Posted by stpauls on September 25, 2011 under Sermons | 
Whine, whine, whine.
This is all that people can think about. It is their MO, their mode of operation:
Whine, bicker, complain, and moan.
You don’t think so? Well let me give a few examples.
We try to make things easier for those who volunteer their time to clean and maintain the sacred vessels of the church and so we stopped using wax candles and changed the colour of the wine. And what is the reaction: whine, whine, whine.
We try to find ways to keep worship alive and interesting, and to bring together the different communities of the parish. So we changed the time and format of one service a month. And what is the result: bicker, bicker, bicker.
I try to offer profound and prophetic insights into the Christian faith. So I preach slightly … ok, much … longer sermons, And how is this selfless offering received: complain, complain, complain.
To allow for the discovery of Christ not just in bread and wine, but also in the faces of all, and to celebrate that we gather for worship around the altar, we changed the set-up of the pews around … the pews!!! And you know what happened: Moan, moan, moan.
I hope you know by now that so far everything I said was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. But it really seems to be a favourite past time of the people of God: Whine, bicker, complain, and moan!
The cover of today’s bulletin says it all.
There are indeed places where this has gotten out of hand. Congregations can be clergy killers and can eat their own. Some parishes are enmeshed in an us-versus-them antagonism, with clergy on one side and lay folk on the other. And often there are trenches and mine-fields!
Yet, this antagonism is a trap. It is a trap that swallows us up and prohibits us from moving deeper into the divine mystery. Rather, the antagonism leads into abuse, into destruction, and into death, spiritual death. Barry J. Robinson, a United Church minister, once wrote a book about it: Lucifer Grows in Our Garden: An Anatomy of Clergy Abuse, which does not talk about the abuse by clergy, but documents the abuse of clergy by congregations. And, of course, there are also ordained leaders, who play into this and corrupt the beautiful people of God. I assume, many of you may notice, how at the beginning of this sermon I was doing exactly what I was accusing others of doing: I was equally whining, bickering, complaining, and moaning about others!
Thank God, we are a far cry from this reality, from this antagonism, here at St. Paul’s! Yes, we do not all agree on everything. And thanks be to God for this, too! Disagreement is a sign of a healthy congregation. By sharing openly and at times even passionately our convictions, we know we are still on the way: exploring, learning, and growing deeper into the knowledge of God. But – and this is one of the beautiful and life-giving identities of this wonderful parish – we also know here at St. Paul’s we are not done and none of us is perfect. We are all wounded. We are all sinners. We all can still improve in our commitment to the Gospel – and with God’s grace we will: together, as the community of faith in this place.
As long as we continue to stay connected and remain honest, as long as we continue to seek Christ’s face in each other and the movement of the Spirit among us, as long as we continue to pray for one another and for the life of our community, as long as we continue in the words of St Paul to “look not to [our] own interests, but to the interests of others”[1], we will keep on celebrating the love of God – even when we disagree. And we then will also avoid falling into the trap of the antagonism of us-versus-them; the antagonism that so easily leads to whining, bickering, complaining, and moaning; the antagonism that drains life from the community and obstructs God’s mission; the antagonism that seems to be so present in the text from the book of Exodus, which we just heard.
There is an awful lot of whining, bickering, complaining, and moaning recorded in Exodus. And if we only look at the text from the outside, this doesn’t make sense: Didn’t God lead the Israelites out of bondage into freedom? Wasn’t this what they wanted? So, what on earth did they grumble about?
However, remember, these texts really are not interested in portraying historical truth, but theological truth. The story of the exodus from Egypt is not about the exact details of the creation of Israel, but it is first and foremost a revelation of profound truths about God’s identity and how God seeks to be present not just in the life of Israel, but also in our lives. Almost three millennia after these stories were collected from different traditions, they are still relevant, not because they are set out to be historically accurate, but because God is still revealed through these texts, God still speaks through them to us. And these texts are still relevant, because we can use them as a way to give meaning to our own lives in all their complexities and diversity.
Today’s reading from Exodus is therefore not so much about the whining, bickering, complaining, and moaning of God’s people in the desert, but it could serve as an opportunity to give voice to our own anxieties and fears in the midst of our own wastelands.
How? Well, let’s have a look at the context.
In the earlier chapters of the book of Exodus, God appeared as an all-powerful liberator: Remember, God threw horse and rider, threw the oppressors into the sea, while enabling and empowering the former slaves to walk into freedom. Yet, it is important to remember that it had taken a long time to get this point. For generations, the Israelites had pleaded with God. And maybe, by the time Moses appeared on the scene, they had already given up on God. Or, they had forgotten, had unlearned what it meant to be the people of God.
And after the exit from Egypt, the Israelites found themselves in the middle of the desert. Yes, they no longer had to live under the yoke of the Egyptians, but what was Moses’ agenda? And how could they trust this deity, who had been silent for so long? How could they put their hope into a relationship that felt so new, so untested. No wonder, they were a bit unsure and wanted to try this relationship.
Of course, many in our day and age can relate.
How often have human beings pleaded with God to be liberated from all kinds of oppression, from all kinds of enslavement? And instead of concrete answers all they experienced on the other side of their pleading and praying was emptiness and silence. No wonder, many of our contemporaries are not sure about God, either. No wonder many join the chorus of the Israelites. No wonder many want to test God, too.
And today’s reading from Exodus provides an answer to these justified questions. Yet, it is answer that will surprise and it will challenge: The answer revealed in today’s text is a miracle beyond understanding.
But it is not the miracle of water breaking forth from a stone. Again, this could just be part of a myth that in hindsight tries to explain the very existence of Israel and her perseverance in hostile surroundings.
But there is another miracle revealed in and between the lines of our text: It is the miracle of trust. It is the miracle of trust in a God who brings forth water, brings forth life from a lifeless place. This is theological truth of today’s story in Exodus: the Creator of all things does not leave God’s people abandoned, even in the midst of the desert, even in the midst of the wilderness of our lives. Over and over and over again God’s people experience, that if they trust God, salvation and life will spring forth from unexpected sources: from a lifeless stone in today’s story, or from the womb of a young woman many centuries later, or from the darkness of a grave on that first Easter morning.
Today’s text asks us to trust in God, to be willing to be bit like Moses, who put all that he has and all that he is into the hands of God and who then discovered that God will provide.
Which brings me right back to the beginning of this sermon.
The antagonism between Moses and the people in today’s text is not a model for the body of Christ. Yes, there are those who are called to lay ministry and there are those who are called to ordained leadership. But, in light of today’s text and its insights, I believe that we have also a common call, all of us: We are all called to be like Moses in a world that is stranded in the desert and that often behaves like the Israelites, not knowing if and how to trust God. It is our shared responsibility as a community of God’s children to respond to the fears of the world by becoming an unexpected source of salvation and by sharing accounts of how God has brought forth water from lifeless places on our journeys through the desert.
And maybe, you can give it a try and tell of how God has touched your life today or this coming week. Share it with a friend, who seems to be whining, bickering, complaining, and moaning. There is much to learn in our stories. There is much to discover how God brings forth life from lifeless places.
[The Reverend Markus Dünzkofer delivered this sermon on September 25, 2011.]
Posted by stpauls on under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
Exodus 17: 1-7 ~ Bible Reading for September 25, 2011
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Posted by stpauls on September 18, 2011 under Sermons |
Some of you might remember our parish trip to San Francisco a few years back. We flew all the way to the Bay Area to be with the people of St. Gregory-of-Nyssa Episcopal Church, an eclectic and somewhat eccentric Christian community, who are part of our Anglican family, but whose liturgy – for most Anglicans – is just wild and crazy.
In spite of losing a couple of the members of the group one night, which was just over the 10% loss I had budgeted, on the whole the trip was a wonderfully informative, educational, and spiritual experience. Upon our return home, there was, however, some fear among the group, that I might lose it completely on matters of liturgy: some had visions and indeed nightmares of the appearance of liturgical umbrellas and, more frighteningly, congregational dancing during the Sunday liturgy here at St. Paul’s. And, to be honest, I have not quite ruled these out.
In the end, though, I do believe that worship has to not just be innovative, speaking to contemporary minds, hearts, and souls, but worship has to also be grounded deeply in the tradition of the Church, has to enable encounters with the mystery of our triune God, has to empower all members of the church for ministry and mission, and, equally true: worship must genuinely and honestly reflect the community it serves. What works at St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s might indeed reveal God in profound ways and send forth the members of St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s in witness to Christ, but it might fall apart when translated into a different context. Equally, what nurtures us profoundly here at St. Paul’s might not at all be helpful for the people at St. Gregory-of Nyssa’s.
I held this to be true before I flew down to San Francisco and it is therefore no surprise that what really moved me during our visit there has nothing to do with liturgy. But what hit me over the head with a two-by-four happened during a talk by Paul Fromberg, now rector of St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s. Paul talked quite engagingly about the life and mission of the parish. It was all very challenging and thought-provoking indeed.
