Sermon, Pentecost (Year B)

Pentecost!

The beginning of the church:
And yet also the celebration of what was:
And also the culmination of the present times.

Pentecost means 50.
The rationale for this celebration comes from our Jewish siblings:
50 days after the Passover, the Festival of Shavuot (of Weeks) is held.
This celebration of receiving the Law of Moses became a harvest festival: the beginning of the wheat harvest.
And harvest, we know, is that comfortable middle: the sowing was done, the weeding and tending to growth has happened; and now the harvest comes home.
And yet this is also not the end, for the harvest will then be processed into seed for next season, grain for the mill, food for the future.

Pentecost: the start of something new, rooted in the promises of the past, celebrating the potential of the present.

And it was in this timing, this state of mind, of the 50th day: a day of celebration and community – a middle day – this Pentecost.

And: as promised, in comes the Holy Spirit.

Undeniably, excitedly, unavoidably:
In she came.

She came: Like the rush of wind.
A wind that cleanses, that clears, that carries within it the promise of change.

She came: Like divided tongues, as of fire.
Illuminating those who were seated together, shining on them the potential before them, inspiring (literally) them into action.

She came: Giving abilities:
To speak in a language they understood, to communicate clearly as their testimony of God. To empower and equip for ministry.

She came: to gather them together.
That they would know they were not alone, that scripture was being fulfilled, that Jesus’ promises were being kept.

She came.
And… here’s some great news.
She never left.
She came: because nothing in this world could stop her.
And she stayed: because nothing in this world could make her want to leave us.

She continues to be with us:
Accompanying us, journeying with us, guiding us, encouraging us.
In John’s Gospel, we hear the word Advocate – which is a translation from the Greek Paraclete: which means “the one who is called to be alongside you”
And in this companionship, we move through life… never alone. God is with us: embodying what we need in those moments.

As advocate, comforter, friend, helper, partner, witness, guide, teacher, encourager, the one who searches our hearts – and who prays with us and for us (with sighs too deep for words, thank you Paul)… the list goes on.
She is the shoulder to cry on when our hearts break,
and the hug we receive and give when we celebrate.
She is the elder whose wisdom is paramount to our growth,
and the child who asks us boldly for our knowledge.
She is the carer who showers us with affection,
she is the person experiencing need who begs for our help.
She is the subtle nuance we feel, stirring in our hearts,
and the abrupt revelation that jolts our souls into action.
She is here. She is now.
For it is Pentecost!

So how do WE celebrate Pentecost? Today? How do we honour the tradition that has been gifted us, in meaningful, love-giving, life-changing ways?
How does her grand entrance so long ago continue to impact our lives and ministries today?

How is the wind blowing on us?
Is it a dust-clearing violent wind to free us from the apathy we’ve been collecting on ourselves?
Is it a cooling breeze for the times when we are heated and exhausted by the toils of this world?
Is it a gentle caress on our skin, carrying a scent that reminds us of love?

How are the tongues of fire laying on our heads?
To purify our hearts and minds, that we may orient our lives to the will of God?
To brighten our paths, that we can see the abundant beauty before us?
To heat us to action wherever we see injustice and inequality, speaking in ways that will be heard and understood?

How are we receiving the gifts that God has given us?
To witness and testify to the power of Christ in our lives?
To seek and serve the holy that is in our midst?
To move beyond our comfort zone in ways that touch people’s lives?

How are we coming together in community?
To pray, and praise, and rejoice in the Lord?
To discern God’s meaning for us: today, tomorrow, and beyond?
To break bread together, casting aside those things that would separate us from the love of God and from each other?

How DO we celebrate Pentecost?
We celebrate it with faith. With trust, with confidence, with joy.
We celebrate it for what was, for what is, and for what will be.
We celebrate it together: in all the ways that came to mind when I asked those questions – and more.
For the power of God exceeds our imaginations, it surpasses our plans, it transcends all our wildest dreams.
The advocate of God brings us together: to know love, to share in life, to witness to the eternal promises of God.

