LENT
We find ourselves coming to the close of winter and fast approaching the Spring. With this transition of the seasons comes this wonderful 40 days of Lent - a time of reflection; of purification; and spiritual growth.
The Church gives us this reflective season each year to encourage us to return again and again to the source of our life - God, the one who creates and sustains us. Throughout these 40 days we are invited into the deepest mysteries of our faith to increase our understanding of who God is; who we are; and how our relationship with both God and one another stands.
The season of Lent is a time to set aside the distractions we create in our day to day lives - distractions that keep us from returning to God who is source of life and being. It is a holy season - a time for prayer, fasting and alms giving. The holiness of Lent, however, is not rooted in these practices of piety. The holiness of Lent is rooted in the imitation of Christ throughout these 40 days, who according to Luke, is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This LEADING by the Spirit is precisely what makes it holy.
FACING TEMPTATIONS - A HOLY TIME
Jesus is LED into temptation - a period of time where he will be "distracted" from his mission. And what is this mission? It is the same as ours - to be a vehicle of God's love for the world.
In order for Jesus to be the way in which God's love flows into the world he must resist certain fundamental temptations:
1. The temptation of physical satisfaction (turn this stone into bread)
2. The temptation of authority (I will give you all these kingdoms)
3. The temptation of glory (throw yourself from this height)
Within the framework of these temptation (which we also face on a daily basis) Jesus is really getting to the heart of the question of who he is (God's son) and what kind of Messiah he is to be (many had already come and gone who claimed to be "the one").
Scriptural theologian N.T. Wright states that "in a sense, these three temptations can be seen as answers to those two questions". Wright speculates that Jesus is not so much engaged in a physical conversation with the devil, so much as the temptations are more a string of ideas in Jesus' head. Moreover, the temptation are reasonable.
The DEVIL - ACCUSER and SCATTERER
We can have all kinds of debates on whether or not the "devil" exists and never come to agreement. We can, however, understand these temptations as fundamental or universal temptation we ALL face and which take a kind of mental narrative. It is interesting to note that the two main names for the devil are satanos and diabolos. Satanos means "the accuser" while "diabolos" means the "scatterer". The physical existence of the "devil" then is not quite as important as the reality of our daily encounters with accusation and scattering. We may mean well in our attempt to fulfill our mission as the people of God, but we are often derailed or distracted from that mission through the experience of both accusation and scattering. It has been said that a house divided against itself will not stand - and this we know to be true.
Jesus knows that many have come before him claiming to be the Messiah - the temptation must have been enormous to show Israel that he is not just another soapbox preacher. The opportunity to overthrow the political system and display his divine greatness was his for the taking - which brings us back to the fundamental question for Jesus in the wilderness: "What kind of Messiah will I be?"
Yes, temptation invite us to be tested but they also invite us to consider deeply WHO WE ARE and WHO GOD IS. If we consider these questions seriously we will come to the question: "What kind of person does God want me to be?"
SUMMARY
This Lent, take time to spend with the Scriptures. Give yourself a routine of prayer, fasting and alms giving. Allow these next 40 days to be a time where you remove the distractions and return to the source of life. In other words, go to the desert. Consider what the voices are that you hear? Where are they accusing you? Where are they scattering you? Realize that Lent is not a time for self hatred, but rather a time to celebrate God's presence in your life.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
TRANSIGURATION - TRANSFORMATION Luke 9:28-45
The following is a condensed version of the Sermon. If you would like the full sermon, come visit us Sundays at 11am. We would be glad to have you!!
Transfiguration brings to a close the season of Epiphany and is the bridge between Christmas and Lent. We began our journey with the Magi who saw divinity in the fragility of an infant. The journey paused midway at the banks of the river Jordan where we heard the divine voice saying: "This is my beloved son", as Jesus emerged from the waters of baptism. Today, we are on the mountain top with Jesus - it is a moment when all of history is joined together in the "now" and we are given a "glimpse" of the glory that will one day be ours.
THE SCENE
Our gospel opens with the story of Jesus, James, John and Peter at the top of a mountain. Here in this majestic setting, Jesus is "transfigured" before them. His clothes become dazzling white and his face glows with glory. Standing with him are Moses, the Lawgiver and Elijah, the Prophet. Peter is so overcome with joy that he proposes they build three "tents" on the site. The divine voice is heard in a cloud: "This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him".
