Service Type: Sunday

Bible Text: Luke 18: 9-14 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

In November of 1972 Carly Simon released one of her greatest hits. The song reached #82 on Billboard’s greatest songs of all time, and the UK official Charts Company crowned it the ultimate song of the 1970s. The song is a critical look at a self-absorbed partner and for a long time there has been speculation regarding who this song is about. Which in my mind is a little ironic because the song is about a person speculating that the song is about them.  Apparently the press speculated that David Bowie, David Cassidy, and/or Cat Stevens were all candidates. It is such a mystery that in 2003 Carly agreed to reveal the name of the song’s candidate to the highest bidder at a charity auction. The top bid was $50,000 and went to the then president of NBC sports. A condition of the prize of course, was that the highest bidder could not reveal the secret to anyone else. Upon the release of her tell all book just last year Carly admitted that one section of the song, the second verse and second verse alone, was about actor Warren Beatty.  “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you/ You’re so vain, I’ll bet you think this song is about you/ Don’t you? Don’t You?”

To be perfectly honest I think we all have these moments of vanity when we think that what someone has said is about us when in fact it is not. It is actually a struggle that I encounter in our Gospel passage. Perhaps not that the parable which Jesus shares is about us but rather that we are in danger of becoming like the characters in the story. In the crowd, to which Jesus is speaking,  there are some people who are complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and they look down their noses at others. One might claim that they are so vain that they think this story is about them- or not. Jesus uses a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector to teach them a lesson. The Pharisee prays loudly, “O God, I thank you that I am not like other people because I am capable of and do all these righteous acts like fasting and tithing.” While the tax collector slumps in the shadows with his face in his hands asking, “God, give mercy. Forgive me a sinner.” Where we might be in danger of thinking that this parable is about us and then conversely end up truly having this parable being about us is that when we look with judgement on the Pharisee than we end up no better than the Pharisee. Basically, our prayer ends up being, “God, we thank you that we are not like the Pharisee who is hypocritical, overly pious, self-righteous and vain.” Sure this parable is about being humble but it is also about avoiding self-congratulatory words or actions. It is about avoiding placing judgement upon others, regardless of who they are. It’s about loosing our selfish behaviour for selflessness- taking off our masks, presenting who we really are and putting others first, including the Pharisee.

In fact, before we judge the Pharisee for his behaviour we need to look at what is really going on. Notice how Jesus doesn’t actually say that the Pharisee is wrong for his behaviour. I can only assume that everything the Pharisee says is true. That he has indeed set himself apart through righteous living. That he has indeed followed the letter of the law and that he has donated generously to the temple. Why not be grateful that he has been placed in such a blessed situation. Why not be thankful that he has enough money to truly tithe. There is nothing actually wrong with his prayer- especially if we think of it as a prayer of thanksgiving. The Pharisee is, however, missing part of the prayer. Both prayers are steeped within the language of the Jewish tradition. The Pharisee’s prayer is quite simply a prayer of thanks. Likewise the tax collector’s prayer has roots too in traditional prayers of confession.  When we pray our prayers of the people they are thanksgiving prayers but they are also intercessory prayers, asking for God’s actions through us.  Luke states at the very beginning of this section that Jesus told this parable to people who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous.” That’s the problem.

While the Pharisee makes the claim that he is righteous based on his own accomplishments and merits, the tax collector relies entirely on God’s actions. That’s the difference. The tax collector throws himself on the mercy of God. He takes his sin seriously. He knows that God is truly righteous. He knows he cannot hide himself from God. But the tax collector also believes that God can be merciful, even to a traitor, lawbreaker, deceiver, tax collector, sinner, like him. He has nothing to offer but his broken self.  The tax collector puts every hope, trust, claim not on any action or word of his own but rather he places it entirely in God’s hands. Now, one can suppose that the tax collector does this in part because he is desperate and in part because he truly hasn’t done anything righteous. But there is a message in that too. It is not about what we do but what God has done for us. The tax collector is bold enough to ask for this gift.  God meets us in our desperation. God hears our cries for mercy. God turns humility into exaltation.

Famous author Flannery O’Connor uses this theme in one of her stories in which one character declares, “Try as we may, we cannot redeem others, much less ourselves. There is only one who can save , and we can only throw our sinful selves at the feet of this one’s inscrutable mercy. We “ain’t right”, and only God can make us so.” Jesus sums up this parable by saying that the tax collector is the one who went home right with God. Eugene Petersen’s the Message translates it like this, “If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

Maybe this parable is about self-esteem- but in a world where bullying is a reality for many, where feeling inadequate is something we know all too well, where feeling like we have to change because there is just something different about us, when we all wear a mask to hide our hurting selves, this is a parable about trusting that God will deliver us. The Pharisee begins his prayer with all the things he is not. We could easily do the same, “O God, we thank you that we are not like those lackadaisical believers who only come on special occasions, we thank you that we are not declining as rapidly as most churches, we thank you that we are not judgemental like those other congregations.” But then we are no better than the Pharisee. Instead, there should be no judgement on anyone else but rather our prayer should be,  like the Pharisee full of gratitude, thank you God for who we are, but we would do well to stand with the tax collector and join him in his simple prayer.  O  God- help us be the people you want us to be. Help us to be the church you desire us to be. God, we’re so vain, that we think it is all about us. Have mercy.  Help us to trust in you.   Amen

 

In November of 1972 Carly Simon released one of her greatest hits. The song reached #82 on Billboard’s greatest songs of all time, and the UK official Charts Company crowned it the ultimate song of the 1970s. The song is a critical look at a self-absorbed partner and for a long time there has been speculation regarding who this song is about. Which in my mind is a little ironic because the song is about a person speculating that the song is about them.  Apparently the press speculated that David Bowie, David Cassidy, and/or Cat Stevens were all candidates. It is such a mystery that in 2003 Carly agreed to reveal the name of the song’s candidate to the highest bidder at a charity auction. The top bid was $50,000 and went to the then president of NBC sports. A condition of the prize of course, was that the highest bidder could not reveal the secret to anyone else. Upon the release of her tell all book just last year Carly admitted that one section of the song, the second verse and second verse alone, was about actor Warren Beatty.  “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you/ You’re so vain, I’ll bet you think this song is about you/ Don’t you? Don’t You?”

To be perfectly honest I think we all have these moments of vanity when we think that what someone has said is about us when in fact it is not. It is actually a struggle that I encounter in our Gospel passage. Perhaps not that the parable which Jesus shares is about us but rather that we are in danger of becoming like the characters in the story. In the crowd, to which Jesus is speaking,  there are some people who are complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and they look down their noses at others. One might claim that they are so vain that they think this story is about them- or not. Jesus uses a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector to teach them a lesson. The Pharisee prays loudly, “O God, I thank you that I am not like other people because I am capable of and do all these righteous acts like fasting and tithing.” While the tax collector slumps in the shadows with his face in his hands asking, “God, give mercy. Forgive me a sinner.” Where we might be in danger of thinking that this parable is about us and then conversely end up truly having this parable being about us is that when we look with judgement on the Pharisee than we end up no better than the Pharisee. Basically, our prayer ends up being, “God, we thank you that we are not like the Pharisee who is hypocritical, overly pious, self-righteous and vain.” Sure this parable is about being humble but it is also about avoiding self-congratulatory words or actions. It is about avoiding placing judgement upon others, regardless of who they are. It’s about loosing our selfish behaviour for selflessness- taking off our masks, presenting who we really are and putting others first, including the Pharisee.

