Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 11:26–12:13a | Psalm 51:1–12 | Ephesians 4:1–16 | John 6:24–35
An invitation for reflection on the Scriptures from Rev. Rob. There are many ways that God can speak to us through Holy Scripture, including times of silence, quiet reflection, and sharing. Just as we did these last few weeks, I invite us to personally think about these questions arising from our Scripture readings. We’ll take 3-4 minutes together in silence for us to reflect on each question. You might find it helpful to write down your answers, but you don’t need to share your answers with anyone. For questions 1 & 3, those who feel comfortable doing so are invited to share their responses in a word or two, but even then, no one has to share unless they would like to. 1. What words, ideas, or images stood out to you as the Scripture passages were read? Why did they stand out? [If anyone feels able to share their response in a word or two here, please do]. 2. In response to King David’s acts of exploitation, adultery, and murder, the LORD sent the prophet Nathan to confront David, to expose the truth of his guilt, and to pronounce God’s just response. David repents (Psalm 51 is his prayer of confession), and the LORD spares his life, but the consequences of his sins cause all sorts of chaos in his family for years to come. Reflect on the impact that David’s ‘secret’ sins had on his wider community. How might the ways we live in ‘private’ have much wider consequences, either negatively or positively? 3. In our second reading, St. Paul claims that Christian maturity is not simply about private ‘spirituality’, but is really inseparable from the shared life of the wider Christian community. He emphasizes the vital importance of Christian unity, not only with each other, but with Christ Jesus Himself, promoting a tangible way of life that seeks to maintain these vital relationships (for instance: being led by humility, patience, gentleness, peace, truthfulness, and love). What are some of the specific ways that being a part of the Christian community (that is, a Church family) can help to us grow closer to God and to each other, and also to grow more like Jesus Christ our Saviour? [If anyone feels able to share their response in a word or two here, please do]. 4. In our Gospel reading, Jesus challenges the crowd that was following after Him not to “work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27). We too can often become preoccupied with things in life that truly do not matter when considered in light of the Kingdom of God. Instead, Jesus invites the crowd (and us!) to do the “work” of faithfully believing in Him, the one God has sent to bring eternal life to the world. What might God be asking us to let go of at this time? How might God be challenging us to trust in Jesus in a deeper way?
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As of July 31, New Brunswick ended it's Provincial COVID-19 restrictions. To find out what this means for us at St. Luke's GP, please go to our website's homepage for a recent update. Starting Sunday July 18, our Priest-in-Charge here at St. Luke's Gondola Point, Rev. Rob Montgomery, is on holiday, and he will be returning to us on Sunday August 15. While he is away, we will continue to offer Morning Prayer services each week (both In-Person in the St. Luke's GP Hall, and here on our Parish website), led by our great Lay Reader team. Also during this time, instead of our usual sermons we will be offered some Reflection Questions each week to help us hear and respond to God's word to us in a different way. Reading the Holy Scriptures together is a powerful and life-giving practice of the Church. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing videos from the Bible Project to help us read the Holy Scriptures with a deeper understanding. Two weeks ago, the video was part 1 of their "How To Read The Bible" series, called: "What is the Bible?" Last week's video was part 2, called: "The Story of the Bible." This week's video is part 3, called: "Literary Styles." All are well worth watching, and can be found below: Our service of Morning Prayer, Bulletin, & Reflection Questions this week can be found here: Our All-Ages Song for this season can be found here: And our Songs for this week can be found here: Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 11:1–15 | Psalm 14 | Ephesians 3:14–21 | John 6:1–21
An invitation for reflection on the Scriptures from Rev. Rob. There are many ways that God can speak to us through Holy Scripture, including times of silence and quiet reflection. Just as we did last week, I invite us to personally think about these questions arising from our Scripture readings. We’ll take 3-4 minutes together in silence for us to reflect on each question. You might find it helpful to write down your answers, but you don’t need to share your answers with anyone. For question 3, those who feel comfortable doing so are invited to share their response in a word or two, but even then, no one has to share unless they would like to. 1. What words, ideas, or images stood out to you as the Scripture passages were read? Why did they stand out? 2. Today’s first reading tells the story of David’s fall: though he already had so much, he saw a beautiful woman that was not his wife, he took her for his own enjoyment, which led to shame, even more sins to cover it up, and disaster. This story follows a familiar pattern in the Bible, starting with Adam & Eve in the garden (Genesis Chapter 3); who already had paradise, but saw the beautiful forbidden fruit, took it for themselves, leading to shame, more sins, and disaster. We are all often tempted to think we don’t have what we truly need. Does this story bring to mind any past failures to resist temptations in our own lives? Can we remember times when we were able to resist temptations instead? 