2nd December 2007 : Advent Sunday : Year A
9:30am Westfield
Isaiah 2:1-5 : Romans 13:9-21 : Matthew 24:36-44
Many of us have seen the movie Home alone, possibly even the two sequels. For those who haven’t, Home alone is the highly-unlikely story of a precocious young boy, something of a misfit in his large, unruly family, who is accidentally left behind when sed family goes on vacation. This sets the scene for a series of slapstick antics as the kid proceeds to outwit a couple of would-be robbers, ingeniously using only the materials he has at hand.
The first movie worked well. We didn’t know the outcome. The kid was very cute despite his precociousness. We had tension, we had sympathy. Durn-it-all, we were rootin for the kid from the get-go and his triumph over evil and disaster was OUR triumph over evil and disaster.
Home alone was a masterful piece of cinema manipulation that drew us into acute identification with the poor abandoned brat, ultimately playing on our own deep fears – maybe fears of abandonment also; fear of attack; fear of threats of one kind or another; fear of an assault on whatever it is we delude ourselves into believing fundamentally holds us together as human beings.
Before I continue let me say that I am indebted for much of what follows to the website Girardian reflections on the lectionary[1] The site’s name comes from the anthropologist René Girard, whose study of society and religion led him to conclude that what drives us is desire, which may lead either to cooperation or conflict. It’s far more complex than that so that will have to do for the moment – or until we find someone who understands it well enough to explain it clearly!
Meanwhile, back at the sermon …
The Church has long, though I suspect not “always” played on people’s fears of rejection and abandonment in order to gain adherents and keep captive the fearful faithful. We all want to belong, to be part of something bigger than ourselves, to feel in some way accepted. Such is our desire for belonging and acceptance that we willingly abandon our most fundamental principles and sense of personal integrity – at least in the short-term – in order to achieve it.
As one particular kind of example, this is how extremist groups of every colour, religion and political persuasion gain and retain followers. From the outside these groups may seem obviously dodgy – but offer someone who feels rejected a sense of home, a sense of belonging, a sense of likemindedness – and they willingly become yours. Once that happens it’s relatively easy to manipulate them and keep them for long periods of time.
It’s exactly this dynamic that operates in the conservative dogma of the so-called Rapture, a non-biblical term that has many different shades of interpretation based on selective and sometimes twisted interpretations of a handful of biblical texts. The basis of Rapture theology is that at some point before, during or after the last days – a time of terror known as the Tribulation – Jesus will descend from heaven and lift up the “saved” from earth and meet them in the sky, ushering them into eternity. Those who remain on earth still have a shot at salvation but they will have to suffer some or all of the horrors of Tribulation.
Well … who wouldn’t want to belong to the select group of the “saved”? And who, believing they were “in”, wouldn’t want to do everything they could to ensure they stayed “in”?
As far as that basic scenario goes anyone and any group can play the game – and who hasn’t? The Church is a past master at it. The Church has for centuries set up and demanded adherence on the basis of what Richard Rohr calls “questions of belonging, membership questions; who’s in – and who’s out”.
Part of the problem is that this was never Jesus’ message. He didn’t offer “membership” based on strict and coded principles. One of the reasons the established religion feared him was because he threw out their rule book. He not so much re-wrote their cosy constitution as tore the whole thing to pieces.
How? By allowing anyone and everyone to be members of his organisation! He threw wide the doors. He sed even the blind, the lame, the deaf, the mute – even SINNERS for goodness’ sake!! – could come in and receive God’s welcome and forgiveness. For those of us who like churchy words, it’s called GRACE.
Grace flows freely from a loving God and it sez to anyone who can hear the offer, Come on down!
It’s a totally different – and liberating – attitude from the one that sez These are the rules; you can stay as long as you obey them. If you don’t obey, we kick you out and abandon you to your fate.
Who among us really wants to be “abandoned to our fate”? I know I don’t!
No wonder people likewise are terrified at the prospect of being among those who are “left behind”. It’s what ancient and not-so-ancient peoples did to the elderly and infirm: left them behind under a bush or on an ice-floe or in a C-class hospital (read “nursing home”). No thank you!
One of the problems is that we don’t have to translate the text the way we actually find it. For instance, the word for “taken” could validly be translated as “swept away” or “kidnapped” or “taken by force”. The Latin translation gives us the English word rape and the French version – ravissement – sounds enough like its English equivalent to need no translation.
Is this REALLY what God is going to do to those who belong to the right club, the Salvation Club?
