Things I Learned at Church, Part 5: the Church at its Best

Church people are not always at their best, I will admit. It's not difficult to find examples of church people who write, speak and behave in shameful ways. I make no excuse for them or for myself. 

However, if you would like to see church people at their best, pay attention to them at worship and watch them serving.

In a zoom interview with Christine Caine in 2020, Dr. Anita Phillips mentioned that you find people at their best when they are worshipping [1]. This idea has rolled around in my mind for a few years. When regular people are worshipping God in church, through song, prayers, giving their money to benefit others, receiving the sacraments, and listening to Scripture, we see them in a humble posture and attitude. Their focus is not on themselves but on their Lord. Their desire is to give God the glory. If you want to see the church at its best, come on a Saturday evening or a Sunday morning. Don't come just to hear the preacher. Don't come just to hear the musicians. Come to observe the people sitting and standing and giving their attention to a divine being who is transforming them.

Another place to see church people at their best is when they are serving others. Last Thursday evening, my schedule allowed me to scoop taco chili into bowls for anyone needing a meal. This food had been prepared by a team of six or seven church people, earlier in the day. To my right was a retired woman, who provided the same meal in takeout containers. To my left were several men and women adding veggies, cookies, utensils, and coffee to the orders that were going to be eaten inside the community center. Behind the scenes another refilled anything that was running low. As our short shift began, I said to my fellow volunteers, "I believe this is the church at its best. It is my honor to serve with you."

When we are together worshipping the God who created us or together helping out folks in need, we are occupied with fulfilling the two great commandments as Jesus summarized them: to love God with our whole selves and to love our fellow human being as much as we love ourselves. When we are thus occupied, we are not elevating ourselves or finding fault with others. We don't just have to imagine the church at its best. We can participate in it!

[1] BODY LANGUAGE: A Conversation on Race + Restoration in the Body of Christ, (June 1, 2020).

Tapestries and Menus

This post involves some mixed metaphors, which I hope you will excuse. Where I live in Ontario, there has been some debate in the local newspaper about the carbon tax. Some writers are in favour, while others oppose it. One writer wanted to share a novel thought: planting trees would have a greater benefit than stopping the use of carbon-producing fuels.

It's true that trees and plants are an effective creation care strategy and that they absorb excess carbon from our environment. However, pitting different strategies against each other will not help as much as using all strategies in tandem.

There's much wisdom in the following quote from science writer Kristy Hamilton's book Nature's Wild Ideas:

"It's become increasingly apparent that solving our world's water woes will require a tapestry of solutions." 

The underlined words could just as easily be replaced with climate woes.

In that spirit, I would like to offer some threads for this tapestry, threads you could choose to add to your repertoire once, once a week, or more frequently.

Menu #1 involves practices to embrace.

 Menu #2 involves practices to fast from or refrain from doing. Again, you decide on the frequency.

Lessons from Privation

When I think of "fasting", I usually go beyond the literal definition of abstaining from food. Fasting can be applied to a host of activities that we may choose to give up for a period of time and for a specific purpose. But what about fasts that we did not choose? This post reflects on some of the enforced fasts shared by a large number of people. I don't want to minimize the trauma associated with many people's  experience of these events. 

September 11-14, 2001

After the horrific terrorist attacks that took place at three sites in the United States, all commercial flights were grounded until September 14th. People were grounded, and some were displaced far from their homes or original destinations.

I lived outside of a small town at that time, yet it was close enough to a main highway to hear traffic when we had the windows open at night. During those few days, the skies were so different. We did not hear jets overhead; we did not see the distinct contrails that were so familiar. One person close to me determined not to go on another airplane flight after this event, not simply out of fear but because the assumptions about travelling by air had been rocked.

August 14-15, 2003

A two-day electricity blackout that affected 50 million people in North America was another event that rocked my sense of what's expected and normal. So many things we rely on for daily life presume that the plugs in the wall will provide the power. 

The most essential thing at that time was making sure what was in the freezer did not spoil. Where I lived had a backup generator because it was connected to a farm, so we approached friends without this advantage and stored their frozen goods in our chest freezer until the power came back on.

Those two days were nothing compared to the enforced fast of electricity experienced by Quebec residents in January 1998. Frigid and dark winter conditions were endured by some folks for almost a month, due to the extensive infrastructure damage. The church I belonged to filled a van with baked goods and bread to send to one of the affected areas.

March, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the whole world to stay at home. There was still electricity, but air travel was halted and schools and churches closed their doors. Essential workers took extraordinary risks to care for the vulnerable, while those who could work from home used digital technologies to connect remotely. Social and family connections were limited to one's own household.

Because these lockdowns lasted for weeks and months, those who lived through them emerged with a different sense of normal. We all missed out on many things that brought us joy, but the youngest ones may have missed the most.

As I write this reflection, I'm reminded that I experienced many privileges during the events I listed. But they did affect me. I don't assume that everything I want or expect is going to materialize. When something is not available in the store today due to "supply chain" issues, I try to take it in stride and make due with the abundant number of things that are available.

My grandparents lived through foreign occupation, but they did not become bitter. I want to be guided by gratitude and generosity, not by resentment and accumulation.

