NEW TEACHER; NEW TEACHING

January 28, 2018

Epiphany 4

Deuteronomy 18:15-18

Mark 1:21-28

(prayer)

The song of the angels is stilled.
The star in the sky is gone.
The kings and shepherds
have found their way home.
The Work of Christmas is begun.
(“I Am the Light of the World” - #87VU)

The light is in the world. 

The Work of Christmas is begun.

//

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As the Israelite exodus from Egypt went from months to years to decades, Moses began to realize that there was a good chance that he wasn't going to see the end of the journey: when the people would enter the land of Canaan, from where their ancestor Jacob had once lived.

Moses had become quite elderly.  He had to prepare for the possibility that he, himself, was not going to set foot in the Promised Land.

//

He took it upon himself to offer what wisdom he could to the next generation of leaders.   Moses spoke about how Hebrew society could function when they transitioned from nomads to settlers.

The compiler of the various laws and rituals within the book of Deuteronomy structured the text to read as instructions - given by Moses - to a people ready to make that change.

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And… as we heard today, Moses assured the people that true leadership is from God, not any one person.

In every generation, great holy wisdom would be taught anew.  New prophets would emerge.

God (and God’s hope for the people) would continue to be known… spoken with fresh words from a fresh voice for the people of each time in history.

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The story of faith is one of evolving lessons from a living God.

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The New Testament tells us that Jesus died on the executioner’s cross on a Friday afternoon.  His body was hastily buried before sunset because his followers, faithful Jews, would  be observing the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

All four biblical gospels relay stories of women coming to the tomb early Sunday morning.  They all agree that Mary Magdalene was there, but the gospel various texts differ on the details of which of Jesus’ other followers came to anoint his body that Sunday morning.

The gospel of John gives us a wonderful story of Mary Magdalene crying alone near the tomb after it was discovered that Jesus’ body was not there.  A man (she assumes to be the gardener) joins her and asks why she is crying.  Through her tears, she doesn't realize that it is (in fact) Jesus - raised from the dead.

It is when Jesus says her name, Miriam, that she knows that it is ‘him’.  John quotes Mary as responding “Rabbouni”.  The text has no punctuation, so we can't be sure if this was: a question - Rabbouni? (Is that you?); or an exclamation - Rabbouni! (It's you!)

Even though, the fourth gospel is written in greek, the author intentionally spells Miriam and Rabbouni so that they read with Aramaic pronunciations.

Aramaic was the day-to-day language spoken by Jesus and his disciples.  The language-choice in John, chapter 20 really highlights the conversational nature of this resurrection appearance.

When Mary (who believed Jesus to be dead) sees Jesus alive, and hears her name spoken in his familiar voice, the first word out of her mouth is Rabbouni.

In that moment of unbridled joy and amazement, Mary calls Jesus... “Teacher”.

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Over the last couple of Sundays, we have been hearing some of stories that come from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry:

●     Jesus spending time with John the Baptist and John’s followers by the Jordan River,

●     Jesus taking time alone with his temptations in the Judean wilderness,

●     Jesus returning to Galilee proclaiming: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.

●     And… Jesus spending time by the Sea of Galilee, where he began to acquire followers of his own.

//

Today, we heard about Jesus (and presumably his first disciples) going to the synagogue in the fishing town of Capernaum.  Mark makes a point to tell us that Jesus took an active role in the sabbath day discussions in the synagogue.

The sense from others who were there was that Jesus’ words were interesting and surprisingly insightful for someone who was not an expert in the Torah: “[People] were astounded at [Jesus’] teaching, for he taught them as one having authority.”

From the earliest days of his active ministry, Jesus was more than a preacher who proclaimed that the Kingdom of God has come near; he was a teacher who helped people understand, more deeply, what that means.

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The second half of the gospel reading today describes an encounter with another person who was in the synagogue that sabbath day. 

Reading between the lines of the few sentences Mark gives us, it sounds like (while Jesus was teaching), this man blurted out: What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

I wonder whether mentioning that Jesus was from Nazareth was a way of saying that this outsider shouldn't be so presumptuous to teach the people of Capernaum.

