Category: Sermon

I want to spend a few minutes chatting about what happens next in the life and ministry of Knox.

Unlike Joshua, I am not quite 120 years old – although I may feel like it on some days – but the fact remains that I will no longer be with you as your minister as of March 1.

If Andy and I were leaving Kincardine, our parting would, in some ways, be easier. Distance would make it very clear that the pastoral relationship has come to an end.

With us remaining in Kincardine, I – and we – will need to be very clear and intentional about understanding the necessary change in the status of our relationship.

It will no longer be minister – parishioner.

It will now be fellow Kincardinite – and friend.

Andy and I are looking forward to continuing the friendships we have made – and we look forward to fostering new friendships too – but the pastoral ties between us need to be understood to be severed.

How many of you have NEVER been part of a Presbyterian congregation during a vacancy?

Peggy Kinsman and Bob Geddes will share the responsibilities of Interim Moderator – Peggy working with Session, arranging Sunday pulpit supply, liaising with Presbytery.

Bob will be looking after pastoral care concerns; he will do some preaching and will work with the Search Committee to find your next best minister.

Someone said to me a few weeks ago – “I hope we don’t get stuck with an old fuddy-duddy.” – and I assured them that if your next minister is an old fuddy-duddy, it’s because that’s who you decided to call.

The congregation has absolute control over who you want to call as your next minister.

This is not like the Anglican or Lutheran or Roman Catholic system where a Bishop appoints the clergy.

Very soon, you will be forming a Search Committee.

Wade has agreed to serve as the convener.

The committee will consist of somewhere from 7 – 9 people from across the spectrum of the congregation who will work together to find who they believe to be the best person to RECOMMEND TO YOU as your next best minister.

You will hear their reasons – you will invite the person to come and “preach for the call” – and you will have the opportunity to meet him or her – and hear them preach – and perhaps have a time for Q and A after church – and then YOU WILL VOTE on whether or not you want to call them as your minister.

The congregation decides on the minister they want to call – and then they inform Presbytery – who has the responsibility of giving the final AOK.

I was asked last week why that step is necessary, and if Presbytery ever says “NO” to a congregation – and I gave an example of a time in London when they did – and it was because the congregation was not prepared to pay appropriate housing allowance to the minister.

Presbytery is responsible for ensuring that the call from a congregation to a minister has the best chance of being successful – as far as that is ever possible to determine.

The Search Committee will be asking for the congregation’s input into preparing a profile which will tell prospective ministers who you are, what is important to you, your vision of the future ministry here, what you’re looking for in a new minister – the whole package.

It’s not unlike preparing a personal profile for a dating service.

Once your profile is complete, you will submit it to the office of Ministry and Church Vocations at our Church Offices in Toronto.

Ministers who are looking for their next best congregation also complete personal profiles and submit them to the same office – and MCV office does the work of sifting through both congregational and ministers’ profiles to find possible matches.

They will send you the profiles of ministers they think you might want to consider – and they will send your profile to ministers who they think might want to consider you.

Word of mouth and recommendations from ministers you know are other ways to search.

I’ve already reached out to a colleague who I think might be a good match for you – to let them know that I’m retiring and to plant the seed that they might want to consider a move.

They got back to me and said they’re interested in a chat.

I’ll be passing that name along to Wade.

The vacancy can take a long time – anywhere from a year to 18 months – and perhaps longer.

It will take as long as it needs to take.

This is important work – and you don’t want to rush it.

The last thing you want to do – in my humble opinion – is to rush the process and call the first person who says they love Jesus and who want to live on the shores of Lake Huron.

Lots of people love Jesus and the lake. It doesn’t mean they’ll be a good match for this congregation.

You will choose your search committee wisely, and you will be well and wisely guided by Bob.

Trust the process – and trust that God is working through the process.

Do not let the period of vacancy be a time of limbo.

Some congregations do this.

They put things on hold. They lose momentum. They sit back and wait.

There is good energy and good leadership in the congregation at this point – which is one reason why I chose to retire when I did.

I am confident that you have everything you need to carry on and move forward.

This annual report gives clear evidence to support that.

I have been delighted to be a part of everything that has happened – but there are precious few – if any – things that have occurred solely because of me.

The team of staff and volunteers are among the best anywhere.

Show your appreciation to one another often – clearly – and generously. Do not take each other for granted.

The annual report and the new directory are your best tools for understanding ALL the people who share in ministry here – and during the vacancy, there will be additional responsibilities that will fall to both staff and volunteers – so be sure to support one another well.

Get to know each other. There’s no reason for you not to know everyone’s name. If you don’t, before you go home, speak to at least one person you don’t know.

Look back to see where you’ve come from and where you are now. A lot has changed in 6 years. Consider where you’re headed and how you want to get there. That will give you a clue as to the kind of minister you want to call in order to help you get where you want to be.

And please, oh please, do not let the vacancy be a time when you take a break from coming to church.

