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Bible Text: John 6:24-35 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

As I’ve mentioned before I enjoy Old Time Radio, especially comedy shows and routines. Well, one does not get far in the Old Time Radio comedy repertoire without one very famous act. In fact in 1999 Time magazine named this particular routine as the Best Comedy Sketch of the Twentieth Century. It actually started as a Vaudeville sketch in which plays on words and names were often used. I think it is most memorable within the American psyche because it deals with a very American tradition. Any guesses what I’m talking about? It is Abbot and Costello’s Who’s on First Routine. We don’t have time for the entire routine but it goes something like this…

Misunderstanding and miscommunication can happen just as easily and sometimes it isn’t as funny. Sometimes we ask the wrong questions and therefore have the wrong answers and sometimes even when we are prompted to ask the right questions we are not willing to let go of our former ideas. That seems to be quite the theme in our passage this morning. For the next couple of weeks we will work through John 6 and the imagery of Jesus as the bread of life or the bread from heaven or the everlasting bread and it will take the whole chapter to get the crowd to understand and even then, most walk away in confusion and misunderstanding.

Last week we began this chapter by reading the story of the feed of the 5,000. It is a miracle story that opens up this chapter with a concrete example. Jesus shares real bread, with real people, and really satisfies their hunger. The rest of the chapter is essentially spent unpacking the real meaning of that event and we discover that we end up on in an ever unwinding “who’s on first” scenario. In part this is because it would appear that the crowd missed the meaning behind this incredible miracle. That they failed to grasp the glory of what just happened. Instead of seeing the signs of God all around them they just want free food. Let’s be honest, I like free samples not because I get to test a new product but because it is free. So I understand where this crowd is coming from.

It becomes clear that sometimes it is about asking the right question, sometimes it is about listening, really listening, to the answer. This is a common theme throughout the Gospel of John. John often stands out because it rarely connects with the other three Gospels- what we call the Synoptic Gospels. The conversation that happens in this chapter is a fine example of that. As we heard last week the feeding of the 5,000 appears in all four gospels but John’s gospel is the only one to unpack it in such a way.

Jesus refuses to answer the question that the crowd asks, “When did you get here?” and instead redirects the conversation to more important issues. They have focused on the wrong bread- they want bread that will satisfy their physical hunger- Jesus wants to offer them bread that will endure. The word endure or meno in Greek is found throughout the Gospel of John as it means both endure and abide. It is often used to describe the relationship between Jesus and those who follow Jesus- those who believe in Jesus. Passages like abide in me as I abide in you. But in this story the bread which endures is not the relationship itself, but that which is made possible by Jesus. The bread which endures is Jesus- not just a relationship with Jesus.

Yet, again, however, the crowd is confused and I don’t blame them. Imagine trying to understand all that Jesus is saying about bread on an empty stomach. As far as we can tell the last meal they had was a day ago. They have gone at least an entire evening, night and morning without food. It is just one example of how easily we can be distracted by needs or desires, even physical ones, and as a result are unable to hear what Jesus is really trying to say. The crowd fails to hear about this wonderful gift and instead begins to focus on work. “Ok Jesus, what do we have to do to get some of that bread?” The crowd is now concerned about what they could, should, or must do rather than what God is doing right now- right in front of them.

This is another mark of misunderstanding because they begin to compare Jesus to Moses. They begin to say, Moses managed to have bread rain down from heaven, what are you going to do for us? They are looking for a sign that harkens back to “the good ol’ days of the exodus”. Talk about looking back through rose coloured glasses! They have not only wrongly associated Jesus with Moses but they are so busy reflecting on the past that they miss that God is right in front of them. We can also be distracted by what seemed like the good ol’ days of the past when faith was easy, when it was expected people attended church, when we didn’t have to work hard at making our church grow. We run the risk of being like the crowd- looking to the past, thinking it was better than it is today, and failing to see what God is doing right in front of us. Jesus explains this, even using the passage from Exodus about manna, the true giver was not Moses, but God, and the true giving was not in the past, but is in the present, the true bread is not manna, but it is bread of God that has now come down from Heaven. Jesus stands in front of the crowd trying to be subtle- gently pointing to himself and eventually it becomes this big waving of hands. “THE BREAD OF HEAVEN IS ME! I Am the bread of life.”

Finally the crowd seems to understand, if only for a moment, because they finally say the right thing. “Give us this bread always.” No matter how much they misunderstand the miracle, no matter how much they are distracted by their own desires, no matter how many times they reflect on the past rather than the present, Jesus continues to work with them until they understand. Until they finally say the right thing. Give this bread to us. For the coming weeks Jesus will begin to answer this request and so we join the crowd and ask, “give us this bread.” Amen

Excerpt from “Who’s On First?”

Abbott: Well, let’s see, we have on the bags, Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know is on third…

Costello: That’s what I want to find out.

Abbott: I say Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know’s on third.

Costello: Are you the manager?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: You gonna be the coach too?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: And you don’t know the fellows’ names?

Abbott: Well I should.

Costello: Well then who’s on first?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: I mean the fellow’s name.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy on first.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The first baseman.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy playing…

Abbott: Who is on first!

Costello: I’m asking YOU who’s on first.

Abbott: That’s the man’s name.

Costello: That’s who’s name?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.

Abbott: That’s it.

Costello: That’s who?

Abbott: Yes.

PAUSE

Costello: Look, you gotta first baseman?

Abbott: Certainly.

Costello: Who’s playing first?

Abbott: That’s right.

Bible Text: John 6:1-15 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Some of you might be familiar with Stuart Maclean and the Vinyl Cafe. Just this past week the Vinyl Cafe was listed on buzzfeed.com as one of the “storytelling podcasts that you need to be listening to”. Most often this CBC radio program includes stories about a family Dave, Morely, Stephanie, Sam and their neighbours in Toronto and Stuart began telling these stories in 1994 and so for people like me, I have grown up with this family. For a few years now Stuart has also included in his program once a year a segment called “The Arthur Awards.” These awards are named after, Dave’s dog, Arthur. Because like a dog their are modest and unassuming. These awards are given to people who show ordinary kindness but often have an extraordinary impact. They are to recognize small acts that often go unnoticed. Former winners have included people who found lost luggage and tracked down the owners, or stay at home mothers, or someone who each year strings up lights across a town intersection. Basically it celebrates those people that do little things that often go unthanked. Usually there is no prize but the opportunity to get a call from Stuart which is later aired on his radio show. One year the Arthur award went to a student at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Jamie Hawkins. Jamie as a mature student had incurred a huge student debt of over $45, 000 and one day he found $10,000 in bag in the student union building. Instead of taking the money and putting it toward his costs he took it to campus security and they eventually found the owner, a security guard had misplaced it. Jamie received the Arthur award for being his best self, returning something that was lost despite the fact that it could have improved his situation. As I mentioned normally there is no prize in winning an Arthur award. However, Stuart decided that this was different and he wanted to help Jamie out. Well, actually he wanted all kinds of people to help Jamie out. So as he toured across Canada with his travelling story telling show he would put out an empty paint can in the theatre lobbies and asked people if they had a little spare change left over to leave a loonie or a twoonie in the bucket. Basically collecting donations from whatever change was in peoples pockets. On his Christmas show that year Stuart contacted Jamie and told him that Canadians had put in buckets of twoonies, loonies and change and that over those few months of collecting change, $15, 079. 21 had been collected. People across Canada simply put their spare change into a bucket but as these small amounts were collected a great amount was obtained. It is a modern day version of the loaves and fishes…although, while he tells great stories, I don’t think Stuart MacLean is Jesus.

