Service Type: Sunday

Bible Text: Acts 8: 26-40 and Matthew 28:19-20 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

In a resource for this particular Sunday from the Atlantic Mission Society, a subcommittee of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, I came across this story.

“Elva’s feet     I imagine that being a missionary in the 21st century is a real challenge. But that mostly comes from my pre-conceived notions of what a missionary is. It’s funny how I still think of a missionary as a David Livingstone-esque person. Someone who loves the Lord with such vigour that they are willing to travel to remote or uncharted areas. In Livingstone’s case he was not only a Christian but a doctor and explorer. Or maybe I imagine someone as powerful as Eric Liddell who was not only an Olympic athlete but missionary to China where he worked as a school teacher and minister. His passion for the Gospel caused him to be imprisoned by the Japanese in 1943 and even then he continued to run a school for the children in the internment camp. I think it is a challenge to even think of the term mission in the 21st century because we are also coming to terms with some of the darker sides of mission, particularly when it is tied so deeply with cultural conversion as well as evangelism. How do we define mission today? What is a missionary in the 21st century?

hit the floor. At age 101, and still living on her own, this isn’t as easy for Elva as it once was. But as her feet hit the floor, it is time for a little daily prayer…a prayer of thanks for seeing yet another new day, then giving the day over to God, asking for strength to live, by grace,  through it, whatever it may bring. “Grant me peace about the things I can’t change,” prays Elva, “and may your Holy Spirit come both to my body and my brain!”

Elva’s heart of faith gives her perspective on the physical limitations of the daily life that she now faces but also orients her outwards, towards others, finding ways to connect, share a laugh, and offer encouragement and support to those around her. At her age, Elva knows that life brings bumps and hurdles but she also knows that faith in God can accomplish miracles. There is much cause for wonder and amazement at God’s presence at work in the ordinariness of daily life. She feels connected to Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This opens the lens of her life to the larger world and the world’s deep need. Elva’s faith-inspired wisdom is a gift of healing to those who find their days overwhelming or disappointing. Hope begins with just one small step forward, and so, in the gift of friendship and words of encouragement, a burden is lightened and a shadow is lifted in someone’s life. She is a missionary”.

As those who gather around Jesus and are called to live as Christ’s body in the world, it is significant for us to recognize that it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to do this.  Fundamental to the early church is the calling to live out God’s love in the world, reaching out and allowing God’s love in Jesus Christ to transform lives. Transformation has always been a part of a missional purpose, but it strikes me that instead of focusing on one’s notion of a traditional missionary that we should look at the many ways in which we are given opportunities to be missionaries, to develop and make connections, in our very living.

Time and time again the New Testament bears witness to the presence of a power that imparts people and their living in life-changing ways.  This power seems to be present as those who have been touched by God’s grace and love come into contact or connect with one another. The story of Philip meeting the Ethiopian official is just one such story.

We meet Philip as the earliest followers of Jesus face the first wave of persecution against them and the good news they boldly declare.  Stephen has been stoned to death and hatred is all around. Philip flees northward from Jerusalem into Samaria, where he quickly garners a following as he proclaims Jesus as the Christ, and is empowered with gifts of signs that reveal the Holy Spirit’s presence in wondrous ways.  In the midst of being a missionary to the people of Samaria, Philip is moved in heart and body to go to Gaza.  No purpose is given…Philip is just sent.

Along the roadway Philip encounters a stranger.  This stranger is nameless in the biblical story, but he hails from the country of Ethiopia, where he holds a position of status in the royal court of Candace, queen of Ethiopia.  This court official has made the long, arduous trip from his home to Jerusalem to worship in the temple, an indication that this man has spiritual awareness and thirst. No doubt his pilgrimage suffers a disappointment, for by the strict Jewish law, no eunuch of any nation is welcome to worship in the Temple. Imagine being a minority already, being an Ethiopian in Jerusalem, imagine being a eunuch, a choice that he likely did not make for himself but was made for him at a very young age, imagine making this long trip, only to be turned away at the door. However, the official from Ethiopia perseveres in his pursuit of understanding Israel’s faith and worship in the one identified as “the God of the heavens and the earth”. Somehow he obtains a scroll of Isaiah that he is reading in his chariot when Philip happens upon him along the road. In answer to Philip’s query, he is reading words but does not understand their meaning.  At this stage in the story I feel we could all identify with the eunuch. I know from our discussions in the Revelation Bible study that there are many passages in which we can read the words but are completely confused.

Philip identifies this interaction as a gift of the Holy Spirit, and an opportunity for connection, as Philip responds to the invitation of the official to join him in his chariot, and explain to him the words that he is reading.  Philip sits down beside him and begins with this passage from Isaiah. Now understood in light of Jesus’ arrest, trial, death and resurrection, Philip begins to tell him the good news of God’s love that has come to be present in human life, in Jesus Christ.  This is great news, particularly to this official, for in Philip’s witness, the man discovers himself to be included within the realm of God’s grace and love.  It no longer matters that he is from Ethiopia, a gentile, and a eunuch, for he is simply a child of God. Philip, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, transforms this situation by including this eunuch in the community.

The Ethiopian official, we’re told, goes on his way “rejoicing”, carrying with him the scroll of Isaiah, the witness of Philip, and the truth of his baptism as he becomes embraced, and accepted, in the household of God, through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate Mission Awareness Sunday today, we are reminded of the power of God to change and transform lives, bringing release, new life, renewed hope and deep connections.  God’s Spirit is always at work, opening lives to hear the message of God’s love, and enabling people to take risks in reaching out to others in faith that is rooted in, and built upon the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The words written at the end of Matthew came to be known as the great commission in the nineteenth century. It became the primary ‘mission text’ and it is very clear why. However, like most passages of scripture, there can be radically different applications and interpretations depending on one’s culture, beliefs, or norms. It can become dangerous when one’s context influences the word of God and for centuries we used this passage as a way of declaring that God ordained cultural genocides. But read within the context of Philip’s story we realize it is about witness, transformation and connection. Not only was Philip able to interpret and explain a difficult passage but the Spirit also placed a desire for such knowledge within the Eunuch, well before this encounter.

