Two Practices for Advent

 As many of you know, I teach the seminar portion of a Supervised Ministry Practicum class at the Atlantic School of Theology. This past week I was reviewing the book that students are writing their next papers on: Gordon Lathrop’s, The Pastor: A Spirituality.  To end his section on, The Pastor on Preaching: Word,  he urges preachers to focus on two practices – practices that will help the preacher preach and most certainly benefit the hearer-  lively attention and rich imagination.

I am so glad that I decided to pick up and take a fresh look at this book.  The words really spoke to me as I consider this new church year and a journey through the season of Advent. I think the practices of attention and imagination are the practices for everyone to embrace and focus on during this season.

 

The practice of attention – we hear today in the Gospel- Watch for signs – a darkened sun and moon, falling stars to mark the end of time. Jesus’ plea of “Keep awake” is very much one of ‘pay attention.’ Jesus speaks of people knowing the signs of the seasons – summer is coming as the leaves come out on the fig tree. This is akin to observing items as described in the farmers almanac: a narrow width striped on the woollybear caterpillar, an abundance of acorns, or lots of holly berries to determine the harshness of winter. Others note the melting of glaciers, the rising of temperatures, the extinction of animals as signs of the global warming.  There are also those who practice contemplative arts – who pay attention- seeing God in the sunrise, hearing God rustle in the leaves, and wowed by dew on spider webs; filling themselves with a spirit of gratitude.

It certainly doesn’t take much attention to notice that the world is hurting: environmentally, socially, politically, spiritually, emotionally. The signs are clear, warning signs have already turned to reality. The season of Advent offers us imagery and time to reflect on alternative possibilities and relationships – moments of wonder- that can so easily be missed or lost or forgotten.

 

The second practice of Advent counters warning signs that have already turned to reality.

The practice of imagination.

Lathrop’s book describes a letter he received from a friend where his friend quoted the English poet and philosopher William Blake, with Blake more or less saying, imagination destroys tyranny. And then Lathrop continues: Tyranny defines truth literally using that definition to hoard and distribute power. Imagination embraces the other, mystery, and the rich varieties of ambiguity.  Imagination at least has the possibility of serving a community.

Let’s think about this for a moment.

Jesus lived in a time of Roman tyranny. It was a time of unrighteousness on the part of Chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees.  Truth – fake news- was spun to keep power and hoard wealth.  Into this environment Jesus didn’t pour facts, state claims, or dictate rules or lists, rather Jesus asked questions, used similes, and told stories. The questions Jesus asked were not the one word answer sort – they were the kind that had no answer or 100  answers. Jesus’ similes were windows into describing the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God is like... thoughts one had to ponder. The stories – the parables are still confounding readers today; they are not plots that wrap up nicely, they are like stories with many interpretations.

To this world, Jesus taught in a way to activate and grow people’s capacity to speak and act in a different way to the world around them. To live outside of what they were conditioned to be, to live beyond what they were experiencing, to live God’s dream for creation. Jesus was trying to activate peoples’ imaginations so that God’s reign could and would become reality.

 

William Blake wrote:  The world of imagination is the world of eternity. It is the divine bosom into which we shall all go after death of the vegetative body. This world of imagination is infinite and eternal, where as the world of generation is finite and temporal.  --- “The Complete Works and Prose of William Blake” p.555

The world of imagination is the world of eternity.  Jesus knew that without imagination,  there can not be found: Hope in sadness, peace in chaos, liberation in captivity. There is no Freedom from bondage, life in death--- no Joy. No love – without imagination.

I attended a seminar that included a discussion on the how-tos of building healthy and wholesome brains in children.  Basically the brain is divided into different areas, each with a specific group of responsibilities. -Housekeeping, emotion, and thinking plus.- The brain's first priority is survival of the human: breathing, heart beating, finding food and water for fuel, protecting oneself from dangers. The more the brain works on tasks of survival the less energy there is for other parts of the brain and human development.  Research has been gathered showing that children who face repetitive trauma and live in precarious situations have heighten senses for survival, to the detriment of emotional and thinking abilities.  When children come out of such situations and are in safe places, educators/mentors/parents have a role in encouraging development in those parts of the brain that were set on hold. Yes, for wholeness of person, there needs to be a point made to grow the brain.  One of the best ways to foster this is to provide open-ended building opportunities. To grow imagination one needs to be given toys that are all about making decisions – but decisions that are not a list or a pattern or regulated or mapped – a toy that allows putting together and taking a part, so that there isn’t right or wrong, just the act of creation.  The suggestions offered in the seminar were wooden or Duplex blocks and  Lego.  The figuring out ‘how’ the blocks work grows the brain, thinking about ‘what’ to build grows the brain, considering ‘how’ to go about creating the ‘what’ grows the brain, finding solutions to problems as one is using the Lego grows the brain; making decisions of colour, figuring out space, conceptualizing, deciding to tear it down at the end... To some of you this may sound so very simple, but, I have watched children living in trauma – and met adults- for whom building with Lego or wooden blocks is next to impossible. If they are alone the blocks remain blocks – looked at – maybe moved around, but nothing created; and if with others they will copy whatever the person next to them is making.

 

We are in the season of Advent and we are looking out on a world facing repetitive trauma, with more and more people finding themselves living in precarious situations. People are living with heightened senses for survival, to the detriment of emotional and thinking abilities. Advent is calling our attention to this – pay attention – Jesus said,  “keep awake.”

