Harvest Thanksgiving, Year B

Don't Worry!

Readings: Joel 2:21-27; Psalm 126; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Matthew 6:25-33


Don’t you love it when someone says, “Don’t worry! Everything will be fine!”

“It’s easy for you to say,” you think. “This is my life. It isn’t happening to you. It’s happening to me. Your job isn’t on the line. Your child isn’t having trouble at school. Your marriage isn’t on the rocks. I have so much to be worried about,” you are thinking. And worry seems to be a part of our existence. We worry about everything. We are preoccupied about our health and dying a premature death. We are concerned with our aches and pains. And then there are the worries about whether or not we have enough money. Even in Canada, a country flowing with milk and honey, we worry about food, whether we will have enough to eat. We worry about what to wear, not so much about whether we have the basic necessities of clothing to keep us warm, but about whether or not we are in style. It matters so much to us about how we appear to other people.

I wonder what the disciples said to Jesus when he told them not to worry. I can hear them thinking, “Don’t tell us not to worry. We’ve given up everything to follow you. We haven’t been home in months. Most of the time we don’t know where our next meal is coming from. Not that we’re complaining!”

"Your citizenship is in the kingdom of God,” he tells them. "You can afford to lose your possessions. You can even afford to lose your lives. You are children of God. God will never fail or forsake you." Jesus is not saying, “Give up your work.” He is saying, “Examine your priorities. What are you going to put first in your life? What is important to you?”

We all know that our primary concern in life should not simply be with material things. The meaning of life is not to be found in things. It is not to be found in jobs, income, pension plans, food, clothes, reputation, status.

But hold on. That isn’t a very practical form of discipleship. It makes too many demands of people. It calls for real commitment to the will of God. It demands that we put God first. While that is a good message for us to contemplate as we celebrate the harvest, the wealth that God has provided for us, it is not an easy message. Even in our own country where we live in the midst of plenty these are not the easiest of times. We don’t worry just about death and taxes. We worry about job security. We worry about raising our children. We worry about health care issues. We worry about growing old. How are we to follow Jesus' admonition not to worry?

The Old Testament passage from Joel is God's response to the people of Israel. They suffered a terrible locust plague. Rather than moaning about their fate, they responded by appealing to God. They remembered their past experience with God. In their remembering, they gave thanks that the God of history, the God they have worshipped in the past, the God that has sustained them through many difficulties and trials, that God is with them still.

And God responded to their needs. "You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame." It isn’t perhaps the message that we want to hear. It is not a promise of great wealth. They haven’t won the lottery. It is not a promise that nothing will ever go wrong again. This is real life. It is part of our human condition to suffer. But God is promising to continue to journey with the.

The passage from the letter to Timothy urges the people to pray, to intercede, to give thanks, for everyone. He calls for them to understand the importance of prayer. God knows the needs. But they are the vehicles through which God can meet those needs with that loving grace which is so freely given. That kind of prayer calls for thankfulness. It calls for remembering what God has done for them and continuing to praise God with all their hearts.

For whatever reason, as a people who are certainly blessed with more than our share of the world's wealth, we don’t always seem grateful for what God has provided. We want more than simply a good harvest. Produce has to be perfect or people will not buy it. We import food from all over the world so that we can have variety in our lives. And yet we still find it very difficult to thank God for all the great gifts of creation. We have a long list of things that we need, but a short list of things for which we are grateful.

Why is it that we find that so difficult? What do we expect? What is central for us? What are our priorities? What do we put first in our lives? Isn’t that the point of the readings? We need to learn to live a more balanced life. We need to set our priorities. Most of all we need to understand what it means to lift thankful hearts and voices to praise God.

Celtic spirituality, which is at the root of our British heritage, had a wonderful way of living that out. They had a deep connection to God in their daily lives, a strong sense of God’s presence with them. It began with their thankfulness to God. A woman began her day by lighting the fire. "I will kindle my fire this morning in the presence of the holy angels of heaven," she prayed. She washed her face. "The palmful of the God of life, the palmful of the Christ of love, the palmful of the Spirit of peace." As she made her bed she prayed, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In the name of the night we were conceived, in the name of the night that we were born, in the name of the day we were baptized, in the name of each night, each day, each angel that is in the heavens." As she began her day, so she moved through her whole day, praising God for all of the simple things of life. Every aspect of life was sacred. All of life was part of God's creative work in the world. Life was lived under the shadow of God's protective arms. Awe and dread of God was balanced by trust in God's love and mercy. For her, this was God's world, a world to be claimed, affirmed, and honoured.

Our Aboriginal people have no particular time to give thanks. Every aspect of life is an opportunity to give thanks to the creator. We have somehow lost that sense of God’s graciousness in providing for our needs. We think that it has something to do with how hard we work or how lucky we are. Harvest Festival reminds us that we are to cast aside our worries and celebrate the things that God has provided.

