“ an unreasonable vocation...”

Pastor Glen C. Bergson
Exodus 3: 1-15
Psalm 105: 1-6, 23-26 &45b
Romans 12: 9-21
Matthew 16:21-28

This weekend...this long weekend...of course...but...more specifically...on Monday...we are celebrating Labour Day...to be sure...neither a Church Holy Day...holiday...nor part of our Church Liturgical Calendar...yet and still...this Monday...Labour Day...is a day...that is celebrated...for the most part...not only here in Canada...but...a day that is celebrated all over the world...

The Labour Day holiday...is a holiday...that resulted from the efforts of the Labour Movement...and...it is intended to be...the Day...upon which we are called to celebrate...the economic and the social achievements of the worker ...of Labour...and...of course...today...not only organized Labour...but...all of labour...

Apparently...the Labour Day celebration had its earliest origins in what was
called the 8 (eight) hour movement...8 hours of work...8 hours of recreation ...and...8 hours of rest...In most parts of the world...the Labour Day Holiday is celebrated on May 1st...but...of course...here...in Canada...we celebrate the Labour Day Holiday on the first Monday in September...

Did you know that Labour Day in Canada had its origins back in April 1872..
when the Toronto Typographical Union workers staged a strike...strikes were not legal then...nevertheless...staged a strike in support of their working a 58 hour...yes...58 hour work week...Federal Labour Day Holiday Legislation was enacted in July 1894...

Yet and still...and...all Labour Day Holiday history aside...do you not think that it is reasonable to assert...that Labour Day has lost some ... perhaps... even lost much...of its lustre these days...simply said...do not many seem to regard the Labour Day Holiday event...more as a holiday event...rather than a Labour Day event...simply as...

- the final long weekend of the Summer...or...
- a weekend to close up the Cottage...or...
- the final weekend of freedom before School...or...
- the last big party blast weekend before classes...or...
- a day of STAT pay or double time pay...or...
- simply as an extra day to catch up on all the work that yet needs to be
done...

Labour Day...hmm??...doesn’t it seem...that we’re all...too busy working to be concerned about a Labour Day...indeed...in many respects...doesn’t it seem that we...and...here I mean the royal we...all of us...doesn’t it seem that...we have... really...given away...given back...lost ...much of what was gained by Labour...given away much of what this Labour Day Holiday was intended to represent...of course...all such reflection inviting us...to focus upon...our way of working and living...our way of living and being...and...of course...then...to try to answer the more faith-fully disturbing question that follows ...whether or not...in the midst of our now days...everyday...our always busy life style way of living and being...whether or not...we have lost our way...lost our true sense of vocation...lost our sense of call...lost our summons...our invitation...our way of living and being...as God’s People...in God’s world...

Truly...then...all such reflection...conversation...prayer... is well suited...for a
Labour Day Holiday weekend...in the middle of our Pentecost Season...also
remembering...that our Pentecost Season...our Faith Growing Season...calls
us...invites us...does it not...to reflect upon our...everyday way of living and
being in the world...to reflect upon our vocation...if you will...to reflect upon
our divine vocation...

In the very early Church...the teachings of the Church fathers like Origen and Augustine concerning vocation...equally were thought to apply...not only to every Christian...but...to every human being...In the following years ... though ...such an emphasis was lost...and much more emphasis came to be placed upon the Church vocation...the holy or religious orders...the divine vocation ...truly...the highest order of calling was thought to be the monastic life... and ...even though Luther and other Reformers sought to re-introduce the notion that every person...everyone...(aka...the priesthood of all believers...)...that everyone...regardless of occupation...was subject to divine call...however... the effect...the unintended effect of their effort was to suggest that vocation had merely to do with occupation...to be sure...a tragic misunderstanding...that still lingers...today...even in our Church...

