As we enter the season of Lent, we are reminded that the church has a long tradition of choosing fasts through a forty day preparation for Good Friday and Easter. Many choose to give something up as a sign of their preparation, others wonder why we do this at all. It is good to remember that the point of Lent is not about what we give up, or even if we give anything up, it is about making space in our lives for listening to God. God welcomes that space, so that God can fill it. Sometimes to gently reveal something we need to receive; It might be a word of correction, of noticing what is unhealthy in our lives, but, also a revelation of God’s own suffering love in Christ, how Jesus bore the weight of the world on the road to Calvary. Yes, fasting is a discipline, but we know that disciplines make space for growth and goodness. I have chosen a fast, but, I have also chosen to add a space making feature to my day, which is called the Daily Examen. This is an Ignatian practice that makes space to reflect on where we have encountered God during the day. If you want to join me in trying this practice, I have included a guide here. May you sense the accompaniment of Christ as you walk with him towards the cross this Lenten Season.
Why Worship?
As Advent worship prepares us for the grand celebration of the Nativity this Christmas, I was asking myself why we bother with gathering the community to worship at all? And here’s where I arrived this week - that it is the church’s duty to worship God. The scriptures command us to worship God. ‘Praise the Lord’ is an imperative, not a suggestion. It would be a mistake to frame it in terms of benefit to us, because that just keeps bringing everything around to the ego and the human-centric tendency to make everything about us. It’s not meant to be pragmatic, though it does have a benefit; it’s not meant to teach us something new, though we can be given fresh insight. It’s not meant to create community, even though it does connect us. It is, what Marva Dawn calls, ‘a royal waste of time’. It is a summons to behold the King. From the newborn in the manger to the Lamb upon the throne; there, and every place in between, we come to adore. We gather in community to be reminded that God is God and we’re not, and that to engage in the communal practice of recognizing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the centre and perimeter of everything is a fundamental reorientation. And it is good; it just is!
So, this season I’m inviting us to adopt a posture of humility and release.
For those who are accustomed to power, control, respect, and privilege this will be harder.
For those who feel like they are often invisible, there will be an advantage, because the scripture says that God humbles the proud and lifts up the weak; worship levels the playing field. We are invited, we are pleaded with, we are encouraged, we are told by the Spirit, and by the witnesses who have preceded us, to come and find our place together, celebrating the beautiful story of God in Christ interrupting history to put all things right. Let us worship God!
Glen S.
Christian Mystics
I think Karl Rahner got it exactly right when he said, “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist at all.” As we move deeper into a post-Christian world, belief in God--as a cognitive pursuit--will become harder and harder. Which means we need to train our people to see God. Christians in post-Christian contexts need to become mystics. Our encounter with God needs to become more perceptual than intellectual, seeing over believing.
To those who have never encountered God, all this might seem vague and woo-woo. What might all this look and feel like?
To start, it's an experience that comes only in the silence and stilling of your mind. The distorting effects of your ego have to be dealt with, how your perceptions are always being filtered through the scrim of the self which triggers us and creates agitation and desire. Like a dirty lens, the self obscures the view. The self needs to settle down to become transparent, like a window, allowing the light to shine through. And none of this is complicated. It's not rocket science. It's mostly just silence and stillness.
— Richard Beck
I Am With You
The Church has a life changing message - a message carried to the whole world by those who have received it - God is with us. It is a description of an act of God, not a concept or metaphor; God is present in the action. That act of God has a name and is a person - Jesus. Jesus is the act of God, present to the whole world; I am with you is what his presence means. This is the implication of the resurrection story - God with us cannot be terminated or cancelled by fear and violence; it only springs up over and over again in the most surprising of ordinary places, and keeps repeating "I am with you". Thanks be to God. GS
'Peace be with you'
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were
locked for fear, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
'Peace be with you.'
John 20.19
Jesus,
our dead and living friend,
We walk the ways of death and life
holding fear in one hand
and courage in the other.
Come find us when we are locked away.
Come enliven us.
Come bless us with your peace.
Because you are the first day of creation
And all days of creation.
Amen.
Padraig O'Tuama
Restoring Trust
Humanity’s fall (Gen. 3) does not describe the failure of humanity to diligently obey the minutiae of a legal code. Genesis tells the story of a failure of trust. Humanity was created for joyful trust and loving fellowship with its Creator, but fell into independence and distrust, and therefore disgrace. The event of the gospel was Jesus restoring that trust and including us in it. GS
From Consumers to Apprentices
I had an Amazon package stolen from my front door the other day. It was annoying to be sure - I don’t know what someone is going to do with 100 little communion cups with tasteless wafers adhered to the top; I suppose they might get a modicum of nourishment out of it, or they may be inspired to start a new church! One reason I wasn’t more distraught was because I knew Amazon would just replace it. No problem. Everything is expendable, write it off and start over. A perfect picture of the consuming society we inhabit without much second thought.
We’ve also just emerged from the most consumer focused stretch of the calendar year: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas presents and feasting. As we sit under the inescapable barrage of consumer messaging it’s not hard to concede that many of us have mistaken the life of following in the way of Jesus as something we consume. It is being packaged in many places as a product delivered or made available to us for our own personal development, and when it doesn’t make us feel good about ourselves, when it doesn’t matchup to retail therapy, we lose interest. In my mind, there is a direct correlation to the Late Covidtide reality, which is that Christians are not choosing to participate in the life of the church any longer; our lack of apprenticeship has been exposed in our inward turn to the consuming life.
This bears no resemblance to what biblical and historical apprenticeship to Jesus looks like. The followers of Jesus and the Way do begin by receiving something, what John’s gospel calls ‘grace upon grace’ (John 1:16), but its purpose is not for self-gratification; it is to free us to live for the world and God’s kingdom. Apprentices of Jesus live as those whose instinctive practices are to generate and release this grace and all other resources for the other - the neighbour, the stranger, and the enemy. That is the opposite of purchasing and hoarding resources, experiences, knowledge, and relationships for our own self-gratification. The move from consumers to apprentices of Jesus and his way is a lifelong journey with lots of speed bumps and sometimes a slide into the ditch along the way. That’s okay - there is grace upon grace upon grace for all - but, let’s at least make sure we know what direction we are heading in!
Glen Soderholm
Proximity to Jesus
In Johnny Cash’s song ‘We are the Shepherds’ the chorus rings out ‘we had to come see him, we had to draw near’. The shepherds were the first people, after Mary and Joseph, who had the impulse and the privilege of drawing near to Jesus, to lean into his arrival in the world. Leaning into the manger is a classic trope in artistic renderings of the nativity. Leaning in and kneeling closely are symbols of curiosity, of wonder, of humility. It is a tableau that invites speculation on a first cause; God, in Jesus the newborn, the Messiah, first drew near to us so that we might draw near to him, and then he would draw us all into the nearness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
To follow in the way of Jesus is primarily about getting nearer all the time: to overhear, to be in the shadow of, to touch the hem of, to feel the presence of this one named Jesus. For when we draw near, we are leaning into God’s grace and love radiating from the incarnate one in human form.
To be standoffish - to speculate on the nature of the child, to debate the origins of the conception, to apply our judgement to the those who have followed the child inadequately, is a distraction. It is to put up safety barriers, guard rails, filters, that prevent us from drawing near. This aloofness and hermeneutic of suspicion has the appearance of neutrality, but there is no such place. To be proximate, to be implicated, to be captivated and beguiled by Jesus, is what has created saints; what has shaped pervasive movements for good.
We can become obsessed with the failures and mistakes of the church; indeed, there is a humility and regret that need to cultivated, but it doesn’t disqualify the incarnation, or the Christ, or relegate the whole enterprise into one large repository of shame. No, there are many who have drawn near; in their time, and in their place, women and men who have chosen this good way remind us that we might have this same inclination. Who is this child? What did his life, death, and resurrection signify and accomplish? ‘We had to come see him, we had to draw near’. GS
Night Shielding Prayer – Tess Ward ( The Celtic Wheel of the Year)
Outrageous One, who comes in the night, ready or not,
who surprises with your arrival in the darkest moonlight places.
For you did not wait til we were ready.
You did not wait til every child was loved, and every mouth fed:
til our lives were spotless and the fighting had ceased.
You come just as we are.
Come to us this night, dear God, and to all who need your peace.
Watch and wait with us in the darkness until the light of justice dawns.
Bring us safely to tomorrow as we lie down this night.
Amen.
