Author: rsferguson

Meditation 277

Psalm 22:25- 31

The writer Anne Lamont has this to say about hope.  “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.” We may like to think of hope in different terms than that. Hope is a light that calls you forward, hope it the sunrise, it is the promise of something better to come. It can be all those things, but sometimes hope is that refusal to give up in the midst of darkness as you wait for the faint light of dawn.

The reading for this Sunday has us look at the second half of Psalm 22. The first half is the struggle of the psalmist as he gives a prayer for deliverance from the tragedy of his life. We have all been there, whether we are worried for a loved one, or grieving a loss, or questioning the unfairness of the way life unfolds, there are times that we rail out. When we cry to the Lord, we are not left in the darkness of despair forever. It seems that people need to recognize what they are leaving behind before they reach out and take hold of hope. Beginning in verse 25 of this psalm we have the description of the deliverance from hopelessness.

We read of the congregation praising God. Not only the congregation of God’s people praise God, but all the ends of the earth shall worship before him as dominion belongs to the Lord. The psalmist does not stop there, future generations will be told about the Lord and proclaim his deliverance. While the psalmist began this psalm by crying out that the Lord had forsaken him, he has worked through this despair, and he is full of hope and praise as he promises that the future generations will also proclaim that the Lord has done great things.

How would it be for us, if when we are full of despair that we read this whole psalm? If we began with the words that describe the believer feeling abandoned and then read the reminders of what the Lord has done and end with praise for all that the Lord has done, is doing and will do. We may be able to identify with phrases such as “my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast” as we remember the disappointments of life. But the psalmist does not stay here; he goes on to say “but you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help come quickly to my aid!” This place of turning to the Lord is as real as the place of floundering in despair. The Lord is faithful and will hear the cries of the people and will bring about deliverance to those who cry out.

The chapter divisions in the book of psalms are artificial, and are impose for ease of being able to identify particular passages. In reality the conclusion that is drawn at the end of Psalm 22, that we will “proclaim [the Lord’s] deliverance” is the lead in to Psalm 23. Psalm 23 describes the way the Lord cares for the people as a shepherd cares for the sheep. On days that the words of despair of the psalmist resonate with you, take time to read all of Psalm 22, and even Psalm 23, to bring yourself into the presence of the Lord who is greater than our woes.

Meditation 276

John 10:11-18

This is one of the well known I am statements in the gospel of John. Jesus says I am the good shepherd, and one of the ways that the good shepherd is known, is that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus then gives an example of the hired hand who will abandon the sheep in the face of danger. The hired hand will run away when a wolf shows up because the hired hand does not care for the sheep. The good shepherd cares for the sheep and knows them, just as God knows Jesus, so Jesus knows the sheep, or the people under his care.

We think of the way the good shepherd cares for the sheep as a loving relationship. This love is something of substance. It is not just the pleasant feeling the shepherd has when looking at a new born lamb. Love is what makes the shepherd get between the sheep and the wolf. Love is what makes the shepherd lay down his life for the sheep, love is what makes the shepherd take up the life again. Jesus gives life to the sheep and will care for them in all aspects of living.

We read this passage on the fourth Sunday of Easter after the resurrection of Jesus has been celebrated. We know the lengths that Jesus was willing to go to for the people he loves. In light of the empty tomb, Jesus is shown to be the one who will be there for the believers. Jesus did not back down or go into hiding when people needed to hear God’s truth. Jesus healed and taught and stood up for what was right even when it was not popular. His caring for the sheep under his protection (that would be us) was so great that he did not back down even when it would have suited his own advantage.

There are examples of people who have been touched by the love of the good shepherd and who pass that love on. There are teachers who go the extra mile for the good of a student who needs more than classroom instruction to understand, there are youth leaders who let the members of their group know that they are important even if that is not the message they get from others, there are health care workers and nurses who daily care for the elderly and listen to the same story for the hundredth time with ears of compassion. There are many ways that the love of the good shepherd is passed on.

We know that love is so much more than the warm feeling you get when something lovely takes place.

Love is what gives you reason to go on when all around you is falling apart. A few years ago I quoted a poem written by a woman whose husband was killed by a distracted driver, leaving her to raise their young daughter alone. She wrote of feeling that she was walking through the shadow of death. She said” I’ve walked through the valley. It’s an ugly place. It’s dark and cold. The mountains are high on each side. Tall and forbidding. Too high to climb.

The path is windy ahead. It curves where I can’t see. Each day I make it a little farther. I sleep alone. I’m scared.

But there’s a tiny flame inside my heart. A first it is the tiniest flicker. From the first moment I can feel it. As cold and scared and dark as it is I can feel the burn in my heart.

The flame brings peace. Comfort. Light.

The flame leads me. Shows me the way to the green pastures of my home and the still waters of my family. The flame anoints me with the warmth of love.

I cling to the flame. I seek it. Tend it. And it grows.

It can’t carry me out of the valley. That job is mine. But it lights my path. Guides my feet. Stays with me. Protects me from my fears. And day by day, step by step, it leads me.  (Seasons of the Spirit)

This is the way the good shepherd leads.

Meditation 275                  John 10:11-18

I think it is safe to say that when we think of the parable of the Good Shepherd, we see ourselves as the sheep and Jesus as the shepherd. The Good Shepherd protects the sheep from predators and keeps them in the sheepfold. The sheep know that Jesus will lay down his life for them, that is he stands up for the sheep, not grudgingly, not out of a sense of obligation, but because he chooses to. What a nice safe place for the sheep to be. The sheep will be influenced by the Good Shepherd who is known by the sheep, and one who will lay down his life. The sheep would know that they could trust and follow the shepherd.

Since we are the sheep and Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we know that the Good Shepherd loves us enough to lay down his life for us, this has some implications for us. How does this touch our lives? When you know that you are loved and valued, how does that affect your behaviour?

A number of years ago there was a prison chaplain who was a guest at a presbyterial meeting in NS. He was talking about the work he did as part of the rehabilitation work with male offenders. He told us that those who find themselves incarcerated come from all walks of life. There are those who are from poor homes, those from wealthy homes, those from the middle class. There are those who are educated, and those who are not. Those who are visible minorities, and those who are not. The one characteristic that most men who find themselves behind bars have in common is that they did not know they were loved. Being poor causes troubles, being rich can bring temptation, lacking education brings its own challenges, as does belonging to a group that is shunned for being racially different. But it seems that those who know they are loved, those who know their lives have value, are able to confront these external challenges more easily than those who have not had good messages sent to them. The Good Shepherd tells us that we are cared for, that the Shepherd will lay down his life for us, in short, the Good Shepherd tells us we are lovely and loveable. How does that affect us? One thing that being loved can do is motivate us to share that love with others.

One way we might share love with others is by observing Earth Day. Today is Earth Day, a day when we take time to cherish the earth. When we cherish the earth, we are helping to create a healthy environment for plants, animals and people to live. If Earth Day is an idea that has come to you without much notice, you might make the end of this week Earth Weekend. Take some time to notice the beauty of the earth, give thanks to God for the way the earth gives us all we need and do something definite to show care for the earth. Jesus, the Good Shepherd was present at creation. The earth is our safe place to live, and out of thankfulness for what God has given, we can care for the earth so that it will continue to be the place for people to live in safety.

Meditation 274

1 John 3:16-24

This is [God’s] commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us. (verses 23 & 24)

Those of us who are believers will be known by the love of and love for God that we have, and by the way we love one another. This passage begins by reminding us that Jesus laid down his life for us and we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for one another. The love that we have as believers is to be modelled upon the love of Jesus, which was shown to us in a life of service. Jesus laid aside any claim he had to being treated with honour and majesty and he came and lived among us, teaching and healing and finally giving his life for people. Jesus also triumphed over death and sin, and so he gives us eternal life, (John 3) which is knowing God well and closely, and living a life that shows God to the world. Just as Jesus was willing to put aside his right to be honoured, so we can be willing to set aside expectations to be recognized for what we do in God’s name. Like Jesus we are motivated by love.

