St. Andrew's sermon archive

Parkview Presbyterian Church - October 5, 2008

2008-10-05T20:54:00.000-06:00

The following sermon, based on Luke 24:13-35 and Ezekiel 37:1-14, was preached by the Rev. Amanda Currie for the closing worship service of Parkview Presbyterian Church, Saskatoon. The service was conducted by the Presbytery of Northern Saskatchewan on Sunday, October 5th at 4:00 p.m.

�Jesus came near and went with us�

This is not the first time I have attended a final worship service for a Presbyterian church that was closing. I remember being at the closing service for a little church in Hull, Quebec � Cushman Memorial Presbyterian Church � when they decided to close and their few remaining members joined with my home congregation in Ottawa. Many of us attended that service to sing in the choir and to welcome the folk from Cushman into the fellowship, service, and mission of our church.

But this is the first time that I have had the task of preaching at the dissolution of a congregation. It was up to me to choose the scripture texts for today (none being prescribed or even suggested for an occasion such as this). But surprisingly, as I reflected on this point in Parkview�s journey, the texts I would select quickly became apparent.

As your interim moderator from October 2006 to June 2008, I was with you as you made the difficult decision to close your doors. When I thought about the disappointment and disillusionment that many of you experienced at that time, my mind quickly went to Cleopas and his friend on the road to Emmaus.

These two disciples of Jesus were reeling from the shock of what had happened to their teacher, and how his ministry had so quickly and completely come to an end. They�d been part of Jesus� ministry for a long time � not 97 years, perhaps � but likely several months or maybe even a few years. But the length of time doesn�t matter so much as the fact that they had fully invested themselves in his way of life, in his mission to the world. They believed that he was the one � they hoped that he was the one to Redeem Israel, and they had given up everything else in their lives to work with him.

Sometimes I wonder why the disciples were so shocked by Jesus� death. I mean, Jesus� teachings and his actions had always brought him into conflict with the authorities. There were lots of hints that they wouldn�t put up with him for long, and Jesus had even told them several times that he would end up getting killed. I suppose it was just too difficult for them to face the reality that Jesus wouldn�t be with them forever � that things were going to change.

So when Jesus did finally get arrested, and when he was tried and sentenced and executed, his disciples were sent into a tail-spin. Jesus was dead. It was over. And they were walking away, sad and disappointed.

I imagine that some of you may feel something like those disciples at this, the end of Parkview Presbyterian Church. You have invested your lives � your time, your money, your energy and commitment � into the ministry of this church. And as you see it coming to an end, the disappointment and disillusionment may lead you to want to walk away in sadness and defeat.

But it was then, as Cleopas and his friend walked along the road trying to make sense of Jesus� tragic end, that Jesus himself came near and went with them. We don�t know exactly what Jesus said to them as they went along. But it involved an explanation of the scriptures, pointing to the fact that Jesus had to die in order to be raised again and be glorified. Maybe Jesus mentioned the metaphor that he�d used earlier in his ministry � that when a grain of wheat falls to the ground it dies so that it may take root and grow into a new stalk.

At that point in their journey, the disciples could not yet take hold of the good news that they were hearing. All they could think about was death. All they could focus on was the memory of the past ministry they had shared with Jesus, and they just couldn�t deal with the fact that it was over.

For Parkview, today is a day for remembering and celebrating your past ministry with Jesus.

Cleopas and his companion likely remembered the day Jesus fed the crowd with only a few loaves and fishes. You will remember many church suppers, pot lucks, and food shared with local missions over the years.

The disciples likely remembered the times when they sat with Jesus to soak up his stories and teachings � how they struggled to understand, and how his wisdom changed their minds and hearts and lives. You will remember bible studies and church school classes, and the preachers and teachers of Parkview Church. And you will remember the ways that God�s Word made a difference in your lives as you explored it together.

The two on the road likely thought about how Jesus had sent them out in his name to preach and heal. They probably remembered how scary that was at first, and how Jesus encouraged them to go in faith and confidence. You will remember how you grew in mission and service through this congregation � how you learned to share your gifts, and how you took part in doing Christ�s work.

The disciples likely remembered how Jesus healed the sick and befriended those who were outcast. I hope that you will remember this church also as a place where healing happened � in relationships, in hearts and spirits � and where a community was formed � where you found yourself a part of the family of faith.

Both the first century disciples and today�s disciples at Parkview were blessed with the opportunity to join in the ministry of Christ. Both experiences included many high points and lots of struggles too. And both communities have the challenge of accepting death and imagining that where there is death in one ministry, God can indeed bring new life and hope.

The Session and members of Parkview have already begun to imagine the new life and ministry that will be born out of the closure of Parkview Presbyterian Church. We already know that through the funds and assets of this church, new churches will get their start. We have hope that through Parkview�s gifts, the Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry will grow strong and continue to make a difference in the lives of our Aboriginal sisters and brothers. We expect that other ministries will also be strengthened, including Camp Christopher, Native Ministry in the north, and other new missions and ministries within our presbytery.

In a sense, the hope that we need to take hold of is very much like Ezekiel�s vision of the dry bones. He knew that God had the power to bring life out of death, to turn despair into hope and new possibility. Cleopas and his companion needed that kind of vision before they could know that the end of Jesus� ministry among them did not mean the end of Jesus� ministry through them. And as they worked through their thoughts and feelings about everything that had happened, Jesus came and went with them.

Let me assure you today that Jesus will come. In fact, Jesus has come to walk with you on this your journey. No, it�s not the end of the journey yet. Did you think that this congregation closing meant that it was over? Certainly not! I am sure that God still has many plans for you, and that a great deal more of Christ�s mission will be done through the people of Parkview Presbyterian Church.

Recently, we have been encouraged in our Presbytery to think about Saskatchewan as a mission field. Together, as Presbyterians in this part of the country, we have a great deal of work to do in sharing the good news about Jesus Christ with all people.

Well, the disciples on the road that day did meet Jesus and walk with him. And Jesus did explain to them that his death did not mean the end of everything. But it wasn�t until later that they fully knew and fully trusted that he was with them � that he was alive. You see, they paused from their journey and they invited the stranger to stay with them. Then, when he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.

Today, as we gather at the table that he has prepared, may God open our eyes that we may see Christ and truly know his presence. May we be fed and nourished by God�s Spirit, so that we will be equipped and ready for the missionary journey that still lies ahead. Jesus has come near, and he goes with us. May God bless our journey together. Amen.

October 5, 2008

2008-10-05T19:35:00.002-06:00

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 11-20
Matthew 21:33-46

A few weeks ago, I caught an episode of The Simpsons on TV. Some of you likely watch The Simpsons (an animated program for adults), and others of you may find the show annoying or even rude. But those of you who do enjoy The Simpsons probably appreciate it as a humorous social commentary. If you want to have a good discussion about politics, education, the environment, family life, or religion, an episode of The Simpsons can often be a good discussion starter.

Anyway, the episode that I watched a few weeks ago began with a scene about the Hebrews camping out in the wilderness. While Moses is up on the mountain talking to God, we meet some of the Hebrew men down below.

