(Homily presented at the marriage of Kathleen and Sandy during the weekly service)
Ever notice how at this time of the year, when we have had an over abundance of rain and now sunshine, that the flowers begin to bloom and fill up in the garden?
As it does each year, our back yard flower garden is filling up with an array of colours from various flowers. We even have an abundance of milkweed that attracts Monarch butterflies each year. Right now we are awaiting the return of the butterflies after a large hatching of eggs into the transformation process.
We have other plants with a lot of foliage, tall and some stretching our like the hostas. Brenda and I have collected a few “religious” plants as well, like the “Bishop’s Hat” that we enjoy each year. Well, as much as we enjoy our garden, it isn’t quite as simple as just letting the flowers and plants grow unto themselves. Left unchecked the way some of the garden is this year, inevitably you are going to get he weeds. This year I was smart. I hired Weed Man to take care of the dandelions, and while there are still a few hanging about, for the most part they are gone.
Unfortunately, in the back yard flower bed, the weeds grow strong especially with each rain. Have you ever noticed that the weeds are able to grow up right alongside the healthy plant and camouflage themselves? This is what drives me nuts. I have to get Brenda in just to peek at the flowers and educate me as to what is a weed and what is a plant.
Again, in today’s Gospel we have yet another parable that has an agricultural theme as we hear about the parable of the weeds and the wheat. Just like what happened in our flower beds, the same is happening in this story. If I were to simply pluck up the weeds without care, I could actually pluck up a healthy plant at the same time.
This is the same with the human condition. No matter what we try, we cannot escape a human nature that is more comfortable getting its own way, of a human nature that is tempted and can easily give in to sin, or those things that draw us from the love of God and neighbour. Perhaps it is the temptation to gain wealth at the expense of the poor, or perhaps the temptation to sexual sin that can lead to adultery. Or perhaps it is a temptation that simply pits person against person in an argument that distances us from others. The temptation and sin that follow does not have to be great. Sin is sin.
We are reminded in The Bible that God so loved the world, so loved you and me, that He gave His only begotten Son, to the end that all who believe would not perish in sin but have eternal life. This promise is ours, that God will not pluck up the weeds that grow up alongside us, that cause us to fall. Instead, God allows us to live with the temptations and of course the consequences and disasters that may follow. We have free will and can make independent decisions. Obviously, not all decisions we make will be pleasing to God or others.
The promise of Jesus was that He would not leave us alone to struggle in life. On our own it is hard enough. Jesus said He would send to us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with us forever. That promise is for you and for me. We know that when, not if, we sin, we are forgiven by God. That was why Jesus shed His blood and died for you and for me.
In return, we need to take care of ourselves. Just as we need to carefully examine the weeds in the garden and pluck them when safe, we need to be conscious of what tempts us in this life and to be cautious not to fall into sin. Eventually, as the parable states, the weeds and whatnot will grow up and be harvested. In the end, we all will be judged by God. Yet, while we have breath, it is our task to come to faith and to believe, to forgive and to accept forgiveness, to love as we are loved by God.
Brothers and sisters, if we can do this, we have a blueprint that will take us through this life in hope. As we give of ourselves in time, talent and treasure to God, we will be blessed. Therefore, let us be conscious of the seed planted within and of the weeds that grow within us and others. And, may that knowledge lead us to offer ourselves in love. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
July 10, 2011 Sermon: Pentecost 4, We Reap What We Sow
Good morning and welcome back to our heritage church, the “hidden gem” of the City of Winnipeg. I love repeating that because it rings so true.
This seems to be a time of new life. Not long ago, our family was graced with a new life in the form of a kitty... Miss Molly is only a few months old but has captured our hearts. She runs and leaps at her toys, laps up water, eats a ton, sleeps on your feet and is quite oblivious to the plastic cone around her head she wears to protect her from licking her surgery wound. She brings endless joy to us.
Next door to us, our neighbours had a new baby—Austin weighed in around 8 pounds and is seen out and about already. I am sure his big brother Carson is thrilled with the new life. Reminds me of when our two were born, what a great joy it was. Perhaps Carson, like Graham, said to his little brother.... “I’m the BIG BROTHER, I’M THE BIG BROTHER”, so as to remind the young baby where his place was in the family.
Now, if I were to sit down and chat with Brenda, she could tell me all of the benchmarks a new person has to go through in life. I sort of remember them, and have studied the stages, but she knows them and has been teaching Early Childhood Education, as you know. I would bow to the expert, but am certain there are life tasks that must be accomplished... the first sounds, the first sentences, the first steps, the first hair cut, the first solid food, the first bike ride, the first scrape, the first tears and expression of emotion... all of that sort of thing.
When these kinds of milestones are interrupted or not noticed, it causes the parent, the worker, to notice and to look into what needs to be done to encourage a step of growth. In essence, though, developmental theory is all about the stages we go through from birth to death. One of the secular theorists is Erik Erikson, who claimed there are eight stages—ranging from trust and mistrust, autonomy and shame, initiative and guilt, to the intimacy and isolation and integrity and despair that are dealt with at end of life.
James W. Fowler, in his book Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian, teaches about the stages of faith and human-becoming. In that chapter, he suggests there are seven stages of faith—Primal faith, Intuitive-Projective faith, Mythic-Literal faith, Synthetic faith, Conventional faith, Individuative-Reflective faith, and Conjunctive faith. Time does not allow for me to explain each of the stages but suffice it to say that just as a child grows from infancy to adulthood through to death in a developmental pattern, so too does the person go through stages in their maturing into faith. If one of the stages is missed, we may not see a person reaching fullness or maturity of faith.
Suffice it so say that if we cannot go beyond the understanding of the Bible as a collection of literal stories that tell of black and white rules to live by, we may choose to either live by those rules or ignore them. A maturing of faith in my opinion is one where the individual, like the growing and maturing adult, raises questions about everything he or she is taught and begins to reason through to find the answers for himself or herself. It is a process that leads, hopefully to a depth of faith that finds a person in relationship with a God who deeply loves him or her.
In our Gospel passage today, we read of Jesus using an agricultural metaphor to teach about growing in faith. When Jesus tells a parable, he uses the environment to tell a story that will teach. It is in the season of Pentecost, the season of growth, that we usually hear these stories or teachings.
Anyway, Jesus talks of the sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the path and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. When the sun rose, they were scorched and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them, other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
It’s a parable of growth. The four fates that befell the seeds roughly correspond to four different fates that await Jesus’ message:
So, then, just as we must develop as humans from infancy through teenage years through to adulthood, and finally the end of life, we, too, mature and grow in faith. As the developmental teachers like Erikson will tell us, there are challenges in each stage and if we meet them, we often will continue our growth. Often, we see maturity levels in faith increase where a person responds to a crisis or challenge.
That is what our Church is here for, the day-to-day living in this world, to bring glory to God by loving one another and responding in faith to where God would have us go.
Collectively, as a Church, our task is continue to grow and to learn and to bring Good News, to support and pray for one another and to spread the news that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son to the end that all who believe will not perish but have eternal life. God is with us in all of life, in its ups and its downs. Let us remember that in life we reap what we sow. Let us sow seeds of faith and pray they will fall on the responsive soil of peoples’ lives and hearts. May the Lord continue to guide us all into maturity of faith in the days and years ahead!
This seems to be a time of new life. Not long ago, our family was graced with a new life in the form of a kitty... Miss Molly is only a few months old but has captured our hearts. She runs and leaps at her toys, laps up water, eats a ton, sleeps on your feet and is quite oblivious to the plastic cone around her head she wears to protect her from licking her surgery wound. She brings endless joy to us.
Next door to us, our neighbours had a new baby—Austin weighed in around 8 pounds and is seen out and about already. I am sure his big brother Carson is thrilled with the new life. Reminds me of when our two were born, what a great joy it was. Perhaps Carson, like Graham, said to his little brother.... “I’m the BIG BROTHER, I’M THE BIG BROTHER”, so as to remind the young baby where his place was in the family.
Now, if I were to sit down and chat with Brenda, she could tell me all of the benchmarks a new person has to go through in life. I sort of remember them, and have studied the stages, but she knows them and has been teaching Early Childhood Education, as you know. I would bow to the expert, but am certain there are life tasks that must be accomplished... the first sounds, the first sentences, the first steps, the first hair cut, the first solid food, the first bike ride, the first scrape, the first tears and expression of emotion... all of that sort of thing.
When these kinds of milestones are interrupted or not noticed, it causes the parent, the worker, to notice and to look into what needs to be done to encourage a step of growth. In essence, though, developmental theory is all about the stages we go through from birth to death. One of the secular theorists is Erik Erikson, who claimed there are eight stages—ranging from trust and mistrust, autonomy and shame, initiative and guilt, to the intimacy and isolation and integrity and despair that are dealt with at end of life.
James W. Fowler, in his book Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian, teaches about the stages of faith and human-becoming. In that chapter, he suggests there are seven stages of faith—Primal faith, Intuitive-Projective faith, Mythic-Literal faith, Synthetic faith, Conventional faith, Individuative-Reflective faith, and Conjunctive faith. Time does not allow for me to explain each of the stages but suffice it to say that just as a child grows from infancy to adulthood through to death in a developmental pattern, so too does the person go through stages in their maturing into faith. If one of the stages is missed, we may not see a person reaching fullness or maturity of faith.
Suffice it so say that if we cannot go beyond the understanding of the Bible as a collection of literal stories that tell of black and white rules to live by, we may choose to either live by those rules or ignore them. A maturing of faith in my opinion is one where the individual, like the growing and maturing adult, raises questions about everything he or she is taught and begins to reason through to find the answers for himself or herself. It is a process that leads, hopefully to a depth of faith that finds a person in relationship with a God who deeply loves him or her.
In our Gospel passage today, we read of Jesus using an agricultural metaphor to teach about growing in faith. When Jesus tells a parable, he uses the environment to tell a story that will teach. It is in the season of Pentecost, the season of growth, that we usually hear these stories or teachings.
Anyway, Jesus talks of the sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the path and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. When the sun rose, they were scorched and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them, other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
It’s a parable of growth. The four fates that befell the seeds roughly correspond to four different fates that await Jesus’ message:
1. Some hear, but Satan or the evil one will take away what they learn, leaving them as they were. There is no growth here. This may be the casual visitor to a church, someone who maybe comes due to a certain event like a funeral or marriage or other special service. The person may have only a passing interest in “religion” and not open to the message.
2. Some hear, but the message cannot take firm root due to lack of depth and so the message does not endure. Perhaps a person has a casual attendance at church, maybe was baptised and went to Sunday School, but has been a casual attendee at best.
3. Some hear, but they have many other distractions that overwhelm the message, choking it off. Perhaps the person has a job that takes him or her away from Sunday attendance and on top of that has something on just about every day of the week. Perhaps the person is busy raising the family, and children are been driven to sporting or other activities. Perhaps the person is deeply committed to looking after a loved one who is in a Nursing Home and feels he or she must be close to their loved one. Often, I am told: ‘I would love to come to church, I am a believer and a committed Christian, but I have a lot of things that take me away from the church, making me a casual attender.’
4. Then there are those who hear the message and that message takes root in them and the result is a blessing to them and others. In such a person, he or she looks forward to hearing the Word of God, meant to offer spiritual food for the day to day routine in life. This is the person who understands he or she is in direct relationship with Jesus and who communicates with Him through prayer and who responds to His call to ministry and mission. This is the one who understands he or she is not the church by himself or herself and is connected as one member to the rest of the Body of Christ. As such, this is a person who is a responsible team member and who uses his or her spiritual gift given by God to respond to God’s call. This is the one who is a good steward of time, talent and treasure for God’s glory.
So, then, just as we must develop as humans from infancy through teenage years through to adulthood, and finally the end of life, we, too, mature and grow in faith. As the developmental teachers like Erikson will tell us, there are challenges in each stage and if we meet them, we often will continue our growth. Often, we see maturity levels in faith increase where a person responds to a crisis or challenge.
That is what our Church is here for, the day-to-day living in this world, to bring glory to God by loving one another and responding in faith to where God would have us go.
Collectively, as a Church, our task is continue to grow and to learn and to bring Good News, to support and pray for one another and to spread the news that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son to the end that all who believe will not perish but have eternal life. God is with us in all of life, in its ups and its downs. Let us remember that in life we reap what we sow. Let us sow seeds of faith and pray they will fall on the responsive soil of peoples’ lives and hearts. May the Lord continue to guide us all into maturity of faith in the days and years ahead!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
July 3, 2011 Sermon: The Yoke of Christ
Good morning and welcome… It’s a phrase we hear quite often but perhaps don’t think a lot about. In the Book of Common Prayer we hear it used a lot… “Come unto me all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.” It is a part of today’s Gospel reading and is used just before the Prayer of Consecration.
This is a good Gospel message to hear at this time of year when folks are gearing up for vacations or are winding down from perhaps a stressful time or circumstance. All of us labor at something, whether in the home or at work or even at play…most of us know about being heavy laden. That is when the trials and tribulations of life get to you. Perhaps it is during a time of illness, when coping day to day is difficult. If in hospital, it can be debilitating, as I have discovered in pastoral visits.
Or, perhaps the tribulation is at work, with a difficult contract. We have all lived through the postal strike and Air Canada negotiations. That was difficult on everyone, the staff and the businesses in the case of the mail and those who depend on the airlines as well as those who work for the airlines.
Tribulation can also come in relationships, whether it is dealing with the stress of separation in a family, or easing a marriage that been troubled or a relationship that has soured. It is stressful and difficult for all concerned. Then think of other tribulation—if you have been listening to the news or watching it on TV you can see the devastating effects of the flooding in Manitoba. I couldn’t believe the pictures I was looking at in places like Souris where the water is right underneath the swinging bridge. This, of course, is hard on everyone—homeowners and farmers and their families and local businesses are all affected.
Tribulation comes on a wider basis as well when we examine global conflicts and violence, especially the violence we see at home in our own neighborhoods. Then there is the tribulation that comes when life transitions occur—a new job is on the horizon, a parent making a decision to downsize to a smaller home or a nursing home or assisted living. Perhaps one of the more difficult transitions is losing a loved one through death. These tribulations all cause us to labor hard. There are many other tribulations that come to us in life and on our own we can labor hard to deal with them.
And so, into this comes Jesus who asks us to do one thing, to come to Him. This, my friends, is a conscious decision. No one can make another person decide for Christ, to invite Him to be a part of one’s life. This is a very personal matter. Even though we may be baptized, many of us when we were just infants, at some point we all need come to the understanding of this need to invite Jesus to be a part of our lives. This is made harder by the fact we are all humans with free will. We are not forced to come to faith. In the letter of Paul to the Romans, we hear more about why it is hard to come to faith.
