Service Type: Sunday

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

I always find that there is something refreshing about the beginning of a new year. I’m
not one to do resolutions although I do try set goals or intentions for the year. I’m sure, like me,
you are a bit taken a back that we have reached 2020. It just rolls off the tongue better than
most years. You know, many scientists, inventors, and philosophers, have made predictions
over the century on what our lives would be like in 2020. For example in 1911 a surgeon by the
name Richard Clement Lucas predicted that human feet would become one big toe by 2020 due
to the fact that the outer toes were “useless.” Inventor and sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke believed
that by 2020 we would live in flying houses. The publication Popular Mechanics claimed that not
only would we have personal helicopters by 2020 but a 1957 article stated that every road and
street in America would be “replaced by a network of pneumatic tubes” eliminating our need to
gas up. One prediction made by Time magazine in 1966 that I wish were true is that no one
would have to work and everyone would be wealthy, stating, “machines will be producing so
much that everyone in the U.S. Will in effect be independently wealthy.” These are just a few of
the truly bizarre predictions I came across. The truth is, however, that there are some
predictions that came true either because of or despite imagination. In fact Arthur C. Clarke
also predicted ipads or tablets in his well known novel 2001: Space Odyssey when he wrote,
“When [Floyd] had tired of official reports…he would plug his foolscap-sized Newspad into the
ship’s information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth.” In 1909 Nikola Tesla
predicted that eventually everyone would be walking around with phones in their pockets. Even
Mark Twain essentially predicted the internet which he called telelectroscope in which phone
lines created a worldwide network for sharing information. But that’s the thing about predictions sometimes it takes imagination and sometimes it takes observing current trends and seeing how they will effect us in the future.

Matthew’s story of the Magi is essentially predicting or foreshadowing if we use the
proper literary term, Jesus’ future. And Matthew is careful to demonstrate both the glory and
hostility that Jesus will cause and experience. This story holds in tension who Jesus is, what he
will become and how it will all play out. We simply have to be attentive and observe the key
elements to note that Jesus, this small child in Bethlehem, will change the world.
First, however, it is important to wrap our heads around some of the facts regarding
this story. Despite all of our nativity displays and lore around Christmas we need to recognize
that the magi did not arrive at the stable moments after Jesus birth. Perhaps the star appeared
that night but it would have taken the magi some time, like years, to travel from Persia to reach
Bethlehem. And we know they came from Persia because the term magi is Persian and means
“followers of Zoroastrianism”, which is often called a precursor to Islam. There likely wasn’t three
but an entire caravan of scholars, servants, and perhaps even women. Another reason why we
know Jesus was about two years old is because Herod orders the death of children two years
old and younger. And while calling them kings may not be accurate, we do know that they come
from places of wealth based on their gifts. So, now that that is out of the way let’s look at how
Matthew demonstrates who Jesus will become through this narrative.

The word epiphany comes from a Greek word, epiphainein which means “to reveal”
and there are numerous things that are revealed or that appear in this story. The star seems to
simply appear in the east and it is the star that summons the Magi. The Magi then appear in
Jerusalem at Herod’s palace door enquiring after a king, followed by the Magi’s appearance in
Bethlehem. But these appearances also cause fear. This is definitely a foreshadowing or
prediction into how people will react to Jesus, some with awe and others with terror. Notice how the reaction of the Magi contrasts with Herod’s reaction. The Magi see this star and their first response is to come and worship. When Herod hears about this birth he reacts with terror- and all of Jerusalem with him. Herod is overcome with fear while the Magi are overwhelmed with joy.

It will be these two reactions to Jesus that will consume his ministry and I would argue it is still
those two reactions to Jesus that take place in our world.
The magi’s worship represents the first of many instances in which unexpected people
will not only come to Christ but will be used by God to demonstrate the transformative nature of the gospel. The angel in Luke’s version of the birth of Jesus proclaims to the shepherds, “good news of great joy for all people.” The magi demonstrate that this proclamation is true. God so desired to reach beyond the region around Bethlehem that it was people of a completely different faith that first came to worship Jesus as king. As gentiles they represent the
universality of the gospel. Herod’s hostility foreshadows the opposition that Jesus will endure,
particularly by those in power within his own tradition. New Testament professor Dr. Crowder
writes about this tension in her commentary, “Herod is so filled with anxiety and paranoia that he fabricates his intent to pay homage. Nevertheless, this wise group travels through the deceit in order to share their treasures. Herod’s anger stands in stark contrast to the awe and curiosity of the magi.” Religious and political leaders within Jesus’ community will consistently respond to
Jesus’ presence with anxiety and paranoia and the people who we least expect will be the ones
who respond with awe and curiosity.

The gifts which the magi give also foreshadow Jesus’ life. While gold, frankincense and
myrrh were standard gifts to give a king, even a deity in the ancient world, often those gifts were given as a part of a homage or tribute to an adult king. And maybe that’s the only symbolism in the gifts, that the magi are worshipping a king. However, there have been many theories on the spiritual meaning of these gifts. I have mentioned before that early theologian Origen wrote in his Contra Celsum, “gold as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal (since myrrh was used as an embalming ointment); and incense, as to a God.” And the magi do indeed pay homage. The Greek word is proskuneo which literally means “to bow down”. Matthew repeats this word three times just so we are clear that the magi do indeed want to worship. They tell Herod that paying homage is the entire purpose of their trip. Herod then skews the purpose of his request and states that he too wants to know where the child is so that he can “pay homage.” And then upon entering the home, a home not stable, they kneel and pay homage while also being overcome with joy. Truly the story of the magi remind us that God’s manifestation can happen to people outside the religious or cultural community.
I am not about to predict how 2020 will evolve but I can guess that like the tension in
this story, we as a church, we as a country, we as a society will also balance a tension between
terror and worship throughout this year. But the point to epiphany is that God always shows up.

God is constantly revealed in the actions of others and ourselves. The question is how do we
respond to this revelation, do we respond with trickery, fear or bullying? Or do we respond with
humility, worship and by paying homage? Herod’s fear affects far too many innocent children
whereas the magi’s worship tells us who Jesus truly is. It is a reminder to me that reacting with
fear causes damage not only to ourselves but to others. How will we observe the Christ child in
2020? By focusing, by having 2020 vision, on the light and love of God that is all around us.
Amen

Bible Text: Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 7:10-16 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes |

There are approximately 40 hymns or carols in our current Book of Praise in the
section called, “Christmas”, of that 40 about 25 are fairly well known and we sing them nearly
every year. Eighteen of those carols reference Mary, seventeen reference the angels, fifteen
reference the Shepherds, ten reference the animals in the stable, nine reference Bethlehem,
seven reference the manger and five reference the star. Do you know how many of the carols in
our hymn book reference Joseph? Two. One is an obscure hymn that I have never sung called,
“The Snow Lay On the Ground” and the other is “Angels we have heard on high.” Now, I like to
think of myself as a bit of a feminist, and therefore I am aware that most of the other stories in
Scripture are male dominated, so it is time that a woman is the centre of a story. However, I am
also a bit of an equal opportunist and I have started to feel a bit sorry for Joseph, sure Mary
does most of the work and faces incredible challenges head on, sure the Angels are the ones
who announce the birth to the Shepherds, sure the animals and manger are fun to sing about
because it makes it such an extraordinary story but Joseph may just be the most relate-able
character in this story. Matthew is the only Gospel writer who really gives Joseph any depth but
Joseph’s behaviour and example gives us some clarity on how incredible this whole narrative is
and how it relates to our own lives.

