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Collect

O God,
the strength of those who humbly confess their sin
and place their hope in you,
save us from vain displays of righteousness,
and give us grace to keep faith
with the true humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Readings

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Psalm 119:137-144

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

John 11: 1-7, 17-27

Luke 6:20-31

Luke was a physician, recruited by a local governor to ‘get the facts’ about Jesus’ life, teachings, and events. Learning about Jesus, with no hype, is helpful for everyone – then and now. But, these verses emphasize the difference Jesus makes for his followers.

Verses 20-26 lay out four timeless, life contrasts: poor/rich, hungry/full, weeping/laughing, rejected/accepted. Jesus’ message is: when we suffer from very real hurts, we may expect Jesus to be with us, caring for, leading and delivering us. These four contrasts, were common in Luke’s day, and still are, today. The point emphasizes what life is and can be, and the difference Jesus makes.

Part of Jesus’ love for us includes making us free to choose how we will live. This same love informs us of consequences. So, may we choose Jesus in all ways and in all things. Then, we will experience life as it can be – in joy and through sorrows.

Luke also records consequences for certain choices people make. If we do not do as Jesus teaches, there are woes. Rejecting Jesus separates us from God. Luke reminds us that Jesus is the source of life-as-it-can-be. Therefore, the choices we make will bring us blessings or woes.

Verses 26-31 continue Luke’s contrasts between what is good in life, and what hurts us. But, in these verses, he goes one step further. To be Jesus’ disciple (‘learner, follower’) means that we must follow the values and behaviours He expects of us. These include: loving our enemies who hate us; doing good to those who hate us; praying for those who abuse us; giving to everyone without restrictions (what we give and to whom).

Luke then summarizes Jesus’ point: Do unto others as we would want them to do for and to us. So what Luke says applies to everyone. We all have the ability to make life choices. Experiencing life as it can be with Jesus is grounded in what we choose and do. Rejecting Jesus and his values brings us woes and God’s disfavor.

Following Jesus does not mean that we will not suffer. For example, the loss of a loved one – especially a child – brings indescribable pain. Also, many of Jesus’ followers, then and now, suffer from poverty, hunger, wars, and natural calamities (flood, hurricane, drought etc). But, the difference between following Jesus, and choosing to go it alone, is the unlimited love, help and healing that only Jesus can and does give.

Yes, there are people, who go it alone and prosper. But, Jesus warns them and us. It’s only a matter of time before those who ‘have’ will soon ‘have not.’ There are consequences for our life choices.

Part of Jesus’ love for us includes making us free to choose how we will live. This same love informs us of consequences. So, may we choose Jesus in all ways and in all things. Then, we will experience life as it can be – in joy and through sorrows.
David Browning

Collect

O God,
the strength of those who humbly confess their sin
and place their hope in you,
save us from vain displays of righteousness,
and give us grace to keep faith
with the true humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Readings

Joel 2:23-32

Psalm 65

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Luke 18:9-14

Actions vs. Attitude

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells a parable to teach us the importance of praying with the right attitude. The two men in the parable are a Pharisee and a tax collector.

We know that God loves us and is proud of us. But if we think for even one moment that we are flawless -or worse- worthy of God’s praise, then the only person we are fooling is ourselves.

In this time, Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans. They were viewed as traitors by their own people, foreigners by the Romans, and resented by everyone. They weren’t paid a real wage, but rather, were expected to take more than required and then “skim off the top.” Unsurprisingly, this system made it easy to be dishonest and take advantage.

Upon entering the temple, the tax collector bowed his head, hitting himself to show repentance. He knew he was a sinner. He knew he needed God’s forgiveness. And he knew that no one can be proud of themselves before God. However, the Pharisee stood up to pray and merely informed God of all the wrong things which he had not done. He concluded by boasting about the religious practices he had observed. The Pharisee thought he was praying, when really he was praising only himself. Jesus tells us that it is the first man who went home justified before God.

This parable leaves me questioning my own intentions sometimes. Am I, as a Christian, acting like Jesus for the right reasons? Or am I doing what God calls me to do, simply to make myself look (and feel) more righteous? Am I brave enough -and Christian enough- to admit my mistakes and
shortcomings?

We know that God loves us and is proud of us. But if we think for even one moment that we are flawless -or worse- worthy of God’s praise, then the only person we are fooling is ourselves. Conversely, if we acknowledge our sin and humbly repent before God, Jesus says that God will exalt us. The lower we make ourselves on Earth, the higher God will exalt us in Heaven!

So, instead of pointing the magnifying glass at what others are doing this week, may we all have the humility and grace to analyse our own actions and intentions, with God’s help. Amen!

