Greetings from our far flung islands. The ends of March are rather fragmented. Just a snippet of this and that to update you.
Our family's greatest sadness has been the demise of our very resilient and communicative cat called Alex. I have written of her before. She climbed into our lives soon after we arrived in New Zealand - visiting the garden when we were putting washing on the line and treating our legs like a tree - literally climbing up for some TLC. Alex was a generic and non-gender confusing open kind of name as we were not sure what she/he was. You will recall our Witbank cat in the old days called Suzy, named after the street where she lived before moving into our house. Suzy, when we thought she was pregnant, turned out to be a male cat with a hernia. So you can see why we were avoiding that kind of dilemma.
Alex, Alexi, or Alexi Stukoff, as she was known by various members of the family, would virtually speak when in need, and tap me on the arm in bed each morning with her paw - requiring a visit to the kitchen of course. She ran away when we were in Brisbane some time back, and was found by advertising on "Pets on the net". She was more like a dog in some ways, waiting for us to return, and following us around the house. A real family member.
Friday morning I found her dead in the street after returning from an early drive into the city taking a student to a street collection for the local MS society. A very distressing thing indeed, followed by a very hastily arranged funeral in the back yard before going to school. I have spoken about grief a thousand times, and understand all the tricky things when we lose someone in tragic ways. Who would have thought how intense it would be in the loss of Alex. The feeling that she would walk around the corner. Looking twice at her favourite places each day to see if she wasn't perhaps there. Dreaming of her arriving back again as I have done through the years when death has taken special people in my life.
The house has been eerily quiet and subdued. My middle child didn't come out of his room for the first five days. I found things that were usually quite manageable almost impossible. In short, I was surprised by the level of trauma. Of course it's all very subtle. She was the constant factor in the irritating moving from house to house over the last three years. And the unconditional and uncomplicated love of a pet cat puts human complexities into an interesting perspective.
Blessed are they who mourn - says the sermon on the Mount. I am hardly happy, to use the unhelpful English translations of that line. And yes we are blessed - our lives are so rich in many ways. But our losses tear a bit away from the securities and certainties which prop us up and steady the ship, so to speak.
I have mourned with so many over the years. Perhaps not giving enough time to my own mourning. I have written often about the tearing of immigration, the losses of work conflicts, and the tragedies of separation and anger that I have seen. We have suffered terrible consequences when people have had too many ends - the ripping away of that which defines one, the dehumanising of those who subject you through the dominant discourses of another land to a sense of being foreign, strange, or unwelcomed.
The end of Alex the cat seems an unnecessary indignity. I share the lives of so many boys at school who have had these ends - lost pets, parents, friends, dreams, and loves. It all requires such courage, of course. Courage to risk the chance of love again, courage to journey with parents on their travels towards new partners or spouses, new homes and jobs, courage to try again when others have boxed you in, using the kind of language that grinds and grates, consigning you to the emotional bins and trash heaps of life.
There are many South Africans still rolling onto these shores - all with their ends and hopeful beginnings. They bring their luggage and their baggage, and bravely start again with new and stuttering beginnings. Such is the ebb and flow of life. T S Eliot wrote of his "burnt-out ends of smoky days". I always remembered the line from his Preludes in my overloaded head as burnt-out ends of lonely days.
Well there it is. The ends of March. Words have always been good friends. In deepest moments of loss and disappointments I have scraped together attempts in verse and song. Today I tap these out while sitting on a bed. It's the end of Friday. The end of week 10. How organised the school terms are. The end of the term eagerly awaits us. The end of Lent will bring the beginning of a new Easter celebrating the end of a another life of far greater impact and significance than our insignificant bumps in the road of life.
Easter will see us travelling back to the Hawkes Bay to visit good friends and rest at Glen Innis, the Presbyterian Holiday home. As winter approaches the thought of cold wet southerly winds and our fourth winter in Wellington is an interesting one. The end of March officially - the 31st - will be the celebration of our third anniversary here in New Zealand. Not far after that in May, we have our 25th wedding anniversary. We remain immensely grateful for all we have shared. Thanks for journeying with us,
Blessings at this Easter tide.
The Palmers.