William Temple, a great theologian of the church, once said that the most effective thing that Christians could do in the world is to lift up their voices in thanksgiving to God. Do we really believe that prayer has anything to do with what happens in the world? Do we pray for the leaders of our country really expecting that something powerful can happen? Do we see the signs around us of God's presence in our lives? Do we care for this world in a way that expresses our gratitude?

We read and experience climatic change. In all probability Canada will face more floods, droughts and tornadoes with the increasing levels of ozone in the atmosphere. Yet we continue to use up far more than our share of the world’s goods. We are avid consumers. We think that by re-cycling some of our garbage we will somehow make up for the damage that we are doing. We worry far more about the financial stresses that result from climatic change than the good of the world. Change will come about because each one of us begins to take seriously our obligation to God and to this wonderful creation. It will come about through our thankful hearts.

There is an episode of Frasier that always brings it home to me. He and his brother Niles are in the coffee shop as usual. Niles said to him, “Are you happy!”

Frasier turns the question back to Niles, “Why do you ask?”

Niles responds, “It’s just that I saw an orphan receive a pair of cheap shoes. And there was such an expression of gratitude on his face. He was so happy. Why was he so happy? Here I am wearing a pair of $400.00 shoes. I look at them and wonder if I even really like them. Do you like them? They have tassels. I don’t really like tassels. What do you think?”

And Frasier spends the rest of the show trying to decide what it is that makes him happy or if he is happy at all.

Think of a desert place. It may seem to us to be nothing but sand. How can anything survive in such a climate,” we ponder. Yet if we look beneath the surface of that desert, excavate the sand, we will see a vast ecosystem at work. It is cool underground; the plants harbour moisture; all the needs of those desert dwellers are there.

Like Niles we wonder sometimes how people who lack the luxurious lifestyle that we take for granted can be happy. How can children living in misery in Afghanistan or India or The Sudan ever laugh? How can they play and sing when we can’t with all that we have? How can they play and sing and hold hands, and fall down on the ground and rejoice? But they can. And they know enough to thank God for it.

On this Harvest festival, can we reflect that what we have may be a hindrance not only to God, but to one another? Can we lift thankful hearts to a loving God who cares for each of us, and provides for our needs? Can we learn to share our bounty, and in that sharing find the happiness that God would have us know?

The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

On the Path

I am posting two sermons today, one for our Patronal Festival, and the second for the Blessing of the Animals.

Readings: Job 9:1-16; Psalm 148; Galatians 6:14-18; Matthew 11:25-30

One of the real benefits of dog ownership is that it forces you to walk. I take my two little dogs out twice a day, rain or shine. We are blessed in Mississauga to have many places to walk. Bicycle paths lead in every direction. They take you through parks and under busy roads so that you never have to leave the path. The many paths can be confusing. When I first moved to Mississauga my dog and I got hopelessly lost by following a path out onto the wrong street.

One of my favourite paths takes us around Lake Aquitaine. Even when the weather is fine and warm and many people are taking advantage of it, the park is a tranquil oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. As fall sets in the lake takes on a different feeling. It returns to nature as fewer joggers and cyclists take to the paths. The trees begin to turn glorious colours. The reeds at the side of the lake wave majestically. Ducks swim on the lake. Squirrels are everywhere. We will often stop at the top of a hill and look out over the lake, taking it all in. A sense of peace comes over me. It opens up within me a great dream of what the world might be and of how we might be at peace with one another. It reminds me of our patron, St. Francis and of our parish mission statement.

Together we are walking with and celebrating the spirit of St. Francis on a journey of worship, service, fellowship and peace.

As a parish we are trying to follow the path set for us by St. Francis. We live generously, reaching out into the community, opening our hearts to those in need. Our spiritual life is rich. This is a community that knows how to come together in prayer and in praise. The diversity of our congregation both in age and in culture brings richness to our worship and to our fellowship. We are growing in so many ways.

But the pathway is filled with twists and turns that challenge us. There are times when we are wearied by the journey, when we need encouragement. There are times when the path comes to a dead end and we must go back and look for new ways to carry on. There are times when it takes us in new directions where we lose our way or find ourselves on uncharted territory.

So it was for our patron saint. Born into privilege, power and wealth, during his early life Francis was on a pathway of self indulgent behaviour. He experienced an amazing conversion in which his life was turned around by God. It began with a journey. Francis met a leper. The man’s condition repulsed him. He overcame his feeling, reaching out and embracing the man. That simple gesture changed everything for him. Afterwards he reflected that what had formerly been bitter had become sweet. What was formerly sweet had become bitter. As he came to recognize Jesus in other people and through the beauty of nature, his conversion deepened. He renounced all of his worldly possessions in order to commit himself to serving God. He served the poorest of the poor. He spent his time with lepers, prostitutes and those whom the world abandoned. He embraced poverty and even pain with a sense of joy that could only be found by living out his life as God had called him. Through all of the challenges of life he became an instrument of God’s peace.

