A Plain Sermon - part 3

 Papamoa AGM – Year C  8^th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 2022

Readings:
First Reading:                    Jeremiah 17:5-10                                             
Psalm                                 Psalm 92: 1-4, 12-15
Second Reading:              1 Cor 15:12-20                                                 
Gospel:                              Luke 6:17-26       

                                               

What I want to say:
As we prepare for the Papamoa East AGM - to explore Luke’s version of this block of teaching and noting that the world Luke and all biblical writers were writing for was based on family and community, not the individual. Jesus in Luke is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophesy/dream of the restoration of life-giving community for all, for all like.
What kind of community are we invited to be?

What I want to happen:
What are the ways we have lived this way this year?
What do we give thanks for?
What might we be invited into in the new year?

The Sermon

       1.     Introduction:

   A long time ago, in another life, I taught a course on Managing Community Groups at BoP Polytech, now Toi Ohomai.
One class was about how working with different cultures,
-          how those cultures affect how people see the world
-         and relate to one another.
I used to ask a Māori colleague to come in and take that class.
She would begin by asking people what they would do if they won Lotto.
The results were marked.
The pakeha class members would largely talk about
-         what they would buy for themselves, house, car, holiday etc…
-         and then how they might help some family members or community groups.
The Māori and Pasifika members would talk about
-         how they would buy their parents houses and/or cars,
-         would help out other family members and community groups,
-          and then what they might like as well.
There was no judgement in this.
It was just how our cultures operate differently.
We can see that when we introduce ourselves.
For example, here I might introduce myself as a
-         Franciscan Priest in the Anglican tradition,
-         archdeacon
-         vicar
-         minister general,
-         husband to Bonnie with 3 adult children.
But Māori when doing their Pepeha begin with, for example
Ko Mauao te maunga – Mauao is the mountain
Ko Tauranga Moana te moana – Tauranga Moana is the sea
Ko Wairoa the awa – Wairoa is the river.
They would go on to name the waka or canoe their ancestors arrived on
-         their iwi
-         their hapu
-         their marae
-         their whanau or family
-         who their parents are
-         and then who they are.
It is a really different way of naming their identity from how we pakeha do it.
One of the important things that a Pepeha does is allow those listening to work out how they associate to the person speaking.
-         How are they related to the speaker?
-         What are the points in their history and geography that they connect.
-         And what bits of their story hurt that relationship.
-         It allows for the building of relationship.
It is not better.
Just really different.
And it is a difference we need to take note of when we read scripture.
Because this perspective is very close to that of the hebrew people, and all the people who lived around them, and many peoples still today.
The way the people of the Bible saw the world is much closer to the Māori perspective than to ours.
Our understanding of the individual as separate from the rest of the community is a recent Western European invention.
-         Partly created by the protestant reformation.
The concept of an autonomous individual as we understand it simply did not exist in Jesus’ time.
The starting point was always family,
-         and how that family related to the community.

       2.     Communal Reading

So why am I talking about this?
Because as I read gospel readings for the last 3 weeks
-         I am struck by how often I read this as addressed to the individuals around Jesus;
o   the poor individuals,
o   and the rich individuals;
o   and individuals today.
But Jesus isn’t speaking to individuals.
In fact, nothing in scripture was written for individuals.
Nor was it ever read only by individuals.
-         originally it was read by groups of people who then wrestled together with what the scripture meant for their community.
Community is at centre of scripture
At the heart of all scripture is God’s desire that humanity lives as God intended,
-         in life giving community with each other,
-         in ways that allow ALL people to thrive,
-         and all life to thrive.
That is what the word “shalom” means, which we translate as peace.
ð When true community is established,
ð it is really about the wholeness and completion
ð then there will be God’s peace on earth.
And I at least need to remind myself of that when I read scripture.
When we start here it can change how we read scripture
For example,
-         the Law of Moses is not a moral code for individuals to live by – which it is often seen as in the West.
-         Instead it supplies the foundation which allows communities to grow and thrive
o   and warns against those things that break and damage true community
This dream of life-giving community,
-         is at the heart of the history books and wisdom tradition.
-         It is what the prophets spoke of, including Isaiah.
The year of the Lord’s favour set out in the Law
-         and longed for by the prophets
ð is when all those things that have led to broken community are set aside and the reset button is pushed,
ð so that the people of God can again seek to live together in ways that all might thrive.
For the gospel writers Jesus stood in the tradition of the prophets,
-         particularly Isaiah.
In Luke we have heard Jesus quoting from Isaiah in his home synagogue in Nazareth,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
    to proclaim release to the prisoners
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
    to liberate the oppressed,
 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18 and 19)
-         declaring it fulfiled.
So, when we read passages like todays “sermon on the plain” we need to read it with that in mind.

