Coracle Front Page
Year A - Pentecost 2 to Christ the King
20 November 05 Christ the King—Celebrating
Children
The necessity of affirmation
We’re told that positive affirmation is good for you, but does it really
make much difference?
The mind can play a vital part in influencing a person's sickness or
health. Body mind and spirit are closely intertwined.
At the turn of the century Dr. Emile Coué became a pioneer in affirmation
techniques. His simple yet powerful affirmation was "Every day, in every
way, I am getting better and better." The results of his affirmations were
remarkable.
Recent research shows that any positive self-affirmation can act as a
buffer against stress. Things to affirm include values, personal
relationships and qualities that are a source of pride.
The discourse on the separation of the sheep and goats concludes Matthew’s
fifth book, and is Jesus’ final word to his disciples. It carries the core
of Jesus’ teaching—our behaviour to people is our behaviour to God. There
is no substitute for active love.
This ties in with the stunning step Jesus took to elevate the command to
love our neighbour to the same level as the command to love God with our
whole being.
When we are affirmed, we grow. When we affirm others, we grow. When we
praise God, affirming God’s goodness and love, we flourish. When we praise
others, and love them with acts of mercy, we all flourish together.
Affirmation is a vital tool. It gives practical expression to our love for
God and for one another. It helps us deepen love.
Today we celebrate children. An essential part of their spiritual and
emotional thriving will be the affirmation they receive from us. We do
that, not because we fear judgment, but because we all thrive as a result.
Trevor Burt
13 November 2005 26th Sunday after Pentecost
Overcoming timidity with confidence
Dr Carolyn Miley, author of The Suicidal Church, says the church is timid,
and that impedes the message of the Gospel.
Is she right?
In her book she argues that for the church to grow the church has to take
risks, be willing to offend, accept knockbacks, and offer unconditional
love and acceptance. The crippling culture of timidity doesn't allow this
to happen.
Above all, she says we need to strip away the institutional trappings that
allow timid Christians to shelter inside and avoid their biblical
responsibilities.
“Talk about God after church,” one newcomer recounted, “and they let you
know you've made a frightful faux pas.”
People in the community are looking for a connection with deeper things,
with the supernatural and so on, which Christianity can absolutely offer.
So where does this timidity come from? Some recent research shows that in
the community there is a general fear that opening a conversation with a
member of the clergy would invite an embarrassing attempt to guide them
into accepting Christian beliefs about which they were at best doubtful.
A second fear is being laughed at by friends and colleagues.
The parable of the talents comes across as excessive reward to the
productive slave, and a severe punishment upon the slave who buried the
Master’s talent. That is part of Matthew’s judgmental ending to his fifth
book. However, the central message is simple: the powers given to
disciples grow with use and wither with disuse. To be a disciple of Christ
takes courage. If you know God’s calling on your life, you can embrace it
with confidence. So too for us at St Columba’s.
Trevor Burt
6 November 2005 All Saints’ Day
The inspiration of the Saints
Every day there is something to celebrate. The Anglican Communion’s
liturgical year is rich with feasts and celebrations. Hundreds of saints
are commemorated, many of whom are obscure. Why, then, do we celebrate All
Saints’ Day?
At the start dioceses began celebrating local martyrs on the anniversary
of their death. Adjacent dioceses began to commemorate their neighbours
martyr’s days along with an exchange of relics. As more martyrs were added
to the calendar the days were soon crowded out, and in one place the
Sunday after Pentecost was appointed to commemorate all martyrs.
By the 4th century other saints along with martyrs were gradually added to
the calendar. Finally, Pope Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in
the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for
1 November, and this date was soon after adopted for the whole church.
The vigil of this feast is popularly called “Hallowe'en” or “Halloween”.
All Souls’ Day is celebrated on 2 November, and is set aside to
commemorate all who have died in the faith. And to be sure not to miss
out, on 8 November we celebrate the Saints, Martyrs, Missionaries and
Teachers of the Anglican Communion.
That should just about cover everyone, except the faithful who are still
living.
It is a struggle to live the Christian life, to imitate Christ, to fulfil
the mission of the Church. Sometimes it is dangerous. Always we need
encouragement, inspiration, examples to follow, affirmation that we are on
the right path.
On All Saints’ Day we remember those who by their lives provide just the
prodding and stirring we need.
Trevor Burt
30 October 2005 24th Sunday after Pentecost
Matching word and deed
You hypocrite! You say one thing and do another! You do not practice what
you preach!
