IT COMES DOWN TO THIS

February 24, 2013

Lent 2

Philippians 3:17 – 4:1

Luke 13:31-35

(prayer)

My first experience as a sports parent was having a child play minor soccer when he was six or seven years old.  Weather permitting, there were two games a week.  There were no practices other than, if you came about a half an hour early, the coach would do an extended warm up with the players.  At game time, the ball was set, the whistle blew and they played – largely making it up as they went to the amusement and enjoyment of the crowd.

//

When my boys first started playing football, I was strongly taken a-back by the practice expectations, even for the eight year olds:  two hour practices: three, sometimes four days a week; and a game on the weekend.  Not only was I not sure I could organize myself as a parent to get the kid to practice that often, but I’d help coach soccer, so I couldn’t imagine how the coaches would fill all that time and how they would possibly keep the players from getting bored.

I quickly learned that in football (as I suspect it is true in other sports), it’s all about “the reps”.  Repetitions.  Running the same plays over and over, doing the same drills each day and building on the small bits of progress that are possible each time some skill is repped.  It is based on a cumulative model – we redo things, but we don’t go back to zero – we carry on where we left off.

There is an athletic high that is experienced when ‘positive progress’ begins to be noticed - a feeling that makes you want to keep trying until an improvement is realized.  And when you achieve that, you say, ‘okay, let’s kick it up another notch – let’s run it one more time.  Play action 22 dive screen right, on one.  Ready, set...hut.’

//

//

Jesus’ life and ministry was having a cumulative effect on the people he encountered and the effect was noticeable.

It was noticeable, not only in the lives of the people Jesus positively affected, but the impact of his ministry was noticed by those in the palaces of power.

Jesus had his supporters.  The context of the 13^th chapter of Luke is Jesus going through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem (v22). 

By all accounts, we can assume that Jesus followed the pharisaic tradition within Judaism at the time.  So, when the Luke passage began with some Pharisees a warning for Jesus to go away because Herod wants to kill him, I’m not sure how to read the tone of their voices (a problem with written text).

Is it [worried warning] – Get away from here, Herod wants to kill you!

Or is it [threat] – Get away from here, Herod wants to kill you!

Or is it [turf protection] – Get away from here, Herod wants to kill you!

Whether the comment was made out of concern for Jesus or not, we know that his reaction was to not shy away from the conflict – “Go tell Herod (that old fox), I am not stopping what I am doing – I am still going to Jerusalem.”  Now, he wasn’t waiting around for Herod to just come and get him and Jesus was not unrealistic – he knew that if Herod was determined, he would eventually find Jesus – perhaps it would all come to a head in Jerusalem, that great city that has seen the downfall of so many people in the history of the faith. 

But Jesus was going to not back down.  He would continue on as he had been doing.  He was going to continue to take all of his reps.  To borrow the language of the Philippians’ reading Jesus was ‘standing firm’.  Or more accurately, moving forward!

//

//

As we move through the season of Lent, in a way, we are journeying with Jesus on that final series of stops and starts that will culminate in Jerusalem: the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  Even Jesus is worried about how things will end up.

Even as we mark this time and see ourselves as symbolically walking with Jesus, we have the perspective of our faith history: we know about Easter.  We will accept Good Friday only because we know that death is not the final word of this story.  We are such an Easter people that we would not go back and change things even if we could.

//

I choose a picture of a falling glass of water as an image for this message because, I think it may help us (as we are symbolically walking with Jesus) to imagine what it felt like for Jesus’ disciples who did not know ‘the ending’ to the story they were in.

We’ve all done it – the cup is on the edge of the table and with just a little bump, a wobble becomes a fall. We watch, helplessly, as a crash is imminent. At what moment was the collision avoidable? What chain of events needed only one weak link to save us from the mess? Can it still be stopped?

Jesus style and ministry drew negative attention from the political leaders of his region. Fortunately, Jesus was always on the move, so a confrontation was averted many times: something he had learned watching the trouble John the Baptist got in always staying in one place.

