SUSTAINED BY SPIRIT

February 28, 2016

Lent 3

Isaiah 55:1-9

1^st Corinthians 10:1-13

(prayer)

As I read through the two readings for this morning, I am struck how they seem to be sending a mixed message.

·      1^st Corinthians: be very careful not to fail tests of faith, or else you will get what you deserve; earn your path out of trouble...

·      Isaiah: come and share in the goodness, even (especially) if you don’t think you deserve it or have earned it...

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Then again, Corinthians does profess that we will always have the means necessary to endure whatever difficulties come our way: God will not let you be tested beyond your strength... God will provide you a path to endure the testing.

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I must admit that I am very careful with the modern context in which I quote this passage from first corinthians chapter ten.  I get what Paul was saying and who he was saying it to.  But simply quoting his words out of context can present an unintended view of God.

In spite of the title we give to the letter, this was not the "first" time Paul was communicating with the young church in Corinth.  First Corinthians is not even the first letter Paul wrote to the corinthians  (see 1st Corinthians 5:9).

My point is... that the passage from today is part of a conversation among people who already have established a relationship with each other.  They have earned a certain mutual respect to be able to say challenging things to each other.  The had a significant understanding of each other that pre-determined what was being written in the letter we call First Corinthians.

So, when Paul speaks about the faith of the people being challenged by their particular life and circumstances, he understands what they are going through.  And he is able to bring in his experience with people in other places to add some clarity to the corinthians' situation.

Verse 13:  [what you are going through] is common.

In other words: you are not alone.  God has been with others going through similar trials... and God is with you too.

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As, I said, I am cautious about quoting this passage in new contexts where people's faith is challenged because to say "every body has problems" can come off as sounding dismissive.

I know (from my own experience of being down in the dumps about something) that learning that "others might have similar problems too" doesn't  necessarily make me feel any better.  In fact, it can have the opposite effect of support, making me feel guilty for even sharing my problems.

//

I am especially cautious about just throwing out the phrase "God will not let you be tested beyond your strength" or other ways of saying the same thing.  For example, if someone asks: Why did God let this happen to me? And I respond with: God allowed you to experience this difficulty because God knew you were strong enough to handle it.  What message am I sending about God?

I will never forget talking with a parent who was grieving the tragic death of their child.  Some well-meaning friend had tried to offer comfort by quoting 1st Corinthians.  The parent' tearful lament to me was "if only I had been weaker, my child would still be alive." 

So sad.

If I believed that this was what Paul meant, I would not pray for strength and courage, I would pray for weakness and fear.  Why be strong if it only results in facing harder challenges.

If our strength is a factor that pre-dictates the level of challenges we will face, why would anyone want to be strong?

I simply do not believe that God doles out suffering in a proportion to our ability to handle it. 

My belief is... that it is not a failure to become overwhelmed with life.  And I will not judge anyone's character as weak when times get tough and they are questioning what they believe about God and faith.

Maybe Paul was playing a bit of a judgement trip with the church's complaints about their situation, but the actual thesis of that part of the letter was not about the people's faith and commitment, but about God's steadfastness. 

In the end, Paul was saying... in spite of our success or failure, in spite of our weakness or strength, in spite of our current level of doubt, fear or faith, God is committed to being with us, among us, loving us.

For me, that is how I hear the final words of the corinthian passage - the "way out" that God provides is a promise that God will not abandon us.  Enduring a difficult time, does not mean triumphing over it, but moving into a future that holds us, supports us and encourages us to hang on to that will sustain us and bring us deeper peace.

//

I hope we can focus our attention to that end-point of the corinthian passage rather than the guilt trip implied in "you don't want to fail the tests to your faith by forgetting about the rock that Christ is in their life.

God is generous with a holy presence - even (especially) in times of difficulty and challenge.

//

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Let's think about that from the point of view in the reading from Isaiah 55.  The original audience to those words were a people living in exile six centuries before Jesus' time: forcibly deported from their homeland at the whim of the imperial power of the day.

