sermon excerpts: "Filled by Emptiness"

(Matthew 28: 1-10)
It turns out the morning was also dangerous, what with earthquakes and heavenly agents rendering soldiers almost dead. And like so many times in the Bible, the witnesses to God’s greatness are greeted with the words: “Do not be afraid.” Which is always a backhanded comfort because the implication is that there is good and legitimate reasons for being afraid.

In this case, Mary and Mary receive the angelic message of unbelievable good news then meet the risen Christ, who offers his greetings and the same message: “do not be afraid.” Afraid of what? More earthquakes? Of telling what they had seen? Of the Pharisees or Roman Empire? Of death? These are all practical considerations that would benefit from some reassurance.

Do not be afraid of appears to be empty. For in such absence is also opportunity. For into such space, the spirit may flow. There is a Buddhist saying that cryptically asserts that a bowl is most useful where the clay is not. It is for the empty space that we have bowls in the first place; we can fill them with whatever we choose. That is also our life – we fill it with whatever we choose.

Let us look to emptiness as a sign of something better to come, something that defies description, going beyond meaning and logic. This morning the bread will be broken, the chalice will be drained, and we carry the substance and mark of grace and resurrection with us into the world. Communion is a time that we are filled and fed so that we might in turn also be emptied as we give of ourselves to those around us.

Easter is to reject the emptiness of the world’s hollow promises, seeking instead the fullness of God’s grace and mercy, Christ’s passion and justice and the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and comfort. After the earthquake, the angel invites us into the grave. (Yes, here’s where the words “do not be afraid” come in very handy).

The stone was not rolled away so that Jesus might be set free, that has already happened. The stone was rolled away so that we might enter into the place where he was and see that the grave no longer has a hold on us. Filled with life and possibility at the realization that death’s threat over us is an empty one, we can know that we do not ever end, but thrive and live eternally.

Such is the promise of Easter, of spring, and the comforting words of the angel and the rise Saviour. Do not be afraid to believe. Dare to dream. Don’t be afraid of getting your hopes up. Don’t be afraid of looking into the darkness of a tomb as morning breaks, for it is this empty void that gives shapes to the dreams of possibility and promise. In Christ’s resurrected life, we know this is true. All praise and glory to God, alleluia, amen.

for Easter, Mar. 23 -- Matthew 28.1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you."

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

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What feelings, questions, thoughts and prompts to personal action arise from this scripture? What about hymn suggestions or ideas for Children's Time? Share them as Comments below or in an email, and help shape Sunday's worship service.

Seeking Lilies

We forgot to mention in church at Trinity this morning: anyone who has an Easter Lily they'd like to offer as a decoration for the church is invited to bring it next Sunday.

sermon excerpts: "A Donkey's Tale"

...Given the agricultural, nomadic history of the Israelites and what we know of society at the time, ownership of a donkey was a sign of wealth. Where common people walked everywhere, riding on a donkey was akin to a cruising in a luxury car, a sign of wealth and importance.

So maybe the disciples were lowjacking a limousine for the occasion of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. If not a limo, certainly a sports convertible. So it was not as backwards a procession as we tend to think that riding a donkey would be.

Sure, a conquering king would enter the city with a great display of power and might: trotting out impressive warhorses, Arabian stallions, chariots thundering, trumpets blaring and banners flying in a way that is expected of royalty. Jesus continues to turn the tables by resisting worldly glory and fame. His arrival is of a humble leader, very aware that he puts his sandals on, one foot at a time, like everyone else.
...
Again, the donkey is an important part of the story, but is overlooked in the hubbub and commotion. It wasn’t the donkey’s idea of a typical afternoon. One minute maybe sunning herself, thinking about a snack, itching herself against a wall, or swishing flies; the next minute surrounded by a throng of deliriously crazed people waving palm branches in the air. Stepping on coats, navigating through a crowd that is shouting “Hosanna!” and singing praises to the man on the donkeys.

Donkeys don’t do this every day. Or do they? After all, she was a beast of burden, expected to do simple menial chores of transporting and hauling. She was a blue collar worker with a reputation for stubbornness. Donkey scientists think this is due to a highly-developed sense of self-preservation: you can’t force or frighten a donkey into doing something it sees as contrary to its best interest.

The Palm Sunday donkey does offer some valuable theological insight to our identity as people of faith. Here, we have the ordinary called to extraordinary things, but nothing required extreme effort or hardship. The donkey did something that ended up being wonderful and powerfully significant, but what she actually did in the moment was simple and unremarkable. She walked. And carried someone. That was it.

