summer months. Keep us safe when we are travelling, give us rest and refreshment. We pray especially for Phyllis and Tom after Phyllis’s fall this week. We also pray for Margaret as she cares for her mum. Give peace where there is unrest, God. Give abundance where there is lack. Tend us and keep us so that we may serve you with our whole lives in the week to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, July 18, 2022: Psalm 119:17-32; Amos 7:1-6; Colossians 1:27-2:7
Tuesday, July 19, 2022: Psalm 119:17-32; Amos 8:13-9:4; 1 John 2:1-6
Wednesday, July 20, 2022: Psalm 119:17-32; Amos 9:5-15; John 6:41-51
Thursday, July 21, 2022: Psalm 85; Hosea 4:1-19; Acts 1:15-20
Friday, July 22, 2022: Psalm 85; Hosea 5:1-15; Acts 2:22-36
Saturday, July 23, 2022: Psalm 85; Hosea 1:11-2:15; Luke 8:22-25
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
*This sermon is the latest in a series on the Lord’s Prayer. We will be focusing on the verse “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Several years ago, Paul and I hosted a group of young people
Who came to Canada from India for a visit.
There were two men, and two women,
And this was the first time they had left their home in Central India.
There was, for them, a fair bit of culture shock.
And for me also,
because it was fascinating having to explain to them
All the quirky ways that we live in Canada.
I took them through the Drive-thru at Tim Hortons,
And tried to explain why it made sense –
But all I could come up with
was that we were too lazy to get out of the car.
I had to tell them all about my dishwasher,
Because they could not fathom such a thing.
Again, it was difficult to explain why we needed a machine at all to wash the dishes.
This visit was certainly making me think through things.
One of the biggest surprises for me
was the reality that these young people
Were befuddled and bewildered by the fact that I did all these things by myself –
I cooked for them, and drove them around, and did my work –
And I did it all without servants.
Which was the thing that surprised the Indian visitors the most –
That we didn’t have servants.
In India, because of the large population,
It is common for even modest households to have staff.
I think they felt sorry for me because I was doing all this work.
One day, Roby, one of the young men, said he was hungry.
This surprised me, because my visitors did not eat very much –
But I asked him what he would like.
“Bread.” He answered.
“Ok, sure. Would you like white toast, or brown toast?
Or we have tortillas, or Indian chapati, or pita bread.
Or bagels. Or croissants, or crackers.”
By this point, Roby was utterly overwhelmed.
And I was again flabbergasted by how ridiculous Canadian life can be.
We have so many choices.
If I was in India, and asked for bread, I would be given chapati – a round flat bread,
Rolled by hand and cooked on a griddle.
In that part of India, they simply do not have a variety of choices.
My guests had enough to eat when they were at home,
But nothing like the choice and the sheer magnitude of what we eat here.
I have a memory of being in Jobat, India, on a hot sunny May afternoon.
When I say hot, it was about 45 degrees Celsius.
I was sitting on the floor in front of a hot griddle, which was attached to a propane tank.
I was with the minister’s wife, and she was teaching me to make chapati.
There was something very powerful about that moment for me.
Being taught a new skills was exciting,
But I was also aware of the privilege I carry as a wealthy white woman,
Who has a cupboard full of bread.
These friends were sharing what little they had with me.
Give us this day our daily bread.
I have an embarrassing confession to make about this verse of the Lord’s Prayer.
Obviously I’ve known this prayer my entire life.
I’ve recited ‘give us this day our daily bread’ a thousand times.
But it never really occurred to me that this verse is about food.
I’ve never been hungry a day in my life.
This prayer, however, is exactly what it sounds like –
It is a plea for food.
It is prayer asking that God will provide enough bread to survive for today.
This means something if you only have enough bread for right now.
Or maybe if you don’t have any bread at all.
Jesus lived in a time of upheaval and social inequity,
Where the rich got richer and the poor stayed poor.
This prayer comes out of the mouths of the poor –
Give us enough bread.
It is a desperate hope that there will be enough to fill empty stomachs.
I have tended to spiritualize this verse,
To think of bread as a symbol for something else –
Spiritual well-being, perhaps.
I’ve tended to skip over the idea of needing bread because I have enough bread.
When I pray this verse, I am asking God for enough.
Not just enough food, but enough love, enough joy, enough good work, enough time with family, enough strength to get through the day.
Give us enough of what we need Lord.
What does it mean for us to pray “give us this day our daily bread,”
When we are not hungry for food?
I don’t want us to lose the concrete and material nature of this text.
When Jesus said “give us this day our daily bread.”
He was talking about actual bread.
It’s about bodies, it’s about physical well-being,
It’s about poor people whose bread has been stolen by the rich,
It’s about a culture that does not look after its poor even though
It has been commanded to do so by God.
In Jesus’ time, and in ours, poverty is real.
So let’s not lose sight of the real material needs represented in this prayer.
At the same time, our needs go beyond the physical,
And God cares for those needs as well.
So I think it is entirely appropriate that as we pray “give us this day our daily bread,”
We are asking not only for bread but for whatever kind of sustenance we need.
Give us this day, the sustenance we need to survive.
Which raises interesting questions about what you and I need from Jesus.
What is it that sustains you, day in and day out?
What does God give you?
How has God sustained you in the past week?
What sustenance do you need for the week to come?
Jesus said “I am the bread of life.”
If we come to him, we will be given what we need for today and tomorrow.
Let us be thankful and joyful for the ways that we have been sustained –
Let us share what we have in order to sustain others,
And let us call upon the bread of life so that we will not hunger or thirst,
But be filled up with good things. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Gracious and loving God, give us this day our daily bread. We pray for those who are hungry for food – that they will have full stomachs. We pray for those who are hungry for love, that they may know they are loved beyond measure. We pray for those who are hungry for justice, that your righteousness will prevail. Thank you for the ways you sustain us with every breath.
We ask your blessing on our church community as we enjoy these summer months. Keep us safe when we are travelling, give us rest and refreshment. We pray especially for Phyllis and Tom after Phyllis’s fall this week. We also pray for Margaret as she cares for her mum. Give peace where there is unrest, God. Give abundance where there is lack. Tend us and keep us so that we may serve you with our whole lives in the week to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, July 18, 2022: Psalm 119:17-32; Amos 7:1-6; Colossians 1:27-2:7
Tuesday, July 19, 2022: Psalm 119:17-32; Amos 8:13-9:4; 1 John 2:1-6
Wednesday, July 20, 2022: Psalm 119:17-32; Amos 9:5-15; John 6:41-51
Thursday, July 21, 2022: Psalm 85; Hosea 4:1-19; Acts 1:15-20
Friday, July 22, 2022: Psalm 85; Hosea 5:1-15; Acts 2:22-36
Saturday, July 23, 2022: Psalm 85; Hosea 1:11-2:15; Luke 8:22-25
Sermon - July 10, 2022
Luke 4
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
This week, we continue our series on the Lord’s Prayer
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
I’m always confused by prayer in sports.
This has been in the news recently
because the Supreme Court of the US
Made a ruling about a football coach that prayed on the field.
I’m not going to debate whether there should be prayer in sports,
But I’m wondering what exactly is the belief behind it.
If I pray for my team to win, and we do,
does that mean that it’s God’s will?
Is it God’s will for one team to win and one team to lose?
Does God have any influence at all over the result?
How do we know?
There is a worldview that holds that god is like a master puppeteer
Pulling strings to make things happen on earth.
If this is the case, then we have a god who chooses good for some,
and trouble for others.
When we pray to this god, we expect that we will receive favour.
There are a lot of problems with this worldview.
What happens when our prayer is not granted?
Why would God choose good for some and ill for other?
If God is pulling the strings, why is everything such a mess?
That worldview of the master puppeteer does not hold up in real life.
God’s will is not absolute because God has chosen to give us free will.
Not everything that happens is God’s will.
Not everything that happens to you is God’s will.
Not everything that happens to our neighbour is God’s will.
This can be a dangerous misconception.
People often say this after a tragedy, “it must have been God’s will.”
Or Everything happens for a reason.
It doesn’t work that way.
It can’t be as simple as “God will it so it is”.
If that were the case the world wouldn’t look like this.
God has set up the universe to run in a particular way
and it is free to do so.
So we cannot escape the natural pull of time, for example.
We have free will, but we will still be subject to the aging process.
We have free will, but we are still subject to the weather.
This means that accidents will happen, natural disasters will happen.
They are a part of the natural ordering of the universe
and the laws of physics.
Because of free will, people can choose to behave however they want.
They can choose to follow their own will.
Or they can choose to follow God’s will.
If they can figure out what exactly God’s will is.
But more often than not, people exercise their own will,
And because of human sinfulness,
Because of the powers of evil that exist in the world,
What happens is very often not God’s will at all.
It is not God’s will that Indigenous communities exist,
in Canada, without fresh water.
It is not God’s will that a family was gunned down at a parade.
It is not God’s will that women are dying because of lack of basic healthcare.
The list is long.
Thy will be done on earth as in heaven.
This prayer is a plea for God to act,
to intervene, to cause things to change.
A plea for earth to become more like heaven.
We know that God works through people, so
this prayer is a plea that people will change,
That people will align themselves with God’s will.
You can’t force people to change.
God will not use a magic wand to change people’s free will.
Instead, God sent Jesus Christ into the world to gently persuade us
to understand God’s will,
Jesus showed us God’s will,
most fully in the resurrection which promises healing from trauma
and hope over the powers of death and sin.
But he also showed God’s will
in his careful handling of bodies and spirits.
Also in his anger against scriptural interpretations that failed
to recognize God’s will for all creation.
It is in Jesus, that we recognize what God desires for all humanity,
all creation.
That is why we turn to the story that is told in the gospel of Luke,
Of Jesus coming to his hometown and preaching as prophet.
He says:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”
And then he said “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
The crowd around Jesus in the Synagogue was angry at Jesus’ message
and the medium of the message.
They didn’t like this hometown boy talking big –
What Jesus was saying was that he was anointed by God
to bring Good News.
The crowd did not like what he had to say.
It didn’t sound like good news to them,
It sounded like grandstanding from a local rabbi,
Who was suggesting that God’s will was for the most oppressed
To be freed from oppression.
God’s will is for those held down by disability to be raised up.
God’s will is for those who are held captive are to be made free.
For whatever reason, this did not sound like good news
To those in the synagogue that day.
Perhaps they just couldn’t see how this prophecy
Applied to them – those who did not perceive themselves
To be oppressed, or blind, or captive.
Or perhaps they recognized that in order for the most vulnerable
To be healed, it would involve the whole restructuring of society.
God’s will sometimes sounds like a lot of hard work.
I want to argue that this text is good news for us because
You and I can understand ourselves to be captives.
We are held captive by sin and shame,
Held captive by grief and pain,
Held captive by powers and structures like racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism.
Despite all our free will there are things
we cannot get ourselves free from.
We are captives too.
So we should hear Jesus’ proclamation as profoundly good news –
Because it means we are being made free from sin
So that our free will can align more closely with God’s.
Through Jesus Christ we are healed, raised up as free people,
Ready to do what Jesus is calling us to do.
Which is to free others.
And feed others,
And nourish those who are spiritually starving.
I think Jesus’ experience in the gospel of Luke can teach us a few things.
First, we come to understand God’s will in the person of Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus who shows us, teaches us, reveals bits of heaven for us.
If we want to know God’s will, we should look to Jesus.
Secondly, as we are trying to identify and understand God’s will,
We can expect that it will involve the liberation of the most vulnerable.
God’s will is that which builds up humanity and protects creation.
This is about the poor actually having enough to get through the week, or the month.
This is about everyone have affordable access to medical care.
This is about reversing the trend that sees Indigenous people and People of Colour disproportionately represented in our prison systems.
If we want to align ourselves with God’s will, we need to look for the brokenness.
Finally, when we discover God’s will, we won’t always like it.
Sometimes, participating in God’s will means that we have to give up something
That we have to say no to something we really want,
And like those people with Jesus that day we will get angry
And want everything to go our way.
We have a choice. Thy will or my will.
Our world will look a whole lot healthier
if we chose God’s ways more often.
As I began to think about the phrase “thy will be done”
I have come to realize how very complicated it is.
God’s will is not something we can ever fully understand
And certainly we cannot always identify what is God’s will
and what is not.
We can choose to learn to discern God’s will, by following Jesus
We can choose to listen to the nudging of the Holy Spirit
We can choose to behave as God’s beloved children,
God is continually working against the powers of evil and sin,
Continually making us new.
As new people, made free from sin,
Let us choose God’s way.
In this way, God will accomplish what is right – in heaven and on earth.
A Prayer for the Week
Loving God, we want your will to be done. We want this to be an earth that is bathed in your love and justice. We want the hungry to eat. We want the blind to see. We want the oppressed to go free. We know these are your dreams for your creation. We ask that you will guide us to see and do your will. We ask your blessing on those we love most, and well-being for the strangers we meet. We ask for peace in the world, and for your righteousness to cast out all sin and pain so that we may live free and abundant lives. On earth, O Lord, your will be done.
Monday, July 11, 2022: Psalm 7; Amos 3:9-4:5; James 2:1-7
Tuesday, July 12, 2022: Psalm 7; Amos 4:6-13; 1 John 3:11-17
Wednesday, July 13, 2022: Psalm 7; Amos 5:1-9; Matthew 25:31-46
Thursday, July 14, 2022: Psalm 52; Amos 5:10-17; Hebrews 5:1-6
Friday, July 15, 2022: Psalm 52; Amos 5:18-27; Ephesians 3:14-21
Saturday, July 16, 2022: Psalm 52; Amos 6:1-14; Luke 8:4-10
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
This week, we continue our series on the Lord’s Prayer
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
I’m always confused by prayer in sports.
This has been in the news recently
because the Supreme Court of the US
Made a ruling about a football coach that prayed on the field.
I’m not going to debate whether there should be prayer in sports,
But I’m wondering what exactly is the belief behind it.
If I pray for my team to win, and we do,
does that mean that it’s God’s will?
Is it God’s will for one team to win and one team to lose?
Does God have any influence at all over the result?
How do we know?
There is a worldview that holds that god is like a master puppeteer
Pulling strings to make things happen on earth.
If this is the case, then we have a god who chooses good for some,
and trouble for others.
When we pray to this god, we expect that we will receive favour.
There are a lot of problems with this worldview.
What happens when our prayer is not granted?
Why would God choose good for some and ill for other?
If God is pulling the strings, why is everything such a mess?
That worldview of the master puppeteer does not hold up in real life.
God’s will is not absolute because God has chosen to give us free will.
Not everything that happens is God’s will.
Not everything that happens to you is God’s will.
Not everything that happens to our neighbour is God’s will.
This can be a dangerous misconception.
People often say this after a tragedy, “it must have been God’s will.”
Or Everything happens for a reason.
It doesn’t work that way.
It can’t be as simple as “God will it so it is”.
If that were the case the world wouldn’t look like this.
God has set up the universe to run in a particular way
and it is free to do so.
So we cannot escape the natural pull of time, for example.
We have free will, but we will still be subject to the aging process.
We have free will, but we are still subject to the weather.
This means that accidents will happen, natural disasters will happen.
They are a part of the natural ordering of the universe
and the laws of physics.
Because of free will, people can choose to behave however they want.
They can choose to follow their own will.
Or they can choose to follow God’s will.
If they can figure out what exactly God’s will is.
But more often than not, people exercise their own will,
And because of human sinfulness,
Because of the powers of evil that exist in the world,
What happens is very often not God’s will at all.
It is not God’s will that Indigenous communities exist,
in Canada, without fresh water.
It is not God’s will that a family was gunned down at a parade.
It is not God’s will that women are dying because of lack of basic healthcare.
The list is long.
Thy will be done on earth as in heaven.
This prayer is a plea for God to act,
to intervene, to cause things to change.
A plea for earth to become more like heaven.
We know that God works through people, so
this prayer is a plea that people will change,
That people will align themselves with God’s will.
You can’t force people to change.
God will not use a magic wand to change people’s free will.
Instead, God sent Jesus Christ into the world to gently persuade us
to understand God’s will,
Jesus showed us God’s will,
most fully in the resurrection which promises healing from trauma
and hope over the powers of death and sin.
But he also showed God’s will
in his careful handling of bodies and spirits.
Also in his anger against scriptural interpretations that failed
to recognize God’s will for all creation.
It is in Jesus, that we recognize what God desires for all humanity,
all creation.
That is why we turn to the story that is told in the gospel of Luke,
Of Jesus coming to his hometown and preaching as prophet.
He says:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”
And then he said “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
The crowd around Jesus in the Synagogue was angry at Jesus’ message
and the medium of the message.
They didn’t like this hometown boy talking big –
What Jesus was saying was that he was anointed by God
to bring Good News.
The crowd did not like what he had to say.
It didn’t sound like good news to them,
It sounded like grandstanding from a local rabbi,
Who was suggesting that God’s will was for the most oppressed
To be freed from oppression.
God’s will is for those held down by disability to be raised up.
God’s will is for those who are held captive are to be made free.
For whatever reason, this did not sound like good news
To those in the synagogue that day.
Perhaps they just couldn’t see how this prophecy
Applied to them – those who did not perceive themselves
To be oppressed, or blind, or captive.
Or perhaps they recognized that in order for the most vulnerable
To be healed, it would involve the whole restructuring of society.
God’s will sometimes sounds like a lot of hard work.
I want to argue that this text is good news for us because
You and I can understand ourselves to be captives.
We are held captive by sin and shame,
Held captive by grief and pain,
Held captive by powers and structures like racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism.
Despite all our free will there are things
we cannot get ourselves free from.
We are captives too.
So we should hear Jesus’ proclamation as profoundly good news –
Because it means we are being made free from sin
So that our free will can align more closely with God’s.
Through Jesus Christ we are healed, raised up as free people,
Ready to do what Jesus is calling us to do.
Which is to free others.
And feed others,
And nourish those who are spiritually starving.
I think Jesus’ experience in the gospel of Luke can teach us a few things.
First, we come to understand God’s will in the person of Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus who shows us, teaches us, reveals bits of heaven for us.
If we want to know God’s will, we should look to Jesus.
Secondly, as we are trying to identify and understand God’s will,
We can expect that it will involve the liberation of the most vulnerable.
God’s will is that which builds up humanity and protects creation.
This is about the poor actually having enough to get through the week, or the month.
This is about everyone have affordable access to medical care.
This is about reversing the trend that sees Indigenous people and People of Colour disproportionately represented in our prison systems.
If we want to align ourselves with God’s will, we need to look for the brokenness.
Finally, when we discover God’s will, we won’t always like it.
Sometimes, participating in God’s will means that we have to give up something
That we have to say no to something we really want,
And like those people with Jesus that day we will get angry
And want everything to go our way.
We have a choice. Thy will or my will.
Our world will look a whole lot healthier
if we chose God’s ways more often.
As I began to think about the phrase “thy will be done”
I have come to realize how very complicated it is.
God’s will is not something we can ever fully understand
And certainly we cannot always identify what is God’s will
and what is not.
We can choose to learn to discern God’s will, by following Jesus
We can choose to listen to the nudging of the Holy Spirit
We can choose to behave as God’s beloved children,
God is continually working against the powers of evil and sin,
Continually making us new.
As new people, made free from sin,
Let us choose God’s way.
In this way, God will accomplish what is right – in heaven and on earth.
A Prayer for the Week
Loving God, we want your will to be done. We want this to be an earth that is bathed in your love and justice. We want the hungry to eat. We want the blind to see. We want the oppressed to go free. We know these are your dreams for your creation. We ask that you will guide us to see and do your will. We ask your blessing on those we love most, and well-being for the strangers we meet. We ask for peace in the world, and for your righteousness to cast out all sin and pain so that we may live free and abundant lives. On earth, O Lord, your will be done.
Monday, July 11, 2022: Psalm 7; Amos 3:9-4:5; James 2:1-7
Tuesday, July 12, 2022: Psalm 7; Amos 4:6-13; 1 John 3:11-17
Wednesday, July 13, 2022: Psalm 7; Amos 5:1-9; Matthew 25:31-46
Thursday, July 14, 2022: Psalm 52; Amos 5:10-17; Hebrews 5:1-6
Friday, July 15, 2022: Psalm 52; Amos 5:18-27; Ephesians 3:14-21
Saturday, July 16, 2022: Psalm 52; Amos 6:1-14; Luke 8:4-10
Sermon - July 3, 2022
Matthew 6: 1-15
‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
5 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
7 ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 ‘Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This month I will be preaching a series on the Lord’s Prayer.
In this prayer, Jesus teaches us how to connect with God the Father.
Each week, we will look at one of the key verses in this prayer,
Looking to deepen our faith and our understanding.
These sermons will be a little different than usual – they are participatory, meaning that in the course of the sermon I will ask you questions and I hope you will answer!
When I was a child, maybe 7 or 8, I had a very vivid image of God. I imagined an old man with a beard operating a giant control panel. He was, of course, wearing Anglican vestments because that’s the church I was raised in and God needed to be properly outfitted! This image of God looked suspiciously like the assistant minister at my church, Father Smith. It is perhaps not surprising that this was my image of a person in authority – an older male who operated the world with the touch of a button or the pull of a lever.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD IMAGE OF GOD?
Not surprisingly, my image of God has changed and grown over the years.
When I was about 10 years old, I had an experience in which I fully encountered God
As Son and Spirit. From then on, my image of God began to expand.
Now when I imagine God my mind plays a high speed slide show.
I see the faces of my children.
I see the dust on a set of butterfly wings.
I see the vast spread of the universe, the stars in their courses.
Images flash before me: an elephant roaming, an elderly person with wisdom etched around their eyes, the light of the sun, the roar of the ocean.
I see so many things – as my mind tries to fix on one image that will explain who God is.
God is vast, and in many ways beyond our imagining.
But it makes sense to me that we must imagine God in some way.
HOW HAS YOUR IMAGE OF GOD CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?
Jesus presents us with an image of God as Father.
This is true for Jesus – he relates to God as a loving parent.
This is an intimate God – not distant or removed from us.
There are, of course, limitations of this image.
We might be tempted to think that God is like our earthly fathers –
Whether you had a good father or not, God is not like our fathers –
God is THE Father, the one from whom all things flow.
Jesus is telling us that we should approach God as one who is loving, concerned, compassionate, involved and generous.
How we approach God in our prayers says something about our relationship to God.
HOW DO YOU ADDRESS GOD IN YOUR PRAYERS?
Our ability to imagine God is always limited,
Which is one of the reasons Jesus gives us a strong image to hold on to.
I want to encourage you to think expansively about God and God’s nature.
You might have noticed, or maybe you haven’t noticed,
That I always use a variety of terms for God in my prayers at church.
I almost never refer to God as Father.
That’s not because I don’t value and love the image of God the Father –
It’s because scripture witnesses to a whole variety of images for God –
And I want us to expand our imaginations to include a broader vision of God.
I think what is most important about the father image is that it is RELATIONAL.
We are God’s beloved children.
This prayer asks us: What does it mean to be a beloved child of God?
If I had to choose one word to describe what it means to be God’s child,
I would say BELONGING.
WHAT WORD WILL YOU CHOOSE?
May the God beyond all imagining come near to us so that we might know God more fully.
Amen.
Monday, July 4, 2022: Psalm 6; 2 Kings 5:15-19a; Acts 19:21-27
Tuesday, July 5, 2022: Psalm 6; 2 Kings 5:19b-27; Acts 19:28-41
Wednesday, July 6, 2022: Psalm 6; 2 Kings 6:1-7; Luke 10:13-16
Thursday, July 7, 2022: Psalm 82; Amos 1:1-2:3; James 2:14-26
Friday, July 8, 2022: Psalm 82; Amos 2:4-11; Acts 7:9-16
Saturday, July 9, 2022: Psalm 82; Amos 2:12-3:8; John 3:16-21
‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
5 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
7 ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 ‘Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This month I will be preaching a series on the Lord’s Prayer.
In this prayer, Jesus teaches us how to connect with God the Father.
Each week, we will look at one of the key verses in this prayer,
Looking to deepen our faith and our understanding.
These sermons will be a little different than usual – they are participatory, meaning that in the course of the sermon I will ask you questions and I hope you will answer!
When I was a child, maybe 7 or 8, I had a very vivid image of God. I imagined an old man with a beard operating a giant control panel. He was, of course, wearing Anglican vestments because that’s the church I was raised in and God needed to be properly outfitted! This image of God looked suspiciously like the assistant minister at my church, Father Smith. It is perhaps not surprising that this was my image of a person in authority – an older male who operated the world with the touch of a button or the pull of a lever.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD IMAGE OF GOD?
Not surprisingly, my image of God has changed and grown over the years.
When I was about 10 years old, I had an experience in which I fully encountered God
As Son and Spirit. From then on, my image of God began to expand.
Now when I imagine God my mind plays a high speed slide show.
I see the faces of my children.
I see the dust on a set of butterfly wings.
I see the vast spread of the universe, the stars in their courses.
Images flash before me: an elephant roaming, an elderly person with wisdom etched around their eyes, the light of the sun, the roar of the ocean.
I see so many things – as my mind tries to fix on one image that will explain who God is.
God is vast, and in many ways beyond our imagining.
But it makes sense to me that we must imagine God in some way.
HOW HAS YOUR IMAGE OF GOD CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?
Jesus presents us with an image of God as Father.
This is true for Jesus – he relates to God as a loving parent.
This is an intimate God – not distant or removed from us.
There are, of course, limitations of this image.
We might be tempted to think that God is like our earthly fathers –
Whether you had a good father or not, God is not like our fathers –
God is THE Father, the one from whom all things flow.
Jesus is telling us that we should approach God as one who is loving, concerned, compassionate, involved and generous.
How we approach God in our prayers says something about our relationship to God.
HOW DO YOU ADDRESS GOD IN YOUR PRAYERS?
Our ability to imagine God is always limited,
Which is one of the reasons Jesus gives us a strong image to hold on to.
I want to encourage you to think expansively about God and God’s nature.
You might have noticed, or maybe you haven’t noticed,
That I always use a variety of terms for God in my prayers at church.
I almost never refer to God as Father.
That’s not because I don’t value and love the image of God the Father –
It’s because scripture witnesses to a whole variety of images for God –
And I want us to expand our imaginations to include a broader vision of God.
I think what is most important about the father image is that it is RELATIONAL.
We are God’s beloved children.
This prayer asks us: What does it mean to be a beloved child of God?
If I had to choose one word to describe what it means to be God’s child,
I would say BELONGING.
WHAT WORD WILL YOU CHOOSE?
May the God beyond all imagining come near to us so that we might know God more fully.
Amen.
Monday, July 4, 2022: Psalm 6; 2 Kings 5:15-19a; Acts 19:21-27
Tuesday, July 5, 2022: Psalm 6; 2 Kings 5:19b-27; Acts 19:28-41
Wednesday, July 6, 2022: Psalm 6; 2 Kings 6:1-7; Luke 10:13-16
Thursday, July 7, 2022: Psalm 82; Amos 1:1-2:3; James 2:14-26
Friday, July 8, 2022: Psalm 82; Amos 2:4-11; Acts 7:9-16
Saturday, July 9, 2022: Psalm 82; Amos 2:12-3:8; John 3:16-21
Sunday, June 26, 2022
We will be joining Knox Georgetown this week at 11am, to celebrate Rev. Peter Barrow’s 90th birthday!
Sermon - June 19, 2022
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:13-21 NIV
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:13-21 NIV
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Sermon
When Jesus tells a parable,
it’s time for us to wake up and pay attention.
Parables are meant to help us understand things
about God and about God’s Kingdom.
In this case,
Jesus is responding to a request from someone in the crowd,
Who wants to receive more from their family inheritance.
Jesus makes a strong point about the dangers of storing up riches
He advocates for being “rich for God”
rather than rich in things or money.
Unlike some parables,
this one seems to immediately make sense.
The man in the text has too much grain to store in his barns.
When Jesus tells a parable,
it’s time for us to wake up and pay attention.
Parables are meant to help us understand things
about God and about God’s Kingdom.
In this case,
Jesus is responding to a request from someone in the crowd,
Who wants to receive more from their family inheritance.
Jesus makes a strong point about the dangers of storing up riches
He advocates for being “rich for God”
rather than rich in things or money.
Unlike some parables,
this one seems to immediately make sense.
The man in the text has too much grain to store in his barns.
Instead of sharing the grain,
Or even just expanding his current space,
He tears it all down to build new and fabulous barns.
And settles in to eat, drink and be merry.
This man is incredibly selfish,
did you notice how many times the text says I and Me?
He’s all about saving up for his future,
while others starve around him.
Jesus calls him a fool,
because he’s doing the wrong thing with the wealth he has.
In the context of the gospels as a whole,
this man is a fool because he is storing up riches
Instead of engaging in the work of feeding all of God’s people.
He’s doing the wrong thing
because he’s saving for a future that might never come,
While those around him struggle to have enough.
So we might run the risk of being foolish if we, as a church,
Don’t prioritize the work of feeding, nurturing, educating, refreshing, and reconciling
That we have been called by Jesus to do.
I want to reflect for a moment about what this parable means
For churches like ours, which have very generous savings accounts.
Churches tend to save money for a ‘rainy day.’
This is often more about preparing for the future of the building
than the future of the ministry and mission of the congregation.
This parable suggests that we need to think extremely carefully
about the wisdom of such accounts.
Even when our saving is about our fear for the future.
The concern is about how we choose
to spend and save our resources.
A church budget is, a\er all, a theological document.
This means that our budget reflects what we believe about God
and our responsibility toward other people.
What does it mean to be faithful stewards of those resources?
What does it mean to be “rich toward God”?
One thing I will say is that for Norval Presbyterian Church,
The rainy day has come.
As our membership declines and our age advances,
we are faced with the reality that
the future we feared has arrived.
As the parable says –
you fool, your life could be taken from you at any moment.
Or even just expanding his current space,
He tears it all down to build new and fabulous barns.
And settles in to eat, drink and be merry.
This man is incredibly selfish,
did you notice how many times the text says I and Me?
He’s all about saving up for his future,
while others starve around him.
Jesus calls him a fool,
because he’s doing the wrong thing with the wealth he has.
In the context of the gospels as a whole,
this man is a fool because he is storing up riches
Instead of engaging in the work of feeding all of God’s people.
He’s doing the wrong thing
because he’s saving for a future that might never come,
While those around him struggle to have enough.
So we might run the risk of being foolish if we, as a church,
Don’t prioritize the work of feeding, nurturing, educating, refreshing, and reconciling
That we have been called by Jesus to do.
I want to reflect for a moment about what this parable means
For churches like ours, which have very generous savings accounts.
Churches tend to save money for a ‘rainy day.’
This is often more about preparing for the future of the building
than the future of the ministry and mission of the congregation.
This parable suggests that we need to think extremely carefully
about the wisdom of such accounts.
Even when our saving is about our fear for the future.
The concern is about how we choose
to spend and save our resources.
A church budget is, a\er all, a theological document.
This means that our budget reflects what we believe about God
and our responsibility toward other people.
What does it mean to be faithful stewards of those resources?
What does it mean to be “rich toward God”?
One thing I will say is that for Norval Presbyterian Church,
The rainy day has come.
As our membership declines and our age advances,
we are faced with the reality that
the future we feared has arrived.
As the parable says –
you fool, your life could be taken from you at any moment.
If churches like ours ever make a decision to close down,
All the investments and resources will be gone – in a moment.
They will return to the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
So what are we saving for when the rainy day has come?
And what does it mean,
as the parable asks, to be “rich toward God?”
The Session is, of course, wrestling with these questions.
Part of their response
has been the establishment of the Norval Project.
The Norval Project takes some of our financial resources,
as well as 10 hours of my time each week
And uses those resources to support ministry in other places.
By connecting and educating clergy in other churches,
We are using our resources to bring life in other congregations.
On behalf of the Norval Project, I will teach and write books
That help other clergy to wrestle with difficult realities.
Hopefully, we will host some gatherings of clergy and their families for worship and fellowship.
So in that way,
our money and time are being used for the good of others.
I think this is a faithful and innovative response to God’s gifts.
It’s an amazing thing when churches like ours
share what they have with other churches.
We have only a few people, but lots of money.
This way, we are helping clergy from other congregations who might be struggling financially.
Whenever there is growth and energy
anywhere in the church of Jesus Christ,
It is good news for you and me.
Dr. Brian has this to say about the Norval Project,
And how it has impacted his ministry
in his own church in Vancouver:
“Contributors to church leadership can get isolated and overwhelmed far too easily these days.
The Norval Project, as imagined thus far by Sarah and the congregation, holds out the promise
of being a centre for connection, companionship, and creativity when it comes to co-creating
the church of the future. Diverse voices will find a sufficiently safe space in the centre to engage in
constructive conversations that generate hope and healing in the midst of the grim realities
of our traumatized/traumatizing world. Our allying with God in caring for creation (we call it
"missioning") at Brentwood has already been enriched greatly by my conversations with the
leadership at Norval. I look forward to expanding the networks of flourishing this project will
convene.
” As an example of the kind of ministry and mission we will be doing through the Norval Project,
the Norval Project is hosting a jazz evensong service
on August 5th,
All the investments and resources will be gone – in a moment.
They will return to the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
So what are we saving for when the rainy day has come?
And what does it mean,
as the parable asks, to be “rich toward God?”
The Session is, of course, wrestling with these questions.
Part of their response
has been the establishment of the Norval Project.
The Norval Project takes some of our financial resources,
as well as 10 hours of my time each week
And uses those resources to support ministry in other places.
By connecting and educating clergy in other churches,
We are using our resources to bring life in other congregations.
On behalf of the Norval Project, I will teach and write books
That help other clergy to wrestle with difficult realities.
Hopefully, we will host some gatherings of clergy and their families for worship and fellowship.
So in that way,
our money and time are being used for the good of others.
I think this is a faithful and innovative response to God’s gifts.
It’s an amazing thing when churches like ours
share what they have with other churches.
We have only a few people, but lots of money.
This way, we are helping clergy from other congregations who might be struggling financially.
Whenever there is growth and energy
anywhere in the church of Jesus Christ,
It is good news for you and me.
Dr. Brian has this to say about the Norval Project,
And how it has impacted his ministry
in his own church in Vancouver:
“Contributors to church leadership can get isolated and overwhelmed far too easily these days.
The Norval Project, as imagined thus far by Sarah and the congregation, holds out the promise
of being a centre for connection, companionship, and creativity when it comes to co-creating
the church of the future. Diverse voices will find a sufficiently safe space in the centre to engage in
constructive conversations that generate hope and healing in the midst of the grim realities
of our traumatized/traumatizing world. Our allying with God in caring for creation (we call it
"missioning") at Brentwood has already been enriched greatly by my conversations with the
leadership at Norval. I look forward to expanding the networks of flourishing this project will
convene.
” As an example of the kind of ministry and mission we will be doing through the Norval Project,
the Norval Project is hosting a jazz evensong service
on August 5th,
Here in our sanctuary.
This service will be co-led by myself and Dr. Brian,
Who is becoming a familiar friend to many of us.
We will have a trio of jazz musicians.
All of you are invited.
And we’ll extend that invitation to other churches
And especially to clergy and other church leaders
who might be refreshed by an evening of jazz and conversation.
As Dr. Brian would say, this is part of our missioning.
It’s part of how we extend God’s grace and reconciling love into the daily grim fabric of life.
If we are to be faithful, we are invited to stop being so fearful.
Many of us are afraid for our future as a congregation.
We simply don’t know what God has planned for us,
the people of God in this place.
We don’t know what the future holds, and it is terrifying.
There are, however, some things that we do know.
First, we know we are so richly resourced with people, land and funding. I’m filled with
gratitude for each one of you whether I’m looking at your right now, or whether you are
watching this online, or reading it with the newsletter. This church is people rich. Just think of
the caring that has gone on during the pandemic. All of you are the church’s greatest strength.
We also happen to have beautiful (and expensive) real estate, and lots of investments. These
are gifts which have been granted to us by past and present generations which have been so
faithful to God’s work in the world.
Secondly, we know it’s not all about us. If we are to continue to exist, it must be for the sake of
healing the community around us. While we will continue our commitment to care for each
other, within Norval Church, our focus must always be outward – toward God as known in the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And toward our neighbours of every race, ethnicity,
sexuality, and socioeconomic status. It’s not all about us, it’s about aligning ourselves with what
God is doing in the world. It’s about finding out where there as need and faithfully responding.
Thirdly, we know that God will give us what we need. As we make decisions about spending
money, we should remember that the future could be snatched away from us at any point. Each
day will take care of itself, and God will give us whatever we need to do faithful ministry. While
we should continue to honour and care for this sacred space, the building should never be our
priority. Certainly, we should do whatever changes we need to make to our building to make it
more hospitable and welcoming to others. But it is more about how we can use the building as
a space for ministry than it is about the building itself.
This service will be co-led by myself and Dr. Brian,
Who is becoming a familiar friend to many of us.
We will have a trio of jazz musicians.
All of you are invited.
And we’ll extend that invitation to other churches
And especially to clergy and other church leaders
who might be refreshed by an evening of jazz and conversation.
As Dr. Brian would say, this is part of our missioning.
It’s part of how we extend God’s grace and reconciling love into the daily grim fabric of life.
If we are to be faithful, we are invited to stop being so fearful.
Many of us are afraid for our future as a congregation.
We simply don’t know what God has planned for us,
the people of God in this place.
We don’t know what the future holds, and it is terrifying.
There are, however, some things that we do know.
First, we know we are so richly resourced with people, land and funding. I’m filled with
gratitude for each one of you whether I’m looking at your right now, or whether you are
watching this online, or reading it with the newsletter. This church is people rich. Just think of
the caring that has gone on during the pandemic. All of you are the church’s greatest strength.
We also happen to have beautiful (and expensive) real estate, and lots of investments. These
are gifts which have been granted to us by past and present generations which have been so
faithful to God’s work in the world.
Secondly, we know it’s not all about us. If we are to continue to exist, it must be for the sake of
healing the community around us. While we will continue our commitment to care for each
other, within Norval Church, our focus must always be outward – toward God as known in the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And toward our neighbours of every race, ethnicity,
sexuality, and socioeconomic status. It’s not all about us, it’s about aligning ourselves with what
God is doing in the world. It’s about finding out where there as need and faithfully responding.
Thirdly, we know that God will give us what we need. As we make decisions about spending
money, we should remember that the future could be snatched away from us at any point. Each
day will take care of itself, and God will give us whatever we need to do faithful ministry. While
we should continue to honour and care for this sacred space, the building should never be our
priority. Certainly, we should do whatever changes we need to make to our building to make it
more hospitable and welcoming to others. But it is more about how we can use the building as
a space for ministry than it is about the building itself.
As God’s unknown future unfolds, we will find that we have exactly what we need.
And there will be a future. It may not look quite like this, but there is a future for Norval Church. Do not be
afraid, for I bring you tidings of great joy.
In Christ, we have been trusted with this amazing group of human beings, we have this beautiful
and sacred space to worship, we have enough money for today, and we have bright hope for
tomorrow. Let us give thanks for the gi\s we are holding, and may we find wisdom and grace as
we share what we have in order to love and support God’s beloved children. We do none of this
alone. Only through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit are we enabled to be wise
enough to be ‘rich toward God.’ Friends, we are rich beyond measure because of the love of
God that is present in this place. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Sermon - June 12, 2022 with Rev. Dianne Douglas
SCRIPTURES:
New Testament: Romans 5: 1 – 5
Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Gospel: John 16: 12 - 15
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”
SERMON: “Rejoicing in suffering - and hope”
“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
LET US PRAY: Psalm 19: 14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be
acceptable in your sight, O Lord; our strength, and our redeemer.
AMEN.
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul boasted of his sufferings, which demonstrated the selfless quality of his ministry.
In 2 Corinthians11: 30 he writes:
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
In today’s passage from Romans, Paul speaks of rejoicing, and he starts with rejoicing about hope: we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Then he expands on what we rejoice on, when he writes:
3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings……
It sounds strange that someone would want to rejoice in suffering – not a convincing place to start if you are looking to encourage yourself or others in building up – or finding - faith.
So how can a person rejoice in suffering?
Paul is not welcoming punishment or hard times, and he is not suggesting that we should solicit or seek out suffering……. or find pleasure in it.
His embracing of suffering is actually rooted in his faith that God transforms Good Fridays into Easters — that God embeds a blessing in every hardship for those who trust him.
Jesus alludes to suffering when he tells the disciples:
12 “I still have many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now.
The disciples are already anxious and frightened that Jesus will not be with them.
Jesus knows that they quite simply can’t handle, at this stage, knowing what is to come. So, Jesus reassures the disciples that he will provide for their needs.
They will not be alone; they will actually gain after Jesus’ departure by the Holy Spirit’s arrival.
The incarnation - being totally human - imposed human limitations on Jesus. He is bound by time and place. He can travel only slowly and so far, and teach directly only those who are within range of his voice.
The Holy Spirit will not be subject to these limitations, but will be present everywhere — throughout the world - and throughout history.
And Jesus promises what the Holy Spirit will do:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul speaks of suffering for Christ, writing,
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am.
And in regard to this suffering, Paul explains why this suffering is important as he continues:
Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1: 12).
Paul is not suggesting that we seek out suffering and embrace it. He simply acknowledges that suffering is a part of life.
No matter what we might want,
no matter how many times we see movies and television that
try to make us think someone else’s life is perfect,
no matter how many times we complain that life is not fair,
Paul wants us to know that suffering is simply a part of everyone’s life, AND if we allow it to happen, we will – as a result of that suffering – end in a place of hope.
Paul explains why we would rejoice in suffering – why we would bring attention to our suffering as Christians.
There are steps involved:
We rejoice in our sufferings: because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
This has had me thinking a lot about hope this week.
Three years ago, in 2019, before COVID, there was a lot of talk about hope. From “I hope the Raptors make it into the playoffs”, to “I hope the Raps make the finals” to that Monday, June 10th game, “I hope they win in Toronto tonight” to that final game on Thursday June 13th, and the collective: “I hope WE THE NORTH make history tonight and win the championship!”
Hope was prevalent not only in the GTA but all across Canada - something that we shared together as a nation - no matter when, or how our commitment came about, for getting and staying on the bandwagon.
Not everyone on the bandwagon in the lead-up to this historic win was there 27 years ago – in fact I think it might be interesting to know what the percentage of “all the way through” fans would be!
And there were Jurassic Parks springing up across the country (Jurassic Park West in nearby Mississauga being a notable one) and they were all filled with enthusiastic – and hopeful - fans. People talking in hope to the person in line behind them; camping out for days in hope.
Hopeful people looking for a hopeful outcome. The Raptors, like most new teams, has struggled. The club struggled in its inaugural season. The team finished with a record of 21 wins to 61 losses, but posted a few surprising wins over some of the league’s premier clubs, including the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics. There were struggles and suffering.
It has been 29 years since Toronto was awarded the NBA franchise, and the team is entering its 28th year.
It’s been almost 30 years since the Blue Jays won their first World Series.
And it was 25 years before that – in 1967 – that the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup. All this seemingly PROVING that hope springs eternal for sports fans!
Struggles and challenges in a sport are expected.
But I think the hope of individuals and the coming together of the country in that hope is worth noting. Also, it was nice that the Commissioner of the NBA mentioned, in giving out the trophy to the Raptors, that basketball was invented in Canada. In Almont, Ontario, where James Nasmith is celebrated for inventing the game, the folks in that town saying for long after the Raptors win that, “Basketball has come home.”
In all of this though, I thought about the Golden State Warriors. They had hope too – and so did their fans in that country. I can only imagine their disappointment when they lost – for the first time in the season – three games in a row in their own Oracle Arena. That last game was a close one – they played well – it was hard fought – with much hope.
And the last game of the series was the last to ever be played there by the Warriors - as they then moved, as planned, across to San Francisco.
Hope does not always bring what we hope for.
How many times do we talk about hope in a day? “I hope I make this deadline for my client. I hope my, or my loved one’s, tests come back that there is no problem. I hope the family can get together without an argument this time. I hope the treatment works for my parent, my child, my spouse, my friend….. I hope you can make it – we would love to see you.”
And during COVID some of those hopes have remained the same while others have been heightened:
“I hope I can make this deadline with working from home - and the chaos around me with all of that. I hope that my, or my loved one’s COVID test comes back negative. I hope the family can get together in person for Grandma’s birthday. I hope my COVID test is still negative so I can see Grandma in Long Term Care. I hope to see you soon……. I hope……”
There was also something else this week that highlighted hope for me. Today, June 12, would have been Anne Frank’s 93rd birthday. Anne Frank of course wrote probably the most famous and widely read diary in history.
Early in the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, Anne’s father, Otto Frank, a German businessman, took his wife and two daughters to live in Amsterdam.
In 1941, after German forces occupied the Netherlands, Anne was compelled to transfer from a public school to a Jewish one.
On June 12, 1942, she received a red-and-white plaid diary for her 13th birthday. When Anne’s sister, Margot, was faced with deportation (supposedly to a forced-labour camp), the Franks went into hiding on July 6, 1942, almost 80 years ago, in the backroom office and warehouse of Otto Frank’s food-products business.
With the aid of a few non-Jewish friends, among them Miep Gies, who smuggled in food and other supplies, the Frank family and four other Jews — Hermann and Auguste van Pels and their son, Peter, and Fritz Pfeffer — lived confined to the “Secret Annex.”
During this time, Anne wrote faithfully in her diary, recounting day-to-day life in hiding, from ordinary annoyances as a teenager; to sometimes frayed nerves with all the group in the space, and having to remain silent all day while workers were present; to the fear of capture.
Each night she would bring her diary to her father, who had promised not to read it, and he would place it in the briefcase with all their important papers, and set the briefcase beside his bed. He did not read it – then.
Anne’s last diary entry was written on August 1, 1944. Three days later the annex was discovered by the Gestapo, which was acting on a tip from Dutch informers. The Frank family was transported to Westerbork, a transit camp in the Netherlands, and from there to Auschwitz, in German-occupied Poland, on September 3, 1944, on the last transport to leave Westerbork for Auschwitz.
Anne and Margot were transferred to Bergen-Belsen the following month. Anne’s mother died in early January, just before the evacuation of Auschwitz on January 18, 1945.
Both Anne and Margot died in a typhus epidemic, likely in February 1945, only weeks before the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.
Otto Frank was found hospitalized at Auschwitz when it was liberated by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945.
He was the only one from the “Secret Annex” to survive.
Miep Gies brought Otto Frank the diary and papers from the hiding place – the contents that were dumped out and left when the Nazis used Otto’s briefcase to gather all the valuables they could find. Otto then read Anne’s diary, and he said it took him a long time.
He discovered a serious young person that wrote thoughtfully and well – not the young girl he remembered. He made the decision to publish it.
The Encyclodedia Britannica describes the diary as “Precocious in style and insight, it traces her emotional growth amid adversity. In it she wrote, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.”
She discussed typical adolescent issues as well as her hopes for the future, which included becoming a journalist or a writer.
That day she began writing in the book, on her 13th birthday on June 12, 1942, her words were of hope: “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.”
Anne’s diary has become a source of inspiration and admiration for a young girl’s courage, suffering, and insight, to so many.
We have a greater source of hope. As Paul outlines, through suffering… then learning endurance (which builds our character) we come to hope.
And we have Jesus’ assurance that the Holy Spirit will always be with us, to support and guide us, no matter what our sufferings may be, no matter what we must endure, for it is through this refining that our character is built, and we can then embrace hope.
Alone we can do nothing, but we are called to faith, and through that we are justified.
Paul’s words:
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into
this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of
the glory of God.
There may be, in fact there will be, disappointments in life – there may also be serious, and even life-altering struggles, yet we can endure anything because we are embraced and surrounded by our Triune God.
We each are God’s beloved child;
Jesus walks with us every step of our journey,
and the Holy Spirit surrounds us ;
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
whom he has given us.
May we give thanks, and rejoice in our struggles - that teach us endurance, build our character, and bring us to that hope that can never disappoint.
AMEN
New Testament: Romans 5: 1 – 5
Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Gospel: John 16: 12 - 15
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”
SERMON: “Rejoicing in suffering - and hope”
“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
LET US PRAY: Psalm 19: 14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be
acceptable in your sight, O Lord; our strength, and our redeemer.
AMEN.
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul boasted of his sufferings, which demonstrated the selfless quality of his ministry.
In 2 Corinthians11: 30 he writes:
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
In today’s passage from Romans, Paul speaks of rejoicing, and he starts with rejoicing about hope: we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Then he expands on what we rejoice on, when he writes:
3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings……
It sounds strange that someone would want to rejoice in suffering – not a convincing place to start if you are looking to encourage yourself or others in building up – or finding - faith.
So how can a person rejoice in suffering?
Paul is not welcoming punishment or hard times, and he is not suggesting that we should solicit or seek out suffering……. or find pleasure in it.
His embracing of suffering is actually rooted in his faith that God transforms Good Fridays into Easters — that God embeds a blessing in every hardship for those who trust him.
Jesus alludes to suffering when he tells the disciples:
12 “I still have many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now.
The disciples are already anxious and frightened that Jesus will not be with them.
Jesus knows that they quite simply can’t handle, at this stage, knowing what is to come. So, Jesus reassures the disciples that he will provide for their needs.
They will not be alone; they will actually gain after Jesus’ departure by the Holy Spirit’s arrival.
The incarnation - being totally human - imposed human limitations on Jesus. He is bound by time and place. He can travel only slowly and so far, and teach directly only those who are within range of his voice.
The Holy Spirit will not be subject to these limitations, but will be present everywhere — throughout the world - and throughout history.
And Jesus promises what the Holy Spirit will do:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul speaks of suffering for Christ, writing,
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am.
And in regard to this suffering, Paul explains why this suffering is important as he continues:
Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1: 12).
Paul is not suggesting that we seek out suffering and embrace it. He simply acknowledges that suffering is a part of life.
No matter what we might want,
no matter how many times we see movies and television that
try to make us think someone else’s life is perfect,
no matter how many times we complain that life is not fair,
Paul wants us to know that suffering is simply a part of everyone’s life, AND if we allow it to happen, we will – as a result of that suffering – end in a place of hope.
Paul explains why we would rejoice in suffering – why we would bring attention to our suffering as Christians.
There are steps involved:
We rejoice in our sufferings: because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
This has had me thinking a lot about hope this week.
Three years ago, in 2019, before COVID, there was a lot of talk about hope. From “I hope the Raptors make it into the playoffs”, to “I hope the Raps make the finals” to that Monday, June 10th game, “I hope they win in Toronto tonight” to that final game on Thursday June 13th, and the collective: “I hope WE THE NORTH make history tonight and win the championship!”
Hope was prevalent not only in the GTA but all across Canada - something that we shared together as a nation - no matter when, or how our commitment came about, for getting and staying on the bandwagon.
Not everyone on the bandwagon in the lead-up to this historic win was there 27 years ago – in fact I think it might be interesting to know what the percentage of “all the way through” fans would be!
And there were Jurassic Parks springing up across the country (Jurassic Park West in nearby Mississauga being a notable one) and they were all filled with enthusiastic – and hopeful - fans. People talking in hope to the person in line behind them; camping out for days in hope.
Hopeful people looking for a hopeful outcome. The Raptors, like most new teams, has struggled. The club struggled in its inaugural season. The team finished with a record of 21 wins to 61 losses, but posted a few surprising wins over some of the league’s premier clubs, including the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics. There were struggles and suffering.
It has been 29 years since Toronto was awarded the NBA franchise, and the team is entering its 28th year.
It’s been almost 30 years since the Blue Jays won their first World Series.
And it was 25 years before that – in 1967 – that the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup. All this seemingly PROVING that hope springs eternal for sports fans!
Struggles and challenges in a sport are expected.
But I think the hope of individuals and the coming together of the country in that hope is worth noting. Also, it was nice that the Commissioner of the NBA mentioned, in giving out the trophy to the Raptors, that basketball was invented in Canada. In Almont, Ontario, where James Nasmith is celebrated for inventing the game, the folks in that town saying for long after the Raptors win that, “Basketball has come home.”
In all of this though, I thought about the Golden State Warriors. They had hope too – and so did their fans in that country. I can only imagine their disappointment when they lost – for the first time in the season – three games in a row in their own Oracle Arena. That last game was a close one – they played well – it was hard fought – with much hope.
And the last game of the series was the last to ever be played there by the Warriors - as they then moved, as planned, across to San Francisco.
Hope does not always bring what we hope for.
How many times do we talk about hope in a day? “I hope I make this deadline for my client. I hope my, or my loved one’s, tests come back that there is no problem. I hope the family can get together without an argument this time. I hope the treatment works for my parent, my child, my spouse, my friend….. I hope you can make it – we would love to see you.”
And during COVID some of those hopes have remained the same while others have been heightened:
“I hope I can make this deadline with working from home - and the chaos around me with all of that. I hope that my, or my loved one’s COVID test comes back negative. I hope the family can get together in person for Grandma’s birthday. I hope my COVID test is still negative so I can see Grandma in Long Term Care. I hope to see you soon……. I hope……”
There was also something else this week that highlighted hope for me. Today, June 12, would have been Anne Frank’s 93rd birthday. Anne Frank of course wrote probably the most famous and widely read diary in history.
Early in the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, Anne’s father, Otto Frank, a German businessman, took his wife and two daughters to live in Amsterdam.
In 1941, after German forces occupied the Netherlands, Anne was compelled to transfer from a public school to a Jewish one.
On June 12, 1942, she received a red-and-white plaid diary for her 13th birthday. When Anne’s sister, Margot, was faced with deportation (supposedly to a forced-labour camp), the Franks went into hiding on July 6, 1942, almost 80 years ago, in the backroom office and warehouse of Otto Frank’s food-products business.
With the aid of a few non-Jewish friends, among them Miep Gies, who smuggled in food and other supplies, the Frank family and four other Jews — Hermann and Auguste van Pels and their son, Peter, and Fritz Pfeffer — lived confined to the “Secret Annex.”
During this time, Anne wrote faithfully in her diary, recounting day-to-day life in hiding, from ordinary annoyances as a teenager; to sometimes frayed nerves with all the group in the space, and having to remain silent all day while workers were present; to the fear of capture.
Each night she would bring her diary to her father, who had promised not to read it, and he would place it in the briefcase with all their important papers, and set the briefcase beside his bed. He did not read it – then.
Anne’s last diary entry was written on August 1, 1944. Three days later the annex was discovered by the Gestapo, which was acting on a tip from Dutch informers. The Frank family was transported to Westerbork, a transit camp in the Netherlands, and from there to Auschwitz, in German-occupied Poland, on September 3, 1944, on the last transport to leave Westerbork for Auschwitz.
Anne and Margot were transferred to Bergen-Belsen the following month. Anne’s mother died in early January, just before the evacuation of Auschwitz on January 18, 1945.
Both Anne and Margot died in a typhus epidemic, likely in February 1945, only weeks before the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.
Otto Frank was found hospitalized at Auschwitz when it was liberated by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945.
He was the only one from the “Secret Annex” to survive.
Miep Gies brought Otto Frank the diary and papers from the hiding place – the contents that were dumped out and left when the Nazis used Otto’s briefcase to gather all the valuables they could find. Otto then read Anne’s diary, and he said it took him a long time.
He discovered a serious young person that wrote thoughtfully and well – not the young girl he remembered. He made the decision to publish it.
The Encyclodedia Britannica describes the diary as “Precocious in style and insight, it traces her emotional growth amid adversity. In it she wrote, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.”
She discussed typical adolescent issues as well as her hopes for the future, which included becoming a journalist or a writer.
That day she began writing in the book, on her 13th birthday on June 12, 1942, her words were of hope: “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.”
Anne’s diary has become a source of inspiration and admiration for a young girl’s courage, suffering, and insight, to so many.
We have a greater source of hope. As Paul outlines, through suffering… then learning endurance (which builds our character) we come to hope.
And we have Jesus’ assurance that the Holy Spirit will always be with us, to support and guide us, no matter what our sufferings may be, no matter what we must endure, for it is through this refining that our character is built, and we can then embrace hope.
Alone we can do nothing, but we are called to faith, and through that we are justified.
Paul’s words:
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into
this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of
the glory of God.
There may be, in fact there will be, disappointments in life – there may also be serious, and even life-altering struggles, yet we can endure anything because we are embraced and surrounded by our Triune God.
We each are God’s beloved child;
Jesus walks with us every step of our journey,
and the Holy Spirit surrounds us ;
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
whom he has given us.
May we give thanks, and rejoice in our struggles - that teach us endurance, build our character, and bring us to that hope that can never disappoint.
AMEN
Norval's 184th Anniversary with Rev. Jack Archibald - June 5, 2022
https://youtu.be/ZxzaOtbrW4M
Sermon - May 8, 2022
Acts 9:36-42
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
Tabitha is clearly a pillar of the church in Joppa.
This is the only time in the whole New Testament that the female form of the word ‘disciple’ is used. Tabitha has loved and served her church, following Jesus as a disciple.
She is beloved.
And she has died.
The women, the widows, have gathered with her, and washed her body.
We might wonder whether she is merely sleeping or in a deep coma,
But the fact that they have washed her body, and she remains dead, is a clue that this is the real thing.
It was an act of love and service for the women to wash her and prepare her for burial.
Apparently, though, they haven’t given up hope.
They send two men for Peter who is a day’s journey away in Lydda.
They obviously believe that Peter will be able to help in some way.
And he does.
Peter comes, and widows show him all the beautiful garments they are wearing,
All made by Tabitha. It is clear that she used her gifts and talents to help the poor.
For the widows would have been poor.
It was the lot of widows in those days to be extremely vulnerable without a man to protect them in a culture that was centred on male power.
Peter sends everyone away. Perhaps he needs the quiet in order to accomplish his task.
He kneels and prays,
And then says to her “Tabitha get up”
And she does. She is no longer dead, but alive.
Peter’s prayer brings her back to life.
One of the points of this story is that the power of Jesus is still active in the world
After he has left the disciples to minister on their own.
We could focus on the miracle, and ask wondering questions –
I wonder how it is possible to bring someone back from the dead?
I wonder why Peter healed some people but not all?
I wonder if the church has forgotten how to do this kind of healing miracle?
I want to focus on something else.
Something just as miraculous, only more imaginable.
There is something going on in this story, involving the community at work.
Tabitha is clearly at the centre of the church community –
In her death she is surrounded by women who are caring profoundly for her.
What we see is a community in mourning.
They are weeping because they have lost their friend.
But then all of a sudden they are hoping – hoping that this particular death was not permanent –
That there was some way to bring new life even in the midst of death.
And then, suddenly, they are celebrating.
Because Peter’s prayer has changed everything, and Tabitha is back in their midst.
This model of a community weeping, hoping and celebrating together
Is an image that is powerful and possible.
Jesus has left us a legacy, a church that is loving and serving.
I want to spend just a few minutes thinking about how this congregation
Has wept together, hoped together and celebrated together.
Especially the women of this congregation,
Whom I particularly want to lift up today.
It is mother’s day, and while this may be a difficult day for some,
It is a day of celebration for others.
Let’s celebrate the work of Norval’s women today – generations of faithful witness,
Generations of weeping, hoping and celebrating.
I have heard the stories about the meals that used to be served downstairs.
So much work, fun fellowship and profound service.
Think about how those women from Norval have served both church and community.
Like Tabitha’s community, the women of Norval have relied on each other,
Mourned together,
Planned together,
And given thanks together.
I want to say thank you on behalf of the congregation for your years of service and witness to Jesus Christ.
The church of Jesus Christ is a miracle.
It is an imperfect institution, after all, human being struggle to live in community without messing it up.
But the church is a gift, a space in which we find friendship and companions on the journey.
The story of Tabitha reminds us that we should not forget by whose power we are transformed.
By whose power we are sent into service.
And by whose power we are raised up from the dead.
It is Jesus Christ who nurtures and sustains the church,
It is Jesus Christ who will raise the church from the dead,
By enacting the kind of community that is described in this biblical passage.
Let us weep together. Let us weep for the state of the world, for all that is tired and dead.
Let us weep for violence and for illness, for fear, and for lack of hope.
We weep together, we lament the way things are,
And then we turn to hope,
Because we believe that God is acting in the present time to bring life out of death.
Have we not been raised from the dead?
Have you and I not been filled with grace and hope?
Thus there is reason to celebrate, to be happy and glad that we have such a community
In which the power of God is at loose.
Like the church in Tabitha’s story, we come together to worship and praise,
To be thankful that what was dead is now alive.
The miracle in this story is twofold.
It is the raising of the dead.
And it is the action of God’s spirit in Community.
There is no limit to what God can accomplish when we weep, hope and celebrate together.
Thank God for the life of this congregation,
And may it be a space in which the Spirit of God overflows. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of love, we thank you for Tabitha and her story, and for the women who have served so faithfully in the church. We are grateful for the women of Norval who have wept, hoped and celebrated together. Today, we remember those who are mothers or have been like mothers to us. We weep with those whose children have died, or who wanted to become mothers and could not. We hope with those who long to become mothers. And we celebrate with those who have meaningful relationships between mother and child.
We ask your blessing on the world. Keep your children safe. Be near those who are ill, or recovering, or facing diagnosis. This is your world, God. Please help your people to thrive.
We pray in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 9, 2022: Psalm 100; Ezekiel 37:15-28; Revelation 15:1-4
Tuesday, May 10, 2022: Psalm 100; Ezekiel 45:1-9; Acts 9:32-35
Wednesday, May 11, 2022: Psalm 100; Jeremiah 50:17-20; John 10:31-42
Thursday, May 12, 2022: Psalm 148; Ezekiel 2:8-3:11; Revelation 10:1-11
Friday, May 13, 2022: Psalm 148; Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15
Saturday, May 14, 2022: Psalm 148; Daniel 7:27; Revelation 11:16-19
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
Tabitha is clearly a pillar of the church in Joppa.
This is the only time in the whole New Testament that the female form of the word ‘disciple’ is used. Tabitha has loved and served her church, following Jesus as a disciple.
She is beloved.
And she has died.
The women, the widows, have gathered with her, and washed her body.
We might wonder whether she is merely sleeping or in a deep coma,
But the fact that they have washed her body, and she remains dead, is a clue that this is the real thing.
It was an act of love and service for the women to wash her and prepare her for burial.
Apparently, though, they haven’t given up hope.
They send two men for Peter who is a day’s journey away in Lydda.
They obviously believe that Peter will be able to help in some way.
And he does.
Peter comes, and widows show him all the beautiful garments they are wearing,
All made by Tabitha. It is clear that she used her gifts and talents to help the poor.
For the widows would have been poor.
It was the lot of widows in those days to be extremely vulnerable without a man to protect them in a culture that was centred on male power.
Peter sends everyone away. Perhaps he needs the quiet in order to accomplish his task.
He kneels and prays,
And then says to her “Tabitha get up”
And she does. She is no longer dead, but alive.
Peter’s prayer brings her back to life.
One of the points of this story is that the power of Jesus is still active in the world
After he has left the disciples to minister on their own.
We could focus on the miracle, and ask wondering questions –
I wonder how it is possible to bring someone back from the dead?
I wonder why Peter healed some people but not all?
I wonder if the church has forgotten how to do this kind of healing miracle?
I want to focus on something else.
Something just as miraculous, only more imaginable.
There is something going on in this story, involving the community at work.
Tabitha is clearly at the centre of the church community –
In her death she is surrounded by women who are caring profoundly for her.
What we see is a community in mourning.
They are weeping because they have lost their friend.
But then all of a sudden they are hoping – hoping that this particular death was not permanent –
That there was some way to bring new life even in the midst of death.
And then, suddenly, they are celebrating.
Because Peter’s prayer has changed everything, and Tabitha is back in their midst.
This model of a community weeping, hoping and celebrating together
Is an image that is powerful and possible.
Jesus has left us a legacy, a church that is loving and serving.
I want to spend just a few minutes thinking about how this congregation
Has wept together, hoped together and celebrated together.
Especially the women of this congregation,
Whom I particularly want to lift up today.
It is mother’s day, and while this may be a difficult day for some,
It is a day of celebration for others.
Let’s celebrate the work of Norval’s women today – generations of faithful witness,
Generations of weeping, hoping and celebrating.
I have heard the stories about the meals that used to be served downstairs.
So much work, fun fellowship and profound service.
Think about how those women from Norval have served both church and community.
Like Tabitha’s community, the women of Norval have relied on each other,
Mourned together,
Planned together,
And given thanks together.
I want to say thank you on behalf of the congregation for your years of service and witness to Jesus Christ.
The church of Jesus Christ is a miracle.
It is an imperfect institution, after all, human being struggle to live in community without messing it up.
But the church is a gift, a space in which we find friendship and companions on the journey.
The story of Tabitha reminds us that we should not forget by whose power we are transformed.
By whose power we are sent into service.
And by whose power we are raised up from the dead.
It is Jesus Christ who nurtures and sustains the church,
It is Jesus Christ who will raise the church from the dead,
By enacting the kind of community that is described in this biblical passage.
Let us weep together. Let us weep for the state of the world, for all that is tired and dead.
Let us weep for violence and for illness, for fear, and for lack of hope.
We weep together, we lament the way things are,
And then we turn to hope,
Because we believe that God is acting in the present time to bring life out of death.
Have we not been raised from the dead?
Have you and I not been filled with grace and hope?
Thus there is reason to celebrate, to be happy and glad that we have such a community
In which the power of God is at loose.
Like the church in Tabitha’s story, we come together to worship and praise,
To be thankful that what was dead is now alive.
The miracle in this story is twofold.
It is the raising of the dead.
And it is the action of God’s spirit in Community.
There is no limit to what God can accomplish when we weep, hope and celebrate together.
Thank God for the life of this congregation,
And may it be a space in which the Spirit of God overflows. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of love, we thank you for Tabitha and her story, and for the women who have served so faithfully in the church. We are grateful for the women of Norval who have wept, hoped and celebrated together. Today, we remember those who are mothers or have been like mothers to us. We weep with those whose children have died, or who wanted to become mothers and could not. We hope with those who long to become mothers. And we celebrate with those who have meaningful relationships between mother and child.
We ask your blessing on the world. Keep your children safe. Be near those who are ill, or recovering, or facing diagnosis. This is your world, God. Please help your people to thrive.
We pray in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 9, 2022: Psalm 100; Ezekiel 37:15-28; Revelation 15:1-4
Tuesday, May 10, 2022: Psalm 100; Ezekiel 45:1-9; Acts 9:32-35
Wednesday, May 11, 2022: Psalm 100; Jeremiah 50:17-20; John 10:31-42
Thursday, May 12, 2022: Psalm 148; Ezekiel 2:8-3:11; Revelation 10:1-11
Friday, May 13, 2022: Psalm 148; Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15
Saturday, May 14, 2022: Psalm 148; Daniel 7:27; Revelation 11:16-19
Sermon - May 1, 2022
2Corinthians 5
5For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— 3if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. 12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The buds on my magnolia tree are about to bloom
Glorious pink, in my back garden.
Yet another reminder that spring comes, that new life is always just around the corner.
The Apostle Paul speaks of new life in Christ.
When we link ourselves to Christ and Christ’s message of salvation
We are saying yes to new life.
This passage speaks generously of God’s love for us,
That God has reconciled Godself to us and is continuing to reconcile to us.
So that the mess we make, our sins small and large,
Are absorbed into the great loving power that is our God.
God is continually working to make us new.
Everything that is tired and stale and dead drops away
And we are left clothed with righteousness.
I’ve been wondering what we might have to give up
In order to become new.
What baggage are we carrying around,
What decrepit clothing are we wearing,
What do we hold on to that we need to let go of in order to be made new?
I’m thinking of things like shame and guilt,
Old sins and broken relationships.
All the detritus of human life, the messiness and the challenges.
We carry all these things around, all these old things –
Which don’t serve a purpose at all.
Those are the very things that God is transforming.
It is God’s work to take off our old, soiled, ill-fitting clothing
And reclothe us in compassion, generosity, righteousness.
This work of God is not superficial, it’s internal and it’s intimate.
God remakes us from the inside out.
Always preparing us for deeper relationship with the divine
And with others in the human community.
We are made new for a purpose.
And this purpose, says Paul, is to participate in this ministry of reconciliation.
This means that our purpose is to be reconciled to God
And be reconciled to each other.
A lot of the ministry of the church is about being reconciled to God and one another.
We study scripture so that we can understand God’s revelation,
And the means by which God has become reconciled to us.
We serve our neighbours as a visible sign that we are a resurrected people.
We enjoy one another in fellowship, because we have been placed into relationship with one another.
All of these ministries are part of God’s plan to come into closer and more meaningful relationship with each of us – as individuals and as a community.
We know all of this because Jesus came to live among us,
To show us how to live the best way
To make us alive again, to make us new.
I want to tell you about something new that is happening at Norval Church.
We are all struggling to come to terms with the new realities following Covid.
Our church is smaller, and we are getting older.
We do have many resources. We have this beautiful sanctuary,
We have hard working elders
We have resources that have been invested and stewarded.
We don’t have a lot of people but we have a lot of gifts.
It has been hard to imagine what new life could look like.
We are not, suddenly, going to get a huge influx of people into our church,
Although there is always hope that we will attract newcomers.
So what do we do? What’s next for us as we navigate these strange times?
Over that past few weeks, the pieces of the puzzle have started to come together.
We have all these resources to share.
We have a minister who has spent her career preparing and equipping clergy
We have a congregation that has spent its life preparing and equipping clergy –
You have so often taken young ministers and trained them.
And you’ve continued to care for them long after they are gone from here.
You appear to have a passion for supporting ministers, and you have been very good at it.
Last week the Session approved something called “The Norval Project”
This is a project we are undertaking as a Session that is designed
To nurture, educate and connect ministers in the Presbyterian Church and beyond.
We will do this by providing opportunities for worship, fellowship and education.
The specifics of the plan are still unfolding and they will be shared with you,
As well as information about how you can become involved.
Part of my time will go to supporting this project
And I have to tell you that I am so excited and energized for this work.
The hope is that this project will inject new life into our little church,
By energizing us, connecting us to the wider church, and using our resources for the greater good.
What an amazing gift you are offering to the larger church.
How wonderful, if Norval can positively benefit the lives of ministers
So that they will then be better equipped to do their own ministry.
And like a pebble falling into a smooth lake,
There will be a ripple effect.
And together, we will reap the rewards of the Holy Spirit.
In the meantime,
Pray that we will be able to see new life springing up.
May we accept the invitation of God to be reconciled to God and to each other
May we be raised up, made new, made whole in Christ.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
O God of life, we praise you for raising Jesus from the dead, and raising us too. Thank you for the ways you breathe new life into our community. We pray for the Norval Project, that it will be a powerful and meaningful program that brings rest and hope to weary ministers. God of love, we ask your blessing on those who are sick or sorrowful. We pray for safety and well-being for all people, everywhere. In those spaces of death and despair, breathe hope and newness. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, May 2, 2022: Psalm 121; Ezekiel 1:1-25; Acts 9:19b-31
Tuesday, May 3, 2022: Psalm 121; Ezekiel 1:26-2:1; Acts 26:1-18
Wednesday, May 4, 2022: Psalm 121; Isaiah 6:1-8; Luke 5:1-11
Thursday, May 5, 2022: Psalm 23; Ezekiel 11:1-25; Revelation 5:1-10
Friday, May 6, 2022: Psalm 23; Ezekiel 20:39-44; Revelation 6:1-7:4
Saturday, May 7, 2022: Psalm 23; Ezekiel 28:25-26; Luke 12:29-32
5For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— 3if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. 12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The buds on my magnolia tree are about to bloom
Glorious pink, in my back garden.
Yet another reminder that spring comes, that new life is always just around the corner.
The Apostle Paul speaks of new life in Christ.
When we link ourselves to Christ and Christ’s message of salvation
We are saying yes to new life.
This passage speaks generously of God’s love for us,
That God has reconciled Godself to us and is continuing to reconcile to us.
So that the mess we make, our sins small and large,
Are absorbed into the great loving power that is our God.
God is continually working to make us new.
Everything that is tired and stale and dead drops away
And we are left clothed with righteousness.
I’ve been wondering what we might have to give up
In order to become new.
What baggage are we carrying around,
What decrepit clothing are we wearing,
What do we hold on to that we need to let go of in order to be made new?
I’m thinking of things like shame and guilt,
Old sins and broken relationships.
All the detritus of human life, the messiness and the challenges.
We carry all these things around, all these old things –
Which don’t serve a purpose at all.
Those are the very things that God is transforming.
It is God’s work to take off our old, soiled, ill-fitting clothing
And reclothe us in compassion, generosity, righteousness.
This work of God is not superficial, it’s internal and it’s intimate.
God remakes us from the inside out.
Always preparing us for deeper relationship with the divine
And with others in the human community.
We are made new for a purpose.
And this purpose, says Paul, is to participate in this ministry of reconciliation.
This means that our purpose is to be reconciled to God
And be reconciled to each other.
A lot of the ministry of the church is about being reconciled to God and one another.
We study scripture so that we can understand God’s revelation,
And the means by which God has become reconciled to us.
We serve our neighbours as a visible sign that we are a resurrected people.
We enjoy one another in fellowship, because we have been placed into relationship with one another.
All of these ministries are part of God’s plan to come into closer and more meaningful relationship with each of us – as individuals and as a community.
We know all of this because Jesus came to live among us,
To show us how to live the best way
To make us alive again, to make us new.
I want to tell you about something new that is happening at Norval Church.
We are all struggling to come to terms with the new realities following Covid.
Our church is smaller, and we are getting older.
We do have many resources. We have this beautiful sanctuary,
We have hard working elders
We have resources that have been invested and stewarded.
We don’t have a lot of people but we have a lot of gifts.
It has been hard to imagine what new life could look like.
We are not, suddenly, going to get a huge influx of people into our church,
Although there is always hope that we will attract newcomers.
So what do we do? What’s next for us as we navigate these strange times?
Over that past few weeks, the pieces of the puzzle have started to come together.
We have all these resources to share.
We have a minister who has spent her career preparing and equipping clergy
We have a congregation that has spent its life preparing and equipping clergy –
You have so often taken young ministers and trained them.
And you’ve continued to care for them long after they are gone from here.
You appear to have a passion for supporting ministers, and you have been very good at it.
Last week the Session approved something called “The Norval Project”
This is a project we are undertaking as a Session that is designed
To nurture, educate and connect ministers in the Presbyterian Church and beyond.
We will do this by providing opportunities for worship, fellowship and education.
The specifics of the plan are still unfolding and they will be shared with you,
As well as information about how you can become involved.
Part of my time will go to supporting this project
And I have to tell you that I am so excited and energized for this work.
The hope is that this project will inject new life into our little church,
By energizing us, connecting us to the wider church, and using our resources for the greater good.
What an amazing gift you are offering to the larger church.
How wonderful, if Norval can positively benefit the lives of ministers
So that they will then be better equipped to do their own ministry.
And like a pebble falling into a smooth lake,
There will be a ripple effect.
And together, we will reap the rewards of the Holy Spirit.
In the meantime,
Pray that we will be able to see new life springing up.
May we accept the invitation of God to be reconciled to God and to each other
May we be raised up, made new, made whole in Christ.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
O God of life, we praise you for raising Jesus from the dead, and raising us too. Thank you for the ways you breathe new life into our community. We pray for the Norval Project, that it will be a powerful and meaningful program that brings rest and hope to weary ministers. God of love, we ask your blessing on those who are sick or sorrowful. We pray for safety and well-being for all people, everywhere. In those spaces of death and despair, breathe hope and newness. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, May 2, 2022: Psalm 121; Ezekiel 1:1-25; Acts 9:19b-31
Tuesday, May 3, 2022: Psalm 121; Ezekiel 1:26-2:1; Acts 26:1-18
Wednesday, May 4, 2022: Psalm 121; Isaiah 6:1-8; Luke 5:1-11
Thursday, May 5, 2022: Psalm 23; Ezekiel 11:1-25; Revelation 5:1-10
Friday, May 6, 2022: Psalm 23; Ezekiel 20:39-44; Revelation 6:1-7:4
Saturday, May 7, 2022: Psalm 23; Ezekiel 28:25-26; Luke 12:29-32
Sermon - April 24, 2022
Ezekiel 37:1-14
37The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 7So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.
The prophet Ezekiel gives us an image that is both horrific and hopeful.
Here Ezekiel finds himself in a valley and this valley is full of bones.
This should summon for us
The image of a battlefield
Or a mass grave.
Whatever happened here, it resulted in the deaths of many,
This is a place of trauma,
A holy place, where there has been suffering.
Now these bones are so old
That they are dry.
There is no life here. No life at all.
Not even organic compost material. There is nothing.
Ezekiel is told by God to tell these bones to come alive.
And they do.
There is rattling sound and then bone begins to connect to bone
And human shapes begin to emerge
And then sinews to hold the bones together
And muscles, and flesh,
And suddenly we have a valley not of dry bones
But of corpses.
As I said, it is a horrific image,
But it comes out of horrific circumstances.
There were significant traumatic events that took place
When this book was being written.
the siege, fall, and destruction of Jerusalem about 600 years before Christ.
and the deportation of prisoners of war to a life in forced exile.
Those affected by the siege experienced “famine, pestilence, and the sword” (see Ezek 5:12; 7:15),
atrocities, torture, forms of sexual or sexualized violence, pillaging, and arson.
Deportees had to endure a grueling forced march over hundreds of miles.
They witnessed the weakening and death of fellow captives.
Families were torn apart, and most exiles had no hope of ever returning home.
If all this took place, we can see Ezekiel’s words in a new light –
That of a prophet speaking to a war-torn, displaced, traumatized people.
He is speaking to those who are truly in a terrible circumstance –
Forced to live in a foreign land,
Leaving behind their beloved Jerusalem which lay in ruins.
There was little hope for the future,
And even if there was hope, the people were simply unable to see it.
I cannot help but think of the situation in Ukraine.
We are seeing the siege of cities and the destruction of neighbourhoods.
War crimes, millions of refugees, environmental disaster.
So we hear Ezekiel’s words against the backdrop of something which we can understand.
We can feel empathy for the people of Israel amid their suffering,
And we can find some company for the violence that we witness every day.
Into this situation, Ezekiel speaks an oracle that commands the bones to come to life.
And they do.
Ezekiel calls for the breath come upon those who have been killed,
So that they may live.
And they do.
If the bones represent the people of Israel then perhaps they will live too.
Perhaps there is a future beyond what they can see in this present moment.
Through Ezekiel, God is making an implicit promise here that the captives will return to their own soil.
By the waters of Babylon, we lay down and wept, for thee Zion.
The weeping would eventually turn to rejoicing,
And they would be brought back
From the East and the West and the North and the South
To be together again in Jerusalem.
Against the tyranny and oppression, God’s voice whispers
“You will live again”.
This story has taken a hold of me in the weeks surrounding Easter.
I am so intrigued by the idea of old, dead bones receiving life.
I’ve had an experience like that in my like lately,
Where all I could see were dead, dry bones.
And then suddenly, God began to put flesh on the bones,
And they began to walk around and be filled with breath
And I could see life again where before there had been only death.
There are moments like this,
When we can see healing as it happens.
We can watch as God takes dead dry bones and breathes spirit into them.
Not all bones will come back to life.
And yet there is a promise here that flesh will appear
Where before there was merely a skeleton.
Blood will flow, and a heart will beat,
And the dead will be raised.
This echoes true for us in the promise of Jesus Christ,
That what is tired and stale and dead in us
Is revived in our baptism.
God continually works to renew and refresh us,
Continually works to bring life where there is death.
Our task is, as always, to watch for signs of new life.
Resurrection is all around us,
The power of the risen Christ is not confined to the past nor reserved for the future,
It is a power that inhabits even the piles of dry bones that scatter our landscape.
If you can see nothing but dry bones, pay attention.
Because they might just come to life.
There might be life again, and joy again.
There might be a new beginning.
We cannot know what form life will take,
Only that God has promised to create us anew, over and over again.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of new life, we ask that you will give us breath that energizes and brings us into a state of revival. Breathe life into tired, old bones, so that we might dance again. As we are confronted with the trauma faced by the Israelites, we remember the trauma experienced by so many in our world. We pray for peace, and end to war. We ask your special blessing on those in our community who are ill or recovering. Keep us safe God, and bring us new life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, April 25, 2022: Psalm 122; Esther 7:1-10; Revelation 1:9-20
Tuesday, April 26, 2022: Psalm 122; Esther 8:1-17; Revelation 2:8-11
Wednesday, April 27, 2022: Psalm 122; Esther 9:1-5, 18-23; Luke 12:4-12
Thursday, April 28, 2022: Psalm 30; Isaiah 5:11-17; Revelation 3:14-22
Friday, April 29, 2022: Psalm 30; Isaiah 6:1-4; Revelation 4:1-11
Saturday, April 30, 2022: Psalm 30; Genesis 18:1-8; Luke 14:12-14
37The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 7So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.
The prophet Ezekiel gives us an image that is both horrific and hopeful.
Here Ezekiel finds himself in a valley and this valley is full of bones.
This should summon for us
The image of a battlefield
Or a mass grave.
Whatever happened here, it resulted in the deaths of many,
This is a place of trauma,
A holy place, where there has been suffering.
Now these bones are so old
That they are dry.
There is no life here. No life at all.
Not even organic compost material. There is nothing.
Ezekiel is told by God to tell these bones to come alive.
And they do.
There is rattling sound and then bone begins to connect to bone
And human shapes begin to emerge
And then sinews to hold the bones together
And muscles, and flesh,
And suddenly we have a valley not of dry bones
But of corpses.
As I said, it is a horrific image,
But it comes out of horrific circumstances.
There were significant traumatic events that took place
When this book was being written.
the siege, fall, and destruction of Jerusalem about 600 years before Christ.
and the deportation of prisoners of war to a life in forced exile.
Those affected by the siege experienced “famine, pestilence, and the sword” (see Ezek 5:12; 7:15),
atrocities, torture, forms of sexual or sexualized violence, pillaging, and arson.
Deportees had to endure a grueling forced march over hundreds of miles.
They witnessed the weakening and death of fellow captives.
Families were torn apart, and most exiles had no hope of ever returning home.
If all this took place, we can see Ezekiel’s words in a new light –
That of a prophet speaking to a war-torn, displaced, traumatized people.
He is speaking to those who are truly in a terrible circumstance –
Forced to live in a foreign land,
Leaving behind their beloved Jerusalem which lay in ruins.
There was little hope for the future,
And even if there was hope, the people were simply unable to see it.
I cannot help but think of the situation in Ukraine.
We are seeing the siege of cities and the destruction of neighbourhoods.
War crimes, millions of refugees, environmental disaster.
So we hear Ezekiel’s words against the backdrop of something which we can understand.
We can feel empathy for the people of Israel amid their suffering,
And we can find some company for the violence that we witness every day.
Into this situation, Ezekiel speaks an oracle that commands the bones to come to life.
And they do.
Ezekiel calls for the breath come upon those who have been killed,
So that they may live.
And they do.
If the bones represent the people of Israel then perhaps they will live too.
Perhaps there is a future beyond what they can see in this present moment.
Through Ezekiel, God is making an implicit promise here that the captives will return to their own soil.
By the waters of Babylon, we lay down and wept, for thee Zion.
The weeping would eventually turn to rejoicing,
And they would be brought back
From the East and the West and the North and the South
To be together again in Jerusalem.
Against the tyranny and oppression, God’s voice whispers
“You will live again”.
This story has taken a hold of me in the weeks surrounding Easter.
I am so intrigued by the idea of old, dead bones receiving life.
I’ve had an experience like that in my like lately,
Where all I could see were dead, dry bones.
And then suddenly, God began to put flesh on the bones,
And they began to walk around and be filled with breath
And I could see life again where before there had been only death.
There are moments like this,
When we can see healing as it happens.
We can watch as God takes dead dry bones and breathes spirit into them.
Not all bones will come back to life.
And yet there is a promise here that flesh will appear
Where before there was merely a skeleton.
Blood will flow, and a heart will beat,
And the dead will be raised.
This echoes true for us in the promise of Jesus Christ,
That what is tired and stale and dead in us
Is revived in our baptism.
God continually works to renew and refresh us,
Continually works to bring life where there is death.
Our task is, as always, to watch for signs of new life.
Resurrection is all around us,
The power of the risen Christ is not confined to the past nor reserved for the future,
It is a power that inhabits even the piles of dry bones that scatter our landscape.
If you can see nothing but dry bones, pay attention.
Because they might just come to life.
There might be life again, and joy again.
There might be a new beginning.
We cannot know what form life will take,
Only that God has promised to create us anew, over and over again.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of new life, we ask that you will give us breath that energizes and brings us into a state of revival. Breathe life into tired, old bones, so that we might dance again. As we are confronted with the trauma faced by the Israelites, we remember the trauma experienced by so many in our world. We pray for peace, and end to war. We ask your special blessing on those in our community who are ill or recovering. Keep us safe God, and bring us new life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, April 25, 2022: Psalm 122; Esther 7:1-10; Revelation 1:9-20
Tuesday, April 26, 2022: Psalm 122; Esther 8:1-17; Revelation 2:8-11
Wednesday, April 27, 2022: Psalm 122; Esther 9:1-5, 18-23; Luke 12:4-12
Thursday, April 28, 2022: Psalm 30; Isaiah 5:11-17; Revelation 3:14-22
Friday, April 29, 2022: Psalm 30; Isaiah 6:1-4; Revelation 4:1-11
Saturday, April 30, 2022: Psalm 30; Genesis 18:1-8; Luke 14:12-14
Sermon - April 17, 2022 Easter Sunday
John 20:1-18
20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.
20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
20:5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.
20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there,
20:7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.
20:8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
20:9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
20:10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb;
20:12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.
20:13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."
20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."
20:16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).
20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Some of you might be familiar with the masterpiece
By the composer Joseph Hadyn – Creation.
The Heavens are telling the glory of God,
The wonder of his work displays the firmament.
In all the lands resounds the word,
Never unperceived, ever understood.
The Heavens are telling the glory of God,
The wonder of his work displays the firmament.
This language is very common in the bible.
The psalms speak of God’s handiwork in the stars and the planets,
In rhythms of nature and the passage of time.
Psalm 19 declares
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display God’s craftsmanship.
It is helpful to understand that the authors of the bible
Had a particular understanding of how the universe was structured.
Imagine a vast circle of water.
At the bottom of the circle is dry land.
But all around the edges is water.
At creation, God created the land.
And God created the firmament, basically the sky,
Which separated the upper and lower water,
Almost like an umbrella protecting the land.
So it on this firmament, or sky, that the heavens are projected.
This glorious space has also been called the vault of heaven.
We’re singing a hymn this morning, one of my favourites for Easter
Now let the vault of heaven resound.
If we think of the vault of heaven as a space above the earth
Where God reigns,
And all the heavenly chorus are singing
And bells are ringing
And the whole of heaven is resounding because Jesus is alive.
In praise of love, the whole universe is resounding in joy and adoration
Of the God who raised Jesus from the dead –
Conquering the power of death,
And raising us to new life.
Christ has triumphed, and he liveth! Hallelujah!
We don’t live in the vault of heaven.
We live on a very messy and often joyless planet earth.
We may awake this morning, on this Easter day,
And wonder what difference Jesus’ resurrection makes in the world today.
Nations are tearing each other apart.
Sickness spreads through our communities.
There is so much hatred and despair.
Even the earth itself is suffering deep pain because of human selfishness.
While we know that Jesus lives, it can be difficult to discern signs of his life
In the midst of such misery.
Christ’s victory is a cosmic victory – it is a victory over death in all places and all times.
And yet, death continues.
Suffering continues.
And we can rightly ask where is Jesus in all this chaos?
What has happened to the power of God to transform death into life?
I saw an image the other day of a desert scene.
Dry, cracked, parched earth.
And yet in the cracks were growing flowers.
Life emerges in the cracks between the pieces of scorched land.
Perhaps this is how resurrection appears to us,
Moments of transformation and growth,
Moments when we are able to see life even when we are surrounded by death.
Like a purple crocus poking up in the snow,
Resurrection pokes its way into our lives in big and small ways.
Speaking of small, we are small.
We are fragile and temporary when compared to the glory and permanence of God.
And our ability to see resurrection is limited.
Our vision is limited – because we are human beings we cannot see all of us.
But we can listen in as the heavens declare the glory of God.
For just as resurrection impacts us in human ways,
So the heavenly host is impacted by resurrection.
When Jesus was raised from the dead
All of creation was transformed.
And yet that transformation is ongoing.
It is not finished.
It is the ongoing work of being reconciled to God
It is the ongoing work of God-with-Us,
And gradually we learn to see and hear the joyous reality that Christ is risen,
And that we are risen too –
Made new, fresh, with new skin and muscle put on old bones.
We are invited to listen in to the chorus of heaven
The whole universe
Singing Alleluia.
Alleluia, the grave has no power because we find our home in God.
Alleluia, as Jesus said, if we don’t proclaim God’s glory even the stones will shout out.
Alleluia, the same power that raised Christ from the dead is present with us.
Alleluia, the heavens are telling the glory of God.
And resurrection is happening even if we can’t perceive it.
This is God’s continuous and generous work of reconciling us, of forgiving us,
Of helping us to see and hear the transformative and creative power
That moves among us even now,
Even when the world is in chaos,
Even now, the heavens are telling the glory of God.
The vault of heaven is resounding always, in every moment,
Because the power of resurrection is real
And creation can’t help but sing.
Let us listen in to the vault of heaven,
Rejoicing. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Risen Christ, appear in the cracks and crevices of our lives, bringing new life where before there was nothing but dry soil. Help us to believe and experience the power of resurrection in our own lives. May you continue to break the chains of oppression and violence that sent you to your grave. You are alive now. You are here. We are grateful. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, April 18, 2022: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Joshua 10:16-27; 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
Tuesday, April 19, 2022: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Judges 4:17-23; 5:24-31a; Revelation 12:1-12
Wednesday, April 20, 2022: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 2 Samuel 6:1-15; Luke 24:1-12
Thursday, April 21, 2022: Psalm 150; 1 Samuel 17:1-23; Acts 5:12-16
Friday, April 22, 2022: Psalm 150; 1 Samuel 17:19-32; Acts 5:17-26
Saturday, April 23, 2022: Psalm 150; 1 Samuel 17:32-51; Luke 24:36-40
20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.
20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
20:5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.
20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there,
20:7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.
20:8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
20:9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
20:10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb;
20:12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.
20:13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."
20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."
20:16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).
20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Some of you might be familiar with the masterpiece
By the composer Joseph Hadyn – Creation.
The Heavens are telling the glory of God,
The wonder of his work displays the firmament.
In all the lands resounds the word,
Never unperceived, ever understood.
The Heavens are telling the glory of God,
The wonder of his work displays the firmament.
This language is very common in the bible.
The psalms speak of God’s handiwork in the stars and the planets,
In rhythms of nature and the passage of time.
Psalm 19 declares
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display God’s craftsmanship.
It is helpful to understand that the authors of the bible
Had a particular understanding of how the universe was structured.
Imagine a vast circle of water.
At the bottom of the circle is dry land.
But all around the edges is water.
At creation, God created the land.
And God created the firmament, basically the sky,
Which separated the upper and lower water,
Almost like an umbrella protecting the land.
So it on this firmament, or sky, that the heavens are projected.
This glorious space has also been called the vault of heaven.
We’re singing a hymn this morning, one of my favourites for Easter
Now let the vault of heaven resound.
If we think of the vault of heaven as a space above the earth
Where God reigns,
And all the heavenly chorus are singing
And bells are ringing
And the whole of heaven is resounding because Jesus is alive.
In praise of love, the whole universe is resounding in joy and adoration
Of the God who raised Jesus from the dead –
Conquering the power of death,
And raising us to new life.
Christ has triumphed, and he liveth! Hallelujah!
We don’t live in the vault of heaven.
We live on a very messy and often joyless planet earth.
We may awake this morning, on this Easter day,
And wonder what difference Jesus’ resurrection makes in the world today.
Nations are tearing each other apart.
Sickness spreads through our communities.
There is so much hatred and despair.
Even the earth itself is suffering deep pain because of human selfishness.
While we know that Jesus lives, it can be difficult to discern signs of his life
In the midst of such misery.
Christ’s victory is a cosmic victory – it is a victory over death in all places and all times.
And yet, death continues.
Suffering continues.
And we can rightly ask where is Jesus in all this chaos?
What has happened to the power of God to transform death into life?
I saw an image the other day of a desert scene.
Dry, cracked, parched earth.
And yet in the cracks were growing flowers.
Life emerges in the cracks between the pieces of scorched land.
Perhaps this is how resurrection appears to us,
Moments of transformation and growth,
Moments when we are able to see life even when we are surrounded by death.
Like a purple crocus poking up in the snow,
Resurrection pokes its way into our lives in big and small ways.
Speaking of small, we are small.
We are fragile and temporary when compared to the glory and permanence of God.
And our ability to see resurrection is limited.
Our vision is limited – because we are human beings we cannot see all of us.
But we can listen in as the heavens declare the glory of God.
For just as resurrection impacts us in human ways,
So the heavenly host is impacted by resurrection.
When Jesus was raised from the dead
All of creation was transformed.
And yet that transformation is ongoing.
It is not finished.
It is the ongoing work of being reconciled to God
It is the ongoing work of God-with-Us,
And gradually we learn to see and hear the joyous reality that Christ is risen,
And that we are risen too –
Made new, fresh, with new skin and muscle put on old bones.
We are invited to listen in to the chorus of heaven
The whole universe
Singing Alleluia.
Alleluia, the grave has no power because we find our home in God.
Alleluia, as Jesus said, if we don’t proclaim God’s glory even the stones will shout out.
Alleluia, the same power that raised Christ from the dead is present with us.
Alleluia, the heavens are telling the glory of God.
And resurrection is happening even if we can’t perceive it.
This is God’s continuous and generous work of reconciling us, of forgiving us,
Of helping us to see and hear the transformative and creative power
That moves among us even now,
Even when the world is in chaos,
Even now, the heavens are telling the glory of God.
The vault of heaven is resounding always, in every moment,
Because the power of resurrection is real
And creation can’t help but sing.
Let us listen in to the vault of heaven,
Rejoicing. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Risen Christ, appear in the cracks and crevices of our lives, bringing new life where before there was nothing but dry soil. Help us to believe and experience the power of resurrection in our own lives. May you continue to break the chains of oppression and violence that sent you to your grave. You are alive now. You are here. We are grateful. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, April 18, 2022: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Joshua 10:16-27; 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
Tuesday, April 19, 2022: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Judges 4:17-23; 5:24-31a; Revelation 12:1-12
Wednesday, April 20, 2022: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 2 Samuel 6:1-15; Luke 24:1-12
Thursday, April 21, 2022: Psalm 150; 1 Samuel 17:1-23; Acts 5:12-16
Friday, April 22, 2022: Psalm 150; 1 Samuel 17:19-32; Acts 5:17-26
Saturday, April 23, 2022: Psalm 150; 1 Samuel 17:32-51; Luke 24:36-40
Sermon - April 10, 2022
For days, the pilgrims had been walking past.
From my little house,
a stone’s throw from the road,
I watched them,
some carrying children or small birds,
Some limping as if the journey
had aggravated sore ankles and knees.
It was always like this –
every year during the Passover
When everyone came to Jerusalem.
My children played around the house,
pausing now and then
To look at the strangers trooping past,
And shout greetings and blessings to them,
Eager to receive smiles and waves.
The little colt,
tied up near the door with her mother,
Didn’t pay any attention at all.
I was busy preparing the evening meal,
wishing there was more than bread to give the children.
I looked up and saw two young men approaching,
leaving the road,
Glancing at my donkey and her baby.
They hesitated for a moment,
and then told me they needed to borrow the colt.
I have to ask you –
what kind of strangers borrow someone’s colt?
The men were not unkind,
but they seemed to be in a hurry,
There was some urgency to their request –
They said, “The Lord” needs it.
Which Lord, I wondered?
Surely the emperor had his own horse.
And whoever this Lord was,
could he not just walk like everyone else?
I honestly didn’t feel that I had much choice
about letting them take the colt –
I didn’t want to make trouble,
And they promised to bring the animal back.
How curious, I thought,
and hoped the little donkey showed up again
Before my husband came home.
Not long after that,
there was an increase in the number of people on the road.
I could hear shouting,
and the air around seemed to prickle with excitement,
And maybe with danger.
I was now regretting that I let the colt go –
We have almost nothing. If those men were bandits
Or thieves…
What if they just wanted an animal to sacrifice?
What have I done?
In the distance,
I saw young men climbing trees and cutting branches,
Dropping them down to the ground.
I could see a swell of people,
shouting praises – hosanna, hosanna.
And then this man riding my donkey
He looked a bit silly –
a grown man on a small animal,
his feet almost touching the road.
And yet his back was straight and his face was set.
Who was this man?
The cut branches were laid down on the ground,
And people were taking off their outer garments
and spreading them out
For the donkey – my donkey! –to walk on.
Who was this man?
They were treating him like royalty,
but he was no prince.
I am not an educated woman,
But I would know a prince if I saw one.
I sent the children inside –
there was feeling in the air that I didn’t like –
The same kind of urgency
I sensed with the men who came to get the colt –
Not anger, but maybe fear.
And desperation, among those in the crowd,
Some trying to reach out to him,
as if he could heal them from their ailments,
As if he could put bread into their hands
and quench their thirst.
Who was this man?
I watched his face, looking for clues.
I felt something unexpected,
a jolt of recognition –
even though I know I had never seen him before.
It was like the feeling before a storm,
when the wind rises
And the hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end.
I was glad, proud that he was riding my donkey.
I wondered who he was,
why he was coming into the city
In such a strange way.
I wondered what would happen to him here –
this man with a crowd of loyal followers.
There was trouble ahead – I knew it in my bones.
As if we hadn’t had enough trouble.
But something like hope caught in my throat
and I thought please.
Please let something change.
Please let this man be the one we have been waiting for.
Please.
Help us, please.
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!
A Prayer for the Week
During this Holy Week, O God, we pray for salvation to come. We pray for help and blessing. We pray for a world without war and famine and illness. Offer us your tender care, loving God, as we walk with you on the way to Jerusalem. Amen
From my little house,
a stone’s throw from the road,
I watched them,
some carrying children or small birds,
Some limping as if the journey
had aggravated sore ankles and knees.
It was always like this –
every year during the Passover
When everyone came to Jerusalem.
My children played around the house,
pausing now and then
To look at the strangers trooping past,
And shout greetings and blessings to them,
Eager to receive smiles and waves.
The little colt,
tied up near the door with her mother,
Didn’t pay any attention at all.
I was busy preparing the evening meal,
wishing there was more than bread to give the children.
I looked up and saw two young men approaching,
leaving the road,
Glancing at my donkey and her baby.
They hesitated for a moment,
and then told me they needed to borrow the colt.
I have to ask you –
what kind of strangers borrow someone’s colt?
The men were not unkind,
but they seemed to be in a hurry,
There was some urgency to their request –
They said, “The Lord” needs it.
Which Lord, I wondered?
Surely the emperor had his own horse.
And whoever this Lord was,
could he not just walk like everyone else?
I honestly didn’t feel that I had much choice
about letting them take the colt –
I didn’t want to make trouble,
And they promised to bring the animal back.
How curious, I thought,
and hoped the little donkey showed up again
Before my husband came home.
Not long after that,
there was an increase in the number of people on the road.
I could hear shouting,
and the air around seemed to prickle with excitement,
And maybe with danger.
I was now regretting that I let the colt go –
We have almost nothing. If those men were bandits
Or thieves…
What if they just wanted an animal to sacrifice?
What have I done?
In the distance,
I saw young men climbing trees and cutting branches,
Dropping them down to the ground.
I could see a swell of people,
shouting praises – hosanna, hosanna.
And then this man riding my donkey
He looked a bit silly –
a grown man on a small animal,
his feet almost touching the road.
And yet his back was straight and his face was set.
Who was this man?
The cut branches were laid down on the ground,
And people were taking off their outer garments
and spreading them out
For the donkey – my donkey! –to walk on.
Who was this man?
They were treating him like royalty,
but he was no prince.
I am not an educated woman,
But I would know a prince if I saw one.
I sent the children inside –
there was feeling in the air that I didn’t like –
The same kind of urgency
I sensed with the men who came to get the colt –
Not anger, but maybe fear.
And desperation, among those in the crowd,
Some trying to reach out to him,
as if he could heal them from their ailments,
As if he could put bread into their hands
and quench their thirst.
Who was this man?
I watched his face, looking for clues.
I felt something unexpected,
a jolt of recognition –
even though I know I had never seen him before.
It was like the feeling before a storm,
when the wind rises
And the hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end.
I was glad, proud that he was riding my donkey.
I wondered who he was,
why he was coming into the city
In such a strange way.
I wondered what would happen to him here –
this man with a crowd of loyal followers.
There was trouble ahead – I knew it in my bones.
As if we hadn’t had enough trouble.
But something like hope caught in my throat
and I thought please.
Please let something change.
Please let this man be the one we have been waiting for.
Please.
Help us, please.
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!
A Prayer for the Week
During this Holy Week, O God, we pray for salvation to come. We pray for help and blessing. We pray for a world without war and famine and illness. Offer us your tender care, loving God, as we walk with you on the way to Jerusalem. Amen
Sermon - April 3, 2022
John 12:1-8
12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’
Do you remember the days of perfume?
When it was permissible to wear it for an evening out?
Do you know I can still remember the smell
Of my daycare provider’s perfume? I love that smell.
They say that smell is one of our strongest memories.
I remember my mother wearing perfume and lipstick
Just before the babysitter came.
I remember the smell of a department store main lobby.
Do you remember those days –
You might be relieved that they are over
if you suffer from allergies.
I miss them so much that I actually wear perfume at home where it can’t bother anyone.
Perfume has a tendency to fill the whole area
With scent.
And that is the image that came to mind
As I read this passage
The odour of the perfume wafting through the room,
People suddenly noticing the smell.
Wondering “what is that?”
Thinking “that smells really expensive.”
