Sunday, July 16, 2017

TAKING ADVANTAGE

July 16, 2017
Pentecost 6
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Dear Junior,
Remember me from the beauty pageant a few years ago?  I know a guy who knows a comrade who can get you some juicy top secret spy info that will help your dad.  Let me know.
From Rob.
Dear Rob,
I love it!  Let’s set it up asap.  
Yours truly, DJ 
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In 1972, when (Washington Post reporter) Bob Woodward learned that Mark Felt (the associate director of the FBI) was willing to be a deep cover source to provide information relating to the Nixon Whitehouse’s role in the Watergate scandal, Woodward took advantage of the situation to do (along with Carl Bernstein) some of last century’s most important investigative journalism… as immortalized in the Robert Redford movie “All the President’s Men”.
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Thirteen months ago, when the son of a political candidate was offered opposition research material from the files of a foreign government, he took advantage of the opportunity to try and get the info… not sure who will play who in a future movie about that one (story still being written).
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In ancient Hebrew culture, the line of inheritance was supposed to go through a family’s first born son.
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As we heard this morning, Isaac and Rebekah had two sons: twins.
Although the age difference between Esau and Jacob was a matter of minutes (or seconds if you take the Genesis account literally), the luck-of-the-womb made Esau the first born son - and therefore, he would be the primary beneficiary of Isaac’s estate as a right of his birth.
Now this birthright was not absolute.  The father still needed to formalize it with a blessing at some later date.
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Years later, it was clear that Jacob, the younger brother, resented this societal norm. 
But what could he do about it? 
Jacob knew that his brother was a shoo-in for Isaac’s blessing because Esau was the ideal son in his father’s eyes.  Esau was a hard worker on the farm; he was a skilled hunter.  He would manage Isaac’s legacy perfectly.
It’s not that Jacob was devoid of skills that strengthened the family.  He was excellent around camp.  He was a pretty good cook.  And he was quite skilled at getting people to do what he wanted them to do.
To use more modern language, I suspect that Isaac felt that his number two son, Jacob, had admirable middle-management skills that should aid Esau in his overall leadership of the family estate.  Both sons would play valuable future roles, if they would only work together.
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We certainly can imply from the text we heard today, that Esau took advantage of his role of the older brother (and the fact that he was bigger and stronger than Jacob).  I imagine that Esau liked to order his little brother around - in that stereotypical big-brother-bully kind of way.  We can reasonably assume that (for his entire life) Jacob was under the thumb of Esau.
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The legend goes that this struggle began in vitro as the two fetuses fought for position to see who would be born first.  Esau won that first battle and the right to claim dominance forever.
But, Jacob harboured a different desire - Jacob didn’t want to play second fiddle his whole life; he wanted to be the concert master.
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It was probably a typical day around the Isaac/Rebekah estate:
• Esau working out in the heat of the field;
• Jacob cooking in the shade of the tent.
At lunch time, the big, sweaty, red-headed older brother barged into the tent.
That smells good! 
Hey Squirt - make yourself useful and bring me a big bowl of that red stuff!
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What are you waiting for?  I’m starving over here!
Then the thought hit him.  Jacob could finally get the upper hand on his brother.  He could take advantage of his brother’s short-sighted priorities.
Sure, I’ll bring you some of this tasty stew… if… you promise me your birthright.
Whatever.  What good is a future birthright if I die today of starvation? 
Food!
Belly!
Now!
Here you go… a big red bowl for my big red brother.
(munching)  Than’ you.
Heh, heh, heh.
[btw… Esau’s nickname was “Edom”: Red.]
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Jacob took advantage of the situation that day to stake a legitimate claim to Esau’s birthright. 
But that wasn't the end of the scheme.  
At some point, he would have to find some way to get Isaac’s blessing.
[You can read Genesis, chapter 27 (http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=366877047) to find out how exactly how Jacob managed to get the formal blessing and finally secure his status as the beneficiary of the family’s wealth and property.  All I will say is that it involved taking advantage of his father’s failing eyesight.]
