"Who Has The Authority"

When I was growing up my mom would most often call for me using my shortened name Sim.  “Sim, come here” she would say.  But when she was upset with me she would call out “Simpson”.  This was her voice of authority and when she used It, I knew I was in deep doggie do do!  Who commanded a voice of authority when you were growing up?  

Mark 1:21- The voice of Authority 

²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.²³ 

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ²⁶ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

²⁷ The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

What I need you to do is ponder on the comments from the reading which stated that he taught them as one with authority but not as the teachers of the law did.  And that it was for them a new teaching that emphasized a new sense of authority.     

When we first hear the word authority we often associate it with the voice from a pretty stern strict or angered parent.  In your upbringing you may have associated the voice of authority coming from a relative, a school principal, a policeman or the drill sergeant in your cadet core.    We often think of a courtroom judge and its jury as the final voice of authority for some people.    The higher hierarchy of an organized church or its religion is usually a recognized voice of authority for them.   

If you look closely you will see that the above assumptions about where we see authority have been reinforced within society and religions by something called dualistic thinking, or a clear cut approach to right and wrong, good and evil.    For example within religion we have been taught to think in terms of the sinner and the saved, the righteous and the unrighteous, those who are in or heaven bound and those who are not.   I would like to suggest here that this dualistic approach to authority is based on and influenced by early Geek mythology and does not come to us via our Jewish roots.  The God of the Hebrew Scriptures was seen by the Israelites as a God of love, rescue, mercy and grace as illustrated in the story of Jonah and his whale of a tale story.  The God of the Old Testament, or Hebrew Scriptures is a God who offers a merciful change of mind when people or nations change their ways.    If you did your home work from last week you may have gleaned that truth from the story.   Here Jesus is offering a new teaching about authority where authority is not based on the sinner or the saved, right or wrong, good or evil, but on compassion, acceptance, forgiveness and Love regardless of who you are, where you have come from or what your past might be.  The ultimate authority is shown and presented in love, which was given to the world in the person of Jesus.   Jesus is the authority and has now bestowed this authority upon us to represent His love, truth, compassion, humility, and forgiveness which we are to extend to others on His behalf.  This authority not only came into the world but was entrusted to us and is to be cried into the next generation.   An authority that commands us to be the last, so we can be first in the eyes of our creator.    We may have to learn once again that the rule of law both inside and outside the church does not contain the authority we seek nor should it be where we look for it.  If that were the case, we would no longer look to doctrine or dogma for our authority but to the life and times of our Lord Jesus Christ realizing that the unity or oneness we seek can only be found there for all humanity. 

We all know that the Law is only a guideline but has no authority 

over God’s love for his children.  That God’s love always wins and

contains the ultimate authority over evil as taught by Christ Jesus, and is 

contained in unconditional love and forgiveness for all.   

"Jonah and His Whale of A Tale"??

The headline reads “Jonah and His Whale of a Tale” fact or fiction?  Regardless of how you see it, when you hear the name “Jonah” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind from the story.   

Jan 21, 2018 Readings:  Jonah 3:1-5, 3:10-4:1  Mark 1:14-20

Jonah is one of the shortest books found in the Old Testament but it is also probably one of its most well-known and misunderstood texts.  If we have the ears to hear, it is packed with wisdom tips for the modern day Christian.  Because of the debate or in some cases the argument, over trying to prove or disprove the story as fact, its wisdom teaching has been either lost or ignored to most church and non- church going folk.  

I believe if you were to ask almost any Joe public, he or she could tell you something about the biblical Jonah and his “whale of a tale” story.  They might even tell you he was the character who got swallowed by the whale and lived to tell the story.  According to Scripture Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale before the whale ends up spitting him out.  We might call this his time of reflection and repentance because after this ordeal, Jonah has a change of heart. 

Now the story always seems to bring up this question doesn’t it:  Is the story of Jonah fact or fiction?  May I suggest here, that too much time has been spent by Christians and non-Christians alike on proving or disproving the miracle stories of the bible as fact or fiction.  All the while missing the gold nuggets, wisdom tips, the real truths, that are hidden within the stories. So much more cooperation and mutual understanding could be achieved if Christian denominations and other religions of our world would honor this approach to these ancient writings.   Not fact finding but truth finding. 