Just like we might think if we smelled chanel number 5
Certain perfumes are associated with wealth.
Apparently that kind of perfume has no business
At this particular party.
Perhaps the guests are not expecting
to inhale such rich fragrance at this party.
Maybe it was a party for more common folk.
So it was immediately noticeable in the room.
The other thing that was noticeable was that a woman,
Mary, was wiping her hair on Jesus.
This was a strict no-no, and almost unimaginable
That such a thing would take place in public.
This intimate contact between a man and a woman
Would have raised eyebrows at the very least.
The other issue is the cost of the perfume.
Surely it could be used for better things.
I certainly thought that when I read this text –
What a waste of money.
The text doesn’t pull any punches about Judas.
It is perfectly clear to everyone that Judas is a common thief
Who just wants an opportunity to steal.
He’s feigning concern about the poor,
He doesn’t really care about the poor.
He cares about the money.
But he was likely just saying out loud
What everyone else at the party was thinking.
Why not spend the money on the poor?
Why this public display of affection?
Why now?
So many questions.
Jesus defends Mary, claiming that she has done a good thing –
She has cared for his body while he is still here.
The other thing that she is doing
Is acting out the anointing of Jesus’ body after death.
Perfume was used in the anointing of the dead,
And although Jesus says that Mary
bought it for the day of his burial,
it will not ultimately be needed after his death
because the women will not get an opportunity
to anoint his dead body
because his dead body would be alive, walking around.
So, prophetically or coincidentally Mary anoints Jesus
Before his death.
The smell in the room might have been overpowering.
It got into people’s nostrils and throats,
Cloying and sticky.
It was not only the smell of perfume but the stench of death.
Tensions were rising,
And Jesus’ days were numbered.
I love this story.
I love Mary’s flagrant ignoring of convention,
I love the imagery of a broken jar and a strong scent
I love the power of the gift –
Even though Mary’s gift seems to be given
in the wrong time and place – before death rather than after.
It is strange, strange thing to anoint a living man at a party.
But what a beautiful gift.
In Mary’s action, she acknowledged the truth that no one wanted to talk about,
The proximity of death.
The elephant in the room.
No one wanted to talk about the fact that Jesus
was going to die.
By anointing him, Mary acted out the truth.
Jesus would die and there was nothing any of them could do
To stop it from happening.
I’m wondering what gifts we bring to Jesus?
Mary’s gift was expensive
Our gifts don’t need to cost a great deal of money,
But they will cost us something.
That is the nature of a gift, is it not?
It is something that we give of ourselves.
A piece of who we are.
Mary’s gift was a weighty gift not because it cost a lot of money
But because it demonstrated the depth of her devotion.
So what gift will we bring?
What gift will demonstrate the depth of our devotion to Jesus?
This is a really interesting question for us as a congregation.
We are invited to bring our gifts to Jesus,
To proclaim not only his death but also his life.
We are struggling to answer this question –
What gifts shall we bring?
We have tremendous resources –
A beautiful space to worship,
A spacious property
Blossoming investments.
How will we spread the fragrance of good news,
The scent of freedom and forgiveness?
How will we perfume the air of our community
With the gospel that casts out fear?
Where did Mary get the money?
Did she scrimp and save?
She must have saved, for months, years even.
She probably didn’t even know what she was saving for –
Just that typical rainy day fund.
But there came a day when she knew that it was time.
It was time to spend what she had saved.
Because Jesus was here now, and not tomorrow.
The rainy day had come.
So she bought the perfume,
And she anointed him for his burial,
And it was a beautiful act of devotion.
May it inspire us to acts of risk and devotion
As we publicly proclaim the life, death and resurrection
Of Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, you have flooded our lives with the fragrance of love and belonging. We are grateful for your love and your presence with us. You have sent Jesus to live among us, to die and to rise up so that we might also rise up. Help us to offer our acts of devotion to you, so that we might give honour to your name and serve you in the world.
This week we pray for Ukraine and an end to war. We pray for the coronavirus and an end to the pandemic. We ask your blessing on those who are feeling lonely and tired this week. As we approach Easter, fill us with the hope that new life brings. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Monday, April 4, 2022: Psalm 20; Exodus 40:1-15; Hebrews 10:19-25
Tuesday, April 5, 2022: Psalm 20; Judges 9:7-15; 1 John 2:18-28
Wednesday, April 6, 2022: Psalm 20; Habakkuk 3:2-15; Luke 18:31-34
Thursday, April 7, 2022: Psalm 31:9-16; Isaiah 53:10-12; Hebrews 2:1-9
Friday, April 8, 2022: Psalm 31:9-16; Isaiah 54:9-10; Hebrews 2:10-18
Saturday, April 9, 2022: Psalm 31:9-16; Leviticus 23:1-8; Luke 22:1-13
12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’
Do you remember the days of perfume?
When it was permissible to wear it for an evening out?
Do you know I can still remember the smell
Of my daycare provider’s perfume? I love that smell.
They say that smell is one of our strongest memories.
I remember my mother wearing perfume and lipstick
Just before the babysitter came.
I remember the smell of a department store main lobby.
Do you remember those days –
You might be relieved that they are over
if you suffer from allergies.
I miss them so much that I actually wear perfume at home where it can’t bother anyone.
Perfume has a tendency to fill the whole area
With scent.
And that is the image that came to mind
As I read this passage
The odour of the perfume wafting through the room,
People suddenly noticing the smell.
Wondering “what is that?”
Thinking “that smells really expensive.”
Just like we might think if we smelled chanel number 5
Certain perfumes are associated with wealth.
Apparently that kind of perfume has no business
At this particular party.
Perhaps the guests are not expecting
to inhale such rich fragrance at this party.
Maybe it was a party for more common folk.
So it was immediately noticeable in the room.
The other thing that was noticeable was that a woman,
Mary, was wiping her hair on Jesus.
This was a strict no-no, and almost unimaginable
That such a thing would take place in public.
This intimate contact between a man and a woman
Would have raised eyebrows at the very least.
The other issue is the cost of the perfume.
Surely it could be used for better things.
I certainly thought that when I read this text –
What a waste of money.
The text doesn’t pull any punches about Judas.
It is perfectly clear to everyone that Judas is a common thief
Who just wants an opportunity to steal.
He’s feigning concern about the poor,
He doesn’t really care about the poor.
He cares about the money.
But he was likely just saying out loud
What everyone else at the party was thinking.
Why not spend the money on the poor?
Why this public display of affection?
Why now?
So many questions.
Jesus defends Mary, claiming that she has done a good thing –
She has cared for his body while he is still here.
The other thing that she is doing
Is acting out the anointing of Jesus’ body after death.
Perfume was used in the anointing of the dead,
And although Jesus says that Mary
bought it for the day of his burial,
it will not ultimately be needed after his death
because the women will not get an opportunity
to anoint his dead body
because his dead body would be alive, walking around.
So, prophetically or coincidentally Mary anoints Jesus
Before his death.
The smell in the room might have been overpowering.
It got into people’s nostrils and throats,
Cloying and sticky.
It was not only the smell of perfume but the stench of death.
Tensions were rising,
And Jesus’ days were numbered.
I love this story.
I love Mary’s flagrant ignoring of convention,
I love the imagery of a broken jar and a strong scent
I love the power of the gift –
Even though Mary’s gift seems to be given
in the wrong time and place – before death rather than after.
It is strange, strange thing to anoint a living man at a party.
But what a beautiful gift.
In Mary’s action, she acknowledged the truth that no one wanted to talk about,
The proximity of death.
The elephant in the room.
No one wanted to talk about the fact that Jesus
was going to die.
By anointing him, Mary acted out the truth.
Jesus would die and there was nothing any of them could do
To stop it from happening.
I’m wondering what gifts we bring to Jesus?
Mary’s gift was expensive
Our gifts don’t need to cost a great deal of money,
But they will cost us something.
That is the nature of a gift, is it not?
It is something that we give of ourselves.
A piece of who we are.
Mary’s gift was a weighty gift not because it cost a lot of money
But because it demonstrated the depth of her devotion.
So what gift will we bring?
What gift will demonstrate the depth of our devotion to Jesus?
This is a really interesting question for us as a congregation.
We are invited to bring our gifts to Jesus,
To proclaim not only his death but also his life.
We are struggling to answer this question –
What gifts shall we bring?
We have tremendous resources –
A beautiful space to worship,
A spacious property
Blossoming investments.
How will we spread the fragrance of good news,
The scent of freedom and forgiveness?
How will we perfume the air of our community
With the gospel that casts out fear?
Where did Mary get the money?
Did she scrimp and save?
She must have saved, for months, years even.
She probably didn’t even know what she was saving for –
Just that typical rainy day fund.
But there came a day when she knew that it was time.
It was time to spend what she had saved.
Because Jesus was here now, and not tomorrow.
The rainy day had come.
So she bought the perfume,
And she anointed him for his burial,
And it was a beautiful act of devotion.
May it inspire us to acts of risk and devotion
As we publicly proclaim the life, death and resurrection
Of Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, you have flooded our lives with the fragrance of love and belonging. We are grateful for your love and your presence with us. You have sent Jesus to live among us, to die and to rise up so that we might also rise up. Help us to offer our acts of devotion to you, so that we might give honour to your name and serve you in the world.
This week we pray for Ukraine and an end to war. We pray for the coronavirus and an end to the pandemic. We ask your blessing on those who are feeling lonely and tired this week. As we approach Easter, fill us with the hope that new life brings. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Monday, April 4, 2022: Psalm 20; Exodus 40:1-15; Hebrews 10:19-25
Tuesday, April 5, 2022: Psalm 20; Judges 9:7-15; 1 John 2:18-28
Wednesday, April 6, 2022: Psalm 20; Habakkuk 3:2-15; Luke 18:31-34
Thursday, April 7, 2022: Psalm 31:9-16; Isaiah 53:10-12; Hebrews 2:1-9
Friday, April 8, 2022: Psalm 31:9-16; Isaiah 54:9-10; Hebrews 2:10-18
Saturday, April 9, 2022: Psalm 31:9-16; Leviticus 23:1-8; Luke 22:1-13
Sermon - March 13, 2022
Micah 4
4In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
2 and many nations shall come and say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
4 but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples walk,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever.
6 On that day, says the Lord,
I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away,
and those whom I have afflicted.
7 The lame I will make the remnant,
and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
now and for evermore.
Meditation
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
Micah lived almost 3000 years ago, but his words are relevant for today.
This week, I saw an image of four 18 year old boys
They had just completed three days of military training,
And were ready to join the Ukrainian resistance.
They learned war in the space of three days.
Micah promises a time will come
When boys and girls will not learn how to fight,
But how to farm.
There will come a day where each person will feel safe and secure
On their own land, with rich resources and abundant life.
This was not the way things were in Micah’s time.
And this is not the way things are in our time.
Rather than ploughing the fields in Ukraine
In a country so rich with agricultural resources –
The fields and cities are running with blood.
I was reading this week about two men from the United States –
Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin
They have been touring around the US, collecting guns
And turning them into farm implements.
They say:
It’s been said that you can count the number of seeds in an apple but you can’t count the number of apples in a seed. We live in a world of abundant life, where one apple can produce hundreds of offspring. But the same may be true of bullets—they do not kill just one person. A bullet can destroy an entire family, community, or neighborhood. A bullet can produce many more bullets as the spiral of violence escalates, as conflict begets conflict, as wars beget wars, as hatred produces more hatred. And any time a person is killed, the person who did the killing can feel something in them die as well.
We were not made to kill, and when we do, something in us dies. We were made to love and be loved, to cultivate life, not death. So we need to discover how to live on the side of life again.
Theirs is a profound and meaningful call to justice,
To transform violence into peace
Bullets into shovels
And guns into rakes.
Thinking about their ministry,
It occurs to me that their work is all about transformation.
We worship a God who transforms.
Micah’s God promised that people would one day worship God on their holy mountain
Last week, we talked about lament.
Lament as means to express to God that we are discontent with the way things are.
This week, we turn to praise.
We are invited to climb God’s holy mountain
And stand in awe of what we see.
We are invited to worship the one who transforms
Guns into plows
Despair into hope.
Micah the prophet calls the people to obedience,
To return to God and worship with their whole hearts.
Through our worship,
We confess that God is One, that God is Holy,
That the Father sent the Son so that we might live.
We confess that God is a God who transforms
And we wait with eager expectation.
Micah’s vision feels far away right now,
As we are in the midst of war and pandemic simultaneously
It is hard to imagine peace.
It is hard to imagine safety.
While we wait, let us stand in awe of the God who transforms the whole earth –
From our puniest sorrows to earth’s deepest grief.
Just as God transformed death into life in Jesus Christ,
So the divine one will bring life to us. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and gracious God, you transform the sins of the world into grace. You have transformed death into life in Jesus Christ. We ask you to transform fields of blood into fields of sunflowers. Give strength and courage to the people of Ukraine, give peace to the people of Russia. We pray for world leaders who must make difficult decisions. God of field and forest, vale and mountain – we ask your special blessing on the farmers who use tools to provide us with harvest bounty. In these troubled times, we pray especially for those who are alone and lonely, those who are in hospital, those who are struggling with illness. God of life, call us again to worship you, to stand in awe of your power to transform the whole earth. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, March 14, 2022: Psalm 105:1-42; Exodus 33:1-6; Romans 4:1-12
Tuesday, March 15, 2022: Psalm 105:1-42; Numbers 14:10b-24; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Wednesday, March 16, 2022: Psalm 105:1-42; 2 Chronicles 20:1-22; Luke 13:22-31
Thursday, March 17, 2022: Psalm 63:1-8; Daniel 3:19-30; Revelation 2:8-11
Friday, March 18, 2022: Psalm 63:1-8; Daniel 12:1-4; Revelation 3:1-6
Saturday, March 19, 2022: Psalm 63:1-8; Isaiah 5:1-7; Luke 6:43-45
4In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
2 and many nations shall come and say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
4 but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples walk,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever.
6 On that day, says the Lord,
I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away,
and those whom I have afflicted.
7 The lame I will make the remnant,
and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
now and for evermore.
Meditation
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
Micah lived almost 3000 years ago, but his words are relevant for today.
This week, I saw an image of four 18 year old boys
They had just completed three days of military training,
And were ready to join the Ukrainian resistance.
They learned war in the space of three days.
Micah promises a time will come
When boys and girls will not learn how to fight,
But how to farm.
There will come a day where each person will feel safe and secure
On their own land, with rich resources and abundant life.
This was not the way things were in Micah’s time.
And this is not the way things are in our time.
Rather than ploughing the fields in Ukraine
In a country so rich with agricultural resources –
The fields and cities are running with blood.
I was reading this week about two men from the United States –
Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin
They have been touring around the US, collecting guns
And turning them into farm implements.
They say:
It’s been said that you can count the number of seeds in an apple but you can’t count the number of apples in a seed. We live in a world of abundant life, where one apple can produce hundreds of offspring. But the same may be true of bullets—they do not kill just one person. A bullet can destroy an entire family, community, or neighborhood. A bullet can produce many more bullets as the spiral of violence escalates, as conflict begets conflict, as wars beget wars, as hatred produces more hatred. And any time a person is killed, the person who did the killing can feel something in them die as well.
We were not made to kill, and when we do, something in us dies. We were made to love and be loved, to cultivate life, not death. So we need to discover how to live on the side of life again.
Theirs is a profound and meaningful call to justice,
To transform violence into peace
Bullets into shovels
And guns into rakes.
Thinking about their ministry,
It occurs to me that their work is all about transformation.
We worship a God who transforms.
Micah’s God promised that people would one day worship God on their holy mountain
Last week, we talked about lament.
Lament as means to express to God that we are discontent with the way things are.
This week, we turn to praise.
We are invited to climb God’s holy mountain
And stand in awe of what we see.
We are invited to worship the one who transforms
Guns into plows
Despair into hope.
Micah the prophet calls the people to obedience,
To return to God and worship with their whole hearts.
Through our worship,
We confess that God is One, that God is Holy,
That the Father sent the Son so that we might live.
We confess that God is a God who transforms
And we wait with eager expectation.
Micah’s vision feels far away right now,
As we are in the midst of war and pandemic simultaneously
It is hard to imagine peace.
It is hard to imagine safety.
While we wait, let us stand in awe of the God who transforms the whole earth –
From our puniest sorrows to earth’s deepest grief.
Just as God transformed death into life in Jesus Christ,
So the divine one will bring life to us. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous and gracious God, you transform the sins of the world into grace. You have transformed death into life in Jesus Christ. We ask you to transform fields of blood into fields of sunflowers. Give strength and courage to the people of Ukraine, give peace to the people of Russia. We pray for world leaders who must make difficult decisions. God of field and forest, vale and mountain – we ask your special blessing on the farmers who use tools to provide us with harvest bounty. In these troubled times, we pray especially for those who are alone and lonely, those who are in hospital, those who are struggling with illness. God of life, call us again to worship you, to stand in awe of your power to transform the whole earth. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, March 14, 2022: Psalm 105:1-42; Exodus 33:1-6; Romans 4:1-12
Tuesday, March 15, 2022: Psalm 105:1-42; Numbers 14:10b-24; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Wednesday, March 16, 2022: Psalm 105:1-42; 2 Chronicles 20:1-22; Luke 13:22-31
Thursday, March 17, 2022: Psalm 63:1-8; Daniel 3:19-30; Revelation 2:8-11
Friday, March 18, 2022: Psalm 63:1-8; Daniel 12:1-4; Revelation 3:1-6
Saturday, March 19, 2022: Psalm 63:1-8; Isaiah 5:1-7; Luke 6:43-45
Sermon - March 6, 2022
Psalm 6
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
3 My soul also is struck with terror,
while you, O Lord—how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eyes waste away because of grief;
they grow weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.
There are some weeks when writing a sermon is hard work.
This is one of them.
As a preacher, it is my job to find words of hope and comfort
That will sustain us no matter what else is going on.
It’s my job to preach resurrection – to find the good news
And proclaim beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus is alive and well.
It’s my job to go to the scripture and seek wisdom from the stories
And experiences that shaped the faith of God’s people through the ages.
I’ve done all of those things, and I believe all of these things are essential.
Today I proclaim to you that Jesus is Risen – that God is present – that hope exists.
But I have another job, as a preacher.
This job doesn’t get done very well or very often.
I’m talking about lament.
It is my job to lament the state of our world.
It is my job to stand in the pulpit and complain, and argue and beg God to change things.
Lament is a biblical language.
In scripture, it is entirely normal for people to whine and complain to God.
Listen to what David says – about lying in his bed soaked in tears,
Waiting for God to respond. How long, O God?
I am so grateful for the psalms of David and particularly the psalms of lament
Because these psalms give us permission to speak up –
To talk to God about what is bothering us and we don’t have to be polite.
We are free to use all the language in our vocabulary – there is nothing God can’t handle.
God is willing to accept our complaints, our arguments, even our whining.
There are many reasons why lament is absolutely necessary for the Christian life.
First, when we lament, we are acknowledging that God is in charge.
God is the only one to whom we can address our complaints,
Because God is the only one who has power to create newness.
Second, it is good for us to let it out.
We all know the effects of stress on the body and mind.
When we articulate our stories and our experiences to God,
We are creating a space in which we might be healed.
It is good to release our anger and our frustration –
It is not good for us to pretend that everything is ok when it clearly isn’t.
We have permission to not be ok.
We have permission to fall apart before God, and wait for God to put us back together again.
Thirdly, God listens to us. When we raise our voices in protest about the way things are,
God hears us. When we use this form of prayer – because lament is prayer! –
We are creating a space in which we can listen for God’s response.
The Divine responds to us directly and indirectly, and will provide comfort, or peace, or even a counterargument!
It has been a very bad week.
We could all use some good news.
And there is good news.
You are a beloved child of God – the one who sent his only Son to die so that we might live.
There is good news.
But. Before we leap to resurrection, we need to lament the pain and suffering that we see.
I don’t know if this is your experience, but I feel as though I spend a lot of my time
Trying to make things ok.
Trying to stay strong and courageous and keep a stiff upper lip.
Trying to keep my temper, and use language fit for a pastor.
We live in a culture of toxic positivity, where our immediate response
To the question “how are you?” is “I’m fine”
Even if we are not fine.
We need to normalize being not fine.
It is ok to be sad. It is ok to be scared. It is ok to be angry.
God holds out their hands to receive all of it – all of the weight of our grief.
What a gift it is to be allowed to let it out – to wail and cry and despair,
To whinge and complain and argue and shout.
So I’d like to do some complaining.
Perhaps this is a kind of modern psalm.
God of the Universe,
You are the one who brought Israel out of Egypt
You raised Christ from the dead and yet
Children are dying in the Ukraine – patients who can’t access care,
And soldiers who are no more than boys and girls.
Refugees by the millions- shattered lives and families.
And for what? Because of the warring madness of some fool.
We want to know why this is happening and why you are allowing it.
We want it to stop. We long for safety.
We know we are called to pray for our enemies but Lord it is very hard right now.
You are God – cause our enemies to fail. May your justice reign.
How long, O Lord?
More children’s bodies were found this week,
A devastating legacy of residential schools.
More communities in grief and such deep sorrow.
God, we don’t even have words to express the horror –
The shame that such a thing happened in our country.
We’ve had enough!
Enough bad news.
How long, O Lord?
Loving God, this week we have to bury Michael McClure, John and Betty’s grandson.
It is not fair.
It is not just.
It is not reasonable that a mother should have to bury her child.
That a family should bear the weight of such untimely death of a beautiful soul.
We come to you weeping, asking why.
How long, O Lord?
There are not tears enough in all of heaven and earth
To express the sorrow we feel for the suffering that surrounds us.
This is not ok, God.
The way things are is not ok.
Not sustainable.
Not endurable.
So we give it all to you
Because you are the only one who can fix it.
You are the only one who can transform it.
You are the God of newness and possibility.
We beg you, in the strongest possible terms, to save your people.
Bear the weight of our crushing grief.
Receive our tears.
Listen to our shouts of protests.
God of the Universe – we are not content with the way things are.
It is your turn to transform the powers of evil into the power of love.
The ball is in your court.
We wait for you to act.
Amen.
Daily Lectionary
Monday, March 7, 2022: Psalm 17; 1 Chronicles 21:1-17; 1 John 2:1-6
Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Psalm 17; Zechariah 3:1-10; 2 Peter 2:4-21
Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Psalm 17; Job 1:1-22; Luke 21:34-22:6
Thursday, March 10, 2022: Psalm 27; Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18; Philippians 3:2-12
Friday, March 11, 2022: Psalm 27; Genesis 14:17-24; Philippians 3:17-20
Saturday, March 12, 2022: Psalm 27; Psalm 118:26-29; Matthew 23:37-39
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
3 My soul also is struck with terror,
while you, O Lord—how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eyes waste away because of grief;
they grow weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.
There are some weeks when writing a sermon is hard work.
This is one of them.
As a preacher, it is my job to find words of hope and comfort
That will sustain us no matter what else is going on.
It’s my job to preach resurrection – to find the good news
And proclaim beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus is alive and well.
It’s my job to go to the scripture and seek wisdom from the stories
And experiences that shaped the faith of God’s people through the ages.
I’ve done all of those things, and I believe all of these things are essential.
Today I proclaim to you that Jesus is Risen – that God is present – that hope exists.
But I have another job, as a preacher.
This job doesn’t get done very well or very often.
I’m talking about lament.
It is my job to lament the state of our world.
It is my job to stand in the pulpit and complain, and argue and beg God to change things.
Lament is a biblical language.
In scripture, it is entirely normal for people to whine and complain to God.
Listen to what David says – about lying in his bed soaked in tears,
Waiting for God to respond. How long, O God?
I am so grateful for the psalms of David and particularly the psalms of lament
Because these psalms give us permission to speak up –
To talk to God about what is bothering us and we don’t have to be polite.
We are free to use all the language in our vocabulary – there is nothing God can’t handle.
God is willing to accept our complaints, our arguments, even our whining.
There are many reasons why lament is absolutely necessary for the Christian life.
First, when we lament, we are acknowledging that God is in charge.
God is the only one to whom we can address our complaints,
Because God is the only one who has power to create newness.
Second, it is good for us to let it out.
We all know the effects of stress on the body and mind.
When we articulate our stories and our experiences to God,
We are creating a space in which we might be healed.
It is good to release our anger and our frustration –
It is not good for us to pretend that everything is ok when it clearly isn’t.
We have permission to not be ok.
We have permission to fall apart before God, and wait for God to put us back together again.
Thirdly, God listens to us. When we raise our voices in protest about the way things are,
God hears us. When we use this form of prayer – because lament is prayer! –
We are creating a space in which we can listen for God’s response.
The Divine responds to us directly and indirectly, and will provide comfort, or peace, or even a counterargument!
It has been a very bad week.
We could all use some good news.
And there is good news.
You are a beloved child of God – the one who sent his only Son to die so that we might live.
There is good news.
But. Before we leap to resurrection, we need to lament the pain and suffering that we see.
I don’t know if this is your experience, but I feel as though I spend a lot of my time
Trying to make things ok.
Trying to stay strong and courageous and keep a stiff upper lip.
Trying to keep my temper, and use language fit for a pastor.
We live in a culture of toxic positivity, where our immediate response
To the question “how are you?” is “I’m fine”
Even if we are not fine.
We need to normalize being not fine.
It is ok to be sad. It is ok to be scared. It is ok to be angry.
God holds out their hands to receive all of it – all of the weight of our grief.
What a gift it is to be allowed to let it out – to wail and cry and despair,
To whinge and complain and argue and shout.
So I’d like to do some complaining.
Perhaps this is a kind of modern psalm.
God of the Universe,
You are the one who brought Israel out of Egypt
You raised Christ from the dead and yet
Children are dying in the Ukraine – patients who can’t access care,
And soldiers who are no more than boys and girls.
Refugees by the millions- shattered lives and families.
And for what? Because of the warring madness of some fool.
We want to know why this is happening and why you are allowing it.
We want it to stop. We long for safety.
We know we are called to pray for our enemies but Lord it is very hard right now.
You are God – cause our enemies to fail. May your justice reign.
How long, O Lord?
More children’s bodies were found this week,
A devastating legacy of residential schools.
More communities in grief and such deep sorrow.
God, we don’t even have words to express the horror –
The shame that such a thing happened in our country.
We’ve had enough!
Enough bad news.
How long, O Lord?
Loving God, this week we have to bury Michael McClure, John and Betty’s grandson.
It is not fair.
It is not just.
It is not reasonable that a mother should have to bury her child.
That a family should bear the weight of such untimely death of a beautiful soul.
We come to you weeping, asking why.
How long, O Lord?
There are not tears enough in all of heaven and earth
To express the sorrow we feel for the suffering that surrounds us.
This is not ok, God.
The way things are is not ok.
Not sustainable.
Not endurable.
So we give it all to you
Because you are the only one who can fix it.
You are the only one who can transform it.
You are the God of newness and possibility.
We beg you, in the strongest possible terms, to save your people.
Bear the weight of our crushing grief.
Receive our tears.
Listen to our shouts of protests.
God of the Universe – we are not content with the way things are.
It is your turn to transform the powers of evil into the power of love.
The ball is in your court.
We wait for you to act.
Amen.
Daily Lectionary
Monday, March 7, 2022: Psalm 17; 1 Chronicles 21:1-17; 1 John 2:1-6
Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Psalm 17; Zechariah 3:1-10; 2 Peter 2:4-21
Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Psalm 17; Job 1:1-22; Luke 21:34-22:6
Thursday, March 10, 2022: Psalm 27; Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18; Philippians 3:2-12
Friday, March 11, 2022: Psalm 27; Genesis 14:17-24; Philippians 3:17-20
Saturday, March 12, 2022: Psalm 27; Psalm 118:26-29; Matthew 23:37-39
Sermon - February 20, 2022
Exodus 20
20Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
3you shall have no other gods before* me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation* of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
12 Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder.*
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
17 You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.
18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid* and trembled and stood at a distance, 19and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ 20Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’ 21Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Sermon
Some of us were talking about scams this week.
I’m sure some of you are affected by people trying to trick you into giving them money.
I get dozens of scam emails every day,
And luckily I’ve learned how to spot trouble.
Some seniors I know were recently swindled out of $4000
Because someone phoned them pretending to be a lawyer.
Scams are a terrible practice, because they target those who are vulnerable.
Victims are left embarrassed and ashamed, and facing financial hardship.
If this has happened to you, then I’m very sorry.
It turns out that there are some people who seek ill rather than good,
People who choose to hurt other people.
People who are bad neighbours.
We’ve seen other evidence of bad neighbours in the past few weeks.
President Putin of Russia has been amassing troops along the border with Ukraine.
It appears that an invasion may be imminent.
The people of the Ukraine are trapped.
Russia is behaving in the opposite of a neighbourly way.
We’ve also watched as individuals desecrated the War Memorial
And the Terry Fox Memorial Statue in Ottawa.
We’ve witnessed a variety of anti-social and anti-community acts
Some people choose willingly not to love their neighbour.
Jesus said that the ten commandments could be summed up in two
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul
And love your neighbour as yourself.
On these two commandments, he said, hangs everything.
These are the commandments that are meant to shape our lives,
To shape the way we live together in community.
These commandments are simple and straightforward –
It should be easy to love God, and to love our neighbour.
Except it’s not easy.
It is one of the most difficult things we are called to do.
It seems that it is more difficult for some people than for others.
And indeed, there are some people who choose to answer ‘no’ to this commandment.
No I will not love my neighbour.
No I will not seek my neighbour’s safety and well-being.
I have been thinking about this a lot recently.
There are some people for whom loving one’s neighbour is simply not a priority.
Even some who consider themselves to be Christians – followers of Christ.
Personally, I feel that one cannot claim to follow Christ and actively seek to hurt one’s neighbour, or intentionally fail to love.
This raises the question, how do we as Christians respond to hatred when it rears its ugly head?
Most immediately and powerfully, we can pray.
Pray for the vulnerable who are left unprotected.
Pray for those who have been hurt by hatred.
Pray for the perpetrators of hatred, that God will soften their hearts.
We can pray at any time and in any place.
Perhaps you might get into the habit of praying immediately after watching
The evening news.
Pray for the victims and pray for those who do harm.
Pray for the situations that seem beyond hope.
We pray because we believe God is working to bring justice and peace.
We can persevere in our efforts to bring peace and justice.
Whatever missions we are involved in, we can keep doing them.
Don’t let hate or a lack of neighbourliness discourage you from doing good!
Finally, we can double down on our efforts to create safe spaces for our neighbours.
How can we offer protection, sustenance, comfort to those who have been hurt or damaged
By hatred?
All of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.
Many of us strive to do better and to be better.
In a world that seems to value individualism over community,
We are invited to cocreate a space of love and justice,
A church in which all are safe,
And those who have been victims can come,
And lick their wounds, and be comforted.
Let us be such a space.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Loving and Gracious God, we thank you for giving us commandments that help to shape our life together. We ask that we will be faithful in worshipping you and faithful in loving our neighbours. Today we pray for our neighbours – those we know and those we don’t. We pray for those who are victims of conflict, and those who are perpetrators. We pray for those who struggle with loving others, those who have been damaged themselves, perhaps. We ask your blessing on our neighbourhoods. That you will bring peace and security.
Generous God, hear us as we pray those prayers closest to our hearts. Hear our confession (moment of silence). Hear our hopes for the future (moment of silence). Hear our praise and thanksgiving (moment of silence). Hear our prayers for others (moment of silence). Send us out from here ready to be good neighbours – to love the good the bad and ugly, as Jesus has loved us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, February 21, 2022: Psalm 38; Genesis 33:1-17; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Tuesday, February 22, 2022: Psalm 38; 1 Samuel 24:1-22; 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-33
Wednesday, February 23, 2022: Psalm 38; Leviticus 5:1-13; Luke 17:1-4
Thursday, February 24, 2022: Psalm 99; Deuteronomy 9:1-5; Acts 3:11-16
Friday, February 25, 2022: Psalm 99; Deuteronomy 9:6-14; Acts 10:1-8
Saturday, February 26, 2022: Psalm 99; Deuteronomy 9:15-24; Luke 10:21-24
20Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
3you shall have no other gods before* me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation* of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
12 Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder.*
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
17 You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.
18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid* and trembled and stood at a distance, 19and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ 20Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’ 21Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Sermon
Some of us were talking about scams this week.
I’m sure some of you are affected by people trying to trick you into giving them money.
I get dozens of scam emails every day,
And luckily I’ve learned how to spot trouble.
Some seniors I know were recently swindled out of $4000
Because someone phoned them pretending to be a lawyer.
Scams are a terrible practice, because they target those who are vulnerable.
Victims are left embarrassed and ashamed, and facing financial hardship.
If this has happened to you, then I’m very sorry.
It turns out that there are some people who seek ill rather than good,
People who choose to hurt other people.
People who are bad neighbours.
We’ve seen other evidence of bad neighbours in the past few weeks.
President Putin of Russia has been amassing troops along the border with Ukraine.
It appears that an invasion may be imminent.
The people of the Ukraine are trapped.
Russia is behaving in the opposite of a neighbourly way.
We’ve also watched as individuals desecrated the War Memorial
And the Terry Fox Memorial Statue in Ottawa.
We’ve witnessed a variety of anti-social and anti-community acts
Some people choose willingly not to love their neighbour.
Jesus said that the ten commandments could be summed up in two
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul
And love your neighbour as yourself.
On these two commandments, he said, hangs everything.
These are the commandments that are meant to shape our lives,
To shape the way we live together in community.
These commandments are simple and straightforward –
It should be easy to love God, and to love our neighbour.
Except it’s not easy.
It is one of the most difficult things we are called to do.
It seems that it is more difficult for some people than for others.
And indeed, there are some people who choose to answer ‘no’ to this commandment.
No I will not love my neighbour.
No I will not seek my neighbour’s safety and well-being.
I have been thinking about this a lot recently.
There are some people for whom loving one’s neighbour is simply not a priority.
Even some who consider themselves to be Christians – followers of Christ.
Personally, I feel that one cannot claim to follow Christ and actively seek to hurt one’s neighbour, or intentionally fail to love.
This raises the question, how do we as Christians respond to hatred when it rears its ugly head?
Most immediately and powerfully, we can pray.
Pray for the vulnerable who are left unprotected.
Pray for those who have been hurt by hatred.
Pray for the perpetrators of hatred, that God will soften their hearts.
We can pray at any time and in any place.
Perhaps you might get into the habit of praying immediately after watching
The evening news.
Pray for the victims and pray for those who do harm.
Pray for the situations that seem beyond hope.
We pray because we believe God is working to bring justice and peace.
We can persevere in our efforts to bring peace and justice.
Whatever missions we are involved in, we can keep doing them.
Don’t let hate or a lack of neighbourliness discourage you from doing good!
Finally, we can double down on our efforts to create safe spaces for our neighbours.
How can we offer protection, sustenance, comfort to those who have been hurt or damaged
By hatred?
All of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.
Many of us strive to do better and to be better.
In a world that seems to value individualism over community,
We are invited to cocreate a space of love and justice,
A church in which all are safe,
And those who have been victims can come,
And lick their wounds, and be comforted.
Let us be such a space.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Loving and Gracious God, we thank you for giving us commandments that help to shape our life together. We ask that we will be faithful in worshipping you and faithful in loving our neighbours. Today we pray for our neighbours – those we know and those we don’t. We pray for those who are victims of conflict, and those who are perpetrators. We pray for those who struggle with loving others, those who have been damaged themselves, perhaps. We ask your blessing on our neighbourhoods. That you will bring peace and security.
Generous God, hear us as we pray those prayers closest to our hearts. Hear our confession (moment of silence). Hear our hopes for the future (moment of silence). Hear our praise and thanksgiving (moment of silence). Hear our prayers for others (moment of silence). Send us out from here ready to be good neighbours – to love the good the bad and ugly, as Jesus has loved us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, February 21, 2022: Psalm 38; Genesis 33:1-17; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Tuesday, February 22, 2022: Psalm 38; 1 Samuel 24:1-22; 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-33
Wednesday, February 23, 2022: Psalm 38; Leviticus 5:1-13; Luke 17:1-4
Thursday, February 24, 2022: Psalm 99; Deuteronomy 9:1-5; Acts 3:11-16
Friday, February 25, 2022: Psalm 99; Deuteronomy 9:6-14; Acts 10:1-8
Saturday, February 26, 2022: Psalm 99; Deuteronomy 9:15-24; Luke 10:21-24
Sermon - February 13, 2022
Exodus 14: 10-18
10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, “Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’ 13But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.’
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.’
Sermon
Sometimes, in the middle of a bad situation,
It is difficult to imagine a way out.
Israel was on the move. All of them – women, children and men and no doubt some animals too.
They are fleeing the Egyptian army and their identity as slaves.
But they have come to a moment of no return.
Here they are, nestled up to the sea on one side and the wilderness on the other.
There is nowhere to go.
The Israelites rightfully claim that they were safer as slaves in Egypt
Than they are right now, about to be slaughtered by the Egyptians.
There is nothing more they can do to keep themselves safe.
The only thing they can do is turn to God.
When I am in a difficult place, I often ask myself the question:
What is the best thing that could happen right now?
It is a helpful question, because it helps lift my mind toward the possibilities
Of something good that might happen in the midst of chaos.
Often times, I can come up with a list of possibilities
That could actually happen, that would improve the situation.
When I exhaust that list of possibilities, then I know it’s time to turn to God.
For example, imagine that you are facing a medical diagnosis.
You might ask yourself “what is the best thing that could happen right now?”
There are many possibilities. You will find yourself surrounded by friends who love you. You will find that prayer helps. Your doctors will be wise and treat the situation with all due care.
As another example, imagine that you are facing a difficult situation with a relative – an upset in the family.
You might ask yourself “what is the best thing that could happen right now.”
There are many possibilities. You might have a chance to talk things out. It might be good to take a small break from the relationship. It might be that something will change in you or in the other person, which will make things easier.
These are all possibilities that are easy to imagine.
And yet, how often our imagination fails us.
We are limited, for example, in our ability to imagine the possibilities of what God might do next.
If the Israelites were asking the question “what’s the best thing that could happen right now?”
They were likely getting no further than full annihilation by Egypt.
They were not able to imagine any possibility beyond certain death.
But they reckoned without God.
Because God had a plan and a way out.
He invited Moses to stretch out his hands over the water of the Red Sea
So that the Israelites could walk across dry land.
The Egyptians would follow, and the water would fold over their heads and drown them.
This moment is the central moment of Israel’s history.
Their lives are now forever divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’.
God does the best thing –
God sets them free from slavery and moves them toward the promised land.
When we think we know that all the possibilities are exhausted,
God acts to change our current circumstances.
As Christians, we also have a pivotal historical moment.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ forever divides history into ‘before’ and ‘after.’
The resurrection was so far beyond the possible that no one could have imagined it –
Even the disciples whom Jesus had taught and explained this very possibility
It was too far beyond what was imaginable.
And so we have a God who acts in ways that are beyond what is imaginable.
As we wait for God to act, we are given a firm command. Stand still.
Stand still and wait for God to act on your behalf.
Stand still and wait for God to act miracles.
Stand still and wait for God to change you from the inside out.
There is nothing that is demanded from us except to wait and expect God’s action.
While we do not bring about God’s action,
We can participate.
It is helpful to ask the question “What’s the best thing that could happen right now?”
Because it lifts our spirits but it also opens our eyes as we are watching and waiting for what God is about to do.
Let us lay out our hopes and dreams before God.
Let us announce to God the things that are broken
And ask for healing and wholeness.
Let us stand still before the Lord,
And wait to see what happens next.
Awesome God, you are beyond anything we can imagine. We praise and thank you for your action in Jesus Christ which overturned all our ideas about life and death. We are thankful that you interact with us, that you are indeed God-with-us. As we wait for an end to this pandemic, for an end to ill health, for an end to broken relationships, we stand still before you in firm expectation that you will act to change lives and circumstances. Help us to indeed be still, to reach out our arms towards you and wait with confidence.
We are not afraid to ask you for miracles. Heal those who are sick and suffering. Comfort the lonely. Bring an end to conflict and war. Lord, we are waiting. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, February 14, 2022: Psalm 120; 2 Kings 24:18-25:21; 1 Corinthians 15:20-34
Tuesday, February 15, 2022: Psalm 120; Ezra 1:1-11; 2 Corinthians 1:12-19
Wednesday, February 16, 2022: Psalm 120; Jeremiah 22:11-17; Luke 11:37-52
Thursday, February 17, 2022: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Genesis 43:16-34; Romans 8:1-11
Friday, February 18, 2022: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Genesis 44:1-17; 1 John 2:12-17
Saturday, February 19, 2022: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Genesis 44:18-34; Luke 12:57-59
10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, “Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’ 13But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.’
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.’
Sermon
Sometimes, in the middle of a bad situation,
It is difficult to imagine a way out.
Israel was on the move. All of them – women, children and men and no doubt some animals too.
They are fleeing the Egyptian army and their identity as slaves.
But they have come to a moment of no return.
Here they are, nestled up to the sea on one side and the wilderness on the other.
There is nowhere to go.
The Israelites rightfully claim that they were safer as slaves in Egypt
Than they are right now, about to be slaughtered by the Egyptians.
There is nothing more they can do to keep themselves safe.
The only thing they can do is turn to God.
When I am in a difficult place, I often ask myself the question:
What is the best thing that could happen right now?
It is a helpful question, because it helps lift my mind toward the possibilities
Of something good that might happen in the midst of chaos.
Often times, I can come up with a list of possibilities
That could actually happen, that would improve the situation.
When I exhaust that list of possibilities, then I know it’s time to turn to God.
For example, imagine that you are facing a medical diagnosis.
You might ask yourself “what is the best thing that could happen right now?”
There are many possibilities. You will find yourself surrounded by friends who love you. You will find that prayer helps. Your doctors will be wise and treat the situation with all due care.
As another example, imagine that you are facing a difficult situation with a relative – an upset in the family.
You might ask yourself “what is the best thing that could happen right now.”
There are many possibilities. You might have a chance to talk things out. It might be good to take a small break from the relationship. It might be that something will change in you or in the other person, which will make things easier.
These are all possibilities that are easy to imagine.
And yet, how often our imagination fails us.
We are limited, for example, in our ability to imagine the possibilities of what God might do next.
If the Israelites were asking the question “what’s the best thing that could happen right now?”
They were likely getting no further than full annihilation by Egypt.
They were not able to imagine any possibility beyond certain death.
But they reckoned without God.
Because God had a plan and a way out.
He invited Moses to stretch out his hands over the water of the Red Sea
So that the Israelites could walk across dry land.
The Egyptians would follow, and the water would fold over their heads and drown them.
This moment is the central moment of Israel’s history.
Their lives are now forever divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’.
God does the best thing –
God sets them free from slavery and moves them toward the promised land.
When we think we know that all the possibilities are exhausted,
God acts to change our current circumstances.
As Christians, we also have a pivotal historical moment.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ forever divides history into ‘before’ and ‘after.’
The resurrection was so far beyond the possible that no one could have imagined it –
Even the disciples whom Jesus had taught and explained this very possibility
It was too far beyond what was imaginable.
And so we have a God who acts in ways that are beyond what is imaginable.
As we wait for God to act, we are given a firm command. Stand still.
Stand still and wait for God to act on your behalf.
Stand still and wait for God to act miracles.
Stand still and wait for God to change you from the inside out.
There is nothing that is demanded from us except to wait and expect God’s action.
While we do not bring about God’s action,
We can participate.
It is helpful to ask the question “What’s the best thing that could happen right now?”
Because it lifts our spirits but it also opens our eyes as we are watching and waiting for what God is about to do.
Let us lay out our hopes and dreams before God.
Let us announce to God the things that are broken
And ask for healing and wholeness.
Let us stand still before the Lord,
And wait to see what happens next.
Awesome God, you are beyond anything we can imagine. We praise and thank you for your action in Jesus Christ which overturned all our ideas about life and death. We are thankful that you interact with us, that you are indeed God-with-us. As we wait for an end to this pandemic, for an end to ill health, for an end to broken relationships, we stand still before you in firm expectation that you will act to change lives and circumstances. Help us to indeed be still, to reach out our arms towards you and wait with confidence.
We are not afraid to ask you for miracles. Heal those who are sick and suffering. Comfort the lonely. Bring an end to conflict and war. Lord, we are waiting. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, February 14, 2022: Psalm 120; 2 Kings 24:18-25:21; 1 Corinthians 15:20-34
Tuesday, February 15, 2022: Psalm 120; Ezra 1:1-11; 2 Corinthians 1:12-19
Wednesday, February 16, 2022: Psalm 120; Jeremiah 22:11-17; Luke 11:37-52
Thursday, February 17, 2022: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Genesis 43:16-34; Romans 8:1-11
Friday, February 18, 2022: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Genesis 44:1-17; 1 John 2:12-17
Saturday, February 19, 2022: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Genesis 44:18-34; Luke 12:57-59
Sermon - January 30, 2022
Isaiah 43: 1-21
43But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia* and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,
and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth--
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.’
8 Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this,
and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
and let them hear and say, ‘It is true.’
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no saviour.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
13 I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work and who can hinder it?
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.*
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honour me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
In last week’s sermon,
I was talking about those scriptures that pop into our heads
In moments of trouble.
It’s true for me, and it might be true for some of you
That there are particular bible readings that are meaningful
When I am worried or despairing.
These are well-known, beloved pieces of scripture
That for one reason or another have stuck in our minds.
This is a practice we can cultivate,
By reading our bibles, and finding those moments
When God’s story links most closely to our own.
You don’t have to know a lot of bible verses.
In fact, your comforting scripture might not be directly from the bible at all –
It might be a paraphrase from a hymn or a song.
I thought that today I would share one of my meaningful scriptures,
And explain how it came to be that way.
When I was 15 years old, in 1991
I was invited to attend the Presbyterian Youth Triennium
Held in Indiana every 3 years.
Imagine, 6000 young people from across North America
Praying and singing and worshiping together.
This was our theme verse for the week,
And it has shaped my life and my theology in significant ways.
I still remember the song we sang each morning
“I will be with you when you pass through the waters
Fearful of drowning in life changing seas.
I will be with you my own sons and daughters
Trust in my love, and follow me.”
I learned that week about a God who won’t let me go –
A God who is present in the most significant times of trouble.
As the prophet Isaiah proclaims, this is a God
Who is Yahweh, the holy one of Israel.
This is the God who brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt,
Who is bringing them out of exile
And promising to restore them to their land
Which they were wrenched away from by the Babylonians.
This is a God of past, present and future.
The prophets had multiple jobs,
But they had two primary roles according to one biblical scholar.
One was to critique. Prophets critique the world as it is
By holding up a new world that surpasses that old.
They critique the faithlessness of the people,
The wealth of some that oppresses others,
The inequities of the judicial system.
They critique kings, and call the people back to the covenant
That Israel made with Moses.
The other thing that prophets do is energize the people.
They bring comfort, as in this promise that God will be with us in floods and famines.
But prophets do something else when they are energizing the people –
They hold up a vision of a new reality – a hopeful and invigorating vision
Of a future in which the problems of the present are gone.
There are so many times in my life when I have clung to these verses:
18 Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
This verse is a reminder not to cling too hard to the past –
To let go of the disappointments and the failures
God is about to do something new – something miraculous –
Something so imminent that we are expected to see it happening right now!
God will make a way in the wilderness.
Any time we are lost or wandering,
Lonely or exhausted,
God is gathering water and bread for us to give us comfort in the desert.
God is always up to something,
Acting in surprising ways to bring comfort and justice.
For me, these passages speak to the steadfast love of the divine Creator –
Who has made promises and intends to keep them.
If you are going through the waters – God is with you.
If you are fighting fires – God is with you.
If you are longing for something new – God is already acting in your life.
May we have the vision to see what God is doing in and through Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Holy God of Israel – You are the God of the Universe, the one who has saved us again and again. You sent Jesus Christ to live among us, to criticize and energize us – to call us toward a vision of life in which God was at the centre. Thank you for prophets who call us toward you – those who are courageous about speaking your word out loud.
Loving God, we long for you to do something new. Especially in the lives of the sick, bring healing. In the lives of the lonely, bring companionship. In the lives of the depressed, bring hope. We ask you blessing upon those who are in pain this week, or any kind of suffering.
We pray for our world – for all those suffering from the coronavirus. For the people of the Ukraine. For all those known to us who need comfort and help. Be near us, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 31, 2022: Psalm 56; 1 Kings 17:8-16; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Tuesday, February 1, 2022: Psalm 56; 2 Kings 5:1-14; 1 Corinthians 14:13-25
Wednesday, February 2, 2022: Presentation of the Lord
Wednesday, February 2, 2022: Psalm 56; Jeremiah 1:11-19; Luke 19:41-44
Thursday, February 3, 2022: Psalm 138; Numbers 20:22-29; Acts 9:19b-25
Friday, February 4, 2022: Psalm 138; Numbers 27:12-23; Acts 9:26-31
43But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia* and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,
and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth--
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.’
8 Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this,
and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
and let them hear and say, ‘It is true.’
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no saviour.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
13 I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work and who can hinder it?
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.*
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honour me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
In last week’s sermon,
I was talking about those scriptures that pop into our heads
In moments of trouble.
It’s true for me, and it might be true for some of you
That there are particular bible readings that are meaningful
When I am worried or despairing.
These are well-known, beloved pieces of scripture
That for one reason or another have stuck in our minds.
This is a practice we can cultivate,
By reading our bibles, and finding those moments
When God’s story links most closely to our own.
You don’t have to know a lot of bible verses.
In fact, your comforting scripture might not be directly from the bible at all –
It might be a paraphrase from a hymn or a song.
I thought that today I would share one of my meaningful scriptures,
And explain how it came to be that way.
When I was 15 years old, in 1991
I was invited to attend the Presbyterian Youth Triennium
Held in Indiana every 3 years.
Imagine, 6000 young people from across North America
Praying and singing and worshiping together.
This was our theme verse for the week,
And it has shaped my life and my theology in significant ways.
I still remember the song we sang each morning
“I will be with you when you pass through the waters
Fearful of drowning in life changing seas.
I will be with you my own sons and daughters
Trust in my love, and follow me.”
I learned that week about a God who won’t let me go –
A God who is present in the most significant times of trouble.
As the prophet Isaiah proclaims, this is a God
Who is Yahweh, the holy one of Israel.
This is the God who brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt,
Who is bringing them out of exile
And promising to restore them to their land
Which they were wrenched away from by the Babylonians.
This is a God of past, present and future.
The prophets had multiple jobs,
But they had two primary roles according to one biblical scholar.
One was to critique. Prophets critique the world as it is
By holding up a new world that surpasses that old.
They critique the faithlessness of the people,
The wealth of some that oppresses others,
The inequities of the judicial system.
They critique kings, and call the people back to the covenant
That Israel made with Moses.
The other thing that prophets do is energize the people.
They bring comfort, as in this promise that God will be with us in floods and famines.
But prophets do something else when they are energizing the people –
They hold up a vision of a new reality – a hopeful and invigorating vision
Of a future in which the problems of the present are gone.
There are so many times in my life when I have clung to these verses:
18 Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
This verse is a reminder not to cling too hard to the past –
To let go of the disappointments and the failures
God is about to do something new – something miraculous –
Something so imminent that we are expected to see it happening right now!
God will make a way in the wilderness.
Any time we are lost or wandering,
Lonely or exhausted,
God is gathering water and bread for us to give us comfort in the desert.
God is always up to something,
Acting in surprising ways to bring comfort and justice.
For me, these passages speak to the steadfast love of the divine Creator –
Who has made promises and intends to keep them.
If you are going through the waters – God is with you.
If you are fighting fires – God is with you.
If you are longing for something new – God is already acting in your life.
May we have the vision to see what God is doing in and through Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Holy God of Israel – You are the God of the Universe, the one who has saved us again and again. You sent Jesus Christ to live among us, to criticize and energize us – to call us toward a vision of life in which God was at the centre. Thank you for prophets who call us toward you – those who are courageous about speaking your word out loud.
Loving God, we long for you to do something new. Especially in the lives of the sick, bring healing. In the lives of the lonely, bring companionship. In the lives of the depressed, bring hope. We ask you blessing upon those who are in pain this week, or any kind of suffering.
We pray for our world – for all those suffering from the coronavirus. For the people of the Ukraine. For all those known to us who need comfort and help. Be near us, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 31, 2022: Psalm 56; 1 Kings 17:8-16; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Tuesday, February 1, 2022: Psalm 56; 2 Kings 5:1-14; 1 Corinthians 14:13-25
Wednesday, February 2, 2022: Presentation of the Lord
Wednesday, February 2, 2022: Psalm 56; Jeremiah 1:11-19; Luke 19:41-44
Thursday, February 3, 2022: Psalm 138; Numbers 20:22-29; Acts 9:19b-25
Friday, February 4, 2022: Psalm 138; Numbers 27:12-23; Acts 9:26-31
Sermon - January 23, 2022
Jeremiah 1:4-10
1:4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
1:6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."
1:7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.
1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."
1:9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth.
1:10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
I’ve been waiting for some news this week,
About something very dear to my heart.
I don’t like waiting.
Nobody likes waiting.
But while I have been waiting for news that hasn’t yet come,
I have been reflecting on the ways that God moves in and through
Our waiting and our anxiety.
I came across this passage from the call of the prophet Jeremiah.
While none of us are likely called to be biblical prophets,
We are called as disciples, and I think the language of this text
Speaks to our calling as disciples, and offers us some comfort and guidance
In these times of worry and anxiety.
Because these are anxious times, and many of us are just waiting for the pandemic to be over.
But we have to live in the meantime,
And scripture gives us advice that reminds us of how very close God is to us.
In this time, right now, today, God is near to us, speaking to us.
Just as God spoke to Jeremiah in this passage.
We meet the young would-be prophet when he encounters God,
Being told that he would be appointed over nations and kingdoms,
To overthrow, destroy, build and plant.
This is a huge calling that involved Jeremiah’s whole life and being.
And God tells him “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.
Is there any greater affirmation of God’s deep knowledge of our internal structures?
Somehow, God has chosen us before we were even created.
Chosen for a particular life and a particular calling.
I don’t know if God plans out our lives moment by moment,
But I do know that God has intimate knowledge of every moment,
Every emotion, every thought.
God knows us inside and out.
This reminds me of the psalmist’s praise of God:
“For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.”
God’s call to Jeremiah reminds us how deeply we are known.
How fearfully and wonderfully we are made.
There is tremendous comfort in that!
Jeremiah protests what God is saying –
He is only a boy, how could he possibly fulfill this task?
What could he possibly say?
And yet God tells him that he will help Jeremiah find words.
God literally puts words in our mouths when we are speechless.
I’ve been thinking about how meaningful scripture is,
And how much strength we can find in it when we are worried or anxious.
The words of a psalm, or our favourite hymn,
Can bring us peace and joy in the midst of turmoil.
One of my favourite scripture readings comes from later on in the book of Jeremiah,
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
Plans to prosper you and not to harm.
Plans to give you hope and a future.
If you come and pray to me, I will listen to you”
I would be curious to know if you have bible readings that you come back to for comfort?
Are their favourite passages that echo in your mind,
That come into your thoughts at times of distress?
God’s word is designed to comfort us and challenge us,
It’s meant to be an ever-present sign of God’s grace and presence.
God will give us the words we need to find peace.
Finally, God tells Jeremiah not to be afraid,
Because “I am with you”.
Is there any more comforting promise in all of scripture?
God is with us, at every moment.
In every celebration and every disaster, God is with us
In Jesus Christ, God came to be with us in real time,
God put on flesh and was born to die for us,
And born to be raised up again to prove
That death and hell have no strength.
God is with us, whatever we are called to do and to be.
God knows us.
God gives us words of comfort and hope.
God is with us.
This is profoundly Good News.
Praise be to the one Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Gracious and loving God, you knit us together in the womb. You know each part of us – the scared parts, the sad parts, the uncertain parts. We thank you for giving us words of comfort and hope in the Bible – we ask that you will repeat those sounds in our ears, so that we may always and ever know that you are near to us.
This week, we pray for those who are waiting. Waiting for news of a loved one, or of a job, or of a delayed surgery. We pray for those who are waiting to heal, or waiting for a relationship to heal. Loving God, we pray for our earth. For creation itself, as it groans in labour pains, waiting to bring forth something new. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 24, 2022: Psalm 119:89-96; Jeremiah 36:1-10; 1 Corinthians 14:1-12
Tuesday, January 25, 2022: Psalm 119:89-96; Jeremiah 36:11-26; 2 Corinthians 7:2-12
Wednesday, January 26, 2022: Psalm 119:89-96; Jeremiah 36:27-32; Luke 4:38-44
Thursday, January 27, 2022: Psalm 71:1-6; 2 Chronicles 34:1-7; Acts 10:44-48
Friday, January 28, 2022: Psalm 71:1-6; 2 Chronicles 35:20-27; Acts 19:1-10
Saturday, January 29, 2022: Psalm 71:1-6; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21; John 1:43-51
1:4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
1:6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."
1:7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.
1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."
1:9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth.
1:10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
I’ve been waiting for some news this week,
About something very dear to my heart.
I don’t like waiting.
Nobody likes waiting.
But while I have been waiting for news that hasn’t yet come,
I have been reflecting on the ways that God moves in and through
Our waiting and our anxiety.
I came across this passage from the call of the prophet Jeremiah.
While none of us are likely called to be biblical prophets,
We are called as disciples, and I think the language of this text
Speaks to our calling as disciples, and offers us some comfort and guidance
In these times of worry and anxiety.
Because these are anxious times, and many of us are just waiting for the pandemic to be over.
But we have to live in the meantime,
And scripture gives us advice that reminds us of how very close God is to us.
In this time, right now, today, God is near to us, speaking to us.
Just as God spoke to Jeremiah in this passage.
We meet the young would-be prophet when he encounters God,
Being told that he would be appointed over nations and kingdoms,
To overthrow, destroy, build and plant.
This is a huge calling that involved Jeremiah’s whole life and being.
And God tells him “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.
Is there any greater affirmation of God’s deep knowledge of our internal structures?
Somehow, God has chosen us before we were even created.
Chosen for a particular life and a particular calling.
I don’t know if God plans out our lives moment by moment,
But I do know that God has intimate knowledge of every moment,
Every emotion, every thought.
God knows us inside and out.
This reminds me of the psalmist’s praise of God:
“For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.”
God’s call to Jeremiah reminds us how deeply we are known.
How fearfully and wonderfully we are made.
There is tremendous comfort in that!
Jeremiah protests what God is saying –
He is only a boy, how could he possibly fulfill this task?
What could he possibly say?
And yet God tells him that he will help Jeremiah find words.
God literally puts words in our mouths when we are speechless.
I’ve been thinking about how meaningful scripture is,
And how much strength we can find in it when we are worried or anxious.
The words of a psalm, or our favourite hymn,
Can bring us peace and joy in the midst of turmoil.
One of my favourite scripture readings comes from later on in the book of Jeremiah,
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
Plans to prosper you and not to harm.
Plans to give you hope and a future.
If you come and pray to me, I will listen to you”
I would be curious to know if you have bible readings that you come back to for comfort?
Are their favourite passages that echo in your mind,
That come into your thoughts at times of distress?
God’s word is designed to comfort us and challenge us,
It’s meant to be an ever-present sign of God’s grace and presence.
God will give us the words we need to find peace.
Finally, God tells Jeremiah not to be afraid,
Because “I am with you”.
Is there any more comforting promise in all of scripture?
God is with us, at every moment.
In every celebration and every disaster, God is with us
In Jesus Christ, God came to be with us in real time,
God put on flesh and was born to die for us,
And born to be raised up again to prove
That death and hell have no strength.
God is with us, whatever we are called to do and to be.
God knows us.
God gives us words of comfort and hope.
God is with us.
This is profoundly Good News.
Praise be to the one Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Gracious and loving God, you knit us together in the womb. You know each part of us – the scared parts, the sad parts, the uncertain parts. We thank you for giving us words of comfort and hope in the Bible – we ask that you will repeat those sounds in our ears, so that we may always and ever know that you are near to us.
This week, we pray for those who are waiting. Waiting for news of a loved one, or of a job, or of a delayed surgery. We pray for those who are waiting to heal, or waiting for a relationship to heal. Loving God, we pray for our earth. For creation itself, as it groans in labour pains, waiting to bring forth something new. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 24, 2022: Psalm 119:89-96; Jeremiah 36:1-10; 1 Corinthians 14:1-12
Tuesday, January 25, 2022: Psalm 119:89-96; Jeremiah 36:11-26; 2 Corinthians 7:2-12
Wednesday, January 26, 2022: Psalm 119:89-96; Jeremiah 36:27-32; Luke 4:38-44
Thursday, January 27, 2022: Psalm 71:1-6; 2 Chronicles 34:1-7; Acts 10:44-48
Friday, January 28, 2022: Psalm 71:1-6; 2 Chronicles 35:20-27; Acts 19:1-10
Saturday, January 29, 2022: Psalm 71:1-6; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21; John 1:43-51
Sermon - January 16, 2022
Luke 2:41-52
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ 49He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.
Every parent knows the terror of misplacing a child in a public place.
That moment when you realize they are gone,
And your stomach drops, and you desperately start searching.
It has happened to all of us at one time or another.
I remember losing Ben in a Sears store once when he was about 2 years old.
We eventually found him hiding under a rack of ladies swimsuits.
I remember the fear.
I also remember the relief. There is nothing like that moment of relief.
It might be comforting to realize that Mary and Joseph had a similar experience.
It was a classic moment of “I thought he was with you”.
They were travelling home, and each assumed that Jesus was safe
With another family member.
It’s easy to imagine such a thing happening.
But it must have been absolutely terrifying for his parents.
We can imagine them looking around first casually, then frantically
As they questioned their friends and relatives
Looking for any trace of the boy.
Eventually, they realized that he must have been left behind in Jerusalem,
So they made the trek back, and searched, and searched,
And found him in the most unexpected place,
Or perhaps the most expected place – in the middle of the temple.
His parents seem surprised to find him there – the text uses the term “astonished”
They were astonished to find him safe and sound,
They were astonished to find him learning – with the teachers.
We know that this is exactly where Jesus belonged,
But try to explain that to his terrified parents!
And I think that the text gets it a bit wrong –
Because I suspect Mary and Joseph’s first reaction was relief.
Relief to have found their child alive and well.
Relief that their search had a good end.
I’m sure they also felt many other things,
Knowing from experience, there was likely some anger, some exasperation.
And yes, some astonishment.
For how could they have known that this child was quite so different?
This child would have grown up like any other child –
Needing to feel loved and wanted,
Taking joy in small things,
Enjoying the world with all his senses.
And yet, Mary and Joseph knew he was different –
His birth had been so unique, and they had been told by multiple sources
That this child was special.
Finding Jesus in the temple was yet another sign to his parents
that Jesus was not quite like any other child.
What can we learn from this story?
When I read it this time, I was struck by the concept of relief.
The extreme relief that Mary and Joseph must have experienced when they found the lost Jesus.
It got me to thinking about our own experiences of relief,
Finding what is lost,
Hearing good news after a long period of waiting,
The healing of an old pain.
There are many things that bring relief when we are suffering.
There is nothing, however, that brings relief like Jesus.
If we are struggling, with anxiety, or pain, or grief, or depression
Then we can reach out to Jesus, and experience a profound sense of relief.
In the midst of the darkest night,
Or the darkest day, if we reach out to Jesus,
We will be able to breathe again.
Some of us have lost Jesus, and don’t know how to find him.
It is as simple as whispering his name.
Or maybe finding him in the pages of scripture
Or in the tune of an old, favourite hymn.
If you are looking for relief from your troubles,
You can ask Jesus to take the burden, and he will!
He takes the burden and carries it for us,
And when it is returned to us it will be transformed –
Somehow easier to carry.
Jesus gives us relief from carrying those burdens.
Jesus gives us relief from the crushing pain of grief
From the loneliness of depression,
From the fear of just being alive right now.
May we turn to Jesus, and may we find relief. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Awesome God, thank you that you are never lost to us, and we are never lost to you. When we wander home to you, embrace us so that we may feel relief flood through us. In our times of suffering, be near to us, speak to us so that we can hear you. We pray for those who are lonely, anxious, frustrated, bored, tired, and sad. We ask your blessing on those in hospital, and those who care for them. Gracious God, we place everything into your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 17, 2022: Psalm 145; Isaiah 54:1-8; Romans 12:9-21
Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Psalm 145; Song of Solomon 4:1-8; 1 Corinthians 1:3-17
Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Psalm 145; Song of Solomon 4:9-5:1; Luke 5:33-39
Thursday, January 20, 2022: Psalm 19; Isaiah 61:1-7; Romans 7:1-6
Friday, January 21, 2022: Psalm 19; Nehemiah 2:1-10; Romans 12:1-8
Saturday, January 22, 2022: Psalm 19; Nehemiah 5:1-13; Luke 2:39-52
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ 49He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.
Every parent knows the terror of misplacing a child in a public place.
That moment when you realize they are gone,
And your stomach drops, and you desperately start searching.
It has happened to all of us at one time or another.
I remember losing Ben in a Sears store once when he was about 2 years old.
We eventually found him hiding under a rack of ladies swimsuits.
I remember the fear.
I also remember the relief. There is nothing like that moment of relief.
It might be comforting to realize that Mary and Joseph had a similar experience.
It was a classic moment of “I thought he was with you”.
They were travelling home, and each assumed that Jesus was safe
With another family member.
It’s easy to imagine such a thing happening.
But it must have been absolutely terrifying for his parents.
We can imagine them looking around first casually, then frantically
As they questioned their friends and relatives
Looking for any trace of the boy.
Eventually, they realized that he must have been left behind in Jerusalem,
So they made the trek back, and searched, and searched,
And found him in the most unexpected place,
Or perhaps the most expected place – in the middle of the temple.
His parents seem surprised to find him there – the text uses the term “astonished”
They were astonished to find him safe and sound,
They were astonished to find him learning – with the teachers.
We know that this is exactly where Jesus belonged,
But try to explain that to his terrified parents!
And I think that the text gets it a bit wrong –
Because I suspect Mary and Joseph’s first reaction was relief.
Relief to have found their child alive and well.
Relief that their search had a good end.
I’m sure they also felt many other things,
Knowing from experience, there was likely some anger, some exasperation.
And yes, some astonishment.
For how could they have known that this child was quite so different?
This child would have grown up like any other child –
Needing to feel loved and wanted,
Taking joy in small things,
Enjoying the world with all his senses.
And yet, Mary and Joseph knew he was different –
His birth had been so unique, and they had been told by multiple sources
That this child was special.
Finding Jesus in the temple was yet another sign to his parents
that Jesus was not quite like any other child.
What can we learn from this story?
When I read it this time, I was struck by the concept of relief.
The extreme relief that Mary and Joseph must have experienced when they found the lost Jesus.
It got me to thinking about our own experiences of relief,
Finding what is lost,
Hearing good news after a long period of waiting,
The healing of an old pain.
There are many things that bring relief when we are suffering.
There is nothing, however, that brings relief like Jesus.
If we are struggling, with anxiety, or pain, or grief, or depression
Then we can reach out to Jesus, and experience a profound sense of relief.
In the midst of the darkest night,
Or the darkest day, if we reach out to Jesus,
We will be able to breathe again.
Some of us have lost Jesus, and don’t know how to find him.
It is as simple as whispering his name.
Or maybe finding him in the pages of scripture
Or in the tune of an old, favourite hymn.
If you are looking for relief from your troubles,
You can ask Jesus to take the burden, and he will!
He takes the burden and carries it for us,
And when it is returned to us it will be transformed –
Somehow easier to carry.
Jesus gives us relief from carrying those burdens.
Jesus gives us relief from the crushing pain of grief
From the loneliness of depression,
From the fear of just being alive right now.
May we turn to Jesus, and may we find relief. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Awesome God, thank you that you are never lost to us, and we are never lost to you. When we wander home to you, embrace us so that we may feel relief flood through us. In our times of suffering, be near to us, speak to us so that we can hear you. We pray for those who are lonely, anxious, frustrated, bored, tired, and sad. We ask your blessing on those in hospital, and those who care for them. Gracious God, we place everything into your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 17, 2022: Psalm 145; Isaiah 54:1-8; Romans 12:9-21
Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Psalm 145; Song of Solomon 4:1-8; 1 Corinthians 1:3-17
Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Psalm 145; Song of Solomon 4:9-5:1; Luke 5:33-39
Thursday, January 20, 2022: Psalm 19; Isaiah 61:1-7; Romans 7:1-6
Friday, January 21, 2022: Psalm 19; Nehemiah 2:1-10; Romans 12:1-8
Saturday, January 22, 2022: Psalm 19; Nehemiah 5:1-13; Luke 2:39-52
Sermon - January 9, 2022
LECTIO DIVINA
Lectio divina – holy reading – is a gift from the Benedictine and Cistercian tradition, with roots in the 6th century. It is a simple yet rich practice of praying the scriptures, nourishing and deepening our relationship with God.
Lectio divina – holy reading – is a gift from the Benedictine and Cistercian tradition, with roots in the 6th century. It is a simple yet rich practice of praying the scriptures, nourishing and deepening our relationship with God.
Our practice today will include five moments: reading and listening to (lectio), responding to (oratio), and resting in (contemplation) the word of God.
Each time through we will follow this pattern:
SCRIPTURE READING
You are invited to read the scripture (below)
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’ (Luke 2:29-32)
SILENCE
In our time of silence, the following guidelines may be helpful for you.
1 LISTENING
You are invited to simply listen. Hear with the ‘ear of your heart.’
Hear the words, receive them, hold them lightly, loosely in your heart, in your mind.
Begin to patiently wait for the Spirit to reveal the Word, Jesus Christ, to you through the words you are hearing. Let yourself be taken in by the words. Lectio
2 REFLECTING
You are invited to meditate on the words of the scripture. Notice what word or phrase stands out to you, moves you. Hold that word in front of you in the presence of the Lord, turn it over,
observe it, taste it. Meditatio
3 SEEING
Return to your word or phrase and turn your heart to “hearing and seeing” Jesus in the words and in the image. You are welcome to turn your eyes upon the image to continue to mediate on the scripture. Ask the Spirit to give you eyes to see what God has for you to see here. Note what thoughts, impressions, memories, feelings, other images come to mind; hold them before the Lord. Visio
4 RESPONDING
Respond to God with the prayer of your heart. Offer up your response to the word and image you have heard and seen. You are welcome to draw it or write it. Oratio
5 RESTING
You are welcome to simply rest. Rest in the presence of the God who loves you.
Let go of the thinking, meditating and praying – and just rest. Like a child in its mother’s arms, content and safe, rest. Surrender all that stirs – observe it and let it go, and rest in God’s arms. Contemplatio
Each time through we will follow this pattern:
SCRIPTURE READING
You are invited to read the scripture (below)
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’ (Luke 2:29-32)
SILENCE
In our time of silence, the following guidelines may be helpful for you.
1 LISTENING
You are invited to simply listen. Hear with the ‘ear of your heart.’
Hear the words, receive them, hold them lightly, loosely in your heart, in your mind.
Begin to patiently wait for the Spirit to reveal the Word, Jesus Christ, to you through the words you are hearing. Let yourself be taken in by the words. Lectio
2 REFLECTING
You are invited to meditate on the words of the scripture. Notice what word or phrase stands out to you, moves you. Hold that word in front of you in the presence of the Lord, turn it over,
observe it, taste it. Meditatio
3 SEEING
Return to your word or phrase and turn your heart to “hearing and seeing” Jesus in the words and in the image. You are welcome to turn your eyes upon the image to continue to mediate on the scripture. Ask the Spirit to give you eyes to see what God has for you to see here. Note what thoughts, impressions, memories, feelings, other images come to mind; hold them before the Lord. Visio
4 RESPONDING
Respond to God with the prayer of your heart. Offer up your response to the word and image you have heard and seen. You are welcome to draw it or write it. Oratio
5 RESTING
You are welcome to simply rest. Rest in the presence of the God who loves you.
Let go of the thinking, meditating and praying – and just rest. Like a child in its mother’s arms, content and safe, rest. Surrender all that stirs – observe it and let it go, and rest in God’s arms. Contemplatio
Sermon - January 2, 2022
https://youtu.be/WU41UN9rEHo
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple (Luke 2: 22-38)
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
This Christmas has been odd for many of us.
It has been difficult to see family and friends because of the virus.
Some of us have been worried, and waiting for government announcements.
Omicron is here, and it is spreading through our province at the speed of light.
For many of us, it has been hard to get into the spirit of Christmas.
And now we find ourselves at the beginning of a new year,
Wondering what fresh challenges 2022 will bring.
We are hoping and longing for an end to this pandemic,
Hoping and yearning that God will bring about salvation.
Our scripture reading today tells the story of an older man and woman
Who were longing for God’s salvation.
As prescribed by the law, Mary and Joseph came to Jerusalem,
To the temple, to present the baby Jesus.
It was traditional for a firstborn son to be presented to the priests,
As a sign that he would be dedicated to the Lord.
Simeon had been waiting his whole life for this moment.
Anna had been waiting her whole life for this moment.
Little did they know that they were about to see the fulfillment of dreams.
When Mary and Joseph entered the temple with Jesus,
Simeon immediately took the baby in his arms
And announced with confidence that the messiah had come.
In his own words, he was ready to see death now that he had seen the messiah.
In the midst of his joy, Simeon must also deliver difficult news to Mary –
This child would be a source of conflict, causing some to fall and some to rise
And one day, a sword would pierce her soul –
This is of course referring to Jesus’ crucifixion.
Even in the earliest infancy narratives,
Jesus’ future looks bleak and the cross is in sight.
The season of Christmas, which we are still in,
Is never far away from the cross and the suffering of Jesus.
This little tiny baby was born to die and be raised again.
This is very bad news for Mary – but very good news for the rest of us.
We may have been raised to believe that the Christmas spirit
Is all about pure joy and excitement.
And yet, for many, the hope of Christmas lies in a longing for change.
A longing for a new heaven and new earth
A longing for freedom from crushing illness and fear.
This tiny baby is the messiah – come to save us from ourselves.
The spirit of Christmas is about longing for something to change.
It’s about recognizing both the joy and the fear,
The hope and the loss.
If you are despairing right now, there is room for you in the spirit of Christmas.
If you are ill right now, there is room for you in the spirit of Christmas.
Are you weary? That’s the spirit of Christmas – just like Mary and Joseph, and Anna and Simeon were weary too.
Are you unsure if God will really show up? That’s the spirit of Christmas.
Are you afraid of the way that the powerful might act? That’s the spirit of Christmas.
Are you longing for a better world? That’s the spirit of Christmas.
There is room for all of us in the Christmas miracle,
even if we don’t feel the least bit “Christmassy”
This child was born for all of us, bitter, weary or overwhelmed.
Our longing for peace, for safety - the hopes and fears of all the years
These have been promised in Jesus Christ.
So let us welcome the child with whatever songs we can muster –
Even if you can do nothing but cry,
Let us welcome this child who will change everything.
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
A Prayer for the Week
Glorious and generous God, you have shown us grace in the birth of Jesus your Son. Fill us with hope as we recognize his glory and the way it shapes our lives. Come to us if we are lonely, tired, afraid. Plant deep within us a Christmas spirit that embraces all our emotions – come to us as we are – even if our spirits are low.
In this time of Omicron, we pray for frontline workers. For health care workers, and also for grocery store clerks. Protect them, loving God, and give them a spirit of perseverance. We pray for school children, that they will be safe. We pray that our government will make wise decisions. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 3, 2022: Psalm 72; Job 42:10-17; Luke 8:16-21
Tuesday, January 4, 2022: Psalm 72; Isaiah 6:1-5; Acts 7:44-53
Wednesday, January 5, 2022: Psalm 72; Jeremiah 31:7-14; John 1:10-18
Thursday, January 6, 2022: Epiphany of the Lord
Friday, January 7, 2022: Psalm 72; Daniel 2:1-19; Ephesians 4:17-5:1
Saturday, January 8, 2022: Psalm 72; Daniel 2:24-49; Ephesians 5:15-2
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
This Christmas has been odd for many of us.
It has been difficult to see family and friends because of the virus.
Some of us have been worried, and waiting for government announcements.
Omicron is here, and it is spreading through our province at the speed of light.
For many of us, it has been hard to get into the spirit of Christmas.
And now we find ourselves at the beginning of a new year,
Wondering what fresh challenges 2022 will bring.
We are hoping and longing for an end to this pandemic,
Hoping and yearning that God will bring about salvation.
Our scripture reading today tells the story of an older man and woman
Who were longing for God’s salvation.
As prescribed by the law, Mary and Joseph came to Jerusalem,
To the temple, to present the baby Jesus.
It was traditional for a firstborn son to be presented to the priests,
As a sign that he would be dedicated to the Lord.
Simeon had been waiting his whole life for this moment.
Anna had been waiting her whole life for this moment.
Little did they know that they were about to see the fulfillment of dreams.
When Mary and Joseph entered the temple with Jesus,
Simeon immediately took the baby in his arms
And announced with confidence that the messiah had come.
In his own words, he was ready to see death now that he had seen the messiah.
In the midst of his joy, Simeon must also deliver difficult news to Mary –
This child would be a source of conflict, causing some to fall and some to rise
And one day, a sword would pierce her soul –
This is of course referring to Jesus’ crucifixion.
Even in the earliest infancy narratives,
Jesus’ future looks bleak and the cross is in sight.
The season of Christmas, which we are still in,
Is never far away from the cross and the suffering of Jesus.
This little tiny baby was born to die and be raised again.
This is very bad news for Mary – but very good news for the rest of us.
We may have been raised to believe that the Christmas spirit
Is all about pure joy and excitement.
And yet, for many, the hope of Christmas lies in a longing for change.
A longing for a new heaven and new earth
A longing for freedom from crushing illness and fear.
This tiny baby is the messiah – come to save us from ourselves.
The spirit of Christmas is about longing for something to change.
It’s about recognizing both the joy and the fear,
The hope and the loss.
If you are despairing right now, there is room for you in the spirit of Christmas.
If you are ill right now, there is room for you in the spirit of Christmas.
Are you weary? That’s the spirit of Christmas – just like Mary and Joseph, and Anna and Simeon were weary too.
Are you unsure if God will really show up? That’s the spirit of Christmas.
Are you afraid of the way that the powerful might act? That’s the spirit of Christmas.
Are you longing for a better world? That’s the spirit of Christmas.
There is room for all of us in the Christmas miracle,
even if we don’t feel the least bit “Christmassy”
This child was born for all of us, bitter, weary or overwhelmed.
Our longing for peace, for safety - the hopes and fears of all the years
These have been promised in Jesus Christ.
So let us welcome the child with whatever songs we can muster –
Even if you can do nothing but cry,
Let us welcome this child who will change everything.
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
A Prayer for the Week
Glorious and generous God, you have shown us grace in the birth of Jesus your Son. Fill us with hope as we recognize his glory and the way it shapes our lives. Come to us if we are lonely, tired, afraid. Plant deep within us a Christmas spirit that embraces all our emotions – come to us as we are – even if our spirits are low.
In this time of Omicron, we pray for frontline workers. For health care workers, and also for grocery store clerks. Protect them, loving God, and give them a spirit of perseverance. We pray for school children, that they will be safe. We pray that our government will make wise decisions. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, January 3, 2022: Psalm 72; Job 42:10-17; Luke 8:16-21
Tuesday, January 4, 2022: Psalm 72; Isaiah 6:1-5; Acts 7:44-53
Wednesday, January 5, 2022: Psalm 72; Jeremiah 31:7-14; John 1:10-18
Thursday, January 6, 2022: Epiphany of the Lord
Friday, January 7, 2022: Psalm 72; Daniel 2:1-19; Ephesians 4:17-5:1
Saturday, January 8, 2022: Psalm 72; Daniel 2:24-49; Ephesians 5:15-2
Boxing Day - December 26, 2021
Christmas Eve - December 24, 2021
Luke 2: 1-20
2:1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2:2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
2:3 All went to their own towns to be registered.
2:4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
2:5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.
2:6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
2:8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
2:9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
2:11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."
2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
2:14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."
2:16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
2:17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;
2:18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
2:19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
It may have started as a silent night, but it didn’t end that way.
We are all familiar with the beloved lyrics of the hymn:
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
There wasn’t actually any heavenly peace –
It was an event in which all of heaven resounded with song and noise.
The earth itself would not stay quiet.
Today, I want us to think through the nitty-gritty of that sacred night.
First of all, it was a birth.
Births are noisy and messy.
Especially first births – in an unsanitary and unsupported environment.
Labour is a process of deep groaning,
In which the mother draws on every internal resource of strength
To push new life into the world.
We don’t know what this looked like for Mary,
But the image we have of a quiet and peaceful birth is probably not true.
We have been nurtured by songs like Away in a Manger,
Which claims: Little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I can tell you right now that there is something wrong when a newborn doesn’t cry.
At some point during that long night,
A little cry pierced the air,
And for the very first time, the earth heard the voice of its saviour.
There would have been coos of joy from mother and father.
There would have been the loud cry of a baby feeling the cool air for the first time,
Breathing fresh air into his lungs and letting out a screech of protest.
There may have been animals, standing by and watching all this unfold,
Lowing and nickering and clucking perhaps.
It was not a silent night.
And then there were the shepherds,
Tending their flocks as they would on any other night,
Except this wasn’t like any other night.
Because the quiet and gentle sounds of their sheep
Were suddenly drowned out the voice of an angel.
They were terrified – of course they were,
Because who expects an angel to appear anywhere, at any time?
This angel tells them not to be afraid –
There is good news.
A child has been born, a messiah –
The one who had come to redeem Israel.
Not born in a royal palace, but in a stable.
Not lying in a gold-etched crib,
But in a pile of hay where the animals eat.
And all of a sudden there was a song ringing out in the night air:
Glory to God in the highest.
So the shepherds must have chattered to each other,
And made a quick decision to go immediately and find the child.
Shepherds were among the lowest of the low –
The poorest, and most vulnerable.
And yet, the good news came to them first.
Not to kings. Not to the wealthy. Not to Emperors,
But to the humblest and meekest.
They were the ones in most need of good news,
As among the most marginalized.
And so they went,
And we can imagine them arriving at the stable,
Knocking gently on the door, and waiting to see what lay inside.
They might have exclaimed their surprise in hushed voices that this good news
Was a mere child.
And yet, as the angel said, this was the Lord,
Come to dwell among God’s people,
A God in wrapped in cloth and suckling at his mother’s breast.
No one expected this.
I’m sure Mary and Joseph didn’t expect a visitation from a group of ragged shepherds.
But perhaps they were welcomed,
Perhaps they told Mary and Joseph what the angel told them,
And they all celebrated together at this new thing that God had accomplished.
It was not a silent night.
But it was a holy night,
Filled with the awe of new life,
The potential for salvation from the heavy burdens of life.
A night when angels sang and shepherds listened.
It was a night where the unexpected happened
A night when the beginning of joy began to infiltrate a dark world.
A night when the light shone, and pointed the way to a tiny new king.
We must not be silent either,
For to us has been born a Son, the Lord of creation,
The beginning and end of everything
And this is the most profoundly good news that the world has ever heard.
This child would grow,
To teach us how to love one another
And how to love God,
To defend the well-being of the poor
To die on a Roman cross
And then to be raised up again on the third day.
This child is the centre of everything –
And so our lives should revolve around him.
So let us not be silent on this night.
Let us shout our praise and thanksgiving,
Let us sing loudly enough that those who are suffering
Can hear the good news that we bring.
Let us tell the world that Jesus is born.
Joy to the World, the Lord is come.
Let earth receive her king –
Not in silence, but in joyful praise.
Amen.
2:1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2:2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
2:3 All went to their own towns to be registered.
2:4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
2:5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.
2:6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
2:8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
2:9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
2:11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."
2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
2:14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."
2:16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
2:17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;
2:18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
2:19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
It may have started as a silent night, but it didn’t end that way.
We are all familiar with the beloved lyrics of the hymn:
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
There wasn’t actually any heavenly peace –
It was an event in which all of heaven resounded with song and noise.
The earth itself would not stay quiet.
Today, I want us to think through the nitty-gritty of that sacred night.
First of all, it was a birth.
Births are noisy and messy.
Especially first births – in an unsanitary and unsupported environment.
Labour is a process of deep groaning,
In which the mother draws on every internal resource of strength
To push new life into the world.
We don’t know what this looked like for Mary,
But the image we have of a quiet and peaceful birth is probably not true.
We have been nurtured by songs like Away in a Manger,
Which claims: Little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I can tell you right now that there is something wrong when a newborn doesn’t cry.
At some point during that long night,
A little cry pierced the air,
And for the very first time, the earth heard the voice of its saviour.
There would have been coos of joy from mother and father.
There would have been the loud cry of a baby feeling the cool air for the first time,
Breathing fresh air into his lungs and letting out a screech of protest.
There may have been animals, standing by and watching all this unfold,
Lowing and nickering and clucking perhaps.
It was not a silent night.
And then there were the shepherds,
Tending their flocks as they would on any other night,
Except this wasn’t like any other night.
Because the quiet and gentle sounds of their sheep
Were suddenly drowned out the voice of an angel.
They were terrified – of course they were,
Because who expects an angel to appear anywhere, at any time?
This angel tells them not to be afraid –
There is good news.
A child has been born, a messiah –
The one who had come to redeem Israel.
Not born in a royal palace, but in a stable.
Not lying in a gold-etched crib,
But in a pile of hay where the animals eat.
And all of a sudden there was a song ringing out in the night air:
Glory to God in the highest.
So the shepherds must have chattered to each other,
And made a quick decision to go immediately and find the child.
Shepherds were among the lowest of the low –
The poorest, and most vulnerable.
And yet, the good news came to them first.
Not to kings. Not to the wealthy. Not to Emperors,
But to the humblest and meekest.
They were the ones in most need of good news,
As among the most marginalized.
And so they went,
And we can imagine them arriving at the stable,
Knocking gently on the door, and waiting to see what lay inside.
They might have exclaimed their surprise in hushed voices that this good news
Was a mere child.
And yet, as the angel said, this was the Lord,
Come to dwell among God’s people,
A God in wrapped in cloth and suckling at his mother’s breast.
No one expected this.
I’m sure Mary and Joseph didn’t expect a visitation from a group of ragged shepherds.
But perhaps they were welcomed,
Perhaps they told Mary and Joseph what the angel told them,
And they all celebrated together at this new thing that God had accomplished.
It was not a silent night.
But it was a holy night,
Filled with the awe of new life,
The potential for salvation from the heavy burdens of life.
A night when angels sang and shepherds listened.
It was a night where the unexpected happened
A night when the beginning of joy began to infiltrate a dark world.
A night when the light shone, and pointed the way to a tiny new king.
We must not be silent either,
For to us has been born a Son, the Lord of creation,
The beginning and end of everything
And this is the most profoundly good news that the world has ever heard.
This child would grow,
To teach us how to love one another
And how to love God,
To defend the well-being of the poor
To die on a Roman cross
And then to be raised up again on the third day.
This child is the centre of everything –
And so our lives should revolve around him.
So let us not be silent on this night.
Let us shout our praise and thanksgiving,
Let us sing loudly enough that those who are suffering
Can hear the good news that we bring.
Let us tell the world that Jesus is born.
Joy to the World, the Lord is come.
Let earth receive her king –
Not in silence, but in joyful praise.
Amen.
Sermon - December 12, 2021
Luke 1:39-45
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
Pregnancy can be a lonely and frightening time for women.
Childbirth is still one of the most dangerous things a woman can do,
And it was even more dangerous for someone in the 1st century.
Even worse for Mary, her pregnancy was both unexpected and unusual.
She had been approached, out of the blue, and told that she would
Bear the son of God.
She said yes to this task, even though it seems she didn’t actually have much choice.
She does know, however, that this child she is carrying will be special.
She knows that God is acting through her,
To bring about a complete change in history.
She sings about what she knows –
That God is acting to feed the hungry,
And bring down the mighty from their thrones.
There is another strange pregnancy in Luke’s gospel,
Mary’s cousin Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, the scripture tells us, was getting on in years.
She had not been able to have children with her husband Zechariah.
One day, when he was serving at the temple,
An angel appeared to him and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son.
“you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth”
This child was to be named John,
And he would grow up to be a prophet who pointed the way toward Jesus.
He would only be a few months older than Jesus.
Zechariah questions the angel, not quite believing his ears,
That his elderly wife could become pregnant.
Because of his doubt, he was unable to speak for months.
Elizabeth greets the news with great joy.
It was, you see, a terrible affliction to be unable to have children in those days.
Elizabeth likely suffered from shame for years and years.
And yet, here is the good news, a baby was to be born.
A baby who would become vitally important to the mission of Jesus.
When Mary heard the news that Elizabeth was expecting,
Soon after she realized her own pregnancy,
She set out with haste to go and find Elizabeth.
Overwelmed by the new life growing inside her,
She likely wanted to find sympathetic company with another women,
One who might understand the implications of heavenly visitors
And unexpected babies.
Elizabeth felt the baby leap in her womb as soon as she heard Mary’s greeting.
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?”
Elizabeth knew instinctively that the baby Mary was carrying
Belonged to God and would change the entire world.
We don’t know how she knew this. But she did.
Perhaps she was wise in her old age.
She was accustomed to waiting, longing for things to be different.
And I believe that Mary went to Elizabeth not only for female company,
Not only because Elizabeth would understand the odd circumstances,
But because she needed wisdom and advice.
After all, she was very, very young – maybe 13 or 14.
Pregnancy under normal circumstances is hard enough,
But this unusual conception, the fact that she was not actually married yet,
And her poverty likely contributed to a great deal of anxiety.
So she hurried to find the older woman,
Looking for comfort, and grace,
And an affirmation that God really was doing something significant through her.
As one person wrote on social media this week:
“I want to grow into Elizabeth:
The safe person young marginalized people can run to when they’re in trouble,
Who can affirm and celebrate the radical things God is doing in them.”
I thought that was so lovely,
The idea that Elizabeth provided a safe space for this young girl
To try to come to terms with what was happening to her.
This got me thinking about the ways that we welcome and support
Young people in our lives.
What if we can be like Elizabeth –
Older, wiser people who can affirm and support the younger ones.
What if we become safe places for them to explore their emotions,
What if we become those who recognize what God is doing in their lives,
And tell them that they are loved, and welcomed, and important?
Most of us have young people in our lives –
Our own children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Nieces and nephews, young people connected to this congregation.
Churches often despair about what to do with young people,
We are concerned that they are staying away from the church,
We may not understand their culture or the way they use language,
We may not value their music or their connection to social media.
We can, however, be an Elizabeth in their lives –
Encouraging, explaining, and telling them our own stories
So that they might glean wisdom from our own mistakes and missteps.
We can be like Elizabeth by pointing to what God is doing in their lives,
How we see them as valuable and worthy of love and compassion.
What a marvelous privilege, as we get older, to be able to accompany our young people
On their own journeys of faith and doubt.
I would encourage you, if you are seeing young people over the holidays,
To really listen to what they have to say.
To tell them how much they are loved and wanted.
To point out the ways that you see God working within them.
This is a tremendous gift for them, and for you.
Because as you begin to witness what God is doing in them,
You will likely find God at work in your own life.
Blessed is Mary, the mother of Jesus,
Blessed is Elizabeth, the mother of John.
Both of their sons would proclaim the coming Kingdom of God
And both would die horrible deaths.
The good news, of course, is that Jesus rose from the grave.
But at the beginning, there was an acknowledgement that these boys
Would be essential for God’s plan of salvation to take effect.
These women were the first believers, the first to witness God’s redemption.
Thank God for their stories, and may we be as joyful and as hopeful as they.
Amen
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
Pregnancy can be a lonely and frightening time for women.
Childbirth is still one of the most dangerous things a woman can do,
And it was even more dangerous for someone in the 1st century.
Even worse for Mary, her pregnancy was both unexpected and unusual.
She had been approached, out of the blue, and told that she would
Bear the son of God.
She said yes to this task, even though it seems she didn’t actually have much choice.
She does know, however, that this child she is carrying will be special.
She knows that God is acting through her,
To bring about a complete change in history.
She sings about what she knows –
That God is acting to feed the hungry,
And bring down the mighty from their thrones.
There is another strange pregnancy in Luke’s gospel,
Mary’s cousin Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, the scripture tells us, was getting on in years.
She had not been able to have children with her husband Zechariah.
One day, when he was serving at the temple,
An angel appeared to him and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son.
“you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth”
This child was to be named John,
And he would grow up to be a prophet who pointed the way toward Jesus.
He would only be a few months older than Jesus.
Zechariah questions the angel, not quite believing his ears,
That his elderly wife could become pregnant.
Because of his doubt, he was unable to speak for months.
Elizabeth greets the news with great joy.
It was, you see, a terrible affliction to be unable to have children in those days.
Elizabeth likely suffered from shame for years and years.
And yet, here is the good news, a baby was to be born.
A baby who would become vitally important to the mission of Jesus.
When Mary heard the news that Elizabeth was expecting,
Soon after she realized her own pregnancy,
She set out with haste to go and find Elizabeth.
Overwelmed by the new life growing inside her,
She likely wanted to find sympathetic company with another women,
One who might understand the implications of heavenly visitors
And unexpected babies.
Elizabeth felt the baby leap in her womb as soon as she heard Mary’s greeting.
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?”
Elizabeth knew instinctively that the baby Mary was carrying
Belonged to God and would change the entire world.
We don’t know how she knew this. But she did.
Perhaps she was wise in her old age.
She was accustomed to waiting, longing for things to be different.
And I believe that Mary went to Elizabeth not only for female company,
Not only because Elizabeth would understand the odd circumstances,
But because she needed wisdom and advice.
After all, she was very, very young – maybe 13 or 14.
Pregnancy under normal circumstances is hard enough,
But this unusual conception, the fact that she was not actually married yet,
And her poverty likely contributed to a great deal of anxiety.
So she hurried to find the older woman,
Looking for comfort, and grace,
And an affirmation that God really was doing something significant through her.
As one person wrote on social media this week:
“I want to grow into Elizabeth:
The safe person young marginalized people can run to when they’re in trouble,
Who can affirm and celebrate the radical things God is doing in them.”
I thought that was so lovely,
The idea that Elizabeth provided a safe space for this young girl
To try to come to terms with what was happening to her.
This got me thinking about the ways that we welcome and support
Young people in our lives.
What if we can be like Elizabeth –
Older, wiser people who can affirm and support the younger ones.
What if we become safe places for them to explore their emotions,
What if we become those who recognize what God is doing in their lives,
And tell them that they are loved, and welcomed, and important?
Most of us have young people in our lives –
Our own children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Nieces and nephews, young people connected to this congregation.
Churches often despair about what to do with young people,
We are concerned that they are staying away from the church,
We may not understand their culture or the way they use language,
We may not value their music or their connection to social media.
We can, however, be an Elizabeth in their lives –
Encouraging, explaining, and telling them our own stories
So that they might glean wisdom from our own mistakes and missteps.
We can be like Elizabeth by pointing to what God is doing in their lives,
How we see them as valuable and worthy of love and compassion.
What a marvelous privilege, as we get older, to be able to accompany our young people
On their own journeys of faith and doubt.
I would encourage you, if you are seeing young people over the holidays,
To really listen to what they have to say.
To tell them how much they are loved and wanted.
To point out the ways that you see God working within them.
This is a tremendous gift for them, and for you.
Because as you begin to witness what God is doing in them,
You will likely find God at work in your own life.
Blessed is Mary, the mother of Jesus,
Blessed is Elizabeth, the mother of John.
Both of their sons would proclaim the coming Kingdom of God
And both would die horrible deaths.
The good news, of course, is that Jesus rose from the grave.
But at the beginning, there was an acknowledgement that these boys
Would be essential for God’s plan of salvation to take effect.
These women were the first believers, the first to witness God’s redemption.
Thank God for their stories, and may we be as joyful and as hopeful as they.
Amen
Sermon - December 5, 2021
Luke 3:1-6
3In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler* of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler* of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler* of Abilene, 2during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
If any of you have little girls in your life,
You are probably familiar with the song “Let it Go” from the movie Frozen.
Princess Elsa is controlled by a strange power –
When she gets emotional, she makes things around her turn to Winter.
When she finally realizes her power, she decides to stop hiding it from the world,
And unleashes it.
The song Let it Go is about releasing the powers that hold us back
From living our true, authentic lives.
There are few things as irritating as being told to ‘let it go’
When we are upset about something.
And yet, there is truth in the statement –
There are many things which we ought to ‘let go.’
Some of us carry around guilt and shame for things that happened long ago.
Some of us hold on to grudges against others.
Some of us hold on to anger, or fear.
John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness.
He was preaching repentance for the forgivness of sins.
To repent is to confess wrongdoing, and choose to follow a different path.
It is literally to turn around and go in a different direction.
Or perhaps, in more colloquial language, it is a call to let things go.
Our scripture passage begins with an accounting of the political leadership
In the time of John – notice it is heavily Roman.
The people of Galillee are under a huge strain from colonialism.
They are taxed beyond their means, and the produce of their hard work
On the land and the sea is exported to other, richer colonies.
The Romans were destructive, and the people were longing to be set free.
John is announcing the coming of freedom.
The world, he said, is about to be turned upside down.
The high places – the mountains, will crumble to the ground
And the valleys and low places will be raised up.
There is no question here that he is talking about a cosmic event
That will shake the very foundations of the earth.
This is a political vision as much as it is a vision of nature.
As Mary sang in the Magnificat,
The rich would be brought down from their thrones
And the poor would sit at a banquet table enjoying their fill.
The salvation of God is at hand.
The people who are in darkness are about to see the light.
The world is about to be turned upside down,
And John is calling to people to prepare
For the new thing that God is doing.
You and I are still caught up in this story of salvation.
We live in the time in-between Christ’s resurrection and the second coming of Christ.
We too continue to long for a new world.
While we do not face the same political obstacles that the people of John’s day experienced,
We are not colonized, we are not oppressed.
And yet we long for something to change.
I am personally appalled by the gun violence in the United States,
Which resulted in the death and wounding of children this week.
We are all appalled by the continued strength of the coronavirus,
As it pops up in different ways in different places.
We lament the damage and danger of the storms on the West coast.
We long for a day when there are no more hungry people,
When everyone will have a home with warmth.
Two thousand years later, humanity is still waiting for the expected day of the Lord.
And yet John points to the coming of Jesus.
Who did indeed turn the world upside down.
Jesus’ death and resurrection proved that death has no real power.
The love of Jesus has shaken up billions of people in this time, and other times –
And so many have chosen to follow his way
Instead of walking destructive paths.
We have chosen to walk Jesus’ path.
In this season of Advent we are called to prepare, to repent, to expect.
Perhaps we are also called to ‘let it go’.
Maybe that is part of what repentance is all about –
To let go of what hold us back,
And find a new way of being.
What habits and behaviours would you like to let go?
What attitudes would you like to let go?
What fears and shame would you like to let go?
This is deep, introspective work that makes us wonder
What we are holding onto that prevents us from worshipping God fully,
With our hearts and minds and bodies?
What prevents us from moving forward?
What traumas lurk in our histories and experiences
That prevent us from living abundantly?
John is proclaiming the coming of the blessed one,
The one who gives us the power to let go of all kinds of things.
When we let go of heavy burdens,
Our hands are made free to hold blessings.
The good news is that Jesus Christ sets us free from everything that holds us back.
Guilt, shame, fear, anger, trauma – Jesus is at work transforming not only our inner selves
But the earth itself.
So the invitation here is to let it go –
Let go of your burdens, to make room for blessings.
Let go of your past self, to make room for the new.
Let go of emotions and attitudes that prevent you from loving and serving others.
Let go of fear,
For the days are surely coming
When Jesus shall return,
And we can be ready to receive him with open arms.
Amen.
3In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler* of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler* of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler* of Abilene, 2during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
If any of you have little girls in your life,
You are probably familiar with the song “Let it Go” from the movie Frozen.
Princess Elsa is controlled by a strange power –
When she gets emotional, she makes things around her turn to Winter.
When she finally realizes her power, she decides to stop hiding it from the world,
And unleashes it.
The song Let it Go is about releasing the powers that hold us back
From living our true, authentic lives.
There are few things as irritating as being told to ‘let it go’
When we are upset about something.
And yet, there is truth in the statement –
There are many things which we ought to ‘let go.’
Some of us carry around guilt and shame for things that happened long ago.
Some of us hold on to grudges against others.
Some of us hold on to anger, or fear.
John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness.
He was preaching repentance for the forgivness of sins.
To repent is to confess wrongdoing, and choose to follow a different path.
It is literally to turn around and go in a different direction.
Or perhaps, in more colloquial language, it is a call to let things go.
Our scripture passage begins with an accounting of the political leadership
In the time of John – notice it is heavily Roman.
The people of Galillee are under a huge strain from colonialism.
They are taxed beyond their means, and the produce of their hard work
On the land and the sea is exported to other, richer colonies.
The Romans were destructive, and the people were longing to be set free.
John is announcing the coming of freedom.
The world, he said, is about to be turned upside down.
The high places – the mountains, will crumble to the ground
And the valleys and low places will be raised up.
There is no question here that he is talking about a cosmic event
That will shake the very foundations of the earth.
This is a political vision as much as it is a vision of nature.
As Mary sang in the Magnificat,
The rich would be brought down from their thrones
And the poor would sit at a banquet table enjoying their fill.
The salvation of God is at hand.
The people who are in darkness are about to see the light.
The world is about to be turned upside down,
And John is calling to people to prepare
For the new thing that God is doing.
You and I are still caught up in this story of salvation.
We live in the time in-between Christ’s resurrection and the second coming of Christ.
We too continue to long for a new world.
While we do not face the same political obstacles that the people of John’s day experienced,
We are not colonized, we are not oppressed.
And yet we long for something to change.
I am personally appalled by the gun violence in the United States,
Which resulted in the death and wounding of children this week.
We are all appalled by the continued strength of the coronavirus,
As it pops up in different ways in different places.