They were struggling to maintain a national identity while trying to scratch out a basic subsistence on foreign soil.

Food and faith must have been scarce.  And into that world, the prophet speaks:  come eat and drink a grand feast; all is provided free of charge.

The metaphor, the message, is that, in the god of their ancestors, there is all that is needed to sustain them.

The old rituals of worship from before we're irrelevant in this new time.  The Jerusalem Temple was lying in ruins hundreds of kilometers  away.  An old way of thinking that there was only one true place and one true style in which to encounter God was no longer relevant.  Centuries of religious practices and set traditions were set on their ear when the deportation squads rounded people up and shipped to the settlement camps by the Rivers of Babylon.

Then, into a new time, a prophet professes that God is not dead and buried in distant rubble.  God is not waiting for the proper rites to be performed.  No, God is inviting the people to know the fullest possible measure of grace - even in exile.

So, you who thirst, come to waters.  You who are hungry, come eat.  Leave your money at home.  You do not have to buy God's compassion for you.

As I read this part of the bible, I do not see the feast as being about abundance or excess or welfare, but about a generosity that is focused on daily need to eat, drink and celebrate life in a community of care.

It is not the people's resources or level of faith or adherence to ancient rituals that earn them a seat at the table.  God simply provides... with no expectation of payment (before or after the meal).

God sees the need and God provides.

That is pretty much the same thing Paul wrote 600 years later to early Christians in Corinth.

The divine hope is that a generosity of God will lead to a people who desire to live out generosity as well.

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There is a gospel story of Jesus presiding over a meal shared by thousands of people.  The practical-minded desciples wanted Jesus to dismiss the crowds so that they had time to go home to prepare and eat their own suppers, but instead Jesus encouraged everyone to sit down. 

The generosity started with one young pilgrim who offered to share what he had: five loaves of barley bread and two fish.

The gospel texts do not tell us how, but as the available food was passed around, there was more than what was needed for everyone to have their fill.

Did Jesus just make food appear out of thin air... or was the miracle in the releasing of people's generous natures?   Surely, the loaves-and fishes-boy was not the only who had packed a lunch.

Regardless of the facts of that mass feeding, I believe that it is true to say... generosity is the driving force that leads to a just abundance.

I hear that message in the story of the feeding of the 5000 and in Isaiah 55.

//

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Our God is gracious.

Our God is good.

Our God is generous.

Come be filled.  God says.

It is on me.

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God takes the proactive step of providing, but we are to be active as well.  We are invited to come to the table, we still have to take our seat. 

We are not spoon-fed by God, we are given a seat at the table of bounty.

//

Next week, we will hear a story (a parable of Jesus) about a negative reaction to generosity, but you'll have to wait to go down that road.

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For today, I lay before us the Grace of God.  Grace is a gift.  It doesn't matter if we feel we have not earned it - grace is all about God, not us. 

And I lay before us, a holy promise that the impact of challenges and difficult circumstances do not exempt us from the generous compassion of God.

//

At song that has spoken to me over the years comes from my go-to spiritual folk artist from Ashville NC.

The thesis is David Wilcox's Break in the Cup is that our hearts are like cups that have a crack in them.  We can't simply fill them once and expect it to sustain us.  Like the broken cup, we need new love, new compassion, new joy and encouragement to keep it filled.  So, the secret to happiness is not to selfishly guard what we have, but to risk finding the sources of new and continued support.  David sings:

We cannot trade empty for empty.

We must go to the waterfall.

For there's a break in the cup

that holds love inside us all.

I think that Jesus would have liked this.  He once spoke to an outlasted woman about a source of living water that fills us eternally (see John 4).

//

We do not exist in a problem-free world's.   Life is not a utopic paradise.  People of faith have asked in every age, why did God made us and our world this way? Why is there pain and suffering and death?

It is an unanswerable question.  None of us knows the mind of God.

But, we can point to the spiritual comfort that many have experienced and consider the belief that God remains our companion in times of joy and sorrow.