But, as Jesus ‘set his eyes’ on Jerusalem, was the glass just sitting too close to the edge of the table?

There are hints in the gospels that Jesus’ disciples were aware of the precariousness of their situation.  John’s gospel quotes Jesus’ disciple Thomas on the decision to make this trip to Jerusalem: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (Jn11:16)

They were going to stand firm with Jesus – come hell or high water.

//

That’s not an easy thing to do.  To stand firm with someone, even if it involves an uncomfortable situation.

//

But, you know, a lot of us willingly do the same thing all the time.  We defy the logic of a situation that might more naturally dictate our self preservation: not necessarily, death defying, but certainly reputation preservation or emotional protections.  I’m sure we’ve all had cause to wonder: “Can I take any more of this...?”

//

It came down to that for Jesus and his followers and the decision was to stand firm.

//

I don’t know how familiar any of you are with the Country Music band Rascal Flatts.  They have a song called “Stand”.  The course goes like this:

Cause when push comes to shove

You taste what you're made of

You might bend ‘til you break

‘Cause it's all you can take

On your knees you look up

Decide you've had enough

You get mad, you get strong

Wipe your hands, shake it off

Then you stand
//

In this Lenten time,

on this Lenten journey,

we are challenged to stand firm to our common vision and hold strong to the hope and promise of the love of God that was the centre of who Jesus was and who the risen Christ is. [end]

//

Let us pray:

Give us patience, holy one.

Give us courage.

Give us hope.

Amen.

#154MV  “Deep in Our Hearts”

FIRST THINGS FIRST

February 17, 2013

Lent 1

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Luke 4:1-13

(prayer)

ad lib sermon about how just as everyone has had the experience of organizing parts of their lives (even those of us who hate that or don’t think we’re good at it), Lent is a time to pause and think about the priorities of the Spirit.

TO VEIL OR NOT TO VEIL

February 10, 2013

Epiphany Last

Exodus 34:29-35

Luke 9:28-36

(prayer)

I spent yesterday morning at the Commonwealth Stadium Rec Centre watching over 100 grade 11 and 12 students run all over the indoor artificial turf at the Edmonton Wildcats football mini-camp.  They are out there again right now for day two of the camp.

It is quite exciting seeing my oldest son shagging balls out there and not looking out of place, at this level. 

Sean has been playing for almost a decade (since he was eight years old) and up until last October he was injury-free.  An opponent's helmet to the side of the knee led to him not being able to finish four of the final five games of the season he tried to play in to conclude his high school team's championship season.  I know that he has some ligament damage in there and that the jury is still out whether he will need surgery (currently awaiting an orthopedic appointment).  He's been doing physiotherapy, working with personal trainers to keep the knee strong and he wears a knee brace when he practices.  Even though he looks like he is pretty much fully recovered, I cringe with ever route he runs, with every cut he makes, every time he gets bumped or tackled. 

But he's 17 and is 'most alive' on the turf looking for the ball.  It makes no logical, long term sense... but I can't tell him to stop at this point.  A surgeon might, but I just can't.

//

It is a helpless feeling to have no control.

It is dang frightening!

//

//

As Luke describes it, sometime after his baptism and before the major part of his work, Jesus invited three individuals (part of his inner circle of disciples) to go to the top of a mountain to pray.  While he was praying, Jesus' appearance changed and his clothes became dazzling white.  The disciples saw and heard two other men talking with Jesus about what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem. They concluded that they were Moses and Elijah who "appeared in glory": a phrase that referred to God's Presence or a glow or radiance surrounding a person's body. 

James, Peter and John (as well as Luke's readers) would have made the obvious connection to the story of Moses radiating with God's Glory when he came down Mount Horeb [Sinai] with the Ten Commandments.  And they all knew the legend that Elijah was expected to appear on earth before God's power over earth was restored.

