If at First You Don’t succeed – Perhaps You Shouldn’t Try Harder

The commandments of Jesus seem to be more than Christians could ask or imagine - not in a good way but, rather, they seem impossible.  Here is a summary of what is it that we must be and do?  Very simply:

• Love our enemies
• Bless them that curse you
• Pray for those who are spiteful to you
• Turn the other cheek if someone strikes you cheek
• Someone steals from you – give them something more to take
• Give to everyone who asks you

Here is a quote by G. K Chesterton that wonderful English writer, which is very applicable to this, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”

However, rather than becoming overwhelmed by the thought of trying to follow these commandments, we can turn, instead the beatitudes which can be considered alternative or, as Richard Rhor puts it, paradoxical commandments:

The Beatitudes are paradoxical “commandments.” They don’t tell Christians what to do; they tell them what they will be like if they are living in the kingdom: They will be poor in spirit, pure in heart, merciful and gentle peacemakers; they will thirst for what is right and be persecuted because of it, and they will mourn.

Lutheran priest and author Nadia Bolz-Weber offers her own version of beatitudes for people who may not feel blessed today.  what if the Beatitudes aren’t about a list of conditions we should try to meet to be blessed? What if they are not virtues, we should aspire to?... Maybe the Sermon on the Mount is all about Jesus’s lavish blessing of the people around him on that hillside … who that world—like ours—didn’t seem to have much time for: people in pain, people who work for peace instead of profit, people who exercise mercy instead of vengeance:

Blessed are the poor in spirit. You are of heaven and Jesus blesses you.

Blessed are they for whom death is not an abstraction.

Blessed are they who have buried their loved ones, for whom tears could fill an ocean.

Blessed are they who have loved enough to know what loss feels like.

Blessed are the mothers of the miscarried.

Blessed are they who don’t have the luxury of taking things for granted anymore.

Blessed are they who can’t fall apart because they have to keep it together for everyone else.

Blessed are the motherless, the alone, the ones from whom so much has been taken….

Blessed are those who no one else notices. The kids who sit alone at middle-school lunch tables. The laundry guys at the hospital. The sex workers and the night-shift street sweepers.

Blessed are the losers and the babies and the parts of ourselves that are so small, the parts of ourselves that don’t want to make eye contact with a world that loves only the winners.

Blessed are the forgotten.

Blessed are the closeted.

Blessed are the unemployed, the unimpressive, the underrepresented….

With that thought, I wish you blessings this day and every day.

 

What Has God Ever Done for Us?

Lorna and I were rewatching Monty Python’s, The Life of Brian recently and enjoying it immensely.   One question that comes to mind every time I watch it is, where was the sense of humor and appreciation of satire of Malcolm Muggeridge, and the Anglican Bishop of Southwark, Mervyn Stockwood who debated the Monty Python members in that famous debate that you can see here, https://www.bbc.com/videos/cyxe9180z84o.

This time watching it, what stood out amongst the many hilarious sketches was, "What have the Romans ever done for us?"   Here is a summary of the dialogue for those who aren’t familiar with it or for those who would like a reminder. 

The iconic "What have the Romans ever done for us?" dialogue from Monty Python's Life of Brian features Reg leading a revolutionary group that complains about Roman rule, only for members to list numerous Roman contributions:

REG: Yeah. All right, Stan. Don't labour the point. And what have they (the Romans) ever given us in return?!

XERXES: The aqueduct?

REG: What?

XERXES: The aqueduct.

REG: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.

COMMANDO #3: And the sanitation.

LORETTA: Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?

REG: Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.

MATTHIAS: And the roads.

REG: Well, yeah. Obviously, the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads--

COMMANDO: Irrigation.

XERXES: Medicine.

COMMANDO #2: Education.

REG: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.

And so on until Reg makes his final point, "Apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the freshwater system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

XERXES: Brought peace.

REG: Oh. Peace? Shut up!

On reflection, I think that it would be quite appropriate to apply this scenario to God rather than the Romans i.e. What has God ever done for us?  Here’s my attempt at this:

 Reg: Anyway, what has God ever done for us?

Commando 1:  He did create the universe.

Reg:  well yes, That true but that was a long time ago.