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The phrase “taking advantage” often carries a negative connotation… especially when the advantage is gained at the expense of someone else.  Jacob exploited people’s weaknesses or naïvete to improve his situation.
Taking advantage of someone else (especially working in clandestine and sneaky ways) raises serious ethical issues about what is right and wrong.  Anytime, we take advantage of a opportunity that requires another person to lose in order for us to win we are wading into the murky waters of morals and ethics.
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Sadly, even if most people are good at heart, there are some people with questionable ethics out there - intent on advancing their own interests at any cost.
I suspect that each of us knows what it feels like to be taken advantage of by someone… who preyed on our generosity or trusting nature.
And I suspect that each of us has learned to build up some walls of suspicion and cynicism to avoid being taken advantage of in similar ways.
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Jesus’ parable (that we heard from Matthew 13 today) invites us to think about taking advantage in a different way.
Taking advantage of another person (as an act of selfish greed) has little redeeming value, but Jesus redeems the phrase in his story today.
A farmer is planting seeds by tossing them on to the ground.  The farmer is balancing the efficient use of his time and pure accuracy of the planting.  The farmer is willing to let some of the seeds miss the mark, as long as the good soil of the field gets an adequate supply of seeds.
Jesus points out that the seeds that land on that good soil will flourish and return bounty harvests: the whole point of farming.
But, Jesus points out a reality that all of his audience understood: when you sew seeds by hand, a few seeds will get caught in the wind and end up on the packed soil of the path.  Before they ever get a chance to take root, local birds will take advantage of these errand seeds for a quick meal...
Still other seeds might land on uncultivated, rockier soil.  Those seeds will take advantage of the nutrients available and sprout, but the life of these plants may be short-lived because the shallow roots won't be able to find enough water to sustain it all the way to harvest time.  That plant will only serve to decompose back into the ground a return to the soil some of the nutrients it used...
And some seeds might land among other plants, where there may not be enough nutrients in the soil to go around.
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In my most optimistic moments I believe that there is a potntially good best path forward in even the toughest of situations.  I do believe in the motto: when like gives you lemons, make lemonade.
That’s actually a pretty good metaphor because of the unspoken middle step.  If all you have is lemons, you can’t make lemonade - you can only make lemon juice: not the most appealing libation.  The path to lemonade also includes bringing other ingredients to the table: water, sugar and a container to hold it all together.
When life tastes sour, the path forward will often require us to pull together other things that will aid us in creating a more rejuvenating environment.
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Right now - in every person's life - there is an opportunity for personal growth and fulfillment in our midst.
We have been created to be constant works-in-progress.  We are pre-loaded with an inner drive to seek new sources of happiness and purpose.
Are we willing to be perceptive enough to be able to take advantage of such opportunities?
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As many of you know, this is the last Sunday that I will be leading at St. David's until December. 
Starting later this week, I will be taking advantage of my annual holiday time.  It is a standard term of call for United Churches that ministers get (at least) on month’s holidays per year.  Unlike some organizations (or even the minimum expectations of provincial labour codes) where increased levels of holidays are earned over time as a person remains with a company for years, in the UCCan a minister fresh out of theological college is entitled to the same time off as a person with 30+ years experience.
It is healthy for ministers to take advantage of unstructured time to focus on things other than church on a regular basis.  Rest allows for rejuvenation.  And rejuvenation leads to more effective ministry.
Equally important, a minister’s holiday time is an advantageous time for congregations as well.  A chance to hear the Good News in fresh ways as (often) a variety of worship leaders plan Sunday services.  And (often) people/groups within the congregation can take advantage of opportunities to provide insight and leadership.
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But, as many of you know, I am not taking four months of holiday time.  I probably have a bit of overtime built up, but not that much.
Following my annual holiday time (from mid-August to late-November), I will be taking advantage of another standard term of call that is part of UCCan pastoral relationships:

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What makes sabbatical time different from holiday time is that it is more than unstructured time off.
UCCan sabbaticals are explicitly expected to be a learning time focused (in some way) on the practice of ministry.
The biblical model of sabbatical [seventh day (sabbath), seventh year (fallow), after seven times seven years (jubilee)] is largely rest focused.  But it is more than rest for rest’s sake.  Biblical sabbatical provides an opportunity for worship, learning and renewal (a fresh start with a fresh focus).
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On the back table is a brochure (that I have prepared) which explains a bit about this fall’s sabbatical. 
Over the next several months, I plan on taking advantage of opportunities to explore in serious and detailed ways Transitions That 21st Century Church Are Facing - and by transitions, I mean more than being forced to change… in the 21st century, healthy, growing, relevant churches are taking advantage of opportunities to transform themselves into “modern” communities of faith… who live out what they proclaim.
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While it is most accurate to say that “the minister is taking a sabbatical”... I am not the only one who will be on sabbatical this fall.
You - the congregation of St. David’s United Church - have a sabbatical coming up, too.
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A minister’ sabbatical time is a period of forced transition for a congregation.  Your routines will be mixed up a bit.  You will experience “church” in new ways.
Your Worship Committee has arranged for a variety of Sunday worship leaders (both from within and beyond the congregation).
Mid-week church activities (that I will normally be connected to) will function without me.  Often that will mean no changes at all … in other cases, adjustments will he made.
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I know a few ministers who have been reluctant to take a sabbatical because they are afraid that their congregations will get a taste of life without that minister and “like it”.
That prospect does frighten me.  If that is going to be the case - it will be good for us all to find that our.
No… my worst fear - connected to the coming months - is that the congregation will simply tread water until December.  That ministry of this church is so tied to its minister that growth and creativeness will halt for a while.
I hope and pray that you - the people of St. David’s - take advantage of this time to let go of some of the routines that are based on my style and habits.
I pray and hope that this church does new things… that “I” will be forced to adjust to in a few months.
Be a light of welcome in this community.
Grow your faith.  Engage your spirits.
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The good news of Jesus (that God is all love and compassion which is not to be hoarded, but shared wide) is not dependant on a given moment in time or a particular leader in a particular place.
It carried on - even after Jesus was executed.  The Gospel has postdated Mary Magdalena,  Simon Peter, Saul of Tarsus, Emperor Constantine, Martin Luther, Oscar Romero and others.
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Take advantage a resilient Good News to bloom where you are planted… today, over the next four months and for all of your time in this life.
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Let us pray:
Gracious God, we are forever in your midst.  You never leave us!  Knowing that we are your beloved is wonderful good news. 
AMEN.

#691VU “Walls That Divide”


Sunday, July 9, 2017

LET IT GO

July 9, 2017
Pentecost 5
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19,25-30
(prayer)
It was announced this past week that the Government of Canada agreed to settle a 2014 civil lawsuit that had been filed against it by Omar Khadr based on his claim that his rights as a Canadian citizen were not protected by the government during Khadr’s detention by the US military from 2002 to 2012.
Khadr’s was seeking $20 million.  The settlement was for $10.5 million.  It also included a formal apology.
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Anyone hear about that?
Anyone have any opinions on that?
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The spectrum of opinions seem to range from:
     It is outrageous that the government (on behalf of all Canadians) is rewarding a self-confessed convicted murderer and war criminal.
to ...
     Khadr deserves every penny because he was an unwitting 15 year old child soldier when the attack happened and Canadian government officials were complacent with (or turned a blind eye to) how he was treated at Gitmo… including being tortured.
And there are many nuisanced opinions in between these extremes, including:
     some are saying that this settlement is prudent because it ultimately saved a lot of time and money because there was a real possibility that the  government was going to lose the lawsuit, given a previous Supreme Court ruling;
     others were upset that the government gave up without a fight.
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I won't make my personal views on this a “sermon topic” for today - but.... I’d be happy to get into the mud with anyone over a coffee.
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I will say that what I found most fascinating - reading the blogs and listening to the talk shows this week - were the conversations about the apology from Canada to Khadr that was part of the settlement.
Over and over again, even many of those who begrudingly accepted that the Canadian government did not treat its citizen with the support he deserved - really didn't like the apology part.
Money is one thing, but saying “sorry”
After all, isn’t the point of settling lawsuits to be able to get away without having to admit any fault.  Settling lawsuits is usually about making the problem go away without being found guilty of anything.
A settlement that includes an apology is saying something significant.
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Apologies do not come easy for some people.  And… apologies are not always easily received.
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I am sure that I am not the only one to notice that (seldom in the public sphere) do we get unqualified apologies, because often people are less sorry for what they did/said and more sorry for the embarrassment of being found out.
If I have offended anyone,
I would certainly apologize.
The non-apology apology!
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On Saturday Night Live, last October, Alec Baldwin was parodying the Republican nominee for US President - who was in the news (at the time) for a video of him saying some rather vulgar things on an Access Hollywood bus.
Baldwin’s SNL character kind of reflected real life saying: I would like to apple-a-gize for what I said.  Do you mean ‘apologize’?  No, I would never say that.
The non-apology apology.
Saying sorry without saying sorry.
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Certainly, there are times when people experience an authentic change in heart and express honest regret for things they have intentionally done.
But (truth be told), a lot of our apologies are the result of being unintentionally inconsiderate.  In those cases, before we apologize, we might feel the need to explain why we did what we did.
It seems to be human nature to want to explain the circumstances that contributed to our regretable words and actions. 
The reality is that an “I’m sorry, but… model” makes the apology sound disingenuous.
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On the other side of the coin, when we have been wronged, the emotional impact can linger long after the words and actions have ended.  Sadness, disappointment or anger might not allow us to hear (little lone accept) an apology - even an unconditional, heart-felt apology.
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Apologies can be powerful things, leading to some of the most healing words that exist:
I forgive you.
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“Apology’s” power is diminished when we believe that:
     the apologizer is insincere, or
     the apologizee doesn't deserve the “sorry”.
In fact, I feel confident proclaiming that the words I forgive you are much harder to say than I'm sorry.
The words
I forgive you
are much harder to say than
I'm sorry”.
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A major theme of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans is about what should hold authority in the lives of the Christians.  Paul draws on two antagonistic examples, in the strong tradition of greek philosophical dualism:
• Spirit versus Flesh,
• Faith versus Law.
In Romans chapter seven, this is exactly the message that Paul is preaching, when he goes off on the personal tangent that was our reading this morning.
In his mind, Paul knows that faith and spirit are superior to law and flesh.  But he admits that he is unable to fully embrace this in practice.  This fact frustrates Paul.
I do not understand my own actions.
For I do not do what I want,
but I do the very thing I hate.
Paul doesn’t give us the juicy details, but he seems to be admiting that he has some personal vice that he sees is in opposition to how he believes that his faith calls him to live.  Paul is admiring a level of hypocrisy within himself.  He hates himself for what he might call a weakness in his faith: Wretched man that I am!
Paul simply can't forgive himself.  He is a living embodiment of what Jesus is quoted as saying in Matthew 26:41 - The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  For a brief moment, Paul seems to be trying to justify his actions by externalizing these feelings beyond himself as “sin” that is an outward force controlling him.  But he quickly comes back to the weakness is his own, not imposed on him.  Paul is not a “devil made me do it” guy.
Paul’s innermost being delights in God, but his outer being embraces self-gratification.  He openly wonders why anyone would want to rescue him from this body of death.
We can hear Paul’s frustration: Is he worthy of love and forgiveness, especially when he has been unable to change?
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Through the other reading (Matthew 11) we move from forgivee to forgiver.
Jesus points of the inconsistent actions and unappreciative attitudes of what he (later in chapter 17) calls a faithless generation.  Jesus is making the case that they do not deserve redemption, forgiveness.
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Paul has to admit, that by his own standards, he is unworthy of forgiveness.
Jesus claims that people are rejecting him.  We expect him to hold back his compassion from them as long as they are unwilling to even admit their hypocrisy.
But…
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...that is not what happens.
Paul asks Who will rescue me?… and then says Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Jesus eloquently describes this hostile and faithless generation… and then offers to carry their burdens.
Even without living fully within the best of his faith, Paul does NOT need rescuing.  It has already happened.  He has been proactively rescued by a God of Grace.
Jesus is NOT going to wait to be asked to support people’s lives; he proactively goes to them and lightens their load.
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Two (relatively recent) poetic expressions of this theology:
     1772: “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” (John Newton)
     1954: “During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints [in the sand], it was then that I carried you.” (Margaret Fishback Powers)
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It is hard enough to forgive someone who has authentically expressed remorse and changed their life.  God’s forgiveness is not so limited.
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John Newton chose the right word: Grace.
The Grace of God is a forgiveness that preceeds an apology.
GRACE
is
FORGIVESS
that proceeds
APOLOGY
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God rescues Paul, even if Paul can't let go of his guilt.
Jesus takes on burdens of those who probably deserve to feel the weight of their choices.
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That is grace!
This is amazingly radical.
It can be quite disturbing to those who want their god to share their human ideals.  Let’s be honest, there are human monsters among us that we don’t want to receive any grace at all.
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You will find some preachers who will want to water down this radical grace.  But you won’t get that from me.
Some will say that all God does is offer grace, but you can’t get it without offering something in return… humility, faith, commitment, etc.  But...
...that is not what we see in Romans and Matthew today:
     Paul is rescued even though his flesh still dominates his spirit.
     Jesus carries burdens of those who don't even know how heavy their lives are.
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Paul doesn’t necessarily understand this, but he accepts it.  His response to God’s grace is to simply say “thank you”. 
Jesus acts out of gentleness and humility as a response to the weariness that inevitably results from hostility.
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Grace leads to gratitude and rest.
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That is the Holy Way. 
God lets go of those things we can't.
Jesus lifts us up even if we don't realize we are falling.
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Thanks be to God
through Jesus Christ, our Lord!
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Let us pray:
We thank you God, Lord of heaven and earth.  We want to let go of all that does not serve the goodness of life.  Help us carry all that burdens us.  Amen.