And in Jesus’ manner, following in Jesus’ footsteps, respond to the world in a different way – a way that dissolves tyranny, precarious situations, and repetitive trauma.  In order to look at the world – renewed- by infusing it with hope, peace, liberation – themes of advent. To do this we need to be diligent in developing our capacity for imagination – so that we are better prepared to be conduits of God’s reign!  We need enormous abundance in our imaginations, and as a faith community, to dream what could be, can be, and imagination enough to say this WILL BE and then act using our creative powers to make it happen.

 

So what am I suggesting for practicing imagination:

When you go grab a deck of cards to play solitaire - build a card house instead;

When talking on the phone, doodle in the margins of whatever is lying near by;

Play with building blocks or buy yourself some Lego – even if you don’t have grandchildren to play with – treat your brain to new ways of thinking;

Make a gingerbread house – if you buy one in a box, get extra items to add and build with;

Read a Jesus’ parable every day and ponder the ins and outs of it ...

 

Practice attention and practice imagination – it is through these practices that we prepare for Christ and for birthing God’s reign on earth.

Robert Fulghum, in “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” wrote:

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe love is stronger than death.

May the stories of the season, themes of the season – hope, peace, liberation, freedom, joy, love-, and your growing imagination be the catalyst for the birthing of Christ in this place and time.

 Amen.

DIY Advent Wreath Project with Pastor Kimber

Reign of Christ - Living Courageously

This is our book end for the month of Nov. We began the month with the theme of living generously. Today we consider living courageously.

How does living courageously pair with our reflection on the reign of Christ?

When we talk about martyrs and saints it is often people from a long long time ago.  Tomorrow is the commemoration day for Miguel Agustin Pro, a martyr who died 1927.

Augsburg Fortress’ Sundays and Seasons resource describes Miguel’s life like this:

Miguel Agustin Pro grew up among oppression in Mexico, where revolutionaries accused the church of siding with the rich. He was a Jesuit priest who served during a time of intense anticlericalism, and therefore he carried out much of his ministry in private settings.  He worked on behalf of the poor and homeless.  Miguel and his two brothers were arrested, falsely accused of throwing a bomb at the car of a government official, and executed by a firing squad.  Just before the guns fired, he yelled, “!Viva Cristo Rey!” which means “Long live Christ the king!”

It is almost a 100 years since Miguel died a martyr –  a martyr for doing what Jesus speaks about in today’s gospel.  He lived courageously to bring the reign of God to earth in the midst of oppression in Mexico. Who here is ready to live the reign of Christ courageously in this century?

 

Miguel was by no means the first martyr. He had many examples to follow, all of whom followed the example of Christ – Jesus’ teaching what the reign of God looked like, can look like, on earth- and died for courageously living the example. Jesus - courageous Christ.  While on earth Jesus was connected to the faith community; Jesus went to the Temple; Jesus participated in rituals – like Passover; Jesus read scripture, prayed, and sang hymns; Jesus sat and learned with rabbis and teachers.  In the context of a faith community Jesus courageously challenged the religious leaders, and confronted others with how they interpreted and lived God’s kingdom. Jesus courageously asked challenging questions and opened uncomfortable conversations. In the end Jesus out of a courageous expenditure of love died for the community. This outpouring of love confounded death and  brought the reign of God into the possibility of being made alive in human community; through Christ  and in connection with community it was / is possible to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

 

Leadership events and seminars are keen on having participants write goals and personal mission statements.  As an exercise groups of clergy in the Synod were invited to do this. The mission statement I had was ‘to be a passionate expression of God’s grace.’  We were then put into groups to tell others our mission statement and listen to their responses to our statement.  The others in the group were to assess whether or not the mission statement fit, based on their knowing the person who shared their mission statement. The Bishop was in my group when I shared my mission statement. He felt that the mission statement fit – except – I had not included a vital  word he would use to describe me; courageous.  Never in a 1000 years would I use that word to describe myself. I have 100s of slightly embarrassing  examples of not being courageous. As he explained the description, his understanding of courageous was what I consider my normal outlook and articulation of life around me, my genuine sense of wonder, how my creativity and enthusiasm oozes – who knew that it is seen by others as something special, unique, something that takes courage to do and be – to me it is just my normal; nothing courageous about it.  Others saw courage to be oneself, courage to tell the truth, courage to express ones’ self, courage to believe in the simplicity of the gospel – a knowledged naivete.

What happened through this event was an addition to my personal mission statement:

My mission is: To be a courageous and passionate expression of God’s grace.

 

I share this with you this morning because confirmation Sunday reminds me that the promises made in baptism and at confirmation are courageous. We make promises to live courageously. It takes courage to be part of a faith community that challenges us be in relationship with God and others; to work together for the common good when so many are only concerned about themselves; to share good news when around us the world too often repeats the negative; to strive for justice and peace when the world too often fights to be richer and better than another. We are asked to live courageously.

 

Some of you will have heard of Stella Bowles, a student and public speaker from Bridgewater who received the Order of NS for her  environmental activism. At the age of 11, as a science project, she started to collect and test water from the La Have river. The river was a mess. Stella wasn’t able to swim in the water because of straight pipes dumping raw sewage into the river.  Her work to help the river, her courage to speak up and to act, led to a $15.7 million clean up. She lived courageously -to serve all people – creation- a Christ example where courageous action changed the water from a state of death to life.  We are asked to live courageously.

