MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE ANGLICAN CHURCH, PORT MOODY AT 7:00 PM ON THE 25^th JANUARY, 2010

Food Bank

Grant will send a letter of thanks to Joyce Halliday for her dedicated service to the Food Bank.   We believe that a letter has been sent to St. Andrew’s thanking them for their donation of surplus food to the Food Bank.

Judy Graves

Judy Graves will visit us on March 26^th at 7:00 pm.   We will obtain the DVD “This Dust of Words” (from the Synod office), which is a study of life on the street and Judy will facilitate discussion about the movie.   .

Rector’s Report

Grant attended a conference sponsored by the United Church called “Stepping Out.”  One of the things that came up was how important it is to have a dynamic web site that will speak to people looking for a church.   Grant will obtain some information about web sites and bring it to the next council meeting.  There is someone in the parish experienced in this type of work who has offered his expertise.

There is a meeting on February 10^th at 7:00 pm at St. Margaret of Scotland regarding the MAP program.  The clergy and wardens should attend.

We propose having a themed service once a month based on current issues.    During Lent someone from PWRDF will be speaking and we will tailor the service around this theme.     We propose holding an open meeting to discuss the nature of our worship on February 28^th at 7:00 pm for anyone interested in talking about the worship of the parish.

Grant will investigate what is available as Lenten material to be handed out to the congregation during Lent.

The Retreat on January 23^rd was very good and Grant commented that the participants were very courageous as most of them had not been to a retreat before.    Grant would like to offer another Retreat later in Lent.

The Tuesday morning Bible Study will be studying Job and the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

Grant proposes a Men’s Study Group on Thursday evenings, the subject being “Adam’s Return” by Richard Rohr.

Grant suggests a movie night every other Friday night either at Grant and Sue’s house or at the movie theatre followed by a discussion of the film.   This is a Lenten initiative that might be continued after Lent if it is successful.

We propose repeating our Wednesday evening service with Taizé music during Lent.

Grant has information on the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster.   There is a March 31^st deadline to nominate anyone who has served in the parish on a long-term basis.    We should consider who we could nominate.

Grant suggested a pot luck supper on Easter Eve and he will incorporate a liturgical dimension.

Elections Canada would very much like to use our premises again.

Grant met with Paul Strudwick and agreed to do another pulpit exchange during May.

Treasurer’s Report

General offerings in November amounted to $11,000 which was close to the budgeted amount of $12,442 and $16,000 below budget year to date.   Expenses were close to those budgeted and the deficit stood at $11,762.

During December we received several large donations resulting in offerings of $28,000.    $5,192 will be deposited into the Mortgage Reduction Fund and the year end surplus is $72.

Our mortgage balance is $2,725.14 and should be paid off by March 2010.

The parish also donated $5,773 to PWRDF, $1,870 to Going the Extra Mile and $1,413 to the Gaza Hospital during 2009.

Budget Report

Bonnie circulated copies of the proposed budget of $180,000 for the year.  

Terry proposed that we add the amount of $1,200 budgeted for a Youth Minister to the line entitled Youth and name it Youth Ministry.

St. John the Divine in Burnaby has unfortunately closed and the parish has obtained some items from them.  The stained glass windows are still available.

The pastor and some members of the Korean Church will meet with our clergy and wardens.  We have asked them to increase their donation for the use of the premises.   We are open to discussion as to what they can afford.

Property Report

Two units of floodlights need to be repaired.   The light in the back needs to be fixed.  The door in the front needs weather stripping.

Claire asked about lawn and yard maintenance. 

Garbage is being dumped in the parking lot and we need to contact the By-Laws Officer to put up a sign.

Stewardship Report

Bonnie reported that seven more parishioners have enrolled in the pre-authorized donation program.

Internship

Margaret preached her first service at St. John’s on Sunday and did very well.

Anne Anchor suggested a Retreat during the weeks following the Vestry meeting to include present and new members of council, similar to what has been held in the past.