Knox needs you – and you need Knox – and above all that, God is still to be worshipped – Jesus is still to be followed – and the community is still to be served.

A final word from the annual report – “Let me conclude by saying how deeply, deeply grateful I am for having had the honour and delight of being your Minister for the last 6 years and a few months.

Together, we have journeyed together in faith, learning from one another what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in a very complex world. Our journey has been one of mutual trust, love and support and I would have you know that you have been a shining example of what it means to be the Body of Christ.

We have traveled some difficult roads together, but at every step along the way, we have held fast to one another, knowing that God has been with us. I have told family, friends and colleagues that this congregation “represents Christ’s Church at its finest and its best”.

That is to be CELEBRATED!!

Collectively and individually, you embody what the Church is called to be – faithful, faith-filled, loving, prayerful, teachable, joyful, forward-thinking, welcoming, generous, grace-filled, strong, courageous and steadfast. To borrow words from one of Jesus’ parables, “Well done, good and faithful servants!!” (Matthew 25:21)

I have every confidence that you will continue to move forward in ministry and mission as you journey together with one another, with your next best Minister, and in the ever-present company of the God who holds each of you and all of you in grace.

The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of two words with contrasting meanings which produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect. Some common examples of an oxymoron are cruel kindness – living death – open secret – tragic comedy – seriously funny – awfully pretty – original copies – liquid gas – and my favourite – jumbo shrimp.

The effect is obvious contradiction.

I can’t help but think that Jesus had something similar in mind in his recitation of the Beatitudes.

Surely they are such contradictory statements as to fall into the same category of speech as the oxymoron.
It seems obvious to interpret the word “blessed” in a positive manner.

To be blessed is to be on the receiving end of a special favour, mercy or benefit.

Some translations of the biblical text have substituted the word ‘happy’ for ‘blessed’ – and we all understand the meaning of that word.

But when Jesus uses the word ‘blessed’ in the Sermon on the Mount – we have to wonder if he was confused – for surely when you feel yourself to be among the poor in spirit, the mournful, or the meek, the last word you would use to describe your state would be “happy” or “blessed”.

The one seems to contradict the other – but surely by now we have come to realize what Jesus knew so well – that God’s ways are often contradictory to the ways of the world.

Living according to God’s values often means saying and doing what seems strange to the world – giving when others take – loving when others hate – forgiving when others seek revenge – helping when others ignore.

The three scripture texts we just read share a common theme – how to live well according to the often contradictory ways of God.

Psalm 15, Micah 6 and Matthew 5 all contain words of wisdom intended to shape the life of the faithful.

The psalmist identifies ways to live that encourage the practice of justice and compassion toward ones’ neighbour – walk blamelessly, do what is right, speak the truth from your heart, do not slander, stand by your oath – even when it may hurt.

The prophet Micah observed the people of his day – doing what they thought God wanted them to do so that God would smile on them, bless them, and keep them safe.

They offered sacrifices – calves, rams, rivers of olive oil, even their first born child.

And in response to what he observed, Micah – in good prophetic fashion – posed the rhetorical question – rendering one of the highest statements of religious truth.

And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.’

Justice and kindness in our relationships with people, and humility as we walk with God.
That is what God wants of us. God doesn’t want THINGS from us – God wants US – God wants to walk with us and have us be glad of the company –

not SO THAT God will be good to us – but BECAUSE God has been good to us.

And in Jesus, it was made abundantly clear that what God wants is that we live a life of kindness, justice and humility.

In the Sermon on the Mount – and in the Beatitudes specifically – Jesus showed us that if God requires anything from us, it is to align ourselves around the things that matter to God.

Mercy, justice and humility are still important, and Jesus spells them out for us in the beatitudes.

I want to share with you from Eugene Peterson’s contemporary version of the Bible – the way he has worded the Beatitudes.

You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope.
With less of you, there is more of God and his rule.
You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you.
Only then can you be embraced by the One to whom you are most dear.
You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less.
That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God.
He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
Those are all about humility.
You’re blessed when you care.
At the moment of being care-full, you find yourselves cared for.
You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right.
Then you can see God in the outside world.
Those are about kindness.
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.
That’s when you discover who you really are, and (you find) your place in God’s family.
You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Those are about justice.
Not only that, count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me.
What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.
You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even – for though they don’t like it, I do.
And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company.
My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

In the Beatitudes, we come to understand the values that are of utmost importance to God.

They have little to do with personal protection, increased wealth or exerting power over others;

They have everything to do with humility, kindness and justice.

Jesus lived that kind of life – he spoke it, he breathed it, he demonstrated what it looked like – so that we could do it too.

He lived and taught justice, insisting that those with money and power use their wealth and power to care for the needy.

He lived and taught kindness, with children and women and the sick, and the marginalized.

He even lived and taught humility before God, saying, “Not my will, but yours, be done.”

Justice and kindness and humility – these are the hallmarks of the blessed.