This has been an Achilles Heel for many a miracle story {fact or fiction} not to mention the burning bush that could not be consumed, the parting of the Red Sea, Noah’s arch, the virgin birth, water into wine, all the way up to the resurrection of Christ.  You see faith is not about proving these stories to be factual, faith is trusting that God inspired these writings and laces the stories not with literal facts, but with literal truths.  Now you think about the for a moment.  The stories are like gold mines and we are to be miners, not scientists looking to prove a particular version or interpretation of the book to be the right one or that it is all about literal facts.   May I suggest that was never God purpose in inspiring this manual to guide us through life?  The gold nuggets are truths and they are hiding within the pages of the book.   You are not required to prove their existence.  You are to put them into action.  The gold is wisdom, wisdom for living and for dying, and it is there waiting for you to dig it out or uncover it and begin to use this perfect knowledge to live out your life.  When you do the preciousness of finding these wisdom tips or truths, makes proving how it got there irrelevant in the first place, fact or fiction should no longer be the agreement.  In the end it should not even be about their stories!  It should be all about your story and the wisdom that the text offers you or I, on how to live and die a righteous life.   We were given both the seed of life and the seed of death during our conception and our time here has it limits, so let us not lose out.   

Jonah’ story is not about fact or fiction, it is about him getting his own way rather than listening and obeying that still small voice that was speaking to him.  Many of us do the same thing when we hide or run away from the truth about ourselves our circumstances or about the world around us.  We try with stimulus to mask over the circumstances of our lives rather than face up to them, not trusting that God offers us a better way, we avoid mining to find new ways to deal with the bitterness of life.  So, fact or fiction becomes irrelevant with all the biblical stories if you didn’t dig out a nugget for yourself.  I have home work for you.  Read Jonah's story for yourself at home.  It is only 4 short chapters and will only take you 10 to 15 minutes out of your day.  Listen for what Jonah has to offer you.  
Here is a nugget I personally dug out for me, from the story.  Jonah’s anger with God invited me to take a hard look at anger within myself.   I, like Jonah, believe in a God of unconditional love, forgiveness and mercy and I have often been heard quoting 1 John 1:9 “God’s forgiveness and love is sufficient for all.”  But, and this is a big BUT for me and maybe for you to.  On the other hand I also want justice and punishment to be served upon those who deserve it, especially if I or some innocent  bystander or child is the victim of their evil doing.  There should be no mercy here right?  But and this is a big but for me, would I be angry if God were to have a merciful change of heart when I didn't think God should?  As a Christian, if God were to show instant unconditional forgiveness and mercy to a person I didn’t think deserved it, would I not get angry just like Jonah did with God?  

May I suggest that none of us want evil to get off Scott free yet Christ' way teaches us that we don’t have "the" choice here.    The question I had to consider was ; do I favor punishment over mercy, but the deeper  and even more critical reality is: do I sometimes favor hate over love?  We as Christians should understand that Christ gives us no choice, Matthew 5:43-48 for we are to: Love and pray for your enemies doing good to those who persecute you. 
God is judge and jury not just only over those we think are evil, but over us who may mistakenly think of ourselves as the righteous.  It certainly appears to be the case with Jonah and is this not the root of many of the world problems today, watering the seeds of hate over love.   I have gotten angry with God many times in the past, because I wanted those who had harmed me personally to get theirs.  I too often want it my way.  Jonah’ story offered me some insight about my own anger.  As you read his story at home this week, see where wisdom mining, will take you.  

   

"Have You Heard The Call"

Have any of you ever experienced an urge or a feeling that you needed to do something or that you needed go to someplace, or just the opposite you had a nudge or feeling that you shouldn’t?  Has that ever happened to you?    Some would call that listening to “The Still Small Voice” from within!!

