A Thought For The Week Of September 30

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15) How many people live with regret or guilt burdening them and weighing them down. Probably all of us to a certain extent. We look back at our lives and wonder why we didn't do "that" or - maybe even worse - we shake our heads and say, "I shouldn't have done that. What was I thinking?" And maybe we think it more often than we care to admit. And that weight can be a burden to bear. One thing we know is that even from the perspective of the Bible we're not alone. Paul knew that he had left some things undone; Paul knew that there were things he should have turned away from. But he was human. He couldn't. And the world judges Christians harshly at times. Because for the most part what Jesus asks of us is pretty clear - even to non-believers - and how we actually respond is equally clear. And people notice our shortcomings, don't they. God notices them too, of course - but the good news is that God is far more forgiving and compassionate than the world. God's grace is our reality, a grace revealed by Jesus. It allows us to let go of the past and all its failures, to move beyond guilt at things done or not done, and to live as best we can as disciples of Christ. Paul finished his reflections on this issue with the words, "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thanks be to God, indeed. Words that should come from all of us. Have a great week.

September 29 sermon - Learning The Art Of Peaceful Disagreement

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it. Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is My disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:34-42)

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     This is just one of those passages, isn't it. The truth is - it doesn't fit our image of Jesus at all. The child-loving, lamb-carrying, always forgiving Prince of Peace? And He could say something like, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” It doesn't sound like Jesus. It can't be Jesus. Jesus wouldn't do that. So – what's up with this?

     I think that what troubles most people about this passage is that Jesus links it so explicitly to family. “I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ ” That sounds so harsh. Why would Jesus do that? And I realized as I looked at the passage that Jesus is actually quoting something there. So I looked it up. He's basically quoting the prophet Micah. Micah wrote at a time when Israel was starting to fall apart from within largely because of what you might call moral rot – evil and licentious kings in a blood-stained world that cared increasingly less and less about God and about the poor. Whenever things were falling apart in Israel, the expectation began to arise that Messiah was coming to set things straight. So Micah is reflecting on what he sees as the social breakdown of the nation, as everything is falling apart. Whether he literally meant that he saw family members turning on each other we don't know – but it's possible – but it was certainly an image; a turn of phrase that made the point that everything that had provided stability was now falling apart. So you fast forward a few hundred years, and you suddenly find these words from the prophet Micah coming from the lips of Jesus. It was another time when the nation was expecting Messiah. The nation was struggling and under occupation by the Roman Empire. Things were chaotic, and here's Jesus applying the words of Micah to Himself and saying essentially, “OK. I'm the one Micah was speaking about.” I don't know about you, but to me, that's fascinating. It's a messianic statement of Jesus that we wouldn't normally recognize as a messianic statement.

     But what does it mean? It might be an example of Jesus linking Himself to prophecies about the Messiah, but it's still a troubling verse to us because of the implications. Is it really the mission of Jesus to set family members against each other? To create enemies out of the members of a person's own household? What about “one Lord, one faith, one baptism?” What about “one God?” What about that “ministry of reconciliation” that Jesus supposedly came with and passed on to us? What about those things? Are they meaningless? That's why Jesus didn't stop with the quote from Micah.

     “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ” A lot of people find those words harsh, as well – especially when linked with the words Jesus opened with: “I did not come to bring peace,but a sword.” The sword divides. It cuts right in half if necessary. Keep in mind that for Jesus in this context the opposite of peace isn't war - it's division, or turmoil; it's a lack of tranquility. So Jesus isn't intending for the sword to be thought of literally as a weapon, but rather as an image of that which divides. So, Jesus by His very nature will divide - some will believe in Him, others won't. Even within the church (the family of God or the family of faith) while we hope that everybody believes in Jesus, we know that people will believe different things about Jesus. The very presence of Jesus – and we believe that Jesus is powerfully present with us whenever we gather – creates division. That's inevitable, but put in the context of the entire gospel, I don't think that this passage means that Jesus envisaged actual warfare or violence between those who believed and those who didn't. I don't think He even meant that families would break up over Him. He simply pointed out that there will be divisions. Some will believe and some won't, and that sword of belief will cut through even families and even the family of God. A acquaintance of mine, with whom I debate matters of faith with online every now and then, said this about this passage: “It's a call to choose between family and faith, if it comes down to that. That's exactly what cults do. If you believe the bible, Jesus wants you to act more cult-like.” Except – that's not what the passage is saying at all!

