Original after Pentecost sermons, prayers, stories, plays, fim reviews, theological book reviews for use in the church- seeking the following biases: +Gender, sexual orientation and power inclusiveness in language and in imagery, +Following Jesus in valuing equally children, women and men, +Seeing justice as integral to the will of God for all creation, +In theology and view of scripture, liberal, moving toward radical. Resources for Pentecost 15 (Prop. 19) to Reign of Christ

Home Page About This Site  Contact Bob Bob's Storybook Biblical Index BOOKS Theological books  I read recently: -Tom Harpur,  The Pagan Christ Resources by Category: Click a heading below to go to a category. -Administration and Pastoral Relations: resolving conflict; -Children & Church School: Lit for start  of  sch term -discussion resources -Liturgical -movies reviewd -Mission cong's chaplain outreach Peace for churches -Sermon/Story -Social Comment Spanking, Liberal Muslims -Series for SUMMER

FOR RESOURCES by BIBLICAL REFERENCE   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>click here<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FOR RESOURCES LISTED BY USE >>>>>>>>>>>scroll down to item you wish to read<<<<<<<<<<< Preaching/discussion resources Yr.C +15th after Pent. [Prop. 19] Lost and Found Cp15 +16th after Pentecost [prop 20] A non-bottom line world Cp16 +17th after Pentescost [prop 21] God and Consequenxes Cp17 +18th after Pentecost [Prop 22]  Cp18 + 19th after Pentecost [Prop 23] Thanksgiving Cthanksgiving +19th after Pentecost [Prop 23]God's Spin Doctors Cp19 +20th after Pentecost [Prop24[ Written on Our Hearts Cp20 +21st after Pentecost [Prop 25] Seeing our selves. Cp21 +22nd after Penetecost [Prop. 26] Being Found. Cp22 +23rd after Pentecost [All Saints/prop 27] God is Coming Cp23 +23rd after Pentecost [Prop 27] Being God's Point of Entry Cp23b +23rd after Pentcost [Prop 27] Resurrection Cp23b +24th after Pentecost [Prop 28] Are We the Chosen? Cp24 +25th after Pentecost [Prop 29] Becoming Human Cp25 Thanksgiving +Thanksgiving Sunday Living a Great Myth Cthanksgiving +A Personal Thanksgiving for Gifts of Grace A447 Remembrance Day +Eve of Remembrance Day ABC Nov 11 +Forgiving as a way to live ABCforgive Church school and Child related  -Covenanting with Church school leaders, children and congregation. A106 -Congregational litany for beginning of church school A107 -From the mouths of babes dept. Kaitie-ism, "And God Too!" A105 -Against Spanking A113 -Children are full members A112 liturgical resources -Liturgy, "Celebrating the Mission & Service Fund." A501 -The Invitation. A chancel play of the parable of the Wedding Feast. A109 -Picnic theme, order of service (see also Sermon A408) A208 -Baptism Litany in Shepherd theme A216  Preaching & Teaching resources yr. A. Nov 24 The Good Shepherds A453 Nov 17 Holy War and Sacred Peace A452 Nov 10  Eve of Remembrance Day ABC Nov 11 P24 Doing what you say you believe A451 All Saints I want to be in that number A450 P21 Thankful for Grace A447 P22 Covenant of Laws A415 P19 Having the Mind of Christ A445 P18  The Economy of the Realm of God A446 P 17, Forgiving Jacob Mt. 18:21-35  A443 P17 The Protocol of For Forgiveness A444 P17 Forgive ABCforgive A "Liberal" Muslim Minority A310 Charity vs Social Services A307 Preaching and Teaching Resouces Yr. B Oct. 5, 03 Divorce and Marriage ecclesicakes Bp17 Sep. 28, 03 Two ways to see God ecclesicakes Bp16 Sep 21, 03 It's in the relationship ecclesicakes Bp15 Sep. 7, 03 Be-coming Clean eccleiscakes Bp13 World Mission related  liturgies and other resources -Dramatic Liturgy: "Celebrating the Mission & Service Fund." A501 -Teaching tool: "Teaching the M&S Logo." A502 -Biblical passages related to the church's mission a0 Pastoral Relations and Congregational mission -Relationship of ministers and congregation: "We are in a Covenant." A005 -Roles of ministers and people: "Homebodies and Transients." A004 -Congregations without ministers: "Can be a Creative Time."A003 -The Church's chaplain-outreach to the unchurched A007     The Invitation ecclesicakes A109 A Chancel enactment of the parable of the Wedding Feast After Pentecost 23.  or Palm Sunday (see A212) Mathew 22:1-14. Properties: Large table Two tablecloths large enough to cover table; one festive and one plain. Dishes and cutlery for a banquet. Three sets of invitations. Two candles, set in silver holder. Candle lighting equipment. Simple scarves, and headwear and/ or costumes to suggest roles, bandages, hymnbooks or copies of the hymn, Jesus Calls Us. Characters: Monarch, 2 or more Monarch's Ministers, 4 or more Runners, Reader. Staging: -Place Communion Table or other large table on stage centre front in clear view of congregation -Cover the table with the festive cloth and set it for banquet.  -Place a large chair behind the table. Place three smaller chairs on each side of the large chair. -Place invitations on table in front of the large chair.  -Place a copy of the hymn, Jesus Calls Us, in front of each chair, and place other copies where they can be found by Ministers and Runners at the close of this play. -Cover all this with a second cloth. Before the enactment begins you may want to announce that at one point in the play members of the congregation, chosen randomly by the players, will be asked to come onto the stage as guests of the Monarch The Invitation Hymn, during which players take their place onstage.  note: If play this used with the Palm Sunday Service A212, the hymn may be, "This is the Day." Otherwise it might be the first verse of, "Jesus Calls Us." The monarch sits in the large chair.  Reader - The Gospel of Matthew describes Jesus' ministry in one brief statement. Mark says that Jesus went into Galilee inviting everyone to enter into the Realm of God. He said told each one he met that the Realm of God is very near, so now is the time to believe this Good News and turn to God (Matthew 4:17). In Matthew's gospel we find Jesus telling a parable about this invitation to enter the Realm of God. We players are going to enact that parable. WE invite you to see our offering as your invitation to renew your membership in God's Realm, or to enter it for the first time. Reader - Let us pray: O Holy God who invites us to be citizens of Heaven both now and forever, by your Spirit open our hearts and minds so that we respond with gladness to this invitation. May we now hear Christ offering us this Good News. Reader - Here is the parable of Christ: The Realm of Heaven is like this. Once there was a Monarch who prepared a wedding feast for one of his children. Servants - remove plain cloth to reveal table set for banquet. Place