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I know I have told you parts of this story before- but I have since learned a few other facts about it and I want to share them with you.  In 1939 Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg were working on a musical score for an upcoming movie. Five minutes into the movie the main character fails to get her Aunt, Uncle and the farm hands to listen to an unpleasant story involving her beloved dog. Her Aunt replies in annoyance, “Dorothy, find yourself a place where you won’t get into any trouble.” Which prompts Dorothy to break out into a song about leaving the black and white dull world of Kansas.  This song was originally cut from the movie because it “slowed it down” but Judy Garland’s vocal coach convinced the movie producers to keep it in since Ms. Garland had been working so hard to sing it. And a good thing too because Over The Rainbow  was ranked the number one song of the 20th century by the Recording Industry Association of America.  But here is what I have learned since. Arlen, whose name was originally Hyman Arluck was the son of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants and his father was a Chazzan- a musician trained to sing the Scriptures and prayers- like a cantor in some Christian traditions. Yip Harburg’s real name was Isidore Hochberg and his parents were yiddish- speaking Orthodox Jews from Russia. Both men had a very firm sense of the immigrant experience. The song Over The Rainbow has come to symbolize the feelings that many Jews would have had as they struggled in Europe and then struggled as immigrants in new worlds. They hoped that some day they could overcome this struggle and fly to a place full of promise and comfort. I also suspect that given their religious upbringing both men knew our scripture passage very well, they knew that a rainbow was indeed a sign of promise and hope. A sign of God’s covenant that goodness and peace would preside over all the earth. But this is just one short part in the very complicated story of Noah.

Since Sunday School many of us have heard the story or sung the songs. That Noah built this incredible ark, that rains started coming and that the animals came 2×2, you got your green alligators and long neck geese kinda songs. After 40 days the crow and then dove are released and eventually evidence of land is found. We tend to think that the story of the rainbow is a beautiful conclusion to this story- and in someways it is- God does indeed make a promise that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood. But the Sunday school lessons never go beyond this. They don’t tell us that Noah had a drinking problem or that Noah curses his son Ham and his descendants into slavery. And it is that line that many white nationalists still use to claim that God not only supports but demands racism.  While the rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant and hope, the story derails very quickly afterwards and it appears that the use of a flood as a reset button- didn’t really work. The wickedness of humankind, which is the language God uses early in Genesis to determine that a flood was necessary,  rears it’s ugly head soon after God makes a covenant never again to harm humanity.

The thing about covenants is that they are a two way commitment. God promises this so long as we do or don’t do that. This is why we need to mark Lent- a season that is not about giving up something you shouldn’t be doing or eating in the first place, but a season to acknowledge that we aren’t very good at holding up our end of the covenant. The sole role of the prophets was to point out where leaders and communities were either upholding or undermining the covenant. For us, Jesus on the cross is the final covenant- the promise that God’s grace and salvation is for all. All the earth is reconciled to God once and for all. The problem is that we still struggle to create a world where  dreams really do come true and storm clouds are far away and trouble melts like lemon drops.

Along with hearts, rainbows as a sign of appreciation and hope have appeared in many a window over these nearly 12 months. They represent signs of hope that all is not lost and healing will come- we can see it on the horizon. The rainbow is used as a sign of inclusion and welcome. It is a symbol of peace. And so it should be a symbol for all of these things. There is an incredible beauty to a rainbow, especially when it is normally preceded by dark clouds and pounding rain. The problem is that rainbows vanish quickly and we then go about our daily routines and back to our bad habits. I know this sounds pessimistic.  So I turned to work by, Rev Marjory McPherson who reminds us what the symbol of the rainbow really is, “The rainbow is set in the sky after the flood, not as a sign for humanity but as a reminder for God, in order that when God sees it, God will remember not to let the flood water destroy life again. So it is not primarily a reminder for us, but rather a sign that reassures us that God remembers us, remembers that even though we will go wrong, that the waters will not again overwhelm the earth for God can see the rainbow.”

This anthropomorphizing of God doesn’t totally sit with me- but I do appreciate this idea that God needs reminding- like writing something down on a sticky note and pasting it where God will see it. After all the passage does say, “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant.”  The idea that the rainbow is to reassure us not remind us is helpful. We have faced a pandemic head on. We acknowledge that there is suffering beyond our comprehension in this world. But we can be reassured that God is suffering with us- and you know why, because God went to the cross for us.

We have begun the season of Lent. At our Ash Wednesday meditation I said that this is a time to prepare ourselves for the paschal mystery. This preparation for Easter starts with acknowledging our need for repentance. We have to acknowledge that the story doesn’t end with the rainbow- we have to uphold our end of the covenant. We also acknowledge the forgiveness proclaimed in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ so that immigrants are not marginalized, so that little girls don’t need to dream about a place beyond their black and white world, so that all of creation can be reassured that God is with us, whether we have faced a terrible storm and can see the rainbow on the horizon, are still wandering in the wilderness or looking into an empty tomb. Amen