#374VU “Come and Find the Quiet Centre”


Sunday, July 2, 2017

YOU'RE WELCOME


July 2, 2017
Pentecost 4
Matthew 10:40-42
     The modern word “welcome” has Old English roots: from wilcuma... literally meaning a ‘desirable coming’.
     From a strictly word study perspective, a person’s coming is welcomed when the welcomer is pleased by the fact that the welcomee has shown up.
     That is basically how welcoming works. 
     When an outsider enters into an existing group, it is the insiders who decide whether the new comer is welcome or not.
     Welcome can have conditions: formal-known
     Welcome often has informal expectations  (need not be universally held to be impactful)
     Common for churches to proclaim: 
     You are welcome. 
     All are Welcome. 
     Welcoming In ~ Reaching Out.  Thats what we do.
     “Come in and sit down… nobody here has a claim on a pew” - is that verse in VU?   Owned pew days are long gone.  But… informally “I sit there”. 
     Kick them out?  Not very good.  Grumble? Almost as bad?
     If the newcomer feels unwelcome - in any way - they are not.
     UCC’s Emerging Spirit Program - 10 years ago (wonder cafe). 
     Good welcoming practices are techniques.
     But welcome needs authentic attitude.
     Jesus talks about how welcoming has its rewards, which seems to put the focus on the welcomer.  But, really, it was all message focused.  The disciples had something to offer… share: The Realm of God has come near.
     Why would we want to be welcoming as a church?
     Find successors (focus on welcomer)
     Share good news (focus on welcomee)
     American Sign Language… you’re welcome = thank you

     Grateful for becoming community.
     WELCOME LIKE JESUS !!
     Yada yada
(Prayer)
#4MV “All Who Are Thirsty”