Commando 2: He did create us in his own image – male and female He created us.

Reg: O all right but what did He do ne after that?

Commando 3: He did give us the Ten Commandments as the original rules to live by.

Reg: That hasn’t worked out that well a lot of the time.  Who wants a bunch of rules to follow.  It just gets in the way of what I want to do. 

Commando 1:  He did improve on that by sending His son to be one of us.

Reg: Okay, but he did get himself killed didn’t he.  And why would he choose to be born in a stable in a poor country ruled by the Romans anyway.  That showed rather poor judgement.

Commando 2:  He did show us how to live a life doing God’s will.  

Commando 3: Yah, and he gave us a new set of rules when he preached the sermon on the mount.  They are pretty good suggestion about how to live together. 

Reg:  yes, yes, but they seem to be even harder to do that the original commandment.

Commando 2: So rather than a list of different rules such as blessed are the peacemakers – not cheesemakers by the way, He summed it up with, love one another others as he loves us. 

Commando 1:  Also, he did give us the forgiveness of sins when we don’t follow them.

Reg:  Well, I guess so but what’s it all about anyway?

Commandos:  Peace, the peace that passes all understanding. 

Reg: O well, I guess that would be pretty good. 

Commando 1:  Didn’t he say something like: Go and do likewise? 

Reg: Yes, well all right – if I have to, I guess. 

Have a blessed Advent preparing for the Prince of Peace to be born again in that stable in the insignificant little country.

 

 

Keep Focused on What Grounds You

Technology can be wonderful but it can also be less than wonderful when it doesn’t work as you expect it to.  That probably doesn’t come as a surprize to anyone – especially people who are of a certain mature age shall we say.  I am in the category that can manage what I need to do on computers and some other basic technologies (Facebook anyone) as long as things go as they should but I am thrown into the slough of despond – to use that wonderfully apt phrase from Pilgrim’s Progress – when things don’t work.

There have been a few times recently where I have experienced these types of situations either personally or vicariously – I won’t give details about them because that is not my point.  The point is that these situations can be frustrating and highly annoying to say the least.  What I am wondering this morning is, is there anything positive about these times?

I was recently reminded about one of the first times I experienced a computer failure.  I had decided to try and use my laptop and projector to show a painting during a worship service at the church where I was rector.  It was a small congregation and it was not set up for screens and projectors.  However, I thought this would be a great opportunity to use the equipment that I was not that familiar with, and use it for a sermon illustration.  I had it all set up and ready to go – actually checking during the opening of the service and when I got to the point to show it – the projector shut down and I couldn’t get it working again – of course.

So, on reflection, where is the pony in this pile of manure?  Well, I was able to carry on regardless and got by with a verbal description.  Also, I had this as an illustration of how things don't always go as planned so don’t sweat the small stuff even if it feels like big stuff at the time.  It also gives me an opportunity to show you and discuss the painting I was going to show the congregation that Sunday.  Here is the painting - provided the internet will cooperate:

It is a painting by the Renaissance master Tintoretto which depicts Jesus washing the feet of a disciple.  It is, of course, a religious theme and quite appropriate for a sermon.  I particularly wanted to use it as a sermon illustration because of my experience seeing it – a one version of it – in the Art Gallery of Ontario.  It is quite a large canvas 75 × 175 in. according to the information on-line (computers can be wonderful when they work).  It is an impressive work of art, but wat really caught my attention and grabbed me was the visual effect it produced.  When I walked along the length of the canvas from right to left. I was amazed that the image of Jesus and the disciple moved from the side of the picture to the center of the picture.  Unfortunately, I can’t duplicate this experience here.  I was surprized by this – to say the least - and walked back and forth in front of the painting to be sure I hadn’t imagined it.  Sure enough, it happened every time.  It is a tribute to the genius of the artist.

The message in all this is that we can make something – Jesus in this case – the center of our life – and something which grounds us.  Sometimes that will move to the edge of our lives when we are focussing on other things – such as electronics not working as they should.  However, that central thing can be brought back into the centre of our lives when we focus on it.  It is important if that thing is something that truly grounds us.

May you be blessed to keep the thing which grounds you centered in your life on your journey.  