I’m going to be honest and say that the only thing I like about Valentine’s Day is those chalky candy hearts with words on them. The sayings are inconsequential, I actually like the flavour of those hearts. Normally, I’m one of those people who doesn’t need to mark this day as anything special. But I thought I would do some research. Did you know that there are actually three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus. My favourite legend is about a priest name Valentine during the third century in Rome. The Emperor at the time outlawed marriage because only single men could be soldiers and the Roman empire needed to bulk up their army. Valentine rebelled by continuing to perform marriages in secret and paid with his life for those actions. But the other Valentines also have mystery and legends surrounding their martyrdom. If that’s not confusing enough, the reason for Valentine’s Day being in February is also unknown. Some believe, as with most Saint’s days, that Feb. 14th commemorates the burial day of one of the saint Valentines. Other scholars believe that the date was chosen in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan festival of Lupercalia, much like Dec. 25 was the festival of Saturnalia. Lupercalia was a festival that celebrated Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture or a fertility god.  Part of that festival involved single women putting their name in a big urn and the single men drawing names from the urn. The couple would be paired up for a year and surprisingly many of those matches ended in marriage.  Exchange words of affection or handwritten letters on Valentine’s day took place as early as the 1700s. In 1840 the first cards were mass produced by Esther Howland. Even today Valentine’s day is the second largest card-selling holiday- second only to Christmas. Fascinating stuff right- but it also just makes me even more cynical about the holiday- as some made up holiday by the big greeting card business. Luckily, this year, we have another great feast day to celebrate- and one that I find far more interesting. Today is Transfiguration Sunday!

Ok, I know, it doesn’t have the same ring but the Gospel story today really helps us understand why this is a special day in our church calendar.  While we make a bigger deal over Valentine’s day than the Transfiguration- this story is indicating some very important details about Jesus- not only who Jesus is but his link to the entire story of God and God’s people.

Jesus invites Peter, James and John to accompany him up the mountain, to be a part, to be by themselves. When they get to the top, Jesus is transfigured, that is , his appearance is altered. In this moment of change Elijah and Moses appear on the scene. All of a sudden as the light begins to blind the disciples, a cloud overshadows everything and a voice says “this is my son, listen to him!” When the disciples pull themselves together its only Jesus who is standing with them.

The transfiguration of Jesus is a strange story in the Bible. It is a very different kind of epiphany. In part because there is significance to the presence of Moses and Elijah that reveals who Jesus is. They are the two greatest prophets within the Hebrew tradition. They had a very special, even intimate, relationship with God. The Jewish tradition believes that these two prophets were so closely linked to God that they avoided death, both going directly to heaven. Having them show up demonstrates that there are similarities between these prophets and Jesus. They all worked to help the people of God remain faithful despite the fact that the people were being drawn into idolatrous behaviour. All of them laboured to keep the people of God hopeful even as the people suffered under oppression and totalitarian leadership. This is good company for Jesus to be in. Of course what differentiates the prophets from Jesus is that the voice of God announces that Jesus is God’s son.

I think it is also important to note that this takes place on a mountain. If we think back to the story of Moses and the Exodus, every time God wanted to speak to Moses, Moses had to climb up to great heights.  We could go back further when God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son on a mountaintop. Or go back even further to the ark finding rest on a mountaintop. Throughout scripture mountains not only hold a place of reverence but are places where big changes with God happen.

In his commentary, Dr. Mark Calder actually suggests that preachers compare the mountaintop experience of the transfiguration with the elation that lovers, especially new lovers, feel and how we want to capture that feeling forever. In many ways he’s right because as soon as the transfiguration takes place, on that mountaintop, Peter is so elated that he acknowledges the privilege it is to be there at that moment by stating, “it is good for us to be here”. He then clearly wants to capture that moment, that feeling, and hold onto it for ever when he says, “let us make three dwellings.” But in an instant a cloud overshadows the events and from it a voice repeats what was said at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son, my beloved, listen to him!”

Not only is this Valentine’s day, not only is it Transfiguration Sunday but the season of epiphany comes to an end today.  Now that Jesus’ identity and purpose has been revealed and established we can begin the long journey to the cross through the season of Lent- a journey that will turn us toward the incredible story of God’s love for us. Honestly, the story of the transfiguration is a story about love too. The transfiguration of Jesus is not the end of God’s transfiguring ways. Transfiguration often refers to a physical change- and so it may not be a familiar word, but words like transformation or alteration could work too. Through Jesus, love, which can sometimes seem trite, is not expressed in chocolates and cards but in devotion to purpose and relationship. God seeks a loving relationship with us through Jesus Christ.  That’s incredible.  And then God says, now you get down from the mountain and do likewise, by loving others. Amen

This week I was struck by Laurent Duvernary-Tardif’s story, some of you may know it, I only learned of it this week. Last year Laurent had just won the Super Bowl playing offensive guard for the Kansas City Chiefs. He also happens to be from Montreal where he studied medicine at McGill University. When the pandemic hit, he heard the pleas of the Quebec government and  he decided that during the off season he would work as an orderly in a long-term care facility in Montreal. Then in July, he decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season so that he could continue to fight the pandemic and in the fall he began to take classes at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. I wonder, as he watches his teammates prepare for another Superbowl match up today whether he has any regrets. But in an interview this week he said, “Of course I miss football….five years from now, I’m going to be able to look at 2020 and be like, “Alright, I followed my conviction and I made a move that I’m going to be proud of.” In my humble opinion Laurent not only followed his conviction but is fulfilling a pretty special calling- one that he may not have discovered had it not been for a pandemic.

You might be wondering where I am going with this, but this morning’s Gospel lesson is all about fulfilling your calling in the face of illness- more importantly, that when faced with the inability to fulfil one’s calling, Jesus is the only one who can provide healing and restoration. Last week’s reading and this week’s reading actually occurred on the same day. You might recall last week that the focus was on Jesus’ authority wrapped in a story about healing a man with an unclean spirit. This week’s story actually shifts us to Jesus’ healing powers wrapped in a story about a woman’s calling.

