Wednesday, November 26, 2008

This Week

The funeral for my adoptive Dutch grandfather is today, so I will not be in for office hours, but Janet, the Administrative Assistant, will be there. I will be back for tonight's Official Board meeting in Appin at 7:30.

A reminder that this Sunday is a "Regional" worship service involving 7 United Churches in the southwest Middlesex area. Hosted by Appin United, there will not be services at Trinity. See you there at 10:30! Lunch follows.

However, on Sunday after the regional service at Appin, people will be gathering at Trinity to decorate the church and sanctuary for Advent/Christmas – come and join in the fun and preparation.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

for Nov. 23 – Ezekiel 34: 11-16, 20-24

For thus says the Lord God:
I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice....

Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

* * *
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.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

sermon excerpts: "Bulls and Bears in the Market of Faith"

(Matthew 25: 14-30)

A talent, according to different sources, is fifteen years’ worth of a labourer’s wages. It’s the biggest unit of money mentioned in the New Testament. In today’s world for someone at minimum wage, that is more than a quarter-million dollars. Imagine your boss giving you $275 000 before going away on a business trip.

In the language of the stock markets, we have the image of bulls and bears that describe the prevailing investment climate. Bulls represent a market that is on the rise, aggressive and charging forward. Bears represent a market that is sluggish, slow and on the downward slide. One way to keep the two straight is to think of how these animals attack – a bull goes in with its horns and swipes up, a bear stands back and swiped down with its paw.

Given today’s economic climate and the volatility of the market indices, I can understand the caution and prudence the one servant who did not invest but buried his talent. It was safe. It would not lose value. It would not be lost. At least he could return the principle whenever the master returned.

But this lesson is not about Eastern Mediterranean economics of two thousand years ago, it is a vision of what the kingdom of heaven is. Think of a world where everyone could fully be who they were, using their interests and gifts to their fullest, where our strengths could compensate others’ weaknesses, and vice versa. Jesus teaches that life and faith requires our participation. Hiding ourselves, waiting for a better time, is what separates us God’s purpose and vision.

Once again the story ends harshly for person who did not live up to this standard. Last week it was the foolish bridesmaids, this week it’s a worthless slave/servant. His talent, his gift, was not put to use; it stagnated. Even in those days, the notion of “use it or lose it” held some truth. Even then it was “nothing ventured, nothing gained”.

In our day and age of a declining bear market, money can still be made. But it is not so much about profits and losses as it is about being connected in the world. Even the stock markets teach a lesson that we are connected to others in the world – even in the impersonal buying and selling of corporate shares – we are doing business, if somewhat anonymously, with people who have lives, dreams, families and friends, troubles and triumphs.

We do not have the benefit of seeing the twists and in turns in our fortune. All that we know is that our lives are lives of opportunity. Our faith requires our action and involvement. We cannot bury it and brush it off at the end of our life and expect to be satisfied that we have done our work well.

We may not have the thousands of dollars to invest in other people, but we do have relationships that are valued beyond measure and will only increase in worth over time and years. This is our true investment: time spent with one another in community and commitment. Truly we are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Monday, November 10, 2008

for Nov. 16: Matthew 25.14-30

[another parable from Jesus]

For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.”

His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.”

His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”

But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

* * *
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.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

sermon excerpts: "Be Prepared" (Mt. 25: 1-13)

The wise bridesmaids could be faulted for not being more generous and charitable to their foolish counterparts. After all, what is a little bit of oil between friends? Oil is a multi-purpose product: not only in cooking and lighting but also in the anointing of leaders and priests. The act of anointing is one of setting a person aside for a specific role or duty. Despite my call as a minister of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care, I take great care to explain to people that I do not live other people’s faith for them.

We cannot fulfill someone else’s call, we cannot believe another person’s beliefs, and we cannot live someone else’s faith. Scholars tend to explain that in this parable, oil, like faith, cannot be borrowed from someone else. It’s an all-or-nothing kind of deal; either you have it or you don’t.

Returning to the selfish, and wise bridesmaids: perhaps they calculated that there wasn’t enough oil to light the path for the whole procession if they gave some oil away. In this case, having 5 lights for the entire journey was preferred to having 10 lights for half of it. The fault of the foolish bridesmaids is not their failure to plan for the arrival of the groom, but their failure to plan for his delay. Make whatever jokes you want about men being late for their own weddings, or foolish bridesmaids being left in the dark, the story ends with one group being left out and excluded because of their own inaction.

While the parable ends with this rather abrupt and judgmental note, I would extend the story beyond that night. There is no indication that for the foolish bridesmaids, this was the one and only chance to enjoy a fancy reception. There will certainly be another wedding party another time. The true sin would be not learning from their mistake.

If we consider our own lives, we find that God appears many times. There are many opportunities to express our faith, to do the right thing. It never is a one-and-done deal. We find life is filled with second and third chances. Because if God is present in every situation, then each moment represents a time to choose faithfully, to prepare and to trust in our preparation.

