Hope in despair?

Ezekiel, is one of the prophets of the old testament. The people of Israel are in exile. For people at this time God was tied tightly to the land that they lived in, so being outside of their land meant that they were distant from their God, remember the song By the Rovers of Babylon, it is based on a  psalm, which includes the words “How can we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?”. Another country's army beating them in battle meant that the other nations God was more powerful than the Israelites God. The people felt hopeless, they didn't know if they would survive as a nation. And God brings a vision to Ezekiel. A vision that speaks to the people of Israel on a number of levels.

The vision is of a valley of dry bones. During this time those defeated in battle were often not buried, but left for wild animals, this was another way of humiliating the defeated country.

The nation of Israel had been defeated, humiliated, and is now in exile they wondered what the future held.

I wonder have you ever felt that way, but things are going so badly that you just can't see a future at all. Can you remember a time when you lost all hope?

This is how the people of Israel were feeling. A few times in the last few weeks we've talked about our identity. Where do we find our identity, how do we live out our identity. Today is about how do we hold on to that identity and how do we rediscover it when life has changed so much.

In this vision Ezekiel speaks the bones come rattling together to form a skeleton, and then the sinews and muscles. And Ezekiel sees bodies where once there were bones. But there is still no life.

And God breathes into the bodies, and they come to life. This is similar to the creation story in the second chapter of Genesis where God makes people from dirt and breathes life into them . The breath of God is life-giving. The word for breath is ruach, the same as the word for spirit.

Right through this passage is Ezekiel listens to God, trusts God, speaks the word that God has given to him, and in the process sees new life, new hope for the nation of Israel.

Where are the places we see hopelessness and despair today? I see it in the faces of parents waiting at hospital with a sick child. I see it on the nightly news in the face of people living in war-torn areas. I see it in the body language of people who are stressed and tired. And I see it in the art that comes from children being held in detention centres.

The gospel reading we heard this morning also has images of resurrection. Notice when Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb it is the community who gets to unwrap the grave clothes. And yep, there is probably some smell.

As a community of faith, we are to be like Ezekiel listening for God's word, being open to the vision that God puts before our eyes. And we are to be like the people who unwrapped Lazarus, removing that which stops people from living life to the fullest.

Often I hear, and read, about the decline of the church. There may be less people going to church these days, but there is more to the Christian life than turning up to church on Sunday morning. As the people of God we are people who God has breathed life into.  The Holy Spirit dwells in us, is active in our lives. We are people who see hope when others see despair. We are people who are willing to go out of our way to remove the things that hinder fullness of life.

I sometimes wonder if the church is going back to a similar model to the early church, small groups of people meeting together to learn, to pray, to eat together, to encourage each other. What people noticed about the first disciples was the way they cared for each other and cared for those in the community who were outcasts.

What do people in this community notice about us?

In what ways are we bringing hope to those who are in despair?

who do we see

Reading through the passages this week I wondered how do we see people.  I know I sometimes hear people talking about the deaf man, or the paraplegic, or the diabetic or the asthmatic. It seems at times we are known by one element of our life. It may not be health related, it may be single parent, or refugee, or plumber, or parent.

If you were describing me to a friend, I can guess you would mention I am female, a minister, what next, I wonder?  Probably not my singing ability.

In the Old testament reading we are told that God does not look on the outside as people do, but on the heart. When we look at the person sitting near us this morning, what do you see…

What are their eyes like? Small, large, round, almond ????

Hair colour?

Clothing style?

Maybe a smile?

Now what do you see of the person, not their outward appearance, but what do you know and value about that person.

……….

I wish I had a mirror to give each of you at the moment, because I want us to do a similar exercise.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see…

Eye colour?

Hair colour?

Clothing style?

What do you like best about your appearance?

Do you have a smile for yourself?

Now what do you see, not your outward appearance, but what do you know and value about that person in the mirror?

[1 minute]

…

I know these are hard questions, but they are valuable questions.

