June 2nd, 2010
Please be advised the Will Seminar scheduled for June 3 has been canceled and will be rescheduled for the Fall.
May 26th, 2010
LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
Homily for Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2010
RCL appointed readings: Acts 2:1-21; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17, (25-27)
How do we best convey the meaning, the experience, the feeling of the moment of Pentecost? For centuries, the Church has commemorated the event by looking back on it, reflecting on it, and offering interpretations and explanations. But like the burning bush, the Transfiguration, and the vision of Christ that confronted Saul (St. Paul), Pentecost was an experience of the presence of the Spirit of God, and therefore quite beyond being adequately described by words or even comprehensible to logic.
Apparently, the result of it was powerful: the disciples were transformed; those present were amazed; and an intensely committed community formed, and with an amazing sense of confidence that community proclaimed a new way of being base on the life and teaching of Jesus.
Pentecost was, first of all, a surprise! The disciples were simply asked to show up – to trust – and they got the shock of a lifetime. The Spirit was about to take them all on a wild ride that would turn the world upside down. “It blew me away!” This has become a common expression for moments of extreme inspiration, excitement and insight. Like wind, like fire, the presence of the Spirit “blew them away.”
Acts portrays it as a moment in which barriers came down between the divine and the human, and between people of many different cultures and languages. The Holy Spirit enables community to come together “out of the blue” as it were. It was an ecstatic, wild moment, when people seemed to lose their normal composure. Some cynical types standing at the edge of the experience sneered and accused them all of being drunk.
Think of it! The first known sermon of the Christian Church involves Peter attempting to explain that those present are not drunk! Peter’s first sermon was an attempt to show that the experience wasn’t something weird and abnormal. Emphatically, they are not drunk – “it’s only 9:00 in the morning!” But it’s interesting that the ecstatic reaction to the movement of the Spirit was likened to drunkenness, in which people lose their inhibitions, come together with others, and generally have a good time. When do you last remember a church service when there was that kind of enthusiasm? The accusation suggests the riotous, energetic manner in which people were pulled out of their ordinary reserve and beyond their normal relational boundaries. As Peter proclaims is, this moment was not something drug or alcohol induced, and not something bizarre, but was in fact the way things had been intended for ages. So he quotes a centuries-old prophecy from Joel, which promised that God’s Spirit one day would be “poured out” upon all.
Jesus told his disciples that if they had truly “seen” him they would have seen “the Father,” meaning that the Spirit of God was not off somewhere in space, but present in human form, in human life, in human relationships. Jesus had already given them the gift of being able to look at a human being and see the face of God – the realization that God is with us, and in us, already. They just needed the inspiration of the same Spirit that motivated him in order to allow those connections to become real, to allow them to do “even greater things than [Jesus] had done.” Joel predicted the day of the Lord as a rough time – a terrible day. Through Christ “the day of the Lord” becomes a time of renewal, a time of joy, a time to dance, a time of re-connecting and the purpose of God’s people is re-focused on simply sharing the love of God and allowing that Spirit to be poured out on all people.
That moment that Joel longed for has come, Peter asserts! And it’s so wonderful, so delirious, that some mistook it for drunkenness. We wonder what the author was attempting to describe, but what a moment it must have been! Since then however, we have by and large looked backward to the event and viewed it historically, rather than celebrating the possibilities of the present moment, trusting that that same Spirit is just as accessible now as then. Like the prophet Joel, we need to yearn for that day to come, we need to yearn for that day to be now. Like Joel, we need to look forward in hope, not just backward in reminiscence.
Pentecost is often described as the birthday of the Church and from the account in Acts it was quite a party! The Holy Spirit is described in terms that suggest ecstasy, enthusiasm, energy – a blast of inspiration likened to wind and fire. I think that, when we are trying to celebrate great moments like Pentecost, our worship truly ought to show some signs of joy and wonder and awe and enthusiasm. It seems to me that we don’t celebrate birthdays with dirges and solemnity unless the person whose birthday it is, is dead.
Our experience of church usually isn’t that dramatic or dynamic. We come, we reflect, we may say, “isn’t that interesting,” but typically we return home pretty much the same. Is it appropriate to be looking for something different – to look for transformation? Is it appropriate to attempt to provoke a deeper, more heartfelt response?
How can we best teach people today about the significance and power of that moment – how can we help people open up to the possibility of connecting with the Spirit in the present moment?
