Tuesday June 30, 2015

Matthew 19:23-30

“Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

How tempting it is to deflect this challenging reading to others wealthier than I am. After all, I am clearly not a rich person in comparison to (fill in the blank.) But, of course, the logic works both ways. I am clearly rich in comparison with someone with fewer resources than I have. 

            Instead of shunting the passage to someone else, what if we let it squarely hit us in the heart? What if we meditate on this passage, allowing Christ’s message to expose the ways affluence keeps each of us from the kingdom of heaven, the network of right relationships that make up God’s dream of creation?

            In their book Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy, environmental activists, Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone discuss the importance of building community resilience in the face of climate change.  Affluence interferes with community they write: “The danger of being too comfortable, too self-sufficient, is that we lose any sense of needing one another. If each family has its own washing machine, electronic entertainment, and adequate supplies of food, what reason do we have to know on our neighbors’ doors? Experiencing need prompts people to reach out and make contact.”

            How can each of us come out from behind the doors of our affluence and build the community that Christ envisioned? Challenging? Yes, but after all, with God, all things are possible.  

David Shumaker

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Luke 22: 39 – 51

It seems like an odd time of the church year (Pentecost) to be reading this story, which takes place just before the Crucifixion.  Three themes: temptation, prayer and integrity, however, are important all year.

The first scene is that of Jesus praying in Gethsemane, praying that God will not require him to sacrifice his body and his life to torture and death.  Here we see Jesus’s prayer as hard work, wringing sweat like blood from him.  I am reminded of Jacob wrestling with the angel – another case of hard work, resulting in hip displacement!  Another “over the top” prayer is that of the Pharisee who goes on at length about his “successful” efforts to keep all of God’s laws and thus deserve God’s favour, in contrast to that of the tax collector, the “sinner”. (Luke 18:9 – 14)  Why is Jesus’s extreme prayer a model to follow and the Pharisee’s one to avoid?  Perhaps it is the integrity of the prayer and pray-er.  Jesus’s prayer was the honest cry of the soul, laying all of his pain and fear before God, whom he trusts literally with his life.  The prayer recognizes both Jesus’s human desire and fear and also his choice to obey God, even at great personal cost.  The Pharisee’s prayer is essentially dishonest, “proving” to God that God must  honour him (the Pharisee): no trust here, but rather a business arrangement: I kept my side of the bargain by being so good!  (And of course, as John says, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8)

The second theme I notice is that of temptation and the way we should pray about it.  Jesus calls the disciples to pray that they not give in to temptation.  He does not say to ask that no temptations come, nor does he, in the language of the older translation of the Lord’s prayer, suggest that God might in fact lead us into temptation (unless we specifically ask him not to!)  The modern version of the Lord’s prayer, with its “Save us from the time of trial” echoes better, for me, the request that I be strengthened by God to be able to stand firm, not give in, when temptations come, as they undoubtedly will.  Integrity, and honesty, are involved here too – the integrity of God who loves us, and so will not try to make us fail; and the integrity of us in recognizing that we have a responsibility in being prepared, through prayer, to remain true to our professed choice of following Jesus; we are not seeking a way to either avoid the realities of life, nor to give ourselves a convenient way out by blaming God for having led us into temptation in the first place!

The second scene, that of Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss involves all three themes: Judas was obviously tempted, either by money, or by the thought that he could force Jesus’s hand, or by the devil “entering him”, into turning against one whom he had left everything to follow  (as had all the disciples).  That in itself is an act that shows loss of integrity – his actions do not fit with what he had previously said he was choosing.  The kiss, which should be a sign of love and loyalty, becomes the opposite: the kiss lacks integrity.  What of prayer?  Could Judas have faced his temptation better by wrestling with God, by begging confidently for the strength to make a right choice and follow through?  We cannot know what Judas did before the kiss.  But we know what he did after – he wept bitterly and hanged himself.  Would Jesus, would God, have forgiven him if he had asked.  I’m sure the answer is Yes.  But Judas, like the Pharisee, obviously did not really know or trust Jesus, who really was his friend, or God himself, to love him even in his sin.  Such costly love is hard – Jesus knew that – but he was a man of full integrity – his whole being, mind body and soul, was unified in his desire to trust and obey his father.

Such integrity is at the heart of our baptismal covenant.  There will indeed be temptations to not keep the covenant, and we cannot keep it all the time in our own strength.  Here is the place for prayer.  Then, our response to being asked each time “Will you?” is rightly, “I will with God’s help”.

Blessings

Ann Kelland

Wednesday June 24, 2015

MEDITATION ON MALACHI 3: 1-5

Malachi means “my messenger”. From the outset, this powerful passage from the last prophet in the Old Testament is controversial. Clearly, the Christian Church has co-opted the book, and tied the prophesy of a messenger of the coming of the Lord to the appearance of John the Baptist and the coming of the baby Jesus. So, this book is placed at the end of the Old Testament and it conveniently foreshadows the appearance of John and Jesus in Matthew, 400 or so years later. And we see this passage tucked nicely into Advent readings and sung to us as part of Handel’s “Messiah”. But was that it’s original intent? Probably not!

Most prophets spoke to the people of their own time, calling down the sins of the present and pointing to the consequences of those sins. I’m assuming that this was true for the book of Malachi. In that case, the messenger would likely not be John or Jesus, but Elijah, who never tasted death. Malachi refers to Elijah in later chapters. Here, he speaks of the Day of the Lord.

