November 21, 2010
Reign of Christ – Pentecost Last
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Colossians 1:11-20
(prayer)
Do you remember Raffi? He’s the famed Canadian Children’s singer of such songs as Baby Beluga and Shack Your Sillies Out. Raffi's recent musical work focuses on social and environmental causes and appeals to the generation who grew up with his children's music ("Beluga Grads") to affect change in the world. He also promotes those causes through his books, academic lectures and as a speaker.
In recent years, Raffi has devoted himself to "Child Honouring", his vision for creating a humane and sustainable world by addressing the universal needs of children. His "Covenant for Honouring Children" outlines the principles of this philosophy. There is a copy of the covenant on the bulletin board in the hallway by the west entrance. This is what it says:
“We find these joys to be self evident: That all children are created whole, endowed with innate intelligence, with dignity and wonder, worthy of respect. The embodiment of life, liberty and happiness, children are original blessings, here to learn their own song. Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream and belong to a loving “village.” And to pursue a life of purpose.
We affirm our duty to nourish and nurture the young, to honour their caring ideals as the heart of being human. To recognize the early years as the foundation of life, and to cherish the contribution of young children to human evolution.
We commit ourselves to peaceful ways and vow to keep from harm or neglect these, our most vulnerable citizens. As guardians of their prosperity we honour the bountiful Earth whose diversity sustains us. Thus we pledge our love for generations to come.”
//
November 20th is Universal Children’s Day recognizing the dates that the United Nations adopted the Declaration (and the Convention) on the Rights of the Child.
In years when Christmas Day falls on a Thursday to a Sunday, the Sunday closest to November 20th is also the last Sunday before Advent begins – the final Sunday in the season after Pentecost: AKA “Reign of Christ Sunday”. This year because Christmas is a Saturday, Reign of Christ Sunday falls one day after Universal Children’s Day.
For a variety of reasons, I think these go well together. First and foremost, Jesus knew the value of children and he showed leadership in a culture where children were to be excluded from real society: 1...The disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ 2He called a child, whom he put among them, 3and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:1-5)
As well, the concept of the Reign of Christ is to view Jesus as sovereign in our lives, as in control, as responsible for the well-being of our lives…like we would expect of someone “in charge”: in Jesus’ day, a king, or in modern political systems: a president or prime minister or dictator.
In whatever leadership we are given to exercise in our lives, we do well to remember what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: "The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children."
//
Jesus clearly had natural leadership qualities. People flocked to his presence because he spoke and acted with authority: an authority some even claimed came directly from God. As we read the biblical narrative, we don’t find examples of Jesus claiming the leader role, but in the conversations around him, the topic surely came up. In fact, it was claims to leadership that ultimately got Jesus’ killed. While our gospels also describe the religious concerns of the Jerusalem Temple leaders towards Jesus – that he was a blasphemer, claimed to be the Son of God, a misguided teacher, a threat to the practice of faith, none of that would have mattered much to the occupying roman authorities. What got Pilate and Herod’s attention were the rumours that Jesus was being proclaimed as a king! This is seen really well in Luke’s gospel, where internally, the Temple Assembly was concerned about the claim that Jesus was Son of God; when they took him to Pilate, they said: We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king. (Luke 23:2). The charge that lead to Jesus’ crucifixion was ‘treason’: “Are you a king?”, Pilate asked Jesus.
//
Jesus had authority, that much was clear to everyone, but the nature of that authority was anything but clear. Was he a revolutionary, bent on overthrow? Was he inciting anti-empire activities? Did he intend to topple the religious structure of the Hebrew people with his ‘new ideas’? What kind of authority did Jesus have and what difference did it make?
//
In some circles, this Reign of Christ Sunday, is also known as Christ the King Sunday. I prefer Reign of Christ, because “king” seems to be an inadequate word – If Jesus was a king, he was unlike the kings of this world.
//
Our first scripture reading today from Jeremiah, comes from that time (600 years before Jesus), when Judah was being overrun by the Babylonian Empire, when the Hebrew leadership was turned into a puppet government for the empire. And so the prophet speaks on God’s behalf: 1Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD ... 5The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.
In the gospel of John, Jesus is called the ‘good shepherd’, picking up on this image of leaders as shepherds from Jeremiah and elsewhere in the Biblical record.
The nature of the leader Jeremiah preaches about is justice and righteousness and safety. There is no mention of self-aggrandizing or the accumulation of power and wealth.
The letter to the Christians in Colossae uses wonderfully poetic language to describe the nature of Jesus’ authority to its first century audience – the incarnation is described by saying that Jesus was the [visible] image of the invisible God; in Jesus the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. I remember former United Church Moderator, Bill Phipps, saying one time that, in Jesus, we see absolutely as much of God that con be contained within the limits of a human life.
The book of Colossians says that Jesus holds all things together – everything that has been created is given order and purpose through the risen Christ. That is a statement of the impact of faith in the life of a Christian. As Christians, by definition, we connect to God through Jesus, his story, his life, his teachings, his example, the mystery of his eternal presence following his crucifixion and resurrection, and the joy of knowing that we don’t journey this existence alone. Since, our connection to God is through Christ, we can find great value in these ancient poetic words: 16for in [Christ] all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through [Christ] and for [Christ]. 17[Christ] himself is before all things, and in [Christ] all things hold together.
To be a follower of Jesus is to believe that we live as part of the Reign of Christ.
//
The evidence of Jesus’ life is that this leadership and authority is not what the world is used to: empowerment over domination – invitation over occupation – compassion over criticism – love and peace over war and hate.
When Jesus made his triumphful entry into Jerusalem (on what we now call Palm Sunday) it was not aboard an armoured war horse, but on a coat laden donkey. When Jesus wanted to give a tangible example of what was needed to be great in God’s eyes, he didn’t call forward Peter or John, he asked a child to come sit on his knee.