As I mentioned the story of the feeding of the 5,000 comes up in all four Gospels and as a result it is one of Jesus’ best known miracle stories. In John’s version however, Jesus is the one who asks the question, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”, in all the other versions, it is the disciples who begin to panic when they see all the hungry, angry, or hangry people. As a result I want to attempt to focus less on the miracle story and instead study the dialogue between Jesus, Philip and Andrew. John claims that Jesus is the one asking the questions as a form of test to Philip. There are a few comparisons that we can make especially as we think of the collective history of the Hebrew people. During the exodus Moses, via God’s instruction and gifts, fed the Israelites with bread from heaven. But God was also testing the Israelites and their own trust in God. So as Jesus asks, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” to Philip, as part of a test, it reflects that story in the Old Testament of when God rained bread from heaven and each day the people were to gather only enough for that day, in this way God tested them, to see whether they trusted that God would provide for them the next day. In our Gospel story Philip answers that it would take an enormous amount of money to buy bread to feed all these people. Even two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for everyone to receive even a little sample. Two hundred denarii being about a year’s salary for the average worker. Money the disciples do not have. Philip relates it to cost and thus establishes the mind-set of scarcity. It would cost way too much to feed these people! It would appear that Philip is trying to subtly say, its going to cost too much and therefore we shouldn’t even try.

Andrew pipes in mentioning that a boy has brought with him a small supply of food but that such a small amount is worthless among so many people. If Jesus is testing Philip and Andrew, well, they seem to have failed the test. Failed to realize that with Jesus it shouldn’t be only about the cost and with Jesus a small meal can change lives. I can’t help but think it is those excuses that often hold us back. We don’t have the funds so we might as well not even try to do something different. We don’t have the energy so we might as well not even try to seek volunteers. We have such a shortage on resources that it won’t even be enough for one person. We have so few young families that we might as well not even try to provide programs.

And then, I see the opposite of that, I see the way that over the Lenten season funds came in to support the Cedar Tree Ministries, a church and mission that up until that point weren’t even sure they would be able to pay their rent. I see the way that the Children’s and Baby supplies are being collected and know that those simple items will make a difference in those young families’ lives. I know, that you know, that we can accomplish a lot with very little when we work together. But sometimes the work is intimidating, so intimidating we don’t want to even try.

Yes, the numbers can be overwhelming, yes, it may seem like we don’t have enough money, or energy or resources, or expertise. But what are we and what is the world hungry for? God cares about our hunger and our desires, God knows what it is we hope for and what we want more of and if it is improving God’s kingdom- God’s will, will be done! In this story not only are the people fed and satisfied with those limited resources but then there are leftovers. No matter what we are hoping for, Jesus’ resources are without limit, and he can meet our needs and more.

We are often more like Philip in our response to Jesus, we measure the need, quantify our inadequate resources and resign to hopelessness. We make excuses. As a friend of mine once said, “the truth is we have closets packed with thousands of excuses.” But then Jesus is standing on the shore amongst all of that need and hunger, with nothing but a few loaves of bread and a couple small fish, demonstrating that when we work with God, we have to expect the unexpected and trust that it will work out. Trust that we will have enough. Trust that small acts will show big results. Trust that just a little bit of change can change everything. Amen

Bible Text: Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Along with Archaeology I have an undergraduate degree in a discipline which at the time was called Religion in Culture. It all started when I took two electives one called “love and it’s myths” and the other called “evil and it’s symbols.” In this program, would you believe that I took an entire course on the Church of Elvis? And another course just on crime shows as the new confessional box? I even took a course on the religious experience of a sports fan. It was education at its best. I have to admit that I enjoyed not only the comparative religion aspect of things but also comparing the experiences embedded in North American culture with religious experiences. There was often talk about how media, celebrity, and fandom were at a very basic level superficial replacements for church and faith practice. I particularly enjoyed the study of celebrity culture and this was before we had reality tv celebrities who are famous just for being infamous. It is generally believed that the first movie star was Florence Lawrence. She appeared in over 300 films just over a ten year period from 1910 to the mid-1920s. Interestingly enough Florence was born in that great, Hollywood of the North city of Hamilton, Ontario. However, as has been the case for many celebrities she died tragically at the age of 48 and was buried in an unmarked grave until 1991 when an anonymous donor paid for her name to be placed on the marker. Scholars often believe that celebrity culture started in Europe with print media and famous opera singers but that it has grown since the beginning of film media in North America and the creation of talk shows. However, it is clear from our Gospel reading that celebrity culture has always existed in some form or another. The variations of term celebrity, used to be restricted for royalty and or religious leaders. In fact the word comes from the Latin word, celebritas which means honoured. The problem of course with most celebrity culture is that they never get a break. They have to be “on” all the time. Even the disciples are challenged by this reality in our Scripture reading

We have two passages this week that at first don’t seem all that related but both share a common message. Both passages develop Mark’s central theme of the coming of the kingdom of God through Jesus and help us define Jesus’ identity but also these passages demonstrate the nature of that kingdom and our role as disciples within it. While these two Gospel passages book end miracle and healing stories it is these short lessons that teach us about Jesus’ and our identity within the community of God.

Last week the disciples were sent off to perform their own miracles, ministry and preaching. They have returned to Jesus to tell him all about their adventures but Jesus also notices that they are in need of a break. In fact, some of them have been so busy that they haven’t even found time to have a meal. They are in need of a respite and so Jesus invites them to come away to a deserted place and be by themselves and find rest. After all the kingdom of God is a place where people may rest the weary souls. In our first Gospel section, however, as they approach what they expect to be a quiet shore they find it crowded by people wanting to catch a glimpse. As they cross the Sea they do not find the rest that Jesus prescribes but rather find many people who not only recognize but hurry toward them as they approach.

Seeing this crowd rushing towards them Jesus has compassion and Mark says it was compassion because they were like sheep without a shepherd. This author describes the crowd with a familiar expression, portraying the people as vulnerable, at risk in a desolate environment and needing sustenance and direction. The passage clearly implies that Jesus functions as this crowd’s shepherd, symbolizing the care and leadership he promises, by extension, to us. The image of Jesus as the Shepherd is familiar to us and would have been familiar for the Hebrew people as God is often referred to as the Great Shepherd but also because God often appoints people to be leaders as a shepherd leads a flock of sheep. When Jesus is called a shepherd it is not only demonstrating that he can serve as a leader to the community but that like God, he has the divine gifts to be a shepherd to those who are lost. The author of Mark uses this image to expose Jesus’ identity but also to describe the Kingdom. That the Kingdom of God is a place where those who are lost are found, those who are wandering find a destination, those who are scattered are brought together in one place and all of them are lead by the divine shepherd, Jesus. While the disciples are in need of rest, the crowds are in need of salvation. Theologian Elizabeth Webb says, “The crowds that follow and gather around Jesus, the healings and casting out of demons, the miraculous feedings are all signs that the Son of God is shepherding the people into God’s kingdom.”

