Living Saints

Tuesday was All Saints Day.

I wonder what do we think of when we talk about saints?

Someone with a day named after them, like St Patrick?

Can only dead people be saints?

In the Apostle’s Creed, which we say each time we baptise, we say the following:

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

And what is the ‘communion of saints’ that we say we believe in?

The communion of saints is about connection,

connection with God: creator, redeemer and Spirit;

connection with members of the congregation;

connection with Christians across the world and throughout history;

connection with the creation;

connection through participation in sacraments;

connection through participation in the activity of God in our everyday life.

And the source of that connection is God who lives and moves through the Holy Spirit.

The communion of saints is the people of God across time and space, known and nurtured through the gifts of God for participation in the activity of God in the world.[ii]

The Gospel reading set for All Saints Day this year is the Sermon on the Plain that we also heard this morning:

blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the excluded

Woe to the rich, the well fed, the laughing and the popular.

Not such a pleasant message.

Then the hard part:

love your enemies

do good to those who hate you

bless those who curse you

Turn the other cheek

Give away your shirt

‘do to others as you would have them do to you.’

Wow!

Makes one bride for 7 brothers look easy J

But does this tell us anything about Saints?

I wonder if Saints are people who live into God’s future now

A future where the hungry are fed

The lowly are lifted up

The rich go away empty and

the powerful are brought down

which may sound familiar… Mary’s Song of Praise, from Luke chapter 1.

you are part of the communion of saints

you are known and nurtured by the Holy Spirit

for participation in the activity of God in the world

We take some time to reflect on what God is saying to us this morning.

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[ii] This is the conclusion of an essay I wrote at college that drew upon multiple sources. 

resurrection life is not like this life

The passage we just heard about one bride for 7 brothers sounds weird to our modern ears. While technically it was feasible that a woman could be married to 7 brothers, one at a time, it is highly improbable.

But this reading isn’t about brides or brothers. This passage shows the increasing tension between the Sadducees and Jesus. The Sadducees were the group in charge of the temple. And the Sadducees took the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible as we have it, as their sacred scripture. That is the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, for the Sadducees, these were the books that mattered. As Resurrection isn’t explicitly mentioned, then it isn’t a part of their belief.  

In asking Jesus the question about marriage and resurrection, they are trying to show the absurdity of the idea of resurrection, and trying to catch Jesus out. ‘Their question is premised on the assumption that eternal life is an endless state of “more of the same.”[i]’

I have had people ask me, will someone with a disability still have that disability in resurrection life? The question makes the same mistake as the Sadducees, that is that resurrection life looks like this life.

Here is a story:

Story: Waterbugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children"

by Doris Stickney

From: "Waterbugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children"  by Doris Stickney  https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/belovedhearts/stories/doris-waterbugsanddragonflies-632617144169637500.aspx

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[i] David Lose, Questions About the Resurrection, November 04, 2013

Listening and Action

Another parable in a series recorded by Luke.
There are a few things to note about this parable.

“Lazarus is the only name given to anyone in Jesus’ parables;”[i]

The rich man did not notice Lazarus while when was alive, but now he is dead, he sees Lazarus and knows his name. But he sees him, not as an equal, but as someone who can do something for him. [ii]

For many of us this parable hits a nerve, a comfortable middle class, I have all I need nerve. This is challenging parable. But for some people, for the “Lazarus’s” of the world this parable is empowering and offers hope that things will not always be this way. [iii]

Luke isn’t saying that being wealthy is a bad thing of itself. We know the rich man is wealthy, he is called ‘the rich man’, but he also wears purple and fine linen, he lives in the equivalent of a palace, with gates and security. This all adds up to serious wealth!

There is nothing to suggest the rich man gained his wealth by exploiting people. The problem is that being wealthy isolated him from the community around him.

In the letter to Timothy we read: The love of money causes all kinds of trouble.

The passage we heard from the letter to Timothy this morning, not only warns us about the danger of loving money, but encourages us to be content with the basics needed for life, such as food and shelter.