     I know some people don't like this, but I have to do this to you! This is one of those New Testament passages that you can't understand unless you know just a little bit of the Greek in which the New Testament was written. In Greek, the love between family members is “phileo.” The love which was offered by Jesus and which we as His followers are called to display is “agape.” What Jesus is saying here is that a “phileo” love is not enough of a grounding for Christians, who are called to “agape.” Read in Greek, the basic point being made is that if your “phileo” is greater than your “agape” then you still have a ways to go in your spiritual development - which probably applies to most of us. My online friend doesn't read Greek, I don't think. This passage isn't “a call to choose between family and faith.” It's actually quite the opposite. The passage is a call to a higher and more pure love - which because it's “agape” (or at least because it's becoming “agape”) would be poured out for all, since love for Jesus is expressed in love for neighbour, which would include mother, father, son, daughter, etc. Jesus isn't saying not to love your family. He's not even saying to love Him more that your family, really. He's saying that you have to develop this “agape” love which is the ultimate and perfect love. And it's poured out equally and totally and unselfishly for everyone – friends, family, neighbours, strangers and even enemies. Believers and unbelievers alike – because that's what “agape” is.

     In spite of how it sounds in English, this passage really isn't a call for families to be divided. It is instead a call for families (and the human family as a whole) to love one another with a deeper love than ever. The divisions will remain. Jesus divides. Some believe and others don't and some believe different things. There's not much we can do about that. But if we achieve the love Jesus is calling us to with the words “ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” then we can live in peace in spite of disagreements, because our love won't be bound by the pettiness of disagreements. To be worthy of Jesus, you see, we have to at least try to demonstrate a love that goes beyond just those we're supposed to love and that is extended outward to all, regardless of whether we see them as worthy.

A Thought For The Week Of September 23

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1) Well, I'm not sure it's about getting a reward in heaven, anyway. I mean, if that's why we did good works, that would be pretty selfish, wouldn't it? It certainly wouldn't seem to be in keeping with the spirit of Jesus and his ministry. I'll do good stuff - but only if I get a return on it. That's the opposite of agape love, which is completely self-giving, doesn't count the cost and doesn't care about a return. And yet I think about all that I've seen, and I marvel at the number of people who seem to do a lot of good works, but who always find a way to make sure that they're seen doing the good works. Many years ago, I remember Harold Ballard - the former owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs - receiving praise in the media for all the anonymous work he did for charity. And I wondered - if it's anonymous, how do we know about it? I don't think our good works should be a show of any kind. We don't need the praise of those around us. We just need to know that we're doing the will of God in all things. Without worrying about who gets the credit, or whether people know our names. That's Christian love. Have a great week!

September 22 sermon - The Things We Can Do When We Work Together!

Then some people brought Jesus a man possessed by a demon. The demon made the man blind and unable to talk. Jesus cured him so that he could talk and see. The crowds were all amazed and said, “Can this man be the Son of David?” When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man can force demons out of people only with the help of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” Since Jesus knew what they were thinking, He said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined. And every city or household divided against itself will not last. If Satan forces Satan out, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom last? (Matthew 12:22-26)

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     Far be it for me to suggest that I could possibly improve on anything that Jesus said! I think that “every kingdom divided against itself is ruined. And every city or household divided against itself will not last” is a pretty sound piece of teaching, and the part about Satan driving out Satan is an eye-catching piece of imagery! Which would explain why Jesus is the messiah and I'm - well – not! To say the least! But to be a little more serious, what I do want to do this morning is take this pretty familiar teaching of Jesus and perhaps look at it “inside-out” you might say. In other words, rather than looking at it from the negative perspective – that if something is divided against itself it can't stand – I want to look at it from a more positive perspective – by suggesting that the only way we can stand and the only way we can be effective in our mission “to know Christ and to make Him known” is to be united and working together for a common cause that accomplishes the will of God and that furthers the ministry of Jesus Himself. I've spent some time over the last week thinking of examples of good things that I've seen happen when the body of Christ works together, and I want to share three examples with you along with some thoughts about what they've been able to accomplish.

     About 12 years ago I had the opportunity to be a part of the organizing committee of a “Billy Graham Crusade” in Sundridge. Now – not wanting to make myself seem more important than I am – it's true that Billy Graham himself did not make the trek to Sundridge for the Crusade. It was put on by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association with an “associate evangelist” named Ross Rhodes. But aside from that it was organized exactly the same way a Billy Graham Crusade would have been organized. I'm not totally in sync with all of the beliefs espoused by the Association, but there were a lot of things that really impressed me about the Association and how they worked when I finally saw them in action. The Billy Graham Association demands a very full spectrum of participation from local churches before they'll agree to do a Crusade. It can't just be the so-called “evangelical” churches coming together. If they don't see the “mainline” churches and even the Roman Catholic Churches involved to at least some extent, they won't be a part of the project. So over the course of about a year – because that's how long it took to prepare – I saw churches all the way from North Bay to Huntsville to Parry Sound co-operating. I saw Pentecostals and Presbyterians and Roman Catholics and Baptists and United Church folk sitting side by side doing the work of God instead of what often happens – which is pretending that “we” are doing the work of God while the rest of “them” are really kind of heretical! I saw people from denominations that often barely acknowledge each other's existence suddenly sitting side by side as God's children, not concerning themselves about their differences. It was an amazing spectacle. And in the end, what results there were! Over four nights literally thousands of people filled the local arena where the Crusade was held – people who had questions; people who were searching for God; people who weren't too sure about the “Christian” thing but who were definitely interested in Jesus. People who, in the end, were richly blessed by the experience – as were the churches who learned about each other and suddenly realized that what we had in common was far more important than what divided us. “... every city or household divided against itself will not last.” If we as Christians work together, we'll not only last, we'll flourish and we'll help people in their quest for God.