[italics from Seasons of the Spirit-E2013]

Additionally, Moses can be seen as representing the Torah, the Law, and Elijah, the prophets.  The presence of these two with Jesus tied him to the full scriptural and cultural traditions of his faith: amazingly good company.  No wonder why Peter didn't want it to end.

But Peter wasn't in control. 

It ended with 'these words' that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere: "my son, my chosen; listen to him."  The cloud lifted.  Elijah and Moses were gone.  And Jesus looked like... Jesus.

Luke's version is slightly different than the way Mark and Matthew tells this story: M&M say that Jesus ordered them to be quite about what they'd seen: Luke just says 'they kept silent and told no one': on Luke alone, it sounds like it was the disciples' decision. One thing all of these thee gospel versions agree on is that the disciples' reaction to The Voice, is described as 'terrified'.  They hit the ground and refused to look.

I am sure that the disciples were thrilled to not have to talk about it.  Bottling up a terrifying experience is not uncommon.

"Fear" is probably the ultimate 'I-have-no-control-over-the-situation' reaction.

//

//

The obviousness of God's Presense (witnessed by Moses' radiant appearance) caused anguish and fear in the Israelites during the Exodus (even Moses' own brother Aaron was afraid to look at him).  So, Moses covered his face when he was among the people.  It seems like this was for the people's benefit not Moses'.

I'm sure the Israelites were thrilled when Moses decided to wear the veil.  Shutting our eyes to a frightening experience is not uncommon.

//

In the face of God's Presence, people (in the scripture stories today) reacted in fear.  And then reacted to the fear, by refusing to talk about it, or covering it up so they didn't have to notice it.

//

//

If we believe that we should be able to be in control in any situation, it is not surprising that 'fear' is the response when a lack of control becomes our reality.

But... should we expect to have total control over our spirituality?

//

I suppose that if we don't expect God to be an active presence at least until we call upon God, then we might fear the Divine when it is exposed.

//

But, our scriptures and life experiences are filled with examples of the grace and challenge of God showing itself unexpectedly.

And so, we have the opportunity to choose a response other than 'fear that we can't seem to control the mind of God': we can be humble... and grateful that:

we are not alone,

we live in God's world,

we believe in God

who has created and is creating,

who has come in Jesus,

the word made flesh,

to reconcile and make new,

who works in us and others

by the spirit,

we trust in God.

//

Our universe (what we experience of God's creation) is too vast, too complex for any of us (or even our best collective consciousness) to understand: there is mystery in our midst - perhaps one of the ways we might describe God is to say that: "God is.. that for whom there is no mystery".

What we read about this morning in Exodus and Luke were examples of when some of that mystery was glimpsed for a while - and admittedly in a bigger way than the participants were really prepared for.

The far more common experience to be given opportunities for a much more subtle glimpse.

The ancient Celts spoke about being in thin places: experiences when the boundary between certainty and mystery is very nearly breached; when the ordinary world and the mystical world come very close to overlapping.

All throughout the world, humans have identified physical places where we have had such experiences: for eons people have made pilgrimages to such holy sites hoping to experiences a 'thinness experience'.  It is kind of interesting that (like both our scripture passages today) that the wonders of mountain settings seem to be conducive to such experiences.  I know "I" have felt close to God in high places.  Maybe it is because I can pause and look over a vast swath of geography that shows such a wonderful geological history - that required almost an eternal patience to be able to find the form I am blessed to observe - that I am wonder filled.

//

When we find ourselves face to face with divine mystery (holy presence), we can hide behind a veil of fear or we can be humbly grateful.

We don't have to fully understand God to know that mystery exists.  We don't have to fully see God to know that God in our midst.  We don't have to make sense of it all to have a sense that 'we are not alone'.

May we all be graced with glimpses of holy mystery from time to time.

Let us pray:

May we become aware, O God, that we are deeply known, even if we don't know it all.  Amen.