His gospel witness inspired a band of followers including people who had partied with him in his former life, along with members of the nobility, and clergy. They adopted a rule of life inspired by three passages of Scripture opened at random by Francis. “If you would be perfect, go and sell all you have and give to the poor and follow me.” “Take nothing with you for the journey.” And finally, “If anyone will follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” He and his brothers spent their lives doing exactly that. They brought about a spiritual renewal that began with the rebuilding of ruined churches, but led to a wonderful renewal in peoples’ lives.

St. Francis died on the eve of October 4, 1226, lying on the bare floor, poor in the eyes of the world, but rich in God’s grace. Among his last words was a call to continue the work of renewal in the church. “Let us begin again,” he said, “for until now we have done nothing. May each of us do our share to spread the Gospel.”

Is there not in each of us that dream of how the world might be and how we might be at peace with one another in the world? In the dream we are not simply receiving a gift from God. We are co-creators helping bring it into fruition. It is a dream planted in us from our birth. But things happen to shatter the dream. It seems unattainable. We may long for it, yet it is beyond our grasp. Somehow we are not able as Francis was to give ourselves fully. Life throws obstacles in our path. We are held back by our fears, insecurities, infirmities. We busy ourselves trying to make our lives as secure as possible. We try to take care of ourselves and those we love. We become preoccupied with putting aside enough for our future needs. Unthinkable things happen – tragedy, sickness, loss. We grow older and perhaps wiser, but we defer the dream or even abandon it.

How did Francis manage to keep the dream alive both in his personal life and in his community? It was his deep commitment to prayer, to the study of Scripture, to worship. It was his deep commitment to living out his life seeing Christ in others and allowing them to see Christ in him. It was in his allowing God to reshape his life.

As we reflect on our life as a Christian community, where is our path leading us? Where is it leading you personally? Have you let Christ change your life? We need to spend time in personal prayer and reflection on Scripture. There are guides for us to do that. There is a booklet available on the tract rack to help guide us in reading. Our Seekers group will be starting its leadership course soon. Hopefully that will lead to new Bible Study groups becoming available to people. But put aside time in your busy day to pray. Francis prayed as he went about his daily life. His life became a prayer. Sending up a prayer of praise as we go about our lives is a good way to stay on the path.

We may think that we don’t know enough to read the Bible or pray. The Gospel reading from Matthew speaks to us of a faith dependent not on our intellect, but on our experience of God. We don’t need great intelligence or education to be close to God. The Bible stories are meant to connect to our story. The Acts of the Apostles and saints of the Church continue to be enacted in our communities through our actions. We need to allow the Spirit of God to work in our lives. Francis made those connections in his life. He possessed great charm. He was attractive to people. People took to him. They may have been startled by what he had to say, but they were drawn to his child-like curiosity, to his sense of humour, and to his sense of joy. They listened to him and responded to his preaching. More importantly they responded to the way he lived his life, to his close relationship to Christ. We can all do that.

Where is our path leading us as a parish? As Francis did, we celebrate the Good News of Christ. We worship God, serve our world, our country and our community and strive to be instruments of peace. We don’t do it alone, for Christ is with us on the Journey. Christ walks with us on the path. When our pathway becomes fraught with difficulty, Christ continues to journey with us. This parish is a spiritual centre. It is a haven for people in need. It is a place of healing, comfort and nurture. Our church is filled with people who are being the church in the world. We are truly beginning to live out our mission statement.

So remember that we never walk this road alone. God walks with us. There are many who share the road, family, friends, neighbours. And Francis is a model for us, offering us guidance as we follow his example and live our lives seeing Christ in others, reaching out to a needy world, recognizing all of nature as part of God's magnificent creation and having 'peace' as our watchword. Let us continue to follow the path as we celebrate the Good News of Christ, as we worship God and as we strive to be instruments of peace.

The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Blessing of the Animals

October 4, 2009

If you are a pet owner you know the benefits of having a pet. Mine would be a lonely place to come home to if it were not for my two wonderful dogs, Gemma and Meaghie. They greet me at the door when I come home from work. We walk together. Their companionship is a part of my life. Seniors’ residences acknowledge the benefits of having pets. We have certainly observed that in the residences that we visit. One in particular had a wonderful dog that wandered the halls making friends with residents and visitors. He made people feel at home.

There are also spiritual benefits to consider. Pets teach us so much about love given and received. They love unconditionally. They respond to our moods. So it is little wonder that St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved of saints, for he is known as the patron saint of animals. We bless our pets in remembrance of his love for all creatures.

His connection to animals comes from the many stories that centre on St. Francis and his love of nature. He once allowed himself to be ousted from his small hovel by a donkey in need of shelter. He tamed a wolf that was attacking the townspeople in a small village. One of the most famous stories is about his relationship to the birds.

One day he was walking through the Spoleto Valley with some of the brothers. He spotted a number of birds of all varieties. He left his friends on the road and ran out into the field among the birds. He greeted them, expecting that they would fly off. Instead they drew close, even letting him touch them. Echoing the words of Matthew, he told them to continue to praise the creator who gave them feathers for clothes, wings to fly and everything that they needed to sustain them in life. He walked amongst the birds and gave them a blessing, making the sign of the cross over them.

