Experiencing God 238 Christian Service

A program relating to Christian Service that I have found most useful is called “Strength Finders”.  Some of you may have taken it.  This program identified your personal strengths and your areas of giftedness.  The idea behind this program is that when we serve from our strengths, we are more motivated, more passionate about what we do, and better able to serve others with the greatest amount of ease and enjoyment. Serving in those areas where we are not gifted nor have a particular interest can be both tiring and frustrating and certainly not as beneficial to those being served. 

The readings from scripture for today are about service; service and hospitality.  As God`s people, we all know that service is tied in directly with the teachings of our Christian faith, yet, it is all too easy to develop a wrong understanding of service.  Community can sometimes be a challenging place to be because it is made of people with many different gifts, different strengths, personalities, and views.  So unless we are careful, in our ministry or service to others, we can run into conflicts as to how things should be done.  Over the years, I’ve encountered a few instances where some have even moved away from Christian involvements because their view conflicted with those they were working with.

I really like what Rick Warren has to say about Christian service in his book “The Purpose Driven Life”.  He says: “Christian servants must focus on their mission, not about what others are doing.  In good Christian service, we don’t criticize, we don’t compare, we don’t compete with other Christians.”

Rick Warren says that competition among God’s servants is illogical for many reasons.  We’re all on the same team.  Our goal is to make God look good, not ourselves.  The mission cannot be accomplished unless we all work together in the common faith we share.

The first reading from Genesis is a perfect example of service and hospitality.  Abraham has visitors from the Lord.  And in the tradition of his people, he and his family offer hospitality and service to their visitors.  Abraham invites them in, gives water to wash and cool their feet from the desert sand, and then offers them nourishment. 

Abraham and his family go out of their way to prepare fresh bread, and kill the calf for them to eat.  Abraham did not do it all himself.  He worked with his wife Sarah and his servants for the preparation, each doing their own tasks for their guests.  As a result, they all found favor with God.  What if Sarah said to Abraham: “Make your own bread.  I’m busy right now.”  I don’t think that would have worked very well.  The guests would probably have got up and left.  It worked because each saw what needed to be done and contributed to its accomplishment.

Our gospel story is also about service and hospitality.  Jesus and the twelve apostles make a visit to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  How would you like to have an extra thirteen guests for supper, and coming unannounced?  I think that in its-self would cause me to be a little frazzled.  But we must remember; these people are all good friends.  They shared the same faith. They are involved in the same mission.  Jesus and the apostles would have stopped at this home many times in the past, and they knew they would be welcomed there. They would have shared many times together; so they were all very comfortable with one another. 

And the householders, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, as they had done many times before, set out to make their guests comfortable and to feel at home.  They each set out to do the service they felt was necessary at the moment.  The difficulty that came up had nothing to do with the work that Martha was doing in the kitchen.  The difficulty that came up was that Martha got distracted by her younger sister who she thought was not being very helpful, was not fulfilling her role.  So she started to complain. 

When Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not doing her share, she temporarily lost her sense of mission. Her focus was no longer on the service to be done, the mission to be accomplished, but on what others were doing.
For some reason when we hear this gospel, most of us picture this scene as Martha in a hot kitchen by herself, doing all this work, while everyone else, including Mary, were sitting in the living room chatting and having fun. This certainly does not fit in with Jesus’ model of servant leadership that he speaks about previously in the gospel.  What if we picture the scene with a kitchen buzzing with apostles and perhaps even neighbors who are all sharing in the tasks of preparing the meal.  And then Martha sees Mary not fitting into what she feels is her defined role.

Rick Warren addressed this issue.  It’s not the job of a Christian servant to evaluate the Master’s other servants.  Martha forgot that what Jesus needed at that particular moment from Mary was her attentiveness, her caring presence, her listening heart. 

Jesus’s words to Martha were not meant to chastise her for her lack of performance.  What she was doing was critically important, necessary and good. 

His words were to remind Martha that service comes in many forms, and at that moment, what Mary was doing was what was needed the most.   “Mary has chosen the better part which will not be taken from her.”  Jesus was challenging Martha to change the way she was looking at things.

To be a servant of Christ requires that we must often make a mental shift in our thinking, a change in our attitudes.  God is more interested in us using our gifts for His mission, versus directing others as to what we think they should be doing. 

As Christian servants, this mental shift or change in attitudes is required so that we can begin to think in the following manner about our role as servant:

·       Servants must think more about others and providing support than about themselves

·       Servants must focus more on the mission, their work to be done, not on what others are doing.

