The theme for this week is Be Not Afraid Justice Shall be Done

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• From the Jewish Scriptures: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
• From the Gospel: Luke 1:47-55 (VU p.898)
• From the Gospel: Luke 1:68-79 (VU p.900)

The Hymns this week are

• 1 O Come, O Come Emmanuel (vss 1,3,5,7)
• 44 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
• 899 Song of Mary
• 46 Gentle Mary Laid Her Child

The sermon title is Songs of Justice

Early Thoughts: There is something revolutionary about Christmas. The coming of the babe in the manger brings a new changed world. Are you ready for God's justice to break into the world? Are you ready for the kingdom to come?


We tend to have a romantic vision of Mary. From the moment of the Annunciation through to the stable she is seen as a meek willing servant of God. And the Christmas story itself is romanticized with sweet smelling hay and gentle animals and a baby who "no crying he makes".

But Christmas has a revolutionary side to it. In a column for the Progress in 2002 I wrote:

...Mary sings a song that is nothing less than revolutionary. In Luke 1:47-55 Mary sings about the promise of God to overturn the tables of the powerful. Mary calls for the world to be reordered, for justice to be done, for the Reign of God to begin. This is the truth of Christmas.

On Christmas day we celebrate the birth of the child that sparked Mary 's song. As an adult this child would proclaim his ministry with words that echoed his mother's cry for justice (Luke 4:18-19). If we follow the path he followed, then we need to join in the struggle to fill the hungry with good things, to lift up the lowly, and to free those who are oppressed. On Christmas we mark the beginning of the revolution that will bring on the age of peace, the age where lion lies down with lamb and all have that which they need to live.

Christian faith is not mainly about individuals feeling good about themselves. It is not mainly about life beyond this one. Christian faith is mainly about how we live together in this life, it is about community. The path laid out by the Christ child is one of justice in this world. At Christmas we are flooded with requests for charity. But to truly celebrate Christmas we need to do more than write the cheques and donate the food.

The true Christmas gift is to make changes in society so that people don't need our donations to make it through the cold winter. What will our gift be this year?

This year, as we prepare once again to sing about angels and shepherds, I urge us once more to hear Mary's song of revolution. This year let us join in the revolution of faith - a faith that calls for a world renewed, a people restored, and a hope fulfilled.

This Sunday we will read one of the most revolutionary texts in all of Scripture. In fact reading it is rumoured to have been banned at times (I'll check into that and let you know on Sunday). Mary's song is a song of God's Justice. It is a song that calls for the world order to be turned on its head. So too is Zechariah's song, albeit a little less forcefully.

At Christmas we talk about light breaking through the darkness of oppression and inequity. We talk about God choosing to come to earth as a member of the underclass. We talk about the God who brings freedom to the captive, who dethrones the mighty, who sends messengers to lead us in The Way.

As the Christmas revolution takes hold, which side will we find ourselves on? How will we join in the songs of justice?
--Gord

SO the Church Geeks amongst us can enjoy!

OR at least that would be my guess.

The General COuncil Office now has a link to a variety of Church Documents. This includes minutes of GCE and letters from the MOderator and other stuff (with more to be added I assume.

You can find it here

Christmas Messages from the Moderator

AS Christmas draws near the National Church has published a number of messages from the Right Reverend David Giuliano, Moderator of the United Church of Canada.

David has written a prayer for peace in Bethlehem. Read some background about this here

Or you could read the Observer piece Our Place in the Pageant

ANd then there is David's video message from the United Church YouTube channel Watch it below:

Looking Ahead to December 7, 2008 -- 2nd of Advent

The theme this week is Be not afraid prophetic peace be with you

This week we will be celebrating the sacrament of baptism with two children being baptised.

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• From the Jewish Scriptures: Isaiah 11:1-10
• Psalm 72 (VU p.790)
• From the Gospel: Luke 3:7-18

The Hymns this week are:

• O What a Wonderful Gift (insert)
• 644 I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry
• 18 There’s a Voice in the Wilderness
• 27 Tomorrow Christ is Coming

The sermon title is Peace for Our Children

Early Thoughts: What is this peace for which we pray? Prophetic passages often seem wrathful and angry, not peaceful. But is there peace to be found there?

Every parent wonders about it at one time or another. What sort of world will my children grow up in? Will it be better or will it fall apart? Will my children and their friends know peace or conflict, prosperity or poverty, contentment or anxiety, hope or despair?