May our Pentecost fill our hearts anew with delight at the privilege to witness to our God.

Sermon Notes - Ascension (trans) (Year B)

ASCENSION!

Primary feast
Transferred to make sure we get it!

5 Ws
who what when where why (how)
Jesus, Ascending, then, there, fulfillment of scriptures. How - God's mysterious ways

YET: those are simple answers, and this story is not a 3rd grade book review

We could go deeper:
Add ‘else’ to the questions…
Who ELSE - disciples
What ELSE -
When ELSE - timeless revelation, tenet of belief
Etc.

But that keeps us context of comprehension…
In our faith journey, we are often called to go deeper.

As world grows with knowledge, our experiences inform our understanding, our reading of the scripture evolves.

So: Today I propose new questions to contemplate when we celebrate this glorious feast of the Ascension!

5 new Ws

WORSHIP - obviously. Having had minds opened to understand scriptures, one is filled with delight to engage in worship. - "blessing and great joy"

WITNESS - Jesus himself calls us this. "You are witnesses of these things!" What we witness changes us - how we view the world - how we engage with the world. Witness: a call to proclaim

WORK OF SPIRIT - "I am sending upon you what my Father promised!" each given own gifts - not more or less, not better or worse, just different: learn, embrace, master, delight.

WAIT - wait for the Spirit; no need to jump in too fast - wait and listen, wait and prepare. "Wait in the city - among people, until you receive the power you will ned for your ministry, which can only come from God, and which is on it's way."

WE - in the WORLD - the work is left for US - Jesus has left the building, the Spirit is promised to come empower us. Not just in the ways we always have done, not limited to the 4 walls, but everywhere.

HOW - well, there's the good news - to the glory of God, through our using the God given gifts. Individually, as faith communities, as the world -

The ministry is now ours, the time is now, the opportunity to live the Good News is amongst us - just as Jesus has promised in today's scriptures. Thanks be to God indeed.

 

Convocation Address; STU May 2024

(Acts 2.42-47 ; John 15.9-17)

This evening, it is my great pleasure to be the commencement speaker:
An unenviable honour to provide what has been dubbed an “interruption before the diplomas are granted” while aspiring to convey a lasting message of meaning, purpose, and joy.
And, this speech is delivered by someone who has not been part of your academic journey to this point.
So as I begin, I offer you a piece of confidence to that context by assuring you I am following the request to keep it under 10 minutes.

First and foremost, I offer to you graduates my deep and sincere congratulations.
It is not easy to reach this point in your studies – when there is a defined end date; a year inscribed on a diploma, a celebration of your accomplishments.

And I say something that you already know:
This is not the end.
For the work that you have been called to do: it waits for you.
The passion for ministry – in its beautiful and various forms – still waits for you.
It is what brought you here in the first place, it is what sustained you through all your efforts here; it is leading you to the hard work that your soul knows you are meant to do.

For what we celebrate tonight is not just your efforts of the past few years: as delightful and amazing as those accomplishments are.
We celebrate that you are committed to the life of the church, in the present and future.

The church is a challenging place to be, as we are constantly redefining our role and relationship within society.
This is not a new thing we are doing, but a redefinition that will require strong, faithful leaders.
Leaders who are equipped with the good news of God, and who live within a community of friends and colleagues.
Leaders like you: you who have been chosen to engage in this holy work;
you who have been empowered to go into the world,
you who will establish new ways to breathe life into how the world will hear God’s word.

So I offer some words of advice and encouragement to you, as now and future leaders:

First: keep dreaming. Dream big!
Dream the dreams and heed the visions of the prophets; who inspire us to work for a world that is a place of justice and peace for all of God’s people. For a better world is possible, and you are already committed to helping bring that about.

Next: keep loving.
Love with reckless abandon; the love that rejects judgement and worldly norms; love that recognises the presence of the living Christ in every. single. being you encounter; in whatever context your ministry unfolds.

