Sun. Nov. 25, 2012 (J. Evan Kreider)

Launching from John 18:33-37, J. Evan Kreider elaborated on the story of Jesus taken before Pilate, having being seized, physically punished, and interrogated all night. Jesus was then asked by Pilate to explain why the Jewish temple society considered him such a threat to the peace and good order of the Empire. Jesus was actually in no danger from the Jewish leadership, as they were proscribed from killing him, notwithstanding the belief of Christians throughout history. But the stakes were raised in front of Pilate, and perhaps Pilate at last began to understand when he asked “So you are then a king?” (Jn 18:37). Though Jesus declared his kingdom was one ‘not of this world’, he insisted it existed, anchored in ultimate truth; but Pilate remained ignorant. Are we any wiser? Though always alluded to in prayers, in psalms, and in parables, this kingdom remains unexplained. This story of Jesus’ confrontation with Pilate, so dense in allusion, anchors our modern understanding of Christ as King. This feast day of Christ the King Sunday (held on Eternity Sunday) is relatively recent, having been instituted by Pope Pius XI in response to Mussolini’s republicanism, to remind the faithful their allegiance remained to God, not to earthly rulers. It sits on the same day as the older holy day of Totensonntag, a day to commemorate the dead in Lutheran and some Anabaptist traditions. For some of us of republican bent (particularly in North America) the image of a King over us remains troubling, given the past malfeasance of earthly rulers. Nevertheless, Pius XI’s clarion “Christ’s peace for Christ’s kingdom” was effective, and leaves us with questions we should continue to ask ourselves today. “Who do you say that I am?” is not just for Pilate but for us. Is Jesus King to us? A gentle shepherd? What is our fervent hope when we pray “Thy kingdom come”? [AP]

Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, November 25th, 2012 using your browser's preferred media player.

Sun. Nov. 18, 2012 (Carl Friesen)

Carl Friesen (graduate student at Regent College) spoke on "Justice and the Liturgy of Human Rights". In an earlier talk, Carl showed that humans are primarily loving, relational beings and not simply coldly rational creatures. However, over the past three or more centuries, certain philosophers' arguments have profoundly shaped societal thinking in ways which have led even today's Christians to think unquestioningly about the supremacy of human rights, rights which concern the individual rather than that which is best for a relational (let alone loving) community. Hobbes, for example, argued that science/mechanics/math can explain everything rationally, that people are fundamentally individuals (not social beings) concerned with self preservation. Thinking like this leads to the assumptions of the "unalienable rights" of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" embedded by Thomas Jefferson so prominently in the US constitution. John Stuart Mill emphasized that individual freedom is the greatest good, and this assumption is too often unquestioned by today's media, courts and societal thinking. This leads our society into a fragmented view of justice in which we focus more on an individual's goods and rights than on all of us fostering love and helpful societal relationships. If pushed too far, individual rights will not provide a foundation for the common good. For example, forests, lakes and meadows were formerly preserved as a cooperative endeavour for the common good, but now we are subdividing them into tiny parcels purchased by individuals who have the 'right' to do with their resources as they wish, even if it will lead to harming society as a whole. Believing in absolute rights also leads to the type of polarization, and the lack of compromise now so prevalent in US politics. What to do? Carl suggested that Christians can begin to change society through hospitality, "inordinate" hospitality, a selfless serving of others, a loving of the unloveable. We still have rights (and do not want our hospitality to be exploited), but if we practice the level of hospitality outlined in Matthew 25, rather than individual rights first and foremost, we can become more Christ-like. [JEK]

Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, November 18th, 2012 using your browser's preferred media player.

Sun. Nov. 11, 2012 (Rosie Perera)

Rosie Perera’s September 2nd justification for an Anabaptist peace perspective entrenched Mt. 5:9 (“Blessed are the peacemakers....”) as a spiritual touchstone. Last (Peace) Sunday, Rosie offered five scriptural responses to five common arguments for war, drawn from a book by Dr. Gary Staats entitled Biblical Non-resistance from a Historic Anabaptist Perspective. The first argument offers Deuteronomic commands to Israel to war against its neighbours until they are destroyed. These were designed by God to combat idolatry. Our NT instruction is to extend God’s love to all people including our enemies, so OT instructions to Israel cannot be used by the NT church to support warfare. The second response is to incomplete instructions in Romans 13 to covet the commands of governing authorities that God has constituted to rule over us. Rosie notes the longer passage conveys the context of Paul’s instructions to the righteous believer: “Do not repay evil for evil”, “Do not avenge yourself, leave wrath for God” and “Love your neighbour as yourself”. Even in those Roman times, Paul instructed believers not to bear Nero’s sword against neighbours, but instead to stand apart. In the third response, John 2 records Christ’s cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem. John suggests Jesus’ answer to defilement was violent. Rosie offered context, noting the moneychangers and the temple authorities had arranged a halachic barrier to pilgrims’ worship, which Jesus corrected. Rosie noted the text isn’t explicit, as it appears Jesus used the scourge only on the animals. Ultimately, Rosie says we are called to leave Messianic acts (Ps 69:9) like this in God’s hands and not to perform them ourselves. Fourth, Luke 22 calls the disciples to take swords on the road with them. In context, Rosie noted that all Jesus’ other instructions call the disciples to be armed for spiritual battle, not physical. Last, the rider of Revelation 19 with a sword in his mouth was addressed in its proper context as merely the herald of the King of the whole world - a lamb triumphant and matted with its own blood - not a pale rider to subdue all people and evil in the world by force. A lively discussion on the proper discernment of judgment and textual criticism followed. [AP]

Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, November 11th, 2012 using your browser's preferred media player.

Sun. Nov. 4, 2012 (Don Teichroeb)

Don Teichroeb spoke on the topic, "Toward an Inclusive Theology of Love". Many people, including some nonbelievers, agree that 'God is love', but many of us place limitations on this love, questioning how even God can love people when they purposely sin (a harsh Old Testament stance in which I was unfortunately raised). In Matthew 12.28-34, Jesus identified the two greatest commandments: (1) love God, and (2) love others as yourself--ideas articulated in Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19. As intellectuals in the Jewish tradition grappled with the Law and the prophets, some attempted to distil the essence of scriptures to a few pithy statements (as Jesus did in our morning's lectionary reading), while other intellectuals preferred to delve into thousands of explanatory comments. The writer of 1 John 4 gives an extensive explanation, telling how the God of love exercises love in concrete ways. This can lead us to understand that, if God is love and love is kind, therefore God is kind, etc. Don also cited the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son (stories which preceded our morning's reading) illustrate God's love toward us even when everybody else assumes that we are hopelessly lost. "We love, because God loves us, all of us." [JEK]

Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, November 4th, 2012 using your browser's preferred media player.