 

Since COVID this congregation has been courageous. We have had the courage to engage in conversation, confront issues – I’ll be it forced on us in some way – although we could have ignored the news and what was happening in the world. We had the courage to continue coming to this community via online and through email;  the courage to speak, listen, and discuss issues that included domestic violence, mass tragedy, racism, social inequality, living wage, homelessness, war, politics, investment in green energy; as a community we live courageously as we to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

 

As a community we live courageously, 6 generations daring to gather together – all with different needs, expectations, and understandings. This is not all a think tank where we all think exactly the same or are told exactly what to belief or what to do. No we belief and act not in the absolutes of black and white, prescribed rights and wrongs, rather we courageously embrace the difficulties of life being filled with areas of  grey. At confirmation we  “promise to live among God’s faithful people; ’ a most courageous act -  to be part of a community, all of whom we may not like, but willing to challenge and be challenged by each other, open to honest and deliberate conversation, willing to change and be changed, encouraged to speak the things that take courage to say; and most importantly encouraged to live courageously by being you!

Nicole and Emma – live courageously -   Be you!

 

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ parable has the faithful asking: When was it that we saw you: hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, in prison – and take care of you? The faithful were doing these things, bringing God’s kingdom, living courageously and oblivious to that fact because that is who they were. And that came from connection to God and a community with a mind for encouraging compassion, compelling participation in service ministries, and inspiring an authenticity of being.

Today as a community of faith we are excited that you choose to live courageously – to look beyond the promises offered in the world, to engage with concepts and beliefs bigger than yourself, and to be challenged to figure out your personal mission statement,  how you are being called to bring the reign of God to earth.

 

‘Together we will give thanks and praise to God and proclaim the good news to all the world.’

Long live Christ! Vivo Christo Rey!

WAR - The Frontline - Collective Wisdom (Pent 24A)

After hearing the scriptures this morning, are you feeling significantly shocked?!

The text from Judges is most certainly about war and most certainly comments on God’s orchestrating it.

First a history lesson:

This part of the Bible – the time of the judges is a period of around 450 yrs., beginning after Joshua’s death circa 1200 BCE. As Israel moved into Canaan there was little interference by any strong powers from outside – like Egypt or Mesopotamia (that would later be the Empires of Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Rome). Israel faced new nations forming in the Transjordan, raiders from the Arabian desert, Canaanite city-states, and the newly arrived Philistines along the Mediterranean Sea. Conflict was localized, growing from tribal jealousies. Israel was a confederacy of 12 tribes, loosely organized, and held together by a common basis of worship and social responsibility – held together by their fore-bearers and their shared covenant with God.  They would meet in the confederate sanctuary in Shiloh, and in times of crisis rise together in action in the name of the God of the covenant. For the most part tribes did their own thing, each having their own local chieftains or family heads.

It was also the period of judges. A judge was a nonhereditary position given to one upon whom rested a special charisma – an endowment of Yahweh’s, God’s, spirit. Authority of the person was recognized by the clan and by surrounding tribes.  People of the clans visited judges for mediating legal disputes; the judges applied covenant law to peoples’ lives and interpreted the law for specific cases.

The judge introduced to us this morning is Deborah – Deborah a charismatic leader who in the name of the covenant God corralled the tribal confederacy to go into battle against the Canaanites. 

This battle has religious meaning  - the Bible text in Judges describes that it was  God who lead the army out into the theatre of war and gave victory by intervening via thunderstorm; the battle was so epic that even the stars joined in the battle – historic and momentous the battle is recorded in Judges 5 as an epic song with victory praise going to the God of Israel.

As Empires rise on all sides,  Israel’s tribal confederacy faced pressure – tribes asked for a King so that they might be like other nations.  This was a  shift in understanding and practice. It would mean that tribes were no longer united by a common devotion to God and the covenant, or necessarily sharing a common worship and social responsibility – the tribes wanted a centralized government; where the government was what held common identity.  

Faith survived this change in understanding. Beyond the Confederacy, the voice of God in the charisma of the judges had expression through the prophetic tradition – where God spoke to the King, or Kings, through a prophet who reminded them/called them back to the covenant – a covenant of relationship in worship and social responsibility.

 

Move ahead 2500 years or so, explorers set out to discover lands ‘flowing with milk and honey;’ to take what land was ‘discovered’ in the name of God and in name of country. Arriving in the Americas, settlers found tribal confederacies and peoples, and in the name of God pushed people off their land, set tribes against each other, instigated war, bought and used people to fight the other settler groups who were also claiming the land in the name of God and country.

War is recorded in the Bible because war has always been apart of the human experience. And God -being part of human experience and understanding- has been placed right alongside the tellers of the tale into the heart of the war.

War conversation in the Bible upsets us because we want to believe that God is better than that – better than the role humans have written God into –  it comes down to ourselves, the war stories upset us because we want to believe that we are better than that.

 

It would be unfortunate to leave the conversation overshadowed with the human preoccupation on and proclivity to war. The idea of the judges is worth taking a moment to understand.  Setting society up with a system of judges rather than kings was God’s idea of doing something different; having people purposefully live differently – so as not be like other nations.  The focus was applying the law of the covenant – relationship – with God, with others.

The idea of judges was to show that there were options when facing conflict. For instance that conflict could be resolved without violence, without bearing arms, without going to war – that through a covenant mediator, a judge, people could embrace reconciliation, reparation, restorative justice, renewed relationship, that there could be negotiation even collaboration.