Certainly, the man seems concerned about Jesus’ motives: Why have you come here? To destroy us?

A modern interpretation of the story is that this man was mentally disturbed.  Regulars at this synagogue may have known this man’s history; perhaps he was known for shouting out at others in such a way that people believed that he was not in his right mind.  In the vernacular of the day, he was assumed to be possessed by an unclean spirit.

Assuming that this person may have been living with the spirit for sometime, the people of Capernaum had either learned to ignore him, or perhaps, these “fits" were frightening and people avoided him.  Either way, I imagine that he was an isolated, lonely soul… who may not have really understood why he seemed so different from everyone else.

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Perhaps, because Jesus was new to town and didn't have a history with this person, Jesus’ fresh perspective saw the struggle within this troubled man.

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Jesus didn’t ignore or shun the man, but spoke directly to what was ailing him.

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Then, in a scene that would make a faith-healing TV preacher jealous, while the man screamed and convulsed on the floor, Jesus commanded the spirit to come out of him.

And then… there was calm… and I imagine some shock in the eyes of everyone there.

In the stunned silence, the man got up off the ground, bothered no more by the spirit that had been tormenting him.

I like to imagine that what followed... were hugs and shouts of joy as this man was fully welcomed back into the congregation of that synagogue.

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We might be tempted to see this gospel story as simply one about a miraculous healing.

But… it is more than that.

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All we have to do is look at the reaction of the others in the synagogue that day.  Yes, they are amazed that an unclean spirit obeyed Jesus; but they see that act as part of a bigger picture emerging about this newcomer from Nazareth.

The crowd looked past the example of a single medical miracle and realized that a new wisdom was being offered - a new truth was being shared: something beyond what even the learn’ed scribes were teaching.

//

Jesus’ actions with the troubled man merely reinforced what he had been sharing (in conversation) earlier: Jesus had come to town to teach.

And he was exhibiting an authority that was worth paying attention to.

We should listen to this guy, the people of Capernaum began to say.

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That day in the synagogue set the tone for the travelling ministry that Jesus and his followers were beginning.

Jesus would call them Disciples-Learners.

They would call him Rabbi-Teacher.

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About three years later - in a graveside garden, through tear soaked eyes, Mary would see her teacher alive again.

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Ad lib examples, like...

●     The advantages and pitfalls of an impactful leader… 1988 UCCan, Living Stones (RD), Jamestown.

●     Ego. Selfishness.  Abuse.  Prosperity Gospel.  Disappointment.

●     It is about the learning, not the teacher.

●     Moses gave way to new leadership.

●     Disciples become next rabbis.

●     Mary after garden… I have seen the Lord!

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Let us be open to new learning from new voices.

Let us share what we have learned - and then hash it all out again.

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That is what disciples do.

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Let us pray:

We know who you are, Holy God, and yet we are still learning how to recognize your authority in our lives.  May your spirit inspire us to faithful living.  Amen.

#595VU “We Are Pilgrims”

TIME'S A-WASTIN'

January 21, 2018

Epiphany 3

1st Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

(prayer)

The song of the angels is stilled.
The star in the sky is gone.
The kings and shepherds
have found their way home.
The Work of Christmas is begun.
(“I Am the Light of the World” - #87VU)

The light is in the world. 

The Work of Christmas is begun.

//

Some of you know - when it comes to the work of the wider United Church of Canada - that I and the recording secretary of the Yellowhead Presbytery.  [A Presbytery is a level of the UCCan made up of ministers and congregational reps from a defined geographic region; YHP gathers people from the triangle formed by Jasper to Leduc to Ft McMurray - about 40 congregations.]  Basically, I take and prepare minutes of meetings of the full presbytery (and its executive Council) and I sign forms relating to decisions that the Presbytery makes.

The full Presbytery is meeting later this week at a retreat centre in St. Albert.  We are not meeting in a church this time, so I have been keeping track of registrations. 

Expecting people to register helps us make arrangements for meals and accommodations.