As part of his talk, Paul shared with us the somewhat “unorthodox” definition of membership at St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s. Membership at St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s does not come with privileges. It comes with responsibilities. Let me explain: At St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s you do not have to be a member in order to be involved, or to take over ministry responsibility, or to vote and make decisions for the life of this parish. Presence – not membership – entitles you to these privileges.
However, if you want to be a member of St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s Church, you have to commit! In order to be a member, you have to pledge to give of your time, talent, and treasure in ways that are significant to you. Membership is defined by what you give and how you serve, not by what you receive in return.
When I first heard this back in 2008 I was floored. This is so radical different from what I perceived membership to be. And I’m not just thinking about American Express credit cards, which openly advertises with the slogan “Membership comes with privileges.” And I’m equally not just focusing on the heresy of the so-called “Prosperity Gospel,” espoused by some Evangelicals, which speaks of earthly privileges as a reward for proper membership in the Body of Christ. But I am also thinking about our Canon Law, our Anglican church-rules, which define membership quite differently.
When sharing the membership policy of St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s Church with other Anglicans, even here at St Paul’s, the reaction often involves a frown and a quizzical look. Many just cannot get their head around the idea that ministry and decision-making at St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s is open even to those with a sketchy commitment, is open to newcomers as much as those, who have been part of the community for a long time. This seems so, seems even too radical for us.
And I wonder why it is radical. Why do we get so preoccupied with worrying about these kind of rules that we do not (or do not want to) hear about that other part of the membership paradigm of St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s, the part where membership is linked to a demanding rule of life, which obliges members to participate actively in the mission and ministry of the parish?
Unfortunately, we approach our faith far too often from a rather economic perspective. “What do I get out of it?” – “What is my reward?” – “How does this serve me?” And for millennia, humans have used faith as a vehicle to achieve something. We have believed in God in order to go to heaven, in order to avoid hell, or more mundanely: We have used faith in order to be healthy, in order to find the right partner, or in order to be rich and successful. We even have, as we know from church history, abused faith as a means to oppress, to dominate, and to violently exercise power. In a similar vein, some Christians give of their time, talent, and treasure, in order to receive acknowledgement or to establish control.
But as human, as understandable as this may be, this kind of motivation would eventually turn the kingdom of God into yet another earthly kingdom. It would ultimately subject the Creator to creation, to our will.
And this is exactly what we face in today’s reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. The labourers expect to be rewarded in ways that honour what they had first offered. They want their understanding of what they deserve to be God’s understanding too. Yet the text reveals: This is not how God works.
And I want to share but two of the prophetic insights offered by the author of Matthew in today’s reading:
Firstly, I believe today’s Gospel proclaims that Christianity isn’t easy. And Christianity isn’t easy, because Christianity follows a master, follows Jesus the Christ, who did not mince words, but exposed the core of our world for what it really is: death, death for body, mind, and soul!
Jesus blows to smithereens our definitions of a prosperous, successful, and even pious life, because they are too much built on our egotistical schemes and agendas, all of which rebel against the supremacy of God, ignore the tender beauty of our neighbours, and abuse the awesome wonder of who we were created to be.
The goal of our existence is not about the amount of money we receive. And, equally, the goal of our existence, as intended by our Creator, is not about earning enough rewards for a happy afterlife. But the goal of our existence is to discover life, life abundant for us and life abundant also for all of creation. And this discovery can only happen if we allow for ourselves to die to all our selfish ways.
Or to put it differently: salvation is not about finding ways to be greatly rewarded by God, but it is about discovering our true, God-intended identity as co-workers in God’s vineyard – so that all may have life, and have it in abundance.
Therefore, involvement in a parish or participation in the mission of the church is not about gaining a better access to heaven. And it is definitely not about gaining power, pushing one’s own agenda, or being in control. But it is about embracing who God made us to be as Christ’s fellow servant-ministers. Donating time, talent, and, yes, indeed treasure to the life of the church is not an exercise in self-fulfilment with a big life in glory awaiting us afterwards. But sharing with the church of the resources we have been gifted is an essential spiritual discipline. It is who we are and what we do as Christians – without expecting anything back in return.
And I believe the good folks of St. Gregory-of-Nyssa’s Church were true to this prophetic insight when they developed their rule of membership.
The second insight of today’s Gospel I want to share with you is this: God’s justice doesn’t work like our justice. Yes, what we have just heard stirs in my heart – and not necessarily in a good way. I want to cry foul. This is just not fair!
But the problem is that I look at this very much from my temporal, limited and fallen perspective.
For God, however, justice can never be administered without mercy.
