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Advent 1 yr. B, Isaiah 64:1-9, Mark 13:24-27
Note -This sermon is the first of a series based on the Hebrew Testament lections for Advent, Yr. B.Working titles for the other three are: Called from Lamentation, The Spirit Upon us and The Church as a Place Where Christ Dwells and as Christ's Mission Station. This series would be a journey from the darkness toward the light, without making the darkness go away. If Christ is a Light in the Darkness, the darkness is with us us still.
---------------00000000000000---------------
Isaiah
64 was written at a bleak time in the life of God's people. It was a
time when God seemed far away, and the people were going to other
gods who seemed stronger and more successful.
Today
I invite you to dwell with me on how bad it is for the church and
the Earth.today. I ask you to be mindful of how feeble the church is,
and how bleak its future seems to be for it and for Creation and how
weak God seems to be compared to the power of evil, hurt and
environmetal degredation.www.sierralegal.org
This
will be the beginning of a journey through this season of Advent; a
journey that will lead to the light of Christ who calls us to shine
in the darkness. If today's focus on how bad it is makes you sad,
find a friend who would be willing to listen to you, or give me a call.
There
are times when it is appropriate to face the darkness, to name it,
and admit to its reality. This can be true of any aspect of our
lives. It is true of our health, or our business life, our work life,
our family life, our planet and the life of the church. If there is
an illness, it needs to be identified before there can be a cure, a
correction or a way to live with it.
A
friend of mine found this to be true when she had a heart attack.
She told her friends, "For me, having a heart attack was better
than not knowing there is something wrong in my arteries. I am glad
that I had this heart attack because I now know something important
about my health - there is no cure, but now that I know this, I can
learn to live a full and good life with my heart condition."
When
I heard this, I thought, "This is much like it is for the
church. We often spend a lot of time looking for a cure for the ills
that beset the church. However, the ills the church faces may not
have a cure. It may be that we are called as the church to live a
full and good life without a cure."
Whether
or not the darkness the church faces can be fixed, it is good for us
to recognize what they are, and acknowledge their presence. It is a
bad time for the church, admit it.
In
Isaiah's time the recognition of the darkness was called a lament.
So, let me now; recite a lament for the modern church.
It
is a bad time for the church. It is a bad time in terms of numbers
of people involved, in terms of our reputation in the community, in
terms of our own life together, and in terms of God's presence in the world.
Consider
the decline in numbers of worshippers. Church attendance is down
everywhere. It may seem that some churches are growing in leaps and
bounds, but in reality they are just getting members who are
dissatisfied with some other church. In some churches those who were
formerly active simply stay home or do something else on Sunday. In
other kinds of churches there is the phenomenon of split and divide,
one church becomes two. The end result is that fewer and fewer people
in Canada are active Christians. As regards young people in our
society, we are told that the church simply is not on their screen.
Inspite of the thousands who turned out to mourn Pope Paul and those
who celebrated the election of a new pope, this is a bad time in
terms of people involved in the church.
Also,
it is a bad time for the church in terms of its influence in
society. The church is not looked up to any more. It has lost its
credibility through its inability to love its neighbours. For
instance, church clergy and laity in positions of trust have been
found guilty of abusing children in schools and in churches. When
this is revealed, the church bishops and elected leaders regularly go
into denial, and sometimes hide the offender. Because of this, fewer
people are willing to believe Christ's message of love when it is on
our lips.
Again,
whenever there is a move to make society more open to those who are
outcast, the church is often opposed to any change that would make
life better for these outcast persons. The church is seen as the last
bulwark of bigotry.
We
worship God in beautiful buildings, but hardly raise our voices in
support of those who have no place to put their head at night.
In
terms of war, we who worship the Prince of Peace seem to be as
bloodthirsty as any.
It
is bad time for the church, which is seen as unable or unwilling to
love neighbour.
The
result is that the media very seldom comes to the church seeking a
good word in times of trouble in society, and political leaders
hardly seek the guidance of the church in matters of state.
Also,
it is a bad time for the church inside its own life. In the very
place where we should expect to find a loving atmosphere, we fight
hatred and back-stabbing. Churches fight among themselves, hardly
ever cooperating. Within congregations, there is much hurt and
backbiting. Many ministers come to the end of their careers feeling
burned out, and disillusioned. I was told recently by an officer in
church personnel that many ministers do not go to church in
retirement. Those who in their youth felt a call from God to be
leaders in communities of faith, who looked forward to proclaiming
the Gospel, end their careers ready to stay away from the church and
its vicious in-fighting.
All
this is bad news, but worst of all,. it is a bad time for the church
as a community that proclaims there is a God. Generally, when
we look out upon the world in this century and this past year, it
would seem that if there is a god that god has abandoned humankind.
We may sing hymns of God's might, and recite creeds of God's work in
the world, but Satan seems to be far more successful than Jehovah is.
Some say that rather than there being the peace and justice, which
God would have us exhibit in the community of nations, we have the
rule of Satan. We live in a time of a vicious third world war of
terrorism by renegades, and even worst terrorism by the armed forces
of government. We may ask: Where is God in all this? Others have
given up and don't even bother to ask this question.
In
Isaiah's time the people of God faced a bleak outlook, and cried out
a lament. We too face great darkness we face as we begin this
Advent, we may also lament, and cry out to God for a light.
Let
us pray: [offer a prayer appropriate to your people in these dark times]
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Advent
2 Yr.B. Isaiah 40:1-11, 12 -321; Mark 1:1-8
This
sermon is the 2nd in a series for Advent yr. B. The series began
with Lament (eccleiscakes B4advt1).
Every
day the news tells me that we live in a difficult time for our world
and for the church, yet it is a time when God calls us to have hope.
On this second Sunday of Advent our faith gives us a challenge: Live
with hope in the midst of bad times. In the church and in our society
we find our selves in and age of loss, yet we are asked to be expectant.
This
is the message that the writer of Isaiah chapter 40 brought to the
Hebrew people long ago: Times are very bad, so bad that it seems that
God has abandoned us, but the Heavens call us to anticipate good. .
We
today, also live in a time when everything seems to be falling
apart; all the good things we thought we had established since the
Second World War are disappearing. Five decades ago our society set
out to build a world of plenty, security, and peace. Now in place of
these things we are told this moth that farms in trouble, the air and
water are becoming polluted, medical care is in crisis, businesses
are failing and the greatest disease pandemic to hit humankind is
sweeping much of the world. Terrorists have made it unsafe even to go
on a holiday. Yet advocates of a good world such as David Suzuki and
Maud Barlow tell us to live in hope. "The Canada we want".
www.canadians.ca "
Degradation
is true of the church also. For a decade now, securlarism has made
belief in God to be considered foolish and too many church people
have shown they cannot to be trusted with children. These are among
the reasons that many of he churches we built in the fifties, sixties
and seventies are declining. On top of all that we personally are aging.
So,
how do we live hopefully in the midst of all this? I think we grasp
hope by looking for it. Hope is there to see if but look.
Let
me share with you a modern parable. The setting of this parable is a
fear that is unique to out times - being in an airline that is about
to crash.
A
group of passengers excitedly takes their seats in an airliner
departing at night from Winnipeg to fly over the North Pole to
Scotland. Within a half-hour the flight is in the air, and
people are settling to sleep their way over the top of the earth,
when the cabin fills with an acrid smell, and the lights go out.