Sunday Jan 14 2018 

Readings:   1 Samuel 3: 1-20 Psalm 139 John 1: 43-51

A man distraught by all the pain and suffering going on all around him broke down banging his fists into the dirt.   His head turns upward as he yells at his God. "Look at this mess God.  Look at all the pain and suffering around us.  WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING!!  "Suddenly the havens opened, a light shown down illuminating the man and voice from the heavens spoke.   "I did do something. I sent you."    Did you hear that, God has sent YOU!   It’s that simple but often not heard, felt or payed attention to.  It’s not about somebody else, it is about you, Gods is calling upon you, and it’s you who must step forth and answer your calling: “It is I Lord, send me” do you know the lyrics for “I The Lord Of Sea and Sky” ----- listen to the song at the end of the blog today. 

Did any you hear that still small voice from within this week; directing you to a particular book, nudging you to look up a scripture or maybe offered yourself to be a volunteer somewhere?  Maybe you were prompted to make a visit to the hospital, make a phone call, or send an email to someone whose name was placed upon your heart.  How many of us here today have felt the nudge or heard that still small voice and responded in some way? 

Have you ever pondered this question for yourself!  Why do I exist, why was I sent here?  What’s my purpose?    Are you aware that in order for you to be here, in order for your conception to have taken place, everything had to be just the way God intended it to be?  You might even say it required a moment of perfection otherwise you really would be here.  We might not see ourselves as being perfect, but in the eyes of God, we are all unique, perfectly created and have been blessed with the God given gift of great potential.   Did you hear that, we are all unique, born with great potential!  Now I will admit that we had no control over where we were born or who our parents were going to be; nor did we have any control over our conception, or how it happened, and for some of us, that might not have been under the best of circumstances; but, we are all born full of potential, and our potential is the essence of life itself.  Essence meaning our intrinsic {inborn} human  nature, that indispensable quality that determines our character.   We can choose to grow it or allow it go stagnant.  Now think about that for moment folks because without life there is no potential, nothing can happen.    We can see this as a common thread among all the biblical characters both in the Old and New Testaments.  Let us look at the man named Noah.  Noah was a common man, a boat builder who loved God, but he also liked his liquor, Oh Yes. Scripture tells us that Noah had a bit of a drinking problem and that often embarrassed his family, yet this didn’t stop him from hearing God’s call nor did it stop him from fulfilling his God given potential.  You see God is not distracted by our frailties of our weakness.  In fact this is where God really shines in our world.   What does Paul have to say about our weakness: 2 Corinthians 12:9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

 In fact Noah is one of the most important figures found in the bible stories.   God doesn’t reject us because of our human struggle, if that were so I personally would not be standing here in the pulpit speaking to you today,  God uses us for good in all situations and under all kinds of  circumstances.  Nothing is lost everybody and everything was meant for good.  Genesis 1:  Are you listening, for God is speaking to you!   Are you willing to fulfill your God given potential? 

God Loves and calls children, adults, seniors and He gives us great examples of His love for us throughout the bible.  God calls to a stuttering murderous Moses, to Abraham, Sara and Elizabeth in their so called over the hill golden years.  He calls to John the Baptizer, Ruth, and Naomi Martha, Mary, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the notorious Apostle Paul. He called the child Samuel in the first reading today.  Samuel the boy would become one of Israel’s greatest prophets.  He was a man of prayer, he began the school of the prophets in Israel, and anointed many of Israel’s first kings.   And what about Moses?   He was abandoned by his natural mother.  She placed in basket and set a float in the Nile River.  He should have ended up as a street kid.  With great reluctance Moses finally listens to God’s call and would become the great and most recognized Prophet within the Jewish Religion.    

Throughout the bible we are given examples covering every situation and every set of circumstances imaginable.  Women, men and children of every race, both religious and non-religion, have been able to transcend family circumstances, bad teachings, illness, disabilities, poverty, sinfulness even wealth by listening and responding to their call.      None of us can fulfill our God given potential without realizing our need for God in our lives.  Jesus makes it clear, that if we are left to our own, as we see in the biblical stories, we are doomed.   By being obedient to the Gods nudging, and listing to that still small voice within, you will discover your full potential.  In all the biblical examples, they were able to move out beyond themselves and their circumstances by trusting in God which is to be found in Christ.   God loves you right where you are, but, He doesn't want to leave you there.   Wherever you are is and always will be, just a beginning point.   Like the biblical characters, you too must be able to reach beyond your circumstances.  Think about it folks, it was a young pregnant unwed girl who birth our Lord Jesus.   It was a prostitute who proclaimed him Messiah.  The blind followed him, the poor loved him, the common man turn to him, the tax collectors, beggars, fisherman, and even some notorious killers.  Ironic as it may sound, these were the people who forged the faith we follow today.  A key note here is that each and every one heard that still small voice that began a new chapter in their lives as they began to forge their potential, each unique in their own way.  I am assured that God is speaking to someone listening here today. 