#371VU "Open My Eyes"

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

February 3, 2013

Epiphany 4

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Luke 4:21-30

(prayer)

For several years, one of the roles I took on in the work of the wider United Church was to be on the Conference Settlement Committee.  Up until recently, this committee was one of the most anxiety-causing groups in the church for new ministers coming out of their theological education.  Prior to 2011, every person seeking to be Ordained or commissioned as a Diaconal Minister in the United Church relied on the Settlement Committee for their first placement as a minister.

It was also a vehicle for churches (usually smaller, more isolated ones) to find a minister more easily.  Any church or any minister could apply for settlement, but Ordinands and Commissionands had no choice.  [Since 2011, the settlement process is no longer mandatory.  New ministers can choose to seek a call or appointment on their own, but they have to have one in place, before they will be commissioned or ordained.]

//

Now, although the final decision always belonged to the Settlement Committee, and the Settlement Committee alone, we were not an insensitive committee.  We operated on the axiom that “it was better to leave a person/church without a settlement than to force a bad match.”

Without breaking any confidences, each year, there was usually at least one minister and at least one pastoral charge that were pretty hard to make happy.

//

When I was on the settlement committee, we had a standard that... we would not normally settle a person in a church, where they had a prior significant relationship.

We would not normally settle a person in their home congregation, or a church where they had been a student minister.

Can you guess why?

//  //

 For better or worse, many churches have a bit of difficulty seeing the mature, trained minister (ready to offer leadership) in a person that they had known before in a less mature or learning environment.  One the other hand, some new ministers have difficulty breaking away from the systematic support that comes with being a student: expecting others to meet all of their needs.

In essence, student internships primarily focus on the needs of the students; settlements primarily focus on the needs of the congregations.

As a settlement committee, we did our best to avoid situations where those competing needs might meet head on.

Another way of saying this is that for new ministers, it is hard to be a prophet in your old town.

//

//

Last week, we read the verses 14 to 21 of Luke chapter 4. 

Jesus, by this time, had been travelling around the synagogues of various towns near Lake Capernaum: teaching and preaching as he went.  It seems, he had been pretty well received.

In Luke 4, Jesus was back in his home synagogue (in Nazareth).  This is where he went as a child.  He was a crackly-voiced, pimple-faced teenager in that synagogue.

Now as a 30 year old adult, he stood up and did what he had been doing elsewhere around the lake: he offered his take on the scriptures that were read.

//

 [spoken]

The spirit of the lord is upon me

Because God has anointed me

To preach good news to the poor

God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

And recover of sight to the blind

To set at liberty those who are oppressed

To proclaim the acceptable year of the lord.

//

²¹Then... [Jesus] began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

Take note of the verb at the start of that verse:  Jesus began to say...

It’s not that Jesus just blurted out that this scripture has been fulfilled as they were listening to the reading and left it there – we can assume that Jesus went on to explain why he thought this was the case.  Luke doesn’t give us any of the details, but the text does say that people were ‘amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”  That is also an interesting turn of phrase: ‘gracious words’.  They saw Jesus’ teaching as a holy gift (grace).  It sounds like this is what Jesus’ experienced in the other Galilean towns where he had been.

And then...

some reality set it.  "Wait a second, isn’t that Jesus, Joseph’s son?  I remember little Jesus running around here."

Matthew and Mark (when they relay this story) ask “isn’t Mary his mother?”  Matthew also asks, “isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”  Mark (which is likely the oldest version), asks “isn’t he the carpenter?” - implying Jesus’ own trade.

The message is the same in all the versions – and Jesus knows exactly what it is: “It’s hard to be a prophet in your hometowm.”

The people of my home congregation (God love ’em) have been wonderfully supportive of me my whole life.  I believe that they are proud of me and the ministry I have carved out for myself in Swan Hills, Red Deer and Leduc.  But every time, I go back there (to preach or even just to attend church), people reminisce about my childhood and youth years in the church. 

No matter what else I am: I am (first and foremost) ‘Dorothy’s son’ at Pilgrim United Church.

