February 16 sermon - A New Look At Old Things

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:21-42)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

     In 1974, Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager co-wrote a song that you've probably all heard somewhere along the way. It was called “Everything Old Is New Again.” The song has an honoured place in show business history. Peter Allen actually performed it at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City when he became the first male performer ever to dance with the Rockettes! There's a little bit of fun trivia you can take home with you to amaze your family and friends with!

     Jesus would have understood this idea. Well, I'm not sure about the part with the Rockettes. I think Jesus was a man who liked to have fun, but I'm not sure I can picture him jumping on the stage and dancing with showgirls. I'm not sure why, but I just can't get that picture in my head. But I think He would have understood the idea behind the song. The basic message of the song is that the past keeps getting replayed but in new ways. The last stanza of the song includes the words

 And don't throw the past away

You might need it some other rainy day

Dreams can come true again

When everything old is new again.

     If we were to think of another passage of the Gospels, we might think of Jesus' warnings about putting new wine into old wineskins. There was nothing wrong with using wineskins. Jesus didn't say to use anything else. The basic idea was fine – it's just that every now and then it had to be updated. Such was the case with the gospel – which represented a radical new way of relating to God, and in this passage, Jesus takes on that which was old – the old, traditional way of doing things – and he doesn't toss it aside, but rather he changes it into something radically exciting and new; something even revolutionary in its new approach. What Jesus did in this passage was take on the beloved Law of Moses, but rather than rejecting it, He put an entirely different spin on it – different from anything the priests and Pharisees and teachers of the law had ever thought of. For Jesus, obedience to the letter of the Law was no longer enough. What mattered now was being aware of the spirit of the law, and living by its principles.

     Over and over in this passage, Jesus repeats “You have heard that it was said ... but I tell you.” In a way, Jesus makes it tougher for God's people to actually live as God's people. In the past, it had been enough apparently simply to control one's actions. “ You have heard that it was said ... You shall not murder ... You shall not commit adultery ... Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce ...  Do not break your oath ... Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” All these “laws” spoke of action, or of how God's people should act. They were fine; they were good; they were godly. But over the course of time the people had forgotten what the Law was all about. Law, ideally, is about more than just prescribing or prohibiting actions or setting punishments for violations. Law is about establishing principles; law helps us understand not just what to do but also how to live and also how to treat other people. Law is about more than just controlling a person's behaviour; law is about changing a person's heart. That's why Jesus set out in this part of the Sermon on the Mount to challenge the old traditional ways of understanding the Law.

     “You have heard that it was said ... but I tell you. ” It wasn't the Law that was the problem. It was the way the Law was being interpreted and the way it was being used. It was always God's purpose to give life to His people; to give them freedom. The earliest memory of the people of God was God freeing them from slavery in Egypt; liberating them from bondage – and the Law was a part of that freedom they were given. It was itself a part of the people being freed from bondage, but over the years the religious leaders had twisted the Law so that it became itself a form of bondage – used to strike terror into the hearts of the people. And so Jesus explained. “... but I tell you.”

     At first glance, Jesus' view of the Law seems even harsher; it seems to make even more demands on the people. “You shall not murder” becomes a warning against being angry. “You shall not commit adultery” becomes a warning against lust. And so on and so on. Over and over Jesus says that the letter of the Law isn't enough – it's the spirit of the Law that counts. The Law had to change the people not just in their outward actions but it had to have some effect on their inward thoughts. It had to change their hearts and not just control their behaviour. And so Jesus came – with the Gospel. The good news of freedom and abundant and eternal life. If the Law was going to be used to oppress the people of God, Jesus would stand it on its head. So, first He showed how pointless it was to pretend that being obedient to the Law could save anyone – because no one could possibly live up to the demands of the Law. But then, His entire life and ministry would be for the purpose of showing that one can live out the principles of the law or the spirit of the law without perfect obedience. Perfect obedience we leave to Jesus. “I came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfil it,” He said. With the demands of the Law fulfilled by Jesus, we live by the spirit of the Law – or by grace, as we usually talk about it. A life-changing, life-enhancing and life-giving grace given to us by God, and poured out and reflected in how we relate to those around us. That was the purpose of the Law – not to threaten us with punishment for disobedience, but to lead us to a changed heart and into a right relationship with God and those around us.

     Jesus would have understood the song “Everything Old Is New Again.” Jesus took something very old – the Law – and He remade it and refashioned it into a new expression of divine grace. Sometimes the church forgets that, and over the years the church has done a horrid job of living by the gospel of grace, too often sliding into new forms of legalism, with rules and regulations set up to control a person's life, so that Christian faith has been reduced to little more that “you must do this” or “you must not do that.” But Jesus offers us grace. Jesus offers us freedom – freedom not to do as we please, but to do as God pleases without fear. This is the good news. “You have heard that it was said ...” But Jesus says, “No. That's not the way. I'm going to keep giving you this new thing; this grace; this freedom to live as a child of God without fear. That's the gospel. That's what we live by. Old principles, made new again by Jesus!

