Saturday, June 14, 2014

Saturday June 14, 2014 

Numbers 3:1-13

Today’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures reminds us of the importance people have always placed on lineage.  Many of us have searched our family history in various ways, attempting to come up with a detailed family tree.  Some have been able to go back many years, and, indeed, centuries.

The reading from Numbers places the lineage in a particular context: the author is detailing the choice of the tribe of Levi as a caste of priests.  Aaron, the brother of Moses, has been placed in charge of the tent of meeting – the Tabernacle – which the people of Israel constructed and used for worship during their time in the wilderness, and before the Temple at Jerusalem was built. The Levites take the place of the firstborn of the Israelites whom, scripture reports, God claimed.  This entitlement of God could be dealt with by making a sacrifice shortly after the birth of the firstborn (male) child, thereby redeeming the child and the family.  Samuel, as a boy, was given by his mother to serve Eli the priest in the temple.  Jesus’ parents redeemed him by making an animal sacrifice in the Temple.  This passage from Numbers informs us that the Levites would be seen by God to be the “first-born”, thus fulfilling the requirement.

The good news in this reading may well be in the words of God spoken to Moses, words of assurance that the lordship of God is based on a loving relationship with all of God’s creation.

- Rev'd Paul Kett

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:14

With today's reading we come to the end of the Book of Ecclesiastes

And how does the book end?

It concludes with images of aging and death and funeral processions - death which comes to all and brings even more uncertainties. Yet in the presence of death, perhaps especially so, the reader is encouraged to enjoy life.

And while gazing upon these images of death, there is a reprise of the opening words of the book:  Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, All is vanity.

What is this "vanity" of which the Teacher speaks?  Vanity is a translation of the Hebrew word, hevel.  Literally it means breath, breeze, vapour, or mist; it is translated with words such as vanity, meaninglessness, absurdity, emptiness, and incongruity.

Whether understood more as liquid or as air, hevel is fundamental to sustaining life despite the fact that it evaporates and dissipates.  (Harper Collins Study Bible, page 892)

Yes, we are limited human beings who live fleeting lives - like mist that evaporates in the morning sun; yes, many of the goals humans pursue are equally transitory - like a brief breeze upon one's face; yes, in contrast, wickedness and oppression endure.  But, says the Teacher, God has given us the gift of life and work and is in our midst sustaining our lives and all of creation, so enjoy the life and work God has given to you.

What images do you use to describe your life and work?
What is easy and what is challenging to enjoy about your life and work?
Where do you sense God's presence in your life and work and all of creation and what difference does that make to you?

Marilyn Malton

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Ecclesiastes 11:1-8

“Light is sweet, and it is pleasant to see the sun. Even those who live many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many.”

In Tuesday’s reflection, Peter Mansell gives a lucid overview of this rich spiritual writing, so I will not add to it here.  Instead, today I offer a provocative poem that captures something (for me) of the book’s essence in contemporary language:

A Brief for the Defense

by Jack Gilbert

Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies
are not starving someplace, they are starving
somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils.
But we enjoy our lives because that's what God wants.
Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not
be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not
be fashioned so miraculously well. The poor women
at the fountain are laughing together between
the suffering they have known and the awfulness
in their future, smiling and laughing while somebody
in the village is very sick. There is laughter
every day in the terrible streets of Calcutta,
and the women laugh in the cages of Bombay.
If we deny our happiness, resist our satisfaction,
we lessen the importance of their deprivation.
We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world. To make injustice the only
measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.
If the locomotive of the Lord runs us down,
we should give thanks that the end had magnitude.
We must admit there will be music despite everything.
We stand at the prow again of a small ship
anchored late at night in the tiny port
looking over to the sleeping island: the waterfront
is three shuttered cafés and one naked light burning.
To hear the faint sound of oars in the silence as a rowboat
comes slowly out and then goes back is truly worth
all the years of sorrow that are to come.

- David Shumaker

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Job 29:1-16

In this passage from Job, he remembers his past with nostalgia. He wishes to return to that – and who among us has not wished to return to a time when all seemed well, when people both liked and respected us, when we did what was right without having to struggle, and when it seemed obvious that we were blessed?

But then life happens. People we love are hurt. We behave in ways we regret. We grieve and find ourselves struggling just to get through each day. And there is no sense of G-d’s presence, no sense of accompaniment or blessing.

I can remember sitting in a church, not long after my husband was involved in a serious accident, and being so angry with G-d that I was shaking in the pew. Like Job, I wanted only to return to a time when I did what was right, when it felt like I was able to contribute in a meaningful way to the world. I did not want to be in this dark place where there was no rhyme or reason to the pain and such a deep sense of helplessness.

In that time, this poem, written by Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, became quite significant to me:

The Cry to God as ‘Father’

in the New Testament

is not a calm acknowledgement

of a universal truth about

God’s abstract fatherhood.

