Christmas +1 Sermon (Year C)

Are we still enjoying the holidays?

Of course we are: for we’re right in the middle of the season of Christmas, a time when we are absolutely surrounded by feasts and festivals.
And I don’t just mean the abundance of food on many of our tables or the snacking in between.
Since we were here on Wednesday morning celebrating the Nativity of Our Lord,
We’ve also had the feast of St Stephen (yes, when the hymnody of Good King Wenceslas took place)
The patronal feast of St. John the Evangelist –
And The feast of the Holy Innocents – honouring all the children who suffered at the hands of Herod
…and now today.
(The abundance of festivals continues this coming week, with the Commemoration of John West, the Naming of Jesus, the memorials of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus… all before we celebrate the Epiphany next Sunday.)
Oh, and New Year’s Eve, too. Because why not.
There is MUCH to celebrate. There is much to be thankful for.
…and not unlike our own celebrations at Christmas – our traditions, our decorations, our gatherings, our feasts… they can come with their own distractions, and stress, and general confusion. What day is it? Whose party are we going to? Do we need to dress up for today?
The scriptures today make it very relatable. That combination of joy and of anxious moments; of enthusiasm and of tiredness.
It can be a challenge for us to keep our focus on God’s nativity when we’re balanced in the interim period of times of year.
Yet the texts today remind us that it’s okay to feel kind of in-between.
We start with Samuel: a boy for whom his mother prayed and prayed; to the point that she said if she conceived that she would dedicate her child’s life to God.
And she conceived. And she followed through on her commitment: an act of service and love.
But also an act of heartbreak: because for Samuel to be serving alongside Eli at the temple, it meant that Hannah only got to see him once a year. He wore simple clothes designating his ministry – and his mother made him a simple cloak each year to keep him warm.
And Samuel grew strong in the Lord; and his parents’ faith did not waver.
For they knew where he was: they always knew where to find him: at home with the Lord.
Loving God, serving others. Celebrating his faith.
Our psalm evokes a hymn of praise, drawing from us that reminder of the opportunity to praise at all times:
For God will be found at all times and in all places: and all of creation gives praise.
And all of creation reminds us that we are at home with God, when we recognise and celebrate that all things are God’s creation.
And so we are invited, like the psalmist, to embrace the opportunity to love God and serve others: to sing praises as we celebrate our faith.

The Epistle carries us further into these celebrations: embracing the result of offering and praise. We’re reminded that these works are not a to-do list, but a head-space and heart-space for living.
Be compassionate. kind. Humble. Patient. Let your character demonstrate the love of Christ – let the indwelling word of Christ – which we are assured dwells in us RICHLY! – let that guide and inspire all our actions.
It is in that holy space where we know what it is to praise, to be at home in the Lord. Because we know that sometimes the world isn’t always practicing these qualities; but that we can choose to do so.
To act in ways that help one another, and build up the community of the faithful; constructing a home for the heart where we can all come together to celebrate the best of humanity; rooted in the best of our faith.


The Gospel of course takes us back to the heart of the matter: to be reminded that with all the hustle and bustle, distractions happen: yet God is always waiting for us to come back home.
The passage of course sounds like the plotline for a seasonal film: 12 year old boy, separated from his parents, frantic multi-day search… and peaceful reunion at the end.

But this passage is also, we know, so much more than a simple screenplay script.
Because here we get Jesus:
Not just hanging out with some kind adults –
But fully engaging in faithful conversation. He is confident in his knowledge, he is strong in his faith. He is determined in his expressions of loving service.

And thus, his parents find him: celebrating his faith.
Within the community.
In a place he calls home.

The first words we hear Jesus speaking in any of the Gospels: is a celebration of faith.
A faith that shines through the imperfections of the world.
That overshadows the doubts of society.
That is not diminished by the expectations of others.

A simple, genuine, beautiful faith.
That puts God first.
In times of stress and in times of celebration;
And everywhere in between.

So what joy we have this morning: as we sit in that in-between time.
Still in Christmas; with eyes to the future.
Still in celebration; but focusing on realistic
Still journeying onward; while confident in knowing where home is.

If there’s nothing else we take from this Christmas, may we never forget where we belong; and how we are privileged to come together in love and in service.
For this is home: for us, for those we love, for those we pray for, for those we haven’t even met.
The house of the Lord is the house of Love:
And we are welcomed here; now and always.


A prayer from the World in Prayer ministry in Lodi California embraces finding our holy home the in-between:
Pause, my children, in this space
between Christmas parties, and those of the New Year,
between gift unwrapping and cleaning up,
between longing and thanksgiving,
between endings and beginnings,
between dismay and joy,
between Sacred and ordinary…

Pause and remember
Whose you are, and Whose you will always be.

Pause and remember
in Whose name you pray,
and Whose love you seek, and hold, and give away.

Pause and pray
that all may see the world with the eyes of wonder of the newborn Christ,
with the loving heart of God’s act of self-giving.

Pause and pray
that we may all treat one another
with the honor and adoration Mary and Joseph,
shepherds and wise ones,
angels and all the heavenly choir
showed to the tiny child.

In the name of Christ, we pray
for every person, living now, gone before, or yet to come,
in every nation on earth:

In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Christmas Sermons

CHRISTMAS EVE 4.00pm

We’ve just heard the story of how one little baby was born – a long time ago, quite far away.

It's one story of MANY that we hear - especially at Christmastime. We like Christmas stories.
Though these stories give us a LOT of information, they don't give us ALL the information.

They give us the words, and then invite us to use our imaginations to fill in the gaps.
We make it our own - we imagine how tall someone was, or what colour dress they were wearing, or what something smelled like, or how warm the room was.
Our imaginations will paint a picture in a way that is unique to us.

This is part of what makes a story a GOOD story - because it draws us in, invites people to make it their own, reflecting their own interests and experiences. When a story activates out imaginations, we want to make it even better.

That's why some stories get really complicated.
With a lot of characters, the more likely it is that we'll relate to at least one of them.
With complexities in the setting, the more we can feel what's happening.
With a lot of action taking place, the more we can visualise the events unfolding.

And sometimes, the more we get into the story, the more it grows bigger and bigger, every time we tell it.
Sometimes with many people there, we might interject more and more details.
Think about family stories - those good, funny, tell-it-every-year stories. Every time they're told, they get a bit funnier, a bit more descriptive, a bit more fascinating.
They get more fun as more and more people get involved in the telling and hearing and re-telling.

Well, our Christmas story tonight does this for us too.
For some 2000 years we have been hearing it, imagining it, and telling it.

And WOW do we tell it! We - Christians - always have done. Because this is the greatest story of all time.
Not because of the words on the page - let's be honest, those words aren't the greatest on their own…
The whole birth is ONE VERSE. One sentence. No special effects, no exclamation mark - just that Mary gave birth, wrapped the child in cloth, and laid him in a manger.

BUT! The impact is HUGE. We know that every child is a miracle; we celebrate every birth. And THIS birth changes the world. Jesus's birth is both the fulfillment of centuries of prophesies: and it’s where the story begins.

Because this birth: of the Christ child: immediately we see the story start to grow. Because the good news can’t be contained.
Even before Mary and Joseph can get word to their relatives that the child has arrived safely, the angels come and tell it to the shepherds.

Then the shepherds go and verify it - we know it's always best to tell a true story, to make sure it's not just rumour. And this story seems so fantastical to them that they want to make sure they've got it right!

And then the shepherds tell it - as much as they can.
And then the people who hear it tell it.
And then those people also tell it.

So each time it gets bigger and bigger, more people hear it, more people imagine what it was like (what colour were the bands of cloth Mary used? Where was the manger she laid him in? Who else was there to help with the birth?)

And over the years - these 2000 years - this has also become our shared story. We've embellished it with a stable, and animals, and a flowy angel at the birth scene, and all other sorts of imagery.

