Wednesday, November 30, 2022 – Advent Two

“We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.” (Jeremiah 8:15 New Living Translation)

                Let’s be perfectly frank – these days feel like anything but peaceful times.

                I am sure that I do not need to recount the troubling list of things which are going on in our world which disturb the peace. One can almost compare our modern times with Jesus’ most alarming warnings. “When you hear of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history, and no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. But these things are nothing compared to what’s coming.” (Mark 13: 7-8, The Message Bible)

                The daily news makes many of us restless, anxious, fretful, fearful, frustrated, disappointed, uneasy and troubled. Add to all that our personal cares and worries, peace is a hard experience to come by.

                The OT prophets were not fortune tellers. Rather they were keen and inspired observers of the culture in which they lived, severe critics of broken politics and kingdoms, the disparity of the economy between rich and poor, the abuse of justice, the superficiality and phoniness of religion, and mostly the utter abandonment of God and God’s covenantal principles. They, too, lived in very restless and unpeaceful times.

                How could there be any peace in a world that so distained the Love and the Guidance of that Love? Why do we think we can do any better?

                Jermiah criticized “the superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6;14m NLT) We are reminded then to be wary of the honeyed promises of politicians, the smooth-talking preacher, the sweet allure of consumerism, the enticements of false messiahs and their fake news.

                Just when we might be ready to give up on true peace, there is a New Voice crying in this wilderness: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NLT)

                We’re not left bereft or alone to face either the present or the future, as people without hope. There is a New Voice that stills the storms. There is a Presence that rises above the din and turmoil and dares speak the holy word of Peace – in fact, embodies a passion for peace in every fibre if his being.

                But let us not cheapen this Peace with easy definitions.  Jesus’ Peace is costly, and therefore precious in its intent. This Peace arises out of our resistance to all forms of sin and evil. This Peace stands against all forms of corruption, injustice, prejudice and hatred and sometimes bleeds in its undertaking. This Peace speaks against the wars and violence of this world and often carries the scars of its message. 

                This is no easy Peace but that fact does not make Peace impossible. Peace is the reward of long journeys and bumpy roads. Peace comes in our endurance of tough things. Peace comes when we learn from our failures. Peace comes when we are at the end of our tether and a helping hand comes out of nowhere. Peace comes when grief and sorrow are shared in the context of God’s Love and Mercy, when we understand that no matter what, we are not orphaned, not alone.

                Not peace as the world gives, superficial, temporary at best, empty at its worst. Peace as only Jesus the Messiah can give. A source of strength, patience, endurance, perseverance and love. This is a Peace which rallies the mind, soul and spirit. In his Peace, Jesus speaks our name and draws us more closely to him. Peace is our trust and faith that his Spirit abides throughout these times.

                Hang on.  Better yet, hold on.

                “Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!” (Romans 7:13 The Message Bible)

Dale

Wednesday, November 23, 2022 – Advent One

“And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” (Psalm 39:7, New Living Translation)

                Hope is a uniquely human trait.

    I might even argue that hope makes us human. Other species have innate needs and wants which they seek to fulfill – food, shelter, safety. Some animals and birds have limited forms of intelligence and comprehension. Some use tools of a kind and exhibit certain motor skills. But only humans display conscious hope, the unique ability to seek a future and believe ardently for the best of outcomes.

                Hope, not opposable thumbs, defines humankind, the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve.

                We always begin the season of Advent in hope.

                We hope that the war in Ukraine is soon over. We hope that Covid will finally pass. We hope that that violent shootings will cease. We hope that they will find a cure for cancer. We hope that we can solve the crisis of climate change before it is too late. We hope that poverty and homelessness disappear. We hope that our lives will find meaning and purpose. We hope that our families remain healthy and secure and whole. We hope that through whatever we are facing and dealing with we will find the strength, wisdom and support that breaks through the clouds and shadows.

                We are a people who can articulate and specify hope and its value and its contents. We put real words to our hope. We put faith into our hope. We put our trust in hope. We persist in hope.

                Hope presents itself as a shield to fend off our worries, anxieties, fears and hurts. Hope abides and lifts the human spirit, soul and heart so that both alone and together we face the future.

                But hope also is gifted to us in the coming of the Messiah, always a figure of hope, possibility, liberation, rescue and new life. “God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” (John 3:17, The Message Bible)

Not condemnation – that would be a thin hope indeed.  There may be judgment, as some believe, but it will be a justice of love, a desire for life sentences in a redemptive way, a proclivity towards compassion and mercy. A spirit of forgiveness and healing. “God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.”  (2 Peter 3: 9, The Message)

At least I hope so.

