Monday, February 18, 2013

The Jordanian Desert and Rev. Lillian Daniels -Sermon Lent 1C



This morning we are going to the desert.
...The Jordanian desert to be exact, up near the Syrian border, 70km outside of Amman...
imagine a vast flat landscape that is empty as far as the eye can see, to a point where the blue sky meets the yellow sand...  a place where Bedouin type peoples have roamed moving flocks and herds, a place where Jesus types have gone to pray, a place where the demon possessed and leprous have vanished  ...
a place where the Jordanian government had the foresight to cover the shifting sand with gravel, to welcome 300 refugees a day as they stream across the Syrian border under the shadow of night to safety.
The serene desert has come to life in a refugee camp named Za’atari.  The camp is home to 70,000 people, 75% are women and children; many are of middle class background and tent living is all new; 12 families share a kitchen, water station, and latrine. 
It is winter in the Jordanian desert and that means rain.  The people running the camp had the foresight to dig trenches to help desert water move away from the tents and through the camp to soak the sand outside the perimeter –not always with success.  It also means temperatures just above freezing, and for those without shoes or shoes that are worn out it means the sand, the gravel, is cold.
The desert once empty is full of organized chaos, dreams lost, powerlessness over life, and no sign of an end to war and the continued flooding in of refugees.

...and now a trip to the desert of North America...
...Where a Rev. Lillian Daniels, a United Church of Christ pastor in the United States, has a fascinating take on community and the church of today.  Her pet topic of writing and lecturing reflects on the phrase made by so many people, “I’m spiritual but not religious.”   So many say they do not need the church or organized religion, especially when God can be seen in the beautiful sun setting over vast sands of desert, that changes into an array of colour; and takes ones breath away.  Her snippy remark is more or less that any dummy can see the majesty of God in the sunset.  Her take on being spiritual but not religious, is that people have chosen to go into a desert of isolation and individualism.  She reflects that this is the sin of North American society today, the sin of narcissism.

Narcissism is a self-focus where everything is about me.  It translates into people having problems sustaining satisfying relationships –one only need look at the divorce rate; difficulty with empathy – consider the rise of bullying; a hypersensitivity to any insults and imagined insults – ponder the number of young people who leave home to live on the street because parents are accused of being insulting. The sin of narcissism includes bragging and exaggerating personal achievements; pretending to be more important than one really is; claiming to be an expert in everything; and having the inability to view the world from the perspective of other people.  The sin of narcissism uses and manipulates people to get what you want no matter what the cost.
While running yesterday past St. Mary’s University the sin of narcissism struck a chord as I read signs for their open house for perspective students. The slogan read:  “One university. One world. Yours.”   Advertising is marketed to the individual.  Since when does one own the university, the world...are both places not ours...a community of academia and learning, a community of living, a global context, ours.

Reflecting on the Syrian refugee crisis I see narcissism there too.  War, a sign of the times for every generation;  It is a sin that carries across the ages; a sin that is complete narcissism; a sign that relationships are all screwed up.  War –fighting for ones believed truth; arguing over what one believes to be their property, their just reward; taking what one believes they deserve; fighting because it shows ones’ prowess, power, and superiority.

Most of us have little idea what the Syrian refugees in Jordan are living through; out of a desperate situation, what has happened is that 70,000 people have, whether they like it or not, become a community of people forced to work together, to relate to each other, to share, to put up with, to solve problems, as a community.
                                                                     
Lent is a time when the scripture readings send us to the desert.
...a place of sand... a place to reflect on sin and what that means in our lives today; it is a season of journey to wrestle with sin, humanity, our warts, our bumps, our scales, and all those things which hinder us from relationship with each other.  It is a time to consider repentance, a turning around of our regular practices, to sandpaper off the rough spots, the judgemental parts, and the pieces of ourselves that put up road blocks to real relationships.

With regards to church world, as Pr. Lillian comments, the present world has little to no respect for knowledge, experience, wisdom, or tradition from outside oneself.  This is sin.  The sin of narcissism.  It is time for the church to be very specific that narcissism is not okay.  It is not okay for it to creep into our own lives or the lives of our neighbours, or the collective society.  The message of the church in her words is that “the church is sandpaper against the culture of narcissism.” We need to remind and confront the world with the truth that, “Spirituality is not all about you...and no you do not get to make it up for yourself.” She argues that the only place one finds God is in mature faith practiced in community, through somewhat flawed human traditions and knowledge passed and practiced through the ages.  One sees God when forced to live in community where the God reflected back to you is not likely to be in your image.

Mature faith practiced in community is a faith that is:  “reasonable, rigorous, real; grounded in traditions, centered in worship, called to serve, free to dream.”

