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Bible Text: Deuteronomy 18: 15-22 and Mark 1:21-28 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

An internal memo from Western Union in 1876 read, “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM computers stated in 1943, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” In 1962 Decca Recording Co. rejected the Beatles stating, “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” And finally, Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corp said, “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home” in 1977. It is almost tragic now to think of these poor people having no ability to imagine what our future could look like.  In the case of Thomas Watson or Ken Olson, these were even people in the industry! Certainly, upon reflection we could say that they were not very prophetic in their comments. Based on our Deuteronomy passage they would be categorized under “not a prophet”.  What amazes me is that there are still people who do have the imagination to see things through. Again, based on our Deuteronomy passage inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists and artists are essentially modern prophets; facing down these challenges, following up with a hunch, expressing a passion even before it’s time. Yet, being a prophet does not mean seeing into the future per se.

Within our Scriptures prophets do not simply tell the future; in fact most prophets did not fortune tell at all. Some made educated guesses based on the political environment, some were called to certain tasks, and all had a connection to the divine. Just before our Deuteronomy passage there is a clear explanation of what prophecy is not. Deuteronomy 18:9-14 is very clear on what is not prophecy and therefore not proper behaviour for the Israelites. It does not involve sacrifices of children, it does not involve divination or soothsaying or an augur (which often involved observing the behaviour of birds to seek approval for the future). Prophecy does not cast spells or consult with the dead for advice. The point that is being made in this version of Moses’ closing speech is that they are about to enter a territory in which the local people, the Canaanites, do participate in these kinds of things, and if they, the Israelites, want to stand out, or have their own identity as God’s people, then they must separate themselves from this kind of behaviour. What is rather intriguing is that not only are all these things religious practices of the Canaanites, but also this form of prophecy seeks to control the future either by the ability to predict it or by attempting to manipulate it. That is not the kind of prophecy that God wants.  The writer of Deuteronomy is saying that any attempt to gain security by predicting the future goes against the very nature of God, because it is a form of manipulation.

Our reading from Deuteronomy then explains that a new prophet, like Moses, will rise up among them. I find it fascinating that finally, at this stage in his life, in fact, at the end of his life, Moses is able to say that he is a prophet. Note that he does not have the characteristics that we often associated with prophecy. He was a reluctant leader, who had been living in exile following an accidental murder, and even still a prophet was raised up. And Moses never once predicted the future; rather he focussed on bringing God’s word to the people in their present circumstance. He then modeled that word through example.  Many future prophets will also be reluctant to take on their prophetic duties, and all will speak about God’s concern for the people in their present situation, and will live by example.

Prophets studied the tradition of the law, and therefore any revelation did not come from speculation about the future, but rather focused on the law and what it meant in providing a meaningful system for living. Essentially Israel’s prophets were motivational writers and/or speakers. They could receive communications from the divine, sometimes in words, sometimes in visions, sometimes through wisdom. They functioned as intermediaries between the human and divine worlds.   Some represented humans to God and others represented God to humans. As author David L. Petersen says, “Prophets were truly boundary figures, standing between the world of the sacred and secular.” In this way one could argue, like many religious traditions do, that Jesus was a prophet, an intermediary between us and God. However, our Gospel passage demonstrates that he was much more than that.

As twenty-first century readers we struggle with some of the imagery. And it should be noted that past generations of scholars have struggled with unpacking the story of exorcisms as well. We should also be aware that first century people would blame a headache on a demon- which is sometimes what I feel when a migraine hits, but my logical self tells me it is usually brought on by stress or lack of sleep or food or certain smells. Instead of focussing on whether demons take possession of people or not, because I am sure there are many in our modern world who feel that evil does compel people to do and say awful things, I would rather look at what this passage teaches us. The story declares Jesus’ true identity- that he is more than just a prophet. It demonstrates Jesus’ God-given authority and power. Jesus’ teachings are clearly a little unorthodox because it states that “he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” People expected someone who followed the same pattern as Moses- they expected a prophet who spoke with reluctance and instead they find a man who speaks with authority. Then Jesus liberates a man who is enduring pain. This Gospel story’s message is that knowing about Jesus’ teachings are transformational.

You know, today is our anniversary Sunday and it occurs to me that our church, certainly when it was beginning was filled with some amazing prophets. It must have seemed crazy to start a church in an era when decline was already a reality for the denomination. I have read in reports that when the church was built on this site that members of the community thought it was an awful place to build because it was in the “middle of nowhere”, due to the fact that at the time most of the houses that surround us now were not built. It took courage, wisdom, trust and of course, faith, to begin this church and build this building. None of us have the ability to see into the future, but because we have been transformed by Jesus’ teachings we do have prophetic duties. We attempt, sometimes reluctantly, to create a place, a boundary space, in which the secular and the sacred meet.

I like the phrase, hindsight is 20/20, meaning we can have perfect vision when we look back on events- that it is easy to be knowledgeable about an event after it happens. It is easy for us to look at the comments of those in the past and laugh at how wrong they were, yet I am sure that we are limited by our imaginations about what the future will look like in years to come. I wonder, how many of us, myself included, would have the courage, wisdom, trust and faith to start a church today. I know many of you are thinking, we certainly don’t have the energy! But then, in truth, building a church doesn’t end once the congregation is established or the building is up. Of course we are being asked to start a congregation, by renewing this one. And maybe that will happen in a way that looks completely different than what we think- we can’t see into the future- but that’s not our job. Instead, like Moses, we are to focus on bringing God’s Word to the people in their present circumstance. We have to overcome the evil in this world through the power of Christ’s authority and preach about God’s love. Amen

Bible Text: Mark 1:14-20 and Jonah 3:1-5, 10 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

From the ages of about 9 to 17 I had the great privilege of being able to spend a week each summer at our extended family’s cottage on Lake Muskoka. It could be found just down the road from the small village of Torrence, between Bala and Gravenhurst. Unfortunately I didn’t appreciate the experience as much as I should have because I often found those long summer days boring. Ironically the one activity that seemed to break up the boredom for me was fishing off the dock, solely for catch and release purposes because the fish we caught off the dock were most often Rock Bass or Sunfish. While I have not maintained the pastime of fishing since entering adulthood, I do recall that just sitting on the dock with the line in the water was enough to entertain me for a few hours. In fact, it was the best way to pass a drizzly day because, despite the rain, the fish were always biting best on those days. I’d be lying if I said that spotting those fly fishermen on the Puntledge River, or watching the fishermen at the marina in Campbell River don’t remind me of those carefree days on summer from my youth. It might be nice to spend some time sitting on a dock, fishing.