 

Mephistopheles Today

I recently saw the movie Elvis which is the wonderful depiction of the life of Elvis Presley as envisioned by Baz Luhrmann.  There are many things which are commendable about this movie including the performances by Tom Hanks as Col. Tom Parker and Austin Butler as Elvis (no second name required in the title or the cultural). A few days after seeing the movie it came to me that what is portrayed is the legend of Dr. Faustus.

The story of Dr. Faustus originated in 15^th century Germany, purportedly based on an historical person,  Johann Georg Faust .  The story has been the basis for many versions over the centuries, in art, literature and plays.  In modern times, versions of the story have been told such notables as Goethe, Thomas Mann, and Christopher Marlow.  Intentionally or not, the story influenced the movie, Elvis.

The story of Faust, in outline, tells of the misadventures of a successful German scholar who is dissatisfied with achievements even thought he is distinguished in many areas of academic life including medicine, law and religion.   He determines that he wants to succeed in the practice of the black arts i.e., magic.  Faustus calls upon the Lord of Darkness and in doing so summons up Mephistopheles, one of the Devil’s servants.  He bargains with Mephistopheles and strikes a bargain that if Mephistopheles will serve him, the Devil will claim his soul after a set number of years - twenty-four in some versions.  Faustus has all that he desires for the time allocated, even summoning up the figure of Helen of Troy and generally causing mischief and mayhem.  As the end of the allotted time draws near Faustus believes that he is irreparably lost and his soul is claimed by the Devil.  It is interesting that in Goethe’s version he is forgiven through the intercessions of one of his victims. 

Turning to the movie, Elvis, there are some details that do not fit the legend.  Elvis was not a successful person when the tempter arrives in his life.  However, the story is told through the eyes of Colonel Parker who is portrayed as an evil genius who guarantees Elvis the success and fame that he desires and which he delivers.  Elvis has opportunities to redeem his life (and soul) but Mephistopheles aka Col. Parker manages to ensure that Elvis is successful beyond his dreams at the ultimate cost of his soul.  Col. Parker ensures that the Devil claims his due gaining everything that he seeks i.e., the means to engage in the endless ‘games’ of chance that are the foundation of the Las Vegas enterprise.  Elvis spends his final days, captive in the hell on earth of the venue of the eternal Las Vegas Concerts, being denied his dream of seeing and engaging the larger musical world.   

The legend and the movie present the archetypal story of the person who sells his soul to the Devil for the material things of this world.  This was one of the temptations of Jesus in his time in the wilderness when Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow down and worship him.  What does it profit someone to gain the world but lose his soul?

The world seems to abound in many incarnations of Mephistopheles in many manifestations today.  Perhaps no more than in previous times, but that we are only more aware of it.  Is there a Mephistopheles in your life who is offering you the world only demanding your soul - something that many people do not believe they possess?  As Bob Dylan said, “you gotta serve somebody.  It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

If you face your Mephistopheles on our journey, may you be blessed to choose life.

Hubris and Humility

Last week I had a bite of reality.  I was diagnosed with pneumonia which was and is a first for me (consequently no edition of News and Views last week).  It stared with cold-like symptoms and the pneumonia bug, opportunistic, sneaky little devil it is, took up residence and has been hanging on by its finger nails since.  I have, for a long time, been proud of my ability to resists colds.  I can count the number of colds I have had in the last ten or fifteen years on one hand.  It was a matter of pride me.  Well as they say pride goeth before the fall and fall and it certainly did.

On reflection, I realize that pride can come in small and large ways but it is still pride.  Coincidentally, if you believe in coincidences, the Gospel reading from last Sunday here, ended with Jesus saying, “whosoever exalts himself shall be abased and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”   So, here I was with a case of pride about what I thought was my great immune system which did not turn out to be as great as I thought it was.  Now you can say what harm did it do for me to do that and that is true.  It didn’t affect anyone else but me.  After all I didn’t think less of people who were susceptible to colds, not much anyway.  However, it did bring home to me the fact that pride can be very insidious.  If I felt that way about a small think I can easily be thinking that way about bigger and more significant things.    