 

A second history lesson:

Canada just marked Remembrance Day where we take time to remember and to reflect on war.

Luther wrote: “War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity, it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.”

 

In WWII the Evangelical church – that’s the Lutheran church in Germany - shock hands with Hitler. Churches were places of flags, banners, and propaganda; and at the same time behind the scenes- churches participated in the underground transporting of people -Jews in particular- to get out. Churches towed the party line hosting state dignitaries and being visibly present and supportive of the Reich in public political gatherings. There were churches who stepped out- sending their pastors to universities abroad to teach – but really to let the pastors tell the truth of what was happening. Some pastors were chosen by the government to go abroad and be spies for the authorities – do it and send back information, failure to do so would mean imprisonment or death for them or family members.  Some pastors remained in the safety of North American university life while others went back to Germany to be with their people. Lutheran pastor Bonhoeffer who started an illegal seminary outside the church of the day was active in attempts to assassinate Hitler.

In the Canadian experience of figuring out what to do, who to be during WWII: we created internment camps for Japanese Canadians, gave Black and First Nation’s people more rights as soldiers than as citizens, German Lutheran congregations gave up their language so as not to be associated with their country of origin, Lutheran pastors were tarred and feathered in small town ON. Conscription caused heated conflicted between English and French Canada. Some chose not to fight – to stand as conscientious objectors – like Mennonites, 7^th Day Adventists, Quakers, on the grounds of faith   As the war came to an end, the Lutheran church in Canada reached out to Displaced People of Europe – Germans and Eastern Europeans; forming Canada Lutheran World Relief to open the homes of Lutherans in Canada to those refugeed by war.

 

The history lesson of the Lutheran Church and people of faith in WWII illustrates a myriad of options – without any one option being wholly acceptable or wholly flawed. The church, faithful communities, individuals were thrown into the theatre of war -having to make choices quickly in the midst of change. How does one make such choices and understand or see all the options? How does one faithfully weigh conscience, beliefs, acceptable actions, duty, social responsibility, and remain able to say one’s prayers at night?  This is why the Bible contains stories that make us uncomfortable – why we read of peoples’ experiences and how they interpret God in them, around them, through them. So that we might have the chance to reflect should we one day have to make such choices. And we hear it in community so that we might have conversation and reflection together.

 

In the 1980s the church went through a period where an effort was made to clean up what was heard at church. The readings for today would definitely have been expunged; out the door with all the great stories of lions, fiery furnaces, and children being eaten by bears (yes that does happen in 2 Kings); all to focus on the happy feel good stories. However, as you have heard me preach before, those very terrible stories to a parent of the 1980s were the very stories that placed a framework within a child’s brain.  When someone has a frame work -a black and white story of good and evil- as one grows and starts to question because of circumstances faced in life, then the story can change, be added to, taken away from, questioned, thought about, gain more dimension.  That is what is happening with the adult story we hear today. All this talk of war is a reflection of the human condition -and instead of sweeping it under the rug- people of faith are being asked to wrestle with war, faith, relationship with other people, solving conflict, violence, and where does God fit into all of this.

 

I have no answers this morning -outside of why I feel such texts are included in the Bible- I don’t know what I would do in a time of war, I certainly have taken time to reflect on it; and have much more reflecting to do. I have heard many stories from faithful people who have experienced war, who interpret God being active and apart of the experience – right there beside them: God present in escaping, in hiding, in fighting, in offering mercy, or being shown mercy.  I would like to belief that those holy conversations, that my relationships with you and our talks about how God is and how are we to be in the world; that our connection to the God of the covenant, our common worship and social responsibility --- is so much apart of me, that any choices I make, options I look for, are made, trusting in this collective wisdom.

 

God -involved in the human condition-

When confronted with conflict may we have courage to seek options without violence or war;

When war is at our door and there are no choices that are acceptable be at our side

And let collective wisdom be our guide.  Amen.

 

 

 

Mirror of Joy

 

 

As a little girl I looked forward to Advent – although not much of a singer – I was drawn to the hymns of Advent. In fact quite a few are on my all time favourite hymn list. In the newest hymn book some have moved from the Advent section to section labelled ‘End Time.’ 

In the hymns, what resonated with me was the tone; I could feel– a hopeful sadness, a peace in chaos, a breathe of liberation in captivity.

 

It seems odd to talk about the season of Advent when it is yet 3 weeks away – however, once upon the time Advent was longer, beginning in mid-November, and marked as a time of fasting and abstinence – a time to prepare oneself for the coming of the Lord, as in not Christmas but rather the Second Coming.  Our scripture texts coincide with the practice – for the next few weeks we read sections of the Bible that talk about the end times. A vast array of images are thrown at us to contemplate: living the reign of God and bringing it to earth, Jesus’ return, the gathering of saints, judgment, life after, our own mortality and virtue. Spin-offs of any one of these contemplations can keep me awake night after night.

 

I was not sure what I would preach today until I noted the hymn of the day chosen by Tim -Wake, Awake for Night is Flying – I was immediately drawn to memories of my younger years, in my home church, drawn into the hopeful sadness, a peace in chaos, a breathe of liberation in captivity. What is more needed as we look out into this world facing those things that have been described as the announcement of the  ‘end of time’:  reverberating waves post US election, pandemic at the door, catastrophic natural disasters the world over?  It is time to sit and bask – soak in – the hopeful sadness.

 

Wake, awake, for night if flying, the watchmen on the heights are crying; awake, Jerusalem, at last. Midnight hears the welcome voices, and at the thrilling cry rejoices; “Come forth, you maidens! Night is past.  The bridegroom comes! Awake; your lamps with gladness take!” Alleluia! Rise and prepare the feast to share; go, meet the bridegroom, who draws near.

 

These words were written by Philip Nicolai – a Lutheran pastor- who grew up in a time of religious war in Europe. Several times during his ministry he had to flee and go into hiding -the church met secretly in homes under his leadership.   One of his pastorates was in Unna, Germany. In 1597-8 the words of the hymn just mentioned were the gospel preached via song, sung from his heart to his people.  In that year, Pastor Philip witnessed 1300 parishioners die of the plague; 1300.  It is said that while comforting the sick and the grieving, he did as many as 30 funerals a day- all winter long.

In his spare time – or better put, one of his ways of coping and articulating what he was feeling –was through writing two pieces of music: Wake, Awake and O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright! These hymns are extremely important in the history of music. Dubbed ‘the King and Queen of chorales’, both the words and the music were written by Philip.

In Bibliographic Sketches of Memorable Christians of the Past, James Kiefer states, “If pure quality, without   respect to quantity, were our criterion, Nicolai would be ranked as history’s greatest choral-writer, and one of the greatest hymn-writers.”

... because of these two hymns.

The quality is rich because the art came from a place where there are few words, where the Spirit groans and sighs on our behalf. The hymn came from a pastor’s heart who was articulating the gospel, speaking to the hopes and fears of the people with whom he lived and served. For his community of faith – and for many more in the century following, to today- he captured the contemplation of the ‘end times.’ The Word – along a simple string of notes – is an expression of encouragement through a statement of faith; Christ overcame death and the cross, and so too allows us to overcome death and the grave.

 

Zion hears the watchmen singing, and all her heart with joy is springing.  She wakes, she rises from her gloom.  Her dear friend comes down, all glorious, the strong in grace, in truth victorious: her star is ris’n;  her light is come.  Now come, O Blessed One, Lord Jesus, God’s own Son. Sing hosanna! Oh, hear the call! Come one, come all, and follow to the banquet hall.

 

This hymn celebrates the coming of Christ. It focuses on the heavenly hosts, singing; and joy!  To his faith community Philip expounded on the JOY of the Second Coming – not judgement. This is the beauty!

Perhaps to modern ears it is uber – beyond how we might describe heaven, with gates and gold, exuberant singing – the uberness is to correct -to balance out the messages being received from the world.  

In a few minutes when you hear the hymn sung, note that there are no words or images of judgment. Nicolai is not pounding people on the head reminding them to repent, to set their hearts right, or to do good works of any sort to save their soul. The hymn is so very Lutheran in theology – in the very middle of the hymn are the words “strong in grace.”  Everything hinges off this phrase.

Because of God’s love for the world...

Because of God’s continued commitment to the Covenant...

Because of God’s willingness to become incarnate...

Because God chose to die -not for need of sacrifice to assuage God- but to show the very depths of love to which God will go for each of us... so that we might in a small way grasp this Love – this pure gift of Grace- and once experiencing this Love be so overwhelmed with JOY -our whole lives are changed. That is: our attitudes, the way we live, how we birth God’s reign, how we focus on grace -not scaring people into believing because they are afraid of judgement – but sharing a JOY that comes from the Creator of life itself.

Where it becomes words of love and mercy that turn peoples hearts to God.

Philip Nicolai’s  two hymns were attached to a booklet of Mediations. I just love this - called – Freudenspiegel, translated, Mirror of Joy.

Even after the past few months, I can’t imagine being a pastor in the time of Philip – in the midst of religious war and pandemic – grieving 1300 parishioners; 30 funerals a day, every day. 

Philip gives us an interesting perspective and a way to proceed in troubling times.

Freudenspiegel – Mirror of Joy. 

 

One item I like to have in my yard and love to find in other gardens are mirrors. The mirrors have an interesting way of reflecting light through foliage, creating mysterious wrinkles, making an area look bigger, a window to another dimension, providing a never ending backdrop.  I think this might be the image Philip is talking about. Christians living grace in the world is like being the holder of a mirror.

The mirror is a window – a portal- illuminating flickers of hope, sparks of love, particles of possibility, a glance outside of the present to relationship far bigger than ourselves, an opening to the mysterious, an expanse where grace can seep into a world that otherwise -without the mirror- would continue to wallow in chaos, despair, judgement, purgatory, guilt, sin, evil, death.

 

At our baptisms we were commissioned to let our lights shine, to share God’s redeeming love with all the world.  We have our lamps lit, but unlike the bridesmaids in the parable, we need not hoard the oil. We can accentuate the light – reflect the light, spread love farther.  Hold a mirror  and practice capturing hope, peace, and liberation and redirecting it back into the eyes and hearts of people passing by. Be a reflection of JOY.   Be ready, be watching, be awake, to mirror -Hope in sadness, peace in chaos, liberation in captivity- and thus blanket the world with joy.

Mirrors work that way.  I have been on camping trips were a mirror was used to redirect sunlight, the reflection of the sunlight lit our little pile of wood shavings with a spark; in time and with a little care we had a whole blazing fire.  It was glorious.

 

Gloria! Let heav’n adore you! Let saints and angels sing before you, with harp and cymbal’s clearest tone. Gates of pearl, twelve portals gleaming, lead us to bliss beyond all dreaming, with angel choirs around your throne. No eye has caught the light, no ear the thund’ring might of such glory.  There we will go: what joy we’ll know! There sweet delight will ever flow.

Living Generously

 

For those who have been astute you will have noticed that the past few months, liturgies have been designed for a season at a time with one bulletin for the three weeks: the past three weeks were focused on thanksgiving.  When looking at November I realized one liturgy would not fit all – today being special because of All Saints, the 22^nd because of confirmation  -- so I went looking for something to link everything together; and I found two bulletins from an old stewardship series.  The series focused on stewardship as a way of life lived from the Source -God- the creator and sustainer of life.  Today’s stewardship theme and bulletin cover is “living generously.”

Often when I read scripture, I come to it with an open a mind as possible. Once settled, I read the words of the selected Bible passage and see what grabs my attention and consider how the text speaks to me in that moment. Myself and others did that this week when contributing to the two-bit Bible study.

Another way to approach the text is with a theme in mind and see what the text says in regards to the theme.  With ‘living generously’ as a direction to add to the text – what a treasure trove!

GENEROUS:  a great multitude that no one could count; from every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne

GENEROUS: see what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God

 GENEROUS: the Blessed are-s ... a generosity of living in spirit, heart, humbleness, patience, peace, faithfulness

 

In recent months, I have felt a little weird. I am an introvert and enjoy my bubble very much. I have enjoyed not going out to meetings and groups, and not running around picking up or delivering things here and there and everywhere.  What I find disconcerting is that avenues through which I have been generous -beyond financial gifts- have been put on hold or discontinued entirely. There was no baking of muffins for the Phoenix drop in centre, no quilting for CLWR; I have not made any prayer shawls; no volunteering to lead worship at Northwood, Bible Study at the Gladstone, and so on.  Outside of tithes and financial donations, what does it mean to live generously in a time of pandemic?

 

Years ago stewardship resources printed a story that many of you will have heard.  The story goes that a woman phoned her local church asking if they were accepting frozen turkeys to put in their holiday hamper outreach program. The church was and the woman dropped off the turkey – only for the church to find the sales tag still on it.  The turkey was 23 years old!

Not the best example of living generously.

 

GERNEROUS - This is All Saints Sunday, a day we remember those who have died in the past year and keep in our prayers those who continue to grieve. Many of those remembered today are people for whom you are grieving, only a couple of the names here are people who I personally knew and loved.  Living generously we create a space to hold each other: generously allowing freedom for tears, naming, remembering, being okay and not okay. Where else in the world can we share our inner griefs, mess of emotions, and dare to hope, drawing on the hope and faith of the community?

If we take a moment to consider the lives of our loved ones being honoured today, I imagine there lives shared a wealth of generosity; maybe not all the time but moments, in passions – generous in love, generous in friendship, generous perhaps in wisdom, humour, a helping hand.

One of the examples experienced at Resurrection -of a life living generosity- was that of John Labelle.

Consider the generosity of time, generosity of patience, generosity of passion, generosity of energy- to fight for veteran rights and pensions. Living generosity was taking what had been given to him and using it to make whole a section of God’s reign.;  giving not for ones own sake but for the sake of others.

 

GENEROUS:  a great multitude that no one could count; from every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne

Living generously is an attitude as expressed in Revelation chapter 7.  It is accepting and promoting, fighting for and supporting; understanding in the heart - that we are from every nation, tribe, people, language – all beautiful, all included, siblings of each other. Living generously is living out the attitude in thought, word, and deed; in whatever form is necessary.

 

GENEROUS: see what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God

Living generously is part of our DNA as expressed in the letter of John.  Belonging, being children of God, being loved --- there is an expectation that we live from this love, generously sharing love with the whole of God’s creation.

 

GENEROUS: the Blessed are-s -the Beatitudes- are... a generosity of living in spirit, heart, humbleness, patience, peace, faithfulness.  This is living generously as described in the gospel of Matthew. 

And perhaps here is the nitty-gritty, the how-to, of living generously.  

As generosity goes, the list of Beatitudes, is rather short, but each one can be defined in so many ways.  For centuries commentators, theologians, and preachers have expounded on the meaning of each item in the list. By no means do I consider the list of beatitudes a complete list – I see them as an approach to life. When living into even just one of the blessed are-s, one is opened to an abundance of generosity.

 

Recently Reader’s Digest magazine collected stories about generosity – many are lovely instances of people living generously during COVID – delivering groceries, acts of kindness, supporting others. Some of the stories were older:

In August 2016, Cari and Lauri Ryding came home to find their rainbow flag had been stolen and their house egged. Anti-homosexual vandalism wasn’t at all what they expected in their close-knit Natick, Massachusetts, neighborhood. As it turned out, it also wasn’t what their neighbors expected. “We said, ‘Why don’t we all have the flags? They can’t take them from all of us,’” Denis Gaughan told the Boston Globe. Within days, the rainbow flag—the symbol of gay pride—was flying in solidarity with the Rydings on over 40 other homes in this family-friendly area. “One person’s act of fear and maliciousness created such a powerful statement of love,” said Lauri. “Love wins. We win.”       Source: The Boston Globe

GENEROUS – living generously is LOVE, love incarnate, love alive, God’s love - love for all, in all, though all.  As we look in to a continued time of ‘weird,’ take some time to reflect on living generously. At the heart of being generous is love. Love those with whom you live – be generous in patience, in understanding, in forgiveness.  Love those whom you know – be generous in keeping in touch, in checking in. Love those you meet – be generous in following COVID protocols, in politeness, in kindness. Love those whom you do not know – be generous in prayer, in action, in sharing the passion and gifts you have.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Counter-reformer within the Catholic church of the 16th century, developed a practice of Spiritual Exercises.  The exercises were based on the Gospels and focused on experiencing and living God.  Ignatius wrote a prayer of generosity - that I ask we pray for ourselves and for our community - that we may live generously:

Lord, teach me to be generous.

