Scripture Readings: Isaiah 2:1–5 | Psalm 122 | Romans 13:11–14 | ​Matthew 24:36–44

“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” (Matthew 24:44)
 
Do you have any favourite holiday traditions? Practices that help you feel well prepared for this special season?
 
Maybe it’s putting up lights, or decorating a Christmas tree. Maybe it’s baking some tasty treats, or putting on a festive album or playlist. Maybe it’s getting together with friends and relations, and taking time to reconnect.
 
One tradition that I absolutely cherished as a child was counting down the days to Christmas with our family’s special Advent calendar: sort of a woven banner, with the numbers one through twenty four marked on either side, and a little white-bearded Nisse, a Nordic gnome-figure, tied to a safety pin that we’d move along every morning… marking our slow but exciting progress towards the big Christmas celebrations.
 
When I moved out, I took this Advent calendar with me, and now it’s my daughter’s turn to excitedly mark our family’s progress as Christmas Day grows ever closer.
​
There’s something exciting about these kinds of countdowns… of watching the gap between the present and a much anticipated date steadily growing smaller before our eyes… keeping us well aware that the moment we’ve been waiting for really is on it’s way, and reminding us to do whatever we need to do to get ready for it.  
 
Today, Advent calendars remain a well known and popular holiday practice, even among those without a sense of the specifically Christian nature of the season of Advent… that is, not just as a countdown to Christmas, but as a time of intentional preparation and anticipation of the return of Christ, no longer as a child in a manger, but as the King of glory, and the Saviour of our world.
 
But as our Gospel passage today reminds us, there is no clear countdown for Christ’s return. As much as we might really want to be in the know, only the Father knows the time or date of His Son’s final arrival.
And so, during the first week of Advent, we are invited to reflect on the nature of our Christian Hope, which calls us to get ready… especially when we don’t know when this hope will be realized. 

Of course, when facing any kind of uncertainty or open-endedness, it can be very tempting at times to try to find something more tangible to hold onto, and to place our hopes in. And as the Church has waited quite a while for Christ’s return… two thousand years and counting… it can be easy for us to forget where our true foundation lies, and start building our confidence upon other things… things that might seem solid enough to offer us assurance and security, but in the end they will not endure.
 
These false hopes come in all sorts of forms and disguises, but I’d like to mention just a few today.
 
The first false hope I want to look at in brief is a hope based on our shared human history and abilities… a hope that can be caught up in both our visions of pursuing progress… of leaving the past behind for a supposed better and brighter tomorrow… and it also shows up in our desires to pump the breaks and conserve our old ways of doing things.
 
Whether we’re eager to change things up, or keep things calm and steady… whether we’re more invested in what is possible or in preserving what is familiar… in both cases if our main focus and our confidence is anchored to what we are up to… what we are able to achieve, or defend, or uphold, or strive for… then we have really placed our hope in ourselves… in our own methods, and mechanisms… losing sight of the fact that the Good News calls us to look for hope beyond ourselves… and to find it in the face of Jesus Christ the Lord.
 
Now I’m not saying that we can do nothing good… that all our attempts to bring about positive change, or to preserve what is precious are not important, or even necessary. But what I am saying is that all our efforts can only get us so far. That despite everything we humans do to bring about a new utopia, or try to retrace our steps to Paradise… in the end, we cannot rescue ourselves… but the Good News is we know Someone who can!
 
And while we wait for Him, we can be actively trying to live as those who are shaped by His Good News… walking in the ways He taught us… trusting in His Spirit to guard and guide us… putting His self-giving love into practice… all while recognizing that our world’s fate does not rest in our hands, but in His. And He will not fail us! 

Now there is another false hope we should take at least a few moments to mention: the false hope of escape… of seeking simply to flee from this world and avoid all its heavy concerns.
 
This false hope has been pretty common at times among Christians… especially in some circles where ideas about Christ’s return are framed as God’s abandonment of His creation… scooping up a select few who then get to avoid times of deep tribulation… while the rest of the world’s left to burn.
 
But even those who do not hold to this explicitly escapist understanding of the fate of Christians can still end up acting as though what matters most… what God really wants for all His faithful children is that we are able to avoid anything uncomfortable. That we get through life as smoothly as possible. Or that, when things get rough, we should just give up waiting around to get out of here… that our only hope lies in counting down the days until we can fly away and leave all this mess behind us.
 