candles on table and light them. Reader - The monarch made up a guest list and sent servants to deliver the invitations. Monarch's ministers - Come to monarch to receive invitations, and give them to the Runners, who leave to deliver them. While off stage, they crumple the invitations to signify they have been rejected. Reader: But those who were invited to the banquet refused to come. The Runners return and make a show of giving the crumpled invitations to the Ministers, who nervously take them to the Monarch who is astounded, and cannot believe the refusal. Reader: Again the monarch sent servants out with a second invitation to the same people saying: (Matthew 22: 4b). The Monarch gives out the second set of invitations to the Ministers who give them to the Runners, who leave to deliver them. Reader: (Matthew 22:5-6) The Runners return and sit on the floor. Some are limping, some holding onto broken arms, some with bandages on their heads. The Monarch goes to them in concern, and the ministers bring cushions for the servants to sit on the floor. Reader: The Monarch was enraged, and sent police to arrest those who abused his servants. (Matthew 22:8-10) The Ministers go into the congregation and invite people to come to the banquet. The expectation here is that at least six members of the congregation will allow themselves to be escorted to the stage. The Monarch welcomes them warmly as they arrive. The ministers show them to the six smaller chairs. Hymn, concluding verses of, Jesus Calls Us.  During final verse of this hymn, all the players and the guests leave the stage. click here to return to the beginning of this article click here to return to Story Book index click here to give Bob feedback 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. The Mind of Christ ecclesicakes A445 P + 19, yr. A. Sep 29, 2002.  Phil 2:1-13; Matt. 21:28-32   Have you ever said to someone with whom you are working: You and I are of one mind? You might have gone to work on a project with some hesitation about whether you can work with a particular person, then found out that things went very well, and you could say: "We are of one mind!" This morning I will give attention to the passage we read from Paul's letter to the church at Philippi in which Paul exhorts the people to be at one mind with Christ. Then, I will set beside Paul's injunction, this morning's parable of the two sons; one who said yes, but meant no, and one who said know but acted out a "yes. " So, first let's delve into Paul's prescription for the Christian life: "Have within yourselves the mind of Christ." I am going to begin by playing a bit with the word, mind  As I was preparing this sermon I found myself wondering; "What is mind?" So I looked to three English dictionaries to see what they said about it.  Here is what I found: 1.the Random House Dictionary says that our mind is the part of us that thinks, reasons and perceives. By this definition, to be at one mind with Christ would be to think as Christ seems to have thought,  2.Webster's Dictionary says mind is "the seat of consciousness in which both thinking and feeling take place." According to Webster's definition, to have the mind of Christ is to both think and feel as Christ seems to have done. 3. Then, I turned to the Oxford dictionary. The Oxford dictionary begins by asserting that the mind is "the seat of awareness." This definition expands the concept of mind even further, so that to have the mind of Christ is to have an awareness such as Christ seems to have had   Then I looked at what the New Cambridge Encyclopaedia says about mind. These scholars add even more to our understanding of mind. They include soul in their definition. All this, taken together, led me to say, "Well that's what makes me human!" It seems to me that thinking, feeling, awareness, and soul are what make me human. Mind is what allows me to be the person I am. Could it be that Paul had any of this in view when he urged people to have the mind of Christ? If this is what Paul meant by "mind," you and I are most fully a Christian person when our thought, feeling, awareness and souls are at one with Christ.  Then I thought I should see what theologians think of this, I turned first to Alan Richardson, who makes a career of studying the meaning of words in the Bible. He writes that St. Paul meant that we should have the same attitude that Christ had. 1. That is helpful. To be at one mind with Christ is to have the attitude that Christ displays. Then I turned to a book I am reading just now. In his new book, "The Human Being," Walter Wink says that Christ was a fully human person who sought by word and action to bring God into the whole of his life, and he invited others to do the same. 2.  I come to the conclusion that this is ultimately what it is to have the mind of Christ, to have our whole being (thinking, feeling, awareness, attitude, and our behaviour) in tune with the creator. The next question that comes to my mind is: what are the practical implications of this in our lives? This morning's gospel parable tells us what it does not mean. It does not mean saying yes to God, but meaning no. The parable tells of two sons who are asked by their father to carry out a task. The first son says, "Yes, I'll do it," but he does not. The second son answers "No," but he ends up doing it. We in the church are in danger of being like the first son, saying yes, we will have the same attitude as Christ did, but then behaving as if we had said, "No." So, let us be more like the second son, and seek to have the mind of Christ, the attitude of Christ, even in our doubts and failings. It is not difficult to discover what it is that we are asked to do - even if we feel like saying, "No!" If we just imagine any of the stories we know about Jesus, the attitude we are urged to adopt shines through. I asked you at the beginning to think of times when you and a friend or co-worker found yourselves to be of one mind. Now, I invite you be aware of how you are at one mind with Christ. Think for a moment, do you have a favourite parable, or Jesus story? If so, call that to mind, then ask yourself, "What is the mind of Christ that I find here? What seems to be Jesus attitude in this story?"  Next, consider where in your life (with your family, or friends, or work, or mission of the church) do you find yourself holding the attitude exhibited by Christ- where are you and Christ of one mind? May all of us as we go through the coming week, often find ourselves carrying into the world, the mind of Christ. Surely this is what it is for us to be wholly human, and surely it is the mission of the church to carry such attitudes into the world. 