The love of money and the focus on getting more money means we lose sight of who we really are.  In last week’s passage from Luke we heard that you cannot serve two masters, you cannot serve God and wealth. [Luke 16:13]

What will it take for us to recognise our wealth, not just our financial wealth – because if you have food, decent clothes, a place to live and transport you are in the top 15% globally[iv] – which means we are all wealthy; but we are also rich in non-financial terms.

We could look at images of heaven and hell in this parable; or what wealth looks like; but for me this parable isn’t about money or the afterlife. This morning I want us to explore the final part of the parable a little: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”’ [Luke 16:31]

What and who do we listen to?

Who do we see?

In the parable, Father Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers should listen to Moses and the prophets – who are the prophets today?

Who are the people who speak God’s word?

Who are the people who challenge any system that oppresses people, who challenge any system that sees people go without food and shelter and medical service and education?

The prophets in the Bible were a feisty lot, Isaiah and Jeremiah, Amos and Hosea, Micah and Malachi. Have you noticed that many of the prophets did not speak to individuals but to the nation of Israel and Judah, and at times other nations?

There are some comforting messages, but mainly speeches telling of the demise of nation because they haven’t lived in Gods ways. Forsake your idols and return to the Lord; return to God’s righteous ways and don’t make yourself rich at the expense of others; trust in God’s love.  

What will it take for us to really hear the prophets, to hear and act on God’s call to justice and righteousness?

When God speaks are we too busy looking after our assets; working extra hours; worrying about our looks and our status.

True wealth comes from faith in God. From listening to God’s word through Moses and the prophets, through the teaching and life of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit who guides and challenges us.

My experience is that hearing, and acting upon, God’s word can be difficult.  Sometimes we will be challenged to change the way we live. Leaving a secure job to start your own business or work for a church or charity.

At one time I was on an interview panel for a senior role in the Synod office. The people we interviewed were mainly from other church or not-for-profit organisations, so the pay we were offering was similar to their current situations, but some people were currently working in private industry, on much higher salaries than we could pay. But they were looking for work with meaning beyond the pay cheque. They are still well rewarded financially, but they could earn much more elsewhere.

What of other areas of our life?

When have you been challenged by God?

• to change jobs
• to move house
• to take up a new ministry
• to stand with the poor

How have you responded?

Some of you will know by now that I am slightly hard of hearing. In most situation it isn’t an issue, but when there is a lot of background noise, I can’t keep track of a conversation.  Sometimes my relationship with God is like that. There is so much background noise, the to-do list in my head, the last song I heard on the radio, going over a conversation and wondering if I could have handled the situation differently, the meeting next week, the report due in two weeks, and on and on…

Being available to hear God is one thing, but being willing to act is another.

I wonder what stops you from acting on God’s call to fuller life.

Fear if what people might think?

Fear of losing friends?

Fear of losing control?

Or is it that we just don’t trust God?

This parable is a story about a rich man who didn’t notice the poor man at his gate.

It is about a rich man who even in death saw Lazarus as someone to do fulfil his desires

It is about the gulf between life and death

But ultimately I think it is about where our values for living come from.

Are our values in agreement with the life and teaching of Jesus?

Do we listen to the voice of God, or the voices that tell us that the people with the most money and power win the game of life?

We will have some time for silent reflection.

[silence]

If there is anything form this that you would like to speak with me about, please let me know.

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[i] Lois Malcolm, Working Preacher

[ii] Barbara Rossing, Working Preacher

[iii] charwils2015 on RevGalBlogPals

[iv] https://irememberthepoor.org/3-2/

Cost and Clay

this week a short reflection on Luke, before the Prayers of Confession

Luke 14:25-33 

This section is part of the hard sayings of Jesus.

I can’t imagine living without God in my life, and at times I have, and I know I don’t want to do that again. But it does mean giving up some things – not because they are ‘bad’, but because God calls us to live in ways that are about life.

My parents didn’t go to church, and struggled with their ‘born again’ teenage daughter. I admit I look back now and see I was like many new converts – long on enthusiasm and short on grace. But I think even if I hadn’t spoken about religion, it would have still altered my relationship with my parents, and particularly my father. He didn’t want a religious daughter, so me going to church meant that I was different. I had changed. At times I had to choose between pleasing my parents and doing what I thought was right in my relationship with God. Those decisions were not easy.  

