When Things Get Worse, Watch God Go to Work

Blyth Community Outdoor Service
June 30, 2019 - Ex.5:15-6:5 (Mt.6:25-34 / Nahum 1:7)
VBS theme Day 1 “When Life is Unfair, God is Good”

MORE BRICKS, LESS STRAW: WHAT’S YOUR BIND?

The Israelites were in a bind. Ex 5:6-8 Pharaoh “gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: ‘You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’”
    Many bricks: no straw. What a recipe for stress! Now in addition to the work of actually manufacturing the bricks and laying them out in the sun to bake, they would have to go foraging for raw materials, the straw that served as binding for the mud bricks. The slaves would soon be spreading out all over the countryside hunting for straw, all the while being expected to make just as many bricks as before. They could tell they were in a pinch!
    What binds do you find yourself in? Thankfully you’re probably not at a job that involves backbreaking labour forming bricks from dawn to dusk – with whips on your back to spur you on if you slowed up. But modern folks still find life stressful. Maybe your paycheque won’t quite cover the bills and each month you find yourself slipping farther and farther behind. Maybe there’s a bully on the schoolbus that keeps making themself annoying and not letting you sit where you like or be with who you’d prefer. Maybe you have a boss who just doesn’t seem to understand the amount of time required to complete your projects to the level of quality you feel is warranted. Or perhaps the doctor has just informed you of an area of concern in your physical health that’s taken you totally by surprise.
    Those are more serious challenges...Some binds are not so tough as others. One parent had a particular problem: her little five-year-old boy had locked himself in the bathroom and wouldn't come out, so his mother called the fire department. Within minutes, a firefighter was running up the stairs with an ax. He asked the mother, "What is the child's name, and how old is he?" She said, "Tommy, and he is five." The fireman then approached the bathroom door, and yelled authoritatively, "Come out of there, little girl!" Immediately, out marched Tommy, arms folded and looking pretty angry, ready to confront the fireman, who looked to the mother with a smile, and said, "Works every time!"
    We find ourselves in all sorts of binds. When we’re in tough spots, the natural reaction is to start getting worried and fret. But the Bible promises, Nahum 1:7 “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.He cares for those who trust in him.” Or as the Day 1 VBS theme puts it: “When life is unfair, God is good.”
    What an assertion! Isn’t that one of the most common questions posed about religion, “How can God let bad things happen to good people?” Yet faith asserts, sometimes contrary to appearances: “When life is unfair, God is good.”
    The Israelites were being treated unfairly both in actions and in words. Ex 5:15f “Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people."” When they came short on their quota because they had to find their own straw, they were physically punished, abused, for no fault of their own.
    Pharaoh responded with verbal abuse. 5:17-18 “Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that’s what you are— lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Now get to work.You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks."” He called these slaves who were toiling long hours, working their fingers to the bone, “Lazy”! How unfair is that! Pharaoh didn’t even appreciate the cheap labour pool his country depended upon for its prosperity.
    What about you? When have people demanded from you more than you can give? Have you been abused more in actions, or words? Have you been the butt of rude jokes, caustic criticism, ridicule, harassment, put-downs? When have people treated you disrespectfully or failed to appreciate you as you deserved?
    So we find ourselves in BINDS of all kinds.

THE TRUTH ABOUT TROUBLE: A CLASH OF DOMAINS

It was a situation that couldn’t go on very long: it was headed for a showdown, coming to a climax. Their troubles were multiplying faster than the Hebrew babies. You would think it would be a good thing that their kind were proving fertile, but this made the Egyptians increasingly nervous, so they made it hard for the Israelites. Ex 1:14 “They made their lives bitter with hard labour in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labour the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.”
    Pharaoh had been trying to exploit the exploding population by ordering the Hebrew midwives to kill the boy babies when they were born and letting the girl babies live (Ex 1:16) - sly genocide. But the midwives feared God and refused to carry out Pharaoh’s order; God rewarded their bravery by treating the midwives kindly (1:20f).
    Yet Moses’ message to Pharaoh that God was ordering him to let the Hebrews take 3 days off for worship in the wilderness was met with stiff resistance, showing the stubborn lack of reverence of Pharaoh’s heart. It was a straightforward enough request: Ex 5:1 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.’” But Pharaoh wouldn’t let-go: it was a no-go. Instead he ordered the work cranked up because he reasoned they weren’t working hard enough if they had time to consider going away for a holy holiday.
    The increased workload spelled TROUBLE. V19 “The Israelite foremen realized they were in TROUBLE when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day."” The Israelite foremen complained to Moses and Aaron, and Moses in turn complained to God. Ex 5:22f “Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought TROUBLE upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought TROUBLE upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."”
    What troubles have you had to endure this past week? What troubles are you anticipating in this week coming up?
    I was in trouble a few days ago when I was using a small loader tractor with mower deck to put some rocks around a culvert. When, up on the edge of the bank, I lowered the bucket full of stones, the tractor didn’t stop at the brink even though I madly tried to step on the pedal to make it reverse – the weight of the load drew me further, beached me on the mower deck, and left the wheels spinning uselessly in the air! What a fix! There was nothing for it but to call for a tow-truck, which got me unstuck in about 10 seconds. Oh well, we all have our hang-ups! Lesson learned (I think).
    It’s good to keep our troubles in perspective. A female college student wrote the following letter to her parents: “Dear Mom and Dad: I am writing this letter on school paper because my stationery got burned in the fire. I got out of the hospital, and have moved in with my new boyfriend, Bill. He got me a job where he works – I'm a waitress at the Red Dog Saloon. Your new grandbaby is due next fall. [When they turned it over, the next page continued...] Mom, Dad, none of the above really happened. However, I made a C in French and I'm failing History. Love, Your Daughter.”
    The Bible promises that when we call to God in times of trouble, He will help us. Psalm 91:15 “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him.” Nahum 1:7a “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble...”
    Troubles sometimes arise because there’s a clash of domains, two competing powers. In Moses’ case, God was asserting His right to call the Israelites “MY people”, but Pharaoh did not recognize God and chose to claim the Hebrew slaves as his own private work force. God’s greater purpose in all this was to make His excellence known, to glorify Himself by showing His ability to save His covenant people from tyranny.
    There is a spiritual realm overlapping our regular physical realm, and there can be clashes that are invisible to us. One time Daniel mourned and prayed for 3 whole weeks. When an angelic messenger finally arrived in answer to Daniel’s prayer, the angel explained: Daniel 10:12-13 “...Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days.Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.”
    We live in a fallen world, where evil forces fight against what’s good and right. Sometimes trouble comes because we’re on a particular side of that conflict. We still need to keep trusting God even in the midst of trouble.
    A few chapters earlier, Daniel found himself cast into a den of lions because he refused to obey the king’s prohibition against prayer. Who wants to be a lion’s lunch??! He was in big trouble! But Daniel didn’t stop trusting God. Daniel 6:23 tells us the outcome, “And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”
    When there’s TROUBLE: TRUST. Jeremiah 17:7 says, “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” See there that ‘confidence’ is a synonym for ‘trust’: keep your confidence in God. 2Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Keep committed to Him, trust in Him, and He will strengthen you.