The passage begins, “as soon as they had left the synagogue”. Remember Mark loves the word “immediately” and this is another time it comes up. Immediately after leaving the synagogue they head to the house of Simon Peter and Andrew, where Simon Peter’s mother-in-law has been gripped by a fever. We have to realize that in the ancient world a fever was a fatal situation in most cases and one that they didn’t really understand. In fact most fevers were treated as if they were demonic possessions. A fever was often a symptom of a much more serious condition that often lead to death. The original readers would have understood that the prognosis for this mom-in-law was not good. The household immediately tells Jesus about the situation. He takes her by the hand, lifts her up and immediately the fever leaves her and she begins to serve them.

In our NRSV version we hear the term “lifted her up” but a lot of other translations use the phrase “raised her up” and I think that the second phrase lends itself to a much deeper meaning. She is raised up, much like Jesus will be later on in the Gospel. Mark uses this turn of phrase more than once to describe the healing miracles of Jesus- because in being raised their is a sense of a new strength or new energy. It is through this new energy that people can fulfil their calling. Just as immediately as Simon Peter’s Mother-in-law is healed she is also able to serve.

Now, I have always struggled with that part of the story- that as soon as she is well again she begins to serve them, like, common on, let her rest! But theologian Sarah Henrich helped me understand something about her service. Sarah writes, “The verb “to serve” used here is diakoneo, the same verb Jesus uses to describe the essence of his own ministry later on in Mark. It is “to serve” rather than “to be served” that characterizes the Christ of God. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law is the first character in Mark’s gospel who exemplifies true discipleship.” Meaning, that this woman is fulfilling her calling, not because it is her role in the household but because she wants to be of service. In fact, in Mark, it is only women and Jesus who use this verb- the male disciples never seem to quite get it.

Once I understood that this woman was fulfilling her calling as a disciple I was drawn into what holds us back from our callings. We can certainly think of literal illness. When cold, fever, cancer holds us back from doing what we are called to do. Illness at any time, but especially in the ancient world, carried a heavy social cost. When a person was ill they could not longer earn a living and would thus loose status in the community.

Perhaps, after our own experiences with Covid-19,  we understand this more than ever. Illness can make us feel cut off from our community and calling.

But what if we think of this figuratively. What “illnesses” are holding us back? Fear? Shame? Idolatry? Uncertainty?Those things can make us feel cut off from our community and calling too. But  Jesus heals and restores. Sarah Henrich continues, “Jesus’ ministry involves restoration of those cut off from community to a full role in community. Those who have been seriously ill in our own time will understand the joy of simply being back as a participant.” Through Jesus, we can be lifted, raised up, to serve one another which means that the cycle of restoration and healing continues in and through us.

The Gospel lesson doesn’t stop there, however. After the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, word gets out and Jesus is bombarded with people in need of healing. He worked well into the night, never turning down someone’s cry for help. I can’t imagine how tired he must have been. But not only does Jesus know how important it is to restore others to health, he knows how important it is to restore himself. While it is still dark, early the next morning, Jesus finds a quite place and prays. Clearly he doesn’t even tell his disciples where he has gone because they go hunting for him. In order to serve others, to fulfil this disciple calling, one needs to be restored themselves. So, if you are listening to this and thinking, I don’t have the energy to serve, know that finding peace within yourself and prayer is an important part of the restoration process.

I don’t know who is going to win today, and in the grand scheme of things, it’s not all that important. But we have learned more than ever, how illness can change our lives, even when we aren’t the ones getting sick. We have learned how much we need restoration and healing but not just to feel well, but to feel whole as we live out our calling and serve one another. Amen

Do you remember being young, and having a messy room, and your parent coming in and saying to you, “Clean up your room!” and you respond with “why?” and the parent then says, “Because I told you to!” and sometimes that elicited the proper response of cleaning one’s room while other times it might lead to the comment, “You’re not the boss of me!” While I am not a parent myself, now as an adult, I can appreciate how challenging parenting can be- especially when a child begins to debate the parent’s authority in dictating what the child can or can not do.

Today we are continuing to hear accounts from Mark about the early stages of Jesus’ ministry. Last week Jason shared with us Mark’s account of the calling of the first four disciples- and explained that Jesus was definitely breaking with tradition when he went out seeking disciples rather than disciples seeking him. Today Mark continues to develop Jesus’ character and we hear Mark’s first account of a miracle. The author is using an event in the temple to establish both Jesus’ healing ministry as well as Jesus’ authority and wisdom. A big part of the discussions that take place are about authority. First, Jesus seems to teach with authority- he appears to have a confidence and knowledge on subjects that not even the scribes seem to command. Then an unclean spirit obeys his command which means he’s displaying an authority that has never been seen before. I’m going to tell you right now that I am a rule follower- most of the time.

Understanding what the rules are and how to follow them is important to me- in part because I have faith that most rules have been created with our best interests in mind.  Over the past year I have learned a lot about rules and authority- and who wields it. A year ago, I’m going to bet that none of us knew who our provincial or federal health officers were let alone the fact that they could declare public orders. The authority of the session, as it is they who decide the time and date of worship, and therefore the ones who decide when the church should be open,  has been invaluable to me. It is good to have a team of people who make these decisions! But I know, it hasn’t always been easy to appreciate this authority or the rules.

Historically, the Church- I mean the wider institution, not necessarily our individual denomination or congregation- has not exercised authority well. In fact, throughout history we have condemned, persecuted and even killed those who challenged the Church’s authority, think of the Inquisition or Reformation. Or the church abused the authority it had, like the doctrine of discovery. There are often conflicting opinions about the church’s role and authority within society, especially a secular one like ours. You’ve heard me say that politics has no place in the pulpit- because I view that as an abuse of authority- but I also firmly believe the church has the authority to speak out against injustices, which can sometimes be political. Leaders within the church hold in tension this balance between asserting authority and being open to the Spirit’s wisdom. It’s complicated- and it appears that it has always been a bit complicated.

