The Prophet Micah’s words can be easily distilled into the last three lines. Most of us know them by heart. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.” Those simple words of truth are among my most favourite biblical verses, because there is absolutely no doubt regarding their meaning. As God’s own, Jesus’ disciples, ministers all of us in this incredible COF, and elsewhere, that is our mantra, our "Raison d'être," our reason for being. 

I think somewhere in every UC vision or mission statement that theme should be reflected. It is in ours, “Our mission is a call to inclusive, loving and compassionate discipleship. Our actions express our longing to make a difference in the world.” We do justice through our outreach work in this community and others, (free clothing when needed, donations to other organizations, support of the Food Bank etc.), through contributions to the Mission & Service fund, welcoming the stranger. 

Loving kindness is reflected in our generosity to each other and those in need. It is reflected in our persona, how we hold ourselves in this community, and how we move through the world being sensitive to the needs of others. It is reflected in our communion here and our communal living outside of these sanctuary walls.

And we are unassuming servants. We don’t go about our spirit led lives hoping to get some payback. We don’t have expectations of grandiose recognition for our efforts. We walk humbly with God and are content as disciples of Jesus. 

Be just, be kind, be humble says Micah. That’s it. That is what you are called to do. Micah doesn’t offer anything else. But there is lots, lots more. Jesus offers that lesson in his infamous sermon on the mount. 

Up the hill he climbs with his closest followers. They sit down and Jesus offers them words of great wisdom, “The Beatitudes.” Recognizing their dedication and the challenges that lay before them, Jesus perceives it is time for teaching. The disciples were still new in their faith, infants in their understanding just how God’s spirit works. He knows there is more to this life of service than they can imagine, and he wants to tell them. 

Janet read for us the traditional version of the Beatitudes which many of you are familiar with. You probably had to recite them for Sunday school. But have you really ever understood them in any depth? I not sure about you, but I find some of the comments a little confusing. For example, one would wonder how you could be blessed if you are poor in spirit or when you are in mourning? Perhaps I can dispel some of the cobwebs. 

Presbyterian Minister Eugene Peterson’s contemporary understanding of Jesus’ words in his interpretation of the Matthew reading are I think really helpful. 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Peterson suggests, you are blessed, or perhaps we could say fortunate when you are down, at “the end of your rope.” That is because at that time there is lots of room for the spirit of Hope to enter. A new pathway has opened to God’s encouragement.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. How can one possibly be blessed in mourning? Perhaps it is only when we have lost what is most dear to us that we can be embraced by the One, the Holy One most dear to you. Peterson suggests God comes in when grieving commences. 

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of this verse is brilliant. “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. Just being who you are. Believing the words, I am a gift, I am loved, I am enough. How often do we chastise ourselves for not being good enough, for not doing well enough?

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Peterson’s interpretation suggests, 6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.” God, the Holy, is the best meal you will ever have? What a super metaphor. When we hunger and thirst for truth, justice and peace, we become enthusiastic agents of hope. And we are filled with soul food in the process.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Petersen sees this as you being blessed yourself when you care. At the moment of extending care to others, you find yourselves cared for. Isn’t that what pastoral care offers to us? Isn’t that how the members of our Good Shepherd’s committee feel? When we give generously to others, we feel fulfilled. The heart swells, the spirit is lifted. 

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Being pure in heart according to Petersen is when you get “your inside world – your mind and heart – put right.” If you are not in a peaceful place, living anxiously and stressed, how can you possibly have a calm and full heart? But if you are in a peaceful place, connecting with the Holy, you heart can be overfilled with joy. You receive as much as you give. 

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. When we walk a path of peace that living becomes part of our persona. Our actions influence others and we change ourselves. In Pastor Eugene’s words, “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This has always been another difficult one for me. I’m blessed if I’m persecuted? Peterson turns that verse around. He celebrates the fact that our commitment to God can end in our persecution because “persecution drives you deeper into God’s kingdom.” Imagine that being persecuted can drive you closer to God. What an incredible insight.

The last Beatitude from Jesus’ wisdom words, 11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. How is that a blessing? Peterson helps us again. Every time someone lies about you or tries to discredit you, something good happens he suggests. “What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens.” It is a blessing to us because we have an understanding that we are having an influence. Discretely, quietly, your vision of a peaceful, justice and spirit filled kin-dom is taking root. Celebrate that says Pastor Peterson. And I say amen to that.

Sometimes we need to look deeply beneath the surface of scripture to try and discern what it is we are expected to learn or understand. Other times the intent is, as we say these days, as plain as the nose on our face. 

Micah was crystal clear, live a life of service, justice, kindness and walking humbly with God, are essential tenets of faith. One could say this is a “just do it,” kind of theology.

Jesus’ essentials of beatitudes might be a little more obscured. But we know in his affirming the “just get out there and do it” ministry directive, he also was preaching about a sense of great personal fulfillment through discipleship. Personal affirmation, a full heart, a confident trust in righteous living, a peaceful and content soul and a gift of the Holy Spirit. What could be more of a blessing. 

We give thanks for today’s scripture lessons and the gifts they bring. Thanks for listening, Amen

(A commentary from Stephanie Paulsell) 

“Even in a time of desolation (in this case the occupation of northern Judah by the Assyrians), Isaiah is able to imagine and describe a great light breaking, illuminating the path of those who walk in darkness, fear and pain.” “We are called like Isaiah, to share the light that we can only yet imagine.”[1] 

Isaiah’s prophesy, as in many of his others, is given to provide hope in difficult times. 

Overlying his oracle is a reference to the day of Midian, a time some years earlier when a small and seemingly inadequate Israelite force defeated the Midianites in battle. You have seen a great light before, a great lifting of your spirits and the gift of freedom. You will see these things again Isaiah promises. He suggests: 

2 [b]The people who walked in darkness 

have seen a great light; 

those who lived in a land of deep darkness

—on them light has shined.