1,"Theological Workbook of the Bible, Alan Richardson, SCM 1965 2. "The Human Being," Walter Wink, Fortress Press 2002. I am Thankful for Gifts of Grace ecclesicakes A447 Thanksgiving Yr. A. Dt. 8:7-18; 2 Cor. 9:6-15; Lk. 17:1-19   This past twelve months has been for me as an individual and a citizen an almost overwhelming experience of God's Grace. These passages from scripture, and my own life lead me to share with you how God's grace has manifested itself to me over this past year. This will be my thanksgiving message; being thankful for God's gift of grace. In plain terms what I am talking about is: coming through a heart attack, having a loving family, living in a province in which the government is committed to public health care, and belonging to a church which takes seriously its partnerships in "working for Peace and Justice." I see these as gifts of grace for which I am profoundly thankful. In calling these things "gifts of grace," I am honouring the words we have this morning from Moses: "Do not say: My power and my strength have gotten me this wealth." I am more than ever convinced that Moses is right. If I boast, "My strength and my work, and my power has gotten me all that I have," I am wrong!  I am wrong because all I have came to me as gifts from God. This was the case for the people healed by Jesus in this morning's reading from Luke. Luke tells us that Jesus met 10 who were sick with an incurable disease, and sent them away healthy. They could not boast that their healing was their own doing. It did not come from a healthy diet (as I might try to follow), nor did it come from working out each day (as I do). They did not have a return to health because they lived a righteous and faithful life (which some of us can claim). No, their health was restored as a pure gift, freely given by God through Jesus. The one of them who came back to give thanks certainly understood this. Jesus says of him: He returned to praise God for what he had received as a gift. Moses taught his people that this is true of all of life. Our gains are not from our own doing. To me this teaching is the essence of our thanksgiving. Thanksgiving acknowledges that all we have comes to us as a gift from God. I want to share with you how I see that applying to my own life. I am convinced that my life has been a series of gifts. These gifts came from God through three channels: through individual people, through the church, and through society. As I share my experience of grace, I invite you to be in touch with your own. What were the times during this year that you have received God's gifts of grace at home, in the community, within the church and in the world? But before I go further in this vein, I want to make two disclaimers. The first is that I do not always experience these people and institutions as gift. I have also been hurt by them and they by me. The second disclaimer is this: I know that what I saw as gift in my life, you may not see as gift in yours. If you want to talk with me about anything that I share, please feel free to speak to me. Having said that, I will now share some of the gifting events of my life over the past few years. They are: my retirement, my heart attack, the actions of my government, and the ministry of the church. In my perception, these all were channels through which gifts came to me from God, and for them, I give thanks. Of these, the first such gift for which I want to publicly give thanks is my retirement. This certainly is a gift. Many have said to me: "Bob, enjoy you retirement, you deserve it!" Indeed I do enjoy it; however, nothing I have done makes me deserving of this gift. My retirement includes, having a little house to live in safely, and a pension adequate to my needs and the freedom to be with those I love. These gifts have come to me through the generosity and work of may people, beginning with the church courts which put in place a good pension plan for church workers. I am also very aware the gift of retirement comes from all those church members who make faithful weekly offerings. It is a monthly gift from those who administer the pension fund. It comes as a gift after thirty years of being privileged to proclaim the Gospel. For this gift of God's graceful gift of retirement I am deeply thankful every morning.   The second blessing I want to speak of is a heart attack. It was both a channel for gifts, and a gift in itself. Through a heart attack I received a gift of Grace channelled through modern medical science. The skill and care of doctors and nurses returned me to health.  Through a heart attack I also received many expressions of love from my family and friends. These are pure gifts of God's grace for which I also give thanks every day. The heart attack itself was gift. Now, that I have had it, I know something about my health that I did not know before, and I can live within that knowledge. It has also made every day precious. So, I can gift thanks for it, and I do. The third experience I want to share with you is that of being a Manitoban and Canadian. I am so glad that my grandparents came to settle in this land. All my life I have benefited from being in this country, and I still do. I am very grateful to live in a nation where so many benefits can be taken for granted. I am thankful that my provincial government places a high priority on our system of public health care, and education. I have done nothing to deserve living in this nation and province. My citizenship comes to me as a pure gift from God. Finally, I am thankful for all the gifts of grace that come to me through the church. From my early childhood the church has been a blessing to me, and it has allowed me to be a blessing. This brings me to the message from St. Paul for this morning. Paul writes to the people who were the church in Corinth, reminding them of the gift of grace they have received from God. Then he invites them to become a gift of Grace themselves, and to give thanks to God for it. (9:14-15). This is the step that completes our thanksgiving; we receive gifts and we become gifts. I am sure that we all want to be a gift and a channel of grace to our families, our communities, our church and our world. God gives us many opportunities to do this. One of these opportunities is our offering. When we leave here our offering carries out work on our behalf.. I am so very glad to give to the Mission and Service Fund. It is so good to be a part of a church whose mission includes "Working for Peace and Human Rights" in our world. I was very pleased to read the current Mandate* magazine which tells of all the ways in which our