3. In our second reading St. Paul invites Christians, being strengthened by God’s Spirit, by faith in Jesus, and grounded in love, to consider the vast love of Christ and in Him be filled with God’s fullness. For St. Paul, understanding the love of God was the powerful source of life for Christians. Reflect for a moment on what it means for you (the real you, failures, warts, and all) to be loved by Jesus Christ enough for Him to die for you. What does this amazing truth stir up in your mind or heart? [If anyone feels able to share their response in a word or two here, please do]. 4. In the Gospel reading today, starting with only one boy’s little lunch, Jesus miraculously provides more than enough food for thousands of hungry people. Throughout Scripture and history, God has done amazing, seemingly impossible things through His people, providing in ways no one could have imagined when it seemed there wasn’t enough. What are the concerns on our hearts today that we can bring before the LORD? What tempts us to think we don’t have what we need (as individuals and as a Church), and will we choose to bring these needs to Jesus, trusting in His love for us, even if He may respond in ways we cannot yet imagine? Starting last week (Sunday July 18), our Priest-in-Charge here at St. Luke's Gondola Point, Rev. Rob Montgomery, is on holiday, and he will be returning to us on Sunday August 15. While he is away, we will continue to offer Morning Prayer services each week (both In-Person in the St. Luke's GP Hall, and here on our Parish website), led by our great Lay Reader team. Also during this time, instead of our usual sermons we will be offered some Reflection Questions each week to help us hear and respond to God's word to us in a different way. Reading the Holy Scriptures together is a powerful and life-giving practice of the Church. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing videos from the Bible Project to help us read the Holy Scriptures with a deeper understanding. Last week's video was part 1 of their "How To Read The Bible" series, called: "What is the Bible?" This week's video is part 2, called: "The Story of the Bible." Both can be found below: Our service of Morning Prayer, Bulletin, & Reflection Questions this week can be found here: Our All-Ages Song for this season can be found here: And our Songs for this week can be found here: Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1–14a | Psalm 89:20–37 | Ephesians 2:11–22 | Mark 6:30–34, 53–56
An invitation for reflection on the Scriptures from Rev. Rob. There are many ways that God can speak to us through Holy Scripture, including times of silence and quiet reflection. This week, I invite us to personally think about these questions arising from our Scripture readings. We’ll take 2-3 minutes together in silence for us to reflect on each question. You might find it helpful to write down your answers, but you don’t need to share your answers with anyone. In the weeks to come, those who feel comfortable with doing so will be invited to share some short answers, but even then, no one has to share unless they would like to. _____________________________ 1. What words, ideas, or images stood out to you as the Scripture passages were read? Why did they stand out? 2. David desired to make a literal house (that is, a Temple) for the LORD, but instead God promised to establish David’s house (that is, a ruling family) through one of David’s descendants. This is the hope of God’s chosen Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus. Can you recall a time when it seemed that God redirected or adjusted your expectations and plans? If so, what was the result? 3. St. Paul speaks of Christian communities themselves as being the true holy temple; their shared lives as a “space” for the Living God to actively dwell in, bound together and built upon Jesus Christ Himself. These communities are made up of believing Israelites and people from all other nations, united to God and to each other in and by the Risen Lord Jesus. How do you see this special kind of community (that is, very different people bound together by Jesus) at work among us? What might we do to nurture this even more? 4. In the Gospel reading, Jesus invites His apostles to retreat and rest by themselves after their time of intense ministry, yet He also has compassion on the crowds (made up of Jews from Galilee, and also Gentiles from Gennesaret) who were drawn to Him in need of God’s healing, help, and hope. Can you recognize ways that our Church community can be sources of spiritual strength for us, and also help connect others with the compassion and healing love of Jesus? 5. Our current Parish Mission Statement is: “To build on our Foundation so that the whole family may grow into oneness on Christ.” How might our Scripture readings this week help us think about our Mission Statement in new ways? What might words like “build”, “Foundation”, “whole family”, “oneness” mean in light of these readings? Starting today (Sunday July 18), our Priest-in-Charge here at St. Luke's Gondola Point, Rev. Rob Montgomery, is on holiday, and he will be returning to us on Sunday August 15. While he is away, we will continue to offer Morning Prayer services each week (both In-Person in the St. Luke's GP Hall, and here on our Parish website), led by our great Lay Reader team. Also during this time, instead of our usual sermons we will be offered some Reflection Questions each week to help us hear and respond to God's word to us in a different way. Reading the Holy Scriptures together is a powerful and life-giving practice of the Church. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing videos from the Bible Project to help us read the Holy Scriptures with a deeper understanding. This week's video is part 1 of their "How To Read The Bible" series, called: "What is the Bible?" Our service of Morning Prayer, Bulletin, & Reflection Questions this week can be found here: Our All-Ages Song for this season can be found here: And our Songs for this week can be found here: Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 6:1–5, 12b–19 | Psalm 24 | Ephesians 1:3–14 | Mark 6:14–29
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, / the world and all who dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1) As of the end of August, my family and I will have been living here in New Brunswick for 5 years. I’m not sure how long it takes, exactly, before we’re officially considered Maritimers… but I hope it’s not too much longer. Truth be told, we love it here. Coming to New Brunswick from Ontario was certainly an adventure… one that has had a huge impact on us, with it’s full share of big adjustments, joys, and even challenges. In many ways, it was a truly life-changing decision to put down roots here; re-orienting every aspect of our day to day lives, and redirecting the course of our family’s future… where we’ll work, worship, and go to school… what communities we’ll connect with… not to mention a newfound appreciation for really good seafood. Where we dwell shapes us. And so does who we dwell with. And five years on, I’m certainly glad to be dwelling here with you. In our Scripture readings today from 2 Samuel and the Gospel of Mark, we are invited to hear what happens when God comes to dwell in the midst of His people; making His holy presence known in new and profound ways. In our reading from 2 Samuel we heard about one of King David’s triumphant adventures: bringing the Ark of the covenant of God to his new capital city, Jerusalem. The ark was sacred for many reasons. Notably, it held the stone tablets of the commandments… God’s written covenant with Israel. But even more than that, the ark was itself a tangible sign of God’s royal presence among His people. The scholar, Patricia Dutcher-Walls, drives home the ark’s significance: “The ark of God was the most powerful symbol of the Lord’s presence with Israel at that time. The container for the tablets of the commandments had accompanied the people for years on their journey toward the Promised Land and during their time of settlement on the land. The ark was more than a box; it was a visible symbol of God’s awesome presence for and with the people… Now David brings this potent symbol of God’s power and might up to Jerusalem.”[1] Now that he had secured a unified kingdom, centred on Jerusalem, King David sought to publicly honour and glorify the LORD, bringing God’s holy presence into David’s royal city. Again, Dutcher-Walls says it well: “When David brings the ark to Jerusalem, he literally brings God into the center of his kingship.”[2] It’s a moment full of anticipation… a sacred adventure, with “David and all the house of Israel… dancing before the Lord with all their might” (2 Samuel 6:5). But like most adventures, this one had its share of serious adjustments and challenges too… ones that are easy for us to miss today because of the verses our lectionary happens to skip over this week. In 2 Samuel 6:6-12, the adventure starts getting bumpy… literally. The ark, the sacred symbolic marker of the presence of Almighty God begins to slip off the ox-drawn cart that had been carrying it, and a man named Uzzah reaches out to steady the ark and stop it from falling. But as he does so, Uzzah is struck dead on the spot… driving home to David that God’s presence is never to be taken lightly, even with good intentions. According to God’s command, no one but the High Priests were supposed to handle the ark… even those especially chosen to carry it could only do so after it had been properly covered.[3] In his rush to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, David had been careless with the LORD… and Uzzah’s shocking death was the tragic result. Obviously, this all freaks David out. The whole procession grinds to a halt, and for three months King David leaves the ark in the house of somebody else nearby… unsure if it’s truly safe to invite God any closer. But when he hears that the man watching over the ark is being blessed by God, David takes heart, and resumes the sacred procession, to Jerusalem… this time, with much deeper reverence and respect for God’s holiness; even offering sacrifices after every six steps. But this deeper sense of reverence was matched by overwhelming joy! King David still dances before the ark in genuine celebration, even to the point of seeming undignified to his wife. Later on, she mocks him for what she sees as a ‘vulgar’ and ‘shameless’ display, but David does not seem bothered at all about losing himself in worshipping God. And when the ark finally arrives, King David offers a feast: bread, and meat, and raisin cakes, shared with one and all… rejoicing in God’s symbolic arrival to Jerusalem as Israel’s King. From now on, David’s city would be the