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.
Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple;
the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,”

I think it’s ironic that we’re looking at this passage late in June, when most people have their minds set on their summer vacations, good barbecue weather and the prospect of good times. Ironic, because that is exactly the comfortable ‘off duty’ attitude Malachi cries out against in his prophesy. The temple was restored in 515 BCE and by 450 BCE the Lord did not visit his people. They grew impatient waiting and returned to their self-absorbed, sinful ways. Against this backsliding, the prophet rose up.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;
he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.”

The Lord who is coming is not a cute baby in a manger but a God in whose presence no one can stand. The Advent message should strike a chord of fear. The Day of the Lord is a day of Judgement for us all. When this God arrives he will purify his people, as a refiner melts down gold and silver, melting down each and every person until the dross falls away and all that is left is pure metal. He will scrub the people as a fuller scrubs raw wool with lye soap, until it is fit for spinning and weaving. I don’t know about you, but the prospect of that purging gives me pause, if not outright fear. These images do not fit with the cheery messages of Christian Advent or the ramp up to Christmas. So they are not heard in the tinkle of silver bells. But in Malachi’s time, his voice might have stirred some of his people.

The message however, has a built in hope. After purification, righteous people can bring offerings once again to the Lord and they will be welcome. The Levites will be cleansed. The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be accepted, as in the past. To a people facing destruction at the hands of their God, this is indeed a hopeful message. He loves us: he will purge us clean.

In verse 5, Malachi identifies the corruption in the temple. The people will be put on trial. Sorcerers, Adulterers, Perjurers are condemned. People who defraud laborers of their wages, those who oppress widows and the fatherless will be exposed. And those who deprive foreigners of justice will be judged. But “Do not fear me” the Lord Almighty says to his people. Those who avoid such behaviour are not to fear judgement because they are considered righteous.

If we want to apply Malachi’s prophesy to our own time, we too have the same kinds of sinners who regularly attend our churches, temples and mosques – and sit in seats of government. The lady in the headscarf who was denied a closed can of soda on a plane was a Canadian citizen, yet treated like a ‘foreigner’ because she wore a Muslim religious item. A passenger nearby upbraided her without the flight attendant supporting her. The papers are full of adultery, perjury, and the cheating of workers by employers. We have not come far from the spiritual laziness against which Malachi cried out.

The Day of the Lord is coming. We do not know when, but our task is to be ready. Therefore Advent and Lent should be in our minds and hearts constantly, not out of fear in the sense of being terrified of the Lord, but out of spiritual daily habit. The Book of Malachi begins with God’s message “I have loved you.”  In that one statement, I believe God says why he is doing all this – to make us whole.

Peter Mansell

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

1 Samuel 6:1-16

I like weird things, but if I’m on your Christmas list, I’m alright without golden figurines of mice and hemorrhoids. If you insist, maybe one of the two; but both are overkill. 

On one level our story today is a funny one, at least to our contemporary tastes. On the other hand, the fate of the Ark of the Covenant is no small issue. Something we might take from this tale, and 1 and 2 Samuel in general, is that the people are the main actors. We enter into the stories from their perspectives. In our story today, for instance, God is remote and mysterious, accessible only through the speculations of the diviners. Similarly, when the Ark is returned, we experience it from the perspective of the people of Beth-shemesh.

This person-focussed orientation is not rare in scripture. And maybe this will help us to understand salvation history and our own spiritual journeys. God doesn’t always appear in a burning bush. Instead, sometimes we grapple to understand our circumstances and how God is present in our lives. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith (or several leaps). Sometimes God’s guidance and action in our personal and collective stories might only be discerned when looking back on our lives, and through the sharing of our stories with others.

- Matthew Kieswetter

Monday June 22, 2015

Acts 5:12-26

The author of the Acts of the Apostles tells us stories of Peter and John and the other apostles following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  These "uneducated and ordinary men" (Acts 4:13) are empowered to preach and heal with boldness and thousands in the city of Jerusalem believe their message about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  The community of followers of Jesus grew (and experienced growing pains).  And there was push back.  The apostles were arrested, interrogated, threatened and ordered not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus, released, and in today's reading they are arrested again, miraculously freed, and then brought into custody once again.

The telling of stories is powerful.  In the face of threats, and attempts to silence the apostles, they continue to stand in the temple and tell their story about what happened to Jesus.  The worshipers are amazed; the religious authorities are annoyed, embarrassed, challenged, and threatened.

Pray for people throughout the world who have stories to tell that challenge the status quo and prevailing understandings of situations.  Pray for people throughout the world who, this very day, are experiencing efforts by others to discount or silence their stories.  Pray for places of genuine dialogue among nations, religions, and wherever there are divisions and conflicts.  Pray for the courage to tell your stories and to listen to the stories of others.

Marilyn Malton

Saturday June 20, 2015

1 Samuel 4:1-11

It was an era of violence and frequent battles for ancient Israel, as it had been for generations, all through the time of the Judges. The Philistines especially fought Israel over and over. They were close neighbours, but neighbours who had a bitter, unresolvable feud with each other that led to battle after battle, much death and loss on both sides.  First one side would defeat the other and extract tribute from them, and then the tables would turn and the other side would be the conquerors.  Back and forth went the destructive, pointless violence and hatred.