On the other hand, the word that translates as “left behind” occurs commonly in the Christian scriptures, has several different meanings also, and could be rendered forgive. It’s actually the same word sitting ingenuously behind Father, forgive them for they know not what they do; and Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
And when we consider that Noah was “left behind” while the rest of the world was “swept away” in evil and violence we start to get a different picture. And do we really need to guess how topsy-turvy the view is when we look at the most well-known of all people ever to be “left behind” – a certain Jesus of Nazareth, abandoned on the cross, soaked in the violence of humanity, refusing to abandon his faith, innocent victim of the world’s evil – and raised from the dead on the third day by the Living God!
The point is we do not need to fear being left behind. Being left behind may actually be the true sign that we are people of faith, people who maybe do not “belong” according to the rulebook, but people who have accepted God’s grace – the only thing we need to do.
It is exactly the same grace operating as Mary of Nazareth enters the final month of her third trimester. Humankind does nothing – can do nothing – to deserve or warrant the coming of Jesus into the world. God sends Jesus in an act of faith as an act of grace.
We who are left behind to meet him need only ask one question – will we truly receive God’s offered grace this Advent Season and understand it at the Christ Mass?
[1] http://girardianlectionary.net/index.html and http://girardianlectionary.net/year_a/advent1a.htm
Showing posts with label God's faithfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's faithfulness. Show all posts
Monday, January 07, 2008
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
HONOURING OUR PLEDGES - MATTERS OF FAITH AND TRUST
Sunday, 4th November 2007 : Pentecost 23 : Year C
9:30am Westfield
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 : 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 : Luke 19:1-10
We might recognise that as a complete rip-off of the opening to the second letter to the Christian community in Thessalonika …
But the reason I lifted it is because it fits perfectly with our Parish. Among the many blessings the Living God has showered upon us is a growing faith and genuine, observable love for one another, as well as a remarkable steadfastness that sees us continuing God’s work into our twenty-third year.
Perhaps our afflictions and persecutions are not quite as physically life-threatening as those the Thessalonians likely encountered and endured.
But they are real nevertheless – afflictions of financial shortfall and struggle; persecutions or perceived persecutions from ecclesiastical bureaucracy demanding financial compensations or reasons or both.
Those bureaucratic demands are not gratuitous – nor is Westfield alone in facing them: other parishes have similar – and greater – issues with which to contend.
Nevertheless, we, as God’s people in this particular part of Westfield, need to reckon up the balance sheet of faith and blessings and address the issue raised in the pewsheet – namely the shortfall in pledges.
Pledges are the amount of weekly, monthly or annual offering we promised when we received our envelopes. We need to remember that we promised this offering to God – not primarily to a parish or institution or priest – but to the Living God.
And we made the promises based on prayerful reflection and consideration of God’s own blessings to us individually.
A moment ago we heard Zacchaeus promise to give half his income to the poor and to recompense anyone he’d defrauded fourfold. The Greek text is actually written in the present tense so it is likely Zacchaeus was already do what he promised.
Either way, what if he went back on that promise? What would that imply about him or his faith or his trustworthiness?
These are the same sorts of questions we need to ask ourselves as well. What we promise to offer for God’s work in our Parish represents first a thank offering that recognises God’s blessings to us. We are saying, Thank you, Lord, for your blessings. I now return those blessings so that my Parish may be a blessing to others.
And as part of our responsible economy of God’s blessings we prayerfully decide what is enough and make sure it is not too much. While God and Parish Treasurers may desire a certain sacrificial generosity in our offerings, God at least doesn’t want anyone to starve or have their electricity or phone disconnected! (I should hasten to add that our own Treasurer doesn’t want that to happen either.)
So if we promise to offer God, say, $10 a week, then our faith tells us clearly and unambiguously that this is the amount we need to set aside for God before anything else. When that doesn’t happen – when we promise God $10 a week and only hand over $5 – then we have a few problems to wrestle with.
First is the question of faith and trust in God. We all know what it’s like when someone promises to do something and then doesn’t follow through. We feel hurt, maybe even betrayed or angry. It becomes an indication that the person who broke their promise really doesn’t hold us in any esteem.
God, fortunately, is infinitely forgiving and handles these matters far better than most of us seem to. But God’s sadness at broken promises of any kind arises from what it actually sez about our faith and trust in God.
At the entirely mundane level we need to understand that among the Treasurer’s many responsibilities is that of making budgets and forecasts. The Treasurer does that on the basis of what we tell him we are intending to offer to God.