Every human being on this planet is unique and special and there is only 

one of you.   You were created by God to love one another and to grow

the potential that God placed in you on the day of your conception.  God

is calling, are you listening.  

" Is Baptism Necessary? "

Was anyone here today baptized as an infant? 

How many of you were baptized as a youth or adult? 

The reasons for Baptism can vary depending on the denomination you attended at the time.   For those who were baptized as adult or youth, can you tell us what prompted you to get baptized?  

Jan 7, 2018 Reading:   Mark 1: 1-12   The Baptism of Jesus

Throughout the Christmas season, Advent through to Epiphany, we read and hear about the different ancient prophesies of a great King, a messiah that was to be born and would change the history of the world forever.  Isaiah one of the great Major Prophets made several predictions concerning the birth of a messiah 600 years before it actually takes place.  Someone was to prepare the way for these predictions to come true. That person was to be Elizabeth’s son, John the Baptist as found in Luke 1: 39-43.  John now a grown man at the Jordan River, quotes the prophet Isaiah’s prediction and makes claim to be the one who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry and His mission. 

Baptism is one of two sacraments for many of the protestant denominations including Methodist and United Church of Canada.   The other being the Sacrament of Communion of which we will be taking part in later this morning.  

The baptism of Jesus must have been a very significant event as all four gospels recorded this important moment in Jesus' life.  It is hailed by many theologians today as the moment of His anointment, for ministry and mission.  He comes up from the waters, anointed by the spirit and the voice of God assures Him and all who hear, this is my Son with whom I am greatly pleased.   Those who witnessed this anointing are instructed to trust in Him and to follow in His ways.

What then is the meaning and significance of baptism for us as individuals within the Methodist Church today?   We claim it to be one of the sacrament and profess that a sacrament for us is, a religious ceremony or act of our denomination that is regarded as an outward and visible expression of an inward divine presence of God in our lives.  When we accept baptism we are making a commitment to begin the process of learning how to following Jesus and His ways.  Baptism for us is the beginning of our spiritual journey and ministry as we follow.  For the baptized, our ministry and mission is to be a living example of Christ in the world.  Living stones as Paul puts it 1 Peter 2: 5   

It starts with a commitment to seek a personal relationship with Jesus.  Then we make other commitments: to follow in the ways of Jesus, to attend a Christian fellowship of our choice, to learn, serve and worship with other Christians. We are to seek justice and walk humbly with our God, Micah 6:8.  After the anointing of blessed Holy Water, we begin our spiritual journey, mission and ministry.

As we commit ourselves to Christ and to God, a change in attitude begins to take root within us as we learn from and begin to study the scriptures.  The inward knowing, that the presence of God is with us, begins to take it root.  As we continue to grow spiritually, others will see the outward and inward expressions of our Baptism within our daily lives.   Often because of a change in attitude to social justice issues, compassion for the poor, sick, lonely or lost you will be told by friends and family that somehow you now seem different.  They may see you as being more confident, peaceful, assured, contented and balanced.  Did you know that there are others who do not want you to change and because of their fear they my ridicule the changes in you?  Fear sometimes comes out in ways of making fun of those who are different.  You may even get labeled as, gone religious on them.  In my family after I decided to answer the call to full-time ministry some of my family and old friends keep me at arm’s length for some time unsure of what this new me meant for our relationship.  It was a time of testing and a struggle for me.  I don’t know if you noticed in the reading from Mark 1: 12-13, after His Baptism, Jesus is immediately lead into the desert to have a face to face encounter with the Devil who would attempt to break Him.  I truly believe this is a challenge that we, the baptized will continue to experience throughout our lives.  The temptation to deny our Baptismal commitments.   If you resist this temptation, this process will eventually transform you and others as the fruits of "your mission and ministry" begins to show Christs love to neighbor and foe.

May I suggest that there are three major questions that you could ask here about baptism?  

1.  Who is qualified to perform such an anointing?

2:  Do I need to be baptized in order to get into heaven?

3.  Should anyone be refused baptism?

There is nothing in scripture that seems to suggest that a formal religious education was necessary to offer baptism.  It appears that the only qualification for those who were commissioned by Jesus was to be a committed follower.  There also is no mention of baptism being a sign of salvation {a ticket to heaven}  nor are there any rules that would exclude any person from this righteous act if they choose to ask.   It simply is for us, as it was for Jesus, a public beginning point, an anointing which begins our ministry and mission.  A celebration of our commitments to follow in the ways of God found in Christ Jesus.  Jesus simple tells John that baptism is a proper and righteous thing to do, as found in Matthew 3: 15.   In other words mimic and follow me, so that God’s will can be fulfilled in your life.  Jesus goes on to tell His disciples in Matthew 28: 19, go now, baptising in the names of Father Son and Holy Spirit.  As we prepare for the sacrament of communion let us reflect on our baptismal commitments.

"God Is Not Out There??"

I often find the morning meditations by Richard Rohr insightful and provocative.  This one in particular speaks to me from the many passages in the gospel of John where Jesus is trying to explain that God, He and We are all one within each other.  John 14: 20 and John 10: 30.  That God is not out there as so many Christians have been brain washed to believe.  God is not separate from us out there in the heavens somewhere.   Take a few moments and listen to his morning devotion from Jan 5, 2018.

Where Is God?

When I was on retreat at Thomas Merton’s hermitage at Gethsemani Abbey in 1985, I had a chance encounter that has stayed with me all these years. I was walking down a little trail when I recognized a recluse, what you might call a hermit’s hermit, coming toward me. Not wanting to intrude on his deep silence, I bowed my head and moved to the side of the path, intending to walk past him. But as we neared each other, he said, “Richard!” That surprised me. He was supposed to be silent. How did he know who I was? “Richard, you get chances to preach and I don’t. Tell the people one thing.” Pointing to the sky, he said, “God is not ‘out there’!” Then he said, “God bless you,” and abruptly continued down the path.

The belief that God is “out there” is the basic dualism that is tearing us all apart. Our view of God as separate and distant has harmed our relationships with sexuality, food, possessions, money, animals, nature, politics, and our own incarnate selves. This loss explains why we live such distraught and divided lives. Jesus came to put it all together for us and in us. He was saying, in effect, “To be human is good! The material and the physical can be trusted and enjoyed. This physical world is the hiding place of God and the revelation place of God!”

Far too much of religion has been about defining where God is and where God isn’t, picking and choosing who and what has God’s image and who and what doesn’t. In reality, it’s not up to us. We have no choice in the matter. All are beloved. Everyone—Catholic and Protestant, Christian and Muslim, black and white, gay and straight, able-bodied and disabled, male and female, Republican and Democrat—all are children of God. We are all members of the Body of Christ, made in God’s image, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, whether or not we are aware of this gift.

Can you see the image of Christ in the least of your brothers and sisters? This is Jesus’ only description of the final judgment (Matthew 25). But some say, “They smell. They’re a nuisance. They’re on welfare. They are a drain on our tax money.” Can we see Christ in all people, even the so-called “nobodies” who can’t or won’t play our game of success? When we can see the image of God where we don’t want to see the image of God, then we see with eyes not our own.

Jesus says we have to love and recognize the divine image even in our enemies. Either we see the divine image in all created things, or we don’t see it at all. Once we see God’s image in one place, the circle keeps widening. It doesn’t stop with human beings and enemies and the least of our brothers and sisters. It moves to frogs and pansies and weeds. Everything becomes enchanting with true sight. We cannot not live in the presence of God. We are totally surrounded and infused by God. All we can do is allow, trust, and finally rest in it, which is indeed why we are “saved” by faith—faith that this could be true.

Adapted from Richard Rohr, “Creation as the Body of God,” Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth, ed. Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee (The Golden Sufi Center: 2013), 235-241; and

Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer (The Crossroad Publishing Company: 2003), 58-59, 117-119.