Sunday, February 1, 2015

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Hebrews 11: 8-16

“By faith Abraham…set out, not knowing where he was going.”

The writer of Hebrews makes an interesting theological move in our reading for today. Writing to an audience steeped in Jewish traditions, the author justifies the authenticity of the new Jesus movement. In this famous section on the heroes of faith, the writer downplays the possession of land as a marker of divine favor. Even Abraham, he notes, once he set up his tent in the “Promised Land,” knew that his stay was temporary. Instead he “looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (v. 10).

            The author is surely trying to make sense of a Jewish people who no longer had ownership of their land, and the obvious success and spread of Christianity around the Mediterranean basin (outside of the region supposedly promised by God). Following Jesus, he seems to be saying, is less about real estate and more about relationship.

            I am both challenged and comforted by today’s reading. Don’t we all have some vision of a “Promised Land”? Job & financial security, family flourishing, meaningful romantic relationships, signficant recognition. For our churches, don’t we often long for more members, and more money? We can all fill in the blank for our pet visions and dreams. Abraham’s story calls those visions into question because they are too small. Abraham’s vision of God transcends conventional boundaries and markers of success.

            Where, in our personal lives and in our churches, are we too comfortable? Where are we too attached to  success? Like Abraham, can we listen for  God’s leading in a new direction, not knowing exactly where we are going?

            Where, in our personal lives and in our churches, do we experience the most dis-ease and pain? Can we find comfort, not in outer harmony but inner peace?  

            Abraham’s God, it seems, is the one who afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.

- David Shumaker

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Isaiah 51:1-8

Every morning as I get ready for school, I listen to the news. More often than not, I am struck by the overwhelming violence that plagues the world. The conflict in Palestine and Israel is often on my mind, not only because of family friends who have worked there as peacemakers, but also because of university friends from Jerusalem and the land around. It makes me feel as though the world has become a land wasted by war, that nobody cares about it anymore. 

And yet, as Isaiah tells us, in all the hopelessness and fear – in the deserts and the wilderness – God makes God’s presence known, and the earth is transformed. Last November, in a concert with Inshallah Community Choir, I experienced a glimpse of God’s presence, a manifestation of the sacred. We sang Between Darkness and Light, a song by Jewish composer Daphna Rosenberg with a text in English, Hebrew and Arabic. In our performance, we sang the English text, while musicians from the community – both Muslim and Jewish – joined us to sing the Arabic and Hebrew texts. In the midst of the overwhelming conflict in the world outside, we were making peace among the nations. I felt God appear, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles for social justice. Within and without of the conflict, people gather to profess their belief beyond all hopelessness in a peace that will come and last. 

In all our struggles, Isaiah’s words remind us that even Abraham, father of multitudes, was once alone himself. But God came and promised him more, and transformed the one into the promise of a great family. These moments are glimpses of God – manifestations of the sacred – and they remind us that though the way is hard, there is a just and peaceful city coming to us upon the earth. In Isaiah’s time, it was a return to Jerusalem. In our day, we will continue to work to make the world better.  

- Josh Zentner-Barrett

Friday, January 30, 2015

Friday, January 30, 2015   

Psalm 54

This Psalm is one of the many attributed to David that deals with his calling on God for help when he is in danger.  The situation this time, according to the heading, is that David has been betrayed by the people of Ziph who tell Saul that David is hiding there – this when Saul is in one of his murderous rages.

Crying out to God for help, expressing his fear and desperation, even his confidence that God will rescue him are all things that I fairly easily relate to and accept.  However, I do feel uncomfortable when David asks God to sends the evil back on his enemies, when he is glad to see them not just thwarted but “punished.”  

Two emotions/motives battle within me.  It is “natural” to want to see those who hurt others “get a taste of their own medicine”, yet Jesus tells us to bless our enemies – seek their welfare.

David’s call to God expresses the first.  In a way, this reassures me that David too was human – subject to “natural” feelings.  Although it is not in this Psalm, David did also know Jesus’s way of dealing with his enemy.  In 1 Samuel 26, we see the story that this Psalm is said to speak to.  David’s behavior is interesting.  Saul and his soldiers have cornered him in a cave.  It is nighttime and they bed down for the night.  David and Abishai (one of those with him) sneak down to Saul’s camp, and even steal the spear and water jug lying beside Saul.  Abishai tells David that God has delivered Saul into his hand – kill him!  But David says No – that is not the way God wants him to behave.  Instead he goes back to a safe distance then calls out to Saul and his soldiers, telling them what he has done and seeking peace. (He is smart like a serpent, but harmless like a dove!)

So, although David seemed to want bad things to happen to those who sought to harm him, he did not act upon those feelings.  Instead he acted on his understanding of the nature of God and of God’s will for him.  In essence: “Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done.”

That remains the model and the challenge for me too.

Blessings

Ann Kelland

Thursday, January 29, 2015 (Timothy & Titus)

Thursday, January 29, 2015 

[Timothy and Titus, Companions of Paul] 

2 Corinthians 8:16-19, 23f

http://www.jimshelton.com/catholic-saints.html

Today we celebrate the lives of two companions of Paul during his missionary journeys.  Both of these have seemingly achieved a status of friend, each has been instrumental and vital to Paul’s ministry.  We gather information and knowledge about them from various places in the New Testament, including letters written to them, purportedly from Paul.  Many biblical teachers and scholars would repute that Paul actually wrote these particular epistles, but even if he did not, someone who knew both Timothy and Titus addressed them.  Timothy seems to have been born to a Jewish mother and Greek father, and came to the Christian faith through Paul’s ministry.  Titus appears to have been a young Greek man who also entered the Christian life through Paul’s teaching and was instrumental as an ambassador for Paul in Corinth.  Today’s reading from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian Christians bears out the importance of this relationship.

Together, their faithful service to Paul as well as their own work in the furthering of the good news to the emerging faith communities in Asia Minor have acted as examples of service and faith to all generations since their time.

- Reverend Paul Kett

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Isaiah 49:1-12

This is a particularly sensitive week to be talking about restoration of exiles. As I write this, thousands of people, mostly women and children have fled from their homes in Northern Nigeria. Even more have been butchered and left unburied in the villages where they were slaughtered by the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram. More refugees flee in Northern Iraq and in Syria. The story of the exile of the People of Israel has been repeated over and over again in every war before and since. It is an old story, and a tragic one. When governments talk of the ‘glory’ of war, these are the images that now dominate our media. The true face of war shows itself on every screen of every social media device.

This is also a week when people are noting the 70^th anniversary of the freeing of the concentration camps in Nazi Germany just after the Second World War. I am following the story of a Holocaust survivor who will be participate in recreating a photograph of herself and several other children who survived the horrors of death camps in their youth. In the face of all these stories of mass murder and wholesale genocide, it is understandable that the prophet Isaiah feels that his life has been a waste.

V4 “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all.”

The prophet struggles, but realizes that he has been selected for this task from the time he was in his mother’s womb. He remembers that he is not required to do this task on his own strength. God is his strength in his mission. I find it refreshing that Isaiah has his moments when he seems overwhelmed by the path God has laid out for him. Certainly we have an echo of that kind of humanity when Jesus struggles in the Garden, just before his arrest.

Isaiah’s vision, or his ‘word’ from the Lord goes much farther in this passage. In verse 6, he outlines a broader mission God has in mind, than simply restoring Israel which he calls a ‘small thing’. God’s vision in this passage is to bring salvation to the entire earth, all of creation, and all the living things within creation, including other races and tribes.

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

The suffering servant is comforted that the promise is that captives will be freed, and those who sit in darkness will see the light. These verses have been the subject of much attention by Christians, artists and composers for many years. They are among the most beautiful and hopeful lines in the Bible.

“They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.

10 They will neither hunger nor thirst nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

11 I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.

I read stories of prisoners in death camps reading or quoting Bible verses to each other as they go to what they know is certain death. Certainly, such activity happens at executions, and there is much use of the words of faith in refugee camps. The alternative is an empty, godless despair. I imagine that for strong believers, such words are a tremendous comfort. Clearly, Isaiah means the beginning verses of Chapter 49 to be a great comfort, not only to himself but also to those to whom he is preaching. And the paintings and music that have been derived from Isaiah’s words have lifted people for generations.

Timing is everything. We live in such a fast-paced culture that if we do not have instant answers or instant satisfaction, we are distressed. My work with senior citizens has shown me people who have learned to be comfortable with silence, to simply wait upon the Lord. They are in contrast to the young people I see at the mall, over-talking each other, thumbing madly at their cell phones as they text each other. Those young people are more like song birds who constantly chirp to see if the others are there, nearby in the trees.

Isaiah says this: 

“This is what the Lord says: In the time of my favor I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you.”

Peter Mansell Epiphany, 2015

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Isaiah 48:12-21

“Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy…”

I could do well to meditate on Isaiah more often, and I’m grateful for its prominent place in the cycle of readings. The authors are inflamed with the belief that God works through created events, people and circumstances to bring about God’s dream for the world. In today’s passage, the writer reveals God’s plan to use the Persian king, Cyrus, to overcome Babylon, and free the Israelites from their captivity (“The LORD loves him [Cyrus]; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.”) The language of much of this section of Isaiah mirrors the Exodus event, and, in a way, trumps it. The Israelites leave Egypt but struggle through the wilderness, as they desperately search for water. Here, in the “second Exodus” from Babylon, the people will not thirst when God leads them home (v. 21)

            I must admit that I’m hesitant to see Stephen Harper or Barack Obama as God’s definitive  instruments to bring about a world of peace and justice, and yet I’m inspired by the full arc of the Biblical narrative to believe that God does indeed have a dream for creation. I’m inspired by a vision where all of creation is freed from captivity (cf. Romans 8). The Christian proclaims the good news that “if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

            When I meditate on this passage, I consider God’s desires for the world, my own desires for the world, and the agreement or conflict between the two. Do I reflect enough on my own captivity or the captivity of those around me? Am I aware of the chains of addiction, or greed or loneliness that imprison people in my own neighborhood? Could I adopt the voice of Isaiah and proclaim God’s good news of release to those around me, “Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea…” , not through dramatic acts of parting seas or conquering invaders, but through the simple ways God has always acted: befriending the stranger, loving the enemy, laying down our lives for our friends? Such a vision is consistent, I think, with our desire to be a vibrant community in downtown Kitchener.

-David Shumaker

Monday, January 26, 2015 (Conversion of St. Paul)

Monday, January 26, 2015 (Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle)

Acts 9:1-22

These days, it seems, a “Damascus Road experience” can come almost anytime people change their minds, even in trivial ways, not remotely resembling the profound, life-changing experience Paul had the day we read about in today’s scripture.  Sometimes “Damascus Road” is used just because it sounds nice.  In a short search, I found websites for, among other things, a Damascus Road pop band, a Damascus Road summer camp, Damascus Road dog breeders, a Damascus Road coffeehouse, Damascus Road marketing consultants, and a Damascus Road art gallery!  Even politicians often have a Damascus Road experience as soon as they see a new opinion poll.

Today we read about the authentic, original Damascus Road Experience all the others want to mimic.  Saul (also called Paul) was a rapidly-rising young leader among the Pharisees, helping to stamp out those pesky Jesus followers who refused to fade away even after their leader was put to death.  Saul had hoped stoning Stephen might have convinced the others to forget that messiah-pretender, but it didn’t.  Now Saul had a bigger mission: go to Damascus, arrest the Jesus followers, and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial and punishment.  But suddenly, right out on the Damascus Road as he and the people with him approach town – wham!  A light from heaven flashed so brightly it threw Saul to the ground and left him totally blind.  Saul heard a voice, but he didn’t know whose.  So he asked and was totally confounded to learn Jesus was speaking to him – alive! –  and asking why he was persecuting him.  Saul had to be led blind into Damascus, confused and overwhelmed by the discovery that obeying God (as he always had done) now meant he had to spin around completely and become a Jesus follower himself.

As amazingly powerful and life changing as Saul’s Damascus Road Experience is, I can’t really identify with it myself.  I suspect many of the rest of us can’t either.  I’ve never had an experience of the heavens suddenly torn open with an overpowering vision of Christ.  From infancy I grew up in a Christian home, and I can’t point to any moment when I first started to believe in Jesus.  When I change my mind on important matters, it usually happens little by little, one small change at a time, as I pray and study and talk with people.  Often it takes years.  So, as I read today’s scripture, I am indeed amazed at God’s lightning bolt from heaven that instantly brought Saul to his knees and spun him around into one of the most dedicated and influential Jesus followers of all time.  But I’m not like that at all, either in the radical change or the immense ability and energy Paul demonstrated.  

For my own model and inspiration, I look instead at the supporting character in today’s drama, the ordinary disciple Ananias who ministered to Saul in Damascus.  Ananias has lots to teach us too, in a more quiet kind of way.

Acts 22:1-16 gives another account of Paul’s conversion, this time as Paul speaks to a Jewish audience.  Verses 12-16 tell us more about Ananias: Ananias was a devout Jew, faithful to the Torah, and with a good reputation among all the Jewish people in Damascus.  At the time of Saul’s conversion (very early in church history), the Jesus followers were all Jewish.  Ananias was being consistent and faithful in living and worshipping as a Jew while he, at the same time, recognized that Jesus was God’s Messiah, whom he calls the Righteous One (a very Jewish way of speaking).

Back to today’s account.  In Acts 9:10, Ananias too has a vision, and he recognizes that the Lord Jesus is speaking to him.  Yet, when the Lord tells him that Saul is in Damascus, praying and waiting for someone named Ananias to come and restore his vision, Ananias is so shocked by the news that he seems to doubt the Lord, or at least he doubted the Lord’s wisdom.  Ananias reminds the Lord (rather presumptuous, you’d think) that Saul has already done much evil to the Jesus followers in Jerusalem and has now come to Damascus to arrest the Jesus followers there.  Ananias, like all the disciples, is really frightened of what will happen and if the church in Damascus will be completely destroyed.  The Lord’s instruction to perform the miracle of restoring Saul’s sight seems like nothing compared to the immense fear that Saul’s reputation has brought.  But, with reassurance from the Lord Jesus, Ananias regains his composure and obeys his instructions.  He goes to the address the Lord told him, finds Saul there, and – surprisingly, in view of Saul’s reputation – addresses him as “Brother Saul”: acceptance and brotherhood for the church’s great persecutor.  What grace and love Ananias shows, together with his faithful obedience to the Lord Jesus.  So Ananias restores Saul’s vision, baptizes him, and helps him in the first steps of discipleship as a new Jesus follower.

How about us?  Not many of us have totally life-changing visions like Saul’s Damascus Road Experience.  Very few if any of us have even quiet visions like the one Ananias had.  But the Lord Jesus does call all of us, his followers, to do his bidding.  Rarely, this might come through a vision or a special word spoken by someone else, but far more often the Lord’s bidding comes to us only as a quiet conviction or in ordinary conversation or even just as a hunch as to what God wants us to do.  Sometimes the Lord bids us to do something challenging or difficult, perhaps speaking truth to power or to the hostile.  At such a time, we, like Ananias, may be filled with fear and doubt.  The Lord doesn’t reprove Ananias for his fear and doubt, nor does he reprove us.  Instead, he gives us the additional information, confirmation, and reassurance that, as we trust and obey, we can take on the work we are given, we can face the challenges to which we are called.

One important disclosure is still needed.  The outcomes of our work and the challenges we face as we walk in the Way are not within our control, and the results are often not what we, or the Lord, would want.  Our efforts, with God’s help, may prove successful, but often they do not.  Our efforts may instead result in rejection and other injury.  The Lord Jesus told Ananias concerning Paul [9:16], “I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”  This message, so strange in view of the Damascus Road, is the central prophecy for the whole of Paul’s life and ministry.  Paul became a leader who stood strongly for the Way of Jesus, and he had many adversaries.  Great rejection and suffering followed him the rest of his life.  If we too learn to accept our Lord’s bidding, we too will find that rejection and suffering will follow.  Very often, our rewards await us later but not in this life.  2 Timothy 3:12 puts it succinctly, “Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  But life doesn’t end there.  2 Timothy 4:8 concludes instead, “There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Let us live in the light of this scripture.

– Robert Kruse

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Sunday, January 25, 2015

[The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity]

Psalm 98

As the Week of Prayer for Christian unity draws to a close and we observe the Feast Day of the Conversion of St. Paul, our focus is on the words of the Psalmist, "Sing to the Lord a new song”.

The concept of singing a new song is offered by the writer of Psalm 98 as a means by which the People of God may offer a joy – filled response to the reality that the Lord,”…has done wonderful things….’.

How do we experience the new and wonderful things that God is doing? Do we pause to welcome the concept that the new things that are being experienced in our life, are, in fact a welcome addition to our normal pattern and routine?

It is difficult to imagine a world without change. We would not be able to experience life in all its diversity and fullness without having had the experience of change over time. The use of God given talents and abilities offered by so many people in the fields of science and technology have created a support system which offers many people the opportunity to live their lives with a level of comfort and ease which were not able to even be imagined by previous generations.

If we acknowledge the truth of that reality as a part of our life experience, then we need to come to grips with the reality of how our awareness of God’s presence in our lives is an ever changing facet of our life experience. I suggest that God does not change, but rather, our awareness of God’s presence in our lives is that which has a fluidity and dynamic nature reflective of the ever – changing circumstances in our own lives.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity calls us to look at others who share the Christian Faith, in a new way, as those who share with us a lifelong pilgrimage of faith. St. Paul’s Conversion was a radically life changing experience. Both those examples speak to the way in which the power of God’s Spirit is a transforming presence in God’s world.

I invite you to look at the world around you with an openness of heart and soul and to see the marvelous things that God is doing. As you identify them as a reality in your own life, join the Psalmist, and let a new song of joy bubble up from within your soul.

• Reverend Canon Christopher Pratt

Rector, The Church of St. John the Evangelist

Ecumenical Officer, The Diocese of Huron

Saturday January 24, 2015

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Mark 5:1-20

This passage always catches my attention as a particularly disorienting one. Jesus enters a new, and possibly strange, territory; he encounters an unpredictable, possibly dangerous person; and he enacts a healing of striking power. If we just focus for a moment what it would have been like to witness Jesus interact with this man possessed by demons, we must ask if we would have turned away, and wished to be somewhere else.  

The herd of pigs indicates that we are not in primarily Jewish territory. Furthermore, a cemetery was a ritually unclean site. When the man with the unclean spirit “saw Jesus from a distance,” bowed down, and shouted to him, we might take it to emphasize just how immediately the man recognizes who Jesus is. And indeed, such an act of recognition is remarkable, especially in the Gospel of Mark.  But the mention of distance also indicates that Jesus, or at least those with him, may have had the very human reaction of caution. After all, the man appeared unpredictable, strong, and even violent, given his broken shackles and bruises.

While we are thrown off balance by the unfamiliarity and unpredictability of the location and by the wildness of the man with the unclean spirit, there is at least one more disorienting element to come. Jesus engages in a dialogue with the spirits. The spirits recognize Jesus, and ask to be sent into the herd of pigs. And Jesus agrees to their request! Though the ultimate healing of the man is clearly a demonstration of Jesus’ power, I find it surprising that he does not take “total” control, but rather responds positively to their request. As I reflect on this, I wonder whether Jesus was seeking to truly understand the nature of these spirits. Perhaps they have a character and a history that Jesus wanted to understand. Perhaps they are not simply “evil,” as we might suppose. I am left to wonder how we are to understand the spirits that are around and among us today. 

Jeremy Bergen

Jeremy Bergen is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Theology and the Director of Theological Studies at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Mark 4:21-34

As we enter into this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for 2015, it is a privilege to contribute a brief  reflection on this complex collection of parables as they are found in St. Mark’s Gospel.  I echo appreciation to Matthew Kieswetter for his co-ordination of this local blog project.

Among my earliest memories of Church School and Camp is singing “This little light of mine”, especially the verse with the question and responses: “Hide it under a bushel?”,  “NO!”, “I’m gonna let it  shine.”

The verse is based on Jesus’ rhetorical question - “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand?” – refers to the mystery of the Kingdom he came to proclaim.  Usually I add the phrase “of Peace with Justice” when describing the Kingdom, but the harshness of some of Jesus’ admonitions don’t seem especially peaceful or just!  More accessible is his very familiar Parable of the Mustard Seed.  True to form, Jesus takes everyday examples and ‘throws them alongside’ – hence parabola, or parallel – his teachings about the Kingdom.   In this case, it is from the smallest of seeds that the most hospitable of shrubs emerges; that great results cannot be estimated by modest beginnings.  Such is the mustard  seed, and the large and accommodating shrub it  yields.  So too with the Kingdom.

Early Christian sister and brothers often gathered in ‘house churches’ to worship, learn and support one another as part of the ‘oikumene’, the  household of God, which gives us the word ecumenical.

It is heartening that neighbouring churches in the Forest Hill area of Kitchener are conducting a pulpit exchange to witness to that Christian Unity.  The mutual openness to have leaders from Highland Baptist, Forest Hill United Church, Calvin Presbyterian and St. Francis Roman Catholic Parish lead worship and proclaim the Word in each other’s ‘church homes’ is a wonderful example of ecumenism.  

Meanwhile, the world has been convulsed anew by terrorist violence, most recently in France, ostensibly motivated by a distortion of the just and peaceful purposes of Islam, and claiming the lives of  Muslims, Jews and Christians, among others.  An ecumenical community in France, founded soon after the Second World War, can be a source of consolation and encouragement.    On the last Sunday evening of most months between September and June, the K-W area is blessed with an ecumenical Service of light, song and silence, modelled after the Taize Community in France. Flickering candles, meditative  singing, and silence shared offer us another glimpse of ecumenism and seeking the Kingdom together.  Check our www. kwests.ca for details on the local Taize Services.