·       Servants must see their ministry as a response to serve Christ out of love, not to look or feel good about themselves.

·       Servants must see their ministry as an opportunity to serve others from their strengths and gifts, not as an obligation to be fulfilled.

St Paul summarizes these four attitudinal changes in the reading we have just heard from Colossians:  "I became a servant for the sake of the Body, that is the Church, according to God`s commission given to me, for you.  And that commission is to make God`s word fully known, teaching every person in all wisdom, so that we may present every person mature in Christ."

Perhaps this is a good message for us to hear during these changing times when our church has been challenged to embrace the new call to be missionary disciples.   Many of us may not be involved directly in those initiatives to encourage the disengaged to be a part of our Catholic church, but we can be supportive of them.  We can also be open to discover ways in which we can be indirectly involved in this mission in the places where we are currently serving.  

When I see church in this way, it is something to which I want to belong, and also something I want to share with others.  Let’s pray for its success, and also pray that we may discover how the Holy Spirit wishes to involve us in the process.  

Experiencing God 237 Good Samaritan

In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus telling the dramatic story of the Good Samaritan in response to a question asked by a lawyer from the Jewish community. It is obvious that the lawyer wanted to understand how to apply God’s great commandment of "love of neighbor" to his own everyday life. In so many words this man is asking Jesus: “I want to love God. I want to love my neighbor as well. I want to do it as best I can. But how do I know that I am fulfilling my duty to love my neighbor properly?" 

To the lawyer, the law of love was plain and simple: “Treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated yourself”. But he would have understood neighbor to mean only those who belonged to the same covenant relationship with God to which he belonged; those of his own chosen people. Up to a certain point, Jesus agreed with the lawyer, but at the same time, he challenged him to expand his view, to see that God’s view of neighbor went far beyond his own narrow definition.   

So Jesus tells this story to show how wide God’s love is and how merciful God is towards every human being. The story centers around a brutal robbery that took place on the road between Jerusalem to Jericho. This road went through a narrow winding valley surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. It was a dangerous place and notorious for its robbers who could easily ambush their victim and escape into the hills. The dangers of travelling on this section of road would have been well known to Jesus’ listeners. 

To make his point, Jesus examines the behavior of three people travelling that road: a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. So why did the religious leaders refuse to give any help when they saw a half dead victim lying by the roadside?

The priest probably didn’t want to risk the possibility of ritual impurity which would have prevented him from worshiping in the temple that day. His piety got in the way of charity. The Levite approached close to the victim, but stopped short of actually helping him. Perhaps he feared that bandits were using this person as decoy to ambush him. The Levite put personal safety ahead of saving his neighbor. And then we hear about a Samaritan, an outsider, one who would have been despised by the Jewish community, stopping to treat this victim with special care at his own expense. He cared for the person as he would a member of his own family. From this, we are confronted with the real question, a question that would challenge the status conscious lawyer. Who is the one who is fulfilling the commandment of love to neighbor?

And of course, we know that Jesus makes the one who was moved with compassion, who acted out of mercy as the one who is truly fulfilling God’s rule of love.

What does Jesus’ story tell us about true love for one’s neighbor? First, we must be willing to help even if others brought trouble on themselves through their own fault or negligence. The Samaritan had nothing to do with this robbery, or the risk this man took by travelling this dangerous piece of road by himself. Yet he was drawn to compassion by his plight, and responded with mercy. Second, our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and showing pity, or empathizing with others are not enough. And lastly, and most challenging, our love for others must be as wide and as inclusive as God’s love is for us. God excludes no one from his care and concern. God’s love is unconditional. In imitating God, we also must be ready to do good to all others for their sake, just as God is good to us for our sake. And we must do this without regard to race, political beliefs, age or past history. We are encouraged to live this love each day with compassion and mercy towards all who are in need, and to all whom we meet.  

Jesus not only taught God’s way of love, but he showed it, through his own life, how far God is willing to go to share in our suffering and to restore us to wholeness.  

Jesus considers each of us to be his neighbor. And He fulfills the commandment of love by overcoming our sin, through his own suffering, death and victory on the cross. In that great act of love, Jesus’ death brought us to freedom from slavery to sin and the promise of everlasting life with God.   

True compassion not only identifies and empathizes with the one who is in pain, but takes that pain onto oneself in order to bring that freedom and restoration to the neighbor in need. 

