The Story
February 16, 2020

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh.

For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. 

Gospel reading for Feb 16: Matthew 5:21-37

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Something to Do

Bring the image to life: solid food or soft

Paul uses a wonderful, concrete image in this passage of his letter to the church in Corinth, comparing the full complexity of faith to solid food and the immature faith of the people to food that even babies can handle. Take advantage of this strong image by bringing it off the page, especially if you have children in your household.

Compare baby food to solid food. You could go out and purchase a jar or just purée up a well-cooked sweet potato. If you have the resources, you could whip up a serving of infant formula or pablum. Then talk about the pros and cons of the kinds of food. Notice that they are all food – maybe even the same kind of food – but made suitable for different people with different needs.

Bring the image to life: how does a garden grow?

Sadly, it is not the season for outdoor planting activities. You could still plant something indoors, though, and share in the work of caring for a little piece of God’s creation. No matter who plants the seed and no matter who waters it, the growth belongs to God.

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Something to Wonder

I belong to Apollo

The letters to those early Christians are so tantalizing! They point to such rich and wonderful stories full of complicated people with interesting lives and communities rife with drama but never give us the complete tale. Who was Apollo, exactly? Why was the community playing at factions? How did they feel about being called immature? Was Paul really as relaxed about his importance to the community as he claims?

Let your imagination run a little wild and tell yourself a story or two about what led to this letter.

Where – in the actual text or in your imagination – are there parallels with situations in your own experience?

jealousy and quarrelling

Some things are timeless. What brings out the jealousy and quarrelling in you? In your family? In your communities?

How do these behaviours or inclinations interfere with your spiritual growth? How might you avoid triggering them? Or how might you better manage them once they are triggered?

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Something to Learn

Flesh and Spirit

Paul frequently uses flesh and spirit as opposing terms and, as a result, created a good deal of anti-flesh bias in Christian thought. As is often the case, however, things are more complicated than they seem.

Fr. Richard Rohr has a brief piece tackling this dichotomy on the Centre for Action and Contemplation website: Paul’s Dialectical Teaching: Flesh and Spirit

This piece, by the Rev’d Morgan Guyton, a United Methodist pastor, takes us deeper into the sources of our confusion by looking at both Greek philosophy and Paul’s influence on how we hear the words “flesh” and “spirit”: “What is the difference between spirit and flesh” on Patheos

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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
February 9, 2020

Matthew 5:13-20

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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Something to Do

Experiment with salt

Make two batches of popcorn and salt only one of them. Taste and compare. Which tastes better?

If you are really keen, make soup (from scratch) but remove a bowlful before adding any salt. Taste and compare.

Let your light shine

Light a candle in a dark room and notice how much light even just one candle can cast. If you can do so safely, set it in a window and let it shine into the dark for a time – perhaps for the duration of your prayers.

Step outside to see the impact the light in the window has on the street view.

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Something to Wonder

The saltiness of those who follow Jesus

Salt, well-used, brings out the fullness of the flavours of other food rather than replacing or overpowering them. It also serves as a preservative and a purifying agent, making food suitable for eating (making food kosher) and for a longer time. What’s more, it can’t lose its saltiness and so Jesus is making a point not issuing a warning.

What is the saltiness offered to the earth by those who follow Jesus?
By you, in particular?

unless your righteousness…

Being righteous beyond even the scribes and Pharisees is an impossible task and seems at odds with other explanations about the kingdom of heaven, such as the instruction to be like a little child (Matthew 18:3) or the acknowledgement that it is only God who makes it possible for any mortal to get into heaven (Matthew 19:26).

Given that, what do you think Jesus was trying to emphasize in this conversation? What might “righteousness” mean?

What does “righteousness” mean to you? Who do you think is righteous? What makes them so?

Hint: take a look at the section just before these verses. Matthew 5:1-11

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Something to Learn

Matthew and the Law

Scholars agree that Matthew’s community was primarily a Jewish one, seeking a way to express their faith in Christ in a way consistent with their knowledge of God and of themselves as God’s people. Matthew’s concerns with the Law and the Prophets and his struggles with leaders of mainstream Jewish theological thought and practice (i.e. scribes and Pharisees) should be read with this context in mind.

Phil Harland is a historian of the ancient Mediterranean world. His website is a fascinating place to explore but you could start with this very brief article on Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew: A Very Jewish Jesus

Another brief look at Matthew’s preoccupations can be found in the PBS Frontline series “From Jesus to Christ”: The Story of the Storytellers

What is Righteousness, anyway?

Theologian N.T.Wright offers a big answer in his entry in The New Dictionary of Theology

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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
February 2, 2020
Feast of the Presentation of Jesus

Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him. 

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Something to Do

Spend some time with your elders

Simeon and Anna remind us of the wisdom and faithfulness of our elders, people whose faith has been tested by the living of it. Make time this week to visit with the elders in your life – whether in person or from a distance; whether blood family or church family or chosen family.

and a sword will pierce you own soul, too

This is a strange sort of blessing, offered by Simeon to Mary. There is, however, a great truth in it – the suffering of those we love wounds us, too. When I, like Mary, was a new mother, I was deeply aware that I had just doubled (at least) my chances of suffering.

Consider who in your life bears this risk because of their love for you. What can you do this week to treasure that love?

