Acts 10: 34-43
Psalm 118
Easter Sunday John 20: 1-18

“From Now On”

I was watching the most recent episode of the Good Doctor. Dr Shaun Murphy and his wife are trying to cope with the normal things that parents of an infant normally cope with and they have a failed attempt at their first “date night” as new parents. After the evening is over, she says something like, “our lives have changed. We will never be the same again.” He responds with, “Yes, it has changed, but it’s better.”

Was there a point in your life that things changed, forever, even if it was not “better?”

Was it the day you were married?

Was it the day your first child was born?

Was it the day of your near fatal accident?

Was it the day someone in your life passed away?

A number of years ago, I was helping a friend with her tax return and the only thing left was to check the box on her marital status. I looked at her and said “that would be divorced?” She said, “Well, I put that down last year, because that was the year I got divorced; do I have to do it again this year?” I said, “I think so, unless you remarry.” I guess she has hoped that, she could totally erase that marriage, so that after a time of being “divorced” she could go back to being “single,” but I don’t think it works that way (at least as far as the Canada Revenue Agency is concerned.)

Many years ago I was part of a group where many of the members had a very conservative evangelical outlook and felt that they had to be able to name the day and hour they were “saved”. Some evangelical churches teach that you were saved the day and hour you said a certain prayer, and if you didn’t, you aren’t. But it felt foreign to me! A friend on the more liberal side of the faith equation told me, that when he was asked, “When were you saved?” he said something like this, “I was saved about 2,000 years ago when a group of followers found that the tomb in which their friend had been laid, was empty.”

Of course, the empty tomb was not the most significant thing about that experience! The most significant thing was that this group of followers became certain that their friend and leader, who had been crucified, was now risen and lived in them.

One of the things that is very important for us to remember about Easter is that the proclamation about the resurrection should always be stated in the present tense. It is NOT Christ was raised from the dead, but Christ IS Risen!

It is not an event in history such as on September 1, 1905, Saskatchewan became a province of Canada, or WWW I ended on November 11, 1918 with the peace of Versailles. It’s not that kind of event.

The first Easter was an event in time as far as the church is concerned, but it is also a continuing reality. Once Christ was raised Christ stayed that way! In addition, to journey through the Christian year, on an annual basis is to participate in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. It is about living the resurrection experience in our own lives, each and every year. about the Christian journey from death to life that is being experienced in our own lives.

The proclamation, in the present tense, reflects our faith that the “risen-ness” of Christ is a present reality - not an event of the past to be remembered and memorized in a similar way to that stuff we committed to memory in Junior High. To be frank it does not really matter, in our day to day lives, if Confederation was 1867 or 1868; what matters is that it happened. It does not matter if WWI ended on Nov 11, 1918 or Dec 11, but that it did.

When the Christian Community gathered, at the very beginning, their celebrations were in addition to the Sabbath observances, but for the first 300 years or so, since Sunday was a workday, people gathered to celebrate the risen Christ - early enough to complete these celebrations before the work-day started.

When I was a child there were a lot of restrictions around what could be done on Sunday and what could not be. Businesses could not open on Sunday and my mother told me that when she was a young adult the drug stores took turns opening on Sunday so that a pharmacist could get a day off, most weeks. These days, almost everything is open except government offices and non-retail businesses. Minor hockey schedules keep parents and kids on the road all weekend, every weekend.

My mom liked to go and visit her relatives when the church schedule permitted an earlier departure; most of them were about an hour away! It is, of course PEI distances here, not Saskatchewan ones.

In the very early church there was a debate: is Sunday the “new Sabbath or is it a day of celebration. What ended up happening was that Sunday became the new Sabbath- from a child’s perspective, the day to have no fun.

I was doing some research on this on Wednesday and discovered that some of the early church writers saw Sunday, not as Sabbath, but as a day for celebration. Every Sunday was to be seen as a little Easter. How can you be sad and gloomy, how can you sit at home and be gloomy, when Christ is Risen! I’ll try that again, “Christ is Risen.”

Christ is Risen Indeed.

If we believe that Christ is Risen and that the Risen One is among us, how can our heart be sad?

Some people have their favourite movies. Despite the number of times we have seen the movie we wait with baited breath for our favourite scene, as if the video editing gremlins have crept into your DVD cabinet and changed the ending to “The Sound of Music” and the Nazis catch the vonTrapp Family before they escape, or if George Bailey decides that Bedford Falls was better off without him! We know that won’t happen, but still we watch.

At Easter we enter into the story as if it was for the first time. At Easter we know that Mary will not recognize Jesus, at first and then become one of the first evangelists. As we sing the hymn, “I come to the Garden,” we can become Mary discovering the joy of encountering the risen Christ. We can walk to Emmaus, or just to walk a few blocks to clear our minds on a difficult day and we can indeed discover the risen Christ - in our midst, in our hearts, comforting us, being with us and giving us strength.

