Friday, August 1, 2014

Friday, August 1, 2014

Judges 5:1-18

If you have a strong stomach you might want to take a few minutes to read the chapter that precedes today’s reading. Judges 4 tells not only the story of the defeat of the army overseen by Sisera, but also of his brutal death at the hands of Jael, as gruesome as something out of a Lucio Fulci or Dario Argento movie. Sisera’s army is decimated, but he escapes and hides in the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. She gives him a drink and tucks him in. Before going to sleep he asks her to keep watch at the door. Instead, Jael takes a tent peg and drives it right through his skull! [Yes, it’s troubling, but it’s what we’ve got.]

What follows is the Song of Deborah. Deborah, we’re told, was the Judge over Israel (before they had kings, Israel was overseen by a series of judges). Deborah and her military commander Barak are the ones who led the Israelites into battle against Sisera and his army. Chapter 4 tells us that Sisera’s people, ruled by Jabin of Canaan, had been persecuting the Israelites for twenty years. They had chariots made of iron, and so were a technologically advanced nation. 

This story, part of the settlement of Canaan, other than turning your stomach in knots, might make a huge impression on you. What is interesting, though, is that many scholars consider the Song of Deborah to be one of the oldest (if not THE oldest) pieces of writing contained in the Bible. Most civilizations begin to transmit their stories through song and verse. And don’t forget that writing materials were not always easy to come across, or transport. So when we come across songs or poems that are weaved into our narratives, it is very likely that they are, in a sense, time capsules from an earlier period. 

We read of “the triumphs of the LORD, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel (5:11). Remember that Jabin and Sisera’s people had iron arms at their disposal. So it seems that there is a subtext here of not just God’s people versus their enemies, but of an oppressed peasant class against the rich, powerful, and tyrannical. 

We have three women in chapter 5: Deborah, who makes plans and, with Barak, leads the people into battle; Jael, who is engaged in a sort of covert, guerilla-style warfare; and the mother of Sisera (5:28-31), who looks out through the lattice (imagine a peaceful garden scene), assuming that Sisera is on his way back with “a girl or two for every man.” We may not be comfortable with the violence in the story, but we might have some fruitful reflections on the struggle between the oppressed against the powerful. 

Jesus came to preach good news to the poor. Confounding the expectations of the people, he came not in triumph, but in humility, serving others, riding not on a steed, but on a donkey. These days we hear awful news about civilians falling prey to acts of aggression and terror, and of protests against children fleeing unstable Central American countries, seeking refuge in safer places. Surely there is something to learn from passages like ours today, about offering ourselves willingly to God’s cause (5:2). Our understanding of what it means to speak of a ‘Chosen People’ can be enriched when we more fully realize the social conflicts at play in our Biblical stories. Tales that appear to be about ‘good’ vs. ‘bad’ might more accurately be read as the powerful (sometimes ‘us,’ sometimes ‘them’) being brought low and humbled (cf. Isaiah 5:15).

- Matthew Kieswetter

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Thursday, July 31, 2014
BONUS DAY

     Today is a 'bonus day' here on the Renew-All blog, in that, when making the schedule, I didn't pay attention to the fact that there are thirty-one days in July.

     So let's take a breather and reflect on what we've read so far. Hopefully you've found some transformative and surprising stories and ideas in the passages we've covered so far. I'll leave you with some words from famous Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann:

The Bible, especially through the lens of its most vigorous interpreters, can be dangerous, subversive, and scandalous. Its scandalous quality is, of course, theological. The God mediated to us in Scripture does not fit our preferred notions but is always more odd and surprising than we can expect or anticipate. That theological scandal, however, will not be contained in formal theological categories. It spins off into other dimensions of scandal. Just now in the church, the oddness and danger of the biblical God are evidenced around socioeconomic, political questions concerning the cry of the poor, the urge of justice, and the power and possibility of real social transformation.

Walter Brueggemann, The Word Militant: Preaching a Decentering Word (2007, Reprint, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010), 35.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Acts 1: 1-15

The passage under study today is widely thought to have been penned by the author of the Gospel of Luke. He refers in this passage to the fact that his first book reported what Jesus had done and taught from the beginning of his ministry until his ascension to heaven. This was a pattern that was commonly followed in ancient literature, as a foregrounding of past works was shared before engaging a new literary topic. Therefore, we find the author of Acts recounting his past literary accomplishments before engaging in the new topic of explicating the early life and growth of the church. 

http://www.catholicwebphilosopher.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

Perhaps among the various purposes for the writing of Acts was an attempt to counteract the many competing stories being spread about the nature and aims of the early Christian church. Furthermore, some have argued that the author was determined to reassure the Roman Empire that the Christian church was not seeking to make trouble for the Empire in order to reduce the political hostility that some Roman rulers had towards this new and growing church. Perhaps this early tension between the fledgling church and the existing state and society is one that continues to complicate the reality faced today by a much more institutionalized Church? What are we to do as “faithful” Christians, apparently inspired by the actions of Jesus, when the larger society and its concomitant power structures implicate our societies in perpetuating injustices in this world?

- Terry Rothwell

Tuesday, 29 July, 2014

Tuesday, 29 July, 2014

Judges 2:1-5, 11-23    
William Wilberforce, Social Reformer 

Reading the book of Judges can be very depressing.  It recites much conflict, violence, and war, even civil war.  It tells of temptations to evil and unfaithfulness to God, wandering away from the truth into the worship of idols, misguided actions, political assassinations, and even human sacrifice.  Nowhere else does the Bible portray ancient Israel as so rebellious against God and so desirous of becoming like their idolatrous pagan neighbours.

Yet, through all this perversity, there are glimpses of God’s everlasting love and faithfulness, which never change.  In Judges 2:1-2 God tells the people, “I will never break my covenant with you….  But you have not obeyed my voice.”  All through those wicked years, God raised up judges who were faithful and righteous, and the people would temporarily return to God.  There were leaders like Deborah, a faithful prophet as well as judge, Gideon, who showed great trust in God against all the odds, Samson, who started off so well before he gave in to temptation, who repented in the end and trusted God in his final act.  Even the beautiful story of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi and their faithful love is set in the time of Judges.  Four of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 come from the book of Judges. Yes, during times of great evil God chooses and empowers people with faith, enabling them to accomplish much good.  There is always a remnant of people who keep God’s ways, and sometimes there are leaders who act in outstanding ways to display God’s light in the darkness.

Today we commemorate one such leader, the English politician William Wilberforce.  As a very wealthy young man, he became a British MP in 1780.  Five years later he experienced a revolution of thinking, a “conversion of the heart,” when he embraced Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. He threw himself into projects for the moral improvement of English society and pre-eminently for the abolition of slavery.  The wealthy upper classes in Britain collected a great deal of money (estimated at 80% of Britain’s foreign income) from the slave trade and from slaveholding in the West Indies, which Wilberforce recognized was a great evil.  He brought before Parliament a bill to end all traffic in slaves, opposed by the party of the slave traders and slave owners, who defeated it time after time for the next twenty years, until Wilberforce’s persistence and moral assurance carried it through.  He then started to campaign against all slavery, and finally, a couple days before his death on July 29^th, 1833, slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire.

God’s love and faithfulness never change.  Sadly, neither does basic human behaviour apart from God.  In the time of Judges, politics and religion were intermingled, and the Israelites, who thought themselves “God’s chosen people”, were just as guilty of moral turpitude, violence, and tribal warfare as their neighbours.  In the time of Wilberforce, politics and religion were intermingled in Christendom, with the British considering themselves God’s chosen people, but theirs was a kind of Christianity that did nothing to confront the prevalent moral turpitude, the love of money fostering the slave trade, and tribal warfare even between so-called Christian nations.  Wilberforce, with true religion, stood as a beacon displaying God’s light and truth in his evil age.

We too live in an evil age, no longer part of Christendom, an age where moral turpitude is flaunted openly, where the love of money wreaks great hardship on the poor and causes destruction of the good creation on which we all depend, an age where violence and tribal warfare, much of it religious, infect human society as much as ever before and inflict great hardship and suffering on millions of innocent people.  But God’s love and faithfulness never change.  God still has witnesses who are beacons displaying God’s light and truth in our evil age.  Even in the political realm, like the faithful judges of old, like Wilberforce and others in the British Empire, we have people even in the political realm who are beacons displaying God’s light in the deep darkness.  Today, as examples, I think of Martin Luther King, of Jimmy Carter, and of Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Nelson Mandela.  You can surely think of many others, active Christian politicians who demonstrate God’s justice and righteousness in the midst of sin and corruption.

Let us pray that God will so fill us that we too may be faithful witnesses, showing God’s way of love, justice, and mercy to all we meet, caring for people in need, and keeping ourselves unstained from this evil world (James 1:27).

 -- Robert Kruse

Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday, July 28, 2014
Joshua 24: 16 - 33

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (15)

This well known statement by Joshua immediately precedes today’s passage. Joshua had challenged the community to make a choice: serve God or serve someone/something else if that seems better.


“We’d never forsake God! Never! We’d never leave God to worship other gods.”(16)

The people choose to serve God; enthusiastically they make that choice. They say how well God has treated them in the past, how He has stood by them through everything and made their lives good. Of course they will worship him.

Choices of commitment are familiar to us - probably the most common is that made in marriage where similar questions and challenges are put to the two being married: Will you...will you...will you? The enthusiastic reply is I will! Or at baptism, when parents and Godparents make promises for their child. Again, will you..., will you...,will you? I will, with God’s help!

I like that final bit, with God’s help. For as Joshua realized and told the people, “You can’t do it; you’re not able to worship God.”(19) How true! I too have chosen to serve God - over and over again. Why over and over? Because I fail over and over and have to try again. I am reminded of Paul saying how frustrated he becomes with himself when he does the things he doesn’t want to do, and doesn’t do the things he does want to do!! (Romans 7: 14-20) Is that ever true!!! Jesus himself knew this and said “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

So, should I just not bother to choose or to make the promise if I know that I can’t keep it 100%? No! Giving up on myself isn’t something God does, so I should not either. Rather, I should remember that God forgives me every time, but also says to go and sin no more. Learn from my mistakes.

In our reading, the people too are unwilling to give up; they reaffirm that their choice is to follow the Lord. If that is so, says Joshua, they need to make some practical things to assist them in their choice: “Get rid of all the foreign gods you own. Say and unqualified Yes to God.”(23)

Ahhh. There’s the rub! What are the foreign gods in my life that I need to get rid of? What things in the surrounding culture pull my allegiance away from God? What things do I value more than I value God? (Where my treasure is, there my heart shall be.) It may not always be things, but perhaps ideas or attitudes. As we were challenged last Sunday, I can choose hope and inclusion. Perhaps the attitude shift is what serving God is all about: it is how we seek and serve Christ in every human being. Jesus gives another way to assist in keeping my promise to him: pray.


And so I do recommit myself to God. I will try again, today, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. Jesus called me to be perfect ... so practise!

Blessings


Ann Kelland

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Acts 28:23-31

Today’s reading comes from the conclusion of the Book of Acts, Luke’s second volume about the Jesus and his message about the Kingdom of God. We find Paul under house arrest at home. I’m struck, though by how people still flock to him, to hear him speak, and then debate about what he has to say. Even with the significant challenge of being confined, he still preaches, following the same pattern he has all along, of speaking to Jews and then to Gentiles.

From this we might learn something about grace. God’s grace in our lives may not remove every obstacle and every difficulty, but it is that which helps us to continue on each day, living in and proclaiming a message of hope.

- Matthew Kieswetter

Saturday July 26, 2014

Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint Anna with Theotokos and Christ Child - Kathleen Anderson - 1990 Copyright © 1993-2004 Kathleen Anderson

Saint Anna with Theotokos and Christ Child - Kathleen Anderson - 1990
Copyright © 1993-2004 Kathleen Anderson

Anne is not mentioned in the Bible, but there are stories about her in a second-century document called the Protoevangelium of James.  This non-biblical gospel of James tells of Anne and her husband Joachim who, although they longed and prayed for children, were childless for 20 years.  Anne's story echos the Old Testament story recorded in 1 Samuel 1:1 to 2:8 of Hannah who was also granted a cherished child after many long years of waiting.  (Anne is from the Hebrew, Hannah, meaning grace or favour).

Images of Mary and Jesus were common from the early days of Christianity; Anne began to be added to paintings and sculptures in northern Europe in the late 13th century.  A popular grouping depicts Mary holding the Christ child on her lap while Mary sits on her mother Anne's lap.

You may wish to ponder this icon and wonder, in prayer, how this "nesting" of mother/grandmother, daughter/mother, and grandchild/child speaks to you today.  

Lord God,
the Source and Goal of all creation,
we bless you for your servant Anne,
whose daughter Mary was the Mother of our Lord.
Grant us grace in our succeeding generations
to honour the gift of life,
that young and old together
may learn the love
whose fruit is life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
From "For All the Saints", The Anglican Church of Canada 

Friday, July 25, 2014 (St. James the Apostle)

Friday, July 25, 2014 

Matthew 10:16-32 (St. James the Apostle)

 Today's reading has Jesus talking to the 12 about hardships that might come their way as they go forward in ministry, following Jesus and his Way of life. In this Pep talk, Jesus is saying that what they do in his name, God knows and will be with them, even unto death and beyond.

On this particular day of the year, the Church recalls the person of St James the Apostle, his life and example. James and his brother John were known as Sons of Thunder, likely because they were outspoken and had short fuses. Both brothers left their homes and trade to join Jesus' inner circle, following him and his Way of life. They even express a willingness to taste, if need be, the cup of Jesus's suffering .

In the case of James, this was realized shortly  after Jesus' resurrection, for King Herod launched a persecution of the Church , arrested James, and had him beheaded. He became the first of the 12 Apostles to suffer death for the sake of Jesus. Among many Spaniards, James is held in high regard even today , for his sacrifice has inspired them through the centuries to cope with numerous times of persecution and invasion by outside forces.

God,  grant that we today may find within us the  same Spirit that You provided to James, to serve others even in the face of death, as Jesus did and does for all of us. May our lives daily reflect the Way of Life the Jesus exemplified to James... a Life marked by Service, Compassion, and Humility , marks and signs of God's Love for you and for me.

Archdeacon Ken Cardwell

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Thursday, July 24, 2014

1 Samuel 28:3-20

I’ve always enjoyed this passage. During my undergrad at UW I took a great course (I forget if it was about David or the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures), and read Robert Alter’s translation, The David Story. The tale of a desperate Saul seeking out the witch brings to mind Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and also, as I vaguely recall, a particularly effective scene in the film Match Point (I’ll have to watch it again). David, Saul, and Samuel are such key figures in the Bible that I really recommend reading the entirety of 1 Samuel, and Alter’s translation happens to be available at the Central location of the Kitchener Public Library.

I read this passage in the context of the greater story of David and Saul, which concerns a number of themes such as obedience, punishment, friendship, and trust. In digging into my Orthodox Study Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2008) I found some interesting notes that suggest that the Church Fathers, the influential thinkers of the early Church, had some issues with the idea of witches and ghosts in Holy Scripture. 

• A few, though a pretty influential bunch (Justin Martyr, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine) interpreted the conjuring of the spirit as real. 

• Chrysostom and Theodoret weren’t sure if the apparition was actually Samuel or a demon, but it was God who made him present, and not the witch.

• A large number of interpreters (including Tertullian, Hippolytus, Basil, and Gregory of Nyssa) believe the apparition to be a deceitful demon, giving a false prophecy. (p. 349)

I’m not particularly occupied by this issue. My interpretation is that the story wasn’t passed down to us in order to develop our theology regarding the afterlife. Again, I think it has something to do with the various themes that are at play in the wider story. (I am not in any way saying I’m better or smarter than these Church Fathers, just that my cultural lens is different than theirs.) 

It would appear that my reflection on today’s passage is a bit playful and scatterbrained. But there are a few takeaways.

• Read the whole story; it’s even better than Shakespeare and Woody Allen.

• Translators such as Robert Alter can help us to read these scriptures with an appreciation for the inspiration, talent, and diligence that went into crafting them. 

• KPL does not have a copy of Match Point (nor does WPL). 

• The story brings up the issue of God’s absence. Even if you aren’t on Saul’s side, it’s possible to empathize with him, feeling so forlorn. He is so desperate he seeks out a witch, after having jettisoned all the wizards and diviners from the land. For those in need, including those with whom it is hard to empathize, the feeling of God’s anger, absence, or abandonment can be a terrible, terrible ordeal. How can we make people more aware of God’s care and presence in our lives?

-- Matthew Kieswetter

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

REFLECTION ON SAMUEL 3: 23-44

There are few stories in the Bible where the hero is a woman.  Abigail’s husband is Nabal, a Calebite.  His race is what she uses to excuse his rude behaviour towards David’s servants.  Who knows why she trashes Calebites, but they must have been nasty people.  Abigail also claims her husband’s name means ‘FOOL’. Already I like her.  Basically, Abigail saves her husband’s household from death.

The story is a classic! David is in the wilderness of Paran.  He sends servants to Nabal at Carmel during sheep shearing season, when there’s lots of food to feed the hired help.  Nabal trash talks David and sends the servants away empty handed. David’s is outraged based on the fact that he treated Nabel’s men well when his rebel army last came to Carmel.  He’s only asking for a favour in return. And as we learned so graphically on “Game of Thrones” this season, you NEVER trash talk someone who is about to become the king.  So, David musters over 400 troops and marches on Carmel, determined to kill all the males on Nabel’s estate. Hearing of this, Abigail packs 200 loaves of bread, 2 wineskins, 5 dressed sheep, 5 sheaves of roasted grain, 100 cakes of raisins and 200 cakes of pressed figs.  She saddles up her donkey and meets David half way. 

She begs for her husband’s life, implying that if she had seen David’s servants, they would have been treated well. She reminds David that he should not shed blood needlessly and prophesies that he will produce a ‘lasting dynasty’. Impressed, David turns away from war. This wise woman has made him realize that Nabal is not the enemy. His anger is against Saul, not this clown. Abigail returns home to find Nabel drunk at a kingly party in his own honour. Waiting until morning when he’s sober, she tells him the news. He immediately has a heart attack and dies 10 days later.  Nice timing, Abigail! 

David gets news of this.  And he’s no idiot.  This lady is smart, brave, resourceful, independent thinking AND the Bible says she was intelligent and beautiful. (Usually, the Bible does not take time to mention a woman’s beauty unless she’s amazingly gorgeous.) Well, not wanting to let a good woman go to waste, David sends to Carmel and brings Abigail to be his wife.  The Bible says she came with her own entourage of 5 servants and she bowed down face to the ground in front of David – a good start to an unequal patriarchal relationship, but still, a better match than the jerk she was married to before.  Happy endings … or sort of.

The chapter ends with two dark notes.  Abigail has to share David with another wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel.  And we also learn that David’s wife Michel, Saul’s daughter, David’s first wife and most likely his original true love, was given by Saul to some other man.  Michel had helped David escape down a rope.  She loved him enough to risk her life.  So, David in rebellion against Saul, away from the court, has his heartbreaks as well as his joys.  

Abigail comes out with full marks in this adventure.  She does everything right and gets a much better deal in a land ruled by men and in a time of war, when women had very little leverage to get anything they want – just like today.  She’s a match for David.  Both are attractive – and likely attracted to each other.  Both have diplomatic skills and both are prepared to become leaders of the nation, when David becomes the king.  She calculates the risk and chooses the cool ‘outlaw’ over her sour tempered drunken husband.  And, in the end, she brings all his wealth with her into the marriage.  Not bad.  Smart lady….

Is there a spiritual take-away from this story?  I’d like to think that God gives us brains to see situations and act on them when we need to. Prayer is good. Prayer plus action is better.  Abigail saves David from bloodshed he would not have to answer for to God.  In that sense, she is a minor prophet – the kind you might see every day in our time, moving God’s agenda towards good.  We may have such prophets in our midst and not even know it.

Peter Mansell  July 1, 2014.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 (St. Mary Magdalene)

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 (St. Mary Magdalene)

Mark 15:37 - 16:9

Who is looking on at the horrifying scene of the crucifixion? Not the apostles, but a group of women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome. Another witness, who responds to what he has seen -- and even been a part of -- is a centurion, who declares “this man was God’s Son!” And the one who boldly goes to Pilate to retrieve Jesus’ body is Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, a council that was involved in the trial of Jesus. So we have a number of courageous key players in this brief passage whose roles in the story are a bit of a surprise for us.

http://www.stmarymagdalene.co.uk/stmarymagdalene.html

Today is the day in our calendar when we remember Mary Magdalene. In a video series I watched recently based on N.T. Wright’s book Surprised by Hope, Wright argues for the historicity of the bodily resurrection of Jesus by highlighting the important role of these brave and faithful women in today’s story. In the ancient world the testimony of women would not have been given as much consideration as that of men, so it is interesting that the Gospels place such an emphasis on the experience of the women. If the Gospel writer was just making stuff up, it would have been a lot more strategic to have some trustworthy and authoritative men as witnesses to the crucifixion and as the first witnesses at the cave. Instead, we have the testimony of those from the margins, Mary, Mary, and Salome, along with the descriptions of Joseph of Arimathea and the centurion, challenging us to remember that truth can come from unexpected places. “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Their important role in the Gospel indicates to us that these women were looked upon highly in the early Christian community. We live in a world, and in a church, with titles, ranks (whether official or unofficial), norms, and procedures. Today’s passage reminds us that sometimes the truth can come from unexpected sources.

- Matthew Kieswetter

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Mark 2:1-12

In this passage Jesus heals a paralytic as a result of his faith, and at the same time makes it clear that it is also the scribes that might need to seek healing as well in their hearts.  The witnesses question Jesus' authority to perform such miracles, and as usual, His response is one that challenges their worldview.  Jesus asks that they see what just happened through a new lens, one that embraces a new covenant of faith and forgiveness. 

We are told that the witnesses are amazed.  That they have been able to open up, even through their doubt and all of their pre-conceived notions, to the new word. 

What if we were all more open to the mysterious ways that God works in our lives?

- John, Randell, Eric, Matt, Julia

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Matthew 26:26-35

The Gospel of Matthew is one that is often acknowledged as a “complex text”*

and Chapter 26 has much reflect upon. This chapter contains some of the critical moments in the lead up to the Crucifixion. Within Chapter 26, we see the moment when Judas approaches the High Priests and is offered the thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus; we see the lead up to Gethsemane where Jesus is betrayed and arrested and we see the conclusion of the chapter with Jesus’ appearance before the high priest Caiaphas. Today’s passage — Matthew 26:26-35 — is found just over halfway through Chapter 26, just before Jesus and the disciples make their way to Gethsemane. These ten verses make up one of those ‘weighty’ passages of Scripture that contain words and themes so familiar and so fundamental. Thematically, this time, in the lead up to the Passion, is an ‘essential’ time: a time when things must have been fraught, when the disciples are facing great transitions and challenges. It is a time when Jesus is facing the immanency of his own mortal death on the Cross. And, it is a time on this journey to Gethsemane when, as theologian Raymond Brown notes, that the relationship between Jesus and the disciples comes to a “dramatic finale."**

To me, the events described within the latter half of the Gospel of Matthew—and particularly within Chapter 26— have always seemed to have taken place within a period of great disorder and uncertainty. Reading this chapter has always made me feel edgy. Throughout the second half Matthew’s Gospel there have been hints and some instruction about the end times, about the coming of the Son of man and about the salvation which will lie ahead so there should be no particular surprise about what may come.  But, now in Chapter 26 as the disciples take time and sit down to the Passover meal [beginning in Matthew 26:17] it seems that it has all come at us rather quickly and we find ourselves at the outset of Chapter 26 coming to the end times sooner rather than later. Surely, the disciples themselves must have felt somewhat dislocated in all of this. 

Yet into this disorder and ‘noise’ comes a moment of quiet and of pause, as in Matthew 26:26 Jesus and the disciples gather to share the Passover meal. In this intimate setting Jesus speaks directly to his disciples and, for me, the heart of this chapter lies with the verses that begin this passage and which lie in between the eating of the meal [Matthew 26:26] and the hymn they sing before they go out to the Mount of Olives [Matthew 26:30].

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ ²⁷Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; ²⁸for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins

And here, we find not only what must have been a quiet and important moment for the gathered as they shared together in this most important of meals, but also a moment which resonates for contemporary Christians.  These words, this sharing of bread and wine found within the Gospels, are words preserved within the heart of the Eucharist. For Anglicans both the Book of Alternate Services (BAS) and the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) have kept these words within both the ‘Eucharistic Prayers’ (BAS) and in the ‘Prayer of Consecration’ (BCP) and — whether in ancient or modern language — have retained these words — almost unchanged — as part of the most sacred moments of the Eucharist. In some Anglican churches the importance and essentialness of these oh-so-familiar phrases is marked with bells and incense as the Elements are elevated. Some Celebrants choose to emphasise these words with lowered voice and with bowed head. Regardless of the way in which they are intoned, these familiar few sentences are the point at which one pricks up one’s ear, knowing that it is the moment to focus, to pay attention, to settle to the task of this very essential prayer and to this fundamental moment of sharing first offered to us by Christ himself.  

Notwithstanding the importance and resonance of these two phrases, there is more. Within the second half of this passage there is also a promise. Jesus, as he concludes the sharing of the bread and wine, makes a promise to the disciples. 

I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

This promise is not just a promise for that time — for the time when the disciples may be facing uncertainty and loss. Instead, this is a covenant for now and it is also a covenant for the future, for all time.

For the disciples this promise would have come right in the middle of the uncertainty and dislocation that they must have been experiencing.  Jesus himself had just told them that they “will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’.” [Matthew 26:31]. That moment has to be one that weighed upon the disciples: it must have been scary, it must have been worrisome. Cut off from the one to whom they’ve made a promise, followed and in whom they have held such faith, the disciples are now told that they are to become deserters because of Him. Yet, here, in the midst of this dark moment, there is also a promise and that promise is a ‘big promise’…from Jesus Himself. It is a promise that offers hope, that offers an assurance of things to come; and, it tells us that along with loss or change there is also gain or constancy. Yes, the shepherd will be struck, and the sheep of flock will be scattered [Matthew 26:31] but there is also the promise of a risen Christ who will appear before them when the disciples gather again in Galilee. It is a promise that even those who have become deserters will again find themselves together and as one with Christ Jesus. 

Thus, it is within this passage that we are reminded that it is not just the sharing and the offering of the bread and wine but it is also the covenant offered to us of salvation by Christ Himself. And we remember that promise and that hope of coming together with Him to “drink it new” in the Kingdom of Heaven and, in the words of Eucharistic Prayer 2 (BAS). 

Remembering therefore his death and resurrection, 

We offer you this bread and this cup 

      Giving thanks that you have made us worthy 

      To stand in your presence and serve you 

- Mary-Cate Garden

[Mary-Cate Garden is Co-Head of the Divinity Class at Trinity College in Toronto]

* cf. Anthony Saldarini (1994) Matthew’s Christian-Jewish Community  

** Raymond Brown (2008) Christ in the Gospels of the Liturgical Year Ronald D Witherup (ed) p 166

Friday, 18 July, 2014

Friday, 18 July, 2014

Joshua 4:19 – 5:15 

Today’s text (together with yesterday’s) relates one of the most pivotal moments in the history of ancient Israel: their arrival in the Promised Land after forty years in the wilderness, the leadership transition from Moses to Joshua, and Israel’s crossing the Jordan River (during its flood time) on dry ground – a great miracle performed, as God told Joshua, “to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you [Josh. 3:7].”