     But that was a personal story; more of a memory on my part than anything else. So I wanted to think more recently about things that we've done where we've brought people together and accomplished something positive for the Kingdom of God. And it wasn't hard to think of a couple of examples.

     I don't know how many of you realize it, but our VBS is amazing. I find it hard to believe myself, but we're actually one of the very few United Churches in the Niagara Region that even manage to put on our own VBS. So many of our churches depend on the Presbytery run VBS, which – of course – our own Heather is so closely involved with, in addition to our own. I find it fascinating that there are only three United Churches in Niagara Presbytery that are bigger than Central, and all three of them used the Presbytery program! So, how do we do it? When churches bigger than us decide that they can't – or at least that they don't want to? I talked to Heather last week. We had about 20 volunteers at our VBS this summer. They were of all ages. Most were connected with our church; some were from other churches but they just wanted to help out and be involved and contribute. Again, here's a perfect example of a way in which the church takes on a mission and draws people – and those people end up being blessed. I've spoken to a lot of people who have helped out at our VBS over the years, and the volunteers get as much out of the experience, I think, as do the children who are registered. And those volunteers who get blessed become a blessing, as they help children deepen their understanding of God and Jesus. “Every city or household divided against itself will not last.” But if we work together and draw others in, we'll not only last, we'll flourish and we'll help both children and adults deepen their understanding of God and Jesus.

     And how can I think of things that have pulled people together and helped create a common bond of unity while doing the work of Christ without mentioning the Clothing Boutique? It started fairly small and fairly modestly a few years ago. I'll be honest, I'm not sure how many volunteers we had who helped out with that in one way or another just over a week ago, and who helped organize things in the days and weeks leading up to it, but it was an example of people taking ownership of a mission, understanding that this kind of work is work that the church is called to do and simply doing it. But it wasn't only the specific volunteers who did the legwork here in the church. How many people gave? How many with no connection to this church gave clothes – gave freely – because they suddenly saw a worthwhile opportunity to give? If it's true (and Jesus said it) that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” then how many who were perhaps don't even know were blessed by the opportunity we provided them to give something for the sake of others? If we are called to be a blessing, there's another example of us doing it. Of course, we blessed those were were less fortunate or those who were for some reason in need by being able to provide for their needs – and isn't that what the ministry of Jesus recorded in the Gospels was all about? Meeting the needs of those around Him with no questions asked. “See a need. Respond to it.” That was the ministry of Jesus. So the volunteers were blessed, the donors were blessed and the recipients of all that generosity were blessed – because we provided an opportunity for people from different walks of life to come together to do the work of God. “every city or household divided against itself will not last.” But if we work together and draw others in, we'll not only last, we'll flourish and we'll be a blessing by giving people an opportunity to both give and receive as they have need.

     It's undoubtedly true. “Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined. And every city or household divided against itself will not last. If Satan forces Satan out, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom last?” But while true, I still want to be more positive. Being divided probably prevents us from accomplishing anything. But just think of the things we can do when we work together!

Why Didn't Jesus Pray For People?

I'm musing here more than anything, but a few days ago the thought occurred to me - why didn't Jesus pray for people? (That darned Holy Spirit, putting such a question in my head!) Anyway, as I thought about it and searched my mind's concordance, I honestly couldn't come up with a situation described in Scripture in which Jesus actually sat down with a particular person and prayed for them. I mean - it's something I do all the time. I'm doing a hospital visit or a home visit, and eventually I say, "why don't we pray." Or words to that effect. And we do. Or, more commonly, I do - praying mostly about issues in the life of the person I'm talking to. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was having trouble coming up with incidents in which Jesus engaged in any form of intercessory prayer for people? But why doesn't he? So I started checking out Scripture.

The only specific reference I could find to Jesus making intercessory prayer was Luke 22:32. And even there, the prayer isn't recorded. Jesus says to Peter, "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail." And as far as I can see, in all of the stories of Jesus, that's the only time there's a reference to him offering or at least suggesting that he had offered an intercessory prayer for someone in particular. Interesting. At least to me.

