Church of the Ascension

The Story at Home

John the Baptist: Political Prisoner, Prophet, and Hopepunk Hero

The Story
Dec 15, 2019
Third Sunday of Advent

Matthew 11:2-11

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Something to Do

Stand with Political Prisoners

John the Baptist was in prison because he told King Herod that divorcing his wife and marrying his sister-in-law was not acceptable behaviour.

Speaking truth to power is still dangerous. Join with Amnesty International to write a letter on behalf of a young person who is suffering the consequences of standing up for what is right as part of their December Write for Rights campaign.

Go and tell what you hear and see

Jesus answers John the Baptist’s question with instructions to the disciples to report what they witness Jesus doing – acts of compassion, healing, and justice.

This work is still going on. Notice it, give thanks to God for it, and help other people notice it, too. There is enough bad news in the world – let’s pay attention to the good news for a while!

Something to Wonder

Are you the one who is to come or…?

Have you ever waited a really long time for something to happen – an answer to come to you, perhaps, or an opportunity? And when it came, did you know for sure this was it or did you wonder if you were supposed to keep waiting?

How did you decide what to do or what to think?

How do you think John the Baptist felt about Jesus?
Hopeful? Worried? Scared? Happy?

How do you think his disciples felt about Jesus?

What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?

Jesus is pointing out that John the Baptist is exactly what he should be – a strong, somewhat scary prophet in the wilderness – so no one should be surprised by him. In fact, he is precisely what they were all looking for in the first place. And yet, Jesus seems to imply, people are disapproving of John’s wildness and use it as an excuse to ignore him.

Have you ever had the experience of “well, what did you expect?!” If so, what was the context? How did you respond?

Something to Learn

John the Baptist – Hopepunk

As promised in last Sunday’s sermon, here is the link to the article that introduced me to the concept of “hopepunk”


Waiting and Resistance: Advent and Star Wars by the Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell
“Advent isn’t just about waiting for Christmas, waiting to place the baby in the manger in our Nativity crèches. Advent is about resisting the empire around us—the empire of consumerism and consumption, the empire of majority that pushes minorities to the margins. Advent is about resisting the “War on Christmas” and instead saving what we love: that the Word became flesh and lived among us.”

A Crash Course in the Gospel according to Matthew

The Bible Project’s videos on Matthew’s Gospel give an entertaining and helpful overview of the whole book and some helpful background on the author and their community.

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.

“Repent! For the Kingdom of heaven has come near” a conversation with John the Baptist

The Story
Dec 8, 2019
Second Sunday of Advent

Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'”

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Something to Do

And his food was locusts and wild honey

Locusts are hard to come by but crickets are becoming an increasingly common sight in grocery stores…

Have a John the Baptist inspired snack of crickets and honey (or perhaps dipped in chocolate?)

Bear fruit worthy of repentance

John the Baptist reminds us that repentance is not just about words – it’s about behaviour that bears fruit. We are called to take concrete steps as we turn towards God and live into our baptismal identity as members of the Body of Christ.

Bear fruit this week, fruit that reflects your true identity.

Something to Wonder

He will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Chaff is the unnecessary stuff that must be disposed of in order to access the good wheat.

What is the chaff that you need burned away to prepare for the coming of Jesus and make the wheat available?

In those days, John the Baptist appeared

Who is John the Baptist in our day?
Whose voice is calling out to us from the desert?
Are we prepared to listen?

Something to Learn

John the Baptist – the back story

The Gospel according to Luke tells the story of John the Baptist’s origins, all mixed up the story of the birth of Jesus himself. Read it for yourself in Luke, Chapter 1

John the Baptist – a member of the Essenes?

It has been speculated that John the Baptist was a member of the Essenes, a Jewish sect active at the time of Jesus and possibly influential in the development of Christianity.

A Portrait of Jesus’ World – The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls is a summary provided on PBS’ Frontline.

Jesus and the Essenes: An Esoteric History is a more scholarly but still accessible article by Dr. Simon Joseph, a lecturer in Early Christianity at UCLA

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.

Get Ready! The season of Advent is upon us!

The Story
Dec 1, 2019
First Sunday of Advent

Matthew 24:36-44

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Something to Do

Advent Readiness

The First Sunday of Advent demands that we take Advent seriously – because the end of the world is serious business. Our traditions of Advent wreaths and Advent calendars are not simply countdowns to Christmas but rather are meant to keep us paying attention.

So how will you stay awake this Advent season? Some possibilities:

The Advent Wreath – all you need is four candles plus one for Christmas. They can be in a traditional wreath of winter greenery or simply on the table. They can be the traditional Advent colours of blue/purple or simply all white. Eat dinner by candlelight all Advent long, lighting one more candle each week. Say a simple grace, sing a favourite Advent song, or use the prayers we’ll be using at Ascension this year.

Reverse Advent Box – each day, add an item from this list of needed gifts for Ottawa’s community ministries. If you feel festive or have young family members at home, decorate your box (or come to this Saturday’s Celebration Saturday and decorate it with us!). Bring the items to church after Christmas and before Jan. 5th for distribution.

#AdventWord – join this international project and read or share meditations and images on Advent Words each day.

Something to Wonder

So many things to wonder…

If we can’t know when the Son of Man is coming, why have humans spent so much time trying to figure it out?

How do we watch for something we can’t even begin to prepare for?

Is it better to be taken or left?

Is Jesus the thief? If so, what might that mean?

And something to wonder about ourselves…

How does a reading that raises so many questions make you feel?

How does this reading, with its strange warnings make you feel?

What ideas do you have about “the rapture”? Where do they come from? How do you feel about it?