I know that this way of thinking can seem to offer some solace to those who are enduring a great deal of pain, and who are approaching the limits of their own endurance, in body, mind, or spirit. But the hope that the Scriptures offer us is not like the hope of an inmate, counting down the days until the end of their sentence. It’s more like the hope of someone who knows their rescuer is on His way. The hope, not of avoiding or retreating from the brokenness and pain of earthly life, but the hope of being led through it to receive new life on the other side… sharing in Christ’s sufferings, so we might also share in His glory.
 
To put it another way, if our hope is simply centred on escaping… we quickly become completely preoccupied with ourselves, and become oblivious to the needs of our neighbours, neglecting the work of the Kingdom that God has called us to do here and now.
  
This kind of escapist hope runs counter to the whole story of Jesus Himself, who was tempted in Gethsemane to avoid the agony of the cross, but instead of fleeing, or refusing to go through with it, He remained faithful to the end… facing death head on for us first before then rising again in glory to reign at God’s right hand. 
 
And this is where we come to the heart of the matter, to the true nature of our Christian Hope: that is, Jesus Himself… God’s Son, who for us and for our salvation, suffered and died and rose again… placing all of His hope in His Heavenly Father’s unending love and resurrecting power… and through His own faithfulness, Jesus shattered the chains of our failures, and the fear of death, finally bringing God’s New Creation into view, where sorrow and pain will be no more.
 
And now Jesus invite us to place our hope in Him to see us through… calling us to remain steadfastly His… ready and waiting for the arrival of our Saviour King, even if He takes another two thousand years. 
 
Because of the Good News of Jesus Christ… His death, His resurrection, and His promise to come again… we can have the confidence… the hope we need to get ready while we wait.
 
Ready to do his will here on earth, laying aside the works of darkness, and putting on the armour of light, as St. Paul puts it (Romans 13:12-13), diligently seeking to do what’s right, not from a sense that it’s all resting on our shoulders, but out of deep devotion to the ways of our Saviour King, confident that as we trust in and follow Jesus, His Holy Spirit will be at work in us to do far more than we could ever ask or imagine.
 
And the Good News of Jesus calls us to be ready to bare witness to this hope we have been given… not to retreat from the brokenness of our world, but to share what we know of the life-giving love of God with all those around us. So that, as the prophet Isaiah tells us,
“Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths’” (Isaiah 2:3).
 
And even though the Good News invites us also to be ready to suffer for the sake of our great Saviour King, we know that anything we go through now cannot compare with the glory that awaits His faithful ones. That all our trials and sufferings, though very real, will one day come to an end, and be replaced once and for all with sharing in the unending joys of God’s New Creation. 
 
And so, as we spend the next few weeks of Advent getting ready together and waiting for the arrival of Jesus our Saviour King, may the Holy Spirit of God fill our hearts with a true and lasting hope. A hope that empowers us to walk in Jesus’ ways every day… to reach out with compassion and grace to those around us, sharing the Good News of God’s love with our broken and hurting world… and to remain steadfast even when we face great pain and suffering, confident that Christ will come again… that even though we may not be able to count down the exact days, one by one, we know that the time of “salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;  the night is far gone, the day is near.” (Romans 13:11-12).  Amen. 

Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent: a season of anticipation and preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, first in His birth at Christmas, but also in His future return to reign forever over God's renewed creation.

Each week in Advent, we reflect on an important aspect of the Christian life as we wait faithfully for our Saviour, and serve His kingdom even now. On the first Sunday of Advent we reflect on the theme of Hope.

For some great quality and free Advent resources, including their video exploring the theme of Hope in the Scriptures, check out the Bible Project's Advent Resources page:

And our Songs for this week can be found here:

Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 23:1–6 | Psalm 46 | Colossians 1:11–20 | ​Luke 23:33–43

“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:42-43).
 
If you could create your own custom head of government, what would they be like? What kinds of qualities do you think are essential for those who are chosen to rule?
 
Is a good leader someone who has the power and the wisdom to get things done? Is it someone who cares, and seeks to protect and provide for their people? Is it someone who is not afraid to confront the evil at work in our world… who’s willing to sort out injustices, and put wrongdoers in their proper place?
 
We could go on and on. But the question remains: What’s our kind of King or Queen?
 
With Christians around the world, this morning we celebrate Christ the King Sunday… proclaiming that Jesus Christ the Risen Lord really is the ruler of all Creation… coming together to bow before Him, to lift Him up in our hearts and in our lives… to receive the gifts of His Good Kingdom, and to seek to serve Him faithfully not just today, but throughout our lives. To offer Him our full allegiance, and following Him into God’s New Life.
 
