My thoughts turned to my grandmother as I brushed a coat of primer over her old dresser, a refinishing project on a piece of furniture with an extensive history, much like its previous owner. After 98 long years, Grandma took her last breath and stepped into eternity to be with her Lord Jesus. Our family is grateful for her legacy of faith and we rejoice that she has left the pains and trials of earth to be in Heaven. She had 7 children, 14 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild—how beautiful to think of how many more lives came into existence because of her, our beloved matriarch. This recent event has me pondering about our time on earth; one generation gives way to another, there is death and there is new birth; thus is the cycle of life. Like The Ecclesiastical Teacher says…
“A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” Ecclesiastes 1:4 I don’t think I’m alone in sensing we are in a time of great transition right now, across the globe. Previously, we used to know a busy and fast pace of life, centered largely on ourselves and a circle of people we loved most, filled with hours of striving for success, power, money, and the comfort and luxury it all affords. But now: many people have lost their jobs; our young people have been furthering their education from the confinement of their homes, away from their friends and teachers at school; our seniors are feeling more alone and isolated than ever; we have a limited ability to be corporately entertained or to eat in public with our friends, and we sure can’t travel or appreciate the freedom of coming and going anywhere we please. And, of course, we are not able to come together corporately to worship our Lord Jesus and fellowship together in the way we used to. I want to acknowledge that in all of this, we very well might be experiencing a sense of loss, feelings of grief and complete uncertainty about how to move forward. However, it does seem this pandemic has really helped us as a society to slow down and re-evaluate the way things have been spinning out of control, and also to consider the well-being of our planet and our fellow earth-mates. There is a new sense of gratitude for the ordinary people around us who pump our gas, bag our groceries, and care for us when we are ill. Do you find yourself waving and saying, “Hello” to more of your neighbours as you spend your extra spare time going for walks and playing outside with your kids and pets? Are we witnessing the end of something and the beginning of a New Thing? I believe we are. “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 Earlier this week I was much comforted by the Lord through a dream he gave me. In the dream I was in my final year of high-school and had an upcoming exam in Pre-Calculus. I was talking to a teacher, sharing my anxiety about not feeling prepared and fearing I would fail the course, perhaps jeopardizing my graduation. Unexpectedly, this teacher nonchalantly waved her hand and told me that math was not essential for life in the future. The funny thing about all this, was that in the dream, I was wearing a dance tutu. When I asked God what he may be trying to communicate with me through this picture, I sensed He was saying that, for me and for the body of Christ, as we move into this new era ahead, pre-calculated solutions are unnecessary. It is not a time to have all the right answers and all the knowledge to arrive at them. Rather, it is a time of transition to better things, a time to dance! We are on the verge of graduating into something beautiful and new. We have some celebrating to do! “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 Whether COVID-related or not, in our current time of loss, testing and transition, we can always reach out for God’s promises and hold on tight to them while we struggle through to the New Beginning. Here are some favorite scriptures that come to mind: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5 “But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” Malachi 4:2 “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread…because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.” Ephesians 1:7-8 “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?” Psalm 56:8 “No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard, and it has never occurred to the human heart all the things God prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 Song: Beautiful Things by Gungor: https://youtu.be/1spkhp41ig4 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” John 15: 7 John 15: 1-17 I shared from this Gospel passage on Friday but feel compelled to return to it again to ask one of the obvious questions that arises from it, “How do we remain in Jesus?” Being in Christ is crucial to our faith and lives because it is where our identity and purpose lie, it is what we were created for; so how do we remain in Him? There are five teachings from Jesus in passage that guide and help us:
There are many wonderful blessings to remaining in Jesus, such as eternal life, here are just three from this passage. Firstly we are given assurance that God hears and answers our prayers (vs. 7, 16b), secondly we will know real joy (vs. 11) and thirdly as His friends (wow!) we will produce fruit to God’s glory, a purpose filled life (vs. 8, 14, 16a). To Ponder: How well do you know Jesus? Pray through these five steps and see where He takes you! To Pray: Father help us to grasp the deep love you have for us then in wonder help us to know you more. Enable us through the power of your Holy Spirit within us to love you, to study your Word and then to obey your command to love. May you guide us in prayer, fill us with joy and help us produce fruit to your glory. Amen Praise: Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPXapfFfesA We talk about blessings all the time as believers, We sometimes talk about giving a blessing, or we pray for a blessing, or we read in the Bible about a blessing, but have you ever wondered it really means? Blessing is God granting the power to do what he wants and intends for us to do. When we bless others in the name of God, we are in effect praying that God would send His blessing to them. When we bless we are asking God to bless someone to be successful in God’s good will and intentions for them.
There are numerous accounts of blessings in the Bible, and one of the most well-known stories concerns the two sons of Isaac, Jacob and Esau. Their story in Genesis has a companion story in the New Testament. It’s the parable of the Prodigal Son, in Luke 15, but that title is a little misleading because it’s really a story about two sons, one a Jacob-like schemer, the other an Esau-like plodder. Even more, it’s a story about the real Prodigal: the father. The word “prodigal”, means one who spends extravagantly, without thought about the cost. The one who does that in Jesus’ parable is not the younger son who simply spends his fortune foolishly, it’s the father. He is the one who gives one blessing after another. He spends on his sons without measure. Think about Esau’s woebegone reaction to the news that Jacob had stolen their father’s one and only blessing: “’Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!’ Then Esau wept aloud” (Genesis 27:38). Jesus’ parable ends similarly, but then offers a grace-filled twist. The younger son, like Esau, wants to lament his loss of the blessing. But the father has an unexpected surprise for him. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.” The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” Luke 15:25-31 Everything I have is yours. Jesus is telling us in this parable what John states as a basic principle of the Kingdom of God: In Christ, we have all received one gracious blessing after another. Through Christ, God’s blessings to us have no limits. Receive His blessings. Extend His blessings. Teach your children to receive and extend these blessings as well. We should all acknowledge and bless God, the source of all blessing, and then remember to obey his command, as his power enables us, to pass on His blessing to others. “These (trials) have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even when refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
1 Peter 1: 7 Luke 4: 14-29 Jesus had just been baptized and His identity as God’s Son confirmed by the Father, the Holy Spirit and John the Baptist (Luke 3: 15-22). The Holy Spirit took Him into the wilderness where He fasted for forty days and was tested by Satan (Luke 4: 1-13). Satan tempted Jesus in His hunger to doubt His identity and to abuse His power by turning stones to bread (vs.3). Jesus answered, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, that man doesn’t live on bread alone but on God’s Word (vs.4). Satan then tempted Jesus to worship and serve Satan and Himself (vs. 5-7); Jesus answered with Scripture again that we are to worship and serve God alone (vs. 8, Deut. 6: 13). In the final test Satan tempted Jesus towards unbelief and again over His identity. Jesus answered with belief and God’s Word instructing us not to test God (vs. 12, Deut. 6: 16). Power, Worship, Identity and Unbelief all tested. Satan failed and Christ was proved. The Holy Spirit then equipped and led Jesus in power to begin His ministry assured of His identity and Mission (vs. 14-15). Luke takes us, with Christ, to His hometown of Nazareth where Jesus confirmed His identity and Mission by reading from Isaiah (17-21). He was ushering in the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Is it me, or do we not then see a direct correlation between Jesus’ tests and the reaction of His home community? His identity is questioned and there is unbelief (vs. 22, Mark 6: 3, 6). Jesus was tempted to make physical bread in the wilderness, here He quotes the supernatural provision of bread that saved Elijah, the widow and her Son (vs. 24-26, 1 Kings 17:7-16); Jesus later called Himself the Bread of Life, the Word of God, that truly sustains us and gives life (John 6: 47-51, Deut. 8: 3). Finally in unbelief the home crowd drove Him to the brow of a hill to throw Him off, Satan had tempted Jesus to test God by throwing Himself off the temple (vs. 28-29, 9). In power He simply walked through the crowd (vs. 30). Jesus’ wilderness testing had refined Him and confirmed His power, identity, mission and faith in His Father. I believe we see the confirmation of these lessons working out practically when He faced rejection and opposition in His hometown; if any were to cause doubt and disbelief would it not be friends and family? We will all have wilderness experiences in our lives, it could be argued that the world is in one now. God can use these trials to confirm and prove our faith in Him which can result in praise, glory and honour in Jesus (1 Peter 1: 7). To Ponder: Do you feel like you are in a wilderness experience right now? How