We’ve planned and prepared very hard for this to be spontaneous (how’s that for a contradiction?). To help you experience Pentecost we created a bit of a surprise by decorating the church differently. You knew the moment you walked in something special was going on. Automatically, it shifted your expectation about what will be going on. This is definitely a step out of the usual – out of the comfort zone – into some other place – a liminal place perhaps – where the insecurity and uncertainty we experience may oblige us to be more open to Pentecost as a faith experience, something open-ended, and holding new possibilities before us, rather than a typically predictable liturgy.
An archdeacon of the Diocese of Toronto by the name of Arthur Brown (who later became Bishop Arthur Brown) apparently used to leave virtually everything about worship to the last minute – even preaching assignments. So everyone had to be ready, on the spur of the moment, to preach, to pray, to serve. That would drive some people crazy, but there is a point there about leaving room for the inspiration of the Spirit to affect our carefully laid plans. (as described in James Ferry’s book In the Courts of the Lord).
We decided to try to do something to encourage you to engage and embrace the spontaneity – the openness – the potential – the expectancy – the exuberance of the moment – as the disciples did – as children do. Spirit has a way of being present when there is trust and openness and a willingness to allow our imaginations to be captured by wonder.
In the early Church, for about the first three centuries, as worship developed, there were virtually no books, no leaflets, no set order of service. Then as now time was spent interpreting the sacred scriptures, singing, sharing eucharistically, and praying, but there was a powerful emphasis on expecting the Spirit to be present, and the bishops were expected to be spirit-filled people, so they simply prayed spontaneously and trusted that in doing so they were giving voice to the Spirit of God. I am going to attempt that approach today in praying the Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic prayer). There is something about being out in deep water without the “floatation device” that set prayers provide. I believe that trying to find words in the moment, from within, can create an opening, a certain vulnerability, through which the Spirit can become present, and lift us to a new place of experience and trust in our prayer and worship life.
It has become customary to ignore the presence of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been called the forgotten “person” of the Trinity. In the Creed, we speak of the Spirit as the Lord, “the giver of life.” At ordination, and at moments like Confirmation, we pray for the descent of the Holy Spirit, but then act as if the Holy Spirit is non-existent. If the Holy Spirit is the source of life, and if Liturgy is kind of a metaphor of life, it seems to me that the liturgy can’t be entirely mapped out, or predetermined, any more than our life can.
What do we expect when we invoke the Spirit of the living God in our worship? Do we expect the Spirit to be present? If so, what do we expect the Spirit to do?
How we approach it, and how we celebrate it, makes a world of difference. Jesus promised a day when true worshippers would worship in spirit and in truth. It suggests a kind of creative dynamic between the intellect and the spirit, the head and the heart. At the very least, it means being inspired, spontaneous, and creative. Pentecost is one of those celebrations of the Church Year that creates an opportunity for all kinds of possibilities, but like the disciples, it’s up to us to show up with great expectations.
I hope today will reveal to you that Pentecost is not just a reminder of some moment in ancient history, but an incentive to open up to the presence and power of the Spirit of God now. And perhaps it will serve as motivation to ask, if not demand, from God, at least something of that energy and life that seemed to descend on those first followers of Christ. God is meant to be present in our lives – like fire, like a powerful wind –I pray that the Holy Spirit of God will set us on fire and blow us toward the future in power and purpose.
rhgr+
May 25th, 2010
Dinner out in June! An invitation to all women of the parish to ACW’s June Windup. Thursday, June 10th, 5:30 pm. Dinner at 6:00 pm. The cost is $20.00 per person. RSVP to your phoner or Joanne Walton at 604-939-6727 by June 3rd. Hope to see you there.
May 19th, 2010
MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE ANGLICAN CHURCH, PORT MOODY AT 7:00 PM ON THE 26th APRIL, 2010
Lori Matthes attended to discuss Church School. Church School members would like to personalize their space with a banner, pictures etc. to make it more child-friendly. It was suggested a games or movie or activity night be held one Saturday evening a month followed on the Sunday by a family service.
Another suggestion was that we might create a Church School banner that the children can process behind, and also a Church School song. The objective is to provide an environment that the children enjoy more. We should also publish the names of the Church School teachers of the day in the bulletin.
The council meeting continued and was chaired by Sharon Cooper.
Wills Seminar
Thursday, June 3rd was selected as the date we should propose to the lawyer offering this seminar.
BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
Parish Council Representative for MAP team
Claire Prentice has volunteered to be the Council rep. and we extend our thanks to Claire.
Parish Visiting Team
Trudi suggested that she will meet with Grant to discuss the Parish Visiting Team.
Worship Committee
A meeting will be held on Thursday, April 29th.
Communication Plan
Karen Evans will discuss with Amanda Mungal who will put together the Apostle, taking into consideration that Amanda has a very busy schedule at this time. We will ask the congregation to submit items two weeks ahead of the scheduled Apostle.
