Service Type: Sunday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Did you know that in 1990 the winery industry in British Columbia had 1, 476 acres of vineyards. At the end of 2014, in just 25 years the production has grown to 10, 260 acres of vineyards. There are 252 licensed grape wine wineries in BC with just over 60 more other fruit wineries. There are five designated viticultural areas, obviously the Okanagan, as well as Similkameen and Faser valleys, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. And then there are four emerging regions Shuswap, North Okanagan, Thompson Nicola and West Kootenays. There are over 80 grape varietals produced in this province with Pinot Gris being the top white variety and Merlot the top red variety. I know for some of you this is not appealing at all, and maybe a bit concerning, but I couldn’t help researching these statistics while studying the gospel passage. I discovered that this year is the 25th anniversary of VQA in British Columbia. Like CVPC it is a young industry compared to its counterparts around the world, that’s right I just compared our church to a winery, but despite its young age the wine industry is a booming in BC. It is a $225.9 million dollar enterprise.
But growing grapes is actually a fairly complicated and lengthy process. For the first couple of years, the vine should not be allowed to produce fruit as it needs to strengthen its root system before it can support the extra weight of fruit. Although this is never overtly referenced it seems to me to be a great metaphor for the church and perhaps those of you who have been a part of this congregation since the early days can remember what it was like setting roots down before attempting to grow outward. Pruning is also of the utmost importance to growing grapes. If a vine is not pruned not only will it run rampant but the canes will only produce fruit once. Most vineyard guides say to remove at least %90 of the previous season’s growth. It seems like a lot but I like this image as it refers to our journeys of faith. That we need to remind ourselves to take times where we cut back on our responsibilities and take time for spiritual growth. That we have moments in which we need to focus on being rooted so that we have the strength to carry the fruit. Of all the metaphors and parables that Jesus uses throughout the Gospels the image of the vine and and the vine grower is likely the one that remains most relevant to our context. We aren’t all shepherds or prodigal sons, we aren’t all tax collectors or Samaritans but all it takes is one short drive up Anderton or along the 19A to find a vineyard.
The allegory in John 15 proceeds in a straightforward way. Jesus is the vine, the Father the vine grower, and the community the branches. The vine grower lops off any branch that does not produce and prunes any branch that does. The image of a grape vine is an image that is borrowed and adapted from Old Testament imagery for Israel. Psalm 80 actually says, “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.” Referring to the exodus story for the early Hebrew people. In Isaiah 5 there is an entire song entitled, the Lament of the Unfruitful Vineyard in which the prophet warns, “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!” Isaiah in his capacity as a prophet is warning the people that they have broken covenant and one of the consequences of this break in the relationship is exile. When Jesus says, “I am the vine” he is stating that he is the new covenant, the new relationship between God and God’s people.
The synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, called as such because they have similar stories, also use the imagery of a vine and vineyard but it should be noted that those stories reflect violence and greed. Whereas John’s image focuses more on love, fruitfulness and relationship. In the synoptic parable the absentee landlord sends his son to the tenants, which is more appropriately translated as vine growers, these tenants had previously beaten and killed the earlier emissaries and the son is also killed. But in John’s version, God is the vine grower, who prunes the branches for abundant fruitfulness. John’s theme of light is also prevalent in this passage. Grapevines do need pruning; grapes need sun but not too much. So in this image the Father does that precision tending for the perfect balance of light and shade.
There is a major focus on fruitfulness throughout this passage. In these eight short verses the words “bear fruit” appears six times. Now, Jesus used this metaphor before there were all kinds of manipulations that could occur in growing grapes. I’m not up on wine-making history but I suspect, that in Jesus’ time there weren’t too many hybrid varietals, maybe not even all the grafting on stocks that happens today. Rather it was a simple process that happened truly organically. If the vine was true and the gardener good, if the pruning is done correctly and carefully then bearing fruit is not something that the branches do by force but rather something that the vine grower controls. Jesus goes on to say that the branches do, however, choose whether to abide or not.
The verb to abide, like bearing fruit, appears over and over, eight times in four verses in this section and it will come up again next week, as it often does in John. Like light, abiding is a major theme in this Gospel. It is how John speaks of love and how God’s love is known. The branches must abide because without the vine, they are fruitless; they can do nothing. Jesus as the vine motivates growth but it is God who ultimately sets the conditions.
So what happens when it seems our works are fruitless? The Rev. Dr. Meda Stamper, a New Testament scholar says, “If you want the fruit of this vine, this is where you get it, by abiding here. But just as there is no fruitfulness in not abiding, so there is no real future in focusing on those fruitless branches. In the first place, we’re all just branches ourselves, not vines, and certainly not in charge of the vine. We don’t even make ourselves fruitful. We cannot possibly discern what is happening with the rest of the vine. For all we know, what looks like removal is actually pruning for abundant fruitfulness. Whatever is going on with the other branches is in any case the work of the vine grower. Our sole responsibility to the rest of the branches is love. It is perhaps also worth keeping in mind that branches don’t live off their own fruit. The fruit is for someone else.” This feeds into our interpretation of love which the passage next week will focus on. What Stamper means is that in some ways, we can not compare ourselves to other branches, and we should not attempt to be something we’re not.
Stamper’s words and this passage has been particularly relevant to me this week as I chaired the commission to look into the dissolution of Knox, Port Alberni. Presbyterians have had the longest continuous presence in that valley of all the Western religious traditions and so it is extra hard to see this congregation come to a close. But as this congregation closes its doors there are new possibilities taking shape. Perhaps with the sale of the building there will be new funds available to do a mission or ministry there that has yet to bear fruit because it needs to grow new roots. Sometimes we don’t understand the pruning, sometimes we don’t understand why once fertile ground is all dried up but we are not the gardener. Perhaps it is just merely a crop rotation.
Jesus says, just as the branch is part of the vine and cannot live apart from the vine, so we abide in Jesus, the true vine. Note, this is not an individual piety but a community. We are the branches, not I am the branch. We can only bear fruit when we work together as branches and when we are extensions of the vine. Of course God wants us to produce fruit and to be drawn into a unified relationship between Father and Son. But just as God’s love and presence are gifts so too is God’s pruning. Amen

Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

This service featured several videos from youtube:

Kid President – 20 Things We Should Say More Often

Little Things

Why Pray?

Bible Text: Acts 4:32-35, John 20:19-31 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

As many of you know my family are big music lovers. Although the rest of my family is quite musical I’ve just managed to maintain a love of music. Our love, however, is quite diverse. My Father the blues fan, my Mother the Canadian folk fan, my brother the electric fan and I run the gambit. There was, however, one artist that we could all agree on when I was growing up. One artist who was able to span our musical tastes and genres. One artist who has had a a number one single on the Billboard chart in each of the past six decades. She is so accomplished that she is known as the Goddess of pop. To date she has released 25 albums. She has also had a fairly successful movie career winning an Oscar, Emmy and three golden globe awards. Any guesses on who it might be? It is Cherilyn Sarkisian, also known as Cher. I know its hard to believe. Incidentally Cher will be 70 next year. I know that seems hard to believe. Well, in 1998 the Goddess of Pop released her 22nd album. The title track “Believe” was my family’s favourite. It was certainly a departure from her usual successes and adopted more a dance-pop vibe. Critics claim that it was this song, that resurrected her career, revived her ability to be a chart topper, gained her a following among younger fans and cemented her as one of the greatest. The song “Believe” was also the first commercial recording ever to feature the now much over used audio processor software called Auto-tune. The song is about overcoming a tragic heartbreak and gaining a sense of self, having the ability to live life again after such a crushing relationship. The chorus is a question, “Do you believe in life after love?” and there is no way I am going to attempt to sing in her signature contralto voice. But this question, do you believe in life after love? Is rather appropriate for this week.
For the disciples it was difficult to live life as it had once been. Our passage begins with them locked in a room, afraid, and not sure what to do. Despite stories of the resurrection and rumours of visions of Jesus by the women among them they aren’t quite ready to believe it. After all, it seems hard to believe in life after what they have witnessed in Jesus’ death. The crucifixion was a crushing defeat in their belief and relationship with Jesus.
It is the week after Easter, or what is called in the church season, the second week of Easter. In fact, the season of Easter is 10 days longer than the season of Lent in the church year! But we often treat it as a one week event and the lectionary, the tool the reformed church uses to assign Scripture lessons each Sunday. doesn’t really help us here. This happens to be the only Sunday in the entire 3 year cycle that contains the same Scripture passage every year. So in reality if you’ve been to one service on the second Sunday of Easter in your life, you’ve been to them all because the Scripture doesn’t change. We know the story. We can all go home. But that is part of the challenge for today. The story is as familiar to us as a top 40 hit song by a musical legend that’s been playing over and over in our heads. What more is there to learn? As with any Scripture lesson our interpretation is influenced by our tradition, doctrine and experience and as a result there is much for us to gain from hearing the story again.
Jesus appears and offers peace to the disciples. He shows them his hands and his side, sends them forth into the world and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit. With God’s grace to guide them, they witness to Christ’s resurrection, sharing their gifts with those who are in need. This is John’s version of Pentecost. This is John’s version of the birth of the church. And Thomas is missing. Imagine missing out on a great historical event that all your friends have witnessed. Imagine those friends telling you all about it and how amazing and life changing it was. “Oh Thomas, you should have been there! Jesus was right here among us, he showed us his wounds, and then he left us with an incredible gift. Oh, Thomas you really missed out!” I understand Thomas’s response. He’s disappointed, offended, discouraged and feels left out.