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Something to Wonder

Waiting for Epiphany

Today’s story reminds us that, sometimes, God takes a long time to show up. Anna and Simeon had waited their whole lives, giving themselves over to a life of prayer and watching. I imagine they had days when it seemed a useless way to spend their time – but nonetheless they persisted.

When has God made you wait? Was it worth it? What did you gain from the waiting? What did the waiting cost you?

My eyes have seen your salvation

It is always good to remember that the Greek word we translate as “salvation” can also be translated as “healing” or “wholeness”, which adds an important nuance to the idea of rescue.

Simeon saw God’s salvation, prepared for all peoples, in the infant Jesus.
Where have you seen God’s salvation?
In what ways has God saved you?
What is the salvation you are looking for?

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Something to Learn

The Feast of the Presentation

The Feast of the Presentation (sometimes known as the Feast of the Purification of Mary; sometimes as Candlemas) is an ancient feast of the church, dating from at least the 4th century. As with many such ancient practices, it has a storied history and its deepest roots are not fully known. Below are a few quick bites of information about the celebration:

From churchyear.net
From the Church of England‘s materials for the season of Epiphany
And, of course, from Wikipedia.

From cradle to cross: a Candlemas sermon

Just because I’m not preaching this week doesn’t mean you can’t hear a Candlemas sermon! This sermon was recorded in February 2016 at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal (text included).

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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
January 26, 2020

Matthew 4:12-23

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 
‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
   on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 
the people who sat in darkness
   have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
   light has dawned.’ 
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

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Something to Do

Playing with String

Andrew and Simon Peter were working with their nets. Making nets is way too ambitious but there are other things to do with string. Find a long piece and give cat’s cradle a try.
https://www.wikihow.com/Play-The-Cat%27s-Cradle-Game

Epiphany Stories, continued

Jesus showed up to Andrew, Simon Peter, James, and John at work. As you track the ways in which God reveals Godself to you in your life, consider your school/workplace (past or present). Where or how did you encounter God there?

Tell someone about it.

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Something to Wonder

Jesus and John

According to Luke, Jesus and John meet for the first time while still in the womb. The next time they meet, as far as our records go, is as adults at the River Jordan when John recognizes Jesus as someone special. This week’s story reports that Jesus took up John’s proclamation – “Repent, for the Kingdom of God has come near” – after John was arrested.

How do you imagine Jesus and John’s relationship? How do you think the other’s ministry affected their own?

Can you think of any similar relationships in the Bible or in literature or pop culture or your own experience?

Proclaim the good news of the kingdom

This is definitely not the first time I have proposed this topic for your consideration. It is also definitely not the last time.

What do you understand to be “the good news of the kingdom”? How would you explain it to someone in as few words as possible?

How did you come to this understanding?

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Something to Learn

Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali

Locating the Biblical stories in geography can help us remember that the Gospel is not simply a beautiful idea or a thought experiment. These stories have a physical setting, in both time and space. Explore a collection of Bible maps at Bible History.com.

And, if you are curious about the lands of Zubulun and Naphtali, find them on this map of the territories of the tribes of Israel.

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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
January 19, 2020

John 1:29-42

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).

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Something to Do

And John testified

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus not only through his ministry of baptism and preaching but also through his witness to his own encounter with Jesus, when he saw the Spirit descend and knew Jesus to be the Son of God.

We, too, are called to bear witness to our encounters with Jesus – to let people know about the impact of our faith on our lives and who we have come to understand God to be. Over the next few weeks, we will hear from some Ascension members as they share their Epiphany stories with us. If you are not one of those storytellers, find another opportunity to share your story with someone you trust.

Come and See

Last Sunday, I issued an Epiphany challenge. Actively look for the presence of God in your life by developing the habit of asking yourself how God is speaking to you in any given situation or experience. What is God revealing about you or the world or Godself in this particular place or encounter? How is God inviting you to respond to this particular challenge or opportunity? Where is God calling you?

This discipline starts with the assumption that God is, indeed, present to be heard or seen or felt. Remember that in each moment and every place, Jesus is inviting you to “Come and see”.

And, having seen, do as John the Baptist or as Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, and tell someone about it.

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Something to Wonder

What are you looking for?

Imagine that you are following Jesus, curious about who he is and what he’s doing. He turns and sees you and asks, “What are you looking for?”

How do you answer?

The many names of Jesus

• Son of God
• Lamb of God
• Rabbi
• Messiah

These four names are all used to talk about or address Jesus in this passage. Which of them means the most to you? Why? Which means the least? Why?
What name (in this list or not) do you use for Jesus? What does that name mean to you?

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Something to Learn

The Lamb of God

The image of the Lamb of God is a rich and complicated one, with layers of history in both Jewish and Christian thought. The articles below offer a glimpse of this richness. Some of the meanings will be comforting to you; some of the meanings will be challenging.

“Another Look at the ‘Lamb of God’” by Chris Skinner goes through 9 views on the image of the lamb of God. It’s long but easily skimmed.

“Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God” from the website Catholic Straight Answers provides a very traditional Catholic perspective.

“The Politics of the Lamb of God” by Amy Lindeman Allen wonders about the political implications for Christians of this image, tying it to the great liberating message of the Gospel.

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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.