In fact, before we judge the Pharisee for his behaviour we need to look at what is really going on. Notice how Jesus doesn’t actually say that the Pharisee is wrong for his behaviour. I can only assume that everything the Pharisee says is true. That he has indeed set himself apart through righteous living. That he has indeed followed the letter of the law and that he has donated generously to the temple. Why not be grateful that he has been placed in such a blessed situation. Why not be thankful that he has enough money to truly tithe. There is nothing actually wrong with his prayer- especially if we think of it as a prayer of thanksgiving. The Pharisee is, however, missing part of the prayer. Both prayers are steeped within the language of the Jewish tradition. The Pharisee’s prayer is quite simply a prayer of thanks. Likewise the tax collector’s prayer has roots too in traditional prayers of confession.  When we pray our prayers of the people they are thanksgiving prayers but they are also intercessory prayers, asking for God’s actions through us.  Luke states at the very beginning of this section that Jesus told this parable to people who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous.” That’s the problem.

While the Pharisee makes the claim that he is righteous based on his own accomplishments and merits, the tax collector relies entirely on God’s actions. That’s the difference. The tax collector throws himself on the mercy of God. He takes his sin seriously. He knows that God is truly righteous. He knows he cannot hide himself from God. But the tax collector also believes that God can be merciful, even to a traitor, lawbreaker, deceiver, tax collector, sinner, like him. He has nothing to offer but his broken self.  The tax collector puts every hope, trust, claim not on any action or word of his own but rather he places it entirely in God’s hands. Now, one can suppose that the tax collector does this in part because he is desperate and in part because he truly hasn’t done anything righteous. But there is a message in that too. It is not about what we do but what God has done for us. The tax collector is bold enough to ask for this gift.  God meets us in our desperation. God hears our cries for mercy. God turns humility into exaltation.

Famous author Flannery O’Connor uses this theme in one of her stories in which one character declares, “Try as we may, we cannot redeem others, much less ourselves. There is only one who can save , and we can only throw our sinful selves at the feet of this one’s inscrutable mercy. We “ain’t right”, and only God can make us so.” Jesus sums up this parable by saying that the tax collector is the one who went home right with God. Eugene Petersen’s the Message translates it like this, “If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

Maybe this parable is about self-esteem- but in a world where bullying is a reality for many, where feeling inadequate is something we know all too well, where feeling like we have to change because there is just something different about us, when we all wear a mask to hide our hurting selves, this is a parable about trusting that God will deliver us. The Pharisee begins his prayer with all the things he is not. We could easily do the same, “O God, we thank you that we are not like those lackadaisical believers who only come on special occasions, we thank you that we are not declining as rapidly as most churches, we thank you that we are not judgemental like those other congregations.” But then we are no better than the Pharisee. Instead, there should be no judgement on anyone else but rather our prayer should be,  like the Pharisee full of gratitude, thank you God for who we are, but we would do well to stand with the tax collector and join him in his simple prayer.  O  God- help us be the people you want us to be. Help us to be the church you desire us to be. God, we’re so vain, that we think it is all about us. Have mercy.  Help us to trust in you.   Amen

 

 

Bible Text: Luke 17:11-19 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Have you ever wondered why Canada and the United States celebrate Thanksgiving on different days? Ok, maybe this is not a question that keeps you up at night or a question that deeply affects us in our day to day life. It is often understood that Canada celebrates Thanksgiving earlier simply because it is more north and therefore the harvest season is earlier. Pretty simple. However, the real reason is still a mystery but here are some interesting facts about Thanksgiving. It turns out that Canada has been celebrating Thanksgiving longer than our neighbours to the South. The first documented Thanksgiving celebration took place in 1578 in Newfoundland when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony of gratitude for surviving the journey from Europe. If you know your historical dates, that pre-dates the arrival of the Mayflower by 43 years.  The first official federal Thanksgiving Day in Canada, however, was actually celebrated in April in 1872 as a celebration of thanks for the recovery of King Edward VII from a serious illness. So, if you think about the original thanksgiving days, they are more in line with our Gospel passage- a passage that talks about a journey and healing- than we realize. As an aside, the actual date for the traditional Thanksgiving Day that we have come to know and love in Canada has moved around…a lot. It started on a Thurs in November and then in 1899 it moved to a Thursday in October, then in 1908 it moved to a Monday in October and then in 1922 until 1930 it was celebrated on November 11th. Finally in 1957, the federal government made the difficult decision of fixing the date to the second Monday in October.

But let’s go back to what I said about the real meaning behind thanksgiving days. The first one was celebrated not due to harvest but rather because of gratitude for a safe journey. The second one was in celebration for a healthy recovery of our head of state. Of course, we should give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest and indeed it is great to gather with friends and family but the images of pumpkin pie and turkeys are not what punctuated the original idea behind giving thanks. Like the Samaritan leper and Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, there is so much more to give thanks for than a large family meal. And like the actual date, there is a lot more to this Gospel story than the important message of giving thanks.

The story begins with, the now common refrain that, “Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.” We have been hearing it all Summer and Fall as Jesus walks toward the cross. Then it states that Jesus is currently walking through a region between Samaria and Galilee. If you recall in other examples there is an important hidden message in that statement. Jesus is walking between two volatile borders. Unfortunately, like the Holy Land today, Jesus is walking between two groups and two territories that do not get along. At one time the Samaritans and Jews were one people, but the devastation brought by exile and then return, in which one group stuck to strict religious laws and the other intermarried with Babylonians, has meant that they are now at odds with regards to beliefs and practices as stated in Scripture. The Samaritans and Jews cannot agree on what it means to be holy, and sadly that has meant that they have both been unholy towards each other. So Jesus is walking between these two lands- it is an image of Jesus that I appreciate. Throughout his ministry Jesus represented and respected the law but also taught what true faith and practice meant. Jesus balanced the serve and be served. Jesus walked the line between history and change. Jesus travelled between the has been and not yet.

This balance is made all the more obvious with the following story of a healing miracle. The lepers keep their distance but yell out to Jesus, “Have mercy upon us!” Then Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priest. This is because according to the law, the Torah, the Hebrew tradition, one is both diagnosed and confirmed well by the priest. Just as the symptoms of leprosy are not confirmed without priestly observation, so too any healing was not complete without the priest’s blessing. So Jesus tells them to go see the priest as he walks between the borders of priestly tradition and God’s miraculous healing. But then this story takes on a turn that is totally different from most other miracle or healing stories in the Gospel. In most other cases, the outcome of the miracle presents itself in front of Jesus, or at the very least in front of his followers, but here the healing takes place while the 10 lepers are walking away. Also, in most stories the healing is narrated, as in, the lame man gets up to walk or the blind man can now see, but in this case only the outcome is narrated. No one actually witnesses the healing; in fact even those who are healed don’t notice right away. It is only after one of them, the Samaritan, sees that he has been healed that he returns to give thanks.

We have no idea how far this group travelled before someone noticed the dramatic change in their condition. Just think about it. You are walking back to the priest, your hands gnarled by the rash, your feet aching because of sores. When all of a sudden you realize they don’t hurt any more. You look down at your hands and see that they are smooth, no sores or blisters to be found. There is no longer any discolouration or disfigurement; you realize that can walk normally again. Think about it, if this happened to you, would you turn around and walk back to the guy who made it all possible, or would you head straight for the priest who has the ability to declare that your life has been restored, that you can go back to your home and family.  For most of those lepers their one thought is “we have to get to the priest to be set free”. In fact it is the other nine who do exactly what Jesus told them to do.