Mostly when Jesus prayed, he seems to have prayed for himself! There are several references to Jesus withdrawing to a lonely place to pray, the implication being that this withdrawal was for his own benefit; that he needed to get away and spend some time with God. I suppose it's possible (maybe likely? I'd like to think so, anyway!) that he might have included some intercessory prayer for someone during one of these prayer-times, but it doesn't say so. There is, of course, John 17, when Jesus offers a very general intercessory prayer for his followers. I won't quote the whole thing. It's John 17:6-24. My NIV Bible subdivides it into two sections: "Jesus Prays For His Disciples" and "Jesus Prays For All Believers." Even in John 17, it's a three part prayer, with the first section entitled "Jesus Prays For Himself." And, of course, when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, in what we now call "The Lord's Prayer," there's no intercession mentioned for anyone other than ourselves, unless "as we forgive those who trespass against us" could be taken as an offering of forgiveness to those whom we're harbouring bitterness toward?Maybe. But. Still. Again. Interesting. At least to me. I will concede that, a long time later, Hebrews 5:7 records that "during the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death ..." I suppose the petitions could have been for others, but the implication is, again, that they were for himself. So, where does this leave me?

I'm certainly not saying that prayer is unimportant. Prayer is how we connect to God. It's the sign of the relationship we have with and the love we have for God. So, it's important. I'm also not suggesting that we shouldn't pray for others. I don't know exactly what happens when we pray - but I've seen enough over the years to believe that there's power in intercessory prayer. And while most of the scriptural references even to intercession have to do with Jesus interceding for us, I don't overlook 1 Timothy 3:1, which says "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people ..." So the New Testament does affirm the importance of intercessory prayer for others. I just still wonder - why don't we see Jesus doing it?

I wonder if it's to remind us of what's really important about our faith and how we're to live it? My reading of the Gospels is that when Jesus encountered a hungry person, he didn't pray for them to be fed - he fed them! And when Jesus encountered a sick person, he didn't pray for them to be healed - he healed them! And when Jesus encountered a sinful person, he didn't pray for them to be forgiven - he forgave them! And when Jesus encountered an outcast person, he didn't pray for them to be accepted - he accepted them! Of course, he could do all those things much more easily than we can - because he was, after all, the Son of God; God incarnate. But maybe the lesson about what's recorded of Jesus' prayer life is not that we shouldn't engage in intercessory prayer for people, but that we need to make sure that we don't just settle for intercessory prayer. "I'll pray for you" is fine and important, as long as its meaning is really "I'll pray for you and do something to help you with your burden if I can." Sometimes, perhaps, saying "I'll pray for you" and leaving it at that is actually nothing more than a way for us to let ourselves off the hook.

Maybe that's why the Bible doesn't record Jesus praying for people very often. He was already quite busy actually helping in a concrete way.  After all, according to the Bible God seems largely uninterested in ritual for the sake of ritual. Real religion is that we help widows and orphans in their distress, is it not? Or, presumably, anybody else who needs our help when we have help to offer. "Pray without ceasing," indeed. But also try to do something about whatever or whoever it is that you're praying for! Maybe that's the message!

A Thought For The Week Of September 16

"Where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20) There's something very powerful about attending church on a Sunday morning, if you enter with the right frame of mind - which is to say, if you're coming not to be entertained and not to "get something out of it" but rather if you're coming to simply encounter Christ in the gathering of people who are there. It's the church (working together) that represents Christ to the world, that reflects Christ to those we encounter and that engages in the ongoing ministry of Christ. I think that's what Jesus meant with these words: when we gather as a church, we are Christ's body, and so Christ is among us in a very powerful way. But that was Sunday, and this is today, and I know that some people are troubled by this verse. Does that mean he's not with us when we're alone? Of course I would say - absolutely not. With God all around us and with the Holy Spirit within us we're never away from the divine presence. God is an ongoing reality in our life. We need only open ourselves to feel that. But God sent Christ into the world to do God's will and God's work, and when we work together as a church to do Christ's ministry of care and compassion for the outcast and vulnerable, that's what we're doing - and that's why Christ is always among us when his work is being done! Rejoice in God's presence with you every day, but remember as well to celebrate the presence of Jesus whenever we gather with fellow Christians to do his work. Have a great week!

September 15 sermon - And Sunday Begat Monday ... And So On ...

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)

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     So, how exactly did they make a difference? If you remember back to last week, you'll remember that I pointed out that Jesus began by sending twelve disciples out to their fellow countrymen with the message that would come to be known as the gospel – and that ultimately that message started by Jesus and shared by only those twelve at first changed the world. How did it do that? It's a good question. If you read the New Testament carefully, you'll discover that essentially it was a question not just of the message they shared but of the life they lived. Remember my “mantra” (so to speak) of last week: “Share the message; live the message; be the message.” And the early disciples of Jesus took that to heart. They went out and they did it. If you read some of the accounts in the Book of Acts, you discover that the early church attracted followers not because of what they said but because of how they lived. Their lifestyle attracted attention. How they cared for each other attracted attention. The purity of their lives and the love that they shared so freely stood out in a world that was often harsh and uncaring; often still governed by the “survival of the fittest” rule. It made a difference. People noticed, because the disciples took the teaching of Jesus and made it the way they would live. To think about it in more contemporary terms, they took their Sunday morning faith and they lived it on Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and so on. For them, Sunday begat Monday. The days faded into one another, because every day was their day to bear witness to Jesus in the way they lived and in the way they loved.