It is the Child’s cry

out of a nightmare.

it is the cry of outrage,

fear, shrinking away,

when faced with the horror

of the ‘world’

- yet not simply or exclusively

protest , but trust as well.

‘Abba Father’

all things are possible

to Thee…

We all have our own stories about how we move from the darkness of death and despair to renewed life. That is the story of how the resurrection becomes true in our own lives. What is your story? How have you been sustained? Or are you, like Job in today’s reading,  in the midst of yearning for a return to life…?

- Rev'd Canon Megan Collings-Moore

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The Rev'd Canon Megan Collings-Moore is Chaplain of St. Bede's Chapel at Renison University College

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Reflection on Ecclesiastes 8:14-9:10

At first, Ecclesiastes 8 seems like a chapter on ‘giving up’ – on resigning oneself to the inexplicable wickedness that exists in the world. “Vanity, all is vanity” pops out as the most famous line in this book.  (Vanity is translated in NIV as “meaninglessness”).  However, there is more here than simple resignation.

Throughout Ecclesiasted, the speaker (in Hebrew Koheleth or the ‘Preacher’) – a king of Jerusalem, explores those things that would have meaning – riches, power, fame.  But he finds them all meaningless.  In the entire 12 chapters, the one thing the speaker finds worthwhile is wisdom.  It is very hard to look at one small section of Ecclesiastes without reflecting on the entire book.  As an essay, it has an opening, a rising argument, and a famous conclusion – but it is very untypical of other OT books – in the sense that there is no God saving the people.  So it stands unique in the canon of the Bible – a skeptical statement about life that seems to contradict other, more hopeful books in the Bible.

In Chapter 8 the speaker reflects on how the righteous receive what the wicked deserve and visa versa.  And both go to their death and do not know the future.  Following this bitter observation we get the famous comment, usually translated as: 

“Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you shall die.”

What is usually not remembered is the accompanying explanation.  

The preacher counsels the wise man to take advantage of the joyful moments of life and not simply spend all one’s days working and deferring pleasures for another time.  Why?  Because God gives pleasures to both the good and the wicked.  Both have the chance to enjoy them. And the good should take joys where they can in their short time under the sun.  I’m reminded here of the parable of the wheat and the tares.  Both grow and develop, but in the end, their fate is different.

In verses 16 and 17, he gives excellent illustrations of his attempt to know wisdom.  He sees people losing sleep day and night as they labour.  He notes the mighty works of God on the earth.  He mocks the so-called ‘wise’ who claim to know what it all means.  He goes on to conclude that no one knows their future.  But for sure, the wicked and the good will all equally experience death.

Later, in Chapter 10, he continues his theme that the dead are forgotten and their memory erased.  So, his advice is to enjoy food and wine with your wife and work hard at that work your hand finds to do.

The speaker makes a good case for the lack of justice in the world and the illogic of the wicked being rewarded.  He calls it “meaningless”.  While the metaphor of ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is widely known, the preacher mentions work just as often.  What he advises is to balance work with pleasures when they come along.  Following this advice, we are not working day and night with sleepless exhaustion with no time for reward.  In this way we avoid resenting the pleasures enjoyed all the time by the wicked. (I think of gossip TV here). 

My take away from Ecclesiastes – especially this passage, is to be wise - embrace every moment and bring an intensity and passion to life each day.

Ecclesiastes raises more questions than it answers.  But this passage is excellent material for reflection and discussion.  The speaker concludes in Chapter 12 in this way:

13…Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Peter Mansell, Pentecost, 2014

Monday, June 9, 2014 (St. Columba)

Monday, June 9, 2014 (St. Columba)

Galatians 4:12-20

Today we celebrate the life of St Columba.  One never knows where fact becomes fiction in the stories of the lives of saints, especially when thousands of years as well as theological embellishment stand between us and the saint. What we know is that Columba was born in 521 AD in northwest Ireland into a kingly family.  He could have become a king of his clan but instead chose to join the church where he used his leadership skills to establish a number of monasteries in Ireland.  According to the tradition, Columba’s downfall may have been his love of books.  Apparently he was quite skilled at copying manuscripts. When Columba’s Abbot, Finnian, returned from Rome with a copy of St Jerome’s psalter, Columbia coveted this book.  Finnian guarded the book closely because it was so rare, but Columba somehow secretly made a copy of it for himself.  When Finnian learned of the copy he claimed that the copy by rights should also belong to him.  Columba refused to hand over the copy so Finnian appealed to King Diarmaid.  The King ruled in Finnian’s favour:  “To every cow her calf,” said the king, “and to every book its son-book.”  

Angry at the King’s decision, Columba’s anger increased when Diarmaid’s men disrespected the sanctuary of Columba’s monastery by dragging out and killing a prince who had sought refuge in the monastery after accidentally killing a rival in a hurling match.  It is not clear how or if Columba’s anger contributed to the war that broke out between the clans but he seems to have felt great remorse for the deaths of 3000 men in the ensuing battle.  Deeply regretting the loss of life, Columba said “Men lie dead through the pride of a man of peace” and so he resolved to not rest until he’d won for God as many souls as had fallen in this battle.