What this story tells me is that sometimes we are healed from what ails us without even noticing it. Sometimes God’s healing touch happens without us even acknowledging it. Sometimes the Spirit moves through us and affects others without affecting us. It is also not until this one leper returns and worships God that we find out he is a Samaritan. This means that Jesus extends his ministry to those beyond his heritage and genealogy.

The reoccurring theme of God’s mercy being not limited by human boundaries is found throughout Luke. What this particular story details is that while the miracle itself is important, it is actually the response that is given centre stage. It is assumed that since the story only states that this particular returnee is Samaritan that the others were Galilean, were Jewish. So, you have a contrast between one thankful outsider and nine ungrateful insiders. An important message is that healing is a gift given to both the grateful and ungrateful but it is the grateful one who also receives faith.

The Samaritan returns to Jesus and worships and Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well.” This seems in contrast to what I just said; that healing is given to both grateful or faithful and ungrateful or faithless alike. The initial healing is given out generously, to whoever needs it, but the happy ending belongs only to the one who has returned with thanks. This Samaritan was not only accepted by Jesus, a Jewish leader, equally healed, but finally it is the Samaritan who is given faith and is made well. Think about it. There is a difference between being healed and being made well. Within our 21st century language there is still a difference. If we go to a health clinic it is because we have some physical need that must be attended to. If we go to a wellness centre there is a much more holistic approach. Perhaps we will not only have our physical needs looked after but our emotional and mental as well. Yes, healing is made available to all but only those who respond with gratitude are made well.

Jesus tells the Samaritan to get up and go on his way. Jesus too, gets up and continues on his journey. The Gospel continues with Jesus crossing more boundaries, both literal and metaphorical, healing more people and providing wellness to others, and moving toward a cross that will ensure that our relationship with God is not just healed but made well. That’s what thanksgiving is all about- it is about making a tumultuous journey but making it to the destination safely and it is about gratitude for wellness- body, mind and soul. Amen

Bible Text: Luke 17:1-10 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Most people know that when a cookie recipe says a tsp of baking soda and a tbsp on baking powder that to confuse the two ingredients is rather detrimental. One might not think that the difference between a tea and a table spoon is really all that big or that baking powder and baking soda aren’t really all that different but just ask those to whom you serve that cookie whether there is a difference or not. It turns out that the difference is acid and it can make a big difference in the taste and texture of any baked good. Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate reacts when it comes into contact with acids like buttermilk, yogurt or vinegar. This reaction produces carbon dioxide and in baking the reaction is called chemical leavening because it traps the CO2 gases and makes the dough rise a little. It’s also why often in a recipe it suggests keeping the wet and dry ingredients separate until the last minute. Baking powder essentially does the same thing but it not only contains sodium bicarbonate but it also contains acids called monocalcium phosphate, which does not react with the sodium when dry, but heat makes a big difference. There’s a whole bit about bubbles reacting to heat and moisture and then setting thanks most often to eggs, but the point I want to make is that with both baking soda and baking powder a little goes a long way but it is best not to confuse the two. If you mix up which amount is which, your cookies will be flavourless or fizzy or just, well, bad. I have recently discovered this fascination with understanding how ingredients work thanks to a re-found love of baking and also testing a few products on Mike- in which I perhaps confused some ingredients. It is rather surprising just how much a little soda or powder or yeast is needed to transform a baked good.
Perhaps you see where I am going with this. Jesus compared faith to a tiny mustard seed and said that if we have even just a small amount it is enough to uproot a tree and make it grow in the sea. But what prefaces this remark is rather interesting. Jesus warns the disciples that occasions for loosing or lacking or stumbling in faith abound. Jesus’ warning is rather grim but as I read and re-read it I realized what Jesus is really saying is, there is enough in this world to cause people to fall out of faith so be ware of becoming a stumbling block to others. It’s sort of like saying, there is enough hurt in this world without us hurting each other so just don’t and if someone hurts you, forgive, over and over and over and over (7 times) again. But boy does that take a lot and sometimes we confuse the things that make faith easy with the things that make faith hard but in either case a little goes a long way.
The Greek word for faith is pistis and it can also be translated as trust, confidence or commitment. These are unmeasurable things and yet Jesus says, even a little goes a long way. A seed holds potential enough to grow into a great giant. I suppose that this comment was most directed to the disciples. They have demonstrated huge commitment and trust, leaving everything to follow Jesus, even now after he has warned them over and over about what lays ahead. But then we also have accounts in which they repeatedly demonstrate a lack of faith. Think of the story of the storm in which they are overcome by terror and Jesus says, “Where is your faith?” They have trust and commitment but their confidence is lacking. And don’t we all express our small little faith in a diversity of ways. Some of us are like baking soda, just one ingredient and liable to have moments of exploding in praise while others of us are a bit of a mix, who just need a little heat to make us jump out of our seats. You know, this is an important piece to consider on a Sunday such as this, on World Communion Sunday. Churches all over the world have gathered today to intentionally celebrate this sacrament together. It matters not whether we believe what exactly happens to these gifts set on the table, rather what matters is that we believe, we have faith, we have trust that it is a gift given to us.
Author Audrey West says, “Faith manifests itself in many ways, by a variety of people. Faith is persistence in reaching out to Jesus and trusting in Jesus’ power and authority. Faith is responding with love to forgiveness received, not letting fear get the upper hand and being willing to take risks that challenge the status quo. Faith is giving praise to God , having confidence in God’s desire for justice, and being willing to ask Jesus for what we need.” Faith is all of those things but just one small piece is also good enough for God.
Jesus closes this teaching moment by saying something that has be used throughout history to uphold the atrocious practice of slavery. It should be pointed out that while the NRSV, the version we heard this morning uses the term slave, the NIV uses servant and the Greek word, doulos is often translated as either one. To our 21st century ears it may seem like a harsh analogy. Jesus suggests that they imagine themselves as masters of an estate and when the hard working slave comes in from the field we note that the slaves work is not complete. Only once the slaves tasks to and for the master are done is the slave allowed to rest. However, when one looks deeper into the passage we realize that Jesus is stating that leaders would do well if we viewed ourselves as ones who serve not the ones to be served. When those who have finished all that they were ordered to do, it does not mean that their work is done, rather God expects vigilant care and service to others. This is important also on a Sunday such as this. It is rather intentional that the elders of this community come forward to serve communion. Presbyterian churches everywhere have debates about what the Session really does at their monthly meetings but let me tell you, it is not meant to be a secret but rather a way in which we serve one another and today as the bread and juice is passed around we serve one another again. Sometimes we are exhausted by the small tasks that seem unending. But we are but slaves or servants, or to put church language on it stewards of the life God has given us. And Jesus is the life giver to the church and that power is accessed through faith- but it need not be a lot.
Like what seems to be an insignificant amount or ingredient, when we have a little faith we know that it is a powerful gift from God. As I said in the children’s story it may seem like the juice is but one sip and the bread is but one bite- but that little act, means and represents a huge amount of grace. Just like on world communion Sunday, for one moment in our worship, we are united with other churches around the world and throughout denominations- imagine how huge that really is. Amen