To fast forward...then...into our world of today...haven’t the words vocation or career come to mean the same thing...and...isn’t much emphasis ...social
emphasis...now being placed upon education...training...career planning...
...goal setting...upon a person becoming highly effective...efficient...wealthy
profitable...success driven...goal oriented...clearly the focus being on personal choice...reasoned decisions...good management...and...if any doubts should exist...well...then...self-help books abound...How to Choose your Vocation ...Think and Grow Rich...7 Habits of Highly Effective people...How To Get What You Want...does that seem reasonable to you...??

Yet...clearly...such a methodology is quite contrary to God’s methodology...
the methodology that we encounter in the stories from our texts...especially
if we look at the likes of a Moses or a Peter...two who labour in the mystery
and wonder of God’s divine vocation...Quite contrary...indeed...to the systems- operations management theory approach...that we apply...to our vocational choices...in fact and in faith...a theologian friend of mine suggests that God’s divine call...to each and everyone of us here...can be characterized as follows

First...the idea of a call implies that an outside agent calls...God calls...or...
other words...one is the subject of a call...simply said...one does not choose
a career for one’s self...

Second...the call...the summons...the invitation from this other...from God...
often is...most often is...contrary to the will of the one who is called...or...in
other words...a God’s call maybe is contrary to the choice that the individual wants to make...

Next...invariably...the call always involves hardship...hardships...that must be overcome in order to respond to the call...and...

Finally...from the point of view of the one responding...the greatest danger ... really...appears...not so much in resistance as it appears in diversion...
Does that seem unreasonable...to you...??

Yet and still...these are the challenges that were faced by the likes of Moses
and Peter...and...today...these still are the challenges that are faced by each
of you...by everyone of us...God’s divine calling...reaching out...touching...
each and everyone of you...each and everyone of us...

Do we get right...do we always respond to God’s call...as we ought...as we
are called...well...of course not...just look at the dialogue between Moses and God...and...between Peter and Jesus...both...Moses and Peter ... clearly...misunderstanding the divine intentions and purpose of God’s call...God...goading Moses into his call...and finally...becoming so impatient...saying...look Moses...I AM who I AM...just do what your told...Peter...the one called to be the rock ...upon whom Jesus will build the Church...saying...when told of the death of Jesus yet to come...Jesus...you got it all wrong...and...thus being the subject of a stinging rebuke...Get behind me Satan...

Near the end of Deut 29:29...we hear these words...the secret things belong
to the Lord our God...but...the things...that are revealed...belong to us...and
...to our children for ever...that...we may do all the words of this law...or...in
much different words...in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (Ch 2)...for we are his workmanship...God’s workmanship...created in Christ Jesus for good works... the potter and the clay...our being made in the image of God...

On this Labour Day long weekend...then...my invitation to you...is... to ponder ...how you labour...for whom you labour...is...to ponder your vocation...your...divine vocation...not only as individuals...but as Church...here...in Airdrie...to ponder the divine call that God has placed in your heart...and while I will pray upon you...the blessed disturbance of God’s Holy Spirit...I also will pray upon you the love...and peace...and grace of our God...as you wrestle with God’s mighty and Holy ways...

When the Lord saw that he (Moses) turned aside to see...God called him...
Moses...Moses...and Moses responded...Here I am...Lord...send me...

Go in Peace...then...to love and serve the Lord...as unreasonable a vocation
and labour as that may seem to be for you...Thanks be to God...Amen

Pastor Glen
31 August 2008

Honor's Reward

This week we previewed 1 of 12 DVD's that are part of the Honor's Reward Group Study taking place this fall - Tuesday evenings, 7pm starting Sept. 16th. Call LCM for detials.

Are you ready to live life on a whole new level? Are you ready to exchange an ordinary life for an extraordinary life? Then you’re ready for this in-depth study on the subject of honor!

Honor is the essential key to receiving from God and has the power to greatly enhance your life. For this reason, the enemy of our souls has fiercely fought to eliminate it from our modern-day mindset and has, to a great degree, been successful. Honor carries with it great rewards, rewards God desires you to have in the here and now.