For Jesus- through his gifts he is able to pay attention to the needs of the people. It doesn’t say the disciples began to teach and heal, but we all know from last week that they have been given the authority to do so. But this is important, when we are unable to find the energy, the words, the time, turn to Jesus, because it is through him that those things are made possible and our energy is restored, our words are given wisdom, and our time is given objectives.

The second section, like the first, demonstrates much about Jesus’ identity and the kingdom of God. Elizabeth Webb calls it the Kingdom Economy. Like our first reading Jesus and his disciples show up on a shore to discover that people are there and recognize them at once. In our translation it says “that wherever he went, into the villages or cities or farms they laid the sick in the marketplaces.” The Greek word for marketplace is agora and it really refers to a public space in which legal hearings, elections and debates took place, as well as the expected buying and selling of goods. The marketplace was understood as the political and commercial centre of the city- perhaps a better translation for us would be that people were brought downtown to see Jesus or people were placed in the city square, or people came to the edge of town surrounded by all the big box stores. The point being that Jesus healed, preached and taught in central locations- accessible to all.

But also, Webb continues “by doing this healing to the most vulnerable in the most public space, Jesus is subverting the economy of this world through the very inauguration of God’s kingdom economy.” Basically while the marketplace of the world is based on the rich, on that one percent, the Kingdom of God is occupied by the least, by the vulnerable, by those in need of healing. It is those people who inhabit the kingdom that not only Christ serves but the church should serve. This passage reminds us of a world so in need of God’s help that it cannot afford to give Jesus a day off.

I would argue that one of the reasons why there is so much brokenness is because we are so distracted by a superficial celebrity culture. But let us re-appropriate that word that it is those who deserve honour who are called celebrities. The overarching gospel message insists that Jesus meets our greatest need by authentically identifying with our human brokenness- there is no better person that deserves honour and it that regard no one deserves celebrity status more then Jesus Christ. Amen

 

Bible Text: Mark 6:6b-13 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

In late 1940, almost a year after the debut comic, DC comics was concerned about Batman’s sales. The creators, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson realized that the average age of comic book readers found Batman to be a bit too dark and difficult to understand. They realized that if the series was going to continue it needed something to attract younger readers. As they brainstormed ideas they began to discuss what had been their favourite boyhood stories and Jerry Robinson noted that his favourites were The Adventures of Robin Hood as illustrated by N.C. Wyeth. Robinson then began to sketch a character based on Robin Hood’s outfit with the signature green and yellow. This is how Batman’s faithful sidekick was born. Adding Robin was such a success that sales doubled and Robin made regular appearances in the comic from 1940 to the early 1980s. As a side note I was fascinated to find out that Robin’s original identity was named Dick Grayson and his back story included being the youngest in a family of acrobats known as the “Flying Graysons”. I was never much of a comic book reader but I have vivid memories of rushing home after school to watch the Adam West and Burt Ward version of Batman and Robin on TV. Of course, it was in syndicate by the time I was watching it. I remember that Robin always had a clever little tag line like, “Holy Titanic Batman! We’re going down for the last time!”

Bill Finger said of Robin that, ” Batman was a combination of Douglas Fairbanks and Sherlock Holmes. Holmes had his Watson. The thing that bothered me was that Batman didn’t have anyone to talk to, and it got a little tiresome always having him thinking. I found that as I went along Batman needed a Watson to talk to. That’s how Robin came to be. Bob called me over and said he was going to put a boy in the strip to identify with Batman. I thought it was a great idea.” Even with his utility belt, kung fu training, and quick mind ,Batman needed a Robin to talk to, support him, save the comic book series and complete his dynamic duo. Don’t we all need a Robin sometimes.

Just before our Gospel story Jesus encounters rejection from the people who are apparently closest to him. Jesus comes to his hometown with his disciples and despite speaking with authority about God in the Synagogue the people are astounded and begin to say, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? He can’t possibly know what his talking about after all, what does a simple carpenter know about God!? Just who does he think he is?!” Those hearing Jesus speak dismiss the possibility that God might be supplying Jesus with wisdom and power.

While the previous verses are filled with despair and failure our reading contrasts this experience with hope and mission. The two passages work together on some level because it demonstrates the stark difference between the outsiders of the previous episode and the insiders Jesus has chosen to participate in ministry. That’s the first amazing part of this story of partnership- Jesus chooses his partners. Jesus chooses us to be his disciples. Jesus calls followers to himself for a purpose and in giving them this purpose he also gives them authority. We begin as Jesus’ partner and then once equipped with the confidence, authority, and gifts required we are sent out into the world as a community- as partners in Christ’s name. In our passage Jesus sends the disciples out, two by two, to partake in his ministry in the world. Their ministry begins to explicitly mirror that of Jesus’ ministry. They perform with the same divine authority, the healing and revealing ministry that Jesus shared.

But before that can happen Jesus gives them strict orders and these orders reveal more about ministry then we might originally think. First, by sending them out in twosomes, it reflects a witness in membership in a wider community and confirms the reliability of the message. It is likely this passage that has given some of our fringe religious brothers and sisters the inspiration to go door to door in twos. It’s safe, supportive, and means no one is left alone. While we may not travel together in pairs, door to door, it is still a model for ministry. In all we do for the body of Christ in the world we should not feel that we are doing it alone. In all we experience in our faith the church should be there to act as a partner in that journey. Now while the church is the body of Christ it is also made up of humans who struggle to say the right words when we are in pain, humans who have their own worries and concerns that distract, and can be tired or weary in our work, so sometimes instead of feeling like we are safe and supported we feel rejected and ignored. It is important that if and likely when that happens that we speak up because more often then not it is not intentional. As I often have said in pre-marital counselling, communication is key. Holy hard work Batman!

The Second revelation about ministry is that the instructions Jesus gives limits what these pairs may bring on the journey. I don’t know if I could do it! When I pack for a trip I want to be prepared for any occasion or any circumstance and as a result I always pack far too much. Later on in the chapter the disciples are perplexed by the magnitude of human need compared to their paltry resources. But here is the catch- with Jesus’ blessing, it is amazing how much can be accomplished and overcome with so little. It does not take a big church to have a big impact in the community. It also says a lot about trust, trust in God. In giving up most things except for the barest of necessities these disciples are demonstrating to others that they are fully dependant upon God in their work. In that regard God is their partner. Holy amazing grace Batman!