Today’s passage contains a pattern that is quite prevalent in Mark’s version of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. It occurs in a sacred space, in this case the synagogue, at a sacred time, in this case on the sabbath, while engaging with those on the margins, in this case a man with an unclean spirit. But the whole point of the story is to demonstrate Jesus’ authority- and it gets a bit complicated. I want to point out, a couple weeks ago, when we heard the story of Jesus’ baptism I mentioned that many other translations of the story use the word immediately. Jason also mentioned last week how Mark loves the term immediately. While we don’t hear it in our NRSV version, in the original Greek, the word for immediately appears twice in this passage. First, at the very beginning when it was the sabbath, they immediately go the synagogue. Second in verse 23 after Jesus has taught with such authority immediately a man enters. In the first case when they immediately go to the synagogue on the sabbath this is to display the authority of tradition. In the second, the sudden-ness of the man demonstrates how immediate one’s response to Jesus’ authority can be.

Notice how, while people clearly are astounded by Jesus’ teaching, it is the man with the unclean spirit- a man who likely would have been on the outskirts of the temple, normally shooed away when he would start to make noises, a man either possessed by a spirit, or perhaps in modern language struggling with mental illness such as schizophrenia or drug addiction. It is this man who says, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” I think, we are often like the people in the synagogue, people who are interested or astounded or even amazed by the word of the Lord but don’t always know what to do with that information. Yet, this man is the one, one of the first in Mark’s gospel, to declare who Jesus really is. Also, if this is an unclean spirit, then it stands to reason that because of Jesus’ authority his very presence threatens the spirit’s control over the possessed man. So many things demand our attention these days, so many things seem to control us- and a lot of those things would be threatened if we completely turned our lives over to the authority of Jesus. But what does this authority really mean?

The Rev. Nigel Robb, who specializes in developing dementia programs for churches, actually helps us understand the authority of Jesus in this passage. He writes, “Authority means power, conviction and, in this case, God speaking. Power is recognized by the crowd not in the miracle, but in the way Jesus spoke and did not rely on other historical tradition or inherited wisdom. It is beginning to dawn on the crowd that something different was in Jesus. Jesus’ authority over illness and demons, over the Law and its applications stems from the sense of urgency that His announcement of the proximity of God’s reign encapsulated.” Basically, when this story was told and retold to the community, and then recorded by Mark, then Luke, it was to bring the community hope that God was immediately and presently at work within their own traumas. The community was living under Roman occupation, had seen their saviour killed, heard rumours of his resurrection, and were afraid of their future. Rev. Robb goes on, “The story was treasured to indicate that real power was with them in the midst of universal upheaval.”

Jesus’ authority has not changed.  Jesus still has power, conviction and the Words of God. And this authority includes power over all the uncertainties and idols that control us. Authority that speaks words of comfort and challenge- particularly as we continue to fail at proper use of authority within and from the church. And when we read or hear those words of challenge and we start to ask “why?”, all God needs to say is, “Because I said so!” Amen

Devotional:

Do you remember being young, and having a messy room, and your parent coming in and saying to you, “Clean up your room!” and you respond with “why?” and the parent then says, “Because I told you to!” and sometimes that elicited the proper response of cleaning one’s room while other times it might lead to the comment, “You’re not the boss of me!” While I am not a parent myself, now as an adult, I can appreciate how challenging parenting can be- especially when a child begins to debate the parent’s authority in dictating what the child can or can not do.

Today we are continuing to hear accounts from Mark about the early stages of Jesus’ ministry. Last week Jason shared with us Mark’s account of the calling of the first four disciples- and explained that Jesus was definitely breaking with tradition when he went out seeking disciples rather than disciples seeking him. Today Mark continues to develop Jesus’ character and we hear Mark’s first account of a miracle. The author is using an event in the temple to establish both Jesus’ healing ministry as well as Jesus’ authority and wisdom. A big part of the discussions that take place are about authority. First, Jesus seems to teach with authority- he appears to have a confidence and knowledge on subjects that not even the scribes seem to command. Then an unclean spirit obeys his command which means he’s displaying an authority that has never been seen before. I’m going to tell you right now that I am a rule follower- most of the time.

Understanding what the rules are and how to follow them is important to me- in part because I have faith that most rules have been created with our best interests in mind.  Over the past year I have learned a lot about rules and authority- and who wields it. A year ago, I’m going to bet that none of us knew who our provincial or federal health officers were let alone the fact that they could declare public orders. The authority of the session, as it is they who decide the time and date of worship, and therefore the ones who decide when the church should be open,  has been invaluable to me. It is good to have a team of people who make these decisions! But I know, it hasn’t always been easy to appreciate this authority or the rules.

Historically, the Church- I mean the wider institution, not necessarily our individual denomination or congregation- has not exercised authority well. In fact, throughout history we have condemned, persecuted and even killed those who challenged the Church’s authority, think of the Inquisition or Reformation. Or the church abused the authority it had, like the doctrine of discovery. There are often conflicting opinions about the church’s role and authority within society, especially a secular one like ours. You’ve heard me say that politics has no place in the pulpit- because I view that as an abuse of authority- but I also firmly believe the church has the authority to speak out against injustices, which can sometimes be political. Leaders within the church hold in tension this balance between asserting authority and being open to the Spirit’s wisdom. It’s complicated- and it appears that it has always been a bit complicated.