We come to a challenging part of Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 23. Jesus is
made to tear strips off the Scribes and Pharisees because of their
hypocritical behaviour. The previous chapter retold stories where these
Jewish groups challenged Jesus on controversial matters. Now follows seven
woes—Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees!
This seems very un-Jesus like. All this criticism and rebuke. What
happened to forgiveness, a second chance, unconditional love?
How we respond to this passage may be very revealing. One response may
be—lucky I’m not like them. But we hear echoes of the self-righteous
Pharisee— “I thank you Lord that I am not like other people…, and
especially not like this sinner.” (Luke 18.9f). It was the sinner who was
held righteous in God’s eyes, because of his remorse.
Another response may be that this is typical of these awful people. But
are we not stereotyping, and simply blindly reinforcing our prejudices.
Matthew added the seven woes to his text—they are missing or milder in the
other Gospels. Knowing that Matthew wrote after the Jewish war that led to
the destruction of the Temple and expulsion of Christians from Jerusalem
in AD70, we can see how Matthew’s community may have been bitterly opposed
to the surviving Pharisees.
We don’t want to get caught up in that kind of destructive anti-Semitism.
Rather, we hear the word directed at us—match word and deed.
Trevor Burt
23 October 2005 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
Love God and Neighbour
In the news recently you may have heard how the pages of legislation in
Australia have expanded in recent time to hundreds of thousands of pages
of laws and regulations. It has been said that over 200 pages of new
legislation are created every day the West Australian parliament sits.
While there is a tendency for laws to multiply, others press to simplify
laws. Rabbis in Jesus’ time counted 613 distinct commandments in the Law.
Debate raged about which of these were important, and which were
secondary, or “heavy” and “light”.
Psalm 15 reduces the commandments to 11. Micah reduces them to three: Do
justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God (6.8).
A generation before Jesus a heathen came to Rabbi Hillel and said, “Make
me a proselyte, on the condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I
stand on one foot.” Hillel replied, “What is hateful to you, do not do to
your neighbour: that is the whole Torah while the rest is commentary.”
Jesus managed to reduce these Laws to just two: Love God and love
neighbour.
Two things are remarkable about this step. First, Jesus quoted Leviticus
19.18 “Love your neighbour as yourself”, but there a neighbour is a fellow
Jew. Jesus refers to neighbour without qualification. Second, Jesus
elevated the second commandment to the same level as the command to love
God. Both commands are equally important and therefore inseparable.
Love of God manifests itself in love of neighbour. This one command is the
foundation of all Christian living.
Trevor Burt
16 October 2005 22nd Sunday after Pentecost
Anti-poverty Week
Relationships in the Kingdom
Some people love arguments. The debating kind, I mean. It is satisfying to
take someone else’s point and turn it on its head. It politics it is
called “spin”. In movies its called “twist”.
This week and next week in Matthew’s Gospel we hear four controversy
stories, full of twist and spin.
The controversy over the tribute paid to Caesar is very clever. The
Herodians supported King Herod, and therefore Roman rule. The Pharisees
took the size of the Zealots and opposed foreign Roman rule. Unlike the
Zealots, the Pharisees did not endorse force in order to achieve
independence. Exposing their hypocrisy the Pharisees side with the
Herodians and press Jesus to support the Zealot’s position, which could
lead to Jesus’ arrest. Very tricky.
Jesus’ cunning answer rejects the Zealot’s position without accepting the
position of the Herodians. The listeners are left to decide for themselves
what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God. A wonderful twist.
But what is the point? What is gained? Who wins? And what does the win
achieve? This kind of argument changes nothing and changes noone. A moment
later the Sadducees try to trick Jesus on the question of resurrection.
Both Pharisees and Sadducees will return again to try to trick Jesus.
While what we believe is important, most people are converted into
a living relationship with God not by arguments, but by relationships, by
who we are and what we do, how we treat people, how
we express love and joy and bring peace.
Relationships are the gateway to the Kingdom.
Trevor Burt
9 October 2005 Twenty first Sunday after
Pentecost
The joy of the Kingdom
Say you won the big Lotto prize—what is the one, big thing you would do
with it. A world cruise? A trip in a spacecraft? A huge mansion? Give it
all away to charity? Your answer may lie in what you think will give you
the greatest joy.
Jesus had a number of parables that described what the Kingdom of God is
like. The image he seemed to use most often was of a feast., the thing
that would bring the most joy to a peasant living in ancient Palestine.
