Sunday, May 31, 2015

Luke 1:39-57

The Magnificat: Mary’s song of trust and praise. But also... something that we might expect to be sung by the likes of a Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, or may I be so bold as to suggest a couple of my favourites, New Model Army and Sepultura? Though many people recall Mary’s words in the rich language of the Book of Common Prayer’s Evening Prayer liturgy, we must not let the beauty or tame ‘religiosity’ cover up the bold, political (or pre-political) message. This is not some deviation in Luke. In fact, this song and its message is in line with much of the Hebrew Scriptures, especially the prophets. We find these words coming from Hannah, the mother of Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Look for the similarities!

“My heart exults in the Lord;
    my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because I rejoice in my victory.

2 

“There is no Holy One like the Lord,
    no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.

3 

Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.

4 

The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble gird on strength.

5 

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
    but she who has many children is forlorn.

6 

The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7 

The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low, he also exalts.

8 

He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
    and on them he has set the world.

9 

“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
    for not by might does one prevail.

10 

The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered;
    the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king,
    and exalt the power of his anointed.”

How might the words of Mary and Hannah inform our lives as people trying to follow in the way of Jesus? Give that some thought, and if you need some music to keep you stimulated, consider giving a listen to some of the artists I mentioned!

- Matthew Kieswetter

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Ephesians 3:14-21

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ]15 from whom every family [or fatherhood] in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father

from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.

I pray that

according to the riches of his glory

he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being

with power through his Spirit

and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend

with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth

and to know

the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge

so that you may be filled

with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who

by the power at work within us

is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine

to him be glory

in the church

and in Christ Jesus

to all generations

forever and ever.

Amen

PRAYING FOR THE UNIMAGINABLE

What a prayer!

Have you every prayed for others using these words? There’s nothing of repentance here; no kyrie eleison. No mention of needs, healing or release. 

Here Saint Paul adores the Father and asks for his outpouring of love, strength comprehension and knowledge on fellow believers. He asks for a deepening relationship with Jesus, and empowerment by the Spirit. It’s hard to imagine what God could do in us.

Then Paul bursts forth with a doxology, a “Glory to God,” as our Rector insists we should do when we are filled with the joy of Jesus’ love in the Sunday Eucharist. Except this isn’t the Gloria we use at the beginning of the service; it is the Gloria we use just before the final blessing. 

In our services it looks like we exalt God in the first Gloria and are penitential (or at lease reverential) for the second. Why the difference? Shouldn’t shouting “Glory to God” be just as potent, if not more so, after we have experienced the sacraments in worship?

At the first Gloria we exhort the beings in heaven: “Glory to God in the highest.” At the second we exhort each other: “Glory to God…in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations.” Perhaps we’re more confident in the heavenly host, those who announced the coming of the Saviour to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. They surely do surround the throne of God offering ceaseless praise. It’s easy to encourage something that’s already happening. But to encourage one another — that’s another matter entirely. Or is it?

Confidence in one another can only be lacking because we focus on our own shortcomings. We might wonder, “How can I encourage my fellow Christians to glorify God when I’m so deficient in my own spiritual life?”

But I think that’s exactly why Paul prefaces this Gloria with a reminder about the over-the-top accomplishments God does, things beyond our asking or imagining. The sacrifice of Jesus for the sin of the world is an over-the-top accomplishment. The grace in baptism by water and Spirit is another. The mysterious, miraculous working of the love of the Father is in us already. That’s reality. That’s encouragement. That’s amazing and worth shouting “Glory to God” about!

Not only is the power of God at work in us, but Paul says it is at work to all generations. 

I’ve just become a grandfather and it’s far more intriguing anticipating being a grandfather than a father. When becoming a parent you are filled with awe, joy… and terror. “What have we done? What will happen next?” It’s a future filled with unknowing. When you become a grandparent, the terror is gone. Oh yes, there is healthy concern, but mostly it’s joy and pride because you have enough life experience to recognize the potential for life, love, strength and goodness. The cycle of life continues with a sense of knowing all will be well.

And I’m shouting “Glory to God” because this wonderful experience of grace through the Lord Jesus extends to my children, my new grandson, and grand-generations I will never know.

Perhaps it would be fitting for us to open our eyes on Sunday morning, turn to the people siting around us and encourage fellow spirit-travellers to give God glory, because he’s in us, and in future generations, to do the unimaginable.

- Dave Sapelak

Friday, May 29, 2015

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

“…always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.”

Do you identify more with your strengths or your weaknesses? How easy it is to define ourselves by what we do well, instead of finding value in our vulnerabilities. In today’s reading, Paul offers a different vision. Animating his life and ministry is the deeply mystical pattern of Jesus’ death and resurrection. “We have this treasure in clay jars,” Paul writes, “so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” In and through our vulnerabilities and weaknesses, God’s love brings power and new life.

            The Sufi mystic poet, Hafiz, captures so well the reality of vulnerabilities opening up places of new life in us:

“It used to be
That when I would wake in the morning
I could with confidence say,

‘What am ‘I’ going to
Do?’

That was before the seed
Cracked open.

Now Hafiz is certain:
There are two of us housed
In this body,

Doing the shopping together in the market and

Tickling each other
While fixing the evening’s food.

Now when I awake
All the internal instruments play the same music:

‘God, what love-mischief can ‘We’ do
For the world
Today?’

– Hafiz

In what ways are the seeds of your life being “cracked open” to reveal God’s life? 

- David Shumaker

Wednesday May 27, 2015

Proverbs 17:1-20

One who forgives an affront fosters friendship,but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend. 

Not only will dwelling on disputes alienate a friend, but it can change your perceptions and your brain too.  These proverbs were written long before the term "neuroplasticity" was coined (neuroplasticity "refers to changes in neural pathways and synapses due to changes in behavior, environment, neural processes, thinking, and emotions - as well as to changes resulting from bodily injury") but there is an ancient wisdom in these words.  What we dwell on or focus on, changes our relationships and communities, our perceptions and our brains.  There is even a field of study called "neurotheology" that examines what happens in our brains when we dwell on love, compassion, and forgiveness as we pray and meditate.

St. Paul counseled the church at Philippi to choose wisely about what they would dwell on too.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

This isn't about ignoring disputes but, rather, about going through life harbouring and feeding grudges and with a chip on one's shoulder.  Jesus invites us to a greater freedom!

What will you dwell on today?  Ask God for the grace to dwell on those things that are worthy of praise.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 (St. Augustine of Canterbury)

2 Corinthians 1:12-22

...we have behaved in the world with frankness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God...

Diocesan Synod -- the yearly gathering of clergy and laity to worship, discuss, and make decisions about the life and ministry of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Huron -- comes to a close around mid-day. Today we also celebrate the life and ministry of Augustine of Canterbury, the missionary bishop whom Rome sent to the English people. He met an already old and vibrant Christian presence, but over time the English people joined up with the Roman Church. (Certainly both the Celtic and Roman traditions had their strengths and weaknesses, but in the end things went the Roman way, though with some Celtic flavouring.) 

Oftentimes our experiences with church leadership and administration can leave us with a bad taste in our mouth. Sometimes any sort of organization or hierarchy is deemed unbiblical. But throughout the New Testament, and especially in Paul's letters, we see that the early Church went through lots of ups and downs, and had to go about the business of organizing itself as it expanded and as it reflected on its experience of knowing Jesus. If everything was easy and simple, Paul probably wouldn't have had to write any of those letters, right?! 

I think the key for us in our day is to remember that we are the Church, and not a business or club. Our meetings must take place in the context of prayer. When times are tough, we should remember that we will get through -- perhaps in ways that we might not expect -- not solely through our own ingenuity, but by the grace of God. When we get pessimistic, nasty, or hopeless, what does that say about our  trust in God's faithfulness? What does that say about where we think our inspiration comes from?

An appreciation of Church history makes us mindful of how we're in this for the long-run. It's a marathon, not a sprint. We will have our ups and our downs, but eventually we will come to a refreshing water station, where we are recharged and renewed.

 Everliving God, you strengthened your servant Augustine, though he was fearful and laden with doubt, to lay the foundations of your Church among the English people. Grant us always to show forth the reason for all your gifts so freely bestowed upon us, by sharing with all peoples and races your infinite gift of salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.*

- Matthew Kieswetter



* For All the Saints (Toronto: ABC Publishing, 2007), 175.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Proverbs 10: 1 – 12

“Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother.”(The Message, 1)  While son is used here, I do read me, a daughter, there too.  Parents certainly want not only the best for their children but also from them.  When a child succeeds, we are filled with pride and joy; when a child screws up, we suffer too – both because we hate to see them suffer the natural consequences of bad choices, but also because we know that they know better!

I guess that is how God feels about us too.  He wants us to be wise, to obey His commands, to choose life.  I am reminded of Moses’ charge to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the promised land.  He teaches them again the laws of God, the ways to live with each other that God intends, and concludes by saying, “I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse.  Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself.” (Deuteronomy 30: 19-20)

The rest of this passage gives other contrasts between good, wise behavior and wrong, stupid behavior: hard work vs laziness, honesty vs shiftiness, hatred vs love.

I do know better.  I was blessed with parents who taught me good things, and with knowing that God loves me.  It is up to me to choose: life or death, blessing or curse.  Yes, I will fail sometimes, but then I can count on God, as heavenly father (parent), to forgive me and restore me.  I chose to chose Life.  With God’s help.

Blessings

Ann Kelland

Sunday, May 24, 2015 (Pentecost)

John 15.26-27, 16:4b-15  (Feast of Pentecost)

Today in many of our Churches, we are celebrating the Festival of Pentecost and  recalling the occasion when early Christians, following the forty days of experiencing the risen Christ among them again, now ten days later, experienced a new thing: the presence of God among them, not in the person of Christ, but as Spirit, moving among and around them now as rushing wind, as tongues of  fire, and filling them with a sense of power and new life; and this Spirit would continue to show them -- and that also means us -- new things pertinent for the time that we live in.

Some of those early followers began to grasp and understand why Jesus had said to them that it was necessary for him to return to the Father, but that they mustn't be sad, for  God would continue to be among them, albeit in new ways, giving them comfort and advocating for them, giving them insight and wisdom to live life in a Christlike way. This Spirit of Truth, which is of God, still continues to  teach and instill us, his people, with the tools for living, day by day.

Can we here use this day, this festival, to be open to how and where God moves among and within our lives now? Lest we restrict our vision to only how God has moved among us in the past, Pentecost is also a yearly reminder that God can continue to  appear in new, fresh and sometimes unexpected ways for each of us, but should this become your experience, don't be  surprised if this Pentecost is also a time of celebration and inner joy.

Archdeacon Ken Cardwell

Saturday May 23, 2015

Ezekiel 43:1-12

Ezekiel was a prophet moved mightily by the spirit as he speaks, engages in symbolic actions, and travels via visions.

The people to whom Ezekiel was speaking were in exile and he offers both words of judgment and words of consolation and restoration.

Today's passage comes in the midst of a longer section at the end of this prophetic book (chapters 40 to 48) in which a vision of a new temple, and a corresponding new political life, are described.  This is critical for Ezekiel who was not only a prophet but also a priest.  As the Harper Collins Study Bible says, for Ezekiel, "a new temple with new regulations would provide the focus for a restored Israel."

On this eve of the Feast of Pentecost let us consider what it means for us to be moved mightily by the spirit.  How has Holy Spirit worked in your life, or the life of your community, confronting, restoring and comforting?  How is Holy Spirit moving you to speak and act in response to the circumstances that confront you and your community?

Friday, May 22, 2015

Ezekiel 34:17-31

Christians all over the world love Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, …” and we all have Christ as our Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18), the one who seeks the lost, who brings us abundant life, who lays down his own life for the sheep.  Some of us, sheep in Christ’s fold, are prosperous and live in very wealthy countries like Canada; others, equally beloved by Christ as sheep in his fold, live in poor countries, are constantly challenged to get enough food to stave off extreme hunger, and can’t even dream of privileges like good health care that we take for granted.

Our Scripture reading today begins with a strong indictment aimed straight at us as prosperous people in a wealthy country (34:18-20):

Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture?  When you drink of clear water, must you foul the rest with your feet?  And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have fouled with your feet?  Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.  Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

This should really set us back – we who eat so well while others go hungry.  As an example, for decades rich countries have sent factory ships around the world scooping up almost all the fish in the sea, keeping only the best, and throwing the remainder back as garbage.  Fish species such as the cod off the east coast of Canada and the tuna in the open Pacific are now greatly reduced, even endangered.  In several parts of the world, the local people for centuries were able to meet their basic needs for protein with a small, sustainable fishery, one now devastated by excessive commercial fishing near their waters.  In the words of Ezekiel, we are the fat, prosperous sheep who have been wastefully feeding from the good pasture, ruining it as we go.  The weaker sheep, without our economic power, have had their meagre sources of food devastated, so they are malnourished and sometimes starve.

It’s the same with clean water.  In Canada we have this earth’s greatest share of pristine water, far more than adequate for all our needs.  But we care little for our neighbours, those in poorer countries without our economic clout.  We permit our multinational mining companies to go into developing countries and operate mines whose tailings destroy the streams on which the people depend for all their drinking water, now poisoned by our carelessness, unconcern, and insatiable greed.  Even in northern Canada over 100 first nations communities are under drinking-water advisories, some for years needing to boil their drinking water poisoned by pollution in the midst of great bounty.  Isn’t this exactly what God is decrying in today’s Scripture?

Left to ourselves, we rich countries are now in real danger of bringing God’s bountiful and beautiful world to complete ruin, rendering it uninhabitable.   But thank God that his mercy abounds.  Today’s Scripture continues (34:23-24) by pointing to God’s coming new regime that really cares for God’s flock:

I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.  And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

Since Ezekiel was written almost 500 years after the time of King David, this reference was never intended to refer to King David, but rather to “great David’s greater Son.”  This is a prophecy of the coming Messiah, the one whom we confess Jesus Christ to be, the one who is indeed the Good Shepherd.

In John 10, Jesus echoes much of Ezekiel 34 and therein covertly restates that he is the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus adds one more important point, not found in Ezekiel, who writes with only the Jewish nation in mind (John 10:16):

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

This statement is the reason why we, as Jesus’ followers from all nations, can take the prophecy in Ezekiel to be as meant for us as well as for the Jewish people.

In this light, our reading today continues with the great blessings of Christ’s coming rule (34:25-31), which the Bible calls us to institute now as a witness to Christ’s kingdom, already begun, and which will reach its perfection when Christ returns to rule this world:

I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely. … I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.   The trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase. They shall be secure on their soil; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and save them from the hands of those who enslaved them.  They shall no more be plunder for the nations, nor shall the animals of the land devour them; they shall live in safety, and no one shall make them afraid.   I will provide for them a splendid vegetation so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the insults of the nations.   They shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they … are my people, says the Lord God.  You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture and I am your God, says the Lord God.

Let us conclude today with part of a hymn by James Montgomery in 1821 (Common Praise, 101):

Hail to the Lord’s anointed, great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
To take away transgression, and rule in equity.

He comes in succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying, were precious in His sight.

He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in His path to birth.
Before Him, on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go,
And righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow.

May we serve faithfully as coworkers with Christ to bring this Biblical vision to fruition.

– Robert Kruse

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Luke 10:25-37

This parable is unique to Luke’s gospel, but it is one of the most famous of the little narratives attributed to Jesus. Luke frames the story with the question of the lawyer, who tests Jesus, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds by pointing the lawyer to the Torah, and the man reads out a combination of Deuteronomy 6:5 (part of the famous Shema, which the faithful should pray twice a day) and Leviticus 19:18. Note that these teachings about loving God and loving neighbour do not refer to emotional feelings, but to love as manifested in concrete actions. Jesus approves of what the lawyer has read, but the latter presses Jesus, asking who his neighbour is. Jesus thus tells the story of the Good Samaritan as an example of neighbourliness, which is underscored by the conclusion in verses 36 and 37. Here the lawyer affirms that the Samaritan, indeed, is the example of a true neighbour to the Jew who had suffered at the hands of bandits.

But if we take away this framing of the story, we might read it differently. It is well known that Samaritans and Jews were enemies in the first century. They had some things in common, but their religious practices had evolved differently. By the time of Jesus, there was bitter animosity between the two groups. Presumably Jesus is telling this story to a group of Jews. How would they respond to a tale of a man – a Jew – who had been beaten by robbers, left to die, ignored by not only a priest, but also a Levite, but then aided extravagantly by an enemy Samaritan? They might imagine themselves in the man’s place, being assisted by someone whom they despised. Yet the Samaritan is good. If Jesus told this odd little story, he certainly did not share it in order to gain popularity!

- Alicia Batten

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

LUKE 10: 1-17

In this short passage, Luke records the commission of the seventy-two who Jesus sent out to the many villages in the lands near Galilee. The Lord was certainly testing the waters, to see how his message of peace and love would be received. He knew the time was coming soon when he would no longer be physically present with his disciples and he needed them to know they could do everything he could do. He was testing the faith and resolve of the seventy-two. They had seen Jesus heal people; it was their turn to do the same when the Lord is not present. So it comes as no surprise that the passage ends with their surprise and “joy” at their success upon their return:

“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

The number seventy-two appears suddenly. However, we know that Jesus did not travel the roads merely with a group of twelve men. He traveled with the families of those twelve men as well as other followers and supporters. So, for the Jewish authorities and the occupying Romans, Jesus represented a large group, upwards of one hundred and twenty people or more, traveling together, challenging the status quo and speaking of establishing a Kingdom of God. For the authorities this put up many red flags. Now, he was sending seventy-two hand picked followers from this group to solicit more followers in multiple villages. On the outside, such actions had all the earmarks of a revolution in the making.

Jesus begins his advice to his disciples with one of the great missionary images of all time: 

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus advice is familiar to me on a personal basis. I heard many of these comments when I joined the late Fr. John Erb in Guyana in 1970 to share in his ministry for a few months. John told me the line about being “lambs among wolves” when we had to struggle to convince local authorities to provide even the most basic of support for Fr. John’s Youth Center in the north east end of Georgetown. 

I remember John advising me to wear simple, plain clothing, not expensive, western fashions like the young people my age at the embassies where their parents worked. He also told me not to hop from house to house as the embassy kids did, but stay put where I found welcome. Jesus tells the disciples to avoid greeting anyone on the road. Perhaps it’s related to this same ‘social butterfly’ action that John cautioned me to avoid. Such flighty behaviour is shallow and frankly insulting to poor hosts. 

I learned to keep my mouth shut and follow the customs of every house where I was a guest. I ate what was put in front of me, although some of it was still alive on my plate, and I thanked my hosts gratefully, knowing that in some places, the family would be eating smaller portions to accommodate John and me. We traveled light. All the things I carried fit into one small cloth bag. I gave away or traded a handkerchief or a t-shirt on most outings and came back richer in local clothing and goods for my meager offerings. Mostly, I played guitar for the folk mass services and was rewarded for that many times over. A gift of music in a poor community is a treasure to all. 

We said prayers for the sick and dying. We conducted baptisms followed by weddings of the parents (because life must go on waiting for a a priest in the inland high country). We were arrested by the Guyana Defense Force when we were mistaken for rebels from Argentina. We stood against a wail with bayonet fixed rifles pushed against our chests until we could explain who we were. That was a time for shaking the dust from our shoes. Mostly, loving, simple people greeted us. They wanted to sing. They wanted to hear stories about Jesus. And they wanted to share their humanity with the white strangers.