Today we hit a very brief passage in the Gospel according to Mark about some very important fishermen. Last week we had two incredible calls by God, first to Samuel in the form of a voice calling in the night. Then as a dove coming down from heaven and a voice declaring, “This is my Son!” But today in contrast to those beautifully crafted and long passages, we have this short and stark passage recording the call to the first disciples. It simply states that Jesus was passing along the Sea of Galilee, saw some siblings and called out to them to follow him. But within these brief lines are some very interesting observations.

If we thought that the call to the disciples was short, we need not look far to find Jesus’ shortest sermon. It is all of one verse long. Just before Jesus calls the disciples Jesus proclaims, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.” Actually, this one verse points out a few important key preaching concepts. Keep to the basics, keep it short and have three points. I have to admit I tend to ignore most of those preaching rules. There’s no denying that it is a direct message. The time is at a crisis point and the kingdom of God is approaching. But this brief passage sets up the stage for the rest of the Gospel. In the next 16 chapters people would learn just how close the kingdom of God is, would repent, and would have faith, all because they encounter Jesus. The brevity of this sermon then sets the scene for the disciples and Jesus’ basic call to them.

In just five verses, from verse 16 to 20, there are four references to the disciples’ occupation. First we meet Simon and Andrew; they are casting out their net to sea-because they are fishermen. Then we have James and John who are in their boat mending their nets- because they are fishermen. While at first it seems like this call comes from Jesus on a whim, as he is passing along the sea and therefore the people most likely to be spotted along the sea are fishermen, but at a deeper glance this is not a random recruitment but a very deliberate and careful choosing of four men. Jesus’ first words to Simon and Andrew are, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Jesus is implying that their current occupation has contributed to their ability to be the kind of people Jesus is looking for. And while it seems irrelevant that James and John would be mending their nets it has a deliberate message too. They will be able to mend the bonds between people and the divine.

There are all kinds of symbols, analogies or metaphors that we could use. For example,  as fishermen perhaps they have the courage to face mighty waters- to navigate unchartered waters or rough seas. Perhaps it demonstrates that they have an ability to work together in confined quarters or that even on days when there is not much to catch: they don’t lose hope that tomorrow is another day of opportunity. It certainly demonstrates that they have patience, be it while waiting for the fish to bite or in doing the tedious work of mending nets.  But here is what I think, here is why Jesus calls these four fishermen: fishermen have a great, almost supernatural ability to read the conditions. They know when it’s a good time to cast and when it is a good time to reel it in. They are attentive, even sensitive to changes in the water that can mean whether the fish are biting or not. If only the church had that ability- to read the conditions in such a way or to understand that sometimes you will get nothing but a nibble and other days it will seem like your line is about to snap. The church today needs to work on our fishing skills- but that is not limited to the reeling in of people, rather it means all those other skills that fisher people have, patience, compromise, team players, and mending what is broken.  I believe that Jesus called these four not at random, not even because he knew they would drop their nets and follow, but because they had the skills needed to be disciples. It is a reminder to us that we are all called based on our abilities and whole being. Sometimes those abilities are so basic that we don’t even realize what a gift it is to be able to use them. Sometimes it is the gifts that we have used in other areas of our life that will be great gifts as disciples.

What is fascinating is that the Greek verb akoloutheo, meaning to follow him, is found in reference to discipleship solely in the Gospel according to Mark. In Greek the word also has links to the word commitment. The kind of following that Jesus calls the disciples to “involves a commitment that makes all other ties secondary.”   The kind of following that Jesus calls all his disciples to involves a commitment that makes all other ties secondary.

Scholar in the Gospel of Mark, Darrell Bock notes that, “It is significant that Jesus called such people from everyday life, for God involves Godself with everyday people, and that involvement then changes them. Rather than being students of the Law as rabbinical students were, the disciples were engaged with people. These men were willing to turn, believe the gospel and redirect their lives accordingly.” In this way the call to the disciples reflects Jesus’ short sermon. The disciples turn away from their lives that were, and begin this new life in Jesus. But I also believe that what they had learned in their trade became useful tools for their future.

It is important to note that when Jesus calls these fishermen to discipleship, he does not call them to be leaders. Rather he calls them first to be followers. If you attended the Acts Bible Study, you know that eventually many of these simple fishermen will end up preaching impressive sermons, but at this moment they are simply called to follow. They are to move forward in the footsteps of Jesus. They are to travel in the directions he leads them. They are to listen and learn from him. I often wonder if they had regrets about leaving their families to follow Jesus. Because over and over, especially in the Gospel of Mark, they will fail in their calling to follow. They will try to push Jesus to move and travel in certain directions, they will lapse in their commitment to Jesus, and they will struggle to understand Jesus’ teaching. But this also gives me hope.             Like the disciples, Jonah wants to be a good prophet and declare words of repentance, but he wants to do it on his own terms. Yet, God gives him a second chance. Jesus will continually give the disciples opportunities to grow- even when they fail. And eventually, they are able to read the conditions and see where it is best to catch the fish. I pray that God helps us to read the conditions, have patience, mend what is broken and know when best to cast the line and when best to reel it in. When it is time to catch and when it is time to release.  Amen

