Wednesday, March 15, 2017

                Back in the day, when I was more zealous about gardening, I would enjoy looking at various seed catalogues or gardening magazines on a cold, blustery day like today.  The pictures of flowers and plants, the gardening tips and the new types of gardening equipment were to me a sign of better things to come even if there was blowing snow swirling outside my window.

A catalogue from Lee Valley Tools would set my heart a-racing. Cottage Life would reveal new varieties and colours of garden flowers. We now get a quarterly magazine, Garden Gate, courtesy of my mother-in-law who is still a passionate gardener. The pictures of the gardens are breath-taking but are far beyond my present levels of energy and commitment that it would take to duplicate. Nevertheless, sitting here with my SAD light blazing, a cup of hot tea and cold, March winds whipping up the Ides of March, these same pictures promise the hope of warmer days ahead and that spring is coming - eventually. Underneath the snow, my little crocuses are waiting to burst up out of the soil.

I can find only one biblical reference to the noble crocus. The words are spoken to a people who are in captivity, despair and hopelessness. Their situation is compared to that of living in the wilderness. But this prophet, Isaiah, has the blatant audacity to speak these words as he promises them that the day will come when they will return to their homeland and be happy once again: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing,” (Isaiah 35: 1 -2).

It took about seventy years for that “crocus” to actually bloom. I’m sure that it could not have been  easy to wait, to be patient, to believe in those words or have faith during those times. It would be human nature to become bitter or cynical, to doubt, to lose hope, to give up, to surrender. But Isaiah and others like him persisted that they keep hoping and trusting. They have it on good authority - God himself who speaks again in springtime words: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring. They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like willows by flowing streams,” (Isaiah 44: 3 – 5). (A tamarisk is an evergreen shrub.)

The language of fresh sprouts of hope in the midst of despair is also found in Isaiah 55 and worth repeating an extended piece of it.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off,” (Isaiah 55: 10 – 13).

God’s “seed catalogue” gives me much to contemplate on a cold, wintry day.  This old world of ours could use some Good News. We have good friends who are in need of some good news. Maybe you are in need of some promising good news.

So, listen up! “See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them,” (Isaiah 42:9).

                It’s not going to snow forever, is it? 

Dale

Wednesday, March 8, 2017 

                A couple of weeks ago, I was at the drive-thru at McDonalds. They had been advertising the “Big Mac with Bacon” combo on TV. Who can resist bacon?  So, I ordered the combo, only to be told that this promotion was no longer available, but I could order a Big Mac and add the bacon. Huh!?

                The Kingdom of God is not like this:

                Excuse me, but I would like a faith system that has all the fixings which will help me to make a real difference in my life and the world around me.

Sorry sir, but we can offer you a nice church but the extras are… well, extra… they will cost you.

                What do you mean extras? Like what?

                Well, for starters – Jesus.

                Jesus is an extra?

                Of course, we can’t just give Jesus away, you know. Oh, he used to be in the whole package but we found that he doesn’t come cheaply. So, we took him out.

                You took out Jesus?

                We discovered that some of our customers couldn’t afford the deluxe package with Jesus in it. So, we downsized and now just offer the basics but it comes with a life-time warrantee of a warm, fuzzy feeling of community.

                What else comes with the basics?

                Church offering envelopes.

                Pardon?

                Sorry sir, it’s an inside joke.

                But I think I want a church with Jesus included.

                Then indeed, you will be wanting the deluxe package. But you will need to fill out this club membership form, and sign the waver agreement that if something goes wrong, we are not responsible.

                What could go wrong?

                Just between you and me, sir, we have had a number of customers complain that the deluxe package with Jesus has a few bugs in it. I really shouldn’t be telling you this but the Jesus model isn't as compatible with some people's old operating systems as much as we here at McChurch Inc. would like.

                What do you mean bugs?

                The whole Jesus deluxe package seems susceptible to a love-bug. It has been known to cause people to act irrationally. We are still trying to work the flaws out of the system. It is quite annoying if not caught early enough.

                Sounds serious.

                Oh, it is, sir. Very serious. People have been returning these packages by the droves.

                I see. I think I will take my chances with the Jesus deluxe package. What’s the final cost?

                Your life, sir.

                Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?  Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? (Mark 8: 34 -37) 

Dale

Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017

                Yesterday, I was in the grocery store to purchase buttermilk pancake mix, blueberries, syrup and sausages. Maybe she was just making idle conversation, but the grocery clerk wondered aloud to me why they were selling a lot of pancake mix and pancake fixings. “What’s going on? Is it some sort of pancake day?”  Well, I managed to give her a very short liturgical lesson, explaining that it was Pancake Tuesday which marks the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. I’m not sure that she was much the wiser nor probably cared all that much. Lent seemed to have no meaning for her.