Friday, 27 March 2009
“Sir, we want to see Jesus.” - Chapel service 27 March
Chapel Service – Friday 27th March 2009
“Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
So religion is a bit of a pain for you. That’s the general kind of drift of the conversation these days. Why bother with all this chapel stuff? After all this is the 21st century. Who needs it – we’ve got the brains to solve it all – the intelligence to crack every problem. We are the intelligence of this universe – we will get there.
Religion seems a bit archaic to some – possibly even to most of you. The very idea that you should honour someone else – worship an unseen divinity – actually thank a Creator for the gift of life and love, is kind of dated.
Or is it?
I suspect that most of us who play the intellectual doubt game – who scoff at the Bible and its claims – who deride the church and its history, and even disregard the intellectual giants of history who have happily remained believers in this God – are really just ducking and diving.
I suspect that even if I was able to win the arguments thrown up and answer the pretend questions with logic and intellectual accuracy that would satisfy the hungriest of empiricists – that many would still not believe.
Simply because they don’t want to take the risk. There is always a cost.
I don’t believe that people really want to take the risk. They’re not brave enough.
The unnamed Greeks in today’s Gospel reading must have heard something that attracted them to this Jesus. They were probably just Gentiles of the day – perhaps people on a religious quest.
They would have heard of this Messianic person who had ridden into Jerusalem like a King. Even without email, internet, TV and text messages, people actually did communicate in those days – as bizarre as that may seem to you.
The word would have been out. It was news. Not bad news – we specialise in bad news and find it easiest to pass on rumours or criticism. It was good news.
For them it was news of hope in a difficult day – and they came with a serious request to Philip, a follower of Jesus: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
It’s to the followers of Jesus today that one hopes serious enquirers will still go.
The response of Jesus to this request is enigmatic and challenging – it’s the saying – the bible verse – that I’ve seen on many a cenotaph and memorial both in my home country and travelling around New Zealand – you find them in every town.
(NRSV) Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Its one of the sayings of Jesus that only those who were raised on the King James Bible would remember as a special saying of Jesus
Verily, verily, I say unto you
Literally – AMEN AMEN.
Jesus starts speaking the kind of language that most modern people want to run from.
Give up things – take risks – die to yourself – and you will find the real growth in your life.
For Jesus, it was a literal death. This is the Easter season – just around the corner we will remember his death and resurrection.
Serving Jesus – he tells these enquirers – requires following him. And a fruitful life, modelled on that of Jesus, is a life for others.
The man for others – that’s what my minister used to pray when I was a teenager. He wasn't a perfect minister. But he got that right – Jesus – the man for others.
Ghandi – a heroic and devout Hindu - admired Jesus and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. Once when the missionary E. Stanley Jones met with Ghandi he asked him, "Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?"
Ghandi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."
So you want to see Jesus? Would you come knocking on my door and ask the question: “Sir, we want to see Jesus?”
The journey with Jesus is a very meaningful and exciting one – and believe me, his presence makes all the difference along the road of life.
My apologies for his followers. I am one of them – and we don’t always get it right. All the more reason to work at it!
As Easter comes – consider the courage and commitment of a man who would die in your place had you been sentenced to death. Pretty radical, I think.
It is Jesus who says in this same passage - John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
It is too the cross that Christians look at Easter. I trust that you will look in that direction as well – and reflect on this man for others.
I was watching the high jump the other day – and someone said – O it all depends how high the bar is.
Jesus sets a very high standard. It’s a challenge to us all to follow him. The sacrificial life goes way beyond just service each day – kind acts, hard work for others, earning points because we have notched up service hours.
It’s about a life with a different purpose altogether. Perhaps one of my students in life skills this week was right when he had to answer the question “what is the purpose of life?” In jest he said, “My purpose in life is to find the purpose of life”.
I’m pretty content with the purpose that Christ Jesus has given me. I used to argue and scoff too as a teenager. Until I began to explore – and decided to see for myself - like the Greek enquirers in today’s reading.
Sir, we want to see Jesus - is a great place to start.
“Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
So religion is a bit of a pain for you. That’s the general kind of drift of the conversation these days. Why bother with all this chapel stuff? After all this is the 21st century. Who needs it – we’ve got the brains to solve it all – the intelligence to crack every problem. We are the intelligence of this universe – we will get there.