It seems inevitable that we humans will compare ourselves to others.  How am I doing in x or y.  Well, I seem to be doing better than him and not as well compared to her and so on and on.  It can be anything from success (as the world defines it of course), a bigger house, a nice car or cars, a better job, higher on the career ladder.  It can be physical characteristics, better looking, bigger, or stronger.  It can even sneak into areas that you least expect.  Well, I’m a better Spiritual Director than that person or I am a more spiritual person than those people.   Boy I sure am more mature than she is.  Wow, I am closer to God that they are.  It really is insidious and perhaps that serpents in the garden is still at work albeit with a different kind of fruit than it used on our first ancestors.

I have been interested in the idea of humility for many years.  It comes with its with its evil twin hubris.  They are perhaps the opposite sides of the same coin, but perhaps not.  Hubris is, I believe, the consequences of comparisons.  I am better than others.  Indeed, I am so much better that I can do it all on my own and I don’t need anyone else and indeed I don’t owe my success to anyone else.  I certainly don’t need or owe anything to God.  One definition of hubris which catches the sense of it is:

a personality quality of extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence, often in combination with arrogance. In its ancient Greek context, it typically describes behavior that defies the norms of behavior or challenges the gods, and which in turn brings about the downfall, or nemesis, of the perpetrator of hubris.

To return to the Gospel passage from Sunday, we have those who exalt themselves being humbled in the next life and visa versa.  It may not be accurate to say that to exalt oneself (pride) is the opposite side of humility but they certainly are related.  I would say that humility is the cure for hubris or foolish pride.  I have been attracted to various writing about humility over the years, perhaps because I knew it was secretly an issue with me which I didn’t want to acknowledge to myself.  The first thing about humility that I remember reading was that a truly humble person can’t be humiliated.  I clung to that as an anecdote to past and future humiliations.  However, the best definition of humility that I have come across is, “to see things clearly.”  I wasn’t clear initially what that was getting at. 

However, on reflection and consideration it became clearer.  If I can see myself clearly, I will know and acknowledge that I am not the master of my fate.  I will know that I am truly not in charge and whatever small gifts I have are not due in large part to the benefits I have received in life which I didn’t earn.  I will begin to acknowledge that, in one way or many ways, they are gifts from God.  It is foolish pride to challenge God or the gods. 

Another definition about humility which I can across recently addresses this.  It defines the characteristic of humility as, “the self-forgetfulness which makes room for God.”  That is the challenge; how to make room for God in all aspects of life.  That is something I continue to struggle with and probably will.  However, if I try really hard I might do it better than others. 

Blessing on your journey with pride and humility.

Nicodemus’ Journey to Easter

We are now in Holy week as we move with Jesus towards Jerusalem and the Day of Resurrection next Sunday. One of the most poignant parts of story for me is often overlooked.  I am always moved when I remember the part played by Nicodemus.  He is what could be described as a minor character only appearing in the Gospel of John and only making three appearances in that Gospel.

What always grabs me in this story is the journey which Nicodemus makes in his relationship with and to Jesus.  Initially we encounter him as a visitor who has come to see Jesus and talk with him.  We are told that he is a Pharisee and has come at night.  In effect, he is a leader of the Jewish people who perhaps does not want it to be known what he is associating with someone form Nazareth―after all we hear just before this that nothing good can come out of Nazareth.   In any case, Nicodemus is revealed to us as someone who is a seeker.  He has questions about God and his relationship with God and hopes that Jesus can supply the answers to his questions. He is also someone who seems to be obtuse.  He doesn’t get what Jesus is telling him.  He is a concrete thinker who has a hard time thinking symbolically:

 “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

We aren’t told if Nicodemus does get what Jesus is telling him.  However, the next time we encounter Nicodemus he is with the Temple authorities who are planning to have Jesus arrested.  Nicodemus is arguing that Jesus should receive a trial as their law requires.  He is summarily dismissed on the same basis i.e. nothing good can come out of Galilee,

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, 51“Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” 52They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” 53Then each of them went home,

As anyone who has been a lone voice in a group knows, it took great courage for Nicodemus to stand up to the other leaders and defend Jesus from the arbitrary decision of the other leaders.  Where before he had Jesus visit him in the night and was afraid of being associated with Jesus, now he is a lone voice against the injustice.  We can see from this that is initial encounter with Jesus did have a profound affect on him and he is well on his journey with Jesus.