Suddenly
everyone is sitting upright with fear clutching their hearts. Then
the stewards try to bring calm, the public address system is not
working, so they go down the aisle explaining that a fuse has blown,
but the flight engineer will have it fixed soon. Ten minutes later,
the co-pilot comes into the cabin, and explains that the flight
instruments are not working, but the flight crew soon will have
everything fixed again. Another ten minutes go by with no news from
the crew. People begin to weep, and pray, and call to the stewards,
"Is it fixed yet." Some passengers know that by now they
are lost. Without instruments the pilot has no way of know directions
or altitude.
In
one seat a child being hugged by her weeping mom presses her face
against the window, and stares into darkness. "What are you
doing, Mary, the mother asks."
"I
am looking for help to come," Mary replies.
Mother
knows no help can come, but simply says between her sobs, "Yes
dear, you watch for help.
Then,
the child cries out, "Look Mommy help has come!"
In
the darkness flying next to the airliner she saw the dim out line
and lights of a Canadian fighter jet. The airline pilot had managed
to radio for help and radar located the plane. A military jet had
been sent to shepherd the airliner to safety. The sobs in the plane
turned to tears of joy as the airliner was led back to Winnipeg.
Now,
how might we interpret this parable for ourselves? I think this
parable is about not losing hope, and looking into the darkness with
child-like expectation of finding help.
With
this thought in mind, I found myself finding hope in many places
this week. I did not find hope related to every problem we face, but
I want to share with you what I did find.
First,
I looked into a book by Reginald Bibby. He is a sociologist and
theologian who does research into the state of the church in Canada.
In his most recent book, published in 2003, he tells us that his
research shows Canadians have not embraced atheism, and still look to
their church for spiritual guidance. 1. As if to confirm this,
a friend told me that a young couple he knows have suddenly enrolled
their children in church school and started attending worship. Bibby
says that the church needs to learn how to welcome these young
families, and ask them what their expectations and needs are. This is hopeful.
Then,
I watched Peter Mansbridge interview Flora Macdonald about a recent
trip she made to Afghanistan.2. Ms. Macdonald told of spending
time with the newly liberated but very poor women of Afghanistan. She
had met a small group of very poor widows in a barren and
impoverished land. These women had been denied an education, but now
worked long hours and saved enough to hire a teacher to show them and
their children to read. I was astounded at the hope of these
women. If they can have hope in their situation, how can we do
anything except be hopeful.
Then
last Sunday afternoon I attended a ceremony honoring Canadian
peacekeepers. In that event we were told of the heroism of the
Princess Patricia's Light infantry had used their fighting skill and
bravery to drive back an army intent on capturing civilians of Bosnia
in an act of ethnic cleansing. The PPCLI withstood bombardment for
fifteen hours and fought back until the Croat army agreed to a
cease-fire. Sadly, they were not able to save all the civilians in
that location, but they did show that peace and security would be
enforced. Surely this is a sign of hope.
So,
I wonder what signs of hope you see in our world, and in the church.
I
believe that every sign of hope is a sign of God's Spirit at work in
our world. Let us all, like the child in the parable, keep our eyes
open in hope. Let us watch for the places where the shepherd is at
work, and let us also give ourselves to the peace of God so that we
ourselves become signs of hope in this dark world.
conact
Bob .
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Advent
3, yr. A. Isaiah 61:1-3
This
Advent series is following the Hebrew Testament reading from the
prophet Isaiah for this season. Reflecting the mood of Isaiah 64, it
began with a lament, a cry of near despair expressing how bad things
seem to be in the church and the world. Then last week, taking a cue
from Isaiah 40, the sermon called us to watch for signs of hope -
even in a seemingly hopeless situation, without diminishing all the
signs that lead to despair. These signs of hope may be seen as
signals that God has not abandoned the world.
Responding
to Isaiah 61, today's reflection asks us to move one step further,
and become, ourselves, active in hope - to be spirit-filled, to offer
"a garland in place of ashes."
My
first response to such a challenge is to look for places where
others are already doing this. So, this part of this sermon will
sound a lot like last week in that it will tell of the Spirit at work.
I
find that once I begin to look for the spirit at work, I am
immediately shown some. For instance, three years ago our church was
led in worship by a hand-bell choir who showed they were filled with
the Spirit. This is a band of 12 women, none of whom would be called
persons who have any power in the world. But, the spirit has led them
to use what power they do have to make a proclamation. They have
elected that, in the saber-rattling year 2003, when mighty
politicians are calling for war, they will reply to these world
leaders with the song prayer, "Let there be peace on Earth, and
let it begin with me." They have decided to do this every time
they are called on to ring their bells.
Surely
they have the right to claim, "the spirit is upon us."
I
was so taken by their decision that decided I would send a
hand-written note the Prime Minister of Canada, imploring him not to
lead us into war. We did not go to war, but continued as a nation to
make peace-building our priority.
Then,
early this week, a five-month-old infant, showed that indeed the
Spirit is to be found in the little ones. A friend of mine has a baby
daughter, Jocelyn, who came into this world knowing the power of a
smile. Whenever, someone comes near her she blesses them with a
beatific smile. Just a few days ago I was present when Alice, a
family friend, whom Jocelyn had not yet seen, peeked into her in her
bassinet. Immediately Jocelyn's little arms reached up to this
stranger, and she beamed her 1000 watt smile. Alice responded with a
gasp of delight and took Jocelyn into her arms. Did not Jesus say:
"Lest you be as a child&ldots;"
Jocelyn
certainly moves me to be more loving.
Then,
I look to the wider world, and I see the Spirit -filled persons at
work in many places. For instance, Just a few weeks ago I heard Dr.
David Suzuki, the internationally know ecologist, building affinity
with communities of faith, and bridges between himself and those who
would seem to be opposed to what he stands for. www.davidsuzuku.org
David,
who has often been critical of churches for not caring about the
environment, recently declared that he and communities of faith have
much in common and seek many of the same things; proclaiming that
"love is the things that binds us to one another, and to the
natural world." This reminded me of the United Church of
Canada's decision of a few years ago to add to its creed, the
assertion that we are called to "live with respect in creation."
More
recently, CBC broadcast a debate between David and an opponent of
the Kyoto accord. After an hour of exchanging views and answering
questions, David chose to sum up the experience by saying that he is
encouraged by the fact both he and the other speaker want what is
good for the earth, and differ only on how to do it. That, he said,
opened the way for dialogue.
Surely
here is the Spirit at work.
David
certainly moves me to find ways to build bridges and alliances for
our common good, rather than being hostile and refusing to listen.
I
could go on and give many more examples of my observation of the
Spirit at work, but sooner or later we find the Spirit of God coming
to us, inviting us to be among those who bring garlands in place of ashes.
How
will we do this? The three passages from Isaiah we have read this
Advent can help move toward being more fully a spirit-people.
Isaiah 64 is a song of lament. This is the place to begin. We allow
the spirit to bring us to sorrow over the pain of the world, and the
seeming decline of faith, justice, and love.
Then
Isaiah 40, calls us to look for hope in the world. Is it all
darkness, or can we see places where God is at work? This is an act
of clearing the way for God to come to us. We open our eyes to see
God in the world, open our souls to remove the blocks that keep a
distance between our Creator and ourselves. We experience our hearts
leaping within us, at the sight of God.
Thirdly,
Isaiah 61, which we read today, calls us to move beyond being an
observer of God at work. It invites us to be a disciple of hope, a
bearer of light, to embody within ourselves the prophets words which
Jesus claimed as a description of his own ministry: [read Luke 4:18-19].
It
is our calling to live this in every aspect of our life in family,
church, community and world. I see the Spirit at work already in us,
let us now in this holy season of Advent let the Spirit not only
enter our hearts, but also fill them again and again with God's peace
and love.