Now, in God’s mercy, the time had come for a fresh start.  A godly woman named Hannah was childless and prayed fervently to the Lord that she might have a son, whom she promised to dedicate to God’s service at Shiloh, where God’s sacred Ark of the Covenant was kept and all the people came to worship God.  God answered Hannah’s prayer with a son, whom she named Samuel and who grew up in God’s house at Shiloh.  As a young boy, Samuel learned to hear God’s voice, and he grew up to be God’s faithful prophet.  Today’s story begins, “all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.” [1 Sam. 3:20]

Sadly, however, this didn’t stop the people from continuing with the same kinds of grievous errors they had been making for generations, as today’s Bible story illustrates. The first of these errors is that the people of Israel decided on their own to go to battle against the Philistines.  After verse 1, Samuel is not mentioned again in today’s story.  Had the people sought to learn if this battle was God’s intention, they surely would have consulted their trustworthy prophet.  Instead, they made the decision on their own, and started the battle.  They were the ones in charge. 

When the Israelites were soundly defeated by the Philistines, the elders made their second grievous error:  they blamed God for their defeat, saying “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?” [4:3, ESV] What audacity!  When they thought they would win, they were the ones completely in charge, they made the decision, and God had nothing to do with it.  But when things went badly awry, it was now all God’s fault!  The Israelites thought themselves in charge, in power.  The Lord’s job was to serve them.  God would automatically do whatever they wanted.  God was obliged to them.  They were the ones in authority and God, they thought, was supposed to be their obedient servant.  Do we ever, like them, act as though we are completely in control of our situation and our decisions?  Then, when things go wrong, do we like them get angry with God, or at least complain that God has failed us when, in fact, we have ignored and disobeyed him?

After this first defeat, the Israelites tragically still failed to recognize that God is Sovereign.  They still intended to battle the Philistines, and they wanted to force God to intervene and give them the victory.  Centuries earlier (Exodus 25:10-22), God had instructed Moses to make a gold-covered chest with two golden cherubim on its top, called the Ark of the Covenant, which was a symbol of God’s presence with his people, and from which God would speak with Moses.  The people now seemed to think that the Ark was where God actually lived: v. 4 of today’s story says “the Lord of hosts … is enthroned on the cherubim,” meaning the cherubim of gold on top of the Ark.  Since God had failed them on the first day of battle, the people now decided to carry the Ark (and God with it) into battle with them.  Surely that would force God to intervene and save them from the Philistines.  So they did exactly that, with excitement and shouting, but it didn’t work.  The Philistines, at first fearful of this great God in the Ark, soon rallied their courage and defeated Israel, whose losses were far greater than in the previous battle.  Worst of all, the Philistines captured the Ark of God and took it triumphantly back to their homeland.  Thus Israel now felt totally abandoned, defeated, and forsaken by God.  Was this their final doom, forsaken by God and taken as slaves by the Philistines?

Sometimes we too may feel a bit like that.  We know better than to think God can be carried around in a box, but don’t we sometimes try to coerce or bribe God into doing what we want?  We get ourselves into trouble and then plead with God to rescue us, promising that we’ll now obey him, even offering gifts if only God will deliver us.  It’s no wonder if God ignores us after we have long ignored God.  When real tragedies do come and destroy our world as we know it, what do we do?  Do we feel that God has completely abandoned us?  Does our faith in God fail completely?  Has God forsaken us forever, abandoning us to the control of all the evil forces around us?

Our Bible story for today ends at exactly this point, with the ancient Israelites defeated, hopeless, and feeling like God had totally deserted them.  But the Bible account doesn’t end in hopelessness (as the Bible never does).  The Bible account goes right on, soon expressing hope and deliverance, both for the ancient Israelites and for us. 

In 1 Sam. 5, we learn that, in whatever town the Philistines sent the Ark to, the people would have panic attacks and trouble that made them want it gone right away.  In chapter 6, after seven months of this, the Philistines had had enough and sent the Ark back to Israel, together with a guilt offering essentially apologizing for having taken the Ark in the first place.  Then, in chapter 7, we learn that the people of Israel are finally listening to God’s trustworthy prophet Samuel.  Samuel calls the people to get rid of all the false gods they held onto, the Baals and Ashtorah, and serve the Lord alone.  Samuel calls the people together for a time of confession and repentance, of fasting and sacrifice to the Lord.  But trouble comes up:  the Philistines see the large gathering and prepare to attack.  Samuel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard him, threw the Philistines into confusion, and Israel drove them back out of all their conquered lands.  God gave peace to Israel all the days of Samuel (7:13-15).

Nor does the Lord leave us in tragedy and despair, even when it is our own arrogance and disobedience that has caused our trouble.  God wants us too to turn to him, confessing and forsaking our sins.  God, who always loves us, will then accept and forgive us, and give us Peace, as he did for ancient Israel in Samuel’s time.

In good times and bad, may we continue to trust God, growing in faith and obedience to our Lord.

– Robert Kruse

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Luke 20:41 - 21:4

The story of the widow’s offering is, I think, a well-known one. Among Biblical scholars there is some debate as to the meaning of the story. Traditionally, some believed that the story of the widow was meant to illustrate the injustice of the day’s religious system. Undergirding this perspective is that the story is sandwiched between Jesus’s criticism of the scribes and a prediction of the Temple’s destruction. So that interpretation is possible. However, a newer group of scholars, aware of the horrible history of Christian antisemitism, challenge this interpretation. Instead, they see the widow’s action as an example of generosity, without a critique of the Temple. This is similar to how many scholars nowadays view Jesus’s ‘Temple tantrum’ not as a cleansing of a corrupt system (the money changers were legitimately there to assist pilgrims in making sacrifice, and the text does not point to any cheating going on), but instead, a demonstrative action meant to point to religion as more dynamic and revolutionary than a comfortable transactional system. 