is God’s power and your identity in Him being tested; is what you worship and serve being revealed? As you/we come out of this wilderness experience how will this testing equip you to move forward in God’s Kingdom Mission of reconciliation; how is it helping you right now? To Pray: Thank you Lord that you have given us new birth into a living hope with an inheritance that cannot be lost; shielded by your power. Give us faith in these truths as we face trials, assured of your refining work, and filled with an inexpressible joy because of our faith in and love for Jesus. May we receive the goal of our faith, the very salvation of our souls and may we take that truth in you to others. Amen (From 1 Peter 1: 3-9) Praise: I am the Bread of Life Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CRMbh8ViUI - soloist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX4uC3a7RC8 - choir The Vine and the Branches – by Pastor Dave “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4: 16 John 15: 1-17 John 15 is part of the wonderful teaching of Jesus as He speaks to His Disciples (and us) before His death and resurrection. He calls His Father the Gardener, Himself the Vine and tells us that we are to be the branches. The vine had become a picture for Israel (Isaiah 5: 1-7; Jeremiah 2: 21; Ezekiel 19: 10). It was a symbol on the coins of the Maccabees and there was a golden Vine on the Temple in front of the Holy Place. In calling Himself the “True Vine,” (vs. 1), Jesus was saying that the way to God was now through Him by faith in God’s Grace. We are to be in a relationship with Him that is so close and wonderful we are to be like branches on a Vine. The process of joining a branch to a tree is called grafting. A cut is made in a healthy tree and the branch is taped into that cut; the sap flows into the branch and it becomes part of the tree (basically!). This is a beautiful picture of how God, the Gardener, grafts us, the branches, into Jesus, the Vine, and how the Holy Spirit, the sap, gives us life. It is a life long process as we grow in and into Him. Many factors impact that growth, both positively and negatively. Members of St. Aidan’s will know that we work to grow the Church in God in the way of the Lord’s teaching in John 15 and by adopting the Vine and Trellis approach. This latter concept comes from a book of that name by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. The basic idea is that we work to grow the vine and not just the trellis; the trellis being the structures, support and perhaps tradition of the individual Church. So often we work on the Trellis and not the Vine. I share this because I want to highlight the growth of the Vine in our current situation. Yes, the Church may be impacted negatively but what I am seeing is the growth of individual branches because of the ‘pruning’ that the Father is completing. I see how faith is deepening, love is growing, fruit being produced and consequently the emergence of real joy not just happiness (vs. 8, 11 & 12). If you need evidence of this read our Community Blog, watch the videos of messages from members of the Church, our services and take part in the prayer ministry or Alpha Course. Ephesians 4: 16 is occurring right before our eyes! Thinking back to Wednesday’s blog on ‘Less is more,’ I see that the Trellis may be less at the moment but the Vine is certainly more and the branches are growing, producing real fruit that will last; Be Encouraged! To Ponder; Are you grafted into Jesus? What pruning work is the Lord undertaking in your life today? How can the Holy Spirit gift you and enable growth? Prayer: Father as our Gardener grow us into fruitful branches in Jesus, the Vine, full of love, joy and obedience. Help us to grasp this deep love that you have for us and in love obey you and love others. Abide in us that we may fully abide in you. To you be the Glory and honour. Amen. Praise: Abide with Me Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=476_PgSf2jQ Over the last two weeks, the teaching at St Aidan’s has touched on the topic of healing. Last week Alpha focused on whether God still heals today and last Sunday Rev. Susan touched on this topic of healing in the sermon. This is a topic that can often lead us to more questions. Does God still heal today? Why are some healed and not others? If you are like me, then you have spent a lot of time praying and contemplating about these questions over the last week. Through my prayer and contemplation, I have found that the books of Isaiah and Matthew are good starting points to begin wrestling with this topic.