A Thought For The Week Of February 10

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34) Valentine's Day is coming up this week, of course. Like many other special days, Valentine's Day has become hopelessly commercialized - yet another of the so-called "Hallmark holidays" whose primary purpose often seems to be to sell cards and other trinkets. Still, the idea is nice. There's nothing wrong with celebrating romance, and if you have someone to share romance with, that's a blessing. Even those who don't have someone to celebrate romance with can use the occasion to celebrate love - children giving Valentines to their parents and friends, etc., etc. There's a 1965 song that says - with great honesty - "what the world needs now is love, sweet love." That's not something we can argue with easily. When we look at the world around us, love often does seem to be in short supply. Strangely, though, it really isn't. Scripture, for example, tells us that "God is love" - and our faith tells us that God is everywhere, which means that love is everywhere - even in the most unexpected places. But, as he often did, Jesus pushed his disciples one step further. It wasn't enough for those who followed Jesus to simply rejoice in God's love for them. Their love had to be an active love, poured out - because Jesus, who poured himself out in love for the world, was their Lord and their example. As he lived, so should they strive to live. And, as Jesus lived a life of love, so must his disciples live a life of love. Today, that "new command" applies to those of us who follow Jesus today. We are called to love one another. Over the years, I've seen far too many examples of followers of Jesus who fail to do that very basic thing: Christians who insist on judging other Christians, and who feel that they and they alone are the only true Christians. All too often, any of us can start to become convinced that the measure of one's faith is how much like us they are - but it isn't. Perhaps the measure of one's faith is how much love we show for each other. Just as Jesus loved unconditionally, so are we called to love unconditionally. It's not easy. There are, after all, a lot of unlovable people around us. But living by the gospel should never be easy. It should be challenging. I hope we rsie to the challenge in the week ahead! God bless!

February 9 sermon - When We Fast ...

Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. For day after day they seek Me out; they seem eager to know My ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. “Why have we fasted,” they say, “and You have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?” Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from you own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and God will say: Here am I. (Isaiah 58:1-9a)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

     I couldn't resist the irony. In the days leading up to the Annual Meeting – featuring a typically gluttonous I'm sure church potluck – I stumbled across this passage from the prophet Isaiah on the topic of fasting! On the whole I suspect that United Churches are known far more for potlucks than they are for fasting. I have to confess that fasting is not something that I've really had much experience with. Everyone has spiritual practices that they find fulfilling, and for a lot of people fasting is one of those spiritual practices. Just not for me. I tried it once. Some years ago to mark Ash Wednesday I actually committed myself to a 24 hours Ash Wednesday fast. I'm not sure what I expected out of it, but what I ended up getting out of it was extreme hunger. Unfortunately, I really didn't feel any closer to God as a result of it. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't fast. What doesn't work for one person may prove to be a magnificent mountain top spiritual experience for another. But what I wanted to think about today was exactly what we mean by fasting – and, maybe more to the point, exactly what God and Scripture means by fasting. We have a tendency to always think of fasting in terms of food. So, I'm going to fast for 24 hours – meaning that I'm going to go without food for 24 hours. But Isaiah in this passage looks at fasting and finds that simply going without food is hardly an acceptable fast in the eyes of God. Like anything and everything else, fasting can become little more than an empty ritual that achieves nothing and changes nothing. It's a little bit like what I was talking about last week, when I pointed out that some of our practices can become “mantra-like” - things that cause us to feel we're doing something worthwhile but actually serve little purpose, and certainly don't push us or challenge us to live our faith. God, of course, desires that we live our faith and not only talk about it or “practice” it with rituals – whether the ritual is fasting or even participating in Holy Communion, as we did last week. The test of whether the ritual is meaningful is whether the ritual makes a difference in our lives. So, this morning, we might do well to ask ourselves: what difference did Communion make to us last week, or was it merely a ritual that we chose to engage in? Did it deepen our faith? Did it bring us closer to God? Did it cause us to change anything in our outlook about life? Did it cause us to act any differently? These are the questions we should always ask about religious rituals, because the ritual (whatever it is) is only useful if it leads to something more concrete.

     Fasting is a great case study of this problem – not because it's all that commonly practiced now, but because it's talked a lot about in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments – and many times when it's mentioned, it's mentioned critically, as an example of a spiritual practice that's being misused and even abused by the people of God.