Philip’s witness reminds us of the importance of a vital faith that is trusting and accepting of the Spirit’s leading.  The journey of the Ethiopian official reminds us that God draws all people to the Divine Heart, even when such people may not fit the neat categories of our human ways and thinking. The encounter of Philip and the official together cause us to reflect on the gracious ways of God that beget new beginnings in the midst of human giftedness and vulnerability.  God’s Spirit works wonders in wilderness places, along a desert road, with two strangers who become connected together in a life-giving way through faith in Jesus Christ.

Maybe we don’t all think of ourselves as missionaries, at least not in the traditional sense, and maybe we don’t always have such powerful encounters like Philip, but we are reminded of the empowerment of God’s Spirit leading us to new relationships and transformation every day, showing us that we are missionaries. Amen

Bible Text: Genesis 1:1-27 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

“You want me to do what?!” I remember saying to the project coordinator of the Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC for short). I was about 15 years old out on a project. For two summers instead of an actual job I volunteered with this organization. Roughly once a week we would head out to a park along the Hamilton Bay front and most often we would remove invasive plant species like English Ivy, Purple Loosestrife or Garlic Mustard. Much like the broom busters here in the valley, those days were spent doing hard labour but the payoff was worth it. After each work party you could see the progress that had been made in removing these plants. This time, however, instead of pulling plants I was standing knee deep in hip waders in the Hamilton Bay planting native species. I was being told to put my bare hands in the dark, muddy and leech and carp invested waters of the Hamilton harbour. “You want me to do what?!”I don’t know if you have ever been to Hamilton, or seen its beautiful shoreline, but thanks to decades of steel factories and other industrial waste being poured into the water, the harbour has been condemned for many years. In my 19 years of living there I had never once seen anyone put any part of their bare skin into that water. So, with my first piece of water-grass in my fist I closed my eyes and plunged my hand into the mud. I expected to see that my hand had turned a glowing green when I lifted it from the sludge, but instead it was just covered in regular looking mud. After an entire afternoon I only had one leech to show for it. But that experience taught me that while creation is often beautiful and wild, it is sometimes gross and basic. Those summers working for BARC taught me that creation is fragile- certainly our relationship to it is fragile. When I realized that this year earth day would fall on a Sunday I was not only reminded of my time volunteering for BARC but I felt called to draw our attention to it and I felt that there were not better verses to hear than those from Genesis.

The first words in Genesis were the first words I ever learned in Hebrew. They are lines that many of us know off by heart בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ.. Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamayim ve’et ha’aretz. “In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth”. I have often wondered how anyone can deny the existence of God after they have walked along a rugged coastline or ascended a mountain or bird watched in the Masai Maara. The beauty that surrounds us is just so breathtaking, astounding, humbling, and sometimes overwhelming that mere words cannot describe the feeling, much like one’s relationship with God. But then you spend a couple days in the mud and you realize that creation is not always astounding or overwhelming. Sometimes it just simply is, and maybe it is when we are busy with our hands in the mud that our minds turn from God to just mud. There is nothing particularly remarkable or good about it.               Yet at the end of each day in creation it states, “And God saw that it was good.” But what happens when we cease valuing the goodness of creation and see it simply as a resource, or muddy water?

Since the establishment of theology and doctrine, theologians have been trying to define the word “good” within creation. What did God mean when God saw that what was created was good? I have seen too much to know that good does not mean safe or well or OK.  In his treatise Nature of Good, Augustine declares that even decay is good as long as it exists, meaning that existence itself is good, because it is made possible by God and upheld by God.  Goodness means existence. Just by simply being, creation is declared good.  What else did God mean by good? When God saw that it was good, God saw that it was balanced and structured, that everything had its purpose in this balance.

Then God created humanity in God’s image. God even blessed humanity and said be fruitful and multiple, subdue the earth and have dominion over it and even then God saw that it was all very good. I don’t know when it was exactly, some say it was the fall with Adam and Eve, when we discovered shame, some say it was with the ability to control fire, others say it was with the switch from hunter/gatherers to agrarians, but somewhere along the line this balance- what made creation good- was tipped. Instead of acting like reflections of God we decided we could be God. We took the instruction of having dominion over and subduing creation not as members of this created balance but as entities above it. In Genesis, God takes a formless void and gives it shape, or as it says in some translations, turns chaos into order. We took that order and tried to control it.

I am certainly not the only Christian to tie faith and ecology. In fact, John McConnell, a devout Christian and Pentecostal, was the one to propose a holiday to celebrate the Earth at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco in 1969. He later wrote in his autobiography that as a Christian he believed, “humans had an obligation to take care of the earth, and to share its resources”. Incidentally he was also a major peace activist, “he believed that love and prayer could be more powerful than bombs”.  His concern for the environment, desire for peace and love for God were not separate but rather intertwined. “He was a lifetime believer in care of the environment which was founded on his Christian passion for peace and love.” While I am always struck with the fact that God declares each act within the creation narrative good, I have always been stunned by the act of creating humanity in God’s image.

What does that mean within the balance of creation? In his commentary on Genesis, Gerhard von Rad explains that humanity, “is placed upon the earth in God’s image as God’s sovereign emblem” meaning that humans “serve as God’s representatives, summoned to maintain and enforce God’s claim to dominion over the earth.” I find this language helpful but also archaic.  Even the term dominion is problematic to me- but I also hear the word, “representative”. As images or reflections of God we represent in our behaviour who God is- and I think we often misrepresent God.

In her commentary Valerie Bridgeman writes, “the journey of creation becomes the journey of a people. Genesis does not intend to be a science lesson, not even a history lesson, but rather a theological treatise. “This is how much God loves and wants the world,” is what the words suggest. God delighted…It will fall to humans to live in wonder, or risk creation suffering from human hubris.” We have to note that God does not create humans first nor are humans the crowning achievement of creation. While we might hear that upon creating humanity that God declares it is very good and therefore we think we are the very best thing about creation but in reality the passage says that God saw everything that was made and it was very good. While humanity is made in God’s image it is all of creation that is very good.