A reminder of positive, affirming events from the past is offered to breathe hope into a time of desperation. That is a promise God makes. What was there once, can come again. 

Perhaps the people were meant to pray on it and it would come to pass. Perhaps they were to believe instinctively that the creator’s light would be with them in their doubt. They needed some assurance, and Isaiah meant to provide it.

In my spare time these days, I’m working away on an assignment for my Spiritual Direction program. (Proving once again that one is never too old to learn). The topic of discussion is “Awakening Your Heart.” 

We are quoted Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  And one of the questions to wrestle with is “What barriers are you aware of that get in the way of this relationship to heart, and how might you respond to those?

What gets in the way of an open caring heart and the corresponding soul that cares? Well, there is so much! If I was an Israelite in Isaiah’s time I would be thinking of the Assyrians on my door step. Fear would fill my heart and soul. That would be the same if I was a Palestinian, a Ukrainian, a Venezuelan, an Iranian and many others today. I would need a prophet to remind me of God’s healing touch. 

These days what gets in the way of an open and caring heart for me, is bearing witness to those dreadful stories. That it when it is very difficult to see God.

I am also saddened by how much poverty, homelessness, addictions, elder abuse, grief and loneliness there is around us and in our communities. I’m disappointed when I learn about deteriorated relationships. I’m worried about climate change and the future for our youth. I’m frustrated with the knowledge that there is so much racism, sexism and intolerance in this country we call our home. 

It’s not difficult making a list. What is difficult is how we manage to cope, how we manage to keep loving with open hearts and buoyant spirits. In the midst of negativity our soulful selves tend to get depleted. How do we see the Holy in those times?

Working through this dilemma I had a bit of an epiphany the other day while reading some background material on this week’s scripture offerings. From the United Church Gathering Resources I read: 

“Light comes in many forms. Human eyes can typically only perceive light between 380 and 740 nanometers, with infrared and ultraviolet beyond our visual capacity. (A nanometer is very small, just one billionth of a meter). Nonetheless, infrared and ultraviolet do exist. Which prompted me to wonder, what lies beyond our present “sight,” beyond our comprehension, beyond our personal experience, and beyond our rational explanations?”[2] I wondered about “seeing” God.

I was immediately reminded, right, just because I can’t see the physical presence of God before me, in no way diminishes the fact that God is always there. The undeniable truth is that there is a spirit presence, an empowering hope, an irrefutable peace within and around us always. Compassionate, albeit invisible arms reach forward to embrace the needy and those that seek healing. Ethereal shoulders are poised to rest weary heads upon. 

The Psalmist says:

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
 whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life;
 of whom shall I be afraid?

But how does one come to know that? If Holy Love cannot be seen, where is our assurance? While the presence of UV and Infrared can be scientifically proven, the spirit’s presence, the one we call God cannot. We have scripture. Is that all we have?

Imagine yourself down on Okanagan Lake in July. It is a lovely 30 degrees C out. There aren’t many trees about, so you are basking in the sun. And suddenly you remember, you have forgotten your sunscreen! Now you know what is going to happen if you sit in the sun for too long. You cannot see the UV the sun emits, but you know with certainly you will feel it later if you don’t take precautions. 

Feel it, experience it, live it. That is how Holy Love, the presence of a joyful, hopeful, life-giving spirit can be seen. Like the aftermath of a bad sunburn, the knowing is the skin’s reaction, the experiencing is in the discomfort and the living, well the living tells you “I will not be doing that again.” 

Yesterday at Keith (Papa) Thom’s celebration of Life service, I don’t think anyone could actually see God, but you absolutely could feel God’s empathetic, healing and life-giving presence. I’m told, including myself, there were about four hundred of us present. 

Music was Keith’s life and his spirit vibrated through everyone as the band played some familiar songs. Guitar chords celebrated Keith’s incredible talent and solidified his legacy. Family members spoke passionately of a kind, generous, humble, determined and sincere individual, whose passing has left holes in many hearts. 

At the end of the celebration hundreds of helpings of Shepherd’s Pie were distributed in memory of Keith’s many road trips to hostels and shelters, where he sang and afterwards prepared this simple meal for others. It reminded me of Jesus’ communion celebration, sharing a simple meal with friends where God’s presence was felt. 

The heart of the Holy One was not seen but felt by everyone. It brought laughter, and fond memories. Some folks sang out with great gusto. Others were more silent letting the words fill them with light. Tissues came out to dry away tears. Whether folks knew it or not, they were touched by the Holy Spirit. They saw God. They saw Keith. Those visions will remain with them, not like an uncomfortable sunburn, but providing lasting joy, hope and peace. Those gathered were not exposed to harmful UV rays, but they did get a healthy dose of Holy Love. 

“We are called like Isaiah, to share the light that we can only yet imagine.”[3]  

Let us imagine that light now, here in this place and wherever we might be. A light that permeates all manner of conflict, hatred, loneliness, grief and doubt. A light that shines Beyond Our Sight. A light that assures, without being seen, we are not alone, we live in Holy Love. Amen

[1]Stephanie A. Paulsell, Feasting on the Word, Westminster John Knox Press, Louiseville, Kentucky, 2010, p. 270

[2] Gathering, Resources for Worship Planners, The United Church of Canada, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, 2025-2026, Year A, p. 20, adapted

[3]Stephanie A. Paulsell, Feasting on the Word, Westminster John Knox Press, Louiseville, Kentucky, 2010, p. 270 

Inspired by John 1:29-42

This Gospel story follows on the heals of Jesus’ Baptism and the epiphany when John declares; “the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[a] full of grace and truth.” We find those words just a little earlier in Chapter 1 of John’s writings. Other gospel accounts such as Matthew share this account when God speaks the familiar words, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[e] with whom I am well pleased.”

This is a celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus. And in “churchy” speak, it is a time we talk about incarnational theology, the idea that we are to be Christ in the world.[1] It’s the time of a great invitation.

In today’s passage, Jesus is recognized in the streets, John the Baptist knows him and exclaims, “I myself have seen and have testified that this is the son of God.” John and two of his accompaniers follow Jesus and when he notices, Jesus asks them what they were looking for. They reply with the inquiry, “where are you staying?” “Come and see,” responds Jesus. 

There is an invitation, “come and see,” and it is the precursor to the discipleship recruitment. Soon Jesus will have his full compliment of twelve dedicated followers. 

I think it is important to recognize why they came. Unlike Peachland United Church, Jesus couldn’t offer fabulous music and there were no voices to sing the great hymns. We don’t hear anything about great fellowship with treats. We don’t even know if Jesus offered an inspirational message with a few tasteful jokes thrown in such as you experience here. We get nada. 

The story is a little different in other gospel accounts such as Matthew when Jesus is walking on the beach on the sea of Galilee. But the outcome to invitation is the same. Jesus simply asks fishermen to follow him, and they do.

Come and see. And as if Jesus was some sort of giant magnet, they are drawn to him. The invitation is accepted. They must quench their thirst for the truth. Is this man really the chosen one, the messiah, the one who can free us from the chains of human, social and political bondage? We must find out.

Later their instincts would be proven correct. Jesus’ healing acts, his dogged determination for justice and his compassion for the commoner would fundamentally change the world. The “proof of the pudding” as it were, was the incentive. “The Messiah has arrived, praise be to God, we are saved from captivity and oppression.”

The dream was however short lived. Repressive, authoritative and deceitful events perpetrated by the ego of the misguided brought back reality. One man, even the son of God, could not singularly stamp out evil.

Which I don’t think was ever the point. God didn’t send a superhero to cleanse the earth of all the bad actors. The God we know doesn’t act in that way. Since the dawn of creation humanity has been given the freedom to live as we choose to live. Our maker is not an interventionist that strikes down wickedness, replacing it with peace and understanding. Some still believe God has a plan for all the chaos we are in. Some think God is in control. 

Boldly I believe that to be folly. And I believe that is why fewer and fewer of our friends and neighbours do not accept our invitation, an invitation to “come and see.” 

Our invitation is an “open-ended” offer to come in and see where God really lives. It is an invitation to tell the story that God is very much alive and very relevant. It is an invitation to welcome the inquirer, honour our differences, park our political views and put aside our likes and dislikes.

Our invitation is to come and find that the healing stories of the man called Jesus are true. We “see” and “walk’ differently within a caring community. We experience renewal and rebirth through pastoral relationships, fellowship connections and volunteer activities. And in prayer we grow to understand the life-giving presence of Holy Love. When we leave, we know of its persistence, because we experience it. 

“Where are you staying?” Jesus was asked. He didn’t provide an answer. He didn’t say just down the road at a B and B or the local Village Inn. He didn’t say, “I’m away down at the end of town in a barn very much like the one I was born in.” Jesus just said, “come and see.”

Shouldn’t that be the invitation of every loving and caring community of faith? Come in and see. Come in and see and you might be surprised at what you encounter. 

We won’t judge you here. You are welcome wherever you come from and wherever you may be headed. When you come through those front doors you will be greeted enthusiastically. 

During your time with us, just relax and be who you need to be. If your situation moves you to tears, that is OK. If you want to shout out a Hallelujah, go ahead. Please sing out loud or be totally silent, it is up to you. 

We offer a prayer time. When we do that know that we are holding you in our collective hearts, loving you even though we don’t call out your name, even though we may be perfect strangers. While you are with us we promise not to tell you what to believe or give you any kind of instruction on how you should live your faith.

We get together after our service to celebrate our fellowship. It is like a large family gathering where we chat and share our encounters. We would honour your presence there. If you need a pastoral moment, we can arrange that.

I know there are a few subtle sign changes we want to make outside. At least I recall an email to that effect. I wonder if one of them might be a name change. What do you think about “Come and See” United? Now that would be an invitation.

“Come and See” for Jesus was “come and follow me.” Implied was “we are going to work together to change the world. We are going to speak out for the disenfranchised, boldly declare equality for all men, women and children. We are going to resist evil by calling attention to it. We are going to offer healing through compassion. We are going to forgive others when they have wronged us and ask for forgiveness when we have made mistakes. We are going to treat others as we would like to be treated. And we are going to love unconditionally.”

The invitation is an open one. Come in and see, see who we are and know that you are one among us. Come in and see where God lives and be part of Jesus in action.

Thanks for listening this morning. Ian 

[1] Roger Y. Nishioka, Feasting on The Word, Year A, Volume 1, p. 260

Inspired by Isaiah 7:10-16 and Matthew 1:18-25

From Isaiah 7:14 we heard, “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.”

The Prophet Isaiah predicts of the coming of Jesus the Messiah, God’s love incarnate in the world some 730ish years before Christ’s birth. Other prophets did the same. 

Micah 5:2: (740-698) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel.”

Zechariah 9:9(520) “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.”

In those times, 2500 – 2700 years ago or thereabouts, conflict was as common as it is today. Nations were at war with one another. To say that there was civil unrest would be an understatement. 

In Isaiah’s time, Syria and Israel were attacking Judah. Micah prophesized during the reign of three kings when Judah was living through occupation and economic revolution. In Zechariah’s time, not long after the Babylonian conquest, Judean exiles began to return to their homeland. 

Gospel writers like Matthew brought us the stories of Jesus’ birth that we are more familiar with. 

“She will bear a son, says the angel Gabriel in Matthew’s text, “and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 

Into the bitter, corrupt, immoral landscape he came. Into the divisiveness, conflict and oppression he preached. Into a world of chaos, anarchy and military rule, he lived out his ministry. Unjustly perceived as a threat, he was given into the hands of ignorance to be dealt with and to be silenced. 

Predictions of Immanuel’s coming were given a very long time ago. Now, and during Advent we are reminded of the promise of love incarnate wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. A child born to very average parents who were poor. Parents who were commoners. A miracle child. Immanuel, “God with us.”

Who would expect that such a child would turn the world on its head, forever being remembered as the prophesy of love itself? Who would expect it? God did.

As we approach the birth-time of Christ again this Advent season, we are excited and filled with hope that the love Jesus preached fills every Christmas stocking. But we are also apprehensive because of present day circumstances and predictions. Continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine, heightened aggression by a tyrannical Russian leader and growing fears of war in Europe. Ultra conservatism bordering on extremism in the United States. As many as 40 nations are now struggling against insurgency and civil war.[1]

Isaiah, Micah, Zechariah, Matthew and others predicted a saviour. He came, he led and preached, he healed and forgave. And then he was martyred. 

Removed but never forgotten. With Christ was born a hope in the world that would last throughout millennia. A light that, despite chaos, evil and hatred just refuses to be extinguished. It is a light that continues to grow within the hearts of those that care, and it thrives in spite of all else. That is because Immanuel lives!

Immanuel’s have come into our lives throughout history. Some of them have had particular notoriety like Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale, Mahatma Gandhi, Desmond Tutu, Rosa Parks and Oscar Romero. Most of them however are not well known, they are not celebrated historical figures. 

Mostly they are rather ordinary folk. They could be your friend or neighbour or a complete stranger. You might see them at a bus stop, at the airport, in the park, at the grocery store check out line, or waiting for a flu shot. They are the individuals who care about others and care about what is going on around them. 

They are likely to smile at you, give you a hello or a good day. They are the folks that will listen to your concerns or patiently hear you share your grief. These individuals are the Pastor Greg’s, the Jack’s, Lily’s, Mrs. Parker’s, Tommy’s, Maya’s and Mr. Thompsons” you heard from this morning in the Christmas story, “The Gift of Love.” 

These are the Immanuel’s, the Christ’s of our time, this time. These are the disciples who look to Christ’s birth as a reminder, a reminder that hope, love, peace and joy are possible regardless of predictions. These are the Immanuel’s sitting next to you in the pews this morning. 

Yes, we are in difficult times with much uncertainty and fear. Unfortunately, we don’t have to predict that this will continue. Because we know that it will. 

But I believe there is an antidote. It comes in a different kind of prediction, the prediction that love is housed in the Immanuel’s among us. 

The celebration of Christ’s birth holds up the prophesy of love in tumultuous times. That love lives vibrantly in all of you, Immanuel’s who try to make a difference in you own small and unique way. 

That is a modern-day prophesy. 

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, the sabbath celebrating love, I predict the Immanuel in all of us continues to break into the chaos of our times in hopeful, joyful spirit. It spreads the good news, Jesus Christ is Born, “In Excelsis Deo.”

Thank you for listening this morning, Amen

[1] Countries Currently at War 2025, World Population in Review, accessed December 20, 2025

Inspired by Luke 1:46b-55

Its December 24th, late in the evening. Mum and dad have given up trying to get you to go to sleep. They are in bed themselves now, exhausted after getting Christmas ready. 

You are beyond sleep. There are no visions of sugarplums in your head, just boxes wrapped in colourful paper under that Christmas tree. At seven years old your belief in Santa is unequivocal. He will have delivered! The anticipation of the morning’s activities has you as wired as if you have just consumed a litre of coca cola on and empty stomach. You are way past excited. 

What will be under the tree for you? Maybe the new talking teddy you hoped for? The train set? That new bicycle? An Easy Bake Oven or a Hot Wheels set? 

You gaze over at the clock on the bedside table. It says 515. Your parents gave you specific instructions, “stay in bed until 700.” How long will that take? The anticipation is drying you crazy. You snuggle down in and close your eyes for a few minutes. But it is no use, you can’t get back to sleep. You look at the clock again, 525. There is a long while to go yet. 

Most of us can remember times like those. With various iterations most of us can cast our memories back to a Christmas Eve with the incredible anticipation of a Christmas morning. And you can remember the faith you had, that Santa (or as you grew order, his elf helpers), would do their best to ensure your day was filled with joy.

Both Elizabeth and Mary possessed what we might call the faith of a child, the belief that something magical could happen in their lives. They were open to the possibility of miracles. As the miracle of Santa is to a child, the miracle of God’s presence was in the lives of these two women. There was no question of their belief. 

In the verses prior to those Donna shared this morning, Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, becomes pregnant long after normal childbearing age. This she believes it is God’s doing. “This is what the Lord has done for me in this time, when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.” Her disgrace, not being able to conceive until then. 

And as we know Mary’s story, the Angel Gabriel visits and tells her she will become pregnant, even as a virgin. It will be the work of the Holy Spirit offers Gabriel. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” “Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” 

Both Elizabeth and Mary are believers in miracles. Both possess the faith of a child, one who can accept the possibility of what seems to be beyond belief. 

Well, if God can bring new life into the womb of a virgin, God can do anything. And Mary proclaims her faith of such a God in her as she sings out her song we know as the Magnificat. It is a song of praise to the God she knows and believes in. She is filled with awe, her spirit rejoices, she is bursting with great joy.

“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for the Mighty One has done great things for me.” 

And in her celebration, she holds up a merciful, powerful and benevolent God she knows intimately. One who has shown strength, scattered the proud, lifted up the lowly, filled the hungry, and sent the rich away empty. Mary is convinced God is active in the world, active and even “has come the aid of his child Israel,” a homeland far removed yet from a place of justice and security.
 

