God, free me of god



Last week, being my first week back from my time in the USA, was a pretty busy week. I did not really write my sermon, but on Sunday wrote out some wee notes. That is why I did not post anything. To be honest, this week is looking pretty busy with two funerals and my daughters 30th birthday party in Auckland on Saturday. I will write a theme, but don't get too hopeful for sermon notes.
These are pretty rough notes, so the actual sermon may be a little different. You can listen to that here.

 
Gate Pa – Year B  29th Sunday in Ordinary Time,



Readings:

Psalm                          Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c                                 

First Reading:              Job 38:1-7, 34-41                               

Second Reading:        Hebrews 5:1-10                                  

Gospel:                        Mark 10:35-45                                               



What I want to say:

to explore the invitation from Job to pray Meister Ekhart’s prayer – “God free me of god”



What I want to happen:

what ideas about God do we need to be freed of?



The Sermon


       1.      Introduction:


Poor old James and John

They thought they understood what was happening

they thought they understood what God was doing in this person Jesus

Messiah

-          healed many

-          teacher – words of life

-          shown power over natural world and world of spirits

-          now off to Jerusalem

è clearly God was with him

è when God was with you, you were blessed with success

-          God is moral and just God and rewards those who follow God

-          also moral and just

-          long life and many descendants

-          wealth

-          hoping power

they are brothers

first loyalty was to each other

do what any set of brothers should do

seek out best opportunities for their family name

-          to be at Jesus left and right side

-          place of power and wealth

-          if only they had taken more notice of  Job



       2.      Job


much of OT works on theology

God is moral and just

God will reward the moral and just with long life, many sons, health and wealth

God will punish those not moral and just

è wealthy seen as rewarded by God

è poor and sick as punished

along comes Job

explore the story

problem

all of these statements could not be true

God is moral and just

God rewards the moral and just

Job is moral and just

-          Job wants his day in court

-          friends tell him he has sinned greatly

then God turns up and asks this very simple question

“who says that that is the way the universe operates?

who says those are the rules by which I have to operate?”

how freeing is that?

we can’t understand God

God is beyond our rules

God is beyond our theology

I can’t control God

I can’t dictate how God will be God

I am not God.



       3.      Ransomed


talk about this in terms of Anselm’s unhelpful theology



       4.      What do we need to be freed of?


Meister Ekhart’s prayer – “God free me of god”

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