Author: admin

Collect

O God,
you raised up Jesus Christ
as your faithful witness and the first-born of the dead.
By your Holy Spirit, help us to witness to him
so that those who have not yet seen
may come to believe in him
who is, and was, and is to come. Amen.

Readings

Acts 5:27-32

Psalm 118:14-29

John 20: 19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and hi side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again,

‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Why is the story of Doubting Thomas included in the gospel stories of Jesus’ resurrection? What do we learn from this story? One of the things we learn about God in this story is that God does not require blind faith but rather experiential faith. We are not to believe in God because of someone else’s story but are to enter into our own personal relationship with God, through Jesus and that is how our faith will be formed. Thomas represents all of us who doubt and all the times that we doubt and Jesus’ responding is how we overcome that doubt. We turn to Jesus, express our doubts, ask for assurances, and then learn from those assurances.

Questioning, doubting, learning, and growing are all really important elements of the Christian faith. Without them we remain in a very infantile relationship with God.

I have often had moments of doubt in my life, at one point completely walking away from God and the church deciding to see what life was like without them. It did not take very long for me to miss having God in my life and I realized that my faith was not some religious programming that I followed along thoughtlessly but was about my relationship with God. A very real relationship and I could no more decide that God wasn’t real then I could decide that my parents weren’t real. The church has for me always been a place where I could reorient my life to God’s life and will. Where I could be fed by God’s strength, guided by God’s wisdom and take part in God’s joy.

In Thomas’ story we see his relationship with Jesus deepened because of his time of doubt, we see Jesus not respond with anger to his doubting but respond with love and understanding and we see all this happen within the community of disciples and followers, the first ideation of the church. Thomas is not cast out because he doubts and in fact the community is strengthened and each person there has their relationship with Jesus experienced in a new way because of Thomas.

Questioning, doubting, learning, and growing are all really important elements of the Christian faith. Without them we remain in a very infantile relationship with God. A relationship which does not offer us the full advantages of deeply knowing God. It does not allow us to fully rely on God for all we need because we have not learned to trust God in all things. It does not allow is to be brave, truthful, and courageous in difficult situations because we don’t fully understand that we are children of God, deeply loved and very worthy of that love. We do not find comfort and peace because we have not fully opened ourselves to receive them from God.

Thomas didn’t doubt his fellow disciples, nor did he doubt Jesus or God but rather the incredible situation he found himself in. A few moments with Jesus though not only eased those doubts but allowed him to more fully understand and love Jesus.

Question and doubt but then learn and grow, take all the love and mercy and grace God is offering you and move into a deeper, more meaningful, more sustaining, and enlivening relationship with God. Amen

Collect

We exult in your love, O God of the living,
for you made the tomb of death
the womb from which you bring forth your Son,
the first-born of a new creation, and you anointed the universe
with the fragrant Spirit of his resurrection.
Make us joyful witnesses to this good news,
that all humanity may one day gather at the feast of new life
in the kingdom where you reign for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings

Isaiah 65:17-25

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-241

Acts 10:34-43

John 20: 1-18

The Resurrection of Jesus

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Here we are at Easter already. It has been two emotional, stressful, confusing and just plain difficult years since we have been able to celebrate Easter in the church. We can possibly use those same words for the family, friends, followers, the betrayer of Jesus and Jesus himself all those years ago. For them, the past week would have very difficult. Holy week, as it is now called, can be emotional for some Christians today when scriptures are read, especially if it is done in dramatic readings.

We all want that one more moment when a friend or family member passes away, to hold them or say one last thing. I am sure Mary wants that chance too…

Just a week before, people were celebrating Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem for the Jewish holiday of Passover. They waved palm branches, laid them out on the ground along with coats, to set out a path for this king. I guess it would have been like rolling out the red carpet for someone special. Then we have the journey that Jesus made from Jerusalem to Calvary where he would be crucified. I wonder what would have been going through the mind of Jesus, as he walked, knowing it was a walk to his death, death on a cross. He was human after all, or did the fact that he was God, give him the ability to put those emotions aside.

Our Gospel reading for this week begins with Mary at the tomb, an empty tomb. The surprise and I suppose horror that she would have been thinking as she went off to tell someone what had happened. Rushing to the place where Jesus body was laid, the disciples find that it was true, the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb and after looking around the tomb, realized that what they had been told, and heard from scripture that Jesus must have risen from the dead, that up until this moment they had not truly understood. Maybe we can call this an ‘A-ha moment’? Verse 10 in the Gospel reading says “then the disciples returned to their homes”. I really cannot imagine anyone who just had this experience just going back home. I would think they would have run to the others to let them know what had happened and what they had ‘figured out’. Or was it that they needed to process what they saw and understood to be true, that Jesus had truly risen from the dead?

This now leaves Mary standing weeping at the tomb, all by herself. Did the two disciples try to explain to her what had happened to Jesus? Had they reached the tomb, searched it and already left before Mary returned? In some of the stories we hear about Jesus and his miracles, Jesus tells the person to go and tell no one what had happened. Was this what the disciples did, realizing that Mary needed to understand the disappearance of Jesus in a different way?

I have always wondered why Mary doesn’t recognize Jesus when he speaks to her and appears before her. Having seen angels, in the place Jesus had been lying must have been pretty powerful and confusing and I guess since she would not have expected him to be standing there, that it makes sense that her mind goes to the fact that this must be the gardener who would have been there to tend the area. Once she realizes that this was in fact Jesus, I would think that she was overjoyed to see him again and want to hold onto the moment and actually hold onto Jesus. We all want that one more moment when a friend or family member passes away, to hold them or say one last thing. I am sure Mary wants that chance too, however, Jesus says to her that she could not hold on to him; that he needed to ascend to the Father and her Father, to his God and her God. She was told to go and tell others about what she had been told and “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, and she told them that he had said these things to her”.

Collect

Sovereign God, you have established your rule over the human heart,
not by force but by the servant example of Jesus Christ.
Move us by your Spirit to join the joyful procession
of those who confess Christ Jesus with their tongues
and praise him with their lives. Amen.

Readings

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm: 118:1-2, 19-20

Philippians 2:5-11

Luke 19:28-40

After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden.
Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.” ’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’

To let the mind of Christ be our mind means to be like Jesus, to live a Christ-like life, self-emptying and humbling, transforming and centring our heart, soul, mind and strength in God.

The Liturgy of the Passion includes a portion of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi which helps our understanding of the events between the triumph of the palms and the tragedy of the crucifixion. This letter is one of the seven letters of Paul, which scholars agree were actually written by Paul. The letter to the Philippians is of special interest for various reasons: it’s known as Paul’s “farewell letter” because Paul wrote it from prison in Ephesus around 62CE, and he imagined it would be his last letter, for he knew the imperial charge against him could end in his execution. Furthermore, the church in Philippi is reputed to be the first Christian community Paul established in Europe, around the year 50CE, hence, the first Christian church in Europe. (Philippi no longer exists, having been destroyed by earthquake in the 6th century and after a series of foreign invaders, disappearing completely in the 14th.) But what is most remarkable about this letter is the deep affection Paul holds for the people in this community and they in turn feel toward him. Paul was an independent fellow, earning his own living as a tentmaker, refusing most offers of support from the churches, with the exception of the church at Philippi; Epaphroditus, their messenger, travelled to meet Paul in prison and bring him contributions from the community and this messenger no doubt carried the letter we now read back to the people in Philippi. In other letters by Paul to the churches, he addresses problems which have arisen since his departure; in the letter to the church at Philippi, he addresses no problems or issues. Instead, he sets out for them the characteristics of “life in Christ,” one of his favourite phrases.

Phillipians 2:1-13 is notable for the inclusion of a hymn, the earliest known Christian hymn, which may have been originally written by Paul but more likely pre-dates even Paul; however, it must have been sung often in the early church for Paul to include it, indeed, incorporate it into the fabric of his thoughts. The hymn emphasizes the twin pillars of Paul’s theology: “Christ crucified” and “Jesus is Lord.” Chapter 2 begins with guidance about behaviour for those who are “in Christ”:
2:1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy,
2:2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
2:4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
The text continues by grounding the mind they are to have in what they see in Jesus: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (2:5). And what kind of mind was that? Paul now quotes the hymn to explain. The hymn has three parts and presents a summary of the story of Jesus; it expresses Paul’s central convictions about Jesus (verses 6-11).