I am now fascinated by Jesus’ words in this passage, passing on authority to his disciples. The passage includes words of caution. Jesus calls “woe” on the cities that have rejected his words of love and joy. He praises those who have embraced the message he offered.

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me;
but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

I’m sure Fr. John was well aware of that dictum to represent the Lord. All his bold, loud actions, poured out with Christian love. That missionary experience so long ago shaped my faith and determined my priorities in the Church. So, I am grateful to write about a pivotal time of my faith journey, and I am still hearing Jesus’ words in this passage each time I walk out my door.

Peter Mansell May 19, 2015 

Monday, May 18,2015

         Hebrews 6:1-12

         “…on their own they are once again crucifying the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt.”

           When I was a kid, growing up in a fundamentalist Christian church, I was afraid of becoming a “backslider,” one who returns to the mindset and habits of his pre-Christian days (even Wikipedia has an entry for “backslider”!) In my mind, I pictured the Christian life as an ascent up a steep mountain constantly surrounded by the danger of slipping down or even off a cliff.  What stands out to me now as I remember those days is the genuine fear I had as young person of “losing my salvation” and being rejected by God.

            Today’s reading from Hebrews most certainly points to a teaching like this. As Ken mentioned in his reflection from Saturday, this book was most likely written to members of the Jesus Movement who had Jewish roots and who were in danger of reverting back to their Jewish faith. The book alternates between Christological and ethical sections as the author attempts to strengthen this group of Jesus’ followers. 

            I can hear echoes of the mountain climb: “Let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ…” (v 1), and the threat of falling off the edge: “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those…who have fallen away, since on their own they are once again crucifying the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt.” (v. 6)

      As I grow in my faith, however, and come to understand the broad sweep of God’s story in Scripture, I realize that we can do nothing to earn or lose God’s unconditional love. There is no single incidence (like fatally falling off a cliff) that can separate us from God’s embrace. Fear, it seems to me, is never a healthy (or even effective) motivation. Only love can provide the impetus we need.

            And, yet, I keep coming back to v. 6 in my contemplation of this reading. While I don’t have to buy into the fear promoted in this passage, I do pause at the implication of these verses. When I make choices that run counter to God’s story in Christ, in that moment I am freely choosing the forces of death over the forces of life.  I am choosing the same forces of fear and violence that led to Jesus’ rejection and execution in his day, and lead, in big and small ways, to the innumerable rejections and deaths around me. 

            The choice is clear: are we like ground that soaks up the rain and produces good crop for a world in need, or do we produce thorns and thistles to the harm of those around us? (vs. 7-8)

- David Shumaker

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Hebrews 5:7-14

Today's passage is from an early writing to second generation Christians likely with Jewish roots. Its authorship may or may not have been Paul, but it certainly is written to give encouragement to a congregation that is in danger of reverting back to Judaism.The author in this passage clarifies the high priestly dimension of Jesus' person. The function of a priest included empathy for those who came to him in times of suffering, such that the priest took this suffering into himself and offered it to God the Father. Some may see a reference here to Jesus' time of agony in  the Garden of Gethsemane, followed by exaltation and glory, but stepping back, we can see that  much of Jesus' way of life reflected this approach, not only his time in Gethsemane, reaching out to those around him, encouraging them to cope and transcend any difficulties before them. The Way of the Cross incorporates a certain wisdom that basically holds that wholeness is achieved not by trying to reject a difficult  situation, but by enduring it, and in the process, God will give the bearer the strength to endure and transcend, to a better place. The writer says that Jesus' way was, in a sense, an obedience to this spiritual truth that sets Christian spirituality apart from other religious ways.

The second part of today's passage, v11-14, is  the writer wondering whether his readers had yet a certain maturity to appreciate and follow Christ's way. For the writer, a full grown Christian, one who is "baptized" in Jesus' approach, is one who has appropriated the essence of Jesus' priestly approach to life and tries to lives life by it.

