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TRINITY UNITED CHURCH
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost - Season of Creation
Sunday before Remembrance Day
November 6, 2011 - 10:30 a.m.
"Preparation. What For?"
For a period of maybe six months during my time in the Army, I was in a Field Medical Unit. We were a well equipped hospital, fully prepared not only to care for casualties but to do complex surgeries. In those days we didn't fly them on to a large hospital as readily as they do today. We had our own base, buildings, storage area, bowling alley. In reality we didn't have a hospital building or patients; our hospital was stored in metal chests and loaded on trucks. Our primary purpose was "to be, ever and always, prepared." In theory our purpose, should the balloon go up, was within two hours to pass in convey through the gates of the military base and blow the place up behind us. We were off to war. It could be argued that as a field Hospital we were prepared; that was our job. Were we prepared for the reality of war? That was a much larger question.
This morning we read of the renewed covenant between God and the people as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. They have left behind slavery in Egypt; they have experienced the Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea; they have lived the forty years wandering in the wilderness; they have received and struggled with God's laws. Now another generation prepares to enter, under Joshua's leadership, the Promised Land. Joshua is at pains to make the demands of the covenant clear. They are committing to have only one God in this new land. Equally, and more so, they are committing to live God's way in this new land. They have already struggled with God's law; now they commit to no other. They are well acquainted with foreign gods; now they commit to forsake them entirely. The third aspect is probably most important of all: they are not preparing just to survive; they are committing to be a part of God's future and to trust God with their future.
What does our faith prepare us for? Our faith prepares us to ask for and to expect to receive God's blessing. Our faith prepares us to be corrected by God; to understand ourselves as sinners. If nothing else it prepares us to follow the Golden Rule. Our faith prepares us to believe, correctly, in the revelation of our gracious God in Jesus Christ and the way of the cross. Our faith also prepares us to believe that God's future is coming to meet us daily, and we are prepared to participate in it. That is a part of our covenant with God in Jesus Christ as Christians. Are we prepared to hold onto it firmly?
To prepare or be prepared. In the 1950's our society had people building bomb shelters in their backyard. The purpose of a bomb shelter was to be prepared in the event of a nuclear bomb falling near you or radioactive fallout on you. It did make you wonder if you couldn't afford to build one. The purpose of that kind of preparation is survival. Today we might think of having a stock of food supplies in case of a prolonged power outage. Today our society, our world, asks us to be prepared to take our part in a progressive world that we will create; science and human ingenuity will make it happen. As the Baby Boom generation launches their first members into the golden years, there is much talk about the need to be prepared for our retirement. The younger generation who will be called upon to support us is urged to accumulate resources for their own later years. Preparation is about accumulating resources for later day. As parents we are to prepare our children to take their place as adults in the world. Preparation is, thus, about supporting, teaching, and learning.
The story of the ten bridesmaids challenges us. For one thing, we are challenged by the unwillingness of the five to share oil with the other five who ran out. We can note all ten are prepared to wait. Five are not prepared for the unpredictable aspect of the wait; that the grooms return is not theirs to control, but to respond to. Preparedness is being ready to go when God opens the door. One writer suggests that that deep commitment to God's future is not something we can give to another; it is home grown on my and your faith journey.
A belief in God's future is part of belief. In the experience of the Israelites covenanting with God as they enter the Promised Land, it is presented in quite a stark way. In the story Jesus offers of the ten bridesmaids waiting for the groom to come, it is presented in quite a stark way. Maybe that starkness isn't accidental; it names a vital aspect of Christian discipleship. The way of the cross was God's future come into the present. It will not be so much our creation, a manifestation of human ingenuity, as a preparedness to see the opportunity opening in front of us and walking through it expecting grace along the way.
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
November 13, 2011 - 10:30 a.m.
Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123; I Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
"Risk & Reward"
We read this morning about the great risk taker, Barak. He is so courageous, such a risk-taker that he only leaves home when challenged by the prophetess/judge Deborah and when assured of having the presence of God with him. Then he is prepared to be a general and lead an army. Except for that he would have remained at home looking after his own affairs for better or worse.
There is something timely about visiting the parable of the talents today. Risk and rewards are almost, if not, a part of our daily news. The "Occupy" campers are protesting the acknowledged fact that, at least in American Society, more and more wealth is accumulating in the hands of 1% of the population while the 99% become marginally poorer. They are singling out banks and bankers who take home annual paycheques of several million dollars. The same banks that led much of the world into the 2008 mini-recession we have yet to recover from, and fear it will grow into a full blown recession. Yes, the bankers took the risks; the costs are now being carried by the average taxpayer. I was listening, a couple of weeks ago, to an American professor who reiterated the American myth. Namely, it is the right of every American to become rich, and, further, if you are not gaining riches, it is somehow your own fault. It is named a myth, yet it is so widely believed and accepted that it shapes American society and life. Risks and rewards.
