Divine Encounter

Sunday, February 1, 2009 - The Power of the Gospel

2009-02-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

Remember the movie “The Exorcist”? It was one of the most notorious horror movies when I was growing up. I remember going to watch it on my 18th birthday in 1974. It was a bold and defiant move on my part, as a teenager who dared to do something that was considered to be extremely bad luck on a birthday.

Part of the appeal of the movie is its message that the church is powerless against some ancient evil. The two priests involved in the exorcism had to deal with their own demons, their crisis of faith and insecurity. It is the secular world challenging the hegemony of the church – especially the monolithic Roman Catholic Church in the 1970s.

This week, you have heard of another controversy about an atheist ad on the public transit system, saying something similar to: “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”. I'll say more about it later.

In today’s Gospel lesson, we also have an episode of exorcism by Jesus. There was in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” There are a number of deliberate contrasts here. One is between the unclean spirit/person and Jesus the holy one of God. In fact, the demon’s challenge to Jesus (1:24) is a curious phrase in Greek (ti hemin kai soi;) which can translated to be “What do we have in common?” Literally that phrase is: “What to us and to you?” The implication is that there is nothing in common between “us and you”, that is, nothing in common between what is unclean and Jesus. There is a proverb: “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.” Jewish laws said essentially the same thing: touching an unclean or defiled person or things made you unclean. The bad infected the good. But Jesus turns this around. This holy one from God can redeem the bad apples, the clean can cleanse the unclean!

Jesus is never worried about becoming unclean or sick by associating with or touching the spiritually or physically or morally unclean. Indeed, he consistently goes out of his way to minister to them. Not surprisingly, his behaviour has offended those who were members of the holiness movement of his day – the Pharisees. Jesus does not particularly care whom he scandalized, while he believes that he is doing God’s work and helps ushering in God’s kingdom. He is more concerned with who gets healed rather than who gets the credit.

The more important contrast we find here is that between Jesus’ teaching and that of the scribe’s. The difference is described in two ways: Jesus teaches with authority, and it is perceived as “a new teaching”. One possible way of explaining the connection is that his authoritative teaching is new in the sense of being fresh and enlightening. The people can tell the difference, for the scribes were merely reciting the opinions of the many rabbis before them. Jesus’ teaching does not rely on those stale traditions.

There is a story of a new rabbi who does not come from a rich tradition of famous rabbinic families. He justifies his authority by saying, “My father was a baker. He taught me that only fresh bread was appetizing and that I must avoid the stale. This can also apply to learning and teaching.”

What Jesus offers is also something fresh, and so should we in our learning and teaching!

Thirdly, in this story, it was the demon who recognized who Jesus of Nazareth really was. By naming Jesus, as the Holy one of God, the demon attempts to gain control over Jesus - a common theme in many folklore. However, the demon does not succeed. Knowing Jesus’ true identity does not allow the unclean spirit to have control over him.

There is what Biblical scholars called the messianic secret of Mark! Time and time again, Jesus ordered those who were in the know not to tell anyone about who he is. You will notice the way Mark presented the Gospel, he announced right from the beginning the true identity of Jesus… However, those who followed Jesus were very slow to find out who he is. At his baptism, a voice from heaven affirms to Jesus his identity. Like the audience in a drama, we have already been told about the secret. But it was kept from Jesus’ followers until the confession of Peter in Caesarea Philippi in chapter 8, affirming that Jesus is the messiah. It is followed by the Transfiguration in chapter 9, where another voice from heaven re-affirmed his divine identity again. Peter’s confession serves as a dividing line for the two parts of Mark’s Gospel. The first part deals with the question of “Who is Jesus?”, and the second part deals with the question of what kind of a messiah is Jesus. The secret is still kept from them what that messiahship is supposed to mean for Jesus and his followers. At the end of this Gospel, Jesus’ passion predictions of suffering and death on the cross become fulfilled and thus making clear the nature of his messiahship. He is the suffering servant of God, not a conquering Davidic king.

Perhaps it is ironic that today the people outside of the church fear the power of God more than those inside. That is why atheists want to go on the attack. By the way, if I had the money to do a counter ad, I would say, “There is a God; you can still enjoy your life, because God loves you!” Hopefully, people will find it good news! What would you say yourself?

Last week, I talked about hearing the proclamation of the Good News at the right time and in the right places. It begs the question, “What is Good News to you?” For instance, if I were to do a test and ask everyone to write down in about 5 sentences, what is your version or your summary of the Christian Good News? What would you say? Can you articulate it?

The most likely and the most common summary is what theologians called “Substitution atonement theory of salvation”: Human beings are separated and alienated from God by our sinfulness. God, out of love, brings about reconciliation by sending Jesus to us. Humans receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of salvation through the innocent suffering of Jesus, his death, and resurrection on the third day.

However, you have also heard other forms of salvation theories from me: a few weeks ago, I talked about the Original Blessing of the Beloved = we are to be like Jesus, as the beloved sons and daughters of God… we live out our God-given blessed nature by living the way Jesus has called us to live. Many Christians also believe salvation is brought through the “Incarnation” itself, in which God takes on human nature so that humans could partake in the divine nature (2 Peter 1.4).

Part of the black African history has to do with finding the Good News in the story of the Exodus, and the return from exile for the people of Israel. The good news comes from the liberation out of slavery into freedom. The parallels they find in scriptures speak directly and pertinently to their personal experience. Liberation theology is also very attractive to others who found themselves in different forms of oppression, exploitation and enslavement.

Many people of faith also find the good news in terms of healing and exorcism. To some, their experience belongs to the miraculous and supernatural dimension. Healing can be experienced in a spiritual, physical or emotional way. We have heard people talking about healing of memories as a way of dealing with old hurts and psychological injuries. It could be simply feeling forgiven and being offered a second chance in life. Wholeness is another word for salvation; it is often used by non-religious healers and therapists these days.

There are powerful moments of conversion. There are moments of sheer grace, where we can sense our own powerlessness in face of divine mercy and compassion. The hymn “Amazing Grace” captures the essence of this kind of good news experience! Without such encounters or experience, our faith stays as head knowledge, or second hand information. However, when we can say, "I believe it to be true, when I have experienced that power in my own life", then Jesus indeed can make the unclean clean; the sinful holy; the outcast a member of the community again.

In that sense, there are personal dimensions as well as corporate ones, when we talk about the good news of salvation. We have the whole salvation history from the Old Testament to the New to draw from. Yet, we need to personalize the meaning we find in our understanding of the Christian Good News and be able to articulate it to other people. We are called to defend our faith, whenever it is needed. Just as the atheist bus ads would create a healthy debate or discussion, we need to be prepared to tell others why we believe that there is a God, what kind of a God is it, and why that should be Good News to us and to them! Otherwise, we fail to live up to the challenges thrown our direction.

I read somewhere this week a quote from St Francis de Sales: “The test of a preacher is that the congregation goes away saying not “What a lovely sermon” but “I will do something!”

Whether I succeed or fail this week depends on whether you will do something as a result of what you have heard this morning! It’s in your hands! Amen.

Fr Victor+
www.stjd.ca

"Jesus’ Baptism & Ours" - January 11, 2009

2009-01-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus as the first Sunday following the Feast of Epiphany. We do so in the context of re-examining our own baptism and reflecting on its meaning for ourselves.

First of all, the story begins with John the Baptist as the fore-runner for the coming of the Messiah. He is the common beginning for all four canonical Gospels. In a way, Jesus’ baptism is of greater importance than his birth, according to biblical tradition. The baptism of JB is one of repentance and forgiveness of sins. The obvious question people often ask then is why would Jesus need to be baptized? Does he need to repent? Was he sinful like the rest of us? Why would he need to be cleansed? What does it really signify?

The answer to these questions comes from what happened at Jesus’ baptism. The description from Mark mentions that a voice from heaven said: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” The voice addresses Jesus, not the people there. Here, Mark is different from the Gospel of Matthew, where the voice addresses those who were there by saying, “This is my Son…” Regardless to whom it is addressing, the voice speaks to affirm Jesus’ true identity and nature, validating his blessedness.

Every day of our life, we too hear many different kinds of voices. Some are voices of affirmation and love, building us up instead of tearing us down. Some are voices of shame, violence and abuse, diminishing our self worth. People around us sometimes want to beat us down and demean us, so that they can feel better about themselves. The more insecure they are, the more likely they want to strike out and trample us, so that they feel more powerful.

The same voice from heaven that affirms Jesus’ true identity and his blessedness also affirms ours. We who have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ can also share this same blessed nature and inherit our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. The heart of the Good News is to discover the heart of God and God’s love for us…

In a very powerful scene near the end of the 2006 movie Blood Diamonds, one of the main characters, African fisherman Solomon Vandy, was finally re-united with his son, who was kidnapped by the RUF rebels in Sierra Leone and was brainwashed into a child soldier-killing machine. His son Dia was pointing a gun at him, aiming to shoot, and this is what he said to his son: “Dia, look at me! What are you doing? You are Dia Vandy, of the proud Mende tribe. You are a good boy who loves soccer and school. Your mother loves you so much, she waits by the fire making plantains and red palm oil stew with your sister N’Yanda, and the new baby… I know they made you do bad things, but you are not a bad boy. I am your father… who loves you. And you will come home with me and be my son again!”

Those are the most powerful words I have heard in a movie for a long, long time. The voice of this father, pleads with his son, appealing to his true nature and identity, de-programming him from the brutal and violent brainwashing that he has received. He is appealing to his son’s true self, his higher self, pleading with him to reclaim his son-ship and his true identity! The invitation to come home and be his son again is a magnificent reminder of the story of the Prodigal Son.

How many times in our lives have we longed to hear such an invitation to return home and be the beloved sons and daughters of God, where we truly belong? Instead, we hear critical voices of condemnation and judgment from the world. Those are voices of bad news. We are told that we are worthless sinners, unworthy to be God’s children. We are called “stupid, useless, and hopeless”! Those voices devalue us. They put us down. We have come to believe that we are of no value. We hear words like Linda Ronstadt’s song: “You’re no good, you’re no good, baby, you’re no good”! The doctrine of original sin condemns all of us to a fallen and corrupted state, a curse we cannot lift ourselves. No wonder we feel like giving up in despair!

There is another voice of conditional good news. This voice basically says, “I will love you, if you behave in certain ways, do things the way I tell you, and you have to prove that you are worthy of my love. If you achieve certain things in life and acquire certain status, then you will be worthy of my love.” Some parents, not in so many words, teach their children that way. They place an impossible dream, and set an impossible ideal for their children to fulfill. They are, in many ways, being set up for failure, with undue pressure. Some parents like to compare their children to other people’s children and make their own feel so inferior. They think by telling them other people’s children are smarter and better, it would motivate them to do better. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. It often does more damage to self image and self esteem than providing the motivation to improve oneself. Comparisons become put downs. Such an approach is a form of manipulation. Ultimately, it is really a voice of rejection of who we are. Children are manipulated to do what the parents want, same with some spouses. They feel that unless they become better and prove themselves worthy, they won’t be loved and accepted. How sad it is!

I believe in the other voice, the same voice that speaks from heaven to Jesus that proclaims unconditional and unqualified good news of love and acceptance. This is the voice of God telling us, his children, no matter how rebellious and defiant we are, “I love you, regardless of what you have done. Even if you break my heart, I still love you!” It is similar to Solomon Vandy who tells his son Dia, “They may have programmed you and turned you into a killer, but you are not a terrible person at heart. This is not the real “you” – I know you are better than that. You are not a monster. You are my son, that’s who you really are! I am your father… who loves you. And you will come home with me and be my son again!” Have you ever heard God’s voice pleading with you this way before?

This voice is not one of manipulation. True love sets us free to be who we really are. True love makes it possible for us to know to whom we truly belong. It encourages us and empowers us to do better, not out of fear and shame, but out of love and security. It affirms our deepest longing to be loved. We strive to become better, because God believes in us. We are redeemed, that is, we have been given value; not only to the critical world, but we are most of all of value to God! That is what truly matters. We may have been sinful and corrupted by the world, but ultimately we are blessed by God. In the beginning, the voice of God created the universe and created us good! We have the original blessing from God. We can now reclaim this blessedness as God’s beloved sons and daughters. In our baptism, we claim this birth right! The voice that addresses Jesus directly also addresses us directly, too! “You are my son, you are my daughter, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” The Spirit who anoints Jesus at his baptism also anoints us in ours.

My friends, this is unqualified good news! When we look into the heart of God, we find no condemnation, only love and forgiveness, affirmation and acceptance. I have been ordained to preach the Good News, and I strongly believe this is at the heart of the Good News as I understand it. There is no other message I believe to be stronger than this.

There are many voices bombarding us every day. Which voice do you listen to? Which voice influences you most? Which one guides you, your actions and decisions?

To bless really means: to speak well of, or to say good things about a person. When we hear the voice of blessing, we are affirmed and validated. We no longer feel the need to earn God’s approval by what we do. It is in our very being, our true identity - who we are and to whom we belong - that we know we are already blessed! God is pleased with us already.

Having heard this voice of blessing and claimed it for himself, Jesus then embarked on his public ministry. He was first tempted in the wilderness for forty days before calling his first disciples; then began his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing. Perhaps the temptation has to do with his acceptance of his identity and blessedness. It was challenged and tested, right after he accepted and affirmed it.

As we identify our baptism with Jesus’, we too are commissioned by our Baptism to be involved as partners in Jesus’ ministry. We may have come to church today with many distracting voices. We may have felt challenged and tested by dissenting voices. However, hopefully through the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, and the proclamation of the Word, we have listened to this one voice of love and acceptance. We will leave this place uplifted, empowered, strengthened and encouraged to serve God and share his blessings with others in our everyday life! That would be good news, indeed! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Fr Victor+

www.stjd.ca

GOD WITH US: Meeting God in the Wilderness - December 7, 2008

2008-12-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been out to a desert? I don’t mean Las Vegas. Now, that does not count. Why would anyone go out to the wilderness to see a prophet? John the Baptist is hardly a hippie “taking a walk on the wild side”. Would such a prophet attract people to the wilderness? Yes, apparently so. John followed the example of previous Hebrew prophets, living austerely, challenging sinful rulers, calling for repentance, and promising God's justice. He had a large following before Jesus came on the scene. The Gospel writers all pointed John the Baptist to be the forerunner who prepared the way for the Messiah. He is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. He continues the prophetic tradition to be on the outside, calling people to step out of the ordinary to examine themselves.

According to Isaiah 40, there’s a prophetic voice in the wilderness crying, calling for the preparation of the way of the Lord… as in the arrival of a king. Historically, highways connect people and cultures, as wealth and power flowed through the ancient highways and trade routes. But Isaiah imagines a highway that will connect people to God. How does one meet God there?

John the Baptist was also a desert hermit. Later in the 3^rd Century, there was a different form of asceticism in the desert fathers. They took on a monastic tradition similar to other religions elsewhere in the world – to escape from the chaos and persecution of a troubled world, seeking refuge in solitude. These are monks who want to seek self-discipline and holiness away from the world. They found God in the wilderness. Jesus often goes into the wilderness for a retreat. The place apart can also be a meeting place for us to encounter God.

Why the wilderness? It is a barren place, seemingly lifeless. But it is filled with life, with its signs very much hidden. Yet, it is a lonely place. Long while ago, I read an article about a couple who went to Africa to study lions and prevented elephant poaching. They ended up in a place the size of Ireland, all desert land, all by their lonesome. They were the only two human beings with all kinds of wild life surrounding them. Now, that is a very different experience! However, they found it incredibly lonely.

As people go through a transition in life, they often end up in a state similar to that of a wilderness. They too feel very lonely. However, what seems to be a total waste of time on the surface may be more productive than we know. It is a special time for us to do some important inner business.

William Bridges in his book, Transitions: Making sense of life’s changes talks about this process. In every kind of change, transition, or to use a bigger word, transformation, it always involves at least 3 stages: an ending, a neutral zone, and a new beginning. The story of the Exodus follows the same three stages: the exit from Egypt led by Moses; the wandering in the wilderness for 40 years; and the eventual entrance into the Promised Land. The natural world also provides for us similar examples: the butterfly that goes through the caterpillar stage, the cocoon stage, before a beautiful butterfly emerges anew.

Therefore, being in the wilderness stage or the transitional stage, we do the work of letting go of what we had before, in order to make room for something or someone new. It is a time for us to disengage from the old, before incorporating the new. In general, it is making room for new life, or as in the image we have in today’s Isaiah passage, clearing a pathway through the wilderness. That’s why wilderness is also the place wherein transformation takes place.

In life, we often need some form of retreat or stepping outside of daily life to be alone, to take stock of life and on what has gone on before. Jesus often goes away from the crowd to pray, to be with God, and to re-charge his battery. Sometimes, we need to look back at where we have been, before we can find out where we are heading toward. We are such a busy people, we often go from day to day, from week to week, without really knowing where we have been and where we are going. It is especially true for us now, when we are stressed out in the month of December.

When we go through transition and losses, we become disoriented. The wilderness experience allows us to be re-oriented, to re-examine and re-shape our identity. It is just like the caterpillar hiding in a cocoon, before the new life of a butterfly can be born anew in metamorphosis.

I can remember one such stage in my life when I was in an absolute wilderness state. At the time, my favourite song was “Dust in the Wind” by the group Kansas. “I closed my eyes, only for a moment and the moment’s gone… All we are is dust in the wind.” It was one of the most pessimistic and depressing song ever written. I was in a stage where I was lost, not knowing where to go next. I missed my friends and family in Hong Kong. I found the academic study no longer challenging and exciting. I found my Christian friends talking about things that really did not concern me. It was a dry spell in my spiritual development. I was not satisfied with all the pat answers given. At the time, I did not realize that I was grieving over my father’s death. Even though I was never close to him, his death was still a significant loss. It was only years later that I came to realize how major an impact his death had on me through those desert years.

On one hand, it seems like such a wasteful time for me, drifting along aimlessly. Yet, it was not a total loss. It became fertile ground only after I kept treading it over and over again; until the time was right for me to move on, and ended the wandering.

The wilderness is never a comfortable place to be in. There is a real temptation to rush through it and get out of there. However, it is important to note that we cannot rush through it as quickly as we wish. To everything there is a right time, and the right amount of time for change and for healing. We cannot rush through grief and try to bypass the pain and the sorrow involved. Any such attempt will backfire, and the pain and grief will come back to haunt us in more harmful ways later. The main function or activity of the neutral zone of transition is to surrender!

The person must give in to the emptiness and stop struggling to escape it. We should try to find meanings in the wilderness experience. Don’t fight it! Instead, try to befriend this loneliness. It is there for a purpose. It allows us to discover new life and new meaning. It is there in the mysterious place of the wilderness that we find powerful agents of change and transformation. It is there we meet God, as Moses found out to his amazement! It is there in Sinai where he received God’s commandments. It is in the wilderness where the people of Israel found their distinct identity among other nations and peoples. It is there in the journey through the desert they became the people of God.

The wilderness provides access to an angle of vision on life that one cannot get anywhere else. It is a very unique angle. That is why the prophet called people out into the wilderness to look at life from a completely different perspective. Very often, we get stuck on looking at life from one particular angle; especially one particular way of looking at the present, when things are not going well. Letting go of that specific interpretation of the present may make it easier to conceive of a new future. Paradoxically, how we get out of the wilderness will depend on how well we find our way in, and how well we make use of the resources the wilderness has provided for us.

Do you have your own wilderness experience? How do you meet God there? Is your experience true of the description given?

Advent is also about a wilderness. It is an in-between time, a time of waiting, where the fulfillment of God’s promises is still on the horizon. Nonetheless, God is there, and God is here with us in the wilderness.

The call of Advent is to prepare the way! Therefor, go to your wilderness, find your bearing there, and build a highway for God. By doing so, we may end up finding a way to take us closer to the heart of God.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Fr Victor+
www.stjd.ca

GOD WITH US: Meeting God at the End - November 30, 2008

2008-12-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

We say, “Happy New Year” today, a whole month ahead other people. Instead of celebrating Christmas for 6 to 8 weeks, right after Halloween, we have another season called Advent, which no one else in the world cares about. We still insist that December 25 is Christmas, not the whole month before it. For those who feel the need to be counter-cultural, feel free to be a Christian! Let’s start not from the beginning, but from the very end!