Bible Text: 1 Samuel 3: 1-10 and Mark 1: 4-11 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Stevland Hardaway Morris was born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. He was born pre-mature which along with the oxygen-rich atmosphere in the hospital incubator resulted in retinopathy of prematurity,  meaning he lost his eyesight just a few days after being born. Stevland grew up, however, loving music and playing various instruments from piano to harmonica to drums. He also sang in the choir at Whitestone Baptist Church in Michigan. He became somewhat of a child prodigy and at the age of 11 he signed with Motown’s Tamla label. It was a producer from Motown who gave him the name, Little Stevie Wonder. Many years later Stevie Wonder wrote, produced and performed a ballad entitled, “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” It was Wonder’s tenth number one hit on Billboard’s R&B charts. It was also Wonder’s only solo UK number one and was Motown Records’ biggest-selling single in the UK. Admittedly the song is a rather schmaltzy and sickly sweet.  The premise is that the singer called the person on the other line for no particular reason or special occasion, but simply to say, “I just called to say I love you. I just called to say how much I care. I just called to say I love you and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.” In reality, sometimes a simple call like that can have a profound affect. Interestingly enough, while this song has no political point, it was this song that helped Wonder end apartheid in South Africa. When the song won an Academy Award Stevie Wonder accepted the award in the name of Nelson Mandela. The next day the South African government banned Wonder’s music but also this drew global attention to Mandela and his fight against the apartheid. Sometimes a simple call can have a profound impact.

It is a still small voice, a simple call, that has a profound effect on the life of one young man in our Old Testament reading this morning. Dare I say it, but Samuel becomes somewhat of a child prodigy, a wonder himself, discovering that he has a strong connection to the divine. Our passage opens up with a rather interesting statement, it says that “The word of the Lord was rare in those days and visions were not widespread.” This passage is set in the early life of the young nation Israel. Prior to this story there have been strong leaders like Moses and Joshua but that was before they had settled in the land. Just prior to the book of Samuel, leadership was found in a series of judges who helped keep the peace, so to speak. But at this point, despite being settled in the land promised to them, Israel is not an organized nation. In fact, it seems to have gotten off track and even forgotten God. The Book of Judges even closes on a cliff hanger with tribal wars and factions threatening to divide the people. The opening sentence in our passage about the word of the Lord being rare is a reflection of the closing sentence in Judges in which it says, “All the people did what was right in their own eyes”. One of the reasons why the word of the Lord was rare was because people were too self-involved to hear God, their eyes were not open to the visions that God was placing before them but rather they maintained a myopic view of the world. In their minds the only people who deserved a call from God was someone in great power or that God would deliver a message in a cloud with a booming voice- as in days of old. The truth was, if God was calling to simply say, “I love you” no one was answering the call. It concerns me how much this passage sounds like our modern age. That people are simply doing what is right in their own eyes, which means no one’s eyes are open to the visions of God in front of us.

But then we have the boy Samuel who is in bed in the temple with his tutor Eli. Samuel hears a voice calling out to him and Samuel runs to Eli saying, “Here I am.” Eli is confused, even miffed, that he would be aroused from slumber when he in fact did not call Samuel. This almost comical scene occurs two more times before Eli realises that it is the Lord’s voice which Samuel hears. In this simple call Samuel will become the means by which God is made known to the people and that the organization of Israel as a nation will come to pass. But God enters this story in such simplicity that it takes more than one try for even the temple priest to realize that it is God calling in the first place. This story illustrates the power of God to initiate salvation even to a child. The entire chapter is worth reading because the arc of this story is that Samuel, who does not know God at first, is tutored by Eli to recognize God, but eventually the student exceeds the master and Eli faces judgment for some of his actions. Both Samuel’s story and the story of Jesus’ baptism should illustrate to us that while God  can use simple words to communicate with us, answering that call does not mean simple living.

In the story of the baptism there is this beautiful juxtaposition of John who baptizes sinners, and Jesus, the sin-less, who is baptized by John. John continues to point past himself to Jesus, like the important secondary character that John is. John declares it is Jesus who issues baptism through the Holy Spirit, through the power and presence of the saving grace of God. Perhaps the image of the heavens being torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove and a booming voice from heaven declaring who Jesus is, is the kind of word and visions that people expected to hear in the days of Samuel. Perhaps it is still that kind of vision and experience that people expect today. It was certainly a dramatic way to affirm who Jesus was. But this one major incident plays out in all kinds of ways throughout the gospel. I don’t want to simplify this message,  but essentially this voice is declaring not only to Jesus but to all who are willing to hear it that God has called in the person and life of Jesus to say we are loved.

As this story unfolds we learn that Jesus can baptize through the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit of God rested upon him- not just in the act of baptism but throughout his life and ministry. Jesus experiences this vision and hears this message and this makes it clear that he is the divinely appointed, divinely anointed, and divinely affirmed Son of God. It is in fact, this conviction that is at the heart of Mark’s Gospel- well, truly at the heart of the Gospel message, period. What it means is that Jesus is “God’s selfless servant who gives even himself to save others. He reveals with utter clarity the depth of God’s love and the essential, selfless, serving nature of God. And Jesus, as the Son of God shows us the manner of life to which God calls us.”

