Free As the Breeze?

 

Reformation Day, 2010 (John 8:31-36 with Jeremiah 31:31-34 in the b.g.)

 

I am wondering if you have recently heard the story of Ivan Henry? Last Wednesday he was acquitted of raping 8 Vancouver women. Ivan had spent 27 years in jail. 27 years for a crime he didn't commit. He had always maintained that he had been wrongly convicted.  The lead picture in the Vancouver Sun had Henry hugging his 2 grown daughters, Tanya and Kary. Can you imagine? What will Ivan Henry do with his new found freedom, in terms of his relationships with daughters that he didn't get to see grow up, with his grandchildren if there are any, with the rest of his earthly life? Wow! Do you think he would ever choose to remain to in jail, cut off from others, if that were a choice available to him? Wouldn't that be insane – to not seize his freedom?

 

Are we free? Do you think that you are free? Do you feel as if you are free? Do you act in free and freeing ways? (Pause)

 

Imagine that you have a neighbor. Actually you have an entire family of neighbors, a man and a woman who have a teenage daughter. When you are out and about working in your yard or walking around the block and you see them, you smile and say hello or a hearty, "Good morning". But they don't even acknowledge your presence. They keep talking among themselves or literally turn their backs on you. And yet, they seem to relate relatively well to others. You have observed them talking to others, even cutting the other people's lawns. But their refusal to acknowledge you happens again and again. What will you do?

 

Will you exercise your freedom to keep greeting them, to remain open to their presence, even to pray privately for their well-being? Or will you, in your mind, write them off, depersonalize them as being self absorbed or ignorant people? When one chooses this latter course of action the barriers then grow on "both sides of the fence".

 

Of course such a scenario is not only acted out between individual neighbors, but also functions as realities between and among groups – of churches, of schools, of ethnic groups, of nations.

 

Today's Gospel text has within it a declaration from Jesus. In John's context Jesus' declaration is directed to a group of people who "believed in Jesus". But as we listen to that declaration, it feels all encompassing, that it is also directed to us. Listen as Jesus is speaking – "Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin".

 

It's difficult to escape that word, 'everyone'.

 

But what is this, "commits sin"? Is this statement quite limited, directed only for the Russell Williams of the world, the Paul Bernardos, the Saddam Husseins, the Hitler's and Stalins of the world? We need to explore what this word "sin" means? For it certainly doesn't exist in our everyday vocabularies. Biblically, sin often means, "missing the mark" – that is the mark or the goal of God's intent. God is holy. We are not. God loves the world. We often do not. Jesus calls us to love, to care about others including our enemies – and we, well we depersonalize, swear at them – at our worst seek to eliminate or at the very least exclude them. When we begin to understand "sin" this way, can we be anything but guilty?

 

So listen to the remainder of Jesus' declaration: "Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin!" What is with this word slave? We are Lutherans – we are not enslaved to anything. We say, that we live by grace. But do you ever keep track of who owes you what – in terms of money, favors, invitations, so called "gifts"? Do you ever think, that you really deserved something good to happen to you? And when it doesn't happen, what's our reaction?

 

Slave is a pretty strong word. It is a word that means that such a person is not freed. Being a slave means that one cannot be freed by or through their own will or power. A slave needs help, a deliverer from the outside. Remember that Jesus says, "Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin". Everyone – that includes our bishop, our pastor, our premier, the nicest person you ever met – yes, even Mother Teresa who dedicated so much of her life to serving others!

 

This is serious business.  This is more serious even than Ivan Henry being freed from a cell where he was wrongfully held for 27 years. I mean if Ivan is part of the everyone Jesus is talking about, will he be able to let go of his resentments towards those who have so mistreated him, in order that he can be truly free to live and laugh and love and care for others for the rest of his earthly life. If he can't let go of those things, even though he has been released from jail, is he truly free? Are we?

 

So who can, who will free us from our slavery? (pause)

 

Jesus makes another declaration in today's Gospel. He says, "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed!" Do we hear it? "If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed!"

 

The Son that Jesus mentions here, is the very Son of God, Jesus Himself. The entire context of this passage refers to living in relationship with Jesus, close to him in terms of listening for him, speaking to him, attempting to follow him in the living of one's life.