Bible Text: Ephesians 2: 15-22 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Canada Youth has been a part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada since 2000. It began as a one off event for the millennium. We had every intention of making it an event that would be remembered, but had no intention of making it a tri- or bi-annual event. But after the success when a thousand youth, young adults and youth ministers descended upon Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, the national church had no choice but to see it happen again three years later. After the success of Canada Youth 2012 the national church decided that instead of it happening every three years, it would happen every two. And so, the Canada Youth, or CY, legacy continues to grow. This conference is not only unique in that it invites young and youthful members of the Presbyterian Church to gather for worship, play and study for a week, but also because it includes youth ages 14-18, young adults ages 19-25, and youth ministry training for anyone over 21. The leadership also includes many people from clergy to lay leaders, from young folk to retirees, and so it is the most inter-generational event within the Presbyterian Church in Canada. It is also the largest gathering of Canadian Presbyterians ages 14-18…and boy, do they come. This year we had over 400 participants coming from all over Canada from places like Mistawasis to Miramichi but also from Taiwan, Romania, North Carolina, and Hungary. The theme this year was “Joined together as God’s dwelling place: We Are Home” and it was based on the passage from Ephesians 2:20-22. The theme statement was, “So many doors. So many journeys. Still, whoever you are, wherever you’re from, wherever you’re going….we belong to each other. Even more, we belong to God. God who says, “Welcome Home.”

Remember when you were a young person, a teenager, remember when all those hormones were confusing and concerning. Remember when feeling like you needed to belong was of the utmost importance. Remember when you struggled to define who you were—no matter how old we are that can still be the case. Imagine hearing those words. “We belong to each other. Even more, we belong to God” and how comforting it is to know that.  That’s what Canada Youth was for so many, a place to belong and be faithful. It is why I continue to be involved every year- because it is so important to remind ourselves that we have a home in God- and that no matter your age- you have a place in this church.

This year, I was privileged to be one of two preachers. I shared the responsibility with Reid Chudley, minister at Trinity, Victoria. Worship at CY is a little different than worship here. First of all, there are production meetings in which we discuss lighting, videos, and set design. It often took us 6-8 hrs a day just to get ready for the evening worship service. While I was preacher, I also held responsibilities like set painter, carpet purchaser, video producer, communion bread cutter, and all kinds of other interesting tasks. It included early mornings and late nights. And yes, I would do it all over again. At our first worship service we began the evening with a video of all those descending upon Brock University followed by a video in which we had youth answer the question, “What is home to you?” It helped us set the stage for the week.

After Reid and I shared what home was to us we jumped right into the passage from Ephesians. First, what did Ephesus look like in Paul’s day? It was this massive metropolis and it was one of the top three cities in the East. Even back then they had dredged the harbour, giving it access by sea and it had easy access to trade routes by land to the interior of Asia. It is estimated that the population was 250,000 and with so many trade routes beginning or ending in Ephesus it was a multicultural hub. Paul called Ephesus home for 3 years where he ministered in the Synagogue, then in a school and then he rented a lecture hall. By the time Paul left, the early church in Ephesus was well established.

Eventually, however, conflicts arose between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. There was debate about who really belonged in the sanctuary and questions about who could worship where. So, the church wrote to Paul and Paul wrote back. It is his reply that we have in Scripture, but what is not really explained is that Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians while he was in prison in Rome. Imagine, here he is in prison- in the most pitiful kind of home one can imagine- and he writes to the Ephesians about the importance of being members of the household of God. So while Paul is experiencing his own conflicts he is telling the Jews and Gentiles to reconcile their differences because we are all saved by grace.

Through grace we are united to God instead of being separated from God. Paul is clear that the divisions that the early church in Ephesus faced are not what matters to God. Rather, we have been made a new community- we are Christ’s body in the world and we are all part of a single building and it is in us, this building, that God has chosen to dwell. God is here, the Spirit is dwelling in this place and Jesus is the cornerstone. The stone that forms the base and joins the walls. And God’s grace finds expression in a unity marked by welcoming one another to this dwelling place.

Throughout the week we looked at Scriptures that touched upon this theme of home. We looked at the prodigal son and what it means to find ourselves away from home. We looked at Jesus calling us to obey in love and what it means to find a home in Christ. We spent an entire day centred on the Refugee Crisis in which participants experienced a UN simulation and had just a small taste of what it feels like to be a refugee or without a home. We encountered the magi and what it means to be changed and go home different. For youth across the country and within our denomination, this was a place to call home. At the end of the week we presented another video and asked, “what will you take home from CY?” This video was later posted on the Presbyterian Church website because these youth are telling the church that they are here, and involved, and have faith. Something we need to hear more often.

Next week we will have Presbyterians Sharing Sunday and you will hear all about the ministries that those funds support. One such ministry is that of Canada Youth. We may be a church on the extreme west coast of Canada where we are predominantly seniors- but what we do here can help and affect youth across this country and provide a home, joined together as God’s dwelling place. So many doors. So many journeys. Still, whoever you are, wherever you’re from, wherever you’re going…we belong to each other. Even more, we belong to God. God who says, “Welcome Home.”

Amen

Bible Text: Luke 14:7-14 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

A few summer’s ago Mike and I spent most of August on a road trip up and around the province of BC, including a week-long visit to the islands of Haida Gwaii. It was one of those road trips that we still talk about to this day, reliving the wonderful places we stayed, the cultural centres we visited and the boat rides we experienced.  One such adventure was a boat ride around Gwaii Haanas, the Southern islands of Haida Gwaii. We visited former First Nation sites of big houses and encountered some of the very poles that inspired Emily Carr. We also learned about the rich Aboriginal history especially the stories of the great potlatches. Upon hearing this challenging passage from Luke I was reminded of the potlatch. What we learned was that the potlatch was how decisions were made, policies between groups were developed, one’s rite within the community was determined. It was the socio-economic foundation to the coastal First Nations. It was also a way to celebrate. Whether it was recognition of a truce between two clans or a naming ceremony, potlatches were essential to their culture and way of being. The potlatch was a feast, a festival, and a parliamentary session all in one. Particular care was given to the invitations to special guests, other chiefs, guests of honour, and matriarchs from the community. On the day of the potlatch people of all ages would gather in the long house where the clan chief would welcome everyone and invite the important guests to gather with him at the front of the long house. Everyone had their expected seat at various levels within the long house. Food would be brought out in huge wooden bowls, dances would be shared and stories would be told around the fire. At the closing of the ceremony, gifts would be given to the guests. Thankfully, even though the Federal government had declared them illegal for many years,  potlatches continue within the coastal communities today. It is still a great honour to be invited to a potlatch.

This image of a huge feast in which special guests were honoured is something that has clearly been a part of how we make decisions or define our allegiances for a long, long time. Often inviting particular guests for dinner was a political move or the right move in a business situation. Even today when a company is looking to attract a specific client they are expected to wine and dine those very important people. I imagine the Pharisee who had invited Jesus over for dinner on this occasion did so because he thought it would be an intriguing move. It says at the beginning of the chapter that Jesus was at the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath. Then Jesus notices how those who have been invited to the meal seat themselves- many taking the place of honour. Jesus saw these guests choosing the places of honour for themselves, presuming to know their importance in that particular community or their importance to the host. Jesus addresses the situation by sharing two short parables. What is unique about these two parables is that they are told in the second person rather than the typical third person stories found throughout Luke. This is important because while usually Jesus tells an allegorical story to make a point, here he is directly addressing the guests and what they might have already or will experience in their life. Jesus invites the guests to imagine being at a wedding banquet where they overestimated their own importance in the host’s eyes. Over-promoting themselves would result in their being shamed when the host publicly asked them to move down- this is a very big deal in the shame-honour culture of the New Testament.