Thirdly: Keep learning.
Read new books, attend conferences, engage in conversations. God has not stopped revealing Godself to the world, and we deny ourselves the amazement of that revelation if we think we’ve reached the back-cover of our learning.

Fourthly: Keep your heart on your sleeve.
Remember the kindness that has been shown you, and that you have every opportunity to extend. As Maya Angelou said: “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

And finally: Keep connected.
You have spent the last few years engaging with amazing professors, mentors, and co-learners. You have been upheld by your families, friends, faith communities, and all who pray for the church.
They have been your constant aid on this journey; offering prayers, editorial feedback on that final paper, maybe snack food to get through those pages and pages of reading, a thumbs up to encourage you through presentations and sermon prep.
These folks – many of whom are here tonight – thank YOU.

For as you have been the supporters and cheerleaders along the way; you have borne the face of God in the process of learning and teaching. This has been your ministry: and we also celebrate that tonight.

For no one does the work of God alone.
This is conveyed to us all so often in the scriptures; and we hear it again tonight.
Jesus calls us friends, when we pay attention to God’s commandments and act in loving service.
And the Apostles, energised by the Spirit, devote themselves to the life that is modeled for us all.

So tonight, as we leave this place – but never God’s presence –
may we go – as friends –
and carry within us the teachings to the people of God from the reading from Acts: to devote ourselves to the apostle’s teaching and community life, to the breaking of Bread, and to prayer:
And may we be filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed in our sight.
For the church of God rejoices with hope.

 

Sermon Notes, Easter 6 (Year B)

 Jesus speaking with friends – Not a disconnected conversation.

Continuation of the passage we heard last week – vine and branches.
Beautiful imagery:
Always well rooted; Nourishment assured; Never alone;
Growing to the best of our ability.
And: not growing in competition; but collaboration.

It’s feeling well supported here.
And this is where Jesus reiterates the points he’s making.
We are loved: We are loveable; We are abiding, or dwelling, in love.

The way Jesus keeps circling back to this point is NOT because he just rambled on
Each time he repeats his teaching, he’s including subtle nuance and depth.
Which allows the disciples to hear it in ways that make sense to them at that time; whatever time that is
Remember the words as they continue to grow in faith.
Deeper reflection can lead to deeper understanding.
It’s a gift from Jesus, to go back time and again to the message of love.

Especially as the way Jesus speaks of love is not casual, it’s not circumstantial, it’s not transactional:
It’s astonishing, divine, perfect love.
Love that can never be broken. That cannot be refused. That cannot be taken away.
The disciples will need this: as they are about to go into the world that will reject them, as it rejects the message of this complete and all-encompassing love.
Jesus gave them the assurance of love that sustained them in their trials.
It is the same love that we receive; that we struggle to comprehend, and that we are called to extend.

Love that overpowers all the hatred in the world.
Love that is not conditional or fleeting; it is overwhelming and unending.
Love that is not burdensome (John’s letter!): as we put love into action.

For that is what we are called to do: put love in action. Ensure it’s not passive but active:
Growing, nurturing, sustaining.
It’s speaking truth to power; it’s facing challenges with compassion; it’s reminding those who feel unloved and unloveable that they are loved: through actions.
AT times it’s tough love; at times it’s joyous splendour
But always love.
Rooted in us; through us. Shared in the world before we were here, as we live, and after we are gone.
For the love of God is already given: to us, and to everyone we will ever encounter.
Let us put into action what love we know into action; and rejoice as that love continues to grow in us – as we grow in love.

Sermon, Easter 5 (Year B)

 This morning, the scriptures are inviting us to live and love fully. They are encouraging us to look beyond our own personal preferences and focus on what can happen in the broad community, to bring Glory to God, and to further the reign of Christ.

Sometimes, thanks be to God, those desires for communal growth and development do align with our own personal desires - and we celebrate. But often, in our society, we can become so individualised that our focus is only on what we want for ourselves.

Think about the last time you met someone new: aside from basic demographic questions, I'm willing to bet you delved quickly into discussions of personal favourites. Favourite foods, favourite colours, hobbies, books, movies - you name it. All those wonderful things that make us who we are as individuals.