“I do not do what I want, I do the very thing I hate,” says Paul, the great Apostle. “Now, if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But, in fact, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now, if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but it is the sin that dwells within me.”
If the Apostle Paul struggled mightily with sin, we cannot expect that we will do any better. Temptation is all around us. We fall into sin when we choose to do things contrary to God’s will, and we miss the mark so to speak, like the bullseye. We miss the centre. We sin and when we do, it can be very troubling and difficult to turn back to Christ.
Unfortunately, what sometimes brings us to Christ is crisis or turbulence. We labor hard. We face tribulation or crisis. We simply cannot cope on our own. That first step of turning to Jesus may be the hardest but it certainly pays off, as Jesus promised “I will refresh you.” Then, Jesus says this… “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” We can all learn something from this agricultural expression.
What is a yoke? For those who might not know, a yoke is used by farmers to train young animals. The yoke is a bar of wood constructed to unite two animals, in this case two oxen, the young and old. When yoked, the old ox will take the major load and the young ox learns from the older one. It is a way to allow the two animals to work in the fields, drawing loads and pulling instruments used for farming. This is a model for us for ministry. Often, when we first choose, or arrive in, a church, there is a tendency to want to get heavily involved. On our own, this can lead to quick burnout and disappointment. If we are not careful, some will choose to leave due to the stress this may bring on.
Instead, if we are “yoked” to more experienced members of the Church, those who have been in ministry for some time, and the task of ministry becomes easier. We all are called by Jesus into some kind of ministry. It is the responsibility of the church to ensure new folks are equipped and trained, whether it is a new choir member, or a new Altar Guild member or new ACW person or greeter or reader or any new task within the church. This is one of the reasons I wanted the chairs of various committees to write out their functions in a manual of sorts, so new members could follow along. It is also the reason the Worship Committee has helped me plan a Ministries Conference in October, where we will all learn about the various ministries in our midst—readers, greeters, servers, administrants, crucifers, acolytes, etc.
Being yoked with someone will make it easier, but this task is strengthened when the yoke is with Jesus. When we learn to put our full trust in Him, we begin to see that whatever weight we face in life is easier. When we learn to turn to Jesus in prayer and rely on the community of faith which is the Body of Christ we begin to mature and grow in faith.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, says Jesus. What do we learn? We learn how to love unconditionally. We learn that on our own we suffer, but with the help of Jesus burdens are lighter. We learn to forgive and we learn to accept forgiveness when it is offered. What was that saying in the Bible? We love because we were first loved. We learn by watching others in faith. The Bible says many in the early Church came to faith because of the deeds of the Christians… “Look at how those Christians love each other.” When we love, we are living the faith. The letter of Paul to Galatians Chapter 5 Verse 22, says this. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” When you see these attributes working in someone you are seeing the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus at work. The deeper we love, the more Christ-like we become.
“Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What a wonderful image Jesus gives to us, to those who are weary, exhausted or burdened from carrying the load by themselves. What a comfort and joy to know that Jesus is with us, walking alongside us, teaching us and strengthening us on our journey of faith.
This summer, as you are out and about remember you are never alone. Remember that Jesus is as close as your breath and you can turn to Him in prayer. Remember to call upon Him in times of stress and remember that as Christians we are called to serve, to love and to go out into our neighborhoods with a message of love and faith.
This summer, may you find strength for your journey and rest for your souls as you rest in Jesus, and may He bless us all in the days ahead.
This is a good Gospel message to hear at this time of year when folks are gearing up for vacations or are winding down from perhaps a stressful time or circumstance. All of us labor at something, whether in the home or at work or even at play…most of us know about being heavy laden. That is when the trials and tribulations of life get to you. Perhaps it is during a time of illness, when coping day to day is difficult. If in hospital, it can be debilitating, as I have discovered in pastoral visits.
Or, perhaps the tribulation is at work, with a difficult contract. We have all lived through the postal strike and Air Canada negotiations. That was difficult on everyone, the staff and the businesses in the case of the mail and those who depend on the airlines as well as those who work for the airlines.
Tribulation can also come in relationships, whether it is dealing with the stress of separation in a family, or easing a marriage that been troubled or a relationship that has soured. It is stressful and difficult for all concerned. Then think of other tribulation—if you have been listening to the news or watching it on TV you can see the devastating effects of the flooding in Manitoba. I couldn’t believe the pictures I was looking at in places like Souris where the water is right underneath the swinging bridge. This, of course, is hard on everyone—homeowners and farmers and their families and local businesses are all affected.
Tribulation comes on a wider basis as well when we examine global conflicts and violence, especially the violence we see at home in our own neighborhoods. Then there is the tribulation that comes when life transitions occur—a new job is on the horizon, a parent making a decision to downsize to a smaller home or a nursing home or assisted living. Perhaps one of the more difficult transitions is losing a loved one through death. These tribulations all cause us to labor hard. There are many other tribulations that come to us in life and on our own we can labor hard to deal with them.
And so, into this comes Jesus who asks us to do one thing, to come to Him. This, my friends, is a conscious decision. No one can make another person decide for Christ, to invite Him to be a part of one’s life. This is a very personal matter. Even though we may be baptized, many of us when we were just infants, at some point we all need come to the understanding of this need to invite Jesus to be a part of our lives. This is made harder by the fact we are all humans with free will. We are not forced to come to faith. In the letter of Paul to the Romans, we hear more about why it is hard to come to faith.
“I do not do what I want, I do the very thing I hate,” says Paul, the great Apostle. “Now, if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But, in fact, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now, if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but it is the sin that dwells within me.”
If the Apostle Paul struggled mightily with sin, we cannot expect that we will do any better. Temptation is all around us. We fall into sin when we choose to do things contrary to God’s will, and we miss the mark so to speak, like the bullseye. We miss the centre. We sin and when we do, it can be very troubling and difficult to turn back to Christ.
Unfortunately, what sometimes brings us to Christ is crisis or turbulence. We labor hard. We face tribulation or crisis. We simply cannot cope on our own. That first step of turning to Jesus may be the hardest but it certainly pays off, as Jesus promised “I will refresh you.” Then, Jesus says this… “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” We can all learn something from this agricultural expression.
What is a yoke? For those who might not know, a yoke is used by farmers to train young animals. The yoke is a bar of wood constructed to unite two animals, in this case two oxen, the young and old. When yoked, the old ox will take the major load and the young ox learns from the older one. It is a way to allow the two animals to work in the fields, drawing loads and pulling instruments used for farming. This is a model for us for ministry. Often, when we first choose, or arrive in, a church, there is a tendency to want to get heavily involved. On our own, this can lead to quick burnout and disappointment. If we are not careful, some will choose to leave due to the stress this may bring on.
Instead, if we are “yoked” to more experienced members of the Church, those who have been in ministry for some time, and the task of ministry becomes easier. We all are called by Jesus into some kind of ministry. It is the responsibility of the church to ensure new folks are equipped and trained, whether it is a new choir member, or a new Altar Guild member or new ACW person or greeter or reader or any new task within the church. This is one of the reasons I wanted the chairs of various committees to write out their functions in a manual of sorts, so new members could follow along. It is also the reason the Worship Committee has helped me plan a Ministries Conference in October, where we will all learn about the various ministries in our midst—readers, greeters, servers, administrants, crucifers, acolytes, etc.