Today’s reading shows several deep connections between the story of Joshua leading the people into the Promised Land and the story of Moses leading their parents out of Egypt.  Even the date at the beginning of our text, “the tenth day of the first month,” has great symbolic importance: This is the day of preparation for the Passover [Exodus 12], when a lamb was chosen that would be sacrificed four days later and eaten in the Passover meal that evening.  Passover was followed by the time of unleavened bread.  On that first Passover night in Egypt, the Lord passed over the Israelite households, those marked with the blood of the lamb, but killed all the firstborn in Egypt.  Shortly thereafter, the fleeing Israelites miraculously passed over the Red Sea on dry ground.  Now, forty years later, their children miraculously passed over the Jordan River on dry ground, and four days later they celebrated the Passover in the Promised Land.

For us who belong to Christ, there is yet another rich layer of symbolism in these events.  First, before our Saviour’s birth, the angel announced, “You shall call his name Joshua, for he will save his people from their sins [Matt. 1:21].”  Yes, Joshua is the Hebrew name of our Saviour; Jesus is its Greek form.  The story of Joshua prefigures that of Jesus, especially in regard to the Passover.  The synoptic Gospels tell us that the Last Supper was the Passover meal which Jesus celebrated with his disciples just before his arrest, trial, and sacrificial death for us.  The Bible calls Jesus the Lamb of God.  Indeed, the early church affirms [1 Cor. 5:7-8], “Our Passover lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.  Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Another miracle that prefigures Christ is the manna, the bread that God sent from heaven [Ex. 16:4].  The people who crossed into the Promised Land had grown up in the forty years in the wilderness; all their lives they had manna from heaven to eat.  Now, the very next day after the Passover [Josh. 5:11-12] the manna stopped, and from then on they ate the produce of the land.  Read John 6:31-59 to see how Jesus connects the manna from heaven to his own coming into the world, to his own sacrificial death, and to his presence with us in the Communion.

Today’s reading concludes with Joshua’s vision [Josh. 5:13-15] of a man with a drawn sword who appears before him, neither one of Joshua’s people or an adversary, but the commander of the army of the Lord.  Joshua recognizes him as divine by falling on his face in worship.  Now the commander tells Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.”  This instruction ties this vision directly with the account of Moses and the Burning Bush [Exodus 3:2-6], where God addresses Moses with these same words – these are the only two incidents in the Bible where this instruction is given.  At the Burning Bush, this visitation by God empowered Moses, who was meek and humble, so he could stand up to Pharaoh and the powers of Egypt to deliver the people of Egypt, and so he could confront and judge the power of evil when it came among his people.  Similarly, God, through Joshua’s vision, empowered him both to lead his people in the coming years and to fight the many battles that lay before him (starting with Jericho) in the power of God.

Where in the New Testament do we learn of people who are frightened and retreating, but suddenly become powerful because of a special visit from God?  It was on the Day of Pentecost, when the disciples, who had been hiding behind locked doors out of fear, suddenly were so equipped by the Holy Spirit that they could preach with power and authority, so they could perform miracles and confront evil.  In their time, Moses and Joshua were specially empowered by God’s Holy Spirit for the great tasks of leadership and confrontation that lay before them.  In the New Testament, Christ promises the Holy Spirit [John 14:15-17, 26] to all his followers.  God’s Holy Spirit is with us to empower every believer, not only great leaders.  The Spirit will teach us and lead us into the truth, will empower us to face every problem and confront evil, and will care for us in every need.  Let us pray and trust God’s Spirit to be our helper through every day.

 -- Robert Kruse

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Thursday, July 17, 2014

JOSHUA 3:14 - 4:7

     All water stories in the Bible are baptism stories. The story of the Crossing of the Red Sea transformed the Children of Israel from a nation of slaves to a nation of free people. In the next 40 years, wandering in the Sinai desert forged them into a nation with one God and a clear identity.  In that time, God fed them with quail and manna each day.  Water came to them from a rock when they feared they would die of thirst.  God led them with a fiery pillar and gave them laws written with his own hand.  They were dependent and helpless, but they grew and learned. In this story, the Crossing of the Jordan transforms them into a people with a homeland.  Now, they must stand on their own as a nation. 