One of the favourite saying of storytellers is, “but I am getting ahead of myself!” “Are we getting ahead of ourselves?” In many areas of life, yes, we are! Our consumer culture does not allow us to delay gratification – it has to be instant, right away: "buy now, pay later!" "Travel and vacation first, no payment for 6 months…" We spend what we have not yet earned! There is a nice word called credit that allows us to do that. We are always getting ahead of ourselves! The Commercial Christmas season is all about shopping, spending and saving. We will diet first before getting fat again, then another round of new diets we will adopt as New Year Resolution. How can we wait? No, we cannot!

With the new church year, we begin with Year B of our 3 year-lectionary, which uses primarily the Gospel of Mark as the designated Gospel. As you know, Mark does not have a birth narrative at the beginning of his story. It poses a bit of a problem for the Advent readings… Instead, the chosen reading for today is a discourse about the end of time from Mark 13. At first sight, it may not seem appropriate to begin at the end. However, Advent has to do with the coming of the Lord, the birth being but one form of the appearance of Christ. After all, we are living in between the first and the second advent of Christ. At the core of Christian faith, we understand that the end time has to do with the coming of the Lord. God is "the One who comes" to strengthen and to heal, to reveal, and to redeem. Therefore, the posture of the people of God is always one of expectation and hope in waiting.

Part of the preparation of Advent has to do with waiting for God to appear in our lives in various places and situations. We arrive at the season of Christmas with the wonderful mystery of the incarnation of “God with us”! We start off examining the promise of God with us at the end of time.

A lot of doomsday prophets proclaim the end is very near, and some actually claim they know exactly when! There have been too many doomsday cults throughout history; they have devoted their energy solely in unfruitful predictions and speculations. They choose to prepare for the end time by stopping to live in the mean time. Some end with very tragic outcomes. Remember 30 years ago in Jonestown, Guyana, where more than 900 members of Peoples’ Temple took poison at the order of their leader Jim Jones? But it is clear in today’s text that even Jesus does not know when the end will come. We should not waste time either!

We have seen a sign board that said, “Prepare to meet Thy God!” We usually think of meeting God only at the end of our lives. Most people don’t think of encountering God in their daily life. Yet, Christians claim that we can have a relationship with God by faith through the person of Jesus Christ. By faith, we can relate to God and encounter God even in our everyday life. God is not a stranger to us, when we can pray to this God, ask for forgiveness, praise and worship God, and give thanks for God’s many blessings.

Given such relationship, should we be afraid of the end? Should we fear the Final Judgment?

It is like have regular performance reviews in your job, with on-going evaluations with your managers or supervisors. There should be no unpleasant surprise at the end of each evaluation period. The best evaluation process should produce no surprises. Whereas, if performance evaluation or judgment only takes place once in a life time; then it will be a very different matter. These days, management cannot fire anyone without giving prior warnings along the way, unless the employee had done something seriously wrong.

Moreover, if a faith relationship already exists; at the end of our life time, when we have to meet God as the Final Judge, will we find a friend or a stranger? Given in last week’s Gospel of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, there is surprised reaction to those people being judged, there may still be surprises for us, too. Would our confidence turn us into self-righteous fools with spiritual arrogance? Would we follow blindly our religious rules and fail to see the needs of those around us? Or, would our preoccupation with good works turn us into unthinking machines dispensing mercy and charity?

Again, our perception of God certainly influences and colours our relationship with God. It may determine whether that relationship is one of fear, or one of loving trust. Would we find God an angry and vengeful God ready to punish us, as in the Isaiah (ch 64) passage? Or, do we relate to God as Abba Father, more of an intimate daddy? Or, do we submit to a God where the relationship is more one-sided, as in “we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

On the other hand, apocalyptic endings are really good news for the believers! It is about Hope! Even if the details sound horrifying and horrific! It provides comfort and hope for deliverance, especially to those who were facing persecution and suffering in the early church.

St Paul assures the church in Corinth that the grace of God that strengthen them in the first place will continue to do so as they wait for the revealing of Jesus Christ. He said, “He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”(1 Corinthians 1-3-9)

Since we do not know the timing of the end, unlike those who claim that they know, we are reminded that Jesus’ words to the disciples are “Beware! Keep Alert! Keep awake!” These words of action are all in the present tense. A commentator, James Edwards (The Gospel According to Mark p. 406) argues: “All the signs that have been given add up to one conclusion: the End cannot be prepared for. That is because the End is ultimately not a ‘then’ but a mysteriously present – ‘now’. The sole preparation for the End is watchfulness and faithfulness in the present.” What we do now matters. Rather than anticipating what is to come in the future, we should concentrate on living with watchfulness and being alert in the here and now.

Yes, our existence takes place in between the first and the second advent of Christ. As Christians, we live with the end in sight, but we are not distracted by it. Some would advise us to live every day as if it were the last day of our life. That way, we can treasure each moment and live it to the fullest. As we wait actively, keeping awake for God, we do so with a joyful expectation. We don’t wait idly, full of anxiety and worries. St Paul said in Romans 13:11, “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first became believers.” The end is something we can look forward to, rather than something we dread. Our outlook is based on God’s promises to us, and that God has always been faithful to us as we have experienced.

Therefore, when we talk about the end, are we getting ahead of ourselves? No, not when we have the end in sight and live according to the hope that God has set before us! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Fr Victor+
www.stjd.ca

Preview of Coming Attractions - The Reign of Christ, 2008

2008-11-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

As a child, when I went to the movies, watching the previews was as much fun as watching the main attraction itself. It gave us highlights of new movies coming soon to a theatre near us. These days, at the beginning of some of the videos or DVDs, we still have the same. Or, as in television serials, we get to have a glimpse of what will happen in the next episode (which keeps us addicted). Some people would like to know ahead of time what will happen next as the long story unfolds. For me, I would rather wait and I do not want to spoil the suspense. I do not want to FF/jump ahead to find out about the ending. It is more intriguing to find out as it gradually and dramatically unfolds.

The apocalyptic vision of the judgment scene in Matthew 25 (31-46) is like a preview of coming attractions. What Jesus told us is more than a little teaser or a trailer; it is closer to a glimpse of the climax. It is a vision of what is to come. However, whether it will happen in the exact details as described here is debatable. Perhaps it will be more like an inter-active ending, where we have input as to how the story will end.

In the story, people are divided into two groups, like sheep and goats separated by a shepherd. There are three points I would like to make about the story:

First, the last judgment is determined by our response to human need. The Judge divides up the people into two groups: one on the right, on the left side. According to Jewish customs, the one on the right side are the blessed ones, and the left represents the opposite. In other words, the sheep are the good guys, and the goats are the bad guys. Notice that it is not good sheep versus bad sheep. They are two different kinds of animals, sheep and goat, one cannot become the other.

How are they divided? It is how they acted in the face of human need. Did they do something about it or did they choose to ignore it and walk away?

The second thing to remember is how everybody is surprised by the judgment. The sheep and the goats are both surprised by the outcome. The evil ones thought they were properly religious, following all the rules of the game and did not do anything wrong. The problem was not that they did not do anything wrong, but that they did not go out of their ways to do the right thing and to do what is good. Like the upright characters in the Good Samaritan story, they walked the other way. They acted out of what they thought to be sound and religious reasons; they did not realize that they had done anything wrong. On the other hand, the good guys did the right thing without thinking that they were being good for goodness’ sake. They were genuine in their action of love and compassion. It came from the goodness of their heart, like a good tree producing good fruit naturally.

Some commentators call this story “the great surprise” rather than the final judgment. Speaking of surprise, there is a story of a man who entered heaven after just finishing his life on earth. As he was being escorted by St Peter into heaven, he was surprised to see some familiar faces along the way. It was a surprise for him to see many persons whom he thought would never have made it to heaven. Those whom he knew have led questionable lives and done wrong things in life. As he questioned St Peter as to why these characters were here, he was told by St Peter, “Son, have you not noticed how quiet they are? I think they are surprised to see you here, too!”

Because of the surprised reactions, which break the normal pattern of a morality story, Jesus was actually combating a moralistic view of life and the judgment of God. It is more than just righteousness by good works, or the simple argument of “the way we live is more important than what we say we believe.”

We may have encountered in life a similar type of surprise. Someone may come up to us and say, “What you did for me certainly help me a lot. I was so encouraged and empowered by you!” or “What you said to me had such a profound impact on my life.” While they are saying this, we are trying to recall what exactly we said or did that was so wonderful. Often we may not realize what good we are doing, and only later to discover that we have served Christ in the least of these needy people. On the other hand, if we assume that we are doing a great job, we might be surprised to hear of what we have failed to do.

Thirdly, we are told that service to another person in need is actually service to Christ. It is in feeding the hungry and the thirsty, welcoming the strangers, clothing the naked; visiting the sick and the imprisoned that we actually minister to Christ himself. In our Baptismal Covenant, we are asked the question: “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbour as yourself?”

Indeed, one of the questions raised by this story is who actually represents Christ? Is it the one in need or is the one who comes to help the needy? Traditionally, we tend to think of the ones who minister to the needy as the ambassadors and servants of Christ. Yet, the story turns this upside down and tells us it is the other way around. The ones in need are the ones who truly represent Christ. By serving them, we end up serving Christ.

In serving the least of these God’s children, or not serving them, God will hold us accountable. It is not how we serve the most important people in our life that counts. It is the other way around; it is how we serve the least of them. For the ones who are important, the powerful and the wealthy, they don’t need us. Usually, we think we need them for influence and other gains. But the ones without power and influence, those who seem to be of no significance except that they are needy, are the ones who really need us, and our love and care.

You may find it problematic that the story emphasizes a work righteousness that talks only about human actions. There is no mention of faith, the cross or divine forgiveness that leads to salvation. Are we simply being judged by acts of mercy and kindness rather than right beliefs? I would say no. This story is only one aspect of our understanding of God’s judgment, yet one we cannot ignore. After all, Jesus has told us many parables about the Kingdom of God. There are many, many other facets to his teachings about the kingdom and how should we live our life.

Also, there is another key word we should note in the story. In verse 34, the righteous do not earn the kingdom, but they inherit it. An inheritance is determined by the giver, not by the ones who receive it. It also implies that the relationship between the giver and the receiver is important.

Today, we celebrate the Reign of Christ, or the more traditional title of Christ the King, as the last Sunday of the church year; before starting another new church year next week with a new season of Advent. It is more important for us Christians to learn how to live our life under the reign of Christ than a preoccupation of our eternal destiny.

Central to our Christian belief is that we have a relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ. It is that faith relationship which makes a difference in our eternal destiny. Who we are influences our actions. To whom we belong has a direct bearing on our identity and our mission.

The reign of Christ, or his kingship and authority to rule, is more than a kingdom or a particular place like heaven. Therefore, an expression such as “to enter the kingdom of God” does not refer to “going to heaven” but should be understood as “accepting God’s rule in our life” or “welcoming God to rule over us”! It is possible then for us to enter into the ruler-ship of Christ in the here and now. We don’t have to die before going into God’s Kingdom. In fact, that’s what Christian discipleship really means. To follow Christ Jesus is to come under his authority, and let our life be governed by him. We are his stewards, and we are not our own master.

We can inherit this kingdom that has been prepared for us from the foundation of the creation, not by merits but by God’s grace. Such acceptance of God’s rule in our lives will naturally lead us to care for the needy. When we act in accordance with God’s rule, we are in the Kingdom.

In giving away a glimpse of the ending to a very long story: our stories, or the stories of our own life; Jesus actually gives us the power to choose the ending! The movie is still being made, and the script has not been completely written. He gives us the power and the right to choose which sides do we belong. We have a choice, when we choose how to act, and how to react to other people in need. We get to determine how we deal with the least important people we come across in our life. However, there is a more fundamental choice we need to make, that is, whether or not we choose to live our lives under the authority and the reign of Christ. That would determine, more than anything else, how we make other choices in life. That would help us answer the question, “Are we being faithful?”

Don’t get me wrong, we do not get to be the Judge; God will still be the Judge in the end. But we get a very big hint from the director of the movie, or we have insider’s information, as to how God will judge us.

Thanks be to God for the Preview of the Coming Attractions. Amen.

Fr. Victor+
www.stjd.ca

Kingdom Investments - November 16, 2008

2008-11-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

For the last two months, most people do not want to talk about their investments or their retirement funds. We know it is bad and there is no need to see the detail of the damage. Financial market meltdown, economic tsunami, credit crunch, or whatever words of disasters can we come up with, cannot describe the reality of those severe losses. If we put so much faith in our financial market and those who control it, then are we surprised that every now and then a huge “correction” would take place? It begs the question of our ultimate security and confidence. Who can we really trust with our life savings and livelihood?

The familiar parable of the talents talks about investment of another kind… (Matthew 25: 14-30) Each of the three servants was entrusted with talents according to his ability. It is a story of financial activity. A talent was not the ability to sing or to write, but a large sum of money, approximately the amount a laborer would receive for 15 to 20 years of hard work. The master was a capitalist who wanted his money working for him while he was away, expecting a return on his investment. The first two servants gained a hundred percent return. They were commended as “good and trustworthy” servants, and they were rewarded with greater responsibility.

However, as you know, the third servant failed to invest his talent and gained nothing for his master. He was condemned as "wicked and lazy" for not investing his share. Here, the reward and punishment go beyond business talk in the financial world. “Enter into the joy of your master” and the reference to “outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” are Matthew’s language of the final judgment. The parable is a kingdom parable. Like last week’s parable of the ten maidens, Matthew uses them to address the question of how should one live while waiting for Christ’s return. What we do in the mean time matters eternally.

The story underscores the high-risk activity involved. The first two servants doubled the money entrusted to them, hardly a possibility without running the risk of losing the original principal. As Christians, what kind of risks are we willing to undertake? Can we do all the Christian faith activities of loving, caring, healing, giving, witnessing, reaching out, trusting and hoping without taking any risk?

The third servant was motivated by the opposite of faith; he was afraid. While fear can sometimes motivate people to certain degree and on different occasions, he was simply immobilized at the core of his responsibility and purpose. Fear of failure, fear of punishment and fear of loss have not only paralyzed this servant, but many other Christians and churches through the centuries. They stop living with a sense of purpose and mission; they bury their talent and hide it under ground. Churches in maintenance mode are like hiding their talents in the ground, hoping no one will come and steal them. They are afraid of the risk involved in growing. They are afraid that changes will upset too many people. They are afraid of a new reality beyond their comfort zone. Fear simply holds them back.

Obviously, Jesus is talking about stewardship here in this parable. By definition, stewardship is the responsibility for taking care of someone else's property or financial affairs. What the stewards have been entrusted does not belong to them. They are asked to look after them for a while. They do not own what is entrusted to them. They have to answer to the master for what they have done with it.

How often do we think of our life, our property, our family, our money and possessions as something entrusted to us? How often do we think that we are entitled to them? The issue is one of ownership and entitlement. What God has given us; we think we are entitled to have them. We have worked hard all our life for them; they become our savings and security. We believe that we alone can decide how we use our wealth, and who should benefit from them. Those who have faced bankruptcy realize how true the saying is “easy come, easy go”! Indeed, life itself is a most precious gift. Ask those who have ill health, those whose children were born with defects. They will tell you never take life and health for granted. We are advised to manage this gift of life very well! As stewards, we are managers of all that has been entrusted to us.

There is the story of a pastor who got up on Stewardship Sunday and announced to his congregation: “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we have enough money to cover the deficits in our budget. The bad news is that it’s still out there in your bank accounts.”

Since this is a kingdom parable, we should ask ourselves what kinds of investments we are talking about in the Kingdom of God. If there is a “Kingdom Fund”, what would you be investing in? If we are the fund managers, what are we keeping an eye for in our portfolio? What do we value most? Would it be people, time, money, building and property, or the natural environment? Yes, these days, business people are even talking about ethical and responsible investments – as in fair trade, concerns for the environment and ecology. The value in the business of investment is changing; it is more than just numbers, dollar amount, percentage of return and bottom lines. There are other things and consideration that are deemed to be important and of value. Do we keep kingdom values ahead of other values when we manage all our God-given gifts? Or, do we base our decisions on self-serving principles? As a parish, what are we willing to invest in? - Our young people and people outside of the church?

At the end of the parable, the master gave the third servant’s talent to the one with ten talents, and said, “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.” On the surface, it almost sounds like “the rich will get richer, and the poor gets poorer.” However, Jesus probably puts the emphasis on the fact that gifts exercised will increase, while gifts left unused will waste away. Those who are willing to risk and use their gifts will be given more.

It has been mentioned that when one person shares the light of a candle with another person, the first person’s light isn’t diminished in any way. A candle loses nothing when it shares its light, and there is now twice as much light in the room. Could it be true of sharing love and sharing the gospel? Our ability to love does not diminish by sharing it; and there will be more love in the world. The power of the gospel is not diminished by someone sharing it; in fact, there will be more believers in the world.

On the other hand, there are also examples of things that disappear if they are not used. Unused muscles deteriorate and become useless. Unused money in dormant accounts will disappear as the bank charge monthly fees. Could it also be true of the gospel? If we hoard it for ourselves, if we refuse to share it with others, will it waste away?

To be fair, the master is not a harsh and unforgiving man as the third slave made him out to be. He is actually very generous in giving them talents that they would never have earned in a life time. But perhaps our expectation of God may determine for us how God turns out to be? For those who believe God to be gracious, giving, and forgiving; to them God is like that. For those who believe God to be harsh, demanding, and judgmental; to them God is just that. While certainly God is not created by our own images of God, it is possible that our inadequate beliefs about God may create perception blinders. We may not be able to see the whole picture of God as Jesus has revealed to us. Like the religious leaders of his day, the scribes and the Pharisees, we could fail to have a more accurate perception of God, if we stubbornly hold on to our spiritual blinders.

Similarly, the good quality of the first two slaves consists partly in seeing their master as the giver of good gifts. The evil of the third slave could only see his master as a cruel dictator. The first two slaves seem grateful for what they have been given. The third slave rationalizes his inactivity by blaming the master, out of fear. Such paralyzing fear is totally unproductive, leading to nothing but gifts wasted. Many people have sound beliefs about God, but fail to act on those beliefs. Such beliefs never influence their actions. Their lives are controlled not by God, but by fear, by playing it safe and self interests. They are lazy and poor performers, thinking that they could get away with it. Hiding their talents is a refusal to accept the responsibility given by God.

Therefore, the story invites us to make choices in life that really matters. We are asked to invest wisely. The gift given here is not the gift of salvation. We do not have to work for it. The gifts entrusted to us are for our use, for the good of the kingdom of God, and for the sake of the Gospel. Are we putting them to the best possible use, or are we letting our gifts waste away, hidden and under-utilized? Next week, in the parable of the sheep and the goat, our actions or inaction are further defined by Christ the King.

Yes, the gift of salvation is assured, just as we come with confidence to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. How we respond as we go out into the world is our gifts to God in return… Amen.

Fr Victor+
www.stjd.ca

Remembrance 2008

2008-11-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

Today, we observe Remembrance Day in the setting of a Christian worship. (Canadian Anglican Church) It is different from observing it at the cenotaph or at the veteran section in a cemetery. Why do we have the remembrance in the context of Christian worship? What is the Christian connection? What Christian lessons can we learn from remembering their past sacrifice?

To remember is a powerful thing. We do it every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, in remembering the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As you heard me said it before, the kind of Eucharistic remembrance is more than thinking back to a past event. It is more like re-living that event in the here and now. It becomes a participation of the sacred story. It is a re-enactment. But what are we re-membering and re-enacting today? To re-member means to reconnect, making those whom we remember present to us. They are still members, and part of our living reality.

When we look at the symbol of a red poppy, we know what it represents. Just as familiar is our symbol of the cross, we know what it stands for, too! Both are symbols of sacrifice and death, the death of a relatively young Jesus and the death of young men and women whose lives were cut short by the violence of wars. They could never grow old as we can grow old and live out a full lifespan. We believe that their short lives made it possible for us to live, with freedom and liberty. Now, our lives become a form of vicarious living, so that we may live out and fulfill their hopes and dreams. As we hold up the symbols of the poppy and the cross to do the act of remembering, we also find new life and hope!