If, however, our offering is less than what we promised then something happens that Treasurers in every time and place abhor – their books don’t balance! And when a Treasurer’s books don’t balance Treasurer’s start weeping, groaning and gnashing their teeth – and I can assure you this is not a pretty sight!
Fortunately, even Treasurers know that circumstances change for the worse. That’s okay – provided we let the Treasurer know that because of those changed circumstances we can’t offer as much as we originally promised.
I’ve recently resigned my chaplaincy at the Mount Hospital. My stipend won’t be as much as it was. I will be writing a note to the Treasurer explaining that because of my reduced stipend my offering to God will also be reduced. I will slip that note into my envelope in a week or two, or maybe put it in an envelope with my envelope number on it. Either way the Treasurer will know that the offering from the holder of envelope number XX is going to be reduced.
The Treasurer can then recalculate his budget and forecasts. He won’t necessarily sing Alleluia! at having to do so – but at least he won’t have unbalanced books …
Likewise, when I secure another position and my stipend or income increases I will revise my offering to God accordingly. I will let the Treasurer know that envelope number XX’s offering to God will increase. And this time the Treasurer may well sing Alleluia!
This is one the great virtues and values of having our envelope system. It’s completely anonymous and it allows us to communicate with the Treasurer when things do change.
It also allows us to put aside our offering to God in advance, so that if we go away for a while we can still ensure that what we promised God is always offered exactly according to our promise.
At the last Parish Council meeting the Treasurer wept, groaned and gnashed his teeth because what we had promised to offer to God was more than we were ACTUALLY offering to God. I doubt if God’s blessings have decreased – but it may be that our circumstances have changed for the worse. If that’s the case, let the poor man know!
If it’s complexly a matter of trust and faith, that’s slightly more difficult – but not insurmountable. Perhaps it is only a matter of remembering that if we have promised to offer to God a thank offering for God’s blessings then of course we expect ourselves to honour that promise – just as we would expect anyone else to honour any other promise they made to us.
Let’s pray.
Loving and generous God
Your blessings fill our lives to overflowing.
Help us always to use those blessings
so that we in turn may be a blessing to others.
Help us to remember also that what we offer to you
we offer in faith, trusting your promise
to look after us in every single circumstance.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son our Lord. Amen.
9:30am Westfield
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 : 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 : Luke 19:1-10
Alistair and Parish Council,
To the Westfield Anglican Parish of the Holy Spirit in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.
We might recognise that as a complete rip-off of the opening to the second letter to the Christian community in Thessalonika …
But the reason I lifted it is because it fits perfectly with our Parish. Among the many blessings the Living God has showered upon us is a growing faith and genuine, observable love for one another, as well as a remarkable steadfastness that sees us continuing God’s work into our twenty-third year.
Perhaps our afflictions and persecutions are not quite as physically life-threatening as those the Thessalonians likely encountered and endured.
But they are real nevertheless – afflictions of financial shortfall and struggle; persecutions or perceived persecutions from ecclesiastical bureaucracy demanding financial compensations or reasons or both.
Those bureaucratic demands are not gratuitous – nor is Westfield alone in facing them: other parishes have similar – and greater – issues with which to contend.
Nevertheless, we, as God’s people in this particular part of Westfield, need to reckon up the balance sheet of faith and blessings and address the issue raised in the pewsheet – namely the shortfall in pledges.
Pledges are the amount of weekly, monthly or annual offering we promised when we received our envelopes. We need to remember that we promised this offering to God – not primarily to a parish or institution or priest – but to the Living God.
And we made the promises based on prayerful reflection and consideration of God’s own blessings to us individually.
A moment ago we heard Zacchaeus promise to give half his income to the poor and to recompense anyone he’d defrauded fourfold. The Greek text is actually written in the present tense so it is likely Zacchaeus was already do what he promised.
Either way, what if he went back on that promise? What would that imply about him or his faith or his trustworthiness?
These are the same sorts of questions we need to ask ourselves as well. What we promise to offer for God’s work in our Parish represents first a thank offering that recognises God’s blessings to us. We are saying, Thank you, Lord, for your blessings. I now return those blessings so that my Parish may be a blessing to others.
And as part of our responsible economy of God’s blessings we prayerfully decide what is enough and make sure it is not too much. While God and Parish Treasurers may desire a certain sacrificial generosity in our offerings, God at least doesn’t want anyone to starve or have their electricity or phone disconnected! (I should hasten to add that our own Treasurer doesn’t want that to happen either.)