This passage paints a picture of a ministry that is entirely derived from Christ and totally reliant upon him for its success. While we do not meet Jesus face to face in the literal sense, we are a post-pentecostal church, we believe that we are equipped with that authority and those gifts through the Holy Spirit. And while we are a church that does not encounter exorcisms or miraculous healings of Biblical proportions. This passage directs us as partners toward concrete service that delivers people from various types of oppression and promotes wholeness of all kinds. God is the source for all of our ministries. God is the source for all our ministries-meaning that we are in one amazingly divine partnership, that is guided by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and a mirror of Jesus’ ministry. Holy honour is found in the dynamic duo of the church and the trinity. Amen

Bible Text: Matthew 6:1-15 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Every year at the Vancouver Island Presbyterian Women’s Retreat the Saturday night event is basically a skit night. On the Saturday afternoon scripts are put out and people are invited to get into groups and choose a skit. Now, this might surprise you, but this is usually my least favourite part of the retreat. I don’t know what it is, but maybe the slap dash- pre-scripted skits just don’t really grab me. And so when Sharon Scott said she would like the four CVPC women to do a skit I rolled my eyes, and told her I would endure it just for her and I made her pick the shortest skit. As the evening unfolded it turned out that there was one script left and it required 8 people and it was the longest. As I sat back and tried to watch as they haphazardly tried to get people to participate my impatience grew and I just grab the skit, assigned people parts and told them I would fill in any blanks. So, instead of just participating in the shortest skit, I was now participating in two skits and had a lot of dialogue. Interestingly enough both skits were about prayer and the lengthy skit had various people engaging in prayer-mostly in the worst way possible. Either it was a teenage girl praying that her crush will notice her, or the Father in the family praying using big words that no one understood, or a boy asking if God can make sure his parents let him use the car on Saturday night. One of my characters’ prayer went something like this:

“Ok. Guys. Tonight’s the big game so let’s pray together as a team…..God, this is a really big game. Brother Andrew’s team is a better team and a bigger team. I mean, look at those guys. It’s David and Goliath all over again. We know that you are often on the side of the underdog; well, “Underdogs R Us! So God, you must be on our side! Let’s face it; we always lose to them, so we figure it’s our turn. That’s only fair, you know. So help us wipe them out. Help us smash them to oblivion! Help us annihilate them! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”

What us CVPC women didn’t know is we would be following this skit with our own. And it was of a very different flavour. It was a moving skit about the Lord’s prayer. It went something like this (SKIT).

Prayer. Prayer is actually often harder to define then we originally think and yet Jesus reminds us that it is supposed to be a simple task. Kierkegaard said, “Prayer does not change God but changes him who prays.” Poet Novalis said, “Prayer is to religion what thinking is to philosophy.” Artist and writer Linda E. Knight said, “Through prayer…God quenches our thirsty souls, revives our parched hearts, and leads us to a higher place where peace, and joy and love will be ours forever.” When the disciples turn to Jesus and ask him to teach them how to pray, Jesus responds with both a how to and what to do. Eugene Peterson’s the Message describes it this way, “When you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace. The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and He knows better than you want you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.”

It’s important to catch something that Jesus’ says. Jesus is stating that the very act of prayer demonstrates a trust in the nearness and readiness of God. Prayer is how we often come into God’s presence. But when Jesus teaches the disciples this famous prayer he is also pointing out that the Lord’s Prayer makes it clear that it does not preclude our need to ask, directly and pointedly, that God’s will be done on earth. While God may know what we need better than we know ourselves it is still part of the prayer process to acknowledge that need. I suppose in that way prayer is also therapeutic.

Scholar’s find that Matthew’s Gospel is governed by the Lord’s Prayer. Albeit that it is a short prayer it has incredible power in any context and it has the possibility of transcendence. It is supposed to remove us from the routine, from what is normal and help us experience communion with God. It is actually for that reason why I have switched it up this morning and throughout the summer. Instead of singing the familiar words as we normally do each Sunday. We are going to take the time to read the words. Adjust our usual routine in the hopes that something new will enlighten us despite the familiarity. This is after all the Lord’s prayer. It is a prayer that although it is for each one of us it is also a prayer for the entire kingdom of God. Later on in this chapter Jesus says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” This prayer is prayed each Sunday because if we genuinely mean it, it is prayer asking for God’s kingdom to be a reality on earth, just as it is in heaven. We should be praying this prayer all the time because God’s will has not been done. The world is far from heavenly most of the time.

This morning I have also chosen to return to words that you may be familiar with from your childhood. There is often debate on whether we should be trespassers, debtors or sinners. Many traditions say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” while others say, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” and then a more modern version is “Forgive us our sin as we forgive those who sin against us.”The short answer is that all are correct because the point is not what we call ourselves or others but rather that we ask for forgiveness and seek to forgive others. Part of the challenge is of course that Matthew isn’t the only Gospel that records the Lord’s Prayer. Luke also writes a version and there are differences. Historically, however, the first English translation of the Bible by John Wycliffe in 1395 uses the term debts, actually he uses an old English word dettis. William Tyndale’s English translation in 1526 uses trespasses and it is Tyndale’s translation that the first Book of Common Prayer used when it was writing the Anglican liturgy. Luke’s version of this prayer actually uses an Aramaic word, ḥôbâ which can be translated as either debts or sin. Hence why we have various versions. While I grew up being a trespasser, I certainly appreciate the more modern use of the term sin, as it is something we can understand a bit better. However, according to the original Greek, the most accurate word is debtor. Matthew uses the term ofeilhmata, which means “those things that are owed.” For Jesus there was a recognition of real debt for the Jewish people as they owed all of their livelihood to the Romans. And as I think about the situation in Greece this week we are literally swimming in a world full of debt.

Perhaps it is for that reason why this prayer is so important today, perhaps even more important than when Jesus first taught it to his disciples. Imagine what it would be like if God’s will was done on earth, where no one lived in debt, no one had want for daily bread, no one would be afraid, and all who have a sense of God’s presence among them. O God in heaven, reveal to us your holiness and majesty, and set the world right. Do what is best so that above and below are in harmony. Just as you nurture us with the bread of Heaven, nurture us each day. We carry many burdens, we trespass on land that is not ours, we sin against those who we call friends, and we are in debt. Forgive us and help us to in turn forgive others. Keep us safe from ourselves and from that which is evil in our world. Because you are the one in charge. You are ablaze in beauty and wonder. May it be so.

Bible Text: Mark 5:21-43 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

As many of you know I enjoy finding out the history behind songs. I find the stories about the songwriters interesting and I am always intrigued at how a song was inspired. Today I want to talk about two songwriters, sisters, Susan and Anna Warner. Susan was born in 1819 and Anna was born in 1824 to a wealthy American family. At the time of their births the family owned property in the wealthy Hudson Square neighbourhood in New York as well as a few summer homes. But tragedy struck the family early on when the mother and wife died in 1827 and then ten years later during a financial crisis that history calls “the panic of 1837”, the family lost nearly everything including their main home. Luckily on property that they own on Constitution Island there was an old farmhouse. The island is in the Hudson River across from West Point Military Academy. Not having much farming experience the family struggled to make ends meet and an auction of most of the family’s possessions took place in 1846. Neighbours challenged the family’s property rights and took them to court so that they were eventually evicted from the island in 1849, when the two sisters were in their twenties. Luckily the two daughters and Father were able to negotiate in court and remained in the farmhouse as renters. An aunt who had always taken an interest in the girls suggested that they try to contribute to the family income by writing stories.

