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Cross-Shaped Reconciliation – Lent 4

Mid-way through Lent, one might wonder why the cross is so important for Christians. It has prompted many theological terms to try to explain it, but for me, reconciliation has been an important one.  It has always been forefront for me in my understanding of my role in ministry, but it has become more so as I become engaged with the Palestine/Israel search for a solution to peace.

The focus of the lectionary for Lent 4 is reconciliation.  The father’s welcome of his rebellious son demonstrates a radical grace that leads to reconciliation.

The first priority of Christians is to encourage reconciliation between human beings and God through Jesus Christ. As an ambassador for Christ, Paul calls us to be reconciled to God.

So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:20)

Reconciliation between people and God will always be the most important reconciliation.

But reconciliation is cross-shaped: “vertical” reconciliation between people and God and “horizontal” reconciliation between human beings.

So for Christians, can we model our relationships in family, church, social encounters or between nations, on the “horizontal” reconciliation paradigm that Jesus gave us?  In the parable of the Father and sons, both sons were scheming to win a place in the father’s household.  The father’s running and embracing his rebellious son was totally unexpected and undeserved.  The acceptance of the son by the father did not depend on the son’s change of attitude.  Our reconciliation with God is not due to anything we have done, but what God has done for us in Christ.

At the human level, repentance and forgiveness precedes reconciliation. The normal human process makes repentance a precondition.  The blocks to reconciliation are often a prior demand by one or both sides for admission of injustice and repentance in the form of reparations to correct the injustice before reconciliation can happen.  How long do we hold out for the other to give in? The parable of the father and sons demonstrates God’s way of reconciliation as a different way for human reconciliation. Reconciliation without admission of guilt is revolutionary.  But for me that is the essence of the cross.

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Ministry in times of Transition

In times of transition in the church, questions about the future of the church’s mission are in everyone’s mind and they cause some distress when hope is overwhelmed by fears of the church’s demise. I believe that the transition is a Kairos moment when we recognize the opportunity for new life in the church’s mission.

In Paul’s ministry, he began his ministry in many communities and then moved to new communities. Paul recognized that his ministry was not permanent.  That is, he did not stay with the community.  But he moved on with a confidence in God’s work continuing through the ministry of the community.

(Phil 1:3-6 NIV)  I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Paul affirmed that the ministry of the community as a partnership between the members of the community and a partnership with God enables the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ to continue through times of transition.

Paul also assured the Philippians that during times of transition, we can be assured of the Faithfulness of God when he wrote that [the one] “who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion

I believe that the challenge of transition we face is a Kairos moment in the life of the church.  Kairos is a moment of new awareness and an urgency to act.

Theme of the 41st General Council was based on Micah 6:8:

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly (do justice) and to love mercy (kindness) and to walk humbly with your God.

What does it mean to do justice in the context of the church’s global mission today – such as in regard to the human rights violations of Palestinians, or the struggle of El Salvadorans against the mining operations that are affecting life in the small country?

I have been re-reading Melanie Morrison’s book, “The Grace of Coming Home”

In the chapter entitled, In This Kairos Moment (p. 66-74) she describes the experience of the women at the empty tomb as a Kairos moment.  She said, “Why have you come here?” was not a reprimand.  It was a moment of realization that the perceived resurrection was not about Jesus but about the women choosing life with the knowledge that the same power that Jesus lived with was available to them.

Morrison describes the moment in El Salvador when the people were forbidden by the government from attending the funeral mass of Marienella Garcia , director of Human Rights Commission.  In spite of the prohibition and high security, the peasants she had helped came at great risk to attend the funeral mass – and later that night the soldiers raided their homes.

The voices of the poor and oppressed around the world are calling us to respond to the Kairos of our times.  Our response to the present Kairos moment is a ministry of partnership in making justice a priority with the assurance of the faithfulness of God.

(This reflection was given during the Chaplain’s Reflection to Kent Presbytery on February 5, 2013.)

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Maranatha–Come, Lord Jesus-A Christmas Prayer

On the Fourth  Sunday of Advent, this was the title of the message today.  Bruce Cook, our minister, introduced us to the origin of the term “Maranatha”.  After an exegesis and origin of the term, he described a familiar experience of how many people react when traveling by plane – displaying a variety of reactions of boredom and disinterest. But a child reacts differently.   When he enters the plane, he declares that he hopes he can see the pilot, at which point he is ushered in to the cockpit.  After meeting the pilot, he returns to the cabin and where for the rest of the trip he exclaims, “I have met the Pilot” and his face is lit up with delight.