First a word about his name, because throughout the stories of the people of God,
names are important. The name Joseph comes from the Hebrew name Yosef which finds its
root from the Hebrew verb “yasaf” which means “to add” or “to increase”. This makes sense as
we think of the other Josephs who find themselves within Scripture. The first time we hear the
name Joseph is within the story of Jacob, Joseph is the 11th son and but first son with Jacob’s
fourth and favourite wife Rachel. This Joseph increased not only the family of Jacob but adds to
the story of the Israelites in general as it is through him that they eventually find themselves in Egypt. The Joseph from this morning, Joseph, the husband of Mary also adds to story of God’s people. Matthew’s version of Joseph is unique to not only all the Gospels but unique to the rest
of Matthew. Nowhere else are Joseph’s traits described or does he take such an active role in
the birth of Jesus. Matthew says that Joseph was a righteous man, the only descriptor in all the
gospels about Joseph’s personality and given Joseph’s behaviour it is almost redundant to say
he is righteous because we find out how righteous within the same sentence. If an unwed
young woman, who was betrothed or promised in marriage, was found pregnant it was not only
grounds for a dismissal or divorce but according to Deuteronomy 22, could lead to her being put to death. Joseph plans to dismiss her quietly, saving the family from shame and saving Mary’s and the unborn child’s life. The very fact that he does not want to expose her publicly to save her from disgrace demonstrates his righteousness. Its important that we don’t romanticize this story too much. Joseph wasn’t doing this because he was heartbroken, he decided to dismiss her quietly because it was the right thing to do.

However, Joseph’s plans are abruptly changed following a message in a dream. So
often our plans can change in an instant. The Angel’s first words to Joseph can help us too when change seizes us. This angel of the Lord gives the command, “do not be afraid,” we too
should not fear change. The angel continues with some very interesting and counter-cultural
instructions. Joseph is not only to take Mary as his wife, something that would have been
unheard of at the time, but he is also the one who is to name the child. Culturally the naming
was usually a prerogative of the mother. As mentioned in the introduction, this naming is vital to the relationship between Joseph and Jesus. By naming Jesus, Joseph performs the official act
of adoption and as a result, due to Joseph’s obedience and naming, Jesus is linked to the
historic royal genealogy of Israel. Think about this for a moment, according to Matthew, because of Joseph’s obedience, Jesus becomes the Son of David- and therefore the Messiah. Without Joseph’s role Jesus would not have been able to claim his royal lineage. And the symbolism of Joseph’s adoption of Jesus should not be lost on us. Just as Joseph names and therefore claims Jesus as his own, Jesus adopts and claims us as his own.
It is Joseph’s obedience that can make him relate-able. Joseph was going to quietly
dismiss Mary- one could say he had given up on her as his wife. But God tells Joseph not only
to not give up but to demonstrate love by faithfully supporting her. Both Mary and Joseph take
all of this in stride but Joseph’s role in this nativity narrative opens up the possibilities for us to
explore the faith filled contributions we make when we do not give up on others but rather
demonstrate love, particularly within those situations that are not necessarily of our making or
even those in which we do not play a central role. The Rev. Dr. Grant Barclay frames it this way,
“If faith is understood as the choices we make and things we are determine to do, this passage
suggests faith may also be about the responses we make to the situations in which we find
ourselves. We are faithful not only in those ways we take the initiative, but also in how we
respond.” Joseph responds with faith and love to a very challenging situation.
In fairness, I think most of us would find it easier to respond to unpredictable situations
if we too had dreams in which angels gave us instruction and made the outcomes very clear.
However, at this time of year I also think about how our best laid plans can be derailed. Instead
of responding with anger or even dismissal perhaps we need to respond in faith and love.
Joseph has doubts and concerns but they are answered by divine confirmation. We don’t
always have that luxury however, this story declares that God reaches into the context of human existence in an unprecedented way- Jesus does what we cannot do for ourselves. Through this extraordinary story we discover that we do have the ability to respond to extraordinary situations as Joseph does- with faith and love, and we can always turn to Scripture for reassurance. The angel in Joseph’s dream not only tells Joseph to name the child Jesus but then quotes directly from the passage we heard in Isaiah. This might seem a bit confusing because the angel also tells Joseph that the child’s name will be Emmanuel. So, what happened to the name Jesus? Well, in short, Matthew is saying that Jesus saves his people by being God with us- something that will become vital in understanding the person and work of Jesus. When Isaiah wrote his prophecy the Southern Kingdom had just been attacked and therefore his words are about divine signs of salvation during a siege. The countdown to Christmas can sometimes feel like a siege- but the power of the name Emmanuel for us at Advent is that it calls us to live faithfully in God’s promise to be with us and indeed even to have the courage of faith to test that promise when we feel under siege. And I’m not talking about some false war on Christmas- I’m talking about all of those situations in which we, loose faith, in which we no longer believe that God is able to reverse threatening situations that confront us or the world.