Homily for the Second Sunday in Lent February 28, 2010

Appointed readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Psalm 27 Philippians 3:17-4:1  Luke 13:31-35

In their movie, The Meaning of Life, the Monty Python troupe has a skit set in a Church of England school chapel. John Cleese, as the school headmaster, is at the lectern reading from the Old Testament for the morning service.  In his best serious, Cambridge-scholarly voice, Cleese reads thus:  “…  and spotteth they twice the camels before the third hour. And so the Midianites went forth to Ram-Gilead in Kadesh Bilgameth by Shor-eth Regalian to the house of Gash Bil-Bethuel Bazda; he who brought the butter-dish to Belshazzaar, and the tent peg to the house of Rashamon. And there slew they the goats; yea, and placed they the bits in little pots.”   And then he says, in traditional Anglican fashion: “Here endeth the lesson.” 

The school boys are all either nodding off or fooling around; the staff appear clueless.  Only the chaplain appears engaged, but it’s soon apparent he is a complete lunatic. It’s a great skit because it is so true to the mark.  The reading is typical of many in the books of Leviticus, Numbers, etc., with obscure names of places and people that no longer exist, and even stranger religious practices.  It is a made-up piece, a send-up, but it is disturbingly similar to the Old Testament reading we had this morning! (Genesis 15: 1—19).  But we go on reading them, almost in the hope that the very formality or antiquity of it all is of somehow edifying.   

During Lent, we persuade people that to undertake a “holy Lent” must involve “reading and meditating on the word of God.” In other words,  we are strongly advised to take up more scripture reading.  But the Bible is a daunting and confusing book, which is why so many people own Bibles but few ever actually read them.  It does contain a lot of obscure, seemingly irrelevant material that only a scholar could love.  We know it’s an important book, and that most of the concepts that shaped our civilization come from this book, but it’s a bit like Pandora’s box, or perhaps a nuclear power plant – powerful stuff that you can’t just fool around with.   

Because the Bible can be a very confusing book, many well-meaning religious people have ended up believing very strange things and doing even stranger things, because they read the Bible without much guidance.  In the Middle Ages, the Church did not allow lay people to read the Bible, partly for that very reason: that without a lot of background and study, the Bible can create more problems than it solves.

The recent rise of fundamentalism (in which people take scripture literally and out of context) has caused numerous problems, not just in the Christian world but now most alarmingly among Muslims, Sikhs, orthodox Jews and others.   You want people to read the Bible but you don’t necessarily want them to beat their wives and children, or develop a sense that the world is ending tomorrow, or take up a holy war against people in the neighbourhood, and you certainly don’t want little Johnny sacrificing the pet budgie and the cat, in juvenile attempts to appease an angry and vengeful God  (“But Mommy, people in the Bible did it!”). Misguided people have committed some of the worst crimes and atrocities in history, believing that the Bible justified or condoned the behaviour.

The Bible is central to our Anglican way of worship and devotion.  Preaching from scripture is central to our way of worship as Anglicans, so interpreting the scriptures (our sacred texts) is a significant part of my job as a priest.  At ordination, all clergy are required to state that they “do believe that the holy scriptures of the Old and New testaments to be the word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation.”  And I do believe that the scriptures can indeed point people and guide people in the right direction, but I am also aware of the fact that there are many pitfalls.

We believe we are preaching the Word of God, expressing the idea that God speaks through the scriptures, and that these are not just any texts, or just great literature, but somehow they have a sacred, unique character and meaning. Ironically, compared to many of the evangelical churches, we read a lot of the Bible.  The lectionary provides a structured way of moving through the entire scriptures and not just choosing those “bits” we like, so we end up not just with lovely passages like “God is love,” and “love your neighbour,” but sometimes with difficult passages about death and conflict and judgement.  The Bible is about life, and life is like that.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, the scriptures are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get!  Sunday worship is one place where we have an opportunity to hear a variety of scripture readings but also have it interpreted and explained.  Unfortunately, by the time the preacher has explained all the weird place references and put the bizarre religious practices in context, there isn’t much time to do anything else – which can be frustrating.  Today’s Old Testament lesson is a case in point. You could be like the preacher in the Beyond the Fringe comedy skit, Take a Pew, who simply quotes the biblical passage (“I am a smooth man, but my brother Esau is an hairy man . . .”), then completely ignores it, goes off on some weird tangent, ramblings mostly drawn from his trip to the church that evening.  At the end of his silly discourse, he then quotes the biblical passage again at the end of the sermon.