Bruce went on to ask, when we come to worship, do we see Jesus – do we expect to see Jesus?  Do we display a glowing of the experience in our appearance and our life.  Are we busy dying or are we busy living?

For the past decade or more, we have been lamenting the decline of the church, in attendance at worship, financial support, presence of youth, and the closing of churches.  It seems to me that we have been too busy dying, instead of getting busy living.  If we could become busy with living, there would excitement, hope and activities that reveal the presence of the Kingdom that Jesus talked about.

For me, being busy with living means being active in the community, or the world, working for justice and peace, and finding community with those who are busy with living.  For the past year, being part of a network of people who are passionate about advocating for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel has given me the experience of being busy with living.

In this season when we celebrate with expectation the coming of Jesus, we might ask ourselves if we have seen the Pilot.  Maranatha is the church word for living with hope in the Kingdom, that is both present and in the future.  Come, Lord Jesus, come.  May this Christmas be a time when you can say Maranatha and welcome the Prince of Peace into your heart – and begin to be busy with living.

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Shining the Light of Non-violent Peace in God’s Kingdom

(Isa 60:1, 3 NRSV) Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

The word Light appears 236 times in the Bible, mostly in reference to the inner light – that which is the source of wisdom or vision and results in action. In the time after Epiphany, light is the metaphor for God’s presence and for our mission.

In the eastern traditions, light is a predominant theme. Eastern spirituality is experiential. In the west, we depend on rational thought more than experience and I wonder sometimes if we have lost a sense of the holy in our daily lives. The biblical references to light not only invite us to be aware of the holy in our lives but to act as light in the world.

The on-going struggle in Palestine to resist the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, as well as the peaceful protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and now Syria are strong examples of failure of empires to maintain peace by force in the face of non-violent resistance. Are these events signs of the Light overcoming the darkness?

John Dominic Crossan, in his lecture in London before Christmas, spoke of the world’s vision of peace as victory with force. Jesus taught that God’s empire is a non-violent Kingdom of peace, in opposition to the Roman empire of peace by force. Perhaps we are witnessing the power of the non-violent peace in the global movements.

In answer to the question about what we as the church and individual Christians can do to change the world’s determination to use violence to achieve peace, Crossan said the church must understand its mission is to collaborate with God in his kingdom of non-violence. Epiphany reminds us the light still shines to overcome the powers of darkness – the Empires of this world – and that our mission is to bear that light.

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Merry Christmas

The Baby Jesus and Parents
The Baby Jesus and Parents

Merry Christmas

May the wonder of the shepherds,
the generosity of the wise men,
and the compassion of Mary
be in us and flow from us ,
this Christmas and always.
May God bless you richly
throughout this holiday season.

Curtis

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A Week Later

A week has passed since Dawn’s death. I have busied myself around the house this week, started to deal with some of the tasks that have to be done, and gathered for dinner with members of Kent Presbytery to welcome the Moderator Mardi Tindal. I have slept well but I do not feel I have the energy for doing much. I wouldn’t say I am depressed but I feel down and alone. It is not a feeling that can simply be filled by the presence of others; although I long for company and felt cared for by being with friends at the dinner last night, I still welcome the peace of solitude. I think I am understanding the solitude that Henri Nouwen describes as being alone but not being lonely. I guess I am realizing that I did not know how much the loss of a loved one can be so profound. However, lest you may be overly concerned about my well-being, I would assure you that I am OK. These comments are offered as reflections on my journey of grief.

Although I have been doing the housework now for a couple of years, simple things like doing the laundry and preparing a meal seem to be without purpose because I am not doing them for someone. Even when Dawn was not eating much, she shared the meal time with me. She held one end of the sheets when I need help to fold them. Just the week before she went into hospital, she was adding things to the shopping list for the Thanksgiving meal.

In our faith, we are reminded that we are not alone. God is with us. These are words that are meant to comfort – and in the midst of the loss they take on new meaning. The words of comfort that are most real are those from people who have shared such loss. In the empathy of sharing our loss, we are touched by God’s love in the Christ who shares our loss.

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Response to “Give Grief a Chance” by Kenneth Bagnell, UC Observer

This article on current attitudes and practices of grief is
certainly relevant.

Having just had a graveside service today for a family whose
mother had died at 92, I was told that she did not want anything but the family
felt that they needed to say goodbye.
So, as we stood by the grave for the cremated ashes, I led them in
prayers and scripture readings with a short reflection on God’s reconciling
love in response to the emotions of anger, regret and guilt mingled with the
gratitude for happy memories of her life.

