ONE MORE MOUNTAIN

October 26, 2014

Pentecost 21

Deuteronomy 34:1-8

Matthew 22:6-10

(prayer)

As a child, it was a regular summer routine for my family to vacation for a week in Penticton.  We would always stay in one of the dozen motels on Lakeshore Drive, right across from Lake Okanagan. [I happened to spend an hour or so in Penticton a month ago, and the Crown and Shoreline Motels really haven't changed much in 40 years.]

Twenty-six years ago, I lived in that Okanagan city because I spent a year as a student minister at Penticton United Church. 

It's funny: I had spent more than a dozen summers there, but rarely ventured beyond the lake.  As a 'resident', I got to know the place.

That’s is not an uncommon experience, I suspect.  When we get stuck in our routines and seldom notice the gems of discovery in our own backyard.

I know a song whose lyrics say:

We finally made it to the local museum

Took Uncle Lester out to see the sights

Beautiful places but we've never seen 'em

Though we've been living here all our lives

Ain't that the truth 
You don't get it when you got it 
You can't see it when it's in plain view

Don't ask a fish about the water

You never notice what you're right next to

When it's in plain view.

//

On the eastern edge of Penticton BC is Mount Carmi.  Nothing special, really.  It looks not a lot different that the others hills in the area.

The lower reaches of the Carmi hillside contain some of the Okanagan city's outer neighbourhoods.  Riding up its slope is a well used logging road.

//

One day, on  the advice of a friend, I biked up that road - okay, I walked my bike up the steeper climbs.   As promised, a little ways up there was a small road side parking area with some marked paths leading away from the spot.

I chained my bike up to a tree (eventhough no one else around - a city boy habit) and took one of the paths.  I strictly followed the guidance of the sign that said to stay on the path because of rattlesnakes (I never saw or heard any).

After a few minutes, I could hear the sound of rushing water. As I got closer, I could see that I was approaching a clearing... more than that, I was coming up to the edge of a deep gorge.  It was an amazing site.  What a view and me without a camera.  No cell phones in 1988.

Down in the rocky valley between Carmi and its neighbour to the south was the Carmi Creek - noisily making its way down to Penticton.  I had driven on small bridges the Carmi Creek in town dozens of times, as it gently flows west in to the canal that connects the Skaha and Okanagan Lakes.  It is a forgettable experience.  A very small river: it is well named as a 'creek'.  But just a few kilometres up steam it is a wonder to be hold.

Therein lies my literal mountain top experience: there is great value and wonder to learn and know when we look beyond our routines.  When we appreciate the beauty of earth, when we seek the beauty within others, we are opening our hearts and minds to the possibilities of God's grace.

//

//

When a person suddenly realizes a wide perspective that helps make sense of a situation, it is sometimes called a "mountain top experience".  Now these insights are not limited to higher altitude locations; it is just a metaphoric phrase.  But it is a good metaphor, because most of us can imagine ourselves being 'up' where a wonderful vista opens not only our eyes but our souls.  For many people a mountain top is a "thin place", where God seems particularly close.

Maybe that is why there are several actual mountain top experiences remembered and recorded as part of the Bible.

Over the past several weeks, the prescribed scripture readings of the Revised Common Lectionary, have moved us through the story of Moses leading the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt to new life in the land of Canaan.

Moses was raised in the Egyptian royal court, unaware of his Hebrew-slave lineage, because the Pharaoh's daughter rescued him from her father's death squads who were seeking to control the slave population by murdering infant and toddler Hebrew boys.

As a young man, Moses learned of his true identity and (whether out of kinship or just a sense of right and wrong) came to the defense of a Hebrew slave being beaten by a taskmaster.  Moses' actions led to the death of the taskmaster.  Moses fled Egypt and found a new life in Midian in the Sinai wilderness.  He married and herded  sheep.

Then came his first mountain top experience.

On the slopes of Mount Horeb, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush.  Go to Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go.  Moses' life opened up in a new way.  He had a new perspective on what was valuable and true for him.

//

When Moses brought the people safely out of Egypt, their decades-long journey to Canaan would include an encampment back at Horeb in the Sinai peninsula.

Again up on the mountain, Moses would gain new insight: ten commandments to guide the people in the years to come.

//

Today's reading from Deuteronomy marks the end of the Exodus journey.  Moses and the Hebrew people had spent 40 years traversing the wilderness to get them to the eastern shore of the Jordan River.  Moses, at 120 years old, had one more mountain to climb.