What does the parable of the talents offer us? We might begin by noting this is a Kingdom parable; Jesus is saying, "The Kingdom of God is like." The Kingdom of God is the fulfilment of Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection. The owner, thus, is like God, the giver and creator of the Kingdom. We further note, the owner entrusts all to the slaves. God is not investing 50% here and 50% in another part of the divine portfolio. Recall what your financial adviser tells you about having a "balanced portfolio." God has one investment - the Kingdom of God. God is generous; God doesn't hold back. God is aware of varying abilities and makes adjustments for them. God's willingness to risk what is God's is significant, if not, well, outrageous.
The aim is the Kingdom of God. Thus it is reasonable to say that what God gives and risks is the material needed to create the Kingdom. Whether it was five talents or two talents or one talent, a talent was a package of the building blocks of the Kingdom. The parable isn't about the slaves, any one of three, becoming personally wealthy. The talents are about participating in creating the Kingdom of God.
The slaves given five talents and two talents risk all each was given for the Kingdom. And their investment was doubled. Here's an interesting thought. Nothing is mentioned about what would have happened if they had lost it all; risk and loss go together as do risk and reward. It could be said that what God gives can't be lost. Yet you and I know discipleship can be bungled. Punishment isn't mentioned for losing your talent(s); it's the lack of risk that is called into question.
The one talent slave, after receiving and burying his talent, what did he do? Presumably, after marking the location he went about his own life; maybe a little anxious, maybe not. He or she had abilities and those gifts were recognized by God. The slave continued with whatever abilities he/she had and invested them in survival, maybe accumulating some of the comforts of life. Here's a thought. Maybe she/he got rich. The skill set she/he possessed was what was required in that culture to become wealthy. What this slave didn't do was invest in the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ.
Christian believers, you and me, believe God is the giver of life and talents according to our abilities. Indeed, our abilities are a gift from God. Discipleship is about investing those talents in something that doesn't yet exist fully, the Kingdom of God. It is coming into being in Jesus Christ. We need to invest our talent or talents in that becoming and unfolding. That is our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ. One closing thought. If we invest our life and discipleship in what is already of the Kingdom of God, and we are afraid to risk in the Kingdom coming, whatever it may look like, then do we not share something with the one talent slave? Churches, congregations, individual disciples must invest in maintenance; all things, including human beings, age and wear out. We can assume the five and two talent slaves made some investments in maintenance. The rewards were in their investments in the Kingdom coming and unfolding.
Reign of Christ - Christ the King
November 20, 2011 - 10:30 a.m.
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46
"Christ of the Heart - The Heart of Christ"
There are meaningful and poignant moments in the life of any relationship. The first time someone says to you, "I love you." The occasion when you have talked half the night with a friend and you know you have been listened to and heard, and not judged. And you have listened yourself. The moments when your contribution has been valued and that gift named. The realization that you couldn't imagine your life without the other person or persons as a part of it; he or she or they have settled into your heart and psyche; they take up space in you.
On the more challenging side, there are those moments as you work your way through a period of tension and stress when you are told: "It's not all about you." Whether such a challenge is true or not may be a question; the fact that the words are worth listening to is not. If nothing else, they are worth checking out. I something think about these words, this challenge, when I ponder my discipleship. Do I get so wrapped up in how I am doing that I forget it is God/Jesus in me that is seeking to be expressed and lived? It is equally a relevant question when we read our Bible. Do we read and listen with a focus on me, or on our God and Christ the Bible points us towards? We ponder the verses we read from Matthew's Gospel, listening for what it says about us? And alternately, what is it telling us about Jesus?
Jesus speaks of a judgment, and that's a challenge for us. First, because most of us dislike being judged; second, because it leads us to focus on how we will measure up. Jesus holds onto a number of criteria: I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; I was naked and you gave me clothing; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me. Quickly we recognize these acts are things we can do, by some measure at least. And if we can't see ourselves doing all of them, for example, visiting in prison, there are others we can act upon. Note, as well, these are not acts we can precisely measure. What is enough? What is doing it well? They don't fit with the image of punching a time clock when working in a factory. Nor can most of us imagine keeping a journal we have to turn in at the end of the month. In fact, we are confronted with the question, how do we measure up? The thought I invite us to note is that if that is our focus as we read the passage, when somehow it becomes all about me. I am being judged, thus I focus on how I might measure up and past the test.
A second way of reading the passage is to ask what it is saying about God, and Jesus? If these questions are the important ones to Jesus, then what does that say about him? It tells us that Christ, the Christ is focussed on human need; that somehow Christ will be found with and in the needy of any society. That Christ is about living the compassion of God. That being poor is not a criterion for discipleship; being aware of the needs around you is. To read this passage with this focus tells us about the heart of Christ and the God he reveals.
To be a following of Jesus is to be in a relationship with him. That relationship may have different emphases for different folks. For some folks it may have a stronger intellectual and rational focus; the conversations, the questions and answers sessions, even the arguments may be vital to the relationship. For other folks it may be more emotional and deeply personal; to feel and know the embrace of God may be the vital element. One way or the other, for it to be a living relationship it needs to be a part of our heart. And for that relationship to be rooted in our heart is greatly helped if we know the heart of Christ. It may not offer precise measures of measuring up; it will surely keep us going in the right direction and we will not get side tracked by thinking it is all about me or us.
Today we end the church year; we sum up the Christian journey in the words, "The Reign of Christ." To have Christ reign in your heart is to open your heart to the grace Christ offers. It comes alive with meaning when we know the heart of Christ.
First Sunday of Advent
November 27, 2011 - 10:30 a.m.
Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; I Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37
"Hope at the Bottom of an Empty Well"
The occasion was military; the atmosphere was very compassionate. Wednesday evening past, I attended an Awards Night at the local Legion in Tweed. The guest speaker was (now) Major General Jonathan Vance. One reason why the Tweed Legion can invite such a high ranking officer is that General Vance is a hometown boy. General Vance, we might recall, was Commander of Forces, Canadian and American, for the Kandahar region of Afghanistan for something over a year and a half, 2009 - 2010. The main theme of his talk was war, our experience and understanding of it, and how it has changed. Peace was another topic, and that's what I want to hold up this morning.
General Vance drew upon the example of past major conflicts, World War I, WW II, the Korean Conflict, Iraq, all conflicts in which Canadians were involved. These were conflicts, he recalled in which, to use his term, "the two sides duke it out," until one wins and a peace between winners and losers was signed. We can't use that example of peace in Afghanistan, he said. Peace is a much more fluid experience, one without a fixed point. Canadians made an enormous and significant contribution in Afghanistan, including 158 service personnel dying; we left a lot of buildings and social organization that wasn't there before. Peace now needs to continue to be worked at. How it will unfold, we don't know? But that is the nature of peace. It is a continuing movement towards something beyond the present, whatever the present is.
A second experience of that evening was an absence. One of the legion members, her name is Evelyn, has been ill for some time, and getting progressively worse. Her liver has now ceased to function at all and she is waiting for a transplant; slowly moving up on the list of recipients. She now is next, simply waiting. She was absent because she needed to be near the telephone at all times, ready to go to Toronto. I invites us to think of Evelyn this morning. If I was, or you were, Evelyn, what would you be hoping for? You are very seriously ill, your liver has ceased to function, and a transplant can save your life. The transplant is not a sure thing. There is the question of finding a match; even with an international search going on, time may run out. Even with a match it may not take and rejection could set in, and anti-rejection drugs may not work. I don't speak for anyone but myself. Needless to say, I would be hoping for a donor; I am hoping a match; and I am hoping for a match that works.
Still, is that the extent of my hope? Is this gift of time the limits of my hope? For me, no. My hope needs to be larger that these gifts I can hope for, to the gift of hope that nurtures me even if these fail. I need the gift of hope that is beyond the measures I can envision. You will be interested to know that yesterday afternoon, uptown, I heard that Evelyn was on her way to Toronto; a call had come.
This morning we read what is often called "Mark's Little Apocalypse;" Jesus talking about predicting end time. We could spend much of a day talking about the imagery, language, and meaning of the Apocalypse. It is found in the Hebrew scriptures, think of the Book of Daniel, and the Christian scriptures. The gift of the Apocalyptic language and imagery, leaving all else aside, is that they speak of hope. Apocalyptic language comes to the foreground when life feels like that of Evelyn waiting for a liver to become available. Mark's Gospel was written around 70 CE. At this time Christians were being expelled from the synagogues and the Romans had destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and tightened their grip on the populations because of a Jewish uprising; people were dying. Life was deeply threatening. The apocalyptic vision shifts the gift of hope from anything that this world can do to new activity by God. It shifts hope into the unknown, but also into the promise of God.
Jesus makes that promise in the coming of the Son of Man. Jesus calls disciples to be awake because the hope isn't under our control. It's not so much a hoped for, as a hope in. In the little story Jesus adds, of a man going on a journey and leaving his slaves in charge, each with their work to do, and the doorkeeper to be alert, the ending doesn't include the return of the owner. The experience is premised on keeping awake and a hope that is beyond.
The prophet Isaiah writes of a relationship that has gone wrong, badly so. His answer, interestingly enough, isn't located in repentance, the usual remedy. It is in the relationship with God. He reminds God, like Moses when the people built the golden Calf, "Now consider, we are all your people" (Is. 64:9). There is hope.