It seems when the person lives a long life and does not have
many surviving friends, families think the formal funeral is not
necessary. But I remind them that the
funeral is for the survivors, not the deceased.

When my mother died at 92, she did not have friends of her
age still living, but we had many of our friends, some of whom traveled some
distance to be with us, even though they did not know my mother. It was this support that helped me to
grieve. The funeral was on Saturday and
the burial was to be in another city on Monday.
I was associate minister and attended the worship service on Sunday
because I wanted to be with people who were able to offer ongoing pastoral
support.

I believe his comment that “There’s probably never been
a time in United Church history when strong pastoral care was more needed”
is absolutely true. It seems to be the part of ministry that has been most
ignored in the age of easy access by technology, but pastoral care has been the
foundation of the church in my experience of growing up in the mid 20th
century. My own ministry of pastoral care to those who are bereaved has been
acknowledged as a significant service of the church. Pastoral care to the grieving, whether for a
loss of loved one in death, loss of a job or family breakup, is the aspect of
ministry where the church can relate to the spiritual life of people, whether
they are active worshippers or not.

Thanks to Kenneth Bagnell for this article.

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Stand for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

I have received many notices of events from Matthew Stephens, but this is one that I would not have missed. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, peace activist and former candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority, spoke on Palestinian Political Dynamics and the Realities for Middle East Peace in London, at 1:30 pm on Saturday May 8, Middlesex College, University of Western Ontario.

I met several Canadians who are active and committed to solidarity with the Palestinians. One of the groups I am interested in connecting with is Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, sponsors of Dr. Barghouti’s visit. They are interested in a closer connection with the United Church in London and I have agreed to become a member of the group. The VP of CJPME, Ali Moussa, has offered to provide a video for our use. I also met Yasmine El-Sabawi, Media & Communications Officer of the Canadian Palestinian Association, who is also interested in a closer collaboration.

Dr. Barghouti reviewed the history of the changes in the geographical area of Palestine within the state of Israel over the past 60 years, graphically illustrating how the area established for the Palestinians has been reduced and fragmented and occupied by Israel. He described this fragmentation as apartheid, radically imposed by the 30 metre wall that invades and cuts up Palestinian communities. He also showed graphic videos of the effects of the use of phosphorus and incidiary bombs on civilians, many of whom were children, in the war Gaza.

Dr. Barghouti believes that negotiation will not work. What is needed, he argued, is global resistance, public education and political action, not only by the Palestinians, but by people of all nations. He calls for economic sanctions and divestment against Israel.

The videos of the human rights abuse, humiliation, restrictions, beatings and killings which Dr. Barghouti showed convinced me that it is time to stand up for justice and peace in the middle east. I do not believe the church should avoid criticism of Israel for fear of being accused of anti-Semitism. In fact many writers, including Jews in and outside Israel, argue that criticism of the state of Israel is not anti-Semitism.

Michael Keefer, in Antisemitism: Real and Imagined:responses to the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism, describes how a group of Canadian parliamentarians, led by Jason Kenney, circumvented the usual practice of appointing parliamentary committees and constituted the “Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism” (CPCCA) as an inquiry into the perceived increase in anti-Semitism. The group’s intention, according to Keefer, is to “brand criticism of the state of Israel …as anti-Semitic, and hence as incitement of hatred.” He notes that Kenney “made clear his readiness to label any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic” in a speech in Jerusalem in December 2009 when he boasted of his government’s “zero tolerance approach to anti-Semitism” and announced that the Canadian government was eliminating funding for organizations who promote hatred and anti-Semitism. He named several “defunded” organizations – Canadian Arab Federation, the Canadian Islamic Congress and KAIROS, announcing that “We have defunded organizations, most recently like KAIROS, who are taking a leadership role in the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign.”

When I and two other people met with Dave Vankesteren, Conservative MP for Chatham-Kent Essex in February to discuss the KAIROS cuts, he said that he did not believe that the government should be funding organizations that advocate against government policies, and named Israel in particular. While he did not directly accuse KAIROS of being anti-Semitic, it is obvious now that his opinion was in line with the views of the CPCCA as stated by Jason Kenney. The fact, which we pointed out to him, that CIDA funding of KAIROS was not being used for advocacy did not seem to bear any weight with him.

From my understanding of these recent events and preliminary reading of the analysis of Michael Keefer and others in the book “Antisemitism”, it is apparent that the present Canadian government, through the exaggerated ideological claims of CPCCA, is deliberately trying to “stir up moral panic, and in the resulting confusion to outlaw as ‘antisemitic’ legitimate criticism of the state of Israel’s flagrant violations of international humanitarian law.”