We read lessons like we have today and many people could pretty quickly dismiss them as irrelevant to their experience.  In today’s Epistle reading, St. Paul says, “Join in imitating me . . .”  The honest response would be: NO THANKS!  Paul by this time has been beaten up, flogged, stoned, and at the moment of writing, he is in jail.  Who in his/her right mind would want that or seek it?  And the clarion call of Lent is Jesus saying “Come, follow me!”  Follow him?  Into confrontation and conflict – into crucifixion?  I don’t think so!  Most sane people do not willingly do down that path.

Most of us don’t know a life of oppression or a life as a fugitive.  So those scriptures may appear to be irrelevant to us.  But for many people, that is their reality, and those scriptures take on new meaning when you are faced with similar circumstances.

I think of a radio talk show I heard a while back.  A very angry-sounding man phoned in to assert that it was ridiculous for him to be paying education taxes because they didn’t apply to him, seeing as how he had no children around.  The interviewer asked if he ever had children in the system, to which the man answered yes, but he didn’t have any in the system NOW, so in his mind, the tax shouldn’t apply to him.  He only saw its relevance if it applied directly to him, and obviously didn’t care at all about the system (and other people’s children) once he was done with it.

The Bible helps us move beyond that kind of social abdication, helps us recognize our fixation with what is immediate to us, and summons us out of our own concerns into a larger perspective on life. One of the great values of this book, which spans thousands of years and deals with almost any conceivable human condition, is that it helps in maintaining perspective, so we don’t just get lost in our own. 

For instance, as I agonize about being mistreated by the ACW, I read about St. Paul being beaten and shipwrecked and jailed, and suddenly my faith issue is put in perspective, and I stop sucking my thumb and gradually move out of the fetal position under my bed.  This can apply in countless situations where we find ourselves in a dark and lonely place, feeling like the world is against us.  The Bible puts things in grand perspective.

Maybe we’re not suffering at the moment, but the fact is that there are people suffering injustice and oppression, and it is helpful not only to know that, but to be aware of a way to respond both on a faith level, and in a practical way.   The scriptures make us aware of other realities – that there are people right now suffering injustice, being hunted down, and jailed, as Jesus was.  The Bible is never merely about individual salvation; it is about God’s reconciling and redeeming purpose for all of creation. 

In terms of focus and priority, at present we may quite rightly feel that the main thing people need to hear about is the love of God, so we could focus almost exclusively on that aspect.  But we don’t want to rule out the possibility that in very different circumstances, we may want to appeal to other aspects of God, like justice or judgement.  When we are caught up in rage or despair, we don’t want to be unconscious of God as reconciliation and God as hope.

One of the ways that the Bible and the preaching of the Bible afflicts the comfortable is in this fact of the Bible’s mystery and strangeness. I agree that in certain biblical passages, God seems very bizarre and incomprehensible.  I happen to think that is very appropriate. God is bizarre and incomprehensible to the human mind.  The idea that God is somehow supposed to make perfect and obvious sense is at least as ridiculous as fundamentalism. That very weirdness can sometimes create alternative views and perspectives that can bring healing and balance to individuals and societies who have narrowed their thinking and their views.

The Bible is not just a story, either a fanciful story, or just a single story.  It is thousands of stories of people’s struggles to be faithful, stories of failure and frustration, stories of amazing grace and faith, stories of persistent hope being vindicated, stories of relationships and disappointment and redemption.  In reading it, we join our stories to theirs, and form a spiritual link as people of the Word – people of God.  In faith, we believe that God speaks through its words, and that, ultimately, it can lead us into a deeper understanding of, and relationship with, the inspiration behind all the stories, who is God.

In an age when biblical literacy has declined drastically, Lent recalls us to a biblical spirituality.  Unlike the Church of the Middle Ages, we do strongly encourage people to have Bibles and to read them, but we also recognize that people need some guidance, which is why we have Bible studies, Sunday worship and sermons, commentaries and concordances, etc., not to mention what you can find online or in the library or local bookstore.

