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Faith renewed by claiming prophecy <misc 1.>
By the time I had retired from thirty years of ministry I had come not to believe any longer in many of the teachings that formed the foundation of Christianity as I had received it. For instance, I did not believe that Jesus gives us life after death and I rejected the doctrine that Christ died for our sins.As a youth recently said about belief in the Christian God, "If God &ldots;sends people to hell, and crucifies his kid, &ldots;then count me out.1."
So, worshipping within the Church community was quite often a problem for me. I just could not sing verses of some of the hymns. O Come, O Come Emmanuel, the first hymn in the United Church of Canada's newest hymn book, is wonderful in tune, and creative in text, but to me it portrayed what I no longer believed; Christ who, ransoms us and who gives us "victory o'er the grave."
Biblical sermons also became a problem when the preacher quoted Jesus as saying this or teaching these doctrines. In my mind and heart I doubted the text of the Gospels when they told us of Jesus dying for our sin and rising from the grave. Behind that doubt was a question for which I did not have a satisfactory answer. The question was: Who were the authors of the New Testament? Who developed the interpretations of Christ's life and death, which became doctrines and truths for the church? I could not believe that Peter and the other 10 "Apostles" worked it out so that they had a full-blown new theology rooted in the Psalms and prophets and by the morning of Pentecost.
Both before this crises of faith became apparent and after, I I began to read and to struggle with authors such as Walter Wink, Markus Borg, John Shelby Spong, Tom Harpur, Donald Akenson, Burton Mack, Letty Russel and others. In different ways all of these theological thinkers and researchers helped me wrestle with the question, "How did these concepts of salvation and immortality become the central teachings of the church?"
I came to understand that our present New testament reflect at least three responses to Jesus that grew up after his death. All three dealt with the question: how are we humans brought into harmony with our creator and with one another? These responses to Jesus were roughly as follows: 1. Prophetic - we come into harmony with our creator through the Spirit led practise of justice in love; 2. Charismatic -we come into harmony through Spirit led mysticism - giving ourselves wholly to the Holy; 3. Sacramentally - we come into harmony through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus which buys us forgiveness and eternal life.
Each of these ways to harmony (or reconciliation with the Creator) has roots in Hebrew traditions as the New Testament writers show through their references to the ethical prophets, sacramental laws and the Psalms.
I think there probably was a time when these three ways existed as separate schools or movements all claiming some connection to Jesus.
Our present New testament is something of a harmonization of all three.
Our present church doctrine is also an amalgamation of all three with the third way dominating. So, we find in the church today those who are predominantly in one or other of the three camps. For instance, I would place Mother Theresa in the prophetic way and I would set certain pentecostals and church mystics in the second way. I put most priests and those known as "evangelicals" in the third way. Of course, all of us are supposed to be sacramentalists even if our main interest is in prophecy or mysticism. All of us are to renounce the possibility of salvation by either doing works of holy love or being in love with the Holy alone.
I see one recent sign of this in the action of some churches which have replaced Palm Sunday with Passion Sunday. Palm Sunday and the ministry attributed to Jesus and his friends in the week before his arrest are clearly prophetic, but now it is to be overshadowed by the sacramental Cross.
This is where I fell into a crisis of faith. I could no longer subjugate my prophetic leanings to salvation through Christ's death and resurrection. My crisis ended when I claimed the prophetic way as a true and sufficient way to live and be in harmony with my Creator and my neighbour.
I have found that I am not alone in this.
Rethinking the Cross: Reflections for Lent, First Church United, Port Credit Ontario, Canada. United Church Publishing house, 2003.
Water Plenty
Water
I have always lived
where ther seemed to be plenty
of water, to flush
to swim and play in,
to fish in, to skate and curl on,
to baptize with.
There have been times of
drought and flood, but
most of the time the rains
came atthe right time, and
the rivers stayed within
their banks.
Nowadays, I usually take
my water striahgt from the
tap, never thinking that it
might bre unsafe or needs
to be purified before it can
quench ny thirst or
be used as a sacrament.
But now and then I hear rumours
of change in the water,
ripples on the surface that
are the first signs of a
storm to come, drought
and flood and making all
thre world a sewer unsafe
todrink from, wash or play in
-impure for baptism.
However, I will be able
(since I am one who has money)
to buy clean water
I have heard that some
people make do with one
gallon a day of unclean
water, but that is a long way from here.
I wonder what it will cost me
to buy enough to wash in?
Bib Kayes
Remembrance
Day ecclesicakes
ABC Nov. 11
Pentecost + 25, Yr. A,B,C
Nov. 10, 02
Joshua 3:9-10; Luke 4:16-21; 6:27-36 and 37-42.
This coming week we have a
unique kind of holy day - Remembrance Day.
There are other names for this
day - Armistice Day, for instance,
but I Prefer, "Remembrance
Day." It is good that we have a day set aside for remembering.
Also in a time when war is in the air, we would do well to remember
who we are as a people of faith.
I want us to begin by thinking
for a moment about remembering, and having memory.
Memory is an essential part of
being a person, a citizen, and a having faith. Everything about us
requires memory. In fact, memory is built into whole of creation.
This Fall we saw the whole of creation remembering to get ready for
winter. Our little dog remembers that when we put our coats on, we
are going somewhere.
In us, memory is that ability
to connect one moment to another. We could do no work without memory.
Imagine trying to make a quilt if you could not remember from one
stitch to another. Memory connects and one person to another. If I
cannot remember who you are, I can't be your friend.
Memory is also a crucial to
being a person of faith. I think you could say that Remembering is
Believing. As a people we remember what God did in ancient times.
In Canada today, there is a
danger that many people are forgetting the faith, so we, who
remember, are called to pass it on.
Memory is also important for
nations. Just as a person or a faith cannot exist without memory, the
same is true of nations. A nation cannot exist without memory. A
nation without memory is easily overrun by other nations, and loses
its identity. A nation without memory so loses its lesson from the
past, and can repeat the same mistakes again. This is why the words,
"Lest We Forget," are engraved in all the war memorials in Canada.
So, what might we as a people
who bear the memory of faith, bring to mind in this week of
remembrance of Canada's role in war up to now. I want to share with
you what occurs to me.
Faithful people are far from
agreeing about war, but in my experience they will say at least one
of two things that we might keep in mind on Nov. 11:
1. The majority of Christians
have said: War is a tool for stopping evil or promoting good. This is
called a "Just War." A Just war must only be waged as a
last resort as a tool for peace and good order. It must use only as
much force as necessary to bring in that peace and good order. Just
war must be waged so as to do no harm to civilians, especially children.
Some think war is good. They will ask us remember that in the first testament of the Bible, God used war to give the Promised Land to the followers of moses. So, today we have political leaders calling us to a new holy war against Iraq.
2. On the other hand, a growing
minority of Christians say: There can be no Just War. They believe
that war is the very antithesis of what we are called to as Christians.
Those who speak of a Just War
remember WW II as something we as a people had to do to put down a
great evil. They remember that young men and women barely graduated
from Sunday School whom we sent to die to end tyranny. They remind us
of what the world would have been like if we had let Nazism and
Japanese imperialism roll over the world. We know there were
influential people in England and the USA and Canada who admired
Hitler. So, they would argue that going to war was both necessary and
faithful.. In our own decade we remember sending our military to end
a Tyranny in Bosnia. They ask us to remember that we may have to do
it again
However, those who support Just
War see it as an option which Christians would take up only as a last
resort when working for peace with justice in other ways has failed,
or when a great and terrible Tyranny needs to be stopped. They say we
cannot stand idly by in the face of Tyranny. We have seen in the
Baltics, Africa and in the Middles East, the horror that results when
a people are not able to resist tyranny, or terrorism (government
terrorism and People's terrorism). We have a Canadian general
now on permanent sick leave because of the slaughter of the Tutu
people he witnessed in Africa, while lacking the military tools to
end it.