Jesus said, “I Come that you may have life and have it in all abundance.”

Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen Indeed!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Amen.

Amen.

Fear Not!

There was a church which always began the service with the so-called, “apostolic greeting,” which begins with, God be with you. Actually, there are many churches who do that! We do! In this church the people’s response was always, “and also with you.” It never changed. One Sunday the minister stepped into the pulpit and having been warned by the choir that something was amiss with the sound system, tapped the microphone, and said, ‘I’m told there is something wrong with this microphone!” And the people dutifully responded, “and also with you.”

I reminded myself of that story every time I delivered the English homily at the bilingual and ecumenical Remembrance Day service in the French Catholic church in a nearby community when I lived in New Brunswick for almost all of the 90's. When I said, “la grâce de notre seigneur Jésus-Christ soint avec vous tous,” they responded with something in French and in unison, even before I had finished. But, after a bit of thought, I wondered, was that just their habit, or did I do a good job enough job of pronouncing the French words of the greeting that they truly responded.

Even though I took French in school like most people my age, the liturgical level was a bit beyond me so I basically memorized those words for a wedding that took place just after I had arrived in the community and then kept using them when the need arose. The bride was related to a well-known Acadian author and the ceremony took place at a cultural site related to her books. The groom was of Scottish heritage and he and the best man wore traditional Scottish dress and were led down the hill to the stage, by a piper. I don’t think anyone had ever heard the skirl of bagpipes at that location before and when I pronounced the couple husband and wife there was great applause from the balcony of the restaurant at the top of the hill. I had not noticed, but I believe many of the patrons left their meals to see what was taking place.

I was watching a tv show where a group of doctors from all over the world was working in a refugee camp, trying to keep ahead of diseases that come from overcrowding, poor sanitation and poverty, as well as injuries from guns, and land mines. They used what I believe is a standard greeting, "as-salaam 'alaykum”, and the response, wa 'alaykum as-salaam,” which is, I think, meant to place their medical practice in the context of their faith that they are doing God’s work. It is essentially the same meaning as the apostolic greeting with which we begin worship.

On Wednesday night, I saw a rebroadcast of the “Land and Sea” episode that covered the 40th anniversary of the 1982 sinking of the Ocean Ranger, a semi-submersible oil rig, which sank wile drilling for oil on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. All 84 on board were lost. I was in university at that time and one of the other young women in the same residence lost her brother, who was an engineer working on that rig. I can recall coal mining disasters that have occurred in my lifetime and there are many other mass casualty events we could all name. There are several mass shootings that have happened in Canada; it’s not just an American phenomenon!

In bygone days, the people in power often accepted such loss of life as an unavoidable part of that kind of enterprise. The people in power were often accused of disregarding the value of the lives of those most at risk.

When John A Macdonald was Prime Minister and the railway was being build through the mountains it is estimated that four Chinese men died for every mile of track. Just think of that for a moment; 4 men per mile! These men were what we now might call Temporary Foreign Workers! It seems clear that the lives of these men were of less value than the Caucasians who also worked on railway construction. Family lore tells me that my great uncles made their fortune building the railroad to Phoenix. I don’t think they were asked to blast rock with very unstable explosives.

In modern times, after such a disaster, safety regulations are often strengthened in the hopes that something can be done to make such work safer. I am told that fishing and trapping remain the most dangerous occupations in the world. Also in this category are farming and construction. I don’t think ministry is even on the list!

I recall the ways in which disasters have captured the soul and heart of fishing communities who seem to have developed a kind of acceptance of the risk but without becoming complacent especially when there is a a choice between staying in port or venturing out and chasing the big catch.

The recent loss of a small submarine, and its passengers, near the decaying remains of the HMS Titanic, has revived interest in the sinking of that great ship. Almost every day, Facebook presents me with a post about one of the people who was a passenger on that fated ship. The richest people in the world had booked tickets on the supposedly unsinkable ship. Since the last survivor of that famous sinking died in 2009 there is no more living memory of that tragedy, just reams of documentation, poor quality news reels, copies of newspapers and various memorabilia. It lives in history and the sinking continues to foster a macabre fascination among a small group of people.

Whether it be at sea, underground, or on a mountain top, each disaster is a testament to human pride and an unwillingness to respect human limitations. As Jesus began his ministry you may remember that he was tempted to throw himself on God’s mercy and live in stupid, wild and reckless ways. He did not take the bait on that one!

An assurance, something along the lines of, “peace be with you, fear not” appears frequently in the biblical record. Of course, it makes sense. No sane person could see what is said to have been seen and not fear. It was a natural reaction.

If I was in a small boat off the east coast and a whale breached near my craft, I would be in awe, but I would also be afraid of the next one breaching under the boat! I see a deer at the roadside, as I am driving, and I am in fear that another will leap in front of me.