     What was it in more concrete terms about their lifestyle that attracted so much attention? In 1 Thessalonians Paul encourages those who would receive his letter to lead a life that would stand out, and the interesting thing is that as we look at what Paul wrote, we might find that this is yet another way that ancient Scripture has much to say to a modern world. Basically, Paul gave three pieces of advice to Christians who want to “win the respect of outsiders.”

     The first piece of advice was to “lead a quiet life.” Now, that's not the same as leading a dull or uninteresting life. Basically, Paul was suggesting that the quiet lives Christians should is because Christians should be content with our lives. Contentment often seems lacking in today's world. People are constantly pushing the envelope to find something more exciting, more thrilling. Some of that, certainly, is just normal human curiosity – and without that where would we be? It's what took human beings to the moon, after all! But some of it seems to be the need for thrills for the sake of thrills. Everyday life isn't good enough, so we need something to pump more excitement into it. Go to a theme park. The roller coasters are getting taller every year! The old wooden roller coasters that took you around and up and down just don't cut it anymore. Lynn and Hannah and I went to the CNE this summer. It's the first time we've done that as a family, and the first time I've been to the CNE since I wasn't much older than Hannah. We went on the day after the great “Cronut Burger” fiasco. If you're not familiar with the Cronut Burger – it's a cheeseburger, but instead of a regular bun, it's between a bun made of a croissant-donut hybrid, and on top is what's called maple bacon jam. It's got sugar, fat and lots and lots of calories along with all sorts of other things – but you'll never know how many of these things it has because those who made them refused to say, which should be the first warning sign! The day before we went to the CNE, more than 200 people got sick after eating them. The sickness was eventually traced to the jam, apparently, but as a nutritionist said later, even if the jam had been fine, the human body just isn't made to digest that kind of cocktail. And we all know it! And who knows how many more than the 200 got sick but didn't bother reporting it, or ate it and were fortunate enough not to get sick. But it's an adventure. We can't just eat the same old boring food. And not too long before that, two teenagers in Oklahoma were arrested for murder. According to their confession, they killed a man – because they were bored and wanted to find out what it would be like. I'm sure none of us have ever murdered anywhere, and it's kind of likely that none of us have ever tried a Cronut Burger, but the fact that people do it is all the more reason for our lives to be a living witness to Christ. Live a quiet life; be content. There's no need to be constantly pushing the envelope to get the next “fix” - because since we have Christ, there's really nothing more that we need. And if we show ourselves to be content, maybe people will wonder what it is that we have that they're lacking! “Lead a quiet life.”

     Paul's second piece of advice was “mind your own business.” That sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it – but it's probably good advice. One of the things that I've noticed Christians being criticized for over the years is that there's a perception at least (and perception is reality for those who perceive it, and there's usually at least a bit of truth behind perception) that Christians spend a lot more time minding other people's business that we do minding our own business. We sound judgmental, and then we leave ourselves open to charges of hypocrisy because as soon as we choose to mind someone else's business, we leave ourselves open to others minding our business – and since none of us are perfect, if someone else mind's our own business too closely, they might well find something! I mean, Richard Dawkins – who could be called the late high priest of atheism – has written scathing things about Mother Teresa based on things he's discovered and perhaps taken a bit out of context. So why invite someone into our business by poking ourselves into theirs? Better, perhaps, to learn the lesson of Jesus - “Why worry about the speck in your brother's eye, when you have a plank in your own eye.” In fact, maybe that's where Paul got this idea! “Mind your own business.”

     And Paul's third piece of advice was “work with your hands.” I suppose in a way this is the antidote for the problem he dealt with in his previous comment: if you're working with your hands you're busy, and if you're taken up with your own busy-ness, then you have no time to mind anyone's else's business! I don't think Paul was necessarily thinking in terms of employment, by the way. A concern I have is that some people could take these words out of context and use them as an attack against the unemployed: “just get out and get a job!” I do think that what Paul meant was that whatever out status in society (employed, unemployed, under-employed or retired) we should have things that consume our attention and – by the way – that constantly bring us into touch with other people, because that's how we demonstrate the impact that faith has on our lives. Be engaged with the people and world around you. “Work with your hands.”