At the age of 42 Columba and twelve monks sailed away from his beloved Ireland trusting that God would use wind and waves to land them safely on some distant shore.  They came ashore on the island of Iona where Columba built a monastery that became a centre of learning and evangelism as the Dark Ages descended upon Europe.  Thanks to Columba’s efforts almost all of western Scotland was converted to Christianity.  

Columba’s biographer, Adomnan, records many miracles performed by the saint, events that led to the conversions of many to Christianity.  Columba is said to have cast a demon out of a pail of milk and restored the spilt milk to the pail.  One of the more famous stories is an encounter with a sea monster (which may have been the Loch Ness monster) threatening the life of a Pict.  With the sign of the cross Columba banished the monster with a curse: “thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man, go back with all speed”, to the amazement of the Picts gathered to watch.  Apparently the Picts converted on the spot because Columba’s God had power over such frightful monsters.

During the last years of Columba’s life, when his health made it impossible for him to travel on mission trips, Columba returned to his first love, transcribing books.  On the day he died, June 9^th 597, Columba was supposedly working on a copy of the Psalter.

Whether as an act of penance because he had blood on his hands or as a punishment for his illegal copying of a psalter, Columba chose to live in exile as a pilgrim, leaving his kin and country for a new land.  God did not abandon St Columba.  Instead God picked up the pieces of his life and wove them into a spectacular life.  What may have felt like an ending for Columba, God fashioned into a life of remarkable missionary and educational achievements. 

Every one of us makes mistakes in our lives.  There are choices we deeply regret, loved ones we may have harmed with words or actions.  That makes us no different than St Columba or any of the heroes of our Christian faith.  Our Lord will use us and our unique life stories to bring the love of Christ to those who do not know this transformative love.  Each Christian is called to move from our comfort zones to unknown lands and people to spread the good news of Christ.  Those unknown lands and peoples may be as near as our neighbours across the street.  No matter how close or how far it takes faith in our Lord to lay aside our personal plans and to listen instead to our Lord’s invitation to follow him and to make disciples of Christ.  You and I follow in St Columba’s footsteps every time we step out in faith, basing our lives on something we cannot see, taking our place in a journey whose destination has no exact determination.  

The Prayer of St. Columba

Be a bright flame before me, O God

a guiding star above me.

Be a smooth path below me,

a kindly shepherd behind me

today, tonight, and for ever.

Alone with none but you, my God

I journey on my way;

what need I fear when you are near,

O Lord of night and day?

More secure am I within your hand

than if a multitude did round me stand.

Amen.

• Rev’d Julia Gill

(Priest-in-Charge, The Chuch of St. Columba, Waterloo)

Sunday, June 8, 2014 - PENTECOST

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Acts 2:1-21

 “…in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

Today is an important celebration in the life of the Christian community. As Jesus promised his followers, he gave them the power of God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Love, the very same power that had animated him throughout his ministry.  As a sign of Love’s creativity and universal extent, Jesus’ followers apparently spoke in languages they had never learned in order to communicate God’s good news to all the foreign travelers gathered in Jerusalem.

            My mind runs to all the ways the power of Pentecost is still with us. I am inspired by stories of those who make a deep connection even though they speak very different languages. Professor John McKnight, who has spear-headed work in inclusive communities, tells one such story (I am relaying the story from memory, so I trust I get the spirit, if not the details, of the story right).  McKnight teaches that every single community member has a gift to share with the group. That gift just needs to be discovered. After hearing McKnight give a public lecture, Michael, a journalist in a West Coast town, was inspired to befriend a man with a disability living in a nursing home. Robert did not communicate verbally and Michael discovered that he spent most of his day in bed watching television. At first, Michael and Robert struggled to connect, but over time Michael noticed that Robert responded whenever classical music played on the TV. Michael started bringing in classical CDs and each time Robert’s face brightened and his body arched with excitement.

            For their weekly visits, Robert and Michael began attending rehearsals of the local symphony orchestra. Robert’s rapt attention at each practice sent a wave of energy through the musicians. “We play better when Robert is here,” the orchestra members agreed. At the end of the season, Michael convinced the conductor to let Robert have a go at the baton. Before the final piece, Robert, clad in a black tuxedo, took his place in front of the orchestra. From his wheelchair, a beaming Robert directed the musicians with gusto and the audience jumped to its feet for a standing ovation.

            Robert’s performance transfixed the audience and slowly began transforming the town. Others were inspired to reach out to their neighbors and welcome those whose gifts are often hidden from view.

            How can we re-enact Pentecost this year? How can we let God’s Spirit of Love empower us to speak the languages of those in our neighborhoods? How can we see God’s deeds of power when we give good news to those who need it most? 

- David Shumaker