church is helping to channel God's grace throughout Canada and the world. I invite you read this issue of Mandate and be amazed as I am at the work our offering does. The Mission and Service Fund which distributes our dollars in this way is truly a gift of grace which allows us to be a gift to our neighbours everywhere. So, at this time of thanksgiving, I want to remember that It was my not my work that got these many good things which I enjoy. They all are gifts of God's grace for which I am profoundly thankful. Let us rejoice in God's gifts of grace and pledge ourselves to be gifts of grace wherever we go this week. *Mandate Vol.33, No. 3. August 2002. United Church of Canada (www.united-church.ca/mandate). I Want to be Among that Number  ecclesicakes A450 All Saints. Rev. 7.9-17; 1 John 3.1-3; Mt. 5.1-12 I have never been to New Orleans, but I would very much like to visit there, and especially to experience the sights and sounds of the older parts of that city. I think it would feed my spirit to walk through that architecture and to experience the crowds. There is one particular part of the culture of that area that I would want to experience up close, If it is practised. That would be a funeral procession celebrating the life of an elder in the community, a funeral procession led by a band playing, "When the Saints Go Marching in." I would want to be there to see the people and to hear their music and I would want to be there because that spiritual song, When the Saints Go Marching In, expresses two things for me; both a longing I feel inside and a truth about our faith. I do indeed want to be in that number when the saints go marching in and I believe the day will come when the victory of the Gospel over all that is evil will be realised. For me, that spiritual portrays a day when God's reign will be present in all its fullness, and all those who have contributed to it will be celebrated. It speaks of the day envisioned by St. in this morning's readings from Revelation: They shall be in God's holy presence day and night,  The Lamb will be their shepherd. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more hunger or pain.  Here John follows the prophet Isaiah (49:10) in this vision of God leading the people home. It carries us to the end of this age and to the beginning of the Realm of God on Earth in all its fullness; the fulfilment of Jesus' words announcing the Kingdom of Love for Neighbour. Like St. John, this New Orleans spiritual envisions that moment in which all who long for God's peace will parade together arm in arm. Even us with no singing voice will, on that day, have music and beauty pour from our throats. You don't have to go to New Orleans to get a foretaste of that great day. Every time a choir processes down a church aisle, I think: here we are getting ready for God's victory parade. So, how does this apply to us? I invite us all to find ourselves this imagery. This parade would be made up of all the people in all times who have lived for God's Peace and Grace in some part of their lives. Can you see yourself in it? Imagine that this parade is headed by our mothers and fathers in the faith: Sarah and Abraham, Rebecca and Isaac, Joseph and his coat of many colours, and Ruth. After them will pour in the people of the Exodus from slavery in Egypt - as if they had just come from a Cecile B. DeMille movie.  Miriam will be there with her tambourine, Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, and David with his harp. Then would come the Hebrew prophets, Amos, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. Can you see the Christian community entering? I envision us being led by children with a lamb in their midst, and close behind them all those who have borne a heavy burden in this life. Mary and Peter will be there, and in the latter part of the parade will those who have been this congregation, for instance&ldots;&ldots;. That will be a great singing and hugging day of repentance and tears, and forgiveness, a day of joy and grace. The faithful have a long history of greeting one another warmly. St. Paul encourages us to greet one another with a holy kiss. Lately we have started doing that gain in the church. I get quite a few hugs and holy kisses every Sunday morning. Every time we do this we anticipate that great day when the saints will come marching in. On that All Saints Day all our earthly ministry will be celebrated. Can you imagine coming into the presence of the Holy, and having all the good you have done affirmed and celebrated? The Beatitudes that you have lived will be honoured! Many of us will be remembered for being "Poor in Spirit;" for choosing to share our resources of time or money even though it would have made us richer to have kept them for ourselves. Many of us will be named and blessed for our ministry of mourning and grieving; all those times when we were willing to share anther's sorrows. At funerals I see people who have gone out of their way to support those in grief. Then as ironic as it may seem, even the meek will be lifted up; those who chose to do God's will rather than wilfully go their own way. Then there will be those among us who have hungered and thirsted for righteousness. Those who want to see right done are often not honoured because they want to change things, but on this great day they will be hugged for what they sought to do. So, we can go down the list: the merciful, the peacemakers, the pure in heart, and those who have suffered on account of their faithfulness. All of these will have one characteristic in common - they will be surprised to be there. They will ask: "When was I among the meek, or poor in spirit, or when did I suffer for righteousness? And God will answer them: When you did this for the least of my children, when you cared for the earth and its creatures, you were among the saints. At that, all the saints of every age will weep tears of joy, and I want to be in that number when the saints come marching in.  I want to be with you Mary, and you, Tom. May our living anticipate that day, and may our way be a foretaste of it! Doing what you say you believe. ecclesicakes A451 24th after Pentecost Matthew 23:1-12   There is nothing more true than this morning's Gospel lesson. That is, religious people and their leaders say one thing and do the opposite. We say, "Love your neighbour, " but we often actually dislike or even despise our. neighbours.  I know that this doesn't by any means apply to all people of faith. I know many loving kind people in the church. However, many people have come to the conclusion that we are a bunch of hypocrites. I recall a cartoon, which showed Dennis the Menace standing in a church doorway [for those who don't know - Dennis is a mischievous little boy cartoon character]. The balloon above his head read: "OK where are all the hypocrites!?" That is what many expect to see in the church. In Wednesday's paper* I read that after the destruction of the World Trade Centre, Bill Moyers of Public Television called a conference in New York to explore this very problem. The question to be explored at this meeting was, "Why is religion - which universally teaches love, forgiveness and brotherhood - entwined in so much murder and hate around the world?"  In other words, as Jesus said of the religious leaders of his culture: "They do not practise what they preach." The conference could not answer why this is so. They could only conclude two regrettable truths: the first conclusion was: "most of the horrors around the planet since the cold war ended have involved religion." They went on to list the some of the terrible things that people of one faith have done to people of another faith.  They listed things so horrible that I am reluctant to name them in this sermon without a disclaimer. The second was conclusion of this conference is: "all religions can give root to hate." We would like to think that Christian do not do these things, but the truth is that when it comes to attacking people of another faith, Christians are as blood thirsty as the rest. We may say: "Well, it doesn't happen in Canada." That is true, but the attitude of disdain for one another among religions and churches does exist here. One sign of this is the rarity of co-operation among religious groups in Canada. Bill Moyers' conference could count all the hatreds, big and small, but could not agree on why it is so. It would be interesting to think of the founders of religion getting together to sort this out. Could Moses and Jesus, Buddah and Mohammed live together co-operatively, do you think? According to their teachings they should be able to. Apparently all advocated love and peace among humankind. Those who knew them intimately seemed to find in them a congruency between what they said and what they did. So, maybe they could get along. It is interesting to note that in this morning's reading from Matthew Jesus doesn't condemn the teachings of the Pharisees, he actually recommended that people pay attention to what the other religious leaders taught. He just didn't recommend acting as they acted. It would seem that Jesus said that if everyone, including the Pharisees, did as the Pharisees taught, things would be OK. If we were to transport that to our present world, might we say in our congregations, "It is good to listen to what the Buddhists teach. They have truth in them." This could be a starting place for humankind. From this we could build a world community of, at least respect, if not love. Perhaps we could apply this approach to the other Christian churches in our own town also.  I know of a Canadian hamlet in which there were only three churches who ran separate parallel operations. Then, one year the minister of one church and the priest of one of the other churches and the board chairs of both parishes met at a funeral. They began to talk of holding a joint worship service, and ended up holding a service together in the town hall. They were surprised at the community response. People who never darkened the door of the churches came to that service. Then they did it again - this time with all three churches, and the community voted with their feet, as they say. They voted, "yes," we like this. The churches found that they moved from alienation to trust to love. I think the community saw them acting out what they said they believed: "Love one another." In doing so, they were actually following the advice of Jesus as given in another part of this morning's reading from Matthew. Jesus advised his disciples not to become authorities in religion or anything else. They were not to become instructors enlightening other s who knew nothing. They were instead to remain learners; always learning together. What I take from this is Jesus' insight that the best sort of faith community is one in which everyone is a learner and everyone is a teacher. Maybe it is difficult to hate someone from whom you have learned an important lesson, and maybe it is difficult to dislike someone who has listened carefully and respectfully to what you have to teach. Then, Jesus has a third piece of advice. That is, don't be a master or mistress, and always be a servant. Jesus said: "The greatest of you will be your servant." This is true. I have been to the doctor a lot lately. In many ways the doctor is greater than I, yet, in Canada, the doctor is my servant. She attends to my welfare. Problems arise when some believe they are masters, and others are simply there to be used for the master's purpose, or to be discarded. In whatever way we spend our life, we are at our best when we are servants to others who are also servants, and who respect one another for the gifts they have and the service they give. There is, again, a congruency in living together this way. I began this sermon with a report from the newspaper, and I am going to conclude with another one from the same day's paper **. The headline of this second newspaper article reads as follows: Words are Uganda's best weapon in war on AIDS. The article beneath that headline tells of how church leaders in Uganda have acted in a way that is consistent with love. They have taught their people that those who suffer from AIDS are not to be treated as immoral persons and in doing so have reduced the incidence if AIDS by 1/2. "And now, because church leaders and the government of Uganda say that AIDS is not an immoral disease, people feel free to talk about it" and to learn how it is spread. As a result "Uganda is the only country to reduce the incidence of AIDS in Africa, and they are the only one to admit what causes it or that it is a problem."  Let us remember that there are many others in communities of faith who follow Jesus teachings and show a consistency between their words and their actions. Let each if us open our hearts to God's Holy Spirit so that it may be said of us that we respect our neighbours and their faith, and live our faith true to what we profess it to be. *"All religions can give root to hate," James A. Haught, The Charleston Gazette. Winnipeg Free Press p. A14 October 30, 2002. **"Words are Uganda's best weapon in war on AIDS, " Alexander Paul, Winnipeg Free Press p. A6 October 30, 2002 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. Sacrament of Baptism onShepherd Theme On Shepherd theme  Ezekiel 34:11-16; Luke 9:46-48; John 10:1-16 Leader- To day we have the high privilege of welcoming lambs to the flock of God. People- We welcome them /her/him as Jesus would have done;     We take them into our arms and bless them. L. By this sacrament they become members of God's flock in Christ;    The recipients of God's Grace, disciples of the Love of God. P. We receive them into the fold with our whole hearts, and pledge to be a community      in which all are all may find nourishment in the Spirit,      and encouragement in the Christian life.       