We celebrate Christ the King, knowing full well that there are still plenty of unfit rulers in positions of great influence and power in our world. And that this sad reality is nothing new.
 
For instance, in our first Scripture reading this morning from the Prophet Jeremiah, we heard that God has some harsh words for the many unfaithful shepherds… the unfaithful rulers of His people, who misused their power to take advantage of those they were supposed to be serving, and who paved the way for their whole nation to abandon the Lord’s holy ways, and to embrace instead the path of wickedness that was leading them straight into Exile.
 
Jeremiah 23:1-2, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord.”
 
That’s a frightening message. But alongside these words of correction and discipline, the Lord did not leave His wayward people… His sheep without hope. Jeremiah 23:5, “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”
 
These words harken back to God’s covenant with King David, a sacred promise the LORD had made that one of David’s descendants would reign forever as His Messiah… God’s chosen anointed King. And although by Jeremiah’s time the line of David had seemed to turn into one wicked king after another, the prophet speaks of a future hope arising like a new branch sprouting up from the roots of an old tree that’s been felled. God renews His promises to His people that despite all their failures, a righteous ruler will arise from among them who will be wise, and bring about true justice, and set things right once and for all.
 
And this Chosen One from the line of David… God’s Messiah, is our great Saviour King Jesus Christ, whose eternal Kingdom and goodly reign we celebrate today. He is the One who came to rescue the lost sheep… who rules all Creation with wisdom, justice, and righteousness… and who calls us to take part in the work of His Kingdom here and now.
 
But as we celebrate the rule of Christ as God’s great King, this day also calls us to slow down and reflect upon the kind of King that Jesus really is… what His Kingdom actually looks like… and what it means for you and I to share in it today.
 
And as is so often the case when we are trying to get a sense of our bearings: where we begin really matters. And sadly, when it comes to thinking about God’s great King, and His Kingdom, we’re often tempted to begin with our own ideas and expectations about what makes a King good or not… holding fast to our own preconceived images that we then want Jesus to conform to… which more often than not fully aligns with our own desires and values.

In other words, we want Jesus to be our kind of King.

And when we think about effective and excellent kings and queens and leaders throughout history, what comes to mind? Those who managed to go from success to success, and victory to victory… getting a lot of good things done by not letting anything or anyone stand in their way? 
 
Do we think about those rulers who were able to keep their followers happy and safe from harm? Those who were able to bring about prosperity and a stable status quo?
 
Do we think about those who were bold enough and strong enough to confront and overcome their enemies by force? Those who could raise armies, and rally their people around important causes?
 
For better or worse, these are the kinds of things that our society looks for when it comes to those who might lead us. We want our leaders to be winners… those who can keep us on top of the world.
 
But in so many ways Jesus embodies the exact opposite of all this… completely defying our expectations about what a good King should be and do.

Looking at Jesus, we see that the path to glory doesn’t come as a string of successes… it actually lies first in facing great humility, and even experiencing defeat. We see Him enduring many serious temptations, trials, and incredible suffering, staying true to the very end, at the cost of His own life. We see Jesus embracing the shame and curse of the cross for us all, entrusting His fate not to the opinions of others, seeking their approval… but instead, we see Him look to His own Father in Heaven who alone has the final word over everyone’s fate.
 
And looking at Jesus, we see that the path towards justice is not a matter of handing out retribution and wreaking vengeance… rather it looks like Him pleading on behalf of His enemies for their forgiveness. Betrayed, beaten down, and brutally abused, Jesus stood strong against hatred and fear, and with a love that cannot be captured in words, as He hung from the cross in agony… He prayed for His persecutors… longing for them to be set free, and transformed by the great embrace of the Living God… as His wayward but still beloved children.  
 
And looking at Jesus , we see that, even though His love for us is beyond doubt… the path to our prosperity and peace does not mean calling us away from all danger… but to face our own challenges along with Him … to expect to experience all sorts of pains and losses… and to prepare to pick up our own crosses and join Him… losing our lives for His sake, and with Him finding the fullness of God’s New Life now and forever.
 
Instead of beginning with our own ideas about what makes a great King… Christians are called to start off with looking closely and consistently at Jesus Himself… with the One who is Himself the very image of the Living God… perfectly reflecting God’s own goodness, and wisdom, and justice, and righteousness… even though He will end up challenging our preconceptions about what kind of King, and what kind of Kingdom our world really needs.
 
After all, Jesus is not our kind of King. But that’s a good thing! Because He’s God’s kind of King… the only One qualified and able to lead us into God’s everlasting life. 
 
