Unprecedented! (Pent 16A, COVID reopening)

the window at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection placed in memory of those who lost their lives in the Halifax Explosion, Dec.6, 1917.

On that particular Sunday it was a two-fold celebration.  In the morning the people were commended – praised with the words of Nehemiah 4:6: So we rebuilt the wall...for the people had a mind to work.

In the evening the people gathered to give praise to God with the words of Psalm 26: 8: O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.

This was August 4^th, 1918. It had been 8 months since the congregation -the members of this church- had met in this space. 

On Dec. 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax harbour, producing the most devastating human-made explosion in the pre-atomic age. Thousands died and were injured, sections of the city destroyed.  The church record book records that “among the killed were 17 Lutherans (this doesn’t include the Norwegian sailors on the SS IMO). The church property was also badly damaged.” ---damaged such that the church building closed, to reopen 8 months later (as the records state), with repairs fully made, the church reopened with appropriate services. 

It has been 6 months since we gathered in this space, in-person. We are greeted with the words:

..in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.

By no means have we forgotten the Lord our God over the past 6 months, by no means have we not been filled over the past 6 months; today feels different - fuller. Today is a celebration of weathering a storm, keeping faith in changing times, living through a time of drawing on Word rather than sacrament to fill the hungry heart and thirsting soul; today is about the abundance of God and praising God for our ability to bear witness to the Word through new expressions and practices, and finding ways to stay in community when face-to-face is not possible.

Today I feel like, we are returning to the Lord – you see, I was once again comfortable – church life was happening in a scheduled way: online services were working, Bible Study by email led to reflecting and articulating what we have read and sharing a diversity of thought; coffee conversation had deepened my own self-reflection and getting to know others; council was meeting, there was lots of music available for whatever mood I was in, hymns with words to feed the soul.  And now – with a little trepidation, our practices change yet again. Today we will have bread- sacrament; albeit in a different way, but we will have our fill of bread.

 I kind of picture myself in the wilderness -like the Israelites- full of fear, anticipation, lots of questions, wanting to ensure my basic human needs will be met, wanting a plan, wanting an end date for the journey.  I can see days of wondering about where to worship God in a strange place while on the move. I ponder the awkwardness of approaching God with how I feel...which very well might sound like a pile of complaints, but are only an expression of fear articulated in prayerful conversation.

Today standing here, in your midst – those here, those with us live on Facebook, those who are listening to this sermon via Youtube- we gather as a large community...and in our gathering we hear the word proclaimed:

I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.

Over the past 6 months, have we not gathered enough for each day?Yes, we have.  And we are here today, changed through the experiences of engaging with God, faith, and community in alternative ways – we are here gathered together in an expanded form of community; in three ways and remaining one.

The two texts for today are one in their message to us this morning. They share a couple thoughts in common. First there is grumbling and complaining: the early workers came to the landowner expecting more than a days wage based on the generosity shown those who started late in the day – when they received just the daily wage – they grumbled.  The Israelites in the wilderness complained too – no water, no bread, no meat.

I am sure that over the past 6 months you have complained – grumbled – just because. Yet, as a community there has been an overwhelming articulation of gratitude: comments on FB, notes and emails coming to the church, spoken thanks when paths cross, the giving of tithes and offerings. This speaks loudly and clearly about how we embrace God’s word and practice it; the behaviour expected and experienced in this faith community. The truth is it is not about us – this expression of the commonwealth of God is rooted in the beginnings of this sacred space. 

For us, these are unprecedented times, however this sacred space in its 100 and some years of history has witnessed another ‘unprecedented times.’  Built in war time, a few years later being badly damaged and rebuilt (once again during the same war) in the chaos of the aftermath of the explosion, as well as dealing with ongoing spread of tuberculosis, and then the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 --- unprecedented times were filled with hope.  In troubled times, Resurrection lived into its name; resurrection, life. Living faithfully was literally building the Gospel in bricks and mortar, and sharing the abundance of God in a time when resources were rationed and scarce.

The second thought that the readings have in common is a challenge to conventional views- the stories are not about scarcity, but, rather, abundance. And the abundance is for everyone! not dependant on a person’s work, ability, position, tribe/race... In both stories, abundance -bread from heaven- is given and received in troubling times: the Israelites are a displaced people fleeing slavery (refugees), the labourers are the dispossessed in a broken society occupied by a foreign power.

This morning’s parable from Matthew ends with pointed questions: Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?

If we put God as the landowner and speaker of these words, God is then the giver of abundance – full wages- recognition, hope, bread, life; an invitation and welcome for all.  An unprecedented action! An unprecedented expenditure of abundance!

At any time, but more poignant in unprecedented times, people of faith have options: A people can complain about what is and compound the complaint by grieving about what is missing.  A people can be envious of what others have and what others are doing. Another option is to set to work to rebuild a wall, as the people did in Nehemiah’s time – rebuilding the house of the Lord – in other words build/grow the commonwealth of God.  This congregation, during WW1, chose to build the house of the Lord - twice. This congregation, during pandemic, chose -chooses- to build the commonwealth of God. We do that by building community and sacred space with the tools at hand. It is challenging, it is different, it is new creation, it is being faithful, it is sharing the Gospel with every means possible, it is bringing Christ to the world ... unprecedented times are not about death. Not in this place.  Unprecedented times through the abundance of the commonwealth of God is what our fore-bearers ingrained in this sacred space, and in our ethos, in our hearts...unprecedented times are about resurrection.

This is our name.  This is who we are.  This is who and what God expects us to be in this time and place. Resurrection.

This morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.

And with that bread -with hope and life and the abundance of God- we will go to make sacred places in our own homes,  and then set out to share God’s abundance with the world.

I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. ... resurrection for unprecedented times. Thanks be to God.