With the community and kingdom focus, however, our questions might also include a broader spectrum. How do you engage with your neighbours? What brings you joy? What events and activities do you participate in to help build community? How do you actively welcome newcomers?

And for those of us who are Christ followers: how do you love God and your neighbour? In what ways have your actions demonstrated this love today?

So our shift from the personal to the communal also shifts from a statement to a call to action. Because fully loving God is not something that we can do entirely on our own, and it's not something that just is. Using our own faith experience as a starting point, how we live the love of God takes intentional engagement with the world, and purposeful ministry.

This is what's happening in our scriptures. I'm going to start with the emphasis on Philip in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Now, at any point, we realise that if there was a personal preference option, the good news of God may not have grown in the direction it did, and the sharing of the Gospel may not have borne fruit.

But: Philip responded to God's call. Listening to the nudging of the Spirit, and disregarding his own personal safety, he went down this wilderness road, he joined the foreigner’s entourage, he started a conversation about faith, he delayed a travelling high-level dignitary, he engaged in a powerful conversation about God and Jesus, he baptised the eunuch. This is bold! This is inspired and inspiring! This is kingdom work! And then, after being swept away by the Spirit to foreign lands, Phillip continued to share, by word and example, the Good News of God in Christ.

For anyone else, we would say that some of these decisions may not have been the safest. Walking alone on a wilderness road? Bad plan. Getting into a strangers’ car or chariot? Ill-advised. But Philip knew this was not a normal encounter; he knew that what he was doing was meant to happen. Because he was in close enough relationship with God and Jesus through the Spirit to realize how God was calling him into action, for the sake of the Gospel.

This is what Philip was meant to be doing, for the love of God, at that time and at that place. To celebrate the presence of God in unexpected ways and unanticipated places with unknown people. To live fully in the opportunity that presented itself with a desire to share the love of God, to live into the full stature of being a Christ follower, to respond with nothing but a Godly focus for the benefit of community, trusting that his ministry would encourage more God-focused ministry from those he encountered.

It's fascinating how people can respond to such an example of loving, God-focused ministry. They get excited. They want to learn more. They want to engage more. They want to be part of a community that actively and proactively encourages faith nurture. And the more that people learn about this kingdom work, the more they want to be involved with it themselves - to move from a ME focus to a GOD focus.

And - what's to stop this from happening?
Nothing. Nothing at all.

Like what Philip said to the eunuch: even though there were differences in his looks, his language, his hometown, his customs, his food, his experiences. Even though he was new to understanding what the scriptures meant, even if Philip never saw him again. There was a spark of faith, a passion for the gospel, a commitment to the ministry of loving God and neighbour.

And bless Philip for his strong faith to recognise this, and respond accordingly.

"What is to prevent me from being baptised?" the man asked.
Nothing. Nothing at all.

And so a baptism happened. A life-changing, joy-inducing, Spirit-invoking celebration of a commitment to love and serve God, in all things and at all times. A desire to live the full life that is promised to us, as full and equal members of the Body of Christ: a life of inclusion and intention, a life of responding to God's love for us by loving one another, a life of bearing fruit that is rooted and grounded in the truth of God's love.

So today, as we celebrate this unconditional and eternal love with precious Bobbi and her family, I invite us to remember our own baptismal vows, which we affirm and re-affirm at every opportunity, as we find new ways to keep our focus on the kingdom of God. I invite us to truly celebrate that the love of God is continually inviting us all into communion, into the mystery and delight of being loved and of being loving. May we all delight in the blessing of the love of God, so lavishly poured upon us all.

Sermon [notes and script], Easter 4 (Year B)

 • Once again in John: Mystical, metaphorical, loads of symbolism; extremely contextual.

• Sheep? Not our day to day go-to example the way it was in biblical times.
• Shepherd? In my context, those are my dogs, presently lounging on comfy beds at home.