Being yoked with someone will make it easier, but this task is strengthened when the yoke is with Jesus. When we learn to put our full trust in Him, we begin to see that whatever weight we face in life is easier. When we learn to turn to Jesus in prayer and rely on the community of faith which is the Body of Christ we begin to mature and grow in faith.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, says Jesus. What do we learn? We learn how to love unconditionally. We learn that on our own we suffer, but with the help of Jesus burdens are lighter. We learn to forgive and we learn to accept forgiveness when it is offered. What was that saying in the Bible? We love because we were first loved. We learn by watching others in faith. The Bible says many in the early Church came to faith because of the deeds of the Christians… “Look at how those Christians love each other.” When we love, we are living the faith. The letter of Paul to Galatians Chapter 5 Verse 22, says this. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” When you see these attributes working in someone you are seeing the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus at work. The deeper we love, the more Christ-like we become.
“Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What a wonderful image Jesus gives to us, to those who are weary, exhausted or burdened from carrying the load by themselves. What a comfort and joy to know that Jesus is with us, walking alongside us, teaching us and strengthening us on our journey of faith.
This summer, as you are out and about remember you are never alone. Remember that Jesus is as close as your breath and you can turn to Him in prayer. Remember to call upon Him in times of stress and remember that as Christians we are called to serve, to love and to go out into our neighborhoods with a message of love and faith.
This summer, may you find strength for your journey and rest for your souls as you rest in Jesus, and may He bless us all in the days ahead.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
June 26, 2011 Sermon: the Patronal Feast of St. James the Apostle
Good morning and welcome especially to our visitors. It’s good to be back here in our heritage church for the patronal Feast of St. James the Apostle. If you have not yet heard, we at St. James are excited about the news of our historic building being awarded the Hidden Gem of the city by Doors Open Winnipeg. It was our first year participating and quite a few turned out. This church and our Collegiate Street church will both be on the list next year.
While we celebrate our patronal festival at this time each year, the actual date for this feast is July 25. Our community is named after one of the Apostles: James, the son of Zebedee. He and his brother John were among the 12 disciples of our Lord. Together with Peter, they were privileged to witness the transfiguration (Matthew 17), the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and the raising of the daughter of Jairus. James was also called aside to watch and pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before Jesus died. James and his brother John were fishermen, but according to research the two were on a higher social level than the average fisherman. Their father could afford hired servants and John had connections with the High Priest. The two brothers were nicknamed the “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus, likely because they were headstrong, hot tempered and impulsive. On one occasion, for example, Jesus and the disciples were refused the hospitality of a Samaritan village and James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven on the offenders.
In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of another occasion. The two sons of thunder are looking for a special place of honour in the Kingdom. Their mother actually asks “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, the other on the left in thy kingdom.”
Jesus gives the two stern advice, saying those who want to be greatest in the Kingdom must be the least of all. It was a difficult concept to grasp for someone inclined to be impulsive and ready and quick to take on authority. The human nature wants to be in control and authority is sometimes exercised through power and use or abuse of control. The only reason the two brothers would be concerned about the place in the Kingdom is if they had this inflated view of themselves and their place in society and in particular their place among the rest of the disciples.
And so, Jesus asks “Are you able to drink of the cup I shall drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” The disciples were plainly told that the way of honour was the way of suffering.
True leadership in Jesus’ mind was as a result of servant hood. The authority of the disciples would come from their ability to serve. The leadership of the Apostles would need to demonstrate the way of leadership was the way of love. Jesus then used His own life as an example. “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
The way of servant hood is often born out of suffering. One who has suffered and has experienced healing, forgiveness and love, knows something about that and can effectively witness to others. Liturgically, the servant role is recognized in the procession and recession in the service. The clergy, you may notice, and the bishop when he is in attendance, are always at the end of the line-up as the least shall be first. Leadership is always from behind, encouraging, enabling, equipping, shepherding, and not up front dictating the way.
This type of leadership style was not uppermost in James’ mind at the time and perhaps not until much later. Prior to the death of Jesus, the disciples often felt confused over Jesus’ teaching that He must die in order for the plan of God to come into play. Instead, the disciples often challenged Jesus expecting Him to act as a military style leader; a Messiah who would ultimately bring final peace by way of the sword or violence.
The disciples, including James, did not understand that the way of Jesus was the way of unconditional love, of surrendering to God and obeying His command to go out and make disciples of all nations. However, that partial understanding was corrected I believe when the disciples were alone in the Upper Room and Jesus appeared among them. He said, "'As the Father has sent me, I now send you.” He then breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any they are retained.’”
The reception of the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples from frightened followers into Apostles. The word “Apostle” means “sent.” From that moment, the Holy Spirit, the very life of Jesus, was working in the Apostles to continue the work Jesus had begun. Through the Holy Spirit, the Apostles would continue the healing and miracles and they preached with a new energy. The Holy Spirit guided them and eventually, at Pentecost, the Apostles were there when many more received the Holy Spirit and the church began in earnest.
As for James, he carried out the work of an Apostle, delivering the same Gospel message as Jesus and the other Apostles. Just as that message threatened military and political leaders of Jesus’ day, it would do so again. James became the church’s first martyr. About AD 42, shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (who tried to kill the infant Jesus—Matthew 2), nephew of Herod Antipas (who killed John the Baptist—Mark 6—and examined Jesus on Good Friday—Luke 23), and father of Herod Agrippa II (who heard the defense of Paul before Festus—Acts 25). James was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of the Twelve whose death is recorded in the New Testament. (http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/07/25.html)
As you know, a church is not the four walls of a building. As beautiful a place that this is, the heritage church of St. James the Assiniboine is not the church. Rather, the church is you and me, the people who gather week by week in one spot and who identify themselves with one community of people.
Back in 1812, the first group of Selkirk settlers established a burial ground immediately south of where St. John’s Cathedral in the north end is today. The Rev. John West, the first Anglican priest in Western Canada, arrived from England under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society and the Hudson’s Bay Company, in October, 1820.
The church would expand, moving west from the Red River settlement and the congregation, a group of Red River settlers and Hudson’s Bay employees, started to worship in 1849 at this location. The original church was consecrated in 1855. Prior to that, the site had been used as a refuge for victims of the flood of 1852. This church was built in an ideal location high enough to avoid flood waters.
That original community was made up of ordinary folks like you and me. The church and the community that had developed around them worked together to establish a thriving community. Eventually, this whole area would take its name from our church’s leadership and be known as St. James Assiniboia.
We are pleased to honour our original agreement with the Hudson’s Bay Company to ensure a worshipping community would remain on this site and we have not faltered. Instead, we have seized the Apostolic leadership of James and worked alongside our neighbourhood to continue to promote the Good News, that God so loved the world, so loved you and me, that he gave His only begotten Son, to the end that all who believe in Him would not perish in sin but have eternal life.
Today, St. James still works alongside the neighbourhood to include and involve people in programs such as Happy Mike’s, our outreach to singers and song writers and the concert series that starts here July 6 at 7 p.m., our Lighthouse program on Collegiate Street that reaches out to at-risk youth. We work in partnership with groups like the Neighbourhood Resource Network. We offer our 12 Steps to Spiritual Growth program and our Quiet Days once a month at the Collegiate Street location where we worship through most of the year. Later this summer, we will once again offer a Video Camp and Vacation Bible School.
