Matthew 16,21ff
God of wisdom, you teach us with love, you touch us with mercy, and you challenge us with truth. Send your Holy Spirit to help us grasp your love, mercy and truth in the Scriptures as we encounter your living Word today. Amen
We meet up with our friend Peter again this week
He had done well in the story we read last Sunday
He had identified Jesus as the Messiah, the son of the Living God
And Jesus responded by saying “Blessed are you”
Our hearts may have been lifted when Peter was able to identify Jesus
He knew that Jesus was God’s chosen!
We could hope that from here on in that Peter would get it right,
That he wouldn’t be reckless anymore,
That he would be more likely to say and do the right thing
History shows us that Peter is more human than that
Not so long ago he was the one to say that Jesus was the Messiah
But today he is trying to correct Jesus
Jesus is telling Peter what will happen,
He (Jesus) will suffer and be killed,
And Peter says “God forbid it, Lord”
Before we get too impatient with Peter
He’s not the only one who tries to tell God what to do
Now, we don’t always directly say that God’s plan is a bad one
But we do try to figure out on our own what we should or shouldn’t do
We look at the possibilities from our own point of view,
We come up with a plan
And we ask God to bless what we have done.
We are not always open to what God is trying to tell us
A minister friend told of a situation that had come up in the congregation where he served
He and the lay leaders had very different points of view on an issue
They had talked quite a bit over how to resolve the matter
He felt that they needed some time to think and consider what they next move might be
He told the folks that he would go and pray about it
And he asked them to do the same
And he said, “Really pray for God to show you what is right, don’t just ask God to help me see things your way”
Really pray for God to show you what is right
An easier thing to say than to do
We know in our lives that God does call us to service and give us mission work to do, that is what is right
In spite of that we can be good at putting up obstacles to the message
For example, when Peter heard Jesus talk about suffering and dying, Peter may not have been in a place where he was open to hearing what Jesus had to say
Maybe Peter was still remembering that he has said that Jesus was the Messiah
He may have already started building castles in the sky about what it would mean to serve Jesus, the Messiah
Maybe the Messiah would take over the temple
Maybe he would get rid of the Romans
Maybe if the Messiah set up his kingdom in Judah, then Peter would be an important helper
Maybe Peter’s retirement would be all looked after
Instead, Jesus is talking about persecution, death and resurrection
Peter knew that dead meant dead, so there is a chance that what Jesus said about rising from the dead didn’t even register
Jesus was talking about suffering and dying, and Peter didn’t want to hear that
After Jesus puts an end to what Peter had to say
He gives an invitation of sorts
A low-key call to ministry if you will
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”
If you are going to follow Jesus, you are going to have to put aside your expectations
This is a challenging story for sure
We kind of like the Moses story we read today
Moses was tending sheep
And he noticed a bush that burned and was not consumed
And God spoke to him and gave him a name
“I am who I am” was how God was to be named
And GOd said take off your shoes, for the ground on which you stand is holy
What does this mean that the ground is holy?
What made that spot holy?
This soil is holy because it nourishes the life in which God becomes visible and from which God speaks.
And it is declared holy at the moment when God’s human servant has turned and entered to see the miracle of God’s presence within a fire that blazes but does not consume the created life in which it burns.
Moses will lead God’s people back to this holy place.
They will worship at this mountain (3:12).
Here Moses will receive a plan for the tabernacle.
And from this place the fire will travel with them into the wilderness, sanctifying their camp just as the divine fire now sanctifies the holy mountain.
But that is in the future.
For now, in this moment, Moses is told to remove his shoes.
Draw away the covering that has protected you.
Clear away the barrier between yourself and the earth so that your bare feet may touch and sink and take root in this holy ground.
Let this living soil coat your skin.
Dig in, feel your way, and find your balance here upon this mountain, so that its life becomes your life, its fire your fire, its sacred sand and loam and rock the ground of your seeing, speaking, and calling.1
It was from such soil that God shaped the first human (Genesis 2:7) and every animal (2:19) and caused to grow trees for food and the trees of life and knowledge (2:9). The soil was cursed on humans’ behalf (3:17) and after humans’ death would receive each human back again (3:19).
The earth is holy because it is God’s and the life that comes from the earth is holy too
God has made the world holy
We can take the time to notice that, and to worship
Or we can miss the opportunity
Moses was called by God in the midst of an ordinary day
Moses was called through ordinary things
The ordinary was said to be extraordinary
The ground that God had given, the soil that nourished life, is the same sort of ground we stand on
Day be day God walks with us
And in the mist of the ordinary, God will reach to us and call us to ministry
What is our story of being called by God?
Some time ago I had a conversation with Carlos Conception who was a youth leader in St Stephen
He shared with me part of how he was called to minister
He had served at Gateway cathedral and at Union St Baptist in the capacity as youth pastor
One of the challenges of being in youth ministry is that you work for a few years with people and then they move on
They go off to university, they move to take jobs, they stop coming to church when the family influence lessens
One challenge he faced is the variety of things there are for kids to do on a Sunday
He could not assume that because an even was planned for a Sunday that he could depend on all members of the group to show up
What he could do is go out and be there at the games when “his” kids’ teams were playing
He could meet them at Subway and find out what was happening in their lives
He could spend some one on one time that let the kids know they are important enough to seek out
He had realized that to be an effective worker for God, that he needed to let go of his dream of a large, traditionally organized youth group, and start living God’s dream of ministering to people
If God was going to call you to do something special how might it happen?