Creed  Pouring of the water for baptism  Presentation of the candidates for baptism  To Parents, Guardians and god parents: Q. You have joined in the reading of the creed,      Are in essential agreement with this statement of Faith? R. Yes, with God's help we embrace faith in God our Creator,      in Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. The Sacrament and  presentation of the those who have been baptised. Hymn, "Jesus, Friend of Little Children,"  Prayer of thanksgiving  Waging Holy War- Sacred Peace ecclesicakes A452 Judges 41-7; 1 Thes. 5:1-11; Mt. 25:14-30 and Is. 2:1-4.   This morning I find a three-way coincidence between 1. This time of year, when our whole nation focuses on its war history and 2. The world standing on the brink of a new war that may involve us and 3, the Reading from Judges for this Sunday, which speaks of holy war. Then, we can set this theme of war over against the gospel lesson, which reminds that we are accountable for what we do with what the trust that God places in us. Meanwhile St. Paul advises us that as we go into the future we are to wear God's armor: the breastplate of love, and the helmet of faith. I am going to weave these together to do some thinking about our spiritual attitude toward war-making. Basically the spiritual question is: "What do we perceive to be the will of God regarding war? In my pondering all this, I begin with the Judges. The book of judges is all about the wars Israel fought after Joshua led them across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. We have all heard stories of these wars in Sunday school. For instance, that is what the story Samson, Gideon, and Deborah are all about. This holy war lasted for many years right up to the time of David and Goliath. David was a great hero because he was the one who finally conquered Palestine, and took over the city of Jerusalem. As Old Testament scholar, Thomas Dozemen, points out the Bible sees all these as holy wars; wars fought in the name of God to accomplish what God wanted. The reason for the wars is simple. When Israel got to the Promised Land of Palestine, it was already inhabited by other people. If you were in church a few Sundays ago, you heard a tongue twisting list of the names of all these other people (Joshua 3: 10). Those who occupied Palestine ahead of the Israelis were well established with cities like Jericho and Jerusalem. However, the Israeli immigrants were not to worry, because they had been told that God would drive these other people out of Palestine to make room for Israel. The book of judges tells us that God's method of ethnic cleansing was a holy war, which Israel was to wage on everyone else in Palestine. According to Judges it was Israel's holy duty to conquer its new neighbors. They must do this because they believed that to be God's will. In those days of conquer or be conquered, it was understood that each country's gods went to war with them, and the people with the strongest god won. This is a spiritual attitude toward war. It says that war is holy because it is basically God's war. This is where we all came from regarding war and faith. A faithful warrior fought in God's battles.  This idea of the spiritual warrior has been repeated many times in the history of humankind. Our ancestors told themselves frequently that it is God's will that they go to war for a holy cause. Or if we didn't exactly say: "God wants us to go to war," we did believe that God was on our side. Surely this was true of the European conquest of the Americas. Our ancestors generally believed that it was their holy right and duty to occupy this land and bring our holy blessings to the savage heathen who were already here. Those who opposed us would suffer the wrath of God. On the Canadian central plains this holy war was waged both by starvation (taking away the original people's Bison food supply), and by guns. When the Metis 1. protested the transfer of their homeland from the Hudson's Bay Company to Canada, Canada sent in the army with the self-righteous support of good Protestant Ontarions. 3. The Metis also thought God was with them. This notion of holy war continues to today. I am sure that George Bush believes that God approves of conquering the present regime in Iraq. President Bush seems intent on a holy war against those nations he considers to be evil. Of course, there were those in Iraq who saw God on their side when they invaded Kuwait. So, the question comes to my mind, "Where is the will of God in all this?" I certainly think that it was right to oppose Nazi Germany, and to end its take over of Europe. It seems that the only way to do that was by going to war. So, can we say that God was on our side? In very recent times we have seen some new spiritual attitudes to war. In the sixties Canadian Diplomat, Lester Pearson had the idea that the military could be used to prevent war. This was called peace-keeping. For several decades this was the role of Canada's armed forces. This seemed to fit the Canadian psyche very well. Certainly many church people and other peace-nics saw this way of using the military to be in keeping with their spiritual beliefs. Then, more recently, we left peace keeping to become peace-makers. We joined in the war in Bosnia to end the brutal ethnic cleansing practiced by the Serbians, and to bring peace, security, and respect for persons to that land. I don't remember anyone saying: "God is on our side," but I do know that many faithful people supported using force to end this regime. It is interesting to note that this was not called "war." It was designated, not war bit peace-making, and it is God's will that we make peace, which includes security and respect for persons. I suppose the notion of peace-making also allowed us to send the military to Aphganistan. It has yet to be shown if war brought peace top that land. This application of the military is certainly new in the world. For most of the world's history, armies have been used by one nation conquer and dominate another, as David did in Old Testament days. Certainly we should have learned through