At 2680 feet elevation, Mount Nebo is about 700 feet lower than Penticton's Mount Carmi, but still offered a grand vista.  From Nebo, Moses was able to look west far beyond the River Jordan.  His eyes were still strong despite his age.  He saw the vastness of this promised land: the end goal of the exodus journey.

Unfortunately that is as close as Moses would get.  He died before the people crossed into the promise land.  

It is a fact that was remembered by the Israelites in the years after they settled in the promised land: Moses, and the great prophet who had convinced Pharaoh to let the people go, giver of the Law, leader through forty years of exodus, did not live long enough to finish the journey.

Well, he was 120 years old.  But it was a question for the historians: why did God not extend Moses life just a little longer so that he could set his feet on the ground west of the Jordan?

When I was in Sunday School, I seemed to remember learning that this was a punishment from God for the murder that Moses committed against the taskmaster in Egypt.  That is not supported anywhere in the biblical text. 

But there is a story in the book of Numbers, chapter 20, where Moses hits a rock (twice) with his staff to release water [a different time from the more familar version in Exodus 17].  The problem was that this time, God told Moses to 'command' the water to be released, but he hit it instead.  "Because you did not trust me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not lead this assembly into the land that I have given them."

The written versions of these events did not come until many centuries after the fact.  So, it is hard to know whether the Numbers reasoning is anachronistic or not.

I prefer to imagine that (for Moses) being able to see the promised land with his youthful eyes was a good end to his life.  I imagine that Moses passed away content knowing all the graces of God.  I imagine that from that Nebo vista, Moses saw not only the layout of the land, but also experienced a moment of clarity: that Yahweh is a God of all eternity: through endings, into new beginnings.

//

Therein lies a message for us today: are we open to seeing God as part of the vast vista that is our life: God is with us in all times, from beginnings to endings and to new beginnings - and all the changes in between. 
//

Some might say that life in Canada changed this past week, with two separate ‘lone wolf’ attacks in Quebec and Ontario that brought modern terrorism right on to our nations front steps.

Others are steadfastly telling themselves that they refused to be changed even after acts of terror.

I don’t know where the truth lies.  Perhaps it is a varied as each one of us.

//

I do not have any words to make sense of what happened; but I will profess today, as I would have professed a week ago - that we live in God’s world and we are not alone.

Through difficulty, in joy, when confused and when focused - God is with us.

That was my planned message for this Sunday as I laid it out several weeks ago - and it is unchanged in the shadow of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent’s and Corporal Nathan Cirillo’s deaths.

As surely as God was with Moses and the Israelites on their exodus, God was with the people in slavery and God promised to be with the people in the promised land. 

And God is with us in this time - whatever that time is for us.

//

The work is ours.  How do we live with God? is our question.

Jesus give us the easy summary:

·        Love God with all that we have;

·        And love others as we love ourselves. 

Personally, I do not subscribe to the crazy circular argument that for me to love God, I must act out in hate.
So, I cannot absolve myself of these great commandments by heaping blanket hate at Muslims in wake of jihadist terror.  I was saddened to see the vandalism at the mosque in Cold Lake, but that sadness was more than overcome by the news that many, many people helped that faith community remove the words of hate.

That is a sign that the God, whom Jesus proclaimed simply expects expressions of love, is
among us.

//

If we are fortunate and if we work at it, we can step back and see the big picture of God’s realm of joy and compassion being lived out all around us.

Let us pray:

God, we know our past, but not our future.  Yet we have your promise of your presence not matter where the journey takes us.  Amen.

#161MV “I Have Called You By Your Name”

RESULTS

October 12, 2014

Pentecost 18

Exodus 32:1-4
Philippians 4:1-9

[rocking chair - reading, relaxed, thinking]

·      gatherers to farmers - leisure time.

·      what to do when not busy? wonder.

·      creativity can flourish: +ve or -ve

·      idle hands are devil’s workshop: cf. Exodus

·      fear >> impatience

·      cost of doing nothing / opportunity cost

·      they wanted immediate results - didn’t want to wait - afraid to wait - want to be in control

·      last week: living faith = beliefs + actions

·      faith also includes uncertainty

·      accepting a lack of control can stifle wonder

·      ‘boredom’ is dying - is creativity, is wonder?

·      we need wonder - but let’s not lose it in fear

·      from Paul to Philippi church:

¹… stand firm in the Lord

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always

⁸… if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

⁹Keep on doing the things that you have learned… and the God of peace will be with you.

·      trust in something more

·      wait and see what results from the wonder that emerges

#245VU  “Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet”

THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW

October 5, 2014

Pentecost 17 - World Wide Communion

Psalm 19:1-10

(prayer)

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been following Moses and the Israelites as they journey through the Sinai wilderness having crossed the Sea and left the years of Egyptian slavery and oppression behind.

