Pentecost 13: The Kingdom Ethic of Forgiveness

Good morning and welcome. Today, we are continuing our look into what I would dub “Kingdom Ethics,” or the way we as Christians should live as dictated by the Word of God.

In my research, I found this delightful piece by Phil Calloway in his book, Golfing with the Master. Any golfers out there? I’m a golfer and happy to say a casual one at best, so I found this amusing. Calloway writes:

I'm so thankful that God says,"You'll never measure up, so accept the gift of grace from One who did. It's the one key that will unlock heaven's door." Listen to these liberating words of grace: "Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!" (Ephesians 1:7-8 MSG).

Have you ever wondered what would happen if certain Bible characters sent letters of application for ministry positions in a church? Would the Thursday night search committee meeting sound something like this?

"Let's talk about this Adam."

"Well, he seems like a good man, but he takes bad directions from his wife. And you don't even want to know what he wears in the woods."

"How about Noah?"

"He's prone to taking on huge building projects without a permit. He's a pessimist too."

"What about Joseph?"

"Brags too much. Has a prison record. He's even been accused of adultery."

"And Moses?"

"Are you kidding? He's a lousy communicator. He stutters and stammers. He has a bad temper and has been known to hit things with a stick."

"So he's a golfer then?"

"That's another of his shortcomings."

"What do you know about Job?"

"Well, he's loaded, so he won't need a salary. But he's pretty gloomy. He complains too much."

"David looks like he has promise."

"Yes, but his kids are out of control, and his wives are a handful. To make matters worse, he's a strong proponent of instrumental music in worship."

"Tell me about Solomon."

"Well, he has a good head on his shoulders, but he's got problems when it comes to building projects. It took him seven years to complete the temple and thirteen years to build his palace. I guess he was trying to please all those wives."

"What about Elijah?"

"No way. Prone to depression. Collapses under pressure. Spends too much time by himself in the wilderness."

"And Samson?"

"Hair's too long."

"Jonah?"

"Good runner, but he makes up big fish tales. Has been disobedient to God."

"Matthew?"

"Not a chance. Works for the IRS."

"What about this John the Baptist?"

"He sure doesn't dress like a Baptist. Strange diet. Makes the Pharisees mad."

"And Peter?"

"Bad temper. Curses sometimes. Claims to have visions."

"Paul?"

"Powerful preacher and a good leader. But he's short on tact and has been known to preach all night. Puts people to sleep. Controversial on women's issues. He's single, too."

"What about these others on the list?"

"Lazarus is dead."

"Zacchaeus is too short."

"Timothy is way too young."

"Methusaleh is too old."

"Sarah laughed too much."

"What about Judas?"

"Well, let's talk about him. He comes with good character references. Good connections. He's conservative, so he won't rock the boat. Handles money well. Maybe he's the one." 

Aren't you glad God in His mercy chose to use the likes of these? They literally shaped the course of human history. And He will do it again through you.

All of us have sinned. But we don't have to live with the guilt. When we truly repent, God forgives and restores us to favour. (Divine Mulligans, Phil Callaway, Golfing with the Master. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2006, p. 170-173.)

Our Gospel passage today hammers home the important Christian ethic of forgiveness. According to research, in the Gospel of Matthew there are five great discourses of Jesus: the Sermon on the Mount (ch. 5-7); the commissioning of the disciples (ch. 10); the parables of the kingdom (ch. 13); life in the church (ch. 18); and the end of the age (ch. 24-25).

The passage for this study on forgiveness is a part of the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18 on life in the church. The chapter begins with a discussion of who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (vv. 1-9), followed by the parable of the lost sheep (vv. 10-14) which underscores the truth that in God's eyes even "one of these little ones" has such immense value that the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep and goes after the one that has wandered off. This is followed by last week’s instructions to the church on how to deal with a brother who has sinned (vv. 15-20).

It is in this context that Peter asks how often he must forgive an offending brother (vv. 21-22). In answer, Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant (vv. 23-34), followed by a final warning (v. 35). Recall here that Peter knows the importance of forgiveness. He knows that if someone has sinned against us, we must forgive, but how often?

Jewish tradition limited forgiveness to three times, perhaps based on Amos 1:3, 6, 9 and Job 33:29-30 (note Luke 17:4). Peter thought his willingness to forgive seven times was much more generous than Jewish tradition and thus surpassing the righteousness of Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matthew 5:20).

Jesus' answer was that the Christian must forgive seventy times seven. In other words, there is no limit for forgiveness. To help Peter gain further insight, Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant. It’s the story of a servant who went out and dealt mercilessly with a fellow servant who owed him a debt that was a minute fraction of what he himself had owed. For his mercilessness, this first servant was condemned.

To truly drive the point home, the parable points out how much the first servant owed his master....his debt was more than the total budget of the ordinary province....like one person trying to pay off the debt of the entire Province of Manitoba. In comparison, the fellow servant owed the first servant considerably less...100 denarii or about one - five thousandth of the first servant’s debt.

The contrasts between the debts are staggering. The point then is that there is nothing that another can do to us that can in any way compare with what we have done to God----recall that Jesus was put to death after the cries of the crowd---“Crucify Him, crucify Him!” We are the ones who deserve death, but Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all of us.

Now, if God has forgiven us the debt we owe to Him, we must forgive others the debts they owe to us. What is it the Lord Himself taught us to pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” How do we do that? On our own, this can seem an impossibility, but with the grace and help of the Holy Spirit, we can forgive, we are compelled to do so.

Isn’t it interesting this is one of the key ethics or values we try to instil in our youngsters at an early age? I ran across an interesting story that hammers this home more for us. There is no author’s name attached. The author, a mom, writes:

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly, my son Matthew spoke up from his relaxed position in the front seat. "Mom, I'm thinking of something." This announcement usually meant he had been pondering some fact for a while and was now ready to expound all that his seven-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"The rain," he began, "is like sin. And the windshield wipers are like God, wiping our sins away."

After the chill bumps raced up my arms, I was able to respond, "That's really good, Matthew." Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little boy take this revelation? So I asked, "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming?

What does that tell you?"

Matthew didn't hesitate one moment with his answer. "We keep on sinning and God just keeps on forgiving us." (http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon1a/windshie.htm)

A great teaching...we keep on sinning and God just keeps on forgiving us. What was it Paul asked “Should I continue to sin so that grace can abound?” His answer... “By no means”. This teaching is not a blueprint or permission to allow sin to continue or to condone behaviour that is wrong. Rather, it is to hold up the essential truth of the Gospel, that we are to forgive as we are forgiven.

Here are some other questions for you to ponder and I leave them with you:

1. What is the most difficult situation you have been called upon to forgive? How did you feel and do you still feel about trying to forgive that offense against you? 
2. In Romans 12:21, Paul says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Do you know of an instance where someone overcame evil with good?
3. This parable seems to link an unforgiving spirit with ingratitude. What connection, if any, is there between forgiveness and gratitude?
4. Peter's question concerns a "brother." Must we forgive a non-Christian enemy or is our obligation to forgive limited to fellow Christians? Does forgiveness mean you don't sue someone who wrongs you or press charges against someone who assaults you?
5. Are Christians to forgive and forget? If you forgive someone, can you nevertheless remain cool and distant? Can you limit your contact with that other person for fear they may hurt you again?
6. Sometimes it is said that a person is "too proud" to forgive. What relationship do you find between pride and the unwillingness to forgive? (http://www.tritebuttrue.com/blog/archives/2007/06/forgiveness_the.html

Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we give you thanks that you have taught us that when two or three gather there you are in the midst of them. Thank you for your presence here today and for your grace and mercy. Teach us to have the same mercy and to rely upon your grace when we have sinned or when others sin against us. Thank you for teaching us to forgive and that forgiveness has no limit. This we pray in Jesus name.

Pentecost 12

Good Morning and welcome! It’s great to be back in our Collegiate Street Church after a very productive summer. I hope all had a chance to get away and relax and enjoy the summer heat. It certainly was the year of hatch, match and dispatch at our heritage church—we had a baptism, funeral and a couple of weddings.

I’d like to begin this morning by sharing with you a neat little story that was sent to me by Mary Lobb. I’ll read it now:

When I was a kid, my mum liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mum placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mum, and ask me how my day was at school.

I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember hearing my mum apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Dad good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your mum put in a long hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides... a burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other’s faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

So...please pass me a biscuit. And yes, the burned one will do just fine! And please pass this along to someone who has enriched your life... I just did!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets... Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't.

Enjoy life now - it has an expiration date!

There’s a real truth in that, isn’t there? “Enjoy life, it has an expiration date.” I share the story with you because of its inherent connection to the Gospel passage today. Jesus has just finished teaching about the importance of the one, of how much the individual matters….the parable speaks of the lost sheep and how the shepherd leaves the flock to search out the one missing.

In today’s teaching, Jesus turn His attention to the community, those who are members of the same faith group, those who make up what we know of as the “Church,” or, according to The Apostle Paul, the Body of Christ. The teaching is about forgiveness, and how we treat those in the community when they commit sin against one another.

The particular sin is not described here so you would have to assume it could be anything. In the case of community, though, it may involve a triangle of relationships, where one in the relationship says something to anger or hurt another member. In frustration, one of the two turns to a third and hopes to gain support. Unfortunately, advice can be misunderstood, causing more damage. Often, in the life of the Church, one of the deadliest sins in community is gossip or breakdowns of communication. People may become separated from each other due to inaccurate messages and many times those messages may have been misunderstood. The actual truth is not known or ignored.

And so, says Jesus, if another member of the Church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. Then, Jesus says that if in fact the member does not listen, take along one or two others with you, so there are witnesses. If that is ineffective, Jesus says take it to the Church, the gathered Body. If there is no luck there, Jesus says we are to treat the offender as an outsider. So, it appears, there are three opportunities to restore a relationship, starting with offender and victim.

As one commentator suggested, this is most certainly a problem for the Church, especially if someone is expelled or treated as an outsider. Those familiar with the Book of Common Prayer will recall a rubric dealing with Communion. I quote:

“The Minister shall frequently remind the people of what is required of those who come to receive the Lord’s Supper, as set forth in the Catechism and Exhortations.

“It shall also be his duty to warn individually any whom he knows to be living in grievous sin that they presume not to come to the Lord’s Table until they give evidence that they truly repent; and if they do not heed his warning, he shall refuse to administer the Communion to them.

“He shall deal in the same manner with those between whom he perceives malice and hatred to exist, not allowing them to be partakers of the Lord’s Table until they be reconciled. But if one of the parties is willing to forgive, and, to the best of his ability, to make whatever amends may be proper, and the other party refuses to do so, the Minister shall admit the penitent person to the Holy Communion and refuse him that is obstinate.” (Book of Common Prayer, University Press, Cambridge, 1962)

This rubric is still in force today and you can read it in the preface to the Holy Communion in the BCP ahead of page 67. I must admit this rubric and the Gospel passage from today have troubled me over the years. Usually, if this scenario happens, the offender simply leaves. I have heard of this and while this may be acceptable to the victim, the offender is free to reoffend and may not learn or grow in the process. Yet, for me, the troubling question is “What must we do with the offender in order that the person is restored?” You see, unless something can be learned from the incident, in my opinion only a partial healing occurs and someone, somewhere, has been treated like an outsider. The offending individual has not learned and may continue to reoffend in a new environment, or worse, simply leave the “Church.”

Certainly, in the case of the First Nations and Indigenous community, many individuals did just that after their time at Residential Schools, but many who left were not the offenders but the ones who were offended against. Today, in my conversations with some of them, the Church is perceived to be the cause.

The outsider in this case, the offender, may blame the Church for all that went wrong instead of the important work of looking at himself or herself and the actual reasons for what went wrong…in this case human individuals committing acts of horror—physical, sexual and spiritual abuse. As Paul states in his letter to the Romans, it is important to have a Christian ethic, an ethic of love, as it is love that fulfills the law. This is what students needed to hear in the schools. This is a message we all need to hear.

“Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Paul then goes on to give this advice. “Let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:13, 14)

Having said all of that we hearken back to the early story of forgiveness…perhaps the cookie is burned, but maybe, just maybe, we need to overlook the faults, the imperfections of others and accept forgiveness when offered and offer it when we have offended. You see, when we do this, we demonstrate that we understand the full message of the Gospel, that no human being is perfect. In fact, there was only one—Jesus, and he became imperfection and took upon Him the sins of all of us, so that we would have a way to the Father, a way to eternity. It is to be a life lived as Jesus lived it, full of unconditional love.

On the surface, this may seem like pop psychology. Yet, it is not. It is not easy work sometimes to forgive. We can harbor resentment and let it build up in us. We can let it build so bad that it alienates us from many people, including family and friends and Church. Our own actions can cause others to stay away from us or avoid us when possible. To be an outsider in the faith is to be one who does not understand the importance of forgiving as Jesus forgave. Just think of the difference it would make in this world if we were able to do just that.

Putting on the Lord Jesus as Paul describes is also work…pleasant work that involves prayer and connecting through the Holy Spirit to the living Lord Jesus Christ in one’s life. It is the same Holy Spirit, working in us, that convicts us of sin. Some may talk of having a conscience…that sense comes from the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit. If we have done wrong, usually, we know it.

