Moment Of Clarity With Rev. Lorrie Daly-price

This week we hear one of Jesus’ parables found in the gospel of Luke. In Jesus’ parable the owner of the garden observes a barren fig tree. Reasonably, he orders it yanked out. But the gardener suggests that the owner give the fig tree another year. In the meantime he’ll break up the hard earth, aerating the ground around it so the roots can breathe and drink and take in nourishment. He’ll put manure around it, that golden substance which is the very ground of life and fertility – changing the very soil nurturing the fig tree. So could it be that we are called to be good stewards of the gifts God has given us–our time, our talent, and our resources? That God expects us to be fruitful to the best of our abilities?   Lent offers the time of aerating the soil and adding humble manure. Lent is a time of taking care of things, while being taken care of.

In this week’s passage from Luke’s gospel, Jesus uses the imagery of a fox and a hen in a surprising way. But the archetypes remain the same, so we know that in the end the fox won’t succeed and the hen will save the day.   When Jesus speaks of Jerusalem, we get a rare glimpse of God as mother. He likens himself to a hen who longs to gather her disobedient chicks. This is God as loving and longing to protect even when it isn’t wanted or appreciated. The hen who sacrificially covers her children with her wings to endure whatever attack may come, from a fox or whatever would destroy them.

The reading we hear this week from the gospel of Luke describes Jesus’ retreat in the wilderness. Following his baptism, Jesus retreats to an isolated place to ground his vocation as God’s beloved child and messenger of salvation. No doubt Jesus understands that with great power comes the possibility for great temptation. In solitude, the many inner voices of life often emerge. In this time of retreat, Jesus is visited by temptation. The temptations Jesus experiences involve good things that come between God and ourselves. There is nothing in principle wrong with comfort food, safety, and power for the good. Yet, all of these, when they become the sole focus of our lives, can lead us from our deepest vocation and relationship with God. We are seldom tempted by “bad” things. Rather good things that divert us from better things are the source of the greatest temptations.    

The overarching themes in the readings for this week are relationships and forgiveness. In Genesis we see the relationship breakdown in families. You might think there's nothing new there, over 2,000 years on. On the one hand you have the brothers a bit disheartened that Joseph is alive, as they will have to ‘fess up' to what they actually did, and on the other hand we see Joseph offering forgiveness and acceptance of the wrong done and the hurt caused to him.   In the gospel reading from Luke, Jesus talks too about the importance of loving our enemies. He calls for attitudes and actions that seek the good of the other, which builds up the community. “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return." How can we love our enemies though when everything we feel inside us about them makes us want to hurt them back as they have hurt us?      Jesus is not telling people to remain victims but to find new ways of dealing with those who hurt us. He is inviting all of us into forgiveness, into a

In the verses just before today’s passage, Jesus has been up on a mountain praying all night. When the sun comes up he calls together twelve of his followers and makes them disciples. Then he comes down to a level place and starts to teach. He hasn’t even had breakfast yet and people are gathering from all over the place to come hear him.   They are coming from as far away as Jerusalem in the south and Tyre and Sidon on the Mediterranean coast – several days worth of walking have brought Jews and Gentiles alike to listen to Jesus teach.     Those gathered looked forward in hope to the time when God would renew the level places and reveal God’s glory and salvation in them. Jesus stands with us in our broken level world and teaches the ways of this renewal through the Kingdom of God. At first, it sounds like the very things that bring us woe – riches, good food, and prestige – are the same things that bring us blessings when they are scarce. But this week we look deeper at these blessings and woes.

One of our readings this week comes from the gospel of Luke. We hear how Joseph’s son has grown up. The wee boy that had sat at his father's feet in the carpentry shop hearing the worries of farmers as they waited for their ploughs to be fixed or the stories of husbands getting chairs mended, or the secrets shared as people worried over prices and priorities. That wee boy, whose craftsmanship as a carpenter but also as a listener had helped to sustain life in the village, was now a man in his own right, and when he spoke in the synagogue, Luke writes how well all spoke of him and how amazed they were at the gracious words he spoke. Here was someone who had heard and understood the concerns and complaints, the doubts and despairs of customers, who had smiled at their old jokes and joined in their celebrations and now was able to understand scripture not as a dry text of rules, but as real hope and light in the lives of what we might call ‘ordinary' people.  He was one of their own, welcomed and celebrated and

You’ve got to love a new box of crayons. I am much more tempted to sit down and colour when there is a new box to break in. What is it though, about a new box that creates such excitement? Well, first every crayon is nice and sharp, perfect for staying in the lines. Second, all the colours are there. It is a complete and total set. So no matter what you decide to create, from a beautiful butterfly to a rainbow or sunset, every colour is there for the choosing.    Missing colours can wreck a lot of things. In fact, missing colours would change the world. Just think about it, if yellow was missing, would we have the sun? If green were not there, what colour would the grass be? Every colour has a purpose. After all that’s the way that God designed the world — with colour.    Variety. Distinctiveness. Diversity. Each one of us is different, yet put together in the same box so that the artwork of God can be created. This is the wonder of the church which is called Christ’s body. This week we hear a letter from

The season of Epiphany began with celebrating the gifts of the magi, it continued with God’s gift of grace, affirmed through Jesus’ baptism, and focuses this Sunday on God’s vocational gifts bestowed on each person for the sake of the community and their own personal fulfillment.This week we hear the story of Jesus’ transformation of water into wine from John’s gospel, a continuation of the theme of divine giftedness.    We have callings for our lifetime and we also have calls for every situation. God’s vision long-term, local and momentary. On that particular day, Jesus’ calling was to bring joy to a couple and their family. There was no need that day for preaching, lecturing or even a healing touch; the need was for good wine and plenty of it!    Each of our gifts and vocations emerge and flourish in real time, oriented toward real people, and real situations. Indeed, the miracle of the wedding feast suggests that we have many vocations and callings, each appropriate to our particular setting. This is g

This week we hear the story of Jesus being baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist, from the gospel of Luke. At the beginning of the passage Luke tells us the people were filled with anticipation. They were seeking, searching, longing for the Messiah, their saviour.    John in turn gives them hope in his witness of who is to come and what the Messiah will bring, for John understands his role and God's purpose for him. John intimates through his narrative that this coming Messiah will be judge and Saviour and will demand justice where there is none. Later when Jesus is baptized by John, he receives the Holy Spirit and God's approval, the prophesy is fulfilled and Jesus' ministry begins in earnest.

“Did you know Boxing Day was originally a day to give rather than receive? Before Boxing Day came to be associated with turkey sandwiches, football, and discounts, it was known as a day to serve people in need. Historically, the church visited those most vulnerable on Boxing Day and gave them money and gifts. The day wasn’t about giving―it was about giving our best.” (excerpt from united-church.ca)   This will be a special service highlighting how we give including our time, talents and donations to the church. Giving is about more than making a gift. It’s about lighting the way for everyone. 

There are many kinds of nights. Some nights embrace us with a holy light, coming from a place within yet beyond the stars. Christmas Eve is among them. We feel a silent night deeper than all nights and filled with tenderness and love. Amid these feeling we are touched by God's listening and empathy, by that side of God which shares in the joys and sufferings of all living beings, everywhere, with a tender care that nothing be lost. May your Christmas this year be filled to the brim with meaning, love and thankfulness ready to be spilled out in the lives of others as we walk in God’s footsteps and share in the light. The stars are shining brightly. 

This week we have a number of key scripture readings. It is one of those weeks where it is hard to just concentrate on one of them. In Luke’s gospel we have the entrance of John the Baptist who is the hinge to the salvation story. We also hear an Old Testament reading from the book of Malachi which is the end of the old story. In effect we hear Luke saying: “God told you the Messiah would come. You've had enough indications that the news would be announced when it was time. So, why should you now be surprised with this news?”   Luke lays out the world situation and all the players, those with political and religious power. Then to make things abundantly clear he refers back to the Prophet Isaiah. He wasn’t telling them anything new. Here is the link to the past and the connection to the future.    John the Baptist was simply the courier, the welcomer, the preparer, the reminder, whose message was, and still is, designed to get the people’s attention. His message, the King of Kings is coming! Get yourselve

Our text this week from the gospel of Luke comes with some troubling words from Jesus. It seems that they are prophetic words about predicting the future and warning of the end times. However, if we only look at this passage thinking that it gives us a means to read the tea leaves and predict the future, then we have missed the point entirely.    It seems that this passage we will hear, has a lot more to do with how we live our lives right now. When we resolve to love our neighbour and seek common good for all. This kind of life has a profound meaning, discernible for the person living it and to the community at large. This is the life of the disciple. Do this and your lives will bear witness that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of love, a kingdom of joy, a kingdom of peace and a kingdom of hope as seen right here and now. 