//
Jesus got into a lot of trouble because of who he spent his time with. According to Luke’s gospel, when Simon the Pharisee’s dinner party was crashed by a woman whose reputation was among the lowest of the low, Simon’s other guests were shocked that Jesus was not shocked. In fact, as the woman came and touched Jesus and anointed him, he was accepting and appreciative. “Who” people had judged her to be was not important to Jesus.
That was a powerful kind of new leadership.
Jesus sowed these seeds of authority over and over again in his ministry: inviting Zacchaeus to dine with him, in spite of the fact the whole community had shunned him because of his complicity with the roman authorities as a tax collector for the empire; also there was the time when Jesus highlighted to everyone that it was okay that he had been secretly touched by a woman, considered unclean, even though he was on his way to the home of the leader of a local synagogue. Instead of making Jesus unclean, the act actually healed the woman after a dozen years of community estrangement; and there were countless other, outsiders, outcasts and (so called) sinners who were not rejected, but welcomed by Jesus.
This was a powerful kind of new leadership.
//
Shepherds play a really significant role in the story of Jesus’ life. Shepherding in the first century was a valuable life blood of the Judeah economy – the wool, the meat were wanted and needed by all people. But the actual work of shepherding was not considered high society. It meant spending most of one’s time outside – regardless of the weather and it inevitably left one bringing their work everywhere they went. If it was true (as Luke claims) that shepherds were the first to visit Jesus after he was born, everyone should have had no trouble finding the Christ-child – they could just follow the ‘scent of manure and mutton’.
It is interesting that throughout the scriptures a shepherd is used as a metaphor for a leader of the Hebrews. We can draw a conclusion that there is a care and compassion expected within the leader – the health of the flock is paramount, even more so than the shepherd’s own safety – you make recall the quote from the gospel of John: 10:11...The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
//
It is fair to say that a shepherd is an odd image for a king-ruler – sure the guiding part fits, but everything else seems at odds with the lifestyle that is usually assumed goes along with high leadership.
And when we add to that another image of leadership that was espoused by Jesus, it is clear that the kind of ‘ruler’ that we see in Jesus is quite different from the kings and emperors (and presidents and prime ministers and dictators) in this world.
Listen to this verse from Mark, chapter 9 (it is a loose parallel to one I read earlier from Matthew): 33Then they came to Capernaum; and when Jesus was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
Jesus’ view of leadership is a king who was like a good, dedicated shepherd; one who serves rather than expects to be served; one who sees the welfare of all as the norm – from the so-called least to the greatest.
Jesus is no ordinary king.
//
//
And so, as followers of this servant, shepherding, child-honouring king, we should portray the same attitude in our lives in this world, shouldn’t we? Doesn’t that just make sense?
//
What do we need? Well, we need to buck the trends of greed and selfishness. I think Zack Galifianakis’ character in the new movie Due Date said it best: “We better check it before we wreck it!”
We are up against strong opposition here: you know how it is, every time there is some proposal based on compassion and fairness for those on the outside –
the Not-In-My-BackYardigans start to shout. And the ideologues begin to speak the language of prudence and say, it sounds nice, as long as taxpayer’s dollars aren’t involved (i.e. as long as we all don’t have to participate).
Jesus’ followers are up against entrenched attitudes that try to convince us that we are not our brother’s and sister’s keepers. This winners-and-losers world we have, trends against the kind of leadership Jesus showed and encouraged.
And yet the prophet promised that “a righteous branch from David’s family tree would surely sprout and reign wisely with justice and righteousness and the result is that the people would be saved.”
Now I know that some Christian’s interpret salvation very specifically, as meaning an assurance of an eternity with God. That’s cool – who doesn’t want that! But, I think that Jeremiah was less concerned about the next world as he was about the situation his people were in at the moment (in 586 BCE).
Extrapolating things to our time, we need to be saved from all that separates us from God’s vision of shalom (peace, wholeness, unity) for this world – in this world, NOW – all of those attitudes that find ‘servant, shepherding, child-honouring leadership’ threatening.
We need to be safe from that!
And so, in the paradox of faith, we can offer leadership by following the one who is our righteous branch.
Not easy. Real leadership never is!
#210VU “Christus Paradox – You Lord Are
Both Lamb and Shepherd”
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
NOW AND HERE
November 14, 2010
Pentecost 25
Isaiah 65:17-25
2nd Thessalonians 3:6-13
(prayer)
If you were in church here at St. David’s last week, you may remember that we had read from the book of the prophet Haggai. If you weren’t here last week, don’t worry - this is not part of a multi-week sermon series that if you miss one, you’ll be lost. All I wanted to say is that today’s reading from Isaiah 65, comes from about the same time period as Haggai.
The Hebrew people have returned to the land of Judah after six or seven decades of living in forced exile by the rivers of Babylon.
It was a time of re-discovery. Only the most elderly of the people would have had any memory of the former glory of Jerusalem (and that would have been back when they were children), as the vast majority of the returning exiles had been born in Babylon – all they knew were the stories told by parents and grandparents.
They came back – not to a glorious land flowing with milk and honey and a grand capital city – but a land abused for decades and former mighty buildings laying in piles of rubble, including the magnificent stone temple that had stood for several hundreds of years since the time of King Solomon.
Into this reality, the prophet speaks for God:
17 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.
//
The message is: The past is history – in this new time, something new and wonderful begins: an era of happiness and prosperity; of peace and longevity and safety.
When I read Isaiah 65, I find myself taking a long, relaxing breath. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. You know it is a great space and frame of mind to be in – relaxed because life is good!
Those moments are precious. To have the anxiety of the past truly set aside and to live in a moment of calm. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
//
God, I wish those moments would last.
I suspect that all of us would love to have a long, long life of the bliss that comes with calm. I suppose that is why Isaiah’s words are such a power vision for a hope we all long for,
//
The reality is that the universe is a dynamic place – we are constantly in motion, time marches on – we can never really freeze a moment in time, because each time we become aware of the moment we are in, it passes and we are brought to the next moment ... and so on ...