A few weeks ago I was listening to an interview with one of the Olympians. The athlete described how being an elite athlete was a very selfish thing to do, missing holidays, birthdays and being overseas, training and competing, much of the year. Family and friends came after training and competing. To be an Olympian you need to be that focussed.

This is what Jesus is saying here. There was the risk that the people who followed Jesus would only see the ‘high points’ of faith. They witnessed healings and miracles, yet if they did not think about the cost of being a disciple, it is like thinking being an Olympic athlete only involves the race and medal ceremony.

“Discipleship is not just one more hobby or extra-curricular activity.”[i] Following Jesus has to be more important than anything else in our life, and requires the focus of an elite athlete. That doesn’t mean we can use discipleship as a reason to neglect family or work responsibilities. But there will be times when we need to make a choice because of our decision to follow Jesus. And those choices will not always be easy or popular.

Jeremiah 18:1-12

This reading from Jeremiah lends itself to thinking about the ways in which we are shaped by God. I usually think of this as a gentle, loving process. Of being made into something unique and beautiful. But reading this passage this week, I sense another side to the image God as the potter.

Clay in hand

“People of Israel, don’t you realise that I can do with you just what the potter has done with this pot. Watch the way the potter works, people of Israel, and remember that you are like clay in my hands. If I speak to a corrupt nation and threaten to tear it out by the roots and crush and demolish it, and it takes note of what I have said and mends its ways, I will change my mind and give them a fresh start. If, on the other hand, I tell a nation that I am planning to build them up with strength and life, and they turn around and become callous and cruel and take no further notice of anything I say, then I will abandon my plans to do anything good for them.
So then, Jeremiah, go now and give the people who live in Judah and Jerusalem this message from me: I, the LORD, am taking you in hand like a potter taking clay, and I am planning to flatten you; to crush you completely. The only way to persuade me to change my mind is to turn around right now; to mend your ways and clean up your act.”

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Before clay is fired, it is able to be made and remade many times.  The more clay is handled the more flexible it becomes. But at the beginning, it is hard work getting the clay to move and take shape.

The prophet Jeremiah is not speaking to individuals, but to the nation. Clean up your act! I can build you up or destroy you.

And the basis that God will make that decision on?  When is a nation evil?  

Matthew has a story of the judgement of the nations in chapter 25 [25:31 – 46]. Do you remember what was judged?

‘I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’ [The Message]

As a nation do we live up to this standard?

Do we provide for the hungry and thirsty, here and internationally?

Do we provide homes, clothing and shelter for those in need?

Do we work to make health services available to all?

And do we make prisons safe and appropriate?

In recent weeks we have seen the mistreatment of teenagers in youth detention in the Northern Territory,

we have seen the high percentage of indigenous youth in prison,

we have seen the reports of the abuse of people in detention on Nauru

and there are the continuing stories of violence and war

of women being forced into marriage or becoming sex slave

of teenagers and children being kidnapped and made to fight.

At times it seems like we live in a very messed up world.

There is some signs of hope:  

In the last generation, humanity has made great progress in shaping a more just and equal world:

·    global poverty has been cut by 50% in the last ten years

·    the number of people who have access to clean water has doubled

·    the number of children dying every year has been dramatically reduced and

·    the number of women dying during childbirth has nearly halved

Together, through Australian Aid, we’ve all played a part in this story.^[i]

Where does this leave us today?

A beautiful image in the psalm of being known and loved and valued by God

The image of a potter, a reminder that we can work with, or against God,

And the Gospel that tells us that while grace is free gift, discipleship is costly and will demand us to make choices.

Shortly we will participate in Holy Communion, we hear again that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread and wine and shared it with his disciples.
We are part of that ongoing tradition,
of hearing the story,
of giving thanks,
of taking the bread and the cup,
of being renewed and refreshed,

Of giving ourselves over to God, again and again.

