New Course Coming February 7th

What's so amazing about Grace? Come and explore with us February 7th.

Join us for Christian-themed pumpkin carving!

Join us this upcoming Tuesday afternoon, October 30th, 4:00pm as we carve Christian-themed pumpkins which will be put outside the church  on Wednesday night to greet trick or treators.

JOIN US FOR REFORMATION SUNDAY, OCTOBER, 28th, 10:30AM

NEW COURSE: DR HENRY CLOUD--CHANGES THAT HEAL

Please join us for our upcoming nine-week course, Changes that Heal, in which Dr Henry Cloud, discusses the key aspects of emotional and spiritual growth.The course begins this Thursday, October 11th, 7:00pm(optional meal at 6:15).  Please contact the church office for more information.Here is some footage of another program, in which Dr Cloud talks about marital discord, and its remedy.

Back to Church Sunday--the importance of inviting others

BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th, 2012, 10:30 AM

Back to Church Sunday, September 30th, 10:30AM

Back to Church Sunday, September 30th, 10:30 AM--"Come as you are", an international movement

A promotional video from 2009. The movement is still going strong!

You are invited! Come and visit us for our special Back to Church Sunday Service, September 30th, 10:30am, and then join us for a barbecue with our friends from Bread of Life Community Church

BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 10:30 AM

 Every invitation Counts!

BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th

JOIN US FOR "BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY" September 30th, 10:30 AM

Ever think about going to church?  Don't feel you're "good enough" to be in church? Check this out.

September 16th sermon: Jesus' Church Growth Program

                                                

One of the big questions which has been on the hearts of Christians living in the western world, especially in this city, has been the question of church growth.

            How can we grow the church? This question has become central. In the face of declining attendance, closing congregations, leaders have been scrambling to develop solutions. And many church growth programs have been developed and offered. There’s been lots of talk, lots of discussion, lots of seminars, tons of books, and all kinds of formulas.  Perhaps more cookies have been baked and coffee has been brewed  to keep people awake for long-winded lectures, seminars and meetings over this question than any other.

            But when we read scripture, we actually find that Jesus has something to say about church growth. When we open the Gospel of Mark to the 16^th chapter, we red about the ascended Christ speaking to his disciples. In verse 16 Jesus says, “ Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation,” In Matthew, chapter 28 Jesus says to these same disciples, “ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In Luke Jesus says, “ Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”  So we see that Jesus was very interested in growing the church, and he tells his disciples very clearly how it is to be done—through witness and discipleship.

             Witness  and Discipleship. To witness is to testify, give testimony.  Witnesses in a court of law testify to what they have seen, what they have heard.  They are called to speak the truth about whatever matter is being judged. So those early disciples were called by Jesus to testify, give testimony, to  speak about the truth  they had seen and heard. And what they had seen and heard was Jesus, Jesus the Saviour, and speak about the foundational difference he has made to the world and to their lives. Jesus didn’t just talk about Good News, he was and is and will be the Good News. Through his life death and resurrection,  the great gift of eternal life has been offered to all. Through Jesus God’s New Creation has begun and will be completed when Christ returns again. When the disciples followed Jesus, their lives were difference.  When he came to them after his resurrection, there could be no turning back—their lives would never be the same again. Jesus makes a difference in the lives of people. To this truth those disciples were called to witness. To this truth, all disciples of Jesus, across time and space are called to witness. In fact, Jesus commanded it “ Go into the world and proclaim the good news to all creation.”

            “ Go into the world and proclaim the good news to all creation.” Well what does that mean? It means to testify to Jesus, to speak about Jesus, but more importantly to speak about Jesus through actions.  It is to witness to Jesus through what we do and who we are.  It was true then, and its true now, that what people pay attention to most  are actions. And those actions are key part of the first component of Jesus’ church growth program.

            This brings us to the second key piece of Jesus’ church growth program, and that’s discipleship. I’ve already used that word a couple of times, but what does it mean? What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus. It means to follow him in every way. It means to do everything he says. It means to get the job done the way he wants it done in every single aspect of our lives.