But this morning I still cannot help but also be challenged by the story of the boy wonder, Samuel, and of the baptism of Jesus. We associate new beginnings with the beginning of the year, with the birth of a child, with changes in one’s life. Yet, are we living in a time much like Samuel’s, in which we are doing what is right in our own eyes and therefore the word of the Lord seems rare, and visions are virtually non-existent? In some ways we no longer take seriously the true commitments that are made in baptism. and we oversimplify God’s call. Suffering and loss were sewn into the fabric of Jesus’ life just as much as the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Stevie Wonder has been prolific in his musical gifts, regardless of his lack of sight; Samuel helped pioneer the new leadership that would bring Israel together, and Jesus shows us how to live. God called them all to a unique role. What is our role as baptized believers? At the very least are we called to express love from the very bottoms of our hearts? But what does that look like? In our baptisms, no matter our age, the Spirit is present with us. We would do well to acknowledge that the reality of faith is indeed a mystery,  but that we are called to trust that the Spirit will enrich our love and ministry, and then God’s voice, be it a small simple voice in the night or a booming-heaven opening phrase, will be heard. Amen

Bible Text: Matthew 2:1-12 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

I recently learned about John Polkinghorne who was a particle physicist and among the first to study quarks. For the record, despite having just spent a week with my brother who is an atmospheric scientist, I really have no idea what a particle physicist does nor do I understand what a quark is. But I do know that Dr. Polkinghorne was a tenured professor at Cambridge University so he was incredibly gifted and smart. But after 25 years of this career and calling he hung up his lab coat and went back to school to become a congregational minister. As many of you found out yesterday Dr. Polkinghorne was not the first of many scientists to do this. When I was at Knox College studying for ministry I had one classmate who was formerly a chemist, another was a former professor of physics and of course I have a father who changed from geology to ministry when I was young. But when Dr. Polkinghorne wrote about his experience in becoming a minister, he said,

“When I gave up being a physicist and started to train for the ordained ministry in the   church of England, my life changed in a variety of ways. Yet some things remained         constant, among them a desire to understand the rich and complex world in which we live          and to seek the truth about it. In my view, the insights of science and the insights of      religion are both essential to that task, for the more we learn about the structure and          history of the natural world, the more we need to ask the question of whether there is              meaning and purpose behind that fascinating story.”

Why this seems an important story to tell today is because Dr. Polkinghorne’s words and passion are similar to those of the Magi. He searched for God through the exercise of reason and inspection of the world. The Magi were inspecting the heavens and they were led to God Incarnate. Through their study and experience they encountered God and then were led home by a different route.

The word magi comes from Latin, Greek and Persian. In Latin it has come to mean wise men. In Greek it has come to mean astronomers or astrologers. In Persian it means priest or magician. It is believed that ancient magi were most often men who were adept at astronomy as well as certain darker arts like magic. What I want to point out is that it means the Magi studied. In fact many commentaries suggest that the Magi were pre-scientific scientists. Meaning that they studied what we would now call science before the discipline had a name. Some commentaries even state that the scientific study was likely their hobby while the fortune telling and entertaining rulers was what paid the bills. Which means they would have been comfortable around a tyrant like Herod, but they would have also known what they were talking about. We know they had a hunger for knowledge in part because that is what the Bible says. They had knowledge of the heavens, the courses and patterns of the stars, so when they saw something different they knew that the heavens were telling them something. Matthew clearly thinks of them as astronomers who have found a rising star in the sky and they see it as a historically significant event.  They were trained in identifying, quantifying and classifying, essentially the scientific method. But in order to understand further they had to experience it. They had to go to Bethlehem to understand the truth of what the heavens were telling them.

The Magi experienced God by following through with their scientific research. Knowledge and information are credit and currency in our modern age but they have always been so. The conversation between the wise men and Herod makes that point clear. The Magi inform Herod that they have observed a star at its rising. The sincerity of the Magis’ desire to worship is contrasted with Herod’s insincere pledge, straight out lie, that he too wishes to worship.

Matthew’s story can be divided essentially into five scenes. (1) The wise men’s arrival, (2) Herod’s fear and consultation, (3) Herod’s lie, (4) the Magi’s visit to Jesus, and then (5) their departure. Of these five scenes three of them are punctuated by the Greek verb, Proskynein, meaning to worship or pay homage. The wise men experience the results of their research and in following of the star, they experience Christ and worship. Through this action they become symbols for all the gentiles who will come to lay gifts before Jesus. Through their actions they are also changed. The magi go home by a different route.

Think about it for a moment. The magi must have been tired after their long journey to find Jesus. They were a long way from home. And not only were they tired, they were under political pressure to return to Jerusalem and to inform Herod of what they had found. Herod was a ruthless ruler, and to defy him could have meant death for the Magi, so they were taking a big risk. But through their experience with God they were changed. How often do we encounter God and are changed, different from the way we were before? Like Dr. Polkinghorne, for me often this awe and change happens in observing creation. But like the Magi it is manifested in the words of Christ.

If God is mostly clearly revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus- which is what we Christians declare each time we affirm our faith, then surely God can use creation to reveal divine truths. My friend and colleague Reid Chudley once said, “If Jesus was truly flesh and blood, if sweat and blood truly poured out of him, if he walked and talked and listened and loved, all while being the perfect revelation of God, then God must truly be able to reveal truth to us through Creation. All the great things you come to know under heaven aren’t worth a cent if you do not understand why you were made to know great things.”

The passage from Isaiah and even the psalm work together with the Gospel passage here to point out just how powerful God truly is. In spite of the un-predictabilities of human history and in spite of the exploitative and tyrannical “powers that be” in our world, God manifests Godself in ways that bring about transformation, healing, goodness and peace. Oh how we need to begin 2018 hearing those words and trusting them to be true. That no matter how powerful and evil, angry and greedy people can be, God is more powerful, God is greater, God’s love is stronger and God’s peace will overcome. Through the power of God’s presence, the magi come to visit the child who is the promise of Emmanuel- God with us for all people. While the Herods of the world will use their power for destruction, God comes to be with us.  That is essentially what Epiphany means. It is a celebration of the manifestation of God’s presence in the world through Jesus Christ.

