Inexpressible Joy

How many of you have ever gone to a live music concert?

July 21, 2012.  Halifax Nova Scotia.  Tall Ships Festival.  Parades, boats, sailors and to top it all off, a once-in-a lifetime event down at the waterfront overlooking the Halifax Harbor!

I was in my fourth year of studying to become a minister and we had an opportunity to go hear a live concert as part of that festival.  $35 for a ticket to the event featuring a host of local musicians.  CBC was the MC and the last performance was the local orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture.  Wow!

Now, we could have gone and heard it for free on the waterfront like many people did, but my buddy, a great music aficionado, had never been to a live performance of an orchestra.  He grew up and lived in rural New Brunswick all his life.  He loved classical music but had never heard more than local musicians playing folk or jazz or rock.  He had an impressive collection of cds and knew the difference between a Brandenburg concerto and the Wagner Ring Cycle.

Sitting beside my friend as he listened to his first live symphony was very special.  It wasn’t just the instruments on the stage.  The downtown Halifax churches rang their bells at just the right spot.  Not only that, but the cannons that had been brought down from the Citadel to the waterfront were fired to synchronize perfectly with the bells and the orchestra.  And that triggered the fireworks overhead, also synchronized to the live music.  Wow! 

We were sitting in the front row right in front of the speakers.  When the cannons went off, and they were broadcast through those speakers, I felt my chest compress and release, like an elephant was playing trampoline on my chest!  I turned to my friend to ask him what he thought, only to see tears running down his face!  The real thing was so much more powerful in person than it was on a record or on TV.  I found myself tearing up too and we were one of the last to leave that tent to watch the last of the fireworks that night.

The real thing, a real live experience, that’s what Thomas wanted.  He wanted to be like everyone else, to have that heart-thumping, life-changing tear-jerking, earth-shattering moment that the other disciples had, that brought such clarity and passion and enthusiasm back into their lives.  And maybe he was a wee bit exasperated with them.  After all, the Jewish faith expects mourners to spend a ritual seven days in mourning, a practice called Shivah, where family gather and grieve and read scriptures.  Thomas would have been scandalized and outraged at the behaviors of the other disciples.  He would have seen it as disrespectful at best and delusions at worst.  No wonder he wanted to see Jesus as they had seen Jesus. 

We too want to see Jesus.  We want to put our hands in his hands, we want to have that concrete, tangible and measurable experience of the Resurrection.  All too often we have a logical response or an emotional response and wonder if it’s enough to sustain our faith in difficult times.  I remember having an emotional experience when I was ten after a week of vacation bible school where my teachers talked about how important it was to accept Jesus as my personal savior into my heart.  I told them I wanted to do it, and the teacher pulled me into a room for a private prayer and I was released back into the group to proudly proclaim I was saved.  My parents were not impressed, and the feeling of pleasing my teacher faded very quickly.  I’m much more like the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, who claimed that he found his heart strangely warmed by a religious gathering one day.  I can relate to a strangely warmed heart.  I never had the earthquake emotional experience of a live performance of Tchaikovsky the way my friend did.  I grew up listening to the 1812 Overture; every couple of years my parents took us to a live performance in Edmonton’s Jubilee Auditorium.  In fact my most vivid memory when I was 5 was falling asleep in the middle of Swan Lake and having the pretty ballerinas dancing into my dreams that evening.  So while the cannons blasting and the bells ringing were glorious, they didn’t give me the same experience that my friend had.

Whether we have a dramatic encounter with the living Christ or a milder strange warming of our hearts, we are called to be a part of God’s community of faithful followers.  A community that Jesus saw as blessed no matter what kind of experience we’ve had.  Why blessed?  Because while we may ‘suffer the distress of many trials” as Peter put it, we have a community of faith to support us.  Thomas did not have an experience of Christ when he was by himself, it was when he was with the other disciples that Christ appeared.  So for some of us, Jesus appears when we are gathered together to strengthen our faith.  I know that there are times when the weight of the world’s events weigh me down, especially when the flags are at half-mast at the RCMP detachment, or the budget looms over of my head.  But when I gather with you, it strengthens my faith too.  Our faith is more precious than gold.  And while we may still be growing that faith, even though we may have never put our hands in the nail marks of crucifixion, let us rejoice with inexpressible joy touched with glory, that however we have had our hearts strangely warmed, we know that we are blessed and we are in the presence of Jesus, whom we claim as Christ, our judge and our hope.  In life, in suffering, in death, God is with us, we are not alone.  Thanks be to God!