I always find it amazing that, when people study the Bible together, there are so many differing viewpoints.  That applies whether you are dealing with biblical scholars or people just getting acquainted with this great book.   In a sense, that’s the beauty of it – that there is never just one authoritative interpretation or one way of interpreting the text.  Also, the same text takes on new and different meanings for the same person, in subsequent readings.

I’ve heard people say they’ve attempted the Bible, but quickly bogged down in confusion.  But if you drop in, uninformed and unguided, to any great work, whether spiritual or scientific or mathematical or musical, you would likely find it a very overwhelming and futile experience.  The Bible may be daunting and confusing, but all great things are – at first.  Yet as we persist, we find it is not that mystifying or impenetrable. We inherit the great tradition of the rabbis – a tradition of ongoing debate and interpretation of scripture, of asking questions, seeking advice, becoming informed.   That kind of dialogue and exploration is welcome.   We read so much scripture in church, it would be a helpful exercise to read and think about the scriptures for the coming Sunday, and above all, to pray for guidance.  You might just find that the scriptures open up a whole new world for you, and help you see things in a new way.

May Christ, the living Word, guide us to a deeper appreciation and comprehension of the Bible, that, in humility and with gratitude, we may receive its wisdom and truth.   So be it.

(The Rev.) Grant Rodgers

This Dust of Words is the true story of Liz, a brilliant, promising young woman whose descent into mental illness and homelessness brings her to a faith community in rural America, where the people of the parish and Liz learn what it means to dwell beside each other, struggling to know how to love. Yet this love is given and received, and a relationship is born.

Facilitator for the film

Judy Graves, expert on issues of homelessness for the city of Vancouver, will be the facilitator for conversation after the film. Her work among street people began in 1974.  She coordinates the City of Vancouver’s Tenant Assistance Program, designed the Outreach Pilot Project that since 2005 has successfully housed more than 2,000 people in B.C. About 80 per cent of the people helped by this project remain in their housing.

When and Where:

Friday, March 26, 7:00 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Church, 2208 St Johns Street in Port Moody.  All welcome.  No charge. 

A Rosary workshop will be held on March 6th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The Workshop will be led by Margaret Sherwood. A suggested donation of $5.00 will help cover the cost of the beads and other material supplies. A sign up sheet is located downstaris in the Church Hall. For more information you may also contact Margaret via email at sherwood_margaret@hotmail.com or contact the office for more information at 604-936-7762. 

Feb. 24 - March 24  – 7:00 p.m.  A brief contemplative service in the Taize form, with opportunity for discussion afterward.  Everyone is welcome!

Homily for Lent 1 February 21, 2010

Appointed scripture readings: Deuteronomy 26:1-11   Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16   Romans 10:8b-13  Luke 4:1-13 

Blaise Pascal said: “All of humankind’s problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

“Retreat” is a term used in military engagement as well as in spiritual life.  It refers to a voluntary, temporary withdrawal from one’s usual environment, not just to run away, but in order to regroup, re-focus, and rebuild, and to be able to re-engage more effectively. From ancient times people have withdrawn from the everyday world for spiritual reasons.  Part of my own regular spiritual practice is times of meditation, but also occasional longer times of retreat – of three or four days.

Jesus is described by Luke as beginning his ministry with a trip to the desert, and spending 40 days in that empty wasteland with nobody but himself.  In the wilderness, Jesus experiences a dramatic confrontation that reveals two possible ways forward: one, the evil approach, which is ego-centred; and another which is open to serving the purposes of God – an attitude of faith and service.

I do not picture an encounter in which a horned, stinking, cloven-hoofed beast arrives to be the villain. This clash between good and evil is, I believe, the result of a process that takes place within Jesus.  It is described in terms of several propositions that Satan poses to Jesus, and it starts off with a taunting challenge: “IF you are the son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

It suggests to Jesus, you should be in control, you should exert power over things, force your will on things, have it all – why are you doing without?  Jesus immediately points out a deeper truth: that the immediate is not always what we need or even desire; that our life consists of more than material things.