She didn’t known enough to put on airs, to pretend to be something other than what she was, a pack animal. She didn’t know what an important task she had, what effect her journey that day would have on a nation of people and a future of a faith. All she knew was, one foot in front of the other.

So maybe it’s worth remembering as a church community, as well as an individual person of faith, that we’re not being asked to be something we’re not. Despite all the calls to repentance and change and turning over a new leaf that the season of Lent tends to focus on, we are not called to abandon who we are and become someone totally different.

We are to be our best selves. To do what we do well, what comes naturally for us, in a way that carries Christ’s message with us. That is how we in our small, seemingly insignificant way will take the presence of Christ into the crowded world. We do not have to radically reinvent ourselves, to aspire to be a successful church or a legitimate Christian.

The donkey wasn’t asked to do anything beyond what she is called to do: to walk, to carry, to be herself. We are good enough as we are, simple hardworking donkeys: jacks and jennies, all of us. We can’t all be thoroughbred champions at the Kentucky Derby, nor should we try.

When the rush of the world overwhelms and we’re just trying to get through the clamour and crowd, doing what we do best isn’t a bad strategy. We’re never going to have the big picture make sense for us, all we have is our small snapshot of what is around us. All we can see is the needs and opportunities around us as well as the companions for the journey. We carry the glorious arrival of Christ, not as a burden, but as gift and grace, as a reminder that we are not alone.

for Mar. 16 — Matthew 21: 1-11

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately."

This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?"

The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

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What feelings, questions, thoughts and prompts to personal action arise from this scripture? What about hymn suggestions or ideas for Children's Time? Share them as Comments below or in an email, and help shape Sunday's worship service.

March Break

With this being March Break, I'm on childcare duty. I'll be working from home, here and there, coming in for the Thursday's Office Hours. (Meaning I won't be in Appin on Tuesday). Otherwise, I can be reached on my cell phone or email.

Free the Children

For the past few weeks, and for the rest of the month, the churches have been receiving special donations for the high school's Social Justice League. This student group is campaigning to raise enough funds to build a school in Kenya through "Brick by Brick", a program of Free the Children (the acclaimed charity founded by Canadian teen Craig Kielburger).

Watch for other events to promote awareness and raise funds for this work.

sermon excerpts: "Dead Man Walking"

Jesus was on his way to see Mary and Martha in Bethany, where they were worried about their brother Lazarus who was very ill and died. But Jesus was in no hurry and taking his own sweet time to get there. All the while, Lazarus was shut into the dark tomb of death and four entire days passed by. Surely it was too late for anything to be done but continue in the grieving process. It seemed that Jesus was procrastinating to further prove his point.

A couple chapters earlier in the gospel, a man born blind gained vision. Now, Jesus continues to do the unthinkable and resurrect the dead. Having knowledge of the rest of the story, we know what happens next, he will resurrect himself. But for new ears to this narrative, things become more and more unbelievable as we get closer and closer to Jerusalem.

There’s the urban legend of a Japanese schoolgirl who is learning English as a second language and also learning about Christianity. As the story of Jesus, his death and resurrection, is explained to her, she gets a very confused look on her face. She eventually has to ask, “Oh! So Jesus was a zombie, then?”

No more or less so than Lazarus was, I guess. Lying in the tomb, to hear the voice of Jesus commanding him to come out. What would I do? I’d just have been getting used to the idea of being dead, my spirit would have left my body and gone exploring through the afterlife.

When Jesus calls out like an alarm clock, I’d roll over and try to ignore the interruption. But we are called out of our comfort and routine into a world that is bright, dangerous and hurting. And sometimes we emerge to discover that the stench of decay and rot was actually us. So we are called forth to join with others, to be a community of care and support, to celebrate life and proclaim that death cannot ever win.

It was a wondrous day in Bethany for Mary, Martha, their friends, their neighbours, and Lazarus. But what of his life afterwards? That is what we as a faithful people thousands of years later don’t have the privilege of knowing. This is the most practical part of the story: what happens next?

We can have intense spiritual experiences, we can connect deeply with a minister or someone in the pew nearby, we can have an unforgettable retreat or worship service, but when that fades and we get back to normal, ordinary life, what next? How can we sustain such momentum?

... The term “dead man walking” came into the Hollywood spotlight through the work of Sister Helen Préjean and her ministry with deathrow inmates. As the convicted proceed to their execution, the call rings out “Dead man walking!”

But aren’t we all walking towards our death? That is the cold, hard truth about our finite existence. We only have so much time on this earth before we are no longer. Lazarus was one who came back, a literal dead man walking.