//
And yet we are gifted with memory, so those ‘past’ moments are not lost. The discipline of history is to make a conscious effort to keep the impact of those past moments a present reality.
As I also mentioned last week, for the Hebrew people re-settling Judah, there was little living memory of what life in Judah had been like before the exile. But the impact of that life and the connection of the people to their God endured. Not only had it endured, it had continued to develop over the 60 or 70 years away from the land and the temple mount.
“We can be changed in the present, by the impact of what has happened in the past.”
That is the central point of what I want to say today: We can be changed in the present, by the impact of what has happened in the past. For me this is significantly different from living in the past or even longing for the past, which I think are fruitless endeavours. Shakespeare wrote that “what’s past is prologue” (cf. The Tempest). Where we have been is simply the lead-up to where we are – it is the here and now where ‘true importance’ lies.
//
November is traditionally the time of the year that this congregation of St. David’s United Church celebrates its anniversary. [Does anyone know why November? That’s not a rhetorical question, I really have no idea.]. I know, thanks to the history wall of pictures of former clergy (aka ‘the rogues gallery’) that our history goes back to 1898. That makes 2010 the 112th anniversary of our congregation. In fact for the 13 years, ours is a double history including churches established by both the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations. In 1911, these congregations saw the prudency of joining together. I suspect that neither may have been able to endure had they insisted on going it alone. All of this predates the formation of the United Church of Canada, which (in 1925) formally brought together our founding congregations that had already been together for 14 years.
2010 is the 85th anniversary of the United Church of Canada – are far as Christian denominations go, we are still babies on a global scale, and yet 85 years is a remarkable accomplishment.
Early on the Union was more of a paper connection, as former Methodist congregations and former Presbyterian congregations and former Congregationalist churches continued to function (on a Sunday-by-Sunday) basis quite differently, according to their own histories. But eventually, as the moments of time pressed onward, as new clergy were trained within the new United Church structure, as new congregations were established with no history in the former denomination, a new style of ‘being church’ began to develop: it took decades.
It must have been a similar experience that occurred with the ancient Hebrews during the exile, as new generations with no personal memory of the past began to live out their faith in ways that were relevant to their time and their context.
//
Since the spring of this year we have highlighted that one of the projects of the United Church of Canada in this 85th anniversary year was to pair up congregations across the church, with hopes that they will connect with each other in some way over the year.
We are paired with Memorial United Church in Murray River, PEI. There has been some email contact between the churches. And, I know that Gladys and Alvin Burdeyney visited that church on a trip they made out east this summer and took some personal greetings from us to them. I think we even exchanged collectable church plates!
I hope others have attempted some connection, as the 85th anniversary year is nearing it’s end. I want to try something here to make another connection. If I can make it work, let’s record a video message for our sisters and brothers on the east coast.
//
//
All things going well, I will email that video to them before the day is out. That kind of connection is a possibility that exists in our modern world. I know that as new generations develop new ways to connect and express their faith, that other generations are prone to wonder, ‘what’s the point?’
And yet, there is value in allowing our ancient, timeless story, to find new expression so that it can be heard and experienced in each new age. In fact, I think we should always get excited when discover that our mission and message fits into the modern world
//
In 2006, the 39th General Council of the United Church of Canada approved “A Song of Faith” as a modern statement of faith to add to past statements that have tried to describe the life and purpose of the church over the ages. It was noted in the preamble: The church’s faith is grounded in truths that are timeless. These truths, however, must be embraced anew by Christians of each generation and stated “in terms of the thoughts of their own age and with the emphasis their age needs” (Statement of Faith, 1940). This is not a statement for all time but for our time. In as much as the Spirit keeps faith with us, we can express our understanding of the Holy with confidence. And in as much as the Spirit is vast and wild, we recognize that our understanding of the Holy is always partial and limited. Nonetheless we have faith!
//
For the early Christians in Thessalonica, the promise of God’s active love expressed in the life of Jesus and the promise of God’s redemption founded in Jesus’ death and resurrection had led to a belief (for some) that there was no value in living a purposed life in this world – all of the attention was on the realm to come. I have said before that it was as if they took the words ‘freedom in Christ’ too literally. These people were not able to be in the world – they were not able to see this life as founded in goodness, as the Bible proclaims (cf. Gen 1). The author of the second letter to the Thessalonians strongly discouraged this attitude of ‘living in idleness’.
//
There is a common theme in all of this: faith is an active endeavour – and it goes beyond a intellectual connection at the level of the mind. The attitude of faith, certainly begins internally, but has always been expressed (by our forbearers in every time and place) by actions: the love of Christ lived and shown in the world. We are not called to hide from the world, or retreat from the world, but to be part of the transformation the world!
//
I am so proud to be connected to a church that nurtured this attitude in people to the point that at a provincial level here in Alberta, Women’s groups in the United Church got together and started the Child Well-being Initiative. (see insert with today’s bulletin)
More Info on CWBI
//
Last weekend, I attended the Northern Region Symposium for United Church people from Yellowhead, Edmonton and Northern Lights Presbyteries. One of my colleagues in ministry had come to the event with his whole family including his four young daughters, the youngest of which is just a few months old. One of the speakers at the event drew our attention to this child and reminded us that the decisions we make as a society are never made in isolation. “What if”, the speaker said, “every decision we made as a society (as individuals, as churches, as governments) was based on her best interests?” Do you think we would choose to make her suffer today or in the future? That’s a faith-in-action challenge!
//
The Thessalonians passage today discourages idleness by suggesting that “anyone unwilling to work, should not eat.” That kind of attitude is held by some ideologies to disconnect us from the needs of others. What the child well-being initiative does is challenge us to accept that no child has made any decision that should justify our society to allow them to live in poverty.
This coming Thursday, Women of the United Church will be at the Alberta Legislature to hold a press conference and present each Alberta MLA with a handmade doll as a tactile symbol of the need to ensure that over 77,500 children living in poverty in Alberta is almost eighty-thousand too many.
