There is the story about a woman who was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She rushed to the nearest pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter. When she returned to her car she found that she had locked her keys inside. She was in a hurry and didn't know what to do, so she called her home and told the baby-sitter what had happened. The baby-sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door." The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who at sometime or other had locked their keys in their car.

Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this."

So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "Great God. This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful. The man asked her if he could help. She said "Yes, my daughter is very sick . . . I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car, I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car."

He said, "SURE."

He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "THANK YOU SO MUCH . . . You are a very nice man."

The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour."

The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud: "Thank you, God, for sending me a professional!"

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?

A prophet? A moral teacher? Perhaps a professional, religious criminal?

There has been much anguish in the United Church over what some say of Jesus. Bill Phipps got himself into a whole pile of trouble when interviewed by the Ottawa press council about 2 years ago. He said that he believed that Jesus was the closest thing to God the world has ever witnesses but was not God.

Some theologians understand Jesus to be an apocalyptic prophet. Others describe him as a cynical teacher. Feminist theologian, Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza presents a picture of Jesus as a wisdom prophet and founder of a Jewish renewal movement. Marcus Borg calls Jesus a charismatic healer or holy person, a subversive sage who undermined conventional wisdom and taught an alternative wisdom, a social prophet and an initiator of a movement to revitalize Israel.

And who do you say I am?"

There was an awkward silence. Someone coughed, someone else cleared his throated and finally Simon Peter broke in and said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

It is not easy to put Jesus in a box and call him thus and so.

Why would Jesus ask this identity question in the first place? Well, actually, in ancient times, the question, "Who do you say that I am?" was not the modern one of identity of an individual. Rather, who a person was, was about the person's position and power that was derived from their honour status. In an honour/shame society, as was the ancient Mediterranean, one's honour came from their family or place of origin. The expected reply to a question of who someone is would be to identify his or her family or place of origin, Jesus of Nazareth, Saul of Tarsus. Encoded in that identification is all the information one needed in order to know how the person is to be placed on the honour scale.

Jesus' behaviour varies from that expected of one of his birthplace, other means of identifying his power and status are proposed. The final label that is given, "Christ, the Son of the living God," is a clear designation that identifies Jesus with a spiritual family rather than his family of origin. (Jesus uses "Father in Heaven" to emphasize the spiritual family that was available to his followers.)

Then, Jesus told Simon, son of Jonah, something about himself, he said, "You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Let's see if we can unpack that last part a little bit. It looks quite confusing.

The keys of the kingdom are a symbol of Peter's power as the leader of the church. Bind and loose are technical rabbinical terms meaning "forbid" and "permit" some action about which a question has arisen. Later the authority of binding and loosing or forbidding and permitting was also given to all the apostles.

Peter as the rock is to be the foundation, the base, the unyielding, unchanging ground for a vital, moving, ever-challenged community to be known as the church. We have a rock, solid foundation under our church. Built on this solid foundation is this dynamic community of faith. This community has been given the authority to govern itself, within the dynamic society in which it lives. The church struggles to deal with the issues that society and culture offers. Thus, it is to this community, his church, that Jesus entrusts the keys and the power to bind and loose, (forbid and permit) to decide on the ground rules.

And so this last part of the passage is about the authority to make decisions and rules about how to be a church. The Roman Catholic Church understands this to mean that Peter was the first pope and each pope has this kind of authority. Of course, the pope makes papal statements only after much discussion with advisors, research with academics and prayer and reflection with his cardinals.

The United Church also interprets this passage to mean that we have authority over the way the church is run. The church is empowered to make doctrine and policy. A yes on earth is a yes in heaven and a no on earth is a no in heaven. Neither the Roman Catholic Church nor the United Church of Canada claims to follow God's laws directly. This passage empowers the church to change and grow and be dynamic in a changing, growing and dynamic world. Just because we change our policies does not mean that we were wrong in the past, rather it means that we were younger and now we have matured and we will continue to mature as a church.

And so this passage gives us hope. We have hope that we are doing ok, as a church. Although we are fallible, we have been given authority to grow, to change, and to govern ourselves.

I know that many people worry about the direction that the church is going. People worry about what General Council is doing in Toronto, what Bill Phipps is up to. People wonder where the national church is going when it ordains gays and lesbians. People wonder if the church is too whishy-washy or politically correct.

And so, how are we to use our power to bind and loose? -to forbid and permit?

A story from the East (as told by West Indian Jesuit Anthony DeMello) speaks powerfully of Jesus and his desire for his church:

The devotee knelt to be initiated into discipleship. The guru whispered the sacred mantra into his ear, warning him not to reveal it to anyone.

