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Pastor Brad
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (ELCIC) Affirmation of Baptism class.

The final assignment for the candidates for
Affirmation of Baptism
or
‘Confirmation’
After a time of study for several months Pastor Brad asked the candidates the following questions.

Who is God?  What does God look like?

What is the church?  What does the church mean to you?

What does baptism look like?

Brad explained to the congregation that the church was a safe place.  A place where there were no wrong answers and everyone was respected and loved.  He had explained to the class that this was not a fail/pass thing - just think about the questions and have some fun.

Brad then told us about some of the answers that his class of young people submitted.

One young person answered:
About God and how he looks: Got to me is like a mystical being, which looks after us.  He has a white beard and long white hair, and wears a long white robe.  He reminds me of Grandoff the white from Lord of the Rings.

The church and what it means to me: The church is a Holy House that you could pray to God in.  The church means a place to worship God.  This is a trick question to me; I don’t know what to think to it.

About Baptism: Baptism is hard to describe from a looking point a view.  From a feeling point of view you become part of the church.

Another young person answered:
About God and how he looks: To me God would have white hair a white beard, white clothes and a white staff that he would hold on.  You ask who is God he is an invisible being who would look after you watching over you.

The church and what it means to me: The church is where people will gather to pray and worship God.  To me the church means a place of kindness and forgiveness.

About Baptism: When you are baptized God will become part of you.  In your heart, body and soul.


Another young person answered:
About God and how he looks: God is someone who guides me down the right path, not the path of Satan.  I think that God looks like everyone in the world.  Brad said this was a good explanation as God is in the world and is working through each of us and even sometimes working through those we dislike.

The church and what it means to me: The church is a place to worship God and a place to meet other spiritual friends.  The church is sort of like my other family, they are there to pray for me when I’m sick and are really good friends.

About Baptism: Physically, baptism looks like a whole bunch of people to gather (i.e. your family, friends soon to be godparents, and your parents, and the congregation at the church).  The Pastor then puts water on your head, Spiritually, baptism is when you open your heart to Jesus and walk down the path of God.


Brad’s conclusion:
Affirmation of our Baptismal vows is a life long mission.  As we confirm our baptismal promises it strengthens our faith and reminds us to keep the greatest commandment "to love God with all our heart and strength and to love our neighbour as our self."  Jesus said, "on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  It is by God’s grace that we can confidently live through all of the turmoil and uncertainly our busy lives and feel safe and loved.



Homily preached by Licensed Layreader Gisele Partridge

Year A
23rd of Pentecost
Exodus 33:12-23
Psalm 99
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Matthew 22:15-22

...You Know You Should Be Glad


How many here remember the Beatles?  Weren't they wonderful ? Well, okay I thought they were wonderful. I use to sit and listen to their albums (yes,I know I just dated myself) for hours and hours, much to the chagrin of my parents. I can remember my father gradually losing his patience. We, my brothers and I, always knew when he was losing patience because his voice would get sterner and sterner. I can still hear him " Gisèle , for the love of God, would you please turn the music off !" After several warnings, he'd blow. And I mean blow ! Trust me, it was not a pretty sight. Yes, he'd lose the last strands of control and then he would rant and rave. He would threaten all kinds of dire consequences. You see, it mattered to him that we were not doing what we should be doing. Whether that was cleaning our room, doing our homework, or helping out in some way around the house. It mattered that we learn obedience and self-discipline. It mattered that we learn to live in the now.

Yes, he loved us enough to get angry. He loved us enough to scream and shout. He loved us enough not to let us become daydreaming,self-indulgent, spoiled brats. He loved us enough to try and teach us that what matters is right here and right now. This is our life. Not the lala land of make believe. Not the tomorrow that is always greener. Not the ship that never seems to arrive. You see, maybe, without even realizing it, my dad knew that the kingdom of heaven is right here and right now. And that all my daydreaming just prevented me from living in it.

Did you catch the beautiful image found in our first reading ? It is contained in verses 21-23 when God and Moses are talking." See there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by."