Normally notices of meetings go out about five or six weeks ahead of time.  That is not practical for a January meeting, because the registration info can get lost during the busyness of Christmas.  So, I sent it out in mid-November.

//

I appreciate that many of us want to take some time before we feel ready to commit ourselves filling a page on our calendar.   Almost no one likes to feel pressured to decide before we are ready.

I knew that a problem with sending out a ten week meeting notice was that some people would tell themselves that they have “lots of time” before the registration deadline of January 15th.

As of January 1st, of the 46 potential presbytery members, only five had registered (counting me).  So, I sent out a reminder. I got a flood of registrations almost immediately.

But, as of this past Monday (the deadline day), only 27 has registered.  So, I sent out another reminder, with the tongue-and-cheek comment, that although most of us would probably be willing to share, it you want to be ‘guaranteed’ a seat at the lunch table, let me know by Friday. 

By Friday, 36 presbyters had registered.  Counting the two people who let me know they weren't able to come, only eight people remain unaccounted for: an 83% response rate - pretty good, really.

If anymore come in this week or if people show up un-registered, I won't worry.  History tells me that the number of people who come at the last minute will be offset by people who end up not coming.

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I understand that all of us value our time.  We are limited by the numbers of waking hours of the day… and everyone juggles multiple activities we want to include in that time (and probably a few things we wish we didn't have to spend time on).

And yet, occasionally we run up against a deadline that forces a decision right away.  And it is not always a deadline that we have known about for ten weeks - sometimes, we find out that an immediate decision is required with no notice at all.

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The bible doesn't give us any details about it, but when Jesus was about thirty years old, he began to spend time among the disciples of John the Baptist.  Something about what John was doing and saying must have motivated Jesus to put his life in Galilee on hold and spend time in the Jordan River valley.

Matthew quotes John as preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  Mark and Luke simply say that John proclaimed a baptism of repentance.  All three synoptic gospels report that Jesus chose to be baptised by John and that - after coming out of the water - Jesus had a mystical experience where he was touched by the Spirit of God and was assured that he was a beloved son of god who made God proud.

All three gospels then tell of Jesus following up his baptism by retreating alone in the Judean wilderness where he struggled with what all of this meant and what he should do with his life moving forward.

//

The common understanding of the timeline of Jesus’ life is that - as soon as he came out of the wilderness - he immediately returned to galilee and began an active ministry of his own.  That is the way Luke reads. 

But… that is not what Mark and Matthew say.  They both describe a pause between the wilderness and Jesus’ active ministry.

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As we heard this morning,  Mark (the oldest gospel record) writes that it is not until after John is arrested that Jesus is motivated to venture out on his own.

The implication is that (after his vision quest in the wilderness) Jesus stayed in Judea - presumably with John the Baptist and his other disciples… advancing (with John) the message that people should Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (Mt3:2).

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Plans changed when John was arrested.

That is when Jesus returned home and started his own version of what John had been doing (verses 14 and 15): Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.

As had been the case with John, Jesus’ message began to excite people.  Jesus began to develop a following of his own.  As the story unfolds, we see that a major change that he made to John’s style is that Jesus took his message on the road.  John set up camp and people came to him; Jesus was a travelling preacher.

Reading between the lines of today’s reading from Mark, among those intrigued by what Jesus was doing and saying in Galilee were Simon and James: fishermen in Capernaum.  One day, as Jesus walked among the fishing boats he - separately - invited these two to join him on this ministry journey.  Not only did James and Simon leave their nets and follow Jesus, they brought along their brothers (Andrew and John).

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Just because this seaside encounter is the first time that the gospel writer mentions the two sets of brothers, I don't think we have to assume that this was the first time they had encountered Jesus.

I suppose it is possible that maybe Jesus made an amazing first impression and the fishermen possessed almost super-human intuition, but (to me) it is more likely they chose to go with Jesus that day because they had seen him around town, heard him teach and liked what they saw and heard.

I like to think that Jesus had already planted a seed of discipleship in these would-be disciples before that day on the beach.