Today’s passage contains a pattern that is quite prevalent in Mark’s version of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. It occurs in a sacred space, in this case the synagogue, at a sacred time, in this case on the sabbath, while engaging with those on the margins, in this case a man with an unclean spirit. But the whole point of the story is to demonstrate Jesus’ authority- and it gets a bit complicated. I want to point out, a couple weeks ago, when we heard the story of Jesus’ baptism I mentioned that many other translations of the story use the word immediately. Jason also mentioned last week how Mark loves the term immediately. While we don’t hear it in our NRSV version, in the original Greek, the word for immediately appears twice in this passage. First, at the very beginning when it was the sabbath, they immediately go the synagogue. Second in verse 23 after Jesus has taught with such authority immediately a man enters. In the first case when they immediately go to the synagogue on the sabbath this is to display the authority of tradition. In the second, the sudden-ness of the man demonstrates how immediate one’s response to Jesus’ authority can be.

Notice how, while people clearly are astounded by Jesus’ teaching, it is the man with the unclean spirit- a man who likely would have been on the outskirts of the temple, normally shooed away when he would start to make noises, a man either possessed by a spirit, or perhaps in modern language struggling with mental illness such as schizophrenia or drug addiction. It is this man who says, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” I think, we are often like the people in the synagogue, people who are interested or astounded or even amazed by the word of the Lord but don’t always know what to do with that information. Yet, this man is the one, one of the first in Mark’s gospel, to declare who Jesus really is. Also, if this is an unclean spirit, then it stands to reason that because of Jesus’ authority his very presence threatens the spirit’s control over the possessed man. So many things demand our attention these days, so many things seem to control us- and a lot of those things would be threatened if we completely turned our lives over to the authority of Jesus. But what does this authority really mean?

The Rev. Nigel Robb, who specializes in developing dementia programs for churches, actually helps us understand the authority of Jesus in this passage. He writes, “Authority means power, conviction and, in this case, God speaking. Power is recognized by the crowd not in the miracle, but in the way Jesus spoke and did not rely on other historical tradition or inherited wisdom. It is beginning to dawn on the crowd that something different was in Jesus. Jesus’ authority over illness and demons, over the Law and its applications stems from the sense of urgency that His announcement of the proximity of God’s reign encapsulated.” Basically, when this story was told and retold to the community, and then recorded by Mark, then Luke, it was to bring the community hope that God was immediately and presently at work within their own traumas. The community was living under Roman occupation, had seen their saviour killed, heard rumours of his resurrection, and were afraid of their future. Rev. Robb goes on, “The story was treasured to indicate that real power was with them in the midst of universal upheaval.”

Jesus’ authority has not changed.  Jesus still has power, conviction and the Words of God. And this authority includes power over all the uncertainties and idols that control us. Authority that speaks words of comfort and challenge- particularly as we continue to fail at proper use of authority within and from the church. And when we read or hear those words of challenge and we start to ask “why?”, all God needs to say is, “Because I said so!” Amen

Have you ever seen a movie or read a book that was so good you wanted to tell everyone about it? And then the person you tell responds with, “Oh yeah I saw that movie, I thought it was boring!” Oh, how disheartening it can be when something that inspired you seems dull to another person. Mike and I discovered pretty quickly that we have very different tastes when it comes to books. While he prefers philosophical sci-fi,  a genre I find to be a great slog to get through, I prefer Giller prize winners or classic Canadian literature which he finds to be rather slow in story- sometimes our two tastes combine like in the great works of Margaret Atwood. It is one of the wonderful things about being human- that we all have different tastes and one person’s passion can be another persons indifference. But what happens when one’s prejudices also  get in the way?

We kind of get a glimpse of that in this story of Philip and Nathanael. Just before our passage Jesus has called his first disciples from among John’s followers. Our story takes place the next day and instead of going back to the Jordan river Jesus heads into the region of Galilee. I will talk a bit more about this region in a moment but as Jesus is walking around he runs into Philip and I kind of love the exchange that takes place. Philip happens to be from the same hometown as Andrew and Peter- so their might be a connection there- but really all Jesus says is “Follow Me” and Philip doesn’t even seem to say a word but just follows Jesus. Philip then goes looking for his buddy Nathanael and tells Nathanael that the One Moses wrote of in the Law and the One preached about  by the prophets has been found. So clearly Philip is really inspired by Jesus and wants to tell his friends about him. But Nathanael’s response is less than favourable, “You have got to be kidding me, has anything good ever come out of Nazareth?” I can just imagine how deflated Philip must of have felt.

Galilee is actually a large geographic area. In fact, the word comes from the Hebrew word galil which means region. Three well known towns or cities of the Galilean region were Tiberias, Capernaum and Nazareth. Tiberias and Capernaum are on the shores of the sea of Galilee and we know that Jesus basically “sets up camp” in Capernaum for much of his ministry. Tiberias and Capernaum were rich in resources and even today Tiberias is a kind of resort city. Nazareth however, is smack in the middle of the Gaillean region. It is surrounded by hills and dry land- at the time, it was basically a backwater village that served more as a rest stop between the Mediterranean sea and the sea of Galilee then any kind of village worth noting. Certainly nothing exciting came out of Nazareth. So we can kind of forgive Nathanael for his remark, except that behind this comment is perhaps a more concerning prejudice- and one that not only will Nathanael make but many who hear about Jesus will make. This is a judgment call without knowing the person- purely based on where they are from. I come from Hamilton- and I am proud of that fact- but I can relate, because most people only know about the steel mills or failed NHL team bids, they don’t know that Hamilton has the most waterfalls within the city limits of any city in the world. And a lot of good people have come from Hamilton. But it does make me wonder where our blind spots are. Do we have prejudices like Nathanael did, particularly when it comes to where someone is from. I was good friends with the Imam in Victoria, he knew what it was like to face prejudice despite the fact that he was from Ghana where most of his neighbours had been Presbyterians. Do we see stereotypes when we meet someone new? I know for myself that even if I’m not saying it out loud there are times when I catch myself thinking prejudice. Imagine if Nathanael had left it at that and had not gone to see Jesus with Philip- imagine what he would have missed out on just because he had some preconceived notions about who Jesus was because of where he came from. Imagine all the good things we miss out on because we have preconceived ideas about someone who is a refugee from Syria or a second generation Korean or an international student from Nigeria.

Thankfully, Philip does not give up and with three easy words, “Come and see” he convinces Nathanael to at least give this guy a chance. Come and see, come and see for yourself who this Jesus guy is- don’t let the reputation of his hometown influence you. Don’t let the rumours influence you. Don’t let any pre-conceived notions influence you, just come and see. To his credit, Nathanael does see who Jesus is and Jesus sees Nathanael. As Nathanael approaches Jesus says, “Here is a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.” It would actually appear that Jesus is the one who has created some pre-conceived notions about Nathanael. But then it is discovered that long before Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, Jesus knew the kind of person Nathanael was. And in this moment Nathanael exclaims, “You are the Song of God, the King of Israel!” Ok- if someone says to me, “oh I saw you sitting out on a bench a couple days ago and you looked pretty great” I’m not going to think there is anything prophetic about them. But maybe it is the fact that Nathanael asks, “How do you know me?” that changes Nathanael’s perspective. Worship developer Phill Mellstrom points out, “ Nathanael’s question “How do you know me?” is particularly poignant in these times of separation and isolation. This experience is in stark contrast to the initial prejudiced response of Nathanael. In this brief encounter we see a movement away from assumption and pre-conceived notions of someone’s value dependant on where they are from, to Nathanael feeling the power of being ‘known’.” Jesus makes Nathanael feel as if he has worth- which is in contrast to Nathanael’s comment that nothing of worth can come from Nazareth. That is one of Jesus’ prophetic roles- that Jesus gives people worth even when he himself has been and will be treated as nothing more than a criminal.

I appreciate that Jesus kind of pulls back on Nathanael’s reigns and says, “You think I’m that amazing just because I saw you sitting under a fig tree a few days ago?! Just wait- your mind is about to be blown away because if you come with me you are going to see the heavens open!” Again Jesus’ role is to call these disciples- make them feel something they have never felt before- that they matter and then tells them they are about the experience something even more powerful than a feeling of self-worth.

Phill Mellstrom says, “[Prejudices] can impoverish our faith and reduce the opportunity for us to hear God and respond.” We can also miss out on our opportunity to feel worth. I may be a proud Hamiltonian- but I have struggled with self-esteem- finding myself on YouTube has not really helped how I feel about myself. But Jesus says, come with me, and I see you, you matter, and I’ve got big plans for you. That is the calling to discipleship that Jesus gives to each one of us. We might all have our own passions and inspirations but all you have to do is get rid of those prejudices and – come and see-and Jesus will blow your mind. Amen

Devotional For January 10: Baptism of our Lord Sunday

Devotional:

Certain boardgames have enjoyed a surge in sales thanks to the way they can be played over zoom or even the phone. One such game was one of my favourites growing up, Guess Who. This two-player game involves each player having a board upon which are cartoon images of 24 people and their first names. At the start of the game all of these images are standing up on little hinges. You each pick one of those people and then the object of the game is to determine who each person has picked. The person who guesses correctly first, wins. You alternate by asking yes or no questions, like, does your person have brown hair or does your person wear glasses. As the characters are eliminated they fall down and through a process of elimination you get closer to guessing who the picked person is…But it is of the utmost importance to pay attention to the signs and answers or else you might push the wrong person down. I recently read an article on loneliness and they suggested that this be a game that people play to help those suffering from loneliness. In part because it’s a really simple game that is easy to play- even over the phone, so long as you each have a board.  But how do we guess who the right person is when all we know are strange details about them?

For example, in this morning’s Gospel passage we are introduced to two people and Mark uses some pretty interesting words to describe them. First we have John the Baptist and he appears, apparently out of nowhere, literally in the wilderness. We then get to hear a bit of a description of what John looked like as well as his diet. He was clothed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist and he ate locusts and honey. These seemingly irrelevant details actually say a lot about John, partly because they are a direct reference to Elijah who is described in 2 Kings 1:8 as “a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.” And if people were expecting someone to come from the wilderness as a sign that the Messiah was about to arrive- you better expect that their diet would be a bit on the wild side. John the Baptist is often depicted as a wild man and rightly so.

I appreciate that we hear that people from the whole Judean countryside were going out to see him. Honestly, based on that descriptor I have a feeling a lot of people were going out to see him because they were curious. I can just imagine the town gossip, “Hey have you been out to the Jordan River lately? Have you seen that crazy wild man? The one with the fancy leather belt?” Or I wonder if his diet ever became a fad- “the wilderness diet” of a protein and a sugar- perfect for those who want a figure that fits a tight camel coat. Yet, John’s role is not to be the centre of attention for long. Because, “Guess Who” is coming along? John begins to describe and introduce someone who is more powerful, someone whose baptism will be by the Holy Spirit. John says that “I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandal.” What John is intimating is that John’s role is one of servant or slave before Jesus.