Let me set the scene. God is so very angry with the Israelites. Do you remember all that He had done for them? They had been set free from Egypt. No small feat when you remember how stubborn Pharoh had been. They had been lead through the desert. Food, manna and quail, had been provided for them. Yet still they had turned away from God - remember the incident with the golden calf ? Moses had been busy, on Mount Sinai, getting the two tablets of the covenant, "written with the finger of God." But Aaron, who had been left in charge, rather than try to keep everyone reassured and calm while Moses was talking to God, gave into the panic and fear. He had the Israelites give him all their gold in order to make that golden calf. Now, if worshipping something man made isn't living in lala land, I don't know what is.

When God saw the Israelites worshipping and sacrificing to that hunk of metal He was incensed !!! And can you blame Him? God started to rant and rave. He started to threaten all  kinds of dire consequences. God was prepared to destroy all of them. But did He ? No, He did not. Why? Because inspite of the hideously stupid and insensitive things that were done,  God remembers the covenantial relationship He has with them. God loves the Israelites. Deeply and profoundly, in a way that I dare say, you and I can scarcely imagine. Yes, it is the same way He loves you and I. Just as the Israelites had been chosen to bring the kingdom, His kingdom, into the world, we also have been chosen to do the same thing.

Well, let's get back to the conversation that Moses was having with God. Moses has cajoled and whined and argued with God until God is prepared not only to relent but also to do the "very thing" that Moses has asked for. And what does Moses want? Moses wants to see God. Don't we all want to know, to experience God? In His infinite love and caring God agrees to this and explains how He will protect Moses. This was necessary because it was well known at the time that no one could see the face of God and live. You saw the face of God after you had died. God will protect Moses with His very hand. God goes out of His way to keep Moses safe. God goes out of His way to keep His promise to Moses. God wants to give us what we desire. God wants us to be happy. And God will do whatever He possibly can in order to  accomplish this. But we too must do our part. We, like Moses, must chose to trust God. We must chose to be in relationship with God.

One of the early Beatles tunes that kept running through my mind as I was reading the selection for today was She Loves You. Remember that one ? There is a particular line that seemed so appropriate for today. "She," or if you are more comfortable substituting He because of your theology,  go right ahead,  "loves you, yeah yeah yeah Yes, She loves you and you know you should be glad." Be glad and rejoice ! Live like you are loved and cared for and cherished - BECAUSE YOU ARE !!! WE ALL ARE !!

Have you ever watched a mother with her child ? If you have then I am sure you have seen the infinite amount of care and tenderness that can be seen in a touch, a caress, a cuddle. Or how about a couple, regardless of age, in love ? Have you ever noticed the way they just glow, the way their eyes light up, the way they seem to hold hands without even being aware of it ?  The demeanour of a person in love is different. There is sense of peace and calmness that surrounds them. They seem to be joyous, all the time and for no apparent reason. And they are able to share that joy with others. Not even the grumps of this world seem to get them down.

You and I are loved. You and I should also know that incredible joy and happiness that goes with being in love. We are involved in a relationship with a tender, a faithful GOD who desires nothing more than to be known by us and for us to know Him. But let there be no mistake. Entering into this type of relationship will transform us.

You and I have also been chosen . You and I have been given a task. We are to help spread the kingdom, right where we live, right here on the beautiful Bruce Peninsula. Like the Thessalonians of old we are to live our lives in joy, becoming an example for others. And like the Thessalonians or the Israelites, we need to let God work through us. If we are truly disciples of Jesus, we will do our part in bringing the kingdom into the world.

Yes, I know, there exists this tension in the world. A tension between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of heaven. It does us no good to either deny its existence or pretend it does not exist. No, rather we need chose the kingdom of heaven and by spreading the good news, help others to chose it as well. The kingdom of heaven has already arrived, at least in part. Membership is free. Yes, the price of admission has already been paid. We become members of God's kingdom when we enter into this radical relationship of love and trust with God. A relationship where we live each day secure in the knowledge that we, like Moses, are loved,and cared for . A relationship that lets us treat others with the same sort of love and trust.

Yep, there are times I can still hear my dad "For the love of God, Gisèle, will you please stop daydreaming and get busy." And  there are times, if I am really listening, I can hear God say " For the love of me, Gisèle, will you please pay attention. The kingdom of heaven is now."