The Scripture promise is that of a world of peace. But this peace is a differenrt vision than the peace of empire (be it Davidic/Judean, or Babylonian, or Roman or American). Imperial peace is based on crushing the opposition. Imperial peace is based not the iron fist keeping the "rabble" in their place. The books we call Scripture were largely written as a protest against domination and Imperial peace. SCripture's vision of peace is based in justice and abundance for all.

The peace we wish for our children is that broader vision. The peace we are promised is what Isaiah describes often, including the passage we read this week. But how do we get there? How do we prepare the way for the reign of peace?

Biblical prophecy is an interesting animal. It really is not (as many assume) about predicting the future. More it is about truth-telling, calling people to account, naming the consequences of behaviour. Andso a lot of prophetic language appears wrathful and mean. John the Baptist is an excellent example. Apparently John is unfamiliar with diplomatic niceties and gentle language. Instead he calls the powerful in his world a brood of vipers and talks about an axe that will cut them down. Little wonder that John's career came to an untimely and bloody end.

But if we are serious about working towards the peace promised by scripture we need to pay heed to the role of the prophet. Only when we listen to the voices that name our reality for what it is can we see what might need to be changed. Only when we are willing to have our own culpability in the world's disfunction brought to light are we able to move forward. The prophets have a key role in preparing the way for God's work to happen.

What needs to happen to pass on true peace to our children? What preparations do we need to make? In three weeks we celebrate the birth of one who was called the Prince of Peace. At Christmas we remind ourselves that God breaks into the world to try and create the world God envisions. As we prepare for that in-breaking, how do we prepare for the vision?
--Gord

Looking Ahead to November 30, 2008 -- 1st of Advent

The theme for this week is Be Not Afraid, a new world is coming

As it is the first Sunday of Advent we will be celebrating the sacrament of communion.

The Scripture Readings are:

• From the Jewish Scriptures: Isaiah 65:17-23
• From the Writings of the Early Church: Revelation 21:1-4
• From the Gospel: Mark 13:24-37

The Hymns this week are:

• Advent Hope (insert)
• 9 People Look East
• 2 Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
• 481 Sent Forth by God’s Blessing

The meditation title is There's a new world somewhere...

Early Thoughts: Advent means waiting, but what are we waiting for? Is it just a baby born long ago or is there something else?

It seems a little bit strange. As the rest of the world ramps up into a frenzy of gift buying (although maybe not so much this year) and baking and decorating the church starts its season of preparation with a discussion of the end-times. No wonder people sometimes wonder if the church is in step with the world. (Of course a strong argument can be made that the church should not be in step with the world but that is a whole other area for discussion.)

In order to explain why we have this happen we need to ask a whole set of questions. What are we getting ready for? Is Christmas just about the story in Luke's gospel? What hope for the present and future does Christmas offer?

In terms of faith Advent and Christmas are not only about the story of a child in the manger. The power of Christmas is that it speaks of a birth here and now. When we celebrate the birth of Christ we are celebrating God breaking into our world again. The incarnation is not a once and for all event, God becomes incarnate in every human birth (to quote a favorite Advent hymn).

The Scripture passages talk about the coming of a new world, a new time. The new world is coming. The Promised Land is in sight. Every year at Advent we prepare for God to break into our world again, we prepare for the world to be changed.

Because let's be honest, if God being active in the world means anything it means that we will be changed. The world right now may seem chaotic and troubled. There may be many reasons to be afraid. But Advent and Christmas remind us to Be Not Afraid, a new world is coming
--Gord

Help Wanted

As we quickly approach the Advent season we have some opportunities for involvement:

1. Do you want to light the Advent candles one week or on Christmas Eve? Check out the liturgies here and let Gord know.
2. We need an adult woman to be our narrator for our Christmas Pageant Mary Remembers on December 14
3. Also for our pageant we need some props: a wooden chest, a cowbell, some wool (not yarn), and a piece of incense
4. For Christmas Eve Gord is looking for some teens: one girl to talk about Mary's fear and a boy to talk about the Shepherd's fear. Each of these could be a dialogue or a monologue and either done live in the open, done live as a hidden voice, or pre-recorded. Talk to Gord for more information.
5. For the Community -- Coming Together for Kids at Christmas party we need people to help in the kitchen preparing and serving hot dogs and beverages. Also we may be looking for help with a clean-up crew that afternoon.
   

Looking Ahead to November 23, 2008 -- Reign of Christ Sunday

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• From the Jewish Scriptures: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
• Psalm 100 (VU p.824)
• From the Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

The Hymns this week are:

• 822 All People That on Earth Do Dwell
• 713 I See a New Heaven
• 598 When Pain of the World Surrounds Us
• 604 In Loving Partnership We Come

The Sermon Title is How Then Shall We Live?