Eventually Susan and Anna became published authors and wrote numerous children’s books. Their inspiration was their own struggles. They described stories of financial loss, helplessness, navigating poverty, and illness. During the Civil War the sisters published a newspaper for children, called “The Little American”. In amongst all this uncertainty the sisters began a Bible study at West Point for the cadets. A program that they ran for 40 years together and Anna continued that Bible study for 30 years following her sister’s death. Early on in their financial struggles the sisters began attending Mercer Street Presbyterian church and both were confirmed in that congregation in 1841. Their faith also began to strongly influence their writing. Susan published a poem in the children’s magazine called the Little Corporal. The poem was entitled, Jesus Bids Us Shine. It is indeed the words to that famous hymn. But it was Anna who would write the most famous children’s hymn of all time. It was published in a novel that the sisters jointly wrote titled “Say and Seal”. In the story a boy named Johnny Fox is dying. This boy’s Sunday School teacher came for a visit and took the boy in his arms and while rocking him he began to sing a song, “Jesus love me, this I know.” Hymn writer William Bradbury read this novel and composed the score to accompany Anna’s lyrics.

Despite that this hymn is one of the most famous hymns of all time. Both sisters were never able to become completely free of debt. In fact, they were often so desperate for money that the sisters would immediately sell the copyright of their work to publishers to meet expenses. When asked how had she had the strength to survive Anna took from the bookshelf a small delicate shell and said, “There was a time when I was very perplexed, bills were unpaid, necessities must be had, and someone sent me this exquisite thing. As I held it, I realized that if God could make this beautiful home for a little creature . He would take care of me.” You see the stories of hymn writers are often fascinating and teach us a lot about trusting, genuine and strong faith.

In our Gospel story we actually have two stories of profound faith and trust in God. Not only on this Sunday do you get free hotdogs but you get a two for one deal in our Bible stories. This is a narrative device that is very characteristic for the gospel of Mark as the writer weaves two miracle stories together. While Jesus is on his way to heal a dying girl, a woman touches his robe and despite the crowds and so many people reaching out to touch Jesus, he knows when this woman touches him and he stops. The effect of putting these stories together is to magnify the impact of the stories while at the same time to focus on the healing and faith which literally accompany Jesus’ actions.

It begins with Jairus begging Jesus to hurry and come to his home to save the life of his little girl. And Jesus responds with haste. Jesus went with him to find this girl. I can imagine Jairus having a sense of relief, that the prayer he approached Jesus with was answer, and the prospect of healing and life restored is good. But then there is an interruption in the narrative.

In fact Mark, really interrupts this story of Jairus and his daughter, by describing this woman’s ailment, fears, and inner dialogue. She said to herself, “If only I could touch his clothes then I would be made well.” Just one little brush of his cloak is all she’s looking for. It is not her intention to prevent Jesus from getting to this little girl before it is too late. But it is Jesus who feels the healing power leave him and he stops. Jesus demands to know who touched him and the woman trembles before him explaining what happened. Instead of lashing out that she has made him late and instead of telling the crowd to move along. Jesus turns to the woman and calls her daughter and proclaims that it is her faith that has made her well. Words of promise have added to her new reality of life. She has not only been healed but has received the peace, the shalom, of Jesus loving her, of Jesus calling her one of his own.

In mid-sentence, while Jesus is still giving her his blessing, others arrive to tell Jairus that his daughter has died. It is quite the juxtaposition. While one woman’s hopes have soared to new heights, another’s has been dashed to pieces. While Jesus claimed a daughter, Jairus has lost his. But Jesus responds, “Stop being afraid and go on living by faith.” Jesus’ words speak to all of us as well as he encourages Jairus to change fear into trust.

Both miracle stories provide a whole new dimension to Jesus’ salvation. Salvation isn’t about perfect actions and it isn’t about all that people write and say about in the doctrine of salvation. It’s simple. Have faith that Jesus loves you, that’s all you need to know. Because as Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house he took the little girl in his arms and said, “Arise”. Jesus loves you this I know, for the Bible told me so, little ones to him belong. They are weak be he is strong. Jesus simply transforms the situation by his healing presence so that instead of fear, those around him have faith. Because if God looks after the Sparrow, if God can create a delicate shell as home for a little creature, surely God will take care of us. Amen

Bible Text: Mark 4:35-41 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

A few summers ago while on a trip of a life time through one of Canada’s wonders, the islands of Haida Gwaii, Mike and I had the opportunity to visit some of the former village sites now part of Gwaii Hanaas National Park. The park is jointly managed by the Federal Government and the Haida Nation. One of the most memorable moments for me was a stop at the former village site of Tanu. We were guided around areas that were once filled with poles, longhouses, and canoes. But at one place we were asked to respect the sacred space and not take any pictures. It was the grave site of legendary Haida artist Bill Reid. Following his own visit to his ancestral lands of Haida Gwaii in 1954 he was inspired to embrace a disappearing art form. By adopting Haida techniques he also revived the Haida cultural heritage, studied the early ethnographic publications and items found in museums worldwide. Most famously he carved Lootaas, wave-eater, a 15 meter canoe carved from a single cedar log. It was the first canoe carved in this traditional manner in over two hundred years. Following Expo 86 in Vancouver Bill Reid rowed the canoe from Vancouver to Skidegate on Haida Gwaii. It was a 600 mile voyage through some of the most treacherous waters on the coast. Upon his death Bill Reid’s body was carried to Tanu aboard Lootass. The fact that Lootaas could travel such a distance in rough waters is a testament to its craftsmanship. I can’t help but thinking that if the disciples had been in Lootaas, maybe they would have been a little less afraid. I share with you this story of Bill Reid and his canoe because today is National Aboriginal Day and because in light of the recent final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission it is a day that the church should pay attention to.

Lori Ransom is a former Healing and Reconciliation Program Animator for the Presbyterian Church. She worked with the Indian and Northern Affairs for many years and also serves as clerk of Session at St. Andrew’s King St. in Toronto. She is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan or Golden Lake, which is located about 150 km Northwest of Ottawa. She states that, “For the First Nations, the Inuit, and the Metis Peoples of Canada, reconciliation is very much linked to wanting to recover a sense of identity, of their collective memory as nations, the First Nations of this land, a land many call, Turtle Island. This is the identity that the Government of the new nation of Canada sought to eradicate after 1867 in the first decades of confederation. “ The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been very clear that it was a form of cultural genocide.

In 1994, the Presbyterian Church in Canada made a confession to God and the First Nations Peoples stating that, “Our church agreed to take the children of Aboriginal peoples from their homes and place them in residential schools, were deprived of their traditional ways, which was helpful in the process of assimilation.” The confession recognizes that in some cases there was exploitation and an abuse of power through sexual, emotional and physical abuse. The confession continues, “The effect of all this, for Aboriginal Peoples, was the loss of cultural identity and the loss of a secure sense of self.”

I know that it is hard for some of us who knew teachers, principles, and administrative staff in these schools to imagine that they ever meant harm. I truly believe most did not. Rather they, through their profound love for God and First Nations peoples were actually trying to help. They could not have known the generational residual consequences of the residential school structure. But that too is part of our reconciliation process. You know there are lots of times when I say, do, or think something that I believe will help a situation only later to find out that it offended, hurt or even created more of problem. Reconciliation is not only about acknowledging mistakes known but those unknown. I know some of you have friends who were students at some of these schools and they did not experience the level of abuse that is often associated with the schools. But there was abuse, and no child should be forced to leave their family and home. Whatever good may have or could have come from this system it was not worth it. Not worth it for the 6,000 children who died, not worth it for the generational victims who still struggle with addiction and nightmares, not worth it for the rich culture that was lost.