How do we hear God’s voice in our lives?
Or maybe more importantly, how do we hear hope in the midst of the happenings that we hear of in the news?
Daily we hear of unrest in trade talks with our closest neighbour who used to be a depended upon customer
We don’t seem to be able to go too far without hearing or seeing a tweet, a video, a news clip that reminds us that tariffs are in the way in, while trade dependability is a thing of the past
The words of the Bible may seem to be quite remote and meaningless in the face of modern aggression
In the background are quieter voices reminding us that the negotiations are not at an end
We are reminded that there have been other negotiations that took a long time and that the wait was worth it
We have been reminded that the process is complex and that those who are representing us will keep on working for the best
Despair does not need to be our response
We can pray for wisdom for our leaders, and we can be fair in our way
Another news happening this week that really touched me was the death of Dolly Parton
Why might I care about her passing, you might ask
She was not a friend of mine
There was no chance we would ever meet
Still, somehow I had the sense that she was someone who really cared about others
One way she showed that caring was through the Imagination Library
She made books available to children in North America
She was a Christian woman who cared about literacy
Right away we had something in common
She had grown up poor and had seen how the inability to read affected her father
He had to go to work as a young child, and missed his chance to go to school
As an adult he was embarrassed to come forward and ask for help, and so the world of literature was closed to him
Dolly often shared that in spite of his inability to read, that her father was one of the smartest men that she knew
Knowing the importance of reading and writing skills Dolly set about to help expand the gift of reading
It is known that helping children love books from an early age boosts reading and writing tremendously
To that end Dolly made books available to all children
She was someone who knew the love of God, and who shared love with the concrete gift of books
Dolly’s gift of books would also have been a boost the reading ability of adults
Life has shown that the more you read the better you get at it, whether you are reading novels, magazines, instruction manuals, newspapers or children’s books
Family literacy programs have shown that parents who read regularly to their children show an improvement in their own ability to read
This one act of helping in the life of Dolly Parton has improved the lives of thousands
Our faith can help us to not give way to despair, or as our psalm today said, “Look to the Lord and his strength, seek his face always” (Psalm 105:4)
Maybe this is the truth we can be helped by
In the midst of all that is going on, in the midst of things that worry us and trouble us we remember to look to the Lord
Whatever trouble there is going on there is also the plan of God going on
Sometimes it may seem that any good we do is small
It may seem that the voice of God is quiet next to the loud voice of a bully
Many have shared the ways that they have found God in the midst of trial
One such was Rev Chris Vais who was a wonderful man and minister who died of Lou Gehrig’s Disease,
Throughout his illness he journalled extensively
And as his body was failing wrote that “The way of suffering is the way of God, not because suffering is good (it isn’t) but because there is suffering in God’s world, and therefore in God’s heart… Suffering will cause pain and sorrow, but it will never ultimately defeat us. We disciples always have hope.” (Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People. Matthew Ruttan Jan. 2013 Presbyterian Record)
You may remember that when Synod met in Sydney, Cape Breton that Pam McCarroll was our speaker
She talked about how faith lives in the midst of trouble
One of the people she quoted was he friend Chris Vais whose life revealed the truth that while there is suffering in God’s world and it will not defeat us
Although Jesus told that disciples that he would suffer and die that was not the end
Death will not defeat us, as we are remined in a prayer that says
Goodness is stronger than evil
Love is stronger than hate
Light is stronger than darkness
Truth is stronger than lies
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
O God in whom we live and move and have our being, we come to you in prayer as the summer season draws nearer to its close.
We give you thanks for the occasions we have enjoyed this summer.
savouring the beauty of your creation right outside our doors,
catching up with family and friends,
and enjoying times for recreation & restoration.
We recognize how blessed we are
with many opportunities to find rest and relaxation in the summer.
Thank you for every good thing that has refreshed us.
Yet we remember those for whom this summer has been difficult:
those whose homes and communities have been ravaged by fire, storm or flood;
those who go hungry or face violence in forgotten corners of our own community
and around the world;
Those who face economic struggles at home or at work;
those whose crops have withered in heat or drought;
(Keep silence for 10 seconds)
May each one find courage to face tomorrow in your company.
O God, Jesus walked with so many people in their pain and grief.
We remember those who have faced crises this summer –
through tragic death or unexpected loss,
through critical illness or injury,
through pain or problems that seem to have no end….
(Keep silence for 10 seconds)
Surround them with your comfort and compassion.
O God, Jesus often faced many demands and pressure from his critics.
We pray for all those who have not found rest this summer:
for leaders trying to figure out ways forward for their communities when resources are tight;
for those whose jobs and responsibilities present new challenges;
and for all who seek secure and affordable housing when supply is low;
(Keep silence for 10 seconds)
May they know your strength and assurance day by day.
O God, we need the embrace of your presence, each in our own way.
Bring healing and peace to our lives and to this world you love.
Open our eyes and our hearts so that we may offer healing and peace to those we encounter,
in the name of Christ Jesus in whose name we pray, Amen
COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
Moses met God unexpectedly, as a bush burst into flame. Consider that you may meet God in unexpected places, for God can make any place holy ground.
So may the God of mystery embrace you;
the Christ of mercy renew you;
and the Spirit of life move with you through each new day.