Then the evil one showed him all the kingdoms of the world and said, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 

So many people now want to be celebrities – to have their 15 minutes of fame.  This temptation say that if Jesus will just divert his attention from the glory of God, and focus on his own ego, he’ll be happy:  “Jesus – you’re special – you’re not ordinary.  You’re divine – so don’t settle for what all these slobs do.  You’re special – much more special than anyone else – you deserve much more.”

The satanic problem, as the Bible presents it, is of wanting to be too special – to stand apart from others because we equate ourselves with God.  Some early Christians were tempted toward believing themselves to be superior.  By focusing on a sense of divinely given entitlement, many Christians through history have lost the very basis of unity and reconciliation that the humanity of Jesus reveals.

Jesus’ response is: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.”  What does it mean to worship something?  It means to pour yourself toward it – glorify it – love it — desire it above everything.  When the object of that passion and attention is God, we find worship becomes a vehicle which connects us to the universe and the life of the kingdom.  When it’s not, we find ourselves trapped within ourselves and isolated and emptier than ever.  Satan represents that arrogance which will not acknowledge the sovereignty of God in any aspect of life – worship for such a state of mind is an impossibility.

Jesus’ response says, “No the world is not a commodity. It doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to God and therefore it’s sacred.” Again Jesus points to a truth the ego doesn’t comprehend:  It’s not OK for one person to desire more of this world than another; it’s not OK for one person to have great riches while others have nothing.  “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.” The ego sees from a viewpoint of fear and competition.  Unless we focus outside ourselves, we are not greater but much less than we are meant to be.  Worship of the wrong things, desire of the wrong things, makes us slaves, not rich. 

Finally, “the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”  We just sang the words of this psalm; there is truth in these words.  But any analogy only stretches so far, and Satan, pushing a literal meaning at Jesus as if to mock him, urges him to take scripture at face value. This confrontation has a lot to do with how scripture is interpreted – Satan knowing what it says, but interpreting from a static, self-centred point of view; Jesus knowing what it means, interpreting it in terms of faithful relationship with the living God.

In the movie Crazy Heart, there is a song that goes: “Funny how falling feels like flying.” When we indulge in actions that are self-destructive and harmful to others as well, it’s tempting to believe that, no matter what, God will bail me out – that we can live consequence-free.  This encounter points in the direction of discovering our own sense of responsibility – rather than childishly believing that, no matter how recklessly we live, God will make it all better.   There is a deep sense of respect for self and others that Jesus expresses in his response to this temptation.

Satan tempts Jesus to think: I am above everyone – I not only can have power, I can abuse it – I can do reckless, grandiose things.  I am so special that there should be a special set of rules that just apply to me.  The irony is that Jesus is already on the pinnacle – the world of religion and life in general are already given as gifts.  By indulging himself, by following the way of the ego, Jesus will simply lose all that – his world will actually become smaller if he responds to the satanic dare.  How many people do you know who have ended up being “owned” by their work, their possessions, their addictions?  By not attaching, Jesus retains his spiritual freedom, his personal integrity, and his humanity.

It is tempting to believe that God is there just to catch us and cuddle us, and let us know how special we are.  Satan tries to make us think that religious life is all about getting what we want from God, whereas Jesus points in the direction of serving God, worshipping God, and concern for others, not just yourself.  Jesus responds to this temptation by saying, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Jesus is aware that our true downfall happens when we place the self above everything else in the scheme of things. When we are about to engage in some wrong action, something we know is inherently foolish or wrong, this moment teaches us that even the Son of God says, “Don’t push your luck!”

Today’s Gospel teaches that one way is all about entitlements and privileges, and abusing the power and the rights you are given.  The other way is about recognizing we are not the centre of the universe, that it is our responsibility to seek how we are meant to serve, not to be served, and to ask what it is we are meant to contribute to the life on this planet, not how many toys and titles and perks we can accumulate.  One way is all about taking: What can I get?  The other way is about giving: How am I meant to serve?