Like Dr. Polkinghorne and the Magi before him, we are called to look for God in the world we live in and in the Scriptures we study. It is science and faith at work together. This is not an “either/or” but a “both/and” situation. But we also cannot remain comfortable with the way things are. We cannot remain as status quo but must encounter God and be changed. Go home differently.  They went home changed by their encounter with the child in Bethlehem, but note they did not give up on their earlier pursuits of study and knowledge; instead they went home better understanding what it all means. As the gentiles in this story, the Magi not only represent the fine relationship between science and faith, but also they stand for all the nations, including us, who study, who come to worship Jesus, who are transformed when we see the manifestation of the glory of God in the face of Christ among us. We are the modern Magi. Amen

Bible Text: Luke 1:26-38 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Christina Rossetti was born in London on Dec. 5, 1830.  Her Father was poet Gabriele Rossetti who was also a political exile from Vasto, Abruzzo. However, ten years after her birth the Rossettis faced a financial crisis when her Father’s physical and mental health deteriorated and he was forced to give up his teaching position at King’s College. At the age of 14 Christina’s own mental health was in jeopardy as she suffered a nervous breakdown and quit school. What gave her comfort was the High Anglican services, which were experiencing a renaissance in the Church of England, and poetry.  In 1872 she wrote a poem called, A Christmas Carol,  but when it was put to music by Gustav Holst the poem’s first line became its title,  In the Bleak Mid Winter. This carol is actually a wee bit controversial. Many theologians are bothered by some of the text not to mention that it opens with a very wintery scene- something that no matter the time of year is not experienced in Bethlehem. Others argue that it is inaccurate to state that heaven cannot hold nor earth sustain God.  However, in 2008 it was named the best Christmas carol by an international panel of choristers. I have to admit it is only recently that I have come to truly appreciate the imagery in this carol.  It shouldn’t surprise you that I am drawn to a carol with a little controversy.  But it is in the third verse that there is an incredible contrast between the celestial beings surrounding Jesus, and Mary’s ability to simply worship with a kiss. Then the final verse turns the question onto us, how are we going to respond to these words of glad tidings and great joy. Out of adversity Rossetti was able to write a beautiful poem that is sung the world over. It is both challenging and sentimental. When we consider Christina’s life we are moved by her ability to take the bleakness of suffering and transpose it into the nativity story.  It draws us into the nativity narrative. A few weeks ago I talked about the term anamnesis. This is anamnesis at work-a recalling of the stories from Scripture and applying it to our modern longings, a dynamic remembering or recalling of events by the power of the Spirit so that those events are made present. Today we are drawn into the story of a messenger, Mary and a controversial pregnancy.  This is a story of adversity at in operation.

The passage about a young virgin conceiving a child in Luke is both beautiful and controversial for many reasons. The protestant church has always struggled with fitting Mary into the liturgy because the early reformers rebelled against the Marian sanctification. It is really only in the last century that Luke’s story has been included in the lectionary.  It is also challenging because there are many who see this story as literal and many as poetic interpretation. I do not want to dwell on this issue but rather want to focus on what is relevant to this story. How a young woman overcomes adversity and shows faith.

The point is that Jesus, like John the Baptist, or Isaac or Samuel, was born against the odds. Yes, those other three were born against the odds because their parents were old but regardless of age Jesus was still born into very challenging circumstances. In this way Mary is of the same casting as the long line of women who became pregnant after divine pronouncement, and intervention. In this sense this story is connected with the Old Testament traditions. However, Mary is a young and vulnerable woman who has now found herself in a precarious position. Hebraic law declares that she could be facing death for “allowing” herself to become pregnant out of marriage. But this visit from the angel gives her assurance that she is part of God’s greater plan.

It is at this very moment that Mary becomes far more than a person in history or another character in the nativity narrative. While many commentators say that she enthusiastically accepts God’s will I would argue that I hear more confusion than enthusiasm in this passage. After all it says that Mary was perplexed by the angel’s words and questions how any of this could be possible. It is not that Mary resigns herself to her station but rather it takes time for her to be assured of God’s presence. How many times are we faced with a challenging situation and it takes us time to gain the courage to accomplish or even begin said task? How many times do we seek assurance of God’s presence, especially when we are facing a challenge. In many ways Mary is like us- uncertain, cautious but also willing to move forward. Mary’s perplexity at the appearance of an angel seems quite appropriate and her questions are not an expression of doubt but an effort to understand the extraordinary words. Questioning is entirely part of Mary’s discipleship.

Mary also becomes a symbol of the faithful remnant of Israel whose devotion and situation requires them to be completely dependent on God for their well-being. Mary serves as a model for true faith, acceptance and dependence on God. When a young girl gives birth in a stable, what choice is there left then to rely on God. And Mary’s confusion is a model for me. God’s will, God’s power, God’s sense of humour can be very confusing at times. There are definitely moments when I can’t explain why something is happening to someone or even how the church can respond. I am completely confused by the political state of affairs in our world, and I don’t understand what it means to our future. But Mary, despite her lack of comprehension, in the face of her reservations,  has trust in God. She boldly, not enthusiastically, says, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” This teaches me that we can remain confused while still being devoted. Clarity is overrated. She questions, she ponders, she accepts God’s will for her life, not meekly but faithfully with dependence on God.

There is another aspect that is often overlooked. Yes, Mary has strength and faith and trust but when she says, “I am the Lord’s servant” it is an affirmation of faith that stands out in the New Testament. None of Jesus’ male disciples ever say this to him. Here this young woman, maybe 13 or 14 years of age, dedicates her life, puts herself at risk, stares down confusion, so that she may bring life into this world. She will have to overcome adversity and she does it through servitude. Mary essentially sacrifices herself in as much as she offers her whole self and ability for God’s service. In the New Testament era she would have no legal status and yet she responds to God with a powerful commitment. As a woman she has the power to give birth, but it is not solely this gift that makes her the right candidate. Maybe it is her naivety, maybe it is her courage; regardless she is set apart as someone who will accomplish a holy thing. Mary is the first in Luke’s Gospel on whom God rests favour, but she is not the last.

Today is a busy, long, lonely, challenging, joyful day for many of us. It is beautiful and controversial, it is bleak and it is heartwarming. It is all these things, sometimes all at once. But see that image of angels and arch-angels delivering messages and declaring goodness while one devoted young girl kisses the saviour of the world. What will you give him?