Buried Treasure, a Pearl and a Bugatti Sportscar

This post is an excerpt from a talk I gave in August 2022, at my local church.

Jesus told two short parables, recorded in the gospel of Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV).

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

It’s not hard to see parallels between the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl. Yes, the high value of the Kingdom of Heaven, through the treasure and the pearl stands out. Another similarity is that the person who finds the valuable item, whether by chance or by diligent search, sells everything to possess it.

As we ponder these parables, letting them roll around in our minds, and earnestly seeking their meaning, we realize that the value of the Kingdom and the willingness to sell everything to obtain it really go hand in hand. 

Have you ever held and examined a pearl? It’s one thing to store up some facts about pearls in our minds and then have a logical understanding of what Jesus said, and it’s another to ponder a pearl, roll it around in our palm, and earnestly seek its meaning and its beauty. 

A Syrian theologian who served as a deacon did this very thing in around the year 360 AD. Based on his hands-on experience with a single pearl and his thoughtful reflections about it, Ephrem the Syrian wrote seven hymns. 

Among other things, he observed that the pearl speaks with “silent mouth” of the trophies, victories and crowns of Jesus Christ. The bright and luminous gem was for him a reflection of Jesus, the “Light of the world.”[1]

If buried treasure and a lustrous and valuable pearl feel too distant from our everyday experiences, let’s reimagine the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl using a more current example of something out of reach for most people.  

It was suggested to me as a modern equivalent by a Grade 8 student during class devotions, when asked, “What is something today that somebody might sell everything to get?” 

Consider with me: The Kingdom of Heaven is like the case of a collector of classic cars, who scours websites and advertisement and travels to dealerships and auto shows every weekend for months. He is seeking for the one car that meets all his criteria for design, speed, and luxury. One day, he spots a one-off Bugatti sportscar and knows he doesn’t need to see any others. 

He smiles broadly and sells all the other cars in his collection and everything else he owns to get that sportscar. 

The man who sold everything to buy the field, and the merchant who sold everything to buy the pearl, and the car enthusiast of our modern example did not feel they were making a sacrifice. It was a calculated decision; they knew the supreme value of the item they were seeking. Therefore, I also hesitate to use the word “sacrifice” to describe what citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven choose to give up in their loyalty to Jesus. 

After all, what else has lasting value? Through Christ and his Kingdom, in the words of the hymn writer, we have “pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, [Christ’s] own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Blessings all [ours] with ten thousand beside.”[2]

JOY is the motivation for a Kingdom citizen to give up things of minor value so that they become more and more centered on their King and Lord. Committing every part of oneself to serving the Lord is a joyful process, and it will take a different form in your life than it does in mine. 

[1] http://www.voskrese.info/spl/pearl.html

[2] Lyrics from the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923. 

Good Things Come In Threes- Reposted for Easter 2024

  How much validity does the expression "Good things come in threes" have?  I've also heard the opposite: "Bad things come in threes," such that a person who has had two things go wrong in her day was still expecting a third to make it complete.  I would venture that such statements are based on a type of superstition that stops counting after three.  Each day or event, depending on our outlook, can have numerous good or bad aspects to it.

   That being said, there is something special about the number three that goes beyond the formula for fairy tales (three wishes, three characters, three incidents) and the rules of baseball.
   Since it is Easter weekend, I'd like to share about the "three days" between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  Jesus predicted more than once that, similar to Jonah's sojourn in the belly of the fish, he would be "three days and three nights" in the heart of the earth (Mark 12:40).  After that, he would rise again.
   The modern, Western reader may be perplexed, as I used to be, about how this timing exactly works. When we think of three days and three nights, we think in terms of 72 hours.  However, when you look at the Gospel accounts, Jesus' time in the tomb was much less than this.  Could Jesus have made a mistake? Was he exaggerating just so we'd see a parallel between his experience and Jonah's?
   Then I read about Jewish reckoning of time.  When we approach any text, we should be aware of the historical and cultural context in which it was written.  So, when a Jewish person speaks of "a day," it can mean 24 hours or any part thereof.  A part of a day is considered a whole in the way time is measured.
   There's one more thing.  While we often measure a day from midnight to midnight, the Jews still consider the day beginning at sundown.  When we look again at the account of Jesus' death we see the following:

• He was crucified on Friday, during which there were three hours of darkness in the middle of the day. Jesus dies in late afternoon, and his friends take his body to the tomb before sunset.  There is concern to do this quickly because the Sabbath is approaching. Friday counts as "Day 1."
• It states in Luke 23:56b, "they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment."  This is "Day 2."
• The Sabbath ended at sunset, but no activity would have been undertaken in the dark.  Thus the women got up "very early in the morning" on the first day of the week (Sunday) to bring spices to the tomb.  When they arrive the tomb is already empty. Some time during the night Jesus overpowered death.  That makes "Day 3."

The words of a Puerto Rican folk hymn, translated into English, refer to "good" and "three":

Oh how good is Christ the Lord!

On the cross he died for me.

He has pardoned all my sin,

Glory be to Jesus.

Glory be to Jesus!

Glory be to Jesus!