In reflection to his friends later on he wondered why he had never preached to birds before. After that he made it a habit to seek out animals of all kinds. He would invoke them to praise their creator God. Animals understood and responded to his preaching.

There was a rabbit that had been caught in a trap that was brought to St. Francis. He advised it to be more careful in the future and then released the little animal. It hopped right back onto his lap. He took it into the woods and set it down, only to have it follow him back. Finally one of the brothers had to take it deep into the woods and let it go.

Even fish were known to obey Francis. If a fish were caught in his presence, Francis would return the fish to water, warning it not to be caught again. The fish would often linger near the boat listening to Francis preach. When he gave them permission to leave they would swim off.

Unbelievable stories? I don't think so! But then, my Great Uncle George once asked the camels to come out of their hut at the zoo in High Park so that he could speak to them. They came right over to him at the fence, and seemed intent on what he was saying to them. I also have my little dogs who have taught me so much about love and about relationships. And you each have a story about your pet, about its unique qualities, about how well it understands what you say to it, your feelings and moods. The cover of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul says that pets are "teachers, healers, heroes and friends". I suspect that it is because of those wonderful traits that you are here today. This celebration is about blessing our pets. It is also about how we have been blessed by having a pet to care for. And so today we bring them to God, our creator, who cares for every living thing. And we ask God to bless us too.

Back to Church Sunday

Dining With Jesus

Reading: Luke 19:1-10

As you can see, I am not preaching on the lections for Proper 26. We are celebrating Back to Church Sunday. I am using the suggested reading. For more information on Back to Church Sunday, check out their website at http://www.backtochurch.co.uk/

I love window shopping. Sometimes when I have time I will browse through stores where I know that the price is beyond my means. Invariably an immaculately dressed sales person will come to my aid. “Oh! I am just looking?” I will say. It is usually an uncomfortable moment when I feel as if I don’t really belong, but I brazen it out.

Zacchaeus knew that he really didn’t belong in the crowd that constantly followed Jesus. His lifestyle was completely opposite to everything Jesus stood for. For starters he was a tax collector. And not just any tax collector. He was the chief tax collector. That meant that he worked for the Roman government. To say that he was unpopular with the average person in Jericho is an understatement. He is tough, single-minded, courageous, independent. He has achieved a high position in a large and prosperous community. He may be small in stature, but don’t kid yourself. He is formidable. At the same time he is marginalized. It is not poverty that keeps him on the fringes of society. It is his very position. His wealth may insulate him against the hardships of life, but it also isolates him from other people. He is unacceptable amongst Jericho’s society.

Yet he is very anxious to see what Jesus looks like. Perhaps there is more to it than mere curiosity. “Who is this man who preaches, teaches and heals? Who is this amazing miracle worker?” he must have been asking himself. Maybe there is also a ray of hope in him. He feels like an outsider in his home town. It makes him feel very small indeed. He has heard how Jesus is a friend to outcasts. Perhaps he will be treated differently by this man. Yet he cannot push his way into the crowd, not simply because he is a rather short man, but mostly because the crowd will not give way to him. And so he climbs up into a sycamore tree in order to get a glimpse of Jesus.

Jesus spots him in the tree. He stops under the very limb on which Zacchaeus is perched. As he looks up into the tree, Zacchaeus is suddenly in the spotlight. All eyes are on him. They are waiting for Jesus to give him exactly what he deserves. They are waiting for Jesus to take him down a peg or two.

But that is far from Jesus’ mind. “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down,” says Jesus. “I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus and the crowd learned something new about Jesus that day. They discovered that Jesus was one who reached out to those whom others assumed to be off God’s list. What is more, Zacchaeus welcomed the opportunity to be a host for Jesus.

The crowd was decidedly unhappy about the whole event. They grumbled against Jesus and the tax collector. After all, they said to themselves, Zacchaeus is nothing short of a scoundrel. He is beyond redemption. And here is Jesus consorting with him. He is not worthy of Jesus’ time. He should be punished, not saved.

Jesus found a sensitive human being who was anxious to act with justice in his community. “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him. Jesus knew all along that what Zacchaeus really needed was salvation. He needed it, and that was enough for Jesus. He offered him what he needed.

Zacchaeus had come in order to see what kind of a person Jesus was. Instead of catching a glimpse of Jesus from the limb of a tree he had a face to face encounter with him. He had a heart to heart conversation with him. He discovered something about the heart of Jesus. He discovered too something about his own heart’s desires.

It is a beautiful story of the grace of God. Zacchaeus undergoes a remarkable transformation. Whatever he may have understood about himself, Jesus saw a person who was up a tree in his life. And Zacchaeus not only responded, receiving Jesus into his home. He also made amends for his past. He gave a glad and unlimited response to God that day. It transformed his life.

I suspect we can all relate on some level to Zacchaeus. It is easy to feel as if you are out on a limb with no options. We all feel marginalized at times in our lives. I can certainly relate to it in my own life. There are times that I have wondered where God was or whether God loved me at all. I wondered if life was worth living. Life is not always easy. We go through periods of suffering or difficulty in our lives. It may be a serious sickness, or depression, or unemployment, the breakup of a marriage or the loss of a loved one. They can all cause us to lose faith.

