Something about
stories I should mention; just because they are called stories doesn’t mean
they are made up. Also, because we see
and experience life differently,
sometimes our stories will be different; that is OK as well, each of us will
bring something different to the conversation.
We are people of
story. while the Bible has lots of stories, there is also an overarching
story. There are stories that tell us of
something of God's interaction with the world, and how people have interpreted the
world around them. There are stories from prehistory of creation and ark; there
are stories of war, famine, exile, return; there are poems, speeches, letters and a travelogue
or two.
There is also an
overarching story, a story of a God who is involved with all of creation, a God
who loves so much, that God will become human to show us how much we are loved.
Through this story,
we are connected to people through many generations and around the world, people
who have heard and told and retold and lived these stories. Stories transcend
time and space, yet we read them in our particular time and place.
Yesterday it was
Australia Day, and there are stories that go with that celebration. Stories of
mateship, living on the land, holidays by the beach, lamingtons and meat pies, sunburn
and surfing. Yet we don’t all experience Australia that way. Each of us will
have our own story of what it means to live in Australia. Stories of migration,
stories of land that has been in a family for generations, stories of inclusion
and exclusion. There are many stories of what it means to live in Australia, of
what it means to be Australian.
We each have a
story, stories that tell about our birth, our family, our culture, our faith.
This congregation also has its own story, probably more than one story; stories
that tell of how this congregation came into being, of how different people
have joined this congregation; of how and why people have left this
congregation; of the various ministries of the congregation, past and present.
This congregation
is part of the Uniting Church. The Uniting Church also has a stories of its
beginning, of conversations that begin in the early 1900s; of people asking what
kind of church is God calling us to be; stories of justice, of standing with
indigenous people, of struggling with what it means to be an inclusive church;
of multicultural congregations and worship in many languages.
In the reading from
Nehemiah this morning we hear of a nation which had been in exile, of people returning from exile and
rebuilding cities and towns. And we hear of Nehemiah and Ezra leaders, who
called people together to worship, to hear the word of God. After returning from
exile, the people wanted to hear again the scripture read. It wasn’t in a
synagogue, but in a public place so that all people, children and women as well
as men were present, could hear. And the people were moved by hearing the scripture
being read.
I wonder how often
you are moved to tears, or joy, when you hear the scripture being read?
Earlier I told you
one of my favourite stories: Gordon Wilfred MacDonald Partridge. To me this
story reminds me of the importance of community. Because communities help us to
remember the important stories in our lives.
Part of what we do
each time we gather together as a community of faith, when we come together to
worship, and in other ways, part of what we do is to remember who we are in
God's eyes. We again hear the stories of our faith, the stories written in the
Bible, and also stories of our life together, stories of how God is still
speaking to people today, of how God is still interacting in our lives today.
And when we gather
in a church, there symbols and signs that remind us of who we are:
-
the
baptismal font reminds us that we are people who are welcomed, cleansed, and named
as God’s precious child.
-
the
communion table reminds us that we are fed and nurtured, the table is reminder
of the meals that Jesus ate with his disciples and with others – tax collectors
and women; and we remember the last supper, and the words we hear each time we
celebrate the Holy meal together.
-
The
cross reminds us of the death of Jesus. It is a sign and symbol that unifies
Christians around the world. What was, and is, an instrument of torture, has
become for us a sign of grace and love, love so strong and so deep that even
death cannot deny it.
-
There
are other symbols in the church that remind us of our story, some churches have
stained-glass windows,
-
And
there are actions that are signs and symbols; such as the blessing and the
passing of the peace.
-
Another
aspect of our life together that can be faith affirming is each other, the fact
that we gather together to worship God, that we gather to hear God's Word read
and proclaimed, that we sing of our faith, and we pray for others and ourselves.
As a worshipping community we can also live and speak into the community around
us, being bearers of hope and peace.
The passage that we
heard read from Luke’s gospel this morning occurs in the synagogue, Jesus was reading
from the book of Isaiah:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour."
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour."
The ministry of Jesus, the life of Jesus, is part of God’s ongoing story
of love and grace, liberation and transformation.
If you were to write, in a few lines, what the essence of your life is,
would it be centred on God? Or country? [i]
In what ways does
your life speak good news, good news of the love and grace of God, good news of
liberation and transformation?
We take a few minutes
to reflect on what God is saying to us today.