The second and third parts emphasize “Christ crucified” and “Jesus Christ is Lord.” In part two when Paul refers to Jesus becoming “obedient to the point of death,” he specifically adds, “even death on a cross.” For Paul, Jesus didn’t just die—he was crucified, executed, by the imperial power of his day, because Jesus advocated a vision of life quite different from what Rome considered normal and acceptable. Part three is perhaps the most triumphant proclamation of “Jesus Christ is Lord” in the NT. Immediately following the reference to Jesus dying on a cross, the hymn proclaims, “Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name.” Then the text refers to the three- storied universe of the ancient imagination: “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and earth and under the earth.” It concludes with language that explicitly countered Roman imperial theology: “and every tongue . . . confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.” Jesus is Lord—the emperor is not. Jesus is Lord—the rulers of this world are not. Treasonous language in the Roman imperial world, and in many countries of the world today, perhaps even our own.

If we look closely at part one, we notice it is filled with contrasts. What we see in Jesus is very different from what we see in someone else, but what was the contrast? Who was it that regarded “equality with God as something to be exploited,” or as “something to be grasped at.” And what was the “emptying” of Jesus all about? Scholars suggest three ways of understanding this passage which complement each other. One contrast is with Adam. According to the creation story in Genesis, Adam and Eve were tempted by the desire “to be like God.” Adam, mankind, desires to be godlike; Jesus in contrast did not seek equality with God. Adam and Eve made themselves the centre of the universe, whereas Jesus emptied himself.

The second contrast in these lines suggests the preexistent Christ, or, to use the language of the opening of John’s gospel, the “Word” that was with God from the beginning and that became incarnate in Jesus. In this understanding, the Word emptied itself of its divine qualities in order to become human
in Jesus. Becoming human meant becoming vulnerable, even to the point of being executed by the powers that rule the world. The Christ, who was with God from the beginning, emptied himself in order to walk among us.

The third possible contrast is an obvious one. Who in Paul’s world claimed to be “in the form of God” and who saw “equality with God as something to be exploited”? The Roman emperor who was proclaimed by imperial theology as divine, who was given the titles, Lord, Son of God and indeed Saviour of the world because he brought peace on earth.

All three interpretations mean the same thing: God, self-emptied and incarnate in Jesus, was passionate not about power and control, but about justice and peace, right(eous)ness, and peace through nonviolence, in contrast to the Pax Romana imposed through violence. What we see in Jesus—Christ crucified and raised as “Jesus Christ the Lord”—is the way, the path, which we are to follow. This, Paul says in his text, is the mind that the followers of Jesus are to have. What we see in Jesus is the way, the path of personal transformation. The book of Acts calls the early Christians “Followers of the Way.” Paul advocates a way of life very different from, indeed, in opposition to, the wisdom of this world.

This letter of Paul to the Philippians takes us back to the very beginnings of the Christian movement. Paul’s conversion happened about 5 years after Jesus’ death in 30CE. For the next 25 years Paul travelled throughout the eastern Roman Empire. He writes his letters in the 50s, this one to the Philippians in the early 60s—that’s only 30 years after the crucifixion. This hymn takes us back to the earliest Christian thinking about Jesus, the roots of our Christian heritage. What does it mean to us 21 centuries later?

If we declare Jesus is Lord today, no one in authority challenges that claim; our authority figures declare the same thing. The Royal family, the Governor General, our political leaders—they all attend church as we do and declare Jesus as Lord. But to follow the way of Jesus is to voice the way of peace and justice, to urge our governors and our social conscience to care for the poor, to speak for the marginalized and downtrodden, to point out injustice wherever it exists. If we truly did that, individually and collectively, we would not be very popular, for the values of “the Way” contrast with, indeed are often in opposition to, the values of the society in which we live. It takes much courage to speak out against the normal, accepted values of those around us, to speak for equality and fairness, to speak for the marginalized, the homeless and the refugee. Often the characteristics of Christ’s kingdom are at odds with the prevailing values of our society, exactly the contrast between the procession of the palms and the cross of Calvary. To follow Jesus as Lord, to have the mind of Christ, as St. Paul wants us to, means to be as passionate about peace and justice, as self-emptying and vulnerable, as Jesus was and is. The late Bishop John Spong comments on Paul’s letter to the Philippians in this way:
“The people in the Philippi church had tensions in their lives over how to worship, what to believe and how to act . . . Paul urges them to let the mind of Christ be their mind. Then he explained that Christ did not grasp after a superior status but emptied himself. It was in the fullness of his humanity that he found the freedom to give his life to others and that was how God was seen in him.”

