tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41047940069174908282024-03-19T02:14:27.344-07:00pounding pavementwanderings of a pastoral heart. Adventures are many; updates are few.... I love to run; that desire for movement has moved me clear across the country and into new possibilities and experiences.Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.comBlogger340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-78892242722697036292014-11-16T16:28:00.003-08:002014-11-16T16:28:30.882-08:00November 16
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: "Liberation Serif","Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: "WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; }</style>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The
parable of the talents. It's so inocuous. It sounds pretty
straightforward, right up until the words of the third slave:
“Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did
not sew, and gathering where you did not scatter seed.”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">It tells a
story about the kingdom of heaven: it's a man, who is preparing for a
long journey. What I often hear from commentators and preachers is
that God – or the kingdom thereof – <i>can't</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
be like this Master.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">But,
ask the Canaanites, or the Gadites, or the Amalekites, or the
Egyptians, what God is like, and they'll have a different opinion.
God is harsh. Blood debts. Oppression of women and children.
Things that are not understandable; what the Lutheran theological
tradition refers to as </span><i>opus alienum</i><span style="font-style: normal;">:
the “alien work” of God, when God does not act as we imagine, or
want, God to act. God does reap where God didn't sew, and gathers
where God did not scatter seed. </span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Gentiles
need to be thankful for that.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">So
that Master, going on a journey, gave money to each slave “according
to his ability”. A talent, remember, is about 15 years' wages for
a labourer. Two take </span><i>unbelievably</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
large risks. Huge risks, comparable to taking their money down to
the dog track, and betting on the one they see doing its business
before the race begins. These are not stable financial markets
they're investing in. This is not something that should be done when
your boss leaves you in charge of the books. Entrepeneurship is not
always encouraged, but apparently, it is what the kingdom of heaven
encourages.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">So,
the last slave did what may be 'traditionally' expected in his
society: he buried his treasure. Farmers all over Europe and the
middle East continually turn up old stashes of money – riches -
hidden in odd places.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We
are, after all, talking about substantial riches in a single source.
One single talent was worth about $660 000. 15 years wages. But,
these weren't labourers. They were slaves. Really, they were given
responsibility that they didn't deserve; and weren't equipped for. A
reward that they didn't earn. An amount so interstellar, it was
impossible to comprehend.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">So
naturally, two of them gamble with it. The third does what you
typically do with treasure: he protects it, for fear of losing it.
Why? Maybe he didn't owe the Master 15 more years of labour. He
took responsibility for the preservation of wealth; not its
multiplication. But the others risked it. Perhaps they realized
that, given the sheer immensity of the riches given to them, they had
no way of ever paying out their debts, should they lose track of it.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">And
it turns out that the kingdom of heaven really likes risks. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">What
would our ministry look like, if we were to take risks like that?
History is full of churchs which chose to bury their treasure, rather
than risk it on transactions. Interactions. They are forgotten.
Seven churches, written to in John's Revelation. None still exist.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We
tend to double-down on our 'tradition' when we're unsure of what we
should do: theologically, liturgically, or otherwise. But the
gospels show us that is not an authentic witness to the kingdom of
heaven. It is a strange, and alien economy, where sometimes
senseless risks are rewarded more than good sense.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Remember:
in the parable the Master increased his fortune reaping where he did
not sew, and gathering where he did not scatter. His fortune was so
immense that he regarded 8 talents as gifts. Perhaps, rather than
doing as many do and criticising, or refusing to accept this vision
of God's kingdom, may be spend time reflecting on how the kingdom may
be increased by seeking out those risks, and perhaps finding that
great reward. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">May
we find, then, our own risks to take, so that the treasures of the
kingdom of heaven may bloom and increase here, in his place, among
God's people. </span> </span>
</div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-55866132942009881572014-03-16T16:35:00.002-07:002014-03-16T16:35:32.126-07:00Lent 2 - Being Born Anew<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you ever noticed that
it’s far easier to <i>say</i> something,
than it is to actually <b>do</b> it? It’s very easy to state our intentions of
something. It’s something else to
actually go ahead, and carry out what we want.
Best example: New Years’ resolutions.
I have a friend who works as a personal trainer; every January 02 he
gets a flurry of calls and emails to book his services, people who’ve stated
that the new year is their time to ‘get healthy’. He said that half the people quit in the
first two weeks; another half of those remaining in the first month; and by six
weeks’ time he’s down to about 12% of those who made the original commitment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is, in fact, remarkably
easy to say “I am a child of God” or “I am a Christian,” or even something as
simple as “I believe in God,” but it’s something else entirely to live into that
statement. When I people new people and
they find out what I do, it often becomes a a bit of a two-edged sword: either
I get a theological lecture as to my own tradition’ or I have what I call the
“I’m-a-good-person-I-haven’t-murdered-anyone" chat. Truth is, I don’t care. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, when we sit back, look
at our lives, and say “I’m a good Christian person, look at all the good works
I do…God must really be pleased with me”….I call that the snakes-and-ladders
approach to Lutheran theology. You are justified – made right with God –
entirely by God’s grace and mercy, through Jesus Christ. It’s not about you, at all. If say it just comes down to being a good
person, or doing good things, then what we’re really saying is that we don’t
think God is part of the equation, at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we start applauding
ourselves for living our good lives and making God happy by doing good things –
then we’re not really trusting God, are we?
We’re putting our trust in our own actions to make us righteous – holy –
before God. And if that is where your
faith is – then you’re choosing to raise yourself above the rest of
creation. Then salvation becomes a
competition, judged by legal standards to assess your worth. But there’s some hard news about Christianity,
beloved of God: it’s not the Olympics.
It’s not a competition; there are neither winners, nor losers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You are worth as much to God
when you are born – no matter how you are when you are born – as you are on the
day you die. Whether you have ten
fingers and ten toes, or twelve, or fourteen, or even none at all, to God,
you’re priceless. Not because of what
you’ve done, but solely because God loves you.
In fact, we heard today that God loves the world so much that God was
willing to take on human flesh and die for it…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So…here’s Nicodemus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mean, he’s not <i>just </i>Nicodemus. He’s the catalyst, the reason behind what is
probably the most memorable line of Scripture in our society. And in most languages, I suspect. That’s John 3:16 – <i>for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believed in him would not perish but have eternal life. </i> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can’t escape it. If you go to a hockey game – or in
particular, see one televised from the States – you’ll see someone holding up a
placard with John 3:16 on it. At
football games, there’s always the unfortunate individual with a belly like a
water buffalo, only a few litres of body paint away from an indecent exposure
charge. What’s written on his
chest? John 3:16.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this man comes to see
Jesus, at night. Again, ‘by night’ is
one of those details that John includes for a number of reasons – for John,
‘night’ is a metaphor for spiritual darkness (the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it), but it’s also the time when the Rabbis said
it was best to study the Torah, away from the distractions and heat of the
day. And indeed, Nicodemus does come to
see Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That first exchange is
interesting, though – Nicodemus doesn’t begin with a question, but instead
flatters Jesus – “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” We’ll never know what Nicodemus actually
wanted from Jesus, because Jesus cuts him off with one of the most ambiguous
lines of Scripture in the entire Bible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Very truly, I tell you, no
one can see the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> without being born
from above.” But that’s only one way of
translating it. You may be more familiar
with “born again”, some translations have “born anew” and still others have
“reborn” – and all are perfectly fine, and correct, translations of the Greek
word. And it stops poor Nicodemus dead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Jesus continues with his
teaching, spirit of spirit, and flesh of flesh.
The heart of Jesus teaching is that, like the camel going through the
eye of the needle, being born anew or again is not something <i>we</i> can do, but it is something that God
can do for us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But you do realize that
Nicodemus still doesn’t get it, don’t you?
“How can these things be?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the conquerer of people,
it seems, is only interesting in the things that he <i>can</i> do to be righteous before God.
It’s a foreign idea to Nicodemus that God would act out of mercy to
reach out to people. Yet Jesus says that
is exactly what will happen – just like the bronze serpent in the wilderness,
that when the Israelites looked at it and were healed – so in Jesus’ own death
he will draw all people to himself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nicodemus knows he’s been
born. He’s a respected elder in his
community. But also realise that in
Nicodemus’ culture children were prized possessions, not valued or even
necessarily ‘loved’ as we would imagine it.
And Jesus is telling him that must become worthless again, to his
society.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But to be worthless to others
is to be priceless to God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And maybe, it’s when we find
ourselves worthless that we can understand what it means to be baptized, to be
loved by God for the sheer <i>life</i> of
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Martin Luther said of the
Christian life, that it was “nothing less than a daily baptism, begun once and
continuing every day after.” [Large Catechism].<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe that’s worth
considering, beloved. Baptism is –
generally – a one-time event. Some
people are baptized more than once, for various reasons that are between them
and God. But the struggle with sin is so
great that there is a need to return to the waters of baptism every day – just
so that you remember that you are God’s own.
That it’s not about us, or what we do, that makes us loved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Baptism signifies that the
old person in us – with all its sin and evil desires, is to be drowned and
die. The old person will die through
sorrow for sin and through repentance, and then you will discover what it means
to be born anew, each and every day: that every day, a new person rises up
before God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We don’t much about what
happens to Nicodemus; but he did certainly go and think on those things that
Jesus said. He’s one of the group who
asks for Jesus’ body after his crucifixion.
I like to think that Nicodemus found what it was to be born again: to
leave sin, and the fear of death, and the fear that he was not ‘doing’ enough,
behind; and find what it was like to live in the freedom of the Messiah, when
every night all the sins of failures of the day before die, and in the morning
you rise again, born again, born anew, born from above, and loved all the more. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And beloved of God, it’s my
prayer that you will find that freedom, and be born again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amen.<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-51498615060665216012014-03-08T17:04:00.002-08:002014-03-08T17:08:11.939-08:00Humanity, and Human-ness (Lent 1)<div class="MsoNormal">
What does it mean to you,
that you are human? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It means a few things, at
least. You’re male, or female. You’re Aboriginal, Caucasian, European, African,
or Asian. It means that you were
created. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what’s after that? The Genesis account puts humans into the
garden, dependent upon the grace and goodness of God to provide. Remember Luther’s explanation of the first
commandment in the Small Catechism – “we are to fear, love, and trust God above
all things.” The people are to ‘keep’
the garden, and God will ‘keep’ them.
The relationship seems simpler.
God withholds information about the Tree in the garden from the humans;
in the military, we may call this need-to-know information. It’s the mistrust that follows that is the
root of the first sin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It turns out that the serpent
doesn’t actually force them to do anything – all it does is put the merest
shadow of a question in their minds – <i>do
we really trust God? </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is the temptation to be
self-sufficient and self-determining that seduces the first humans, nothing
else. Somehow, though they are part of God’s good creation, that willingness to
turn from God is a part of who they are.
Instead of doing what they were created to do – to fear, love, and trust
God above all else – they change their focus instead to wanting to be like God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They turn inwards, caring
more about <b>who</b> they are than about <b>whose</b> they are. And that first, innermost sin spreads like a
virus throughout history and all of humanity.
It comes to us in the pre-eminence of human agency in our society.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘Human agency’ is probably
the single most overemphasized concept in our society. Because of it, we are led to believe that we
can choose everything we want, and that lack of choice infringes on our
‘rights’ as human beings. We can choose
grocery stores, sales, music, lifestyles; choice is always presented as a
guaranteed fact.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But really, we don’t want
that agency to extend to the consequences of our choice. We just want that agency to be total freedom
of the consequences of our choices – really, we want to be how we so popularly
conceive of God: absolute power; no responsibility.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that is endemic through
our society. People smoke, and blame and
seek monetary damages when they get lung cancer. Alcohol is a bane in our society, yet is
still used to excuse stupid behaviour.
Every day, people die in silly ways as a direct result of their own
choices…yet the blame is spread around…and usually, it gets laid on God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We don’t often realize that
the agency we demand is the agency that God gives us – the freedom, not just to
make choices, but the total freedom which includes the consequences of those
choices.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember: the serpent simply
asks Eve and Adam if they really, really trust God. Everything else is their actions. They don’t anticipate that their choice is
going to result in putting themselves in direct opposition to God; they just
want to be in control, to be “all that they can be.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the same way, <st1:city w:st="on">St. Paul</st1:city> wrote to the church at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place> so many years later. In the excerpt from the epistle lesson for
today, he really just tells them: <i>you
want your agency? You have it. But here’s the bad news. That means
everything is up to you. And if your
salvation is up to you, then you have no way out. Even if you’ve never heard of Christ. </i> <u>But</u>, Paul points out, if sin spread
through one person’s choice, then shouldn’t God’s choice remove it?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we think about our
‘humanness’, isn’t it curious that we automatically start by trying to explain
what makes us, in and of ourselves, human?
We try to define ‘who’ we are, and forget all about whose we are.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A crucial part of the
Christian journey is honesty, both with ourselves and with God. If we are not willing to be honest, to be
vulnerable, then we will never find a relationship deeper than the most casual
acquaintance. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">St. Paul</st1:place></st1:city> knew that – throughout most of his
letter to the Romans he keeps asking questions of himself:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Why do I
sin?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Why
do I fall short?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And you know, those are the
same questions we ask ourselves. Nobody
wakes up in the morning and thinks, “today, I’m going to make my friend feel
miserable by gossiping about her. I’m
going to sin, and I’m going to enjoy it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even like we do now, Paul
found that there was nothing he could do to avoid sin. And then, he realized that through the death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are pardoned and forgiven. If that is true – if, in fact, God acted in
Jesus to pardon us without our permission – then our salvation rests not in who
we are or what we do, but in <b>whose</b>
we are. We are to fear, love, and trust
God above all things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So our spiritual journey
then, does not become one of moving towards a goal that God has set for us in
the future – as we often think – but rather in becoming more truly human, fully
dependent upon God for all things. That
is the example that Jesus shows in the wilderness, that strength is found in
relationship with God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story of Jesus in the
wilderness is a familiar one. Again,
he’s in the desert for 40 days. The Holy
Spirit leads him there after his baptism.
And there, he meets the devil.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beloved, the devil tempts
himself with Jesus’ power. The devil
wants to see Jesus be independent – do it on his own, thereby committing the
same mistake made in the Garden. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Jesus refuses to
establish his own worth and identity on his own terms, and remains in
relationship with God. In short, he
knows who he is by first remembering whose he is. He fulfills the first commandment,
remembering to fear, love, and trust God above all things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that’s an interesting
lesson. Because then the gospel lesson –
and Lent itself – becomes less about resisting temptation, defying the devil,
and growing spiritually, and becomes more about becoming aware of how
insufficient our agency really is. That
it is our belief that we can do things on our own that kills us – kills our
relationships with others, and with God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now we think: <i>C’mon…it’s not that bad. I don’t pretend to be God. But I can run my life without God. God is for Sunday…for funerals…for weddings…<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But aren’t you just
pretending you can dictate to God when God is allowed in your life? That, in fact, you are still trying to be God
in God’s place?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The season of Lent reveals to
us that Jesus did not come to show us how to be divine. He didn’t come to show that we could defeat
the devil by proof-texting him into oblivion.
Instead, Jesus came in weakness to show us what it means to be truly
human; to accept that we are created to be in relationship with God and with
each other. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through our baptism into
Christ, God names and claims us as God’s own children, a gift that is given to
us because God wants to give it – and we become the beloved of God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our human-ness may come from a realization that the
Holy Spirit is always with us, and leads us to places that we may not like –
that our agency is really only in our minds. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Mark’s version of this wilderness story, Mark
writes that the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, in the same way a swarm
of bees can drive a herd of cattle into a thicket of brambles. These
forty days of Lent, then, teach us not that God can be found through fasting or
prayer – but that we might find ourselves in those disciplines, and the courage
to live out our own baptismal covenant that calls us to return from our high
and lofty places, and be led by the Spirit into our own wildernesses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beloved, our human-ness and our connection to
community comes with trusting the Spirit of God that leads us out of this place
and into those wild places, bearing nothing but the promise of the gospel and
the presence of Christ. The same Spirit
leads us to be witnesses for our faith in word and deed even when that
witnessing exposes us to the shame and ridicule of Christ on the cross. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is in our realization of
our dependence upon God – God on the cross, God in the tomb, God raised
eternally -- that we become, truly, human: created, chosen, baptized, and
redeemed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let the people of God say amen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-9659125417386078312014-03-01T18:07:00.001-08:002014-03-01T18:07:24.488-08:00March 2 - Transfiguration Sunday<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“It is good, Lord, for us to
be here,” Peter says to Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My wife, it seems to me
occasionally, comes from a family of dawdlers.
Trying to keep a deadline with them has in the past nearly driven me to
decidedly un-Lutheran language. And,
it’s inherited: I'll find our eldest son, in the midst of our flurry of activity to get
out the door and to church on time, is re-tying his shoes, or trying to create
some kind of folk art at the kitchen table, sans coat, shoes, or hat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There really are times,
though, that I would love for the world to just have a ‘pause’ button, that we
could use for a moment. Our eldest
daughter, nestled in the crook of my arm and smelling of strawberries and
prettiness; or our younger son, sitting beside me and reading to me from the
latest masterpiece his five-year-old imagination created. Sitting in church, surrounded by my friends, looking
at the pulpit that I have stepped into every week, but won’t again. <i>It is
good, Lord, for us to be here</i>.
Indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It may truly be good to be
where we are, at any given moment. But
there is also a need to be always prepared for what is to come. When I joined the Canadian Forces, the least
amount of adaptation I had to do came with adjusting to the ‘sense of urgency’
that our instructors at basic training worked to instil in us. The idea that we would move quickly, without
rushing, but with a sense of purpose to the task at hand – whatever that may
be, from digging a hole, creating a shelter, to mending the sick, or tending
the dying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That ‘sense of urgency’,
though, is all through the gospel text this week, beloved of God. Some disciples climb the mountain with
Jesus. I don’t see them dawdling. They see Jesus transfigured before them,
becoming as pure as light – and Peter asks that they stay there. But that’s not all. There’s clouds, and a voice from heaven
repeating what had be spoken at Jesus’ baptism.