As we heard in our reading from Colossians Chapter 1:15-16, Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.”
 
And Jesus is the only One with the power to lay down His life… broken for us all at the cross… in order to put our broken world back together again… and to bring us back into full fellowship with our Heavenly Father through His blood shed on our behalf. 
 
Colossians 1:19-20, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”
 
And this same Jesus asks us to set aside our own ideas of greatness, and glory, and instead calls us to embrace the ways of God’s self-giving love… offering us far more than mere momentary happiness, but rather an eternal joy… and asking us not to simply serve our own temporary interest, but to take part in His everlasting Kingdom.
 
The Good News is Jesus is not our kind of King. He is God’s kind of King. And the question for you and I today then becomes: will we seek to be His kind of servants? 
 
The Gospel of Luke leads us to ask ourselves this question again and again at the foot of the cross… where all of our choices and stories are finally summed up in the responses of those two criminals crucified by Jesus’ side. One looked at Jesus, sharing in their agony, and saw only another failed would-be leader. The other looked at the same Jesus, hanging by his side, and saw in Him God’s Saviour King.
 
Which one of these two do we want to be?
 
We can demand that Christ conform to our expectations… and rescue us on our own terms, but end up rejecting the salvation that He brings to us through the agony of the cross.
 
Or we can reach out to Him in faith… and even in our times of deepest distress, choose to place our hope in Him alone… To receive Him, not as we want Him to be, but as He is: the crucified and Risen Saviour King of all Creation, who said to the one who still suffered but trusted in Him: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43).
 
So today, this Christ the King Sunday, and every day until He returns in glory, this is our choice: will we deny Him in our words and deeds, and turn our backs on His saving love? Or will we open our hearts and our lives up to Him, and own Him as our Saviour King? Amen.

​Our service of Morning Prayer, Bulletin, & Sermon for this week can be found here:

​And our Songs can be found here:

Update & Correction: our Combined Parish Blue Christmas Service will take place at St. Augustine's Church in Quispamsis, at 6:30PM on Sunday December 21.

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 65:17–25 | Isaiah 12 | 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13 | ​Luke 21:5–19

“When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’” (Luke 21:5-6).
 
How do we handle being told that the things we see as really important will not last?
 
Of course, on one level, we know this hard reality already. We understand that we live in a world where everything one day comes to an end. And yet, when this hard reality suddenly hits home… when we’re confronted by a sudden loss, or drastic change… or find ourselves facing a gradual decline that’s growing more and more difficult to ignore… it can be really unsettling, and leave us feeling uncertain of how to keep going… how to put one foot in front of the other, especially when we’re not sure in the long run where we can place our confidence and hope.

So then, faced with the hard reality that everything around us, even the best of things, will come to an end… what are we to do? How are we supposed to live each day when in the end, not one stone will be left upon another?

The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, is not about trying to bypass or ignore this hard reality we’re all facing… but it does offer us the kind of hope that can help us face the end head-on, and not give up along the way. And so, our Scripture readings today all invite us to contemplate both how we think about ‘the end’, and also how we can faithfully respond to it here and now.
 
Our first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah Chapter 65 gives us a powerful vision of God’s good intentions for our world, reminding us that the end we are moving towards is not the conclusion of His Creation, but rather its salvation! Its perfect transformation and deliverance from the brokenness and bondage to divisions and decay we see around us, drawing us towards the completion and blessed destination the Living God has always had in mind. Isaiah speaks of God’s people no longer oppressed by their enemies… or having lives tragically cut short… but experiencing the blessings of things like extra-long lives, and an enduring peace.
 
What the prophet Isaiah is pointing us to here is God’s New Creation. Not ‘new’ as in His ‘Plan B’, or ‘Attempt Number 2’… but as the great rescue of God’s beloved world… a rescue beyond all hope… a rescue akin to a cosmic resurrection! Just like Jesus was crucified but came back from the dead even more alive than before, the end that God has in store for our world is this kind of miraculous new beginning… a new start where things are set right once and for all… and they remain that way forever.
 
This is the kind of hope that the Gospel gives to us: that no matter how broken and fragile things may seem right now, God Himself has promised that in the end He really will make all things new. And we can trust Him to do this because of what His Son Jesus Christ has already done for us, and for our world: Dying for us. Rising again for us. And one day returning for us. Our confidence as Christians comes, not from what we can do… but from what God Himself has done, and will do to see us through.
 