This practical, hands-on group study uses the workbook and devotional to help you gain and retain the powerful biblical principles and insights John presents in his book and video sessions. It contains twelve challenging chapters, featuring soul-searching questions that correspond with each video session, relevant devotionals and prayers, plus more.

This workbook is a multi-level learning experience. It will help you soak up the simple yet profound truths of honoring God, civil and social leaders, domestic and church leaders, as well as your peers and those entrusted to your care.

This study is produced by John Bevere of Messenger International. To discover additional resources rooted deeply in the Bible visit http://www.messengerinternational.com/

The Practice of Goodness

Text: Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

Jesus is in the middle of arguments with the scribes and Pharisees. He accuses them of valuing their own laws and traditions more than the law of God. In our time, this would be like trying to deal with the legalists and moralists in our tradition - and I don’t mean the lawyers and philosophers, I mean the religious people who are so concerned about making sure that other people keep the rules that they forget about the most important godly values of faith, hope and love.

So Jesus takes the opportunity to offer some teaching to the people in the crowd. The Pharisees have been arguing about the kosher laws and practices around food. But Jesus says it’s not what we put IN our mouths that causes evil, it’s what comes OUT of our mouths. The disciples come to tell him that the Pharisees are offended by this statement, but Jesus dismisses the Pharisees as willfully blind. “Never mind them,” he says, “they’ll mislead others and they’ll all end up lost.”

Jesus explains his little parable about digestion. The food we put in our mouths simply passes through the digestive system, the waste is excreted and is no longer a problem. So we can wash our hands endlessly and the effect is not of particular importance. But the same is not true of what comes from the mouth. Because what comes from the mouth proceeds from the heart, and has greater influence. You can’t deal with an evil heart by washing with soap and water. Jesus is severely critical of the Pharisees who focus so much on petty laws and practices, particularly since these many requirements are impossible for the poor to carry out. In first-century Palestine, you can’t wash your hands every time you touch food when you have no servants to provide the water and prepare the food.

Jesus goes on his way into the foreign territory of Tyre and Sidon. I had to think about why Matthew included this story with the passages about the Pharisees and their useless ritual efforts to be clean and holy, and Jesus’ parable about digestion. I think it must be to show that faith in Jesus as the Son of God is more important than ethnic background or tradition; in other words, it’s more important to be a person of faith than to be a pious Jew or a Pharisee who carries out all the religious observances.

A local woman, obviously a Gentile, not a Jew, approaches Jesus asking for help for her daughter. At first Jesus ignores her. She keeps asking and the disciples are annoyed. Jesus explains to her that his mission is to the Jewish people, to bring THEM back to God. She continues to ask and finally begs him for help. He gives her a rather harsh answer: “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” In other words, his purpose and his power are for the Jews, not the Gentiles – her people are less worthy of his attention. But she persists, saying “…even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table….” She believes in his ability to help and does not mind being called a dog if she can get the help she needs for her daughter. Jesus recognizes her faith and is willing to honour it, even though she is outside the boundary, so to speak. What is unthinkable for the legalists is possible for Jesus – and another reason why he gets into trouble with the authorities. With a few words he grants her request and her daughter is healed.

I suppose that in Jesus’ and Matthew’s time, people knew something about how the body worked when it came to eating and digestion. They raised animals and they had to know that nourishing food was necessary for healthy growth. But I don’t think they knew much about human psychology – how the mind works and how the personality develops. Even now, in our society that makes extensive use of technology and spends so much time and money on human research, one has to wonder whether we have learned very much about human development. Because we do many things that are not healthy or helpful. We spent a few days recently visiting our grandchildren, ages 10 and 7. I realize whenever I see my grandchildren that I lead a sheltered life. For one thing, I never watch TV. That might be hard to believe, but I grew up without TV and though I used to watch a few things, these days I honestly don’t find anything I want to watch. I do look at the TV Guide but there’s nothing I want to see. So I’m shocked when I see what our granddaughter is immersed in: Hannah Montana…and various teen-agers in situations and conversations that are slick, offhand, shallow and sometimes crude. And it’s larger than life. They have a wide-screen TV set that seems to bring these glitzy creatures right into the living room. And Jessie talks like those airheads: when her father, who is preoccupied at the time, doesn’t respond to her request to come and look at something on the TV, she goes into an emotional spin: “Daddy, you’re not listening to me. You never listen to me. I’m not important!” And her brother, who is ten and fairly rational most of the time, runs away twice in one afternoon because his mother won’t grant some request or other. But he doesn’t really run away; he has no idea how to run away – he’d need a ride to get anywhere and he’s not about to inconvenience himself. Don’t get me wrong; they’re my grandchildren and they’re nice kids. They’re just in danger of filling their minds with trash. On the other hand, Jessie, now that she can read, has discovered libraries, and is enthusiastic about getting books to read. That warms her grandmother’s heart. And Josh is developing into a good athlete: he is spending several weeks of the summer in soccer, hockey and swimming programs. It takes a lot to ruin a good kid, but I think our society is careless about what we feed our kids’ minds. We fuss about their physical health but we don’t do a good job of guarding their mental health. They need wholesome information, positive experiences, good role models, guidance and discipline.

And then there’s spiritual development. Jesus has some guidance for us about this. He says, “…every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” I don’t think we need to take this as a threat to the lives of persons who are not faithful to God. I think we can take it as a judgment on any thoughts and words and actions that are offensive to God – and more and more we hear and see things around us that are offensive to everyone. But this behaviour is common and to many people, acceptable. Again, I think I lead a sheltered life – but last Friday I rode the C-Train from Dalhousie Station in northwest Calgary to Centre Street and 7th Avenue downtown…and the language that one hears from young people in public is shocking. I honestly think they don’t know any better. I used to think that of the young street people – glue-sniffers and prostitutes – I knew on the streets in Edmonton. They could use the f-word five times in every sentence: as exclamation, noun, verb, adjective and adverb. They definitely didn’t know any better – and they had reason to be very angry and bitter about their lives. I know they didn’t know better because they’d talk that way, then say, “Excuse my language, Pastor…” and then blurt out another sentence full of the same trash-talk! But now we hear that kind of talk from ordinary kids - and adults. I can’t help but think it’s a very bad diet to feed our minds and hearts and spirits.

And what else does Jesus say here? He says “…if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” So we should make sure those who lead others have the ability to lead in a good and positive direction. That goes for parents and for teachers and pastors and politicians, and everybody who has responsibility to be an example to others. How can we make sure of that? Well, we can’t do a lot about others, but we can take responsibility for ourselves and for the people over whom we have influence. We have a responsibility for what we consume – not only for the health of our bodies, but also for our minds and hearts and spirits.
And here’s where the experience of the church as a community comes in. One thing you can say about the church is that we might speak a language that not everyone understands, but we don’t talk trash. When we’re doing our job here, we speak constructively: we tell stories that are upbuilding; we speak faithfully, hopefully and lovingly; we practice respect for every person; we control our anger; we exercise forgiveness. A young person who comes here will experience goodness and kindness and encouragement. And older people will set the examples. It is a different atmosphere inside here from that which exists on the street and in the mall and even in the school corridor. Because we believe in God - and because we believe in God, we believe in goodness. It might be the only place some people find

THE KINGDOM OF GOD EXPANDS:

THE KINGDOM OF GOD EXPANDS:
OPEN TO THE UNKNOWN, OPEN TO HEAR, OPEN TO SPEAK

Text: Mark 7:24-37

Today we have two stories about Jesus which show his power to heal. But they show something else too: Jesus’ inclination to act in a new way. In the first story, Jesus is in foreign territory, in the land of Syria-Phoenicia, to the far north of Galilee. The people here are Gentiles by religion, meaning they probably follow some form of pagan worship with many gods, which is completely distasteful to Jews. [It’s remarkable to note that this is the area in which there has just been six weeks of religious and nationalistic war between the Israelis and the Hezbollah militants in southern Syria. The peoples of these regions are still at each other’s throats…it‘s an ancient and ongoing conflict.] What is Jesus doing here? Did he come here to reach out to Gentiles? We don’t know. But when a local woman comes and places herself at his feet and begs for healing for her daughter, Jesus seems reluctant to help her. He says that “the children”, presumably meaning the Jews, should be cared for first, and “the dogs”, presumably meaning the Gentiles, may get what’s left over. A pretty harsh statement, coming from anybody, especially Jesus. The woman is quick-witted: she picks up on his image of children and dogs and says, “But the dogs can eat the crumbs that the children drop under the table.” And he grants her request - the child is healed.
This concession on Jesus’ part is not standard Jewish practice. He has no obligation to assist, or even to pay attention to the needs of a foreigner and an infidel - an ungodly person. Nor would a strict Jewish male have any conversation with a female outside his own small circle of family and community. But Jesus does so - pays attention to a foreigner, an unbeliever and a woman who is a stranger. Why does he do this? Because he is aware of her need; because she is quick and confident; because she is insistent and focused. She is not put off by the insulting term “dogs”. Her daughter’s need is too important to be put off by a racist insult. Jesus recognizes her determination and her faith and he responds to that by granting her request. The kingdom of God suddenly expands….

The next story is also about opening up to new possibilities. Some people bring to Jesus a man who suffers from deafness and the resulting inability to speak clearly. Jesus takes him aside and goes through a little procedure of touching the man’s ears and tongue. Then Jesus says, “Be opened.” And the man can hear and speak clearly. What a world of new possibilities are opened up to this man now that he can hear all the sounds of the world around him, speak and be understood. The man himself and those who witness this miracle are greatly changed. The kingdom of God expands….

Today is Welcome Back Sunday. Welcome back to those of you who have been away on vacation, to those of you who have been camping and traveling on weekends, to those of you who work long hours in the summer and haven’t made it to church. Welcome to those of you who have come from other places and are new to this church. Welcome to those of you who are visitors. I want to read you a story about relating to strangers, about hearing and speaking in a new way, so that others are drawn in and the kingdom of God expands. This story is from this week’s edition of The Lutheran, the magazine of the Evangelical Church in America, our sister-church in the US. It’s called “Be opened!” and it’s written by a woman called……………………..
Poet Maya Angelou said children need to see our eyes light up when they walk into a room. We need to know that we matter to someone. My grandmother did this for me - and every person who walked through her doors. With barely a word, she’d find you a place at her kitchen table, wrapping you up in love and cookies. Grandma’s welcome was so delicious I wanted to share it with all my friends.

In looking for a church home, we wanted a place where eyes light up at the sight of children and strangers. The first year we lived in our new house, I drove by Hephatha Lutheran Church as I ferried my son to and from school. This Milwaukee church has a great big “open door welcome” sign on its side. The church’s name, Hephatha, means “be opened.” It comes from a story in Mark’s Gospel about Jesus healing a man who was deaf and speech-impaired….

Two years after we moved to our new neighbourhood, on the first Sunday in Advent, I opened Hephatha’s doors. I walked into church that day feeling much like the deaf and mute man in the story. For the past two years, my young children and I had been seeking a church home. Our last congregation was difficult and we needed to be wrapped in love. We had visited plenty of churches but had yet to see any eyes light up.

At one church, a…member leaned over to me during the opening song (to which my two-year-old daughter was loudly singing “La La Laaaaa!”) and said, “You know we have a nursery.” At another, my son chose the sermon time to ask, “Is it time for the credits?” Fifty heads turned toward us, and I wanted to sink under the pew. It went better when I was alone - no one stared, but no one spoke to me either. I felt discouraged. I didn’t know if I was deaf to the shouts of welcome god was offering to us or if the delicious welcome I sought was simply a fantasy.