We don’t know how Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant but it certainly was a
threatening situation for her and for their betrothal but God intervened and reversed the
situation, transformed it in such a way that this child became the Messiah. It may appear that
Joseph just went along for the ride but in truth his willingness to follow in faith, and not give up
on Mary or the relationship, is what changes the situation. Think of all the opportunities you
have in the coming week to be like Joseph. Do not give up, respond in faith, act in love. Amen

Bible Text: Matthew 3:1-12, Isaiah 11:1-10 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes |

A while back, while in the middle of a really stressful week, my Mom texted me and asked, “is there anything I can do to help?” I snarkly replied, “put more hours into the day, find a cure for cancer and rid the world of dementia.” I know that all Moms are superheroes in their own right, and my Mom can accomplish a lot, but those three tasks seem out of her scope.   In that heated moment I was feeling the deep emotional grief that comes from hearing that further members of our church family were dealing with difficult diagnoses. This year in particular saw changes in the congregation that I knew were on the horizon, I’m not that naive, but that were still challenging to face nonetheless. And this internal unrest, seems to be spilling out into all avenues of life. There is political unrest in various places around the world, certainly there is a generation of young people who are feeling restless over climate inaction, and losses of people and abilities in our congregation adds to this upheaval on a personal level. Peace, particularly the kind of peace I referred to in our children’s time, peace that brings wholeness,  seems to be alluding us despite the fact that we are “celebrating” the second Sunday in Advent in which peace is the main focus.

Over the many years that I have preached on John the Baptist I have always taken to calling him a prophet. A prophet’s role was to call the people to attention.  It is not a far stretch to compare John to the prophets in part because his entire outward appearance mirrors  that of the prophet Elijah And John’s call to preparation and repentance echos words by various prophets, namely Isaiah. But as I have listened to the young climate activists or the student protestors around the world, or even as my own passion regarding social justice was fired up after my visit to Palestine, I have begun to hear John’s words more as a protest, a call out to those in power that we are fed up with the current state of affairs. In today’s reading John addresses the Pharisees and Sadduccees and announces that judgment is coming and declares that these leaders are like vipers, assuming an entitlement that does not actually belong to them. John is warning that God is fed up with the state of affairs.  To be honest, however,  in some ways I feel this protest, of being fed up,  extends to God. I have always argued that when we are angry, or hurt, or frustrated, we should indeed direct those emotions to God- because God is the one who can take it, who can handle it. As creator of the universe God can handle our anger or our pain. And God indeed does that and responds. That is what God is doing in the protests of John and in the person of Jesus.

I’m not the only one to see this connection between John and modern protestors. The Rev. Dr. Janet Foggie writes, “[John] was a protestor, a voice shouting in the wilds. The protestor John grabbed attention, Jesus followed and hammered home His gospel.” And the protest that John is proclaiming is one of repentance. Repentance is imperative because God is coming and things are reaching a crisis point. I have to admit that I thought of Greta Thunberg. Most of us know the name now because she has managed to rally an entire generation behind a moment of crisis. But it didn’t start that way, in August 2018 she was  the only one who protested outside of the Swedish Parliament buildings. Less then a year later, a million people worldwide participated in a climate strike and in September that number quadrupled to 4 million worldwide. I would argue that Greta inspired these protests so quickly in part because what she is protesting is speaking to the deep concerns of an entire generation.

In this same way John’s success is also impressive. It says, “the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region around the Jordan.” Keep in mind this is all before social media. Word of mouth about John’s “protests” spread so quickly in part because what John was saying, spoke to the pain and suffering, concern and unrest of the people.

But this is also why the Gospel message of peace is so important to our own unrest. I was mentioning how at the time that my Mom texted me I was feeling grief. I have felt grief often this year. Grief because people like Rita Tingle, Doug Beatty, Ron Jackson, Ray and Lee Ellis, Pieter Riedyk, and Al Wedel are no longer a part of the life of this church. Grief because we have all been affected by the ageing process, people we love and care about have lost their abilities or memories. Grief because there are programs and ministries I would have liked to have done or seen occur but couldn’t because of other demands.  Grief because I am watching this denomination that raised me tear apart at the seams over issues of sexual orientation. It’s enough for me to protest to God and say, “Enough is enough!I’m fed up!”