And so, we can say that the Christian life is about staying true to Him in the meantime. It’s about faithfully following Him… trusting that Jesus our Saviour King is leading us to this good end… this blessed destination the Living God has in store for those who believe and walk in His ways.

But what does it actually mean to faithfully follow Jesus? How do we rightly respond to this hope we have received as we await Christ’s return and God’s good end?
 
Well, in our second reading today, from St. Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, we know one thing that faithful Christians are supposed to avoid: that is, being idle. Sitting around and expecting others to pick up all the slack just doesn’t cut it in God’s family, where the idea is that everyone looks for ways to bless and build up the Church community… loving and lifting each other up, in body, mind, and spirit.
 
But in Thessalonica, it seems that some Christians were losing sight of this vision of mutual support and effort. And given the fact that, from St. Paul’s letters to them, it seems that they were fairly concerned about and anticipating the end and Christ’s return, perhaps some of their tendency towards idleness came from expecting things to end right away. Sort of like saying: ‘What’s the point of working hard on anything… even on basic things when the end is just around the corner? Why invest our time and energy when the work we do won’t last that much longer?’

Now there may have been lots of other reasons they were being idle, but I know from personal experience how hard it can be to stay motivated if I think that what I’m doing won’t last long. And I know that some Christians, in thinking about ‘the end’ approaching, kind of give up on lots of good things they still can do, and lose interest in their important roles to play in the Church, and in the world.
 
But St. Paul reminds us that, regardless of when the end will come… our own end, or the end of this present age… that we all still have a calling, and work to keep doing…  and that faithfulness doesn’t mean just sitting around and waiting, while expecting others to support us while we still have the strength to contribute to the common good. St. Paul reminds us that devotion means not growing weary of doing what is right. And so faithfully following Jesus towards the good end that God has in store is not about passively waiting around… but about doing something.
 
And this is where we turn at last to our Gospel reading, and to what our Lord Jesus Christ says to those who questioned Him about the coming of the end.
 
The end… of the Temple at least.

Because that is after all the context of of this whole conversation! Remember, this whole speech in Luke Chapter 21, which goes on well passed the portion we read today, starts off with those nearby praising the Temple in Jerusalem, and Jesus predicting it’s doom. A prediction that came true just a few decades after His own death and resurrection.
 
The first Temple of the Living God, built by King Solomon many centuries earlier, had already been destroyed when the armies of Babylon had sacked the Holy city, and carried off what was left of God’s covenant people Israel into Exile. When they eventually returned, they rebuilt the Temple… much less grand perhaps, but still holy and central to their faith. And several generations later, King Herod the Great would expand this ‘Second Temple’ and make it the architectural marvel it was in Christ’s days.
 
And the Temple was far more than an impressive building… it represented God’s concrete connection to His people… standing at the centre of their special relationship, and bridging the gap between heaven and earth. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, we’re told that the people who were admiring the Temple, and asking Christ about the timing of it’s fall were actually His own disciples. And like many faithful Jews in their day, they were anticipating the hopeful, good end that Isaiah had pointed to… and they were expecting God’s Messiah to come and make things right at last, and they had been following Jesus expecting Him to be the One to bring this all about… to bring about God’s New Creation.
 
But if that was Jesus’ plan… why would the Holy Temple of God have to fall again at all? If the Saviour King had come at last, shouldn’t His victory be just around the corner? Why was Jesus talking about what could only be described as a disaster falling on His people? Why would the Living God allow such a horrible thing to happen, and such a good thing come to an end?
 
These are the kinds of questions that many of us can find ourselves asking, when we, like the first disciples seek to faithfully follow Jesus Christ the Saviour King. We can start off trusting that God is working through Jesus to bring about our salvation… but then we end up facing some deep pain, or grief, or loss… and the ending of things we had come to cherish. And we’re shaken. We’re not sure how to make sense of it all… or even how to keep going.
 
And when we turn to Jesus, we find that He doesn’t wave His hand and take all our pain and confusion away… but He does meet us right here in the midst of our uncertainty, and suffering, and He faces the end along with us… and He invites us to take His nail-pierced hand and trust Him as He leads us through all of these endings one step at a time.
 
Our Gospel passage today speaks about the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem, many centuries ago. But it also speaks to us all as we face our own endings. And just as Jesus guided the first disciples through their days of uncertainty, our Lord is with us too. And He has has some important things to say to us as He leads us to the good end God has prepared for us. Turning now to our Gospel passage, and reflecting on how He is leading us to God’s good end even today… Jesus offers His followers three ‘don’ts’ and a ‘do’.
 