Upon their return from the mountain top experience they encounter the demands of a father whose son is desperately ill. The disciples of Jesus had tried to cure him but were unsuccessful. The young boy is said to be "possessed" with a shrieking demon that causes him to convulse and froth at the mouth. Jesus, of course, heals him.
A few things to note about both stories:
1. On the mountain top Peter wants to erect some "tents". When we think of tents are minds are drawn to the image of canvas and metal posts. A tent is something that keeps us protected from the elements while camping. Tent has quite a different meaning in the way that Luke uses the word. Recall that the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God's glory dwelled on earth, was kept in a tent. A tent then, was a sacred place. Peter's desire to erect a tent demonstrates his desire to build a shrine - to acknowledge the mountain top as a sacred place. Jesus, however, will not comply. He does not want the disciples to "hold on" to this moment by making a holy site for all to visit. This moment is for strength. It is a glimpse of the glory that will be given to Jesus after he has embraced his cross and therefore a glimpse of the glory that God promises to all of us through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
2. Below the mountain Jesus encounters the shrieking demon. Looking back through time and advancements in both science and medicine it would be reasonable for us to surmise that the young boy was not possessed. Rather, it is likely that he was suffering from a kind of epilepsy. Such a disease would not have been understood by the people of Jesus day and would likely have been seen as some kind of demonic possession. Nonetheless, we are told that Jesus heals him.
So why are the two such opposing stories linked together? One story is about a glimpse of the glory that is to come and the other is about the suffering of a human person. Why does Luke link the two stories together?
I believe the answer lies in the very contradiction of the stories - a contradiction which Luke uses to tell us that the world desperately needs God.
CONTRADICTIONS
If we meld the two stories together we see that while Jesus and the Apostles are on the mountain experiencing a "glimpse of glory", people below the mountain are suffering. While Jesus and the Apostles are experiencing joy, strength and beauty, people below the mountain are experiencing pain, illness and evil. Luke seems to be telling us that the more open we are to God and the Lordship of Christ in creation (transfiguration experience on the mountain), the more open we will be to the pain of the world (suffering of the child possessed by a demon).
Each of us experiences these contradictions in life. We experience the joy of the transfiguration at each experience of new life - the birth of a child; a young couple in love; a moving worship experience. Likewise, we experience the pain of those below the mountain when life seems threatened or unfair- illness, death, divorce.
Were we to have no faith, these experiences would be pointless and by extension, life would be meaningless. We, however, are a people of HOPE. The story of the transfiguration of Jesus affirms the journey of life - in all its contradictions. We are enlivened by hope because the strength that Jesus was given in the experience of the mountaintop transfiguration allowed him to carry his cross and through it transform the world. Moreover, the transformation of the world has only BEGUN with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We are called to participate in the ongoing transformation that was begun in Jesus but not completed. This is the call of the Church.
The moments of transfiguration - the glimpses of glory that we all experience are meant to sustain us and help us to carry on the work of the resurrection. And this is why these two stories are linked together. The more open we are to God, the more open we are to the pain of the world - and the world NEEDS God. The experiences of suffering and pain - personally and globally can be transformed.
TRANSFORMING THE WORLD
Many of you participated in fundraisers over the last month that were focused on Haiti. We invited people to birthdays and made donations instead of buying cards; we enjoyed the crisp winter wonderland on horse drawn sleighs; we had dinners, games nights, and socials. These were transfiguration moments - opportunities to create community, embrace the joy and wonder of life and through them offer help to a part of the world that is suffering. It was not to fly in the face of suffering but to recognize that joy and sorrow go hand in hand. What we did together was draw closer to God that we might draw closer to the pain of the world. This is how we are to participate in the work that Jesus began in the resurrection. This is how we are to transform the world.
Peace
Transfiguration brings to a close the season of Epiphany and is the bridge between Christmas and Lent. We began our journey with the Magi who saw divinity in the fragility of an infant. The journey paused midway at the banks of the river Jordan where we heard the divine voice saying: "This is my beloved son", as Jesus emerged from the waters of baptism. Today, we are on the mountain top with Jesus - it is a moment when all of history is joined together in the "now" and we are given a "glimpse" of the glory that will one day be ours.
THE SCENE
Our gospel opens with the story of Jesus, James, John and Peter at the top of a mountain. Here in this majestic setting, Jesus is "transfigured" before them. His clothes become dazzling white and his face glows with glory. Standing with him are Moses, the Lawgiver and Elijah, the Prophet. Peter is so overcome with joy that he proposes they build three "tents" on the site. The divine voice is heard in a cloud: "This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him".
Upon their return from the mountain top experience they encounter the demands of a father whose son is desperately ill. The disciples of Jesus had tried to cure him but were unsuccessful. The young boy is said to be "possessed" with a shrieking demon that causes him to convulse and froth at the mouth. Jesus, of course, heals him.
A few things to note about both stories:
1. On the mountain top Peter wants to erect some "tents". When we think of tents are minds are drawn to the image of canvas and metal posts. A tent is something that keeps us protected from the elements while camping. Tent has quite a different meaning in the way that Luke uses the word. Recall that the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God's glory dwelled on earth, was kept in a tent. A tent then, was a sacred place. Peter's desire to erect a tent demonstrates his desire to build a shrine - to acknowledge the mountain top as a sacred place. Jesus, however, will not comply. He does not want the disciples to "hold on" to this moment by making a holy site for all to visit. This moment is for strength. It is a glimpse of the glory that will be given to Jesus after he has embraced his cross and therefore a glimpse of the glory that God promises to all of us through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
2. Below the mountain Jesus encounters the shrieking demon. Looking back through time and advancements in both science and medicine it would be reasonable for us to surmise that the young boy was not possessed. Rather, it is likely that he was suffering from a kind of epilepsy. Such a disease would not have been understood by the people of Jesus day and would likely have been seen as some kind of demonic possession. Nonetheless, we are told that Jesus heals him.
So why are the two such opposing stories linked together? One story is about a glimpse of the glory that is to come and the other is about the suffering of a human person. Why does Luke link the two stories together?
I believe the answer lies in the very contradiction of the stories - a contradiction which Luke uses to tell us that the world desperately needs God.
CONTRADICTIONS
If we meld the two stories together we see that while Jesus and the Apostles are on the mountain experiencing a "glimpse of glory", people below the mountain are suffering. While Jesus and the Apostles are experiencing joy, strength and beauty, people below the mountain are experiencing pain, illness and evil. Luke seems to be telling us that the more open we are to God and the Lordship of Christ in creation (transfiguration experience on the mountain), the more open we will be to the pain of the world (suffering of the child possessed by a demon).
Each of us experiences these contradictions in life. We experience the joy of the transfiguration at each experience of new life - the birth of a child; a young couple in love; a moving worship experience. Likewise, we experience the pain of those below the mountain when life seems threatened or unfair- illness, death, divorce.
Were we to have no faith, these experiences would be pointless and by extension, life would be meaningless. We, however, are a people of HOPE. The story of the transfiguration of Jesus affirms the journey of life - in all its contradictions. We are enlivened by hope because the strength that Jesus was given in the experience of the mountaintop transfiguration allowed him to carry his cross and through it transform the world. Moreover, the transformation of the world has only BEGUN with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We are called to participate in the ongoing transformation that was begun in Jesus but not completed. This is the call of the Church.
The moments of transfiguration - the glimpses of glory that we all experience are meant to sustain us and help us to carry on the work of the resurrection. And this is why these two stories are linked together. The more open we are to God, the more open we are to the pain of the world - and the world NEEDS God. The experiences of suffering and pain - personally and globally can be transformed.
TRANSFORMING THE WORLD
Many of you participated in fundraisers over the last month that were focused on Haiti. We invited people to birthdays and made donations instead of buying cards; we enjoyed the crisp winter wonderland on horse drawn sleighs; we had dinners, games nights, and socials. These were transfiguration moments - opportunities to create community, embrace the joy and wonder of life and through them offer help to a part of the world that is suffering. It was not to fly in the face of suffering but to recognize that joy and sorrow go hand in hand. What we did together was draw closer to God that we might draw closer to the pain of the world. This is how we are to participate in the work that Jesus began in the resurrection. This is how we are to transform the world.