And then it is in those moments that I remember what John was protesting and what Jesus hammered home. Isaiah also touches upon this as he prophesies about the peaceful kingdom. Peace is found in restoration and God promises us that the realities of paradise will be restored and they are restored through a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a king from the house of David. Blessed with the gifts of the Spirit, he will be equipped with the qualifications to govern on God’s behalf. And not only are we restored but all of creation.

Today we have an opportunity to give our grief, our anger, our unrest to God and seek that peace, that wholeness and be restored. This is done in a multitude of ways, one of which is through the act of anointing. Anointing is an ancient practice. In the Old Testament prophets, priests and kings were anointed as a symbol of their holy calling. Anointing is also a blessing, that in body, mind, and spirit we may be made well and be made strong for the work of healing the world. Today may it serve as a way in which we find peace.  Amen

Bible Text: Matthew 24:36-44 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes |

The house we lived in when I was about 6 or 7 years old had a large lamp post out front. While this detail was often insignificant to me most of the time, during the long days of summer that lamp post became a fixture for all the kids on the block. It was the “home base” for the often rowdy game of hide and seek. If you made it to the lamp post without being seen by the one who was “it” or the “seeker” then you won the game. It was also from this lamp post that the person who was “it” would fold their arms, supposedly close their eyes, and count to 10 while the others ran to hide. When that person reach number 10 they would inevitably yell out, “ready or not, here I come!” Due to my young age at the time, I often watched the game from my second storey bedroom window rather than playing along, because those games often took place well after my bedtime, but that meant I often had a good view of where people were hiding. When the “seeker” came upon someone who was hiding there was often a squeal of surprise!  The words “Ready or not, here I come!” always had a bit of an ominous tone to them. Whether you had found a good hiding place or not the seeker was going to start looking for you. Strangely enough, it is those same ominous words that give us hope this morning but this morning its more like, “Ready or not, here comes Jesus!”

At our most recent presbytery retreat the Rev. Dr. Bob Paul was our plenary speaker. The topic was on visionary leadership. In a successful secular company they look at what is going on now and then vision a better version of the now and implement that vision. He used the example of Apple, and said that this company has done an incredible job of constantly re-inventing itself- sure it still makes computers but from computers came ipods, from ipods came smart phones, and only they know were their next vision will lead us. This too can sound a bit ominous.

However, the hope that we have is that as Christians we have a theological concept of vision. You see, we understand that our current reality can be transformed by the presence of God. And do you know what the Latin word for God’s coming presence is? Adventus.  Ready or not, here comes Jesus! You see, no one could have predicted that God would transform the world through a person like Jesus. No one could have predicted that a woman like Mary would be visited by an angel, no one could have predicted that Jesus would be born in a stable, no one could have predicted that the first people to hear of Jesus’ birth would be a bunch of shepherds. And this is where we have hope. The future that God brings to us is outside of the bounds of what we can ever imagine or even plan for. Just as there is surprise when the seeker finds someone who is hiding, there is an element of surprise in God’s actions. We need to be open to the possibility that God has surprises in store for us. And when I say us I mean us, at CVPC I mean us as in all people. And this is how we have hope, but what is hope?

Julie Neraas, wrote a book entitled, Apprenticed to Hope: A Sourcebook for Difficult Times and in this book she points out that there is a difference between optimism and hope. Neraas lives with a chronic illness and this has informed her experience. For Neraas, optimism can offer a necessary energy boost at critical moments but hope is what sustains her in the long run. This is in part because within hope there is the possibility to also acknowledge despair. “Hope is rooted in the reality of everyday life, with all its joys, and with all its pain, uncertainty, horror and hurt. No understanding of hope is honest unless it deals with the absence of hope and those seasons when nothing comforts or reassures,  Hope is an essence that goes to the core of our common humanity; optimism is an attitude.” The reality is that it can be hard for us as a church to have hope when so many of us are experiencing transitions in our own lives.