This is not to say that God is unjust. But, God looks at each of us from a different perspective: God looks at us from the perspective of the One, who loved each and every one of us into being, who had compassion for each and every one of us even before we were conceived, who delights in each and every one of our existences, and who yearns for each and every one of us to know God’s loving embrace. And therefore God offers every one of us grace upon grace – nothing more, and nothing less. It is about God’s free offer of all that God has and all who God is for you, for me, and for all.
And who would want to challenge this free self-offering of our Creator and Lover?
Posted by stpauls on under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
Matthew 20: 1-16 ~ Gospel Reading for September 18, 2011
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Posted by stpauls on September 14, 2011 under Sermons |
One of my favourite services during the Church Year is the Easter Vigil: With fire, chants, readings, songs, music, flowers, water, bread and wine we celebrate in grand style that the darkness has been pierced for ever, that evil is conquered, that death does not have the final word, that God’s word cannot be silenced, and that God’s incarnate love cannot be killed, but broke free from the grave to reconcile us to God and to one another and to embrace us with compassion too deep for words.
Yes, the Easter Vigil proclaims all this – and much more… No wonder it is at the liturgical centre of our lives as Anglican Christians. And if you have never been to an Easter Vigil, you should really give it a try in 2012!
However, every year there is a moment in the Vigil that makes me cringe. It is a moment during the part of the service, when a number of lessons from the Hebrew Scriptures are read. The second in this set of readings usually is taken from the book of Exodus. It is the reading we just heard as our first reading today. And it is at this very moment in the Easter Vigil when I get rather tense and hope people don’t pay too much attention, but are instead enwrapped in the atmosphere of the service.
Why?
Because what we just heard is outrageous! Even if we uphold today’s account as a myth that tries not so much to reveal historical truth, but theological truth, it is difficult to embrace a story, in which God so violently interjects, so brutally kills, so seemingly heartlessly butchers human beings – all, while God’s people rejoice about it. This is even amplified by the songs of Moses and his sister Miriam, songs that some traditions use as the conclusion to this reading at the Easter Vigil. Let me quote a few verses:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
…
“Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power — your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
“In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble.
…
“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.’[1]
End of quote.
No. This does not fit my image of God. Words like these from the Hebrew Scriptures upset our sensibilities and turn our stomach. They make us doubt God’s goodness and they question our faith. Is this still the same God, who loved us into being, who delights in each and every one of us, and who is born a fragile babe, void of power and might. Is the God we worship as Christians really the same deity we hear about in these verses from Exodus?
Granted, the Egyptians had been oppressors. They had enslaved the Hebrews and they had little regard or compassion for Moses’ compatriots. And the rod of oppression had to be broken. But to do it in such a violent, merciless way while God’s people cheer and holler really defies any sense of a loving God, doesn’t it? And the reaction of the children of God in Exodus affirms the suspicions our non-Christian friends have always had about us: We are violent members of a violent religion serving a violent God by violent means.
I suspect, I am not the only one, who cringes at today’s reading from Exodus. For many contemporary Christians it is quite clear: We won’t have any of it! And even if lunatic fundamentalists seem to be able to identify any kind of catastrophe with God’s judgement on the outcast-du-jour, we know better. We know that God doesn’t work this way. For us, this kind of religion is antiquated, irrelevant, and even un-Christian.
And yes, indeed, contrary to common perception, the Bible reveals God as a god of love. And God’s kingdom is established in Jesus Christ as a reign of peace and justice, as a rule of mercy and compassion.
But, as for Moses’ and Miriam’s reaction, I question if we really are that different…
Today, we commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Ten years ago thousands of human lives were ended by an evil that turned children into mass murderers and made weapons of mass destruction out of a means of transportation. Horror engulfed us all as flames engulfed the World Trade Center. Terror still weighs heavy on our hearts. Grief still lies on the shoulders of our souls like a heavy rod as we continue to mourn the many, many victims. Our prayers call out to God for those who died, and for all those who lost a loved one, like our friend Yazeed Said, whose cousin was killed in the Towers. On September 11, 2001, terrorism, fear, and heartbreak enslaved us all – just like the Egyptians had enslaved the Hebrews.