I’m not one to get very political in the pulpit and I try not to let some of my environmental bias sneak through my sermons but today is a little different. I won’t tell you want I think about pipelines or oil tankers- in part because I think the issue is far more complicated than a simple for or against. But for far too long we have used up resources as if they would always be available but we can’t ignore the realities that such behaviour is not sustainable. In his article on the climate crisis the Rev. John Holbert says, “We have in fact “dominated” the non-human creation; we have in fact “subdued” the land and all its gifts. And the result has been a disaster: over-fished seas, threatened bees, withering drought, fouled air. It is time for us to end this foolish and incorrect notion that it is our world.  It is, and always has been, God’s world.”

If we look to Christ as our example of what a king should be then to have dominion does not mean dominate but rather servitude; to subdue does not mean control but sustain.  Celebrating or honouring Earth day is one thing but we who live on this island, in this incredible valley, can see with our own eyes that a glacier is melting away, we can count our stocks and know the salmon aren’t returning, we can be told to boil our water due to over logging, so at what point do we take our role as images of God seriously and take care for God’s world?   Amen

 

Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

In October 1989 a song by a German Pop group debuted on the US Billboard charts at number 65. Seven weeks later it reached number one. The song became this group’s most well known song and was ranked at number 21 for best singles of 1989. The premise of the song is that the singer realizes that they have made a mistake in rejecting their love interest. As the opening verse states, “You said you didn’t need her, You told her good-bye….You let her walk away, Now it just don’t feel the same” but instead of blaming himself for this heartache or mistake the singer says that he has to blame it on something other than himself and he declares, “Blame in on the rain, yeah, yeah!” Unfortunately this German pop group had more to blame on their demise then the rain because it was discovered in 1990 that the two voices heard on the recording were not actually the two guys who performed as the singers  but rather that they lip-synched their entire act. Millli Vanilli went from being extremely famous to completely infamous within a year. They were even forced to return their 1990 Grammy for best new artist. These two performers were blamed for being frauds when in reality it was the dirty dealings of the record company that got them into such trouble. Blame is a funny thing because we often don’t want to blame ourselves for mistakes. It is why terms like scapegoats or throwing someone under the bus are so common. Blame is a big part of our passage today- but we have to be careful about where this blame is placed.
The Acts of the Apostles or The Book of Acts as it is often referred, was written at a time when the relationship between the early Jewish-Christians and the traditional Jews was tense. It is clearly evident in most of the book that the author tends to place the blame for Jesus’ death squarely on the Jewish authorities. In fact, if we think about the passion story from Luke, three times Pilate pronounces Jesus is innocent while the Jewish crowd exclaims “Crucify him!” In that version of the story Luke gives opportunity for the Roman governor to appear innocent of any decision to place Jesus on the cross, despite the fact that crucifixion was a very Roman form of punishment.  Peter’s speech which we heard today continues this sentiment and unfortunately, throughout history, this passage has been used to support anti-Semitic behaviour within the church. So, we do indeed need to be careful about where we place blame or rather who gets used as a scapegoat.
This book, as well as Luke’s Gospel, was written at the end of the first century and it reflects a great amount of the socio-cultural context of that time. Following the destruction of the temple, Christianity began to spread within Gentile communities. Christians began to shift blame for the death of Jesus from Rome to Jewish authorities- because the bulk of new Christians were in fact, Roman.  If one were to read the Gospels in chronological order, that is starting with Mark, then Matthew, then Luke, then John, we would see this shift more clearly. We must learn to proclaim the gospel without blaming any particular community because really the only community we can blame for mixing up meanings or misunderstanding in the gospel is ourselves. While Peter’s speech clearly places blame on the ignorance of the Jewish observers Peter’s speech also reminds us of the healing that can take place under the guidance of the gospel. It is time that we focus on that healing rather than blame.
This is where the rest of Peter’s speech helps us to understand who it is we are to be as an Easter church, a church witnessing to the resurrection. This sermon follows a dramatic healing. Peter and John are going to pray at the temple- so you see, they are still maintaining many of their Jewish practices. A man who has been lame since birth was begging at the gate and he begs as Peter and John walk by. Peter asks the man to fix his attention upon Peter and John and then says that he has no silver, no gold, but what he has he gives and then he tells the man in the name of Jesus of Nazareth to stand up and walk. Which, to the amazement of the crowd, the man does. All those who witness this event are filled with wonder and amazement at what has happened. But Peter is quick to adjust their perspective and that is where our passage begins.
Peter points out that this is not a solo operation. Not only do Peter AND John fix their eyes on this man but Peter also tells them that this power does not come from them alone.   John is often underestimated in this story because he is referred to but does not speak. However, the point is that Peter and John work together to provide healing. I know that there are a few jobs or expectations around this church that feel like solo endeavours. I know there are some of you who think, if I don’t agree to do this then no one else will. But as we venture on this new beginnings visioning process together I realize how important it is to feel like this is not a solo endeavour- we need all of us to have healing happen.
We also need the power and piety to come from God, not ourselves.  Here Peter is very clear about the authority from which this power comes. Peter proclaims Jesus as “The Holy and Righteous One” and “The Author of life” both these titles mean that Jesus is the true source of healing. The curious thing about these titles is that holy and righteous are descriptors from the Old Testament, they would have been familiar to the crowd to which Peter speaks, but “author of life” is not found anywhere prior to Acts. Peter is giving Jesus a new title in this speech. This tells me two important things. First, that it is difficult to classify Jesus and second that titles of all kinds hint at what God has accomplished in Jesus- but that doesn’t mean they adequately describe it. This also means that we can get confused by all these titles and forget what they really mean- and who can blame us!
Later on in Acts Peter’s insistence in using Jesus’ name as the source of healing, his emphatic persistence that it is by faith in his name that gives health to this man, is also what will get Peter and John in trouble. They will be arrested and interrogated the very next day because of this miracle. And those authorities will ask, “by what power or by what name did you do this?” In this confrontation Peter continues to respond that it is through faith in Christ.  We they are free to go, instead of blame, Peter and John meet up with the council and rejoice that they have been considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of Jesus.
You see, here is where I think it’s time we can only blame ourselves- in the early church in Acts it grows because there is healing, proclamation, and rejoicing. While we may or may not participate in physical healing  ministries I think we forget how to use our faith to heal situations. We certainly do not share in the same kind of witness or proclamation as the early church and we often lament rather than rejoice when the church is called into question regarding it’s value to the community. We have no one but ourselves to blame when we do not heal, proclaim or rejoice in church. New Testament Professor, Greg Carey reminds me that, “At a minimum, we should remind ourselves of the countless ways in which we still reject Jesus, even, or especially, in the church. With respect to this passage, whenever we resist God’s healing work, whenever we seek to conform the spirit of healing to our own structures and expectations, we play the part of authorities who imprisoned Peter and John.”  As an Easter Church- a congregation that resides in the space following the resurrection- instead of blaming society or changing culture we need to take responsibility and heal, proclaim, and rejoice in the power of faith in Jesus’ name. Amen