Reconciliation is also a journey. For Jesus, it was a journey to the cross. For the disciples it was a journey to Jerusalem, for Peter it was a journey on a beach by the Sea of Tiberias when Jesus repeatedly asked, “Do you love me?”. For us it is a journey that we travel with our First Nation Brothers and Sisters. Our Gospel lesson comes on the heals of all of Jesus’ special teaching on the nature of the kingdom of God, something we touched upon last week. Jesus characterized the kingdom as framed in hiddeness and secrecy, and of its requiring a special gift of hearing and observing to comprehend. So, it should not surprise us if the journey of discipleship at times is also fraught with unexpected dangers or risks, or difficult and challenging experiences. In our Gospel story, there is a violent storm, followed by fearful disciples and Jesus fixing the situation. In part because the disciples were indeed afraid but also because it is through Jesus that we find the strength to reconcile our hurt and broken relationships. The story shows Jesus’ power in a miracle that is ultimate healing, the natural order of things is righted, calmed and brought together in peace. That’s reconciliation.

While Jesus is sleeping a great windstorm begins to toss the boat. It is not difficult to imagine literally the boat being tossed in the chaos of the sea. But imagine if this story was a parable. What chaotic seas surround us? The disciples wake Jesus and shout, “Master, do you not care that we are perishing?” Their question echoes that of many voices throughout the ages from the Exodus to exile to oppression under the Roman empire. The disciples’ cry is the ultimate cry of fear, of doubt and of abandonment. It is the same cry that is repeated often throughout the Psalms. Where is God? Do you not care or know what is happening to your people?! It is a cry that is born out of fear, frustration, and anger but it is ultimately a prayer for deliverance and reconciliation. In this story Jesus does not chastise them or reason with their fear. He does not attempt to correct them in their distrust or remind them repeatedly of the stories of God’s deliverance. Instead he immediately got up and rebuked the winds. Proclaiming, “Be silent! Be still!”At which time there was a great calm.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a time for the whole country, including the participating churches, to be silent and still and allow the voice of our First Nations people to be heard. It is our prayer that through Jesus’ reconciling love we are able to to turn to a time of great calm. David Philips also served as the Presbyterian Church in Canada’s Healing and Reconciliation program animator for three and a half years. He says, “The conclusion of the fourth chapter of Mark is the story of a violent storm and the reaction of the disciples. The story could have been about a boat on stormy waters. But with a word of peace, Jesus calms the wind and the water. His act of faith changes our understanding of the story. How often do we only hear one part of a story? How often does that distort or diminish our understanding of a much bigger picture? Healing and reconciliation is about facing broken relationships, but it is also about acknowledging what is good. National Aboriginal Day honours and celebrates Aboriginal leaders in our communities, and reveals more of Canada’s story.”

Unlike the story of the winds and waves being calmed by simple words of Jesus. Reconciliation is not always such a sudden response. It involves sacrifice, suffering and struggle. It often seems easier to live in a world in which fear, doubt and chaos reigns supreme. But hearing the message of a God who loves us despite our intentional or unintentional mistakes when we turn to God for forgiveness and upon hearing the message of the promise that Jesus, in whom the kingdom of God has come into our midst, gives us an opportunity to reflect on our past and live together in our future. Our continued journey of reconciliation is possible because the grace of God enables us to move beyond any hindrance to us experiencing that grace. Amen.

Bible Text: Isaiah 11:1-9, Mark 4: 21-32 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Upon my return people have asked me, did you have a good holiday? My response is yes, I had a great holiday two weeks ago while my parents were visiting. But one would not describe attending the 141st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, a holiday which is where I was last week. General Assembly is the highest court of the Presbyterian Church. It gathers every year for five days and it is here that decisions regarding doctrine, mission, and action are made. It is the place where arguments about our pensions, budgets, and policies occur. It is the place where we gather for prayer and discernment about our future. It is the place where recommendations are passed or defeated, where amendments and amendments to the amendments are debated and voted on. Meetings occur throughout the entire day from 8:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night with only breaks in between for meals. It sounds fun doesn’t it! Each year approximately one in six ordained clergy are present as well as an equal representation of teaching elders so that hopefully it is a healthy balance of ministers and lay leaders. This year there were about 300 people gathering in the great hall of the new Student Union Building at the University of British Columbia. Just picture it for a moment, at least 150 ministers all gathered in a room, wanting to have their say. Even simple decisions can, well, take a long time. But General Assembly is vital to us as a church and can have very important ripples throughout our congregations, including this one. While topics big and small are always discussed and debated this year was slightly different. Namely because the first discussion regarding full inclusion of the LGBT community was discussed since 1996. I will of course get into that in a moment. But first I want to share with you the theme for this year’s General Assembly.

The local arrangements committee decided that the theme should be, “Imagining the Kingdom…the Kingdom of God is like”. I could not have thought of a better theme myself since many would argue that the west coast of Canada is the kingdom of God with all its vistas, views, and beauty. I also believe that there are times at General Assembly in which we do actually catch a glimpse of what the kingdom is like. One of my favourite moments each day was the presentations by our interfaith, ecumenical and international visitors. We had a Theravada Buddhist, an Orthodox Armenian Archpriest and the the Deputy Secretary General of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. Each expressed their realities and concerns, particularly for their people across the globe.

Timing wise many members of the Assembly Office, including our former moderator, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Farris, had just the day before General Assembly returned from the Closing ceremonies of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Ottawa and as a result it was at top of mind. They shared videos, pictures and thoughts on their experiences including a commitment to address the recommendations found in the final report from the commission.

As I mentioned important items where discussed and some where even passed. For example, one recommendation that I had a hand in preparing was from the Church Doctrine committee. It was passed “That the General Assembly affirm that ordained ministers of churches which are members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches are permitted to preside at the Lord’s Table at the discretion of the moderator or interim moderator of the relevant session” which basically means I could ask Roy or Wally or anyone ordained in the Christian Reformed church to lead us in Communion if need be. There are also recommendations regarding justice and environmental concerns for example it was passed that “Presbyterians write to and meet with their Members of Parliament prior to the Conference of the Parties 21 (COP21) meeting in December to express their support for the development of an internationally negotiated and binding agreement that sets reductions targets in greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the increase in the globally averaged combined land and ocean surface temperature to two degrees Celsius.”

One other vital aspect of General Assembly is our worship services. Each day is started by worship with singing, prayers, Scripture readings and of course a sermon. On the first full day the Rev. Cheol Soon Park was our preacher and he chose to use the passage from Isaiah to help us imagine the kingdom. By relating it to some of the challenges that churches face when there are disagreements. He pointed out that the kingdom of heaven is actually full of differences. In heaven there are many creatures, the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the goat, the cow and the bear, a infant and an asp or viper. The point being that, heaven is not a place where everyone agrees with one another but rather a place where there are enemies and foes together. But although there are many differences of opinion, heaven is a place that is unified in God’s name.

Rev. Park said, “We are all different, from different backgrounds, different ideas and understandings. We will talk about many complicated matters this week [and I would add this year]. As we continue our journey together it doesn’t really matter whether your opinion will be carried or defeated. Let us remember this, there is no winner or loser in heaven. Especially when we ask for God’s wisdom. If we are mature enough to thank God for our differences but also remain one in Christ. It will be the place where God resides and we can call it God’s kingdom.” The overlying theme is that no matter what our different opinions we belong together in Christ.

The kingdom of heaven is like a national assembly discussing overtures regarding the inclusion of the LGBT community. There were many who supported our church becoming fully inclusive, meaning removing the vows of celibacy for those wishing to become clergy and meaning allowing for same sex marriage. There were many who did not support our church becoming fully inclusive but all were unified in a desire to talk. On the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning the General Assembly participated in an unprecedented event. We moved into a committee of the whole and were put together in table groups and we discussed and prayed about that very topic. However, before we could begin we were given some guidelines. I thought they were so fantastic I wanted to share them with you but there are 14 guidelines and so you can look forward to finding them all in detail in the upcoming newsletter. However, some of the guidelines included, “Listen Generously: Listen intently to what is said, listen to the feelings beneath the words. We come as equals: We don’t have the same gifts, limits or experiences, but no person’s gifts, limits or experiences are more or less important than another’s. Turn to wonder: If you find yourself becoming judgemental or cynical, try turning to wonder and ask. I wonder why she shared that story or made those choices? I wonder what he is feeling right now? Welcome discomfort and dislocation: In the midst of new and uncomfortable places and the company of strangers, move against an instinct to construct a mental space of safety or to check out.” I can think of no better guidelines for the diversity that is found amongst friends, strangers and foes in the kingdom of heaven. All that was discussed, including the prayers, at these circle groups was noted and collected and will be given to the two committees in charge of studying this question for the coming year. They are Church Doctrine and the Life and Mission Agency, Justice Ministries Department. Those committees will work together to create some resources and a study guide for congregations. One recommendation has asked the congregations to also discuss and share their thoughts regarding inclusion of the LGBT community and as a result we will spend time at a few points through this year having our own circle groups and studying the resources that will come from the committees. And yes, that is an intimidating task.

But our Gospel passage advocates for patience and confidence in the God who will make all things known and happen in God’s own time. First people plant seeds and wait for them to grow. God is then responsible for the growth of the kingdom and seeds do not instantly transform into mature plants. They grow over time, a lot of time. But when the time for harvest arrives, that is the time for sudden response. As any farmer knows the need to begin and complete the harvest is essential or else produce will be wasted.

Following my week at General Assembly a few things have been affirmed. Some ministers’ like the sound of their own voice, there will always be debate over pensions, that the church is at a cross roads, that the kingdom of God is wonderful, mysterious, and worth seeking out in ways we may not expect. And that the Presbyterian Church in Canada loves God, cherishes Christ’s call, and is guided by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bible Text: John 16:4-15, Acts 2:1-21 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

In 1924, the Edison Phonograph was looking for a new slogan. Following the Great War there was a need to create a buzz around this sound machine. It had existed since 1877 but didn’t really hit the domestic market until the 1920s. It was the roaring twenties after all and people had money to spend. Edison’s phonograph was the first machine with the ability to not only record the sound but then also able to reproduce the sound that was recorded. The original phonograph recorded sound onto a tinfoil sheet but as technology changed and other inventors got a hold of the idea the sound was produced on wax and then vinyl. But in 1924 the availability of these machines became easier to the average consumer and a few minor competitors came on the market. As a result a marketing company was hired to create a slogan for Edison’s phonograph. The new catchphrase was “The gift that keeps on giving”. It was the first time this phrase was used. Three years later the slogan was trademarked for Edison’s phonographs. This is one rare occasion when the slogan has outlasted the product. In fact it was later adopted by a much less trivial company as the slogan for becoming an organ donor in the US. One quick google search and we can discover that it is a phrase used for all kinds of products from magazine subscriptions to soaps. But in reality there are only a few gifts that truly have the capacity to keep on giving.

I often treat Pentecost as if it is something that happened- focusing on the story from Acts of these Galileans who were all of a sudden capable of speaking to everyone through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The English version of the story losses something in the translation from Greek in that it was truly a fear-inducing, adrenaline-pumping, wind-tossed, fired-singed, smoke-filled moment in the life of the church. But this year I began to think about the Gospel passage and how Jesus takes time to explain the purpose of the Spirit and I realized that too often Pentecost is the focus of something that happened rather than something that is happening. The passage from the Gospel of John actually guides us in a way that makes Pentecost an event that is, not was, relevant for the present. Of course, it is hard to pin down an event in the church that is similar to Pentecost, as I mentioned it was a frightening event but if we begin to think of it less as an event and more of a change, we see how permanent and relevant it is to our life as a community of faith. This shift in thinking, however, means we must look more at the function of the Spirit rather than the role of the Spirit. Jesus did not limit his promise of the Spirit as a gift only for the first century Christians. The truth is that Pentecost happens every day. It is a gift that keeps on giving.

We have spent quite a bit of time together looking at the Farewell Discourse between Jesus and his disciples. The Gospel writer is capturing these last intimate teaching moments and we’ve come to the part where Jesus needs to explain what they are supposed to when he is no longer with him. For the time being Jesus has descended to earth but as his ascension fast approaches something new will descend, the Spirit. This makes the Spirit no less mysterious, however, because the Spirit, rather than Christ is the one who is going to bridge two realms. The Spirit will flow through both the world and the community. Meaning that the power and presence of the Spirit is not limited to the believing community but creates an accessibility of faith for the world.

At the beginning of this section, Jesus says that the Spirit will encounter the world. This is often interpreted as people who do not know or who will never know Jesus in person. The Spirit will do this by revealing three things to others. 1. the sin of the world, 2. the righteousness of Jesus, 3. the judgement of Satan. For centuries we have been trying to define and refine those three points. What it really means is that the Spirit continues Jesus’ work of exposing, through the work of the witnessing community, the love of God. It is not the Spirit’s role to issue condemnation to individuals but rather to bring about reconciliation to the community. Jesus then explains that the Spirit will bring recognition and apprehension of the truths about Jesus. Meaning that the Spirit is the intermediary, that the Spirit’s primary role is to make Jesus present to the believing community. How is this relevant to us today?

When the Spirit helps the world recognize the meaning and reality of sin, the righteousness of Jesus and the judgement, the Spirit it is an opening up the household of God. Lutheran theologian Ginger Barfield says, “The Spirit has the function of continuing to confront the world, meaning outsiders, with the presence of Jesus after his ascension. In this way, the Spirit functions as a witness to Jesus to the world, and to the community- both outsiders and insiders. For the community, the Spirit will lead them in the way of truth on matters that Jesus has not yet been able to teach them. The exciting news in this is that the Spirit will proclaim Jesus’ own teachings in the new and changing circumstances that the community will face when Jesus is gone. The Spirit will interpret what it has heard from the new contexts that the community will come to face. The Spirit will make the teachings of Jesus relevant to each new generation and to each new age.” That is why the Spirit, this Gospel lesson, and Pentecost is relevant to us.

I actually had a real sense of relief when I read Barfield’s words because the reality is, in a lot of ways, the church today is vastly different from the church of the first disciples. Of course the lines of communication are different, of course the modern conveniences are different, of course the knowledge that is out there is different. As a result, how we interact, how we live, and what we known are completely different from that of the disciples. It is often difficult to make faith and practice relevant to others- particularly younger generations-when even how we interacted, lived and what we knew 70, 50, and 20 years ago is different. But the relief is in the ever constant gift of the Holy Spirit which perpetually speaks to our contexts of the ever abiding presence of God and the eternal truths about Jesus. Things are constantly changing but the Spirit’s guidance remains the same.