My guess is many of you are uncomfortable thinking about what you value about yourself. Many of us grew up in a time when we were not encouraged to value ourselves.

As we move toward Easter, we are reminded of how much God thinks we are worth.

David was the youngest son, he was out minding the sheep. When Samuel asked Jesse to get all his sons, David wasn’t called in from the fields, not until none of the others was chosen. No-one was expecting David to be the chosen one, but God chose David.  God saw something in David that other people, even his family, had not recognised.

How do you think God sees you? what does God value about you? it maybe something no one else sees in you.

[1 minute]

…

I know another really hard question. For too long the church has been a place where people are told they are sinners, bad, incomplete, not good enough. Yes, we are all sinners, but that isn’t a label God pins in us to shame us.  

The people travelling with Jesus asked who sinned, the man born blind or his parents.  Here sin is a badge of shame.

Recently I read that we feel guilt when we perceive that we have done something wrong, and we feel shame when we feel we, in our being, is wrong or not good enough.

Well, the gospel tells us that we are made in the image of God, that we are loved, valued and precious to God and that we need not be ashamed of who we are.  I have met too many people who live with shame because of illness or some aspect of their life, often something in their past or their families past.  

We need to cut ourselves some slack. As I said earlier we aren’t perfect, none of us is perfect, but then God does not expect us to be perfect. The call, the challenge of the gospel is to love, to love as God loves us, to live in the way Jesus did – standing with the outcast, eating with the alienated, healing, liberating, knowing who we are in relationship with God.

To love other people, we need to know love, love of God, love of neighbour and, yes, love of self. We cannot value another person, if we don’t value our own life, our own personhood.

The neighbours of the man born blind weren’t sure if it was him after Jesus gave him sight. The focus had been on his blindness, without the blindness they didn’t recognise him as the same person.

How do we see people?

Or maybe that should be do we see, really see, people?

 [silence]

 As we sing our next hymn[1],  I want you to think about how you see yourself, as well as how you see other people.

---

[1] “Lord let me see, see more and more”  by Ross Langmead

What’s in a name?

 

My name is Patricia, because my grandmother wanted to call my mother Patricia, but my grandfather was worried it would be shortened to Pat, and people would think she was a boy, so I ended up with the name. Some families have names that are passed down through the generations.

In the local Engadine Pictorial, there is a series on how streets in the area got the name they have.

In exodus we hear that Moses called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord.

Even today places get named after events, such as Bicentennial Park.

I wonder what we would name this area, if it didn’t already have a name?

What would we name this church, we are Engadine Uniting Church, but if we wanted to give it a different name, what would that be?

Comfortable? Hope? Blessing? Apathy?

This past week has been designated by the Uniting Church as a week of prayer and fasting in solidarity with our indigenous brothers and sisters who are part of the Uniting Church. It is called Destiny together – a name which speaks of our interconnectedness. There was a gathering in Canberra with people from all over Australia, but only about 300 people in all. Maybe that is good for a Tuesday?

Tuesday evening there was a prayer meeting here and Wednesday evening at Carlton Ramsgate Church. Last night a celebration was planned at Sylvania. In the midst of the storm last night I was rung from Sylvania asking where people were – no one had come from around the Presbytery. Aboriginal people had come to tell stories and share music, and no one turned up.

I wonder what this says about our commitment to justice for indigenous people?

 

Moses could have named the area after anything, water, drought, rock, thirst, but he named it after the quarrelling people. We also have situations named after events we wish we could wipe out of our communal memories. Events like dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the name of the city is now synonymous with that event in history.

There is the stolen generation, which refers to a group of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders people removed from their families and communities because of government policies. We can try and rationalise why this happened, and how some of the people involved had the best of intentions; but by naming it as the stolen generation, we acknowledge the pain and hurt that occurred as a result.

 

Here is a creative version of the woman at the well.

http://vimeo.com/22823852

 

this woman, whose name is not recorded, is known by innuendo and gossip. She is isolated by fear and pain, it is too hard to be around people who look at her sideways and make comments under their breath.