I grew up in an inner city rectory, but we had a large yard with wonderful trees. I loved to climb up onto the branches of one of the large trees in the front yard and watch people walking up the street. There are times we would just like to quietly sit up in our tree and observe. We want to get a good look at Jesus, but from a distance. We want to watch him silently. We don’t want to be noticed.

It shows sometimes in the way we worship. It seems as if we would rather see Jesus than meet him. After all, it could be risky meeting Jesus. He might have something to say that we don’t want to hear. Reconcile with your neighbour who has upset you. Make amends to your family whom you have hurt. Give to the poor. Advocate for the oppressed. It really may seem better, after all, to sit silently in worship and see what happens.

Or we may even opt out of worship altogether. We may decide that church is not for us. After all, churches are filled with hypocrites who say they are Christians and then act in a way that says that they are not. But that is not what God needs from us. God needs a glad and unlimited response. It is in offering that response to God that we will be transformed as beloved children.

We may be like Zacchaeus. Or we may know a few people like Zacchaeus, people we have misjudged. It is easy to follow the crowd and simply let our misconceptions continue. It is about meeting them through Jesus’ eyes. Then perhaps we will catch a glimpse of one who is doing their best to be honest, generous, charitable, and true to their beliefs.

As followers of Jesus we are called to see the Christ in others and to allow them to see Christ in us. We are to join him in his invitation to dine with him and affirm the goodness that we find in every Zacchaeus we encounter.

Today we gather at the table with Jesus. We break bread and bless the cup. Together we share in communion. Hopefully you will find the grace and peace that dining with Jesus can bring.

Zacchaeus found out!

Proper 25, Year B

Holy Wisdom

Readings: Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 1; James 3:13-18; Mark 9:30-37

A theme throughout the readings this week is that of wisdom. “Who is wise and understanding among you?” asks James. It is a challenge to all of us. We can claim to be wise. We can reiterate the adage that wisdom comes with age. We can look at the successes of our lives and claim that it is proof that we are wise. But it needs to be demonstrated in our lives. James asks that we show it by acting with humility and goodness. That is certainly not wisdom in the eyes of the world. Society promotes getting ahead. It is ambition that is rewarded, not humility. We speak about “keeping up with the Joneses”. Remember Avis’ old ads about being in second place to Hertz. Even that second place message is based on obtaining power over our competitors.

To be wise in the ways of God calls us to something quite different. It calls us to gentleness, compassion, humility and peace making. Godly wisdom teaches us that it is not about gaining power over others, nor does it lie in ambition, but rather it becomes evident in our striving to be God like. True wisdom will show itself in our lives. It will bring us closer to God. It will be shown in our quality of life, in the life giving decisions we make, in the good that we do.

It is certainly what Jesus emulated to the disciples. Jesus is at home in Galilee. The disciples are sitting at his feet. As they had been walking home they had been arguing about who was the most important. All this was happening as Jesus was explaining to them that he was going to die.

“What were you discussing?” he asks them. Suddenly no one has anything to say. They are quite rightly embarrassed. They have been caught out. Jesus has been talking about the kingdom of God. It is a new concept for them. They are finding it difficult to put into their context. They see it from their worldview. They visualize a kingdom in which the present powers are toppled and replaced with a new order with Jesus in control. They see Jesus’ mission in political terms within a hierarchical structure. It is perfectly logical. It is what they have experienced. And they see themselves assuming political roles in this new kingdom.

We get it, don’t we? They are being very human. As humans we spend time and energy disputing who among us should be considered the greatest? Is it the clergy or the laity? Is it the husband or the wife? And our educational system encourages competition based on marks rather than on learning. Children are taught from an early age to take part in sports activities, not primarily for the enjoyment of the game or for its physical benefits, but in order to win. We go through strikes which pit labour against management and leave us with the message that making more money is everything. Politics is the biggest offender with its smear campaigns that assault one another on a personal level. Advertising is big business. It encourages cutthroat competition at any cost. Competition and winning have become the primary religion of our increasingly secular lives.

But Jesus points out that he has come to preach quite a different message. “The first must be last,” he tells them, “The servant of all.” He is not judging their behaviour. He is teaching them how to achieve true greatness. He is explaining the essence of greatness. He gives them a practical illustration of what he means. He hears some children playing outside. He opens the door and calls out to one of them. He brings the child into their midst. The little boy stands there nervously shuffling his bare feet, his hands dirty, his nose running. Jesus puts his arm around the little tyke and draws him closer. The little one, welcoming the attention climbs up on Jesus lap. “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me,” Jesus says to them.

It must have been quite a shock to them. This is the kind of child no one takes seriously, a street urchin, the lowest level of humanity. Even in our modern day world children often do not count for much. And here is Jesus saying that true greatness is achieved not by holding great offices, but by doing services to insignificant people such as this little child.