We lament the damage and danger of the storms on the West coast.
We long for a day when there are no more hungry people,
When everyone will have a home with warmth.
Two thousand years later, humanity is still waiting for the expected day of the Lord.
And yet John points to the coming of Jesus.
Who did indeed turn the world upside down.
Jesus’ death and resurrection proved that death has no real power.
The love of Jesus has shaken up billions of people in this time, and other times –
And so many have chosen to follow his way
Instead of walking destructive paths.
We have chosen to walk Jesus’ path.
In this season of Advent we are called to prepare, to repent, to expect.
Perhaps we are also called to ‘let it go’.
Maybe that is part of what repentance is all about –
To let go of what hold us back,
And find a new way of being.
What habits and behaviours would you like to let go?
What attitudes would you like to let go?
What fears and shame would you like to let go?
This is deep, introspective work that makes us wonder
What we are holding onto that prevents us from worshipping God fully,
With our hearts and minds and bodies?
What prevents us from moving forward?
What traumas lurk in our histories and experiences
That prevent us from living abundantly?
John is proclaiming the coming of the blessed one,
The one who gives us the power to let go of all kinds of things.
When we let go of heavy burdens,
Our hands are made free to hold blessings.
The good news is that Jesus Christ sets us free from everything that holds us back.
Guilt, shame, fear, anger, trauma – Jesus is at work transforming not only our inner selves
But the earth itself.
So the invitation here is to let it go –
Let go of your burdens, to make room for blessings.
Let go of your past self, to make room for the new.
Let go of emotions and attitudes that prevent you from loving and serving others.
Let go of fear,
For the days are surely coming
When Jesus shall return,
And we can be ready to receive him with open arms.
Amen.
Sermon - November 28, 2021
SCRIPTURES:
OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 33: 14 - 16 New International Version
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15 “‘In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.’
NEW TESTAMENT: Luke 21: 25 - 36 New International Version
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
SERMON: “Absolutely Certain”
27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
LET US PRAY: Psalm 19: 14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord; our strength, and our redeemer.
AMEN.
Our Scripture Readings today seem miles apart - and perhaps a strange coupling today, the first Sunday in Advent. Today we lit the Candle of Hope. The Book of Jeremiah is not thought of as being filled with hope. To put today’s passage in perspective, it may help to remind ourselves of the overall message Jeremiah delivers from God.
For about 40 years, the prophet Isaiah had tried to turn the Southern Kingdom, which we know as Judah, from its sinful ways. It was about 75 years after the death of Isaiah, in which the religious hypocrisy, economic dishonesty, and oppressive practices of Judah’s leaders had only worsened, that the Lord appointed Jeremiah as his spokesperson. Jeremiah would continue the work of delivering God’s message to his people. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah also ministered in Judah for a period of forty years - from about 625 to 585 B.C.
The big difference between the two prophets was the message that they were called on to deliver. Isaiah was a prophet of hope. Jeremiah, persecuted - yet persistent - was a prophet of despair. By Jeremiah’s time the nation of Judah had degenerated into such a deplorable state that its destruction was absolutely certain.
While he has often been called the “weeping prophet” because he mourned the sins of his people; and grieved his own lack of success in turning them back to the one true God, Jeremiah was absolutely certain in his confidence that God, who had placed him where he was, would vindicate the truth of his message. The prophet could be absolutely certain that he must be faithful to his unwanted call - because God had promised to be faithful to him.
Jeremiah’s thankless job was to deliver this bad news message from the Lord: as punishment for its egregious sin and idolatry, Judah would be defeated by the pagan Babylonians. When God called Jeremiah to this prophetic ministry, he made it clear that it would not be easy. But he also promised to strengthen and protect Jeremiah; to be with him, and to deliver him.
Jeremiah has been trying to get through to the people of Judah for so long. It has been a message with, to put it mildly, a grim outlook.
But this morning’s passage is from Chapter 33 - the last chapter of the Book of Consolation which encompasses chapters 30 - 33. These hopeful chapters promise redemption, and restoration, to Israel and Judah. These chapters take place while the Babylonians are besieging Jerusalem, and there is every reason to believe that they will devastate the city. However, even in the midst of that, in these chapters, Jeremiah offers hope — assurance, even — for a hopeless situation.
The second section, verses 14-26, is not found in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek version of the Old Testament, suggesting that it was added after the Septuagint was translated in the 3rd or 2nd century B.C..
This section includes three promises by God to his people:
In Verse 14:
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
The Lord is promising that he will fulfill the promise he made to David in 2 Samuel 7: 8 - 15. These verses contain some of the most important words in the entire Old Testament, because they capture God’s promises to David. These promises are often referred to as the Davidic Covenant.
God’s promises to David are delivered some time after David has placed the ark in Jerusalem, a palace has been built for him, and he has a period of rest from his enemies, so he decides that he should build a temple to house the ark (God’s home on earth). David shares his plans with Nathan, the prophet, and Nathan concurs. However, that night Nathan hears from God about His plans for David, and they are not at all what Nathan expects!
God reminds Nathan that he has never requested that a permanent structure be built to house the ark. God has been content to travel with his people, wherever they have gone.
The Lord then reminds Nathan that it was God who took David from being a simple shepherd to being ruler over Israel. It is God who has given David all of his military victories.
And then God conveys to Nathan his three promises to David:
First, God promises that He will make David’s “name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.”
Second, God promises that He will give Israel the land He promised them; and give them peace from their enemies.
Third, God will build a house for David, not the other way around.
Then follows the key verses of the Davidic Covenant:
“When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”
What an incredible promise for God to make to his people and then to reaffirm in our passage from Jeremiah!
With the Davidic Covenant in mind from the first promise, it is easy for us to connect this promise with Jesus. This will happen - all in God’s time.
The second promise God reveals to Jeremiah is that this descendant of David “will do what is just and right in the land.”
The third promise is that: 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.
So how, on this First Sunday in Advent, do we reconcile this message of hope with the ominous message we read from Luke? We are tempted to ignore apocalyptic texts such as this. Not only are they difficult to understand, but we are often embarrassed by the excesses of today’s apocalyptic preachers.
However, we must acknowledge that Jesus spoke clearly about the Second Coming (also known as the Parousia), and other New Testament writings emphasize it as well.
Our Gospel reading this morning has its beginnings earlier in the chapter, in Jesus’ prediction that the temple will be destroyed and the disciples’ resulting question,
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”.
Jesus responds by telling of wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes, and plagues, the arrest of Christians, and the resulting opportunities for witnessing, and the destruction of Jerusalem. Then come the cosmic signs of verses 25 - 26, which is where our Gospel lesson begins.
Jesus does not say these things to frighten us, but to prepare us. Our proper response is not to be terrified, but to avoid being led astray by false teachers, and to take advantage of opportunities for witnessing - created by the turmoil.
This is a very different scene from that which is too often proclaimed from apocalyptic pulpits today. There is no car suddenly left driverless at the Second Coming. Jesus does not lift us above turmoil and suffering, but drops us into the middle of it. As one scholar puts it: “The ‘redemption’ that is promised is not a private lifeboat to save a few privileged folk while everything else is destroyed”.
Jesus’ purpose is not to insulate us from discomfort, but to prepare us for the redemption he has promised.
Jesus paints a scene very much like the one described in the book of Daniel. The coming of the Son of Man will seem catastrophic — and Jesus implies that it will be catastrophic for unbelievers — but he tells us, as believers that, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The picture is that of the birth of a new world — of all creation in labour. However, that labour will give birth to a wonderful new world where evil will be ended — where creation will be restored to God’s design. It is therefore a time for hope — for eager anticipation — for joy.
That is tough for us to grasp. It seems straightforward when we “proclaim the mystery of faith” in the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, most often offered up during a Communion Service:
Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ will come again.
We are good with what is by rote – a repetition, an affirmation of what we know and believe – but not so good with a “deep dive” into discussing the subject of the Second Coming.
There is a reason we don’t hear a lot of sermons based on passages from the Book of Revelation. It’s difficult and hard to feel that we can properly discern, and interpret, let alone understand, God’s message in it
Sometimes we don’t even look at the Book that closely. I recall an episode of Jeopardy many years ago. The answer was to the effect of “A book of the Bible that tells of the Second Coming or the Apocalypse”. One contestant rang in immediately, and proudly drew himself up - absolutely certain that he was giving the right answer. My recollection is that Alex Trebek saw the error - I don’t believe that the judges had to alert him. But either way Alex said, in that measured tone he had, words to the effect: “That is incorrect. The answer is Revelation, not Revelations.”
There was a look of utter disbelief on the contestant’s face. It seemed to me that it shone through that he was a reader of the Bible. It was also evident that for his entire life he had called it Revelations. And I got the feeling that he knew the Book of Revelation well, and had seen the name time and again. So it appeared to me that he was shocked – and totally embarrassed - to find out that he had been saying it incorrectly for many, many years.
A Presbyterian Minister tells the story of a time when he was pastor in a church that was asked by a Seventh Day Adventist congregation if they would be interested in sharing their facilities. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do – the Presbyterian church was strapped for cash, and the Seventh Day Adventist congregation was willing to pay its part; besides, they wanted to use the church on Saturday, which was a day when the Presbyterians hardly ever had anything going on.
The Session agreed, and a deal was struck.
At first, it worked pretty well. The two congregations were barely aware of each other. Then the Adventists asked to schedule a week-long seminar - consisting of lectures and films - centred on the Second Coming of Christ. Reluctantly, the Session agreed. But when leaflets began surfacing around the neighborhood with colourful images of cosmic battles, and satanic figures, and with provocative questions like, “Are you willing to let your children bear the mark of the beast?” the Presbyterians began to squirm.
All this emphasis on the end of time and the final advent of our Lord was more than they could take. So, when the week ended and the world didn’t come to an end, the Session asked the Seventh Day Adventists to find another place to meet. As it turned out, they’d already made up their minds to go somewhere else.
As the Adventist minister told Presbyterian minister, “It’s hard to make a case for the future when you folks are so comfortable with the present!”
So, how do we understand the Second Coming? Basically, in two ways:
First, there will come a day when Jesus will reveal himself fully and reign as the sovereign Lord of all creation. No one knows when that will be. As Jesus said, “But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only” In the meantime, it’s up to us to be prepared and live each day in such a way that, when he appears, he’ll recognize us as his own, and welcome us into his kingdom.
In the meantime, that doesn’t mean Jesus can’t be a part of our everyday lives. And that’s the second part: it is absolutely certain that Jesus comes when we least expect him – in the guise of strangers, the poor, the homeless, the oppressed, older people, children, people who are mentally and physically challenged. You never know when or where Jesus might appear. In this sense, he comes not once or twice, but over and over, and our job is to recognize him and greet him as a welcomed guest.
Many years ago, I was privileged to be in the home of Dutch friends at Christmastime. As we were preparing for dinner, I noticed that there was one more plate on the table than the number of people present. We were just about ready to sit down, and I wondered if someone was coming late, and we would need to wait until they arrived.
The hostess asked that we be seated. There was a pause before grace was said, and in that interval, all of the family members glanced at the front door. After a pause, grace was said, there was another pause as we awaited our hosts to indicate that we should pass the various dishes. Again, the family looked to the front door.
We were invited to begin the feast and willingly did so. As we proceeded with the meal I asked if they had been expecting someone. They said that it was tradition to set an extra place at the table for the friend - or stranger - who may come for dinner. If their place was already set, they would know that they were not only welcomed, but expected, and it would feel natural to sit down to break bread with together. I asked if anyone had ever shown up unexpectedly, and they said yes. An acquaintance’s Christmas plans had collapsed with a Christmas breakup. He knocked on their door and said, “I wondered where I could go at the last minute, and then knew that I would be welcome here.” His place at the table had been carefully prepared - he was more than welcome, and he knew that with absolute certainty.
So we are conscious that not only do we wait, during Advent, for the birth of our Saviour, but we wait and anticipate that he will come again.
At this time of year, we often ask ourselves, “Are we ready? Are we prepared?” That too often refers to decorations and gifts and cards and food and getting together - even in these restricting times. Are we prepared to welcome our Saviour? Are we prepared for his return?
I have always liked the story that John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with during the 1960 Presidential campaign. He told of Colonel Henry Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand.
Quelling a clamour for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgement is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore I wish that candles be brought.”
Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful until Jesus Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we are to be lights as we watch - and wait.
Advent’s call is to look up, to see that Christ is still here; to raise our heads with hope and anticipation, knowing with absolute certainty that he is coming again. Luke reminds us to live our lives trusting that he keeps his promises, that Jesus is with us in the chaos of our daily lives, in the ordinariness and the extraordinary; and in the joy, and in the tragedy, that makes up daily life.
And so, what we’re about today is getting ready. And the Good News is that as we prepare to welcome him into our hearts, our lives, our church, and our homes, we awaken to being absolutely certain that he’s already here, to appreciate that we know with absolute certainty, that Jesus Christ is the true reason for this season.
AMEN.
OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 33: 14 - 16 New International Version
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15 “‘In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.’
NEW TESTAMENT: Luke 21: 25 - 36 New International Version
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
SERMON: “Absolutely Certain”
27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
LET US PRAY: Psalm 19: 14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord; our strength, and our redeemer.
AMEN.
Our Scripture Readings today seem miles apart - and perhaps a strange coupling today, the first Sunday in Advent. Today we lit the Candle of Hope. The Book of Jeremiah is not thought of as being filled with hope. To put today’s passage in perspective, it may help to remind ourselves of the overall message Jeremiah delivers from God.
For about 40 years, the prophet Isaiah had tried to turn the Southern Kingdom, which we know as Judah, from its sinful ways. It was about 75 years after the death of Isaiah, in which the religious hypocrisy, economic dishonesty, and oppressive practices of Judah’s leaders had only worsened, that the Lord appointed Jeremiah as his spokesperson. Jeremiah would continue the work of delivering God’s message to his people. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah also ministered in Judah for a period of forty years - from about 625 to 585 B.C.
The big difference between the two prophets was the message that they were called on to deliver. Isaiah was a prophet of hope. Jeremiah, persecuted - yet persistent - was a prophet of despair. By Jeremiah’s time the nation of Judah had degenerated into such a deplorable state that its destruction was absolutely certain.
While he has often been called the “weeping prophet” because he mourned the sins of his people; and grieved his own lack of success in turning them back to the one true God, Jeremiah was absolutely certain in his confidence that God, who had placed him where he was, would vindicate the truth of his message. The prophet could be absolutely certain that he must be faithful to his unwanted call - because God had promised to be faithful to him.
Jeremiah’s thankless job was to deliver this bad news message from the Lord: as punishment for its egregious sin and idolatry, Judah would be defeated by the pagan Babylonians. When God called Jeremiah to this prophetic ministry, he made it clear that it would not be easy. But he also promised to strengthen and protect Jeremiah; to be with him, and to deliver him.
Jeremiah has been trying to get through to the people of Judah for so long. It has been a message with, to put it mildly, a grim outlook.
But this morning’s passage is from Chapter 33 - the last chapter of the Book of Consolation which encompasses chapters 30 - 33. These hopeful chapters promise redemption, and restoration, to Israel and Judah. These chapters take place while the Babylonians are besieging Jerusalem, and there is every reason to believe that they will devastate the city. However, even in the midst of that, in these chapters, Jeremiah offers hope — assurance, even — for a hopeless situation.
The second section, verses 14-26, is not found in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek version of the Old Testament, suggesting that it was added after the Septuagint was translated in the 3rd or 2nd century B.C..
This section includes three promises by God to his people:
In Verse 14:
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
The Lord is promising that he will fulfill the promise he made to David in 2 Samuel 7: 8 - 15. These verses contain some of the most important words in the entire Old Testament, because they capture God’s promises to David. These promises are often referred to as the Davidic Covenant.
God’s promises to David are delivered some time after David has placed the ark in Jerusalem, a palace has been built for him, and he has a period of rest from his enemies, so he decides that he should build a temple to house the ark (God’s home on earth). David shares his plans with Nathan, the prophet, and Nathan concurs. However, that night Nathan hears from God about His plans for David, and they are not at all what Nathan expects!
God reminds Nathan that he has never requested that a permanent structure be built to house the ark. God has been content to travel with his people, wherever they have gone.
The Lord then reminds Nathan that it was God who took David from being a simple shepherd to being ruler over Israel. It is God who has given David all of his military victories.
And then God conveys to Nathan his three promises to David:
First, God promises that He will make David’s “name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.”
Second, God promises that He will give Israel the land He promised them; and give them peace from their enemies.
Third, God will build a house for David, not the other way around.
Then follows the key verses of the Davidic Covenant:
“When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”
What an incredible promise for God to make to his people and then to reaffirm in our passage from Jeremiah!
With the Davidic Covenant in mind from the first promise, it is easy for us to connect this promise with Jesus. This will happen - all in God’s time.
The second promise God reveals to Jeremiah is that this descendant of David “will do what is just and right in the land.”
The third promise is that: 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.
So how, on this First Sunday in Advent, do we reconcile this message of hope with the ominous message we read from Luke? We are tempted to ignore apocalyptic texts such as this. Not only are they difficult to understand, but we are often embarrassed by the excesses of today’s apocalyptic preachers.
However, we must acknowledge that Jesus spoke clearly about the Second Coming (also known as the Parousia), and other New Testament writings emphasize it as well.
Our Gospel reading this morning has its beginnings earlier in the chapter, in Jesus’ prediction that the temple will be destroyed and the disciples’ resulting question,
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”.
Jesus responds by telling of wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes, and plagues, the arrest of Christians, and the resulting opportunities for witnessing, and the destruction of Jerusalem. Then come the cosmic signs of verses 25 - 26, which is where our Gospel lesson begins.
Jesus does not say these things to frighten us, but to prepare us. Our proper response is not to be terrified, but to avoid being led astray by false teachers, and to take advantage of opportunities for witnessing - created by the turmoil.
This is a very different scene from that which is too often proclaimed from apocalyptic pulpits today. There is no car suddenly left driverless at the Second Coming. Jesus does not lift us above turmoil and suffering, but drops us into the middle of it. As one scholar puts it: “The ‘redemption’ that is promised is not a private lifeboat to save a few privileged folk while everything else is destroyed”.
Jesus’ purpose is not to insulate us from discomfort, but to prepare us for the redemption he has promised.
Jesus paints a scene very much like the one described in the book of Daniel. The coming of the Son of Man will seem catastrophic — and Jesus implies that it will be catastrophic for unbelievers — but he tells us, as believers that, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The picture is that of the birth of a new world — of all creation in labour. However, that labour will give birth to a wonderful new world where evil will be ended — where creation will be restored to God’s design. It is therefore a time for hope — for eager anticipation — for joy.
That is tough for us to grasp. It seems straightforward when we “proclaim the mystery of faith” in the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, most often offered up during a Communion Service:
Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ will come again.
We are good with what is by rote – a repetition, an affirmation of what we know and believe – but not so good with a “deep dive” into discussing the subject of the Second Coming.
There is a reason we don’t hear a lot of sermons based on passages from the Book of Revelation. It’s difficult and hard to feel that we can properly discern, and interpret, let alone understand, God’s message in it
Sometimes we don’t even look at the Book that closely. I recall an episode of Jeopardy many years ago. The answer was to the effect of “A book of the Bible that tells of the Second Coming or the Apocalypse”. One contestant rang in immediately, and proudly drew himself up - absolutely certain that he was giving the right answer. My recollection is that Alex Trebek saw the error - I don’t believe that the judges had to alert him. But either way Alex said, in that measured tone he had, words to the effect: “That is incorrect. The answer is Revelation, not Revelations.”
There was a look of utter disbelief on the contestant’s face. It seemed to me that it shone through that he was a reader of the Bible. It was also evident that for his entire life he had called it Revelations. And I got the feeling that he knew the Book of Revelation well, and had seen the name time and again. So it appeared to me that he was shocked – and totally embarrassed - to find out that he had been saying it incorrectly for many, many years.
A Presbyterian Minister tells the story of a time when he was pastor in a church that was asked by a Seventh Day Adventist congregation if they would be interested in sharing their facilities. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do – the Presbyterian church was strapped for cash, and the Seventh Day Adventist congregation was willing to pay its part; besides, they wanted to use the church on Saturday, which was a day when the Presbyterians hardly ever had anything going on.
The Session agreed, and a deal was struck.
At first, it worked pretty well. The two congregations were barely aware of each other. Then the Adventists asked to schedule a week-long seminar - consisting of lectures and films - centred on the Second Coming of Christ. Reluctantly, the Session agreed. But when leaflets began surfacing around the neighborhood with colourful images of cosmic battles, and satanic figures, and with provocative questions like, “Are you willing to let your children bear the mark of the beast?” the Presbyterians began to squirm.
All this emphasis on the end of time and the final advent of our Lord was more than they could take. So, when the week ended and the world didn’t come to an end, the Session asked the Seventh Day Adventists to find another place to meet. As it turned out, they’d already made up their minds to go somewhere else.
As the Adventist minister told Presbyterian minister, “It’s hard to make a case for the future when you folks are so comfortable with the present!”
So, how do we understand the Second Coming? Basically, in two ways:
First, there will come a day when Jesus will reveal himself fully and reign as the sovereign Lord of all creation. No one knows when that will be. As Jesus said, “But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only” In the meantime, it’s up to us to be prepared and live each day in such a way that, when he appears, he’ll recognize us as his own, and welcome us into his kingdom.
In the meantime, that doesn’t mean Jesus can’t be a part of our everyday lives. And that’s the second part: it is absolutely certain that Jesus comes when we least expect him – in the guise of strangers, the poor, the homeless, the oppressed, older people, children, people who are mentally and physically challenged. You never know when or where Jesus might appear. In this sense, he comes not once or twice, but over and over, and our job is to recognize him and greet him as a welcomed guest.
Many years ago, I was privileged to be in the home of Dutch friends at Christmastime. As we were preparing for dinner, I noticed that there was one more plate on the table than the number of people present. We were just about ready to sit down, and I wondered if someone was coming late, and we would need to wait until they arrived.
The hostess asked that we be seated. There was a pause before grace was said, and in that interval, all of the family members glanced at the front door. After a pause, grace was said, there was another pause as we awaited our hosts to indicate that we should pass the various dishes. Again, the family looked to the front door.
We were invited to begin the feast and willingly did so. As we proceeded with the meal I asked if they had been expecting someone. They said that it was tradition to set an extra place at the table for the friend - or stranger - who may come for dinner. If their place was already set, they would know that they were not only welcomed, but expected, and it would feel natural to sit down to break bread with together. I asked if anyone had ever shown up unexpectedly, and they said yes. An acquaintance’s Christmas plans had collapsed with a Christmas breakup. He knocked on their door and said, “I wondered where I could go at the last minute, and then knew that I would be welcome here.” His place at the table had been carefully prepared - he was more than welcome, and he knew that with absolute certainty.
So we are conscious that not only do we wait, during Advent, for the birth of our Saviour, but we wait and anticipate that he will come again.
At this time of year, we often ask ourselves, “Are we ready? Are we prepared?” That too often refers to decorations and gifts and cards and food and getting together - even in these restricting times. Are we prepared to welcome our Saviour? Are we prepared for his return?
I have always liked the story that John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with during the 1960 Presidential campaign. He told of Colonel Henry Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand.
Quelling a clamour for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgement is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore I wish that candles be brought.”
Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful until Jesus Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we are to be lights as we watch - and wait.
Advent’s call is to look up, to see that Christ is still here; to raise our heads with hope and anticipation, knowing with absolute certainty that he is coming again. Luke reminds us to live our lives trusting that he keeps his promises, that Jesus is with us in the chaos of our daily lives, in the ordinariness and the extraordinary; and in the joy, and in the tragedy, that makes up daily life.
And so, what we’re about today is getting ready. And the Good News is that as we prepare to welcome him into our hearts, our lives, our church, and our homes, we awaken to being absolutely certain that he’s already here, to appreciate that we know with absolute certainty, that Jesus Christ is the true reason for this season.
AMEN.
Sermon - November 21, 2021
Matthew 5:13-16
13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Some of us were raised to think that we have to believe certain things
In order to be a Christian.
A set of propositions or ideas about faith.
This is certainly true in some ways.
To be a Christian is to believe that Jesus came into the world as a gift from God –
To live out an exemplary human life, to die on the cross in love for us all, and to rise again out of death. These are the hallmarks of our faith.
There is more, of course. We believe in God as creator, redeemer and sustainer.
We believe a whole bunch of things about worship, and God’s transforming grace.
Jesus’ words in the sermon on the mount, however, remind us
That faith is not only about what we believe.
It’s also about how we behave.
To be a disciple is less about believing certain things,
And more about acting upon God’s word.
In the sermon on the Mount, according to Dr. Amy-Jill Levine,
“is to encourage us to recognize the potential we have, as created in the image and likeness of God, to act as if divine will occurs on earth as it does in heaven.”
It is a cliché in our culture to describe someone as the salt of the earth.
By this we mean people who are good, solid, reliable.
Salt is a seasoning, a preservative, something needed for life.
If our bodies don’t have enough salt, we are in deep trouble.
My friend Pauline in India taught me that when you are dehydrated,
You should put a pinch of salt into a bottle of pop,
And it will help to balance out your electrolytes.
The disiciples are named as ‘salt’, but salt of the earth.
This means the disciples don’t exist to show off their own colours or tastes –
They don’t exist for themselves, but for others.
Instead, the disciples are meant to season the world,
To enhance the flavour of all the good things God is doing in the world.
The disciples also represent something that is valuable –
The word salt comes from the Latin word sel which is also the origin of the English word salary
Roman soldiers were paid in salt.
So at the time of Jesus,
Salt was not only a seasoning, it was a precious commodity –
It was even the payment that kept the army moving.
To be the salt of the earth,
Means that disciples have value.
As I already noted, it is a problem to have too much salt or too little.
Jesus says that salt can lose its saltiness.
This has always puzzled me, because it doesn’t seem like salt gets any less salty over time.
But the truth is that salt can become diluted.
If we add too much salt to something we are cooking, we can add something else that will dilute the salt.
We might become less salty if we are weighed down by the cares of the world.
Our fears, anxieties and traumas dilute our saltiness.
It’s also not healthy to have too much salt.
Disciples can become too salty if they proclaim “look at me”
And make the gospel all about them instead of all about God.
Oversalted disciples seek to be rewarded for good works on earth,
Instead of works that give glory to God.
As Dr. Levine writes: The best salt, in food, in medicine, in dyes,
Is almost undetected. It does its work not by calling attention to itself
But by brightening, making more alive, everything it permeates.
To be salt of the earth means to participate in good works.
These are more than random acts of kindness –
They are specific and targeted and directed toward those who are most vulnerable.
We are being salty disciples when we feed the hungry, visit the sick, and clothe the naked.
To be the salt of the earth also means to be true to oneself.
Remember that the Sermon on the Mount is a sermon which helps us to understand who we are as disciples, as inhabitants of God’s coming kingdom.
From the beatitudes, we know that we are already blessed, already loved,
Already part of a new family of faith.
As Dr. Levine writes: “they also know that their nature has changed. They are not pieces of dust, they are not specks of dirt. They are salt.”
They are valuable because of who they are.
And valuable because of what they contribute to the world.
To be salt is to enhance the world by good works that arise from our faith in God.
Which raises interesting questions for us.
What does it mean for us to enhance the world?
What does it mean for us to be salty?
Do others recognize us by the flavour we bring to our world?
This week, I encourage you to reflect on your own saltiness.
How do you contribute to the work of enhancing God’s kingdom?
Even if you think you are too old – you are still salty.
Even if you are caught in a web of depression or dis-ease with the world, you are still salty.
Even if all you can do is make a phone call to someone who is lonely – you are still salty.
Even if all you can do is write a cheque for a good cause – you are still salty.
Even if you are overwhelmed, or tired, or feeling isoltated – you are still salty.
Because Jesus made us that way.
So let us go into the world and be salt
Always waiting for the consummation of God’s kingdom,
In which we are salt and light for the world.
A Prayer for the Week
Creator God, we thank you for making us salt and light for the world. May we season the world with grace, justice and peace. We pray for those situations which seem to require more justice and more peace. Remember the people of British Columbia. That the rains will cease, and that the experts will be able to rebuild the infrastructure. We pray for Indigenous peoples whose land has been invaded this week. We pray for the United States, as they wrestle with racial injustice.
We also pray for those who are nearest and dearest to us. Those who are healing, in hospital, awaiting surgery or news of their condition – including Rob, Helen, Liat, and Jamie. We pray for your comforting presence to come upon them and others known to us. Gracious God, send us out into the world as ambassadors of Christ’s reconciliation and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 22, 2021: Psalm 63; 2 Kings 23:15-25; Revelation 11:1-14
Tuesday, November 23, 2021: Psalm 63; 1 Samuel 17:55-18:5; Revelation 11:15-19
Wednesday, November 24, 2021:Psalm 63; 2 Samuel 2:1-7; John 16:25-33
Thursday, November 25, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Nehemiah 9:6-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Friday, November 26, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Nehemiah 9:16-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Saturday, November 27, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Nehemiah 9:26-31; Luke 21:20-24
13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Some of us were raised to think that we have to believe certain things
In order to be a Christian.
A set of propositions or ideas about faith.
This is certainly true in some ways.
To be a Christian is to believe that Jesus came into the world as a gift from God –
To live out an exemplary human life, to die on the cross in love for us all, and to rise again out of death. These are the hallmarks of our faith.
There is more, of course. We believe in God as creator, redeemer and sustainer.
We believe a whole bunch of things about worship, and God’s transforming grace.
Jesus’ words in the sermon on the mount, however, remind us
That faith is not only about what we believe.
It’s also about how we behave.
To be a disciple is less about believing certain things,
And more about acting upon God’s word.
In the sermon on the Mount, according to Dr. Amy-Jill Levine,
“is to encourage us to recognize the potential we have, as created in the image and likeness of God, to act as if divine will occurs on earth as it does in heaven.”
It is a cliché in our culture to describe someone as the salt of the earth.
By this we mean people who are good, solid, reliable.
Salt is a seasoning, a preservative, something needed for life.
If our bodies don’t have enough salt, we are in deep trouble.
My friend Pauline in India taught me that when you are dehydrated,
You should put a pinch of salt into a bottle of pop,
And it will help to balance out your electrolytes.
The disiciples are named as ‘salt’, but salt of the earth.
This means the disciples don’t exist to show off their own colours or tastes –
They don’t exist for themselves, but for others.
Instead, the disciples are meant to season the world,
To enhance the flavour of all the good things God is doing in the world.
The disciples also represent something that is valuable –
The word salt comes from the Latin word sel which is also the origin of the English word salary
Roman soldiers were paid in salt.
So at the time of Jesus,
Salt was not only a seasoning, it was a precious commodity –
It was even the payment that kept the army moving.
To be the salt of the earth,
Means that disciples have value.
As I already noted, it is a problem to have too much salt or too little.
Jesus says that salt can lose its saltiness.
This has always puzzled me, because it doesn’t seem like salt gets any less salty over time.
But the truth is that salt can become diluted.
If we add too much salt to something we are cooking, we can add something else that will dilute the salt.
We might become less salty if we are weighed down by the cares of the world.
Our fears, anxieties and traumas dilute our saltiness.
It’s also not healthy to have too much salt.
Disciples can become too salty if they proclaim “look at me”
And make the gospel all about them instead of all about God.
Oversalted disciples seek to be rewarded for good works on earth,
Instead of works that give glory to God.
As Dr. Levine writes: The best salt, in food, in medicine, in dyes,
Is almost undetected. It does its work not by calling attention to itself
But by brightening, making more alive, everything it permeates.
To be salt of the earth means to participate in good works.
These are more than random acts of kindness –
They are specific and targeted and directed toward those who are most vulnerable.
We are being salty disciples when we feed the hungry, visit the sick, and clothe the naked.
To be the salt of the earth also means to be true to oneself.
Remember that the Sermon on the Mount is a sermon which helps us to understand who we are as disciples, as inhabitants of God’s coming kingdom.
From the beatitudes, we know that we are already blessed, already loved,
Already part of a new family of faith.
As Dr. Levine writes: “they also know that their nature has changed. They are not pieces of dust, they are not specks of dirt. They are salt.”
They are valuable because of who they are.
And valuable because of what they contribute to the world.
To be salt is to enhance the world by good works that arise from our faith in God.
Which raises interesting questions for us.
What does it mean for us to enhance the world?
What does it mean for us to be salty?
Do others recognize us by the flavour we bring to our world?
This week, I encourage you to reflect on your own saltiness.
How do you contribute to the work of enhancing God’s kingdom?
Even if you think you are too old – you are still salty.
Even if you are caught in a web of depression or dis-ease with the world, you are still salty.
Even if all you can do is make a phone call to someone who is lonely – you are still salty.
Even if all you can do is write a cheque for a good cause – you are still salty.
Even if you are overwhelmed, or tired, or feeling isoltated – you are still salty.
Because Jesus made us that way.
So let us go into the world and be salt
Always waiting for the consummation of God’s kingdom,
In which we are salt and light for the world.
A Prayer for the Week
Creator God, we thank you for making us salt and light for the world. May we season the world with grace, justice and peace. We pray for those situations which seem to require more justice and more peace. Remember the people of British Columbia. That the rains will cease, and that the experts will be able to rebuild the infrastructure. We pray for Indigenous peoples whose land has been invaded this week. We pray for the United States, as they wrestle with racial injustice.
We also pray for those who are nearest and dearest to us. Those who are healing, in hospital, awaiting surgery or news of their condition – including Rob, Helen, Liat, and Jamie. We pray for your comforting presence to come upon them and others known to us. Gracious God, send us out into the world as ambassadors of Christ’s reconciliation and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 22, 2021: Psalm 63; 2 Kings 23:15-25; Revelation 11:1-14
Tuesday, November 23, 2021: Psalm 63; 1 Samuel 17:55-18:5; Revelation 11:15-19
Wednesday, November 24, 2021:Psalm 63; 2 Samuel 2:1-7; John 16:25-33
Thursday, November 25, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Nehemiah 9:6-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Friday, November 26, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Nehemiah 9:16-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Saturday, November 27, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Nehemiah 9:26-31; Luke 21:20-24
Sermon - November 14, 2021
Matthew 5: 17-26; 38-48
17 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister* has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
It is difficult to underestimate the significance of Mahatma Gandhi as a spiritual and social leader. But did you know that he was immensely impacted by Jesus’ sermon on the mount?
He said that it was this sermon that endeared him to Jesus.
Gandhi was influenced by the spirit of non-violence in Jesus words such as
Turn the other cheek.
He followed it until the end of his life.
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; to the one who takes your coat, give also your shirt.”
Gandhi recognized these acts as a kind of resistance against violence.
Instead of responding to violence with violence,
One resists the violence with love.
We can see these non-violent principles in other figures of the 20th Century,
Such as Martin Luther King Jr.
In a sermon preached at Dexter Avenue Baptist church on November 17th 1957,
Martin Luther King Jr. used these words to describe the command to love one’s neighbour:
Certainly these are great words, words lifted to cosmic proportions. And over the centuries, many persons have argued that this is an extremely difficult command. Many would go so far as to say that it just isn’t possible to move out into the actual practice of this glorious command. They would go on to say that this is just additional proof that Jesus was an impractical idealist who never quite came down to earth. So the arguments abound. But far from being an impractical idealist, Jesus has become the practical realist. The words of this text glitter in our eyes with a new urgency. Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this command is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. Yes, it is love that will save our world and our civilization, love even for enemies.
The words we read this morning from the gospel of Matthew come from a series of sayings
Of Jesus known as ‘extensions’.
They are extensions because they extend the ten commandments to go further.
Instead of simply saying do not murder, Jesus says don’t even get angry,
Because anger is the gateway drug to murder.
Instead of saying don’t commit adultery, Jesus says don’t even feel lust in your heart.
Jesus is not cancelling the 10 commandments, rather he is expanding them.
To be a disciple means to follow the Torah – the law of Moses.
Not one letter of Moses’ law is irrelevant or outdated –
You might know the English word ‘jot’
The King James Version of the bible says not one jot or tittle shall be removed
From the law of Moses.
The tittle is the little dot over the letter of I and j – the smallest part of our alphabet.
Jesus says his followers must also follow mosaic law,
And yet they are invited to follow this law in a more extreme way.
By following the commandments as Jesus has formulated them,
The disciples will be able to walk with one foot in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Remember here that Jesus is working to set up an ideal community,
A new family where members of the group replace one’s birth family,
And become brothers and sisters, parents and child to one another within this new community
The law of Moses implies that all bodies are created in the divine image,
And thus all bodies are deserving of care and consideration.
While the Torah distinguishes between Israelites and foreigners,
It insists that both must be loved.
It is not appropriate to act violently toward one of God’s creatures.
Rather, disciples are invited to display courage and honour when confronted with violence.
I do want to add one caveat here: turning the other cheek is not a euphemism for suffering abuse. As a Christian community, we are called to prevent and respond to abuse with zero tolerance.
I suspect that our confrontations with violence are few and far between.
We still hear the call to love our enemies.
To love our enemies as ourselves requires that we first love ourselves,
Which may indeed be a problem.
I suspect that many of us are violent toward our own selves,
Putting ourselves down,
Refusing to see ourselves as God’s beloved child.
So the first thing we must do is love ourselves.
Only then can we turn that love toward others.
Friends, this is not an easy thing.
Because it means that we must see every human being in the image of God.
Even those who are violent murderers.
Even those who have led their communities into despair.
Even those who do not love anybody at all.
We must pray for our enemies, understanding that they too belong to God,
And Jesus’ exhortation is to love them no matter what.
We do not do this alone, but only in and through the grace of Jesus himself.
Who enables to do and be far more than we ever imagined.
So may our love transform what is broken.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, we hear your call to love our neighbour and pray for our enemies. We ask for strength and courage to love powerfully, even those who seem undeserving of our love.
Form us into the kind of community Jesus was trying to establish – one rooted in the laws of love and justice.
We ask your blessing on those who are ill or recovering from illness. We pray for Rob, in hospital, that his healthcare workers will be wise and compassionate. In this pandemic time, we ask for a sense of calm and optimism, so that we will be able to imagine a future that is brighter than the present day.
Teach us to love more fully and completely. Send us out into the world to be beacons of hope.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, November 15, 2021: Psalm 3; 1 Samuel 3:19-4:2; Hebrews 10:26-31
Tuesday, November 16, 2021: Psalm 3; Deuteronomy 26:5-10; Hebrews 10:32-39
Wednesday, November 17, 2021: Psalm 3; 1 Kings 8:22-30; Mark 13:9-23
Thursday, November 18, 2021: Psalm 132:1-12; 2 Kings 22:1-10; Acts 7:54-8:1a
Friday, November 19, 2021: Psalm 132:1-12; 2 Kings 22:11-20; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Saturday, November 20, 2021: Psalm 132:1-12; 2 Kings 23:1-14; John 3:31-36
17 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister* has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
It is difficult to underestimate the significance of Mahatma Gandhi as a spiritual and social leader. But did you know that he was immensely impacted by Jesus’ sermon on the mount?
He said that it was this sermon that endeared him to Jesus.
Gandhi was influenced by the spirit of non-violence in Jesus words such as
Turn the other cheek.
He followed it until the end of his life.
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; to the one who takes your coat, give also your shirt.”
Gandhi recognized these acts as a kind of resistance against violence.
Instead of responding to violence with violence,
One resists the violence with love.
We can see these non-violent principles in other figures of the 20th Century,
Such as Martin Luther King Jr.
In a sermon preached at Dexter Avenue Baptist church on November 17th 1957,
Martin Luther King Jr. used these words to describe the command to love one’s neighbour:
Certainly these are great words, words lifted to cosmic proportions. And over the centuries, many persons have argued that this is an extremely difficult command. Many would go so far as to say that it just isn’t possible to move out into the actual practice of this glorious command. They would go on to say that this is just additional proof that Jesus was an impractical idealist who never quite came down to earth. So the arguments abound. But far from being an impractical idealist, Jesus has become the practical realist. The words of this text glitter in our eyes with a new urgency. Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this command is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. Yes, it is love that will save our world and our civilization, love even for enemies.
The words we read this morning from the gospel of Matthew come from a series of sayings
Of Jesus known as ‘extensions’.
They are extensions because they extend the ten commandments to go further.
Instead of simply saying do not murder, Jesus says don’t even get angry,
Because anger is the gateway drug to murder.
Instead of saying don’t commit adultery, Jesus says don’t even feel lust in your heart.
Jesus is not cancelling the 10 commandments, rather he is expanding them.
To be a disciple means to follow the Torah – the law of Moses.
Not one letter of Moses’ law is irrelevant or outdated –
You might know the English word ‘jot’
The King James Version of the bible says not one jot or tittle shall be removed
From the law of Moses.
The tittle is the little dot over the letter of I and j – the smallest part of our alphabet.
Jesus says his followers must also follow mosaic law,
And yet they are invited to follow this law in a more extreme way.
By following the commandments as Jesus has formulated them,
The disciples will be able to walk with one foot in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Remember here that Jesus is working to set up an ideal community,
A new family where members of the group replace one’s birth family,
And become brothers and sisters, parents and child to one another within this new community
The law of Moses implies that all bodies are created in the divine image,
And thus all bodies are deserving of care and consideration.
While the Torah distinguishes between Israelites and foreigners,
It insists that both must be loved.
It is not appropriate to act violently toward one of God’s creatures.
Rather, disciples are invited to display courage and honour when confronted with violence.
I do want to add one caveat here: turning the other cheek is not a euphemism for suffering abuse. As a Christian community, we are called to prevent and respond to abuse with zero tolerance.
I suspect that our confrontations with violence are few and far between.
We still hear the call to love our enemies.
To love our enemies as ourselves requires that we first love ourselves,
Which may indeed be a problem.
I suspect that many of us are violent toward our own selves,
Putting ourselves down,
Refusing to see ourselves as God’s beloved child.
So the first thing we must do is love ourselves.
Only then can we turn that love toward others.
Friends, this is not an easy thing.
Because it means that we must see every human being in the image of God.
Even those who are violent murderers.
Even those who have led their communities into despair.
Even those who do not love anybody at all.
We must pray for our enemies, understanding that they too belong to God,
And Jesus’ exhortation is to love them no matter what.
We do not do this alone, but only in and through the grace of Jesus himself.
Who enables to do and be far more than we ever imagined.
So may our love transform what is broken.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, we hear your call to love our neighbour and pray for our enemies. We ask for strength and courage to love powerfully, even those who seem undeserving of our love.
Form us into the kind of community Jesus was trying to establish – one rooted in the laws of love and justice.
We ask your blessing on those who are ill or recovering from illness. We pray for Rob, in hospital, that his healthcare workers will be wise and compassionate. In this pandemic time, we ask for a sense of calm and optimism, so that we will be able to imagine a future that is brighter than the present day.
Teach us to love more fully and completely. Send us out into the world to be beacons of hope.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, November 15, 2021: Psalm 3; 1 Samuel 3:19-4:2; Hebrews 10:26-31
Tuesday, November 16, 2021: Psalm 3; Deuteronomy 26:5-10; Hebrews 10:32-39
Wednesday, November 17, 2021: Psalm 3; 1 Kings 8:22-30; Mark 13:9-23
Thursday, November 18, 2021: Psalm 132:1-12; 2 Kings 22:1-10; Acts 7:54-8:1a
Friday, November 19, 2021: Psalm 132:1-12; 2 Kings 22:11-20; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Saturday, November 20, 2021: Psalm 132:1-12; 2 Kings 23:1-14; John 3:31-36
Sermon - November 7, 2021
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
On the evening of November 14, 1940, over 500 planes from the German Luftwaffe
Bombed Coventry Cathedral in the highly industrialized West Midlands of England.
The Cathedral was destroyed, with only the tower and spire still standing.
In the 12 hours of raids, 568 people were killed, and 4000 homes were destroyed.
This may or may not be hard to believe,
But the decision was made the next morning to rebuild the cathedral
Not as a symbol of resistance or victory,
But as a symbol of reconciliation, and faith in a future world free from conflict.
In the days after the bombing, two charred cross-beams were found
Lying the shape of a cross. These were fashioned together into an altar piece
Which says “Father Forgive”.
That is what I remember about my visit to Coventry.
It is a remarkable place. The new Cathedral is modern, filled with beautiful art and colour.
The amazing thing is that the ruins of the old Cathedral are reflected in the image of the new cathedral.
Together, they form one church – the old bombed out ruin,
And the glorious rising from the ashes.
It occurs to me that this is a way to think about remembrance day –
We see the ruins of the past, reflected against the realities of the present day –
A day when we are more free, more safe than we would have been if men and women
Hadn’t fought on our behalf.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
According to Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who understand dependence and obligation, loss and memory, power and responsibility.
The war dead, the soldiers that fought and died, those who survived –
All of them understood the power of obligation –
Of the need to fight for justice and righteousness,
Of the duty to care for others.
You and I also hunger and thirst for righteousness,
Hoping against hope that there will never be another global conflict.
We see the ruins of the past reflected in the new creation.
The loss and trauma are still present, but there is a new way forward.
Jesus Christ cast a vision for a world where all could live in peace.
We see the ruins of the crucifixion reflected in the glorious resurrection.
We can’t escape the pain of the past, but we can revision, reimagine a future
That is free from conflict and hatred.
Last week we looked at the Beatitudes – the blessings of God that demonstrate what life in the kingdom of heaven might look like.
And here we have a promise that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
Will be filled.
On this day, we remember and give thanks for those who sacrificed in the pursuit of righteousness.
We confess our complicity in conflict, and the ways we contribute to the hardships of others.
We look forward to a world without war, in which the lion will lay down with lamb
And the little child will be able to play with a snake without being harmed.
This is the vision of a world that is organized according to God’s kingdom.
Today, Coventry Cathedral is a thriving centre for worship and reconciliation.
The idea that this centre was conceived the morning after the bombing is remarkable.
Imagine standing in the midst of smoking ruins,
Surrounded by death and destruction.
And still being able to envision a future that is free from war.
That is God’s action – that is God’s choice,
To turn our vision toward peace and restoration.
So may we seek righteousness and peace,
And the restoration of all who have been broken and destroyed.
Life is waiting for us, in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of life, during this week of remembrance we remember and we give thanks for the sacrifices of men and women who fought for justice and peace. We ask that you will give us a vision for the future that is free from conflict. We pray for all those who have died, that you will keep them safe in your everlasting arms.
We pray for those know to us who are sick, especially those who are in hospital. We ask your special blessing on those who are struggling with loneliness. May we be good friends and companions on the journey. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, November 8, 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 24:1-10; 1 Timothy 5:1-8
Tuesday, November 9, 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 24:11-27; 1 Timothy 5:9-16
Wednesday, November 10, 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 24:28-42; Luke 4:16-30
Thursday, November 11, 2021: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; 1 Samuel 1:21-28; 1 Timothy 6:11-21
Friday, November 12, 2021: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; 1 Samuel 2:18-21; Colossians 2:6-15
Saturday, November 13, 2021: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; 1 Samuel 3:1-18; Mark 12:1-12
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
On the evening of November 14, 1940, over 500 planes from the German Luftwaffe
Bombed Coventry Cathedral in the highly industrialized West Midlands of England.
The Cathedral was destroyed, with only the tower and spire still standing.
In the 12 hours of raids, 568 people were killed, and 4000 homes were destroyed.
This may or may not be hard to believe,
But the decision was made the next morning to rebuild the cathedral
Not as a symbol of resistance or victory,
But as a symbol of reconciliation, and faith in a future world free from conflict.
In the days after the bombing, two charred cross-beams were found
Lying the shape of a cross. These were fashioned together into an altar piece
Which says “Father Forgive”.
That is what I remember about my visit to Coventry.
It is a remarkable place. The new Cathedral is modern, filled with beautiful art and colour.
The amazing thing is that the ruins of the old Cathedral are reflected in the image of the new cathedral.
Together, they form one church – the old bombed out ruin,
And the glorious rising from the ashes.
It occurs to me that this is a way to think about remembrance day –
We see the ruins of the past, reflected against the realities of the present day –
A day when we are more free, more safe than we would have been if men and women
Hadn’t fought on our behalf.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
According to Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who understand dependence and obligation, loss and memory, power and responsibility.
The war dead, the soldiers that fought and died, those who survived –
All of them understood the power of obligation –
Of the need to fight for justice and righteousness,
Of the duty to care for others.
You and I also hunger and thirst for righteousness,
Hoping against hope that there will never be another global conflict.
We see the ruins of the past reflected in the new creation.
The loss and trauma are still present, but there is a new way forward.
Jesus Christ cast a vision for a world where all could live in peace.
We see the ruins of the crucifixion reflected in the glorious resurrection.
We can’t escape the pain of the past, but we can revision, reimagine a future
That is free from conflict and hatred.
Last week we looked at the Beatitudes – the blessings of God that demonstrate what life in the kingdom of heaven might look like.
And here we have a promise that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
Will be filled.
On this day, we remember and give thanks for those who sacrificed in the pursuit of righteousness.
We confess our complicity in conflict, and the ways we contribute to the hardships of others.
We look forward to a world without war, in which the lion will lay down with lamb
And the little child will be able to play with a snake without being harmed.
This is the vision of a world that is organized according to God’s kingdom.
Today, Coventry Cathedral is a thriving centre for worship and reconciliation.
The idea that this centre was conceived the morning after the bombing is remarkable.
Imagine standing in the midst of smoking ruins,
Surrounded by death and destruction.
And still being able to envision a future that is free from war.
That is God’s action – that is God’s choice,
To turn our vision toward peace and restoration.
So may we seek righteousness and peace,
And the restoration of all who have been broken and destroyed.
Life is waiting for us, in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of life, during this week of remembrance we remember and we give thanks for the sacrifices of men and women who fought for justice and peace. We ask that you will give us a vision for the future that is free from conflict. We pray for all those who have died, that you will keep them safe in your everlasting arms.
We pray for those know to us who are sick, especially those who are in hospital. We ask your special blessing on those who are struggling with loneliness. May we be good friends and companions on the journey. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, November 8, 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 24:1-10; 1 Timothy 5:1-8
Tuesday, November 9, 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 24:11-27; 1 Timothy 5:9-16
Wednesday, November 10, 2021: Psalm 113; Genesis 24:28-42; Luke 4:16-30
Thursday, November 11, 2021: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; 1 Samuel 1:21-28; 1 Timothy 6:11-21
Friday, November 12, 2021: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; 1 Samuel 2:18-21; Colossians 2:6-15
Saturday, November 13, 2021: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; 1 Samuel 3:1-18; Mark 12:1-12
Sermon - October 31, 2021
Matthew 5:1-12
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
There is no denying that we have been through a lot in these past months.
The pandemic has caused us to rethink many things –
From the way we do ordinary everyday activities, to how we think about our lives and their worth.
For me, this pandemic has been a steep learning curve.
I’ve had to learn to rest, to be comfortable doing nothing.
I’ve also learned to be grateful. I am filled with gratitude for my health,
For my work, for my husband and my family and my church family.
Throughout the pandemic, this sense of blessing has grown,
Even as I’ve watched hard things happen around me.
My gratitude arises from the sense of being protected by God,
And by the realization that I have more than enough of everything that I need.
Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, begins by talking about blessing.
The beatitudes are simply a list of blessings that Jesus offers.
The blessings, however, are not quite what we expect.
There is life and hope here for the downtrodden and the comfortless.
We may all find ourselves mourning or meek, poor in spirit or peacemakers.
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine believes that what Jesus is doing is creating a new movement,
Or family for his followers to join.
He’s setting up a new family or community.
The sermon on the Mount describes what it would look like to live in this
New family or community.
What should people do and be when they are followers of this Jesus movement?
This movement will follow the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven,
And once God’s will is done on earth,
Then we can say that “ours is the kingdom of heaven”.
Jesus climbs a mountain and begins to speak to his disciples,
Men who had already left their homes and families to follow him.
He knows there is a crowd overhearing his message – his words are thus beneficial
Not only for the disciples but for all those who choose to listen in, including us.
The reason that Jesus sits down to teach isn’t necessarily because rabbi’s sit down to teach
But because Jesus is about to talk for a very long time.
Let’s join the crowd at Jesus’ feet,
And overhear what he has to say to the disciples.
Let’s keep in mind that disciples are active learners – they ask questions,
Raise objections, seek clarifications and make comments.
We are invited to be the same – the disciples wouldn’t have simply listened,
They would have interacted with Jesus.
Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and the disciples would have wondered
Who are the poor in spirit?
Matthew doesn’t seem to be talking about material poverty here,
Although that may be part of it.
The poor in spirit, according to Dr. Levine, are those who
Recognize their dependence on God.
They recognize their dependence on other people, and other people’s dependence on them.
So to be poor in spirit is not necessarily to be materially poor,
Or depressed.
It certainly doesn’t point to a lack of faith, or a weakness of faith
To be poor in spirit is to be humble, and to recognize that we are caught in a web of interdependence.
We are entirely dependent on God as Creator and Sustainer –
And yet we are dependent on each other if we are to live a good life.
The poor in spirit have enough humility to acknowledge and enter into this interdependence.
And through this interdependence, they will find blessing.
When we hear that we are blessed,
We should also hear with it a sense of responsibility.
Those who are poor in spirit recognize their own privilege,
And they are part of a system in which they are to help where they can.
We who are blessed by a recognition of our dependence on God,
Are invited to be open to sharing what they have with those who don’t.
So overall, it is good to be poor in spirit –
Not puffed up or arrogant about our ability to ‘save’ ourselves,
But entirely reliant on God’s goodness and grace,
As well as the goodness and grace that come to us through community.
This beatitude casts a vision of God’s kingdom in which all creatures
Are dependent on God and one another.
Needs are filled as they arise. And everyone has enough.
In the coming week, I invite you to reflect on what it means to be ‘poor in spirit’ –
To realize our utter dependence on God and on each other.
This might sound like difficult news at first.
We are encouraged by our culture to be fiercely independent –
To lean on no one.
But that is not how life works in the Kingdom of God.
In God’s kingdom, we know that we can’t find life unless we do it together.
We know that our blessing is meant to be shared.
We know that we can’t make it on our own –
We must be sustained by the love of our community,
And by the ongoing, reliable, unchanging love of God
As Creator, In Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
How does your dependence on God cause you to come closer to the kingdom of heaven?
How does your dependence on other people cause you to come closer to the kingdom of heaven?
May we be poor in spirit, and filled with grace.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, we thank you that we can sit at your feet and learn. Teach us how to live into the kingdom of God. Teach us to be poor in spirit, so that we might recognize our dependency on you and on other people.
On this All Saint’s Day, we remember those who have lived their earthly lives and now live with you in heaven. We are grateful for their lives, and the ways they gave honour to you.
We pray this week for all who suffer, especially those who are in hospital, including Anne and Rob. We ask your blessing on healthcare workers who care for our loved ones. We pray for God’s grace and justice to flow down upon us. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 1, 2021: Psalm 18:20-30; Ruth 2:15-23; Romans 12:17-21; 13:8-10
Tuesday, November 2, 2021: Psalm 18:20-30; Ruth 3:1-7; Acts 7:17-29
Wednesday, November 3, 2021: Psalm 18:20-30; Ruth 3:8-18; John 13:31-35
Thursday, November 4, 2021: Psalm 127; Ruth 4:1-10; Romans 5:6-11
Friday, November 5, 2021: Psalm 127; Ruth 4:11-17; Hebrews 9:15-24
Saturday, November 6, 2021: Psalm 127; Ruth 4:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
There is no denying that we have been through a lot in these past months.
The pandemic has caused us to rethink many things –
From the way we do ordinary everyday activities, to how we think about our lives and their worth.
For me, this pandemic has been a steep learning curve.
I’ve had to learn to rest, to be comfortable doing nothing.
I’ve also learned to be grateful. I am filled with gratitude for my health,
For my work, for my husband and my family and my church family.
Throughout the pandemic, this sense of blessing has grown,
Even as I’ve watched hard things happen around me.
My gratitude arises from the sense of being protected by God,
And by the realization that I have more than enough of everything that I need.
Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, begins by talking about blessing.
The beatitudes are simply a list of blessings that Jesus offers.
The blessings, however, are not quite what we expect.
There is life and hope here for the downtrodden and the comfortless.
We may all find ourselves mourning or meek, poor in spirit or peacemakers.
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine believes that what Jesus is doing is creating a new movement,
Or family for his followers to join.
He’s setting up a new family or community.
The sermon on the Mount describes what it would look like to live in this
New family or community.
What should people do and be when they are followers of this Jesus movement?
This movement will follow the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven,
And once God’s will is done on earth,
Then we can say that “ours is the kingdom of heaven”.
Jesus climbs a mountain and begins to speak to his disciples,
Men who had already left their homes and families to follow him.
He knows there is a crowd overhearing his message – his words are thus beneficial
Not only for the disciples but for all those who choose to listen in, including us.
The reason that Jesus sits down to teach isn’t necessarily because rabbi’s sit down to teach
But because Jesus is about to talk for a very long time.
Let’s join the crowd at Jesus’ feet,
And overhear what he has to say to the disciples.
Let’s keep in mind that disciples are active learners – they ask questions,
Raise objections, seek clarifications and make comments.
We are invited to be the same – the disciples wouldn’t have simply listened,
They would have interacted with Jesus.
Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and the disciples would have wondered
Who are the poor in spirit?
Matthew doesn’t seem to be talking about material poverty here,
Although that may be part of it.
The poor in spirit, according to Dr. Levine, are those who
Recognize their dependence on God.
They recognize their dependence on other people, and other people’s dependence on them.
So to be poor in spirit is not necessarily to be materially poor,
Or depressed.
It certainly doesn’t point to a lack of faith, or a weakness of faith
To be poor in spirit is to be humble, and to recognize that we are caught in a web of interdependence.
We are entirely dependent on God as Creator and Sustainer –
And yet we are dependent on each other if we are to live a good life.
The poor in spirit have enough humility to acknowledge and enter into this interdependence.
And through this interdependence, they will find blessing.
When we hear that we are blessed,
We should also hear with it a sense of responsibility.
Those who are poor in spirit recognize their own privilege,
And they are part of a system in which they are to help where they can.
We who are blessed by a recognition of our dependence on God,
Are invited to be open to sharing what they have with those who don’t.
So overall, it is good to be poor in spirit –
Not puffed up or arrogant about our ability to ‘save’ ourselves,
But entirely reliant on God’s goodness and grace,
As well as the goodness and grace that come to us through community.
This beatitude casts a vision of God’s kingdom in which all creatures
Are dependent on God and one another.
Needs are filled as they arise. And everyone has enough.
In the coming week, I invite you to reflect on what it means to be ‘poor in spirit’ –
To realize our utter dependence on God and on each other.
This might sound like difficult news at first.
We are encouraged by our culture to be fiercely independent –
To lean on no one.
But that is not how life works in the Kingdom of God.
In God’s kingdom, we know that we can’t find life unless we do it together.
We know that our blessing is meant to be shared.
We know that we can’t make it on our own –
We must be sustained by the love of our community,
And by the ongoing, reliable, unchanging love of God
As Creator, In Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
How does your dependence on God cause you to come closer to the kingdom of heaven?
How does your dependence on other people cause you to come closer to the kingdom of heaven?
May we be poor in spirit, and filled with grace.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, we thank you that we can sit at your feet and learn. Teach us how to live into the kingdom of God. Teach us to be poor in spirit, so that we might recognize our dependency on you and on other people.
On this All Saint’s Day, we remember those who have lived their earthly lives and now live with you in heaven. We are grateful for their lives, and the ways they gave honour to you.
We pray this week for all who suffer, especially those who are in hospital, including Anne and Rob. We ask your blessing on healthcare workers who care for our loved ones. We pray for God’s grace and justice to flow down upon us. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 1, 2021: Psalm 18:20-30; Ruth 2:15-23; Romans 12:17-21; 13:8-10
Tuesday, November 2, 2021: Psalm 18:20-30; Ruth 3:1-7; Acts 7:17-29
Wednesday, November 3, 2021: Psalm 18:20-30; Ruth 3:8-18; John 13:31-35
Thursday, November 4, 2021: Psalm 127; Ruth 4:1-10; Romans 5:6-11
Friday, November 5, 2021: Psalm 127; Ruth 4:11-17; Hebrews 9:15-24
Saturday, November 6, 2021: Psalm 127; Ruth 4:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24
Sermon - October 10, 2021
1 Thessalonians 5
12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labour among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, beloved,* to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. 15See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise the words of prophets,* 21but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
Sermon
Coming up to this thanksgiving weekend,
My daughter Ella and I were having a conversation
About what we should be thankful for.
She said she thanked God for everything except her enemies.
This got me to wondering. Should we give thanks for our enemies?
As Ella pointed out, our stories would be very boring without enemies!
I don’t know if we should give thanks for everything, including our enemies.
But I do know that the apostle Paul said we should give thanks in all circumstances.
This is one of Paul’s more outlandish claims.
It’s hard to imagine that we could give thanks to God in all circumstances.
What does it mean to thank God for pain?
What does it mean to thank God for anxiety?
What does it mean to thank God for COVID?
If we are indeed to give thanks in all circumstances,
Then that includes the present circumstance.
The reason we should give thanks is that Jesus Christ is present in all circumstances,
Working to bring good out of even the worst that life can throw at us.
Even in the midst of Covid, we have seen the heroic and dedicated action of health professionals. We have seen neighbours looking after each other.
We have seen individuals take it upon themselves to wear a mask and get vaccinated
To protect the most vulnerable among us.
We have tended each other with the most gracious care – many of you have received cards and phone calls from folks that love you and want the very best for you.
I want to share some of the good things that have been happening,
Reasons to give thanks even in the midst of the not-so-good present.
This month, we are collecting $1 day for the Winnipeg Inner City Mission (WICM).
WICM is a non-profit organization that is committed to the health and growth of children, youth and families.
Located in downtown Winnipeg, and their mission is to embrace all people in inner-city Winnipeg, and put them on a path toward life-long learning, social and personal well-being.
They work with individuals, inspired by the vision of respect, trust, spiritual life and community.
They operate a thrift store, a steps-to-employment program and children and youth programming.
This ministry gives families a chance to thrive in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Here’s a story from their website:
“Karen Utech, an elected elder and stalwart volunteer at the Miracle Store and Flora House food bank, first encountered Winnipeg Inner City Missions through the Learn & Play program led by social worker Susan Currie. First Karen, the Mom/Grandmother, worked on her own healing from a tragic past. Now she is helping her girls stay in school, develop a strong and good character, and discover hope for their own future.
Karen explains she came from a dysfunctional family, but she bonded with Susan and over time came to seek her out for advice on things going on in her life. “Susan said I was a tough nut to crack! She made me laugh; I started feeling really good because I felt I was at home”.
“It’s not a judgmental place. They don’t care about outward appearance. They care about inward healing. All are welcome, all belong.”
We also have had some good news from Bea Henderson, and the work of Servant’s Heart Ministries in the DR.
The children are back to in school learning after being on line with lots of difficulty due to poor conditions - using cellphones and lack of computers. Teachers did their best working from the school and donating what supplies they had from teams in February 2020
The SHM staff without a lot of funds continued to run VBS for approximately 100 children, they ran a mini Olympics including races and baseball games , they ran cooking classes for both girls and boys as well as the women’s groups.
They held Bible study over phones etc for the women and continued to run both the I am different girls and boys groups — boys were encouraged to continue to practise their guitars by making their own guitars from found materials.
The art program was run via zoom via David the art teacher who lived in Oshawa.There were no materials due to no teams but they managed to continue using found objects and what was left by teams before Covid..
The pregnancy education centre assists mothers in learning how to take care of themselves , their unborn and young children, educate them in breastfeeding, how to cook healthy meals , read and learn how to manage money
The pregnancy education centre tried to raise funds via running a five Km race but with Covid and heat couldn’t run the race so asked help from a gym who conducted exercises, activities etc with locals and resort folks filled a van full of baby supplies and a tourist donated a buggy which was filled with baby supplies.
The SHM staff also donated some water filtration pots to Haiti using some humanitarian funds — this was helped support local Loma families who have family in Haiti
Money donated by team Henderson and friends assisted in keeping these programs going over the past 17 months. The team was very motivated in trying to help the people in the villages ofl Loma and Congerio even with limited or no funds.
These are just some of the good things that have been happening.
Reasons to give thanks in the midst of a chaotic situation.
I realize that this may be difficult for some of you,
To find a reason to give thanks even in these circumstances.
And that is ok. God is patient and compassionate.
God understands if we cannot utter words of thanksgiving
Because we are in too much pain.
The purpose of giving thanks isn’t to sweep the pain under the rug.
It’s to acknowledge that God is present among us even now.
Even when our burdens seem so heavy.
On this Thanksgiving Sunday, I give thanks for you.
For your resilience and your kindness.
For the ways that pain have caused you to think more deeply and more compassionately.
For the ways that God is working, even now, in the midst of your life.
I give thanks for the mission and ministry of Norval Presbyterian,
And the ways that you have cared for each other during this pandemic.
I give thanks for the impact our little church is having around the world.
I’m still going to think about giving thanks for my enemies,
Because sometimes enemies help us see something about ourselves,
Or they highlight God’s grace and presence.
Sometimes, dark nights of the soul lead to glorious mornings.
Let us give thanks, for God is good!
Prayer for the Week
Holy God, we give thanks for everything you have given us. For the turning leaves and the sunshine, the rain that refreshes the earth. We give thanks for Norval Presbyterian Church, and for it’s mission and ministry especially as it relates to the Dominican Republic and Winnipeg Inner City Missions. You are the God of the universe, and you care for us in all times and all places. On this Thanksgiving Sunday, we praise you for your presence with us. We ask that you will be particularly present with those who suffer or grieve at this time, especially the Mackenzie-Sutter family as they mourn the death of Stan’s mother, Diane. We pray for those in hospital and those who care for them. Hear our prayers, gracious God, and stay near us we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 11, 2021: Psalm 39; Job 26:1-14; Revelation 7:9-17
Tuesday, October 12, 2021: Psalm 39; Job 28:12-29:10; Revelation 8:1-5
Wednesday, October 13, 2021: Psalm 39; Job 32:1-22; Luke 16:19-31
Thursday, October 14, 2021: Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35b; Job 36:1-16; Romans 15:7-13
Friday, October 15, 2021: Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35b; Job 37:1-24; Revelation 17:1-18
Saturday, October 16, 2021: Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35b; Job 39:1-30; Luke 22:24-30
12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labour among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, beloved,* to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. 15See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise the words of prophets,* 21but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
Sermon
Coming up to this thanksgiving weekend,
My daughter Ella and I were having a conversation
About what we should be thankful for.
She said she thanked God for everything except her enemies.
This got me to wondering. Should we give thanks for our enemies?
As Ella pointed out, our stories would be very boring without enemies!
I don’t know if we should give thanks for everything, including our enemies.
But I do know that the apostle Paul said we should give thanks in all circumstances.
This is one of Paul’s more outlandish claims.
It’s hard to imagine that we could give thanks to God in all circumstances.
What does it mean to thank God for pain?
What does it mean to thank God for anxiety?
What does it mean to thank God for COVID?
If we are indeed to give thanks in all circumstances,
Then that includes the present circumstance.
The reason we should give thanks is that Jesus Christ is present in all circumstances,
Working to bring good out of even the worst that life can throw at us.
Even in the midst of Covid, we have seen the heroic and dedicated action of health professionals. We have seen neighbours looking after each other.
We have seen individuals take it upon themselves to wear a mask and get vaccinated
To protect the most vulnerable among us.
We have tended each other with the most gracious care – many of you have received cards and phone calls from folks that love you and want the very best for you.
I want to share some of the good things that have been happening,
Reasons to give thanks even in the midst of the not-so-good present.
This month, we are collecting $1 day for the Winnipeg Inner City Mission (WICM).
WICM is a non-profit organization that is committed to the health and growth of children, youth and families.
Located in downtown Winnipeg, and their mission is to embrace all people in inner-city Winnipeg, and put them on a path toward life-long learning, social and personal well-being.
They work with individuals, inspired by the vision of respect, trust, spiritual life and community.
They operate a thrift store, a steps-to-employment program and children and youth programming.
This ministry gives families a chance to thrive in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Here’s a story from their website:
“Karen Utech, an elected elder and stalwart volunteer at the Miracle Store and Flora House food bank, first encountered Winnipeg Inner City Missions through the Learn & Play program led by social worker Susan Currie. First Karen, the Mom/Grandmother, worked on her own healing from a tragic past. Now she is helping her girls stay in school, develop a strong and good character, and discover hope for their own future.
Karen explains she came from a dysfunctional family, but she bonded with Susan and over time came to seek her out for advice on things going on in her life. “Susan said I was a tough nut to crack! She made me laugh; I started feeling really good because I felt I was at home”.
“It’s not a judgmental place. They don’t care about outward appearance. They care about inward healing. All are welcome, all belong.”
We also have had some good news from Bea Henderson, and the work of Servant’s Heart Ministries in the DR.
The children are back to in school learning after being on line with lots of difficulty due to poor conditions - using cellphones and lack of computers. Teachers did their best working from the school and donating what supplies they had from teams in February 2020
The SHM staff without a lot of funds continued to run VBS for approximately 100 children, they ran a mini Olympics including races and baseball games , they ran cooking classes for both girls and boys as well as the women’s groups.
They held Bible study over phones etc for the women and continued to run both the I am different girls and boys groups — boys were encouraged to continue to practise their guitars by making their own guitars from found materials.
The art program was run via zoom via David the art teacher who lived in Oshawa.There were no materials due to no teams but they managed to continue using found objects and what was left by teams before Covid..
The pregnancy education centre assists mothers in learning how to take care of themselves , their unborn and young children, educate them in breastfeeding, how to cook healthy meals , read and learn how to manage money
The pregnancy education centre tried to raise funds via running a five Km race but with Covid and heat couldn’t run the race so asked help from a gym who conducted exercises, activities etc with locals and resort folks filled a van full of baby supplies and a tourist donated a buggy which was filled with baby supplies.
The SHM staff also donated some water filtration pots to Haiti using some humanitarian funds — this was helped support local Loma families who have family in Haiti
Money donated by team Henderson and friends assisted in keeping these programs going over the past 17 months. The team was very motivated in trying to help the people in the villages ofl Loma and Congerio even with limited or no funds.
These are just some of the good things that have been happening.
Reasons to give thanks in the midst of a chaotic situation.
I realize that this may be difficult for some of you,
To find a reason to give thanks even in these circumstances.
And that is ok. God is patient and compassionate.
God understands if we cannot utter words of thanksgiving
Because we are in too much pain.
The purpose of giving thanks isn’t to sweep the pain under the rug.
It’s to acknowledge that God is present among us even now.
Even when our burdens seem so heavy.
On this Thanksgiving Sunday, I give thanks for you.
For your resilience and your kindness.
For the ways that pain have caused you to think more deeply and more compassionately.
For the ways that God is working, even now, in the midst of your life.
I give thanks for the mission and ministry of Norval Presbyterian,
And the ways that you have cared for each other during this pandemic.
I give thanks for the impact our little church is having around the world.
I’m still going to think about giving thanks for my enemies,
Because sometimes enemies help us see something about ourselves,
Or they highlight God’s grace and presence.
Sometimes, dark nights of the soul lead to glorious mornings.
Let us give thanks, for God is good!
Prayer for the Week
Holy God, we give thanks for everything you have given us. For the turning leaves and the sunshine, the rain that refreshes the earth. We give thanks for Norval Presbyterian Church, and for it’s mission and ministry especially as it relates to the Dominican Republic and Winnipeg Inner City Missions. You are the God of the universe, and you care for us in all times and all places. On this Thanksgiving Sunday, we praise you for your presence with us. We ask that you will be particularly present with those who suffer or grieve at this time, especially the Mackenzie-Sutter family as they mourn the death of Stan’s mother, Diane. We pray for those in hospital and those who care for them. Hear our prayers, gracious God, and stay near us we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 11, 2021: Psalm 39; Job 26:1-14; Revelation 7:9-17
Tuesday, October 12, 2021: Psalm 39; Job 28:12-29:10; Revelation 8:1-5
Wednesday, October 13, 2021: Psalm 39; Job 32:1-22; Luke 16:19-31
Thursday, October 14, 2021: Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35b; Job 36:1-16; Romans 15:7-13
Friday, October 15, 2021: Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35b; Job 37:1-24; Revelation 17:1-18
Saturday, October 16, 2021: Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35b; Job 39:1-30; Luke 22:24-30
Sermon - October 3, 2021
On this day, we are invited to reflect on the task of reconciliation.
We remember the children who never came home –
Those who were forcibly removed from their families
And whose voices now whisper to us from the grave.
We remember those who have survived.
We remember the harsh conditions still experienced by Indigenous communities.
We remember the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation commission.
We remember, and we hope that we will find a path toward reconciliation.
Reconciliation is a gospel word, yet it can seem like bad news for those of us
Who consider ourselves settlers on the land,
Those of us who are not Indigenous, but bear the responsibility to work toward right relations.
Reconciliation first sounds like bad news,
Because it will take tremendous effort and a decentring of self in relation to others.
It makes us so uncomfortable.
It will cost us something.
There are over 100 Indigenous communities in this land we call Canada
That are under boil-water advisories.
Imagine if the water flowing from your taps was not safe to drink.
This is the situation for many.
Two weeks ago, the community of Shoal Lake, for the first time since 1997
Has clean water flowing through its taps.
I read that some residents were suspicious – they found it hard to believe that they could trust the new water treatment plant that has been installed.
What does water have to do with reconciliation?
It is a human right to have access to potable water,
So projects that reverse boil-water advisories are essential to the infrastructure of reconciliation.
Water is part of the earth.
It is a gift from the Creator – meant to be enjoyed and shared.
It is part of our connection to the earth, and thus to the Creator.
There is another way that water matters when it comes to reconciliation.
As Dr. Ray Aldred of the Vancouver School of Theology puts it,
Baptism is our creation story.
Baptism is our creation story.
Baptism tells us who we are and how we are related to others.
The waters of baptism are essential for right relations in the here and now.
As the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians,
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old has past, and the new has come.
These words are a reminder that in baptism, we die and rise with Christ –
Our sin is drowned with us, and we are reconciled to God.
I have to tell you that I hesitated to include an assurance of pardon in this service.
It seems like such an audacious claim – that we can be forgiven and made new
Even in the midst of the terrible history and the continuing consequences of colonialism.
We must not confuse this pardon with forgiveness from Indigenous people – which may or may not come.
Rather, we are reconciled to God in Jesus Christ.
Our repentance, as baptized people, is ongoing.
We must confess over and over, and be forgiven by God over and over.
Repentance precedes baptism, and it continues, because we are prone to failure.
This is good news. This is the best news,
Because in being reconciled to God there exists the possibility
that we can be reconciled to one another.
We have this ministry of reconciliation, in which we are called in partnership with God,
To heal the divides and crevices of our relationships.
It has been made very clear to me by Indigenous folks that the burden of responsibility
For reconciliation with Indigenous communities lies with non-indigenous people.
We are responsible for confessing historical and contemporary truths.
We are responsible for teaching our children to do better.
We are responsible for making things right, so that a renewed relationship can unfold.
We are responsible, but we are not alone.
We have been prepared for such a time as this, by the waters of baptism.
These waters literally recreate us, into followers of Jesus’ way.
These waters set us free from the power of sin, and cleanse us from unrighteousness.
These waters equip us for the work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and all others from whom we are estranged.
These waters help to ease our discomfort so that we can listen intently to the voices that call for justice.
Reconciliation is an impossible task if it is not rooted and grounded in the Creator
As the Creator is made known to us in Jesus Christ.
On this day, as we reflect on the task before us,
May the waters of baptism flow over us,
Continually calling us forth into new life.
May our state of grace urge us to seek gracious relationships,
May we see a clear path toward love.
Prayer for the Week
Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of baptism. Let the waters of our baptism flow over us, so that we might be open to your reconciling love, that invites us into relationship with you and with others. We ask your blessing on Indigenous peoples, for whom this has been a particularly difficult week. Teach us, and heal us, O Lord.
We continue to pray for the leadership of Canada, that our leaders might be wise and generous. We pray for all those affected by the pandemic, especially health care workers who are struggling with mental health issues. Loving God, be with those known to us who are struggling with physical or mental health. You are the God of the past, present and future. Help us to align ourselves with what you are doing in the world. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 4, 2021: Psalm 55:1-15; Job 8:1-22; 1 Corinthians 7:1-9
Tuesday, October 5, 2021: Psalm 55:1-15; Job 11:1-20; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16
Wednesday, October 6, 2021: Psalm 55:1-15; Job 15:1-35; Matthew 5:27-36
Thursday, October 7, 2021: Psalm 22:1-15; Job 17:1-16; Hebrews 3:7-19
Friday, October 8, 2021: Psalm 22:1-15; Job 18:1-21; Hebrews 4:1-11
Saturday, October 9, 2021: Psalm 22:1-15; Job 20:1-29; Matthew 15:1-9
We remember the children who never came home –
Those who were forcibly removed from their families
And whose voices now whisper to us from the grave.
We remember those who have survived.
We remember the harsh conditions still experienced by Indigenous communities.
We remember the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation commission.
We remember, and we hope that we will find a path toward reconciliation.
Reconciliation is a gospel word, yet it can seem like bad news for those of us
Who consider ourselves settlers on the land,
Those of us who are not Indigenous, but bear the responsibility to work toward right relations.
Reconciliation first sounds like bad news,
Because it will take tremendous effort and a decentring of self in relation to others.
It makes us so uncomfortable.
It will cost us something.
There are over 100 Indigenous communities in this land we call Canada
That are under boil-water advisories.
Imagine if the water flowing from your taps was not safe to drink.
This is the situation for many.
Two weeks ago, the community of Shoal Lake, for the first time since 1997
Has clean water flowing through its taps.
I read that some residents were suspicious – they found it hard to believe that they could trust the new water treatment plant that has been installed.
What does water have to do with reconciliation?
It is a human right to have access to potable water,
So projects that reverse boil-water advisories are essential to the infrastructure of reconciliation.
Water is part of the earth.
It is a gift from the Creator – meant to be enjoyed and shared.
It is part of our connection to the earth, and thus to the Creator.
There is another way that water matters when it comes to reconciliation.
As Dr. Ray Aldred of the Vancouver School of Theology puts it,
Baptism is our creation story.
Baptism is our creation story.
Baptism tells us who we are and how we are related to others.
The waters of baptism are essential for right relations in the here and now.
As the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians,
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old has past, and the new has come.
These words are a reminder that in baptism, we die and rise with Christ –
Our sin is drowned with us, and we are reconciled to God.
I have to tell you that I hesitated to include an assurance of pardon in this service.
It seems like such an audacious claim – that we can be forgiven and made new
Even in the midst of the terrible history and the continuing consequences of colonialism.
We must not confuse this pardon with forgiveness from Indigenous people – which may or may not come.
Rather, we are reconciled to God in Jesus Christ.
Our repentance, as baptized people, is ongoing.
We must confess over and over, and be forgiven by God over and over.
Repentance precedes baptism, and it continues, because we are prone to failure.
This is good news. This is the best news,
Because in being reconciled to God there exists the possibility
that we can be reconciled to one another.
We have this ministry of reconciliation, in which we are called in partnership with God,
To heal the divides and crevices of our relationships.
It has been made very clear to me by Indigenous folks that the burden of responsibility
For reconciliation with Indigenous communities lies with non-indigenous people.
We are responsible for confessing historical and contemporary truths.
We are responsible for teaching our children to do better.
We are responsible for making things right, so that a renewed relationship can unfold.
We are responsible, but we are not alone.
We have been prepared for such a time as this, by the waters of baptism.
These waters literally recreate us, into followers of Jesus’ way.
These waters set us free from the power of sin, and cleanse us from unrighteousness.
These waters equip us for the work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and all others from whom we are estranged.
These waters help to ease our discomfort so that we can listen intently to the voices that call for justice.
Reconciliation is an impossible task if it is not rooted and grounded in the Creator
As the Creator is made known to us in Jesus Christ.
On this day, as we reflect on the task before us,
May the waters of baptism flow over us,
Continually calling us forth into new life.
May our state of grace urge us to seek gracious relationships,
May we see a clear path toward love.
Prayer for the Week
Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of baptism. Let the waters of our baptism flow over us, so that we might be open to your reconciling love, that invites us into relationship with you and with others. We ask your blessing on Indigenous peoples, for whom this has been a particularly difficult week. Teach us, and heal us, O Lord.
We continue to pray for the leadership of Canada, that our leaders might be wise and generous. We pray for all those affected by the pandemic, especially health care workers who are struggling with mental health issues. Loving God, be with those known to us who are struggling with physical or mental health. You are the God of the past, present and future. Help us to align ourselves with what you are doing in the world. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 4, 2021: Psalm 55:1-15; Job 8:1-22; 1 Corinthians 7:1-9
Tuesday, October 5, 2021: Psalm 55:1-15; Job 11:1-20; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16
Wednesday, October 6, 2021: Psalm 55:1-15; Job 15:1-35; Matthew 5:27-36
Thursday, October 7, 2021: Psalm 22:1-15; Job 17:1-16; Hebrews 3:7-19
Friday, October 8, 2021: Psalm 22:1-15; Job 18:1-21; Hebrews 4:1-11
Saturday, October 9, 2021: Psalm 22:1-15; Job 20:1-29; Matthew 15:1-9
Sermon - September 26, 2021
Jeremiah 32 1-5 The Message
Jeremiah received from God in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah. It was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was holding Jerusalem under siege. Jeremiah was shut up in jail in the royal palace. Zedekiah, king of Judah, had locked him up, complaining, “How dare you preach, saying, ‘God says, I’m warning you: I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon and he will take it over. Zedekiah king of Judah will be handed over to the Chaldeans right along with the city. He will be handed over to the king of Babylon and forced to face the music. He’ll be hauled off to Babylon where he’ll stay until I deal with him. God’s Decree. Fight against the Babylonians all you want—it won’t get you anywhere.’”
6-7 Jeremiah said, “God’s Message came to me like this: Prepare yourself! Hanamel, your uncle Shallum’s son, is on his way to see you. He is going to say, ‘Buy my field in Anathoth. You have the legal right to buy it.’
8 “And sure enough, just as God had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me while I was in jail and said, ‘Buy my field in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, for you have the legal right to keep it in the family. Buy it. Take it over.’
“That did it. I knew it was God’s Message.
9-12 “So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him seventeen silver shekels. I followed all the proper procedures: In the presence of witnesses I wrote out the bill of sale, sealed it, and weighed out the money on the scales. Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy that contained the contract and its conditions and also the open copy—and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. All this took place in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who had signed the deed, as the Jews who were at the jail that day looked on.
13-15 “Then, in front of all of them, I told Baruch, ‘These are orders from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: Take these documents—both the sealed and the open deeds—and put them for safekeeping in a pottery jar. For God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, “Life is going to return to normal. Homes and fields and vineyards are again going to be bought in this country.”’
Jeremiah is in prison. Jerusalem is crumbling under siege.
Everything is a total mess, and it’s almost impossible to imagine a future.
And yet God tells Jeremiah to buy a field – in the middle of a warzone.
What is God thinking?
Why would Jeremiah invest in something, a field, that might never bear fruit?
Why would God tell him to do such a thing?
This passage is very dear to my heart.
In September, 2001, Paul and I had been married for four years.
We were debating whether or not to start a family.
Then September 11th happened, and immediately the world seemed unstable and dangerous.
Surely it was not the time to have a baby.
Like all of our North American neighbours, we were scared and traumatized.
Soon after September 11, the chaplain at Knox College
Preached a sermon on this passage from Jeremiah.
She reminded us that God calls us to invest in the future,
Even when that future does not seem possible.
As God says to Jeremiah in the middle of the siege of Jerusalem.
Life is going to return to normal.
Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.
There is a future beyond the present chaos.
It was this story that helped me decide that it was indeed a good time to invest.
To invest by having a baby – to invest in love and the goodness of God.
Ben was born 9 months later. The greatest joy of my life.
Today, you and find ourselves under siege from a virus that just won’t let up.
Not only does the virus affect us, but we are attacked in other ways.
Some of you are enduring chronic pain and ill health.
Some of you are struggling with relationships gone wrong.
Some are caught in cycles of violence or oppression.
It is wartime – and our temptation will be to buckle down and endure.
We might be afraid to plan for the future, or to dream about what the future might hold.
Our fear is that this pandemic will not go away, and we will be stuck forever.
Our fear is that our pain, or illness, or trauma will not go away.
As the old saying goes, This too shall pass.
God invites us to believe that there is a future beyond the present turmoil.
Like Jeremiah, we are invited to invest in that future.
Even in the midst of chaos, God is acting.
God is acting in Jeremiah’s world to bring the Babylonian captives home again.
Where fields will be planted, and vineyards tended.
Where houses will again be filled with the laughter of children and families at work and play.
Even in the midst of our current crisis,
God is acting to bring about change.
But what does that even mean?
What does it mean to invest in the future?
What will our investment look like – as individuals and as a church?
I think first it means that we need to accept the chaos around us,
But also to believe that it is temporary.
The future is something other – something different that the present.
We don’t know what it will look like exactly.
But we know that things will not remain as they are.
Secondly, it means that we are free to imagine a future that is different from the present.
Even in the midst of chaos, God is acting.
This means that the future is something unpredictable, and might seem unimaginable.
But we are free to dream, and to hope.
What do you dream for your life?
What do we dream for the church’s life, post-covid?
Third, We are invited to trust mightily in the promises of Jesus.
Jesus came to live among God’s people in a time that was also filled with chaos.
He came to fight against unjust systems, and to reveal a new possibility for the future –
The Kingdom of God.
We live in a time in-between, in between the coming of Jesus and the fulfillment of his promises.
When we celebrate communion, we are remembering God’s investment in us –
An investment of God’s own Son, who sets us free from the fear of the present time.
We are invited to make concrete investments in the future.
To set our hearts and minds on a path that leads to new life.
What will you do to invest in God’s future?
What will we as a congregation do now to invest in God’s future?
How does that promised future shape our calling in the present?
These are deep and important questions.
The call of Jeremiah is to trust in a God who will act to make things right.
Let us align ourselves with what God is doing in the world, and what God will do.
It is our only hope in times of trouble,
The only thing we can rely on, in these dangerous and uncomfortable times
Is God’s promise of new life.
What is one thing you can do now,
To align yourself with God’s future?
May God bless us as we discover a new path.
A Prayer for the Week
God of life, we praise and thank you for your unwavering love. We are grateful that you call us toward a new future. Give us a vision of life that transcends the present. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic. We pray especially for the people of Alberta, the healthcare workers and the leadership. Make them wise and persistent, so that they might overcome the present tragedy and loss of life. We ask your blessing on those known to us who are ill or recovering, especially Isobel, Jamie and Liat Travis. When we find ourselves under siege, may we take refuge in Christ alone. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 27, 2021: Psalm 140; Esther 4:1-17; 1 Peter 1:3-9
Tuesday, September 28, 2021: Psalm 140; Esther 5:1-14; 1 John 2:18-25
Wednesday, September 29, 2021: Psalm 140; Esther 8:1-17; Matthew 18:6-9
Thursday, September 30, 2021: Psalm 26; Job 2:11-3:26; Galatians 3:23-29
Friday, October 1, 2021: Psalm 26; Job 4:1-21; Romans 8:1-11
Saturday, October 2, 2021: Psalm 26; Job 7:1-21; Luke 16:14-18
Jeremiah received from God in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah. It was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was holding Jerusalem under siege. Jeremiah was shut up in jail in the royal palace. Zedekiah, king of Judah, had locked him up, complaining, “How dare you preach, saying, ‘God says, I’m warning you: I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon and he will take it over. Zedekiah king of Judah will be handed over to the Chaldeans right along with the city. He will be handed over to the king of Babylon and forced to face the music. He’ll be hauled off to Babylon where he’ll stay until I deal with him. God’s Decree. Fight against the Babylonians all you want—it won’t get you anywhere.’”
6-7 Jeremiah said, “God’s Message came to me like this: Prepare yourself! Hanamel, your uncle Shallum’s son, is on his way to see you. He is going to say, ‘Buy my field in Anathoth. You have the legal right to buy it.’
8 “And sure enough, just as God had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me while I was in jail and said, ‘Buy my field in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, for you have the legal right to keep it in the family. Buy it. Take it over.’
“That did it. I knew it was God’s Message.
9-12 “So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him seventeen silver shekels. I followed all the proper procedures: In the presence of witnesses I wrote out the bill of sale, sealed it, and weighed out the money on the scales. Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy that contained the contract and its conditions and also the open copy—and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. All this took place in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who had signed the deed, as the Jews who were at the jail that day looked on.
13-15 “Then, in front of all of them, I told Baruch, ‘These are orders from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: Take these documents—both the sealed and the open deeds—and put them for safekeeping in a pottery jar. For God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, “Life is going to return to normal. Homes and fields and vineyards are again going to be bought in this country.”’
Jeremiah is in prison. Jerusalem is crumbling under siege.
Everything is a total mess, and it’s almost impossible to imagine a future.
And yet God tells Jeremiah to buy a field – in the middle of a warzone.
What is God thinking?
Why would Jeremiah invest in something, a field, that might never bear fruit?
Why would God tell him to do such a thing?
This passage is very dear to my heart.
In September, 2001, Paul and I had been married for four years.
We were debating whether or not to start a family.
Then September 11th happened, and immediately the world seemed unstable and dangerous.
Surely it was not the time to have a baby.
Like all of our North American neighbours, we were scared and traumatized.
Soon after September 11, the chaplain at Knox College
Preached a sermon on this passage from Jeremiah.
She reminded us that God calls us to invest in the future,
Even when that future does not seem possible.
As God says to Jeremiah in the middle of the siege of Jerusalem.
Life is going to return to normal.
Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.
There is a future beyond the present chaos.
It was this story that helped me decide that it was indeed a good time to invest.
To invest by having a baby – to invest in love and the goodness of God.
Ben was born 9 months later. The greatest joy of my life.
Today, you and find ourselves under siege from a virus that just won’t let up.
Not only does the virus affect us, but we are attacked in other ways.
Some of you are enduring chronic pain and ill health.
Some of you are struggling with relationships gone wrong.
Some are caught in cycles of violence or oppression.
It is wartime – and our temptation will be to buckle down and endure.
We might be afraid to plan for the future, or to dream about what the future might hold.
Our fear is that this pandemic will not go away, and we will be stuck forever.
Our fear is that our pain, or illness, or trauma will not go away.
As the old saying goes, This too shall pass.
God invites us to believe that there is a future beyond the present turmoil.
Like Jeremiah, we are invited to invest in that future.
Even in the midst of chaos, God is acting.
God is acting in Jeremiah’s world to bring the Babylonian captives home again.
Where fields will be planted, and vineyards tended.
Where houses will again be filled with the laughter of children and families at work and play.
Even in the midst of our current crisis,
God is acting to bring about change.
But what does that even mean?
What does it mean to invest in the future?
What will our investment look like – as individuals and as a church?
I think first it means that we need to accept the chaos around us,
But also to believe that it is temporary.
The future is something other – something different that the present.
We don’t know what it will look like exactly.
But we know that things will not remain as they are.
Secondly, it means that we are free to imagine a future that is different from the present.
Even in the midst of chaos, God is acting.
This means that the future is something unpredictable, and might seem unimaginable.
But we are free to dream, and to hope.
What do you dream for your life?
What do we dream for the church’s life, post-covid?
Third, We are invited to trust mightily in the promises of Jesus.
Jesus came to live among God’s people in a time that was also filled with chaos.
He came to fight against unjust systems, and to reveal a new possibility for the future –
The Kingdom of God.
We live in a time in-between, in between the coming of Jesus and the fulfillment of his promises.
When we celebrate communion, we are remembering God’s investment in us –
An investment of God’s own Son, who sets us free from the fear of the present time.
We are invited to make concrete investments in the future.
To set our hearts and minds on a path that leads to new life.
What will you do to invest in God’s future?
What will we as a congregation do now to invest in God’s future?
How does that promised future shape our calling in the present?
These are deep and important questions.
The call of Jeremiah is to trust in a God who will act to make things right.
Let us align ourselves with what God is doing in the world, and what God will do.
It is our only hope in times of trouble,
The only thing we can rely on, in these dangerous and uncomfortable times
Is God’s promise of new life.
What is one thing you can do now,
To align yourself with God’s future?
May God bless us as we discover a new path.
A Prayer for the Week
God of life, we praise and thank you for your unwavering love. We are grateful that you call us toward a new future. Give us a vision of life that transcends the present. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic. We pray especially for the people of Alberta, the healthcare workers and the leadership. Make them wise and persistent, so that they might overcome the present tragedy and loss of life. We ask your blessing on those known to us who are ill or recovering, especially Isobel, Jamie and Liat Travis. When we find ourselves under siege, may we take refuge in Christ alone. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 27, 2021: Psalm 140; Esther 4:1-17; 1 Peter 1:3-9
Tuesday, September 28, 2021: Psalm 140; Esther 5:1-14; 1 John 2:18-25
Wednesday, September 29, 2021: Psalm 140; Esther 8:1-17; Matthew 18:6-9
Thursday, September 30, 2021: Psalm 26; Job 2:11-3:26; Galatians 3:23-29
Friday, October 1, 2021: Psalm 26; Job 4:1-21; Romans 8:1-11
Saturday, October 2, 2021: Psalm 26; Job 7:1-21; Luke 16:14-18
Sermon - September 12, 2021
Mark 8:27-38
27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
There are a lot of rumours flying about who Jesus really is.
Some are saying he’s an ancient prophet, returned to bring God’s judgement.
Some are saying that he’s a military leader
who will bring about revolution against the Roman authorities.
Some probably think he’s just a good storyteller.
But Peter understands that Jesus is something more – a messiah.
But what kind of messiah has come to save the people?
Peter gets that part wrong.
When Jesus tries to explain that the Son of Man must suffer and die,
Peter is so uncomfortable that he rebukes Jesus.
Jesus has a harsh response – get behind me, Satan.
Those who are not willing to suffer and sacrifice, to carry a cross,
Will not be true followers of Jesus.
It is only those who will pick up their crosses willingly,
And accompany Jesus to the grave and beyond.
Who do you say that I am?
Who do you say that Jesus is?
This is likely the most important question we will ever ask ourselves.
The writer and poet Maya Angelou once said:
“I’m grateful to be a practicing Christian. I’m always amazed when people say ‘I’m a Christian’
I think, ‘Already?’ It’s an ongoing process. You know, you keep trying. And blowing it and trying and blowing it.”
As Dante Steward puts it on social media
“I think one of the failures of the way we learn to practice our faith is that we forget that it is a process to be walked, a story to be unfolded, a world to be experienced rather than being a problem to be solved or a war to be won. The Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures are full of such journeys. Faith and our lives with God and one another is as messy and confusing as it is life-giving and liberating. That’s the beautiful thing: it can be problematic and sacred. It can be angering and holy.”
Faith is a process, and more often than not, like Peter, we get it wrong.
And that’s ok. Because our understanding of Jesus evolves.
There are lots of ways that we fail as Christians, to understand Jesus’ identity.
We are much more prone, like Peter, to a theology of glory
Than a theology of the cross.
In some ways, we might prefer Jesus to be a warrior who comes to save us from imperfect power and corruption.
We might prefer to follow a Jesus who demands nothing of us.
And yet, Jesus is very clear. To follow him is to deny yourself.
It is to pick up a cross.
This week, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg wrote about some of the chaos that is unfolding,
Particularly south of the border. Violent anti-vaxxers, those removing abortion rights,
And those who are opposed to welcoming refugees from Afghanistan are making a lot of noise.
She point out that many of these people say they are Christian, following Christ.
Thus it is Christians who are being ungenerous, patriarchal, inhospitable.
Which is, of course, exactly the opposite of what Jesus intended.
I wrote a response on Twitter to the Rabbi’s comments.
I said “Thank you for holding Christians accountable for our many, many failures.
There is no excuse for the church’s behaviour today or yesterday. We can’t say “this is not us” –
Much to my embarrassment, this appears to be who we are.”
If your Jesus doesn’t suffer so others can be liberated, then you’ve got it wrong.
If your Jesus doesn’t support the poor and the downtrodden, then you’ve got it wrong.
If your Jesus doesn’t challenge the status quo, then you’ve got it wrong.
If your faith doesn’t include suffering on behalf of others so that they can live abundantly, then you’ve got it wrong.
Don’t think for a minute that I’m judging anyone.
I get it wrong all the time.
Sometimes my Jesus is a figment of my own imagination,
Who doesn’t demand much from me.
There is good news here.
First of all, we have a lifetime to get it right.
We are invited to be open to challenge, to be open to revising our faith as we learn.
Secondly, Jesus accompanies us on this journey of discovery.
He may indeed rebuke us for our misbehaviour and inappropriate attitudes.
As I said at the beginning, it matters that we get this right.
It matters that we have an adequate understanding of who Jesus is,
And what that means for our ethics and our behaviour.
We never stop learning.
Like Peter, we are invited to reexamine our beliefs,
And look toward Jesus for answers.
The answers aren’t always clear, which is why there are thousands of theologies –
Thousands of perceptions of Jesus’ identity.
All we can do is continue to learn.
In another time, this would be rally Sunday.
A time to come together after the summer and celebrate the beginning of a new program year.
This year things are different. We aren’t able to gather as we would like.
But that shouldn’t stop us from learning.
I invite you to think through your answer to Jesus’ question.
If you can’t do this with others in a bible study group,
Then take some time in your own devotions.
Read a new book, which I would be happy to recommend.
Read the bible, and look for clues about who Jesus is.
This is something we will figure out together, over time.
That’s what our life together as a church is all about.
May Jesus guide us, chide us, and educate us.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, thank you for giving us Jesus. Help us to understand who Jesus is, and what is required of those who follow him. May we be open to the suffering of others, and help others to carry their crosses. This week, we pray for the women of the world – especially those in Texas and Afghanistan. We pray for wise and generous governance. We ask your blessing on those who are ill – in body or in mind. We are humbled by your loving care for us. In the midst of COVID, keep us safe. Support us as we educate ourselves about Jesus’ identity. May we come to resemble him. In his name we pray, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 13, 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 22:1-21; Romans 3:9-20
Tuesday, September 14, 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 25:1-28; Colossians 3:1-11
Wednesday, September 15, 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 29:1-27; John 7:25-36
Thursday, September 16, 2021: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Friday, September 17, 2021: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:18-33; Romans 11:25-32
Saturday, September 18, 2021: Psalm 1; Ecclesiastes 1:1-18; Matthew 23:29-39
27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
There are a lot of rumours flying about who Jesus really is.
Some are saying he’s an ancient prophet, returned to bring God’s judgement.
Some are saying that he’s a military leader
who will bring about revolution against the Roman authorities.
Some probably think he’s just a good storyteller.
But Peter understands that Jesus is something more – a messiah.
But what kind of messiah has come to save the people?
Peter gets that part wrong.
When Jesus tries to explain that the Son of Man must suffer and die,
Peter is so uncomfortable that he rebukes Jesus.
Jesus has a harsh response – get behind me, Satan.
Those who are not willing to suffer and sacrifice, to carry a cross,
Will not be true followers of Jesus.
It is only those who will pick up their crosses willingly,
And accompany Jesus to the grave and beyond.
Who do you say that I am?
Who do you say that Jesus is?
This is likely the most important question we will ever ask ourselves.
The writer and poet Maya Angelou once said:
“I’m grateful to be a practicing Christian. I’m always amazed when people say ‘I’m a Christian’
I think, ‘Already?’ It’s an ongoing process. You know, you keep trying. And blowing it and trying and blowing it.”
As Dante Steward puts it on social media
“I think one of the failures of the way we learn to practice our faith is that we forget that it is a process to be walked, a story to be unfolded, a world to be experienced rather than being a problem to be solved or a war to be won. The Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures are full of such journeys. Faith and our lives with God and one another is as messy and confusing as it is life-giving and liberating. That’s the beautiful thing: it can be problematic and sacred. It can be angering and holy.”
Faith is a process, and more often than not, like Peter, we get it wrong.
And that’s ok. Because our understanding of Jesus evolves.
There are lots of ways that we fail as Christians, to understand Jesus’ identity.
We are much more prone, like Peter, to a theology of glory
Than a theology of the cross.
In some ways, we might prefer Jesus to be a warrior who comes to save us from imperfect power and corruption.
We might prefer to follow a Jesus who demands nothing of us.
And yet, Jesus is very clear. To follow him is to deny yourself.
It is to pick up a cross.
This week, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg wrote about some of the chaos that is unfolding,
Particularly south of the border. Violent anti-vaxxers, those removing abortion rights,
And those who are opposed to welcoming refugees from Afghanistan are making a lot of noise.
She point out that many of these people say they are Christian, following Christ.
Thus it is Christians who are being ungenerous, patriarchal, inhospitable.
Which is, of course, exactly the opposite of what Jesus intended.
I wrote a response on Twitter to the Rabbi’s comments.
I said “Thank you for holding Christians accountable for our many, many failures.
There is no excuse for the church’s behaviour today or yesterday. We can’t say “this is not us” –
Much to my embarrassment, this appears to be who we are.”
If your Jesus doesn’t suffer so others can be liberated, then you’ve got it wrong.
If your Jesus doesn’t support the poor and the downtrodden, then you’ve got it wrong.
If your Jesus doesn’t challenge the status quo, then you’ve got it wrong.
If your faith doesn’t include suffering on behalf of others so that they can live abundantly, then you’ve got it wrong.
Don’t think for a minute that I’m judging anyone.
I get it wrong all the time.
Sometimes my Jesus is a figment of my own imagination,
Who doesn’t demand much from me.
There is good news here.
First of all, we have a lifetime to get it right.
We are invited to be open to challenge, to be open to revising our faith as we learn.
Secondly, Jesus accompanies us on this journey of discovery.
He may indeed rebuke us for our misbehaviour and inappropriate attitudes.
As I said at the beginning, it matters that we get this right.
It matters that we have an adequate understanding of who Jesus is,
And what that means for our ethics and our behaviour.
