Our Mission Is To Proclaim The Good News

(Homily notes for St. Luke’s Day, Year A, 2011 by Rev. John Gishler)

This brief announcement by Jesus is both a declaration of who He is and a statement of His mission. It is one of the most dramatic moments in the Bible. As followers of Jesus we need to keep focussed on this mission of proclaiming good news to the poor. Many people and churches have become side-tracked and settled into a more comfortable mission of keeping the physical church going. The good news that Jesus proclaimed challenged religious and political authority and led to constant and violent opposition. It transformed lives. In our time many people are fearful, confused prisoners to false religious ideas. Many are spiritually, emotionally and physically blind and in need of healing. Many are not even aware of the possibility of spiritual oppression. Our mission is to proclaim the year of God’s blessing, to challenge people to go from error into truth, sin into righteousness and out of death into life.

Thanksgiving Leads To More Blessings

(Homily notes for Thanksgiving, Year A,  2011 by Rev. John Gishler)

Thanksgiving is a special time of the year when we focus on how God has blessed us – at least that was the original intent. The readings remind us that Thanksgiving leads to increased blessing. Thanksgiving acknowledges our dependence on God for material and spiritual blessings and keeps us in right relationship with God. Thanksgiving increases our blessings. It is like a harvest of righteousness

1. The flip side of this is a warning that failure to give thanks leads to disaster
In the Deuteronomy Reading (8.7-20) Moses is reminding the Israelites of how God has made a covenant with them. God has promised to give them protection, good land and prosperity. They are reminded of the powerful and miraculous things God has done for them. They are warned to not become proud and forget their God. Being human, this is of course what happened over the centuries. In the Old Testament Isaiah describes the long period of apostasy when Kings and clergy forgot their part of the covenant. The official reading from the Common Lectionary stops at verse 18. The next two verses are very sensitive, particularly in our time of conflict in Palestine. In verses 19 and 20 the Israelites are warned that “If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods...you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you...” Moslems and Christian Palestinians obviously interpret this as negating the territorial claims of modern Israel. Failing to give thanks has consequences

Ten Tests of Our Love of God

Baptism, like tenancy has obligations. The Parable is a warning that we are sometimes tempted to rebel against God and refuse to ‘pay the rent’. What is this ‘rent’? In our Baptism we promise ‘to continue in the Apostles teaching, in the fellowship and in the breaking of bread’ – to love and honour God. Moses explains the Ten Commandments by telling the people “God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” (Ex. 20.20)  The ten tests of our love of God are:

We Are To Grow Spiritually By Striving For the Gospel

 The parable of the Workers (Matthew 20.1-16) teaches us that God is generous, keeps reaching out to ua and expects us to be working in His vineyard. In modern times the “vineyard” is our neighbourhood. But what are we supposed to actually be doing? I believe the Apostle Paul explains this to us in the other reading, Philippians 1.21-30. Paul is teaching us that our work is to strive for the Gospel – being and telling others the good news of forgiveness and eternal spiritual life through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul lived in a time much like our own. There were many religions, each teaching that they were right and others wrong. Paul and the early Christians were under constant attack in working to teach a new understanding of God that directly challenged the leadership of those trying to maintain historic Judaism and the many pagan religions. They did not hesitate to speak out and say Jesus was the only way to real salvation and right relationship with God.

Harrison Burke Taught Us To Love

(Homily notes for a celebration of the life of Harrison Burke)

We are gathered here to celebrate the life of a little boy who graced his family and friends with his love and innocence for five and a half years. He never held a high position, made a lot of money or became famous. The tragic death of this little boy is teaching us that these things are not important. He is teaching us that the quality and depth of our love relationships with family and friends are more important than wealth or fame. Harrison was successful in life because he loved with a pure love. He taught us to love.

Christians Have A Destiny As Children Of God

We live in a time when many people do not know who they are and where they are going. In contrast serious Christians know they are children of God and they are eventually going back to God. They also know that they have an enemy described in the Bible as Satan or the Devil; and a spiritual helper described as the Holy Spirit. Our lives are a struggle to overcome the temptations and deceptions of the enemy of our souls. The good news is that we are protected by God and guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. In the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus is giving us both wise advice and hope. The advice is to not get tangled up with evil people. The hope is the harvest, when we will go home to Jesus.

Come To Jesus Time

The Genesis (24.34-38, 42-49, 58-67) Reading is an example of what it might look like in our lives if we really made a decision to come to Jesus and put on the Yoke of our Baptismal Covenant. We would act more like the servant of Abraham who depends completely on God for guidance and help in obeying his masters’ instructions for finding a wife for Isaac.

 1. Come to Jesus time is when we realize we need help

For most of us this comes after we have tried to do something our way and gotten into trouble. Our human pride resists the idea that we need help. This is the spiritual version of our tendency to not read the instructions on assembling something until all else fails. It is often a dramatic and painful moment. We have come face to face with the limitations of our humanity. We are often like the people in the first part of the Matthew (11.16-19, 25-30) Reading who fail to respond to the teaching and ministry of both John the Baptist and Jesus. In the gospel Reading Jesus is inviting us to respond. We are invited to give up our pride and come to Jesus. This is a the essence of a conversion experience. We turn from our old way that has failed and come humbly to Jesus.