You can see by my choice of shirt this morning, that there is a
preseason Canadian Football League game at Commonwealth Stadium today. You might even be able to guess which team, I
plan on rooting for.
As a act of public declaration, a lot of sports fans will express
support for their favorite teams through the clothes they wear… even those of us
who have never played a down of organized football can proclaim I am with you green
and gold.
//
//
Thirteen months ago, when the people of Ft. McMurray were forced to flee
that devastating forest fire, it did not take very long to begin seeing vinyl
stickers on the back of vehicles proclaiming “Alberta Strong”. You still see them.
I suspect that many (if not most) of these stickers were on vans, cars
and trucks of people who do not live in Ft Mc. That is not a bad thing; in fact, it is the
whole point… wide professions of Alberta
Strong are (literally) signs of solidarity… of support.
//
//
The same idea is common on social media sites, which respond quickly to
tragic events or civil rights movements or hockey playoff runs with
pre-programmed ways to post statements of solidarity - visible to people all
over the world - through specific memes, hashtags, profile picture frames, etc.
Certainly, it is a fair conversation to ask whether simply changing your
profile picture is enough of a
response.
There is a somewhat fair backlash towards the hollow idea of only sending thoughts and prayers, when
other actions are possible and needed.
As a person who spends a lot of time thinking and praying, personally, I
think that expressing solidarity and advocacy is always valuable… even in small
ways. But I do agree that - in and of
itself - tapping your screen will not change the world very much.
The point is that there are degrees to what we can mean when we proclaim
“I am with you!”
Obviously, there are levels to how deeply we can be willing to be
committed to a cause or movement.
//
//
//
As we are in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary series of weekly
bible readings for Sunday Church, many of the gospel readings since last
December are coming from Matthew.
//
The Easter account offered by Matthew is relatively short… one chapter:
only 20 verses long (fifteen actually - as five verses are dedicated to a
bribery scheme intended to counter the disciples claims of resurrection).
The first ten verses of Matthew 28 detail two women discovering that the
tomb is empty. Angels tell them that Jesus
is raised. On their way to tell the rest
of the disciples this news, they meet the Risen Christ himself… who tells them
to let the others know that they would see Jesus for themselves after they
return to Galilee.
The final five verses of Matthew 28 - which we heard this morning - detail that Galilean encounter when
Jesus says: All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the
end of the age. (Mt28:18-20)
//
//
Last Sunday (focusing on the Luke-Acts narratives), I spoke about the
transitions that the followers of Jesus made as they responded to the events of
Good Friday, Easter
and Pentecost: how they responded to the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the Spirit’s call to help others understand why Jesus was
(and is) so important to them.
Today’s reading is Matthew’s abbreviated version of the same call.
//
All four biblical gospels end with the mantle of Jesus’ ministry being
passed on to those who had learned from Jesus… the followers were transformed into leaders
as Jesus tells them:
●
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Matthew
●
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole
creation. Mark
●
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Luke
(Acts)
●
Feed my sheep. John
//
The followers were sent out to lead.
But they were not sent out alone: remember (Jesus said) I am with you always.
//
The promise of the Risen Christ is that the on-going ministry of the
Jesus-believers have an on-going advocate and supporter.
//
In the UCCan (which celebrated its ninety-second anniversary yesterday),
we are fond of saying it this way:
We are not alone, we live in God’s
world.
…
In life, in death, in life beyond
death,
God is with us. We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
//
The holy promise is “Holy Presence”.
//
This past week, the church’s finance committee confirmed that our next
movie night will be September 23rd. The
movie to make you think that evening will be “The Shack” - based on the novel
of the same name. Unlike some of the
previous films we have screened here, this one has an explicitly religious
theme which onviously invites us to think about life and faith.
“The Shack” (book and film) offers a particular perspective on what holy presence is like. I won't blow the plot three months ahead of
our movie night, but I will say that how
the nature of god is presented in this work of fiction might challenge some
more orthodox beliefs - not that God is ever present, but what God
thinks about us because God is present.
//
//
Remember, I am with you always.
//
If - as church - we believe that Jesus is more than our founding mentor
(locked in the past): that Christ is our companion (in the present), what might
that mean for us?
//
As the Apostle Paul closed out one of his letters to the Corinthians, he
prayed that the Grace of Jesus, the Love of God, and the Communion of the Spirit would be with
the people of the church.
I read this as Paul wanting the faithful in Corinth to see themselves as
being spiritually united with the gift of divine compassion.
When we look at what the letter says right before this final blessing,
we see a hint as to how Paul thinks the people should live under this grace and
love:
●
“put things in order” - This is a call to stay focused.
●
“listen to my appeal” - part of the reason why
the letter was written was to raise money for Peter and the other people of the
Jerusalem Christian Community (aka, ‘the saints’). This is a call to be generous.
●
“agree with one another” - in other words,
listen to each other, understand each other.
This is a call to find common
ground.
●
finally, “live
in peace”.
//
Paul even goes as far to say, that (as they do these things) they will
be able to - that much better - experience God’s peace. Living in peace with each other makes it
easier to know God’s presence.
Or to use the language I was using earlier… understanding each other
might just help them in understanding holy presence.