 

In Jesus' life and death we are privileged to receive glimpses of God. WE see reflections of God's mercy in Jesus – as he prays to God for those who are killing Him, as he entrusts the early disciples, those who had abandoned him, with the good news of his resurrection – as He commands them to baptize all nations". Jesus is giving gifts to people who so desperately need such gifts. But Jesus also moves to show them the truth both about God and themselves. And our text today is a prime example of that.

 

So, how are you doing? Really – don't just mutter, "fine", to yourself. How are you doing in your relationships at work, at home, with friends near and far? We need the promise of Jesus, this very Son of God, in all aspects of our lives. Even now he approaches us with love, forgiveness, mercy and hope for freedom in word and deed. Will we walk out of the cells that we are trapped in? Will we receive the freedom Jesus gifts us with due to His love and forgiveness for others and us? Or will we make some ludicrous claim – that everything is alright and we are pretty good?

 

Freedom –oh freedom. If the Son makes us free we will be free indeed! Amen.

Shock, Surprise and Hope - a Triple Whammy

 

Pentecost 22c, October 24, 2010 (Luke 18:9-14)

 

I invite you to introduce yourself to someone else.- that person beside you or in front of you. I want you to do this employing three prompts from myself: one at a time:

 

Firstly – tell them one thing that really matters to you and why.

 

Secondly – tell them how you spend a fair chunk of your time each week.

 

Thirdly – tell them one hope that you have for yourself.

 

The story that I am about to ell you is profoundly true although the characters are fictional. . . I want to tell you about two people whom I met this week. One fellow is amazing. I learned that he gives 10% of everything he earns (prior to taxes) to different charities. He makes six figures, so we are talking a significant gift to charities. Not only that but two nights a week he volunteers his time at a community meal to serve and welcome people who are "less fortunate" than him. He also coaches in the community, either soccer or hockey, even though his children are grown and no longer involved. This fellow prays every day. Now I'm not talking about the, "Oh my god" kind of prayer. Rather I am speaking of a prayer where this man attempts to make time to both listen for and speak to God.

 

The second guy is a financial advisor. He invests many people's money. (I have learned these things from simply hanging around a gym). This man is also well off. Indeed he has managed to pocket or further invest more than his fair share from his clients. To the best of my knowledge he doesn't volunteer anywhere nor does he ever pray. I am not sure that he has ever simply given money to anyone else. However if I was a betting person, I would bet against that possibility. However, lately things haven't been going very well for this second man.

 

This is where it gets really mind-boggling. Somehow I was able to hear both of these men praying.  Because I heard them, you are enabled to also listen in.

 

The first man's prayer went something like this: "Thank you God for all my blessings – my family, my good job, that I am able to serve you in so many ways". And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the financial advisor. This first man knew that the second one had lost some of his investments and indeed a number of friends and even a significant relationship lately. Then, almost as an afterthought he added to his prayer, "God thank you that by your grace I haven't ended up like that guy!"

 

The second man's prayer was much shorter and to the point: "God, GOD, help me!"

 

Now as Lutheran Christians we say at least that we know we have all missed God's mark, God's intention, the hopes that God has for all people – to love one another and to love God. And we say that we know that because of this, there is a divide between and ourselves. So, if indeed all of that is true, well, from listening into these two men's prayers, whom do you think God would be reconciled to?

 

That question raises another profound question. Who is God? Underneath and before this question lies another, "How do we, how can we know God?"

 

I'm not speaking here of knowing about god. Rather, I am speaking of actually knowing God, experiencing at least a part of whom God reveals God's self to be.

 

If we are to know anyone we usually begin by interacting with them, by experiencing or at least listening to their words and watching their actions. Through those who have gone before us in faith, we have learned the details of God's law. Through the example of those people and the Spirit working in our lives we have also seen that god continually reaches out to those who are oppressed, vulnerable, feeling hopeless. If there is any doubt about this, God in the flesh comes to remove that. Jesus reaches out to include and bring new life to all – especially to those on the margins.

 

Although it seems absurd to say, we must say it: God is God. We (you and I) are NOT GOD! On the surface this seems so self-evident. But we don't live on the surface. We live deeply, sometimes deep within ourselves, at our best moments deeply with others and with creation. 

 

We all live with the reality of temptation. Again, I am not speaking on the surface here – of having an extra cookie, or telling a "white" lie or even exaggerating about the skill or particular acumen we may have.