As Jesus says farewell to his followers, he also readies them for the difficulties of change, orienting their attention away from the pain and sadness of his departure toward the advantages of the life with the Spirit. A very trivial comparison is that is Jesus saying, “I’ve got some bad news, and some good news.” Of course Jesus’ life was spent spreading Good News- but this is the “It Gets Better” news that the disciples need to hear in this moment. Jesus does not encourage them to build on what they have just learned or to go off boldly into the world all on their own. Rather Jesus promises that his presence will continue to accompany them and work in their midst through the reality of the Spirit. The second to last verse in our passage says, That the coming of the Spirit will commence a new, better era by actively uniting believers to glorify God, in Christ. I Know that Pentecost is not something that happened but is happening because we aren’t all unified yet, we are all still pretty confused, and the times, they are a changing. But the Spirit, is alive and at work, because the Spirit is in the moments when we are gathered together as a community, when we are serving in our world, when we are working hard and making the constant love of God known and the gift of the Spirit just keeps on giving. Amen

Bible Text: Acts 10: 44-4, John 15: 9-17 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

There is one song that is part of the Canadian Rock song book that is my absolute favourite. It’s “Signs” by the Five Man Electrical Band. I remember the first time I heard it. I was in Waterloo, listening to Oldies 1090 on the AM band and the song came on and for whatever reason I felt moved to stop and listen to the lyrics. It’s about a man, who attempts to go places and do things but is always confronted with signs that tell him, he is not welcome. It beings, “And the sign said, “Long-haired freaky people need not apply” So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said, “You look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you’ll do” So I took off my hat, I said, “Imagine that, huh, me workin’ for you” Whoa, oh, oh.
Throughout the song, signs prevent this man from enjoying nature and being served at a restaurant until the final verse, “And the sign said, “Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray” But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all. I didn’t have a penny to pay
So, I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign I said, “Thank you, Lord, for thinkin’ ’bout me, I’m alive and doin’ fine, woo. Although the Five Man Electrical Band had other hits in Canada this was their only international hit song. Ironically, it was originally released as a B side song to their unsuccessful hit, “Hello Melida, Goodbye” in 1970 and then re-released in 1971 as the now popular single. Although this song spoke to the disenfranchised youth of the early 70s it is a song with a lasting quality because it deals with boundaries, borders, and of course signs.
It seems that we are always stuck in a dichotomous battle between us and them, you and me, the ins and outs, the qualified and unqualified, not to mention the continuing struggles between races, cultures, and religious differences. We like to put ourselves into categories that separate us and then we put up signs explaining who is welcome and who is not. Even the early church struggled with those boundaries and I would argue it is still a struggle today. The passage from Acts is a great lead into our Gospel passage about love.
In order to understand the conclusion that we heard in our Acts passage we have to go to the beginning. It begins with a man named Cornelius. Earlier in our chapter it says that Cornelius was a “pious and God-fearing person with his entire household, giving many alms to the people and praying often to God.” But the thing about a guy named Cornelius, is that he isn’t Jewish but Italian and there is one very distinct difference between this Italian man and the Jewish Christian, Peter. Although Cornelius is a practitioner of Jewish piety he is not a full convert He has not undergone the traditional Jewish boundary crossing ritual of circumcision nor does he follow the Kosher laws of clean and unclean food. The Greek word for Gentile is Ethne, from which the English word “ethnic” comes from and it means, “those folk” which is distinguished from the Greek word, laos, which means “our folk”. From the point of view of the circumcised community the Gentiles or ethne are immoral and inherently unclean. And yet, God gives Cornelius a vision and inspires him to find Peter.
Peter has a vision, in which all kinds of four footed animals appear before him and a voice says, “Peter get up and eat this meat”. Peter responds by saying, “By no means, for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” and God responds, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” It goes back and forth for a bit and then the vision returns to heaven. There is one verse that describes how Peter felt afterwards, that “he was greatly puzzled.” Well I guess so, how is it that God can suddenly declare something that was once impure, clean. How can the rules all of a sudden change? But Peter isn’t given much time to think about this problem because Cornelius appears on the scene. Peter contemplates whether he should speak to this man when the Spirit of God, tells him to go to them “without hesitation”. The actual Greek, meden diakrinomenos means, without discrimination. As one does when the Spirit of God speaks, Peter obeys, despite the fact that he would not normally have accompanied Cornelius to his home. Our passage from Acts is what happens while Peter is experiencing the hospitality of this man, which means, his eating food with this man. Being served by this unclean man unclean meat.
The lines have been blurred, the boundaries have been broken, the distinctions have become hazy. The signs have been taken down and a new one is put up, “everybody welcome.” In the midst of this fellowship and forming friendship, Peter has a realization verse 34 says “Then Peter began to speak, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God.” It is not about who one is, regarding race, culture, or what side of the fence they are on, dare I say, it is not about their orientation or gender rather it is about believing, fearing and following God in love. This revelation that Peter has creates an opening that transcends the traditional boundaries that were keeping others on the outside of the early church.
Then, and this is where our passage comes in, this incredible thing happens and everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sin and experiences the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit falls on all those who hear the word. Our passage says that those who were circumcised believers are astounded that the Spirit chose to fall on these Gentiles but it speaks to the power and inclusivity of God. Note this is important, the inclusion is not initiated by Peter, or by any of the other followers or by Cornelius who is head of this household, but by God and the in-dwelling and abiding of God’s Spirit which is indiscriminate on who it falls upon.
Last week Jesus began his statements to the disciples with the image of the vine and then talked about abiding in God and our Gospel passage this morning continues this conversation as Jesus also gives a new commandment. Again, those rules and distinctions that once separated one another have been rewritten with a commandment that promotes a wider scope of believers.
The verb abide is an imperative, meaning it is, itself a command, even an obligation. It is also a cycle, one abides in Jesus’ love by keeping the commandment to love, which allows us to abide in God’s presence. Just as the Son abides in the Father’s love by keeping his commandment, which is that Jesus expresses divine love for the world by coming into it and being present for it, by abiding in it. In fact, there is a fusion of language in this passage as love and abide are used interchangeably.
Jesus then brings this section to a close by talking about the completion of his joy through his friendship with the disciples. That’s the interesting thing about friendship, boundaries are crossed, and no distinction is necessary but Jesus’ friendship, love and joy are intertwined with the profound story of the crucifixion. The laying down of one’s life shifts the image of the relationship between Jesus and the community. Jesus’ love changes the entire relationship so that instead of there being a major boundary between Jesus and his disciples there is simply a relationship among friends. Another barrier is broken through the love of God made manifest in Christ.
And so, my challenge to us is that we truly live as friends where the lines and dichotomies are erased, where the us and them is no longer. The world is already full of boundaries and signs that separate us. But the story in Acts reminds us that God speaks through all kinds of people, no matter what our judgements are on their life. Because of the new commandment which summons us to abide in God’s love and to love one another as Christ has loved us the only sign that should mark our doors is “everybody welcome, come in and kneel down and pray.” Amen