A few years ago, Pope John 11 said the following: "The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us what the relationship of each of us must be towards the suffering neighbor. We are not allowed to “pass” by on the other side indifferently; we must “stop” beside him. Everyone who “stops” beside the suffering of another person, whatever form it may take, is a Good Samaritan."

Our compassion and love should move us to do whatever we can in whatever situation we find ourselves in. These acts of compassion need not be large. Many times all it takes is a smile, a word of encouragement, most importantly a willingness to listen.  

As I was preparing this homily, something that became apparent to me is that I also must fulfill this commandment of love of neighbor with myself. As I am able to see more clearly God’s expansive view of love for me, I am also able to see how often I fail in loving my neighbor properly. I am able to see the many times I have not stopped. I am able to see the many times I may have been empathetic, but failed to act. I am able to see the many time I have used personal inconvenience as an excuse for doing nothing. But because I know that God sees me as his neighbor, in need of help, in need of His mercy, I also know that I am loved, I am forgiven. And I am learning. And church is about us learning together how to love our neighbor.
 

Experiencing God 236 Missionary Disciples

A few years ago, I had the privilege of going to the N.S. Tattoo along with 50,000 other people. This 3 hour show was very entertaining with its precision, displays of light and color, and music of all kinds. I was amazed at the number of people involved in putting on this show, 2,000 or better. But the majority there, including myself, were spectators.

One of the main difference between our current day's entertainment, whether it be the N.S. Tattoo, hockey games, TV or movies, and today's Gospel reading from Luke, is that Jesus is calling us to be more than spectators. He is calling us to be more than entertained. He is calling us into action. Yet, often times, and depending on how we view church, we can see ourselves as being only spectators, and not a part of the process of working out our salvation and the salvation of others.  

Jesus' words for the people of His day ring just as true for us today:  "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

A few years ago, I read an article in the Halifax Herald that the crop of strawberries in the valley were plentiful that year, however, the farmers were having a real difficulty hiring people to pick them. As a result, a good part of the crop was lost. One of the farmers interviewed, said that he believes there are plenty of able bodied people around, just not as many willing ones as there use to be. Could it be said that the situation in church is similar to that of the farmer? We know there are plenty of gifted people out there, but for some reason, many seem unwilling to use their gifts in this particular way, to spread to Gospel. Why is this?  

I have a sense that many Catholics may be stuck in a model of church where they see others, but not themselves, being called and sent out to be laborers in His Kingdom. Some would argue that this task is reserved for the priests, sisters, or a few others ordained for this purpose. The danger of this model of Church is that the mission is only for a few, and most of us may remain only spectators.

The movie “Jesus of Nazareth” came out many years ago and there was one scene in the movie that sticks out in my mind even to this day. It was right after Jesus had called forth His 12 disciples, and Peter and Matthew were speaking to each other. Peter was saying to Matthew: "I wonder if our lives will ever go back to where they were before we met Jesus."   Matthew's response as He looked at Jesus was: "Peter, I think we both know deep down inside that our lives will never be the same again." Peter and Matthew had been called away from a way of life that was previously fashioned by the world, and were now beginning to embrace a whole new way of life. They began to hear a voice more powerful than themselves and more powerful than the world around them.  

Secretly, deep within ourselves, we each know that when we encounter Jesus, the Lord of the Harvest, when we hear His voice speak to us, our lives will never be the same again. But at the same time, it is not easy to change, to move away from what we find comfortable; what we are familiar with. It makes us feel vulnerable.  

Even today, with the current restructuring going on in the church, I know that I can feel vulnerable and perhaps a bit threatened by the changes that are being proposed. What new will be expected of me? How will I have to change? Do I even want to change? Will I be able to respond to this new call of the church to be missionary disciples and move away from other things that are more familiar, perhaps more comfortable? These are real question that we are asked to face in changing times.  

Feeling vulnerable is not pleasant. We like to feel that we are in control of things. So when we feel vulnerable, we often see it as a sign of weakness, something to be avoided, and may even fight against it. But in truth, when we face our vulnerabilities properly, it can lead to incredible acts of courage and positive change. It can be engaging. It’s a reminder that we are all in this thing together, and together we can move forward with a new energy.

When we listen to God and allow Him to speak to our hearts, He not only calls us, but He also empowers us; that is, he gives the energy, the desire and will, the means to accomplish the task to which we are called. Our faith in Christ gives us the courage to move beyond our vulnerability.  

In the second reading from Galatians, St. Paul speaks about this with such eloquence. "May I never boast of anything except the cross of Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

So as we listen, Jesus claims us as His own. He chooses us, and sends us off together; or as in the Gospel, sends us off in pairs, to places where He Himself intended to go, but couldn’t do so by Himself. This creates for us a new way of looking at church, a new model that moves us from being a spectator to being engaged, and part of the process.   

I’m sure the disciples felt very vulnerable as Jesus gave them instructions and sent them out to witness to the truth of the Gospel. Jesus himself described it as being sent out like lambs among wolves. But we read that when they returned they were filled with joy. This is the fruit of the Spirit that we receive as we listen to and embrace the mission to which we are called. As we hear from the prophet Isaiah: “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with His servants.” And from the Gospel of John: I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is the joy we are all meant to experience as we are willing to move out of our comfort zones to take up Christ’s mission, not to be a spectator, but to be fully engaged in the mission to which each of us are called. 

May this joy be with each of you as you take up the challenges that are in front of you today.

Experiencing God 235 - Canada Day 2019

The one thing that each of us share is our own unique story.  Everyone of us have our own story to tell. If I were to ask you what two things have impacted your life the most, you could probably tell me in an instant, and then you could weave the story of your life around these instances. For example, if I were to name two things that have impacted my life the most, one would be growing up in rural Nova Scotia, and the second would be my journey in faith. I do a fair amount of writing and reading, and they both seem to focus mostly on these two areas. Both have contributed much to my own story, to who I am. 

Being Canadian, irrespective of our own or family’s country of origin does have a substantial impact on the story of our lives and who we are as a result. And each person’s story, your story, has its own uniqueness and needs to be preserved and shared. That’s why it is important for us to celebrate Canada Day, and what it is to be Canadian. It is a part of our heritage, a part of who we are.

Rick Warren in his ground breaking book, “The Purpose Driven Life” in the chapter called “Protecting the Church” encouraged the faithful to focus on all that we have in common, not on our differences. He goes on to say that God gave us each our own personalities, backgrounds, races, and preferences, so we should value and enjoy these differences, not merely tolerate them. God wants unity, not uniformity. He concludes by saying that for the sake of unity, we must never let our differences divide us, but to stay focused on what matters most – learning to love each other as Christ has loved us. In doing so, we are really showing a reverence and respect for the stories that are unique to us and to others.

God wants unity, not uniformity. For most of us, this is probably one of the first things that come to mind when we think about what it is to be Canadian. One of our past Prime Ministers spoke the following words in a sermon that he gave many years ago. “I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold.” 

If we take the time to look at countries that do not allow freedom of expression, and where people suffer oppression for their religious beliefs; if we look at places in the world where there is strife or where famine threatens the lives of millions, then we truly have every reason to say: We in Canada are truly blessed.

When Jesus spoke about those who are truly blessed in the beatitudes, he did not mention anything about being Canadian or anything about nationality. His teaching on the beatitudes from Matthew’s Gospel dealt more with the inner disposition or attitudes that He desired all people to have.

"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."  Even though these beatitudes have no mention of a nationality of origin, when they are known and lived by people making up a community and nation, you can be sure of one thing: the fruits of our faith in God, in Christ, will be realized through them. 

Today in our first reading from Isaiah, we hear: "Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come."  The Bible is clear that what makes a nation great is the compassion it expresses for the least, its care for the last and for those that are lost among its citizens. The true Character of a nation is its willingness to extend mercy to the vulnerable and marginalized. 

A nation is only Christian as it practices the beatitudes and commandments of our faith by putting love into action. 

The reason we can be proud as Canadians is because we see a lot of this taking place in our own home and native land. We see it in our faith communities. We see it in our care for refugees of which many Canadian parish communities have played a part. We see it in the many acts of generosity towards those who have suffered from major disasters. We see it in our acknowledgement and attempts at correcting past wrongs. 

But just as it is true for us as individuals, it is also true for us as a country, we still in many ways miss the mark. We are still in transition. 

On this Canada day of July 1, 2019, it is fitting that we all celebrate together our successes, those of a personal nature, and of course, those as a country. But at the same time, I believe it is also important that we all continue to renew our personal commitment to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord, and then, to the best of our ability, demonstrate that commitment through those acts of charity towards those who suffer misfortune, through the acceptance of those whose stories are different than our own, through the prayerful support of our leaders, and through a loving affirmation of our Christian principles that have guided us and our country over the years.

May God Bless You All