Today’s reading from John’s gospel is at its heart the story of two men: one, Pilate a son of Rome; the other, Jesus, the Son of God. The first seeks the truth; the second witnesses to it. Pilate uses the power and authority received from his emperor to impose the rule of an oppressive kingdom on the children of Abraham. Jesus uses the authority received from his heavenly Father to work for the salvation of these children from their earthly bonds.    Jesus seeks to bring about a new, greater kingdom, one built on a heavenly foundation. In this brief passage from John, the journeys of these two sons – one that began at the heart of the Roman Empire, the other beginning in a small working class village in Galilee – intersect in the heart of Jerusalem. Jesus, who only recently was swept along by cheering, adoring crowds from Jericho to Jerusalem in advance of the Passover Feast, now finds himself at the mercy of a jeering, contemptuous crowd anxious to turn him over to the authorities. A man beloved and procla

This week’s readings describe answers to prayer as well as future hope and challenges. In many ways we will find them challenging because they are distant from our lived experiences. Yet, when we look more deeply, there is a message that emerges. This message is that despite life’s difficulties and threats, God seems to make a way where there seems to be no way.    The reading we hear from Mark’s gospel certainly addresses this idea of facing challenges. We are told that the earth will be in chaos. Wars will abound and fear will be great. Yet, it seems that this upheaval is just the prelude to a new creation. “Don’t be afraid,” so says Mark. “God will be at work in the future to bring new life.”    So perhaps this is a story about spiritual growth. We may feel unsettled; our world may turn upside down as a result of some new insight. It might just be that God is working for good, but we have to go  through the process and trust that God will bring something beautiful out of the crises we experience. 

On this Remembrance Day Sunday what do we have to offer back for those who sacrificed so much? Where does prayer, or communion or singing fit into desperate conflicts where two sides are reaching for weapons? We have our stories to offer. Stories that reveal a different vision of how things could be, are meant to be. Our story today comes from Mark’s gospel about a woman observed by Jesus.    This is the story about a widow and her two small copper coins. What is sacrifice really for her? What is the enemy for this poor widow? Jesus is aware of the decision makers in his day who work against God’s dream of a world of dignity for all. Jesus’  allies that are working for this dream, this vision, are unlikely people. The woman we read about today takes two coins and puts them both into the treasury.She then leaves the temple knowing that she has done what she felt called to do and that she has done the best she could.

The readings for this week are an important reminder that God brings people into our lives, inspiring our imaginations and luring us toward unexpected life changing encounters. Our dependence on God inspires us to be generous and open knowing that God will supply what we need.    In the reading from Ruth we meet Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Two resident woman who cling together against life’s bad breaks. Two people much like us who point the way toward faith. The story is human and mundane, a tale of everyday people and yet they get caught up in God’s great purposes.   The passage from the gospel of Mark allows us to explore how we relate to others. Jesus is telling us directly: Love is the total reason for our being… the sole purpose for all creation and our unique place in it. Love defines us. It must be who we are and what we do. If not, we’re just taking up space and wasting time.

What would you do if you couldn’t fail? What mission would  you attempt or what venture would you risk? All great  questions, because they get us thinking, stretch our vision  and stir our imagination. But as great as they are, maybe  they are not the right questions to ask because we know  there will be failure. There just will.    In light of those questions we turn to our reading this  morning from Mark’s gospel. The question here to ask is,  what would you be willing to try if the attempt itself was  worth it regardless of whether or not we succeeded. This  seems to be a big part of what the reading is about. Would  you, like Bartimaeus in today’s reading shout out for healing even though the people around you try to shush you into  silence? Could it be that Bartimaeus was so used to failure and disappointment that he saw no reason not to at least try one more time? Or perhaps faithfulness itself is defined by trusting God enough to dare impossible deeds? 

In a sermon delivered many years ago by Martin Luther King Jr. he quoted Jesus’ words from the gospel of Mark about servanthood. Then he said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” When Jesus’ disciples quarrelled about who would get the places of honour in heaven, he told them: “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43- 45).

The reading this week comes from the gospel of Mathew. Here Jesus urges the disciples and all of us to look around. Jesus points to the vastness of God’s gifts and pushes us to remember that God will take care of it all, so don’t worry, be grateful. Nothing is worth worrying about, for it is all in God’s hands and God will give us what we need.  So perhaps we need only step outside and gaze at the sky, the still green grass, the now emptying trees, to be reminded of the gift Jesus offers now in pointing to God’s tender care for all that is