The Story for 21st Sunday after Pentecost
Oct 17, 2021

Job 38:1-7,34-41

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements – surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?” 

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?”

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Something to Do

Go somewhere that makes you feel small

At the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, there is a long spiral ramp with a timeline of the cosmos along the railing. Humans show up as a line at the very end of this long, long walk, raising questions about our sense of importance and centrality in the universe.

This speech from God does the same thing – reminding us just how big the world really is and how small a part of it we really are.

Find a place to feel that truth this week. We don’t have an ocean available and can’t call up a lightening storm on demand (which is sort of the point) but maybe you can get the same sense by visiting the river or finding an open field on a dark night or spot where you can really feel the wind or where you are dwarfed by trees.

At the very least, find some good wildlife/storm/wilderness videos to watch online!

Make Your Complaints

The Book of Job is a wonderful, difficult, honest struggling with the question of why bad things happen. You may not be suffering as much as Job does but you have your own complaints. Even though you are small in the context of the cosmos, you have the right to name your sufferings and your struggles. Write them down. Tell a trusted friend. Tell God. Find the balance between acknowledging troubles and dwelling in them. Be open to insights or solutions but be prepared to settle for patience and endurance.

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Something to Wonder

Feeling Small

How does feeling small in the cosmos feel to you? Why do you think it makes you feel that way? If it is not a good feeling, how might you be able to reframe it so that it feels better to you? If it is a good feeling, how might you be able to take that feeling and put it to use in your life or in the world?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

This is one of the great questions – so great, it has its own word: theodicy. If God is good and powerful, why is there suffering in the world?

How do you make sense of this problem? Has your approach or your understanding changed over time? Have there been particular experiences that shaped your perspective on this question?

Does this passage from Job, God’s great declaration of power and scope, help or hurt your attempts to answer the question?

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Something to Learn

Dive into Job

The Book of Job is a remarkable literary, philosophical, and theological text, well worth the time to read in its entirety.

Whether you do that or not, do take a look at some of these resources.

The Book of Job: an 8 part series by Rabbi Alexander Goldberg. Published as blog posts in the Guardian online, these short articles offer a multi-layered discussion of the book which weaves contemporary concerns with Biblical analysis. This link takes you to the first in the series. Keep scrolling to the bottom to find links to the rest of the posts.

The Bible Project offers two short essays and an overview video that discuss the theology, history, and structure of the Book of Job:

(Part 1) Book of Job: What’s Going on Here? An ancient thought experiment
(Part 2) Book of Job: God Gives Job a Virtual Tour of his Wise World

Click image for Video Overview

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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 for Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday
Oct 10, 2021

Matthew 6:25-33

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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Something to Do

Look at the birds of the air

Take Jesus’ instructions literally. Go outside and spend some time looking at the birds of the air and considering the flowers in the gardens. Be mindful of how much God loves them. Be thankful for the gift of their presence in creation. Imagine being as free from worry as they are.

Worry stones and the Kingdom of God

First, find yourself a handful of small stones. These will represent your worries. Go to a good place to pray. Hold the stones in one hand or put them in a pile in front of you. Invite God to quiet your heart so you can name your worries without being caught up in them and then, one by one, take a stone, tell God what is weighing on you, and put it down. You can put it in a box or bag and, if you are outdoors, return it to the ground.

When you have laid down your worries, turn your attention to the kingdom of God. How can you strive for the kingdom and for God’s righteousness in your life and in our world. Find one larger stone. Take that stone up and ask God to sustain you and lead you in that holy work. Find a place to keep the stone as a sign of your desire.

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Something to Wonder

Are you not of more value than they?

On the one hand, of course a human life is more valuable than the life of a bird. On the other hand, our confidence in our own greater value has had devastating consequences for our world. Do you think God loves us more than birds? Why do you think that way? Is there an alternative way of framing the problem in order to lead to different (better?) ways of understanding the situation?

Do not worry about your life

What a privilege to not have to worry about what you will eat or how you will pay rent or whether you have clothes that fit and will protect you against the weather. If you do not or have not always enjoyed these privileges, how does Jesus’ instruction make you feel? If you do enjoy these privileges, consider how this passage might sound for someone who does not.

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Something to Learn

Mendicant Orders – taking Jesus at his word

Mendicant orders are religious orders in which members do not live together in monasteries and do not hold property even in common but rather travel around to teach and minister, supporting themselves through occasional labour and begging. Francis (whose feast we celebrated last week) is widely considered to be the founder of the first Christian mendicant order, followed not long after by Dominic (although the Dominicans (1216) were formally established by the pope a few years earlier than the Franciscans (1223).