            Now that isn’t easy. It means giving up a lot. Really it means giving up everything for Jesus. This is the call of Jesus, and we read it today. “ if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lost their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel will save it.”  Now those are perhaps the scariest, and most challenging, most  difficult words we’re going to read in any of the gospel accounts. Scary and difficult because we naturally like what we have, we naturally like to be comfortable, we don’t like to give up things.  Even in the church, we don’t like to give up things that might not be essential—or make things essential that are really not  But giving up things isn’t even the scariest part. It’s  taking what Jesus has to offer and what Jesus has to offer is the cross—the cross of suffering and shame endured out of total obedience to God. And we naturally do not want any part of that.  Those original disciples, the chosen twelve, they didn’t want any part of it. So when the trouble came, and Jesus was headed for crucifixion, all of them, every single one, got out of Dodge as fast as they could.

            So we see that discipleship is not easy. But it is the second necessary piece of Jesus’ church growth program. 

            But how can we do it? How can we fallible humans, with our attachments and shortcomings, foibles, and selfishness be these disciples of Jesus? How can I do it? How can I take up that cross and really follow Jesus?

            Well, first of all, we need to know which cross Jesus is telling us to take up.

             In today’s gospel lesson Jesus speaks to the disciples about his crucifixion and death. He is speaking plainly about what is going to happen to Him. He is speaking of the cross which looms ominously on the horizon, the cross which has yet to be filled with his body.

            When Jesus speaks to us today, and tells us to take up our crosses, he is speaking of the same cross--but with a key and foundational difference.

             It is not the cross which has yet to be filled. It is the cross which has been filled, and which now is empty, and never has to be filled again. Jesus Christ filled that cross once and for all. It is the cross of total and complete fulfillment which is to be the one which we carry. On Easter Morning we process the empty cross into our worship space to show that it is finished, that the saving work has been done.  And this is the cause for celebration. Jesus, perfectly obedient, perfectly righteous imputes—or gives—his righteousness to us.

            So discipleship is not rooted in ourselves.  It is rooted in Christ alone Through the Holy Spirit, he gives us the power to do it.

            You see the empty cross represents freedom—the freedom to be witnesses and disciples of Jesus even while we struggle as sinners. So those reasons some folks might have for not witnessing or standing back from the work such as “Well I’m not holy enough, learned enough”.  Those excuses don’t stand up. After his resurrection Jesus entrusted the same fallible humans who had turned their backs on him, to build his church and bear the empty cross.

              If you are a Christian, then Jesus has made a difference in your life. He has made a difference in your life by suffering  death so that you do not have to die eternally. He became sin so you don’t have to stand in judgment for those sins. He has given you hope  that the world cannot give.  And he has called you to be his witness and his disciple.  And he has also entrusted you and the rest of his church, all the members of the body, to do his work on earth.  

            Today, the morning bible study group, resumed its study of the Book of Acts. And that Book we read about how the Holy Spirit Grew the church, how the Spirit gifted the disciples of Jesus. We read about their work—their work of witness and discipleship. That work—that work of witness and discipleship hasn’t ended. It has been passed on to those who confess Christ as Lord wherever they might be, and that includes this place, this  neighbourhoods, our families and friendship circles, and even our places of work. Are people not going to like it? Count on it.  But count on this: Jesus has given us everything and wants others to know that he has given them everything as well.  This is our call—this work of witness and discipleship. And in carrying it need to pray and trust God in the direction is leading us, confidence in God’s love and guidance.  Now may the peace which surpasses all understanding  guard your hearts and minds in Chrsit Jesus. Amen.

SERMON, TRINITY SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 2012

                                    Trinity Sunday

A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's artwork. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."

The teacher paused and said, "but no one knows what God looks like."

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
 

Today is Trinity Sunday. Today we are invited to reflect on the Holy Trinity  and the work of the Triune God. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational. In fact, in the Augsburg Confession , the first book in the Book of Concord, which contain the  Lutheran Confessions, the Trinity is described  in first very first article, where it is written “ In the first place, it is with one accord taught and held, following the decree of the Council of Nicea, that there is one divine essence which is named God and truly is God. But there are three persons in the same one essence, equally powerful, equally eternal: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are one divine essence, eternal, undivided, unending, of immeasurable power, wisdom, and goodness, the creator and preserver of all visible and invisible things.” While this statement appears in the Lutheran Confession, the doctrine of the Trinity is held by all Christian denominations which stand in the  catholic and apostolic tradition—From Roman Catholic, to Baptist, to Presbyterian, to Pentecostal to Reformed, to Anglican, to Eastern Orthodox.