If I saw an angel, with wings and a harp and whatnot, I would be afraid, I would be very afraid. If a deceased friend walked into the room, I would be afraid, especially if I had some inkling that this friend somehow embodied the power of God. The biblical belief was that looking upon the face of God meant instant death. To mess with the holy is supposed to be a fearful thing. To see God and live was a miracle. It is mentioned in several passages and noted that it is “very special.”

Easter is a time of great joy. For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere it is also happens in the season of spring and I have already seen all sorts of posts on social media showing pictures of crocus beds and other signs of spring popping our of the cold earth. We know that it is calving and lambing time, for those who raise those animals, and the rest of us can imagine the cuteness overload of a baby calf or the set of newborn lambs. We can smell spring in the air and we have hope for fresh vegetables, beautiful flowerbeds and full grain bins and the disappearance of the red ink in our chequebook.

The biblical Easter is always viewed within the context of Good Friday. As they say, “the only certainties in life are death and taxes.” They were certainly sure of Good Friday. It is the way of the world. What was surprising was Easter!

Of course, no one is old enough to remember the first Easter but it is preserved in the pages of scripture, in the stories and testimony of the first witnesses, and in the communities of faith who follow in the way of Jesus of Nazareth 2,000 years later .

The early church had every reason to fear and it was not just a child-like fear of the dark or monsters under the bed. Their monsters were very real. In the biblical story Saul started out as a persecutor of the church with the power of life and death over the membership of the early church. You may know that he was a witness to the execution of Stephen, regarded as the first Christian martyr. In addition, by the time the gospels were written down the conflict with the synagogue left them between two foes: imperial Rome and the leaders of the synagogue. I think I read somewhere that the 11 remaining disciples and the Apostle Paul were all executed for being part of the community which professed their allegiance to the new ways and vision of Jesus of Nazareth.

So how is all this relevant to the season of Easter. Well, I think we must make every effort to avoid magical thinking as we look at the powers that make life dangerous. We don’t jump off of cliffs or go swimming in a hurricane in the assumption that God will protect us.

The power of Easter gives us strength to stand up to a world that values power, and wealth and looking out for #1 while the love of God we have seen in Jesus asks us to embrace the values of paradox - giving and receiving, the values of love versus hate and of peace over war. When the recent troubles in Haiti broke out, I called a classmate who had spent many years there as mission personnel with her husband. Haiti was frequently in turmoil in those times and while they did not return to Canada for many years they were very careful to heed the advice of local people who told them when it was simply too dangerous to be out and about that day or week!

Not long ago three vehicles filled with volunteers from World Central Kitchen were attempting to distribute aid to the people of Gaza, It is claimed that the missile strikes which killed them were accidental but that is disputed by many. It is clear though that the workers knew it was very dangerous work and took all reasonable precautions so that hungry people might be fed. Last I heard the benefit of feeding others is not seen as worth the risk and that organization has pulled out of Gaza, at least temporarily. That is sad, really sad, because the people of Gaza, other war zones, other disaster areas, and in many other places, needs people who put their mission before themselves.

There are too many people who always ask, “What’s in it for me?” There are people who look at a disaster and say, “what will happen to me if I try to help,” while others say, “what will happen if I don’t try and do something.”

This can also apply with choices where there is minimal physical danger involved such as choosing to work with smaller companies or focus on less lucrative areas of work.

Do we believe that we are called to proclaim that we worship a God of life from death and good from evil or do we believe that God looks after those who help themselves? Are we an Easter people, a people who see empty tombs and know it is the presence of the risen one filling their lives.

Let us be among those who worship the God of love, life and the opportunity to proclaim this faith in all that we do.

Amen.

Acts 4: 5-12
Psalm 23
John 10: 11-18

The Good Shepherd

Polarization seems to be one of the hallmarks of life these days. American style “attack ads”, a part of creating and maintaining this polarizing atmosphere, are now a part of Canadian political campaigns. It seems that life is to be divided into black and white; right and wrong, my side and the wrong side.

COVID and the response to this pandemic was certainly polarizing. One of the terms that seemed to come out of nowhere, at that time was “sheeple;” used by one group to refer to those who blindly followed WHO guidelines and stayed home, masked, sat 6 feet apart and were vaccinated, once a vaccine became available. Of course, that term assumes that sheep blindly follow where the leader is going and don’t think for themselves. They adopt the view that sheep are supposed to be the dumbest of common animals.

Everything I have read recently about sheep tells me that this is actually not true. Just a few days ago, I called a friend who raises sheep and he told me that they are as smart as cattle and horses. They can distinguish the shepherd’s voice from that of another human.

A deaf sheep farmer in one of my former congregations counted on his sheep to alert him to visitors. His whole property was fenced , so to visit the farmhouse you had to drive down the driveway, get out of your car to open a gate and after you had driven through, get out of your car again to close the gate behind your car. It took a bit more time than visiting most farmers. By the time I parked in the barnyard, the sheep were astir! I would go into the kitchen to see if he was there but if he was not, it was not long before he would appear from somewhere and write to me in his little notebook, “My sheep told me someone was here.”

