Readings:  Jeremiah 1:4-11 and Luke 4:21-30

Jeremiah and Jesus are large spirits who are a bit of a stretch for others around them.

In Jeremiah's time global political turmoil is putting the kingdom of Israel at risk.  People are afraid, and all the talk is about what political and economic alliances might save them.  The young prophet feels a calling to remind the people most involved in the political scrambling for power and survival, that they should really be focused instead on remembering God and discerning God's greater purposes for all people and nations.

Good luck with that message, some might say.

Jesus, in the reading from Luke, is home after a time of teaching and healing in neighbouring villages.  Welcomed back to his home synagogue, he uses the occasion to remind the members -- his old friends and neighbours, that his concern as a servant of God is for the redemption of all -- especially of outsiders, and for the healing of all Earth, even if it means letting go of home-town glory and local blessing.

Not what the congregation that day wants to hear from the home-town hero; they threaten to throw Jesus off a cliff.

But they don't, and to me that's an interesting part of the story.  When they get him to the cliff's edge, they let him go and he walks through them unharmed.

Does God's power shield him in some miraculous way?  Does the crowd decide in the end that even if he is a heretic and revolutionary, he is their heretic and revolutionary and they won't kill their own?  Or does his word touch something in them, and make them change and grow in some way beyond their first reaction?

Jeremiah also over time is more owned than dis-owned by his people.  Scorned and branded a traitor in his time because of his insistence on a politics of God's will rather than of power politics and economics, his writings and vision are nonetheless preserved and eventually honoured as scripture.  In some streams of Judaism, Jeremiah himself also comes to be regarded as the embodiment of "the suffering servant" of Isaiah's prophecies, the one through whose ministry the people are redeemed.

How does his vindication come about?

It's this sometimes surprising turn that people are capable of making towards embracing the larger issue of God's purpose in the world, even when we are fearful and tempted to obsess about lesser, more immediately self-serving concerns, that I intend to focus on this Sunday in our worship of God.

For Sunday, January 27

Reading:  Luke 4:14-21

In this story Jesus is just beginning his Spirit-filled ministry of teaching and healing.  After making a first tour of the synagogues of Galilee, Jesus comes home to Nazareth and on the sabbath is invited to read the Scripture for the day. 

He reads the appointed passage from Isaiah 61 in which the prophet affirms God's promise of restoring the people of Israel, setting them free from their bondage in order to rebuild their kingdom and be a light to all the nations.  It is a promise that Israel has lived by, and prayed for, for centuries.

After reading the passage Jesus sits down.  Then instead of offering a traditional sermon about the meaning of the promise, or a mildly comforting or inspiring explanation of how to continue to live by the promise even when it still seems so far from being fulfilled, he says, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled -- right here and now, in your hearing."

Does he mean it's being fulfilled specifically in him -- drawing attention to himself as the One who is God's anointed servant?  Or that it's being fulfilled in the people of the synagogue -- that as they hear the Word read, the Spirit of God's kingdom enters their hearts and lives in a new way?  Or that God is doing this work among all the people -- pouring out the Spirit of right-life upon all people, making a new way of being possible in all the world?

Or maybe all three?

In the story Luke is careful to quote the passage Jesus reads and refers to.  The Gospel makes sure that we know what part of Scripture and what promise of God comes true through Jesus.

Now ... imagine being Jesus for a moment.  You have begun the work of teaching and healing that you feel in your bones and that you can't help but be doing.  You're back home, and on the sabbath in the synagogue you're invited to read the scripture.

It's the promise of the rebuilding of the kingdom, so your people can once again be a light of God's glory to the nations.  You read the promise.  You sit down.  The words sound so true to what you see and feel happening in your own life, that all you can say is, "Yes!  That's exactly what's coming true.  That's the story we are living right now!"

QUESTION:  Is there a story of the Bible that seems to be "your story"?  One that always just seems to "be there" or to appear when you need it?  Or that maybe seems to catch your attention especially at this stage of your life?