//
//
And so, let’s honour our history, let’s celebrate our anniversary. But let’s not live in the past, or even long for the past. Let us be grateful for the gift of this life, this moment and the opportunities to live the love of our Christ in ways that transform our world into a place that sees that we are all connected by the benevolent source of all that is, and was, and ever shall be.
Faith is of today. It always has been!
//
Let us pray:
Guide us God, today, to live into your vision for infinite peace and justice, where all your creatures live in harmony as you intend. AMEN.
#79MV “Spirit, Open My Heart”
Pentecost 25
Isaiah 65:17-25
2nd Thessalonians 3:6-13
(prayer)
If you were in church here at St. David’s last week, you may remember that we had read from the book of the prophet Haggai. If you weren’t here last week, don’t worry - this is not part of a multi-week sermon series that if you miss one, you’ll be lost. All I wanted to say is that today’s reading from Isaiah 65, comes from about the same time period as Haggai.
The Hebrew people have returned to the land of Judah after six or seven decades of living in forced exile by the rivers of Babylon.
It was a time of re-discovery. Only the most elderly of the people would have had any memory of the former glory of Jerusalem (and that would have been back when they were children), as the vast majority of the returning exiles had been born in Babylon – all they knew were the stories told by parents and grandparents.
They came back – not to a glorious land flowing with milk and honey and a grand capital city – but a land abused for decades and former mighty buildings laying in piles of rubble, including the magnificent stone temple that had stood for several hundreds of years since the time of King Solomon.
Into this reality, the prophet speaks for God:
17 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.
//
The message is: The past is history – in this new time, something new and wonderful begins: an era of happiness and prosperity; of peace and longevity and safety.
When I read Isaiah 65, I find myself taking a long, relaxing breath. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. You know it is a great space and frame of mind to be in – relaxed because life is good!
Those moments are precious. To have the anxiety of the past truly set aside and to live in a moment of calm. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
//
God, I wish those moments would last.
I suspect that all of us would love to have a long, long life of the bliss that comes with calm. I suppose that is why Isaiah’s words are such a power vision for a hope we all long for,
//
The reality is that the universe is a dynamic place – we are constantly in motion, time marches on – we can never really freeze a moment in time, because each time we become aware of the moment we are in, it passes and we are brought to the next moment ... and so on ...
//
And yet we are gifted with memory, so those ‘past’ moments are not lost. The discipline of history is to make a conscious effort to keep the impact of those past moments a present reality.
As I also mentioned last week, for the Hebrew people re-settling Judah, there was little living memory of what life in Judah had been like before the exile. But the impact of that life and the connection of the people to their God endured. Not only had it endured, it had continued to develop over the 60 or 70 years away from the land and the temple mount.
“We can be changed in the present, by the impact of what has happened in the past.”
That is the central point of what I want to say today: We can be changed in the present, by the impact of what has happened in the past. For me this is significantly different from living in the past or even longing for the past, which I think are fruitless endeavours. Shakespeare wrote that “what’s past is prologue” (cf. The Tempest). Where we have been is simply the lead-up to where we are – it is the here and now where ‘true importance’ lies.
//
November is traditionally the time of the year that this congregation of St. David’s United Church celebrates its anniversary. [Does anyone know why November? That’s not a rhetorical question, I really have no idea.]. I know, thanks to the history wall of pictures of former clergy (aka ‘the rogues gallery’) that our history goes back to 1898. That makes 2010 the 112th anniversary of our congregation. In fact for the 13 years, ours is a double history including churches established by both the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations. In 1911, these congregations saw the prudency of joining together. I suspect that neither may have been able to endure had they insisted on going it alone. All of this predates the formation of the United Church of Canada, which (in 1925) formally brought together our founding congregations that had already been together for 14 years.
2010 is the 85th anniversary of the United Church of Canada – are far as Christian denominations go, we are still babies on a global scale, and yet 85 years is a remarkable accomplishment.
Early on the Union was more of a paper connection, as former Methodist congregations and former Presbyterian congregations and former Congregationalist churches continued to function (on a Sunday-by-Sunday) basis quite differently, according to their own histories. But eventually, as the moments of time pressed onward, as new clergy were trained within the new United Church structure, as new congregations were established with no history in the former denomination, a new style of ‘being church’ began to develop: it took decades.
It must have been a similar experience that occurred with the ancient Hebrews during the exile, as new generations with no personal memory of the past began to live out their faith in ways that were relevant to their time and their context.
//
Since the spring of this year we have highlighted that one of the projects of the United Church of Canada in this 85th anniversary year was to pair up congregations across the church, with hopes that they will connect with each other in some way over the year.
We are paired with Memorial United Church in Murray River, PEI. There has been some email contact between the churches. And, I know that Gladys and Alvin Burdeyney visited that church on a trip they made out east this summer and took some personal greetings from us to them. I think we even exchanged collectable church plates!
I hope others have attempted some connection, as the 85th anniversary year is nearing it’s end. I want to try something here to make another connection. If I can make it work, let’s record a video message for our sisters and brothers on the east coast.
//
//
All things going well, I will email that video to them before the day is out. That kind of connection is a possibility that exists in our modern world. I know that as new generations develop new ways to connect and express their faith, that other generations are prone to wonder, ‘what’s the point?’
And yet, there is value in allowing our ancient, timeless story, to find new expression so that it can be heard and experienced in each new age. In fact, I think we should always get excited when discover that our mission and message fits into the modern world
//
In 2006, the 39th General Council of the United Church of Canada approved “A Song of Faith” as a modern statement of faith to add to past statements that have tried to describe the life and purpose of the church over the ages. It was noted in the preamble: The church’s faith is grounded in truths that are timeless. These truths, however, must be embraced anew by Christians of each generation and stated “in terms of the thoughts of their own age and with the emphasis their age needs” (Statement of Faith, 1940). This is not a statement for all time but for our time. In as much as the Spirit keeps faith with us, we can express our understanding of the Holy with confidence. And in as much as the Spirit is vast and wild, we recognize that our understanding of the Holy is always partial and limited. Nonetheless we have faith!
