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.” 

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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
Pentecost Sunday
May 31, 2020

Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” 

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Something to Do

The rush of wind

There are so many ways to connect with the wind – blow bubbles, make a pinwheel, sit under a tree, watch the clouds go by. Take the time to do one or more of these this week and contemplate the ways in which the wind is like the Spirit.

Tongues of fire

Don’t set your head on fire – but do light a candle or two and contemplate the ways in which flame is like the Spirit.

Many languages

Have some fun with Google translate. How many different languages can you say “filled with the Holy Spirit” in? How is language like the Spirit?

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Something to Wonder

At this sound, the crowd gathered…

Remember when crowds could gather? How does reading about this crowd make you feel? What do you miss about crowds? What do you not miss?

Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit in a crowd? What was the experience like? Was is exhilarating? uplifting? frightening?

Amazement/ Bewilderment/ Sneering

People’s reactions to the revelation of the Spirit included amazement and confusion…and cynicism: “But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Have you ever reacted with doubt to someone else’s experience of the Spirit? Or to your own experience? What made it hard to believe? What made you re-think your evaluation?

Why do you think some revelations are harder to believe than others?

How are you predisposed to recognize the Spirit? How might you stretch yourself?

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Something to Learn

The Holy Spirit – a primer

Once again, the Bible Project has produced an excellent introduction to a complex topic. Read the essay and watch the video here.

Also worth watching is their video on the first chapters of Acts, as the disciples receive the Spirit and the church begins to take shape.

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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
Feast of the Ascension
(transferred)
May 24, 2020

Acts 1:6-14

So when they had come together, the apostles asked Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

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Something to Do

It is not for you to know the time…

We are unpleasantly familiar with the experience of not knowing when the time will come – so this week, turn not knowing the time into a game instead of a burden.

Choose one day to live without any knowledge of the time (this is trickier now because of our phones). Cover up all the clocks in your home and try not to worry about what time it is. What does it feel like?

a cloud took him out of their sight

Growing up on the prairies, I have always known that scenery is not only what happens on the ground. Whether you are going out for walks or sitting in your backyard or gazing out an open window, spend some time directing your sight upwards. Pay attention to the colours of the sky and the shapes of the clouds. What do you see? What do you find yourself thinking about?

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Something to Wonder

devoting themselves to prayer

The disciples responded to the astonishing experience of watching Jesus ascend and to the promise of the power to come by going home and devoting themselves to prayer.

Consider your prayer life this week. How would you describe it? How do you feel about it? Is there anything you would change? If so, what and why?

Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?

On the one hand, this is a ridiculous question. They are looking up toward heaven because they just watched Jesus disappear into the sky! On the other hand, perhaps it is not so ridiculous – how often do we look for God where we last saw God instead of paying attention to where God is going?

Where are you looking for God these days? Why are you looking there? Might you be looking in the wrong direction? Where else could you look?

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Something to Learn

Church of the Ascension

Last year, we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension with a spectacular potluck dinner and community talent night. The hall was filled with people eating, singing, hugging, and laughing – it was like a different world!

This year, we are celebrating from our homes as we continue to learn what it is to be a the Church of the Ascension when we can’t enjoy one another’s company in our beloved, beautiful building.

This article discusses the idea of “distributed church” – an idea that has been discussed for some time but has taken on new weight in a pandemic world. It is long but easy to read and worth a few minutes of your time.

Distributed Church and the New Normal of a Pandemic World
“Every church is a “distributed” church now, whether we like it or not. Distributed simply means “spread” or “shared.” It has been a word that we of the Fresh Expressions movement have often held together in creative tension with the “collected” church”. 

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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
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2020

Psalm 31:1-5,15-16

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness. 
Incline your ear to me;
make haste to deliver me.

Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold;
for the sake of your name,
lead me and guide me.
Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me,
for you are my tower of strength. 

Into your hands I commend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.

Make your face to shine upon your servant,
and in your loving-kindness save me.”

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Something to Do

Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe

For kids (probably…) – Build a fort. Use pillows or boxes or blankets or furniture. How does it feel to be in your fort? How is God’s love like a fort?

For crafters of all ages – Make a model castle. Use toilet paper/paper towel tubes and cereal boxes and sticks from the yard. Use whatever you can find! What does your castle look like? How does it represent the strong rock of God’s love?

For praying people of all ages – Use this image of God in your prayers this week. Address God as “My strong rock” and meditate on this aspect of God. See what emerges in your prayers.

Into your hands

Really examine your hands. Look closely at the lines and joints and shapes of them. Think of all the things your hands can do – holding and touching and moving and shaping the world around you in so many ways.

Trace or draw your hand. Pray with your hands open.

Now imagine yourself in God’s hands and rest.

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Something to Wonder

Make haste to deliver me

Have you ever felt that you were in danger or in need of rescue? What was the situation? Did you pray in that moment? If so, how did you pray or what did you say? How did you get out of that situation? Did you pray once you felt safe again? How/what?

Does the current situation feel dangerous to you? Why or why not?
Who (else) might feel endangered by the pandemic?

Can you see signs of God’s deliverance?

Make your face to shine upon your servant

What does a “shining face” look like?
What does is mean for God’s face to shine upon you? How would you know God’s face is shining upon you?

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Something to Learn

The Psalms

The Psalms are a collection of poems, prayers, and songs that speak to human emotions and communal experiences. They do not shy away from the highest of highs or the lowest of lows and offer us examples of praise, lament, anger, and hope.

The Bible Project video on the Psalms offers an accessible introduction to the structure of the book as a whole.

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Deeper Dive

For something a bit more rigorous (and portable), try listening to this interview with Old Testament scholar Walter Breuggeman on the topic of the psalms, which he calls “subversive and countercultural”.

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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.