In his Gospel, Matthew tells his readers that the physical healings Jesus performed during his earthly ministry fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy found in Isaiah 53:4. We read in Matthew Chapter 8: When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him. That evening many possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a single command, and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet, who said “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.” (Matthew 8: 14-17) Matthew clearly saw the connection between Isaiah’s prophecies of what the Messiah would do and what Matthew saw Jesus doing. To all who had eyes to see, Jesus’ ministry of healing was a sign of his deity, his authority, and a call to believe in him. Yet while Jesus healed many who came to him, he didn’t heal everyone, and everyone he did heal still eventually passed away at some point. So, were the healing works of Christ during the three years of his ministry the essence of what Isaiah prophesied? Was this the sum of what Isaiah was describing when he said that Jesus “was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5)? In reality, Isaiah saw something beyond the three years of Jesus’ ministry of physical healing. He saw into his eternal ministry of healing both body and soul. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated the character of the redemption he came to purchase on the Cross by forgiving sin and healing bodies. The physical healings Jesus performed give us a foretaste of what we can expect in the age to come when the curse of sin is finally eradicated. Many readers of Isaiah’s prophecy attempt to force into this age what God has reserved for the next – the age when there is no sickness or death. In his first coming, Christ gave us a foretaste of what it will be like in his second coming when his healing will be pervasive and permanent, given to all freely. In short, some will be healed now but all who believe in Jesus will be healed when Christ returns. With all that being said, perhaps it is good for us to desire to know more about this topic of healing. For this is something that will be fulfilled fully in the age to come, that all who believe in Jesus will come to experience. But in the meantime, the gift of spiritual healing (forgiveness of our sins) which is guaranteed to us through Jesus bearing our sicknesses on the cross should be more then enough to sustain us who believe, until He returns. Prayer – Lord Jesus, I pray for your healing power to be at work in my life. But if you should see fit for me to experience a situation that I must endure, I know that you will also give me the grace I need to endure faithfully, waiting in hope for the redemption of my body to everlasting life. "He must become greater; I must become less.”
John 3: 30 Luke 2: 41-51 At times in our lives circumstances change and we can experience loss. That is certainly one way of viewing the restrictions we are all under. There is a sense of loss of freedom, of a way of life, and we probably all feel pain in varying degrees dependent on our situation. A major change in my life occurred when I left the Police service to go into fulltime Ministry as a Priest. At my ordination the Lord gave me the verse John 3: 30 encouraging me to see and begin to learn the lesson of John the Baptist; becoming less so Jesus would become greater. As I have lived and learnt this lesson (and by no means perfectly or fully!) I have experienced the privilege of service where becoming less can help myself and others become more in Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful journey but one that is of self-sacrifice which at times is not understood and which incurs pain. We see these truths in our Luke reading today. Mary and Joseph are urgently and fearfully seeking the lost boy Jesus. After a frantic search they find Him in the Temple and to Jesus’ surprise they admonish Him; “Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house,” He responded (vs. 49)? Mary we are told “treasured” in her heart all that was said during this incident. We can imagine her remembering the words of the angel to her (Luke 1: 26-38) and Joseph remembering his visions (Matthew 1: 20-21). They knew, however, change was coming; that there would be some form of pain in their lives. Later for Mary the immense pain of loss at the foot of the Cross as she witnessed Jesus’ death (John 19: 26-27). They were to become less so that Jesus would become greater. Jesus’ life had changed also. He had left glory to be one of us becoming less so that we could become more. His change brought for Him the ultimate pain of death and humiliation before returning to glory (Philippians 2: 6-11). Bishop Ipgrave, writing for the Church of England on this passage in Luke, reflects thus, “…the message is clear: the primacy of God’s Kingdom is of such force that the old order must change, and there is pain in that. As Mary ponders, she knows in her heart the familiar patterns of life will never be the same. For us too, the Kingdom will change what we are used to in our lives; there can be pain in that, but there is blessing also.” The pain of becoming less, dying to ourselves, and living to