The first don’t He says is “Don’t be deceived and go after other misleading voices.” Luke 21:8 “And [Jesus] said, ‘Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.’” There have been many false teachers over the years, claiming to speak for and serve, and even to be Jesus our Lord. And the best way to avoid their influence is to make sure we know the real thing! To make sure we really know Jesus, that we can recognize His voice, and what His ways look like, drawing near to Him day by day so that we won’t be easily swayed by imposters.  
 
The first ‘don’t’ is don’t be deceived. The next one is pretty hard these days: ‘don’t be afraid when everything’s falling apart.’ Luke 21:9-11, “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.’  Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.”
 
Now I don’t know about you, but all of those things seem pretty scary to me. Nations at war, earthquakes and famines… plagues and heavenly signs. These are truly traumatic events.  

And our Lord knows that. He knows that there’s lots of things we face in life that really are terrifying. But He also knows that letting our fears capture our hearts, and minds, and bodies will keep us from the good work we have before us, and pressing onward to the good end He has for us. Fear keeps our world trapped in cycles of violence and oppression. Fear keeps us from loving and serving our neighbours. Fear keeps us focussed on our own security, instead of what is right, and good, and true. And so, even though we are faced with things that frighten us, Jesus asks us to trust and lean on Him instead.
 
And this leads us to the third ‘don’t’: ‘Don’t even prepare our own defense, but trust Jesus to give us what we need to stay true to Him.’ Luke 21:12-15, “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.”
 
Warning now of persecution, Jesus tells His followers that we have important work to do: telling the world the truth about the Good News, even if we’re speaking to those who oppose us. But this doesn’t look like frantically trying to figure out the right words, or method, or how to maintain a sense of control. It means being open to Christ’s Spirit working in us and through us to say and do far more than we can ask or imagine.
 
As we face, maybe not intense persecution, but whatever our own challenges may be when we are put on the spot, and feel that there’s too much at stake, Jesus is inviting us to trust Him not to abandon us, but to be right there beside us, giving us what we need to stay true to Him, to the end.
 
Which leads us finally, to the ‘do’. The three ‘don’ts’ were: don’t be deceived, don’t be terrified, and don’t even prepare our own defense. What we are to do, is to endure. To hold on and carry on to the very end. Luke 21:16-19, “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

Jesus warns us that His followers will often face rejection, sometimes even by those closest to us… just like Jesus Himself was rejected by His own people, and was put to death by those that He loved. And if we will follow Him, it won’t always be easy. But it will be worth it because He alone can lead us into the life of God’s New Creation, and His saving love will never fail. And so He calls us, as hard as it will be at times, to endure with Him to the end. And even if, like Him that means we must lay down our lives, we know that, like Him, we will be raised again by His love.
 
We’ve covered a lot of ground this morning in our reflections about the end… whether we’re talking about the end of this present age, or the many ends we will face in our lives. But whatever end may be on our hearts this morning, may we all find hope as we hold onto the Good News we have been given to us in Jesus Christ. The Good News that our destination is God’s New Creation, which we are invited to actively work towards together, and not just wait around for.
 
And may the Holy Spirit help us not to be deceived and let others draw us away from our Saviour’s side, or be overcome with fear when things get rough. Instead, may the Spirit help us not to frantically obsess about having everything figured out, but to stay true… and to endure, trusting that Jesus our Risen Saviour King will see us through to the end. Amen.

​And our Songs can be found here:

Scripture Readings: Micah 4:1-5 | Psalm 46 | Romans 12:9-21 | Matthew 5:1-16

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:17-18).
 
This Tuesday, November 11, Canadians all across our country will take time to gather together to commemorate Remembrance Day… a day set aside to honour and give thanks for those who have served in the armed forces… and especially honouring the memory of those who served in the devastating World Wars of the last Century.
 
And today, as we gather here in St. Luke’s Church, with the stories and sacrifices of our veterans in mind… we do so, not to glorify war, but to give sincere thanks for those who placed their own lives in great danger to defend others… facing incredible hardships and fears, for the sake of a better future for us all. And we also gather to pray that the day will soon come when all wars will cease, and our whole world will come to know the ways of peace.
 
We remember these brave men and women, and their service and sacrifice out of gratitude, but also for another important reason: in order to inspire us to find a better way forward… together. To find a way in our days to avoid the horrors of war, and to instead strive for a lasting… and just… and life-giving peace.
 