One way that we show the love of God is by helping those in need. Verse 17 asks the question; how does God’s love abide in one who sees a brother or sister in need and refuse to help? The mark of one who believes in God and follows the life exemplified by Jesus is to be helpful. Helpfulness can be letting someone know about agencies that will give food and shelter when needed. Sometimes helping is being a friend and listening, sometimes it is showing others what choices they can make and respecting their choice.

There are many needs around us, and we respond to them as we are blessed and as we are gifted. Some of us make donations to the food bank, some of us are frontline workers at the food bank, both levels of help are needed. Some of us are volunteers in literacy programs, some of us give books to libraries, both levels of help are needed. There are many levels of help that can be given to the needs that present themselves to us. When we are involved because we are motivated by the love of God, then we are doing what God has asked of us, and we are introducing our loving God to those about us.

Meditation 273

Acts 4: 5-12

The task of being an apostle was not for the faint of heart. No sooner had Peter and John healed a lame man, and Peter gave testimony to the power of God at work, then they were arrested. The next day they appeared before the elders, scribes and high priests. The officials wanted to know by what power and what name the apostles performed the healing of the lame man.

Have you ever had the experience of having explained something, only to have the same questions asked again because the hearer did not agree with what you said? This seems to be what is happening here. Before Peter and John were arrested, they had very publically said that the healing of the man at the temple was accomplished by the power of God. Although the people who arrested Peter and John were religious leaders, they did not like what they were hearing. This manifestation of power was not in keeping with their experience of God. They knew God was powerful, that God had spoken through the prophets, and that God had given the law. They also knew that their roles were to worship God, and to bring the truth of God to the people. They do not seem to like the way these two apostles have begun preaching, teaching and healing. Rather than being gladdened by further experience of God the authorities are threatened. Peter and John are arrested and after a night in jail they are questioned again. Maybe the authorities hope that a night to think will have the apostles give a different answer.

Peter and John remain faithful to what they have said so far. They know that whatever they are able to do is the result of the power of God at work in them. God healed the man at the temple and they will not say otherwise. Peter and John also know that this healing opportunity is a way for them to share the truth about Jesus. Peter says to the leaders “let it be known to all of you, and all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. … There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved. “(verses 10 and 12)

It was the work of God that had healed the man at the temple; Peter and John knew God as well as they did because of the ministry of Jesus. The apostles are not going to change their story no matter how unpopular it is with the powers that be. We can find ourselves in a similar place when we are led to do the work of Jesus. When we speak up for the homeless, when we take time to befriend the friendless, when we speak up for nature because we know this is required of God’s stewards of creation, and when we show in a number of ways that we are listening to God’s direction to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God, we like the apostles may find ourselves having to give an answer for what we are doing. When God brings us a job to do, may we take Peter and John as examples of remaining true to what God has asked.

Meditation 272

Psalm 23

This week the readings remind us of the loving care we receive from God, beginning with the well known and loved shepherd’s psalm, which is accepted as a psalm of David.

David had worked as a shepherd when he was young, so he knew that a shepherd was to keep the sheep safe and healthy. A good shepherd would find lush pasture with clean still water where the sheep could be nourished, and a good shepherd would protect the sheep from predators. Sheep are creatures that are followers; who are not able to protect themselves. Sheep are weighed down and slowed down by their coats of wool, and they have neither sharp teeth nor claws to protect themselves. They rely completely on the shepherd.

The psalm begins by saying that the Lord is David’s shepherd, and because of that: David will not want, he will have a safe place to lie down, and he will he given food and drink. The Lord, as a good shepherd, will do more than simply look after the physical needs of the one who follows. The Lord will restore the soul. The inner life will be nurtured as well as the physical being. The Lord will also lead the one who follows in the right paths, and this depends upon the reputation of God, as the phrase “for his name’s sake” implies. The psalmist is describing a life of security that relies upon God.

The Lord will not just be a fair weather shepherd. Even if the psalmist was taken from the green pastures and find that the path is in the darkest valley, even here it is both known, and felt in the heart, that no evil is to be feared; the Lord is with David, and the rod and staff of the shepherd will guide and protect the one following the shepherd.