Facebook is being used by many churches as a supplement to their web page. There was some discussion as to the security of Facebook and Trudi Shaw and Laurie Fox will put together a presentation for Council so that we are in possession of more information about this networking program.
Our web site uses the Word Press web management system and we are having problems with this application We will poll the congregation to see if anyone is sufficiently knowledgeable about Word Press to be able to assist us.
Rector’s Report
Motion that we hold a pot-luck luncheon on Pentecost, May 23rd after the 10:00 am service.
M / S Grant / Karen Evans
Carried
Grant proposed doing something creative with the Pentecost liturgy, and one of his ideas was to ask everyone to wear red – the Pentecost colour.
Grant has been asked by the Bishop to lead the Retreat for the postulants to the Diaconate and to preach at the Ordination of Deacons on June 27th.
The deadline for nomination of candidates for the Order of New Westminster is early in May and nominations can be done through the parish office.
MAP Process: The first meeting will be held on September 25th from 9:00 am to 12 noon at St. Laurence, Coquitlam and we have been asked to provide our choice of dates for the October meeting. We would prefer October 16th.
Treasurer’s Report
Actual receipts for the month were $11,252 which is $3,748 below budget. Our deficit year to date is $7,168. The wardens will write a letter to all parishioners advising them of our current financial status which will be distributed in May.
A parishioner donates $300 each year towards sending a child to Camp Artaban and we have been sending two children every two years. We have received a donation of $120 from another parishioner this year, making a total of $720: the cost of sending two children to camp is $850.
Motion that we withdraw $130 from the B.M.E.F. Fund as the balance of the cost of sending two children to Camp Artaban this year.
M / S Grant / Trudi Shaw
Carried
Terry proposed posting in the Apostle the names of the children attending Camp Artaban this year.
We have been asked to display signs about Camp Artaban but under the city by-law we have to pay $100 to do so. We will write a letter of concern to City Council and we will advise Camp Artaban that we are being charged for putting these notices up on our property.
Motion that we pay $100 from the B.M.E.F. to the City of Port Moody for display of the Camp Artaban notices M / S Anne Anchor / Trudi Shaw
Carried
Property Report
Stained Glass Windows: The parish of St. Stephen’s the Martyr, Burnaby, would like to have the stained glass windows from St. John the Divine. Parish Council has received a letter from them detailing their plans for installing the windows. In light of St. Stephen’s plans, we will make a presentation to the congregation on Sunday and bring it to the next Council meeting.
John Binns will hire someone to install the bell pull in the tower.
Event Calendar
Karen is asked to post a calendar page on her office door containing all the events that are booked and are taking place during the month. Parishioners should also call the office to check availability.
Stewardship Committee
Trudi Shaw will stay on as Chair. We need more committee members. Trudi will write an article for the Apostle and will also approach people personally to invite them to join the committee
May 18th, 2010
MISSION: GIVING AND RECEIVING WITH GRACE
Homily for the Seventh Sunday of Easter 2010
RCL appointed readings: Acts 16:16-34 Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 John 17:20-26
Paul often spoke often of his sufferings – beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, imprisonments, etc. Reading his accounts, you could get the impression that he was rather proud of it. At times I get the sense that maybe he deserved it! Sometimes I think he may have thought he deserved it! Paul said some of the greatest things ever said but he could be one of the snarkiest, most pig-headed people on the face of the earth, and embodies in himself the contradictions, conflicts and paradoxes of the first Christians and the early Church.
In today’s reading from Acts, Paul and some fellow disciples were moving through Philippi on a missionary journey, and a girl started following them. Apparently she had some kind of gift of insight or discernment and was used by her “owners” as a source of income. Paul got annoyed, but instead of just telling her to “buzz off” or something equally rude, Paul went much further. He used his own spiritual authority to denounce whatever spirit was guiding the girl.
When I was in seminary, one of my fellow seminarians spent most of a Sunday afternoon condemning everyone on his floor of the college residence to burn in hell. He shouted and screamed, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I condemn you to burn in everlasting hell.” You might think: He must have had a really good reason for this outburst. Quite the opposite! Some fellow students, as a prank, had “papered” his room, which means they stuffed it full of newspapers. Instead of just playing along with the gag, he chose to believe this was an assault of Satan worthy of his strongest spiritual condemnation. He also called in the police because one of his toe rubbers went missing.
The girl’s behaviour sounds a bit bizarre (perhaps she was mentally ill) but perhaps she had a gift of the magnitude of Isaiah the Prophet, or John the Divine. Paul didn’t care. Just on the basis that she was bothering them, Paul turned on her and, in a way, quenched her spirit.