The challenge is for each of us to discern how we as Christ's followers approach life and live it... in all that we encounter. Dare we lift up all we experience, offer it to God, and then, be open to God's transformation?

Archdeacon Ken Cardwell

Friday, May 15, 2015 (St. Matthias)

1 John 2:18-25 (St. Matthias the Apostle)

Today we give thanks for the life and ministry (though we don’t know too much about either!) of the Apostle Matthias, who was chosen to take the place of the betrayer, Judas. A couple of years ago I was at a diocesan or deanery event and we were asked to talk about a Biblical character we found interesting, and I somewhat jokingly talked about Matthias, and how, when compared to Judas, he probably looked really good. (No one at the church event seemed to find my contribution as amusing as I did.) 

I’m not sure if today’s reading, which we take from the Daily Office Lectionary, is meant to be directly related to Matthias, but certainly the references to those who “went out from us, but they did not belong to us” call to mind Judas. Though ‘antichrists’ or ‘The Antichrist’ have often come up in the context of apocalyptic predictions or the slandering of disliked church leaders, it seems that in the context of our passage, ‘antichrist’ is simply a designation for those who betrayed the Christian community, causing division and dissension; those who were against Christ and his community. Division has continued to plague the Church down to the present day. Thank God for the raising up of people like Matthias, who are faithful in their service. Many of these important people, like Matthias, fly under the radar. But their consistent contribution to the life of the Church is important in ways that we don’t always recognize.

Almighty God, who in the place of Judas chose Matthias to be numbered in the twelve, 

preserve your Church from false apostles, 

and by the ministry of faithful pastors and teachers

keep us steadfast in your truth;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.  Amen.*

- Matthew Kieswetter

* For All the Saints (Toronto: ABC Publishing, 2007), 169. 

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Daniel 7:9-14

               We appreciate being able to define, describe and manage

various aspects of our life. By doing so, there is a sense of control which we experience over our environment which generates a sense of personal peace and security.

               However, when we begin to reflect on the awesomeness of God, things become a bit tricky. Every descriptive phrase we employ, every overwhelming image we compose, gets dwarfed by the reality of the Divine.

               Reading from the writings of the Book of Daniel on the Feast of Ascension brings together two narratives which stretch our imaginations. The vivid images from Daniel convey an immense divine power at work. Struggles and conflict in the heavenly realm get resolved. Power is exercised and power is given. It is the exercise of power which is easier to understand that dwelling on the characters in the story.

               This Feast of the Ascension is one of the Principal Feast Days of the Church. The story offers us a liturgical moment to express the reality of the narrative. When the words "And when

He had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight," ( Acts 1:9) the Paschal Candle is extinguished. The visual symbol of the Presence of the Risen Christ leads us, with the Disciples to move into that period of time when we wait, as God’s people, for the power of God’s Spirit to be gifted to us to be used in God’s service.

               The Feast of the Ascension gives us all the opportunity to respond to the Great Commission which Jesus declares as that which is at the heart of our ministry. The Baptismal Covenant which we re-affirm time and time again gives our lives a framework around which we may build a life of service.

               Part of the mystery which these passage s convey to me lies in the trust which is shown by the sharing of Divine authority and power. We are commissioned, we are empowered, we are trusted and we are enabled to engage in a ministry of faithful witness which draws others into a covenantal relationship with God.

               It is a mystery and it is a reality. We try to describe it, yet it defies description. That is one of the beauties of the experience of faith.

The Reverend Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt

Rector

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

James 5:13-18

Today is the last of the three Rogation Days that immediately precede Ascension Day. The observance of Rogation Days isn't as common as it used to be, but maybe something about them is worth maintaining. So let’s dig in for a second. 

Rogare in Latin means “ask,” and comes out of the Gospel reading for Rogation Sunday (in the Book of Common Prayer), where we read from John 16 that “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Over time it seems that a Roman festival relating to land boundaries was adapted by the Church, so this time of year became a time to focus on, and pray about, fields and crops. It might sound too bizarre to be true, but I’ve read that there would be processions through farmlands where kids would get thrown into ponds and ditches, as a way of very clearly and memorably demonstrating where one person’s land ended and another’s began. 