Amen

Bible Text: John 1:18-28 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

When Shakespeare wrote his famous play, Hamlet, he included two somewhat bumbling secondary characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They are two of Hamlet’s childhood friends who are called upon by the King to figure out what is causing Hamlet’s madness.  They are not main characters but because they are spies trying to gain Hamlet’s confidence they help drive the plot. Of course, Hamlet is smarter than that and does not trust them one bit. In fact, if you know the play then you know that Hamlet turns the tables on them and rewrites a letter to the King of England instructing the executioner to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, instead of Hamlet, and spoiler alert, that’s what happens and the play moves on without them. They are, however, named as the most famous minor characters in all of literature. This is in part because they were revived in Tom Stoppard’s existential and pretty ridiculous play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, written in 1966, which was turned into a film in 1990 staring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth. But this is not the first play to feature these two minor characters as WS Gilbert also wrote a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern play in 1874.  I do want to mention that Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern all studied at the University of Wittenberg, in Germany, where we were this past summer.  But what is intriguing is that these two minor characters have become cultural icons in their own right. They have a story that has a life of its own, beyond Hamlet.  This was likely not Shakespeare’s intention but without them the plot in Hamlet is a little lacklustre.

The story of John the Baptist is kind of like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Let me explain what I mean, because no, Jesus did not have John killed! While John is a secondary character without him there is not much to explain, and his story also has a life of its own, beyond the story of Jesus.  You see, for early Christians there was much confusion about the role that John played within the larger narrative. Who was he really? And what purpose did he serve? To complicate things a little more, three of the four Gospels begin with stories about John, not Jesus. We heard last week how the good news of Jesus Christ began with John’s voice in the wilderness. The first chapter of Luke devotes more than three times the verses to the birth story of John then to Jesus. And now, we have the beginning of the Gospel according to John mingling these poetic words about Jesus around a story about John. This fourth Gospel presents John the Baptist as one sent from God. Early in the chapter it says that John came into the world which as “in darkness” to testify to the light that was coming. At this moment in Advent, John’s story seems to interrupt our Advent leanings much like the story we hear this morning interrupts the poetic meditations in the Gospel on the divinity of Jesus. But seriously, if I’m honest with you, I’m a little sick of hearing about John! I want to get to the angels, shepherds and stable! After all, isn’t that the main story? Isn’t that what we are waiting for and preparing for? I loved the way one commentator put it: “We find John the Baptist prominently featured in the Gospel readings for Advent each year not because of a Scrooge-like desire on the part of the lectionary compilers to keep us as far from the manger as possible until Christmas Eve, but because the biblical witness and early tradition tell us that the road to Jesus starts with John.”

If we look at the Gospel of John (which was not named for the baptist but rather the disciple John albeit the Gospel was likely written a few centuries later) we discover that while John is named in verse 6, Jesus is not named until verse 17.  Last week John the Baptist was presented in Mark as one from the same cast as Isaiah, Elijah and other prophets, but it is all through description and proclamation. In John’s Gospel this morning it is the same basic information, but it is conveyed in dialogue- actually one might argue it is a dispute. It is in this way that the Gospel writer introduces a new theme and continuing story line. Priests and Levites, religious authorities are sent to question John’s authority and purpose. It is these same people who we will come to know as opponents of Jesus. This sets up the plot that even at the very utterance of the name Jesus some will question, argue, and even fear what it all means. This is also the set up for Advent; along with waiting and preparing there are a lot of questions. What does this story really mean? Amid the Christmas consumerism, who are we really? What is the story we have to tell?

John’s words of witness can help us here as well, when John demonstrates that in relation to Jesus he is not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. What this teaches me is that faithful servants of God do not live with illusions of grandeur. “As we come under the active will of God, as we live faithfully in keeping with God’s will, we know who we are not; we are not the saviours of the world.” Rather we are the people who point to Christ by living as he did; in this way we are witnesses. John also shows us that knowledge of God’s will at work in Christ gives us meaning and purpose. John does not only know who he is not but who he is. Our lives take on purpose and direction when we live out God’s will. Finally, John had certainty in Christ’s message, even before Jesus spoke any words. Through his genuine humility and faith he was able to live courageously for Jesus. Because John looked to and preached about one above him, John dared to live with trust in God. In this day and age, especially at this time of year, we are lured into self-absorption, self-satisfaction, and secularism. Yet, John the Baptist’s story reminds us of humility in relation to Christ. We have been waiting, preparing and pointing to the story which quickly approaches- yes, it is the story of the nativity- after all that is the main event, but it is also the important secondary story that Christ’s holiness is our greatest hope for meaningful existence. In relation to Jesus we are given a clear sense of identity. Perhaps that is really the main story.

John remained true to himself and pointed beyond himself to one greater than he. This is in part what Isaiah’s passage does. It is equal parts proclamation of good news, words of renewal, and a statement of God’s will. The author claims his prophetic role as teacher and preacher and his message is clear; God is restoring and renewing a fractured people. And God will do it through salvation. But this is not salvation solely for the prophet or the people but for a new world order. Even this great prophet points beyond himself to something greater saying, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” While these statements are all about the salvation given to him, he goes on, “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.”