Prayer: The Clay of Our Lives

Take the clay of our lives and shape it to love
Take the clay of the church and shape it to grace
Take the clay of the world and shape it to peace
Take the clay of today and shape it to hope

And then breathe your spirit into all
again

For ever and ever
Amen

~ written by Cheryl Lawrie, and posted on [hold this space]. http://holdthisspace.org.au/

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[i] https://www.oxfam.org.au/what-we-do/aid-and-development/campaign-for-australian-aid/australias-aid-effort/

[i] David Schnasa Jacobsen, Working Preacher

Faith is ...

The book of Hebrews is considered to have been written to Jewish Christians encouraging them to hold to their confession of Christ as Saviour and Lord, rather than lapsing back into Judaism, because they were being persecuted. [NRSV, Zondervan, intro to Hebrews]

In the passage from Hebrews ‘faith’ is mentioned 6 times in 9 verses, so I guess it might be important.

What do you think of when you hear or read the word faith? Certainly people of faith are not perfect, look at Abraham, this hero of faith, he doubted God’s promise, he passed his wife off as his sister, and he slept with his wife’s servant because he didn’t believe God’s promise. Abraham doesn’t sound like much of a hero to me.

What do we mean when we talk about faith?

If you had to define or describe faith in a phrase or sentence, what would you include?

[Responses?]

Here is a dictionary definition:

A strong belief or trust in someone or something

A belief in the existence of God: strong religious feelings or beliefs

A system of religious beliefs

[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith]

Then there are lots of quotes about faith.

Slide 1:	Trapeze – no words
Slide 2:	Faith is acting like it is so, even when it is not so, so that it might be so, simply because God said so.
Slide 3:	I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only makes sense in reverse.
Slide 4:	Faith is like Wi-Fi, it’s invisible but it has power to connect you to what you need
Slide 5:	Faith tells me that no matter what lies ahead of me, God is already there.
Slide 6:	Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly.
Slide 7:	Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.  Martin Luther King Junior
Slide 8:	Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1

While the dictionary has faith as a noun, I like to think of it as a verb. After all, I was taught that verbs are doing words. Surely faith is a doing word, faith moves us to action.

And action is what Jesus is talking about in the Luke reading.

“Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action and with your lamps lit,”

This is about being ready to respond when God calls you to action. Being ready to respond to an opportunity to share the good news. It is like a car engine, you need always have petrol in the tank or the car won’t travel very far.

We need to be ready to respond to the call of God to live gospel values and actions: healing, justice, love, grace, peace, etc Erick J. Thompson working preacher

We say we live by faith, how does this show in our lives?

By faith Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice

By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death

By faith Noah,… respected the warning and built an ark

By faith Abraham obeyed

By faith Isaac invoked blessings

By faith Jacob blessed each of the sons of Joseph

By faith Moses was hidden by his parents

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea

Bu faith the walls of Jericho fell

And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. NRSVA 11: 32-34

Living by faith, doesn’t mean being perfect.

It means hearing the call of God

Offering hope to the disillusioned

Peace to the heartbroken

Being ready to speak and live the good news of life in Christ Jesus.

This morning we meet around the table sharing in the good news of God’s love.

Where do you need God’s healing?

What will you take out into the world this morning?

Greed and the Good Life

What would you do if you were given 100 million dollars?

·    Pay off the mortgage

·    Help out your children and grandchildren?

·    Go on a holiday?

100 million is a lot of money, I can think of what to do with one million, possibly 2 million, but more than that, I would have to think really hard about what to do with it all.

Those of us who grow fruit and veggies at home know that some years there is an abundant crop, and some years very little. What do we do with the excess crop – most people I know preserve some and give some away. I know when we were growing chockos, we would take them to church and everyone had ample. At the moment there is a box in the foyer at Umina with some oranges and lemons for people to take.  

The farmer in the parable is often known as ‘the rich fool’. As a landowner he is well off, and now the rain and sun have worked their magic and a bumper crop is on the way.

In the story of Joseph in the Old Testament, we read how he built bigger barns to store grain during the 7 fat years, put it away for the community during the 7 lean years.