            In fact when the  Lutheran reformers first issued the Augsburg Confession back over five hundred years ago, this first article was held faultless by their Roman Catholic opponents—it was one of three doctrinal positions the Catholic opponents had to  agree with. The others were the doctrine of original sin and the doctrine of Christ as true God and true man. While the term trinity or Triune God nowhere appears in scripture, scripture testifies to the  reality of God’s three persons. In Matthew, Jesus himself commands his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit,  and Christians have for over two thousand years confessed belief in the one true God who is of three persons. When we say together the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed as we do every week, we confess belief in God’s three persons.

            While the doctrine of the trinity—God as Father Son and Holy Spirit—seems  simple at first, the more we think about it, the more difficult it becomes. One difficulty  concerns  the  equality  of the members. A common understanding of the relationship between Father Son, and Holy Spirit is hierarchical. God the Father is kind of pictured as the chairman of the board with Jesus as the CEO or president of the company, and the Holy Spirit, as kind of the courier, or lesser executive, who works for the Father and the Son.

            It’s natural to think that way, easy to think that way—but its actual heretical, meaning its wrong.  All three members of the Trinity are equally God, equally powerful, equally eternal.

           Another natural misunderstanding concerns the distinctiveness of the members. It’s easy to think of the three members as three distinct powerful Gods who form a triad. But the doctrine of the Trinity tells us that the three persons are of one essence, one God.  The three persons are not a triad. It is just as natural to swing to the other extreme and  think of God as one essence who appears in the three distinct forms, or masks, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But this ,too is heresy. The formal name for it is modalism.  It is indeed tough to get our minds around the idea that God is one and three at the same time.

            “ Okay, explain how it works”, might be a kind of natural request at this point.

            Well, if you are expecting a definitive answer today, here from this pulpit, I am sorry to disappoint you. Winston Churchill once described Russia as a riddle wrapped in a mystery in an enigma. The reality of the Holy Trinity is infinitely more enigmatic than Soviet Russia, so I don’t feel bad about  not being to explain it.

             I don’t believe there is a theologian in the world who can explain the inner workings of the Holy trinity, unwrap its mystery and give an answer that will ultimately satisfy the hungry intellect.  If there is I certainly would like to meet his person.  I am sorry to say that the request for a definitive explanation will go unmet—at least during this message. Augustine couldn’t do it so I’m not going to try.

            But maybe we need to approach the subject of the Holy Trinity from a different angle.

            Maybe we need to start with a different question. And maybe that question is: “ Who are we humans?”

            Scripture has an answer to that question. Humans are beings made in God’s image, made in God’s image but fallen. Human beings were made in paradise but-- by their own choice,--exiled from it. Having lived in perfect unity with their creator, those made in God’s image live in a state of alienation from their creator, so the image in which they were made has become distorted.   The biblical narrative describes the plight of human beings as they contend with living in this distorted image. Part of that distortion involves aspiring to be divine, to be God, to make gods out of the things of this world. But in the depth of the human heart there is a longing—a longing for relationship, for communion, with the source which created it. In the depth of every human heart there is longing for union with its source. and the story of sinful humanity is the story of trying to fill that inner void with things which are not god, worshipping false images.

           But also in the human hear there is knowledge that this creator is all powerful, all mighty, exercises the power of life but also, and terrifyingly so--the power of death. In first century Jerusalem, God lived in the temple, in the holiest of holiest. It was on the holy day of atonement, and only on that day, when the high priest entered to make sacrifice. But during any other time it was understood that to enter the tent would mean instant death. This is the God of judgment, perfectly righteous, perfectly Holy. This is the God which made Martin Luther quake in his boots.  ³¹    The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 10; 31 that “ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

          How could human beings—sinful, fallible, and alienated--ever be in relationship with that kind of God, with the Living God?  