Learn more about this important Christian movement:

Mendicant Orders in the Medieval World – from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Art History blog

History of the Mendicant Friars from History World

‘Begging Without Shame’: Medieval Mendicant Orders Relied on Contributions from the Journal of the Catholic Health Association of the United States

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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 for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
in the Season of Creation
Sept 26, 2021

Mark 9:38-50

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” 

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Something to Do

Join the Movement

Jesus teaches his disciples that the work is what counts. There is a global movement for climate justice, including people of all different faiths and cultures, led by young people seeking meaningful change and accountability from leaders. Join them this Friday, Sept 24, at 1pm in Confederation Park.

Fridays for Future Canada

Fridays for Future Ottawa (Facebook page)

Enjoy a salty treat

Salt is a precious resource, necessary for life and a valuable preservative and cleansing agent. It is also delicious.

Treat yourself to a salty snack this week – perhaps after participating in Friday’s march!

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Something to Wonder

What causes you to stumble?

Things and people external to us can cause us to stumble and lose sight of the call of Jesus to work for (work in) the kingdom of God. Things internal to us – our own hands and feet and eyes – can cause us to stumble.

What makes you stumble? What distracts you from the call of Jesus in your life? How can you “cut it off” so that is no longer comes between you and the presence of God?

The saltiness of salt

Salt, without additives, does not lose its salty flavour. Maybe the salt Jesus had in mind was not pure and so could change flavour or maybe salt’s inability to lose its saltiness is central to Jesus’ point. Maybe Jesus is telling us to embrace our essential nature in order to fully engage in his ministry.

What is your saltiness? What is the saltiness of the people you love? What might be the saltiness of the people you find challenging? Can you be at peace with all that saltiness?

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Something to Learn

Interfaith Dialogue

As the Anglican Church of Canada website says:

Canada is an increasingly pluralistic country, and more and more Canadians are living, working, and socializing side by side with people of other religious traditions. For Christians, there is a growing need not just for dialogue with people of other faiths, but for genuine relationships with them. Increased awareness of religious plurality, the potential role of religion in conflict, and the growing place of religion in public life all present urgent challenges that require greater understanding and cooperation among people of diverse faiths.

Explore some of the avenues for this work.

A Common Word – A Canadian resource hub for promoting Christian Muslim dialogue 

Canadian Interfaith Conversation

Canadian Council of Churches: Christian Interfaith Reference Group

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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 for the
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
in the Season of Creation
Sept 19, 2021

Mark 9:30-37

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” 

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Something to Do

Whoever welcomes one such child

Offer your service to children this week. This could include children you know (or even live with):

• send them a letter
• prepare a favourite snack
• record a story
• let them choose the movie

And it could include children you don’t know but who need your attention:

• make a donation to an organization that supports children’s well-being
• learn about the work being done during the federal election to advocate for children’s rights in Canada

Be Welcomed as a Child

In the Season of Creation, we remember that God’s presence is all around us, revealed in the wonder of creation. Take some time to be a child of God in creation. Go throw rocks into the river. Skip along a path. Twirl on a lawn. Play hide and seek in the park (that one doesn’t work on your own). Lie on the grass and find shapes in the clouds. Sing a song while you ride your bike.

Go outside to play.

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Something to Wonder

Whoever wants to be first must be last

What does this actually mean to you, in practical terms?

• How would you explain it to a child?
• How would you explain it to the candidate who shows up at your door?
• How would you explain it to your boss?

Seven Generations Principle

The Seven Generations Principle is found in the teachings of many Indigenous nations, calling people to consider the impact of their decisions and actions on people seven generations in the future. It is a call to sustainability and a reminder to welcome the children – including those not yet born.

How well do you apply this principle in your life?

Ron (Deganadus) McLester, Executive Director and Special Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Initiatives, Algonquin College discusses sustainability and seven generations in this video

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Something to Learn

The Child and Nature Alliance

The Child and Nature Alliance seeks to “foster meaningful connections with the outdoors for children and youth”.

While they are not a religious organization, this is deeply sacred work and part of our call to restore the relationship between humans and the rest of creation. They advocate for exploratory play and education outdoors and provide resources for caregivers, educators, recreational workers, and others to expand their offerings, think critically about risk, and strategize for the Canadian climate.

Learn about their work here.

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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.