First, there is an artist � a sculptor. He�s working on his latest creation (a beautiful golden calf) and he�s already praising it as if it were a god. Then there�s his friend who�s obviously a player. He just isn�t a �one woman man,� you might say. And then there�s the character represented by Homer Simpson. His pockets are full of other people�s stuff. He�s a pick pocket and a thief, and he�s pretty good at what he does.

But all of a sudden Moses shows up. He�s just down from his latest conversation with God, and God has given him some rules for the people to follow. Moses says, �You shall not make for yourself an idol� you shall not bow down to idols or worship them.� And the artist says, �Oh man! I�m out of a job! What am I going to do now?�

The men start talking amongst themselves and miss the next few commandments. But then they hear Moses say, �You shall not commit adultery.� The adulterer among them starts to get annoyed, and Homer starts to laugh� until he hears the next one on the list, �You shall not steal.� And Homer the pick-pocket says, �Doh!�

The scene then changes from the ancient wilderness to the modern-day Simpson family at home. It just so happens that Homer meets a fellow who offers to hook up cable to his house for fifty bucks. Everyone knows that it�s an illegal hook-up, but Homer is tempted by all the channels they could get for free, and the man encourages him by saying that it won�t hurt anyone except nameless, faceless, big business. They get the cable hooked up, and the family immediately starts enjoying all the great shows they can now watch for free.

Sunday morning comes, and Marge drags Homer away from the TV so that the family can attend church. The text for the day in Bart and Lisa�s church school class is (you guessed it!) the ten commandments. Unlike in our classes, the teacher makes it her mission to scare the children into obedience to the commandments. She warns them that if they don�t follow God�s rules they�ll go to hell. She even includes a scary description of the place.

And though Bart is relatively unaffected by the lesson, Lisa gets very concerned about the fact that her family has stolen cable. The rest of the episode revolves around Lisa�s efforts to put an end to the stealing. She stops watching TV, she argues with her father about it, and finally she convinces everyone to do the right thing.

What comes across loud and clear on The Simpsons is that God�s commandments are experienced as a hardship: �I�ve got to stop doing this?� �I can�t do that?� �I have to change my habits?�

Maybe it�s because so many of the commandments are stated in the negative� �Thou shalt not murder,� rather than �You shall respect and value all life.� �Thou shalt not commit adultery,� rather than �You shall enjoy a loving, committed, and faithful relationship with your spouse.�

I think that for many people, the ten commandments (and perhaps religion, in general) seem like a hardship and a hassle. They feel like a bunch of random rules that religious people have to follow. It�s �no fun� following all those rules. There are so many things you�re not allowed to do. And to make it even worse, churches have often added to the list of �thou shalt nots� with things like� �Thou shalt not dance,� �Thou shalt not drink any alcohol,� �Thou shalt not listen to certain kinds of music� �Thou shalt not make too much noise in church,� � and many, many more written or unwritten rules.

But at the end of The Simpsons episode, when Homer finally agrees to disconnect the cable, it�s obvious that his decision is not just about following random rules or avoiding punishment. Instead, the factor that seems to be the most convincing for him is the matter of relationship. It�s not that Homer was at all aware of how his stealing cable affected others in society, whether actors, TV station employees, or even others who actually pay for their cable use. But Homer did notice how his stealing affected his family. Lisa was losing all respect for her own father, and Homer was willing to change (to give up his shows) in order to mend their broken relationship.

Whether we�re talking about the ten commandments, other guidelines from the bible, or Jesus� all-encompassing rule of life (that we love one another as Jesus loved us), I don�t believe that God�s purpose in setting out some rules was to make our lives difficult. In fact, I believe that the main purpose of the commandments is to build and maintain loving relationships. They exist for the sake of community.

You may have noticed that the first four commandments have to do with our relationship with God. God tells us that he is the one God who loves and cares for us (God brought the people out of Egypt) and we should worship God only. We shouldn�t let other things become more important to us than God, whether objects or money or other people. We need to use God�s name with love and respect. That�s the way God uses our names, and this is to be a relationship of care and trust. God tells us to keep a Sabbath day � to join in God�s rhythm of work and rest, and to set aside time for worship, for talking with God, and for building that relationship.

By seeking to follow the first four commandments, we have the opportunity to grow in relationship with God. It�s not a matter of doing these things to avoid getting smited by God. We do them in response to God�s love, and because they bring joy, peace, and meaning into our lives.

The other six commandments are the ones that impact our relationships with other people � our families, our friends, and our neighbours. If we summarized the first four as �Love God above all,� then we might sum up the other six by saying, �And love your neighbour as yourself.�

At our first meeting of the Friday night Kids� Club in September, Judy Chow and I decided to talk about the ten commandments with the kids. When they opened their bibles and noticed what we were going to read, some of the older ones complained, �Not again! We�ve done the ten commandments so many times before!�

But we talked about how the commandments were a gift from God. God gave the Hebrews some rules so that they could get along really well with God and really well with each other. And then we came up with some rules for our own Friday night group too. Judy and I didn�t need to set down the commandments from on high. The kids knew what rules they needed so that we could get along together and with God.

1. We will pay attention when we�re reading God�s Word.
2. We will say thank you to God before we share a snack.
3. We will listen when someone else has a turn to speak.
4. We will play fair so that everyone has fun in our games.

And in the weeks following, the rules that we agreed on have been helping us to live in loving community with God and each other, ensuring that we spend time with God, and that no one is left out, or taken advantage of, or hurt.

If you were a fly on the wall at Kids� Club, you�d probably notice that we�re not a perfect community yet. We don�t follow ALL the rules ALL the time. Sometimes we do forget, and sometimes we make wrong choices too. But that�s not just a problem with kids. That�s the same struggle that all people have to choose God, to choose community, to choose love, rather than whatever is quick or easy or seemingly self-serving.

The parable that we heard in today�s Gospel reading may remind us that people can be directed by greed and fear and selfishness. Any one of us has the power to break community with our neighbours and to reject the one God who loves us.

Perhaps we are reminded of our sins and our failures all too often. Perhaps even the ten commandments can feel like another accusation that says we�re no good. We�re not good enough. But God didn�t only give us a set of rules to help us choose the way of love. God came to us. And God lived with us. And God showed us the way in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

God didn�t just tell us that we should love one another. God came and loved us perfectly. God didn�t just say, �Follow these rules, and build a community of love.� God came and loved us into relationship with him. Jesus loved even those who argued with him. Jesus loved even those who got him arrested and killed. Jesus loved even those who got scared and ran away, abandoning him when he was in trouble. Jesus loved them. And Jesus loves us � no matter how imperfectly we have followed God�s loving rules.

As we come to the table where Jesus is the host, God gathers us together in communion and community with God and with all who share this feast. We do have the power to break community. But God has the power to build community where it is broken. And we are invited to participate. Amen.

September 21, 2008

2008-09-21T08:55:00.001-06:00

Exodus 16:2-15
Philippians 1:21-30

I go back and forth in my feelings about the ministry that I am called to be involved in within the church. Some days I am hopeful and excited and optimistic. Some days I am discouraged and disillusioned. Some days I have the sense that my work is making a real difference in people�s lives. And other days I feel like the world is so lost and misguided that we don�t have a chance of making any significant difference to anyone. In fact, I would say that most of my days in ministry are filled with a mixture of hopefulness because I am engaged in meaningful and important work, and discouragement because the needs I see around me are so great and I can�t imagine being able to respond to them all.