//
For the early Christians in Thessalonica, the promise of God’s active love expressed in the life of Jesus and the promise of God’s redemption founded in Jesus’ death and resurrection had led to a belief (for some) that there was no value in living a purposed life in this world – all of the attention was on the realm to come. I have said before that it was as if they took the words ‘freedom in Christ’ too literally. These people were not able to be in the world – they were not able to see this life as founded in goodness, as the Bible proclaims (cf. Gen 1). The author of the second letter to the Thessalonians strongly discouraged this attitude of ‘living in idleness’.
//
There is a common theme in all of this: faith is an active endeavour – and it goes beyond a intellectual connection at the level of the mind. The attitude of faith, certainly begins internally, but has always been expressed (by our forbearers in every time and place) by actions: the love of Christ lived and shown in the world. We are not called to hide from the world, or retreat from the world, but to be part of the transformation the world!
//
I am so proud to be connected to a church that nurtured this attitude in people to the point that at a provincial level here in Alberta, Women’s groups in the United Church got together and started the Child Well-being Initiative. (see insert with today’s bulletin)
More Info on CWBI
//
Last weekend, I attended the Northern Region Symposium for United Church people from Yellowhead, Edmonton and Northern Lights Presbyteries. One of my colleagues in ministry had come to the event with his whole family including his four young daughters, the youngest of which is just a few months old. One of the speakers at the event drew our attention to this child and reminded us that the decisions we make as a society are never made in isolation. “What if”, the speaker said, “every decision we made as a society (as individuals, as churches, as governments) was based on her best interests?” Do you think we would choose to make her suffer today or in the future? That’s a faith-in-action challenge!
//
The Thessalonians passage today discourages idleness by suggesting that “anyone unwilling to work, should not eat.” That kind of attitude is held by some ideologies to disconnect us from the needs of others. What the child well-being initiative does is challenge us to accept that no child has made any decision that should justify our society to allow them to live in poverty.
This coming Thursday, Women of the United Church will be at the Alberta Legislature to hold a press conference and present each Alberta MLA with a handmade doll as a tactile symbol of the need to ensure that over 77,500 children living in poverty in Alberta is almost eighty-thousand too many.
//
//
And so, let’s honour our history, let’s celebrate our anniversary. But let’s not live in the past, or even long for the past. Let us be grateful for the gift of this life, this moment and the opportunities to live the love of our Christ in ways that transform our world into a place that sees that we are all connected by the benevolent source of all that is, and was, and ever shall be.
Faith is of today. It always has been!
//
Let us pray:
Guide us God, today, to live into your vision for infinite peace and justice, where all your creatures live in harmony as you intend. AMEN.
#79MV “Spirit, Open My Heart”
Sunday, November 7, 2010
HOW DOES IT LOOK TO YOU?
November 7, 2010
Pentecost 24
Haggai 2:1-9
2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17
(prayer)
When King Solomon’s builders had completed constructing the temple, it must have been a magnificent sight. Imagine the wonderful smell of the freshly cut and sculptured cedar, the brightness of the crisp lines of the large stones; the inlayed gold and other decorative elements.
For centuries the Hebrew people had used a tent-like structure as their main house of worship; and the dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant – the box containing the remains of the original ten commandment tablets. The style comes from their nomadic times as refugees fleeing Egypt in the time of Moses. For the first years in the land of Canaan, the tabernacle may have continued its nomadic shifts, moving from place to place as the Hebrew tribes established themselves in the land. Then when King David built the city of Jerusalem to be the Capital of unified kingdom governing all of the twelve tribes, the tabernacle found a permanent home.
The Hebrew Scriptures tell us that David considered building a more permanent structure but was convinced that God wanted him to build a palace for himself instead (cf. 2Samual 7). And so it came to David’s successor, his son Solomon, to build the Temple. And it was easily the most striking characteristic of Jerusalem. It symbolized the centrality of Yahweh as the God of the Hebrew people and it solidified Israel’s place among nations.
As Solomon spoke at the dedication of the Temple, he confessed that “Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you [God], much less this house that I have built!”
It is ironic that from the beginning Solomon recognized that it was impossible to contain God in any one place, but that over time, being in the Temple became almost synonymous with being in God’s holy presence: to the point that it was felt that one could not “really” meet God anywhere else. Rituals and rites expanded to re-enforce that theology. This issue was central to the division of the nation of Israel in the wake of Solomon’s death. The northern tribes resented the increasing dominance of Jerusalem in Judah within the whole nation of Israel. For northerners, other sacred locations like Mt Gerizim and Jacob’s Well and Bethel were losing their place within the religious culture of the people. So, Solomon’s death provided the opportunity for the northern tribes to succeed from the Jerusalem based leadership. The era of the Divided Kingdom began. Northern Israel and Southern Judah were, in theory, one people but, in practice, separate nations. Within the south, this provided even more credence to a Temple-centred theology.
How devastating it must have been for the people of Judah as the Babylonian empire ventured west and successfully enveloped Judah, taking over the agricultural lands and invading and ransacking Jerusalem. Most of the people were deported to live in Babylon (an inventive way to stifle the chances of a counter revolution). News spread quickly among the exiles that the Temple had not escaped the onslaught. All of the rich ornaments, including the Ark of the Covenant were taken. It is quite likely that the invaders had no idea how valuable the contents of the Ark were to the Hebrew people. Those fragments of stone (which symbolized the law that governs the relationship between God and the people) that had been lovingly preserved for centuries in houses of canvas and stone, were probably un-ceremonially dumped out and scattered to the wind. [Unless you believe the tale that the Ark was whisked away to freedom at the last minute and (right now) is hidden in a Coptic Orthodox Christian Monastery in Ethiopia.]
