Wednesday 12 August 2015

Letting Go and Finding Joy

Growing up on a lake means fishing is part of some of my earliest memories. As a kid we fished off the dock mostly, although occasionally our cousin would take us out in the small aluminum fishing boat with a 9.9 hp motor. Most of our fishing in those days was with a hook, worm and a bobber. I'm not sure when I stopped, but for years I didn't fish. Maybe it was because there was no one to take the fish off the hook if I was so lucky as to catch one. I had no problem with worms, but I never did want to touch the fish. Then I met my husband-to-be who was crazy about fishing, so much so he had just bought himself a fast running bass boat. So I started going out fishing with him, at first content to watch the fish finder. I realized quickly, this was very different from the fishing I had done as a child. and the more time I spent with him, and the more time I spent on the boat, the more complicated fishing seemed to become.

Unlike my childhood fishing this was serious stuff with a myriad of different types of lures, hooks, and baits of all shapes and sizes, and just as many ways to "fish them".  I learned there were TV programs dedicated to these different styles, and fishing shows you went to with retailers and live demonstrations about products and the best technique. I discovered there was a whole other vocabulary of wacky rigging, Texas rigging, drop-shot, crank-bait and jerk-bait. This was hardly the relaxing, "throw your line in the water" fishing I remembered.

As a perfectionist, I watched the TV shows and attended the demos at fishing shows, taking notes; I ask my husband a million questions, watching him closely trying to mimic his technique. I also accompanied him to stores dedicated to fishing, stocking a fishing bag form myself with every hook, weight and plastic bait I thought I would need to master fishing. Problem is there is no mastering fishing, it is a constant learning curve, which seems pretty steep most of the time.  

So this year as fishing season approached I decided to approach it differently, to be less concerned about getting it right and more about enjoying it, and enjoying my time on the water. This spring I didn't go looking to add more to my fishing bag or to buy the latest baits. This year I resolved to pick two or three types of bait and just throw them and see what happened.  I decided to pull out that bobber once again and just relax, to enjoy fishing like I had when I was kid.

Learning to let go is something I believe we all need to do. As I look at the world around me I see people striving to get it right, whether in careers or personal lives. We spend so much time worrying about whether we measure up that we miss out on the simple joys that are often in front of us. This brings to mind Jesus' words about worry, that God who takes care of birds of the air also promise to provide for what we  need (Matthew 6:25-30). I'm not always good at letting go, but I'm learning that the best moments of life rarely require the frantic energy and worry I put into them. May we all learn to let go and let God a little more often and be amazed what might come.


Monday 30 March 2015

Caring for Creation

Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God's creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth? 

This is the newest promise or affirmation added in 2013 by the Anglican Church of Canada, so the prayer books in the church and many churches will not include this, only those printed in the last year or so. Yet I think this is as important as any of the other ways that we promise to live out our faith in our baptismal promises. In recent years there has been increasing attention paid to the environment, and even great debate about the reality of climate change. I have heard persuasive arguments on both sides, but personally, based on what I have read and heard from those I believe to be credible, I would be on the side climate change being real and requiring action.

As Christians who believe that God created the world and commissioned humankind as the stewards of that creation we should be particularly attentive to environmental issues, which is one of the reasons why this affirmation was added recently to our baptismal covenant.  While our initial attention might be drawn to the environmental issues, caring for God's creation encompasses not only environmental issues like water, air, climate change or land use and abuse, it also includes concern for God's other creatures and creations from animals to flora and fauna. As stewards of God's creation we are to protect every aspect of what God created, from the beautiful butterfly to the odourous skunk. When we forget that all of it belongs to God and we are only entrusted with it as caretakers not owner to do with as we desire it is easy to abuse the creation to our advantage. When we learn to see the air, water, land and everything that lives in and on it as God's it changes how we interact with creation.

There is another reason we need to be attentive to creation, the impact that environment has on us as humans as well.  In a recent article the Presiding Bishop of the the United States of America, a form scientist herself, also draws the connection to impact on the poorest and most vulnerable (link to article).  Often it is those who are most vulnerable who suffer because of lack of clean water, clear air or basic necessities for healthy lives. Those with means are more likely to able either buy what they need or at least have access to it by where they live. As we seek to honour God as our creator we need to honour His creation, by protecting it, and seeking to prevent or reverse the damage done by humans. We all know that God has only given us one plant earth as our home and we need to do everything we can to care for it.

Reflection Question:

  1. What is one thing you can change about your own behaviour that could have a positive impact on creation? 
  2. How can you educate yourself on the issues and facts surrounding the environment? 
  3. How can you work with others to advocate for sustaining and renewing of God's creation? 

More Resources on Faith and Environment can be found on the Toronto Diocesan Website - Environmental Resources

Monday 23 March 2015

Justice and Dignity for all

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?