I love parties. I love the food, the conversations, the ambience, the
celebration, the joy. If the Kingdom of God is anything like this, count
me in!
When Jesus first uttered the parable of the great dinner, he may well have
been criticising the Jews, the chosen ones, and their leaders, for their
failure to embrace the fullness of the Kingdom. By the time Matthew
rewrote the parable it had a different purpose. The dinner became a
wedding feast, the master became a king, the messengers were mistreated
and killed, and those who refused to come were destroyed. Harsh treatment
indeed.
These additions perhaps reflect the experience of the persecution of
Jerusalem Christians in AD70. The reworked parable is intended to give
Matthew’s community hope for the future—a Banquet awaits those who come
into the community of faith. There is a massive party just around the
corner.
While our experience of the living Church may at times be less than a
great feast, yet it is still a source of great joy and peace. Our
experience of the living God is not so much a judge who condemns, but a
King who enriches and brings joy.
Trevor Burt
2 October 2005 Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
The consequences of disobedience
We know what happens to us when we disobey our parents or lawful
authority. What happens when we disobey God?
We continue our trip through Matthew’s fourth book—on authority and
obedience—and come to the second of three consecutive parables about the
consequences of disobedience.
The first of the obedience parables, the parable of the two sons which we
heard last week, signals that action is the test of obedience. Today’s
parable of the wicked tenants signals that through disobedience we lose
what we have, and others are given the opportunity. The next story, the
parable of the wedding feast, signals that disobedience leads to instant
and severe punishment.
What are we to make of these parables? In their original setting Jesus may
have been passing judgment on the leaders of the day. But in Matthew’s
community disobedience in his own community may be the issue.
As a parent I get more than annoyed when my children disobey. I sometimes
come down heavier than I should in order to compel the children to change
their ways. The severe language in Matthew’s version of these parables
suggests that disobedience had become a hot issue. If there were the only
indicators we had of the consequences of disobedience, then God as a
loving Lord would disappear behind an image of God as judge and
executioner.
But other parables signal a different view—like the parable of the wheat
and weeds—where both good and bad are gathered together. The church is a
mix of people, and that is how it is. Through our disobedience, we lose
opportunities.
Trevor Burt
25 September 2005 Nineteenth Sunday after
Pentecost
Gaining authority for the Kingdom
By what authority do we act and say things in the community? What right do
Christians have to speak out?
In Matthew’s fourth book—the journey to Jerusalem—the arrival in Jerusalem
is filled with controversy. Jesus begins by purging the Temple, and from
then on runs into strife with authority figures.
Today we hear the first of a series of five controversy stories, where
Jesus is questioned by what authority he ‘does these things’, presumably
referring to the temple-tidy job.
Jesus demonstrates by his actions and his words that he has authority over
the Law and the Temple as well as over nature.
By their inability to answer simple interpretive questions about the Law,
the Scribes and Pharisees reveal that they are incompetent to interpret
the Law, and are therefore unable to interpret questions about the
Messiah, who later turns out to be Jesus himself. They are not in a place
to question Jesus’ authority.
With all their training if these leaders of the Jews were unable to answer
such questions, what hope do we have of speaking out with authority. In
fact, it appears that in our time major institutions have lost
respect—politics, police, education, and the church. How can we recover?
The answer lies not so much in what we know, but how we speak; not so much
in what we do, but how we do it. The community may have lost confidence in
institutions, but it has not lost confidence in people. . What people look
for is honesty and integrity, sincerity and appreciation.
Perhaps at St Columba’s we gain authority by providing an authentic
connection with the community.
Trevor Burt
18 September 2005 Eighteenth Sunday after
Pentecost
Equality in the Kingdom of God
In our journey through Matthew we now enter the fourth book—the journey to
Jerusalem. The journey is covered in chapters 19 and 20, and the rest of
the Gospel covers the eight days from the entrance into Jerusalem to the
resurrection.
The story highlighted today is the parable of the workers in the vineyard,
where those hired at the end of the day get the same payment as those
hired at the start. What issue was Matthew addressing in his community
through this parable which is unique to his gospel?
The usual interpretation of the parable is that those hired early
represent Jews, and those hired late represent Christians—both get the
same reward. But in Matthew’s fledgling community there may have been
another issue boiling. Newer converts in the community may have been
treated the same as the first Christians, and this raised dissention.