Let me give you a few examples from my week.

On Sunday evening, I made sandwiches with the youth group for Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry. I thought it was a worthwhile way to spend part of our evening for a couple of reasons� our young people would be learning to give their time and effort for others, and people who were hungry would get some good food to eat the next day.

But I also wondered how we can possibly make it to a time when there won�t be any more hungry people. And I thought about the fact that a few sandwiches will do little to change the lives of our Aboriginal sisters and brothers. What can we do to end racism? What can we do to overcome the negative legacy of the residential schools and the destruction of their native land, culture, and way of life?

Another thing that took a little of my time this week was looking at (and trying to download) an online resource that I�m thinking of using with the youth group. It�s a short video that we watched at women�s camp this year called, �The Story of Stuff.� It�s a sobering look at all the �stuff� (or consumer goods) that we produce. First we destroy the earth to make stuff out of its resources, then we pollute the earth as we make those resources into stuff, filling the air and water with toxic chemicals. Then we buy the stuff and use it for a brief period (until it falls apart or we replace it with better, faster stuff). And then we through the stuff away, filling up the environment with all this stuff we don�t need.

This video is a reality check for those who think we are not in an environmental crisis on our planet. It�s a wake up call for all of us who are convinced by advertising to believe that we really do need more stuff. And it�s discouraging, to say the least. And yet, knowing the problem is the first step towards solving it. When I watched it, I was thinking, �I can do things differently. I don�t need so much stuff. I�m pretty sure that I can live more simply. And if other people see this video, they�ll want to change their lives too.� Somehow, the movie gave me hope that we can change this excessive consumerism problem around.

In the middle of the week, I got a call from a funeral home and was asked to conduct the funeral of a woman who had attended this church many years ago. I didn�t know her or her family, but I journeyed with them as they celebrated their mother�s life, grieved her loss, and turned to God for comfort and peace in the midst of their struggle. It was a joy for me to be the voice that proclaimed to this family the good news of God�s love for us in Jesus Christ. And it was encouraging to watch the way they embraced that message and the promises of God.

But I couldn�t help but think of the many families who have drifted away from our church and from so many other churches over the years. I thought about all the people who do not hear that good news week by week, who do not know how much God loves them, who do not experience that love in Christian community, who do not discover the ultimate meaning and purpose of their lives in loving relationship with God and neighbour.

And then I spent part of Saturday morning with some folks from McKercher Drive Presbyterian Church � one of several Presbyterian churches in the city that is struggling and searching for a vision of where God is calling them. At times I am very discouraged by our seeming inability to find a common vision and to cooperate in ministry amongst even our Presbyterian churches in the city. How can we continue with so many churches and so few people in them?

And yet, I felt very hopeful yesterday as I listened to the visions and dreams of the people at McKercher. I felt their deep love for God, and I heard them speak of their call to reach out beyond their doors. I had the sense that they were ready for change, that they were ready to do things differently, that they were eager to work with others to do something new for the sake of the Gospel. And that gave me hope.

With the crazy mix of discouragement and hope that colours so many of my days and weeks, I can relate very easily to the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness. They�d already been through so much just to get out of Egypt, and they had such great hopes for the promised land that Moses had told them about. But the wilderness place in between was so hard. There was so much uncertainty and there were so many challenges along the way.

The promised land began to seem like a dream � like a �pie in the sky� fantasy that would never become a reality. Even going back to Egypt started to seem like a reasonable option rather than continuing the struggle into the unknown and uncertain.

To go back to Egypt would be to give up. It would be like deciding that the Presbyterian Church doesn�t have a chance in Saskatoon. It would be like forgetting about families that have drifted away from church and God. It would be like giving in to our society�s push to buy, buy, and buy some more, assuming that it�s too late to save our planet or our souls. It would be like accepting the fact that some people are hungry or homeless or oppressed, and deciding that there�s nothing much that we can do about it. It�s too big a problem, with causes that go back too many generations.

The story of the Hebrew People�s exodus from Egypt and their journey through the wilderness and into the promised land is a foundational story for the People of Israel. And, as I said a few weeks ago, it�s a story that tells them who they are. Yes, they have struggles. Yes, they get discouraged. Yes, they doubt and complain and consider turning back and giving up. But they are a People that are never abandoned by God. God goes with them. God guides them. God feeds them. And eventually, God leads them into the land flowing with milk and honey.

There are certainly times in our lives and in our ministry when we have good reason to feel disappointed or discouraged. Today�s epistle reading points out that even someone as faithful and strong as the apostle Paul had moments like that. Writing to the Philippian Church from his jail cell in Rome, Paul briefly ponders the idea of giving up � of dying rather than continuing the work of preaching the Gospel.

We don�t know all the details of the persecution he must have endured because of the work he was doing. How difficult it must have been for him to hang on to hope and keep at it despite so many set backs! But Paul trusted that God was with him, giving him what he needed to make it through, just as God did for the Israelites in the wilderness. And Paul encouraged the Christians at Philippi to hang on to that hope as well.

I think what it comes down to is whether we believe that we have the capacity to do these amazingly difficult things that God has called us to do. Do we have the capacity to make peace in our relationships and in our world? Do we have the capacity to save our planet � to change our lives and preserve the earth God made? Do we have the capacity to end hunger, to provide the basic necessities of life for all people, and to create a just society? Do we have the capacity to tell the world about Jesus and his love in word and action?

On some days, I feel just like the Israelites in the wilderness. I feel completely incapable, and I�m not sure if I want to keep on trying. It�s so hard! But on days like today, I remember that God was with those Israelites on their journey, and by God�s grace they made it all the way. And on days like today, I remember Jesus and the way he lived and loved and served.
I remember that Jesus was fully human � that he was just like us. I remember the set backs that he experienced, the suffering that he endured, and the way the people around him gave up hope.

But as Jesus went through his wilderness experience, God was with him. God was in him. God provided for him on his difficult journey. Jesus went through struggle, through suffering, and through death itself. And then he rose to live again.

This is the good news. And this is what gives me lasting hope for my life, for our ministry, and for all the world. We have the capacity to live and to love as Jesus did because God is with us and God is in us. All our hope is founded on God. May we live more and more each day in that sure and certain hope. Amen.

September 7, 2008

2008-09-07T18:09:00.000-06:00

The following message was presented by Harold, Suzy, and Angie (the St. Andrew's puppet characters) by Iain Ireland, Melissa Tate, and Allyssa deBruijn. Amanda and Gwen are the ministers of St. Andrew's, and this was Gwen's first Sunday in our congregation.

I'm sorry that I can't put the expression and ad libs of the puppeteers in print for you here. Oh well! Thanks to the puppeteers for bringing this script to life on Sunday, September 7th, 2008.

Harold: Welcome back, Suzy and Angie! I haven�t seen either of you around here much this summer. Where have you been?

Angie: I spent the summer at Camp Christopher, Harold. I had a great time with all the kids and youth each week, worshipping together and enjoying God�s good creation.

Suzy: And I�ve been busy too, Harold� working, travelling� It�s been a busy summer, but I�m sure glad to be back at St. Andrew�s. Choir practice started this week, so I�m getting my singing voice back in shape� La, la, la, la�

Angie: How about you, Harold? How was your summer?