The reality in our day is that the church is sometimes seen by the world as acting and behaving in ways that contradict this call to justice and kindness and humility – or if not contradictory, then at least indifferent to that calling.

The church is sometimes accused rightly, I think, of being too insular, concerned with its own survival rather than concerning itself with doing what is right.

It has been said that the church is the only organization that truly exists for the sake of those who are not part of it – but too often, the church has operated as if its only concern is for those who already belong.

The church is too often seen by the world as not being involved enough in matters of justice and politics and systemic policy making that will bring necessary changes to ensure justice and kindness and mercy for everyone.

Conversely, the church has often been told to keep its nose out of politics altogether.

Many preachers are warned to confine themselves to “the things that matter to God”, and let the politicians deal with the things that matter to the world.

That may sound logical to some – however, the truth is – as the prophetic voices have always maintained – the things of the world ARE the things that matter to God – and it is incumbent upon ministers to address with their congregations, the things that matter to God – so that they matter to God’s people.

Sometimes the church is seen as arrogant and know-it-all in its relationship with God, when in fact, as we come to better understand the majesty and mystery of God, we will recognize that humility ought to be our natural posture before God.

It’s good for us to remember that the kind of thing God wants from us is in terms of our relationships – both with other people and with God.

Those requirements have to do with our attitudes and assumptions.

They are matters of the heart that play out in how we live.
You will know that the Presbyterian Church in Canada is considering two matters that came before the General Assembly last June.

One is with regards to whether or not to permit our clergy to perform same-sex marriage, and our churches to be used for same-sex weddings,

– and the other concerns whether or not to allow persons in a same-sex relationship to be ordained as elders and ministers in the Presbyterian church.

Both of these matters were being voted on at Presbytery a couple of weeks ago, and during the discussion before the vote, one minister gave an impassioned plea to vote against both motions – his main reason being the very real possibility that many of the Korean congregations and ministers, and the evangelically leaning congregations and ministers will leave the denomination if the motions pass – and if that happens, contributions to the Pension Plan and Presbyterians Sharing…will take a big hit.

In other words – his rationale for voting against full inclusion of the LGBTQ community within the Presbyterian Church in Canada – was for the sake of survival of the Presbyterian Church in Canada – feeding right into the accusation that the church is too often concerned about survival than doing what is right.

Another minister – you know her well – spoke in favour of both motions – and asked the presbyters not to be swayed in any way by threats of what might or might not happen, but simply to vote as the Spirit of God was prompting them to vote – and leave the future of God’s church in God’s hands.

I am overjoyed to report that both motions passed at Presbytery – thanks to the representative elders – because there were ten clergy present, and I know from personal conversations and listening to discussions during the proceedings, that the clergy were split 5 for and 5 against – so it was thanks to the representative elders that these motions passed.

This vote is happening in every Presbytery across the country – and the results will be presented at this year’s General Assembly in June – and if a majority of Presbyteries have voted in favour, then the General Assembly will vote – and if they are approved, this will become the new normal in the denomination.

A few minutes ago I noted that justice and kindness and humility are the hallmarks of the blessed – and if that is true, then you, as a congregation, are so blessed.

I’m running out of time to tell you what is in my heart and on my mind.

This is my message for you this morning.

After 6 years of our living together closely, I can say without any hesitation, that YOU are so blessed.

Justice, kindness and humility are alive and well here at Knox – and I trust and pray that you will continue to live and walk and make decisions and move forward in ministry keeping these three virtues and values before you – continuing to embody them – knowing that they have become part of your collective DNA.

You are so blessed. Thanks be to God. Amen.

IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THIS
There’s a poster on the wall of my office that I’ve loved since the day I first saw it.
In the centre is a picture of a globe with the words “The Golden Rule” imposed over it.
Around the edges of the poster are the symbols of 13 of the world’s great religions, along with words from those faith traditions that affirm the basic notion of the Golden Rule – which Christians identify as Jesus’ words which we read from Matthew’s gospel – “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”
I have kept this poster close at hand because of the way in which it echoes my own understanding of a basic commonality that exists in all faith traditions;
a recognition of both a vertical and horizontal relationship –
A vertical relationship between humans and the Divine;
And a horizontal relationship among human beings.
It is the horizontal relationship that this poster specifically addresses – the ways in which people are to be in relationship with one another – and yet the ethic of each of these commands is surely grounded in an understanding that this is the way the Divine would have the human act – or not act – towards one another.
And for years, I have celebrated the common call of all faith traditions to honour one another, to live in peace, to seek justice, to treat each other as we would want to be treated, to abstain from harming one another.
But a closer look at the poster helped me to see that there are two distinct ways in which the Golden Rule is expressed – positively, and negatively.
Christianity – Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Islam – Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.
Taoism – Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain and your neighbour’s loss as your own loss.
Jainism – One should treat all creatures as one would like to be treated – this one extending the command beyond humans, to include all creatures.
In contrast, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Baha’I – all state their commands in the negative.
Do not do to others whatever in injurious to yourself.
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour.
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.
Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct – loving-kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.
Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.
One could conclude that the differences don’t really matter – and in many ways, they don’t – but in another way, they do.
The “Do to others what you would have them do to you” commands, call for intentional action.
They ask that we take the lead in reaching out, in making a difference, in taking the initiative to DO something that will make someone’s life better, easier, more enjoyable, brighter, safer.
The commands to “Not do to others what we would not have them do to us” fall short because they fail to call for action.
Those commands leave room for a passive stance in a world full of need and suffering.
They would suggest that as long as we are not adding to the suffering of others, that is enough – when in truth, it is far from enough.
The “DO to others” commands leave no such room for inaction.
It has been said, that “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good people do nothing.”
Noticing all of the protests that are occurring globally would suggest that people have come to understand the truth of that statement.
It’s not enough for good people to do nothing.
Good people MUST DO SOMETHING.
And they are, as witnessed in the thousands upon thousands of protesters who are standing up and stepping out and putting themselves on the line to protest the evil and wrong-doing that they see being perpetrated by governments and systems of domination that are operating from a stance of injustice and greed, inequality and discrimination.
I remember one episode from the long-gone television show “Touched by an Angel”, in which an alt-right group was mobilizing in a small town in the southern United States.
They targeted the office of a newly opened medical centre that was being operated by a Jewish doctor.
Rocks were thrown through the front windows, and signs and slogans of hatred were spray-painted on the doors and walls of the building.
And the man who lived next door was seen drawing his curtains – closing himself off – pretending not to see what was happening – as if, in NOT seeing, he could ignore what was happening – perhaps pretend that it was not happening – and thereby not have any responsibility to address the evil that was clearly occurring right under his eyes.
It is not enough to do no harm.
It is not enough to stand by and watch – or turn away – or pretend to ignore – the hungry, the homeless, the impoverished, the refugee, the lonely, the needy in whatever their need is.
Jesus would have us understand that the whole teachings of the Law and the Prophets are summed up in his directive – in everything, DO to others what you would have them do to you.
Faith in Jesus must be actualized in our behaviour.
It is not enough for us to believe in Jesus.
It is not enough for us to rest comfortably in an assurance of forgiven sins.
Faith in Jesus must lead us to action.
And it is not that we are to behave towards others SO THAT they will behave similarly toward us.
Reciprocity is not to be in any way a motivating factor.
It is not a matter of – dare I say it – quid pro quo.
The command to treat others in the way we want to be treated is not SO THAT they will treat us similarly – but simply because IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
While I have drawn attention to the differences between the Golden Rule as expressed in negative and positive terms – and suggested that the positively framed ones are preferable to the negative – Douglas Hare, in his commentary on Matthew’s gospel would disagree with me.
Here is what he writes: (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching – Matthew; by Douglas R. A. Hare – John Knox Press. p.79ff)
It is now widely acknowledged that the Golden Rule was not original to Jesus.
With slight variations it is found in many authors, Jewish and non-Jewish…
Hillel, a contemporary of Jesus, is reported to have said to a Gentile inquirer, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour: that is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary…
The formulation attributed to Jesus is positive rather than negative, but no great emphasis should be placed on this difference, since each formulation implies the other when applied to specific situations.
“If it is hateful for you to starve, do not act in such a way that your neighbour will starve” is not materially different from “If you wish that your neighbour would keep you from starving, you must feed your starving neighbour.”
There is probably little difference in the way the two formulations function in the practical, everyday ethics of the followers of Hillel and the followers of Jesus.
(A serious challenge) is that the (Golden) Rule is secular rather than religious, that is, that it is grounded in human wisdom rather than in God’s relation to humans.
Its detractors claim that it is anthropocentric (human-centred) –
and based on “naïve egoism”;
the individual is allowed to direct his or her ethical behaviour on the basis of a private world of feelings.
For this reason, the Golden Rule is “golden” only when interpreted in light of its Christian context…that is, as a summary of Jesus’ interpretation of the law and the prophets…
The ground of obligation is not prudent self-interest, but the boundless grace of God, whose magnanimity we are to imitate.
So, as I see it, it all boils down to this – In everything – do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets – as spoken to us by Jesus.
How, then, can we do otherwise?

THE SONG OF LOVE
(by Rev. Kathy Fraser – December 22, 2019)

Across the cold and wintery land, where day is short and night is long –
Amid the days when what is right seems overshadowed by the wrong –
While winds do blow and snow does fall – where bones are wearied, bodies bent –
And spirits languish in the depths of anguish that won’t relent –

Where deer and rabbit, fox and squirrel crouch closely to the ground –
Drawing any hint of heat that somewhere might be found –
And birds do nestle in bush and hedge, protected from the storm –
Puffing their feathers in an attempt to keep their tiny bodies warm;

Into the lives of creatures all – the greatest and the least,
There comes a Song to cheer the heart of human and of beast.
It rises up to fill the air; it sings out loud and clear;
It beckons one – it beckons all – “Come, gather close and hear.”