two world wars that a victory in war that does not lead to peace, security and respect is no victory at all. So, it would seem that Canadians have come to see the military as a tool by which we may participate in making this a better world in which people can live in peace, security, and respect. Could it be that God has led us to this way of thinking and acting? Now I will turn to the passage from Matthew, which we read this morning. In this parable a master gives servants a number of Talents for which they are responsible. Then there comes a day of reckoning, and the master asks the servants how they have used the Talent they were given. Could it be that one of the Talents we Canadians have been given at this moment in our history is that of participating in armed force only for the purpose of establishing or maintaining Peace on Earth? Is this a holy Talent? If peace-making and peace-keeping is one of our God-given Talents, how will we use it? The hope and Love, which St. Paul speaks of, will surely inspire us to believe that God is calling all nations to a more mature spiritual attitude toward war.  War is now only to be used for peace-making. We are to see that God's holy will is that we build a world where war to conquer will be no more, and nations will beat their swords into plowshares; a time when the newly established World Criminal Court God will bring to account all the world's tyrants.2. May we as a nation among nations be open to this mature spirituality, and not make holy war, but rather wage Sacred Peace. 1. Metis is a culture created by descendents of parents one of whom was aboriginal and the other European. 2. Ontario is one of the founding provinces of Canada.                3. Isaiah 2: 1-4 The Good Shepherd ecclesicakes A453   Both the Old and New Testament readings for today use the imagery of Shepherd and flocks to portray our relationship with God as individuals and as community. Like a good shepherd God cars about each sheep and about the health of the whole flock. It begins with 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is my Shepherd." Here, God is the shepherd, not of a flock but of single solitary sheep. The Lord is MY shepherd, not OUR shepherd. The psalm-singer, King David, alone is cared for by this Shepherd-God. 1. Later, the prophet Ezekiel expands God's care to all the people. Ezekiel portrays the whole nation of Israel as God's flock  (Ez. 34:13). Then in Mathew 25, this is taken even further; not just Israel, but all the nations of humankind are God's sheep. So, there seems to be a progression in this portrayal of who are God's sheep. It moves from one, to many, to all; from individual to universal. There is also a development in the bible regarding who is the shepherd. The role of shepherd expands from God to us. While God or Christ always is the ultimate shepherd, the shepherding role is distributed into the community. Ezekiel says that not only God, but also the rulers of the people are to act as shepherds of a flock (Ezekiel 34:1-3). The Kings, Queens heads of families, leaders in religious communities were all to see themselves as good shepherds, caring for a flock. The whole purpose of positions of responsibility is seeking the welfare of those within your care. In the church we sometimes express this by saying that the minister is the shepherd, the "pastor," and the people are the flock. But this is not limited to clergy. Church School teachers, youth leaders, elders, board members also have shepherding roles. Then, Ezekiel and Jesus take this imagery even further. Both see the sheep as having responsibility for one another (Ezekiel 34:18-21). It seems to me that both Ezekiel and Jesus observed flocks of sheep on the Palestinian hillsides. They saw that there was more going on than an active shepherd caring for passive sheep. They noticed that some sheep were leaders, some were bullies, some got to eat the best grass, while others got the dry grass. They saw that members of a flock have friendships, and form alliances. So, in the end the shepherd-sheep imagery has both deeply personal and communal implications. First, each of us is personally known by God, the good shepherd. Once in my life I went to a tailor and had a suit made just for me and my measurements. Well, when we sing, "The Lord is my shepherd," we are confessing that God's grace is tailor-made to fit us very personally. The Palestinian shepherd knew each animal in the flock, and examined them daily for sores or wounds, and general health. I have a brother in law who has a sheep farm. Like the Palestinian shepherds, Barry knows each animal. We are known by God even more fully than a shepherd knows the sheep. God has known the children we baptized this morning, and will keep watch as they grow and learn and age and finish this life. A grown up grand daughter of mine forwarded to me an e mail copy of an essay which is a high school student's idea of Heaven. In this essay heaven is a place where everything we have done or thought is recorded on series of libary cards. The shepherd God knows us well. The second thing I note about the biblical shepherd imagery is that it provides a model for those of us who are given leadership roles in family or church or world. rulers and leaders are to be like shepherds, caring for the flock. When we accepted these children into the community of faith, we promised that the church would be like shepherds to them and their family. They will have many shepherds in their life, beginning with parents and extended family. As they grow they will be entrusted to the care of teachers, and other care-givers and friends, and perhaps lovers. I have found that grandparenting is a kind of shepherding role toward our grandchildren and their parents.   During this past Thanksgiving season, I reflected on the many gifts of caring and support that I have received in my 67 years. The people who have supported, and cared for me over these years, and continue to do so is almost beyond number. Hopefully, I have been able to offer some care in return. I expect that this will be the experience of these children, they will receive much shepherding, and become shepherds themselves. The third learning I take from the Bible's shepherding imagery is this: all of us are responsible for the quality of life that goes on within the flock. The tendency is often to blame the shepherds for the state of affairs, and it is true that leaders have responsibility, however I believe that, in the end, the quality of life that exists in our churches and communities is largely our own doing. It is our responsibility to create within the church and within our communities and our world an environment of peace, with security and justice. Such an atmosphere will be the result of hundreds of acts of kindness by we, the people, and by our expressed conviction that this is the kind of world we want our leaders to work for.  