In the Indigenous community, we are working at healing that will take many generations. I believe strongly that healing will come to them and to us when the individual first recognizes that Jesus Himself has abused no one. His is the power of prayer and the power of healing. Jesus has not sinned against any. He is without sin. We, as Christians, are a part of Him through our baptisms, which is why Paul refers to the Church as a body. We are all connected. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one rejoices, we all rejoice. The work of putting on Jesus is all about prayer, about reading and studying our Bibles, about growing in faith and about regular attendance and connectedness to the Church, on Sundays and other days.

I have heard it said by those who leave the Church, “I am not Christian anymore.” You may choose to say that. You may even choose the leave the “Church” as you understand it to be. Christ has not left you. Your baptism cannot be wiped out like chalk by a brush. The Holy Spirit within you will continue to work and to nudge you to reconcile, preferably with the Church and certainly with whomever may have offended you or whomever you may have offended. That is what reconciliation is about: a restoration to wholeness.

I am a firm believer in restorative justice. If there is an offender in our midst, let that offender and his or her supporters’ come together with the one or ones offended, and let the community work out a solution. I have seen this happen and it is a powerful thing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the scriptures call us to reconcile. In fact, we are to be reconcilers. Let us then take the message seriously and be found putting on Jesus Christ and bringing Him to every situation in life. It is through this reconciliation that the world will be saved and come to that peace that passes all understanding. May God bless us and move in us to practice life in Christ, a life of love.

Pentecost 9

Good morning and welcome... Well, I guess summer is nearing its end... no, not because we only have a couple of Sundays left in this historic church. Not because the weather is letting us down; it isn’t and there is still a lot of hot weather to come.

No ... I know we are nearing the end of summer when I get a phone call in my church office from Ted, not his real name. Ted is the one who you will see sometimes if you are at the church during the weekdays in the fall and through the winter. He’s not homeless, but he has a very modest home, a small one, that he strives to keep living in. You see, Ted doesn’t work ... kind of like those people you see on the boulevard, the ones who typically hold up a piece of cardboard saying “Hungry...no job... need money.” Have you seen them?

There are many like Ted, many with no home and many who seek cash or a handout. Each of them has a story and the ones who visit the church understand that the ultimate purpose of the church is to provide loving service to those in need. Puts me in mind of our Gospel passage from today... it’s been a rough time for Jesus and His followers. Jesus and the disciples struggled over the death of their friend and Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist. He was beheaded for speaking the truth to a powerful leader.

Following this news, Jesus and the disciples needed a break so they head out to the wilderness. No one will follow us there right? Nice peaceful retreat ... like getting away to the cottage? Think again. No sooner did Jesus head out, than He was approached by thousands, looking for healing or wanting o connect somehow with Jesus. There was heavy demand on Jesus. Makes me wonder about his self-control. There was a need and Jesus attended to it...though the very human disciples preferred Jesus send them away.

Of course, Jesus directs them to feed the people and a miracle occurs. Once all the people have been looked after, Jesus tries again, and sets out and sends His disciples on ahead. This time there is a storm of sorts both outside and within. The outside storm sets in and the disciples are frightened the boat they are in might capsize. Jesus responds to Peter and commands him to walk on the water. Peter does so, but falls after only a few steps. He takes his eyes off Jesus and notices the storm about him. That is when he collapses into the water. The inner turmoil is not trusting in Jesus, not keeping faith with Him.

In today’s story, again they try to get some privacy...makes me wonder how Jesus puts up with the disciples and with us at times. Should be safe to head out to Canaanite territory, right? But no... ahead of this journey, Jesus first has to confront the Pharisees and scribes, religious leaders of the day. These leaders are appalled at Jesus for allowing His followers to not follow the legal tradition of ceremoniously washing their hands before eating. They are following strict laws and not understanding the spiritual truth beneath.

“Listen and understand,” says Jesus. “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” It is what is within the human heart that counts...not the simple action of following a set of laws. “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart comes evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.”

Brothers and sisters, this is the spiritual truth that applies even today, and it is what we need to understand as well. Even small misunderstandings that lead to gossip or thinking of ourselves as somehow better than another or more put together can cause us to make harsh judgments. It is no wonder the Church, and “religion” get a bad name, when folks of all walks of life get into relationship difficulty and commit sin. We miss the mark, we fall short of all we are to be when we act in unloving ways. When we refuse to forgive another, we can get bitter and that bitterness can lead to hatred and malice. The jails are overflowing with people who have made the wrong choices in life and committed terrible crimes. Our news is full of proof of our inability to understand the command to love one another.

