The Story
2nd Sunday after Pentecost
June 14, 2020

Matthew 9:35-10:8

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.” 

---

Something to Do

The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few

There is no shortage of work for us to do in the name of Jesus – no shortage of sickness in need of curing or unclean spirits in need of casting out. Happily, there is also no shortage of Good News to be proclaimed because the Kingdom of God is at hand and the promise of life and love is sure.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in his sermon for Pentecost 2020, identified the great pandemic in need of curing as the pandemic of self-centredness which leads, among other things, to the terrible sin of racism. Begin the work of curing that sickness by learning.

Consider gathering a small group of trusted friends (in a socially distant way or online) to read a book that will help you do this learning. I will be reading White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo with three other priests in the diocese. Other possibilities could include Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death , and Hard Truths in a Northern City by Tanya Talaga; How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? (short stories) by N.K. Jemisin; or Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard.

Last week’s Story at Home included more book suggestions and, if you have children in your household, take a look at the resources shared by Gabrielle in last week’s Sunday school at home email.

He had compassion on them

The etymology of compassion is to suffer-with. It’s an imaginative act of entering into another person’s story so that their experience has an impact on you, too.

Practice compassion this week. Anytime you encounter someone else, take a moment to imagine how they might be feeling. Notice when this is easy and when this is hard. Are there certain people for whom you struggle to feel compassion? Are there certain situations which makes it harder for you? Wonder about all these patterns.

---

Something to Wonder

Go nowhere among the Gentiles

Most of us would be included in this category – members of the nations other than Israel. How does hearing Jesus reserve the Good News and healing power for the “lost sheep of Israel” make you feel? Why do you think he did it? Why do you think he later extended the disciples’ mandate to include “all nations”?

You received without payment, give without payment

Eucharistic theology teaches us that everything we have and everything we are comes from God, including the great privilege of having something to give away. This non-transactional relationship is at the heart of our relationship with God – we can’t buy or earn grace which also means we can’t sell it. All we can do, in response to receiving it, is to give it.

Contemplate the gifts you have been given.
Contemplate how you can give them away.

---

Something to Learn

Ministry among the harassed and helpless

This Sunday, the Rev’d Caroline Ducros will be speaking to us about her work in prison ministry. As we anticipate her visit, here are two articles about the state of prison ministry in the time of COVID-19.

From “God’s total identification with the incarcerated” in The Anglican Journal:
“I really think our prison system’s problems are being exposed through this crisis, because we see that our prisons aren’t equipped to deal with a public health crisis. The conditions of lockdown are very penal, very punishing for people, and it causes massively significant, detrimental mental health impacts on prisoners.”

From “Spiritual needs of vulnerable federal inmates unmet during pandemic: chaplains” in The National Post
“Federal prison chaplains say the spiritual needs of inmates have become an unnecessary casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic at a time when offenders are feeling particularly vulnerable and alone.”

---

Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story
Trinity Sunday
June 7, 2020

Matthew 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

---

Something to Do

everything I have commanded you

If part of our task as disciples of Jesus is to teach others to follow Jesus’ commandments, we need to know what those commandments are. Rewrite the two great commandments (Love God with all your heart, mind, strength and love your neighbour as yourself) in your own words. How would you explain them to someone who had never heard them before?

I am with you always

For generations, Christians have used objects as reminders of Jesus’ promised presence. We wear crosses around our necks or display pictures in our homes or carry prayer beads in our pockets.

If this is already part of your practice, recall the story of your reminding object (and perhaps share it with someone). Where did the object come from? Why is is important to you? How does it make you feel? If you don’t usually bring it into your prayer space, do so this week.

If you don’t have an object like this, consider using one. It can be as simple as a cross fashioned out of two sticks and brought into your prayer space. Outward signs can be powerful spiritual aids, giving our eyes and hands something to hang on to while we set our spirits soaring.

---

Something to Wonder

All authority has been given to me

Does Jesus have all authority in your life? What would that even mean? Is it something you actually want?

Questions like these tend to come with official “right” answers but no one is marking this paper. Be honest with yourself and with Jesus. Remember that doubts are welcome on the mountaintop and do not interfere with Jesus’ faithfulness to you.

All authority has been given to me

Earlier this week, Donald Trump attempted to claim the authority of Jesus in a photo op on a church doorstep with a raised Bible. He certainly demonstrated he had some kind of authority – the authority to clear out inconvenient people using the force of the state; the authority to be seen and heard as he wished. But he also demonstrated the limits of his authority as church folk rose up to denounce his misappropriation of Jesus’ authority. It remains to be seen whose authority will hold sway in the near future.

Consider all the times and places in which Jesus’ authority has been claimed for the wrong purposes. What can you do to prepare yourself to resist such false claims?

Consider all the times and places in which Jesus’ authority has been revealed in truth and justice. What can you do to participate in such work?

---

Something to Learn

Jesus and Race

Once again, we are called to attend to the reality of racism and the ideology of white supremacy as protests rage and people of colour die – within our own borders as well as to the south and everywhere around the world. This is not the first time and it will not be the last time unless our work extends beyond the headline-inspired outrage currently being felt. So let’s commit ourselves to some learning.

I googled “Jesus” in Google images. Here is what I found. What do you notice?
Next, I looked up “Jesus race”. What do you notice? What are the implications of the difference between these two searches?
Which images of Jesus are most familiar to you?
How do the different images make you feel?

When you read the Bible, what do the characters in your imagination look like? Do they look like roughly like you – whatever race and cultural group you happen to be? Do they look like the majority of the people around you – whether you belong to that majority or not? Do they look like modern Palestinians and Israelis? Does it matter?

Next time you read the Bible, be deliberate about how you paint those faces in your imagination and see what, if anything, changes.

For some context, check out good old wikipedia: Race and Appearance of Jesus and this article, “Race and Ethnicity in the Bible“, adapted from Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien.

Church and Race

Obviously, different churches have different relationships to race and racism – different denominations, different national expressions, different parishes. But our mainline North American church has some serious work to do. As Canadian Anglicans, we have begun to do the hard work of reconciliation and justice-seeking with Indigenous people but there is more work to do on the evils of racism. Learning is a good place to start.

Here’s a book list to help you get started: Stop Asking People Of Color To Explain Racism–Pick Up One Of These Books Instead

And here’s an excerpt from a recently published book on racism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, written by a black pastor. Don’t be fooled by Pastor Lenny Duncan’s denominational focus – Canadian Anglicans need to read it, too.
Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S

And a useful review of that book can be read here.

---

Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.