I did a quick internet search yesterday interested in what I might find if I typed in “What is Blind Faith,” because it seems to me that this is what believing in the miracle of God’s presence asks us. I found this, “Blind Faith in the Bible refers to a type of faith that involves believing without tangible evidence. It is often celebrated as a virtue, demonstrating in unwavering trust in God’s plan, even when one cannot see the entire picture.[1] 

I suppose that’s what it really takes to be a believer, a believer in the wonder of God and the miracles of Jesus. In truth our Bible is filled with the seemingly impossible. It starts right off with the creation itself. Six of our human days to create the earth. After parting the Red Sea with his staff, a wandering Moses takes his people through a 40-year adventure. When they are starving Manna falls from heaven. The story Daniel and his faith. He is cast into a Lions Den and the next day he walks out unscathed. 

Jesus’ miracles push our belief boundaries. A blind man regains sight, a crippled man walks, a haemorrhaging woman is cured, The resurrections of Jairus’’ daughter and Lazarus. And of course, the resurrection of Jesus himself. 

Absurd, nonsensical, impossible…….and yet, all believable. We just need to have the faith of a child. 

The excitement of a Christmas morning culminates in the joy imparted within the hearts of the giggling, bouncing, laughing, ecstatic children. As adults we don’t believe in the jolly Sr. Citizen dressed in a red suit, (well most of us don’t). But whether or not he is real, the outcome of his visit is. It brings with it something very, very real. Laughter, much joy and of course expressions of love and souls filled with warmth and beauty.

Perhaps if we had more the faith of a child, it would be easier for us to believe in the impossible. Perhaps that means just seeing the outcome and not worrying about the impediments to get there. Warm clothing for those walking the streets in our neighbourhoods. Affordable and safe housing for those that need it most. Openness to differences. Harmony between adversaries. Perhaps, perhaps even the laying down of arms in favour of the holding up of peace. Pipe dreams or possibilities?

Seeing God in the world is holding on to hope beyond hope, holding up what seems so very unlikely. Seeing Jesus in the world is knowing that the works of our hands and feet and the care within our hearts can accomplish miracles. 

In this season we celebrate a miracle birth, the birth of a child who possessed selfless caring and compassion for others, an unrelenting courage in facing injustices, an enduring love through hardship and betrayal. In this season, I believe. I believe in the faith of a child.

I pray we all believe it. You have everything you need, if you just believe!

Thanks for listening this morning,  Amen
   

[1] what is blind faith in the bible - Search, accessed December 13, 2022

 Inspired by Isaiah 11:1-10

FROM OUR VERY first breath, we are in relationship. With that indrawn draft of air, we become joined to everything that ever was, is and ever will be. When we exhale, we forge that relationship by virtue of the act of living. Our breath comingles with all breath, and we are a part of everything. That’s the simple fact of things. We are born into a state of relationship, and our ceremonies and rituals are guides to lead us deeper into that relationship with all things. Big lesson? Relationships never end; they just change. In believing that, lies the freedom to carry compassion, empathy, love, kindness and respect into and through whatever changes. We are made more by that practice.[1]

That beautiful poetry is from Ojibway Richard Wagamese’s book called Embers. Richard was passionate about relationships. In his work on indigenous reconciliation, he proclaimed that the first step to healing was to get to know your neighbour. He would condemn prejudging, hanging on to grudges and basing opinions on hearsay. He was an advocate for working to understand differences and believed in healing through forgiveness.

Richard would have related to the passage from Isaiah we heard this morning. Wolves sleeping with lambs, leopards sleeping with kids, calves and lions eating together. Cows and bears grazing in the same pasture and lions eating straw. Nursing children crawling over rattlesnake dens and toddlers placing their hands in the dens of serpents. I would love to have him comment on Isaiah. I can imagine him saying, “of course, that is as the Creator saw it.” I have little doubt that Richard would see this passage as a metaphor for peace and harmony, for how all relationships should be based. 

That is how I see it. A vision God the Creator had in the very beginning. A vision God through Isaiah had, a vision God through us has this day. A vision where Palestinian and Jew can sit side by side at a common table sharing a refreshing drink of Jallab. A vision where a Muslim woman wears a Hijab because she wants to, not because she is forced to. A vision where there is really “free trade,” not trade based on coercion, favouritism, manipulation or economic gain. A vision where refugees are welcomed with open arms. A vision where a gay or lesbian person can live openly without fear of imprisonment or other reprisal. A vision where food relief gets to the people in need rather than sold to profiteers. In that vision relationships are fundamentally based on mutuality and trust.

 An unlikely, if not impossible vision. The wolf and the lamb laying downside by side? A child playing next to a snake pit? Unless this was a creation of an AI app on your phone or computer, that is not something we are likely to witness anytime soon. But unlikely or not, that was Isaiah’s vision. Symbiotic relationships. Harmonious relationships. 

Like some of the other biblical prophets and some of the Psalmists, there was certainty that one day the Messiah would come to renew God’s promise of peace, security and justice among all nations. To build loving relationships among all people. 

Isaiah refers to a “shoot sprouting from Jesse’s stump, from his roots a building branch.”[2] Jesse was King David’s son. Jesus family lineage is said to have descended from King David. And so, Isaiah in fact is referring to the coming of Jesus in his prophesy. This new “King of the Jews,” who 

won’t judge by appearances,
 won’t decide on the basis of hearsay.
He’ll judge the needy by what is right,
 render decisions on earth’s poor with justice.
His words will bring everyone to awed attention.
 A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked.
Each morning he’ll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots,
 and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.[3]

I can visualize a modern-day Jesus getting up each morning and putting on a T-shirt and blue jeans, and perhaps one of those plaid long sleeve work shirts. I can see him stepping into some well-worn work boots as he prepares to hit the road. He jumps into a battered old Ford 150 that rattles up the road spewing blue smoke out the exhaust as he heads out for the day. But like the Jesus we know, this carpenter’s impact will not be measured by how many nails he has hammered into 2x4’s or how many coats of paint he has applied to walls. It will be by the just and fair work completed and in the building of honesty and integrity through relationships. Because that is God’s vision. Isn’t it all really about relationship?