We never stop learning.
Like Peter, we are invited to reexamine our beliefs,
And look toward Jesus for answers.
The answers aren’t always clear, which is why there are thousands of theologies –
Thousands of perceptions of Jesus’ identity.
All we can do is continue to learn.
In another time, this would be rally Sunday.
A time to come together after the summer and celebrate the beginning of a new program year.
This year things are different. We aren’t able to gather as we would like.
But that shouldn’t stop us from learning.
I invite you to think through your answer to Jesus’ question.
If you can’t do this with others in a bible study group,
Then take some time in your own devotions.
Read a new book, which I would be happy to recommend.
Read the bible, and look for clues about who Jesus is.
This is something we will figure out together, over time.
That’s what our life together as a church is all about.
May Jesus guide us, chide us, and educate us.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, thank you for giving us Jesus. Help us to understand who Jesus is, and what is required of those who follow him. May we be open to the suffering of others, and help others to carry their crosses. This week, we pray for the women of the world – especially those in Texas and Afghanistan. We pray for wise and generous governance. We ask your blessing on those who are ill – in body or in mind. We are humbled by your loving care for us. In the midst of COVID, keep us safe. Support us as we educate ourselves about Jesus’ identity. May we come to resemble him. In his name we pray, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 13, 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 22:1-21; Romans 3:9-20
Tuesday, September 14, 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 25:1-28; Colossians 3:1-11
Wednesday, September 15, 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 29:1-27; John 7:25-36
Thursday, September 16, 2021: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Friday, September 17, 2021: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:18-33; Romans 11:25-32
Saturday, September 18, 2021: Psalm 1; Ecclesiastes 1:1-18; Matthew 23:29-39
Sermon - September 5, 2021
Sermon: “The Space Between Us”
Sarah Travis
Mark 7:24-30
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is far from home.
He has entered the Gentile region of Tyre,
He is a stranger here.
A stranger because he lives somewhere else,
but also because of his Jewish blood.
He enters a house, seeking solitude.
Yet his presence is detected by a woman whose daughter is ill.
This woman comes to him, falls at his feet, and begs him to heal her daughter -
to cast out the demon that has possessed her.
Earlier in this gospel, Mark lists dozens of healings,
a man with an unclean spirit,
Simon’s mother-in-law
A man with leprosy,
a paralysed man,
a man with a withered hand,
a great crowd of diseased, desperate souls at the seaside.
A man who is possessed by a demonic spirit
the daughter of Jairus, a leader in the synagogue.
And a woman who haemorrhaged for twelve years.
In all of these cases, and more, Jesus doles out healing without a second thought,
But not this time.
This time is different, this situation is different.
This woman who is desperately seeking help for a sick child,
hears Jesus respond to her plea saying:
ALet the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children=s food
and throw it to the dogs.
The woman doesn’t miss a beat,
Doesn’t appear to be shocked or intimidated by Jesus= response.
She talks back to Jesus, respectfully, but firmly,
reminding him that even dogs are allowed to come into the house
and eat up the crumbs that children drop on the floor under the table.
Even dogs deserve to be fed.
Her words prompt Jesus to seemingly change his mind,
and he assures her that the demon has left her daughter,
She goes home, and discovers her child restored to health.
Despite the happy ending,
this story is challenging and disturbing -
it doesn’t sound like the Jesus we know and love!
Why does he hesitate to heal?
Why does he talk about bread when the woman has asked for healing?
And why does he compare this woman and her child to dogs
that must wait to eat until the children of the house
have had their fill?
Although the story of this woman’s encounter with Jesus is told in two gospels,
and has been preached for two millennia:
although she is the only woman in Mark’s gospel actually gets to speak:
we do not know her name.
She is a Greek woman, defined only by her ethnicity and place of origin.
Which gives us a clue about the importance of place and race in this narrative.
This is a story about an encounter between two very different characters.
On the one hand, we have Jesus - a Jewish male, an underclass carpenter,
who is going about challenging oppressive Roman governance.
On the other hand, a woman, who is Greek,
associated with a culture that benefits from Roman governance.
Neither one of them are powerful in the grand scheme of things -
he is a poor Jewish revolutionary,
she is a woman, and the mother of a demon possessed daughter
in a time in which mental illness made one an outcast.
Jesus has power over her because he is a man,
and because she obviously views him as the one
who is capable of healing her daughter.
The woman has some power in comparison to Jesus -
She is an inhabitant of a region
that colludes in the oppression of his people -
especially when poor Jewish peasant farmers were forced
to sell their produce to the wealthy inhabitants of Tyre and go hungry themselves.
This encounter, then, is not a neutral, easy meeting.
It is an encounter that is filled with history, with politics,
with power inequalities and societal expectations.
Jesus and the woman meet at a boundary between cultures -
and both cross boundaries in order to occupy the same space -
in order to have a conversation, to challenge one another.
Jesus crosses into the woman’s geographical territory,
and the woman crosses the threshold of the house in which he is staying
in order to ask for help.
When they meet, they bring all of their baggage with them -
political, religious, and cultural.
When the woman asks for help,
Jesus responds by saying that the children should be fed first.
The Jewish people, the children of God, should be looked after
before Greek Gentiles.
After all, Gentiles are considered unclean according to Jewish tradition.
His words name the contentious boundary between them -
His words bring out into the open
all that baggage strewn about in the space between them.
Although it may not make his words any less disturbing to you and I,
he is naming out loud, the reality of the situation,
and how very difficult it is to encounter others
who are very different from ourselves -
even for Jesus Christ
it was difficult to cross the boundary that separated him from this woman,
to enter into a conversation with someone with whom he had no business,
and who had no business seeking him out.
Yet here they are, a Jewish man and a Gentile woman,
engaged in a conversation,
already having broken all the rules of social propriety,
all the boundaries that are in place to ensure that people remain in their own place.
When the woman talks back to Jesus,
when she challenges his assertion that children be fed before the dogs,
she is also challenging a religious structure that seeks to keep people separate,
that affords salvation and mercy and help to one group over another.
In the course of this conversation and the subsequent healing,
both of them, Jesus and the unnamed woman,
reveal through their words and actions the reality
that healing and blessing are to be found during boundary-breaking encounters.
Jesus and the woman remain different from one another,
yet the space between them is transformed
from a space of animosity and opposition,
to a space of mutual respect and healing.
This is a space of overlap, in which these two persons meet one another,
but also encounter the vicious threat of empire.
Most importantly, it is at this point of contact, in this space between them,
that God is working to heal and reconcile.
This is a space that belongs to the Triune God -
a space in which each are invited to give of self make space for the other.
An article in the Toronto Star tells
about a Pakistani village plagued by sectarian violence.
The Muslim and Hindu inhabitants of this village have lived in mutual hatred -
raping one another’s women, slaughtering one another’s cattle,
refusing to even shake hands.
Yet one day, a man named Bachu Ram,
made a decision that changed everything.
A young Muslim mother lay dying from severe blood loss,
desperately needing a transfusion of o-negative.
Ram, a Hindu, offered to donate his own blood -
an offer that horrified the Muslim community. to the point that several of the men stormed the clinic in order to stop the transfusion.
Yet the doctors were clear that this transfusion was the only way to save a life.
One of the leaders of the Muslim community said
“I don’t know what came over me.
I remember thinking that here we were refusing to even shake hands
with the Hindus and he was willing to give us his blood.
It was a marvellous thing he did.
It was the turning point of my life.”
Following this event, the Hindu and Muslim men drink tea in one another’s homes.
the women travel together and sell cotton together,
they visit each other’s worship spaces.
The intermingling of blood,
through one man’s willingness to cross a forbidden boundary,
led to transformation and healing for the whole community.
I’m sure there are still painful memories, still remnants of the old suspicions,
these things will not simply disappear.
Yet it matters that these two groups have entered into a similar space,
in which their relationships can be nurtured
in conservation with one another.
The space between “us” and “them”
between ourselves and others,
between cultures and nations
is filled with memories and history,
with power inequalities and multiple differences.
Yet in these spaces, God is present, acting amidst the tension and discomfort
to create new ways of thinking, new possibilities for relationship.
This is the space of Trinity,
in which Creator, Son and Holy Spirit surround us with a creative love
that overcomes past hatred, misconceptions, stereotypes, suspicion,
and opens us up to one another.
Crossing boundaries is not easy - even for Jesus Christ,
Yet healing and wholeness is to be found when we offer ourselves to others,
and make space within ourselves, within our community for others.
Prayer for the Week
God of life, we come before you because you have promised to listen to us. We are grateful for this story about Jesus, for his encounter with this woman, and what is shows us about our relationships with one another. May we be welcoming, curious, compassionate toward the stranger. We ask your blessing on refugees who are coming to this country seeking safety. We ask your blessing on our Muslim, Hindu, Jewish neighbours, and people of all faiths. May we find opportunities to engage with others, and heal the rifts that characterize our society.
Generous God, heal the sick. Support those in the path of natural disasters. Give rest to the restless and food to the hungry. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 6, 2021: Psalm 73:1-20; Proverbs 8:32-9:6; Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Tuesday, September 7, 2021: Psalm 73:1-20; Proverbs 11:1-31; Hebrews 12:3-13
Wednesday, September 8, 2021: Psalm 73:1-20; Proverbs 14:1-9; Matthew 17:14-21
Thursday, September 9, 2021: Psalm 19; Proverbs 15:1-17; Hebrews 11:17-22
Friday, September 10, 2021: Psalm 19; Proverbs 19:24-29; James 2:17-26
Saturday, September 11, 2021: Psalm 19; Proverbs 21:1-17; Matthew 21:23-32
Sarah Travis
Mark 7:24-30
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is far from home.
He has entered the Gentile region of Tyre,
He is a stranger here.
A stranger because he lives somewhere else,
but also because of his Jewish blood.
He enters a house, seeking solitude.
Yet his presence is detected by a woman whose daughter is ill.
This woman comes to him, falls at his feet, and begs him to heal her daughter -
to cast out the demon that has possessed her.
Earlier in this gospel, Mark lists dozens of healings,
a man with an unclean spirit,
Simon’s mother-in-law
A man with leprosy,
a paralysed man,
a man with a withered hand,
a great crowd of diseased, desperate souls at the seaside.
A man who is possessed by a demonic spirit
the daughter of Jairus, a leader in the synagogue.
And a woman who haemorrhaged for twelve years.
In all of these cases, and more, Jesus doles out healing without a second thought,
But not this time.
This time is different, this situation is different.
This woman who is desperately seeking help for a sick child,
hears Jesus respond to her plea saying:
ALet the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children=s food
and throw it to the dogs.
The woman doesn’t miss a beat,
Doesn’t appear to be shocked or intimidated by Jesus= response.
She talks back to Jesus, respectfully, but firmly,
reminding him that even dogs are allowed to come into the house
and eat up the crumbs that children drop on the floor under the table.
Even dogs deserve to be fed.
Her words prompt Jesus to seemingly change his mind,
and he assures her that the demon has left her daughter,
She goes home, and discovers her child restored to health.
Despite the happy ending,
this story is challenging and disturbing -
it doesn’t sound like the Jesus we know and love!
Why does he hesitate to heal?
Why does he talk about bread when the woman has asked for healing?
And why does he compare this woman and her child to dogs
that must wait to eat until the children of the house
have had their fill?
Although the story of this woman’s encounter with Jesus is told in two gospels,
and has been preached for two millennia:
although she is the only woman in Mark’s gospel actually gets to speak:
we do not know her name.
She is a Greek woman, defined only by her ethnicity and place of origin.
Which gives us a clue about the importance of place and race in this narrative.
This is a story about an encounter between two very different characters.
On the one hand, we have Jesus - a Jewish male, an underclass carpenter,
who is going about challenging oppressive Roman governance.
On the other hand, a woman, who is Greek,
associated with a culture that benefits from Roman governance.
Neither one of them are powerful in the grand scheme of things -
he is a poor Jewish revolutionary,
she is a woman, and the mother of a demon possessed daughter
in a time in which mental illness made one an outcast.
Jesus has power over her because he is a man,
and because she obviously views him as the one
who is capable of healing her daughter.
The woman has some power in comparison to Jesus -
She is an inhabitant of a region
that colludes in the oppression of his people -
especially when poor Jewish peasant farmers were forced
to sell their produce to the wealthy inhabitants of Tyre and go hungry themselves.
This encounter, then, is not a neutral, easy meeting.
It is an encounter that is filled with history, with politics,
with power inequalities and societal expectations.
Jesus and the woman meet at a boundary between cultures -
and both cross boundaries in order to occupy the same space -
in order to have a conversation, to challenge one another.
Jesus crosses into the woman’s geographical territory,
and the woman crosses the threshold of the house in which he is staying
in order to ask for help.
When they meet, they bring all of their baggage with them -
political, religious, and cultural.
When the woman asks for help,
Jesus responds by saying that the children should be fed first.
The Jewish people, the children of God, should be looked after
before Greek Gentiles.
After all, Gentiles are considered unclean according to Jewish tradition.
His words name the contentious boundary between them -
His words bring out into the open
all that baggage strewn about in the space between them.
Although it may not make his words any less disturbing to you and I,
he is naming out loud, the reality of the situation,
and how very difficult it is to encounter others
who are very different from ourselves -
even for Jesus Christ
it was difficult to cross the boundary that separated him from this woman,
to enter into a conversation with someone with whom he had no business,
and who had no business seeking him out.
Yet here they are, a Jewish man and a Gentile woman,
engaged in a conversation,
already having broken all the rules of social propriety,
all the boundaries that are in place to ensure that people remain in their own place.
When the woman talks back to Jesus,
when she challenges his assertion that children be fed before the dogs,
she is also challenging a religious structure that seeks to keep people separate,
that affords salvation and mercy and help to one group over another.
In the course of this conversation and the subsequent healing,
both of them, Jesus and the unnamed woman,
reveal through their words and actions the reality
that healing and blessing are to be found during boundary-breaking encounters.
Jesus and the woman remain different from one another,
yet the space between them is transformed
from a space of animosity and opposition,
to a space of mutual respect and healing.
This is a space of overlap, in which these two persons meet one another,
but also encounter the vicious threat of empire.
Most importantly, it is at this point of contact, in this space between them,
that God is working to heal and reconcile.
This is a space that belongs to the Triune God -
a space in which each are invited to give of self make space for the other.
An article in the Toronto Star tells
about a Pakistani village plagued by sectarian violence.
The Muslim and Hindu inhabitants of this village have lived in mutual hatred -
raping one another’s women, slaughtering one another’s cattle,
refusing to even shake hands.
Yet one day, a man named Bachu Ram,
made a decision that changed everything.
A young Muslim mother lay dying from severe blood loss,
desperately needing a transfusion of o-negative.
Ram, a Hindu, offered to donate his own blood -
an offer that horrified the Muslim community. to the point that several of the men stormed the clinic in order to stop the transfusion.
Yet the doctors were clear that this transfusion was the only way to save a life.
One of the leaders of the Muslim community said
“I don’t know what came over me.
I remember thinking that here we were refusing to even shake hands
with the Hindus and he was willing to give us his blood.
It was a marvellous thing he did.
It was the turning point of my life.”
Following this event, the Hindu and Muslim men drink tea in one another’s homes.
the women travel together and sell cotton together,
they visit each other’s worship spaces.
The intermingling of blood,
through one man’s willingness to cross a forbidden boundary,
led to transformation and healing for the whole community.
I’m sure there are still painful memories, still remnants of the old suspicions,
these things will not simply disappear.
Yet it matters that these two groups have entered into a similar space,
in which their relationships can be nurtured
in conservation with one another.
The space between “us” and “them”
between ourselves and others,
between cultures and nations
is filled with memories and history,
with power inequalities and multiple differences.
Yet in these spaces, God is present, acting amidst the tension and discomfort
to create new ways of thinking, new possibilities for relationship.
This is the space of Trinity,
in which Creator, Son and Holy Spirit surround us with a creative love
that overcomes past hatred, misconceptions, stereotypes, suspicion,
and opens us up to one another.
Crossing boundaries is not easy - even for Jesus Christ,
Yet healing and wholeness is to be found when we offer ourselves to others,
and make space within ourselves, within our community for others.
Prayer for the Week
God of life, we come before you because you have promised to listen to us. We are grateful for this story about Jesus, for his encounter with this woman, and what is shows us about our relationships with one another. May we be welcoming, curious, compassionate toward the stranger. We ask your blessing on refugees who are coming to this country seeking safety. We ask your blessing on our Muslim, Hindu, Jewish neighbours, and people of all faiths. May we find opportunities to engage with others, and heal the rifts that characterize our society.
Generous God, heal the sick. Support those in the path of natural disasters. Give rest to the restless and food to the hungry. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 6, 2021: Psalm 73:1-20; Proverbs 8:32-9:6; Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Tuesday, September 7, 2021: Psalm 73:1-20; Proverbs 11:1-31; Hebrews 12:3-13
Wednesday, September 8, 2021: Psalm 73:1-20; Proverbs 14:1-9; Matthew 17:14-21
Thursday, September 9, 2021: Psalm 19; Proverbs 15:1-17; Hebrews 11:17-22
Friday, September 10, 2021: Psalm 19; Proverbs 19:24-29; James 2:17-26
Saturday, September 11, 2021: Psalm 19; Proverbs 21:1-17; Matthew 21:23-32
1Rick Westhead, A Life-saving Gift,@ The Toronto Star (July 30, 2011), A3.
Sermon - August 29 2021
Song of Solomon 2:8-17
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
15 Catch us the foxes,
the little foxes,
that ruin the vineyards--
for our vineyards are in blossom.’
16 My beloved is mine and I am his;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the cleft mountains.
If there is anything that we’ve learned in the past year and a half,
It’s that our bodies are vulnerable.
As human beings, we are susceptible to disease, hunger, violence.
Covid has taught us that no one is immune,
We recognize the danger of walking around in flesh and blood.
As Fall comes, we become more afraid for the lives of our children.
This disease is relentless, ravaging bodies and leaving them possible permanently ill, or dead.
We’ve felt our vulnerability this week, as we’ve contended with the heat.
And the situation in Afghanistan just underlines this vulnerability –
Thousands of bodies, with all their needs, desperate to be in a safe place.
Mothers trying to protect their children,
Soldiers carrying young babies,
Lives and bodies torn apart by bombs.
We might wonder why God made us quite so vulnerable.
And yet, it is our vulnerability that opens us to the most profound experiences of being human.
The Song of Solomon is a poem that appears in the Hebrew scriptures.
It is a strange poem, perhaps, to appear in our sacred scriptures,
As it is really a love letter- written between a man and a woman.
They speak of their of love and desire for one another,
And their delight in God’s creation.
This is a distinctly R-rated scripture – it’s about sexual relationships,
And the great joy that lovers find with one another.
Look at the language here – flowers and fig trees, vines, and doves, foxes and vineyards.
For these lovers, nature is a playground filled with God’s delights.
The funny thing is that God is never mentioned in this text,
But God is everywhere in this description of bountiful natural wonder.
All the characters in this text are transformed by love – love of another, love of nature,
Love of God.
We can see God’s love reflected in the regard of the lovers for one another, their gentleness, their excitement, their passion.
It’s not often that we get a chance to study this particular text, and it may be unfamiliar to you.
It has always been one of my favourites.
I adore the call, the invitation, to come away from the winter,
To rise up into the spring.
The male lover is urging his female companion to come and enjoy – to frolic in the warmth
Of the spring air – to leave behind the fustiness of winter.
The promise is that winter will ultimately yield to spring,
And yet even in the midst of winter, God’s love blossoms anew.
Human love is a way of celebrating God with our bodies.
Whether that is a sexual relationship with our dearest loved one,
Or a hug,
Or a hot cup of tea shared together,
In these ways we honour God by enjoying being in our bodies.
It is also a reminder to honour the bodies of others – to delight the humanity of others –
And so we seek to feed others, to house them, to protect them by getting vaccines-
We welcome refugees who are in the midst of their own dark winter.
We show love for human bodies, and in doing so, we show love for God.
This also involves caring for our own bodies.
It has been a hard season in which to care for our own bodies.
Our lives have been marked by fear and loneliness,
We have suffered from a lack of exercise and fresh air.
And the worst part has been that our bodies have been far away from others.
We are meant to be close, to be together,
And this pandemic has hampered our ability to fulfill one of our most basic needs.
This scripture is an invitation to come and play.
To find joy in the fullness of life, to enjoy our human bodies and do our best to protect them.
The Rev. Jacqui Lewis wrote: “Love is marked by endless creativity”
Unlike hate, which only has the power to destroy,
Love is creative and playful.
It transforms us.
The love of God and the love of other human beings transforms us into communities,
Where we are able to live together and care for one another.
In our communal spaces, God works miracles.
God strengthens our vulnerable bodies with the fruits of nature.
God satisfies our deepest desires in human relationship.
God reveals Godself in the love we have for one another.
Our scripture this week is an invitation to participate in the beauty of creation.
To seek God in nature.
To seek God in the arms of our loved one.
To seek God in the community to which we belong.
We are invited to find ways to be playful, to enjoy, to delight.
Arise my love, my fair one, and come away.
For lo, the winter is past. The time of singing has come.
Praise God for the song.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of love, we praise and thank you for the beauty of your creation, for trees and flowers and sunshine. We ask that you will send rain to water the earth. We ask your blessing upon all those who are suffering because of nature – hurricanes, floods, fires. We ask your blessing on those who are ill, that they may find peace, rest and recovery. We continue to pray for the people of Afghanistan – those who have been left behind, and those who are fleeing to new homes.
We are grateful for the love that surrounds us – for our sexual partners, for friends and family, for the community of the church. May we care for each other, and for our own bodies. You have made us vulnerable – may we find joy in that vulnerability. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 30, 2021: Psalm 144:9-15; Song of Solomon 3:6-11; 1 Timothy 4:6-16
Tuesday, August 31, 2021: Psalm 144:9-15; Song of Solomon 5:2-6:3; 1 Peter 2:19-25
Wednesday, September 1, 2021: Psalm 144:9-15; Song of Solomon 8:5-7; Mark 7:9-23
Thursday, September 2, 2021: Psalm 125; Proverbs 1:1-19; Romans 2:1-11
Friday, September 3, 2021: Psalm 125; Proverbs 4:10-27; Romans 2:12-16
Saturday, September 4, 2021: Psalm 125; Proverbs 8:1-31; Matthew 15:21-31
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
15 Catch us the foxes,
the little foxes,
that ruin the vineyards--
for our vineyards are in blossom.’
16 My beloved is mine and I am his;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the cleft mountains.
If there is anything that we’ve learned in the past year and a half,
It’s that our bodies are vulnerable.
As human beings, we are susceptible to disease, hunger, violence.
Covid has taught us that no one is immune,
We recognize the danger of walking around in flesh and blood.
As Fall comes, we become more afraid for the lives of our children.
This disease is relentless, ravaging bodies and leaving them possible permanently ill, or dead.
We’ve felt our vulnerability this week, as we’ve contended with the heat.
And the situation in Afghanistan just underlines this vulnerability –
Thousands of bodies, with all their needs, desperate to be in a safe place.
Mothers trying to protect their children,
Soldiers carrying young babies,
Lives and bodies torn apart by bombs.
We might wonder why God made us quite so vulnerable.
And yet, it is our vulnerability that opens us to the most profound experiences of being human.
The Song of Solomon is a poem that appears in the Hebrew scriptures.
It is a strange poem, perhaps, to appear in our sacred scriptures,
As it is really a love letter- written between a man and a woman.
They speak of their of love and desire for one another,
And their delight in God’s creation.
This is a distinctly R-rated scripture – it’s about sexual relationships,
And the great joy that lovers find with one another.
Look at the language here – flowers and fig trees, vines, and doves, foxes and vineyards.
For these lovers, nature is a playground filled with God’s delights.
The funny thing is that God is never mentioned in this text,
But God is everywhere in this description of bountiful natural wonder.
All the characters in this text are transformed by love – love of another, love of nature,
Love of God.
We can see God’s love reflected in the regard of the lovers for one another, their gentleness, their excitement, their passion.
It’s not often that we get a chance to study this particular text, and it may be unfamiliar to you.
It has always been one of my favourites.
I adore the call, the invitation, to come away from the winter,
To rise up into the spring.
The male lover is urging his female companion to come and enjoy – to frolic in the warmth
Of the spring air – to leave behind the fustiness of winter.
The promise is that winter will ultimately yield to spring,
And yet even in the midst of winter, God’s love blossoms anew.
Human love is a way of celebrating God with our bodies.
Whether that is a sexual relationship with our dearest loved one,
Or a hug,
Or a hot cup of tea shared together,
In these ways we honour God by enjoying being in our bodies.
It is also a reminder to honour the bodies of others – to delight the humanity of others –
And so we seek to feed others, to house them, to protect them by getting vaccines-
We welcome refugees who are in the midst of their own dark winter.
We show love for human bodies, and in doing so, we show love for God.
This also involves caring for our own bodies.
It has been a hard season in which to care for our own bodies.
Our lives have been marked by fear and loneliness,
We have suffered from a lack of exercise and fresh air.
And the worst part has been that our bodies have been far away from others.
We are meant to be close, to be together,
And this pandemic has hampered our ability to fulfill one of our most basic needs.
This scripture is an invitation to come and play.
To find joy in the fullness of life, to enjoy our human bodies and do our best to protect them.
The Rev. Jacqui Lewis wrote: “Love is marked by endless creativity”
Unlike hate, which only has the power to destroy,
Love is creative and playful.
It transforms us.
The love of God and the love of other human beings transforms us into communities,
Where we are able to live together and care for one another.
In our communal spaces, God works miracles.
God strengthens our vulnerable bodies with the fruits of nature.
God satisfies our deepest desires in human relationship.
God reveals Godself in the love we have for one another.
Our scripture this week is an invitation to participate in the beauty of creation.
To seek God in nature.
To seek God in the arms of our loved one.
To seek God in the community to which we belong.
We are invited to find ways to be playful, to enjoy, to delight.
Arise my love, my fair one, and come away.
For lo, the winter is past. The time of singing has come.
Praise God for the song.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of love, we praise and thank you for the beauty of your creation, for trees and flowers and sunshine. We ask that you will send rain to water the earth. We ask your blessing upon all those who are suffering because of nature – hurricanes, floods, fires. We ask your blessing on those who are ill, that they may find peace, rest and recovery. We continue to pray for the people of Afghanistan – those who have been left behind, and those who are fleeing to new homes.
We are grateful for the love that surrounds us – for our sexual partners, for friends and family, for the community of the church. May we care for each other, and for our own bodies. You have made us vulnerable – may we find joy in that vulnerability. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 30, 2021: Psalm 144:9-15; Song of Solomon 3:6-11; 1 Timothy 4:6-16
Tuesday, August 31, 2021: Psalm 144:9-15; Song of Solomon 5:2-6:3; 1 Peter 2:19-25
Wednesday, September 1, 2021: Psalm 144:9-15; Song of Solomon 8:5-7; Mark 7:9-23
Thursday, September 2, 2021: Psalm 125; Proverbs 1:1-19; Romans 2:1-11
Friday, September 3, 2021: Psalm 125; Proverbs 4:10-27; Romans 2:12-16
Saturday, September 4, 2021: Psalm 125; Proverbs 8:1-31; Matthew 15:21-31
Sermon - August 22 2021
John 6:56-69
56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” 66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus is constantly saying difficult things to his listeners.
As he talks about eating and drinking his flesh,
He argues that those who eat and drink his flesh will live forever.
Unlike the ancestors who ate ordinary bread and water,
Jesus’ followers will be nourished by his own body.
His disciples are growing more and more unsure.
This is a difficult teaching, they say – impossible to accept.
We are familiar with Jesus as bread of life.
We take communion, which is a feast, a celebration,
In which we celebrate Jesus as the bread of life.
This concept, however, was much more difficult for Jesus’ followers.
And some of them did not believe.
Jesus knew this. He knew that Judas would betray him in the end,
He knew that not all of this crowd would be loyal.
In fact, he says that no one can come to him – no one can follow him,
Unless they have been chosen by God to do so.
This limit is too much for some of the disciples, who choose to leave.
They simply cannot believe that Jesus is who he says he is.
I have to admit that I felt some sympathy for these ex-followers of Jesus.
Let us not pretend that it is easy to believe all of the doctrines of our faith.
It is healthy and normal to struggle with our faith.
There are a lot of aspects of our tradition that are difficult to grasp,
And there is no shame in struggling with belief.
You might struggle with the virgin birth, with the concept of resurrection,
Even with the concept of eating Jesus body and drinking his blood,
No matter how symbolic this feast might be.
Most of us will struggle with one thing or another,
And there is nothing wrong with that.
I think Jesus is talking about something deeper here – loyalty.
He is looking for disciples that will actively struggle to believe.
Disciples who will ask the questions.
Disciples who will not betray him when the chips are down.
He turns to Peter and asks “What about you? Are you also going to go away?
Peter doesn’t seem to hesitate.
“Lord, to whom can we go?
You have the words of life.
You are the Holy One of God.
That’s quite a confession.
Peter believes that Jesus is from God, and his word is true.
This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot this week.
“Lord, to whom can we go”
It’s a hard time in our human history to have faith.
So many terrible things are happening, and in the midst of it all,
We continue to wonder when God will act.
For some of us, this results in the stirring of doubt – will God act at all?
Why do such terrible things happen, why such chaos?
These kinds of doubts are an appropriate response to everything that is going on.
These doubts to not cause us to cease to be followers of Jesus,
Instead, we are invited to bring these doubts and complaints directly to Jesus.
For, as Peter says, where else can we go?
Where else can we go when Coronavirus numbers are rising, and many are in danger?
When politics threatens the lives of the nation?
Where can we go with our laments about Afghanistan?
Our laments for the women and the children – those who are left behind,
Those who are leaving, those who are desperately trying to leave.
Where can we go with our laments about Haiti, where thousands suffer after an earthquake?
Where else can we go but to the God of the universe and his only Son,
Who loved us so much that he came to be with us, to die for us, to live again.
Where else can we turn in our doubt and our faith except to Jesus,
Who is indeed the bread of life.
The disciples who chose to leave Jesus behind chose to severe their relationship with Jesus.
The important thing for us is to stay near Jesus.
Even when we are doubting, struggling, complaining, lamenting. Suffering.
There is nowhere else we can go; nowhere else we can turn.
How marvelous that we can turn to the God of the universe,
The Son of God,
The Spirit of God.
There is nowhere else to find comfort and peace.
Even as we struggle and doubt, we are surrounded by grace.
There is only one place to go – straight into the arms of Jesus.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Loving God, even when we doubt, you are near us. We ask that we will stay close to you in our doubting and our despair. Help us to rely on you when we are lost, so that you will find us. There is so much pain in our world. We pray for the people of Haiti amid the earthquake, and those who are trying to rescue and rebuild. We pray for the people of Afghanistan – for those who are staying, those who are leaving, and those who are desperately trying to leave. We ask for safety for our families and our communities in the midst of Coronavirus. We pray for those who are ill and injured. God you know our hearts before we do – you know what we need and what we will ask for. Gather our prayers for friend and stranger, answer us with your grace, and keep us in your peace. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 23, 2021: Psalm 11; 1 Kings 5:13-18; Ephesians 5:21-6:9
Tuesday, August 24, 2021: Psalm 11; 1 Kings 6:1-14; Ephesians 6:21-24
Wednesday, August 25, 2021: Psalm 11; 1 Kings 6:15-38; John 15:16-25
Thursday, August 26, 2021: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Song of Solomon 1:1-17; James 1:1-8
Friday, August 27, 2021: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Song of Solomon 2:1-7; James 1:9-16
Saturday, August 28, 2021: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Hosea 3:1-5; John 18:28-32
56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” 66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus is constantly saying difficult things to his listeners.
As he talks about eating and drinking his flesh,
He argues that those who eat and drink his flesh will live forever.
Unlike the ancestors who ate ordinary bread and water,
Jesus’ followers will be nourished by his own body.
His disciples are growing more and more unsure.
This is a difficult teaching, they say – impossible to accept.
We are familiar with Jesus as bread of life.
We take communion, which is a feast, a celebration,
In which we celebrate Jesus as the bread of life.
This concept, however, was much more difficult for Jesus’ followers.
And some of them did not believe.
Jesus knew this. He knew that Judas would betray him in the end,
He knew that not all of this crowd would be loyal.
In fact, he says that no one can come to him – no one can follow him,
Unless they have been chosen by God to do so.
This limit is too much for some of the disciples, who choose to leave.
They simply cannot believe that Jesus is who he says he is.
I have to admit that I felt some sympathy for these ex-followers of Jesus.
Let us not pretend that it is easy to believe all of the doctrines of our faith.
It is healthy and normal to struggle with our faith.
There are a lot of aspects of our tradition that are difficult to grasp,
And there is no shame in struggling with belief.
You might struggle with the virgin birth, with the concept of resurrection,
Even with the concept of eating Jesus body and drinking his blood,
No matter how symbolic this feast might be.
Most of us will struggle with one thing or another,
And there is nothing wrong with that.
I think Jesus is talking about something deeper here – loyalty.
He is looking for disciples that will actively struggle to believe.
Disciples who will ask the questions.
Disciples who will not betray him when the chips are down.
He turns to Peter and asks “What about you? Are you also going to go away?
Peter doesn’t seem to hesitate.
“Lord, to whom can we go?
You have the words of life.
You are the Holy One of God.
That’s quite a confession.
Peter believes that Jesus is from God, and his word is true.
This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot this week.
“Lord, to whom can we go”
It’s a hard time in our human history to have faith.
So many terrible things are happening, and in the midst of it all,
We continue to wonder when God will act.
For some of us, this results in the stirring of doubt – will God act at all?
Why do such terrible things happen, why such chaos?
These kinds of doubts are an appropriate response to everything that is going on.
These doubts to not cause us to cease to be followers of Jesus,
Instead, we are invited to bring these doubts and complaints directly to Jesus.
For, as Peter says, where else can we go?
Where else can we go when Coronavirus numbers are rising, and many are in danger?
When politics threatens the lives of the nation?
Where can we go with our laments about Afghanistan?
Our laments for the women and the children – those who are left behind,
Those who are leaving, those who are desperately trying to leave.
Where can we go with our laments about Haiti, where thousands suffer after an earthquake?
Where else can we go but to the God of the universe and his only Son,
Who loved us so much that he came to be with us, to die for us, to live again.
Where else can we turn in our doubt and our faith except to Jesus,
Who is indeed the bread of life.
The disciples who chose to leave Jesus behind chose to severe their relationship with Jesus.
The important thing for us is to stay near Jesus.
Even when we are doubting, struggling, complaining, lamenting. Suffering.
There is nowhere else we can go; nowhere else we can turn.
How marvelous that we can turn to the God of the universe,
The Son of God,
The Spirit of God.
There is nowhere else to find comfort and peace.
Even as we struggle and doubt, we are surrounded by grace.
There is only one place to go – straight into the arms of Jesus.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Loving God, even when we doubt, you are near us. We ask that we will stay close to you in our doubting and our despair. Help us to rely on you when we are lost, so that you will find us. There is so much pain in our world. We pray for the people of Haiti amid the earthquake, and those who are trying to rescue and rebuild. We pray for the people of Afghanistan – for those who are staying, those who are leaving, and those who are desperately trying to leave. We ask for safety for our families and our communities in the midst of Coronavirus. We pray for those who are ill and injured. God you know our hearts before we do – you know what we need and what we will ask for. Gather our prayers for friend and stranger, answer us with your grace, and keep us in your peace. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 23, 2021: Psalm 11; 1 Kings 5:13-18; Ephesians 5:21-6:9
Tuesday, August 24, 2021: Psalm 11; 1 Kings 6:1-14; Ephesians 6:21-24
Wednesday, August 25, 2021: Psalm 11; 1 Kings 6:15-38; John 15:16-25
Thursday, August 26, 2021: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Song of Solomon 1:1-17; James 1:1-8
Friday, August 27, 2021: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Song of Solomon 2:1-7; James 1:9-16
Saturday, August 28, 2021: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Hosea 3:1-5; John 18:28-32
Sermon - August 15 2021
John 6:51-58
51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
I’ve always been a part of the church.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t part of a Christian community.
I can’t remember a time when my vocabulary didn’t include the word “communion.”
Week after week at St. Mary’s Anglican church I watched as the priest
Blessed and broke the bread.
When I was 6 or 7 years old I went to a day at the church where we were taught about Holy Communion, and we made our own bread for the sacrament the next day.
The crunch of the wafers and the sweet bitterness of the wine
Was part of my experience of church, and I didn’t question it or think about it much.
It didn’t occur to me what a strange thing it is to do.
Reading this passage from the gospel of John caused me to think through
The strangeness of communion.
Jesus announces himself to be the living bread – whoever eats this bread
Will live forever.
The Jewish folks with whom he is in conversation are puzzled, quite rightly,
But Jesus’s announcement.
How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
How indeed.
What a strange concept that we would eat the flesh and drink the blood of our saviour,
Over and over again,
And it would somehow cleanse and redeem us.
It would somehow bind us into a community, not only of saints on earth but saints in heaven too.
When we eat and drink the bread, we are drawn into a unity with each other and with Jesus Christ – we are transformed.
How does this happen and why?
It would take a long time to explain.
But what I want to think about this morning is the breadth of mystery and strangeness
That surrounds our faith.
So much of our faith is strange, when you stop and think about it.
We believe that God loved the world so much
That he sent his only Son into the world,
Where he lived and showed God’s love,
And then he died, on a colonial cross.
And then, the strangest part of all,
Jesus rose up from the dead.
We worship a saviour who was born into humanity, died, and lives to reign with God forever.
It is a great mystery how these things happen.
It is a great mystery that God can love each one of us so much – can know each of us intimately and fully.
It is a great mystery that God is near to each of us – when there are so many of us.
These graces are not ordinary – they are extraordinary.
But the truth is that we are surrounded by the strange grace of God at all times.
I think this is one of the reasons that evangelism is so hard –
Because we have such a strange story to tell.
And yet, how marvellous.
A story that transcends the bounds of nature itself.
A story of a God who opens Godself to the whole of creation,
And offers up the divine Body as a feast for all who believe.
There is sometimes considerable debate in congregations about whether children
Should be allowed to participate in communion.
One of the arguments against it is that children ‘don’t understand’ what is going on at the communion table.
I would argue that none of us understand what is going on at the communion table.
Not me – no matter how much I’ve studied.
Not you – no matter how long you’ve been taking communion.
The only being that truly understands the sacrament is God.
So it is a gift of grace and mystery.
The good news is that we don’t need to understand.
We only need to accept this gracious gift with open arms.
May we feast on body and blood and mercy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Mysterious God – you have given us your body and blood as pure gift. Help us to appreciate the nature of this gift, recognizing that through communion you build us up as a community and fill up our spiritual resources. Help us to understand what we need to know, and to accept and enjoy that which we cannot understand.
We pray for those who are ill and lonely. We continue to pray for Indigenous communities in Canada as they mourn the loss of so many children. We ask for safety in our province as children head back to school. Gracious and loving God – stay beside us no matter what we are going through. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 16, 2021: Psalm 101; 1 Kings 3:16-28; Acts 6:1-7
Tuesday, August 17, 2021: Psalm 101; 1 Kings 7:1-12; Acts 7:9-16
Wednesday, August 18, 2021: Psalm 101; 1 Kings 8:1-21; Mark 8:14-21
Thursday, August 19, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 4:20-28; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Friday, August 20, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 4:29-34; Romans 13:11-14
Saturday, August 21, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 5:1-12; Luke 11:5-13
51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
I’ve always been a part of the church.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t part of a Christian community.
I can’t remember a time when my vocabulary didn’t include the word “communion.”
Week after week at St. Mary’s Anglican church I watched as the priest
Blessed and broke the bread.
When I was 6 or 7 years old I went to a day at the church where we were taught about Holy Communion, and we made our own bread for the sacrament the next day.
The crunch of the wafers and the sweet bitterness of the wine
Was part of my experience of church, and I didn’t question it or think about it much.
It didn’t occur to me what a strange thing it is to do.
Reading this passage from the gospel of John caused me to think through
The strangeness of communion.
Jesus announces himself to be the living bread – whoever eats this bread
Will live forever.
The Jewish folks with whom he is in conversation are puzzled, quite rightly,
But Jesus’s announcement.
How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
How indeed.
What a strange concept that we would eat the flesh and drink the blood of our saviour,
Over and over again,
And it would somehow cleanse and redeem us.
It would somehow bind us into a community, not only of saints on earth but saints in heaven too.
When we eat and drink the bread, we are drawn into a unity with each other and with Jesus Christ – we are transformed.
How does this happen and why?
It would take a long time to explain.
But what I want to think about this morning is the breadth of mystery and strangeness
That surrounds our faith.
So much of our faith is strange, when you stop and think about it.
We believe that God loved the world so much
That he sent his only Son into the world,
Where he lived and showed God’s love,
And then he died, on a colonial cross.
And then, the strangest part of all,
Jesus rose up from the dead.
We worship a saviour who was born into humanity, died, and lives to reign with God forever.
It is a great mystery how these things happen.
It is a great mystery that God can love each one of us so much – can know each of us intimately and fully.
It is a great mystery that God is near to each of us – when there are so many of us.
These graces are not ordinary – they are extraordinary.
But the truth is that we are surrounded by the strange grace of God at all times.
I think this is one of the reasons that evangelism is so hard –
Because we have such a strange story to tell.
And yet, how marvellous.
A story that transcends the bounds of nature itself.
A story of a God who opens Godself to the whole of creation,
And offers up the divine Body as a feast for all who believe.
There is sometimes considerable debate in congregations about whether children
Should be allowed to participate in communion.
One of the arguments against it is that children ‘don’t understand’ what is going on at the communion table.
I would argue that none of us understand what is going on at the communion table.
Not me – no matter how much I’ve studied.
Not you – no matter how long you’ve been taking communion.
The only being that truly understands the sacrament is God.
So it is a gift of grace and mystery.
The good news is that we don’t need to understand.
We only need to accept this gracious gift with open arms.
May we feast on body and blood and mercy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Mysterious God – you have given us your body and blood as pure gift. Help us to appreciate the nature of this gift, recognizing that through communion you build us up as a community and fill up our spiritual resources. Help us to understand what we need to know, and to accept and enjoy that which we cannot understand.
We pray for those who are ill and lonely. We continue to pray for Indigenous communities in Canada as they mourn the loss of so many children. We ask for safety in our province as children head back to school. Gracious and loving God – stay beside us no matter what we are going through. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 16, 2021: Psalm 101; 1 Kings 3:16-28; Acts 6:1-7
Tuesday, August 17, 2021: Psalm 101; 1 Kings 7:1-12; Acts 7:9-16
Wednesday, August 18, 2021: Psalm 101; 1 Kings 8:1-21; Mark 8:14-21
Thursday, August 19, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 4:20-28; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Friday, August 20, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 4:29-34; Romans 13:11-14
Saturday, August 21, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 5:1-12; Luke 11:5-13
Sermon - August 8 2021
Isaiah 43:1-7
43But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
It's so much fun to have a baptism, after months and months of dryness.
Whenever we baptize someone into our community, we have cause to celebrate
And pause to think about our own baptisms.
This week, I’m continuing to think about how we introduce ourselves to one another.
In other words, what are the core identities around which we organize our lives?
If you are introducing yourself to a complete stranger, what do you say about who you are?
In thinking about my recent zoom meeting in which I had to offer a compelling introduction of myself, I realized that I almost never introduce myself as Christian.
In group settings, I’ll introduce myself as mother, wife, pastor, writer, teacher, but not as ‘Christian’
Even though this is surely my most important identity.
I will introduce myself as a Presbyterian Pastor, but more in terms of my role
Than in terms of my faith orientation.
I wonder if this is true for you?
How many of you list Christian as the first item in your biography?
Maybe it’s because for many of us, we grew up surrounded by a majority of Christians.
It didn’t even occur to us that there were faiths to which others belong
We just assumed that everyone else was Christian.
Maybe it’s because we are embarrassed to say the words “I’m a Christian”
Maybe we’re afraid that we will offend others…
Maybe it’s because our Christian identity chugs along quietly in the background.
Or maybe our Christian identity doesn’t actually rate very high in terms of our weekly activities or our perspectives on the world.
Maybe the fact of our baptism has made no difference whatsoever.
It occurs to me that when we are baptized, we are given an identity –
An identity that precedes all others – that of a child of God.
There is nothing more important about who we are than that –
We are children of God.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
Thus says our God.
The author of Isaiah wanted to make it clear to those ancient souls
who have been captive in Babylon for many years
That they have an identity that is stronger than any other identity.
it’s stronger than their identities as foreigners and slaves.
They are the ones created, formed, and redeemed by God.
Created, formed and redeemed for a purpose.
We believe the same things about ourselves, that we are created, formed and redeemed by God,
Specifically through Jesus Christ.
Thus, we have an identity in Christ that is stronger than any other.
A baptismal identity – rooted in Christ.
Imagine, if we took that baptismal identity seriously?
What would our lives look like?
How would it shape our behaviour and our goals?
How does a baptismal identity look different than other cultural identities?
First, a baptismal identity is rooted in the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We understand ourselves to belong to God.
This means that we don’t belong to anything else – we don’t belong to money or work, we don’t worship any other gods, we worship the one, true God.
Secondly, we are called to imitate Christ in all we do.
Living in a Christlike way is a goal of the baptized.
Thirdly, a baptismal identity is a hopeful identity.
Our hope is rooted in the power of God to enact change in the world.
Alongside this promise of baptismal identity, we have the promise of protection.
I will be with you, says the Lord, when you pass through the waters.
I will be with you when the fires burn.
Through our baptism, we are wrapped up in God,
So that even when we go through the most difficult times, God is there.
Of course, baptism cannot save us from the storms of life,
But it gives us an anchor. It gives us the Holy Spirit,
Which has the power to calm us when things are rough,
To help us to take a deep breathe and cope with whatever life throws at us.
Baptism reminds us that we are bathed in the power of God wherever we go.
The baptized also protect one another.
Whenever we baptize a child or an adult into the Christian Community,
We are signing a blank cheque. We are promising to do whatever it takes
To raise that child up in faith – whatever it takes to keep that child safe.
This is the covenant we make with God and with one another that we will care for each other.
This baptismal promise, this baptismal identity, is what makes us what we are
As a community.
And then, as our baptismal community is fed and nourished,
So we reach out toward others, which is another essential aspect of our baptismal identity.
I invite you to reflect on your own baptismal identity.
How has it made a difference in your life to be baptized?
May you find blessings as you reflect.
May the triune God wrap around you, holding you in peace and joy.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week,
Ever-loving God, we thank you for our baptisms. Thank you that by water and spirit you have named us as your own. We praise you for the community and the protection that have come to us by membership in your holy body. We pray for little Lennon as she is baptized, that this may be a moment for her and her family to realize that they are indeed your children. We pray for those in our fellowship – those who are ill or grieving, those who are struggling with depression and loneliness. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, and a safe rest for all who are lost in the night. We pray all these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 9, 2021: Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 15:13-31; Ephesians 5:1-14
Tuesday, August 10, 2021: Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 18:19-33; 2 Peter 3:14-18
Wednesday, August 11, 2021: Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 19:1-18; John 6:35-40
Thursday, August 12, 2021: Psalm 111; 1 Kings 1:1-30; Acts 6:8-15
Friday, August 13, 2021: Psalm 111; 1 Kings 1:28-48; Romans 16:17-20
Saturday, August 14, 2021: Psalm 111; 1 Kings 2:1-11; John 4:7-26
43But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
It's so much fun to have a baptism, after months and months of dryness.
Whenever we baptize someone into our community, we have cause to celebrate
And pause to think about our own baptisms.
This week, I’m continuing to think about how we introduce ourselves to one another.
In other words, what are the core identities around which we organize our lives?
If you are introducing yourself to a complete stranger, what do you say about who you are?
In thinking about my recent zoom meeting in which I had to offer a compelling introduction of myself, I realized that I almost never introduce myself as Christian.
In group settings, I’ll introduce myself as mother, wife, pastor, writer, teacher, but not as ‘Christian’
Even though this is surely my most important identity.
I will introduce myself as a Presbyterian Pastor, but more in terms of my role
Than in terms of my faith orientation.
I wonder if this is true for you?
How many of you list Christian as the first item in your biography?
Maybe it’s because for many of us, we grew up surrounded by a majority of Christians.
It didn’t even occur to us that there were faiths to which others belong
We just assumed that everyone else was Christian.
Maybe it’s because we are embarrassed to say the words “I’m a Christian”
Maybe we’re afraid that we will offend others…
Maybe it’s because our Christian identity chugs along quietly in the background.
Or maybe our Christian identity doesn’t actually rate very high in terms of our weekly activities or our perspectives on the world.
Maybe the fact of our baptism has made no difference whatsoever.
It occurs to me that when we are baptized, we are given an identity –
An identity that precedes all others – that of a child of God.
There is nothing more important about who we are than that –
We are children of God.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
Thus says our God.
The author of Isaiah wanted to make it clear to those ancient souls
who have been captive in Babylon for many years
That they have an identity that is stronger than any other identity.
it’s stronger than their identities as foreigners and slaves.
They are the ones created, formed, and redeemed by God.
Created, formed and redeemed for a purpose.
We believe the same things about ourselves, that we are created, formed and redeemed by God,
Specifically through Jesus Christ.
Thus, we have an identity in Christ that is stronger than any other.
A baptismal identity – rooted in Christ.
Imagine, if we took that baptismal identity seriously?
What would our lives look like?
How would it shape our behaviour and our goals?
How does a baptismal identity look different than other cultural identities?
First, a baptismal identity is rooted in the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We understand ourselves to belong to God.
This means that we don’t belong to anything else – we don’t belong to money or work, we don’t worship any other gods, we worship the one, true God.
Secondly, we are called to imitate Christ in all we do.
Living in a Christlike way is a goal of the baptized.
Thirdly, a baptismal identity is a hopeful identity.
Our hope is rooted in the power of God to enact change in the world.
Alongside this promise of baptismal identity, we have the promise of protection.
I will be with you, says the Lord, when you pass through the waters.
I will be with you when the fires burn.
Through our baptism, we are wrapped up in God,
So that even when we go through the most difficult times, God is there.
Of course, baptism cannot save us from the storms of life,
But it gives us an anchor. It gives us the Holy Spirit,
Which has the power to calm us when things are rough,
To help us to take a deep breathe and cope with whatever life throws at us.
Baptism reminds us that we are bathed in the power of God wherever we go.
The baptized also protect one another.
Whenever we baptize a child or an adult into the Christian Community,
We are signing a blank cheque. We are promising to do whatever it takes
To raise that child up in faith – whatever it takes to keep that child safe.
This is the covenant we make with God and with one another that we will care for each other.
This baptismal promise, this baptismal identity, is what makes us what we are
As a community.
And then, as our baptismal community is fed and nourished,
So we reach out toward others, which is another essential aspect of our baptismal identity.
I invite you to reflect on your own baptismal identity.
How has it made a difference in your life to be baptized?
May you find blessings as you reflect.
May the triune God wrap around you, holding you in peace and joy.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week,
Ever-loving God, we thank you for our baptisms. Thank you that by water and spirit you have named us as your own. We praise you for the community and the protection that have come to us by membership in your holy body. We pray for little Lennon as she is baptized, that this may be a moment for her and her family to realize that they are indeed your children. We pray for those in our fellowship – those who are ill or grieving, those who are struggling with depression and loneliness. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, and a safe rest for all who are lost in the night. We pray all these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 9, 2021: Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 15:13-31; Ephesians 5:1-14
Tuesday, August 10, 2021: Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 18:19-33; 2 Peter 3:14-18
Wednesday, August 11, 2021: Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 19:1-18; John 6:35-40
Thursday, August 12, 2021: Psalm 111; 1 Kings 1:1-30; Acts 6:8-15
Friday, August 13, 2021: Psalm 111; 1 Kings 1:28-48; Romans 16:17-20
Saturday, August 14, 2021: Psalm 111; 1 Kings 2:1-11; John 4:7-26
Sermon - August 1 2021
Genesis 12:1-9
12Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan,
6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.
Meditation
I was recently involved in a zoom meeting in which I had to introduce myself.
A proper introduction – not just name and title, but a description of who I am.
I took some time to think about it – how do I define myself – what it my identity?
So I came up with a list of roles that I play – mother, wife, minister, teacher, writer, etc…
It was only after my list was completed, that I realized I hadn’t said where I was from.
I didn’t say where I was born. This shows you how alienated I am from the land.
In my privileged life, I have never had to fight for land, or be removed from land.
I have never been bound to the land in a joyful way.
Some of you will not understand such alienation.
Because you live so close to the land, and have for generations.
Some of you know the joy of connection to soil.
But all of this got me thinking about how I define myself – how all of us define ourselves -
In terms of geographical location.
Scripture paints intimate portraits of how people love land – how they fight for it, and return to it, and indeed, become alienated from it. But scripture also portrays the ways that God encounters human beings along their journeys in specific places.
Abram and Sarai are sent off into an unknown future.
But at every step along the way they encounter God.
Those spaces in which they encounter the divine become sacred spaces.
They bear significance in memory because they are the places where they see God.
Given the unpredictable nature of Abram and Sarai’s journey, it was particularly important
That they were able to experience God’s presence of the journey.
My family spent the early part of this week at Camp Kintail,
on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron.
Camp Kintail is a place where I have encountered God,
First as a teenager, and now as an adult with a teenager of my own.
It was there where I encountered God in nature, in a special brand of hospitality,
In long-lasting friendships.
The lake itself is a holy place for me. In its vastness, I feel my own smallness.
It forms part of my spiritual map – all the places I have encountered the Risen Christ or the Creator or the Holy Spirit.
What if we defined ourselves according to the places where we met have met God
Where God in Jesus Christ, God in the Holy Spirit, God as Creator –
Where have we encountered the triune God in our own journeys?
Where are the places in which you encountered God along the way?
What spaces are sacred to you?
What is your spiritual map?
Mine begins in Windsor, Ontario – with memories of dark wood and stone and stained glass at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Walkerville. I remember beaches and lakes and oceans. I remember the sacredness of home, of the little house on York St. Holy ground all around the province as I hung out with Presbyterian young people. Camp Kintail. Knox College. In Labour and Delivery Rooms, at a deathbed, at Disneyworld. In a graveyard garden, in a burned-out church in central India, in a beautiful little church in Norval Ontario.
In all of those places, I have encountered God.
I invite you to remember those spaces that have shaped your faith,
And to give thanks for the ways that God has been present with you in different places.
Go back to those places in your memory, and lay an imaginary altar,
Which recognizes that God is indeed in this place, and every place.
You might want to do this on a piece of paper – literally draw a map of your journey,
Remembering the places along the way that God has been particularly present for you.
May these memories be a blessing, and give you strength for the next stage of your journey. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of every time and place, we thank you for your presence with us throughout our lifetimes and the many journeys we have taken. We praise you for the times we have glimpsed the Risen Christ. Send your Holy Spirit to inspire us to begin new journeys, always confident of your presence. We give thanks for nature, and the way it reveals your majesty. How majestic is your name in all the earth! We pray for the safety of nations, fully aware that there are geographic spaces which are unsafe due to war, famine, and storm. We ask your blessing upon those known to us who are ill, and those who care for them. Finally, Lord, we ask your blessing upon our churches, that we may be spaces of safety and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 2, 2021: Psalm 50:16-23; 2 Samuel 12:15-25; Ephesians 4:17-24
Tuesday, August 3, 2021: Psalm 50:16-23; 2 Samuel 13:1-19; 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Wednesday, August 4, 2021: Psalm 50:16-23; 2 Samuel 13:20-36; Mark 8:1-10
Thursday, August 5, 2021: Psalm 130; 2 Samuel 13:37-14:24; Romans 15:1-6
Friday, August 6, 2021: Psalm 130; 2 Samuel 14:25-33; Galatians 6:1-10
Saturday, August 7, 2021: Psalm 130; 2 Samuel 15:1-13; Matthew 7:7-11
12Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan,
6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.
Meditation
I was recently involved in a zoom meeting in which I had to introduce myself.
A proper introduction – not just name and title, but a description of who I am.
I took some time to think about it – how do I define myself – what it my identity?
So I came up with a list of roles that I play – mother, wife, minister, teacher, writer, etc…
It was only after my list was completed, that I realized I hadn’t said where I was from.
I didn’t say where I was born. This shows you how alienated I am from the land.
In my privileged life, I have never had to fight for land, or be removed from land.
I have never been bound to the land in a joyful way.
Some of you will not understand such alienation.
Because you live so close to the land, and have for generations.
Some of you know the joy of connection to soil.
But all of this got me thinking about how I define myself – how all of us define ourselves -
In terms of geographical location.
Scripture paints intimate portraits of how people love land – how they fight for it, and return to it, and indeed, become alienated from it. But scripture also portrays the ways that God encounters human beings along their journeys in specific places.
Abram and Sarai are sent off into an unknown future.
But at every step along the way they encounter God.
Those spaces in which they encounter the divine become sacred spaces.
They bear significance in memory because they are the places where they see God.
Given the unpredictable nature of Abram and Sarai’s journey, it was particularly important
That they were able to experience God’s presence of the journey.
My family spent the early part of this week at Camp Kintail,
on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron.
Camp Kintail is a place where I have encountered God,
First as a teenager, and now as an adult with a teenager of my own.
It was there where I encountered God in nature, in a special brand of hospitality,
In long-lasting friendships.
The lake itself is a holy place for me. In its vastness, I feel my own smallness.
It forms part of my spiritual map – all the places I have encountered the Risen Christ or the Creator or the Holy Spirit.
What if we defined ourselves according to the places where we met have met God
Where God in Jesus Christ, God in the Holy Spirit, God as Creator –
Where have we encountered the triune God in our own journeys?
Where are the places in which you encountered God along the way?
What spaces are sacred to you?
What is your spiritual map?
Mine begins in Windsor, Ontario – with memories of dark wood and stone and stained glass at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Walkerville. I remember beaches and lakes and oceans. I remember the sacredness of home, of the little house on York St. Holy ground all around the province as I hung out with Presbyterian young people. Camp Kintail. Knox College. In Labour and Delivery Rooms, at a deathbed, at Disneyworld. In a graveyard garden, in a burned-out church in central India, in a beautiful little church in Norval Ontario.
In all of those places, I have encountered God.
I invite you to remember those spaces that have shaped your faith,
And to give thanks for the ways that God has been present with you in different places.
Go back to those places in your memory, and lay an imaginary altar,
Which recognizes that God is indeed in this place, and every place.
You might want to do this on a piece of paper – literally draw a map of your journey,
Remembering the places along the way that God has been particularly present for you.
May these memories be a blessing, and give you strength for the next stage of your journey. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of every time and place, we thank you for your presence with us throughout our lifetimes and the many journeys we have taken. We praise you for the times we have glimpsed the Risen Christ. Send your Holy Spirit to inspire us to begin new journeys, always confident of your presence. We give thanks for nature, and the way it reveals your majesty. How majestic is your name in all the earth! We pray for the safety of nations, fully aware that there are geographic spaces which are unsafe due to war, famine, and storm. We ask your blessing upon those known to us who are ill, and those who care for them. Finally, Lord, we ask your blessing upon our churches, that we may be spaces of safety and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 2, 2021: Psalm 50:16-23; 2 Samuel 12:15-25; Ephesians 4:17-24
Tuesday, August 3, 2021: Psalm 50:16-23; 2 Samuel 13:1-19; 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Wednesday, August 4, 2021: Psalm 50:16-23; 2 Samuel 13:20-36; Mark 8:1-10
Thursday, August 5, 2021: Psalm 130; 2 Samuel 13:37-14:24; Romans 15:1-6
Friday, August 6, 2021: Psalm 130; 2 Samuel 14:25-33; Galatians 6:1-10
Saturday, August 7, 2021: Psalm 130; 2 Samuel 15:1-13; Matthew 7:7-11
Dear Friends,
In these summer months, I hope you find rest and peace. I am on vacation for the month of July, and I want to share with you some prayers written by a favourite theologian of mine – Walter Brueggeman. You can pray these prayers in your garden or in your living room. These prayers are rich in language and imagery. May you encounter the risen Christ as you read them.
Blessings,
Sarah
In these summer months, I hope you find rest and peace. I am on vacation for the month of July, and I want to share with you some prayers written by a favourite theologian of mine – Walter Brueggeman. You can pray these prayers in your garden or in your living room. These prayers are rich in language and imagery. May you encounter the risen Christ as you read them.
Blessings,
Sarah
July 25, 2021
Psalm 54
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, ‘David is in hiding among us.’
1 Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.
Selah
4 But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of* my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.
6 With a freewill-offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Let us pray:
We do not really know about running and hiding.
We do not have any real sense, ourselves, of being under assault,
For we live privileged, safe lives,
Learning in a garden near paradise.
Nonetheless the fear and the prayer live close beneath the surface…
Enemies we cannot see,
Old threats lingering unresolved from childhood,
Wild stirrings in the night that we cannot control.
And then we line out our imperative petitions,
Frantic…at least anxious;
Fearful…at least bewildered;
Turning to you, only you, you…nowhere else.
In the midst of our anxiety, confidence wells up,
In our present stress, old well-being echoes.
We speak and the world turns confident and grateful,
Not because we believe our own words,
But because of your presence,
Your powerful, reliable, bold presence looms large,
Larger than fear,
Larger than anxiety,
Large enough…and in our small vulnerability,
We give thanks. Amen.
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, ‘David is in hiding among us.’
1 Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.
Selah
4 But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of* my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.
6 With a freewill-offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Let us pray:
We do not really know about running and hiding.
We do not have any real sense, ourselves, of being under assault,
For we live privileged, safe lives,
Learning in a garden near paradise.
Nonetheless the fear and the prayer live close beneath the surface…
Enemies we cannot see,
Old threats lingering unresolved from childhood,
Wild stirrings in the night that we cannot control.
And then we line out our imperative petitions,
Frantic…at least anxious;
Fearful…at least bewildered;
Turning to you, only you, you…nowhere else.
In the midst of our anxiety, confidence wells up,
In our present stress, old well-being echoes.
We speak and the world turns confident and grateful,
Not because we believe our own words,
But because of your presence,
Your powerful, reliable, bold presence looms large,
Larger than fear,
Larger than anxiety,
Large enough…and in our small vulnerability,
We give thanks. Amen.
Meditation for July 18, 2021
Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
1The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Let us pray:
We arrange our lives as best we can,
To keep your holiness at bay, with our pieties,
Our doctrines,
Our liturgies,
Our moralities,
Our secret ideologies,
Safe, virtuous, settled.
And then you -
You and your dreams,
You and your visions,
You and your purposes,
You and your commands,
You and our neighbours.
We find your holiness not at bay,
But probing, pervading, insisting, demanding.
And we yield, sometimes gladly,
Sometimes resentfully, sometimes late….or soon.
We yield because you, beyond us, are our God.
We are your creatures met by your holiness,
By your holiness made our true selves.
And we yield. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth. Edited by Edwin Searcy. Augsburg Fortress Press, 2003, 3.
We arrange our lives as best we can,
To keep your holiness at bay, with our pieties,
Our doctrines,
Our liturgies,
Our moralities,
Our secret ideologies,
Safe, virtuous, settled.
And then you -
You and your dreams,
You and your visions,
You and your purposes,
You and your commands,
You and our neighbours.
We find your holiness not at bay,
But probing, pervading, insisting, demanding.
And we yield, sometimes gladly,
Sometimes resentfully, sometimes late….or soon.
We yield because you, beyond us, are our God.
We are your creatures met by your holiness,
By your holiness made our true selves.
And we yield. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth. Edited by Edwin Searcy. Augsburg Fortress Press, 2003, 3.
July 11, 2021
Psalm 24
1The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it;
2for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.
3Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?
4Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.
5They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
7Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.
8Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.
10Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah
Let us Pray:
O for a thousand tongues to sing our great redeemer’s name;
To sing beyond ourselves, extravagantly,
With abandonment,
Beyond all our possibilities,
And all our fears,
And all our hopes…
To our redeemer dear, the antidote to our death,
To salve to our wounds,
The resolve of our destructiveness…
A thousand, a million, a trillion tongues
More than our own,
More than our tradition,
More than our theology,
More than our understanding,
Tongues around us,
Tongues among us,
Tongues from our silenced parts.
Tongues from us to you in freedom and in courage.
Finally ceding our lives and our loves to your good care.
Amen.
Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth. Edited by Edwin Searcy. Augsburg Fortress Press, 2003, 9
1The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it;
2for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.
3Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?
4Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.
5They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
7Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.
8Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.
10Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah
Let us Pray:
O for a thousand tongues to sing our great redeemer’s name;
To sing beyond ourselves, extravagantly,
With abandonment,
Beyond all our possibilities,
And all our fears,
And all our hopes…
To our redeemer dear, the antidote to our death,
To salve to our wounds,
The resolve of our destructiveness…
A thousand, a million, a trillion tongues
More than our own,
More than our tradition,
More than our theology,
More than our understanding,
Tongues around us,
Tongues among us,
Tongues from our silenced parts.
Tongues from us to you in freedom and in courage.
Finally ceding our lives and our loves to your good care.
Amen.
Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth. Edited by Edwin Searcy. Augsburg Fortress Press, 2003, 9
July 4, 2021
Psalm 146
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign for ever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Let us pray:
The day demands that we begin in praise of you,
For the day is yours and we are yours;
We could not live the day without reference to you,
without your gifts, without your commands.
We begin with praise,
For the gift of life,
For the gift of our life together,
For the gift of life in your world with all your beloved creatures,
For the gift of life in your church with your steady recital of wonders.
You, you alone, only you,
You who made and makes and remakes heaven and earth,
You who executes justice and gives food we know not how,
You who sets prisoners free and sights the blind,
You who lifts up and watches and upholds,
You who reigns forever,
You…and therefore us.
You, except we turn to lesser trusts, all of us with our trust in the powers,
You, except we turn to ignoble aims,
All of us preoccupied with ourselves.
You, except we invest in our little controls and our larger fears,
All of us marked by anxiety.
And then we watch as you ease us out of anxiety,
As you heal our selves turned new,
As you topple powers and bring new chances for truthful public life.
You…except…but then finally, always, everywhere you…and us on the receiving end.
And we are grateful. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth. Edited by Edwin Searcy. Augsburg Fortress Press, 2003, 8.
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign for ever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Let us pray:
The day demands that we begin in praise of you,
For the day is yours and we are yours;
We could not live the day without reference to you,
without your gifts, without your commands.
We begin with praise,
For the gift of life,
For the gift of our life together,
For the gift of life in your world with all your beloved creatures,
For the gift of life in your church with your steady recital of wonders.
You, you alone, only you,
You who made and makes and remakes heaven and earth,
You who executes justice and gives food we know not how,
You who sets prisoners free and sights the blind,
You who lifts up and watches and upholds,
You who reigns forever,
You…and therefore us.
You, except we turn to lesser trusts, all of us with our trust in the powers,
You, except we turn to ignoble aims,
All of us preoccupied with ourselves.
You, except we invest in our little controls and our larger fears,
All of us marked by anxiety.
And then we watch as you ease us out of anxiety,
As you heal our selves turned new,
As you topple powers and bring new chances for truthful public life.
You…except…but then finally, always, everywhere you…and us on the receiving end.
And we are grateful. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth. Edited by Edwin Searcy. Augsburg Fortress Press, 2003, 8.
Sermon - June 27 2021
Mark 5:21-43
21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”
24So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32He looked all around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
My name is Esther.
You’ve heard of me, but we will not ever meet.
My story has been recorded as one of the great stories of faith,
But it didn’t start out that way.
It started as fear and misery.
You see, I had been ill for over a decade. My body was worn out.
So much blood, for so many years.
I’ve tried everything, spending my money on doctors and those who pretended to be doctors.
And of course, my bleeding made me a social pariah. I was unclean.
I should have stayed at the edges of the crowd, where I belonged.
There was tremendous energy around this man Jesus. I had listened to him, and his strange ideas, impressed with his understanding of God and God’s salvation.
I never dreamed that salvation could be for me also.
That afternoon, I witnessed the strangest thing –
The leader of the synagogue, Jairus, came and knelt – knelt! – before Jesus.
He begged him to come and save his daughter who was very ill.
He believed that if only Jesus could lay his hands on her, she would live.
How could laying on of hands be healing?
What kind of man was this?
And then I wondered – if he was willing to heal this little girl,
Maybe he would be willing to heal me too.
But I was afraid to ask. I have no status. I have no self-respect, no respect from others.
If I were to go and kneel in front of Jesus, his disciples would just send me away,
Horrified that such a woman would dare approach a man in such a way.
You see, it was inappropriate for me to talk to a man, let alone touch him.
He started to move away with the crowd, on his way to see Jairus’ daughter.
There were people everywhere, crushing in on him.
I wondered if he would even notice if I crept up and just touched the hem of his garment.
Just in case he really had healing power. I’d tried everything, and I was desperate.
So I fought my way into the crowd, and miraculously the crowds parted,
Probably because they did not want to touch me, or be anywhere near me.
A space opened up, and I reached out and grabbed a piece of his clothing, just for a second.
Hoping no one would notice. I started to creep away, feeling like I’d got away with something.
Instantly, I was filled with a great sense of relief, and I knew that the blood had stopped flowing. I stood up straighter, and then I heard Jesus say: “Who touched me?”
I was stopped in my tracks. And filled with fear – what if he yelled at me because of what I had done? He looked all around him, and then he met my eyes.
He held my gaze, and there was only warmth in his expression.
Daughter, your faith has made you well – go and be healed!
In that moment, being called daughter, I realized that I must be a person of value.
Perhaps I am a daughter of God too.
The crowds gave me a wide berth as I stepped away into my new life.
But they would come around, after all, Jesus called me daughter. The most precious word.
Was it my faith that made me well? I don’t think so.
My faith was insecure and faltering. In my desperation, I believed in this man.
But it was his faith that healed me. His faith in the goodness of humanity,
His faith in the power of God to heal and transform.
He transformed not only my body, but my spirit, and my social standing.
I was restored.
But I learned an important lesson.
Jesus is able to heal and help us, but our faith must be active – we must seek him out.
We must reach out our hands to touch him.
His power is incredible – I felt it flow into me.
You know what happened next. He went and healed the little girl,
By all accounts brought her back to life.
I was there - I followed the crowd because I wanted to see more healing happen,
More people released from their prisons of pain and illness.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
Jesus showed himself to be, without a shadow of a doubt, a healing saviour.
If you are suffering, Jesus is there, just waiting for you to reach out and touch him.
May you find peace as I have found.
May you also be saved, not by your faltering faith, but by his faith in you.
Shalom, my friends. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Lord Jesus, you are filled with power. Our faith falters when we are confronted with illness, disability, depression, blood. All we need to do is reach out and touch the hem of your garment, and we will receive power beyond our imagining. This power helps us to cope, makes us stronger, makes us calm. We pray, gracious God, for those who are ill. May you heal them in body and spirit. We continue to pray for Indigenous communities in Canada, on the discovery of more children’s bodies at residential institutions. We pray for those who are homeless, those who are without social status, asking that you will restore their safety and their sense of self-worth. Grant us rest and peace on these summer days, that we might find time to dwell in your presence, and find the healing you have offered. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, June 28, 2021: Psalm 18:1-6, 43-50; 1 Samuel 23:14-18; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24
Tuesday, June 29, 2021: Psalm 18:1-6, 43-50; 1 Samuel 31:1-13; 2 Corinthians 9:1-5
Wednesday, June 30, 2021: Psalm 18:1-6, 43-50; 1 Chronicles 10:1-14; Mark 9:14-29
Thursday, July 1, 2021: Psalm 48; 2 Samuel 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 4:8-13
Friday, July 2, 2021: Psalm 48; 2 Samuel 3:1-12; 2 Corinthians 10:7-11
Saturday, July 3, 2021: Psalm 48; 2 Samuel 3:31-38; Matthew 8:18-22
21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”
24So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32He looked all around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
My name is Esther.
You’ve heard of me, but we will not ever meet.
My story has been recorded as one of the great stories of faith,
But it didn’t start out that way.
It started as fear and misery.
You see, I had been ill for over a decade. My body was worn out.
So much blood, for so many years.
I’ve tried everything, spending my money on doctors and those who pretended to be doctors.
And of course, my bleeding made me a social pariah. I was unclean.
I should have stayed at the edges of the crowd, where I belonged.
There was tremendous energy around this man Jesus. I had listened to him, and his strange ideas, impressed with his understanding of God and God’s salvation.
I never dreamed that salvation could be for me also.
That afternoon, I witnessed the strangest thing –
The leader of the synagogue, Jairus, came and knelt – knelt! – before Jesus.
He begged him to come and save his daughter who was very ill.
He believed that if only Jesus could lay his hands on her, she would live.
How could laying on of hands be healing?
What kind of man was this?
And then I wondered – if he was willing to heal this little girl,
Maybe he would be willing to heal me too.
But I was afraid to ask. I have no status. I have no self-respect, no respect from others.
If I were to go and kneel in front of Jesus, his disciples would just send me away,
Horrified that such a woman would dare approach a man in such a way.
You see, it was inappropriate for me to talk to a man, let alone touch him.
He started to move away with the crowd, on his way to see Jairus’ daughter.
There were people everywhere, crushing in on him.
I wondered if he would even notice if I crept up and just touched the hem of his garment.
Just in case he really had healing power. I’d tried everything, and I was desperate.
So I fought my way into the crowd, and miraculously the crowds parted,
Probably because they did not want to touch me, or be anywhere near me.
A space opened up, and I reached out and grabbed a piece of his clothing, just for a second.
Hoping no one would notice. I started to creep away, feeling like I’d got away with something.
Instantly, I was filled with a great sense of relief, and I knew that the blood had stopped flowing. I stood up straighter, and then I heard Jesus say: “Who touched me?”
I was stopped in my tracks. And filled with fear – what if he yelled at me because of what I had done? He looked all around him, and then he met my eyes.
He held my gaze, and there was only warmth in his expression.
Daughter, your faith has made you well – go and be healed!
In that moment, being called daughter, I realized that I must be a person of value.
Perhaps I am a daughter of God too.
The crowds gave me a wide berth as I stepped away into my new life.
But they would come around, after all, Jesus called me daughter. The most precious word.
Was it my faith that made me well? I don’t think so.
My faith was insecure and faltering. In my desperation, I believed in this man.
But it was his faith that healed me. His faith in the goodness of humanity,
His faith in the power of God to heal and transform.
He transformed not only my body, but my spirit, and my social standing.
I was restored.
But I learned an important lesson.
Jesus is able to heal and help us, but our faith must be active – we must seek him out.
We must reach out our hands to touch him.
His power is incredible – I felt it flow into me.
You know what happened next. He went and healed the little girl,
By all accounts brought her back to life.
I was there - I followed the crowd because I wanted to see more healing happen,
More people released from their prisons of pain and illness.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
Jesus showed himself to be, without a shadow of a doubt, a healing saviour.
If you are suffering, Jesus is there, just waiting for you to reach out and touch him.
May you find peace as I have found.
May you also be saved, not by your faltering faith, but by his faith in you.
Shalom, my friends. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Lord Jesus, you are filled with power. Our faith falters when we are confronted with illness, disability, depression, blood. All we need to do is reach out and touch the hem of your garment, and we will receive power beyond our imagining. This power helps us to cope, makes us stronger, makes us calm. We pray, gracious God, for those who are ill. May you heal them in body and spirit. We continue to pray for Indigenous communities in Canada, on the discovery of more children’s bodies at residential institutions. We pray for those who are homeless, those who are without social status, asking that you will restore their safety and their sense of self-worth. Grant us rest and peace on these summer days, that we might find time to dwell in your presence, and find the healing you have offered. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, June 28, 2021: Psalm 18:1-6, 43-50; 1 Samuel 23:14-18; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24
Tuesday, June 29, 2021: Psalm 18:1-6, 43-50; 1 Samuel 31:1-13; 2 Corinthians 9:1-5
Wednesday, June 30, 2021: Psalm 18:1-6, 43-50; 1 Chronicles 10:1-14; Mark 9:14-29
Thursday, July 1, 2021: Psalm 48; 2 Samuel 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 4:8-13
Friday, July 2, 2021: Psalm 48; 2 Samuel 3:1-12; 2 Corinthians 10:7-11
Saturday, July 3, 2021: Psalm 48; 2 Samuel 3:31-38; Matthew 8:18-22
Sermon - June 20 2021
Mark 4:35-41
35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Jesus is the picture of calm, sound asleep in the stern of the boat.
The disciples, on the other hand, are panicking.
The storm blows up unexpectedly, and although some of them are seasoned fishermen,
The storm is so sudden and so fierce that raises their hackles.
They are afraid. And mystified about the fact that their friend and master
Is sleeping through all the danger.
Wake up Jesus, we need you. Don’t you care that we are going to die?
Perhaps they expected that he would come and help them bail out the water.
Instead, he wakes up and commands the seas to be still.
He tells the wind to stop blowing.
And nature obeys him.
This is no ordinary teacher – this is a saviour who can bring calm even in the worst storms.
The disciples are amazed – this is not what they expected.
But we can imagine their relief as their stress level drops, and they realize that today
Is not the day they will die after all.
There are few things more annoying than to be told to ‘calm down’
When we are in a state.
And yet calm is what we need. The ability to take a step back, and remain placid.
In the midst of a crisis, we can rarely find the comfort we need within ourselves,
Although we can sometimes surprise ourselves by our reactions.
Sometimes, we find calm that is able to ignore the present danger.
Our best chance for remaining calm, however, is to ask Jesus to calm the storm within.
It has been difficult, at times, to remain calm during this COVID storm.
We have been afraid for our lives and the lives of others.
We have been worried about our nation and our communities.
I confess that there have been times when I have been the opposite of calm.
I feel anxious in the grocery store, I feel anxious when I don’t agree with the government’s response to the pandemic.
I feel very anxious when I realize how much this pandemic has raised our awareness of inequality and racism in our communities.
We are all in the same storm,
But we are not all in the same boat.
For some, their panic stems from the fact that they might lose their jobs if they get sick.
For others, the panic stems from their difficulty in tracking down a vaccine.
Some people in our communities are caught in a storm that is swamping their boat.
But we have access, as Christians, to almost magical power –
To connect to Jesus, and ask him to calm the storm.
I recall the months when my youngest son was ill and in hospital.
We had to see things and do things as parents that no parents want to see or do.
Our prayers were desperate – please, please let us find a way to navigate this storm,
So that we can do what we have to do. .
And miraculously, we found calm.
And ability to take a deep breath and push back the fear.
I can’t take any credit for my ability to do this – it was only the power of Jesus
Working in those moments that allowed me to remain relatively peaceful.
Jesus is never sleeping in our storms.
Jesus is waiting for us to ask him for help.
The help will come.
The God who made us, the God who raised Jesus from the dead,
Is working actively within us to soothe even our greatest fears.
So let us come to Jesus and confess our terror and our insecurity.
There is song we used to sing in youth groups – “What if what they say is true”
What if what they say is true?
What if You fed five thousand?
What if You calmed the sea?
Can You calm me?
What if what they say is true?
What if You walked on water?
What if You healed disease?
Can You heal me?
I don’t want to believe it
And I don’t want to receive it
Why would you do anything for me?
What if what they say is true?
What if You rose on Easter?
What if You conquered the sea?
Can You conquer me?
Your life to conquer death
And I’m asked to walk my steps with You
Can You stop the pain that covers me?
What if what they say is true?
What if You came to love me?
What if You heard me say…
I love You too
I love You too
I love You too.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Lord Jesus, you can calm every storm in our lives. We ask that you will calm us even in our moments of panic, so that we can continue our lives and our ministries without fear.
Calm the storm of COVID – we ask that you will support those who are suffering, those who fear for their jobs and their lives and their children’s lives. Give us a sense of peace that transcends the present moment. May our hope arise from the reality of your love, that lifted up Jesus out of death, and displayed for us a future filled with hope.
We ask your blessing on those who are ill – including Jamie and Isobel – as well as those who care for them. On this Father’s Day, we thank you for our Fathers and those who have been like fathers to us. Please support those who are mourning their fathers or situations that were difficult. May we rest comfortably in the knowledge that you are a loving parent, ready to soothe us and comfort us in ever storm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, June 21, 2021: Psalm 119:113-128; 1 Samuel 18:6-30; Acts 27:13-38
Tuesday, June 22, 2021: Psalm 119:113-128; 1 Samuel 19:1-7; Acts 27:39-44
Wednesday, June 23, 2021: Psalm 119:113-128; 1 Samuel 19:8-17; Mark 6:45-52
Thursday, June 24, 2021:Psalm 130; 1 Samuel 19:18-24; 2 Corinthians 7:2-16
Friday, June 25, 2021: Psalm 130; 1 Samuel 20:1-25; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
Saturday, June 26, 2021: Psalm 130; 1 Samuel 20:27-42; Luke 4:31-37
35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Jesus is the picture of calm, sound asleep in the stern of the boat.
The disciples, on the other hand, are panicking.
The storm blows up unexpectedly, and although some of them are seasoned fishermen,
The storm is so sudden and so fierce that raises their hackles.
They are afraid. And mystified about the fact that their friend and master
Is sleeping through all the danger.
Wake up Jesus, we need you. Don’t you care that we are going to die?
Perhaps they expected that he would come and help them bail out the water.
Instead, he wakes up and commands the seas to be still.
He tells the wind to stop blowing.
And nature obeys him.
This is no ordinary teacher – this is a saviour who can bring calm even in the worst storms.
The disciples are amazed – this is not what they expected.
But we can imagine their relief as their stress level drops, and they realize that today
Is not the day they will die after all.
There are few things more annoying than to be told to ‘calm down’
When we are in a state.
And yet calm is what we need. The ability to take a step back, and remain placid.
In the midst of a crisis, we can rarely find the comfort we need within ourselves,
Although we can sometimes surprise ourselves by our reactions.
Sometimes, we find calm that is able to ignore the present danger.
Our best chance for remaining calm, however, is to ask Jesus to calm the storm within.
It has been difficult, at times, to remain calm during this COVID storm.
We have been afraid for our lives and the lives of others.
We have been worried about our nation and our communities.
I confess that there have been times when I have been the opposite of calm.
I feel anxious in the grocery store, I feel anxious when I don’t agree with the government’s response to the pandemic.
I feel very anxious when I realize how much this pandemic has raised our awareness of inequality and racism in our communities.
We are all in the same storm,
But we are not all in the same boat.
For some, their panic stems from the fact that they might lose their jobs if they get sick.
For others, the panic stems from their difficulty in tracking down a vaccine.
Some people in our communities are caught in a storm that is swamping their boat.
But we have access, as Christians, to almost magical power –
To connect to Jesus, and ask him to calm the storm.
I recall the months when my youngest son was ill and in hospital.
We had to see things and do things as parents that no parents want to see or do.
Our prayers were desperate – please, please let us find a way to navigate this storm,
So that we can do what we have to do. .
And miraculously, we found calm.
And ability to take a deep breath and push back the fear.
I can’t take any credit for my ability to do this – it was only the power of Jesus
Working in those moments that allowed me to remain relatively peaceful.
Jesus is never sleeping in our storms.
Jesus is waiting for us to ask him for help.
The help will come.
The God who made us, the God who raised Jesus from the dead,
Is working actively within us to soothe even our greatest fears.
So let us come to Jesus and confess our terror and our insecurity.
There is song we used to sing in youth groups – “What if what they say is true”
What if what they say is true?
What if You fed five thousand?
What if You calmed the sea?
Can You calm me?
What if what they say is true?
What if You walked on water?
What if You healed disease?
Can You heal me?
I don’t want to believe it
And I don’t want to receive it
Why would you do anything for me?
What if what they say is true?
What if You rose on Easter?
What if You conquered the sea?
Can You conquer me?
Your life to conquer death
And I’m asked to walk my steps with You
Can You stop the pain that covers me?
What if what they say is true?
What if You came to love me?
What if You heard me say…
I love You too
I love You too
I love You too.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Lord Jesus, you can calm every storm in our lives. We ask that you will calm us even in our moments of panic, so that we can continue our lives and our ministries without fear.
Calm the storm of COVID – we ask that you will support those who are suffering, those who fear for their jobs and their lives and their children’s lives. Give us a sense of peace that transcends the present moment. May our hope arise from the reality of your love, that lifted up Jesus out of death, and displayed for us a future filled with hope.
We ask your blessing on those who are ill – including Jamie and Isobel – as well as those who care for them. On this Father’s Day, we thank you for our Fathers and those who have been like fathers to us. Please support those who are mourning their fathers or situations that were difficult. May we rest comfortably in the knowledge that you are a loving parent, ready to soothe us and comfort us in ever storm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, June 21, 2021: Psalm 119:113-128; 1 Samuel 18:6-30; Acts 27:13-38
Tuesday, June 22, 2021: Psalm 119:113-128; 1 Samuel 19:1-7; Acts 27:39-44
Wednesday, June 23, 2021: Psalm 119:113-128; 1 Samuel 19:8-17; Mark 6:45-52
Thursday, June 24, 2021:Psalm 130; 1 Samuel 19:18-24; 2 Corinthians 7:2-16
Friday, June 25, 2021: Psalm 130; 1 Samuel 20:1-25; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
Saturday, June 26, 2021: Psalm 130; 1 Samuel 20:27-42; Luke 4:31-37
Sermon - June 13 2021
1 Corinthians 5: 16-21
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
We have all been shocked and saddened in recent weeks
By the discovery of the bodies of 215 children at a residential school in British Columbia.
Like many of you, I did not learn the history of residential schools in Canada during my education.
The first time I learned about residential schools, I was 18 years old,
And a Young Adult Representative at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
That year, the Presbyterian Church in Canada offered an apology for its role in governing schools which stole Indigenous children from their homes and communities,
Isolated them from their culture and language, abused them,
And participated in a program of cultural genocide which stripped those children of their history, and many of their future.
I use the term cultural genocide very intentionally and very carefully, along with the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation final report.
It is important to note that the last residential school did not close until after I graduated from high school.
While residential schools eventually closed, this shameful period in Canada’s history did not end –
Indigenous peoples in Canada have been mistreated since the first Europeans set foot on Canadian soil. Today, they suffer lack of clean water, healthcare, education.
This is racism, and it is a part of our Canadian identity.
Even though we like to see ourselves as welcoming and tolerant of difference,
We live in a nation that has continued to cause suffering to Indigenous populations.
In recent years, a Truth and Reconciliation process has taken place in Canada,
Seeking a space where survivors of residential schools could voice their stories,
So that the rest of us could learn and begin to imagine what restoration, or restitution, or reconciliation might look like.
Out of that process of Truth and Reconciliation came 94 Calls to Action –
94 concrete and important actions that Canadians can participate in.
It is essential that you and I participate in this work of reconciliation.
We do not bear guilt for the residential school system,
And yet we must take responsibility for the wrongs of history.
We are called by God into a ministry of reconciliation –
Which involves not only proclaiming the good news that God is waiting to be reconciled to us,
But also that we are called to be reconciled to each other.
Because we are loved, because we are Christian,
We must take responsibility for ensuring that reconciliation becomes a priority –
Not only reconciliation among churches and Indigenous people,
But also acts of justice from governments.
This year, I received a sizeable grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship
In Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The grant is designed to allow me to study how Presbyterian congregations can take responsibility for reconciliation through their worship practices.
How do our songs, prayers and sermons lead us into deeper relationship with Indigneous people, how do they help us to learn our history, and confess our sins against our Indigenous neighbours?
You may not know this about me, but this work is extremely important to who I am.
I’ve been waiting 27 years to have the capacity to study this terrible history,
And work toward a brighter future.
All of this might make you uncomfortable.
You may be wondering what this has to do with us.
I believe that we are called to care for others –
I believe that we are called to tell the truth about our history even if it hurts.
And it will hurt.
The whole truth has not been told. There will be more bodies. More tiny shoes.
Forgiveness may not be offered.
This ministry of reconciliation is painful.
Learning this history does not feel good, especially as we recognize the guilt of so many.
And yet – what is more important than seeking to renew creation –
To crack the surface of pain and look deeper for hope.
To listen to our neighbours – to learn – to love,
To be held accountable.
This is the nature of our faith, that we go out to those from whom we are estranged
And seek reconciliation.
There is good news here.
Reconcliation is a gospel word.
It is about finding right relations with God and with other people.
As we begin this work of reconciliation, God is with us.
God is showing us a vision of human community that is joined in love,
Not separated by hatred and fear.
This is a new creation – that is what we are seeking.
And although newness can be surprising and uncomfortable,
We will feel renewed as we sort through the lies of history.
I’ll be on my own journey in regards to reconciliation as I work on my project.
I hope you will join me. If I have made you uncomfortable, then let’s talk about that.
I hope you will become curious about Indigenous brothers and sisters.
Please pray for my work.
Pray for the families who mourn.
Pray that we will be able to find healing and hope amidst the pain.
Amen.
Gracious and loving God, we pray for those who have been harmed by the church – because they are indigenous, LGBTQI or for other reasons. May we find pathways to healing and reconciliation. Give us courage to face our fears, and truly become a welcoming and inclusive community. We confess that we harm people without knowing it – and we ask that you will help us to prevent harm before it happens.
We are grateful for late-spring weather, for the lifting of restrictions, and the possibility that we will be able to worship together in the coming months. We continue to pray for all those known to us who are ill, including Isobel and Jamie. We pray for Marlene and for Joe as they support their spouses. This week, we also pray for Veronica Fox on the death of her father.
God, in you, we are a new creation. Make us new, we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, June 14, 2021:
Psalm 53; 1 Samuel 13:23-14:23; Galatians 6:11-18
Tuesday, June 15, 2021:
Psalm 53; 1 Samuel 15:10-23; Revelation 21:22-22:5
Wednesday, June 16, 2021:
Psalm 53; 1 Samuel 15:24-31; Luke 6:43-45
Thursday, June 17, 2021:
Psalm 9:9-20; 1 Samuel 16:14-23; Acts 20:1-16
Friday, June 18, 2021:
Psalm 9:9-20; 1 Samuel 17:55-18:5; Acts 21:1-16
Saturday, June 19, 2021:
Psalm 9:9-20; 1 Samuel 18:1-4; Luke 21:25-28
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
We have all been shocked and saddened in recent weeks
By the discovery of the bodies of 215 children at a residential school in British Columbia.
Like many of you, I did not learn the history of residential schools in Canada during my education.
The first time I learned about residential schools, I was 18 years old,
And a Young Adult Representative at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
That year, the Presbyterian Church in Canada offered an apology for its role in governing schools which stole Indigenous children from their homes and communities,
Isolated them from their culture and language, abused them,
And participated in a program of cultural genocide which stripped those children of their history, and many of their future.
I use the term cultural genocide very intentionally and very carefully, along with the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation final report.
It is important to note that the last residential school did not close until after I graduated from high school.
While residential schools eventually closed, this shameful period in Canada’s history did not end –
Indigenous peoples in Canada have been mistreated since the first Europeans set foot on Canadian soil. Today, they suffer lack of clean water, healthcare, education.
This is racism, and it is a part of our Canadian identity.
Even though we like to see ourselves as welcoming and tolerant of difference,
We live in a nation that has continued to cause suffering to Indigenous populations.
In recent years, a Truth and Reconciliation process has taken place in Canada,
Seeking a space where survivors of residential schools could voice their stories,
So that the rest of us could learn and begin to imagine what restoration, or restitution, or reconciliation might look like.
Out of that process of Truth and Reconciliation came 94 Calls to Action –
94 concrete and important actions that Canadians can participate in.
It is essential that you and I participate in this work of reconciliation.
We do not bear guilt for the residential school system,
And yet we must take responsibility for the wrongs of history.
We are called by God into a ministry of reconciliation –
Which involves not only proclaiming the good news that God is waiting to be reconciled to us,
But also that we are called to be reconciled to each other.
Because we are loved, because we are Christian,
We must take responsibility for ensuring that reconciliation becomes a priority –
Not only reconciliation among churches and Indigenous people,
But also acts of justice from governments.
This year, I received a sizeable grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship
In Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The grant is designed to allow me to study how Presbyterian congregations can take responsibility for reconciliation through their worship practices.
How do our songs, prayers and sermons lead us into deeper relationship with Indigneous people, how do they help us to learn our history, and confess our sins against our Indigenous neighbours?
You may not know this about me, but this work is extremely important to who I am.
I’ve been waiting 27 years to have the capacity to study this terrible history,
And work toward a brighter future.
All of this might make you uncomfortable.
You may be wondering what this has to do with us.
I believe that we are called to care for others –
I believe that we are called to tell the truth about our history even if it hurts.
And it will hurt.
The whole truth has not been told. There will be more bodies. More tiny shoes.
Forgiveness may not be offered.
This ministry of reconciliation is painful.
Learning this history does not feel good, especially as we recognize the guilt of so many.
And yet – what is more important than seeking to renew creation –
To crack the surface of pain and look deeper for hope.
To listen to our neighbours – to learn – to love,
To be held accountable.
This is the nature of our faith, that we go out to those from whom we are estranged
And seek reconciliation.
There is good news here.
Reconcliation is a gospel word.
It is about finding right relations with God and with other people.
As we begin this work of reconciliation, God is with us.
God is showing us a vision of human community that is joined in love,
Not separated by hatred and fear.
This is a new creation – that is what we are seeking.
And although newness can be surprising and uncomfortable,
We will feel renewed as we sort through the lies of history.
I’ll be on my own journey in regards to reconciliation as I work on my project.
I hope you will join me. If I have made you uncomfortable, then let’s talk about that.
I hope you will become curious about Indigenous brothers and sisters.
Please pray for my work.
Pray for the families who mourn.
Pray that we will be able to find healing and hope amidst the pain.
Amen.
Gracious and loving God, we pray for those who have been harmed by the church – because they are indigenous, LGBTQI or for other reasons. May we find pathways to healing and reconciliation. Give us courage to face our fears, and truly become a welcoming and inclusive community. We confess that we harm people without knowing it – and we ask that you will help us to prevent harm before it happens.
We are grateful for late-spring weather, for the lifting of restrictions, and the possibility that we will be able to worship together in the coming months. We continue to pray for all those known to us who are ill, including Isobel and Jamie. We pray for Marlene and for Joe as they support their spouses. This week, we also pray for Veronica Fox on the death of her father.
God, in you, we are a new creation. Make us new, we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, June 14, 2021:
Psalm 53; 1 Samuel 13:23-14:23; Galatians 6:11-18
Tuesday, June 15, 2021:
Psalm 53; 1 Samuel 15:10-23; Revelation 21:22-22:5
Wednesday, June 16, 2021:
Psalm 53; 1 Samuel 15:24-31; Luke 6:43-45
Thursday, June 17, 2021:
Psalm 9:9-20; 1 Samuel 16:14-23; Acts 20:1-16
Friday, June 18, 2021:
Psalm 9:9-20; 1 Samuel 17:55-18:5; Acts 21:1-16
Saturday, June 19, 2021:
Psalm 9:9-20; 1 Samuel 18:1-4; Luke 21:25-28
Sermon - June 6 2021 - Rev. Dianne Douglas
SERMON: Facing Challenges 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. LET US PRAY: Gracious God, in this time, through your written word, and the spoken word, may we hear...... and draw closer to the Living Word, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN What a privilege to be with you today as this congregation celebrates 183 years of ministry, mission, fellowship, and outreach in the community of Norval! When Rev. Dr. Travis asked me to speak today, it brought not only a feeling of delight at sharing this time with you, but also, lots of great memories. I recall the many meetings of Presbytery in which I have participated here, and the delicious meals and fellowship enjoyed - always accompanied by a very warm welcome. Having always experienced that warm welcome, I was confident that would be present today - and I have no doubt that it is, and I thank you for that - although it is in a format necessarily different. But these are new days - a different present than other anniversaries for this congregation. That had me pondering on the contrast of the anniversaries of this year - and last year - with the past.... the dichotomy of these two years with the 181 anniversaries that preceded this time of COVID-19. Anniversaries are important markers in the life of a congregation. It is a time to look back on our history, assess our present, and contemplate - or reassess - our path forward. Today is a time to appreciate the faith of those who bravely stepped up and erected a congregation, and built the first church structure to give a base to the community of believers who carry on into today at Norval. There is often talk in the Presbyterian church about how we don’t seem to plant new churches anymore. We talk of congregations closing their doors, and church properties being sold. We tend to look toward the negative. Yet at the June meeting of Presbytery, just to give one example, we recognized as a true Gospel call, a relatively recent graduate of Knox College, under the care of our Presbytery of Brampton, to a 70% time call in another Presbytery. That church had, not so long ago, sold its church building; but they made arrangements for their long term, and generous, rental of the property. No longer encumbered by crippling overhead and ongoing repairs, this church can focus on ministry and mission - what it is called to do. And they shared with the Presbytery of Brampton their determination to move forward to make this a full time call. COVID-19 has made it even more challenging for members and adherents, congregations, the courts of the church, and the national church - but we continue to work to find new ways to reach out with the message of hope and salvation in Jesus Christ. For some years, the Presbyterian Church in Canada recorded our annual General Assembly, then began streaming it - experiencing the glitches that seem too often go along with technology. Last year the General Assembly was cancelled for the first time in our history. Since the forming of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1875, General Assembly was not stopped, or postponed, by the Boer War, the First World War, the Spanish flu pandemic, Church Union in 1925 when about 70 per cent of its congregations joined with the Methodist Church, Canada and the Congregationalist Union to form the United Church of Canada, or by the Second World War. All of the General Assembly, which begins this afternoon at 2:00, will be on-line and greatly different from those that have comprised our history. Great diligence has been exercised to introduce a new on-line platform that will allow full participation by the Commissioners, Moderator, Clerks, staff and committee members. In the Spring 2021 edition of the Presbyterian Connection newspaper, Rev. Stephen Kendall, Principal Clerk wrote: It will not be possible (and perhaps not advisable) to attempt to complete all the business that has accumulated since the 2019 Assembly. As they always do, commissioners will determine how Assembly business is dealt with. They will decide what can be dealt with quickly by consent, what should be discussed as part of the online meeting and what should be deferred to a future Assembly. In other words, the Assembly will sort out what must be dealt with and what must wait. There is great awareness of how we are becoming “Zoomed-out”. The point is not to just deal with everything, but to deal with all that needs to be done at this Assembly. Sometimes necessity, and what seems counterintuitive to how we “do church”, bring us back to our roots; to what Christ wants his church to be - and to keep becoming. And part of that is that there will be great challenges for this Assembly. One commissioner I spoke with yesterday said that they are dreading it - and the possibility that actions taken by this Assembly could divide the church - and it will be done remotely without direct contact - as required in these times - making things even more painful. Even three years ago, most of us would not have credited a prediction that we could not meet in person for worship and would, for the most part, congregate on-line. Yet here we are, and grateful for this lifeline that draws us together in a circle of worship and fellowship. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the founding congregants of this church never envisioned that the church here in Norval, or in our country, or in the world, would be experiencing what we are today. Yet I imagine they were realists. In many cases, of churches whose beginnings were in the early to mid 1800’s, the buildings were erected from wood provided from within the community - often cut from the land that was donated to build the church upon. The labour was from the congregation - with everyone involved, much like a barn-raising. I think we have come far enough that if that were today, the division of labour would not be on such stereotypical lines, but then the women prepared and provided the food, the men did the heavy lifting, and the children also had assigned chores, helping out where they safely could do so - and learning. Everyone helped to build the church - literally and figuratively. The church was to be the centre of the community - and for the community. Verse 4, that precedes our scripture passage today reads: 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. The Jews of Paul’s day divided time into two ages (Matthew 12: 32; Ephesians 1: 21) - the present age under Satan’s rule “and the age to come” under God’s rule. The “god of this age,” to which Paul refers would be Satan. Paul is describing the present age as evil, but Paul affirms, in Galatians, that the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father Jesus Christ “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1: 3,4). However, those who continue to refuse to believe in Jesus Christ remain blind and undelivered from sin. Perhaps it was thinking of those folks, about those in the community in need of knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour, as well as their own need of a place to worship God - and deepen their own faith, that strengthened the resolve of those who, guided by the Spirit, had determined to erect this congregation. We can imagine that link with Paul’s writings. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians gives us a genuine view of the early church. The early church; the churches established down through the centuries; Norval in 1838; and churches today, in all there have been difficulties and challenges. Paul addresses those directly, looking to make the church a more effective witness for Jesus. Paul’s second letter is a follow-up. He wrote to express his appreciation for those who had risen to the task to respond appropriately to his admonishments and criticisms. But we also read how all is still not well with the church in Corinth. Some of the people were questioning Paul’s authority, his qualifications as a minister, and they must have even critiqued his personal appearance. And he calls out those who are criticizing him: 5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. (2 Corinthians 11: 5, 6) 12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11: 12, 13) Paul is explaining to the people of Corinth that he speaks because he has faith, because he believes. He speaks from that, and from his knowledge and experience, and Jesus gives him the authority. As we read in our passage this morning, he writes to them: 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. Paul saw the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, so he knows the reality of Christ’s resurrection. Knowing that, Paul can believe, and convey, that God will also raise Paul and the Corinthian Christians from the dead. Paul knows that God will stand near him and the Corinthians in the resurrection – that God will be present with them. He is confident that God will enable them to see each other again in the kingdom of God. And he tells them: 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. All this is for your benefit – “all this” is, first and foremost, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And secondly, the ministry of Paul to the recipients of this letter, and to all the others he has met in his journeys – and that ministry encompasses his sufferings, and acknowledges the opposition he encounters – including from the church at Corinth. Paul’s ministry has great purpose. He wants everyone to experience the grace that he has personally experienced. And he works for, and longs for, that grace to grow exponentially through the many believers in Corinth and in all corners of the world. Such an increase of grace will produce an increase of thanksgiving – which will “overflow to the glory of God.” That is all encompassing of Paul’s ministry. All he does is to the glory of God. And Paul addresses the apparent criticism of his appearance: 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. One commentator writes: Clay jars were the common vessel for carrying water and other goods in Paul’s day. Clay is a common substance that is available almost everywhere, and potters had mastered the art of forming clay jars on their pottery wheels. While some clay jars were beautifully ornamented, most were plain - humble vessels. But whether plain or beautiful, they had a life-giving function - gathering, preserving, and transporting water to parched throats. In that sense, clay jars are a worthy metaphor for the role of the Christian in gathering, preserving, and transporting the spiritual water of the Gospel to parched souls. Clay jars were fragile, as is our human frame. What a wonderful picture that Paul draws! And if he was a frail jar of clay, that yet contained a precious treasure, he encourages US as frail jars of clay to answer the call to share and proclaim that treasure with which WE are entrusted. And Paul continues, again in regard to outer appearance: Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Yes, we are, each of us, aging. There was a man in my mother’s hometown during her youth who had some unique sayings, and one of them our family uses to this day, “There is no shame in getting old, but it is mighty unhandy!” Many seniors will tell you that aging isn’t for the faint of heart; and old age isn’t for sissies. Yet no matter our age, or appearance, or level of physical fitness - or even lack thereof: yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. When we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour every day, then every day we know God’s blessings. We know what he has done for us in the past, and can safely and with confidence entrust the future to him. He will renew us, and grant us the strength and determination we need for the ministry he has called us to, in following him in faith. Age and physical appearance are not factors when God shepherds our thoughts and actions. Like me, you may recall with great fondness “The Andy Griffith Show” that aired from 1960 to 1968. Regarding the tone of the show, Andy Griffith said that despite a contemporary setting, the show evoked nostalgia, saying in a Today Show interview, "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was, when we were doing it, of a time gone by." We enjoy visiting and revisiting times gone by – one of the reasons we have church anniversaries. I was intrigued by what Andy Griffith wrote about a time in his life following “The Andy Griffith Show”. When he entered his fifties, (he was born in 1926 so that would be the later 1970’s) he found it increasingly difficult to find work in Hollywood, and his personal finances became tighter and tighter. He wrote in Guideposts, an inspirational magazine, that finally he and his wife Cindi decided that things would be easier if they moved from Los Angeles back to Andy’s home state of North Carolina; so they put their home up for sale and waited for a buyer. Unfortunately the real estate market was down, and no one gave them a decent offer for their home. Months passed, and Andy grew depressed. Then, he wrote that one day the Lord gave Cindi an insight. “Maybe it’s a good thing we couldn’t sell the house,” she said. “Maybe it was God showing us grace. If we moved to North Carolina now, you might indeed never work again. What we need to do is stay here and stoke the fire.” And stoke the fire they did. Day after day they went together to the office of the talent agency that represented Andy. They sat in the lobby, chatted with agents, and went with them to lunch. Eventually the work started to come in: four TV movies that year, including the pilot for Matlock, a show that ended up running for nine years. Maybe the powers that be in Hollywood thought that he was rich from “The Andy Griffith Show”, maybe they thought his best years were behind him, maybe they thought, from his outward appearance that he was just too old. But Andy Griffith, with his wife, stepped out in faith that he could again share the acting talent the Lord had gifted him. Andy may have been challenged, but he was not out - and it was faith that brought him through, and to where he was meant to be. Perhaps Andy thought of the words in the passage we read this morning; perhaps those that have gone before at Norval at times felt, and perhaps, especially in these days we may feel, as Paul wrote: 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Paul did not tell the church at Corinth that they would not have challenges. He did though, address how they could meet them. We too can take direction on how we meet our challenges today. We have the benefit of that wisdom Paul shared with the church at Corinth to direct our footsteps in faith. Where will Norval Presbyterian Church be next year for the celebration of 184 years of ministry? On that day, a year from now; today - and each of those 365 days ahead of us - will then be a part of the ministry, service and history of Norval Presbyterian Church. There may be challenges, but Norval has always faced those. This church is clear on what it will be doing. The website states: “The last few decades of the 20th Century saw the area around the village of Norval change enormously, as most of the farms which sent families to the church became new subdivisions for Georgetown and Brampton. Today Norval Presbyterian Church is working to take its strengths as a close-knit village church to reach out to its new suburban setting. ” And with this community Norval Presbyterian Church can with confidence, 18 ....... fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. The ministry and outreach of this church over its history, is summed up in its Mission Statement, which resonates today, and lights the path forward for the coming years. The Mission Statement, as I am sure you well know is: “Glorifying God together in Christ, through worship, prayer, outreach, and compassion.“ As Norval Presbyterian Church continues to move forward, congratulations on 183 years of faithful service, and may you know God’s grace as the Holy Spirit guides you forward as you share the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, here in Norval and beyond. AMEN.