Especially in this Season of Epiphany, as Christians celebrate the manifestation of God’s presence in Jesus, together, may we “let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

- John Lougheed

(Rev.) John Lougheed is the Director of Spiritual Care at the Grand River Hospital and Regional Cancer Program.   He is a United Church Minister, and a Voluntary Associate at Westminster United, Waterloo.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

[Week of Prayer for Christian Unity]

Mark 4:1-20

It has been a pleasure and an honour helping to assemble some guests from diverse Christian traditions for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I’m thankful for Marilyn Malton’s continuing work on the blog, and for her part in inviting guests for this week as well.

Due to the busy ministries of several of my ecumenical contacts, I was unable to find someone with the time to commit to writing something for today. So here I go again...

I recently heard a homily from the Rev’d Canon Dr. David Neelands at Trinity College, on the parable of the sower. He pointed out how we usually interpret the different types of ground as representing different people. “I’m rocky ground. She’s like the healthy soil, etc.” Dean Neelands, though, suggested that throughout our lives each one of us is like all the different types of ground. We might have a stretch where the Word of God gets tangled in thorns. Then we might have a rocky period. Sometimes we’re the healthy soil. And so on. 

A very popular (and ecumenical, and interfaith) figure who witnesses to this sort of evolution is the famous monk and author Thomas Merton. He was raised Anglican, but it didn’t have much of an impact on his day to day life. He was a smart young guy, but lived a wild, bohemian life. (Wild enough that the Franciscans didn’t want him, even after he had converted and calmed down.) He eventually became a Cistercian monk, and even though he wanted to become an anonymous figure, praying behind the scenes of the world, he became quite famous for his poetry and spiritual writing. 

As a young, zealous convert to Catholicism he looked back upon his prior experience in the Anglican Church with a critical eye. To him it was “a class religion, the cult of a special society and group, not even of the whole nation, but of the ruling minority in a nation.” His autobiography is moving, and a classic, but parts like that sting for some of us. 

As he matured in his life and his faith he came into contact with Anglicans that left him with a better impression. He would eventually write “I feel very much at home with the C. of E., except when people are awfully stuffy and insular about it.” That’s my feeling exactly! When someone wrote to him about the possibility of a reunification between Rome and the Anglican Church, Merton wrote back that what mattered most was union “in love and in the Holy Spirit.... Where there is a sincere desire for truth and real good will and genuine love, there God Himself will take care of the differences far better than any human or political ingenuity can.” 

http://merton.org/ITMS/seasonal.aspx

Merton’s vision of Churches growing together organically fits very nicely with the farming imagery in today’s parable, don’t you think? Official ecumenical dialogue is important, but sometimes there’s a lot of red tape. Those of us on the ground can do our part by expressing that genuine love of which Merton wrote.

• Matthew Kieswetter

Quotations from The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, Eds. William H. Shannon, Christine M. Bochen, Patrick F. O’Connell (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2002), 135-136. 

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Tuesday, January 20, 2015   

[The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity]

Mark 3:19b-35

I love how Jesus begins each challenge with a question. 

To inquire is to engage, to express curiosity, and start a conversation. If we are to be more like Christ, we should take a few notes from his example in Mark 3:19-22.

When all chaos ensues, Jesus poses the question, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (3:24) How, indeed. As modern Christian, I wonder if this question sounded as rhetorical to these people then as it does to me now. In other words, How can you fight fire with fire? Two wrongs don’t make a right. We learned this in kindergarten. Jesus may as well have asked the crowd how they expected to fly a kite without a string.

He calms the storm further by reasoning with them, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” (3:25) We know this concept to be true: we’ve read the storybooks of united kingdoms and what division and disorder do to the people of that land. “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (3:26) Even on a smaller scale, in each household, unity is necessary for peace. Imagine a family dinner where no one seems to be getting along or engaging with each other: siblings are fighting, no one is sharing, and parents are giving each other the silent treatment. Sounds like a pretty uncomfortable family dinner. No one would want to sit at that table and share a meal in that home.