Something to Learn

A Close Study

Left Behind and Loving It offers a guided translation from the Greek, along with insightful commentary. It is one of my favourite resources for sermon prep – which means if you read it, you might hear something of it on Sunday! But there is so much of value here, it’s worth the risk, especially for a text as tricky as the one we have this week!

The History of Advent

In Advent, Explained , Alissa Wilkinson discusses the history of Advent and its various observances from the perspective of a secular participant.

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.

Blessed be the Lord! A song of praise for the Reign of Christ

The Story
Nov. 24, 2019
The Feast of the Reign of Christ

Luke 1:68-79

The Song of Zechariah

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Something to Do

Sing with Zechariah

Zechariah was an elderly priest, married to Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin). Zechariah and Elizabeth had never had children. One day, an angel appeared to Zechariah while he was carrying out his duties in the temple. The angel promised a child, who was to be named John and who would grow up to become John the Baptist. Zechariah was openly doubtful about the promise and the angel, as punishment or as proof, took away his voice until the moment of John’s birth (and naming).

When the wonderful day came, Zechariah’s voice was restored and the first words out of his mouth were the song, now known as the Benedictus or the Song of Zechariah.

Since it is a song, sing it! Or at least listen to it being sung. Some versions are linked below.

Guide our feet in the way of peace

Zechariah sings of God’s promises, ending with the beautiful image of God guiding God’s people’s “feet in the way of peace”.

Allow God to guide your feet this week. How might you follow the way of peace? Is there something you can do to bring peace to your own heart or to a relationship that is sometimes (or always) conflictual? Can you be a peaceful presence in your workplace or school or neighbourhood?

Something to Wonder

Herald of the King

The Song of Zechariah is read instead of a psalm on the Sunday of the Reign of Christ (also known as Christ the King Sunday). It is sung to a baby who will be the one to prepare the way for the the Lord, the King, who is to come.

How do we prepare the way for the Lord?
What do you do to open yourself up to hear the call of Jesus?
What might you do to prepare the way for someone else to encounter Jesus?

Freedom under the King

Freedom and monarchy do not often go together but freedom is a defining feature of the reign of Jesus – freedom to worship; freedom from oppression; freedom from judgement; freedom from fear; freedom from death.

Imagine the power of these promises for a people living under occupation.

Imagine embracing these promises fully for yourself. What would you do if you lived into this freedom that has been offered to you?

Something to Learn

Praying the Daily Office

The Song of Zechariah is traditionally said during the service of Morning Prayer (or the Morning Office). The practice of the daily office – or any deliberate, consistent prayer practice – reminds us that our time and our attention belong first to Jesus, our true ruler.

Learn more about the ancient practice of the office and consider incorporating it into your own prayer life.

A brief history of the development of the modern Anglican daily office pattern.

A personal reflection by the Bishop of Tennessee on why praying the offices is important to him.

A few versions to try for yourself:

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.

Terrifying Signs that the Kingdom is Coming

The Story
Nov. 17, 2019

Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus 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.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”

And he 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. 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.

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 defence in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 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.” 

Something to Do

Terrifying Signs of the Coming of the Kingdom

The picture Jesus paints for the disciples is terrifying – wars and famines and earthquakes and persecution. It is also pretty familiar – Jesus could be describing almost any decade in human history. This is why people see the end of the world in every generation, both before Jesus and after him.

But if the end of the world is the the same thing as the coming of the Kingdom of God, the realization of God’s vision of perfect justice and peace for all creation, then why is it so scary? Why does it come with such destruction and suffering?

Because people with something to lose – people who don’t actually want perfect justice and peace – fight its coming. All too often, justice seekers and peacemakers are met with violence. Which means that their work is a double sign. When we see love and hope and self-sacrifice in action, we catch a glimpse of the Kingdom itself. And when we see the war and persecution that rises up to stop it, we know that the Kingdom is near.

So name both signs this week. Look for the glimpses of the Kingdom and rejoice. But also hold fast to the hope that what looks like destruction is actually birthpangs.

the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another…

Do a little internet searching for pictures of glorious temples that have fallen, whether due to war or simply the passing of time. Some suggestions: Coventry Cathedral, the Parthenon, the 2nd Temple, the Luisenstädtische Kirche, the Temple of Zeus at Aizanoi.

Something to Wonder

Beware that you are not led astray

There are many teachers competing for our attention and our loyalty, offering alternative ways to follow rather than the way of Jesus.

When have you been attracted by another teacher? What was appealing about that way? What made you realized you were being led astray?

Are you, perhaps, currently following another teacher some of the time? How can you make sure the way you are following is in keeping with the way of Jesus?

I will give you words of wisdom

Have you ever had the experience of finding words you didn’t think you had? Perhaps when you had to speak in your own or someone else’s defence or at a time of grief or a time of healing? If so, what was it like?

Perhaps words are not the way you move through the world. If that is the case, have you ever been the ability to do something you needed to do but didn’t know how you could? Or the means to communicate something you didn’t know how to communicate? How did that feel?

Have you ever thought of naming that gifted capacity as the Holy Spirit? If not, why not?

Something to Learn

A variety of apocalypses

Shades of Millenarianism from the Economist
This article addresses the role of apocalyptic thought in Iranian theological and political thinking – because the end of the world does not only interest Christians!

Millenarianism and Violence is a short, accessible scholarly article that takes a sweeping look at millenarian movements around the world and the risks they have posed.

Facing a possible Climate Apocalypse puts the climate crisis in conversation with dangers of the past and offers (a rather bleak) kind of hope for the future. Note: this is NOT a politically neutral piece!

And, finally, this article from the Irish Examiner looks at the backlash against Greta Thunberg: Does Greta Thunberg make you uncomfortable?

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.