Religion seems a bit archaic to some – possibly even to most of you. The very idea that you should honour someone else – worship an unseen divinity – actually thank a Creator for the gift of life and love, is kind of dated.
Or is it?
I suspect that most of us who play the intellectual doubt game – who scoff at the Bible and its claims – who deride the church and its history, and even disregard the intellectual giants of history who have happily remained believers in this God – are really just ducking and diving.
I suspect that even if I was able to win the arguments thrown up and answer the pretend questions with logic and intellectual accuracy that would satisfy the hungriest of empiricists – that many would still not believe.
Simply because they don’t want to take the risk. There is always a cost.
I don’t believe that people really want to take the risk. They’re not brave enough.
The unnamed Greeks in today’s Gospel reading must have heard something that attracted them to this Jesus. They were probably just Gentiles of the day – perhaps people on a religious quest.
They would have heard of this Messianic person who had ridden into Jerusalem like a King. Even without email, internet, TV and text messages, people actually did communicate in those days – as bizarre as that may seem to you.
The word would have been out. It was news. Not bad news – we specialise in bad news and find it easiest to pass on rumours or criticism. It was good news.
For them it was news of hope in a difficult day – and they came with a serious request to Philip, a follower of Jesus: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
It’s to the followers of Jesus today that one hopes serious enquirers will still go.
The response of Jesus to this request is enigmatic and challenging – it’s the saying – the bible verse – that I’ve seen on many a cenotaph and memorial both in my home country and travelling around New Zealand – you find them in every town.
(NRSV) Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Its one of the sayings of Jesus that only those who were raised on the King James Bible would remember as a special saying of Jesus
Verily, verily, I say unto you
Literally – AMEN AMEN.
Jesus starts speaking the kind of language that most modern people want to run from.
Give up things – take risks – die to yourself – and you will find the real growth in your life.
For Jesus, it was a literal death. This is the Easter season – just around the corner we will remember his death and resurrection.
Serving Jesus – he tells these enquirers – requires following him. And a fruitful life, modelled on that of Jesus, is a life for others.
The man for others – that’s what my minister used to pray when I was a teenager. He wasn't a perfect minister. But he got that right – Jesus – the man for others.
Ghandi – a heroic and devout Hindu - admired Jesus and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. Once when the missionary E. Stanley Jones met with Ghandi he asked him, "Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?"
Ghandi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."
So you want to see Jesus? Would you come knocking on my door and ask the question: “Sir, we want to see Jesus?”
The journey with Jesus is a very meaningful and exciting one – and believe me, his presence makes all the difference along the road of life.
My apologies for his followers. I am one of them – and we don’t always get it right. All the more reason to work at it!
As Easter comes – consider the courage and commitment of a man who would die in your place had you been sentenced to death. Pretty radical, I think.
It is Jesus who says in this same passage - John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
It is too the cross that Christians look at Easter. I trust that you will look in that direction as well – and reflect on this man for others.
I was watching the high jump the other day – and someone said – O it all depends how high the bar is.
Jesus sets a very high standard. It’s a challenge to us all to follow him. The sacrificial life goes way beyond just service each day – kind acts, hard work for others, earning points because we have notched up service hours.
It’s about a life with a different purpose altogether. Perhaps one of my students in life skills this week was right when he had to answer the question “what is the purpose of life?” In jest he said, “My purpose in life is to find the purpose of life”.
I’m pretty content with the purpose that Christ Jesus has given me. I used to argue and scoff too as a teenager. Until I began to explore – and decided to see for myself - like the Greek enquirers in today’s reading.
Sir, we want to see Jesus - is a great place to start.
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Sunday Service 15th March - Cleanse our Temples Lord
Readings:
Psalm 19
John 2:13-25
I found this great book entitled “How to know when you need to clean house”
• It is time to clean house when your feet stick to the floor when you walk through the kitchen.
• It is time to clean house when your mother can't find you when she comes into your room to wake you up in the morning.
• It is time to clean house when the kids in the neighborhood use their fingers to write "wash me" in the dirt on your windows.
• It is time to clean house when there are more dishes in the kitchen sink than there are in the cabinets.
Lent is a great time for housekeeping.