We can think of times that such service has brought a smile to our faces. The sense of trust as a child puts a small hand into yours. A toddler’s first tentative steps towards you, arms reaching out for support. A lost child’s frightened cry replaced with a smile as you help find her family. Consider whether you would feel the same if the child were a street urchin on the streets of Calcutta, or a slum child living in the dump outside of Kingston in Jamaica.

Greatness lies in servanthood. It consists of service. As Christians we are called to live out our lives in a spirit of humility and service. But if you are anything like I am, that is not always easily lived out. It is easy to say that we are called to serve the poor, the disenfranchised, the oppressed. But it is difficult to overcome our own perceptions of people. There was a shocking story in the paper last week about a bus driver in Toronto who refused to allow some children on his school bus simply because they were Roma, Gypsies. One of the little children refused entry to the bus was in tears as he explained that he could not even think about going to that “white” school after what had happened. I know that I can find examples in my own life. They have made me wiser in the ways of God.

Growing up in an inner city rectory, it was our job as children to make and dispense sandwiches and coffee to the many street people who came to the door for assistance. Many of them were ‘regulars’ whom we got to recognize. We saw their ragged clothing. We smelled the liquor on their breath. We labeled them. They were bums. We did give some of our favourites nicknames. There was Rudolph and Pinhead. It never occurred to us, or at least to me, that they were people with names and feelings and heartbreaking stories. We thought we were doing the ‘Christian’ thing. And in our own way we were.

When I worked in urban ministry while I was studying Theology at Trinity I was able to draw on those early experiences and find ways to reach out to the street people in a way which did not devalue them as people. I learned not to judge them. I listened to their stories. I learned their names, their real names. It took me a while to realize what real ministry it was. I kept thinking that I should be giving them something. What I came to realize was that in seeing them as people, in seeking Christ in them, I became a far more effective proclaimer of the gospel than I had ever been. In giving service to them I received so many blessings.

This past summer I bumped into a friend downtown. We sat on a park bench to get caught up. No sooner had we sat down that a couple of street people headed in our direction. “They are going to hit us up for money,” I thought to myself. “I wonder how Al will react.” To my delight he greeted them warmly and introduced them to me by name. We had a conversation about the weather. After they left he told me about getting to know them. He helped them from time to time with a meal or a place to stay. But their relationship was not about what he had to give them. It was a relationship built on mutual respect and friendship.

The whole notion of exercising leadership by serving seems paradoxical. But there really is no contradiction. It is true wisdom. There can be no real exercise of authority without service. Service lies in taking sides with those whom we would serve. We must continue to ask ourselves searching questions about our how we live out our faith. Are we living out the gospel message in our ministry in the church? In the life of our congregation? In our own lives? Who are we called to serve?

Jesus’ answer to the disciples speaks to us. Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? Who are the wisest? The answer of course is those who mirror Christ, those who give humble service to others.

Proper 24, Year B

Spotted Alive!

Readings: Proverbs 1:20-33; Psalm 19; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38

“Michael Jackson spotted alive!” What do you do when you read such a rumour? That was the caption in the subject line of an email that I got this week. It took me to a video on YouTube. I realized because of who sent it to me that it was a joke. But you know! Michael Jackson still alive! Who wouldn’t read a little further or stay tuned to find out what the story is? So I went to check it out. What I discovered was that despite the funeral being viewed by millions of people, there are a myriad of rumours about Michael Jackson still being alive.

One of the videos, supposedly of him hopping out of the back of the coroner’s van, has had nearly two million hits despite the fact that you can scarcely tell what vehicle it is, never mind who is getting out of the back of the van. There have been eye witness accounts of his crossing the border into Mexico, of his lounging around a pool chatting with his friends, and of him working with the CIA. There have been theories put forward that he was hiding out in a bunker somewhere hoping to escape his financial problems. It has taken over from the “King”!

Rumours have always been a problem. There is James warning the early Christians to be careful of what they say about other people. His admonition is not simply about being tactful or holding back what we really think, but a reminder that we are made in God’s image, and our attitudes towards other people should reflect our understanding of what that means and our faith.

What would be the fastest way to start a rumour or story? These days of text messaging it is very easy. It only takes a moment to pass on the news to everyone on your contact list. Of course, we all know that it pays to “Snope” it out before you hit send.

If someone spread an untrue or confusing rumour about you, how would you fight it or persuade people to accept your word and truth? How might the stories or inaccuracies affect your life in rather negative ways? It is good to know what people are actually saying about you. Maybe some of those things are behind Jesus’ question to the disciples in today’s gospel. After all, there were many misconceptions about who Jesus was. Even the disciples were not always clear. And so Jesus asks them, “Who do people say that I am?”

Often we are the last one’s to hear the rumours in the rumour mill. Jesus is wise to check it out with his followers who are more likely to hear what is going on than he. And he gets back a rather ominous list. John and Elijah and the prophets were all on pretty dangerous paths. If popular opinion was right, then the future could be pretty precarious for Jesus.