But this farmer doesn’t store the grain for the community, he stores it for himself, so he no longer needs to work. The man is called a fool, not because he had a bumper crop, not because he stored the grain, but because he was selfish.

What matters isn’t what is in the bank account, but what we do with the resources we have. Do we spend wisely, share generously and live compassionately.  Remember Herbert in our story, he had the treasure, but all he did was worry about it, he didn’t benefit from it, in fact he lost his relationship with his brother and he lost sleep.

It seems at times like the Bible speaks against being financially well of, but it doesn’t. It speaks against relying on wealth instead of God, it speaks against the focus on money, it speaks against greed.

By greed I am not meaning having enough to live, but the way we place emphasis on having more for the sake of having more.

Greed hurts us, because it blinds us to what God has done and is doing in our lives.
Greed hurts us because it cuts is of from relationship with others and with God.
Greed hurts us because we are unable to see the riches of God,
 salvation,
redemption,
freedom.

We live in a culture which promotes the building of bigger barns - larger houses, expressways for private vehicles rather than improving public transport for everyone; we encourage people to prepare for the future, to accumulate, to hoard. We spend time and energy counting and securing our treasure. We look to give our children an advantage over other children, to give ourselves an advantage over those who might be in competition with us for work or housing or prestige.

When did life become a competition rather than co-operative?
it was amazing to watch the grand finale of Master Chef last week, when one contestant helped another in the last few minutes of a 5 hour cook off.

We build walls around ourselves, physical and emotional walls, so that we feel safe. Yet we are all diminished as humans. In the story of the creation, God realised that people were not to live without relationships.

The person who came and asked Jesus to judge in a family dispute wanted more. When we are looking for more resources what inadequacy are trying to fill? When we try and hold our things close to us, when we try and get more, when we spend our time and energy and money on getting and keeping resources, what are we missing out on?

Because in the end our security comes from God, our life is a gift from God.  Jesus said: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

It is easy to get hooked into the expectations of the society we live in.
it is easy to get caught up in wanting more.
It is easy to look to possessions to make us
feel whole,
to feel secure,
to feel worthwhile.
And we end up on a treadmill of always wanting more.

How much of what we own, actually owns us. The bigger our houses, the more cleaning there is to do. The more expensive our car, the more we worry about getting it damaged.  And if you have a backyard pool, you need to spend time on keeping it clean and the water treated and tested. And all that can take time away from our relationships.

Jesus said: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

The value of our lives is not determined by our possessions or our bank account or our status. Each person is precious in the sight of God.

Here is a paraphrase of some of the Colossians reading:

If you are fair dinkum when you say you have been raised to new life with Christ, then commit yourself to the things that belong to such a life. Look to Christ — God’s right hand man — and take your cues from him. Concentrate on the things that matter to Christ, and don’t let yourselves get hooked into the agendas that preoccupy the world around you. Your old life is behind you — dead and buried — and your new life is intimately bound up with Christ, and lived in God. The full reality of this new life is not visible to the general public yet, but it will be. Because your life is now bound to Christ, when Christ makes his triumphant return to the public stage, you will be there with him, in all your glory, for all to see.
........So, since your old life has been extinguished, make sure you stamp out any remnants of it that might spark up within you and set it off again. Don’t char your sexuality with trivialised, loveless flings. Expel the fumes of moral contamination. Douse smouldering compulsions. Remove anything that might fuel greed, because after all, greed is just another form of idolatry. God is getting ready to deal with those who have been defiantly allowing these sorts of things to burn out of control. You were once implicated in all this, because those things were all part the kind of life you used to live. But now you must purge yourselves of all such things — bitterness, vengefulness, spite, slander, and any tendency to mouth off in ways that insult and humiliate others. And don’t lie to one another. Dishonesty may have been a natural part of the old persona you all once wore, but you’ve stripped all that off, along with all its accessories, and decked yourselves out in a whole new persona. The new you is becoming more and more like your creator as your minds are reconstructed and your understanding grows. In this renewed life, we are no longer divided up into factions based on our backgrounds. It no longer makes any difference at all whether you were from this ethnic group or that, one religious tradition or another; whether you were educated or illiterate, refined or rough-nut, welfare dependent or money-to-burn. Every possible distinction among you is rendered irrelevant, because now Christ is in all of you and all of you are in Christ.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

