Giving words to actions

There is a lot to squeeze into this week’s theme. Firstly, we are observing the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple - 
which falls on 2 February, 40 days after Christmas, marking the end of Christmas-Epiphany season. Jesus was presented at the Temple as the law required of a first son, and we hear the response of Simeon (The Song of Simeon or Nunc Dimittis) and Anna.  The name Candlemas comes from the tradition of blessing the candles that were to be used in the church during the coming year. Candles were the main means of providing light – in every way we can understand that. Over these 40 days when we have been invited to wrap our minds around the light of God revealed in Christ. God is with us; God is with all.  The presentation story is one more revelation of who Jesus the Christ is, and through that who God is and the nature of God’s ongoing work in the world today.

Confusingly for those of you who follow the lectionary this week we are using the gospel reading for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, Matthew 5:1-12. We begin a four week journey through the Sermon on the Mount. Crowds have gathered in hope to hear and to be healed – those who live on the edge and suffer under the brutal poverty of Rome’s empire, and Jesus gives words for what is happening. In the empire of heaven these who are broken, who mourn, who long for God’s justice, including those disciples, are the blessed, honoured, the most important.  Brian McLaren describes them as, “the poor and those in solidarity with them; those who mourn…; the nonviolent…; those who hunger and thirst for the common good and aren’t satisfied with the status quo; the merciful and compassionate… those who work for reconciliation and peace…”[1]

In this short little teaching Jesus turns the normal status ladder upside down. And he invites his disciples, you and me, sitting with him on that hill, to base our identities and our understanding of success on these things. We are to be among the non-conformists speaking from the edge, living these values. Wrap your minds around that.


[1] p. 158: We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Get those PSA Blood Tests Done Boys!

I had a strange conversation a few months ago. I was lying back in a chair, naked from the waste down, holding a nappy over my bits while I waited for the skin under my bits to go numb enough from liquid nitrogen or some such thing, so that they could inject the local anesthetic and then punch a couple of holes through to the prostate. All in all a fun experience. And while I waited the nurse made small talk and asked what I did. "I'm retired", I replied. "Oh, what are you planning to do now you are retired? any travel?" "Turns out not" I said, "It seems I'm just keeping my dairy open for dealing with health things." And I am still keeping my dairy open and still dealing with them. This journey began last year. I was already dealing with two other things, including a lump in my parotid gland which has been slowly growing there for about 3 years. When I got back from being overseas on sabbatical my doctor called me in to talk about that an
Read more

What a Ride! - Thankyou and Goodbye!

Image
You can listen to this sermon here   Gate Pa - Ascension Sunday and Easter 7 Year B, 2024 Readings: Palm                            Psalm 1 First Reading:             Acts 1:1-11, 15-17,21-26                     Bible Page 884 Second Reading:        1 John 5:9-13                                       Bible Page 991 Gospel:                         John 17:6-19                                        Bible Page 879 What I want to say: A sermon to say thankyou -           To explore the process we are all going through – and that it is ok -           Use the ascension to invite us all to trust God in all this -           Offer some thoughts about what the future might be What I want to happen: People to embrace all that the liminal space might offer with thankfulness, hope and trust. The Sermon 1.      Introduction: Pancake Monday in 2012 – nearly 12 ½ years ago Bishop David Rice installed me as vicar of Gate Pa Telling everyone I didn’t know much about vicaring -          Outraged some
Read more

"Just Enjoy The Coffee"

I was just sent this on Anglicans All. Being a coffee enjoyer and a Franciscan I enjoyed it. I hope you do to: Even if you are not a coffee drinker...Have a good day!!!! A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain ,plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite, telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee, the professor said: If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the simple and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more ex
Read more