Have you noticed how quickly we can feel annoyed when someone who has only
been around for a short time, or someone considerably younger than us,
gets a job over us. Somehow it doesn’t seem right. Even if they are well
qualified for the job, we may feel pushed aside and devalued. We may fear
becoming redundant. These are irrational thoughts but real feelings.
This parable addresses this kind of issue. In God’s Kingdom all are equal.
An early call has no relevance to standing in the community and in the
reign of God. All have the same benefits and the same rewards.
In the world with age comes wisdom, experience, position and respect. In
the Kingdom, even children have access to all the benefits. The good news
is we’re all treated the same.
Trevor Burt
11 September 2005 Seventeenth Sunday after
Pentecost
Forgiveness—the way of peace
As we hear the horrific story of Egyptians being drowned as they pursued
the Hebrews through the Red Sea, we face a similar tragedy now as we see
on TV, night after night, the consequences of flood in New Orleans. Some
geologists argue that the opening of the Red Sea was a tsunami effect
triggered by a volcanic eruption. If that is so, it was not so much a
judgement of God but the tragic consequences of a natural disaster. This
explanation fits better with my idea of a God of love rather than a
warrior-God of vengeance.
This week we reflect on and pray for peace. What is peace? The absence of
war and violence. The absence of anxiety, fear and evil. The presence of
justice and compassion. An inner peace. A harmonious balance between
humanity, the world and the cosmos. At-oneness with God, others and
creation.
Peace comes when we address the things that breach peace—war, poverty,
greed, insecurity, loss. Peace comes when we provide stillness in our
lives, justice and understanding between peoples. It comes when we enrich
relationships.
Peace is not a utopian state we hope for. Peace is already present in us
and around us. Our task is to expand and enrich that peace.
When we see the Prince of Peace in action, we see how to bring about
lasting peace. Forgiveness is foundational to all estranged relationships,
for peace is found where there is harmony between opposing people. That is
why Jesus emphasised forgiveness. Forgiveness demands truth and justice,
and counters ambition and pride.
Peace be with you.
Trevor Burt
4 September 2005 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Support for the “little ones”
Matthew’s fourth book addresses the formation of the disciples, and this
week we begin the sayings section of that book. We know that Matthew
arranged the various sayings and made adaptations to the text in order to
address issues in his community. Many of these issues are still alive and
well, so discovering what Matthew was saying to his community back then
helps us discover what God may be saying to us today.
The sayings (18:1-35) address relations between disciples. The issue that
arises in today’s reading is how to treat “little ones”, that is, simple
believers. One can guess that in Matthew’s community simple disciples were
despised and ignored.
The parable of the lost sheep addresses this issue sharply—leave the rest
of the church community while you seek out the lost one. The little ones
are just as important as any other person in the community.
Similarly, if a member of the community falls, do all you can to help them
recover Only if they refuse to stop damaging the community are they
rejected from the community. Then the decision is binding.
The spirit of Christian community is acceptance and support. We struggle
with this from time to time, especially when we feel hurt or offended. Or
our response may be to seek revenge, a kind of justice, albeit a
destructive one. This is where the rest of the community kicks in—not with
boots—but with support, encouragement and Godly wisdom. There is another
way, a more wholesome way, and we hear about that next week.
In the meantime, we thank God for our community at St Columba’s, for
mutual support, especially of little ones.
Trevor Burt
28 August 2005 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Refugee and Migrant Sunday
The crisis of leadership
Ray was a troubled young woman. She was a leader in her community, but she
kept messing up. Her fellow parishioners were initially tolerant of her
mistakes, but after a while they struggled to accept her slips. So Ray
kept getting into trouble from people in the congregation.
She had a great heart, though. She cared about the congregation and the
elderly and the sick and the worship and tried hard to do the right thing.
But that wasn’t the only source of her trouble. There were things in the
paper that troubled her. Things like the lack of homes for the elderly and
the way the government treated those poor refugees and the vilification of
decent Muslim people.
What troubled her most was that no-one seemed to be saying anything and
no-one seemed to be doing anything. She looked around and wondered why her
friends in the congregation weren’t troubled like she was. Weren’t they
concerned that the government was messing up?
Of course, Ray couldn’t do anything about it, she had a congregation to
minister to and a family to look after and a reputation to preserve.
St Peter was a bit like Ray—good hearted but he messed up sometimes. He
even tried to stop Jesus doing things about those troubling times, and
Jesus said Peter was a stumbling block to him. Then Peter came to realise
that to be a leader you have to take action, even if it means suffering
and pain and even death. Like laying aside selfish needs and carrying the
cross, splinters and all. Peter overcame that crisis. Will Ray?