This is what happens sometimes when people get over-stressed — they begin to act out in harsh and uncharacteristic ways. Intending to do good, they end up hurting people, as I imagine the girl was deeply hurt. It is also what happens when the goal becomes more important than the journey. For Paul, in his single-mindedness, only the cause matters. Unlike Jesus, Paul has lost sight of the importance of the individual person, and as a result it begins to compromise the larger picture he is trying to paint. It shows a great difference in approach between his way and the way of Jesus, whose cause he was trying to serve.
It speaks to me of the many people who have been labelled as witches, as evil, as demonic, etc. simply because they have some spiritual gift. The entire New Age phenomenon was shunned by the Christian Church, so thousands if not millions of people with real interests in spirituality, mysticism and the mysterious have been obliged to seek and practice their spirituality elsewhere, in other ways.
Paul’s attitude, obviously shared by the person who wrote this account of the incident, was: How dare you stand in the way of God’s purposes? What was to become of the girl? The story doesn’t seem to know or care what happened to this young woman. To me, not caring is not good enough!
Many years ago I chaired a conference of the diocese and invited one of the two main speakers to preach in my parish that Sunday. Quite the evangelical, this man preached for almost 40 minutes, but that wasn’t his worst sin. Much of his sermon involved scolding and denouncing the ordinary Anglican in the pew. This man had anger, assumptions, and prejudices which would have been better worked out on an analyst’s couch than in the pulpit of a church. One man stood up suddenly in the middle of it, grabbed his son by the hand, and headed out the door. It took some persuading for him to return to the parish at all. People inn general were really taken aback, and had various negative reactions to the tirade. Quite the opposite of evangelism, in that he was driving people away!
I had arranged to take this guest preacher out to lunch (which was a bit redundant, because in some sense he already was!). Over lunch I challenged him about the harsh way he had preached at the people of my parish. I told him he didn’t know these people at all, that his accusations were extremely unfair and hurtful, and that I was going to have to do some serious “damage control” in the next few weeks as a result of his sermon. His response: “I don’t care.”
Clearly, the writer of the passage didn’t seem to care either – the focus is on the apostles. There is no concern for the future of this poor girl – the focus is entirely on the cause. In this passage, you can see the path Christianity began to take early on – dualistic, either/or, Us vs Them and Clean (washed) vs Unclean – Christianity as being in conflict and competition with all other religious expressions. We all have to make choices in life and sometimes the choices are indeed between good and evil, but the irony I see so often is that the Church sometimes seems to be more of a reflection of the Pharisees than of Jesus. That can’t be right!
Recently, the Pope has finally begun to acknowledge, and take responsibility for, the issue of widespread sexual abuse of children within the Roman Catholic Church. Initially, the response was to protect the institution at all costs; initially, the response was to pretend it hadn’t happened and ignore the damage to the individuals involved; initially, the response was to deny the credibility of the abused; initially, the response was to blame the media and others of prejudice against the Church. Like Paul, there was no care or concern for what happened to those many little boys and girls who happened to be in the way of this “apostolic” ministry. I hope to God the Roman Catholic Church, as well as other churches, including our own, will finally begin to heal some of the fundamental, systemic issues which have created a sense of divine right, and led to such absolutely evil abuses of power and authority.
Entrusted with a message of reconciliation, of God’s good will to all people, of peace and love and universal harmony, the Church has at times been an agent of oppression, and its mission has been carried out with careless violence. Neither Paul nor the writer of the passage cared at all about what would happen to this slave girl whose most important gift had been stifled. But what happened next was directly related. Paul and the others were dragged into the centre of town, beaten severely and then imprisoned. Ironically, Paul suddenly became the victim. I like to think it probably took Paul a while, through a number of these experiences of being victimized himself, to begin to come to the deeper wisdom he later achieved.
Jim Bakker was another evangelist who apparently needed some jail time to come to his senses. Bakker’s PTL (Praise the Lord) empire at one point was drawing $1 million/week from faithful TV viewers. According to Frances FitzGerald in an April 1987 New Yorker article, Jim and Tammy Fay (his wife) “epitomized the excesses of the 1980s; the greed, the love of glitz, and the shamelessness; which in their case was so pure as to almost amount to a kind of innocence.” After years as a TV evangelist, with a huge empire and income and way too much influence, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison (later reduced) for fraud and theft. The book he wrote to tell of his journey was simply entitled, I Was Wrong. Gone was the entitlement, the obliviousness to the consequences of his actions, the glib sense of superiority. Jim had lost his reputation, his career, his marriage – he still owes IRS $6 million — but I thought he was a better man after his empire collapsed and he was humbled.