But freedom isn’t free of problems.

This large nomadic group was in constant need of fresh food and water - not every part of the Sinai that they traveled through was filled with abundant supplies.

//

In Exodus 16, there are the complaints about a lack of food.  In chapter 17, the complaint is about having enough water.

//

Hindsight is a powerful diagnostic tool - I assume that (like me) you have this amazing ability to discern the best path forward... after the fact.

As we read through chapters 16 and 17, we can hear how the Israelites’ hindsight complaints were a real challenge for Moses.  Why did we even leave Egypt anyway?  Sure, we were slaves (and had to endure oppressive, hard, forced labour), but at least we had enough food and drink.

The need for sustenance was real, and it was a problem that Moses was well aware of... but did it merit questioning the whole Exodus? Did it warrant conveniently forgetting about God’s help and guidance all along the way - that whole fiery pillar thing?

As chapter 16 and 17 demonstrated, the God who claimed to have initiated the Exodus because God had not abandoned the people in their distress, continued to guide and care for the people: bread from heaven, migrated birds to hunt and water from the rock.

The pattern repeated itself:

ÿ   The people complained to Moses;

ÿ   When Moses couldn’t take it any longer (and feared for his own life), Moses complained to God.

ÿ   God provided.

//

Today, I showed a video from the next (but similar) chapter in this story - not literally the next chapter: comes from Exodus 20.

Between chapters 17 and 20, Moses had led the people to the foot of Mount Horeb - the same place where Moses mission had begun, when he spoke to God at the burning bush.

They camped there for some time.  Moses reconnected with his wife’s family - he got some good management advice about delegation from his father-in-law.

At one point, God invited Moses to come up to the mountain for a private meeting.  That was when the Ten Commandments were shared Exodus 20:2-17.

If you read on in Exodus, God continues to instruct Moses for eleven more chapters - up to and including chapter 31:  instructions on how to organize the religious life of the people - providing guidance for how to offer worship and live faithfully.  This is the beginning of The Torah (the law).

//

From that point forward The Torah became the cornerstone of Hebrew life.  It guided them for the rest of their journey through the wilderness and it provided them with the societal structure to govern their lives once they began to settle in the land of Canaan.

Throughout the years, the basic laws established during the time of Moses were refined and adjusted to meet the specific needs of the people as their society developed.

Many centuries later, a poet wrote the 19^th Psalm, which extols the value and purpose of The Torah for the Hebrew People.

·         the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

·         the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; 

·         the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

·         the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; 

·         the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever;

·         the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether; more to be desired are they than gold; sweeter than honey.

The Psalm-writer gives us a series of poetic pairs: a characteristic of the law and the impact of the law on the human experience.

The Law is... perfect, sure, right, clear, pure, true and righteous.

The therefore the Law... revives, creates wisdom, is a cause for rejoicing, enlightens, endures, and (therefore) is deeply desired.

//

In other words, the Torah is the glue that holds Hebrew society and culture and religion together.

//

//

For the most part, as a human species, we have chosen to govern ourselves by some standards of behaviour - yes there is ample variety from place to place, from culture to culture, even from person to person.  Yet there are some very commonly held basic standards of behaviour that are widely held.

As we can see from the video and the Psalm that was read, our faithstory is filled with the language of law – what does that mean for us? 

Is faith as simple as following the rules?

Sometimes, I wish it was.

//

Murder (for example, as a matter of common principle) is almost exclusively viewed as a bad thing.  It’s right there in the Ten Commandments.

And yet, there are many circumstances where it might be seen as justified - even within the perspective of a faith tradition - to kill another.

There are still many places in our world that muddy the waters of the standard of behaviour by having laws that allow for capital punishment (i.e. state-sanctioned murder).  And of course, rules of war allow for the willful killing of others.

//

We are to honour parents and not desire things possessed by others, and yet people of faith might encourage others to disown their families if they do not hold the right beliefs.

And let’s be honest, far too many religious people feel justified in selective coveting (desiring what others have) - especially in the way the rules of business and finance work.

//

The purpose of the development of the seeds of ancient Hebrew Law during the time of Moses was to guide the people to a way of living in faith and justice in the land to which they were heading.  The Torah would become the basis of their society as a freed and settled people - a nation with a homeland.

//

Yet... “reason” tells me that faithfulness is not as simple as following some rules. 

Faithfulness is knowing what we believe, why we believe it; and applying those beliefs authentically and consistently in the ways in which we live and move and have our being!