     Sunday leads to Monday, and that's when our faith really needs to take control of our lives and impact how we live and how we relate to those around us. After all, if you only live as a Christian on Sunday and forget about it the rest of the week, then that's not a faith; it's a hobby. It's been said that you have to be very careful as a Christian when you're out in the world because – and it's true – as far as the people you meet are concerned, you may be the only Christ they'll ever encounter. Paul's advice is pretty good advice for how to portray Christ in a positive and life-giving manner: “lead a quiet life ... mind your own business and work with your hands ...” They're good lessons to learn, and a good way of life to put into practice!

A Thought For The Week Of September 9

"Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace." (2 Corinthians 1:12) So, have we? Have you? Have I? I'd like to think that Christians always conduct themselves with integrity, but unfortunately we know that isn't always the case. You usually don't have to look too far into the news to find an example of a Christian "leader" who doesn't act the way we would expect - and that's just "leaders." I imagine your average everyday Christians are subject to the same failing. The question might be why? Is it inevitable? Are we destined to fail? Destined to act unethically? Destined to behave in ways that dishonour God and bring Christ into disrepute. I suppose we're human; we're not perfect. So, we're going to make mistakes. But conscience is a wonderful gift God has given us. If we listen to our conscience (that little voice that pops up saying - "hold on a minute") then we could avoid most of the trouble that can engulf us - and be a much better witness to Christ. Maybe it's what Paul meant by the difference between worldly wisdom and God's grace. If we depend on God to guide us, and take that guidance seriously - the guidance that tells us to love and serve others with compassion - we generally won't get too far off track. Following the wisdom of the world, though - the way that tells me all too often that it's all about me and what I want - can lead us into places we'd rather not go. I hope as this week begins, we can all commit to living by the grace of God, and following the way God lays out before us. Have a great week!

September 8 sermon - An Open Door Policy: Go On Out!

Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts - no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.” (Matthew 10:1-10)

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     Welcome! It's what the church is about, isn't it? Or at least it's what it's supposed to be about, right? Welcoming, inclusive, non-judgmental, accepting of newcomers and fully open to their new ideas? Right? Well, that's the ideal in most people's minds, anyway. Some churches are better at it than others. Some attract people like a magnet attracts lead; some, on the other hand, seem more interested in driving people away, lest visitors or newcomers upset the apple cart. I'd like to think that here at Central we lean more toward the former than the latter, but we have our moments, I'm sure. But being a welcoming church is now the big idea in the world of Christianity. How to be welcoming; how to appeal to people; how to reach a modern society; how to keep 'em once they're here. How to be a “seekers' church” - a church for people who know they believe in something, but who aren't too sure what it is they believe in, and who are looking for some guidance to comfort them, or some thought provoking ideas to challenge them. There's books and programs galore dealing with this subject. It's what we're about, people say. And it's all well-intentioned and well-meaning, and we hope people respond to the efforts. I hope people respond to the efforts. I hope they do, because I believe that the church does have something to offer to those who truly believe that there has to be more to life and more to existence than just what we see around us; that reality has to do with more than just the concrete stuff we can see and touch and smell and hear; that there's something beyond us, but not that far away from us at the same time – which is, of course, exactly what the message of Jesus was about God: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” And I believe that the church – this church – can help people who are on that quest. And that's all a part of being welcoming and open and invitational. And it's great. But I sometimes wonder if we haven't taken it too far?

     Is welcoming people really what we're all about? Or at least, is welcoming people all that we're about? Really, isn't that what Rally Day is all about? “Welcome back” to those who've been away for the summer and “welcome to Central” for newcomers checking us out? But - welcoming them for what? What's the purpose? We reach out, we invite back, we invite in, we're happy when people respond – but is that all there is to it? Is it just about getting people in? It's interesting that early on in His ministry, once Jesus had found His original crew of disciples, He didn't hang on to them. He “sent them out ...” They had work to do! They had His work to do! To proclaim the Kingdom of God. To offer freedom to those held in spiritual bondage. To offer healing and wholeness and comfort to those suffering affliction of mind or body. And for those purposes, they were sent out!

     I'm guessing that the disciples weren't especially happy to hear those instructions. Really. You have this group of 12, who in the overall scheme of things really haven't been followers of Jesus for all that long, suddenly being told to go out and – well, the Gospel writer may have left out some details, but I can imagine what their response might have been. 

“Excuse me? You want me to do what? Drive out evil spirits and heal diseases and proclaim the Kingdom of God? Uh, Jesus – I don't know if I'm up to that. Really. Maybe it would be better if we all just kind of stuck here close to You, and then maybe You could teach us a little bit more? That might be better. Really.” 