Be assured, Isaiah proclaims that the wickedness in our time will be righted, and as we heard Phyllis read, “the whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.” And knowing God alive is being in open, caring, honest relationships with others. 

While Jesus was known as a healer, an advocate for peace, and a justice seeker, his real vision was that of building loving relationships. These would be relationships built on listening and honouring differences. Relationships which would put personal agendas and egos on the back burner. Relationships where forgiveness is given when it is needed. Relationships where retribution is not a “go to” option. 

Some of you might remember the 1978 hit single by the Cooper Brothers, especially the chorus. (Most of us of the older generation should). I’d like to play a bit of it for you.

Today it seems like Isaiah’s prophesy, God’s vision, Jesus’ hope for relationship building is just a dream. But …. 

The dream never dies just the dreamer.

The dream never dies if its strong

The song never dies just the singer

So come on everybody, sing along.

Sing along with the creator in the quest for a new world order. Walk with Jesus together to build caring, nurturing and loving relationships. That’s the vision. One that will never die as long as we believe in it.

Thanks for listening this morning, Amen

[1] Richard Wagamese, Embers, One Ojibway’s Meditations, Douglas and McIntyre, P.O. Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, 2016, p. 44

[2]The Message Bible, Isaiah 11 Vs. 1

[3] Isaiah 11. 

Inspired by 23:33-43

“The lofty language of kingdom and reign, naturally lends itself to the ideas of elevation and being “lifted up.” Indeed, the image of Christ as King is intended to emphasize the sovereignty of Christ over all creation, including earthly leaders who pretend to wield ultimate authority. Such power in the hands of humans often leads to corruption and injustice. But power placed with Jesus produces a reign of mercy and justice. Watching Jesus transforms our understanding of power and authority.”[1]

I quoted those words directly from a commentary on our reading today from Kendra Mohn the lead pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fort Worth Texas. For me Kendra captures the most important message of this passage. 

As we mark this “Reign of Christ Sunday” on our church calendar, our celebration is not about our perceiving Jesus as any kind of authority figure. It is not about our humbling ourselves before a great ruler, or bowing down to a King, a King of our normal understanding. The celebration on “Reign of Christ Sunday,” is anything but that. It is an opportunity to celebrate past, present, and with hope and prayer, future miracles of Jesus’ presence. His reign, his time with us is eternal. 

It occurs to me that perhaps this day could be as significant as Christmas Day. Christmas Day, the day the miracle maker, peace and justice seeker, power equalizer and love advocate came to be in the world. Today, the marking of the accomplishments of his time on earth and the remarkable reality of his presence with all of humanity for over 2,000 years and what that has meant. What an extraordinary Reign that is. And it continues with his presence with us now. 

Jesus’ message was never about himself, never about personal ego, never about achievements, never about recognition. Those might be the desires of other rulers, of Kings, of Presidents, Chancellors or Chairmen. But notoriety was not Jesus. He could not, would not try to influence authorities to let him go. He would not get himself down from the cross with any super-natural power, as he was mocked to do so. Jesus, humble servant, child of God. A king only to advocate for the kingdom of God. An activist for God’s peace and unity among people and nations. A believer in justice. A believer in unconditional love. 

Even as the life would drain out from his own body, love for others remained. “You will join me in paradise,” he responds to the request of the dying man beside him on the cross. Humble, caring, compassionate in life and in death. 

“Long to Reign over us,” is a phrase we all know well. It came to me in my contemplation of the meaning of “Reign of Christ Sunday.” Those words are part of the National Anthem of the UK and we often sing them as a tribute to our British heritage. We sang them this past Remembrance Day at our Cenotaph.

God save our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the King![2]

For the purpose of this Sabbath, and to mark “Reign of Christ Sunday,” I thought some tweaking might be appropriate.

God save our gracious Jesus

Long live our noble Jesus

God save Jesus!

Send him victorious

Happy and glorious

Long to reign over us, 

God save Jesus

God save our gracious Jesus. God, and we, in a society that promotes love, work tirelessly for the good and welfare of others, and we save Jesus. We “save” Jesus’ ministry, such that the voice of compassion is constantly on the lips of those that follow and believe. 

Long live our noble Jesus. Jesus lives eternally in the hearts and minds of those that refuse to give in to hatred, dominance, cruelty and abuse. He lives in our patience and our understanding.

God save Jesus. Yes, God does, today and everyday. Today as we sit in worship together listening to the word and letting it evoke hope in us, everyday as we live in the light and be light for others, everyday we seek ways to lessen the burdens of those that are carrying taxing loads.

Send him victorious. Yes, send Jesus throughout the world again and again and again. Send him through pain, anguish and suffering. Send him into poverty, into refugee camps, into war torn regions. Send his love so that hope might prevail.

Send him happy and glorious. Jesus’ soul is lifted up; his spirit soars with the good works we do. His heart swells with witnessing gifts given through Bargain Bin, Food Bank and Wellness Centre and other acts of your generosity. 

Long to reign over us? I hope and pray so, forever and a day. We need the voice of Jesus each and every minute of our time, and we will need it for the ages to come. We cannot do without the voice that calls out for healing, fairness, and justice.

God save Jesus! God ensure the presence of the prince of peace, his tenacity, spirit and unfailing love reigns over all of us now and forever. Ensure that it stays in us, motivates us to love kindness and preach justice. Ensure as with his own resurrection, it resurrects hope within us when we are prone to be discouraged. 