Trevor Burt
21 August 2005 Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The crisis of being Christian
Matthew’s fourth book is about the Formation of the Disciples, and today
we hear a strange and disturbing story. The story exposes a crisis facing
the new community—a crisis that has never left the church. What is this
crisis?
In each of the gospels Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah (“Holy
One of God” in John’s Gospel) is both a pinnacle moment and a turning
point. The crisis is different in each Gospel—in Matthew’s Gospel it is to
do with a crisis of the purpose of the emerging church.
The Jews of the time expected the Messiah to come and restore their
homeland and their freedom. The Jews understood themselves to be God’s
chosen race, but for centuries had been governed by a series of oppressive
foreigners—the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and finally the
Romans.
Based on contemporary Apocalyptic writings they expected the time before
the arrival of the Messiah to be a moment of great turmoil and terror.
Elijah would come again and prepare the way for the Messiah. Then a leader
greater than the warrior King David would appear, God’s Anointed One. The
nations would rise against this great leader, but he would defeat them all
in a terrible battle. A new Jerusalem would form, the dispersed Jews would
gather again, and an everlasting age of peace and goodness would follow.
The shocking realisation dawns on Peter and this little band of followers
that this Jesus is that long-awaited Messiah. This is the man and this is
the moment. This crisis is the situation the disciples have found
themselves caught up in, with all the anticipated terror, confrontation,
and ultimate victory.
This too is the crisis of every Christian.
Trevor Burt
14 August 2005 thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
God of all nations
Long years ago in a kitchen far, far away, a German woman told me: ‘David
is a Jewish name. I read that the English were the lost tribes of Israel.’
That was 30 years ago when World War II was a far more recent memory, and
I wandered what I was in for next. The head of the household had fought at
Stalingrad, as had several of the men I worked with, and questions seemed
to hang in the air. Would our generation face armed conflict like our
fathers and grandfathers?
But that wasn’t the issue. The woman’s question was directed more at what
we shared than what set us apart.
That is the point of the story about the Canaanite woman who asks Jesus to
cure her daughter: that under the skin we share the same concerns and
hopes; even if it is hard to see beyond the outward physical and cultural
differences.
So Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel, gives us the Great Commission, to make
disciples of all nations. Because in doing so we begin to understand how
Jesus sees us; as he sees the Canaanite woman in today’s story.
David Cusworth
7 August 2005 Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Let Faith overcome Doubt and Fear
We continue our journey through Matthew’s fourth book—the Formation of the
Disciples. And again we come to another story loaded with symbolism, this
time about faith.
Last week we learnt how the Feeding of the 5000 was symbolic of the
centrality of meals in the Christian life—agape meal, Eucharist, and the
Great Feast at the end of the age.
Today we reflect on the story of Jesus walking on water. Why has Matthew
included this story in his Gospel? We can begin to answer by asking—What
impression does this story leave? If I suggest that the disciples floating
off into the lake symbolises the church floating off into time, we begin
to see some meaning emerge. Imagine we, the Church, are the disciples in
the boat. Jesus sends us off, like Jesus’ Great Commission to the
Church—Go unto the ends of the Earth.... We become separated. We struggle
against wind and wave, as the Church has struggled through time. Doubts
begin to emerge. Fear rises.
Then, unexpectedly, surprisingly, Jesus appears in the midst of the storm.
He is with us after all, just when we felt most alone, most isolated.
Faith is the response to doubt and fear.
Then someone wants to get out of the boat, to rock the boat, foolishly.
With eyes on Jesus he too is walking on water, doing miraculous things,
unheard of things. Then all of a sudden it all collapses again, and he, a
leader, is sinking, drowning.
But wait, there is Jesus again, taking his hand, saving him, and bringing
him back to the safety of the boat, the Church.
Is Jesus calling us to leave the boat, the known and familiar patterns of
our everyday life, and to step out in faith, to try untried things? For
surely Jesus will be there with a helping hand, to save us if necessary.
Let faith overcome doubt.
Trevor Burt
31 July 2005 Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
God meets is in the blessed bread
Matthew’s fourth book—the Formation of the Disciples—has much meat for us
to chew on. The book extends to the end of chapter 18, and in the stories
and sayings we see the new church emerging.
When we see what Matthew is doing in this book it helps to make sense of
some of the stories.
The stories of the feeding of the multitudes in each of the gospels raise
a number of questions: Where did they happen? Was there one or two events?
