sermon excerpts: "Pentecost Unity and Diverstiy" - Acts 2: 1-21

Ten days after Jesus disappears into the clouds, all that he foretold comes true. Gathered together in a room, the Spirit descends like wind and fire upon the assembly and the ability to speak in every language was granted. Aflame with God’s power, like so many human birthday candles, the church was born.

Now the listing of all those other people in Jerusalem who heard their native language spoken that morning is enough to intimidate the most accomplished reader of scripture, and I want to commend our own readers this morning on their fine work on a daunting passage. We hear these names of places and marvel at the exotic locales and thoroughness of the Spirit but we forget one thing. For all of these places named, for all of the people of different languages, geographies and customs, they were all Jewish! Some of them, as proselytes, were recent converts, but even to this point the Christian message was reserved for God’s chosen people – the Jews. So even though there were more similarities than differences between these particular people of faith, the human ability to divide and splinter off is never more pronounced.

They all claim one common identity but still were very distinct and different because of other aspects of who they are. Partly because of where they were from, the language they spoke, the jobs they had, their economic standing, there is more to them then just their religion. Just as we call ourselves Christian, we would say that we are different from the Christians who are Roman Catholic. Or Pentecostal. Or how we’re different from United Church people in Vancouver, Toronto, London, Strathroy. And even Glencoe/Appin.

Each of us here is called and claimed to one identity as a follower of Christ. But we all retain a unique quality and possess a special life story. Even the question of how we found ourselves worshipping here this particular morning is varied and valuable: is it through tradition? Being born into this community, into this church? Is it through questioning and shopping around? Or was it by trying something new and different, just once and maybe again another time?

Jesus words were coming true. The power of the spirit arrived, just as he promised. The disciples were his witnesses, just as he promised and it began in Jerusalem that morning when Peter gets up to defend his community. Peter begins his witness. He tells the truth as he experienced. Again, he did not judge, he did not argue of procedures or precedents. He told of what was actually going on that morning. They were not drunk; they were connecting to what was previously foretold by the prophet Joel: a time of great vision, of power and promise, of potential for all people.

The work of bringing God’s kingdom to earth has transferred from the resurrected and ascended Christ himself to the community of faithful. Equipped with language, personal experience and questions, given the gift of witness, they were ready to be the church. The disciples could communicate and convey the message of love and life, of resurrection and renewal.

No matter what we think of other cultures and customs, or what words we use, we remain connected to this God who loves us, knows our language, our quirks, our idioms. God can connect to us on our terms in a way that only we can understand. Our faith an be that private and personalized. But it cannot stay that way, our work is to be the translators and connectors for a world that does not know the story – to tell the people in a language they understand about a wonderful love, a compelling call and a community that cares.

sermon excerpts: "Ascension Deficit Disorder" - Acts 1: 1-11

The story of the ascension marks this transition for the faith community. Jesus leaves the people on their own to figure things out, to live their life, to pursue their passions and shape their ministry. This is not a Christian festival or scripture that is very popular in the United Church of Canada for some reason. Not many commentators have bothered with it; maybe it’s more of a Catholic thing; I’m not sure. ...

It’s a scripture that deserves more focus and consideration. I find that the questions of the disciples, the assurance of Christ and the image of those gathered, necks craned toward the sky looking intently a compelling reminder of what we are to be as the church. The book of Acts has been criticized as presenting an unrealistic series of triumphs (because life is rarely so spectacularly successful) and appears to supplant the importance of Christ with the institution of the church. But I think the most important aspect of the Acts of the Apostles is the reminder that God is very active in the world by the Holy Spirit through the faith of people, and not a blueprint for how to “do church.”

We are well aware that blueprint is changing with the times: emerging technologies, global transportation, interconnected economics and market forces, media-driven social dynamics all make our reality very different from that of the eastern Mediterranean of 2000 years ago. We cannot transplant what worked well in days gone past without accounting for contemporary influences and factors.
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In recalling John’s baptism by water, we are reminded how the crowds came to find him, from Judea and the surrounding region. The movement reverses now – as the Spirit creeps out from Jerusalem into Judea, then to the somewhat foreign land of Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. It’s time for the gospel to hit the road, to travel and spread.

It all begins with an awe-filled moment of Christ rising up above this mortal coil, disappearing into the heavens. The last words Jesus delivers are a promise and a guarantee: you will have power when the Holy Spirit comes, and you will be witnesses. One part speaks to what the disciples will receive (power in the Spirit) and the other part speaks to what the disciples will do and deliver (witness).

That’s another word that makes United Church folks uneasy: “Witness.” It conjures images of testimony, of evangelism, of pushy, self-absorbed salvation and annoying other people so much with God that they tune out and turn away. It’s too bad that the hyper-evangelistic and fundamentalist characters of Christianity monopolize such an important and inviting aspect of our faith life.

What does Jesus mean when he tells the disciples they will be his witnesses? (And this is not a request or a suggestion, it is a declaration – they will be his witnesses!) We might look to the legal system for some direction. After all, there is a legal quality to the writing of Acts and there are plenty of trials and arguments in these chapters.