GOD’S GOODNESS ANCHORED IN HIS NAME AND NATURE

We’ve been contending that “When life is unfair, God is good.” Or the title of this message is: “When Life is Unfair, Watch God Go to Work”. Nahum the prophet called God a “strong refuge” when trouble comes: even then, when difficulties assail us, we can assert that God is good. That’s pretty amazing! The Bible has lots of stories of people of faith who experienced God delivering them when they were in a tough spot, situations that were beyond their own solving.
    After hearing how rough things are getting for the Hebrew foremen and slaves, Moses turns to God with the complaint that they’re in so much trouble. At the beginning of Exodus 6, we see God begin to outline how He has everything under control: the situation isn’t as desperate as it seems on a purely human level.
    First, because of God’s mighty POWER. 6:1 “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of MY MIGHTY HAND he will let them go; because of MY MIGHTY HAND he will drive them out of his country."” And so it eventually came about: ten horrendous plagues, culminating in the death of the Egyptian firstborn, would ultimately convince Pharaoh to relent and release the oppressed Israelites.
    God has AWESOME power. Jesus’ disciples saw Him calm the storm, walk on water, feed the 5,000, heal the blind and lepers, raise the dead: there was no question their Saviour had miracle-working POWER. Too often we restrict ourselves to thinking about just what we can manage on our own steam: we forget God’s might. After all, He created EVERYTHING! Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, Php 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Such optimism compared to some religions that are fatalistic!
    But God’s POWER is harnessed to His PURPOSE. We see this emphasized more in verses 2-5, where God unpacks a bit the startling significance of His particular name, “YHWH”, translated LORD (in caps). Ex 6:2-3 “God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD.I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.” God’s getting very up-close and personal, revealing His name ‘YHWH’ from Heb.hayah to be / become: He is the-God-Who-is-becoming – in relationship to His people. He is the God who brings things into being, who makes things happen – to deliver those He loves. He becomes known by His loving interaction with us, on our behalf, FOR us.
    Notice the verbs in 6:6-8, all God promises to do that’s coming up for the Israelites: I will bring you out from under the yoke; I will free you from being slaves; I will redeem you...; I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God; “then you will know that I am YHWH your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” We come to know God THROUGH our troubles as we trust Him and see Him show His glory and goodness in the process of our deliverance.
    God pledges or promises His support to us, expressed in terms of COVENANT. Vv4-5 “I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan...I have remembered my covenant.” God delights to carry through on His solemn promises to His people.
    God’s name, YHWH, suggests that we come to know Him dynamically, through His interaction with us, as we experience His saving acts in relationship with us. And a key part of that is His CARING for us. Ex 6:5 “Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving...” God is about to show He’s concerned for them, He’s heard their cries.
    When Moses returns from shepherding in the wilderness and explains to the Hebrew leaders how God has commissioned him to speak to Pharaoh for their rescue, we read in Ex 4:31: “...And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.” Do you believe God is CONCERNED about you? If you know He cares – worship Him!
    We read earlier in the responsive reading from Psalm 118:1 (in your bulletin), “Thanks be to the Lord because the Lord is good, because the Lord’s love never quits.” Never runs out on me. Nahum 1:7, the full verse, says - “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.HE CARES FOR those who trust in him...” God CARES FOR YOU when you trust in Him. 1Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
    Even in the worst situations, the toughest problems, the biggest binds, we can be assured God hears our groaning and still cares for us. In the movie The Hiding Place, there’s a scene set in the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy are there along with 10,000 other women, in horrible, degrading, hideous conditions. They’re gathered with some of the women in the barracks in the midst of the beds, cold and hungry and lice-ridden, and Betsy is leading a Bible class. One of the other women calls out derisively from her bunk and mocks their worship of God. They begin talking, and this woman says what so frequently is flung at Christians: “If your God is such a good God, why does He allow this kind of suffering?” Dramatically she tears off the bandages and old rags that bind her hands, displaying her broken, mangled fingers and says, “I’m the first violinist of the symphony orchestra.Did your God will this?” For a moment no one answers. Then Corrie Ten Boom steps to the side of her sister and says, “We can’t answer that question.All we know is that our God came to this earth, and became one of us, and He suffered with us and was crucified and died. And that He did it for love.”
    We’re worshipping outdoors today in a park. The reading earlier from Matthew 6 reminds us Jesus looked around at birds and flowers as plain evidences of our Creator’s care for us: birds don’t store up in barns, flowers don’t toil or spin, and yet God provides their needs; how much more He’ll do for us! We’re not to worry about what we’re to eat or drink or wear because, Jesus says, Mt 6:32 “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” He cares about us, He knows what we need. And if we will trust Him and put His concerns first, make His business our priority instead of just heaping up earthly possessions, He’ll help us take care of the rest. Mt 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
    So, in conclusion – when we’re in trouble, when we’re in a bind – keep trusting in the Lord: His goodness is anchored deep in His name (who He expresses Himself to be in relationship to us) and His nature, His character, His covenant purposes. As Lamentations 3:25 puts it, “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him...” - no matter what your particular hang-up may be! Let’s pray.

Four Gardens: Potential, Pressure, Presence, Preservation

17th Annual Blyth Memory Garden Dedication Service
Sun. June 16, 2019
Gen 2:8-9,15-17; Mt.26:36-39; Jn 19:40-42; 20:14-17; Rev 22:1-5

GRIEF, GARDENS, AND GROWTH
Why are we here today? Hopefully it’s not just because, “So-and-so made me come.” (!) No, really, why are we here? Is it because we didn’t have anything else to do with our time? I doubt it. Is it because the Memory Garden is such a beautiful spot? The volunteers have worked long and hard to make it beautiful, but there are plenty other pretty spots to be on a nice spring day. No, I suspect the real reason we’re here is on account of PEOPLE: the names on the memorial leaves and stones point to real flesh-and-blood persons who have passed on but whose lives have impacted ours in very positive and loving ways.
    By our interactions we affect other people’s lives. And they impact us. It’s all part of growing and maturing in life, what we’re built for. God designed us with the ability and means to be IN RELATIONSHIP, to love and serve our family and friends and neighbourhood. Jesus talked about ‘bearing fruit’. He told His followers in John 15(5,8), “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
    The old Westminster Shorter Catechism my father used to delight in quoting began by asserting that our chief “end” as humans is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Jesus says it glorifies His Father when we bear much fruit – so a big part of life must revolve around growing and maturing to the point we can sow God’s love and goodness and truth and blessing into the lives of those around us. Life is about so much more than just being born and eating and drinking and working and dying.
    Scripture suggests there are at least 4 gardens that come to bear on our existence. These are: the Garden of Potential in Eden; the Garden of Pressure at Gethsemane; the Garden of Presence at Easter; and the Garden of final Preservation at Resurrection, after the Day of Judgment. Let’s look at each of these in turn, and the response each elicits from us.