I wonder how many of us here this morning are imprisoned by the pain of hurtful words and behaviours; of being told continually that we are stupid or dumb or clumsy – what does that do to a child, and the adult they become?

As we hear more about the Royal Commission into child abuse within institutions, we hear about the impact on people’s lives, not for a short period of time, but their whole life.

What pain do we carry that imprisons us, that haunts our lives?

I wonder what pain we have caused with our words and actions? Individually and communally? Who do we brush aside, treat as unimportant?

Which groups in our community are neglected, put down, treated with suspicion?

How do we name the people who attempt to get to Australia looking for a place of safety?

How do we name people who live with mental illness?

How do we name …..

 

I remember growing up we were taught:

sticks and stones may break my bones,

but names will never hurt me;

 

but we know differently now,

we know that names can hurt, wound, kill.

We know now about bullying, both in person and using social media; we know about abuse, neglect and violence that occurs within families and communities and churches.

We know that life isn’t always easy or fair.

How do we name injustice, poverty, domestic violence, child abuse.

And how do we name these issues in ways that offers inclusion, rather than  exclusion and isolation.

How do we name injustice and bring hope

How do we name, and help others to name the pain that imprisons them, and in the process offer liberation.

 

We cannot do these things on our won, but in recognising the presence of Jesus, by drinking deeply from the well of grace ourselves, we are able to be a healing presence, and people who show others the way to life giving water.

 

What do you need to rename?

Hymn/song : TiS 692 sometimes a healing word

which tune do we move to?

Did your Mum say you had to be home 10pm?

Is it really wrong to go over the speed limit?
I know it says no littering, but it is just an apple core.
"Did God say, you would die  …?"

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is out in the wilderness, and he is tested.   This passage is read at times as showing the importance of knowing some verses of scripture to keep temptation at bay, but notice the first 2 tests are also quotes of scripture.

Temptation doesn’t come with flashing lights saying danger, beware, turn back. Temptation comes disguised as opportunity, as realism.

Look at the temptations of Jesus –

• turn stones into bread,  go on, you’re hungry, why not?
• test God, go on, you are God’s son, surely God will protect you?
• you want to rule the world, I can help you with that, just worship me, and I will sort it all out for you…

a sermon I heard years ago, was about how we are tempted in areas of our strength. Me running a marathon, that is not a temptation, that is an impossibility. Me saying I will cook dinner for all of you tomorrow is a temptation, it is possible I could pull it off – but why would I? to show how clever I am? To show what a good cook I am?

These passages both ask – who or what do we listen to? 

Do we listen to the voice of grace and forgiveness in our lives?

Or do we listen to the voice of shame and guilt?

One of the questions I am frequently asked is: will God forgive me?

 The messages we get in our life are so often messages of failure, guilt and unworthiness, that we doubt that God will treat us any differently. Even though we hear the gospel each week, sometimes it seems it does not reside within us. What are the messages that you listen to, what messages do you allow to shape your life?, what are the words that stick!

 A quote I have put on my wall:

“It is the God we know, not the God we know about, that is ultimately of the most importance”

 The God I know, the God who I have felt in my life when I have been open to listening; the God I see in the gospel narratives about Jesus; the God I hear in the words of the prophets – this God speaks a message of good news. A message that reminds me of who I am – a loved child of God.

The challenge with being a loved child of God is that so many of the game rules for living are different.  No longer do we need to prove ourselves worthwhile, lovable, good looking or clever; no longer do we need to defend ourselves against insults; no longer do we need to show off our house or family or car.

 Being a disciple, being part of the body of Christ, is living to a different tune.  The tune we sing - the tune that our life moves to -  is one of service, mercy, forgiveness,  a tune of grace and love. No longer does our life move to the tune of greed, guilt or glamour.

 We choose which tune is the melody of our life.  It can be hard when we moving to a different tune to those around us.