Bible Text: John 20:1-18 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

I’m not really a fan of pranks. I guess I don’t really understand them- I’m a terrible liar and therefore am no good at doing them to others, and I don’t completely understand what’s funny about them when they happen. It’s why I’ve never been any good at “celebrating” April Fools Day. Did you know that historians really have no idea how April Fools came into existence? I’m not kidding, it’s no joke. Some scholars state that the first recorded association between April 1st and All Fools Day is in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales written in 1392. But others debate this and believe he actually meant to place it on April 2nd.  It is possible that the holiday goes back further than that because the Romans actually had a whole festival called Hilaria which started on March 25th and ended around April 1st and as you can guess by the name, Hilaria was a festival full of jokes and pranks.  Strangely enough in the 18th century it was believed that the tradition of April Fools went back even further to the time of the Great Flood and Noah, when Noah mistakenly sent the dove out in search of land before the floods had fully receded, sending the dove on a “fool’s errand”- but let’s be clear- no Biblical Scholar has ever supported that. I find it strange that of all the weird holidays of the western world, April Fools is the one that doesn’t seem to have any clear origin. Yet, here we are today, on April 1st- and perhaps you have already been pranked or tricked. But I think that most of you are like me, you just don’t get it- it’s not all that funny and the tricks aren’t worth the effort. When Mary Magdalene approached the tomb on that Sunday morning- it seemed like a pretty elaborate trick, even a prank, and for her it was not funny. In fact, she spends more time weeping in this chapter than in dialogue. It is a painful experience and who wouldn’t be upset to discover that your teacher’s body is missing. It’s been an emotional few days and it appears that things have gone from bad to worse. This is the dichotomy in the Gospel of John- here we have the climax to the story of the Gospel, something we celebrate and Mary is weeping.

It is early in the morning, so early that it is still dark. The description of the time of day also alludes to the darkness facing Mary, Peter and the other disciple. Not only is it pre-dawn but the awareness of the realities of the resurrection are also in the dark. As Mary approaches she notices that the stone has been moved away from the entrance- already this is not a good sign. She doesn’t need any further confirmation that something is wrong, she doesn’t even look into the tomb, as soon as she sees the stone has been rolled away she bolts back to Peter and another disciple and, breathlessly panting, says they have taken the Master from the tomb and we don’t know where they’ve put him. While we, in hindsight, can sing songs of Hallelujah and declare that Christ is risen indeed, for Mary this is not a miracle but an awful prank.

What is interesting about Mary is that within John’s Gospel this is only the second time that she is named. The first time is when she is with Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the cross. The first time we are introduced to Mary Magdalene is when Jesus is dying- John is using this to tell us that Mary knows very well what happened to Jesus for she witnessed it firsthand. Now Mary will become the first witness to the resurrection and will play a central role in sharing this news.

Like Mary, Peter and the other disciple are intriguing characters. We know that Peter had a close relationship with Jesus and was often the one who asked a lot of questions or debated most with Jesus. But there is mystery surrounding the other disciple who is described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This disciple first appears in John 13:23 when he reclines beside Jesus at the Last supper. Despite many scholars trying to solve the puzzle of this disciple’s identity, who this disciple was remains a mystery. Yet, when Peter and the other disciple run back to the tomb to confirm Mary’s horror, it is this disciple, not Peter, who goes into the tomb, looks at the evidence, and believes. He needs no more proof to know that this is not a prank but a miracle.

At this point in the story we have heard three points of view. Mary assumes that someone has stolen the body, Peter draws no conclusion in his confusion, and the beloved disciple has faith. It is as if their reactions represent the common reactions to the resurrection story. There are many who would hear this story as a joke, many who would choose to draw no conclusion at all and then there are those who have faith. While I would assume that many of us would claim to be the ones who believe, I think it would be more accurate to say that throughout our lives we experience each character’s take on the events.

Peter and the other disciple return home and leave Mary to her weeping. This weeping is referred to four times in rapid succession.  As she kneels down to peer into the tomb, two angels appear.   Now, one might think that upon seeing two angels that Mary would come to realize that this is not a joke. But instead, when the angels ask, “Why are you weeping?” she responds with the same statement that she gave the disciples. This reinforces to me that sometimes not even the sight of angels produces faith. Then Jesus himself approaches her. Mary sees this person but does not know that it is Jesus. Her mind is so set on the fact that the body is missing that she doesn’t even seen the body right in front of her. What is interesting is that the author allows us, as readers of this story to have a little more insight. We know that it is Jesus and are left waiting in suspense to find out if Mary will realize it too. But then Jesus speaks one word, calls her by name, “Mary!” After Mary hears her name come from the lips of her teacher, she is able to see that it is indeed Jesus. This is a reflection of the words found earlier in John, in which it says, “Jesus calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

After calling out her name and claiming her as his own Jesus commissions Mary to be an apostle to the apostles telling her to share the news that Jesus will “ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.” In this simple phrase Jesus declares that he is opening the way for humanity to have the same relationship with God that he has- that his Father is our Father, his God is our God. And that my friends, is no joke, this is not a prank, this is not an April Fools story- the entire purpose of the resurrection is stated in this commission to Mary. Jesus has opened up this relationship and has invited us to be a part of this family.

The experience of Mary, Peter and the other disciple reflects many of our own experiences. There are times when we do not have the answers, we do not know what it all means, we are skeptical, even cynical, essentially assuming the worst, which then prevents us from seeing how life can ever come out of the death or darkness that surrounds us. Then Jesus appears- calls out our names- makes himself known in a few simple words and then claiming us as part of this great household. As Rev. Bernard Brandon Scott puts it, “This is the family of divine fellowship.” It’s no joke but it is certainly a joyful matter. Amen.

Bible Text: Mark 11:1-11 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

In 1974, television network, NBC, decided that it needed to have a regular program on Saturday nights. For a decade they had been airing reruns of the previous week of the Johnny Carson show and they discovered that ratings were very low as a result. So, NBC executives approached Canadian Lorne Michaels to see if he had any ideas. In just three weeks Michaels and partner Dick Ebersol developed an idea for a variety show, with a twist, instead of the usual short-form interviews of mid-week late night television they decided to do a show full of comedy sketches, most of which would be political satire, with a smattering of musical guests. Within the year the cast was assembled and Saturday Night Live was born. SNL as it is now known has aired over 800 episodes and in the fall of 2017 it began its 43rd season. The series has had its hits and misses, spawning movies and establishing careers for comedians as well as having many seasons in which the series just didn’t seem all that funny. The major purpose of the show is to provide social commentary or parodies on the world.  The current political climate has helped boost its ratings and has given SNL a new life. The show’s sketches often parody reality providing thought provoking statements of today’s world and exaggerated truths. I have to admit I don’t watch it very often as I’m usually in bed well before it airs, but thanks to the internet I often see clips come up on my news feed, particularly if people are moved by an actor’s impressions of a politician or feel that the sketch is a little too real. While I don’t always agree with it, this kind of political satire should be celebrated, much like shows like This Hour Has 22 Minutes or previously Air Farce in Canada. We need to acknowledge that only in a country with true freedom would they be allowed to air. These commentaries also force us to take a closer look at our own beliefs and behaviours, maybe even laugh at ourselves.

You know, Jesus’ behaviour at his triumphant entry into Jerusalem was essentially one big parody of the political realities of Roman Oppression and Jesus paid for his commentary. You see, something that is often not discussed is that another event had also taken place on that day in Jerusalem and Jesus’ actions on the donkey are a response to that other event. Jesus wasn’t the only one to parade into Jerusalem that day. We know from the story of the passion of Christ that he was brought before Pilate after the Temple Priests were unable to get Jesus to plead guilty. But how did Pilate end up in Jerusalem? Pilate didn’t live in there; he lived in Caesarea. He too had come into Jerusalem around the same time as Jesus for Passover- not to atone for sins but to observe the pax romana. Like the Roman governors before him Pontius Pilate marched into Jerusalem- demonstrating military strength and force so as to deter the Jews from getting any ideas about a revolution during a festival that celebrated their release from oppression. Historians point to many examples of Roman governors moving their headquarters to Jerusalem during Passover. In some commentaries I have read this parade would have included, “cavalry on horses, foot soldiers, leather armour, weapons, banners, sun glinting on metal and gold.” This would have been a parade that displayed pomp and would have included all the tax dollars it needed to display who was really in power and who really had control. It would have been a huge parade. So basically Jesus’ triumphant entry is a massive parody- a huge mockery- of the Roman Governor’s entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus starts this parody with a bit of irony, because Jesus sends two disciples to find a colt. Jesus is essentially exercising the kind of authority that Roman soldiers had in acquisitioning animals and other supplies from local inhabitants. Roman soldiers wouldn’t ask if it was convenient to borrow an animal- they would just take it and it appears that Jesus does the same thing. Jesus even instructs the disciples to respond to anyone who asks why they are taking the animal that, “The Lord needs it.” The difference, however, is that Jesus acts prophetically in telling the disciples where to look for the colt. Jesus does not take this colt because he feels entitled to it, but because he wants to enact the prophetic statement from Zechariah 9:9 in which the King comes humbly on a donkey or a colt. So even before Jesus walks through the gates of Jerusalem his actions are commenting on the oppressive behaviour of the Romans.

Then note that the Hosannas, waving of branches and throwing down of cloaks all happen BEFORE Jesus is inside Jerusalem. Again- this is important because likely most of the residents of Jerusalem would have been attending the much larger parade of Pilate. Instead Jesus is supported by the outsiders, the ones on the outskirts of the city. It is they who participate in this mock parade. This is consistent with Jesus’ ministry throughout his life- it is not the ones inside, it is not the ones in power, it is not the ones living within the walls, it is the ones on the margins who Jesus ministers to and in turn it is they who see Jesus for who he truly is. This is a counter kingdom response to the parade that would have happened to Pilate and it is a counter kingdom parade to even our own modern behaviour. By being greeted as a king while riding a colt, Jesus is making a parody of the regal procession that would have been happening at the other end of the city. The bystanders understand the point Jesus is making, and so their acclamation is political commentary much more than it is messianic affirmation. Any Roman solider watching Jesus’ entry would have understood the mockery, and Jesus would have been identified as a threat.

This is a contrast between kingdoms, between leaders, between loyalties. In contrast to the kingdom of Caesar, the Kingdom of God is one of service. In contrast to Pontius Pilate, Jesus’ rule is one of humility. In contrast to the residents of Jerusalem, the outsiders are willing to loudly proclaim who is blessed in their books. This is a contrast that will continue to confront us through the last week of Jesus’ life. Holy week is all about this contrast between disservice and servitude, between pride and humility, between the status quo and revolution. I wonder what kind of parody would take place today if Jesus were to parade into our world. Would he look at our churches and ask, where’s the humility? Would he look at our prayers and wonder, where is your revolution? Would he walk in the door, look at us and turn around and walk out? Because that’s what he does in Jerusalem. As soon as he enters the gates he turns around and goes back. This is not only a parody but a display of weakness- it is an indication of the way God truly works- God challenges the worldly version of power.

I have also come to question where I would have been that day in Jerusalem. Which parade would I have attended? I was moved by some words by the Rev. Dawn Hutchings, a Lutheran minister in Newmarket, ON. She writes, “Two arrivals, two entrances, two processions- and all too often we find ourselves in the wrong parade. The world is full of parades, or as we might more frequently say, full of bandwagons. Sometimes it’s really difficult to know which parade to join. It’s so easy and so tempting to join the wrong ones and so hard, sometimes, to get in the right procession. It’s so easy to simply get caught up in the enthusiasm of the crowds and the processions which has the loudest brass bands or the most elaborate floats, or the greatest number of celebrities or the most charismatic leaders. It’s easy to miss the counter- procession that is taking place on the other side of town.”

We are not called to be flashy or to have the fullest bandwagon. Instead it is our revolutionary acts of compassion, inclusion and  servitude that will make the greatest impact. Jesus’ parody of Pontius Pilate’s procession shows us that God came into town unarmed, unflanked, without flash, on the back of a borrowed colt. This week, let us great ready to welcome God on the cross. Amen

Bible Text: John 12:20-33 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

As many of you are aware, I love to attend live music events- be it a simple night at a local cafe or a large music festival. Yet, when I try to explain why I love attending such things I have trouble- sometimes it is because I enjoy singing along- hopeful that those who paid good money to hear the real artist aren’t upset at my off-key accompaniment, or sometimes I enjoy listening to the between song banter-especially if the artist is willing to share a story or two about a particular song, or sometimes I enjoy just seeing this artist live and in person on stage- often living up to my rock star expectations, or sometimes I enjoy watching a new musician gain confidence- sharing one of those, “wow isn’t this great” smiles.  I know it is not for everyone; I get frustrated by all the standing or the obnoxious fans just as much as the next person and I almost always wear ear buds because  the sound mix is usually very loud. Criticisms aside I know I will continue to enjoy my live music experiences. Whether I am watching or listening, or watching and listening, I just seem to enjoy live music. Seeing and hearing, the sights and the sounds, tie the experience together. In John’s Gospel often seeing and hearing are the ways in which the audience comes to experience Jesus. It is how the people come to know who he is and what his purpose is. For example, as John the Baptist is declaring a baptism of repentance, he sees Jesus coming towards him and declares, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  Or there is the time when Jesus turns to Andrew and tells him to “Come and see”. And from the visit with Nicodemus to the Samaritan women at the well there are numerous stories in John’s gospel of Jesus in dialogue with others. Seeing and hearing are ways in which Jesus gains followers- and many of them can’t explain or give one good reason why they love to follow Jesus; they just do.  Seeing and hearing Jesus leads them to believe in Jesus.

With this in mind it should not surprise us that our passage opens up with another moment in which Jesus is experienced through sight and sound. There are some Greeks who come up to Philip and declare they wish to see Jesus. It should be pointed out that although they are described as Greeks there is nothing to indicate whether they were Jewish or not, meaning they could have been Greek-speaking Jews or Greek proselytes but it is significant that this detail, that they were Greek, was important enough to record. They are Greeks in some way, shape, or form, and they represent the vast breadth of interest that is developing in Jesus. This is important to John’s Gospel because it was likely written for a largely Greek audience. But equally intriguing is that we never ever get to find out if their request is granted- whether they end up seeing Jesus or not because Jesus simply responds to this request by speaking of his death.

Jesus declares that, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain but if it dies it bears much fruit.” This is not exactly a clear answer to whether these Greeks can see Jesus or not. But then again, while the Jewish audience would have had trouble over the fact that Jesus was not exactly the Messiah they had been planning for, the Greek audience would have had difficulty understanding why Jesus had to suffer a humiliating death. Jesus uses this agricultural metaphor of a seed being planted in the ground and then elevated to bear fruit to help the audience understand the relevance of his death, resurrection and ascension. This metaphor also works well when we talk about the church- that we need to plant things in order for them to grow. We can hoard all the seeds we want but those seeds become useless if we just keep them in their packet rather than putting them in the ground.  Jesus then mildly laments his reality but also acknowledges that his life, death and resurrection has the potential to bring God’s name glory. Which then elicits a response from heaven stating, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”

Once again we are struck by the importance of seeing and hearing- because while the crowd hears something they can’t quite name it as the unmediated voice of God. They have plugs in their ears and as a result the words sound more like thunder or maybe an angelic rumble. As Mary Hinkle Shore points out, “The Father is bearing witness to the Son and that witness is mostly missed!” I think we are often blinded by the weight and logistics of being a minority in a mostly secular society. I think that we are often like the crowd who know we’ve heard something but can’t quite make out what is being said- is it thunder or an angel or is it the voice of God?

Thankfully the story doesn’t end there because Jesus then goes on to explain that he will be lifted up, and as a result people will be drawn to him. And he will be lifted up not once, not twice but three times. He will be lifted up on the cross as he is crucified. He will be lifted up in the grave as he is raised from the dead. He will be lifted up as he ascends into heaven. And each time people will be drawn to him. Yet, how are we drawn to Christ today?

I am often asked what made me want to go into ministry and most often the question is asked by people who have either left or had no experience in the church and I ask myself where do I begin? Do I talk about the theology of grace or being saved by faith, do I engage in debate or just give a simple answer? Or do I talk about the things I see and hear? The moments where Jesus is so clearly lifted and glorified in the love shared within this community- the moments in which we are Christ’s body at work in the world. Do I talk about being draw into the community of faith because it is where I feel loved?  I know that many of us dread the annual general meeting. It is just another meeting in an already busy week. But what I read in the annual report and what I have heard in the various presentations the last few months and what I see at the various groups and committee meetings is the way in which Jesus is personified and glorified. That is what we celebrate at the AGM, it is why we have discussions on how we wish to be active in the community, and it is why we debate what things we should and shouldn’t have in worship because we want to give opportunity for people to hear and see Jesus through this church. We want to bring glory to God through sights and sounds.  Amen

 

Bible Text: Exodus 20:1-17 and John 2: 13-22 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

When Mike and I spent a couple of days in Berlin I told him that since he had been there before I would go wherever he wanted. I thought he might like to go to one of the many museums on Museum Island, or to Charlottenburg Castle where his grandfather had been the gatekeeper, or any of the other amazing sites I had read about. But instead he said, “We must go to the Gedachtniskirche!” Nowhere in my limited reading had I heard about this place but a promise is a promise and we took the streetcar to this mysterious location in the middle of the city. Even before we got off the car I could see why Mike would say we need to visit. The English translation of Gednachtniskirche is “Memorial Church”. While the original building was only built in 1890, young for churches in the area, the spire is quite an impressive site. Impressive because it was majorly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943 and it was never completely replaced. Berliners call it der hohle Zahn meaning the hollow tooth. This snaggle toothed spire in the middle of the city, surrounded by shopping malls and restaurants, is a reminder of the atrocities of war. The protestant community who once worshipped in this church did rebuild, but next door- in a completely new contemporary building. Both buildings are opposite to one another in both feel and architecture. The new building may not be to everyone’s liking, certainly the outside is rather stark when placed in contrast to the hollow tooth spire. But inside the new building you will find the sanctuary glowing in a blue haze due to the 21,929 blue stained glass inlays surrounding the chancel. The traditional church was transformed during the war into a reminder of destruction but the new building also transforms one’s perspective on traditional worship spaces. Both are completely different yet both serve a purpose of reminding the people that God meets us in the ruins of a cathedral and in the contemporary spaces glowing with light. God’s holy places are not restricted to one particular kind of architecture – and sometimes we need to have a clean slate before we can find God in alternative spaces. Had the original building not been destroyed then this would not be a place where tourists from around the world would gather in awe. In many ways Jesus’ actions in the temple transform familiar traditions of worship and change the perspective. Jesus even changes what the word temple means.

This story is referred to as a “multiple attestation” meaning it occurs in every Gospel and is described in similar detail. This implies that in all likelihood an occurrence like this did happen. In fact, it is very rare to find a story that happens in all the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) as well as the Gospel of John. John’s gospel was likely written much later than the other three and was written for a very different audience. As a result there are often drastic differences between it and the other three gospels. Therefore, while this passage is described as a “multiple attestation” it should not surprise us that John still has to be a little different. Two differences stand out. One, that John places this story in a different timeline to the other gospels and two, that John omits a particular phrase.

First, whereas the synoptics place this story near the end of Jesus’ ministry and connect it to the desire by the temple leaders to have Jesus killed, the author of John places this event at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. In part this may be a reflection of the author’s desire to comment on the relationship between early Christians and Judaism, particularly since John’s Gospel was written during a time when early believers had been shunned by the temple community. It is also interesting to think about how people would have reacted to Jesus’ display of passion, even anger. It is particularly interesting to think about this coming at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, when those in the temple would have known very little about him. A few might have heard about John the Baptist’s proclamations, perhaps some heard about a band of disciples following a teacher, maybe even a few heard about the miraculous water into wine at a recent wedding (which happens right before this passage,) but in truth that is all they would have known based on John’s Gospel. Which means that basically Jesus’ outburst in the temple comes out of nowhere, and to think this is Jesus’ first public display of ministry! This is also characteristic of John’s gospel which is meant to stir us up and enable us to ask questions like, “Who is this Jesus? How does his ministry relate to God? What does it mean to be one of his followers?” This would also tie Jesus’ words regarding the destruction of the Temple to a new understanding of what the temple is and relates to the second difference between John’s and the others’ story.

You may recall that in the synoptic gospels’ version of this story Jesus uses language from Jeremiah and accuses those who are selling animals and changing money as thieves. He declares that they have made the temple a “den of robbers”. Clearly in this context Jesus is protesting corruption within the temple. However, in John Jesus doesn’t say this, instead he declares, “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” It seems almost out of place and clearly even the narrator thought it odd, because the narrator tries to help us understand it by stating, “He was speaking of the temple as his body.” In John, Jesus uses the cleansing of the temple to point to an altogether different holy place.

New Testament teacher, Mary Hinkle Shore helps us to understand what Jesus meant when she writes, “The temple was the meeting place between the God of Israel and God’s people. Sacrifices were offered during religious festivals and at special times in people’s lives…The temple was a holy place. It was a place where human life and divine blessing met.” The entire premise of John’s gospel is that Jesus is the Word made flesh, what we call in fancy church language, the incarnation. God meets God’s people through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. In this way Jesus is stating that he is this holy place where the divine and humanity meet.

This makes me wonder- where does God meet us today? Certainly for many of us we meet God in Scripture- through the stories of the Israelites and Jesus. We hear in our reading from Exodus that God met the Israelites through the law- by establishing guidelines for their living, living both in relationship to God and in relationship with each other. It is my hope that God meets us in this sanctuary- through our expressions of praise and prayer. Sometimes we do find God in those cathedrals of the past with their stone walls and high arches and other times we find God in those contemporary spaces with their unique designs. However, what Jesus is implying in this passage is that the presence of God is present in his body. A body not unlike yours or mine. And today we celebrate the sacrament of communion in an acknowledgement of what happened to Christ’s body, to the place where divine and humanity meet. In this sacrament we meet God.       During the season of Lent we travel with Christ’s body to Jerusalem. On this journey his body bends down to wash the disciples’ feet, his body eats and drinks with friends, his body is beaten, crucified and laid in a tomb, his body is raised so that his friends can eat and drink with him again. Dr. Shore reminds us, “The body of Jesus is the location of God, and the point of connection between divine and human life.” That is how we answer the previous questions of who is Jesus and how does his ministry relate to God. Jesus draws us into relationship with God. Jesus is the holy place where divine and humanity meet. Jesus is dynamic, challenging, and even controversial in this story, which is exactly what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

We acknowledge this cleansing of the temple, this transformational power, this meeting place between the divine and humanity through the sacrament of communion. Whether we meet in a contemporary space in Canada or a battered table in Germany- Christ is always present at this table. Today we not only taste and see that God is good, but we are reminded of the body of Christ broken for us, the blood of Christ shed for us. Come and meet God at this table. Amen