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Even so, when the time came, Simon, Andrew, James and John had to make a quick decision… and they did:

immediately they left their nets

[and boats and co-workers]

and followed [Jesus]

(Mk1:18,20)

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As I was (sitting in a coffee shop on Friday) writing out these sermon notes, I had the audio of MSNBC news playing in my headphones listening to the potential impacts of a looming government shutdown in the US.  The american political rules required that a decision had to be before midnight.

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Not every decision can be deferred.

There can be opportunities-lost when deadlines come and go.

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We heard the urgency in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He uses shocking language - emploring people to ignore their personal needs as he appealed to them to focus on the faith needs of the moment.

The passage we read this morning is an extreme version of a theme Paul expresses elsewhere in his letter-writing.  He encourages people to focus on all things spiritual rather than the selfish desires of the flesh.  This is classic  Hellenistic dualistic philosophy - taught by the likes Plato and Aristotle - and still popular in the first century: mind over the body, spirit over the flesh, heaven over earth, divine over human.

The apostle Paul wanted faith to have priority in the lives of the early Christians.  He didn't want them to put spiritual matters aside just because the busyness and stress of daily living tends to want to dominate.

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Unlike Paul, I don't ascribe to a strict dualistic view of the world.  It is not as simple of going to one extreme or the other.

Paul was a single man, so it was easy for him to tell married men to focus 100% on God and 0% on their spouses.  I doubt he even expected to be taken literally; but I am positive that he did want his readers to think about how important their families are to them; how grief and death affect them; how good it feels to rejoice; and about the intrinsic value we place on treasured possessions.

Setting aside his extremist “all or nothing" rhetoric, Paul’s point, I believe, is - as important as it is to focus on these aspects of life - we are to acknowledge an even greater value on focusing on our faith and spirituality.

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My point is: we are not one dimensional beings.

We are mind, body and spirit.

Unless we are able to appreciate the need for balance, for growth and purpose, we will feel unfulfilled and incomplete… like trying to sit on a one or two-legged stool.

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We might be tempting to set aside spirit (God, faith) when life gets full.  Consider a couple of modern proverbs:

●     There are few things in life that can’t wait for a few minutes;

●     Some of that which busys us can be left behind.

I am convinced that if we are mindful of a wider view, opportunities to live out discipleship present themselves all the time.

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But, instead of seeing the call to follow Jesus as just another thing to add to busy lives, see it as a gift of God… an opportunity to be a fuller and more complete holy creation.

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Let us find a hopeful path in the words of Psalm 65: For God my soul waits in silence for God; my hope is from God. God is my rock and my salvation, my fortress.  On God rests my deliverance and my honour; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

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Let us pray:

God of today and always,

We have heard your call to follow in the Way of Jesus.  Inspire us, encourage us and lead us.  Amen.

#356VU “Seek Ye First”

NOT SO QUICK

January 14, 2018

Epiphany 2

1st Samuel 3:1-11

John 1:43-51

(prayer)

The song of the angels is stilled.
The star in the sky is gone.
The kings and shepherds
have found their way home.
The work of Christmas is begun.
(“I Am the Light of the World” - #87VU)

The light is in the world.  

The work of Christmas is begun.

//

//

The apostle Paul recognized that the community of believers was strengthen by the fact that different people brought different things to the table.  In 1st Corinthians, chapter 12, Paul highlighted nine ‘spiritual’ gifts - in particular - that he believed the Corinthian community had in their midst: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, various tongues, interpretation.

I don't presume to assume that Paul meant to express that this was the complete and exhaustive list of all of the ways God has gifted the church.  I imagine that Paul mentioned these particular gifts because he knew that the Corinthians would be able to picture specific people in that church who offered these things to the community.

//

We are not the initial intended audience for Paul’s letter, but his assertions speak well beyond Greece of the first century.

I am sure you have witnessed the real world truth of some of these gifts in people you have encountered.  Others may have seen some of these gifts manifest in you.

//

Let’s admit, the more practically skeptical among us wonder how common a couple of those gifts really are (especially by modern standards of understanding).  I mean, how often do we experience authentic, literal gifts of healing, miracles, speaking and understanding in unknown languages.