A letter of John phrased it this way: Love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
(1Jn4:7)
//
The Corinthian Church had its issues with conflict. They had trouble agreeing on leadership
styles, how to include both gentile and jewish Christians. Paul wanted them to find unity - not by
becoming the same - but by appreciating the value of their difference because
there was a common good that was enhanced by the variety.
//
The old storyteller spoke of “goodness” as the first and most obvious
result of God’s creativeness.
In poetic beauty, the story wove images of the known world into layers
of the work of Creator God (see Genesis 1).
Even before the clock of time had
started, one day, into the chaotic dark, God spoke light into being. And it was good. Later God set lights in the sky both day and
night. And that was good, too.
Another day created a pocket for
life to emerge. Eventually, life filled
the waters and the skies. And this was
good too.
Another day, God made a solid
place for life that couldn't swim or fly to be and - in time - the land was
filled with life of all kinds… including humans who bore the image of the
Creator.
When everything was taken into
account, this whole thing was ‘oh so very good’. טוֹב מְאוֹד
The storyteller ended by stating
that such good, hard work warranted a day off… for rest, reflection and
appreciation.
//
//
I know that there are a lot of voices among us and around us that claim
that the story of our founding in goodness has ended and that what is needed
now-a-days is suspicion and ever-vigilant cautiousness. They effectivly argue against Paul’s
proclamation (to the Corinthians) that differences can be appreciated in the context
of a greater good.
Rather, the goal is to hang around only with those who think like
you. Wall off ‘the other’ (literally and
figuratively) in the name of security.
Protect what you have accumulated at all costs.
This way of approaching relationships has a way of dehumanizing those on
the outside of the protected circle as less
than worthy of the label “good”.
//
I am not naïve to the reality of dangerous ideas and actions. There is a measure of wisdom to appreciating
the value of reasonable cautiousness.
But I am stubborn in my assertion that we still live in a world that God
proudly proclaims as good.
//
I do see most of the problems in our world as being the results of the
self-fulfilling prophecies of greed and artificial hierarchy.
When we label the people outside our walls as unworthy of real
relationship, eventually, they will begin to believe what we say about
them. Children born into a walled world
have no frame of reference for any other way of thinking.
//
In 2001 and 2003, wars were imposed on Afghanistan and Iraq to combate terrorism
that occured half a world away. These
conflict zones continue in some form still today. Sixteen years later, an entire generation of
impressionable young minds have had to grow up in this context… being told that
they are unworthy of any label other than being a threat to a more civilized
world.
And, we are surprised that this self-fulfilling prophecy came true.
Virtually every perpetrator of the acts of terror in our world this year
(that we focus our thoughts and prayers on until the next tragedy happens) grew
up in the context of post-911 nationalistic fear where it is better to label
each brown-skinned person as a terrorist, just to be safe. In this context, ripping a hijab off a
woman’s head is claimed as an act of patriotism.
This will continue until we change the collective worldview and the next
impressionable young minds can know a more peaceful and accepting context.
//
//
//
Albert Einstein is often credited with saying that the definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
results. Regardless of who actually
said it, those words hold truth.
//
Paul of Tarsus knew that unless the Corinthians stopped practicing
theologies of division, they would not be able to begin to create a needed new
culture which could serve a wider good.
//
The Risen Christ, likewise, didn’t want his followers to lose the compassionate
context of their relationship just because Jesus wasn't among them in the same
way anymore.
//
They (and we) were reminded that Jesus is with us
always. As a physical companion he
taught that the most important commandments were to love God from the core of
our being and love neighbours as one’s self.
As a spiritual companion, Jesus wanted his followers to continue to
preach that good news… teach newcomers to this faith to live the truth of these
commandments too.
//
In a world where we are challenged to exclude more and more people from
the list of those worthy of the title of “neighbour”, we (as spiritual
companions of the Risen Christ, even today) need to retell parables like the
one that Jesus told when he was asked but
who is my neighbour.
Read Luke chapter ten and you will see that the Parable of the Good
Samaritan non-answered the question Who
is my neighbour? with the statement: Just
be a Neighbour!
//
In the context of the first biblical legend of creation, we hear that
God created all of humanity in the image of the divine: Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our
image, according to our likeness’ ... So God created humankind in his image, in
the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
(Gen1:26-27 NRSV)
Jesus reinforced this concept by ignoring the notion that we should pick
and chose who we declare worthy of our neighborly compassion.
//
//
There are lots of ears in our world right now that are resistant to
hearing the grace and peace which Jesus invites us to proclaim.
There are lots of competing voices in our world that preach gospels of
division.
We have allowed dehumanizing hate to become normal.
//
I think our scriptures today are asking us to
infect the culture with a different worldview.
Put things in order, listen to my appeal,
agree with one another, live in peace;
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
(2Cor13:11)
Not an easy task.
Changing the world never is.
But we are not alone.
Jesus said:
Remember, I am with you always,
to the end of time.
(Mt28:20)
//
//
Let us
pray:
Holy
God, we long for those moments of clarity when we can feel the truth of your
holy presence. Amen.
#606VU
“In Christ, There is No East or West”
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