To let the mind of Christ be our mind means to be like Jesus, to live a Christ-like life, self-emptying and humbling, transforming and centring our heart, soul, mind and strength in God.

What follows may be seen as a harsh message but I hope it will be an ‘eye-opener’ in our quest for justice and mercy in the world around us.

The last line of today’s Gospel records what may be a familiar phrase: “The poor you will have with you always”. What did Jesus mean by this?—initially directed to Judas but used by many today as a statement of fact—the poor will always be there.

Poverty is not rooted in laziness or abuse of Social Support Systems. Poverty is rooted in our economic system which promotes consumerism and accumulation of wealth.

But should there be poverty in Canada? In the USA? In England? Or consider the countries of Africa where many more people live in poverty than not. So why is there such widespread poverty?

Poverty exists when individuals lack resources to provide the necessities of life—food, shelter, and clothing. Poverty impacts every aspect of a person’s life, from social matters to health.

For example, in Niagara some 17,000 students in 200 schools participate in a breakfast, lunch, and snack program operated by volunteers through Niagara Nutrition Partners. Funding is provided by the province, United Way, and contributions from a number of charitable organizations and individuals. For many students this may be the only food they see each day.

In Niagara last year over 73,000 individuals accessed a variety of community programs related to support for food, shelter, or clothing. That is about 1 in 7 residents of Niagara having housing and/or food security problems.

And this is happening in an area where (aside from Covid disruptions) there seem to be lots of jobs. The problem is that these jobs are imbedded in an economy that relies of cheap labour, lots of part-time work, rarely medical or dental benefits, no vacation pay or statutory holiday pay (only required if one works more than 24 hours a week) or paid sick leave. At the same time there is not a lot of affordable housing available. The average cost of a modest home in St. Catharines now exceeds $500,000 and such costs impact on demand and rates for rental accommodation.

And yes, to fix such work related matters the rest of us have to be willing to pay more for goods and services, and yes I know that the cost of food is inflating, and gas prices are astronomical. It is very much a matter of caring and sharing—living out the commandment to love our neighbour (all our neighbours) as best as we are able.

And yes, to fix such work related matters our politicians, particularly at the provincial level have to step up and ‘do for others what they would have done unto them’. After a 3 year delay the minimum wage in Ontario is finally rising to $16.00 an hour. However, a living wage in Niagara as calculated by the Ontario Living Wage Network is $18.90 an hour based on the cost of living and a 35 hour work week. Thus a person with a minimum wage job could be as much as $5,000.00 to $6,000.00 short of security per year.

There are at least 62 living wage employers in Niagara, one of which is the Church of the Transfiguration starting in 2022. But, there are thousands of employers in Niagara.

Poverty is not rooted in laziness or abuse of Social Support Systems. Poverty is rooted in our economic system which promotes consumerism and accumulation of wealth.

Jesus said that whatever we do to the least of these (people) we also do to him. He taught that we are to care for the hungry, the homeless, the sick and the lonely.

There are a myriad of ways we can and do help—for example food for community care, food for St. George’s breakfast program, clothing to Goodwill and the Salvation Army and so on. But we really need to participate in and press for changes to a system that can leave 1 in 7 people at risk in our own Niagara neighbourhood.

Collect

Eternal lover of our wayward race, we praise you for your ever-open door.
You open your arms to accept us even before we turn to meet your welcome;
you invite us to forgiveness
even before our hearts are softened to repentance.
Hold before us the image of our humanity made new,
that we may live in Jesus Christ,
the model and the pioneer of your new creation. Amen.

Readings

Joshua 5:9-12

Psalm 32

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

So he told them this parable:
The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother
Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’

As I was reading the passages for this week and also going over the sources I check to create my Family Focus, I was struck by the theme of “bad decisions” and the consequences of those decisions. If you’re anything like me, sometimes the choices you’ve made in your past – actions, paths, behaviours – can be haunting. As someone who deals with anxiety on the daily, I can often find myself spiralling into the abyss of memories and residual embarrassment over something I said or did while I was depressed, didn’t have the verbal filter on, was caught up in immaturity, or simply did without thinking about it.