Jesus, the second person described in this brief passage in Mark,  then shows up on the scene and in true Mark fashion it is rather abrupt. Jesus comes from Nazareth- which may be a hint at his physical appearance- and is baptized by John.  But this is no ordinary baptism because as Jesus comes out of the water the heavens are torn apart- talk about power! Then the Spirit descends like a dove  and a voice declares that Jesus is God’s beloved Son. At Jesus’ baptism, his identity is revealed- no one is left guessing who this man is- and yet, so many still have trouble figuring it out. Despite this description of the events people still miss the signs because they aren’t paying attention, they aren’t listening to the story close enough-maybe because they are stunned with what they are seeing and hearing.

In our translation of the Mark passage it says, “And just as he was coming out of the water.” In other translations it is better read as “immediately”. It comes from the Greek word euthus which occurs in Mark 41 times. Mark is the most curt gospel of the four but Mark also draws on the drama of the Gospel. By calling upon all this “immediate” language, Mark is pointing out that God is here! NOW! If you aren’t paying attention you might miss it. Another interesting linguistic link is that we heard the phrase “torn apart” in reference to the heavens as Jesus emerged from the water. Unlike the term “immediately”, “torn apart” is only used twice in Mark’s gospel. The first time at this baptism and the second time, when the temple curtain is torn apart when Jesus breathes his last breath from the cross in Mark 15. Essentially, Mark is framed by these two events in which the Kingdom of God is immediately present in Jesus.

When we were studying the Trinity last Fall this story of the baptism came up a few times. In part because this is one of the few texts in which all three persons of the Trinity are referenced and active together.  But guessing who the Holy Spirit is, based on descriptors is hard. In our Genesis passage we hear of the first inklings of the spirit. Some translations, like the NRSV that we heard today, says “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” some say “the breath of God” while others have, “the spirit of God.” The term in Hebrew is Ruach and it does indeed mean all three, wind, breath, spirit. Now, when the term Ruach is used in reference to wind this is not a timid breeze but rather a great storm-wind.  Much like the winds we have experienced over the last few weeks. The kind of wind that causes ferries to be cancelled and walks in the forest to be put on hold.

While the New Testament is written in Greek and so the term is slightly different, it is that Ruach- that great breath of God that speaks at the baptism. It is the spirit that not only creates and sustains life but brings about new beginnings and reconciliation. Like, how a forest is often transformed after a great wind storm- and those small trees that were struggling for light now have the space to grow into great giants. The spirit isn’t an easy thing to describe- sometimes it is like a violent wind and sometimes it is as peaceful as a cooing dove. But the Spirit’s function in this baptism is to point to who Jesus is. I think that I often miss the signs of who Jesus is, even if it is coming from a wild Spirit- and instead of listening I keep asking- and guessing who, who is Jesus.

Jesus is God’s beloved, and through our own baptisms we are enveloped into this story of grace and inclusion. In the coming weeks we will hear the stories of how Jesus called the disciples, how they observed and listened for the signs of who Jesus is.  If we pay attention to the signs and teachings of Jesus then the guess work on who Jesus is and who we are through Jesus, is, relatively, easy. Amen

The hymn, “We Three Kings” is often sung over the Christmas season.
Albeit, that it is more about Epiphany, which is officially celebrated on Jan. 6, than
Christmas, it was written as a Christmas gift by John Henry Hopkins Jr in 1857.
We could blame this hymn for some of the mythology around the three kings but in
actual fact the thought that there were three and that they were kings was a long
established tradition by the time the hymn was written. Actually the celebration of
Epiphany is older than Christmas in terms of liturgical traditions. Originally
epiphany used to also include the story of the birth of Christ as a sidebar. The
term epiphany stems from the Greek epiphaneia which literally means “revelation
of God”. God revealed to these travellers the birth of a king. Popular culture and
centuries of myths and legends about these three kings have created images for
us that aren’t all that Biblical. But that is the mystery of all epiphanies, they are
mysterious, hard to explain, often very personal and over time sound more like
legends than reality.

Despite these popular myths this story is an important narrative in the function of the Gospel of Matthew and who Jesus is in all the Gospels. Understanding the language and where some of these myths come from is important. The Bible does not state how many wise men there were. It could have been three or thirty, but as early as an Alexandrian manuscript it was interpreted
that there were 3 and they even had names, Bithisarea, who later became Balthazaar, Melchior and Gaspar. In the medieval period theologians concluded that each magi represented three of the then known races of humanity as descended from the three sons of Noah. They became kings because their gifts were only afforded by the richest of men. The term magi is the Greek word for wise men but is also the root of words like magicians and magic. We often interpret the magi to be astronomers, due to the fact that they were obviously looking at the sky and noted a change in the constellations but they likely were also adept in various occult arts such as astrology, fortune telling and the interpreting of dreams. What is important about these magi is that they take on the role and represent Gentiles who came to worship Jesus. God reveals part of the plan to these foreigners, these gentiles, in modern day language we might even
call them heretics or heathens. God reveals to them a king and enlightens them with an epiphany. God illuminates a dark world with not only the presence of Jesus Christ but the opportunity for these people to truly encounter him and worship him.

Along with the magi, the star, a light in the sky, is central. The magi are
from the “East”. The Greek word is anatolai which is really the root for the verb “to
rise” and literally means the region of the rising sun. The word the “orient” comes
from the Latin oriens and it has the same meaning. The idea that these magi
came from the place where the sun rises is important. The rising of the sun implies
the image of light and light was often associated with salvation in the Bible. These
Gentile magi are on a pilgrimage from the place where God’s creation rises each
day, to Jesus, the light of the world.