Each day we are being challenged to leave behind the identity that God gives each one of us, and take on the identity of pride, guilt and failure.

Jesus chooses to live into his identity, he chooses not to play the game of self-fulfilment and short cuts to world power. Jesus chooses to march to God’s beat, to the kingdoms tune.

Which identity do we live into, which tune does our life move to?

T-fig mountain

A mountain top experience.

 Mountains figure in both of today’s readings. Moses goes up a mountain, Jesus takes the 3 disciples up a  mountain.

There are other stories in the Bible that include mountains – Elijah defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel [1 Kings 18:13]; Elijah and the still small voice ; Jesus and the woman at the well discuss which mountain to worship God on; the sermon on the mount that we have been reading the past few weeks; and many more. Mountains mean something important is happening.

We still talk about a mountain top experience, meaning something wonderful or amazing has happened; something life changing; something remarkable and out of the ordinary.

That the transfiguration happened on a mountain is not surprising.

The lectionary has this reading here, on the last Sunday before the beginning of Lent. So we hear this after the sermon on the mount and before the temptations in the wilderness. But in Matthew this scene is much later in the story.

There have been healings and feeding the multitude, Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, then Jesus foretells his death and resurrection, then ‘ six days later, …’; after coming down from the mountain, the next thing we hear about is another healing  and Jesus again tells the disciples he will be put to death and rise 3 days later. Only a few chapters over and we have the entry into Jerusalem that we call palm Sunday.

This is a thick, rich, dense reading. There is a lot in here we could explore.  So a few points to ponder:

·    What happened in the 6 days before this event? Are the 6 days symbolically related to the 6 days of creation? Does it relate to the 6 days Moses waited for Gods instruction?

·    Moses is then on the mountain for 40 days and nights – where else do we hear that number? 40 years in the wilderness after the exodus, and Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness before the temptations.  I doubt that calendars were that common :  40 refers to a long time.

·    Jesus took 3 disciples – I wonder how he chose which ones to take. Often we think they were the cream of the crop, but maybe they were the ones who needed to experience this to better know who Jesus was.

·    Jesus took 3 disciples, so on the mountain top there are 3 disciples and Moses, Elijah and Jesus – another 3.

·    The voice from the cloud said: “this is my son, my beloved; with whom I am well pleased” ; where have we heard this before? Baptism of Jesus by John [Matthew 3: 17]

·    The disciples were overcome with fear after the voice – not seeing Moses and Elijah, but after the voice – and Jesus touches them and told them not to be afraid. 

o  When we are full of fear,  are we aware of God’s presence with us? do we trust God is present even when we can’t feel that presence?

o  The importance of the power of touch – comforting another

For many people this is a Jesus they can relate to, a Jesus whose face shines, whose clothes are dazzling white. Jesus in his glory. Yet most of the time Jesus did not have dazzling clothes or a shining face; most of what we hear of Jesus is about travelling with disciples, healing people, including outcasts, teaching, feeding people. The other image people have of Jesus is on the cross, or resurrected. Each of these aspects of the life of Jesus add something to our understanding of Jesus.

Like our own mountain top experiences, we don’t live there, they are fleeting; and we need to get on with the everyday tasks of living.  Jesus tells the disciples both here and after the resurrection, to get on with living.

This morning we will share in the bread and juice during communion; a time where we become aware of the glory of Jesus, but also the life and death and resurrection of Jesus; a life full of love and grace; a life that healed and nurtured, comforted and challenged.  In communion, we too are aware of the touch of Jesus in our lives.

“This is where Jesus meets us--touches us--calms our fears--strengthens us--and takes us off the mountain back to the world with all its messes and problems to be signs of hope.” [i]

Which image of Jesus do we hold onto, the dazzling bright Jesus in all his glory?

Or the Jesus who changes lives – healing, feeding and loving?

What is the image of Jesus that people see in your life?

 

---

[i] Working preacher podcast, comment by John Anderson.

another way.

