Some Hazards

Reflections on 1 Peter 2.2-10

"... But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people. ... Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ..."

To whom is such high praise being offered? It may come as a surprise that this letter is not addressing members of the emperor’s court, nor the leading established business people, not even the clerical hierarchy of the churches! No. This letter was written to new Christians. And who were they? They came from the ranks of the displaced, or with the status of slaves. They were the dispossessed, the outcasts of the Empire. These people were socially, economically, and politically marginalized.

When we know that, we may hear the words a bit differently. This young Church was in a precarious position, within the Roman world; a position which we can hardly begin to imagine. It was not a “pillar of society”, not a comfortable gathering of like-minded people of similar backgrounds. It was not a social club, created to meet the needs of its members. Neither were the clergy a respected group in the city, who could organize a Consul’s Prayer Breakfast, or a Remembrance Day Service. They were not a “force to be reckoned with”; any letter of protest from the bishops would carry no weight with the government.

But the Church certainly did understand it had a purpose. They were called to take the risk of offering hospitality. Their mission was to be a safe place of refuge, for those who were not welcome in the society. Those newly baptized would have found, in the Christian community, a new standing, a new status. They discovered the good news, that God, in Christ, had created, for them, a new place; a place where they were valued; a home for those who had no spiritual home.

A “holy nation”, that is, sacred, made separate from, not ordinary. A “chosen people",that is, chosen by God, for God’s purposes, to reflect God’s values.

Being “chosen” means that it is God’s church, not ours. We need constantly to remind ourselves that we have been chosen to be set apart from the world. Set apart in order to proclaim God’s acceptance of the unacceptable, God’s hospitality, and God’s mercy to those who receive no mercy. But far too easily, the church identifies with society, and with our cultural values. In particular, our North American church has so bought into the established economics, and values, that little difference can be seen. We are to take our identity from Christ; but his values have little to do with keeping busy, striving for status, or getting more money and more stuff.

This should provoke us to be aware of some hazards; let me suggest three.

1. The first is the enticement to which small churches are particularly susceptible, any church that pictures itself as “small”, and understands that smallness as “not good”. The lure is to try to grow, bigger or better, by means of various schemes and gimmicks. Unfortunately, many of these programmes or methods tend to view things through the eyes, and values, of the very world from which we need to be providing a place of refuge. [“Bigger is better, so is faster, and louder”, etc.] But, where are we, when we attempt to make ourselves “attractive”, by taking up the values, and the structures, of the surrounding culture? We are called to offer an alternative household, to those who are “weary and heavy laden”.

2. The second temptation is in how we hear these phrases:
"... You are a royal priesthood ..., [and are to] be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices ..."

It is the newly Baptized who have this status. This means, these words are addressed to lay persons. Not to the clergy. One certainly could get a different impression today, when taking part in a Diocesan service at a cathedral, where the fine robes (signs of power and status), are worn by those in the highest seats, and in strict hierarchical order!

3. In this passage, all of us are called “God’s people, a royal priesthood”, etc. Those words certainly point to a high status. It is easy to begin to believe that this status is a result of our own goodness, and worthiness, and effort. We may forget this is a gift, from God. When we do that, there soon appears the temptation to exclude others. We see them as not to be included, because “they” are not as good, righteous, or hard working, or they fail to show the same level of commitment or of contribution, as “us”. All of which are variations on “they have not earned our place in the household”.

There are many dwelling places in our Father’s house; Christ has prepared, for each of us, a place.

Advent Reflection

A Reflection, for Advent, on Isaiah 2.1-5 and Matthew 24.36-44

In Advent, our focus is on time - but not chronological time, rather “kairos” time, in this sense of “significant season” or “propitious” time. Advent, and its wreath, is not simply a “countdown to Christmas”! The original focus of Advent was the future, the "second coming". As Anglicans, we sort of acknowledge that possibility, but we don't make a great deal of it. Possibly, because we shy away from the wild and bizarre interpretations we sometimes hear. But the underlying meaning of the concept is, not a literal physical "return" of Jesus to the earth. Rather, “the return of Christ" is symbolic language for the hope that God's reign, the Creator's purposes (of peace, justice, well-being for all, care for the earth), will, in the end, reign supreme.

Isaiah of Jerusalem expresses hope for the coming of God's reign. Hope that his people will see what time it is, what the “season” is: that the days are coming when "the mountain of the Lord's house (read: the reign of God's peace) will be established" ..."for out of Zion shall go forth instruction (that is Torah, or: "teachings").

And, it is still our hope ~ that the peoples of the earth will wake up, and see, what time it is. It is time to stop using all this energy and resources for swords and spears, and use our energy and resources for ploughshares and pruning hooks; not for killing and destruction, but for feeding and nourishing.
"... neither shall they learn war any more." Isaiah's words are carved into a wall of the United Nations buildings. Those words have not yet been fulfilled. But, they remain a vision, that calls us to walk in the light of peace and justice. Surely, it is time!

In the Gospel reading, Jesus is also speaking about being aware of what the time is. He speaks about what we call the "second coming". And he says that no one, not even the angels, not even the Son, knows when that will be. Despite the strange interpretations, and precise predictions, that we may occasionally hear, no one knows, or ever can know, when the Lord will return, when the "end" will be.

However, not knowing is not an excuse to be lulled into a false security. Jesus gives the example of the people of Noah's time. They were busy “eating, and drinking, and marrying”. There is nothing wrong with the people doing those things; it is just that they were not awake. They were assuming everything was, and would be, business-as-usual. And could, and would, always continue, world-without-end, amen. Noah, however, did not wait [like our Prime Minister], until “all countries were on board”! He knew when it was “time”. The others “knew nothing”. Likewise the householder, in the third little story, who was not alert to the thief. That is the point of these stories: Be aware! Be alert! Be ready!