So far we are told that the Lord will the give care of green pastures and protection in the darkest valley. The shepherd’s protection does not stop here. Even in the presence of enemies, the Lord will give a public demonstration of the affection and care for the one who follows. To prepare a table and anoint a person’s head with oil was to show hospitality. In the day in which this psalm was written, hospitality was considered a virtue, and a way of showing compassion. When a host anointed the head of a guest it was an act of welcome and an implied promise of protection.

In response to the goodness that David knows of the Lord, David’s cup overflows. In other words, he has received abundantly from God. He is confident that goodness and mercy will be with him for his entire life and that he will live in God’s presence forever.

As believers we are privileged to be able to take the psalms and the faith life that they describe, and make them our own. As we begin each day, we like David may do so in the confidence that the Lord is our shepherd who guides us in right ways.

Meditation 271

Luke 24: 36b-48

This story of the resurrection of Jesus happens in Jerusalem. Earlier in chapter 24 of Luke Jesus had appeared to two followers of Jesus as they were walking on the road to Emmaus. When these two realized that they had seen Jesus they returned to Jerusalem where they found “the eleven and their companions” (Luke 24: 33), which is to say the remaining eleven of the chosen disciples and other followers of Jesus. These people in Jerusalem were talking about how Jesus had appeared to Simon, and now the two from the Emmaus Road were saying that they too had seen Jesus, and while they were talking, Jesus appeared among them.

I think that it is significant that Jesus appears to the people who love him in the midst of their lives. There is no drama and disturbance in nature to announce his presence, he does not appear at the temple or even at one of the synagogues. He appears to two on the Emmaus Road as they are walking and talking to one another, and he appears to others in Jerusalem right where they are gathered. And so it is for us, Jesus is in he midst of our living. We do set time apart for God in our lives when we attend public worship, and when we go to a quiet place to pray, but these are not he only places that Jesus is with us. Jesus is our friend who is with us day by day, and the most genuine way we share Jesus with others is by being their friend.

An American pastor Brian McLaren has this to say about friendship “Christian mission begins with friendship—not utilitarian friendship, the religious version of network marketing—but genuine friendship, friendship that translates love for neighbors in general into knowing, appreciating, liking, and enjoying this or that neighbor in particular. . . .” Brian goes on to tell how he became friends with a local Imam. It was just after Sept 11, 2001. There was a message given to his heart while praying, he says “I felt a voice speaking, as it were, in my chest: Your Muslim neighbors are in danger of reprisals. You must try to protect them”. He wrote letters of friendship to leave at the three mosques in his neighbourhood. At the first two there was no one present, so he simply left the letter he had written, and went on to the next. At the third mosque the imam was there, and Brian in a somewhat self conscious way handed the letter to the imam. “I then handed him my letter, which he opened and read as I stood there awkwardly. I remember the imam, a man short in stature, slowly looking down at the letter in the bright September sun, then up into my face, then down, then up, and each time he looked up, his eyes were more moist. Suddenly, he threw his arms around me—a perfect stranger. . . . I still remember the feeling of his head pressed against my chest, squeezing me as if I were his long-lost brother. . . .” (All quotes from Richard Rohr Daily Meditation. April 15, 2021. Center for Action and Contemplation)

Jesus comes to us in the midst of our lives as our holy friend. He loves us and cares about our day to day living, and Jesus invites us to share the grace he gives us with those we meet. The act of friendship is a good way to start.