“All of humankind’s problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  Why is it we fear being alone?  Why do we avoid our own company? When we take time to reflect, and face into our own life, we often find that there are conflicting possibilities, and painful, complex choices.  Certain factors play on our inner emptiness, aloneness and fear, and urge us to attempt to satisfy it by giving in to addictive, neurotic and compulsive desires. But it’s an illusion, a false path. Jesus, by facing into those fears – the fear of emptiness and meaninglessness – showed us there is a way through, with the insight that even in the midst of the desert, faced with that emptiness and isolation, we are not actually alone, we are not helpless, we are not empty. 

The example of Jesus teaches us that such times of retreat are necessary to discover or recover our true identity. There have to be times in our lives when the lures and the demands of the world need to be seen in proper perspective and put in their proper place.  Lent asks us to face that inner emptiness – that void which we prefer to run away from and attempt to fill with noise and busy-ness and other addictions.  To be able release our grasp on things – our usual trivial pursuits – is a step in the direction of a great freedom. 

Lent could be seen as an opportunity for retreat – a time to withdraw and re-focus.  When I first started going on retreats, I brought along a briefcase full of books, devotional stuff, theology, my Bible, and only gradually did I learn the wisdom of bringing nothing – an empty hand, an open heart – and be able to just sit with myself, by myself, to listen and pay attention.   Lent is that kind of time – that kind of opportunity for the individual and for the Church.  As such it is a time of renewal, of returning to the depths, and of re-orientation – finding our way – which we know already, if we will just be still long enough to get in touch with our deeper self.

The path ahead of Jesus was complex, difficult and dangerous.  How did he know how to proceed?   Today’s Gospel reveals the process by which he determined his true identity and the right direction for his mission.

As individuals, as a parish, how do we have any idea where we are meant to go?  In which direction?  With what purpose?

Today’s Gospel suggests that we need to take time to be still, to look within, to spend time discerning, devoting time and attention to hearing the voice of the Spirit amidst all the competing and conflicting voices we allow into our lives, whether from TV, iPods, manic and shallow chatter, the internet, or the chaos of traffic and crowds.  

As individuals, and as a parish, today’s Gospel has a lot of spiritual wisdom to impart, if only we will choose to pay attention, and hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

The Rev. Grant Rodgers

BUT WE BELIEVE!

Exodus 34:29-35   2 Corinthians 3:12-4:Luke 9:28-36 -43) 

I thought that, during the Olympics, we should show our support and community spirit, as well as our sense of humour, by putting a sign out front saying “We Believe!”   Everybody is into believing all of a sudden!  As a believer, I don’t feel so isolated. Thanks to the Canadian Olympic Games promotional program, believing is respectable again! It is reassuring that people will still rally to believe in something. 

I have always enjoyed sports, and I think elite athletes show us virtues like discipline, commitment, motivation, goals and focus, perseverance, talent, excellence, and even belief (in self, in country); they exemplify grace, power, beauty, and excellence.  There are many things to admire.  

“Faster, higher, stronger” is the traditional Olympic motto.  It was originally proposed by a French Roman Catholic priest! Sports officials decided it would be a great motto for the Olympic Games. This year the focus in Canada seems to include an acknowledgement that success at this level is more than just a factor of genetics or equipment or physical fitness but has something to do with a deeper, intangible factor.

“Believe!” has been the Canadian Olympic rallying cry, indicating the element of inspiration is an important aspect.   When you believe in something you lend your energy to it – teams refer to the extra “player” you get when playing in your home stadium, because of the positive effects of fans cheering them on (something like what happens when you pray for people, I think).   If we could focus that hope, that positive energy, on other things as well, like the homeless, or the environment, we could change the world.

The great opening of the games Friday night was very inspiring.  2/3 of all Canadians (26 million) were watching it on TV.  It was amazing, almost liturgical, and made me extremely proud to be Canadian.  Along with the solemn moment of remembrance for the Georgian luge athlete who was killed, the whole thing was almost a religious experience.  I think it’s about time that Canadians were actually inspired about what a gift Canada is – what an awe-inspiring country it is.

Over the years I have seen so many inspiring stories related to the Olympic Games.  Canadians are almost obsessed with winning the hockey gold medal.  We expect it now.  But I always loved the days when Canadian amateurs played hockey.  Their efforts against the Russians and Czechs were really impressive, considering that the Eastern bloc countries had teams that were virtually professional teams.  I felt really proud of the teams of mostly college players we sent –they didn’t win, but played great hockey against stacked odds.   I loved the moment in 1980 when the Americans, huge underdogs in the hockey competition, upset the powerful Russian team, in a game they still call “The Miracle on Ice.”