                I would argue that Lent is about far more than just pancakes on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) – a symbolic gesture to use up the rich baking ingredients like butter, eggs, and fat before the season of fasting and prayer begins. Therefore, Mari Gras has become an excessive, everything-goes festival in some places. One website describes it this way: “Lent is a time of fasting and penance in preparation for Easter. Carnival, then, can rightly be seen as the indulgence before the fast. It is one last “binge” before having to give something up for 40 days… In general, Mardi Gras revelers engage in a binge of sinning before a time of consecration to God. The celebration of Mardi Gras fosters the notion that you can do whatever you want on Fat Tuesday, as long as you show up in church on Ash Wednesday. It’s the bender before the benediction,” (Gotquestions?.org)

                I have never been very much into the whole idea of giving something up for Lent. At its best, it is a well-intentioned gesture to symbolize personal sacrifice, fasting, spirituality and acts as a small reminder of our walk with our crucified Lord. But giving up chocolate or coffee, for example, seems pretty small potatoes in the development of our discipleship and spirituality.

Don’t get me wrong. Certainly, there are plenty of bad habits that one could give up. The Seven Deadly Sins covers that: envy, gluttony, greed or avarice, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath in all their variant and sometimes subtle forms. Now we’re talking big leagues!

                But I have always been an advocate that even if one is going to give something up for Lent that perhaps we should also consider taking up some new habit for good, volunteer for some good cause, do some random deeds of kindness, give a helping hand, or do something extra for someone. There is an implied “sacrifice” in this as one gives up time, energy, and one’s self for something good and honourable. One also doesn’t have time to do any of the bad stuff that tempts and intrigues us. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” (Romans 12: 21).

                Easier said than done, but hey, we now have six weeks in which to work it out. We have Jesus from whom to take our cues and find a super model for our Lenten living.  We are called to exercise our faith and practice unselfishly our liturgy of love, compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness, to pick up our crosses and follow Jesus, “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,” (Colossians 1:10).

                The thoughtful and beneficial season of Lent begins today. So, let’s give it up for Lent!

Dale

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

                It was a deal that I couldn’t resist; three bags of potato chips for five bucks. I love potato chips. In fact, I am a potato chip connoisseur.  My kids have always appreciated (i.e. mocked) their dear, old dad’s penchant for trying any new variety of potato chip that comes out on the market. Sure, I was skeptical about the P.E.I. scalloped potato chips and found them rather disappointingly bland. I’ll eat dill pickle in a crunch! The bacon and cheeseburger ones were interesting. Not fond of ketchup potato chips. Haven’t tried the chili ones yet. Really liked the Swiss Chalet dipping sauce flavoured potato chips. I am no slouch when it comes knowing my potato chips.

                The three bags, this time, were maple & bacon, poutine, and buffalo wings & blue cheese. I am finding them all a little stale which why they may have been on sale. Potato chips need to be crunchy fresh to be really enjoyed and savoured. But the poutine ones are pretty good.

                It has been said by those who study the sociology of religion that people choose their spiritualty like I choose flavours of potato chips. Some folk keep trying new ones. Some people pick and choose depending on what their spiritual taste buds are in the mood for. Among the young and the restless like Millennials and even Generation X, they are not content with just one and only one faith expression. Some are very eclectic in their spirituality choices, taking a little from various faith sources.

                Spiritualty has become a very personal and individual choice, divorced from buildings, institutions and authoritative sources that used to fuel religion.  Spirituality is now about individual expression, the senses, interactive circles of friends, life’s journey, and connecting with that which gives purpose, meaning and peace of heart, mind and soul. I would argue that even atheists and agnostics have a spirituality, sans God, of course, but they have chosen things like humanism and secularism   to move them through their lives.

                Spirituality is diverse, multi-flavoured, unique, deeply personal. People aren’t religious anymore, some say, as much as they are spiritual. For those of us left on the shores of churchdom, it is perplexing.

                At its worse spirituality becomes just another consumer item, some thing to be devoured and when one grows tried of the flavour, one moves on to the next, new taste.

At its best, people find a real, living connection to something and yes, sometimes even to Someone, that gives them a satisfying spirit of joy, confidence, assurance, well-being and peace - that which I might dare call grace. Good for them!

                Once upon a time the Christian movement could have easily spoken to this spiritual hunger.  The book of Acts tells story after story about what happened among the people in whom the presence of Jesus had inspired a great spiritual awakening. “When they prayed the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they w ere filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the world of God with boldness,” (Acts 4:31). They came alive. They found a close circle of like-minded friends. They were deeply motivated to do good works together. It was an inclusive blend of cultures, nationalities, genders and social standing, finding equality and unity in their diversity. The relationship with Jesus as with others was deeply personal and gave them individually and collectively purpose, meaning and satisfaction. Their joie de vivre attracted others to explore this fresh breeze of spirituality with them.

                I am not sure how we re-gain that flow of spiritual energy easily.  I am not sure that it should be easy. Significant spirituality begins with being open to the flow of God’s love in whatever form which his presence might take. “You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God,” (John 3:8).

                I wonder what flavour of potato chip Jesus might have liked?       

Dale      

               

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

                So, in the middle of the snowstorm on Sunday, I was outside and heard a robin chirping away. I could imagine that he/she was tweeting out his/her displeasure with its Florida travel agent. “Sure, you want to go north a little early? No problem. I have it on good authority that none other than that great weather expert, Wiarton Willie, predicted an early spring. You’ll be fine. Have a safe trip.” (Now, why anyone would trust a fat rodent who is afraid of his own shadow, I don’t know.) I expect the worms are wriggling in glee, nice and safe in their warm earth.  

Maybe, he/she is just a Canadian robin, and is showing how tough he/she is by spending the whole winter here. But I have got to tell you that if my basic, natural instinct was compelling me to fly south for the winter, my little birdy suitcase would be packed and I’d catch the first, warm breeze south.

We find ourselves more often than we would like to admit in circumstances beyond our control. Some people gather “winter storms” like they were Joe Btfsplk, a character from the old comic strip Li’l Abner. (Recalling that just shows how old I am becoming!) Joe always had a cloud over his head. Some people are accident prone. Some folk have continuous bad luck. Some people never seem to get a break. Some individuals are always in trouble. Some persons fight lifetime chronic illnesses. All of us face seasons in which life takes a tumble and it’s hard to get back up. Hope may spring eternal but it can be a very dim light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Maybe, the robin was pouring his complaint to his Creator in its own birdy way, just as we will do when spiritual, emotional, physical winter comes upon us. “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God,” (Psalm 84:2).  C‘mon, God, I’m hanging on by my fingernails here. It’s cold, slippery, nasty, and I’m hungry and want to get in out of the icy wind. “Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you,” (Psalm 102:1).  

There are still berries on many trees and bushes that will help the robin survive. Maybe a birdfeeder here and there. Shelter will be in some dense hedge or towering pine tree. We have a friend who has a bird bath filled with clean water for the birds to drink. She has had a flock of robins at it this winter. This might not exactly be the answer to his/her tweets, “Lord, give me spring and give it to me now!” but there is every likelihood that the robin will survive until spring does come.

Our prayers for respite, relief, comfort, wellbeing, security, and renewal may be answered through many sources. People come to our aid and help. Casseroles are made. Kind words are spoken.  Visits are made. Guidance is given. A church steps up and provides meals for the homeless and hungry. A church offers community and welcome for the stranger and the strangest.  Outsiders become included.  Grace is given. Forgiveness is generously applied. People find shelter in the kindness of others. The list goes on and on. This is sacred work going on. We are not alone or abandoned.

God has answered our prayers even though winter winds seem to be shredding our hopes and whipping our confidence away. “None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us,” (Romans 8: 37 39, The Message)

Hang in there, all you winter robins out there; God’s listening and is figuring it out.

Dale

Thursday, February 9, 2017

                Where’s the salt of the earth when you need it?

                Having been away yesterday I have had to scour the city to find just a single bag of salt or even some ice-melter. After the ice storm on Tuesday our front sidewalk and steps are caked in three inches of rock-hard ice. The drive way is not much better. So this morning, I was on the hunt for anything that could put a serious dent in the ice. I really wanted to go ‘old school’ with those big, yellow bags of Windsor salt, meant for sidewalks. I am not sure that praying to find just one bag of salt is kosher but God was good. After my third try I found a store that still had the bags of the salt I was looking for and I bought three. One bag, for now, is, I hope, working its way through the ice.

                Allow me to remind you that in ancient times salt was once used as a measure of payment, hence the word “salary”, from the Latin “salarium”, being the stipend, or originally "salt-money” as a soldier's allowance for the purchase of salt. The ancients might be very shocked and surprised, I think, how we simply toss salt under foot to be trampled on.

                Of course, salt has many other uses, especially in cooking. I love a little salt on a fresh, just-picked-from-the-garden tomato, or salt on my popcorn, or salt on my French fries. Although one of my all-time, favourite lines comes from the comedian, the late John Pinette, who wondered aloud why they gave extra packets of salt with a KFC meal. “Who has ever tasted some KFC,” he asked, “and then said, ‘Hmm; needs more salt'?'”

                Salt has a sacred quality among its many uses and characteristics, especially as an agent for purification or cleansing.

Moses was commanded to make an incense to be used in the temple, “seasoned with salt, pure and holy,” (Exodus 30:35). In Leviticus, the people are told to “add salt to their offerings,” (Lev.2:13). I believe the actions were to be symbolic of the purity and cleanliness of what was being offered to God.  The covenant between God and his people was sealed with salt (Number 18:19).

                Then of course, there is the interesting saying that comes from Jesus, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other,” (Mark 9:50). But I appreciate how The Message unpacks the same saying out of Matthew: “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.” (Matthew 5:13).

                I love that bit about bringing out the salt-flavours of this earth.

                Our salty language is not to be filled with curse words, biting and stinging words, insults, name-calling, rudeness, criticisms, complaints and the like but we are to season the world around us with the salt of loving actions, to be sacred and powerful agents of positive change, and to be a tasty enhancement of what God is doing in the world through and by the followers of Jesus. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone,” (Colossians 4:6).

                This world, now more than ever, needs salty Christians and anyone who will melt the world’s icy hatred and cold hearts, the world’s frosty reception toward outsiders or the poor or the needy, the world’s chilling biases against each other, the world’s sub-zero fear of who or what is different.

                Where’s the salt of the earth when you need it?

Dale

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

                Despite taking World Religions in University over 40 years ago, to say that I understand Islam would be a gross exaggeration.  I have read little bits of the Koran but never the whole thing. What I think I know about Islam doesn’t appeal to me, personally, but faith is not about what simply appeals, but where one finds true inner and spiritual strength to face the day. To that end and in light of the few wonderful Muslims whom I have met over the years, I have great respect for them. Day by day, they are no different than any of us.

                But I do know the Bible and I do know Christianity, and best of all I try to know and then follow Jesus Christ. What has happened in Montreal especially but the rising prejudice in the world would, I’m  sure, offend my Lord greatly. Therefore, it should and must offend any one who asserts that he or she is a follower of Jesus. It must pain the One who so loved the world that some Christians affirm, maybe not the violence, but the rhetoric and biases against Muslim people.

                Why do I say that Jesus would be imploring love, tolerance and generous  hospitality in this conflicted, angry and judgmental day and age?

                Well, first of all, Jesus was a Jew and his beliefs were anchored in what we call the Old Testament. And yes, there is a lot of xenophobic, judgmental commentary in the Bible but, at its best, the community was told to welcome the alien into their neighbourhoods. “You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt,” (Exodus 23:9). In fact, I would argue that the Kingdom Vision is not one of exclusion but inclusion.  “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations,” (Isaiah 62:11). The need for brevity does not permit me to explore this further, but it is very easy to find this critical thread of diversity and inclusion in many, many sections of scriptures.

                As for Jesus himself, well, his actions speak as loud as his words, even though his actions of inclusion, acceptance and love for all got him into plenty of hot water with the fearful, narrow minded, religious crowd of his day. But he preached and then lived out the meaning of loving one’s enemies. "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven…’” (Matthew 5: 43 – 45). He didn’t say anything about this love being easy, safe, comfortable, convenient, reciprocated, or rewarded immediately. In fact, you’re being persecuted. But I think he believed that such love, if practiced consistently, thoroughly, thoughtfully, intentionally, ceaselessly, generously and repeatedly might actually and eventually help contribute to the building of his Kingdom, “for the healing of the nations,” (Revelation 22:2).

                Such a love as Jesus had for every one was met with violence. He had reached out to Jew and Gentile alike, to enemies like the Romans and had walked among the hated Samaritans. He gathered tax collectors and prostitutes. He loved children. He treated women with respect. He touched lepers who were ostracized from society. But, in part, it got him killed and murdered by the respectable and the decent and by those in power. Jesus would abhor the evil, sinful, terrorist acts of Muslim or Christian or government or nation. But he would not abandon the victims of these deplorable actions.

                It was deeply moving to see the picture of Pope Francis washing the feet of Muslims this past week. It was symbolic of what Christianity should look like and how it should be practiced by us each and every day.

                “The Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation.  And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'  Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.' Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell,” (Matthew 25: 31 – 42, The Message).    

And if that doesn’t make you stop and think in this Trumped-up world of ours, nothing will!

Dale