             In today’s Gospel lesson we hear about Nicodemus, the Pharisee. He belonged to a sect which viewed Jesus and his followers as dangerous lawbreakers. He belonged to a sect which plotted to have Jesus crucified. But this Pharisee, Nicodemus, was curious about Jesus.  He has seen what Jesus has done and has to admit that Jesus is a teacher who has come from God, a teacher who has done remarkable signs.   Nicodemus was so curious that he came by night so as not to be seen by the others and, as we read,  he has some questions for Jesus. But he needs to know more—needs to know exactly who Jesus is. And Jesus gives him an answer. Jesus tells him exactly who he is. Jesus tells Nicodemus exactly who he is by describing what he does, what he came into the world to do—which is to save all humanity from the power of sin and death.  Jesus came into the world to be your Saviour—yes, your Saviour. This is the heart of Christianity. This is the heart of the Christian proclamation—it is that Jesus came into the world to bring as back into the heart of God, to cleanse us, and restore that broken primal relationship between Creator and created.

                  Only through the work of a mediator could the one who trembles in despair ever be in relationship with  a perfectly Holy and righteous God. And the only one fit to do that mediating work is someone who can claim equality with God. God, in the person of Jesus, is the mediator, the one who removed humanity’s burden, and reconciled the broken relationship. 

            But how do we come to learn about this great saving work of God through Jesus? The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus as the one who brings us back and restores and draws us into his heavenly Father’s unfolding plan for creation. The Trinity, you see doesn’t describe God as a noun so much as a verb. The Trinity describes what God does,  God creates, restores, and sustains, and God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,  has done this in and through history. But any discussion of the Trinity should never become a dry abstract intellectual exercise. It is about you, it is about me, it is about the world. It is about being drawn into God’s unfolding redemptive plan for  you and all creation.

             In today’s Gospel lesson we read the often quoted John 3:16. If there was one verse in the Bible, only one we could read, this would be the one. “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.”  Everything we need to know about the Holy Trinity is contained in that verse. The truth is contained in that verse because a relational reality is described—what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have done for you—how they have created faith and in so doing communicated salvation. That is the  most important relationship we could ever  know about And that is the key aspect of the Trinity we should understand, that it is a relational reality which involves us. It’s personal. When we are reborn in the image of Christ,  and made Holy, we are brought into this dynamic moving relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

            The Holy Trinity is a doctrine which does not describe a distant, disinterested God who is out there somewhere  who we sing hymns to con Sunday. This God is where we are, where all people are, and this God has a message for the world, which we Christians are called to proclaim in spoken word and visible action. We Christians are called to testify to the love of this God shown through Jesus, and we do that by being like Jesus. We are called to be in mission for this God. We need to pray about that mission, we need to listen to the spirit speaking to us, guiding us, directing us. We are going to engage in that kind of discernment today as we hear our special guests speak about the supportive housing facility on the corner of 16^th and Dunbar. How can we use the gift and talents God has given us to reflect the love of Jesus to the residents, and show them that they, too, are loved by God, that they too are important, that their lives also matter. So let us open our hearts and minds to follow the lead of the Triune God, who has done such wonderful things.  Amen.                  

Pentecost 2012

     

After having not posted sermons in some time, I return with last Sunday's Pentecost Sermon.

God Bless You,

Pastor Thomas Keeley

Pentecost 2012

 Very few people living in this part of the world will not have had the experience of  spending some time in the airport. A precious few will never have had stood at a bus stop. These places—airports and bus stops-- are not destinations for most people. In fact, those who simply hang around bus stops are often considered loiterers. And while  airport amenities have improved drastically over the last few years with the inclusion of Tim Hortons and Starbucks, I would guess that most people would prefer the coffee shop on the corner to the YVR version of their favorite coffee hang-out.  When we are at the bus-stop we are usually going from somewhere we’ve been, to somewhere we are going Bus stops and airports and train stations are transitional places.

            It is  harder for us to think of this world we live in as being a transitional place. We live with a sense of permanence, with a solid ground beneath us—most of the time—laws of nature, regularities we can count on. But even just by looking out into the world, looking at ourselves in the mirror, and those people closest to us, we know that change is a reality. The world is constantly changing, constantly in flux. Even ten years ago, people never heard of things like texting, Facebook, Twitter. Yet, these, what are now called social media, are coming to define the way people interact. Nothing stays the same, we are told.  I believe that Socrates said that the only constant is change. Most scientists agree that the sun which makes life on this planet possible is slowly moving toward the day when it will burnout and life will cease to exist on this planet.