So if we promise to offer God, say, $10 a week, then our faith tells us clearly and unambiguously that this is the amount we need to set aside for God before anything else. When that doesn’t happen – when we promise God $10 a week and only hand over $5 – then we have a few problems to wrestle with.
First is the question of faith and trust in God. We all know what it’s like when someone promises to do something and then doesn’t follow through. We feel hurt, maybe even betrayed or angry. It becomes an indication that the person who broke their promise really doesn’t hold us in any esteem.
God, fortunately, is infinitely forgiving and handles these matters far better than most of us seem to. But God’s sadness at broken promises of any kind arises from what it actually sez about our faith and trust in God.
At the entirely mundane level we need to understand that among the Treasurer’s many responsibilities is that of making budgets and forecasts. The Treasurer does that on the basis of what we tell him we are intending to offer to God.
If, however, our offering is less than what we promised then something happens that Treasurers in every time and place abhor – their books don’t balance! And when a Treasurer’s books don’t balance Treasurer’s start weeping, groaning and gnashing their teeth – and I can assure you this is not a pretty sight!
Fortunately, even Treasurers know that circumstances change for the worse. That’s okay – provided we let the Treasurer know that because of those changed circumstances we can’t offer as much as we originally promised.
I’ve recently resigned my chaplaincy at the Mount Hospital. My stipend won’t be as much as it was. I will be writing a note to the Treasurer explaining that because of my reduced stipend my offering to God will also be reduced. I will slip that note into my envelope in a week or two, or maybe put it in an envelope with my envelope number on it. Either way the Treasurer will know that the offering from the holder of envelope number XX is going to be reduced.
The Treasurer can then recalculate his budget and forecasts. He won’t necessarily sing Alleluia! at having to do so – but at least he won’t have unbalanced books …
Likewise, when I secure another position and my stipend or income increases I will revise my offering to God accordingly. I will let the Treasurer know that envelope number XX’s offering to God will increase. And this time the Treasurer may well sing Alleluia!
This is one the great virtues and values of having our envelope system. It’s completely anonymous and it allows us to communicate with the Treasurer when things do change.
It also allows us to put aside our offering to God in advance, so that if we go away for a while we can still ensure that what we promised God is always offered exactly according to our promise.
At the last Parish Council meeting the Treasurer wept, groaned and gnashed his teeth because what we had promised to offer to God was more than we were ACTUALLY offering to God. I doubt if God’s blessings have decreased – but it may be that our circumstances have changed for the worse. If that’s the case, let the poor man know!
If it’s complexly a matter of trust and faith, that’s slightly more difficult – but not insurmountable. Perhaps it is only a matter of remembering that if we have promised to offer to God a thank offering for God’s blessings then of course we expect ourselves to honour that promise – just as we would expect anyone else to honour any other promise they made to us.
Let’s pray.
Loving and generous God
Your blessings fill our lives to overflowing.
Help us always to use those blessings
so that we in turn may be a blessing to others.
Help us to remember also that what we offer to you
we offer in faith, trusting your promise
to look after us in every single circumstance.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son our Lord. Amen.
Monday, October 22, 2007
GOD: THE GOOD COP?
16th September 2007 : Pentecost 16 : Year C
9:30am Westfield
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 : 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-19a : Luke 15:1-10
It doesn’t matter which TV channel we watch – every one of them has some sort of “cops n robbers” show. The ABC has excellent programs like The Bill and Cracker, among others; the commercials serve an unending platter of American and, occasionally, Australian fare. We can even tune into SBS and see the marvelous Inspector Montalbano capturing crooks in smooth Italian.
As expressions of the heresy of dualism – good versus bad, right versus wrong – these shows continue the trend we can witness even in holy scripture. Not, of course, cop shows as such; rather, the good guy triumphing over the bad guy – the more blood and violence the better!
Little wonder that we cast God in the role of the Avenger, the Super Cop, the Great Police Commissioner in the Sky, with Chief Inspector Jesus on the ground to hunt down the remaining bad guys and train up a crack squad of Sinner-Seekers.
And boy does this seem to be the case first-up when Jeremiah smacks us in the chops with a divine soliloquy outlining God’s anger at Judah’s faithlessness. This is God Super-Cop in action, the Punisher, the Revenger – the One who visits pain and suffering upon all who fail to conform to the divine design.
They say the devil is in the detail. In this case it’s the divine in the detail, in one small clause that signals hope and something of the true nature of the Living God:
Yet I will not make a full end, sez God. In other words, God will not eradicate Judah, not wipe them off the face of the earth, erasing every record and social security number as if they never even existed.