Why did Jesus withdraw afterwards? How do we account for the differences
between the stories within and between the gospels? Why were the people
not overawed by the miracle?
Many commentators have struggled to “explain” the miracle. But this is to
miss the point Matthew is trying to convey. The feeding of the 5000 in
Matthew is highly symbolic. The fact that there as several accounts of the
feeding suggests this was a story told early and told often in the early
Church. The significance of this story to the early church was most likely
an anticipation of the Eucharist and of the Banquet at the end of time.
Matthew is telling the stories to give shape to the emerging church. The
church is a Eucharistic church.
In John’s Gospel the Eucharistic symbolism is most developed. In Matthew
we see the Eucharistic pattern of bread that is blessed, broken and given.
At the end (of time) 12 baskets (tribes of Israel) are collected.
This mysterious story nurtures our understanding of God as mystery, who is
both ‘with us’ and ‘other’, known and unknown, who meets us in the bread
and wine.
Trevor Burt
24 July 2005 Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
The immense value of the Kingdom
This week we conclude Matthew’s third book, the Book of Controversy, an
begin book four—the Formation of the Disciples. This book will occupy us
for the next two months.
Matthew brings home the immense value of the Reign of God in the two
parables of the treasure and the pearl. In both cases the man sells all he
has—the Reign demands total commitment and renunciation. There is no
halfway approach. It is all or nothing. But renunciation has its reward.
Surely we don’t have to give our all. That is too hard, too demanding, too
sacrificial. And who could hope to comply!
We have already struggled with Matthew’s idea of effort and reward. It
sounds like salvation by works rather than grace.
Matthew modifies this view with the next parable, the parable of the net.
Here the ocean (the church?) contains both good and bad fish, and like the
parable of the darnel, says the Reign of God embraces everyone.. No-one is
excluded from the ocean because of their failure.
So Matthew has it both ways. We cannot sit back and simply depend on God’s
grace and do nothing, make no effort. In fact, we should make the best
effort we can. At the same time, we are not judged on our effort, we are
not excluded because we have not tried hard enough. Rather, commitment
brings incredible rewards.
So the pearl collector volunteers all his possessions because he know he
will be repaid handsomely. He gives his all because it is worth it.
So we are encouraged, even enticed, to deepen our life with God, to tune
into the Spirit’s activity in our lives, to transform our lives into
Christ-likeness. Its our choice.
Trevor Burt
17 July 2005 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Dealing with evil
We continue our journey through Book 3 of Matthew’s Gospel, the Book of
Controversy, and come across a unique parable about good and evil. There
is no doubt that evil exists in the world and even in the church. What do
we do about evil in our congregation? Do we toss evil people out?
We have already reflected about how Matthew’s Gospel begins with a strong
theme of judgement, but as it progresses we discover that compassion and
relationships moderate how justice is delivered.
We may wish that our congregation and indeed our lives are surrounded by
people who always do the right thing. The problem with a church that has
no sinners is that sooner or later we ourselves would be rejected, for as
certain as the sun will rise tomorrow, we will at some point sin and fall
short of God’s glory.
It is very artificial to divide the world into good and bad, righteous and
evil. Evil crouches in our own hearts.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn put it this way: “If only it were all so simple! If
only there were evil people somewhere committing evil deeds, and it were
necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But
the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human
being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
So it is not so much a matter of tossing out people who commit evil deeds,
but rather, dealing with the evil in our own hearts.
It appears that Matthew in his Gospel was addressing in his community the
tension between judgement and compassion. He shows us the right way to
live to avoid judgement, and then reveals God’s overarching mercy at the
same time.
Trevor Burt
10 July 2005 Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Growth beyond expectation
We continue our journey through Book 3 of Matthew’s Gospel, the Book of
Controversy. We discovered last week that Jesus calls us to submit to the
Reign of God in our lives. Matthew now illustrates the Reign of God with a
series of parables. But do these parables apply to us?
Parables are wise sayings or fictitious short stories drawn from Jesus’
contemporary life. The stories have a main point, and the story helps the
hearers apply the point to their own lives.
It is clear by comparing the differing versions of each parable in the
Gospels that the writer has adapted the parable to the life of his
community.
It is easy to get disheartened. Those who can remember the days when St
Columba’s was a large community with a thriving youth and children’s
ministry may wonder what is to become of our steadily diminishing group.
But this is to look at the Church through “Western” eyes. There is a part
of the Christian community that is thriving beyond all expectation.