And so, now… tonight… we celebrate this as OUR story.
It's the story of a baby, small and vulnerable, who would grow into a great teacher and leader.
Someone who would preach love and forgiveness and peace and joy.
Someone who would remind the world to find ways to be kind to one another, to look for ways to get along, to always seek out the light.
Someone who promised us that the light is ALWAYS there.

And, divinely, someone who offers to us the gift of forgiveness of sins, redemption and salvation for our souls, and the hope of eternal life with all we love and have loved.

THIS is our story. The story that we have been told.
The story that we have been invited to connect with.
The story that we find ways to relate to.

A story that has been entrusted to us, given to us, gifted to us.
A story for us to tell - to everyone we encounter.
Using our words, using our prayers, using our actions.

This is a story of love - the perfect unconditional love that comes from God.
A love so astonishing that the heavens would open, and the holy messengers would burst into the scene to ensure that we all heard the good news of the story of Christ’s birth.
At Christmastime, and beyond.

So may we hear the story of God’s love, come to us, in the person of Jesus.
May we tell the story, with joy in our hearts!
May we go into the world bearing this love and this light –
glorifying and praising God for all that we have heard and seen, as it had been told to us.








CHRISTMAS EVE SERMON 7.30pm

We live in a world of words. They're everywhere.
We are surrounded by them. We are a profoundly literate society.
It's a gift - but it also means that sometimes we can be distracted by too many words.

Think about how many words you saw today. Words on a Christmas card. Words on the TV commercials. Words on your social media feed. Words on the street signs. Even words in your worship bulletin tonight.

Words. They're everywhere; all vying for our attention, all begging to be noticed, all wanting a tiny speck of our time.

And yet - this holy night - in this world where we are surrounded by words, where we are distracted by words, we are called to look for THE WORD.
The "Good News of Glad tidings for all the people"

And it's there. THE WORD is there. The GOOD NEWS is there, waiting to be known!
It's up to us, however, to be ready to receive it – and sometimes, that's not where we excel; we get distracted by the busy-ness of life. And this distraction is not a new phenomenon.

Throughout the ages, throughout the scriptures, we have been promised that THE WORD is coming - and we, as God’s people, have slowly slid into forgetfulness.

Even our scriptures tonight invite us to recognise that this is a common theme, throughout the ages – and that (like so many before us): we can benefit from a reminder.

Isaiah declares that the bringer of GOOD NEWS and announcement of deliverance!! There is a special messenger announcing peace!
The people were excited!! ...and then they got distracted by their normal lives again.

Then we hear the good news from the psalm - that there is so much goodness happening by God that we are invited to sing and rejoice, in a new song!
The people were excited!! ...and then they got distracted by their normal lives again.

The letter to the Hebrews is encouraging an entire community that KNOWS about Jesus to listen to God; sharing the history of how God spoke of good things, good things which were literally embodied in the person of Jesus the Christ!
The people were excited!! ...and then they got distracted by their normal lives again.

And then we have the beautiful, mystical, cosmological message from the Gospel of John –
and it is all about the Word. But not just any word - THE WORD.
The word of the Lord. The WORD become flesh.

This is the Word that spoke creation into being - in the beginning.
… the Word that spoke through the prophets - promising the hope of salvation.
… the Word that spoke through the messengers, those angels, that a child king would be born to faithful yet humble people.
… the Word that made John (later the baptiser) LEAP in his mother's womb when he sensed the mere presence of his cousin, Jesus – who was at that time new in Mary’s womb.
… the Word that spoke of healing, of compassion, of kindness;
… the Word that became the teacher of peace, of love, of empowerment;
… the Word that became and remains the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
The Word of the Lord.

This is the logos: the powerful reality of being the WORD that is with God and IS God; and encompasses so much more than our simple mortal words can convey.
It is word and reason and intention and belief and action.
It is the whole heart and mind and soul and strength.

It is the entirety of God:
… It is a light shining in the darkness that will not be overcome - no matter how dark the world may seem.
… It is a love burning through the apathy - no matter how angry or hurt the people it encounters.
… It is a forgiveness offered to every changed heart - no matter what the sins of the past.
… It is a peace that goes beyond anything we can understand - no matter what conflict exists in the hearts it surrounds.