In the Jordanian desert a Syrian family sits on a mat in their tent and talks of their life: where the father was a business owner and operator of an air-conditioning shop, where the mom had a job in the education department, they have a little boy and a brand new home...sounds like a typical middle class family here in Halifax...
...on a normal day, the family goes out to work, to daycare, and then returns home to find their home bulldozed flat after an air strike by their own government...
They leave with nothing but what is on their backs and each other.
Perhaps we will never go through the ordeal of this Syrian refugee family, forced to give up what they had...the possessions they owned, had worked for, felt entitled to, the power their jobs held, the future promised  to them based on status; a loss of any narcissistic tendencies they held...
in fleeing with hoards of others, they shed their skin and were/are forced to share, forced to live in community, forced to live into the realities of the kingdom of God.
And because we are not in their place we need to take extra care and perseverance during this Lenten season to guard against the sin of this society. We, as  a community, need to be sanded of the sin of narcissism.
And then to collectively stand as a church, and purposefully act as sandpaper –to tell our culture that individuals do not get to decide for themselves what relationship with God, creation, or each other looks like.
Jesus goes into the desert and stands in contrast to the sin of narcissism present in the culture of his day.  He does not selfishly take food for himself, he does not think himself to be super important and thus take worldly power for himself, he does not think himself invincible and make himself God.  Rather Jesus resists the narcissism and its temptations.  Jesus leaves the desert and gathers a community of disciples and followers, grounded in Jewish tradition, worshiping as a community with liturgy and wisdom from the past, teaching and feeding thousands at one time –all who want to come are invited to partake; power is spread through the disciples who become Apostles after the resurrection who through the Spirit spread God’s power even farther; and in the end Jesus dies –not invincible –but rather reasonable, rigorous, real; leaving a legacy for followers to serve each other, and dream – to have hope- that God’s kingdom will come, ushering in a society built not on narcissism but on right relationship. ...a community in the desert not fostered out of the crisis of war, but out of love for each other.

As we enter forty days in the desert, avoid the temptations of narcissism, think globally-act locally, step outside yourself and put your feet in the shoes of your neighbour, do nothing for yourself and all things for the common good.  Be strengthened in community and stand in contrast, as sandpaper, to those who believe they can do it on their own.
God and the community go with you on this sacred journey through Lent.
Amen.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

As promised Sunday's sermon



Transfiguration-2013

Those of you who are astute will have noticed that when I give the blessing at the end of the service it is not given as it is written in the hymn book.
There are two reasons for this: the first is that in my last parish, the church that had the early service still used the Service Book and Hymnal –it was “old school” –I learned the blessing as it was written in that service and it seemed to stick in my head for service at 11am.
The second reason comes from when I was a teenager.  On  Sunday mornings when the pastor would say, “The Lord bless you and keep you/the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you/ the Lord look upon you with favour....at this point my dad would mumble under his breath...the Lord lift up his countenance upon you   “.  So I finally had to ask, why say “lift up his countenance upon you”?

What do you think?  What do you feel?  Is there a difference between, the Lord looking upon you with favour, or the Lord lifting up his countenance upon you?

Texts for Transfiguration Sunday talk about changes of countenance.
Moses countenance changed...the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God, so much so that he covered his face when with a veil.
Jesus countenance changed...the appearance of his face changed as he was praying ie. talking with God.
Do we encounter God, talk with God, or experience God such that our countenances change?

When I ponder the phrase “look upon you with favour” – an image comes to mind of someone looking at me from afar, looking down, having approval in their eyes.  The look is like that of a teacher when one has answered a question correctly, when you have learned a new task and those around you approve, when you succeed at work at the boss is appreciative, or even a look of pity, mercy, or sympathy.

When I ponder the phrase “lift up ones’ countenance” – an image comes to me of one breathing in all that is good, a rising up, a rising of the face to shine: I see a mom or a dad coming into a room and smiling at their baby –the countenance of the parent’s face is repeated in the coo, giggle, smile of the infant.  The parent’s countenance comes from a welling up of love, free love, offered to the child – a joy, a delight; a sharing of living spirit.

How do you look after your visage, your face, your countenance?
Imagine being in the desert with Moses, waiting at the bottom of Mt. Sinai for him to come down from the mountain.  It is dusty, dry, little water.  There would be wind that at times would feel like sandblasting. The sun would make one sweat.  To see one with a shining face would be quite the contrast to the main experience of the people.  Moses’ countenance was noticed and stood in contrast to the faces around him.  It was obvious that a transformation had occurred.   In our world do we observe such transformation in the faces of others? In our own faces?  Do we see transformation in this space, after talking to God in prayer?   Most of us would say no, we do not see transformation in peoples’ faces because of prayer.

I wonder if the face, ones’ countenance, is no longer a medium to show the mystery of God, or the reflection of God.  In our world it is easy to change ones’ countenance: we use makeup, hair dye, coloured contacts, waxing or plucking, shimmering creams, plastic surgery.  Countenance is within our realm of control.
Perhaps  we no longer experience Moses’ or Jesus’ changed countenance because transfiguration is shown in a way, a state, a realm, where we have less control: a counter-cultural dimension.