As impressive as the top performances are, and how great the “mountaintop experiences” they generate for the athlete and for the fans, I think we diminish it when we make it all about winning, and singling out the ones who succeed and get the medals. And we wreck it entirely when cheating becomes part of the picture, whether through performance enhancing drugs, or corrupt figure skating judges.  When being number one is all that matters, a very different spirit and attitude prevails.  I noted that Canadian medalists are going to get special jackets, to honour them, single them out, and distinguish them from the also-rans.  Even though it is always a team effort that gets them there, the team usually doesn’t get the endorsements and the perks of fame.

I love the story of the Jamaican bobsled team.  They were a novelty when they first entered at the Calgary winter Olympics – even something of a joke.  But they were received with such warmth, and support, and wanted so hard to do well, that within a few years they were actually competing pretty well. 

I remember Susan Auch, who was something a personal hero of mine, because not only was she an amazing speed skater and three-time Olympic medal winner, she accomplished all that despite having a serious case of asthma, which is something I struggled with for years.

What are these Olympic athletes doing it for?   Money?  Fame?  Strong motivators, for sure.  But many of these great athletes will never become rich or famous, even if they win.  Susan Auch is now a real estate agent in Calgary, living a fairly ordinary life.  What I find compelling is how many of them seem to get to that elite level because they are propelled by some inner sense of cause, or justice, or overcoming a barrier like poverty or racism or physical disability. And they are revered, because they were winners on a much higher level than the medal podium could afford.

Eddie Edwards was another athlete with more than the usual motivation. Edwards, better known as Eddie the Eagle, was a British skier who didn’t have quite enough skill to make the British ski team so he switched to ski jumping.  He moved to the U.S. to train, spending almost all of his own money — he had to use someone else’s equipment to train, and had to wear six pairs of socks to make the boots fit.  He was broke and living in a Finnish mental hospital (as a tenant not a patient) when he was informed he had been accepted to compete in the Olympics.  By definition, ski jumpers are crazy – they go flying off the equivalent of a 15 storey building going 30 mph and then plummet down to a fairly hard, icy surface, hundreds of feet below — but when Eddie the Eagle jumped, his thick glasses fogged up so that he couldn’t see, which led to another nickname, Mr. Magoo.  He finished last in each event he entered, but the fans loved him.  He was an inspiration.

In characters like Eddie the Eagle, the Jamaican bobsled team, Susan Auch and many others we see a spirit that isn’t just about winning but also it is about the joy of sport, the participation, the determination.   These stories, as well as the ones of moments of excellence and greatness and success, have the power to inspire the world.

In today’s Gospel, Luke shares with us an insight we call “The Transfiguration” – the ultimate mountaintop experience, perhaps reminiscent of a scene from Mount Olympus.  There has been a lot of debate about this passage since about the 2^nd Century, whether it is an actual event; whether it was perhaps a post-resurrection event.  Either way, it has been shrouded in mystery.  I choose to see it as representing that moment when some of Jesus’ followers began to realize just how great Jesus really was.  In a flash of insight, they saw something about Jesus they had not seen before, and they suddenly came to see that he was on a level with Moses and Elijah, the greatest figures of their faith, representing two key elements of their religion: the Law and the prophets.

It is like this moment represents a choice the first followers of Jesus had to make: between elitism and allowing the good news to become universally accessible.  The disciples’ initial response is — you’re so amazing – you’re so special – we have to put you on a pedestal – create a little hall of fame or a shrine – maybe a podium of gold, silver and bronze for the three great figures — perhaps a monastery up there in the refined heights of holiness and exaltation.  But, according to Luke, Jesus would not accept that kind of glory and, instead, pointed the way back into connecting with everyday life and its problems – to engage and to bring healing and compassion.  According to Luke, Christ’s message is universal – not just for a few lucky or privileged ones – not just for the winners but also for the losers of life.

