Holy Textures

The Long Emergency

Note: The following is based on a sermon given February 24, 2008, at Capilano United Church, North Vancouver, BC; the day of the congregation's Annual Meeting.

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Every year for the past 40 years, the United Church of Canada has reported membership declines of 1 or 2% per year. Taken one year at a time, a change of 1 or 2% is not a crisis. But 40 years of year after year declines become a long emergency. (See Footnote 1.)

75% of Members Leave Last Year! (Just Imagine)

Imagine what we would be talking about today at our meeting if - instead of reporting a loss by death of two faithful members this past year, bringing our total membership to 60 - we were reporting 40 years of change in a single year - a decline from 245 in 1965 to the present 60! That would be an immediate emergency.

Matthew 16:1-12

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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Chapters 16 and 17 of Matthew are a turning point in Matthew's telling of the Jesus story.

In my humble opinion, ;-) the action of these two chapters can be summarized as:

• the religious authorities don't get who Jesus is, what he is about, what he has been making plain to anyone with two good eyes to see;
• the crowds don't get who Jesus is, what he is about, what he has been making plain, and their support for Jesus is going to make the authorities nervous;
• the disciples do get who Jesus is - sort of;
• Jesus begins to teach his followers the next level of truth about trusting God.

Matthew 4:1-11

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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My comments for this text are drawn directly from, Social Sciences Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, Second Edition, 2003, by Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Fortress Press.

Matthew has made extraordinary claims for the unknown son of an unknown carpenter from a backwater unknown hamlet. If we are to believe Matthew, his claims about Jesus must pass the severest test.

In Job, Satan acts as a secret agent of God who tests the loyalty of Job through a series of tragic calamities. Indeed, the name "Satan," comes from the Persian for just such a person - a secret agent of the King who secretly tests subjects loyalty to the King.

2 Peter 1:16-21

I was away for Transfiguration Sunday. But I had the good fortune to hear an excellent sermon preached by a colleague which I have posted here.

Until the Day Dawns

Transfiguration Sunday
February 3, 2008
Ryerson United Church
Vancouver, BC

The Rev. Debra Bowman

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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