centre of Israel’s spiritual life. The whole nation’s relationship with God would have to adjust as the ark found a permanent home, but with that change came a renewed sense of God’s presence dwelling with them, and all the hope and joy that this divine fellowship brings. Turning now to Mark’s Gospel, we find the story of the fate of John the Baptist, the prophet-herald of God’s coming King. The Gospel of Mark begins by introducing us to John in the wilderness, who was sent, in the words of Isaiah the prophet, to “prepare the way of the Lord”, and “make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3). John is portrayed as a faithful messenger, called to prepare God’s people for the coming of God’s Messiah, the Christ, their Anointed Saviour King… who was on His way to rescue, and right the wrongs of Israel… restoring God’s holy blessed presence, and dwelling with them again. St. Mark tells us that a huge part of John’s mission was to remind his fellow Israelites that they were all called to be God’s holy people, set apart to live in God’s holy ways… calling them to turn their lives around… to seek and receive the LORD’s forgiveness. And many believed John’s message; getting ready for God’s return by being baptized in the Jordan River, and turning away from sin… finding new joy and hope in their renewed devotion to the LORD. But John’s preaching got him in hot water with one of Israel’s overlords: Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee under the Romans, along with his wife Herodias, didn’t like having their unlawful relationship called into question by John, which led to his unjust arrest, and murderous execution. On it’s own, this seems like yet another tragic account of powerful people getting what they want, and good people paying for it all with their lives. But this part of the story belongs to the wider adventure of Mark’s Gospel as a whole: to the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sent to save us… through His own suffering. N.T. Wright locates the story of John’s terrible and tragic death as an important foretaste of the path Jesus Himself would soon take to fulfill His mission: “Mark’s readers… realize that if the herald has come to a bad end at the hands of wicked people, the monarch may go the same way. If this is what happens to prophets, think what will happen to the king himself. This king, too, has been despised by his own family… and will end up rejected by all.”[4] John was sent to prepare his people, to get them ready for God to dwell with them… to help them get ready for God’s gifts of joy and hope, through forgiveness and New Life. But he also shared in the suffering and rejection of his coming King… killed for staying true to the LORD and His holy ways… and pointing ahead to Christ’s own arrival to Jerusalem, where He reconciled our sin-filled world to God by becoming the Crucified King… then renewing our joy and hope by rising again from the grave. John’s story speaks loudly of the opposition, the resistance to God drawing near to us, exposing our darkness in the sacred light of His holy love. But instead of giving in to the pressures and pain he faced, John chose to centre his life around the will of the Living God, entrusting his future fate into the hands of his heavenly King. And as John shared in Christ’s sufferings, so too will he share in Christ’s glory, reminding us that even if others reject or hurt us for following Jesus, the Risen Lord is with all those who place their trust in Him… and one day He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and share with us the unending, joy-filled New Life of God. Together, these two sacred stories have much to tell us about dwelling with God… about what comes with sharing our lives with the Risen Lord. Both call us to get ready for the coming of God in our lives: to not take His presence with us lightly, but receive it with reverence and joy, welcoming God’s holy love to reorient, and transform us. Both remind us that we too can expect to face our share of resistance… that not everyone will welcome a closer connection to the Risen Christ, and that we will likely experience our own rough roads on this journey. And both remind us to place our hope in the presence and power of the LORD: that all the many ups and downs of this adventure are worth it, because they’re a part of sharing in the blessed kingdom of Jesus Christ… the one true kingdom that will never be overcome… that will never end. So as we consider our own journeys so far, and what might lie before us, may we all grow deeper in the desire to truly dwell with the LORD: to let His holy love shape and re-arrange all that we are, and all we do. May we find in Christ the hope and joy that God has prepared for His people, sustaining us in our own struggles with the promise of sharing in His New Life. And may we press on, and encourage one another to stay true to our Risen King and His Kingdom, who rules, not just in Jerusalem, but over all the earth… even here, in the Maritimes, and Gondola Point. Amen. [1] Patricia Dutcher-Walls, “Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B,” in The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday’s Texts, Volume One (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 197. [2] Ibid. 196. [3] See Numbers chapter 15. [4] N. T. Wright, Twelve Months of Sundays: Reflections on Bible Readings, Year B (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2002), 87. Starting next Sunday (July 18), our Priest-in-Charge here at St. Luke's Gondola Point, Rev. Rob Montgomery, will be on holiday, returning to us on Sunday August 15. While he is away, we will continue to offer Morning Prayer services each week (both In-Person in the St. Luke's GP Hall, and here on our Parish website), led by our great Lay Reader team. Also during this time, instead of our usual sermons we will be offered some Reflection Questions each week to help us here and respond to God's word to us in a different way. Reading the Holy Scriptures together is a powerful and life-giving practice of the Church. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing videos from the Bible Project to help us read the Holy Scriptures with a deeper understanding. Here is this week's video, discussing the Public Reading of Scripture in the life of God's people: Our service of Morning Prayer, Bulletin, & Sermon this week can be found here: Our All-Ages Song for this season can be found here: And our Songs for this week can be found here: Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 5:1–5, 9–10 | Psalm 48 | 2 Corinthians 12:2–10 | Mark 6:1–13
“So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). There’s an old saying that comes to mind: ‘familiarity breeds contempt.’ The more we think we know something, or someone, the more we tend to dismiss their significance or value. While not true in every case, this can be an easy trap to fall into: treating those closest to us far worse than they deserve, or rolling our eyes when someone we know really well tries to influence us. We might be tempted to ask: “Just who do they think they are?” “What gives them the right?” “Do they think that they know better than us?” “Do they think that they are better than us?” As strange as it may sound, sometimes its harder to gain the confidence of those we’re closest to… to challenge or change how they already perceive us. And yet throughout the Scriptures, we find the Living God at work, transforming the familiar, the simple, the ordinary into the precious gifts of His Kingdom… challenging and renewing how we look at everything and everyone… including ourselves. In our Scripture readings today, from 2 Samuel and the Gospel of Mark, our attention is drawn to two very different responses to God’s chosen ones: inviting us to consider how we are to respond as well. The first reading tells of how David was welcomed by Israel as their new King. A few weeks ago, we heard how God had secretly chosen David to replace Saul as Israel’s king, after the latter repeatedly proved himself to be unfaithful to the LORD. At the time, David was just a simple shepherd, tending his father’s flocks, but with the LORD at work in his life, he became a powerful soldier, and a well-loved general. After Saul’s demise, we’re told that David, despite his humble beginnings, received the whole nation’s confidence, and they happily accepted him as their king. This passage offers a simple, straightforward picture of God’s people saying ‘yes’ to the one the LORD had anointed and chosen to reign over His good Kingdom. The passage from Mark’s Gospel, on the other hand, paints a very different picture: where rather than being received, we find God’s chosen One is rejected… despised by those closest to Him: Christ’s own family and neighbours. Returning to His hometown of Nazareth, after an intense season of ministry, Jesus continued His mission and work, sharing the Good News of God’s Kingdom. He began by teaching in the synagogue, and at first all seems well. But soon it’s clear the people of Nazareth are having a hard time reconciling the Jesus they thought they knew with the One standing before them. The scholar Morna Hooker describes the scene like this: “The congregation is astonished at his wisdom and at the mighty works… that are performed at his hands: they recognize him as the agent of a supernatural power. But their astonishment quickly turns to disbelief: he cannot be what he seems, since they know who he is and where he comes from.”[1] Despite His words of wisdom, despite the miracles, and works of power they had heard about, they all still doubted, dismissed, and looked down on Jesus. “Where did this man get all this?” they said, “What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” (Mark 6:2-3) In other words, they were saying to themselves: “Who does He think He is?” Another New Testament scholar, Peter Marty, has this to say: “The tone of Jesus’ reception by his family and “friends” is hardly warm. Their language is shaded with negativity. They seem to appreciate the results of what they see Jesus doing, even if it puzzles them in large measure. But they do not appreciate him. They do not accept him for who he is.” [2] At issue in Nazareth wasn’t His message, or the Kingdom work He was doing… the source of their doubt, their biggest obstacle was their ideas of Jesus Himself. They thought they already knew all there was to know about Him… that He was no different than them, despite all the rumors and signs to the contrary. They could not see how the little, ordinary child they had seen grow up before their eyes could be something more; could be the One chosen by the LORD to finally bring in His Kingdom… could be Someone who actually embodied the Living God in human flesh… that Mary’s boy could also be the only begotten Son of God. How often are we tripped up by what we think we know about Jesus? Dismissing and disregarding what He is revealing to us about Himself, because we remain unwilling to let our old ideas be challenged? Our assumptions about His character? His intentions? His will for us? This episode in Nazareth reminds us of how important it is for all of us not to try to put Jesus in a box… not to pretend we have Him all figured out… but instead to be open to the surprising, life-long journey of growing closer to Him. Of learning to listen to His voice, and to trust Him more and more. Because of their unbelief, the people of Nazareth missed out that day… limiting their contact with the healing, freeing power of God’s Kingdom, which was standing right before their eyes in Someone they thought they knew so well. They rejected Jesus; foreshadowing where Mark’s Gospel is headed. Not toward earthly success, but towards suffering… and salvation. Towards the Son of God enduring the rejection of the world on the cross, in order to reconcile the world to the Living God. In the rejection of Jesus by His own family and neighbours, Marty writes: “we get a taste of the challenging task Jesus will face in his ministry, all the way to the cross. We [also] see some demanding features of what the full mission entails for those who choose to follow him.”[3] Which leads us to the Disciples of Jesus: that odd assortment of ordinary folk… fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, and others with unknown professions. They had been chosen by Christ to follow Him: to take part in His mission and ministry, and to join Him in sharing God’s Kingdom with the world around them. Who did they think they were? What were their qualifications for such a serious, significant calling? Just one: They had been with Jesus. Bearing witness to what He was saying and doing… even as they still struggled to understand it all. After all, Mark’s Gospel paints the Disciples as pretty clueless most of the time… yet these are the people that Jesus entrusts with the mission of God’s Kingdom. Ordinary, simple, familiar people, empowered and sent by Jesus to change the world. How did He send them? Not with lots of provisions or earthly possessions… encouraging them instead to trust in God, and on the goodwill of their neighbours… though, after Christ’s own rejection by His family and hometown, it’s clear that they too should be prepared to face rejection as well. He did not send them alone either, but together… as pairs of witnesses. As small communities of faith sent out to share the Good News. And He did not send them to gain honour, power, or influence for themselves, but to offer a place in God’s Kingdom to anyone who would welcome it: proclaiming repentance… turning around lives, not just heaping on guilt. Casting out demons… bringing spiritual freedom to those bound by darkness. Curing the sick… touching lives with tangible help, healing, and hope. They were sent to be living signs of God’s Kingdom… God’s holy love breaking into our world. As Disciples of Jesus Christ today, who do we think we are? How do we envision our own role in this ongoing story? There was a time when Christians wanted, and even expected to rule… to possess great power and influence in our wider society. For many years, we saw this as God’s calling for the Church: to be the ones who called the shots… and for a time, that’s what we did. Welcomed by the world as keepers of things like truth, goodness, and duty. That time is long-gone now… and there’s no going back! And with the growing divide between the Church and our wider Canadian culture… especially when we as Christians don’t live in line with God’s good Kingdom… we should not be surprised if we encounter unbelief from our neighbours. Yet Christ Jesus still sends us out to share His Kingdom with our world today. We’re sent perhaps without much worldly power, possessions, or influence… but called to trust in God’s ongoing presence, providing all we need to be faithful to His mission. We’re sent together, not alone, as a community of faith, bound to one another by God’s holy love… to strengthen each other, support one another, and challenge one another to stay true to our Lord, even when our courage starts to fail. And we’re sent, not leaning on our own strength, but in the strength of the Risen Lord… whose grace is sufficient to sustain us through every trial we face, and whose power is made perfect even in our weakness. Who do we think we are? Whether we face welcome or rejection… outward success or serious struggles… we are those who have been called to follow Jesus, the Risen King of Kings. We are those entrusted with the Good News: with the message of repentance, freedom, and hope found in Jesus Christ. We are a fellowship of simple, ordinary, familiar people, graciously being drawn into the family of the Living God… not because we deserve it more than others, but so that we can invite them too! So that the world might come to know the saving love of Jesus, and with us share in the New Life of His eternal Kingdom. Amen. [1] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel according to Saint Mark, Black’s New Testament Commentary (London: Continuum, 1991), 152. [2] Peter W. Marty, “Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year B,” in The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday’s Texts, Volume Three, ed. Roger E. Van Harn (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 213. [3] Ibid. Our service of Morning Prayer, Bulletin, & Sermon this week can be found here: Our All-Ages Song for this season can be found here: And our Songs for this week can be found here: |
Rev. RObRev. Rob serves as the Priest-in-Charge at St. Luke's Gondola Point, and as the School Chaplain at Rothesay Netherwood School Archives
December 2024
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