Not too many of us know personally of the war dead in the two world wars. We may not have any personal memories of friends and relatives who died fighting in battlefields. However, we do the remembering to thank them for what they have done for us and for our country. Most agree that they made the ultimate (Christ like) sacrifice in laying down their lives for us, so that we may have life. Much in the same way, Christ the Good Shepherd lay down his life for his sheep, so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I was told by my older brother of old family history before I was born. My father had 9 siblings in his family. He was #8. Near the end of WW2, it was not easy to secure a ticket on a boat to travel between Canton and Hong Kong. Our grandmother was living in Canton at that point. In January 1945, our 9th uncle, dad's youngest brother, was not able to get a ticket to go to see his mother. But 7th aunt had a ticket, so she gave him her ticket as a favor. Unfortunately, the boat hit a water mine and 9th uncle lost his life. The irony remains that 7th aunt lived and 9th uncle died. In war, there are many similar stories of chance and the arbitrariness of life and death… one soldier got hit by a bullet and lived, another was not so lucky. Those who have survived the war and watched other comrades died in front of them often felt very guilty to be alive.

This week, we witnessed a historic moment in American history, where the first non-white person was elected President. Over 40 years ago, not that long ago, American Blacks were not even allowed to vote. We remember Martin Luther King who proclaimed that “I have a dream”, where the color of the skin and the race of the person would not hinder that person from being treated equally and judged fairly. He was assassinated and his life was cut short by hatred and fear, by those who felt threatened by his dream to end systematic racism. He did not live to see that dream come true. But he had the faith to be sure of what he had hoped for, and he was certain of what he had not yet seen. Like Moses, he did not get to lead his people into the Promised Land. Yet, his sacrifice of non-violence has paved the way and made it possible for others to pursue the dream of equality and liberty. Barack Obama is the Joshua figure who has the privilege to fulfill that dream. In his acceptance speech, his refrain of “Yes, we can” captures the fulfillment of that dream. His refrain of “Yes, we can” did not sound like triumphant shouts from the mountain top. It has the poignancy of a somber tone, almost like recognizing the pain and the struggle that had gone on before. It sounds more like quiet confidence than reckless celebration of victory. Perhaps Mr. Obama also felt the weight of the burden that is now placed on his shoulders, as one commentator pointed out. It is one thing to inspire hope, quite another to deliver it. To live up to the world’s huge expectation indeed is a tough act to follow. From his carefully chosen words, he re-membered Martin Luther King by connecting with words of his dream. He made Dr. King member of his team, 40 years after his death. His dream is not only alive, but is being fulfilled by this act of remembering!

In the context of Christian worship, we often say that we believe in the communion of the saints. Last week, we talked about saints in the context of All Saints’ Day. We affirm the belief that those who have died are still part of our lives, our reality and existence. While death separates us physically from those who have died, we are still connected in a spiritual way. In today’s Epistle (1Thessalonians 4:13-18), Paul talks about grief as necessary, but he admonishes us not to grieve without hope. Our grief over death and losses should also be understood in the context of the resurrection of Christ. We share in the hope of rising with Christ. That is a message of encouragement which inspires hope in us!

On the other hand, the world focuses on the scary aspect of Halloween for a week. We were asked, “Do you believe in ghosts?” Is there a supernatural reality or dimension? Are you frightened by ghosts? Or, are there friendly ghosts? Certainly Hollywood movies always have ghosts in a lot of their stories. Some find it comforting to have their loved ones remain connected to them as ghosts. After all, if we can believe in a spiritual world, then is it too much to believe in the possibility of a supernatural world of ghosts? If so, what would we do with the ghosts of the past wars? How would we respond to keeping their memories alive and their sacrifice meaningful?

Perhaps the first response may be fear. Just as we have been conditioned to be frightened by ghosts and haunted houses, we cannot quite observe remembrance without a sense of fear. We may be afraid of being asked to making the same sacrifice ourselves. We may be afraid of the constant threat to the peace of the world. We may be afraid of another terrorist attack, and another world war.

However, the second response I can think of is respect! We should look up to the men and women who made sacrifices for us and on our behalf. As the number of veterans from the two world wars dwindles, it is all the more important to remember them and honour them with respect. We should also respect our soldiers serving in Afghanistan, whether we agree with the politicians who sent them there or not. When we respect someone, we look up to them. We look up to a higher standard of behavior. Respect for them sets a higher goal for us, it demands us to do better, and allows us to hope!

The third response is one of being grateful. Respect may keep us at a distance, even with admiration. However, to say thank you is more personal. As children, we are always reminded to say “thank you”, whenever someone else has done something for us. How thankful should we be, when someone sacrifices their lives for us? How can we thank them? How grateful do we feel on this Remembrance Day?

The fourth response is one of commitment. Just as we remember, we participate in the story of the other; such participation becomes a call to action as well. Joshua in today’s Old Testament lesson (Joshua 24) led his people in a renewal of the covenant, after the distribution of land among the victorious tribes of Israel in the Promised Land. While Joshua recalled God’s promise to Abraham, he did not have to invoke the name and the memory of Moses. The people remembered. They knew. They did not have to be reminded. God’s mighty acts of deliverance were re-enacted every year in their festival of Passover.

To remember, we are called to act, to continue the unfinished work of those who have gone before us. One of the best ways to pay tribute to someone, as I always conclude my homilies in a funeral, is to follow the good example of that person. She or he may have excelled in many things, in being generous, loving and caring in their lives. Now that they have finished their life journey, someone else will have to take up what they have begun. They can no longer do what they used to do; someone else will have to continue their work for them. A response of grateful respect and commitment will call us to do just that.

In being called to remember our war dead, we are to remain vigilant for peace and for justice. We are entrusted with the responsibility to defend others’ freedom, rights and liberty, making sure that they are free from oppression. We are called to make sacrifices, when it is necessary, so that others’ lives may become better. Like the Good Shepherd, we are given the responsibility to look after his sheep for him. Today, we remember and we give thanks, first and foremost to Jesus the Good Shepherd in this Eucharist, and make a pledge to be his faithful servants in the here and now! Amen.

Fr Victor+
www.stjd.ca

All Saints' Day - 2008

2008-11-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate All Saints’ Day. When we think of a saint, we think of someone who is holy; whose life is an example of virtuous behavior and the highest moral character. We ordinary folks would not dare to consider ourselves as saints, unless we happen to have a delusion of grandeur. Most often, saints are only recognized to be saints after their death - that's another reason we do not want to be saints...

However, in the Bible, the early Christians were all called saints (Hebrews 13:24; Jude 1:3; Philemon 1:5, 7). Should we consider ourselves saints, too? Or, at least, we are believers, growing and maturing to become saints.

The Garden of the Saints – Henri Nouwen

The Church is a very human organization but also the garden of God’s grace. It is a place where great sanctity keeps blooming. It is a place where great sanctity keeps blooming. Saints are people who make the living Christ visible to us in a special way. Some saints have given their lives in the service of Christ and his Church; others have spoken and written words that keep nurturing us; some have lived heroically in difficult situations; others have remained hidden in quiet lives of prayer and meditation; some were prophetic voices calling for renewal; others were spiritual strategists setting up large organizations or networks of people; some were healthy and strong; others were quite sick, and often anxious and insecure.

But all of them in their own ways lived in the Church as in a garden where they heard the voice calling them the Beloved and where they found the courage to make Jesus the centre of their lives.

It is important to think about the Church not as “over there” but as a community of struggling, weak people of whom we are part and in whom we meet our Lord and Redeemer.

Christians by Maya Angelou

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living', I'm whispering 'I was lost, now I'm found and forgiven..'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect, my flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain... I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou; I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Therefore, we Christians are not holy men and women with halos. We are not any better or holier than other people. We just know by faith and understand better how the grace of God is operating in our lives and working through us. We realize that it is not us, but the power of God working through us that makes a difference. With that understanding, we can, and we should, call ourselves saints! Last Sunday, I recited a list of flawed characters in the Bible that are called by God to carry out his mission. They are far from being perfect. We are far from being perfect, too. We have our struggles and our troubles. But, like them, we don’t make our imperfection as the perfect excuse for not serving God.

Moreover, by becoming saints ourselves, we are also called to make more saints. Making saints, like making babies, has its share of pain and pleasure, joys and challenges. It is not easy. Think of all the responsibilities of parenthood, we too have the same challenges in bringing others to Christ and making them saints. We have been reminded that children are watching us, and they will do as we do, not as we say. Listen to the following poem.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING:

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT!

Each of us, whether we are parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, clergy and friend, we can have so much influence on the life of a child, or another budding saint in Christ. Our examples, good or bad, will have more impact on them than our words and commandments.

Today, as we celebrate All Saints’ Day, we worship God in the presence of the multitude of saints. We are not alone! We are not small in numbers! We are surrounded, not by ghosts and goblins, but by a great cloud of witnesses from ages past. They are cheering us on! Rejoicing in their fellowship, we may run with patience the race that is set before us. We are encouraged and empowered by their good examples. Together with them, we may receive the crown of glory that never fades away!

Thanks be to God. Amen!

Fr Victor+
www.stjd.ca

Sunday, June 8, 2008 - Christ the Healer

2008-06-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

This week, I attended our Diocesan (Toronto) Clergy Conference in Guelph, ON. There were no big name keynote speakers for the whole conference, with only our own bishops speaking to us in very personal and vulnerable ways. The theme was "Passionate Leadership: from Beleaguered to Beloved". The only exception was one session with former figure skating champion Barbara Underhill, who spoke to us about her life’s ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies. It was a most touching testimony of her passion in skating, through humiliating failures to winning the championships. Her personal life of a perfect family was also shattered by the drowning of her 8 month-old baby girl a day before her baptism at St Peter’s, Erindale. In the end, it is a powerful story of faith and perseverance, a journey of overwhelming grief toward the rediscovery of life’s passion, joy and healing.

As she began her talk, she expressed her fear and intimidation of speaking to a group of clergy, almost 200 of us. Even our own bishops were feeling vulnerable speaking to a group of potentially critical and cynical bunch of clergy. That makes me wonder what if Jesus were our main keynote speaker, how would we react to him? Judging from different Scripture passages, including today’s Gospel from Matthew 9:9-13, he might not have fared too well with a religious group such as our clergy. In fact, he was always in conflict with the religious authority of his days, especially for associating with tax collectors and sinners. They found him offensive, for Jesus was just too radical for their liking.

The calling of Matthew the tax collector becomes a conflict story with the Pharisees. It also begs the larger question of whether the will of God calls for separation from sinners or association with them.

Here in the Gospel of Matthew, the tax collector is named Matthew, not Levi as told by Mark and Luke. In all the lists of the 12 Apostles, a Matthew is named, but no Levi. When Jesus called him, Matthew was sitting at the booth or table near the city gate or in the marketplace. He was collecting taxes for the Romans and for their puppet tetrarch, King Herod. Taxes on the people were many and burdensome: road taxes, bridge taxes, tax on trade goods, plus personal or household tax. The taxes alone were bad enough, not to mention the abuses and dishonesty involved and the fact that the money went to a foreign government. No wonder the collectors were despised by all. No wonder Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees when they found him in the company of one such character. The hostility level was raised when Jesus and his disciples were having a meal in the house, sharing table fellowship with many other tax collectors and sinners.

Who are the others that are labelled “sinners”? One assumption is that they are Matthew’s friends and business associates, perhaps bankers who charged interests and have dealings with the Romans. Therefore, they may have been considered as traitors and ritually unclean, and forced out of the local synagogues.

Besides eating with these “undesirables” with Jesus, the disciples are asked to defend Jesus’ behavior and theirs. Here is a perfect example of triangulation in system theory. The Pharisees, who have a complaint against Jesus, don’t approach him. Rather they tell someone else, the disciples, who presumably will tell Jesus. He will be expected to respond to the disciples, who bring the message back to the Pharisees. Such triangulations happen all the time in our families, churches & any human organizations. However, Jesus destroys the triangle by answering the Pharisees directly, and not involving the third party in the middle.

Jesus’ response has two parts. First, he uses a well known maxim about the physician: his place is not with the well, but with the sick and those who need healing. Jesus comes not as a judge, but as a healer. Secondly, Jesus uses a rabbinic formula, “Go and learn” to send his critics back to the Scriptures and to Hosea 6:6 in particular. “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” The Hebrew word for mercy hesed is an extraordinarily rich and significant term meaning steadfast love, righteousness and loyalty. The Old Testament uses this word to describe God, God’s relation to Israel, and the quality of life expected of Israel. By asking his harsh critics to go back and study this verse, Jesus is asking them to rediscover the will of God in reaching out to the sinners, and not just the righteous. In the nature and the heart of God, do we find a call to distance ourselves from sinners or to reach out to them in love, mercy and forgiveness? Jesus’ words and actions make it very clear!

However, the issue is still alive and well in our churches and the worldwide communion today. Some churches prefer to embark on a “Holiness Movement” of their own and pride themselves as the chosen ones of God, disassociating themselves from the undesirable and questionable characters of the world. They denounce the more liberal churches for abandoning tradition and orthodoxy, especially on the issues of homosexuality. Some have refused Eucharistic table fellowship with others over those controversies. The same Pharisees also accused Jesus for breaking with tradition and orthodoxy.

I guess, there is always a Pharisee within all of us, a self-righteous side in all of us, who looks down upon those whom we deem as sinners and morally inferior than us. How outraged would we be, if Jesus were in our midst showing us how to do outreach and evangelism in our part of the world? Would we welcome a homeless person coming in for money or something to eat? Would we kick out an alcoholic person for disrupting our worship? Can we handle a very needy person asking for help? Would we in the name of Christ turn them away? Indeed, who among us is not in desperate need for healing?

This week, I am very aware of the healing stories of Jesus in the second half of today’s Gospel (Matthew 9:18-26), as I went around for my pastoral visits. I went to see a dying man in the palliative care unit wanting to reaffirm his faith; a blind woman still adjusting to a new nursing home after almost a year; another man blind from his diabetic condition awaiting surgery in anxiety, and a woman in total confusion and delirium from her treatment with a persistent infection. I pray for healing in all of those situations, but in what forms will God’s healing come? I honestly do not know, but I believe God will heal them, just as Jesus healed the woman and the young girl in today’s stories. It is not up to me to decide, and it is a good thing, but we leave it up to God, by faith. Jesus asks us to trust in God’s mercy, his faithfulness and steadfast love. Without God’s grace, we all live under judgment and condemnation.

Let me finish with a story from the Internet:

A minister passing through his church
in the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened,
a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw
the man hadn’t shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind of shabby
and his coat was worn and frayed,
the man knelt, he bowed his head,
Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,
each noon time came this chap,
each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister’s suspicions grew,
with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
“What are you doing here?”

The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.

“I stay only moments, see,
because the factory is so far away;
as I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kind of what I say:

“I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER’S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON’T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM
CHECKING IN TODAY.”

The minister feeling foolish,
told Jim that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said “Thanks.”
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
he’d never done it before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
and met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart,
he repeated old Jim’s prayer:

“I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I’VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER’S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
I DON’T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT
I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY”

Past noon one day, the minister noticed
that old Jim hadn’t come.
As more days passed without Jim,
he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,
learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried,
But he’d given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious,
Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn’t understand
why Jim was so glad,
when no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse’s concern:
No friends came to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
up and with a winsome smile;
“the nurse is wrong, she couldn’t know,
that in here all the while

Every day at noon He’s here,
a dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:

“I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP,
AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,
AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS
CHECKING IN TODAY.”

What would be your prayers today?

How do you want to check in and pray?

Whatever is in your hearts and minds,

Healing and forgiveness God is ready to offer all the time.

To which we will always say:

Thanks be to God, forever and today.

Amen.

Fr. Victor+
www.stjd.ca

Sunday,February 10, 2008 - Temptation?

2008-02-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

The First Sunday in Lent is about temptation. (Matthew 4: 1-11)

It is a real temptation for us to reduce Lent to something manageable, something trivial that would not do too much harm -- such as giving up something that really does not bother us that much -- whether it is chocolate, sugar, caffeine, or certain hobbies.

Or, we can follow a list of what to give up such as this:

Give up complaining - focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism - become an optimist.
Give up sin - turn to virtue.
Give up worry - trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement - be full of hope.
Give up bitterness - turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred - return good for evil.
Give up negativism - be positive.
Give up anger - be more patient.
Give up pettiness - become mature.
Give up gloom - enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy - pray for trust.
Give up gossiping - control your tongue.
Give up harsh judgments - think kindly thoughts.

Yes, we can actively do more generous works of love and charity and be more fervent in prayer, instead of giving up something negatively. However, these can become small, morality games that trivialize the real temptation.

All temptations have to do with lies. In the Garden of Eden, the first temptation has to do with the lie that said, “You will not die!” The serpent tempted Adam and Eve by challenging them on the consequence of their action. “It is not as bad as you think it is going to be!” The lie has to do with “Maybe you can get away with it!” “Try it; it won’t do you any harm!” We all have heard those tempting words before, in one form or another.

As it turns out, surprise, surprise, the lie is not true. Ironically, they did have to die as a result of eating the forbidden fruit. We learn the hard ways that we do have to suffer the consequences, when we cannot get away with it.

At issue here is not whether they have done something bad, but it is one of disobedience. In knowing the difference between good and evil, the first humans have become like God, independent of God, and rebelled against God.

For us, temptation comes in different ways and entices us to be like God! As individuals and as a faith community, there is a real temptation for us to take the place of God. We say to ourselves that we can take control of our own destiny! We will try this, we will do this, and we will make it happen! We really don’t need God in all of this, especially when we are young and strong! We want the power and the control! However, when all else fail, we can always turn to God and ask for help. Unfortunately, God has been relegated to be a Plan B, a back up plan for us. When things are not going well, we can always pray to God!

However, temptation is a testimony to strength. The greater the strength, the greater the temptation will be. All three temptations attack Jesus’ strength, rather than his weaknesses. In the first one, the test was, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Secondly, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the Temple.” In both cases, the temptation attacks the identity and the assumption of Jesus as the Son of God. What kind of a son of God is he really? Is he the one who can use his divine power not only for his own advantage, but also use it to alleviate human hunger and need, thereby harnessing enormous political power?

Jesus’ responses rejected the temptation to become a “superman” type of messiah. He chose to remain human, yet obedient to the word of God. “Not by bread alone shall the human live...” In our faith journey and prayer life, we too want Jesus to be a superman who can come solve all our problems and take away all our troubles and pains. We get upset, when we find such a human messiah. We want a messiah who is totally divine. Our kind of messiah would come down from the cross and save others. He would not need to do a far-fetched thing like rising from the dead, for he would be smarter not to die in the first place.

The second temptation employs the word of God, since Jesus chose to follow the word of God. To perform a super stunt in front of the faithful crowd from the top of the temple in Jerusalem would have confirmed such an expectation of the messiah. Such a sign will undoubtedly coerce faith and confirm the popular messianic hope. But Jesus chose not to test God by twisting God’s words and manipulating God into doing something spectacular for him. We can also turn the promises of God around to try and manipulate God for our own gain. We do so by questioning God’s faithfulness to us. Just like in a marriage, as soon as one partner starts wondering or asking, “If you really love me, you will do this...” then one is no longer living by the marriage promises and trust, but trying to manipulate the other. When we start looking for miracles and signs to prove God’s presence, we are not living by God’s word and we have already stopped trusting God.

The third temptation takes place on a high mountain, the same description used for the Transfiguration last week. It is significant, because there Jesus’ true identity would be revealed and confirmed. There, the Son of God in his glory would be talking with Moses and Elijah. It leaves us no doubt as to who Jesus really is. He belongs to God, and he is committed to what God has called him to do.

Jesus is now tempted to turn away from God, in order to obtain the power and authority over the kingdoms of the world. Some would interpret that the world is under demonic control, and the devil has the power to give that control to Jesus. However, we who claim that we believe only in one God should not fall into the trap of making room for one good God and one bad god in our theology. After all, we were told that Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. God is involved in this testing. At issue here is one of sovereignty. To whom does the world belong? To God or to someone else? Who do we acknowledge to be the one who is in charge of the world, our church, and our personal and daily lives? In reality, who truly has the power and the authority in our life?