“Christian faith is not about a religious adventure on the side of daily life, but about a total orientation of one's being in which, through Christ, God is back being God for us, and we are back to being human in the way we were made to be.” Bill Loader

distractions, expectations and God's judgement

this week's newsletter column:

Our gospel reading for today is Luke 10: 38-42, Jesus is welcomed into the house by Martha, who busies herself with meal preparation. Her sister, Mary, sits with the disciples, listening to Jesus.

Being a good host requires us to listen to our guests and to provide for the needs of our guests. Being a good host finds the balance between these things. Martha fulfils the role assigned to her by her culture, proving for the physical needs of others, but she misses out on time with Jesus.

We read that “Martha was distracted by her many tasks.”

How often are we distracted by a list of things that need doing?

It could be appointments; contacting friends and family; household chores like washing and cooking and cleaning; work; study; etc.

We hear a lot about work life balance and how hard it is for some people to achieve, especially with long commute times. 

But I wonder about our faith balance?

We need to listen, to pray, to read the scriptures; but we also need to put our faith into practice, to serve, to witness. Christianity is about being loved by God and loving others.

What this might look like for our congregation as a whole? How much time and energy do we spend on looking after buildings, balancing the budget and keeping the doors open? Are these tasks a means of enabling us to participate in the life God wants for us and the people round about us and beyond us, or are they a distraction holding us back from that life?

What would life look like if we broke free from the constraints of what we ‘should’ do, and be the person God made us to be? Not as a way of avoiding responsibility and service, but living as the person God made us to be.

I encourage you to reflect this week on who God made you to be, and what distracts you from being that person. 

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sermon one: Amos 10: 1-18

This passage from Amos begins with another vision. Last week it was the plumb line, showing how the people of Israel had moved away from the ways of God. This week the vision is of a basket of fruit. The paraphrase we heard this morning picks up the wordplay from the Hebrew. In Hebrew the word for ‘summer fruit’ and ‘end’ sounds similar, just as quince and quits sound similar. [Blake Couey, Working Preacher]

Why is God calling it quits with Israel?

Because of the way Israel is treating people.

Sometimes we don’t see the connection between how we live and the lives of other people, or the health of creation.

While the book of Amos is dated around 750 years before the birth of Christ, the themes are ones that are familiar to us today.

This was a time of relative stability and affluence in Israel, but this was also a time of corruption.

We live in a time when coal mining is killing the Great Barrier Reef.

We live in a time when child labour means we can buy cheap clothing.

We live in a time when shops are open almost every day of the year, and some retail businesses want to be open every day.

We live in a time when truth in advertising is a joke.

We live in a time when the rich can get loans with little interest but the poor pay over 150% interest.

For example, one online lender, will loan between 150 and 2000 dollars for 9 weeks – no credit check.  “The establishment fee is 20% of the amount borrowed. The monthly fee is 4% of the amount borrowed” If you borrow $1000, you pay $1320 over 9 weeks. 184% annualised interest rate. [http://www.sunshineloans.com.au/?gclid=CMHLoNHp980CFUNvvAodw4AIWg]

“Corporate fraud, exploitation of the poor, and ecological disruption are all consequences of the drive to maximize profit at any costs. People who live on the margins often suffer disproportionately from environmental abuse.” [Blake Couey, Working Preacher]

Just as in the days of Amos, almost 3,000 years ago, so it is today.

What can we do?

I have tried and it is very time consuming to check out the manufacturing trail for each item of clothing or food or homeware.

But we can make some changes:

·                     We can support people who are harassed because of their gender or colour or religion

·                     We can buy fair trade items when we see them – it is relatively easy with tea, coffee and chocolate.

·                     We can join with groups working for a fairer society.