In Africa, Latin America and Asia (the so called “South”) the Christian
church is blooming at an unprecedented rate. Latin Americas now holds 44%
of Catholics. The majority of Anglicans are now in Africa. Christian
growth is outstripping the growth of any other religion, and overall
belief in God (all religions) is growing.
In the parable of the sower Jesus told us that the Reign of God will
flourish in spite of obstacles. A hundredfold increase in the crop was
unknown in the ancient world, yet that is what is happening today in the
Global South with over 6 million converts each year.
It is God who gives us the growth.
Trevor Burt
3 July 2005 Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
The law of compassion and love
We have discovered that obeying the law and judgement are central themes
in Matthew’s Gospel. This is what John the Baptist proclaimed. But
apparently this is not what Jesus proclaimed. So we now enter Book 3 of
Matthew’s Gospel, the Book of Controversy. We face the question: do we
still have to follow the Law, the obligations of the Old Testament?
Book 3 begins with a question from John—I proclaimed you as the Coming
Judge, but that is not how it is working out. Are you the One? Jesus
answers that he is indeed the One, but that his message is based on
compassion and relationships.
We find in today’s Gospel reading the first indication that Jesus’ message
was not widely accepted. Jesus did obey the Law but he interpreted the Law
through the eyes of compassion, mercy and love. Many could not accept
that.
The prayer of thanks is that the ‘wise ones’, the Jews and their learned
leaders, cannot see past the letter of the Law. It is the simple, those
mentioned in the Beatitudes, who accept Jesus’ teaching. Jesus’ message is
not grasped by wisdom and understanding. It is known by experiencing it,
by God’s activity.
The Law is like a yoke—a heavy burden to bear. Yet Jesus does not remove
the yoke. The Law remains. Jesus’ yoke is our submission to the Reign of
God. It is giving over to God and following the way of compassion,
forgiveness and mercy. This is not an extra burden to bear, another law to
follow. Rather it is the essence of the Law to begin with. This is not a
new set of obligations, but an intimate knowledge of the Father that
releases us from burdens and weariness and makes it easier to live.
So we are indeed bound to the Law, the law to love God and neighbour.
Trevor Burt
26 June 2005 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
The rewards of mission
St Columba left home and family for a new land. St Teresa left the comfort
of the convent to work with the poorest of the poor. Many clergy have
sacrificed secular careers to minister God’s life. Many laity have
adjusted their lives to be able to contribute more to the ministry and
mission of the Church. To what extent are you prepared to go in your
Christian life?
Matthew wants his readers to know that Jesus reveals to his disciples that
there is no extreme to which faith and sharing the Gospel will not take
them. As we heard last week, the path of the Gospel can even lead us to
renounce our family. Where there is division the disciples of Jesus are to
prefer the community of faith over family ties.
Today’s Gospel reading concludes Matthew’s second “Book” He has neatly
divided his gospel into five books. The first sets the foundations for the
community of faith, and concludes with the Sermon on the Mount. The second
book is Jesus’ instructions to his disciples where he invites them to
share in both his mission and his powers, and to spread the Good News
widely.
The Sermon on the Mount has a strong judgement theme—nearly every saying
says “do not”, and the last saying is a terrifying judgement on any who do
not act on Jesus’ words. The second set of sayings concludes quite
differently—rewards are promised to those who welcome Jesus. To welcome
Jesus’ disciples is to welcome God.
Matthew has more to say, lest we think life consists of escaping judgement
and seeking rewards. But this is a good start. Mission is part of being a
good disciple. It is part of being Christ-like, difficult as it may be.
Trevor Burt
19 June 2005 Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
DEAD TO SIN BUT ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS
Sometimes I have a sense of despair when I look at the state of my life.
In so many ways I fall short of God's glory. Yet, when I read today's
passage from Romans 6 I feel my despair turn to hope. My focus shifts from
myself to Christ Jesus. Verses 1-11 describe how, through baptism, we have
been united with Christ into his death, burial and resurrection. As a
result, Paul tells us, we have died to sin and been raised to walk in the
newness of life with God.
Prior to putting our trust in Christ we were under the dominion of sin,
says Paul, but the power of sin (and death) has been broken by Christ's
death and resurrection. We can already begin to experience the benefits of
this in our own life. We are no longer enslaved by sin but in Christ Jesus
we are now alive to God. Our hope of glory is assured. I continue to
experience temptation to sin, I suffer in this world, and I still face
that last enemy, death.
But I now live to God in Christ Jesus and these things have no power to
change that.
It has been a privilege to walk with you, God's people at St
Columba's and Moline House, during these past two years. My prayer is that
you will continue to walk in newness of life, trusting in Jesus, our hope
and glory.
Ben van der Klip
12 June 2005 St Columba’s Day
Something profound to share
Recent research has shown that children have a very developed
spirituality. We tend not to recognise it because we look for an adult
spiritualty in them.
One researcher found that children embrace three aspects of
spirituality—awareness, awe and wonder, and values.
Awareness—the ability to tune into the here and now, to get lost in
moments of music, in compelling stories, to sense God’s presence.
Awe and wonder—marvelling as a stunning sunset, pondering the depth of the
universe, amazement at human achievement.
Values—reflecting on spiritual experiences and drawing inferences from
these, forming a ‘rule of life’ based on moments of awareness.
Research further shows that these aspects of spirituality get suppressed
as children grow because of social pressure—it is uncool to talk about and
think such things. Children begin to take on adult forms of
spirituality—prayer forms, rituals, language.
We are beginning to revive these basic elements of spirituality, and they
are becoming more socially acceptable. Our Companions in Christ courses
are helping us recover our awareness of the Spirit’s activity in our
lives. We get lost in song in our Taizé chants. Children marvel in wonder
during the Godly Play stories. We sense God’s presence in profound moments
of silence.
When St Columba alighted the shores of Scotland, he had something of
immense value to share with the locals. We too have something profound to
share with our locals.
Trevor Burt
5 June 2005 Third Sunday after Pentecost
Loving our neighbour as ourselves
I had a delightful phone call the other day. A student was contacting
local churches to see what they are doing in the area of outreach. As I
went through the long list of activities in our church he was amazed. He
noted that no other church was doing so much.
He noted that other churches see outreach in a narrower way. Like services
in which there is an altar call.
I was able to show that we work on outreach in several different
ways—helping the needy close to home (Parish Pantry, ColumbaCare, Pastoral
Partners, Refugee Support Group) and away (Samburu Cultural School Kenya,
Tsunami appeal), through hospitality and talks (Men’s Club, Women’s
Breakfasts, Who’s coming to Dinner), through children’s ministry (Godly
Play, Rainbow Club), chaplain support (Yuluma School), connections with
other churches (Churches Together in Stirling) and direct mission support
(ABM, CMS etc.).
We rent our hall to dance groups and play groups that bring dozens of
families into contact with our church. We are doing baptisms, weddings and
funerals that minister God’s love to 30 new families each year.
And then there is a whole range of outreach done by individuals in our
congregation.
The Annual Meeting gave us a time to review and reflect on the life of our
Parish. The fact that we had nearly 30 reports to table shows that we are
a Parish deeply involved in bringing God’s love in Christ to our
community. Along with our worship which I believe is uplifting, we are
indeed loving God and loving neighbour, as our Lord commanded us.
As we continue our journey deeper into God’s life, may the Spirit continue
to bless us richly with power to love.
Trevor Burt
29 May 2005 Second Sunday after Pentecost
Two sides to faith: belief and action
Every morning, as soon as we rise, there is a stirring in our family room.
Larry our dog gets very excited. He knows that very soon he will be
outside sniffing and marking and socialising at the nearby park. The
action of taking him for a walk is good for us and very healthy for Larry.
But what if I rose each morning and said to Larry “Come on, walk time!”
but failed to take him on the venture. After a while you would wonder if I
really cared for our dog. My words don’t match my actions.
Today we re-enter Matthews Gospel towards the end of a sayings section,
the so called Sermon on the Mount. The last bundle of remembered sayings
(7.1-27) have no particular theme, and they appear to have been adapted
for Matthew’s community. The common theme in today’s sayings is belief and
action.
“By their fruits you will know them.” In Matthew’s community we can assume
that there were people whose actions did not live up to their words. The
sayings describe genuine disciples as those whose deeds match their words,
whose proclamation of Jesus’ name is founded on a relationship with him.
Jesus’ words are a call and challenge to action, they are not mere
teaching. Understanding them in not a sufficient response.
Many of us have been part of a Bible Study group in years gone by. They
have been useful and formational. Yet these sayings expose the
insufficiency of such groups if they do not lead to action. The challenge
is serious—the fall will be great! When tough times come, if we have not
laid a foundation based on faith lived out in acts of love, then the very
foundation will erode away.
As James said, faith without works is dead.
Trevor Burt
since 3 August 2005