     Jesus was certainly aware of this problem. Jesus believed in fasting. Near the beginning of his ministry, as He went into the wilderness, we're told that He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. That is not the type of fast that I think I would be able to handle, but for Jesus it was an event that prepared Him for all that He would endure in the rest of His life, and it also led to His first encounter with Satan – who comes across a hungry Jesus according to the story and tries to tempt Him (unsuccessfully) to eat something. So, for Jesus, fasting was something that provided Him with great spiritual strength. But Jesus was also aware that people could get caught up in the ritual and think that merely practicing fasting was sufficient. He was concerned that people were using fasting in a decidedly unspiritual way – to puff themselves up, and to make themselves look better than they really were. They would do it in ways that ensured that people knew what they were doing and gave them all sorts of credit and honour for being such good, pious people. And Jesus didn't like that, and gave very specific instructions to His disciples about it: “ When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen ...” Jesus is telling His people to make sure that whatever their rituals might be – they need to keep the focus on God, rather than crediting themselves or looking for honour from others for having done it. Don't use your rituals to put on a show, Jesus is saying – use them to bring you closer to God, and being brought closer to God will allow great things to happen in you and through you.

     Jesus was saying exactly what the prophet Isaiah said. Isaiah referred to the people as being in rebellion against God. What he meant was that they weren't living as God intended them to live. They were performing the rituals, but they weren't living the life. Even for Israel, apparently, it wasn't enough just to follow the law and obey the rituals – the people had to live as if they meant something, and they had to show the difference God made in their lives. “... on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” This dishonoured God. It was actually a form of rebellion against God. In fasting or any other religious ritual leads to a pious life rather than a faithful life then it's not what God wants of us. If fasting or any other religious ritual leads to conflict or strife rather than a community founded on Jesus and demonstrating love and compassion in its very life then it's not what God wants of us. If fasting or any other religious ritual becomes a way for us to show off how good we are rather than to demonstrate the goodness of God to those around us then it's not what God wants of us. And isn't there always that temptation? To puff ourselves up or to tear others down? We see it all the time in religious communities who believe that they've found that elusive one and only truth; among Christians who've discovered that they're the one and only true Christians. And it's not what God wants from our fasting or from any other religious ritual we might practice. The rituals aren't what's important. They might well be valuable. They might well provide us with mountain top experiences with God. But in the end they're not what's important. Isaiah's prophecy explained that quite eloquently.

     “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from you own flesh and blood?” If our religion with all its rituals doesn't begin to create at least a glimpse of the Kingdom of God – a Kingdom where the poor are raised up and the hungry are fed and the oppressed are freed – then our religion with all its rituals is nothing more than an empty shell.

     I don't want it to be that way. I want all that we do to point people to God and to Christ, to true love and to true freedom and to true life. When we fast – or when we do whatever it is that we do – let's make sure that it's always for the right reason!

A Thought For The Week Of February 3

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." (2 Corinthians 4:5)  Everything we do as Christians should be directed outward. That, to me, seems to be one of the basic points Paul is making in this verse. As people who are called to proclaim and bear witness to the gospel, we need to remember to keep Christ at the centre of our proclamation. We're not speaking in order to glorify ourselves, or to show anyone how persuasive or eloquent we are. We simply want to point others to the grace of God found in Christ. And, as we engage in the work that Christ calls us to - reaching out to those who find themselves in the most desperate need - we are to do so in such a way that again glorifies Christ. We are to serve each other and those around us. As servants, we seek no glory and we expect no reward - except the reward of knowing that we serve the best interests of those around us. When I look around at the broad spectrum of the Christian faith, this basic principle so often seems to be forgotten. So many who claim to speak for Christ do seem to be serving themselves, worried about their own interests and seeking not to serve others, but to control them. How far is that from the gospel that Jesus proclaimed and the life that Jesus led? Being a servant is no fun, I freely admit. But the irony, of course, is that the same gospel that calls us to the service of others is also the gospel that offers us freedom. After all, we can only truly and freely serve others when we no longer worry about ourselves. In the coming week, let's all keep Christ at the centre of all that we say and do. When we do that, we truly find ourselves serving others - because that's simply what Christ would want us to do. Have a great week!

February 2 sermon - It's More Than Just A Mantra

Listen to what the Lord says: “Stand up, plead My case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. Hear, you mountains, the Lord's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against His people; He is lodging a charge against Israel.My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.” With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:1-8)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

     Generally speaking we don't talk very much about mantras in the Christian faith. We associate them more with the Eastern traditions: Buddhism, perhaps, or Hinduism. They're especially common in Buddhist or Hindu meditation. A mantra is basically a word or a phrase that you use repeatedly as you meditate. So – the famous “oooommmm” of Hindu meditation. The basic purpose of the mantra is supposed to be to empty your mind so that you're then able to be filled with enlightenment. So mantras are often meaningless. They cause no thought, they ask nothing of the person chanting them. It's simply sound without substance.