Do we worship only God, or do we actually worship something or someone else other than God? It could be customs, tradition, our own rules and liking. As a Church, are we willing to sell our souls in order to remain comfortable? to become attractive and successful? Or, how can we stay faithful to our calling? What does it mean for us to serve only the Lord our God and not anything else? We should stop and ask ourselves what is truly the business we are in and what are our priorities here at St John the Divine? We’ll do that later in our Annual Vestry meeting.

On the other hand, there is also a real temptation for some to leave everything to God. In reality, we don’t want to do anything; we just give up in despair. We can hide behind pietistic talk and prayers, but we will not put in our own effort. When things are not working right, we can always blame the devil. “The devil made me do it!” we may say. We do so by escaping and abdicating our personal responsibility.

We need to find a balance between surrendering our will to God and not surrendering our responsibility to act. We need to resist the temptation to become like God and take over things. On the other hand, we also need to act on answering God’s call for us to do his work of ministry. Is this talk of being “co-creators” with God too close to falling into the trap of the first temptation? Or can we co-operate with God realistically in such a partnership?

Perhaps the answer is found somewhere in the Lord’s Prayer. As long as we acknowledge and understand that God is indeed our Father, as Jesus taught us -- that is the nature of our true relationship with God. When we pray today, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” what do we say after that? That should give us a clue as to who is in charge of this world and the world to come...

“For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory… for ever and ever.” Amen.

Fr Victor +
(http://www.stjd.ca/)

Sunday,February 3, 2008 - The Glory of the Transfiguration

2008-02-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Transfiguration (Matthew 17: 1-9)
The Season of Epiphany begins at Jesus’ Baptism and ends with Jesus’ Transfiguration with the same heavenly voice making Jesus known to the world.

The story begins with the mention of "six days later". What does it refer to? It is six days after Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi and Jesus’ first passion prediction… Why 6 days? Perhaps there is a connection with Moses and the mountain from Exodus 24:15-16: “Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud.” Matthew will make other stronger connections to Moses later. It also means that this event takes place on the seventh day! -- The climatic day of a new creation?

The Chosen Three = an inner circle among the Apostles? Jesus also takes the same three with him to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37). The three who behold his heavenly glory also see his earthly agony [Hare, Matthew, p. 201]. In both cases, they, especially Peter, respond poorly. On the mountain Peter wants to build booths, and God has to interrupt him as we will see later. In the Garden, Jesus tells them to stay awake and pray, but they fall asleep three times. If these are the best and the top 3 disciples, perhaps there is hope for us who may fall asleep during sermons and prayer time, or react poorly to other situations in the church or in our daily life…

Matthew has placed special emphasis on “mountains”, where special, significant events take place: Jesus does his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (5:1); he went there to be alone to pray (14:23); it is where great crowds came to Jesus to be healed (15:29); where the risen Jesus meets the eleven disciples (28:16)

The only other place where a “high mountain” was mentioned in Matthew is when the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor and offered them to Jesus (4:8-9). Could similar temptations have been part of this mountaintop experience? Is it possible that Jesus has been tempted to stay on this mountain with all his glory and splendor rather than coming down to the “faithless and perverse generation” down below (17:17)? Could the force behind Peter’s desire to build three booths be a temptation to capture this glorious moment and avoid the painful cross?

What about our own mountain top experiences?
When and where have we encountered the glorified Christ - during times of teaching, learning, praying, healing and being healed? For us, the “mountains” may involve big crowds, bright lights, joyful singing, laughter, enthusiasm and energy, or it may be a quiet time of solitude and silence. Peter, James and John were certainly in for a great surprise. None of them would have expected what happened to them on this mountain -- neither Jesus’ transfiguration nor what happened afterwards. God is certainly a God of surprises! How each of us may be surprised when we encounter God?

Transfigured or transformed?
The Greek word metamorphoomai is translated to be “transfigured”. Paul also uses this word to talk about a transformation that is to take place within us:
Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

2Corinthians 3:18: “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Matthew tells us that Jesus’ face shone like the sun. This part of the transfiguration is not recorded in Mark. Moses had a shining face after his encounter with God (Exodus 34:29-35). Matthew emphasizes the “Moses-connection” as he puts Moses before Elijah. Mark has it the other way around. The presence of these two figures confirms the witness of the Law and the Prophets to Jesus. However, they are now superseded by Jesus, who remained alone at the end of this story.

Peter’s response on one hand is a response of faith and affirmation, calling Jesus “Lord” and said, “It is good that we are here.” On the other hand, he tries to capture that event with booths -- as in the Feast of Booths during which ancient Israelites remembered the special times of being led by God in the wilderness by means of the cloud and the fire (Lev. 23). He wants to lock up the experience of glory with Jesus in a box, and preserve it for ever.

The word for booth can mean a tent or temporary shelter. It can mean tabernacle as a place of worship (the dwelling place of God in the OT). It can also mean a house -- a permanent dwelling place. Why would these three need houses? These booths hearken back to the exodus and Peter’s attempt to enshrine or preserve or, at least, prolong this moment on the mountain. How often have we tried to enshrine certain religious experience and not wanting to move beyond them? How reluctant have we been to face the threats of change before us? Are we willing to come down from the spiritual highs of special moments of retreats and conferences? Do we want to keep all that to ourselves and not share it with others? -- Especially those who have not seen the light and shared our experience?

What is unique to Matthew is that while Peter was still talking, God interrupts him and pronounces to them the true identity of Jesus. This is the same voice and the same message given at Jesus’ Baptism: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased!” But “Listen to him” is the command given at the end. Peter wants to build dwelling places for these glorious figures, but God simply wants him to listen… to what message? Could it be the passion prediction and the suffering that is to follow for Jesus? After all, Peter refused to listen to that six days earlier, and he rebuked Jesus for speaking such nonsense. The divine Sonship does not simply bring glory; it also invites a discipleship that leads to death on a cross.

“When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.” --these two verses are also unique only to Matthew. The story is as much about the transfiguration of the three disciples as that of Jesus. Being in direct contact with God does not produce a response of faith; the voice from the cloud creates overwhelming fear instead! “They fell on their faces” in fear and trembling. The only other time Matthew uses this same phrase “fall upon the face”, it is what Jesus does in the garden of Gethsemane (again) as he prays, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want” (Matt 26:39). Perhaps Jesus could have also been afraid of what he was about to face… Again, glory is not detached from suffering and agony! The cup of anguish brings us the cup of blessing in the end! This connection between the Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane again reminds us that the glory of the resurrection is not possible without the suffering and the death on the cross. Easter is not possible without the cost of Good Friday. We are invited to begin our Lenten journey next week, heading toward the holy climax of the Christ Event.

In this case, what did Jesus do? He came to the cowering disciples and touched them. The same word will be used to describe how the risen Christ came to his disciples after the resurrection. The touch is a healing touch as in many cases throughout the Gospel. These terrified disciples were now raised by Jesus to a new life. They were transformed here just as they would be again after they had seen the resurrected Christ. They will be transformed from fearful and anxious cowards to brave, confident and spirited champions of the faith!

Ironically, it is not the “glowing”, glorified Jesus who did the “raising up”, but the down-to-earth, human Jesus who came, and touched, and spoke to the disciples. We all need such a healing touch. But we are also called to offer it to the world. We need to reach out and offer a healing and life-giving touch to the frightened, worried, anxious people with whom we come into contact, and assure them with words and actions that say, “Peace! The Lord is here with you. Do not be afraid!”

Transformation takes place when we encounter God in our lives, whether we like it or not. Mountaintop experiences change us as much as those down in the depressing valleys. Faced with the transfigured Christ Jesus, we too catch a glimpse of the glory, whether we are able to reflect this glory or not. We may not be able to shine like Jesus, yet we keep hearing consistent rumors that we can be “changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place”. In the mean time, our transformation and enlightenment also call us to be human channels of God’s healing grace, to bring new life and peace to all those who need it.

Glory and praise be to the Lord! Amen.
Fr Victor + (www.stjd.ca)

Sunday, January 27, 2008 - Catching for Jesus

2008-01-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

One bumper sticker said, “A bad day fishing is far better than a good day at work!” It rings true for those who fish for recreation and fun. However, for Jesus’ first disciples, they were fishing for a living! Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” --Or, fisher of men in the older translations, to play on the word fishermen. (Matthew 4: 12-23)

Last week, Jesus issued an invitation in the Gospel of John: “Come and see!” This week, in Matthew, it is a simple “Follow me!” The suddenness and abruptness of this call to discipleship led many theologians to call this an epiphany story. It does not offer any insights to the conversion experience nor the immediate response of the fishermen brothers.

Usually, rabbinical students sought out their teachers and attached themselves to them. However, this rabbi Jesus took the initiative and called fishermen to be his followers. In fact these were less than ideal candidates to be his students. Fishing as an occupation at that time came in very low in the social and economic ranking. To modern scholars, it remains a puzzle as to why Jesus would choose these illiterate fishermen to be his first followers. Perhaps, Jesus called them not to study as scholars, but to follow a new way of life.

It is worth noting that they left everything to follow Jesus not because Jesus has promised to give them something, like going to heaven when they die or have a good life on earth or even the forgiveness of sins, but Jesus called them to do a job, that is, to fish for people. Perhaps, we in the church have a misguided notion of following Jesus. We make a decision to follow Jesus for what we may get from him, rather than being called to a task. Calling has little to do with rewards, but it has everything to do with a vocation!

One commentator, Thomas G. Long (Matthew), writes:
In these stories of the calling of the disciples, then, Jesus disrupts family structures and disturbs patterns of working and living. He does so, however, not to destroy but to renew. Peter and Andrew do not cease being brothers; they are now brothers who do the will of God (Matt. 12:50). James and John do not cease being sons; they are now not only the children of Zebedee but also the children of God. All four of these disciples leave their fishing nets, but they do not stop fishing. They are now, in the nearness of the kingdom of heaven, fishers for people. Their past has not been obliterated; it has been transformed by Jesus’ call to follow. [p. 43]

Another commentator (Hare) on Matthew suggests that the fishermen “represent all future believers whom Jesus irresistibly summons to follow him. It may not be necessary for all to leave professions and possessions behind, but all must leave their world behind and enter the new world into which Jesus invites them… At a certain level of reality it is undoubtedly true that we choose Jesus as our master. We choose to be present where he is proclaimed and his words studied. We choose to read the Gospels and ponder their significance. At a deeper level of our being, however, we acknowledge, if only in retrospect, that the reverse has been true. In all our searching we were being sought. The one whom we choose is the one who first chose us.” [pp. 30-31] -- like the way our kitten picked us at the animal shelter more than we knew at the time!

Jesus first calls us to follow him. How? People become believers by the power of Jesus’ word; they follow him because he has spoken to them, and his word generates faith. For Matthew, Jesus’ call to discipleship was spoken not only to a few disciples in first-century Galilee but to the whole church throughout history. We hear the same words today, “Follow me!” Those are not my words. Those words of Jesus call you personally the same way they called the fishermen to be fisher of men! Each one of us, along with Peter, Andrew, James and John, becomes disciple of Jesus Christ, because of the power of the Word to call us out of our old lives and into the new. It is a call we need to hear every day of our lives.

To explore the imagery further, we need to ask, “How do we fish for people?” For recreational and sport fishing, people use hooks and baits, depending on what kind of fish they are after. If we look realistically at our own effort of evangelism, what are our targets? How likely will we be successful in recruiting outsiders and non-Christians? Do we know how to reach out to people with no religious memories or heritage? Do we know how to talk without using our religious jargons? Are we too shy to knock on doors or stand in shopping malls to talk to others about our faith? Or, should we concentrate on re-connecting with inactive or lapsed Anglicans in our community? Certainly, evangelism does not mean snatching Christians from other churches and switching them into ours! Last week, we were asked the question, “Are we confident enough to invite others to come and see what is happening in our church?” Would we recommend ourselves to others in the first place? Would they find us boring or attractive?

Speaking of “boring” -- that is what we are usually accused of by our older children. It could mean a number of things: that we are doing something beyond their level of comprehension, something not interesting or relevant to them, singing songs and playing music that are foreign to them. Perhaps our church culture is very alien to their everyday culture. Perhaps we need to ask them to help us define excitement. We need more than a once a year “youth service” to pay lip service to youth participation in worship. We need a strong strategy to help them grow up to be Disciples of Christ and regular adult worshippers. After all, they are already inside our doors; except that they stay downstairs until they graduate and never come back. When and how do we fail them? How can we catch their imagination? What are we not doing now?

In fact, the imagery of fishing is not very attractive, because these fishermen were not using hooks and baits, they used nets! The fish did not have a choice of “to bite or not to bite”, or “to eat or not to eat”. They were dragged ashore or into a boat, from being alive to their deaths! Are we to suggest that parents should drag their (grand)children to church? Or should we coerce more people into church, whether they want to come or not? I do not believe in force or coercion. I am not a pushy salesman with strong arm tactics. Perhaps there lies our problem; we are too polite to do real work of evangelism?

In this case and others, to be caught is not a good thing, like being captured by police, or by the enemies or terrorists. We lose control, our freedom and choice in those instances. The coming of the kingdom of heaven is also out of our control. We are not in charge of that process. The Spirit of God is. Yet, in a positive sense of the word, we are captured or captivated by love! Indeed, the relationship of love is often something out of our control. “We fall in love!” It happens to us. When its power takes over fully, it means a change in life; for marriage is as much a dying to the old life as it is the beginning of a new one. That new life brings with it a group of new relatives, whether we like them or not. Being captured by Jesus’ irresistible call meant an end to the old life and relations for the fishermen, but they were given a new life as followers of Jesus.

Perhaps we need to understand that we too are fish dragged out of the water in the nets to die. Yet, God promises us resurrection and a new life, a new family and a new future. It is all under God’s control in Jesus. That’s why we are called to follow Jesus and put our trust in him. It is okay to be caught by God's net of love.

It is easy to say that our task is to share a faith that is exciting enough to be contagious! It is like recommending your favorite restaurants, the best place to shop or talking about your favorite books, movies or sports team. However, we are used to separating our faith and religion into different compartments. We are reluctant to discuss them unless it is with the already converted. We are afraid to be seen as a fanatic!

Perhaps we seldom talk about evangelism, because it is not in our vocabulary -- it belongs to other churches. Anglican clergy are usually trained to be nurturers of the faith and good at preaching to the converted. We are not equipped to bring outsiders to active faith in Christ through a transformation process of conversion. We are more interested in institutional survival and financial stability than taking risks in looking into the spiritual needs of those who are not part of the insiders’ group. We often work under the assumption that: “If we serve our own people well, outsiders will see this and want to become one of us”. But how will they know? Who will tell them? What good reasons would compel them to be like us and join us? Will our children and grandchildren automatically grow up to be adult worshippers and disciples like us? What else need to happen?

Finally, our mission is more than just catching people for Jesus. The activities of Jesus’ ministry are summarized in the last verse of our text: “teaching, preaching, and healing”. We are called to share in the same ministry in words and deeds. We, not just the priests and clergy, but all who are called to share in the ministry of Christ as his followers, certainly including all you lay people.
In order for us to be "50 and growing" as a parish, we need to examine ourselves by asking some of these tough questions now. We need to understand what draws people to the church in the first place is their spiritual hunger for an authentic encounter with God. Through the ministry of teaching, preaching and healing, we will bring Christ to people’s lives and honestly ask them to follow Christ! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Fr Victor + (www.stjd.ca)

Sunday, January 20, 2008 - Come and See: The Invitation

2008-01-26T06:29:00.000-08:00

John 1: 29-42

“Come and see for yourself!” Doesn't it sound like a slogan from some marketing genius inviting consumers to check out the products they try to sell? When they are confident in their products, they believe that all they have to do is to ask people to come and see it for themselves, and they will buy for sure. All they need to do is get the customers in the door, so to speak, and the product will sell itself. Can we say that about our church? Do we have that confidence?

This invitation of “Come and See” takes on very special meaning in the Gospel of John. We come across this phrase several times throughout the Gospel: here today in the first chapter as Jesus encountered the first of his disciples. It is an invitation to life, an invitation to discipleship, and an invitation to abide in God’s dwelling.

One of the highlights of John’s Gospel, central to my personal beliefs, is the proclamation that Jesus is the Good Shepherd (chapter 10). The Good Shepherd lay down his life for the sheep. He comes so that they may have life, and have it abundantly! “Come and See” - that is the invitation to Life - the life as promised by Jesus the Good Shepherd, the abundant life not only in the after-life in eternity, but also in the here and now. Eternal life is something that starts in the here and now and lasts into all eternity. It has to do with our relationship with God. Jesus came so that relationship can be re-established, where our sins and brokenness have previously separated us from God. Now because of the cross of Jesus, the gap is bridged, the chasm joined and brought back together by the out-stretched arms of Jesus. His life was given for us, so that we may have life and have it abundantly. That is the Good News of such an invitation to Life, to true living in a world full of illusion, temptation and distraction.

Secondly, “Come and See” represents an invitation to discipleship. Just as the first disciples responded to this call and decided to follow Jesus, we hear this call as our own personal invitation to become a follower of Christ. You have heard it before, that disciples are made; they are not born. When we look at mainline churches in today’s Canada, we feel discouraged by the decline in numbers, an ever-aging membership, and an overall lack of enthusiasm. Part of the problem has to do with the fact that we have neglected to intentionally make disciples for Christ. We expect our children grow up to be disciples somewhat automatically. We assume our religious heritage will be passed on to them with little resistance. However, they need to become Disciples of Christ by themselves, through personal encounters with the living God. It is something we cannot do for them. If their faith is not personal, but remains only faith of their mothers’, fathers’ or grand-mothers’, that may not stand the tests of the world’s temptation and distraction. Yes, we may be able to give them a firm and good foundation for faith, but nothing happens until they start building their own house of faith upon that foundation themselves.

I know of a family who inherited an old farmhouse from their grandparents, after they had to move into a nursing home. When the young couples first moved into this house, they did not change a single detail in its décor; they wanted to preserve the house the way the grandparents left it, as if to honour their place and memories. After grandpa died, one day, they took grandma back to visit. When she came into the house, she was surprised that nothing had changed in the house. She asked them why they had not made any changes and redecorated the place. They said that it would not be polite to make changes to her house. Grandma told them the house is now theirs, they should make it their own home, there is no need to preserve things as they used to be. She gave them permission to truly turn it into their home instead of keeping it for her. Faith and discipleship has to be personal in the same way, each generation has to experience and encounter God in ways that make sense to them. They may need new symbols and expressions, including different musical styles, to bring alive their faith.

In John 11, “Come and See” appears in another context that is ironic and profound, as those words were addressed to Jesus. As he was grieving over the death of his friend Lazarus, we were told:
11:33
When Jesus therefore saw Mary weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he was deeply moved in the spirit and troubled,
11:34
And said, Where have you laid him? They said unto him, “Lord, come and see.”
11:35
Jesus wept.
11:36
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Many of us are moved by this story of Jesus’ love and compassion for Lazarus. However, beyond the literal meaning, there lies a more profound level of those special coded words of John’s Gospel: Come and See! This time, the invitation is being issued to Jesus. It is an invitation to a discipleship that ultimately leads to his death. By bringing Lazarus out of the tomb, he would later have to be buried in a tomb himself. Yet, through his death, we gain new life, abundant and eternal life.

Thirdly, it is an ultimate invitation to be with God – or however ways our language allows us to express it in all its limitation. John uses the special words of abide, stay, or a dwelling place to describe our relationship with God through Jesus. In today’s Gospel (John 1: 29-42), we have the story of the calling of Jesus’ first disciples. Andrew and Simon Peter asked Jesus, “Where are you staying?” Jesus’ reply was, “Come and See!” We were told that they came and saw where he was staying and they remained with him. Earlier in the passage, we have the testimony of John the Baptist who saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Jesus after his baptism. The same word "remained" was used. It signifies that the Holy Spirit remained in Jesus, and whoever answered the invitation to come and see was able to remain in the presence of God through Jesus.