            But the Bible has a different answer—that change will not ultimately lead to the end of life in creation, but new life. And that  we live within a period where a great transformation will occur—a great transitional point in history. It was as if the world were collectively waiting at a bus stop or airport.

            Last week we celebrated ascension Sunday—the day Christ ascended into heaven to claim his throne as Lord. The day Christians anticipate is the day when he will exercise his rule in its totality. When that happens there will no longer be any seperation between heaven and earth, between God and reality, between God and humans, God and Creation. There will longer be any separation between what is and what ought to be. This is foundational Christian belief which is confessed in the Nicene Creed: “He is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead. There will  be no end to his kingdom.”

            But that day has not arrived yet—we still anticipate it. Along with the world we wait for that day when all will be in all. The Apostle Paul likens this anticipation to the groaning of labour pains. The whole creation waits—waits in this transitional space where we can look back at what God has done through Christ, and to what he will ultimately do through Christ. We live at that point where two great circles intersect. The one circle is the Old Age, the Old creation, defined by sin and death, and suffering and separation. The second great circle is the New Age, the New  Creation, defined by peace, eternal life, love, and union between God and humanity. Christians live in both realities. But it is the reality of the New Creation which defines us.  Christians have received “ the first fruits” of this new creation.

            What nourishes the fruit? Where does the spiritual food come from? it comes from God. It comes from the Spirit of God. It comes from the Holy Spirit.

            Today we celebrate that incredible day, the day when Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of his heavenly Father sent the Holy Spirit upon his assembled disciples, those disciples living in the great “in between time”, the very same time we live in.

        That sounds strange doesn’t it? The idea that we live in the same age as those gathered disciples—those disciples who were gifted with the Holy Spirit almost two thousand years ago.  But we do. 

          You see, the Bible doesn’t divide history into nice little slices, but  into giant swaths.  We live in the same age, they lived in, which is the age of the church. Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples on that day, and in so doing formed his church. We live in the age of the church—and the church has a great role to play in the unfolding story of God’s redemption of  humanity and creation. The church is the community of believers, the body of Christ, entrusted by Christ to proclaim the good news, the gospel, to all people, and in fact to creation itself.

           Christians are those who have received and trust in the good news of Jesus, and who, following his example of love, share in word and deed, the good news with others, the good news that God has forgiven sin through his son, and through that forgiveness has and is making all things new. The Holy Spirit has communicated the truth about God, and has called all who trust in this truth to proclaim it—proclaim in this great “in between time” world we find ourselves in. More than that the Holy Spirit guides and directs the proclamation of this truth. The Holy Spirit gifts people, and helps us in our weakness.

            These days are a challenging time for the church in this part of the world. Some have even expressed the view that the Christian church is on its way out. It’s no longer relevant. It  is true that particular institutional structures s, organizations, even denominations, these yes, these may die, and there is a lot of anxiety and fear and sadness around those realities.

            But the Christian church which exists across denominations—this will not die. We read in Article 7 of the Augsburg Confession, in the Lutheran Confessions, “ It is also taught that all times there must be and remain one holy, Christian church. It is the assembly of all; believers among whom the gospel is purely preached and the holy sacraments are administered according to the gospel.” From that day of Holy Pentecost, when Christ created the church, until today, the church has existed. It has come through worse times and faced worse challenges than  cultural indifference. It has never ceased to exist. Even beneath the corruption and darkness of the medieval papacy, the light of the gospel continued to shine.  Even within vile regimes and  against incessant harrassment, Christ has oriented people to the truth.

          The Holy Spirit is at work wherever Christ is confessed and obeyed. In the face of heresy, of the contentious debates, of corruption, there has been and  is one holy catholic and apostolic church. Catholic means, “universal”, and apostolic means that the church’s proclamation has been handed down to us by those ambassadors, the apostles, commissioned  to declare to the world what God has done through Jesus.