Jesus famously said: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh (Luke 6:20-21).  "Blessing" exists even in times of difficulty.  The Apostle Paul once wrote that he was sure that there was nothing in all creation [that] could separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39).

Being aware of the holy presence in our midst can build and strengthen faith.

I liken it to the nature of wooden instruments.  The quality of sound produced by a violin (for example) improves the more often it is played.  The wood body of the instrument is affected by the sound waves bouncing around it.  The vibrations change the wood and actually mellows the future sounds it will create.  That is why those old well made creations are highly sought after by the great players. 

What a wonderful metaphor for life and faith.  Our lives are made better the deeper we live.  Beautiful music can emerge from all of the practice and learning we do along the way.  Even the sour notes and the disharmony serves to strengthen our potential.  Especially, when we allow ourselves to be held by a master.

//

The promise of our scriptures today is that God willingly inserts God's self into both the joyful and sorrowful aspects of life.  We are never abandoned.  We are not separated from the care and compassion that created us.

Even with broken cups, we can be filled.

Even without the means to sustain ourselves, we are invited to share at the table of blessing.

//

Thanks be to God.

I will leave us with words of the ancient Hebrew king, David, who was able to find a sense of God - even in the wilderness.   The first few verses of Psalm 63:

O God, you are my God,

I seek you,

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land

where there is no water. 

So I have looked upon you

in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory. 

Because your steadfast love

is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands

and call on your name. 

My soul is satisfied

as with a rich feast,

and my mouth praises you

with joyful lips

when I think of you on my bed,

and meditate on you

in the watches of the night;

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings

I sing for joy.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

//

We are not alone.

Thanks be to God.

//

Let us pray:

Merciful God, it is your way to draw us back together and to you, and to enfold us in your everlasting arms. Thank you. Amen.

#4MV “All Who Are Thirsty”

FOCUSED, FIRM AND FAITHFUL

February 21, 2016

Lent 2

Philippians 3:17 - 4:1

Luke 13:31-35

(prayer)

The longest hour I used to experience when I was a child was the time right after lunch while on our annual family vacation in Penticton.

Although, it is now almost universally debunked as a summer myth, in the 70s, my parents dutifully enforced the rule that you had to wait for at least an hour after eating before you could go swimming.

Those hours were long.

And boring.

And I probably spent most of that time sulking and complaining.

I am sure that my attitude while being on the mandated hiatus from the lake and pool made my parents question their resolve.

But... the purpose of this time was not to make my life miserable.  Regardless of whether modern thinking agrees on the necessity or not, at that time (with the best of intentions), my parents were looking out for my best interests - they were taking a very practical step to keep me safe.

It is one of the most sacred (and sometimes thankless) tasks of parenthood.  To keep their children safe - even if the kids don't appreciate the potential danger.

//

By extension, it is one of the duties of care among members of a community - to create societies that nurture safety and... give people peaceful contexts in which to live, learn and grow.

The 'shiny desires' of the moment don't necessarily support the larger goal.

//

We heard Paul share the same insight with the early Christians in Philippi.

Paul expressed his passionately held belief that our selfish focus on short-term gratification serves to do little more than distract us from enriching our connection with God and allowing our spirituality to deepen and change us.

This is so central to Paul's thesis that he is brought to tears thinking about the faith of the young church a few miles from the head of the Aegean Sea.

Paul (and his associates) established the Philippian church.  He clearly felt a duty to nurture and tend the developing faith of these new believers.  Paul set himself as their mentor and guide.

Join in imitating me.

Watch others who follow my example.

Do what they do.

The approach Paul wants the people to have is to make their relationship to the God of Jesus Christ central to all aspects of their lives.

//

At couple of weeks ago, here at St. David's, we told the story of Peter, James and John experiencing a manifestation of the glory of God in Jesus.  That story directly followed after a conversation between Jesus and Peter about who Jesus was and what it means to be a disciple (or follower) of Jesus.