This is the logos - this is the reality - the WORD of God, the good news come to earth in human form, humble and vulnerable and dwelling among the people!
So naturally, the people were excited!! ...and then, gradually, they got distracted by their normal lives again.

This time, though, can be different – if we choose - because this time WE are THE PEOPLE.
The ones hearing this mystery, unfolded;
The ones coming together to commit to the carrying the light in the world.
As Author Sarah Bessey wrote: “I want to be part of a people who see the darkness, know it’s real, and then light a candle anyway.”

We are that people:
invited to become excited by this great news - to truly hear it and believe it and embrace it and be changed by it.
We are the ones called to love and serve and continue the sharing of these words - of THE WORD - of the Light.

So this night; this Christmas:
May we delight in the reminder that the love revealed to this night
breaks forth into our normal lives and engages us to be changed by its Word and Light.

Let us carry that light:
In our hearts
In our homes
In our relationships
In our communities
In our world!
Into any corner where shadows lurk.

And then: we will know the power of Christmas: to give light and life to the world, for all time.

May we be excited by the good news of God in Christ – celebrated this night; and inspiring us every night to come.



CHRISTMAS DAY SERMON NOTES

Good news - Great joy - All the people.

No limitations on good news
Quirinius - timeline
Recording - trying to establish order
categories
neatness

Not about status
On the way to the first registration...
Not the only pregnant couple,

Boundaries: healthy,
parameters
limits - not always limitations

Yet: Good News not restricted.
Flows as freely as the light - the light in the world that the darkness cannot overcome
bending around corners,
brightening backgrounds,
shining indiscriminately for all to benefit from.

The light: is for all.
The nativity narrative reminds us of this:
the good news is for ALL.
Not locked in the palaces of the elite,
not as an invitation-only event.
For all.

All who would see it - receive it - believe it.

Shepherds - lowest - homeless, migrant, chasing wandering critters - perils of a hard life
Magi - highest - mystical,
Everywhere in between

And every time.

The beauty of light: it's there... in small amounts, in great amounts.
Always there
We just don't always see it.

Christmas reminds us of the light
its presence
its permanance
its delight.

May we be reminded of the light,
and celebrate that it continues to shine in and through us,


WHERE THE LIGHT BEGINS
A Blessing for Christmas —Jan Richardson
Perhaps it does not begin.
Perhaps it is always.
Perhaps it takes
a lifetime
to open our eyes,
to learn to see
what has forever
shimmered in front of us—
the luminous line
of the map
in the dark
the vigil flame
in the house
of the heart
the love
so searing
we cannot keep
from singing,
from crying out
in testimony
and praise.
Perhaps this day
will be the mountain
over which
the dawn breaks.
Perhaps we
will turn our face
toward it,
toward what has been
always.
Perhaps
our eyes
will finally open
in ancient recognition,
willingly dazzled,
illuminated at last.
Perhaps this day
the light begins
in us.

Sermon, Advent 4 (Year C)

There’s a beauty in this fourth Sunday in Advent, when we finally start to hear about Mary.
It would seem to me, if Advent were about earthly, chronological time, that she would be a rather central aspect of the season – yet here she is, kinda tucked in nicely as we’re in the final stages of preparations.

But: she’s here. That’s nice.
And so often that’s how we think of Mary: nicely.
She’s young, meek and mild;
Suddenly finding herself with that special glow, cradling her still flat belly as she learns the amazingly good news.

So much of the Renaissance era artwork shows her resting, hair down, lovely clean dress.
It’s nice.

Except… I’m not sure that “nice” is the descriptor that Mary would use for herself in this situation.

Not to say that she was NOT nice – just that she was so much MORE than a simple girl.
And there are a couple of ways that this was made known to us: and continue to inspire and strengthen us in our journey.
1. Her faith
2. Her Purity

She’s a feisty young woman, who knows her heart, and knows her faith.
She knows that she is capable of FAR more than anyone expected of her – not by her own merits, but by the grace of God.