"What will happen if I do?" asked the devotee.

Said the guru, "Anyone to whom you reveal the mantra will be liberated from the bondage of ignorance and suffering, but you yourself will be excluded from discipleship and suffer damnation."

No sooner had he heard those words than the devotee rushed to the marketplace, collected a large crowd around him, and repeated the sacred mantra for all to hear.

The disciples reported this to the guru and demanded that the man be expelled from the monastery for his disobedience.

The guru smiled and said, "He has no need of anything I can teach. His action has shown him to be a guru in his own right.

How are we to use our power to bind and loose? How are we to use our authority to govern ourselves? Why with the confidence that there are no barriers between heaven and earth, that our thoughtful, prayerful decisions are supported in heaven, we can recklessly, liberally share the Good News. And to God be the glory. Amen.

back to sermon index

Last week we heard that familiar story of Moses' birth and how he was saved from being killed at the hands of the Pharaoh's soldiers. This week we pick up the story of Moses but by now he is a grown man.

Moses has grown into a man who identifies with the underdog. One day he sees an Egyptian repeatedly striking one of his brothers, he kills the Egyptian and buries him in the sand. The following day he breaks up a scuffle between two Hebrews, only to have the guilty party taunt him: "Who made you prince and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?"

So, the matter is known, and Pharaoh seeks to execute Moses for his crime. Moses has no alternative but to flee.

Moses finds refuge in the land of Midian, where a man by the name of Jethro gives him shelter and a shepherd's occupation. Moses also marries Jethro's daughter.

And here is where today's text picks up the story:

Moses, shepherding Jethro's flock, leads the sheep behind the wilderness to a mountain called Horeb, the mountain of God. Moses sees, out of the corner of his eye, the flame of a fire, which is burning from the middle of a bush. Now this in itself is not an unusual sight because the heat and the dryness of the area cause bushes and scrubs to often catch fire.

However, being a curious man, Moses stops to look at the fire and notices that the bush is burning and is not consumed!

Moses moves towards the bush, curious as to why the bush does not burn up. As he makes his way toward the fire, God calls out from the bush, twice speaking his name as God once did to Abraham: Moses! Moses! And he said, "Here I am."

God said, "Do not come near, take off your sandals for the place on which you stand is holy ground!

Several thousand years later, bushes still spontaneous catch fire in the deserts of the Middle East and Muslims still take off their shoes when standing on holy ground. There is something very long lasting in this passage. There is something that is familiar in this passage. For in this familiar story are the elements of other familiar stories. The way God calls Moses is similar to the way God calls Abraham and Jonah and many of the Biblical prophets. The way God calls Moses is similar to the way God calls many of us today.

The first part of this passage encourages us to look for the call of God in the ordinary experiences of life. God calls Moses in his everyday routine. Moses is tending sheep. He is not out looking for a mountaintop experience. Moses is minding his own business when suddenly God calls him to lead his people out of slavery - now that is unexpected.

God calls us in our everyday routines. God calls us out of our everyday routines. This passage tells us how and when God calls people to action. Like Moses, God may call us not during something special, but as part of our everyday routine.

How do you feel about routine? Observed one farmer, "The hardest thing about milking cows is that they never stay milked."

The question is are we waiting for that "burning bush" experience to occur before we do anything? Are we unaware of the little things God is already doing to get our attention?

Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes, "Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush a fire with God; And only he who sees takes off his shoes, The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."

There are many prophets who are called by God. In each case the commission from God is always very specific and task oriented. No Biblical character is called to have a particular state of mind of attitude toward the world or to have abstract ideas. Rather each time God calls one of his prophets there is always a specific situation that requires a concrete task. For Moses, the task is to lead Israel out of Egypt.

God says to Moses, "Come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."

What might you be called by God to do? What concrete task may God be calling you to?

Many people think that God only calls those people who become ministers but each and everyone one of us has a calling. There are a few of us that are fortunate enough to hear the calling and act on it. So, today, I am going to share my calling experience....

The movie Forest Gump talks about calling, only in that story they call it destiny. At one point in the movie Forest's mother is on her deathbed and she says to Forest, "We all have a destiny. I didn't know it but my destiny was to be your mama." To which Forest asks, "What's my destiny mama." She answers, "No body can tell anybody else what their destiny is. You're going to have to find that out for yourself. Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are gonna get."

Forest ends by saying, "Mama always could say thing in a way that made sense."