This 4th Sunday of Easter is also Good Shepherd Sunday and in later years it has also been called “Earth Sunday.” In church on this day we read Psalm 23, each and every lectionary year as well as various passages connecting Jesus to shepherding. There is something about that Psalm, and that image of shepherding, that has captivated people for thousands of years, for many generations even BEFORE Jesus called himself the good shepherd.

I am a little bemused about this because, even though this passage elevates the work of a shepherd, back in those days, in Jesus’ time it was not really considered an honourable profession. It was dirty work, the kind of work that made one unable to follow the strict dietary and cleanliness rules that the religious leaders thought were important. After all, you could not always wash your hands before you ate. Of course, you could not always stop work on the Sabbath. Sometimes, in order to lead sheep to better pastures, the shepherd had to trespass on land belonging to others.

When I compare the pastures of PEI, where I have seen sheep grazing, with the ones I have seen in pictures of the “Bible lands,” I am amazed that anything can be raised on such arid land, except perhaps weeds and thistles. However, I am told that they have different breeds in the middle east. One of the breeds is called “fat tailed sheep” and they, like camels, can store fat in their rather plump rumps which makes them the ideal breed for desert-like conditions. (Camels store fat in the same way; contrary to myth, they do not store water in those humps!) On Good Shepherd Sunday - we reflect on how God’s care for us is like that of a shepherd for sheep. The hymn, “the Lord’s my Shepherd,” is a favourite for many. As we sing this hymn we reflect on God’s care for us - or Jesus’ care for the disciples and those who would come to follow in his way.

On this Sunday we also reflect on our call to look after the earth, in much the same way that a shepherd would care for the sheep in his or her care. It’s almost like a two way street: Since God cares for us, we too are called to care for others.

I was raised by parents who grew up in the great depression. Generally speaking, in their homes, cash was in very short supply but there was usually more than enough food because they were farmers and had gardens. They did not have to buy milk, eggs, meat and vegetables in the same way that city folks did. My dad told the story of the two families who lived on ten cents, all winter; the same ten cents. One day, family one would buy ten cents worth of milk from family two. The next day that family would buy eggs from family one. This back and forth exchange of needed commodities went on all winter!

There was a “waste nothing” mentality that was actually very sensible. My mother spoke frequently of her grandparents who taught her to be very frugal with even simple things like water. I suppose that when every drop of water used in your house or the barn was “hand pumped” you were careful about consumption! My mother learned these habits from her grandparents and my mother just continued with them after they got electricity.

Before my mother bought an automatic washer, when I was in high school, all of the used water from the wringer washing machine was carried outdoors and dumped on the rhubarb. I don’t know why the rhubarb was blessed with wash water, except that was close to the back door. If the rhubarb was not there, maybe the dahlias would have been the joyful recipients. The vegetable garden was sometimes quite far away. We carried all the water for the garden in watering cans, from a big tank, probably because a hose would not reach and why water the ground you walked on, when you could direct it to the exact place where the corn and carrots were trying to grow.

Farming here has developed in quite different ways than it has where I come from. In the good old days in PEI, farmyards tended to be set-back somewhat from the road but there was often a pasture field separating the house and barns from that road. These days that house is often occupied by a non-farming family, renovated and upgraded, and the front field is kept as a lawn - growing nothing but ornamental trees and carefully tended perennials and grass. The back fields are still farmed, but, as you all know, it takes more and more land to provide a living income for one family. With fewer farmers in the area, it does not take long before these non-farm families realize that farms with animals tend to smell, that farms can be noisy at times and at least periodically, tensions and misunderstandings arise. That’s not unusual in many areas where farmers are becoming fewer and fewer.

The one thing that we often neglect, is to connect our faith expression to our duty to our community and to the generations as yet unborn. It is a duty to to care for others and for the earth. It is part of what we call stewardship. On this Sunday our duty can be phrased as “being shepherds to others.” If we follow in the way of Jesus, we are called to do this caring work for others.

When I reflect on this care through the lense of earth day, there are some things that come to mind, especially when I compare former generations with our own. I think we have we have at least two things working in tandem, against us. We have a “throw away generation” and a “designed obsolescence generation”. A refrigerator or other appliance will only last a certain number of years and the number is a lot less than it used to be. I recall seeing a post on facebook, featuring a green fridge and stove; I think the colour was officially “avocado”. The owner repeated what her mother had proclaimed, “they will never go out of style,” but they did. They were probably broken down before that as well. When we look at some of our high priced purchases such as cars and heavy appliances we must balance the cost of repair and the cost of replacement. When it costs more to replace than repair we send it to the dump, BUT what is throwing it away doing to the earth? And that is just one issue in our lives. If manufacturers made appliances to last 30 years they would sell a whole lot less and what would that do to jobs. So the cycle goes round and round.

A former neighbour was frustrated when her 95 year old mother insisted on buying a quality screen door for her house, because quality will “last”. What her mother did not realize was when the houses in her neighbourhood were sold they were extensively renovated and almost looked like new houses. The owners would not care about a “quality” screen door!

We may want the latest tech. The most desirable bells and whistles just have to be on our phones. A few years ago, I saw a spoof ad for a new phone which doubled as an electric razor among many other things. I think you can even buy a fridge with a huge cell phone on the door which will monitor the content of your pridge and order groceries for you when you run out of something. Tell me, who really needs that feature. Who really needs a cell phone weighing hundreds of pounds. When did waste become a virtue?

As we try to figure out our call to be shepherds of family and friends and how to fit our volunteering into our own family needs we have to make choices and answer some hard questions.

To what is our shepherd calling us? Are we able to discern the voice of the holy and have the courage to follow. In the same way that we need to make choices to shepherd our human companions into health - what sacrifices are we prepared to make to care for creation, our fragile planet? What changes can we make to show that we are an earth shepherd who cares for creation, not because we own it and can do what we want, but because it has been entrusted to us and we love it, in all of its delicate beauty.

Let us all seek to be good shepherds.

Amen.

NOTE: This week there are two sermons as one congregation required a shorter sermon. It was their anniversary and they needed the time for a slide show. It was much easier to post separately!

Acts 8: 26-40
Psalm 22
John 15: 1-8

“What is to prevent...?”

I have been familiar with today’s Acts passage since I was a child. I clearly remember the pictures of the encounter in my illustrated Bible story leaflets. The picture on the bulletin cover is a good example. But when I was a child, I did not know how startling and even offensive the passage might have been to the early church. I always interpreted it simply in terms of a foreigner being accepted and baptized. In terms of where I grew up, this man was simply, someone “from away.” Then again, everyone in the bible was also “from way”!

This un-named man represents so much more than geography or race. He was an Ethiopian; from another country much bigger than what we know as Ethiopia today. While his darker skin would have made him noticeable in the middle east; people of Jerusalem were accustomed to seeing people from other countries. Other passages tell of Jewish people from all over the world gathering for a festival of one kind or another, such as Passover or Pentecost. They were used to that!

We are told that this man was in charge of the Queen’s treasury. Over the centuries, artists have always assumed that he would have been wearing expensive clothes and most give him a chauffeur. (or the 1st century equivalent) No one ventured along a wilderness road alone; especially if he looked wealthy. It was the custom at that time to read out loud, (imagine that happening today on public transit in a cosmopolitan city such as Saskatoon or Toronto. Different books. Different languages!) Philip would have recognized the passage he was reading, by hearing it. Scrolls were expensive and it was long before there was a “Bible Society” with a mission to have affordable scriptures available to all people who wanted them, in their own language.

There is one more thing about this man, something that would make him an outsider. He was a eunuch. If his surgical alteration had been performed when he was a boy, before his teenage hormones kicked in, he probably had a higher voice, little facial or body hair, and would have stood out in a crowd in Jerusalem. The queen’s court would only include such men because they would be considered to bw “safe” and pose no danger.

I read that he would NOT have been allowed to worship with the other men in the Jerusalem temple because he was not “perfect,” he was “blemished.” While this was a job requirement to work in the Queen’s household in Ethiopia, it made him an outsider in terms of the faith of the Hebrew people. Apparently there were guards at the temple to ensure that only those eligible were admitted. He would stick out and be shut out! Still, his faith was such that he went to Jerusalem to worship, even without full inclusion. I find that amazing.

The passage from Acts makes it clear that this encounter between Philip and this man is a work of the Spirit. The overhearing of the passage is an opportunity for Philip to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. As Philip is concluding his teaching, the man asks a question which is what makes the encounter stick out for me as I read it. “What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

What are the requirements for baptism? What are the requirements for inclusion in the community of faith? When you look at the current pictures in the United Church’s official literature, the photographers are careful to include as many different faces and abilities as possible. They are not all from western Europe. Some are in wheelchairs. Literature for families no longer assumes all families have a mom, a dad and 2.1 children. In 1988 we made a, then very controversial decision, not to exclude gay and lesbian people from ministry and from full participation. A few General Councils back, the United Church made an intentional commitment to become an interracial church. We have just made a decision to walk with our First Nations sisters and brothers as they find a way to be United Church that is more in line with their traditions and cultures. We will walk with them in trust as they develop their own path.

I was talking with a non-United Church person a few years ago, and his observation was that we are a very different church than we were in 1925. Yes, we are very different. I believe we are different because Canada is very different than it was in 1925. The Spirit is bringing us into contact with those who need the good news -that there is nothing to prevent their belonging. The welcome mat has no “exceptions.”