This is a promise that is easy to affirmative and difficult to live out. In an ideal world there would be justice for all, people treated with fairness and equality, and everyone is able to and does live in harmony with one another. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world and everyday people face injustice, strife, prejedice and degrading situations and treatment from other people. The news is constantly filled with stories of injustice, of things that don't seem right and of conflicts between individuals, groups and nations. We react to such news with sadness, and frustration, and even despair. What we do after that goes to heart of this question. We have the choice to throw our arms up in resignation that  nothing will ever change or we can seek to do something that will change it. Yet even if we do something,  it is natural to wonder what we as one person can do to change such huge problems.

As Christians we are called to follow in Jesus' footsteps, and that means seeking to change the world one person or issue at a time. There are various course of action we can take. We can begin with prayer, for the situation, for change and for wisdom about other ways we can respond. Taking it a step further, we can speak out, calling attention to the situation. For some people this is an opportunity to become involved in the resolution, but this takes courage and trust in God, or we can financially  support those who are. While we may not be able to change the whole world, we can change our immediate surroundings, we can be intentional about how we treat others. Following on last week's question, when we seek to see Jesus in others it naturally follows we will be more likely to show respect and seek dignity for them.

One of our hinderances to striving for justice and peace among all people is not knowing the facts, so being easily swayed by whoever shouts the loudest. So we need to educate ourselves about the issues so that we can speak and act based on truth rather than other people's opinions.



Reflection Questions:

  1. What do I do when I hear about injustice or lack of peace?
  2. What one issue can I take action on? What are steps I can commit to today?
  3. How can I change the situations in my own environment?
  4. What issue can I educate myself on, so as to better respond? 

Sunday 15 March 2015

Seeking and Serving Jesus

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbour as yourself?

The first half of this promise reminds me of the parables the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46), where people are separated based on whether they fed the hungry, gave a drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited the sick or prison. In both cases the question is asked, “When did we see you....?” and the answer was “what you did/did not do for the least of these you did/did not do for me.” We are called to look of Jesus in everyone we meet and to realize that whenever we serve another, whenever we care for them we are serving Jesus. The blessing that I used this morning was inspired by this idea of seeking and serving Jesus. I first heard it a number of years ago and it has always stuck with me and I have used it myself on occasions, like this morning. 
                    “May Jesus Christ who walks on wounded feet, 
                      walk with you to the end of the road,
                     May Jesus Christ to served with wounded hands, 
                     open your hands to serve, 
                    May Jesus Christ who loves with a wounded heart, 
                    open your heart to love. 
                    May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet 
                    and may everyone you meet see the face of Christ in you. 
                    The Blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit 
                    be with you and remain with you always."    
We are all made in the image of God, we are all children of God no matter if we believe or not and so when we seek to see Jesus in others, and to act accordingly we are honouring God within that person and within ourselves.

The second part of the question brings to mind the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) which Jesus tells in response to the question he asked,” Who is my neighbour?”  Through this story Jesus tells us that our neighbour is not just the people we know and like, not just the people who are like us with same values and beliefs, the same opinions. It would be easy to love those people. Instead Jesus said our neighbour is also the person we don’t like, the person whose values, opinions and belief may run contrary to our own. The Samaritan had every reason to despite the man who lie dying from his beating, and no one would have faulted him if he’d spit on the man and left him to die, but he doesn’t. This promise requires us to look beyond the surface, beyond our preferences and prejudices to not only see Christ within the other no matter how different from us, but to serve them as we would serve Christ with love and grace.

Reflection Questions:
The homeless Jesus

  1. How would I treat other people who are different from me if they were Jesus?
  2. Who do I struggle to see Jesus in? How can I turn that around and love them?
  3. How am I serving Jesus in everyone I meet? 

Sunday 8 March 2015

Proclaiming Good News

Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ?
On this our third week of Lent we consider the baptismal promise of proclamation. I think of all the promises this is probably the hardest one for many people because it takes faith out of the private realm and places it squarely in the public one.  As we will see in the questions that follow a “good person” could easily answer affirmatively, but this one can only be affirmed by someone who has faith in Jesus Christ and is willing to speak and act on it. Like the disciples asked by Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?” there is a vulnerability, a risk in publicly declaring what we believe. What if what I say is wrong? What if it offends someone? How might others respond or react? These are all questions that can trip us up.

To respond to this promise honestly, we need to think about what is the good news and specifically the good news for me. During Lent we prepare to celebrate the core of this good news, that through Jesus’ death our sins are forgiven and through his resurrection we are offered new life, a life in relationship with our creator. This is the foundation of the good news we share in word and example, but each of us has a story to share, our own story of faith, what God and Christ mean to us, of our experiences of God in our life. One of our fears is that someone will ask a question or challenge what we say and we will not know how to respond. Honesty is best, and I think people respect that when we say that we don't know or we have to think about it. 