"He loves you, yeah yeah, yeah,
He loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah,
And with a love like that
You know you should be glad."

All this in Jesus' name. Amen.




Homily preached by
The Reverend Monika Wiesmer

St. Edmund’s Anglican Church
Tobermory, Ontario
September 21, 2008

Matthew 20:1-16


    This morning’s Gospel lesson is not always easy to hear.  It’s like a dose of cod liver oil – we know it’s good for us but it sure doesn’t go down well.   It’s one of those passages of Scripture we’d rather skip over and hear something softer and gentler.  Nevertheless, these are Jesus’ words and when Jesus speaks, there’s always something for us to learn.
    Whenever I preach in my home congregation, I like to begin each sermon by placing the biblical story in its context.  To whom was he speaking?  What was happening?   In this morning’s story, it’s the when that’s significant.  You see, in the story immediately before this one, Peter has just asked Jesus what he and the other disciples can expect in the way of reward for their loyalty to Jesus.  After all, they had given up everything to follow him, as Peter clearly pointed out.  What will they get in return?
    So let’s look at this morning’s Gospel story in that context.  Obviously, people were jockeying for position, wanting to know who was going to get first prize in the kingdom of heaven; who was going to get the gold star for merit.  Who was going to be first in line when the rewards were being handed out? 
    This is why Jesus tells the story of the workers in the vineyard.  He tells them this parable so that the disciples will learn that what they think is fair is not necessarily what God thinks is fair.  Once again he reminds them that our way is not God’s way. 
    This is so very important to Jesus that later on he tells another very powerful parable to say much the same thing.   You all know the parable of the prodigal son.  The younger son in this parable was an absolute rascal, demanding his inheritance while his father was still alive and then, after he had squandered all the money, he returned home penniless hoping his dad would forgive him.  And when his dad saw him way off in the distance, he ran out to meet him, kissed him, gave him his finest robe and a ring for his finger, and then threw a big party where everyone was invited.  Most of the time, we think that’s the point of the parable and that it was mainly about this younger son.  Not so!  This parable is mostly about the older brother, the one with whom most of us identify.  The one who’s at home, faithfully working for the father and playing by the rules. 
    When the older brother hears the partying going on, he complains to his father.  And it’s this morning’s vineyard story all over again, isn’t it?   “Why does my brother get this great big party when he wasn’t even here to do the work?  I worked for you faithfully each and every day, Dad!  What about me?”
    And then what did he do?  Did he let his dad persuade him back into the house to join in the celebration?  No.  He chose to sit out on the front steps, sulking and throwing his own pity-party.  He missed the party because he saw someone else get something they didn’t deserve! 
    This morning’s parable is just another way to say the same thing.  The diligent workers who arrived early in the morning and who were now tired and coated with layers of sweat, whose backs were probably aching, discovered that the workers hired an hour before closing time and who hadn’t even begun to sweat yet, were being paid the same amount of money.  Now be honest, is there anyone here who doesn’t sympathize with the tired, sweaty workers?   
    Like most human beings, we have an innate sense of what is fair and what is not.  Equal pay for equal work is fair.  Rewarding those who do the best work or the most work is fair; rewarding those who do the least amount of work is not fair. 
    Life often isn’t fair, is it?   It’s as unfair today as it was 2,000 years ago when Jesus first told these parables.  We may not work in a vineyard, but we may be the faithful employee who arrives early and leaves late, works through lunch and tries to be kind to everyone, only to discover that someone else has been promoted.
What about the man who looks after his elderly mother when she becomes too frail to live by herself?   Although he has three brothers and sisters, he rarely hears from them or receives any help with Mom.  Oh sure, they call from time to time and tell him how grateful they are but none offers to help.  They keep their distance – until the mother dies and then everyone shows up at the lawyer’s office and they’re all ears.  The man who has spent most of his time and his savings caring for his mother now sits with head in his hands as he hears the lawyer read, “I leave my estate to be divided equally among my four dear children.”  Is it fair?  Or is this a form of love we don’t always understand? 
    Here’s the thing:  How we hear these parables depends on where we place ourselves in the line-up.  The story sounds quite different when we believe ourselves to be at the end of the line.  But isn’t it amazing, almost always we hear these parables from front-row seats!  We are the elder brother who stayed home and faithfully worked for his father.  We are the worker who started at daybreak and worked all day.  We are the good guy who gets gypped! 
    That is how most of us will hear this parable, but it is entirely possible that we are mistaken about where we are in line.  Did you ever think about that?  It is entirely possible that, as far as God is concerned, we are somewhere down the middle or even somewhere in the back, with all sorts of people in the line ahead of us!  People who are more deserving of God’s love than we are, people who are at the front of the line for all sorts of legitimate reasons! 
    But suppose for one moment you really are at the back of the line, so far back that you’re craning your neck to even see to the front.  Wouldn’t it just be the most incredible thing in the world to hear the owner of the vineyard say, “Folks, today we’re starting at the back.  The people at the back will get paid first and they’ll get paid what the rest of you are getting.”   Hallelujah!  Three cheers!  Now you’re at the back of the line and you’re jumping with joy because you know you don’t deserve a full day’s pay – and you’re just so happy because you’re going to get it anyways! 
    We know, of course, that whenever Jesus tells a parable, it is to tell us something about the nature of God.  The owner of the vineyard in this parable represents God.  The forgiving father in the parable of the prodigal son represents God.  So what do these two parables tell us about the nature of God?
    First and foremost, they tell us that God does not play by our rules!  God does not play by our rigid rules.  God often said the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into heaven before the Pharisees!  In other words, don’t be smug about how good you think you are!
Thankfully, God loves generously and indiscriminately.  We don’t need to earn God’s love – we already have it.  We don’t need to be deserving of God’s love – God simply loves us, no matter what.    
God plays by God’s own rules, throwing our ways of doing things right out the window.   Do you know what we call that?   It’s called “grace”.  Grace is God’s undeserved love.  Grace is the love we receive from God when we least deserve it.  And folks, it feels wonderful when you’re at the back of the line! 
    Let me tell you a true story about what it feels like to be at the very back of the line – and on the receiving end of an incredible act of grace.
    Several years ago, when I was still a nurse but already attending seminary on a part-time basis, I was working a string of 12-hour night shifts at the hospital in Mississauga, where I lived.   One day I needed to buy some books for school that were available in the McMaster University bookstore, and so when I woke up from my sleep in the late afternoon, I jumped into my car and drove to Hamilton to buy these books.  I was in a hurry because in a couple of hours I would need to be back to work my next night shift at the hospital.  Now I have a tendency to drive a little too quickly at the best of times and so on that day I raced down the QEW toward Hamilton, making a somewhat rapid lane change and cutting off the car behind me.  What I didn’t know was that this was an unmarked police car.  Well, he lost no time in pulling me over and reading me the riot act, both for speeding and for dangerous driving.  He didn’t mince words.  He asked me where I was going and I explained to him that I was looking for McMaster University but didn’t actually know how to get there.  Could he perhaps give me directions after he wrote out the ticket? 
    I don’t know why – perhaps it was my tired face or perhaps it was something else – but this police office chose not to give me a speeding ticket that day.  That was kind, don’t you think?    And it’s okay to be kind to others, right?   But that’s not necessarily “grace”.  What was an act of grace was that he told me to follow him and then he drove the remainder of the way along the highway into Hamilton, and all the way in through the city to the entrance of McMaster University, leading me right to the door!  It was at least another fifteen minutes’ drive.  When we arrived at my destination, he simply waved through the window and drove away.  He had led me by the hand, so to speak, to where I needed to go.  I did not get the punishment I deserved (a huge ticket) but instead was shown an extraordinary act of kindness that I will never forget.  That was grace!  I will never forget it nor will I ever forget him.
    So remember this – when life is over and we’re standing at the Pearly Gates, there’s a very good chance that the cheering and laughter at the back of the line – will be our own!  Why??  We’ve just been invited to the party!  With a full day’s pay!!
Amen

May the peace of God that passes all human understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen