Epiphany

I have nothing new to say about John 1 so I'll discuss Epiphany this week.

Mic 5:2  The LORD says, "Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times."

Mat 2:5  "In the town of Bethlehem in Judea," they answered. "For this is what the prophet wrote:
Mat 2:6  'Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least of the leading cities of Judah; for from you will come a leader who will guide my people Israel.' "

Matthew is the only Gospel to have the story of the Magi. Since the Gospels are a faith journey not a historical record a true chronology is difficult to establish. Jesus was born in Bethlehem on the day his parents arrived to be enrolled in the world-wide census and the angels appeared to the shepherds that same night we are told. At eight days he was taken up to the Temple in Jerusalem for the rite of purification and circumcism. The Wise Men appeared before that trip or the family returned to Bethlehem which seems unlikely since they had a home in Nazareth and no place to stay in Bethlehem. At some point later Joseph was warned to flee to Egypt, by inference when Jesus was two, where he remained for several years until the Death of Herod returning at that point to Nazareth. No further mention is made of his childhood until he joins his family for their yearly trip to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival in Luke at age 12. In John we learn of his Baptism, the calling of the first Disciples, and the wedding feast at Cana. In Luke his Baptism is followed by a period of fasting in the desert and the temptation.

Each writer cherry picks the details that serve to illustrate his point of view. Mark and John make no mention of his birth but begin with his baptism by John followed immediately by his ministry and the calling of the Disciples. Matthew and Luke are concerned with establishing his legitimacy as an heir of David and supply us with elaborate genealogies and make extensive references to the prophets whose predictions they feel he fulfilled.

To have an Epiphany is to see the light. The Eastern Philosophers would have seen a star in the sky and followed it's path to Israel where they paid a courtesy call on King Herod in Jerusalem. Whether or not these Eastern Kings needed the help of Herod's Sages they could not very well enter a foreign land with their retinues without first making this diplomatic call.

Our Old Testament Lesson returns once more to Isaiah where the people's return from exile is equated with returning to the light.

Isa 60:6  Great caravans of camels will come, from Midian and Ephah. They will come from Sheba, bringing gold and incense. People will tell the good news of what the LORD has done!

The theme is picked up again in the Psalm

Psa 72:10  The kings of Spain and of the islands will offer him gifts; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him offerings.
Psa 72:11  All kings will bow down before him; all nations will serve him.

This enlightened king brings prosperity and renown to his people and attracts the homage of foreign rulers.

In Ephesians Paul makes the point that the word made flesh as talked about in John 1 was revealed for the enlightenment of all people Jew and Gentile alike.

It is ironic that the Jewish authorities including Herod were not happy to hear of this Epiphany but rather saw it as a threat to their authority. Their response was first the slaughter of all infant boys in the area around Bethlehem two years and under and as fore-shadowed here eventually the crucifixion. The fact that the Christ-child's Kingdom was not of this earth and therefore no threat to their terrestrial influence was lost on them. 

The celebration of Epiphany on the sixth day of January traditionally marks the end of the 12-day festival of Christmas. The commercial orgy of gift giving that has become associated with Christmas has its origin in the gifts of the Magi.

Tradition holds that the pilgrims numbered three. Their names—Balthasar, Melchior, and Caspar or Gaspar—first appear in a mosaic in a 6th-century church in Ravenna, Italy. The visit of the Magi, marked on January 6 in the Anglican, Eastern, and Roman Catholic churches, commemorates the first revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles.

If Herod's actions seem excessive and paranoid just look at present day events in North Korea.

Christmas One 2013

Psa 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

We celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25 but are promptly yanked back to earth the day after by the remembrance of the stoning to death of St Stephen. And we are reminded that one of his chief prosecutors was a young man named Saul. Two days later on the 28th we commemorate the slaughter of the Holy Innocents.

In the Nicene Creed each Sunday we repeat:

"And Became Truly Human"

Isa 63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.

So it is that the first Sunday after Christmas we are reminded just what it means to be truly human, to suffer all the temptations and perils that come with being human.

Heb 2:17 This means that he had to become like his people in every way, in order to be their faithful and merciful High Priest in his service to God, so that the people's sins would be forgiven.

One of the dangers he was subjected to was the wrath of Herod.

Joseph, the husband of Mary was not the first person who bore that name to dream dreams. It was Joseph son of Jacob and Rachel whose self-important repeating of his dreams caused his brothers to sell him into slavery in Egypt where his penchant for the interpretation of dreams led him to a position of authority and enabled him to come to his family's aide when famine and starvation threatened them. And we know where that led.

So in Matthew we come to another Joseph ben Jacob who also did a lot of dreaming. You may remember that it was in a dream that Joseph was counseled not to divorce his betrothed Mary when she became pregnant. It was again in a dream that Joseph is warned to escape to Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod and yet another that directed him back to Nazareth. This Joseph it would seem managed to slip in and out of Egypt without attracting undo attention.

One lesson we may derive from this story is the importance of being attentive to God's Will for our lives and to be listening for those messages however it may be that they get delivered; whether it be in dreams, through prayer, or the prompting of others.

The other parallel here is that between Pharoah's slaughter of the Israelite children that Moses survived and the child Jesus surviving Herod's similar infanticide.

Psa 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he himself gave the command that they be created.

So it is that the God whose Speech, (Word), caused creation to be called into being was active in preserving the life of his Son Jesus and he did it by means of a humble carpenter who was attentive to the Word of God and took that child to a land fraught with danger for God's people in the past.

The message of Christmas then is that God cares enough about us to be present in our lives. At his birth he became an active participant in our life on earth. Today through his body the church he continues to support and sustain us. He cannot prevent us from being subjected to the dangers of life in this world any more than he was as we read in Hebrews, today's Epistle. But if we will but listen he makes us members of the Kingdom of God and will guide and protect us helping us cope with them.

The Psalmist reminds us that all things should praise the God of their Salvation. Praising the God of their Creation does his creation good.

Xmas Day 2013

Those of the Danish and German Traditions had Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve, opened gifts, and attended Midnight Candlelight Mass. Now, on Christmas Day we are ready for some heavy philosophizing. It doesn't get much heavier than John 1.

Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

God's Word, logos, and God are synonymous. God's Word has the power of creation. Darkness is equated with evil and light with good. God's Word brings Light to enlighten us. The writer of John is giving us a play on words.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus then is the Word, (God), made flesh, the incarnation of God; He who brings Light to the world.

Isaiah and the Psalmist celebrate Israel's deliverance.

Hebrews makes the connection between the Bringer of Good News in the OT and Jesus.

John the Baptist then is seen as being the Messenger who bore witness to the Light. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

This then is the good news of Christmas. That God cared enough to become one with us in the person of a child.

On Christmas Eve we got the story of God's birth as the child Jesus. John talks of the living word. logos connotes the spoken word, a living entity that has the power of creation. God's word and God are synonymous and in the Christmas event God becomes made man and intervenes in human history. We celebrate the fact that God cared enough to take on human form and dwell among us. Behold I present to you a mystery.

Xmas Eve 2013

The observance of Christmas is fraught with cultural traditions that predate the Christian Era. Just as the 'holy family' traveled to get to Bethlehem people still travel to be with family for the holidays. The giving of gifts which also predated the Magi has been commercialized to the point that Malls start playing Kristmas Krap the day after Hallowe'en. Amid all this noise one has to work hard to find the babe of Bethlehem who as the jingle goes is "the reason for the season". Many of our traditions have their origins in rituals marking the darkest days of winter and the need for observances to lighten the mood at a depressing time of year. Since no particular significance was paid to the birth of a child to an unknown couple who were simply names on a census role little is known about the actual date or year of his birth. The Christian Establishment simply substituted this celebration for an existing pagan festival in much the same way that Easter is pegged following the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox.

Since churches are traditionally packed at Christmas these are some of the most familiar passages in the canon.

Once again we return to Isaiah whose people Israel lived in a strategically placed land that was located between invading armies on every side. Again he predicts the coming of one who will liberate his people. This passage lists the names given to this Messiah familiar to all who have heard the section of Handel's work which puts this passage to music.

The Psalm celebrates this deliverer but also exhorts his people to praise his name and spread the message of his saving grace among all peoples.

In Titus the writer identifies Jesus as the Salvation of his people and sums up his mission and our responsibilities in the clearest possible terms.

And so we come to Luke's version of the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth but the prophesies foretold a Messiah born in Bethlehem of Judea who would be of the house and lineage of David. Joseph was a descendent of David and the means of getting him to Bethlehem for the birth of his son was a census decreed by Caesar Augustus. Like England's Doomsday Book or America's Census those in power wanted to know the extent and scope of their empire. Once more one must remember that King David whose reign ushered in Israel's golden age was anointed as a simple shepherd boy out in the fields tending his sheep. Jesus was born in a cave used to shelter cattle and laid in a manger used to feed those cattle. It was to shepherds such as King David once was that the message of this birth is first announced. Simple, uneducated, men smelling of the flocks they tended.

Angels or messengers from God appeared proclaiming Jesus' as God's Son on three occasions in the Gospels: at his birth, at his baptism, and at his transfiguration. At his death the sky turned black and the earth quaked; at his resurrection angels appeared and talked to Mary; the heavens opened at Jesus' ascension; and the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire and a rushing wind at Pentecost. Symbolically the heavenly host is so overjoyed at this birth that they felt compelled to share the good news and it was these shepherds who were the recipients of the message. Even at his birth it is made clear that his mission will be to the poor and neglected not the rich and powerful. Just as the hosts of heaven feel compelled to share the good news so should we today.

This event taking place just after the darkest days of winter in the Northern Hemisphere the symbolism of light appears in today's OT Lesson and again when the angels appear to the shepherds. This theme will be expanded upon in John 1, the Gospel traditionally read on Christmas Day.

Advent 4

Advent 4

King Ahaz is guilty of double dealing. He will do anything to preserve his power. Resisting an alliance with his neighbours against the Assyrians he went behind their backs to seek alliance with the enemy. When Isaiah confronts him he even resists subjugating himself to God. Do you need a sign/proof that what I say is true? Ahaz equivocates. He is told that he tries the patience of men meaning Isaiah, his people, and his allies; now he is trying the patience of God himself.

It is in this context that Isaiah prophesies that a young woman will bear a son and name him 'Immanuel', God with us.

It is worthy of note that the word often translated as virgin does not connote a girl who has yet to have had sexual relations.

As a foretaste of the one to come this is not a particularly auspicious context. It does seem appropriate that the king involved is one who will do anything to preserve his position even if it do harm to the people he serves. Cf Herod who put all boys two and under to the sword lest a usurper to his throne be among their number, echoing the actions of Pharoah in Egypt. Even more ironic is the fact that it is to Egypt Joseph flees to save his son.

Was Isaiah's prophesy a sign or a threat? Judah was overrun and her leaders carted off into captivity, her lands so strategically placed became a battleground for the opposing forces that surrounded her.

Today's Psalm acknowledges all that and goes on to say:

Psa 80:17 Preserve and protect the people you have chosen, the nation you made so strong.
Psa 80:18 We will never turn away from you again; keep us alive, and we will praise you.
Psa 80:19 Bring us back, LORD God Almighty. Show us your mercy, and we will be saved.

In the OT context Judah's Enemies are seen as an instrument of God's wrath due to her unfaithfulness. The Messiah they seek will save them from their oppressors, the Assyrians in Isaiah's time, the Romans at the birth of Christ.

It is Paul in Romans who makes the connection between Isaiah's 'sign' and the birth of Jesus which is described in Matthew 1 where Isaiah's 'sign' is quoted:

Isa 7:14 Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman who is pregnant will have a son and will name him 'Immanuel.'

Mat 1:23 "A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel" (which means, "God is with us").

Isaiah speaks of the birth of Immanuel, God with us. With the birth of Jesus God intervenes directly in eathly life, in history. Jesus truly is God with Us. As members of the church we embody God's presence in the world. It is our duty and delight to be about our Father's work on earth.

The miracle and mystery of Christmas is that God chose to intervene in the person of a helpless infant who grew into manhood and was crucified on Calvary. Isaiah prophesied the birth of a Messiah who would liberate his people Israel. The Messiah we got did not establish an earthly empire but a spiritual one, not of this world. Despite Matthew's concerns it is not the means of His birth that are important here but the fact of his birth.

As Christians we acknowledge and celebrate the mystery of God's love in choosing us to be members of his earthly body. Each Christmas Jesus is born again in us anew. We anticipate this birth with confidence and quiet expectation. We are not just celebrating an event that happened 2000 years ago, we are participants with Mary and Joseph and Christians throughout the ages in the Epiphany, God with us.

The Christmas Carols we sing this season are heavily freighted with theological content and none moreso than:

Of the Father's Love Begotten
Ere the Worlds began to be
He is alpha and omega
He the source the ending he
Of the things that are
That have been
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

This is one of my favourite Christmas hymns. It comes closest to expressing the mystery of Christmas. God the Son present at the creation of the universe deigns to be born as a human child.

Lessons Advent Three

Jas 5:7 Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for their land to produce precious crops. They wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains.

Today is one of those rare days when it is the Epistle Lesson that has caught my attention. As I write this Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving so it seems only apt that Farm life be used as a metaphor for the Christian Life. Farmers are used as an example of faith, hope, and expectation. They read the signs and observe weather patterns; they place good seed in the ground in hopes that the spring rains will come and enable it to germinate and grow. They till the soil and patiently wait for their crops to mature. They are dependent on conditions beyond their control for the success of their venture. When the crop matures they work hard to harvest it and store it safely where it will not come to harm. All this takes patience. Most crops do not grow overnight and some seeds take up to a month to germinate. Planting the seed is an act of faith and dependence on God to provide the conditions that will lead to a harvest. Crops can take months to reach harvest time. Many are the weather conditions, weeds and parasites that can damage or impede the growth of those crops. The work is done in the hope of a reward to come at a later time. For someone who plants a vineyard or an olive tree that reward can be decades in the future. The work is not done once the planting is complete. The crop must be tilled, pruned, nourished and watered or it will die. Many workers are needed once the crop is ready to harvest it before it spoils in the field.

In Isaiah the faithful are exhorted not to become discouraged. They are to be patient and wait on the Lord. In good Deuteronomic parlance the unjust will be punished and the righteous rewarded. In the Day of the Lord the blind shall see, the deaf shall hear and the lame leap and dance for joy.

Isa 35:10 They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.

The Psalm continues the theme of rewards for the faithful, the Lord always keeps his promises.

In James we learn the importance of patience. The faithful may endure suffering but must trust that the Lord will be full of mercy and compassion and provide in the end.

This is Advent, a time of expectation. John's followers are looking for the Messiah, he whose coming John had prophesied. When asked if he was the one,

Mat 11:4 Jesus answered, "Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing:
Mat 11:5 the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

John can be compared to that farmer who planted the seed and prepared the way for the harvest that is to come but like the farmer who laid the seed in the ground to die John opened the way for the Messiah who was to come. John is asked to look for the signs that the harvest is ready.

Our expectations as with those of the people of John's day are very high but we must be prepared for their fulfilment in the person of a helpless infant. We need to till our own lives so that He may reap a harvest in us.

Lessons Advent Two 2013

That Jesus was of the house and lineage of David fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah the prophet is considered so important that the book of Matthew begins with his family tree from Abraham through Jesse and David to Joseph his Father. Luke 3 follows his genealogy through Joseph back to David through Abraham to Shem and Noah to Seth son of Adam son of God. Matthew 3 is a reworking of the book of Mark and equates John the Baptist with the prophet Elijah who was swept living into heaven and his message is nearly a direct quote from Isaiah 40:3. Isaiah 11 speaks of the coming Messiah in allegorical terms. The people to whom this message was addressed have been oppressed by the Assyrians and are in need of deliverance. This scion of David will usher in a golden age of peace.

The Psalm is an enthronement hymn which adjures the king to rule justly and fairly so that his people may know prosperity.

Romans 15 describes a God of patience and comfort, hope, and peace. Once more a descendent of the house of Jesse is invoked and
various OT passages are quoted. What is made clear is that it will be the actions of God's people and their adherence to the teachings of Scripture that will serve to bring forth the promised golden age with God the Father and the Son as our inspiration empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew John comes preaching a baptism of repentance. The people must turn away from their sins in preparation for the coming Messiah. We must not be complacent in the belief that our being Jews and ancestors of Abraham or even Christians will save us from the wrath to come. To John's way of thinking the acceptance of God's grace is hollow and empty if it is not accompanied by a repentant turning away from our past sinful ways. If we confess our sins and receive forgiveness and then return to the same behaviours we make a mockery of God's grace. The sophistry of the Pharisees and Sadducees is described in rather colourful terms. It is not enough to appear righteous and cloak oneself in holy observance, one must live it in one's daily life.

In summary David, son of Jesse, is anointed king while a simple shepherd boy and is forced to flee the wrath of Saul. Jesus is son of Joseph, a carpenter who has to flee the wrath of Herod to save his child. King David's Reign was the golden age of Israel. The birth of a Messiah of David's line is prophesied as ushering in another golden age. While King David's reign was responsible for Israel's earthly prosperity Jesus Kingdom is a Spiritual one and his Kingdom is accomplished by a change in the hearts and minds of his believers. In looking toward the birth of this Messiah we must search our lives and our consciences to see what changes we need to make to prepare our hearts to receive this child.

Lessons for Advent One 2013

With the beginning of a new church year we return to lesson series A and its OT Lessons based solidly in Isaiah. In verse one it is made clear that the prophet is a seer (of visions). His intended audience was Jewish and they continue to understood his words in the context of the Israeli political and cultural situation. Christians have taken his words and applied them to Jesus. Our Jewish confreres are still looking for the promised Messiah.

In the OT the greatest expression of Godliness was a trip to Jerusalem and God's Holy Temple. It was the symbol of God's presence here on earth. They looked for a time of Jubilee when soldiers would turn the instruments of war into farm implements. When wars would cease. Then the peoples would prosper.

To properly understand our Epistle one must read the first ten verses in the chapter. The NT Writers anticipate the Day of the Lord when the Saviour of the world will make all things right. What Paul makes clear in Romans 13 is that it is our actions that will be instrumental in bringing it to pass. The Gospel emphasizes that we must live our lives in such a manner that we will be ready whenever the day of accounting should come for we know not the day or the hour.

I like the commentator's idea of placing a plough in the Narthex for Advent One, then a stump and stones for latter lessons.

We have been serving up a great deal of eschatological writing lately. Many OT and NT writers wrote about an apocalypse in which God or Jesus would intervene in history to raise the dead--the resurrection and judge the living and the dead in a final cataclysmic event. Many early Christians looked for this intervention to come within their lifetimes indeed Paul cautions his fledgeling congregations against laziness and sloth because some had sold all they had and were sitting back waiting for it to come. Indeed the Nicene Creed has us state, "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come."; the Apostles Creed, "the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."

There have been numerous doomsday prophets in recent years who looked for these end times putting a date on the event all of which have obviously passed so far. There have also been cults that engaged in mass suicide to bring on their own version of the apocalypse, we can think of the Jonestown Massacre and the Branch Davidians in Waco Texas.

We are left with the question of the nature of the resurrected body and life of the world to come. Many have taken apocalyptic writings literally and inspired by allegorical writings such as John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and John Milton's Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained think in terms of a Angels appearing at the last Trumpet, Pearly Gates guarded by St. Peter, and a physical Heaven where the streets are paved with silver and gold. God with a long flowing silvery grey beard gets off his rocking chair and mounts a massive throne for the final judgement.

The Biblical Message is obviously filtered through the minds of Early Christian writers. We would do well not to take their allegorical writings literally. When Jesus says:

Joh 14:2 There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so.
Joh 14:3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.

he does not necessarily speak of a physical location inhabited by physical bodies. In fact the best indication I can think of was the confrontation between Jesus and the Sadducees we studied 3 Sundays back in Luke 20: 27-38 in which the Sadducees raise the hypothetical question of the woman with seven husbands. In Christ's response he declares that life everlasting transcends our mortal existence and our concerns of time and space. Both Jesus and later Paul counsel that we live our lives in constant preparation for 'that day'. But we are told that the best preparation we can make is to be about our Father's work here on earth. As Christians we enter the eternal Kingdom of God which transcends earth and heaven. We enter it here on earth and at the hour of our death become permanent members of that Kingdom. As moral beings we cannot fully understand that spiritual realm but we are counseled to believe that God wishes us every good thing. We are advised to trust in this and to live our lives without concern for the things to come, it has already been taken care of.

As to the when we know that in 5-6 billion years the sun will become a red giant and engulf the orbit of earth. There is also the remote chance that an asteroid will slam into the Earth and wipe out life as we know it save for the cockroaches. What we are all certain of is our own mortality and the fact that we all face death. At our deaths our spiritual 'bodies' enter eternity. Whether the bright light at the end of the tunnel symbolizes our union with God eternal matters not; it is the lives we have lived here on earth that have prepared us for that union. If we have strived to bring God's Kingdom on Earth then we need have no concern for the life to come.

Christ the King

Whether or not Jeremiah is predicting the birth of Jesus and his establishment of the Kingdom of God he is admonishing the nation's leaders to take concern for God's people and work to do good for them. We are assured that God cares for his faithful flock and will gather them to himself. As Christians we understand that God's Kingdom is not an earthly one but an eternal spiritual nation.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psa 46:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Today's lessons continue the eschatological theme making it clear once more that God is with us and though the earth be shattered we will always find a firm foundation in the God of our Refuge.

In Colossians we are reminded that God is the creator of all things. Christ is the head of the church and in the priesthood of all believers we can always find stability.

Luk 23:43 Jesus said to him, "I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me."

Last Sunday Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple and warned that his Disciples would be persecuted for their association with him. Today the Gospel confronts the crucifixion, the destruction of Christ's Earthly Temple. But we know that it was followed in three days by the Resurrection. If we like the criminal crucified beside him acknowledge Jesus as Lord we too will be with Him this day in Paradise. I suppose there could be no more dramatic means of demonstrating that Christ's Kingdom is not of this world than to celebrate his death on Christ the King Sunday.

Php 4:7 The Peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Unfortunately in considering Jeremiah I am confronted with a prime example of failed leadership in the person Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto. The man seems incapable of understanding that a good leader leads by example. His 375 pounds testifies to his self-indulgent lifestyle. He has been repeatedly appeared in public intoxicated. He admits to smoking various illicit drugs as well as marajuana. He abuses the privileges of his office and flouts the law having been seen speeding, texting, and talking on a cellphone while driving. The man is a disgrace to the office he holds.

Our Psalm speaks to a desert people something Texans can take to heart. God meets us in the hurly burly of daily life. His 'voice' may not thunder as one may have seen portrayed in the presentation of the Commandments on Mt Sinai but if we wait for perfect quiet to hear it we will have missed the point as well. Our walk with God provides us with an inner peace that cannot be moved no matter what life throws at us.

Our Epistle Lesson emphasizes the point that we are members of the Kingdom of God Today, this is not pie in the sky by and bye. This is our Father's world and in Christ he has already declared himself the victor over the powers of evil that would destroy us. Safe in that knowledge we are empowered to do God's work now. We do not wait for the heaven to come but live amid the Peace of God today.

Lessons for November 3, 2013

All Saints Day

Since Easter was about as early in the calendar as it can get this year the Pentecost Season and its lectionary has stretched to passages not normally handled. Today we take a break for one of the lesser festivals of the church year.

All Saints Day is properly November First the day following All Hallows Eve, or Hallowe'en. In the Lutheran Church it follows Reformation Sunday, also October 31. I believe it is safe to say that the observance serves to put a Christian Gloss on a festival the pre-dates Christianity by centuries. Various Sects hold this celebration at various times of the year. It should be stressed here on this day that saints are not those who have lived saintly lives or performed saintly acts but the priesthood of all believers who form the church universal, in this context we are all saints.

Today's lessons combine apocalyptic writings and passages delving into what it means to be a member of the communion of saints.

The pericope does its typical cherry-picking job leaving out the verses in Daniel that complete the message and making the passage supplied nearly meaningless. The intent appears to be the final verse which confirms that the saints will inherit the Kingdom of God Forever.

The Psalm praises God for his support and deliverance and his people's victory over their enemies. In fact the tone of its end verses is rather bloody-minded.

The Epistle confirms that Christ's Church, the communion of saints will inherit the Kingdom of God. It is worthwhile to remember that saints in this context are not saintly but rather the priesthood of all believers, the members of the church universal.

The Gospel in Luke lists several of the Beatitudes that form part of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and continues with a group of Woes and ends with:

Luk 6:31 Whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them.

Are we being given a guide for how saints should behave? I think it's safe to say that I feel this group of lessons scrapes the bottom of the barrel and that I'm glad I don't personally have to preach a sermon based on them. The commentaries I've read tended to beat around the bush without attempting to find a theme or purpose for this group of lessons.

The beatitudes and woes appear to be a form of New Testament Wisdom Literature. This set seems to predict good things for the downtrodden and continue the theme of the ills that will befall the rich and successful in life especially if they fail to share their good fortune with others.

Lessons October

Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and uphold me with a free spirit.
Psa 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Psa 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
Psa 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
Psa 51:16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Psa 51:18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Psa 51:19 Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Throughout this season of Pentecost we've delved unflinchingly into the true nature of Christian Experience. We talked about faith, pride, sin, prayer, and our journey as believers. Today we confront the worship experience itself. Why do we come to church? Why do we dedicate beautiful elaborate structures to corporate worship? In an age when many are willing to list their religious preference as none it is still considered prudent for someone seeking political office to have a church affiliation. If our church affiliation is nothing more than an attempt to appear an upstanding pillar of society it is distasteful to our Lord. If we make show of our charitable giving we vaunt ourselves and prostitute our beneficiaries. Have you listened to those TV Evangelists who boldly pray as if they were on a first name basis with God. Is the comfortable pew an opportunity for a Sunday morning back rub and a nap during the sermon? Do our daily lives reflect the belief system we profess Sunday Morning.

To Jeremiah in today's OT Lesson the answer is a resounding "NO!" Our New Covenant belief system may not equate God's rejection of our worship with God's wrath as does Jeremiah but the sense of abandonment and shame are just as real.

The Psalmist glories in the presence of God's Temple. What does this Holy Place represent for him? Does it symbolize God's presence in his life?

In the privacy of his prison cell Paul is facing his death at the end of Second Timothy confident in the support and presence of his Lord.

So what of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Jesus parable. The Pharisee is certain of his place in the order of things. He is the centre of his own universe and God is simply a prop for his vanity. The Tax Collector is aware of his place as well and probably cringed at the sneering curl of the Pharisee's lip. This man humbled himself before God and made God the centre of his supplication.

So the message here is that in the sight of God we are all unworthy sinners. In that knowledge we gather for the support of the communion of all saints living and dead to confess those sins in an act of corporate worship, to repent, and receive absolution. The building and the rituals performed in it are secondary to the support of the priesthood of all believers who are God's living church. We can and should pray anywhere and everywhere but it is in the presence of each other that we truly feel God's presence among us. Lets be clear on this point, the church is not the building in which people gather but the communion of saints who there gather. All are equal before their God.

Lessons, October 20, 2013

I am put in mind of the story of the Pastor who is asked how his son is doing in university and his reply is, "Great, at the moment he's an atheist."

The lesson for today is that it's OKAY to question God and to not take no for an answer. Faith that is not tested and does not undergo testing is a rather bland and lifeless affair. God has rather broad shoulders and his feelings are not easily hurt. It is not blasphemy to admit our loss of faith if it help us regain it.

Mar 9:24 Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

It is difficult to have mountaintop experiences if we do not also have periods of doubt, grief, pain, and depression; to do so is to be human and not a sign of weakness, in fact it takes a strong man to face up to his own failings. We need to bring our hurts to God along with our joys. After all it is to be remembered that Jesus sweated blood as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jacob was a schemer. Having become estranged from his older brother Esau he went to live with his Uncle Laban. In the passage prior to today's lesson he is with great trepidation returning home and facing a meeting with his brother the outcome of which is in doubt. The 'man' Jacob is wrestling with here is his own guilty conscience. It would seem he wins this crisis of conscience and goes on to make reconciliation with his brother Esau.

Jacob feared what his brother's reaction might be when their reunion took place. Psalm 121 expresses faith in God's protection at all times and in all places.

What I take from today's Epistle Lesson in Timothy is that we should study and discuss doctrines and opinions that differ from the truth we know in the Gospel in order to understand where our neighbours are coming from just so long as we don't lose sight of the message given us in Christ.

1Th 5:17 pray without ceasing;

Whether or not it is possible to wear God down as the widow does the judge in the parable in today's Gospel the very act of prayer is an expression of faith that is good for the soul. It is also possible that we find answer to prayer in the least expected places and faith among the most unlikely of God's servants.

Heb 13:2 Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it.

What I find most comforting here is the assertion that it is alright to have doubts and to struggle with our faith. God's love for us is strong enough to care for us even when we feel unloved and in doubt. The only truly unforgivable sin is to reject that love.

Lessons, October 13, 2013

Last week we confronted the need for faith in the effecting of change in the world around us. Today we confront the need for faith in attaining healing in our own lives. Remember the lesson of the mustard seed.

Naaman was a successful army general. When he gave an order he expected it to be obeyed without question. When he sought healing for his leprosy he had an expectation that God's mighty prophet would appear and order him cleansed. Instead he is asked to go wash seven times in the Jordan, a river so dirty there was every likelihood that one could be infected by bathing in it. The lesson here is that we need to take responsibility for our own health. We cannot expect there to be a magic bullet to heal all ills. We may need to maintain a healthy weight, get regular exercise, stop smoking,  drink responsibly, and get proper rest. If we need more invasive medical attention we must be willing to follow our doctor's orders and take the medication prescribed on a regular basis. And we must have a strong belief in the efficacy of the treatment we are given. Much has been written about the effectiveness of the placebo effect which says that healing will take place whatever the true effectiveness of a treatment just because the patient believes it will.

It is important that we pray for good things in our lives and have faith that the Lord will provide them. It is equally important to honour, praise and thank our God for our blessings as well. The act of praising God is good for the soul. So says our Psalm for today.

As is often the case the Epistle is off in left field today. We are asked to be faithful to Christ's message and to remember that everyone looks at things from a different perspective due to their life experience. We should not get so hung up on words that we forget the essential message of God's love and salvation.

Luk 17:17  And Jesus answering said, Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

So, ten men sought healing and exhibited faith that healing was possible but only one man returned to praise and thank God for his cleansing act. And to drive the point home it is pointed out that the one person to express gratitude was a much despised Samaritan. Once more the point is made that thanksgiving is an equally important part of the healing act. By failing to show gratitude the nine missed out on an important facet of the healing act. It is one thing to be healed, it is quite another to feel so good about it that one is compelled to thank the Lord for it. Praise is good for the soul.

Faith prompts us to intercede on our own behalf and on behalf of others. That same faith moves us to acknowledge He whose love restored wholeness of life. We have not become truly whole unless we return praise to the author of our salvation.

Lessons September 15

Sorry, I know of no way to re-order these posts.

Today's theme appears to be Sinfulness, Backsliding, Repentance and Redemption.

God is a loving Lord and willing to pardon those who turn from their evil ways and beg for forgiveness.

While Moses is on the mountain talking with God the Israelites slough off the thin veneer of monotheism and return to the practices of idolatry and human sacrifice to which they have become accustomed after generations of living in Egypt. God threatens to rain down lava and exterminate the guilty much as he had at Sodom and Gomorrah but Moses begs for mercy. We are spared the aftermath in which thousands died but it must be remembered that the central purpose of the 'forty years' of wandering in the wilderness was the death of the entire generation who had been tainted by the 'fleshpots' of Egypt so that a new righteous generation could enter the 'Promised Land'.

The Psalm takes the form of a prayer for forgiveness for confessed transgressions and stops unaccountably with the first verse of a hymn with which we should all be well acquainted.

Paul acknowledges that God forgave his former life as a persecutor of Christians and made him a messenger of God's Grace in Jesus Christ.

In looking at the Gospel we must remember that just as sin is its own punishment the kingdom of god is the reward of life in Christ, we need no further reinforcement. Therefore our mission as was Christ's own is to bring sinners to repentance. It is not needful that we preach to the converted, we need to seek out the lost. It is however comforting to acknowledge that just as there is rejoicing when the lost has been found there will be forgiveness and restoration of wholeness of life when we invariable confess our own sins and repent of them. However we must never take that assurance as license to sin in the first place.

Lessons October 6, 2013

Whether you get your news via a newspaper, radio, TV, or the internet it is easy to be overwhelmed by the level of man's inhumanity to man. What can one person do in the face of all that evil?

Hab 1:2 O LORD, how long must I call for help before you listen, before you save us from violence?

Hab 1:3 Why do you make me see such trouble? How can you stand to look on such wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are all around me, and there is fighting and quarreling everywhere.

Hab 1:4 The law is weak and useless, and justice is never done. Evil people get the better of the righteous, and so justice is perverted.

I could have written that any day this week. The answer is:

Hab 2:4 And this is the message: 'Those who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.' "

The Psalm continues the theme of the passing nature of evil. We are reminded that it is dangerous and there is a steep price to be paid for attempting to speed matters up. Regime change can take generations, geological change can take eons, astronomical change light-years. The sun will expand to engulf the orbit of the earth in 5 billion years; should we worry about that today? In the meantime we should be about God's business and trust in the Lord who has power o'er all things.

In Timothy Paul says something very similar. Revolution usually results in bloodshed and he who takes up the sword.... On the other hand we have a responsibility not to throw up our hands in despair and do nothing but to be about the business of living godly christian lives. However that is not to say that we should do nothing. We must remember however that the testimony of the early christians led to their martyrdom.

This would not be the first time that a set of lessons would be at odds with one another.

Luke today begins with the story of the mustard seed. It takes 100 mustard seeds to make an inch yet that seed grows in to a shrub about 20 ft in diameter and twenty feet high, call it a tree if you would. If we had faith like unto that mustard seed we could move mountains.

We are also cautioned that just because we are God's followers we should not expect special treatment. We must remember that God can create believers out of the stones at our feet. We should not expect special rewards for doing God's will here on earth. Responding in love to God's gift of grace is its own reward.

How then do we respond to the evil we see in the world? In the first place by being about God's work here on earth and devoting our lives to His service. Think globally and act locally. Our lives and actions should reflect who we are. We should do everything in our power to correct the wrong that we see around us. On the other hand we must remember that there is a price to be paid for attempting to speed things along too fast. In particular violence tends to beget violence. Remember who we are and never give up hope.

Sometimes there are no easy answers, no simple rights or wrongs. Whatever we do must be done in the spirit of Christian Love. We must never forget who we are and whose will we are about. We must be willing to take responsibility for the effects of our actions and to think calmly, soberly, and logically about what the outcomes are likely to be. The ouster of Louis XIV resulted in a reign of terror that lasted an entire year and killed tens of thousands. The overthrow of Saddam Houssein resulted in an extended period of looting and bloodletting which resulted because there was no regime in place to keep law and order once the battle was won. The political activism that removed a dicatator from power in Egypt has led to anarchy ever since. The removal of Tito from power in Yugoslavia has resulted in sectarian violence, ethnic cleansing, and factionalism that continues to this day and has resulted in thousands of deaths and the destruction of cultural icons hundreds of years old.

Contrast this with the approach taken by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu's Truth and Reconciation Commission. Justice can take many forms and punishment and retribution don't always create the results one would desire. Do we want to punish wrongdoers and fill ever larger jails with repeat offenders; or do we want them to make restitution to the victims of their crimes? Most young offenders find the latter option more onerous.

Lessons for September 29, 2013

Today's lessons strike a discomforting note to most of us in the Western World. The world's wealthiest 16 percent use 80 percent of natural resources.

Luk 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Let's begin by pointing out that it isn't a sin to be successful and be financially secure. However we might want to take a look at how that wealth was procured, how it is disposed, and whether or not our lives are caught up in it's maintenance and growth.

There is little prophesy involved Amos predictions. Then as now it is the rich and influential who are held hostage as it is they who are most likely to reap rich ransoms. The poor and weak are not worth the bother unless they have strong backs and slave labour is required.

What's important to remember when reading the Psalm today is that we are the means by which the Lord accomplishes all these great things.

Our epistle lesson contains several off-quoted passages.

Money is the root of all evil. We can't take it with us.

The important thing to concentrate on here is not the wealth of this world which is passing but the Kingdom of God which is eternal and where wealth enriches us forever. The last three verses describe how to lay up wealth there:

1Ti 6:17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 1Ti 6:18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

1Ti 6:19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

The Gospel lesson contains the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. While on earth the Rich Man was wealthy in the things of this earth; after death he is poor in spirit and tortured by the fact of his apartness from the means of grace. It is the final verses that appeal to my sarcastic nature:

Luk 16:27 The rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house,

Luk 16:28 where I have five brothers. Let him go and warn them so that they, at least, will not come to this place of pain.'

Luk 16:29 Abraham said, 'Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them; your brothers should listen to what they say.'

Luk 16:30 The rich man answered, 'That is not enough, father Abraham! But if someone were to rise from death and go to them, then they would turn from their sins.'

Luk 16:31 But Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from death.' "

The irony here is palpable.

To me at least Heaven and Hell are not physical locations but states of spiritual being. The ability to have faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit and acceptance of the means of grace frees us from the shame and guilt of sin enabling us to experience the Peace of God which is everlasting. Entering the Kingdom of God places us in a realm beyond time and space, life or death. Heaven begins here on earth, it is not pie in the sky bye and bye. Hell, then, is separation from the Love of God. The punishment of sin is sin itself as it places a gulf between us and that peace; no further penalties are necessary.

Lessons September 22, 2013

Today I will deal with both assigned OT Texts.

During the Battle of Britain in WW#2 the people of London crawled out of the Subway Stations which were their bomb shelters each morning and looked for reassurance to see if St Paul's Cathedral was still standing for its continued survival took on mythic proportions of stability amid the devastation that was the rest of the city. So to in Jeremiah's day the people of Israel looked to the Temple in Jerusalem as symbolic of their deliverance, their standing in the world. But Jeremiah warns them in Chapter 7:

Jer 7:12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.

Jer 7:13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,

Jer 7:14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.

Shiloh was the Holy Site to which Joshua first brought the Arc of the Covenant and the place where Eli presided, the Arc's resting place until the time that Solomon built the temple at Jerusalem. Today as in the time of Jeremiah it is a ruin. Jeremiah prophesies that if the people of Israel continue to behave in the manner also described in today's passage in Amos that the same fate that met the Temple at Shiloh would befall that in Jerusalem. For it is not the Temple we worship but the God whose Holy Place it represents. If we forget that and fail to honor him in our actions and deeds we make of it an Idol and the worship we perform there an act of going through the motions. In so doing we make of our worship a sham as displeasing to our God as the idol worship of the people among whom we live. Those idols include worldly wealth and power, public acclaim, luxury and comfort.

Names are a thing of power. They invoke the person or thing named.

Exo 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

In fact Jews did not speak the name of their God for fear of breaking that commandment. God's name is to be praised for all the works of his hand that he has accomplished. How do we Praise the Lord? By being the means by which his works are realized here on earth.

1Ti 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

1Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

1Ti 2:3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

1Ti 2:4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

1Ti 2:6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

First the writer defines prayer in a general sense as supplication, intercession and thanksgiving. We prayer for our leaders that they may lead us in a manner that brings peace to our lives. In a world where a large proportion of the people were in bondage to slavery the concept of ransom had great resonance.

What to make of Luke 16? First of all we must remember that this is a parable and the meaning of most parables is not derived from a literal interpretation. The dishonest steward was complimented for his fore-thought in preparing for the day when he would be called to account for his management of the master's possessions.

So how do we prepare for the day when we will face judgement, when we will be called to account before our God? By honouring God's name and advancing his Kingdom on earth, by constant prayer and thanksgiving, by actions and deeds that serve to honour the God who is the author of our salvation.

Lessons for Sept 8, 2013

Choose Life!

Moses lays out the law in an extended sermon in the book of Deuteronomy. He defines the rewards of faithfulness to God's Covenant and the dire consequences for disobedience. Hence the Deuteronomic principle.

Deu 30:15 "Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death. Deu 30:19 I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.

Rarely has the point been made in starker more pointed terms. Moses is about to ascend Mt Nebo for a last look at the Promised Land which he knows he will not get to see in person. He foresees Israel's failure to live up to their covenant responsibilities, their exile; but he also knows that a loving God will protect and prosper those who keep his commandments.

The Psalm continues the theme of rewards for the just and punishment for the unjust.

For the Epistle we are given almost the entire letter to Philemon, Paul's shortest letter. It is to be hand-delivered by Onesimus, whose name means useful, to his master Philemon and the congregation at Colossus. Before God and the congregation Paul appeals to a slave owner in a letter delivered by a run-away slave to waive his right of execution for his death would serve no useful purpose. Rather than make this an order Paul appeals to Philemon's sense of loving justice. No word on the outcome.

This lesson ties into today's theme in the sense that our treatment of those most vulnerable amongst us illustrates how we observe God's Commandments and how we demonstrate God's love and forgiveness.

Moses iterated the costs of not following the Covenant; Jesus goes him one better and states the cost of Discipleship. Once more the point is made in vehement even hyperbolic terms.

Luk 14:33 In the same way," concluded Jesus, "none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.

Jesus seems to be saying that being my Disciple is not some feel-good fad, an insurance policy you bring home and file in a drawer for safe-keeping. No, it is a total commitment and before you embrace it you would do well to count the costs and be certain your allegiance is complete and not a half-hearted passing fancy. It is not a pledge you can fulfill by showing up at church on Sundays and forget about the rest of the week. It is not enough to simply obey The Law, you are expected to observe the Spirit of the Law. This is not a popularity contest, in fact some of the choices you will be forced to make will make you distinctly unpopular.

Take up your cross and follow me. Tough words indeed.

Lessons Sept 1, 2013

Today we confront pride.

A friend of mine solves this issue by placing name tags at her place settings.

This is not the first or only time Jesus confronted pride of place. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, asked that they sit on Jesus right and left when he entered the Kingdom and of course we are aware that two thieves held that position.

Mat 20:16 And Jesus concluded, "So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last."

And during his final meal on earth with the Disciples he brought this lesson home by washing their feet.

The OT Lesson has to be one of the shortest at 2 verses:

Pro 25:6 When you stand before the king, don't try to impress him and pretend to be important.
Pro 25:7 It is better to be asked to take a higher position than to be told to give your place to someone more important.

What the Psalm adds to the discussion is the assertion that our health, happiness, and well-being do not derive from pride of place but service to God and our fellow man.

In Hebrews the life of service continues to be emphasized through a summary discussion of the ten commandents. Let's try not to get hung up on:

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.

Great teachers may come and go and the pendulum of orthodoxy may swing left and right, but God's love and redemption as manifest in Jesus Christ never changes.

Have Lutherans taken today's Gospel to heart? If you look around you you will notice that most occupy the back rows of the church. Did Jesus tell this parable in response to some not too pleasant jockeying for position among his Disciples?

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Just as guests are cautioned not to be presumptious hosts are admonished to not restrict their guest lists solely to those with whom they wish to gain favour or have an expectation that the invitation will be returned.

Lesson for August 25, 2013

As I warned last Sunday the present series of lessons allow little latitude for softening the message.

Today's lessons illustrate the essential contrast between the Old Covenant and the New. Both expect that the Faithful will feed the hungry and give aid to the poor but the Old Covenant expresses it in terms "if" and "then", the New expects no less but anticipates these actions in response to God's Grace. The writer of the first lesson has a hard on for Sabbath Observance. Obviously in a world that operates on a 24/7 timetable many people don't have that luxury however the need to keep a day of rest still exists.

Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and loving, slow to become angry and full of constant love.

Today's is a Psalm of Thanksgiving for a God who is loving and just. If we read on however the stick is still there waiting to condemn those who fail to honor the Lord.

The Epistle Lesson compares worship in Jerusalem and the experience at Mt Sinai in the desert with a Heavenly Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. The wording would not be out of place in the Old Testament.

Heb 12:28 Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe;
Heb 12:29 because our God is indeed a destroying fire.

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it

So the question remains, is it right to do good on the Sabbath. The unifying theme today seems to be our duty to keep God's Commandments and a day of rest in particular. Those Commandments codify a system for just society. To emphasize the point it is made clear that even the omnipotent God took a day off from his labours. It is made clear that even the slaves in our midst deserve a day of rest along with our animals.

Mar 2:27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath.

When Jesus is upbraided for healing on the Sabbath he challenges his detractors and temporarily shuts them up.

Lessons for August 18, 2013

I have a favourite quip that goes, A body under zero stress is by definition dead.

Jas 2:17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

Jas 2:26 Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!

There's a paradox here. One cannot buy one's way into the Kingdom of God nor can one earn one's way there by good works, but our faith will be manifest in our actions. Nothing can separate us from the love of God but there is a corollary, nothing can hide us from God's all-seeing presence. His spy-network put's Obama's to shame. The God of the OT is presented in a fashion not unlike Santa Claus who knows when you've been bad or good but there's more at stake here than presents under a tree.

The Psalm reminds us of our mortality and exhorts us that we need care for those less fortunate.

The Epistle enumerates the accomplishments of those who by faith moved mountains. Christ's faith in his mission here on earth led to the Cross and through it to eternal life.

The Jesus presented in today's Gospel is not the Jesus meek and mild of our childhood Gospel Hymns. This 'man' has become fully self-aware and realizes what awaits him when he reaches Jerusalem. He is speaking in hyperbolic apocalytic language. The path he is taking leads to the cross and the grave.

The faith presented here is not one of comfort and rest but a call to action. It does not bring salvation and release but stress and tension. There is no comfortable pew here, this message does not bring peace but division. We are called to examine our actions to ensure that they promote the Kingdom of God rather than preserve our sense of entitlement and privilege.

If our faith does not create some stress in our lives then it may be dead.

The Good News here presented is about as hard-hitting as it gets. If this makes you uncomfortable be warned there is more to come.

Lessons August 11, 2013

Today's theme of Faith is captured by the Epistle Lesson. Faith is the foundation of Judeo-Christian Theology. We 'believe' in a God who no one has seen and for whose existence no empirical proof exists. We 'trust' that He means us well and will guide and protect us. We 'hope' that our faith and trust are not in vain, that our lives have meaning, that our spiritual beings will live on in eternity.

But what is 'Faith'?

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.

Hebrews 11 supplies us with a history of faith at work in the lives of Old Testament Patriarchs. Here as elsewhere the point is made that we are in but not of this world. Through faith we are members of the Kingdom of God which exists outside the bounds of time and space.

Genesis 15 introduces us specifically to the part faith in God's promises had in the life of Abraham. Faith is re-enforced through prayer and the assurance it brings strengthens believers to do God's work on earth.

Psalm 33 re-enforces the theme that faith is a gift from God

Psa 33:18 But the LORD watches over all who honor him and trust his kindness.
Psa 33:19 He protects them from death and starvation.
Psa 33:20 We depend on you, LORD, to help and protect us.
Psa 33:21 You make our hearts glad because we trust you, the only God.
Psa 33:22 Be kind and bless us! We depend on you.

The Disciples in Luke had a personal relationship with God in the person of Jesus Christ. Christianity is based on the belief that their experience was real.

Luk 12:32 My little group of disciples, don't be afraid! Your Father wants to give you the kingdom.

Faith then is a gift from God. It is freely given and ours to accept. The ability to accept it is also a gift from God. Faith is the key to the Kingdom of God and membership there gives us a home in which to store spiritual capital. Our joy in the grace that has been given us supplies us with the energy to accomplish Christ's work on earth. It is our trust in this spiritual Kingdom of God the enables us to be in but not of this world and ready when the Son of Man will come however that be accomplished.

Lesson August 4th, 2013

Today is one of those rare Sundays when there is absolute unity of purpose in all four lessons for the day. The common theme here is our priorities. Lets be clear on this, it is not a sin to be wealthy, it is unhealthy to make the attainment of wealth our principal goal in life.

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Old Testament Lesson comes from the beginning of the book of Ecclesiastes, one of my favourite books. It has always been a source of great comfort to me that the expression of the sentiments here stated have a place in Holy Writ. If we accept Solomon as the writer of this text then we understand that this man of wealth and wisdom has everything he could possibly want or need. Stately palaces, 1000 concubines to satisfy his carnal needs, more rich food than is healthy for him, opulent wardrobes, more servants than he can find use for and hundreds of sycophants fawning over him. So is he happy? No, he is bored with life and this text eloquently expresses his ennui. The man who can't possibly imagine anything in life that he could want that he does not already possess is bored with life.

Were I reading today's lessons I would not confine myself to few verses selected out of context.

Let's look at the Psalm

Although it may be so that poverty may shorten our lives money can't extend our lives indefinitely. And we can't take it with us. We all share a common mortality. Nor, as the saying goes, can we buy our way into heaven. The gift of grace is freely given to all who believe.