Christ, so that He becomes greater, is actually the greatest blessing and freedom there can possibly be. The old order of things may change, as we are experiencing and there is pain. Let the real change though be the privilege of entering God’s Kingdom, now and forever! To Ponder: In the Walker Art Gallery, in my home town of Liverpool UK, you will find Simone Martini’s depiction of this Luke reading; it is entitled, “Christ discovered in the Temple,” (see below). Meditate on this picture and imagine the emotions, questions of all parties. How did each become less; how did Jesus become greater? How must you become less so that Christ can become greater and how will this help you and others become more in Him? Prayer: Almighty God whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life: raise us, who trust in Him, from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, that we may seek those things which are above, where He reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen Praise: This Kingdom Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FInBsbSCnWk Tragedies are nothing new. Whether natural disaster or human inflicted disaster, people have faced them from the beginning of time. The current Covid-19 pandemic is just another in a long line of tragic events that have disrupted our lives, shut down the economy, and killed thousands of people at home and abroad. And each time something like this happens we hear that familiar refrain from people without faith, “If God is sovereign and good, why does He let it happen?” Among people of little or no faith, they think of God, when they think of Him at all, as one who is presumably loving and good, which means that He must want us to be happy all the time, and they don’t believe that such a God could be particularly demanding or judgmental. Therefore, they don’t understand how He could possibly let such things happen. Maybe He doesn’t really exist, or if He does exist, He doesn’t really care.
At the heart of these questions is a misconception about the reality of God and our world, because both are far more complicated than the narrow understanding of their worldview. The benign God of their imagination doesn’t exist and the world can be a very hard place in which to live. The God of scripture, who really does exist, is very different from their imagination. He is Holy, infinite, transcendent, glorious, righteous and loving, far above us and far beyond our comprehension. He is good, but His righteousness wars against the sin of this world and demands judgement on it. Yet, bound up with His righteous judgment is His unbounded love and mercy. God created and sustains all of creation, and His sovereignty extends to every single detail of it. He clothes the lilies of the field, feeds the birds of the air, and attends to every sparrow that falls (Matt. 6:26–28; 10:29). Yet, this is a fallen world because of sin. It is a world of death, transience, and futility. This is a place where the devil roams free and where we can suffer calamity, including from diseases like Covid-19. In its present fallen condition, the world is not supposed to be a secure, trouble-free, and always happy place. And yet, God’s sovereignty mitigates that world. Although bad things happen, in His sovereign will He continues to love His creation. The many beauties, satisfactions, and pleasures of life that we enjoy are the deeper signs of God’s sovereignty. So why doesn’t God just make everything good and perfect? Well, He did, in the Garden of Eden, the paradise that we rejected, and He will again, in the eternal paradise that He has prepared for His people. In the meantime, we must live in this very imperfect world. But, remember that this is also the world in which God redeems us from our sins. God entered into this broken world in the person of Jesus Christ, who subjected Himself to its sin and death in order to save us. This is the world where we whom He has saved are called to do battle against sin, resist temptation, oppose evil, do good works, and experience all the trials and tribulations that can strengthen us in our faith and prepare us for eternal life. In light of God’s sovereignty, tragedies like the pandemic should remind us to “lay up” for ourselves “treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:19–20). We should meet them with repentance (Luke 13:5); cling to Christ in faith (Ps. 63:8); pray for deliverance (Matt. 6:13); and live out our faith, particularly in our workplace, family, church and community (Matt. 22:36–40). Because God is still sovereign, and always will be, we can stand on His promise: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Seek Wisdom; Pray Big