- Tess Ward
"Edging God Out" - Richard Rohr
“The only way such freedom (of getting out of the way for Jesus to take the centre) can happen is if John the Baptist learned to be very empty of himself already as a young man, before he even built his tower of success. His ego was out of the way so much so that he could let go of his own ego, his own message, and even his own life. This is surely the real meaning of his head on a platter! Some have cleverly said that the ego is an acronym for ‘edging God out’. There’s got be such emptiness, or we cannot point beyond ourselves to Jesus, as John did. Such emptiness doesn’t just fall into our laps; such humility does not just happen. It is surely the end product of a thousand letting goes and a thousand acts of devotion, which for John the Baptist gradually edged God in.”
Richard Rohr
Advent in Reverse
“Does Advent run backwards? The movement is from the second coming to the first coming; it doesn't seem to make sense. The season begins with the last things and ends with the nativity in Bethlehem. Shouldn't it be the other way round?
Not really. The rhythm of the church's seasons turns out, in this as in so many other ways, to be theologically profound. If we began with the nativity and then moved to the last judgment, we would be so softened up by that little baby in the manger that we wouldn't be able to take the second coming of Christ in power seriously. The solemnity and awe do not lie in the fact that the baby becomes the eternal Judge. What strikes us to the heart is this: the eternal Judge, very God of very God, Creator of the worlds, the Alpha and the Omega, has become that little baby.”
Fleming Rutledge
The Beginning of Advent
The season of Advent sets the church into a posture of waiting. The four weeks leading up to the Nativity on Dec. 25th immerses us in the longing of ancient Israel for a Messiah, and the longing of the church for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Longing we understand; waiting - not so much. Yet the waiting we are asked to consider is not like standing anxiously at a bus stop so that we can get to our destination on time, it is more like preparing for something. It is an active waiting which ponders the details of how we want to set up our house for guests. Sweeping the floors, polishing the glasses and cutlery, chopping wood for the fire place, picking the music you’d like to have on as guests arrive, choosing the wine you’d like to serve. It’s paying attention to the little things that will enhance the big thing. In the small acts of preparing - praying, reading the prophets, lighting candles, singing the Advent songs, preparing foods for the feast, helping those on the margins with presence and charity, making or buying gifts, speaking of our hopes for peace; we actively wait. We cultivate our waiting into these manageable practices that sate our longing, that turn us towards the always arriving Jesus in the Spirit, so that we recognize him when he comes in his fullness. Maranatha. GS
Kindness
“It is wretched and restrictive to impose upon the world only ones
own version of the truth. Every fanatic believes that he is fighting for
God or something higher when he "fights for the truth." This is a lie.
When kindness is lost, he loses that which he is fighting for. Indeed,
the shameful conditions that we so often see in a broken world can
only find healing and mercy through kindness. The fanatic does not
have kindness in mind but focuses on what is wrong -and often justi-
fiably so! And yet, without kindness, his truth becomes an idol. God
is truth, but the truth is not God. The fanatic believes that he has the
truth at his command, but he forgets that God is not at our disposal!”
Martin Schleske
"Don’t Hesitate" by Mary Oliver
“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happened better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
Mary Oliver
Stop Circling
In downtown Guelph there has always been a shortage of street parking. This has recently been exacerbated by the blocking off of the Baker St. parking lot as it is being prepared for construction. As people come downtown to shop and work they experience the extreme frustration of having to drive around until they see a spot come available and then try to dash in before someone else snaps it up. The powers that be built a vast parkade a few years back to ameliorate this problem, but very few people see fit to use it; they’d rather circle around until a spot comes available. So, the city has now put up signs downtown - 'Stop circling - head to a parkade!’ I was amused when I first saw those signs - wisdom for life! And I was reminded about what Jesus says to those listening in Matthew 11 - ‘Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls; for my yoke is easy, and my burden light (vs. 28 - 30). Jesus has established a parkade for the weary soul that is circling and circling hoping something magical will appear; there’s no magic in his solution - just a compassionate welcome to God’s infinite love and grace where there is more than enough room for you to find the space that you and the world need. GS
Try To Praise the Mutilated World by Adam Zagajewski
Try to praise the mutilated world.
Remember June's long days,
and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine.
The nettles that methodically overgrow
the abandoned homesteads of exiles.