The final scene of our play, which I could tentatively entitle Nicodemus’ Journey to Easter, comes on Good Friday.  Nicodemus comes with Joseph of Arimathea bringing 100 pounds of spices to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.  This extravagant amount is reminiscent of the woman anointing Jesus feet with ointment which could have been sold for 300 denarii. 

As we continue our Journey to Easter Sunday let follow the example of Nicodemus and respond to the Good News of Easter by an extravagant response for what Jesus has done for us.

Blessings on your journey. 

In Tune With God

Last week I reflected on why I pray.  I concluded with the statement that I pray because I know it is necessary for my salvation and the salvation of the world regardless of those theological questions which can be voiced by me within or by others in the outer life.  This week I want to reflect further on what I mean when I say it is necessary for salvation, mine and the world.  Perhaps this is where fools rush in because salvation is a topic which is fraught with possibilities and misunderstanding; Hence, my further rumination on the subject.

One of Richard Rohr’s daily meditations this week spoke of contemplative prayer as being like striking a tuning fork.  He notes, “All you can really do in the spiritual life is resonate to the true pitch, to receive the always-present message…Most simply put, prayer is something that happens to you (Romans 8:26-27), much more than anything you privately do”.

This begins to approach what I believe about prayer; or I should say trying to believe. Prayer of all kinds, contemplative, intercessory, thanksgiving, is, I believe, about becoming more in tune with God, what God is, what God’s intention for us is and what God’s intention is for God’s world. The challenge in prayer is that we try to have our intention take precedence over God’s. This is where the ego gets in the way.  We want different things in life; sometimes it is for the benefit of others e.g. healing from disease; sometimes it is for the benefit of the world e.g. caring for God’s creation; but often it is for our own benefit.  We believe that we can bring God’s will into line with our own because we know what is best for whatever it is we are praying for.  We can add at the end of our prayers, your will be done.  Jesus emphasized that in the prayer which he taught us, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  I do just that at the end of my prayers.  However, I question to what extent I or other people truly believe that they want God’s will to be done when it doesn’t coincide with ours. 

I have been practicing Centering Prayer for a few years now as part of my daily prayer practice (my daily intention in any case). Centering Prayer is a form of silent prayer in which you make space for you to be more aware of God’s presence in your life.  This can be a bit of a challenge because generally nothing seems to be happening, other than having many distracting thought as my “monkey brain” keeps interrupting my non-thoughts.  My ego wants to be able to accomplish something, to measure success or at least that I am becoming better at centering prayer; perhaps going the usual 20 minutes without any distracting thoughts.  However, that is not the point.  Distracting thoughts are not a defeat.  The goal is to just let them go; to not hold on to them and return to the centering emptiness. 

The goal, if it is not counterproductive to think of a goal, to become more in tune with God.  This in turn will, hopefully, bring all of my life more in tune with God’s intention for me and for the world.  It is not a replacement for living in the world; rather it is a tuning to God’s intention for the world and try to live in a way that is more in tune with that.  That, for me, is salvation. 

Blessing on your journey.

Sermon December 15, 2013 Advent 3

“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

John poses this question for his disciples to ask Jesus.  Now this may strike you as a bit strange.  John seemed to have no question that Jesus was the Messiah when he baptised him in the Jordan River.  He even states that Jesus should be the one who baptises John.  Immediately after Jesus comes up out of the waters of the Jordan we have what should have been proof positive that Jesus is the Messiah.  The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove and there is a voice from heaven saying “This is my Son the Beloved” with whom I am well pleased. What more proof could John require?  But now he seems to be having doubts.  

Well we have to consider the circumstances.  Here John is in prison.  He probably realizes that he is not going to survive the current situation.  He will lose his head over a pretty woman literally.  He will end up being beheaded at the demand of Salome – the step daughter of King Herod.  He is having doubts about whether the long foretold Messiah is actually Jesus. 

He is probably wondering if the kingdom is actually going to come while he is still in this world or has he placed his hope and dreams on the wrong person.  After all there were many false Messiahs around in that time.  They were doing miraculous deeds just as Jesus had done.  It is really not surprizing that he might have had some doubts and wanted assurances.