So what do you make of Jesus fashioning a whip to drive out the people and animals from the temple? It wasn’t very big whip. Not long after this a nastier whip would be cracking down on Jesus’ own back, as he was to take upon himself our punishment for sin.
Of course only John talks about the whip, and he places this very energetic form of housekeeping at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in his gospel. Some say there were two cleansings of the temple. In the other gospels there is no mention of a whip – but clearly he drives the people out! And the animals!
I heard an excellent sermon yesterday by a student at Scots college – on righteous anger. Great when it comes from a 15 year old. He spoke on this very account using Mark’s Gospel.
So what does spiritual housekeeping look like?
And why bother? Simply because it is Lent?
I should think that the church should do some spiritual house keeping or spring cleaning (even in autumn) SOLEY BECAUSE Jesus seldom gets angry – but this really made him mad!
It’s Zeal – you see in action here. John points out reflectively that his disciples remembered that it was written - "Zeal for your house will consume me." (Psalm 69)
Presbyterians are not generally known for their zeal!
We used to be zealous about the Sabbath – “back in the day”. Remember the Olympic games of 1924? Not? Never mind, neither do I! But in the film CHARIOTS OF FIRE you would have seen some of the issues of the day – the famous Scot Eric Liddell – the flying Scotsman – wouldn’t run his best race on the Sabbath – the 100 metres! It was he who is portrayed in the movie (1981) saying: "I believe that God made me for a purpose... (the mission in China), but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure."
We were always zealous about the Word of God – now we carry it in and out of church, but don’t necessarily carry out what it says! There was a time when Presbyterians were much more into the Bible – reading it much much more at home! And of course you wouldn’t miss Sunday worship!
Zeal for the house of God. What does that mean today?
What would Jesus do today?
Is this about how we use the church today? Or is it about the members of the Body of Christ??
John Wimber once told the story of an irate member of the congregation who phoned him with a complaint. A family in crisis had been trying to get help.
“They phoned the church office again and again, and couldn’t get through. “How’s the church supposed to help if no one answers the phone?” he complained. “It was so bad that I had to take them in!”
John Wimber replied – “well then the church did help, didn’t it!”
Zeal for the temple today might not mean the physical place!
It might mean a passion for the effective ministry of the members of the church! We are the body of Christ, after all, the real church.
Perhaps its our own personal temples that are at issue? After all, didn’t Paul say:
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Of course, Paul was talking about sexual sin! Maybe that’s not serious – or maybe it is very serious! Maybe we need to look again at the biblical view of marriage?
Personal housekeeping.
There is a sense in which we need to clean up our own lives! The traditional 40 days of Lent in which Christians deprived themselves of things through fasting or abstinence was intended, I think, to focus the mind on spiritual disciplines.
The reading from Psalm 19 today is quite helpful in this regard.
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;
Psa 19:8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;
Psa 19:9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Psa 19:12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
The soul is revived, the simple are made wise, the heart rejoices, the eyes are enlightened, and God’s ordinances are to be desired because they are sweet and rich! Despite this, the Psalmist says that we are warned by these ordinances – and that we are in danger not detecting our errors – we need to be cleared or cleansed of our HIDDEN FAULTS.
Of course sin is a very insidious thing. There are some laws, from the Old Testament point of view, and for that matter the New Testament law of Christ, that are not complicated and we know full well when we have messed up.
But its ever so subtle at times, isn’t it.
Like the little boy who prayed:
Dear God, please forgive me for all my sins, the sins I thought, the sins I did, and the sins I didn’t get around to going!
The Psalm ends with:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
What is acceptable to God today? What would Jesus drive out of our lives?
The subtle things, the insidious sins, are the very reason for the need for spiritual housekeeping at Lent!
Of course the 40 days don’t end in gloom! When Good Friday comes, we should have our three hour services. We’re not expected to be on the cross suffering – only praying and reflecting, worshipping and remembering. We’re like people in an airport on a journey – we watch the final of the world rugby cup after the fact – we already have the results because the broadcast has been delayed!
We celebrate the cross knowing about the resurrection already!
Why all the fuss then?
Simply because we are grateful – or should be!
We undeservedly receive grace – God riches at Christ’s expense – forgiveness, new life, a relationship with God in which we are called his children AND his friends, the promise of eternal life, joy in our hearts, the beautiful fellowship of the church, support of great friends, and deep real healing even when life has dealt us the heaviest of blows!
All the more reason to please God - to live right and well – simply out of gratitude!
Corporate sins are harder to deal with!
Lent is easy for individuals. If we are honest to God and before God, we can confess – and make right. (There is no point in saying sorry to God unless we say sorry to others and change our ways!)
It’s the corporate sins that people are unsure about!
What if the way we do church IS sinful and displeasing to God? We worry about OUR buildings and OUR traditions – OUR way of worship and OUR MUSIC. Or OUR pews…
They are all wonderful and interesting things. But are they the most important?
But what about our lack of generosity to the needy, our indifference to the poor. Our tolerance of indifference, our subtle issues of race and resentment.
I watched the movie (the Boy in the striped Pajamas) in a preview some weeks back. I’d never read the book, so the ending was unexpected. And I felt very exposed – the indignation that the little naïve German boy should suffer the same fate as the little Jewish Kid. How callous we are. A bomb in Baghdad seems less shocking than a bomb in Auckland would be to us.
There are these corporate, community and global sins – of greed, indifference, or the more understated assumptions – that the kiwi way is superior, that South Africans are probably racists, and various other people are lazy in general, or stupid because English is not their first language.
Our spiritual housekeeping should lead to weeping – not because we don’t have time to clean away the dust, but because of our assumption that all is well, when it isn’t.
Let Jesus come with his whip and chase out of our lives “all that is not holy and is not true.” These words come from the 19th century hymn by Caroline Noel:
At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess Him King of glory now;
’Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call Him Lord,
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
In your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue
All that is not holy, all that is not true;
Crown Him as your Captain in temptation’s hour;
Let His will enfold you in its light and power.
May it be so for us today.
Cleanse our temples, Lord, we pray.
Amen.
Psalm 19
John 2:13-25
I found this great book entitled “How to know when you need to clean house”
• It is time to clean house when your feet stick to the floor when you walk through the kitchen.
• It is time to clean house when your mother can't find you when she comes into your room to wake you up in the morning.
• It is time to clean house when the kids in the neighborhood use their fingers to write "wash me" in the dirt on your windows.
• It is time to clean house when there are more dishes in the kitchen sink than there are in the cabinets.
Lent is a great time for housekeeping.
So what do you make of Jesus fashioning a whip to drive out the people and animals from the temple? It wasn’t very big whip. Not long after this a nastier whip would be cracking down on Jesus’ own back, as he was to take upon himself our punishment for sin.
Of course only John talks about the whip, and he places this very energetic form of housekeeping at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in his gospel. Some say there were two cleansings of the temple. In the other gospels there is no mention of a whip – but clearly he drives the people out! And the animals!
I heard an excellent sermon yesterday by a student at Scots college – on righteous anger. Great when it comes from a 15 year old. He spoke on this very account using Mark’s Gospel.
So what does spiritual housekeeping look like?
And why bother? Simply because it is Lent?
I should think that the church should do some spiritual house keeping or spring cleaning (even in autumn) SOLEY BECAUSE Jesus seldom gets angry – but this really made him mad!
It’s Zeal – you see in action here. John points out reflectively that his disciples remembered that it was written - "Zeal for your house will consume me." (Psalm 69)
Presbyterians are not generally known for their zeal!
We used to be zealous about the Sabbath – “back in the day”. Remember the Olympic games of 1924? Not? Never mind, neither do I! But in the film CHARIOTS OF FIRE you would have seen some of the issues of the day – the famous Scot Eric Liddell – the flying Scotsman – wouldn’t run his best race on the Sabbath – the 100 metres! It was he who is portrayed in the movie (1981) saying: "I believe that God made me for a purpose... (the mission in China), but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure."
We were always zealous about the Word of God – now we carry it in and out of church, but don’t necessarily carry out what it says! There was a time when Presbyterians were much more into the Bible – reading it much much more at home! And of course you wouldn’t miss Sunday worship!
Zeal for the house of God. What does that mean today?
What would Jesus do today?
Is this about how we use the church today? Or is it about the members of the Body of Christ??
John Wimber once told the story of an irate member of the congregation who phoned him with a complaint. A family in crisis had been trying to get help.
“They phoned the church office again and again, and couldn’t get through. “How’s the church supposed to help if no one answers the phone?” he complained. “It was so bad that I had to take them in!”
John Wimber replied – “well then the church did help, didn’t it!”
Zeal for the temple today might not mean the physical place!
It might mean a passion for the effective ministry of the members of the church! We are the body of Christ, after all, the real church.
Perhaps its our own personal temples that are at issue? After all, didn’t Paul say:
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Of course, Paul was talking about sexual sin! Maybe that’s not serious – or maybe it is very serious! Maybe we need to look again at the biblical view of marriage?
Personal housekeeping.
There is a sense in which we need to clean up our own lives! The traditional 40 days of Lent in which Christians deprived themselves of things through fasting or abstinence was intended, I think, to focus the mind on spiritual disciplines.
The reading from Psalm 19 today is quite helpful in this regard.
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;
Psa 19:8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;
Psa 19:9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Psa 19:12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
The soul is revived, the simple are made wise, the heart rejoices, the eyes are enlightened, and God’s ordinances are to be desired because they are sweet and rich! Despite this, the Psalmist says that we are warned by these ordinances – and that we are in danger not detecting our errors – we need to be cleared or cleansed of our HIDDEN FAULTS.
Of course sin is a very insidious thing. There are some laws, from the Old Testament point of view, and for that matter the New Testament law of Christ, that are not complicated and we know full well when we have messed up.
But its ever so subtle at times, isn’t it.
Like the little boy who prayed:
Dear God, please forgive me for all my sins, the sins I thought, the sins I did, and the sins I didn’t get around to going!
The Psalm ends with:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
What is acceptable to God today? What would Jesus drive out of our lives?
The subtle things, the insidious sins, are the very reason for the need for spiritual housekeeping at Lent!
Of course the 40 days don’t end in gloom! When Good Friday comes, we should have our three hour services. We’re not expected to be on the cross suffering – only praying and reflecting, worshipping and remembering. We’re like people in an airport on a journey – we watch the final of the world rugby cup after the fact – we already have the results because the broadcast has been delayed!
We celebrate the cross knowing about the resurrection already!
Why all the fuss then?
Simply because we are grateful – or should be!
We undeservedly receive grace – God riches at Christ’s expense – forgiveness, new life, a relationship with God in which we are called his children AND his friends, the promise of eternal life, joy in our hearts, the beautiful fellowship of the church, support of great friends, and deep real healing even when life has dealt us the heaviest of blows!
All the more reason to please God - to live right and well – simply out of gratitude!
Corporate sins are harder to deal with!
Lent is easy for individuals. If we are honest to God and before God, we can confess – and make right. (There is no point in saying sorry to God unless we say sorry to others and change our ways!)
It’s the corporate sins that people are unsure about!
What if the way we do church IS sinful and displeasing to God? We worry about OUR buildings and OUR traditions – OUR way of worship and OUR MUSIC. Or OUR pews…
They are all wonderful and interesting things. But are they the most important?
But what about our lack of generosity to the needy, our indifference to the poor. Our tolerance of indifference, our subtle issues of race and resentment.
I watched the movie (the Boy in the striped Pajamas) in a preview some weeks back. I’d never read the book, so the ending was unexpected. And I felt very exposed – the indignation that the little naïve German boy should suffer the same fate as the little Jewish Kid. How callous we are. A bomb in Baghdad seems less shocking than a bomb in Auckland would be to us.
There are these corporate, community and global sins – of greed, indifference, or the more understated assumptions – that the kiwi way is superior, that South Africans are probably racists, and various other people are lazy in general, or stupid because English is not their first language.
Our spiritual housekeeping should lead to weeping – not because we don’t have time to clean away the dust, but because of our assumption that all is well, when it isn’t.
Let Jesus come with his whip and chase out of our lives “all that is not holy and is not true.” These words come from the 19th century hymn by Caroline Noel:
At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess Him King of glory now;
’Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call Him Lord,
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
In your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue
All that is not holy, all that is not true;
Crown Him as your Captain in temptation’s hour;
Let His will enfold you in its light and power.
May it be so for us today.
Cleanse our temples, Lord, we pray.
Amen.
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