At the same time there are many
others who see war itself as the enemy of the faith. They would argue
that we to prevail against Tyranny we must use the gifts of Grace,
Love, Justice and Equity, and trust our faithful memory.
They say, "Tyranny will
always lose to Faithful Memory." Many times tyranny has
attempted to wipe out a people's faith, but those attempts have
always been defeated by faithful memory. Even if all the churches are
torn down, and the clergy executed, even if all the Holy Scriptures
burned, the people will remember. They will remember for many
generations, and when the tyranny has run its course, they will build
the churches again, and someone will remember where copies of the
bible are hidden, and ministers will be trained again. We see this
happening in China today. They argue, faithful memory is more
powerful than Tyranny, and more effective than war.
They ask us also to remember
the horror into which we have sent our youthful soldiers. In the
Manitoba town of Neepawa, local war veterans asked their youth to see
the movie, "Rescuing Private Ryan." They say they want the
next generation to see how truly terrible war is. For fifty years
after the Second World War, veterans have been quiet about what
really went on. It seems that it was too terrible to speak of, but
now they are telling us how it horrible it was. For a long time the
War Amputees organisation have had the motto: "Never Again."
a current Television series, A Band of Brothers, attempts to portray
this horror weekly on Sunday Evenings. It is so effective that it
brought tears to the eyes of at least one young mother when she met
the legionnaires selling poppies this week.
So, having both these opposing
views before us (Just war Vs no war) what are we to remember on Nov
11? It might be some of both. Perhaps we are being asked to remember
at one and the same time the rare necessity of using arms to end a
specific tyranny, and the more ongoing necessity of employing Love,
and Justice to bring in an age when war will be no more. This was the
dream of those who established the UN. For Christians, the UN charter
deeply reminds us of the biblical vision of a world at peace; reigned
over by a Risen Christ who has defeated Satan, and all his legions.
Some would say that as Christ
lay down his life for us, we may be called to give our lives for our
neighbours. On the other hand, we are also to remember that we are to
go to great lengths to avoid war. As Christ told his disciples to lay
down their swords, we are not to take them up again, but rather we
are become soldiers of Grace and Justice.
So on Nov 11, as a remembering
people, we might keep in mind three things:
- Firstly, let us remember that
we are a people called on to work with God's Holy Spirit for a world
of Grace, Peace, Equity, and Justice. We begin this work of peace at
home and in our own communities and continue it with people of peace
in all the world working through the church and our government.
-Secondly let remember those
who today face genocide, and violent invasion, and their need to
defend themselves as they call on others in the world to come to
their aid. Our first aid in such cases must be through the
application of international law and diplomatic pressure through such
groups as Amnesty International, the UN and the world church.
- Thirdly, let us remember
those who faced the hell of armed conflict in hope of a better world,
who died dreaming of God's shalom. This memory will prevent us
sending more of our youth into that hell without very compelling
reasons and only after all other means have been tried.
- Finally. In all things let us remember that God is Love, and we are called to love our neighbour
A "Liberal" Muslim Minority ecclesicakes A310
written by John McFarlane
The other day on the CBC, I heard about a Muslim group in Turkey who have a different view of what Islam is. They are secular in their approach to government and nation. They respect the modern state of Turkey as established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
I searched the Net (http://www.alevibektasi.com/xalevis_menu.htm) and found an article by a long-time resident of Turkey, John Shindeldecker who has taught seminars on comparative religion at the Alevi-Bektashi Sahkulu Sultan Foundation in Istanbul. He has also appeared on Alevi radio programs and has published a series of articles in the Alevi-Bektashi magazines, Nefes and Cem. He was asked by leaders in the Alevis movement to write an article explaining Alevism to English speaking people.
As followers of Mohamed they especially revere Ali, the husband of Fatima, Mohamed's daughter. He is said to be the first convert to Islam. As Sindeldecker writes about the Alevis,"There is a similar broad spectrum of belief and practice among those who call themselves Jews, Christians, Buddhists, or Hindus."