Sermon - May 30 2021
Romans 8.12-39
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Meditation
There is a church in New York City called “Middle Collegiate Church”.
It was housed in an historic building, but the building burned to the ground on December 5, 2020. I’ve come to know their work through social media.
They are a powerful source for social justice – basing everything they do
On the simple but essential notion of love.
Their website describes their understanding of love:
“We believe in the power of Love. Period. Through Love, we are each created in God’s image and filled with the Divine Spark. No matter whom we love, no matter how we look, no matter where we are on our journey, God’s imprint is in every person of every race/ethnicity, every gender, and every sexual orientation. We believe God speaks many languages and is calling us on many paths to peace—Shalom. We believe that Love put on flesh—brown, poor, Jewish baby flesh—and came to live among us. We believe God lives among us still; we are the living body of Christ. We are the hands, feet, and heartbeat of God. We believe the Spirit of God calls us to freedom, and we are not free until all of us are free.”
So beautiful.
Last Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, their minister, the Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis,
Preached from the rubble of the burned out sanctuary. She said:
“The first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on a community gripped by tragedy, reeling from the crucifixion. She offered new language for liberation. It’s a potent reminder: God is with us in the hardest places, igniting love.”
We celebrate God’s presence with us – most fully in the person of Jesus Christ.
And yet we forget that the Holy Spirit is also a manifestation of God with us.
We pay attention on the day of Pentecost, and then forget it for the rest of the year-
When in actuality the season of Pentecost goes on for weeks and weeks.
As one scholar wrote, we tend to play favourites with the persons of the Trinity.
in Protestant worship, we are most likely to ignore or understate the role of the Spirit.
I think this is because we don’t understand it – maybe we even fear it.
The Spirit smacks of uncontrollability, and is supernaturally suspect.
To receive the Spirit is to let go of our own power, and that is a hard thing for us to do.
It’s also hard to grasp something that we do not see.
This portion of Paul’s letter to the Romans is filled with rich imagery.
I love this language of the creation groaning and the spirit interceding.
Creation groans, and mutters, and hums.
It is suffering, recognizing that only God can help to being something new to birth.
Yet creation does not need to find language for its pain.
What this tells me is that we don’t need to find words either.
Do you know how, sometimes, you are unable to put your most desperate needs into words?
That point in the middle of the night when you are trying to tell God your thoughts,
And no words will come together into sentences.
It doesn’t matter at all. The Spirit comprehends our groans,
Not only that, but prays on our behalf.
On behalf of all creation.
We do not have to find the words, we need only to feel what we feel.
The Spirit, like the wind, is invisible.
Like the wind, however, it leaves traces of its presence.
Most fully visible in the lives of others.
As the very wise Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis writes:
“So many of the Holy Spirit’s greatest gifts come wrapped in other people’s bodies”
Isn’t that the truth?
The Spirit comes to us as it works within others –
How many times throughout this Pandemic have we seen the Spirit at work
Through the good works of others?
The Spirit, like fire, is powerful.
Like fire, it burns and spreads.
Sometimes it scorches the land so new things can grow again.
Sometimes it gently warms the tired soul.
The Spirit ignites love – it moves through communities,
Bringing the dead to life,
And raising up the brokenhearted.
Where is the Spirit igniting love today?
If we pay attention, we will be pleasantly surprised
By the movement of the Spirit in our midst.
We must be prepared, however, that the Spirit will move us in directions we didn’t expect.
The Spirit is unpredictable. But it always ignites love.
Let us watch and listen for love igniting all around us. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Come, Holy Spirit, like wind and fire, and disturb our stillness. Ignite love within us and around us. We praise and thank you for the ways that your Spirit has enwrapped human bodies – those bodies that love us and serve us. We are thankful that you are igniting love within our communities and within our world.
We know that we have a spirit of adoption, not a spirit of fear. We are drawn into your family, into the midst of the Trinity. Thank you for embracing us, thank you for sending your Spirit to move us and shake us.
We pray for those who are ill and suffering. Send your Spirit upon Isobel and Joe, Jamie and Marlene, and all others known to us who are struggling with their health. Bring rest, and comfort and peace.
In the week to come, Gracious God, may we all know the comfort and excitement of your Spirit. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 31, 2021: Psalm 20; Numbers 9:15-23; Revelation 4:1-8
Tuesday, June 1, 2021: Psalm 20; Exodus 25:1-22; 1 Corinthians 2:1-10
Wednesday, June 2, 2021: Psalm 20; Numbers 6:22-27; Mark 4:21-25
Thursday, June 3, 2021: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 4:1-22; 1 Peter 4:7-19
Friday, June 4, 2021: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 5:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
Saturday, June 5, 2021: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 6:1-18; Luke 8:4-15
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Meditation
There is a church in New York City called “Middle Collegiate Church”.
It was housed in an historic building, but the building burned to the ground on December 5, 2020. I’ve come to know their work through social media.
They are a powerful source for social justice – basing everything they do
On the simple but essential notion of love.
Their website describes their understanding of love:
“We believe in the power of Love. Period. Through Love, we are each created in God’s image and filled with the Divine Spark. No matter whom we love, no matter how we look, no matter where we are on our journey, God’s imprint is in every person of every race/ethnicity, every gender, and every sexual orientation. We believe God speaks many languages and is calling us on many paths to peace—Shalom. We believe that Love put on flesh—brown, poor, Jewish baby flesh—and came to live among us. We believe God lives among us still; we are the living body of Christ. We are the hands, feet, and heartbeat of God. We believe the Spirit of God calls us to freedom, and we are not free until all of us are free.”
So beautiful.
Last Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, their minister, the Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis,
Preached from the rubble of the burned out sanctuary. She said:
“The first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on a community gripped by tragedy, reeling from the crucifixion. She offered new language for liberation. It’s a potent reminder: God is with us in the hardest places, igniting love.”
We celebrate God’s presence with us – most fully in the person of Jesus Christ.
And yet we forget that the Holy Spirit is also a manifestation of God with us.
We pay attention on the day of Pentecost, and then forget it for the rest of the year-
When in actuality the season of Pentecost goes on for weeks and weeks.
As one scholar wrote, we tend to play favourites with the persons of the Trinity.
in Protestant worship, we are most likely to ignore or understate the role of the Spirit.
I think this is because we don’t understand it – maybe we even fear it.
The Spirit smacks of uncontrollability, and is supernaturally suspect.
To receive the Spirit is to let go of our own power, and that is a hard thing for us to do.
It’s also hard to grasp something that we do not see.
This portion of Paul’s letter to the Romans is filled with rich imagery.
I love this language of the creation groaning and the spirit interceding.
Creation groans, and mutters, and hums.
It is suffering, recognizing that only God can help to being something new to birth.
Yet creation does not need to find language for its pain.
What this tells me is that we don’t need to find words either.
Do you know how, sometimes, you are unable to put your most desperate needs into words?
That point in the middle of the night when you are trying to tell God your thoughts,
And no words will come together into sentences.
It doesn’t matter at all. The Spirit comprehends our groans,
Not only that, but prays on our behalf.
On behalf of all creation.
We do not have to find the words, we need only to feel what we feel.
The Spirit, like the wind, is invisible.
Like the wind, however, it leaves traces of its presence.
Most fully visible in the lives of others.
As the very wise Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis writes:
“So many of the Holy Spirit’s greatest gifts come wrapped in other people’s bodies”
Isn’t that the truth?
The Spirit comes to us as it works within others –
How many times throughout this Pandemic have we seen the Spirit at work
Through the good works of others?
The Spirit, like fire, is powerful.
Like fire, it burns and spreads.
Sometimes it scorches the land so new things can grow again.
Sometimes it gently warms the tired soul.
The Spirit ignites love – it moves through communities,
Bringing the dead to life,
And raising up the brokenhearted.
Where is the Spirit igniting love today?
If we pay attention, we will be pleasantly surprised
By the movement of the Spirit in our midst.
We must be prepared, however, that the Spirit will move us in directions we didn’t expect.
The Spirit is unpredictable. But it always ignites love.
Let us watch and listen for love igniting all around us. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Come, Holy Spirit, like wind and fire, and disturb our stillness. Ignite love within us and around us. We praise and thank you for the ways that your Spirit has enwrapped human bodies – those bodies that love us and serve us. We are thankful that you are igniting love within our communities and within our world.
We know that we have a spirit of adoption, not a spirit of fear. We are drawn into your family, into the midst of the Trinity. Thank you for embracing us, thank you for sending your Spirit to move us and shake us.
We pray for those who are ill and suffering. Send your Spirit upon Isobel and Joe, Jamie and Marlene, and all others known to us who are struggling with their health. Bring rest, and comfort and peace.
In the week to come, Gracious God, may we all know the comfort and excitement of your Spirit. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 31, 2021: Psalm 20; Numbers 9:15-23; Revelation 4:1-8
Tuesday, June 1, 2021: Psalm 20; Exodus 25:1-22; 1 Corinthians 2:1-10
Wednesday, June 2, 2021: Psalm 20; Numbers 6:22-27; Mark 4:21-25
Thursday, June 3, 2021: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 4:1-22; 1 Peter 4:7-19
Friday, June 4, 2021: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 5:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
Saturday, June 5, 2021: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 6:1-18; Luke 8:4-15
Sermon - May 23 2021 https://youtu.be/OTAI3oSi2t0
Acts 2:1-21
2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
It has to be a good party when everyone appears to be drunk before breakfast.
That’s how it was on that strange day in the first century.
This was a full-body sensory experience.
The wind rushed past their ears, maybe with a sucking, roaring sound.
They felt the wind, the must have felt the fire too –
Wind and fire and sound and fury –
All of this ushering in the Spirit that Jesus had promised.
The Spirit for which the prophets had prepared.
Several years ago I was standing behind the communion table
During a communion service.
It was quite a formal service, and you can imagine people dressed in their best,
Sitting on the main floor and on the balcony,
When all of a sudden, a bat starts swooping around,
Worse, it appeared to be dive-bombing people.
I think it was just scared.
It was certainly a disruption to the usual order of things.
But it was also a fun kind of reminder about the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is uncontrollable – it shows up in our worship spaces, and in our community centres –
We never know where it will be, and what it will do.
It blows where it blows.
I am often asked if this Holy Spirit is related to the spirit that hovered over the waters
During the time of the creation of all things
The answer is yes.
the Day of Pentecost was not the first appearance of the Spirit in the world.
We believe in a Triune God –
Father, Son and Holy Spirit -
that these three are eternal and have dwelled beside and within one another
since the very beginning....
the Spirit of Pentecost is not a new Spirit -
it is the same Spirit present
when God spoke creation into being
the same Spirit that came upon King David,
the same Spirit that caused Jesus to be born.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit
came in a new way, with a new power
with a new purpose, upon a new group of people.
It gave birth to a new community of faith.
This is a creative spirit.
A Spirit that breathed life into humanity, begat Jesus, raised him from the dead –
This is a Spirit that can raise us from the dead.
It can spark a flame of interest in us so that we can fall in love with a new hobby
Or give us the words to write
Or inspire our gardens.
On the first day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter morning,
The disciples were all together in one place.
This year, we are again scattered to the winds.
Not together in one space except by virtue of this virtual reality.
We have learned something about the Holy Spirit –
This is a free spirit.
It is in no way confined to buildings – especially church buildings.
The Spirit is free in the world. There are no constraints on its freedom.
Just like the wind outside our windows,
the Spirit sometimes blows so sweetly
that we don’t even notice it,
sometimes slow and steady,
sometimes with enough power to rip apart walls and uproot trees and remove roofs from buildings.
There is a time for everything under heaven,
a time when the Spirit is set loose in our midst,
and a time when the Spirit is quiet and restful.
The Holy Spirit is uncontrollable, creative and free.
We cannot tell it what to do.
But we can become ready to receive it.
There are always lots of windy days in the Spring,
Days that are perfect for flying a kite.
It doesn’t do any good if you stand in the middle of the park holding the kite by your side.
You have to run into the wind.
Then, the breeze can get under the kite and lift it up.
I think it works similarly with the Holy Spirit.
We need to run into the wind – to listen to what the Spirit is saying,
To observe what the Spirit is doing.
To prepare ourselves to be blown away,
To be sent somewhere new,
Or to experience something different.
Let’s be ready to catch the wind.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Come, Holy Spirit, come in your uncontrollable fury and gentleness. Come into our homes, find us on the streets, in our neighbourhoods. Bind us together as a church even though we are far apart. Create in us clean hearts so that we will be fresh and ready to move where your Spirit calls us. Help us to be ready to catch the wind – to recognize the movement of your Spirit when it blows through our lives and through our communities.
Send your Holy Spirit upon those who suffer. Hear us in the silence as we pray for ourselves, and our friends, and our world….We pray especially for Isobel and Joe, Jamie and Marlene, and their families.
Loving God, powerful God, we pray as a church that your Spirit will bring peace where there is war, gentleness where there is power imbalance, love where there is hate. Come Holy Spirit. Amen.
Daily Scripture Reading
Monday, May 24, 2021: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Joel 2:18-29; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Tuesday, May 25, 2021: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Genesis 11:1-9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Wednesday, May 26, 2021: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 20:19-23
Thursday, May 27, 2021: Psalm 29; Isaiah 1:1-4, 16-20; Romans 8:1-8
Friday, May 28, 2021: Psalm 29; Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 8:9-11
Saturday, May 29, 2021: Psalm 29; Isaiah 5:15-24; John 15:18-20, 26-27
2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
It has to be a good party when everyone appears to be drunk before breakfast.
That’s how it was on that strange day in the first century.
This was a full-body sensory experience.
The wind rushed past their ears, maybe with a sucking, roaring sound.
They felt the wind, the must have felt the fire too –
Wind and fire and sound and fury –
All of this ushering in the Spirit that Jesus had promised.
The Spirit for which the prophets had prepared.
Several years ago I was standing behind the communion table
During a communion service.
It was quite a formal service, and you can imagine people dressed in their best,
Sitting on the main floor and on the balcony,
When all of a sudden, a bat starts swooping around,
Worse, it appeared to be dive-bombing people.
I think it was just scared.
It was certainly a disruption to the usual order of things.
But it was also a fun kind of reminder about the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is uncontrollable – it shows up in our worship spaces, and in our community centres –
We never know where it will be, and what it will do.
It blows where it blows.
I am often asked if this Holy Spirit is related to the spirit that hovered over the waters
During the time of the creation of all things
The answer is yes.
the Day of Pentecost was not the first appearance of the Spirit in the world.
We believe in a Triune God –
Father, Son and Holy Spirit -
that these three are eternal and have dwelled beside and within one another
since the very beginning....
the Spirit of Pentecost is not a new Spirit -
it is the same Spirit present
when God spoke creation into being
the same Spirit that came upon King David,
the same Spirit that caused Jesus to be born.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit
came in a new way, with a new power
with a new purpose, upon a new group of people.
It gave birth to a new community of faith.
This is a creative spirit.
A Spirit that breathed life into humanity, begat Jesus, raised him from the dead –
This is a Spirit that can raise us from the dead.
It can spark a flame of interest in us so that we can fall in love with a new hobby
Or give us the words to write
Or inspire our gardens.
On the first day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter morning,
The disciples were all together in one place.
This year, we are again scattered to the winds.
Not together in one space except by virtue of this virtual reality.
We have learned something about the Holy Spirit –
This is a free spirit.
It is in no way confined to buildings – especially church buildings.
The Spirit is free in the world. There are no constraints on its freedom.
Just like the wind outside our windows,
the Spirit sometimes blows so sweetly
that we don’t even notice it,
sometimes slow and steady,
sometimes with enough power to rip apart walls and uproot trees and remove roofs from buildings.
There is a time for everything under heaven,
a time when the Spirit is set loose in our midst,
and a time when the Spirit is quiet and restful.
The Holy Spirit is uncontrollable, creative and free.
We cannot tell it what to do.
But we can become ready to receive it.
There are always lots of windy days in the Spring,
Days that are perfect for flying a kite.
It doesn’t do any good if you stand in the middle of the park holding the kite by your side.
You have to run into the wind.
Then, the breeze can get under the kite and lift it up.
I think it works similarly with the Holy Spirit.
We need to run into the wind – to listen to what the Spirit is saying,
To observe what the Spirit is doing.
To prepare ourselves to be blown away,
To be sent somewhere new,
Or to experience something different.
Let’s be ready to catch the wind.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Come, Holy Spirit, come in your uncontrollable fury and gentleness. Come into our homes, find us on the streets, in our neighbourhoods. Bind us together as a church even though we are far apart. Create in us clean hearts so that we will be fresh and ready to move where your Spirit calls us. Help us to be ready to catch the wind – to recognize the movement of your Spirit when it blows through our lives and through our communities.
Send your Holy Spirit upon those who suffer. Hear us in the silence as we pray for ourselves, and our friends, and our world….We pray especially for Isobel and Joe, Jamie and Marlene, and their families.
Loving God, powerful God, we pray as a church that your Spirit will bring peace where there is war, gentleness where there is power imbalance, love where there is hate. Come Holy Spirit. Amen.
Daily Scripture Reading
Monday, May 24, 2021: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Joel 2:18-29; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Tuesday, May 25, 2021: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Genesis 11:1-9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Wednesday, May 26, 2021: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 20:19-23
Thursday, May 27, 2021: Psalm 29; Isaiah 1:1-4, 16-20; Romans 8:1-8
Friday, May 28, 2021: Psalm 29; Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 8:9-11
Saturday, May 29, 2021: Psalm 29; Isaiah 5:15-24; John 15:18-20, 26-27
Sermon - May 16 2021
Luke 24:44-53
44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Jesus’ ascension into heaven is one of the more supernatural events in scripture.
It might be hard for us to believe – because it is such an odd story.
He is there with his friends, and then he is gone.
It’s hard to know what the disciples were thinking at this point.
They had already witnessed things beyond their imagining.
The fact that Jesus was standing among them at all was incomprehensible.
They had watched him die on the cross. Watched his body be carried away.
And yet, suddenly and inexplicably, Jesus was alive again.
And now, he is teaching them to understand that everything that has happened
Was meant to be – it was all part of the God’s masterplan.
Now, it is their job, to be witnesses,
To preach repentance and forgiveness,
To wait, for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.
Jesus needed to go, to make space for the Spirit to come into the world.
As they watch,
Jesus lifts up his hands in blessing, and then he himself is lifted up.
All the way, he is blessing them.
We are recipients of Jesus’ blessing.
Here and now, 2000 years later, we still worship the Christ of the cosmos –
Jesus who is seated at the right hand of God –
Hands still raised in blessing over the world.
Jesus’ hands are raised over the nation of India,
As it suffers, as thousand die of COVID-19.
Jesus’ hands are raised over the city of Jerusalem.
As it suffers, as battle lines are drawn and the innocent are killed.
Jesus’ hands are raised over a home in Brampton,
As it suffers, as a family copes with the death of a loved one.
Jesus’ hands are raised in blessing over you –
Right now, whatever you are doing, wherever you are,
Jesus is blessing you right now.
Not only are we recipients of Jesus’ blessing,
We are witnesses of Jesus’ blessing.
This means that we are invited to notice blessing when it happens,
We are invited to speak it out loud and say what we believe about it.
We are witnesses to God’s action in the world –
The care, commitment, love, compassion, gentleness that Christ has for the world.
We weren’t there – we didn’t see Jesus lifted up,
But we are invited to put our faith into the hands of the historical disciples,
To believe this strange story that they told us.
Finally, we are invited to acknowledge the limitations of our human understanding.
We are invited to be humble, and to stare into the majestic void that Jesus leaves empty.
Awe and wonder should be part of our every day experience –
As we are reminded over and over that God’s ways are not our ways,
That the divine has a plan and a means –
And God in Christ is entirely concerned with the well-being of the good creation.
Let us be humble, let us be awestruck by what God has done and by what God is doing.
Let us spend our days in worship, praying without ceasing to the God who prays over us without ceasing. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Christ Jesus, you are risen, ascended, glorified. You sit at God’s right hand, your hands raised in blessing over us. We praise you for your earthly life, for the way you taught and healed. We praise you for your kindness and generosity. We stand in awe of you – and even though our minds can’t quite understand what happened to you, we are filled with the sure and certain knowledge that you are near us. This week, we pray for the people of India, and all other nations where coronavirus runs rampant. Please, encourage the generosity of nations. We pray for the peace in the Middle East – for the lives of Palestinians and Israelis. We pray for ourselves and those we love. We hold Joe and Isobel, Jamie and Marlene in our prayer – asking for healing and wellness. In the week to come, gracious Lord, help us to be aware of your hands raised in blessing – sending us out into our days with peace and power. In his name we pray, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 17, 2021: Psalm 115; Exodus 28:29-38; Philippians 1:3-11
Tuesday, May 18, 2021: Psalm 115; Numbers 8:5-22; Titus 1:1-9
Wednesday, May 19, 2021: Psalm 115; Ezra 9:5-15; John 16:16-24
Thursday, May 20, 2021: Psalm 33:12-22; Genesis 2:4b-7; 1 Corinthians 15:42b-49
Friday, May 21, 2021: Psalm 33:12-22; Job 37:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Saturday, May 22, 2021: Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 15:6-11; John 7:37-39
44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Jesus’ ascension into heaven is one of the more supernatural events in scripture.
It might be hard for us to believe – because it is such an odd story.
He is there with his friends, and then he is gone.
It’s hard to know what the disciples were thinking at this point.
They had already witnessed things beyond their imagining.
The fact that Jesus was standing among them at all was incomprehensible.
They had watched him die on the cross. Watched his body be carried away.
And yet, suddenly and inexplicably, Jesus was alive again.
And now, he is teaching them to understand that everything that has happened
Was meant to be – it was all part of the God’s masterplan.
Now, it is their job, to be witnesses,
To preach repentance and forgiveness,
To wait, for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.
Jesus needed to go, to make space for the Spirit to come into the world.
As they watch,
Jesus lifts up his hands in blessing, and then he himself is lifted up.
All the way, he is blessing them.
We are recipients of Jesus’ blessing.
Here and now, 2000 years later, we still worship the Christ of the cosmos –
Jesus who is seated at the right hand of God –
Hands still raised in blessing over the world.
Jesus’ hands are raised over the nation of India,
As it suffers, as thousand die of COVID-19.
Jesus’ hands are raised over the city of Jerusalem.
As it suffers, as battle lines are drawn and the innocent are killed.
Jesus’ hands are raised over a home in Brampton,
As it suffers, as a family copes with the death of a loved one.
Jesus’ hands are raised in blessing over you –
Right now, whatever you are doing, wherever you are,
Jesus is blessing you right now.
Not only are we recipients of Jesus’ blessing,
We are witnesses of Jesus’ blessing.
This means that we are invited to notice blessing when it happens,
We are invited to speak it out loud and say what we believe about it.
We are witnesses to God’s action in the world –
The care, commitment, love, compassion, gentleness that Christ has for the world.
We weren’t there – we didn’t see Jesus lifted up,
But we are invited to put our faith into the hands of the historical disciples,
To believe this strange story that they told us.
Finally, we are invited to acknowledge the limitations of our human understanding.
We are invited to be humble, and to stare into the majestic void that Jesus leaves empty.
Awe and wonder should be part of our every day experience –
As we are reminded over and over that God’s ways are not our ways,
That the divine has a plan and a means –
And God in Christ is entirely concerned with the well-being of the good creation.
Let us be humble, let us be awestruck by what God has done and by what God is doing.
Let us spend our days in worship, praying without ceasing to the God who prays over us without ceasing. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Christ Jesus, you are risen, ascended, glorified. You sit at God’s right hand, your hands raised in blessing over us. We praise you for your earthly life, for the way you taught and healed. We praise you for your kindness and generosity. We stand in awe of you – and even though our minds can’t quite understand what happened to you, we are filled with the sure and certain knowledge that you are near us. This week, we pray for the people of India, and all other nations where coronavirus runs rampant. Please, encourage the generosity of nations. We pray for the peace in the Middle East – for the lives of Palestinians and Israelis. We pray for ourselves and those we love. We hold Joe and Isobel, Jamie and Marlene in our prayer – asking for healing and wellness. In the week to come, gracious Lord, help us to be aware of your hands raised in blessing – sending us out into our days with peace and power. In his name we pray, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 17, 2021: Psalm 115; Exodus 28:29-38; Philippians 1:3-11
Tuesday, May 18, 2021: Psalm 115; Numbers 8:5-22; Titus 1:1-9
Wednesday, May 19, 2021: Psalm 115; Ezra 9:5-15; John 16:16-24
Thursday, May 20, 2021: Psalm 33:12-22; Genesis 2:4b-7; 1 Corinthians 15:42b-49
Friday, May 21, 2021: Psalm 33:12-22; Job 37:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Saturday, May 22, 2021: Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 15:6-11; John 7:37-39
Sermon - May 9 2021
John 15:9-17
9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
You might have come across an excellent article that appeared online
In the last couple of weeks – from the New York Times.
Adam Grant writes about life during the pandemic, especially about mental health.
He noticed that his friends were all reacting in similar ways to the pandemic –
They have trouble concentrating, report a lack of excitement and positivity.
They weren’t quite depressed, but they certainly weren’t flourishing.
So Grant names the ‘middle-child of mental health’ – which he calls languishing.
Languishing is something in between terrible mental health – like depression,
And optimal mental health, called flourishing.
To quote the article “Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield”.
Does this sound familiar to you?
It sounds familiar to me.
In the early days of the pandemic our defenses were on high alert,
But as the pandemic has dragged on that sense of immediate danger faded,
And “the acute state of anguish has given way to a chronic condition of languish.”
Adam Grant suggests that languishing is the absence of well-being –
It’s not mental illness, but it’s not mental health either.
One is not functioning at maximum capacity – maybe work is difficult, or one finds it challenging to focus.
I have to confess to you that I feel like this almost all the time –
It takes all my effort to focus on my work!
It’s a bit like trying to walk through quicksand.
The author writes that naming emotions is one of the best strategies for overcoming them.
So naming languishing may be the first step toward solving it.
In the same way, if we name flourishing as our goal, it might be the first step toward achieving it.
The passage we read from the gospel of John might be a textbook piece about human flourishing – Jesus gives us instructions for human flourishing.
Abide in me, Jesus says.
This is a commandment to stay connected to the true vine,
To remain in the presence and power of God at all times.
This abiding, or remaining, results in pure joy. Complete Joy.
Imagine what it will feel like to have the complete joy of Christ inside of us.
Love one another as I have loved you, Jesus says.
This is a commandment, and we must see it as central to human flourishing.
When we rise, we rise together.
When we love, we flourish.
And others flourish too.
This love is so deep and broad and high that it will give up its own life
In order to save its beloved.
This is what Jesus did for us – he lived a life of flourishing – by loving intimately, by staying connected to the Creator, by fighting for justice, by sharing time with friends, by living out his vocation. And then he died. He lay down his life for his friends, he lay down his life for us.
And then, against all the odds, he picked up his life again.
We are still in the season of Easter. We celebrate resurrection at every turn.
Which might serve as a reminder to us that this state of languishing is not a permanent state.
We are always, always, invited to place our tiny hands in the infinitely large hand of God
And move toward a state of flourishing.
Whether we will languish or flourish is to some extent a choice.
None of us can deny the horror of our current situation.
This week the Ontario government released a report into the tragic loss of life in long term care homes in the first wave of the pandemic.
This week, the people of India begged for Oxygen – as covid cases increase at a truly alarming rate.
This week, we remembered the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
This week, there were more manifestations of racism and sexism and discrimination and violence.
Our world is not merely languishing, it is suffering beyond belief.
Jesus invites us to live out our vocation as Christians, which is to fall in love with our neighbours – whether we know them or not. Whether they live next door or on the other side of the world.
Part of our vocation is hope – to live in a constant state of longing and hope for a new world.
And yes, I think we are called to flourish.
To be bright beacons of love and hope.
This is not to say that we need to pretend, especially if we are genuinely in a state of languishing.
We are not expected to ignore our own emotions and challenges.
Jesus is not asking us to leap up off the couch and run out and change the world.
Rather, Jesus is inviting us to choose life.
To accept the love that is offered,
To accept the invitation to share that love with others.
We have to make the effort to fall into love, to fall into joy
Jesus is inviting, imploring, us to choose the love and joy he offers,
but we do have to meet him half way
There was a follow-up article printed in the New York Times,
Which promised 7 simple steps to go from languishing to flourishing.
One of the practices is gratitude.
Another is seeking communities of connection.
And doing good deeds for others.
It sounds like we are on the right track – Jesus has already told us
How to flourish, he’s already told us to seek out community, to be deeply and radically grateful, to do good wherever and whenever we can.
Our escape from languishing will be found through genuine connection with others.
It will be found through the acts of love and kindness that we perform for others.
It will be found by praising God with our whole hearts,
It will be found because of the joy that Christ has placed within us.
May we flourish, In Christ’s name.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week,
O Lord our God, we ask that you will take us from languishing to flourishing. Fill us with joy so that our joy may be complete in you. Help us to do acts of love and kindness for our neighbours. Help us to be filled with gratitude and praise for all that you have done for us. Help us to be disciples that are alive with faith, trust and hope.
On this Mother’s Day, we give thanks for our mothers. We give thanks for all the ways that the women in our lives nurture and care for us. We pray for all who find this a difficult day. Those whose mothers have died, those who have an estranged relationship, those who have suffered the death of a child. Creator God, you are both father and mother to us. We ask to know your love deeply and fully.
In the week to come, loving God, keep us safe. We pray for an end to this pandemic. We give thanks for the vaccinations that are keeping our communities from illness. We ask your special blessing on those that are ill or suffering. We pray for Jamie and Marlene, Isobel and Joe. Surround them with your tender care. Surround all of us, gracious God, as we enter into a new week – confident of your love and care. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 10, 2021: Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 7:1-11; 1 Timothy 6:11-12
Tuesday, May 11, 2021: Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 11:1-17; 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Wednesday, May 12, 2021: Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 11:18-21; Mark 16:19-20
Thursday, May 13, 2021: Ascension of the Lord
Friday, May 14, 2021: Psalm 47; Exodus 24:15-18; Revelation 1:9-18
Saturday, May 15, 2021: Psalm 47; Deuteronomy 34:1-7; John 16:4-11
9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
You might have come across an excellent article that appeared online
In the last couple of weeks – from the New York Times.
Adam Grant writes about life during the pandemic, especially about mental health.
He noticed that his friends were all reacting in similar ways to the pandemic –
They have trouble concentrating, report a lack of excitement and positivity.
They weren’t quite depressed, but they certainly weren’t flourishing.
So Grant names the ‘middle-child of mental health’ – which he calls languishing.
Languishing is something in between terrible mental health – like depression,
And optimal mental health, called flourishing.
To quote the article “Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield”.
Does this sound familiar to you?
It sounds familiar to me.
In the early days of the pandemic our defenses were on high alert,
But as the pandemic has dragged on that sense of immediate danger faded,
And “the acute state of anguish has given way to a chronic condition of languish.”
Adam Grant suggests that languishing is the absence of well-being –
It’s not mental illness, but it’s not mental health either.
One is not functioning at maximum capacity – maybe work is difficult, or one finds it challenging to focus.
I have to confess to you that I feel like this almost all the time –
It takes all my effort to focus on my work!
It’s a bit like trying to walk through quicksand.
The author writes that naming emotions is one of the best strategies for overcoming them.
So naming languishing may be the first step toward solving it.
In the same way, if we name flourishing as our goal, it might be the first step toward achieving it.
The passage we read from the gospel of John might be a textbook piece about human flourishing – Jesus gives us instructions for human flourishing.
Abide in me, Jesus says.
This is a commandment to stay connected to the true vine,
To remain in the presence and power of God at all times.
This abiding, or remaining, results in pure joy. Complete Joy.
Imagine what it will feel like to have the complete joy of Christ inside of us.
Love one another as I have loved you, Jesus says.
This is a commandment, and we must see it as central to human flourishing.
When we rise, we rise together.
When we love, we flourish.
And others flourish too.
This love is so deep and broad and high that it will give up its own life
In order to save its beloved.
This is what Jesus did for us – he lived a life of flourishing – by loving intimately, by staying connected to the Creator, by fighting for justice, by sharing time with friends, by living out his vocation. And then he died. He lay down his life for his friends, he lay down his life for us.
And then, against all the odds, he picked up his life again.
We are still in the season of Easter. We celebrate resurrection at every turn.
Which might serve as a reminder to us that this state of languishing is not a permanent state.
We are always, always, invited to place our tiny hands in the infinitely large hand of God
And move toward a state of flourishing.
Whether we will languish or flourish is to some extent a choice.
None of us can deny the horror of our current situation.
This week the Ontario government released a report into the tragic loss of life in long term care homes in the first wave of the pandemic.
This week, the people of India begged for Oxygen – as covid cases increase at a truly alarming rate.
This week, we remembered the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
This week, there were more manifestations of racism and sexism and discrimination and violence.
Our world is not merely languishing, it is suffering beyond belief.
Jesus invites us to live out our vocation as Christians, which is to fall in love with our neighbours – whether we know them or not. Whether they live next door or on the other side of the world.
Part of our vocation is hope – to live in a constant state of longing and hope for a new world.
And yes, I think we are called to flourish.
To be bright beacons of love and hope.
This is not to say that we need to pretend, especially if we are genuinely in a state of languishing.
We are not expected to ignore our own emotions and challenges.
Jesus is not asking us to leap up off the couch and run out and change the world.
Rather, Jesus is inviting us to choose life.
To accept the love that is offered,
To accept the invitation to share that love with others.
We have to make the effort to fall into love, to fall into joy
Jesus is inviting, imploring, us to choose the love and joy he offers,
but we do have to meet him half way
There was a follow-up article printed in the New York Times,
Which promised 7 simple steps to go from languishing to flourishing.
One of the practices is gratitude.
Another is seeking communities of connection.
And doing good deeds for others.
It sounds like we are on the right track – Jesus has already told us
How to flourish, he’s already told us to seek out community, to be deeply and radically grateful, to do good wherever and whenever we can.
Our escape from languishing will be found through genuine connection with others.
It will be found through the acts of love and kindness that we perform for others.
It will be found by praising God with our whole hearts,
It will be found because of the joy that Christ has placed within us.
May we flourish, In Christ’s name.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week,
O Lord our God, we ask that you will take us from languishing to flourishing. Fill us with joy so that our joy may be complete in you. Help us to do acts of love and kindness for our neighbours. Help us to be filled with gratitude and praise for all that you have done for us. Help us to be disciples that are alive with faith, trust and hope.
On this Mother’s Day, we give thanks for our mothers. We give thanks for all the ways that the women in our lives nurture and care for us. We pray for all who find this a difficult day. Those whose mothers have died, those who have an estranged relationship, those who have suffered the death of a child. Creator God, you are both father and mother to us. We ask to know your love deeply and fully.
In the week to come, loving God, keep us safe. We pray for an end to this pandemic. We give thanks for the vaccinations that are keeping our communities from illness. We ask your special blessing on those that are ill or suffering. We pray for Jamie and Marlene, Isobel and Joe. Surround them with your tender care. Surround all of us, gracious God, as we enter into a new week – confident of your love and care. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 10, 2021: Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 7:1-11; 1 Timothy 6:11-12
Tuesday, May 11, 2021: Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 11:1-17; 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Wednesday, May 12, 2021: Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 11:18-21; Mark 16:19-20
Thursday, May 13, 2021: Ascension of the Lord
Friday, May 14, 2021: Psalm 47; Exodus 24:15-18; Revelation 1:9-18
Saturday, May 15, 2021: Psalm 47; Deuteronomy 34:1-7; John 16:4-11
Sermon - May 2 2021
John 15:1-8
15”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
Some of my cousins are Roman Catholic.
One of them was recently reminiscing about being a student –
He remembers that they used to write the letters JMJ in the top corners of their papers,
So that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph would bless their work.
I had never heard of this custom, but it is a lovely way
To remind students that they are connected to the true vine,
And that the fruit of their labour will depend on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
This bible passage is primarily about faithfulness
How well do we remain in the vine?
How closely do we abide in God, in Christ?
According to this passage, pruning is a necessary part of the process of growing grapes.
The branches that don’t bear fruit, and the branches that do bear fruit –
All of them have to be pruned in order to make the vine more fruitful.
In our bible study the other day we asked the question
“How has this pandemic been a time of pruning for us?”
It has certainly been a time for us to figure out what is important and what isn’t.
We’ve learned that we can actually live without haircuts and trips to the cinema.
We’ve learned that we can live without weekly community worship in-person.
We’ve had to let go of our habits and practices, and find new and innovative ways to be together.
I’m not sure if God is using this opportunity to prune us – but it is a possibility.
What parts of your life need to be pruned in order for you to bear fruit?
There is a season for everything – a season to bear fruit and a season not to bear fruit.
Bearing fruit in the midst of the pandemic seems like an impossible task.
And yet this kind of growth and fruitfulness is also a possibility.
God may be using this as an opportunity to cause us to bear fruit.
Most of us are languishing – just trying to get through the day.
But maybe this is a time for us to grow.
In what areas of your life might you bear fruit, even in such a time as this?
There has been a lot of talk about this on social media.
At the beginning of the pandemic, a lot of people thought it was an opportunity
To take time to learn something new – a new hobby or a new language for example.
As the pandemic has dragged on, however, it has become increasingly difficult
To find the energy – mental and physical – to learn a new task.
So although many of us were hopeful that it would be a time of growth have been disappointed.
It strikes me, however, that this may be an opportunity for profound spiritual growth.
We are invited, after all, to stay connected to the vine.
In these pandemic times, we have no choice but to stay connected to God –
For where else can our strength come from?
Whether this is a time of pruning, or growth, or stagnation for you,
Know that you are attached to the true vine.
All your strength, all your possibility comes from your connection to God – Creator, Son and Holy Spirit.
The God who loved you enough to die on the cross,
The God who raised Jesus up against every power of death and hell.
This is one strong vine. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
True and Living Vine, we are grateful for your sustenance and graciousness. You care for us by encouraging us to remain in you. We long to be faithful. Help us to withstand the pruning and bear fruit. We pray for those especially who are wanting to bear fruit at this time, but are having a difficult time producing anything at all. Nurture us, gracious God. Nurture and bless those who are ill and those who care for them – especially Isobel and Joe, Jamie and Marlene. We ask that you will be with us in the days to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 3, 2021: Psalm 80; Isaiah 5:1-7; Galatians 5:16-26
Tuesday, May 4, 2021: Psalm 80; Isaiah 32:9-20; James 3:17-18
Wednesday, May 5, 2021: Psalm 80; Isaiah 65:17-25; John 14:18-31
Thursday, May 6, 2021: Psalm 98; Isaiah 49:5-6; Acts 10:1-34
Friday, May 7, 2021: Psalm 98; Isaiah 42:5-9; Acts 10:34-43
Saturday, May 8, 2021: Psalm 98; Deuteronomy 32:44-47; Mark 10:42-45
15”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
Some of my cousins are Roman Catholic.
One of them was recently reminiscing about being a student –
He remembers that they used to write the letters JMJ in the top corners of their papers,
So that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph would bless their work.
I had never heard of this custom, but it is a lovely way
To remind students that they are connected to the true vine,
And that the fruit of their labour will depend on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
This bible passage is primarily about faithfulness
How well do we remain in the vine?
How closely do we abide in God, in Christ?
According to this passage, pruning is a necessary part of the process of growing grapes.
The branches that don’t bear fruit, and the branches that do bear fruit –
All of them have to be pruned in order to make the vine more fruitful.
In our bible study the other day we asked the question
“How has this pandemic been a time of pruning for us?”
It has certainly been a time for us to figure out what is important and what isn’t.
We’ve learned that we can actually live without haircuts and trips to the cinema.
We’ve learned that we can live without weekly community worship in-person.
We’ve had to let go of our habits and practices, and find new and innovative ways to be together.
I’m not sure if God is using this opportunity to prune us – but it is a possibility.
What parts of your life need to be pruned in order for you to bear fruit?
There is a season for everything – a season to bear fruit and a season not to bear fruit.
Bearing fruit in the midst of the pandemic seems like an impossible task.
And yet this kind of growth and fruitfulness is also a possibility.
God may be using this as an opportunity to cause us to bear fruit.
Most of us are languishing – just trying to get through the day.
But maybe this is a time for us to grow.
In what areas of your life might you bear fruit, even in such a time as this?
There has been a lot of talk about this on social media.
At the beginning of the pandemic, a lot of people thought it was an opportunity
To take time to learn something new – a new hobby or a new language for example.
As the pandemic has dragged on, however, it has become increasingly difficult
To find the energy – mental and physical – to learn a new task.
So although many of us were hopeful that it would be a time of growth have been disappointed.
It strikes me, however, that this may be an opportunity for profound spiritual growth.
We are invited, after all, to stay connected to the vine.
In these pandemic times, we have no choice but to stay connected to God –
For where else can our strength come from?
Whether this is a time of pruning, or growth, or stagnation for you,
Know that you are attached to the true vine.
All your strength, all your possibility comes from your connection to God – Creator, Son and Holy Spirit.
The God who loved you enough to die on the cross,
The God who raised Jesus up against every power of death and hell.
This is one strong vine. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
True and Living Vine, we are grateful for your sustenance and graciousness. You care for us by encouraging us to remain in you. We long to be faithful. Help us to withstand the pruning and bear fruit. We pray for those especially who are wanting to bear fruit at this time, but are having a difficult time producing anything at all. Nurture us, gracious God. Nurture and bless those who are ill and those who care for them – especially Isobel and Joe, Jamie and Marlene. We ask that you will be with us in the days to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, May 3, 2021: Psalm 80; Isaiah 5:1-7; Galatians 5:16-26
Tuesday, May 4, 2021: Psalm 80; Isaiah 32:9-20; James 3:17-18
Wednesday, May 5, 2021: Psalm 80; Isaiah 65:17-25; John 14:18-31
Thursday, May 6, 2021: Psalm 98; Isaiah 49:5-6; Acts 10:1-34
Friday, May 7, 2021: Psalm 98; Isaiah 42:5-9; Acts 10:34-43
Saturday, May 8, 2021: Psalm 98; Deuteronomy 32:44-47; Mark 10:42-45
Sermon - April 25 2021
John 10:11-18
10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
10:12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
10:13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."
My husband Paul was playing the piano this morning,
And he played a familiar tune –
I heard the voice of Jesus say
“Come unto me and rest,
Lay down, thou weary one lay down
Thy head upon my breast”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad,
And I found in him a resting place and he has made me glad!
Jesus, the good shepherd, invites us to rest in him.
I needed to hear this message this week.
It’s been a tough one, in terms of the pandemic.
For me, this has been one of the lowest weeks since the pandemic began –
Just because the numbers are so high,
I personally feel that the provincial government has thrown the most vulnerable to the wolves.
I have children trying to learn at home.
I’m tired of preaching to a camera instead of looking at all of you.
That’s enough whining – but you get the point.
And I know you understand, because we are all experiencing hardship right now.
No matter how well we have been blessed with safety and material wealth,
Life is hard.
We are lonely and tired.
The fear is perhaps lessening as we become vaccinated.
But one thing I know is true – we’ve had enough of this pandemic.
Another thing I know is true –
Jesus is the good shepherd, who cares for all of his flock.
If we are thirsty, he leads us beside still waters.
If we are hungry, we get manna in the wilderness.
When in danger, Jesus keeps the wolves at bay
When we are tired, Jesus tells us to stop what we are doing and lay down and rest.
How wonderful that we are cared for by such a shepherd.
Mister Rogers once said that when he was a boy and he was scared because something bad had happened,
His mother would tell him to look for the helpers. There are always helpers.
Shepherds are helpers.
They do whatever it takes to look after the animals in their care.
One of the bright spots of this pandemic has been watching people step up
And care for each other.
I got my vaccine this week!
I had to go to Oakville Trafalgar Hospital, and follow a maze of signs and directions.
At every step of the way there were staff and volunteers to guide me.
I am so grateful for the people who are on the front lines,
Who are literally risking their lives so that I can live.
Let’s spend some time in gratitude this week for those who have acted as shepherds for us –
Feeding us, protecting us, giving us rest and refreshment,
Phoning us, sending us mail, praying for us.
Each of these small acts is a reflection of Jesus, the good shepherd.
Jesus, the good shepherd lay down his life for his sheep.
He gave us everything – his whole self and being, to protect us.
This shepherd knows his sheep, and they know his voice.
Let’s listen, this week, for the voice of Jesus saying to us,
Come unto me and rest.
Lay down O weary one lay down.
Amen.
Prayer for the Week
Gracious and loving God, we praise and thank you for sending Jesus to shepherd us. We know we can be disobedient and hard to manage, but we want to listen to the voice of our master. Holy God, we continue to pray for grace in the midst of the pandemic. We pray especially today for those who are most vulnerable to the disease. May our government be wise and generous, and truly care for the most vulnerable. We are grateful for those who have cared for us throughout this pandemic – those who bag our groceries, and clean our hospitals. For bus drivers and convenience store attendants, for all those whose work is considered essential. We also pray for those known to us who are ill, including Isobel. Care for us all and protect us, O Lord. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, April 26, 2021: Psalm 95; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Peter 5:1-5
Tuesday, April 27, 2021: Psalm 95; 1 Chronicles 11:1-9; Revelation 7:13-17
Wednesday, April 28, 2021: Psalm 95; Micah 7:8-20; Mark 14:26-31
Thursday, April 29, 2021: Psalm 22:25-31; Amos 8:1-7; Acts 8:1b-8
Friday, April 30, 2021: Psalm 22:25-31; Amos 8:11-13; Acts 8:9-25
Saturday, May 1, 2021: Psalm 22:25-31; Amos 9:7-15; Mark 4:30-32
10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
10:12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
10:13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."
My husband Paul was playing the piano this morning,
And he played a familiar tune –
I heard the voice of Jesus say
“Come unto me and rest,
Lay down, thou weary one lay down
Thy head upon my breast”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad,
And I found in him a resting place and he has made me glad!
Jesus, the good shepherd, invites us to rest in him.
I needed to hear this message this week.
It’s been a tough one, in terms of the pandemic.
For me, this has been one of the lowest weeks since the pandemic began –
Just because the numbers are so high,
I personally feel that the provincial government has thrown the most vulnerable to the wolves.
I have children trying to learn at home.
I’m tired of preaching to a camera instead of looking at all of you.
That’s enough whining – but you get the point.
And I know you understand, because we are all experiencing hardship right now.
No matter how well we have been blessed with safety and material wealth,
Life is hard.
We are lonely and tired.
The fear is perhaps lessening as we become vaccinated.
But one thing I know is true – we’ve had enough of this pandemic.
Another thing I know is true –
Jesus is the good shepherd, who cares for all of his flock.
If we are thirsty, he leads us beside still waters.
If we are hungry, we get manna in the wilderness.
When in danger, Jesus keeps the wolves at bay
When we are tired, Jesus tells us to stop what we are doing and lay down and rest.
How wonderful that we are cared for by such a shepherd.
Mister Rogers once said that when he was a boy and he was scared because something bad had happened,
His mother would tell him to look for the helpers. There are always helpers.
Shepherds are helpers.
They do whatever it takes to look after the animals in their care.
One of the bright spots of this pandemic has been watching people step up
And care for each other.
I got my vaccine this week!
I had to go to Oakville Trafalgar Hospital, and follow a maze of signs and directions.
At every step of the way there were staff and volunteers to guide me.
I am so grateful for the people who are on the front lines,
Who are literally risking their lives so that I can live.
Let’s spend some time in gratitude this week for those who have acted as shepherds for us –
Feeding us, protecting us, giving us rest and refreshment,
Phoning us, sending us mail, praying for us.
Each of these small acts is a reflection of Jesus, the good shepherd.
Jesus, the good shepherd lay down his life for his sheep.
He gave us everything – his whole self and being, to protect us.
This shepherd knows his sheep, and they know his voice.
Let’s listen, this week, for the voice of Jesus saying to us,
Come unto me and rest.
Lay down O weary one lay down.
Amen.
Prayer for the Week
Gracious and loving God, we praise and thank you for sending Jesus to shepherd us. We know we can be disobedient and hard to manage, but we want to listen to the voice of our master. Holy God, we continue to pray for grace in the midst of the pandemic. We pray especially today for those who are most vulnerable to the disease. May our government be wise and generous, and truly care for the most vulnerable. We are grateful for those who have cared for us throughout this pandemic – those who bag our groceries, and clean our hospitals. For bus drivers and convenience store attendants, for all those whose work is considered essential. We also pray for those known to us who are ill, including Isobel. Care for us all and protect us, O Lord. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, April 26, 2021: Psalm 95; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Peter 5:1-5
Tuesday, April 27, 2021: Psalm 95; 1 Chronicles 11:1-9; Revelation 7:13-17
Wednesday, April 28, 2021: Psalm 95; Micah 7:8-20; Mark 14:26-31
Thursday, April 29, 2021: Psalm 22:25-31; Amos 8:1-7; Acts 8:1b-8
Friday, April 30, 2021: Psalm 22:25-31; Amos 8:11-13; Acts 8:9-25
Saturday, May 1, 2021: Psalm 22:25-31; Amos 9:7-15; Mark 4:30-32
April 18 2021 - This week Norval is joining Trafalgar Presbyterian Church for our weekly Church Service
https://youtu.be/c7dO2YYBn2o
https://youtu.be/c7dO2YYBn2o
Sermon - April 11 2021
John 20:19-31
19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
This is a story about frightened disciples who hide behind lock doors.
So soon after Jesus’ death, the disciples did not know whether or not
The authorities would come to arrest them.
After all, they were Jesus’ associates, his friends, his partners in crime.
The last thing they expect is to see Jesus standing among them, his wounds still visible.
More accurately, his wounds are recognizable -
They are the wounds that he had suffered on the cross.
It is important to note that the risen Christ still had wounds in his hands and his sides.
After resurrection, wounds remain.
You might have experienced this in your own life –
Even when you have healed or come to life again following grief or sadness or illness,
You still bear some of the scars of what you have been through.
These scars bear witness to your story.
We may be raised to new life, over and over through the power of Jesus in our lives,
But we always carry the scars with us.
We don’t know where Thomas was the first time that Jesus appeared.
But he wasn’t there.
Of course the others told him what he had missed,
But it didn’t make sense to him and he didn’t believe them.
He must have thought it was a cruel joke.
But he simply wasn’t able to believe without seeing.
A week later, Jesus shows up again.
This time, Thomas is present, and as soon as he sees Jesus his faith causes him to express awe and wonderment “My Lord and my God”.
For Thomas, asking questions and doubting preceded his faith.
He needed to doubt and question,
And only then could he perceive the risen Christ.
Doubt and faith are interrelated. Faithful people have questions.
Faithful people have doubts.
It is not only ok, it is absolutely necessary that we ask questions
About God, about the Bible, and about the state of the world.
If we were together right now, I would give each of you a small piece of paper
And ask you to start writing your questions –
Your questions about anything –
Remember, God can take our questioning and our doubting.
Since we aren’t together, I invite you to do something different.
I want you to send me your questions – by mail or email, or phone or text.
I would love to hear from you about your questions about the Bible or about God.
I can’t promise that I’ll be able to answer them, but we might have some fun trying.
You might have questions about what God is doing during this pandemic.
You might have questions about our particular faith tradition.
Let’s bring our questions before God as a sacred offering –
Our questions bring us closer to God, they help us to know God better.
And may God hear our questions and give us wisdom to find answers,
Or merely sit with the questions. Amen.
Prayer for the Week
Risen Lord, you appear to us over and over again, and whisper “Peace”. Show us your hands and your side so we can again come to believe the story you have told – a story of sacrifice and death overturned by life and grace. Even as you lift us to new life, tend our wounds. We bring you our wounded fear, our wounded anger, our wounded sadness. We bring you our sick and lonely, knowing that you will comfort and heal. We bring you our questions – about the bible, about faith, about the state of the world. We know you will hear us. Make us confident that our doubt is ok – that in the end it brings us closer to you. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, April 12, 2021: Psalm 135; Daniel 3:1-30; 1 John 2:3-11
Tuesday, April 13, 2021: Psalm 135; Daniel 6:1-28; 1 John 2:12-17
Wednesday, April 14, 2021: Psalm 135; Isaiah 26:1-15; Mark 12:18-27
Thursday, April 15, 2021: Psalm 4; Daniel 9:1-19; 1 John 2:18-25
Friday, April 16, 2021: Psalm 4; Daniel 10:2-19; 1 John 2:26-28
Saturday, April 17, 2021: Psalm 4; Acts 3:1-10; Luke 22:24-30
19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
This is a story about frightened disciples who hide behind lock doors.
So soon after Jesus’ death, the disciples did not know whether or not
The authorities would come to arrest them.
After all, they were Jesus’ associates, his friends, his partners in crime.
The last thing they expect is to see Jesus standing among them, his wounds still visible.
More accurately, his wounds are recognizable -
They are the wounds that he had suffered on the cross.
It is important to note that the risen Christ still had wounds in his hands and his sides.
After resurrection, wounds remain.
You might have experienced this in your own life –
Even when you have healed or come to life again following grief or sadness or illness,
You still bear some of the scars of what you have been through.
These scars bear witness to your story.
We may be raised to new life, over and over through the power of Jesus in our lives,
But we always carry the scars with us.
We don’t know where Thomas was the first time that Jesus appeared.
But he wasn’t there.
Of course the others told him what he had missed,
But it didn’t make sense to him and he didn’t believe them.
He must have thought it was a cruel joke.
But he simply wasn’t able to believe without seeing.
A week later, Jesus shows up again.
This time, Thomas is present, and as soon as he sees Jesus his faith causes him to express awe and wonderment “My Lord and my God”.
For Thomas, asking questions and doubting preceded his faith.
He needed to doubt and question,
And only then could he perceive the risen Christ.
Doubt and faith are interrelated. Faithful people have questions.
Faithful people have doubts.
It is not only ok, it is absolutely necessary that we ask questions
About God, about the Bible, and about the state of the world.
If we were together right now, I would give each of you a small piece of paper
And ask you to start writing your questions –
Your questions about anything –
Remember, God can take our questioning and our doubting.
Since we aren’t together, I invite you to do something different.
I want you to send me your questions – by mail or email, or phone or text.
I would love to hear from you about your questions about the Bible or about God.
I can’t promise that I’ll be able to answer them, but we might have some fun trying.
You might have questions about what God is doing during this pandemic.
You might have questions about our particular faith tradition.
Let’s bring our questions before God as a sacred offering –
Our questions bring us closer to God, they help us to know God better.
And may God hear our questions and give us wisdom to find answers,
Or merely sit with the questions. Amen.
Prayer for the Week
Risen Lord, you appear to us over and over again, and whisper “Peace”. Show us your hands and your side so we can again come to believe the story you have told – a story of sacrifice and death overturned by life and grace. Even as you lift us to new life, tend our wounds. We bring you our wounded fear, our wounded anger, our wounded sadness. We bring you our sick and lonely, knowing that you will comfort and heal. We bring you our questions – about the bible, about faith, about the state of the world. We know you will hear us. Make us confident that our doubt is ok – that in the end it brings us closer to you. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, April 12, 2021: Psalm 135; Daniel 3:1-30; 1 John 2:3-11
Tuesday, April 13, 2021: Psalm 135; Daniel 6:1-28; 1 John 2:12-17
Wednesday, April 14, 2021: Psalm 135; Isaiah 26:1-15; Mark 12:18-27
Thursday, April 15, 2021: Psalm 4; Daniel 9:1-19; 1 John 2:18-25
Friday, April 16, 2021: Psalm 4; Daniel 10:2-19; 1 John 2:26-28
Saturday, April 17, 2021: Psalm 4; Acts 3:1-10; Luke 22:24-30
Easter Sunday
Sermon - April 4 2021
Sermon - April 4 2021
Mark 16:1-8
16When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The first Easter did not begin with joy.
It began in deep sorrow.
Mary and Mary and Salome had the distressing job of going to Jesus’ tomb,
Wanting to anoint him with oils and spices, as one does at the time of burial.
They were wondering among themselves what to do about the stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb. How would they roll it away by themselves?
But when they got there, they found that this large rock had already been rolled away.
And in the tomb – no Jesus. Instead, they find a young man in a white robe,
Who tells them not to be alarmed.
But of course they are alarmed, and more so by the absence of Jesus’ body.
The young man speaks good news to them – the best news imaginable –
He has been raised, he is not here.
And yet those women, in that moment, simply couldn’t take in the news.
It didn’t make any sense because it contrasted so sharply with their current situation.
Their friend was dead, the disciples are in hiding, and now the body is gone.
There is no good news yet for these women.
And they flee – because in their trauma they simply can’t yet see the light.
This story resonated with me for this particular Easter Sunday.
While this is our second pandemic Easter,
This year feels particularly heavy.
Maybe because we’ve been doing it for so long.
Maybe because there are so many dead.
Maybe because we’ve just started a fresh lockdown.
But it doesn’t really feel like Easter – there’s too much darkness.
Intellectually and spiritually I know that Jesus’ resurrection divides all of history
Into a ‘before’ and an ‘after’.
We belong to the ‘after’.
We are people of the resurrection, and we know that Jesus lives.
But like those women at the tomb on the first Easter morning,
It can take time for our awareness of resurrection to develop.
We can’t always see new life when it arises.
Even if our eyes are primed for resurrection.
Sometimes, our eyes have grown accustomed to the dark,
And the light hurts them.
Sometimes, it takes a lot of conversation with other Christians for us to see the light.
Sometimes, we just have to wait for God to reveal to us what we had not seen before.
In other words, it can take time to perceive resurrection.
The women at the tomb must have eventually told the others what they had seen.
And together, they began to sort through what Jesus had said about life and death,
And it all began to make sense to them.
But it takes time.
Healing from trauma takes time.
My prayer for all of us this Easter Sunday is that we will feel the quiet and powerful joy
That comes with new life.
May we begin to perceive new life forming even in the darkness.
That is, after all, where growth happens.
And when we are ready, may we peer into the light
And see the resurrected Christ standing before us in all his risen Glory.
Happy Easter, my friends.
He is risen!
A Prayer for the Week,
Risen Lord, we gather in your name and in celebration of your resurrection. On this day, we are filled with joy that you have begun something new in us and in the world. Give us eyes to see what you are doing, so that our joy may grow. You are the source of all things, and we turn to you in hope and in confidence that our glimpses of resurrection will blossom into full-blown experiences with the Risen Jesus Christ. Our lives and our world have been locked in darkness, and now we seek light. Remind us, O Lord, that you are present in times of trouble and danger as much as you are present in times of joy and celebration. Watch over our little flock – we continue to pray for Joe and Isobel. Keep us all safe, we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings.
Monday, April 5, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Genesis 1:1-19; 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
Tuesday, April 6, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Genesis 1:20-2:4a; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Wednesday, April 7, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Song of Solomon 3:1-11; Mark 16:1-8
Thursday, April 8, 2021: Psalm 133; Daniel 1:1-21; Acts 2:42-47
Friday, April 9, 2021: Psalm 133; Daniel 2:1-23; Acts 4:23-31
Saturday, April 10, 2021: Psalm 133; Daniel 2:24-49; John 12:44-50
16When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The first Easter did not begin with joy.
It began in deep sorrow.
Mary and Mary and Salome had the distressing job of going to Jesus’ tomb,
Wanting to anoint him with oils and spices, as one does at the time of burial.
They were wondering among themselves what to do about the stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb. How would they roll it away by themselves?
But when they got there, they found that this large rock had already been rolled away.
And in the tomb – no Jesus. Instead, they find a young man in a white robe,
Who tells them not to be alarmed.
But of course they are alarmed, and more so by the absence of Jesus’ body.
The young man speaks good news to them – the best news imaginable –
He has been raised, he is not here.
And yet those women, in that moment, simply couldn’t take in the news.
It didn’t make any sense because it contrasted so sharply with their current situation.
Their friend was dead, the disciples are in hiding, and now the body is gone.
There is no good news yet for these women.
And they flee – because in their trauma they simply can’t yet see the light.
This story resonated with me for this particular Easter Sunday.
While this is our second pandemic Easter,
This year feels particularly heavy.
Maybe because we’ve been doing it for so long.
Maybe because there are so many dead.
Maybe because we’ve just started a fresh lockdown.
But it doesn’t really feel like Easter – there’s too much darkness.
Intellectually and spiritually I know that Jesus’ resurrection divides all of history
Into a ‘before’ and an ‘after’.
We belong to the ‘after’.
We are people of the resurrection, and we know that Jesus lives.
But like those women at the tomb on the first Easter morning,
It can take time for our awareness of resurrection to develop.
We can’t always see new life when it arises.
Even if our eyes are primed for resurrection.
Sometimes, our eyes have grown accustomed to the dark,
And the light hurts them.
Sometimes, it takes a lot of conversation with other Christians for us to see the light.
Sometimes, we just have to wait for God to reveal to us what we had not seen before.
In other words, it can take time to perceive resurrection.
The women at the tomb must have eventually told the others what they had seen.
And together, they began to sort through what Jesus had said about life and death,
And it all began to make sense to them.
But it takes time.
Healing from trauma takes time.
My prayer for all of us this Easter Sunday is that we will feel the quiet and powerful joy
That comes with new life.
May we begin to perceive new life forming even in the darkness.
That is, after all, where growth happens.
And when we are ready, may we peer into the light
And see the resurrected Christ standing before us in all his risen Glory.
Happy Easter, my friends.
He is risen!
A Prayer for the Week,
Risen Lord, we gather in your name and in celebration of your resurrection. On this day, we are filled with joy that you have begun something new in us and in the world. Give us eyes to see what you are doing, so that our joy may grow. You are the source of all things, and we turn to you in hope and in confidence that our glimpses of resurrection will blossom into full-blown experiences with the Risen Jesus Christ. Our lives and our world have been locked in darkness, and now we seek light. Remind us, O Lord, that you are present in times of trouble and danger as much as you are present in times of joy and celebration. Watch over our little flock – we continue to pray for Joe and Isobel. Keep us all safe, we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Readings.
Monday, April 5, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Genesis 1:1-19; 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
Tuesday, April 6, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Genesis 1:20-2:4a; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Wednesday, April 7, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Song of Solomon 3:1-11; Mark 16:1-8
Thursday, April 8, 2021: Psalm 133; Daniel 1:1-21; Acts 2:42-47
Friday, April 9, 2021: Psalm 133; Daniel 2:1-23; Acts 4:23-31
Saturday, April 10, 2021: Psalm 133; Daniel 2:24-49; John 12:44-50
Sermon - March 28 2021
This is the beginning of Holy Week. Normally, we would be together to celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, to share a meal on Maundy Thursday, to mourn at the foot of the cross on Friday. This year is different, and we walk through this holy time separately. We are, however, together on this journey. In this service of worship, we will walk together through Palm Sunday toward Good Friday.
Mark 11
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 15 (selected verses)
The Crucifixion of Jesus
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
The Death of Jesus
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
I always imagine that it was a bit of a carnival feeling –
That sense just before a holiday that something exciting is about to happen.
There were children and families milling about –
The Lord had come to town, riding on a donkey.
There was a sense of hope, perhaps a feeling we might compare to the first heady days of spring when we can first take off our jackets and spot crocuses popping up –
There is a sense of excitement.
And perhaps a little danger.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the people are standing right at the edge of hope.
They are desperate for change, and it’s clear that something important is occurring.
What they don’t know is that their hopes will be dashed.
Some of the crowd will change allegiances,
The disciples will betray,
The week will end in blood.
Some of you might remember the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar”
It is loosely based on the gospel account of Jesus’ last days.
This 1970’s rock opera was widely criticized when it came out
Because it ended with the death of Jesus – not with the resurrection.
I don’t know why it doesn’t get to the resurrection.
But it reminds us that on Good Friday, there is a pause unlike any other
When we dwell, however temporarily, in the dark and despair of death.
On that day, God held God’s breath,
And the world waited in darkness, all hope lost.
All hope was lost for the disciples that day – Jesus was dead.
Whatever he had said to them about returning or coming back to life was forgotten.
You and I see things from another perspective.
We live post-resurrection – we’ll never again live in a world in which resurrection isn’t a reality.
We know the rest of the story,
And so we can put our toe into the inky blackness and sadness of this story,
Knowing that Easter is coming.
The story doesn’t end here.
We’ve been on a roller-coaster of hope recently.
We are teased by early signs of spring,
Only to be chased away by wintry winds.
Many of us are now vaccinated,
But it doesn’t seem to increase our mobility or our contacts.
We hear good news about the virus,
And the next day the numbers are up again.
Hope, disappointment, hope, disappointment.
And yet, our hope always outshines our disappointment.
We are an Easter people.
This means that we stand on the edge of hope,
Knowing that this week will end with resurrection.
Knowing that Christ’s death set in motion radical change in the world.
Knowing that he lives even as we mourn his death.
We mourn as those who have hope!
As we grieve Christ’s death, we grieve other losses in our lives –
Deaths, illnesses, broken relationships, lost jobs.
Let us lay our grief, sadness, anger, frustration and confusion at the foot of the cross.
And let’s wait……for Sunday.
I want to leave you with an image from CNN – a reporter standing by a cross
Somewhere in Alabama.
The tornadoes flattened the whole neighbourhood.
But still, in the midst of all the wreckage and chaos,
The cross remains standing.
Even the purple cloth remains in place.
In the midst of it all, God remains.
God weeps.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of Night and Day, we give thanks this week for the gift of your Son, for every battle he fought and every argument he won. We go with him through this journey of Holy Week, from victory to disgrace, and then beyond victory. We pray for those who are suffering. We pray for our losses. We ask that you will give us hope, this Holy Week, that Easter is coming. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
In lieu of a daily reading this week, read the Gospel of Mark from beginning to end.
Mark 11
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 15 (selected verses)
The Crucifixion of Jesus
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
The Death of Jesus
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
I always imagine that it was a bit of a carnival feeling –
That sense just before a holiday that something exciting is about to happen.
There were children and families milling about –
The Lord had come to town, riding on a donkey.
There was a sense of hope, perhaps a feeling we might compare to the first heady days of spring when we can first take off our jackets and spot crocuses popping up –
There is a sense of excitement.
And perhaps a little danger.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the people are standing right at the edge of hope.
They are desperate for change, and it’s clear that something important is occurring.
What they don’t know is that their hopes will be dashed.
Some of the crowd will change allegiances,
The disciples will betray,
The week will end in blood.
Some of you might remember the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar”
It is loosely based on the gospel account of Jesus’ last days.
This 1970’s rock opera was widely criticized when it came out
Because it ended with the death of Jesus – not with the resurrection.
I don’t know why it doesn’t get to the resurrection.
But it reminds us that on Good Friday, there is a pause unlike any other
When we dwell, however temporarily, in the dark and despair of death.
On that day, God held God’s breath,
And the world waited in darkness, all hope lost.
All hope was lost for the disciples that day – Jesus was dead.
Whatever he had said to them about returning or coming back to life was forgotten.
You and I see things from another perspective.
We live post-resurrection – we’ll never again live in a world in which resurrection isn’t a reality.
We know the rest of the story,
And so we can put our toe into the inky blackness and sadness of this story,
Knowing that Easter is coming.
The story doesn’t end here.
We’ve been on a roller-coaster of hope recently.
We are teased by early signs of spring,
Only to be chased away by wintry winds.
Many of us are now vaccinated,
But it doesn’t seem to increase our mobility or our contacts.
We hear good news about the virus,
And the next day the numbers are up again.
Hope, disappointment, hope, disappointment.
And yet, our hope always outshines our disappointment.
We are an Easter people.
This means that we stand on the edge of hope,
Knowing that this week will end with resurrection.
Knowing that Christ’s death set in motion radical change in the world.
Knowing that he lives even as we mourn his death.
We mourn as those who have hope!
As we grieve Christ’s death, we grieve other losses in our lives –
Deaths, illnesses, broken relationships, lost jobs.
Let us lay our grief, sadness, anger, frustration and confusion at the foot of the cross.
And let’s wait……for Sunday.
I want to leave you with an image from CNN – a reporter standing by a cross
Somewhere in Alabama.
The tornadoes flattened the whole neighbourhood.
But still, in the midst of all the wreckage and chaos,
The cross remains standing.
Even the purple cloth remains in place.
In the midst of it all, God remains.
God weeps.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of Night and Day, we give thanks this week for the gift of your Son, for every battle he fought and every argument he won. We go with him through this journey of Holy Week, from victory to disgrace, and then beyond victory. We pray for those who are suffering. We pray for our losses. We ask that you will give us hope, this Holy Week, that Easter is coming. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
In lieu of a daily reading this week, read the Gospel of Mark from beginning to end.
Sermon - March 21 2021
Psalm 100
1Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
3Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
1 Thessalonians 5: 12-24
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
I bought my daughter Ella a little journal this week.
It’s a gratitude journal, and it has three spaces on each day
For her to write down what she is grateful for, along with some other exercises.
The other day, I asked her why she had left the three spaces blank.
“Don’t you have anything to be grateful for?”
“Yes,” she replied “I have so many things to be thankful for that I couldn’t choose.”
The apostle Paul tells us to give thanks, whatever the circumstances.
It’s amazing the benefits to having an attitude of gratitude.
When we focus on what we are grateful for,
We become aware of even more things for which we can be grateful.
I’m feeling grateful this week. This pandemic has taught me about gratitude.
About all the small but important things that keep me safe and comfortable.
When I think about all that I have, it also makes me remember how little others have.
Today, I am grateful that my sister-in-law, Liat, is home from the hospital after major cancer surgery. She has been through a lot, but she is now through the worst.
Today, I am grateful that Ella and I are having a girls night away in a hotel. We’ve got nail polish and face masks. How amazing that I get a chance to hang out with my beautiful daughter!
Today, I am grateful for my baptism. For all the people that have been important in my life of faith. I am grateful for all of you, with whom I do ministry. I’m thankful for those whose work keeps the church going at such a time as this.
Today, I am grateful for my home. For soft fluffy bedding, for the tulips unfolding and bending on the dining table. For warmth, for a fridge full of food, for abundant water that flows out of the taps.
Today, I am grateful that I have a stack of new books to read which will help me with my project about Indigenous-Settler reconciliation in worship.
It’s kind of random list, and some of them seem quite silly, but I wanted to share with you some of the things that are happening in my life which lead to gratitude. There are many more things I could add to the list, because I feel that God has filled my every need even during such a difficult time.
I invite you into a time of prayer:
Take 10-15 minutes, put on some music,
And let you mind wander across the last few days.
What are you grateful for this week?
What has God accomplished in your life this week?
What do you hope for the week to come?
Let us come before God with hearts full of love and gratitude.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, we come before you with gratitude. We are grateful for all the good things you have put in our lives – thank you that we have enough – enough food, enough love, enough grace. We pray for those who don’t have enough – those who are hungry, tired, sad, sore. This week, loving God, we especially pray for North Americans of Asian descent, for an end to the hatred and attacks they are experiencing as a community. In this week, may we see clearly the needs of others, and respond however we can. As our gratitude grows, gracious God, may we find the words to express it to you, We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, March 22, 2021: Psalm 119:9-16; Isaiah 43:8-13; 2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Tuesday, March 23, 2021: Psalm 119:9-16; Isaiah 44:1-8; Acts 2:14-24
Wednesday, March 24, 2021: Psalm 119:9-16; Haggai 2:1-9, 20-23; John 12:34-50
Thursday, March 25, 2021: Annunciation of the Lord
Thursday, March 25, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Philippians 2:1-11
Friday, March 26, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Jeremiah 33:1-9; Philippians 2:12-18
Saturday, March 27, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Jeremiah 33:10-16; Mark 10:32-34, 46-52
1Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
3Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
1 Thessalonians 5: 12-24
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
I bought my daughter Ella a little journal this week.
It’s a gratitude journal, and it has three spaces on each day
For her to write down what she is grateful for, along with some other exercises.
The other day, I asked her why she had left the three spaces blank.
“Don’t you have anything to be grateful for?”
“Yes,” she replied “I have so many things to be thankful for that I couldn’t choose.”
The apostle Paul tells us to give thanks, whatever the circumstances.
It’s amazing the benefits to having an attitude of gratitude.
When we focus on what we are grateful for,
We become aware of even more things for which we can be grateful.
I’m feeling grateful this week. This pandemic has taught me about gratitude.
About all the small but important things that keep me safe and comfortable.
When I think about all that I have, it also makes me remember how little others have.
Today, I am grateful that my sister-in-law, Liat, is home from the hospital after major cancer surgery. She has been through a lot, but she is now through the worst.
Today, I am grateful that Ella and I are having a girls night away in a hotel. We’ve got nail polish and face masks. How amazing that I get a chance to hang out with my beautiful daughter!
Today, I am grateful for my baptism. For all the people that have been important in my life of faith. I am grateful for all of you, with whom I do ministry. I’m thankful for those whose work keeps the church going at such a time as this.
Today, I am grateful for my home. For soft fluffy bedding, for the tulips unfolding and bending on the dining table. For warmth, for a fridge full of food, for abundant water that flows out of the taps.
Today, I am grateful that I have a stack of new books to read which will help me with my project about Indigenous-Settler reconciliation in worship.
It’s kind of random list, and some of them seem quite silly, but I wanted to share with you some of the things that are happening in my life which lead to gratitude. There are many more things I could add to the list, because I feel that God has filled my every need even during such a difficult time.
I invite you into a time of prayer:
Take 10-15 minutes, put on some music,
And let you mind wander across the last few days.
What are you grateful for this week?
What has God accomplished in your life this week?
What do you hope for the week to come?
Let us come before God with hearts full of love and gratitude.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God, we come before you with gratitude. We are grateful for all the good things you have put in our lives – thank you that we have enough – enough food, enough love, enough grace. We pray for those who don’t have enough – those who are hungry, tired, sad, sore. This week, loving God, we especially pray for North Americans of Asian descent, for an end to the hatred and attacks they are experiencing as a community. In this week, may we see clearly the needs of others, and respond however we can. As our gratitude grows, gracious God, may we find the words to express it to you, We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, March 22, 2021: Psalm 119:9-16; Isaiah 43:8-13; 2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Tuesday, March 23, 2021: Psalm 119:9-16; Isaiah 44:1-8; Acts 2:14-24
Wednesday, March 24, 2021: Psalm 119:9-16; Haggai 2:1-9, 20-23; John 12:34-50
Thursday, March 25, 2021: Annunciation of the Lord
Thursday, March 25, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Philippians 2:1-11
Friday, March 26, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Jeremiah 33:1-9; Philippians 2:12-18
Saturday, March 27, 2021: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Jeremiah 33:10-16; Mark 10:32-34, 46-52
Sermon - March 14 2021
John 3:14-21
14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
It's been a whole year since this pandemic began.
This week, people have been reminiscing about the last ‘normal’ thing they did
Before Covid hit last March.
Life doesn’t feel normal anymore.
I guess we’ve arrived at a new normal, or at least a temporary-normal.
Because this is temporary.
While we will see fallout from this pandemic lasting for years in the social and economic spheres, we will see a return to something like normal eventually.
On this Pandemic Anniversary, however, perhaps we need to do some grieving and lamenting
Before we can get to hope.
The Bible tells us that God listens to us, even when we are sad or angry.
Just like the psalmists, we are free to raise our voices in compliant
About the way things are and the way things should be.
God welcomes us, no matter our state of mind.
We are free to bring our questions –
God, why are you letting this happen?
God, are you doing anything at all?
God, why have so many died?
God, are you going to end this?
None of these questions are answerable, but we can ask them anyway.
We bring our tears for those things we have lost:
Our freedom of movement,
Our easiness about going about our daily activities
A feeling of safety in public and in our churches
We have lost our time together.
And that is one of the harshest losses of all.
Some have lost jobs, or lost income.
Some have lost confidence in themselves.
This has been a time of great loss.
And we should mourn that loss – we are free to cry out to God, to raise our voices,
To let tears flow down our faces.
It is ok to be sad, and frustrated about so many losses.
I believe that God is also sad to see God’s people suffering.
God opens his arms to us, and we are glad to be safe in those arms.
There seems no better scripture passage for today than John 3:16
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
No matter what happens, we have this gift of Jesus.
God loves us – the whole world – so much,
That he came into the world to live in it with us.
Jesus didn’t come to tell us we are all bad people,
Jesus came to save.
And so, even in the midst of this never-ending pandemic,
We have the best news there is.
God loves us.
He sent us his son to show us just how much.
God sends the Holy Spirit to make sure that we are a community even when we are apart.
If only you knew how many people are thinking about you,
And concerned about you.
You are important. You are loved.
May God bless you as you continue on this pandemic road.
May you find blessing in unexpected places.
May you find small beacons of hope – because the way it is today is NOT the way it will always be. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous, loving God. We come to you on this pandemic anniversary weary and tired. We lift up our voices in lament for the things we have lost, and for the people the world has lost. Our lament comes because we trust you, and we believe that you listen to us and care for us. Hear our grief. Hear our sadness. We come to you also in hope, because you have shown through your Son that good things are possible. There is life beyond what we know, there is hope beyond what we can feel. Give special blessing to Isobel and Joe – may they find rest and peace. We are grateful for the emerging spring. Stay near us, Lord. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, March 15, 2021: Psalm 107:1-16; Exodus 15:22-27; Hebrews 3:1-6
Tuesday, March 16, 2021: Psalm 107:1-16; Numbers 20:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13
Wednesday, March 17, 2021: Psalm 107:1-16; Isaiah 60:15-22; John 8:12-20
Thursday, March 18, 2021: Psalm 51:1-12; Isaiah 30:15-18; Hebrews 4:1-13
Friday, March 19, 2021: Psalm 51:1-12; Exodus 30:1-10; Hebrews 4:14-5:4
Saturday, March 20, 2021: Psalm 51:1-12; Habakkuk 3:2-13; John 12:1-11
14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
It's been a whole year since this pandemic began.
This week, people have been reminiscing about the last ‘normal’ thing they did
Before Covid hit last March.
Life doesn’t feel normal anymore.
I guess we’ve arrived at a new normal, or at least a temporary-normal.
Because this is temporary.
While we will see fallout from this pandemic lasting for years in the social and economic spheres, we will see a return to something like normal eventually.
On this Pandemic Anniversary, however, perhaps we need to do some grieving and lamenting
Before we can get to hope.
The Bible tells us that God listens to us, even when we are sad or angry.
Just like the psalmists, we are free to raise our voices in compliant
About the way things are and the way things should be.
God welcomes us, no matter our state of mind.
We are free to bring our questions –
God, why are you letting this happen?
God, are you doing anything at all?
God, why have so many died?
God, are you going to end this?
None of these questions are answerable, but we can ask them anyway.
We bring our tears for those things we have lost:
Our freedom of movement,
Our easiness about going about our daily activities
A feeling of safety in public and in our churches
We have lost our time together.
And that is one of the harshest losses of all.
Some have lost jobs, or lost income.
Some have lost confidence in themselves.
This has been a time of great loss.
And we should mourn that loss – we are free to cry out to God, to raise our voices,
To let tears flow down our faces.
It is ok to be sad, and frustrated about so many losses.
I believe that God is also sad to see God’s people suffering.
God opens his arms to us, and we are glad to be safe in those arms.
There seems no better scripture passage for today than John 3:16
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
No matter what happens, we have this gift of Jesus.
God loves us – the whole world – so much,
That he came into the world to live in it with us.
Jesus didn’t come to tell us we are all bad people,
Jesus came to save.
And so, even in the midst of this never-ending pandemic,
We have the best news there is.
God loves us.
He sent us his son to show us just how much.
God sends the Holy Spirit to make sure that we are a community even when we are apart.
If only you knew how many people are thinking about you,
And concerned about you.
You are important. You are loved.
May God bless you as you continue on this pandemic road.
May you find blessing in unexpected places.
May you find small beacons of hope – because the way it is today is NOT the way it will always be. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous, loving God. We come to you on this pandemic anniversary weary and tired. We lift up our voices in lament for the things we have lost, and for the people the world has lost. Our lament comes because we trust you, and we believe that you listen to us and care for us. Hear our grief. Hear our sadness. We come to you also in hope, because you have shown through your Son that good things are possible. There is life beyond what we know, there is hope beyond what we can feel. Give special blessing to Isobel and Joe – may they find rest and peace. We are grateful for the emerging spring. Stay near us, Lord. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, March 15, 2021: Psalm 107:1-16; Exodus 15:22-27; Hebrews 3:1-6
Tuesday, March 16, 2021: Psalm 107:1-16; Numbers 20:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13
Wednesday, March 17, 2021: Psalm 107:1-16; Isaiah 60:15-22; John 8:12-20
Thursday, March 18, 2021: Psalm 51:1-12; Isaiah 30:15-18; Hebrews 4:1-13
Friday, March 19, 2021: Psalm 51:1-12; Exodus 30:1-10; Hebrews 4:14-5:4
Saturday, March 20, 2021: Psalm 51:1-12; Habakkuk 3:2-13; John 12:1-11
Sermon - March 7 2021
2 Chronicles 20:1-22
After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; already they are at Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was afraid; he set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the towns of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand are power and might, so that no one is able to withstand you. Did you not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? They have lived in it, and in it have built you a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before you, for your name is in this house, and cry to you in our distress, and you will hear and save.’ See now, the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment upon them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly. He said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this –
It’s an extremely obscure scripture, and one you might not be familiar with.
But I want to tell you a story that explains what this scripture means to me.
In 2006, on Easter Sunday, I was staying at Ronald McDonald house in London.
My son, Sam, was desperately ill, and had been since the beginning of the year.
We had been through so much that year.
And I turned on the television on Easter Sunday morning,
Hoping for an Easter Sunday message.
What I found was a preacher who was using this scripture from 1 Chronicles.
And I thought – what on earth does this have to do with anything?
But I listened anyway, wanting to hear a word of hope.
So what’s going on in this text?
King Jehosphat is about to be attacked, and he is terrified.
He calls the whole community together for prayer,
And begs God to stop the attack from happening.
God’s response is amazing.
God says: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’
Do not fear.
Do not be dismayed.
Stand still and see the victory.
When the preacher I was watching on the television got to this point in the sermon,
He just sat down on a chair.
He was making the point that God calls us to ‘stand still’ in the midst of the battle,
And watch God take the victory.
At that time in my life, this was exactly what I needed to hear.
I couldn’t do anything to fight for Sam’s life – the doctors were doing that.
My job was to stand still, and wait for God to act.
Even though Sam eventually died,
that scripture sustained me through many surgeries and dark days.
What does this mean for us, today?
We are also facing a battle that we are not prepared to fight.
Covid rages around us, and there is very little that we can do.
But I believe that we are seeing God at work.
We have seen God working through this pandemic in the kindness of strangers,
The food and phone calls and support.
The vaccine! I truly believe that the Covid vaccine is a gift from God,
And one of the things we can do is go get the vaccine!
God is at work.
God is present in the midst of the battle.
God is fighting on our behalf.
And God will have the victory.
In the meantime – stand still.
Watch God at work in your life and in the world.
And wait – with peace in your hearts,
Because the God of the universe is in charge. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Almighty and Victorious God,
In this season of Lent we are continuing our battle with Covid. We ask that you will fight against our loneliness and impatience. Fight against this disease God, and protect our communities. Help us to stand still, and see signs of your work in the world. We pray for those who are sick, especially Isobel Gambocz. We ask your blessing on her and Joe – may they find rest and peace in the midst of this time. We are so thankful that we can bring our prayers and concerns to you – and you listen to us, and answer us. Loving God, may we go into this week with a spirit of power rooted in your gentle grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, March 8, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 6:1-4, 21-22; 1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Tuesday, March 9, 2021: Psalm 84; 2 Chronicles 29:1-11, 16-19; Hebrews 9:23-28
Wednesday, March 10, 2021: Psalm 84; Ezra 6:1-16; Mark 11:15-19
Thursday, March 11, 2021: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Genesis 9:8-17; Ephesians 1:3-6
Friday, March 12, 2021: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Daniel 12:5-13; Ephesians 1:7-14
Saturday, March 13, 2021: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Numbers 20:22-29; John 3:1-13
After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; already they are at Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was afraid; he set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the towns of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand are power and might, so that no one is able to withstand you. Did you not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? They have lived in it, and in it have built you a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before you, for your name is in this house, and cry to you in our distress, and you will hear and save.’ See now, the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment upon them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly. He said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this –
It’s an extremely obscure scripture, and one you might not be familiar with.
But I want to tell you a story that explains what this scripture means to me.
In 2006, on Easter Sunday, I was staying at Ronald McDonald house in London.
My son, Sam, was desperately ill, and had been since the beginning of the year.
We had been through so much that year.
And I turned on the television on Easter Sunday morning,
Hoping for an Easter Sunday message.
What I found was a preacher who was using this scripture from 1 Chronicles.
And I thought – what on earth does this have to do with anything?
But I listened anyway, wanting to hear a word of hope.
So what’s going on in this text?
King Jehosphat is about to be attacked, and he is terrified.
He calls the whole community together for prayer,
And begs God to stop the attack from happening.
God’s response is amazing.
God says: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’
Do not fear.
Do not be dismayed.
Stand still and see the victory.
When the preacher I was watching on the television got to this point in the sermon,
He just sat down on a chair.
He was making the point that God calls us to ‘stand still’ in the midst of the battle,
And watch God take the victory.
At that time in my life, this was exactly what I needed to hear.
I couldn’t do anything to fight for Sam’s life – the doctors were doing that.
My job was to stand still, and wait for God to act.
Even though Sam eventually died,
that scripture sustained me through many surgeries and dark days.
What does this mean for us, today?
We are also facing a battle that we are not prepared to fight.
Covid rages around us, and there is very little that we can do.
But I believe that we are seeing God at work.
We have seen God working through this pandemic in the kindness of strangers,
The food and phone calls and support.
The vaccine! I truly believe that the Covid vaccine is a gift from God,
And one of the things we can do is go get the vaccine!
God is at work.
God is present in the midst of the battle.
God is fighting on our behalf.
And God will have the victory.
In the meantime – stand still.
Watch God at work in your life and in the world.
And wait – with peace in your hearts,
Because the God of the universe is in charge. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Almighty and Victorious God,
In this season of Lent we are continuing our battle with Covid. We ask that you will fight against our loneliness and impatience. Fight against this disease God, and protect our communities. Help us to stand still, and see signs of your work in the world. We pray for those who are sick, especially Isobel Gambocz. We ask your blessing on her and Joe – may they find rest and peace in the midst of this time. We are so thankful that we can bring our prayers and concerns to you – and you listen to us, and answer us. Loving God, may we go into this week with a spirit of power rooted in your gentle grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, March 8, 2021: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 6:1-4, 21-22; 1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Tuesday, March 9, 2021: Psalm 84; 2 Chronicles 29:1-11, 16-19; Hebrews 9:23-28
Wednesday, March 10, 2021: Psalm 84; Ezra 6:1-16; Mark 11:15-19
Thursday, March 11, 2021: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Genesis 9:8-17; Ephesians 1:3-6
Friday, March 12, 2021: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Daniel 12:5-13; Ephesians 1:7-14
Saturday, March 13, 2021: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Numbers 20:22-29; John 3:1-13
Sermon - February 28 2021
Norval Presbyterian Church - Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
Service for Sunday February 28, 2021
Scripture Reading - Mark 8:27-38
27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are settng your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Service for Sunday February 28, 2021
Scripture Reading - Mark 8:27-38
27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are settng your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Sermon
When I was a little girl, my brother and I were enrolled in a kids cooking class. One week, my brother was ill, and stayed at home while I went to class. Well that night we were making cupcakes in ice cream cones. And I was given one to take home to my sick brother. My mom picked me up, and we stopped on the way home, and my mother went into a shop. So there I was, sitting in an empty car, unsupervised, with a cupcake. And I thought if I just had one tiny lick of the icing, I would be satisfied. Except the temptation was too great. And I took one more lick, and one more….and soon there was a naked cupcake. I don’t remember what my mother said, or whether my brother ever found out about my apostasy. This silly story has an important lesson – it’s always easier to give in to temptation. We have choice, between taking the hard way or the easy way. Peter was tempted to take the easy road.
When Jesus is wondering aloud to the disciples – Who do folks say that I am? Peter thinks he has the answer – the whole answer. You are the Messiah! Perhaps Peter was imagining that Jesus was an almighty warrior Come to free the people of Galilee from their Roman overlords. Perhaps Peter imagined a swift and easy victory. It’s clear that Peter is partially right – Jesus is the messiah. But Jesus is not the messiah that Peter was expecting. This is made abundantly clear by Jesus’ words to Peter when Peter refuses to acknowledge the possibility of suffering and death. It turns out that Discipleship is a hard road. It involves perseverance, sacrifice, suffering and discomfort. The path that Jesus leads us on is not a comfortable path.
When Jesus asks his disciples ‘Who do you say I am?,’ We find a question that we must also answer. Who is Jesus? It matters that we can articulate an understanding of who Jesus is, Because it is in our understanding of Jesus’ identity that we find our own. We will take a different road of discipleship depending on our definition of Jesus. We might be tempted to stick to, or develop, a theology of Jesus That sees him as a gentle, loving soul without a political bone in his body, Or we could choose to see him as a gentle, loving soul who also fought with every bone in his body to overturn unjust systems. One is the easy way – it is a discipleship of comfort. The other is the hard way. It is a discipleship characterized by discomfort in which we continually search our faith for deeper understanding of Jesus’ identity.
When I was a little girl, my brother and I were enrolled in a kids cooking class. One week, my brother was ill, and stayed at home while I went to class. Well that night we were making cupcakes in ice cream cones. And I was given one to take home to my sick brother. My mom picked me up, and we stopped on the way home, and my mother went into a shop. So there I was, sitting in an empty car, unsupervised, with a cupcake. And I thought if I just had one tiny lick of the icing, I would be satisfied. Except the temptation was too great. And I took one more lick, and one more….and soon there was a naked cupcake. I don’t remember what my mother said, or whether my brother ever found out about my apostasy. This silly story has an important lesson – it’s always easier to give in to temptation. We have choice, between taking the hard way or the easy way. Peter was tempted to take the easy road.
When Jesus is wondering aloud to the disciples – Who do folks say that I am? Peter thinks he has the answer – the whole answer. You are the Messiah! Perhaps Peter was imagining that Jesus was an almighty warrior Come to free the people of Galilee from their Roman overlords. Perhaps Peter imagined a swift and easy victory. It’s clear that Peter is partially right – Jesus is the messiah. But Jesus is not the messiah that Peter was expecting. This is made abundantly clear by Jesus’ words to Peter when Peter refuses to acknowledge the possibility of suffering and death. It turns out that Discipleship is a hard road. It involves perseverance, sacrifice, suffering and discomfort. The path that Jesus leads us on is not a comfortable path.
When Jesus asks his disciples ‘Who do you say I am?,’ We find a question that we must also answer. Who is Jesus? It matters that we can articulate an understanding of who Jesus is, Because it is in our understanding of Jesus’ identity that we find our own. We will take a different road of discipleship depending on our definition of Jesus. We might be tempted to stick to, or develop, a theology of Jesus That sees him as a gentle, loving soul without a political bone in his body, Or we could choose to see him as a gentle, loving soul who also fought with every bone in his body to overturn unjust systems. One is the easy way – it is a discipleship of comfort. The other is the hard way. It is a discipleship characterized by discomfort in which we continually search our faith for deeper understanding of Jesus’ identity.
We might be tempted to just love the Jesus we have always known, When there is far more to understand. We might be tempted to avoid difficult discussions about Jesus’ impact on our behaviour and our ethics. And yet, we are called on this road of discipleship in order to be stretched in both our selfunderstanding and our understanding of who Jesus is.
In this time of Lent, In this pandemic time, I invite you to follow Jesus in a new way. Take some time to think about what you think about Jesus’ identity. And may you find blessing as the holy One draws you close toward him. Amen.
Prayer for the Week
Loving and generous God, we thank you for sending Jesus Christ as a messiah, to save us. In this season of Lent, we ask for grace and blessing as we carry our crosses. We ask also that we will not be tempted to follow the easy way, but to do the hard work of discipleship. May we continue to feel your presence with us in the midst of the pandemic. We pray for those who are ill, especially for Isobel Gombocz. Care for her with your tender care, shelter her and Joe in your wings. Above all, God, we give thanks for your love and care for all of us. Guide us through this week, that we may know the beauty of your peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Reading
Monday, March 1, 2021: Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45; Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 1:8-12
Tuesday, March 2, 2021: Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45; Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-19
Wednesday, March 3, 2021: Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45; Jeremiah 30:12-22; John 12:36-43
Thursday, March 4, 2021: Psalm 19; Exodus 19:1-9a; 1 Peter 2:4-10
Friday, March 5, 2021: Psalm 19; Exodus 19:9b-15; Acts 7:30-40
Saturday, March 6, 2021: Psalm 19; Exodus 19:16-25; Mark 9:2-8
Sermon - February 21 2021
Mark 1:9-15
New Revised Standard Version
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
The gospel of Mark tends to tell stories in short, direct ways.
We know almost nothing from Mark about Jesus’ time in the wilderness.
We do know that immediately after he was baptized,
Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit –
The same Spirit that had just come upon him in his baptism.
We know he was there for 40 days,
We know he was tempted by Satan,
We know he was with the wild beasts,
And we know that angels waited upon him.
We also know that he survived this life event.
But there are so many questions!
Our bible study group this week had a lot of questions about this text:
And sometimes just merely asking questions of a biblical text helps us
To enter more deeply into the story and experience of Jesus.
I wonder whether Jesus was prepared to go into the desert, or whether it was a surprise.
I wonder if he was cold, or hot, or uncomfortable.
What was he wearing?
What does it mean that he was ‘with the wild beasts?’ Did they trouble him? Did they keep him warm?
Was Jesus really tempted, and what tempted him the most?
Who are these angels, and what did they do to care for him?
What did Jesus think about – did he pray? Shiver? Was he afraid?
What did the air smell like?
Did Jesus have to lay his head on rock for his pillow, or did he come equipped with camping gear?
Was he brave?
Did he come to a greater understanding of himself and his ministry?
In what ways did he understand himself to be divine?
How much did he know about his future?
So many questions.
Wilderness is a fitting theme for us these days.
Not only is it the beginning of Lent, but
We have been in a COVID-19 wilderness for almost a year!
We’ve all experienced it in different ways.
For some it has been an intensely negative experience.
Others have found it to be a growing experience.
Either way, we have some idea what it is like to be wandering in the wilderness –
Uncomfortable, and not knowing when we will be rescued.
I’ve been thinking about the folks down in Texas this week.
Freezing cold temperatures which they are totally unprepared for.
Combined with a failure of their water and electricity grid,
They are in a dire mess.
I heard about one man who owns a furniture store –
He allowed people to come in and shelter on all the new furniture.
People are finding ways to help each other, although there is still much to be done.
It is certainly a wilderness – a cold, wet wilderness which must seem without escape.
Perhaps the biggest temptation we face in the wilderness,
In the words of
Is that we might think God is NOT present in the wilderness.
We might think we are alone, that God has abandoned us.
And yet we are not alone.
Not ever, and not for a minute.
Even in the wilderness, God sends angels to tend us.
Who are your angels this week?
The ones who have called you or brought you meals,
Or maybe a spouse or child or partner who has cared for you in some special way.
Perhaps you’ve heard whispers of God’s own voice in your ear.
I pray that you have been visited by angels this week,
And that you feel sustained and prepared for your journey
That will continue, for a while at least, in the wilderness.
May God bless us all in these difficult times. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of comfort and presence, we praise you for sending your son to show us how much we are loved. We thank you for wilderness times, when we have opportunities to learn new skills and new things about ourselves. We ask that you will send your angels to minister to us – especially to those who are ill, including Isobel Gambocz. Tend to her with gentle care. We pray also for the family and friends of Ilean Hancock who died this week, and give thanks for the ways that Margaret and John Foster have cared for her in loving ways. Send your angels to Texas, where there is so much suffering. God, you have given us so much – and we are grateful that we are safe, warm and fed. Make us aware of the needs in our community so that we may be angels to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Weekly Scripture Readings
Monday, February 22, 2021: Psalm 77; Job 4:1-21; Ephesians 2:1-10
Tuesday, February 23, 2021: Psalm 77; Job 5:8-27; 1 Peter 3:8-18a
Wednesday, February 24, 2021: Psalm 77; Proverbs 30:1-9; Matthew 4:1-11
Thursday, February 25, 2021: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18; Romans 3:21-31
Friday, February 26, 2021: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:1-6; Romans 4:1-12
Saturday, February 27, 2021: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:7-15; Mark 8:27-30
New Revised Standard Version
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
The gospel of Mark tends to tell stories in short, direct ways.
We know almost nothing from Mark about Jesus’ time in the wilderness.
We do know that immediately after he was baptized,
Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit –
The same Spirit that had just come upon him in his baptism.
We know he was there for 40 days,
We know he was tempted by Satan,
We know he was with the wild beasts,
And we know that angels waited upon him.
We also know that he survived this life event.
But there are so many questions!
Our bible study group this week had a lot of questions about this text:
And sometimes just merely asking questions of a biblical text helps us
To enter more deeply into the story and experience of Jesus.
I wonder whether Jesus was prepared to go into the desert, or whether it was a surprise.
I wonder if he was cold, or hot, or uncomfortable.
What was he wearing?
What does it mean that he was ‘with the wild beasts?’ Did they trouble him? Did they keep him warm?
Was Jesus really tempted, and what tempted him the most?
Who are these angels, and what did they do to care for him?
What did Jesus think about – did he pray? Shiver? Was he afraid?
What did the air smell like?