At this time of year we focus on the idea that the new age, the greater salvation promised in this passage is reflected in Jesus who came to demonstrate God’s will here on earth- a kingdom for all. John is an important piece of this story who seems to serve as narrator, opening up the dialogue and introducing the main character. The one who will bring salvation will bring hope, peace, joy and love. Now that is the real story at this time of year. Amen

Bible Text: Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-8 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

My husband and I plan for trips in two very different ways, especially if it is a road trip. I am a planner, I will research, I will map out, I will investigate hours of operations on various attractions, restaurants and stops along the way and then I will even determine how much time we will be able to spend at said attraction so that we have time to fit it all in. As I hear myself say it out loud I know it sounds excessive, but as I explained to my dear travel companion I do all that before we head on the trip in part because just the mere planning of said trip gives me a mini-vacation. Mike on the other hand likes to plan out a basic route but everything else is spontaneous; he likes to just see what’s around when we get there, he likes to see where an unmarked road leads, he likes to spend as little or as much time as he needs at an attraction, so what if he misses out on one down the road. So, as you can image our first few road trips hit a few speed bumps, until we figured out that I can plan all I want, the trick is, I just don’t tell him- so it’s very spontaneous to him. And now I am always sure to make allowances for a few detours. There are, however, certain trips that do require a bit of pre-planning, say for example going on an international trip- you need to make sure your passport is up-to-date and vaccinations have been looked after. Preparations, even slight ones, help make sure that things run smoothly in the future.

Being prepared is a key concept for today’s passages and yet it strikes me that the preparations are somewhat vague or at least metaphorical. This is in part because at this time of year, we have a delicate juxtaposition of our everyday preparations for Christmas with the eschatological expectations of preparedness from Scripture.  Eschatology is the study of last days, or as I like to understand it, the end of the ordinary and the reunion of the extraordinary or divine. Some scholars even use a more fancy word to describe what this kind of preparation is called, anamnesis, which is the dynamic remembering or recalling of the events of salvation in such a way that by the power of the Spirit those events are made present to modern participants. Basically part of our advent preparations involve an anamnesis of the nativity; we recall the stories from Scripture and apply it to our modern longings, but unlike the Gospels of Luke or Matthew, today these preparations do not begin with angelic messengers but rather from a voice in the wilderness.

Mark’s Gospel is wonderfully unique from the other two synoptic Gospels of Luke and Matthew in part because it is believed that Mark’s Gospel is the earliest of any gospel writings. In fact Luke and Matthew likely used Mark’s gospel as a reference point when they were writing their own. Mark is also known for getting right to the point, there is very little subtlety in his writing. But what is most fascinating is that Mark does something that has never been done before. None of the previous texts in the Hebrew Bible begin the way his Gospel does. Mark announces the beginning of a new genre and theme within the first verse; he writes, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.” And then without further ado he launches into the story- even into the middle of the story. Mark leaves the birth narratives behind and he tells the story of Jesus as he thinks it should be told, starting with John. I believe this is because Mark obviously links Isaiah and the Gospel. We hear the echoes between our Old and New Testament passages. And this is in part because John’s first appearance on the scene is related to preparations. The Gospel of John is somewhat similar in this regard and we will touch on that next week. But today we hear how Mark binds the prophets of the Hebrew Bible with his new genre- he makes sure that the readers understand John is the voice in the wilderness that was foretold.

Mark, albeit briefly, also touches upon two important characterizations of John to make sure we understand that John is the one about whom Isaiah prophesied. Mark describes John’s baptism as being the forgiveness of sins and he depicts John’s clothing and diet. Let’s start with the latter. While eating locust and honey sounds more like something a teenage boy would try on a dare, it was in fact a common diet for anyone living in the desert. The point is that John is coming from a barren deserted land, like the Israelites who wandered in the desert to cross the Jordan into the land of plenty, John is coming from the desert and meeting on the banks of the Jordan to declare words of plenty. John’s clothing is also noted and has often been linked to a similar description of Elijah who was an itinerant prophet. Like some of the Israelite prophets before him, John is a wanderer.

It is the line that John appears on the scene, “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” that should catch us. Baptism was not a new concept. In Judaism there is the Tevilah, which is a ritual purification, but it can be repeated. However, the baptism which John preaches and proclaims is one of preparation, a one-time preparation, a one-time baptism- preparing for one who comes who is more powerful. By repenting through baptism the people were beginning anew.  Proclaiming is part of our advent preparation- at our Acts Bible study throughout October and November I pushed the group to constantly think about how we can be witnesses. Well, proclamation is one of those ways. We who wait between the times are called to a ministry of witness to Jesus who is the beginning and the end and in whom all things hold together. Most importantly this proclamation includes repentance, getting our lives straightened out and embracing the peace which passes all understanding.

But this brings me to another theme for today. While Mark echoes pieces of Isaiah, Isaiah opens the passage with, “Comfort, O comfort my people.” This double cry is a plural imperative, meaning it is a command to offer comfort, not be comforted.  God is not saying be comforted my people, but rather give comfort. And when we realize it is a command, it is almost startling.  Also the command does not imply that this comfort will cease suffering. It does not deny that humanity is broken, whether they are living in exile or hearing the words of an itinerant prophet. We are to be the ones who extend the peace which is found in Jesus Christ by bringing comfort. In fact, almost all of this Isaiah passage is made up of a series of commands. “Give comfort, prepare the way, cry out, get to a high mountain and proclaim the good news that God is coming”- and “God is coming not to punish but to restore”. God comes with might but also like a Shepherd.”

There is something spontaneous about this arrival as well. You see Mark and the other gospel writers convey that God’s arrival includes unexpected, unearned and unprecedented compassion and grace. John is the messenger and Jesus is the one who comes with both power and tenderness. Mark’s writing was so new, so different, so unique for his time, that the only way he could describe this indescribable thing was by turning to the Old Testament. Which brings me to the question, if this was and is so unexpected, unearned, unprecedented and indescribable, how do we prepare?  What does it mean to proclaim?

