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)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008 - Come and See: The Invitation
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)
“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
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)
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
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)
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)
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Joseph the Forgotten Man - December 23, 2007
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.
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
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.
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)
Sunday, December 9, 2007
A Spiritual Check-Up: December 9, 2007
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/)
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/)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
An Advent People - December 2, 2007
“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)
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)
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