 

Rather, in speaking of temptation, I am speaking of our inclination to live AS IF we are God, as if we don't need God, that somehow we are self sustaining, independent and pretty much OK on our own, just the way we are. This is a temptation because it just isn't true. It's a lie. When we give into it, we start to view ourselves falsely and therefore others also falsely. We then begin to think that whatever we have been blessed to undertake is our achievement. Then, if only more people would be a bit more like us- well, then the problems in the world wouldn't be so great. If others would just get with the program the way we are, life would be wonderful.

 

But think about that people. When WE FORGET THAT WE AREN'T GOD, but rather that GOD ALONE IS GOD, we are truly deceiving ourselves. In the realm of such deception about our own status, we start to draw lines in our minds about who is "OK" and who isn't "OK". Whenever we resort to drawing such lines I am convinced that God is somewhere else than where we have conveniently placed ourselves.

 

Perhaps the message of today's parable is for us to let go of our preconceived notions of comparison to others so that we can become aware of our own need of God on so many, many levels. This parable wills to move us to see that God is merciful even to us, ushering us into new life both with God and wither others. This birth through loss and change, birth itself, is something only God can do.

 

Dear people, may God help us all to be open to God. May such openings deliver us to new life, first with God but then also with each other and this world, for Christ's sake, Amen.

 

 

Praying Miracles

 

Luke 18:"1-8 Pentecost 21c, October 17, 2010-10-17

I want to thank Margaret and the wardens and indeed yourselves for allowing me to be here to preach and preside. It is my hope that the relationship between St. Alban and Our Saviour communities can grow in the coming days, months and years. Once again thank you for allowing me to be here. This is both a privilege for me and a respite for the people of Our Saviour from me. 

 

I want to begin by having you ask yourself three questions: What do you think about when you think of PRAYER? How do you feel about PRAYER? And finally, what do you do about PRAYER? Do you actually pray regularly?

 

I ask you to wrestle with these questions because today's gospel warrants such wrestling. I myself wrestle with such questions. These questions remind me of Helen. Some years ago, in the very first parish I in which I served I met Helen. Helen was a woman of prayer. As I gradually began to know her I discovered that she prayed for many reasons. Helen grew up with an alcoholic father. She married a man, who though then sober still often functioned as if he were drinking abusively. To top it all off her then 17 year old son was already suffering with chronic alcoholism. In the midst of this Helen worked from a strong Christian faith perspective. She was convinced that God often had anc continue to help her. For Helen prayer was a primary, essential means of being open to God and receiving God's direction and assistance.

 

I, on the other hand, was a recent graduate of a Master's program in theology. Although I considered myself a person of faith, my prayer life was somewhat limited. I reasoned to myself, God knows everything. Didn't it follow then that God doesn't need me to tell God about my needs or others needs or even the needs of the world. Such was my self rationalization until Helen entered my life.

 

One day Helen made a request of me. She said, "Pastor Tim, how about if you and I get together once a week to pray for people in this community who are ill or hurting?" Well, how could I say, "No" to such a request? I wanted to be a good pastor to Helen and to the entire community.

 

And so it began – my intentional experience of prayer. Each Monday night Helen and I would pray by name for the people in that little community. We would hold up their needs as we knew them. If we didn't really know many of the details of a person's life, we would offer general intercessions for them.  Can you imagine my surprise when on Tuesday mornings some of the people we had been praying for would show up in my office or call me, "Just to chat!" WOW!

 

Gradually I began to realize that I needed to rethink and redo my entire practice of prayer. Maybe prayer wasn't so much about God and attempting to change or influence God's mind. Maybe prayer has more to do with me, my mind and my actions in the world, as I communicated with God. To be certain – our prayers are not always answered, at least in the ways we expect or ask for.

 

Such reflection delivers us into the heart of today's parable. Here Jesus tells about a widow who desperately requires justice.  She will not rest until her need for justice is met even though her only immediate avenue for such justice is an unjust judge who "neither fears God nor respects any person". Eventually even this unjust judge caves as a result of the widow's relentlessness. She will not take no for an answer as a response to her need.

 

Out of this parable Jesus asks two questions: Will not God vindicate God's elect, God's chosen ones who cry to God night and day? And, subsequently will God delay long over this?

 

The Gospel treats these questions as being rhetorical. Will not God vindicate God's elect? OF COURSE! Will God delay long in such vindication? NO WAY!