It’s why she agreed when the angel Gabriel popped into the room and informed her of her unlikely pregnancy.
A fascinating event in and of itself:
Here we really understand that Mary was not meek and mild – because while we often celebrate Mary for saying yes to God, we can sometimes overlook that God didn’t *ask* her if she wanted this role; it was a pronouncement.

And Mary, instead of merely being the nice girl who accepts everything she’s told, makes it very clear that she knows – and heartily accepts – her calling.
She declares her faith and her agency when she responds to the angel.
“Let it be with me according to your word” is a strong statement from a strong woman, who knows and loves her God.

So let’s talk about her faith a bit more:
It’s a faith so strong that she puts herself at risk for the calling to which God has just revealed to her: that she will be the God-bearer, the theotokos – the one who will physically be responsible for the earthly life of the Messiah.
All pregnancies have risks, but this takes that stress to a new level.
For it put HER at risk, as well – this unmarried girl:
She was willing to lose her betrothed, be shamed by the community, cast out of her place of worship, rejected by her family: all because God said so.

And she knew these perils: it’s why today’s Gospel opens with Mary setting out with haste to her cousin’s place…
she’s hasty because she is in trouble – and she is fleeing to protect herself and her family.
It is her faith that takes her to Elizabeth; an elderly woman also unexpectedly pregnant.
And it is her faith that ensures that she hears Elizabeth’s words at her greeting: Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.
Mary believed. Her faith was strong.
Her cousin affirmed this!
Even in the unexpected, and unlikely, she believed.
What an inspiration to us: to have the faith, the keep the faith, to strengthen our faith.
We never know what life might have for us around the next corner: but we do know we can nurture our faith to carry us through it.


Mary is also known for her Purity – and I am not speaking of the physicality – but this girl was of such pure heart that THAT is how history knew her. She demonstrated a prophetic commitment to justice and fairness that sent shockwaves through the community.

We only need to consider the Magnificat – the scriptures we just heard in the canticle today: to learn of just how radical Mary’s love was for the world.
To know that God is calling for the faithful to do the work of justice:
To lift up the lowly;
to fill the hungry;
to support the vulnerable of the society;
to work with people to restore and maintain dignity, value, and mercy.

All as a response to the love of God that had been offered and received.
Mary’s song of praise, glorifying God – doesn’t change her situation; it doesn’t mean her newly pregnant status is suddenly going to be without challenges:
there will still be the awkward conversations with family,
the judgemental side-eyes from neighbours,
the physiological toll on her body as the child grew within her…

Yet: Mary’s song of praise speaks to the souls of all who would hear it: calling forth a purity of heart that inspires generations.
So pure was Mary’s love for humanity – all of humanity – that being nice wasn’t going to be enough.
Nice doesn’t change the world: radical love can.

So today: let’s be mindful of the opportunity to learn from Mary in ways that perhaps we have not considered before.

May God break us out of “nice” behaviour when we need to be more than just “nice”:

To shake us awake from complacency and instead invigorate us to actions that live the model of Mary:
That our faith may give us the knowledge and courage to engage with the world, seeing everyone in it as wonderfully loved into being by the Creator of the Cosmos.
That our hearts will shed the prejudice and cynicism that society normalises, that we can be radically loving, with pure hearts that seek out ways to live justly.
That our convictions will empower us to be confident in our lives, as well as being agents of change, to work side-by-side with all those who strive to shine the light of Christ in the world.

May we accept and receive the gift from today’s scriptures – from both Mary and Elizabeth - that we are to take what has been gifted to us, and embrace it – whether we think it good or not-so-good: trusting that when something comes from God, it will change us, empower us, encourage us, and enliven us:
To be the people of God; rejoicing in God, proclaiming hope, and doing our part to make the world ready to receive the Saviour.
For he comes:
And it’s so much better than “nice”.

WCC 16 DAYS - Women and Human Rights

PRAYER:

For those who endure violence, may we surround them with support.

For those who perpetuate violence, may God change their hearts.
For those who strive to break the cycle of violence, may they know their work to be valued and important.
For all of us who seek God, may we demonstrate leadership in extending dignity to all.



REFLECTION (Romans 5)

As Christians, we are called to work against all forms of violence; to uphold the dignity of all; to safeguard the rights of all people. These 16 Days invite us to focus on the plague of gender based violence, and to discern a faithful response.
In some passages, this is easily understood: The call in Micah 6:8 inspires us act with justice, kindness, and mercy. Ephesians 5.11-13 compels us to refuse to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, to expose it and work against it. Jesus teaches his disciples to dismantle systems of oppression and domination, and to use power to enhance others’ well-being (see Matthew 20.26-28).
But what about the stories that seem to support inequality and injustice? The ones that don’t sound Holy? The ones that need some editing to be the world of GOD - and not the words of the world??

For example: let’s consider Paul (not always known for having a feminist perspective) as he writes to the Romans (not exactly the community known for equality) about how the faith brings peace and joy. Romans chapter 5 has been co-opted in some interpretations over the years, and misunderstood as a call to simply accept suffering. You all know this passage… suffering produces endurance, produces character, produces character, produces hope. So suffering is good, right?

Nope. That’s a big nope.
God doesn’t want us to suffer. Not for our gender, not for our race and colour, not for our ancestry, not for anything.
Instead, if we go back to the Greek as Paul wrote it, Paul is writing to inspire us to move beyond suffering… by persisting in the call for justice: a call for individuals, and communities, and the world. All of God's people are called to move us all beyond suffering.

So. With some poetic license, and the grace of God, I offer to you the following re-telling of Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 5.

We, beloved, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus. Jesus has given us access to the immeasurable grace that holds us up. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

This gives us hope… holy hope that strengthens our character as children of God. This character fuels us in our ministry, our activism, our advocacy …. So that we can endure the hard work that is before us.

This endurance then speaks of a righteous persistence… . Nevertheless, we persist.
And this persistence counters the tribulations of the world.

That’s a different message, isn’t it.
That’s the good news that we are meant to carry with us.
Not that injustices are meant to be tolerated…
But instead, that our faith, which has been justified by God, brings us to the position of resisting the evils of this world. Of rejecting systems and structures that oppress. Of acting against anything that would deny the fullness of humanity that God has given us.

This is why we persist. This is why we lean into the hard work of gender justice and human rights.
This is how we are living the good news of God… not some other person or place or time: but here. Now. Us.
We are agents of change for a just world.

So let us take the stories that we know, that we’ve heard, that we’ve shared: and really think about them.
And if we need to: flip the story.
To discern within the scriptures God’s divine vision for just society, and hear how God is speaking… then, and now.
For we are called to tell the story in ways that the world will hear the liberating freedom of God’s word.
To empower this and future generations to live into the story.

God’s story is the story of justice… of peace… of equality for all.
This is our story … this is God’s story… this is the story that God is calling all of us to tell.

So persist.
Overtake oppression. Empower the weak, encourage the exploited, advocate for the voiceless. Persevere against normalized evils. Do what you need to do to fulfill your calling. Do what God has spoken into your heart to do. Persist.

For when we persist in this work, and lift God’s beloved out of suffering, we embrace the glory of God.
This is the hope we have been given. This is the work that we are equipped to do.
This is the foundation of our faith, and the glory of God that is worth boasting about.
This is the good news of God that the world needs to hear.

WCC 16 Days - Women and Economy

Luke 5.18-19

Some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus.

Our society too often tells people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps: a fallacy of economic ability through independent action. Not only does this overlook the realities of privilege and position; it is incompatible with the teachings of a man who watched a community lower a man through the roof to get him the help he needed.
Our faith calls for us to be a community.


Ruth 2.17-18
Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied.

Our society suggests that economic stability is dependent merely on individual effort.
We all know – like Ruth and Naomi – that life’s surprises can change our circumstances.
Like so many other women in scriptures, we see Ruth working – hard – in the fields – not just for herself, but for mother in law, that they might both have the basics for survival.
Your people my people, your God my God.
While Ruth and Naomi were rewarded by Boaz, they had come looking for chance to eke out a living in safety – not silver spoon
Our Faith invites us to acknowledge the disparities in opportunity and privilege; and to celebrate the kinship of women throughout the world.


ACTS 16.14-15
A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Our society indicates that we should think of ourselves first: to save for ourselves, to spend on ourselves.
Yet Lydia demonstrates the gift of using the resources that she had for common good – through acts of hospitality.
Lydia understood that the assets she had the privilege of sharing included the material resources, as well as opportunity (marketplace), equality (allowed to own property), empowerment (household), and the opportunity to offer hospitality (having multiple guests at home).
Faith compels us to live in the theology of abundance.


ACTS 16.16-19
One day, the disciples met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed them, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” The girl followed them for many days, until Paul said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.

Like this nameless girl, so many young women and girls are victims of trafficking in persons – and suffer as “human resources” – a disposable commodity whose only use is for making money for others –
Pray for those who are stuck in exploitation to be liberated;
Or to choose to use their skills for their own benefit.
Faith requires us to advocate for those who are voiceless and oppressed.


LUKE 8.1-3
Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

Our society often hides the truth that Women have long been pillars of the economy: this example shows how goodness and Good News can be promoted and supported when women are involved in the process; through self-determination.
Faith expects us to collaborate, identifying the many gifts that exist and the many avenues to share them, to make the world a better place.

WCC 16 Days - Women and Health

 Scripture: Luke 8.41-55

This morning’s Gospel about healing is a feel good passage, until we ask ourselves the question: 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 advocated for his daughter, and 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 way it goes on for far too many in our world, today.

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. For they continue to teach us, as our world

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. One who belongs. One who is cherished.

Both women are given a healing: not a temporary reprieve but a physical renewal.
Jesus also provides a cure: a word meaning care and concern – a spiritual healing of their souls, and of their reconnection with their communities.
This is profound.
It is offering them health that the world can give, and MORE than the world can give.

Because though the world would put up barriers, and offer loopholes, Jesus came – and invites us to come with him. .

He broke through the religious limitation of ritual uncleanness. He addressed the very real issues of blood, and death: for life is more important than even appropriate social structures. Jesus knew that just as ritual defilement was easy, so too was ritual cleansing.

He disregarded the cultural taboos of gender barriers – a woman. A girl – people who were considered to be unworthy of extra time, attention, and energy – let alone other resources – of men.
Jesus knew that their needs exceeded what those men could provide (through no fault of the their own).

He disregarded the cultural norms that should have kept them apart, The taboos of the woman pushing through the crowd, touching men she was unrelated to. The leader of religious institution that was actively opposed to Jesus’ teachings – and healings.
Yet Jesus knew that societal barriers were not a reason to deny someone grace, and love, and dignity. Jesus came. and he brought life: in body; in mind; in spirit.
He came, and he taught us of the healing that can happen, when we focus on the dignity of every human being, and on the opportunity to serve the vulnerable in our midst.
When we choose to advocate for those who have been depleted by their illness, like the woman.
When we choose to help the helpless in our midst, like the unnamed child.
When we pray for restoration of health, and make the anonymous known to those who can provide relief, when we are the community that supports those who are suffering.

Our faith inspires us to advocate for life – and health – for all.

So what if?
What if we decide to embrace life for ourselves, AND support it and champion it for others?
What if our work clears the way for people to access the health care they need?
What if we establish new systems and structures that support the fullness of life – and health – for the people – named and unnamed – in our society?

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.
What if we follow the example of Jesus, and see every individual as worthy of health.


SO let us give thanks for the gift of healing revealed to us today:
And let us lean in to the ministry before us: to advocate for health for all women, and children: that they may hear through us, the words of Jesus that bring us comfort:

“beloved child, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.