The words and tune reach out beyond the pall of sorrow deep –
Beyond the darkness and the cold and all that makes the soul to weep;
The Song, it sings to bring us back from brink of desperation;
The Song, it sings out loud and long in every corner of Creation.

The Song, on one hand we know it well – though on the other, no.
“How can this be?” we ask ourselves. “Why did we let it go?”
Familiar words, familiar tune forgotten over time;
Somehow we let the Song get lost – its rhythm and its rhyme.

We listen now, more closely than we’ve ever done before
To hear the Love-Song sung to us from Heaven’s open door.
“Rejoice, my child! This Song I sing for you, my dearest One.
Rejoice, my child! This Song I sing for creatures old and young.

Take heart, my child – this Song’s for you. I wrote it long ago –
Before the world had ever heard of sunshine or of snow –
Before the world in sorrow dwelt – before the time of tears;
Before the world had ever known of anguish deep or fears;

Before the world had ever known the joy of life and living
This song was written from the depths of Love. I can’t stop giving
The Gift to you – to one and all. It’s in the Song I sing.
Attend the words; Learn well the tune; and let the message ring.

The Song sings out the Gift of Love begotten from of old
From everlasting until now – the message has been told
Of God eternal, Three in One – ineffable in glory
The Song is sung from highest heights to tell the world God’s story.

The Song goes forth to sing the truth about our God most holy
Who came to earth on Christmas Day for all – both high and lowly.
It penetrates the waiting heart, its message to repeat.
It rings out loud for all to hear on country lane or city street.

The Song, it sings of Love Divine – all other love’s excelling;
It begs us listen and believe the message it is telling.
Eternal Christ – begotten from before all time and space were born –
Was found within a manger bed that blessed Christmas morn.

The Song is his – the Song is ours – it comes from God above
Who would not be content to dwell apart from those most loved.
On Christmas Day, and all year through, rejoice my sisters and my brothers;
Keep not the Song unto yourself but sing it out for all others.

Across the cold and wintery land, where day is short and night is long –
Amid the days when what is right seems overshadowed by the wrong –
While winds do blow and snow does fall – where bones are wearied, bodies bent –
There comes a Song of Love from God; an Infant Holy sent.

Bless, we pray, each one we name before you now in the silence….
Lord hear our prayer….
We pray all these things O God, with hope and praise in our hearts, our minds, and our souls, through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

Voice 1: Lord, I am 90 years old, and I was a baby when my father died in Flanders field – his final resting place – known only to God.
Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 2: Lord, I am 80 years old, but with a sharp memory. I can see him still in his blue Canadian Air Force uniform – just as he was on our wedding day, saying, “Darling, don’t cry. I’ll see you soon.” But I am still waiting – for he never came home.
Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 3: Lord, I am 65 years old, a “baby boomer”, the son of a veteran who sacrificed many years of his life so that I might live my years in freedom and prosperity, fulfilling my dreams – Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 4: Lord, I am 30 years old, the grand-daughter of a veteran, who stormed the beaches on D-Day but who never spoke of the war or of what he had seen, and so my memories are shaped by documentaries, movies and books. – Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 5: Lord, I am 15 years old, and I stood on a bridge today over a stretch of highway 401, waving my Canadian flag as one more soldier came home from war, driven in a solemn convoy – and I wondering why young men and women must die in such far off places?
Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 6: Lord, I have a 4 year old daughter. I took her shopping today and bought a poppy from a man standing outside the store and pinned one on my coat, and one on her coat. I know she didn’t understand, but I whispered in her ear, Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 7: Ageless and Timeless God, remind us again and again of your endless and all-encompassing love for creation, and of your ongoing vision of peace and justice for all – Lest we forget. Lest we forget. Amen.

THE SEED, THE SOIL AND THE SOWER

I love the parables that Jesus told – those cleverly crafted stories about common, everyday objects in which Jesus gives us brief glimpses into the mysteries of God’s kingdom.

Things like mustard seeds, and yeast, and pearls, and fishing nets and seeds.

I wonder what parables Jesus might have told us today?

I wonder how he might have compared God’s kingdom to the common stuff that we see every day.

The kingdom of God is like a microwave – where peoples’ hearts and lives are warmed and transformed from the inside.

The kingdom of God is like a construction site – where people come together, each with their own skills and talents and out of a pile of rubble, new foundations are laid and new futures are built.

The kingdom of God is like a cell phone – enabling us to reach out and touch someone.

But many of Jesus’ parables were much more involved than this – stories, that on the surface seemed quite innocent, but with an undergirding of truth that was really quite profound –

and some people suggest that Jesus’ ability to be subtle – while packing a punch – was the way he managed to stay out of jail – and they may be right.