We take time to remember because it is all too easy for us to forget… to forget the incredible costs that others have paid to secure our freedom. To forget that, despite the growing messages of hate and prejudice, and contempt that seem to be spreading… we humans do not need to turn against each other… or embrace violence to resolve our conflicts… and that even those who oppose us still remain our fellow human beings, worthy of our respect… and that, even when we must actively stand against them… and even if we must at times take up arms against them… we can still see everyone as our brothers and sisters who bear with us God’s own sacred image.
 
The Christian story found in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, invites us again and again to remember… in order to find a better way forward together. It calls us to remember that our Creator, the Living God loves this world, and loves all those who live in it. It calls us to remember that from the moment we humans began to mess things up, God has been at work to mend our war torn world, working with everyday people like us to bring about life… and justice… and peace… not through the sword, but through the power of mercy… through the lives of  everyday people led by His Spirit, and moved by faith and courage and love to put their own lives on the line for the sake of their neighbours, walking together with integrity, and generosity, and hope… and willing to stand up against injustice and evil, even if it means laying down their own lives.
 
And the Scriptures remind us that at the centre of this story is Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ… God’s own Son who came to lay His own life down at the cross… enduring there for us all incredible suffering, and what seemed like nothing more than a complete defeat… giving up His life as the one sacrifice that saves this world that God loves… and then rising again from the dead to share the gift of God’s forgiveness, freedom, and new life for all who trust in Him.
 
In our Gospel Reading today, we heard Jesus’ own words, telling us about a better way forward… not through violence, or oppression, or seeking our own glory, or revenge… but through doing good… and staying true… and pursuing peace every day… and in all that we do. Reminding us that faithfulness, and courage, and love are the way to bring about a better and blessed future for our world.
 
Listen again to His words, and imagine the impact that living in the light of this hope can have:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12).
 
Notice that Jesus says again and again: “For they will…” calling us to remember that there is a future beyond our present pain and the challenging circumstances before us… and to trust that staying faithful to God’s good ways will be worth it! That it is worthwhile to fight against our selfishness, and hate, and the prejudices that threaten to tear us and our communities apart. And even if we can’t see all those blessings right here and now, to trust that this really is the best way forward… for us all.
 
Christians like me are called to remember and to give thanks for Jesus Christ and what He has done for us, and for our world. When we forget this, we can easily get caught up in all the sad divisions, and hateful wars tearing our world apart. But when we do remember Jesus, and all He’s done… we see at work in Him the courage and faithfulness and love that it takes to strive for a better way forward together with all of our neighbours… and we are invited and inspired to join in the work of God to bring healing, and peace where it’s needed most.
 
And for those of us who are not followers of Jesus, but who are also longing for a better way forward… we can all remember that there are real alternatives to all the hatred, and prejudice, and self-centredness around us today… and we can all commit to striving for a better way forward, not just for us, but for us everyone. We can all believe that we don’t need to be held captive to hatred, and fear, and our sad divisions. And we can all find the courage to stand up for what is right, and even take risks to bring it about.
 
So today, as we remember all those who inspire us to do our part for the sake of a better world, may we remember that the way to win this blessed victory is through courage and faithfulness and love… not just when it is easy, but when it matters most… which is every day. Amen. 

​Today we at St. Luke's take time together to mark Remembrance Day as a Parish, honouring those who faced the horrors of war in order to bring life to others. We remember their sacrifices in the light of Jesus Christ, who in self-giving love gave up His life at the cross to bring God's forgiveness and peace to all the world. 

Below you will find the St. Luke's Honour Roll and prayers.

​And our Songs can be found here:

Scripture Readings: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 | Psalm 149 | Ephesians 1:11-23 | Luke 6:20-31

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31).
 
What does it mean to be a saint?
 
Today, we’re celebrating the Feast of All Saints, taking time together to remember our many brothers and sisters in Christ’s family who have paved the way before us… both in the holy lives they have led, serving and striving for God’s good Kingdom here on earth… and also going on before us into death, and who are now at rest in the loving arms of the Living God… those who have finished their labours, and who now await with us Christ’s final return and the glories of His New Creation.
 
And on days like today, I think it’s good for us not simply to remember all of those well-known saints and their stories… people like St. Luke, our patron saint… or St. Peter and all of the others from the pages of Scripture… or our brothers and sisters from the early days of the Church… people like St. Augustine, St. Macrina, or St. Patrick… although their stories are certainly interesting and inspiring, and we should probably look into learning more about them… but to take time to remember what it really means to be a saint… not only as an abstract ideal, but as a reality in our own lives.
 