Yet, what was our reaction when our Pharaoh, who had oppressed us with horror and death, was killed in Pakistan on May 2nd of this year? Did the news of Osama-bin-Laden’s death turn our stomach and upset our sensibilities? Or did we rejoice in the demise of this man? And if even the tiniest bit of our heart offered a prayer of celebration, a thought of thanksgiving, or a feeling of relief, we are not much different from Moses or Miriam who drummed their tambourines as they sang: “God has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Of course, these comparisons are arduous. But I think this shows that we cannot really point fingers or try to disassociate from behaviour we might at first find repulsive, but on second examination discover as all too human, as all too much like our own behaviour. Far too often we don’t seem to be willing to recognise God in the other, especially when it comes to people like Pharaoh – in whatever age. Far too often we join in the songs of Miriam and Moses.
Yet, woe is us if we think this gives us permission to just shrug our shoulders and move on. Then we would join others, who also stay on the surface of God’s Word and then use it to justify all kinds of sinful behaviour such as slavery, racism, capital punishment, or violence against those, who disagree.
But we can do better. And God’s Spirit nudges us to go deeper.
Today’s reading from Exodus focuses on the liberation from oppression. Injustice, systematic terror, or any attempt to declare ourselves absolute rulers over our own or over the fate of others are doomed. Evil will not have the final word. This is why this reading was and remains a major source of inspiration and empowerment for people pressed down by others. Gospel songs like “Go down Moses” are examples of how some have utilize this story for their own struggle. Freedom is coming indeed! Liberation is at hand! And this, by the way, includes the liberation from the tyranny of sin and death, which we celebrate at the Easter Vigil. All that threatens us will be overcome.
In a similar way, the parable in today’s reading from Matthew is set out to reveal that in God’s kingdom oppressive, manipulative, and deceptive behaviour will not stand a chance. As one, who has been forgiven I am called to practise forgiveness myself. As members of the body of Christ we cannot become agents of vengeance, hate, and extortion, but the forgiveness we have experienced seeks to penetrate every fibre of our being, every action of our lives, and every interaction with any human being we encounter.
I do not believe that either of these two texts really is concerned first and foremost with revealing an image of God. If it were so, we would indeed have a problem. And this is a problem that was already recognised within the early Jewish interpretation of Exodus. In the Talmud we can find a story: When the Egyptians were drowning in the sea, the ministering angels wanted to sing a song of rejoicing. But God rebuked them, by saying: “The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea, and you want to sing songs?”[2]
What the readings are concerned with are inter-human interactions – and this remains the challenge of today’s scripture lesson for us.
As followers of Jesus, we cannot remain silent when faced with oppression and injustice. Equally, our doors must remain open for those who are hurting, who are grieving, and who seek healing in body, soul, and mind. And we must tell and retell their stories so they will never be forgotten. This is true for the victims of 9/11 as it is for those starving on the Horn of Africa, or for those, whose lives has been scarred by the residential school system. But we cannot ever and must never rejoice in the death of a human being, whoever he or she might be. Even if this demise is necessitated in the liberation of a people, any death grieves the heart of God.
We instead have to strive to become agents of forgiveness, not just in the church, but around the globe, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times. And yes, this is indeed hard and difficult work, not just when dealing with the Pharaohs of our times, but also when dealing with my brother or sister, who really ticked me off just a moment ago.
This is not easy to accomplish.
But my hope lies in the continuation of the story from Exodus. The Israelites did not enter the Promised Land right away. They were sent into the desert for 40 years. We too are far from having reached the Promised Land. We can still discover. And together, as the wandering people of God, dependent on one another, we will learn about living into the likeness of Christ – and we will discover the mercy of God.
Posted by stpauls on under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
Exodus 14: 19-31 ~ Bible Reading for September 11, 2011
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.
Posted by stpauls on September 11, 2011 under Prayer, Webmaster Blog |
In faith and confidence, for your eternal reign and for our salvation,
We pray to you Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
God of love, we pray for peace in the world. Help us to heal and transform our fear, aggression and lust for power – into love and the liberation of forgiveness. Let us end the cycles of vengeance and terror that scar all of creation. Remembering peoples of all faiths, cultures and nations, and especially today, Muslims everywhere; May tolerance and understanding grow, displacing violence, enmity and strife. May we all embrace our common humanity, for the glory of your love to bloom abundantly in the world.
For Elizabeth our Queen, our Prime Minister, for Presidents and the leaders of all nations and armies, and for all in authority; May hearts and minds be turned to justice, and may all seek your guidance and wisdom, for the rightful and beneficial use of power and wealth.