That is what Jesus gives him.  “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”  Jesus tells him that he can discern who Jesus is from the results of his acts.  By his fruits we shall know him.  In effect, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  

John is posing for us the question we need to consider at any time but perhaps even more so at this time of the year.   We are in Advent - a time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child.  We are preparing again for the birth of God in our lives.  How then do we know in what form God is going to be born in us again?  Jesus tells us that we will know God is working in our lives by what is accomplished.  John knew that there could be signs of miracles and wonders but that wasn’t necessarily proof. 

There were many miracle workers in those days who proclaimed that they were the Messiah.    One we know about from the book of Acts is Simon the magician. 

Now a certain man named Simon had previously practised magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. ¹⁰All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, ‘This man is the power of God that is called Great.’ ¹¹And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

The question that we have is how do we determine the true work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, in the church and in the world?  There certainly are miracles and wonder galore today.  When I was younger the TV evangelists were popular.  Do any of you remember Katherine Kuhlman?  She was probably the first TV faith healer of note.  There were many faith healers before them.  There has been a long line of them since Katherine – people like Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.   We have amazing events which are pictured on You Tube and other places on the internet.  Can we simply look at results?  People seem to be healed at one of these mass events and later it has been shown that it is simply the power of suggestion by the faith healer.  Do we look at the number of people attending a church to determine if they are truly doing the work of the Holy Spirit?  If it is simple numbers of bums in the pews that count – everyone in this Diocese should attend North Park Church in London or a similar church.  

If we look at our own lives, how do we know that we are living as God intends us and doing what God intends us to do?   We are faced with a mindboggling number of choices in our lives.  How do we know what is right for us and if the choices are the right ones?   I believe that we need to exercise one of gifts that God gives to us - one of the gifts that is often neglected these days.  We need to use our gift of discernment.  The early church knew the need for discernment.  They were living in times that were to a surprizing extent similar to ours.  They knew that many miraculous things which occurred in the world were not the result of the Holy Spirit.  The question for them was how to tell the work of the Holy Spirit from things that were not of God.  That is the question that we need to consider today in this season of Advent.  

I am currently reading a book by Morton Kelsey appropriately titled Discernment.  He notes that the New Testament tells us that discernment is “the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those which do not.”  In the book he gives us helpful guidelines in discerning whether things are of the Holy Spirit of not.  

He lists some things to consider if a charismatic leader has gifts that are from the Holy Spirit.

1.   Does he or she use the gifts for personal prestige?

2.   Is the gift used in a way that hurts others

3.   Does person uses deceit or fraud to enhance the gift

4.   Encouraging spiritual experience for the experience itself rather than because it leads to a deeper Christian life

5.   Using the gifts to put yourself in a superior position and lord it over others

The book of Acts reports how Simon misused his gifts by trying to bribe Peter and John:

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹saying, ‘Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’

True discernment is not easy.  The Anglican Church is struggling to discern where the Holy Spirit is moving in the church today.  We face many challenges and questions in our Diocese about how we should be church and what that should look like.  Right here at St. Anne’s we have one example of discernment.  There was discernment by our leaders that there was a renewed call to be church in this place.  It will require continued discernment on the part of all of you here - not just your ordained and lay leaders - to discern how you all are called to be the church.  Each of you have gifts and it is my hope that each of you will work to discern how God is calling you to be part of this community – this part of the Body of Christ.  May God continue to bless you this Advent and in the coming year.  Amen. 

Who's the Samaritan in Your Life

Sermon August 25, 2013

13th Sunday after Trinity - Luke 10: 25

The parable of the Good Samaritan is certainly one of those well-known passages from the bible - know well by people of our generation anyway.  The danger with a well-known passage such as this is twofold (if not more).  First when we are listening to it being read, we are likely to not pay attention.  We will think, Oh yes – the Good Samaritan – that’s a nice story – I’ve have heard it so many times that I certainly know this story.”  And so the listener doesn’t listen and if you don’t listen – you don’t hear what God is telling you.  Well, that the first danger – the one you have to pay attention to.