Does being a saint simply mean having a high set of moral standards? Or virtues like patience… hospitality… and self-control? Does being a saint mean performing some sort of amazing feat or miracle? Does it mean living a life completely set apart from the mundane rhythms of everyday existence, holed up in a monastery and hidden from the troubles faced by our world?
 
Those are the kinds of things that comes to mind when many of us think about saints. And yes, things like high virtues, and miracles, and monasteries have their place in the stories of many Christian saints. But at its root, the idea of sainthood is not about being some sort of superhuman… but about us regular humans who have been set apart in order to take part in God’s great embrace of His broken world.
 
In other words, being a saint is basically about being swept up into the Good News, the story of Jesus Christ the Risen Lord… set apart, not by our own moral achievements, or extra spiritual efforts, but by receiving and giving ourselves to the holy love of the Living God at work in and through us… the work of the Holy Spirit making us more and more like Jesus… not just someday, but right here and now.
 
In a very real sense, sainthood isn’t reserved for some sort of spiritual elite… the exceptionally gifted or pious. No, sainthood is the Christian vision for the whole Church… for everyone who has embraced Jesus Christ as the Risen Lord, and placed their faith in Him.
 
Being a saint is about belonging to Jesus. Believing in His name, listening to His voice, and walking in His ways. And every single one of us is invited to share in that reality.
 
But being a saint isn’t easy! Being made more and more like Jesus… right here and right now… is certainly not what comes naturally to us. And more often than not, being a saint will mean facing deep pain, and frustration, and rejection. We know that swimming against the current takes a lot of determination and strength, but standing up for and staying true to the Gospel day in and day out takes even more.
 
But while being a saint may not be easy, it is far better… both for us, and for those around us in the world… embodying a way of being that is in line with the purposes of our Creator… reflecting His goodness and self-giving love as a clear challenge and alternative to the way of hatred and fear and self-centeredness that we humans so easily get swept into. And so, rather than leaving us adrift to fight and devour each other like beasts, we are called to cling to Jesus, and through Him share in God’s own blessed life, and become a living sign, set apart to invite everyone to share in this blessed life too.
 
This challenging but blessed calling is reflected in Jesus’ own words to us this morning from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 6, where our Lord spells out just how counter-intuitive God’s ways can be… breaking down our old assumptions about what matters most… about how to get ahead, or treat those that we can’t stand… asking us to trust, not simply in our instincts, or even in the standards set by society… but in the holy love of God… in the forgiveness and grace that we have received at the cross, and the hope we have been given by the empty tomb that it is Christ’s Kingdom alone that will endure for all eternity.
 
And so, if it’s Him that we’re trusting in… if it’s the Risen Lord’s story we’re being swept into… if it’s Jesus’ New Life we’re clinging to, and it’s His holy ways that we’re seeking to walk in… then even when we’re poor, and hungry, and full of grief, we can still receive the blessings of belonging to our all-loving Father in Heaven, and look forward to more than just a change of circumstance… but the arrival of Christ’s Kingdom here on earth.
 
And we can respond to all of the fear and hatred and injustices thrown our way, not by throwing it back, by responding in kind… but by doing good to those who hate us… blessing those who curse us… and praying for those who abuse us. Not treating others as enemies, or objects to be used, or as obstacles to my plans… but treating them the way that I want to be treated… as someone with worth, and in need of healing… offering them the welcome, and grace, and love that I want to receive… even if they will never end up doing the same for me.
​
And we can do this, not as a way to show off our own moral uprightness, but as an act of humble trust in Jesus Christ, who didn’t just talk about living this way… He did it all and more… laying His own life down at the cross to embrace a world of rebels and sinners with God’s great holy love… shedding His blood to wash away our sins… letting His body be broken to make saints even out of His enemies… and rising again to share His new and unending life with all who trust in Him.
 
Being a saint is about being swept up into the story of Jesus Christ, our world’s Risen Saviour King… clinging to Him in faith, and embracing His holy ways and love so that they become our own. And as we do so, God’s Holy Spirit will work in and through us in very surprising ways… sometimes in the dramatic or miraculous… more often than not in the simply, everyday actions and choices we make that reflect His holy love… so that bit by bit our whole lives become signs sharing the story of God’s saving love for our broken world.
 
So as we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, we are all invited to take our place among their ranks: to cling to Jesus in faith, and get swept up into His blessed story… to treat all those around us with the same compassion and self-giving love that Christ has extended to us… and to face times of suffering with patience and an enduring hope, longing and praying together for the day when Jesus Christ our Saviour King will return to set all things right, and to reign here on earth with all His saints forever. Amen.