Knowing what "our story" is, can help us to live it more deeply, and to a happier conclusion.

FOLLOW-UP QUESTION:  Or, if it's not a biblical story that's your (inspiring, guiding, present) story right now, what kind of story is it that catches your heart?  Where does it come from?

For Sunday, January 20

READINGS FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2013

John 2:1-11
I Corinthian 12:1-11
(The readings are reprinted in full below)

John 2

The wedding feast is an image in different parts of the Bible for the kingdom of God – the celebrative coming together of different families, tribes and communities in love, finding their perfection and completion in their integration with the other, and together creating the possibility for new life for all.

The new thing the Gospel affirms is that it comes in and with Jesus –that when we invite or include him in the feast and do what he says, and do as he says, the kingdom happens and we participate in it.

Questions:

When and where does this happen in our lives, in our church, in the world?

As who, and where do we see ourselves in the story? As guests at the feast just happy to receive what is offered by others? As Mary telling others to listen to Jesus? As the servants offering what they have, even though they doubt its value? As the chief steward overseeing and evaluating everything?

And if our church life is like a feast, what kind of feast is it? A buffet where we pick and choose just what we want? A traditional single-cuisine meal? A nice, light snack? A surprising pot luck spread?

I Corinthians 12

In Corinth, the feast of the kingdom was more than the church membership knew how to enjoy. Corinth was a cosmopolitan and cultured city, and people were accustomed to finding their own niche or society to belong to (professional guilds, philosophical societies, cultural communities, etc.) and then within that society or club to evaluate the different leaders and teachers and attach themselves to the one they liked. Church members carried this way of socializing and affiliating into the church, and the church in its rich diversity soon became an increasingly divided collection of separate groups which did not always value one another – not a wedding feast, maybe more a high school cafeteria with its in-groups and out-groups at different tables … cool kids that everyone admired, and nerds or geeks that were disregarded …rivalries between differing groups … occasional fights, bullying, etc etc.

 

It’s into this situation that Paul writes to teach them about the real meaning of their diversity, and the value of what each and every one brings to the table.

Questions:

Is there diversity in our congregation? Of what kind?

How is diversity received among us? Feared, or welcomed? Lamented, or enjoyed? Repressed, or explored and developed? Tolerated, or nurtured and celebrated?

THE READINGS:

John 2:1-11

2On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  ²Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  

³When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  ⁴And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?  My hour has not yet come.”  ⁵His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  ⁷Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.”  And they filled them up to the brim.  ⁸He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.”   So they took it. 

When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom ¹⁰and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk.   But you have kept the good wine until now.”

Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

 

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.  ²You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.  Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let

Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

 

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  ⁷To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

 

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  ¹¹All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For Sunday, Jan 13: Baptism of Jesus

THE READINGS:

Isaiah 43:1-7

43But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; 
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

³For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.

Do not fear, for I am with you; 
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

 

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, ¹⁶John answered all of them by saying,  “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”  ¹⁸So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people….

 

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, ²²and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a

dove.  And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

 Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.  ¹⁵The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit¹⁶(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).  ¹⁷Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

 

SOME BACKGROUND

Isaiah 43

Israel struggled with God.  When they lost their kingdom their faith was shaken.  Some thought God failed them by not protecting them from their enemies, and wondered about God’s power.  Others believed God was punishing them for their unfaithfulness, and wondered if God would ever favour them again.  Together they feared their history as God’s people had come to an end.  But the prophet offers hope of God’s continuing love and power through the difficult times. 

The references to Egypt, Ethiopia and Seba are reminders of the ancient exodus from Egypt and the first gift of the promised land when God saw the people through difficult times in the past.

Walking through water is a strong image in Israel’s journey with God – through the Red Sea in the exodus from Egypt, through the Jordan when they entered the land of Canaan, and now (about 700 years later) through the Jordan again as they return from Babylon to the land of Israel.