One day I was doing a baptism of a child who was profoundly disabled. He could express emotion and smile but that was about his level of interaction. He is non-verbal. Instead of the story book I usually give, I gave him a board book for much younger children called, “God Made You Special” (from the Veggie Tales series) and it had a bright red puffy button on the front cover. When this button was pressed, it played a tune. At several times throughout the rest of the service I could hear this faint music playing and after a few times, I realized it was not a ring tone on a watch or a cell phone, but this very special boy, pressing this button, enjoying the music. It was an experience of pure grace.

I was planning a funeral one day, with the person who was dying. When she was a young woman she married a widower with a small daughter and then had several children of her own. I asked her how she wanted me to refer to this girl, now a grown woman with grandchildren. She answered simply, “there are no steps in my house.” She made no distinction among any of the children and I was happy to refer to all of them as “hers”, as she did in life.

I recall speaking with a person I would call a “Presbytery Matriarch,” (Her husband had been a minister, her son was a minister and one of my former professors, her daughter was married to a minister and she had been attending presbytery for, well forever - and she brought up the topic of welcoming people others did not want as part of the church and she expressed her opinion, “My opinion is simply this; they are all, God’s children.” I was relieved because I did not want to get into an argument with one of the seniors of Presbytery!

What is to prevent me from being baptized? Nothing. Draw the circle Wide is a new and very popular hymn about including all people.

A poem I sometimes go to was written by a poet from Oregon more than a century ago. Among his poems of social protest are these words:

He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him In!” 

Last week a colleague posted a birthday picture of his daughter; We’ve all seen similar pictures of children on Facebook - with the text expressing amazement about how fast she or he has grown and expressing confidence that the parent will be proud of who she becomes. We do not expect, nor do we want, our children to stay young. We really should not want them to be carbon copies of ourselves but to be all they were created to become. Raising children is not like working for Mr Christie, hoping that every cookie of one kind is exactly the same as every other cookie of that kind. Raising children is an act of faith and trust.

I watch people at weddings and baptisms, particularly the couple’s parents and the baby’s grandparents. Their misty eyes ask, “How could my baby be old enough to be taking these very adult steps and making these promises?” I look at older couples at an anniversary party, looking at each other asking, “has it really been 60 years?”

Like raising children, being Christian community is an act of faith. We welcome diverse people - because we have invited them, or because they show up on our doorstep, or because their parents brought them for baptism and as we welcome them, we teach them the faith, we model community, we invite them to find meaning in what gives us meaning and them eventually we will realize that they are the one welcoming and baptizing and proclaiming the faith. This is not OUR church, it is the church of Jesus, the Christ and we are graced to be able to be participants, members and welcomers in it.

Today we gather as those who have been here for years and as those who are newcomers and we worship and work as we are called to - as one.

Amen

Acts 8: 26-40
Psalm 22
John 15: 1-8

“What is to prevent...?”

When I was going through my ordination interviews there was one minister who lived in Cape Breton but who had roots in the Southern US and the characteristic accent that goes with such an upbringing. He asked many of us to speak about the importance of love.

Today’s second passage speaks directly of love; it follows directly on last week’s passage that used the metaphor of Jesus being the vine and God being the one who tended the vines. The text uses the image of grapes and grapevines to speak about Christian community..

For many years my mother had a large number of plants in the sun-porch which had wide pine windowsills especially made for holding plants. One of these plants was some kind of ivy which trailed around the room, above the windows. It was hard to tell that the ivy came from that pot because the plant did noit look that healthy, at its source but it was important to keep it watered.

Somewhere we have picked up the idea that the early church was a group of people who had no problems and was filled with love and affection for one another. Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact much of the what we have in the New Testament, apart from the Gospels, are letters containing spiritual advice about problems these communities of faith were struggling with. I guess that is a good thing because, without these, we would not have much when we struggle with our own problems.

Many years ago, I was on the board of a community museum, based in what was once a private family home. In our collection was a series of letters, from the man who owned the home and who lived in another province to his wife who lived in the house. It was not hard to tell that they did not get along! She saved his letters, but apparently he did not save hers or disposed of them before moving back home, because we never found them. The Board decided they were private and not for public scrutiny. I’m glad though, that the Epistles of Paul did not undergo such censorship as they have provided great advice for two thousand years.

When we speak of love, we often think of the love that is, or should be, present, families and in marriage. I would say that 100% of the couples I have married claimed to be “in love” when I officiated at their wedding and pronounced them to be married. For some that love did not last long; others are still going strong.

The kind of love spoken of in the Gospels and Epistles is, most often not about the love of marriage and close family, but another kind. It is the kind of love which is needed to keep communities of faith together and which overcomes differences and barriers of race and class and opinion. I was speaking to a group of colleagues the other day about one of the better known passages on love, often read at weddings, and that person’s comment was, “It’s not about marriage at all. Its about Christian community; he had to write it; the people were constantly fighting and they hated one another.