The conversation does not stop there. Jesus asks a further question, a far more important one for Peter to respond to. “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus knows human nature. What we have heard about people often informs our own opinions of them and of what they have accomplished. He needs to know how his followers view him. It is one of the great moments in the gospel, a time for commitment, for soul searching, for decision making.

Peter answers. He answers intuitively. He answers from the heart. “You are the Messiah, the anointed one.” He knew what it meant, at least to a certain extent. It must have been a shock to him to hear it coming out of his mouth. He must have begun to realize the implications of being a follower of Jesus. If he did not get the full impact of his statement, certainly Jesus’ words about suffering and dying and rising again would give him pause for reflection. That is why Peter rebukes him. He cannot face reality. He cannot yet face the cost of discipleship.

We all come to the point where we need to honestly answer Jesus’ question. He is standing there, asking each one of us, “Who do you say that I am?” There are so many answers. I realize that over my lifetime I have changed my mind many times about who Jesus is. Is Jesus a freedom fighter? That was probably in Peter’s mind. There are many who see Jesus as liberator. Saviour, redeemer, creator, nurturer, friend, brother, companion, Lord, God, Almighty, King!

As it did for Peter and the disciples, it comes down to the real question. “Are you going to deny yourself and follow me?” As with Peter it needs to sink in to us not only who Jesus is but what the cost will be of following him.

Self denial is difficult for all of us. Sacrificing ourselves in the sense of denying the self in our lives is difficult enough. We live in a society where so much is available to us that we come to have a sense of entitlement for anything we might want. It stops being about what we need and becomes far more about needing everything our heart desires. If we find it difficult to deny ourselves things that we crave how much more do we resist the thought of giving ourselves over to God?

Bob Dylan talks about it in his own life. “Jesus tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Bob, why are you resisting me?” I said, “I'm not resisting you!” He said, “You gonna follow me?” I said, “I've never thought about that before!” He said, “When you're not following me, you're resisting me.”

What if everything we have done in our religious living and personal relationship with God has been for all the wrong reasons? What if we do what we do because we are looking for rewards, for Brownie points? What if we are following Jesus simply because we think it will be a way to avoid suffering, persecution and death? What if we are simply trying to cover all the bases?

That is why the question is so important. It is only when we accept who Jesus is that he can begin to teach us the consequences of our allegiance. What is Jesus teaching us? It is about our identity as Christians. It is about wearing that mark of allegiance as Christians. “I sign you with the sign of the cross and mark you as Christ’s own.” Those are the words we use at Baptism. We take chrism oil and make the sign of the cross on the forehead of the newly baptized. I always remind the children and their parents that they have an invisible marker on their forehead. They belong to Christ. It needs to result in action in our lives. We need to be servants of Christ. We need to deny ourselves and follow Christ.

Dorothy Day, a contemporary American saint started the Catholic Worker movement, opened homes for the homeless and community farms for the poor. She was special. She did extraordinary things. Yet she became quite indignant when told that.

“You say that I am special because you don’t want to do what you see me do. You can easily do what I do, but by convincing yourself that I am someone special you can escape from your own responsibility. We are not so different. You can do what I do.”

What is the cost of discipleship? It costs everything. It requires becoming a servant. It requires action. It requires sacrificing ourselves. That is difficult. Somehow it is easier to leave it all to Jesus, and to join him in a kind of fan club. But God does not intend us to be mere spectators. We are co-responsible. And what Jesus is saying so clearly in this passage is that when we take responsibility, when we deny ourselves, when we become disciples, we become more truly human. We discover our true self.

The gospel warrants a few choice rumours being spread around. “Jesus spotted alive in Meadowvale Church” the headline reads. The article goes on to talk about the wonderful things that are happening in our lives here in this parish. We are hearing and responding to the word of God. We are witnessing to our faith. We are reaching out into the community. We are growing in grace. Amen

Proper 23 Year B

Touched By God

Readings: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-10, 22-23; Psalm 125; James 2:1-10; Mark 7:24-37

Jesus is traveling outside of his usual haunts. He goes to someone’s home. He is trying to keep a low profile, but news of his miracles has preceded him. He is noticed, especially by a woman whose daughter is suffering from what her mother describes as an evil spirit. The woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs,” Jesus says to her. What an insult he throws at the woman. I find it so difficult to fathom. What was Jesus thinking? His words must have hurt her so badly. But her love of her daughter is greater than any hurtful words could be.

And so she answers Jesus, “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Jesus has a change of heart. He heals the woman’s daughter. But once again the story surprises me, for he doesn’t touch her. And so I am left asking why not. The gospel constantly gives us glimpses of the miracle-working touch of Jesus. He touches someone whose eyes are opened. He touches another who gets up and walks. Yet another is restored to health and gets up out of bed to serve.

And then there is the story that follows that of the Syrophoenician woman. Jesus is back in Galilee. The crowd follows him, bringing people in need. Amongst those brought to him for healing is a deaf person. Because he cannot hear, he cannot speak clearly. Jesus takes him aside privately. He puts his fingers into his ears. He spits and touches his tongue. Then he simply says, “Be opened,” and the man can speak freely.