Harold: I�ve had a great summer! I have tons of stories I could tell you, but maybe since we�re right in the middle of worship, I should save them for later.

Angie: I think worship is a great time for telling stories! Last Sunday I was here and Amanda told a really interesting story about this guy called Moses. He saw a burning bush on a mountain, and heard God telling him to get some people out of

Egypt

Harold: What�s wrong with Egypt?

Suzy: Nothing�s wrong with

Egypt

� It�s a really neat place with pyramids and mummies and all kinds of cool historical stuff!

Angie: Ya, but there was a mean king in Egypt back then, and he was making the Hebrew people work really, really hard to build all that stuff. And when he thought there were too many Hebrews, he ordered that some of them get killed!

Harold: That�s unbelievable!

Angie: But it�s true, and God gave Moses the job of helping those people find a new place to live.

Harold: So� did he do it? Did Moses get the people out?

Angie: I don�t know, Harold. I sure hope he got them out, but we didn�t get to that part of the story last week.

Suzy: Maybe we�ll hear about that today. Amanda, are you going to tell us more about Moses and the Hebrews today?

Harold: Or would you like me to tell everyone stories about my summer adventures?

Suzy: Oh, Harold, we�re in church! Don�t you think we should hear a story from the bible?

Harold: Well, I suppose so� I would like to know what happened next.

Amanda: The problem was that getting the Hebrews out of Egypt was much easier said than done. The king was very powerful, and he didn�t want to lose all his workers.

Moses went to Egypt and spoke to the king. Actually, he brought his brother Aaron along to help because Aaron was good at speaking. Moses told the king that God was ordering him to let the Hebrew people go. But the king refused to listen.

Then Moses and Aaron did some miracles to demonstrate God�s power. They threw a stick on the ground, and God made it turn into a snake.

Suzy: That must have convinced the king that he should do what they asked.

Amanda: Well, no. The king still refused to listen. So God did a whole bunch more stuff to convince the king to change his mind. He sent a bunch of frogs to infest the country. They were everywhere� in the river, in the palace, even in the king�s bed!

Harold: Ewwww! Frogs in the bed!

Suzy: I thought boys liked frogs.

Harold: Ya, but not if you have to sleep with them!

Angie: So did the king change his mind?

Amanda: Nope. God sent bugs and flies and illnesses and hailstones, and all kinds of terrible stuff, but the king was so stubborn that he wouldn�t let the people go.

Harold: So Moses failed in his job. He couldn�t get the people out. God must have been disappointed.

Suzy: That can�t be right! I remember the story where they all run away from the Egyptians and Moses parts the water of the sea so they can get away. I even remember a song about it��When Israel was in Egypt�s land. Let my people go.�

Amanda: Perhaps we should all sing it together�

Praise: �When Israel was in Egypt�s land� #708

Amanda: Suzy was right. Moses did eventually get the Hebrews out of

Egypt

and away from that mean king. But to do it, God had to really hurt the Egyptians. In the middle of the night, all the first-born sons of the Egyptians died. God told the Hebrew people how to protect their sons, but many Egyptian boys were killed.

Harold: The king must have been angry!

Angie: And he must have been scared!

Amanda: He finally knew how powerful God really was, and he finally knew that Moses would not give up until the king had let the Hebrews go free. And so he did let them go.

Suzy: That is a pretty exciting story from the bible, Amanda. I guess the Hebrew people must really like that story. They probably tell that one a lot.

Amanda: Yes, that�s true, Suzy. The children of those Hebrews were called Israelites because they moved to the land of Israel, and today they often get called the Jewish people. They actually have a festival every year (called Passover) when they tell this story.

Karl is going to read the part in the bible where we learn about this festival.

Exodus 12:1-14

Harold: Those are the weirdest party instructions I�ve ever heard!

Angie: You mean you don�t normally put animal blood on the door frame when you throw a shin-dig, Harold?

Suzy: They call it a festival, but it seems more like they�re acting out the story of how God saved them from the Egyptians.

Amanda: Yes, the animal blood on the door was how the Hebrews were told to identify themselves to protect their sons from being killed.

Angie: So they do it every year to remember how God protected them.

Amanda: And when they eat the meal, they�re dressed and ready to travel. They have their sandals on, walking stick in hand, and they eat quickly.

Harold: I suppose they do that to remember how they rushed quickly out of Egypt when the king finally let them go.

Amanda: That�s exactly right, Harold. And they tell the story and celebrate every year because the story reminds them where they come from and who they are.

Harold: They�re people that once were slaves in Egypt.

Suzy: And they�re people that God loves and protects.

Amanda: And they�re people who love God too, and they worship and praise God for all the good things that God has done. The stories we tell about ourselves can really tell us about who we are.

Angie: Do we have stories like that about our church here at St. Andrew�s?

Gwen: That�s a good question, Angie. I�d like to hear some of those stories about St. Andrew�s. Since I�m the new one here, I�d really like to know more about the people of St. Andrew�s.

Suzy: I know one that my grandma told me! She was in this church right at the beginning, before this building even existed. It was back in 1925 when some churches got together to make the United Church. But some of the Presbyterians thought that they should stay as Presbyterians. They didn�t want to lose some of the special things about our church. They didn�t have a church building or a minister at first, but they got together and made plans and worked hard to make St. Andrew�s into a new Presbyterian Church.

Angie: I don�t know about way back at the beginning, but my dad came to this church when he was a kid with his family. His family was probably one of the first Dutch families in a mostly Scottish church. And now there are lots of Dutch people here, and African people, and Chinese, and Korean, and people from lots of other places and backgrounds too. Everyone is welcome!

Harold: I don�t know any really historical stories, Gwen, but my favourite memory about this church is just before Christmas every year. The outreach committee puts out trays of Christmas tree ornaments downstairs, and each one has a tag on it with a gift to buy. All the gifts are practical things for our innercity missions, and people choose a tag, buy a gift, put it under the tree, and hang the ornament on the tree. It seemed like a little thing when I first saw it, but it was amazing to watch! Last year the tree started off bare, and the floor under it was empty. But as the weeks went by, the tree got SO beautiful � full of sparkling ornaments � and the space under the tree had to be cleared out to make room for more and more gifts!

Gwen: Just those three little stories tell me a lot about this church � that you strive to be committed, welcoming, and generous.

Suzy: Stories about St. Andrew�s are fine, but what about some stories about you, Gwen?

Angie: Ya! We want to get to know you too!

Harold: Tell us a story about you, Gwen, a story that helps us to understand who YOU are.

Gwen tells a story about herself.

Amanda: Thanks for that story, Gwen. I think we�re all starting to get to know each other already, even though there are lots more stories to tell.

Gwen: Do we have time for one more?

Amanda: Yes, I think we do. And even if the service is running long, we�ll have to make some time for the most important story of all.

Gwen: You mean the story that we all share?

Amanda: Yes, the story that we tell over and over in this place� the story that tells us who we are and who we are becoming.

Harold: The story of God!

Suzy: And the story of Jesus!

Angie: And the story of how God loves us so much that God sent Jesus to make sure that we all know it.

Amanda: As followers of Jesus, this is our story. It is the good news of God in Jesus Christ � that God loves us, and forgives us, and calls us to follow Jesus. Let�s listen as Emily reads for us from the book of Acts.