Peter stands, and offers to build three houses. He’s probably sketched out a brief plan on
the ground in front of him. When you’re
up to pleasing the Almighty, you don’t dillydally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Peter’s sense of urgency is
to keep that moment going. It is good
for them to be there – just them, Jesus, the mountain, and the memory of that
tremendous experience of God. They know
they’ve just seen the stuff that writes pages of Scripture. They’re into their own retelling of Exodus,
when God appears on the mountain. Peter
wants to stay there – urgently. The
faster stuff can get written down and commemorated, the faster that they can
get to writing these things down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus has his own sense of
urgency, as well. Jesus has lived in
that moment – it’s occasionally maddening to me that Jesus, who knew full well
how to read and write, just didn’t. – and we’ll never know how he felt. But we do know that literally, from the top
of that mountain, that it was all (metaphorically speaking) downhill from there. To <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>. To the garden. The betrayal.
The cross. The tomb. Maybe some small, quiet part of the Saviour
wanted to stay there, too. But instead,
he offers different words to Peter: <i>Be not afraid.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Whether Jesus tells Peter
simply not to be afraid of him, or of the Heavenly Father, or of what the
people had just seen – he’s also telling Peter not to be afraid of what’s ahead
of them. Don’t be afraid of the road to
the cross. Don’t be afraid of the cross. Don’t be afraid of suffering, of dying, of
death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You know those times in your
lives, beloved of God, when you’ve wanted to stay there, on top of the
mountain, on top of the world. Maybe it
was the moment you knew you loved your spouse.
I hope it was the moment you first realized you loved your Saviour, or
that your Saviour loves you. I’ve been
there. You don’t want to leave. You feel like you shouldn’t have to. Better to build a tent up there, and close up
shop, rather than risk contaminating the purity of your experience with the
harsh and dirty world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You do have to come down. But when you’re down from that mountain, you
do travel with your Saviour. You travel
with the one at the centre of the story, who simply says, “be not afraid.” And you needn’t be afraid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Beloved, your world will
change. Your understanding of Scripture,
of the Bible, of the Church will change – hopefully, it will deepen and
strengthen, as you travel down from that mountaintop experience. But it will change, deepen, strengthen,
because the One and only source of that experience walks with you. You walk with Jesus. Jesus walks, with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And about that journey,
beloved of God – it is good for you to be <i>there</i>,
too. It’s in the journey down from the
mountain that faith is found, and nurtured, and grown. Walk together. Pray and praise together. Build each other up. Listen to the Holy Spirit speaking among
you. Feel the Saviour, walking with
you. Move with a sense of urgency – knowing
that each moment you spend together is only a brief glimpse of God’s kingdom of
earth. <i>Thy kingdom come</i>, you should pray, so that it would be on earth, as
it is heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And there, beloved of God, is
definitely a good place to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-36112241641581441832013-03-10T11:21:00.000-07:002013-03-10T11:21:00.335-07:00Lent 4 - The Prodigal Son<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Let’s talk about the
difference between a parable and a fable, beloved of God. I think there’s a
need to begin to distinguish between the two; in a great deal of my own reading
and listening to the message out there, there is a serious deficiency in
telling the difference between a parable and a fable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">There are lots of
fables. Fables are those pithy little
moral stories popularized by Aesop with titles like “The Ant and the
Grasshopper” or “The Tortoise and the Hare”; that end with lines like, “slow
and steady wins the race,” or “a fool and his money are soon parted.” There are a couple of others that people
often think they’re in the bible, and almost sound like they should be: <i>spare the rod and spoil the child</i>; and <i>God only helps those who help themselves,
God never gives you more than you can handle -</i> but they’re not. But a fable isn’t a parable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">You repeat a fable. You tell it over again and again. But you bear witness to a parable, because a
parable is a story that forces you and those you share it with, to consider
your own life and situation. That’s been
tuned by decades of preaching into an urging to place yourselves in the parable
you’re hearing. So, in today’s parable
of the prodigal son, you’re encouraged to consider: am I the father? The
younger son? The elder? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I think there’s a problem
there – and I can’t speak for you, but I don’t know that I’ve lived as
interesting a life as the younger son.
In fact, my like has been pretty tame so far, compared to “devouring”
someone’s estate with prostitutes. I
think that, like any Christian, I can see bits and pieces of myself in the
younger son – I know my own heart to know the nasty things that lurk in there –
but, Jesus uses this HUGE example of the sons’ bad behaviour, and moves right
on out of my category. At the same time,
I’m not the strongly judgement elder son who believes that he needs to work to
earn the love and blessings of his Father.
And I’m definitely not the Father, forgiving and reconciling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But what if instead of
looking closer at that parable of Jesus, I was take a step back and look at it
from a wider angle. What if we’re not
one of the main players? What if, in
fact, we took the position of one of those people in the crowd to whom Jesus is
telling the parable, or as one of the servants in the field who are watching
all this unfold. So the parable doesn’t
become about us, but about something we’re witnessing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It has to do with the power
of the parable. Why does Jesus tell the
story? How many characters are
there? Now, take a step back, and see the
crowd to whom Jesus is telling the story.
They’re listening. They’re
onlookers. They’re like the servants or
slaves in the field: no immediate involvement, but with a glimpse into what
life in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> looks like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That’s kind of like our own
lives, isn’t it? We don’t – we can’t –
always play out the high drama of the picture Jesus paints for us. But we are peripherally part of other
people’s lives, moving in and out of their story as the time or season changes. You all know people whom you see more at
certain times of year than others, they move in and out of your life, just as
you move in, and out, of theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We’re in the season of Lent,
and characteristic of this season in that the purpose of our actions (if we’re
giving something up), and our very being, is to bear witness to the
gospel. In some Christian traditions,
the idea is to show off one’s own piety.
Lutherans aren’t really like that; in a nutshell, if we do things we
don’t do them to show off that we’re good; we do them to show off that God is
good. So, we have some members who head
out to the Bissel Centre for this weekend.
Some do it monthly. But ideally,
it’s not supposed to be about us. It’s
to point at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> – or, as Paul says
to the Corinthians, to be ambassadors for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ambassadors bear witness to
the values and beliefs of their country and represent those abroad. The movie ‘Argo’ that recently came out
captures events that happened in Iran in the late 1970s, when 6 Americans took
refuge at the residence of the Canadian ambassador to Tehran. It’s a great movie, but it’s taken some
criticism for the way that the Canadian ambassador is presented:
stereotypically. He’s polite, nervous,
and brave because the situation calls for it.
In reality, he represented the values that he held dear in the face of
great danger, uncertainty, and likely death if discovered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">So in there lies the reality
of the parable: not that it’s there for us to be in, but as something to which
we can bear witness. When we bear
witness of the stories in these parables we are bearing witness to Christ. They are not just there as teachings for
Christians: they teach people to be Christians.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We can tell parables of our
own, as well: stories of lives that have been changed. Maybe they’re our own lives; but I think more
often we see the lives of others change.
Those lives change as people see that there is nothing in the world that
will separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Is it easy to see those
stories? Not really. Not at all.
It is never easy to bear witness to messy human drama: the younger son
leaving. The elder son storming
off. But you remain witnesses to the
Father’s great love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As Paul writes, you are
witnesses; ambassadors for Christ. Be
that with honour. There is not much beyond
that which you are called to do; do so with honour, and you will see the Father
welcoming home his children with open arms, because he watches for them all the
time. You do not labour in vain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The prodigal son is one of
the great stories of our faith, and I think it’s necessary because even in the
early church I think the majority of believers did not have the grand narrative
of conversion. The parable of the
prodigal son is a witness to the Father’s love when the witnesses need it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Christianity is flooded with
stories of grand conversions and works of God.
Yet throughout my life and profession I honestly don’t see many of
those; though I’ve met many who exaggerate.
Yet, the one thing we share in common is baptism: the gift of God’s
grace, to us. I’ll leave you with a story of my own:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A few years ago, before I
came to St. Matthew’s I was in a call process with another church, and it was
really odd. I was given a questionnaire
to complete, and one of the first questions was, <i>can you describe when, and under what circumstances you became a
Christian</i>. I was at a loss. I have no memory, no recollection of life
outside of the church. So, I filled in
my baptismal date: October 4, 1981.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A few days later I got a
response back from the chair of the call committee, with the comment, “are you
making a joke when you say that you accepted Jesus into your life when you were
a month old?” Now, that’s an odd
question for a Lutheran call committee to ask.
So I waited a bit and thought out my response:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>No, sir. But
that’s when Jesus accepted me into his</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In all you do, be ambassadors
for Christ. Bear witness to the love of
the Father for the child who is found – and also, witness to the love for the
son who remained. You have been welcomed
into the family and the Father has rejoiced over you – all are welcomed into
the kingdom with celebration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Let the people of God say
amen. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-624692568726303362012-12-25T08:23:00.001-08:002012-12-25T14:50:43.013-08:00Christmas Day<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">I
read a book a this past summer that conveyed a very simple message to the
reader – that keeping a population in a constant state of fear makes it easier
to be controlled. Reading that book,
then looking around at my world, I see how in fact we are encouraged to be in a
constant state of fear, if not despair, at all times.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Newspaper
headlines scream about the economic catastrophe. Four days – four days!! – of weather headlines proclaimed the arrival of a
snowstorm and cold snap that is really neither unexpected nor surprising for
our geographic location and climate. If
we don’t have snow tires, all wheel drive, four wheel drive, or traction
control, we’re warned that we may not even make it out of our drive way without
becoming buried in an avalanche of biblical proportions.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">And
for what? Would this even have made
headlines 60 years ago? A generation
ago, winter came and went with nary a peep.
I’ve read newspaper articles from 1929 and 1930 that do more to foster
hope in these circumstances than the blithest financial commentator on CNN.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">And
that’s just local news, really. Watch
the international news and…well, if you can make it through the international
news without strong medication you’re a better person than I. Even
human interest stories – the Duggar family, for example, who just welcomed
their 20<sup>th</sup> or 21<sup>st</sup> child – are tempered by editorial and
reader comments that spout off such gems as “don’t they know that many children
is too many for the environment to support,” and “don’t they know they’re
hurting their children by not allowing them the room to be individuals?”</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">And
don’t even ask me to comment on the health and lifestyle news.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Fear.
Fear that you’re not <i>doing</i>
enough. That you’re not <i>doing</i> something right. That the world is coming to an end as a
direct result of <b>you</b> and your choices. Fear
that death from dubious circumstances lurks just beyond your sofa.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Even
religion prospers from fear – throughout its history Christianity has certainly
been guilty of promulgating conversion through the threat of fiery hell while
at the same time condemning other religions that use the same tactics. In the
Small Catechism Martin Luther begins every explanation with the statement “we
are to fear and love God…”</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Your
Pastor would argue that most – if not all – of the problems of the world stem
from 3 essential fears – the fear of sin (doing something wrong), the fear of
sorrow, and the fear of death. Because
people fear doing something wrong they do nothing, because they fear sorrow as
the inevitable consequence of love they seek superficiality in relationships and
use others as they themselves are used; and the fear of death that leads people
to focus solely on their own immortality – through money, wealth, fame – as the
expense of others.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">St John writes in his first letter,
“there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear has to do
with punishment.” The root problem of
fear is that it is irrevocably tied with the idea of punishment or retribution
for what we’ve done wrong. Fear
paralyzes us, leaving us unable to move outwards to engage in relationships and
it freezes our attentions onto ourselves and we need to do.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">And
God comes into <i>this</i> world? Into this world of fear the Eternal Word
becomes flesh and comes to us? Yes! That is exactly what happens. Into this world of fear and fright and terror
comes a single solitary baby. And this
baby did not become God – indeed, God became flesh and dwelt among us so that
fear would cease. Rather than living as
humans <i>doing</i> all those things that
kept us from punishment we would instead become humans <i>being</i> in relationship with each other because that fear of
punishment is lifted.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">When
the angels appeared to the shepherds who were in the fields, they brought with
them a message that contained three instructions:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.75pt; text-indent: -18.75pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1.)<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>do not fear.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.75pt; text-indent: -18.75pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2.)<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Look.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.75pt; text-indent: -18.75pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">3.)<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>See.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Three
simple messages.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Do
not fear. The shepherds were terrified,
as would we be if the night sky over <span style="font-size: small;">Spruce Grove</span> was suddenly populated by
a celestial chorus wreathed in blinding light.
But their fear also had to do with the fact that, by and large, the
angels in Old Testament stories are not usually ‘nice’ – they wrestle with you,
or are part of a ginormous army, or are there to test you somehow – they aren’t
cute, round, cuddly cherubim that look like Morgan with fluffy wings. They big, powerful, and carry with them the
terrifying reality that God actually exists and in all probability is mad at <b>you</b>.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But
that night, the message they brought was different. Do not fear.
That’s a common message in Scripture; that combination of words – ‘do
not fear’ occur some 400 times in the 66 books of our Bible. But the angels brought something
different. Instead of “do not fear,
because the Lord is with you,” they brought the message ‘do not fear, because
to you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord.”
Instead of God being with them in spirit, in the form of those militant
angels striding the field of battle God was with them in their humanity; in the
great colossal theological mess that we label “the Incarnation” and let it be.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Do
not fear, because you have a Saviour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Look. Go and look at where he is. Your king is born, not in a palace or castle
but in a stable, and laid in a manger.
Look not in the things or places of power in your world – where you are
told the beautiful people are – but look in the everyday for the presence of
God. In the manger, in the pages of a
holy Book you will find the Christ, for he is present with you. You no longer need to seek out God’s face
because that tiny, chubby face is looking right back at you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">And
see. See the glory of God and the
presence of Christ in your lives. Yes,
there’s a choir of angels in the night sky forming a celestial combo that’s
rocking the world. But Christ is with
you. See him. Because in becoming human, Christ was one of
us so that we may find Christ in each of us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">One
tiny baby. “Call him Joshua,” Mary was
told. <i>Yeshua</i>, in Hebrew, meaning “Yahweh saves.” The Greek conquerors of a few centuries
earlier left their linguistic legacy with Jesus. We call him the Christ – the Messiah, the
saviour that was born that day – this day – in the city of David.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Not a
delivered from oppression of an occupying army or the yoke of poverty –
although these are indeed consequences when his message is taken and practiced
and lived – but delivered from fear.
From the fear of sin, sorrow, and death.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">We
talk of death-defying acts in our culture as those extreme-sports junkies who
ski down mountains or parachute with a shopping bag from 60 000 feet. But those are death-inviting acts. You are participating in death-defying acts
every morning you wake up, because you wake up baptized.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">To
defy death is to love Jesus Christ, and to love Christ is to bear out the
expression of that love in relationships with each other. We maybe use different language, though –
instead of death-defying, we call these things life-inviting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">I’ve
often told confirmation classes and youth that I believe there are three things
that are needed to have abundant life – God, love, and community. Those three things can exist separately,
certainly, and even any two of them can coexist – but finding all three means
finding everlasting life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Do
not fear. For God is with you and among
you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">Look. For love is in you, and is a gift of God.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">See. Because you are surrounded by community.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">You
are a holy people; the redeemed of the Lord.
You have been sought out. Go out
and lift up your sign before all peoples: the message “Do not fear, for Christ
is with you.”</span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-83391075800789308882012-12-25T08:21:00.003-08:002012-12-25T08:21:59.636-08:00Christmas Eve - Never Wake a Sleeping Baby<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Most people who gather here
tonight will be somewhat familiar with the Macintyre household.<span> </span>Two adults, four kids, and three bedrooms
makes for a very loud, very busy household.<span>
</span>Yet we manage with a minimum of fuss and bloodshed.<span> </span>The kids play <i>very</i> loudly usually; there is probably more than the normal amount
of yelling, screeching, music-making, and general mayhem. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>But the household is governed
by one simple rule. It is the source of order and sanity in our little home; it
is inviolable and concrete; those who dare to break it must suffer the scorn
and derision of the rest of the family, and be publically shamed.<span> </span>That rule is very, very, simple (and no, it
isn’t ‘daddy is always right’):</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It’s <i>never wake a sleeping baby</i>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>That does not, in fact, mean
that our house is as quiet as a mausoleum for 14 hours a day.<span> </span>I’ll make fair wagers that our home is just
as much, if not more, chaotic than some others.<span>
</span>But that one rule reigns in our home. <i><span> </span>Never wake a sleeping baby</i>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>For the most part, we can be
as loud as we want; because there are many things a baby can sleep
through.<span> </span>The vacuum cleaner.<span> </span>The washing machine.<span> </span>General chaos.<span> </span>But, it turns out, in fact, that the baby
will not sleep through conflict of any kind.<span>
</span>Tears over a hogged toy: the baby wakes up.<span> </span>A temper tantrum over permission not given:
the baby wakes up.<span> </span>If I speak sharply to
my wife, or one of the other littles (and it does happen): the baby wakes
up.<span> </span>Even I am not allowed to transgress
that one rule. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>So when I think about, and
reflect upon that first Christmas night, I confess that my images are coloured
by that one simple rule; that rule has been in place since the birth of our
first child.<span> </span>This proves problematic
when I consider some of the popular hymnody that we sing at this time of year. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>For example, take that little
drummer boy carol.<span> </span>I haven’t looked it
up; but I would be very surprised to find that it had been written by someone
with children.<span> </span>Especially the part when
Jesus’ mother gives the little boy permission to play, and the assorted
barnyard animals keep time.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>If you played a drum near my
newborn, God would have mercy on your soul, I guarantee it.<span> </span>I rather imagine that Mary would have looked
at someone coming into that stable with a drum with the best ‘mother’ look a young
woman could manage – you know, the kind that leaves an imprint of your shadow
on the wall behind – and that drummer would have beaten a hasty retreat.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span>Never wake a sleeping baby.</span></i><span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It extends beyond that,
too.<span> </span>Do you know why angels appeared to
shepherds in their fields, way out in the countryside?<span> </span>Because not even an angel is going to wake a
sleeping baby and invite the wrath of his mother.<span> </span>The angels appeared to shepherds in their fields
singing their ‘glories’ because it was a safe enough distance away.<span> </span>They had to sing; there were going to sing;
they just knew better than to do it in that stable.<span> </span>And then the shepherds, who would understand
all about keeping silent so as to not spook their flocks, went to see the baby.<span> </span>The shepherds could adore, and love, in
silence.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>We sang ‘Go Tell It On The
Mountain.”<span> </span>That’s a good idea.<span> </span>If you want to shout about the birth of the
Messiah, go and find a mountain.<span> </span>Don’t
wake the baby.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It’s funny, what living in a
house governed by that rule will do.<span> </span>The
littles learn conflict resolution skills at a very young age.<span> </span>My wife and I learn that there is very little
worth raising our voices over.<span> </span>We all
learn, in fact, that the presence of that baby in our house brings a peace that
passes all understanding: it doesn’t change the way we are; but it changes <i>who</i> we are.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Maybe there’s a lesson there
to be shared; a lesson learned from a baby born in a stable, and laid in
manger.<span> </span>That welcoming that baby into
our lives won’t change the way we are, but that baby will change <i>who</i> we are.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>There’s something about
spending time with babies – any babies – that changes the way we look at the
world.<span> </span>It’s not that it seems any more
peaceful; in fact, more often than not a baby will throw the violence and
capriciousness of the world into sharp relief.<span>
</span>But a sleeping baby…well, a sleeping baby is a beautiful thing.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>A beautiful thing.<span> </span>And sometimes, a painful thing.<span> </span>My family has experienced the loss of a baby
born sleeping.<span> </span>I know too many parents
who have buried their babies – even babies well into their 30s or 40s.<span> </span>Joy at Christmas is tempered by sorrow; or
maybe it’s the other way around sometimes: that sorrow that Christmas reminds
us of can be tempered with joy, or hope.<span>
</span>I know that because of that baby born in Bethlehem there is hope that we will see
those babies again.<span> </span>But instead of
watching them sleep, we can watch them wake up.<span>
</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Because there’s a big
difference between watching a baby wake up from sleep, and waking one up.<span> </span>For starters, the noise level is decidedly
different.<span> </span>But to see a baby come to
gradual awareness of their world…that’s an amazing thing.<span> </span>I sometimes think that a sleeping baby is
seeing a little bit of heaven; and that when they’re startled awake they cry
because they see the world for the way it is: and know doesn’t work the way it
should.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span>Never wake a sleeping baby</span></i><span>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>This Christmastime beloved,
try not to wake the baby who is sleeping in the manger.<span> </span>Turn down the lights; light your
candles.<span> </span>Sing your songs, and say your
prayers.<span> </span>Let out your little ‘glorias’,
and find your joy to the world.<span> </span>But be
at peace with each other.<span> </span>Forgive those
who long for, or ask, for your forgiveness.<span>
</span>Love those who do not; for your love means more than your
forgiveness.<span> </span>Let that peace that passes
all understanding keep your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus.<span> </span>Try not to wake the baby.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Soon enough, that baby will
wake up; will wake up to a world of hate, and fear, and hunger; a world of
uncertainty and doubt.<span> </span>That baby will
soon enough be a Saviour; will find out all too well about suffering, and
shame, and dying, for you.<span> </span>For you, so
that you can know the everlasting peace that a sleeping baby, in a manger
brings.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>God comes as a baby, to us,
tonight.<span> </span>There is hope, and peace, in
believing.<span> </span>There is hope, and peace, to
know that those who have died rest in love, and everlasting joy; because that
sleeping baby became a king who reigns forever in a place where there is no
sorrow, where this are no tears; where all there is, is glory. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Don’t wake a sleeping baby;
watch, and wait, and wonder, and worship, because that baby is going to be your
Saviour.</span></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-65570714233884271752012-12-25T08:20:00.002-08:002012-12-25T08:20:49.539-08:00Advent 4 - Reasons for Seasons<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>So, there’s a baptism
today!<span> </span>I love baptisms; they’re one of
the best parts of my job.<span> </span>Who else gets
to splash people with water, and not get splashed in return?<span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Today we welcome little
Lochlin Robert into the family of God here at St. Matthew’s.<span> </span>He’s a bit small yet, but he does show some
promise.<span> </span>I can imagine, though, that
there was perhaps a little bit of stress getting things put together for today,
and a family get-together this afternoon, when after all – tomorrow is
Christmas Eve!<span> </span>The fourth Sunday of
Advent is a great day for a baptism – any Sunday is – but this one, with
Christmas Eve tomorrow; my goodness.<span> </span>On
the plus side, it shouldn’t be hard for you to remember Lochlin’s baptismal
date.<span> </span>Even better, if you began a family
practice of giving a gift on the anniversary of his baptism every
year…’awesome’ is the only word that can describe it.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>That’s the funny thing about
dates – some are easy to remember, and some are harder.<span> </span>I can remember lots of various dates that
float around in my head, but others get lost in the shuffle.<span> </span>That may be an occupational hazard; the
church has had much the same struggle for a number of dates.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Take, for example, the date of
Christmas.<span> </span>The birth of Jesus.<span> </span>If you noticed, the winter solstice was
Friday.<span> </span>The world also didn’t end.<span> </span>But for many years, people have wondered if
Jesus was actually born on December 25.<span>
</span>We know <i>exactly </i>when Lochlin
was born; we know <i>exactly</i> when he is
baptised, because this sort of knowledge is really important in our
culture.<span> </span>Not so much for the culture
Jesus was born in to.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Things that were important,
and celebrated, were things like the solstice festival.<span> </span>A few centuries after Jesus’ birth there
arose a new festival in the Roman empire
called <i>natalis solis invicti</i>; or “the
birth of the unconquered sun”.<span> </span>That’s <i>sun</i>, as in the big burning ball of gas
in the sky.<span> </span>Early Christians weren’t so
concerned about the date of Jesus birth.<span>
</span>They remembered the crucifixion (or more importantly, the resurrection),
but it was a moveable feast, usually remembered around the Passover festival
(it’s only much later that the conceit of a concretized calendar became
popular).<span> </span>But since Passover was usually
in the spring, it worked.<span> </span>They were also
concerned with the annunciation of his birth – Mary’s story in the gospel
lesson today is perhaps one of the most important in the early church – and
early Christians placed the date of the annunciation in juxtaposition with the
resurrection (so it was around the same time).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>But when early Christians
wanted to figure out an approximation of Jesus’ birth – because the festival
celebrating the sun, and especially the birth of whichever current emperor was
on the throne – they took the time of the annunciation, and added nine
months.<span> </span>So, if the annunciation was in
(what came to be) March, that put the birth of Jesus sometime in December. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>But obviously, that creates
some problems.<span> </span>For starters, as soon as
we put sometime in concrete, as a people of faith we tend to stop acting as if
it matters.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Take, for example,
baptism.<span> </span>Many, many, parents willing
stand up and say that it is HUGELY important that their child be baptised.<span> </span>Then, once it’s done, their pastor or congregation
won’t seem them there again, except on….Christmas.<span> </span>But if faith is so important, why not bring a
family to the place where their faith is going to be fed? (though, in your
defence, Winston and Danielle, I will hunt you down.)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>So, once we have that fixed
date for Christmas…who cares about the rest of the year?<span> </span>If we can stuff God in a box and only bring
it out once a year, then it’s easy to pat yourself on the back about what a
good person you are.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It’s curious, because when I
wandered through the mall parking lot trying to find my truck a couple of days
ago, I counted thirty vehicles that had some version of the sticker on the back
of their vehicle that says “keep Christ in Christmas,” or “remember the reason
for the season.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Those are a little
passive-aggressive, are they not?<span> </span>Just
the little hint of a threat, of dire consequences.<span> </span>But seriously, if you just give the Sunday
school answer, “Jesus is the reason for the season” it doesn’t cover a whole
lot of ground.<span> </span>Easter is very nearly just
as commercialized as Christmas, yet no one asks about the reason for the
season, then.<span> </span>Really, that sort of
“remember the reason for the season” gobbledygook doesn’t mean a whole lot,
when you consider that every season the church celebrates, it celebrates
because of Christ.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It’s not even ‘Christmas’,
yet.<span> </span>The season of Christmas does not
start when Walmart gets out its junk or you pick up a “Christmas Calendar” full
of chocolate.<span> </span>The celebration of the
season of Christmas starts Tuesday – December 25 – and lasts 12 days.<span> </span>Just like in the song.<span> </span>But if I were to walk up to someone on
January 4<sup>th</sup> and say, ‘merry Christmas,” I rather imagine that I’d
get the uncomfortable looks usually reserved for people wearing tinfoil hats.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Come to think of it, I get
that look a lot.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>The problem with those little
passive-aggressive signs is that they miss the point.<span> </span>They miss ‘the reason for the season.’<span> </span>There is only one reason for the season,
beloved of God: one reason for Advent, for Christmas, for Epiphany, for Lent,
for Easter, for Pentecost; one reason.<span>
</span>One reason that is spelled out in the words of every prophet, every
singer, every person who has ever spoken the words of the Lord:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>You.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>The angels appeared, bringing
their first message to the shepherds: <i>do
not be afraid</i>.<span> </span>And then they
continued:<span> </span>f<i>or unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>You</span></b><span> (plural)
are the reason for all the seasons.<span> </span>It
was for <b>you </b>that God came, so that
sin, sorrow, and death would hold no fear for you.<span> </span>It’s right when we say that a great gift came
at Christmastime – and that gift was for you.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Because God loves you.<span> </span>If there were no people; there would be no
need for Jesus.<span> </span>Jesus came because, in
fact, we’re not ‘good’ people; not in the way that the ancient Scripture uses
the term.<span> </span>We’re used to a greek
philosophical ideal in which a ‘good’ person is someone who does the least
possible amount of damage to others.<span>
</span>God’s standards are a little higher; but because we can’t reach them on
our own we are given the Messiah, who gives us the gift of God With Us; so that
we could stop trying to reach up to God.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Little Lochlin is the reason
for the season; his baptism is the reason the church exists.<span> </span>It doesn’t exist to dictate morality or a
socially conservative agenda; it exists to convey God’s love and presence to
the world in it’s gathered community.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>I’ll point out to you here at
St. Matt’s: this is what you do.<span> </span>It is
your mission.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>God wants you to be part of
his promise to the world, the promise that today binds Lochlin to this family
and to God; the promise that binds you and all believers together – a promise
made to Abraham and Abraham’s descendents, that God would abide with them.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>The gift of Christmas is not
that you can go and spend yourself silly at the nearest mall, then piously look
at your gigantic hoard of loot, and say “gee, now someone knows I love them.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>If you think you need to do
that, you need more help than I can offer.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>But you can remember that it
was for <b>you</b> that Jesus was
born.<span> </span>Yes, the promise of a Messiah was
a promise made for all people: but it is also a promise made for you.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It’s when you come together,
when you gather for worship that that promise is made visible to you, in your
singing, in the word that is shared, and in your neighbours.<span> </span>Christmas is not about gathering with family
and friends – because even if you have no friends or family to gather with,
Christmas would still happen.<span> </span>It still
happens in the midst of grief, of loneliness, and in the midst of sorrow.<span> </span>Christmas is a celebration of life, a life
shared together with people under God’s promise.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>In a world that looks very
dark around us – in the longest nights of the year – God’s promise to Lochlin,
and to us, remains: that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
cannot overcome it.</span></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-66389846142168665622012-12-16T08:13:00.001-08:002012-12-16T08:13:09.002-08:00Advent 3 - Advent Expectations<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Here’s a question for you
today, beloved: what do you <i>expect</i> of
church?<span> </span>Is this a place where you gather
to sing old favourite hymns, see old friends, and have old perceptions
affirmed; is this is place where you come to hear the word of God proclaimed,
to be challenged, stirred up, and sent out; or do you not <u>know</u> what to
expect when you walk through these doors – what do you expect of God?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>I sometimes wonder what I
even expect.<span> </span>I heard this past week of a
shooting at a school in Connecticut
this past week that left 27 people dead, 20 of whom were children.<span> </span>I’m at a loss. Even I want to wander through
Advent and shout at God: <i>what are you
doing about this??!!</i><span> </span>I don’t believe
that events like that can possibly have anything to do with God’s will, or
God’s way; they are pure human evil.<span> </span>But
surely, we can expect God to do something about that.<span> </span>It’s unspeakable.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>There’s a long tradition in
Christianity, at least in the western church, that really discourages believers
from <i>expecting</i> anything from
God.<span> </span>There’s a firm foundation of
teaching for that, that suggest the only thing to expect from God is a bolt of
well-aimed lightning, or hellfire for our sins (though that’s a greek god kind
of thing…).<span> </span>But to think of 40 parents
who will remember this coming Christmas as the time when they buried their
murdered child should be enough to make just about everyone lose their minds
with rage.<span> </span>And many people will.<span> </span>Already, some internet forums that I see are
full of comments about the non-existence of God (if God can exist, how can
things like this happen?), and people are listening.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Yet there’s another side to
think about, as well; the side that forces us to confront our own sense of
entitlement and worthiness as Christians in North America.<span> </span>We get used to thinking that because we’re
good, then only good should happen to us.<span>
</span>It’s a formula I see all the time: why did something bad happen, when
people are good?<span> </span>What happened in Connecticut is
unspeakable.<span> </span>Yet, far more than 18
children have died in Syria,
die in a single African country each and every day, and yet we remained
untouched by that.<span> </span>Even I fall for that
line of thinking; why shouldn’t God do more for the rest of us?<span> </span>Maybe that’s too selfish a question to
ask.<span> </span>Maybe it’s something I only ask
myself.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Though maybe, at Advent,
surrounded by commercials that urge us to ‘think of that person we love at
Christmas, and what they mean to you, and buy accordingly’ it’s the time we <b>need</b> to ask questions that confront our
own expectations.<span> </span>And maybe we need to
ask those questions so that our faith can move beyond materialistic expectation
to enable us to become the people we were created and redeemed to be.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Maybe, on this Sunday in
advent, we’re called to put those feelings of expectation and wanting aside and
focus more inward: what does God <b>expect</b>
of us?<span> </span>John the Baptizer stands on the
shores of the River Jordan, surrounded by people who are coming to him for
baptism.<span> </span>It seems they’re not coming out
of a genuine desire or expression of faith – who knows why they’re coming, or
what they expect.<span> </span>John is suspicious of
their motives: <i>you brood of vipers!<span> </span>Who warned you to flee from the wrath to
come?</i><span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Realize, beloved, that he’s
talking to the congregation.<span> </span>This is not
a good pastoral tactic.<span> </span>But John does
know that he’s beginning to get some pushback from the group.<span> </span>They’re reminding John that his job is to
splash some water on the people; to tell them “God loves you!” and let them get
back to their important lives.<span> </span>After
all, they say, they’re children of Abraham, members of God’s chosen nation; God
is for them.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Yet John doesn’t seem to buy
that line.<span> </span>In fact, he gets pretty
irritated at it, and reminds the people that God is able to raise up children
from anywhere – or anything – and he reminds them that if they are children of
Abraham, then God has certain expectations of them – but those are not moral
codes, so to speak, but rather rules for living together in community.<span> </span>Don’t take advantage of each other.<span> </span>Care for each other.<span> </span>Model the community of God so that others can
see your light.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>But that not always
easy.<span> </span>It’s not <i>ever</i> easy.<span> </span>Because we live
in a land of deep darkness; darkness that covers like the shadow of death; it
is easier to see the darkness than to see, or seek, the light.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>In the birth stories of the
Saviour, there are many, many stories.<span>
</span>There are angels, shepherds, magi, people singing, and a choir of the
heavenly host.<span> </span>Things like these are the
fodder for the falsity that pervades our culure – that instead of searching for
the light in darkness we can cover, paint over, build a façade around a rotten
structure and still pretend that every is all right; that we can market well,
ignore, or spin our own shame and nobody will notice – until it all comes
crashing down.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>In those birth stories are
details that you cannot miss, though they are not part of the dainty manger
scenes.<span> </span>There is the scene of a young
pregnant woman having to tell her much-older fiancé that she is pregnant, and
her expanding belly growing obvious to the stares of gossip-mongers in her own
home town.<span> </span>The scene of two peope
travelling across the barren desert by donkey; the scene of a birth that takes
place away from her kith and kin.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>And later, hidden away in the
gospel of Matthew, is the massacre of the innocents, when Herod orders the
death of every child under two so that he may stamp out the birth of the
promised Messiah.<span> </span>This week, this has
been played out in our hearts and minds, the a fabric of an imagined Christmas
has been torn.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It turns out there is
darkness that no bright coloured lights can twinkle away; that no decoration
can make acceptable; darkness that is so complete that the only possible course
of action is to beg God for a light that will conquer and drive it away.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Into that darkness are spoken
the words of the prophet Zephaniah: </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span>I will remove disaster from you, so that
you will not bear reproach for it.<span> </span>I
will deal with all your oppressors at that time.<span> </span>And I will save the lame and gather the
outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the
earth.<span> </span>At that time I will bring you
home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your
eyes.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>THAT is the promised of
Advent; that God will bring us home, that the massacre of the innocents and its
great reproach will be cast away from us because we will rejoice in the
presence of our Saviour.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Our response to our own
shattered expectations is to shift those expectations where they are necessary
and needed: to expect of ourselves a greater and stronger community; to reach
out to those in our midst affected by grief and anguish with a hope and a
healing touch when words are empty, and cold; that we should seek to reach out
to those who are in darkness before their darkness consumes us; that we should
seek the light of Christ that shines in the world and hold it for all to see.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>John speaks of a Messiah who
holds a winnowing fork in his hand; that he will separate the wheat from the
chaff, and the chaff will be destroyed.<span>
</span>Realize this, though – he’s not talking about individual people.<span> </span>Separating wheat from chaff is God at work in
you; creating and forming and restoring <b>you</b>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Today is classically referred
to as <i>gaudete</i> Sunday – the Sunday of
joy; though as I have seen and heard from others joy may seem fleeting.<span> </span>There is a still a cause for deep-rooted joy;
the sense of God’s promise made to us, of God’s promised delivered.<span> </span>I am ever mindful of a story told to me of
the accompanist at a congregation I served: on September 11, 2001 she came into
the sanctuary and those in the building heard the swelling crescendo of <i>Joy to the World</i> as the world they had
known came crashing down around them.<span>
</span>When asked, all she could respond was ‘what else could I play?’<span> </span>Indeed, it did seem them as if the Lord had
come down.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>And beloved, God does, when
we least expect it.<span> </span>But it remains; that
God’s expectation for us is that we would listen to the Baptizer when he stands
on the bank and cries: <i>prepare the way of
the Lord!</i><span> </span>That the way of the Lord
is not on a neat, tree-lined boulevard, but through the desert and the
wilderness; that we are go out into the wilderness and point towards the
life-giving spring that runs through its midst.<span>
</span>That we are together to be the people of God, to set aside selfish
interest and demands; to show the kingdom, to live in hope through fear and
darkness, to proclaim the coming light into our midst; finally, a light that
shines in the darkness -- and the darkness cannot overcome it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amen</span>.</span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-32494978599214893432012-12-16T08:11:00.003-08:002012-12-16T08:11:49.353-08:00Advent 2 - Word of God, Come to Us<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
was sitting on a city bus in downtown Saskatoon
when I first met John the Baptizer.<span> </span>I’m
serious.<span> </span>And, if you’ve gone to downtown
Edmonton, maybe
spent some time at a shelter, I’d imagine that you’ve met him, too.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
was riding downtown to go to St. Paul’s
hospital on the West side, when a man came on the bus and sat down next to
me.<span> </span>He was wearing several years of
coats, and more than a few days had passed since he last had a bath; his smell
preceded him by a substantial amount.<span> </span>He
sat down, and proceeded to preach to those around him about…something.<span> </span>I’m unclear what, exactly, was his
point.<span> </span>But Jesus was in there, and
Satan, and George W. Bush, and the Middle East…if
everyone had walked into a bar at the punchline, it would have been a good
joke.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
as I was sitting beside him he’d turn occasionally to look at me, and I’d look
at him; and as it happened it was indeed close to this time of year.<span> </span>Close enough to Advent that as I looked at
this man I realized that I was likely looking at John the Baptizer.<span> </span>Not that I believed this man to be the
reincarnation of John (a Buddhist belief that would be a neat trick for a
Hebrew to manage), but I realized that those people on the bus with me beheld a
vision from two thousand years before: a man driven ragged by a vision before
his eyes, without care of his appearance, only a burning desire to share his
message of repentance and deliverance with all those who could hear.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
I’d have been anywhere but Saskatoon
in the middle of winter I may have stayed longer to catch more of his message;
maybe I could’ve gleaned out some of his personal story, found a hint of what
propelled him to share such a message with strangers in such a strange
land.<span> </span>But I bundled my coat around me
and stepped out into the dark morning.<span>
</span>For the rest of the day I thought about what I’d heard that morning;
thought about deliverance and repentance, and what I would do if I ever felt a
compunction to preach so fiercely that it swallowed my entire life.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
is what happened to the cousin of Jesus, beloved: <i>the word of God came to John…in the wilderness…[and] he went out into
all the region around the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins</i>.<span> </span>John became the last vessel for the word of
God; in the old prophetic formula that Israel knew so well: “the Word of
God came to [name] and said [subject]”.<span>
</span>John proclaimed that which Isaiah had seen: a straight path in the
wilderness, no detours, no valleys, no mountains; nowhere to hide and nowhere
to run, so that all of creation would see the salvation of God.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
his family, friends, and people around him looked at him the way the people on
the city bus in Saskatoon looked at the man in our midst: confused,
weirded-out, but still almost compelled to listen (granted, on a city bus, in
Saskatoon, in winter, there really is no place to go).<span> </span>But John proclaimed deliverance, he talked –
shouted – yelled about a covenant in which the people would delight: a promise
of hope, of peace, of joy, of love that would level mountains and fill
valleys.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
kind of covenant – of promise – has been the believer’s hope for ages.<span> </span>That God would come down and be with us; that
we would see God and know God, and know that God is truly with us.<span> </span>But God does more that fulfill that hope:
God’s terms are generous, but dangerous; because we have invited God to be with
us, God brings his presence to us and, like the prophets of old, we find that
God’s purity can cause pain, and his holiness can cause hurt.<span> </span>As the prophet Malachi said, <i>he is like a refiner’s fire and like
fuller’s soap, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like
gold and silver</i>.<span> </span>We don’t make
ourselves holy or pleasing to God (we can’t,) beloved; it turns out that God
makes us holy, and pleasing – but that may not always be a gift that we want,
or desire.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
was flipping through TV channels a little while ago when something caught my
attention.<span> </span>A religious program.<span> </span>A well-dressed young man, energetic,
enthusiastic, was preaching like he believed in what he was saying.<span> </span>So, I did something that I hadn’t not done
before: I listened for a bit.<span> </span><i>We don’t make ourselves holy, </i>he said<i>, and we don’t work to be better for God</i>.<span> </span>Well, that was a bit enheartening,
beloved.<span> </span>It was like coming up on a
whole mess of flashing lights on the highway, getting that sinking feeling that
says “oh no, not an accident,” and realizing the whole thing is a training
operation.<span> </span>A bit of relief, a bit of
“oh, well, that’s not bad, then.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
should have changed the channel.<span> </span>What
followed was <i>when we ask Jesus into our
hearts, we’re <b>telling</b> Jesus what we
want.<span> </span>We’re <b>telling</b> Jesus that we want his blessing, and when we command those
blessings, they’ll come.</i><span> </span>The heart
of the preacher’s argument was that Jesus won’t come into your heart unless you
have a strong enough character to command him to do what you want.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
nearly put an axe through the TV.<span>
</span>Because beloved, that way isn’t going to bring you peace.<span> </span>It’s going to cause you to do a lot of hurt
to people around you.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
God <b>is </b>going to do, Malachi says, is
going to feel a lot like being melted down, shaped, and reformed, into a purer
product.<span> </span>Salvation comes not when you
are finished, but when the Master takes you into his hands; you are formed not
because you are lacking and God hates what is not perfect in you; but rather
that God loves you too much to let you remain the same.<span> </span>Salvation, it turns out, isn’t fire insurance
or a doctrine to learn in confirmation class, but a relational experience with
God and others through faith in Christ.<span>
</span>We become rooted, and grow in Christ.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">John’s
baptism was a baptism of repentance, turning from self-centred living to a life
of self-giving.<span> </span>If you live your life
centred on yourself, on your own this-or-other-worldly success, you will only
turn yourself into a hollow excuse of a human being.<span> </span>When you learn self-giving, when your self is
given to God, you let the voice of the Lord speak into your depths to renew and
restore your souls. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
the old prophetic witness, <i>the word of
God</i> came to those individuals who were called and made to proclaim the
coming kingdom of
God.<span> </span>The word of God was how God worked in the
world: speaking over the waters, calling out to Noah, and Moses to lead his
people.<span> </span>The word moved over the prophets
of old and they proclaimed God’s promise: that into darkness, God would pour
out light, and life, and peace.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
word <i>advent</i> means ‘coming,’ and
throughout this season we prepare for the Word of God to come to.<span> </span>That same word through which God created the
world, spoke through the prophets, and promised salvation, took frail human
flesh and lived with us.<span> </span>The Word of God
has come to you, beloved of God: you don’t need a prophet to tell you what to
do.<span> </span>You have a Saviour, that God
promised you before the foundation of the world.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">God
made good on that promise.<span> </span>The word
became flesh, and dwelt amongst us.<span> </span>But
there was a catch: the peace that Jesus brought was not the <i>absence </i>of suffering or hardship, but
purely the presence of God’s love and forgiveness.<span> </span>In Christ, God’s love meets you when and
where you least expect it; in your valleys low, or on your own high
mountaintops – God’s Word came to and filled those valleys, levelled those
mountains, made those rough places a plain, so that wherever we are, Christ may
find us.<span> </span>Beloved, God’s word comes to
you; you may be in the wilderness, or right at home.<span> </span>You may be in church, or you may be in
despair: but the word still comes.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Through
advent, you are called to listen to the prophet speaking in the wilderness; to
listen to God’s promise of salvation and deliverance; to live in ways that
bring about justice and peace.<span> </span>For many
people, this time of year is hard, as you remember those you’ve loved and
lost.<span> </span>But God is with you; holds you,
moulds you, loves you.<span> </span>Your darkness is
shared by those around you.<span> </span>Take heart,
and look for the light beloved, because the light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness cannot overcome it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let
the people of God say amen.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-16026550176598846082012-12-02T08:07:00.004-08:002012-12-02T08:07:27.760-08:00lots of updatesMany people have requested blog updates - sorry! But here are a few to keep you going.<br />
<br />
Happy Advent!Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-88357108336560356502012-12-02T08:07:00.000-08:002012-12-02T08:07:00.103-08:00First Sunday of Advent - Lessons from the Fig Tree<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For someone who hung out with
fishermen, have you ever noticed that Jesus spends a lot of time talking about
plants? Think about it: fig trees,
trees, mustard seeds, whatever seed the sower is sowing, trees of life, growing
trees, withering trees, leafy trees…there’s far fewer fishing metaphors, when
you get right down to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There’s a point, though. He’s talking to a large number of people in metaphor, and not a lot of people know what
fishing is about. Everyone, though, has
seen a tree. Except maybe if they lived
in certain parts of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Saskatchewan</st1:state></st1:place>. You can mark the changing of the seasons by
watching trees, Jesus says, and he’s right – when trees get leaves, you know
that seasons are changing. Or, you live
in southern <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alberta</st1:place></st1:state>
in Chinook country. But today, Jesus
says that like trees gaining leaves, it is possible to look at the world around
us and see signs of his return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That’s a bit of a tall order,
I think. I’m not going to preach on the
end of the world, partly because I’m deeply suspicious when anyone tells me
that they know when it will be. Even
Jesus’ criteria are a big vague: <i>signs in
the moon, and the stars, and on the earth…confusion by roaring of the sea and
waves….the powers of heaven shaken</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A few generations before
Jesus was born the volcanic <st1:placetype w:st="on">island</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Thera</st1:placename> in the <st1:place w:st="on">Mediterranean sea</st1:place>
had blown up in a massive eruption that gave origin to the legends of Atlantis
and affected weather patterns all over the globe. People probably still talked about it,
because the earth has been a restless place for a long time. Yet Jesus says that when those things happen,
you may now know “that the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> is near.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>
is near. <i>Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come</i>. This is Advent; and beloved, I do wish that
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> would be near. I wish that the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>
would be visible and tangible and touchable and be a reminder that at least
somewhere in the world there is grace, and peace. In Advent we wait, we prepare for the coming
of Jesus, both as a baby at Christmastime, and as the King who comes in
glory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Remember, though: Advent is
the beginning of our year, and from this season flows everything else we do;
our preparations – spiritually and personally – during this time shape our
selves and our community. Like trees
growing, these things take time. We are
asked to be patient, and wait, while God brings about these things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, if we are to watch for
trees, beloved, then this is the time.
Now is the time to look for leaves sprouting, to see how the future is
shaping up. But it’s also time to turn
and look at something else; because the health of a tree – whether or not it
gives leaves – depends on its roots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I like the example of the fig
tree that Jesus uses, partly because a) fig trees are useful and produce tasty
fruit; but also b) fig trees can grow <u>massive</u> roots. Take this picture of a fig tree at Ankor Wat
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cambodia</st1:place></st1:country-region>:
the roots are huge. To look at the fig
tree is to understand how deep and big its roots really are – and a tree won’t
grow if its roots are compromised.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" /><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">At Advent, as our attention
is called to the fig tree, it is a reminder that we are also called to take
root, and grow. It is a reminder that a
we bear fruit as faithful Christians that those around us will see the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> come near. It is a reminder that we know there are signs
that we can look for to know that God is near.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I have several good friends
who are first responders: firefighters, police, and medical technicians; they
are trained to run toward the first sign of trouble. And so, Jesus says today, are we: <i>when you see these things, stand up and
raise your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.</i> When others are faint with fear, we are
called to lift up our heads and look for God’s presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We have the double blessing
today of both beginning the season of Advent and officially welcoming new
members into our community. As I’ve
said, you can join the community at any time of year; and membership isn’t a
necessity for involvement, either. But
this is a day to celebrate these families who have taken the step of affirming
their faith with us and becoming part of our family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Becoming part of this family
comes with some challenges, though, and I’ve sat down with all of you and we’ve
talked about them: there’s the challenge of living with a great diversity of
people; the challenge of growing in faith, love, and obedience to the will of
God in this place; the challenge of leadership both in this family and in the
community around us. The sheer challenge
of getting involved and getting along in a diverse group of people. You can meet those challenges because your
roots are strong enough, beloved of God; find your roots here, and bloom with
us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus counsels you, beloved,
to not to get caught up in wine, or worry; you don’t need to sedate yourselves with
pharmaceuticals or phylacteries or <i>Angry
Birds</i>; worry focuses your attention on the bad, so that when you could be
seeing the kingdom of God, instead you turn your back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I see the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>
in you, beloved; I pray that you see it among yourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I said that I have one wish
for Advent: to see the kingdom of God come near. And beloved, I find that wish fulfilled here,
with you. I see Christians of different
backgrounds and traditions coming together as family. I see new believers walking with old; I see
children welcomed into this family because they belong here and they offer
life. But most of all, beloved of God, I
see your roots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Your roots are showing. Your roots of compassion, caring, community,
and family bring forth fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness,
faithfulness, and self-control. Your
roots are showing; your fruit is the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> come near. The Lord <b>is</b>
your righteousness, and <b>you</b> proclaim
God’s glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In this season of Advent may
you see the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> come near: may you
see Christ as the light of the world; may you see each other as family; may you
bless each other as you are each a blessing to our community. May Christ be the light that you bear to the
world in its time of need; may people see by your leaves and roots that the
kingdom of God has come near; that the kingdom of God is within them, and among
them; that heaven and earth will pass away, that the grass withers and the
flower fades; but that the word of our God abides forever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And the light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-80968352399393965272012-12-02T08:02:00.003-08:002012-12-02T08:02:50.976-08:00Christ the King - That Kind of King<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This past week was
Thanksgiving for our neighbours to the south, and it was tremendous. Oh, the sales! Oh, the sheer amount of STUFF you could buy,
it was glorious! And, the best part: we
now have those sales here in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>! Come on, now, who took advantage of all those
great deals?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">‘Taking advantage’ of a great
deal is a really good use of language.
Because you literally ‘take advantage’ of the person living in a
third-world country who made the stuff that you bought – partly, it’s the
benefit of living in Canada – that we can pay incredibly low prices for stuff
that is made a a few thousand miles away, transported here, and eventually sold
here. Nobody’s making a fair wage in
this system. But, if you are lucky
enough to live in the first world it is part of the system we operate in, and
you can’t get out of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Every so often, I’ll pick up
a book about someone who’s voluntarily left North American society – usually to
go to </span><st1:country-region style="font-size: 14pt;" w:st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, or </span><st1:country-region style="font-size: 14pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, or
somewhere that the climate is warmer and the western dollar goes a little
further. They’re disconnected from a western address, but not from western
society – they still communicate through telephone, email, cell phones, iPad,
whatever.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">There’s often a
self-congratulatory tone to the book that centres around the author’s
satisfaction with finding ‘spiritual awareness’ or ‘spiritual renewal’ in their
avoidance of western culture.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That drives me up a
wall. I’m too much of a Lutheran, too
ready to confess <i>I am captive to sin and
cannot free myself</i>, to buy into the idea that I can remove my awareness of
my culpability, and participation in, systems that cause harm to other
people. I’m willing to admit that that’s
likely the result of my education, forced awareness of these systems. But I think it also is an awareness of the
world; that a lot of the trappings of my life that I consider as necessary are,
in fact, privilege.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Beloved of God, here’s an
admission: the world we live in doesn’t work.
It needs a Saviour, it needs a Messiah, it needs a king; but I don’t
know if we’ll ever agree on what kind of king it needs. A king like David, say. The reading from 2 Samuel today is the ‘last
words’ of David – one of about 10 instances of last words from David in
scripture. Why are there so many? Because David became the image of the perfect
king. If you know the history of David,
even just a little bit, you’ll notice that’s pretty ironic – because David is
not a nice man. Murder, adultery,
complicity in rape, and a few other things mar his record. But David remains the king that looms large
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
imagination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If you’ll remember, though,
God was not in favour of the Israelites having a king. Earlier in 1 Samuel the Israelites go to
Samuel and say “tell God we want a king”.
Samuel does, and God replies, ‘tell them they don’t, because a king is
going to oppress them, tax them, drive them to war, rule them by force, and make
their lives miserable.” Samuel tells the
Israelites just that; they reply “yada, yada, yada, we know; just give us a
king, already”. And along comes Saul,
and then David, and then Solomon, and then a long line of others, down to a
single point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It comes down to an arena in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>: Jesus and
Pilate stand, facing each other. Jesus,
the descendant of David, whom the crowd has called “King of the Jews”, and
Pilate, the representative of the <st1:place w:st="on">Roman empire</st1:place>. The irony is that <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city> is the empire that the Israelites asked
for: mighty, controlling everything around it, complete with all the warnings
and detractions that God warned them about.
They are mighty, over all; they rule most of the known world. Jesus is their great hope: that he would be <st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city>, but tolerable; that he would bring oppression and
fear to other lands, where before it was <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place> that had lived in oppression,
and fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But it’s gone, now. And has been for over a millennia and a
half. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Two kinds of king stand, face
to face. One rules in might, with
legions, and armies, the strength of economy.
One rules in love, with community, with boundaries, but with
kindness. But the people have already
made their choice, and if you read on in the story you find that choice – <i>we have no king but Caesar.</i> We admit to no king, but the one that can
deliver us what we want, when we want it; we want a king who looks like a king,
who acts like a king; who is going to let chosen people act with impunity and
invulnerability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Two kinds of king stand, face
to face. One knows that he has the power
of death over the other; but only One knows the power of life; the power of truth. Jesus stands seemingly under Pilate’s
judgement, and that of the people; but he stands as the king of all and all
that is to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You say that I am a king…for this I was born, and for
this I came into the world, to testify to the truth…everyone who belongs to the
truth listens to my voice.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The truth is, that Jesus is
the kind of king of who doesn’t do ‘kingly’ things; he heals the sick, loves
the widow, the orphan, the adulteress, and the outcast. Jesus is the kind of king who welcomes
sinners, and eats with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We confess that we are captive to sin, and cannot free
ourselves.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> To be free we need a Saviour – a king who
rules in love, not wrath; because life only thrives in love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The crowds rejects that kind
of king, because they want a king who claims power, and control; not glory, or
dominion, from the Greek word referring to ultimate authority.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But give praise to God,
beloved, that the kind of king you have <b>is</b>
the kind of king who welcomes sinners, and extends to them an invitation to his
table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Give praise to God, beloved,
that the kind of king you have <b>is</b>
the kind of king who stands before the kind of king you think you need and
refuses to acknowledge that temporal authority can ever touch the eternal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Give praise to God, beloved,
that the kind of king you have is eternal; is the Alpha, the Omega, the
beginning, and the end; and that all will see him when he comes in glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Give praise to God, beloved,
that all will see him not because he comes with armies to conquer, but because
they have seen him in you. That because
of your baptism into death, that kind of king has become part of who you are;
that kind of king has brought you to be a part of something greater than
yourself, greater than you can ever imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Give praise to God, beloved,
that that kind of King loves you, died for you, and lives for you; give praise
to God, and live for that kind of king.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-36175141010062484682012-12-02T08:02:00.000-08:002012-12-02T08:02:05.000-08:00November 18 - Pentecost 25<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So last week, I mentioned
that the end of the world is coming around – now, it’s December 21. That kind of sucks – you’ve spent all your
money on Christmas, but haven’t had the chance to enjoy your gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There’s a story that my
Seminary president used to tell about the Metropolitan Archbishop of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>, whose office
was in a tall building. One day, a homeless man wandered into the reception
area and asked to speak to the Archbishop.
When the administrator asked the man who he was, the man replied, “I’m
Jesus Christ”. In fact, the man was
quite insistent that he was, in fact, Jesus.
So, the administrator buzzed up to the Archbishop’s office. When the Archbishop answered, the admin said,
“there’s a man here who wants to see you”.
“Who is it?” the Archbishop asked.
“He says he’s Jesus,” replied the admin, a little sheepishly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Without missing a beat, the
Archbishop replied, “quick – look busy!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The moral of the story is, I
advise you all to attend the midweek Advent services this year. You never know – it might help…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A few people have asked me
how the date of the end of the world is determined. The answer is: I don’t know. Usually, as in the case of Harold Camping and
others like him, people claim access or understanding of knowledge ‘hidden’ in
the bible, in certain passages of scripture, or prophecies that they’ve been
able to understand. In other cases –
like this December 21 thing – it comes from the end of the Mayan calendar. The Mayans, as you may know, where a
civilization in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Yucatan</st1:state></st1:place>
whose culture collapsed because of climate change before their religious types
could figure out if they were right about the end of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Speaking of which, the end of
our year is next Sunday – Christ the King.
Are we speaking of the end of the world?
No. Well, today, we actually are. Which, is not really one of my favourite
topics; I tend to think that many Christians focus so much on the end of the
world so they don’t have to currently live in this one. That’s a ‘Lutheran’ thing – theologically,
we trust that God can handle this whole ‘end of time’ stuff, and that when it’s
necessary, he’ll let us know. As
Lutherans, we trust that Christ has accomplished the work of our salvation, so
until his return our task is life, together.
We’re ‘expectant’ Christians: we expect Jesus to return; we trust it’s
going to happen, and we wait. We don’t
keep watching the skies; we don’t keep charts, graphs, or diagrams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, it turns out, that in
today’s gospel Jesus is talking about the end of the world, and he’s actually
kind of creeping the disciples out. They walk through the forecourt of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city>, and the disciples
are totally amazed at the size of the architecture. “What large stones, and what large
buildings!” and Jesus looks at them, as proclaims that it will all be brought
down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Imagine that. Imagine me taking the congregation to the
middle of downtown <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Edmonton</st1:city></st1:place>,
and proclaiming, “not a single one of these building will be left
standing!” You’d think I was a raving
nutter. Turns out, the disciples want to
hear a little more from Jesus. Later,
four of them approach him, and ask what the signs will be that will bring about
the destruction of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city>. And you have his answer: many false prophets,
wars and rumours of wars, nation rises against nation, kingdom against kingdom,
earthquakes, and famines. I can see you
thinking. You’re thinking about all the
news recently, about all these things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Beloved, so were the
disciples. They didn’t have the media
access that we do nowadays, but they still had ears. And Jesus is speaking directly to their
minds. They’re thinking, <i>but teacher, those things are happening NOW!</i> It’s truly terrifying, because Jesus knows
what he’s talking about. He’s not a
random voice on a radio program. This is
the man who heals the sick, and raises the dead. But then, Jesus adds one last thing: “this is
but the beginning of the birth pangs”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I might point out: Jesus is
not speaking to a group of well-enlightened, medically literate, educated
men. He’s talking to a group of
superstitious peasants, who, by and large, believe that the simple fact that
women menstruate means they’re being punished for something. Birth, for them, is not a happy occasion: it’s
weird, loud, and women obviously make too much fuss about it. So, I’m pretty sure that when Jesus began
talking about ‘birth pangs,’ the panic level of the disciples went up, not down
– because it means that they might have to experience this awkward and scary
event, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But you know, for a culture
that is full of societal taboos and superstitions regarding childbirth and
children, it turns out that God works a lot through those two events – look at
the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel. Hannah
is the second wife of Elkanah, who is a good and faithful person; but she is
barren (as Scripture describes it, <i>the
Lord had closed her womb</i>, which is not a torment, but usually a
foreshadowing that something bigger is intended for the person). Hannah promises that if she can conceive and
bear a child, then that child would become a Nazirite; one dedicated to the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city> from the day of
his birth. Basically, if she has a child, she will give him to God’s service. She goes to the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city> and prays, and the prophet Eli is
impressed by her commitment, and bids her to go in peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The writer of 1 Samuel
records that “…in due time, Hannah conceived, and bore a son” - God’s faithfulness to her. Taken as a single story, this little
narrative becomes pretty standard Sunday-school fare: you want something, pray,
be good, and God will give it to you.
But that’s not what this story is about, all in all – it’s the beginning
of a narrative that stretches from this baby Samuel – who became a great
prophet, who anointed the first king of Israel, who proclaimed the salvation of
a great nation by the branch of Jesse’s tree – all the way to Jesus, sitting on
the Mount of Olives, talking about beginnings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Way back when the Lutheran
theological tradition began to be formed, it came out of a time of great
societal and cultural upheaval. Martin
Luther was not the only reformer; nor strictly speaking, was he the first. Others rose up who proclaimed the end of the
world; in the 16<sup>th</sup> century doomsday cults drew as many followers as
they do now. People waited with
breathless anticipation to watch the world burn and the undeserving be thrown
to eternal punishment. What Luther did
provide was a sober second thought: yes, Christ would return. Yes, the world would end. But we are still called to form the church in
the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It can be tempting to
withdraw when we think things aren’t going well – many people do; in fact,
there are people who are selling their houses, stockpiling food and weapons,
for what they are certain will be the end of civilization, if not the end of
the entire world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Yet that’s not what we are
called to do. As the writer of Hebrews
said, <i>let us hold fast to the confession
of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful…and let us
consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds…encouraging one
another, as all the more you see the Day approaching</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Many of you have been there:
you’ve been the expectant parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles. You’ve been anxious and excited at the same
time. Terrified, and topful of joy at
the promise of new life before you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You’re expectant Lutherans,
too. Yes, the world looks like it
darkens around us. Yes, we hear reports
from all around us that chaos is everywhere and the world is groaning like it
is in labour. Yet, look around our own
community: here, you see signs of God’s faithful promise. Here, you meet together to encourage and
support, love and work, together because you <b>hope</b> that God is bringing forth something greater than us all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The world is turning; it is
turning into the creation that God made it to be; it is turning into the world
that Christ redeemed as his own; it is turning into the great and holy place
that God’s Spirit brings to birth – just as God is turning you to be his own
people in this place; his own children.
God has waited for you, beloved of God: and you wait to see that your
hope in God will be fulfilled, in turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-58870112197810033692012-12-02T08:00:00.003-08:002012-12-02T08:00:59.286-08:00November 11 - Pentecost 24 <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Text: Mark 12:38-44</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, in case you hadn’t
noticed, here’s something to note: apparently, the world is going to end. This is not a repeat from last October. Or, last May.
Or, from any other time when people have said that the world is
ending. Nope. This time, it’s for real. December 21, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In the disaster movie <i>2012</i>, the opening scene is of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">New York city</st1:city></st1:place>, flooded
after bearing the brunt of a hurricane.
There are terrible winter storms.
Earthquakes rock the west coast.
There are Democrats in the White House.
Obviously, these are all signs.
Personally, I advise all of you to take all your money, give it to the
church, and anticipate a welcome reception at the pearly gates. This concludes today’s message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What? I think that’s a pretty simple way of looking
at the gospel lesson for today: the widow gives her two coins – all, Jesus
says, that she has to live on. And he
likes that. What he doesn’t like is the
scribes, or the rich people, the comfortably middle-class making between
$200-$250k, and just give a little bit off the top. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But something doesn’t sit
right with me about that. In fact,
there’s something about that particular way of teaching that irritates me. I think that I find it irritating because
there have been times in my life when I’ve made a choice between giving to the
church and buying milk for my children – and let me tell you, the children win
out. There’s no way of glossing over
this: you can’t ‘but if you give more, you’ll be blessed more’ your way out of
this. There are two ways of interpreting
what Jesus says about giving:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1) that you should give sacrificially, even to
the point of abandoning all that you have to live on, to support the structure
of the church; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">2)
that perhaps the widow is an illustration of Jesus’ words – not an example of
the godly life that is characterized by giving the church lots of money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m not intending to directly
challenge a good two millennia of teaching on this passage. I’m not; there’s an important dimension to
good spiritual discipline that is tied to giving of financial resources;
perhaps especially when those resources are abundant. But I do think that it’s time to liberate
this poor widow from the shadow of money, and let her bask in the light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus is talking to the
disciples. Now, if you have disciples,
you’re pretty important. If you hang
around people that you admire; chances are, you’ll come to copy. Consider Republican presidential candidate
Rick Santorum and his sweater-vest army; Justin Beiber is surrounded by
fresh-faced young people who buy his brands; and even Prime Minister Stephen
Harper is surrounded by young and vibrant staffers who start wearing bad suits,
fluffy sweaters, and not making a lot of sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Those disciples are maybe getting
a bit tired of following Jesus. He’s
poor. He’s dirty. He stays in others people’s houses and eats
with tax collectors and sinners. They’re
looking around at the other successful religious types in their neighbourhoods;
the private plane, mansion on the hill, scores of admirers; snappy dressers,
the lot of them. <i>That’s</i> looking a little more like the sweet life; why toil for
little or no pay, get a lot of people mad at you, and get threatened; when you
can be the go-to person for all of life’s little conundrums? You can pack stadiums, rather than packing
groceries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus sees them looking, and
adds a warning: you don’t want to be like those people. Sure, they dress nicely. Yes, they’re well-respected in the community,
and are invited to the best parties.
But: <i>they devour widows’ houses
and the for the sake of appearances say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Here’s the problem: the
scribes aren’t scribes because they’re good people. They’re not successful because they’re good
preachers, theologians, or pastors.
They’re successful because they use the religious law to help them get
ahead. People didn’t give to the temple
out of their generosity: they were taxed, and the scribes and Pharisees were in
charge of administering the tax.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So if, say, your husband
died, you were left a lonely widow on your own.
Their interpretation of Scripture then held that you were inferior; and
for your own good your property should naturally go to someone else; say, a
trusted religious authority. In the face
of people looking and saying, <i>gee, I
don’t think that’s right</i>, they could stand in their piety and offer up
prayers as a testimony of their own devotion to the law – so nobody questions
such a good believer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Does that sound familiar?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So I wonder, is the house
that the scribes devoured the one that offered shelter for the widow? Is she at the treasury to offer her last two
coins because she’s compelled too? I
don’t see the widow in this story as an example; I see her as a tragic figure,
and I think Jesus does, too. In Mark’s
gospel, the next thing Jesus teaches is that the entire <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city> – where that widow is leaving her
coins – is going to be torn stone from stone.
All that money that everyone’s contributed to keep the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city> going will have been for nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, what is it that the widow
is giving that Jesus sees as good? The
Greek text literally reads, <i>but out of
the poverty of her all, as much as she had, cast all the living of her.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus isn’t talking about her
money, beloved. He sees her greatest
contribution as her life; that as one oppressed and abused, that woman was
still keeping the faith. It is one thing
to be the scribe, wealthy and powerful as long as the temple was there to be
the symbol of religion for the people; but that widow’s faith was in God and
not in the institution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It seems, beloved, that
around us all sorts of institutions are crumbling. Indeed, there are earthquakes on the west
coast. That’s going to happen when you
have a dense population on a fault like.
Yes, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">New York city</st1:city></st1:place>
is flooding and being batter by hurricanes.
That’s what happens when you build a substantial portion of a city on an
island in the middle of a river on a coastline known for hurricanes. And yes, the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> did just re-elect
Barak Obama as president. All sorts of
old institutions are crumbling: old ways of doing things; the face of the world
is changing.. But Jesus’ warning to the
scribes is more pertinent now, than ever: those who cherish only the past will
not be entrusted with the future (David Frum).
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Today is Remembrance Day; a
time to remember the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces’ who fought
to preserve some institutions, but also to destroy others. As the world rushed towards war in their day,
preachers proclaimed the end of the world as confidently as they do now. And I wonder: what lessons have we learned
from those who ‘cast all their living’…perhaps the most profound lesson learned
is truly to beware those who use religion for power and influence. In the First World War, armies on both sides
marched to triumphant battle hymns that promised the continuation of their
faith; by the time of the second the lines were just as clearly drawn and
again, both sides marched to the assurances of divine favour and victory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The reality was a bitter,
bitter, pill to swallow. But in the
decades since then, conflicts have only gotten murkier; lines are not so
clearly drawn. Almost a decade in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region></st1:place>
and young women still aren’t learning to read; warlords and corrupt bureaucrats
are still the reality. But into those
spaces and places go those who are prepared to give all that they have to live
on – not out of assurance of divine favour but out of conviction that the
sacrifice would be worth it; that their own two coins given would be more
meaningful than a lifetime lived standing on the sidelines and giving what they
wouldn’t miss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I don’t believe that Jesus
looked at the religious world of his time and said that people who gave their
lives to the system were more worthy that those who knew how to work it; I
think that what Christ longed for and desired to see was one faithful person to
actually trust God to fulfill the promises God has made, even in the face of
oppression and evil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">On this day, may we all find
that we can prepare ourselves to cast our lives to the care of God, even as we
remember those who gave their lives for something greater than themselves: the
lives of others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">May we all find, one day,
that we would wake up to a world in which our Lord has returned; that tears are
no more, that suffering, sickness, and death are no longer; that the sea and
the grave have given up their dead; and that truly, the home of God is among
mortals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">May we lift our voices then
in the old prayer of the church: <i>maranatha</i>:
our Lord, come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-39456436074996487012012-12-02T07:59:00.003-08:002012-12-02T07:59:35.489-08:00All Saints Sunday<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, who was it? Who, in your life, did you have to let
go? Wife, husband, child…there’s no end
to it. If there’s any one thing that is
so frustrating about this life, it’s that it sometimes seems like we can live
our lives always being touched by death – if not directly, then by the fear of
death; the fear of loss that can often be just as eviscerating as the actual
loss itself. But living under that fear,
in the end, only makes us angry: angry at the God who could make this
unbelievably unfair world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That’s the question that I’ve
been asked the most in the years since I’ve been ordained: <i>why did this happen? Why are we
the ones who are suffering?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I hear it slightly different
than usually asked. I hear it as <i>Lord, if you had been here, my brother would
not have died</i>. In the feeling of
utter helplessness that comes with waiting and watching and walking along with
those who suffer, God dies. God dies,
not because of God’s own actions, but because in the experience of something so
much more powerful than us – the power of death – the power of God, the power
of life made manifest in Christ becomes eclipsed, covered up in great
darkness. Thick, suffocating, darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In that darkness, there are
some glimmers of light: the friends who come with a hug and a shared tear; the
anonymous ‘thinking of you’ card that comes when you think you have no more
energy; the quick phone call when you’re feeling desperately alone. Those glimmers of light remind you that you
are not alone; that others have walked that road before you and walk along
beside you; they remind you that you do not wait alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And you do wait. You wait as did the people of Israel, who
longed for rescue, longed for God to come down and bring with him a new
creation that would mean they would not have to watch their nation; their
people, suffer, and die. And God made
them a promise: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And he will destroy on this mountain<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> the shroud that is cast over all peoples,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> the sheet that is spread over all nations;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <sup> </sup>he
will swallow up death forever.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all
the earth,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> for the LORD has spoken.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And they wait for that
promise to be fulfilled. A promised
fulfilled by a commandment at a tomb: <i>unbind him, and let him go.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus has wept at the grave
of his friend, been berated by Mary, and in the face of the condemnation of the
law, Lazarus has been raised from the dead.
Old Hebrew tradition held that the soul stayed in the body for three
days after death; someone who had been dead for four days was ‘truly’
dead. Prohibitions against touching the
dead abounded, and now the crowd has a dead man in their midst.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A dead man, for whom moments
ago they were crying. Maybe not just
crying; wailing, because the loss of the male head of a family would usually
mean destitution and poverty for the female members of the family left
behind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus comes, the dead man is
alive again; and the horrified crowd looks on, making Jesus’ instructions a
necessity: <i>unbind him, and let him go</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It’s small wonder that it is
the raising of Lazarus that leads the Pharisees to understand that Jesus is too
<i>real</i> to let live; if the crowd makes
him king, the Romans will destroy their people.
From one life, comes death, and the crowd must then learn: <i>unbind him, and let him go</i>. Unbind Jesus from their expectations, from
their hopes, and let him be the Saviour that they need. Death will still reign unless the Son of God
can defeat death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">They also must unbind Lazarus
from their fear, and let him be the man whom Jesus raised. Fear, it turns out, may be as binding as the
shrouds in which the dead are wrapped.
“See how much he loved him,” the crowd marvelled as Jesus wept; and
Jesus did. While the crowd and his
sisters feared for Lazarus, feared for a future without Lazarus because they
loved him, but they love imperfectly.
Jesus loves perfectly, and in the words of his friend John some years
later, <i>perfect love casts out fear.</i> Perhaps easy, for the Son of God; but an
altogether different proposition for those who live and love in this world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When my eldest son was born,
I was a <i>very</i> proud daddy. In fact, I was so proud I was probably
floating two feet off the ground. He was
very little, but he showed promise early.
That pride was tempered with no small bit of anxiety; we were due within
a week of his birth to move to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Saskatoon</st1:place></st1:city>
for me to start my Seminary degree. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A friend of ours who was a
pastor came to visit us in the hospital, and after she’d ooo’d and aww’d a bit
over the baby, she looked at me and said, “it’s amazing, isn’t it?” and I
allowed that it was. I was expecting the
‘soft paws’ approach to pastoral care.
But my friend looked at me, and continued as she said “it’s amazing that
we can invite something so beautiful into our lives, but also realize that
we’re inviting them to death.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That sounds like a real
downer. But my friend is a very good
pastor, and what she said stuck with me because to invite someone (anyone) into
our lives is to invite them to death; and to invite grief. Yet, I still hold my friend’s challenge to me
as important because of the way I grew into my calling as a husband and father:
I grew into fear. Where I had never
known fear of death – despite losing both sets of my grandparents before I
turned 18, I felt largely untouched by fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I began to have nightmares as
I had never before. I started to panic
at the thought of my wife in hospital or my children – especially that first
wee baby – getting sick. It affected my
health; it affected my capability to fulfill my calling. Eventually, I had to realize that my fear was
due to my love for that little family; but that my love had its roots in
control: I want to control their health – even the to the extent of being God
in God’s place, to dictate when, and where, and how. But then I hear the words of the Saviour: <i>unbind them, and let them go</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I had invited great love into
my life; but I also invited them to be part of a creation in which death is a
reality. In the midst of my own darkness
of fear, I had to let the light of Jesus Christ shine through – because God is
NOT dead; God unbinds us and our love from the fear of death and decay. God lives with God’s people as they care for
each other: I learned that I did not care for my family alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In that understanding, you
can raise your own voice with the people of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region><i>: </i></span><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let
us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> There is
nothing I can do to save my family. But,
we can be together with all God’s people, and together we can wait, worship,
and praise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Yesterday,
today, and tomorrow, we are tied together by Christ, and we are tied <b>to</b> Christ through the gift of our
baptism. When death comes for each of
us, Jesus unties us from this earthly life and releases us to eternal life with
him. Like Lazarus, we are raised. We are eternally bound and tied together in
Christ, tied to the past, tied to the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Today
is All Saints’ Sunday, remembering all those who have been gathered to
everlasting life in Christ. Today, as we
gather as a community around the table of the Lord, you have the opportunity to
come and light and candle for the ones you love. A light to show that you know the darkness
won’t win; a light to know that their everlasting life is real; a light to know
that in the midst of your own great pain, you can unbind the ones you love, and
let them go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Let
them go to Christ, who loves them, who weeps with you. Let them go as they let you go; not to loneliness,
but to the community that gathered and gathers still around you: God with you,
and you, God’s people – for the home of God is with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And
let the people of God say amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-16916800368433282252012-10-07T08:12:00.002-07:002012-10-07T08:12:24.115-07:00Thanksgiving Sunday<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Happy
Thanksgiving. Well, kind of. I have this small problem with greeting card
holidays. I don’t like Valentine’s Day;
tend to gloss over Mother’s Day and Father’s Day…on the other hand, I always
remember “International Talk Like a Pirate Day.” Facebook always reminds me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But
thanksgiving here in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country>
is a bit of a mystery. I remember in
school colouring pilgrim’s hats; making those hand-print turkeys, and hearing
the story about the first pilgrims to <st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place>
sharing this great feast. Does this
sound familiar? I hope I’m not the only
one. There’s a problem, though: you
guessed it – that’s the story of the holiday that was created by our neighbours
to the south.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Here
in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country>,
we can trace the origins of this October festival to the dim mists of time, all
the way back to…1872. It was in April,
then, and was declared a holiday to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of
Wales from a serious illness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Seriously? If the Prince of Wales became seriously ill
and then recovered nowadays, a full two-thirds the population of <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country> would
think: <i>blast! Willie was a bit closer!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Over
the years, the time of year and date of an official thanksgiving holiday
changed back and forth until 1957, when it decided it was to be the second
Monday in October. That’s right, folks,
Monday. If you’re in church on
Thanksgiving, you can thank some very good marketing from the church folks back
in the fifties for that. It’s amazing
what cultural guilt can do, isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You
see, my problem with the Thanksgiving holiday is purely linguistic. Can you guess what it is? I’ll tell you straight. It’s the difference between a noun, and a
verb. A noun is a person, place, or
thing. That’s it. It’s static.
I’m standing at a pulpit. It’s
just sits here. It doesn’t really get
used during the week; Sunday worship doesn’t centre around staring at this
lovely piece of architecture, and to be honest, I’m not thinking that a lot of
you faithful people think longing thoughts about this lacquered lectern
throughout the week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This
pulpit isn’t alive unless there’s preaching that comes from it that can connect
with you; with your hearts and minds and faith.
In the same way, <i>thanksgiving</i>
is actually a verb. It’s an action
word. Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday;
there shouldn’t be a need to guilt people into realizing how good things are,
or to remind farmers that giving thanks after a harvest is a good thing. Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday; it should be a
way of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In
his letter to Timothy, Paul reminds his young friend to offer thanksgivings for
all things and for all people. ALL of
them. And a part of us thinks <i>really? All things? There are things that I am darn well NOT
going to be thankful for</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But
again, a reminder: Paul tells Timothy to give thanks for kings, and people in
high stations. In their time, though,
most kings and people of high station thought Christians a nuisance at best; at
worst a plague that needed to be exterminated.
These are not circumstances under which we could possibly consider being
thankful in our day and age. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We
all have those things that cause us to be bitter and resentful around
thanksgiving. Certainly, we are
surrounded by those things that are good, and that we are thankful for. But beloved, I think you know in your heart
what grates on you. Maybe it’s your
child who’s too busy to call once a week, once a month, let alone come and
visit. Or, it’s the child who won’t
leave home. Maybe it’s the test results
that aren’t looking good, or the person in your life who is so adversarial that
you wake up in the middle of the night feeling panicky. Or when you think, <i>what do I have to be thankful for</i>, all there is left is a hospital
room, a funeral, and a memory that you don’t want.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Yes,
beloved, that is hard. But I’m going to
say that it’s harder to go through life hardening your heart and persisting in
worrying about those things, than it is to root your thanks in God, and find
life in Christ. As Paul writes, the root
of thanks should be rooted in praise of God, <i>who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth.</i> And the truth is, that unless
we learn thanksgiving as a way of life, rooted in God, then when we will never
find fulfillment in our lives as individuals, or as families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">When
Jesus speaks to the apostles, he talks to them about a problem that is
consistent throughout our history: they worry.
In fact, they worry A LOT. But
then again, they don’t have jobs, homes, income, or a retirement plan. They’re surrounded by people who don’t like
them and their boss likes talking about what’s going to happen when he
dies. You could maybe understand a
little bit of their worry. Jesus covers
just about everything – food, clothing, shelter. As he reminds the disciples, even the wild
things are clothed and cared for by God, and they are much, much, more
important to God that those wild things are.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But
then Jesus gives the punchline: strive first for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>. He urges the disciples to live like God’s
promises to them are real. That’s the
secret. The disciples, like us, are used
to all of our modern conveniences of faith: a whole lot of lip service for
those things that we’ve already gotten that are good. But Jesus has revealed that they’re still
full of worries. Worries, it seems to
Jesus, are a sign that we are more confident in our own problem-solving
abilities than in God’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">So
Jesus gives us something else to think about – God already knows those things
are needed. But strive for God’s
kingdom, and all those things will be added to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Is
it that simple? You can sit back and
chortle to ourselves…after all, you’ve heard about Hope Mission, and the Bissel
Centre, and all the other social organizations who are desperate for donations
so they can help people who are in desperate need. Where’s Jesus, then? Do they just put their trust in God, and
things mystically happen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Well,
it turns out that it is maybe that simple.
Because, beloved, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> that Jesus tells
you to strive for begins with you. It
begins with you acting together and coming together in praise of Jesus Christ
so that you become signs of God’s kingdom for others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Because
here’s the thing: Jesus tells the
disciples not to worry, because Jesus knows what it’s like to be human. Do not worry?
Really? The people I know who
worry about money the most – and are the most reluctant to share it. The people with the fullest closets are the
people who claim to have nothing to wear.
The largest house is the one that can house the most problems. The pursuit and worry of things are
distractions. So Jesus challenges you to
focus on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> around you: those people, who you see and who you don’t,
but whom God desires to be brought to Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">So
be thankful, beloved of God. Go and bear
the good news, and share your blessings with others. Share your burdens, because you don’t need to
bear them alone. This is the family of
God; this is part of the kingdom that is promised. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Let
thanksgiving be the hallmark of your life; let grace be a way of living, rather
than just the prayer you say before your meal today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And
let God’s people say ‘amen’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-53737110090855336082012-08-05T10:31:00.004-07:002012-08-05T10:31:35.698-07:00Pentecost 10 - Grace<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">What do you do with David?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It’s almost as if, in our
idealized history that we draw from the Bible, David becomes a perfect and
flawless individual – the great King who ruled over <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>, from whom came Jesus, who
himself redeemed the world. Christians
love perfect people, we love ‘heroes of the faith’, who provide those
tremendous examples of the perfect to which we should aspire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">When I was a little guy, I
came across a book that was called ‘heroes of the faith’ – I have no idea how
my family got it; we weren’t really ‘heroes of the faith’ kinds of people. But I read that book, and it stuck with
me. It had Noah, Moses, David, Solomon,
Paul…everyone you should expect. I
Googled that book a few years ago, and it turns out there’s an updated one: it
includes people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa…You can probably
add your own names to that list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As I got older, though, I
realized that so many of those heroes…weren’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We’re reading through the
story of David. I met an older Baptist
minister who once told me that four elders of his church once met him in his
office after he finished a series of readings on 2 Samuel, following the life
of David. They told him that if he
wanted to keep his job, he’d better stick to preaching, and not destroying
people’s faith in God’s chosen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">My colleague (who was well
into his seventies) told those elders that he was simply reading from the Bible
– after all, that was his job as preacher.
But that wasn’t the point, it was argued – he should emphasize the great
work that David did, and not mention his failings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">David was an adulterer, and a
hypocrite. You heard Nathan’s accusation
against him today: “<i>YOU</i> are the man
who has acted so unjustly.” David, so
ready to wreak terrible vengeance against a greedy man, ignores his own black
sins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But David isn’t alone. Noah was a drunkard; Moses a murderer and
Paul joined him in that dubious company.
If you’ve read some biographies, you’ll know that King, though faithful
to God was not always to his wife; and Mother Theresa….Mother Theresa lived in
a dark night of her own soul almost from the moment she entered her convent up
until the day she died. She doubted God
– doubted God cared, doubted God was even aware of what was going on, doubted
God even <i>existed</i> – but still she
prayed. Still she served.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I think you can probably add
your own names to a life’s list of fallen heroes: people who we think we’ve
known, or trusted, or learned from, but who’ve we then learned have failed, or
made mistakes. When people learned of
King’s infidelities and Theresa’s doubts, many made noise that they should be
forgotten, that they were somehow not worthy of being considered ‘heroes of the
faith’ because they were not perfect people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We tend to feel a lot of
pressure as Christians. Pressure to be
holy, pressure to be right, to be perfect, to somehow live like we don’t desperately
<i>need</i> God’s freely-given grace and
forgiveness. We act – and tell ourselves
– that’s God’s grace should be earned.
We should work for it. We should
somehow try to “pay God back” for grace that we’ve been given.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We live in a debt-ridden
culture that can’t fathom being beholden to God for something as amazing as
grace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I’ll share with you something
that Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has written about our
problem with being in debt to God:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">…a human being is holy not because he or she triumphs by will power
over chaos and guilt and leads a flawless life, but because that life shows the
victory of God’s faithfulness <i>in the
midst</i> of disorder and imperfection.
The church is holy…not because it is the gathering of the good and the
well behaved, but because it speaks of the triumph of grace in the coming
together of strangers and sinners, who miraculously trust one another enough to
join in common repentance and common praise…humanly speaking, holiness is
always like this: God’s endurance in the middle of our refusal of him, his
capacity to meet every refusal with the gift of himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Grace, then, is God giving us
what we need before we even know we need it.
And it is God continuing to give us what we need after we’ve found out
we need, and then insist that we can somehow provide it for ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">However, <i>visible</i> blessings we can’t get enough of. It’s like we’re the family that is in over
our head in debt, but still scrimping together the monthly payments on the
Escalade so the neighbours think we’re doing fine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That’s the crowd that hangs
out with Jesus. They go looking for him,
but he’s left. So, they <i>all</i> go looking for him. Remember, this is the same crowed that
numbered 5000 men, plus women and children.
That’s a lot of boats on a fairly little lake. But they go looking, and they do find Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">When they find him, though,
Jesus doesn’t seem to pleased with their effort: “truly, I tell you, you are
looking for me <i>not</i> because you saw
signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Ouch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But how many time do we hear
that? The millionaire athlete giving
credit to Jesus for touchdowns, runs batted in, or more goals made. Singers, actors, everybody loves the blessings. Jesus is easy to love when there are blessings
to be had. But strip away those
blessings…and who wants to put forth the effort – <i>the investment</i> – in something that doesn’t seem to offer a high
return?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The crowd loves the work of
God. They love the loaves, the healing,
the blessings. It’s all good. It’s so good, in fact, that they want to be
able to do it for themselves: “what must we <b><i>do</i></b> to perform the works
of God?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Surely, Jesus, there must be
something we can do to make us able to be just like you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">And Jesus does give the crowd
an answer. But to a crowd that is used
to the system of the Law with its requirements and obligations, it’s not the
answer they want. They want the economic
system they’re expecting. You give
something tangible, you get something tangible, touchable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But Jesus says: “This is the
work of God: that you believe in him whom he has sent.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That’s it. That’s all.
The great work of God that we partake in is nothing less than to believe
in the One sent by God; the Alpha and the Omega; our beginning, and our ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">God’s economy doesn’t look
like the temple. It doesn’t look like
the Pharisees. It doesn’t look like the
Law, which is meant to establish order and keep people in line. God’s economy looks like grace – given but
not deserved, and recognized the most by those who know their relationship with
God has been fractured beyond all hope of human repair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Because when things are
beyond hope of human repair, we finally realize that our only true hope – our
only true sustaining force, our only true bread – is Jesus Christ, the Saviour
of the world, the grace of God, and our only true repentance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That is the gift that David
found. Having known that he irreparably
fractured his relationships in the world, all he had left was to trust that God
would remain faithful in the face of David’s own incorrigible faithlessness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">And God did; the fruit of his
promise to David realized in another promise to a teenage unwed mother that the
child in her womb would save the people from their sins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">And that child did just
that. From the womb, to the cross, from
the cross, to the grave, and from the grave to everlasting life Christ bore out
the promise of God’s own unending and unbelievable grace – the promise that YOU
are the beloved of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">You are the beloved of God
because of Jesus’ love for you; the beloved because you believe. Not what you do. There is nothing you will ever do that will
make God love you more; there is nothing you will ever do that can make God
love you less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Believe in the Son. Find what it means to never hunger or thirst
again; because all you need has been given.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Find what grace is: those
things of the Father, and of the Son, of the Holy Spirit; those things that are
part of you in your baptism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Let the people of God say
amen.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-29510838161643947102012-07-06T19:27:00.001-07:002012-07-06T19:27:19.643-07:00Thirty Chubby Toes<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We just got back
from a week of camping. Well, sort of camping. When we go on our
holidays in summer we bring with us our big tent - one that fits all of us,
from the least to the biggest - and that makes nights a little easier.
Our family tends to take up a lot of space when we go places, and staying
in hotels all the time just isn't possible. So, we bring our big tent and
set it up in Amma's (my mom) backyard, or in the yards of friends with whom we
stay when we wander across the prairies on our summer adventures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">This past week
took us to Little Bow Provincial Park, at a reservoir down in the coulees of
southern <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alberta</st1:place></st1:state>,
where I grew up and where my heart, for the most part, still lives. The
series of reservoirs draws like a scar across the prairies, uninterrupted
vastness as far as the eye can see until the earth opens and the glacial till
reveals the sculpted break of land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">My inlaws, the
Co-Director's parents, sisters, and their spouses and kids all had neighbouring
sites. There were 22 of us altogether - 8 adults and 14 children, the
eldest of which - a cousin - was 10. It was beautiful chaos, filled with
love and passion and that bursting bundle of raw emotions that a child becomes
when new surroundings, new experiences, and an astounding lack of sleep
combine. I pitied the people next to us. When we went to the beach
it looked like an invading army of munchkins: that beach was owned, pounded by
related toes and feets, sandcastled, sand-fortressed, and expurgated under the
relentless excursions that brought us to the water, and back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">At the end of the
day my littles were done. I mean well-done. Eyes that drooped in sleep
glowed with manic intensity as they strove to keep on playing, to squeeze every
last drop of togetherness and family out of their cousins, as if they had to
stock up until the next time they saw each other. I couldn't blame them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">But eventually, fatherly
prerogative overruled my desire to let them play. But they were filthy.
So I took the two boys and our big girl to the only place in the campsite
that had hot and cold running water; a shower room. Well, showering with
all of them would have been like trying to corral a group of slippery eels.
So, we took over the broad counter with two sinks, and I sat them up on
the counter and I took a towel and set to the business of getting them as clean
as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">From top to bottom
I scrubbed: sun-reddened foreheads, little bits of stubborn sand at the corners
of their mouths (from throwing toys at each other), grit that gathered where
sunblock and sweat rested in the little folds of their skin. Dirty little
hands became...somewhat...shiny under my care, though such deep-seated dirt was
not going to come clean without application of chisel, a day off work, and a
mission statement. I cleaned them all the way down to their toes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It was as I
cleaned those thirty chubby digits with my towel that I peered up into three
sets of eyes - all different, yet all mine; flesh of my flesh, and bone of my
bone. They looked at me, trusting me not to tickle but hoping I would at
the same time; trusting that I, their father, would make sure they were ready
for the next days' fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">And I wondered
what Jesus thought as he cleaned the feet of the disciples on one particular
night. Did he see them from the beginning, or who they were becoming?
Christ, the greatest of all, became the servant of those whom he loved -
even the servant of the one who betrayed him. There was no action, no
potentiality, that brought anyone out of the love of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I withered under
those six earnest eyes. I looked into them, trying to discern their
future: happy, sad, exhuberant, tragic? I thought of all the endless
cliches that surround parenting, especially fatherhood - the sappy, meaningless
drivel that is supposed to give joy to someone who's idea of being a father is
buying hockey equipment - and I realized that they were all wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I cannot protect
my children. I am neither big enough, strong enough, or powerful enough
to protect them from all the things that life will throw at them. I
cannot save them from bullies, from bosses; I am even powerless to protect them
from someone intent on bringing one of them to harm: I an neither omniscient,
nor omnipotent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">But I am their
father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">And because I am
their father I can care for them: I can scold them, encourage them, get them
dirty and make them clean again - as their heavenly Father made them clean in
their own baptismal waters. Scrubbing thirty chubby toes clean, I
realized one thing: of all the memories I hope I make for my children, rather
than a toy, or a holiday, or an experience - I hope, I pray, that they remember
the day their daddy washed their feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">And I hope I
remember those thirty dirty toes my whole life long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-23416506040822085092012-07-06T19:26:00.002-07:002012-07-06T19:26:42.027-07:00Laughter<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Laughter</span></u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">At Little Bow, as
always, I ran in the morning. Unlike other occasions, running at Little
Bow is marked by a whole lot of 'up', as I run along the road that snakes its
way from the coulee floor the level of the prairie above. As I ran today,
I found myself meditating on the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>akedah</i>,
the biblical story of the binding of Isaac.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Do you know how
Isaac got his name? It means 'laughter' in Hebrew. The little boy
was called laughter because his mother Sarah laughed at the heavenly messenger
who told her that God's promise to her husband was going to be fulfilled in her
own barren womb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I wonder if, so
many years later, Mary laughed when her own heavenly messenger came to tell her
that God's promise to his people was going to be fulfilled in her - of her, through
her. Do you think you would have laughed? I think I would have.
The narrativist Luke notes that "she pondered in her heart that
which the angel had told her" - I laugh out loud at ponderables every day.
I hope Mary was no different. I wonder if the angel told her to
call her baby "Jesus" because he was afraid there was another Isaac
in the making.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The story of
Isaac, though, is tainted by near tragedy. Or maybe it's a farce.
An angel tells Abraham "take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you
love, and offer him up as a sacrifice to God." Abraham is asked to
sacrifice his only son in order to prove his own love and devotion to God.
But Abraham is ready, and he prepares to do just that. He takes
Isaac, binds him, and prepares to offer him as sacrifice BUT, at the last
possible moment, the angel intervenes. Abraham has proven his faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">But there comes a
time when another Father is called to give up his Son. But this time,
it's not God who demands the sacrifice, not at all. This time, the crowd
does; the leaders do; we do. All our judgements and hard-heartedness
demands that the interloped who<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>dared</i> to
proclaim God's love and forgiveness to all should be judged himself, by our
own, more rigorous standards. Because we who love sin more than
forgiveness turn instead to God and demand that<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>he<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>sacrifice<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>his<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>Son to prove his love for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">But unlike God
with Abraham, we do not relent. We are not welcoming of that kind of
mercy. There is no last-minute reprieve. There is only the crowd,
the cross, the crown, and death. But even the One tied to the altar
intercedes:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>forgive them, for
they know not what they do</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Laughter, indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Because I think on
that Easter morning, when the stone rolled away from the tomb and Jesus walked
out of the gates of hell, the gates of death and to the glory of his Father, I
think, I think, that the garden rang with the sound of a delighted Father's
laughter; that the Son was clothed in the best robe and given the best seat at
the table, while the proud Father looked at his work and beamed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It is finished,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">the Son said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It is finished,
indeed. And may we find at the end the joy of the Father's laughter
reveling in the delight of his Son - his only Son, whom he loved, whom he
offered, whom he gave, whom he raised, and in whom he delights. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Heaven is a
Father's un-ending joy, ringing out through all creation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-88521661102030813472012-06-05T08:39:00.002-07:002012-06-05T08:39:39.272-07:00Holy Trinity - June 03<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Do you know what <i>déjà vu</i> is? It’s that feeling of having been somewhere,
or done something before. In fact, it’s that feeling of reading the 3<sup>rd</sup>
chapter of John’s gospel for the 3<sup>rd</sup> time in 12 weeks. I’m almost at the point that, when I die and
go to heaven and meet Nicodemus, I’m going to kick him in the shins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It’s not that there’s
anything wrong with Nicodemus, and certainly, John 3:16 speaks as clearly to my
own heart as it does to that of any other Christian believer. But it’s not all there is in the gospel. Not by a long shot. It’s a beautiful synopsis; a clear snapshot
of the gospel in a few words. If it is
all you have to guide your faith by, you will find little better. But the fact of the matter is that Christians
have more – much more – revelation and Scripture to use to guide their faith
that <b>just</b> John 3:16. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A while ago, two airline
pilots were disciplined when their airliner was found to be 150 miles off
course. The pilots blamed a faulty guidance system; the airliner accused the
pilots of being asleep. The actually cause
is probably somewhere in the middle: both bodies could have, and should have,
been more responsible for their own actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I know that many of you
remember the story of the <i>Gimli Glider</i>,
a Boeing 767 enroute from <st1:city w:st="on">Montreal</st1:city> to <st1:city w:st="on">Edmonton</st1:city> that ran out of fuel and was forced to glide to a
landing at the thriving metropolis of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gimli</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">Manitoba</st1:state></st1:place>. The cause?
Fuel in the aircraft had been calculated using the relatively new metric
system, but recorded in the traditional manner of gallons and pounds. There had been a fundamental shift in the way
that airlines and air travel operated, but the individuals involved still clung
to their previous ways of doing things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It’s kind of like distilling
the entire bible down into John 3:16, and then decided that one verse is all
you ever need. As good as it is, if you
build a theology around just one verse of Scripture, you will miss countless
others that will break you down, and build you back up again. Because just one verse of Scripture can’t
stand alone out of the thousands that are contained in the Bible; there are
many verse that seem contradictory, confusing, consanguineous or corrupt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As a result, the church
through time has developed doctrines that help define or bear witness to a
traditional understanding of theological things; since today is Holy Trinity
Sunday, in a practice first set aside in the 10<sup>th</sup> century we
celebrate the only festival day that commemorates a doctrine of the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And yes, the Holy Trinity is
quite possibly the most confusing doctrine of the church. Far more learned
scholars than myself have gone on record to say that there is no rational,
static, definition that describe the Holy Trinity without confessing some very
old heresies. It is best describing
using language that is active, relational, and dynamic – in short, using
language that speak of God <b>being</b>,
rather than God <b>doing</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That is to say then, that we
need to re-orient ourselves out of the traditional Lutheran practice of
believing doctrine for doctrine’s sake, and into the <i>experience</i> of God made manifest and visible to us through the written
Word, the Word proclaimed in the church, and the Living Word of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, perhaps John 3:16 is kind
of a magnetic north, that can keep us oriented in our lives; but what the Holy
Trinity then supplies is not something as antiquated as a road map or as direct
as a GPS; but rather the guarantee, and promise, of companionship on our
journey. If we simply fix our sight on
that magnetic north and strive for it (as many polar explorers have throughout
our own history), we will leave our path strewn with broken relationships,
bodies, and become even more alone and isolated than we thought possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, think for a minute about
what it might mean to truly <i>experience</i>
God. To be close. There’s a whole heap of devotional literature
that longs to describe it; God as a gentle, loving Father; God as the righteous
judge; God as one’s best friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And turn to Isaiah, and see
what Isaiah saw. Isaiah 6 is a vision;
it’s a dream, or an oracle, and Isaiah describes actually experiencing
God. And it is terrifying for him. Isaiah is standing in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Temple</st1:city></st1:place>, where God lives; God's presence is so
large, that the hem of the Lord's robe alone fills the temple space. This is
vastness. Strange and wonderful creatures envelop the throne. Smoke obscures
the whole scene. We are used to the images of fire and smoke, cloud and height
being associated with God. It is all here. And, in comparison with that
grandeur, we see ourselves, along with the narrator, as puny and inadequate. In some classical artwork of this scene, and
along with some commentary on this lesson, people have captured the expression
on the faces of those seraphs not as ecstasy, but agony at being so close to
the pure, unadulterated holiness of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But God's power to cleanse
and make whole is ready to do its work. It
not something that Isaiah does for himself; instead, recognizing that his is
unclean and powerless in the presence of God he is overcome with guilt, and one
of those seraphs – itself a servant of the Lord – comes and bear God’s
redeeming power in the form of a burning coal.
As he is made clean, Isaiah joins the hosts around God’s throne, and as
a cleansed servant of God is sent out again to bear the word of God’s own work:
that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place>
can be saved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But of course, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> doesn’t
listen. Instead of coming together in
the promise of God (who promises to all people), they remain fragmented and
aloof, trusting in foreign powers and the rich and mighty of their own society
and ignoring the few and needy among them as unworthy and untouchable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">All this happens before the
revelation of God made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. On the other side,
is Paul, writing to the fledgling church in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place>, itself fragmented and conflicted. The church was struggling with relationships
both within its own walls and with the culture that surrounded it – as was
every church then, and now. Paul’s
response was to write to them, and remind them that their faith looked very
different from the faith that centred around the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Temple</st1:city></st1:place> and it’s actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What Paul did was to describe
that the relationship between believers mirrored the relationship that God has
with God’s own self: it is the Holy Spirit that leads us to recognize that we
are children of God the Father, and sisters and brothers with Christ, the
Son. The Spirit that we receive – the
same one given on Pentecost, received at our baptism – is a Spirit that should
lead us out of fear and into freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Being oriented to fear leads
us to curve inwards, putting our own needs and desires ahead of others. Fear – fear of death, fear of the unknown – is
what drives us to consume and define ourselves by what we have, or what we can
get. It’s the “he who dies with the most
toys” mindset; the same one that equates our self worth with our net
worth. Paul knows what he’s saying when he
points out that way leads to death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It’s fear that drives us to
define ourselves over and against another group – and fear that divides
us. The greatest moral challenge of the Lutheran
church in the 20<sup>th</sup> century was when it began to form ecumenical
agreements with other Christian bodies and participate in ecumenical ministries
– instead of sitting back and refusing to engage with others until they agreed
we were ‘right’, the bodies that became the ELCIC began to see that if, indeed
we had received a Spirit of adoption, then we can remain ourselves and still be
in relationship with others in our community.
That, in fact, <i>unity</i> did not
mean or require <i>uniformity</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">They re-oriented themselves
so that, rather than their own (obviously) correct orthodoxy at the centre, the
Trinity became that centre and their own relationships – flawed though they
were – modelled after the God who called them, gathered them, and enlightened
them, just as every Christian has been called, gathered, and enlightened by the
power of the Holy Spirit working in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And perhaps, beloved, that is
the biggest thing to learn from a doctrine of the church. That doctrine does not save us, but is meant
to satisfy us to some extent that God is indeed active and working in our
lives. The Holy Trinity – an ancient
doctrine of the church that bears witness to God who exists in unity and in
community, in turns bears witness to us that we are called into modelling that
relationship with others – orients us to understand that in the relationships
in our community that we bear witness to our own adoption, and our own
salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Bearing witness to the fact
that, indeed, God did so love the world that God redeemed it, cleansed it,
called it, and sent it out as the body of Christ in that same much-loved world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Be that body, beloved. Your souls are won. In your baptism you are adopted into the
family of God and become beloved children.
Live in that family. Love each
other. And make it your priority to
enlarge that family – multiply our smiles here, beloved, because God smiles on
us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-34184610749779408222012-06-05T08:38:00.001-07:002012-06-05T08:38:50.906-07:00Pentecost Sunday - May 27, 2012<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mortal,
can these bones live?</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The prophet Ezekiel stands at the edge of a valley;
it is full of bones. He does not know
why it is full of bones; but full, it is.
Bleached white by the sun, they stretch as far as the eye can see and,
as the Lord leads him around he sees that there are many, and they are <i>very</i> dry. There is nothing left; nothing to bind bone
to bone, to animate them, to give them life.
There is nothing, not even hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Where did those bones come from? Ezekiel doesn’t know, only that they are the
bones of the whole house of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The great <st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">David</st1:placename>; the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Solomon</st1:placename></st1:place>,
the nation of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob has fallen. They are bones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">How does that happen? How <i>can</i>
it happen? A great calamity, a great
catastrophe has befallen the great nation - upon which rested the promise of
God – and they have become nothing less than a valley of dry bones. What could that have possibly <i>been</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In C.S Lewis’ book <u>The Screwtape Letters</u>, the
author imagines conversations between the under-demon Wormwood and his boss, the
uber-demon Screwtape. It is Wormwood’s
challenge to afflict one particular believer, to undermine his faith. Screwtape’s advice to Wormwood is that the
“safest path to hell is a gradual one,” in which the main challenge is to
confuse, conflict, and eventually corrupt a person, rather than tempt them to
evil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At one point in the letters, Screwtape notes that
the greatest weapons they have are disinterest, dis-connection, and
dis-heartenment. After all, it is not
necessary for the tormentors to incite a person to evil – it is enough simply
to let their faith slide off into nothingness, into a valley of relativity and
self-pleasure, where they become nothing but dry bones. Screwtape encourages Wormwood to promote
passivity and irresponsibility in his charge, noting that “God wants [people]
to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about
what will happen to them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Maybe that’s what happened to the bones. Maybe, faced with the challenges of faith,
they found it easier to disconnect from the life-giving community and their
bones each joined the bones of others who found that, alone, they could not
sustain themselves. The Spirit of God
and promise of God was not given to just one individual, but to the nation that
sprang forth – and that God’s word is liberating not just to one individual,
but through community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Peter stands with one community that is learning the
Spirit of God is moving among them.
They’ve been fractured, but they’re beginning to pick up some of the
pieces. Their grief is still raw, yet it
is tinged with something else. It is
hope? Maybe. They’re standing in the valley, and it is
full of bones. The bones have names: <i>joy, community, hope, peace, love…the
future.</i> They are very dry, but
somewhere, a wind is stirring. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The disciples have seen Jesus ascend into
heaven. Matthias now stands in their
midst, taking up the responsibilities of Judas.
They are faced with a hostile crowd, still anxious and ready to put to
death anyone who wants to question the status quo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Into the reality of a group that has seen their
leader die and experienced the wild hope of resurrection, when they have
already scattered and been brought back, it is going to be easier to walk away,
to stop caring and stop engaging in the community, to become a safe face in the
crowd. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They’ve seen the cost of believing. The cost of what they do is the price of who
they are. It is a high, high, cost to
pay – but what is it worth to them, for forfeit their lives to be part of
something greater?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Somewhere, they can hear the question: <i>mortal, can these bones live?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Today is a bit of a rare occasion; Pentecost is
commemorated once a year, and of course in the congregation there is an
awareness that confirmation Sunday should happen at some point in time – but,
perhaps you’ve noticed that I did not, in fact, have a youth confirmation
class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But then three people expressed interest in the same
themes and ideas, and we began to meet together, and I did suggest that they
could, on this day, choose to publically affirm their baptism. On this day, they do, indeed, think more
about what they do and less about what will happen to them. There is no huge price for them to pay today
– but in their faith lives, they have each intimately known the cost of
discipleship. We affirm our faith
together; individuals affirm their baptism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We all have our share on trials and temptations, and
I think we can all likely track our own struggles with the Christian
faith. Whether we believe in such a
lively sort of temptation as CS Lewis, or simply become aware of our own
periods of indifference and disengagement, we can understand together that
faith is never our job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As Luther affirms, and as we
believe, teach and confess in the explanation to the Third Article of the
Apostles’ Creed (Small Catechism): “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or
understanding believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. But the Holy
Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified
and kept me in one true faith… even as he calls, gathers, enlightens and
sanctifies the whole church.” The Spirit is alive and active in you and in me,
re-making us in the very likeness of God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ezekiel stands in the middle of the valley,
surrounded by bones. But I would, with
some confidence, guess that many of you know what that valley looks like, don’t
you? You’ve been there in your personal
life, your professional life, your family life.
You know what it’s like to be surrounded by death and without hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So I ask all of you this,
today: <i>mortals, can these bones live?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">YES! Those bones can
live. You know they can – you have been
those bones. Those bones are very dry,
ALL of our bones – our beings – are very dry.
In the waters of baptism they are given life, and as at Pentecost the
Holy Spirit breathes life into them, and raises them up from the pit in which
they lie, and they have life – but more than that, they have abundant life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The bones live, they have
life, they are built and brought up and out by the power of nothing less than
God’s own Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">From dry bones that have no
life to the bodies of the whole of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> that rise up and worship
their Redeemer; liberated from the hopelessness of death and the endless
weariness of life – they are restored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Instead of more
scorching heat of fire, God breathes life into the dry bones. Those who said, “we are dried up and our hope
is lost,” find hope restored to them and they are raised up by God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mortal, can these bones live?</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Yes, these
bones can live. Though dry and tested
and weary by days and years in the wilderness, they will find life. Those who felt their hope cut off, find that
they are restored. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">“I will put my
spirit within you,” says the Lord, “and
you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil, and you shall know that
I am the Lord thy God.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Be the church
together, beloved. Pray that the Holy
Spirit will continue to move in the lives of those who today affirm and renew
their baptismal covenants; pray that the Spirit will continue to move in your
lives, and in our life, together. The
Holy Spirit is the gift to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">church</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>’s renewing
presence. Pray and sing, taste and see
that the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> is with us, and
among us; with you, and among you, and know that your bones will live, and find
life everlasting through the magnificent gift of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-66139836911071263482012-06-05T08:37:00.002-07:002012-06-05T08:37:41.254-07:00Easter 6 - Fruit that Lasts<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A long, dark hallway. That’s what I remember. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Odd, because hospitals only have
long, dark hallways in the movies – especially when there’s some psychopath
hiding, ready to jump out and attack you.
But there was no such luck in this hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It was my second year of
Seminary, my first month of clinical pastoral education; a eight-month hospital
internship that was supposed to help me a) hone my pastoral skills; and b)
become more self-aware about myself and my call to ministry. The long, dark hallway represented my first ‘near-death
experience’ – not my own death; but the first time that I, as a chaplain, was
called to minister to someone who was dying, and was called to care for their
family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Quiet panic was the order of
the day. As I walked down that hallways,
I was filled with all sorts of thoughts and doubts – thoughts about what I
would say, what I would see; doubts about my abilities, and doubts about my
call and vocations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And this verse wandered
through my head: “<i>you didn’t choose
me. I chose you.</i>” And somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of
my mind I thought: “gee, thanks Jesus. I’ve
been chosen. Now what!!??”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Now what?” Jesus replies:
“now, go and bear fruit that lasts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I think that one of the
hardest experiences we may share as Christians is that seminal moment when
we’re called to put our stated faith into action; to go and sit with the family
of a dying person, to bring a casserole to the mother whose husband just left
her, to knock on the door of the home of the family that just lost a child,
take a deep breath, and love them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That’s bearing fruit that
lasts. And curiously enough, that’s
something Christians don’t do often, or well.
Because we live in a society of instant gratification, we think that
because we spout out a sound byte, or shake our heads at a culturally
appropriate time, that we are bearing fruit: it’s quick, easy, and makes us
feel good. Like buying an apple at a
store, and declaring it to be ‘our apple’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But like Christianity that is
purchased at a church, that apple has been picked too soon, commercialized,
chemicalized, and commodified. It may
not even wither and die – it will remain waxy and glossy on the surface long
after it has rotted at its core. If you
have ever tended a fruit tree, though, you know the work that is required to
produce good, lasting fruit. Incessant
pruning, caring, and hard work is necessary to bear good fruit, and that fruit
does not last long when it is removed from the tree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> President Barack Obama made history this
week, when he became the first President in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> history to go on record as
stating that he supports gay marriage.
Rush Limbaugh stated that Obama has declared war on marriage – but his
first, second, and third wives couldn’t be reached for their opinion. Being homophobic is not showing support, or
love, for family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But, interestingly enough, if
someone hangs out a sign promoting ‘love for families’, or ‘support for
families’ they risk being immediately labeled as exclusive, fundamentalist,
misogynistic, or some combination of all three – because of the association with
fear and violence that reactionary, hateful rhetoric of the debate has come to
represent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Fruit that lasts isn’t
opinion, or repeating verbatim what some pastor said. The only fruit that lasts is love; and love
shows itself in action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There is probably no word
more mis-used or mis-understood in the whole of the English language than
‘love.’ People ‘love’ chocolate (and I’m
going to avoid pointing at my wife at this point!), they love sports, money,
vacations in Mexico, their car, their hairstylist, and we all know that most
men just love beer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We also know that with a
divorce rate approaching 50%, love for beer and chocolate is often considered
far more important than love for one’s spouse.
There are appreciation days for ‘beer lovers’ and ‘chocolate lovers’ and
‘shopaholics’ – “free love” was my the anthem of my mother’s generation, the
Beatles sang “love is all you need” and there’s a sign outside a store I drove
past the other day called “The Love Boutique” (I somehow don’t think that’s a
therapy group). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The way we love shapes our
families: it’s a hard rule to learn about parenting: it’s easy to say words to
build up a child, than it is to say words to repair an adult (I know enough
adults struggling to repair damage done in childhood by hurtful words spoken by
parents).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When I was younger, a friend
of my mother’s was trapped in an abusive relationship. Her husband beat her, threatened her and her
children, controlled her in terrible ways and made her life almost unbearable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">One evening I overheard my
mother talking to this woman. My mother
asked, “why do you stay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And her friend replied
simply, “he says he loves me.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Beloved, we love as we have
been shown love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You’d think, for all the
community-awareness campaigns for domestic violence, that the rate would be
going down. But it’s not. It’s going up. The only war that’s being waged on the family
is the one that happens when love is confused for control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The love that is given to us
– that is modeled for us by the Saviour – is the love that we need: love lived
in sacrifice, in community, and in joy.
There are so many interpretations of the idea that someone can ‘lay down
their life’ for another. But here’s
something to think about:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There is only one person in
all of history who chose to lay down his life, and that was Jesus – because
only Jesus did not <u>have</u> to die.
Everyone else does. No one
chooses to lay down their life, because it is not theirs to lay down. Through sacrifice, suicide, or stupidity, we
can chose to end our lives early – but they are still going to end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Christ, the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, the by whom we became children of God chose to
lay down his life in death so that our death would not be the end; and we he
picked his life up again he raised us up through his power so that the fruit we
bear would be eternal fruit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We bear fruit that lasts
because of the gift of Christ within us; the living waters of baptism in which
we are washed, blessed, cleansed, and claimed by God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Because of God with us, we
bear fruit; because of Christ within us, we bear fruit that will last
eternally: the proclamation of love and grace that we are part of something
greater than ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We did not choose to bear
fruit; the fruit tree, left to its own devices grows gnarled and notched. But beloved, we have been chosen to bear
fruit; to be the stones out of which Christ builds God’s holy church. Every stone in a wall is under pressure, but
that pressure is shared by every other stone.
Every piece of fruit on every giving tree is nourished by the same
nutrients that come from the root; there is none that is by nature better than
another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Be the church together,
beloved. Support each other. Care for each other. Love each other. You have been given the gift of joy – share
that gift.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-35476076457323329202012-05-02T08:09:00.001-07:002012-05-02T08:09:10.286-07:00Easter 4 - Good Shepherds<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">So, we’ve just been through
an election. You may have noticed. You may also have noticed that, to paraphrase
U.S novelist Mark Twain, that reports of the death of the PC party were greatly
exaggerated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Really, if my own
prognostications about the direction St. Matt’s was headed in were as accurate
as the pollsters who covered our election, you would rightly boot my big bald
head right out of this pulpit and make sure I was settled into a profession
where I couldn’t do any damage – like, say, provincial politics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">And, having gone through our
own democratic process, I can help but turn my attention a little bit to our
neighbours to the south, where the Republican nomination process continues with
slightly less fanfare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">By ‘slightly less’, I mean
that some of the media hype has been toned down a bit. For a little while, the rhetoric was so
exaggerated that I began to think that the second coming of our Lord would get
less press than Newt’s campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But I don’t think that the
language used was unintentional. All the
campaigners used the language of ‘strong biblical values’ to garner votes. All of them – some more than others, granted
– sought endorsement from prominent church figures in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. And what amazes me (what absolutely <i>confounds</i> me) is that if the delegates
could get an endorsement, it came with the assumption that the thousands, if
not tens of thousands, of votes from the followers of those people would be
theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Because those church leaders
would literally – and did – tell their congregations that certain delegates
were ‘anointed,’ ‘ordained’, or ‘chosen’ by God, and thus worthy of their
support. And there was no middle ground,
either – there was only going to be one flock, and either you were in, or out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Does that make them
shepherds? Is that what shepherds do –
tell the flock where to go, and what to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Does that make them ‘good’
shepherds? Somehow, from a means of
describing the Saviour, it has become a competition: the best shepherds have
the largest flocks, where the sheep go to be seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It’s something to think
about. Because it doesn’t seem to be how
scripture describes them. The image of
the shepherd is one of the most powerful metaphors that scripture uses to
describe God. It mixes descriptions of
leadership, servanthood, responsibility, and love at the same time – and then
holds that up what the world expects, or wants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Turns out the world falls
short.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">What the world wants most in
a leader is someone who will give them <i>what
they want</i>: lower taxes, better wages, free healthcare, free money, free
cable TV….the list is endless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">What the shepherd shows us is
different: because David can say “the Lord is my shepherd,” he can also say “I
shall not be in want.” Shepherds don’t
give the sheep what they want. In
reality, I haven’t the foggiest idea what sheep actually want out of life. But a shepherd gives the sheep what they <i>need</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">On the fourth Sunday of the
Easter season, the focus of the readings shifts from accounts of the Saviour’s
resurrection and turns more toward focussing on the question of <u>who</u> is
Jesus – not a simple question to answer, so our understanding becomes rooted in
faith, not a descriptive or biographical tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">And that faith starts with
the image of the shepherd, but a very unique one: the gospel of John points out
that the good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sheep. And there’s something else: when Jesus says
to his people “I am the good shepherd,” their first thoughts would have gone to
the Psalm, but also the prophet Ezekiel, where God the Father speaks and says
“I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Small wonder, that a few
verses later in John’s gospel, the crowd takes up stones and accuses Jesus of
blasphemy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The
prophet Ezekiel - long before Jesus walked on the shores of the sea of Galilee
- talked about a shepherd, too:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I
will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will
bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen
the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with
justice. 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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The
crowds wanted to stone Jesus. What kind
of flock are we to be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We
are meant to be a flock that follows, understands, and tries to be like our
shepherd. There’s one thing that
separates us from sheep – we have the capacity to love each other, and to serve
each other. It’s in this very human
dynamic that a two-centuries-old metaphor begins to fall apart. There are many people who claim to be
followers of Jesus – even better followers than others – but who also say that
they don’t ‘do’ organized religion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">To
them, I say: come to St. Matt’s. We
don’t do ‘organized’ religion, either.
But at some point, to profess faith in Christ is to realize that you are
in need of a shepherd; and a shepherd is going to bring you to a flock. That flock won’t be what <b>you</b> want; it may be, though, just what you need. There will be black sheep, white sheep, brown
sheep, fluffy sheep, shorn sheep; sheep that are wounded and broken; sheep that
are weak, and sheep that are strong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But
they are all members of one flock: they all have one shepherd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">You
are that flock; you serve the shepherd and there is salvation in no one
else. Abide with Christ: serve each
other. Love each other, and God will
abide in you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Let
the people of God say ‘amen.’</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104794006917490828.post-81532335059129678482012-05-02T08:08:00.000-07:002012-05-02T08:08:09.236-07:00Easter 3 - Resurrection People<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Have you ever stood on the losing
side? All the way back to elementary
school – on the playground or in phys.ed class, do you remember that crushing
feeling of defeat that twisted your stomach, made a knot of your anger, and
just made all of life feel drastically unfair?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Or maybe you still know that
feeling. You’re at the bottom of the totem pole at work,
given the worst assignments that are unachievable while others sail past you on
the promotion scale. Your relationships
are in tatters. Your bank account is
getting increasingly slim while your bills are getting larger. You’re a…loser.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The apostles could commiserate with
you. In spades.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The gospel lesson for today is the
conclusion of Jesus’ appearance to some believers on the road to Emmaus. But it starts a bit earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It starts right after the
Resurrection, on that same day. Luke notes that Jesus has risen and appeared to
Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, the other women who went with
them to the tomb, and last of all to Peter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">But the other disciples thought the
women’s proclamation to be (and I quote from Luke 24:11) ‘an idle tale, and
they did not believe them.” In the face
of a bitter, crushing defeat the disciples simply chose not to believe, to
consider the women as too dumb to know the truth – they were losers. Jesus was dead, they’d watched him die –
heard his cries and his screams of anguish, heard the taunts of those who
crucified him and of those who died beside him.
Dead is dead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That’s what the apostles said:
“you’re wrong. You’re
hallucinating. Jesus hasn’t risen – he’s
still as dead as he was before. We have
nothing to be hopeful for.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There was no sun to peek through the
clouds of their grief and hopelessness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And two of them get on the road to
continue on their journey, to the city of <st1:city w:st="on">Emmaus</st1:city>
which is about 7 miles outside of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>. While they’re walking they’re idly chatting
with each other. You know the kind of
conversation: “what if we’d done something different? What if we’d tried harder? What if we’d fought back instead of being
meek?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And while they’re walking a stranger
joins them, and quietly listens to their conversation. After a while, he asks: “what are you
discussing?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And those two people (identified
only as Cleopas, and one other) look at the stranger like he needs his head
examined: “are you the only stranger in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city></st1:place>
who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And the stranger said, “tell me,” to
which they replied: “the things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, who was condemned and
crucified, even when all our hope and trust for the future rested with him. And even more – this was three days ago, but
today some women of our group astonished us! They went to e tomb this morning,
and when they did not find the body there they came back and told us that they
had seen an angel who said that he was alive.
Some of us went with them back to the tomb and they were at least partly
right – no body, but no angel, either.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Now consider those two travellers –
they’re followers of Jesus, certainly.
They know that Jesus was tried, condemned, and executed. They’re close enough to the apostles to be
with the group that morning. But other
than that, they’re nameless. They’re
like everyone else who hovered on the fringes of the movement – aware of Jesus,
putting hope and trust for the improvement of their lives on him – and now
bitterly disappointed that their hope was (they think) unfounded. For them, at that moment, there is no
resurrection.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">But that stranger keeps walking with
them, and tells them, “how thickheaded can you be?” and he begins to tell to
them all the things written about the Saviour in the Scriptures. They wanted a messiah; they got a <i>saviouri.</i> But even in the face of this, they are still
slow to understand until the evening when they finally encourage the stranger
to stay with them, to share a meal with them.
As the stranger breaks the bread at the table, their eyes are opened and
they recognise that the stranger sitting with them is, in fact, their Lord
Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And in that moment, Jesus
disappears, leaving the disciples astounded, amazed, and kicking themselves for
being so hard of heart that they even failed to recognise joy and healing when
it was offered. Right at that moment,
they get up and run back to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city></st1:place> <i>in that same hour</i>; and they find the
eleven and their companions still gathered together. And then they make their own incredible
proclamation: “The Lord is Risen!” and they tell of their incredible afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And it’s from here that our gospel
lesson picks up. But in reality, as they
almost always are – the gospel lesson for today is a mirror of ourselves, how
we act, how we think, and how we too try to ignore Christ in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Think back to the last time you
found yourself without hope, hurt and angry, disgusted with yourself and too
tired (or so you thought) to care anymore.
Now, consider what those two travellers did:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 54.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">they withdrew from their
community, as we often want to do when under stress.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 54.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">They left the place where
their troubles had started, and tried to get as far away from it as possible<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 54.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">They endlessly rehashed the
possibilities – the should’ve/could’ve/would’ves<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 54.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">They reacted sarcastically – <i>you must be the only stranger…</i>-- when
someone asked about their trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That’s human nature. We want to turn into ourselves when we’re
hurt and sad; we don’t want reminders of that sadness around us and we often
want to get away from it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And you know what? Sometimes we need to, because sometimes Jesus
appears to us on the road, bringing us a resurrection of a different sort. The disciples didn’t need bodily resurrection
at that moment – they needed a resurrection of hope, of their spirits, of their
future. So do we.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Think of your own life. You’ve found yourself in the pit before –
facing nothing but a long and high dark wall.
Take a moment, and reflect on this:
who, for you in that moment, was Jesus, to you? Who embodied the resurrection for you in that
moment?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Who
walked with you and listened as you told your story?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Who
appeared in your life and gave you hope?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">What
community showed to you their own scars, and welcomed you into their midst? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Those people proclaimed the
resurrection. They proclaimed hope to
the hopeless, rest for the weary, love for the brokenhearted. That is what it means to be Christ, to
witness of the unbelievable grace and mercy of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We are no different, no better, have
no greater potential that the apostles who gathered in that room. God calls each and every one of us to
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as certainly as the apostles were sent out
into the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shout the good news! But, remember: preach <i>Christ.</i> Don’t read the bible
to people. Don’t quote bible verses at
people, helpfully prefaced by “the bible says…”. I can quote scripture at you until I’m blue
in the face and your ears are bleeding.
If I’m not preaching Christ – if I’m not <i>feeding</i> you the Living Word of God – then you’re dying of spiritual
malnutrition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Live as <i>resurrection people</i> – live as people who are aware of their own
times of trial and depression, and despair, but who still form a community of
hope, who are fed and nourished by the Word of God, broken and shared.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Be conscious, not only of how people
help you in your life, and of how those people embody Christ to you – seek to embody
Christ to them. Proclaim to them – in
word, in deed – the liberty of those in bondage to death and its many faces
through the grace of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You have, each and every one of you,
your own story you can tell of resurrection.
We rest in hope knowing that for us death is not the end but everlasting
life – and in that same way all for all those times when we walk through the
valley of the shadow of death we need fear no evil, for Christ is with us – in
community, in relationship, in life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Your minds are as open to
understanding the scriptures as were those of the apostles, the message of
forgiveness and mercy, love and understanding, repentance and change. Go out and be witnesses of these things. Let your lives be witnesses for your. If you want to speak but don’t know what to
say, just make one thing certain: In all
that you do, in all that you say, let those to whom you speak understand one
clear and simple message: Christ is Risen!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You are the resurrection people --
we proclaim new life…in community…in abundance…in hope…in Christ. Christ is among us. You are witnesses of these things.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Amen.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Rev. Michael Macintyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301004869889501394noreply@blogger.com0