Now. Let's move our thinking out of the future, away from the hypothetical. Let’s understand Jesus as speaking, not about
encountering God at the "end of the world", but now, in our time, in my reality. Let's hear his words as calling us, now, to be aware, that we may be in for a surprise or two; that not all will always be business-as usual. Let's hear him alerting us, that at an un-expected time, there may come into all our lives, from time to time, an un-expected encounter with God. Something that profoundly tests us, that will "judge" or "evaluate" us. It then becomes a propitious time.

Imagine something that really wakes us up, and makes us:
- be aware of, and question, what our priorities really are;
- makes us question, what our values really are;
- makes us be aware, of what we actually are doing; are thinking; are believing.

Sometimes this can be something major. For example, sudden bad news, a serious illness, a crisis in a relationship.
~ we are forced to face some very important, maybe disturbing, questions (probably questions we were avoiding).
~ some changes must be made. Maybe some big changes; maybe some quiet little ones.

On the other hand, what wakes up can sometimes be something quite ordinary. Just for a little example, imagine being in the mall, frantically shopping for Christmas, suddenly, stopping, and asking: - do I really want to do this?; - just who is it I am trying to please?; - is this actually how I want to spend Christmas?; - is this, in fact, how I want to live?

And, if we don’t push the questions away, some changes must be made. Maybe some quiet little changes; maybe some big ones. Another little example: what if I decide I am NOT doing Christmas dinner this year !! - is that a big, or little, change?

Advent is an invitation, to wake up from our numbed existence, our tame expectations, and consider life anew.
Advent calls us to keep alive our hope, for justice, well-being for all, a cared-for earth.
And, especially, Advent warns us, to keep awake, for the coming of the Lord, to be ready, for an unexpected intrusion of God.

Rembrance Day Reflection

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The Torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

One line of John McCrae’s poem which has always stuck in my mind is “Take up our quarrel with the foe:”.

The second verse makes it clear that, throughout the poem, it is the dead who are speaking to us. So it is the dead who, in the third verse, tell us: “Take up our quarrel with the foe: / To you ... we throw / the torch; ... / If ye break faith with us who die / We shall not sleep, ...”

But, who is the foe?

For the people whose sacrifice we recall each Remembrance Day, the answer was clear ~ the foe was simply the enemy country. But for us today, the answer is no longer that clear. Who is "the foe" in John McCrae's poem as we read it? Is it simply the enemy country? I wonder...

We believe that the women and men, whom we remember each November 11th, “died in the cause of peace". We understand that they were fighting for peace, against oppression, against injustice, and (at least in the case of the Nazis), against an oppressive regime, bent on a holocaust of genocide, the destruction of any who were labelled as "inferior", or even "different".

I suggest the “foe” was not simply Hitler, nor Germany, not Japan or North Korea, not even the Communists. I believe that the "foe" was the thinking, which led to the breaking of peace, and the attitudes which had allowed regressive regimes to come to power. They are the real "foe". When one fights to defend peace and justice, then the foe is injustice, and whatever destroys true peace. The “foe” is the attitudes which allow injustice, allow peace to be broken.

If, as the Dead in the poem warn us, the torch has been thrown to us, then we are called to take up the quarrel with that foe. The foe that was, and still is ~ oppressive or legalistic dogmas; ~ racial or religious intolerance; ~ any indifference to the suffering of others; ~ political doctrines which put more value on the "bottom line" of the budget than on human dignity; ~ religious doctrines which justify injustice, or deny compassion, to any of God's family; ~ any attitude that would divide the human family into "them" and "us".

Those attitudes are the foe. They are the foes with which decent humans have always quarrelled, and with which we always need to take up the quarrel. Those who gave their lives have thrown to us the torch, which brings truth to light, They "shall not sleep", their sacrifice will be in vain, unless we take up the quarrel against those same foes.

Our battle is just as desperate as any other war in history, even more difficult, because the enemy lines are not so clear for us. We find these attitudes too close to home. We find them in our friends, in our churches, in our families, and we find them in ourselves.

Some of us are old enough to remember the cartoon strip by Walt Kelly, called “POGO”. (I think it was a take-off on the "cold war" of the mid 50's). The creatures in the Okeefenokee Swamp believe they were overrun by an atrocious enemy, and they go to look for it. Eventually they find the footprints of the enemy, but soon discover that the footprints were their own. They have been going around in circles. They report back, “We have found the enemy - and he is us!”

So, as we remember those who have sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace, let us resolve to "take up their quarrel with the foe". Let us remember that wars can be prevented, by ordinary people: by people who work at understanding one another; by people who insist on speaking and hearing truth; by people who treat with dignity and respect those who are different from themselves; by
people who insist that the "law" of love and compassion takes precedence over any other human-made regulation; by people who strive to prevent communities from being divided into "us" and "them".

Let us strive for peace, by finding, and naming, the foe; starting with ourselves, and our own attitudes.

Whom Does Worship Change?

[Reflections on Isaiah 1: 1,10-20]

Although Isaiah’s ministry was in Jerusalem, some 2700 years ago, he can still speak to our time. First, he condemns the worship practices of the people of his time:
... What to me (asks the Lord) is the multitude of your sacrifices? ... bringing offerings is futile ... my soul hates your appointed festivals, they have become a burden to me ... even though you make your prayers, I will not listen. ...

We could probably not imagine how those words, critical of their cherished worship traditions, would have shocked the regular temple-goers. But, this was not an impulsive rant. Isaiah was seriously concerned about the health of the nation, and of their relationship with God. This is a carefully considered warning, and a serious call to change. Worship can never be separated from the rest of life, from everyday social and business relationships within the community. And, in case there should be any doubt, Isaiah states clearly exactly what is missing:
… remove the evil of your doings ... seek justice, rescue the oppresed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow ...

No doubt, Isaiah would tell us that our worship is also simply an idle exercise, unless it (1) connects with our life the rest of the week; and unless it (2) brings about changed hearts, changed directions in our lives. For example, do we think of our worship as a duty we perform, to please God, to make God like us?; or as something we do to please others, and make them admire us? OR, is our worship something that changes us, re-forms our attitudes and opinions, and strengthens us in our striving for God’s purposes of justice and peace?

Worship, without a life of justice, is hypocrisy. Isaiah calls upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to listen to God’s teaching. What was their sin? NOT some sexual perversion (as is often assumed); the sin was a lack of hospitality. Ezekiel [16.49] spells it out clearly:
… The sin of Sodom is the pride that goes with food in plenty, comfort, and ease, yet ever helping the poor in their need. …
Isaiah's calls his society to:
...seek justice, rescue the oppressed, and defend the orphan, plead for the widow ...

We must translate his words into words for our society; we need to ask, “Who are the oppressed, the widow, the orphan, for us? who are the equivalent people today?” Widows without a pension would still be on the list; we would easily add many single mothers. One wonders how well gay or lesbian teenagers manage in a small town in Alberta! Economic refugees, and now, increasingly, environmental refugees, are in need of justice. And, I still hear the assumption that people with non-British or European names are somehow not ”Canadian”.

We each will have our own list of who are the oppressed, but essentially it means any who are powerless in our society, those at the bottom of the heap, who are the victims of the policies which benefit those at the top of the heap. Isaiah's society was experiencing a widening gap, between the rich-and-powerful, and the poor-and-vulnerable; much the same, I suspect, as the widening gap today, in our world, and country. We are experiencing the so-called "free” market economy transform our society and our world. We are beginning to learn how costly that is, costly for the most vulnerable, and costly for our environment. But somehow, the human costs, and the environmental costs, are never factored in to the calculations of this global economy; mother earth, and human labour, are simply "resources" [ie: to be "used"]. We even hear leading politicians tell us, “Yes, we must be concerned about the degradation of our environment; but not if there is any expense to the economy! Isaiah warned his people, Isaiah warns us:
... if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword...

No society, then or now, that flouts justice and compassion, which are the very nature of God, can hope to escape the consequences of its actions.

We are in danger of misunderstanding our worship. We often approach worship as if it were a way of "manipulating" God, trying to get God to do what we want God to do for us; to fulfill our purposes, our desires. (My favourite example is the prayer group, that intensely prays for sunshine for the church picnic - when the area is in the middle of a drought!) Worship is meant to change us, not God! Worship should help us to conform ourselves to God's purposes and desires, God's purposes of justice and compassion.

Only one thing ...

Reflection on Luke 10.38-42

Another good story from Luke. This may be the first visit Jesus made to the home of Mary and Martha, a place which was to become a place of refuge for him. We hear of a bit of tension in the household, between the two sisters. But Luke is not just giving us some juicy gossip, about a family squabble. We should hear the story within its context, that section of the gospel called the “Travel Narrative”, where the dominant theme is teaching about discipleship. And, the incident comes right after the story of the despised Samaritan. The Samaritan story is about help, and hospitality, given by a stranger. In this story, we hear of hospitality given by Mary and Martha to Jesus. The two stories form a pair. On one level, they show the necessary balance, between love of neighbour (last week), and love of God (this week). But on another level, they tell us of another necessary balance; about doing, and about not doing.

Mary and Martha are each being good hosts, offering hospitality to their guest. Martha is hospitable (in the usual way), by being occupied with the "many household tasks" (we would say, "keeping busy in the kitchen"). Jesus clearly affirms this domestic work, as a valuable ministry. However, Mary shows her ministry of hospitality differently, simply by being open to what Jesus was saying. “She sat at his feet”. Now, according to middle eastern traditions, that is the customary position and attitude of a disciple, one who listens, and learns. "She listened to what Jesus was saying".

But Martha is offended. She has been left with all the dishes! We may notice that Martha does not speak directly to Mary, either simply to ask for help, or even to scold her. Interesting! Instead, she comes to Jesus, looking for his support. She asks if he does not care, that her sister had “left me to do all the work by myself”. She tells Jesus, to tell Mary, to help her. It is clear that Martha has some particular views about what Mary should, and should not be doing. And, she expects that her judgement will be confirmed by Jesus. But her expectations are disappointed. Jesus tells her she is "worried and distracted by too many things".

He adds, "there is need of only one thing". Well, what is “the one thing”? (It does not mean, as some have suggested, that instead of a five-course meal, one casserole would do!) What is the “better part”, that Jesus clearly states Mary has chosen? It is, to be a disciple, a follower, to listen to God’s “word”. Listening, hearing, rather than doing.

We all create so many distractions, so much busyness for ourselves (often quite good-intentioned and helpful, but still busyness). Being “on the go”, even “hectic”, is considered admirable; being “quiet”, or “not getting out”, is looked upon with disfavour. Certainly, we can do things to be of help to others; but we can also end up being busy-bodies. There is a balance, that needs to be found. As a culture, a society, we seem incapable of sitting, of being still, or quiet. But, how else could we ever be able to listen for, to hear, God's word. It takes time, and stillness, and withdrawal, to be able to discern God's word. God’s word for me.
And, God’s word for us, now. We cannot simply take every word, and expectation, of teachings of earlier times, and blindly carry those injunctions into our time, and our situation. We need much careful reflection. And that takes time.

The ministries of both Mary and Martha are necessary; both are part of our response to God. As individuals, we each need to be able to find a balance – the balance that is appropriate to each one of us, and it will be different from another’s balance. [The “Rule of Life” at the end of the catechism in the BCP gives a good outline of how this balance could be developed].
But a church community also needs balance. We need to support disciples whose emphasis is on their active ministry, in our homes and in our community; on what they do to be of service. And we need to support disciples whose emphasis is on their quiet ministry, who take time to listen, to learn, and study, and reflect: "What is God's word, God’s purposes?"

Let's take one more step. In the culture in which Jesus lived and taught, it was men (that is, adult males), who did the teaching; and the learning, who reflected on the scriptures. But Jesus would not perpetuate old teachings that were not compassionate. He broke boundaries that would exclude any group from God's love and acceptance. Today's story of Mary and Martha shows us the radical practice of the early church: women were full disciples; they were learners, they were permitted to discuss, and even teach. In the Samaritan story, in Mary & Martha’s home, Jesus breaks open a cultural restrictions; on perceived differences, on women. But the point in each case is the same: Jesus still today challenges his church to question, and break open, unjust boundaries; those discriminations and assumptions in our culture which restrict the dignity, or the full acceptance, of any human being - no matter how different or strange they may seem to us.

Take Time

A reflection on Ephesians 5:15-20
Some 20 centuries ago, Christians in Ephesus heard these words: "Be careful how you live, not as unwise people, but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine (for that is lacking soberness), but be filled with the Spirit.

... Let's consider some of these phrases. Why are the "days evil"? Because the Ephesian society held values which were vastly different from the understanding of the Christians. The author encourages them, and us, to hold on to the "alternative life-style", the "New Life", that we have been given. So, we are encouraged to live "as wise people". That means constantly questioning the values which are held by our society, and questioning the assumptions behind these values. Do we agree with what passes for "wisdom" in North America?

The first step is to "be careful how you live". This means "awareness"; being aware of what the reality before us really is. (That is why the author refers to keeping sober. This is not some puritanical opposition to alcohol; we keep sober in order to keep aware). Any addictive attempt to escape from reality, to numb our anxiety, is an avoidance of our awareness. *Wisdom is the ability, and the willingness, to see life as it really is; (not as we would like it to be).

So, I think it is along these lines that we must understand that puzzling phrase, "making the most of the time". Now my hunch is that the message many of us hear is, "Don't waste time"; one of the Great Commandments of our society: "Thou shalt NOT take any more time for anything than is absolutely necessary!" So "quick" and "fast" are among the highest values of our culture; "speedy" is better than "slow" or "leisurely". We have advanced to quick foods, automatic tellers, instant credit (even mortgages, apparently), The come to expect the "quick fix". (Have to WAIT?! - there is something wrong!) We buy lottery tickets, we take speed reading courses, we change our personality with a weekend workshop, we are guaranteed delivery of our pizza in 20 minutes. We try to squeeze as much ACTIVITY as possible into each day, each hour - even into a vacation!

This may sound like the rantings of an Old Grouch; but I think the author is urging something more profound here. "Making the most of the time", is also translated as "redeeming the time". "To redeem" is financial language; it means "buying OFF, buying OUT of" (like paying off the mortgage, or "redeeming" one's Canada Savings Bond when it matures). So, to "redeem the time" refers to the wise business person who KNOWS when to buy, and when to sell. It means making good, wise use of opportunities when they arise.

It does not mean keeping busy; in fact, it can mean the opposite: If one is too busy, one will not be AWARE of opportunities as they are presented. It was Pascal who suggested that most of humanity's problems are the result of our inability to sit quietly in one's room. It is not a Christian value to "be busy" (unless it is one of the "Deadly Virtues"). Busy-ness can be an addiction too, an escape from awareness of reality, to numb our anxiety. In order to "understand what the will of God is", UN-busy-ness is required. The stewardship of our time requires us to leave some Sabbath time, some INactive time; time for quiet and reflection.

To "make the most of the time" is to live with care, thought, sensitivity, AWARENESS. Awareness of our place within creation, our place within God's family, our place within society. Awareness that all our actions and thoughts have consequences - in either building up, or tearing down, the relationships of which we are a part. There is no quick fix here, nothing that makes us instant saints, who fully understand what is the will of the Lord. But we can grow into a fuller awareness of that Eternal Life; taking the time to be aware that Eternal Life is where we NOW live. In our worship, in our individual reflection, we are nourished for growth; nourished for our particular ministry;so that we can be more able to seize those opportune times, which, once in a while (or maybe even frequently), are presented to us.

Making use of "opportunity times" keeps us in tune, in harmony with ourselves, and with God, and her universe.
--Bryson

Reflections of Glory

(Thoughts on Luke 9.28-36 )

A mysterious event; we call it the "Transfiguration". Near the end of his teaching ministry, as he is on his way to his suffering, Jesus takes his three closest disciples up a mountain.

There the disciples witness two significant things:

1- The face of Jesus is changed, transfigured; his clothes become dazzling; they see his glory;
2- in this glory, they see Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus.

This is in the realm of mystery, in that area of truth where words fail us. Luke is at the extreme edge of language, where only picture language, and images, can convey truth. The"truth" here, has something to do with "glory", with beauty. The disciples are given a privileged insight into the reality of Jesus - the glory and the beauty of who and what he really is. And, not only of Jesus - but of all humanity. The disciples see the glory and the beauty of humanity; the beauty that the Creator intended you and I to have and be. This is the glory that Jesus came to restore in us. Something along those lines that is going on here, but it would be presumptuous of me to try to "explain" it; one does not explain a mystery!

Instead, let's look at another aspect of this event: Moses and Elijah. Why are they here? Let me suggest a possible meaning. Consider what Peter wants to do with this vision he has been given:

Peter (not knowing what he was saying), said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Peter's idea is probably to build what is called a "booth." This was a small shelter made of branches, used for a sort of "camp out," as part of the traditional week long celebration of the autumn harvest. "Dwelling" in this "booth" recalled the years of living in the wilderness, after the Exodus. Peter wants to build this booth so he can preserve this experience.

Quite understandable: to package the event up in a "dwelling", where he can keep it, control it, pull it out from time to time. (If this were today, he would pull out his camera, taking pictures to e-mail to his family). It is trying to "capture the event", "contain" the vision. Peter may be coming close to making an idol out of his experience; wanting to limit and control the mystery. But God's glory cannot be controlled, reduced, photographed, boxed up, or subjected to any limitation. And neither can humanity's glory; despite all our efforts to do so.

So Peter gets a dramatic answer to his suggestion -- a terrifying cloud, and a voice from God, which said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" Then Jesus was found alone, that is, Moses and Elijah had GONE. Moses and Elijah represent "The Law" (Moses) and "The Prophets"(Elijah); that is, the Scriptures (most of what we call the"Old Testament"). That was the Bible, for Jesus and his disciples. Peter wants to make a fixed "dwelling" for the Law and the Prophets; for the teachings of the Scriptures. Instead, the voice of God says, "This is my Son; listen to HIM."

Peter is being told, the Church is being told: You cannot limit the Word of God to words from the past (Moses and Elijah). You must not limit the Word of God to a set of written scriptures. The Bible is not the fixed and final message from God. To say that would make the Bible into an idol. It is NOT a "god" to be worshipped.

God's voice from the cloud said: "Listen to him". This listening is a process, an ongoing dialogue, between Christ and his Church. The Bible is not the "word of God"; God's Word is living - and is found in the living Christ Jesus. We live in a relationship with God's word; Christians (and Jews and Muslims), are in a continuous dialogue with their sacred scriptures, the Bible.

We do not proclaim the Bible; it is the Good News of God's love and compassion, God's forgiveness and acceptance, that is to be proclaimed. The Bible is simply a vehicle of that proclamation.

Our encounter, our relationship, is with the living Christ, who is the fullness of God's "Word" to us. The fullness of the glory, and the beauty, which God sees in all of us; which we are invited to see in each other, and see in the mirror.

--Bryson

Who Am I?

(A reflection on Mark 1.9-15)


Reflecting on the Sunday readings of Lent gives us a little "short
course", on what it means to be Baptized; on what it means to be a
follower of Jesus.

The first Sunday of Lent always presents us with the story of the
temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. This is year B, so we have
Mark's version. Unlike the more familiar Matthew and Luke, Mark
does NOT mention anything about the content of the temptations,
nothing about what the devil suggested Jesus should do. In fact,
Mark's emphasis seems to be NOT on the temptation at all (which is
quickly passed over in just three words). His emphasis is rather
on the time in the wilderness.

One could have expected a simpler story-line: that goes from his
Baptism, directly to his ministry; from his call, to his work.
But all 3 versions of the story interrupt that seemingly natural
flow with this time in the wilderness.

"The wilderness" is not a literal, geographic place, one could find
on a map. It is a "theological" place, a place of retreat - even a
place of exile. It means a time of prayer, and reflection, of
discernment. And so that usually means, a time of testing. For
Jesus, who goes there immediately after hearing the heavenly voice,
"You are my Son, the Beloved", it appears to have been a time of
reflection on this declaration. A reflection on who he was, and on
how he could be who he was; how he could carry out his calling,
his ministry.

That reflection is what the wilderness is for; that is why we need
to go there. To take time to ask, WHO am I? How can I BE who I
am? (Or, as someone recently put it, "What am I doing here? Where
am I going?"

And it is a dangerous place, because these are dangerous questions.
The answers could mean I might have to change. Change how I am
thinking about myself, change how I am being me. The temptation is
always to NOT be who I am. After Baptism, after entering into a
covenant with God, life simply cannot continue in its ordinary way.

And Mark tells us, pointedly, that Jesus was driven, by the Spirit,
into the wilderness. Driven! It is a deliberately strong word.
Maybe he would rather have not gone there. Maybe he needed a bit
of (what we call) "encouragement". We usually do not want to go
there. It is too lonely. There is no one to talk to, except
myself, and God. (And God doesn't usually say very much!) There
is no one to tell me what to do. Wilderness is exile; exile from
the culture and the society which runs counter to the reign of God,
counter to the purposes of God's justice and peace.

And it is a dangerous place. One is confronted by one's demons
there. I am confronted by myself. Much easier to keep busy, keep
talking, keep moving. But we are driven there. Sometimes by
outward events, some disaster. Sometimes by events of our own
making.

ollowers of Jesus, must know where to find their own nourishing,
strengthening "wilderness". But although a dangerous place, it is
still a place of protection; God's protection in the midst of all
that would threaten us. Protection against the fears that would
keep us from being who we are. The protecting presence of God, who
encourages, and helps, me to BE who I am.

Baptism is the sign of God's call to us to BE who we are.


-Bryson

Cured or made whole?

(Reflections on on Mark 1.29-39)

Mark packs a great deal of teaching into these few verses, three
scenes from the start of Jesus' ministry. Because this is part of his first
chapter, we can expect Mark to be introducing us to some themes which he
considers important. Let's look more closely.

1. The first scene (vv 29-31:)
On the Sabbath afternoon, Simon and Andrew bring Jesus home with them. The
mother of Simon's wife has a fever, serious enough for her to have gone to
bed. They tell Jesus about her; he comes at once, takes her by the hand,
and lifts her to her feet; the fever leaves her. Then, "... she began to
serve them...". Now, this COULD mean that she was sufficiently recovered to
return to her place, to her "women's work", in the kitchen: "Well, the guys
needed their lunch, eh?". Possibly. But more likely, something much more
is meant. The word Mark uses here for "serve them" is the same word he uses
throughout the gospel for "service", for being a "servant" of others. It is
the word for the MINISTRY of a Christian disciple. She "ministered" to
them.

This word-association is intentional. Later in the book, Mark pointedly
tells us that James and John, (who were witness to this incident), utterly
fail to understand. They ask Jesus for places of honour and glory in his
kingdom. His response is, that within the community of the disciples, the
greatest are the servants, those who minister in his name. And that is what
Simon's mother-in-law was doing. Her restoration to health, to wholeness,
enabled her to engage in her ministry.

2. Moving to the second scene (32-34):
Word gets around quickly in a small town like Capernaum! By evening, there
are numerous demands on Jesus to heal, restore, the sick. He is sought
after as a miracle-worker. This scene is a summary of the activity of Jesus
as a healer, but Mark's purpose of including it seems mainly to set the
stage for the third scene.

3. The next morning (35-39).
No doubt exhausted, Jesus got up early, went out to be alone, and to pray.
But not for long! The four come HUNTING for him, and excitedly tell him,
"Everyone is searching for you". In other words, "What do you think you are
doing out here? You are wanted back in Capernaum, you are in demand, you
are popular. Wow!" These new disciples have expectations of what Jesus'
ministry should be. Understandable; but they are not his expectations.
"No," he says, "We are not going back there. We are going on to other
towns." And the reason Jesus gives? - "So that I can PROCLAIM the message,
there also. For THAT is what I came to do."
Jesus did heal, restored the broken to wholeness. But he understood that
the first priority of his ministry was elsewhere: In his "proclamation of
the message"; in his teaching ministry.

This can be a hard saying for us. The crowds, like us, naturally want
cures, quick fixes, putting everything right, -and as soon as possible.
That certainly is good. But, in the way Jesus understood his work, healing
was more than a "cure"; to "heal the broken-hearted" is to restore
"wholeness". This is more than simply a physical cure of the body; it
involves a restoration to wholeness of the person.
That is, to a wholeness which enables the person to BE who they are in
God's eyes; -to a wholeness which enables a person to deal with the reality
they face; -sometimes to a wholeness enabling one to deal with a lack of
"cure"; -and to a wholeness which enables the person to undertake their
particular servant ministry. It is from lives which are restored to
wholeness, that wholeness can come, to our broken world.

And that does not mean immediate results, or winning popularity contests.
It involves much waiting, trusting in God; hoping, and expecting.
As Isaiah says, (40.31):
those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall soar as on eagle's wings,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
Or, as we say:
... do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine ...

Where is Galilee?

Reflection on the opening paragraph of Mark (1.1-11)

When we notice that this is the first paragraph of the first of the
gospels to be written, it may be a bit of a surprise. The "beginning
of the Good News of Jesus, the Christ" begins with John the Baptist.
Only then does the focus turns to Jesus, who "came from Nazareth in
Galilee".

What is surprising is that Mark introduces Jesus with NO reference to
Bethlehem or angels, none to angels or magi, not even a mention of
Mary. Mark, tells us simply, "... Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee..."

Well, what about Galilee? Hymns and Sunday School suggest a quiet,
pastoral countryside. A biblical geography book shows it is located
North of Jerusalem and Judea, about 800 square miles of gently
rolling hills, good for pastures and small farms, with a number of
villages and towns (including Nazareth, Capernaum, and Cana), and one
major city. And a lake, which supported a small fishing industry,
and upon which sudden storms were known to arise.

Three of the gospel writers tell us that the adult Jesus spent his
entire ministry in Galilee, before heading for Jerusalem. His
disciples were gathered from the people of Galilee, and the sermon on
the mount, or on the plain, was preached there.

The scriptures also point to another aspect of Galilee, related to
this "pastoral" image. John tells us that, when Nathaniel hears
about Jesus, he asks, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth? No
doubt, he is quoting a local proverb, or prejudice. Centuries
earlier, the prophet Isaiah spoke of "Galilee of the Gentiles",
meaning that (after the reign of King Solomon), it was occupied by
foreigners, and was "outside" the mainstream of Judaism.

Outside the main stream. That is the point. Galilee was the
backwater, the backwoods. For the urban sophisticates of Jerusalem,
Galileans were sneered at, as country bumpkins. (Well!, I mean, you
couldn't possibly find a Starbucks out THERE!)

Mark then goes on to tell of the ministry of this small town, unknown
Jesus. A ministry mostly to rural and small town people:
unsophisticated, poor, many of them outcasts, and shunned by the
higher levels of society. Shunned, because of illness, or otherwise
failing to meet the official standards of moral purity. People who
were crushed by the systems and structures and attitudes of the
leaders in Jerusalem. And when Jesus did speak to the wealthy, and
the religious leaders, he was clear about the danger they were in
because of their wealth, or position, or the unwavering certainty of
their opinions.

Jesus came with a proclamation, and a ministry of INTEGRITY and
acceptance for the despised and outcast; and a message of WHOLENESS
for the broken. A ministry that led him, eventually, to
confrontation in the city. We know what happened there.

Now, we notice how Mark ENDS his gospel. Again, there are elements
familiar to us that are NOT in Mark's story. There are NO
resurrection appearances; there is NO glorified, authoritative
Jesus, telling his disciples to "go into all the world". Notice the
last few sentences of Mark, what the frightened women at the tomb,
looking for the body of Jesus, are told:
... you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified. He has been raised; he is not
here. ... But go, tell his disciples, and
Peter, that he is going ahead of you, to
GALILEE: THERE you will see him, just as he
told you.

The followers of Jesus are told to look for him IN GALILEE. Not in
Jerusalem, the centre of political and religious power, but in the
hills of Galilee. That is to say, at HOME.

That is where we will find him. THAT is where the risen Jesus is to
be found; and that is where OUR ministry is to take place; in our
own homes, and our other workplaces.

Look for him there; He has gone ahead of us, there.


- Bryson

Go with the flow

a reflection on Matthew 25.

This image of the separation of the sheep and the goats is familiar (though I have never understood why it is the goats that get picked on; or, for that matter, why the left hand). This is a favourite passage of many preachers, especially for those who use it for encouraging generous giving to charities, or for justifying a crudely literal understanding of eternal punishment. So it needs a close look.

First, let us be clear what it is NOT telling us. It is not telling us that God is operating some sort of "merit system" for getting to heaven. We do not earn our way into the reign of God by a visit to a prison, or by a Christmas hamper for the poor. Good things to do, yes; but God is not checking them off on a "naughty or nice" list.

The reign of Christ is not DOing things. It is an attitude, a flow. The flow of God's love, of God's compassion, which is already in process - with or without us. We can join that flow, or we can ignore it; some even choose to work against it. Feeding the hungry, giving refreshment to the thirsty, protecting the stranger, are ways in which we participate in the flow of Christ's reign, God's Dominion, which is in the process of going on. "The Kingdom of God is within you" "Glory to God, whose power working in us..." That is our ministry, to join in the on-going flow of Christ's ministry.

If we chose to not "go with the flow", it will judge us; we will be separated from it. But to join it, we need only turn to those who are beside us. Who is beside us? As we know from Jesus' answer to that question, he means the one with whom we are not comfortable.

So we need to have a close look at who these people are. Who are these people with whom Christ so utterly identifies himself? Who are these people, in whom we meet Jesus by serving, or fail to meet, by not serving?

On the one level, they are those who are literally sick, hungry, in prison, etc. But we can see them on another level, when we remeber the context in which Jesus taught. Sickness then carried a cultural moral baggage, with overtones of "impurity", of separation from God and society. Nakedness implies not just poverty, but shame. Convicts and strangers have always made us uncomfortable. Hungry and thirsty do imply poverty, but with poverty, then as now, there is an underlying stigma.

In other words, these are the people on the fringes of our society, not at the power centres. They are the outsiders, unwanted, and undesirable as friends. These are the exiled ones, they and the ones who befiend them. The ones who know where the reign of Christ truly flows, and what truly reigns. No, it is not what we own, or what power we wield, or who admires us. What reigns in Christ's domain is shepherds, servants, and compassion.


-Bryson

Sometimes!

(Reflection on Exodus 33.12-23)

-- The Rev. Bryson Randall

Despite his success as a mediator between God and the people, Moses is running out of patience. Not just with the people, but with God. In fact, Moses even sounds a bit resentful here, resentful about how God is treating him. In the tradition which is long-standing in the Scriptures, Moses does NOT just keep silent and compliant. He complains, vigorously, to God:

Look here God! You said to me, "Bring up this people out of their oppression in Egypt", but now you are threatening not to go with us, and you have not let me know whom you will send with me.

The response which God makes to Moses, to us, is quite marvelous:

"You cannot see my face. ... But: go stand on that rock; and when my glory passes by, I will put you in a crevice, and cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

What happened here to Moses cannot be logically explained, or precisely analyzed. It is story; it is poetry.

But it does tell us that we cannot expect to "see" God, in the sense of having a direct, un-ambiguous certainty, about anything. In the time of crisis, the best Moses was given was to see the "back of God". As T.S. Eliot said, we can only take so much reality. We cannot see God's "face", the full reality of God. That is, we cannot see what is coming, what God has in store for us, what life is going to be bringing us. We cannot know or understand it ahead of time. We can, and must, deal only with what is before us at THIS moment.

But, we can, sometimes, see God's "back". That is, we can sometimes see a small part of what WAS going on. We can, sometimes, after the dust has settled, understand some of what was happening; and, maybe even some of WHY it was happening; why this particular (apparent) blessing, or this particular (apparent) curse, was given to me, or us.

Sometimes!

Where is God These Days?

-- The Rev. Coleen Lynch

Laws we don’t agree with, bombs going off in civilized countries, horrible car accidents, senseless murders, too many people we don’t know doing things that upset us. Where is God in all this seeming chaos?

Like all wonderful things about God and his word, we find the reassurance of his presence in Romans 8: 38. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, not anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. So what do we make of this for our real lives and our every day struggles to keep believing?

First and foremost we are reassured that God knows what’s going on and does care. No matter what is happening in your life or mine, he is fully engaged with us. As Christians we have the ultimate advantage of eternal life. We are ultimately and infinitely okay because, whether in this life or the next, God is with us. Small consolation you say, if one is suffering unjustly. Yet that is the very good news we need to hear from our Lord.

When the weirdness of life seems to be overtaking our thoughts, it is the wisdom of the Lord that reminds us that we can never be separated from his love. The challenge for us is to ask where God might be found in this particular situation and to actually pay attention to his presence. We would like God to respond as we would have him do. We want God to make people do what we want, not necessarily what God wants. We very easily pay lip service in prayer to “Thy will be done”. More often than not we mean, our will be done.

If you are unhappy about any of the events in the world and especially in your own life, ask God to reveal to you what you need to learn about his presence.

What in fact is God saying about same sex marriage? Every single human being is created in the image and likeness of our loving Creator. What can this mean for someone who is gay? How does that challenge those who are not gay?

What about people of different faiths? What do we really know about Islam and those who call themselves Muslim? Are we willing to find out more about other faiths’ beliefs and how their adherents live faithfully? All Muslims are not terrorists just like all Christians are not homophobic, racist bigots.

Sickness and death are integral to the human condition, even when it is no one’s fault or directly someone’s fault. It is into these very horrid situations of pain and upset that God’s love comes to us in the reassuring presence of Jesus. When we need comfort, guidance and especially hope, we need but to ask and the Lord really does provide. It may be a card, a phone call, a touch of the hand, a passage in the Bible, a quiet moment in nature, a familiar hymn in church, something takes hold of us and touches us in and under to reach our anxious hearts and bring us momentary peace. This is God’s love. This is God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the Holy Spirit giving to each of us what we need at any given moment of our daily life.

How do we access this great and wondrous love? – ask and it will be given you, search, and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened…how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him (Matthew 7:7, 8, 11b).

God bless you.

How Do We Treat the Sinner Among Us?

-- The Rev. Coleen Lynch

Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.
(Matthew 9:13)

Surely you’re not talking to us, Lord? In these last weeks the news has been full of human beings most despicable acts upon the helpless and innocent. What are we to do with those whose names have become notorious for the horrors they have reaped upon others?

Christians are often at the front of the line calling for harsher sentences, corporal punishment and even the return of the death penalty. What happened to the concept of mercy among us who dare to call ourselves followers of the all loving, all merciful God made one of us in Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour of us all? Whether we like it or not, and we don’t, God created all those whose crimes and sins seem unbearable and too horrid to imagine or endure. Why? – we ask, with no hope of a response.

Criminals do not sin because they are sinners, they sin because they are wounded, just like you and I. When any one of us has not received the healing we need for our own hurts, then we think and act in ways that are hurtful to others and ultimately hurtful to ourselves. This is never to excuse our behaviour whether we murder by weapon or character assassinate by word.

Repentance and conversion are obligations for all of us whether we’re living in prison or on a farm. I am yet to meet an incarcerated individual in the 30 years I have been in prison ministry who was not themselves a victim of someone else’s sin. If we want safer communities, then let’s treat each other appropriately. If we want our children to have healthy values, then we better be teaching them the values that make for a better world. If we are dishonest, abusive, gossiping, backbiting, hateful, and unforgiving then expect our children to be the same.

You will not have to look very far for an opportunity to ‘learn mercy’ as the Lord is asking us. Look at your family, neighbours, friends, colleagues, community members. Monitor your own qualities of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, generosity, truth telling and love. What is the Lord showing you about changes you need to make in your own thinking and acting? Ask for the Lord’s forgiveness for your own hurts you have caused others. Ask Him to help you to be the person He wants you to be. Pray for those who hurt and wound others so badly that we can barely stand their existence among us. Pray for healing for all of us that we may have a better world in which all of us may love each other truly as our Lord loves us and calls us to love.

We do not need bigger prisons. We need bigger hearts.

When Life Gets Hard

-- The Rev. Coleen Lynch

Easter and Spring resound with sights and sounds of bursting joy and enthusiasm. But what if you don’t feel that way? What if everyone around you is all excited about new seasons, new fashions, new relationships, new jobs, new beginnings of all kinds and you just feel lousy and stuck? Fear not.

Help and hope have arrived in the person of Jesus Christ. Before you stop reading this because you think this might be another bible-thumping, fist waving attempt to get you into or back into church, relax.

Two guys were walking along a road and depressed out of their minds because their best friend had just died. A stranger comes up behind them and joins them in conversation. He wants to know what they’re talking about. They tell him. Then he tells them all about a book he’s familiar with that predicted this would happen. He also reminds them that the story has a happy ending. They like his company and when it looks like he’s moving on, they ask him to join them for the night. He does. They’re having supper when the new guy takes the loaf of bread and breaks it. Suddenly life changes forever. They recognize who he is. He disappears. But they’re so excited they run back several miles to tell their friends that their best friend is actually alive.

When we feel sad, depressed, hopeless, tired, frustrated and down right out of sorts, along comes someone or some thing that almost seems to magically lift us from our pain. This is the experience of the Risen Lord in our lives. God is not about to abandon us just because we don’t feel well or worthy. God comes to us every moment of our lives, whether we’re happy or sad. In the person of Jesus Christ we have that friend we have always wanted – someone who will stand by us and still love us no matter what. If you’re unhappy about your life or yourself, talk to the Risen Lord. How? Just have a chat in the privacy of your heart. Go for a walk, take a bath, drive out in the country. Take a few moments and be still. Let Jesus know what’s on your mind. Ask for help, he gives it. Pay attention to your life. Notice the people and events that are happening around you. The Lord uses all of these to give you support, guidance and courage for the struggles you are facing.

By the way, the Bible version of the story is in Luke 24: 13-35, the disciples on the road to Emmaus. There are other great stories in the Bible that relate to your real life and mine. Give them a try. Read them, enjoy them, learn from them, even remember some of them. Soon we too will be joining “the guys” and saying “Were not our hearts burning within us, while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)

God bless you.

What Would Happen If I Was Happy

-- The Rev. Coleen Lynch

For some unknown reason, humans tend to be their own worst enemies. Christians are not exempt from this plight.

Lent is a time of conversion, change and transformation. It does not, and need not, be a time of morose navel-gazing and compulsive self-finger pointing. Change is natural to creation. Seasons change without gut wrenching recriminations and desperate pleas to the Creator as to why.

Yet we humans, the proverbial apple of the Creator’s divine eye, seem to fear the very process that will ultimately make us less miserable and more content, even happy. The Gospel of John presents remarkable stories of ordinary humans groping to understand Jesus beyond his literal words. When they do so, life is different and better for eternity. John’s Gospel gives us wonderful examples in people like Nicodemus (John 3: 1-17), like the woman at the well (John 4:5-42), like the man born blind (John 9: 1-41) – through their conversation with Jesus, he leads them beyond the literal into a deeper understanding and personal relationship with him.

If we but spend time with scripture and pray for the Lord’s guidance and insight, we will receive knowledge and wisdom and insight about ourselves and about Him. We will learn how to manage the reality of our daily struggles and anxieties by entrusting them to the Lord. We will be freed of hopeless and helpless thoughts that paralyze our actions and replace them with new found energy that will encourage us to seek the healing we need in our own lives.

Choose one of these Lenten stories from John. Read it, pray it, chat with the Lord about it. What is Jesus wanting you to learn about Him? What is Jesus wanting you to learn about yourself and your relationships with others? What is Jesus giving YOU that will make you happy and fulfilled in a way you never thought possible?

God bless you.

Why Bother With Lent?

-- The Rev. Coleen Lynch

s a culture, we suffer from the tyranny of inconvenience. We don't like to be uncomfortable or bothered by anything that gets in the way of doing what we want to do when we want to do it. We might be willing to try a fad diet for awhile if it promises enough results, but don't ask us to change our lives permanently.

Lent does just that. Lent invites us to change our lives forever and for better. Lent is not about a season, it's about a person -- Jesus Christ. Through coming to know Jesus in a real and meaningful way and committing or recommitting ourselves to follow him, our lives embrace possibilities we never thought could be ours.

Jesus breaks through our wall of hum-drum complacency and compels us to reevaluate our lives, not by the standards of the world, but by the standards of the Gospel. Belief in Jesus Christ is not about making us miserable. It's about offering us a way out of our misery so that we can live our lives to the full as he has promised (John 10:10).

The traditional practices of Lent -- prayer, fasting and almsgiving/good works -- provide us with the tools to deepen our faith and to live more holy and more wholesome lives. This Lent, try out these time-tested spiritual practices for yourself. Have a daily chat with the Lord, be with him, listen to him, read his living word in Holy Scripture. If your health permits, consider fasting a day a week -- two half-meals and one whole meal. Give up something if you wish, and offer the money or the time you save to a worthwhile cause important to you. Give something of yourself in time, money or possessions to someone outside of yourself. That someone may be as close as a family member or friend, a local neighbour, or someone in a distant land. Whatever you do, "draw near to God and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8).

God bless you.