What is your destiny, rather what are you called to do?

Maybe you are being called to run a drama group for this church. Maybe you are the one to organize a group of players to enhance the worship services.

Perhaps you have gifts in fundraising. (St. Paul United Church just spent money on painting the outside of this church building. We did that with no fundraising, perhaps you are the one to organize the rest of us to raise the money for that expense.) Mary's not here today but if you looked at our books you would be the shoestring budget that this church is run on. Maybe you are the one to organize the rest of us to raise money for this church.

Or perhaps you are good at doing crafts and are being called to work with the children of the Sunday school or make a banner to decorate the inside of the sanctuary.

Maybe you are gifted in hospitality and you should be the person to welcome anyone new who comes to this church or sponsor a young family who just had their baby baptized.

There are many things to do. There are many specific tasks that you could be called by God to do.

Let us look for and see the burning bush in our midst. Let us hear God call us in our everyday routines. And let us answer the call to a concrete and specific task. And to God be the glory. Amen.

back to sermon index

"Miriam, get up," cried Aaron her brother. "The Egyptians are coming. Pharaoh has sent 600 horses and chariots after us. His warriors will be here by nightfall. I don't want to be a slave again. Get up Miriam. Get up. Move."

Miriam had dropped to the ground, exhausted. She was so tired. She and the others had been walking steadily since they left Egypt. A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night had guided them. But behind them came the Pharaoh's soldiers and before them lay a great body of water, the Red Sea. There seemed to be no escape.

"The cloud, the cloud. It's moving!" shouted one of the watchmen.

"Look at it," exclaimed another. "It's moving from in front of us to behind us."

"Perfect," cried another. "It will be so dark between us and the Egyptians that they won't be able to see us."

"It's so dark I'm frightened," screamed one woman who couldn't find her family. Sheep bleated, goats cried noisily, babies howled, and children wailed.

"Aaron, Aaron. Speak to God for us and plead our case," begged the terrified people.

"Moses, Moses, take us to safety," cried the people in panic.

"Miriam, Miriam, plead with the waters to protect us from our enemies," shouted the people in great fright.

It was so dark that no one saw Moses, their leader stretch out his hand over the sea. A mighty wind from the east came up and blew all night. It turned the seabed into a march. To see how firm it was, Miriam stepped on to the squishy ground. As soon as she took her first step, the waters divided and made a dry path. Everybody struggled to get across the firm land to the safety of the far shore as fast as they could. Fathers and mothers carried tents and food. Children helped the flocks of sheep and herds of goats. They all managed to get across before dawn. Then they sat down in the darkness and rested quietly.

Just before dawn, Moses again stretched out his hand over the sea. The wind went down. The waters returned to where they had always been. There was no firm path anymore. Everything was quiet.

Then, suddenly, someone cried out.

"I hear rumbling! Is it thunder?"

"It sounds like people screaming and shouting," warned another. "It's coming from the side of the sea we just left."

It was hard to see. The pillar of cloud covered the sea. Everyone was shouting, trying to make sense of what they were hearing.

"What's that crashing noise?"

"I hear horses neighing and men cursing. I think it's the Egyptians."

"They're trapped by the water."

The Egyptians' chariots were stuck in the marsh and the mud. They couldn't move. The drivers tried to turn the horses back to the shore, but the horses couldn't budge the heavy chariots. Finally, there was only silence.

This Exodus story is the central story of salvation in the Old Testament.

The confrontation at the Red Sea is a story about God; it is not a story about Israel or even about Egypt. The central point of the story is that the saving power of God is reliable and that consequently the people of God can be secure in the belief that God will indeed protect them.

God is a saving God to the ancient Israelites and to modern Israelis and to us, Christians today. God is a saving God. And, the saving power of God is reliable. We, the people of God can be secure in the belief that God will indeed protect us.

What will we do with this amazing security? What will we do with the security that God will protect us? How will be respond to God's amazing grace? What shall we do with our freedom?

In Canada, Labour Day marks a kind of a New Year. Children return to school, clubs and teams recruit new members and the church starts up Sunday School again and other activities that were put on hold during the summer. With new years come new opportunities and with the security that God is with us, we can take advantage of those new opportunities. We can teach Sunday School even though we may be afraid to - God is with us. We can sign up to read Scripture, even though we may be afraid to - God is with us. Or even more exciting and life changing, we can truly embrace the accepting and gracious love God has for us. We can be liberated from our fears, our guilt and our shame. Through God we can be slaves no more, we can indeed, be free. Amen.

back to sermon index