“If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1: 5 James 1: 1-12 As lockdown eases in some countries, and in some Provinces here in Canada, the reactions to the developments have varied. There have been limited demonstrations against the lockdown and a greater amount of comment that the easing is coming too soon. Governments surely have difficult decisions in this area looking to the health of their people and their economies. The situation is certainly more complex than an either or decision as the two issues are so closely entwined. A third major issue can be added into the mix; the environment. The International Energy Agency have announced a CO2 reduction of 8%. Opinions vary as to whether this is all good or whether it includes a difficult message for the global economy (the documentary ‘Planet of the Humans’ has further stirred the pot on this matter). Social justice, poverty, freedom, globalism and protectionism are other major realities; there are more! So as the Church what is our role, how are we to react; what is God calling us to do? In one simple answer we are to fulfil our Baptismal Covenant (p158-159 https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/BAS.pdf). To aid us in this mission, to help us understand how to keep our promises, there is encouragement from James in our reading today. Firstly he calls us to be intentionally joyful when facing trails and difficulties as God is working in us to develop us through them (vs. 2-3). Then he challenges us to persevere so God’s work will be completed (vs. 4). As we find and face difficulties and confusion the encouragement is to ask God for His wisdom rather than immediate relief from that which we are facing. Once we receive His guidance we are to hold onto it without doubt, this gives us an anchor in our circumstances so that we are not tossed like a wave on the sea in doublemindedness (vs. 5-8). In this approach there is one final gem of guidance; we are to hold onto the bigger picture of God’s love and sovereignty rather than focus intently on the problems; there are eternal purposes at play (vs. 12). This will enable us to find the Lord’s wisdom and pray ‘big’ in the way that He asks, guarding us against a ‘me’ centred, small focus reaction (1 Timothy 2: 1-6). To Ponder: What do you think about the easing of the lockdown and Government decisions? What does your answer reveal about your perspective? Apply James’ guidance to the Baptismal vows – how do you now view and pray for the situation? Prayer: Almighty and everliving God, let your Fatherly hand ever be over us your servants; let your Holy Spirit ever be with us; and so lead us in the knowledge and obedience of your word, that we may serve you in this life, and dwell with you in the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (From the BAS Baptism service) Praise: The Perfect Wisdom of our God Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSnzYnOe6kI Forty-three years ago, I was in Britain, about to go by bicycle around Britain and Europe. I was 24 years old, had been a Christian for one year, and had made money selling murals to the new Calgary Airport. I was on one of the many treks of my youth.
As soon as I stepped off Freddy Laker Airways in London, from every speaker the same #1 song was blasting out to a reggae beat: "By the rivers of Babylon There we sat down Yeah we wept When we remembered Zion... Now how shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" Being a new Christian, I didn't know that this pop hit was using the words of Psalm 137. Strange land, indeed. Three thousand years prior to this, Israel was in exile in Babylon for 70 years. They were a defeated and homeless people, asking themselves and God why this disaster happened. How could they remember Jerusalem if it was wrecked? How could they still have faith if the Temple was gone? How could they sing the Lord's song in a strange land? Psalm 137 ends by asking God to destroy their enemies with violence. The exile did end. Israel did eventually return and rebuild. But nothing was the same as before. The exile and afterwards turned to be one of Israel's most fruitful times for its faith in God. If God could get us through that, then even if we were being punished for our sins, God restores and forgives. Life with God goes on. There is always the promise of God that redemption and even better times will come. Slowly this became the hope of a Messiah who would once and for all trounce Israel's enemies. Things would be even better than they were under King David. God did send his Messiah. It was Jesus. But in many ways he was not who people expected. His new kingdom was not about human power but God's grace, not about defeating enemies but forgiving them. We are going through a short exile from what is familiar: barred from gathering with others, no longer worshipping in our familiar temple we call church, not to mention some lives lost due to the Covid 19 virus. While I don't see this time primarily as a judgment on our sin, I do see this time as a dislocation, an exile from how things were. And I even see this time as fruitful, as Israel's exile was fruitful in hearing God's word, reflection on our common life, and in realizing again how important family and church really are. Will what matters most survive our present exile? The new normal ahead of us may well challenge old habits we hoped to return to. Here's what I remember from that summer of 1978: We CAN sing the Lord's song in a strange land. |
Preachers BlogIn 2024, each week's blog is a follow-up reflection written by the preceding Sunday’s preacher to dig deeper into the sermon topic and explore engaging discussion questions. Archives
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