Sun. July 28, 2013 (Andre Pekovich)

Andre Pekovich used the lectionary texts for the day to investigate the purpose and meaning of consequences as they apply to God’s design. In Hosea 1, Andre noted that though Hosea promises consequences to Israel, it takes more than a century for them to come about; meanwhile, his children live with unpleasant names. Meanwhile Israel, though successful historically, failed to follow God spiritually and relied on its own power and might for its own salvation, eventually leading to its own destruction. In Psalm 85, salvation seen to be not once and for all, but a continuous process of anger and separation followed by revival, sometimes years or generations between. Luke 11, though more often used to describe how we should pray, also shows how the persistence of prayer may bring about the consequences we desire. And Colossians 2 insisted that we follow our own call of the spirit when discerning the right way to follow God’s direction; heeding the instructions of others may lead to separation, anxiety and sin, and again bear consequences of separation of the Body from God. Andre noted that consequences are neither logical, rational or immediate, and sometimes they don’t appear to take place at all. Since we have no control over the consequences, we are called to live purposeful and devoted lives, as a training for when consequences that we do not expect eventually arrive to test us. [AP]

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Sun. July 21, 2013 (Ken Friesen)

Ken Friesen provided a historical overview of the emergence and nature of two monastic orders. The election of the current Pope, Francis has brought renewed attention to the Franciscans. They are a monastic order based on the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi (1209), who was told by God to rebuild the church. Franciscans take vows of poverty, chastity and proclamation of the kingdom of God. Later Ignatius, a soldier, felt badly about conquering others and decided to do what St. Francis had done 300 years earlier start a monastic order. His group - the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) - believe reform begins with the individual; they strongly emphasize education and by 1556 had founded 73 colleges. The current pope is the first Franciscan pope in history. Ken noted that his habits point to a life of simplicity: using public transport and washing the feet of the poor including a Muslim woman. He has become a symbol of what the church should be. “I’d like a poor church,” the pope said. The issue of charity is important; Ken noted that less affluent people donate more the affluent. St. Francis was never ordained, and Ken observed that we have a pope named after a lay leader and a Mennonite church named after a Roman Catholic priest. (HN)

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Sun. July 14, 2013 (Carl Friesen)

On Bastille Day (when the French Revolution began taking steps which would ultimately dethrone Europe's most powerful king, Louis XVI), Carl Friesen spoke on "The Good News of a New King." Whether we like monarchies or not, the New Testament is filled with kingdom imagery. The Song of Mary focuses on the coming of a person who would be king-like. Luke tells of Jesus reading from Isaiah and then having the audacity to claim that he is 'the one'. In the sermon on the Mount, phrases such as, "You have heard it said . . . but I say to you . . ." redefine who is/is not in the kingdom. Contemporaries were naturally aghast at the notion of one man claiming such a role--for they saw it as God's role. Jesus, however, invited people to participate in his kingdom and in the restoration of all creation (for salvation is only one small part of the Good News). We of course prefer to think of Jesus as the Servant or Good Shepherd, rather than as a powerful king with the authority to judge us. And if we are to be judged, some Christians would prefer to be judged by faith rather than by consistency of actions. But apparently, we don't get to chose. That said, the Good News is that if we follow his kingdom ways, our part of society can be changed, the poor can be helped, the lame can walk, and the widows will have nothing to fear. [JEK]

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Sun. July 7, 2013 (J. Evan Kreider)

Evan Kreider’s sermon focused on the difficult and demanding passages of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These passages are often seen as pointing to the essence of the Anabaptist understanding of the Christian way. While Luther emphasized salvation by faith and grace alone, the Anabaptists emphasized obedience. Evan developed two themes: your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees, and Jesus saying “you have heard that it has been said but I say to you…” and thereby rewriting the understanding of OT teaching. Turn the other cheek… if someone takes your cloak… go the second mile… love your enemies, etc. These blunt statements all focus on how we act under pressure. The Sermon on the Mount has not a word about correct beliefs, only words about what to do. The practice of religion is about how we treat others and the Sermon on the Mount provides clear direction on this point. (HN)

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