Me, I’m not sure about which interpretation of the widow’s offering is best. I simply point out the current debate to encourage critical thinking and sensitive reading. If we do side with the Temple-critique interpretation, we must be sure to be critical of our own tradition that, sadly and tragically, has a history of promoting contempt against Jews and the Jewish tradition.

• Matthew Kieswetter

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Numbers 11:1-23

The riffraff in their midst felt a gluttonous craving; and then the Israelites wept and said, “If only we had meat to eat!” (11:4, JPS)

Last year I took a course at Trinity College that looked at congregational development through the lens of the book of Numbers. Boy, what a revelation! Oftentimes people dismiss Numbers as a boring book of lists, but as it turns out, we can learn a lot about group dynamics from this story. 

For instance, look at how in verse four the words of a few (the “riffraff”) quickly infest and influence the collective voice of the group (“the Israelites”).  Isn’t that something we’ve witnessed, not just in churches, but in our workplaces, schools, and groups of friends? Negativity can be contagious. 

Consider also the requests of the people. They are sick of the miraculous food that they collect each day, and look back longingly on their time enslaved in Egypt. At least in those days they had some variety in their diets! Calling for fish during a desert sojourn is just ridiculous. That’s like taking a trip on an airplane and complaining that there aren’t enough cars driving by at which to look. But then we have the request for cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. Those who are agriculturally-inclined might know or look up how much effort goes into producing these foods. I believe that these are items that take a lot of time and care, i.e. they represent the opposite kind of lifestyle as a continually-moving desert sojourn. Also, leeks, onions, and garlic tend not to be eaten on their own; they’re like butter on popcorn, as it were. Perhaps the people are craving luxuries that are not only unattainable in their current context, but insulting to the big picture of which they are a part. 

Rather than wag our fingers at these complaining wanderers, we would do well to see our own shortcomings in their grumblings. We should also give thanks for our leaders who bear heavy burdens in difficult times. Maybe God is calling us, like the seventy elders, to share the burden with them.

• Matthew Kieswetter 

Monday, June 15, 2015

Acts 1: 1 – 14

The beginning of Acts, believed to be written by Luke, picks up where the gospel of Luke ends.  In fact, it repeats the last little bit.

The final chapter of Luke’s gospel tells the story of the meeting on the road to Emmaus and a subsequent appearing of Jesus to the disciples in Jerusalem where he eats and drinks with them to prove to them that he is physically alive.  He teaches them the meaning of his life and death and resurrection in terms of fulfillment of Scripture, and names them as witnesses whose job it will be to tell others.  In order to do this, he promises to send them what my Father promised to you (Luke 24:49). Then he blesses them and is carried up to heaven.

This showing and commissioning is what is repeated in today’s reading.  To me that suggests not just a transition to book 2 of the story, but also an emphasis on the importance of what is repeated.

Over a period of forty days, in face to face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God…..he told them they must wait for what the Father promised:… you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and soon…And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world. (Acts 1: 3 – 8)

Forty days!  Plenty of time for anyone who wants to be certain that this is really happening to be convinced – not a figment of imagination, a vision or dream, a wish fulfillment private event.

The kingdom of God – the new and different way to live, God’s priorities, forgiveness, inclusion of all, true freedom and life.

The promise of the Holy Spirit – a gift that comes from God in order that they will be able to share the good news wherever they are or wherever they go.

As a result, we have their witness – in words (gospels and letters) and in stories of people and events than span 2000 years.  And we have the same promise of the Holy Spirit, which we acknowledge as God’s gift to us in baptism.  Our baptismal covenant helps us know how we will be empowered by that Spirit to continue to be God’s witnesses/ messengers.  We tell the good news in words and in deeds and attitudes.

Today’s passage ends with an encouraging note: They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. (1:14)

May we all likewise agree to be in it for good, united in prayer and deed, all included.

Blessings

Ann Kelland

Sunday June 14, 2015

Revelation 15:1-8

There isn't time or space in this short blog to give much of a context for this reading from the book of Revelation and without context it will surely seem incomprehensible.  Joe Mangina says in his 2010 commentary (part of the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible), "If contemporary Christians think about Revelation at all, they are likely to think of it as among the more peculiar, not to say bizarre, books in the canon of scripture."   As Mangina goes on to say, most of us have only encountered the book through a few phrases in worship and hymns.  

Very briefly, Revelation is a book about "end times", "apocalypse", "the overturning of the accepted order of things" and the establishment of a "new Jerusalem", but mostly it is a book about Jesus the Christ who has been revealed to us.  Indeed, the word apocalypse means a disclosure or revelation.  We can reflect on what it means to us that Jesus has been revealed to us and that God is remaking - redeeming - the whole of creation.

Intrigued?  Check out two articles on the Brazos blog by Mangina about what Revelation is and is not.  If you're still intrigued, you may want to check out his commentary.

Marilyn Malton

Saturday June 13, 2015

Luke 20:1-8
One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders and said to him, ‘Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?’ 