//

Rules seem to be made to be broken (or at least to have certain exceptions), faithfulness is living out what we believe.

//

The questions each of us is challenged to ask is: what do I believe - why do I believe it - and will I live out those beliefs.

Obviously, the last question is the key one.  Not living by what one professes to believe is called hypocrisy and it is one of the least respected characteristic a person can have.  No one respects the hypocrite.

//

Now, I am not going to be hard on us - every single one of us - is constantly being challenged to bring of actions and beliefs in sync with each other.  In fact, I don’t know anyone who has to deal with that conflict on a daily basis.

The challenge of faithfulness is to find ways to match our actions with our beliefs.

Mathematically...

Faith = Beliefs + Actions

//

So, there are two ways to work at making our living match our beliefs - if they are not in sync:

·         Adjust what we do.

·         Adjust what we believe.

It may surprise you how often it is the latter that is the more faithful response.

//

The rules of living in the ancient world (even those enshrined in Torah) may not apply in the same way as contexts change over time.

In the ancient Hebrew world, there were Torah rules against eating shell fish and pork.  Eat a tasty lobster or crab was described as an abomination toward God.

And yet, even though the Christian life is an extension of Jesus faith-tradition (Judaism), how many Christians do you know that refrain from pork and shellfish because it is thought to be detestable to God.

The Ten Commandments require that the Seventh Day (Sabbath) be considered Holy and set apart from other days.  It is a day of rest, literally - there are strict rules for how far one can walk or how much work one can do on the Sabbath Day.

Now, this is the point that someone will remind us that we used to have laws in Canada restrict what could be done on Sundays.  Sports teams never had practices or games on the Lord’s Day (by the way all three levels of the Leduc and District Minor Football Association have games today at the Leduc High School - the Atom game is already underway)

Since we do not live as a whole society as a religious state, the civil laws must not force particular religious practices on everyone, so the Lord’s Day Act in Alberta (and similar legislation in other provinces) was deemed unconstitutional under the right to practice religion freely.

Even so, there are many Christians who still do their best to set aside Sunday as the holiest day of the week - maybe gather in places like this for church - focus on less busy family time.  I suspect that people see this as being faithful to the commandment to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. 

But, even that is out of context, the Bible refers to the Hebrew Sabbath (Saturday on our calendars) - how many Christians do you know that treat Saturday with religious reverence?

Sometimes, we adjust what we believe.  In the case of the Sabbath, remember that as the early Christian movement grew, it expanded way beyond its Hebrew base - over time, they moved their holy rituals to the day of Jesus’ resurrection (the first day of the week) from the tradition of the earliest disciples who kept the Sabbath according to the Torah.

When we change what believe and why we believe it, we do it for reasons we believe are good and just.

//

Maybe that is why Jesus resisted the trap to pick the Greatest Commandment from the thousands of rules is the Torah.

Mark 12:²⁸ One of the scribes asked Jesus, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ ²⁹Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might”(Dt 6:4-5) ³¹The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Jesus knew that the details of the Torah are (and have always been) contextual.  Jesus knew he had to be more general - more summary orientated than specific.

·      Love God with heart, soul and might.

o   Heart - love God from the depth of what you feel;

o   Soul - love God as part of the very essence of who you are;

o   Might - love God in what you do.

·      Love your neighbour as yourself.

o   Love others as if they were you;

o   Love others the way you want to be are loved;

o   Love yourself and you can truly love others.

If you are tempted to ask Jesus “okay that’s fine, but who is my neighbour” - I refer you to the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke10:29-37).

//

For me focusing on the great commandments as voiced by Jesus, I have been able to find the basis of what I want to believe, and what rules I want to try to live by.  If the action choices before are not in sync with that I am in conflict.

//

Faithfulness in this way is hard.  If I really see all people as kin - as neighbours in the way Jesus meant it - how do I look at the bog issues of our day:

·         Climate change;

·         Hunger;

·         War, Terrorism;

·         Violence in homes, on streets among nations and within nations.

·         Gendre equality;

·         The equality of all people regardless of their sexual orientation or identity.

·         And what may be the linchpin in all of these problems: The exponentially widening gap between the rich and poor and that very basic (ten- commandments-noted) sin of... coveting.

//

In the end, no law on the books of a nation or community; no system of enforcement means as much as the attempts of each of us as individuals to see to live in faith and justice.  It is not a destination.  It is a journey.

What do we believe?

Why do we believe it?

Will we live it out?

//

Faith = Beliefs + Actions

Let us pray:

God, in your love and guidance, help us learn from our experiences to seek to know what is important to us and how we can make that real in our world.  Amen.

***OFFERING***