Yes, the foolish bridesmaids dropped the ball on this one. They are soundly rejected by the bridesgroom at the reception and left in the dark. They will not make this mistake again. Next time, they will be the wise bridesmaids. They may even bring enough extra oil so that everyone would be ready. Or they may tell the others to be sure that they have enough.

And I find it hard to embrace the lesson about “keep awake” when earlier in the parable all of the bridesmaids, wise ones too, got drowsy and fell asleep. The Greek could just as easily be translated as “be prepared” which would actually let us get on with living our life while we await the inevitabilities to come. Be prepared. It’s the motto of the Scouts Movement. Be ready to learn.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Thank you Scott Woods and everyone!

It was an entertaining of fiddle music, song and corny jokes as Scott Woods and his band kicked off their Christmas Tour in Glencoe.

The turnout was better than the small crowd we had feared a couple weeks ago (another lesson about trusting in our preparation?) and people enjoyed the chance to get together as much as the concert itself.

Many thanks to Scott Woods and his band, and to the numerous behind-the-scenes workers, and volunteers of the church that helped make it happen.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

St. Nicholas Hotel

While tending to Office Hours in Appin today, someone from the Brantford area dropped by asking if I knew the site of the former St. Nicholas Hotel. One of the Donnellys owned and operated it after the massacre near Lucan in 1880.

This person was particulary interested as a descendant of the Donnellys, and I was sorry that I couldn't have been of more help. Anyone out there know of which he speaks?

Monday, November 3, 2008

for Nov. 9 – Matthew 25: 1-13

[Jesus tells a parable:]

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”

Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.”

But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.”

And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.”

But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

* * *
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: "A Place for the Displaced" (Joshua 3: 7-17)

... we see the great and awesome power of nature is curbed once again to God’s will. In a mirror miracle to Moses leading the people out of Egypt through the parted Red Sea to begin a 40-year voyage, we see Joshua his successor deliver the people into Canaan through a divided River Jordan, and thus concluding that epic journey.

The scripture lesson tells us this happened so that the people would know that God was with their new leader, Joshua. This was some cosmic seal of approval and a guarantee that he continues with the same spirit and strength that Moses had. This might say more about the fickle nature of a crowd’s mentality than it does about anything spiritual.

In the scripture lesson, we see that there are limits to our world. There is only so much water, there is only so much space. We’re finding out that there’s only so much oil. When the reality of our living is that we don’t have the time for Sabbath, we find that we are pushed to our limits.

God is without limit, and we find that is something hard to imagine. ... So as people of faith, followers of God, disciples named Christian, spiritual beings all of us, we are caught in the paradox of searching for an unlimited purpose with limited resources. We are finite creatures with a call to infinite living.

Yet in our world, we have discovered that the church has been dislodged, displaced, shoved aside to make room for numerous other things. ... the neighbourhood church no longer holds the central role in community, recreation or spiritual education. It’s a postmodern echo of what happened to our First Nations; they were driven from the broad and fertile lands of this Creation to substandard enclaves of second-class citizenry, by powers and tactics they did not expect or understand. Is the flaw with the human understanding of conquest, of occupation, of living with land as a possession?

Is there any way that we could measure success that doesn’t depend on someone else’s failure? ... Could we ever live in a fashion that is fruitful and abundant but does not diminish those who do not have enough?

Because somewhere, the love of God for all people and the encompassing passion for justice and right relationships is lost in translation for the Canaanites, Hittites and all the other displaced tribes. God loves everyone, but seems to be acting in an unloving manner through the sanction of warfare and conquest.

Yet it is to this same God that we seek to gather the nations and be united in common cause with everyone who strives to live faithfully and in right relationships with one another. It is the same people of God who are the church of today. And even as we struggle against the tide that pushes the congregational church to the margins of society, we try to build a safe place for all the many displaced people who are seeking a spiritual home.

As a church we hope that this is a place where all can be accepted, welcomed, embraced for who they are, not what they have, what they represent or who they could or should be. We know in life that there will be times of rejection, of being cast aside, evicted or ousted. In response, can we not be a place of invitation, inclusion and hospitality?

In a world of limits and boundaries, the path lies before us, leading us to a Promised Land of endless goodness and grace. But we do not travel alone, the displaced people of many places and situations go with us, not just refugees or the homeless, each of us has experience rejection and everyone of us is searching for a better way. In this we know that we are not alone, we live in God’s world. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Some Reminders

Don't forget that the clocks go back an hour tonight - that much more time to prepare for an exhilarating worship service tomorrow! Everyone should be well rested, no?

At Appin United, it's the first Sunday of the month and we will collect loose change for the Benevolence Fund to support local families in need.

Remember, also that Scott Woods visits with his 2008 Christmas Show on Wednesday, November 5. Get your tickets for only $20 and support Trinity United Church.