This is a key message for the Church: not to remain obscure, closeted away, believing we are above the real world; not to be disengaged or accepting of some kind of arbitrary separation between sacred and secular, good and evil; not to believe that the rewards are only for the good or the most worthy.  The witness and words of Jesus point us in a different direction.  I think Jesus’ approach would bring to the Olympics a moment something like this:

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash.  At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a blur of speed, but all eager to run the race to the finish line.  All — except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, fell down, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy crying. They slowed down and looked back.  Then they all turned around and went back.  Every one of them.

One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said:
“This will make it better.” Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line.  Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.  Now that’s a great moment in sport!

Most of us are not gliding gracefully to the finish line of life.  Like that group of handicapped kids, we struggle on our journey.  Most of us aren’t standouts, gold medal winners, or celebrities.  But sometimes we stumble upon the truth that those handicapped athletes, in their profound wisdom, revealed:  that the last shall be first, and that we are not running the race alone.  

When you think about it, with most of the winter Olympic sports, the gold is to be found at the bottom of the hill.  On the mountaintop, there in the presence of greatness and grandeur, the disciples may have been tempted to see themselves as the luckiest people in the world, and we have tended to see the ascent to the top as the real direction of greatness.  But Jesus, in his life, revealed the profound insight that true spiritual greatness is to be found in the descent – getting OFF the pedestal and coming down to be with people, not necessarily where they aspire to be, but where they are. Pity the poor disciples: one minute they’re standing there toasting this exquisite moment, this divine opportunity, thinking they’re part of a new dynasty; the next, they’re down on Hastings Street, knee deep in the sorrow and pain and sickness of daily life.  

St. Paul likened the Christian journey to an athletic event, and our spirituality as an athletic endeavour.  Here’s what I believe: that, as spiritual athletes, we are meant to inspire the world, with great efforts of compassion, and exemplary commitment to an ideal and to each other.  What you believe is not just important, it’s the compass that guides your life.  Believing draws people together, helps them accomplish much more than they could on otherwise.  We believe in ideals of compassion, equity, and a universal gospel which see the greatness in every person.  We offer a gospel that celebrates those who have found their greatness and encourages those who haven’t.  We all need something to believe in, and we all need to know that at least someone believes in us.

I intend to watch as much of the Olympics as I can, and I will be cheering for Canadians to win gold, but I will also be looking for something deeper – for something profoundly human, or even divine, to shine through, and reveal something really inspiring.  Every Olympics seem to provide at least one “mountaintop experience.”

(The Rev.) Grant Rodgers

Introduction

The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, we can come to know how our sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the Biblical passages in their context. We can hear their concerns and needs and can feel ourselves in solidarity with them as we pray with and for them. In this way, it is possible to enrich our Christian faith as it grows deeper and broader in an international, ecumenical expression.

The motto of the World Day of Prayer movement is Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action. Through our participation in the World Day of Prayer, we affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence on the world.

World Day of Prayer in Canada

The World Day of Prayer began in the 19th century when Christian women of Canada and the United States started to be involved in missions at home and in other parts of the world. Since 1812, women have encouraged one another to engage in personal prayer and take leadership in communal prayer within their mission auxiliaries and associations. Presbyterian women in the United States then called for a national day of prayer in 1887, and Anglican women in Canada established a national day of corporate intercessions for mission in 1895.

On October 19, 1918, Presbyterian women in Canada called together representatives of five Women’s Missionary Boards – Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian – “to promote the spreading of Christ’s kingdom through united prayer and action.” That first inter-church meeting gave birth to the Interim Committee on the Federation of the Women’s Missionary Society Boards of Canada, which organized a national and inter denominational day of prayer on January 9, 1920.

In 1922, the Canadian committee agreed to use the same theme and day for the Day of Prayer as U.S. women. This annual event became the Women’s World Day of Prayer in 1927. The Canadian committee changed its name to become the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada and now includes representatives from 11 church partners. This council continues to coordinate the World Day of Prayer in Canada and to speak to issues that concern women of faith across the country.

We will join our neighbours in celebrating World Day of Prayer @ Northside Church- 1460 Lansdowne, Coquitlam. The Corner of Daivd and Lansdowne.