Teach me to serve you as you deserve;

to give and not count the cost;

to fight and not heed the wounds;

to toil and not seek for rest;

to labour and not ask for reward, except to know 

that I am doing your will.  Amen.

Stewardship is a way of life, lived from the Source – God- the creator and sustainer of life. Today’s text concludes with one more piece of generous living.

GENEROUS – in praise-

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen

Spoken Word: Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word

 

Lord keep us steadfast in your word

word - a noun-
a. single. distinct. meaningful. element.  ... of speech. or writing. used with others (sometimes alone)
word upon word - this is how we communicate:
articulating thoughts, telling stories, expressing feelings, teaching truths, passing on what matters, sharing the Gospel   - sharing The Word.
The Word – with a capital ‘W’
The Word – as in the word of the Lord; the law, a command; truth – the text of scripture
The Word – as in the Word made flesh; the Word embodied; Jesus
Lord keep us steadfast in your word.
 
What does this mean for us?
Reformation Sunday is here and the Word swirls in a mass of alphabet soup– we hear that:
the law  -the word- SPEAKS
it is SILENCED
it is WITHIN
it is WRITTEN
it is DISCLOSED
it is TRUTH
Reformation Sunday is here and the Word swirls in a mass of contradictory words.
What does it mean for us that...
God’s word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever.
The Word in the hands of Reformers through the centuries:
has been Spoken, translated, silenced
English reformer, Bible translator, and theologian Wycliffe – persecuted in life, a heretic and excommunicated in death.
English Reformer, Bible translator, and theologian... Tyndale – executed.
German reformer, Bible Translator, and theologian... Luther – excommunicated.
Czech reformer, writer, and theologian... Hus – executed.
A word to the wise – translating the Word, the Bible, has led to excommunication and execution more than once, more than twice, more than three times.
Word has it that bearing the Word ... is dangerous!
Catherine of Alexandria, Joan of Arc, Manche Masemola- take their word for it;
All women whose vocalization of the gospel -their preaching and teaching about Jesus – the Word made flesh - ended in their death.
I am at a loss for words to comprehend the need to kill someone because of words...
 a. single. distinct. meaningful. element. ... of speech. or writing.
Unless
Unless we are not speaking, disclosing, writing about household words
The Word must have power that causes those in power to use four-letter words because –
The Word is alive. You can’t kill something inanimate or dead. One is not terrified of something inanimate or dead. The Word must be living.
It is not two-dimensional on a page but is written on hearts that are three dimensional and pumping, read in actions speaking louder than words.
 
But louder than words means nothing if one is not as good as their word.
One need only hear the rhetoric, the so called ‘truth,’ as words fly by -butting, antagonizing, bullying- to kill, to silence, to end relationships; or cover them with so many words that people are lost in an excess of words: printed, videoed, and tweeted.
Words of treaties -the covenant made between two peoples – fade because one side sets the words on a shelf; saying mums the word
Until
Until voices are raised; threatened by the power of words, that were thought to be locked away- so take to lighting fires to burn the Word.
Words hurt. Words have power.
Words heal – truth and reconciliation the telling and hearing of stories; digesting each others’ words. Words that are every bit alive as the experience itself. Word embodied.
 
Spoken word artists know this; they don’t mince words.  They don’t read poetry, they bring life to each word – poems on steroids;
 the speaker is invested because each word matters, each word is birthed;
 each word is a living word.
 
We have these words- the Word- living word.
Word is living.
We know when it isn’t – when it is silenced: stolen by stroke, held captive by dementia; bullied -truth in bondage to fear. Words reduced to ... idle tales, unlinked memories, severed connection; engulfed in frustration,  sadness, loneliness...
 
A word of advice -for all- including persons of few words
What does this mean for us?
 Reformation is living Word, transformation is embodied Word
every word matters – the Word matters-
To spread its light from age to age shall be our chief endeavour.
In times of great change where words are weapons, where words are blatant lies, where words have no context, where words have lost their meaning
Re-invigorate word – the Word- our word.
It can be done. Word can change, take on new meaning; truth and understanding changes:
Awesome, awful, terrific, nice, prestigious
The definitions of which are opposite to their meaning a century ago
The same with:
Villain, Bully, harlot, silly, garble, artificial, nervous – are now the opposite of what they once were.
In other words,  it is not too late to live the Word of the text for today –
through you let Word:
SPEAK, be SILENCED, be WITHIN, be WRITTEN, be DISCLOSED, be TRUTH!
May the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart
Be your Word of mouth so compelling, so alive,
Embodied by Word – in the Word- be living Word.
To spread its light from age to age shall be our chief endeavour.
Healing Word. Reconciliation. Hope. Liberation. Freedom.
Every Word Matters.
Lord Keep us steadfast in your word –
so that when I come to the end of my chapters, the end of my words
Word has become actively lived:
That my words – heal more than they hurt
That word is embodied in action
That word spoken is truth - word that is not is silenced
That my prayer is beyond words
 
My legacy – when all that is left is a whisper of a voice,
A whisper – the Word breathed to those around me
The last breath of life given to the hearer
Received so that it might remain living word to once again be birthed...
may my last whisper, the last word be
‘I love you.’