You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships;
one of them had a long trip ahead of it,
while salty oblivion awaited others.
You've seen the refugees going nowhere,
you've heard the executioners sing joyfully.
You should praise the mutilated world.
Remember the moments when we were together
in a white room and the curtain fluttered.
Return in thought to the concert where music flared.
You gathered acorns in the park in autumn
and leaves eddied over the earth's scars.
Praise the mutilated world
and the gray feather a thrush lost,
and the gentle light that strays and vanishes
and returns.
By Adam Zagajewski
Translated by Clare Cavanagh
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
This past Tuesday, our Living Room used the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi to dedicate our meeting as a reflection upon his life and legacy. His commitment to simplicity and dependence upon God to provide for his needs is a challenging one in world obsessed with producing more and more goods to be consumed. We thanked God for the ways some human beings are able to rise above the safe and the conventional to bear witness to radical love and service for Christ. If the witness of St. Francis can help us move the dial even a little to a more Christ-oriented life, then we will all be the better for it. One of the best loved prayers to God ever written comes from him, and enriches our prayer life considerably; I urge you not to skim over it because it is so familiar, rather, feast on its wisdom this weekend with thankful hearts.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
Truth and Reconciliation Day
Today is the second annual Truth & Reconciliation Day. We would do well to humble ourselves and enter into stories and actions that would connect us to the realities of our history and ongoing relationship with indigenous peoples. The Presbyterian Church in Canada (the denomination to which Two Rivers Church belongs) has worked hard to address its role in the Residential School tragedy and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. You can read more about that at presbyterian.ca. There is also ongoing indigenous ministry described here and supported by Presbyterians Sharing for whichTwo Rivers raises funds annually:
Since 1994, the Presbyterian Church in Canada has been intentional about supporting efforts of confession, truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and communities. As a result, Presbyterians Sharing provides funding for nine ministries that operate in and for Indigenous communities in Canada. These nine ministries comprise the National Indigenous Ministry Council.
Each ministry operates under a minister, director, or representative who meets with the Council for mutual care, encouragement and discussion. Though the relationship between the Presbyterian Church in Canada and Indigenous peoples is wrought with history and pain, in part as a result of the Residential Schools, the church is committed to the ongoing process of healing and reconciliation. This is one of several efforts to recognize wrongdoing and prayerfully restore right relationships. The National Indigenous Ministry Council operates to uphold ministries engaging in this important work of sharing the reconciliatory action of Jesus in word and deed.
Celtic Morning Invocation
“Embracer of all, who held out your arms and joined up the circle of life,
embolden me to believe that my lessening will bring new growth this day
Embolden me as I cut back the branches and trust the bud will come.
Embolden me as I sweep the leaves and make a pathway through.
Embolden me as I clear a space and allow my autumn work to unfold.
Embolden me as I sit in the silence and let you be the all in all.
For in the pounding of the grain is the sharing of the bread.
In the crushing of the grape is the pouring of the wine.
In the falling of the leaves is the feeding of the roots.
In the disappearing of the creatures is the survival of their kind.
In the cutting of the corn is the new seed that will rise again.
In the dying time and darkness is your promise of hope renewed.
For you have lain in the deathly grip and felt the power of love's release.
Release in me the power of love as I set out this day.
Release in me your love.”
By Tess Ward
10 Years
The nexus of Two Rivers Church was a mostly ordinary living room in a mostly ordinary townhouse on a mostly ordinary street in a mostly ordinary city called Guelph. This was just over 10 years ago, so, you could say that, loosely, this is our mostly ordinary 10th anniversary! We are people who celebrate the ordinary, because, we trust that God is always arriving into those ordinary places opening up the possibility that we will notice something is happening that is not immediately obvious to the casual observer. We are talking about the distinct possibility of encounter with the holy. This does not have to be, and rarely is, an earth shattering experience; it is more like an ‘aha', an insight that brings one out of a stupor and into aliveness. We think that the wonderful possibility of more aliveness in Christ is a wonderful thing to discover in the world, and a wonderful thing to offer to the world as well. So this Fall, in our 11th year, we continue to gather in Living Rooms to share these experiences, and to remind each other that they happen more often than we know, and to encourage each other to stay alert to the possibility. We hope you can join us there and get in on the ordinary to discover the extraordinary joy of life with God. GS