How would you respond if someone asked you, "by what authority are you doing these things?"  It would depend on the situation, wouldn't it?  

• If I am driving my car I can produce my driver's license and car ownership papers to demonstrate that I have the right or authority to drive my car. Of course that authority is limited by the rules of the Highway Traffic Act in the area where I am driving.
• If I am making and enacting decisions in my workplace I can point to my job description, any number of policies and procedures, and approvals by someone in authority.  If I am unable to do this I may be working outside the realm of what I have been authorized to do.
• Within our families we may negotiate who has the authority to make and enact what decisions.  The source of authority may be based on verbal agreements or unstated understandings.

The question of "authority" looms large in scripture and in our lives.  In this passage from Luke's gospel, the authorities - people with political power and control - challenge Jesus' authority - his power or right to act the way he was acting - to teach and heal.  

But what are we asking when we, like the chief priests, scribes and elders of Jesus' day, ask "by what authority are you doing these things."  As N.T. (Tom) Wright, New Testament scholar and retired Anglican Bishop says,

When people in the church talk about authority they are very often talking about controlling people or situations.  They want to make sure that everything is regulated properly, that the church does not go off the rails doctrinally or ethically, that correct ideas and practices are upheld and transmitted to the next generation.  ‘Authority’ is the place where we go to find out the correct answers to key questions such as these.*

Maybe control isn't the primary motivation we ought to have.  Maybe its more about participating as faithfully as we can in God's mission in the world.  

In the past couple of decades there has been a lot of discussion about authority in the Anglican Communion.  Much of the discussion has been centered on the debate about the blessing or marriage of same-sex couples but whatever the situation is that confronts us, in Anglicanism, we understand that Scripture, Tradition, and Reason are the three sources of authority for our beliefs and actions.  These sources of authority are sometimes described as a three-legged stool or as three-ply yarn in an attempt to illustrate how the three elements need to be held in tension and balance with each other.  In Anglicanism there are also various structures - consultative or decision-making bodies - of authority.  (If you'd like to learn more I can recommend an article on the Anglican Church of Canada website: go to www.anglican.ca/faith/identity/an-anglican-understanding-of-authority/).

You may wish to reflect on the place of authority in your life:

• What are the sources of authority for your beliefs and actions?  How do they influence your decisions?
• Are there any changes God might be calling you to make with respect to how you use or appeal to authority?

- Marilyn Malton

* From How Can the Bible Be Authoritative?  (The Laing Lecture 1989, and the Griffith Thomas Lecture 1989.  Originally published in Vox Evangelica, 1991, 21, 7-32.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Luke 19:41-48

“As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace’!”

I am moved by today’s reading. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and its inhabitants because they just don’t get it. Because they don’t understand Jesus’ message, he “predicts” the destruction of the city and the Temple. He “foresees” that the enemy will crush the nation “to the ground.” In their spiritual blindness, they don’t recognize God’s non-violent alternative for the ordering of society, nor what makes peace possible. Instead, as the end of today’s reading illustrates, the leaders are addicted to violence: they seek ways to kill Jesus.

I am moved by today’s reading because I see all the ways I just don’t get it either. I am reminded of the violence that wells up inside me, or the way I fall into tribalism, carving the world into “us” versus “them.” I see how prevalent this attitude is in our society and even in our churches. We just don’t get it.

I am inspired by those who do seem to understand, and so they work for peace and reconciliation in the midst of violence and militarism.  Ruth Patterson is a Presbyterian minister in Ireland who heads up Restoration Ministries, a project to bring reconciliation between Ireland’s Catholics and Protestants. She describes taking a group of Presbyterian elders to a closed convent of Catholic nuns so that the two groups could meet one another. Some members of her church had never met or even had a conversation with a Roman Catholic before. After the initial anxiety of meeting, Ruth noticed that one of her church elders was sobbing as he spoke with one of the nuns. The elder explained later that he and this woman were from the same village, were intimately familiar with the land and the farms, and yet because of the animosity between the two religious groups, had never formed relationships across religious lines.    Through her ministry, Ruth is following the way of Jesus. She teaches: “If you want to make peace, don’t talk to your friends, but talk to your ‘enemies.’”

            

May we recognize what makes for peace.

-David Shumaker

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Thursday, June 11, 2015 (St. Barnabas the Apostle)

Acts 9:26-31 

Luke’s second volume, the Book of Acts, features amazing accounts of the journeys, exploits and speeches of the apostles, including Saul, whose Greek name was Paul. This passage appears shortly after the story of Saul’s experience on the road to Damascus, his baptism, his preaching in Damascus, and escape from those who were seeking to kill him. In verse 26, Saul arrives in Jerusalem where he tries to join the disciples but they are terrified of him. It is Barnabas, a subsequent companion to Saul/Paul, who brings him to the apostles and explains what has happened.

This is the feast day of St. Barnabas.  According to Acts 4:36-37, Barnabas was a Levite originally named Joseph who hailed from Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and laid the proceeds at the feet of the apostles. Barnabas means “son of encouragement” and the saint is often called upon for his peacemaking abilities. The latter are evident in his mediator role between Saul/Paul and the other apostles. Barnabas is a reminder that a peacemaker needs to be a good negotiator; a trustworthy person who has demonstrated commitment, but also one who can understand more than one perspective. Canada was once known for peacemaking but sadly that reputation has dwindled. St. Barnabas … we need your help! 