In Colossians Paul talks about the things that give true meaning to life. As he expresses it the things of this world are not what gives our lives meaning but the spiritual capital we amass in Christ is what we should strive to attain.

The rich man in Christ's parable was a prudent investor. If his fields yielded a bumper crop it would have been imprudent to allow that crop to rot in the field. However, if his only intent was to store those grains so that he could live a life of leisure and contentment then he runs the risk of suffering from the same sense of discontent expressed by the writer of Ecclesiastes.

Once more hyperbole is used to emphasize a point. I can't say it better than the following quote:

Luke 12:13-21

Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world. Christianity does not meddle with politics; it obliges all to do justly, but wordly dominion is not founded in grace. It does not encourage expectations of worldly advantages by religion. The rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature. Covetousness is a sin we need constantly to be warned against; for happiness and comfort do not depend on the wealth of this world. The things of the world will not satisfy the desires of a soul. Here is a parable, which shows the folly of carnal worldling while they live, and their misery when they die. The character drawn is exactly that of a prudent, worldly man, who has no grateful regard to the providence of God, nor any right thought of the uncertainty of human affairs, the worth of his soul, or the importance of eternity. How many, even among professed Christians, point out similar characters as models for imitation, and proper persons to form connexions with! We mistake if we think that thoughts are hid, and thoughts are free. When he saw a great crop upon his ground, instead of thanking God for it, or rejoicing to be able to do more good, he afflicts himself. What shall I do now? The poorest beggar in the country could not have said a more anxious word. The more men have, the more perplexity they have with it. It was folly for him to think of making no other use of his plenty, than to indulge the flesh and gratify the sensual appetites, without any thought of doing good to others. Carnal worldlings are fools; and the day is coming when God will call them by their own name, and they will call themselves so. The death of such persons is miserable in itself, and terrible to them. Thy soul shall be required. He is loth to part with it; but God shall require it, shall require an account of it, require it as a guilty soul to be punished without delay. It is the folly of most men, to mind and pursue that which is for the body and for time only, more than that for the soul and eternity.

Matthew Henry

Lessonsfor July 28, 2013

Today's theme is prayer.

Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

One can assume that today's Gospel is a collection of Jesus sayings on the matter of prayer echoed in the Sermon on the Mount:

Mat 6:5 "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.
Mat 6:6 But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
Mat 6:7 "When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long.
Mat 6:8 Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.
Mat 6:9 This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored;
Mat 6:10 may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us today the food we need.
Mat 6:12 Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
Mat 6:13 Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.'

This passage includes The Lord's Prayer which Christians use at every worship service.

Abraham it would seem talks to God in person and is bargaining for the lives of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah for his nephew Lot lived in Sodom.

The Psalm continues the theme having the worshiper face toward the Temple as Moslems face toward Mecca. Emphasis is placed upon thanking God in prayer for what he has done. Prayer is not just about presenting God with a shopping list.

The Epistle continues the discourse on Christology begun in Chapter 1.

Next to the issue of bad things happening to good people is the perception of prayer unanswered. Just as I don't see Christianity as providing answers to all life's questions but an approach to dealing with them prayer should not be considered as the presentation of a shopping list from which one systematically crosses items off but a spiritual conversation with God which, though it may not solve every issue will give us the strength we need to deal with them. This is not to say that miracles aren't possible or that we should give up hope but that we should not feel devastated if the 'answer' we get isn't exactly what we originally asked for or expected.

The one issue that our Epistle adds to the equation is the matter of faith. In prayer we are not talking to ourselves, we have the belief that our God hears our prayers and will answer them.

Luk 11:9 And so I say to you: Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

Let your prayers be known to your God. But just as important is the act of praising God in joyful thanksgiving for the bounties he has bestowed upon us lest prayer become a gimme, gimme, gimme act.

Equally important to remember is the fact that prayer is a conversation with God and there is a need for silence as well, we need to be attuned in our lives to recognize that the answers to our prayers may appear in the most unlikely of circumstances.

We must also remember that we play a part in the Kingdom of God. As THE PRAYER acknowledges, we have a part to play in honouring His Name, bringing the Kingdom of God to pass, providing daily bread to others as well as ourselves, in not becoming the mode of temptation to others, in doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. In other words we must always remember that we may become the answer to other's prayers.

Psa 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Prayer should bring us inner peace and joy which will radiate from us and be shared with those around us.

Lessons for July 21, 2013

The period of ordinary time traditionally Sundays after Trinity, now termed Pentecost to emphasize its significance, is the longest in the liturgical church year. It has traditionally been a time for an extended examination of Christ's ministry and the nature of the Christian Life. In this, the third of our pericope's three-year-cycle the theme seems to be specifically the nature of Christian Service and we appear to be working our way sequentially through the book of Luke and selected Epistles. As is often the case today's Epistle doesn't seem to tie into the day's other lessons.

In Genesis God appears to Abraham in the persons of three men who appear near the entrance to his tent where he is sitting. As is custom Abraham is at pains to welcome them, see to their physical needs and have his wife Sarah feed them.

Heb 13:2 Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it.

The message these strangers bring Abraham is that his barren wife will bear him a son in 9 months' time.

The Psalm's emphasis is on the need of those who would enter into worship to continue their worshipful attitudes during their quotidian lives outside the Temple.

In today's Epistle the writer embarks upon some extremely heavy Christology.

The Gospel introduces us to Mary and Martha who live with their brother Lazarus in Bethany just outside Jerusalem. Although Lazarus is not mentioned in this passage he and Jesus were friends and Jesus and the Disciples dropped in on this family often and were always made welcome. Martha it would seem is the older sister and took on the responsibility of maintaining the household. It is she who welcomes Jesus to her home and sets about the tasks needed to see to his and the Disciples' needs. Mary is unusual in many ways. A woman who insinuated herself at Jesus' feet while he was teaching the menfolk in the central courtyard.

The story sets up the iconic Mary and Martha paradox. May I say that as a Martha by nature I side with her in this matter. While Martha slaves away in the kitchen seeing to the preparation of food for at least 30 people, for surely they had servants, Mary shirks her duties as hostess and like a tomboy sits with the menfolk. Martha doesn't think she should get away with this dereliction of duty and appeals to Jesus to abraid her sister on it. We know the famous reply.

I would emphasize that Jesus does not tell Martha she should stop cooking and come sit with him. In fact I blame Lazarus for letting his sister Mary get away with it. If Martha had abandoned her kitchen and joined the menfolk in the courtyard grumbling stomachs and burning odours from the kitchen would have spelled quite a different story. Without the Martha's of this world no volunteer organization could continue to function. Now who would like to defend Mary? Perhaps saying that Martha could very well have left the work to the servants once the tasks were set and joined her sister at Jesus' feet.

Lessons for July 14, 2013

Today's Gospel contains the parable of the Good Samaritan which, together with that of the Prodigal Son are the two best known in the canon. Anyone who has attended church regularly has heard many sermons on both and probably feels they have heard it all and may safely sit back and catch 40 winks during the sermon. Certainly the lawyer knew his stuff, he had all the right answers and like most of us felt comfortable in the knowledge that he had made his peace with the world and was satisfied with the conclusions he had arrived at. Like us he did not want his world shaken up.

Today's lessons are a wake-up call for complacent Christians. Remember God can create believers from the stones at our feet or descendents of Abraham as the text says in Luke 3:8.

Mat 5:13 "You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it.

We in the Western World have become Cultural Christians. We assume we live in a Christian State, we have freedom of worship and we are not persecuted for our faith. Todays lessons ask the question, have we become too comfortable?

If you look at census figures the most common religious affiliation is fast becoming 'none'. More and more young people are deciding that conventional religion no longer has relevance to their lives. Churchly stands on human reproduction, sexuality, the status of women, serve to strengthen this discontent.

The implication here is that if we decide we have the answers and have nothing new to learn our faith becomes calcified and rigid. If we are not growing and learning and renewing ourselves constantly then we are falling by the wayside like the priest and the Levite who walked by on the other side.

Lessons for July 7, 2013

Jerusalem and the Temple are the Mother Church of Judaism, they succor Israelites just as a mother does her child. Local Congregations had Synagogues, Jerusalem the only Temple. We build beautiful structures here on earth in which to worship to lift and renew our spirits but our home in the Kingdom of God is not on this earth, these buildings are but symbols of the heavenly kingdom.

