Readings for November 28, 2010 Advent 1

Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

Prayer to Begin
Unexpected God,
your advent alarms us.
Wake us from drowsy worship,
from the sleep that neglects love,
and the sedative of misdirected frenzy.
Awaken us now to your coming,
and bend our preoccupations into your peace. Amen.


Isaiah 2:1-5
Isaiah wrote these verses about 740 BC, a time when spirits were low in Judah: Assyrian armies were bent on conquest, and many people doubted God's power to preserve the dynasty of David in accordance with his promise; others believed themselves to be invincible in the face of enemies.

Because Chapter 1 begins with similar words, it appears that this and the next few chapters originally formed a separate document. The ideas in vv. 2-4 are also found in Micah 4. In the future (“in days to come”, v. 2) God will launch a new era in which he will dwell on earth (“house”), at Jerusalem. His presence above all others on earth symbolizes his sovereignty. (Jerusalem began on the eastern hill or “mountain”. By Isaiah’s time it had expanded on to part of the western hill. “Zion”, v. 3, was originally the name of the southern slope of the eastern hill, the site of the first settlement. The name was later used for the whole city.)

The prophet foretells a time when all peoples will make pilgrimage to Jerusalem (“let us go up”, v. 3) to worship God – to learn the way of living revealed by God. The city will be the source of “instruction” in ethical living. In Chapter 30, Isaiah tells us that in his time Judah rejected God’s message, but in this future time all peoples will accept it. (The Hebrew word for “instruction” is torah which is also a name for the first five books of the Bible, the Law.) In this future time, God will settle disputes among nations (“judge”, v. 4) and between people (“arbitrate”). It will be an age of peace and plenty: warfare being a thing of the past, agriculture (“plowshares”, “pruning hooks”) will prosper. (Conquering armies lived off the land and farmers were needed for military service.) In v. 5, Isaiah exhorts the people to adopt God’s ways now.

For reflection

Notice that the image here is not just of peace, but of turning weapons into tools, tools that help growth and creation and life. Non-war, Non-fighting is not enough. Proactive, pro-creative work is where God calls us. What examples of proactive activity for peace can you name? Where do you see hope for peace in the world?


"The Lord's house . . . shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it." This is a unique image: if you think of God as being on the mountain-top and nations as rivers - they stream upwards, against the usual flow, to meet with God. Reflect on this unusual image. How are we called to "go against the flow..."?




Romans 13:11-14

In vv. 1-8, Paul has written about the obligations we Christians have to civil authorities; he has continued his instructions on ethics for Christians. The only thing we Christians “owe” others – Christians and non-Christians – is love: this sums up the obligations of the Christian in life, of Christian ethics.

And love among Christians is something special: it is mutual.

Then vv. 9-10: if we love our neighbours, we will treat them as the Ten Commandments (“the law”) requires: this flows naturally out of our love for them, e.g. we will not offend them by what we do. This is why “one who loves another ... [fully satisfies] the law” (v. 8).

Now Paul tells us another reason why ethical behaviour is important for Christians. We know that we are living both in the present and in the age which is after the first coming of the Messiah and before the second: “salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers” (v. 11). Paul expresses it in terms of night and day: we should awake, pass from darkness to light, from evil to good. The image of armour is also found in contemporary Jewish writings about the end of the age; in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul tells us that the “armour of light” (v. 12) is faith, hope, love for each other, fidelity, uprightness, etc. “Let us live” (v. 13), he says, as if the Day of the Lord is already here, “honourably”, not in ways that harm ourselves and our neighbours.

For Reflection:
"you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep." There is such urgency in this statement and in this passage. What are we waiting for to get going with doing God's work? We know what time it is: time for peace. time for justice. time for grace. Now is the moment to wake and work.Are we asleep? What would it take for us to wake up?


"salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers." - this is a good verse to plug John Wesley's idea of sanctifying grace - grace that grows in us as we become disciples. A time of conversion (justification) when we first come to 'be believers', however we might define that, is not the end and all and all of our relationship with God. How do we nurture our own spiritual growth? How has your faith changed over the years? What has encouraged that growth and development?


Matthew 24:36-44
Speaking to his followers, Jesus has foretold the destruction of the Temple; he has told them the signs of the coming of the end times. In the suffering and trials which will precede the End, society will break down, “many will fall away” (v. 10, from the faith) but “one who endures to the end will be saved” (v. 13). After these events, the “Son of Man” (vv. 27, 30) will come “with power and great glory”. This will mark the beginning of a new era, a new way of being. Followers should discern signs of the second coming of Christ (vv. 32-35).

But (v. 36), we do not know precisely when that coming will be, and neither does Jesus. The situation will be like that before the Flood: people were preoccupied with earthly matters (v. 38). When the Flood came, a small number “entered the ark” and were saved, but many drowned. The dawn of the new era will also be like this; Jesus gives two examples: of men (v. 40) and of women (v. 41). Some will be “taken” to be with Christ (because they are prepared) but others will be “left”. V. 43 is an other example. “Keep awake” (v. 42) to the will of God.


For reflection:
"at an unexpected hour" Ask yourself: "How often in my life I am putting things off - procrastinating - not so much about day to day things but about big things: I will start giving more ... pray more... I will help more .... I will take more time with the people who are important to me..." But the Son of Man comes unexpectedly. Again, is in the passage from Romans, the time is NOW.

Note that Jesus makes no mention of why some get taken and some left, or where they get taken, or anything specific. We bring a lot of assumptions to the text about what this means, but be careful not to read things into the passage that aren't there.

Why do you think Jesus tells the disciples (and us) these things? What's his intention? We react, today at least, with fear and anxiety and worry. Is that what Jesus meant for us to feel? If it isn't, (and I'm thinking it isn't) how come we're missing what he's getting at? Why are wooried?

In Jesus day, speaking to an audience of people who were largely poor, disenfranchised, conguered, subjugated, oppressed...the end of things, the start of something new , would be most welcome. They would react to Jesus warnings of the end with hope and expectation, not fear. Who in our world would react with hopeful expectation as they think about the end of the world as we know it? What would you like to see come to an end in the present? What new thing do you want to see happen?

Readings for November 21 2010

Opening Prayer:

O God, we pray that your reign might be seen in our midst. When your Spirit moves through our lives, may your priorities be evident in our choices. When your Christ approaches us in a stranger, may we offer our aid and respect. When your Word of Life is opened to us, may we open our hearts and be changed. In the fullness and beauty of all creation, may we celebrate your power at work, Amen


Reign of Christ Sunday was initiated by Pope Pius XI in 1925. It was the Church’s response to “increasing secularism”. It is always the last Sunday in the church year – the “pinnacle” of Jesus’ power before he is reduced to just a metaphorical twinkle in a prophet’s eye.


What role does a “reign of Christ” play in our lives? Our church has been studying what it means to live in the midst of Empire – to ask ourselves how we are complicit, and when we are in opposition, how do we maintain our courage to stand up for our beliefs?




Our scriptures offer us images of a different kind of “ruler” based on beliefs about God, Christ, as well as our ultimate purpose in the world.




READ Jeremiah 23:1-6


In Israel, the king was often associated with the shepherd, contrasting the good shepherd – one who does it for care of the sheep versus the bad shepherd - who does it for profit, and does not care about the welfare of the flock.




Jeremiah's context is war and destruction, his words are full of condemnation of the kings who led them to that place - they are the bad shepherds.




In verse 1, Jeremiah's critique is for the kings and advisors, not enemies like Babylon. Jeremiah blames his own people. He talks about the people scattered, which raises the question whether the exile has already happened. Verse 2-3 contains God’s indictment "You have not attended to the flock, so I will attend to you!" Almost like good parenting, sometimes nurturing, sometimes disciplining. God will take the role of shepherd back, protect, care until they flourish, gather the dispersed. Then God will (v.4) raise up shepherds from within community. In verse 5, Jeremiah uses the ophetic formulae "the days are surely coming" to give them hope for the future but let them know their hope is already in the works. "Raise up for David a righteous branch" – the good king who listened, cared what God thought, grew up a shepherd. David's line will produce the next king, rooted in the tradition, yet new.

In verse 6 Jeremiah talks about naming – a significant thing in that time, thought to have power. The new name reverses the meaning of old and corrupt King Zedekiah’s name!

(old) My righteousness is YHWH vs. (new) YHWH is our righteousness.




Question for Reflection: The scattered people would be gathered together around one understanding of righteousness – how does this help us to understand our own (personal) sense of being scattered, our communal sense of being scattered?





READ Colossians 1:11-20 –

One of Paul’s disputed letters (Deutero-Pauline) so we can expect it to be more “conservative” than his “original” works. It is likely the author was someone from “within” the community.


Background – Colossae a church, founded by Epaphras, but very vulnerable to influences from the "Christian gnostics" who denied the physical incarnation of Jesus. Growth is a theme throughout letter – author urging them towards maturity, standing up for right beliefs. Wisdom is another theme – spiritual wisdom versus the appearance of wisdom.




This passage – God’s role, Christ’s role in our “upbringing” affirms the reality of Jesus as fully human, and creation's goodness.




Question for Reflection: The author of Colossians is quick to re-affirm that Jesus is of the earth, and the earth is for him. God and Christ are involved in the world, not rescuing us from it. How do Christians express this belief in a pluralistic world of many faiths?


READ Luke 23:33-43



Why are we reading a Good Friday story when we are leading up to Xmas? In verse 33 – The Skull, Calvary(calvaria Latin), Golgotha (aramaic) - all mean the same thing. Biblical scholarship tells us that only political enemies were crucified, therefore the "criminals" are not common thieves, but rebels, and that is also why Jesus was executed.




The gospel of Luke contrasts innocence of Jesus versus cruelty of Rome:

Jesus forgives the guilty, Rome accuses the innocent.

Jesus shares the wealth, Rome divides the spoils.

Jesus offers comfort, Rome scoffs and mock.




Some bibles may verse 34 in parentheses – it was not found in the earliest texts. Note that Jesus does not offer forgiveness of sin but forgives their ignorance.




The second prisoner asks Jesus to remember him in his (Jesus') kingdom (not God’s!)

Question for Reflection: What kind of reversal does your theology or life need right now?

Readings for November 7 2010

The portrayal of Jerusalem's temple is one of inspirational beauty, which the faithful exiles returned to Jerusalem in hopes of rebuilding. When they lost sight of the temple, the prophets used that memory of great beauty to call them back to God's keeping.

Take a moment to pray as you begin this study:

O God, may we be firm in our faith with you. Bless us with a love that keeps us at all times and in every circumstance. Guide us in the way of Jesus and transform us in the Word of Life, we pray, Amen

READ Haggai 1:15b-2:9

Haggai is not the most popular prophet for us today, he appears rarely in our schedule of readings, and his prophecies seem restricted to a particular time and place. How do we make his words relevent today?

By the decree of the Persian emperor Cyrus (who defeated the Babylonians), the Israelites returned to Jerusalem to re-build the temple under the political leadership of Nehemiah, and the religious leadership of Ezra. But the rebuilding of the temple was delayed by various conflicts between the people of the northern and southern kingdoms. After 18 years "home", only the foundation had been laid!

Haggai and Zechariah were 2 prophets who kept at the people to get going and finish the temple. Psalms 145-148 are ascribed to these prophets, who are chronologically the “last” of the Hebrew prophets (from the Christian perspective) until the next prophetic voice which is John the Baptist.

Earlier in the prophecy Haggai criticized the people for building themselves fine, paneled homes, while God resided in poverty. He threatened them with financial failure and drought if they are not faithful in giving God a worthy place in their rebuilt lives. In verse 2, note that Haggai's message is delivered on 3 levels – to Zerubbabel (political); to Joshua (spiritual) and to the people (social.) Haggai uses a rhetorical question in verse 3 - it would have been about 66 years! But the former beauty of the temple was legendary. We can share in the message of verse 4 "Take courage!" and ”I am with you”. In verse 5 the prophet reminds the people of their history with YHWH - verse 6-9 is a new vision of the promised land, that “land of milk and honey” only it is a temple restored to its former glory. In this way Haggai believed that Jeremiah's promise would be fulfilled (Jeremiah 29:14;30:3 31:23) and the stolen treasures returned to their rightful place.

Question for Reflection: We often quote “Without a vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18 – wording from the KJV – more contemporary versions are different.) What vision jump-starts your enthusiasm for ministry?

READ 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 13-17

“Second Paul” – most scholars suggest that it was not Paul writing 2 Thessalonians, though the letter was attributed to him. It expresses some non-Pauline views: ie. God’s love is for believers only; God wreaks eternal vengeance against “enemies”; Christ's victory is Second Coming, not resurrection; that Second Coming is future, not imminent.

It is likely the author was writing to keep his readers from straying from core Christian beliefs, by recalling Paul's teachings and creating a harsh boundary between those who follow faithfully, versus those who follow false teachings.

He paints a pretty colourful picture of those outside salvation, and those "sanctified" by true belief.

Question for Reflection: Do we have to believe we are ultimately right (and others wrong) in order to have hope?

READ Luke 20:27-38

The Sadducees, high priests and temple authorities, did not believe in resurrection. They read only the Torah as authoritative scripture. The Pharisees, who taught in the synagogue, also saw the Psalms and prophets as holy scripture and believed in resurrection. Luke portrays Jesus as being the fulfilment of the best hope of the Pharisees.

In the passage the Sadducees try to trap Jesus by proposing a ridiculous situation concerning resurrection. But Jesus tells them they are the ones being ridiculous if they think God's realm will follow their rules! In God's realm, a widow doesn't need a husband to be valued. God's realm is full of living beings like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, just as Moses said.

Question for Reflection: Jesus affirmed that the continuity between this life and any understanding of afterlife is God and God's love. When we understand that God's love transforms us in God's realm, how does that shape your understanding of life, in all its dimensions?

We close with a peace poem by the Muslim Inayat Khan, founder of the Sufi Order of the West:

Send Thy peace, O Lord, which is perfect and everlasting, that our souls may radiate peace. Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may think, act and speak, harmoniously. Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may be contented and thankful for Thy bountiful gifts. Send Thy peace, O Lord, that amidst our worldly strife we may enjoy Thy bliss. Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may endure all, tolerate all in the thought of Thy grace and mercy. Send Thy peace, O lord, that our lives may become a divine vision, and in Thy light all darkness may vanish. Send Thy peace, O Lord, our Father and Mother, that we Thy children on earth may all unite in one family.