There is a lesson here about what happens to us when we become so zealous, so intense, and so convinced that our cause is so important, so right, that our sense of how we relate to others becomes distorted, deformed, as it were. Christians for centuries have acted as though every other religion, including Judaism, has nothing to offer, no spiritual gifts we might incorporate, no wisdom we might learn from. Paul, at this point in his journey, intent on seeking out unbelievers, doesn’t seem much different than Saul (his original name), the self-righteous zealot, who was intent on hunting down Christians, before he was converted to Christ.
Our guest speaker at Synod yesterday was Rabbi Robert Daum, whose very presence as a Jew was a simple but profound reminder not only of our spiritual roots, but also of the tremendous damage that Christians have caused by attitudes of superiority, arrogance, and divine entitlement.
Rabbi Daum told a story about how he and his sister were reminiscing about their mother, and he realized his own sister had a quite different sense of who his mother was. Of course, they remained siblings. The point was obvious but profound: as Jews and Christians, we may have differing views of God our divine Father/Mother, but we are children of the same God and therefore, brothers and sisters.
That is what today’s Gospel reminds us about, and where the Good News is to be found. Perhaps like the slave girl, Jesus had the great gift of discerning the inner meaning in outward appearances. On the surface, it appears we are all radically different – unique, individual, etc. Only a parent can see the similarities, the family resemblance, in children who are struggling to gain their own unique identity and as a result may become blind to the many ways they are similar and related to each other. The good parent reminds us of who we truly are. It seems to me that an important aspect of what the Church is meant to do is help people see the connections. Jesus prayed for unity, in the knowledge that only love, the kind of love God has for us his children, has the power to make that happen. According to John, Jesus prayed that prayer, on the eve of his death, so his followers would make unity their goal, their vision — unity in the face of hostility and growing persecution and violence; unity in the face of puzzling differences; unity in the face of our own fears and confusion.
We all have our lapses but the Gospel (and Paul at his best) compels us to aim for the biggest view possible. Jesus’ message consistently moves us toward a non-dualistic approach – it is profoundly tilted in the direction of reconciliation and ultimate unity. Paul too, was capable of soaring to great heights and opening his arms very wide, but in this little incident in the lesson today, we see the inner conflict, the contradiction, which we must be aware of and try to work out. Paul did nothing to try to bring the girl onside, or to allow her gift to serve a higher purpose, or even give her some sense of direction. Out of annoyance, he swatted her like a fly — condemned her — and not only left her without her most valuable gift, but perhaps put her life in danger with her owners.
So often the church has turned on people like Paul did to the slave girl, and condemned their gifts, and devastated people in the process. I know far too many people who have been condemned by Christians, and their gifts have thereby been lost to the church, and to themselves. Gifts of discernment, insight, prophecy, and healing, have all been lost to the life of the Church, and the world in general, because someone made them feel their gifts were not welcome, or that they were suspect in some way.
The theme of Synod was “Moving Back Into the Neighbourhood.” Synod — our Diocese — is calling us to become a “missional” church, calling us to get out of the box and into the neighbourhood. Mission in the past has often meant the powerful, the righteous, extending a kind of charity to other who are considered inferior and ignorant. The basic premise of the old style of mission was that it was not an equal exchange – those being missionized had nothing to offer, and should be grateful for receiving our ways, even if it meant the destruction and loss of their own ways.
A missional church in our time is not one that goes out and seeks to conquer others in the name of Christ; it is not imperialistic; it does not seek specific results and rewards; it is not closed to gifts that others have or to the possibility of being transformed by the process. As Jesus indicated, the approach must be to serve (rather than seeking to be served), to be motivated by love, not to lord it over others, and never to let go of the value of even the smallest and apparently most insignificant person. As he taught, it is those who pay attention to the least in society who are often the truest servants of God.
We are being called to re-connect with the wider community which, ironically, and perhaps justly, has shunned us. To do so, we don’t have to be perfect. In fact, our best gift may be humility, a recognition of our own faults, and a willingness to believe, whether we see it or not, that there is an inherent unity in life which is the presence of the Spirit of God in all things.
The Rev. Grant Rodgers
May 11th, 2010
TO A WORM IN A HORSERADISH,
THE WHOLE WORLD IS HORSERADISH
Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter 2010
RCL appointed readings: Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35
I have been ordained since 1981 and have been seriously involved in the church since 1976. In that time, our Church has dealt with a number of issues, all of which created a lot of upset and anguish. In the 1970’s the proposal to ordain women was met by many with the statement: “If they do that, I’m out of here.” About the same time, it was proposed that we return to the ancient practice of including children at communion, to which the response by many was, “I’m out of here.” I had parishioners in one parish who said they would leave if we even had a children’s talk during a service! Then there was the Book of Alternative Services, to which many responded: “I’m out of here.” More recently, the proposal to include and appreciate the contributions of homosexual persons was again met by the response, by some: “I’m out of here”). Even the relatively simple notion of passing the peace was met with the same approach – people opting out of the life of the Anglican faith community instead of finding ways to accommodate new things.
It’s like a litany in which the automatic response to any proposal is: “I’m out of here!” (Try chanting it). Truth is, it’s not very Anglican to be so reactionary.
The fact is that the Anglican Church of Canada has moved forward on a lot of issues over the last generation or so. Some people left because change happened, while others left because they grew frustrated that our vision was not large enough and we weren’t changing quickly enough, and some may not have liked all the conflict, but stayed, believing that, despite its flaws and failings, the Anglican Church is still an important vehicle of God’s grace to the world.
The lesson from Acts this morning offers a glimpse into what life was like for the early Church, those Christians in the first generation after Jesus’ departure. In today’s lesson, the disciples are trying to sort out what to do about Peter, who as usual has stumbled forward in faith into very deep water. In Joppa (near Caesarea), Peter had a vision (he also described it as a trance) in which he saw a huge sheet full of various animals being lowered down to him, like a huge feast being presented to him out of the blue. In his vision he heard a voice saying to him, “Arise Peter, kill and eat.” But Peter, like any observant Jew, responded that many of the animals being presented were “unclean,” that is, forbidden by the Bible to be eaten. Yet the voice insisted that Peter disobey the scripture he had been raised on and partake fully, with the statement: “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”
What followed was an encounter with a Roman soldier named Cornelius, which shows that even at that very early stage, some members of the very authorities that had crucified Jesus were already converting to Christianity (or “The Way”). When Cornelius approached Peter, Peter stated the typical Jewish attitude at that time, which was that he was forbidden to even associate with Gentiles – Gentiles were seen as unclean, ungodly barbarians. But Peter’s vision had already dramatically changed his view of such things, so as Peter enters the house of Cornelius, he proclaims, “God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.”
It’s hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for those first followers of Christ, virtually all of them from a Jewish background, as Jesus had been, suddenly faced with hostility and rejection from people of their own faith, and also dealing with an influx of new people of dubious background, and needing to make hard decisions. The Jewish sense of clean and unclean, who was in and who was out, was extremely definite. The Torah and the customs of the Temple and synagogue were ingrained in them.
Today’s reading starts with Peter being called up on the carpet and criticized for allowing Gentiles (many Jews referred to them as “dogs”) to enter the fold. After Peter shares the vision he had and the conviction that this is God’s direction for the Church, not his own, it ends with the disciples being silenced, and then expressing joy and praise that God’s gifts are being shared on a much wider scale than they could have imagined.
In the end (as Acts 15 records) the apostles held a Council and decided on keeping only a few of the hundreds of laws and regulations which their religion had demanded. They walked away from the old, and began creating a new vessel for the new wine of the Spirit. It must have been a painful, stressful decision, but if they hadn’t made it, Christianity would have remained as a Jewish sect, and Christianity would not have become a universal faith.
From the beginning of the life of the Christian Church, there has been a history of struggling to integrate new people, new ideas, new ways, in the face of traditions that were considered foundational and unchangeable. When Jesus said “there shall be one flock and one shepherd . . .” we get some idea of the universal scope of his vision. Yet every day we see some evidence of Christians choosing to make that vision much smaller.
Years ago I got into a conversation with a Jehovah’s Witness on a street corner and challenged his views of scripture and faith. Jehovah’s Witnesses is a religion of competitiveness and exclusion, which celebrates the idea that only a very few deserve the glory and the rewards, and that salvation is something earned by efforts like standing on street corners. To me, it contradicts virtually the entire New Testament witness. He seemed to be a keen believer in hell, so as I departed, I told him that for him, hell is going to be to encounter people like me in heaven!
The New Testament, especially the teachings of Jesus, reveals a very different attitude. Far from saying that only the lucky, or the select few make it, Jesus told stories about how people who were failures and flops and fools were actually finding the Kingdom of God, while the zealous and righteous were not. Especially in the story of the Labourers in the Vineyard, Jesus revealed how God welcomes all, and that life is not about getting ahead of or more than someone else, it is about enjoying the privilege of being in the vineyard of God’s creation, and it is about celebrating everyone’s gifts. Instead of worrying about whether someone else is getting more, we are freed to enjoy what we have. Instead of resenting those who come new to a situation, we celebrate the fact that God cares for all.