“But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.” (3:27)

Notice how Jesus doesn’t say “perfect” or “always in agreement”, but “strong”. Families, marriages, friendships, relationships in general... are not perfect. But it is possible to be supportive, unified, communicative, spirited and life-giving. There are times when disagreements are associated with betrayal; our human instinct is to attack and alienate in an effort to keep our own righteousness safe. But Jesus challenges this in us. God’s people are diverse in circumstance, perspective, and experience. We might even have the same things to say, but different ways to say them. Yet we are still asked to build the Kingdom of God together on earth with these differences in tow. Jesus is asking us, essentially, to play nicely when those differences surface and get in the way, and choose love when it’s easier to turn away.

At the end of Mark’s passage, Jesus ends with “Here are my mothers and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (3:34-35) This speaks to our larger community as a unified place of belonging. What does this mean for you? How will you begin and continue to pursue the Truth as a follower of Christ? As fellow Christians, it is our challenge to exercise our ability to ask questions, and our responsibility to make each other our kin.

- Leanna Cappiello

[Leanna Cappiello is an M.T.S. student at Regis College, and works as the Social & Community Coordinator St Basil’s Parish. The relationship between Arts, the Incarnation, and Co-Creation are of particular interest to her. In 2012-2013, Leanna served as an intern at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in NYC. After her taste of politics, she hopes to continue in grassroots organizations in order to foster healthy hospitable, relational, and educational environments.]

Monday, January 19, 2015 (The Confession of St. Peter)

THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

Monday, January 19, 2015 (The Confession of St. Peter)

Acts 4:8-13

Some might deem it risky business to set the observance of The Confession of St. Peter during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, as some of the divisions between denominations have roots in differing understandings of texts relating to Peter. I would suggest that taking risks is more helpful than apathetically or over-cautiously avoiding challenging and problematic matters. Part of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue is to affirm and appreciate your neighbour, not simply because of your similarities, but recognizing your differences. 

St. Peter is the apostle covered in most detail in the Bible. He is not only frequently close to the action in the Gospel stories, but he is portrayed with great and sometimes embarrassing honesty. While he is part of Jesus’s inner circle, his shortcomings are made evident in stories like his sinking after he tries to join Jesus on the water, and his three-time denial of Jesus after his arrest. However, Peter is also named 'the rock' upon which the Church would be built (Matthew 13:18). This acknowledgement follows Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 13:16). 

In our passage today, from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John are speaking before religious authorities. Peter boldly claims that the wondrous deeds they are working are all done in the name of Jesus. He alludes to Psalm 118 in referring to his crucified Lord as “the stone which you, the builders, rejected but which has become the cornerstone” (4:11). So in Matthew we have Peter being called a rock, while in Acts Peter points to Jesus as the cornerstone. This, I think, highlights the divine-human dynamic that is necessary in the life of the Church and in our lives as individual Christians. While various Christian traditions have differing views on ordained (and in turn, lay) ministry, our common scriptures speak of the priesthood of all believers that is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people” (1 Peter 2:9). Whether lay or ordained; Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, or whatever; traditional or emerging; conservative, liberal or radical... the one priesthood in which we share is that of Christ. Our personal vocations, gifts, perspectives, and mission fields may differ, but our common cornerstone is Jesus, our Lord. Today we remember St. Peter’s fearlessness, and we also give thanks that God is able to use ordinary, imperfect people in the building up of the Kingdom. 

         I am fortunate to be a student at Trinity College, part of the Toronto School of Theology. Made up of seven federated colleges, it is an amazing place to grow and learn with others. The colleges represent the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, and United traditions, yet the students come from an even wider variety of denominations. Moreover, there are several affiliated colleges, such as Conrad Grebel University College (Anabaptist) and Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, to add to the ecumenical conversation. It is like a wonderful buffet, where one gets to choose the best dishes from many cuisines. For instance, many students take the preaching course from Emmanuel College, the United seminary. Christians from non-liturgical traditions that want to learn about and experience 'tradition' will take some classes at Trinity. Waterloo Lutheran has a wide variety of courses related to pastoral care. St. Michael's is home to the Henri Nouwen archives. Wycliffe is known for its training in mission and evangelism. Isn't it wonderful that Christians from many traditions can come together to study? The cross pollination that occurs during one's theological studies can and should lead to a more mature, comprehensive outlook in one's ministry. Simply sitting together in class, getting to known one another, is itself a significant step toward mutual interdependence and appreciation.

        May we grow closer to one another and to God in the acknowledgement of our shared faith, knowing that, like Peter, we all stumble from time to time.