This week it was tempting to choose a different reading J

We have been reading through chapter 5 of Matthew’s gospel for a few weeks, Jesus is teaching the disciples, and we have heard and thought about: the beatitudes, the exhortation to be salt and light, then a series of “You have heard that it was said, … But I say to you …”

And this week,

If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other; if anyone sues you for your coat, give them your shirt; if a soldier orders you to carry his pack one mile, take it two miles.

This seems crazy.

Let’s take a closer look at this.

If someone hits you on the right cheek, with their right hand, they are trying to put you down, humiliate you. it is very difficult for them to hit your left cheek with their right hand, without it being a fist, and a fist would make you an equal.

The only people who would be sued for a coat were the very poor. Here again, this saying of Jesus is about showing up society for what it is. If you are suing someone for their coat, they don’t have anything else to give. The idea of giving them all your clothes, is that then you would be naked; and in this culture it was the one who caused you to be naked who was shamed.

The people of Israel were under foreign occupation. A soldier could demand that you carry his pack for one mile, this allowed for heavy packs to be carried, but it was only one mile, so the people would do it, rather than arguing with the soldiers. But what would happen if you did more than was asked?

Jesus is “ starting a revolution by calling the rules of this world into question and, at the very same time, redeeming this world that will put him to death.” [i]

Jesus was talking to the victims of oppression, the ones who were humiliated daily, the ones who were forced to carry a soldiers pack, the one being sued for the clothes on his back. Jesus is talking to the victims, the ones who cannot retaliate, because that would be suicidal.[ii]

People usually respond to threats in one of two ways: retaliate or submission. In these examples where the power relationship was so unequal, retaliation is not an option, so people were submissive.

But here Jesus is saying, there is another way. Not repaying violence with violence, not cowering in submission, but  responding without violence.

 How do we respond to people?

The second part of the reading is again about not retaliating – you have probably seen this with children:  A hits B, B hits A back, A Hits B  back, and on and on – it also happens in wars and family feuds, often long after the initial event has been forgotten.

The idea of an eye for an eye, was that you could not exact more from a person than the crime they committed. It was to limit punishment to what was ‘reasonable’. Of course it didn’t work that way, and here Jesus is saying: what does taking another’s sight, or teeth, or life get you?

Martin Luther King, Jr., a student of both Jesus and Ghandi, once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”[iii]

 Hate cannot drive out hate; fear cannot drive out fear; evil cannot drive out evil. 

Anyone watching the nightly news will know that death, injury, violence and oppression still happen.  A little over a week ago a boy was killed by his father while at cricket practice, a terrible thing to happen. But notice how the mother of that child spoke? She spoke of love, and how the father loved the boy, and how he was going through a difficult time. Not once has she blamed the man who killed their child, or the police. She has chosen not to retaliate and condemn, when it would be easy to do so.  

Then we get to the final sentence of the reading “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Not only do we turn the other cheek, not retaliate when provoked, but we need to be perfect???

No, the word translated as perfect is telos, which can also be translated as mature or complete. ^[iv]

“Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” ^[v]

 “Jesus lays before us the plans for the kingdom he proclaims and the revolution he starts. And so before joining either, we should probably know just what it is we’re getting ourselves in for!” ^[vi]

 Are we committed to living as radical disciples of Jesus, part of the revolution of love?

 

 

Revolution

(inspired by Matthew 5: 48-58, Luke 6:27-38)

 

The enemy:
love them
The oppressor:
walk the mile with them
The Master:
turn the other cheek to them

 

This doormat faith
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
always seem to win

 The enemy:
imbalance them with love
The oppressor:
shame the law that oppresses
The Master:
turn the cheek as an equal

This rebellious faith
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
are loved back to justice by the bullied

But this is heaven’s revolution
and we are called into it
come let us worship
 [by] love’s rebel, Jesus

 

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Mucky Paws. http://www.nkchurch.org.uk/index.php/mucky-paws

---

[i] David Lose Working Preacher 18 February 2014

[ii] Walter Wink, 4 May 2009

[iii] David Lose, In the Meantime, 13 February 2014

[iv] David Lose, working preacher, 18 February 2014

[v] The Message

[vi] David Lose, In the Meantime, 13 February 2014

compassion, healing and discipleship

It is a privilege to be here today, to celebrate with this congregation and with Annette, a new beginning in ministry together.  