In John 14, Jesus talks about the ultimate dwelling we can have. “In my Father’s house, there are many mansions, that I go to prepare a place for you…” In the context of Epiphany, which means showing or making known, Jesus is opening a window where we can have a glimpse of the ultimate dwelling he has prepared for us. Just like real estate agents showing us the model home, Jesus shows us the perfect dream home, a huge mansion to dwell in. This spacious dwelling place we can abide represents our special relationship with God. It is a relationship of faith and trust, as demonstrated by Jesus, the true and living way to God.

Whether we are aware of it, or whether we acknowledge it, we are living in God’s presence at all times and in all places. As the Psalmist said in Psalm 139, God is all-knowing and all-loving, that God is everywhere. God is always at work in our lives, whether we divide our lives into something spiritual or secular, something we call work or Sabbath rest. “Come and See” represents an invitation to enter into a deeper awareness and acknowledgement of the presence of God in our lives. Come and dwell, come and abide, come experience and enter into a fuller presence of God in our daily life, where God is technically never absent from us. We don’t invite God into our lives as such; rather we make ourselves more aware of that constant and reassuring presence of God in each and every moment of our lives. The invitation is: Come and See every day!

Enough Light for the Next Step (Henri Nouwen):
Often we want to be able to see into the future. We say, “How will next year be for me? Where will I be five or ten years from now?” There are no answers to these questions. Mostly we have just enough light to see the next step: what we have to do in the coming hour or the following day. The art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark. When we are able to take the next step with the trust that we will have enough light for the step that follows, we can walk through life with joy and be surprised at how far we go. Let's rejoice in the little light we carry and not ask for the great beam that would take all the shadows away.

In this season of Epiphany, let us hear anew the call to become a disciple of Christ, and find fresh meaning as we follow Him ever day. We are called to bear witness to the same invitation we have answered, and invite others to come and see for themselves, too. Just as John the Baptist bears witness to the two disciples that Jesus is the Lamb of God, so they choose to follow Jesus. In turn, Andrew and Simon also bring others to come and see Jesus, for they testify that they have found the Messiah. Indeed, a witness is usually needed to help others see Jesus. We cannot sincerely follow Jesus without also extending the same invitation to others.

Let us reflect on this special invitation of “Come and See”, trusting the guidance of God’s Spirit as we move ahead each step of the way to accept it as an invitation to Life, to a life of discipleship and to follow the Way that leads us ultimately into the fullest presence of God.

Thanks be to God. Amen.
Fr. Victor (www.stjd.ca)

Sunday, January 13, 2008 - Our True Identity

2008-01-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) That is the Voice of Affirmation for Jesus and for us as to our true identity -- who we are and to whom we belong! There are 2 stories circulated in the internet:

The first story: Who’s your daddy?
A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One morning, they were eating breakfast in a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, “I hope he doesn't come over here.” But sure enough, the man did come over to their table. “Where are you folks from?” he asked in a friendly voice.
“Oklahoma," they answered.
“Great to have you here in Tennessee,” the stranger said. “What do you do for a living?”
“I teach at a seminary,” he replied.
“Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really good story for you.” And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.

The professor groaned and thought to himself, “Great... Just what I need -- another preacher story!”

The man started, “See that mountain over there?” (pointing out a restaurant window). “Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, “Hey boy, who's your daddy?” Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would tease him with the same cruel question. “Who's your daddy?” His life’s miserable!
He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going in to stores because that question and the B word hurt him so bad. When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, “Who's your daddy?” But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, "Son, I’ve only seen your mama, but who's your daddy?"

The whole church got deathly silent. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. Now everyone would finally know the answer to that repeated question!

The new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to the frightened little boy: “Wait a minute!” he said. “I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.” With that, he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, “Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.”
With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, “Who's your Daddy?” he'd just tell them, “I'm a child of God.”

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, “Isn't that a great story?” The professor nodded. As the man turned to leave, he said, “You know, if that new preacher hadn’t told me that I was one of God’s beloved children, I probably would never have amounted to anything!” And he walked away. The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her, “Do you know that man who just left that was sitting at our table?” The waitress grinned and said, “Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He’s the former governor of Tennessee!”

We all need a reminder that we are God’s beloved children. When the voices of the cruel world try to tell us differently, when our experiences in life challenges us to doubt, in the midst of despair, think of this story! “Who’s your daddy?” Listen to the voice of love from heaven! Don’t let other noises drown it out! Don’t listen to the voices of insult, condemnation and guilt. By faith, through our baptism, we can also claim our true identity as God’s beloved sons and daughters! No one can take away our inheritance from us.

The Second Story: Take My Son...
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam war broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock on the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out this package. “I know this isn't much. I'm not really a good artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay for what your son did for me. It's a gift.”

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home, he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. This man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their own collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?”

There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.”
But the auctioneer persisted. “Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100? $200?”
Another voice angrily, “We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!” But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. “I'll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
"We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
"$10 is the bid; won't someone else bid $20?"
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the paintings?"

“I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"

Often, we are distracted in our search for treasures like the Van Goghs & the Rembrandts, yet we miss out on the one treasure in life that really counts!

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything. -- that is our inheritance! Will you claim it today?

Fr. Victor
(www.stjd.ca)

Epiphany - Sunday, January 6, 2008

2008-01-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

Last year, I read a little story of what would have happened if there had been three wise women instead of three wise men, come searching for Baby Jesus?

They would have asked for directions …
arrived on time … helped deliver the baby …
cleaned the stable … brought practical gifts …
and made a casserole.

But as they left, they would have said something like:
“Did you see what sandals Mary was wearing with her gown? Can you believe how they don’t match?”
“I heard that Joseph is not working right now.”
“Hmm, that baby doesn’t look anything like Joseph!”

Indeed, the Epiphany story is very familiar to us, yet you may be amazed to find how much we are influenced by Christmas carols, pageants and popular renditions of the story. The Biblical version does not mention the number of men involved. The number three comes more from legend and from the fact that 3 gifts were brought and presented to Jesus. We sing, “We three kings of Orient are...” The Bible never says that they are kings. It calls them “magi”. Many English translations render this Greek word, “wise men” (NRSV: “astrologers” in a footnote). That is being far too kind and misleading about these foreign visitors. Perhaps, because these visitors from the East are such good models of faith, we have been afraid to really present them for what they were. Originally, in Persia, Magi were dream-interpreters. By Jesus’ time, the term referred to astronomers, fortune-tellers, or star-gazers. In fact, our word magic or magician comes from this word “magi”. They were experts in horoscope - a practice condemned by Jewish standards. We may compare them to people in fortune-teller booths, or people on the psychic hotline or other “occupations” that fore-tell the future by stars, tea leaves and Tarot cards, etc. In today’s world, Magi and fortune-tellers would enjoy a better reputation, since many people in our world do check their horoscope as they begin a new day. Followers of New Age religions have probably given old superstition a good name.

It is ironic that Gentiles of dubious occupation came looking for a new Jewish king, and became heroes of the Christmas/Epiphany story. To Matthew, it foreshadows the inclusion and salvation of foreigners and outsiders of the Jewish community.

As Christians, what kind of magi are we? Which stars do we consult as we start each new day? (Toronto Star with your morning coffee?) What type of spiritual GPS do we follow and get our direction from? BIBLE? Do we have any kind of spiritual pursuit? Or, do we just go through life aimlessly and without a clear purpose?

There are two current movies which I have not seen, but I am intrigued by their premises:

The first one is “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”, apparently not that good a movie. No matter how absurd the plot happens to be, stories about treasure hunting, from Treasure Island to Relic Hunter, Indiana Jones to Tomb Raider there is something exciting and adventurous that universally attracts both children and adults. However, our sense of adventure has been largely reduced to bargain hunting and shopping for the best deal in town or Buffalo.

The second movie is called “The Bucket List”. The title comes from an incident in the Morgan Freeman character’s youth - when as a freshman college student aspiring to a degree he was never able to complete, he received some fascinating advice from a philosophy professor who suggested that his students compile a list of all the things they wanted to do in life before they kicked the bucket. The story follows two men terminally ill with cancer (Jack Nicholson and Freeman) on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they die, including sky diving, racing classic cars and going around the world in a private jet. I am not suggesting that we all go home and make up our own bucket list tonight. However, if you were to do it, what would you put down? What would be most important on your wish list? How does that reflect on your values and outlook on life, before death? What would make your life complete and worthwhile before it is over? I don’t think it is morbid, but rather very much life-affirming!

Remember in Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus, there are two elderly persons named Simone and Anna, who recognized Jesus as the coming Messiah, when his parents brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for dedication when he was 40 days old. The Song of Simeon, otherwise known to Anglicans as the canticle Nunc Dimittis, is a favorite of Evensong, beginning with these words: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation…”

How many of us would include “knowing Jesus Christ as our personal saviour and redeemer” on our Bucket List? Or, if you already have done that, make it your priority in making sure all those whom you love also come to the same knowledge of salvation.

Epiphany is about a Star. Those Magi embarked on a journey of discovery: seeking, searching, finding; guided and led by a Star. These days, every one wants to be a star! - a super star as in American and Canadian idols. When you are the star, life is all about you, according to the world. You want all the attention drawn toward you. But what if life as a star is about pointing to another? What if our life, as significant or insignificant it may be, should be drawing attention to a bigger star than ourselves? Do you want to be Stars for Jesus or do you want to be Stars just for yourselves? Epiphany poses this challenge: How can we become more effective or attractive stars pointing others, especially those outside of the Church, toward Jesus? Can we be the best GPS available leading other seekers to find Christ? Do we possess that Star quality?
Epiphany is a good time to take the journey ourselves. The Magi made the trip searching for something worth their while. Would we dare to be as adventurous? They did follow the star and found a newborn king, although not the obvious one they had expected in a palace, but one out in the marginal little town of Bethlehem. They also took a very different way home afterwards!

Indeed, there is a double meaning in the final sentence of the story. It does mean that these Magi went home by another road and avoided seeing Herod again; but it is also true that they went home with another way. In Acts, the followers of Jesus were called followers of the Way. After being with the infant Jesus, the Magi were changed. They no longer acted or believed the same way they had before. They went home by another way.

Part of the new way is that they discovered the king on God’s terms, not through their own understanding or assumptions. They discovered the new king through God's revelations to them - both through the star and through the Scriptures (as proclaimed by the religious leaders). They chose to follow the child who was the newborn king in Bethlehem, instead of the tyrant king who resided in a palace in Jerusalem. This is a story about two different kings. One rules by fear, control, violence, lies and deceit. Yet, he is also threatened by his own fear: when he is troubled, all of Jerusalem trembled with him. The other king born vulnerable and died vulnerable, who at the end of Matthew’s story ultimately cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” on the cross where soldiers mocked him as “the King of the Jews”. The world usually chooses power and influence over powerlessness and vulnerability. Perhaps the Magi followed a more radical way than for which they were given credits.

The Magi went home a transformed people! Epiphany and revelation are not for our intellectual pursuits and private, esoteric enjoyment, its main challenge is how God will change us and our lives. Do we go home by a different way after our worship today? Can you recall any epiphany moments in your lives that allow for you to have a glimpse of the Glory of God? Like windows or skylight that let the light shine through, the little epiphanies show us God in a new and High Definition way. (HD differences: black & white vs. color TV) Can you tell the difference? Do you have better, corrected vision to gauge your spiritual life?

No matter what our experiences are today, the invitation for us is to come, worship the newborn King, where we greet Him again in worship, through songs, words, prayers, bread and wine in this gathering and go home by a different way.

Thanks be to God. Amen.
Fr. Victor (www.stjd.ca)

Joseph the Forgotten Man - December 23, 2007

2007-12-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

When we listen to the Christmas story, Joseph often plays a rather minor role in the background. Most of the time, people focus on Baby Jesus, Virgin Mary the mother, angels, shepherds and the three wise men. However, especially in Matthew’s narrative, Joseph did play an important part, leading up to the birth. Today, we have just heard it from Matthew 1:18-25.

Matthew begins his narrative with “an account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”(1:1) The word he uses for genealogy literally means “Genesis”! This is a new book of Genesis, just like the first book of the Scriptures. Matthew intentionally uses this word to indicate a new beginning and a new creation with the birth of Jesus. The same God who created human beings at the very beginning is now also creating humanity anew with a miraculous birth.

After tracing the genealogy, Matthew explains the story by saying, “Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

Many commentators observe on this text that it is as much a miracle to talk about the virginal conception as the way how Joseph changed his mind on the matter. Some call it “Joseph’s conversion”. In the first century Palestine, marriages were obviously still arranged. Joseph and Mary may have been arranged to be married by their parents when they were still young. Such arrangement was more than an engagement as we understand it; it was legally binding as in a marriage, even before the wedding took place. Therefore, when Mary was found to be pregnant, Joseph had every right to divorce her. That was exactly what the law and the custom of the land expected him to do.

Even though Joseph seemed to have concluded that Mary must have committed adultery, yet he was unwilling to shame her publicly by dragging her through the courts. Perhaps it was out of compassion that he would quietly dismiss her instead. He was a “righteous man” in two different ways: he followed what was required by the law and he had compassion for Mary.

It was also suggested by other commentators that by divorcing Mary, Joseph also offered the real father the opportunity to raise his child by marrying Mary instead.

Like the Joseph of the old Genesis story (ch.37), this Joseph also found out God’s purpose for him in a dream. An angel or messenger of God came to him, not only this time but a few more times later, to instruct him what to do and explain to him about this child Mary was carrying, and the significance of his birth.

For Joseph to change his mind, it could have been a very difficult decision. What if he were one of those stubborn people who believe that they are always right? What if he were one of the self-righteous ones who cannot possibly accept anything that is not right according to the letter of the law? Was he reluctant to change his decision before the angel’s appearance?

Furthermore, the angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Why should he be afraid? In the earlier description that “Mary was found to be with child”, is it possible that others had found out about this pregnancy too? Who else knew about her condition? Was she beginning to show? Was he afraid of what the neighbors might say about his betrothed wife? Had the rumors already started in the neighborhood and appeared in the headlines of the community gossip columns?

How often is our action governed by our sense of self-righteousness? Do we look down on those who are obviously worse sinners than us: pregnant teenagers, prostitutes, drug addicts and their suppliers, drunk drivers, homosexuals and others whose lifestyle we don’t approve? How often are we influenced by the fear of what would others may say or think? Does that control us and our behavior more than what God wants us to do? How often do we follow a dream, and dare to believe in it? Or, is it easier just to awake from a dream and dismiss it as something simply unreal and not believable?

God broke through the barriers of fear and insecurity to reach Joseph, and a conversion took place! He took a real step of faith to believe in the message of the angel that the child was from the Holy Spirit, and not from another man. Not too many “real men” would end up doing what he had done. In the end, he took Mary as his wife, in spite of his fears and claimed the son as his own by naming him Jesus. In fact, by naming the child, Joseph acknowledged Jesus to be his own; therefore he became the legal father of the child. According to Raymond Brown in the Birth of a Messiah, Jewish custom was clear on that: “If a man says, ‘this is my son’, he is to be believed”. Since they did not have modern technology to determine paternity in those days, a man’s acknowledgment was accepted as good enough ground; for normally a man would not acknowledge and support a child unless it’s his own. That’s why in Matthew’s genealogy, although Joseph did not beget Jesus; Jesus is still a descendant of David through Joseph, because of legal paternity rather than a biological one.

Different parts of the Christmas story all invite us to have faith. It conveys to us how God has come to change the world and to change each one of us. The story does not invite us to simply believe in the historical accuracy of the virgin birth or a tiny baby born in a manger. But the story proclaims the truth of Emmanuel – God with us!

There is a legend about the Cherokee Indian youth’s rite of passage. According to this ritual, his father would take him into the forest, blindfold him and leave him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, the boy is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrifying night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him a few yards away. He had been there watching him the whole night, protecting his son from harm. That’s the secret! To every boy’s surprise, his father never left him.

In the same way, we are invited to believe in a messiah whose name is Emmanuel, God with us! Perhaps spiritual maturity comes from sitting seemingly alone in the dark night of the soul only to discover the presence of God when light finally shines through. We are asked to trust in God, who stays by our side all through our life journey. The secret is that we are never alone! Even when we are not aware of it, even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is always with us! Therefore, we do not have to be afraid! Indeed, God is with us today, removing the barriers of our self-righteous attitudes and moving us beyond our fears and insecurity to faith! Yes, even a deeper and more mature faith!

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Fr. Victor +

Church of St John the Divine (www.stjd.ca)

A Spiritual Check-Up: December 9, 2007

2007-12-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor for my annual check-up this week. It interrupted my daily routine, since I could not eat for 12 hours before the appointment, and made me consciously think about my health. From day to day, week to week, we usually just go on auto-pilot and seldom think about our health, unless something wrong makes us aware of the lack of health and the danger of illnesses to our body. Threats of disease and symptoms of something may be wrong with our health are truly wake-up calls that rudely remind us of our mortality. Julia (my wife) has gone through a similar scare, when she went through a biopsy few weeks ago. As it turns out, we are thankful that there is nothing wrong with the cells in question. Regular check-ups and preventative measures are very important to our health.

Similarly, twice a year, more like our dental check-ups, we are reminded to have a spiritual check-up. The seasons of Advent and Lent call us to take a reality check on the spiritual condition of our well being. Spiritually, are we healthy enough to go on, or should we do something to restore our health and wholeness? Is our heart at the right place? Or, are we preoccupied and obsessed with the wrong things and priorities in life? Should we do a “gut check” before we face the challenges of another new year?

The familiar story of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12) focuses on his message of repentance and the practice of the water baptism. You have probably heard many, many sermons on repentance and forgiveness of sins. Perhaps I will try a somewhat different approach today. First of all, when we talk about repentance, we need a GPS! For those who have not heard of what is a GPS, it is called Global Positioning System, a navigational device that provides signal of your precise location on earth, with the help of satellites. It is probably one of the more popular adult gifts this Christmas, judging from the advertisements of the different electronic stores and departments. Some of my friends need a device like GPS, because they lack a good sense of direction and they are not good at reading maps. We need a GPS to tell us exactly where we are, and which direction are we going. Then, we can find out whether we are heading the right way or not. Repentance, simply put, involves a turning around, when we find ourselves going the wrong way. When you go down a one-way street against the direction of the arrow, unless you do a U-turn, you won’t be able to avoid the risk of a head-on collision and travel at the right direction again.

Prophets like John the Baptist are similar to GPS, telling us where we are located spiritually, that we are facing the wrong direction and need to turn around to face the right way. In repentance, we move from point A to point B, out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of darkness into light; out of death into new life. Our Christian mission and calling is to bring people from afar closer to God, spiritually dead or dormant to the state of being spiritually alive and awake. We invite people to this process of transformation. Like the prophets, we prepare the way by pointing to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life!

Any process of transformation always involves an ending, a transitional stage, before a new beginning is possible. To repent is the first step of making an ending to the old before the new is made possible. Many people long for new life and new beginning! You can ask anyone who has an addiction problem, and they will tell you that they desperately want a new life. They want to change their ways very badly! But the problem for them is not so simple, especially they find it so difficult to end their old way of life, and free themselves from whatever bondage which enslaves them. Putting an end to the old life, old habits and addictions is not as simple as it sounds. New life is not possible until they can break free from the old.

However, on the other hand, a proper ending paves the way for a new beginning. The fulfillment of a promise is also the end of the old and the beginning of the new. Today’s Old Testament passage from Isaiah 11:1-10 talks about a king from the line of David who will represent the fulfillment of the hope for a messiah. He will be shaped by the Spirit of the Lord. That divine Spirit will equip the king with the gifts necessary for just rule. His administration will be marked by justice – that he will make sure the poor and the vulnerable, i.e. those least able to protect themselves, have full rights before the Law.

The coming of this messianic king also brings about a transformation in the natural and cosmic sphere. Natural enemies in the animal kingdom will live together in peace and harmony. There will be no more violence, and no more fear! There are echoes of a return to a world without violence among creatures, such as that of a paradise as described in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis. This is a truly magnificent vision of cosmic peace. If you do not have a particular vision of what heaven may look like, try this one: the peaceable kingdom where human beings and animals do not have to live in fear!