Imagine how devastating the knowledge of the destruction of the Temple must have been to a people, who had come to believe that God had chosen to dwell uniquely in that place.
For several decades, the Judean people were forced to endure on memories of the Temple. As new generations were born, they could only be told of the festivals and the celebrations at the magnificent Temple – they had no way of experiencing it firsthand. Eventually, as the time of exile dragged on, very few people with actual memories of the Temple dwindled down to a handful, and they would have been only children when they were last at the Temple.
The exile lasted six decades, before Cyrus of Persia, who was now the broker of power in the region, issued an edict allowing for exiled peoples to return to their land of origin.
The descendants of the original Judean exiles were allowed to return to a place that most of them had never seen. Wonderfully, the ‘story’ of the people and their God had endured the exile. In fact, a more ever-present God was now the focus of the people – a God who comforts and stays with the people in times of struggle.
//
Haggai was a prophet in the new Jerusalem among the returned exiles. Under the leadership of the Judean Governor, Nehemiah, and the Priest, Ezra, a new Temple was being constructed. The passage Brian read today, comes from a mere four weeks after that reconstruction had begun. Haggai, addresses those elders, who as Children had seen and experienced the wonder of the first Temple. “How does it look to you now? It doesn’t compare does it?”
The Ark with its mercy seat and the cherubim were gone; the tablets of stone, the pot of manna, Aaron’s rod, the eternal fire on the altar, all of things that made Solomon’s Temple a sight to behold had been swept away. Although some of the grand stones were now being used as part of the foundation to this new Temple, it could never be the same. Sure, substitutes for the old relics and artefacts would be created and put in the new Temple, but they could never be the same. Even if this new Judah had unlimited resources and could create an almost exact duplicate, it could never the same as the Temple in the Elders childhood memories. In fact, resources were quite limited and this second Temple would be much smaller and more simply ornate for many centuries to come.
//
Haggai and the elders and all of the remnant of Judah knew that (although it was an exciting time to be rebuilding), the life of the people had forever been changed and there was no going back.
Kind of depressing!
But ...
Prophets always had a “but”.
But ... Haggai says ... take courage! Everyone, from King Zerubbabel, to High Priest Joshua, from the youngest child to the oldest senior, take courage! God is with you!
It is an old promise. Just as God was with Moses during the exodus, just as God was with the people as they entered Canaan and resettled the land, just as God was with the tribes during the time of the Judges and under the reigns of Kings Saul, David and Solomon. Just as God was with the people after the nation split and, even as we discovered, during the exile (with the help of people like the old prophet Ezekiel) that God was even with us in Babylon; Yahweh, our God, the Lord of Hosts, lives amongst us!
And so, even if this building seems like nothing compared to what is remembered, the glory of God, the real heart of the old Temple is here!!
In time, we will regain some power in the region; we will be able to adorn this new Temple with gold and silver, maybe to the point that it will be greater than the former house, but even now, do not fear, for God is with us! Haggai said.
//
In four days, many in our world will pause to remember the day and time of the end of the First World War – 2010 is the 92nd anniversary of that Armistice. At this time of year, we are also drawn to the memory of the end of World War II, which ended with the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945 (over 65 years ago). This past summer, I had the opportunity to stand on deck of the USS Missouri where the documents were signed. It was like stepping back in time.
Many remembrance day cenotaphs also recognize those who fought in the three year Korean War, which effectively ended with a peace treaty signed in 1953 (57 years ago).
I know that many of you have first hand memories of these events. For me, and those of my generation and younger, none of these events were part of my direct life experience. The Vietnam War hadn’t even started when I was born in 1963.
I suspect that every single one of the cubs, scouts and beavers and their leaders have no living memory of the great 20th Century wars involving Canada.
For them and for an increasingly large percentage of the population, Remembrance Day is not about remembering the events, but remembering the stories and their impact.
Do you know the name John Babcock? He was the longest surviving Canadian known to have fought in World War One. He passed away this past February at age 109. All the WW1 vets are gone.
The reality of time tells us that within the next 30 to 40 years, by the time my kids are my age, all WW2 and Korean War veterans will have lived their full lives.
The nature of Remembrance Day is changing from remembering events to remembering the stories of those events and the impact.
Old soldiers do fade away. It has happened before. Even in our best attempts to honour Canadian veterans of wars, we pay no attention to those who fought in the war of 1812. Can you imagine how different life would be in Canada today, if the Americans had been successful in annexing upper Canada a century ago. And yet, we have all but forgotten the sacrifice of those brave fighters for Canadian Freedom.
The act of remembering is certainly fluid with time. I wonder how long our memories will be. “Fortunately” (?), our world remains a violent place. Human beings ability to justify war for reasons of greed, pride, religion and revenge will give new generations new war memories of their own.
We will lose the direct ties to the past. But we can work at maintaining the story of the impact.
//
As the first century moved on, an impatience grew among the members of the early church of Jesus Christ. The excitement in the early years was that God’s renewal and Jesus’ second coming would be an imminent event. The Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica seemed to carry that theme. One had to be ready at all times, because Jesus could come as suddenly as a thief in the night. By the time that Paul’s successors penned what we call the 2nd letter to the Thessalonians, this was much less obvious. So, 2nd Thessalonians counters the belief that the “day of the lord” - the beginning of the end of human history - had already come. The author of the letter spends the first half of chapter 2 refuting this claim, listing a number of events that would have to happen first (a rebellion, a lawless one, etc.).
The author was concerned that people had given up on living faithfully – the end was already here, what point is there to putting energy into this life. It was an ironic over-interpretation of the concept of Freedom in Christ. Christ sets me free, so I don’t have to do anything!
But ...
Prophets always had a “but”.
But ... the book of 2nd Thessalonians says ... you are beloved by God, and so stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you have been taught! Being faithful means remembering why faith is important: how does your faith impact your life, here and now! [I’ll talk a bit more about that next week, as we read on in 2nd Thessalonians and hear a warning against idleness.]
//
Remembrance is important, it has a place. After all, we will share an act of remembrance in a few minutes as we share in the sacrament of Jesus’ Last Supper. But remembrance alone is destine to fade away with time.
In the context of remembrance, Haggai also spoke about renewal: 6For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
The new Temple was not going to be the same as the first structure, so fondly remembered in the elders’ stories. Renewal is not about lamenting that we don’t have what we once had, it begins by acknowledging and celebrating what we do have. For the Judeans of the time of restoration, they still had the presence of God in their midst. They just didn’t have all of the gold and silver ornaments that were once reminders of that to a previous generation. That was enough! They had what was important: the knowledge that they were not alone. The impact of the exile had taught them that. The first exiles couldn’t even find joy in the happy songs of home, because they felt so cut off from God in a foreign land. They hung their harps in the trees and just sat and wept by the rivers of Babylon: lost in memory.
Eventually, they moved beyond mere memory and found that they had what they needed, God was with them. God was not dead under the stone ruins of a mere building; God was where they needed God to be.
//
Remembering is good. But it is the starting point. Where does it lead us? How can it help us discover where we are and what we have, here and now?
When we share the bounty of this table today, we are looking for a fresh renewal as we involve ourselves in an ancient practice.
May it be so, with all of the opportunities of this life. Thanks be to God. Let us pray:
Help us God, to remember your presence with us, as you have been present with all your people throughout the ages. Amen.
Pentecost 24
Haggai 2:1-9
2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17
(prayer)
When King Solomon’s builders had completed constructing the temple, it must have been a magnificent sight. Imagine the wonderful smell of the freshly cut and sculptured cedar, the brightness of the crisp lines of the large stones; the inlayed gold and other decorative elements.
For centuries the Hebrew people had used a tent-like structure as their main house of worship; and the dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant – the box containing the remains of the original ten commandment tablets. The style comes from their nomadic times as refugees fleeing Egypt in the time of Moses. For the first years in the land of Canaan, the tabernacle may have continued its nomadic shifts, moving from place to place as the Hebrew tribes established themselves in the land. Then when King David built the city of Jerusalem to be the Capital of unified kingdom governing all of the twelve tribes, the tabernacle found a permanent home.
The Hebrew Scriptures tell us that David considered building a more permanent structure but was convinced that God wanted him to build a palace for himself instead (cf. 2Samual 7). And so it came to David’s successor, his son Solomon, to build the Temple. And it was easily the most striking characteristic of Jerusalem. It symbolized the centrality of Yahweh as the God of the Hebrew people and it solidified Israel’s place among nations.
As Solomon spoke at the dedication of the Temple, he confessed that “Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you [God], much less this house that I have built!”
It is ironic that from the beginning Solomon recognized that it was impossible to contain God in any one place, but that over time, being in the Temple became almost synonymous with being in God’s holy presence: to the point that it was felt that one could not “really” meet God anywhere else. Rituals and rites expanded to re-enforce that theology. This issue was central to the division of the nation of Israel in the wake of Solomon’s death. The northern tribes resented the increasing dominance of Jerusalem in Judah within the whole nation of Israel. For northerners, other sacred locations like Mt Gerizim and Jacob’s Well and Bethel were losing their place within the religious culture of the people. So, Solomon’s death provided the opportunity for the northern tribes to succeed from the Jerusalem based leadership. The era of the Divided Kingdom began. Northern Israel and Southern Judah were, in theory, one people but, in practice, separate nations. Within the south, this provided even more credence to a Temple-centred theology.
How devastating it must have been for the people of Judah as the Babylonian empire ventured west and successfully enveloped Judah, taking over the agricultural lands and invading and ransacking Jerusalem. Most of the people were deported to live in Babylon (an inventive way to stifle the chances of a counter revolution). News spread quickly among the exiles that the Temple had not escaped the onslaught. All of the rich ornaments, including the Ark of the Covenant were taken. It is quite likely that the invaders had no idea how valuable the contents of the Ark were to the Hebrew people. Those fragments of stone (which symbolized the law that governs the relationship between God and the people) that had been lovingly preserved for centuries in houses of canvas and stone, were probably un-ceremonially dumped out and scattered to the wind. [Unless you believe the tale that the Ark was whisked away to freedom at the last minute and (right now) is hidden in a Coptic Orthodox Christian Monastery in Ethiopia.]
Imagine how devastating the knowledge of the destruction of the Temple must have been to a people, who had come to believe that God had chosen to dwell uniquely in that place.
For several decades, the Judean people were forced to endure on memories of the Temple. As new generations were born, they could only be told of the festivals and the celebrations at the magnificent Temple – they had no way of experiencing it firsthand. Eventually, as the time of exile dragged on, very few people with actual memories of the Temple dwindled down to a handful, and they would have been only children when they were last at the Temple.
The exile lasted six decades, before Cyrus of Persia, who was now the broker of power in the region, issued an edict allowing for exiled peoples to return to their land of origin.
The descendants of the original Judean exiles were allowed to return to a place that most of them had never seen. Wonderfully, the ‘story’ of the people and their God had endured the exile. In fact, a more ever-present God was now the focus of the people – a God who comforts and stays with the people in times of struggle.
//
Haggai was a prophet in the new Jerusalem among the returned exiles. Under the leadership of the Judean Governor, Nehemiah, and the Priest, Ezra, a new Temple was being constructed. The passage Brian read today, comes from a mere four weeks after that reconstruction had begun. Haggai, addresses those elders, who as Children had seen and experienced the wonder of the first Temple. “How does it look to you now? It doesn’t compare does it?”