For our bishops, for our clergy and for all your servants, may your Holy Spirit inspire the intentional practice of faith and ministry in the missional church,
For Vancouver and the lower mainland, for cities and communities everywhere, and those who live in them, for the marginalized, exploited and homeless, For revitalized ministry to our community, that all may know you,
For the sick and the suffering, for prisoners, captives and victims of injustice everywhere, Remembering those in our bulletin and others known or unknown to us, For their deliverance from all affliction, strife, and need, and For their safety, health, and salvation,
For restoration of the earth, water and air of this wounded planet, and for better stewardship of all natural and manufactured resources,
For all who have died, and those dying, and especially today those who tragically lost their lives on September 11, 10 years ago; Remembering and celebrating each life as unique and precious, and honoring the bravery of those who in their efforts to rescue others, gave their lives; We join our voices with theirs to praise your glory and thank you for the miracle of life. May they and all who mourn them be touched and comforted by your Holy Spirit. (Silence)
Almighty God, your grace enables us to make our common supplications to you. Fulfill now our desires and petitions, as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come eternal life;
Inspired by Saints and servants who have gone before us, we commit ourselves to fulfilling our baptismal commission, and our whole life to Christ our God; for you, Father, are good and loving, and we glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, in the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
[The author of these intercessions and the intercessor was Ross Bliss, on this, the 10th anniversary of 9/11.]
Posted by stpauls on September 4, 2011 under Sermons |
“On June 15 there was a riot.”[1]
These are words taken directly from the report titled “The Night the City Became a Stadium,” which was released by John Furlong and Doug Keefe just last week. And we really don’t need this sentence of the report to remind us of this rather shameful experience in the life of our city.
Of course, the report is much more profound than this single statement. It is brutally honest and it does not hold back. And I quote:
“[W]e do assign blame. We blame the people who started the riot. We blame the people who were weak or excitable enough to join them; we blame the looters who destroyed not only property but also, for many citizens, retailers and employees, trust and a sense of security in society. And we blame the people who stood around, providing an audience, and getting in the way of people trying to restore order.”[2]
The report goes then on to offer a sensible analysis of what happened.
But, I have to admit, after skimming the pages, the report leaves me baffled. It leaves me not much wiser, because I do not think that the report answers or even asks the hardest questions. I still do not understand how a “couple of thousand Canadians [could turn] on the people who serve them every day, the police, firefighters, paramedics, and ordinary people behind counters?”[3] Or to ask more directly: How could some have so little disregard for their fellow members of society, their sisters and brothers? And this is quickly followed by a more difficult set of questions to answer: When did we stop caring for one another? When did society stop being a society?
Of course these questions imply a criticism of our societal values and I am not at all surprised that the authors of the report would not go there…
Now I must make clear: I am not advocating ridding ourselves of the achievements of liberal (small “l”) society, achievements which are indeed supported by right-of-centre, centrist, and left-of-centre political parties alike. Any member of a previously excluded minority will tell you that a nostalgic look backwards overlooks violent oppression. I am also not at all advocating the replacement of liberal democracy with any of the “-isms” that threatens the very freedoms we enjoy. Extremism of any kind really has little respect for human life.
But I wonder if there are other alternatives. And I wonder if it is for people of faith in general, and for Christians in particular to provide more profound answers by witnessing to another reality and by living out the interdependence of the human family.
In a way, Christians know that we really never have taken care of each other. When things go horribly wrong between Cain and his brother Able already in the fourth chapters of our Bible, Cain insists that he is not his brother’s keeper.
But as Christians we do not fall into despair because of this. Rather we seek to live deeper into God’s two-fold call to be in communion with God and equally to be in communion with one another. Because God embraced the human experience by becoming one of us in Jesus, our faith does not only have a vertical component, but also very much has a horizontal component. Yes, we are accountable for one another other’s well-being. Our parish-family here at St. Paul’s does not exist only to provide individual access into the divine mystery. What we do here is not an exercise in personal gratification. But we are responsible for and interconnected to those, who sit next to us in these pews and those, who join us as they walk the Labyrinth, seek help in our Advocacy Office, or move into Our House.
And we even have responsibility for those, who live and have their being beyond the walls of this sacred building. This is important to remember not just on Labour Day, when we celebrate all those, who through their work provide for us and who need us to advocate for just and equitable wages and working conditions. As Christians, we are agents of God’s justice every day of the year.
Having said all this, it might be easier to realise that today’s Gospel is not so much a rigid set of rules, but it is a blueprint for solving conflicts in the community of believers, a community Jesus takes for granted and Jesus holds up as a model of human interaction.
Jesus is not so much interested in the personal guilt in this all-too-familiar scenario, but Jesus’ focus is on the impact that the conflict might have on the whole of the community. “The health and welfare of the community are part and parcel of the problem of sin between two of the community’s individual parts,” to quote one commentator. If we are in conflict with another member of the community it impacts the community as a whole. For Jesus it is clear that we are interconnected to one another and have responsibility for one another.