     I can imagine them responding in that way. Just the desire to stick close to home, to not take many risks, to avoid having to actually stand up and be counted – because that can be a very uncomfortable thing. Now, in truth, Jesus didn't ask too much of His disciples. They didn't have to go far, they just had to go out. They didn't have to go the the Gentiles, but at least they had to go to Israel. They didn't have to go to strangers, but at least they had to go to their neighbours. But, still, it must have been hard for the disciples, and they probably would have preferred to have stayed right where they were, and in fact, I think that just maybe the church today sends the implicit message that that's the way it's supposed to be. With all the emphasis we put on getting people in, perhaps we lose sight of the need to also be sending people out! Perhaps we as a church sometimes give the impression that faith is something we do in here, in church, on Sunday morning. Maybe we unintentionally encourage people to compartmentalize their life of faith, so that it takes up one slot in our life (that 90 minute slot on Sunday morning, and maybe another hour or two for different things happening – at the church! - during the week) but it leaves all the other slots free of that risky entanglement with faith. Our society promotes that. I notice it all the time. You're not supposed to talk religion, are you. It's personal; it's private. You know the old advice about the three things you should never talk about: politics, sex and religion. As I've sometimes said in response, if you avoid those three things how much more is there to talk about that's actually interesting? But the message we get from society about faith is: “believe what you want, just keep it to yourself.” And that's comfortable for us, so quite often we do, and quite often it's Christians who get upset by public displays of faith that are too much in our face – for example, how many of us actually like Jehovah's Witnesses showing up at our door on Saturday morning? Hey - I'd rather keep my Saturday morning nice and relaxing too, but then I have to admit something – they understand what Jesus said. He sent His disciples out! 

     His basic message to His disciples was that now that they had heard the message, they could take it out. I mean it really isn't complicated. Sometimes I think God created clergy to make things more complicated than they have to be – but really the message isn't complicated. Love everyone, and  remember that God's unconditional grace is there for everyone, and live accordingly. And Jesus sent His disciples out to share that message in practical ways. I can hear His words to the disciples: “Share the message; live the message; be the message! And do it every day!” He didn't leave them on their own to do it. They would come back to Him. He wasn't casting them away, but He was sending them out.

    Isn't that what the church needs to do? As a community of faith, isn't it important for us to by all means invite all of you in, but then also by all means to send all of you back out? Surely we don't exist as a church just to worship for an hour and then go away until next Sunday. We worship – and then we don't just go away – we go out! We do what Jesus essentially told His first disciples to do: we go out to share the message, to live the message and to be the message!

     I do like to think that we're a church that welcomes and invites everyone and anyone; that we're a church with an open door policy – but as Christians we need to remember that an open door policy works both ways. We welcome people to come in the doors to celebrate their faith and to be reminded of the message of Jesus, but then we encourage those same people to go out the doors and to share their faith; to share the message of release from all the things (spiritual or physical) that afflict us. 

     Share the message; live the message; be the message. That's our calling as disciples of Jesus! And remember – we do have an open door policy: so go on out!

Jesus, Syria and The Concept Of Non-Violence

I find myself today thinking about the concept of non-violence as a response to oppression. It has an honoured history. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.,  Nelson Mandela (after his release from prison at least when he advocated reconciliation rather than revenge.) I'm wondering about this because Syria remains in the news today, as it has for some time and as it probably will be for some time. The question is always the same, of course: should the United States attack Syria in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime?

I have a knee jerk reaction when such questions come up: of course not! I'm a Christian! Non-violence is the way! Jesus would not support any violent actions. And now I find myself not really thinking about Syria (but it's in the back of my mind) but rather about Jesus and non-violence. Did Jesus really believe in non-violence? Is that really what he preached and taught and lived? It seems so clear. "Love your enemies." "Pray for those who persecute you." Now, that's Jesus. That's right from the Sermon on the Mount. It has to be the ethical heart of how Christians should respond to their enemies - and if to their enemies, then to everyone else. I like that Jesus! And maybe therein lies a problem. I like that Jesus enough that he overwhelms me, and I don't think of any other possible view of Jesus. Yes. I guess I have to confess that I invent the Jesus that I'm comfortable with, and I run with him. Kind of like proof-texting (which I'm always criticizing) except that you might call it "proof-imaging of Jesus." Is there another kind of Jesus? Is there a Jesus who maybe doesn't come across as so loving and so non-violent? The truth is - yes.

The image of Jesus killing a fig tree just because it had no figs (at a time when it wasn't supposed to have figs) comes to mind. But maybe more troublesome to this loving, non-violent picture of Jesus we carry around with us is this passage from John's Gospel:

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

Wow. I mean, I know the passage is there. I've actually preached on the passage, most recently in 2009. I've used it as a way of suggesting that there are two kinds of anger - an out of control anger based simply on emotional angst about not getting our way, and a righteous anger based on dismay at how others are being oppressed, abused or cheated. So I can justify Jesus' resort to violence. What else can you call using a whip to drive the money changers out of the temple? I understand why he did it. The money changers were cheating people. There were all sorts of different currencies in the Empire, and no one knew what the real rate of exchange was, so the money changers took advantage of that for their own profit. And those selling the cattle and the sheep probably were making a killing (no pun intended.) The folks showing up at the temple needed animals for sacrifice. I imagine the prices were exorbitant. And Jesus got back at them for it, on behalf of their victims everywhere. And he used violence to do it. There goes the nice, airy-fairy image of Jesus carrying little lambs around and taking children on his knees. This guy could get ugly when necessary.