This
Advent series is following the Hebrew Testament reading from the
prophet Isaiah for this season.
Reflecting
the mood of Isaiah 64, it began with a lament, a cry of near despair
expressing how bad things seem to be in the church and the world.
Then last week, taking a cue from Isaiah 40, the sermon called us to
watch for signs of hope - even in a seemingly hopeless situation,
without diminishing all the signs that lead to despair. These signs
of hope may be seen as signals that God has not abandoned the world.
Responding
to Isaiah 61, today's reflection asks us to move one step further,
and become, ourselves, active in hope - to be spirit-filled, to offer
"a garland in place of ashes."
My
first response to such a challenge is to look for places where
others are already doing this. So, this part of this sermon will
sound a lot like last week in that it will tell of the Spirit at work.
I
find that once I begin to look for the spirit at work, I am
immediately shown instances of the church embodying the Spirit with
respect to both their immediate and world wide neighbours. For
instance, the congregation with whom I worship recently agreed to be
an affirming congregation toward Gay and Lesbian people - a
number of whom make this their congregation. Again, this same
congregation held a special successful dinner to raise money to
support the international Anti Land Mines program.
May
each if us small and great ways live as agents of active hope in
Christ's name.
,
contact Bob
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2
Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Luke 1:26-38
The
Hebrew Testament reading for today leads me to remember that we are
called to represent Christ in the world. No, I am mistaken; we who
are the church are not only to represent Christ, but also actually to
be the body of Christ in the world.
Advent
is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ into the world. If
Christ is in the world anywhere today, Christ is present in and
through us.
Now,
I guess I should explain how I got to this conclusion from this
morning's reading from Second Samuel. Second Samuel is about the
Temple in Jerusalem. For Jews of the time when 2 Samuel was
written, the temple was the place of all places where the presence of
God was to be found.
The
temple had been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Finally in the
year 70 the Romans destroyed the last one, which was never rebuilt.
When that last temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in the
year 70, Christians claimed that a temple was no longer needed.
Christians claimed that Christ and the Christian worship of Word and
Sacrament had replaced the temple as the place where God was to be
found. *
God
is in the world on every occasion in which the Gospel is preached or
Love of neighbour is enacted, and every time the Bread is broken for
the Eucharist and every time the Water is poured for Baptism.
It
is our faith that God chose to come into the world in the Babe we
anticipate every Advent. It is also our faith that God has chosen to
continue to be present in the world through the church that acts in
Christ's name. We are the Body of Christ. We are a living temple
through which God has elected to be present for all creation.
This
does not mean that God is limited to being present through the
church of Christ. I believe that God can be seen many places in the
world. Many people claim that God is to be found in Creation. Many
people encounter the Holy in Synagogue, or Mosque, or Hindu Temple. I
believe them. We do not have an exclusive hold on the Creator.
However,
we can claim to be God's servants in one particular way that is our
own. We are the vehicle through God has chosen to be present as the
Christ. If the world is to encounter Christ it will be through us,
the Christian church.
This
is our mandate and our calling. We are the ones through whom the
ministry of Christ is to continue in the world. If we are not the
Body of Christ, we are in danger of being what the Canadian writer
Pierre Burton called, "a religious club."
So,
on this last Sunday before we celebrate Christ coming into the
world, it would be good for us to remember what it is for Christ to
continue in the world through us. Let us call to mind the elements of
the ministry of Jesus, which we are called to continue.
According
to St. Paul and the Gospels Jesus, ministry, and therefore our
ministry can be summed up under six headings That can be listed under
the letters, C H R I S T.
Lets
look at these letters which make up the title, Christ.
What
parts of Jesus life and work, and our life and work start with the
letter C? [Give an example, then call for some from the congregation]
Here is a short list that comes to mind: Calling (calling humans to
love God and neighbour)
Communion
(being in communion with God)
Compassion
(as in Good Samaritan)
Then,
H:
Healing
(in body, mind and soul)
Heart
(loving God with all our heart, and heartfelt compassion for those
we may consider enemies)
Then,
R:
Reconciling
(reconciling us to God and one another through grace and forgiveness)
Resurrection
(rising above evil and death, promise of life over death, living the
risen life today)
Reaching
out (to the lost, lonely and oppressed)
Then
I:
Incarnation
(Jesus is God in the flesh, we are called to be the incarnation of Christ)
Insisting
(Insisting that God loves our neighbour, on peace with justice.)
Inviting
(inviting us into the Realm of God, etc.)
Then
T:
Teaching
Touching
These
things and much more fill out our role as the Body of Christ. May
God's Spirit and Christ so fill us during this Advent this coming
season of Christmas that we as a community and as individuals truly
show forth Christ in all we say, and do. May we, as a community of
faith, be a living temple of God.
contact
Bob
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The
following are some week by week Planning for Preaching and Teaching
resources for the season after Epiphany, yr. B.
As
I see it, Epiphany continues the development we began through Advent
and Christmas. As Advent anticipates the coming of Christ, and as
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, the Christ Child, so
Epiphany shows and celebrates the nature of Jesus' ministry in
the world.
These
eight Sundays after Epiphany can be compared to a DVD of Jesus
"coming out" as the Child of God. The readings for each day
give us a clip of that ministry, along with appropriate passages from
the Hebrew Testament and the epistles. Or, to use an older analogy,
going through the readings for Epiphany are like viewing, with an
informed friend, a photo album of eight pictures of Jesus' early
years. Here are my planning reflections on each of these Sundays.
------------0000000--------------
First
Sunday after Epiphany, The Baptism of Jesus
Genesis
1:1-5, Light is created.
Psalm
72:1-7, 10-14, a coronation prayer asking that the monarch will
defend the cause of the poor.
Acts
19:1-7, Paul re-baptizes some who experienced John's baptism, and
who did not receive the Holy Spirit.
Mark
1:4-11, John the Baptizer announces that the One to Come will
baptize with Holy Spirit. Jesus is baptized by John.
Planning
reflection.
Liturgy:
Bob suggests using the Advent
Wreath Closing liturgy found at ecclesicakes a205 on Epiphany + 1 and
incorporating Genesis 1:1-5 into it.
Preaching/Teaching
notes: McGill historian, Donald Harman Akenson, 1 has some
interesting things to say that apply to the Gospel and Epistle for today.,
-Jesus
baptized by John. Along with others, Akenson says that evidence
convinces him that Jesus began his ministry as a disciple of John.
Perhaps not actually "following" John always, but as a
"field Curate."
-Multiple
versions of Judaism were practiced during this latter period of the
Second Temple. The John movement and the Jesus Way were two among
many, including the Pharisees, Saducees, and Priesthood.
-Within
these many, the John and Jesus movements were amicable rivals.
-Both
the John and Jesus movements continued after the death of their leaders.
-Marion
Soards says that there were numerous versions of the Jesus movement.
In Acts 18-19:41 we meet several, including some of whom had been
baptized by John.2. Paul claims his version to be the true one, and
it would seem that he did have license from the Jerusalem
"congregation" to proclaim it (or the writer of Acts wants
to have us see it that way).
Mark's
purpose is to present Jesus as the "Son of God" (Mk. 1:1),
and to portray Jesus' arrival at the Jordan to open his ministry as
fulfillment of the Word of God as expressed in Isaiah 40:3, which we
read on Advent 2. Mark's focus is not on Jesus' birth, but on the
beginning of Jesus' work in the world, which is the theme of
Epiphany. The longed for Day has come!
Mark
then presents John the Baptizer as a true agent of God who is asking
people to be baptized to prepare "the way" within
themselves for the immanent coming of the "one who is mightier
than I," and "who will baptize with the Holy Spirit."