Better Than Nothing

 Text:   1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10

 

As a school aged child, I had the pleasure of my grandparents living next door. After school my brother and I would walk home from the bus drop and would veer into grandma and grandpa’s house for cookies before reaching home.  Most days grandpa would ask, “What did you learn at school today?”  The general response was “nothing.”  When I graduated from my masters degree,  grandpa remarked at how impressive it was that one could achieve a degree having spent 20 years learning nothing.

 

Of course, I had learned many things over the years. On most days, however, when asked I really couldn’t recall what I had learn; or it was too difficult to articulate.  I can look back over the years, now, and I could go on and on about what I learned. While at school there was no time for this sort of reflection and seriously at the time it really didn’t matter to me.

 

I suspect that for many of us church is similar to my school experience. Imagine going home from church today and a grandparent, or housemate, or dinner guest asking you, “what did you learn at church today?” What would your response be?  ...Nothing?  Now think of all the times you have been to church, if you were asked every time you left – what would be the general response?

 

We have learned more at church then we realize. And today I am going to make it easy for you by giving you an answer:  Today I went to church and learned to write a letter. I went to church and learned to read/hear a letter.

 

Somewhere over my years at school I learned to write a letter, in fact a wide variety of different kinds of letters and templates – with salutations, punctuation, bodies, and postscripts. This morning we heard the beginning of Thessalonians, a letter read over five weeks in the lectionary. The letter to the Thessalonians, in Paul’s hand, is unique in form and substance compared to what I learned at school.

Today’s text – the opening portion of Paul’s letter-  is in three parts, including: a salutation, thanksgiving, with an emphasis on the gospel’s effectiveness. 

 

We hear the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. My guess is that we hear it as positive – but have never taken the time to investigate further. We have failed to realize that there is some important information to ferret out of this sunny intro; more depth than niceties  – it is a letter that could be read again and again.

It reminds me of a friend who is digging through old letters of one of her ancestors.  She is gathering information from the letters, then taking the tidbits of information and investigating other historical documents, to piece together a fuller picture of the life and times of this ancestor. It is fascinating!

We can do the same with Paul’s letter.

For me it is Paul’s enthusiasm -read between the lines-  joy inspired by the Holy Spirit; that captures my attention. This is the oldest letter of Paul’s in the Bible, written around 50CE. This is early in his ministry – having had some difficulty at Philippi, Paul went to Thessalonica and established a congregation there. This letter was sent to one of the first communities who accepted Paul and Paul’s telling of the gospel. I am sure that Paul had a special place in his heart for them, and that their actions -their faithfulness and witness to the gospel- buoyed him on in his adventurous and dangerous travels.

 

The letter is an encouragement to the people to keep on keeping on, by living as models of the gospel and godly-living. They are to continue exemplifying faith, love, and hope for new Christian communities, particularly important in the times in which they find themselves, an antagonistic environment with harassment common, and persecution a potential reality.  When I hear the letter – I hear the words – and I translate the letter to speak to our current time. What congregation would not welcome such words? To hear that they were a model of Christian living – showing the gospels efficacy through faith, love, and hope?

Looking at the statements in the text, we learn how to be such a Christian community. The learning points from the opening chapter of the letter are:

*greet one another in blessing, peace, and grace

* pray for each other and give thanks to God

* show commitment through faith, love, and hope

* pass on the gospel to others; others will follow, and imitate the lives of faithful Jesus’ followers

* remember that persecution is a real possibility

* be welcoming and offer hospitality

* leave idols behind

* serve God

We have learned far more then we realize being in church week to week.

That is why the learning points from the letter to the Thessalonians sound familiar. We have heard them before in a multitude of variations – in the Ten Commandments, through the prophets, in the life of Jesus, in pillars of the faith, Christian teachers and mentors.

 

Today I am encouraging you to go into the world with the learning points from the letter to the Thessalonians and with the intention be a model of the gospel’s effectiveness.

Even though it might feel like you know nothing, you have everything you need.  You are able to greet others with blessing, peace, and grace. You can pray for each other and give thanks to God.  If you choose, your life can model faith, love, and hope. You can be welcoming and offer hospitality.  You can do these things as an individual, and with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, engage your congregation – your faith community- to exemplify the gospel, leaving idols behind and serving God.

 

As a challenge I invite you to write a letter. In these times of COVID; in times of trouble, uncertainty, and immense change Christian communities could use a little love and encouragement to keep on keeping on.  Consider writing the letter with other members of your faith community – choose a recipient:  a family, specific members in the congregation, the church council, your congregation as a whole, a neighbouring church, another Lutheran church in your Synod, maybe your Synod office, or the National Office.  In writing, imitate Paul’s letter. Offer a pastoral blessing and greeting, enthusiastically encourage the recipient; note specific examples of their faithfulness, love, and hope; give thanks for their continued commitment and effort to living the gospel. Speak of Jesus and the promises that come in trusting and following. Remind the reader of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

 

What did you learn in church today? ...  Let me write you a letter. I will show you.