Yet I will not make a full end signals God’s intention to find a peaceful and merciful resolution. Judah has chosen a particular course of action and, as I suggested a week or so ago, God ensures divine control over the situation by accepting full responsibility for what will happen.
Over the centuries and still today Christians have gleefully purloined passages in the Hebrew scriptures as somehow being predictive of future events, especially Christ-events. Yet I will not make a full end could become one of those chrystal ball phrases even though it refers only to the ultimate restoration of the Jewish people centuries before Jesus.
Even so, when we DO encounter the times of Jesus we find a truer, far more accurate picture of the God of mercy, love and compassion than the projections of the Hebrew scriptures. Paul gives us these straightforward statements to ponder:
Paul contrasts his human behaviour – his violence – with that of the Living God, who displays qualities of mercy, love, grace and faithfulness, doing so with “utmost patience”. Here suddenly is the true nature of our God, the One who “will not make a full end” but will wait patiently for the opportune moment, when the people are ready to understand and receive God’s mercy.
This is very important. While we continue to act out of fear – while our behaviour and attitudes and endlessly-rewound tapes reinforce again and again and again and again that fear – we will continue to conceive of and portray the Living God as a ruthless persecutor who is out for revenge. Needless to say, being otherwise rational creatures, we will also continue to run away from such a God.
And rightly so. Because that ISN’T our God.
The fear we’re talking about is sheer terror. Fear as in the Dave Allen sketch: “Admiral! There’s fifty French froggy frigates on the horizon!” “Thank you, Mr Hardy. Would you kindly fetch me my brown corduroy trousers …”
We shouldn’t confuse this fear with the very appropriate awe and speechless amazement that the word fear indicates in many biblical passages. That’s entirely different.
This fear of the God of revenge keeps us running, keeps us hiding – and it’s often the final barrier God gently removes before we come to an understanding of God’s true nature.
What does Paul say? “Christ came into the world to SAVE sinners …” Jesus is not a bounty hunter. He’s the full human expression of the divine love, mercy, compassion and yearning for relationship.
And as the gospel confirms and emphasises, Jesus isn’t out there looking for sinners. He’s searching, patiently, for those who are lost.
Yes, the stories in this chapter of Luke do equate “the lost” with sinners and sin and sinful behaviour. But as the third story in the series – the lost son and the prodigal father – indicates, God isn’t hunting us down in order to punish us.
God is painstakingly searching for us in order to LOVE us fully. And such is God’s joy when we return, when we come out of our fear-based hovels and chuck out our warped, perverted fear-based distortions of God, that full-blooded celebration is the only option.
God sez, I’ve found Big Al – let’s PAR-TAY! Whoo-hoo!! And God becomes the divine DJ at the divine disco, out-boogey-ing the best of them.
Where does that leave us in the Parish of the Holy Spirit, Westfield? First, let’s do a reality check of our picture of the Living God. Are we terrified this disturbed deity is gonna get us and get us good? Or are we secure in God’s love – secure enough to speak about it and share it with confidence and authority?
Second, we have to remember that the Jesus business isn’t just about warm-fuzzies. It’s also about sharing this good news with everyone else who is lost, wounded, damaged, broken. If we’re still fear-based then we don’t have no good news to share. If we’ve come to trust the faithful love, mercy and compassion of the Living God, then boy do we have a good news story to tell and share!
And that’s the question –do we have bad news of a vengeful punisher? or good news of the ever-loving, ever-living Living God? And if we do – then who’s hearing it? Who heard it yesterday? Who’s gonna hear it today? Who’ll hear it tomorrow and the day after and the week after that and next month and next year and … You get the picture …
9:30am Westfield
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 : 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-19a : Luke 15:1-10
It doesn’t matter which TV channel we watch – every one of them has some sort of “cops n robbers” show. The ABC has excellent programs like The Bill and Cracker, among others; the commercials serve an unending platter of American and, occasionally, Australian fare. We can even tune into SBS and see the marvelous Inspector Montalbano capturing crooks in smooth Italian.
As expressions of the heresy of dualism – good versus bad, right versus wrong – these shows continue the trend we can witness even in holy scripture. Not, of course, cop shows as such; rather, the good guy triumphing over the bad guy – the more blood and violence the better!
Little wonder that we cast God in the role of the Avenger, the Super Cop, the Great Police Commissioner in the Sky, with Chief Inspector Jesus on the ground to hunt down the remaining bad guys and train up a crack squad of Sinner-Seekers.
