The Great Rummage Sale
Many things that I read this past week seemed to be a clear invitation for me to continue the sermon from last Sunday as we consider the on-going re-formation of the Church and recognize some of the reasons for it that appear to be global in nature.
I will continue to draw on the writings of Richard Rohr, as well as an article that was posted on the CBC news app, and another article from the New York Times – in the end, tying it all together with the scripture texts we just read.
Last Sunday I quoted from one of Richard Rohr’s daily meditations in which he wrote, “…We appear to be in the midst of another period of significant turmoil and rebirth…which is a difficult and frightening task, which is why we only seem to do it every 500 years or so. If we look at church history, we can see the pattern…With each rebirth, Christianity becomes more inclusive and universal, as it was always meant to be.”
Spiritual globalization is allowing churches worldwide to profit from these breakthroughs at approximately the same time, which of itself is a new kind of reformation! No one is directing, controlling, or limiting this movement. We are just trying to listen together. It is happening almost in spite of all of us—which tells me the Spirit must be guiding.
Episcopal Bishop Mark Dyer (1930–2014) appropriately called these recurring periods of upheaval giant “rummage sales” in which the church sifts and sorts through much of what it has collected over the years in terms of both theology and practice – and rids itself of what it discerns is no longer necessary or helpful to its mission as it seeks to be faithful in its current context to the Gospel of Christ.
Some of the developments that seem to be propelling this movement throughout Christianity are:
A broadening recognition within the Church that Jesus was clearly teaching nonviolence, simplicity of lifestyle, peacemaking, love of creation, and letting go of ego, both for individuals and groups.
More and more Christians are now acknowledging Jesus’ radical social critique of the systems of domination, money, and power.
In the past, most of Jesus’ practical teaching was down-played by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians.
Instead, the Church concentrated on the sinfulness of the individual and the need for personal salvation and, as Brian McLaren says, an “evacuation plan” into the next world.
Historically, the Church has focused on doctrinal belief and morality – however, there is a growing recognition that Jesus was clearly concerned about the healing and transformation of both individuals and society, with so much of his ministry focused on pragmatic matters of compassion, healing, and justice.
Many within the global Church are re-discovering the older contemplative tradition within Christianity – a tradition that calls for intentional periods of silence, reflection, openness to hearing the voice of God - and you can re-discover the contemplative tradition by participating in Anam Cara on Wednesday evenings, and in the bi-monthly Taize services.
Critical biblical scholarship is occurring on a broad ecumenical level, honest historical and anthropological scholarship about Jesus as a Jewish male in the unique culture and context of his time – scholarship that enables us to understand at a deeper level the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith.
This critical biblical scholarship is also the basis of our current Bible study in which we are considering a portion of the Old Testament – particularly in light of the historical and social context in which the books were written.
While these may not seem like significant changes in and of themselves, together they are causing considerable changes in modern theology as well as practice. These shifts are also, no doubt, some of the contributing factors as to why we are currently so divided as Christians, with some clinging to an older, traditional way of doing and thinking while others are pulling in these new and “emerging” directions.
I want to turn now to consider an article that the CBC posted on October 28 (2019) – an article titled “Behind the anger: Why so many people are protesting around the world right now.”
The flashpoints driving current unrest around the world are as diverse as the people pouring into the streets.
“The world is at a high level of protest right now”, says Robert O'Brien, a political science professor at McMaster University in Hamilton.
And he sees a common theme: "A dis-satisfaction of both political and economic arrangements governing people in different parts of the world."
In Chile, the anger was sparked Oct. 6 by a four per cent increase to the price of riding the subway in the capital of Santiago. But it was as though someone had just picked a scab.
Five days later, grocery stores were being looted, people were stockpiling food, and more than a dozen people were dead.
While many may think of Chile as a wealthy, politically stable country, it is plagued by economic inequality.
In Lebanon, a new tax on the popular WhatsApp messaging service prompted anger starting on Oct. 17. But that seemingly small development quickly gave way to wider rage over systemic corruption, inadequate public services and a looming economic crisis.
Schools, universities and businesses closed for days as hundreds of thousands of people filled Beirut's Martyrs' Square.
And those closures are slowing down the processing of refugee claimants – including the Almeri family whom we are helping to sponsor.
A similar sentiment brought citizens to the streets in Ecuador a few weeks earlier. The government there cut fuel subsidies in early October, and the price of gas soared.
The protests also grew to include anger over corruption, restrictive human rights and discrimination against the country's Indigenous people.
And in Haiti, protests have once again erupted across the island, leaving at least 20 people dead. The anger there is also over the cost of dwindling basic goods, soaring inflation and corruption. The majority of people in Haiti earn less than $2 a day, while about a quarter earn less than $1 a day.
Politics has been behind recent protests in Hong Kong, Iraq, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Honduras and Guinea.
Robert O'Brien says he can also draw a link between all of the economic and political unrest and climate change protests that have swept across the continents in the past year.
In light of all of this, what word does the Church have to speak into situations of such global unrest, dissatisfaction, and upheaval?
What authentic message can be spoken that will bring a sense of hope, and not be heard as trite dismissal of the very real angst and anger that so many are experiencing?
To God’s people in post-exilic Israel, such a word was proclaimed by the prophet –“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1)
To God’s people in Roman occupied Palestine, Jesus proclaimed those same words – and then he lived them out in practical, pragmatic ways in his dealings with people who were the outcasts, the poor, the casualties of the systems of domination and power.
To God’s people in the Church today, these words continue to be pregnant with hope and encouragement.
I see these words as a sacred, Spirit-filled call to action for the emerging Church as it seeks to minister in meaningful, faithful ways.
The poor, the broken-hearted, the captives and the prisoners are among us this morning – they live on our streets – they are members of our families – they are you and they are me – they are protesting in Hong Kong and Chile and Ecuador and Iraq and Lebanon – they are calling on the powerful for lasting justice – they are calling on the privileged for effective equity – they are calling on the politicians for substantial policies that will address climate change - and if the Church is to take the words of Isaiah and Jesus seriously, the Church is called to speak for and stand with the protestors in their demand for change.
If the Church is to be faithful and relevant in today’s world, it simply must engage in a great rummage sale – boxing up and setting aside what no longer is helpful to its task of embracing the prophetic word to bring substantial hope and healing to a very troubled world.
This morning many of us experienced a tangible – and delicious – example of bringing such hope and healing.
The Malawi breakfast – the dream-child of Bruce and Pat McKechnie and Miriam and Dave Barrie – has become an anticipated event in the life of this community, as a way of partnering with Grandmothers in Malawi who are among the broken-hearted captives of the AIDS epidemic as they continue to support and care for their orphaned grandchildren.
This is one of the ways in which this Church takes sacred words and brings them to life.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon the Church – because the Lord has appointed the Church to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
God has richly blessed the Church. May the Church here, there and everywhere, be a blessing to others.
Amen – and to God be all the glory both now and forevermore.