The Ark with its mercy seat and the cherubim were gone; the tablets of stone, the pot of manna, Aaron’s rod, the eternal fire on the altar, all of things that made Solomon’s Temple a sight to behold had been swept away. Although some of the grand stones were now being used as part of the foundation to this new Temple, it could never be the same. Sure, substitutes for the old relics and artefacts would be created and put in the new Temple, but they could never be the same. Even if this new Judah had unlimited resources and could create an almost exact duplicate, it could never the same as the Temple in the Elders childhood memories. In fact, resources were quite limited and this second Temple would be much smaller and more simply ornate for many centuries to come.
//
Haggai and the elders and all of the remnant of Judah knew that (although it was an exciting time to be rebuilding), the life of the people had forever been changed and there was no going back.
Kind of depressing!
But ...
Prophets always had a “but”.
But ... Haggai says ... take courage! Everyone, from King Zerubbabel, to High Priest Joshua, from the youngest child to the oldest senior, take courage! God is with you!
It is an old promise. Just as God was with Moses during the exodus, just as God was with the people as they entered Canaan and resettled the land, just as God was with the tribes during the time of the Judges and under the reigns of Kings Saul, David and Solomon. Just as God was with the people after the nation split and, even as we discovered, during the exile (with the help of people like the old prophet Ezekiel) that God was even with us in Babylon; Yahweh, our God, the Lord of Hosts, lives amongst us!
And so, even if this building seems like nothing compared to what is remembered, the glory of God, the real heart of the old Temple is here!!
In time, we will regain some power in the region; we will be able to adorn this new Temple with gold and silver, maybe to the point that it will be greater than the former house, but even now, do not fear, for God is with us! Haggai said.
//
In four days, many in our world will pause to remember the day and time of the end of the First World War – 2010 is the 92nd anniversary of that Armistice. At this time of year, we are also drawn to the memory of the end of World War II, which ended with the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945 (over 65 years ago). This past summer, I had the opportunity to stand on deck of the USS Missouri where the documents were signed. It was like stepping back in time.
Many remembrance day cenotaphs also recognize those who fought in the three year Korean War, which effectively ended with a peace treaty signed in 1953 (57 years ago).
I know that many of you have first hand memories of these events. For me, and those of my generation and younger, none of these events were part of my direct life experience. The Vietnam War hadn’t even started when I was born in 1963.
I suspect that every single one of the cubs, scouts and beavers and their leaders have no living memory of the great 20th Century wars involving Canada.
For them and for an increasingly large percentage of the population, Remembrance Day is not about remembering the events, but remembering the stories and their impact.
Do you know the name John Babcock? He was the longest surviving Canadian known to have fought in World War One. He passed away this past February at age 109. All the WW1 vets are gone.
The reality of time tells us that within the next 30 to 40 years, by the time my kids are my age, all WW2 and Korean War veterans will have lived their full lives.
The nature of Remembrance Day is changing from remembering events to remembering the stories of those events and the impact.
Old soldiers do fade away. It has happened before. Even in our best attempts to honour Canadian veterans of wars, we pay no attention to those who fought in the war of 1812. Can you imagine how different life would be in Canada today, if the Americans had been successful in annexing upper Canada a century ago. And yet, we have all but forgotten the sacrifice of those brave fighters for Canadian Freedom.
The act of remembering is certainly fluid with time. I wonder how long our memories will be. “Fortunately” (?), our world remains a violent place. Human beings ability to justify war for reasons of greed, pride, religion and revenge will give new generations new war memories of their own.
We will lose the direct ties to the past. But we can work at maintaining the story of the impact.
//
As the first century moved on, an impatience grew among the members of the early church of Jesus Christ. The excitement in the early years was that God’s renewal and Jesus’ second coming would be an imminent event. The Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica seemed to carry that theme. One had to be ready at all times, because Jesus could come as suddenly as a thief in the night. By the time that Paul’s successors penned what we call the 2nd letter to the Thessalonians, this was much less obvious. So, 2nd Thessalonians counters the belief that the “day of the lord” - the beginning of the end of human history - had already come. The author of the letter spends the first half of chapter 2 refuting this claim, listing a number of events that would have to happen first (a rebellion, a lawless one, etc.).
The author was concerned that people had given up on living faithfully – the end was already here, what point is there to putting energy into this life. It was an ironic over-interpretation of the concept of Freedom in Christ. Christ sets me free, so I don’t have to do anything!
But ...
Prophets always had a “but”.
But ... the book of 2nd Thessalonians says ... you are beloved by God, and so stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you have been taught! Being faithful means remembering why faith is important: how does your faith impact your life, here and now! [I’ll talk a bit more about that next week, as we read on in 2nd Thessalonians and hear a warning against idleness.]
//
Remembrance is important, it has a place. After all, we will share an act of remembrance in a few minutes as we share in the sacrament of Jesus’ Last Supper. But remembrance alone is destine to fade away with time.
In the context of remembrance, Haggai also spoke about renewal: 6For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
The new Temple was not going to be the same as the first structure, so fondly remembered in the elders’ stories. Renewal is not about lamenting that we don’t have what we once had, it begins by acknowledging and celebrating what we do have. For the Judeans of the time of restoration, they still had the presence of God in their midst. They just didn’t have all of the gold and silver ornaments that were once reminders of that to a previous generation. That was enough! They had what was important: the knowledge that they were not alone. The impact of the exile had taught them that. The first exiles couldn’t even find joy in the happy songs of home, because they felt so cut off from God in a foreign land. They hung their harps in the trees and just sat and wept by the rivers of Babylon: lost in memory.
Eventually, they moved beyond mere memory and found that they had what they needed, God was with them. God was not dead under the stone ruins of a mere building; God was where they needed God to be.
//
Remembering is good. But it is the starting point. Where does it lead us? How can it help us discover where we are and what we have, here and now?
When we share the bounty of this table today, we are looking for a fresh renewal as we involve ourselves in an ancient practice.
May it be so, with all of the opportunities of this life. Thanks be to God. Let us pray:
Help us God, to remember your presence with us, as you have been present with all your people throughout the ages. Amen.
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