Acts 10:34-43

Harold: Boy, we had lots of good stories today�

Suzy: �stories that help us to understand who we are � that we belong to God who loves us and wants us to live like Jesus.

Angie: Is that it, then? No more stories for today?

Amanda: Yes, that�s it for today. But don�t worry, we�ll have lots more stories to share together this year.

Gwen: I�ll tell you a few more about me!

Harold: And we�ll tell you a few more about St. Andrew�s.

Suzy: And we�ll all tell lots more about God and Jesus, won�t we?

Amanda: Yes, we will. We�ll keep on telling these stories that help us to know who we are as children of God, and who we are called to become as followers of Jesus.

Praise: �Tell me the stories of Jesus� #348

August 31, 2008

2008-08-31T14:21:00.001-06:00

Exodus 3:1-15
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28

The concept of being called by God or called by God in Jesus Christ is one that runs all the way through the Hebrew and Greek scriptures � our bible.

God called Abram to leave his family and his country, and to go to a new land where God would make him and his descendants into a blessing to the world.

God called the boy Samuel to be a prophet to the people. God called him to speak words of judgement against those who were not living in God�s ways so that they would turn and follow God.

Another prophet, Isaiah, explained that God called him even before he was born. He believed that his whole identity and nature was to be one who gathered Israel back to their God. That was his call.

Jeremiah too was a prophet appointed by God to speak God�s words. When God called him, Jeremiah said, �O God, I don�t know how to speak! I�m only a boy!� But God said, �Do not be afraid, because I am with you.�

In the Greek scriptures, God�s call was heard in the voice of Jesus.
Peter and Andrew heard, �Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.�

People in a crowd heard, �Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.�

And folks in the marketplace heard, �In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.�

Some heard the call to go on a mission. They were given the job of healing the sick, casting out demons, and proclaiming Jesus� message: �The kingdom of heaven has come near!�

Others had the challenge of putting their love into action. They heard, �You give them something to eat.�

All were called to a radical new way of being in relationship with one another. They asked how many times they should forgive someone who has hurt them. And they heard, �seven times seventy times.�

Some who had many possessions heard, �Sell what you have, and give the money to the poor.�

And whether they had great riches or very little wealth, everyone heard Jesus� call to love God and to love their neighbours.

The other night I was watching the late night CBC show �The Hour.� In his opening monologue, the host, George Stroumboulopoulos, mentioned the story of Moses at the burning bush. George is a sceptical and nominal Catholic who attends church only on Christmas Eve when his mother insists. He doesn�t claim to be too excited about religion, and yet I notice that the topic of church comes up fairly regularly on his show.

George got the Moses story a little bit wrong, assuming that the burning bush incident and the giving of the 10 commandments happened on the same day, rather than much later as Moses leads the Hebrew People out of Egypt. But his reason for bringing it up was to quote some scholar who was suggesting that the burning bush that Moses saw was not actually there, but in fact, it was a hallucination. The story gave George the opportunity to muse and joke about what Moses might have been smoking. And I�m sure that there were many laughs around the country as he compared a drawing of Moses with long hair, beard, and flowing robe, to a picture of some well-known drug dealer and user who looked rather similar.

But, you know, it doesn�t really matter whether Moses saw a burning bush that was really physically there, or whether he had a vision of one, or whether he dreamed one up. The bush itself does not really matter in the experience, except as it draws Moses� attention towards what God is calling him to do.

When I think about my own experience of God�s call, I don�t have any stories about burning bushes, bright lights, or visions. God�s voice didn�t come to me in one sudden and powerful experience that could be dismissed as a hallucination.

As a teenager at camp, I helped lead the singing at Sunday worship, and I noticed both the way people responded to my voice and the joy I felt when I helped the congregation to praise God. In university, I really wasn�t sure what God was calling me to do with my life. I�d given up the idea of professional music because I thought that my call was to work with people in some way. I studied psychology, family and group dynamics, counselling, and more. When asked about my gifts, I would say that I was a good listener.

After my undergrad, I took some bible and theology courses as preparation for a pastoral counselling program that I was considering. But in time, I began to learn that God was calling me not only to listen, but to speak. When we didn�t have a minister at our church for about a year, I tried out what I was learning in my theology classes, and shared some reflections on scripture. I served on the search committee, and began to think deeply about God�s call.

One Sunday, I preached at worship, and Pauline Brown (a Presbyterian missionary to India) who was home visiting, spoke to me after the service. She said, �You know that this is what you�re supposed to do, right?� I didn�t know, actually, but I was beginning to know. No burning bush, no bright light, but I was beginning to hear God�s voice.

I guess I can relate to Moses and others who have heard the call of God to missions and responsibilities that seem beyond their abilities. God spoke to Moses and said, �I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.� But Moses said to God, �Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?�

Like Jeremiah, whose response was, �I don�t know how to speak! I�m only a boy,� I was thinking that I couldn�t possibly be ready for seminary and ministry yet. I wasn�t old enough. I wasn�t wise enough. Perhaps a few years from now I�ll be ready.

But I went to explore what theological education would involve. I went to an open house day at Knox College in Toronto. I met the faculty, other students, and heard about the program and courses I might take. At the closing worship that day, we sang this short song from the Iona Community in Scotland:

�Take, O take me as I am;
Summon out what I shall be;
Set your seal upon my heart
and live in me.�

And that�s when I knew that God was calling me to act now. Whether I felt ready or not, it was time to go, and God would go with me.

I hate to spend so much time telling you about my particular experience of call, because God�s call is not only to ordained ministry. God�s call is not only to prophets and teachers and leaders. God calls each and every one of us. God calls us to love God and our neighbours. God calls us to offer our lives to God�s purposes � sometimes in small ways like helping a neighbour, listening to a friend, caring for a relative, or making an offering for some good project. God calls us to big things too � things like mission work, things like full-time ministry, things like dedicating our whole lives and all that we are to serving and following the way of Jesus.

And God keeps calling us over and over to new and exciting challenges. God keeps speaking to us through the words of the prophets, through the voice of Jesus, through the nudging of the Spirit, and through the voices and responses and affirmations of the Christian community.

Next week, as we welcome our new team minister, Gwen, who has been called by God to minister among us� and as we begin a new year of ministry together� May we open our eyes, and our ears, and our hearts to listen for God�s voice, and to hear God�s call again. And may we respond with joy, with courage, and with hope for all that God will accomplish through us. Amen.

July 13, 2008

2008-07-13T14:52:00.002-06:00

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

You may have noticed, as Jim was reading today�s Gospel passage, that it came in two sections. The first part was the parable that Jesus told to the crowds about a sower who scatters seeds liberally across the ground, and the results that follow. And the second part was an explanation or interpretation of the parable.

The Gospel writer frames the explanation as �Jesus explaining to his disciples what he meant by this confusing story.� But most biblical scholars agree that while the parable itself is probably one that Jesus actually told (or at least, something very much like it), the interpretation is likely the product of Matthew�s community near the end of the first century.

Jesus was, indeed, a Jewish teacher � a rabbi. And he brought not only a new message to the people, but he also used a new form of communication. Jesus� method of teaching in parables was not the typical practice of contemporary rabbis, but a new and unsettling departure in religious communication.

Without the helpful little explanation that Matthew�s Gospel provides, we can imagine that both the crowds and the disciples would have been confused, or perhaps intrigued by Jesus� little stories.

The biblical scholar C.H. Dodd describes a parable in this way:
�At its simplest, the parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it into active thought.�

Though Matthew�s Gospel gives us an �explanation� of the meaning of Jesus� parable, it may or may not be the meaning that Jesus intended when he told the story. Or perhaps it�s just ONE of the meanings that Jesus intended.

Matthew interprets the parable as an allegory. Everything in the story represents something else. The seeds are the Word of God. And when they fall onto the ground (or onto the ears of various people) they either grow and produce a harvest, or they are impeded in some way� by lack of understanding, by trouble and persecution, or by the cares of the world.

Matthew�s community, near the end of the first century, was trying to make sense of the fact that many people were rejecting Jesus and his message. They were likely struggling with the problem that only a relatively few people were being saved when they encountered God�s Word � and others were hearing it and rejecting it. Matthew�s group was preaching the Gospel faithfully to anyone who would listen, but sometimes it just didn�t seem to have an effect.

The parable and its interpretation must have served as a consolation when their mission wasn�t going anywhere quickly � an encouragement to keep on trying, because there must be some good soil out there somewhere!

Although most of us are inclined to accept the allegorical interpretation of this parable, the problem that I have with it is the question it leads us to want to ask. And that question is usually, �What kind of soil am I?� Or even worse, �What kind of soil is that person, or that person?�

It�s the same trouble that I have with a strict doctrine of Predestination � the idea that God has predestined some of us for salvation and others are destined to go the other way. We start wondering who�s who, and trying to judge which people God has put on the list. And that kind of judging always leads us into trouble.

An alternative approach (rather than starting to ask ourselves, �What kind of soil am I?�) might be to set aside Matthew�s interpretation of the parable for a moment and look at the parable itself again.

Jesus said: �Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!�

Parables are little stories or sayings that draw their content from the everyday world of the listeners. On the surface, they are not religious at all, but when we start to think about them, we realize that they have a deeper meaning.

Our parable is about more than seeds and where they grow best. We can be fairly certain that Jesus was not just reminding his listeners that seeds grow better in good soil, away from rocks and thorns. They already knew that, so his story is likely about something else.

Well, the one thing that Jesus preached and taught about the most was the kingdom of God. Many of his parables begin with the words, �The kingdom of God is like this�� And though this parable doesn�t say it explicitly, I think it�s safe to assume that this is another parable about the kingdom of God.

And if that is the case, the most obvious message in the parable is that the kingdom of God will be successful in coming about. Despite the challenges and setbacks of rocky soil, of path & birds, of weeds and thorns, some of the seeds in the parable fall onto fertile ground, and the yield that comes from them is enormous! The parable says that the harvest from some of those seeds is a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty � that�s way more than a farmer would have expected from a few seeds!

To an early church that was discouraged by failures, by rejection and persecution, this parable would have been good news. God is able to produce an abundant harvest, despite the seemingly limited resources and potential. Perhaps the parable is encouragement NOT to give up in mission. Though many attempts will not lead to success, they need to trust in the fact that God will eventually produce a harvest through their efforts.

So, in setting aside the allegorical interpretation, we resist identifying individuals as good soil, or path, or weed-infested ground. We avoid righting people off as �no good,� as if we can know the mind of God and who will be saved.

On a day like today, when we baptize a child like Kayden, we do not ponder whether God has chosen her to be good soil, or rocky soil, or path. Because we assume, that like the rest of us, her life of faith (as she encounters God�s Word) will likely include all of the above.

As her parents and God-parents, family, and church work to enact the promises that we have made today, there will be times when the Word of God does not take root and grow � perhaps because she doesn�t understand, perhaps because there are other distractions, perhaps because it stays at the level of her head and does not immediately take root in her heart.

But we need not be discouraged with Kayden, or with any of our children, or with each other, when God�s Word does not seem to be taking hold within our lives, or when we do not yet see the harvest that will eventually come from that Word. And we musn�t give up. We need to remember that as members of Christ�s body, the Church, we are partners with Christ in sowing the seeds that are the Word of God.

There was nothing in the parable that indicated any grave concern about the seeds that were not successful. There was no avoiding of the rocky looking areas, or testing of the depth of the soil. Instead, the seeds were scattered liberally, with faith and trust that those seeds that did grow up strong would produce an abundant harvest.

I think that�s what those promises are about, for us who welcome new children and adults into our communities of faith. We promise to guide and nurture Kayden in word and deed, in love and in prayer, and to share with her the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Not only for Kayden, but for each young child, and each youth, and each adult. We promise to do it whether we think they�re going to �get it� or not. We promise to do it because sowing the Word is what Jesus does, and we are called to follow his way and live like him.

We need not be discouraged, and we need not feel inadequate in what we are doing � whether we�re preaching, or teaching, or caregiving, or serving, or revealing God�s Word in friendship and fellowship. Because God is the one who will surprise and amaze us with a sudden and abundant harvest. And the kingdom will come. There is no doubt about that.

Remember the greatest disappointment that Jesus� followers once experienced� They had placed their trust and their hope in him. They thought that he would be their new king. They thought that his kingdom would come� But he was arrested. He was tried. He was sentenced to death and executed on a cross like a criminal. But like a few precious seeds that suddenly grow up and produce a surprisingly abundant harvest, Jesus was raised from death and ascended to reign with God.

And his kingdom has come. His kingdom is coming. May God speed the day when the kingdom will come in its fullness. And may God bless and empower us as we partner with Christ in sowing the seeds of the Gospel. Amen.

July 6, 2008

2008-07-06T12:43:00.000-06:00

Genesis 24:34-38
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

This is the season of the church year that is often called �ordinary time.� It�s the season after Pentecost, a long period without special celebrations until we finally get to Reign of Christ Sunday at the end of November and then the season of Advent in December. During this �ordinary time,� the lectionary readings can feel rather random. On a special Sunday, like Reign of Christ, or Easter, or even the third Sunday of Lent, the readings are chosen to connect with the particular theme of the day or the season. So when you read them together, they seem to fit together. But during ordinary time, there is no particular effort made for the readings to �fit together.�

For the past few Sundays, we have been reading through the book of Genesis, reading through Paul�s letter to the Romans, and reading through the Gospel according to Matthew. The psalm (or in today�s case, the passage from Song of Solomon) is chosen to connect with the Old Testament readings. So, if you noticed that the wedding song we heard today fit very nicely after reading about how Isaac found and married his wife Rebekah� well, that�s the reason why it fit so well. Those who put together the cycle of lectionary readings chose that passage from the Song of Solomon to reflect on the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. But they didn�t make any attempt to match up the readings from Romans or Matthew to that marriage theme.

And yet, when I began to study the readings for today, I immediately found connections between them that can�t have been intentional on the part of the lectionary authors. Or, perhaps it�s not so much that I found connections, but it�s more that reading the texts together influenced what I noticed about them and focused on.

The Genesis and Song of Solomon texts got me thinking about marriage. And since it is the season of weddings, and since I was also working on wedding sermons last week, the marriage theme seemed to jump out at me. So, as I read from Romans about Paul�s inner conflict and his struggles with �doing what he does not want to do� I thought about conflict within marriage.