- Alicia Batten

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

2 Corinthians 11:21b - 33

In the Second Letter to the Corinthians Paul is corresponding with a community that originally looked to him for guidance, but has come to fall under the sway of some new, charismatic figures. His over-the-top style of writing reflects how he is not happy about this. What does he do in today’s reading? He not only parodies the self-congratulatory style of his opponents, but most importantly, he emphasizes his hardships, his weaknesses. The way of Christ is to find victory in defeat, and life out of death, and that’s Paul’s approach here. 

As Church, do we measure success and credibility in this way? Or are we, like the Corinthians, swayed by flashiness? I’d like to share (as best I remember it) a story I heard as part of a sermon preached at St. James in Brantford: 

One Sunday morning a priest and his family, on vacation, passed a church building with a parking lot that was absolutely packed. They decided to check out what all the fuss was about. They went in and there was a professional coffee shop. Children got to play with lots of toys. The music was booming. Lights were flashing. Everything was slick and polished. After the service, as they left, the man’s young son turned to him and said: “Dad, that store was awesome!” 

Where will we look for inspiration? The Cross or the Hollywood sign? Or to borrow the title of Tom Sine’s book, the mustard seed or McWorld?

- Matthew Kieswetter

Tuesday June 9, 2015

Psalms 64 & 65

What a difference in these two Psalms: the one is a complaint, a desperate cry for help, and the other  a song of praise and thanksgiving.  But that very difference does reflect the range of our emotions and experiences, and shows that everything in our lives can be brought to God. 

Listen and help, O God.  I’m reduced to a whine and a whimper, obsessed with feelings of doomsday. (64:1 The Message) Exactly what it feels like sometimes – no hope.  David cries out that evil people seem to believe they are safe, their crimes hidden and they therefore immune from exposure and justice. No one can catch us, no one can detect our perfect crime.(6) In the face of such arrogance, we can feel totally powerless and defeated.  BUT, David calls God “The Detective” and affirms that he does see and will respond.  So it is that he can end his complaint with a cry of praise. Be glad, good people! Fly to God. Good-hearted people, make praise your habit. (10)

Psalm 65 picks this call up and says that Silence and obedience are both praise and prayer (65:1-2)  His first praise is for God’s loving reception and forgiveness of us: We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt …but you get rid of them once and for all. (2-3) The rest of the Psalm shows God’s lavish love for the whole earth, his power over the elements and gift of natural abundance.  The response of the earth is like that of us people: Far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe and wonder.  Dawn and dusk take turns calling, Come and worship. (8)  David goes on to ask God to Visit the earth, ask her to join in the dance! (9) and paints a vivid picture of God bringing springtime and growth, ending with his call to praise: Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh, let them sing!(13)

Despair to joy. Prayer and praise. A picture of real life, a model for our response to it.

Blessings

Ann Kelland

Sunday June 7, 2015

MEDITATION ON MATTHEW 15:29-39

My first reaction to this story is to focus on the geography. As Matthew 15 opens Jesus has just had a confrontation with Pharisees regarding what defiles a person, that which goes into him, or that which comes out of his mouth, spoken from his heart. The Pharisees believe that deeds make you holy, so washing before eating is a big deal for them. Jesus challenges their thinking and his theology once again trumps theirs. Just prior to the feeding of the four thousand, Jesus has just left the area of Tyre and Sidon, cities on the Mediterranean coast. Jesus is making inroads in areas he told his disciples to avoid when he sent them out to preach. In this district he confronts a Canaanite woman who challenges him to heal her daughter. She tells him that even the dogs eat the crumbs from the master’s table. While Jesus seems to be hostile and rude to the woman, his challenge to her forces her to express a deep humility and unshakable faith. In that hour, her daughter is healed.

Next we see him …  “along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down”

The areas of the Sea of Galilee that slope gently down to the shore are the fishing districts where Jesus found his first disciples. Most of this seacoast however is hilly, with cliffs. It is in one of these mountains where Jesus sits, likely to rest and even more likely to facilitate the healing and preaching he knows he must accomplish. When people are waiting for three days to present their loved one for healing, it is encouraging to see the healer from a distance, visible on the hillside. And afterwards when people give thanks in this territory, they “praise the God of Israel”. Clearly this clue lets us know Jesus is in Gentile territory. So all the healings and the feeding of four thousand take on a very different tone than a miracle accomplished among the Jews.

People bring “the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others”. As I think about that idea, I am amazed that the feeding of the four thousand so often overshadows this part of the story. For a Gentile person to see their loved one suddenly have full use of his or her limbs or to see again would be truly amazing, as Matthew records. Luke’s record of this event focuses on one blind man (Luke 18:43), but I appreciate that Matthew’s focus is on any and all illnesses presented to Jesus over the three days of healing. Some of the crippled might have had twisted limbs. Some surely had limbs missing. Jesus restores and replaces them all before the eyes of everyone present. I cannot imagine the amazement of seeing a missing limb restored! The mutes were more than likely mute because they were also deaf. So Jesus would have had to, in one moment, restore their hearing and add to their memory all the language of the region where they live so they could speak. He would have had to go farther in one healing second than Helen Keller did in her lifetime. No wonder these Gentiles rose up and praised the God of Israel. Such healings must come only from a supreme being. There was no other explanation.