       3.     Sermon on the Plain

   Today’s gospel reading is part three of part two.
Jesus’ sermon acts as follow up to what Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in Nazareth,
The way the lectionary writers have broken this up,
-         part three of Jesus sermon on the plain or level place.
What we are hearing here
-         is a continuation of what Luke has offered in his gospel so far.
o   It echoes Mary’s song of protest.
o   It nods to lowly shepherds being the ones who are told of the coming saviour,
§  not the rich and powerful.
-         It lays out the value system that lies at the heart of the year of the Lord’s favour.
establishes the kind of community
-         longed for throughout scripture
-          Isaiah longed for.
The kind of community that Jesus came to bring about,
-         is still working to bring about.
The kind of community we pray for every time we pray the Lord’s prayer
-         “Your kingdom come; you will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
In his teaching and healing
-         Jesus describes the heart of the kind of community that is life giving for all,
o   and for all life;
-         and defeats the powers that destroy true community.
And so here he is on a level place,
-         where no-one is more elevated than any other person.
-         some would say that the geography reinforcing his words.
ð He reverses his societies reverence of the rich and powerful
-         describes the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and the grieving of utmost importance.
I wonder what would it look like if we were to take the sermon on the plain really seriously?
ð what would it look like for Aotearoa-NZ  if the most important people were
-         the poorest?
-         the homeless?
-         the hungry?
-         those who filled with grief for whatever reason?
ð goes on to describe how those who look to follow him were to join him living in the reign of God,
-         living as we pray “your will be done.”

       4.     Non-violent resistance

  Last week we heard Jesus’ teaching on
-         loving,
-         doing good,
-         blessing,
-         praying for
ð were not about being a doormat – often read
ð They were about non-violent resistance.
o   people and forces that destroy true community through entrenched entitlement and power
This way of non-violent resistance has inspired many over the centuries.
-         Te Whiti Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi of Parihaka in Taranaki.
-         Mahatma Gandhi
-         MLK

       5.     Humility

    This week we listen to Jesus’ words living in humility
difficult words about logs in my own eye
but only seeing speck in other
True community is not built from entrenched positions
-         ignoring the logs in our own eyes
-         thinking that we are always right
is built from place where I can say I might not have this right
-         or simply don’t know
Once read that the things that really annoy us about other people are invitations to reflect on what that reveals about ourselves
-         what it reveals about our shadow?
-         in what ways we are the same?
In rule of our Order, Day 25 says
The faults that we see in others are the subject of prayer rather than criticism. We take care to cast out the beam from our own eye before offering to remove the speck from another’s. We are ready to accept the lowest place when asked and to volunteer to take it. Nevertheless, when asked to undertake work of which we feel unworthy or incapable we do not shrink from it on the grounds of humility, but confidently attempt it, through the power that is made perfect in weakness.
For all sorts of reasons – one of my least favourite, and yet most influential parts of our rule.
Protests in Wellington and around country what happens when absence of humility – maybe I need to look at my own log first?
War in Ukraine is result of absence of humility
absence of humility breaks community
It is what we are praying for when we pray “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.”
ð join work God’s Spirit inspiring people to live in the true community
ð Where poor, hungry, homeless, those who mourn, are seen as utmost importance
ð Where people, systems, policies and powers that break community are actively and non-violently resisted
ð where we seek to live in ways that allow that community to grow.

       6.     AGM

As we prepare for the AGM today

• what is it you give thanks for?

• especially - what have been time over the last year that you have lived in ways that built true life-giving community?

• What is it God might wish for this church community in the year ahead?