If you were to ask Thomas, do you believe in life after love? His initial response would be, No and I don’t think it was entirely due to his doubt but to the fact that he felt like he had been forgotten. Thomas is given a bit of a bad rap in that he is the only one coined as a doubter when in reality all the disciples were in a room afraid and doubting. I know I promised not to do this but in Cher’s immortal words. “No matter how hard I try, You keep pushing me aside, And I can’t break through, There’s no talking to you”
I find that there is something appealing about Thomas. He is our kind of guy. We, and certainly our modern culture, can identify with this scepticism. I have to admit I kind of like Thomas for this reason. There are numerous times when I’m not willing to buy into a belief just because someone says I should or tells me about their own personal experience. We are trained not to believe everything we read or everything we are told. There is a lot of misinformation out there and we are encouraged to be sceptical. Thomas refuses to believe in the resurrection based on mere hearsay. He wants physical proof and he wants to experience it all. Thomas wants to see. Thomas wants to touch. Thomas wants to witness. That’s not much different from what we want.
Thomas’s response to the disciples is harsh and negative. It is actually harsher than we realize in the Greek translation. Thomas says, “I will not believe” but the Greek is a aorist subjunctive. Meaning it is a classical form that emphasizes an emphatic negative in the future. So, in reality Thomas is saying something more like, “Never will I believe”. This is then contrasted with Jesus’ appearance, Thomas’ touching, and Jesus’ words, “Do not doubt but believe.” In this experience Thomas has a complete turn around and exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” That one remark is called the climax to the Gospel of John because it is the first time that Jesus is acknowledged as God. Through his experience Thomas is able to have faith in God.
The desire for experiential proof is completely normal and a part of our expectations when it comes to what people tell us. Mike and I are always telling our friends back East, its one thing to see pictures of Goose Spit, the Comox Glacier, and Nymph falls. Its a whole other thing to experience it. In this age of proving hypothesis through experiments it is totally normal to ask for proof. Proof is what everyone prefers. If that were not true we wouldn’t have the kind of debates we have had of late about things like climate change. I would argue that sometimes it doesn’t even matter how much proof is out there about one thing or another. It will never be enough until it is fully experienced.
That’s the reality for us. God, in God’s infinite wisdom, has deemed that we are not to be the ones locked up in a room with the other disciples but rather disciples sitting in a church millennia later. We can not experience the resurrection with Thomas or the other disciples. We live in an age of wonders but when it comes to resurrection faith ours is not and can not be based on sight, feel or even witness. But it can be experienced. That is the true gift of the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit comes the truth of God’s love and it illuminates our faith and even our scepticism.
When Jesus breathes on the disciples it alludes to the 2nd chapter of Genesis when God forms humanity out of dust from the ground and breathed into Adam’s nostrils with the breath of life. This commissioning by Jesus with the Holy Spirit is a creation story. Life is not something to be proven but experienced. Faith is not something to be proven but experienced. It is experienced by the breath of God, by the Holy Spirit flowing through us and being breathed upon others by our faith in action.
The concluding verses in our passage, “that these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah” move us from one of needing proof to experience. The grammar is also important, here the Greek employs a perfect tense. These things are written, indicating the book’s continuing validity. Writing in the ancient world was strongly connected with auditory activity. While only a handful of people could read the text many more could hear the text. Reading in silence was almost an unknown activity. As a result this Gospel story moves us from a need to see or touch or feel to hearing and experiencing and believing.
Do you believe in life after love? Do you believe in faith after experience? Amen

Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes