Sermon, Pente +6 (Year B)

(Mark 5.21-43)
This morning, we hear a well-known Gospel passage. A Good News passage. A passage where we feel good about the outcome. And this is a good thing!

But… WHAT IF?

What if Jesus had not healed the woman
What if he had limited his powers so she could not access his healing
What if he had ignored her instead
What if he had ostracised her, the way the disciples suggested
What if ???

What if Jairus had not come to seek Jesus’ help
What if Jesus had not gone to her home
What if he had listened to the people outside the door, telling him it was too late
What if he had been dissuaded by the disbelievers and non-believers
What if ???

Well: For the most part; life would have gone on.

The woman would have continued: in pain, with hemorrhage: having depleted her financial resources, segregated from community, likely desperate and exhausted
That was her norm, after all; 12 years of suffering with no other options.

The girl would have died.
Her parents would have grieved; the community would have offered support.
And the communal norm would have gone on: bakers baking, cleaners cleaning, merchants making sales… because that’s what community does.

Yet even if those sad possibilities had happened, let’s remind ourselves that these women had MUCH to teach us.

A lot about the world; a lot about ourselves; a lot about Jesus.
Both women are unnamed.
Both women are experiencing need.
Both women are at extremes
Both women have faith, and come to Jesus.
And Jesus then comes to them. Meets them where they are. And says: I see you; you are important, you are valued, you are respected.
You are worthy of life.

In both cases, the women are named Daughter.
Jairus’ little girl; and the woman who is called child of God by Jesus himself.
Daughter: beloved. Belonging.

Both women are given a cure: not just a reprieve from their ailment – which would have been great. Ask anyone who suffers, a reprieve is a gift.
They are not given just a healing, - though that also would have been wonderful. For the body to recover, to return to a proper physiological functioning – fantastic!
Yet they are given more: They are given a cure.
Cure. -which means care and concern – which means Jesus has offered to them not just a physical or emotional betterment, but a spiritual care and concern for their souls to be well.
This is profound.
It is making them whole: holistically, entirely, in ways that the world could not – and can not – accomplish.
It is, coming from Jesus, life-changing: because it is life-giving.

Because though the world would put up barriers, and offer loopholes, Jesus came.

He disregarded the limitation of ritual uncleanness. Which would have been undeniable, given the matters of blood, and death: for life is more important than even appropriate social structures. Ritually unclean people were limited in how much they (and their friends and family) could interact in community, in the marketplace, in prayer and worship. There were severe limitations on being pronounced unclean.
Yet, Jesus knew that just as ritual defilement was easy, so too was ritual cleansing. Jesus came

He disregarded the cultural taboos of gender barriers – a woman. A girl. These were people who – at the time were not considered people at all, but extensions of the men to whom their care had been extended. A husband, father, son. They were generally considered to be unworthy of extra time, attention, and energy – let alone other resources – of men
Yet Jesus knew that they had people to care for them, yet their needs exceeded what those men could provide (through no fault of the their own). Jesus came.

He disregarded the cultural norms that should have kept them apart. Unrelated men and women simply did not touch; they did not make contact. For the bleeding woman to push her way through the crowds – thereby touching many people and technically making them unclean – in order to touch the very hem of Jesus’ cloak. This was taboo.
For Jairus to approach – Jairus, who was a leader at the synagogue – the religious institution that wasn’t too pleased with Jesus’ actions (this was the synagogue that had belittled him and forced him away from the synagogue, as a result of his healings and teachings.)
Yet Jesus knew that societal barriers were not a reason to deny someone grace, and love, and dignity. Jesus came.

He came: and he brought life.
Life in body; life in mind; life in spirit.

The mere presence of the Lord brought new and renewed life.
And it continues to do that for us.

For at times, we are the people in this story: the unnamed woman; who feels like she doesn’t quite fit within society – but wants to:
She comes and is made whole; her emotional needs met by her re-integration in community; her faith teaching others the power of having and maintaining faith.

We are the unnamed child: helpless, without Jesus:
Important to those who love us – and to God - - so much as to get out of the comfort zone and ask for help.
Important to society as a whole, even if society couldn’t yet name our contributions

We are the bystanders, who pray for restoration of health;
We are the crowd, who can make someone anonymous to anyone but God
We are the family, the friends, the supporters: who make it possible for Jesus to come in.

For with Jesus comes life.
Life in this world – sometimes long, sometimes painfully short
Sometimes fantastic, sometimes excruciating.
Life is complex, and it can be overwhelming. But at all times, when we see through the eyes of faith, we see that life is beautiful: for it extends far beyond the immediate world that we see. :

So what if?
What if we decide to not only embrace life for ourselves, but support it and champion it for others?
What if we are the ones clearing the way for the life-giving power of Jesus to reach those who are hungry for justice, for inclusion, for that very life?
What if we can do something – anything! - for the people in our lives – those named or unnamed – celebrating what we all want: that richness of Life.
What if we become life-supporters, rejoicing in the life that has been given to us; and doing our part to facilitate that life coming (and coming again) to all.

For Jesus comes: and generates life.
Jesus comes: and renews life.

SO let us find the comfort and spiritual healing that is offered in the scriptures today.
Jesus has come to give life: To us. Today.
May we accept the promise of healing, and of cure.
May we receive the gift of LIFE – abundant and eternal life – that only God can offer us.
May we hear the words of Jesus speak into our hearts:
“beloved child, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of all that ails you.”

Sermon Notes, Pente +5 (Year B)

A couple of weeks ago, I had a conversation with someone about faith – and they weren’t too sure where they stood on the topic.
They said they weren’t sure what they thought about God;
and they struggled with the stories of church-people who do un-Christian things.
And – they confessed that sometimes Sunday mornings they just couldn’t quite talk themselves into getting to church.

I get it. I think if we’re honest; we all have that sometimes.
Because our faith changes.
It weaves throughout our life, influenced by what’s going on around us:
The people we chat with, the programs we watch or listen to, our focus on prayer, all of it.
Our faith – both in God and in the institutional church (and yes, those two can be different) – well, we waver.

Here’s some comforting news: that’s okay.
It’s normal, even.
It’s all throughout our scriptures today.
Saul, even though he has himself heard God’s voice to call David as leader – he then has doubts about David’s ability to defeat the Philistine.
Yet David’s faith increases, and he faces the earthly fears assured of heavenly refuge.

Our Psalmist prays directly to God about the promise of salvation that comes from trust.
Vv9-10: The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble; Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
There is confidence there! That despite the earth’s challenges, faith in God will help us through the worst of it.

Our Gospel today takes us into the heart of fear: for even the bravest of sailors would recognise that being at sea, at night, when the other boats have left, in a storm… this is is not ideal. Yet Jesus is sleeping.
This in itself is a message of comfort: he was not overcome by fear, he was taking a nap. Think of the way that tired babies will sleep, when someone who cares for them is holding them: whatever else may be going on in the world, they sleep: peacefully, comfortably.
This is how Jesus is on the damp cushion in the swamped boat.
Yet this is also the scenario where his friends are living fully in the moment: they are afraid. Rightly so!
Yet when they call upon him, they do so asking for help.
And help is what they get: for Jesus uses harsh words to rebuke the sea – the same way that he has spoken against anything that will hinder or impede the word of God; anything that that would cause that fear.
And he invites his friends – those who already have faith – to consider why their faith wavered.
In Mark’s Gospel, faith doesn’t grow because the disciples have come safely through adversity; instead we hear of their strengthening faith *before* a scary event like being in the stormy seas.
This re-focuses us to the truth that our faith carries us through life’s challenges.
It doesn’t prevent them: life happens.
But faith does give us the confidence to know God is with us.

And always will be.

And when we accept that: our faith grows. It strengthens, it increases, it emboldens us.
It equips us for ministry: just as we are!
For we are all meant to do God’s will – and to do it enthusiastically.
For faith is not about fading gently into the background, but confidently engaging in our callings.

As Paul wrote to the Corinthians (who had some in-fighting going on, the whole community was having a bit of a crisis of faith).
Paul says:
“As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.”
We are not to ignore this beautiful opportunity to live a life of faith, but to embrace it! God’s grace is so profound, so abundant, so life-changing, that once we have received it, we will see the world with fresh eyes.
With spirits that are enlivened, with hearts that are on fire for God.

And Paul goes back to the Prophet Isaiah when he shares God’s promise of hearing and listening to the house of Jacob – that is, all believers.
And while Paul is speaking to the church at Corinth when he says “now is an acceptable time”
God is also speaking to us!!
God has heard our prayers: our praises, our pleas, our intercessions: and extends to us the same assurance.
NOW is the day!
The day to be heard, to be loved, to be saved!
Today is the day!
There should be nothing that stands in our way, for the love of God will not be decreased, it will not be diminished, it will not be distracted.
So we are called to act. In faith:
With the gifts that we have: to share the power and promise of God.

And our faith opens our hearts to new possibilities to minister to the world around us.
So we should dream big: and with prayers and discernment, act courageously and energetically.

For this is where our faith brings us today.
NOW IS THE DAY!
Now is the time!
When God will open our hearts anew, and re-fill us with joy.

Especially when we find ourselves in that space where we feel our faith is waning – may we hear the words of God coming to us.
To jhave faith.
To dream big.
To not let our own intrusive thoughts get in the way of our hearts, to not let ourselves become obstacles to your own ministry

But instead: to trust.
To identify who we trust.
And how we trust.
And how we carry that into the world with us?

For this is not just a mental exercise, but a promise from God.
NOW IS THE DAY.
For you – for me – for all of us.
Now is the day to love and serve the Lord.
Now is *always* the day.
Thanks be to God!

Sermon Notes, Pente+4 (Year B)

Title: Seeds of Hope

Seeds are scattered – tossed about carelessly.
Some grow – we don’t know how.

Now, I’m sure some biologist could identify for us the scientific processes that happen…
But still, it happens.
In the dark.
Without us seeing.
Without our understanding.

Life breaks through. Life fuelled by hope.

Planting seeds is a definitive act of hope:
It’s trusting that the seed has some life in it, that it will find the right combination of nutrients in the soil, temperature, water, eventually light: and that it will grow.

We hope.

Definition:
Culturally, we use the word hope lightly – something we desire, an outcome we’re looking for: I hope there’s ice cream.
There can be “hope against hope” – when the desired outcome seems unlikely, yet not impossible: what most Oilers fans were feeling yesterday.


And then there’s the hope that we have as Christians:
Resounding, undeniable, unearthly hope.
The hope – grounds of faith – that God has promised us.
It is a hope that will not let us down: for it transcends earthly limits.

It connects us to Christ, and thus assures us of our promise to resurrection through Christ.
Jurgen Moltmann in book THeOLOGY OF HOPE: Hope and faith depend on each other to remain true and substantial;
a Christian should find hope in the future but also experience much discontentment with the way the world is now, corrupt and full of sin. Sin bases itself in hopelessness.

Thus: our faith brings us to HOPE.

This is the hope, the faith, the assurance that we carry in our beliefs. It is what sustains us, energises us, empowers us.
And: like the seed in Jesus’ first parable: we don’t fully understand it.
That’s okay!!
Because we know it’s there.
Planted; germinating; growing – in our sleeping and in our waking.
We are filled with HOPE because God has planted HOPE in our core.

Sometimes, we forget.
Life overwhelms us – that seed within us feels tinier and deeper than we think can matter.
Like Samuel watching all the men pass by him, and not seeing the chosen one.

Sometimes, we remember.
Like in Paul’s letter where he comments that we walk by faith, not sight.
Not blindly; but with eyes that see the world as the kingdom of God.

And this is our aspiration; our hope.
To see the kingdom of God: that mystery that is so close to us; that is always growing, seeding, expanding: even when we don’t see it.

This is our hope: to have the faith sand hope that the kingdom of God is growing… alwaus growing…
Like the seed in the soil. The dark. The unknown.

For that’s where it is:
Inside us.
Waiting, working, growing.
The kingdom of God is like that tiniest of seeds, just waiting to grow into the largest of plants, of fruits, of vegetables.
The speck of hope can grow into the most nourishing of promises: because God wills it – and because we dwell in hope.

The seed is within us:
Beyond our control:
And fed by our hope.

May we never forget the power of hope; of faith; of God’s ever-living kingdom – bursting forth into the light.

Sermon, Proper 9 (Pentecost +3) (Year B)

            It's a beautiful day in the house of the Lord!

             ... I'm going to invite you to reflect on that for a moment. What does it mean for you to be a part of God's house?

            Well, first off, it means that you are welcome. You are ALWAYS welcome. If it's your first time here, or if you've come through these doors a thousand times: Welcome home!

We can extend that welcome because this is God's house: and God's house is not restricted to these walls and ceiling. It’s not about bricks and mortar- as important as those can be - because if we limit our understanding of God’s dwelling to our understanding of construction, we’d have to admit that there’s an end date. All buildings have end dates.

But we know better - God is eternal; the house of God is bigger and more amazing than anything we could construct. The house of the Lord is not a temporal, earthly thing; it is not a location but a lifestyle. It is the home for the family of God.

            Our first reading reminds us of this; as we continue to hear about Samuel and his ministry. We recall from last week how powerful a connection Samuel has to the house of God: his mother prayed for him, and offered him as an oblation of life-long service so that people could know and believe in the power of God.

            And… how quickly people have missed this lesson - Samuel is now hearing the people he serves - the people he has been called directly by God to serve - as they turn their focus further and further from God, becoming almost fixated on things and kings. They want one person who they perceive will make them feel happy all the time, even as that person takes their focus further from what is holy. And though logically they know it's not healthy, and is unsustainable, that's what they say they want. And further in the readings, we learn that it all crumbles down.

            That house, sadly, is a house of cards: a house of deceit and self-glory and instant gratification. It is NOT the house of the Lord. And we know - from history and reason - that no one earthly leader can make everyone happy all the time. Politics can be fickle: and we as societies do not always treat our politicians as God would have us treat one another.

 

            The New Testament reading today pulls us back to what the house of the Lord is all about: Paul declares that the house of the Lord is "a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

            That means that the house of God is important not as a structure, but because it means that we are in the HOUSEHOLD of God - a reality that transcends any building or person.

            If we think about what 'household' means to us, we know that it means Family. Beloved. Those who are related. Those who are journeying together as we collectively seek God. Those who are committed to being family - despite time and place and all those earthly distractions - to focus on being children of God. To celebrate our place as heirs of the kingdom.

            We all know that family is not always easy. There are always challenges, an abundance of opinions, a jostling for control. Living together in shared space can be difficult. My grandpa used to tell of being the only man in a household with four women - and only one bathroom. We all have those moments, those anecdotes, those realities; but they do not break the bonds of family.

            So too in the household of God: there is room for everyone. There is a place and space for everyone. Everyone is welcomed, and wanted, and celebrated. The household of God is not a place of judgement or criticism or competition. It's not a place for gossip or anger or hardened hearts. That's the "house divided against itself" that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel reading. That's the place of exclusion and negativity, a house "will not be able to stand."

            But the unified house - the household of God, the celebration of family: that is the focus of Jesus’s teachings today. Because Jesus is shaking things up in his home town, as he challenges folks to think beyond their biology to consider what family means.

            Just before today’s passage starts, Jesus and his followers have left the city for a bit; and Jesus names his apostles. Disciples: meaning followers: can be anyone. Apostles: meaning chosen and sent: well, these are 12 distinct folks.

            And they’ve just been named by Jesus when they come back to town, and today’s Gospel passage starts. It’s rather chaotic, and Jesus’ biological family is concerned for his safety. They know that his teaching and healing is attracting all sorts of attention… such that the ‘crowds’ with their mob mentality start saying he’s out of his mind.

His family all know what is likely to happen as a result of that statement. So they want to go out to protect him; but Jesus won’t be moved away from his teachings. Even with the intentional distraction of speaking about demons.

So Jesus brings the conversation back to where it belongs: not in politics, not in preferences, not in things that divide: but intentionally, purposefully, masterfully, Jesus brings the conversation back to family. To community.

The family of God are those who serve in the name of God. Those who dwell in the Household of the Lord. So for Jesus to be extending the concept of family beyond the traditional social structure of biological connections: this was amazing.  Everyone who does the will of God is to be considered family. And welcomed as the household of God.

That’s a teaching for many to hear, as we celebrate that we hear it again this morning.

The House of God is the place where God delights in our presence, where Jesus assures us of our forgiveness, where the Spirit conveys the eternal "home" that we all seek. It is the place where brothers and sisters in the Lord come together: always wishing the best for one another, discovering new ways to care for one another, reaching out in compassion and peace to do all that we can to love God and love one another.

            So it is truly a beautiful day in the House of the Lord! Because we make up the house of the Lord. So let us look around and see one another as members of the household of God, and hear the words of Jesus, speaking to us of inclusion and belonging, as we hear our Saviour say  "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

For we: beloved in Christ: we are the Family of God. Everyone we meet is a sibling; everyone we see is family.

We are gathered together: through prayer and praise in the eternal House of God, where everyone is at home.                   And it’s beautiful!

As I said at the beginning:  It's a beautiful day in the house of the Lord!

So may we carry that beauty with us wherever we go this day.