Another person who has some interesting insights on hope is the Rev. Ruth Harvey, Director of Place for Hope,  a Christian conflict resolution organization based out of Glasgow. She states that hope is rooted in 3 things, 1) permission to lament/grieve; 2) the necessity to wait; and 3) the freedom to celebrate. She recalls the three-fold movement of the passion of Christ, the lament of Good Friday, the waiting of the disciples on Saturday and the resurrection celebration on Sunday as a good example of hope. The resurrection being another fine example of how God transforms the world in surprising ways. Hope is the promise of goodness beyond despair, even if in the very present moment we are despairing.

But how do we transition from simply having hope to being prepared? And how can you prepare for something that we know is going to be a surprise? Ready or not, here comes Jesus! Yet we should expect to see Jesus in the unexpected. The passage in Matthew reminds us that God is always at work, transforming the world, helping the now become the envisioned future. Are you ready to be a part of that transformation? Are you ready for God to surprise us with an astounding story? This isn’t about whether you have all your shopping done, or cards mailed out, or nativity scene registered for our annual nativity display. This is about being ready for God to transform us in ways we couldn’t have even imagined or planned for. God is at work- God is doing these things and all God asks of us is to be caught up in it. To be empowered by the fact that God is in charge of the transformation. Ready or not, here comes Jesus!

We are empowered to be part of this transformation through communion. We often think about how we are invited to come to the table and we are invited to come to the table and to be fed but that’s not the last step. This isn’t a one-sided relationship. We don’t just pass the plates of bread, eat it and sit quietly until the ritual is over. NO! We share in this communion so that we can then be ready to be sent out, to be the hope for a hurting world. We eat our bread, we drink our juice, not just because this is a familiar and calming practice but because it reminds us that after the meal, particularly after the meal that Jesus shared with the disciples on their way to Emmaus, Jesus sent them out to do the work.

For example, next weekend the community comes to us, which is a rare thing, to have people just walk in to our church, what an opportunity to show them who we are. Yes, they are coming to see the nativity displays but this gift that we give them is an incredible opportunity. I hope to see you all here too, bring your friends, neighbours, or simply just come to see it for yourself because it is a great demonstration of hope and you might even be transformed or be the transformation that someone else needs. Ready or not, here comes Jesus! Amen

Bible Text: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Bible Text: Mark 4:30-32, Psalm 8 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Bible Text: Haggai 2:1-9 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Bible Text: Joel 2 and Luke | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes | Nearly every Saturday you will find me among the various booths of fresh produce and baked goods at the Farmer’s Market. Throughout April to most of October the market is held at the exhibition grounds and one of my favourite practices is picking up a salad roll or muffin and walking down the simple path to the Tsolum River where we sit on a log or rocks and enjoy a little picnic. It has been particularly enjoyable the last couple of months because we’ve been able to watch the salmon jump and swim up the river. However, I also recognize that these Saturday morning  rituals would not have been as enjoyable or possible just 20 years earlier. You see, the Tsolum River was a river that once saw over 100,000 salmon return but only 10 returned in 1984. Not long after that, the river was declared biologically dead. This decline was due to copper leeching into the watershed from a mine near Mount Washington that had only been in operation for 3 years in the 1960s. By the late 1990s citizens in the area decided that something needed to change, they needed to at least try to restore this once abundant river. So, they established the Tsolum River Restoration Society, they covered the old mine site, restored the river bed and waited. It took over ten years since the society had begun their work but in 2009 the river saw over 44, 000 salmon. In 2017 the totals were up to 84,000. I don’t have the numbers for this year yet- but there is hope that this growth continues.   It is these good news stories that give us hope and encourage us to think that restoration is possible, that we do have the power to change, maybe even reverse damage that has been done. Restoration,renewal, reform and revival are the themes found throughout the short prophetic book of Joel. In fact, as I read through Joel in preparation for this morning my mind immediately thought of the Tsolum and I thought of conversations I have had with many of you regarding hope. Where do we find hope in a seemingly  hopeless situation? How do we foster hope when we hear nothing but brokenness in our world? How do we encourage restoration when all we hear about is devastation?  Is renewal, reform or revitalization even possible in this day and age? This is what makes Joel’s book so important because this prophet proclaims hope to a people who desperately need it.