Over the last generation especially it is like the world has opened up and much of it has descended on Canada. Canadians are dealing with a huge influx of people of other faiths and racial and cultural backgrounds. It’s not just our issue; I heard recently that in the next decade or so 100 million Chinese will emigrate to Africa. The world, everywhere, is changing.
Recently Douglas Todd wrote in the Vancouver Sun about the changing demographic landscape of Vancouver. He referred to Statistics Canada report, which was titled “Projections of the Diversity of the Canadian Population.” That report predicted that Metro Vancouver and Toronto would be more than 60 per cent “visible minorities” by 2031, and explored how Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism are by far the country’s fastest-growing religions. In another article dated March 10/10, Todd quoted Stats Can projections suggesting that the Muslim population of Vancouver will triple by the year 2031. There are 72,000 Muslims now; there will be 230,000 then.
We too have our “growing pains.” That can seem like a very dark and frightening place to go. Many are tempted to cling more tightly to the old and familiar; many will persist in outdated attitudes toward people of other cultures and races. Even the term “visible minorities” has become a meaningless and racist term.
Old Yiddish saying: “To a worm in a horseradish, the whole world is horseradish.”
Growing up in Regina, I didn’t see much of the world at large, and my world was pretty small. It contained almost no racial minorities; virtually everyone in my world was Caucasian. Even so, people managed to find and focus on the differences rather than looking for connections, so even though it was a fairly homogenous city, there were still divisions to exacerbate: between Roman Catholics and Protestants; Christians and Jews; aboriginal people and whites. Recently an article in the Sun suggested we may be genetically predisposed against people of other races. All I can say is that the Gospel requires much more of us than a kneejerk reaction, whether it’s genetic or not. As we continue to celebrate Easter, and approach Pentecost, it’s an appropriate time for Christians to recognize the call to connect with a much higher reality, which we call the Spirit.
The United Church of Christ (USA) celebrates Immigrant Rights Day on May 2. Granted, it’s American, but it’s interesting to see people celebrating something that many others experience as a threat.
I have had the experience of having people of other faiths – Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim – come to church seeking to find ways to connect with Christianity and specifically with Jesus. A clergy friend of mine recently described a situation in which a large number of Sikhs presented themselves at the altar rail at a church where Bishop Michael was presiding. He had been invited to a special event in a parish in Surrey. Numerous members of the wider community attended, as well as many people of the parish. The priest of that parish had worked hard to establish good relations with the people living around the parish, many of whom were Sikh. At Communion, many of them came forward to the altar rail, obviously expecting to receive Communion. Michael didn’t have time for a debate or to check for historical precedent – he simply had to decide what to do on the spot. His decision was to accommodate these people, who, in discussion after the service, expressed their love of Jesus, but also acknowledged that they could not be baptized because that would cause disruption in their cultural community. What would Jesus do? At the feeding of the 5000, I can’t imagine Jesus checking the religious credentials of everyone present with a view to excluding some. His aim was obviously to accommodate all who had been drawn to him. I believe Michael did the right thing.
The old is always passing away; the new is always presenting itself. Early on, the leaders of the Christian Church learned how to discern the way forward. Again, if they hadn’t, Christianity would not have made it out of 1st Century Palestine, and we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.
For some the word accommodation means compromise and betrayal of principle, while for others the word means hospitality, and sharing the same roof. We are moving toward Pentecost, that festival when we remember the way the Spirit brought a huge diversity of people together, enabled them to communicate and understand each other, and broke down the old barriers of race and religion and culture.
So in the face of massive changes that no doubt threaten many of us — What to do? As the lesson points out, when dealing in the realm of the Holy Spirit, it’s never obvious, because the answer is not so much political or social as spiritual and personal. So there is no formula, but there is a way. It’s not easy, but it’s also not complicated. It’s a kind of disposition or attitude:
First, steep yourself in the person of Jesus. I am often shocked at how little many Christians seem to know about him, and what weird and sometimes hateful, oppressive things people assert in his name. Recently, Anglican leaders in Uganda have supported a government policy condemning gay people to death, and I cannot imagine Jesus anywhere in that ugly scenario except among the victims. People like Marcus Borg have written books like Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, pointing out the need to look again at the person who inspired Christianity to come into being. Christianity, I would suggest, needs to look a lot more like Jesus than it usually does, both at the parish level and at the larger institutional level.
Second, in your prayers, in your spiritual practices, in your communications with God, be open for what God may reveal to you, and have the courage to ACT on it as Peter did. Ask yourself whether you are being true to your own personal vision, and whether the church is operating with any meaningful, inspired sense of vision.