We’re Still Standing!

Did you know that the most frequently written about event in the Bible is not crossing the Red Sea or getting the 10 Commandments or the Christmas story?  We only have two stories of Christmas, and they are different from each other in many ways.  But guess how many resurrection accounts there are in the New Testament?

There are the four accounts in each of the four Gospels, and another three sermons in Acts, 1 Corinthians, and 1 Peter.  There are over 50 other references sprinkled throughout the Gospels and the letters.  Something very significant happened to folks that first Easter morning.

So significant that it felt like an earthquake that shook them up like nothing before.  It turned their understanding of the world on its head.  They found the courage and the enthusiasm to go out into the same world that had killed their leader and preach exactly the same message that got him killed in the first place!

Now folks like Richard Dawkins think they conspired to lie or else they were stupid idiots.  But the lie theory doesn’t hold water to me.  To put it in a modern context, while I might promote the lies of someone whom I look up to, especially if he is a rich billionaire and ex-president of a democratic country, I won’t promote it if it means risking myself getting involved in a lawsuit.  And Jesus was neither a rich billionaire nor a former president.  Jesus was a peasant rabbi, a faithful Jew.  Who on earth would want to die for such a poor homeless person?  The lying theory doesn’t hold water for me.

What about the ‘stupid idiots’ theory?  That Jesus came up with an elaborate scam that made David Copperfield or Chriss Angel look like amateurs, and pulled the wool over his followers?  But Peter and the rest sound like down to earth, no-nonsense people.  The one truth they all agreed on was that Jesus taught them to build a community based on sayings like “The Truth will Set you Free”, and “Don’t be like the lying hypocrites”.  That is not a conspiracy scam.  These were rough and ready, cynical men who were more interested in fame and power than humbleness.  Yet, after Easter they left their homes and families, gave up fame and fortune, and turned from self-serving students to passionate witnesses willing to risk their lives.  Wow!

The earthquake that was the death of their beloved teacher should have dropped them in their tracks.  They should have, as Matthew colorfully put it, “fell down as though they were dead.”  That’s exactly what the Roman officials expected.  They were old hands at disrupting political opponents.  They knew the best way to diffuse rebellions was to take the leader out.  It worked like a charm repeatedly over and over.  Lop off the head and the followers slink off into oblivion. It was one of the main reasons why the Roman empire lasted for 300 years.  Public executions kept the local peasants afraid and obedient.  Until one day it didn’t.

That one day was Easter.  Three days after his friends and family had experienced the devastating and humiliating execution of their beloved teacher, suddenly they experienced the message to not be afraid in a courageous new way.  Suddenly the earthquakes of life had no power over them.  Suddenly they had strength and endurance and passion for the boldest message they had ever heard.  Love is unstoppable.  Bullies will not win.  Power has no power.  Empire is no God.  Death is not the end.

We are living in earthquake times.  We have endured our world being turned upside down.  We have seen the deliberate preaching of intolerance.  We are seeing the fragility of banks, world peace, and our environment.  We hear of more gun violence, the rise of mental illness, the undermining of democracy and good governance.  We feel the challenge of inflation, and rising crime rates. These earthquakes are real.

Or are they?  While on one hand we have lots of bad news stories, we also are called as Christians to look for God working in the world in unexpected ways.  Look at the statistics of crime from our government: 

The violent crime index went up because of domestic violence during Covid lockdowns, but everything else is dropping!  Our local RCMP are cracking down on drugs and guns, with lots of stories in the paper about their latest seizures. Solar panel businesses are on the rise as are solar panels on Canadian rooftops.  EV car sales are increasing too.  Hybrid heat pumps that use less natural gas are being sold faster than expected.  All good news for the environment.  The number of people hospitalized for Covid in Alberta is down to 450 now, and that is also good news.