On that cold Advent Sunday we found that delicious welcome at Hephatha Lutheran Church. The community gently gathered us in. On our first visit, the pastor greeted us at the door. A woman helped us navigate the service. After the children’s sermon, a boy gently led my three-year-old daughter back to me. Since then, several young children have adopted us as their family - beaming each time they slip into our pew. At Easter, a woman grabbed my hand on her way up to Communion, her eyes bright, and said, “I’m so glad you are here today!”

Here at Hephatha, my children and I have found the gracious embrace we sought. Even more, this embrace has transformed us, opening us to speak freely about Jesus’ love to others. This is how it works at Hephatha: we experience Jesus’ embrace in baptism, in the word and the meal, in the smiles and hugs of those who are glad we came. The pastor invites us to welcome others. People do. A woman who is grieving the violent death of her son has found welcome and healing at Hephatha. She opens her home and heart to neighbourhood children, bringing them to church. One Sunday, a young woman brought 17 children from her block. These children, welcomed and loved at Hephatha, come back with their brothers and sisters, friends and neighbours. And on it goes.

Evangelism can seem like part mystery, part magic act. At Hephatha, outreach is as simple as my grandmother’s kitchen table welcome: an open door, eyes that light up with love, and a place at the table for everyone.

Not everyone is as bold and insistent as the Syrophoenician woman in the Gospel-story. Some are shy and uncertain and badly wounded by past experiences. So we must reach past the shyness and uncertainty and woundedness to gather and comfort those who come. Not all of them are strangers. Some are our own people. Some of them are ourselves. Do we have the faith and the love that it takes to reach out in that way? I think we do. Jesus gives us both the example and the power to do that. James, in the second lesson today, says, “You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself….’ So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” Let us be open to follow Jesus’ leading; let us welcome all who come - those we know and those we don’t know; let us be ready to hear and speak. In that way, the kingdom of God expands.

Loaves and Fish and Grass

Genesis 32: 22-31
Psalm 17: 1-7 & 15
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14: 13-21

Usually...this is the moment...for the Pastor... to plunge into the Sermon for the day...BUT...as I already mentioned during the “Greeting” ...this morning......I am going to invite you...all of you...really...to come along with me...on that Sermon “plunge”...well...at least...for a little bit of our time this morning...

Now...to be sure...the purpose of such an endeavour...at least on my part...is not to expose you to the vagaries of the text...nor...to hang you out to dry...if you will...but...rather...for us to have a little fun with our text this mornrning...in particular...with our Gospel Text for today...the loaves and fish story that we find in Matthew’s Gospel ...and...as well...since this also is one of those lazy hazy mid-Summer Sundays...this long weekend of August...in the middle of Pentecost Season...your “faith growing Season”...to invite you...into a different way of living and being with this story...about loaves and fish...and grass...

So...then to start...and...I am hoping for...and trusting in some feed back here...when you read this story...or ...when you hear this story...what is it that you hear...what is this story all about for you...what’s happening here...what is this story telling us...??? _______

As we begin our look at this text...then...did you know...that this very same
story is repeated...four times...in our Canon of Text...it is found in each of the Gospel Texts...Matthew...Mark...Luke and John...with a different twist...here and there...in each case...

In Matthew...Jesus withdraws...into a boat...to a lonely place....but...the
crowds follow...

In Mark...again...we find reference to both the lonely place and the boat... but...in this story...Jesus is found...getting out of the boat...rather than into theboat...

In Luke...there is neither a lonely place...nor boat...but...rather...a City...
and...finally...then...

In John...the story has been expanded...Jesus crosses a Sea...climbs a
mountain...and...withdraws with the disciples...

Remember...of course...the significance of Mountain top ...and boat and water stories...in our texts...nevertheless...in each case...the loaves and the fish... are multiplied...