In that conversation, Jesus accused Peter on setting his mind of human things, not divine things.  In other words, "Peter, you are too into your selfish desires (here and now) and, as a result, you are not able to see the bigger picture that God focuses on."

The Apostle Paul is saying the same thing to the Philippians: Don't let shallow selfishness distract you from the holiness around you and stay focused on your God.

Stand firm! Paul wrote.

//

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Jesus was manifesting holiness as he travelled throughout Galilee. 

His words inspired.

His skilled hands and caring heart healed.

He was enveloped with a respect and joy from the people.  They valued Jesus' influence on the quality of their life and faith.

//

In Luke today, we heard the fact that Jesus' popular authority had warranted the unadmiring attention of the King of Galilee: Herod (who was named after his grandfather, who was the Hebrew sovereign (thirty or so years earlier) when Jesus was very young).

//

Out of concern for his safety, local religious leaders from the town where Jesus was at the time, told Jesus that Herod wanted to harm (even kill) him.  They advised Jesus to leave.

Jesus followed the advice.  He did move on to other towns.  But that was nothing new.  Jesus had always been a travelling rabbi.  He may have learned a valuable lesson from the experience of John the Baptist.  John was a settled teacher.  He set up shop by the river and people came to him.  Of course, when the authorities wanted to arrest John, he was easy to find.  Jesus chose a different style: people didn't come to him, Jesus went to the people.

Even so... this time, there did seem to be some urgency in the Pharisees' warning - "You should probably leave sooner than later, Jesus."

But before moving on, Jesus did ask that a message be given to the king of Galilee: Tell that 'fox' (nice insult, Jesus) that I will not stop or slow down my ministry.  People will continue to be made whole and healed.  Tell Herod that "I" will decide when I am finished, not him!

//

Then the gospel writers includes a little foreshadowing of how and where Jesus will finish his work.  [Remember... the first readers of Luke knew the end of the story. Jesus will not end has ministry in the towns of Galilee at the hands of a puppet Hebrew king, but in Jerusalem at the hands of Empire leadership.]

Jesus laments Jerusalem' pivotal role throughout history as a place where prophets have been opposed.  Like lots of important places led by important people, Jerusalem hasn't always responded well to challenges to the way things are.  The powerful seldom "like" their power being questions.

'That may work in the sticks,

but not in Capital City.'

In a wonderfully poetic way, Jesus expresses a desire to embrace the central city of his faith.  "Even though you do have a history of being hard on those who challenge your comfort, I still longed to hold you close, protect you, "  The words paint a wonderful picture - the mother hen gathering her chick's under her wings.

//

//

Any time our hope and desires and passions are faced with opposition, we naturally question how strong we can be.

In most (if not all) situations, there is a breaking point... where we are unable to move forward.

Is it worth it carrying on?

Am I strong enough?

Am I committed enough?

//

The early years of the Christian movement - the times into which the Apostle Paul and the author of the Gospel of Luke were sharing written insights - were a time of extreme challenge for the first generations of Christians.  They were involved in matters of a deeply personal nature - matters of the heart, mind and soul. 

And, of course, the very nature of an emerging and evolving faith impacted how the people related to their wider communities and culture. 

They were naturally beginning to wonder about what about their new worldview fit well within the world they have known?  What conflicts and dilemmas were rising to the surface?

In fact, several times in his various letters, Paul has cause to address issues of cultural conflict.  In the end, he encouraged people to not sweat the small stuff (particularly the traditions and practices of their old lives) but to hold firm to the basic faith that... they are held and protected in God's love: which is known in Christ crucified and risen - and is the greatest of all gifts of God.

//

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Today, we heard Paul's concern that short-term selfish endeavours can distract us from our eternal relationship with God.

And, in Jesus, we saw his steadfast ability to remain focused on his mission and ministry - in spite of threats and opposition.

//

//

We live in an increasingly busy world.  Instant communication and lightning fast access to information has made it easy for us to attempt many levels of multi-tasking.