There was a time when it was enough to proclaim the good news in example, by what we did and how we lived, because everyone knew the basic Christian story even if they did not go to church. Serving others was a primary means of evangelism, of sharing the good news and everyone knew why we were doing what we were doing. Now in our Post-Christian society when so many have never heard the story, having no “Christian memory” to give reference to our actions, we cannot rely on our actions only, we need to speak too.  May our lives be a living testimony to the good news of God in Christ. 

Reflection Questions:
  1. What is the good news of God in Christ for me? What is it that is important enough about faith, about Jesus, that I have chosen to follow him?
  2.  If I was charged with a Christian, would what I say and do be enough evidence to convict me? 
  3.  Who have I proclaimed the good news to recently? Who can I proclaim it to this week or month? How? 



Sunday 1 March 2015

Repent and Return to the Lord

In this second full week of Lent we continue to look at the baptismal questions and promises and what they mean in our lives. The second question is: 

Will you persevere in resisting evil and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
The question is “whenever you fall into sin” not “if you fall into sin,” an important reminder that none of us are perfect, nor are we expected to be. God understands our imperfection, that we fall short of the ideal he has set for us, which by the way is also one of the best definitions I have heard for sin, “falling short of or missing the mark of God’s ideal.” Since the beginning, no matter how hard we try, we as humans have been unable to avoid sin. Jesus came into the world to offers a means of forgiveness, the only way to be truly forgiven by God and a relationship with God the Father, for those who truly seek it.  

One of images that comes to mind when I think of "repent and return to the Lord" is so-called Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) when the son comes to his senses and decided to return to his father whom he has wronged. The father doesn't even wait for him to arrive home, but runs to meet him as soon as he sees him. It was the simple act of turning back to the father. The same is true of us, when we turn back to the Father he is there with love and rejoicing at our return no matter how many times or how long we have turned away from him and gone in the wrong direction. 

However this is not a free pass to do whatever we want then say we’re sorry and be free to do that same thing over again in a never ending cycle of sin and confession just because we know that God will forgive us. Repentance is more than being or saying we’re sorry, it is changing our behaviour, turning away from sin and sinful patterns to embrace God’s way. One of my favourite lines in the Anglican Prayer book, the Book of Alternative Services, is found in Confession that congregation says together “that we may delight in your will, and ways in your ways, to the glory of your name.” When we repent and return to the Lord, we acknowledge our sin and sinful ways to God, and we seek not just do God’s will but to delight in it, to find joy in God's will for us, our lives and the world.  We may not be perfect but we can be comforted that when we fall short, and are truly sorry, we can repent and return to the Lord and we will find forgiveness and grace and love.

Reflection Questions:
1.       
  1.  Are there any characteristic sins, ones that have become a part of me and my life, that I need to confess and turn away from to seek God’s will for my life?
  2.  How have I found restoration and joy through confession?
  3. What would it look like for me to delight in God’s will and His ways?


Note: In the Anglican Church, in addition to our General Confession, private confession is available by making an appointment with the priest. 






Sunday 22 February 2015

History and Community: Foundation of Christian Life

Lent was historically a time to prepare for baptism, as well as being received back into community after one was for some reason removed. In recent years it has also become a time of self-reflection in preparation for renewing our baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil Service. This seems a fitting ending for our Lenten season and renewal of what we believe and how we commit to living that out. 
Our Lenten Season begins with Ash Wednesday and the priest's invitation to all present to "observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting and almsgiving (giving to those in need) and by reading and meditating on the word of God." 

This Lent I decided to offer a short weekly reflection on promises we make in baptism as it relates to our relationship with God and our discipleship. The reflection and questions will also be in the weekly church bulletin. The following is the reflection for Sunday February 22, the First Sunday in Lent 2015. 

Will you continue in the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayer?
This is the first of the 6 promises in the baptismal covenant after we affirm our belief in the Trinity using the words of the Apostles Creed. Each of the following questions is answered the same way, “I will with God’s help,” a recognition that we can none of it on our own but only with God’s help. This first promise reminds of our historical roots, the importance of them and of coming back to them in helping us to follow Jesus. This first promise also speaks of the importance of community. As much as someone can argue they can be a Christian on their own, Jesus calls us his follower to live in community with one another just has he lived in community with others and the Trinity itself is a community.

Questions for Reflection:
1. What do you value most about being part of a community of faith, both in the congregation and in the wider Christian Community? How does community help you to know and draw closer to God?


2. How have you sought to build community with people who are different from you? What do you need to do differently to build or strengthen those relationships? How serves God by offering community to others?