His opponents just didn’t get him – they didn’t understand the often subversive nature of his parables – which enabled Jesus to smile to himself, no doubt.

John the Baptist was arrested – and ultimately beheaded – because he spoke so openly and clearly – particularly in his criticism of the King for marrying his own brother’s wife.

Jesus, on the other hand, was often much less obvious in his speech.

For what reason would you arrest someone for talking about seeds and thorns and different kinds of soil?

By speaking in parables like this Jesus could get his message across without saying it directly, so that his followers nodded and smiled while his critics scratched their heads wondering what the big deal was with these silly little stories.

He spoke in parables so that those who listened with their hearts more than their heads would be able to really hear what he was saying.

One day, so many people were gathered to hear Jesus that he had to get into a boat and push off-shore a bit so he could be heard by them all.

“And he told them many things in parables saying: A sower went out to sow…”

We know the rest of the story.

How many of you remember the stage play “Godspell”?

I remember how they portrayed this particular parable – four boisterous actors dressed like clowns played the seeds.

The seed that was sown on the path no sooner hit the ground than other actors making crow noises flapped down and pecked away at him.

The seed that was sown on rocky ground came to life right away, waving her arms around and dancing in place, but then an actor carrying a big yellow cardboard sun stood over her until she grew limp and crumpled to the stage.

The seed that fell among the thorns barely had time to get to his knees before he was surrounded by prickly looking characters who got their hands around his neck and choked him.

Then there was the seed that fell on good soil. It came gracefully to life and bowed to the audience and its fellow actors who gave a round of applause.

Every time I hear this parable I begin thinking about what kind of ground I’m on with God.

I wonder about the thorns that are growing in my life – all the busy-ness that sometimes chokes out my time for God.

I wonder about the birds that hover overhead – the critical thoughts and cynicism that sometimes peck away at my enthusiasm and positive energy.

I wonder about the rocks that infest my field – the stubbornness that sometimes won’t let go of my need to control.

Then I make a strong resolve within myself that I’m going to get to work on my personal growing field, getting it tilled and fertilized so that God’s word can take root more deeply and produce a good harvest.

Of course I realize that the odds are stacked against me, according to the parable – by a ratio of three to one.

Only one quarter of the seeds fell onto good growing soil – and I begin to wonder how I might beat the odds, or at least improve on them.

That’s what I usually do when I read this parable.

I hear it as a challenge to be different – to improve myself – so that if the same parable were ever told about me it would have a more positive ending, with all, or at least more of the seed falling on rich, fertile soil.

And I think that was likely Jesus’ intention in telling this parable – that we would find ourselves in it – that we would hear with understanding ears and think about changes we might need to make in order that God’s kingdom would become more real in our lives and through us, in our world.

At least that appears to be Jesus’ intention in telling the parable.

It’s the interpretation that he gives.

It’s the interpretation that most commentaries accept as well, but in reading some of Barbara Brown Taylor’s work, I came across another possibility.

In her book “The Seeds of Heaven”, she suggests that if the usual interpretation is correct, one would think that the parable might be called ‘the parable of the different kinds of soil’.

Instead, it has been known for centuries as the parable of the Sower, which means that there is a chance, just a chance, that we might be missing something else here.

We hear the story and think it is a story about us – but what if it isn’t just about us?

What if it really has more to say about the sower?

What if it is not about our own successes and failures and birds and rocks and thorns?

What if it really is about the extravagance of a sower who does not seem to be fazed by such concerns, who flings seed everywhere, helter-skelter, wasting it with holy abandon – who walks among the rocks, picks his way through the thorns, tossing the seeds about – knowing some of them will feed the birds – shouting “hallelujah” at the good soil while he keeps on sowing, confident that there is more than enough seed to go around – knowing also that when the harvest comes at last it will fill every barn to the rafters?

If this is really the parable of the Sower and not the parable of the different kinds of soil, then it begins to hit our ears quite differently.

The focus is not on us and our shortfalls but on the generosity of the bountiful Sower who does not obsess about the conditions of the fields – who is not stingy with the seed, but who tosses it everywhere, on good soil and bad, who is not cautious or judgmental or even very practical, but who seems willing to keep reaching into his abundantly full seed bag, covering the whole creation with the fertile seed of his truth.

I have to wonder if we had been the Sower, how carefully we might have scattered the seed.

I think all we have to do is look at the pattern that’s followed by serious gardeners and farmers.

They research, they plan, they prepare and THEN they plant.

In comparison, the Sower in the parable appears to be terribly reckless and irresponsible.

But then, we’re not the Sower. God is – and God’s ways are very different from our ways.

The things that are important to us aren’t always the same things that are important to God.

We may think that the message of the Christian church is only for those who are ready to hear it – those who will respond in the right way – those who will commit themselves to it wholeheartedly.

But maybe God sees it differently. Maybe God says, “Share it with everyone. Don’t worry about how they respond right now. There’s so much of this good news stuff that you can afford to be extravagant with it.”