It is time for the church to take a clear stand against the injustice of Israel and resist the accusations of such a stand as anti-Semitic.

Curtis Marwood

See the following web sites:

Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism http://www.cpcca.ca/home.htm

(The official web site of CPCCA.  It includes the mandate and  transcripts – both written and oral – of the hearings at the inquiry in November 2009.)

Canadians for Justice & Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) http://www.cjpme.org/

Canadian Palestinian Association http://www.cpavancouver.org/

Palestine Monitor http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/

The Canadian Charge – http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/page.php?id=5&a=381

(See this site for a review of Michael Keefer’s book.)

Michael Keefer, Ed. Ántisemitism Real and Imagined: responses to the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism. (Waterloo, The Canadian Charger) p. 7

Keefer, p. 10

Quoted by Keefer from the text of Kenney’s speech, p. 10

Keefer, p. 18

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Olympic Pride

As I watch the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympics, I am proud to be Canadian.  Not because of the hype around Canada’s super athletes or the theme “Believe” that has been running through the media ads to try to build a spirit of confidence among Canadians.  Nor does my pride come from the pomp and extravagance that are displayed in these ceremonies, although the welcome ceremonies of the four nations of the First Nations were impressive and gracious. I am proud to belong to a nation of the world that still believes in welcoming people from all nations irregardless of political ideologies.  I would hope our pride would not be in flaunting our own success but in giving our competitors our energetic support. Believe because each competitor from whatever nation has the support of the world.

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Why do we Ring Church Bells for Climate Justice?

I submitted the following article to the Blenheim News-Tribune for the “View from the Pulpit”column.  The previous week, on December 13, the congregation joined churches across Canada and around the world in ringing church bells to draw attention to the urgency of the need to limit CO2 to 350 ppm and to encourage the world leaders at Copenhagen to reach an agreement that treats all nations with justice.  I believe the response of faith is hope based on the divine assurance that the earth exists for the well-being of all and that God’s love for creation instills purposeful care for the earth by all creatures.  Our faith in God’s good creation holds us accountable for the future of this planet not only for the sake of all succeeding generations, but for the continued life of the planet.  If this means reducing our consumption  of fossil fuels to acheive a more equitable sharing of resources, resulting in a leveling ofd the standard of living, then belief in creation as a gift requires our acceptance of the consequences as an act of faith for the good all creation.  This is not just a human virture.  It is a human response to the divine gift of life.

Why did we ring our bells on December 13? Was it because the birth of Jesus is about to happen? In a way, yes. Anticipation increases as the day of celebration draws near. Was our bell ringing because our celebration is about Santa Claus parades, shopping, giving and receiving gifts, and family gatherings? . It is true that our activities build the excitement that comes with the celebration. But, no, that is not the only reason for the bell ringing.

Our celebrations also include some time for remembering the birth of Jesus. The birth came with a promise that God dwells with us. The incarnation brings God’s presence into our lives in a personal and concrete way. The story of the birth is told with tenderness that touches our hearts with an image of God’s being in our world in a very human form and humble setting. The news stirred the hearts of shepherds to leave their flocks and witness the event. The event moved the heavenly choirs to sing.

As a parent and now grandparent, I remember the love that comes with holding a new-born child (or grandchild) and wishing for them as they grow up that they may play a part in and enjoy the blessings of God’s world of peace and justice. I believe that is also God’s hope as Jesus is born. It is a moment of great hope for what the future may bring in the child’s life. The birth of Jesus as God’s son is a commitment God made for his world. God made a personal investment in his creation.

In today’s world of global concerns for a changing climate and global conflict, the birth also comes in the midst of fear and uncertainty for that future. There is a sense of hope and expectation as the world leaders meet in Copenhagen to negotiate an environmental covenant to save the world from the effects of excess carbon dioxide. On December 13, many churches around the world rang their bells for climate justice. We did so with faith and rejoicing in God’s redemptive love for his world, calling on all people to make a new covenant of healing for the world. The message to the shepherds was for us today: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Let us not be afraid because of the greatness of the task.

The birth of Jesus calls us to trust in God’s hope for his creation. As we visit the manger, we embrace the promise that Jesus’ birth was God’s sign that he came to save the world from self-destruction. With the hope of Christmas, we can believe that God is with us as we seek the renewal of all creation. Let us join the choir of angels as we proclaim the good news for all: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”