Now the danger in today’s text is to get to verse 17 too fast: “If the member refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Sounds easy-peasy, right? Let’s just kick trouble-makers out… And I know there are some among us, who have experienced excommunication from a community of faith because they did not fit into a narrowly defined set of rules.
But the interesting thing to note is that this passage comes just before Jesus commands to forgive a sister and brother not just seven times but seventy-seven times, which really does not mean seventy-six times plus one, but is a metaphor for an infinitely large amount.
Furthermore, three verses after verse 17, Jesus assures us that if two of us agree on earth about anything we ask, God will do it for us. Once you turn this around, though, it reads like this: If two cannot agree, God will do nothing for them. Yes, we indeed are in need of our sisters and brothers, even when we are in conflict with them.
But what does this mean for us in real terms? And, what on earth does this mean for “The Night the City Became a Stadium?” Should we just forgive and move on? Far from it! The perpetrators have to be held accountable and have to feel the full force of the law. But this does not excuse us of our accountability for one another.
Maybe our society should take a close look at the rampant individualism that destroys any sense of interdependence. And as Christians we have to continue to witness to the different reality revealed by Jesus the Christ, as we live out in our community the interdependence of the human family.
How?
Well, there are many models out there that put into concrete terms the truth revealed on the pages of today’s reading from Matthew. I believe we can look at 12-step programs or our own Our House to learn more about God’s call to take up responsibility for one another without becoming co-dependent. But today I would like to share another concrete example. It is an example meant to start our discussion here at St. Paul’s, particularly as we await the confirmation of our Ministry Assessment Process. This is a set of rules made famous in Anglican and Episcopal circles by Greg Rickel, bishop of our neighbouring Diocese of Olympia, who in turn had adapted them from the original by Charles Christian. I would like to finish this sermon by sharing these ten rules. So let me quote Bishop Rickel, who uses these rules in his ministry:
Ten Rules of Respect
1. If you have a problem with me, come to me (privately).
2. If I have a problem with you, I will come to you (privately).
3. If someone has a problem with me and comes to you, send them to me. (I’ll do the same for you)
4. If someone consistently will not come to me, say, “Let’s go to Greg together. I am sure he will see us about this.” (I will do the same for you.)
5. Be careful how you interpret me-I’d rather do that. On matters that are unclear, do not feel pressured to interpret my feelings or thoughts. It is easy to misinterpret intentions.
6. I will be careful how I interpret you.
7. If it’s confidential, don’t tell. If you or anyone comes to me in confidence, I won’t tell unless a) the person is going to harm himself/herself, b) the person is going to physically harm someone else, c) a child has been physically or sexually abused. I expect the same from you.
8. I do not read unsigned letters or notes.
9. I do not manipulate; I will not be manipulated; do not let others manipulate you. Do not let others manipulate me through you. I will not preach “at you.” I will leave conviction to the Holy Spirit (she does it better anyway!)
10. When in doubt, just say it. The only dumb questions are those that don’t get asked. Our relationships with one another, at the end of the day, are the most important things so if you have a concern, pray, and then (if led) speak up. If I can answer it without misrepresenting something, someone, or breaking a confidence, I will.
End of Quote.
I realise that these rules are not easy to follow. God knows, I still have much to learn. But what would our community look like and what would we say to the world around us, if we were to implement these rules? I wonder…
[1] Furlong, John & Douglas J Keefe: The Night the City Became a Stadium – Independent review of the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup Playoffs Riot, 31 August 2011, page 1
[2] The Night the City Became a Stadium, page 9
[3] The Night the City Became a Stadium, page 7
Posted by stpauls on under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
Matthew 18:15-20 ~ Gospel Reading for September 4, 2011
Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Posted by stpauls on September 3, 2011 under Featured Articles, Webmaster Blog |
PWRDF continues to respond to the famine situation in the Horn of Africa. As of August 19, Canadian Anglicans have donated $292,158 through PWRDF. The Canadian government will match all donations received by September 16 by setting money aside in the East Africa Drought Response Fund, which PWRDF and other agencies may apply to receive funds from. The PWRDF blog contains a description of how the matching funds work here.
PWRDF is responding to the famine in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. To date, PWRDF has allocated $115,000 through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank in Kenya and the ACT Alliance in Somalia and Ethiopia for the following work:
Somalia
According to USAID, some 2.85 million people currently require humanitarian assistance in Somalia with 61 per cent of these located in the southern part of the country. The dire situation in Somalia is also forcing unprecedented numbers of Somalis to cross borders into neighboring countries. The total number of Somali refugees in the three neighboring countries (Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti) has surpassed 582,000.