Those early settlers had it right. The community and the emerging church were one and supported each other. At St. James, we continue to offer the same leadership and we welcome those guests from the City that we cherish as partners and supporters of our common cause to love one another as Jesus loves us.
Let us remember the command of Jesus to the Church wherever it may be, whether it is comprised of Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, United Church, Roman Catholic or other. “Go…and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” And then Jesus says this…. “Remember…I am with you always to the end of the age.” Let us pray.
O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. (http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/07/25.html)
While we celebrate our patronal festival at this time each year, the actual date for this feast is July 25. Our community is named after one of the Apostles: James, the son of Zebedee. He and his brother John were among the 12 disciples of our Lord. Together with Peter, they were privileged to witness the transfiguration (Matthew 17), the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and the raising of the daughter of Jairus. James was also called aside to watch and pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before Jesus died. James and his brother John were fishermen, but according to research the two were on a higher social level than the average fisherman. Their father could afford hired servants and John had connections with the High Priest. The two brothers were nicknamed the “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus, likely because they were headstrong, hot tempered and impulsive. On one occasion, for example, Jesus and the disciples were refused the hospitality of a Samaritan village and James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven on the offenders.
In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of another occasion. The two sons of thunder are looking for a special place of honour in the Kingdom. Their mother actually asks “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, the other on the left in thy kingdom.”
Jesus gives the two stern advice, saying those who want to be greatest in the Kingdom must be the least of all. It was a difficult concept to grasp for someone inclined to be impulsive and ready and quick to take on authority. The human nature wants to be in control and authority is sometimes exercised through power and use or abuse of control. The only reason the two brothers would be concerned about the place in the Kingdom is if they had this inflated view of themselves and their place in society and in particular their place among the rest of the disciples.
And so, Jesus asks “Are you able to drink of the cup I shall drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” The disciples were plainly told that the way of honour was the way of suffering.
True leadership in Jesus’ mind was as a result of servant hood. The authority of the disciples would come from their ability to serve. The leadership of the Apostles would need to demonstrate the way of leadership was the way of love. Jesus then used His own life as an example. “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
The way of servant hood is often born out of suffering. One who has suffered and has experienced healing, forgiveness and love, knows something about that and can effectively witness to others. Liturgically, the servant role is recognized in the procession and recession in the service. The clergy, you may notice, and the bishop when he is in attendance, are always at the end of the line-up as the least shall be first. Leadership is always from behind, encouraging, enabling, equipping, shepherding, and not up front dictating the way.
This type of leadership style was not uppermost in James’ mind at the time and perhaps not until much later. Prior to the death of Jesus, the disciples often felt confused over Jesus’ teaching that He must die in order for the plan of God to come into play. Instead, the disciples often challenged Jesus expecting Him to act as a military style leader; a Messiah who would ultimately bring final peace by way of the sword or violence.
The disciples, including James, did not understand that the way of Jesus was the way of unconditional love, of surrendering to God and obeying His command to go out and make disciples of all nations. However, that partial understanding was corrected I believe when the disciples were alone in the Upper Room and Jesus appeared among them. He said, "'As the Father has sent me, I now send you.” He then breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any they are retained.’”
The reception of the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples from frightened followers into Apostles. The word “Apostle” means “sent.” From that moment, the Holy Spirit, the very life of Jesus, was working in the Apostles to continue the work Jesus had begun. Through the Holy Spirit, the Apostles would continue the healing and miracles and they preached with a new energy. The Holy Spirit guided them and eventually, at Pentecost, the Apostles were there when many more received the Holy Spirit and the church began in earnest.
As for James, he carried out the work of an Apostle, delivering the same Gospel message as Jesus and the other Apostles. Just as that message threatened military and political leaders of Jesus’ day, it would do so again. James became the church’s first martyr. About AD 42, shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (who tried to kill the infant Jesus—Matthew 2), nephew of Herod Antipas (who killed John the Baptist—Mark 6—and examined Jesus on Good Friday—Luke 23), and father of Herod Agrippa II (who heard the defense of Paul before Festus—Acts 25). James was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of the Twelve whose death is recorded in the New Testament. (http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/07/25.html)
As you know, a church is not the four walls of a building. As beautiful a place that this is, the heritage church of St. James the Assiniboine is not the church. Rather, the church is you and me, the people who gather week by week in one spot and who identify themselves with one community of people.
Back in 1812, the first group of Selkirk settlers established a burial ground immediately south of where St. John’s Cathedral in the north end is today. The Rev. John West, the first Anglican priest in Western Canada, arrived from England under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society and the Hudson’s Bay Company, in October, 1820.
The church would expand, moving west from the Red River settlement and the congregation, a group of Red River settlers and Hudson’s Bay employees, started to worship in 1849 at this location. The original church was consecrated in 1855. Prior to that, the site had been used as a refuge for victims of the flood of 1852. This church was built in an ideal location high enough to avoid flood waters.
That original community was made up of ordinary folks like you and me. The church and the community that had developed around them worked together to establish a thriving community. Eventually, this whole area would take its name from our church’s leadership and be known as St. James Assiniboia.
We are pleased to honour our original agreement with the Hudson’s Bay Company to ensure a worshipping community would remain on this site and we have not faltered. Instead, we have seized the Apostolic leadership of James and worked alongside our neighbourhood to continue to promote the Good News, that God so loved the world, so loved you and me, that he gave His only begotten Son, to the end that all who believe in Him would not perish in sin but have eternal life.
Today, St. James still works alongside the neighbourhood to include and involve people in programs such as Happy Mike’s, our outreach to singers and song writers and the concert series that starts here July 6 at 7 p.m., our Lighthouse program on Collegiate Street that reaches out to at-risk youth. We work in partnership with groups like the Neighbourhood Resource Network. We offer our 12 Steps to Spiritual Growth program and our Quiet Days once a month at the Collegiate Street location where we worship through most of the year. Later this summer, we will once again offer a Video Camp and Vacation Bible School.
Those early settlers had it right. The community and the emerging church were one and supported each other. At St. James, we continue to offer the same leadership and we welcome those guests from the City that we cherish as partners and supporters of our common cause to love one another as Jesus loves us.
Let us remember the command of Jesus to the Church wherever it may be, whether it is comprised of Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, United Church, Roman Catholic or other. “Go…and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” And then Jesus says this…. “Remember…I am with you always to the end of the age.” Let us pray.
O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. (http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/07/25.html)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
June 19, 2011 Sermon: Trinity Sunday
Also, Aboriginal Day of Prayer
.Father Murray has taken holidays this week to drive up to The Pas to pick up wife, Brenda, who's been there on a term position teaching Child Care. We welcome her back to the fold next Sunday at the opening of Heritage Church.
Rev. Doug McCormack officiated this day.
.Father Murray has taken holidays this week to drive up to The Pas to pick up wife, Brenda, who's been there on a term position teaching Child Care. We welcome her back to the fold next Sunday at the opening of Heritage Church.
Rev. Doug McCormack officiated this day.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
June 12, 2011 Sermon: Pentecost
Good morning and welcome. At this time of year, while we welcome the warmer temperatures, we also welcome the storms that come, such as the tornadoes that hit recently in the southern United States and the major flooding that has hit the prairies.