In this story, the son who makes the “bad” choices is the one who receives celebration and praise. I think to truly understand what this story is trying to tell us, we need to think about how we frame the gifts we have in our lives.

The parable of the Prodigal Son, our Gospel reading for the week, is a story about two sons who make two very different decisions about what to do with the property/inheritance from their father. The one son takes the money, spends it all, ends up with nothing, and takes up a job tending to pigs. He still doesn’t make enough to survive, or at least isn’t getting enough to eat, so he goes back to his father and asked to be treated like a hired hand so that he can at least be able to live. When he returns to his father, he was treated with such joy and celebration at being back.

The other son, in the meantime, wisely tends his father’s property, and has never had any kind of celebration or gifts like his brother who had made the “bad” decision received when he returned. His father, interestingly, tells him that of course they need to celebrate the brother who left, because in doing so, he was “dead” and now he has found his way back and is alive to the family again.

This parable is kind of confusing, because we want to believe that if we make “good” choices and we do the “right” thing, then we will be rewarded and we will get ahead in life, whatever that might look like for us. But in this story, the son who makes the “bad” choices is the one who receives celebration and praise. I think to truly understand what this story is trying to tell us, we need to think about how we frame the gifts we have in our lives.

I come from a position of a lot of privilege in society. I was raised in a White, middle-class home with a Mom who stayed home to take care of my brother and I, and a Dad who worked extremely hard and often long hours building a medical practice and volunteering in various organizations. We never really wanted for anything. We took trips. We did extracurriculars. Our university education was paid for and we were supported every step of the way.

In comparison, my husband Josh had a very different childhood. By the time we had met, he had moved houses more times than he had had birthdays. He left home at 16, and moved to northern Ontario to support his then partner through her education. A big deal for him as a child was getting a brand new pair of basketball shoes because he had made the school basketball team. Money was often tight, but his parents worked (and continue to work) extremely hard to take care of their family.

I can look at the trajectory of my life, and where I am now, and feel unimpressed with myself. Could I have done more? Am I a disappointment? Given all the resources I had available to me, I could have done literally anything with my life. I’m blessed to be where I am, sharing ministry with my Transfiguration church family, but there are lots of ways in which I often think I could have done better, whatever that means. Then I look at Josh – he started with practically nothing, and now he runs a successful small business. We both received help along the way, and we both ended up in similar places, but we had different starting points, and I think that’s the key to understanding this parable. Josh didn’t necessarily do anything wrong to get himself into difficult circumstances, but because he had farther to go to get where he is now, it feels like a bigger achievement to be living a privileged life, as we do now. I might have made some bad choices, but I had lots of blessings along the way, and so it feels less remarkable to be where I am today. But, neither of our experiences or achievements is greater or less than the other’s, and I certainly have struggled with diminishing my own experiences in the past. We have both had challenges in our own ways, and blessings in our own ways, but just in very different ways.

Going back to the parable, both brothers end up back with and in the care of their father, but the son who left and ended up with nothing had farther to go to come back. The son who stayed was always there. He did what was expected, and was rewarded with stability and a good quality of life along the way.

Neither made a “bad” decision – notice I’ve been using quotes around the whole good/bad thing – they each made choices that took them in different directions in life. The son who stayed home was equally as blessed as his brother. Certainly he didn’t receive a fatted calf or jewellery or whatever other gifts his father might have given him, but he had lots of gifts over a long period of time. He was blessed continuously and received the reward of stability and a good life. The son who went away took a risk and had a lot of lived experiences that his brother didn’t approve of, but he made his way back and found the humility to ask for help when he needed it. He found his way back to the same kind of life – the same endpoint – but he gets showered with praise and gifts because he had chosen to find his way back.

I’m going to wrap this back into the concept of being haunted by past choices and actions. Our psalm today talks about how when we remain silent about our transgressions, they weigh heavy on us. But, when we ask for help and face our mistakes, then we are met with open arms by God and are forgiven, and even offered a place of safety. It is not worth holding onto the things in our past that we are haunted by. They only hold us back from finding our way. If we’ve done questionable things, harmful things, embarrassing things – we can ask for forgiveness and for help and still be met with joyful celebration. You can let those things go. Acknowledge the person you are now and be mindful of the choices you make today while also looking at how far you’ve come.