Some of us are better at it than others.  But all of us are in danger of losing sight of what is truly important to us.

I have embraced (as much as anyone my age) the convenience and connection that comes with a smart phone.  And I admit that along with the benefits, is the loss of down time.

Example: yesterday morning, while I was watching a junior high basketball tournament, I received almost simultaneous requests from two different funeral homes for me to conduct funerals later this week: one funeral director contacted me by email, the other by phone.  Both found me (via my smart phone) in the bleachers.  In fact, I was in the middle of typing a reply to the email, when the phone call came in.

After first determining that these were (in fact) seperate funerals, I was able to set up times for both services and make arrangements to have meetings with both families before this weekend is out.  I was also able to check the church calendar on-line and to book the necessary rooms for both funerals and receptions, and begin to contact the church caretaker and recruit AV and music people - all from the sidelines of the basketball court.

Just a few years ago, people would have only been able to leave me a phone message at the church (or at home) and I would have had to make a physical trip into the church office to check a paper calendar to see if the church was free.

What is also true is that I missed a lot of my son's game yesterday.

And that makes me feel guilty.

I feel like I not be as faithful to the big picture of the priorities of my life as (maybe) I should have been.
And yet, I am grateful that the families were able to begin to receive care in their time of grief as quickly as possible.

//

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The modern world (whether we like it or not) forces us to examine our priorities.

And - perhaps ironically - we can turn to the ancient world for advice.

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To set out minds solely (soul-ly) on earthly things is to ignore the very basic nature of who we are: spiritual beings ... children of God.

Paul reminded the Philippians (and us) that we are at home in God - our citizenship is in heaven; stand firm in that knowledge.

//

So, what can that mean for us?

For me, I continually find myself coming back to two particular scriptures to guide me.

Micah 6:8

What does God require of us?

Do justice.  Love kindness. And walk humbly with God.

Mark 12:30-31

Jesus quoting Deuteronomy and Leviticus:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' And ‘Love your neighbour as yourself'

And I making fairness, kindness, humility and love central to my life?

When others are watching me... is this what they authentically see in me?

//

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Jesus stayed firm to his mission, even when it was challenged.

Paul encouraged a big picture focus to life and faith.

//

These are lofty goals.

They are not easy.

But... We are not alone!

God's compassion and support covers us like the protecting wings of a mother bird.

My god does not abandon me... even when I see ways to improve the priority setting of my life.

My god is patient.

Thanks be to God.

Let us pray:

God of Promise,

May we find ourselves open to trusting you. 

May we find ourselves living into the possibilities you lay before us. 

May we hear your promise in our souls.  Amen.

#116VU “Giver of the Perfect Gift”

A BRIEF GLIMPSE

February 7, 2016

Transfiguration

2 Corinthians 3:12 - 4:2

Luke 9: 28-36

(prayer)

Almost forty years ago, during (I think)  the second or third season of Saturday Night Live, Steve Martin and Bill Murray did a short skit where they looked into the camera (as if they had spotted something out of the TV audience's point of view) and asked themselves over and over:

"What the [heck] is that?"

//

There is confusion and curiosity.

It is human nature to want to understand as much about our surroundings as possible.  The sum total of human knowledge continues to grow because we are always wondering...

What is that? 

Why is this? 

What is next? 

What will happen if...?

//

//

People who had experienced Jesus in their live were starting to wonder "who" he truly was.  Some had met him, heard him speak, witnessed hearings.   They were sharing their experiences with friends and neighbours and various rumours were going around wondering who this Jesus is.

Some thought he might be the reincarnation of (the recently killed) John the Baptist.  Others openly wondered if he was the prophet Elijah (or one of the other ancient prophets) returned to earth.

This is what his disciples told Jesus when he asked "Who do people say that I am?"  They relayed the common rumours.

But when Jesus asked, but "Who do you say that I am?", it was Peter who blurted out "You are God's Messiah!"  Jesus made it clear to them that he didn't want them to be spreading that rumour.

Jesus did not call himself Messiah.  Instead, he often spoke about himself in the third person, using the moniker Son of Man.

According to the New Testament, Jesus followed up Peter' declaration that Jesus was the Messiah, but saying that "the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, be rejected, be killed and (on the third day) be raised."

Jesus told his disciples that anyone wanting to follow him will have to be prepared to go down that same path.

Some of the gospel writers tell us that - at least - Peter was having trouble reconciling his view of Jesus as the victorious Messiah with what Jesus described as this suffering Son of Man.

Jesus is said to have told Peter the he was focusing too much on human things and needed to set his mind on divine things.  I suspect that must have been asking himself What does that mean?

//

That is what leads up to our reading from Luke today (a story we can also find in the gospels of Matthew and Mark as well).

About a week after the discussions about Messiah, the Son of Man and the Cost of Discipleship, Jesus, Peter, James and John retreat to a mountaintop to pray.

//

These disciples witness a dramatic physical change in Jesus' appearance: his face changes and his clothes transform to a dazzling white.  It is an amazing experience.

Then Peter, James and John realize that others have joined Jesus.  Without introduction, the disciples seem to instinctably know that those talking with Jesus are Moses and Elijah - the giver of the Law and the first of the great prophets.

Although Peter, James and John were tired, they didn't want this glorious sight to end.  Peter was already to set up tents for the heavenly guests, when the mountaintop was shrouded in clouds.  Out of the mist, the disciples heard an authoritative voice proclaiming: "This is my son, my chosen. Listen to him."

Then (as suddenly as it had begun) the vision was gone.  Jesus appeared normal again, Elijah and Moses were gone and the voice was silent.

All of the gospel accounts make a point to say that the disciples didn't talk with the others about their experiences on the mountain.  They kept their thoughts and feelings (about seeing Jesus transfigured before their eyes) to themselves.

They had to be asking themselves:  What the [heck] was that?

//

In the end, at most, it was just a brief glimpse of the Glory of God.

//

Faith is like that.

We are seldom blessed with more than brief glimpses.  We build our faith on those glimpses.

If they lasted longer, the impact would no longer be called faith... the meaning would be obvious.

Glimpses invite us to wonder and ponder; to struggle as we reflect on what we have seen and heard and felt in our fleeting experiences with the Holy.

//

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We are nearing the end of the season after Epiphany.  Next Sunday, we will be within the season of Lent.

The pre-Easter season of Lent is a time set aside within the calendar of the church year for us to do some helpful reflecting on the nature of our faith.

Over these next two months, each of us is invited to be mindful of the times we have felt our God close: when we have experienced (in the words our United Church Creed - which we will say together later in the service), that "We Are Not Alone".

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The story of Jesus' transfiguration is an appropriate place for us to start that inner conversation.

We can ask ourselves: how does being a follower of Jesus change me?  What impact do the glimpses of faith (I have known) have on how I relate to the world?  What difference is all of this making?

Lent is certainly a time of inner reflection.  But it is not necessarily a time to keep silent.

Unlike the three disciples coming down the mountain, the identity of who we are as a Community of Faith is worthy of our reflection as well.

We can do some of that after church today.  Yes, a congregation's annual general meeting has some regular agenda items.  We will talk about who we will entrust with the governance of the Church Council for the coming year.  We will guide them in their work by approving a budget.  I have been to way too many AGMs (in this church and others) that finances and nominations dominate the discussion. 

I am hopeful that, today, we will embrace the opportunities to be in conversation with each other on how the Spirit of God is allowed to move in our midst.

Part of the value of church is in its ability to be a forum for the sharing of hopes and dreams for the work of God, the ministry of Jesus, that we can do in our part of Leduc County.

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I will leave it there.

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The next parts of this message has to picked up by the meditations of our hearts and minds.  Let us strive to be the church... together.

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Let us pray:

Wonderful God, we long to glimpse your glory and to know your grace.  May we shine the light of your compassion to the world.  AMEN.

*** offering ***