     That's not what we're supposed to be about as Christians. A lot of people accuse us of that. I know a lot of atheists who are atheists because they insist that churches insist that you turn your brain off when you walk through the door. I would actually hope that exactly the opposite is the case. I would hope that as Christians we have a faith that causes us to think, that causes us to raise questions. The goal of Christian faith isn't to empty minds; it's to challenge minds. But sometimes I wonder if we get it right. There are types of mantras in the Christian faith. Things we say or do or recite over and over – and the problem is that they can start to become a little bit like mantras. They become so familiar that the words lose their power and we start to say them by rote, as if something is going to happen just because we say them. The Lord's Prayer or the 23rd Psalm can sometimes be mantra-like. We say the words, but they don't mean much to us. The United Church has something that I think of as a kind of mantra. It gets talked about in our church all the time. It's the focus of many meetings. There's even a song in Voices United based on it, although I for one find the music virtually unreadable and I've never liked singing it. The United Church mantra I'm talking about is Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”And I sometimes wonder if we don't use it so often or say it so often or sing it so often in our denomination that it almost loses its meaning. What does it mean “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”?

     What will it look like if we actually act justly? The Bible talks a lot about justice. Even as far back as the Old Testament, acting with justice was to be one of the primary characteristics of the people of God. “Do not deny justice to your poor people ...” says Exodus 23:6. A system that benefits those who have a lot at the expense of those who have little is not a system that honours God or that is faithful to God's will. I recently came across an estimate that said that the 85 richest people in the world have as much wealth as the poorest half of the human population – that's about 4 billion people. 85 people have more wealth than 4 billion people. Frankly, there's something unjust about that. I'm not a socialist or a communist, and I don't believe that we're ever going to make everyone equal, but I do believe simple justice demands that we seek to create a more equitable society, where the poor have enough to eat and places to live and the rich don't have so much money that it becomes little more than an obscenity! I believe God wants us to work toward that end. Leviticus 19:15 says “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favouritism to the great, but judge your neighbour fairly.” Simple justice requires that we as Christians look on all people as what they are – beloved of God and deserving of respect and justice. And God expects us as a matter of faith to be striving to uphold the dignity of all people, whatever their circumstances in life.

     What will it look like if we actually love mercy? Mercy is an interesting concept. It's not pity. Sometimes people think of the two things as being the same, but they're not. Pity is something that you show to those who you think are beneath you. It's the root word for “pitiful” after all, and “pitiful” has all sorts of negative connotations. But mercy is different. We show mercy to those who we see as worthy of receiving mercy – and there's no limit on that definition. You see, mercy is actually a great equalizer! All of us are in need of mercy. Certainly we're in need of God's mercy, which is why there's a hymn in Voices United that reminds us that “there's a wideness in God's mercy like the wideness of the sea.” That wideness is important because we're all in need of God's mercy sometimes. Not God's pity – because God doesn't treat us with pity - but God's mercy. Pity comes from looking down on someone; mercy comes from respecting and honouring someone. And as God shows mercy to us, God expects us to be merciful to others. Jesus said, “blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” And there are consequences to not being merciful. James 2:13 tells us that “judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” To be merciful is to treat others – again, regardless of their station in life – as we would want to be treated ourselves, regardless of who they are or where they come from or what their past is.

     What will it look like if we actually walk humbly with God? One of the great scandals of all religion, in my view at least, is the number of people who have come to the conclusion that they have all the answers, and know everything there is to know about God. And yet, as A Song of Faith – the United Church's most recent faith statement – says to lead off - “God is holy mystery.” We are not humble when we come to the conclusion that we have all the answers, and that we have a right to dictate to others what they have to believe or what they have to do. Humility is the natural end result of Micah's words in this passage. Both justice and mercy require a degree of humility out of us. We can show neither justice nor mercy if we aren't willing to be humble, to acknowledge that we don't know everything, and to be willing to consider the possibility that sometimes we might be wrong. To walk humbly with God is to always be open to the Holy Spirit's leading – even when the Holy Spirit is leading us in directions we'd rather not go.

     The common denominator here is simple: we are not simply called to be just, merciful and humble – we are called to act in such ways. “... what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” That's a call to action! This mantra doesn't ask us to sit back and think about justice, mercy, and humility; it calls us to do them! “... what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” That's a call to action! These words call us to live as if in fact they are the things that God is asking of us! And it calls us to respond always in faith, and in a way that changes the lives of those we encounter.