In the second parable in our text our attention is turned to the host. Jesus has instructions for him too. He instructs the host not to invite the kinds of guests who are currently at the table. Rather invite the outcasts, the poor, the sick- basically all those who cannot repay the invitation. He strikes at the heart of what hospitality means. Also note that by criticizing the guests and the host Jesus has critiqued all those around the dinner table, all those except for the ones who are serving the meal, the servants and slaves.

The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia, which literally means, “lover of the stranger”. Hospitality that means mutual, reciprocating dinner invitations to friends and family are great ways to spend time together, but they do not really express biblical hospitality, the kind of hospitality that has no expectations or benefits. Basically there is a difference between hospitality and entertaining guests. Pastor Richard Patt says  “Hospitality is totally different [from entertaining guests]. We do not seek to portray the perfect image but invite people to love us in our weaknesses, relax with us in our vulnerabilities, and enjoy our broken selves.” When we understand our call as a congregation to be hospitable through the lens of that definition, we realize that we can be vulnerable and hospitable together.  We as a church don’t have to put up a façade or pretend that we are stronger than we are. Jesus is building the case that there are no outcasts when it comes to human beings. Everyone is worthy of welcome.  I once heard a minister say, “The church is not like a country club; it’s more like a hospital”-which literally means, “A place of healing”. Jesus challenges conventional hospitality, entertaining, with a vision of the hospitality at the messianic banquet. For Jesus, the banquet behaviour fitting for the reign of God ought to affect dinner invitations on earth.

On the surface this parable is a story about good social manners. But at a deeper level it reminds us that as a family of God we are called to be genuinely hospitable to one another, and in the background emerges the even brighter message that God’s hospitality to each and every one of us, sinners that we are, is unlimited. We are created in the image of God. As a result God gives us a value that no human power can add to or steal. Everyone is invited to the banquet table in God’s kingdom and what Jesus does is to extend those kingdom practices into the present time- here on earth.

Starting this Fall the Christian Education committee wants us to examine how we include everyone in our worship. This means that we want participation from every ability and gift, we want to engage everyone who walks in those doors, young and old. It also means that we want to have the young ones like Warren and Michael in our worship- allowing them to be who they are in this space- at the very least until the children’s time. So, that might mean that we get distracted when they are running around or have to hear them babble about this and that during our prayers. But we must make an effort to include all in our worship.  We are the messengers who take particular care to send out the invitation to others to come and join us in this place. You are the matriarchs and patriarchs of the faith which means you have the great responsibility of sharing your stories and experiences with the young ones. As a result we must give opportunity and include all those who come to worship in this space. The last sentence of the Luke passage is, “you will be blessed, they may not be able to repay you, but you will be repaid in heaven.” Jesus is saying live by the kingdom manners now- don’t wait for them to occur upon my return. It is time now to live according to the practices of the kingdom. Jesus invites us all to an amazing feast, with abundant food, wonderful dances, thought provoking stories and the greatest gift and then asks us to value others not because of what they can do for us but simple because they are children of God- just like us. Amen

 

Bible Text: Luke 12:49-56 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

For thousands of years prior to contact with Europeans the Iroquois and Algonquin people in Eastern Canada, used fire to shape the land around them.  At the time of Cabot’s arrival these First Nations had created a lush landscape based on this unique style of cultivation. It was so lush that in one journal from 1679 it states that the land in the eastern Oak forests were, “full of vast meadows, vineyards, trees bearing good fruit, groves and forest, so well-disposed that one would think nature could not have made it.” That turned out to be true; nature did not exactly landscape the area without some assistance. This Savannah-like habitat with oak meadows was cultivated by the First Nations using fire. They carefully used fire to shape and harvest the land. It is estimated that tens of millions of hectares were burned each year. Why this was beneficial was because fire would burn away young trees creating large grassy openings in the forest and clearing the way for the larger trees, which would produce more nuts and fruit. Controlled burning also stimulates the germination of some desirable forest trees and reveals soil mineral layers which increase seedling vitality- and in that way these controlled burns renew the forest. In fact there are some cones such as lodgepole Pine that are serotinous, which means they require heat from fire to open the cones and disperse the seeds. I know that discussing the positive effects of forest fires is perhaps not the best thing to do as we face some more dry weather- and as we know, forest fires across this continent have caused major damage. But it was this positive and renewing image of fire that gave me a sense of hope as I encountered this rather dismal passage in our Gospel text. I don’t normally preach 3-point sermons but this passage so clearly covers three points that in order for us to understand all that is going on we need to look at these three sections individually before we understand how they connect.

The first section is a quick summary of Jesus’ ministry and what lies ahead. Jesus said, “I’ve come to start a fire on this earth- how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything right side up! I’ve come to disrupt and confront.” This language of fire and confrontation seems out of character. This is not the subdued, compassionate, gentle Jesus that we often refer to in our parables and miracle stories. It is not the image of love that we expect or even tell others all about. Instead this is a fire and brimstone kind of conversation. We often interpret this kind of fire-y talk with the fires of hell.  But think for a moment what I said about controlled burns- and harvesting the land following a forest fire. It is that kind of fire which Jesus brings. It is a cleansing fire which renews and restores so that the harvest will be even greater. It is the kind of fire that brings warmth, and nurtures. This is what Jesus means when entwined with this fire talk is also the explanation of baptism. Jesus’ flame will be snuffed out on the cross but for what gain? So that we may be incorporated into the household of God through the cooling waters of baptism. Jesus states that he is under a lot of stress and that is in part because he knows that baptism is not the cute ritual we have made it out to be but rather the claim that through baptism we join Jesus in his death and resurrection. Through baptism we claim the calling God makes for our lives and sometimes those callings, or vocations, are challenging. There is a part of us that is serotinous- we require this cleansing fire to open us up to the teachings found in Scripture so that we can disperse the seeds of the Gospel. Baptism allows us to receive grace for every time we fail.

The second portion of the text deals with these divisions that faced the early followers. Jesus is reminding those gathered that following him is going to be full of challenges, and while it is a Gospel of good news, it does not always bring peace. The disciples likely know this all too well, they have already given up their lives with their families. Some said goodbye to Fathers and the family business- something that was unheard of in the days of patrilineal responsibilities. Some have said goodbye to wives and children- leaving them abandoned in a world where women could not work to receive an income. Some have walked away from secure jobs and others have walked away from apprenticeships. The disciples already know what Jesus is talking about. Their decisions have created divisions in their family and home life and separation from their congregations, their faith.

When the Gospel of Luke was written the early church was already gaining followers despite Roman oppression. In fact, the divisions between Jews and Gentiles were blurring in the church as Paul began to explain that those distinctions no longer matter. But as a result, from the get go the early church not only encountered division outside the congregation from family and friends but also from within, between Jews and Gentiles. The early church was constantly reforming as its daily rituals and practices were modified to include both Jews and Gentiles. We already know from Paul’s letters that there were often full-out disagreements and fights regarding where one could sit, how one could worship, and whether or not one was permitted inside the sanctuary. So not only do these early converts already face separation from their families but divisions are causing conflicts in the church. In some ways Jesus’ comments about his bringing division must have given them comfort, that these divisions are part of the divine plan. Perhaps what Jesus is saying is that no matter how hard we work toward unity there will always be division in the church. In part because we are not created all the same but rather with our own passions and drives. But what is one to do in the face of these divisions?

This leads us to the third section in which Jesus calls out the hypocrites, which by the way means, he calls out everyone. Jesus says, “You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don’t tell me you can’t tell a change in the season, the God-season we’re in right now.” Jesus addresses our inability to see the truth, to recognize the signs, to read between the lines. What Jesus is actually describing is not really hypocrisy but rather a misinterpretation of what is going on. However, the label still means something, especially as reflected in the section about division. Perhaps Jesus is calling people hypocrites because they think they have it all under control, they think that they know the real truth while others are blinded by doctrine or ritual or theology or mission, they think they have it all figured out. This ties in well with the message about being fools, about being without God. We cannot insist that we follow God while still being tied to the idols of our earthly lives. We cannot claim to follow the truth- no matter what divisions it causes- while still being hit by distractions. That’s the hypocritical piece.

So how do these three pieces all tie in? Lutheran Pastor, Erik Thompson has a good line, “It may lead to division, but, we have to trust that God is at work in all situations, and remember that God has claimed us in our baptisms.” It is hypocritical of us to ever think that we are perfect Christians but thankfully the cleansing fire of God purifies our hearts, makes room for that faith which is deeply rooted in us to bear fruit from larger trees. It gives us stronger trunks so that we are not swayed by divisions but ready for the new growth which surrounds us. It allows us to receive the reviving minerals of the soil so that we our nurtured by the Word of God. Amen

 

 

Bible Text: Luke 12:13-21 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

When Mike and I moved to the Comox Valley we moved from a 700 square foot basement apartment on Fort St. in Victoria to our current 1400 square foot home across the street. In the basement apartment we had one bedroom and one small office/storage space and we moved to, a two bedroom and two bathroom home. As with some town-homes we discovered that we also have  a 5 foot high crawl space that spans the entire footprint of our home. When we first told family of our new home we said it was rather palatial especially compared to our little apartment and we had no idea what we would do with all that space. We couldn’t conceive that we would fill it. Ever! Funny that, we seemed to have filled our space no problem. In fact, it strikes me that no matter how big the kitchen is, it is never big enough for two people.  I don’t think I’m alone here in this idea that we can fill whatever space we have with all kinds of things in no time. It is kind of a cyclical self-fulfilling prophecy. The more room you have- the more stuff you have. Which is one of the warnings we receive from this parable in our Gospel reading.

It’s a funny parable which includes a rather strange request. Jesus has been engaging in debates, storytelling and warnings with his disciples as well as Pharisees, scribes and men and women along the way, but this is different. I get the impression that someone sitting in the crowd listening to all of these previous debates  jumps up while there is a lull and says, “Jesus, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance!” It’s rather unique because this person makes a demand of Jesus that is out of character. There are no other examples quite like this and this story only appears in Luke’s Gospel. Now the history behind inheritance is an interesting one- there are many ancient cultures who have patrilineal inheritance and others that have matrilineal. Within the Hebrew tradition, which is what we assume this person in the crowd is from, although it is never stated, land was the most important inheritance. This makes sense considering the close relationship that the Ancient Israelites had with the land- for it was understood that God had given them this land of milk and honey. The principal heirs were indeed the legitimate sons while daughters were provided a dowry, but in the event that there were no sons the estate could be granted to daughters.  While often shares would be divided equally we actually have laws in Deuteronomy 21 that discuss how shares are to be divided- particularly if a father loves one son more than the first born son. So it is all very complicated, yet there are rules in place. I suppose this man in the crowd called upon Jesus to solve the issue not because he felt Jesus was the appropriate mediator but rather because Jesus had demonstrated throughout the preceding interactions that Jesus had a strong knowledge of the law- including the complicated inheritance laws.

Jesus, however, replies that it is not his business to judge or arbitrate this issue. It does nevertheless, inspire a teaching moment. Jesus warns, “Take care! Protect yourselves against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.” There are somethings that Jesus says that are dated and only relevant when viewed through a particular socio-historical lens. This comment by Jesus, however, seems timeless. It is a sad fact that since Adam and Eve, greed- the desire for more, more knowledge, more power, more things, more wealth has driven moments in history. Yet, if ever there was a society that has demonstrated time and time again the event of building bigger barns, it is us! One does not need to look deep into our cultural behaviour to discover that we seek more- often. But this attachment to greed is what separates us from God. Inheritance, greed and accumulation of wealth are all important aspects of this parable but the greater message is that when our attention is placed on anything else but God than we are living foolish lives.

Throughout the following weeks many of the Gospel stories will not only come from Luke but will relay this message in different forms. Here Jesus drives home his point about greed by telling the story of the Rich Fool. Jesus uses the image of a farmer because it would have spoken to those who are in the crowd, including the one who asked Jesus to arbitrate for his inheritance. If Jesus told this parable today perhaps he would have used a stock market investor, or a reality TV star, or any number of corporate CEOs, maybe even a church. It is important to note that within this particular parable, the abundant harvest is not actually a bad thing.  In fact, when a harvest so unexpectedly large occurs elsewhere in the Bible it is signalled as a miracle. That God is actively doing something great for God’s people. It is usually cause for celebration throughout the entire community. But the issue in this parable is not: when is enough, enough. The issue in the parable is not even that this farmer tears down what he has already to build a bigger barn.

The Message, a contemporary translation of the Bible, has a great translation of this story, “The farmer said, “Here’s what I will do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!” Then God showed up and said, “Fool! Tonight you will die. And your barnful of goods- who gets it?” That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”

This farmer not only was greedy but then in deciding what should happen the farmer does not consult God, and the greatest sin is that the farmer does not celebrate with thanks and gratitude to God.  Rather than thanks to God for the bountiful harvest this farmer elevates himself to the highest position. His self-congratulating ways is what makes him a fool. And how often is that what happens to us. We accomplish something, we receive something, we have an abundant crop and we congratulate- ourselves. Of course we should take pride in our efforts- but along with greed, pride can get out of control. We end up filling our barns with self and not with God. We are fools if we think all that is done in this world is thanks to us!

The term fool in this passage occurs only one other time in Luke and it is used to refer to the Pharisees in chapter 11 who were too foolish with greed and neglected justice and love of God. The Greek word is aphron and is literally translated as “unperceptive” and is used throughout the Bible to describe someone who lacks true moderation because they fail at understanding cause-and-effect relationships. The Greek word aphron actually combines the term alpha, meaning Godly wisdom, and phren, meaning without. A fool is someone who lacks Godly wisdom and of course God is the one who understands best the interconnectedness of all relationships. A fool is someone who thinks they can play God but do not understand how God works.  And when we congratulate ourselves with no regard for God then we are fools- believing that it is  we who have developed the wisdom and the wealth.