And boy does this seem to be the case first-up when Jeremiah smacks us in the chops with a divine soliloquy outlining God’s anger at Judah’s faithlessness. This is God Super-Cop in action, the Punisher, the Revenger – the One who visits pain and suffering upon all who fail to conform to the divine design.
They say the devil is in the detail. In this case it’s the divine in the detail, in one small clause that signals hope and something of the true nature of the Living God:
yet I will not make a full end
Yet I will not make a full end, sez God. In other words, God will not eradicate Judah, not wipe them off the face of the earth, erasing every record and social security number as if they never even existed.
Yet I will not make a full end signals God’s intention to find a peaceful and merciful resolution. Judah has chosen a particular course of action and, as I suggested a week or so ago, God ensures divine control over the situation by accepting full responsibility for what will happen.
Over the centuries and still today Christians have gleefully purloined passages in the Hebrew scriptures as somehow being predictive of future events, especially Christ-events. Yet I will not make a full end could become one of those chrystal ball phrases even though it refers only to the ultimate restoration of the Jewish people centuries before Jesus.
Even so, when we DO encounter the times of Jesus we find a truer, far more accurate picture of the God of mercy, love and compassion than the projections of the Hebrew scriptures. Paul gives us these straightforward statements to ponder:
I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me,
because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I
was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I
received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of
our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the foremost. But for that very
reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might
display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to
believe in him for eternal life.
Paul contrasts his human behaviour – his violence – with that of the Living God, who displays qualities of mercy, love, grace and faithfulness, doing so with “utmost patience”. Here suddenly is the true nature of our God, the One who “will not make a full end” but will wait patiently for the opportune moment, when the people are ready to understand and receive God’s mercy.
This is very important. While we continue to act out of fear – while our behaviour and attitudes and endlessly-rewound tapes reinforce again and again and again and again that fear – we will continue to conceive of and portray the Living God as a ruthless persecutor who is out for revenge. Needless to say, being otherwise rational creatures, we will also continue to run away from such a God.
And rightly so. Because that ISN’T our God.
The fear we’re talking about is sheer terror. Fear as in the Dave Allen sketch: “Admiral! There’s fifty French froggy frigates on the horizon!” “Thank you, Mr Hardy. Would you kindly fetch me my brown corduroy trousers …”
We shouldn’t confuse this fear with the very appropriate awe and speechless amazement that the word fear indicates in many biblical passages. That’s entirely different.
This fear of the God of revenge keeps us running, keeps us hiding – and it’s often the final barrier God gently removes before we come to an understanding of God’s true nature.
What does Paul say? “Christ came into the world to SAVE sinners …” Jesus is not a bounty hunter. He’s the full human expression of the divine love, mercy, compassion and yearning for relationship.
And as the gospel confirms and emphasises, Jesus isn’t out there looking for sinners. He’s searching, patiently, for those who are lost.
Yes, the stories in this chapter of Luke do equate “the lost” with sinners and sin and sinful behaviour. But as the third story in the series – the lost son and the prodigal father – indicates, God isn’t hunting us down in order to punish us.
God is painstakingly searching for us in order to LOVE us fully. And such is God’s joy when we return, when we come out of our fear-based hovels and chuck out our warped, perverted fear-based distortions of God, that full-blooded celebration is the only option.
God sez, I’ve found Big Al – let’s PAR-TAY! Whoo-hoo!! And God becomes the divine DJ at the divine disco, out-boogey-ing the best of them.
Where does that leave us in the Parish of the Holy Spirit, Westfield? First, let’s do a reality check of our picture of the Living God. Are we terrified this disturbed deity is gonna get us and get us good? Or are we secure in God’s love – secure enough to speak about it and share it with confidence and authority?
Second, we have to remember that the Jesus business isn’t just about warm-fuzzies. It’s also about sharing this good news with everyone else who is lost, wounded, damaged, broken. If we’re still fear-based then we don’t have no good news to share. If we’ve come to trust the faithful love, mercy and compassion of the Living God, then boy do we have a good news story to tell and share!
And that’s the question –do we have bad news of a vengeful punisher? or good news of the ever-loving, ever-living Living God? And if we do – then who’s hearing it? Who heard it yesterday? Who’s gonna hear it today? Who’ll hear it tomorrow and the day after and the week after that and next month and next year and … You get the picture …
Alistair P D Bain
Rector, Anglican Parish of the Holy Spirit
Westfield -:- Western Australia
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