In fact, we are told that a defenseless little child shall lead them in that kingdom. That little child, and the nursing child and the weaned child all represent human beings at the most vulnerable stages of life. Perhaps we can learn from such kind of leadership and the child-like quality involved.

Jesus said, “Unless one turns and becomes like children, one will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” What kind of quality does a child bring? We are not asked to be childish and immature in our ways. To be child-like is to be marked by innocence, trust, simplicity and frankness. An infant is totally vulnerable and dependent, open to the possibility of being wounded, and open to attack or damages. Such a child is powerless, or at the mercy of other adults. Yet, the child is also very powerful, as he or she is connected to a very fundamental life force. We, adults, have very often lost touch with that kind of life forces. Adults who abuse children do so by taking advantage of their vulnerability. They exploit their innocence and trusting nature. In that sense, all forms of abuse exploit the vulnerable of the world: the weak and the poor, the sick and the powerless, the elderly and the young who are dependent on others. The abusers, the ones who rely on macho power, strike out in fear, anger and aggression. That’s why we are taught not to be vulnerable, not to leave any opening for others to attack us, and not to leave our security to chance.

In a world that believes in the survival of the fittest, the victims of violence and injustice do not really count! There is no place for orphans and starving children in many parts of the world -- people want them to disappear! However, can you imagine a world without children? Then, we simply do not have a future! We simply do not have hope!

Perhaps repentance has to do with getting in touch with the child within all of us, accepting our vulnerable child and finding healing for that child! It may have to do with recovering that pristine and uncontaminated quality of the child that would lead us to the kingdom of God – to recapture the lost awe and wonder of our childhood, to reclaim the trusting nature, the playful creativity and the magical imagination that have been long buried by our cold, logical adult world. Far too quickly, young people are taught to be crafty and cunning: on what they can get away with in life, as long as they don’t get caught!

Being born anew is likened to returning to the womb, being re-connected with the source of life, totally trusting in the mother of all goodness, being truthful with God, with ourselves and with others. Repentance requires that honesty and truthfulness.

John the Baptist preached a water baptism of repentance, but the One for whom he prepared the way would be baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire. There is a very strong hint of judgment in that second kind of baptism. However, with the coming of Jesus, the baptism of the Holy Spirit also brings about power, and empowerment for his followers: power to live the Christian life, power to repent, power to end injustice in the world, and power to make peace possible!

There is a voice in the wilderness crying for us to repent, to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming King. Are you willing to make room in your heart for Christ amidst the busy preparation for Christmas? Are you willing to prepare our world for the Prince of Peace, to usher in his peaceable kingdom, and so transform our world? Are we willing to be part of that transformation by first repenting ourselves?

A few more questions for you to ponder:
What would inspire you to be a better Christian? What would draw you closer to God? How can we encourage you to live a life worthy of God’s unique calling for you?

May this Eucharistic meal strengthen and empower us with the courage of Jesus, to take on the first step of transformation! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Fr Victor
Church of St John the Divine (http://www.stjd.ca/)

An Advent People - December 2, 2007

2007-12-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

“You know what time is it?” (Romans 13:11-14) Let’s say:
It is ten minutes before midnight. The lineup has been there since mid-afternoon. Some has brought lawn chairs, some are warming themselves with fresh coffee; others are entertaining themselves with books, i-pods, portable games and connecting with others talking on the cell phones. They know that for ten more minutes and the wait will be over. What anticipation! What excitement! What are they lining up for? The answers in multiple choices are:
a) To be first in line for tickets to a Rolling Stones concert?
b) To be first in line to buy the latest offering from Microsoft, Sony or Apple?
c) To be the first ones to get into the stores for Black Friday sales after the American Thanksgiving?
d) To be the first to get into the Church for mid-night mass on Christmas Eve?

Well, how likely is the answer d)? People in our consumer culture anticipate in excitement for the latest thrills and toys, based on what is new and exciting. The happiness and thrill do not last long, usually until the promotion of the next in-thing comes along. Marketing and advertising determine fashion and wants. We, with the rest of the ordinary people, live our lives according to the whims and devices of the marketing genius and their latest gimmicks. Spiritual hunger, however, needs something more profound than what material satisfaction can supply.

In the middle of the commercial shopping season called Christmas, we in the Church try very hard to observe a forgotten and ignored season called Advent! We swim against the current and oddly wish one another a Happy New Year today! “On the second day of December?” you ask. Yes, indeed, it is odd and out of step with the rest of the world. Is it important to be different? Or, should we try blending in all the time? Today’s scriptural readings provide a few clues about who we are and to whom we truly belong.

In Isaiah 2:1-5, we get a vision similar to the scene I described at the beginning of this sermon. Throngs of peoples are going up the hills to Jerusalem to worship God. As in high festivals, people are in fact lining up and they start singing hymns. These are psalms of ascent, like Psalm 122 we read earlier, that pilgrims and worshippers sing on the way up the hills into the holy city. They pray for peace and prosperity. Similar to the prophet’s vision in Isaiah that: “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” -- Those are the famous words often quoted by pacifists who preach peace and peacemaking instead of making war! Instruments of war and violence are being converted into peace-time utility tools. Such is the longing of the people of the world, that peace and prosperity will be possible among the nations. Yet, for centuries, especially in the place they call the Holy Land, peaceful co-existence is still a dream not yet realized. They are not anywhere closer to peace today than a century ago.

If Christians are Easter people as we labeled ourselves, can we be also an Advent people? To re-discover our lost identity in a world that has no room for the Advent season, perhaps, the first thing we know about an Advent people is that we are a peace-making people! After all, we wait for the coming of the Prince of Peace – another Isaiah vision fulfilled at Christmas. The conversion from making war to making peace is a different kind of conversion than the one we usually associate ourselves with, but nonetheless, a practical and important one for us to consider.

Secondly, what time is it? St Paul said that “it is now the moment for us to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near.” As Advent people, we are called to be children of the Light, to walk in the light of the Lord! We are to wake up to a new day, a new sense of time, another era or period in God’s history. We are called to be prepared for this new age of Christ, not because we know when, but because we know what it means. For us, it is the fulfillment and culmination of our salvation!

We are called to a transformation from Darkness to Light, just as we change from our pajamas or night cloths into what we wear going out during the day. We are asked to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armor of light. I remember as a child, we had to wear school uniforms in Hong Kong. As we moved from warm season into cold weather, we went through a change of uniforms for the different season. We put away what we don’t wear and store them until the next year. Similarly, we go from green to the color purple in our liturgical decoration today, reflecting the symbolic change in seasons, themes and emphases. St Paul asks us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, just like putting on our winter coats in the last few days, in order to keep warm and be protected from the elements. This symbolic “putting on Christ” means a change in our behavior, our values and outlook on life. We are part of the new creation in Christ, as Paul said elsewhere: any one in Christ is a new creation! We repent and turn our lives around to reflect the new reality in which we live!

The message of today’s Gospel (Matthew 24:36-44) is simply: “Be Prepared!” Jesus uses 3 dramatic images to describe the suddenness of the coming of the Son of Man: a flood, a kidnapper, and a thief. These sharp and disturbing analogies are meant to call us to be alert and watchful. He clearly states that no one knows when the second coming may occur, only God knows! But repeatedly, people in the world, doomsday prophets and other cult leaders always immerse themselves in the game of predicting and calculating dates and time, waiting for the world to end. Many American Christians subscribe to the Rapture theory of the end of the world, using the image of one taken and one left behind, similar to Jesus’ parable employed here. Unfortunately, they preach dangerously a gospel of fear and hatred.

Former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter in his book Our Endangered Values has this to say about the so-called “Left behind” literature and theology:

“Almost everyone in America has heard of the Left Behind series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, twelve books that have set all-time records in sales. Their religious premise is based on a careful selection of Bible verses, mostly from the book of Revelation, and describes the scenario for the end of the world. When the Messiah returns, true believers will be lifted in heaven, where, with God, they will observe the torture of most other humans who are left behind. This transcendent event will be instantaneous, and the timing unpredictable. There are literally millions of my fellow Baptists and others who believe every word of this vision, based on self-exaltation of the chosen few along with the condemnation and abandonment, during a period of ‘tribulation’, of family members, friends, and neighbors who have not been chosen for salvation.” (pp. 113- 114)

The frightening aspect of this type of literature and theology rests in the fact that many fundamentalist Christians have come to believe it as sacred truth, one and the same as Scriptures, not as novels and fictions the way they were written. They try to fit these fictional plots into their reality of life. Secondly, this type of thinking have gravely influenced certain American politicians who shape their foreign policy, especially in the Middle East, dangerously promoting wars and confrontations in order to hasten the fulfillment of their articulated prophecies and the coming of this Rapture!

As Advent people, we do not stray away from the whole of Scriptural teaching to narrowly focus on the doctrine of the End Time, especially one that is distorted and misleading when held up against other teachings of Jesus. In my younger days, I have heard many preachers going on endlessly about the Rapture, which is at best misguided and speculative. However, to those who are fascinated by it, they are addicted to the details to the exclusion of everything else. In the season of Advent and the rest of the year, we are called to be prepared, but not to be totally obsessed or preoccupied with the wait. I used to live in a rectory down the road from the Church in Whitby. I tried not to leave the place in a mess, at least not the living room and the study, just in case we had people dropping in. That is being prepared. However, I did not stop doing everything else and waited at the door for the unexpected visitors. I did have a life; I was not constantly worried about intrusion. I carried on living a normal life, doing what I needed to do. We should have the same attitude as an Advent people. We live as children of light, bearing witness to the light of Christ coming into the world. As we gather for worship, we invite God into our daily lives, so that we live a holy, responsible and grounded life, ready to welcome our Lord and King, whenever his kingdom or reign will begin anew.

So, Happy New Year! What is new? We start off another new Christian year, preparing for new life in Christ. Advent is a season pregnant with hope, the same way Mary was carrying the Christ child within her. The blessings of new beginning, albeit small and insignificant ones, will be able to lift us up and allow us to rise above the ordinary, mundane parts of life. In worship, we join millions of other Christians in the world longing for and expecting the salvation of Jesus Christ to be fulfilled, not only in the second coming of Christ, but in the reality of grace established since His first coming. It is in this “here and now” reality that we live joyfully and celebrate God’s presence in our midst!

Thanks be to God. Amen.
Fr Victor +
Church of St John the Divine (www.stjd.ca)

The Reign of Christ - November 25, 2007

2007-11-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

Today, we are celebrating the Reign of Christ – the last Sunday of the liturgical season of Pentecost, also the end of our Church year. The Pentecostal season begins with the Day of Pentecost; the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the power of God upon the disciples of Jesus. The subsequent Sundays after Pentecost emphasize the growth and nurture of the faith community. Now, it ends with the Reign of Christ or otherwise known as the feast of Christ the King, again reaffirming the Lordship of Christ and the empowering of his followers for ministry. As in the end of sports season with the excitement of playoffs and championship series, the end of our church season also calls for joyful celebration and victory dance.

From today’s Epistle reading (Colossians 1:11-20), we have an ancient and magnificent hymn praising the identity and status of Christ Jesus: He is the image of the invisible God, a reflection of eternal light, making God visible to us. For no one has seen God, but Christ reveals God to us that God indeed is love. The pre-existent Christ is at the head of the created order, and the incarnate Christ is also the first-born from the dead, he also stands at the head of the “new creation”. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He becomes the full embodiment of God’s own presence: God’s complete being and identity came to dwell in the person of Christ Jesus – that is the mystery of the incarnation we will celebrate once more in the season of Christmas.

Given this description from Colossians 1, the question still remains, “How can we speak of the kingship or the reign of Christ?” Human language has its limitation; it is inadequate to express the idea of the power, sovereignty, supremacy, lordship and majesty of Christ. All those big, fancy words mean one thing in simple, everyday term: that Christ is Number One!

Being Number One in Biblical times was understood to be like a king with absolute power to rule over the people. God was seen at best to be a benevolent dictator. However, in our modern Western world, we do not have the same kind of absolute power of the monarchy. The authority and power of presidents and prime ministers are controlled by varying degrees of checks and balances in modern democracy. On the other hand, we may relate more readily to being “Number One” in the world of sports: being in first place, the world champion of whatever competitions, the Gold Medal winner, and simply the best of the best in the world.

These days, in Canada and other parts of the world, Christians are careful not to sound too triumphant in our expression of faith. We are encouraged to engage in inter-faith dialogues and appreciate the other faiths and religions, working toward common ground and mutual understanding. It is harder to even reclaim Christmas among the non-specific “happy holiday” greetings. We should certainly not offend others, but how do we hold on to what is unique to our faith and treasure it? Is Jesus one of the many ways to knowing and understanding God or is He the only way? If we allow the possibility of “other ways”, how do we make sense of the Colossians passage before us?

To make matter worse, the revised lectionary throws in an unlikely passage from Luke 23:33-43 as today’s Gospel reading. At first sight, one may wonder why this was chosen. We are brought back to the middle of the Good Friday story of the crucifixion! It is like singing a Christmas song "It's a wonderful time of the year" in the middle of August for the back-to-school sale. This is far removed from the triumphant hymn of Colossians 1. The one connection you may spot is the mocking of the soldiers, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” For there was an inscription on the cross over him that was written, “This is the King of the Jews.” Others, including one of the criminals who was crucified with Jesus, also derided him and said, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” If you have not noticed how familiar it sounds – that essentially is the same temptation of Jesus earlier by the devil – to avoid the pain and suffering of the cross.

What kind of a King would be found on the cross dying with other condemned criminals? What kind of a Messiah who came to save others but could not save himself? Perhaps that provides us with the key to understanding the mystery and the true meaning of the Reign of Christ. This King is different from all the others; this Messiah is not the same as the one people had expected.

Luke provides us with a completely different perspective through the confession of the other criminal. He admitted his guilt and confessed that crucifixion was a just punishment for him. But he pointed out the innocence of Jesus. In a great act of faith, he asked: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom/power/reign.” At that moment, Jesus was dying on the cross. To everyone there, this king and his kingdom were coming to a tragic end. The execution was meant to destroy this king. Jesus was dying, yet the criminal had the faith to see beyond that and believe that Jesus could remember him. He had the faith to believe that Jesus is the one who will somehow rule as King. This criminal’s request unfolds the mystery of God’s power to rule the universe through Jesus dying on a cross. There was no resurrection yet. From this last-minute convert’s point of view, he was able to see through the eyes of faith that this dying Jesus will rule as King one day! Will we have the same faith, in the midst of death and despair before the dawn of new life, to see beyond and above all that, the coming kingdom and reign of Christ?

It is in the scandal of the cross and the innocent suffering that we discover the true meaning of the reign of Christ. Being Number One does not mean Jesus went out to conquer and destroy all his competitors and enemies. The Prince of Peace shows us a different kind of power – the power to love, the power to nurture, the power to make peace, the power to build up and unite, the power to empower others, the power to serve, the power to give life, the power to set free, the power to heal and reconcile!

Being Number One has to do with the willingness of this Good Shepherd who came and lay down his life for his sheep so that they may have life, and have it abundantly! Being Number One has to do with the divine love of self sacrifice and servanthood. That is the uniqueness of the Gospel of Christ. Other religions do not have a God of Love who is willing to die for a sinful and broken world in order to save it and redeem it. Find me another saviour who would offer forgiveness to those who killed him: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Forgiveness, not revenge or vengeance, is the final word! Pardon and absolution, not just dessert and punishment, are the final offer from a merciful God. That offer of forgiveness was scandalous enough for the early church that it was actually left out in some of the manuscripts. Yet, deep in the heart of God, we find such grace, mercy and forgiveness for all sinners, including you and me. Without this sacrificial love of God shown in Christ Jesus, we have no hope of salvation at all.

Some of us are lucky to have loving and forgiving parents and other significant adults of influence in our upbringing. Their love and forgiveness hopefully have not spoiled us but given us life and vitality. Others are not as fortunate to have such loving and forgiving parental figures. Our understanding and concepts of God may or may not have anything to do with those parental figures. There is a story:

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, “What do you think about all this Satan stuff?” The other boy replied,
"Well, don’t worry; you know how Santa Claus turned out. It’s probably just your Dad anyway."

Perhaps it is up to us Christians to model our concepts and beliefs of God to the rest of the world. What kind of God, what kind of king or messiah we truly believe in will affect the way we show the world in the way we live our lives. Yet, we are still learning. We are the followers of Jesus the messiah who comes to show us how much God loves us. We do not know how to love in the first place, unless we are able to experience and receive that love ourselves. That is the challenge of our faith community! That is also the reality in which we joyfully live out the reign of Christ in our midst!

Thanks be to God. Amen.
Fr Victor Li
www.stjd.ca Church of St John the Divine

November 18, 2007

2007-11-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

Visions of God’s New Creation

There is an eternal story of love, betrayal and restoration with which we are very familiar. Once upon a time, there were a people whom God loved very much. They were chosen to be God’s special people in the world. They were delivered from slavery in Egypt and were given a Promised Land as their new homeland. The people from time to time rebelled against their God and worshipped other gods in the land. Every now and then they forgot how God had delivered them before and helped them to be successful. They asked for kings just like their neighbors in the land and God gave them kings. The dynasty of David continued for a while, until the kings became weak and foolish. Then foreigners came along and invaded their land, sacked their holy city of Jerusalem. They were taken away as exiles into Babylon. Whoever left behind was considered worthless. In exile, they longed for a return to their homeland. They longed to worship in their holy city once again and rebuild the temple which lay in ruins at the moment. Then prophets came to proclaim words of good news of restoration and redemption.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah (65: 17-25) declares such good news to the people returning from exile to their homeland. It comes from the third section of the Book of Isaiah, written sometime between 515 and 450 BC.

This was a difficult time for Israel. The Israelites had been allowed to return from exile in Babylon after the Persian King Cyrus took over control of the Babylonian Empire, and reversed their policy of holding people captives. In 538, he allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland.

Those who returned found themselves in desperate condition, not only socially and economically, but had to deal with a theological crisis as well. The promise of restoration had not yet happened, the city of Jerusalem was still in ruins and the temple not yet repaired. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah appeared on the scene around 520 BC and encouraged the people to begin the rebuilding of the Temple.

When the project was completed in 5 years, the Davidic kingdom was still not restored. The people began to doubt in despair, old Baal worship and other idolatry of the land crept back into the community again. Almost 100 years after the first exile returned, the Prophet of the Isaiah tradition now challenged the people to a national repentance, and today’s text is part of the renewal of God’s promises to the people.

It begins with God’s proclamation to create new heavens and a new earth. Of course, only God can create. This new creation belongs to God just as the old one was also God’s doing. This is one of the only two references to a new heaven and a new earth in the Old Testament. Later apocalyptic literature tends to describe the new creation in terms of the radical destruction and violent end of the present world. Here, there is no such sense of the end of the world. It will happen within history, with Jerusalem as its central focus.

It speaks of the joy and delight involved in this new creation. God will do this for the joy of it. It is more than simply saying that what he has created is good. God takes delight and rejoices in this new creation. Therefore, it also brings forth joy and delight to the people. There will be no more weeping and suffering, infant death and shortened life; or invasion of foreign enemies. Long life, peace and security are assured. They will be able to enjoy the benefit of building homes and planting vineyards without threats of invaders as they had previously endured in history. This emphasis on stability for the people is compared to a tree. Why a tree? In the hot and dry climate of the Middle East, a tree was a sign of long life and stability. The tree that thrives and flourishes by a stream of water, in spite of the hostile climate, becomes a symbol of life and endurance. The tree of life is part of the newness of God’s activity, contrary to the death and destruction as witnessed before.

The declaration also points to a close relationship with God that would be a major part of this new creation. God has always heard the cry of the people for deliverance, from the time of oppression under Pharaoh to other enemies ever since. During the exile, the people had complained that God had not heard their cry and felt that God had abandoned them. Here, a newness is being promised that they had not known before. Not only would God be present among them, but they would no longer have to call to him in the same way as before. God would hear and answer them even before they cried out. This closeness of communion is a powerful affirmation of God’s renewed presence with the people. No amount of betrayal will interrupt this promise. Healing, forgiveness and reconciliation will be the marks of this new creation. Such a vision of peace and harmony is also expressed poetically in the animal kingdom, with the famous imagery of the wolf and the lamb feeding together in peace.

It is a powerful message of hope and faith! Whatever darkness and despair we face as individuals, community or congregation, we are asked to turn to God in faith and trust. Whatever “down in the dumps experience” - be it grief and losses, death and dying, coping with illness and depression, conflicts and division, financial difficulty and business failure - God will have the last word on all that, not us. Precisely it is not about us, but it is about God! The living God is in charge. Out of death, God will bring new life. Out of despair, hope! Out of darkness, light!

In our despair, we may pray for a radical and violent end to all that is wrong with the world, its evil and injustices, so that God can start anew from scratch. Such is the perspective of the doomsday prophets and apocalyptic preachers. Ironically, we have one such passage in today’s Gospel (Luke 21:5-19). It speaks of the signs of the times and the coming of God’s kingdom in rather depressing terms. We are reminded of all that is to be suffered before the final deliverance of God’s people. Those words are meant to strengthen and comfort the faithful as they deal with the horrors and pains of the world, suffering persecution and tribulations.
Putting the two readings together, I believe they balance each other. The Isaiah passage reassures us that neither the nightly news nor our daily struggles is the measure of all things. Darkness and despair may seem to have power over us at times. But in God’s overall scheme of things, joy, delight, and life will prevail. Suffering, distress and death are real. However, joy and delight are real, too. Ultimately, Jesus also reassures his followers that not a hair of their heads will perish. They will be saved by their endurance and faith.

In our own story of faithfulness and rebellion, betrayal and restoration, death and new life, we are called to live out our own story of endurance, faith and hope. The plots and story lines may be different, since our lives and challenges are unique, but we follow the same pattern of hopefulness, as we are reminded to take joy and delight as our companions along the way.

Some of you have probably watched the movie “Evan Almighty” – a modern day Noah story. A newly elected congressman who wants to change the world is given the opportunity from God to do just that. God explains to the characters in the movie that God does not give things; he gives the opportunity to get things. For example, God doesn't give a family togetherness; he gives the opportunity for families to be together. We have to make good use of the opportunities given. In its charming but lame Hollywood way, the story ends with God’s teaching that the way to change the world is by doing one Act of Random Kindness (“ARK”) at a time.

God does not have to destroy the world again in a flood to cleanse it from evil and sins. God is capable of bringing in a new creation in a less violent and catastrophic way. We may be called to be instruments and agents in this process of transformation! In fact, we are called to do what we are capable of doing, using our unique gifts and talents. When God’s way and our ways intersect in God’s time, we may well be part of God’s new creation of joy and delight!

Thanks be to God. Amen.
Fr. Victor +
To return to the church's website, please click http://www.stjd.ca/

Do You Believe in the God of the Living? - November 11, 2007

2007-11-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Luke 20: 27-38

In today's Gospel, we have a story of a group of Jewish religious people who did not believe in the resurrection or life after death. The Sadducees posed a trick question to Jesus to ridicule such a belief. They had already made up their mind that there was no resurrection of the dead. Therefore, the impossible and absurd “what if” question about the seven brothers and one wife was just a game they played here with Jesus. It is similar to an atheist philosopher posing a classical question, "If God were almighty, could he create a stone so large and heavy that he was not able to carry?"

The first part of Jesus’ answer simply points to the inappropriateness of the question, that there is a fundamental difference between life in this age and life in the age to come. Marriage is appropriate for this age since the fact of mortality necessitates a means for procreation and perpetuating life. Reproduction ensures the survival of the species for this life. However, those who attain to the resurrection of the dead are children of God and they are like angels. In the next life, there will be no need for marriage. It will be irrelevant, since life after death is a completely different form of life and existence in the fullest presence of God.

The second part of Jesus’ answer is a response in kind, using Scriptures to reply to the trick question posed. The Sadducees based their question on Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the law of marriage which spells out the duty of a man toward a dead brother to provide a legal heir for succession. Jesus appeals to the same body of Scriptures, Exodus 3:6, to affirm God as a God of the living and not of the dead. The inference is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have or will have continuous life with God. The Book of Moses may not have talked about the state of the dead, but it implies a belief in eternal life, so that the Sadducees are wrong even on their own assumptions and authority.

Jesus’ argument runs like this: inanimate things may have a Creator, but only the living can have a God. When God says to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham…” this implies that Abraham is still alive, even though according to the world, he is already long dead. Jesus wants to affirm that all life, here and hereafter, consists of friendship with God, and nothing less is worthy of the name of life. Abraham was the friend of God, and it is incredible that such friendship should be severed by death. Death may put an end to physical existence, but not to a relationship that is by nature eternal. Human beings may lose their friends by death, but not God.

Therefore, Jesus draws the conclusion that God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Do you truly believe in the God of the living, or a living God, active and alive in our midst?

There was a story in the Edmonton Sun:

In a conservative Alberta town, a strip club was going to be opened. The local church didn't like the idea, and started anti-club petitions and public prayers. The club proceeded to be built, in spite of the opposition. However, just days before the opening, a lightning strike burned it to the ground in a fierce storm.

The church folks were smug, and they were celebrating openly, until the club owner decided to sue them. He claimed that the church was responsible for the demise of his building, through direct or indirect actions or means. The church, of course, denied all responsibility or any connection.

At the trial, the presiding judge shook his head and said, “We have a strip club owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation who deny it. How ironic can it be?"

It is funny how things work in this world. God has been used in all kinds of arguments, for justifying going to war, and various kinds of actions and policies. On the one hand, the world conveniently wants to keep God out of our daily lives, our schools and governments. On the other, they also conveniently blame God for all the major disasters and “acts of God” in nature. When things go wrong, they mournfully ask, “Where is God, when tragedies strike and people going through suffering?” We treat God the same way some of our bosses treat us: they would claim all the credit for success and accomplishments, but we would have to take the blame for any failures and disappointment.

Can we have it both ways with God? When the chips are down, do we truly believe in the power and presence of God in our own lives? Or, do we live like a practical atheist most of the time?

Most of you knew that Julia and I had to go to Hong Kong for two weeks to deal with some of my family matters. I did not tell you what we had to do. Before the trip, my oldest brother, Michael in Cobourg, basically thought that we had an impossible task ahead of us. We had to find a solution to a family situation that had worsened over the years. We had thought of various options, but none seemed workable or practical. Simply put, we went on a wing and a prayer! Now, mind you, the wings are from a brand new Jumbo jet on a direct flight which made such a long trip merciful to bear. Plus, there were many people praying for us and supporting us in the background.

I am happy to report that our seemingly impossible mission has been completed within those two weeks. We found my mom in relatively good health, after a series of medical tests. Her problem seems minor and requires no further actions at this point. She is getting more fragile and frail, compared to a year ago. She expressed her need to “retire” from the present living arrangement with my other brother, sister and nephew. She could no longer look after them, at the age of 82, as she has been doing all this time.

After a fairly calm family conference, we made some decisions for the future of those four people. My brother (61) has mental problems before, but seems to be coping much better than a decade ago. My sister (56) is not doing as well as he, she requires medication for her depression. As a single mother, she and her son have created a very unhealthy co-dependency. The young man has not finished high school and has not yet held a job in his life, and he will be turning 30 next February. It is important to separate him from my sister at this point, so at least he will have to try to gain independence and make a living for himself. We also recognize how my sister is incapable of looking after herself at this point.

What happened from that point was nothing short of a miracle. We found a private senior home for my mom, brother and sister, so that they could stay together in the same home in the same neighborhood as they are living. This way, it could minimize the stressful impact of the major transition they have to go through. It was the first place we looked at; they liked it and accepted it. We did not even have to look at another facility. This place also happened to have 3 independent rooms available right now. When my mom asked in amazement, “How come there are 3 rooms available for us? Isn’t that strange?” Without hesitation, I said, “I believe that God has kindly arranged that for us!”

If they did not like this home, or if there were only one or two vacancies, we would still be looking for other places. Given the limited time we had in Hong Kong, things could not have gone any smoother.

The next step was to put my mom’s apartment on sale. The housing market in Hong Kong happens to be at its peak right now, but we never expected to sell the place within a day. My lawyer friend Benny recommended his real agent and we met with her Saturday a week ago. On Sunday, she set up an appointment for a couple to come see the place at 3:30 pm. However, she showed up 15 minutes early with another client, who happened to run into her on the way. This gentleman came in, liked the place, and phoned his daughter right away to ask her to come check it out. In the meantime, the other couple showed up at 3:30, but did not express any interest. When the first man’s daughter showed up, she happens to be a lawyer as well, they put in an offer and there it went!

Is it simply good luck or just all coincidences? Somehow, I don’t think so. Is it the power of prayer? You bet! Something like we say often: "Glory to God, whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine!" It is a true story and my testimony of God’s working through different key people who helped us along the way. The remaining challenge is to help my nephew start a new life on his own. We have agreed to give a portion of the proceeds as a gift to set him up for housing and training needs. Hopefully, he will do what we have agreed on. The rest of the money will be used to provide for the other 3.

I have witnessed the hands of God at work before, but have not previously experienced things happening together in such a miraculous manner. In fact, I have experienced the opposite, when things had gone from bad to worse, spinning out of control with the bottom fell out and I had a free falling. Yet, from today’s vintage point, I can see the mistakes I made then and the failed first marriage actually made way for what happened now in 2007. My wife, Julia, has played such a pivotal part in all the negotiations and innovative thinking that it would not have been possible otherwise.

It seems strange that we claim to believe in God through life’s ups and downs. It is much easier to trust and have faith when things go right for us, and we are truly thankful for those wonderful moments of grace. It may not be as easy, when things are not going smoothly and the dominoes go down with no end in sight. I have heard stories of how St John the Divine has spiraled downward in the past couple of years, with different things happened that ended up with this big debt. With faith, hope and trust, we will face the future together as a parish. I may or may not play a part in this process of turning things around, but it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the living, in our midst, who will guide us through. It is the same God who helped us started the parish 50 years ago, who will be in charge of our future. Do you believe in that? (People in the congregation in fact responded with a 'yes' at the 10:30 service!) When we realize that we are in the presence of the Holy One and witness his hands working, we are indeed humbled and overwhelmed in wonder, awe and praise.

Thanks be to God. Amen.
Fr. Victor +

Sunday, September 30, 2007 Sermon

2007-09-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

"What if each person were given two lives to live?"

Sermon titles are usually meant to be one-liners that either capture the listeners’ attention or summarize the entire sermon in one sentence. Today, I pose the question, in light of the Gospel reading (Luke 16:19-31), “What if each person were given two lives to live?” “You only live twice, or so it seems, one for yourself, and one for your dreams.” Unless you are James Bond, 007, we ordinary people only have one life, and that’s it! Or, unless you were a cat, then you may have nine lives to spare. Some of us indeed have been given second chances in life, after close calls, accidents and brushes with death. We are grateful for those second chances in life. It certainly gives us a whole new perspective on and appreciation for life.

On the other hand, we all live with regrets, if we live long enough. How often have you thought about the regrets that you have? If only we were given a chance to do things differently and get everything right again, wouldn’t it be nice? If we could work our lives with the pause and rewind buttons, or using the undo function of the computer, wouldn’t it be nice? However, perhaps mistakes are really the necessary means for us to learn and grow, trying to make the best of what is left of our lives?

Today’s story of the rich man and Lazarus speaks of two lives, two people in the extreme ends of the spectrum of wealth and poverty. It issues a warning to Jesus’ listeners, but the question remains dangling in the air, awaiting a response from each listener, including you and me!

This is the second story in a row that Jesus starts off the parable with the saying, “There was a certain rich man…” This man lived in extreme luxury. He was clothed in purple and fine linen, which was the description of the robes of the High Priests and cost a lot of money. He feasted in luxury every day! The word used here for feasting is the word that is used for a glutton and a gourmet meal feeding on exotic and costly dishes. Notice that he did this every day! It not only speaks of excesses, but in so doing, he definitely broke the fourth commandment on the Sabbath. Different commentators have mentioned that in Jesus’ time, neither knives nor forks nor napkins were used. Food was eaten with hands, and in very wealthy homes, rich people would cleanse their hands by wiping them on hunks of bread, and then the bread would simply be thrown away. It was that piece of bread for which Lazarus was waiting, as it was being tossed from the table.

In this story, the rich man is not given a name, even though he is often called Dives, which is the Latin word for the adjective “rich”. Ironically, the poor man has a name, which is the only character given a name in all of Jesus’ parables. (Not even the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan were given any names.) The name Lazarus literally means “helped by God” or “God is my help”! By contrast, he lived in utter poverty and degradation. This beggar is indeed the symbol of helplessness and humiliation. So helpless was he that he could not even ward off the street dogs that pestered him. The unclean animals licked his sores, thereby making him unclean, as if he had not been unclean already. But at least, the dogs showed him more mercy and attention than the rich man who never noticed him at the gates of his mansion.

The dramatic reversal of fortunes after the death of these two persons underscores the question I pose: what if each one had been given two lives to live? After this life, the fate of the poor and the rich becomes completely reversed. Can we be so sure that what we sow in this life will not affect what we reap in the next life?

The major point of this story has to do with the character of the rich man and his failure to use the two kinds of opportunity granted him: one by his wealth, the other by his religion. First, he used his wealth irresponsibly in self-indulgence and for selfish ends. He was too callous to care for and have compassion for the poor beggar by his gates. His sin was one of indifference. He did nothing for the misfortunes of others. All that time, he had ignored the Scriptural teachings of Moses and the prophets. The opportunities were open to him through his religion, but he chose to turn a blind eye to those warnings.

It is very likely that this parable may be a criticism against the popular belief that wealth was a sign of God’s blessings and approval, while poverty was a sign of punishment from God. Some even took this belief another step further to conclude that they had better not interfere with God’s punishment of such evil people -- even though the Hebrew Scriptures are clear about helping the needy. The rich man’s attitude of indifference could be explained by such thinking. The same attitude can be found today in the opposition to HIV/AIDS care and research, or indifference to other social ministry to the poor and the disadvantaged. They try to justify the misfortune of these people as God’s punishment for their sins and refuse to do anything about their suffering. Since they must have deserved their fate, they cannot possibly be innocent. The innocent suffering of Jesus on the cross puts a huge question mark on this thinking, too.

The warning contained in the ending reminds me of the story of Scrooge in The Christmas Carol: a story that touches so many generations, simply because it speaks the same truth. Are we haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future? If so, we still have hope, because the warning is still being heeded. Are we like the rich man’s five brothers, who have the opportunity, prior to dying, to hear Moses and the prophets and repent? Are we willing to listen to the warning and take actions now? We may have the advantage that someone has been raised from the dead to warn us, but the resurrection by itself does not necessarily lead to faith and repentance. It is in remembering the word, not just from Moses and the prophets, but most of all from Jesus himself that counts!

Speaking of remembering, in the 1992 Toronto Diocesan Synod, we had the privilege of hearing the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, the first woman bishop in the modern Anglican Communion. She spoke powerfully and passionately about the differences between charity and justice. Charity is giving from surplus, from what is left, we give away what we do not need or want. It is painless and selective giving; it is passive and involves no risk. It is usually band-aid solution to the larger problem of poverty. However, justice is “compassion and love distributed”. It is sacrificial: it involves pain in the giving, proactive and risky. It requires actions in the struggle for systemic change, challenging the political, economic, social or other structures which cause poverty or injustice in the first place.

Churches are good at charity, because it is pretty safe and harmless, it does not seem too political or controversial. No one would put down the work of charity – it is simply nice! But to do justice is a lot more difficult, it involves giving away more than money and extra things we do not need anyway. It requires us to give away power and privilege, in order to empower someone else. It knocks us off our pews, whether they are comfortable or not.

“When I feed the poor, they call me a saint. When I start asking why they are poor, they call me a Communist!” – Archbishop Romero in Central America

“If any of you happens to witness an injustice, you are no longer a spectator, you become a participant, whether you choose to act or not. You now have the obligation to do something” – June Callwood

Christians are given two lives, in this world and the next. The two are not separate, but definitely connected. Don’t just take the warning of the story of the rich man and Lazarus as a call to do charity and to satisfy our guilty consciences, but as a call to a real change of attitudes and values, to think and do justice, empowerment, and taking God’s love to another level, to a more concrete and practical way of showing God’s love and mercy. Then, love is indeed good news, relevant both to this life and the next.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Fr. Victor +
Church of St John the Divine, Scarborough ON
www.stjd.ca

Sunday, September 23, 2007 Sermon

2007-09-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Investment in the Kingdom of God

Luke 16: 1-13 is the intriguing and puzzling parable of the dishonest manager, which is found in a chapter devoted to Jesus’ teachings on possessions. It is among one of the most difficult to interpret of all the stories told by Jesus. Many people cannot understand why the hero of the story turns out to be a scoundrel, and how can cheating be a model for us to follow? It is like holding up O.J. Simpson as an example to emulate for getting away with murder.

However, the main point conveyed is that this man was shrewd enough to use the means at his disposal to plan for his future well-being. He was commended by the master for being shrewd or prudent in other translations. It has to do with wise and thoughtful planning to guarantee his own future. The word shrewd means sharp-witted or clever in practical matters, being crafty or astute. Whether he was honest or dishonest is not the primary concern in the application of this parable to our lives and situations. Consequently, this parable, like all other parables, always has one main point, and it has to do with the right use of our resources. Jesus told this story to pose the question, “Are you handling possessions so as to gain and not lose your eternal habitation?” We are asked to reflect on our prudent use of material wealth and resources. It is a question of stewardship! It has to do with investments of another kind, that is, investments in the Kingdom of God.

We all think about investment of one kind or another, whether it is simply putting money in the bank, or buying bonds or stocks, GICs, mutual funds or RRSPs, or getting involved in real estate, or jewelry and art collections, we do so in manners of long-term thinking and planning for the future. We invest in what we believe to be good and sound, hoping its value will increase over time and yield us something in return. With every investment, there is always risk involved; so for the sake of the profit or dividend, we need to determine whether it is really worth the risk.

Today, we are asked to plan for our own future! Not just freedom 55, but the eternal future! We are not asking you to buy eternal life insurance, like buying a stairway to heaven. We are not teaching a course on “How to win friends and influence people, while building up the kingdom of God”. It sounds so self-serving, doing something for the sake of earning a reward in return! We may lose sight of the meaning and purpose of our actions, if everything were done scheming for rewards in heaven. We don’t need to be reminded that God knows our hearts and minds. Our thoughts cannot escape God’s scrutiny; it would be useless to try to hide our intentions from God.

However, we are asked to say yes to God and to say yes to God’s future now! Saying yes means accepting God’s gift of grace and salvation! Accepting what God has given us requires us to make the best use of them. Saying yes is also a continuous process and a life-long commitment to God through life’s ups and downs.

Investment means what you do now is important, for it will affect the outcome in the future -- in what you will get in return. We cannot abdicate our present responsibility and still hope that something positive will somehow happen for us later. If we want this church to grow again, we have to invest in children and youth ministry, and in inviting and welcoming new people. Otherwise, after we are gone, no one will come after us.

Ultimately, everything we have is God’s gift to us; we are only in charge of them and make use of them on God’s behalf. That is why it is called stewardship, just as the servant in the parable is called a steward for his master. Our time, energy, talent, resources, money and possessions, even our children and grandchildren, in fact, our very life, are all God-given assets for our use. We manage and look after them in trust! If I did not have a master for whom I am accountable, I could treat everything I possess as mine, and mine alone. I would not have to be accountable to anyone else for my actions and how I live my life and make use of what belongs to me. However, as stewards or managers of God’s gifts, we live from a very different perspective. We realize ultimately that we are not the owners of what seems to belong to us. How we live our lives, how we spend our time and money, are all investments for the future, God’s future! There is a saying: “WHAT WE ARE IS GOD’S GIFT TO US. WHAT WE BECOME IS OUR GIFT TO GOD.” That is truly a powerful summary of the teaching of Christian stewardship.