Jesus concludes this parable with a hint of hope. The world will always be full of fools but we can make every effort to be rich toward God rather than ourselves. Grace ultimately transcends greed. Because the lesson right after this story of the fool is the story of God providing for even the birds. Greed begets greed but grace begets grace. While accumulation of wealth and things is a downward spiral that often involves fear and anxiety, a sense of isolation and separation from God, Jesus offers the antidote- that we do not need to be rich in things for then we only think of our self- rather let us be rich in God. For we have been blessed with abundance. Thanks be to God! Amen

Bible Text: Luke 10:38-42 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

In 1983, 2 years after I was born Donna Summer released the album entitled, “She Works Hard for the Money.” The single track, of the same name, was nominated for best female pop vocal and her performance at the Grammy’s that year is numbered among some of the best performances of all time. “She works hard for the money./ So hard for it, honey./ She works hard for the money./So you better treat her right.” The song tells of a woman who to no surprise works hard every night at a diner waitressing.  It is based on an actual encounter that Donna had with an exhausted rest room attendant named Onetta Johnson at a restaurant in Los Angeles. Donna startled the woman from her nap, and Onetta told her that she worked two jobs and was really tired. Donna thought to herself, “Wow, she really works hard for her money.” Later that night Donna wrote the song in 20 minutes.  Onetta was later featured on the back cover of the album. Interesting fact is that Donna Summer had a top 40 hit for every year between 1975 and 1984. So, one can suppose that she too worked hard for her money back in the day. The thing about working hard is that sometimes we end up exhausted, sometimes it is not for Grammy nominations but rather for little recognition. Sometimes we compromise and give up something we would much rather do, in order to make sure that things get done. Sometimes we lose our patience that no one else seems to care. Which of course brings us to the story of Mary and Martha.

Every church has a few Marys and a few Marthas and this is not based on gender. There are men and women who work hard at balancing this work and worship paradigm and sometimes that balance is off kilter. There are the Martha “types”, the busybodies; the ones who do something and we may not even know they do it but entirely take it for granted that it will get done. While practical and competent, these Marthas sometimes miss subtle points of Jesus’ teaching because they are busy. And then there are the Mary “types”, the thoughtful and silent types. One type seems most often to represent Christian service and the other type Christian reflection and contemplation.

Despite the negative stereotyping, many of us, including me, women and men alike, identify with Martha. We know that talk or reflection doesn’t put food on the table, and if we sit down to relax, the dishes won’t get done or that sermon won’t get written, the fundraiser will not happen and the service just won’t flow or the church just won’t be what it is meant to be.  Jesus’ rebuke to Martha may make us feel devalued and under-appreciated. Like so many people in multiple low-wage jobs, or folks in volunteer leadership positions they work hard (maybe not for money) but often work until exhaustion, until they are burnt out. And so it may seem as though we are encouraged to like Mary. But is that really the case? How does the sisters’ household in Bethany fit into the bigger picture?

The Gospel text states that Jesus entered this village and it was Martha who brought him into her home and made him feel welcomed. This offsets some of the experiences that Jesus has in the previous villages and towns where they totally rejected him. Finally Jesus experiences a warm welcome and it is thanks to Martha. Then Martha disappears to work in the kitchen or garden. The NRSV states that Martha was distracted but the Greek word is perispao and it means literally to be pulled or dragged away. In other words, Martha would prefer to sit with Jesus but her long list of duties pulls her away from enjoying his company. In her frustration she tells Jesus to get him to tell Mary to help Martha in the kitchen.  Notice how Martha addresses Jesus, as an equal and a friend. Like many of the psalmists and persons in the Old Testament who challenged God, Martha dares to question authority; she challenges Jesus and makes a demand. In this story Martha exercises the authority that would have been the sole right of a male in the Roman imperial system. So either Martha is so frustrated that she has lost all cultural tact, or she and Jesus are so close that she can address him in that manner.  Jesus answers and he talks to Martha just as directly as she talked to him. He repeats her name, “Martha, Martha,” which shows his caring and his concern-he isn’t angry with her. He knows she is frustrated and is asking her to calm down. And he does not tell her that her work is unimportant. Martha knows how to speak her mind and she is confident in her request. She is a practical and talented multi-tasker, but she is also at her wits end.  She boldly speaks up for what she believes is right. Martha has a voice and she uses it. She engages in a theological and cultural debate with Jesus.

Mary, on the other hand, doesn’t have a voice per se, but she has a very important role: “she has chosen” to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen. She obviously has Jesus’ approval, and has risked her sister’s anger to follow her choice. What does this tell us about Mary? She too, is bold; she is resisting society’s expectations by choosing to listen to Jesus instead of helping Martha in the kitchen. She is breaking social norms, not only by fraternizing as an equal with the male followers of Jesus but also by sitting at Jesus’ feet-behaving as a student, as if she has a right to learn and be educated. Jesus is open to the choices of women, but also by telling Martha that Mary has chosen this better part, he is implying that there is room at his feet for Martha as well.

This story is multi-faceted and contains dimensions that are far more interesting than a petty domestic discussion. We can look at this passage as being about different forms of discipleship. Martha’s role can be seen as a ministry of service and Mary’s role is the ministry of the word.

The Gospel of Luke is full of stories about meals- so much so that you might have thought Luke was a Presbyterian- or United Church! Some scholars feel that Luke values words or preaching over service but with so many stories centred around food and hospitality it would appear that Luke sees these as equally important roles. For the early church these two roles were not seen as competitive but complementary. The gifts of service and the word ministered to people’s physical and spiritual needs, just as the life of Christian discipleship requires both action and reflection. So why does Jesus say, “There is need of only one thing?”

If Mary has “chosen the better part” what is this one thing? It is often interpreted as being Mary’s role of silence and contemplation, with the other part being Martha’s role of activity and service. But Jesus isn’t separating them but combining them. This is something I am sure we all have trouble balancing. Whether or not one role is “better” than the other, Jesus sees them as one thing, two parts of one whole. By saying that Mary has chosen the better part, Jesus seems to question Martha’s priorities; that she should come out of the kitchen and sit down with her sister. Perhaps there’s another way of looking at this passage, however, without setting up a conflict between the two sisters, and a comparison between the two roles. When we look at this passage in Luke’s Gospel and we see it follows on the heels of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  The hero rescues the robbed traveller, tends his wounds and provides for him. Jesus concludes with the saying, “Go and do likewise.” This parable with its emphasis on active service answers the question “Who is my neighbour?” after the law is stated, “Love the Lord your God…and your neighbour as yourself”.

This commandment and parable seem closely connected with the two parts which Martha and Mary hold. Mary, in her devotion to Jesus, shows us how to love God, while the persistent action of Martha helps us to see how to love our neighbour. The love of God broadens, deepens and makes possible the love of our neighbour, while the love of our neighbour embodies God’s love to the world. As long as Martha and Mary speak up, make sure their voice is heard, behave boldly sharing their concerns and listening to the concerns of others and act out of their love for God, then everything else falls into its right place. Hospitality is a significant act of love for both God and neighbour.