Now...with this story...I much prefer working with John’s Gospel...and...you will see why in a moment...I prefer John’s Gospel because...because...if I may...I wish to suggest to you this morning...that... there is latent in this story in John’s Gospel...one phrase that...sums it all up...if that’s the right way to put it...there is one phrase that tells us everything that we need to know about God...if...indeed...we are listening...listening in the midst of our...faith growing...faith greening...Pentecost Season

So...are you ready...for one of the most profound theological statements that you will find...well...ready or not...here it is...in John Ch6 v 10b...it says...in about the midst of the loaves and fish story...“now ...there was much grass in the place...” pardon me???

Yes...that’s is!...“Now...there was much grass in the place...”...do you get that ...well...of course you do...you live on the Prairies...much grass...means that there has been rain...much grass means that we can feed the cattle...that the crops will grow...much grass also means that ...in fact...not only are we going to survive...but...we are going to prosper...much grass...truly tells us all about abundance...in this story...much grass tells us all about God’s Abundance...

This text is all about God’s Abundance...in God’s world...it’s a vignette...a
snap shot...if you will...on the one hand...our story about our human notion of scarcity...which says...there is not enough for everyone...we are out of bread and fish...the life giving...food stuff...over and against...on the other hand...the notion that not only is there enough...there is more than enough...there even is abundance left over...plenty...God’s Abundance is so overwhelming...there is more than enough to go around...

Yet...as so often is the case...in the face of such God Abundance...we quibble about scarcity...how did God do that... no...I can’t believe that...no...you can’t make more fish and bread just like that...that’s crazy...no...that can’t be done ...there isn’t enough...just watch...

Yet and still...in John’s Gospel...the text goes on to read...Jesus then took the loaves...and when he had given thanks...he distributed them to those who were seated...so also the fish...as much as they wanted...a Eucharistic meal... to be sure...which...by the way...is the very same Eucharistic meal that Jesus shares with his disciples...after he was raised from the dead...a story also found in John’s Gospel...in the Epilogue of John’s Gospel...Jesus came...and took the bread ...and gave it to them...and so with the fish...this was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead...indeed...God’s victory over death and darkness...much abundance ...bread and fish...for all...for you...in Christ...that’s the story...

The miracle in our story...well...in all of these Gospel loaves and fish stories ...is not so much about the method of making the gift...how did this happen ...as much as it is about the abundance of the gift...the gift of God...for the people of God...

Of course...God’s Abundance for us...really and truly...began...in...with and
through Creation ...remember in Genesis Ch 1...God created humanity ... us
...male and female...in the image of God...it was intended...God intended that there be abundance...after all...this was the Garden of Eden...but... remember also...the Fall...the Fall from God’s Grace...if you will...Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden...with the radical Protestant view being...that...after the Fall...here...read Luther and the Confessions...the radical view being...no image of God in us...for us...with us ... rather...corruption...broken-ness...sin yet...with God doing what God does best...the God with us...the God for us rekindled the relationship ... beginning with that Promise to Abram...become Abraham...remember the stories of Abraham...Issac and Jacob...of Sarah... ...Rebekah... Leah and Rachel...and we read about Jacob...For I have seen God face to face...and...yet...my life is preserved...our Psalmist for this day...
also concluding...as for me...I shall behold thy face in righteousness...God
creating...God renewing...God healing...God transforming...

In our case...your case and mine...of course...that story of God abundance
continues...in...with and through Christ...the new covenant...the new wine...
the new promise...for God so loved the world...that God started over again... for us...there being enough for all...bread and fish...and bread and wine...and things like redemption...salvation...wholeness...healing...and...much grass...

And God had compassion on them...and...God healed them...just as God has compassion on us...and said...bring them...here... to me...and then said...take and eat...come and drink...loaves and fish for you...the gift of God...for the people of God...likewise...God gathers us up on our sandy beach of life...and says...the Body of Christ...given for you...the Blood of Christ...shed for you...come...the gift of God for you...

Thanks be to God...
Amen

Pastor Glen
03 August 2008