Many in the Church return to this passage encouraging us to take our troubles and “lay them at His feet” (v.30). I agree, but I know Matthew does not write in isolation. The story of eating without washing and the story the Canaanite woman are linked here. When the Pharisees see the sick touching Jesus, or Jesus touching them, in their thinking, he becomes unclean, unworthy to enter the temple unless he pays a fine and is restored to ‘purity’ with their blessings. Jesus challenges this view of the interaction of humanity. His idea of compassion involves embracing the sick, including lepers.

By the same token the Canaanite woman has her prayers answered while others do not. She understands she is unworthy of God’s mercy. She acknowledges Jesus’ image of her as a dog begging for scraps of bread meant for the children of Israel. She is humbled in her need. We too have no business laying our needs at the feet of God unless we are as humbled as the Canaanite woman to the point where we realize we are also not worthy of mercy. We must beg for it in our lowliness. In the same way, Gentiles (non-believers) in this story stood in line for three days, waiting in hope for healing – and in a barren place where their food must have run out long before they got to the front of the line.

Jesus, in his compassion not only heals them, he feeds them as he did with the five thousand.

“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days
and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

This time the disciples do not argue with him. But they still ask where bread could be obtained for such a crowd. They still think in earthly, physical terms. They tell him how many loaves and how many fish are available among themselves. This time, when the miracle is enacted seven baskets of scraps are left over. Once again the disciples miss the point. Jesus is the not only the source of abundant bread, he is the bread of life.

I always wondered why only the men were counted. If each man had a wife and a few children, a crowd of four thousand more than doubles – more if an entire family brought an elderly sick person. Perhaps, the food was distributed to the males in each family, and only they were counted. But I’d be guessing at how the disciples organized the distribution process. More important is the fact that the crowd went away satisfied as Matthew said. (v.37) I believe they went away satisfied both in body and in spirit as Jesus intended.

Jesus leaves by boat and travels to Magadan, a village on the west coast of the Sea of Galilee. It is from here he skirts the north shore and arrives at Bethsaida, his next stop. So, his travels are non-stop and exhausting, as the gospels recount. Jesus seems to establish no pattern to his travels, other than to boldly go into Gentile areas, and alternate with Jewish areas. He challenges the Pharisees when they show up and works at healing and preaching when they are absent. Wherever Jesus goes, he gives a full measure of compassion and healing.

If the Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but the notion of a world embraced by kindness and love and free of fear and selfishness, then wherever Jesus goes, he embodies the Kingdom within himself, demonstrates it and encourages all within the sound of his voice to walk in its light as well. The disciples are challenged, as are we, to walk in the same light, without having the physical presence of the Lord to motivate our daily actions. Like the Gentiles lined up for days, like the Canaanite woman, we hope for mercy, with no thought that we deserve it in any way. We cling to our faith and hope the Lord has compassion for our needs.

Peter Mansell           

Saturday, June 6 2015

2 Corinthians 9:1-15  Living by Faith & Reconciliation

On this day in 1944 the Allied Forces landed on Normandy Beach and began the invasion that would end Nazi occupation of Europe. This was at great cost, with Canadian Forces incurring a very  sacrifice of lives in the endeavour. When I noticed the scripture reading assigned for today, I couldn't help thinking... how fitting for this to coincide.

Paul was writing to the early Church in Corinth about faith, death and dying: for those early Christians in his time were facing and struggling with persecution as they sought to be faithful to following the Way of Christ. What he had to say to them applies just as much to those who were wounded, and to those who died on D Day, and even to us in the time in which we find ourselves. This passage is often used by me for comfort and reflection when I am leading a burial service.

Basically Paul is saying that even when we die, there is part of us that continues in as much as there is part of us that is of God. The Resurrection & the Ascension  of Jesus are reminders of this in, as much as the spirit of Jesus is also part of each of us. Although this is part of the mystery of God and is expressed in terms of Faith, there are pointers in that we can sense signs of God moving in in our lives today, both within the Church and in Life, and also at times, for us at the individual level. 

For me, there are times when I find my plans for the day suddenly changed: something  drives me to do something different from what I planned to do, and yet in the process, my new direction allows me to meet with another and to be in a time of sharing and caring. It's then that I sense and realize that the Good Shepherd has nudged me so  ministry might be done. I suspect this may also be part of your experience, as I have had many  others also share this reality with me. Christ's love for us, encourages us to move out beyond ourselves and to follow his example in being for others, in life and in dying, sacrificing if need be. 

"Sacrifice" means "making a holy gift", and within this action, is the spiritual reality that God is there for us in this moment, in this time when time and space become One and we again " Remember, do this,” we realize unity and communion in God, and, for me this is sufficient unto itself.

Archdeacon Ken Cardwell

Friday, June 5, 2015

Luke 18:9-14

A few years ago Canon Pratt was on sabbatical and Fr. Don Davidson from St. George's of Forest Hill was looking after our Wednesday morning Eucharists. He asked me to read the Gospel on one particular day, and I read what we have read today, the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. I began very confidently (and a little excited, reading the Gospel and all), but I soon found my voice cracking as I read the tax collector's words. In that moment everything seemed to come together, and the words of the Jesus Prayer became new and particularly penetrating for me: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. 

I don't think we're called to wallow in guilt and self-pity all the time, but neither are we called to gloat and feel self-satisfied. So often we seem to forget that being Christian means living life forgiven, which is not the same thing as living life perfectly. No matter how hard we might try, we will end up falling short of the mark from time to time, and in need of forgiveness.