- Matthew Kieswetter

Sunday January 18, 2015

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins:  Psalm 148

Artwork by Sebastiano Stabile

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, first proposed by the Franciscan Father Paul Wattson in 1908, is held each year from January 18 to 25.

This year's logo was designed by Sebastiano Stabile who describes his work as follows:

“The four hands coming together from four directions are a sign of unity despite sometimes opposing differences. The circle reinforces the idea of unity. The act of Christians coming together is a sign of the times, evidence of Christ in action in the World. Therefore we see the cross between the hands. The different coloured hands, without gender, remind us that in Christ there is neither slave nor free, neither man nor woman, for we are all in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:28).”

When I look at this year's logo, and read the description by its artist, I am struck by how it resonates with today's Psalm.  In Psalm 148 we have all of creation, rulers and common people from all over the world, men and women, young and old all praising God.  

In this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity how might you learn from people in other churches and denominations?  What evidence do you see for Christ's action in the world through people of all denominations?

Saturday, January 17, 2015 (Antony of Egypt)

Saturday, January 17, 2015 (Antony of Egypt)

Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) 8:6-7

In the fourth century Christianity transitioned from its revolutionary roots to find wider acceptance in society. Constantine legalized it and Theodosius I made it the state religion (it is a common error to say that Constantine made it the state religion. He didn't). With its emergence into the ‘mainstream,’ came what some perceived to be laxity in faith and morals. Baptismal vows, you see, don’t have the same force when you’re a Christian by virtue of your citizenship. So during this time many Christians flocked to the desert to live in solitude or in community. If they could not live radically Christian lives in the city, then they would do so in the desert. If they could not be martyred as a testament to their faith in Christ, then strict asceticism would have to do. We call this first wave of Christian monastics the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Antony (or Anthony) is one of the most popular and well-loved. I was first introduced to this curious, amazing, and sometimes hilarious group of people in Thomas Merton’s wonderful collection of their stories and sayings, The Wisdom of the Desert (now a part of our renewed church library). A few years ago our men’s book club studied a newer collection of their sayings, and I’m currently working through another collection as part of my spiritual direction sessions at Holy Cross Priory. I share with you a few stories from Benedicta Ward’s The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection (1975; repr., London: A. R. Mowbray & Co. Ltd., 1981).  

A hunter in the desert saw Abba Anthony enjoying himself with the brethren and he was shocked. Wanting to show him that it was necessary sometimes to meet the needs of the brethren, the old man said to him, ‘Put an arrow in your bow and shoot it.’ So he did. The old man then said, ‘Shoot another,’ and he did so. Then the old man said, ‘Shoot yet again,’ and the hunter replied ‘If I bend my bow so much I will break it.’ Then the old man said to him, ‘It is the same with the work of God. If we stretch the brethren beyond measure they will soon break. Sometimes it is necessary to come down to meet their needs.’ When he heard these words the hunter was pierced by compunction and, greatly edified by the old man, he went away. As for the brethren, they went home strengthened (p. 3-4). 
+++
The brethren came to the Abba Anthony and said to him, ‘Speak a word; how are we to be saved?’ The old man said to them, ‘You have heard the Scriptures. That should teach you how.’ But they said, ‘We want to hear from you too, Father.’ Then the old man said to them, ‘The Gospel says, “if anyone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.”’ (Matt. 5.39) They said, ‘We cannot do that.’ The old man said, ‘If you cannot offer the other cheek, at least allow one cheek to be struck.’ ‘We cannot do that either,’ they said. So he said, ‘If you are not able to do that, do not return evil for evil,’ and they said, ‘We cannot do that either.’ Then the old man said to his disciple, ‘Prepare a little brew of corn for these invalids. If you cannot do this, or that, what can I do for you? What you need is prayers’ (p. 5).  
+++
It was revealed to Abba Anthony in his desert that there was one who was his equal in the city. He was a doctor by profession and whatever he had beyond his needs he gave to the poor, and every day he sang the Sanctus with the angels (p. 6).

It is interesting that our assigned reading today is from the erotic Song of Songs, as many of the sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers concern the avoidance of lust. Many commentators, though, have interpreted the relationship depicted in the Song of Songs as representing the love of God for Israel, or Christ's for the Church. Both the Desert Teachers and the Song of Songs testify to an experience of love that paradoxically meets us where we’re at, yet is all-consuming. “For love is strong as Death, passion as relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of Yahweh himself" (Song of Songs 8:6).

- Matthew Kieswetter