            Today is an important day in the life of this congregation, as members vote on the future direction of pastoral ministry here at Dunbar Lutheran This kind of discernment cannot be made without the guidance of the spirit, remembering  that the Spirit leads us, and not the other way around.

            There is a great temptation in any congregation to pin one’s hopes on the pastor. If only we get the right pastor all things will be good. If only we got a new, different, younger,  better looking, more dynamic pastor the church will be filled to the rafters. This is often thought while few might admit thinking it. 

        But I use an anology from sports to challenge this thinking. Do coaches win Stanley Cups? Do coaches win Grey cups or super-bowls? If only we get the right coach! How many times have Canucks fans thought that? Coaches are important, there is no doubt about it, but the players do the playing. The analogy isn’t perfect. Pastor’s are players too—kind of like playing coaches, like any Christian the pastor is called to proclaim the gospel in his or her life.

             But the specific call of the pastor is to preach to the mainly converted, to help people along in their faith journey, to lead and help the body of Christ discern what the Lord is calling it to. Pastor’s are not priests because they are pastors, they are pastor’s because they are priests.

            Every Christian is a priest.  You may have heard the term—Priesthood of all believers. Luther never used it, but  it is present throughout his theology.

               The call of the pastor is not to do the  priestly work of proclamation and witnessing  so that other Christians do not have to do the witnessing which every Christian is called to, which every congregation is called to. Every member in the body of Christ is like a player in a sports arena, with a position to play, and is called to play that position to the best of his or her ability.  Imagine if hockey teams in the NHL mainly sent out the coaches to do the playing? What would that look like? That’s what happened in the middle ages. The people called to be the coaches, the first estate, were doing all the playing while most of the players sat on the bench, and were told that they were unfit—unfit to even read the Bible for themselves, and that they needed human intermediaries to have a relationship with God.

            That understanding changed in the reformation, but  the unfortunate perception that clergy are uniquely holy, and the only folks fit for ministry, has persisted. Yes, the office of Pastor is Hholy and unique, but it is because of what the pastor is called to do; not because of who the pastor is. The pastor is elected and trained to carry out a very important ministry of Word and Sacrament, but it is not the only important ministry.

            God has, through the Holy Spirit, gifted us, invested all Christians, with different abilities and talents and has done so within the context of our unique personalities.  And I invite you to reflect for a moment on the gifts you’ve seen manifested in this congregation. Every Christian is called to ministry, and that ministry is often exercised within the church building, it is not confined to or limited to the building.  And it is tempting to downgrade gifts and abilities, and to draw this hard line between the spiritual and  seemingly profane. Some draw conclusions like this, “ Well, I’ve done some plumbing work around the church—not very religious or spiritual stuff,” or” I work with finances—the non-Christian aspect of the operation.”  To me, these kinds of statements sound something like, “ I  play football. I’m a kicker, not a real player.”  Every position is vital.

         There should be no benchwarmers in the body of Christ. There is no dividing line which separate the holy from the seemingly mundane. The  question “ How do I be a good  Christian?” should not be separated from “ How do I be a good plummer?” The question rather is  “How do I be a good Christian plummer?’ “ How do I be a good Christian physician?” “ How do I be a good Christian accountant?” “ All of these questions ask, “ How do I exercise my God given Christian vocation ? For we are called to different vocations—husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter grandparent, friend. How am I to be a good Christian priest in any of these areas    How am I to proclaim and witness in this great “ in-between time”, which is the age of the church. How does this congregation, with all of its gifts and talents proclaim the gospel and witness to Christ, and his Kingdom come, in words and deeds?

            To discern these questions we must rely upon the Holy Spirit, which moves in and through us, guiding us, directing us, and calling us—in ways which might sometimes be surprising to us.

            We are here for a reason. This little congregation on the hill has a role to play in a great over-arching cosmic story of God’s redemption of creation. We are called  by the Holy Spirit to be the presence of Christ in this community in the age of the church, this great in between time.. We have heard  and will continue to hear the good news,  and we must share it This is why we are here--to hear and to share. The Gospel is our fundamental orientation,  it is our collective spiritual compass.

            It has been made known to us by the Holy Spirit, which is here and present in this place, moving through our worship and through our hearts.