 

But, "Is this our experience?"

 

I remember Mary as being a woman in her late 30's with 3 children. They were 9, 6 and a wee babe. Mary was an amazing nurse, mother, and wife. She was a woman who not only cared for others but herself. She physically worked out regularly. She didn't smoke. She drank very little. She gave much of herself for others in the community and the church. One afternoon I received a telephone call. Mary and her family had just the day before returned from a trip to Disneyland. But the very evening of their return she had suddenly become critically ill. She had instructed her husband to taken her to the emergency room of the local hospital. There they learned that her cancer markings were through the roof. Mary had acute leukemia and was air evacuated to Vancouver that night.

 

How our prayers went up. First we asked God that Mary's treatment would go well. Then we asked and pleaded with God that a bone marrow donor for Mary would be found. Then I prayed that she might live to raise her children. Mary was granted five more wonderful years of life. But then oh so suddenly I received the call. Mary had take a turn for the worse. Her health spiraled down from there. Within 10 days she had died. And Ia ask, "Is this God vindicating God's elect"?

 

On a more encompassing scale scanning the reality of many, many people, how is it that we have so much while many millions of people, indeed over a billion live on less than a dollar fifty a day? There are many who cry out to God for vindication. And there are many people who give the sweat, blood and tears of their lives to work at the millennium development goals. One of those goals is to significantly reduce both poverty and hunger in the world. Indeed both through the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran World Federation significant things are being done to work on behalf of and with others who are hungry, have little or no access to adequate shelter or health care or even safe water. Even our government has taken some steps to forgive international debt, so that other local governments can be enabled to provide better care for their peoples. But how long will such "vindication" take? In the mean time how many more people, children, women and men will die?

 

Even among Christians there is significant acrimony, misunderstanding and hatred. Does not God hear those of us who are crying out to God for change of hearts and minds that we may be One, not necessarily politically or even structurally, but certainly in mission as we intentionally seek to share the love of Christ in thought, word and deed for all?

 

If we have the capacity to either think or feel or are doubly blessed to intentionally engage in both, we will be tempted to throw our hands up in despair and give up trying to care, seeking to make a difference.

 

BUT if we give into such temptation we forget both who we are called to be and whose we are.  Then we turn our backs on the One who is encouraging us to pray even now. It is Jesus who encourages us to pray through his words and actions. Do we see how frequently the Gospels tell us that Jesus withdraws to pray? Though being swamped by injustice, evil and apathy Jesus keeps on praying. It is at least in part due to this intimate relationship with God the Creator that Jesus is enabled to move onwards to Jerusalem. He seeks both to know and do His Father's will.

 

So, think about this: 3 years of his ministry, night and day with the 12 and some others. Yet at the time when he was most vulnerable, those 12 abandon him. True, they were quite small in number. We are greater in number now than they were then. But Jesus does not give up on them. Nor does He give into the temptations of power. Instead, in obedience to God Jesus willingly gives his all. He suffers and dies so that all may live not only in the future but also here and now. In the words of his own first sermon as reported in Luke, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon him because that Spirit has anointed him to preach good news to the poor, sent him to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and liberty to those who are oppressed as well as the acceptable year of the Lord when all debts would be forgiven."

 

To be sure there is much to this gift we call life. There is the wonder of birth, the angst of death. There are the heights of joy and the depths of despair. There is the communion of friendship, the mystery of love, the pain of betrayal, of severed relationships. There is also by God's grace the miracle of forgiveness.

 

But before, after and under all of life there is God. God is the One who dares to take on flesh for us and all others, including all of creation. In Jesus, God enters into the fullness of humanity. In Jesus, God blesses life and delivers our lives by living, loving, suffering and dying. Through Jesus we see the hope that God brings to us in the midst of all that comes. It is the very Spirit of the risen Christ who calls us, commands us to pray for God's coming reign that in some fleeting moments seems to be nearly present, right here, but at many other times seems so distant. Jesus calls us to pray always so that we may ourselves actually be part of God's coming reign and not opposed to it.

 

It is in our prayer that God often moves us beyond our lack of faith and hope, even through our despair to new life and living hope, in the midst of any and all circumstances of life.

 

May God help us to pray always and not lose heart. For prayer itself is miraculous, an integral part of the living faith and following of Jesus we are invited to.  Amen.