PWRDF, through the ACT Alliance, is providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to: newly displaced people in Mogadishu and lower Shabelle, drought affected people in Gedo region, refugees in the Dadaab camp in Kenya and host communities in both countries. The emergency response appeal of $10 million (US) is being implemented by the three ACT members: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
PWRDF is collaborating with the NCA and three Somali organizations inside Somalia. PWRDF’s initial contribution of $40,000 will go towards:
•Distributing 3710 tonnes of assorted food commodities (Maize, Rice, Pulses, Oil, Salt, Sugar) to 42,000 people in the Garbaharrey, Luuq, Dollow and Belet Xaawa districts over a period of 5 months.
•Providing food for families living in 20 camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in and around the Somalian capital of Mogadishu.
•Providing food to 28,800 newly displaced persons in Banadir and Lower Shabelle
•Providing shelter kits to 200 IDP families in Dollow.
•Providing non-food items (tarpaulins, clothes for women and girls, slippers, sanitary kits, soap etc) to 4000 IDP households and vulnerable host communities in the 4 districts in the Gedo region.
•Providing an integrated package of non-food items and shelter that include blankets, plastic sheets, impregnated mosquito, soap, water jerry cans and sleeping mats for 28,800 drought affected IDPs in the Banadir and Lower Shabelle regions
•Integrating community based psychosocial support with all the NCA activities
Kenya
The drought in Kenya has affected nearly 3 million people. PWRDF has sent $35,000 to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) in responding by scaling up food aid programming to fill the critical gaps for families in Laikipia, Turkana/West Pokit, Kilifi and Taita/Taveta. This project will provide a total of 2100 tonnes of maize, 420 tonnes of beans and split peas, 21 tonnes of salt, and 136,000 litres of cooking oil to 8,400 households over a period of five months. By the end of the project, it is hoped that successive rainfalls will have alleviated the food shortages and high food prices.
The beneficiaries of this intervention will be drought affected households, eating less than one meal per day, in the targeted communities. The majority of the households are involved in herding, while some are farmers. CFGB is working with the Anglican Church of Kenya: Pwani Christian Community Services, Mount Kenya Christian Community Services and the Reformed Church of East Africa.
Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, some 4.8 million people need immediate support. In addition, approximately 120,000 people from Somalia have crossed the border to Ethiopia and are currently living in crowded and under-resourced refugee camps in Dollo Odo.
PWRDF has contributed an initial $40,000 to the ACT appeal for Ethiopia. PWRDF is working with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus – Development and Social Services Commission (EECMY –DASSC), an ACT member in the country. The objective of the program is to save lives and livelihoods of drought affected communities in the Oromia region of Ethiopia through providing food and agricultural inputs, strengthening drought coping capacity for three months. In addition, ACT members will provide support in terms of food, health and nutrition, shelter materials, water, sanitation and hygiene, literacy programmes, secondary education, psychosocial and skills training in Dollo Odo refugee camps. A total of 99,846 people should receive support through this appeal.
EECMY-DASSC has long-term experience with a good reputation for implementing emergency responses and providing different kinds of development activities, including the provision of life saving emergency assistance, food security, natural resource management, child and youth development, water, hygiene and sanitation, health services including HIV/AIDS prevention, gender and development and capacity building with a physical presence through its local church units in most of the administrative regions and enjoys strong support from the government and other stakeholders in the country.
PWRDF’s contribution will provide food and agricultural provision in the Gasara and Saba Boru districts of Ethiopia; and basic needs assistance for Somali refugees in Dollo Odo. The total quantity of food that will benefit 39,700 people for three months amounts to1,786 tonnes of grain (maize), 178.6 tonnes of legumes, 53.6 tonnes of edible oil and 187.6 tonnes of supplementary food. Each beneficiary will receive a light blanket as well.
Donations to the relief effort can be made through the PWRDF website: www.pwrdf.org or by sending a cheque to The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2. (Please mark cheque: PWRDF-East Africa Relief)
For more information, please contact:
Simon Chambers
Communications Coordinator
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
(416)924?9199 ext. 366 (office)
1?866?308?7973 (toll free)
(416)435?0972 (cell)
schambers@pwrdf.org
Or
Naba Gurung
Humanitarian Response Coordinator
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
(416)924?9199 ext.321 (office)
1?866?308?7973 (toll free)
ngurung@pwrdf.org