It may not be so much about productivity and properly prepared ground.

It just may be far more about the abundant, open, inclusive, far-reaching, all-embracing love of the Sower who wants everyone to have a chance – even a slight chance – to experience it.

Barbara Brown Taylor retells the parable of the Sower this way.

Once upon a time a Sower went out to sow – and as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came along and devoured them.

So he put his seed pouch down and spent the next hour or so stringing aluminium foil all around his field. He put up the fake owl he ordered from TSC and as an afterthought, he hung a couple of traps for the Japanese beetles.

Then he returned to his sowing, but he noticed that some of the seeds were falling on rocky ground, so he put his seed pouch down again and went to get his wheelbarrow and shovel.

A couple of hours later he had dug up the rocks and was trying to think of something useful he could do with them when he remembered his sowing and got back to it, but as he did, he ran right into a patch of thistles that was sure to strangle his little seedlings.

So he put his seed pouch down again and looked everywhere for the weed poison but finally decided just to pull the thistles up by hand, which meant he had to go back to the shed and get his gloves.

By the time he had cleared the patch of thistles it was getting near dark, so the Sower picked up his seed pouch and his tools and decided to call it a day.

That night he fell asleep in his chair reading a seed catalogue and when he woke the next morning he walked out into his field and found a big crow sitting on his fake owl.

He discovered rocks he had missed the day before and he found new little leaves and shoots on the roots of the thistles that had broken off in his hands.

The Sower considered all of this, scratched his head and then he did a strange thing.

He began to laugh, just a chuckle at first and then a full-blown belly laugh that turned into a wheeze at the end when his wind ran out.

Still laughing and wheezing he went to get his seed pouch and began flinging seeds everywhere;

into the roots of trees, onto the roof of his house, across all his fences and into his neighbour’s fields.

He shook seeds at his cows and offered a handful to the dog – he even tossed a fistful into the creek, thinking they might take root downstream somewhere.

The more he sowed, the more he seemed to have.

None of it made any sense to him, but for once in his life that didn’t seem to matter, and he had to admit that he’d never been happier.

Let those who have ears to hear, hear.

CALLING ALL TRESPASSERS, DEBTORS AND SINNERS

The story is told of a hunter from a remote area in Northern Canada who went to see the local missionary who had been preaching in the village.

“Let me ask you,” the hunter said, “If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?”

“No,” the missionary said, “Not if you did not know.”

“Then why,” asked the hunter, “did you come to tell me about them?”

Annie Dillard tells that story in her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.

What the story seems to suggest is that God, sin, and hell are things that do not exist until a missionary comes to town and starts preaching about them.

Some preachers are more than happy to tell you all about sin and how it can land you in a lot of trouble – eternal trouble.

But while some preachers spend much time and energy talking about how people are all sinners – as if that were the primary definition of who we are – and THE most important topic for sermons and Bible Studies – I prefer to focus, not on what is WRONG about US – but on what is RIGHT about GOD – and so today’s sermon title is all wrong.

It made sense on Wednesday, when I thought I knew where the sermon was headed – but, as sometimes happens, the Spirit had another sermon in mind – one that didn’t materialize until after the bulletins were already printed.

The preferred title would be – CALLING ALL WHO ARE BELOVED – for surely, that is how God sees us.

“Beloved” more accurately describes our core identity as far as God is concerned – and THAT ought to be what concerns us.

God declares that we are beloved – regardless of who we are, and in spite of what we do.

This is not to say that what we do doesn’t matter to God – but what we do does not alter our identity as God’s beloved.

First and foremost, we are loved – created in the image of God – created to bear witness to the love of God – and when we get that firmly planted in our brains and our hearts – when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are BELOVED OF GOD – then we can turn our attention properly to the shadow side of ourselves – that side of us where pride and greed and jealousy, and all those other things that we call ‘sin’ resides – that part of us that yields to the various temptations that present themselves to us daily – that part of us that sometimes gets in the way of us having a close, intimate relationship with God.

And when we turn to face our shadow side, we find that God is already there, waiting to forgive us and restore us to our better selves.

Long before there were preachers, churches, or sacred written texts, there were the essential human experiences of both community and alienation, of connection with and estrangement from the Divine – from God.

Paintings of those experiences can be found on the walls of prehistoric caves, and richly symbolic stories about them still exist from times that pre-date the written language.

Before there was any such thing as the Christian doctrine of original sin, there was a story – about a man and a woman – the first man and woman – who lived in a beautiful garden full of peacocks and calla lilies and panda bears.

This paradise contained everything their hearts could desire, including the close, sheltering presence of God – with whom they walked and talked.

God asked them to care for the garden – and set one restriction before them – only one – Don’t eat the fruit of one particular tree – which, of course, became a temptation for them – and as the man and woman gave in to the temptation, it altered the relationship between themselves – and between themselves and God.