Bible Text: Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 1:9-15 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You might know some of his work, in fact, I bet you know at least one piece of his. It is this particular famous piece that he said met his goal as an artist because it expressed “the study of the soul, that is to say the study of my own self.” Munch also said that inspiration for the painting came to him when he was walking down the road with two friends as the sun was setting- suddenly the sky turned as red as blood. He says, “I stopped and leaned against the fence, feeling unspeakably tired…My friends went on walking, while I lagged behind, shivering with fear. Then I heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature.” Munch then produced The Scream in two pastels and two paintings. This painting was meant to portray the scream of modern-day anxiety and existential angst within nature. As a friend and colleague of mine, The Rev. Hugh Donnelly puts it, “It is your scream and my scream; it is the scream of a people caught in a whirlwind of change and fear.”  Understandably when the piece first appeared at an exhibit in Berlin it was not well received. The piece was too raw when placed against the landscapes at the time. Raw humanity is hard to see sometimes- and a picture that speaks of the feeling of unspeakable exhaustion and the enormous, infinite scream of nature is perhaps not exactly what we want to have hanging in our living room. We don’t want to linger in pain. Interestingly enough, one of the pastels recently sold at an auction for $119,922,500.  I would argue that the piece no longer represents pain or angst but has come to typify grotesque wealth.

I know that when you come to service on Sundays you don’t want to be exposed to raw humanity or linger in pain. I don’t exactly want to preach on it either. However, today the Scriptures actually make us stop for a moment to do just that. Lent is a time to linger in the things that make us uneasy, and to spend time marking human mortality and, as a result, pain. Mark’s passage is unique to the other Gospel stories about Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Firstly, Mark is rather abrupt with his story. It moves rather quickly from scene to scene. This is essentially how the author wrote this Gospel- in quick clips, scenes and descriptions. I suppose you could say that Mark does not spend much time lingering at all. Jesus is baptized and then just as quickly he finds himself in the wilderness. The passage actually says, “And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” Some translations use the term “thrown”. Jesus is tossed into the wilderness where he finds himself surrounded by Satan and wild beasts. He is surrounded by evil.

For 1st century people who lived in villages, towns and cities in the Middle East, surrounded by the desert, you can imagine how they read this story. The wilderness and wild beasts were not solely a dangerous reality but a place caught in a whirlwind of change and fear. Most communities at the time were walled not only to keep people safe inside but to protect them from what was beyond: the sand, soldiers, and beasts that threatened their very existence. The wilderness was literally filled with dangers. However, we can also read this figuratively, as with Munch’s painting. The objects found in the wilderness represent anxiety, fear, exhaustion and infinity.  “The wild beasts could represent the shadow side of reality, that deep, dark world of chaotic evil that bubbles up from time to time to challenge us.” Either way, Jesus is tossed into their midst.  But notice how Jesus stays there. Nowhere, in any of the Gospels, does it say that Jesus attempted to flee or find safety or leave the wilderness. Jesus spends 40 days- a symbolic number that means “a long time”- in this wilderness surrounded by beasts and temptation. Jesus lingers in a place in pain and fear, anxiety and chaos, and for what? To prepare himself for ministry in the world, in the true places of pain, the real places of temptation, the actual places of fear and chaos, the literal wild places where people find themselves every day. Jesus embraces this scream of nature- of all creation- and spends time there so that he can truly know what it is that humanity feels.

This story also reminds me that it is important to be honest, especially when we are dealing with our own pain. “We don’t need to pretend it is OK when it’s not. We don’t need to rush out of a place of grief when we’re not ready for it. We don’t need to wear a mask of serenity when we’re really coming apart at the seams.” Sometimes we need to linger and rest in the places of pain, sometimes we need to scream. It can be uncomfortable, yes, but it doesn’t mean that every day is doom and gloom but rather, it is an honest acknowledgement of where we are at.

Douglas John Hall, one of my favourite modern day Canadian theologians, has written much about the idea that we love to spend time celebrating the God of victory. The God who rose on Easter morning, defeating the powers of death and evil. The God who makes everything OK. There are many ways in which God’s activity in the world is expressed in this way. Our story in Genesis is often used to demonstrate that good can come out of bad situations.  But Dr. Hall also states that we often jump too quickly into Easter or victory or the happy stories and we forget that the cross is also part of God’s activity in the world.  Dr. Hall states, “The cross represents the God who chooses suffering because God knows just how much we suffer. This is the God who feels our pain of disease and brokenness in those times when everyone knows there is no cure. This is the God who doesn’t rush too quickly way from the wild beasts, but sits with them, because sometimes we can’t run away from them. This is the God who suffers, who chooses to suffer, with humanity. Sometimes the greatest comfort lies not in finding cure from ills of the world but rather lies in knowing we do not suffer alone.” Put another way, not every struggle results in a rainbow.

I know that you come to hear a sermon that is joyful and humorous. I know this is not what you want to hear this morning. But I also know that so many in our congregation are suffering in big and small ways.  Perhaps it is suffering from grief- we have all lost members of this congregation whom we loved. Perhaps it is suffering from physical ailments or perhaps it is suffering from the realities of ageing. We can’t hide the fact that so many of us have upcoming surgeries, treatments, diagnosed challenges ahead. Perhaps it is any number of things and sometimes you just want to scream. There is a lot to celebrate too, I know that, and I’m sure many of you come today with praise in your hearts because you are filled with gratitude. Perhaps you are celebrating time with grandchildren, or healing from a recent illness, or feeling a real sense of comfort in this particular stage in your life. I do not want to diminish that there are many good stories to share this morning. I only want you to know that we do not need to run away from the wild beasts of our lives.

I want to return to words from Hugh Donnelly. He says, “God sits with us in our places of pain; God does not miraculously remove us from such places. Maybe it’s OK sometimes for us to linger for a while in the wilderness with the wild beasts. Perhaps we may actually need to do just that. And if we do, then we won’t risk denying that (sometimes) painful part of our humanity, sweeping it under the carpet as if it is not there. Maybe we will discover that we don’t need to leave the wilderness to find God. For God will meet us in the wilderness. After all, Jesus went there before we did. Lingered there in order to meet us. The Lord does not abandon us to the wild beasts. We endure the beasts with the Lord at our side.” Know that this is true throughout Lent, throughout living, throughout our ageing. The Lord lingers with us and is at our side. Amen