We need Jesus “to Reign over us.” We need his assurance of kin-dom love he shared even upon his own death. We need his prophesies of light through cloud and gray. We need his fervent testimonial against violence and hatred. We need to be reminded of his unconditional acceptance of the other, displaced, shunned, ridiculed or forgotten. We need to be reminded how essential the hopeful ministry of Jesus is to us in this time. 

That love envelopes us, and in a world filled with chaos, can move even the unbeliever to paradise, a heavenly kind of grace where a great internal peace can be realized. 

Jesus, Long to Reign over us!

Thanks for listening this morning. Amen

[1]Kendra A. Mohn, Working Preacher, Commentary on Luke 23:33-43 - Working Preacher from Luther Seminary, Accessed November 22, 2025

[2] source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/n/nationalanthemlyrics/britiannationalanthemlyrics.html  

I’m not sure what I was up to Friday, but I had the Safari search engine open on my computer. Up popped the typical posts of all sorts of news items. Most are irritating clips of repetitious mumbo jumbo that attempt to catch the reader’s eye. Sometimes I scan them to see if there is a story of interest, or something for spirit sightings. And something did catch my eye.

The headline said, “Police tell Pastor bible verse on back of van could be hate speech.” Interesting I thought. What’s that all about. So, I clicked on the article and read further. 

A 59-year-old pastor Mick Fleming was approached by a police officer while he was fueling up. The officer apparently did not confront the pastor, ticket or arrest him, but wanted to give him some advice. He apparently said, “the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context. I am just giving you a heads up’.[1] The bible verse was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The officer commented further that if someone reported it, the police would investigate and Mick could end up in trouble. 

Where did this crazy event take place, I wondered. Perhaps in Russia? Perhaps in the US given all that has been transpiring there of late? No. Where in the world would you think a bit of scripture on the back of a van could be seen as hateful? Well, Mick practices Street Ministry in Burnley Lancashire England! I was and still am, as my English cousin would say, “Gobsmacked.” The UK? The seat of modern- day democracy? What’s up with that? How is a bible verse considered hate speech?

It seems that Intolerance, an unwillingness to accept differing views or beliefs is reaching a new level. 

There was fear breeding in the Thessalonian Church, there were rumours of apocalyptic times, times where angels and demons clash with one another and the universe hangs in the balance

Paul writes hoping to assuage fears. “Now, friends, read these next words carefully. Slow down and don’t go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him. Don’t let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumored letter from me, that the day of the Master’s arrival has come and gone. Don’t fall for any line like that.”

Don’t believe it Paul says. This is just a distraction, rumour sent among us to take us away from our task, chatter to take us away from our belief and work in Jesus Christ. So, friends, Paul says, “take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.” Take it easy Paul says. Don’t give into gossip or innuendo.

The end of the world times have been prophesized for centuries. There was in fact a recent doomsday prediction just a few weeks ago. Paul wants his church not to be distracted by these misaligned prophesies and to “keep their eye on the ball,” keep doing Jesus’ ministry.

We believe in doing that as well, and we are trying very hard to serve in our ministry together. If I may boast a little, I would say we are doing ministry very well. Sometimes however our discipleship is frustrating and it feels like we are trying to push and elephant up a giant hill. There is just so much to do and so few of us. In addition, the news headlines we read, or news reports we hear are constantly disheartening, and we all get a little frustrated. Like the new church in Thessalonia, we might wonder what we are going to do? How might we continue this vital ministry we love so much in the future?

Well, the truthful answer is that we don’t really know. I can however assure you that we are not about to experience an end to our world as we know it, through some apocalyptic means. That ancient myth is not God in the world. The reality is that the creation is in far more peril from human disrespect of the earth than from anything else. But that is another topic and a discussion for another time. 

The eschatological end (the end of the world) that is spoken about by Paul is not what we face today. Paul indicated this was just gossip and he was right. But there is a real and present crisis that ever widens the gap to meaningful human relationships and threatens world harmony and peace. However, it is not being driven by God, but by our own actions. It begins with intolerance, a lack of respect for one another, stubbornness, an unwillingness to accept views, beliefs or behaviours that are different from our own. 

It feels like intolerance is growing and its effects exacerbating conflicts throughout the world. These are not just conflicts manifest in wars, but in basic human relationships. Unless I’m mistaken, mistrust, lack of compassion, inflexibility, deceitfulness, reticence, hostility toward the other, ego and a sense of superiority, appear to be more prevalent all the time. In what world could the words “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life,” be considered hate speech? If I put the fish symbol for being Christian on my bumper, am I going to be in some trouble? Am I going to have my vehicle vandalized? I never would have considered such a thing.

We see the painful evidence of these events everyday, even on our own streets. The denial of basic human and civil rights is alarming. The outcomes painful to witness and difficult to comprehend. Intolerance towards another is the root of a lot of evil. 

Paul advised the early Christian Church not to listen to the fear mongering of an “end times” message. I don’t believe we need fear that either. But I do believe we need to fear something else. We need to fear intolerance because it is cancerous in our communities and in the world. I believe our ministry asks us to listen intently to what is being shared at our local community events, in our restaurants and pubs, at out grocery stores, at our malls, in our schools and especially in our churches. And when disparaging, hateful, derogatory, inflammatory messages rise to the surface, we need to call them out. Because what begins with intolerance can end in hatred. 

As Paul says, “take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught.” Our way is peace loving and peace advocating. It is also justice seeking which is part of our vision here at PUC.

I mentioned that we don’t know how our ministry might continue in the future. That is true but we can keep it vitally important and pastorally vigorous if we attend to our Jesus path. There was no room for intolerance in his ministry and there shouldn’t be in ours either. 

Thanks for listening this morning, Amen

[1] Police tell pastor bible verse on back of van could be “hate speech”, accessed November 7, 2025 Amen   

Luke’s story of Zacchaeus is familiar to us. All the same I find it a bit odd. I’m wondering why someone of his station would be so interested in seeing Jesus. 