Jesus
is then shown to receive John's baptism. By John's baptism Jesus,
the Jewish citizen, prepares the way for God to take possession of
his life. He accepts for himself the role of the one who is the
fulfillment of the hopes of the people.
As
Jesus arises from the river, Mark has us leap directly into a new
era for humankind. Jesus is affirmed as the Child of God, and is
captured by the Holy Spirit. This ends the need for John's baptism,
and salvation primarily through repentance, and brings in the
beginning of the time of salvation through God's Grace.
By
the time Mark was written, John's baptism had been replaced by
baptism in the holy Spirit in the name of Christ, which seems to be
the message of Acts 9:1-7.
This
sets the stage for the whole Gospel, which is to follow.
How
might this apply to us? A couple of ways occur to me.
1.
For those of us who have been baptized, there was a moment when,
like Jesus,we gave ourselves to be a part of the work of Grace. So,
today, this season of Epiphany would be a time to ask ourselves how
this has unfolded so far, and what might lie ahead of us as disciples
of Jesus.
One
way to do this might be by looking at the gifts of the spirit, and
posing the question: How is that working out for us in family,
church, community (Galatians 5:2-26),
2.
Another approach would be to explore the meaning of Christian
baptism. For instance, John's baptism was a sign of repentance,
whereas Christian baptism is about unity with Christ - our baptism
and affirmation of baptismal vows, joins us to Christ, including us
in the Body of Christ, so that we represent Christ in the world. What
does it mean to represent Christ? (Romans 6:15-23) Also, Paul saw
baptism as dying and rising with Christ (Romans 6:1 -14).
3.
A third way would be to pick up the notion that for both Jesus and
Paul there were those who had different understandings of how we are
live with a righteous God. In our own times we seem to be coming into
a period when it would good for us to learn to live amicably with
those who have other versions of Christianity, with those with whom
we share Abraham and Sarah as common ancestors, and with those who
come from a different religion altogether. Perhaps the relationship
that existed between the followers of John and the followers of Jesus
could a model for us today.
1.
Donald Harmen Akenson, Saint Saul. McGill Queens University Press 2000.
2.
Marion Soads, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Advent -
Epiphany "Baptism of the Lord."
Note:
The remainer of this series is in archives. If you would like to
read it, contact Bob and he will e mail it to you -usually within
24hours. Quote title and catalogue reference, B4ep
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planning
for 2nd after Epiphany - Week of prayer for Christian unity
1Samuel
3:1-19 (11-20) God speaks to the Boy Samuel whose mother had
dedicated him to God's service. 1.
Psalm
139:1-16 (13-18) Where can I go from your Spirit?
1st
Corinthians 6:12-20 Our physical bodies also are members of Christ
John
1:43-51 Jesus calls Philip; John declares Jesus to be the expected one.
One
way to approach this Sunday would be to focus on "Calling"
as a spiritual concept, and as an individual and corporate life
experience. Taken as a bundle, the readings for today might lead us
to reflect on our own call by exploring the meaning of Call in our
faith and delving into the question of how that may apply to us as
individuals and communities.
Beginning
with Abraham the bible tells of many calls which are key to movement
in salvation history. Issuing a Call is a way by which God draws a
person and their gifts into service as an agent of God, to advance
the realm of Heaven.
This
is easily seen in the stories of Abraham, and Sarah, Moses and
Miriam, Samuel, Ruth, the prophets, and the disciples of Jesus. In
the church we extend this concept of call to every member. It is not
only the minister or particularly active lay persons who are called -
we all are called.
Our
call comes along with our gifts and potentials. We believe that each
person as a holy child of God comes into the world as a gifted
person. When life unfolds as it should, these gifts and potentials
are nurtured and trained by the family, church, and community.
Along
the way, with good nurture, and sometimes in spite of the lack of
nurture, each person and the community in which they live, begin to
identify these potentials and gifts. We all have seen this in others
and hopefully, in ourselves. Sometimes we are surprised by the
developments that we didn't recognise. A youth in a very abusive life
may develop far beyond what we would have seen.
This
would be a good Sunday to point to examples of this in the life
of the people.
At
some point in all this development of gifts, God's Spirit issues a
call to each of us. Whatever our gifts, or skills, whatever our place
in life, God calls us; God calls us to use our life in the service of
Peace, of Grace, of Justice, of Compassion, of Truth. The Call is
universal; every person's gifts can be used in God's service.
How
has this been in our own experience? Like Samuel some of us may have
experienced a call in childhood. Did any of us receive an inspiration
from God which has stayed with us since childhod?
Like
Philip and Mary of Magdala, we have responded to the call to join
Christ. How were we led to respond to Christ, to be come part of the
Church? What is our calling within it? Perhaps our calling is to
serve in the world quite apart from the church.
Some
experienced God's call outside the church. Today's Psalm teaches us
that God's Spirit can be present to us anywhere.
Could
it be that some who are not of the church are none-the-less called
by God?
God
also calls communities. For instance, do we see that our
congregation has a particular calling, perhaps a calling that is
slightly different from other congregations in your town?
What
would you say was the calling of God to your nation? During this
time of international crisis and danger, Canada finds itself among
those nations who seem to be called to use its influence for the
safety of humankind. This can be seen in the leadership Canada has
given through the UN to make the world free of landmines, and its
work in support of the new international Criminal Court which has a
mandate to prosecute world leaders who practice genocide or other
crimes against humanity. Also Canada has been party to a recent
report that studies the possibility of nations intervening against
the government of any government which fails to protect its own
citizens. In all these instances Canada has had to stand against the
opposition of its much stronger neighbor, the USA, which opposes all
these measures.
As
churches we also have a role to play in this through the ecumenical
body known as PLowshares. 2.
Called
by God, a litany
One:
O God of many gifts, you have called us
All:
You call us by name, inviting us into the work of Grace.
One:
O God of many gifts, you have nurtured us
All:
You teach us to value the gift we have been given,
And to honour the gifts we see in our neighbours.
One:
You invite us to use our gifts in love of yourself
And in love of neighbour
All:
By the power of your Holy Spirit
Enable us to say "yes" to your Call in the Name of Jesus,
Use our gifts and skills for the good of our home, our church,
contact Bob
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Third
Suday after Epiphany
The
Blessing of Living on the Threshold of a New Age ecclesicakes B4ep3
1.
Jonah 3:1-10 The city of Nineveh turns from "its evil ways."
2.
Ps. 62.5-12 Let us trust in God, rather than in worldly gain.
3.
1 Cor. 7:29-31 The present form of the world is passing away.
4.
Mk. 1:14-20 John the Baptizer is executed. Jesus begins his
ministry. Simon and Andrew are called.
My
suggestion is that on this Sunday we proclaim and celebrate
the age-old blessing and wonder that is ours when we find ourselves
standing on the threshold of a new thing that God is about to do. We
are often tempted to think that the best we can do is hold onto what
we now have, but this is not God's way. God is always calling us be
open to the movement of the Spirit, who wishes to use our gifts in a
new demonstration of grace.
This
is another of the themes that runs through our scriptures. Beginning
with the act of creation, many of the myths and sagas, prophecies and
narratives, poems and epistles of the Bible tell us of the new things
God has done, and invite us to be prepare ourselves for entry
into the New Day that God has set before us. Scroll down to
see some examples of this, as I see it. 1.
Today's
passages easily demonstrate this theme:
Mark
surely is one such reference. It both names a New Day beginning in
the ministry of Jesus after John's arrest, and gives us the call of
Peter and Andrew to participate in this venture. This can be
translated into our own situation today.