     The Israelis do not walk into an empty land of milk and honey. They have to fight for it, city by city. Certainly, this story establishes Joshua as the successor of Moses But it also identifies him as the military leader of an invading army who will go on to wipe out many Palestinian cities – men, women, children, and all cattle – in the name of God.  The stories to come later are brutal, but in Joshua 3 we are only at the beginning of the Promised Land story. And it’s not about Joshua the ‘hero’. It’s all about the fact that God is WITH US.  Whether God is with one person, or a whole nation, that idea dominates this story from end to end. In the O.T., whoever has God on their side, are the good guys. Alas, that idea cuts both ways in modern day Palestine…  

     In this passage, powerful symbols are at work. Like the Red Sea, the Jordan River is piled up (in the peak of flood season we are told). The people pass safely across on dry land. The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence with the people, accomplishes this miracle of nature. The water stops the moment the feet of the priests who carry the Ark touch the river.  This echoes Moses calling on God to part the waters. Twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, are chosen to carry a large stone to make a monument where the priests stood, to remember the crossing. This story prepares us for powerful Jewish religious rituals yet to come. So many rich symbols in one story may suggest that the text is not the work of one writer, but carefully edited after the fact by later scholars.

     The Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea at its northern end. To cross it, it makes military sense for Joshua to bring the Israelites up the eastern shore of the Dead Sea and enter the Promised Land from there. But Joshua is not just a smart army general. Like Moses, he has a solid sense of history and heritage. He says…

“In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean? tell them
that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.
These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

     This indicates that he is aware of the power of story and tradition. He is aware that the next generation will not remember the 40 years on the Sinai. Stories and symbols need to be created to solidify the Israeli presence. At the same time, Joshua is confident that the Israelis will live a long time in this land – long enough to tell children stories.

     Do I believe this story to be an historical account? I think too many hands have added to this story over the years to trust it all. Do I believe that this story is packed with powerful images of faith and determination to fulfill a destiny – oh yes! There are 12 stones carved with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel on the priest’s Ephod or linen breastplate. Stone altars and cairns dot the landscape of Palestine as various O.T. characters gave thanks for deliverance or blessings. Jewish traditions are rich with stories told to children and adults alike, keeping a focus on their faith in God.

     Above all, this story is about God’s presence in our lives every moment of every day. We may not have big roaring rivers to cross, but our challenges feel just as overwhelming. And the idea of God’s constant watchfulness over us, and willingness to help us is great comfort in those hard times.

Peter Mansell, July 1, 2014

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Romans 11:25-36

We come to the end of this convoluted and dense chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans.  In the verses chosen for today Paul speaks of a "mystery" which has affected the people of Israel -  a hardening . . . until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.  It seems that Paul understands God's call as to both the people of Israel, the historically chosen ones, and also to those known as Gentiles.  However, for him there is an order to entry in to the kin(g)dom: the people of Israel must wait until the "full number" of Gentiles respond to God's call.  And while we may struggle with this seemingly peculiar way Paul has of ordering the completion of God's realm, yet there is good news here - there is a place for everyone with God. In Paul's words, "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." God's kin(g)dom is for all.

And so it is fitting that, with this good news of God's grace and mercy, Paul should end this part of his letter with a beautiful hymn of praise - a hymn that reflects truly and deeply the mystery that is God.  

O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways . . . For from him and through him and to him are all things: To God be the glory for ever:  Amen.

- Rev'd Paul Kett

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Romans 11:13-24

“So do not become proud, but stand in awe.”

Paul's transformation inspires me. Decades before, zealous for his Jewish faith, he guarded the overcoats of those who stoned Stephen and then began his own campaign to persecute Christians. Now, fully convinced of the message that sent Stephen to his death, he is trying to figure out how Jews fit into God’s plan for the world.

Paul does not seem to make the same distinction between Jew and Christian that we take for granted today. Yes, Jews and Gentiles are different, but Jesus’ universal message of salvation abolishes the distinction based on God’s favor.

From his new perspective, Paul tries to understand Israel’s rejection of Christ. He is convinced that Israel’s disobedience was the cause of Gentile inclusion. Paul’s logic is strained. If every Jew had fully accepted Christ’s message, would the Gentiles remain outside God’s favor? On the contrary, I think of the promise to Abraham: God blessed Israel so they would become a blessing to the world. Isaiah prophesied, “Nations shall come to your light.”

I do not buy his faulty logic, but his deeper universal message enchants me. God’s rejection of Israel is only apparent; God’s love includes them still. Paul warns the Gentiles away from pride and the temptation to think they are God’s chosen race.

Are we willing to stand in awe of God’s universal love or are we content to sit in our exclusive camps?

- David Shumaker