God’s good news has been working for centuries.  Don’t be afraid!  Jesus is still with you!  Death is not the final answer, the final defeat.  This good news destroyed the corrupt Roman Empire and stopped the large-scale slaughter of innocent people.  This good news led to ordinary followers like you and me establishing schools for all children, and hospitals for anyone in need.  This good news led folks like us building hospices a thousand years ago for Muslim, Jew, Christian and pagan alike so they could die in dignity.  This good news continues to end the power of elites to do whatever they want and avoid justice.  Even now, research done by reputable universities are finding that being involved in a healthy faith community can improve our happiness, our health, our longevity and our emotional resilience!  Gathering together on Sunday mornings, doing crazy things like collecting coins and supplies for Ukraine or socks for the homeless, combats loneliness and meaninglessness.  It gives us the strength and courage to withstand the earthquakes in our lives and helps us boldly proclaim that in life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us, we are not alone, Thanks be to God, halleluiah!

Have you seen my Son?

Have you seen my son?  I’m hearing all kinds of rumors!  Where’s my boy?  I know he’s all grown up but a mother worries.  My son.  Have you seen him?  He’s pretty ordinary.  Average height, black hair, about 30.  Not particularly handsome, I suppose, but I think he’s the most handsome boy. No one will write stories about his looks, that’s for sure, but he’s still special to me.  Have you seen him?

If you have, please tell me where he is.  You may not remember his looks, but you will remember him.  Always has something surprising to say, and my goodness he can be funny!  I’ll never forget the time he said that it’s harder for a rich man to get into heaven than a camel to go through the eye of a needle!  Oh we laughed as he pretended to shove a big camel through a tiny needle. Or when he told us that when we judge others it’s like we’re complaining of a speck of sawdust in their eye when we have a giant log in our own! 

Have you seen my son?  He’s a storyteller, with great tales of flowers and birds being cared for, of us being lights on a lamp stand, of lost sons and lost sheep.  He tells stories of God’s love for us in a way that makes it feel real!  When Jesus tells a story, it sticks in your head, that’s for sure.

Have you seen my son?  He’s a healer, it’s amazing the people who have found healing after meeting him. I can’t explain it, but the lepers dance, the lame jump for joy, the blind astounded, the deaf tell of good news. 

Have you seen my son?  You’d know if you’ve ever met him.  He connects people together.  Tax collectors gain friends, prostitutes too.  People who are disfigured and ill are turned into family. The homeless are fed and the people with mental illness are made welcome.  There’s always enough wine at weddings and fish catch in the lake when he’s around.  There’s always daily bread in the wilderness to feed the biggest crowd

Have you seen my boy, my loving first-born child?  He’s such a listener.  People tell him their troubles and they figure it out.  Like Zacchaeus who didn’t like his job anymore, or the unhappy rich man who didn’t know why he was unhappy.  Powerful men like Joseph of Aramathea, who had deep philosophical questions he was struggling with, and little children that he loves to listen to and to bless.

Have you seen my son?  He’s so incredibly brave.  I remember him going into a graveyard where a man was chained up to keep him from harming himself.  My son talked to the fellow, calming him down, helping him, healing him.  Other people were scared of him but not my son.  And he helped Mary Magdalene, my young friend, who was struggling with sadness and discouragement and all sorts of confusing thoughts.  Now she has purpose and enthusiasm.  My son even talks to Roman commanders and Samaritans and wanders throughout the countryside.  He doesn’t worry about bandits or soldiers either.  I’ll never forget the time he wandered into an angry crowd of men who were planning to kill a young girl because she got caught with a young man where she shouldn’t be.  Why they let the young man go is something I don’t understand.  But my son went right into the middle of the crowd, asked a few questions and then asked one more.  “Are any of you perfect? “ And that saved her life. 