The storms hit fast and furious and the associated winds are devastating. It’s hard to even imagine that type of destruction. Yet this year we have witnessed a one-in-350 year occurrence of flooding along the Red and Assiniboine and associated rivers. Countless numbers have been evacuated from their homes. For some, sand bagging made no difference. Up along the Interlake and Lake Winnipeg, it had no effect on the direction of the winds. If they were from the south, damage was limited. If they were from the north large tracts of land were swallowed.
We have no control over the weather, over the storms that come to us. We have little warning and, in many cases, in the small countries overseas, there is no warning. Not long after an earthquake, for example, there is tension while residents wait for a possible tsunami or tidal wave that can devastate an entire country.
And so it is that we are here today to hear of another violent storm, a wind that blew renewal into a frightened bunch of followers not unlike you and me. It was not long after the death of Jesus that His followers scattered and made their way to an upper room for fear of the Jews, we are told. Those same followers of Jesus who felt they were safe, who felt they were knowledgeable about the end of the earth, about the coming of God’s reign, were holed up in the upper room. Their savior, their Lord, their Messiah, was beaten, humiliated, scourged and hung on a cruel cross to die, not unlike the other criminals of the day. In fact, there were two other criminals with Him, one on Jesus’ right, and one on His left.
This same Jesus, who told His disciples He must die in order to rise again, faced a storm of another kind…that of incredible violence to His person, His dignity and finally, suffering that ended His life. While He suffered on that cross, the disciples scattered. One of those disciples, Peter, even denied three times that he knew Jesus.
At the point of today’s reading, the disciples are afraid, until a wonderful event happened. This violent wind filled the room and tongues of fire rested on each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. Everyone understood the message in his/her own language.
Peter, the very one who denied he knew Jesus, now stands up with the eleven, addresses the crowd and quotes the prophet Joel, saying, “Listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days and they will prophecy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Peter is describing the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It was the fulfilling of the promise Jesus Himself had made. “I will not leave you orphaned, I will come to you. I will send you the comforter, the Holy Spirit.” Earlier, in the upper room, as we heard today, Jesus fulfilled His promise by breathing on the disciples and gifting them with the Holy Spirit.
What we are hearing about in today’s readings is the birth of the church, the sending of the Holy Spirit to many more gathered people coming from many varied lands. Up until that time, Jesus was known to His followers in person and He had taught them about God’s love, about miracles, about forgiveness and how much God loved them. The disciples walked and talked with an earthly Lord.
Yet, He had told them many times He must suffer and die and rise again, so that He could send the Holy Spirit. While Jesus was with them, the disciples could not understand this.
Essentially, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three existed before time as you recall in Genesis… “Let us make man in our image”… The plan of salvation was that God would come into our lives and interact with us that we might come to know Him personally, that we might learn how to forgive, how to love unconditionally as He loves us.
In order to fulfill His promise of being with us forever, and of opening a gateway for us to eternal life, God’s plan of salvation was to become human and to die for us, for you and for me, so that we would not have to struggle in sin, but have eternal life.
Jesus knew we would have problems on this earth, He knew we would suffer from all sorts of storms in our life—health problems like diabetes, heart ailments, dietary problems, problems with depression, mental illness and low self-esteem, problems with relationships, problems with loss and grief. He knew we would get into all kinds of trouble and stray away from His message of faith. We are human after all, and that is part of our nature, to rebel, to want to have things our way, to go it on our own.
Jesus knew we would struggle, so He said “I will not leave you alone as orphans, to struggle… I will send you the comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with you forever.”
At that first Pentecost, the believers received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus, would give them all new life, would lead them out of despair, out of depression, out of sickness, out of the storms of life and into new life. The Holy Spirit would remind them of all of the things Jesus had said. He would give them the gifts they would need for ministry. The Holy Spirit would convict them of their wrong doings and bring them to repentance, to a new behavior. The power of God, through the Holy Spirit, had the power to transform lives.
The evidence of this was in Peter, the very one who disowned Jesus three times. This same Peter was one of the disciples who abandoned Jesus at His death and fled for safety for fear of his life.
This same Peter was given the strength, the courage, the power to witness to the Holy Spirit in his life. He challenged the authorities of his day and called them to repentance. He was a new person in Christ.
As Christians, we have the same Holy Spirit within us today. We have the same capability to draw on the power of God to witness, to bring healing, to transform lives. In fact, it is our calling. You don’t have to be ordained to have a special mission or ministry for God. God has given each of us at least one spiritual gift as mentioned in Corinthians—perhaps it is the gift of speaking in tongues, perhaps it is the gift of teaching, perhaps it is the gift of leadership. There are many. This past week, we met with the clergy of the diocese at Pinawa and heard teachings from the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, Mark Macdonald. Many of you would have met him at the opening of our historic church last summer. Mark’s message to the clergy was that indigenous people are waking up to healing in their lives and that awakening is coming through Jesus. Many are discovering the “Jesus Way,” as described in a book by Richard Twiss, One Church Many Tribes. The Jesus way is a movement of people discovering new life in Jesus outside of any denomination. It is a way we as followers of the risen Lord must appreciate and assist others with as well.
The Holy Spirit gathers us as common followers of Jesus, creating the Church. The Holy Spirit gifts us for ministry. At St. James, I see many gifts at work in lay readers, in music direction, in altar guild, in readers, servers and administrants, in vestry and committee members and in the community, in the Lighthouse program and Happy Mike’s to name a few. I see gifts at use in the wider community as well, in the various careers and jobs our folks are in. For example, just a couple of weeks ago I had a chat with Kayla Johnson, happily assisting the Indigenous community through her work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Through the Holy Spirit, we can come to know God, to know Jesus in a very real way. We cannot see Jesus face to face, but He is present in each of us, and so we need to look for His face in each other, we need to listen for His voice in each other and we need to be His hands and His feet in today’s world. And boy, does that world need Him, with violence, war, drug abuse, sickness, and disease rampant. This month, the Church takes time to honor Indigenous or First Nations or Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Our Prime Minister has apologized for the suffering of survivors in Residential Schools and our church along with the Roman Catholic, United and Presbyterian have apologized and pledged to work at healing and reconciliation.
I encourage all of you to learn about Aboriginal issues and to join me and others in the Indigenous community at a Sacred Circle, a diocesan Sacred Circle to be held at Pinawa September 9 and 10. This unique sacred gathering will be packed with learning opportunities and a chance to meet some very gifted and loving Indigenous people. Thanks to the bishop, I am acting as co-chair of the planning. I hope to offer some learning opportunities prior to the fall event, and I hope you can join us. Reconciliation only happens in relationship, when Indigenous and non-Indigenous come together in friendship and love. I have seen it happen and I look forward to it happening again.
Pentecost marks the birth of the church, but let us remember that Jesus did not come into this world to establish a church. He came that you and I might have life and life in abundance. He came that you and I would forever be in relationship with Him. It has been said by elders in the Aboriginal community that the early missionaries came to this country bringing us Jesus Christ, instead we got the church; … ‘we got the church’ — when I say that I mean what we see in the form of bishops, priests, deacons, lay readers, vestries.
In other words, an institution. Those elders were right. The church back then and today is really you and me in relationship with a living God. This is the essence of Tweet’s thesis in “One Church Many Tribes”, a recovery of the relationship with Jesus.
We come to that living God in prayer and we communicate with Him. Through prayer, that very same God Who was mentioned in the Pentecost reading comes to dwell in our hearts and lives.