If you were describe the current state of our lives, what words would you use?  “Busy” would top most lists.  We are busy.  If transformation is ever to occur would it not be something that stands in contrast to busy.  What would that contrast be?
 
When I think about  people who exhibit a transformed life, a life where their belief has changed them from the inside out, when I ponder someone lifting up their countenance, I am reminded of people who are a very real presence.   Have you ever been in the presence of someone who exudes calm?  It’s as if they have a bubble around them that just oozes a pulsing peace.  This kind of transfigured person lives from the fullness of faith and feels no need to talk, generally they listen well; when sick they will simply hold your hand, touch a shoulder, nod a knowing smile; in a high stress crisis they speak slowly, with intent and direction; at contentious meetings they bide time and offer in a quiet voice a way to re-envision whatever the discussion is about.   This type of person is a joy to be near, a delight to interact with. One feels loved and can’t explain why or what the person did to have one feel that way.  Encountering people with such a presence is like the people seeing God reflected in Moses’ face, and the disciples seeing a change in Jesus’ appearance.  It is a holy moment.

Today I invite you to take a few moments and consider that what we do here in this space is like going to the mountain.  We have come here, as a community, to talk with God; face to face.  As we pray, as we sing, as we communion, as we share Christ’s peace... picture and think, “I am talking with God.  I am changed by this encounter.”  Perhaps  you come to church believing that God looks down on you with favour because you have come; but think again, you have come to talk with God who is present.  God breathes in, through the community, and from the tips of our toes, through our beings, exploded out and fills this entire space.  God lift’s up God’s countenance upon us.  There is energy. There is a filling.  There is a sending.  You are changed, transformed.  You have been filled to go and be counter-cultural.  Go in Peace. Serve the Lord.

Wed. of this week the season of Lent begins; traditionally a time when Christians have given up something- often fat foods - in order to focus more profoundly on repentance and Jesus’ journey to the cross. For your Lenten journey this year, instead of “giving up”, face each day with a counter-cultural countenance.
Take with you the responsibility of the words, “Go in peace and serve the Lord.”
Let us pray.
God we talk with you today.
Prepared to soak in your countenance so that it may reflect in our lives.
Fed and transformed by your Word, we go into the world, faces unveiled.
In busy-ness or crisis, let us display a countenance of calm
In a time-crunched world, let us live a countenance of patience
In a matter of fact, black and white, no time to be amazed society, let us embody a countenance of wonder and awe
In a consumer driven economy, let us shine with a countenance of gratitude and giving
Where despair is spreading, let us grow a countenance of hope
Where sickness prevails, a countenance of healing
And overall, in all, through all, a countenance of  Presence.
A countenance of Love.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Jasmine Balls and Transfiguration

It is a cold day in February, one where the windchill doubles the degrees below zero.  The sun is shining and the air is crisp. Upon coming in from walking outside one instantly feels heat on their face.
There are some for whom even the thought of a day like today makes their hands frigid. The "cure", the grace, is a cup of hot Jasmine Ball tea.
There is grace in wrapping ones' hands around the cup for warmth.
There is grace in the light fruity smell that reminds one of spring days, warming sunshine, and quiet garden nooks.
There is grace in the liquid warming one from the inside out.

What is amazing is that Jasmine balls are hand sewn, sometimes very intricately with a clover or chryanthemum flower included.  The balls are tight round masses of what looks like pine needles.  When steaming water is poured over them the balls open up leaf by leaf and look like a flower floating in the tea pot.  It really is a beautiful dance -from hard and closed, to soft and beautiful.

Life is often like this.  As are the simple circumstances people meet in the world every day.  The coldness of February has people hunch over to stay warm and keep the kind at bay; warm air causes the body to straighten up.  Tea goes even farther in opening one leaf by leaf, softening the complaints of the day and the stresses of life.  Pausing for tea makes one more beautiful.

Transfiguration Sunday approaches, a time when sacred texts speak of a change in countenance brought about by an encounter with the Holy.  Do my encounters with the Holy change my countenance?
As I reflect I am drinking a cup of Jasmine ball tea.  I ponder that this cup of tea changes how I feel, ergo how I will now act towards everyone I meet this afternoon.  There is grace in the cup.  Dare I say that I have encounter the Holy in this sweet smelling brew?

Monday, February 4, 2013

Who said....

"THE BLESSED IDIOCY OF GRACE"

Today I am working on writing part of the Comprehensive Paper for my Doctorate of Ministry studies.  I found the above phrase scribbled in the bottom margin of a page.  I liked it then and I like it now.  I would like to read more.
Does anyone know what scholar said these words?

God Is Known- Eye to Eye, Heart to Heart

  The following lines from today’s scripture weave together in my mind.   I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their he...