Early Thoughts: We have all heard sermons about how we should live. But how will we live? Are we sheep or goats? How are we to know?

In her song How Then Shall I Live Linnea Good sings:

Took a walk outside of my walking
Stepped inside another’s shoes
Walked the dusty borders between us
Paths I’d never chosen to choose.
How then shall I live?
How then shall I live?
How then shall I live, O God?
How then shall I live?
{snip}
Saw the world outside of my looking
Gazed upon the eyes of its soul
Felt the hopes and fears of tomorrow
Found the pieces making a whole.
How then…
Took a step outside of my walking
Found within a beat that we share
Walked with the you the length of a lifetime
And made a life of living prayer
How then…
How then …

Matthew tells a parable about how the nations (not just individuals but whole nations) will be judged. And the criterion of note is that of how we treat the "least of these". So how shall we live? How do we know how we are doing?

It is easy to say that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, and visiting the lonely and imprisoned are good things to do. It is even easier to facilitate having someone do those things on our behalf. What is harder is to ask seriously how well it is happening. If the nations of the world were to be judged by that standard today how would we all fare?

In the end, I think we have to look beyond ourselves. I think the only way we can live up to the standard of caring for he least of these is to try and see the world from their eyes. We have to look at the bigger picture, to see the world outside of our looking, to find the alternatives to what we honestly and truly believe is the right and/or only way to do things. When we open ourselves to that we may well find a new beat, a new rhythm to live by. We look to walk and live in God's rhythm.

Oh and on that sheep/goat question? In all likelihood we are sheats (or should that be goep?). A little of both. And that is OK, we just have to be aware of when we are one or the other.
--Gord

Advent/Christmas Theme 2008

Soon it will be Advent. Expand the post to see what the themes are this year:

Nov 30 -- Be Not Afraid, a new world is coming
Scriptures:

• Isaiah 65:17-23
• Revelation 21:1-4 (Responsive Reading)
• Mark 13:24-37
  

Dec 7 -- Be Not Afraid, Prophetic Peace be with you
Scriptures:

• Isaiah 11:1-10
• Psalm 72 (VU p.790)
• Luke 3:7-18

Dec 14 -- Be Not Afraid, sing for joy

• Pageant Sunday
  

Dec 21 -- Be Not Afraid Justice shall be done
Scriptures:

• Luke 1:47-55 (VU p.898)
• Luke 1:68-79 (VU p.900)
• Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Dec 24 -- Be Not Afraid, the Baby means change
Scriptures:

• Isaiah 9:2-7
• Luke 1:26-38
• Luke 2:1-14

Looking Ahead to November 16, 2008 -- 27th Sunday After Pentecost

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• From the Jewish Scriptures: Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
• Psalm 90:1-12 (VU p.805 Parts 1 & 2)
• From the Letters of the Early Church: Thessalonians 5:1-11

The Hymns for this week are:

• 412 This is the Day
• 806 O God Our Help in Ages Past
• 688 O Day of God Draw Nigh
• 686 God of Grace and God of Glory

The Sermon title is When Daylight comes...

Early Thoughts: What does Scripture mean by "the Day of the Lord"? Is it a Good News story? Is it a warning? How will we know when daylight comes?

As we draw to the close of the Church Year (which starts on the 1st Sunday of Advent and ends on Reign of Christ Sunday) we usually find ourselves dealing with texts that talk about the end-times. This Sunday is a prime example.

Here we talk about the "Day of the Lord". And as with many writings about the end-times there is precious little comfort in Zephaniah's description of that. There is a little more comfort and support in Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, but still an undercurrent of fear and warning.

In Scripture the Day of the Lord is often seen as a day of judgement. We in the liberal center of the theological spectrum tend to be uncomfortable talking about God's judgement (the extreme fundamental conservatives and the extreme radical left have much less difficulty -- although those two positions focus their judgement/wrath talk somewhat differently). But really it is part of our story. And it is part of life. Judgement means choosing, it means weighing alternatives and evidence, it means shrewdly making a decision. It needn't be something we fear -- especially because, as Paul reminds us, God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.

How will we know when the day of the Lord has come? Will it be with fireworks? Will it be with mass destruction and despair? Will it be with wrath and harshness? Or is the day of the Lord already partially here? When we read the Gospels we find that Jesus proclaims a realm of God that is both here and yet to come (often called the Now and the Not Yet). So what are the signs that dawn is breaking? And how will we know that dawn has truly come?
--Gord

Lest We Forget