"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 30, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007 Sermon
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.
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.
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.
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
Sunday, September 16, 2007 Sermon
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/
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
Sunday, September 9, 2007 Sermon
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.
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.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Guess who’s coming to the Banquet? Sunday, September 2, 2007
(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 )
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 )
Sunday, August 19, 2007
August 19, 2007 Sermon Notes
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 +
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 +
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007 Sermon
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
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 +
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)