            Now may the peace which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

FRIDAY WILL BE HERE, BUT SUNDAY'S COMING!

JOIN US FOR HOLY WEEK AT DUNBAR LUTHERAN

JOIN US FOR HOLY WEEK AT DUNBAR LUTHERAN CHURCH

  

      Palm Sunday, April 1^st (beginning outside in garden),                         10:30am.

·       Holy Tuesday,        Morning Prayer                                                               9:00am

·       Holy Wednesday  Holy Communion                                                            9:00am

·       Holy Thursday      Morning Prayer                                                                9:00am

·       Maundy Thursday,  April 5^th                                                                           7:30 pm

·       Good Friday,              April 6^th                                                                            10:30am

·       Holy Saturday Easter Vigil                                                                              7:30pm

·       (with  reception hosted by the Keeleys in choir loft)

·       Easter Sunday

       Pancake Breakfast                                                              

        9:00am

       Service (Bishop Greg Presiding)                                            

       10:30am

What did the temple in Jerusalem look like?

In next week's Gospel lesson(John 2:13-22) we read about how Jesus drove out the money changers from the temple in Jerusalem--the physical centre of Jewish culture and society in the 1st Century. One of the most impressive buildings ever made by humanity, we are today left with remnants of this incredible building. What did it look like back then? View an animated reconstruction created by contemporary archaeologists.

Announcing an Exciting New Study Opportunity

 "Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense"




Have you ever wondered why humans in all places and times have yearned for beauty, truth, spirituality, and justice?  Course author, Bishop N.T. Wright contends that it is because we hear the echoes of God's voice--the same God who created the world, is known through the children of Israel and Jesus Christ, and who is at work through the Holy Spirit. Connecting to this God through through worship, prayer, scripture and church leads to life that is full and abundant.

N.T Wright offers a fresh presentation of the timeless truths of Christianity, making the case that faith is reasonable and rewarding for us today. N. T.Wright  is one of today's best known and respected New Scholars and Christian speakers.  In this course,  he expands on the themes of his acclaimed book Simply Christian in ten inspiring and informative video lessons.



1. Introduction to Simply Christian                                     
2. Justice and Spirituality                                                     
3. Relationship and Beauty                                                   
4. God.                                                                                     
5. Israel.                                                                                 
6. Jesus
7. The Holy Spirit
8. Worship and Prayer
9.  Scripture
10.Church and New Creation


Dunbar Evangelical Lutheran Church will be hosting this exciting new course, for 9  Thursday evenings, between February 23 and May 1st. Purchase of the book Simply Christian is recommended, but not mandatory. A light dinner will be served at 6:30pm, and the presentation will begin at 7:00pm. Please note the following dates:

February 23, March 1, 8, 15, 29, April 12, 19, 26, May 4th.

Please RSVP  with the church office by telephone: 604-266-6818 or email: keeley165@yahoo.com

Here is a sample from the first episode:

1st Sunday After Epiphany

1st  Sunday after Ephiphany

John 1:4-11

Today is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany, the season  which immediately follows Christmas. In this society, where Christmas carries such great cultural weight, it is easy to overlook Epiphany. But epiphany is a very important season in the Church of Christ; for epiphany celebrates the revelation of God in Christ Jesus—the moment God was revealed to humanity in Jesus. Christmas—the nativity of our Lord-celebrates the moment Jesus came into the world; epiphany celebrates the moment God told humans who Jesus is.  The older word  for this celebration celebration is Theophany, which means, “the incarnation of the revelation of God.” In today’s gospel reading, we read about God’s revelation as it occurred during the baptism of Jesus, the occasion we celebrate today.

            We read that when Jesus came up and out of the water, the heavens tore apart and the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  This was divine revelation if ever there was one—God’s voice itself speaking directly. It just doesn’t get any clearer than that. On that day, in the Jordan river God affirmed the identity of Jesus, to Jesus and to John. There was no doubt now. There couldn’t possibly be any doubt now—about who Jesus was and how God viewed him; for God’s Word had spoken, had affirmed what the prophets had proclaimed, what Simeon and Anna had said when Jesus was brought to the temple.