Now that the Anglican Church is a worldwide Communion, some think it unhelpful to maintain traditional Rogation Days, as different climates bring about different seasons for sowing and reaping. This may be true, but maybe we’d be wise to spend some extra time on these special days, praying for farmers, giving thanks for our food, praying and acting for responsible stewardship of the land, and so forth. A good tradition might be to take your family to buy some food from a farm or two, as a kind of a field trip and maybe even educational experience. 

Can I tie in the Rogation Days to our reading today? Sure. In the Letter from James we’ve just read about healing practices in the early Church. This involves representatives from the church (so this is predicated on the existence of wholesome relationships between Christians), and the anointing with oil, a practice that is still fairly commonplace in Anglican (and other) churches to this day. Isn’t that a wonderful symbol (i.e. sacrament -- outward/visible sign, inward/spiritual grace, etc. etc.), of making use of a very commonplace, tangible substance to convey God’s love for us, and the Church’s support of those who are suffering and seeking help? This passage links everyday substances, our physical lives, and our human relationships, with our spiritual health and our relationship with God. Likewise, the Rogation Days make us mindful of the connection between our use of the fruits of the earth, the importance of being respectful neighbours, and our dependence on God for that which sustains us, physically and spiritually. 

- Matthew Kieswetter

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Psalm 138

Florence Nightingale, Nurse and Social Reformer

The Psalter is a book of prayers which have been used by believers down through the ages. They address a variety of experiences of the human condition. Some of them are individual prayers and some are communal in nature.

Today’s reading is an individual’s song of thanksgiving and praise. It acknowledges God’s holiness and faithfulness and our need to stand humbly before the Lord. There is a section of petition that the kings or leaders of the peoples of the earth would acknowledge the ways of the Lord who cares for the lowly as well as the proud. The psalm ends with a statement of trust in the care and saving grace of the Lord whose love endures forever.

This week is National Nursing Week and today, International Nurses Day, we remember the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, on her birthday. Nightingale, a social reformer, established a nursing school at St. Thomas Hospital in London where she encouraged her students to develop observation skills and sensitivity to patients’ needs. Although this was a secular school, Nightingale encouraged her nurses to spend time in scripture and prayer at the beginning of each day thus acknowledging the importance of working in partnership with the Lord in this challenging and rewarding vocation.

Psalm 138 is certainly an appropriate prayer for nurses as we walk alongside our patients each day and advocate for their best care. It reminds us of the Lord’s love and faithfulness that is shown in every situation including in times of trouble and suffering. Nurses can be reminded that it is in the Lord that we find our courage and strength. It includes prayer for those in leadership positions that they would bow down in humility to the care and compassion of our Lord. We can trust in the Lord in every step of our vocation.

Praise to you, O Lord!

Elsie Millerd, Parish Nurse

Monday, May 11, 2015

 James 1: 1 – 15

Hard times.  Trials and tribulations.  Temptations. Life challenges.

Indeed, those are all part of our life even though we might wish otherwise.  I would really rather (I think) not have times of pain and suffering, of doubt, of fear.  But James says we should welcome these times as opportunities for growth.  He says they are what makes us really look to God for help, strength, guidance, and they are “the proof of the pudding”.  In facing challenges we find out both what we are made of and what God is made of.

Hardships don’t last forever, and James also says that prosperity and the good things in life don’t last forever either.  So enjoy the good times (our own and those of others) and make best use of the bad times as they develop our faith and character.

BUT and this is a big but with James, the temptations and trials are NOT sent by God with a view to tripping us up, to making us fail.  He says, “God puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us.” (The Message, 13 -14)

I read a couple of verses further: “Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven.  The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.” (16 -17)

I like the newer translation of the Lord’s prayer where we say “Save us from the time of trial,” rather than “Lead us not into temptation. “ That seems to capture what James is expressing here.  We can count on God during those hard times.  They can be turned into blessings for us.

Blessings

Ann Kelland