Hope is our grasp of God’s future, understanding that it is also humanity’s best option. Hope in God and his Messiah gives us strength, courage, resolve, inspiration and assurance.  Christian Hope invites us to stretch our reach into God’s new territory of life and rebirth.  Hope is a summons to follow the One who leads to a more wholesome, vibrant, life-sustaining way of thinking, believing, sharing, loving and inevitably takes on us the road to joy and peace.

“We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide-open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.” (Romans 1:2, The Message)

May you find hope this Advent season.

 Dale

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 – The Reign of Christ (November 20)

“If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and bewitching performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I’ve given you fair warning.” (Matthew 24: 23 -25, The Message Bible)

                 I see where the good ol’ boy, Donald Trump, has announced that he is running for president in the U.S.A. again. Yikes!  No offence (?), but I just might list him in my personal top few as a candidate for a version of an anti-Christ. Along with Putin of Russia and Kim Jung-un of North Korea to name two more. Of course, lists of this nature are very subjective and individual, based on one’s own morality, politics and definitions of Christianity. One person’s anti-Christ may be seen by someone else as a version of a saviour. As I say, Yikes!

                But I am drawn to Jesus’ words in our text above. He reminds us of the lure and temptation of following false idols of leadership and authority.  There are those who make all sorts of promises which lead us to believe that they can deliver the kind of perfect  world we want to live in. Even if it excludes and rejects others. Maybe because it excludes and rejects others, those whom we don’t want in our world.  Promises of a world just for us, you and me, but not “them,” whomever them may be.

                But these wanna-be messiahs are just that – fakes.  They may sound right, look right, make fancy promises, and beguile us with messages of some pure utopia but they are not Jesus, by any stretch of the imagination.

                Not that we always get Jesus right as to his Messiahship either. There are a lot of false claims made in his name and under his authority, as well. “Jesus said, ‘Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, ‘I am Christ, the Messiah.’ They will deceive a lot of people.’” (Matthew 24: 5, The Message Bible)

                Jesus once asked his disciples, “But who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15) Peter had the right answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (v.16). But no sooner were the words out of his mouth, Peter tripped over the whole idea of a crucified Messiah.  Jesus, by insisting that Satan get behind him, accused Peter of being sucked into the wrong expectations of a Messiah coming to win the day militarily and triumphantly. Jesus was not that kind of Messiah. His message, one of love, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, tolerance, acceptance, would fly in the faces of the world’s religious rulers and political authorities, both then and now.

                So, who do you say Jesus is? It is important to know who he is not. But it is also critically important to know who he is.  You may not be ready to buy all the labels and definitions which the Church has poured into the theology of Christ over the centuries. Jesus is a hard personality to pin down to just a few words. Once you think you might have him in a neat and tidy box, he bursts out and reveals something brand new about himself and the Kingdom he hopes to establish some day.

                But we are not there yet – in that hoped-for future when all will be made clear. We live today. We need a big-enough Christ in our day-to-day lives who can challenge and thwart the false promises and their messengers who seek only power and dominance and supremacy. The ones who insist they are right and if we don’t agree with them, then we are wrong and should be condemned; the ones who insist that they know best what is good for us; the ones who steal freedom and hope and security. and who twist the truth.    

                It is almost Advent, and there is another relevant question in this discussion. It comes from John the Baptist, the precursor representative to the fresh arrival of the Messiah. He too is somewhat confused by this Jesus and his Gospel of Love and Peace.  “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:19)

                Jesus, and only Jesus, is our true Messiah, the One who saves the world, rather that condemns the world; the One who embodies God’s great Love; the One who died for the world so that we might live; the One who calls us into his New World to be his sisters and brothers; the One who liberates us from all that attempts to rule us and subjugate us to evil’s power.

                “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:11)

 

Dale

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

“Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.” (Ecclesiastes 10:18 New Living Translation)

                Atrophy - partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body.