And so this week I have led me to reflect on our sense of touch. We use the word ‘touch’ in more than one way. We use it to describe the physical sensation of touching. Our skin, our largest organ, is the sensor for our sense of touch. So our whole body is involved. We also use the word ‘touch’ to describe an inner sense, an emotional response to what happens in our lives. I was so touched by what you said. I was so touched by your kindness. I was so touched by what you did for me.

Sadly often we cannot touch people in a physical sense anymore. Teachers can't put their arms around children in their classes. Even in the church, we have to be careful to check out whether or not it is all right to touch someone. We have to make certain that our actions are not misunderstood. Yet the value of touch is well known and documented. Modern medicine uses therapeutic touch. We may not understand exactly why it is important, but we do know that it works. It is important to our well being. The healing ministry of the church recognizes its importance. It is a ministry not only of prayer. We anoint with holy oil; we lay hands on the sick.

An old friend of mine who has a chronic illness was in hospital for some tests. During her stay, she picked up a viral infection that was resistant to antibiotics. She suddenly found herself in isolation. People had to scrub and put on gown and gloves before entering her room. She felt as if, somehow, it was her fault for catching the virus in the first place. People avoided visiting her. Nurses treated her differently. What she missed most was any form of contact. No one would touch her. It was, of course, for the protection of other patients. But she got the distinct feeling, that even though the nurses knew they were not the ones at risk of becoming infected, an instinctive fear for their own well being kept them even more remote from her. After several months it still bothers her at a deep level.

There is also the experience of nurses dealing with the SARS outbreak. Two of the nurses became ill and so saw the epidemic from both sides. They in particular spoke of the sense of isolation, of not being touched. Patients suddenly found themselves in isolation. Family members were not allowed to visit. Nurses had to scrub and put on masks before entering a room. They spoke about feeling as if, somehow, it was their fault for catching the virus in the first place. Even those who did not get sick said that their whole reason for being nurses was called into question. The sense of ‘tender loving care’, the ability to touch people in a healing way, was taken away from them.

And so I reflect on the other ways in which Jesus touched people. A tax collector turns from his cheating ways to become a follower of Jesus. One who hates Christians, seeking them out to destroy them is transformed by the love of God and becomes a propagator of the gospel he set out to destroy.

Jesus touched people. His touch did not simply bring healing to the deaf man. It freed up all sorts of things in the crowd who witnessed the miracle. The witnesses to the event are touched on an emotional level, opened up. New possibilities blossom within them. Perhaps Jesus is not merely a hometown boy, the son of the carpenter, Joseph. Perhaps he is more than just another itinerant healer. He is, after all, remarkable. “He does everything well!” they exclaim. Healing and wholeness come through this one who stands before them inviting them to be open, touching them, not only physically, but also to their very core.

Jesus through touch, steps over taboos against relating to unclean persons. He widens God’s unending circle to include all of us. By touch eyes are made to see, ears to hear, tongues to speak, feet to walk, hands to serve. He disentangles the broken strands of life, the discordant harmonies of fear, despair and hopelessness. He touches, and people are brought back into relationship with a loving God and walk once more within divine order and orbit.

In the same way, Jesus reaches out into our world. Alcoholics, drug addicts, criminals, the sick, the lonely, the empty, the suicidal, are touched by the Spirit of God and transformed into loving, serving children. And redemption comes to us through God touching us. God identifies with us. God enters into our way of life. God becomes one of us. God reaches out and touches us. We are drawn close through Christ, united, once and for all with God.

The touch of the Christ is on each of us. It comes to us through the Spirit at Baptism. We renew it throughout our lives as we make our own commitment to the faith. It does not do away with all of our problems and conflicts, but it does bring about transformation in our lives. It brings about meaning and purpose and salvation.

For that touch from God is our invitation to be opened, to be opened up to new possibilities, to be touched on many levels. We in turn reach out and touch others.

Openness to God is revealed in action. To be touched by God is to be called into action. As James says, “Be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” We have been blessed by hearing the word. How do we now “do” what we have been blessed by hearing?

Faith is not merely listening, speaking, discussing, arguing and analyzing. Those all help us to learn about our faith. But knowledge is not enough. Faith is acted out. It is lived out in the Christian life. It is not enough to hear and know all about it. That will never touch another life. As ‘unanglican’ as it may seem, witnessing to what God has accomplished in our lives and acting on it, are an integral part of our faith. Our faith is useless unless it is backed up by our actions. What earthly use is the Christian community if it stands at a distance from the world, preaching at it? How will that touch people’s lives? How will that convey to people a God who walks with us? How could it possible open people up to the truth of the gospel?

The Christian community is called to involve itself with the struggles and problems of the world, a world which is searching to become more truly human. We are not called to stand in judgement. We must not stand at a cultural distance. We must identify with all of humanity. We must enable people to find ways of expressing the life of faith and worship.

May we live out our faith with a sense of justice. May the Spirit of God in us touch others as our lives have been touched by God.