On Friday afternoon and evening I was at a meeting that was asking the questions, what is the church like now? And what would we like it to be like in 5 years? We didn’t look at the overall picture, but at some particular areas,  like leadership, discipleship and worship.

One comment was that as a church we don’t have a clear definition of discipleship.  I am not sure if that is the case or not, but I am aware that there are some aspects of our faith and Christian life that are difficult to put into succinct definitions. A disciple is a follower, an admirer, a learner; but that doesn’t say much about what our discipleship does or could look like.

What is the life of this congregation like? Are you learning from Jesus, following his example of compassion? Are you working together to offer healing?

I wonder what it would look like if we as Christians, and this Christian community in particular, had the same compassion for people, for the ‘crowds’, that Jesus did? It says Jesus had compassion on the crowds because they were harassed and helpless.   Looking at the sheep and shepherd metaphor that Matthew is using here,  shepherds are quite concerned about sheep that are harassed, usually by a predator,.. it is still used by farmers out west, in the sense of wild dogs ‘worrying’ the sheep.  

Where do we see people hopeless, harassed and helpless?

Where do we see people in need of a shepherd for protection and guidance?

What kind of healing might this community be able to offer?  To people without hope, people who are ‘worried’ by life, people who don’t know where to get the help they need.

Jesus didn’t invite the crowds to go to church, Jesus sent the disciples out to the crowds, to offer healing, life and inclusion.

I suspect some of you will tell me that you can’t do this because of…. You are too young, too old, not got enough time, …..  fill in your own blank.  And some will say they are not capable, that they don’t have any gifts for ministry at all.

Here is some news for you! take a look at the disciples, really take a look at them – a motley crew, a diverse bunch, and one who would end up betraying Jesus.

While we are disciples, we are also the body of Christ. That means while we are in need of healing, Christian community can be the place where healing occurs. While we are learning, Christian community is a place where we teach by example as well as learn from others.

Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, with a task to do. We are strongest when we speak one message, when we all pull in the same direction.

Now to turn to Annette for a few moments. The reading from the letter to Timothy is a letter of instruction to a young leader, who is looking after a group of Christians. These days we would call him a minister – verse 14 suggests recognition by the church of his gifts for ministry. The Uniting Church has recognised and acknowledged Annette’s gifts for ministry, and you have recognised these gifts in calling her to be in ministry with you. that is with you, not for you!

But Annette is called to be a servant, not of the congregation or even the church, but of Christ Jesus.  Annette is here to serve Christ, and part of that serving Christ is offering leadership in this congregation and the wider church and community.  “ Do not neglect the gift that is in you,”  give time and attention  to your own spiritual life, so you can be the leader Christ calls you to be.

I encourage the people of this congregation to nurture your won spiritual life, and also to support Annette in nurturing her spiritual life.

I don’t know much about this congregation, though I have worshipped here occasionally when I have had a weekend off. And each time I have been here, I have been welcomed by people form this congregation. So my experience is that it is a friendly congregation.  At times I notice information about fair trade and even a fair trade stall – so that tells me you are people who are prepared to consider your everyday activities and how they impact on other people. There is much more to the story of who you are now.

And hopefully you have an idea of what God is calling this community to be like in 5 years’ time.

 Where are we now and where do we want to be in five years? And then the really hard question comes – are we prepared to do the work to make this happen?

As you and Annette move into a covenant, an agreement to work together as group of God’s people, who are part of the Uniting Church, I pray you will be a blessing to the people Jesus had compassion for, the hopeless, helpless and harassed.