In three days he rose again.

Glory be to Jesus.

In Jewish reckoning, sunset marked the start of a new day

Dare to be an Ebed-Melech

This post owes something to two individuals, who should be acknowledged at the outset. The first is the hymn writer Philip Bliss, who wrote the simple song "Dare to be a Daniel." The second is a Rev. John Suk, who preached a sermon 20+ years ago entitled "Dare to be an Epaphroditus," in which he highlighted a lesser known New Testament character with a 5-syllable name.

Jeremiah is a long book of prophecy in the Old Testament. It also contains some narrative parts (storylines), such as chapter 38. Here we read that Jeremiah's prophecies were not appreciated by the king's officials, and they want to put a stop to his words. They approach King Zedekiah with plans to put Jeremiah to death, and the king puts up no resistance.

That is how Jeremiah is lowered into a mucky cistern, a deep well used to collect rain water. Ebed-Melech, a Cushite [1] and official in the royal palace hears what has been done to Jeremiah and plucks up his courage to see King Zedekiah about it. He must know that the king had been indifferent before, but Ebed-Melech advocates for the life of Jeremiah and is ready to get personally involved.

Not only that, Ebed-Melech is an example of kindness. He understands about rope burn and takes the time to gather rags and worn out clothes to cushion the ropes that would be placed under Jeremiah's arms to lift him out of the pit. Along with 30 men the king sent with him, they go to the cistern and perform their rescue. Because of Ebed-Melech's kindness, Jeremiah is safely restored and can continue his ministry.

So, I'd like to add a stanza to Philip Bliss's song written in the 1800's. Because it's a four-syllable name, it may not have the same ring to it:

Dare to be an Ebed-Melech,

Dare to stand alone

Dare to have a purpose kind

And dare to make it known.

[1] Cushite is an ethnic reference. Ebed-Melech or his ancestors were from the "Upper Nile Region", or what is today called Sudan. Hence Ebed-Melech is someone we can celebrate as an African in the Bible. 

Giving on a Tight Budget- retitled from December 2014

  This time of year is associated with giving.  Giving gifts to your friends and family has become an integral part of Christmas celebrations.  Charities appeal to donors to consider the needs of the less fortunate, and rightly so.  But what if a person finds themself in a position of being unable to give?

   This question presupposes that giving is a matter of material things.  We think that if you are poor, you can't give, but this is so wrong.  Giving has so many forms that are accessible to people of all ages and economic situations.  In fact, much can be learned from the way in which people in economically disadvantaged countries give generously.

   This month I am challenging myself to do an intentional act of giving each day.  Most of these do not require having a bi-weekly or monthly salary.  Giving begins in the heart.  When the heart practices giving even when money is tight, that heart will be ready to give to an even greater extent when circumstances turn around.

   Check out some of the ideas I will be working with:

• Do a chore at home that is not really your job.  Do not draw attention to it.
• Think about a duplicate of something you own and find a way to give your extra one to someone who has none.  (Inspired by John the Baptist's advice in Luke 3:11.)
• Find something in your closet that you have not worn or used for 6 months or more and give it to a centre that ministers to newcomers.
• Re-gift something that you've received but do not use.
• Gather all the change in your house.  Put it in a pretty box and then leave it on the doorstep of a neighbour that you think could use it.
• Create a coupon offering to use a talent or ability and give it to someone else.
• Give a little more than usual to the Sunday offering.  Think about the people who are benefiting from the offering and pray for them.
• Spend the equivalent of what you spend on milk (or some other thing you always need in the house) on some non-perishable food and donate to a food bank.
• Give a compliment to someone you meet.
• Call a family member or friend on the telephone who you have not seen in a while.  Listen to how their day was.  If it is a local call on your land line, it is free.
• You have probably "stolen" a pen from a public space at least once in your life.  Plan to deliberately leave a pen somewhere that people are likely to need one.
• Give away an orange.
• Give a thank you note to someone who does a thankless job.
• When you prepare a snack today, make a second one to give to a co-worker, classmate or family member.
• Give part of your lunch break to pray for or with someone.
• Lend a helping hand by carrying something for someone or opening a door for someone.
• Write an encouraging Bible verse on a small card and leave it somewhere for a person to find.
• Offer someone a ride or give someone bus fare.
• Pick up two pieces of trash you see lying around indoors or outdoors and put them in the right place.
• Lend a book you've enjoyed to someone else, and don't expect to get it back.
• Give time to someone by playing a game or listening to a song together.
• Scrape someone else's windshield or shovel someone else's driveway.
• Give a music CD you've enjoyed to another person you think might also enjoy it.
• Drop off a small care package for a person who has to work on Christmas Day (hospital, nursing home, public works)
• Leave a box of tissues in a place where people outside of your family might need them.
• Make a hygiene kit or two for someone in need.  Bring it to a local community centre for distribution.
• Use a partial gift card to bless someone in line behind you.
• Give a mug with a surprise inside to someone in your neighbourhood.
• Invite someone over for lunch, dinner or dessert.
• Make something (a card, baked goods, or a craft) and give it away.
• Take a picture and send it to someone electronically or in the mail.
• Make an appointment to donate blood