The Psalm reminds us that it is meet and right to give God thanks and praise, communally and individually in prayer. Not only is it the right thing to do but it is good for us.

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Sounds very much like the retributive justice of the Old Testament doesn't it. We are to support one another in the faith gently remonstrating with those who stray from the path being ever mindful that we keep watch on our own actions lest we stray as well and be an impediment to the community.

If nothing else today's Gospel serves to remind us that the twelve may have been Jesus' inner council but they were not his only followers. Even before the coming of the Holy Spirit these 70 are sent out 2 by 2 to witness and spread healing. They are given instructions as to how to proceed. They are to be Jesus' witnesses and to perform his work on earth. By implication this is our task as well.

I like to find a unifying force when I look at the lessons for a particular Sunday. What I find here is a discourse on the nature of Christian witness and service.

As Christians we like to build fine edifices honouring our God and while they serve as gathering places where we may meet to renew our spirits in communal worship God's work is not done within their walls but out in the community. It is good to renew our spirits by thanking and praising God always but we do so that we may go out and do God's work abroad with renewed vigor. As members of Christ's body, the church, here on earth we have a duty to support one another in the faith and admonish, gently, those who stray even as we may find ourselves in need of that admonition. It is not by coincidence that the 70 are sent out two by two so that they may support one another in the work they are to do. This principle was used before and has been since in many contexts. Finally, we are not to glory in our accomplishments or indeed the size of our church budgets, membership rolls, and attendance figures; nor in the good deeds we have done; but in the fact of our membership in the Kingdom of God.

Lessons June 30, 2013

Today's theme would seem to be the nature of our commitment as Christians. One of today's Commentators at Working Preacher quotes a bumper sticker: "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict your." Much of the language used in today's lessons utilizes hyperboles and exaggerations for emphasis in making the point, they are not to necessarily be taken literally.

The calling of Elisha provides a commentary on the nature of vocation and discipleship. Unlike other prophets there is no anointing with oil, no visions, no blinding lights,no burning bushes, no dreams; Elijah tosses him his mantle and Elisha begins a life of service to his mentor, beginning with the slaughtering of the bullocks with which he had been plowing and the cooking of their flesh by burning his farm implements to make fire. As Jesus told his Disciples to "Follow me" so Elisha leaves his former life behind and learns his new trade by becoming Elijah's servant. There is little romance here, but Elisha does hang onto the mantle and later uses it in the performance of 'miracles'.

The Psalm lays out the benefits of a life lived in God's service and the pitfalls of straying from that path.

In the Epistle Paul lays out the limitations of the Freedom given us by the New Covenant. There is no such thing as absolute freedom as such license would lead to licentiousness. If we submit to the self-discipline of the rubric, "You must love your neighbour as yourself" in Gal 5:14 then we have freedom to live within that discipline, "There is no law against such things" Gal 5:23. He goes on to list the seven deadly sins and more besides, then the seven virtues plus. Those who live by these precepts are guided by the Spirit.

In the Gospel we join Jesus as he heads toward Jerusalem and his eventual crucifixion. The essential truth here is that to follow Jesus is to enter the Kingdom of Heaven; to be in the world but not of this world. Jesus' Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom and to enter it is to put our past lives behind us. We don't necessarily have to abandon our homes and professions as stated in the text but our goals and objectives, our wealth and possessions will become focused on Heavenly riches not earthly wealth, fame and fortune. The Kingdom of Heaven is not pie in the sky bye and bye but a state of mind we enter in the here and now. It sets our sights on heavenly goals rather than earthly ones for in a sense we have already entered Heaven.

For, Mat 25:40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Mat 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
Mat 25:36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.

Such is our calling.

Lessons June 23

The theme today would seem to be the nature of faith.

Isa 55:6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
In fact we know that the Lord is always near, it is we who by our actions, hubris, and willfulness place God at arms' length.

In today's Lesson Isaiah speaks for God. He does so in true Deuteronomic fashion starkly listing the consequences of ignoring the Lord's calling. God is reaching out, it is our duty and delight to hear him and obey.

The Psalm continues this admonition

The Epistle emphasizes that faith makes all true believers free, free from the law that would condemn us, free from sin and death. Continuing his message that the Gospel is for all people he declares that faith makes all equal in the eyes of God.

The Gospel has to be viewed in the context in which it was written. Epileptics were viewed as being possessed by demons and swine were unclean animals to the Jews and a fitting repository for the demons. I choose not to confront the loss the swineherds suffered or the inhumane treatment of their herd. What is important here is Jesus meeting the needs of the man possessed and healing him.

Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not an intellectual accomplishment and does not admit of scientific proofs. Indirectly the OT Lesson in particular confronts one of the impediments to faith, that bad things happen to good people. Whereas the new Covenant we know in Christ Jesus frees us from the paradigm of law and judgement yet there is some truth in those thoughts. If society marginalizes people and makes them feel like outsiders, unwanted and alone; who then is responsible if they lash out. Who is responsible for the fact that guns and other weapons are readily available and that weapons manufacturers are motivated solely by the opportunity to make greater profits by selling to anyone who has the means of buying them. Who is reponsible for poverty, lack of education, and despair bred of lack of opportunity which is the breeding ground of disease, racism, terror, and violence.

How do we purge ourselves of our own demons be they alcohol, gambling, drugs, wealth, possessions, greed, self-centredness, sexual obsession.... defined as sin. AA subscribes to the 12 Steps.

All call for an admission that we alone are powerless without the aid of God however it be we conceive him/her. We need to seek the Lord and in Faith receive healing. It is our responsibility to seek that healing not just for ourselves but the world we live in, our environment and the society that surrounds us. Freed from the guilt of sin we are to go forth and spread that Good News to all peoples.

Lessons June 16, 2013

I find it amusing that the closest any of the translators come to calling the prostitute who comes to bathe Jesus' feet what she is, is to say she is a woman of the city. Jesus comes to eat with Simon the Pharisee who must have been more than a little put out at his guest Jesus for allowing the attentions of this lady of the night in his home at his table. We get the Parable of the Forgiven Sinner. Somehow I get the feeling that the men traveling with Jesus must have teased him just a little about all these woman pouring perfume on his feet. Named are several of the woman who accompanied Jesus and the Disciples on their travels. This is one of the few times that the women in Christ's life are freely acknowledged. One would suppose they cooked for the men and washed and mended their clothing and provided other services that would not be discussed in discrete society.

The OT Lesson is prefaced by the story of Uriah the Hittite whom David the King directs his General, Joab, to place in harm's way after David's adulterous trysts with Uriah's wife Bethseba results in her pregnancy. This after David clandestinely arranged for Uriah to get leave from battle during which Uriah abstained from having carnal relations with his wife.

Nathan the prophet comes and tells David the parable of the poor neighbour's lamb prompting David to condemn himself with the words of his own mouth. Omitted from today's reading is Nathan's full prediction of the retribution of the Lord upon David in verses 11&12. It would seem that frank discussion of David's wives having sex in broad daylight with another man is not considered proper for Sunday morning reading from the Lectern.

Instead the emphasis is placed upon David's contrition. Nathan prophesies that the child of Bethsheba and David's adulterous relationship would die and in the verses following today's reading that does happen. This is the Deuteronomic Principle at its best illustrating that not even the King is above the law.

Today's Psalm is one of rejoicing in the forgiveness of the Lord.

In the Epistle Paul makes the point that we are put right with God not by means of the Law or by the good works we do, but by the freely given Grace of God provided through Jesus Christ. We cannot buy God's Forgiveness or earn it by close observance of the law, it is freely given.

It would seem obvious that the framers of today's pericope intended a theme emphasizing the nature of sin and God's Mercy and Forgiveness.

Simon the Pharisee was a righteous man who had no time for a common tramp whom he felt demeaned Jesus by her very presence. David the King fell prey to his carnal lusts and was called on it by God through Nathan the prophet. In OT thinking a direct connection is made between David and Bethsheba's sinful act and the death of the child, the product of that act. In the New Covenant emphasis is placed on contrition and repentance. Go and sin no more. Even in the OT after the death of his child David mourns no more but goes to worship in the the Temple before returning to his beloved, Bethseba to beget another son who turns out to be Solomon.

Yes, we must confess our sins but having received God's freely given forgiveness we must not dwell on them but freed from guilt rejoice in that forgiveness like the Psalmist and respond to God's Love with lives lived in His service.