We live in an age when even within the Church, Christians are finding it hard to agree on various issues. (A quick look at Church history will remind us that such conflict is pretty much par for the course, but it always seems to catch people by surprise.) How different might our level of discourse be if we each exhibited the humility of the tax collector in today's story? 

- Matthew Kieswetter

Thursday, June 4, 2015 (Pope John XXIII)

Galatians 2:1-10 

              Remember the “Good Old Days” ?

              However we remember those days gone by when, as if we were included in a Norman Rockwell painting, an idyllic world was not a figment stirred up from a vivid imagination, but rather a reality to be lived through and enjoyed.

               Those words are often used in conversations in different congregations, where there are memories of times past, when services were filled and chairs were need for the aisles. Memories of times past, when the church was at the centre of community and personal life.

               Different days… different times…….

               Over the years of my ministry there were times when individuals suggested to me that we would all be better off if the life of the church was in tune with the days of the Apostles, when everyone lived in harmony. The reading from Galatians appointed for today shows another side to those expectations. As Paul meets with the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem the conversations take a strident tone, as he defends and celebrates the ministry which he has offered and continues to offer in the name of Jesus.

               The resolution of the different perspectives on ministry is

clearly identified as being centred around the area of ministry, not the content of the Gospel message.

               I suggest that the experience which Paul is writing about is as real today as it was in the days of the Apostles. The content of the Good News has Jesus at the very core of its message. Yet time and time again, within the Church there are those who engage in ongoing disputes regarding how the Gospel message is best lived out, proclaimed and experienced. Anger and frustration well up within individuals whose personal agendas are not being met. All of this negative energy does little to build up the life of the Church.

               In Jerusalem, Paul spoke of his ministry in the name of Jesus over a fourteen year time frame. He shared his vocational call and the way in which he had lived out his response to that call. He spoke of the way in which he had used his God given talents and abilities and he talked about his faithful witness. At the end of the conversations there was an understanding of mutual respect which was reached.

               Mutual respect, tolerance of differences, fellowship in ministry and personal desire to reach out to others in the name of Our Lord. These are elements of ministry and personal experience which need, at all times, to be given their place and priority in our own lives and in the ministry we share with others in the service of Our Lord.

- Rev'd Canon Christopher Pratt

June 3, 2015

Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

both low and high, rich and poor together.  Psalm 49

What does the Psalmist wish us to hear with such urgency?  And in the company of people who are starkly different in terms of their resources?

The Psalmist points all - low and high, rich and poor - to pay attention to wisdom, meditation, understanding, proverbs, riddles, meditation, and understanding which are all part of the wisdom traditions.

These wisdom traditions counsel those who are poor and afraid because others grow rich not to be afraid; and they remind those who are rich and pleased with their lot and praised for doing well for themselves that they cannot take their wealth with them when they die.

We live in times when the gap between the rich and the poor is ever growing.  In Canada it is estimated that the top 20% of the population hold 70% of the wealth and the poorest people in our country do not share in the wealth at all.  Those with modest means still have more resources and wealth than most of the people with whom we share this planet.

Why do these economic inequalities matter to Christians?  One way of trying to answer this question is by thinking about human dignity.  In our baptismal covenant we promise to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." Some Christian theologians and ethicists, such as Douglas Hicks,  argue that "inequalities matter to the extent that they obstruct at least some persons from realizing their human dignity within their own communities."  Hicks goes on to say that:

The Christian story is a global one, and Christian theology and ethics can contribute to the stretching of the global imagination. It expands our vision not in terms of seeing every human as a potential consumer in a global market. Rather, Christian ethics views every person as a reflection of God’s image endowed with human dignity.  (Read more here). 

As you go about your day, watch for the ways in which the media and you view others, rich and poor, high and low.  Pray that God will will help us all to expand our vision to see every person as a reflection of God's image.

Marilyn Malton

Tuesday June 2, 2015

Blandina was a Christian slave who had a Christian master. Both of them were among other early Christians who were imprisoned on account of their adherence to their faith.  Legends tell us that Blandina was among a band of martyrs at Lyon who endured many frightful tortures, and ultimately suffered martyrdom in 177 during the Roman reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Blandina and her fellow martyrs’ persecution at Lyon was initiated when a military commander, and a civil magistrate, threw a number of Christians who confessed their faith into prison. Later they were sent to trials. Many of Blandina’s companions were purported to have feared that because of her “bodily frailty,” she might not remain steadfast under torture and be tempted to betray her Christian faith and bare false witness against her fellow Christians. But she remained faithful and repeated to every query "I am a Christian, and we commit no wrongdoing."

Among her many trials she was reported to have been tied to a stake and had wild beasts released in her enclosure.

Yet, according to the legend, these animals refrained from doing any harm to her. After enduring this intimidation for numerous days she was taken into the arena to witness the sufferings of her companions. Finally, as the last of these martyrs, her torture ended with her being beaten and whipped, placed on a red-hot grate, enclosed in a net and thrown before a wild bull. This beast was reported to have finally ended her sufferings by tossing her into the air with his horns and killing her. 

Throughout her trials she is said to have never betrayed either her own Christian identity or her fellow Christians.

PRAYER

Grant, O Lord, we pray, that we who keep the feast of the holy Martyrs Blandina and her companions may be rooted and grounded in love of you, and may endure the sufferings of this life for the glory that shall be revealed in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

-Terry Rothwell