Peace
Sunday, February 7, 2010
CATCHERS OF PEOPLE
THE SCENE
Simon Peter is not called to discipleship because Jesus has encountered an extraordinary individual with great leadership potential. in fact, the story portrays a rather ordinary individual who has just completed a nights work fishing. Jesus comes across Peter while he is cleaning his fishing nets - a mundane and necessary function. The story is about regular ordinary people leading regular ordinary lives - a story about a fisherman without a catch and a carpenter who leads the fisherman to the fish. Luke is inviting us to consider that while we often look for encounters with God in extraordinary circumstances and spiritual experiences, God prefers to come to us in the ordinary routine of our daily lives.
God is present to us in our morning routines of preparing for our day. God is present to us throughout our workday; our encounters with other people; and our encounters with our families. God comes to us in the ordinary routines of daily living - we have only to be open to the experience.
SET OUT FOR DEEPER WATER
A first glance of Luke's story would have us understand that Jesus continually calls us to go deeper. In the fishing story, it is in the deep water that Peter achieves the abundant catch. So to in our lives, abundance will be found when we are ready to risk going deeper - leaving behind the familiar shallow waters that keep us feeling comfortable and secure. Staying in "shallow" water is a great temptation - it doesn't cost much and it doesn't take a whole lot of courage. Deeper water, however, is darker - less secure. In deeper water we cannot see the dangers but yet it seems that Jesus is telling us that it is only in going deeper that we will find abundance of life; abundance of meaning; and the ability to pass on this abundance to others (catching other people).
There is a great spiritual principle at play in this passage and that principle is the notion that we begin our adventure of faith in shallow water but that is not where we are called to stay. We need to go DEEPER to find the abundance that God has for us.
So what is this act of going deeper? It is an act of engaging in regular worship in community with other Christians. It is taking time to study the Scriptures, the Word of God, be that through personal reading or Bible study offered through our local church. It is giving of our time, talents and treasures to the work of the Church; and most importantly, it is giving of our time to follow the Gospel ordinance to "feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and bring drink to the thirsty". These are some of the ways in which we "set out for deeper water."
LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND
Simon Peter's boat was his source of livelihood - his security and means to abundance. At the end of the story, he walks away from it all and follows Christ. Is Jesus asking the same of us? Are we to leave behind our jobs; our volunteer efforts; our families; and our money? In other words, walk away from our comfort and security - our means to abundance? It would take a lot for us to walk away from them. If we are honest, the request of Jesus to leave it all behind seems not only surreal, but irresponsible. In fact it is - if we think that this passage is about leaving it all behind then we've missed the point.
It is true that Jesus is firm and clear about not letting our worldly security (money, family, friends, things) be the place where our heart and motives lie, but there must be more to this story than walking away from it all and becoming a monk or missionary.
The Church presents this story to us as we draw near to the end of the season of Epiphany. Epiphany means "showing forth" and is about the manifestations of God's glory in our daily lives. The encounter of Jesus and Simon Peter on the shores of lake Genesaraet is about one such manifestation. The story is challenging us to get outside of our comfort zones - our circles of power - the things we rely on. When we place too much trust and faith in the things that bring us comfort and security then we will inevitably miss the extraordinary manifestations of God in our ordinary lives. What Peter realizes in this encounter with Jesus is that there is something more to life than fishing and that abundance means more than comfort and security - abundance is the result of an encounter with God.
CATCHING PEOPLE
Peter follows Jesus command to set out to deep water. Here, in the depth of Christ's presence, he discovers abundance and because of this his life will never be the same. The story, as Luke commends it to us, is about seeing and feeling what Jesus does and then doing the same. In this story, Jesus does not call us to be preachers telling others about why our faith and interpretation of the Scripture is better than theirs. That's nothing more than Bible thumping. In this story Jesus is inviting us to personally follow him into deeper waters - letting go of our protective walls and comfortable faith that separates us from our neighbour. He is calling us to be transformed in the encounters we can have with God in our everyday ordinary lives. Only when we are transformed - when we encounter the abundant love of God - only then will we be able to gently transform those around us. This is discipleship.
If going into deeper water frightens you...then join the club...it should frighten all of us. But remember the final words of Jesus in verse 10: "Be not afraid...from now on you will be catching people."
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