There are many today who are not in churches, in the buildings. Why? Because they have not grasped this truth of the church being the people and not the building or the institution. Today, some who were in the church have left after being hurt by someone within the church itself. My former lay reader in northern Manitoba once told me he had a hard time going to church because the very ones who went said the words, prayed the prayers and then went home and did the opposite by drinking and abusing family members. There are many stories like that in many parishes.
The message of faith, the message of Pentecost, the message of the church, was not clearly understood. The one who is in Christ is a new person, the old life of sin has passed away. The person is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the person is led by the Holy Spirit to a life of love. If this is not happening, you have to question whether the message is understood. Perhaps it is a matter of ownership of the message.
Having said that, we must also understand that Jesus Himself said the church is not a place for perfect people. Rather, it is a hospital for sinners. It is a place where the love of Christ can transform the human heart and move people to love and service for others and for God. For the one in Christ, that person becomes a servant to others and follows in Jesus’ path. Jesus Himself said “I have come not to be served but to serve.”
Serving others is not always easy, especially if there is hatred or jealousy or pride operating. Through the Holy Spirit, we can learn patience, be given wisdom and direction to move ahead, eventually assisting others to find God’s love. We are told in the Bible that we are to witness God’s love but if we cannot find the words, the Holy Spirit will move in us to give us those words. The Holy Spirit will help us to grow in faith.
As Christians, we are in this world, but we are not of it, since we have the Holy Spirit moving in us. The face of God can certainly be seen in those we meet, but as Christians, we have access to the living Lord and His power. As a member of the International Order of St. Luke the Physician, for example, I have seen many healings. As we anoint with holy oil, we call upon the Holy Spirit to heal and make whole. That anointing is available to you or a loved one each week at the altar.
The Holy Spirit also has another task, and that is to draw us all together as one, as the body of Christ, as a family together. Have you ever heard someone say “I can be a good Christian at home. I don’t need to go to church.” While it is true we can pray on our own, we can read the Bible on our own, we can call upon the Holy Spirit in our lives, it is only one part of a life in faith. It was the apostle Paul who told us we are like a body with many parts and each part works as part of a whole. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of smell be? And so on.
When we come to church, we connect with others in the spirit and in a very real way we become the body of Christ Himself. As His body, then, we worship and praise and glorify God and we are empowered by the Spirit to go into the world to proclaim God’s love and to bring others to know Him.
Happy birthday to our church, happy birthday members of St. James and may the Lord continue to bless us and to move us to continue to grow in faith and spread the good news of Christ in a world that desperately needs Him.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
June 5, 2011 Sermon: Ascension Sunday
“Stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” Good morning and welcome.
Waiting. It is a hard thing to do. Perhaps it has something to do with anticipation. Something is about to happen and it may even feel exciting. Yet, there is nothing you can do until it actually happens, other than to prepare.
This past Thursday was the actual Feast of the Ascension and we are celebrating it today. Ascension marks 40 days into Easter and 10 days ahead of the Feast of Pentecost.
According to research, there are only two post-resurrection appearances of Jesus in Luke, both of which are unique to this Gospel. Jesus first appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35), and then to the disciples at the beginning of this passage (24:36-52). Both have overtones of liturgical shaping that suggest use in the early church in worship, perhaps in an Easter liturgy. The Emmaus story clearly has a Eucharistic setting (v. 35), while the final story concludes with a double emphasis on the community in worship (v. 52). This suggests that these stories are not simply the reporting of event, but are highly reflective theological recounting, bringing Gospel traditions to bear on the needs, concerns, mission, and identity of the emerging Christian community. (http://www.crivoice.org/lectionary/YearC/Ceaster7nt.html)
The Ascension is an important story for us as it links directly to the resurrection. Prior to His death, Jesus opened the hearts of His followers to understand the scriptures concerning Him. While Jesus was with the disciples prior to death, He made a clear promise not to leave the disciples orphaned to struggle. Instead, He said He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with them. In the resurrection appearances, Jesus reassured His followers that His words of prophecy were coming true. They had witnessed His death. Yet, here He was in their midst, eating and drinking with them. He reminded the disciples that they now knew the truth and that Jesus would fulfill His promise to be with them forever.
“And see, I am sending you what my Father promised.” Jesus knew the disciples and all of broken humanity would need help. God’s plan of salvation was for everyone. In John 3:16 we are told that “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to the end that all who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus died upon the cross for your sins and mine. His death won for us the victory over both sin and death and opened the way to eternal life.
This is clearly a message of faith and one that is hard to fully comprehend. Yet, in the Ascension Gospel, we have clear instructions. Stay here. Wait. It’s a message for the church and its mission. Clearly, we have to wait upon the presence and power of God in order to achieve God’s purposes of reaching the world. But that is not even the heart of the message here. The message here is, first, to wait. There is a clear realization from the very beginning of Luke’s Gospel, that we simply cannot do what God has called us to do on any level without God’s help.
If we act without relying upon God’s power, we end up simply acting on our own human effort. That effort, without God’s power, God’s blessing, can have negative consequences. I was the rector of Christ Church before it closed. I believe we tried all we could do of our own human effort to bring about renewal. It wasn’t enough. While no one can say with certainty, if we had turned to God and sought Him in prayer and waited, perhaps our outcome would have been different.
At St. James, we wait. We wait, while we discern the movement of the Holy Spirit to bring about transformation. We are not the only ones. Other parishes in the deanery wait as well. Yesterday, there was a significant meeting for the people of the Parish of St. Chad’s. That community waits now to discern the next steps ahead.
As I said to start this message, while we wait, we do not remain idle. Part of discernment of where God is working and what He has planned is to prepare. We must prepare for new life, for transformation. This means we need people to actively turn their thoughts, their prayers to God to thank Him for what He has done for us and for the plan of new life He is bringing. We thank God for placing us in ministries of servant hood, and meanwhile, we carry out our ministries to the best of our abilities. It gives me great joy, for example, to see our family turn out each year to the Mary Lilac Tea and many thanks to those who participated. For us, it is one more opportunity to reach the neighbourhood and make connections.
In order to prepare as we wait, we must reflect on who we are as an Easter people and whose we are. We rise above the challenges of faith and see each other as loved brothers and sisters, a family that genuinely cares for itself and its neighbourhood. I have a story I want to share that will highlight this point.
It’s called “The Rabbi’s Gift” by Dr. M. Scott Peck.
Think of the possibilities where each member of the congregation is seen as honored and special, like the special guest who visits the congregation. Each of us is special, loved by God and deserving of our love and respect. When we love each other, it is obvious especially to newcomers and visitors. Who would not want to be a part of that?
And so, we wait. We wait for God’s power of renewal and blessings to come upon us. While we wait, we remain faithful and take steps to prepare for transformation. We remember the Lord’s commands, to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations.
When Jesus was taken up to heaven, there were witnesses. He went in bodily form to sit at the right hand of God. In rising and ascending, Jesus in all of His humanity, intercedes for us as our Great High priest as we hear of in the letter to the Hebrews. He knows our wants, our desires, our strengths and our weaknesses and He is faithful to us as we intercede and act in faith.
The community of faith that has love for one another and has faithfully waited upon God will indeed be empowered not only to reach the neighborhood but beyond into our world. May the Lord bless our waiting and come to us in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Waiting. It is a hard thing to do. Perhaps it has something to do with anticipation. Something is about to happen and it may even feel exciting. Yet, there is nothing you can do until it actually happens, other than to prepare.