And, as Jesus taught, let love be the guideline in everything you think and do. Love each other. You can do that – it’s in you. And simply do your best to extend that love in the form of respect, considerate behaviour, understanding and compassion, into your dealings with all people. As our Baptismal Covenant reminds us: respect the dignity of all human beings … seek and serve Christ in all persons, and love your neighbour as yourself.
rhgr+
May 3rd, 2010
Do you have gently used items you would like to donate to the Garage Sale this year? You can drop off your items Monday – Thursday at the Church office or Sunday’s in the church hall. Please remember no computers or televisions are accepted.
May 3rd, 2010
Join us August 16-20 from 9am – 12 pm for Vacation Bible School this year with the High Seas Adventure! This years theme will take you on an adventure through the bible with fun characters, music, crafts, Chadder’s Theatre and of course snacks! Mark your calendar for this fantastic adventure!
May 3rd, 2010
MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE ANGLICAN CHURCH, PORT MOODY AT 7:00 PM ON THE 22nd MARCH, 2010
MAP
Council met with Paul Borthistle of the Diocese on March 8th to complete the Parish Mission Review prior to commencing MAP.
Maureen Simons has accepted our invitation to be our MAP local leader and she attended the meeting for a short time to discuss the process. We need a MAP team and Maureen will approach others she feels are a good fit. One of the team members should be on council. The MAP leader will be involved in regional and parish meetings but the members of the team will only be involved in parish meetings. We are very grateful to Maureen for accepting this position.
BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
Parish Visiting Team
This group has carried out a valuable ministry for many years, team members were commissioned and we will continue to encourage and support their ministry.
Rector’s Report
The first Worship Committee meeting was held. One of the ideas that came out of the meeting was the Lenten Liturgical Art at the foot of the altar.
Reminder of the movie “This Dust of Words” on Friday, March 26th that will be held in the church.
Grant would like to arrange a meeting with Church School leaders and concerned parents.
We need to consider nominations for the Order of New Westminster which is for outstanding lay people serving at parish or diocesan level.
Grant had a very productive lunch meeting with Pastor Lee of the Korean Church. They both committed to working together more in the future.
The timing of the Lenten Retreat Day was not convenient. Another Retreat Day will be planned in the future.
Another parish is interested in obtaining the stained glass windows from St. John the Divine. Laurie Fox volunteered to take some photographs that Grant can share with the congregation after the Sunday service.
Grant had circulated some information from a web site provider who has submitted a quotation but we find the cost prohibitive. We need to make sure that a new web site is easy to use and that we can administer it ourselves.
Treasurer’s Report
The envelope receipts were $2,000 less than last month. Our total receipts year to date are $26,547 which is $3,500 below budget. Our actual deficit year to date is ($2,847). There was very little activity in the funds which total $21,758.60. Our mortgage balance was $770.58 which was paid off on
March 4th.
Property Report
The car park light has been fixed.
All the gutters on the church and on the house have been cleaned.
The floodlight bulbs have been replaced.
There is an electrical fault in the light fixture at the entrance and John will take it home and try to rebuild it.
The neighbours have been working on their property and there is a drainage pipe pointing towards the church, a situation we should probably investigate.
We should take off the locks on the top and bottom of the glass door in the entrance.
Anne Anchor commented that Paul Borthistle was very impressed with the outside appearance of the church and we extend thanks to John and Brenda Binns for their dedicated care of the building.
One of our parishioners has volunteered to go up onto the roof and install the bell pull in the tower.
The chairs downstairs have been put onto trolleys with wheels in order to move them around more easily.
Stewardship
A meeting of the Stewardship Committee will be arranged soon.
Communication Plan – Promotion and Publicity
Amanda Mungal is not able to continue putting together the “Apostle” so Karen Evans has volunteered to do this. Amanda will be able to do one more edition.
We need a point person to keep track of promotion and publicity opportunities and we should approach the parish to see if we have anyone with that kind of expertise. This appeal will go into the next “Apostle.” One suggestion was to compile a calendar page at the beginning of each month so that people can keep track of events.
Trudi suggested that we might check out the cathedral Facebook page for ideas.
Announcements
We should encourage people to take home the announcement page in the bulletin.
Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit
John Warren advised that this non-denominational conference takes place at a local church on August 5th and 6th and is an all-day event. He commented that the level of knowledge and insight introduced by the well-known speakers is phenomenal and he will provide more information at the next meeting.
April 28th, 2010
Pentecost Celebration and Pot Luck Luncheon- May 23 following the 10:00 service. Bring your favorite dish to share with the community in celebration of Pentecost!
