Colourful Dreamer

This week’s readings from Luke (10:1-11, 16-20) and from Paul’s letter to the Galatians have a strong communal theme to them. Paul is all about the new community of God’s people created through Jesus, and Luke has Jesus send out 70 or 72 to continue the work of John the Baptist preparing the way. Too often we reduce Christianity to me being saved by Jesus and that salvation is understood as me getting into heaven. And we use Paul to support that understanding. Yet that is nothing like what Paul was on about. His hope was in the promises made to Israel, the people of God, the promise of the restoration of all creation with the coming reign of God’s justice and peace. He had understood that the inheritors of that promise were those who kept Torah and who were circumcised. He found the teaching of the followers of this dead rabbi from Nazareth dangerous…until he met that dead and resurrected rabbi on the way to Damascus. Then he came to realise that circumcision and Torah did not q

This can be heard here Gate Pa – 29 th June 2016, Year C 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings: Psalm:                                     Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20                                                    First Reading:               2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14                  Second Reading:         Galatians 5:1, 13-25                Gospel:                                     Luke 9:51-62                           What I want to say: Te explore what harvest festival is about linking it with climate change and land and water degradation, and to link all that with Jesus sense of honesty and urgency What I want to happen: People to reflect on what it is the are giving thanks for, and to be inspired to generously offer more of themselves The Sermon      1.      Introduction: So here we are again having a harvest festival             in middle winter             not much harvest around             where weather is not very encouraging of being

Some first thoughts on this Sunday’s readings. These readings carry a sense of urgency about them. And they all call us into a single mindedness based on God’s loving actions towards us. Paul reminds us that we do not earn this through obedience but by accepting that love and allowing God to change us within from self-indulgence to loving our neighbour as ourselves. And to allow that to happen needs both a sense of urgency and single mindedness of attitude. This Sunday will also be our harvest festival (a randomly picked date that doesn’t clash with anything else, including the harvest) – a day to give thanks for the harvest and more importantly God’s ongoing goodness and generosity. Our harvest festival is set within Matariki – the Maori New Year which marks the beginning of the time to prepare the ground for the new harvest. This reminds us that we are to care for creation so that/as well as reaping its reward. What might it mean to treat the earth as our neighbour? How