Our inspiration for this comes from the certainty of God's shepherding care for us, and from the care we receive from our neighbours. It is a circle. May these children, and we ourselves live continually in such a circle.   1. Maybe this was because the psalmist thought that if the king was looked after, the poeple would prosper. Sort of a "trickle down" theory. The Covenant of Laws      P22 Yr. A, L.3 Yr. B. Exodus 19:1 - 20:21 ecclesicakes A415 Today we focus on our covenant relationship with God. Each of us is in a covenant with God, the Source of Life. This covenant is a mutual exchange. God offers us grace and truth, we offer to God our fidelity. So, every person of faith has this deal going on; God offers grace and peace, we respond with an offering of love. This is also true for us as a community. We are in a covenant with God.  God offers us this congregation as a place where we may learn of God's Peace, and in return, we, the people, pledge that we will together proclaim that Love to the world as we care for one another. If all our life as a people of God were a tree, then the covenants we have with God are the roots of that tree. We are not alone in this. All the churches in our town are in a covenant with God. It is also beyond Christianity. We have heard a lot about the religion of Islam over this past month. We have been reminded that the Christian Bible and the Moslem, Koran, teach many things in common. For instance, we both honor Abraham and Sarah as our spiritual ancestors. This means that we share also in the covenant Abraham and Sarah made with God. We find then that covenant is at the root of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faith. The Bible teaches that covenant is a developing and growing relationship between humankind and our common creator. It is like a tree with four roots: Trust, Promise, Law, and Grace. The covenant of Trust is found in the story of Noah and the Flood.  After the Flood, God gave the rainbow as a sign that we can trust God. Every time we see the rainbow we are to remember that God is to be trusted. This is the first covenant: God provides, and we respond with trust. The second Covenant is Promise. This is the covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah. This covenant also has a sign. As the rainbow is the sign of the Trust covenant, we ourselves are the sign of the Promise covenant. In this covenant God promises that the descendents of Abraham and Sarah would be as numerous as the stars. We are those descendents. We are the sign that this Promise is being fulfilled. Today, our focus is on a third Covenant root to our faith. This is the Covenant of Law. For the Hebrew People God's Law is an especially Holy Gift (Psalm 1). The Covenant of Law was given first as the 10 Commandments. This is the gift from God that makes possible humane society. This is the gift from our Creator that allows our societies to nurture children and to give value to every person. It is important to note one basic assumption about the covenant of the Law. That basic assumption is this: the laws of God apply equally to everyone. There are no favourites within the law, and no one can say the law does not apply to them. This assumption leads to a healthy human society under God. A sign of this covenant  would be a society where the law is being applied equally to all for the good of all.  Thomas Jefferson, surely had this in mind when he wrote: "all are created equal " and have inherent rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We can see what happens in human society when this basic assumption is not applied. I am sure that each of us could name societies where there is no equality under the law. Every society is in need of being careful that to have the law apply equally to everyone. Now, let us listen to the 10 Commandments, and try to imagine the kind of society that was envisioned when these "laws" were given to humankind. So, I ask you to sit back and hear these 10 basic laws for a good society under God. I am going to read the commandments in reverse, beginning with number 10. For our purpose this morning I have prefaced each commandment with the words, Create a society in which you do/do not&ldots; - 10. Create a society in which you do not covet your neighbour's house or anything that is your neighbour's. - 9. Create a society in which you do not bear false witness against your neighbour, - 8. Create a society in which you do not steal, - 7. Create a society in which you do not commit adultery, - 6. Create a society in which you do not kill, - 5. Create a society in which you honour your father and your mother, - 4. Create a society in which you remember the Sabbath, keep it holy, - 3. Create a society in which you do not take the name God in vain, - 2. Create a society in which you do not make a graven image, and bow down and serve it, - 1. Create a society in which you have no other gods before me. As you listened you may have realized right away that only a few of these commandments would be enforceable by the police or law courts. They are not so much laws, as they are the basis for creating a good society with just laws, under God. The Ten Commandments are not even a complete list of what is needed for a good and just society. In fact, the Hebrew people soon wrote a statement that goes beyond the Ten Commandments. It is called the Shema. It is quoted in Luke's Gospel: "You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself."(Lk. 10.27). The Hebrew prophets were to be even more explicit. Micah proclaimed: "What does God require of you? To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) And Amos, who saw the poor and weak being abused, called the rulers of  his day to: "Hate evil and establish justice in the gates," "let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a stream." (Amos 5:10,11,15, 24). Jesus calls us to make sure that children are respected and honored. (Luke 18:5) So, the third covenant is that under God, law shall serve to create community that is equitable for all, and honors all as the children of God. This third covenant calls us to respond by living as good citizens who create societies that nurture and encourage all God's people.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Let us be aware of the many ways we have been gifted by God, and the many ways God gifts us. Thanks be to God for all these gifts!