Author and pastoral theologian Jeanne Stevenson Moessner points out that “we can learn that to be caregivers we need also to be care receivers. We are not alone in the world, operating out of our own font of energy. Rather we are interconnected beings, in need of welcome and nurture for our own selves. Only after recognizing our interrelatedness can we truly begin to love God and love neighbour as ourselves.” What an important message to hear today as we have four churches coming together in worship. What an important message as we think about demonstrating hospitality. What an important message as we think about sharing resources in ministry.  Yes, we all work hard for it honey- but we do not need to work alone, as we attempt to love God with all our hearts and with our whole being. We too ask God to teach us to sit at the feet of God’s Word. But also to embolden us to be of service in the world. And this is not a question of are you a Mary or a Martha, but as women and men in this church how are we going to live out Mary and Martha together.        Amen

Bible Text: Luke 9:51-62 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

There is an NPR program called “Car Talk.” The premise is simple, people call in to talk about their car problems- while two brothers, Tom and Ray, give advice. The show is now in reruns ever since Tom died in November of 2014 but it still has a strong fan base. You would think someone like me who knows very little about cars and is an extremely nervous passenger, let alone driver, would not be interested in such a show. And you’re kind of right, but there is such a humour to these two guys answering bizarre auto issues that when I catch the program on Saturday mornings, I usually end up in tears of laughter. A recent syndicated episode was about the classic summer adventure of a road trip. Well, actually the show invited people to talk about their worst road trip experience and they had a winner- the ultimate worst road trip story. Thomas Martinez said, “I could sum up this little adventure in one phrase-1977 MG Midget-but here it is anyway. I left Los Angeles in July of 1979 with my girlfriend, the MG midget, and naiveté. We were headed for Yosemite.  Going up the Cajon Pass, the car boiled over so we stopped and let it simmer down. As soon as we hit Victorville, the accelerator cable let go. I found a foreign parts store but the only cable they had was for a Spitfire–it barely worked. We made it up Tioga Pass sputtering all the way. I hit a deer at the summit. It busted both headlights. It was dark so we slept on the side of the road. The next morning we got to Yosemite Valley and promptly lost the clutch. I tried unsuccessfully for two days to fix it. That night bears ate all our food. The next day a stranger suggested that I drive the car with no clutch. I didn’t know how, so he taught me the finer points of “speed shifting.” The next morning we loaded up and headed out toward Merced, grinding the gears on twisting mountain roads. We made it to Merced in time for a rain storm. You’ve got it: The top leaked! The fuel pump gave out in Salinas. We had it fixed in Monterey. It cost a fortune.  We made it down to Bakersfield when the water pump went. We finally puttered into the San Fernando Valley and that’s when the throttle cable broke.”

Road trips are an essential part of summer adventure but I sure hope I don’t experience one like that. While Jesus, of course is not in a vehicle, he seems to be having similar trouble. Jesus has decided to head to Jerusalem. In the NRSV Luke says that Jesus is “firmly resolved to go to Jerusalem”, giving Jesus a single-minded determination. The Greek is literally, autos to prosopon esterisen,  or “he set his face” to Jerusalem. Interesting that the Greek word autos means “self.” So an automobile is a mode of transportation for self. Jesus sets his face to a very specific destination but it is worded as such because this isn’t just about Jerusalem but about a fulfilment of prophecy and purpose. This journey is all part of the divine plan. The city of Jerusalem is linked with Jesus’ destiny.

Unfortunately it is also a journey that has an inauspicious beginning. As they enter a Samaritan village they begin looking for a place to stay, but they are rejected because their final destination is Jerusalem. There is a lot of animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans- these Galileans, who are Jews, are already treated with suspicion but then when it is revealed that they are headed to Jerusalem, the capital of Jewish faith, the Samaritans want to have nothing to do with them. The disciples are indignant that they and Jesus would be rejected like this and the disciples are eager to try out their new prophetic power. As I have mentioned before, the relationship between the Samaritans and Jews is frayed because during the Babylonian captivity the Hebrews, who managed to remain in Judah and Israel, made every effort to preserve their faith despite living in a place called Samaria. When the Israelites who were in Babylon returned the Samaritans felt that the Torah and religious practices of the Jews had been altered and affected by Babylonian culture. As a result, despite being part of the same ethno-religious group they clashed in their orthodoxy, their theology, and their orthopraxy, their practices.  And for centuries those relationships festered and were frayed. So the animosity is mutual and you can well imagine that if it were Samaritans looking for a place to stay, the disciples would not have them in their house.

Jesus, however, is not even thrown off when this village will not receive him, in fact, it appears that this is what he expected would happen and when the disciples are put off by this and want to condemn this town, Jesus rebukes the disciples, particularly James and John, likely because they are so quick to condemn and destroy. Their proposed violence and punishment is not what Jesus came to preach and teach. It is likely that the disciples’ reaction to the Samaritan village is what will inspire the story of the Good Samaritan a few chapters later.

The story continues- remember they have just left a Samaritan village, one in which they had hoped to lay their heads. So they are tired, it is probably late, and most definitely hungry. But three new followers meet Jesus on the road.  Jesus responds to these three would be followers who say that they are ready to follow Jesus wherever he goes. This section introduces the theme of discipleship- fitting, since James and John and their desire to punish the village with fire from heaven- isn’t really part of the job description.

Mikeal Parsons, the Chair of Religion at Baylor University points out that Jesus’ three responses to these followers mean that , “to follow Jesus is to follow someone who has no place to lay his head, is to embark of a journey that may involve alienation; indeed it already has in the preceding rejection by the Samaritan village. Further, the call to follow Jesus on the journey of “proclaiming the kingdom of God” is a call to radical commitment.” But Jesus is always on this journey with us. To the first follower, Jesus’ remarks make sense, since he has just experienced this inability to lay his head. Unlike the birds of the sky or the foxes in their den there seems to be no place for Jesus to rest.

The second follower, though, seems to have a very reasonable request, to go and bury his deceased father. To be honest I don’t have a great answer about why Jesus would say, “Let the dead bury the dead.” It seems equally difficult to understand when read with our Old Testament reading from 2 Kings- even Elijah allowed Elisha to say his farewell. In some commentaries they suggest that it refers to those who are metaphorically spiritually dead or for those who always seem to have an excuse. Or perhaps Jesus is aware of the urgency of his journey. It reminds me of how I feel before I go on a road-trip. I will get packed well in advance, and wake up early the day of our trip so that we can hit the road as early as possible. The earlier we leave- the earlier we can get on our way. There is determination in my planning.

Perhaps Jesus is feeling this urgency and the burdens before him- especially those that will meet him in Jerusalem. On the road Jesus will experience his own life and death and of course while Jesus heads toward his death it will mean life for us. This certainly explains his response to the third follower- there just isn’t time to look back.  Jesus is calling all disciples to leave the predictable and cherished moments of daily living and instead take up the surprising and unexpected realities of discipleship.

You know what I needed to hear that this week? I needed to be reminded that discipleship is unpredictable and busy and full of exciting moments punctuated by the mundane not the other way around. Like Jesus, whose face is set to Jerusalem, whose journey is entirely based on God’s plans, we too must set our faces to the discipleship at hand. There are times we when might be more like the disciples feeling rejected by the Samaritan village- people make assumptions about who we are as Christians, proclaiming judgements, and restricting evangelism. People at us and want nothing to do with us. But that is in part because we are often like the three would-be followers. We have excuses, we have distractions, we have our idols that interrupt our obligations. It is humbling when we are reminded that discipleship is a lot more than that. As the disciples travelled with him to Jerusalem so do we go with him into today’s world. Sometimes that means that we will experience frustrations because our clutch breaks, sometimes it means we are hit by unbearable grief, sometimes it means we have to replace our parts but always as Jesus set his face to Jerusalem he set his face on his purpose- which was to be our friend, our guide, our saviour. What a road trip it is! Amen