Let’s admit, many of us in 2018 might be more comfortable speaking of the potential gifts of wisdom, knowledge, discernment.

//

I am always surprised about one of those gifts on Paul’s list.  Paul says that some people are uniquely gifted with “faith".  

Am I the only one that finds that odd?  Isn't “the church” a community of believers?  Aren't they all (by definition) people of faith? Doesn't every believer have faith?

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The more I think about it, I do know that there are some people who are able to see beyond their own experience and knowledge - people who can trust beyond logic - people (who when faced with uncertainty) are still willing to take the next step - people who truly have the gift of faith.

That is not everyone.

I'm not even sure that this is me most days.  I do accept that there are limits to what I fully know and understand.  I accept that mystery is real.  I am not closed to things that can't be proven.  I am open to exploring my mystical side.

Yet, the way my mind ‘prefers’ to work (if I am honest), I may be stronger with other gifts.  Fortunately… “to another the same Spirit gives faith." (1Cor12:9)

Thanks be to God for a variety of gifts: sprinkled among different people, so that - together - we can serve a wider good.

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The Word of Yahweh was rare; visions were not widespread.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

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Skeptical voices.

Skepticism probably founded in experience… at least, rumours of someone else's experience.

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Hannah saw her unexpected pregnancy as a gift and blessing directly from God.  She had long lamented her barrenness and has prayed for a child, so when she did give birth, she named her son, Sh’ma-el:  ‘god had heard”.

Hannah’s deep faith inspired her to offer Samuel in service of her Lord.  I guess she just wanted to have a child, not raise a child.  After Hannah’s child was weaned off her breast milk, she sent him live at the temple and work with Eli, the priest.

//

Samuel and Eli were alone in the temple.  It was night.  Other that the ceremonial lamp, it was dark.  The day’s oil had not run out, but Eli needed to go to sleep, so (the much younger) Samuel stayed in the sanctuary until the went out. Actually, Samuel probably expected to just sleep there.

The dark, lonely silence was broken when a voice called, “Samuel!  Samuel!”

Even though young Samuel knew his mother’s story of strong faith, there was no reason for him not to assume that the voice was coming from Eli’s bedroom.

And there was no reason not to go with the priest's explaination: “I didn't call you, son.  You must have imagined it.  Go back and lie down.”

When it happened a second time, everyone made the same assumptions again.  And… both of them must have begun to question the boy’s hearing.

The third time, Samuel must have begun to think that his master was playing a trick on him.  I bet that Samuel even debated whether he would even go to Eli again.  But... what if it wasn’t a joke?  What if Eli really needed him, this time?  Better go, just in case.

“Here I am, for you called me.”

//

The old priest’s eyesight might have grown dim, but his insight was still sharp. This time, he moved past the usual explanations and expectations.  Eli opened his mind and soul to the mystical.

“Samuel, go lie down and if you are called again, say ‘speak Lord, for your servant is listening’.”

The leap of faith paid off.

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John the Baptist had been teaching his disciples that God’s messiah was coming.  One day, John showed two of his followers who this lamb of god was: Jesus.  One of these disciples of John was named Andrew.  Andrew was so impressed by his experience with Jesus that he brought his brother Simon to meet him.   This is the same Simon that Jesus eventually nicknamed Cephas (rock)... the english version of the nickname is Peter.

The day after Jesus met Simon Peter, the growing band of followers went to Galilee where Jesus met Philip of Bethesda.

[Remember that old shampoo commercial?

You tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on…

Well, that seems to be Jesus’ recruitment policy according to the gospel of John.]

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Philip was so impressed by his experience with Jesus that he wanted his friend Nathaniel to meet him too.  “Nate, we have found the [The Messiah] written about in the law and the prophets: Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.  Come and see.”

But Nathaniel couldn't share his friend’s enthusiasm about Jesus... because of a previously held opinion about Nazareth.

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

//

The gospel text doesn't give us any hint as to why Nathaniel felt this way.  We can assume that some experience (or rumours of someone else's experience) helped him form this opinion of Nazareth and nazarenes.