GARDEN OF POTENTIAL: COMMANDMENT
The Bible tells us that life began in a garden – in Eden, in fact. God Himself planted this garden, and put Adam and Eve there, and planted all kinds of trees that were good to eat. “In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Let’s call this ‘the garden of POTENTIAL’. When we’re young and just starting out, life has so many possibilities. There’s lots of choices to make: to marry or not to marry, what trade we’ll learn / what to work at, where we’ll go to school and where we’ll live. Things are very open-ended and there are rewards and consequences for the choices we make, the course we take. We are thankful for the people remembered in this Memory Garden, that they chose to let their lives intersect with ours.
    We read, “And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." In the freedom of this potential, Scripture cautions us to respond in the light of God’s COMMANDMENT. Adam and Eve COULD have chosen not to eat of the forbidden fruit – instead they could have eaten of the tree of life: but they decided to thumb their nose at God and ‘do their own thing’ instead. Unfortunately the consequences of their free choice brought death and decay to the very creation we were placed here to take care of.
    Death claims our loved ones, too early it seems. So pausing to remember them on days like this helps us appreciate how fleeting life is and how precious were the years we had together.

GARDEN OF PRESSURE: COMMIT
Just before the end of Jesus’ life, He took a time out to visit a garden – one called “Gethsemane”, which literally means “oil press” – amongst the trees of this olive grove there was apparently an apparatus for squeezing the oil from the trees’ fruit. This was the place just before Jesus’ arrest where He endured much torment of mind. We’re told He “began to be sorrowful and troubled.” Pressure was mounting: if He didn’t escape now, He would have to die a tortured cruel death for a capital crime He did not commit. Jesus admitted to His companions, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”
    Life has its pressures. It squeezes us at times until it feels like we’re going to burst. There are financial pressures – too much month and not enough money; medical pressures, our bodies wear out and break down; relationship pressures – people disappoint us, let us down, move away, lose contact, leave us alone. Many of us had to stand by and watch our loved ones struggle through various of these trials. It wasn’t easy. We would have traded places with them at points if we could have.
    Jesus understands the pressures we face in life. He got beaten up at the end. His own disciples ran off and deserted Him when the chips were down. But He chose to bear the suffering for our sakes, on our behalf, so our sins could be forgiven and divine justice satisfied.
    When we’re facing times of pressure, we need to COMMIT our lives afresh to God. Hear how Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.Yet not as I will, but as you will.” He committed His life into God’s hands. At the very end, drawing His final breaths on the cross, He said: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Lk 23:46) When the worst happens, and you don’t feel you can go on – entrust your life to God. He can strengthen to bear up under the pressure. Isaiah 41:10 - “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

GARDEN OF PRESENCE: CLAIM
Not long after, the scene shifts to another garden. We’re told after Jesus’ crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus laid him in a new tomb nearby in another garden. On Easter morning, when Mary Magdalene can’t find Jesus’ body, she is distraught. Jesus appears to her in His risen form, but she doesn’t recognize Him; when He asks, “Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” She actually mistakes Him for the gardener. (Yes He is, actually, but not those kind of plants! He’s cultivating the two-legged variety.)
    One of the most precious parts of this story is the fact that Jesus is actually appearing in person to His mourning disciple Mary Magdalene. When she finally realizes Who He is, she has a hard time letting go, she wants to keep holding on. His PRESENCE is very special to the person who loves Him.
    We are drawn to this garden partly because the presence of our loved ones is reflected to a small degree by emblems of remembrance – memorial leaves, stones, benches, other artifacts. We miss them, and we can’t bring them back. The fact that they loved us, and we them, made their presence very special.
    The Garden of Presence draws us to CLAIM God’s promises. When Jesus called Mary by name, John tells us, “She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher)” – literally, MY teacher. When God shows up, we do well to bow down and acknowledge His sovereignty and Lordship, over our lives and our future. There is so much in this life that is beyond our control: circumstances take inexplicable turns, things happen we never would have expected, life is so fragile... We need Him, we acclaim Him to be Who He says He is.

GARDEN OF PRESERVATION: COMPLETION
So to review, there’s the garden of POTENTIAL, with its COMMANDMENT; the garden of PRESSURE, where we COMMIT; the garden of PRESENCE, where we do well to CLAIM; and finally, the Bible has a prophecy about yet one more garden at the end of time, the Garden of PRESERVATION.
    John writes in the final chapter of Scripture, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.”
    This is a garden or orchard of sorts of fruit trees, yielding fruit not annually but monthly; and the leaves of the trees are “for the healing of the nations”. For our PRESERVATION, our recovery, our being-set-right. We long for that for our dear departed loved ones. It was tough in many cases to stand by and watch their mortal husks deteriorate. Here the Bible gives us hope, describing Jesus in His risen glorified spiritual body as a sort of ‘firstfruits’ of those who believe in Him and belong to Him. The Apostle Paul writes in 1Cor 15:20-23, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep...For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.”
    If the other gardens evoke our response by COMMANDMENT, COMMITMENT, and CLAIM, this garden – with its leaves of healing and restoration, garden of preservation – points to our COMPLETION. God’s revelation in Scripture assures us that this life is not all there is: there IS life beyond death, where justice and mercy and righteousness prevail instead of death and disease and dashed hopes. A place of completion that will be like being ‘at home’ with God. Paul could even speak of it this way: “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2Cor 5:8)
    And if you think THIS garden is a nice spot – just wait til you see THAT! Let’s pray.

Mothering with Momentum

(submission for The Citizen weekly pastoral column 'From the Minister's Study')
    As Mother’s Day approaches, we are reminded once again of the significant contribution and impact our mothers have had in our lives. My own mother (now deceased) was not a large woman – especially after her scoliosis of the spine worsened, she would hardly have come up to my shoulders in height – but the contribution she made to my life was beyond calculation.
    God teaches us a couple of things in the Bible about how we are to regard our mothers. Early on in the Ten Commandments we are told, “Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Ex.20:12) Paul notes to the early church (Eph.6:2) that this is the first commandment with a promise! It is right to obey our parents (Eph.6:1) – they are, after all, our first training ground for learning proper submission to authority in society. When children fail to learn this early on, others to whom they are responsible later on (schoolteachers, bosses) have a more difficult time as a result.
    Mothers are worthy of respect, besides honour. “Each of you must respect his mother and father...I am the LORD your God.” (Lev.19:3; note ‘mother’ is placed before ‘father’) A certain anti-authoritarian thrust in modern society might tempt youngsters to despise their mother, but God’s word indicates this is foolish. “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.” (Prov.15:20)
    Scripture highlights seven key tasks a mother ought to do for her children. First and foremost is teaching them. “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” My own mother was a hard-working farmer’s wife, so she taught me many valuable things both out in the barn and in the house. She helped me learn my Bible memory verses. When I had children of my own, she continued to provide valuable advice and tips on child-rearing.
    Second, a mother needs to correct her offspring – after teaching them, if they do what’s wrong, rebuke them and remind them to go about it the right way. “The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.” (Prov.29:15) Of course, correction needs to be accompanied by loving assurance that it is the action, not the person themself, that is bad or unwanted.
    Third, a mother is to comfort her child (perhaps in conjunction with correction’s reprimand?). Kids need to have someone they can turn to when hurt or bullied or ill. “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Is.66:13) One time when my parents built an addition onto our house, as a 12-year-old boy I was clambering around in the trusses but fell over two metres to the floor, splitting my forehead open. I appreciated my mother’s comforting (and bandaging) that day!
    There are also less obvious functions a mother can perform, more behind-the-scenes. One of these is to ruminate on developments. Reflect on the forces at work in your child’s life and try to discern the potential significance of these for their future. Following the birth of Jesus, shepherds came to visit Mary, Joseph, and their holy Child. “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk.2:19) What might be the unique purpose for which God is preparing your child(ren)? How is each one different from their siblings?
    Fifth, one of a mother’s most valuable things they can do for their child is to encourage their faith development. This helps prepare your offspring not just for this life, but also for eternity. Paul noted the significant role Timothy’s mother and grandmother played in acquainting his protege with the Scriptures. “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also... But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2Tim.1:5; 3:14f) Sometimes I would wake up in the night as a young boy, and on the way back from the bathroom, as I passed the door of my parents’ bedroom, I would catch a glimpse of my mother kneeling in prayer at her bedside. She was actively involved in the women’s group at her church and attended a Bible study small group until late in her senior years. Her example still remains with me, even though she is gone.
    A mother needs to help her child realize she takes second place in their devotion. Our first priority in life is to love God: when parents die, God remains to be trusted in. Jesus taught His followers, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me...” (Mt.10:37) So, while we love our mothers and fathers, it is right to love Jesus more. (Perhaps a reminder sorely needed in our day of ‘helicopter parenting’?)
    Last, a mother needs to consciously give her children back to the Lord. It’s wrong to derive our sense of significance solely through our children, to be dependent upon them for our self-esteem, to live vicariously through their accomplishments on the ice, ball diamond, or dance floor. There is a conscious relinquishment in giving them back to God that is healthy for them, and for the parent. Like Hannah dedicating her son Samuel: “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” (1Sam.1:27f) Can we release our children into God’s care, rather than keep the apron strings tied in a way that risks suffocating them?
    These seven tasks of mothering are not easy. They’re a tall order! But those who succeed at them are worthy of great honour. Society benefits when mothers leave a lasting positive impact on their children... We all benefit!

The JAR at the Empty Tomb: Easter’s Joy, Authority, and Reinforcement

Huron Chapel EMC SonRise Service - April 21, 2019 -- John 2:12-22
CATHEDRAL CATASTROPHE
Easter’s empty tomb is a prime example of God’s awesome power, triumphing over even death and decay. The Almighty shatters our expectations and smashes our preconceived ideas. We think too little of God, we underestimate Him. When we do think of Him, we may dismiss Him as irrelevant or doubt His power or importance for our daily life. We like to put God “in a box”. Throughout history people have built temples for God, sometimes imagining that’s where God would be satisfied. But He’s far greater than we suppose; He won’t allow Himself to be caged up, jammed in any box, or the most magnificent temple. He’s a bit ‘wild’ like Aslan the Lion in Narnia: to be revered, respected, unpredictable, absolutely free.
    The Jewish leaders thought they had a pretty good arrangement when Herod the Great built a majestic temple around the time of Jesus. They did all right with all the trading that went on by people buying sacrificial animals for the temple’s altar, too – it’s estimated they made a profit of some $300,000 a year through kickbacks from the merchants. So when Jesus came along at the outset of His ministry, driving out the animals and scattering the coins of the money-changers, they were none too pleased. Who was this rabble-rouser, this mischief-maker upsetting their neat system? John 2:16 Jesus said to those who sold doves, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” Who did He think He was, shaking their box like that?!
    So they challenged Him, asking Jesus to prove to He had warrant to do what He was doing before they locked Him up for raising a ruckus. John 2:18 they demanded, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Whereupon Jesus replied, Jn 2:19: “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
    DESTROY this temple? Unthinkable! Why, it was still under construction, had been for 46 years already, and wouldn’t be completed until 64 AD. How dare He even mention the thought of doing something negative to their beloved Holy Place!
    But they misunderstood. Jesus is not talking about rebuilding a physical structure, the ‘religious box’ kind of place. Here at the outset of His ministry, Jesus is already alluding to His own crucifixion and death orchestrated in concert by the Jews and the Gentiles. When He’s clearing the temple courts, He has His own empty tomb in mind.
    “Destroy this temple” – no wonder they were a bit jumpy: Solomon’s temple centuries earlier had been destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. The Second Temple, a more modest structure built after the return of the Jews from exile by Zerubbabel, was superceded by Herod the Great’s grand construction project. We tend to be most protective of the things we pour most time and resources into.
    “Destroy this temple...” Just this past Monday, a religious landmark in France was gutted by fire: the woodwork and steeple inside Notre Dame cathedral was burned severely, though the stone towers survived and reconstruction to repair the building is already being planned. The news and social media were full of references to the loss as it is a popular Paris tourist site.
    Many were saddened by the loss; vigils were held where people sang hymns to mourn the calamity. Others saw a lighter side. Satirical humour website TheOnion posted: “Saying the devastation could perhaps have been avoided with some routine upgrades to modern 200-amp service, investigators announced Wednesday they have traced the cause of the Notre Dame fire to the cathedral’s archaic electrical system, which dates back to the 12th century. ‘In our examination of the wreckage, we discovered that some of the circuit breakers and sockets hadn’t been updated since the reign of Louis XII,’ said lead investigator Jean-Luc Marchand, explaining that many of the fuses from the time of the cathedral’s construction were made of solid oak, while much of the wiring consisted of twisted cords of straw.” (!)
    People have responded generously to the Notre Dame fire; there are reports hundreds of millions of dollars have been offered to help with repair. I guess there are forces in society very protective of our antique ‘holy boxes’. Yet some people question the worth of the project, saying the money would be better spent on helping the poor. Apparently donors can come up with money for bricks and mortar, while ‘loving one’s neighbour’ comes lower in priority – so the criticism goes.
    Let’s be clear: Jesus was NOT threatening to destroy the temple Herod had built. He was in fact upgrading it, clearing its courts so Gentiles could worship in peace. But He used the opportunity to point to His own death and resurrection as proving His authority to clean up our lives. To break into the boxes we may have tried to cage God up in. Jesus’ enemies thought that by killing Him and putting Him in a tomb they had eliminated Him once and for all, they had succeeded in boxing up the so-called “Son of God” – but Easter shows that’s one more box God refused to be contained by!
    Jesus’ intent was not just to clear the Temple: He was onto a much bigger project, to create a new living collective of those who follow Him, a new organic fellowship of believers who are much bigger than any physical building could hold. From the very outset of His ministry, He already has the end in view: His death, resurrection, ascension, and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, making a new temple, a group of people in whom God Himself dwells – better than even the most magnificent (but limited) earthly structure.
    Jn 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” I’d like to highlight 3 implications of the resurrection for us today, springing from this passage. The acronym is JAR - picture the women bringing their JARs of spices to the tomb. JAR stands for JOY, AUTHORITY, and REINFORCEMENT.
JOY: NOT ABANDONED AFTER DEATH
First, Joy – we can rejoice and be happy because Jesus’ resurrection means we have hope beyond the grave. John the gospel-writer notes in v22, “After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” Note the phrase, ‘believed the Scripture’ – which Scripture would John be referring to here? Perhaps Psalm 16, referred to by Peter in his Pentecost sermon: it seems to refer to resurrection many centuries before it happened. Ps 16:9f “Therefore MY HEART IS GLAD and my tongue REJOICES; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” My heart is GLAD – my tongue REJOICES: knowing Christ’s promise that He’s risen and alive now, and coming back and taking us to Himself, with eventually resurrected working bodies, should give us much JOY.
    This is the first Easter since the death of my wife, the second since the death of my father; the promise of Christian faith that we will see our believing family members again is cause for much joy, helping us cope with grief. The Apostle Paul in 1Cor 15:42ff talks about our perishable (disease-prone) mortal bodies being replaced with glorified spiritual versions – that brings us joy on days when these earthly ones ache or perform sub-par. We can be ‘happy in the Lord’ (as one dear local saint puts it) knowing Jesus has conquered sin and the grave.
AUTHORITY: THE UNSEALED TOMB SEALS THE DEAL
Our second word in the “JAR” acronym is AUTHORITY: Jesus’ resurrection is meant to ‘seal the deal’ when it comes to proving He is really Lord as He says He is.
    Note carefully how the religious leaders pose the question, and how Jesus answers it: in terms of testing His claim to authority. Jn 2:18 “Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to PROVE YOUR AUTHORITY to do all this?"”
    The empty tomb is so significant because this historical event provides the cornerstone of Christology, appreciating who Jesus is. Without Easter, Christianity falls apart, it becomes a bunch of ethical moral teaching with no punch to carry through. Note how Paul pitches it in 1Cor 15:3f, “For what I received I passed on to you AS OF FIRST IMPORTANCE: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, THAT HE WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY according to the Scriptures...” Likewise in the opening verses of his letter to the church at Rome, Paul highlights the authority issue and its connection to the resurrection: Rom 1:4 Jesus “...through the Spirit of holiness was DECLARED WITH POWER TO BE the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”
    Don’t come to worship Easter morning because “it’s the thing to do”; don’t come out of force of habit, or because your neighbour goes. Come because Jesus is Lord and calls you to worship Him! Believe the Scripture. Acknowledge His authority over your life, His claim on you – after all, He created and redeemed you, bought you back when you’d wandered astray.
    Jesus is absolutely unique: no other religious leader in history has predicted they would die for people’s sins and would raise again, and actually pulled it off! No other religious leader in history would profess to be pure enough to give their life as a sacrificial substitute for other humans, let alone be raised to life again after. Easter vouches for Jesus’ authority. Receive Christ as Lord and submit to His leading in your life today!
REINFORCEMENT: A LIVING TEMPLE, BUTTRESSED BY OTHERS
Is our “JAR” getting full yet? J - JOY; A - AUTHORITY. Our final letter is R for REINFORCEMENT.
    Jn 2:21 John clarifies what the religious leaders didn’t “get” about how Jesus justified His actions: “But the temple he had spoken of WAS HIS BODY.” Jesus wasn’t referring to Herod’s temple, grand and impressive as it was; He was picturing a new religion, a new spirituality – people believing in Him, following Him, receiving the Holy Spirit inside them to connect them to Him and one another.
    His body really was a temple, He was the God-man, the divine incarnate. Col 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...” Jesus was Holy God in-the-flesh, the Father’s very Son. Jn 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...” The phrasing in the Greek is literally, “TABERNACLED” among us.
    He saw His own body as a temple. His vision was to make it possible for US to be temples too, forgiven and cleansed and made habitable by God’s Holy Spirit too. His Great Commission was not “Go and make cathedrals” – beautiful as they may be. How does it go? Mt 28:18ff “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (There’s the authority bit we just talked about.) “Therefore go and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Real living disciples, followers, human agents Spirit-indwelt ready to carry out the Father’s will – not massive lifeless stone buildings.
    So Easter means our REINFORCEMENT by the Holy Spirit to each be individual walking/talking temples. 1Cor 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” Also Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead WILL ALSO GIVE LIFE TO your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” God’s Spirit REINFORCES us to live for Him in obedience.
    Think of the huge stone “buttresses” along the walls of Gothic cathedrals and ancient castles: outer reinforcement that strengthened the whole structure. Other believers perform that same function for us, coming alongside to strengthen and encourage us and cheer us on. The New Testament also talks about the church as a “temple”: believers CORPORATELY as well as individually. 1Cor 3:16f “Don’t you know that you yourselves [plural] are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you [plural] are that temple.” And Ephesians 2:21-22 “In him [Christ Jesus] the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.And in him you [plural] too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
    So, this week, be asking yourself: “Who can I ‘buttress’ in their faith today? How can I ‘be the church’ / ‘reinforce the temple’ by coming alongside a fellow-Christian who’s struggling, by praying for them, giving a phone call, dropping in for a short visit to say ‘I was thinking of you’? Don’t let those corporate temple walls erode, or cracks develop in our fellowship.
THE LIVING BODY ENDURES
In closing – we’ve been talking about how the Christian faith is much bigger than a cathedral, how the Notre Dame fire may be a setback but there’s something at stake here much larger than even Christendom’s most impressive architectural feats. I was hearing on the radio that besides donations to rebuild Notre Dame, people have likewise been stepping up to rebuild black churches that have been torched.
    And in the vigil that followed the Notre Dame fire, BBC reported the following: "As a French Catholic," says Éloi, 22, "I felt really bad after the fire so I see this vigil as a way to say that even if the flames destroyed the cathedral, we can rebuild it because the Church is made not of stones but is a living body."
    Whatever your view may be on rebuilding cathedrals, Eloi had that last part right: the church is made NOT of stones but is a living body – a body full of JOY, submitting to our Lord’s AUTHORITY, REINFORCED by His Spirit and the support of one another. Let’s BE that body – alive, active, showing our Risen Saviour to our world today, with caring and compassion, justice and righteousness and lasting hope – qualities no fire can threaten or diminish. Let’s pray.

Sabotaging Suicide in a Throw-away Society

    The calendar tells us it is now officially Spring – season of new life, as nature awakens from its long winter nap. Songs of robins and other birds can be heard in the morning. The grass begins to green up and shoots appear in flowerbeds.
    Yet even in this season where life returns outdoors, death continues to puncture our existence with its seemingly untimely incursions. The news reports the father of a victim of the Sandy Hook elementary shootings who, now some 6 years after the massacre of the 20 students in Connecticut, apparently has taken his own life. We occasionally hear of other members in our own community taking their life, some just college age. Very sad... Such deaths leave parents, other family members, and close friends reeling, scratching their heads and wondering what more they might have done to prevent the deaths if they had only known.
    Such events remind me of my own experience of a close family member who committed suicide twenty years ago. My mother-in-law had been living beside our home in her own ‘granny flat’. She had been struggling through some health issues but seemed to be coping well enough. When it became apparent we would be moving across the province, she listened attentively to our description of retirement residence options that might suit her. But one day my wife and I unexpectedly found her deceased in her flat, by her own doing. The shock was traumatic; the grief was heart-breaking. I could only hold my wife and try to comfort her as she sobbed uncontrollably. How were we to know her mother was even considering such a drastic step?
    The Bible’s perspective is that human life is precious, not to be discounted or thrown away lightly. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Scripture tells us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants” (Psalm 116:15). God impressed upon Noah the preciousness of human life, imposing a sentence of death for anyone who takes another’s life, “For in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis 9:6). In regard to our high value to our Maker, Jesus told His disciples the very hairs of their head were all numbered, and they were worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31).
    It is true that several individuals in Bible times did commit suicide; but these are not viewed in a positive light. King Saul fell on his own sword when defeated by the Philistines (1 Sam. 31:4). Judas hung himself after betraying Jesus to His enemies, being subsequently seized with remorse (Mt. 27:5). Even the prophet Elijah, threatened by a wicked and powerful monarch, became so exhausted and discouraged that he begged God to take his life (1Kings 19:4).
    Discouragements are not uncommon in life. Setbacks and sicknesses can be disheartening and demoralizing at times. Jesus warned us life would not be easy: “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Mt.6:34) The Bible is realistic in its acknowledgment of the pitfalls, perils, and problems that await us in a fallen world. Yet it remains optimistic in the scope of eternity. Trials become the means by which we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves experience from God in our own afflictions (2Cor.1:3f). We can even ‘count it all joy’ when we face trials because they foster perseverance and maturity of character (James 1:3f).
    Some years ago I attended a workshop on suicide prevention. We were taught to assess suicide risk based on factors such whether the person was having suicidal thoughts; whether they had devised an actual plan; and whether they had actually gone about procuring the means needed to carry out such a plan. If all these things were in place, need for intervention was high because the risk of carrying through was very serious. A sudden upturn in attitude might not be a good thing because it could signal that the person had actually decided to go through with their plan and so was emotionally relieved, now they knew an end to their pain was in sight.
    Besides teaching us what signs to watch for in interacting with someone who might be suicidal, the workshop impressed upon us the need to be ready to ask a simple direct question: “Are you having suicidal thoughts?” Many more people have suicidal thoughts than actually decide to go through with it and take their own life. Just because a person is having suicidal thoughts does not necessarily mean they will actually commit suicide. In fact, giving the troubled person permission to talk about their worries and fears and stresses by asking such a question can go a long way towards helping prevent things from getting worse. It normalizes their experience, reassures them it’s all right to have suicidal thoughts flit through their mind when pressures mount; but they are also given an ally in the listener, one who cares enough to ask the tough questions, and walk alongside them in an effort to help them find better solutions.
    Besides confiding in a close friend we can trust who understands us and our situation, Scripture also encourages us to turn to God in prayer when discouraged. The Psalmist was a good example of this: David, for example, faced many obstacles and powerful opponents, but learned to trust in God. He wrote, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all...” (Ps.34:18f) Jesus offers us fullness of life and saves us when we’re feeling overwhelmed; He contrasts His own mission with that of the devil in John 10(10), “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
    So, if you encounter someone who’s struggling, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask a simple question such as, “You seem to be having a very hard time; are you struggling with suicidal thoughts?” You just may save a life, and the person could be forever grateful to you. When you ask, be prepared to come alongside them in a supportive way, assisting them to reach out for help, making the phone call or contacting authorities as may be needed.
    If you yourself are struggling, don’t pretend you can just manage it on your own. You have allies in the community who will help you get back on your feet. Cultivate an active prayer life, journalling your hopes and fears, crying out to God when no one else seems to care. The Lord knows yours issues and weaknesses and can save you from the grips of the situation. One time David and his companions suffered a terrible blow when raiders took their families and possessions. David must have felt like giving up. Yet the Bible tells us, “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him... But David found strength in the LORD his God.” (1Samuel 30:6) And – things DID turn out in the end!
(Resources: Huron-Perth Helpline & Crisis Response Team: 1-888-829-7484. Ontario Crisis Line: 1-866-531-2600.)

This Mysterious Gift of Myrrh

The Citizen, "From the Minister's Study" - Dec.17 2018
    It’s Christmas time again – and those with a Biblical faith background throughout the land will once again be recalling the reason for the season, with the traditional accounts of Mary’s miraculous pregnancy and birth, the visitations of angels, shepherds, and wise men. Carollers will be singing of “Joy to the World”, “Silent Night”, and “We Three Kings”. Children at churches are again acting out the Christmas story, sometimes according to the script, sometimes with unexpected twists – often to the delight of the audience (if occasionally the chagrin of their parents).
    Three small boys were in a Christmas play at school. They represented the three wise men and they were to give their gifts to Baby Jesus. The first boy stepped forward, held out the gift in his hands and said, “Gold.” The second boy stepped forward, held out his gift and exclaimed, “Myrrh.” The third boy stepped forward, held out his gift and stated, “Frank sent this.”
    Well – he almost got it right! (“frankincense”) What actually happened, according to Matthew’s account, is this. “On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt.2:11 NRSV)
    Two of the three gifts of the Magi make a lot of sense. Gold was valuable; it would help Joseph and Mary survive the upcoming journey as refugees to Egypt once Herod caught wind of the birth of what could potentially be the long-awaited Messiah. Gold is a gift of royal quality, betokening Jesus as our King.
    Frankincense is also a fitting gift referred to often in the Old Testament as a perfuming material added to offerings to created a pleasing aroma. In an associated way, the Bible refers to Jesus as our High Priest. “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17)
    But the third gift of the wise men seems a bit odd to bring to the birth of a baby. One can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a little knitted outfit with a cap and booties have been more appropriate?! After all, myrrh was a spice used in embalming the dead!
    Not seemingly the “ideal” gift... But then again, that first Christmas happened in less-than-ideal circumstances. Joseph and Mary were far from home, dealing with the upheaval of having to register at Bethlehem in response to an imperial edict designed to make sure citizens complied with their full obligation to render burdensome taxes to their foreign overlords. It couldn’t have come at a worse time, having to make a long journey over rough roads while Mary was nearly full-term in her pregnancy. And the crowded conditions due to many others registering at Bethlehem meant this poor couple had to seek refuge in a stable, a sort of barn, because there was no room in the inn.
    Myrrh acknowledges the less-than-ideal times of sadness, brokenness, and mourning in our lives. Christmas is a difficult time emotionally for some people due to life’s losses. In my own case, this is the first time in 40 years I will be celebrating without my wife, who died this past summer. I guess I really should take down the two long rows of sympathy cards hung along the wall from her funeral, because that’s where we always used to put up our Christmas cards. Our family get-togethers this season just won’t be the same without her.
    Other families experience stress and grief at this season for other reasons. There is the challenge of coming up with finances to cover the cost of gifts. There is the stress of finding suitable dates that don’t conflict in determining the schedule for family functions, work parties, seasonal concerts for school and church, and so on. Plus it may be at times like this that family tensions rise to the surface, perhaps due to marital conflicts or parent-teen differences of opinion.
    “Tis the season to be jolly” – or so we’re told... But that doesn’t sound like OUR family!
    Interesting thing about the production of myrrh: according to the Pictorial Bible Dictionary, myrrh is one of the most valuable of the gum resins; “either naturally or when the stems are injured, the gum oozes from the shrub-like tree.” In other words, the plant ‘bleeds’ (so to speak) to exude its aromatic medicinal sap.
    Significantly, myrrh is mentioned later in the Biblical account of Jesus’ life, in conjunction with His death. At the time of Jesus’ burial, “Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds.” (John 19:39) In the words of the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, this high priest-become-sacrifice is able “to sympathize with our weaknesses”. (4:15) Jesus the innocent was crucified unjustly: He was subjected to the full brunt of life’s unfairness. He understands completely our brokenness and disappointments. Just a week after Jesus’ birth, aged Simeon would say prophetically to His mother Mary: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34f)
    Is this going to be a tough Christmas for you? Do you sometimes feel like a sword has pierced to the core of your being? Jesus is no stranger to the sorrows and griefs of our human condition. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (Isaiah 53:3) The Author of your salvation was made perfect through suffering. We’re told Jesus had to be made like us, His brothers [and sisters], “in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:17-18)
    The myrrh-man bleeds mercy for those who cry out for His help. Merry Christmas!

The Vanishing Virtue of Submission

Nov.12, 2018 - "From the Minister's Study" column, The Citizen
    The recent municipal election has ushered in some new faces on local municipal councils. Let’s salute these brave souls who have stepped up to the plate to provide leadership and accept responsibility for affairs that affect us right where we live. Maybe it’s easiest to praise them now before they make any decisions with which we might take issue!
    Anyone who takes on a leadership capacity soon realizes how difficult it is to please everyone – not that that would necessarily be the right thing to aim for in the first place. I have been privileged to lead local churches as a pastor, larger regional church organizations, and most recently serve on the board of a nearby Bible college which recently had to make some tough decisions regarding staffing and property. My mother’s brother, and her sister’s husband, each served as reeve of a township and later as warden of Perth County. When you’re in such positions, you’re bound to be subjected to criticism, for at least two reasons. First, because of the sheer volume of information required to adequately grasp a given topic, your critics frequently don’t know all the facts even in non-sensitive matters. Second, in some cases, confidentiality prevents you from divulging all the facts of the matter (especially when it comes to staffing issues), so of course it’s easy for outside observers to get a wrong impression and conclude you’re being unfair or have poor judgment.
    It’s all too easy to become critical of those in authority. One might have thought Agnes Macphail, the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons 70 years ago in 1948, would have been highly lauded for her notable accomplishment. But she remarked, “When I was first elected, everything I said was wrong; everything I wore was wrong, everything I did was wrong, to hear comments about them. Bouquets were not thrown at me because I was the only woman in the House. Brickbats were what I got.”
    The spirit of our age is a rebellious one, critical of those in power, scoffing at actions of those in government, supposing ‘plebs’ know better than those who’ve been entrusted with the reins of power. Dale Schlafer, a pastor in Colorado and former chairperson of Promise Keepers, wrote: “Our culture encourages us to not show honour to anyone. We live in a day of egalitarianism that doesn’t allow for differences and appears to treat all people the same. Political and sports cartoonists ridicule those in authority. Comedians poke fun at anyone in a place of prominence. And the average Christian carries that same attitude into the church.”
    The problem of rebellion and lawlessness is not new. One of the lowest (morally speaking) periods in Biblical history was that portrayed by the book of Judges, which closes with the summation – “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”  (Judges 21:25) We all want to be our own boss, to be the ultimate judge of things.
    The Apostle Paul warned the early church that a period of general lawlessness would happen before the Lord’s return. “...That day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction... For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work...” (2Thess. 2:3,7)
    Moving against the flow of this cultural current is the Biblical admonition to submit to legitimate authority in various spheres – in the community, at home, and in relations with others who follow Jesus. Several apostles are very forthright in speaking of the need for obeying those in authority. It begins with reverence for God our Creator. James (4:7,10) urges, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
    Because we revere God who is sovereign, that affects how we relate to lesser human authorities. Peter wrote, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men... Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king.” (1Peter 2:13ff)
    This does not mean earthly rulers have the right to exploit the poor and generally throw their weight around. There is still a law above them to which they must one day submit for accountability – their job is clearly ‘to commend those who do right’. And as Peter notes, our submission to human authorities is “for the Lord’s sake”, springing from our obligation to Him foremost, for both creating us and for redeeming us from sin and its penalty.
    The Apostle Paul echoes, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves... He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Rom.13:1f,4f) Likewise when writing to Titus, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” (Titus 3:1f)
    This vanished virtue of submission is even to be practised with fellow followers of Jesus, peer-to-peer. Paul instructed the church at Ephesus, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph. 5:21) Again, note the divine dimension: our submission to one another on a human level springs out of huge respect and love for God - ‘out of reverence for Christ’.
    Mind you, it’s not usually easy to do! It’s difficult to bend our own will to fall in line with someone on an issue about which we strongly disagree. But it’s good for our character and humility (assuming, of course, it’s not an issue of morality that’s at stake).
    In conclusion – let’s take care to honour those who become entrusted with responsibility for our welfare. Often they are doing their level best with what they have to work with. And their most notable accomplishment may even be, not something they did, but some potential blunder they prevented from happening. As Canada’s longest-serving prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, observed: “It is what we prevent, rather than what we do that counts most in Government.”

Remember Who You Are: Prompts for Spiritual Amnesiacs

Oct.1, 2018 - "From the Minister's Study" column, The Citizen
Memory is a wonderful thing. The older you get, the more memories you have, but often the less your ability to remember specific things becomes. We need lists and calendars and device notifications to help “jog” our memories.
    Even worse is when someone has the condition known as amnesia, when perhaps due to a blow to the head in an accident they at least temporarily forget who they are, where they are, and so on.
    Sometimes we who claim to be Christians develop what might be called “spiritual amnesia” – it seems we forget who we are, in Christ. Our behaviour doesn’t line up with our beliefs. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul writes to counteract such “spiritual amnesia”. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul reminds the church who they were; who they are now are already, through faith in Christ; who they will be eventually; and, who they are becoming in this life, with God’s help.
    We inhabit an “I CAN” culture: secular humanism would give young people the impression that people are basically good and you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. Yet some have observed that the 20th century, the one after philosopher Nietzsche boldly declared “God is dead”, was the bloodiest one yet. Journalist Malcom Muggeridge stated, “The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.”
    In the first 3 verses of the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul offers a sobering description of our fallen state, cut off from God, in bondage to sin, being commandeered to destruction by our own innate impulses. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins...” (Eph.2:1) Sin cuts us off from a Holy God. We were spiritual ‘road kill’. You walk up to a dead coon or groundhog splattered across the pavement, poke it with a stick – it doesn’t move. It can’t, it has no life in it, no ability, nothing. That’s how much spiritual potential we had before we were saved. Our likely future? “We were by nature objects of wrath.” (2:3) God’s wrath. And we deserved it 100%. Although we had been created by Almighty God and blessed with various abilities, each one of us at some point turned away from God and sinned. We thumbed our nose at the very One to whom we owed the gift of life itself. Captive in our sin, following the passions of our humanness, we were fit for only one ultimate destination: hell. To be cut off from God forever, punished for despising and rebelling against Him.
    But Christ’s grace intervened. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions— it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus...” (Eph 2:4-6) Literally, as NRSV puts it: “Out of the great love with which He loved us...” Sheer richness of mercy, not because we deserved it in the least!
    Who we are now (already) gives a glimmer of what’s to come, who we will be in eternity. God has already showered His love and grace upon us in saving us from destruction and eternal punishment, even though there was not a smidge in us of goodness that deserved it. Even more is to come hereafter! “...In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph.2:7) How God wants to show His grace to us is just begun to be shown to us in this life – much more to follow!
    But Paul also emphasizes Who We Are Becoming. First - a people of faith, hope, and love. “...Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints... In order that you may know the hope to which He has called you...” (Eph.1:15,18) Second, Paul prays that the church becomes people of the spirit. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (1:17)
    Third, we are a people who are coming to know God increasingly. “...So that you may know him better.” (1:17b) A mature Christian is one who has come to know God well, has become familiar with God – both through reading the Bible and as you see God’s activity interacting with you in your life.
    Fourth, we are becoming God’s people collectively. It’s not just an individual project you can do all by yourself. Our anabaptist friends remind us of the importance of reading Scripture together in community, which is where small groups are so important! “I pray...that you may know...the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints...” (1:18) You are valuable to God, treasured by Him! And how much more when the whole church is gathered together! Robertson comments, “Our riches is in God; God’s is in His saints.”
    Fifth, we are becoming a people of power. “...That you may know his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead...” (1:19f) You have resurrection-style power available to you for God’s purposes! You needn’t be locked into being a victim: in Christ you can become an overcomer! Even destructive chemical addictions can be overcome (drugs or alcohol), when addicts finally come to the end of their own efforts so they are ready to call out to God for His saving power. It’s when you ‘hit bottom’ you finally realize you can’t do it on your own – it’s going to destroy you if you don’t make a change – you have to come to the place (like the prodigal son) where you ‘come to yourself’ and admit you’ve got to repent and turn to God, whose power alone can break those bonds.
    Sixth, although we’re a people of power, we’re also becoming a people under submission. “[God] seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.And God placed all things under his feet...” (1:20b-22) How exalted Christ is! Far above all rule, authority, power, dominion (literally ‘lordships’), titles. All things are placed under His feet. The cross is the ultimate corrective to our bullying.
    Last, we are becoming people implementing Christ’s headship. “[God]...appointed [Christ] to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (1:22b-23) How are we (collectively in the church) Jesus’ “fullness”, completing His presence here in this corner of the galaxy today??! When you sit and listen to a friend going through a tough time, then offer to pray for them, you are bringing Jesus’ presence into that situation very tangibly.
    In summary – we’re not who we were – God had mercy on this ‘spiritual road kill’. And we’re not yet who we will be – not by a long shot. When Jesus returns, we will be ‘like Him’ (1Jn 3:2). But by God’s grace, we are becoming His people more fully with each passing year, as we keep submitting to His headship and plugging in to His divine power.

Lessons from the House of Mourning

[‘From the Minister’s Study’ column for local newspaper The Citizen]

Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, “Sorrow makes us all children again, destroys all differences in intellect. The wisest knows nothing.”

It is a month since my wife died. It was about as peaceful a demise as one could wish for – at home, with one’s spouse and a caring Personal Support Worker at one’s side, the community nurse there just moments before; a mercifully swift and relatively painless cessation of 15 years’ battling a brain tumour. As Yvonne’s husband I was blessed with the support of many from the medical side of things and also our own friends and church family. But it is still a huge loss. As a spouse one feels suddenly lopsided, there’s a huge hole because one’s sole long-term partner – one’s “soul mate” for what would have been 40 years of marriage this month – is suddenly no longer there.

Before such loss, such sorrow, as Emerson says, we are ‘all children again’. Intellectual prowess cannot satisfactorily debate grief. Still, what can we learn from this experience? Ecclesiastes 7:2 notes, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” As we “take to heart” another’s demise, what may God be trying to teach us?

It certainly helps us develop empathy with others who have lost their spouse. Sometimes this is through death; other times it is through divorce, which has its own kind of grief attached to it. In Canada, the Vanier Institute of the family found the divorce rate was 38% (based on 2006 data). So out of 100 marriages involving 200 people, on average nationally 76 people (38 marriages) will suffer the grief of divorce; of the remaining 62 marriages or 124 people, half – 62 persons – will suffer the grief of widowhood. Overall, then, it would seem likely more people will suffer the grief of divorce than of widowhood.

The Apostle Paul enjoined Christians, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15) When Jesus arrived at the home of Mary and Martha, even though He would soon raise Lazarus from the dead, we read: “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” (John 11:33) A caring response to those who mourn is to weep with them, share their sense of loss, show them by the simplest of gestures that we love them and participate in their grief. “To weep is to make less the depth of grief.” (Wm. Shakespeare)

Another lesson death teaches us is to not be presumptuous about our own longevity, or too cocky about our own potential success. Life is fragile and we cannot bank on tomorrow. Psalm 90 purports to be “A prayer of Moses the man of God” – it does reflect a profound appreciation for life’s transitoriness, describing how God “sweep[s] men away in the sleep of death” (v.5). “The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away... Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Ps. 90:10,12)

Now that my wife has died, I am certainly glad I set some boundaries (with her prompting and support) early on in my ministry to guard against spending too many hours on the job (target of normally no more than 3 evenings out per week for church work, for example). Your time with your spouse is limited. You may not have golden retirement years together. Is it really worth the toll on your marriage and children to put in all those extra overtime hours in order to get that job promotion or pay raise? Once they’re dead, money can’t bring them back! Be taught to number your days aright; become wise in your use of time.

James reproaches the arrogance of those who bank on tomorrow, assuming they will have many years to live. “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:13f) A sudden unexpected diagnosis like brain cancer, or debilitating disease like MS, can suddenly throw those big-bucks plans out the window. Are you cultivating a quality relationship with your spouse that does not depend on amassing a fortune? Can you treasure each day together, the simplest date spontaneities?

For me, the thing my spouse’s premature demise has most impressed on me is the preciousness of our shared Christian faith. People commented on the uplifting tone of Yvonne’s funeral, spurred on by the music she specifically chose in advance, reinforced by the testimony of those who knew her, valued her character, and vouched for her trust in Jesus her Saviour. Death has a way of forcing us to re-evaluate all we consider most important about life: what are our rock-bottom non-negotiables?

The Apostle Paul rehearsed for the church at Corinth the facts he considered to be “of first importance”, namely – “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...” (1Cor.15:3f) How can we be sure of this? Because the earliest eyewitnesses testified about this on pain of death.  If you think about it, it’s death in fact that underlines or guarantees the veracity of the resurrection account: all of Jesus’ disciples (apart from Judas, of course) were killed refusing to back down from their conviction that Jesus had risen from the dead. People don’t die for what they know to be a lie.

Before death, Jesus promised the Twelve, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3) Paul explained his preference would be to depart and be with Christ which is “better by far” than this earthly life (Philippians 1:23). I couldn’t wish Yvonne back! These fundamental scripture truths give assurance that my loved one is now being cared for by One who fashioned her in the womb and loved her profoundly long before I ever knew her – and will continue doing so on into eternity. So as Paul puts it, we who trust in Christ do not “grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

The ‘house of mourning’ has valuable lessons for us, if we will take them to heart. The mortality rate is still 100%. Better to prepare for the inevitable now than be taken by surprise. Woody Allen quipped, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

Don’t suppose you will somehow magically be let off the hook. Pulitzer-winning bestselling author William Saroyan lay dying in New York city of cancer, which had spread to several of his vital organs. One evening he placed a call to Associated Press. Identifying himself to the reporter who answered his call, he said: “Everybody has got to die. But I have always believed an exception would be made in my case. Now what?” And then he hung up the phone.