Did Jesus have to lay his head on rock for his pillow, or did he come equipped with camping gear?
Was he brave?
Did he come to a greater understanding of himself and his ministry?
In what ways did he understand himself to be divine?
How much did he know about his future?
So many questions.
Wilderness is a fitting theme for us these days.
Not only is it the beginning of Lent, but
We have been in a COVID-19 wilderness for almost a year!
We’ve all experienced it in different ways.
For some it has been an intensely negative experience.
Others have found it to be a growing experience.
Either way, we have some idea what it is like to be wandering in the wilderness –
Uncomfortable, and not knowing when we will be rescued.
I’ve been thinking about the folks down in Texas this week.
Freezing cold temperatures which they are totally unprepared for.
Combined with a failure of their water and electricity grid,
They are in a dire mess.
I heard about one man who owns a furniture store –
He allowed people to come in and shelter on all the new furniture.
People are finding ways to help each other, although there is still much to be done.
It is certainly a wilderness – a cold, wet wilderness which must seem without escape.
Perhaps the biggest temptation we face in the wilderness,
In the words of
Is that we might think God is NOT present in the wilderness.
We might think we are alone, that God has abandoned us.
And yet we are not alone.
Not ever, and not for a minute.
Even in the wilderness, God sends angels to tend us.
Who are your angels this week?
The ones who have called you or brought you meals,
Or maybe a spouse or child or partner who has cared for you in some special way.
Perhaps you’ve heard whispers of God’s own voice in your ear.
I pray that you have been visited by angels this week,
And that you feel sustained and prepared for your journey
That will continue, for a while at least, in the wilderness.
May God bless us all in these difficult times. Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of comfort and presence, we praise you for sending your son to show us how much we are loved. We thank you for wilderness times, when we have opportunities to learn new skills and new things about ourselves. We ask that you will send your angels to minister to us – especially to those who are ill, including Isobel Gambocz. Tend to her with gentle care. We pray also for the family and friends of Ilean Hancock who died this week, and give thanks for the ways that Margaret and John Foster have cared for her in loving ways. Send your angels to Texas, where there is so much suffering. God, you have given us so much – and we are grateful that we are safe, warm and fed. Make us aware of the needs in our community so that we may be angels to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Weekly Scripture Readings
Monday, February 22, 2021: Psalm 77; Job 4:1-21; Ephesians 2:1-10
Tuesday, February 23, 2021: Psalm 77; Job 5:8-27; 1 Peter 3:8-18a
Wednesday, February 24, 2021: Psalm 77; Proverbs 30:1-9; Matthew 4:1-11
Thursday, February 25, 2021: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18; Romans 3:21-31
Friday, February 26, 2021: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:1-6; Romans 4:1-12
Saturday, February 27, 2021: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:7-15; Mark 8:27-30
Sermon - February 14 2021
Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
It might seem strange to talk about Sabbath
In the middle of a pandemic.
We don’t need more rest,
We are unlikely to rush out to do Sunday shopping,
And we can’t go to church.
It might feel like there is no need for a sabbath
When we aren’t doing anything anyway.
And yet this scripture makes it very clear that Sabbath is important.
Not just important, it’s a command from the Lord.
God took a day off, and so must we.
Not only because God says so,
But because God has given us Sabbath as a gift.
It is a gift of rest and peace,
And the Book of Exodus emphasizes that it is intended for everyone.
Not only are we to rest,
But we aren’t to make others work either –
In this case the scripture refers to one’s children, servants, animals,
And any stranger that is dwelling in our midst.
Everyone must take a day off.
Many people find Sabbath-keeping difficult.
Especially in a world where we are judged by our productivity.
It doesn’t feel good to me to take time off
When there is always one more task to be completed and my house is a mess.
I’ve recently joined Twitter,
Which is a social media platform where individuals make short statements
About things that matter to them.
I started following some female Jewish Rabbi’s from New York City.
These Rabbis have awesome things to say about politics, faith and culture.
I have enjoyed paying attention to their comments,
Especially their comments about the Sabbath.
They show an excitement about the Sabbath that is unfamiliar to me.
On Fridays, they spend the day preparing for sundown,
When they light candles and Sabbath begins.
Last week, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg wished her followers “Shabat Shalom”
Which means “Sabbath Peace”
And she said “What if you didn’t need to do any work to be worthy of love?”
What if you didn’t need to do any work to be worthy of love?
This statement completely redefined Sabbath for me.
What if we are loved even if we do no work?
That is the whole point and purpose of Sabbath.
It is a free gift that tells us that we are loved,
So loved that we are free to just be.
To just rest in God’s presence.
I am loved even if I haven’t finished writing my article or cleaned my house.
You are loved even if you did nothing at all today.
What a beautiful message of love and care from God –
You are loved. Exactly as you are.
Not because of what you do or accomplish,
But because you are a beloved child of God.
So I encourage you this week to find some space of intentional sabbath.
This might be a prayer and worship time.
But it might also simply be a time when you let yourself just be loved,
And embraced by God.
May you find rest and peace, in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of mercy and grace, we thank you for giving us Sabbath as a gift. We are sorry for those times that we judge ourselves and others too harshly for what is accomplished. Remind us that we are loved even if we accomplish nothing at all. Rest with us, God – help us find peace. We pray for the continuing effects of the pandemic, and all those who work so hard on the front lines. We remember before you those who are ill and in hospital. We pray for those who are lonely and tired. May we find our joy in you. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, February 15, 2021: Psalm 110:1-4; Exodus 19:7-25; Hebrews 2:1-4
Tuesday, February 16, 2021: Psalm 110:1-4; Job 19:23-27; 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Wednesday, February 17, 2021: Ash Wednesday
Thursday, February 18, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Daniel 9:1-14; 1 John 1:3-10
Friday, February 19, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Daniel 9:15-25a; 2 Timothy 4:1-5
Saturday, February 20, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Psalm 32; Matthew 9:2-13
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
It might seem strange to talk about Sabbath
In the middle of a pandemic.
We don’t need more rest,
We are unlikely to rush out to do Sunday shopping,
And we can’t go to church.
It might feel like there is no need for a sabbath
When we aren’t doing anything anyway.
And yet this scripture makes it very clear that Sabbath is important.
Not just important, it’s a command from the Lord.
God took a day off, and so must we.
Not only because God says so,
But because God has given us Sabbath as a gift.
It is a gift of rest and peace,
And the Book of Exodus emphasizes that it is intended for everyone.
Not only are we to rest,
But we aren’t to make others work either –
In this case the scripture refers to one’s children, servants, animals,
And any stranger that is dwelling in our midst.
Everyone must take a day off.
Many people find Sabbath-keeping difficult.
Especially in a world where we are judged by our productivity.
It doesn’t feel good to me to take time off
When there is always one more task to be completed and my house is a mess.
I’ve recently joined Twitter,
Which is a social media platform where individuals make short statements
About things that matter to them.
I started following some female Jewish Rabbi’s from New York City.
These Rabbis have awesome things to say about politics, faith and culture.
I have enjoyed paying attention to their comments,
Especially their comments about the Sabbath.
They show an excitement about the Sabbath that is unfamiliar to me.
On Fridays, they spend the day preparing for sundown,
When they light candles and Sabbath begins.
Last week, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg wished her followers “Shabat Shalom”
Which means “Sabbath Peace”
And she said “What if you didn’t need to do any work to be worthy of love?”
What if you didn’t need to do any work to be worthy of love?
This statement completely redefined Sabbath for me.
What if we are loved even if we do no work?
That is the whole point and purpose of Sabbath.
It is a free gift that tells us that we are loved,
So loved that we are free to just be.
To just rest in God’s presence.
I am loved even if I haven’t finished writing my article or cleaned my house.
You are loved even if you did nothing at all today.
What a beautiful message of love and care from God –
You are loved. Exactly as you are.
Not because of what you do or accomplish,
But because you are a beloved child of God.
So I encourage you this week to find some space of intentional sabbath.
This might be a prayer and worship time.
But it might also simply be a time when you let yourself just be loved,
And embraced by God.
May you find rest and peace, in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
God of mercy and grace, we thank you for giving us Sabbath as a gift. We are sorry for those times that we judge ourselves and others too harshly for what is accomplished. Remind us that we are loved even if we accomplish nothing at all. Rest with us, God – help us find peace. We pray for the continuing effects of the pandemic, and all those who work so hard on the front lines. We remember before you those who are ill and in hospital. We pray for those who are lonely and tired. May we find our joy in you. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, February 15, 2021: Psalm 110:1-4; Exodus 19:7-25; Hebrews 2:1-4
Tuesday, February 16, 2021: Psalm 110:1-4; Job 19:23-27; 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Wednesday, February 17, 2021: Ash Wednesday
Thursday, February 18, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Daniel 9:1-14; 1 John 1:3-10
Friday, February 19, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Daniel 9:15-25a; 2 Timothy 4:1-5
Saturday, February 20, 2021: Psalm 25:1-10; Psalm 32; Matthew 9:2-13
Sermon - February 7 2021
Sermon - January 31 2021
Mark 1:21-28
21They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
This is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.
He begins by teaching in the synagogue,
Where he is immediately confronted by an ‘unclean spirit’ –
Which recognizes Jesus for exactly who he is – the Holy one of God.
“I know who you are” says the spirit occupying this man.
So Jesus’ public ministry begins as he confronts a painful spirit,
Commands it to be silent, and sends it away from the man.
This event amazes the crowd, and they begin to talk about it –
And Jesus gets more and more famous as the stories spread.
It is very interesting that it’s confrontation that greets Jesus as he begins his ministry.
The gospel writer, Mark, is trying to tell us something about Jesus –
That he has come to confront the forces of death and evil and suffering,
And there is no contest about who will prevail.
When you and I are confronted with death and evil and suffering,
There is no contest about who will prevail.
Jesus is paying attention, and ready to fight our battles.
This week, I invite us to bring our broken places to Jesus,
So that Jesus can encounter our suffering with holy touch.
Jesus can speak out against the spirits that haunt us.
I think that mid-winter, mid-pandemic is good time to talk about mental health.
We don’t talk about this very much, for a lot of reasons.
Maybe we were raised to think it was not ok to talk about it.
Maybe we are too ashamed.
I think it is important to talk about it –
Especially during the crushing weight of this pandemic.
This past week was Bell “Let’s Talk” Day, a day when various media outlets and celebrities
Share stories about people’s struggles and victories with mental health.
Some of my friends on Facebook were brave enough to talk about their experiences.
I want to share with you that I have dealt with depression for years.
I take my medication, and I practice good mental health hygeine, such as regular appointments with a therapist, making sure I get enough sunshine, and enough sleep.
Most of the time I am ok. And I know that I can reach out to others for help.
If any of you are suffering right now, I want to encourage you to get help.
There is no shame in it at all. If you broke your arm, I’d tell you to call your doctor.
If you are feeling depressed or anxious, call your doctor.
And call upon Jesus. Not only does Jesus confront every spirit and pain that hurts us,
He is right beside us as we are hurting.
Jesus is paying attention to what is happening with us –
He knows us inside and out,
And we are never alone.
We can be sure that Jesus is fighting our battles,
Urging us on toward good mental and physical health.
God is still at work, casting out the unclean spirits of the world.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God,
You have fought every battle, and won every victory. We thank you for these stories about your life that tell us about how you protect and love us. Help us to be aware of your presence with us. We pray this week for those who suffer with mental illness, especially in the midst of the pandemic. If we can help someone, help us to find the right words. Loving God, we continue to pray for an end to this pandemic and isolation. We give thanks that your message is being spread far and wide, so your ministry is successful even when we are not able to worship together. Keep us safe and healthy, Lord we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Sunday, January 31, 2021: Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Monday, February 1, 2021: Psalm 35:1-10; Numbers 22:1-21; Acts 21:17-26
Tuesday, February 2, 2021: Psalm 35:1-10; Numbers 22:22-28; 1 Corinthians 7:32-40
Wednesday, February 3, 2021: Psalm 35:1-10; Jeremiah 29:1-14; Mark 5:1-20
Thursday, February 4, 2021: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Proverbs 12:10-21; Galatians 5:2-15
Friday, February 5, 2021: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Job 36:1-23; 1 Corinthians 9:1-16
Saturday, February 6, 2021: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Isaiah 46:1-13; Matthew 12:9-14
21They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
This is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.
He begins by teaching in the synagogue,
Where he is immediately confronted by an ‘unclean spirit’ –
Which recognizes Jesus for exactly who he is – the Holy one of God.
“I know who you are” says the spirit occupying this man.
So Jesus’ public ministry begins as he confronts a painful spirit,
Commands it to be silent, and sends it away from the man.
This event amazes the crowd, and they begin to talk about it –
And Jesus gets more and more famous as the stories spread.
It is very interesting that it’s confrontation that greets Jesus as he begins his ministry.
The gospel writer, Mark, is trying to tell us something about Jesus –
That he has come to confront the forces of death and evil and suffering,
And there is no contest about who will prevail.
When you and I are confronted with death and evil and suffering,
There is no contest about who will prevail.
Jesus is paying attention, and ready to fight our battles.
This week, I invite us to bring our broken places to Jesus,
So that Jesus can encounter our suffering with holy touch.
Jesus can speak out against the spirits that haunt us.
I think that mid-winter, mid-pandemic is good time to talk about mental health.
We don’t talk about this very much, for a lot of reasons.
Maybe we were raised to think it was not ok to talk about it.
Maybe we are too ashamed.
I think it is important to talk about it –
Especially during the crushing weight of this pandemic.
This past week was Bell “Let’s Talk” Day, a day when various media outlets and celebrities
Share stories about people’s struggles and victories with mental health.
Some of my friends on Facebook were brave enough to talk about their experiences.
I want to share with you that I have dealt with depression for years.
I take my medication, and I practice good mental health hygeine, such as regular appointments with a therapist, making sure I get enough sunshine, and enough sleep.
Most of the time I am ok. And I know that I can reach out to others for help.
If any of you are suffering right now, I want to encourage you to get help.
There is no shame in it at all. If you broke your arm, I’d tell you to call your doctor.
If you are feeling depressed or anxious, call your doctor.
And call upon Jesus. Not only does Jesus confront every spirit and pain that hurts us,
He is right beside us as we are hurting.
Jesus is paying attention to what is happening with us –
He knows us inside and out,
And we are never alone.
We can be sure that Jesus is fighting our battles,
Urging us on toward good mental and physical health.
God is still at work, casting out the unclean spirits of the world.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Week
Generous God,
You have fought every battle, and won every victory. We thank you for these stories about your life that tell us about how you protect and love us. Help us to be aware of your presence with us. We pray this week for those who suffer with mental illness, especially in the midst of the pandemic. If we can help someone, help us to find the right words. Loving God, we continue to pray for an end to this pandemic and isolation. We give thanks that your message is being spread far and wide, so your ministry is successful even when we are not able to worship together. Keep us safe and healthy, Lord we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Sunday, January 31, 2021: Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Monday, February 1, 2021: Psalm 35:1-10; Numbers 22:1-21; Acts 21:17-26
Tuesday, February 2, 2021: Psalm 35:1-10; Numbers 22:22-28; 1 Corinthians 7:32-40
Wednesday, February 3, 2021: Psalm 35:1-10; Jeremiah 29:1-14; Mark 5:1-20
Thursday, February 4, 2021: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Proverbs 12:10-21; Galatians 5:2-15
Friday, February 5, 2021: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Job 36:1-23; 1 Corinthians 9:1-16
Saturday, February 6, 2021: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; Isaiah 46:1-13; Matthew 12:9-14
Sermon - January 23 2021
This is the day that the Lord has made!
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Psalm 30
1I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
3O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
4Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
5For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
6As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
7By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
8To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication:
9“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!”
11You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
If you were watching Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ inauguration this week,
You will have heard Amanda Goreman – the young African American poet.
She stole the show.
Her beautiful words perfectly captured the mood of the US right now.
“Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”
It reminded me that we need to reclaim poetry
As a language of liberation and resistance.
That is, poetry finds ways to put into words those things that we struggle to speak out loud.
It names our hopes, and dreams and fears.
This is exactly what biblical poetry does – like Psalm 30.
This psalm announces to all who hear it
The fact that God is in charge.
Not only that, but God works in a particular way to bring new life.
As Joe Biden quoted Psalm 30 in his inaugural speech,
“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
We know all about weeping.
We have suffered this huge collective trauma – because of coronavirus, because of an abusive president who might not belong to our nation but certainly has affected us.
400 000 dead in the United States alone – many, many dead in Canada.
We’ve suffered loneliness and fear.
While our faith community has stayed relatively healthy, it has come at great cost –
How tiring and how lonely it has been and it’s not over yet.
This psalm, with its promise of joy, might seem premature, or tone deaf to our current situation.
And yet.
It is the character of our God to bring joy.
We haven’t talked much about joy lately.
I’m teaching a worship course at Knox College right now,
And the class had a conversation about worship and the theology of joy.
The students were pretty much agreed that joy is a significant, if not the most significant, fruit of worship.
In worship, we bring all of our joy in order to encounter God.
And God meets us with joy.
It’s hard to talk about joy at such a time as this.
But the Christian message is very clear – no matter how downtrodden, how much suffering, crisis, chaos – we are invited to be joyful.
We are joyful because God takes off our garments of mourning and clothes us with joy.
Jesus Christ died, and Jesus Christ rose again.
That alone is the source of our joy.
We’re still a long way from Easter, and these weeks are going to be tough.
Let’s not forget that God has planted a seed of joy within us,
And we are invited to nurture this joy – in quiet ways, and grand celebratory ways.
What brings you joy right now? Can you find joy in your soul?
Can we find the joy of Jesus Christ,
Can we find the joy that God has planted in us?
If the joy is buried too deep in your soul right now,
We can try gratitude.
What are you grateful for?
What grace has found you this week?
If you can find neither joy nor gratitude,
Cling to the words of the psalm, and God’s promises.
God will turn our mourning into dancing.
God will remove the garments of pain and replace them with joy.
Let give thanks at all times (even this time)
And in all places (even this place).
In the words of the poet Amanda Goreman,
“There is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it.”
A Prayer for the Week
Almighty and everlasting God, we give you thanks today for the joys that have come in our lifetimes. We ask that you will enable us to be joyful even in the midst of sorrow. May we praise you in all times and places, even when the way is dark. We are grateful for a peaceful week in the United States, and we pray for a wise and generous leadership in the US. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, and we thank you that there have been some small gains this week. Keep us safe and healthy, please God, and those we love. For those we don’t know – those who suffer, we ask for special blessing. Be near us, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 25, 2021: Psalm 46; Genesis 12:1-9; 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
Tuesday, January 26, 2021: Psalm 46; Genesis 45:25-46:7; Acts 5:33-42
Wednesday, January 27, 2021: Psalm 46; Proverbs 8:1-21; Mark 3:13-19a
Thursday, January 28, 2021: Psalm 111; Deuteronomy 3:23-29; Romans 9:6-18
Friday, January 29, 2021: Psalm 111; Deuteronomy 12:28-32; Revelation 2:12-17
Saturday, January 30, 2021: Psalm 111; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Matthew 8:28-9:1
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Psalm 30
1I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
3O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
4Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
5For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
6As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
7By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
8To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication:
9“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!”
11You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
If you were watching Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ inauguration this week,
You will have heard Amanda Goreman – the young African American poet.
She stole the show.
Her beautiful words perfectly captured the mood of the US right now.
“Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”
It reminded me that we need to reclaim poetry
As a language of liberation and resistance.
That is, poetry finds ways to put into words those things that we struggle to speak out loud.
It names our hopes, and dreams and fears.
This is exactly what biblical poetry does – like Psalm 30.
This psalm announces to all who hear it
The fact that God is in charge.
Not only that, but God works in a particular way to bring new life.
As Joe Biden quoted Psalm 30 in his inaugural speech,
“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
We know all about weeping.
We have suffered this huge collective trauma – because of coronavirus, because of an abusive president who might not belong to our nation but certainly has affected us.
400 000 dead in the United States alone – many, many dead in Canada.
We’ve suffered loneliness and fear.
While our faith community has stayed relatively healthy, it has come at great cost –
How tiring and how lonely it has been and it’s not over yet.
This psalm, with its promise of joy, might seem premature, or tone deaf to our current situation.
And yet.
It is the character of our God to bring joy.
We haven’t talked much about joy lately.
I’m teaching a worship course at Knox College right now,
And the class had a conversation about worship and the theology of joy.
The students were pretty much agreed that joy is a significant, if not the most significant, fruit of worship.
In worship, we bring all of our joy in order to encounter God.
And God meets us with joy.
It’s hard to talk about joy at such a time as this.
But the Christian message is very clear – no matter how downtrodden, how much suffering, crisis, chaos – we are invited to be joyful.
We are joyful because God takes off our garments of mourning and clothes us with joy.
Jesus Christ died, and Jesus Christ rose again.
That alone is the source of our joy.
We’re still a long way from Easter, and these weeks are going to be tough.
Let’s not forget that God has planted a seed of joy within us,
And we are invited to nurture this joy – in quiet ways, and grand celebratory ways.
What brings you joy right now? Can you find joy in your soul?
Can we find the joy of Jesus Christ,
Can we find the joy that God has planted in us?
If the joy is buried too deep in your soul right now,
We can try gratitude.
What are you grateful for?
What grace has found you this week?
If you can find neither joy nor gratitude,
Cling to the words of the psalm, and God’s promises.
God will turn our mourning into dancing.
God will remove the garments of pain and replace them with joy.
Let give thanks at all times (even this time)
And in all places (even this place).
In the words of the poet Amanda Goreman,
“There is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it.”
A Prayer for the Week
Almighty and everlasting God, we give you thanks today for the joys that have come in our lifetimes. We ask that you will enable us to be joyful even in the midst of sorrow. May we praise you in all times and places, even when the way is dark. We are grateful for a peaceful week in the United States, and we pray for a wise and generous leadership in the US. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, and we thank you that there have been some small gains this week. Keep us safe and healthy, please God, and those we love. For those we don’t know – those who suffer, we ask for special blessing. Be near us, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 25, 2021: Psalm 46; Genesis 12:1-9; 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
Tuesday, January 26, 2021: Psalm 46; Genesis 45:25-46:7; Acts 5:33-42
Wednesday, January 27, 2021: Psalm 46; Proverbs 8:1-21; Mark 3:13-19a
Thursday, January 28, 2021: Psalm 111; Deuteronomy 3:23-29; Romans 9:6-18
Friday, January 29, 2021: Psalm 111; Deuteronomy 12:28-32; Revelation 2:12-17
Saturday, January 30, 2021: Psalm 111; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Matthew 8:28-9:1
Sermon - January 17 2021
Psalm 139
1O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”
12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.
17How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
I think everyone is tired this week.
I’ve been paying attention to social media,
And noticing that people seem to be particularly weary right now.
As one friend of mine tweeted: “We are deep into the pandemic but something seemed to change this week; people suddenly seem much more stretched and stressed. We made it through the holidays & into 2021 but now... for many, it's getting tougher.”
I don’t know if this has been true for you,
But it has been true for me.
I’m watching the news too much.
It is exhausting to watch the news these days –
Between the tensions in Washington,
And the rapid spread of coronavirus,
We are ever more aware that bad things are happing all around us.
It all seems chaotic, and calls deep themes to mind –
We are dealing with issues of public safety, government accountability, racism and white privilege.
These are big things.
It is no wonder we are tired.
Not to mention being trapped in our homes for months on end,
With little social support.
Is there a word from the Lord that can speak to us today?
Psalm 139 proclaims that God knows us.
Really knows us – inside and out.
Knows what we are thinking, what we are doing.
If we sit down, rise up, go out, stay home, God knows us.
This level of knowledge is only possible because God created us –
The creator has such in-depth understanding of how we work –
Our bodies, our minds our souls.
There is no fear in us that God does not know about.
There is no frustration, or anger, or upset that God does not know about.
How comforting to know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made –
That each hair and freckle is known and beloved.
At the heart of a lot of the media coverage about covid and about the events south of the border,
are questions of identity and value.
Who are you, and why do you matter?
People are claiming to belong to one side or the other –
A lot people are claiming to act on behalf of God.
There has been conversation about which lives matter –
For example, who gets the covid vaccine first? Or Next?
This issue of value is about to get more serious,
As hospitals are forced to make decisions about who gets life-saving treatment, and who doesn’t - because the resources are limited.
This is a very scary reality that has not been faced by our country before.
The psalm speaks a clear word about who matters.
All who are created and known by God –
All are loved, and all are valuable.
While we are confined to our homes, there is not much we can do
Other than pray.
But this psalm should make prayer easier,
Because we recognize that we are so known and loved
That we don’t even have to utter a word – God knows what is within us.
Even though God knows us so completely, let’s try to find words to offer prayer for our world.
Let us pray for doctors and nurses who must choose between terrible options.
Let us pray for politicians who believe that some lives matter more than others.
Let us pray for a smooth transition of power in Washington.
Let us pray for those who feel as though they are not valuable.
We are known.
And we are loved.
All of us.
Amen.
A Prayer
O God, you have searched us and known us. You already know the prayers that lie in our hearts. We thank you for creating us so wonderfully – for intricately designing our bodies and our minds. Lord, we are tired. Life is hard-going right now. We miss each other, we miss our times of worship in the same place. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we will feel connected to others. We pray for the news of the day – for peace in the United States, for an easy rollout of the vaccine, and for an end to the pandemic. For those who are ill, we ask for peace and rest. For those who believe they are not valuable, we ask that you will tell them that they are beloved. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 18, 2021: Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 9:27-10:8; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Tuesday, January 19, 2021: Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 15:10-31; Acts 5:1-11
Wednesday, January 20, 2021: Psalm 86; Genesis 16:1-14; Luke 18:15-17
Thursday, January 21, 2021: Psalm 62:5-12; Jeremiah 19:1-15; Revelation 18:11-20
Friday, January 22, 2021: Psalm 62:5-12; Jeremiah 20:7-13; 2 Peter 3:1-7
Saturday, January 23, 2021: Psalm 62:5-12; Jeremiah 20:14-18; Luke 10:13-16
1O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”
12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.
17How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
I think everyone is tired this week.
I’ve been paying attention to social media,
And noticing that people seem to be particularly weary right now.
As one friend of mine tweeted: “We are deep into the pandemic but something seemed to change this week; people suddenly seem much more stretched and stressed. We made it through the holidays & into 2021 but now... for many, it's getting tougher.”
I don’t know if this has been true for you,
But it has been true for me.
I’m watching the news too much.
It is exhausting to watch the news these days –
Between the tensions in Washington,
And the rapid spread of coronavirus,
We are ever more aware that bad things are happing all around us.
It all seems chaotic, and calls deep themes to mind –
We are dealing with issues of public safety, government accountability, racism and white privilege.
These are big things.
It is no wonder we are tired.
Not to mention being trapped in our homes for months on end,
With little social support.
Is there a word from the Lord that can speak to us today?
Psalm 139 proclaims that God knows us.
Really knows us – inside and out.
Knows what we are thinking, what we are doing.
If we sit down, rise up, go out, stay home, God knows us.
This level of knowledge is only possible because God created us –
The creator has such in-depth understanding of how we work –
Our bodies, our minds our souls.
There is no fear in us that God does not know about.
There is no frustration, or anger, or upset that God does not know about.
How comforting to know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made –
That each hair and freckle is known and beloved.
At the heart of a lot of the media coverage about covid and about the events south of the border,
are questions of identity and value.
Who are you, and why do you matter?
People are claiming to belong to one side or the other –
A lot people are claiming to act on behalf of God.
There has been conversation about which lives matter –
For example, who gets the covid vaccine first? Or Next?
This issue of value is about to get more serious,
As hospitals are forced to make decisions about who gets life-saving treatment, and who doesn’t - because the resources are limited.
This is a very scary reality that has not been faced by our country before.
The psalm speaks a clear word about who matters.
All who are created and known by God –
All are loved, and all are valuable.
While we are confined to our homes, there is not much we can do
Other than pray.
But this psalm should make prayer easier,
Because we recognize that we are so known and loved
That we don’t even have to utter a word – God knows what is within us.
Even though God knows us so completely, let’s try to find words to offer prayer for our world.
Let us pray for doctors and nurses who must choose between terrible options.
Let us pray for politicians who believe that some lives matter more than others.
Let us pray for a smooth transition of power in Washington.
Let us pray for those who feel as though they are not valuable.
We are known.
And we are loved.
All of us.
Amen.
A Prayer
O God, you have searched us and known us. You already know the prayers that lie in our hearts. We thank you for creating us so wonderfully – for intricately designing our bodies and our minds. Lord, we are tired. Life is hard-going right now. We miss each other, we miss our times of worship in the same place. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we will feel connected to others. We pray for the news of the day – for peace in the United States, for an easy rollout of the vaccine, and for an end to the pandemic. For those who are ill, we ask for peace and rest. For those who believe they are not valuable, we ask that you will tell them that they are beloved. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 18, 2021: Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 9:27-10:8; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Tuesday, January 19, 2021: Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 15:10-31; Acts 5:1-11
Wednesday, January 20, 2021: Psalm 86; Genesis 16:1-14; Luke 18:15-17
Thursday, January 21, 2021: Psalm 62:5-12; Jeremiah 19:1-15; Revelation 18:11-20
Friday, January 22, 2021: Psalm 62:5-12; Jeremiah 20:7-13; 2 Peter 3:1-7
Saturday, January 23, 2021: Psalm 62:5-12; Jeremiah 20:14-18; Luke 10:13-16
Sermon - January 10 2021
Mark 1:4-11
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Well, the first week of the new year is over. What a week it has been.
All the preachers I know are struggling to find the right words to preach following such a week.
We have witnessed tides of death related to COVID, and our numbers are rising.
We have also witnessed a stunning example of violent foolishness at the US Capitol.
I don’t need to rehearse those events for you – you’ve watched them on your televisions.
What happened on Wednesday revealed that all systems are flawed.
But it also revealed the depth of the ocean of racial injustice and inequality.
I’ve been paying attention to Facebook and Twitter this week –
It’s been interesting to watch people respond to the riots at the Capitol.
One of the lines of conversation has been about identity –
Americans asking themselves: Is this who we are?
Or more firmly, saying: This is NOT who we are.
While others, even more firmly suggest that indeed, the riots showed Americans exactly who they are. A country divided by race, by class, policy and by caste.
The American national identity has taken a hit this week.
It can no longer claim itself to be an untroubled republic,
nor can it claim to set the gold standard for democracy.
Our American neighbours will struggle for days and months, and years
To come to terms with what has happened to them,
And figure out exactly what their future identity will be.
While the United States might be dealing with identity confusion this week,
Our bible passage offers a lot of clarity around identity, at least when it comes to Jesus.
“You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Jesus knows in this moment exactly to whom he belongs.
He is the Son, the Beloved.
What a wonderful word. Beloved.
Jesus knows that he is beloved of God, and in possession of the Holy Spirit.
Thus equipped, he is ready to begin his public ministry.
There’s lots of good news here for us.
We also are beloved, also filled with Spirit.
That Spirit will protect us in the wilderness.
Even more, it is good news in this passage that Jesus is ready to begin his ministry.
Because Jesus never stopped. His ministry of compassion and affection and justice continues today in every corner of the world.
Including His ministry to us – when we are lonely or scared, indignant or sad, confused or too clear to sleep, Jesus is right beside us.
The Holy Spirit nurtures us.
Thus we know who we are, we know that our identity rests in the triune God.
We are creatures, baptized and beloved by God – claimed by God by name.
In times like these, we must rest on the strength of God,
But we can also rest in the knowledge that we know who we are and whose we are.
Being rooted in our identity as Children of God will help us to weather the storm.
So stand firm. You are loved. Amen.
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Well, the first week of the new year is over. What a week it has been.
All the preachers I know are struggling to find the right words to preach following such a week.
We have witnessed tides of death related to COVID, and our numbers are rising.
We have also witnessed a stunning example of violent foolishness at the US Capitol.
I don’t need to rehearse those events for you – you’ve watched them on your televisions.
What happened on Wednesday revealed that all systems are flawed.
But it also revealed the depth of the ocean of racial injustice and inequality.
I’ve been paying attention to Facebook and Twitter this week –
It’s been interesting to watch people respond to the riots at the Capitol.
One of the lines of conversation has been about identity –
Americans asking themselves: Is this who we are?
Or more firmly, saying: This is NOT who we are.
While others, even more firmly suggest that indeed, the riots showed Americans exactly who they are. A country divided by race, by class, policy and by caste.
The American national identity has taken a hit this week.
It can no longer claim itself to be an untroubled republic,
nor can it claim to set the gold standard for democracy.
Our American neighbours will struggle for days and months, and years
To come to terms with what has happened to them,
And figure out exactly what their future identity will be.
While the United States might be dealing with identity confusion this week,
Our bible passage offers a lot of clarity around identity, at least when it comes to Jesus.
“You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Jesus knows in this moment exactly to whom he belongs.
He is the Son, the Beloved.
What a wonderful word. Beloved.
Jesus knows that he is beloved of God, and in possession of the Holy Spirit.
Thus equipped, he is ready to begin his public ministry.
There’s lots of good news here for us.
We also are beloved, also filled with Spirit.
That Spirit will protect us in the wilderness.
Even more, it is good news in this passage that Jesus is ready to begin his ministry.
Because Jesus never stopped. His ministry of compassion and affection and justice continues today in every corner of the world.
Including His ministry to us – when we are lonely or scared, indignant or sad, confused or too clear to sleep, Jesus is right beside us.
The Holy Spirit nurtures us.
Thus we know who we are, we know that our identity rests in the triune God.
We are creatures, baptized and beloved by God – claimed by God by name.
In times like these, we must rest on the strength of God,
But we can also rest in the knowledge that we know who we are and whose we are.
Being rooted in our identity as Children of God will help us to weather the storm.
So stand firm. You are loved. Amen.
Sermon - January 3 2021
Luke 2: 22-40
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
On Christmas Day, I was looking in a kitchen drawer for something,
And I found a chocolate Easter egg!
What a funny coincidence, to find an Easter egg on Christmas.
And yet, it is impossible to think about Christmas without also thinking about Easter.
The birth, and the death and resurrection of Jesus
Create a whole story – he was born to die and rise up again.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the story of Simeon.
He is a righteous man who has been waiting his entire life
To see the salvation of God.
It’s not clear if Simeon knew what he was waiting for –
But he probably did not expect salvation to come in the form of a tiny helpless infant.
On this day, however, as a young couple with a baby enters the temple,
Simeon knows immediately that this is what he has been waiting for.
This is the singular event that he has waited for his whole life –
Now he can die in peace because God has shown him a plan,
Rooted in this small child born in Bethlehem.
What Simeon saw, however, was not all pleasant.
He saw that Jesus would be a leader who would be opposed.
He saw that a sword would pierce Mary’s soul too –
She would watch her son die.
This visit to the temple must have been especially disturbing for Mary.
Although she knew that her child was special,
I suspect that Simeon’s words lodged in her soul as a kernel of fear
That must have remained throughout Jesus’ teenage and adult years.
The Christmas story has a shadow side.
Jesus was born to die.
The gift of myrhh from the Magi was a gift of spice for burial.
Following Jesus birth was death of all the infant boys in Bethlehem.
Yes, the Christmas story has a shadow side.
Our Christmas this year has had a shadow side.
We’re watching deaths from the coronavirus mount on both sides of the border.
We are tired and lonely and afraid.
And it might feel as though there is a tomb standing right at the heart of our Christmas celebrations.
There is. Jesus’ cross, and tomb are always at the heart of our Christmas celebrations.
Because we are celebrating the whole story.
The tiny boy that was born, grew up, loved, taught, served, died – and rose again.
Let us not forget the resurrection.
At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God came to us, God with us, Emmanuel.
We celebrate the fact that although Jesus died, he did not stay dead.
We celebrate the fact that the baby came for a reason,
To provide hope to a weary world.
So even though the Christmas story has a dark side,
We celebrate the light that overcomes every darkness.
Even if you are not feeling joyful right now,
There is hope.
For God so loved the world that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him,
Shall have eternal life.
This is what we celebrate today. Amen.
A Prayer
God of heaven and God of Bethlehem, God of life and God of death,
You are the source of all things. All of life finds its home in you. We come to you now in celebration of Jesus’ birth. We are grateful for the sign of a new baby. We also see signs of Jesus’ death within his birth, and we thank you for sending him to die for us. Keep us in mind of the resurrection, knowing that however discouraged we are right now, there is light ahead of us. You have done great things for us, and we rejoice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 4, 2021: Psalm 110; Proverbs 3:1-12; James 4:11-17
Tuesday, January 5, 2021: Psalm 110; Proverbs 22:1-9; Luke 6:27-31
Wednesday, January 6, 2021: Epiphany of the Lord
Thursday, January 7, 2021: Psalm 29; 1 Samuel 3:1-21; Acts 9:10-19a
Friday, January 8, 2021: Psalm 29; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Timothy 4:11-16
Saturday, January 9, 2021: Psalm 29 ; 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12; Luke 5:1-11
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
On Christmas Day, I was looking in a kitchen drawer for something,
And I found a chocolate Easter egg!
What a funny coincidence, to find an Easter egg on Christmas.
And yet, it is impossible to think about Christmas without also thinking about Easter.
The birth, and the death and resurrection of Jesus
Create a whole story – he was born to die and rise up again.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the story of Simeon.
He is a righteous man who has been waiting his entire life
To see the salvation of God.
It’s not clear if Simeon knew what he was waiting for –
But he probably did not expect salvation to come in the form of a tiny helpless infant.
On this day, however, as a young couple with a baby enters the temple,
Simeon knows immediately that this is what he has been waiting for.
This is the singular event that he has waited for his whole life –
Now he can die in peace because God has shown him a plan,
Rooted in this small child born in Bethlehem.
What Simeon saw, however, was not all pleasant.
He saw that Jesus would be a leader who would be opposed.
He saw that a sword would pierce Mary’s soul too –
She would watch her son die.
This visit to the temple must have been especially disturbing for Mary.
Although she knew that her child was special,
I suspect that Simeon’s words lodged in her soul as a kernel of fear
That must have remained throughout Jesus’ teenage and adult years.
The Christmas story has a shadow side.
Jesus was born to die.
The gift of myrhh from the Magi was a gift of spice for burial.
Following Jesus birth was death of all the infant boys in Bethlehem.
Yes, the Christmas story has a shadow side.
Our Christmas this year has had a shadow side.
We’re watching deaths from the coronavirus mount on both sides of the border.
We are tired and lonely and afraid.
And it might feel as though there is a tomb standing right at the heart of our Christmas celebrations.
There is. Jesus’ cross, and tomb are always at the heart of our Christmas celebrations.
Because we are celebrating the whole story.
The tiny boy that was born, grew up, loved, taught, served, died – and rose again.
Let us not forget the resurrection.
At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God came to us, God with us, Emmanuel.
We celebrate the fact that although Jesus died, he did not stay dead.
We celebrate the fact that the baby came for a reason,
To provide hope to a weary world.
So even though the Christmas story has a dark side,
We celebrate the light that overcomes every darkness.
Even if you are not feeling joyful right now,
There is hope.
For God so loved the world that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him,
Shall have eternal life.
This is what we celebrate today. Amen.
A Prayer
God of heaven and God of Bethlehem, God of life and God of death,
You are the source of all things. All of life finds its home in you. We come to you now in celebration of Jesus’ birth. We are grateful for the sign of a new baby. We also see signs of Jesus’ death within his birth, and we thank you for sending him to die for us. Keep us in mind of the resurrection, knowing that however discouraged we are right now, there is light ahead of us. You have done great things for us, and we rejoice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 4, 2021: Psalm 110; Proverbs 3:1-12; James 4:11-17
Tuesday, January 5, 2021: Psalm 110; Proverbs 22:1-9; Luke 6:27-31
Wednesday, January 6, 2021: Epiphany of the Lord
Thursday, January 7, 2021: Psalm 29; 1 Samuel 3:1-21; Acts 9:10-19a
Friday, January 8, 2021: Psalm 29; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Timothy 4:11-16
Saturday, January 9, 2021: Psalm 29 ; 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12; Luke 5:1-11
2020 Christmas Worship Service
Christmas Eve 2020
Christmas Eve 2020 Violin
Sermon - December 20 2020
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;[b] and he named him Jesus.
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;[b] and he named him Jesus.
What a year to be born!
You might remember me telling you that my nephew was born at the beginning of March, only 8 days before the coronavirus was deemed a pandemic.
He is a pandemic baby – with very limited contact with other people.
His whole life we will be telling him about the strange year that he was born.
The writer and poet Madeleine L’Engle wrote the following words about Christmas 1973:
(see photo above).
I don’t know what was going on in 1973 – I wasn’t born yet!
But the poet’s words remind us that there is never a good time
To bring life into the world.
Human life is always unstable and always dangerous.
Mary and Joseph lived in a time when childbirth was often deadly,
Just as it is today in many parts of the world.
What a time for them to bring a child into the world, when they were crushed by Rome
And yet, God did.
God did choose to risk becoming human,
To risk being born into a troubled world
To risk childhood illness,
To risk the rollercoaster of puberty
To risk becoming a man who will die a painful and public death –
God risked all of those thing in becoming human
In the body of a tiny baby in Bethlehem.
Love still takes the risk of birth.
On this last Sunday of Advent, we wait.
We wait for Love to born in our midst.
We wait for God to act again to save us.
We wait for a star to shine and remind us that Love is bright and strong.
Things are bad out there. This is a difficult time.
And yet God risks being among us.
Emmanuel, God with us.
God came into the 1st Century in all its danger and messiness,
And God comes to us in the 21st Century-
Even into such a world as this, the son of God comes in all his Glory.
Love still takes the risk of birth.
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
A Prayer
Generous God, you are Love. You risked being born, you risked becoming human, so that you could be close to us. We thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ- the baby, the man, the saviour. Even today, in these dark and difficult times, you are with us and among us. We are tired and afraid and lonely. Send the light of your love into our hearts, so that we might discover joy even in the midst of difficulty. Be with those who are suffering mental illness or physical illness. Be with those who are particularly lonely and missing loved ones. Be with all of us, tiny babe of Bethlehem. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, December 21, 2020: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 1:1-18; Hebrews 9:1-14
Tuesday, December 22, 2020: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 1:19-28; Hebrews 8:1-13
Wednesday, December 23, 2020: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Mark 11:1-11
Saturday, December 26, 2020: Psalm 148; Jeremiah 26:1-9, 12-15; Acts 6:8-15; 7:51-60
You might remember me telling you that my nephew was born at the beginning of March, only 8 days before the coronavirus was deemed a pandemic.
He is a pandemic baby – with very limited contact with other people.
His whole life we will be telling him about the strange year that he was born.
The writer and poet Madeleine L’Engle wrote the following words about Christmas 1973:
(see photo above).
I don’t know what was going on in 1973 – I wasn’t born yet!
But the poet’s words remind us that there is never a good time
To bring life into the world.
Human life is always unstable and always dangerous.
Mary and Joseph lived in a time when childbirth was often deadly,
Just as it is today in many parts of the world.
What a time for them to bring a child into the world, when they were crushed by Rome
And yet, God did.
God did choose to risk becoming human,
To risk being born into a troubled world
To risk childhood illness,
To risk the rollercoaster of puberty
To risk becoming a man who will die a painful and public death –
God risked all of those thing in becoming human
In the body of a tiny baby in Bethlehem.
Love still takes the risk of birth.
On this last Sunday of Advent, we wait.
We wait for Love to born in our midst.
We wait for God to act again to save us.
We wait for a star to shine and remind us that Love is bright and strong.
Things are bad out there. This is a difficult time.
And yet God risks being among us.
Emmanuel, God with us.
God came into the 1st Century in all its danger and messiness,
And God comes to us in the 21st Century-
Even into such a world as this, the son of God comes in all his Glory.
Love still takes the risk of birth.
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
A Prayer
Generous God, you are Love. You risked being born, you risked becoming human, so that you could be close to us. We thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ- the baby, the man, the saviour. Even today, in these dark and difficult times, you are with us and among us. We are tired and afraid and lonely. Send the light of your love into our hearts, so that we might discover joy even in the midst of difficulty. Be with those who are suffering mental illness or physical illness. Be with those who are particularly lonely and missing loved ones. Be with all of us, tiny babe of Bethlehem. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, December 21, 2020: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 1:1-18; Hebrews 9:1-14
Tuesday, December 22, 2020: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 1:19-28; Hebrews 8:1-13
Wednesday, December 23, 2020: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Mark 11:1-11
Saturday, December 26, 2020: Psalm 148; Jeremiah 26:1-9, 12-15; Acts 6:8-15; 7:51-60
Sermon - December 6 2020
Luke 1: 39-56
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be* a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
46 And Mary* said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
56 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
I wonder what Mary and Elizabeth did all day when they were together?
I’m sure they did household chores. Maybe they got a chance to linger over tea.
And share their concerns and fears and hopes for the future.
Did they get into any of the theological nitty gritty?
Did they talk about angels and surprises?
Did they share their wonderment about their own circumstances?
how did a virgin and an old women manage to become pregnant?
How, and an even bigger question – Why?
Why these babies, at this time, in this place?
When my mother, who we call Amma, is expecting a grandchild,
She starts counting the days all the way down to zero.
Each day of each of my pregnancies, I could call her and she would tell me what day we were on.
This was part of her ritual of waiting.
We all have ways that we wait.
I pace when I’m waiting.
Some people get very productive.
Some people can’t get anything done when they are waiting.
Advent is a time of waiting.
We wait with Mary and Elizabeth for the births of Jesus and John.
We wait for Jesus to return and clean up a messy earth.
We wait for the star to shine over us,
We wait for the good news and the angels song.
We wait.
What shall we do while we wait?
The only thing we can do is prepare and hope
For a time when life will not be like this.
We wait in hope.
And there is light at the end of the tunnel with news of vaccines.
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
And as surely as the days will get shorter, they will get longer again soon.
We wait in hope.
May the Spirit of God fill you with a sense of hope and peace. Amen.
A Prayer
Dearest God, on this second Sunday of Advent, we pray for peace. We pray for peace within ourselves, a sense of quiet and rest. We pray for peace in our world. We give thanks for Mary and Elizabeth, and their sacred waiting. May we wait with quiet expectation and joy. We wait for an end to this coronavirus. We wait for an end to the loneliness. We wait for you to come again into our hearts in the form of a tiny baby who came to save us all. In the baby’s name we pray, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, December 7, 2020: Psalm 27; Isaiah 26:7-15; Acts 2:37-42
Tuesday, December 8, 2020: Psalm 27; Isaiah 4:2-6; Acts 11:1-18
Wednesday, December 9, 2020: Psalm 27; Malachi 2:10-3:1; Luke 1:5-17
Thursday, December 10, 2020: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 2:1-5; Philippians 3:7-11
Friday, December 11, 2020: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 3:2-6; Philippians 3:12-16
Saturday, December 12, 2020: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 3:13-19; Matthew 21:28-32
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be* a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
46 And Mary* said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
56 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
I wonder what Mary and Elizabeth did all day when they were together?
I’m sure they did household chores. Maybe they got a chance to linger over tea.
And share their concerns and fears and hopes for the future.
Did they get into any of the theological nitty gritty?
Did they talk about angels and surprises?
Did they share their wonderment about their own circumstances?
how did a virgin and an old women manage to become pregnant?
How, and an even bigger question – Why?
Why these babies, at this time, in this place?
When my mother, who we call Amma, is expecting a grandchild,
She starts counting the days all the way down to zero.
Each day of each of my pregnancies, I could call her and she would tell me what day we were on.
This was part of her ritual of waiting.
We all have ways that we wait.
I pace when I’m waiting.
Some people get very productive.
Some people can’t get anything done when they are waiting.
Advent is a time of waiting.
We wait with Mary and Elizabeth for the births of Jesus and John.
We wait for Jesus to return and clean up a messy earth.
We wait for the star to shine over us,
We wait for the good news and the angels song.
We wait.
What shall we do while we wait?
The only thing we can do is prepare and hope
For a time when life will not be like this.
We wait in hope.
And there is light at the end of the tunnel with news of vaccines.
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
And as surely as the days will get shorter, they will get longer again soon.
We wait in hope.
May the Spirit of God fill you with a sense of hope and peace. Amen.
A Prayer
Dearest God, on this second Sunday of Advent, we pray for peace. We pray for peace within ourselves, a sense of quiet and rest. We pray for peace in our world. We give thanks for Mary and Elizabeth, and their sacred waiting. May we wait with quiet expectation and joy. We wait for an end to this coronavirus. We wait for an end to the loneliness. We wait for you to come again into our hearts in the form of a tiny baby who came to save us all. In the baby’s name we pray, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, December 7, 2020: Psalm 27; Isaiah 26:7-15; Acts 2:37-42
Tuesday, December 8, 2020: Psalm 27; Isaiah 4:2-6; Acts 11:1-18
Wednesday, December 9, 2020: Psalm 27; Malachi 2:10-3:1; Luke 1:5-17
Thursday, December 10, 2020: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 2:1-5; Philippians 3:7-11
Friday, December 11, 2020: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 3:2-6; Philippians 3:12-16
Saturday, December 12, 2020: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 3:13-19; Matthew 21:28-32
Sermon - November 29 2020
Luke 1.1-25
1Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.
5In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. 8Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” 19The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.” 21Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25“This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”
Luke chooses to begin his story
With the lives of Elizabeth and Zechariah.
They are, of course, the parents of John the Baptist.
Elizabeth and Zechariah are righteous – they follow the law.
They have also had a lot of sadness in their lives,
Because Elizabeth has been unable to have children,
At a time when such a situation was looked on as a disgrace.
They are both from priestly lines of ancestors,
And it is Zechariah’s turn to offer incense to God in the temple.
An angel appears with good news –
Elizabeth will conceive, even at her great age,
And bear a son named John.
This will not be an ordinary child, but one over which many will rejoice.
He will turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous –
Transforming the lives of many people.
Zechariah, understandably, has trouble believing this news,
And because he doesn’t believe this messenger of God,
He is struck speechless, until the day of the child’s birth.
Those who are waiting outside the temple for Zechariah to finish with his offering
Realize immediately that he has had a vision – some kind of divine encounter.
But he remains speechless, and they go home,
And wait for the blessed event to occur.
There are many reasons that Luke begins the story of Jesus’ life
With the life of John the Baptist.
But there is one particular reason I want to pay attention to today.
Elizabeth and Zechariah remind us that Jesus’ birth is rooted
In the tradition of Ancient Israel.
Zechariah means “God remembers”
Elizabeth means “God keeps God’s promises”.
In other words, what we witness in the temple with Elizabeth and Zechariah
Is a reminder that we, along with Luke’s readers,
Are caught in the web of love and care and covenant relationship
That God had with Israel.
The story of Israel becomes our story too –
All the way back to the Spirit of creation that hovered over the waters in the book of Genesis.
We, as followers of Jesus,
Find ourselves within the story of God’s love and care for humankind.
God remembers us.
Just as God remembered Elizabeth and Zechariah.
God gave them the gift of a child,
And that child would grow up to play a very important role in God’s story of salvation.
God remembers us.
Even when we are lacking what we need most.
Even when we are old and tired.
God remembers us.
In this time of COVID, as the winter approaches and we are so miserably caught in the second wave,
God remembers us.
As we begin the season of Advent, we remember that we are connected
To the God of the universe, who has loved God’s people since the beginning of time.
Our hope is born of the fact that God remembers his promises.
And God has promised to be near us, and present with us at all times.
In the lives of two little boys in scripture, the salvation of the world unfolds.
And you are I are included in that story of the salvation –
It is for us
That God sent John to show the way.
It is for us that God sent Jesus Christ into the world as a tiny baby.
God remembers us.
Praise God for that. Amen.
A Prayer
Thank you, gracious God, for including us in your story of salvation. We give thanks for Elizabeth and Zechariah who remind us that we are rooted in the traditions of Israel, and that God’s promises are true for us. Loving God, we are tired of this pandemic. We are waiting for your promises to unfold. Remind us that you are with us at all times and in all places. We pray for those who are struggling with loneliness or mental illness. We pray for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, or those who fear for the lives of their loved ones. Fill us with a sense of hope during this advent season, that the one coming into the world will save us too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 30, 2020: Psalm 79; Micah 4:1-5; Revelation 15:1-8
Tuesday, December 1, 2020: Psalm 79; Micah 4:6-13; Revelation 18:1-10
Wednesday, December 2, 2020: Psalm 79; Micah 5:1-5a; Luke 21:34-38
Thursday, December 3, 2020: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Hosea 6:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
Friday, December 4, 2020: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Acts 11:19-26
Saturday, December 5, 2020: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Mark 11:27-33
1Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.
5In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. 8Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” 19The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.” 21Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25“This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”
Luke chooses to begin his story
With the lives of Elizabeth and Zechariah.
They are, of course, the parents of John the Baptist.
Elizabeth and Zechariah are righteous – they follow the law.
They have also had a lot of sadness in their lives,
Because Elizabeth has been unable to have children,
At a time when such a situation was looked on as a disgrace.
They are both from priestly lines of ancestors,
And it is Zechariah’s turn to offer incense to God in the temple.
An angel appears with good news –
Elizabeth will conceive, even at her great age,
And bear a son named John.
This will not be an ordinary child, but one over which many will rejoice.
He will turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous –
Transforming the lives of many people.
Zechariah, understandably, has trouble believing this news,
And because he doesn’t believe this messenger of God,
He is struck speechless, until the day of the child’s birth.
Those who are waiting outside the temple for Zechariah to finish with his offering
Realize immediately that he has had a vision – some kind of divine encounter.
But he remains speechless, and they go home,
And wait for the blessed event to occur.
There are many reasons that Luke begins the story of Jesus’ life
With the life of John the Baptist.
But there is one particular reason I want to pay attention to today.
Elizabeth and Zechariah remind us that Jesus’ birth is rooted
In the tradition of Ancient Israel.
Zechariah means “God remembers”
Elizabeth means “God keeps God’s promises”.
In other words, what we witness in the temple with Elizabeth and Zechariah
Is a reminder that we, along with Luke’s readers,
Are caught in the web of love and care and covenant relationship
That God had with Israel.
The story of Israel becomes our story too –
All the way back to the Spirit of creation that hovered over the waters in the book of Genesis.
We, as followers of Jesus,
Find ourselves within the story of God’s love and care for humankind.
God remembers us.
Just as God remembered Elizabeth and Zechariah.
God gave them the gift of a child,
And that child would grow up to play a very important role in God’s story of salvation.
God remembers us.
Even when we are lacking what we need most.
Even when we are old and tired.
God remembers us.
In this time of COVID, as the winter approaches and we are so miserably caught in the second wave,
God remembers us.
As we begin the season of Advent, we remember that we are connected
To the God of the universe, who has loved God’s people since the beginning of time.
Our hope is born of the fact that God remembers his promises.
And God has promised to be near us, and present with us at all times.
In the lives of two little boys in scripture, the salvation of the world unfolds.
And you are I are included in that story of the salvation –
It is for us
That God sent John to show the way.
It is for us that God sent Jesus Christ into the world as a tiny baby.
God remembers us.
Praise God for that. Amen.
A Prayer
Thank you, gracious God, for including us in your story of salvation. We give thanks for Elizabeth and Zechariah who remind us that we are rooted in the traditions of Israel, and that God’s promises are true for us. Loving God, we are tired of this pandemic. We are waiting for your promises to unfold. Remind us that you are with us at all times and in all places. We pray for those who are struggling with loneliness or mental illness. We pray for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, or those who fear for the lives of their loved ones. Fill us with a sense of hope during this advent season, that the one coming into the world will save us too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 30, 2020: Psalm 79; Micah 4:1-5; Revelation 15:1-8
Tuesday, December 1, 2020: Psalm 79; Micah 4:6-13; Revelation 18:1-10
Wednesday, December 2, 2020: Psalm 79; Micah 5:1-5a; Luke 21:34-38
Thursday, December 3, 2020: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Hosea 6:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
Friday, December 4, 2020: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Acts 11:19-26
Saturday, December 5, 2020: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Mark 11:27-33
Sermon - November 22 2020
Here's the link for this week: https://youtu.be/4F5EJzN_WwM
Here's the link for this week: https://youtu.be/4F5EJzN_WwM
Matthew 25:31-46
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday,
When we celebrate the fact that Jesus is indeed the Lord of all creation.
We look forward to Christ’s return, when he will come again to show both mercy and judgement.
In today’s passage, the Son of Man is depicted as sitting on a throne to judge between the sheep and the goats.
One group will go to eternal life, one group will go to eternal punishment.
And the deciding factor is whether or not the individual fed Jesus, gave Jesus drink, clothed the naked Jesus, or visited the sick and imprisoned Jesus.
Those who did these things are in good shape.
The others have failed to pass the test, and it will not end well for them.
What I find so interesting about this passage is the element of surprise –
Both the sheep and the goats are surprised about the criteria for judgement.
When did we see you naked, or thirsty, or hungry or sick and in prison?
The reality is when we see anyone naked or thirsty or hungry or sick and in prison,
We are invited to behave as though that person is Jesus himself.
What is surprising is where this Jesus is to be found.
Not on an earthy, kingly throne – not among the rich and those experiencing well-being,
But among those who are most needly, most lowly.
It is important to remember that Jesus shared this parable on the way to the cross.
He was just about to show the world exactly what kind of a king he was –
A king who suffers and dies for his people.
Our king is a king who climbed on a cross and died in love for us.
And his expectation is that we will live lives worthy of this act –
That we will look for the naked and thirsty, hungry and sick,
And we will treat them as though they are Jesus himself.
The great surprise of this passage is that we find Jesus most fully and completely
In the lives of the poor and the suffering.
We need to look in unexpected places to find Jesus.
This is good news for us who find ourselves in uncomfortable positions these days.
Likely, Christ the King is right beside us in this difficult time.
We are invited to care for friend and stranger, but we are also invited to care for ourselves.
We find Jesus right in the midst of lockdown.
We find Jesus right in the midst of Covid.
Jesus chose to become one of us, to love and live and die as a human person.
And it is in the heart of the human person that Jesus dwells.
So let us not be downcast. The saviour of the world loves even the least of these –
Even human beings who are afraid, lonely, tired and weary.
Christ the King is in us, in our hearts, in our lives.
The Lord of all creation is with us.
Amen.
A Prayer
Servant King, we praise you and thank you for coming so near to us. We ask for help in order to see who is hungry, who is thirsty, who needs clothing and comfort. May we share what we have. May we see you reflected in the eyes of the needy. May we see you reflected in our own eyes, so that we will remember to care for ourselves. We pray for those who are lonely today, that you would comfort them. We pray for those who are grieving, that you will bring peace. Lord Jesus Christ, King of all creation, have mercy on us. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 23, 2020: Psalm 7; Esther 2:1-18; 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Tuesday, November 24, 2020: Psalm 7; Esther 8:3-17; Revelation 19:1-9
Wednesday, November 25, 2020: Psalm 7; Ezekiel 33:7-20; John 5:19-40
Thursday, November 26, 2020: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Zechariah 13:1-9; Revelation 14:6-13
Friday, November 27, 2020: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Zechariah 14:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
Saturday, November 28, 2020: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Micah 2:1-13; Matthew 24:15-31
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday,
When we celebrate the fact that Jesus is indeed the Lord of all creation.
We look forward to Christ’s return, when he will come again to show both mercy and judgement.
In today’s passage, the Son of Man is depicted as sitting on a throne to judge between the sheep and the goats.
One group will go to eternal life, one group will go to eternal punishment.
And the deciding factor is whether or not the individual fed Jesus, gave Jesus drink, clothed the naked Jesus, or visited the sick and imprisoned Jesus.
Those who did these things are in good shape.
The others have failed to pass the test, and it will not end well for them.
What I find so interesting about this passage is the element of surprise –
Both the sheep and the goats are surprised about the criteria for judgement.
When did we see you naked, or thirsty, or hungry or sick and in prison?
The reality is when we see anyone naked or thirsty or hungry or sick and in prison,
We are invited to behave as though that person is Jesus himself.
What is surprising is where this Jesus is to be found.
Not on an earthy, kingly throne – not among the rich and those experiencing well-being,
But among those who are most needly, most lowly.
It is important to remember that Jesus shared this parable on the way to the cross.
He was just about to show the world exactly what kind of a king he was –
A king who suffers and dies for his people.
Our king is a king who climbed on a cross and died in love for us.
And his expectation is that we will live lives worthy of this act –
That we will look for the naked and thirsty, hungry and sick,
And we will treat them as though they are Jesus himself.
The great surprise of this passage is that we find Jesus most fully and completely
In the lives of the poor and the suffering.
We need to look in unexpected places to find Jesus.
This is good news for us who find ourselves in uncomfortable positions these days.
Likely, Christ the King is right beside us in this difficult time.
We are invited to care for friend and stranger, but we are also invited to care for ourselves.
We find Jesus right in the midst of lockdown.
We find Jesus right in the midst of Covid.
Jesus chose to become one of us, to love and live and die as a human person.
And it is in the heart of the human person that Jesus dwells.
So let us not be downcast. The saviour of the world loves even the least of these –
Even human beings who are afraid, lonely, tired and weary.
Christ the King is in us, in our hearts, in our lives.
The Lord of all creation is with us.
Amen.
A Prayer
Servant King, we praise you and thank you for coming so near to us. We ask for help in order to see who is hungry, who is thirsty, who needs clothing and comfort. May we share what we have. May we see you reflected in the eyes of the needy. May we see you reflected in our own eyes, so that we will remember to care for ourselves. We pray for those who are lonely today, that you would comfort them. We pray for those who are grieving, that you will bring peace. Lord Jesus Christ, King of all creation, have mercy on us. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 23, 2020: Psalm 7; Esther 2:1-18; 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Tuesday, November 24, 2020: Psalm 7; Esther 8:3-17; Revelation 19:1-9
Wednesday, November 25, 2020: Psalm 7; Ezekiel 33:7-20; John 5:19-40
Thursday, November 26, 2020: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Zechariah 13:1-9; Revelation 14:6-13
Friday, November 27, 2020: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Zechariah 14:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
Saturday, November 28, 2020: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Micah 2:1-13; Matthew 24:15-31
Sermon - November 15 2020
Matthew 25:14-30
14“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Jesus has a tendency to say some really outrageous things
When he is talking in parables.
This one is no exception.
The master gives his slaves various amounts of ‘talents’
and goes away, entrusting his property to them.
A talent is a ridiculous amount of money – something like 30 pounds of gold.
These slaves are entrusted to do something with this enormous amount of money.
Two of the slaves produce – they manage to grow the master’s investment.
One of the slaves is fearful of his master, it seems for good reason.
And instead of growing the investment, he buries it in the ground
Where no good can come of it.
Parables can mean many things. This one, however, seems to have
A straightforward interpretation.
God has entrusted us with a LOT!
We have been given the earth as a playground,
And we are charged with caring for the whole of creation.
We have been given riches in the form of secure housing,
Food on our tables,
Clothing and lots to play with.
We have been given the church as a space and being which allows us to be together
As we seek to do God’s will.
We have been given so much – ridiculous amounts of grace and love.
And this parable seems to suggest that our job
Is to take what God has given us, and use it to the best of our abilities.
We are invited to share the good news of God’s kingdom –
To use our time, and money and talent
To grow that kingdom with the help of a generous God.
I think that is what this parable is about, although it is probably about more than that.
But I’m going to be honest with you –
I’m having trouble preaching this parable to you today.
I looked at CNN this morning.
The top stories: Coronavirus surging in the United States,
Refugees die off the coast of Libya
Donald Trump refuses to concede.
The economy as we knew it might be over.
The news is bad.
It’s been bad for Ontario this week.
And I know you are suffering.
This is a terrible, terrible time in our history.
It seems like a bad time to interpret this parable literally –
To urge you to go out and spend your talents
For the sake of the kingdom.
I don’t want to convince you or harangue you to spend all your time and energy
Serving God’s kingdom,
Because I know many of you just don’t have the heart or the energy right now.
Instead, we are being urged to stay home, and so we should.
But how do we honour Christ’s call to invest our talents wisely?
Perhaps this time in our lives is an opportunity
To PREPARE, to get ready
For the time when we will be able to actively and productively work for God’s kingdom.
Sure, there are things we can do now, even from the safety of our homes –
We can phone each other, do little deeds for each other,
We can donate money to those who need it most.
We can do lots of things,
But I wonder if this is a time to shape ourselves into disciples who are ready to go
When the time comes for us to leave our homes again.
Maybe it’s time to learn new skills which prepare us to be more adequate stewards of what God has given us.
My friend Karen started a book club.
She is offering three different books related to racial injustice.
In this way, participants are growing in their knowledge and understanding
Of racial violence and division,
Something that will benefit the world tremendously.
They are getting ready to work in God’s kingdom.
Maybe this is the time for you to read things that will shape your understanding of the world.
Maybe it’s time to learn a new art or craft that can be put to use in God’s kingdom.
Maybe it’s time to increase your biblical knowledge – to join a bible study or learn what you can on your own.
Maybe it’s time to reconsider your calling in life,
Or to reorganize your finances so you can be even more generous to those in need.
We have been given this opportunity, this time,
Of being at home,
Of being separate,
To get ready for whatever comes next.
I was talking to my son Ben, about coronavirus and its aftermath.
He says that he thinks there will be a huge rush of energy let loose in the world
When this pandemic is over.
People have been cooped up and separated from each other,
But when it is over,
Sort of like when a war is over,
There will be an explosion of creativity and energy
That will form a response to the end of restrictions.
I love that idea, that we are in a holding pattern now,
But at the end of this time there will be an opportunity
To let loose in the world,
To minister, and love, and care for all of creation.
So let’s take this pause, and get ready.
Because the kingdom of God needs us to be ready for whatever comes next.
Amen.
A Prayer
God of life, we thank you for entrusting us with so much – with material goods, with the earth itself, and with each other. Help us to be good stewards, growing our talents for the kingdom. In this time of isolation and lockdown, help us to prepare for what comes next. We are downtrodden by the magnitude of bad news right now. Please, please put a stop to this pandemic. Keep us safe. We pray especially for those who are lonely, and those who grieve, including Betty and Rob McGee on the death of Betty’s mother Verna this past week. May the family find rest and peace and comfort at this time. We pray for calm and order in the United States. We pray for those who are homeless and unsafe at this time. Give safety and peace, O God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
14“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Jesus has a tendency to say some really outrageous things
When he is talking in parables.
This one is no exception.
The master gives his slaves various amounts of ‘talents’
and goes away, entrusting his property to them.
A talent is a ridiculous amount of money – something like 30 pounds of gold.
These slaves are entrusted to do something with this enormous amount of money.
Two of the slaves produce – they manage to grow the master’s investment.
One of the slaves is fearful of his master, it seems for good reason.
And instead of growing the investment, he buries it in the ground
Where no good can come of it.
Parables can mean many things. This one, however, seems to have
A straightforward interpretation.
God has entrusted us with a LOT!
We have been given the earth as a playground,
And we are charged with caring for the whole of creation.
We have been given riches in the form of secure housing,
Food on our tables,
Clothing and lots to play with.
We have been given the church as a space and being which allows us to be together
As we seek to do God’s will.
We have been given so much – ridiculous amounts of grace and love.
And this parable seems to suggest that our job
Is to take what God has given us, and use it to the best of our abilities.
We are invited to share the good news of God’s kingdom –
To use our time, and money and talent
To grow that kingdom with the help of a generous God.
I think that is what this parable is about, although it is probably about more than that.
But I’m going to be honest with you –
I’m having trouble preaching this parable to you today.
I looked at CNN this morning.
The top stories: Coronavirus surging in the United States,
Refugees die off the coast of Libya
Donald Trump refuses to concede.
The economy as we knew it might be over.
The news is bad.
It’s been bad for Ontario this week.
And I know you are suffering.
This is a terrible, terrible time in our history.
It seems like a bad time to interpret this parable literally –
To urge you to go out and spend your talents
For the sake of the kingdom.
I don’t want to convince you or harangue you to spend all your time and energy
Serving God’s kingdom,
Because I know many of you just don’t have the heart or the energy right now.
Instead, we are being urged to stay home, and so we should.
But how do we honour Christ’s call to invest our talents wisely?
Perhaps this time in our lives is an opportunity
To PREPARE, to get ready
For the time when we will be able to actively and productively work for God’s kingdom.
Sure, there are things we can do now, even from the safety of our homes –
We can phone each other, do little deeds for each other,
We can donate money to those who need it most.
We can do lots of things,
But I wonder if this is a time to shape ourselves into disciples who are ready to go
When the time comes for us to leave our homes again.
Maybe it’s time to learn new skills which prepare us to be more adequate stewards of what God has given us.
My friend Karen started a book club.
She is offering three different books related to racial injustice.
In this way, participants are growing in their knowledge and understanding
Of racial violence and division,
Something that will benefit the world tremendously.
They are getting ready to work in God’s kingdom.
Maybe this is the time for you to read things that will shape your understanding of the world.
Maybe it’s time to learn a new art or craft that can be put to use in God’s kingdom.
Maybe it’s time to increase your biblical knowledge – to join a bible study or learn what you can on your own.
Maybe it’s time to reconsider your calling in life,
Or to reorganize your finances so you can be even more generous to those in need.
We have been given this opportunity, this time,
Of being at home,
Of being separate,
To get ready for whatever comes next.
I was talking to my son Ben, about coronavirus and its aftermath.
He says that he thinks there will be a huge rush of energy let loose in the world
When this pandemic is over.
People have been cooped up and separated from each other,
But when it is over,
Sort of like when a war is over,
There will be an explosion of creativity and energy
That will form a response to the end of restrictions.
I love that idea, that we are in a holding pattern now,
But at the end of this time there will be an opportunity
To let loose in the world,
To minister, and love, and care for all of creation.
So let’s take this pause, and get ready.
Because the kingdom of God needs us to be ready for whatever comes next.
Amen.
A Prayer
God of life, we thank you for entrusting us with so much – with material goods, with the earth itself, and with each other. Help us to be good stewards, growing our talents for the kingdom. In this time of isolation and lockdown, help us to prepare for what comes next. We are downtrodden by the magnitude of bad news right now. Please, please put a stop to this pandemic. Keep us safe. We pray especially for those who are lonely, and those who grieve, including Betty and Rob McGee on the death of Betty’s mother Verna this past week. May the family find rest and peace and comfort at this time. We pray for calm and order in the United States. We pray for those who are homeless and unsafe at this time. Give safety and peace, O God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sermon - November 8 2020
Matthew 25:1-13
25“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
I have to confess to you that I have been very attached to CNN this week.
I’ve had such an interest in the outcome of the presidential election
That I found it difficult to tear myself away from the television.
One thing we will always remember about this election
Was the waiting – long days of waiting for ballots to be counted and numbers to be updated.
Waiting to know who won.
Waiting is one of the themes of today’s scripture passage.
Ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom.
When the bridegroom arrives, the party will begin.
In the meantime, they had to keep their lamps going.
The wise bridesmaids were the ones who were prepared to wait –
The foolish ones did not anticipate having to wait –
They expected the bridegroom to come immediately.
As it is, the bridegroom is delayed, and it is the wise bridesmaids
Who get to go to the party.
This story, coming from Jesus, reminds us that Christ’s return
Is at the centre of our Christian faith.
We live in expectation that Jesus will come again.
We don’t know when this will happen – the church has been waiting for 2000 years.
It may take a while.
And in the meantime, we are invited to be like the wise bridesmaids –
Who expected to wait for a while, and came prepared with enough oil for their lamps.
What does it mean for us to be prepared for the second coming of Christ?
I think it means that we act out our hope that Jesus will come again.
We act out our hope that a time is coming in which there is justice and peace and mercy.
We act out our hope that God is doing something important in the world.
We act out our hope that the future will be different from the past.
Acting out our hope means that we live in expectation of God’s action.
It means we love as deeply and generously as possible.
Acting out our hope means that we live according to the path that Jesus has laid for us.
It means we offer ourselves for others – even to the point of death,
Which is what we remember and honour on Remembrance Sunday.
Those who died in the midst of war were acting out their hope that it was possible to create a world which lived in peace.
They acted out their hope that life could be free and safe.
Yesterday, we watched as Americans celebrated the news of their new president.
They were also celebrating their freedom to peacefully choose leaders.
The crowds were amazing – so excited and relieved – and hopeful.
Those crowds were acting out their hope for a future that is different than the past.
What will you do this week to act out your hope?
A Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, we come to you with joy this morning as we recognize your plans for the future. You have invited us to act out our hope that the future will be different from the past. We give thanks for those who fought and died in order to act out their hope for a better future. We give thanks for a peaceful election in the US. We continue to pray for the situation of Covid-19, that you will stop the spread of infection and keep people safe. We ask your special blessing on those who are lonely and isolated. We also ask your blessing on those who grieve, including John and Bea Henderson on the death of John’s brother. Help us to live out our hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 9, 2020: Psalm 78; Joshua 24:25-33; 1 Corinthians 14:20-25
Tuesday, November 10, 2020: Psalm 78; Nehemiah 8:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Wednesday, November 11, 2020: Psalm 78; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 24:29-35
Thursday, November 12, 2020: Psalm 123; Judges 2:6-15; Revelation 16:1-7
Friday, November 13, 2020: Psalm 123; Judges 2:16-23; Revelation 16:8-21
Saturday, November 14, 2020: Psalm 123; Judges 5:1-12; Matthew 12:43-45
25“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
I have to confess to you that I have been very attached to CNN this week.
I’ve had such an interest in the outcome of the presidential election
That I found it difficult to tear myself away from the television.
One thing we will always remember about this election
Was the waiting – long days of waiting for ballots to be counted and numbers to be updated.
Waiting to know who won.
Waiting is one of the themes of today’s scripture passage.
Ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom.
When the bridegroom arrives, the party will begin.
In the meantime, they had to keep their lamps going.
The wise bridesmaids were the ones who were prepared to wait –
The foolish ones did not anticipate having to wait –
They expected the bridegroom to come immediately.
As it is, the bridegroom is delayed, and it is the wise bridesmaids
Who get to go to the party.
This story, coming from Jesus, reminds us that Christ’s return
Is at the centre of our Christian faith.
We live in expectation that Jesus will come again.
We don’t know when this will happen – the church has been waiting for 2000 years.
It may take a while.
And in the meantime, we are invited to be like the wise bridesmaids –
Who expected to wait for a while, and came prepared with enough oil for their lamps.
What does it mean for us to be prepared for the second coming of Christ?
I think it means that we act out our hope that Jesus will come again.
We act out our hope that a time is coming in which there is justice and peace and mercy.
We act out our hope that God is doing something important in the world.
We act out our hope that the future will be different from the past.
Acting out our hope means that we live in expectation of God’s action.
It means we love as deeply and generously as possible.
Acting out our hope means that we live according to the path that Jesus has laid for us.
It means we offer ourselves for others – even to the point of death,
Which is what we remember and honour on Remembrance Sunday.
Those who died in the midst of war were acting out their hope that it was possible to create a world which lived in peace.
They acted out their hope that life could be free and safe.
Yesterday, we watched as Americans celebrated the news of their new president.
They were also celebrating their freedom to peacefully choose leaders.
The crowds were amazing – so excited and relieved – and hopeful.
Those crowds were acting out their hope for a future that is different than the past.
What will you do this week to act out your hope?
A Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, we come to you with joy this morning as we recognize your plans for the future. You have invited us to act out our hope that the future will be different from the past. We give thanks for those who fought and died in order to act out their hope for a better future. We give thanks for a peaceful election in the US. We continue to pray for the situation of Covid-19, that you will stop the spread of infection and keep people safe. We ask your special blessing on those who are lonely and isolated. We also ask your blessing on those who grieve, including John and Bea Henderson on the death of John’s brother. Help us to live out our hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 9, 2020: Psalm 78; Joshua 24:25-33; 1 Corinthians 14:20-25
Tuesday, November 10, 2020: Psalm 78; Nehemiah 8:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Wednesday, November 11, 2020: Psalm 78; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 24:29-35
Thursday, November 12, 2020: Psalm 123; Judges 2:6-15; Revelation 16:1-7
Friday, November 13, 2020: Psalm 123; Judges 2:16-23; Revelation 16:8-21
Saturday, November 14, 2020: Psalm 123; Judges 5:1-12; Matthew 12:43-45
Sermon - November 1 2020
Leviticus 19:1-18
19The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the Lord your God. 5When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable on your behalf. 6It shall be eaten on the same day you offer it, or on the next day; and anything left over until the third day shall be consumed in fire. 7If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable. 8All who eat it shall be subject to punishment, because they have profaned what is holy to the Lord; and any such person shall be cut off from the people. 9When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
11You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. 12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord. 13You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. 17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
A few years ago, American journalist AJ Jacobs decided to embark on a project.
He decided to try to follow every rule in the bible.
Not just the big ones like “Love your neighbour as yourself”
But the little ones like not wearing clothes made of mixed fibers,
And not shaving his beard.
He tells of his hilarious adventures in a book entitled “The Year of Living Biblically.”
It turns out that it is not possible to follow every rule in the bible,
Because they sometimes contradict each other,
And some are just impossible in this day and age.
There are, of course, biblical rules that we must follow,
Even centuries after the rules were written.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul,
And love your neighbour as yourself.
The book of Leviticus is one we don’t often preach from,
Because it’s basically a law code.
God is gradually teaching Israel all it needs to know if order to live faithfully in the promised land.
Some of the laws are irrelevant for us.
For example, today’s passage suggests that we leave grapes on the vine,
And don’t reap to the very edges of the vineyard
So that the poor and the foreigner can gather up the leftovers, and eat.
Most of us don’t have fields,
And those of us who do are unlikely to encounter poor people who want to reap the fields.
The Spirit of that law remains, however –
It is an invitation to make sure that our neighbours are safe and fed –
Not only our neighbours, but those we don’t know.
This is part of what it means to be holy –
To be set apart by our actions and our deeds,
To live in a way that brings honour to God.
We may not have fields,
But we have ways of loving friend and stranger.
We might make a donation at the local foodbank.
We might donate to other charities that make a difference in people’s lives.
We might write letters to our MP’s and MPP’s to protest the way
That some people are forced to live their lives.
This week, the first nation of Neskantaga has been in the news.
Their water has been shut off,
They have had a boil water advisory in their community for 25 years.
The Chief says that if we were to visit there today,
We would find a third world nation in the heart of Canada.
This is an example of the way that our neighbours live in poverty –
A modern day example of a situation in which we need to love our neighbour as ourselves.
What choices can we make today that will help us to be holy
As God has commanded?
How can we live as those who love God and love neighbour?
The good news of this text is repeated throughout
“I am the Lord your God”
The God of the universe is the only god worth worshipping.
The God of the universe is in control, guiding the principles by which our community lives.
The God of the universe is helping us to live in a way that pleases him.
We’re in for a rough week.
Regardless of what happens in the American election, it’s not going to be easy or simple.
The COVID number keep rising, and many of you are lonely and tired of restrictions.
The best thing we can do is live as a community that loves,
Just as the Lord our God has commanded.
We are invited to love each other extravagantly, and love our neighbours to an extreme.
So let us love one another.
Let us do whatever it takes to keep each other accountable for our good works.
Let us call one another, and send notes, and do good deeds for each other.
Let us do what we can for strangers who live in poverty.
Let us pray for peace and prosperity.
Let us live as the Lord our God has invited us to live.
A Prayer,
God of the Universe, you are the Lord our God. You have called us out of slavery into freedom, and part of being free means that we love you with all our hearts, minds and souls, and we love our neighbours as ourselves. This week, we pray for a peaceful and respectful election in the United States. We pray for First Nations Peoples – that our government will act to ensure that each person in this country has clean, fresh water to drink. We pray for those who are hungry – help us find ways to feed those who don’t have enough. We pray for the lonely and the sick – help us to understand that this time will come to an end, that there is hope for a better future. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 2, 2020: Psalm 128; Joshua 4:1-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Tuesday, November 3, 2020: Psalm 128; Joshua 6:1-16, 20; Acts 13:1-12
Wednesday, November 4, 2020: Psalm 128; Joshua 10:12-14; Matthew 15:1-9
Thursday, November 5, 2020: Psalm 78:1-7; Joshua 5:10-12; Revelation 8:6-9:12
Friday, November 6, 2020: Psalm 78:1-7; Joshua 8:30-35; Revelation 9:13-21
Saturday, November 7, 2020: Psalm 78:1-7; Joshua 20:1-9; Matthew 24:1-14
19The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the Lord your God. 5When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable on your behalf. 6It shall be eaten on the same day you offer it, or on the next day; and anything left over until the third day shall be consumed in fire. 7If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable. 8All who eat it shall be subject to punishment, because they have profaned what is holy to the Lord; and any such person shall be cut off from the people. 9When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
11You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. 12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord. 13You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. 17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
A few years ago, American journalist AJ Jacobs decided to embark on a project.
He decided to try to follow every rule in the bible.
Not just the big ones like “Love your neighbour as yourself”
But the little ones like not wearing clothes made of mixed fibers,
And not shaving his beard.
He tells of his hilarious adventures in a book entitled “The Year of Living Biblically.”
It turns out that it is not possible to follow every rule in the bible,
Because they sometimes contradict each other,
And some are just impossible in this day and age.
There are, of course, biblical rules that we must follow,
Even centuries after the rules were written.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul,
And love your neighbour as yourself.
The book of Leviticus is one we don’t often preach from,
Because it’s basically a law code.
God is gradually teaching Israel all it needs to know if order to live faithfully in the promised land.
Some of the laws are irrelevant for us.
For example, today’s passage suggests that we leave grapes on the vine,
And don’t reap to the very edges of the vineyard
So that the poor and the foreigner can gather up the leftovers, and eat.
Most of us don’t have fields,
And those of us who do are unlikely to encounter poor people who want to reap the fields.
The Spirit of that law remains, however –
It is an invitation to make sure that our neighbours are safe and fed –
Not only our neighbours, but those we don’t know.
This is part of what it means to be holy –
To be set apart by our actions and our deeds,
To live in a way that brings honour to God.
We may not have fields,
But we have ways of loving friend and stranger.
We might make a donation at the local foodbank.
We might donate to other charities that make a difference in people’s lives.
We might write letters to our MP’s and MPP’s to protest the way
That some people are forced to live their lives.
This week, the first nation of Neskantaga has been in the news.
Their water has been shut off,
They have had a boil water advisory in their community for 25 years.
The Chief says that if we were to visit there today,
We would find a third world nation in the heart of Canada.
This is an example of the way that our neighbours live in poverty –
A modern day example of a situation in which we need to love our neighbour as ourselves.
What choices can we make today that will help us to be holy
As God has commanded?
How can we live as those who love God and love neighbour?
The good news of this text is repeated throughout
“I am the Lord your God”
The God of the universe is the only god worth worshipping.
The God of the universe is in control, guiding the principles by which our community lives.
The God of the universe is helping us to live in a way that pleases him.
We’re in for a rough week.
Regardless of what happens in the American election, it’s not going to be easy or simple.
The COVID number keep rising, and many of you are lonely and tired of restrictions.
The best thing we can do is live as a community that loves,
Just as the Lord our God has commanded.
We are invited to love each other extravagantly, and love our neighbours to an extreme.
So let us love one another.
Let us do whatever it takes to keep each other accountable for our good works.
Let us call one another, and send notes, and do good deeds for each other.
Let us do what we can for strangers who live in poverty.
Let us pray for peace and prosperity.
Let us live as the Lord our God has invited us to live.
A Prayer,
God of the Universe, you are the Lord our God. You have called us out of slavery into freedom, and part of being free means that we love you with all our hearts, minds and souls, and we love our neighbours as ourselves. This week, we pray for a peaceful and respectful election in the United States. We pray for First Nations Peoples – that our government will act to ensure that each person in this country has clean, fresh water to drink. We pray for those who are hungry – help us find ways to feed those who don’t have enough. We pray for the lonely and the sick – help us to understand that this time will come to an end, that there is hope for a better future. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, November 2, 2020: Psalm 128; Joshua 4:1-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Tuesday, November 3, 2020: Psalm 128; Joshua 6:1-16, 20; Acts 13:1-12
Wednesday, November 4, 2020: Psalm 128; Joshua 10:12-14; Matthew 15:1-9
Thursday, November 5, 2020: Psalm 78:1-7; Joshua 5:10-12; Revelation 8:6-9:12
Friday, November 6, 2020: Psalm 78:1-7; Joshua 8:30-35; Revelation 9:13-21
Saturday, November 7, 2020: Psalm 78:1-7; Joshua 20:1-9; Matthew 24:1-14
Sermon - October 25, 2020
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
This week we are celebrating Reformation Sunday.
This is the day that we remember the efforts of the great Reformers,
Whose critique of the church resulted in the variety of denominations that we have today.
The reformers were ‘protesting’ against the excesses of the church,
And as a result, they created the body of churches which today we call Protestant.
Protestant churches agree that scripture is central to our understanding of God,
They believe that all of us can access God directly, and not through a priest.
They believe that we are saved by our faith, not by what we do –
We can’t earn God’s love. It is a free gift.
Martin Luther was one of the Reformers,
And this psalm made me think of his great masterpiece hymn “A Mighty Fortress”
In which he declares “The God of hosts is with us”.
This psalm is a beautiful and strong statement about who God is.
This is a God who stand with God’s people whatever the circumstances.
If the mountains should tumble into the sea, God is there.
When everything is turned upside-down, God is there.
God is our help and our refuge.
Near the end of this psalm is the comforting line –
Be Still and Know that I am God.
This statement can be understood in a couple of different ways.
First of all, it is a statement that eases our concerns about the world –
When everything is frightening and topsy turvy,
We can be certain that God is in the midst of the turmoil.
We are invited to calm ourselves, and trust in God.
But this important statement can be understood in another way.
It is a message to the powers that be –
A message to kings and presidents –
Be still and know that I am God.
That is, no one else is God.
No one else has real power,
No one else has sovereignty over creation.
God declares that divine power is the only power that really matters.
God is saying to the leaders of the world who engage in warring madness –
Stop! Stop oppressing the people,
Stop fighting with arrows and bows.
Be still, and Know that I am God.
I was watching part of the Trump-Biden debate the other night,
And reflecting on this psalm.
How much we need to hear the message of this psalm in these times.
We need to be reminded that God’s power far outstrips that of the president.
We need to be reminded that God is a refuge, a stronghold, a help.
In these COVID times, we need to be reminded that God is in control.
In these election, we need to be reminded that God is in control.
So this week, I invite you to enter into God’s trustworthiness –
God is strong and powerful.
Be still, and know that God is working in your life.
Be still, and know that God is active in the United States.
Be still, and know that God is present among us in this difficult hour.
Being still means that we try to lay aside our fears,
And place them in God’s hands.
It means that we stop looking for grace and peace outside of God,
As if anyone or anything can provide what we need.
Only God can provide what we need.
So may put our fears into the hands of God,
Confident that the same God who is strong and mighty
Is strong and mighty in our lives.
In our homes,
And in the nations of the world. Amen.
A Prayer
O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home. We praise and thank you for the work of the reformers who helped to build our church. We are grateful for your strong presence in our lives, and the ability to rest in you. Help our leaders to be still, and know that you are God. Help us to be still, and know that you are God. We pray this week for all those who are lonely, that you will provide comfort to them. We pray for those who are ill, that you will heal them. Keep us safe, O God. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 26, 2020: Psalm 119:41-48 ; Numbers 33:38-39; James 2:8-13
Tuesday, October 27, 2020: Psalm 119:41-48; Exodus 34:29-35; James 2:14-26
Wednesday, October 28, 2020: Psalm 119:41-48; Deuteronomy 26:16-27:7 ; Matthew 19:16-22
Thursday, October 29, 2020: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; Joshua 1:1-11; Romans 2:17-29
Friday, October 30, 2020: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; Joshua 2:1-14; 2 Peter 2:1-3
Saturday, October 31, 2020: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; Joshua 2:15-24; Matthew 23:13-28
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
This week we are celebrating Reformation Sunday.
This is the day that we remember the efforts of the great Reformers,
Whose critique of the church resulted in the variety of denominations that we have today.
The reformers were ‘protesting’ against the excesses of the church,
And as a result, they created the body of churches which today we call Protestant.
Protestant churches agree that scripture is central to our understanding of God,
They believe that all of us can access God directly, and not through a priest.
They believe that we are saved by our faith, not by what we do –
We can’t earn God’s love. It is a free gift.
Martin Luther was one of the Reformers,
And this psalm made me think of his great masterpiece hymn “A Mighty Fortress”
In which he declares “The God of hosts is with us”.
This psalm is a beautiful and strong statement about who God is.
This is a God who stand with God’s people whatever the circumstances.
If the mountains should tumble into the sea, God is there.
When everything is turned upside-down, God is there.
God is our help and our refuge.
Near the end of this psalm is the comforting line –
Be Still and Know that I am God.
This statement can be understood in a couple of different ways.
First of all, it is a statement that eases our concerns about the world –
When everything is frightening and topsy turvy,
We can be certain that God is in the midst of the turmoil.
We are invited to calm ourselves, and trust in God.
But this important statement can be understood in another way.
It is a message to the powers that be –
A message to kings and presidents –
Be still and know that I am God.
That is, no one else is God.
No one else has real power,
No one else has sovereignty over creation.
God declares that divine power is the only power that really matters.
God is saying to the leaders of the world who engage in warring madness –
Stop! Stop oppressing the people,
Stop fighting with arrows and bows.
Be still, and Know that I am God.
I was watching part of the Trump-Biden debate the other night,
And reflecting on this psalm.
How much we need to hear the message of this psalm in these times.
We need to be reminded that God’s power far outstrips that of the president.
We need to be reminded that God is a refuge, a stronghold, a help.
In these COVID times, we need to be reminded that God is in control.
In these election, we need to be reminded that God is in control.
So this week, I invite you to enter into God’s trustworthiness –
God is strong and powerful.
Be still, and know that God is working in your life.
Be still, and know that God is active in the United States.
Be still, and know that God is present among us in this difficult hour.
Being still means that we try to lay aside our fears,
And place them in God’s hands.
It means that we stop looking for grace and peace outside of God,
As if anyone or anything can provide what we need.
Only God can provide what we need.
So may put our fears into the hands of God,
Confident that the same God who is strong and mighty
Is strong and mighty in our lives.
In our homes,
And in the nations of the world. Amen.
A Prayer
O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home. We praise and thank you for the work of the reformers who helped to build our church. We are grateful for your strong presence in our lives, and the ability to rest in you. Help our leaders to be still, and know that you are God. Help us to be still, and know that you are God. We pray this week for all those who are lonely, that you will provide comfort to them. We pray for those who are ill, that you will heal them. Keep us safe, O God. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 26, 2020: Psalm 119:41-48 ; Numbers 33:38-39; James 2:8-13
Tuesday, October 27, 2020: Psalm 119:41-48; Exodus 34:29-35; James 2:14-26
Wednesday, October 28, 2020: Psalm 119:41-48; Deuteronomy 26:16-27:7 ; Matthew 19:16-22
Thursday, October 29, 2020: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; Joshua 1:1-11; Romans 2:17-29
Friday, October 30, 2020: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; Joshua 2:1-14; 2 Peter 2:1-3
Saturday, October 31, 2020: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; Joshua 2:15-24; Matthew 23:13-28
Sermon - October 18, 2020
Matthew 22:15-22
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
Things are getting pretty tense for Jesus.
At this point in the story, he has entered Jerusalem for the final time.
He has challenged the religious and political powers that be,
By overturning the tables in the temple.
And now, the Herodians and Pharisees make an unlikely partnership,
And aim to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes.
If he says ‘yes,’ it is lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor,
Then the crowds of oppressed followers will grow angry and possibly riot.
If he says ‘no,’ it isn’t lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor,
Then he will be committing treason.
Jesus brilliantly manages to sidestep the question by asking for a coin, a denarius.
The coin has the Emperor’s image on it, and it’s quite clear that it belongs to Caesar.
He says “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and give to God the things that are God’s”.
In this way, Jesus avoids angering the crowds and avoids committing treason.
He also makes it clear that the God of the Universe is in charge –
The emperor may perceive himself to be divine,
But there is only one God who has control of the universe.
Maybe you and I need to be reminded of this too.
Everything feels so out of control.
COVID-19 seems to spread without limits, as if nothing and no one can stop it.
We don’t have the same degree of control over our own movements that we used to have.
We are limited by restrictions.
The political situation in the United States seems to be absolutely chaotic,
And I don’t know about you, but I am really worried about the aftermath of the election.
Everywhere we look there is violence, and systematic racism, and danger.
It doesn’t feel like there is any order in the chaos,
It doesn’t feel like anyone is in charge.
Jesus is telling us something different.
He’s saying that whatever human beings worship as gods, they are false gods.
Whatever evil and illness creeps its way into human life, it doesn’t have power.
There is only one, true God of the universe
And this is a God who turned water into wine,
This is a God who created everything, everything that we can see and feel and touch and taste and smell.
This is a God who nurtures life from its very beginning, who blows the spirit of life into us.
This is a God who turns mourning into dancing –
A God who raised up Jesus from the dead
And forms and shapes us as a community of faith.
This is the God, who always works to bring good even out of the most profound chaos.
Friends, this is good news.
That the God who created you is the ruler of the universe,
The Lord of all creation.
Even when we don’t have a clue how to control what is going on around us,
God remains in power and love.
Even when we are afraid,
God remains in power and love.
Even when human beings abuse and misuse their power,
God remains in power and love.
God’s sovereignty is never in question, even when it appears that everything is out of control.
We are loved, and we are safe. Amen.
A Prayer
Generous God, we are dual citizens – we belong to this earth and we belong to your kingdom. Help us to avoid divided loyalties. May we worship you with our whole heart, mind and soul, and proclaim that you are the ruler of all. We thank you for giving us free will so that we can choose to follow you. Help us to be stronger, more courageous, more trusting of you. We ask your blessing on all who are lonely and afraid. We pray for an end to this pandemic. We pray for peace and prosperity in the United States. Hear these, and all our prayers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 19, 2020: Psalm 63:1-8; Exodus 40:34-38; Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20
Tuesday, October 20, 2020: Psalm 63:1-8; Numbers 12:1-9; Revelation 18:21-24
Wednesday, October 21, 2020: Psalm 63:1-8; Numbers 13:1-2, 17-14:9; Matthew 17:22-27
Thursday, October 22, 2020: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Deuteronomy 31:14-22; Titus 1:5-16
Friday, October 23, 2020: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Deuteronomy 32:1-14, 18; Titus 2:7-8, 11-15
Saturday, October 24, 2020: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Deuteronomy 32:44-47; John 5:39-47
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
Things are getting pretty tense for Jesus.
At this point in the story, he has entered Jerusalem for the final time.
He has challenged the religious and political powers that be,
By overturning the tables in the temple.
And now, the Herodians and Pharisees make an unlikely partnership,
And aim to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes.
If he says ‘yes,’ it is lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor,
Then the crowds of oppressed followers will grow angry and possibly riot.
If he says ‘no,’ it isn’t lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor,
Then he will be committing treason.
Jesus brilliantly manages to sidestep the question by asking for a coin, a denarius.
The coin has the Emperor’s image on it, and it’s quite clear that it belongs to Caesar.
He says “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and give to God the things that are God’s”.
In this way, Jesus avoids angering the crowds and avoids committing treason.
He also makes it clear that the God of the Universe is in charge –
The emperor may perceive himself to be divine,
But there is only one God who has control of the universe.
Maybe you and I need to be reminded of this too.
Everything feels so out of control.
COVID-19 seems to spread without limits, as if nothing and no one can stop it.
We don’t have the same degree of control over our own movements that we used to have.
We are limited by restrictions.
The political situation in the United States seems to be absolutely chaotic,
And I don’t know about you, but I am really worried about the aftermath of the election.
Everywhere we look there is violence, and systematic racism, and danger.
It doesn’t feel like there is any order in the chaos,
It doesn’t feel like anyone is in charge.
Jesus is telling us something different.
He’s saying that whatever human beings worship as gods, they are false gods.
Whatever evil and illness creeps its way into human life, it doesn’t have power.
There is only one, true God of the universe
And this is a God who turned water into wine,
This is a God who created everything, everything that we can see and feel and touch and taste and smell.
This is a God who nurtures life from its very beginning, who blows the spirit of life into us.
This is a God who turns mourning into dancing –
A God who raised up Jesus from the dead
And forms and shapes us as a community of faith.
This is the God, who always works to bring good even out of the most profound chaos.
Friends, this is good news.
That the God who created you is the ruler of the universe,
The Lord of all creation.
Even when we don’t have a clue how to control what is going on around us,
God remains in power and love.
Even when we are afraid,
God remains in power and love.
Even when human beings abuse and misuse their power,
God remains in power and love.
God’s sovereignty is never in question, even when it appears that everything is out of control.
We are loved, and we are safe. Amen.
A Prayer
Generous God, we are dual citizens – we belong to this earth and we belong to your kingdom. Help us to avoid divided loyalties. May we worship you with our whole heart, mind and soul, and proclaim that you are the ruler of all. We thank you for giving us free will so that we can choose to follow you. Help us to be stronger, more courageous, more trusting of you. We ask your blessing on all who are lonely and afraid. We pray for an end to this pandemic. We pray for peace and prosperity in the United States. Hear these, and all our prayers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 19, 2020: Psalm 63:1-8; Exodus 40:34-38; Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20
Tuesday, October 20, 2020: Psalm 63:1-8; Numbers 12:1-9; Revelation 18:21-24
Wednesday, October 21, 2020: Psalm 63:1-8; Numbers 13:1-2, 17-14:9; Matthew 17:22-27
Thursday, October 22, 2020: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Deuteronomy 31:14-22; Titus 1:5-16
Friday, October 23, 2020: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Deuteronomy 32:1-14, 18; Titus 2:7-8, 11-15
Saturday, October 24, 2020: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Deuteronomy 32:44-47; John 5:39-47
Sermon - October 11, 2020
Lamentations 3:1-24
3I am one who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath; 2he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; 3against me alone he turns his hand, again and again, all day long. 4He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones; 5he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; 6he has made me sit in darkness like the dead of long ago. 7He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me; 8though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; 9he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked. 10He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding; 11he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; 12he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow. 13He shot into my vitals the arrows of his quiver; 14I have become the laughingstock of all my people, the object of their taunt-songs all day long. 15He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood. 16He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; 17my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; 18so I say, “Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the Lord.” 19The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! 20My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.
21But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Bleak. That is the only way to describe the writing we encounter in the book of Lamentations.
Jerusalem has been destroyed.
Children are begging in the streets,
There is death and destruction everywhere.
The writer attributes the suffering to divine wrath –
Israel has sinned, and this is the consequence.
He perceives that God has turned away –
and narrates all the ways that his life is a disaster –
He is made to walk in darkness rather than light,
His paths are crooked rather than straight,
There is no peace or prosperity
God is silent.
The result is a heartbreaking speech –
a lament – in which the author clearly and poetically
States the reality of his situation.
Lament is a common form of speech in the Bible.
It is speech that is directed toward God –
it is complaint about injustice and suffering,
And one of the things I find so amazing about lament
is that it is ok –
It is ok to come to God with our complaints, even our whining,
Because God is prepared to listen – to be challenged.
It is ok to confront God with our sadness and despair and our longing for a better future.
Not only is it ok, it is a necessary function of faith.
You might be wondering why I chose such a bleak and devastating passage for this afternoon.
Although our situation is nothing like the situation
of the author of this text,
I thought it might be a good idea to leave some space for weeping and lament this morning.
It’s been a tough few months,
We are all suffering the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
We haven’t been able to worship together
for more than 6 months.
We are tired of restrictions,
tired of being afraid that we will get sick,
Or someone we love will get sick.
We are watching the numbers climb
and fearing for the safety of our communities.
Two hundred thousand people have died in the United States, and those numbers will continue to rise.
None of us could have imagined what would happen to our lives in a time of pandemic.
We miss our friends and loved ones,
we miss the activities that we used to enjoy.
It has been a terrible time.
Our world has suffered terribly too.
It has been a summer of injustice in the United States,
with the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and countless protests and righteous anger.
We have witnessed things that we didn’t want to see or know,
But we are all more aware of race
and the consequences of injustice.
Yes, it has been a time to complain and lament.
Like the author of Lamentations, we puzzle over the suffering we see in the world.
We wonder why God doesn’t stop it.
We wonder what we did to deserve it.
We wonder whether there will ever be a time when the suffering is ended.
We wonder if we have a future at all.
It is tempting to just foreclose on our own future.
That is, we are tempted to rule out the possibility that life can be different than it is now.
To rule out the possibility
that God has a plan beyond the present.
Let’s go back to the Book of Lamentations
Just as he is about to foreclose on his own future,
To rule out the possibility that anything can change: he remembers.
All his bitterness and longing are set aside as he calls this to mind:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Lament gives way to hope.
Suddenly, the author realizes what he has known all along.
The Lord is loving and compassionate and full of mercy.
The Lord is faithful to those who call upon him –
And those who love God can choose to wait for God to act.
You see, lament is only possible because there is a relationship of trust
Between God and God’s people.
We trust God enough to complain, to moan and groan.
Because we know that God listens, that God loves us,
That God’s shoulders are broad enough to bear the weight of our complaint.
And in the midst of our lamenting,
God comes to us and reminds us that all is not lost,
That there is still a future that God has planned for us.
Friends, hear the good news.
God is faithful.
in Jesus Christ, God showed us that he is willing to go to the ends of the earth and the depths of hell to rescue us.
Jesus taught us that God has plans for us that far outweigh our ability to imagine.
The future is not necessarily just a continuation of the past –
In the resurrection God revealed a future entirely different from the past.
What might that mean for a culture that is traumatized by COVID-19?
What might that mean for you in your own life?
Instead of ruling out a new future,
We are invited to rest in God’s faithfulness –
New every morning.
God has prepared something new for us.
It is not a continuation of the old, but something utterly different.
Now is not the time to foreclose on our future,
But instead it is time to be free to imagine a new future.
It is time to wait for God to act.
A Prayer
Amazing God, thank you for listening to us when we complain and moan about the way things are. Thank you for sending Jesus to show us a new future, in which all people have what they need. We continue to pray for our safety and the safety of our community. We lament the coronavirus situation, and we ask you to comfort us and keep us safe. We pray for those who are lonely, sick and afraid. We pray for those for whom financial distress is a reality. We pray for our leaders, that they will be able to make wise decisions for our cities, province and nation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 12, 2020: Psalm 97; Exodus 32:15-35; Jude 17-25
Tuesday, October 13, 2020: Psalm 97; Exodus 33:1-6; Philippians 3:13-4:1
Wednesday, October 14, 2020: Psalm 97; 2 Kings 17:7-20; John 6:25-35
Thursday, October 15, 2020: Psalm 99; Exodus 33:7-11; 3 John 9-12
Friday, October 16, 2020: Psalm 99; Exodus 31:1-11; 1 Peter 5:1-5
Saturday, October 17, 2020: Psalm 99; Exodus 39:32-43; Matthew 14:1-12
3I am one who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath; 2he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; 3against me alone he turns his hand, again and again, all day long. 4He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones; 5he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; 6he has made me sit in darkness like the dead of long ago. 7He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me; 8though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; 9he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked. 10He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding; 11he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; 12he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow. 13He shot into my vitals the arrows of his quiver; 14I have become the laughingstock of all my people, the object of their taunt-songs all day long. 15He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood. 16He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; 17my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; 18so I say, “Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the Lord.” 19The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! 20My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.
21But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Bleak. That is the only way to describe the writing we encounter in the book of Lamentations.
Jerusalem has been destroyed.
Children are begging in the streets,
There is death and destruction everywhere.
The writer attributes the suffering to divine wrath –
Israel has sinned, and this is the consequence.
He perceives that God has turned away –
and narrates all the ways that his life is a disaster –
He is made to walk in darkness rather than light,
His paths are crooked rather than straight,
There is no peace or prosperity
God is silent.
The result is a heartbreaking speech –
a lament – in which the author clearly and poetically
States the reality of his situation.
Lament is a common form of speech in the Bible.
It is speech that is directed toward God –
it is complaint about injustice and suffering,
And one of the things I find so amazing about lament
is that it is ok –
It is ok to come to God with our complaints, even our whining,
Because God is prepared to listen – to be challenged.
It is ok to confront God with our sadness and despair and our longing for a better future.
Not only is it ok, it is a necessary function of faith.
You might be wondering why I chose such a bleak and devastating passage for this afternoon.
Although our situation is nothing like the situation
of the author of this text,
I thought it might be a good idea to leave some space for weeping and lament this morning.
It’s been a tough few months,
We are all suffering the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
We haven’t been able to worship together
for more than 6 months.
We are tired of restrictions,
tired of being afraid that we will get sick,
Or someone we love will get sick.
We are watching the numbers climb
and fearing for the safety of our communities.
Two hundred thousand people have died in the United States, and those numbers will continue to rise.
None of us could have imagined what would happen to our lives in a time of pandemic.
We miss our friends and loved ones,
we miss the activities that we used to enjoy.
It has been a terrible time.
Our world has suffered terribly too.
It has been a summer of injustice in the United States,
with the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and countless protests and righteous anger.
We have witnessed things that we didn’t want to see or know,
But we are all more aware of race
and the consequences of injustice.
Yes, it has been a time to complain and lament.
Like the author of Lamentations, we puzzle over the suffering we see in the world.
We wonder why God doesn’t stop it.
We wonder what we did to deserve it.
We wonder whether there will ever be a time when the suffering is ended.
We wonder if we have a future at all.
It is tempting to just foreclose on our own future.
That is, we are tempted to rule out the possibility that life can be different than it is now.
To rule out the possibility
that God has a plan beyond the present.
Let’s go back to the Book of Lamentations
Just as he is about to foreclose on his own future,
To rule out the possibility that anything can change: he remembers.
All his bitterness and longing are set aside as he calls this to mind:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Lament gives way to hope.
Suddenly, the author realizes what he has known all along.
The Lord is loving and compassionate and full of mercy.
The Lord is faithful to those who call upon him –
And those who love God can choose to wait for God to act.
You see, lament is only possible because there is a relationship of trust
Between God and God’s people.
We trust God enough to complain, to moan and groan.
Because we know that God listens, that God loves us,
That God’s shoulders are broad enough to bear the weight of our complaint.
And in the midst of our lamenting,
God comes to us and reminds us that all is not lost,
That there is still a future that God has planned for us.
Friends, hear the good news.
God is faithful.
in Jesus Christ, God showed us that he is willing to go to the ends of the earth and the depths of hell to rescue us.
Jesus taught us that God has plans for us that far outweigh our ability to imagine.
The future is not necessarily just a continuation of the past –
In the resurrection God revealed a future entirely different from the past.
What might that mean for a culture that is traumatized by COVID-19?
What might that mean for you in your own life?
Instead of ruling out a new future,
We are invited to rest in God’s faithfulness –
New every morning.
God has prepared something new for us.
It is not a continuation of the old, but something utterly different.
Now is not the time to foreclose on our future,
But instead it is time to be free to imagine a new future.
It is time to wait for God to act.
A Prayer
Amazing God, thank you for listening to us when we complain and moan about the way things are. Thank you for sending Jesus to show us a new future, in which all people have what they need. We continue to pray for our safety and the safety of our community. We lament the coronavirus situation, and we ask you to comfort us and keep us safe. We pray for those who are lonely, sick and afraid. We pray for those for whom financial distress is a reality. We pray for our leaders, that they will be able to make wise decisions for our cities, province and nation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 12, 2020: Psalm 97; Exodus 32:15-35; Jude 17-25
Tuesday, October 13, 2020: Psalm 97; Exodus 33:1-6; Philippians 3:13-4:1
Wednesday, October 14, 2020: Psalm 97; 2 Kings 17:7-20; John 6:25-35
Thursday, October 15, 2020: Psalm 99; Exodus 33:7-11; 3 John 9-12
Friday, October 16, 2020: Psalm 99; Exodus 31:1-11; 1 Peter 5:1-5
Saturday, October 17, 2020: Psalm 99; Exodus 39:32-43; Matthew 14:1-12
Sermon - October 4, 2020
Philippians 3:4-14
even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul, the author of this text, has given up a lot in order to follow Christ.
He was a devout Jew, a Pharisee, who had a good position in society.
Now, he counts all that as rubbish – compared to his love for Jesus Christ.
Having given up his former glory, Paul wants to share Jesus’ sufferings
And become more like him,
So that the resurrection may shine through his life.
He hasn’t reached this goal yet, and he gives us an athletic image
That sees the athlete – perhaps a runner or a chariot driver,
Fully-focused on what lies ahead in order to win the prize.
Like that athlete, Paul is solely focussed on Jesus Christ –
To be Christ-like, to dwell with Christ, these are the hopes that Paul has adopted
In order to reach this goal, Paul needs to forget all his former glory –
Those days are gone, and Paul is now writing as a follower of Jesus.
What is really interesting about Paul’s words is that he is writing them from prison.
Words of hope, words about the future – these are coming from a man who probably expects to die in jail.
Paul reflects a very different value system than what we experience today.
Most people value time, money, possessions, family.
Paul is saying that all of that, even family, should come behind our great love for Jesus Christ.
There is nothing and no one more important.
We are invited to lay aside anything that holds us back,
And strive to be closer to Jesus.
We all have things in our lives that cause us to be further away from Jesus.
Paul mentions forgetting what is past –
For Paul, it was his old devotion to the law, and the superior place he held in Jewish culture.
For some of us this means forgetting and forgiving a snub we received at church.
For some of us, it means forgetting an embarrassing moment.
For some of us, it means forgetting an old feud.
For some of us, it means forgetting who we used to be.
What are you carrying around that keeps you from running toward Jesus?
What do you need to do in order to ‘forget what is past?’
For some of us, it isn’t the past that is holding us back, it is the fear of the future.
This week, Premiere Doug Ford suggested that the toughest days are still ahead.
It’s hard to imagine that anything could get much tougher.
The first wave was hard to take – it sounds like the second wave might be worse.
In the midst of a pandemic, Paul’s words speak loudly to us.
The good news is first of all, that we can ‘forget what is past’, we can lay aside our burdens.
But Paul also reminds us that Jesus is always standing in front of us.
It is Jesus we strive for – to be closer to him, to live out his resurrection,
To hope for the resurrection of the dead.
That is Paul’s ultimate prize – salvation – the ability to spend eternity with Jesus.
I think this passage encourages us to turn our eyes on Jesus –
To forget about everything else that distracts and discourages us.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will give you rest.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will help you forget what is past.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will encourage you with lovingkindness.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will help you to face the future with courage.
Together, we press on toward our goal, which is Jesus himself.
A Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for sending Jesus Christ into the world. Thank you that we can set our eyes on him, even when our road is long. Help us to put down our burdens, so that we can focus on Christ with our whole mind, body and soul. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic. Bless those who are ill and those who care for them. Comfort those who mourn, and be near to those who are lonely. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 5, 2020: Psalm 119:49-56; Deuteronomy 5:1-21; 1 Peter 2:4-10
Tuesday, October 6, 2020: Psalm 119:49-56; Deuteronomy 5:22-6:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Wednesday, October 7, 2020: Psalm 119:49-56; Deuteronomy 6:10-25; John 11:45-57
Thursday, October 8, 2020: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Exodus 24:1-8; 1 Peter 5:1-5, 12-14
Friday, October 9, 2020: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Exodus 24:9-11; James 4:4-10
Saturday, October 10, 2020: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Exodus 24:12-18; Mark 2:18-22
even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul, the author of this text, has given up a lot in order to follow Christ.
He was a devout Jew, a Pharisee, who had a good position in society.
Now, he counts all that as rubbish – compared to his love for Jesus Christ.
Having given up his former glory, Paul wants to share Jesus’ sufferings
And become more like him,
So that the resurrection may shine through his life.
He hasn’t reached this goal yet, and he gives us an athletic image
That sees the athlete – perhaps a runner or a chariot driver,
Fully-focused on what lies ahead in order to win the prize.
Like that athlete, Paul is solely focussed on Jesus Christ –
To be Christ-like, to dwell with Christ, these are the hopes that Paul has adopted
In order to reach this goal, Paul needs to forget all his former glory –
Those days are gone, and Paul is now writing as a follower of Jesus.
What is really interesting about Paul’s words is that he is writing them from prison.
Words of hope, words about the future – these are coming from a man who probably expects to die in jail.
Paul reflects a very different value system than what we experience today.
Most people value time, money, possessions, family.
Paul is saying that all of that, even family, should come behind our great love for Jesus Christ.
There is nothing and no one more important.
We are invited to lay aside anything that holds us back,
And strive to be closer to Jesus.
We all have things in our lives that cause us to be further away from Jesus.
Paul mentions forgetting what is past –
For Paul, it was his old devotion to the law, and the superior place he held in Jewish culture.
For some of us this means forgetting and forgiving a snub we received at church.
For some of us, it means forgetting an embarrassing moment.
For some of us, it means forgetting an old feud.
For some of us, it means forgetting who we used to be.
What are you carrying around that keeps you from running toward Jesus?
What do you need to do in order to ‘forget what is past?’
For some of us, it isn’t the past that is holding us back, it is the fear of the future.
This week, Premiere Doug Ford suggested that the toughest days are still ahead.
It’s hard to imagine that anything could get much tougher.
The first wave was hard to take – it sounds like the second wave might be worse.
In the midst of a pandemic, Paul’s words speak loudly to us.
The good news is first of all, that we can ‘forget what is past’, we can lay aside our burdens.
But Paul also reminds us that Jesus is always standing in front of us.
It is Jesus we strive for – to be closer to him, to live out his resurrection,
To hope for the resurrection of the dead.
That is Paul’s ultimate prize – salvation – the ability to spend eternity with Jesus.
I think this passage encourages us to turn our eyes on Jesus –
To forget about everything else that distracts and discourages us.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will give you rest.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will help you forget what is past.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will encourage you with lovingkindness.
Put your eyes on Jesus, and he will help you to face the future with courage.
Together, we press on toward our goal, which is Jesus himself.
A Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for sending Jesus Christ into the world. Thank you that we can set our eyes on him, even when our road is long. Help us to put down our burdens, so that we can focus on Christ with our whole mind, body and soul. We continue to pray for an end to this pandemic. Bless those who are ill and those who care for them. Comfort those who mourn, and be near to those who are lonely. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, October 5, 2020: Psalm 119:49-56; Deuteronomy 5:1-21; 1 Peter 2:4-10
Tuesday, October 6, 2020: Psalm 119:49-56; Deuteronomy 5:22-6:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Wednesday, October 7, 2020: Psalm 119:49-56; Deuteronomy 6:10-25; John 11:45-57
Thursday, October 8, 2020: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Exodus 24:1-8; 1 Peter 5:1-5, 12-14
Friday, October 9, 2020: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Exodus 24:9-11; James 4:4-10
Saturday, October 10, 2020: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Exodus 24:12-18; Mark 2:18-22
Sermon - September 27, 2020
Philippians 2:1-13
2If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
I’m thinking that some of you are worn out right now.
Tired of restrictions, tired of being afraid
That you or someone you love might get sick.
We are all tired of not being able to gather for worship or fellowship.
Some of us are tired of not being able to see our friends and family.
Some of us are tired of all the political rhetoric and injustices that we see in the world.
Some of us are tired from caring relentlessly for each other –
Trying to make sure that everyone has what they need.
Some of us are tired from being locked in our homes, without enough exercise or companionship.
Some of us are just plain tired, for no reason other than the fact
That this pandemic is exhausting.
It is ok if you are tired.
Let’s turn to Paul’s letter to the Philippians and see if we can find some good news for us.
Paul was writing to a young church that was just learning how to be a church.
The folks in the church came from a culture that was dog-eat-dog –
They were used to maintaining class divisions and everyone wanted to be first –
To have the best, to be at the top of the heap.
The church was struggling to integrate a variety of social classes – slaves and rich people –
All in the same place for the sake of Jesus Christ.
In this part of the letter, Paul is reminding them of the need for humility and unity.
They should be more concerned for others than they are for themselves.
They should empty themselves of conceit and the desire to be in first place.
He reminds them that Jesus himself took on the form of a slave,
He emptied himself – through his life, death and resurrection.
And now, because of this self-emptying, God exalted him.
In front of Jesus, we are all expected to bow and give praise.
This is an incredibly equalizing claim – no matter how rich or how poor,
How honoured or how meagre, each person who follows Jesus
Is called upon to bow before his throne.
Although most of us could use a good dose of humility at some point,
It might be hard for us to relate to the problems facing the church at Phillipi.
We have our own problems – and what does Paul’s letter say to us?
The first piece of good news I see in this text is that the church exists
To comfort and nurture all its members.
We are called to be unified, and to look out for the best interests of each other.
In Christ, we are encouraged, loved, made free, reconciled to one another.
We are not alone, but tied into the body of believers.
We are not alone.
Another piece of good news is the fact that Christ emptied himself –
He gave up all honour and privilege in order to serve humanity.
And now, after the resurrection, he rules all nature.
Christ emptied himself on our behalf – so that we might be filled up.
We, as individuals and as a church, are filled up full of love and grace and mercy.
It is because we are filled up with Christ’s goodness
That we are able to care for each other –
We are invited to have the same mind as Jesus Christ –
To empty ourselves on behalf of others.
We do this as we care for one another and for a world desperately in need.
The third piece of good news is that if we are feeling empty – tired, worn out,
We are invited to return to Jesus Christ who will fill us up.
Some of you have been working far too hard to care for others.
Please make sure that you take time for yourself to be close to God.
God is at work in us and in our lives,
Helping us to fulfill the calling to live lives worthy of Jesus Christ.
If you are tired and worn out – come to Jesus.
He will fill you up.
If you feel empty inside – come to Jesus.
He will fill you up.
If you are lonely and afraid – come to Jesus
He will fill you up.
Praise be to God for the gift of the church that invites us to be part of a loving community!
Praise be to God for sending Jesus Christ to empty himself so that we might be full!
A Prayer
Generous God, we thank you for sending Jesus Christ to fill us up. Sometimes we feel empty and tired, and we need to remember that we can call on you to find mercy and peace. Thank you for giving us the church – somewhere for us to belong and find help. We pray especially today for those who are giving and giving – those who are making phone calls, those who are making meals, sending cards and sermons. Give them an extra measure of your grace. We pray for those who are ill and alone. We remember before you all those situations that require your care. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 28, 2020: Psalm 42; Exodus 18:1-12; Philippians 1:3-14
Tuesday, September 29, 2020: Psalm 42; Exodus 18:13-27; Philippians 1:15-21
Wednesday, September 30, 2020: Psalm 42; Exodus 19:9b-25; Matthew 9:2-8
Thursday, October 1, 2020: Psalm 19; Exodus 23:1-9; Colossians 2:16-23
Friday, October 2, 2020: Psalm 19; Exodus 23:14-19; Philippians 2:14-18; 3:1-4a
Saturday, October 3, 2020: Psalm 19; Exodus 23:10-13; John 7:40-52
2If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
I’m thinking that some of you are worn out right now.
Tired of restrictions, tired of being afraid
That you or someone you love might get sick.
We are all tired of not being able to gather for worship or fellowship.
Some of us are tired of not being able to see our friends and family.
Some of us are tired of all the political rhetoric and injustices that we see in the world.
Some of us are tired from caring relentlessly for each other –
Trying to make sure that everyone has what they need.
Some of us are tired from being locked in our homes, without enough exercise or companionship.
Some of us are just plain tired, for no reason other than the fact
That this pandemic is exhausting.
It is ok if you are tired.
Let’s turn to Paul’s letter to the Philippians and see if we can find some good news for us.
Paul was writing to a young church that was just learning how to be a church.
The folks in the church came from a culture that was dog-eat-dog –
They were used to maintaining class divisions and everyone wanted to be first –
To have the best, to be at the top of the heap.
The church was struggling to integrate a variety of social classes – slaves and rich people –
All in the same place for the sake of Jesus Christ.
In this part of the letter, Paul is reminding them of the need for humility and unity.
They should be more concerned for others than they are for themselves.
They should empty themselves of conceit and the desire to be in first place.
He reminds them that Jesus himself took on the form of a slave,
He emptied himself – through his life, death and resurrection.
And now, because of this self-emptying, God exalted him.
In front of Jesus, we are all expected to bow and give praise.
This is an incredibly equalizing claim – no matter how rich or how poor,
How honoured or how meagre, each person who follows Jesus
Is called upon to bow before his throne.
Although most of us could use a good dose of humility at some point,
It might be hard for us to relate to the problems facing the church at Phillipi.
We have our own problems – and what does Paul’s letter say to us?
The first piece of good news I see in this text is that the church exists
To comfort and nurture all its members.
We are called to be unified, and to look out for the best interests of each other.
In Christ, we are encouraged, loved, made free, reconciled to one another.
We are not alone, but tied into the body of believers.
We are not alone.
Another piece of good news is the fact that Christ emptied himself –
He gave up all honour and privilege in order to serve humanity.
And now, after the resurrection, he rules all nature.
Christ emptied himself on our behalf – so that we might be filled up.
We, as individuals and as a church, are filled up full of love and grace and mercy.
It is because we are filled up with Christ’s goodness
That we are able to care for each other –
We are invited to have the same mind as Jesus Christ –
To empty ourselves on behalf of others.
We do this as we care for one another and for a world desperately in need.
The third piece of good news is that if we are feeling empty – tired, worn out,
We are invited to return to Jesus Christ who will fill us up.
Some of you have been working far too hard to care for others.
Please make sure that you take time for yourself to be close to God.
God is at work in us and in our lives,
Helping us to fulfill the calling to live lives worthy of Jesus Christ.
If you are tired and worn out – come to Jesus.
He will fill you up.
If you feel empty inside – come to Jesus.
He will fill you up.
If you are lonely and afraid – come to Jesus
He will fill you up.
Praise be to God for the gift of the church that invites us to be part of a loving community!
Praise be to God for sending Jesus Christ to empty himself so that we might be full!
A Prayer
Generous God, we thank you for sending Jesus Christ to fill us up. Sometimes we feel empty and tired, and we need to remember that we can call on you to find mercy and peace. Thank you for giving us the church – somewhere for us to belong and find help. We pray especially today for those who are giving and giving – those who are making phone calls, those who are making meals, sending cards and sermons. Give them an extra measure of your grace. We pray for those who are ill and alone. We remember before you all those situations that require your care. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 28, 2020: Psalm 42; Exodus 18:1-12; Philippians 1:3-14
Tuesday, September 29, 2020: Psalm 42; Exodus 18:13-27; Philippians 1:15-21
Wednesday, September 30, 2020: Psalm 42; Exodus 19:9b-25; Matthew 9:2-8
Thursday, October 1, 2020: Psalm 19; Exodus 23:1-9; Colossians 2:16-23
Friday, October 2, 2020: Psalm 19; Exodus 23:14-19; Philippians 2:14-18; 3:1-4a
Saturday, October 3, 2020: Psalm 19; Exodus 23:10-13; John 7:40-52
Sermon - September 20, 2020
Exodus 16:2-15
2The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but” against the Lord. 9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’“ 10And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11The Lord spoke to Moses and said, 12“I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’“
13In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
The congregation of Israel is in the wilderness,
And they are mad.
All of them are complaining about the hardships of freedom.
In Egypt, they might have been slaves, but at least they had food to eat.
Now that God has brought them out of Egypt, they are starving.
They would rather be back in captivity than wandering around hungry.
The Israelites direct their complaints at Moses and Aaron, who couldn’t do much to help.
What they could do was turn to God, who is the only one who can provide.
And God does provide – quails and a strange, flaky kind of bread
That lands on the ground each morning.
It is God who provides, and the only one to whom we can turn for help.
I think we can relate to the Israelites in this story.
We are in a similar time of wilderness brought about by the perils of 2020.
We are wandering around, complaining because our lives have been turned upside down.
Covid-19 has ruined all our plans, it has separated us from one another
And it has made us afraid.
As the daily numbers continue to climb once again,
We are fearful not only for our neighbours and communities but for ourselves.
Most of us have enough to eat – so we’re not hungry for food,
But we’re hungry for companionship and stability.
We’re hungry for a time when we can gather again for worship.
We’re hungry for spiritual nurturing and the hugs of good friends.
It is ok to complain. These are terrible times.
And it is ok to direct our complaints to God – God is the creator of all,
The one who knows us inside and out,
And a God who is willing to listen to our murmurings and lament.
These are hard times.
I know many of you are lonely, and missing your friends and families.
Some of you are just bored.
Some of you are afraid for your lives.
How wonderful that we can direct our complaints to God,
We can pray and wait for God to answer us.
The Isrealites were fed, but not with the kind of food they expected.
When they saw the manna from heaven, they didn’t even know what it was.
God works in mysterious ways to bring nourishment to God’s people.
God is working in a mysterious way to bring nourishment to us.
Some of you know Mary, who is a friend of Norval church who worships with the Anglican Church.
She has been preparing meals for seniors who are alone or lonely,
And delivering them along with some conversation and companionship.
This is an example of how God is providing for God’s people.
We can think of many other examples.
Bea and John Henderson send out my sermons every week to the folks in Norval.
In this way, the word of God is shared far and wide.
Some of you donate to the local foodbank.
In this way, you are assisting God in his mission to feed the hungry.
Some of you make phone calls every day or week to those who are lonely.
This is work that assists in God’s mission to comfort those who are alone.
Whatever you are doing, keep doing it,
Because it is in this way that God provides for those he loves.
Don’t be afraid to present your prayers and requests to God –
Even if they are complaints, God is willing to hear them.
Keep praying for an end to this pandemic,
Pray for those who are doing God’s mission in the world.
Pray for those who are suffering in this time of financial hardship.
Pray that you will receive what you need in order to be well and healthy.
God is the one who provides,
In Jesus Christ he has provided us with a guide and a light and a savior.
We have received abundantly, and God will not abandon us now.
Praise God for keeping us safe in the wilderness. Amen.
A Prayer
Merciful God, we come to you with our praise and our lament. Thank you for listening to our complaints. You have brought us out of the wilderness through the life and death of Jesus Christ. We are thankful, yet we are still suffering. We ask that you will feed us with spiritual food- nurturing our hearts so that they may be full of your love. We ask your blessing on those who are lonely and tired – give comfort and energy. God, our shepherd, you give us all that we need. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 21, 2020: Psalm 119:97-104; Exodus 16:31-35; Romans 16:1-16
Tuesday, September 22, 2020: Psalm 119:97-104; Numbers 11:1-9; Romans 16:17-20
Wednesday, September 23, 2020: Psalm 119:97-104; Numbers 11:18-23, 31-32; Matthew 18:1-5
Thursday, September 24, 2020: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Isaiah 48:17-21; James 4:11-16
Friday, September 25, 2020: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Numbers 20:1-13; Acts 13:32-41
Saturday, September 26, 2020: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Numbers 27:12-14; Mark 11:27-33
2The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but” against the Lord. 9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’“ 10And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11The Lord spoke to Moses and said, 12“I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’“
13In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
The congregation of Israel is in the wilderness,
And they are mad.
All of them are complaining about the hardships of freedom.
In Egypt, they might have been slaves, but at least they had food to eat.
Now that God has brought them out of Egypt, they are starving.
They would rather be back in captivity than wandering around hungry.
The Israelites direct their complaints at Moses and Aaron, who couldn’t do much to help.
What they could do was turn to God, who is the only one who can provide.
And God does provide – quails and a strange, flaky kind of bread
That lands on the ground each morning.
It is God who provides, and the only one to whom we can turn for help.
I think we can relate to the Israelites in this story.
We are in a similar time of wilderness brought about by the perils of 2020.
We are wandering around, complaining because our lives have been turned upside down.
Covid-19 has ruined all our plans, it has separated us from one another
And it has made us afraid.
As the daily numbers continue to climb once again,
We are fearful not only for our neighbours and communities but for ourselves.
Most of us have enough to eat – so we’re not hungry for food,
But we’re hungry for companionship and stability.
We’re hungry for a time when we can gather again for worship.
We’re hungry for spiritual nurturing and the hugs of good friends.
It is ok to complain. These are terrible times.
And it is ok to direct our complaints to God – God is the creator of all,
The one who knows us inside and out,
And a God who is willing to listen to our murmurings and lament.
These are hard times.
I know many of you are lonely, and missing your friends and families.
Some of you are just bored.
Some of you are afraid for your lives.
How wonderful that we can direct our complaints to God,
We can pray and wait for God to answer us.
The Isrealites were fed, but not with the kind of food they expected.
When they saw the manna from heaven, they didn’t even know what it was.
God works in mysterious ways to bring nourishment to God’s people.
God is working in a mysterious way to bring nourishment to us.
Some of you know Mary, who is a friend of Norval church who worships with the Anglican Church.
She has been preparing meals for seniors who are alone or lonely,
And delivering them along with some conversation and companionship.
This is an example of how God is providing for God’s people.
We can think of many other examples.
Bea and John Henderson send out my sermons every week to the folks in Norval.
In this way, the word of God is shared far and wide.
Some of you donate to the local foodbank.
In this way, you are assisting God in his mission to feed the hungry.
Some of you make phone calls every day or week to those who are lonely.
This is work that assists in God’s mission to comfort those who are alone.
Whatever you are doing, keep doing it,
Because it is in this way that God provides for those he loves.
Don’t be afraid to present your prayers and requests to God –
Even if they are complaints, God is willing to hear them.
Keep praying for an end to this pandemic,
Pray for those who are doing God’s mission in the world.
Pray for those who are suffering in this time of financial hardship.
Pray that you will receive what you need in order to be well and healthy.
God is the one who provides,
In Jesus Christ he has provided us with a guide and a light and a savior.
We have received abundantly, and God will not abandon us now.
Praise God for keeping us safe in the wilderness. Amen.
A Prayer
Merciful God, we come to you with our praise and our lament. Thank you for listening to our complaints. You have brought us out of the wilderness through the life and death of Jesus Christ. We are thankful, yet we are still suffering. We ask that you will feed us with spiritual food- nurturing our hearts so that they may be full of your love. We ask your blessing on those who are lonely and tired – give comfort and energy. God, our shepherd, you give us all that we need. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 21, 2020: Psalm 119:97-104; Exodus 16:31-35; Romans 16:1-16
Tuesday, September 22, 2020: Psalm 119:97-104; Numbers 11:1-9; Romans 16:17-20
Wednesday, September 23, 2020: Psalm 119:97-104; Numbers 11:18-23, 31-32; Matthew 18:1-5
Thursday, September 24, 2020: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Isaiah 48:17-21; James 4:11-16
Friday, September 25, 2020: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Numbers 20:1-13; Acts 13:32-41
Saturday, September 26, 2020: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Numbers 27:12-14; Mark 11:27-33
Sermon - September 13, 2020
Matthew 20:1-16
20“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Jesus’s parables are always difficult to understand.
This one might be more difficult than most.
I really struggled to discover what might be relevant for us today.
After all, the world of day labourers is foreign to us.
These are people who had no steady job,
They relied on landowners to hire them to earn a day’s wage
To put food on their tables.
They faced food insecurity – if they didn’t get hired, they couldn’t feed their families.
We can imagine them gathering in a huddle outside the gates of the vineyard,
Hoping against hope that they would be one of the lucky ones.
This landowner is interesting.
He kept going back throughout the day, and hiring more labourers.
At the end of the day, he pays them all the same wage –
Whether they began at the beginning of the day or nearer the end.
This, of course, upsets those who had worked longer hours.
Perhaps they expected that they should get more money than those who worked a shorter day.
But the landowner makes a different choice. A generous choice.
This parable might be uncomfortable for us.
We might agree with the grumbling labourers, that people should be paid for the hours they actually work, instead of getting the same amount regardless of how hard they labored.
The parable is meant to make us uncomfortable.
It’s meant to make us think about the way the world works,
And how the world might contrast with the kingdom of heaven.
It appears that in the kingdom of heaven, generosity is the norm.
The disciples spent a lot of time and energy wondering about status and privilege.
It was the kind of culture they lived in – status meant everything.
Thus, they wanted to know who would be first in the kingdom of heaven.
They assumed that the ones who worked hardest and showed the most effort
Would receive a greater place in the kingdom.
Just like those who worked hardest and showed the most effort
Received a greater place in society.
But Jesus is suggesting something different here.
One’s place in the kingdom is not defined by merit or honour.
It is defined by God’s generosity,
Which doesn’t have limits, nor does it follow the rules of society – then or now.
God’s love is limitless, without conditions, without being earned.
One cannot earn their way into the kingdom –
It is pure gift – given by a God who loves without counting the cost.
You and I live in a time which is defined by similar principles to the ones followed in biblical times.
We tend to believe that those who work harder should be rewarded,
Perhaps those who show more faithfulness toward God should receive more love.
But that’s not the way that God works.
We are all loved beyond measure, from the very beginning of our lives.
Psalm 139 says: For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
God created us, God knows us, God loves us.
And because of the great love shown for us in Jesus Christ,
There is nothing we can do to make God love us more,
And there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
All of this calls on the Christian community to live into the kingdom of heaven.
We are invited to live generously.
While we can’t blame the workers in the parable for grumbling when others received more than they thought was deserved,
We can celebrate God’s love by perceiving generously –
Being gracious when others receive more than we think they deserve.
John Henderson sent me the following quote from theologian Richard Rohr.
I think it sums up what we are called to do based on this passage.
“I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned."[1]
After all, we have all received more than we deserve –
We are imperfect beings, and yet God loves us without limit.
Praise God for being the most Generous of beings,
And may we learn also to be generous toward our fellow human beings.
Amen.
Generous God, you know when we sit down and when we rise up. You perceive our thoughts from afar. You know when we grumble about each other, you know when we sin against you. And yet you love us anyway. Thank you for loving us so much, for creating a space for each of us within your kingdom that we haven’t earned and do not deserve. Help us to be generous as you are generous. Amen.
Daily Readings
Monday, September 14, 2020: Psalm 77; Joshua 3:1-17; Hebrews 11:23-29
Tuesday, September 15, 2020: Psalm 77; Nehemiah 9:9-15; Romans 14:13-15:2
Wednesday, September 16, 2020: Psalm 77; 2 Kings 2:1-18; Mark 11:20-25
Thursday, September 17, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 15:22-27; 2 Corinthians 13:1-4
Friday, September 18, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 16:1-21; 2 Corinthians 13:5-10
[1] Richard Rohr, https://cac.org/greater-proximity-greater-mercy-2020-09-11/
20“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Jesus’s parables are always difficult to understand.
This one might be more difficult than most.
I really struggled to discover what might be relevant for us today.
After all, the world of day labourers is foreign to us.
These are people who had no steady job,
They relied on landowners to hire them to earn a day’s wage
To put food on their tables.
They faced food insecurity – if they didn’t get hired, they couldn’t feed their families.
We can imagine them gathering in a huddle outside the gates of the vineyard,
Hoping against hope that they would be one of the lucky ones.
This landowner is interesting.
He kept going back throughout the day, and hiring more labourers.
At the end of the day, he pays them all the same wage –
Whether they began at the beginning of the day or nearer the end.
This, of course, upsets those who had worked longer hours.
Perhaps they expected that they should get more money than those who worked a shorter day.
But the landowner makes a different choice. A generous choice.
This parable might be uncomfortable for us.
We might agree with the grumbling labourers, that people should be paid for the hours they actually work, instead of getting the same amount regardless of how hard they labored.
The parable is meant to make us uncomfortable.
It’s meant to make us think about the way the world works,
And how the world might contrast with the kingdom of heaven.
It appears that in the kingdom of heaven, generosity is the norm.
The disciples spent a lot of time and energy wondering about status and privilege.
It was the kind of culture they lived in – status meant everything.
Thus, they wanted to know who would be first in the kingdom of heaven.
They assumed that the ones who worked hardest and showed the most effort
Would receive a greater place in the kingdom.
Just like those who worked hardest and showed the most effort
Received a greater place in society.
But Jesus is suggesting something different here.
One’s place in the kingdom is not defined by merit or honour.
It is defined by God’s generosity,
Which doesn’t have limits, nor does it follow the rules of society – then or now.
God’s love is limitless, without conditions, without being earned.
One cannot earn their way into the kingdom –
It is pure gift – given by a God who loves without counting the cost.
You and I live in a time which is defined by similar principles to the ones followed in biblical times.
We tend to believe that those who work harder should be rewarded,
Perhaps those who show more faithfulness toward God should receive more love.
But that’s not the way that God works.
We are all loved beyond measure, from the very beginning of our lives.
Psalm 139 says: For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
God created us, God knows us, God loves us.
And because of the great love shown for us in Jesus Christ,
There is nothing we can do to make God love us more,
And there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
All of this calls on the Christian community to live into the kingdom of heaven.
We are invited to live generously.
While we can’t blame the workers in the parable for grumbling when others received more than they thought was deserved,
We can celebrate God’s love by perceiving generously –
Being gracious when others receive more than we think they deserve.
John Henderson sent me the following quote from theologian Richard Rohr.
I think it sums up what we are called to do based on this passage.
“I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned."[1]
After all, we have all received more than we deserve –
We are imperfect beings, and yet God loves us without limit.
Praise God for being the most Generous of beings,
And may we learn also to be generous toward our fellow human beings.
Amen.
Generous God, you know when we sit down and when we rise up. You perceive our thoughts from afar. You know when we grumble about each other, you know when we sin against you. And yet you love us anyway. Thank you for loving us so much, for creating a space for each of us within your kingdom that we haven’t earned and do not deserve. Help us to be generous as you are generous. Amen.
Daily Readings
Monday, September 14, 2020: Psalm 77; Joshua 3:1-17; Hebrews 11:23-29
Tuesday, September 15, 2020: Psalm 77; Nehemiah 9:9-15; Romans 14:13-15:2
Wednesday, September 16, 2020: Psalm 77; 2 Kings 2:1-18; Mark 11:20-25
Thursday, September 17, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 15:22-27; 2 Corinthians 13:1-4
Friday, September 18, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 16:1-21; 2 Corinthians 13:5-10
[1] Richard Rohr, https://cac.org/greater-proximity-greater-mercy-2020-09-11/
Sermon - September 6, 2020
Matthew 18:21-35
21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Peter is expecting a simple answer from Jesus, when he asks “How often should I forgive.”
As usual, Jesus escapes ordinary logic – he offers the possibility of limitless forgiveness.
This is what the kingdom of God is based on –
the idea that sins are forgiven over and over again.
This reality may make us uncomfortable.
It does not seem reasonable that we should forgive the debts of other,
Especially when they have hurt us or caused us pain.
And yet, Jesus does not hesitate to claim that forgiveness
is part and parcel of life in God’s kingdom.
He tells the story of a slave who is forgiven a massive debt,
Yet refuses to forgive a much smaller debt owed him by someone else.
There are consequences for failing to offer mercy.
There is a reason for this – God is abundantly merciful, and expects us to be the same.
This is what it means to be part of God’s church – that we receive mercy unconditionally,
And we are invited to give mercy unconditionally as well.
Many years ago, I visited a small village in India.
The church there had been burned, by a group of rebels that came over the hills
And took out their anger on the Christian community there.
We sat in the burned-out shell of a building.
I remember asking them “Are you angry?”
They didn’t hesitate to answer.
“No, we are not angry. We are Christians. We forgive.”
It was difficult for me to imagine such an attitude.
Surely they should be angry?
Surely they should seek restitution for what had been lost?
But that was not their way.
And by forgiving, they freed themselves from a terrible burden of anger,
And they lived into the kingdom of God.
We live in a world in which violence is often the answer to wrongdoing.
If not violence, then anger.
Even in our own lives, it can be difficult to imagine forgiveness.
I’m sure we all have people in our lives that have done things to hurt us.
And it seems much easier to hold onto the anger – or shut them out-
Than to forgive.
And yet Jesus is arguing that forgiveness and mercy are part of our identity as Christians.
Perhaps this is a moment to reconsider.
A moment to look back on your life and think about the areas in which anger
And frustration and resentment interrupt the flow of our lives.
Are there people who you might consider forgiving for what they have done?
What does forgiveness mean?
What does it look like?
I think it feels like putting down a burden.
We carry these things around with us, and they are heavy.
But we have the example of Jesus, who invited us to lay down every heavy load,
To leave our burdens with him.
Forgiveness will not happen without prayer and a reliance on Jesus’s words.
What a marvelous gift we have been given – God has forgiven us for everything!
And God gives us the opportunity to forgive others, and in doing so free ourselves.
Jesus is well aware of what the cycle of anger looks like.
In cultures, the cycle of anger produces cycles of violence.
In persons, the cycle of anger weighs us down and prevent us from loving fully.
It can even prevent us from joyfully receiving the forgiveness offered by God –
That completely free gift which we do not deserve but is granted to us anyway.
Praise God for the gift of forgiveness,
And may God give us the grace to release ourselves from the bondage of anger.
Amen.
Prayer
Almighty God, you are the creator of all. You have offered us such tremendous love and mercy, and we are grateful. Thank you for Jesus Christ, who showed us what mercy and forgiveness looks like. We ask that you will help us to forgive those who have hurt us, so that we may be freed from the burden of anger. Help stop the cycles of anger that turn into cycles of violence in our world. May justice roll down from the heavens, so that all may be free. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 7, 2020: Psalm 121; Exodus 12:14-28; 1 Peter 2:11-17
Tuesday, September 8, 2020: Psalm 121; Exodus 12:29-42; Romans 13:1-7
Wednesday, September 9, 2020: Psalm 121; Exodus 13:1-10; Matthew 21:18-22
Thursday, September 10, 2020: Psalm 114; Exodus 13:17-22; 1 John 3:11-16
Friday, September 11, 2020: Psalm 114; Exodus 14:1-18; Acts 7:9-16
Saturday, September 12, 2020: Psalm 114; Exodus 15:19-21; Matthew 6:7-15
21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Peter is expecting a simple answer from Jesus, when he asks “How often should I forgive.”
As usual, Jesus escapes ordinary logic – he offers the possibility of limitless forgiveness.
This is what the kingdom of God is based on –
the idea that sins are forgiven over and over again.
This reality may make us uncomfortable.
It does not seem reasonable that we should forgive the debts of other,
Especially when they have hurt us or caused us pain.
And yet, Jesus does not hesitate to claim that forgiveness
is part and parcel of life in God’s kingdom.
He tells the story of a slave who is forgiven a massive debt,
Yet refuses to forgive a much smaller debt owed him by someone else.
There are consequences for failing to offer mercy.
There is a reason for this – God is abundantly merciful, and expects us to be the same.
This is what it means to be part of God’s church – that we receive mercy unconditionally,
And we are invited to give mercy unconditionally as well.
Many years ago, I visited a small village in India.
The church there had been burned, by a group of rebels that came over the hills
And took out their anger on the Christian community there.
We sat in the burned-out shell of a building.
I remember asking them “Are you angry?”
They didn’t hesitate to answer.
“No, we are not angry. We are Christians. We forgive.”
It was difficult for me to imagine such an attitude.
Surely they should be angry?
Surely they should seek restitution for what had been lost?
But that was not their way.
And by forgiving, they freed themselves from a terrible burden of anger,
And they lived into the kingdom of God.
We live in a world in which violence is often the answer to wrongdoing.
If not violence, then anger.
Even in our own lives, it can be difficult to imagine forgiveness.
I’m sure we all have people in our lives that have done things to hurt us.
And it seems much easier to hold onto the anger – or shut them out-
Than to forgive.
And yet Jesus is arguing that forgiveness and mercy are part of our identity as Christians.
Perhaps this is a moment to reconsider.
A moment to look back on your life and think about the areas in which anger
And frustration and resentment interrupt the flow of our lives.
Are there people who you might consider forgiving for what they have done?
What does forgiveness mean?
What does it look like?
I think it feels like putting down a burden.
We carry these things around with us, and they are heavy.
But we have the example of Jesus, who invited us to lay down every heavy load,
To leave our burdens with him.
Forgiveness will not happen without prayer and a reliance on Jesus’s words.
What a marvelous gift we have been given – God has forgiven us for everything!
And God gives us the opportunity to forgive others, and in doing so free ourselves.
Jesus is well aware of what the cycle of anger looks like.
In cultures, the cycle of anger produces cycles of violence.
In persons, the cycle of anger weighs us down and prevent us from loving fully.
It can even prevent us from joyfully receiving the forgiveness offered by God –
That completely free gift which we do not deserve but is granted to us anyway.
Praise God for the gift of forgiveness,
And may God give us the grace to release ourselves from the bondage of anger.
Amen.
Prayer
Almighty God, you are the creator of all. You have offered us such tremendous love and mercy, and we are grateful. Thank you for Jesus Christ, who showed us what mercy and forgiveness looks like. We ask that you will help us to forgive those who have hurt us, so that we may be freed from the burden of anger. Help stop the cycles of anger that turn into cycles of violence in our world. May justice roll down from the heavens, so that all may be free. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, September 7, 2020: Psalm 121; Exodus 12:14-28; 1 Peter 2:11-17
Tuesday, September 8, 2020: Psalm 121; Exodus 12:29-42; Romans 13:1-7
Wednesday, September 9, 2020: Psalm 121; Exodus 13:1-10; Matthew 21:18-22
Thursday, September 10, 2020: Psalm 114; Exodus 13:17-22; 1 John 3:11-16
Friday, September 11, 2020: Psalm 114; Exodus 14:1-18; Acts 7:9-16
Saturday, September 12, 2020: Psalm 114; Exodus 15:19-21; Matthew 6:7-15
Sermon - August 30, 2020
Matthew 16:21-28
21From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? 27“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Peter does not like what Jesus is saying.
He has just proclaimed Jesus to be the messiah,
By which he means a warrior prince who will squash the Roman overlords.
But Jesus is now describing his own perspective on Messiahship, which contrasts sharply with Peter’s assumptions.
He says he must go to Jerusalem and be killed, and raised up on the third day.
Peter just can’t take this in – he can’t believe it.
He cannot understand how a messiah could suffer or die.
He is locked into the logic of violence, when a messiah could battle it out with the existing powers, resulting in a turning over of leadership – from the Romans to Jesus.
But Jesus is talking about an entirely different kind of logic –
The logic of suffering on behalf of others, of submission, of stopping the violent cycle.
In short, Peter is suffering from a lack of imagination.
He is unable to imagine a world in which death can lead to new life.
Peter does not see his role as ‘taking up the cross’, but rather taking up the sword.
Jesus, instead, is casting an imaginative vision that includes giving up one’s own life
For the sake of the kingdom.
I think there is a sense in which this pandemic has resulted in a failure of imagination
For many of Christ’s disciples.
It is difficult to imagine a future at all, let alone the kind of future that Jesus is talking about –
New life arising from the old.
This week, we have seen and heard things that paralyze our imaginations.
Another unarmed black man was shot in the US –
Terrible storms ravaged the southern US,
Wildfires are ravaging California and BC.
We are still reeling from the horrific devastation in Beirut.
It is difficult to imagine any kind of new life, any kind of restoration or rising from the ruins.
Like Peter, we are caught in a failure of imagination – unable to see Jesus’ logic of forgiveness, mercy and love instead of hatred and violence.
And yet, in this passage Jesus invites us to enter into an imaginative exercise,
To create a vision of the world that is profoundly different than the one we live in.
We are invited to extract ourselves from despair and begin to long for a new world.
Jesus has died, Jesus has risen.
And although the restoration and reconciliation is still incomplete,
We have been given the tools and the vision to imagine something different.
Can you imagine a world in which violence and hate were replaced by justice and mercy?
Can you imagine a world in which neighbours flocked to aid neighbours who are suffering?
Can you imagine a world in which a black man can walk in safety without being prejudged because of the colour if his skin?
Can you imagine what would happen if even small acts of generosity led to grand, sweeping change, and care for the smallest and weakest ones among us?
Can you imagine Life arising from the ashes?
Can you imagine that there will be a world free from disease and fear?
It is so easy to become trapped in the present.
Yet Jesus offers us a way out – a promise that death is not the end of everything,
That there is life and health and well-being for all people.
The unfolding of the kingdom happens with our participation.
We need to act as if we believe it.
We need to make choices that lead to new life, based on our imaginative vision
Of a world beyond suffering and hate.
Take up your cross, Jesus says, deny yourself and live your life for others.
In this small act, we participate in the movement of change that Jesus began and continues.
So let us imagine how the world is changed by the grand and loving acts of Jesus Christ.
Change is coming. Jesus said so. Amen.
A Prayer
Almighty God, you are loving and you are just. Your mercy fills the heavens and the earth. We are so thankful for Jesus Christ, that he came and loved us, and died for us, and rose up again.
We pray that you will bring your kingdom to this earth. Help us to imagine a different world, on in which mercy and love and justice are at the heart of all we do. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, August 31, 2020: Psalm 83:1-4, 13-18; Exodus 4:10-31; Revelation 3:1-6
Tuesday, September 1, 2020: Psalm 83:1-4, 13-18; Exodus 5:1-6:13; Revelation 3:7-13
Wednesday, September 2, 2020: Psalm 83:1-4, 13-18; Exodus 7:14-25; Matthew 12:22-32
Thursday, September 3, 2020: Psalm 149; Exodus 9:1-7; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
Friday, September 4, 2020: Psalm 149; Exodus 10:21-29; Romans 10:15b-21
Saturday, September 5, 2020: Psalm 149; Exodus 11:1-10; Matthew 23:29-36
21From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? 27“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Peter does not like what Jesus is saying.
He has just proclaimed Jesus to be the messiah,
By which he means a warrior prince who will squash the Roman overlords.
But Jesus is now describing his own perspective on Messiahship, which contrasts sharply with Peter’s assumptions.
He says he must go to Jerusalem and be killed, and raised up on the third day.
Peter just can’t take this in – he can’t believe it.
He cannot understand how a messiah could suffer or die.
He is locked into the logic of violence, when a messiah could battle it out with the existing powers, resulting in a turning over of leadership – from the Romans to Jesus.
But Jesus is talking about an entirely different kind of logic –
The logic of suffering on behalf of others, of submission, of stopping the violent cycle.
In short, Peter is suffering from a lack of imagination.
He is unable to imagine a world in which death can lead to new life.
Peter does not see his role as ‘taking up the cross’, but rather taking up the sword.
Jesus, instead, is casting an imaginative vision that includes giving up one’s own life
For the sake of the kingdom.
I think there is a sense in which this pandemic has resulted in a failure of imagination
For many of Christ’s disciples.
It is difficult to imagine a future at all, let alone the kind of future that Jesus is talking about –
New life arising from the old.
This week, we have seen and heard things that paralyze our imaginations.
Another unarmed black man was shot in the US –
Terrible storms ravaged the southern US,
Wildfires are ravaging California and BC.
We are still reeling from the horrific devastation in Beirut.
It is difficult to imagine any kind of new life, any kind of restoration or rising from the ruins.
Like Peter, we are caught in a failure of imagination – unable to see Jesus’ logic of forgiveness, mercy and love instead of hatred and violence.
And yet, in this passage Jesus invites us to enter into an imaginative exercise,
To create a vision of the world that is profoundly different than the one we live in.
We are invited to extract ourselves from despair and begin to long for a new world.
Jesus has died, Jesus has risen.
And although the restoration and reconciliation is still incomplete,
We have been given the tools and the vision to imagine something different.
Can you imagine a world in which violence and hate were replaced by justice and mercy?
Can you imagine a world in which neighbours flocked to aid neighbours who are suffering?
Can you imagine a world in which a black man can walk in safety without being prejudged because of the colour if his skin?
Can you imagine what would happen if even small acts of generosity led to grand, sweeping change, and care for the smallest and weakest ones among us?
Can you imagine Life arising from the ashes?
Can you imagine that there will be a world free from disease and fear?
It is so easy to become trapped in the present.
Yet Jesus offers us a way out – a promise that death is not the end of everything,
That there is life and health and well-being for all people.
The unfolding of the kingdom happens with our participation.
We need to act as if we believe it.
We need to make choices that lead to new life, based on our imaginative vision
Of a world beyond suffering and hate.
Take up your cross, Jesus says, deny yourself and live your life for others.
In this small act, we participate in the movement of change that Jesus began and continues.
So let us imagine how the world is changed by the grand and loving acts of Jesus Christ.
Change is coming. Jesus said so. Amen.
A Prayer
Almighty God, you are loving and you are just. Your mercy fills the heavens and the earth. We are so thankful for Jesus Christ, that he came and loved us, and died for us, and rose up again.
We pray that you will bring your kingdom to this earth. Help us to imagine a different world, on in which mercy and love and justice are at the heart of all we do. Amen.
Daily Bible Readings
Monday, August 31, 2020: Psalm 83:1-4, 13-18; Exodus 4:10-31; Revelation 3:1-6
Tuesday, September 1, 2020: Psalm 83:1-4, 13-18; Exodus 5:1-6:13; Revelation 3:7-13
Wednesday, September 2, 2020: Psalm 83:1-4, 13-18; Exodus 7:14-25; Matthew 12:22-32
Thursday, September 3, 2020: Psalm 149; Exodus 9:1-7; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
Friday, September 4, 2020: Psalm 149; Exodus 10:21-29; Romans 10:15b-21
Saturday, September 5, 2020: Psalm 149; Exodus 11:1-10; Matthew 23:29-36
Sermon - August 23, 2020
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
The Parable of the Sower - Mark 4: 1-9 1
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
The Parable of the Sower - Mark 4: 1-9 1
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
What should we make of a sower who sows seeds anywhere and everywhere? The sower tosses the seeds and lets them fall where they may. Jesus explains what happens to the seeds that land in inhospitable places… They are eaten by birds, or dried up, or choked by thorns. What is wrong with this sower? Even someone who knows nothing about gardening knows that good soil is a good thing. Is the sower in Jesus’ story completely inexperienced, and unfamiliar with the land On which the seeds are sown? Wouldn’t a gardener or farmer know which parts of their land is rocky or thorny or sandy? Isn’t it wasteful to throw seeds randomly? Seeds are expensive – why not be more careful?
I don’t think I would do it that way. I would expect planting to be more strategic and efficient. Rational, logical. No one hearing the story in the 1st century near east would have thought quite those things – Strategy and efficiency belong to the work ethic of the modern era. But even those who were familiar with farming practices in the time of Jesus Would have wondered about the wastefulness of the sower.
Back then, they didn’t prepare the ground for planting like we would today – Worrying about chemistry and type of soil compared to type of plant. But surely those who sowed would have known something about what they were doing.
Like many other parables, this one has a hint of the absurd. Perhaps because Jesus isn’t actually talking about seeds and plants – But using those familiar images to say something important about God and God’s people. Unlike the parables we have heard in the past weeks, Jesus offers an interpretation of this parable. There are some kinds of soil that are more receptive to seeds. If the seed represents the word of God, or the Kingdom of God, Then some people, some communities are more receptive to hearing and understanding the Word of God and the values of God’s kingdom.
This parable is told at a time when Jesus has encountered a lot of resistance to his ministry. He is under attack from the religious establishment, And despite the fact that so many people come to hear him speak – that he has to climb into a boat offshore and teach from there – Not all are equally impressed or convinced by his message. Why do some hear and accept, and others resist? Why does the sower – the one who scatters the word of God like seeds – Bother preaching that word into situations in which it is likely to whither or have little effect?
I wonder what this passage might say to us about the nature of God? What does this say to us about Jesus? About the Holy Spirit? What does it say about God’s disciples, and the mission of the church? Many sermons on this parable might more accurately be titled “the parable of the bad soil.” They focus on what we or others need to do to improve the quality of the soil, To be more hospitable to the word of God, so we will produce good fruit if we are lucky enough to have God’s good seed fall on us. We tend to judge the soil for its quality – and then we begin to judge ourselves and others to determine whether we are fit receptacles for whatever it is God wants to plant in us. The emphasis in Jesus’ story, however, is not on the soil – It is on the sower. This strange, wild sower who sows seeds everywhere and anywhere. This parable is more likely about the qualities of a good sower and the quality of the soil. If the sower is in fact God – in the form of the creator or the son or the spirit – Then perhaps God is not careful, not restrained with the sowing of the kingdom. Maybe God sows with wild abandon, allowing his word and grace and blessing To fall where it may.
God is a high risk sower.
Through Jesus Christ, and through his disciples, our God showers the people of the earth with a sustaining Word, and with the promise of a Kingdom that is beyond our imagining. People receive this word in different ways. 3 Some hear and believe, some close themselves off from faith. Some don’t listen at all. Some are unable to sustain faith because they face such trials and hardships….. Not all who receive the seed of God’s word are the same. Yet Jesus keeps on sowing – despite resistance, despite opposition. Despite persecution, Jesus keeps on sowing. In the end, even though not all will hear or listen or allow themselves to be changed by God’s message of hope – There will be significant change. There will be magnificent and miraculous growth. God’s high risk sowing pays off – the scattered seeds create a harvest beyond belief.
This parable is about God’s action. But it might also be about us. We don’t know, and we might never know what will happens to the seeds we sow. When we live out our faith in word and deed, We don’t know what the impact will be.
Remember that Jesus didn’t focus only on good soil – He ate with the outcasts and the down and outs – The one’s no one thought could be redeemed. Yet the seeds he planted in their lives produced tremendous fruit. Seeds sown on the path might be eaten by the birds – but what happens then? Here is a disgusting yet useful analogy….. I just read an article which claimed that the seeds that birds eat, come out the other end of the bird and produce stronger, better plants. Yes, I am talking about bird poop. The seeds are taken to new locations, perhaps dropped on better soil, And they grow and flourish.
We simply cannot predict the blessing that might be offered to the world By our living out of the Word of God. We don’t know when a kind word will change a bad situation for the better. We don’t know when a few dollars given will begin a miracle in someone’s life.
Most preachers will agree that this happens every week in sermons. We toss out seeds of grace and hope, never knowing where they will end up, Whether they will shape and alter lives and situations… What the holy spirit will do with those words in the lives of those who hear. Sometimes, God will use a preacher to produce something amazing in one person, While others are unaffected. There is mystery here in this parable, the mystery of God’s action….. we don’t know what is possible. We don’t know what God will produce from the seeds we sow. We just keep sowing, and wait in hope for stuff to grow. 4 Even when we feel that no one is listening, keep on sowing. Even when the word of God feels less vivid than the violence around us, keep on sowing. Even when we are worried that the seed will run short if we are too generous, keep on sowing. Even when we are absolutely convinced that what we are trying to do is pointless, keep on sowing. The love that has been sown in our lives by the God of the universe will produce more than we can ask or imagine.
This is good news. Amen.
A Prayer
Loving God, generous sower, we give you thanks that you spread your seeds over the whole earth. We thank you for your word, and for your grace. We ask that we will be receptive to your word, so that it may change the world. Hear our prayers for each other, and for ourselves. We continue to ask for your blessing in this time of pandemic – for our own safety and the safety of others. We love you, and feel grateful for your love and protection. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 24, 2020: Psalm 8; Exodus 1:1-7; Romans 2:1-11
Tuesday, August 25, 2020: Psalm 8; Exodus 2:11-15a; Romans 11:33-36
Wednesday, August 26, 2020: Psalm 8; Exodus 2:15b-22; MaChew 26:6-13
Thursday, August 27, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 2:23-24; Ephesians 5:1-6
Friday, August 28, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 3:16-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
Saturday, August 29, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 4:1-9; MaChew 8:14-17
I don’t think I would do it that way. I would expect planting to be more strategic and efficient. Rational, logical. No one hearing the story in the 1st century near east would have thought quite those things – Strategy and efficiency belong to the work ethic of the modern era. But even those who were familiar with farming practices in the time of Jesus Would have wondered about the wastefulness of the sower.
Back then, they didn’t prepare the ground for planting like we would today – Worrying about chemistry and type of soil compared to type of plant. But surely those who sowed would have known something about what they were doing.
Like many other parables, this one has a hint of the absurd. Perhaps because Jesus isn’t actually talking about seeds and plants – But using those familiar images to say something important about God and God’s people. Unlike the parables we have heard in the past weeks, Jesus offers an interpretation of this parable. There are some kinds of soil that are more receptive to seeds. If the seed represents the word of God, or the Kingdom of God, Then some people, some communities are more receptive to hearing and understanding the Word of God and the values of God’s kingdom.
This parable is told at a time when Jesus has encountered a lot of resistance to his ministry. He is under attack from the religious establishment, And despite the fact that so many people come to hear him speak – that he has to climb into a boat offshore and teach from there – Not all are equally impressed or convinced by his message. Why do some hear and accept, and others resist? Why does the sower – the one who scatters the word of God like seeds – Bother preaching that word into situations in which it is likely to whither or have little effect?
I wonder what this passage might say to us about the nature of God? What does this say to us about Jesus? About the Holy Spirit? What does it say about God’s disciples, and the mission of the church? Many sermons on this parable might more accurately be titled “the parable of the bad soil.” They focus on what we or others need to do to improve the quality of the soil, To be more hospitable to the word of God, so we will produce good fruit if we are lucky enough to have God’s good seed fall on us. We tend to judge the soil for its quality – and then we begin to judge ourselves and others to determine whether we are fit receptacles for whatever it is God wants to plant in us. The emphasis in Jesus’ story, however, is not on the soil – It is on the sower. This strange, wild sower who sows seeds everywhere and anywhere. This parable is more likely about the qualities of a good sower and the quality of the soil. If the sower is in fact God – in the form of the creator or the son or the spirit – Then perhaps God is not careful, not restrained with the sowing of the kingdom. Maybe God sows with wild abandon, allowing his word and grace and blessing To fall where it may.
God is a high risk sower.
Through Jesus Christ, and through his disciples, our God showers the people of the earth with a sustaining Word, and with the promise of a Kingdom that is beyond our imagining. People receive this word in different ways. 3 Some hear and believe, some close themselves off from faith. Some don’t listen at all. Some are unable to sustain faith because they face such trials and hardships….. Not all who receive the seed of God’s word are the same. Yet Jesus keeps on sowing – despite resistance, despite opposition. Despite persecution, Jesus keeps on sowing. In the end, even though not all will hear or listen or allow themselves to be changed by God’s message of hope – There will be significant change. There will be magnificent and miraculous growth. God’s high risk sowing pays off – the scattered seeds create a harvest beyond belief.
This parable is about God’s action. But it might also be about us. We don’t know, and we might never know what will happens to the seeds we sow. When we live out our faith in word and deed, We don’t know what the impact will be.
Remember that Jesus didn’t focus only on good soil – He ate with the outcasts and the down and outs – The one’s no one thought could be redeemed. Yet the seeds he planted in their lives produced tremendous fruit. Seeds sown on the path might be eaten by the birds – but what happens then? Here is a disgusting yet useful analogy….. I just read an article which claimed that the seeds that birds eat, come out the other end of the bird and produce stronger, better plants. Yes, I am talking about bird poop. The seeds are taken to new locations, perhaps dropped on better soil, And they grow and flourish.
We simply cannot predict the blessing that might be offered to the world By our living out of the Word of God. We don’t know when a kind word will change a bad situation for the better. We don’t know when a few dollars given will begin a miracle in someone’s life.
Most preachers will agree that this happens every week in sermons. We toss out seeds of grace and hope, never knowing where they will end up, Whether they will shape and alter lives and situations… What the holy spirit will do with those words in the lives of those who hear. Sometimes, God will use a preacher to produce something amazing in one person, While others are unaffected. There is mystery here in this parable, the mystery of God’s action….. we don’t know what is possible. We don’t know what God will produce from the seeds we sow. We just keep sowing, and wait in hope for stuff to grow. 4 Even when we feel that no one is listening, keep on sowing. Even when the word of God feels less vivid than the violence around us, keep on sowing. Even when we are worried that the seed will run short if we are too generous, keep on sowing. Even when we are absolutely convinced that what we are trying to do is pointless, keep on sowing. The love that has been sown in our lives by the God of the universe will produce more than we can ask or imagine.
This is good news. Amen.
A Prayer
Loving God, generous sower, we give you thanks that you spread your seeds over the whole earth. We thank you for your word, and for your grace. We ask that we will be receptive to your word, so that it may change the world. Hear our prayers for each other, and for ourselves. We continue to ask for your blessing in this time of pandemic – for our own safety and the safety of others. We love you, and feel grateful for your love and protection. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 24, 2020: Psalm 8; Exodus 1:1-7; Romans 2:1-11
Tuesday, August 25, 2020: Psalm 8; Exodus 2:11-15a; Romans 11:33-36
Wednesday, August 26, 2020: Psalm 8; Exodus 2:15b-22; MaChew 26:6-13
Thursday, August 27, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 2:23-24; Ephesians 5:1-6
Friday, August 28, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 3:16-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
Saturday, August 29, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 4:1-9; MaChew 8:14-17
Sermon - August 16, 2020
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10)
25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denaril, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10)
25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denaril, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Sermon
In the 1970’s, researchers at Princeton University conducted a research study That will be forever embarrassing to seminary students. Students were invited to participate in a study about religious education. Some of them were invited to give a talk about the story of the Good Samaritan, And were sent to another building on campus. Some students were told that they must hurry – others were told that there was no rush to get to the other building. On their way, they encountered a man slumped in a doorway – Obviously in need. The students who were in a hurry were much less likely to stop and help, Even if they were actively thinking about the parable of the good Samaritan on the way! The researchers commented that these students arrived at the other building Appearing flustered and upset. It turns out that these students chose not to stop and help because they were in a hurry, Not because they were callous or heartless. Still, it is an example of the uncomfortable truth that even our deepest faith convictions do not always compel us to act.
As with all of Jesus’ parables, there are many ways to interpret the story of the good Samaritan. Over the years, preachers and scholars have tried to explain the failure of the 2 religious men Who passed by the hurting man by the side of the road. Were they in a hurry? Was there a problem with purity? Maybe they would have been unclean for their temple duties if they stopped to help A bleeding, possibly dead man? This is unlikely, as both were coming down from Jerusalem, away from the temple. In fact, in Jewish law, there was no excuse for failing to help save a life. – No excuse at all. It may not matter at all why the priest and the Levite failed to stop. The emphasis is on the Samaritan who stopped to help. Jesus’ audience would have been shocked, and likely horrified, By the mere presence of a Samaritan in this story. For them, the adjective ‘good’ in relation to a Samaritan would have been an oxymoron. No such thing. There were centuries of animosity between the Israelites and the Samaritans. The original audience of this parable would have cringed at the thought of a Samaritan Having the upper hand, being generous. Chances are, they guy in the ditch was not happy to be helped by a Samaritan either.
Jesus tells this particular story in response to a lawyers questioning – Or perhaps ‘testing’ is a better word – the lawyer is being a bit obnoxious. He asks: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The tense of the verb suggests that he wants a quick fix, A one-time easy access key to eternal life. In the words of Jewish biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine,
“The lawyer is thinking of something to check off his to-do list: Recite a prayer, drop off a box of macaroni for a food drive, put a twenty in the collection plate. If he’s efficient, he can inherit eternal life before lunch”
The lawyer has it wrong - there is nothing he can DO to inherit eternal life. It is a gift, not a commodity to be bought or sold or traded. Jesus invites the lawyer to name what he already knows – the most important laws – Love God and love your neighbour.
The lawyer wants to know “who is my neighbour,” By which he really means “is there anyone who I don’t have to love?” Is there anyone who is outside the circle of my grace and compassion? Anyone who I can walk by and ignore, anyone who is a lesser kind of human. It is in response that Jesus tells the story. This is one of Jesus’ more familiar parables, and as we have found with the others, There are many interpretations, and many ways that this story might connect with our own experience.
I have always understood this parable to be about me and people like me helping those Who are in trouble – alone, sick, in danger.
It is often used as a proof text for why wealthy nations Should reach out to help those nations who have less. The term “Good Samaritan” has become part of our cultural vocabulary. Helping is important. And this parable seems to imply that loving our neighbour is not a one-time action, But a continual, interactive kind of loving that provides for ongoing need. Rather than being about a richer person helping a poor person, however, I think this parable is more likely about one person helping another person Who is their sworn enemy. This is about hatred between groups who have similar resources, similar power. Assuming that the injured man is an Israelite, which is implied because he is travelling from Jerusalem, Then the Samaritan man, by all rights, should have just kept going. The Jews and the Samaritans had a centuries old enmity – A hatred that had changed and grown throughout the history of their peoples. This hatred was deeply rooted in religion and righteousness. Jesus was using this division between Israel and Samaria to make a strong point What the Samaritan does, is break the cycle of violent hatred. He reaches out to this man in need, not only helping him in that moment, But ensuring his survival. A new pattern of relationship emerges – in which a decision is made That the life of one’s enemy is valuable and must be protected. I had never heard of Ursula Franklin. She was a professor at the University of Toronto – A scientist, pacifist and holocaust survivor. She died a couple of years ago at the age of 94, a passing covered by major news outlets. In the midst of thinking about this parable, I came across a quote from Professor Franklin: “The price of peace is the happiness of our enemies.” Jesus had some startling things to say about enemies, and how enemies should be treated. Love your enemies is perhaps the most distinctive Christian ethical teaching. It is perhaps also the most difficult ethical teaching. Christians are as good at hate as anyone else. I wonder what ‘love your enemies’ means in the context of our own lives? Are there deep wells of hatred that bubble up with individuals or groups we interact with? Are we aware of such hatred? Certainly there is a rhetoric of hatred alive and well in the US election campaign. What does this parable say about that? Would Donald care tenderly for Joe as he lay dying in a ditch? Would Joe stop and bandage Donald’s wounds and drop him off at the nearest ER? I wonder what ‘loving enemies’ would mean in the context of the world order? The very idea seems either impossible or merely ridiculous – A Pollyannaish response to centuries of struggle and violence. Yet Jesus meant it. Love your enemies. Pray for them. Break the cycle. Bind up wounds instead of blowing up cities? Refuse to leave the wounded by the side of the road even when we have been taught to hate them? Jesus meant it. Life is valuable. Even the lives of our enemies.
Amen
A Prayer
Generous God, when you told us to love our enemies, we didn’t know it would be this difficult. It is difficult to serve those with whom we disagree. Teach us to be generous as you are generous. Help us to see the light of Christ in everyone we meet. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 17, 2020: Psalm 130; Genesis 43:1-34; Acts 15:1-21
Tuesday, August 18, 2020: Psalm 130; Genesis 44:1-34; Romans 11:13-29
Wednesday, August 19, 2020: Psalm 130; Genesis 45:16-28; Matthew 8:1-13
Thursday, August 20, 2020: Psalm 124; Genesis 49:1-33; 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Friday, August 21, 2020: Psalm 124; Genesis 49:29-50:14; 2 Corinthians 10:12-18
Saturday, August 22, 2020: Psalm 124; Genesis 50:15-26; Matthew 16:5-12
In the 1970’s, researchers at Princeton University conducted a research study That will be forever embarrassing to seminary students. Students were invited to participate in a study about religious education. Some of them were invited to give a talk about the story of the Good Samaritan, And were sent to another building on campus. Some students were told that they must hurry – others were told that there was no rush to get to the other building. On their way, they encountered a man slumped in a doorway – Obviously in need. The students who were in a hurry were much less likely to stop and help, Even if they were actively thinking about the parable of the good Samaritan on the way! The researchers commented that these students arrived at the other building Appearing flustered and upset. It turns out that these students chose not to stop and help because they were in a hurry, Not because they were callous or heartless. Still, it is an example of the uncomfortable truth that even our deepest faith convictions do not always compel us to act.
As with all of Jesus’ parables, there are many ways to interpret the story of the good Samaritan. Over the years, preachers and scholars have tried to explain the failure of the 2 religious men Who passed by the hurting man by the side of the road. Were they in a hurry? Was there a problem with purity? Maybe they would have been unclean for their temple duties if they stopped to help A bleeding, possibly dead man? This is unlikely, as both were coming down from Jerusalem, away from the temple. In fact, in Jewish law, there was no excuse for failing to help save a life. – No excuse at all. It may not matter at all why the priest and the Levite failed to stop. The emphasis is on the Samaritan who stopped to help. Jesus’ audience would have been shocked, and likely horrified, By the mere presence of a Samaritan in this story. For them, the adjective ‘good’ in relation to a Samaritan would have been an oxymoron. No such thing. There were centuries of animosity between the Israelites and the Samaritans. The original audience of this parable would have cringed at the thought of a Samaritan Having the upper hand, being generous. Chances are, they guy in the ditch was not happy to be helped by a Samaritan either.
Jesus tells this particular story in response to a lawyers questioning – Or perhaps ‘testing’ is a better word – the lawyer is being a bit obnoxious. He asks: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The tense of the verb suggests that he wants a quick fix, A one-time easy access key to eternal life. In the words of Jewish biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine,
“The lawyer is thinking of something to check off his to-do list: Recite a prayer, drop off a box of macaroni for a food drive, put a twenty in the collection plate. If he’s efficient, he can inherit eternal life before lunch”
The lawyer has it wrong - there is nothing he can DO to inherit eternal life. It is a gift, not a commodity to be bought or sold or traded. Jesus invites the lawyer to name what he already knows – the most important laws – Love God and love your neighbour.
The lawyer wants to know “who is my neighbour,” By which he really means “is there anyone who I don’t have to love?” Is there anyone who is outside the circle of my grace and compassion? Anyone who I can walk by and ignore, anyone who is a lesser kind of human. It is in response that Jesus tells the story. This is one of Jesus’ more familiar parables, and as we have found with the others, There are many interpretations, and many ways that this story might connect with our own experience.
I have always understood this parable to be about me and people like me helping those Who are in trouble – alone, sick, in danger.
It is often used as a proof text for why wealthy nations Should reach out to help those nations who have less. The term “Good Samaritan” has become part of our cultural vocabulary. Helping is important. And this parable seems to imply that loving our neighbour is not a one-time action, But a continual, interactive kind of loving that provides for ongoing need. Rather than being about a richer person helping a poor person, however, I think this parable is more likely about one person helping another person Who is their sworn enemy. This is about hatred between groups who have similar resources, similar power. Assuming that the injured man is an Israelite, which is implied because he is travelling from Jerusalem, Then the Samaritan man, by all rights, should have just kept going. The Jews and the Samaritans had a centuries old enmity – A hatred that had changed and grown throughout the history of their peoples. This hatred was deeply rooted in religion and righteousness. Jesus was using this division between Israel and Samaria to make a strong point What the Samaritan does, is break the cycle of violent hatred. He reaches out to this man in need, not only helping him in that moment, But ensuring his survival. A new pattern of relationship emerges – in which a decision is made That the life of one’s enemy is valuable and must be protected. I had never heard of Ursula Franklin. She was a professor at the University of Toronto – A scientist, pacifist and holocaust survivor. She died a couple of years ago at the age of 94, a passing covered by major news outlets. In the midst of thinking about this parable, I came across a quote from Professor Franklin: “The price of peace is the happiness of our enemies.” Jesus had some startling things to say about enemies, and how enemies should be treated. Love your enemies is perhaps the most distinctive Christian ethical teaching. It is perhaps also the most difficult ethical teaching. Christians are as good at hate as anyone else. I wonder what ‘love your enemies’ means in the context of our own lives? Are there deep wells of hatred that bubble up with individuals or groups we interact with? Are we aware of such hatred? Certainly there is a rhetoric of hatred alive and well in the US election campaign. What does this parable say about that? Would Donald care tenderly for Joe as he lay dying in a ditch? Would Joe stop and bandage Donald’s wounds and drop him off at the nearest ER? I wonder what ‘loving enemies’ would mean in the context of the world order? The very idea seems either impossible or merely ridiculous – A Pollyannaish response to centuries of struggle and violence. Yet Jesus meant it. Love your enemies. Pray for them. Break the cycle. Bind up wounds instead of blowing up cities? Refuse to leave the wounded by the side of the road even when we have been taught to hate them? Jesus meant it. Life is valuable. Even the lives of our enemies.
Amen
A Prayer
Generous God, when you told us to love our enemies, we didn’t know it would be this difficult. It is difficult to serve those with whom we disagree. Teach us to be generous as you are generous. Help us to see the light of Christ in everyone we meet. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 17, 2020: Psalm 130; Genesis 43:1-34; Acts 15:1-21
Tuesday, August 18, 2020: Psalm 130; Genesis 44:1-34; Romans 11:13-29
Wednesday, August 19, 2020: Psalm 130; Genesis 45:16-28; Matthew 8:1-13
Thursday, August 20, 2020: Psalm 124; Genesis 49:1-33; 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Friday, August 21, 2020: Psalm 124; Genesis 49:29-50:14; 2 Corinthians 10:12-18
Saturday, August 22, 2020: Psalm 124; Genesis 50:15-26; Matthew 16:5-12
Sermon - August 9, 2020
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
Scripture Reading - Luke 15: 1-7 The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Scripture Reading - Luke 15: 1-7 The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Sermon
Today, we continue an in-depth look at some of the parables of Jesus. When Jesus taught using parables, he used familiar ideas or concepts To help his followers learn about something more complicated – the kingdom of God, or God’s nature, or Jesus’ own identity. In John’s gospel, Jesus calls himself “the good shepherd.” For his audience, and for us, the good shepherd is summed up in the words of Psalm 23 – A shepherd who offers his flock safety, and rest, and cool water and a feast. All of us, like sheep, need exactly those things. But I have to confess that the notion of shepherds and sheep Does not seem very relevant to suburban life.
Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber writes:
It would just be so much easier of Jesus’ illustrations were about tattoo artists and Twitter followers. Were he saying I am the Good Friend or I am the good therapist or I am the Good CrossFit coach, I could have something to relate to.”
Bolz-Weber is right – many of us haven’t spent much time around sheep or shepherds. She eventually comes up with this title for her sermon:
“The Truth about Sheep: A sermon by someone who doesn’t know anything about sheep but knows a litlle about humans and only a tiny bit about God but is going to take a shot at this anyhow.”
And there you have it – the truth about sermons. We know a little bit about people and a little bit about God and we take a shot at finding something to say to people about God. One of the times Jesus tells this parable, he is getting some negative attention from the religious folk of his day. They grumble because he enjoys the company of individuals who are not usually welcome at the tables of ‘nice people.’
People who have broken the law, people like tax collectors who work for Rome and were thus seen as traitors by the locals. So Jesus tells them a story about a shepherd who has 100 sheep, and loses one. This shepherd leaves the other sheep behind, to fend for themselves, And goes off in search of the missing sheep. When the AWOL sheep is found, The shepherd carries it home on his shoulders and is so happy That he throws a party and invites his friends and neighbours.
Jesus immediately tells two more stories: One is the story of a woman who has ten coins and loses one. She overturns her house looking for it, and when she finds it, she rejoices and has a party. The other story is about a man who has two sons. One gets lost. And when he is found, the man rejoices and throws a party.
Do you see a pattern here? And lo and behold, the 23rd Psalm…..the Lord is my Shepherd… It ends with a party as well – At the end of the psalm, the shepherd becomes a host And fills a cup so full that it overflows all over the table.
I have lots of questions about the parable of the lost sheep. I wonder how the sheep got away from the rest of the flock? I wonder if the sheep wanted to be found? I wonder if the shepherd gave the sheep a stern talking to when it was found? I wonder if it was really a good idea for the shepherd to leave all the other sheep behind. Was it really worth the risk to rescue one measly sheep? Jesus implies that everyone in the crowd would make the same choice to go in search of the lost sheep. Isn’t it more important to protect the majority than to risk everything For the sake of one lost lamb? I wonder how closely a shepherd has to pay attention To know that one sheep is missing out of a flock of 100?
Earlier, I mentioned the Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Webber. She is a fascinating leader of a unique kind of church community. Her arms are covered in tattoos, and she is a recovering addict. Her church, located in Denver, is called “A House for all Sinners and Saints.” Originally, that church began as a place to welcome men and women Who did not belong elsewhere – the kind of people that Jesus would eat with But others would avoid like the plague. It is not a typical church. They have a Minister of Fabulousness.
I’m not sure what he does exactly, but it sounds good. Most of her flock have gotten there the hard way – Battling addiction, or wrestling with sexuality, or feeling the sting of rejection In any number of ways. These little lambs are particularly colourful, and some are damaged. But each one is worthy of the love of a good shepherd.
I struggle with this imagery – if Jesus is a shepherd, that makes me a sheep.
I really don’t want to be a sheep. Sheep are not very bright. They just follow along. If they get lost, they just wait to be found – they don’t have a good internal memory system to guide them back home again. Sheep are vulnerable - even the company of 99 other sheep won’t save them If they are set upon by wolves. Being a sheep is at odds with the values of our time – who really wants to be a conformist – Dependent, lacking creativity, entirely reliant a benevolent master? I think though, most of us are more like sheep than we would like to admit. No matter how much we dress up in wolf’s clothing, we are really very vulnerable to pain and grief. We get lost quite easily, and need to be rescued more often than we would like. We find strength and courage in being together, sometimes we need to huddle up close And just be afraid together, or dance around or eat our meals and give thanks that someone is looking after us.
We belong to someone. Whether we are obedient sheep, or naughty sheep Jesus won’t let us get lost or leave us alone. There is not one of us, sitting here this morning, or out there in our neighbourhood Who is not worthy of being found, and cared for and celebrated.
Jesus told this parable in response to those Who believed that some people were more worthy of love and attention than others. The good shepherd disagreed. Each and every person is worthy of love and belonging. And some – those who are in danger or lost or suffering or vulnerable– They are so important that the good shepherd will go anywhere to find them. Anywhere. I will look forward to hearing what gifts you have received from this parable. Amen.
A Prayer
Loving Shepherd, thank you for finding us, and loving us no matter what we do. You are the good shepherd – we hear your voice and we follow you. We pray for those who are lost or alone – please find them and give them comfort. We ask that we will learn to be welcoming of other sheep – especially those who are not like us.
Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 10, 2020: Psalm 28; Genesis 37:29-36; 2 Peter 2:4-10
Tuesday, August 11, 2020: Psalm 28; Genesis 39:1-23; Romans 9:14-29
Wednesday, August 12, 2020: Psalm 28; Genesis 40:1-23; Mathew 8:23-27
Thursday, August 13, 2020: Psalm 133; Genesis 41:14-36; Revelation 15:1-4
Friday, August 14, 2020: Psalm 133; Genesis 41:37-57; Acts 14:19-28
Saturday, August 15, 2020: Psalm 133; Genesis 42:1-28; Mathew 14:34-36
Today, we continue an in-depth look at some of the parables of Jesus. When Jesus taught using parables, he used familiar ideas or concepts To help his followers learn about something more complicated – the kingdom of God, or God’s nature, or Jesus’ own identity. In John’s gospel, Jesus calls himself “the good shepherd.” For his audience, and for us, the good shepherd is summed up in the words of Psalm 23 – A shepherd who offers his flock safety, and rest, and cool water and a feast. All of us, like sheep, need exactly those things. But I have to confess that the notion of shepherds and sheep Does not seem very relevant to suburban life.
Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber writes:
It would just be so much easier of Jesus’ illustrations were about tattoo artists and Twitter followers. Were he saying I am the Good Friend or I am the good therapist or I am the Good CrossFit coach, I could have something to relate to.”
Bolz-Weber is right – many of us haven’t spent much time around sheep or shepherds. She eventually comes up with this title for her sermon:
“The Truth about Sheep: A sermon by someone who doesn’t know anything about sheep but knows a litlle about humans and only a tiny bit about God but is going to take a shot at this anyhow.”
And there you have it – the truth about sermons. We know a little bit about people and a little bit about God and we take a shot at finding something to say to people about God. One of the times Jesus tells this parable, he is getting some negative attention from the religious folk of his day. They grumble because he enjoys the company of individuals who are not usually welcome at the tables of ‘nice people.’
People who have broken the law, people like tax collectors who work for Rome and were thus seen as traitors by the locals. So Jesus tells them a story about a shepherd who has 100 sheep, and loses one. This shepherd leaves the other sheep behind, to fend for themselves, And goes off in search of the missing sheep. When the AWOL sheep is found, The shepherd carries it home on his shoulders and is so happy That he throws a party and invites his friends and neighbours.
Jesus immediately tells two more stories: One is the story of a woman who has ten coins and loses one. She overturns her house looking for it, and when she finds it, she rejoices and has a party. The other story is about a man who has two sons. One gets lost. And when he is found, the man rejoices and throws a party.
Do you see a pattern here? And lo and behold, the 23rd Psalm…..the Lord is my Shepherd… It ends with a party as well – At the end of the psalm, the shepherd becomes a host And fills a cup so full that it overflows all over the table.
I have lots of questions about the parable of the lost sheep. I wonder how the sheep got away from the rest of the flock? I wonder if the sheep wanted to be found? I wonder if the shepherd gave the sheep a stern talking to when it was found? I wonder if it was really a good idea for the shepherd to leave all the other sheep behind. Was it really worth the risk to rescue one measly sheep? Jesus implies that everyone in the crowd would make the same choice to go in search of the lost sheep. Isn’t it more important to protect the majority than to risk everything For the sake of one lost lamb? I wonder how closely a shepherd has to pay attention To know that one sheep is missing out of a flock of 100?
Earlier, I mentioned the Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Webber. She is a fascinating leader of a unique kind of church community. Her arms are covered in tattoos, and she is a recovering addict. Her church, located in Denver, is called “A House for all Sinners and Saints.” Originally, that church began as a place to welcome men and women Who did not belong elsewhere – the kind of people that Jesus would eat with But others would avoid like the plague. It is not a typical church. They have a Minister of Fabulousness.
I’m not sure what he does exactly, but it sounds good. Most of her flock have gotten there the hard way – Battling addiction, or wrestling with sexuality, or feeling the sting of rejection In any number of ways. These little lambs are particularly colourful, and some are damaged. But each one is worthy of the love of a good shepherd.
I struggle with this imagery – if Jesus is a shepherd, that makes me a sheep.
I really don’t want to be a sheep. Sheep are not very bright. They just follow along. If they get lost, they just wait to be found – they don’t have a good internal memory system to guide them back home again. Sheep are vulnerable - even the company of 99 other sheep won’t save them If they are set upon by wolves. Being a sheep is at odds with the values of our time – who really wants to be a conformist – Dependent, lacking creativity, entirely reliant a benevolent master? I think though, most of us are more like sheep than we would like to admit. No matter how much we dress up in wolf’s clothing, we are really very vulnerable to pain and grief. We get lost quite easily, and need to be rescued more often than we would like. We find strength and courage in being together, sometimes we need to huddle up close And just be afraid together, or dance around or eat our meals and give thanks that someone is looking after us.
We belong to someone. Whether we are obedient sheep, or naughty sheep Jesus won’t let us get lost or leave us alone. There is not one of us, sitting here this morning, or out there in our neighbourhood Who is not worthy of being found, and cared for and celebrated.
Jesus told this parable in response to those Who believed that some people were more worthy of love and attention than others. The good shepherd disagreed. Each and every person is worthy of love and belonging. And some – those who are in danger or lost or suffering or vulnerable– They are so important that the good shepherd will go anywhere to find them. Anywhere. I will look forward to hearing what gifts you have received from this parable. Amen.
A Prayer
Loving Shepherd, thank you for finding us, and loving us no matter what we do. You are the good shepherd – we hear your voice and we follow you. We pray for those who are lost or alone – please find them and give them comfort. We ask that we will learn to be welcoming of other sheep – especially those who are not like us.
Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, August 10, 2020: Psalm 28; Genesis 37:29-36; 2 Peter 2:4-10
Tuesday, August 11, 2020: Psalm 28; Genesis 39:1-23; Romans 9:14-29
Wednesday, August 12, 2020: Psalm 28; Genesis 40:1-23; Mathew 8:23-27
Thursday, August 13, 2020: Psalm 133; Genesis 41:14-36; Revelation 15:1-4
Friday, August 14, 2020: Psalm 133; Genesis 41:37-57; Acts 14:19-28
Saturday, August 15, 2020: Psalm 133; Genesis 42:1-28; Mathew 14:34-36
Sermon - August 2, 2020
Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:44-46
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Sermon
Jesus tells a parable about a merchant who buys and sells fine pearls.
When he stumbles upon THE pearl of great value, he trades everything he has to obtain that pearl.
The merchant is left with nothing but a pearl.
No home, no clothes, no merchandise to sell.
If he has no merchandise to sell, he can no longer be considered a merchant.
Thus, he has traded his livelihood and his identity to obtain this tiny, beautiful object.
The pearl won’t feed him, shelter him, clothe him, talk to him or heal him.
But for whatever reason, it is worth everything to the merchant.
It would be like the richest person in the world today trading in all their
Homes, cars, boats, private jets, personal chefs, shoes – all for one diamond.
Mind you, the merchant likely still has his family and friends–
But they have nowhere to live and no means to buy food.
So they are unlikely to stick around for long.
I mentioned last week that the parables Jesus tells often have a hint of the absurd.
I think this story might be one of those times.
It’s hard to imagine any object of such great value
that it would be worth everything you have.
But this parable does make us wrestle with the question:
What is of great value?
What is most important?
What will it cost to obtain that which you most desire?
And would you recognize it when you found it?
I’m not sure whether this parable is meant to get us thinking about material possessions,Or about
less tangible things like faith and hope.
Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a merchant who gives up everything for the pearl.
Perhaps in the kingdom of God, women and men are able to recognize what is ultimately
worthwhile.
Obviously that is something that is hard for many of us today.
We may recognize the value of faith, hope and love, but our culture does everything possible
To turn our heads – To scramble our priorities
I have a hard time relating to this parable.
It seems frivolous for me – perhaps because I have never had to give everything up.A few years ago,
I completed 2 days of training for the Children and Worship program –
The instructor admitted that this parable about the merchant had never done much for her.
But she was surprised one day, when she presented this parable,
Because one woman in the group was deeply moved and began to weep
When she experienced the parable of the pearl.
It turned out that it spoke about her own experience as an immigrant –
Being forced to leave everything behind for her pearl of great price – freedom.
In greater and lesser ways, people have the experience of giving up something important
To gain a prize of greater worth.
I find it interesting that some scholars believe that the gospel of Matthew
Was written for a congregation of Jewish Christians in Antioch – modern day Syria.
Some believe that this community had recently suffered a traumatic divorce
from the synagogue –
This group had left behind their relationships with the Jewish friends and relatives who chose not to
accept Jesus Christ as the messiah.
The conviction of their faith, and the conflict it caused, resulted in them leaving behind their familiar
faith community for something they felt to be of great worth.
For Matthew’s community, the gospel of Jesus Christ was the great pearl.
It was worth giving up everything else.
For the merchant who exchanged everything,
For the early Christians, it was never a situation where they could have their cake and eat it too.
They had to make a choice about what was most important.
I have no doubt that for me personally, and maybe for some of you,
There are many things that should be given up in order to follow Jesus more faithfully.
At the same time, I could argue that in baptism,
We have already been gifted with the pearl of great price –
The gift of abundant life, of belonging, of hope.
We cannot buy that which is of greatest value…it is already ours.
The merchant changed his identity in order to obtain the great pearl.
Remember – he had nothing left to buy and sell – so he couldn’t be a merchant anymore.
I wonder how the obtaining the pearl of great price will change my identity? Or yours?
May we all recognize the value of what we hold in our hands. Amen.
A Prayer
Loving God, you have given us a pearl of great price. We praise and thank you for the gift of
Jesus Christ, and for the ways that his love sustains us. Help us to search ourselves for those
things we ought to give up – those things that keep us from living the gospel fully. We pray for
those who have lost everything – may they too find the pearl of your love. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
• Monday, August 3, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 31:22-42; Romans 1:8-15
• Tuesday, August 4, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 32:3-21; Acts 2:37-47
• Wednesday, August 5, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Isaiah 43:1-7; Matthew 15:32-39
• Thursday, August 6, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45 b; Genesis 35:22b-29; Acts 17:10-15
• Friday, August 7, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45 b; Genesis 36:1-8; Acts 18:24-28
• Saturday, August 8, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45 b; Genesis 37:5-11; Matthew 16:1-4
Jesus tells a parable about a merchant who buys and sells fine pearls.
When he stumbles upon THE pearl of great value, he trades everything he has to obtain that pearl.
The merchant is left with nothing but a pearl.
No home, no clothes, no merchandise to sell.
If he has no merchandise to sell, he can no longer be considered a merchant.
Thus, he has traded his livelihood and his identity to obtain this tiny, beautiful object.
The pearl won’t feed him, shelter him, clothe him, talk to him or heal him.
But for whatever reason, it is worth everything to the merchant.
It would be like the richest person in the world today trading in all their
Homes, cars, boats, private jets, personal chefs, shoes – all for one diamond.
Mind you, the merchant likely still has his family and friends–
But they have nowhere to live and no means to buy food.
So they are unlikely to stick around for long.
I mentioned last week that the parables Jesus tells often have a hint of the absurd.
I think this story might be one of those times.
It’s hard to imagine any object of such great value
that it would be worth everything you have.
But this parable does make us wrestle with the question:
What is of great value?
What is most important?
What will it cost to obtain that which you most desire?
And would you recognize it when you found it?
I’m not sure whether this parable is meant to get us thinking about material possessions,Or about
less tangible things like faith and hope.
Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a merchant who gives up everything for the pearl.
Perhaps in the kingdom of God, women and men are able to recognize what is ultimately
worthwhile.
Obviously that is something that is hard for many of us today.
We may recognize the value of faith, hope and love, but our culture does everything possible
To turn our heads – To scramble our priorities
I have a hard time relating to this parable.
It seems frivolous for me – perhaps because I have never had to give everything up.A few years ago,
I completed 2 days of training for the Children and Worship program –
The instructor admitted that this parable about the merchant had never done much for her.
But she was surprised one day, when she presented this parable,
Because one woman in the group was deeply moved and began to weep
When she experienced the parable of the pearl.
It turned out that it spoke about her own experience as an immigrant –
Being forced to leave everything behind for her pearl of great price – freedom.
In greater and lesser ways, people have the experience of giving up something important
To gain a prize of greater worth.
I find it interesting that some scholars believe that the gospel of Matthew
Was written for a congregation of Jewish Christians in Antioch – modern day Syria.
Some believe that this community had recently suffered a traumatic divorce
from the synagogue –
This group had left behind their relationships with the Jewish friends and relatives who chose not to
accept Jesus Christ as the messiah.
The conviction of their faith, and the conflict it caused, resulted in them leaving behind their familiar
faith community for something they felt to be of great worth.
For Matthew’s community, the gospel of Jesus Christ was the great pearl.
It was worth giving up everything else.
For the merchant who exchanged everything,
For the early Christians, it was never a situation where they could have their cake and eat it too.
They had to make a choice about what was most important.
I have no doubt that for me personally, and maybe for some of you,
There are many things that should be given up in order to follow Jesus more faithfully.
At the same time, I could argue that in baptism,
We have already been gifted with the pearl of great price –
The gift of abundant life, of belonging, of hope.
We cannot buy that which is of greatest value…it is already ours.
The merchant changed his identity in order to obtain the great pearl.
Remember – he had nothing left to buy and sell – so he couldn’t be a merchant anymore.
I wonder how the obtaining the pearl of great price will change my identity? Or yours?
May we all recognize the value of what we hold in our hands. Amen.
A Prayer
Loving God, you have given us a pearl of great price. We praise and thank you for the gift of
Jesus Christ, and for the ways that his love sustains us. Help us to search ourselves for those
things we ought to give up – those things that keep us from living the gospel fully. We pray for
those who have lost everything – may they too find the pearl of your love. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
• Monday, August 3, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 31:22-42; Romans 1:8-15
• Tuesday, August 4, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 32:3-21; Acts 2:37-47
• Wednesday, August 5, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Isaiah 43:1-7; Matthew 15:32-39
• Thursday, August 6, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45 b; Genesis 35:22b-29; Acts 17:10-15
• Friday, August 7, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45 b; Genesis 36:1-8; Acts 18:24-28
• Saturday, August 8, 2020: Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45 b; Genesis 37:5-11; Matthew 16:1-4
Sermon - July 26, 2020
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast (Matthew 13)
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
We are going to spend the next few weeks together engaging with the parables of Jesus.
Jesus used parables throughout his ministry,
Usually to teach his followers something about the Kingdom of God.
Parables are intended to open up our imaginations.
They will be frustrating for those of us
Who just want to know “What does it mean?”
If you begin to research, for example, the meaning of these two tiny verses
about a tiny mustard seed,
You will be overwhelmed by the multitude of meanings assigned to this text.
If we want to know the one true meaning of this parable, we are out of luck.
It is unlikely that Jesus was trying to say something narrow or specific
when he taught using parables.
Instead, he was inviting his followers to think.
Not only to think, but to think outside the box.
The word parable, in Greek, means “to throw alongside”
Usually, Jesus took an idea or an object,
And sort of threw it alongside another idea or object.
These objects or ideas, when compared to each other,
Help the ones listening to the parable to think about something in a new way.
In this case, the Kingdom of God and a mustard seed.
The mustard seed could be touched and handled and was familiar to Jesus’ audience.
The kingdom of God was much harder to grasp.
In casting a familiar item alongside the unfamiliar concept,
Jesus was creating space for his followers to reflect, to imagine something about the Kingdom.
Parables are meant to challenge.
They mean many things, not one single thing.
Often, parables would have been heard by Jesus 1st century audience as ridiculous and strange. They would have expected a strong metaphor, perhaps
To describe the Kingdom of God –
The Kingdom of God is like a mighty fortress.
Or a lake so large you cannot see the other side.
Not a mustard seed which is practically invisible.
This turn to the ridiculous had a particular effect on Jesus’ listeners,
Just as it has on us.
It sounds like a terrible metaphor.
We begin to wonder……
In what way is the Kingdom of God possibly like a mustard seed?
The story of the mustard seed is simple enough…
A seed is sown by someone.
This small seed grows and grows.
It becomes large enough to provide shelter for birds.
This is supposed evoke something about God’s nature and God’s being in the world.
I could give you the history of how this parable has been interpreted
By centuries of biblical scholars.
Instead, I want to follow through on the way
that Jesus used parables to evoke God’s presence,
to nurture the ability of disciples to think for themselves.
Each person in the crowd listening to Jesus tell these strange stories had his or her own experience of mustard seeds.
Perhaps they grew in their kitchen garden.
They might have been the flavour in lunch that day.
The healers in the neighbourhood valued them for their medicinal qualities.
Mustard bushes might have lined the fields of some farmers.
Each listener also had their own experience of faith –
Some of their experience of God was held in common their neighbours,
But some of their experience was based on their own interpretation of scripture
And their own sense of God’s movement in the world.
Jesus did not intend that a crowd of people would come away
With exactly the same meaning and understanding of this parable.
If he wanted them to learn something narrow and specific,
Surely he would have spoken plainly, in a way that left no room for interpretation.
As it is, we are gifted with this small image, a mustard seed that grows
and provides shelter, and we are invited into it. Invited to wonder and to ponder.
There are no right or wrong questions…..and each question that is asked
Opens up the bible a little more. Helps us to know God and ourselves.
We all have questions about the biblical story.
Some are answerable – how big is a mustard seed?
Some are unanswerable – how big is the Kingdom of God?
Yet all our questions deepen our relationship with the word of God.
As I wondered about this parable,
I was puzzled about which part of the parable represented the kingdom of God.
Was it the tiny seed?
Was it the potential for growth which lay dormant in the seed?
Was it the exponential growth that occurred once the seed was planted?
Was it in the end product, a large green tree that could provide shelter for many birds?
In actual fact, mustard seeds don’t produce trees, they produce bushes about one foot tall.
So Jesus was exaggerating the size of the vegetation that grew out of the seed.
The contrast between the size of the seed and the size of the tree is significant.
Something very large grows out of something very, very small – something almost invisible
To the naked eye.
The kingdom of God, today, and maybe back then too, seems almost invisible.
Like the microscopic mustard seed, we have to strain our eyes sometimes
To find evidence of God’s kingdom.
We might wonder why it even matters?
How does this talk of kingdom relate to us? Is it relevant?
I thought about this question this week as I watched the news.
In many ways, Jesus presents the Kingdom of God
As an alternative to the present age.
The kingdom will come in all its fullness,
But right now it breaks in almost imperceptibly.
We badly need an alternative, we need God to break-in to this world
to grow justice and love and freedom.
I don’t know where else to look for hope in a world where we continue
To witness people dying because of the colour of their skin.
Where city after city begs for prayer after the very worst kind of tragedies.
Where it is necessary to be reminded that black lives do indeed matter,
Because the culture – not only in the US – has continually undervalued and endangered black life in every system – social, economic, judiciary.
Our culture has not learned its lesson yet about the belovedness of every human life…We have not learned from the civil rights movement, we have not learned from the holocaust,
we have not learned from the scourge of slavery…
We have not learned.
We have not learned to live together.
The kingdom of God is not only a relevant concept for our time, it is urgent.
The kingdom is among us right now, but it is not always visible.
But if we stick with the metaphor of the mustard seed,
There is massive potential in what is almost invisible.
What cannot be seen today will one day grow and grow.
What cannot be seen today will be made visible –
so visible that everyone will be able to see it.
And the end product will provide enough for everyone.
Shelter for the birds of the air – birds of every shape and colour.
In the kingdom of God there is room for all.
There is shelter, and hospitality, and safe places to raise our families.
When Jesus cast the image of a mustard seed alongside the kingdom of God,
For me, he created the possibility of life which is abundant and safe and healing.
I am reminded that what begins in whispers of protest and silent tears against injustice
May well grow into a movement that effects great and necessary change.
I wonder what gifts you received from this parable?
A Prayer
Gracious God, you make all things grow. You cause the sun to shine and the rain to descend upon the earth. You cause enormous growth from a tiny seed. We ask that our acts of justice and kindness be grown like the mustard seed – with wild and unpredictable growth.
We pray for those who are suffering at this time. May your care console them, so that they will not feel alone or left behind. We pray for a world in need – that you will stop this coronavirus, and protect the vulnerable. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture Readings for the Week
Monday, July 27, 2020: Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 30:25-36; James 3:13-18
Tuesday, July 28, 2020: Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 30:37-43; Ephesians 6:10-18
Wednesday, July 29, 2020: Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 46:2-47:12; Mark 4:30-34
Thursday, July 30, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Isaiah 14:1-2; Philippians 4:10-15
Friday, July 31, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Isaiah 41:8-10; Romans 9:6-13
Saturday, August 1, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 31:1-21; Matthew 7:7-11
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
We are going to spend the next few weeks together engaging with the parables of Jesus.
Jesus used parables throughout his ministry,
Usually to teach his followers something about the Kingdom of God.
Parables are intended to open up our imaginations.
They will be frustrating for those of us
Who just want to know “What does it mean?”
If you begin to research, for example, the meaning of these two tiny verses
about a tiny mustard seed,
You will be overwhelmed by the multitude of meanings assigned to this text.
If we want to know the one true meaning of this parable, we are out of luck.
It is unlikely that Jesus was trying to say something narrow or specific
when he taught using parables.
Instead, he was inviting his followers to think.
Not only to think, but to think outside the box.
The word parable, in Greek, means “to throw alongside”
Usually, Jesus took an idea or an object,
And sort of threw it alongside another idea or object.
These objects or ideas, when compared to each other,
Help the ones listening to the parable to think about something in a new way.
In this case, the Kingdom of God and a mustard seed.
The mustard seed could be touched and handled and was familiar to Jesus’ audience.
The kingdom of God was much harder to grasp.
In casting a familiar item alongside the unfamiliar concept,
Jesus was creating space for his followers to reflect, to imagine something about the Kingdom.
Parables are meant to challenge.
They mean many things, not one single thing.
Often, parables would have been heard by Jesus 1st century audience as ridiculous and strange. They would have expected a strong metaphor, perhaps
To describe the Kingdom of God –
The Kingdom of God is like a mighty fortress.
Or a lake so large you cannot see the other side.
Not a mustard seed which is practically invisible.
This turn to the ridiculous had a particular effect on Jesus’ listeners,
Just as it has on us.
It sounds like a terrible metaphor.
We begin to wonder……
In what way is the Kingdom of God possibly like a mustard seed?
The story of the mustard seed is simple enough…
A seed is sown by someone.
This small seed grows and grows.
It becomes large enough to provide shelter for birds.
This is supposed evoke something about God’s nature and God’s being in the world.
I could give you the history of how this parable has been interpreted
By centuries of biblical scholars.
Instead, I want to follow through on the way
that Jesus used parables to evoke God’s presence,
to nurture the ability of disciples to think for themselves.
Each person in the crowd listening to Jesus tell these strange stories had his or her own experience of mustard seeds.
Perhaps they grew in their kitchen garden.
They might have been the flavour in lunch that day.
The healers in the neighbourhood valued them for their medicinal qualities.
Mustard bushes might have lined the fields of some farmers.
Each listener also had their own experience of faith –
Some of their experience of God was held in common their neighbours,
But some of their experience was based on their own interpretation of scripture
And their own sense of God’s movement in the world.
Jesus did not intend that a crowd of people would come away
With exactly the same meaning and understanding of this parable.
If he wanted them to learn something narrow and specific,
Surely he would have spoken plainly, in a way that left no room for interpretation.
As it is, we are gifted with this small image, a mustard seed that grows
and provides shelter, and we are invited into it. Invited to wonder and to ponder.
There are no right or wrong questions…..and each question that is asked
Opens up the bible a little more. Helps us to know God and ourselves.
We all have questions about the biblical story.
Some are answerable – how big is a mustard seed?
Some are unanswerable – how big is the Kingdom of God?
Yet all our questions deepen our relationship with the word of God.
As I wondered about this parable,
I was puzzled about which part of the parable represented the kingdom of God.
Was it the tiny seed?
Was it the potential for growth which lay dormant in the seed?
Was it the exponential growth that occurred once the seed was planted?
Was it in the end product, a large green tree that could provide shelter for many birds?
In actual fact, mustard seeds don’t produce trees, they produce bushes about one foot tall.
So Jesus was exaggerating the size of the vegetation that grew out of the seed.
The contrast between the size of the seed and the size of the tree is significant.
Something very large grows out of something very, very small – something almost invisible
To the naked eye.
The kingdom of God, today, and maybe back then too, seems almost invisible.
Like the microscopic mustard seed, we have to strain our eyes sometimes
To find evidence of God’s kingdom.
We might wonder why it even matters?
How does this talk of kingdom relate to us? Is it relevant?
I thought about this question this week as I watched the news.
In many ways, Jesus presents the Kingdom of God
As an alternative to the present age.
The kingdom will come in all its fullness,
But right now it breaks in almost imperceptibly.
We badly need an alternative, we need God to break-in to this world
to grow justice and love and freedom.
I don’t know where else to look for hope in a world where we continue
To witness people dying because of the colour of their skin.
Where city after city begs for prayer after the very worst kind of tragedies.
Where it is necessary to be reminded that black lives do indeed matter,
Because the culture – not only in the US – has continually undervalued and endangered black life in every system – social, economic, judiciary.
Our culture has not learned its lesson yet about the belovedness of every human life…We have not learned from the civil rights movement, we have not learned from the holocaust,
we have not learned from the scourge of slavery…
We have not learned.
We have not learned to live together.
The kingdom of God is not only a relevant concept for our time, it is urgent.
The kingdom is among us right now, but it is not always visible.
But if we stick with the metaphor of the mustard seed,
There is massive potential in what is almost invisible.
What cannot be seen today will one day grow and grow.
What cannot be seen today will be made visible –
so visible that everyone will be able to see it.
And the end product will provide enough for everyone.
Shelter for the birds of the air – birds of every shape and colour.
In the kingdom of God there is room for all.
There is shelter, and hospitality, and safe places to raise our families.
When Jesus cast the image of a mustard seed alongside the kingdom of God,
For me, he created the possibility of life which is abundant and safe and healing.
I am reminded that what begins in whispers of protest and silent tears against injustice
May well grow into a movement that effects great and necessary change.
I wonder what gifts you received from this parable?
A Prayer
Gracious God, you make all things grow. You cause the sun to shine and the rain to descend upon the earth. You cause enormous growth from a tiny seed. We ask that our acts of justice and kindness be grown like the mustard seed – with wild and unpredictable growth.
We pray for those who are suffering at this time. May your care console them, so that they will not feel alone or left behind. We pray for a world in need – that you will stop this coronavirus, and protect the vulnerable. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture Readings for the Week
Monday, July 27, 2020: Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 30:25-36; James 3:13-18
Tuesday, July 28, 2020: Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 30:37-43; Ephesians 6:10-18
Wednesday, July 29, 2020: Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 46:2-47:12; Mark 4:30-34
Thursday, July 30, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Isaiah 14:1-2; Philippians 4:10-15
Friday, July 31, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Isaiah 41:8-10; Romans 9:6-13
Saturday, August 1, 2020: Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 31:1-21; Matthew 7:7-11
Sermon - July 19, 2020
Genesis 28:10-19
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
Sermon
Two years ago now, I was in Barcelona, Spain.
I took a tour of the Sagrada Familia, which is a Basilica designed by the artist Gaudi.
It was spectacular. Unlike many cathedral-like spaces,
The Sagrada is designed to be bright and colourful – the colour from the stained glass suffuses the whole atmosphere of the place. It was probably the most beautiful church I have ever visited. However, it was full of tourists, so I can’t really say that I had an experience of God.
And yet, the whole piece was designed to give glory to God.
The artist hoped that people would find God in that place.
Where do you find God?
Some people will say they find God in the church, or in the forest, or by the seashore.
Jacob found God while he was sleeping.
He was running away from his brother Esau’s wrath after Jacob stole his birthright.
Given Jacob’s dishonest treatment of his brother, it might be surprising to us
That God bothered to find Jacob at all.
God, however, has plans for Jacob, and he visits him in a dream.
In this dream, heavenly bodies climb back and forth to heaven.
What this dream does is convince Jacob that his life is part of God’s blessing originally given to Abraham and Sarah. Jacob matters, he matters enough that God is present beside him.
“Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.”
What a promise!
This promise is given to Jacob and to his descendants.
This is a promise we claim for ourselves. Not because we are part of the original covenant, but because we are part of God’s covenant in Christ.
God has promised to be with us and keep us wherever we go.
God stands beside us, whispering in our ears “you are mine.”
This is true no matter who you are and what you have done.
This is true even if you have behaved as badly as Jacob!
It is true for those of us who find our identity in Jesus Christ.
It is true even during COVID, it is true when the world seems to be falling apart.
Praise God for being with us and near us,
In all times and all places!
Prayer
Generous God, God of generations,
We bless you for your presence with us. Thank you for appearing to us in so many different ways – through the beauty of your creation, by the hands of our friends and neighbours, in dreams, through worship. You are a God worthy of our praise, and we are so thankful that you have come near to us. Like Jacob, we feel your presence with us, and we are encouraged to name this as holy ground.
God of compassion, we pray for a world in need. We ask for relief from this pandemic, especially for those nations that are greatly affected. We pray for those who are sick, especially this week for John McClure who is in hospital. We pray for those who are lost, lonely and afraid. By your presence, reassure them that you are indeed the love of our lives and the bearer of our sins. We pray all of these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, July 20, 2020: Psalm 139:13-18; Genesis 32:3-21; Revelation 14:12-20
Tuesday, July 21, 2020: Psalm 139:13-18; Genesis 33:1-17; Galatians 4:21-5:1
Wednesday, July 22, 2020: Psalm 139:13-18; Genesis 35:16-29; Matthew 12:15-21
Thursday, July 23, 2020: Psalm 105:1-11, 45b; Genesis 29:1-8; 1 Corinthians 4:14-20
Friday, July 24, 2020: Psalm 105:1-11, 45b; Genesis 29:9-14; Acts 7:44-53
Saturday, July 25, 2020: Psalm 105:1-11, 45b; Genesis 29:31-30:24; Matthew 12:38-42
Sermon - July 12, 2020
Isaiah 55:1-13
55 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
6Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
A few years ago I attended a preaching conference.
This passage kept coming up over and over -
“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty.”
I wondered if God was trying to tell me something.
When we got into the taxi to return home from Austin, Texas,
The taxi driver asked what we were doing in Austin.
We said that we were attending a theological conference about preaching.
He said “so shall my word be that goes from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty”
It seemed that even the taxi driver was sharing God’s word,
Trying to tell me something.
Isaiah is a prophet who is speaking to a people who were in exile in Babylon.
They had been ripped from their homes, and made to dwell in a strange land.
They were homesick, and wondering whether they would ever find life again.
A prophet’s job is to speak a word of hope into an impossible situation.
Isaiah here is casting a vision of the exiles returning home,
Glorified because of their God, the Holy One of Israel.
The prophet is reminding them that God is much bigger than they are –
His ways are much ‘higher.’
He sends the rain and the snow – symbols that the people who lived in a dry land
Would have valued.
This week, you and I can imagine the importance of rain after all these days of dryness.
God’s ability to refresh and save is beyond the comprehension of God’s people.
God’s word does not go out empty – it accomplishes what it promises.
When God promises that the exiles will go home, we can expect that they will indeed
Return to their homeland.
Isaiah paints a picture in which all of creation celebrates this return –
The trees shall clap their hands, the mountains and the hills burst forth in song.
There is a song that you might know that is based on this passage from Isaiah:
You shall go out with joy
And be led forth with peace
The mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you
There'll be shouts of joy
And all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands
Paul and I chose this song as the final song at our son Sam’s funeral.
It might seem like a strange song to choose for a funeral,
And yet to us, it spoke of God’s promises fulfilled.
Today, you and I might feel like we are in exile.
We are still separated from each other –
Our world is filled with controversy and protest and injustice.
It might seem impossible that anything will ever change.
And yet, the prophet does his job –
He speaks a word of hope into an impossible situation.
So let us stay hope, knowing that God’s word will accomplish that which he promised.
Life, in all it’s fullness,
Life in Jesus Christ.
A Prayer
Loving God,
We are living in a dry time, when our earth is scorched and waiting for rain.
We feel exiled from one another, groups in our world are separated by racial divide and by the scourge of injustice. The pandemic continues – we are tired and we are afraid. And yet you have promised life – you have promised a new future. We know the future will not be like the past. And yet we imagine that all creation will celebrate with you as we return to our home in you. Keep us hopeful, generous God, so that we may imagine this new future, and keep faith in your ability to bring about change.
We pray for those who are lonely and suffering right now. We ask your blessing on those who are unemployed, those who are working on the front lines, those who are separated from loved ones. We pray for our earth, that you will soak it with rain, and support the farmers who grow our food. Be with our leaders, so that they may be just and wise. We continue to pray for Wilmer and family, as they mourn Anne’s death – bring them peace and comfort. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
55 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
6Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
A few years ago I attended a preaching conference.
This passage kept coming up over and over -
“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty.”
I wondered if God was trying to tell me something.
When we got into the taxi to return home from Austin, Texas,
The taxi driver asked what we were doing in Austin.
We said that we were attending a theological conference about preaching.
He said “so shall my word be that goes from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty”
It seemed that even the taxi driver was sharing God’s word,
Trying to tell me something.
Isaiah is a prophet who is speaking to a people who were in exile in Babylon.
They had been ripped from their homes, and made to dwell in a strange land.
They were homesick, and wondering whether they would ever find life again.
A prophet’s job is to speak a word of hope into an impossible situation.
Isaiah here is casting a vision of the exiles returning home,
Glorified because of their God, the Holy One of Israel.
The prophet is reminding them that God is much bigger than they are –
His ways are much ‘higher.’
He sends the rain and the snow – symbols that the people who lived in a dry land
Would have valued.
This week, you and I can imagine the importance of rain after all these days of dryness.
God’s ability to refresh and save is beyond the comprehension of God’s people.
God’s word does not go out empty – it accomplishes what it promises.
When God promises that the exiles will go home, we can expect that they will indeed
Return to their homeland.
Isaiah paints a picture in which all of creation celebrates this return –
The trees shall clap their hands, the mountains and the hills burst forth in song.
There is a song that you might know that is based on this passage from Isaiah:
You shall go out with joy
And be led forth with peace
The mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you
There'll be shouts of joy
And all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands
Paul and I chose this song as the final song at our son Sam’s funeral.
It might seem like a strange song to choose for a funeral,
And yet to us, it spoke of God’s promises fulfilled.
Today, you and I might feel like we are in exile.
We are still separated from each other –
Our world is filled with controversy and protest and injustice.
It might seem impossible that anything will ever change.
And yet, the prophet does his job –
He speaks a word of hope into an impossible situation.
So let us stay hope, knowing that God’s word will accomplish that which he promised.
Life, in all it’s fullness,
Life in Jesus Christ.
A Prayer
Loving God,
We are living in a dry time, when our earth is scorched and waiting for rain.
We feel exiled from one another, groups in our world are separated by racial divide and by the scourge of injustice. The pandemic continues – we are tired and we are afraid. And yet you have promised life – you have promised a new future. We know the future will not be like the past. And yet we imagine that all creation will celebrate with you as we return to our home in you. Keep us hopeful, generous God, so that we may imagine this new future, and keep faith in your ability to bring about change.
We pray for those who are lonely and suffering right now. We ask your blessing on those who are unemployed, those who are working on the front lines, those who are separated from loved ones. We pray for our earth, that you will soak it with rain, and support the farmers who grow our food. Be with our leaders, so that they may be just and wise. We continue to pray for Wilmer and family, as they mourn Anne’s death – bring them peace and comfort. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sermon - July 5, 2020
Matthew 11:27-30
11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
11:28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
It seems like a good week to talk about our burdens.
Today, we mourn the loss of Anne Little,
And we share the burden of grief with Wilmer and the rest of the family.
We pray that they will have comfort and rest as they mourn,
And find peace knowing that Anne is safe and loved in God’s arms.
The news continues to be bad, my friends.
The coronavirus is still running rampant, especially in the United States
There is still all kinds of injustice facing people of colour.
And we are bearing the burdens of loneliness and separation.
I’ve talked to many people who are feeling weary –
It seems strange to feel weary when we are doing so much less than usual,
But weariness seems to be a normal reaction to this virus.
We continue to be afraid, which is a very wearying emotion.
Jesus offers an invitation to those who are carrying heavy burdens,
And those who are weary.
This is an invitation to us – come unto me.
How amazing that we have such an offer – that we can come to Jesus
And he will make our burdens feel lighter.
All our burdens of grief, of loneliness, of fear –
They become lighter when we ask Jesus to help us carry them.
Sometimes, when I can’t sleep because I’m overwhelmed with worry or fear,
I play a kind of prayer game.
I imagine that Jesus is standing in front of me, holding a basket.
One by one, I put my burdens into his basket.
This always helps me get to sleep.
And in the morning, when I wake up,
I always find that the burdens have been transformed.
They feel lighter, and I often have answers to my questions.
Dear friends, I hope that your burdens are not too heavy this week.
I encourage you to bring your worries and fears to Jesus.
He has strong shoulders, and can bear what we can’t.
It is a great blessing that we have someone to turn to
When we can’t manage our own burdens.
Just put them down, into Jesus’ hands, or lay them at his feet.
Not only will our burdens become lighter, but we will become stronger
And better able to carry them.
May Jesus take them away from us, and make us strong.
Amen.
A Prayer
Loving and gracious God,
We are thankful that you carry our burdens for us. When we are weary, you give us rest. When are arms ache with the weight of our burdens, you help us to carry them. We offer you our burdens now, knowing that you cheerfully take them out of our hands.
This week, our prayers are for Wilmer and his family. May they find moments of peace amidst the chaos of grief. May they find a way to have a celebration of life even in these difficult times. Please fill them with a sense of your presence, knowing that you are the resurrection and the life, and that Anne is safe in your arms.
We offer you our loneliness and our fear. We offer you our weariness.
Hear our prayers, and answer us,
We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
11:28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
It seems like a good week to talk about our burdens.
Today, we mourn the loss of Anne Little,
And we share the burden of grief with Wilmer and the rest of the family.
We pray that they will have comfort and rest as they mourn,
And find peace knowing that Anne is safe and loved in God’s arms.
The news continues to be bad, my friends.
The coronavirus is still running rampant, especially in the United States
There is still all kinds of injustice facing people of colour.
And we are bearing the burdens of loneliness and separation.
I’ve talked to many people who are feeling weary –
It seems strange to feel weary when we are doing so much less than usual,
But weariness seems to be a normal reaction to this virus.
We continue to be afraid, which is a very wearying emotion.
Jesus offers an invitation to those who are carrying heavy burdens,
And those who are weary.
This is an invitation to us – come unto me.
How amazing that we have such an offer – that we can come to Jesus
And he will make our burdens feel lighter.
All our burdens of grief, of loneliness, of fear –
They become lighter when we ask Jesus to help us carry them.
Sometimes, when I can’t sleep because I’m overwhelmed with worry or fear,
I play a kind of prayer game.
I imagine that Jesus is standing in front of me, holding a basket.
One by one, I put my burdens into his basket.
This always helps me get to sleep.
And in the morning, when I wake up,
I always find that the burdens have been transformed.
They feel lighter, and I often have answers to my questions.
Dear friends, I hope that your burdens are not too heavy this week.
I encourage you to bring your worries and fears to Jesus.
He has strong shoulders, and can bear what we can’t.
It is a great blessing that we have someone to turn to
When we can’t manage our own burdens.
Just put them down, into Jesus’ hands, or lay them at his feet.
Not only will our burdens become lighter, but we will become stronger
And better able to carry them.
May Jesus take them away from us, and make us strong.
Amen.
A Prayer
Loving and gracious God,
We are thankful that you carry our burdens for us. When we are weary, you give us rest. When are arms ache with the weight of our burdens, you help us to carry them. We offer you our burdens now, knowing that you cheerfully take them out of our hands.
This week, our prayers are for Wilmer and his family. May they find moments of peace amidst the chaos of grief. May they find a way to have a celebration of life even in these difficult times. Please fill them with a sense of your presence, knowing that you are the resurrection and the life, and that Anne is safe in your arms.
We offer you our loneliness and our fear. We offer you our weariness.
Hear our prayers, and answer us,
We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sermon - June 28, 2020
Matthew 10:37-42
37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 40“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Sermon: The Little Things
This has been a week of transition in my family.
Our oldest, Ben, graduated from highschool.
Ella finished grade one, and Olive finished JK.
My work at the Toronto School of Theology has come to an end,
So I will no longer be the Director of the Doctor of Ministry program.
This is a bittersweet ending for me, as I have enjoyed the work very much,
But it leaves me more time for other things.
This week, I was appointed as the Interim Moderator at Knox Acton
By the Presbytery of Brampton.
That congregation is undergoing their own transition –
As their minister Todd Nelson is leaving July 31.
They require our prayers.
And of course, we are all in transition as our province moves into Stage 2
Of the covid-19 recovery process.
This has meant freedom for some and confusion for others.
For the first time in four months, I went to get a haircut.
It was a bit strange, with the masks and physical distancing,
But it felt amazing!
Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.
My hairdresser was talking about the way that covid has changed us –
He said “we appreciate the little thing more”.
Jesus was also talking about little things that make a big difference.
The life of discipleship involves big commitments –
Jesus talks about losing our lives so we can find them again.
He talks about taking up our crosses – by which he means carrying burdens
For ourselves and for others.
But the life of discipleship is not always heroic.
Sometimes, it is the little things that make a difference.
“whoever gives even a cup of water to these little ones”
Even a cup of cool water can constitute the life of discipleship.
This week, I invite you to ‘offer a cup of water’ to someone.
We do this when we offer a listening ear to someone who is lonely or distressed.
We do this when we buy groceries for someone who is self-isolating.
We do this when we make a donation to the church or to Presbyterian World Service and Development, or the Red Cross, or any other organization
That requires support in these challenging times.
We offer a cup of water when we wipe the tears of a friend,
Or offer a smile to a stranger.
This week, we also give thanks for those who have offered us a cup of water.
Those who have sustained us through long months of quarantine.
I give thanks for Bea Henderson, who makes constant phone calls to check that you are alright.
She keeps track of the church, and worries about our safety, and plans for our return.
She offers not only a cup of water, but a whole smorgasbord of love and care.
I give thanks for Robert McClure, who has kept the church building safe and secure.
I give thanks for Alison and Edythe, who keep the books and deal with mail and phone messages.
I’m sure all of you have individuals in mind who have offered you a cup of water.
These are troubling times, and it is often the small things that make a difference.
This is the way of discipleship – that in large and small ways we care for each other,
Mirroring the love that Jesus Christ has for us and for all people.
Our crosses may seem heavy at times,
But Jesus has loved us, and died for us, and rose up again
So that we are free to offer care and love to him by caring for each other.
So let us do the small and large things that build community
And comfort one another.
Amen.
A Prayer
Gracious God, you have set the sun in the sky and the stars and motion. You are the God of big things – of heaven and earth, of sea and sky. And yet you care for us in large and small ways. Who are we that you should care for us? We are so small, and so imperfect. And yet you love us, and provide for even our smallest need.
We give thanks, today, for those who have offered us cool water during these times of drought. We ask that we will be able to care for others – to offer our neighbours comfort and care.
We pray especially for those who are experiencing mental distress during these chaotic times. Comfort them with a sense of your presence. We pray for those who are ill, recovering, or waiting for diagnosis. We ask your blessing on those going through transitions – give peace and a sense of direction. We pray all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 40“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Sermon: The Little Things
This has been a week of transition in my family.
Our oldest, Ben, graduated from highschool.
Ella finished grade one, and Olive finished JK.
My work at the Toronto School of Theology has come to an end,
So I will no longer be the Director of the Doctor of Ministry program.
This is a bittersweet ending for me, as I have enjoyed the work very much,
But it leaves me more time for other things.
This week, I was appointed as the Interim Moderator at Knox Acton
By the Presbytery of Brampton.
That congregation is undergoing their own transition –
As their minister Todd Nelson is leaving July 31.
They require our prayers.
And of course, we are all in transition as our province moves into Stage 2
Of the covid-19 recovery process.
This has meant freedom for some and confusion for others.
For the first time in four months, I went to get a haircut.
It was a bit strange, with the masks and physical distancing,
But it felt amazing!
Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.
My hairdresser was talking about the way that covid has changed us –
He said “we appreciate the little thing more”.
Jesus was also talking about little things that make a big difference.
The life of discipleship involves big commitments –
Jesus talks about losing our lives so we can find them again.
He talks about taking up our crosses – by which he means carrying burdens
For ourselves and for others.
But the life of discipleship is not always heroic.
Sometimes, it is the little things that make a difference.
“whoever gives even a cup of water to these little ones”
Even a cup of cool water can constitute the life of discipleship.
This week, I invite you to ‘offer a cup of water’ to someone.
We do this when we offer a listening ear to someone who is lonely or distressed.
We do this when we buy groceries for someone who is self-isolating.
We do this when we make a donation to the church or to Presbyterian World Service and Development, or the Red Cross, or any other organization
That requires support in these challenging times.
We offer a cup of water when we wipe the tears of a friend,
Or offer a smile to a stranger.
This week, we also give thanks for those who have offered us a cup of water.
Those who have sustained us through long months of quarantine.
I give thanks for Bea Henderson, who makes constant phone calls to check that you are alright.
She keeps track of the church, and worries about our safety, and plans for our return.
She offers not only a cup of water, but a whole smorgasbord of love and care.
I give thanks for Robert McClure, who has kept the church building safe and secure.
I give thanks for Alison and Edythe, who keep the books and deal with mail and phone messages.
I’m sure all of you have individuals in mind who have offered you a cup of water.
These are troubling times, and it is often the small things that make a difference.
This is the way of discipleship – that in large and small ways we care for each other,
Mirroring the love that Jesus Christ has for us and for all people.
Our crosses may seem heavy at times,
But Jesus has loved us, and died for us, and rose up again
So that we are free to offer care and love to him by caring for each other.
So let us do the small and large things that build community
And comfort one another.
Amen.
A Prayer
Gracious God, you have set the sun in the sky and the stars and motion. You are the God of big things – of heaven and earth, of sea and sky. And yet you care for us in large and small ways. Who are we that you should care for us? We are so small, and so imperfect. And yet you love us, and provide for even our smallest need.
We give thanks, today, for those who have offered us cool water during these times of drought. We ask that we will be able to care for others – to offer our neighbours comfort and care.
We pray especially for those who are experiencing mental distress during these chaotic times. Comfort them with a sense of your presence. We pray for those who are ill, recovering, or waiting for diagnosis. We ask your blessing on those going through transitions – give peace and a sense of direction. We pray all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sermon - June 21, 2020
Matthew 6:9-13
9“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
This Sunday is Father’s Day.
We give thanks for our fathers, and those who have been like fathers to us.
We give thanks for the founding fathers of this congregation – those men, who along with their partners, planted and grew this congregation.
I want to acknowledge that this can be a difficult day for many –
For those who have lost their fathers, or husbands, or sons.
For those whose fathers failed them.
This year, it may be especially difficult for fathers and children who are separated from each other.
Even if this is a difficult day for you, I pray for God’s peace and presence.
My sister-in-law’s family is Jewish.
The other day, we gathered for a socially-distanced picnic with her family,
And I overheard her calling her father “Abba”
This is the Hebrew term for father – or more accurately “Papa” or “Daddy”
It implies a kind of closeness or affection.
I was intrigued by this, because it happens that this is the same word
That Jesus uses in the Lord’s Prayer.
He refers to God as “Papa” or “Daddy”.
This tell us a few things.
First of all, we learn about Jesus’s close relationship with God –
Jesus is the son of the Creator.
He does not hesitate to use language that is intimate in his connection with God.
Secondly, we learn that we are invited to approach God as a father.
This does not mean that God is like our fathers – like a human father.
Human fathers are always flawed and imperfect, not like God as a parent.
But how lovely that we are invited to encounter God in such an intimate way.
This prayer, the Lord’s prayer, is specifically designed to be simple.
In the passages that precede the Lord’s Prayer in the gospel of Matthew,
Jesus is teaching the disciples that prayer should be private –
It should never be used to show off, or shouted from streetcorners.
Rather, we pray in private as individuals, or we pray together as a community.
But we do it with the knowledge that God knows what we need before we even ask.
What a wonderful reality!
God knows what we need before we ask it.
Thus, we are free to approach God, as a father, with the simplest of requests.
We pray for God’s kingdom to come.
This is a prayer that the kingdoms of this world, which oppress and terrorize,
Will come to an end.
We pray that God’s will be done. God’s will – not our will!
We pray for daily bread – enough food and drink and shelter for each day –
Not more or less than we need.
We pray that we will be forgiven for our sins and our debts and our trepasses –
Whatever keeps us separate from God and from one another.
And we pray that our lives will be free from evil.
God as Father knows what we need.
We are invited to approach God with intimacy and confidence.
There is no need for fancy words.
Through the Holy Spirit, God even understands our groans and mutterings-
Whether our emotions are too deep for words,
Or we cannot find the words to express what we need.
God already knows.
Therefore, we don’t need to struggle to express ourselves to God.
We can speak in the simplest words, or not use words at all.
We can pray the Lord’s prayer, which is Jesus’ example of how to pray.
May God the Creator hear our prayer, and answer us.
May God the loving Father grant us peace.
May God the eternal parent free us to speak the truth.
Amen.
A Prayer
Loving God,
You are our loving Father, our loving parents, who creates us, blesses us, and sends us out into the world. We are grateful for your love, and the way that you guide us. Today, we thank you for our fathers – for the ways they have helped us to grow into the people we are today. We also pray for those for whom this is a difficult day – those who have lost fathers, or husbands, or sons. We ask your peace upon them.
Generous God, thank you for listening to us, and hearing our prayers even when our emotions run too deep for words. We know that you hear us, listen to us, and answer us. Help us to pray to you for whatever situations or events are troubling us, and to give thanks without ceasing.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
9“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
This Sunday is Father’s Day.
We give thanks for our fathers, and those who have been like fathers to us.
We give thanks for the founding fathers of this congregation – those men, who along with their partners, planted and grew this congregation.
I want to acknowledge that this can be a difficult day for many –
For those who have lost their fathers, or husbands, or sons.
For those whose fathers failed them.
This year, it may be especially difficult for fathers and children who are separated from each other.
Even if this is a difficult day for you, I pray for God’s peace and presence.
My sister-in-law’s family is Jewish.
The other day, we gathered for a socially-distanced picnic with her family,
And I overheard her calling her father “Abba”
This is the Hebrew term for father – or more accurately “Papa” or “Daddy”
It implies a kind of closeness or affection.
I was intrigued by this, because it happens that this is the same word
That Jesus uses in the Lord’s Prayer.
He refers to God as “Papa” or “Daddy”.
This tell us a few things.
First of all, we learn about Jesus’s close relationship with God –
Jesus is the son of the Creator.
He does not hesitate to use language that is intimate in his connection with God.
Secondly, we learn that we are invited to approach God as a father.
This does not mean that God is like our fathers – like a human father.
Human fathers are always flawed and imperfect, not like God as a parent.
But how lovely that we are invited to encounter God in such an intimate way.
This prayer, the Lord’s prayer, is specifically designed to be simple.
In the passages that precede the Lord’s Prayer in the gospel of Matthew,
Jesus is teaching the disciples that prayer should be private –
It should never be used to show off, or shouted from streetcorners.
Rather, we pray in private as individuals, or we pray together as a community.
But we do it with the knowledge that God knows what we need before we even ask.
What a wonderful reality!
God knows what we need before we ask it.
Thus, we are free to approach God, as a father, with the simplest of requests.
We pray for God’s kingdom to come.
This is a prayer that the kingdoms of this world, which oppress and terrorize,
Will come to an end.
We pray that God’s will be done. God’s will – not our will!
We pray for daily bread – enough food and drink and shelter for each day –
Not more or less than we need.
We pray that we will be forgiven for our sins and our debts and our trepasses –
Whatever keeps us separate from God and from one another.
And we pray that our lives will be free from evil.
God as Father knows what we need.
We are invited to approach God with intimacy and confidence.
There is no need for fancy words.
Through the Holy Spirit, God even understands our groans and mutterings-
Whether our emotions are too deep for words,
Or we cannot find the words to express what we need.
God already knows.
Therefore, we don’t need to struggle to express ourselves to God.
We can speak in the simplest words, or not use words at all.
We can pray the Lord’s prayer, which is Jesus’ example of how to pray.
May God the Creator hear our prayer, and answer us.
May God the loving Father grant us peace.
May God the eternal parent free us to speak the truth.
Amen.
A Prayer
Loving God,
You are our loving Father, our loving parents, who creates us, blesses us, and sends us out into the world. We are grateful for your love, and the way that you guide us. Today, we thank you for our fathers – for the ways they have helped us to grow into the people we are today. We also pray for those for whom this is a difficult day – those who have lost fathers, or husbands, or sons. We ask your peace upon them.
Generous God, thank you for listening to us, and hearing our prayers even when our emotions run too deep for words. We know that you hear us, listen to us, and answer us. Help us to pray to you for whatever situations or events are troubling us, and to give thanks without ceasing.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Sermon - June 14, 2020
Genesis 18:1-15
18The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”
Sermon: God Keeps Promises
This is one of my favourite Bible stories because of Sarah’s reaction.
She laughs at God and God’s promises.
I always think it was more of a cynical snort –
She heard that she would become pregnant at a ripe old age,
Long after the opportunity had passed in any biological sense.
So she laughs at God’s ridiculous promise that she will bear a son.
Sarah tries to cover up her laughter – as it is not appropriate to laugh at God!
But she did laugh – and God knows it.
The hinge of this passage is the phrase “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?”
God has promised that Abraham’s inheritance will be huge – massive,
And in order for his descendants to number like the stars,
It is necessary that he begins to create a family.
This was God’s promise to him, and to Sarah, and now it is coming true.
But we can’t help but feel some sympathy for dear Sarah –
Post-menopausal and probably tired in her old age.
Now? Why now? Why not years ago when she had hoped and prayed for a child?
But God works in mysterious ways.
“Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?”
We might wonder about the truth of this statement.
In these days of societal meltdown, we might wonder about what God can do.
Can God accomplish God’s promises when we are still locked down in our homes?
Can God accomplish God’s promises when many of us are old?
Can God accomplish God’s promises when our church is small?
It can feel as though the future is shut down – as if nothing good can happen ever again.
I think we are suffering from a kind of cultural depression right now –
Brought about by Covid-19.
Brought about by the sorrow and rage at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Brought about by our cynicism that God can do anything new in the midst of such chaos.
And yet, God still promises the extraordinary.
We might laugh in wonderment, and deny that anything new is possible.
I doubt that many of us will be producing new babies any time soon,
But God has other things in mind for us.
God can, and God will accomplish things beyond our imagining.
The story is not over.
God’s overwhelming grace pours out at all times and in all places.
That is the grace of the gospel, that Jesus Christ is present with us,
Making all things new. Making us new.
We should not give up hope – God has planned wonderful things.
And God keeps God’s promises.
Be prepared to be surprised.
Like Sarah, we might laugh when we discover what God has planned.
And yet the truth remains that nothing is too wonderful for the Lord.
May we keep watch for new and wonderful things.
Amen.
A Prayer
God of all times and places,
We stand in awe of your ability to reshape and renew our lives.
We feel caught in a situation that makes us feel as though nothing good will happen again.
Thank you for allowing us to come to you in prayer,
To offer our hopes and dreams, and thank you for keeping your promises.
In this time of Covid-19, we pray for safety.
We ask that you will help us to make good decisions about when to reopen our church.
Please care for those who are ill, and bring an end to this pandemic.
In this time of social unrest,
We pray that you will bring about justice,
So that your righteousness rolls down like rivers.
We pray for our own needs, that you will protect us from loneliness.
May we feel your Spirit binding us to one another,
So that we remain the church,
Confidently awaiting your promises.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray,
Amen.
18The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”
Sermon: God Keeps Promises
This is one of my favourite Bible stories because of Sarah’s reaction.
She laughs at God and God’s promises.
I always think it was more of a cynical snort –
She heard that she would become pregnant at a ripe old age,
Long after the opportunity had passed in any biological sense.
So she laughs at God’s ridiculous promise that she will bear a son.
Sarah tries to cover up her laughter – as it is not appropriate to laugh at God!
But she did laugh – and God knows it.
The hinge of this passage is the phrase “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?”
God has promised that Abraham’s inheritance will be huge – massive,
And in order for his descendants to number like the stars,
It is necessary that he begins to create a family.
This was God’s promise to him, and to Sarah, and now it is coming true.
But we can’t help but feel some sympathy for dear Sarah –
Post-menopausal and probably tired in her old age.
Now? Why now? Why not years ago when she had hoped and prayed for a child?
But God works in mysterious ways.
“Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?”
We might wonder about the truth of this statement.
In these days of societal meltdown, we might wonder about what God can do.
Can God accomplish God’s promises when we are still locked down in our homes?
Can God accomplish God’s promises when many of us are old?
Can God accomplish God’s promises when our church is small?
It can feel as though the future is shut down – as if nothing good can happen ever again.
I think we are suffering from a kind of cultural depression right now –
Brought about by Covid-19.
Brought about by the sorrow and rage at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Brought about by our cynicism that God can do anything new in the midst of such chaos.
And yet, God still promises the extraordinary.
We might laugh in wonderment, and deny that anything new is possible.
I doubt that many of us will be producing new babies any time soon,
But God has other things in mind for us.
God can, and God will accomplish things beyond our imagining.
The story is not over.
God’s overwhelming grace pours out at all times and in all places.
That is the grace of the gospel, that Jesus Christ is present with us,
Making all things new. Making us new.
We should not give up hope – God has planned wonderful things.
And God keeps God’s promises.
Be prepared to be surprised.
Like Sarah, we might laugh when we discover what God has planned.
And yet the truth remains that nothing is too wonderful for the Lord.
May we keep watch for new and wonderful things.
Amen.
A Prayer
God of all times and places,
We stand in awe of your ability to reshape and renew our lives.
We feel caught in a situation that makes us feel as though nothing good will happen again.
Thank you for allowing us to come to you in prayer,
To offer our hopes and dreams, and thank you for keeping your promises.
In this time of Covid-19, we pray for safety.
We ask that you will help us to make good decisions about when to reopen our church.
Please care for those who are ill, and bring an end to this pandemic.
In this time of social unrest,
We pray that you will bring about justice,
So that your righteousness rolls down like rivers.
We pray for our own needs, that you will protect us from loneliness.
May we feel your Spirit binding us to one another,
So that we remain the church,
Confidently awaiting your promises.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray,
Amen.
Sermon - June 7, 2020 https://youtu.be/Oss5EpNt7GU
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Sermon: A Different Kind of Power
This week, Norval Presbyterian Church celebrates 182 years!
Think of all the ministry that has happened in those years.
Many of you have been present in this church for decades,
And you remember many of the ways that Norval has served its community.
I doubt there has ever been an anniversary quite like this one.
Even through two world wars, the people of Norval Church have always
Been together for worship.
This year is different.
This year is different for many reasons.
Never before in the history of the church have we been so challenged
To understand what it means to be the church and serve the world.
At this moment, protesters are winding their way through the streets of Toronto,
And the streets of every major city in the United States.
It is a time when we are called to come to terms with white privilege and racism,
And to consider how we can enact practices of anti-racism.
In the midst of pandemic, we are struggling to understand the importance of church.
Last week President Donald Trump named churches as ‘essential services’
And urged them to open, despite the danger to worshippers from Covid-19.
This week, he also took a photo op in front of an Episcopal church in Washington,
First clearing the protesters out of the way with tear gas.
It is difficult to know what point he was trying to make –
Other than to say that the church is somehow under the power of the government.
We know this is not true.
The Church is a free agent – it is under the power only of Jesus Christ.
But it makes us wonder – how essential is the church in this time and place?
I would argue that the church is indeed essential – but not in the way that Trump meant it.
The worship and service of the church continue in every place in this world –
Whether we gather together, or worship in our own homes.
As I saw on Facebook, “The most loving, noble and sacrificial thing is to worship from home until it is safe to do so in-person.”
This is love in action – keeping each other safe and protecting our most vulnerable.
No government can force us to come together until we are ready to do so.
We are under the power of the Holy Spirit, which cannot be suppressed
By Covid-19, by racism, by any disaster or sin or calamity.
Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians begs them to be rooted and grounded in Love –
And reminds them that they are under the power of Jesus Christ –
Whose love is broader, deeper, wider than anything we can imagine.
That is my prayer for our church this year –
That we will be rooted and grounded in love.
We are not under the power of any government.
We are not under the power of anything except Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit.
It is his power working among us and within us that makes us the church.
And Christ’s power can do more than we can imagine.
It is a power that is not limited by sinfulness or evil, or even death.
In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see what is possible.
It is that resurrection to which we cling in times of trouble –
A power that exceeds any president, any ideology, any disease.
That power will guide us to be the church in this time and place.
Last year, I was your anniversary speaker.
I did not expect to become your minister.
Yet here I am.
I did not expect my first year to look like this.
Yet here we are.
May we be so rooted and grounded in love that we can overcome
Any power that threatens us – so that we will witness
Christ working immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!
An Anniversary Prayer
Loving and Eternal God,
You have promised to be present with us, and you have been with us for 182 years.
We give you thanks for each of those years.
For each person that has served you – those living, and those who live with you in peace.
This is a difficult time for us, to be apart when we want to be together.
It is a difficult time for us, as we watch our world struggle and protest,
As we watch systematic injustices unfold even in our own cities and towns.
We pray that you will be a powerful presence in our culture,
That you will send your Holy Spirit into the most difficult of circumstances.
We pray that you will use your power for good,
And accomplish infinitely more than we can accomplish on our own.
We pray for Norval Presbyterian Church, that we will be a lively witness to Christ
In this community.
We pray for the health and safety of our members.
We pray for new ideas, new possibilities, and a new identity that can adequately respond to the needs of your world.
Remake us in your image.
Root us in your love, so that we will grow and flourish.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Sermon - May 31, 2020
Scripture: Luke 4: 14-21
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Sermon: A Spirit of Justice
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday – the day when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit.
I was all set – I knew exactly what I was going to preach about this week.
And then I watched the news, and I knew that I had no choice
But to address the issues that are occurring in the US right now
Related to the death of George Floyd.
In case you’re not familiar with the story, George Floyd was an unarmed black man,
Who didn’t resist arrest,
but was killed by a white police officer who kneeled on his neck until he had no breath.
This event has led to protests, riots and looting in Minneapolis and across the states.
It is an event that has heightened our awareness that it is dangerous to be black –
Racism, as an act and a practice and an attitude is alive and well and endangers the lives of black people in the US and across the globe.
I want to say that this is not ok – what happened to George Floyd is not ok.
This kind of injustice and oppression have no place in God’s world.
In my house this weeks, we had uncomfortable debates about white privilege, racism,
And our roles in addressing both white privilege and racism.
I knew that I had to address this issue in this sermon,
But I also knew that I wanted to address the Pentecost event.
The scripture we would normally read today involves the disciples being together,
And the Spirit blowing like wind and descending like tongues of fire
Coming to rest on each one of them,
And then they were able to understand each other despite speaking in a variety of languages.
That is the story of Pentecost.
But the question that echoed in my mind was this:
What does the Holy Spirit have to do with Justice?
And it was this other scripture from the Gospel of Luke that came to my mind.
In this passage, Jesus has the spirit of the Lord upon him,
And he lays out a vision of justice –
Freedom for the poor and the imprisoned and the oppressed.
It is the Holy Spirit which allows these realities – it is the Holy Spirit which brings justice.
The Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the world to change the way the world works.
We live in a broken world.
What happened to George Floyd is unfortunately only one of many, many examples of violence against black individuals and groups.
This Pentecost, you and I are reminded that we are filled with the Holy Spirit –
The Spirit of Justice.
The Spirit makes us cry out for justice.
Let us not be satisfied as long as racism and hatred fuel further racism and hatred.
Let us not be satisfied until all human beings are treated as worthy and valuable.
Let us not be satisfied until Jesus’ vision is fulfilled – when all women and men
May be free and safe.
Amen.
Pentecostal Prayer
God of Spirit,
We praise and thank you that you are present with us in the Holy Spirit.
Send your Spirit upon us, so that we may be filled with a sense of justice and hope.
Your Spirit blows where it blows, and sends us in unexpected directions.
God of justice, we pray for peace. We pray for the situation in the United States,
That justice will be served, that hearts will be changed.
God of friendship, we pray for those who are lonely and tired.
Fill them with a sense of your presence.
God of goodness, we pray for the health and strength of our communities.
Protect us from Covid-19, keep us safe and healthy.
God of life, energize us by the power of your holy spirit, so that we may find life in the midst of a dark time. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Sermon: A Spirit of Justice
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday – the day when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit.
I was all set – I knew exactly what I was going to preach about this week.
And then I watched the news, and I knew that I had no choice
But to address the issues that are occurring in the US right now
Related to the death of George Floyd.
In case you’re not familiar with the story, George Floyd was an unarmed black man,
Who didn’t resist arrest,
but was killed by a white police officer who kneeled on his neck until he had no breath.
This event has led to protests, riots and looting in Minneapolis and across the states.
It is an event that has heightened our awareness that it is dangerous to be black –
Racism, as an act and a practice and an attitude is alive and well and endangers the lives of black people in the US and across the globe.
I want to say that this is not ok – what happened to George Floyd is not ok.
This kind of injustice and oppression have no place in God’s world.
In my house this weeks, we had uncomfortable debates about white privilege, racism,
And our roles in addressing both white privilege and racism.
I knew that I had to address this issue in this sermon,
But I also knew that I wanted to address the Pentecost event.
The scripture we would normally read today involves the disciples being together,
And the Spirit blowing like wind and descending like tongues of fire
Coming to rest on each one of them,
And then they were able to understand each other despite speaking in a variety of languages.
That is the story of Pentecost.
But the question that echoed in my mind was this:
What does the Holy Spirit have to do with Justice?
And it was this other scripture from the Gospel of Luke that came to my mind.
In this passage, Jesus has the spirit of the Lord upon him,
And he lays out a vision of justice –
Freedom for the poor and the imprisoned and the oppressed.
It is the Holy Spirit which allows these realities – it is the Holy Spirit which brings justice.
The Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the world to change the way the world works.
We live in a broken world.
What happened to George Floyd is unfortunately only one of many, many examples of violence against black individuals and groups.
This Pentecost, you and I are reminded that we are filled with the Holy Spirit –
The Spirit of Justice.
The Spirit makes us cry out for justice.
Let us not be satisfied as long as racism and hatred fuel further racism and hatred.
Let us not be satisfied until all human beings are treated as worthy and valuable.
Let us not be satisfied until Jesus’ vision is fulfilled – when all women and men
May be free and safe.
Amen.
Pentecostal Prayer
God of Spirit,
We praise and thank you that you are present with us in the Holy Spirit.
Send your Spirit upon us, so that we may be filled with a sense of justice and hope.
Your Spirit blows where it blows, and sends us in unexpected directions.
God of justice, we pray for peace. We pray for the situation in the United States,
That justice will be served, that hearts will be changed.
God of friendship, we pray for those who are lonely and tired.
Fill them with a sense of your presence.
God of goodness, we pray for the health and strength of our communities.
Protect us from Covid-19, keep us safe and healthy.
God of life, energize us by the power of your holy spirit, so that we may find life in the midst of a dark time. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sermon - May 24, 2020 https://youtu.be/kSVyw6DvXa8
Acts 1:6-14
1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
1:7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.
1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
1:9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
1:10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
1:11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away.
1:13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
1:14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
The disciples are ready to get on with things.
They’ve had Jesus with them for a few weeks post-Ressurection.
And now they want to know “is it time?”
“Is it time for you to restore Israel?”
After all, this is what they were waiting for.
They believed that Jesus was the one who came to turn everything upside down –
To heal the sick and free the prisoners,
And likely to overturn the Roman governors so that Israel was no longer an occupied state.
“Is it time”
Jesus reminds them that they do not get to know the day or the hour –
They do not get to know how and when God will act.
He reminds them that they will receive the Holy Spirit.
But they are all waiting for him to do something – to act.
And yet, before anything else can happen,
Jesus is gone.
Right before their eyes, he is lifted up into the clouds.
This event is usually referred to as the ‘Ascension’,
And it is the event which Christians believe took Jesus up into heaven
To sit on the right hand of God the Father.
While the ascension marks the end of Jesus’ time on earth,
It begins a whole new chapter in the reign of Christ –
In which Jesus receives power and authority as part of the Trinity.
Jesus doesn’t go to a particular place, but he occupies a particular role –
That of divine ruler – holy, glorified, and Lord of creation.
This heavenly Jesus rules over creation – he is part of it, part of everything.
This means that he can never be separate from his creation –
Through the Holy Spirit he is in and through everything.
While it might seem that when Jesus left the earth he left us behind,
The opposite is true.
Jesus isn’t done with creation – isn’t done with any of us.
Some people assume that God created the earth and then abandoned it.
This is not what we see in the biblical witness.
We see a God who is intimately, lovingly involved with God’s creation.
Creator, Son and Holy Spirit are so filled with love for us
That that love overflows the heavenly realm
And comes to rest on each one of us.
On the day of the ascension, the disicples are left staring up into heaven,
No doubt wondering “what now?”
Jesus’ words to them about the Holy Spirit, however, contained a subtle command.
Wait.
Wait for the Holy Spirit. Wait for God to act.
God has not left them behind – God is acting on their behalf.
They just have to wait.
I remember when my son Sam was very sick and we were waiting for a liver transplant.
We were filled with fear, wondering what we should do next in order to care for Sam.
One Sunday morning – it was Easter Sunday, when we were staying at Ronald McDonald House
I turned on the TV and there was a preacher.
He was preaching from the book of 1 Chronicles, and I remember wondering
What kind of preacher uses 1 Chronicles on Easter Sunday?
But I kept listening.
I’ll never forget his words.
He said “The battle is not yours. Stand still.”
In other words, everything is up to God.
Be still and wait.
That is what you and I are doing these days – a lot of waiting, a lot of standing still.
We can be assured that that God of the universe
Has not stopped acting in the world – God will continue to act, Jesus will continue to act,
The Holy Spirit will continue to act.
Our job is to let God do God’s work,
And wait for the Holy Spirit to take hold of us –
Comforting, energizing, and sending us on a new path.
1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
1:7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.
1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
1:9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
1:10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
1:11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away.
1:13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
1:14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
The disciples are ready to get on with things.
They’ve had Jesus with them for a few weeks post-Ressurection.
And now they want to know “is it time?”
“Is it time for you to restore Israel?”
After all, this is what they were waiting for.
They believed that Jesus was the one who came to turn everything upside down –
To heal the sick and free the prisoners,
And likely to overturn the Roman governors so that Israel was no longer an occupied state.
“Is it time”
Jesus reminds them that they do not get to know the day or the hour –
They do not get to know how and when God will act.
He reminds them that they will receive the Holy Spirit.
But they are all waiting for him to do something – to act.
And yet, before anything else can happen,
Jesus is gone.
Right before their eyes, he is lifted up into the clouds.
This event is usually referred to as the ‘Ascension’,
And it is the event which Christians believe took Jesus up into heaven
To sit on the right hand of God the Father.
While the ascension marks the end of Jesus’ time on earth,
It begins a whole new chapter in the reign of Christ –
In which Jesus receives power and authority as part of the Trinity.
Jesus doesn’t go to a particular place, but he occupies a particular role –
That of divine ruler – holy, glorified, and Lord of creation.
This heavenly Jesus rules over creation – he is part of it, part of everything.
This means that he can never be separate from his creation –
Through the Holy Spirit he is in and through everything.
While it might seem that when Jesus left the earth he left us behind,
The opposite is true.
Jesus isn’t done with creation – isn’t done with any of us.
Some people assume that God created the earth and then abandoned it.
This is not what we see in the biblical witness.
We see a God who is intimately, lovingly involved with God’s creation.
Creator, Son and Holy Spirit are so filled with love for us
That that love overflows the heavenly realm
And comes to rest on each one of us.
On the day of the ascension, the disicples are left staring up into heaven,
No doubt wondering “what now?”
Jesus’ words to them about the Holy Spirit, however, contained a subtle command.
Wait.
Wait for the Holy Spirit. Wait for God to act.
God has not left them behind – God is acting on their behalf.
They just have to wait.
I remember when my son Sam was very sick and we were waiting for a liver transplant.
We were filled with fear, wondering what we should do next in order to care for Sam.
One Sunday morning – it was Easter Sunday, when we were staying at Ronald McDonald House
I turned on the TV and there was a preacher.
He was preaching from the book of 1 Chronicles, and I remember wondering
What kind of preacher uses 1 Chronicles on Easter Sunday?
But I kept listening.
I’ll never forget his words.
He said “The battle is not yours. Stand still.”
In other words, everything is up to God.
Be still and wait.
That is what you and I are doing these days – a lot of waiting, a lot of standing still.
We can be assured that that God of the universe
Has not stopped acting in the world – God will continue to act, Jesus will continue to act,
The Holy Spirit will continue to act.
Our job is to let God do God’s work,
And wait for the Holy Spirit to take hold of us –
Comforting, energizing, and sending us on a new path.
Sermon - May 17, 2020 https://youtu.be/T5ksho4Vqe0
Scripture: John 15: 14-21
14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
14:17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
14:18 "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.
14:19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.
14:20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
14:21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."
For this week’s scripture text, we go back to the last supper.
Jesus and his disciples are gathered in that upper room,
And everyone knows that something is wrong.
Although we often imagine the scene at the Last Supper as tranquil,
I don’t think it was. I think the disciples were full of questions –
They knew that evil and death surrounded them,
And they were anxious about impending loss.
Loss – the loss of their leader, the loss of their way of life,
The loss of the world as they have known it,
All of these losses hang in the air.
The disciples are afraid.
But Jesus makes them a promise – I will not leave your orphaned, he says.
I will send you another advocate.
Jesus is the first advocate, but another one is coming.
What exactly is an advocate?
It is a legal term, literally meaning one who advocates for you in a court of law.
But it also means “to come alongside”.
The advocate is one who comes alongside us,
Who walks with us, who refuses to leave us alone in good times or bad.
The advocate comforts, encourages, accompanies.
This is what Jesus is promising – the Holy Spirit
Which is faithful and ever-present,
And will not leave the disciples alone even after Jesus is gone.
Our lives are also pervaded by loss at the moment.
I received two emails on Friday that reminded me of the small and large losses
We are facing.
The first was from my son Ben’s school, confirming that there will be no prom
Or graduation ceremony for student’s in grade 12.
It’s not that big a deal, but it is a loss – who doesn’t want to watch their child
Get dressed up for prom or walk across a stage at graduation?
I think I care more than he does, but it is a loss.
The other email was from Camp Kintail, the Presbyterian Church Camp on Lake Huron.
Ben has been going there since he was 5 years old, and last summer was Ella’s first.
She was so excited about going to camp this year to see her counsellors,
Meet new friends, and show her sister Olive the ropes.
But there will be no camp this summer.
Another loss, not just for my child, but for hundreds of other children and staff
Who have come to rely on the beautiful, resonant care that is provided by Christian camping.
These are small losses – camp will resume again, Ben will eventually graduate.
Yet how many more losses we face day to day.
The loss of church.
The loss of family BBQ’s and being able to grocery shop without fear.
We have lost our freedoms, in many ways.
And many have lost their lives.
These are dangerous times, and we look to Jesus to provide care for us.
And we hear him speak to us, just as he spoke so long ago –
He will not leave us orphaned – he is sending us an advocate
The Holy Spirit.
Whose job is to encourage and strengthen us not only as individuals
But as a community.
It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to be the church even when we are far apart.
It is the Holy Spirit who will bear us up and keep us going
Even when we are sad, grieving or lonely.
Jesus knew that his disciples would not be able to manage on their own,
So he is sending them a helper.
We cannot manage on our own either-
We need help and accompaniment.
And so we receive the breath of the Spirit of love,
Who brings us near to the love of the Father and the Son.
Praise God for keeping us close, safe and loved! Amen.
14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
14:17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
14:18 "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.
14:19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.
14:20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
14:21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."
For this week’s scripture text, we go back to the last supper.
Jesus and his disciples are gathered in that upper room,
And everyone knows that something is wrong.
Although we often imagine the scene at the Last Supper as tranquil,
I don’t think it was. I think the disciples were full of questions –
They knew that evil and death surrounded them,
And they were anxious about impending loss.
Loss – the loss of their leader, the loss of their way of life,
The loss of the world as they have known it,
All of these losses hang in the air.
The disciples are afraid.
But Jesus makes them a promise – I will not leave your orphaned, he says.
I will send you another advocate.
Jesus is the first advocate, but another one is coming.
What exactly is an advocate?
It is a legal term, literally meaning one who advocates for you in a court of law.
But it also means “to come alongside”.
The advocate is one who comes alongside us,
Who walks with us, who refuses to leave us alone in good times or bad.
The advocate comforts, encourages, accompanies.
This is what Jesus is promising – the Holy Spirit
Which is faithful and ever-present,
And will not leave the disciples alone even after Jesus is gone.
Our lives are also pervaded by loss at the moment.
I received two emails on Friday that reminded me of the small and large losses
We are facing.
The first was from my son Ben’s school, confirming that there will be no prom
Or graduation ceremony for student’s in grade 12.
It’s not that big a deal, but it is a loss – who doesn’t want to watch their child
Get dressed up for prom or walk across a stage at graduation?
I think I care more than he does, but it is a loss.
The other email was from Camp Kintail, the Presbyterian Church Camp on Lake Huron.
Ben has been going there since he was 5 years old, and last summer was Ella’s first.
She was so excited about going to camp this year to see her counsellors,
Meet new friends, and show her sister Olive the ropes.
But there will be no camp this summer.
Another loss, not just for my child, but for hundreds of other children and staff
Who have come to rely on the beautiful, resonant care that is provided by Christian camping.
These are small losses – camp will resume again, Ben will eventually graduate.
Yet how many more losses we face day to day.
The loss of church.
The loss of family BBQ’s and being able to grocery shop without fear.
We have lost our freedoms, in many ways.
And many have lost their lives.
These are dangerous times, and we look to Jesus to provide care for us.
And we hear him speak to us, just as he spoke so long ago –
He will not leave us orphaned – he is sending us an advocate
The Holy Spirit.
Whose job is to encourage and strengthen us not only as individuals
But as a community.
It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to be the church even when we are far apart.
It is the Holy Spirit who will bear us up and keep us going
Even when we are sad, grieving or lonely.
Jesus knew that his disciples would not be able to manage on their own,
So he is sending them a helper.
We cannot manage on our own either-
We need help and accompaniment.
And so we receive the breath of the Spirit of love,
Who brings us near to the love of the Father and the Son.
Praise God for keeping us close, safe and loved! Amen.
Sermon - May 10, 2020
1 Peter 2:2-10
2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-
2:3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
2:4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and
2:5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
2:6 For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
2:7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,"
2:8 and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Meditation: Being God’s People
I saw something funny on Facebook.
A woman stands in her slippers and bathrobe in the middle of a worship service.
The caption reads “Mrs. Jones got a little too used to watching online worship from home!”
We’re all getting used to this new way of worship, as much as we miss each other.
We still don’t know when we will be back together.
I want you to know that I spoke to a staff member from the Presbyterian Church in Canada this week.
The staff of the national office have been calling ministers to check in and see how we are doing.
I was able to tell them that Norval is doing well.
Despite being lonely, we are all healthy.
We have enough money in the bank – although don’t forget to send in your offering!
We have amazing elders who are busy phoning and checking in on each other.
Norval Presbyterian Church will be ready when it is time to open up again,
Ready to welcome our community and celebrate together.
In the meantime, we have to figure out what it means to be the church in this strange time.
Every church has had to adjust – ministers who never used technology before
Are suddenly having to learn how to record and upload services.
Some congregations are holding virtual coffee hours and hymn sings.
It’s really quite amazing to see what my colleagues are doing –
How creative and adaptive they are at this time.
The author of 1 Peter describes us as a spiritual house built of living stones.
We are not defined by our bricks and mortar, not defined by our building.
We are instead defined by our cornerstone, Jesus Christ,
In whose name we gather and in whose name we exist.
I think that one result of this pandemic for churches is that we will realize
That we do not get our identity from our buildings.
Church buildings have been closed down, and yet the church continues
To be the church.
We are continuing to reach out,
Continuing to care for each other,
Continuing to feed the hungry and pray for those who are lost.
Perhaps never before in history have Peter’s words been more true –
We are a spiritual house.
We are living stones.
We are connected to Jesus Christ, the cornerstone.
And it is on Jesus Christ whom we rely for our identity and our future.
We are God’s own people – and we understand mercy
Because we have been given mercy by the God of the Universe.
God is merciful to us, even in this time of difficulty.
We have learned to be the church in an extraordinary time –
Flexible, adaptive and ready to respond to the world as it is.
Even when this is over, may we continue to be flexible and adaptive,
Ready to respond to what the world needs most.
Praise God for making us living stones which can be shaped and moulded,
Ready to serve a world in need.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Pandemic
God of Grace and Mercy,
You have built us into a spiritual house.
Like living stones, we are shaped and moulded to meet the needs of your world.
In this time, make us strong.
May we find the strength to survive each day.
In this time, make us generous.
May we reach out to those in need.
In this time, make us flexible.
May we learn new ways to worship and serve you.
In this time, calm our fears. Fulfil us in our loneliness.
Help us to find joy and peace, even when it feels like the world is upside-down.
Grant us a sense of your presence, a solid cornerstone on which we build our lives.
Amen.
2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-
2:3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
2:4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and
2:5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
2:6 For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
2:7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,"
2:8 and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Meditation: Being God’s People
I saw something funny on Facebook.
A woman stands in her slippers and bathrobe in the middle of a worship service.
The caption reads “Mrs. Jones got a little too used to watching online worship from home!”
We’re all getting used to this new way of worship, as much as we miss each other.
We still don’t know when we will be back together.
I want you to know that I spoke to a staff member from the Presbyterian Church in Canada this week.
The staff of the national office have been calling ministers to check in and see how we are doing.
I was able to tell them that Norval is doing well.
Despite being lonely, we are all healthy.
We have enough money in the bank – although don’t forget to send in your offering!
We have amazing elders who are busy phoning and checking in on each other.
Norval Presbyterian Church will be ready when it is time to open up again,
Ready to welcome our community and celebrate together.
In the meantime, we have to figure out what it means to be the church in this strange time.
Every church has had to adjust – ministers who never used technology before
Are suddenly having to learn how to record and upload services.
Some congregations are holding virtual coffee hours and hymn sings.
It’s really quite amazing to see what my colleagues are doing –
How creative and adaptive they are at this time.
The author of 1 Peter describes us as a spiritual house built of living stones.
We are not defined by our bricks and mortar, not defined by our building.
We are instead defined by our cornerstone, Jesus Christ,
In whose name we gather and in whose name we exist.
I think that one result of this pandemic for churches is that we will realize
That we do not get our identity from our buildings.
Church buildings have been closed down, and yet the church continues
To be the church.
We are continuing to reach out,
Continuing to care for each other,
Continuing to feed the hungry and pray for those who are lost.
Perhaps never before in history have Peter’s words been more true –
We are a spiritual house.
We are living stones.
We are connected to Jesus Christ, the cornerstone.
And it is on Jesus Christ whom we rely for our identity and our future.
We are God’s own people – and we understand mercy
Because we have been given mercy by the God of the Universe.
God is merciful to us, even in this time of difficulty.
We have learned to be the church in an extraordinary time –
Flexible, adaptive and ready to respond to the world as it is.
Even when this is over, may we continue to be flexible and adaptive,
Ready to respond to what the world needs most.
Praise God for making us living stones which can be shaped and moulded,
Ready to serve a world in need.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Pandemic
God of Grace and Mercy,
You have built us into a spiritual house.
Like living stones, we are shaped and moulded to meet the needs of your world.
In this time, make us strong.
May we find the strength to survive each day.
In this time, make us generous.
May we reach out to those in need.
In this time, make us flexible.
May we learn new ways to worship and serve you.
In this time, calm our fears. Fulfil us in our loneliness.
Help us to find joy and peace, even when it feels like the world is upside-down.
Grant us a sense of your presence, a solid cornerstone on which we build our lives.
Amen.
Sermon - May 3, 2020
The Sermon - live through a youtube link:
https://youtu.be/w7gq5Vd0EV4
https://youtu.be/w7gq5Vd0EV4
Psalm 23
The Divine Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff--
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[e] goodness and mercy[ shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar and comforting psalms –
We hear it often at funerals, but it is one of those psalms that belongs to ordinary life.
This psalm is a reflection on God’s nature – as a shepherd who protects and guides,
And as a host who also protects and feeds.
As much as this psalm tells us who God is, it tells us who we are.
We are people in need of comfort and rest, requiring protection and care.
The coronavirus has done a good job of teaching us about our needs.
Never before have we been so aware of our need for each other, for example.
One of my favourite biblical scholars, Walter Brueggemann, writes that all the psalms
Follow a pattern in which the community who sings the psalm
Experiences orientation, disorientation and reorientation.
Times of orientation are when everything seems to be going along just fine.
We have a good sense of the way the world works.
In times of disorientation, there is some kind of disruption in which it feels like everything
Is upside down – there is despair and lament.
In times of reorientation, we learn to rely on the God of the Universe to guide and protect us,
Even when things are difficult.
It is part of the natural human experience to go through cycles of orientation, disorientation and reorientation.
We are now in a time of profound disorientation.
A time in which the valley of the shadow of death is all around us.
Even those most comforting acts of God feel uncomfortable right now.
The Lord leads us beside green pastures, and causes us to drink from still waters.
Covid-19 has certainly given us an opportunity to rest –
But I have to confess that I’ve had a hard time with this part.
I don’t want to be resting right now – I just began my ministry with you –
I want to be leading worship, and bible study,
And dreaming with the session about how we can begin to do some amazing things together.
It’s all very disorienting.
We are lucky, in that God has provided us with enough –
We have tables full of food, we have people checking in on us,
So far our community is safe and healthy.
In the presence of this massive and powerful enemy, God has made sure that our cups run over.
This might not feel like comfort when many of us are so lonely.
We long to be together – breaking bread and pouring tea –
And it is very difficult to be apart from our families and friends.
As I said, it’s all very disorienting.
This psalm comes with promises that might help us become reoriented.
First, the promise here is that God will restore our souls.
God will give us back our lives.
Somehow, even though we can’t imagine it,
We will come to find blessing in this place of disorientation.
Second, the promise is that goodness and mercy will follow us.
I love the translation that says “goodness and mercy will pursue us”
That is, God will actively pursue us, and those things that are evil or unjust or dangerous
Will be rendered powerless in the face of God’s almighty love.
Gradually, and eventually, our lives will be reoriented.
We will come to understand how to live safely amidst the threat,
And we will know that we are hosted, guided and protected by
A God who loves us very much.
Amen.
The Divine Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff--
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[e] goodness and mercy[ shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar and comforting psalms –
We hear it often at funerals, but it is one of those psalms that belongs to ordinary life.
This psalm is a reflection on God’s nature – as a shepherd who protects and guides,
And as a host who also protects and feeds.
As much as this psalm tells us who God is, it tells us who we are.
We are people in need of comfort and rest, requiring protection and care.
The coronavirus has done a good job of teaching us about our needs.
Never before have we been so aware of our need for each other, for example.
One of my favourite biblical scholars, Walter Brueggemann, writes that all the psalms
Follow a pattern in which the community who sings the psalm
Experiences orientation, disorientation and reorientation.
Times of orientation are when everything seems to be going along just fine.
We have a good sense of the way the world works.
In times of disorientation, there is some kind of disruption in which it feels like everything
Is upside down – there is despair and lament.
In times of reorientation, we learn to rely on the God of the Universe to guide and protect us,
Even when things are difficult.
It is part of the natural human experience to go through cycles of orientation, disorientation and reorientation.
We are now in a time of profound disorientation.
A time in which the valley of the shadow of death is all around us.
Even those most comforting acts of God feel uncomfortable right now.
The Lord leads us beside green pastures, and causes us to drink from still waters.
Covid-19 has certainly given us an opportunity to rest –
But I have to confess that I’ve had a hard time with this part.
I don’t want to be resting right now – I just began my ministry with you –
I want to be leading worship, and bible study,
And dreaming with the session about how we can begin to do some amazing things together.
It’s all very disorienting.
We are lucky, in that God has provided us with enough –
We have tables full of food, we have people checking in on us,
So far our community is safe and healthy.
In the presence of this massive and powerful enemy, God has made sure that our cups run over.
This might not feel like comfort when many of us are so lonely.
We long to be together – breaking bread and pouring tea –
And it is very difficult to be apart from our families and friends.
As I said, it’s all very disorienting.
This psalm comes with promises that might help us become reoriented.
First, the promise here is that God will restore our souls.
God will give us back our lives.
Somehow, even though we can’t imagine it,
We will come to find blessing in this place of disorientation.
Second, the promise is that goodness and mercy will follow us.
I love the translation that says “goodness and mercy will pursue us”
That is, God will actively pursue us, and those things that are evil or unjust or dangerous
Will be rendered powerless in the face of God’s almighty love.
Gradually, and eventually, our lives will be reoriented.
We will come to understand how to live safely amidst the threat,
And we will know that we are hosted, guided and protected by
A God who loves us very much.
Amen.
Sermon - April 26, 2020
Luke 24:13-35
24:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,
24:16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
24:17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad.
24:18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"
24:19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
24:20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
24:21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
24:22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,
24:23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
24:24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him."
24:25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!
24:26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?"
24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
24:28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.
24:29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them.
24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
24:31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
24:32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
24:33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
24:34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"
24:35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Sermon
In this passage, we find two of the disciples walking together,
Trying to make sense of what has happened to them over the past couple of days.
Nothing had gone as planned, and they were deep in grief.
Jesus is dead, and everything they had hoped has turned to dust.
You and I can relate to what they are feeling, this week.
What a horrible week it has been.
Nearly two dozen people killed in Nova Scotia,
In a seemingly senseless massacre that left innocent people dead for no reason at all.
It is terrifying to think that such a thing could happen in Canada.
This week, Toronto remembered the van attack that happened two years ago –
Another terrible and senseless tragedy that hit far to close to home.
And of course, we’ve had another week dealing with the terror of Covid-19.
Hundreds of long term care residents have died,
And the illness has come closer to us as it has ravaged the Mountainview home.
We are tired and sad – tired of being separated from one another,
Tired of all the bad news, tired of death and destruction.
None of us saw this coming – just a few weeks ago our lives were very different.
Yes, we can relate to those disciples, whose lives had changed so rapidly
And so irreversibly.
As the disciples walk down the road, they are joined by a stranger,
Who seems to have no idea what has been going on in Jerusalem.
So they told him, all about Jesus being handed over to die,
And the women disciples believing that the tomb was empty and Jesus was risen.
The stranger surprises them by telling them they are foolish
For not believing the prophets – and he began to teach them,
Drawing on the scriptures to tell them about the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The disicples still don’t have a clue who this stranger is,
But they want him to stay with them,
So they invite him to have supper with them.
And when he breaks the bread, suddenly they know that Jesus is with them.
He followed the same pattern as he followed at the last supper –
He blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to them,
And their eyes open, and suddenly everything makes sense again.
I find it puzzling that the disciples could not recognize Jesus as he is walking with them down the road.
Did he look different?
Or was it simply the case that they didn’t see him because they didn’t expect to see him?
Or were they blinded by all the death and trauma of the preceeding days,
To the point that their vision was altered and they couldn’t see anything very clearly?
I think this last point is likely the most valid.
How difficult it is for us to see life when our eyes our clouded with death and grief.
How difficult it has been for us this week to see Jesus,
When we are surrounded by death and grief.
The disciples are finally able to see when they witness Jesus acting in a familiar way –
Breaking the bread and offering it to them.
You and I can’t gather for communion right now – we are missing the way that
Jesus comes to us in that familiar meal.
But the good news of this passage is that Jesus comes to us anyway.
Even if we are having trouble recognizing him
Because our eyes are clouded by all the terrible things we are seeing right now,
Jesus comes alongside us for this journey.
We are not alone.
And the promises of Easter are true.
Life rises up in the midst of death –
There is hope in the darkness,
There is resurrection and light and power that transcends anything we know or understand.
Even when we can’t recognize Jesus, he is there, walking right beside us.
May God clear our eyes so we can see.
Amen.
24:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,
24:16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
24:17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad.
24:18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"
24:19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
24:20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
24:21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
24:22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,
24:23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
24:24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him."
24:25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!
24:26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?"
24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
24:28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.
24:29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them.
24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
24:31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
24:32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
24:33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
24:34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"
24:35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Sermon
In this passage, we find two of the disciples walking together,
Trying to make sense of what has happened to them over the past couple of days.
Nothing had gone as planned, and they were deep in grief.
Jesus is dead, and everything they had hoped has turned to dust.
You and I can relate to what they are feeling, this week.
What a horrible week it has been.
Nearly two dozen people killed in Nova Scotia,
In a seemingly senseless massacre that left innocent people dead for no reason at all.
It is terrifying to think that such a thing could happen in Canada.
This week, Toronto remembered the van attack that happened two years ago –
Another terrible and senseless tragedy that hit far to close to home.
And of course, we’ve had another week dealing with the terror of Covid-19.
Hundreds of long term care residents have died,
And the illness has come closer to us as it has ravaged the Mountainview home.
We are tired and sad – tired of being separated from one another,
Tired of all the bad news, tired of death and destruction.
None of us saw this coming – just a few weeks ago our lives were very different.
Yes, we can relate to those disciples, whose lives had changed so rapidly
And so irreversibly.
As the disciples walk down the road, they are joined by a stranger,
Who seems to have no idea what has been going on in Jerusalem.
So they told him, all about Jesus being handed over to die,
And the women disciples believing that the tomb was empty and Jesus was risen.
The stranger surprises them by telling them they are foolish
For not believing the prophets – and he began to teach them,
Drawing on the scriptures to tell them about the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The disicples still don’t have a clue who this stranger is,
But they want him to stay with them,
So they invite him to have supper with them.
And when he breaks the bread, suddenly they know that Jesus is with them.
He followed the same pattern as he followed at the last supper –
He blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to them,
And their eyes open, and suddenly everything makes sense again.
I find it puzzling that the disciples could not recognize Jesus as he is walking with them down the road.
Did he look different?
Or was it simply the case that they didn’t see him because they didn’t expect to see him?
Or were they blinded by all the death and trauma of the preceeding days,
To the point that their vision was altered and they couldn’t see anything very clearly?
I think this last point is likely the most valid.
How difficult it is for us to see life when our eyes our clouded with death and grief.
How difficult it has been for us this week to see Jesus,
When we are surrounded by death and grief.
The disciples are finally able to see when they witness Jesus acting in a familiar way –
Breaking the bread and offering it to them.
You and I can’t gather for communion right now – we are missing the way that
Jesus comes to us in that familiar meal.
But the good news of this passage is that Jesus comes to us anyway.
Even if we are having trouble recognizing him
Because our eyes are clouded by all the terrible things we are seeing right now,
Jesus comes alongside us for this journey.
We are not alone.
And the promises of Easter are true.
Life rises up in the midst of death –
There is hope in the darkness,
There is resurrection and light and power that transcends anything we know or understand.
Even when we can’t recognize Jesus, he is there, walking right beside us.
May God clear our eyes so we can see.
Amen.
Sermon - April 19, 2020
John 20:19-23. Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Sermon
It has been another devastating week.
Numbers of cases of COVID-19 continue to climb, as do associated deaths.
The saddest part is the isolation – we are separated from others,
And those who are grieving are left to do so on their own –
they can’t be with loved ones who are dying.
Although most of us are simply lonely, there are hundreds in our country
Who are mourning the loss of loved ones – alone.
This disease has, by necessity, separated us from each other.
This is a hard reality, and one that is unusual and unprecedented.
Usually, at least we can be together to mourn – to gather for funeral rituals,
Family suppers and rely on the support of our friends and neighbours.
Now, none of this is possible.
The disciples were together on the night that Jesus rose up from the dead.
They were locked in a room, afraid of the Jewish leaders who might come after them,
Especially as news spread that Jesus’ body had disappeared.
The disciples had heard the news that Jesus was alive,
But they probably didn’t believe it.
How was it possible to believe such a thing?
And yet, as they are all together – wondering and afraid,
Jesus appears to them, and says “Peace be with you.”
This resurrected Jesus still had wounds in his hands and side.
These wounds were proof that it really was Jesus – alive and well.
But these wounds tell us something else – even after Jesus was resurrected,
His wounds persist.
The pain and trauma he suffered did not go away entirely –
The wounds were still there.
It is possible for woundedness and resurrection to exist at the same time.
This is our reality right now.
We are celebrating Easter, but we are wounded.
We are filled with joy that our savior lives, but we are suffering.
We are connected to each other in profound ways, but we are alone.
We are comforted by Jesus’ promise of peace, yet we are terrified.
It is possible for woundedness and resurrection to exist at the same time.
So what do we do? How do we continue to move forward
Into this Easter season, when we are alone and terrified?
Jesus comes into our homes and our lives,
And says “Peace be with you”.
This is a special kind of peace – born of the sure and certain knowledge
That death is not the end,
That life continues and hope continues.
The pain and trauma do not go away, but we are comforted in the midst of these things.
Even though we can’t be together,
we are bound together by the experience of seeing the risen Christ.
He comes to us all, even we are locked in our homes,
And whispers “Peace”.
May the Peace of Christ fill our hearts.
Amen.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Sermon
It has been another devastating week.
Numbers of cases of COVID-19 continue to climb, as do associated deaths.
The saddest part is the isolation – we are separated from others,
And those who are grieving are left to do so on their own –
they can’t be with loved ones who are dying.
Although most of us are simply lonely, there are hundreds in our country
Who are mourning the loss of loved ones – alone.
This disease has, by necessity, separated us from each other.
This is a hard reality, and one that is unusual and unprecedented.
Usually, at least we can be together to mourn – to gather for funeral rituals,
Family suppers and rely on the support of our friends and neighbours.
Now, none of this is possible.
The disciples were together on the night that Jesus rose up from the dead.
They were locked in a room, afraid of the Jewish leaders who might come after them,
Especially as news spread that Jesus’ body had disappeared.
The disciples had heard the news that Jesus was alive,
But they probably didn’t believe it.
How was it possible to believe such a thing?
And yet, as they are all together – wondering and afraid,
Jesus appears to them, and says “Peace be with you.”
This resurrected Jesus still had wounds in his hands and side.
These wounds were proof that it really was Jesus – alive and well.
But these wounds tell us something else – even after Jesus was resurrected,
His wounds persist.
The pain and trauma he suffered did not go away entirely –
The wounds were still there.
It is possible for woundedness and resurrection to exist at the same time.
This is our reality right now.
We are celebrating Easter, but we are wounded.
We are filled with joy that our savior lives, but we are suffering.
We are connected to each other in profound ways, but we are alone.
We are comforted by Jesus’ promise of peace, yet we are terrified.
It is possible for woundedness and resurrection to exist at the same time.
So what do we do? How do we continue to move forward
Into this Easter season, when we are alone and terrified?
Jesus comes into our homes and our lives,
And says “Peace be with you”.
This is a special kind of peace – born of the sure and certain knowledge
That death is not the end,
That life continues and hope continues.
The pain and trauma do not go away, but we are comforted in the midst of these things.
Even though we can’t be together,
we are bound together by the experience of seeing the risen Christ.
He comes to us all, even we are locked in our homes,
And whispers “Peace”.
May the Peace of Christ fill our hearts.
Amen.
Sermon - April 5, 2020
Matthew 21:1-11
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.[a]” 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd[b] spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Sermon: Acts of Devotion
Palm Sunday is supposed to be a celebration.
It is a day when we remember Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem,
When his followers, alongside perfect strangers,
Hailed him with palm branches and hosannas
And laid their cloaks on the ground to welcome him as a King.
The truth is, however, that the first procession of palms
Took place in an atmosphere of fear and death.
Jesus knew that his enemies were drawing near,
He knew that this Passover celebration in Jerusalem
Would be his last.
The people likely did not know this, although his disciples
Must have known that things were not looking good.
The whole event took place amid the shadow of death.
Our Palm Sunday is also taking place amid the shadow of death.
We are fighting an invisible enemy – the coronavirus,
Which has us locked into our homes.
We are afraid – for our own health, and for the health of others.
Some are struggling financially, and despite the best efforts of governments,
Many people could not pay their April rent.
We are lonely, cut off from those we need most.
So many are sick, and some are dying.
We live in an atmosphere of death and fear,
And this year we raise our palm branches and wave them
Conscious that we are marching on a path that leads toward sadness.
Just like Jesus, we are on a path toward sadness.
What is remarkable about that first palm celebration is that in the midst of a march toward death, there were signs of life and devotion.
Faithful followers took off their coats and laid them on the ground
So that Jesus on his donkey could enter the city as royalty –
Marching on people’s coats, and crunching over palm branches.
People, in the midst of uncertainty,
Found ways to be faithful to Jesus Christ.
We too are invited, at this time, to find ways to be faithful to Jesus.
We aren’t together to wave palm branches this year.
We aren’t together to worship.
We won’t have communion next Sunday,
We won’t have coffee hour,
We won’t be able to do any of the things that make us the church.
But there are other things we can do to be faithful.
We can check in on each other.
We can stay home and do what we’re told.
We can turn to scripture for its promises of hope.
We can send up our prayers, for front line workers,
For our governments,
For those around the world who are suffering and dying.
All of these are acts of devotion that are just as important
As waving our palm branches and laying our cloaks on the ground
For the Son of David to walk on.
Let us find ways to be faithful in this holy week.
Although our worship is different this year,
We are invited to be faithful in new ways.
May your prayers this week be fervent,
May your love for others shine out.
May you find moments of peace, and rest in the hope
That even as we walk through the valley of the shadow,
There is light and life ahead.
Easter is coming, and it will come
No matter how frightened we are.
No matter how lonely.
No matter the suffering that we experience,
Easter is coming.
But first, we have a difficult week ahead.
My prayers are with you.
We will get through this.
We will get through this.
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.[a]” 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd[b] spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Sermon: Acts of Devotion
Palm Sunday is supposed to be a celebration.
It is a day when we remember Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem,
When his followers, alongside perfect strangers,
Hailed him with palm branches and hosannas
And laid their cloaks on the ground to welcome him as a King.
The truth is, however, that the first procession of palms
Took place in an atmosphere of fear and death.
Jesus knew that his enemies were drawing near,
He knew that this Passover celebration in Jerusalem
Would be his last.
The people likely did not know this, although his disciples
Must have known that things were not looking good.
The whole event took place amid the shadow of death.
Our Palm Sunday is also taking place amid the shadow of death.
We are fighting an invisible enemy – the coronavirus,
Which has us locked into our homes.
We are afraid – for our own health, and for the health of others.
Some are struggling financially, and despite the best efforts of governments,
Many people could not pay their April rent.
We are lonely, cut off from those we need most.
So many are sick, and some are dying.
We live in an atmosphere of death and fear,
And this year we raise our palm branches and wave them
Conscious that we are marching on a path that leads toward sadness.
Just like Jesus, we are on a path toward sadness.
What is remarkable about that first palm celebration is that in the midst of a march toward death, there were signs of life and devotion.
Faithful followers took off their coats and laid them on the ground
So that Jesus on his donkey could enter the city as royalty –
Marching on people’s coats, and crunching over palm branches.
People, in the midst of uncertainty,
Found ways to be faithful to Jesus Christ.
We too are invited, at this time, to find ways to be faithful to Jesus.
We aren’t together to wave palm branches this year.
We aren’t together to worship.
We won’t have communion next Sunday,
We won’t have coffee hour,
We won’t be able to do any of the things that make us the church.
But there are other things we can do to be faithful.
We can check in on each other.
We can stay home and do what we’re told.
We can turn to scripture for its promises of hope.
We can send up our prayers, for front line workers,
For our governments,
For those around the world who are suffering and dying.
All of these are acts of devotion that are just as important
As waving our palm branches and laying our cloaks on the ground
For the Son of David to walk on.
Let us find ways to be faithful in this holy week.
Although our worship is different this year,
We are invited to be faithful in new ways.
May your prayers this week be fervent,
May your love for others shine out.
May you find moments of peace, and rest in the hope
That even as we walk through the valley of the shadow,
There is light and life ahead.
Easter is coming, and it will come
No matter how frightened we are.
No matter how lonely.
No matter the suffering that we experience,
Easter is coming.
But first, we have a difficult week ahead.
My prayers are with you.
We will get through this.
We will get through this.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon - March 29, 2020
Mark 16:1-8
16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Sermon: “Dormant Hope”
A couple of years ago,
I was asked to write a series of advent sermons
For the Presbyterian Church in Canada website.
The lectionary text I chose for Advent 3 was
Isaiah’s vision of restoration about ancient ruins being raised,
Former devastations being repaired.
And I got stuck.
My mind was frozen in images –
Aleppo, Haiti, First Nations reserves…
Where was the good news for the devastated among us today?
What could I credibly say to the outcasts,
the poor, the marginalized,
Those who live amid the rubble of trauma
unable to even hope?
I could only come up with two choices –
The first was to plant hope
firmly in a distant an unknown future –
The ever-comfortable eschaton,
when everything will be made new.
The second was to look for shards of blessing
in the present day –
The good work Peacekeepers, ngo’s,
the kindness of strangers.
And yet neither of these seemed
Adequate to match the audacity of Isaiah’s claim.
Both of my options were cop-outs,
in a way, because I could not, even in my mind’s eye
Imagine a situation in which restoration was possible.
As sometimes happens,
the mere act of writing a sermon drove me to the edge
Of my theological capacity.
In one of those coincidences that probably aren’t coincidences,
An article landed on my desk by Shelly Rambo –
a theologian from BU.
She writes about being in New Orleans
Over two years after Hurricane Katrina
devastated the 9th ward.[1]
She is standing in someone’s backyard
“There is nothing there,” she says
“Except for the cement sidewalk pieces and remnants of a washed-out foundation.”
One of the residents tells her “Things are not back to normal.”
The storm is gone, but ‘after the storm’ is always here.
Rambo’s work is in the area of trauma.
She describes how traumatic events persist
long after the events,
And continue to live on in the bodies and communities
of those who have been affected.
It might be tempting for us to try to wash away the trauma
With easy words of comfort and hope.
But that might mean that we
“proclaim good news before it is time”[2]
The suffering that is caused by devastation
should not be easily wiped away.
For many in our world, life and death exist in close proximity.
Life remains difficult.
If you have experienced trauma or loss in your life,
You know this is true.
It is impossible to restore life as it once was,
One of the most relentless and tragic results
of traumatic experience is that it can destroy
one’s ability to imagine –
Making it impossible for some to envision new life
arising from the ashes.
As Rambo witnessed the suffering of the residents of New Orleans, she observes
“Amid talk about building and restoring,
These particular streets of New Orleans still are not restored.”[3]
Even ten years later, restoration is still elusive.
In light of that experience of my stillborn advent sermon,
I read the story of Easter morning differently.
Mark did not preach good news before it was time –
His story leaves a space for the storm
that remains alive and fully present
In the lives of those faithful and broken women
Who were the first to attend the grave.
Mark’s original ending is ragged, jagged,
And the reader’s urgent hope for resolution
Dissolves into silence.
The good news is there –
you and I can see it, because we know this story
Like the back of our hands.
But could those women see it?
They who had watched their friend die in the most cruel way –
Amid the hopeless brutality of colonial power.
Every promise broken.
They could not see it yet –
could not grasp the reality of resurrection –
They were seized by terror and amazement –
Perhaps still hungover, if you will,
by the events of the previous days.
They were not ready for good news –
it was beyond what they could comprehend
When their hearts and minds were frozen in grief and shock.
In the space between death and resurrection, hope is dormant.
It exists in every real way,
just as the seed or the bulb exists in the ground
But there is no guarantee that it will rise up.
The good news of resurrection intrudes
on the one thing we know is true –
that death is death.
Isn’t it?
For Mary and Mary and Salome, death was death.
They arrived to complete the tasks of death,
having waited until the Sabbath was over.
A Sabbath – no doubt, that was not about rest or refreshment, but about endless wondering
And wailing and wishing,
and walking the halls with tears streaming down their faces.
In the early morning gloom,
The strange angelic occupant of the empty tomb
With his pronouncement of unexpected life,
Could not shift their reality away
from the certainty that death was death.
Worse even than death –
was the mysterious absence of the body
they sought to care for.
They heard the news that Jesus was waiting for them,
and we hope,
At least for their sake, that they will be able to absorb this news
And reverse their grief and begin to celebrate,
But they do not. They are afraid.
They cannot see the light of dawn breaking.
And they run. What else could they do?
After what we have been through in the past weeks,
With this horrible coronavirus,
It is comforting to think that Easter is coming.
And yet before we get to Easter,
We come to another day - Holy Saturday.
In our desperate rush to get to the good news of Easter,
It is easy to forget that there is a space
in between death and resurrection.
A space in which trauma of what has just occurred
is more real and present
Than the hope to which we are supposed to witness.
This space matters.
It is the reality of human suffering,
and we dare not skip it or subvert it
In order to jump ahead to a happier ending.
There is a long and loud silence
before Easter can make any sense at all.
I was reminded of this as I observed
the news coverage of the March for our Lives
that happened a couple of years ago.
Emma Gonzalez is a student and survivor
of the shootings at Parkland School in Florida.
In recounting the events of that day she said
“For us, long, tearful, chaotic hours in the scorching afternoon sun were spent not knowing. No one understood the extent of what had happened."
On stage on Saturday, her speech dissolved into silence –
She stood quietly as minutes passed.
The long and loud silence –
in the space between grief and hope.
Perhaps those of us who have seen resurrection
Are able to speak that hope on behalf of others
Whose imaginations have been paralyzed.
Yet there is grace also in the space of waiting.
Our own resources will not bring life out of the ruins,
nor cause it to spring up.
A too quick or too triumphant gospel
will not leave enough space for us to mourn our dead.
As theologian Serene Jones reminds us,
Grace is grace. It comes.
It comes whether or not we can proclaim it.
Whether or not we can imagine it.
After all, we don’t know what resurrection will look like.
And sometimes,
even when we sense the quickening heartbeats of new life,
we will be too afraid to name it,
too afraid to believe what we are seeing.
But even if we run away,
even if the good news is unspeakable
in the face of unspeakable trauma and pain,
Life comes. Grace comes.
Thank God it is not up to us to make it so.
Please God may we recognize it when it comes.
And if we run away, like those sorrowful women at the tomb,
May we look back over our shoulders
And hear the voice calling us toward life.
[1] Shelly Rambo, Spirit and Trauma. Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. (Vol 69 (1), 2015), 7-19.
[2] Rambo, 9.
[3] Rambo, 15.
16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Sermon: “Dormant Hope”
A couple of years ago,
I was asked to write a series of advent sermons
For the Presbyterian Church in Canada website.
The lectionary text I chose for Advent 3 was
Isaiah’s vision of restoration about ancient ruins being raised,
Former devastations being repaired.
And I got stuck.
My mind was frozen in images –
Aleppo, Haiti, First Nations reserves…
Where was the good news for the devastated among us today?
What could I credibly say to the outcasts,
the poor, the marginalized,
Those who live amid the rubble of trauma
unable to even hope?
I could only come up with two choices –
The first was to plant hope
firmly in a distant an unknown future –
The ever-comfortable eschaton,
when everything will be made new.
The second was to look for shards of blessing
in the present day –
The good work Peacekeepers, ngo’s,
the kindness of strangers.
And yet neither of these seemed
Adequate to match the audacity of Isaiah’s claim.
Both of my options were cop-outs,
in a way, because I could not, even in my mind’s eye
Imagine a situation in which restoration was possible.
As sometimes happens,
the mere act of writing a sermon drove me to the edge
Of my theological capacity.
In one of those coincidences that probably aren’t coincidences,
An article landed on my desk by Shelly Rambo –
a theologian from BU.
She writes about being in New Orleans
Over two years after Hurricane Katrina
devastated the 9th ward.[1]
She is standing in someone’s backyard
“There is nothing there,” she says
“Except for the cement sidewalk pieces and remnants of a washed-out foundation.”
One of the residents tells her “Things are not back to normal.”
The storm is gone, but ‘after the storm’ is always here.
Rambo’s work is in the area of trauma.
She describes how traumatic events persist
long after the events,
And continue to live on in the bodies and communities
of those who have been affected.
It might be tempting for us to try to wash away the trauma
With easy words of comfort and hope.
But that might mean that we
“proclaim good news before it is time”[2]
The suffering that is caused by devastation
should not be easily wiped away.
For many in our world, life and death exist in close proximity.
Life remains difficult.
If you have experienced trauma or loss in your life,
You know this is true.
It is impossible to restore life as it once was,
One of the most relentless and tragic results
of traumatic experience is that it can destroy
one’s ability to imagine –
Making it impossible for some to envision new life
arising from the ashes.
As Rambo witnessed the suffering of the residents of New Orleans, she observes
“Amid talk about building and restoring,
These particular streets of New Orleans still are not restored.”[3]
Even ten years later, restoration is still elusive.
In light of that experience of my stillborn advent sermon,
I read the story of Easter morning differently.
Mark did not preach good news before it was time –
His story leaves a space for the storm
that remains alive and fully present
In the lives of those faithful and broken women
Who were the first to attend the grave.
Mark’s original ending is ragged, jagged,
And the reader’s urgent hope for resolution
Dissolves into silence.
The good news is there –
you and I can see it, because we know this story
Like the back of our hands.
But could those women see it?
They who had watched their friend die in the most cruel way –
Amid the hopeless brutality of colonial power.
Every promise broken.
They could not see it yet –
could not grasp the reality of resurrection –
They were seized by terror and amazement –
Perhaps still hungover, if you will,
by the events of the previous days.
They were not ready for good news –
it was beyond what they could comprehend
When their hearts and minds were frozen in grief and shock.
In the space between death and resurrection, hope is dormant.
It exists in every real way,
just as the seed or the bulb exists in the ground
But there is no guarantee that it will rise up.
The good news of resurrection intrudes
on the one thing we know is true –
that death is death.
Isn’t it?
For Mary and Mary and Salome, death was death.
They arrived to complete the tasks of death,
having waited until the Sabbath was over.
A Sabbath – no doubt, that was not about rest or refreshment, but about endless wondering
And wailing and wishing,
and walking the halls with tears streaming down their faces.
In the early morning gloom,
The strange angelic occupant of the empty tomb
With his pronouncement of unexpected life,
Could not shift their reality away
from the certainty that death was death.
Worse even than death –
was the mysterious absence of the body
they sought to care for.
They heard the news that Jesus was waiting for them,
and we hope,
At least for their sake, that they will be able to absorb this news
And reverse their grief and begin to celebrate,
But they do not. They are afraid.
They cannot see the light of dawn breaking.
And they run. What else could they do?
After what we have been through in the past weeks,
With this horrible coronavirus,
It is comforting to think that Easter is coming.
And yet before we get to Easter,
We come to another day - Holy Saturday.
In our desperate rush to get to the good news of Easter,
It is easy to forget that there is a space
in between death and resurrection.
A space in which trauma of what has just occurred
is more real and present
Than the hope to which we are supposed to witness.
This space matters.
It is the reality of human suffering,
and we dare not skip it or subvert it
In order to jump ahead to a happier ending.
There is a long and loud silence
before Easter can make any sense at all.
I was reminded of this as I observed
the news coverage of the March for our Lives
that happened a couple of years ago.
Emma Gonzalez is a student and survivor
of the shootings at Parkland School in Florida.
In recounting the events of that day she said
“For us, long, tearful, chaotic hours in the scorching afternoon sun were spent not knowing. No one understood the extent of what had happened."
On stage on Saturday, her speech dissolved into silence –
She stood quietly as minutes passed.
The long and loud silence –
in the space between grief and hope.
Perhaps those of us who have seen resurrection
Are able to speak that hope on behalf of others
Whose imaginations have been paralyzed.
Yet there is grace also in the space of waiting.
Our own resources will not bring life out of the ruins,
nor cause it to spring up.
A too quick or too triumphant gospel
will not leave enough space for us to mourn our dead.
As theologian Serene Jones reminds us,
Grace is grace. It comes.
It comes whether or not we can proclaim it.
Whether or not we can imagine it.
After all, we don’t know what resurrection will look like.
And sometimes,
even when we sense the quickening heartbeats of new life,
we will be too afraid to name it,
too afraid to believe what we are seeing.
But even if we run away,
even if the good news is unspeakable
in the face of unspeakable trauma and pain,
Life comes. Grace comes.
Thank God it is not up to us to make it so.
Please God may we recognize it when it comes.
And if we run away, like those sorrowful women at the tomb,
May we look back over our shoulders
And hear the voice calling us toward life.
[1] Shelly Rambo, Spirit and Trauma. Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. (Vol 69 (1), 2015), 7-19.
[2] Rambo, 9.
[3] Rambo, 15.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sermon - March 22, 2020
Psalm 121
1I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Sermon: “Look up”
I grew up in the flattest place on earth – Essex county.
There are no hills.
When I was a child, we used to go tobogganing at the local landfill
Because it was the highest point in town.
So Psalm 121 never made much sense to me
Until I went to India.
The region of India that I am most familiar with lies in the Vindya Satpura mountains
Which are verdant after the rains come, and a dry hazy brown in the arid season.
They form the boundary between North and South India,
And have historically been seen as inaccessible because of dense vegetation
And the hostile tribes residing there.
There are many myths and cultural traditions that name these mountains
As the abode of a vengeful goddess.
They are not actually very high, but they are mountains,
And they gave me a sense of what this psalm was all about.
For ancient people, the hills were something of mixed blessing.
From the hills came enemy attackers.
Yet the valleys between were places of agriculture and growth.
It is unlikely that they raised their eyes to the hills to wait for help.
The hills were more likely threats.
Looking at the hills, the psalmist asks the question, Where does my help come from?
This is most likely a psalm for a journey –
As pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem for various worship festivals.
If it is a psalm for a journey, you might wonder why I chose it as today’s text.
None of us are going anywhere, at least not literally.
For the first time in our personal and cultural history,
We are locked into our homes.
Our greatest thrill these days is a trip to the grocery store.
At four o’clock on Friday night, I heard the traffic reporter say
That there were no significant problems on most of the major routes.
Said no traffic reporter ever on a Friday night during rush hour!
No one is going anywhere.
And yet we find ourselves on a collective journey
Through an unprecedented time in human history.
This virus is spreading, and we are afraid.
And we ask the question ‘where does our help come from?’
The psalm affirms in the most powerful and clear way
That our help comes from the God of the Universe.
It’s not that God comes out of the mountains to save us,
It’s that God made the mountains.
God is the creator of all things,
And the only one who can keep us safe.
The sun shall not strike us by day, nor the moon by night.
What does this mean in the time of COVID-19?
The chances are that many of us will get this disease.
Is God not protecting us?
It is tempting to ask these kinds of questions –
why is God not preventing the spread of this virus?
Why is God not preventing the deaths?
It seems that God doesn’t work that way – the universe has been set up to work in a particular way, and bad things continue to happen.
But the God of the Universe has a response to the coronavirus,
By bringing good out of the worst that mother nature can offer.
As Romans 8 persuades us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Our God is working to protect us, to bring joy and comfort and hope
Even in these times.
I love Fred Rogers advice about this – look to the helpers, he said.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world."
There is no doubt that God is among the helpers –
Those who are caring and fighting for the health and well being of others.
We can all come up with examples of the good things we have seen in the past week or so –
People being generous and selfless.
I have been amazed at the cooperation among all levels of our government,
And by the generosity of healthcare workers,
And the responsibility shown by the private sector.
Canadians have stepped up the caring, and I can only see this as an act of God.
My family have gently accused me this week of being obsessed with the news.
And they are correct – it is all just so darned interesting!
But I’ve had my face buried in my computer or iphone- looking at the news websites,
Or the WHO, or social media.
Perhaps many of you have been doing the same –
With your heads down, focused on the disaster as it unfolds around us.
Heads down, paralyzed and afraid.
If you are at all like me, then I think this psalm has a message for us.
Look up.
Look up, and search for help from the God of the Universe.
Look up, and find God in season of spring that is about to burst forth.
Look up, and witness the helpers cheerfully fulfilling their duties.
Look up, and enjoy time with your family.
Look up, and be sure that the God of the universe is guarding our coming and our going.
Look up, and see Jesus Christ standing in front of you.
This is a journey, after all,
And there are no better words than those of this psalm
To ask for protection.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
May it be so.
Amen.
1I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Sermon: “Look up”
I grew up in the flattest place on earth – Essex county.
There are no hills.
When I was a child, we used to go tobogganing at the local landfill
Because it was the highest point in town.
So Psalm 121 never made much sense to me
Until I went to India.
The region of India that I am most familiar with lies in the Vindya Satpura mountains
Which are verdant after the rains come, and a dry hazy brown in the arid season.
They form the boundary between North and South India,
And have historically been seen as inaccessible because of dense vegetation
And the hostile tribes residing there.
There are many myths and cultural traditions that name these mountains
As the abode of a vengeful goddess.
They are not actually very high, but they are mountains,
And they gave me a sense of what this psalm was all about.
For ancient people, the hills were something of mixed blessing.
From the hills came enemy attackers.
Yet the valleys between were places of agriculture and growth.
It is unlikely that they raised their eyes to the hills to wait for help.
The hills were more likely threats.
Looking at the hills, the psalmist asks the question, Where does my help come from?
This is most likely a psalm for a journey –
As pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem for various worship festivals.
If it is a psalm for a journey, you might wonder why I chose it as today’s text.
None of us are going anywhere, at least not literally.
For the first time in our personal and cultural history,
We are locked into our homes.
Our greatest thrill these days is a trip to the grocery store.
At four o’clock on Friday night, I heard the traffic reporter say
That there were no significant problems on most of the major routes.
Said no traffic reporter ever on a Friday night during rush hour!
No one is going anywhere.
And yet we find ourselves on a collective journey
Through an unprecedented time in human history.
This virus is spreading, and we are afraid.
And we ask the question ‘where does our help come from?’
The psalm affirms in the most powerful and clear way
That our help comes from the God of the Universe.
It’s not that God comes out of the mountains to save us,
It’s that God made the mountains.
God is the creator of all things,
And the only one who can keep us safe.
The sun shall not strike us by day, nor the moon by night.
What does this mean in the time of COVID-19?
The chances are that many of us will get this disease.
Is God not protecting us?
It is tempting to ask these kinds of questions –
why is God not preventing the spread of this virus?
Why is God not preventing the deaths?
It seems that God doesn’t work that way – the universe has been set up to work in a particular way, and bad things continue to happen.
But the God of the Universe has a response to the coronavirus,
By bringing good out of the worst that mother nature can offer.
As Romans 8 persuades us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Our God is working to protect us, to bring joy and comfort and hope
Even in these times.
I love Fred Rogers advice about this – look to the helpers, he said.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world."
There is no doubt that God is among the helpers –
Those who are caring and fighting for the health and well being of others.
We can all come up with examples of the good things we have seen in the past week or so –
People being generous and selfless.
I have been amazed at the cooperation among all levels of our government,
And by the generosity of healthcare workers,
And the responsibility shown by the private sector.
Canadians have stepped up the caring, and I can only see this as an act of God.
My family have gently accused me this week of being obsessed with the news.
And they are correct – it is all just so darned interesting!
But I’ve had my face buried in my computer or iphone- looking at the news websites,
Or the WHO, or social media.
Perhaps many of you have been doing the same –
With your heads down, focused on the disaster as it unfolds around us.
Heads down, paralyzed and afraid.
If you are at all like me, then I think this psalm has a message for us.
Look up.
Look up, and search for help from the God of the Universe.
Look up, and find God in season of spring that is about to burst forth.
Look up, and witness the helpers cheerfully fulfilling their duties.
Look up, and enjoy time with your family.
Look up, and be sure that the God of the universe is guarding our coming and our going.
Look up, and see Jesus Christ standing in front of you.
This is a journey, after all,
And there are no better words than those of this psalm
To ask for protection.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
May it be so.
Amen.