In the district of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus Himself has a pleasant awakening of sorts. It comes in yet another attempt to get away. After all, no self-respecting Jew would be caught there. Perhaps now, Jesus would find some rest. Not so. He is approached by a Canaanite woman, who cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.”

The response of the disciples is interesting and shows the depth of their ignorance toward the Messiah. Jesus, at first, does not answer the woman, so the disciples urge Jesus “Send her away!” Sound familiar? It is the same response the disciples had to the crowd searching for food. “Send them away.” No, Jesus says. You get them some food, and of course, the disciples have a human reaction.

Jesus then tells the outsider, this Canaanite woman, that His mission is only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. This strong mom knows the power of Jesus to help her daughter and she will not give up. “Lord, help me!”

Jesus then says it is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. The children here refer to the children of Israel, while the dogs are seen as pets, loved, but secondary to the children of Israel. Here is where I believe the Lord’s eyes are opened to a new way of looking at the mission of God. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.” Jesus here comes to understand that His mission is not only to the children of Israel, the chosen nation, but to all people on earth. This outsider, this gentile woman, this persistent mom, has given Jesus keen insight.

“Woman, you have great faith. Your request is granted.” Her daughter was healed at that moment we are told.

Isn’t it interesting that sometimes the Church gets so caught up in internal issues that it needs an outsider’s perspective? Just as the Canaanite woman opened Jesus eyes to the fullness of mission, our eyes are opened by the likes of Ted, who comes searching for an answer to the hunger in his stomach. His initial request was for money. The original thoughts were that if we give money, he will use it for purposes other than food. In time, we changed the approach so now, if the need is food, Ted is taken to the grocery store where food is purchased. Yet this isn’t the insight per se. The real insight is that the Church exists for people like Ted and he knew to come to the Church to find hope and the unconditional love that is preached about in the Gospel. It is the outsider like Ted and those who are being fed at the new program at St. Chad’s that has started up lately, and other places like Holy Trinity and Agape Table and All Saints and St. Matthews, who remind us always of our ministry to those outside of the Church. Jesus Himself said “I have come not to be served but to serve.”

We must pay attention to the voice of the outsider, those on the margins, the ones who rock the boat so to speak, no matter what the initial impression. The indigenous peoples of Canada have seen themselves as outsiders in their country as a result of their history of colonization and Residential Schools. That same sense of being on the outside was felt in Anglican indigenous people. Following their gathering in Kenora in the early 1990s, our former Primate, Michael Peers offered an apology on behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada. Since that apology, the General Synod met and changed the Constitution to incorporate all indigenous ministries in Canon 22. Here in Rupert’s Land, similar actions have taken place and next June there will be a Sacred Circle for all Anglicans to come together and reconcile and move forward in mission.

The outsider has much to teach us, but the bottom line is that we must have faith. No matter what the situation, no matter what the crisis, we must learn to focus or fix our eyes on Jesus, just as Peter did before he fell into the water and just as the Canaanite woman did in calling out to Jesus for healing of her daughter. That is the hardest challenge of all, to focus and fix our eyes on Jesus in the midst of challenge and struggle.
Here, at St. James, we have fixed our eyes on Jesus and are providing quality programs of spiritual growth and healing. We are reaching out to the neighbourhood and we are cooperating with Jesus to bring Good News. I give thanks for the outsider, for the ones on the margins, those who remind and teach us the importance of that Good News, that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, to the end that all who believe in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

It is Good News for a world that desperately needs it. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will indeed move forward and may all we do be to God’s greater glory!

Greetings from Buganda

(Henry is the rector of our companion parish in Central Buganda - MS)

Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011 5:11 AM

Rev. Canon Murray Still,

It’s a pleasure that we heard from you during Easter season and indeed I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I also convey greetings from our church members and area community of Kyerima.

During the month of June our Lord the Bishop visited our Parish and this time it was decided to host him at one of our sister church called Jjumbi. A number of activities took place among which he confirmed 56 pupil, newly wedded couple and 12 persons were baptised. Also a number of 105 people had Holy communion that day. Going through he was being assisted by 7 Revs and 5 Lay men.

In the Bishop's sermon he congratulated those who were confirmed and thanked the people who attended the ceremony. He advised the Christians to put Ring Beam on the Church buildings .Also we were told that the new Diocesan offices are almost to completion. By his words we were that if God has left us alive, energetic and has given us time to work that we should work. He spent that day with us.

God bless you,
Rev Henry Matovu

Pentecost 5 Homily: Recognizing the Weeds

(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.

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:

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!

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.