They experienced the consequences of choosing unwisely – for the humans found themselves sent out of the Garden where they came to know the harsher realities of life.

The story is an eternal one that speaks the truth of lost innocence and broken relationships and the implications of pride, which often lies at the heart of disobedience. We disobey because we think we know better.

It is a story that helped our ancestors better understand themselves and the world in which they lived – a world that contained both good and evil – both life and death.

It is our story. It includes us. We are there in the garden – being loved – being asked to care for the garden – but also being tempted to do what we have been told not to do – and, sometimes we manage – and sometimes we yield to the temptation.

We are people who sometimes sin – but our primary identity is NOT that of pridefully-disobedient, temptation-yielding, sinner.

I believe that the identity we claim for our self, matters.
It matters in terms of how we think about ourselves, how we view and interact with the people around us and the world as a whole.

Some of you may remember me telling you about an experience I had while I served as Chaplain at a Guidance Conference.

I was leading an activity with the students in which we were looking into the meaning of our names.

I had done my research, and had given each of the students a card on which was written their name, its inherent meaning and the spiritual connotation associated with their name.

There was also a verse from scripture which was significant for their name.

I asked that they read their card and then spend some time considering what was written, and think about the ways in which any of it resonated with them – or not.

In the discussion time, a while later, one of the students spoke through her tears.

Her name meant “Beloved of God” – and she said that it was the very first time in her life that she had ever known herself to be ‘beloved’ of anyone.

That became a defining moment – a transformational moment for her.

That was close to 10 years ago – and while at that time, she presented herself as rather insecure and withdrawn theology student, I now experience her as a much more confident, self-composed, articulate minister.

She embraced the meaning of her name – and lived into her identity as ‘beloved of God’.

Who we believe ourselves to be, matters.

Michael J. Formica is a board certified counselor, integral life coach, teacher and self-development expert who writes and lectures extensively on spirituality, psychology and related disciplines.

In an article in Psychology Today, he writes:
By holding firm to our sense of identity, and remaining conscious of the source of that identity, we can better weather the storms of uncertainty and chaos with which we may be confronted.
From this vantage, the crisis becomes a problem to be solved or, in the best of all possible worlds, an opportunity to be exploited.

To return to the couple in the garden, their disobedience did not ultimately break their relationship with God – because that relationship was not dependent on what they did, but on who God is.

The nature of God, as we read in the psalm, is steadfastly loving, righteous and just – and we know from other places in scripture that God’s nature is that of forgiving, merciful, compassionate and gracious.

It was true then. It is true now.

It is with all this background that we finally come to the reading from Matthew’s gospel.

To the religious authorities it was scandalous that Jesus kept company with the likes of Matthew.

Tax collectors like Matthew were considered traitorous – working as they did, for the Romans – and his trade easily lent itself to extortion.

Tax collectors often took more money from people than was required by law, and they often kept it to line their own pockets.

Tax collectors’ money was not acceptable as an offering at the Temple. Their evidence was not accepted in the court of law.

Like his tax collecting colleagues, Matthew was an outcast – used by the Romans – despised by his own Jewish neighbours.

It’s not clear who the other ‘sinners’ were who dined together that evening – no word of who they were or what they did.

They were all lumped together and labelled ‘sinners’ – and it was thought by many that Jesus ought to have known to keep his distance – but instead, he called to Matthew to “Come and Follow” – and then dined at Matthew’s house.

I realize that Jesus explained that his reason for doing this was because he had come, not to call the righteous, but the sinners – thereby identifying Matthew as a sinner – however, I wonder if Jesus used the terms ‘’righteous’ and ‘sinner’ because they were the terms used by the religious authorities to categorize people – the terms that Matthew and his friends would have understood.

However, another, perhaps more scandalous, but possible option is that Matthew himself – the author of the gospel, some decades later, writing about himself and his encounter with Jesus – put those words into Jesus’ mouth.

Perhaps, at the time of the encounter, Matthew considered himself to be nothing but a sinner – having, no doubt, heard everyone speak of him and his kind in such terms.

In his commentary on this passage, George Buttrick writes; (When he looked at Matthew), Jesus saw a child of God and a herald of the kingdom in the unlikely man – before the man himself awoke to his destiny.” (The Interpreters Bible – Volume 7 – page 352)

Consider for a moment, the way in which you think of yourself.
What are some of the words that you associate with yourself?

Not the words that describe what you DO – but the words that describe who you ARE.

To add to that list, let me suggest these words from scripture:

You are God’s child – Galatians 3:26

You are Jesus’ friend – John 15:15

You are God’s work of art – Ephesians 2:10

You are totally and completely forgiven – 1 John 1:9

You are created in God’s likeness – Ephesians 4:24

You are God’s messenger in the world – Matthew 1:8

You are the light of the world – Matthew 5:14

Let the story be told of a congregation in rural Ontario who was once told by a preacher who they were – who they really were – not because SHE said so – but because GOD said so.

Amen – and to God be all the glory.