This past Thursday was the actual Feast of the Ascension and we are celebrating it today. Ascension marks 40 days into Easter and 10 days ahead of the Feast of Pentecost.
According to research, there are only two post-resurrection appearances of Jesus in Luke, both of which are unique to this Gospel. Jesus first appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35), and then to the disciples at the beginning of this passage (24:36-52). Both have overtones of liturgical shaping that suggest use in the early church in worship, perhaps in an Easter liturgy. The Emmaus story clearly has a Eucharistic setting (v. 35), while the final story concludes with a double emphasis on the community in worship (v. 52). This suggests that these stories are not simply the reporting of event, but are highly reflective theological recounting, bringing Gospel traditions to bear on the needs, concerns, mission, and identity of the emerging Christian community. (http://www.crivoice.org/lectionary/YearC/Ceaster7nt.html)
The Ascension is an important story for us as it links directly to the resurrection. Prior to His death, Jesus opened the hearts of His followers to understand the scriptures concerning Him. While Jesus was with the disciples prior to death, He made a clear promise not to leave the disciples orphaned to struggle. Instead, He said He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with them. In the resurrection appearances, Jesus reassured His followers that His words of prophecy were coming true. They had witnessed His death. Yet, here He was in their midst, eating and drinking with them. He reminded the disciples that they now knew the truth and that Jesus would fulfill His promise to be with them forever.
“And see, I am sending you what my Father promised.” Jesus knew the disciples and all of broken humanity would need help. God’s plan of salvation was for everyone. In John 3:16 we are told that “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to the end that all who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus died upon the cross for your sins and mine. His death won for us the victory over both sin and death and opened the way to eternal life.
This is clearly a message of faith and one that is hard to fully comprehend. Yet, in the Ascension Gospel, we have clear instructions. Stay here. Wait. It’s a message for the church and its mission. Clearly, we have to wait upon the presence and power of God in order to achieve God’s purposes of reaching the world. But that is not even the heart of the message here. The message here is, first, to wait. There is a clear realization from the very beginning of Luke’s Gospel, that we simply cannot do what God has called us to do on any level without God’s help.
If we act without relying upon God’s power, we end up simply acting on our own human effort. That effort, without God’s power, God’s blessing, can have negative consequences. I was the rector of Christ Church before it closed. I believe we tried all we could do of our own human effort to bring about renewal. It wasn’t enough. While no one can say with certainty, if we had turned to God and sought Him in prayer and waited, perhaps our outcome would have been different.
At St. James, we wait. We wait, while we discern the movement of the Holy Spirit to bring about transformation. We are not the only ones. Other parishes in the deanery wait as well. Yesterday, there was a significant meeting for the people of the Parish of St. Chad’s. That community waits now to discern the next steps ahead.
As I said to start this message, while we wait, we do not remain idle. Part of discernment of where God is working and what He has planned is to prepare. We must prepare for new life, for transformation. This means we need people to actively turn their thoughts, their prayers to God to thank Him for what He has done for us and for the plan of new life He is bringing. We thank God for placing us in ministries of servant hood, and meanwhile, we carry out our ministries to the best of our abilities. It gives me great joy, for example, to see our family turn out each year to the Mary Lilac Tea and many thanks to those who participated. For us, it is one more opportunity to reach the neighbourhood and make connections.
In order to prepare as we wait, we must reflect on who we are as an Easter people and whose we are. We rise above the challenges of faith and see each other as loved brothers and sisters, a family that genuinely cares for itself and its neighbourhood. I have a story I want to share that will highlight this point.
It’s called “The Rabbi’s Gift” by Dr. M. Scott Peck.
Rabbi’s Gift
(shortened by 25%)
The Different Drum Version by Dr. M. Scott Peck *
The story concerns a monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but because of persecution, all its branch houses were lost and there were only five monks left in the decaying house: the abbot and four others, all over seventy in age. Clearly it was a dying order.
In the deep woods surrounding the monastery there was a little hut that a rabbi occasionally used for a hermitage. The old monks had become a bit psychic, so they could always sense when the rabbi was in his hermitage. "The rabbi is in the woods, the rabbi is in the woods" they would whisper. It occurred to the abbot that a visit the rabbi might result in some advice to save his monastery.
The rabbi welcomed the abbot to his hut. But when the abbot explained his visit, the rabbi could only say, "I know how it is. The spirit has gone out of the people. It is the same in my town. Almost no one comes to the synagogue anymore." So the old abbot and the old rabbi wept together. Then they read parts of the Torah and spoke of deep things. When the abbot had to leave, they embraced each other. "It has been wonderful that we should meet after all these years," the abbot said, "but I have failed in my purpose for coming here. Is there nothing you can tell me that would help me save my dying order?"
"No, I am sorry," the rabbi responded. "I have no advice to give. But, I can tell you that the Messiah is one of you."
When the abbot returned to the monastery, his fellow monks gathered around him to ask, "Well, what did the rabbi say?"
“The rabbi said something very mysterious, it was something cryptic. He said that the Messiah is one of us. I don't know what he meant."
In the time that followed, the old monks wondered of the significance to the rabbi's words. The Messiah is one of us? Could he possibly have meant one of us monks? If so, which one?
Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant Father Abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas. Certainly, Brother Thomas is a holy man. Everyone knows that Thomas is a man of light. Certainly, he could not have meant Brother Elred! Elred gets crotchety at times. But come to think of it, even though he is a thorn in people's sides, when you look back on it, Elred is virtually always right. Often very right. Maybe the rabbi did mean Brother Elred. But surely not Brother Phillip. Phillip is so passive, a real nobody. But then, almost mysteriously, he has a gift for always being there when you need him. He just magically appears. Maybe Phillip is the Messiah.
Of course the rabbi didn't mean me. He couldn't possibly have meant me. I'm just an ordinary person. Yet supposing he did? Suppose I am the Messiah? O God, not me. I couldn't be that much for You, could I?
As they contemplated, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the chance that one among them might be the Messiah. And they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect.
People still occasionally came to visit the monastery in its beautiful forest to picnic on its tiny lawn, to wander along some of its paths, even to meditate in the dilapidated chapel. As they did so, they sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate out from them and permeate the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely compelling about it. Hardly knowing why, they began to come back to the monastery to picnic, to play, to pray. They brought their friends to this special place. And their friends brought their friends.
Then some of the younger men who came to visit the monastery started to talk more and more with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them. Then another, and another. So within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the rabbi's gift, a vibrant center of light and spirituality in the realm.
Think of the possibilities where each member of the congregation is seen as honored and special, like the special guest who visits the congregation. Each of us is special, loved by God and deserving of our love and respect. When we love each other, it is obvious especially to newcomers and visitors. Who would not want to be a part of that?
And so, we wait. We wait for God’s power of renewal and blessings to come upon us. While we wait, we remain faithful and take steps to prepare for transformation. We remember the Lord’s commands, to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations.
When Jesus was taken up to heaven, there were witnesses. He went in bodily form to sit at the right hand of God. In rising and ascending, Jesus in all of His humanity, intercedes for us as our Great High priest as we hear of in the letter to the Hebrews. He knows our wants, our desires, our strengths and our weaknesses and He is faithful to us as we intercede and act in faith.
The community of faith that has love for one another and has faithfully waited upon God will indeed be empowered not only to reach the neighborhood but beyond into our world. May the Lord bless our waiting and come to us in the power of the Holy Spirit!
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