Which brings me back to Syria. Some people don't like the mixing of faith and politics. I'm not sure how you can avoid it. Faith guides us if we're Christians. It guides us in all things. When we make political decisions, we always need to reflect on what decision our faith would have us make, and then if we choose to rationalize making a different choice, so be it. God will sort that out somehow. But we should try to determine what our faith tells us, or at least what questions it raises within us. Right now there's the issue of using violence against Syria in response to the violence of the Syrian regime against its own people. How does the temple clearing incident guide me?

First it tells me that it's not inherently wrong to use violence - if one is truly doing it out of concern for the well-being of the weak and oppressed and victimized. So to argue that ethically (at least biblical or Christian ethics) that violence is NEVER a legitimate option simply doesn't reflect the example of Jesus. It doesn't. Read the temple clearing passage again. Jesus saw an unacceptable situation and he used violence to respond to it. It's not comfortable for us and it doesn't make us happy - but he did! To deny that is silly. There's a biblical and Christian justification for the use of violence in certain circumstances. OK. So the United States should go in and bomb the stuffing out of those responsible. But there's the problem.

Jesus' context was so much different. He went into the temple area and confronted the money changers and merchants who were cheating the people with a whip. Not a gun, not a bomb, not a cruise missile. A whip. He could be pretty sure in that situation that there wouldn't be what we call today any "collateral damage." Those who suffered from Jesus' resort to violence were not the innocent victims; they were the victimizers.  Yes, the passage says "all" and it suggests that the animals (who were innocent) were driven out by this Jesus with a whip, but I think the clear implication of the passage is that Jesus directed the whip toward the money changers and the sellers - and certainly no one was killed. Today's world is so much different isn't it. "Collateral damage" is an inevitable part of any resort to violence - certainly the type of violence marked by the firing of missiles. Missiles likely aren't going to kill just the leading figures in the Syrian regime. The innocent will suffer too, just as they're already suffering.

There's no answer to this. I'm not proposing to offer an answer to the Syrian question. I just realize that as a Christian I can't fall into my comfortable and totally non-violent image of Jesus anymore as my sole guide. I have to look at the Jesus who stood up for the victims by making a whip and layin' a whuppin' on those who were victimizing them. Absolute and unquestioned non-violence regardless of the circumstances cannot be a  responsible Christian ethical position when confronted by that Jesus.  In the circumstances, I still think that an attack on Syria would be wrong - not because it's an attack and not because it's violent, but because it would cause unacceptable suffering to the innocent as well as the guilty. But I also understand that as a Christian I'm called to love my neighbours and take some meaningful action against those who victimize them.

Now I'll be honest - what that meaningful action should be in the case of Syria I have no idea.

A Thought For The Week Of September 2

"You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning." (Leviticus 19:13) I don't very often go into Leviticus, to be honest. I have nothing against the Book of Leviticus. It's just that it's a book that's so heavy on law and little else, and as Christians we're supposed to be no longer under the law. That doesn't make the law meaningless to us, but it's far too easy to take snippets of law from a book like Leviticus and turn them into hard and fast rules for Christian behaviour - which is, of course, the antithesis of what Christian faith and a Christian life is supposed to be about. I believe the law (as recorded in the Torah, including Leviticus) is still valuable for Christians, but more as a way of establishing ethical principles that should guide us than giving us absolute laws we must follow. After all, so much of the law is culturally based that it would be meaningless if we were to do or not do all the things listed. The verse I quote above speaks of honesty in our relationships with our neighbours, our friends and with those who labour for us. It seemed relevant on Labour Day. It seems to me that workers are becoming very much undervalued by our society today, and that employers too often are willing to find ways out of paying honest wages and treating workers fairly and justly - and some of them will be loudly proclaiming their Christian faith while doing so. Part-time employment; the almost demonization of trade unions by some; employers being paid with debit cards that actually charge a fee every time they're used (I saw that one in the news recently.) It all seems to be a casual dismissal of the important of labour; the importance of workers on the ground who do the necessary work to keep our society functioning. As a matter of principle, it seems to me that the Law requires just treatment of labour by employers - not employers who try to find a way around treating labour justly, or who are at least as stingy as possible in the just treatment they dole out. We need to value each other's contributions to society, whatever our role or position or job. We need to honour Christ in how we act and in how we treat others. It seemed a good day to be reminded of that. Have a great week!