So when we hear the Good Shepherd, we might imagine a rather idyllic scene:
cute fluffy things, wandering a green hillside,
and a gentle man lifting an itty bitty lamb into his arms.
It’s comforting, it’s affirming, it’s no wonder we put this image into stained glass.

For the folks in biblical times, they heard this from a number of perspectives.
The notion of comfort is undeniable. Even the metaphors that are in the Gospel are full of assurances: Jesus is the good shepherd, who will lay down his life for his flock.

And he contrasts this with a hired hand – who runs away at the first sign of danger.

At this point: it’s good to remember that the immediate audience hearing Jesus’ words were familiar with sheep, and shepherds.
They knew that sheep could be obstinate, could be independent, could have any number of personalities combining within the flock.

They also knew shepherds: some of them had family members and friends who were in this profession; often as hired hands.
And they may have objected to their loved ones being described in such a way:
Jesus is calling them flighty, uncommitted, uncaring, fearful, self-focused.

That is, they might have objected IF they thought Jesus was being literal about the shepherd being the one in the field with the animals.
They understood that Jesus was not speaking literally; he himself had not been a shepherd in his career or in his family of origin: Joseph was a carpenter, not a farmer.
So the disciples hearing this recognised the nuance being shared.
A nuance that folks who are not believers wouldn’t catch on to; but that those of us throughout the centuries could discern as we read and prayed on this narrative.

Jesus is talking about care of community; of healthy leadership.
He is comparing the way of love that he taught, to the way of power that the governing officials demonstrated.
Those folks stayed away from the average people, they demanded unwavering loyalty and prestige, and so long as they were in the creature comfort of ruling elitism, they didn’t care what happened amongst the peoples they were meant to be there for.
These are the ones who would cut and run at the first sign of trouble;
who would offer their soldiers’ lives in times of conflict while they remained ensconced in safety.
Rulers in the time of Pax Romana were not known for kindness and compassion.

This is long before representative governments, and public voting, obviously.
To be fair, I’m not saying our political systems is perfect – it isn’t, it never will be.
But it’s not as divided and corrupt as the body politic in Jesus’ day.
And that’s a great time in the sermon to shift away from politics and back to Jesus!

• Jesus: GOOD shepherd. Not just A shepherd.
• Good – in the Biblical sense. Godly. Divine.
• Good – in the modern sense - because of the relationship.
• Knows his own – and his own know him.
• Community; collaboration.
• Coming together for common purpose: extending love and peace and grace.
• Inclusive: sheep from other flocks are welcome.
• Invited folks to follow along, to join in the midst, to assemble under a spiritual care that goes beyond what the world could offer.
• A flock that folks would WANT to be a part of.

So that invites us to ponder: who’s OUR flock? Who is in OUR community?
Community is an opportunity to connect, to share, to grow.
To give of ourselves, that we might better the whole.
To follow the example of Jesus:
To welcome in; with shelter and nourishment, of body and soul.
To visit; with open hearts and carrying messages of concern from others.
To love; embracing peculiarities and gifts that everyone has to offer.

Community isn’t about all being the same; it’s about embracing our differences in edifying ways.
Member in the flock isn’t about giving up our uniqueness, but finding ways to collaborate and share.
Being a sheep following the shepherd isn’t giving up personal autonomy, it’s choosing to follow a leader who extends agency to the whole community.

So we are welcomed into the flock: a group of us who choose to come together, flawed as we are, under a leader who will love us.
Who will ensure that we want for nothing; that we are led to places of comfort and provision.
Who will keep us safe, day and night; removing threats from our path that we will never even know about.
A shepherd who will calm our hearts, build us up, put people in our paths that will help us on our journey--- and who we will help on theirs.

A shepherd; who will offer the gift of salvation: who will lay down his life for his flock; who will demonstrate the promise of Resurrection and eternal life for all who believe.
A shepherd who loves us in this world, and wants to continue the building up of the kin and kingdom of God.

The Lord is our Shepherd indeed; for in God we have come together. Thanks be to God