When I was a child, I saw a TV commercial which showed several kids with their mom. The announcer said, “these children not only love their mom, they like her.” I remarked to my grandmother that I always thought that love was stronger or greater than like. He reply was “well, not always.” For a long time I did not understand this - but, in my grandmother’s much greater wisdom and experience she knew the difference.

We tend to think of the early church as an ideal community where everyone got along and loved one another. What now seems clear to me is that the early leaders were trying to guide communities whose members had a hard time with love because they really did not like one another very much at times.

You see, love is not a feeling; to love someone is to “act for” and “be for” that person. I believe that this kind of barrier-crossing love and concern for the other is a work of the Spirit.

It happened on an episode of “The Waltons”, that TV show whose sign off segment is the butt of many jokes! The small hamlet of Waltons Mountain has weathered the great depression and is troubled by the news they are hearing from Europe. A man called Adolph Hitler is stirring up the German people and spreading hatred. The old wounds from the Great War are re-opened. The people of Waltons Mountain are worried, very worried.

One afternoon at a community campfire, the local minister, Rev Matt Fordwick, has a copy of a book by Hitler, Mein Kampf, and calls the people to a symbolic book burning of German books, because Hitler is burning books. I guess his point is that, “two can play that game.” A man from the community, struts up and empties a sack of German language books on the ground and tosses one onto the fire saying, “why wait, I have some German books right here.” . John-Boy interrupts the minister, speaking passionately about the slippery slope they are going down if they begin to burn books; he urges them not to. Then, a certain book catches his eye and he picks it up. He stops speaking, as he leafs through it, and says something like, “I sure wish there was someone here who could read German.” An nervous looking older woman, Florence Brimmer who runs the local boarding house steps forward, takes a deep breath. She then reads from the page he points out to her. After a couples of sentences she is asked for a translation and she translates as she reads, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

Instantly there is a nervous and embarrassed silence as the good Christian people of Waltons Mountain realized that they were about to burn a sacred book! Even though it was in the German language, it was still the Holy Bible. The minister gives John-Boy the German Bible and the work by Hitler, saying they will be “in good hands.” Sometimes, the Spirit surprises people of faith. Sometimes, people of faith have to stop and re-assess everything they think about who can, and cannot be part of the faith community - about whom we are called to love - about whom we are called to live and die for.

The current struggle between Hamas and Israel is very complex and has obscured the fact that the three faith groups affected, Jews, Muslims and Christians have common origins and at least some right to live on the lands promised to Abraham, their common ancestor.

Just because loving is difficult does not mean that we are excused from trying. We are colled to follow a God who is love and calls us to embody it. It is our full-time and only job. What could possibly be more important.

Amen.

Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26
Psalm 1
John 17: 6-19

Christian Family Sunday!

Happy Easter 7; the great 50 days are almost over; Pentecost is nigh!

Happy Christian Family Sunday! Happy Mother’s Day!

There’s a lot going on this week; a mix of sacred and secular and, we might say, of “Hallmark Moments.” Mother’s Day is a major commercial opportunity for businesses catering to people of all ages seeking to honour an important woman in their lives. I believe that thousands of Moms woke up this morning to the sounds of young children trying to be quiet as they made their mom breakfast, only to leave her with a kitchen looking like a disaster zone. Nationwide, millions of dollars have been spent on flowers, jewellery and pricey cards.

While it might seem that this observance fits in perfectly with the role of the church in family life, perhaps we can do better and there are other options. Perhaps families can handle Mother’s day and the church can have a broader focus.

Interestingly, today’s passages do not mention women, though they are certainly present in the background. Today’s passages come from two different times - and are only separated by mere weeks. One is a prayer of Jesus which he prays before his crucifixion and the other event happens between Jesus’ ascension and the powerful experience of the Spirit at Pentecost. Both look toward the future. Both seek God’s guidance, presence and support for the fragile faith community.

While the number of official “disciples” had been reduced to 11, due to the death of Judas, the number of anonymous believers was always much larger, at the time this even toook place was about 120 in total. It seems clear to me that many of these people had been around and their numbers were growing since Jesus ‘ ministry had begun. We know that great crowds followed Jesus. Throughout Jesus’ ministry there are references to others who supported Jesus’ and his disciples; they had to have food, lodging, clothing and footwear and pay their taxes! Some of these were widows of some means as they had the funds to support this band of not-so-always-merry men! Saul, who later became Paul, was yet to be see the light and be converted to the way. We know the names of some of these believers, - Cleopas, Lazarus, Martha, Mary, Mary and the other Mary, but the identities of the others have faded into the mists of time.

In today’s passage, Jesus is praying for those who follow him and I am convinced, for those who will follow. Somehow Jesus knows that such a commitment will not be easy. He can see the writing on the wall in terms of his own impending death and he does not want them feeling alone. Jesus can feel God’s presence and he wants the same for the disciples and others who have followed.

Some time ago, I read a story about a man living somewhere in Latin America who was imprisoned for his advocacy for human rights which had sprung from the small Christian community to which he belonged. One day, one of the guards brought him his meal and taunted him, saying, “all of your friends are over at the church, praying for you.” This taunt was supposed to show him that prayer was useless and that it would not in any way convince the government to release him. But the plan backfired; the man was given strength simply by knowing hat his friends were risking their own freedom to pray for him.

Long before we were born, Jesus prayed for the followers that were known to him, the men and women who had become his friends - BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT, he was also praying for the generations of Christians that were to come. In the 2,000 years since these words were first written down by the Gospel writer and then circulated throughout the community of faith these words have given strength to millions of individuals and communities. These words are part of what professor types call, “Jesus High Priestly Prayer.” It’s tone sounds official, polished and carefully worded.

He was praying for us, but also modelling the life of the community of faith. It seem to me that we are called to be of support to one another in the community of faith and in our ministry together. We are called to support the growth and development of others as they grow and mature in their own faith.

We must not forget the the community, as a body, also grows and matures.

When I was a very young minister, I visited an older gentleman in the hospital who had been a family friend for many years. The fact that he was in that particular hospital meant that he was in critical condition, otherwise he would have been in a hospital closer to his home. Even the family were only allowed a short time every hour. I spent most of our time together visiting with them in the family room. It’s amazing the conversations you can have over a 1,000 piece puzzle! When I was allowed, I went in with another family member to see. As I said my goodbye the man grabbed my hand and said “your grandfather would be so proud of you.” I cannot begin to tell you how much that meant to me - the grandfather he had known well, died when I was 7.

In the good old days there were a number of pastoral charges which were known in the Conference as “settlement charges;” I suspect you had similar pastoral charges here in Saskatchewan. These congregations knew that they did not have any hope of attracting a minister who was in the higher pay categories so they received the ones picked for them by the settlement process, right out of theological school, with only eight months of internships under their belt and over the next three years taught them many, many practical things about ministry; things that can really only be learned “on the job.” These charges were peopled by folks with big hearts, great patience and much grace. These days smaller pastoral charges agree to appoint a recent graduate and prepare them for ministry in our newer training system. It’s about community and supporting ministry.

I recall very kind comments about my first funeral, made by one of my elders in my “settlement charge,” comments that meant the world to me and were very important in affirming my call to ministry.

It’s not just support for student ministers though where the church can excel. I know of one congregation who has, over time, shown themselves as excellent supporters for their young people. They made sure that the young people were affirmed in their successes, supported throughout their training, whatever that was, and were made to feel very welcome when they showed up to church on vacations and long weekends. They used to have a dinner in May for all the returning university students and those in college level programs. Many of them seemed to have the knack of being truly interested in young people who are not their relatives.

Some people call this Mother’s Day and some churches observe it in the worship service and give the women present who are moms a flower - and then unfortunately, they ignore the women and their part in the church and the community the rest of the year! In some of these churches, of course, the only thing a woman and a mom can do is to be a Sunday school teacher or sing in the choir! On the whole, I believe that such an approach does not value the other work in church and community that is not connected to the gifts women can bring.

Speaking of Mother’s Day, there are actually two origin stories for this observation. One is aligned with those seeking better working conditions, for both women and men, combatting high infant mortality during the era of the American Civil War and advocating for peace. Julia Ward Howe, ironically penned the Battle Hymn of the Republic as an anthem for peace. Its images are unfortunately often confused with supporting soldiers. She was an activist for peace. She argued that since all soldiers have mothers they are particularly affected by war and want peace above all else.

Just before WWI a woman named Anna Jarvis petitioned for a day to honour all mothers. This was as a response to the death of her own mother. Eventually the second one won out. I think that this is unfortunate. Mothers have a lot of valuable things to say about the future of the world. Before many branches disbanded, the Women’s Institutes existed to promote nutrition, coooking, personal development, family and community action.

Jarvis’ version of Mother’s Day also leaves out the women who are not mothers, the women who would love to be mothers but that loss in their lives is merely a reminder of their pain and loss. If there is no other option for women to serve it is just not adequate.

For most of my time in ministry, we have been encouraged to celebrate this day as Christian family Sunday - and we are not talking about the nuclear family, the family who lives together under one roof, or two, or the blended family; we are talking about the other family, the family of faith.

This family are the folks who are not related by blood at all, the family that live under many different rooves, the family that lives across the street or half-way round the world. When Jesus was living he talked about a family that replaced the family bound by blood, the family bound by their relationship to Jesus of Nazareth. When the early church was in its earliest days they recalled Jesus words about belonging to the Christian community being divisive - in terms of the family that did not want their loved ones following Jesus.

We are called to follow the one who prayed for us and who called to support one another in love.

Amen.