·                     We can write to politicians and retailers

·                     We can stop expecting $5 t-shirts

“I, the LORD, swear on the Bible you so proudly wave,

........that I will not forget a single one of your mongrel actions.” [©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net]

God will judge us, not on how often we hold the Bible, or quote from the Bible, but on how we live out the love of God in action. 

followed by this hymn   http://www.newhymn.com/160ChooseLife.htm


sermon two: Luke 10: 38-42

Distractions, this is something I know about. There are often multiple things going on in my mind at the same time that is one reason I ask you to write me a note rather than tell me something at the church door on a Sunday morning.

Or I jump from one thing to another and another, and then back again.

One of the problems with mobile phones is that people walk around looking at the screen instead of where they are walking.

We live in a world where it is easy to be distracted:

Distracted by latest Hollywood romance

Or the crisis in almost any team sport

Or how the floor needs washing

Look at this picture  [Mind Full or Mindful]   https://sites.google.com/site/mbct4yppcdevon/_/rsrc/1378978316924/do-you-want-to-know-about-mindfulness/Mind-Full-or-Mindful-my-web-1.jpg

Are our minds full, full to overflowing; or are we mindful, aware, of that which is going on around us.

This week there was story in the Sydney Morning Herald about a young man from Port Macquarie. At age 16 Riley Bennett was told by a high school adviser he should train as a baker. He is now in third year of Medicine at the University of New South Wales. http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/dont-sell-yourself-short-%E2%80%93-no-limits-indigenous-medical-horizons

This reminded me of the way our society puts expectations on us – to be pretty or brainy or strong or to not get ahead of ourselves.

When many of you were growing up, it was expected that after getting married a woman would not take on paid employment, at least not until the children were at school.

There is an expectation that people moving to Australia only do the jobs that no-one else wants to do. They should be grateful to be here.

We are all subject to expectations. Remember the story I told a few weeks ago, about the Wemmicks and grey dots and gold stars – these were used to label people and judge people.

Martha invited Jesus into her house – that is what Luke writes, it was Martha’s house. Even though Martha is the head of the house, she is still bound by the expectation that a woman will prepare food, and make everyone comfortable. Her sister Mary, who I can only imagine is a younger sister, sits with the disciples – but only men can be disciples,
…  well isn’t that the way it works???  

And why isn’t Mary helping in the kitchen like a good woman??

Expectations can keep us confined, to a place, or a state of mind.

I wonder what part expectations played in the high school advisor’s recommendation to Riley Bennet to be a baker, rather than look to University study. Riley Bennett is aboriginal.

We read of families where two or three generations are unable to find work – is this because people write of the family, or in the case of Mt Druitt a few years ago, a whole school?

Or is it that poverty keeps horizons low? When you are looking for how to pay the next bill, university education for your children just doesn’t seem possible. And it is increasingly difficult for people from lower socio-economic groups to go to university.

Mary broke the expectations society placed on women, she acted like a disciple. But she was also a gracious host. When you go and visit someone, you don’t want them to spend the whole time in the kitchen. Being a host means providing for the needs of your guests, but also to be with them.

Jesus saw Mary as a disciple.

Jesus said Mary has chosen the better part.

One commentator writes:

“Mary and Martha cannot be about the better thing that means who is better, who acts better, who can be better.

The better thing is the invitation to believe that you are who God sees you to be.

And that is precisely our problem. An inherent, systemic, omnipresent, ingrained, intrinsic, dysfunctional, disturbing belief that not all are worthy of God’s regard and love. The conviction, as Paul Farmer says, “That not all are not equal in God’s eyes. That all are not made in the image of God.” [Karoline, Working Preacher]

Do we really believe that everyone is created in the image of God?

Do we think that we are more worthy of God’s love and grace than someone else?

Riley Bennett told the Sydney Morning Herald:

“While students were sometimes underestimated by those around them, others limited their horizons by underestimating themselves"

http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/dont-sell-yourself-short-%E2%80%93-no-limits-indigenous-medical-horizons

The better thing is the invitation to believe that you are who God sees you to be.

What are our expectations of women, indigenous people, refugees, Muslims?

What are the expectations that bind us?

What happens when other people move outside of our expectations?