Have any of you seen him?  He did make enemies.  He couldn’t stand hypocrisy, especially from priests and politicians.  He called Herod a sneaky fox.  He challenged the Pharisees to have authentic faith rather than just a show in public where all could see.  He got angry in the temple at everything being done to line the pockets of money changers who were overcharging poor people.  He stood up to authorities when they were unjust or selfish.

I’m so afraid.  I can’t find him anywhere.  I worry that the Roman soldiers have him, or the temple authorities.  My poor son.  I feel like he’s in trouble and there’s nothing I can do to help him.  He’s always been special, and he’s always been a worry for me.  Goodness like his doesn’t get treated fairly in this harsh world.  He has offended powerful people who don’t like being challenged.  The courts do not care for people who ask troubling questions.  They do not want to be questioned.  They do not want to be fair and truthful and caring.

Have you seen my son?  God, you know and see everything.  You love my son more than I do.  You would not harm a hair on his head.  The people in power are angry at him and think they can stop his message of love and freedom if they can catch him.  I know you sent him to teach us how to love each other and forgive each other.  But how can you protect him from the whole Roman army?  How can you keep him safe from politicians who hate him and priests who feel threatened by him?  God, I can’t protect him and be with him in this time of trial, but you can.  God, your ways are mysterious beyond me but I know you have seen my son.  I know you are with him, and even if he feels abandoned and lost, even if he is walking through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with him.  Your rod and staff will protect him.  Lead him not into temptation, but deliver him from evil, for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen. 

Palm Sunday Hosanna experiment

 I’d like to invite you to a time of imagination and experimentation.  You might want to read this first then close your eyes and imagine it with me. Take a moment to settle in your chair or pew or wherever you are at this moment.  Feel the floor beneath your feet, let your hands relax.  Take a deep breath and relax your shoulders.  Take another deep breath and relax your jaw.  Feel the chair holding up your body.  Let it support you so you can relax. 

Breath gently.  Notice the air going in and out of your body. The word Breath in the ancient Hebrew was the same word for life and Spirit.  Imagine the breath of life going into your throat, your lungs, your belly, gently rising and falling.  Find yourself becoming still as you feel your breath going up and down…

Imagine you are standing in a marketplace where vendors have tables out up and down a road.  People are selling fish and vegetables, wine and cloth, sheep and chickens.  As you wander past the many tables, you feel the warmth of the sun on your face.  You see soldiers marching by. Some are watching the shoppers.  The shoppers look nervous, complaining about the cost of things but not too loudly near the soldiers.  As you walk, you hear a noise from a loud crowd ahead of you.  You walk faster until you see the crowd.  They have palm branches in their hands and are crying out “Save us!”  Some are taking their coats off and scattering them on the ground.  You look up the road where others are looking and see a figure in the distance, slowly coming down towards you.  He is sitting on a young donkey, and there are people following behind him.  As he comes closer, you are surprised to see him looking solemn rather than happy.  His disciples look happy and wave excitedly to the crowd.

The donkey starts to bray and lays its ears back.  You reach out and pet him, joining the parade.  As you walk along, calming the donkey, you find yourself wondering who this person is that everyone is cheering and asking for help from.  You wonder if he has an answer to the questions you have.

You reach a large stone building in the centre of town, the temple.  You hold the donkey for the man to get off.  He looks at you and thanks you.  He asks you to tell him what is on your mind.  This is your time to share…

 He offers to give you something.  What does he give you?  Thank him for his wise words and gift.  Prepare to leave him and walk back to the marketplace. Notice any changes.  How does it feel? How does it look now?  Gently and gradually come back to awareness of your body.  Notice your breath going in and out of your body.  Notice the chair or pew supporting you.  Wiggle your toes and fingers. Move your shoulders. Return to this space.  When you are ready, open your eyes.

Take some time to explore these questions.  You might want to doodle or journal or share with someone.  You can even leave a comment below.  

What did you ask?  What did Jesus say? What did Jesus give you?