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I must admit that this kind of blanket prejudice does not sit well with me (whether it comes from someone like Nathaniel or someone like the president of the United States).

I don't care if you have had a legitimate bad experience with one or two people - or while visiting a certain place - or if have been taught to believe some historical bad experience or prejudice - my ethics and morals don't allow me to accept (or even tolerate) your extrapolating of those opinions to include others... just because they share some innocuous characteristics with those maligned people.

I regret that (too often) I have chosen to offer polite silence in the face of words founded in racism, sexism, homophobia, and other nasty expressions of exclusivist-superiority.  

But, as I mature, I am trying to reclaim a confident voice that - more often - will speak up and challenge the bigots of the world - even when that bigotry is based on ignorance or once acceptable attitudes.  

I will still strive to be polite, but... I want to be more openly honest about what I think is universally right.

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It is not okay to blanketly claim that a continent is filled with “[poop]hole countries” - a continent which, by the way, is home to almost one-sixth of the world’s population.

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And… it was not okay to blanketly bemoan Nazareth of being unworthy of anything good.

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“Nathaniel, come and see Jesus: the messiah!”

“Ok... but if he is from Nazareth, there is no way he can be the messiah.”

Nathaniel had never met Jesus, but he thinks he knows enough to disparage him.

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Look what happens next in the story.

Jesus (who had never met Nathaniel) greets him with “[You are] truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”  The Living Bible translates it this way: “an honest man—a true son of Israel”; the Message version says: “a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.”

Nathaniel is moved by this flattery:  “Why Jesus, how do you know much about me?”

“Well, I saw you over by the tree.”

My question for Jesus would be: How exactly does seeing someone by a tree dictate how honest they are?

As absurd as Jesus’ answer was, Nathaniel obviously had his ego stroked enough to accept that this Nazarene was okay: “You are the son of god - the King of Israel!”

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Now, I don't know if Jesus was just messing around or if he was just as prejudiced as Nathaniel, but the next line moves us past that anyway: “The truth is", Jesus says, “you ain't seen nothing yet.”

In other words… pay attention; you will have new experiences that will convince you of what is really true.

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Both Nathaniel’s and Eli’s quick skepticism clouded their ability to see that there was a sacred holiness in their midst.  They both formed fast opinions based on what they thought they knew.

But not so quick…

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As their experience broadened, they were opened to a new view.

Even though ‘the word of the Lord was rare and visions were not widespread’, God might be reaching out to Samuel.

Even though ‘nothing good comes out of Nazareth’, Jesus might be God’s Anointed One.

//

It took a small leap of faith (based on no real tangible evidence) for Eli to be open to the possibility that God was present.

It took a small leap of faith (based on nothing more than some hollow flattery) for Nathanial to be open to the possibility that God was present.

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I see something very hopeful in these scripture readings this morning... you don't necessarily have to blessed with the full gift of faith to be able to make meaningful little leaps of faith.

Even without the gift of faith,

we can still be changed by

little leaps of faith.

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Growing our faith can happen through big, profound, mystical, spiritual experiences, but it does seem to be the case (for most of us, at least) that it is the little leaps of faith that bring us closer to our God.

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And so…

• let us appreciate the hint of holiness pointed to by the very breaths we breath - this life is a miracle;
• let us grab a tiny bit of faith when we see kindness being lived out - not for personal gain, but simply because it is right;
• let us look for the eyes of Jesus in a stranger;
• let us see a spark of the spirit within even the most hateful person - for they are a child of God too - even when it is not obvious;
• let us trust in the good creation that we are - let us tell ourselves “God you have searched me and know me, and (like all of your creation) I am made in your image and I am good”;
• and... when we find ourselves in a very familiar circumstance - when we think we know everything we need to know - let us (remind ouselves) not so quick, the Spirit might be doing something new in our midst.

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Let us pray:

Holy One, as we continue on this path of light, may we see you all around us.  Amen.

#567VU “Will You Come and Follow Me”