                I am becoming aware that my legs may be stumbling into a state of atrophy. I have never been exactly adroit or nimble on my feet. Nobody has ever called me twinkle-toes. But, since retirement, seven years ago, I have sat in my big, comfy, blue recliner and moved as little as possible, it seems. Covid made it worse. Certainly, I don’t exercise. Our dog, Charlie, is too old to walk anymore; he is as prone to stumbles and slips as I am. I have fallen a couple of times because my legs don’t react as fast as my brain tells them to. I trip over my own two feet. Once I am down, it is laborious to try and get back up as my legs don’t seem strong enough. At my “young” age, it is a little embarrassing, to be honest.

                I know that I should do some walking to strengthen my leg muscles. But laziness, thy name is Dale.

                Idleness gets a rough reputation in scriptures. “Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.” (Ecclesiastes 4:5, NLT) My mother always said that idle hands are the devil’s tools.

The apostle Paul would agree. “Don’t you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? ‘If you don’t work, you don’t eat.’ And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty.”  (2 Thessalonians 3: 11-13, The Message Bible)

Now there is nothing wrong or sinful in spending leisure time, resting, relaxing, having some down time, or just plain goofing off occasionally. We need spiritual, physical, mental refreshment and restoration of mind, body and soul. Workaholism can become a curse when it replaces family relationships, saps or drains one’s humanity and becomes the be all and end all to living.

But idleness is a dangerous pool to drown in – especially in the area of Christian discipleship.

We need continuously to practice and exercise the core muscles of Christian behaviour. “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesians  4:13, NLT)

If we become apathetic, indifferent, close-hearted, unmindful, ignorant, careless, thoughtless about our faith, our relationship with Jesus Christ and therefore about our relationships with others, that faith begins indeed to atrophy and becomes weak and we stumble around trying to gain our balance, especially in a world that throws up obstacles and barriers.

Therefore, or instead, Paul reminds us of the stuff we are made and the work that this implies. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

Our Ecclesiastes text, above, reminds me a little of Jesus’ parable of the men who built their houses on different foundations.

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” (Matthew 7: 24 -27, The Message Bible)

Let us get up off our back-sides and put our faith to work.

 Dale

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord[a] and ours…” (1 Corinthians 1:2, New Revised Standard Version)

                A gulp of cormorants.

                Apparently, according to Google, that is what one calls a flock of cormorants, an old French word meaning sea-crows. We saw many cormorants on Lake Erie, one gulp as large as maybe well over a hundred birds, flying low over the water, skimming not far off the surface.

                A parliament of owls, a coven of crows, a gaggle of geese and a gulp of cormorants. If there are only two or three cormorants is that just a sip of cormorants? Sorry, I digress.

                What do you call a group of Christians?

     Maybe, you might suggest a church or a congregation or a community of believers. But Paul calls a group of Christians, saints. A loaded word, suggesting some sort of holiness, near perfection, do-gooders, sanctified and washed clean or as the Message Bible describes sainthood, “believers cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life.”

                But let us be very careful about what it means to be part of the sainthood of all believers. Remember that old platitude, “If you are looking to join a perfect church, once you join it, it is no longer perfect.” I don’t mean this as a put-down but as a reminder that even as Paul used the word quite regularly in his writings, he was also acutely aware that he was writing churches which were far from being saintly but could be filled with rancour, jealousies, factions, rigidity and church wars.

                Nothing has changed much in churches in these times. The colony of saints is made up very human would-be saints. This is to say that churches are sometimes messy, chaotic, beleaguered, broken, vulnerable, struggling, and fraught with human feelings, emotions and reactions.  And to use an old Groucho Marx line, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” Simply put, no church is perfect.

                Paul knew that better than anyone but nonetheless he understood that the church, this gaggle of saints, had its work cut out for it.  He understood the potential for greatness. He appreciated the possibilities for service and sacrifice. He extolled the virtues of love and community among them. He exhorted the practice of acceptance, tolerance and grace.

                 “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4: 15 -16, New Living Translation)

                “Instead” – that word speaks volumes, doesn’t it? Churches would do well to practice the theology of “instead.”  Instead of judgmentalism, dogmatism, and intransigence, we practice gracious acceptance, love and inclusiveness. Instead of living in our brick and stone boxes, cloistering against the world, holding tight to the past or even human sin, we open our hearts, minds and souls to love all others as we have been loved. Instead of thinking only of punching our tickets to heaven, we begin to build Jesus’ Kingdom in the corners in which we live and worship. Instead of the veneer of our Christianity, we dig down deep and reveal the essence of being a sainthood, a follower of Jesus Christ in both word and deed.

                “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12: 1 -2, The Message Bible)

                Saints alive!

Dale