While it is clear that our passage this morning contains hope it is important for us to look at the entire book to understand why Joel would proclaim it. The book of Joel might only be 3 chapters long but it is a whirlwind of emotions. We know that the book was written during the post-exilic period when Judah was a sub-province of the Persian Empire. People have returned to their homeland after the Babylonian exile, have rebuilt the temple and are re-establishing themselves as God’s people. So certainly words of revival and renewal should be part of his language.  And you would think that the book would be filled with rejoicing. But instead we discover that the people are in the midst of enduring a long plague of locust which has led to famine and drought. The hope they had with regards to returning to a prosperous life in their former land is gone.

Joel’s first few verses lament how the locust have eaten everything.  I might be a regular at the farmer’s market but I can only imagine what the effects of a swarm of locust can have on crops, not just for one season but for several. This plague has lasted years.  After exile, the Israelites are experiencing a whole new kind of devastation. Joel says that the grain is gone, the wine has dried up, and the oil has failed, even all the trees are dried up. The land has been declared dead.

Joel reminds the people that this devastation is not a fluke. The people are in this situation  due to poor food security, unsustainable farming practices and most importantly, a disregard for God. As a result, Joel calls the people repent. He tells them to fast, not hard to due during a famine,  and calls the people to prayer.  And they do. They present offerings, blow trumpets, gather together in the sanctuary to weep and pray.  They do something about their situation which helps bring restoration to not only the land but their lives.  Thus far we have talked about the devastation of the land, be it the Tsolum or Judah but it strikes me that Joel’s words might speak more deeply to us if we also think about spiritual famine or drought. Allegorically we are not all that different from the Israelites. The Israelites returned to Judah and were living in relative comfort, confident that they were God’s chosen people and that God had restore them to their homeland. We are living in relative comfort, confident that God has blessed us with an abundance of things. But there is warning in comfort because the moment we are too comfortable we become complacent. We may not be experiencing a literal plague of locust but we are distracted by so much- it might even feel like our busy schedules, or our material wealth, or the 24hr-7 day a week news reels are swarming us. I think we are living our own figurative plague of locust. Joel tells the Israelites to repent- to reroute their behaviour so that it re-focuses on God and through their actions God will restore their lives and land. If we are experiencing a spiritual drought then we too should reroute our focus, perhaps as a church or perhaps as a society, perhaps both.

Perhaps in this way our Gospel passage is also handy. When we are comfortable we don’t see the need for mercy.   I would argue that the way in which the Pharisee congratulates himself is perhaps distressingly familiar to us as modern readers. I know I have a tendency to be a bit self-righteous at times, I think we all do. In fact, if we are not careful we end up judging the Pharisee too quickly, thanking God that we are not like him! When in fact we need to hear the words of the tax collector who simply relies on God’s forgiveness to start anew. It is the tax collectors words that should be familiar to us. This past year the Presbyterian Church in Canada marked the 25th anniversary of the confession to God and Indigenous peoples regarding our role within the residential school system. We must cry out, “God, have mercy!” At this year’s General Assembly the moderator’s letter of repentance to the LGBTQ community was read and we cried out, “God, have mercy!” When we truly cry out for mercy then that restoration, renewal and reform can take place.

This leads into our celebration of Reformation Sunday. I tend not to spend too much time focusing on this anniversary because I am aware of the violence, pain, and brokenness that it caused. However, it is also the reformation that allowed us to think critically about Scripture. As reformed people we must remember to constantly look at where we need to re-form.

This is the good news that we hear in our passage from Joel this morning. Joel makes it clear that God promises abundance once we have repented or rerouted and cried out mercy. Joel says that there will be a time when we are restored, when the land is filled with abundance, when the vats of wine and oil will overflow! But note that for Joel this promise is still on its way. Joel describes hope within the shadow of suffering. Through Jesus Christ we have that hope- however, that does not negate our need to cry out for mercy.

God’s mercy provides us with hope and in this hope we find abundance and this is not just for our lives but for our land. However, we must cry out for that mercy- like those citizens who sought to clean up the Tsolum, they took charge, had hope, and went out beginning that restoration. Perhaps we feel as though we are being swarmed by the demands of a 21st century life. Cry out to God, do something about it, and abundance will come. Amen