Here is where my family’s travelling experience comes in handy. Map it out, map out the trajectory that one’s life should be, make allotments for goals and accomplishments but also be open to those spontaneous detours, because if I am truly honest, it is often those unexpected trips or attractions that make a road trip exciting and memorable. And here’s where anamnesis really kicks in when we make these proclamations, witness to Jesus Christ in our world, reach out in unexpected ways to a hurting world; through the Holy Spirit we are really there- really in the Judean countryside hearing words from John about the one who comes next, the one who will be born in a stable so that we might live in a heavenly kingdom. Amen

Bible Text: Isaiah 64: 1-9, Mark 13:24-37 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

It is around this time that I tend to take stock of the year that was. Pretty soon Time
magazine will release their person of the year and other news outlets will be listing off top ten
news items for 2017. Looking back there are lots of personal highlights and challenges, from
personal loss to personal growth. Unfortunately when I look back at the news items for 2017
there isn’t a lot of positive growth, there was awful gun violence throughout the United States
and other human causalities due to terrorist attacks or political unrest, but this was also the year
for natural disasters from the fires in BC to the hurricanes in the south to earthquakes in Iran
and Mexico. This year has seen far beyond its share of natural disasters. So when the
lectionary tells us to read the passage from Isaiah on the first Sunday in Advent, the first
Sunday of the church’s new year I can’t help but feel like the prophet was writing this passage
for us. We hear the words, “Oh that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the
mountains shudder at your presence- as when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to
boil.” At this year’s BC Synod meeting in October ministers Shannon Bell and John Wyminga of
the Cariboo Ministries gave a presentation on their summer which included 40 days and 40
nights of sleeping in an office or on a gym mattress because they had been evacuated. As
Shannon shared with me, “The fire came within 2.5km of Nazko and 1km from Lhoosk’uz. In
other house churches the flames could be seen just across the lake. Our community is dealing
with all the emotional healing that needs to go on as well as the lost summer that has left us all
ill-prepared for winter.” The heavens opening, earth shaking, fires raging have been very real
realities for a lot of people around the world and it reminds us of our own fragility and that there
are many things in this world which are out of our control. Yet, while we read Isaiah’s words and
can’t help reading them into our own experiences we also must realize who the prophet was
preaching to at the time.
Isaiah 64 was written during and for a very different context then our own. Most
scholars agree that chapters 56-66 in Isaiah were written in the late sixth or early fifth century
BCE. Which means that the Israelites have returned from Babylonian exile and are in a period
of resettlement. When the Persian king Cyrus conquered Babylon he allowed the Israelites to
return home after 70 years in exile. But we must remember not all the Israelites were displaced.
Often in exile they take the rulers, scholars, law-makers etc but leave the peasants, farmers and
tradespeople so that the oppressor can reap the benefits of the land. After 70 years those that
had been left behind maintained certain traditions and rose in ranks far beyond their original
class while those in exile mingled with the Babylonians. The returning Israelites came back
expecting to return to their station and hierarchy only to discover that someone else had taken
their place. The two groups clashed over issues of status and standing but also over religious
authority. Would you believe that Isaiah’s passage is asking for these natural disasters so that
the people can start over, have a clean slate, be healed and renewed by God’s hand.
I believe the reason why this is the passage we read at the beginning of Advent and
the beginning of our new year is because it contains a dynamic of both a looking back and
looking ahead. The people are asked to recall the exodus rather than the exile. Isaiah is asking

them to remember the time when they were all in this struggle together rather than fractured
groups who can’t even worship together. I see this theme tying in with present day. We are
fractured people, certain denominations unable to work with, let alone worship with one
another. In our division we have all become unclean and need God’s healing- but do we really
need it through violence? Leading up to our Isaiah reading there are some very challenging and
even existential questions, first the community tries to locate God, then it wonders if God is able
to save, and next the question is, are the people even salvageable.
We must read this passage to the end because it ends in hope. We are reminded that
we are not in control and that our communal relationship with God needs healing. The author
affirms our identity in belonging to God and we hear the penultimate verse that we are clay and
God is the potter. I think many of us like this image because it means that God’s hands get dirty,
that we are molded on the wheel, that we are fragile, that sometimes we need to be put into the
fire to make us stronger, but I also think what Isaiah is saying is that we are just big inanimate
lumps with no purpose without the hands of God at work in us. As Corrine Carvalho puts it,
“God not only has the power to mold us, but actually wants to mold us. In fact, God wants to
mold us in the divine image and likeness, a reality made clear when God molded the divine self
on Christmas day as an impoverished, displaced infant. God becomes clay.”
This passage is about finding hope in our powerlessness. A statement like that actually
terrifies me at first- as someone who is rather type A the idea of giving up or not having control
is rather stressful- and then I think but instead of trying to control things that are out of my
control the reality is that I can just live for living or God’s sake- I am free to wonder, worship, and
wait for what God has in store next. Waiting is a big theme within Advent. And we are called to
wait in the Mark passage. But this is not passive waiting. Mark’s words take on a similar tone to
that of Isaiah’s as he writes that natural disasters will essentially wreak havoc and cause chaos.
Danger is all around- and yet we are called upon to keep alert, stay awake! We are not mere
spectators but are called to stay active in the miracle of Christ with us.
We often want to rush through Advent and get right to the sentimental story of
Christmas but at the beginning of this season of Advent it is important for us to reflect on
Isaiah’s and Mark’s dark words- that within the story of the birth of Christ there is pain and
powerlessness but also hope. Advent is all about waiting but not waiting passively. As we
reflect on the year that was we wonder how on earth can God let these things happen! Why isn’t
God changing things? We are waiting on the Lord and things aren’t getting any better.
But also waiting is an end in itself. For fear of sounding a bit Buddhist on this first
Sunday in Advent I believe that what Mark is telling us to do while we wait is to be present. As
Thich Nhat Hanh said, “dwell fully in the present moment.” Advent is not about the discipline of

having to wait for Christmas. Yes, it is filled with the temptation to ignore the present moment-
our brains are always thinking about what it will be like on Christmas eve or day. But the

freedom comes when we realize God, the potter, is ultimately in control. Mark does not say, “be
patient” rather Mark says, “be watchful”- see the ways in which God is active, is molding us or
taking the broken, fractured pieces, and putting them together. Watch as the heavens open and
instead of natural disasters God turns a useless lump into something beautiful. Observe how
God’s presence is present. Amen