Perhaps there are couples that do not argue or fight from time to time, but I haven�t met any. And perhaps there are people who are always polite and respectful and reasonable when they disagree with their spouses or other loved ones, but I don�t know of any. When it comes to our closest relationships, I think we can all relate to Paul�s frustration with himself. We often don�t do or say what we know is right. We do the very things we hate. We do the things, and we say the words that hurt our partners or put them down. In the heat of the moment, we do what we do not want to do� out of deep frustration, because of insecurity, or maybe just because we�ve been trying so hard to be �nice� to everyone else out in the world, and here is someone who is �safe� to yell at or be impatient with.

Paul wasn�t referring to a marriage relationship when he wrote about the power of evil within him. But he wrote: �I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.� I think that there are times when we might share his feeling of frustration in terms of the challenges of being married or being in other close relationships.

Paul expressed his distress over his inability to do what he wanted and to do what he knew was right in these words: �So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?�

Paul clearly feels powerless. He simply doesn�t have the will-power or the strength to do what he knows in his mind to be the right thing to do. He cries out for help to the only one who is able to rescue him from himself. He asks, �Who will rescue me from this body of death?� And he answers his own question by writing, �Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.�

Paul doesn�t elaborate much on how God helps him with his struggle to do what he knows is right. And he doesn�t even claim that he does much better with God�s help. But what is clear is that he no longer feels so stuck � so enslaved to his continual pattern of doing what he knows is wrong.

So my question is, �How does having God in your life help?� How does Jesus make a difference to our relationships with our spouses, or our children, or our parents, or our best friends? Has anyone ever asked you that question? What difference does your being a Christian make to your life? What difference does it make to your relationships?

It certainly doesn�t automatically turn us into really nice people who always do things right. If you need examples of how that�s true, I�m sure that your spouse or sibling or child or best friend will be happy to provide some examples. Both my husband and my sister could list countless examples of my impatience, or of my selfishness. Yes, me! A life-long Christian, a committed disciple of Christ, a member of the church, and even a minister!

Very much like Paul, I struggle with my inability to do what I know is right. I respond to problem situations or things that frustrate me in negative ways. In the heat of the moment, I snap, I complain, or I criticize. And then I think, �What am I doing to this person that I love?� �What am I saying to this person that is God�s child?�

But though I am nowhere near perfect, I firmly believe that God makes a huge difference in my life and in my relationships. First, there�s the fact that I am called to follow the way of Jesus. It�s not just that I�ve decided that abiding by some religion�s rules is a helpful spiritual practice. But I have responded to an invitation to follow a completely radical and totally different way of life. I�m not just following rules, but I�m learning a way of being � humble, loving, serving, celebrating, enjoying, giving. I can�t just give up the call to love because it�s who I am now � well, it�s who I�m becoming � and that makes a big difference in all of my relationships.

Second, there is the amazing fact that I�m forgiven. Yes, I mess up. Yes, I do what I do not what to do. And yet, by God�s mercy I am forgiven. And I�m learning both to ask for forgiveness and to offer it as well. And it means that I don�t have to be stuck � I�m not stuck in past arguments, hurts, or failures. I have the freedom that comes with a fresh start � and my relationships can be full of new beginnings as well.

And third, there is the wonderful fact that I am not alone in my struggle to love. My faith gives me the assurance that God continues to love me even at my worst moments. God stays with me, even when I don�t acknowledge God�s presence or look for the way of Jesus. And when I do look, when I do ask for God�s help, I know that help is provided.

In our Gospel text today, the author of Matthew�s Gospel describes those who met Jesus as �children playing in the marketplace.� He was amazed and perplexed by the fact that they just didn�t seem to recognize or understand who Jesus was or the importance of his message. First, they rejected John the Baptist. John, of course, had come with a strict message of judgement. He challenged the people to repent, to change their ways, and to turn back to God before it was too late. And though many came for baptism and turned their lives around, most thought that he was crazy, that he was exaggerating, that they weren�t doing TOO badly with their lives.

And then, they rejected Jesus too. While most of them thought that John�s piety was a little �over the top,� they didn�t think that Jesus was quite �spiritual enough�. They were baffled by the people he hung about with. They watched him eating and drinking and celebrating life, and love, and didn�t know what to think. His way didn�t look like any religion that they knew about!

But the Gospel writer gives thanks to God for revealing Jesus� identity and significance to the �infants� � to the �little children� who by God�s grace are able to �get� what so many others simply cannot understand. Yes, we need to change our ways, turn towards God and the way of Christ. But Jesus has come to forgive us, to heal us, and to help us to live in his way. Our Christian lives are not meant to be tedious, onerous struggles to do what is right. As John�s Gospel says, Jesus came NOT to condemn the world, but that we may have LIFE in his name.

In today�s Gospel passage, we hear Jesus� invitation to that life in relationship with him. �Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.�

It is a heavy burden to love our spouses, and our children, and our friends � to love them sacrificially, generously, and unconditionally. But, as Christians, we are not asked to be perfect or to do everything right by our own strength and resolve. Paul couldn�t do it, and I can�t do it either. But we are continually called to repentance � to turn again to God � to turn again to Jesus our Saviour. He will walk with us, and help us, and guide us. He will forgive us when we fail, and teach us to forgive each other as well.

Jesus says: �Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.� Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

June 22, 2008

2008-06-22T14:53:00.000-06:00

Genesis 21:8-21
Psalm 86
Romans 6:1-11
Matthew 10:24-39

Today�s Gospel passage from Matthew consists of some sayings and words of instruction and encouragement from Jesus to his inner circle of followers. In last week�s reading (the first part of chapter 10) Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, gave them power to cast out demons and cure diseases, and sent them out to the �lost sheep of Israel� to proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, and generally to do the kinds of things Jesus himself was doing. So, keeping in mind the mission that Jesus had just given to these leaders in his group, let us examine the further instructions that he gives to them.

Our passage begins with a proverbial saying: �A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master.� As students of Jesus, the disciples are being told that they will experience the same kinds of challenges and struggles that Jesus did. He was persecuted. So will they be. He was rejected by many. So will they experience rejection. Jesus points out that some people have called him �Beelzebul� (another name for the devil) and these people are not likely to treat Jesus� followers any better.

As Jesus� disciples went out to the towns of Israel, proclaiming the good news about the coming kingdom, and healing and helping people in Jesus� name, they probably did experience some resistance to their message and their activities. The religious leaders and others in positions of influence didn�t appreciate what Jesus was doing, and they didn�t like the authority he was claiming. But it was near the end of Jesus� ministry and in the years following his death and resurrection that the things got really dangerous for the followers of Jesus.

In fact, we should remember that this passage, like the rest of the Gospel accounts was written much later on, near the end of the 1st century. And we should take note of the fact that it is particularly composed to address the concerns of a late 1st century Christian community that was experiencing intense persecution because of their faith in Jesus. Today�s passage is a message of encouragement for a group of Christians whose lives were in peril. They were probably scared to go out and speak about Jesus because it could literally lead to their death.

The Gospel writer is telling these Christians that, despite the danger, they are called to go out to preach and heal in Jesus� name just like the twelve went out, and just like Jesus himself went out. He�s telling them that discipleship involves becoming just like their teacher � doing the things that he did, and often receiving the responses that he did as well. And though many people responded positively to Jesus� ministry along the way, these followers know that the ultimate response of their society to Jesus was to fear him, to reject him, and to crucify him. They shouldn�t be surprised, when they try to follow his way, that people aren�t treating them very well either.

But the Gospel writer does not allow these Christians to lose their resolve � to give up on their mission. He has Jesus tell them, �What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.� They must continue their mission in spite of the risk, without worry of the danger.

Jesus says, �Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul�� And he encourages them to know that they are in God�s care, loved and cared for by God, saying, �Even the hairs on your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.�

So, what does this passage have to say to us? In a time and place where religious persecution is not really an issue, what are we to learn from this text? Well, the passage reminds me of the fact that being a Christian is hard. It involves risk. It demands sacrifice. It calls us to places and to situations where we might be rejected, where getting the message of Jesus across might not be easy. But we are sent out anyway. We are equipped, and encouraged, and sent out into the world to tell of God�s love for us in Jesus Christ in words and in actions.

Our passage continues with a promise and a warning from Jesus: �Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.�

I wonder sometimes if we avoid the risk that those earlier disciples experienced because we only really talk about Jesus in church. We compartmentalize our lives quite a bit, keeping church in one compartment, family in another, work in another, and perhaps friends in one more.

I wonder whether our decision to follow the way of Jesus affects the decisions we make as families, and do our kids hear us saying that our faith makes a difference to how we live? When there are choices to be made at work, perhaps choices that affect the lives of others, does it matter that we are Christians? Are we able to embody the love and grace of God for our neighbours? Are we able to see the face of Christ in our colleagues, in our competitors, and even in our adversaries? And, I wonder, does anyone know that Christ is our way and our strength to do what is right?

As our passage continues, it gets more and more demanding of Jesus� followers, and perhaps more confusing for Christians today trying to understand what this passage is telling us. We usually think of Jesus as a bringer of love and peace. But now Jesus says, �Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one�s foes will be members of one�s own household.�

The reality for many Christians in the first century was that they had to choose between their faith and their family. Their lives were so radically changed, and the risks they took on in proclaiming their faith in Jesus were so great, that unbelieving relatives could not simply accept their Christianity as a minor change or a little quirk on the part of their spouse or son or daughter. Being a Christian was not an hour-long commitment on Sunday morning or even a few minutes of prayer and bible study each day.

Jesus says, �Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.�

It seems harsh, doesn�t it? � especially in a society where families are so strongly supported and valued. We may not agree on religion, but we can easily agree on families. �My family comes first!� I often hear people say, and no one disputes that.

But I think it�s interesting to note that Jesus never got married or had any children, as far as we know. Many of his first followers left families and occupations behind in order to follow him, to learn from him, and to participate in his mission. And even decades later, those who chose the way of Jesus often had to let go of family ties that kept them from fully embracing the ministry and mission that he was calling them to commit their lives to.

In the New Interpreters� Commentary, the author writes, �Discipleship is represented [in this passage] not as adding on another worthy cause to one�s list of obligations, but a giving of self that is the ultimate self-fulfillment.� The call to follow Jesus� way and to engage in Christ�s mission to the world must come first � before work, before family, before friends and hobbies and other activities.

And I don�t mean that we should all stop doing all those other things. I don�t mean that we should leave our families, cut off our friends, and stop doing anything other than church stuff. What I mean is what I think Jesus meant when he spoke about loving him more than our mothers and sons and the people most dear to us. I mean that our decision to follow the way of Jesus must inform every other choice and every decision we make in life.

It means that we love our children, and therefore we are called both to tell them about and to demonstrate the love of God to them. It means that our faith affects our choice of occupations, and how we interact with our colleagues, and how we do business, and how we treat customers or clients or patients, and how we spend the money that we earn. It means that we are determined not to let ourselves get so caught up in hobbies and activities and social commitments and even work, that time with God, time for worship, and time for mission and service get squeezed out of our daily and weekly schedules. It�s going to require some sacrifice to make sure that Jesus is our first love � to ensure that God has first priority in all that we do.

But Jesus says, �Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.�

I�m reminded of the family who decided several years ago to change their family celebration of Christmas. They used to do the kinds of things that most of us do for Christmas (Christians and non-Christians alike) � decorating a tree, opening presents, sharing a big meal, spending the day together as a family. And there was nothing wrong with that.

But one year, one of the kids noticed that not every family had the kind of celebration that they enjoyed every Christmas day, and every Thanksgiving day, and at New Year�s and Easter, and on birthdays too. So they decided together to change their tradition on Christmas day. They didn�t go their separate ways and make it a normal day like any other. Instead, they went together to the local soup kitchen for the day. They spent the day cooking and serving and sharing and celebrating with people who would not otherwise have a chance to celebrate. They gave up the Christmas they had always known and loved, and they experienced another Christmas � a Christmas day dedicated to embodying the unconditional love of God for those who are poor or in need. They put the mission of Jesus first � ahead of their family celebration � and the result was a family that grew together in love for one another and for their neighbours.

�Those who love their life for my sake will find it.�

I cannot help but think that this message is not only critical for us as individuals Christians and families, but it is also the key for our churches. As you likely know, many of the Presbyterian churches in Saskatoon and in other parts of the country are struggling. Parkview Church has already decided to close by October, and three other small churches in our city are being asked by presbytery to make significant changes in order to turn things around. With the assistance of a consultant, they are being asked to develop a plan for mission, outreach, and evangelism in their communities.

The immediate presenting reason for this request is that these congregations are shrinking and struggling. They need to grow in order to survive as church communities. But this focus on a concrete plan for outreach, mission, and evangelism is good advice for all our churches � and not simply because we want our churches to still be here in 5 or 10 or 50 years from now. It�s good advice because it�s exactly what Jesus was telling his first followers to do. It�s exactly what the Gospel writer was encouraging his Christian community to do.

Get your focus and your vision off yourselves, off your immediate family, off your neighbours in the pews (he might say to us), and start looking out. Start going out. Start reaching out and telling the world about me.

Don�t be afraid about how they will respond. Don�t be afraid about what they will think of you. And definitely don�t fail to enact the mission of Jesus because you�re too busy looking after each other, maintaining your nice little church communities.

I think that this church has many gifts and many strengths. We have some dedicated people working hard to do Christian education, pastoral care, worship, hospitality, and even mission and outreach. Our offerings support mission through our church, our presbytery, and around the world. But we still have lots of room to grow.

As individuals and as a church community, we are being called to be people of mission. We are being asked to make our identity synonymous with our mission in the community and in the world. We are being asked to become a church that reaches out � not just with a bit of money or a bit of time � but to be a church that exists for the sake of reaching out in mission and evangelism.

Jesus asked his followers to give their lives. Just as he gave his life to reconnect humanity to the God of the universe, Jesus asked his followers to give up their lives for his mission. And when they did give their lives, that�s when they found them as well � meaningful lives, full lives, lives without fear and with the promise of life forever with God.

There is a huge risk in that, I know, and a big sacrifice too. But that is the way of Jesus, and we are called to follow.

Jesus said, �Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.� Thanks be to God.