What’re gonna do?

//

In Mark and Matthew’s version, they point out that Jesus had a hard time doing some of the ‘mighty acts’ he had done elsewhere in Nazareth.  The closest Luke comes to saying that is to have Jesus offer (what was apparently an old proverb) “Physician, heal thyself!” (KJV)  Luke also justifies the attitude by having Jesus make a reference to the great prophet Elijah having a similar problem about 900 years earlier.

And then the third gospel takes it to another level.  Luke ends this story with an event that is not told in any of the other gospels:  the Nazarenes were not just skeptical, they were outraged; they (apparently) tried to kill Jesus.

It’s one thing to not agree with what another person is saying, but this was a unacceptable reaction.

//

Did anyone notice that, as the scripture lessons were being read earlier, that I had a picture of Malala Yousafzai (Ma-lā-lah Yū-saf-zay) on the screen.  She is the young girl from northwestern Pakistan who wrote an anonymous blog for the BBC a few years back when she was 11 years old.  That’s the same age that my daughter, Annie, is now; coincidently, Malālah and Annie also share a birthday.

Malālah blogged about life under Taliban rule, including her views on the education of girls, which of course the Taliban opposes. 

Some of you may have known Malālah from her blog, but I suspect that many of you learned of her a few months ago, when gunmen highjacked her school bus on the afternoon of October 9^th, 2012, found out exactly which girl she was. and then shot her in the head.

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, she survived this assassination attempt and is recovering in a hospital in Brittan, as we speak.

Malālah may very well win the Nobel Peace prize this year.  While I think that would be most appropriate, I am so dismayed that a person’s peace filled words and hopes for a world of equal opportunity and status engendered such a violent response.  Sadly, outstanding efforts for peace are too often brought to our attention by acts of violence seeking to silence those efforts.

//

//

The end of this passage in Luke describes everything that is wrong about religion-motivated violence and holy war.

You can’t reason with a person who wants to believe that their god has instructed them to express the depth of their faith by:

·      shooting a girl in the head, or

·      setting off a bomb at an abortion clinic, or

·      manhandling people off the land they have lived on for generations, so that you can forcibly build a new settlement to prove a religious and political point, or

·      beating up a gay person for simply being gay, or

·      justifying the enslavement of a race of people by quoting Holy Scripture, and the even when full emancipation is the law, still justify further violence and mistreatment, bible in hand, or

·      shouting praises to God as you slam an airplane into an office building.

Nothing about my reading of the Bible or my understanding of Jesus brings me to believe that God wants blind, violent faith from anyone.

We are invited to take faith to heart; to understand it in our minds – to think about what is right.

For me, this was true that day in Nazareth, and during the crusades, during the spanish inquisition, on 9/11, and on that bus in the Swat district of Pakistan: violence in the name of Jesus, or Yahweh, or Allah, or Brahman, or the Buddha (or whoever you see as God) is unjustifiable from a faith perspective.

In a funny way, I have more respect (not the right word) for a person who kills out of greed or jealously or some admittedly selfish reason than the one who blindly and cowardly claims to be doing God’s will.

//

When we are challenged by the words and actions of another, even when it calls into question what we believe, we need to be ready to respond with humility and maturity.

Even if we aren’t ready for what the person has to say, if we remain confident in the faith we have, so be it.  Faith is always strengthened by challenge and questioning: either because it expands our connection to the Divine or it confirms what we already believe.

//

If the people of Nazareth were not ready for what Jesus was saying (either because of the message or the messenger), then they needed to accept it and move on.

//

Isaiah 9:⁶For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

//

Matthew 11:²⁸‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

//

Philippians 4:⁸... whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about^* these things ⁹... and the God of peace will be with you.

//
I wonder when we will be ready for this!

//

Let us pray:

Great and Gracious God;

Like Jeremiah, we may think we are not ready to proclaim your good news.  Holy One, make us channels of your peace.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

***offering***