Meditation 270

Luke 24: 36b-48

The moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Rev Amanda Currie, wrote an Easter letter to bring both challenge and comfort to believers. She reflected on the experience of the women who found Jesus’ tomb empty as the story is told in Mark’s gospel. Quoting D. Cameron Murchison, she writes “that dealing with death is complex. While grief is in the forefront, “other, less mentionable feelings swirl through the experience as well—relief, to name one. For the things that lead to death frequently place heavy burdens on those who only stand and wait… As deeply as grief may go, certain gains accompany the loss that death brings. Though we are generally disinclined to publicize it, we are often relieved as well as grieved when death comes.” *

Those early followers of Jesus who were expecting to perform one last act of love and friendship as they anointed his dead body may also have been thinking that now that Jesus was no longer with them that the danger would dissipate. They may have been thinking that now the expectations that Jesus had that they feed the hungry, give to the poor, allow the last to be first, and take up their crosses, might be lifted. Murchison writes that perhaps, “They had approached the tomb with a reverent grief, masking a deep relief that they were no longer burdened with the challenge of costly discipleship. They had begun to see the gain in the loss, only to be upended by the announcement: ‘He is not here…he is going ahead of you to Galilee.’” *

The women are to learn that not only is Jesus alive, but so are the expectations of being a disciple of Jesus. The followers of Jesus would have opportunities to meet the risen Jesus after Easter morning, as he appeared to them and gave messages of peace and of being sent to do his work.

As Ted Dodd wrote

“Christ who said, ‘Peace be with you.’

Grant us stillness of spirit.

Jesus who said, ‘As I was sent, so send I you.’

Send us out in compassion, courage and justice making.

Holy One who said, ‘Do not doubt but believe.’

May we be your hands and feet in this weary world. (DIAKONIA monthly prayer, April 2021)

 

Like the women who were at Jesus’ tomb on the first Easer morning, we may be hoping for a reprieve. We may be a bit thankful for events and meetings that have been cancelled as we handle the challenge and grief of pandemic living. Into all of this the resurrected Jesus comes to us and clothes us with power from on high. We may be the hands and feet of Jesus in our weary world, and there are times that Jesus will send others to be his hands and feet to us.

*Quotations are from “Easter Message from the Moderator” written by Rev. Amanda Curry in which she quotes avid L. Barrett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds., Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, Volume 2, (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), pages 252 and 254.

 

Meditation 269

1 John 3: 1-7

This passage opens with comforting words, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God.” What better thing is there than to be a child of God? To be sure that God’s everlasting arms are holding you, to be confident that God will lead you each day. This promise has been in place for those who are loved by God for all time, including our time.

1 John was written to a community of faith that had been torn apart by false teaching. It may have been that those who left the community of faith had suggested that those who remained were not true believers, that somehow they were not protected by God’s love. It would be heart breaking enough to have a rent in the fabric of the church community, and then to have one’s faith questioned would be a further heart break. Into this sadness the writer of 1 John lovingly reminds the people that they are called children of God. The world, those outside the faith community, will not recognize children of God as such, because they cannot. Those who do not know God are not able to recognize the characteristics of the children of God.

This passage goes on to say that when God is revealed that we will be like God and that no one who abides in God sins. There is a transformation of the one who trusts in God. God’s love makes us into more than we are able to be on our own. The reality of life shows us that while we may always count on God’s love for us and God’s presence in our lives, we are not able to perfectly live that out. In spite of that we are able to show God’s righteousness when we do good things. When we are in the midst of human need we are enabled by God to do good things.

One way of thinking of how God’s love transforms us is to think of God as our friend, as Dana L. Robert reminds us in her book, Faithful Friendships: Embracing Diversity in Christian Community. She tells of how friendship with God is shown in both our personal lives and our lives in community. A stirring example she gives of one whose friendship with Jesus was displayed was the Reverend Dr. Margaret Moshoeshoe Montjane was an Anglican chaplain at the huge Baragwanath Hospital in the South African township of Soweto. Margaret was at the hospital when Chris Hani, leader of the South African Communist Party was assassinated in 1993. Riots sprung up throughout South Africa, and Nelson Mandela was barely able to keep a lid on the country. Angry young men surged into the Baragwanath Hospital with their wounded friends. “Margaret used all her authority to avert rioting in the hospital, ordering the rioters to sit down and treat the hospital with respect. When [she was asked how she was coping] She answered, “Without Jesus, I couldn’t get through the day.”. . . [Her friendship with Jesus helped her support the community through crisis.]” (Richard Rohr Meditation: A Friendship With Jesus. Center for Action and Contemplation)