The
message of Jonah and Psalm 62 are forerunners of Jesus' invitation
to turn away from sin and accept the Realm of God. They illustrate
that an essential part of joining God's new initiative is turning
away from some currently held values.
These
passages also give us hope. If Nineveh can change, so can we. If the
psalmist can envision a world in which people live for holy values,
so can we!
Paul's
assertion that the present age is passing away provides a motivation
for getting with the program. Who really wants to be identified with
graceless elements of an age that is passing away: ie homophobia,
racism, war, inequitable distribution of the bounty of food, dirty
water water and fouled air? Who of us wants to continue in and age
that provides access to medical services for the wealthy only, or a
in a life lived with a truncated love for God, neighbour, and self?
Well, I guess we all support these passing away values to some
extent, but the blessing is that through the grace of God we can lend
or gifts and energies to opening the door to the new Day of God's realm.
This
is not to be against all things old because there are many ancient
things, like these parts of the Bible, which are of the New Day.
All
this can be connected to our own lives, church, and world. For
instance, many of have aspects of our personal lives, family, or work
that are dominated by lack of Grace, Love, Justice, and Peace which
we may now finally choose to change.2.
Also
there are aspects of our life, the church, and the community
which we want to celebrate because they are full of Grace, Peace,
Love and Justice.
On
the Threshold of a Ever Renewing Day of God, a litany
One:
You call us, O God to step forward
All:
You call us to stand at the threshold of your New Day.
One:
You invite us to leave behind the Passing-away world,
All:
To let go of its false securities and values.
One:
You ask us to bring with us all that is good and true in our lives
All:
To step forward carrying the ancient virtues of Faith, Hope
and Justice,
One:
From this threshold we can see before us a vast panorama of grace,
All:
from here we catch a vision of fresh possibilities of Good News.
One:
Fill us with your Spirit, so that we may dare to move with you as
disiciples of Jesus
ALL:
Give us the heart, and generosity to dare to love you as you love us.,
and
the humility to accept the love of our neighbour.
All
this we pray in Christ's Name
1.
Some examples of scripture that puts us on the threshold of a new Day:
-The
covenant with Noah Gen. 9:8-17
-The
call and covenant with Abraham and Sarah Gen. 12:1-9; 17:1-27: 22:1-19
-The
call of Moses Ex. 3.
-The
Ten Commandments Deut. 5:1-21
-Ruth
1:15-17 "Wither thou goest.."
-The
anointing of David, I sam. 16:1-23
-Isaiah
2:1-4 )Micha 4)"Spears into pruning hooks, " Is. 11:1-9
Live in peace together, Is. 42:1-4 "will faithfully bring forth
justice,' Is. 65:17 new earth and new heaven.
-Hosea
11:8-9 I will not punish you in anger
-Mark
1: 15; [and all through Mark, especially in passages where Mark
shows a radical new ethic such as 10:43]
-Acts
2:17f quotation of Joel 2:28. "I will pour our my Spirit on
everyone." Acts 10:44f Holy Spirit given to Jews and to Gentiles
-Acts
3:6f; 13:1-5 The church reaches out into the world.
-Romans
3:21f. salvation through the free gift of God's grace
-I
john 4:7-21 God is Love
-Rev.
21:5 Behold, I make all things New"
2.
See "A New Christianity for a New Age, " John Shelby
Spong. Harper
contabt
Bob
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After Epiphany 4, Presentation of Christ.
Deuteronomy 18:15-20 God will send a prophet to succeed Moses
Psalm 111. In vs. 6 God gives Israel other people's land. This is not an appropriate passage in light of Aboriginal and Palestinian experience. The RSV glosses over this by translating this verse as "the heritage of nations." The Good News Bible is more straightforward: "giving them the lands of foreigners." I see several options for worship planners:
- Draw this to the congregation's attention, as an opportunity to teach how the ancient Hebrew's interpreted their history;
- Or use the word "Heritage" to reinterpret the Psalm as a celebration of the gifts of many people's which enrich the church, and our life. All this is particularly relevant for Canada in that we have benefited both from taking other people's land* (perhaps believing that this was God's doing), and and from having become a multi-cultural nation.
*One wag has noted that it was stolen "fair and square."
-Or
Use another Psalm such as 84.
I
Corinthians 8:1-13 Let us, as members of the faith community be good
role models for one another.
Mark
1:21-28 Jesus heals in the local synagogue, his reputation spreads
as one who teaches with authority.
Notes
for sermon and/or study
Suggested
theme for this Sunday: The blessings we receive as we are formed by
and as we reform our Communities of Faith - the corporate
congregational, wider church, ecumenical and interfaith phenomena- as
a source of blessing from God. John Spong reminds us of the obvious:
"Prayer is not just an individual activity. It is also a
corporate phenomenon." 1.
The
Bible shows many examples of God relating to us as individual
persons who are also always members of the community of faith.. This
is significant because it affirms the value of each of us as persons
within the community who have rights, dignity and gifts and a
personal relationship with the Creator. (see examples)
The
Bible illustrates this by the way it many times shows that faith is
lodged in particular persons who is a reformative member of a
community of the faithful:
-Abraham
and Sarah - here the community is family.
-Joseph,
who was abused by his brothers, yet found his clan membership to be
meaningful to him when they came in need, and he refused the option
to be vengeful.
-Moses
and Miriam are strong personalities whose fulfillment is found
within the people of God.
-Ruth,
who chose her mother-in-law's community. (The list could go on)
This
is true for Jesus as well. We should not be surprised to find him in
a synagogue. Donald Harmen Akenson, reminds us that Jesus was a
Palestinian Jew. He was both formed by that community, and sought to
reform it.
Akenson
notes also that the after the death of Jesus and until the Temple
was destroyed in the Year 70, the church continued to live and work
as reformers of Judaism, worshiping in the temple and throughout the
Diaspora associating with the synagogue. Eventually, of course, the
church became community in its own right.2.
Today's
lections suggest that this would be an appropriate day both to
celebrate how we are formed by the faith community in which we live,
and to remember our role in reforming it.
When
I look at the Mark's portrayal of Jesus in the synagogue, I
see two ways we may do this:
1.
By naming the demons (those things which diminish life) and
2.
By their expulsion (and the resultant health this brings to the
church and the world. Currently we are being faced with the demon of
war, which Walter Wink would place within the "domination
system") 3.
I
Corinthians adds a third way:
3.
By support of one another. (which John traces back to Jesus:
"Love one another" John 15:12)
In
my experience, at least one of these is present every time the
church meets. I usually find all three in our corporate worship,
study, counselling, and group meetings. By them we are blessed.
So
our own congregations and communities can give us many examples of
healthy communities producing healthy individuals. At their best,
they both nurture us to be members of the body and respect and
honor each of us as an individual who is known by God. In such
churches the community forms and reforms individuals, nurturing their
special gifts, while individuals form and reform the church so that
in each generation it may more fully reflect the love of God
Since
we also know of individuals who have overcome hurtful circumstances
to be sound persons, it would also be a day to suggest an
examination of our community to discover the ways by which the
character of our church could be even more truly the body of Christ,
exhibiting God's grace and love.
Many
other teachings in the Gospels and Epistles have come down to us as
instructions for and expectations of the community of Christ. It
could be argued that all the injunctions of the the Gospels and
epistles are intended in the first place to apply to the Church.
These teachings lead us to expect the church to be a place of
blessing through God's grace, love, and righteousness.
Ways
to proceed
Lead
the congregation through the following recollections:
Jesus
grew up going to synagogue. I imagine that in the synagogue he
received many blessings. For instance, he learned there that God
cared about the people. That idea of God's love filled his heart to
overflowing. He wanted everyone to be filled with the joy that this
gave him.
Perhaps
this has been your experience of church - having your heart filled
with a sense of God's love. Do you want to share that?
Jesus
also observed that some leaders of the people did not believe that
God's love was for all. Jesus wanted to change that. So, he went
about telling parables such as the Lost Sheep, and the Prodigal Son.
Perhaps
this has been your experience too - observing that the world does
not necesarilly believe that all are worthy of love. Have you ever
felt moved to change that?
Jesus
also demonstrated God's Love by setting people free from the demons
and disease. Mark tells us that people were astounded at his
teaching. We read in Mark's Gospel this morning of a very troubled
man who went to synagogue. He met Jesus there and was blessed by
being set free from those things that troubled his soul.
I
am not suggesting that any of us are filled with demons, but I do
know that many of us, maybe most of us, have like this man received a
blessing from coming to church, or from being involved in a church group.
Now,
I want to put some questions to you about being blessed in the
church. Don't answer out loud, just answer in the silence of your
heart and mind. If you choose, you can not answer at all.
1.
Do you feel that your life has been blessed through your
participation in the church: in worship, women's/men's group,
social activity, ______________ ? Recall the ways you have been
positively affected by the church?
2.
If you hsave been blessed by the church, name those blessings
to yourself. Did any particular person enable you to have that
blessing? How does that blessing make a difference in your life ?
If
your answer is "I have been hurt by the church," I would
like you to tell me about it after the service. Is there some way
that the church could be a blessing to you? Is there something
about the church that is blocking you?
3.
Finally, I would ask you all to do respond to one more question: If
you were have the church change so that it showed God's love and
grace more fully, what would it be? How might this change come about?
4.
This exercise may have left you with lots of thoughts you want to
share. If that is so for you, I hope you find someone to share them with.
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A
Thanksgiving for church blessings - a litany
One:
We thank you, O God of community, for all your blessings;
All:
Especially we thank you for creating communities of faith.
One:
Long ago you called Abraham and Sarah to be the founders of
faith-filled
community and to be a blessing to all nations,
All:
We in this congregation are counted as children of Abraham and Sarah.
One:
When their descendents fell into bondage,
All:You
remembered them and called Miriam and Moses to lead them to freedom;
One:
At Siani you called them to be a people of your choosing,
All:
And gave them commandments to live by as a holy nation.
One:
At the right time, you came among them as Jesus of Nazareth.
All:
Jesus called men and women to follow him;
One:
Through them the faith in one holy, graceful and righteous God
spread
to all nations.
All:
We are a branch of that holy tree,
called
to bear fruit of love, peace, and justice.
One:
For this we give you thanks, O God.
All:
Enable us now to continue to grow and mature in faithfulness
So
that we produce true fruit of your Holy Spirit, In Christ's Name.
Examples.
It
can argued that we are full persons only within a community of
persons. There are many accounts of children raised in isolation from
community who do not develop as full persons. Discovery Channel
recently told of a child who managed to survive lost in a rain forest
from age 4 to 8. At the time of his disappearance, this child was
known to be quite normal, but when found, could not be trained to
overcome those lost years. He could now live in human society as a
mentally and socially a disabled person.
On
the other hand, there are instances of children who do not reach
full person-hood because of their communities. A case in point in
Canada was illustrated by a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report
on religious group in British Columbia. In this
"church" men take more than one wife, and rule over them
absolutely. Girls as young as fifteen are taken as "wives"
without them having a voice in the matter. The girls are so
indoctrinated that they believe this rule to be necessary for their
salvation.(ww.cbc.ca.) 4.
1.
A New Christianity for a New World, John Selby Spong. Harper
2.
Saint Saul, Donald Harmen Akenson. McGill-Queens University Press
3.
Naming the Powers, Walter Wi nk. Fortress Press 1984
4..
The Fifth Estate, "Bishop of Bountiful," Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation, Wed. Jan. 15/03. www.cbc.ca. /fifth estate.
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5th
after Epiphany 03
Isaiah
40:21-31 Have you not heard? The Lord is the Creator.
Psalm
147:1-11 The Lord gathers the outcasts, heals the brokenhearted,
give animals their food.
I
Corinthians 9:16-23: being all things to all people.
Mark
1:29-39: Jesus goes into the community, heals Peter's mother and
many others.
This
cluster of readings remind me that the main place to find God at
work is outside the sanctuaries of the houses of worship. Last
Sunday, the main action portrayed by Mark was within a dedicated
space and community. Today's passages pull me out of the church into
the streets of our towns and into the valleys and hills of nature.
They portray God as being at work creating and caring for the natural
world, and ministering to humans in homes and in the streets of our
political and social structures.
This
seems to be one of the most difficult truths for those of us in the
church to grasp and affirm. This may be because so much of our energy
is given over to erecting and caring for the church's buildings,
organizations, and membership. In my experience, these things took by
far the greatest amount of the time and energy of the active
parishioners and their pastors. This is not a bad thing, but it is a
truth about us. We are so busy inside that we rarely go outside.
Meanwhile
God is busy in other places, the cosmos and the neighbourhood.
This
is not to say that we do not care about what goes on outside. In our
worship we pray and preach about it, either giving thanks for sings
of life we see in it, or railing against the death of hope it
exhibits and we develop outreach programs to "reach out" to
it past the stained glass.
However,
Isaiah and Mark are portraying God at work in the world in a much
more radical way than that.
Isaiah
reminds us that the natural world is God's own precious child which
he tends, and that God patrols the streets of human society to
strengthen the weak, and those hurt by injustice, and to bring down
those who misuse power. This God who called Isaiah within in the
Temple (ch.6)¸ is the God of all the earth and of human society.
Mark's
gospel portrays the one identified in the very first verse as the
Son of God, moving easily as a healing presence through a seamless
world of synagogues, homes, hills, lakes, towns and Temple.
I
see one crucial lesson in all of this for we who are the church.
That is the obvious reminder that when we have filled the pews and
the church coffers, we have not necessarily advanced the Realm of
God. Of course we all know this, but the pressure to seem successful
often makes us act is if these things were the be all and end all of
our life together. A full church is valuable, hopeful and faithful as
partner with the world-loving God. We are not to see ourselves as an
otherworldly religion in competition with the secular world. Rather,
we are to live as one integral part of that seamless whole world
which God loves.
In
the practical life of the church, this says two things about our way
of being. One is that we are to keep our eyes and ears open to see
and hear where God is already at work in the world. Then, when we see
God at work, we are to join God in that work. The second, is this: we
must be ready to be God's pioneers in the world.
The
mission of the church of God, the lover of the world, the Church of
Jesus Christ God's child in the world, and the church of the holy
Spirit, God's envisioning energy in the world, must include these two
attitudes: an attitude of watching to see where God is going ahead of
us so we can join in and attitude of being ready to pioneer into new
areas of mission where no one else seems to be going.
In
my experience these two attitudes often run together. Joining God in
work that God has already begun, and pioneering often go together.
For
instance, right now we see God at work in the world through the
present movement against war. Much of this work is being done by
people who are not necessarily of the church. To a large extent, the
church is joining in on the peace movement that God has started
through members of the secular world.
Yet,
one can also say with truth: a pioneering segment of the people of
God has for centuries urged the world to find ways to resolve
conflict without war. This pioneer work goes back at least to Isaiah
who envisioned God leading the world to turn its swords in to
ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks (2:4).
Again,
with respect to the acceptance Gay and Lesbian people, a segment of
the church can claim to be pioneers. However, having said that, we
must admit that others have been in the field long before the church
dared to enter it.
.
[at
this point the preacher could add other examples, past and present,
from personal experience in nature and from the life of your
congregation and the wider mission of the church.]
So,
God is at work in the world and calls us to join God in the
continuing mission of grace, peace, love and justice for all
creatures and the Earth itself.
God
who goes before us, a litany
One:
O Holy Creator, who is at work in every corner of the world,
All:
We see your work in the Earth and the Heavens,
the
rock and soil, the stars and planets,
and
in every living thing,
which
you called into being long before you made us.
We
marvel at how all things work together.
One:
O Holy Care giver, who is at work in and through each coopertive act
of love,
before
we get there.
All:
You are always there before us,
calling
and leading us into ministries of solidarity.
One:
On this day you continue with relentless patient action
to
lead us to live in peace with one another.
All:
We hear your voice in the many who are calling us
to
resolve our differences without resorting to arms,
and
to enjoy the bounty of the Earth
without
posioning the air or poluting the water.
One:
By your Spirit you continue in Christ to enable us in your ministry.
All:
For this we give you thanks, O God.
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Sixth after Epiphany
2Kings
5:1-14 Naaman is healed in the Jordan through the ministry of Elisha.
Psalm
30 You have turned my mourning into dancing
I
Cor. 9:24-27 Run to win the prize
Mk.
1:40-45 Jesus heals a leper out of compassion for the person before him.
Except
for the Corinthians passage the lections for today all speak of
God's healing and compassion exercised either through God's agents,
Elisha, and Jesus or, as in the Psalm directly from God in response
to prayer in worship.
Compassion
is a major characteristic of God in the Hebrew prophetic and Psalm
traditions. These traditions understand that the compassion of God
grows out of God's love for creation, and overrides punishment.
Compassion is God's response to the human condition and to the
sinner's repentance. It is also what God requires of us (Micha 6:8)
See
Hosea c, Romans 3:9-31. Isaiah, who warns his people against the
fierce judgment of God (Ch. 2-3) always holds the assurance of
renewal through God's initiative (Ch.6, and 11). In today's reading,
Elisha says that the healing of Naaman is evidence that there is a
prophet of the true God in Israel.
Jesus
came, says Mark, offering the good news of the realm of God for all
that repent and accept it (1:14-15). Mark clearly shows in this third
healing story that compassion accompanies this nearness of the Realm
of God.
Compassionate
God, Compassionate People, a litany
One:
O God who knows us completely,
All:
Ahapter 11nd who loves us as completely as we are known,
One:
O God who looks in pity upon all who suffer hurt and wrong,
All:
Teach us to be as compassionate are you are.
One:
Lead us to be deeply moved by the inequities within humankind:
All:
the lost opportunities for education and contribution;
The
children who die of disease and malnutrition,
The
families who are unable to get help for their young and their aged.
One:
May we use all the modern means of communication
to
direct our leaders to the compassionate
priorities
we have for our communities.
.All:
Lead us to put first those things that make for a world of peace,
a
realm of equity, a planet of justice and a universe of sisterhood.
Encourage
and stengthen those who advocate your Shalom
over
all your Creation.
We
dedicate ourselves to these things inChrist's name.
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Epiphany
7
Isaiah
43:18-25 God will not remember the people's sin
Psalm
41 God's favour is on those who act with integrity toward the poor.
I
Corinthians 18-22 God's word to us through Christ is, "Yes!"
Mark
12:1-12 Jesus announces forgiveness and healing.
Notes
and reflections on these passages
Is.
- In his theological look at Alzheimer's disease, David Keck reminds
us that our salvation is not dependent on our remembering us and
forgetting our sin.1. Isaiah 43 says this exactly. God forgetting sin
is to more a more complete dealing with it than forgiving is. One who
forgives us does remember what we did or didn't do, but if God
forgets our sin, as the person with Alzheimer's forgets, then our sin
is truly taken away. This makes true the Sunday by Sunday liturgical
proclamation of grace, which is followed by an invitation to begin
anew. Is it too outlandish to hear God saying to us: "I remember
you, but for the life of the world, I can't recall you ever doing
anything hurtful to me." God says this to the Alzheimer's
patient and also to us. All of us are dependent on God remembering
and forgetting.
Psalm
41 - The above does not to do away with Paul's insight, which I will
paraphrase: Let us not say, "Do evil because God has lost
memory!" (see Roman 3:8). However, it does mean that in the new
resurrected life that we are called to, God does not keep a record of
our wrongs (Rom. 6:5), they are wiped away. We take up the new life,
a hallmark of which is faithful integrity toward those who are weaker
than we.
Mark
- I don't recall viewing a film version of this event, but I can see
it in my imagination. The whole inside of the house including, Jesus
and all those who are inside the house is strewn with fragments of
roofing. The air is filled with dust as this man is let down through
the roof. Jesus is laughing and clapping his hands as he brushes
fragments of clay and straw from his clothing and beard. He is
delighted at the audacity of the man's friends who have cut a hole in
the roof of Jesus' house. Here are people who have grasped the Good
News, and nothing will stop them from getting their companion near
the source of grace. They break through all restraints to acquire a
blessing for their friend!
In
this symbolic story Mark portrays Jesus as responding by welcoming
the man into the new life which is rooted in the free gift of God's
grace, and which brings him the freedom to assume full humanity.
This
man and his friends were 'sinners.' This did not mean that he was a
greater transgressor that others, but rather that he was considered
outside the circle of 'the righteous.' This was a designation
somewhat like our society has used to define whole groups of people
as not quite fully persons: Jews, Ukrainians, Chinks, Japs, Irish,
Indian, Nigger, White Trash, disabled and now, Islamic.
In
this symbolic story Mark portrays Jesus as responding by dismissing
his 'sinner ' status and welcoming the man into a new life which is
rooted in the gift of God's grace, and which brings him the freedom
to assume full humanity. This is tantamount in our society to giving
a large bank loan to a 'homeless.' It is little wonder that the
righteous scribes were offended
It
would be a mistake to see this story as having to do with physical
disability. From my experience of working in partnership with persons
with visible disabilities, I discovered that all of us, whatever our
physical state, can be fully energized as we are offered and take
hold of the freedom which is symbolized in this story by the words:
"Stand up and take your mat and walk."
Rick
Hansen showed this in his Man in Motion wheelchair tour of the world
and in his continued work and life as colleague, leader, friend,
husband and father. I am not intimately knowledgeable about Hansen's
life, but I am sure that he experienced the possibility of a full
life and he took it. At some point with the cooperation of friends,
he broke through the obstacles that stood in his way. In fact, he has
co-authored a book which sets out seven steps to personal change that
apply to anyone.
It
is said of him: "There are some moments in time that ignite the
passion and interest of the world.
In
the spring of 1987, Rick Hansen created one of those moments when he
completed the Man In Motion World Tour, wheeling 40,000 km around the
world, to raise awareness of the potential of people with
disabilities. He broke down barriers and changed people's perceptions
about what is possible for anyone who dreams big dreams and has the
determination to see them through."2.
Click
here for another story of hope and grace overcoming limitations
other than physical disabilities 3.
In
this Marken passage we see Jesus affirming the faith of this man and
his friends who broke though the roof, against all those who would
say otherwise by labeling the man a sinner, and by keeping him on his mat.
Hopefully
all of us here today have received this same gift, and this same
opportunity to be full persons in church, home and society. These
also are the gifts we we are to encourage in our world.
1.
Forgetting Whose We Are, David Keck. Augsburg.
2.
Going the Distance, 7 Steps to Personal Change, Rick Hansen, Dr.
Joan Laub.
http://www.rickhansen.com/index.htm
3.
Growing Up to be a Voice of Hope
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God
of Grace and Hopeful Possibilities, a litany
One:
God of Grace and Hopeful possibilities,
All:
Remember us and forget.
One:
As you have admitted us to the life of grace,
All:
Forget all that would make us less than fully human,
Forget
the false limitations that we and others put on us.
And
remember the person you created;
Rejoice
in your work,
As
we rejoice in one another.
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Transfiguration
Sunday 8th after Epiphany
2
Kings 2:1-12 Elijah is taken up into Heaven.
Psalm
50: 1-6 The perfection of the beauty of God shines forth out of
Zion. God calls the covenant people to gather in the Temple for judgement.
2
Corinthians 4:3-6 Some are blinded in their minds and cannot see the
light of Christ
Mark
9:2-9 Peter, James and John see and hear Jesus transfigured into the
Son of God.
Psalm
50 - While many Canadian religious may strongly sense the presence
of the holy in church sanctuaries, there is long and wider Canadian
tradition of seeing the beauty of God shining forth in nature. This
is expressed in the opening verses of the popular song, "How
Great Thou Art." There also are those who see nature
differently; as opportunities for clear-cut logging and strip mining,
for instance. I suppose the National Post (the right- wing Canadian
newspaper) would say that they are just taking advantage of the
bounty the Lord has provided.
Our
governments try to accommodate both these minds by making sure that
the clear-cutting and the scars of mining are kept just beyond the
horizon from the perspective (and mind) of the tourist lookouts along
the Trans Canada highway.
Corinthians
- It would seem that St. Paul was earlier in having the insight
Barfield wrote of. Paul explained the different ways of seeing Jesus
to be the result of the participation of different minds, the
en-lightened mind and the veiled mind. A question often debated is:
which is which mind?
Mark
- In this passage Mark portrays in symbolic language three friends
of Jesus having their minds opened to the true essence of Jesus.
Preaching/teaching
notes
In
all these passages, believers perceive the presence of the Holy with
them. Conversely some may be blinded in their minds so that they do
not perceive this presence.
Perception
is a big part of our world. Today Discovery channel reported on a
scientific study of Mona Lisa' smile. Apparently how we see her smile
depends on our way of seeing. He smile is more apparent to our
peripheral vision. So, if one looks at her hair, you will see her
smile at you.
When
I was in grade five, our whole school was marched to the local movie
theatre to see Snow White, which was considered a marvel at the time.
I was most impressed with the scene in which Snow White was in the
forest at night and perceived the trees and animals as demons.
Nowadays I watch it on video and I am even more awed by the work of
those artists and their attention to detail in bringing us this
imaginary world.
I
find that Owen Barfield helps me think about perception in his
mind-opening work, Saving the Appearances. In the introduction he
notes: "Most philosophy - at all events since Kant - has heavily
emphasized the participation of man's own mind in the creation or
evocation of these phenomena [what we see and our interpretation of
it]." 1. For instance, he points out that a rainbow is the
"outcome of the sun, the raindrops and your own vision." 2.
Could
we similarly say of the transfiguration: it was the outcome of the
presence of Jesus and God (or the Holy) and the faith (unveiled mind)
of these disciples?
It
seems that Paul expected that all those with an enlightened mind
could see Jesus transfigured - the true essence of Jesus: "who
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of in the face of Jesus Christ." RSV.
Now,
what about us, can we expect that we too (individually and
corporately) see the essence of Jesus with our mind open to the
Spirit? Is this what is meant by a "mountain top experience"
When
Jesus is transfigured in our mind as Child of God, Christ, what do
we see? For instance, do we see mainly the divine judge, or do we
perceive mostly one who loves us, or both?
Meanwhile,
Barfield also observes that modern western science is often
portrayed as the "the only reliable knowledge available to us."3.
So,
some will want begin by asking, "Did this really happen? Was
this a real event or was it an hallucination?" Barfield places
the phenomena we perceive in two categories: Hallucination and
collective representation.4. I read him to mean that one difference
between a hallucinatory phenomenon and a real one is that more than
one person participates in seeing what we call a real thing, whereas
an hallucination is not a shared experience. Law and science
recognize this also. That is, two witnesses (or replications) are
needed to affirm an event, or discovery. Mark tells us that not two
but three persons witnessed this phenomenon. I suppose Paul would say
something like: They were in the right mind (corporately) to see the
essence of Jesus.
Mark
uses symbolic language in reporting this phenomena to us as a real
event. Symbolic language may be the best kind of language by which to
such an event can be communicated.
We
know and Mark knew that there were others who saw someone quite
different when they saw Jesus. We might ask: Which view of Jesus
was/is true? It would seem that history is on the side of Peter,
James and John. That is, more and more the people of the world are
taking to the streets to advocate the values attributed to Jesus, and
to the Hebrew ethical prophets - and similar teachings of other
belief systems.
An
increasing number of the world's citizens seem to consider the
future well-being of the world to found by embracing and enacting
values such a "love your enemies," and "the meek shall
(must) inherit the Earth." As Christians we say that these
teachings come to us via Jesus whom Peter, James and John, and we
ourselves perceive to be the Child of God. When we see the essence of
Jesus, we see the essence of life-giving existence.
How
we see Jesus influences how we see other things in our world. Or is
it the other way 'round? Do we perceive Jesus through the biases we
bring to Jesus.
With
respect to our present preoccupation with Iraq, we have two
conflicting groups of witnesses telling us what they see when they
look at that nation. On one side, Iraq is perceived as manifest in
one person, a dictator who they say has weapons that make him a
threat to humanity and must be removed at all costs. On the other
side, Iraq is seen by others as a people who call us to help them in
their oppression.
The
first side sees war as the solution, the other sees war as a
terrible pain to innocent people who have already been made
vulnerable by years of embargo, and who ask the world to help them
find other ways to change the government of Iraq. (Which, by the way,
they have tried before, and we failed to help them.)
Some
say that what is needed is vision and perception; a vision that
would lead the international community through the United Nations to
seek to advance everywhere democracy and basic human rights in the UN
charter. Such a vision would put us all under the microscope.
We
can find Christians on both sides of this matter. These are
differences in what is understood to be the mind of Christ. So, a
good question for us might be: When we gather as a people of the
covenant, what is the essence of Christ that is revealed to our mind?
We
tend to think of Mountain Top experiences as moments of spiritual
joyous ecstasy. However, these moments of insight into truth may
actually more often happen when we look into the face of a
hungry child - even if it only via television or a report of the
number of families living in poverty within our own town.
In
our mountain top times, what do we perceive as individuals and as community?
1.
Owen Barfield, Saving the Appearances, a study in idolatry. Wesleyan
University Press (second edition). 1988. p.11. [my underlining]
2.
ibid p. 15.
3.
ibid
4.
ibid p. 54.
Litany:
One:
O God who reveals to us the truth,
All
Open our minds, so that we might know your truth.
One:
Enable us to see the essence of Jesus.
All:
Open to us the truth you wish to communicate to us in the life of Christ.
One:
O God who reveals to us the truth,
All
Open our minds, so that we might know your truth.
One:
Enable us to see the essence of Jesus
as
Jesus appears to us with our sanctuaries, and through the world.
All:
Open to us the truth you wish to communicate to us in the life of
Christ, and onour own life.
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