He really really wants to encounter Jesus, so much that he runs ahead of the crowd and climbs up sycamore tree to be sure he can see Jesus clearly. Zacchaeus would have done anything to have an unrestricted view. He behaves like a child on the streets of a Santa Claus parade, leaving mom and dad back on the sidewalk and weaving through the throng of onlookers to the curb. The child needs to see Santa clearly!

I am very curious about this account because Zacchaeus is not scrambling to be near Jesus to ask for the healing Jesus publicly offers. He is not a blind man seeking to have his sight restored. He is not the lame beggar hoping that he might be able to walk again. He is not the haemorrhaging woman, desperately reaching out to touch Jesus’ robe. What does he want?

Perhaps he is seeking healing, but not for his physical well-being. The wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus it seems has been harbouring some guilt. And his confession comes out after Jesus askes him to come down from the tree. “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Zacchaeus is looking for forgiveness, but was that his initial intention?

I would love to have an interview with Zacchaeus because I would be very interested in asking him why he really came that day. Did he expect Jesus to see him and summon him to come down from the tree and meet him. Was he just curious like you and I would be if the King of England was driving by in his coach? 

Consider, if you were Zacchaeus. You climb down from your perch, you are next to Jesus, in front of the crowd, and expected to speak. What would you say? If it was me I bet I would ask for forgiveness too, for all I had done in my life and career. I am after all in front of the Prince of Peace. I’m not about to ask him about the meaning of life. I would be overcome with emotion and in the language of the time I would likely blurt out, “Forgive me Jesus for I am a sinner.” 

And so I am interested in this gospel story and curious if Zacchaeus came to see Jesus for some other reason. Jesus may never have noticed him up the Sycamore. And if he didn’t so what? There may not have been an encounter at all. What happens to our tax collector then?

I’m not sure which interview it was, it may have been my last. In all there are three before a candidate is considered ready for commissioning or ordination. In any case, during one of my interview sessions a panel member asked me, “Ian, what is it that most excites you about being in ministry? What are you hoping to achieve? 

I could be naïve I replied, but I believe there are many many souls out there that are hungry for the spirit’s presence. They are the folks we might call spiritual by not religious. So many have turned away from organized religion because of doctrinal policies, churches that want to control their parishioners, Clergy that are inflexible in how we are supposed to “see” God or how we are to interpret scripture. In that sense the church has a bad name and people are staying away. My hope is that through my ministry, I could help to encourage the spiritually hungry to have another look at church and who God might be for them.

That has been my hope in the years that I have been with you. And nothing has enriched my soul more than knowing how that has happened and how it continues to happen. You know that God is not obscured in clouds and accessible only to those that pray the right way. You see God in the “every day” activities. You experience God wondering, and questioning, in loneliness and in grief. Despite chaos around us, you remain hopeful that the spirit of gentleness and compassion can break through. And you know God does not just exist here every Sunday morning.

I expect all of you have different understandings and different experiences of the God I call Holy Love. I think I’m correct, I sure hope I am, that you are comfortable being who you are here. This ministry is built on mutual respect, appreciation for all in our diversity, and unconditional love. And when necessary, we practice forgiveness when our perfect intentions stay from what Jesus would expect of us. 

Perhaps Zacchaeus was a seeker, a modern day Spiritual but not Religious person. He was wealthy and didn’t need anything of material value. But something was missing from his life. I think his soul was aching for something he really couldn’t put his hands on, something he really couldn’t understand. 

Perhaps that vacancy was a real connection with God. Perhaps he climbed up in that Sycamore tree not to see Jesus, but God incarnate. Perhaps he climbed up in those branches and wondered, “God, where are you? People say you are here in this man Jesus. I’m seeking you, I want to know you, show me a sign.” And perhaps he received his answer upon Jesus’ invitation. “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 

What might we suppose transpired at Zacchaeus’ home that evening? We don’t know anything about that from our gospel reading. Do you think Jesus admonished Zacchaeus for his past indiscretions? Do you think Jesus tried to strike fear into him reminding him that his soul might end up in Sheol, the Hebrew name for the underworld of the realm of dead, similar to our modern-day Hell? I don’t see the conversation going that way. 

I see Zacchaeus and Jesus sitting by an open fire. Jesus asks, “what questions do you have of me?” Zacchaeus answers, “teacher how do I begin I know God?” “I’m a wealthy man and I want for nothing. But I feel guilty about my life of pursuing riches and possessions. There is something missing. I feel incomplete.” 

“Yes,” Jesus says, “you have, like many, been preoccupied.” “Your soul is thirsty for spiritual nourishment. You are incomplete because you know there is something greater than wealth and possessions and you ache to find it. 

Follow my way and you will find what you are looking for. The God that has sent me is here among us now. God declares the unquenchable light of love among all people. God’s breath replenishes our doubts with hope. God’s heart beats a constant rhythm of joy through us. God’s arms hold securely all who require empathy and assurance. The Creator is a Holy presence for all who reach out fully embodied in our compassionate way of being.”

Well of course I have no evidence whatsoever of what might have been Jesus’ conversation with Zacchaeus. And my assumptions are completely based on my inquisitiveness and wondering. 

Having said that I do know that many folks are seeking some kind of connection these days with what they might call the Holy Spirit, Spiritual Nurturing, connections with a Creator or any number of other expressions of a divine presence. There is a huge need for soul connection that can make one feel a belonging, instill hope and provide some assurance. There are many seekers outside the sanctuary walls of countless churches. 

Jesus, I think recognized that need in Zacchaeus and told him to come down from the tree and talk. I’m thinking we could do the same thing, and I’m praying it happens. 

Be watchful for those you encounter in your daily walk, those who may be up in the trees wondering. Ask them to come down and talk. You have a story to tell. Perhaps they might be curious to hear it.

Thanks for listening this morning. Amen