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

By preaching about the kingdom of God in language drawn from Isaiah, and offering baptism in the Jordan, John invites the people to remember and relive those old through-the-water journeys.  The message is, “Just as our ancestors journeyed through water out of Egypt and into the promised land – more than once, let us now also make that same journey from our old ways of being, into new and renewed life as the people of God in this land through the water of penitence and renewal.”

And then, the Gospels say, Jesus shows up as the one who offers not only a symbolic ritual, but the real thing – not only water as a symbol of rebirth and renewal, but the Spirit of God which is the power of rebirth and renewal.

 Acts 8:14-17

When the early church of Jesus began to spread out from Jerusalem into other areas, the disciples wanted to be sure the church remained a community of new and right life by the power of the Spirit.

 

SOME THOUGHTS

Jesus was around for thirty years, but we read almost nothing of him, his work and his message until his baptism at the Jordan.  Why does the story start then and there? 

Israel passed through the water to new life many times in their history.  Is “passing through the waters” a one-time experience in our life, or is it repeated many times over at different times andf stages? 

 Is there a difference between holy and unholy passages?  Between blessed and un-blessed passages in our life?

For Epiphany Sunday (Jan 6, 2013)

THE READINGS:

 

Isaiah 60:1-7

 

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
they shall be acceptable on my altar, and I will glorify my glorious house.
 
Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the Easr came to Jerusalem, ²asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”  ³When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.  ⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”  ⁹When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.  ¹⁰When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.  Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

SOME BACKGROUND

Isaiah 60 is a vision offered to the people of God who are returning to Israel after their exile.  Not only is the darkness lifted for them as they are restored as a people, they also become a light of new life and hope that attracts all nations.  Their joy is not only that they are saved, but that other people also come to share in the light and glory of God.

Matthew’s Gospel begins its story of Jesus with magi from the East coming to pay homage to the infant Jesus (2:1-12); it ends with the adult resurrected Jesus commanding his disciples to go into the world and make disciples of all nations (28:16-20).  The meaning of the whole story is contained already in its beginning; from beginning to end Jesus is a saviour not only for the chosen people and covenant community but for all humanity.  Every kind of seeker (even Babylonian astrologers, although astrology is forbidden to the people of God!) can find a way to the manger just as they are (note: the offerings of the nations in Isaiah 60:7, while not “kosher,” are still acceptable to God; and the gifts of the magi – traditional secular gifts for honoured people, are also acceptable), and all believers (the scribes in Herod’s court, as well as the disciples of Jesus) are called to help the seekers understand and find what they are looking for.

SOME THOUGHTS

From Isaiah 60:

“⁴Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you…

⁵Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice…”

And from Matthew 2:

“Where is the child who has been born…? For we…have come to pay him homage.” 

 It sounds like Christmas Eve worship at our church – people coming to see and hear the story of Jesus’ birth, to sing the carols of his coming, and at the end to stand together in and as the light of his appearing. 

For us, Advent and Christmas – and that service especially, is the beginning of the liturgical year.  So in the same way as the “Christmas story” already contains the whole of the Gospel’s message, is the meaning of our whole church year somehow contained in this beginning?  Is this service of helping other people see the light and offer what they have, the heart of what we do all year and to the end?

Like the people of Israel and like the first disciples of Jesus, we are surrounded by people who are not really part of the covenant community – not part of what we know as “the church.”

 But in their own ways – and even though their ways are not always “our ways,” are people around us also seeking God’s light and truth for the world?  Do they have gifts to offer that are acceptable to God, even though their offerings may not be “kosher” according to us?  And what is our role in their journey and in their offering?

 And one last question (in case the first ones don’t engage you):  If we were Mary and Joseph who welcome the magi into their house … if we were the first disciples who so happily tell this story of foreign astrologers coming to pay homage to Jesus … how would we feel about their not staying to become one of us?  Not choosing to settle in and become members of our community of faith?  Just coming to see Him, and then being on their way again?