To be a witness implies a couple things. First, there is a conflict, there is opposition to what we have to say, and it is conducted in public. Otherwise, why are witnesses needed? Each side gathers its experts and witnesses to prove a point, to uncover a truth.

Second, witnesses speak only to what they know or experienced. They are not the judges or jurors in the situation, they do not decide the worthiness, holiness or salvation of others. Witnesses don’t try to convince or persuade others, that job is for the lawyers to do. All witnesses do is share as clearly as they can what they believe to be true.

Jesus may have ascended, lifted to the heavens, leaving us behind to figure things out for ourselves. That does not excuse us from our mission, from following his last words – to accept the power of the Holy Spirit in our world and to be a witness.

sermon excerpts: "In the Name of the Mother" - Acts 16: 9-15

... So much of life is regaining that sense of God shining in us. Sometimes we do things that cause that light to dim; sometimes disheartening things happen to us. The apostle Paul experienced a rift in his team when he and his long time colleague Barnabas had a very pointed difference of opinion over another member of their company, and they parted ways.

The gospel was at a crossroads. Paul and his remaining companions then attempted to make their way east into Asia, what we call Turkey. The verses before our reading this morning say that the spirit of Jesus prevented them. There aren’t any details saying exactly how the spirit barred their entry, but it’s a pretty sizable obstacle to overcome when the spirit of Christ stands in your way.

It would be easy to be downhearted and discouraged. Soon after this setback, an alternative presents itself. It was a dream that prompted Paul and his companions to venture into northern Greece, into Europe and thus God’s work is done. Although I wonder how Paul knew it was a Macedonian in his dream – what exactly do they look like?

Not only does this story begin the spread of Christ’s ministry in a whole new region, we make note of the shift from third person accounts of “him” and “they” to the first person telling using “us” and “we”. As the gospel is shared with Gentiles as it moves beyond the rites and regulations of Jewish purity and tradition, more emphasis falls upon the work of the Spirit and the assembled community.

Paul with his companions, Silas, Timothy and Luke, who is the writer here, finds quick success. Lydia meets the apostles and her acceptance of them along with the subsequent baptism of her household sets the stage for the Christian message to flourish in difficult times. Different from Paul’s dream, because she is a Macedonian woman, she is the first European to convert to Christianity and a new branch of the faith family tree begins to bud and grow. Is it that far a stretch to say that she was the mother of the church?

She pledges the lives of household to Christ and goes one step further. Lydia offers hospitality. She invites this band of foreign wanderers into her own home. Like Shane Claiborne and his friend Michelle with the shine-less prostitute, Lydia embraces the needs of others as her own and gives what she could.

Granted, as a person of power and wealth, and we know this because of her business. The supply and sale of purple coloured fabrics and furnishings was a luxury enterprise. Only the very wealthy could afford the pricey colour of royalty and prestige.

So it was not a financial hardship to billet a missionary group from Jerusalem. But there was a significant cost to her reputation and credibility. She sides with a band of strangers preaching a very strange message of power and might through humbleness and service, believing a story of a saviour who died, rose again and disappeared into heaven.

It’s bad business to join forces with crackpot outsiders. With her hospitality, in giving shelter, food and lodging, Lydia turns away from the pressures of popular opinion, of mob mentality and lives into her new life. She recognizes that a meaningful life is more than income and honour in society; she wants to be part of something grander and greater than any human business.
Paul and his band of friends arrived on the scene and conveyed a sense of family and togetherness that she saw and wanted. They did not have much among themselves but did not need much. They had their faith, trusting in God’s grace and abundance.

We don’t do as well. We like to know what’s going to happen next. We like to have safety nets. But like any mother or caregiver knows, at some point we have to let go and just trust that we’ve done our part, that things will have have to take care of themselves.
Who knows what awaits us? Did Paul predict that his detour into Europe would be so well received? Did Lydia know that she would give birth to a movement that has extended its reach across oceans and continents and centuries?

Do we really believe that God’s love shines up on us? Do we know what we need to do to restore the spiritual shine in our own lives, or more importantly, in the lives of those around us? Where are the opportunities for hospitality and witness that we’re overlooking or walking past?

for May 9 - Acts 16: 9-15

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.

On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.

A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

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What feelings, questions, thoughts and prompts to personal action arise from this scripture?
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Back in the Saddle

Hi everyone, (or at least to the few of you that stop by here),

After a couple weeks' of Study Leave where I heard many wonderful presenters and speakers at Princeton Theological Seminary, I'm getting back to the rhythm of life in the pastorate! (You can tell I've been in the States when I use words like "pastorate"). I'm sure I'll find ways to work in some of the new learnings into what's going on around these parts.

Already there's a few meetings and workshops that have me here and there - I won't be in the office on Thursday - this week filled up quite quickly!

Once again, thank you for the support and expressions of sympathy conveyed to my family on the passing of Shelley's grandmother. It means a lot to us.

Looking forward to seeing you again and catching up on your news,
Kenji