Sunday Lunch - Expansive, extravagent, surprising grace

This morning we were talking about Grace.  During the time with children, Huda got out her library card and reminded the kids how, at no cost to them, they could borrow books and CDs and magazines.  Huda reminded them that no matter your age, your gender, your skin colour, no matter how long you've had your library card, the library was available for everyone.  And then she told the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 20 of the landowner that hired workers for his vineyard and paid the ones that started in the morning the same wage as the ones that only worked a few hours.   Sometimes grace is not fair, she said, but it's loving.

When the Rev. Fred Demaray came to the pulpit, he delved into the Exodus story of the Israelites in the wilderness, and how when they were hungry (and complainy!) God provided quail and mana for them to eat.  Wonderfully, even as Rev. Demaray was giving a possible scientific explanation of what created the mana (insect secretions, ew!) and how the quail may have been so easy to catch because of their migrations, it did not decrease how miraculous these miracles were.  He spoke about how in the wilderness of change, the Israelites, and we today, prefer the familiar.  How "these trying times" soon become "the good ol' days". 

Sometimes what God provides is not what we're looking for and our vision can be clouded by fear and a sense of loss.  But, if we only stop to see it, God's grace is there and God is providing for our needs.  If all we see is pigeon poop and insect droppings, we're missing out on the quails and mana being given to us.  If all we see is that the afternoon hiree is getting paid the same as the early-morning worker, we miss out on the joy of having our daily needs met.

When thinking of Grace, we must stop thinking in terms of what is deserved.  (Which is a blessing to me, since I'm clearly one of the latecomers to the vineyard, if I were to place myself in the Matthew parable. )  Rev. Demaray finished his sermon saying,

If we're fearful of the future to which God is calling us, if we grumble at grace, we may miss it completely.  But if we let it fill us and remake us we too will become the gracious followers of Christ.

Maureen R.

Sunday Lunch - September 14

The service was lovely today.  The main highlight was the beginning of the new church school season.  I have been teaching church school since 2009 and it is something I still very much enjoy.  It was great to see all the enthusiastic children and to find out that we have some new teachers this year.  The corn & soup lunch after the service was excellent.  Like everyone, I am looking forward to the preach for the call service in two weeks.  The search committee has done a great job of creating plenty of suspense by keeping the identity of the candidate secret until the very last moment!  I hope everyone has a nice week.  See you next Sunday.
 
Stacey

Sunday Lunch - August 31

What would a suffering God do about the ALS and water security challenges?

Today's service focussed a bit on Peter. He had correctly answered a question, regarding the identity of Jesus, put to him by Christ himself. On the heels of that success however, he rapidly experienced a failure, for he would not countenance the idea of Christ dying. To him, the Messiah was exalted, and had to stay exalted. God, by definition, could not suffer. Christ, of course, corrected him, for indeed, he was soon to be crucified. 

As was pointed out during the sermon, we still tend to be very much like Peter. We rather like our Christ without the cross sometimes, even though we ourselves bear our crosses. That is our lot, not his, certainly. That way, this cross-less Christ can relieve us of our own burden, since in our minds, to follow him is to be similarly exalted. However, and on the contrary, the admonition of Christ is that we pick up our cross and follow him, for ahead of us, he bears his own also.

A God who suffers is a God accustomed to human grief and misery, and while his ways are not our own, and his thoughts not ours either, we can believe him capable of understanding and grace in the course of our very human challenges.

Which brings me to the question at the top of his missive. Before the service, I learned that my brother had taken up the ALS campaign challenge by dumping a pot of cold water over his head. He had then challenged me to do the same, which is the social and viral way in which the campaign has spread and has generated both publicity and funds for research into a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease. Right after the service, I learned that actor Matt Damon, similarly challenged, had noted the issue on the minds of some, that all these cold water dumps have now amounted to millions of litres in wasted water in the West, in a world in which millions go without, fall sick, or die in the bid for a clean water source. Mr. Damon decided that the best way to respond to the challenge was to use toilet water, and that is exactly what he did, on video.

As humans, even in caring about one blight, we are apt to inadvertently promote another. Ours is a world so throughly broken, even in all its beauty. A suffering God, however, understands the plight of both the infirm and the parched. The point, stated earlier, is thus further buttressed that his ways are indeed not our ways, and his thoughts aren't ours either. He can see through to both miseries, and we can but pray for his grace in addressing both. A suffering God then, is not the God of one, both the God of all. He is not a God that feels just your pain uniquely, but all pain, and we believe in so doing, works all things together for good.

As I pray for a cure for ALS, and for a world with water security for all, I just might follow Matt Damon's example in responding to my brother's challenge.

Jide A.

Sunday Lunch - August 17

This morning with Rev Demaray, we read about Joseph meeting his brothers again in Egypt, this time while he was the one at the advantage. And our New Testament reading was the persistent Gentile woman that insisted Jesus heal her daughter.

The gentle admonition to ‘Get on with it’ was a good reminder for me. The past is past and the time comes when you just need to forgive those around you (and equally important, forgive yourself!) and move along. Rev. Demaray reminded us that the abuse young Joseph suffered at the hands of his brother was still wrong, but God had been working behind the scenes to redeem their dysfunction, if only they would not get bogged down in past mistakes. He reminded us that just last week (in our readings, at least) Peter had been chastised for being “of little faith,” and yet this Gentile woman was praised for her “great faith.” Peter, like Joseph, was going to have to Get on with it! and move forward.

How important it is that the grace of God is for all. Grace greater than we can imagine – grace big enough for Joseph’s bullying brothers, for a pushy Gentile woman, for a scared disciple that can only almost walk on water. Grace big enough for me – and my mistakes, too.

Sunday Lunch - August 3

The August long weekend was finally here  and this Sunday was exceptional --blue skies, warm zephyrs  fanning your face , and a just perfect summer day  in every  way. For many of us, this is a time for  the cottage,   to get out of town, for family and friends    and of course, with all the excitement comes --FOOD.

And here we were, serving  as Ushers  greeting all these people--- so many  families  and visitors  alike --- who preferred  to be in the Sanctuary at St Andrew's seeking FOOD --food for the Soul, than being anywhere else. And  Rev Bill  MacLellan, as  our visiting Minister was set to serve us "a Super-sized Lunch" (the title of the sermon).

The first hymn "Through the changing scenes of life" set the tone for deep reflection.  Yes! so many aspects of life are undergoing change and yet there is one Constant, One who never changes, the same yesterday, today and forever, God!

The Scripture Readings, Isaiah 55:1-5 and Mathew 14:13-21 illumined us and prepared us for the message.  The New Testament passage was indeed the familiar "Feeding of the Five thousand"  miracle --one that we had heard since we were children. And yet, Rev Bill wove  the fabric of his sermon around the caring that Jesus had for others -even at a time when he was suffering grief after the execution of his cousin. Rev Bill gave an insight into Herod's palace and the excesses of the privilege, wealthy ones contrasted against those  in want, those who didn't know where the next meal was coming from. And here was Jesus, the embodiment of compassion and love, when faced with a super-sized crowd of at least ten thousand in totality, serving up a super-sized lunch out of three pita bread loaves and two  fish!  

Indeed this was FOOD enough knowing that my Lord cared for me and my needs, and for everyone of us, in the same way.

The closing hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" gave us the assurance that God is always faithful in His promises. This was sustenance indeed!

It was good to be in the House of the Lord.

Beulah P.