It is all a matter or perspective, are we heading toward death and demise, or going beyond to resurrection and hope? The institutional church, as it is, is suffering like Lazarus, is dry and brittle like bones long forgotten. The time to connect with the sweeping spirit of God’s promise is upon us. Dare we emerge from the comfort, and stench, of the tomb and see what awaits?

That is our task as the faithful people of Christ. How best might we worship, learn and serve, as individuals and as community? Not, how best might we keep doing things they way they’ve always been done? It will take soul-searching, courage and trust; and the outcome might very well be more frightening than any zombie.

Appin United Cancellation

With so many people busy digging out this morning from the latest storm, and the fact that the organist is snowed in, Appin United's church service is cancelled.

At this moment, Trinity United's worship at 11:15 will still be happening. See you then!

Snow Day

Given the weather and road conditions, and the fact the office staff live out-of-town, Office Hours this morning at Trinity are cancelled. You can still call and leave messages on the voicemail service, or send emails, with announcements for the bulletin.

The Prayer Group is still meeting (minus the minister) at 10:30 a.m. But isn't it good to be reminded that prayers and spiritual discussion can happen without a theological degree in the room?

See you tomorrow, back at the office.

for Mar. 9 — John 11:1-45

The full text is another lengthy one: Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. To read the lesson, click here.

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What feelings, questions, thoughts and prompts to personal action arise from this scripture? What about hymn suggestions or ideas for Children's Time? Share them as Comments below or in an email, and help shape Sunday's worship service.

sermon excerpts: "Sight for Sore Eyes"

(John 9: 1-41)
... People still judge others by appearances. For the man born blind, he lived not only in the darkness of his physical disability, but in the darkness of sin. He lived in a time and understanding that our actions have a direct karmic impact upon what the events of our life. So this man, or his parents, must have sinned terribly for this punishment to be wrought upon him before he was even born.

That’s a label that he had to carry for his entire life. Until the day he met Jesus, “Here’s mud in your eye!” and he after washing in the pool of Siloam, he could see. For the very first time. After a life of darkness, he is thrust into the light. An entire sector of his brain that had not been used suddenly has to convert lightwaves and nerve impulses into a coherent visual picture for someone who never had processed information that way.

I would imagine that would be terrifying as much as it would be wonderful. What is the saddest part of the man’s healing is the fact that he couldn’t share it with anyone. His own parents didn’t want to be part of it. His neighbours didn’t believe it. His faith community feared it and expelled him.

Jesus, as a healer and teacher, continues in his tradition of turning things upside down. He uplifts the downtrodden, seeking out those whom society rejects; he shakes our foundational understandings and raises more questions than answers. Douglas Adams in his book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe begins with: “There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another which states that this has already happened.”

Back on topic, we are challenged and called by our faith to see things anew. Christ asserts that those who are certain that they see the truth are the ones who are stuck in sin. It is true that we can never be so self-assured to claim that we have the right way. By admitting and embracing our blind spots, we open the door to greater truths. Even if it confuses the heck out of us.

At this point, some volunteers who had been blindfolded for most the service, shared their experience to lose (and regain) their vision. What was that experience like? How did you feel? Is there anything you’ll do differently because of the experience?

• understanding how much we rely on our vision
• noted how much more we'd rely on our other senses
• while there was a sense of missing out on a lot of information, it was also relaxing too - less distractions
• committed to appreciate our sight more - seeing our family and friends, watching sunrises and sunsets, using safety glasses to protect our eyes
  

We shouldn’t have to lose one of our senses to recognize we are creatures of limited awareness. We can never see or experience the full picture. Truth has many sides, depending where we come from.

What are the answers right in front of our eyes that we have yet to see? We fret and fuss about the future of the church, more specifically, this particular congregation (and maybe our partner church in this pastoral charge). What vision awaits us? What do we see? A full church? Who’s in this church? Picture them. From the Stats Canada census, there are Appin: 1118 (29%) / Trinity: 1220 (28%) people who say they’re United Church within 10 minutes of this very spot. Is it as easy as seeing the forest for the trees?

Jesus concludes his lesson to the Pharisees by talking about their sin. Belief in their own views to the exclusion of all others, setting their sights on unimportant matters of faith and life, made them lose sight of God’s purpose and plan for humanity. We all are guilty of this. Which is why we have the liberating and inclusive message of love that Christ brought to earth.

We won’t be able to see into the heart of matters the way God does. But we don’t have to. Our Lenten journey towards Easter reminds us that we just need to look to Christ, to see his presence around and within us. Truly, we are not alone. Thanks be to God.