The second danger is for the preacher.  The congregation listening to the Gospel may say to him or herself after she has stopped listening, ‘I’ve heard quite a few sermons on the Good Samaritan.  I wonder if this preacher will say anything new or will it be the same thing I’ve heard before?”  That’s the danger for me.  Will I be able to say something that will reveal a new perspective on this word of God? Or will it be the same old – same old. 

As the hymn says, it is an old, old story of Jesus, of Jesus and his love –  a story that he is telling us.  One of the principles of the Gospel is that it should surprise us every time we read the Gospel.  If we read it with fresh eyes and listen with fresh ears it should surprise us because we will be different people from the last time we read it and hearing the Word of God should change us.  So I am going to read it again and see if you can hear it again for the first time…..

Was there anything that surprised you when you heard it this time?  Was there anything that you hadn’t heard before?  Well, one of the things that I became aware of when I read it a few days ago to begin to write my sermon is that it is really in three parts – three acts.  The first act sets the scene.  We have the person coming to Jesus to ask him as question.  The second act is meat of the passage – the parable that Jesus tells to make his point to those who are listening.  The third act is the climax – the message – the truth that Jesus want us – the listener to hear and inwardly digest.

In act one the thing that stands out in this reading is that the person who approaches Jesus is a lawyer.  Now, if it weren’t for this passage I wouldn’t have thought that there were lawyers in Jesus day.   I would have thought that issues of law would have been handled by the priest and other religious people.  But here we have a lawyer asking Jesus – a rabbi – a teacher for his view on the law.  Jesus turns the question on the questioner - a good Socratic method and answers a question with a question – in this case a question of law.  Jesus takes the game to the lawyer’s home court.  And the lawyer answers in good lawyerly fashion – with a summary of the law.  Jesus – the good teacher affirms his student – applauds him and tells him that if he does what the law says- loves God and his neighbour he will live.  These are the two great commandments we recite at the beginning of the service.

All well and good.  It could have ended here.  But Jesus has engaged him and drawn the lawyer into his sphere.  The lawyer now asks the question Jesus intends him to ask, “Who is my neighbour?”  Jesus now has him fully engaged – just as we should be if we are listening.  Well, who is our neighbour?  Jesus draws the lawyer and us further into his realm by the cast of characters in the story.  Who are the players – the characters in the story? ….

Well we have the traveler – who is not identified – but we assume that he is a good Jew.  We have the priest and the Levite – good upright Jews and of course the Samaritan – the hero.  Who else?  Well let’s not forget the thieves (we don’t know how many of them there are – but more than one).  And finally – well we have the inn keeper. 

The scene is set by the traveler being preyed upon by the thieves.  Of course he is travelling in dangerous country.  The audience – the lawyer and others will automatically identify with the traveler.  He is a citizen who has to travel in dangerous country – probably a familiar experience for people in Jesus time – travelling was not a pleasant and safe undertaking like today – well perhaps like it used to be until recent times.  The listeners could all picture themselves in the traveler’s shoes.  The dramatic event happens – the traveler is robbed and left for dead – a dramatic but not a surprising turn in the story.  Now here comes the twist.  Two upstanding God-fearing holy people come along and pass by on the other side.  These are the associates of the listener – the lawyer – good upright Jews.  People like him.  He can imagine that very well happening – and he is probably filled with righteous anger.  What happens next?  Well our hero comes to the rescue.  But another twist to the story -the hero is a Samaritan - you can almost hear the intake of air as the lawyer gasps in surprise.  A Samaritan!  Shock and horror – a despised outsider – he’s the one who comes to the rescue of the good Jew.  The Samaritans who are almost as bad as Gentiles.  Perhaps even worse – they are the poor cousins to the Jews who did not worship at the temple and were basically part of a family feud that was long and deep.  There was no love lost between the children of Judah and the Children of Samaria. 

No love lost and yet this is the neighbour who showed mercy and love   - the example that the good Rabbi Jesus held up as a paragon of the law.  The question for us today is - who is the Samaritan in your life?  Who is the one who you as a good upright person hate to have come to your recue?  Who would you hate to have save your life?  Who would be the last person you would want to owe a debt so great that it could not be repaid?

That is the Samaritan in your life.  That is your neighbour.  That is the one who showed mercy to the good Jew.  That is the one Jesus - our Saviour and Redeemer tells us we must love if we are to receive eternal life.  Amen.