Our offering and our gifts to God and God’s works is always our way of thanking God for having blessed us with what we already have. Let me give you another one-liner: “Give God what is right, not what is left!” As a little child in church, I once questioned why people put in what seemed to be spare change into the offering bags? I cannot remember what kind of answers did I get, but it was something along the line of being told to "mind my own business"…

What Jesus teaches is responsible and careful use of our wealth and possession, most of all, not to be possessed by our own possessions. Stewardship is about faithfulness and being trustworthy in what is entrusted to us by our master. And faithfulness is determined not by the amount given, but by the character of the person who uses it. To be faithful means being responsible and accountable in all circumstances! No matter how much capital we are entrusted to begin with, what matters is how we make use of it, whether wisely or not!

As Kingdom People, we need to be wise and diligent in managing God’s affairs, setting priorities, making choices and investing ourselves judiciously, trusting in God’s grace to help us live our lives according to God’s will. If we put our trust in God by faith, our eternal well being is already assured. How we live the rest of our lives, fulfilling the unique calling and purpose for which we are called to live, will be our gifts to God in return.

Fr. Victor +

Church of St John the Divine, Scarborough ON http://www.stjd.ca/

Sunday, September 16, 2007 Sermon

2007-09-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Lost and Found (Luke 15: 1-10)

We all have experiences of trying to find a lost object, or being lost ourselves.

The heart of the Christian Gospel has to do with lost and found! It is indeed good news when Jesus tells us that he came to seek and save the lost! There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Or, in the words of Amazing Grace: “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see!” Grace is always amazing. Grace that can be calculated and "expected” is no longer grace.

In Philip Yancey’s book What’s So Amazing About Grace, he talks about “the New Math of Grace”:

In Luke’s story, Jesus tells of a shepherd who left his flock of 99 and plunged into the darkness to search for the one lost sheep. It is indeed a noble deed, but let’s think for a moment on the underlying arithmetic. Jesus says the shepherd left the 99 sheep in the wilderness, which presumably means they were vulnerable to wolves and other predators, or their own natural desire to wander off. How would the shepherd feel, if he returned with the one lost lamb slung across his shoulders only to find 23 others now gone missing?

It may seem absurd for a shepherd to do such a thing. Anyone with business sense would never do that! Let’s say that a sheep costs $100, would you leave behind $9,900 worth of your inventory to try to find that one lost sheep? It just does not make good sense. But the shepherd is willing to risk losing everything for the sake of the one, the same way that God would do for us, even in what seems to be unreasonable ways. This parable also makes a further point about throwing a party to celebrate with neighbors and friends about the recovery of this lost sheep. Same with the woman who lost her silver coin, how much does it worth? Roughly 10 days of wages, which is not very much? But the recovery party she threw for her friends and neighbors probably cost her more than that. The point is that God’s grace is not based on that kind of business calculation. Thank God, it is not; otherwise, there is no room for salvation for ordinary people like you and me!

Unless someone or something is lost, then there is no one or nothing to be found. However, there are different kinds of lostness -- emotional (grief), existential and spiritual… how we feel lost at various times of our lives. Many people are spiritually lost or homeless; they do not know where they truly belong. Money, wealth, fame and power do not buy them any happiness. They cannot be at home with themselves. Deep down they simply lack peace!

There are two groups of people: the finders of the lost and those who were lost but now have been found. In the end, both groups are invited to the kingdom feast of celebration where our heavenly Father rejoices with all the angels in heaven, even when one lost soul is found and saved! When have we done anything that would trigger such a joyful celebration not only here on earth wit friends and neighbors, but with all the heavenly hosts above?

Indeed, Celebration belongs to the Kingdom of God! Our worship as the kingdom people should always reflect that. Culpepper (Luke, New Interpreter's Bible) writes in his commentary on this text:

In both parables, rejoicing calls for celebration, and the note of celebration may be exaggerated to emphasize the point. Neither sheep nor coins can repent, but the parable aims not at calling the “sinners” to repentance but at calling the “righteous” to join the celebration. Whether one will join the celebration is all-important, because it reveals whether one's relationships are based on merit or mercy. Those who find God’s mercy offensive cannot celebrate with the angels when a sinner repents. Thus they exclude themselves from God's grace. [p. 298]

Would you find it offensive to have a Party Sunday in our church? For us good Anglicans, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is always Party Sunday! “Join me at my table,” the God of Jesus says. “Let us eat and celebrate. This is still the place on earth that I welcome sinners and dine with them!”

God still asks us today: “Will you rejoice with me?” the same way the father asked the older, resentful brother at the end of the parable of the Prodigal Son. “Will you join in the celebration?” What is your answer, my friends?

Fr. Victor +
Click here to return to http://www.stjd.ca/

Sunday, September 9, 2007 Sermon

2007-09-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

The Cost of Discipleship:

In Luke 14:25-33, Jesus stresses the difficult and demanding conditions for discipleship. The harsh saying and the twin parables are not meant to discourage anyone from following him, they serve as a warning of the cost involved in a discipleship that leads to the Cross.

We who live in the West find Jesus’ saying to hate our dearest and nearest very disturbing and hard to accept. But that should not be taken literally, for the Semitic way of stating a preference employs the extremes of a love and hate contrast: as in “I love this and I hate that”! It is set in almost absolute terms: you can’t have both; you have to choose one over the other. To hate is a Jewish way of expressing detachment, and turning away from, or letting go. A literal interpretation of hate would go against a lot of Biblical teachings on caring for one’s family and one’s self.

But there are people with unhealthy attitudes who would use these sayings to denounce their family in the name of Christ, not because they are unwilling to forsake their family, but that they are too willing to get away from unhappy and painful situations and relationships. Many others with low self-esteem would be attracted by Jesus’ words to hate one’s own life as a sanction to self-hate. It would feed right into such mentality of a martyr complex. Hating one’s own life is not a call to self-loathing, to throw one’s body across the doorway and beg the world to trample on it as if it were a doormat. Rather, what Jesus is calling for is that those who follow him understand that loyalty to him can and will create tensions within the self and between oneself and those one loves. In such a conflict of loyalties, Jesus requires our primary allegiance.

If you find this demand for total commitment frightening, you are not the only one. If Jesus had asked, “Who wants to be a millionaire?” I am sure, no one would ever hesitate to put up their hands and yell: “Me!” Who in their right mind would want to a cross-bearing follower of Christ? Yet, we were told last week that the poor and the undesirable “street people” are all invited to the banquet with great ease. There is no demand other than to come and dine in the Kingdom Feast. Perhaps we always live in the tension between free grace and costly discipleship.

I once wrote a comparison between fans and disciples, when the Toronto Blue Jays were winning championships. Sports fans and fans of celebrity or performing artists are usually enthusiastic devotee or ardent supporters and admirers of their idols. They would spend time and money to follow their stars, whether it is going to all the ball games, film festivals or concerts, buying all their CDs, (these days downloading them from the net) and DVDs, collectible items or memorabilia. Some die hard fans will even travel many miles to see their stars performing in other cities, or in their away games. They belong to Fan Clubs; they call themselves groupies! They would know everything there is about their favorite stars, read every detail in the newspaper and websites; even memorize the statistics, and batting averages etc. We use very religious words to describe fans: devotion, dedication, and even commitment. The enthusiasm involved is quite remarkable.

Do you know that the word “fan” is really a proverbial short form for the word “fanatic”? Does that make a lot of sense? In the religious circle, mind you, that word fanatic is a dirty word. We don’t want to be called a fanatic by any means, but it is perfectly okay to be a sports fan!

However, fans are usually spectators. They may get involved in very physical ways to cheer, clap, yell and to do the wave, even singing along; but they are more than anything else spectators first. The cost of being a loyal fan could be fairly high. But other than the price of admission and other collectibles, they seldom put their lives on the line for their stars and idols. They may go to the stadiums or temple of worship: the Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centre so many times a year, but once the season is over, they still have other things to do, and their lives do not end there. There is no such thing as a serious calling, even though their behavior is fairly religious, to say the least. Their mood may swing wildly as their team win or lose, but there is usually a limit to their devotion.

Now, Christians do have a calling from Christ, we are more than just spectators coming to church once a week to cheer God on, nor are the choir cheer-leaders dressed up to cheer the crowd on. Discipleship goes deeper than all that. It goes beyond winning and losing, all the numbers game and performance. In following Jesus, the commitment required goes beyond fickle mood and feelings. It takes an active choice of the will and conviction on our part. Jesus also calls us to be more than spectators, we are to act on his behalf, as his servants, his ambassadors, his agents of love and instruments of peace in the world. It is not just callings for famous people and powerful leaders; it is also for ordinary people like you and me. Such calling is far from being boring; it is more exciting and fulfilling than anything else in the world.

The decision to be a Blue Jays fan, a Leafs fan or even an Argos fan is a much easier choice than to be a disciple of Christ. We can always opt out, especially when they are losing and no longer contenders, failing to compete in the playoffs. However, to be a real fan of Christ, a fanatic in the best sense of the word, it requires a lot more! May every time we come together to worship, we stop to count the cost, renew our commitment, go out into the world strengthened and empowered, to love and serve the Lord. Amen.

Guess who’s coming to the Banquet? Sunday, September 2, 2007

2007-09-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

(Luke 14:1, 7-14)
Imagine if you were to throw a lavish banquet -- be it a wedding or other important happy occasions -- who would be included on your guest list? Most would start with immediate family members and relatives, those you cannot afford NOT to invite… even a few trouble makers and Uncle John the token drunk (for they’re family!). Then close friends and neighbors you like, other friends you may not like as much, but they have to be included, because they had invited you to their daughter’s wedding 3 years ago. As the circle widens, you will have to include your boss at work, co-workers, business associates, and a lot of people to whom you would like to stay in good favor. If it is a wedding, then there will be a whole group of strangers from the other side of the new in-laws. Perhaps a few other uninvited wedding crashers may even show up. But you definitely want no enemies; no one you don’t like should ever be invited!

You get the point, how do we go about deciding this guest list? It is defined by family ties, love and friendship, plus whoever we find “desirable” to be included in our company. It would not make any sense to include undesirable elements in such a close and private circle for an exclusive celebration. However, Jesus teaches something different today: he says that the ones we normally exclude should be invited instead!

Tannehill’s commentary on this section (Luke): A formal dinner was a way in which an elite family (the kind of family who could afford such a dinner) proclaimed and maintained its elite status. The guest list was important, for the invitation indicated that one was accepted as a member of the elite. Family members and important people of the community needed to be honored in this way, and they would be expected to reciprocate. Jesus' instructions in verses 12-14 conflict with this social function of dinners. It might be a source of honor for someone to give charity to the poor, but it is quite another thing to invite them to a social function in place of family and people of wealth, and eat with them. By doing this, the host is dishonoring family and rich neighbors, and in their place is honoring the poor; or, in the eyes of the elite, the host is dishonoring himself by identifying with the poor. Therefore, v. 11 may apply to what follows as well as to what precedes. Those who invite family and people of status are exalting themselves by proclaiming their place in this group. Those who invite the poor and crippled are humbling themselves. [p. 230]

Growing up in Hong Kong, we were taught to follow a simple life commandment: to repay kindness with kindness and respect others and their “face”. We know our place in the social spectrum of things. Our class consciousness was clearly defined by the time we reached the age of reason. Contrast: The Old World Elitism vs. the New World thinking of Equality affect the protocol on how to act! We were taught to look up to the powerful and the wealthy, higher class people, but look down on the poor and others below our social status. Of course, our social ambition is to obtain higher places of honour, to become a Lord Black the social elite, to become the highest ranking officer of the company, to be a “somebody”… Could there be an insatiable desire or an addiction of upward mobility to exalt ourselves?

On Downward Mobility – Henri Nouwen said:
The society in which we live suggests in countless ways that the way to go is up. Making it to the top, entering the limelight, breaking the record - that's what draws attention, gets us on the front page of the newspaper, and offers us the rewards of money and fame. The way of Jesus is radically different. It is the way not of upward mobility but of downward mobility. It is going to the bottom, staying behind the sets, and choosing the last place! Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing? Because it is the way to the Kingdom, the way Jesus took, and the way that brings everlasting life.

Jesus’ teaching is not so much about humility per se. He really talks more about self-seeking behavior, in the first place as guest, in the second case as host. For “humbling ourselves” can be a back-door way of "exalting ourselves" in anticipation of God's exalting us. That could become a different Christian game: Who can be the most humble? Can we out-humble one another in order to win this contest? It is still a game of one-up-man-ship, even though it is in reverse!

Ironically, modesty can be exaggerated and humility can be a form of pride and hypocrisy. Imagine if people who follow this teaching in a new strategy of self-exaltation, it would create a mad dash for the lowest seats at the back of the banquet hall with all the other competitors, all the while glancing toward the head table, waiting to be called up. I don’t believe this teaching has anything to do with the fact that most good Anglicans prefer to sit at the back of the church.

From time to time, we find ourselves involved in an endless cycle of returning favors, almost being taken hostage in some ways. We learn from the principle of self interest that it is unwise to offer ourselves or any favors to people who cannot repay or return the favor. We first ask, "What’s in it for me?" “Is it for our mutual benefit? Is it for our gain or loss?” When we go out as a group of friends fighting to buy dinners, we ask, “Is it my turn or your turn?” We exchange favors --“you owe me one!” or “I owe you one!” as in our political and business model. But Jesus offers us a different model -- one of Grace, Generosity and Hospitality!

Jesus asks, why invite those who can repay you? Just invite all the nobodies! But he also said it as a parable! To be invited to the banquet is to be called to the kingdom of God. There, God is always the host, and we extend God’s invitation to those who cannot repay. After all, who can repay God? Jesus calls us to live out this conviction about the Kingdom, by inviting to the table those who have neither property nor status in society. Notice that in inviting them to table fellowship, it is very different from sending food to these people who are helpless and needy. In the passage that follows, the parable of the banquet, the same group of disadvantaged people is guests at the great banquet, replacing those who fail to attend due to various excuses. Here, Jesus is reminding us that these people from the fringes of society are kingdom people, too.

To quote Henri Nouwen again:
The poor have a treasure to offer precisely because they cannot return our favors. By not paying us for what we have done for them, they call us to inner freedom, selflessness, generosity, and true care. Jesus says: “When you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again” The repayment Jesus speaks about is spiritual. It is the joy, peace, and love of God that we so much desire. This is what the poor give us, not only in the afterlife but already in the here and now.

We are also called to bring the needy to the divine banquet and table fellowship where divine encounter is possible. Who else should we invite to share in this banquet?

Who is on the guest list of The Kingdom Feast? Are there surprises? Basically Jesus’ parables again and again say: “Yes, you bet!” Who will respond yes to God’s gracious invitation and be gathered into the kingdom? If admittance is based on work or righteous behavior, then who could qualify? But the good news is that one’s worthiness or one’s unworthiness is not determined by human standard, thankfully, it is by God’s grace. For none can repay God adequately enough to earn our way into the kingdom feast. It is a communal feast of grace, where individuals are there because of God’s doing, not their own. The Holy Communion as we celebrate today is a sign and a foretaste of that gracious reality. We are invited to lift up our hearts and give thanks for that. May this Communion worship service be indeed a moment of grace to all of us!

Fr. Victor (Click back to www.stjd.ca )

August 19, 2007 Sermon Notes

2007-08-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 5: 1-7

We start off with a beautiful Hebrew love song in Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard. In its original language, it is a literary masterpiece. Unfortunately, something is lost in translation. It starts off with, “Let me sing for the one I love my love-song concerning his vineyard…” However, it quickly becomes a song of disappointment and unrequited love. All the efforts and investments put into this fertile hill have apparently gone to waste… Instead of good grapes, it yielded wild grapes. The love song, like some of the worst Country & Western songs, speaks of expectation unmet and love not returned. The song then shifts into a courtroom drama, where the audience is asked to provide judgment on the vineyard. Should more energy, time and effort be put into this vineyard? Or, should the owner simply give up on the vineyard? Should he remove the protection and let the vineyard go to waste and harm? Indeed, by the time the listeners get to this point, they must have realized the trap the prophet skillfully has laid for them. Like Nathan who got King David to condemn himself, Isaiah asks his audience to condemn themselves, for they find themselves exposed as the guilty objects of God’s disappointment and judgment.

Theologically, it is interesting to ask the question whether God is capable of being disappointed by human beings. Apparently yes. Even if God is all-knowing and all-powerful, God has expressed disappointment and anger time and time again through the Scriptures.

As for us, we all have experienced different ways of being rejected and disappointed. We all have different stories of how we have been rejected by someone we love, disappointed by our children, betrayed and hurt deeply as a result. Such experience is probably universal in nature, very much part of the human condition, transcending racial, cultural and national boundaries. One way or another, we have played the role of a Judas or that of a victim of betrayal and hurt at different times of our lives.

The Old Testament lesson leaves us hanging, with the Lord condemning the house of Israel and the people of Judah. Not unlike last week’s lesson from the first chapter of Isaiah, it seemingly pronounces bad news. Yet, we know that God did not give up on his people. Though time and time again, they turned and rebelled against God, God has not stopped pursuing them.

In fact, the Scriptures have been depicting God consistently as the One who is in a relentless pursuit, always on the hunt, in the search of those stubborn human beings and reaching out for them. In sending Jesus His Son to us, God again shows the persistence of a loving parent. Ironically, in another parable of a vineyard found in Matthew 21, Jesus explains the ultimate sacrifice he has made in coming to the people who would reject and kill him.

33 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ 41They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’...

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Indeed, Jesus identifies himself as the one who comes to seek and save the lost. He represents God’s unyielding pursuit of his people, even when they failed to respond to God’s love.

The Book of Isaiah is a very long book, and there are lots of proclamations of Good News to be found later on. In Chapter 62, we find:

11The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:Say to daughter Zion, ‘See, your salvation comes;his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.’ 12They shall be called, ‘The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord’;and you shall be called, ‘Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.’

Indeed, the people of God will be called “the Sought After One”, a new name given to the ones redeemed by God. Imagine if we were truly the ones God seeks after, pursued to the end without giving up? How would we feel? How should that change our attitude towards God? Even if human parents have long thrown up their hands and said, “That’s it! I have enough of these ungrateful and spoiled children. I will never let myself be disappointed by them again!” God still comes after us, offering us his love and compassion, mercy and forgiveness.

What would your reactions be? How shall we then live? Shall we continue to disappoint God? Shall we give up on those who have disappointed us? Or, shall we pursue as hard as our persistent God, ready to seek and save the lost, offering our love and forgiveness?

Blessings,
Fr. Victor +

Sunday, August 12, 2007 Sermon

2007-08-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16. Luke 12:32-40

Encountering God in Worship (a summary)

1. Worship is a Dangerous Act

God may not like our worship and sacrifices - religion itself is not a guarantee of right relationship with God. As the Prophet proclaims, God may find us unacceptable.

2. Worship is a Cleansing Act

The Prophetic Call to Repentance: "Wash yourself; make yourselves clean; ... seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow". Yet, God promises forgiveness and redemption: "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

3. Worship is a Reflective/Affirming Act

In worship, God shows us what God sees in us -- his own image -- the image of God reflected in you and me! God sees something better in you and me through a Mirror of Love, affirming that we are the special and beloved children of God.

4. Worship is a Faithful Act

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Max Lucado (When God whispers your name) "Faith is trusting what the eye cannot see":

"Eyes see the prowling lions. Faith sees Daniel's angel. Eyes see storms. Faith sees Noah's rainbow... Eyes see giants. Faith sees Canaan."

In Abraham's story: Eyes see old age and barrenness. Faith sees as numerous descendants as the stars in the sky.

5. Worship is an Inspiring Act

As your priest and leader, I am supposed to inspire you and lift up your spirits to worship God -- that's my job! If we get inspired by the act of worship, God will inspire us to act.

6. Worship is a Living Act

"Be dressed for action!" Jesus speaks of readiness in the Gospel lesson. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Worship requires us to check our priorities in life...

Conclusion:

Do you still think coming to worship is not a dangerous act? For it may be a life changing experience, requiring us to seek justice and minister to the disadvantaged and the needy. Worship demands us to be faithful, asks us to be reflective, and requires us to live out what we claim to believe. But through worship, at the same time, God has cleansed us, forgiven us, loved and affirmed us, empowered and inspired us to do all that! Thanks be to God.

May God bless you wherever you are!

Fr. Victor +