The sincerity of the magi’s worship is contrasted with Herod’s insincere
pledge to worship Jesus. When the magi ask where is this king of the Jews they
ask it with delight and privilege. The next time that term “king of the Jews” is used
is much later in Matthew, close to the end of his Gospel. Jesus is charged with
claiming to be king of the Jews and is eventually crucified for having such a title.
Matthew wrote his Gospel already knowing the end of the story. He already had
Jesus’ death in view when he has the magi refer to Jesus as the king of the Jews.
This is not only a foreshadowing of what is to come but reflects so much of our
world today. How do we reconcile our understanding that Jesus is the light to the
world, the personification of hope and salvation, when there is still so much
darkness in our world.

Who are the magi today? Who will make the pilgrimage? Who will
present their gifts to the king of kings? Who will find light in today’s darkness? The
year 2020 has been one wild ride with many stories of tragedy, fear, pain and
violence and that’s not even including the pandemic that has changed our world
forever. We tend to focus on those news stories at this time of year. But there was
a lot of light too. As we sheltered in place- nature really thrived. Many of us picked
up hobbies or new interests. There was a lot of good this year. Where have we
seen glimpses of light, of God, in our midst?

While Christmas may focus on the babe in a manger, Epiphany bursts
open on that glowing moment of God with us. Foreigners travel, Herod feels
threatened and stars move their course. The lesson of Epiphany seems to be that
in no way is Christ’s birth a private matter; the manifestation of God’s presence in
the world engages all aspects of our lives, political, cultural and natural realms. It’s
a big news story. Perhaps we are the magi of today but we are often so busy
looking at ourselves that we forget to see God. It’s time to let those outsiders in
and shine the light on God’s grace, love, and redemption at work in our world.
Amen

I have intentionally focused on music this Advent and Christmas season. In part
because I know how much many of us like to hear and sing well loved and known carols at
this time of year. In our Christmas eve message I mentioned I haven’t picked up a musical
instrument in years. Most of you don’t know that from grades 5 thru to 12 I played the
violin. In fact I played in the school orchestra and travelled to Boston and Montreal with
our orchestra. The first carol I ever learned to play was “Good King Wenceslas”. The tune
is rather simple, especially for beginner violin- GGGAGGD-and that’s because those are
the strings on a violin- no fancy finger work required. The tune is actually taken from a
much older madrigal, sort of the Baroque periods version of spoken word music. The
lyrics were written by John Mason Neale and if you know the carol you know it is about a
man who braves a winter storm to assist a poor neighbour. This story is actually based on
a real person, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia. He was adored by his subjects because of
his charity and compassion. Which eventually led to him being named the patron saint of
the Czech Republic. Now I know that this carol isn’t really a church carol. In truth it’s not
even a Christmas carol because the whole narrative takes place on the feast of Stephen
which is Dec. 26th. I think that’s one of the reasons why I like this carol so much. It takes place in this gentle in-between time between Christmas and the end of the year.
Similarly the gospel passage today is one of those in-between stories between
Jesus’ birth and Jesus’ ministry. When Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple in
Jerusalem they are in effect dedicating his life to God. The story thus sets the stage for
Jesus’ life to be dedicated fully to his heavenly Father. It’s funny how Simeon and Anna
are not included in our nativity scenes or pageants. As they indeed occur before the magi.
This is also a very rare look into Jesus’ childhood. This story is not intended to explain or
develop his character but rather to make some theological points.

At the moment when the parents would present their offering, Mary and Joseph
are interrupted almost intercepted. Instead of a priest residing over the blessing we have
two old but very wise people, Simeon and Anna. In our translation Luke writes, “When the time came”The words in Greek, literally mean the “days were fulfilled.” Fulfilment is the
real message this morning. Simeon and Anna function as the people who realize that God
has fulfilled a promise. They serve to embody the hopes of Israel and depict the fulfilment
of those hopes.
When Simeon lays eyes on this child he cannot help himself but take the child in
his arms, perhaps a startling moment for the parents, and he begins to sing! Anna in her
great age and deep piety recognizes Jesus for who he is and begins to praise God and
speak about the child to all who are looking for redemption in Jerusalem. Both have a
great and important prophetic role in speaking God’s truth about the child’s future. They
provide a clear model of what faithful behaviour looks like. Their patient waiting, their
rejoicing at the good news and their deep desire to share that good news all seems to
exemplify the proper response to the gospel.

Simeon and Anna play another key role. At this point in the story we know that
Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zecharaiah and a few Shepherds know about Jesus’ true
nature. These two seniors worshipping in the temple are the next to respond. I often hear
sentiments like “we’re getting older and can’t do the things we used to” or “It’s too bad we
all have grey hairs’ but this story of Simeon and Anna, two elderly people, tells me that we
are never too old to worship God or to see the true nature of Christ among us. Never too
old to praise. They both model a faith that embraces Jesus fully, full of what such faith
means and may cost but they also share it so that people of every age may respond.
Similarly, Wenceslas in his compassion for a less fortunate neighbour also embraces
discipleship. And he wasn’t a young man either.

You know this year has not been normal and I for one am glad to see it go.
However, when I think about what lessons are learned through Wenceslas and Simeon and
Anna I realize that praising God in word and action does not hinge on what is normal. We
might be limited in who we can see, who we can lift in our arms, how we can gather, but
praising God is never limited. We can share blessings regardless of what is normal or not.
Because in truth Jesus, this 8 day old Baby in an old man’s arms, was not normal. Amen