Collect

Holy One,
we lift our eyes to you in hope and awe.
Grant that we may reject all apathy of spirit,
all impatience and anxiety,
so that, with persistence,
we may lift our voice again and again to seek your justice. Amen.

Readings

Isaiah 43:16-21 (The Message)

This is what God says,
the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
they lie down and then can’t get up;
they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
—the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
rivers through the sunbaked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
the people I made especially for myself,
a people custom-made to praise me.

Psalm 40

Matthew 9:35-38

Reshaping Parish Culture Reflection

Romans 12: 9 – 20a, 21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints ;extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but give yourselves to humble tasks; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink….” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

When the whole people of God are freed to join the Holy Spirit at work in our neighbourhoods, communities and networks, a new future unfolds…the unfolding of God’s kingdom as described in the passage from Romans. Our task in reshaping our parish cultures is to create the space for God’s work and our parishes to intersect in the most magnificent blossoming. That blossoming is grounded in faith formation or discipleship, prayer, and a discerning use of our corporate and individual gifts, skills, and passions in the service of God’s mission.

Sometimes, parishes respond to the anxiety of declining numbers, diminishing dollars, and rising age demographics with anxiety and a generalized discontent, and when that becomes the driver of change, the ensuing adjustments are like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Our anxiety and dread are temporarily assuaged by the busyness of changing things up until we realize that nothing real has changed except that anxiety is increasing and despair often follows. Decisions about what needs to be reshaped and how that happens must be framed within the context of discerning how God is inviting a particular parish to engage with God’s mission. A commitment to the unfolding of God’s kingdom, a missional imagination rather than a commitment to the survival of a parish is the key to a renewed future.

What does it look like to free the people of God? Renewal or reshaping of a parish culture requires a willingness to examine and disrupt the old patterns, to ask questions like “how does this practice, behaviour, or expectation contribute to God’s mission?” or “how does this help us to engage with God’s people?” or “how does this help to transform us into a resurrection people?”. And this means that parish leaders must create new space for missional imagination to weave its way into and through people and parish structures. This journey invites congregations to embrace the challenging task of living in the tension of disruption and uncertainty, of dwelling for a time in liminal space… on the threshold between the old and familiar and a future that is unknown, between a past that is comfortingly known and a shape that is as yet unknown.

Parishes will make choices along this journey guided by their readiness to live in the tension of uncertainty, by their sense of urgency around discerning God’s call to them, and by their longing for transformation. Some parishes will be ready to take big leaps and others will venture smaller steps. Remember this is a journey God invites us to make; Moses took forty years to get to the promised land – just listen to God’s voice and follow the path at whatever pace works. The most important thing is to refrain from getting mired in that sticky yearning for comfort and security!

Those parishes ready for bite-sized reshaping will want to focus their attention on reshaping parish culture in the following areas:

Stewardship – Attention to renewed stewardship practices that reflect giving as a manifestation of the gifts God gives will move parishioners to experiencing a sense of joy when they give to God’s work. Our giving to God is meant to transform us! And that giving is about our gifts, strengths, passions, and experiences as much as it is about money. Parishes can enable people to identify their gifts, create opportunities for people to use and grow those gifts in service to God’s mission, and grow people as disciples by helping them make the connection between God’s mission and their daily lives.

Radical Hospitality – while parishes do need programs and ministries that support and nurture the faithful, Jesus intends us to be like Mary recognizing Jesus by the empty tomb…so transformed by God’s love that we cannot wait to share the good news with our friends, our neighbours, and strangers we encounter! God calls us to embrace strangers, welcome outsiders, advocate for the marginalized, and see the image of God in everyone we meet. Our society is full of people yearning for meaning and connection; our tasks are to connect with them and share how the Good News has transformed our lives!

Ministry Engagement – followers of Jesus want to be involved in God’s mission! Joining in the church’s engagement in mission is a perfect complement to the ways in which people pay attention to that practice of engagement with God’s mission in their home and work lives. Or engaging in the missional work of the faith community may trigger a deeper connection to God in someone’s life outside of church. The most effective way to support people in their longing for meaningful engagement is a robust volunteer management program that includes job descriptions that use missional language, a recruitment process that focuses on gifts, strengths and passions, a vigorous training/mentoring process that positions lay people for joy and accomplishment related to the mission, and frequent public and private affirmations of people and their contributions, again framed through a missional lens.

Governance – leadership and church management by the laity can be easily reshaped by missional practices, and governance practices and language that reflects God’s mission will transform the conversations a faith community has, and the work they engage in.