One of their main tenants is the equality of men and women. "Alevis are proud to point out that they are monogamous, Alevi women worship together with men, Alevi women are free to dress in modern clothing, Alevi women are encouraged to get the best education they can, and Alevi women are free to go into any occupation they choose."
Women sit with men in their worship circle, either with heads covered or not. They do not observe washing rules of the more orthodox Islam religion.
As with all Muslims, the Alevi respect Jesus along with several other historical prophets including Mahomet. Almost all Alevis who have read the New Testament and strongly identify with how Jesus acted toward the religious fanatics and hypocrites of his day. Alevis are also surprised at how Jesus summarized all of the teaching of the Torah, the Psalms, and the prophets in two simple commands: "Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength; Love your neighbour as yourself." This essential teaching of Jesus reminds Alevis of their basic values of 'love of God and love of man."
Alevis have and still do suffer discrimination, because they worship differently. One of their ceremonies is called "Blowing out the candle." Those who do not understand or want to mock them say that they turn out the lights and engage in licentious activity. I am reminded of when I was a child, other children used to say that in our church, a somewhat charismatic Methodist group, that we used to turn out the lights and roll on the floor. It didn't matter how much you tried to tell them that it want so they knew because an uncle of theirs had seen it happen."
In March 1995, someone fired a machine gun into a teahouse frequented by Alevis. Two men were killed, including an Alevi dede. Many residents of the neighbourhood, which is heavily populated by Alevis, demonstrated because they felt the police were neither quick enough nor serious enough in their investigation of the incident. Tension elevated, and in four days of demonstrations in various neighbourhoods of Istanbul, more than 15 unarmed people, mostly Alevis, lost their lives from bullet wounds and other violence. Alevis generally interpret these incidents as conscious persecution against them.
Many Alevis feel that these examples are not isolated, but are simply the continuation of centuries of prejudice and persecution directed at them for their beliefs and practices.
The Alevis look to the words of their poets to state their beliefs and emotions, much like the Jews and Christians do with the Psalms. The 15th century Alevi poet Kaygusuz Abdal even challenges a common idea of God's judgment. In the following lines, the poet dares God to face the same test he expects of men:
"So you made a bridge of judgment
for your slaves to pass over
that is thinner than a hair.
How about if we watch you try and pass over it, if you're so brave?"
"The doctrine of a God being in control of everything, determining everything, and being the source of both good and evil is not prominent in Alevi thought. This is called by various names and is equivalent to predestination or determinism (kader, alin yazisi). Alevis who believe in God as a concept of love reject the idea that a loving God would be the source of evil."
One of the other ways the Alevis teach is through humour: "While walking by a Bektashi's house one day during Ramazan (time of fasting from sunrise to sunset), a man saw through the window the Bektashi enjoying a fine meal. The Bektashi motioned for the man to come in. Unable to resist the Bektashi's hospitality, the man joined him. But when a policeman came by and saw them, he took them both to court. The judge heard the other man's case first, and because he had no good excuse, the judge gave him his penalty.
But the Bektashi was very sorry to see the man pay for his crime, feeling he had a part in it. When it was the Bektashi's turn to be questioned, the judge asked, "Why weren't you fasting?"
"I am a Christian, sir!" answered the Bektashi.
"Well, in that case, you are free to leave," said the judge.
"But I want to become a Muslim, sir," said the Bektashi.
The judge's eyes brightened. "That's wonderful!" he exclaimed.
The Bektashi continued. "But sir, before I become a Muslim I
have one request. I'd like you to forgive and release my friend here."
The judge thought about this a minute. Figuring it was worth
releasing the man to gain a Christian convert to Islam, he agreed."
The Economy of the reign of God eccleiscakes A446
18th after Pent. Exodus 16:2-15; Mat. 20:1-16
This morning's reading form the Hebrew scriptures and from Matthew's Gospel speak to the condition of our world today. They speak to me of the state of human affairs today because they illustrate the economy of the Reign of God.
Now, before I speak of this, I ask you a question. The question is this: If you had no supper last night, and no breakfast this morning, what would you be thinking about right now? If you were very hungry would you be attentive as I spoke of the Love of God, or would you be hoping for lunch? How would you feel if you knew that while you went hungry, I had both a good supper last night and a hearty breakfast this morning?
This past week, Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Cretien, reminded us that the world is a place where many are hungry, while others have plenty. He said that the western world is getting too wealthy and arrogant compared with the rest of the world. I believe he is correct in this assessment. Just the week before, he attended the special United Nations meeting in South Africa. At that meeting representatives of the world recognized that many of the world's people are distracted and angry because there are many nights when they get no supper and many mornings when they get no breakfast, while we have all we want and more.
It is becoming clear that the world just will not work without some radical balance.
This morning's lessons from the Bible speak to us of balance; the balance there is within the economy of the Realm of God. As I see it, the economy of the Realm of God has two budgets, which must be kept in balance.
The two budgets I see in the Realm of God are the budget of Love and Grace on one hand, and the budget of food, shelter and safety on the other hand. In all of God's dealing with humankind, these two budgets are always attended to.
We see this in this morning's lesson from Exodus, and in Jesus' parable of the workers.
The Exodus story begins with an imbalance. The Hebrew people are slaves and the Pharaoh is master. God sees the plight of God's people and uses Moses and Miriam to bring the people out of slavery. In this morning's reading we find the people out of Egypt, and in need of food. They have the Love and Grace of God, who heard their cry and set them free, but now they need food, and God provides Manna and quail.
They are not expected to be the listen to the teachings of Moses with empty stomachs. They are not expected to practice the Ten Commandments when they are distracted with hunger. This reminds me of another Gospel story - the Feeding of the five thousand. Jesus identifies that people have two needs - spiritual and material.
This is the kind of balance that needs to be brought to humankind. We see this in the work of our Christian missions in the world. All our missions among people who are poor have these two budgets: a budget of the Love and Grace of God, and a budget of the necessities of life: food, shelter, safety, education. (Give some examples).
We who are here this morning are among the fortunate few in the world who can have pretty well all we want of both. I don't think we should feel guilty about this. However, we do need to use these blessings and work with other peoples in building of a world community in which all people can enjoy sufficient for their spirit and their bodies and their minds.
In Jesus' parable of the worker's pay, we find a large group of people all of whom show up at the hiring hall hoping to get work for the day. Some get a full day's work, some get half a day's work, and the rest get one hour's work, but they all get the same amount of pay.
I know of two ways to interpret this parable, and I believe both are valid. One way is to see this parable as showing how God is with us. If we are faithful all our life, or just part of our life, we get the same grace. Another way to read this parable is hear Jesus teaching that all the workers have need of a full day's pay if they are feed and clothe and educate their families. On the one hand, we all have a need for a full measure of grace, and on the other hand we all need access to other necessities of life.
There is a new movie out (John Q.) which makes this point very well. It is the story of a loving family in which a child needs a heart transplant. However the family's insurance will not cover such an expensive procedure, and the father gets only two days work each week. It is clear that the only thing that stands between this child and life is money. A wealthy person's child would get the put on the list for a new heart, but the poor family's child will not.
Jesus came into the world proclaiming the Realm of God, a realm in Heaven and on Earth in which there is an economy which in God's bounty, budgets for the full spectrum of human need in body and soul.
In the world at present it is unlikely that we will ourselves continue in safety and peace if this equity is not established. Those who are hungry are getting angry, and unable to hear any message of love for God and neighbor. We who have food shelter and safety have the privilege of being able to listen to these teachings, and we and our national leaders have the power to make them real in our lives and in the whole of humankind.
Law
ecclesicakes B220 lent
Reflection on people's protest vs war
and on the formationof the World Criminal Court
When I was a child
Mother's word was law:
"Do no hurt, share!"
Then I learned that our
town had the same laws.
So did God!
So, I understood that
Law = Good;
A law-abiding land
is a good safe land.
Then came confusion.
Rulers, I observed,
(Hitler, Stalin, Mackenzie King)
could legally make legal
anything they wished to legalize
even if it "hurt" Jews or Japanese,
Chinese or Gays
or democrats.
Ruler's Law was Good
-for Rulers
-and for their Friends,
and no one was
to question.
And now Behold!
A new cry in the world,
an old cry heard anew,
a people's cry,
from every corner
of the world;
Mother's law writ large:
"What is Good for One
must be Good for All,
and for the Earth!"
In days to come
all nations will be known as Good,
not by their Might or by the wealth of the Few,
but by the way they listen to the weakest,
and care for the Commons.
The Medak Pocket, 2PPCLI COMMENDATION <PPCLI>
In mid-September
1993 United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) soldiers from the
Second Battalion Princess Particia's Canadian Light Infantry (2PPCLI)
advanced into the disputed Medak Pocket in southern Croatian with
orders to implement the latest cease-fire Between Croatian Army
troops and Serb irregular forces. 2PPCL was reinforced with two
mechanized companies of French troops. The Canadians, well schooled
in the delicate art of "peacekeeping", discovered their
negotiation skills and strict impartiality were not immediately
required in the Medak Pocket. instead they fbund themselves calling
upon their primary war-fighting skills when Croatian Army units
opened fire with machine-guns, mortars and artillery, in an eflort to
stop the Canadian advance. To complete their assigned mission the
Patticia's were required to threaten the use force, and ultimately
use deadly force against Croatian units. However, the true test of
military professionalism and discipline came after the smoke cleared,
the Croatians backed down and the Canadians immediately reverted to
their role as impartial peacekeepers in their dealings with
individuals who only momcms before had attempted to kill them.
This resolute
action came at a time when the UN reputation in Croatia was at an
all-time low due to repeated failures to secure the infamous Uniled
Nations Protected Areas (UNPA's). Colonel George Ochring, commander
of UNPROFOR Sector South. claimed the Princess Patticia's "won
for the whole mission a credibility and respect that will be long
remembered by the opposing parties and much Facilitate our future
efforts here."*
One unique
feature of the 2PPCLI Battalion Group was the size of the reserve and
outside unit augmentation to the operalion, Of the Battalion Group's
total strength of 875. 385 soldiers were volunteers from various
reserve units across Canada. One hundred and thirty five personnel
came from other regular force units.
On July 3. 2002.
the Governor General announced that the Second Battalion Princess
Patricia's would receive the Commander-in-Chiefs Unit Commendation
for the unit's action. The citation reads:
The 2nd
Battalion Princess Patticia's Canadian Light InJantry Battle Group (2
PPCLI BG) is awarded the commendation for courageous and professional
execution of duty during the Medak Pocket Operation in the Former
Yugoslavia in September 1993. Under conditions of extreme peril and
hazard. ]~tcing enemy artillery, small arms and heavey machine gun
fire as well as anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, the members qf
the 2 PPCLl BG held their ground and drove the Croatian forces back.
The exemplary actions of the 2 PPCLI BG caused the Croatian Army ia
cease their ongoing tactics of "ethnic cleansing" in the
sector, without question saving many innocent civdian lives.
THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF UNIT COMMENDATION
The
Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation was created in July 2002 by the
Governor General to recognize the outstanding service of Canadian
Forces in times of conflict under direct enemy fire. 2PPCLI is the
second unit commendation to be presented by our Cornmander-in-Chie£
the first being received by the IR22eR Battle Group lbr their
actions in Sm'ajevo in 1992.
The 2nd
Battalion Princess Patticia's Canadian Light Iniantry Battle Group
(2PPCLI BG) is awarded the Commendation for courageous and
professional execution of duty during the Medak Pocket Operation in
the Former Yugoslavia in September 1993. Under conditions of extreme
peril and hazard, thcing enemy artillery, small arms and heavy
machine gun fire as well as anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, the
members of the 2PPCLI BG held their ground and drove the Croatian
forces back. The exemplary action of the 2PPCLI BG caused the
Croatian Army to cease their ongoing tactics of "ethnic
cleansing" in the sector, without question saving many innocent
civilian lives.