              We hear a lot of words during the course of a lifetime, a year, even during the course of a day—or in the duration of a minute Just imagine all of the words spoken across the world today, in the next twenty-four hours, in the next minute, at this very moment. We live in an era of information—of cell phones, of texting. We live in a time where information is exchanged constantly, where messages are sent out at the speed of light—in an age where words are more or less a constant stream. Some words are valuable; some are not. Some are heard; much is not.  Some words are spoken and carry much power. When the powerful speak, things happen Other words which are spoken, carry no power—words spoken by  those with little or no power, the helpless, the poor, the disenfranchised.   But, as history has shown, and contemporary events point out, circumstances can change, and even the oppressed can speak powerful collective words, and change can come about through those words.

            Words can build up, and words can tear down. You don’t have to a psychologist to know that the old adage “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” isn’t true. Words can hurt and destroy; words can give life and affirm. Some words are pure speculation or conjecture, which articulate guesses, or statements of probability or articulate empty promises

            But on that day, in that river, there was no conjecture or speculation or empty promises. There could be no doubt about the words. There could be no doubt because God’s voice spoke, and when God’s voice speaks the word, it is quite literally the last and final word. God’s word -- can never be—just words.

            In today’s Old Lesson, we read the very chapter, of the very first book of the Bible. In this passage we read God’s word speaking creation, speaking light into being . When God said, “Let there be light,” there was no doubt, no speculation, or maybe’s, or conjecture about probability. When God said, “Let there be Light.” there was light. God’s word is is a verb, a doing word, the ultimate verb, which creates, a doing word which redeems, a doing word, which sustains. The voice of God stands above all other voices. The power of God’s voice is celebrated in today’s Psalm, which beautifully describes, using incredible and varied imagery the speaking of God’s voice. The voice of the Lord thunders upon the waters; the voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; the voice of the Lord makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Mount Hermon ox. The voice of the Lord bursts forth in lightening flashes and shakes the wilderness and makes the Oake trees writhe and strips the forest bare. The Psalmist saw all of this and responded in awe and praise.

            I am sure, Many people can relate to that kind of moment. The moment of looking out and seeing afresh what God has made. It might be the stars, the sea, a sunset—an incredibly stunning view,  a subtle scene, a birth of a child, a sublime scene. Many share that moment of looking out and realizing, that, yes, indeed, God’s voice has spoken and God’s hand has created. If you have had one of those moments, you know how utterly inspiring they can be. When astronauts first landed on the moon; it wasn’t the moon itself which dropped their jaws. It was the sight of the big blue life-filled marbeled  jewel  which hung in the dark vacuum which stirred their hearts, and reawakened them to the marvel of God’s creation.

            But often too times in human thinking, we have a tendency to view creation in the past tense. In the beginning God created. Too often this is interpreted as once upon a time God created, and then stopped creating., and went up into heaven to watch everything unfold. If the Bible teaches us anything, it is that God’s creating work is ongoing

            God’s work of creation was not complete in Genesis with the Old Creation; for God had intended a new creation. Just as God’s word had spoken something in the beginning, it would speak something again. This would be God’s special “yes”--God’s new word of life.  And this word of life—this special word of life—was spoken when Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. This word defeated death and gave eternal life.  Just as God has created the Old Adam and Eve in primordial history our of the dust of the earth, God has recreated humanity through his only begotten son. God did this so that He might call all humanity his beloved children. God’s word has spoken life, where there once was only death. God’s yes, says no to all the forces that defy life. God’s word is speaking and God’s word is creating and recreating.

            And this word recreates in a very special place, and that word is in Holy Baptism, which is too often thought of as a mere church ritual, or a rite of passage, or a ticket to eternity or  yet another thing Christians can spend a lot of time arguing about.

            But let us put all of that aside and see what is really going on. Holy Baptism is a special place where God speaks his new word of life to individual people, just as clearly as He spoke it to Jesus over two thousand years ago. What does that word say? That word says, “ I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. That word, with the water, transcends time, and space to give new life, to recreate anew.  In baptism , God uses mere human words to speak his definitive word. In baptism, God uses mere water, as his special cleansing and nourishing bath. In baptism God  uses earthly elements to speak the eternal word, “ You are mine.”

            We live in a society where many voices speak to us—telling us who we are, what we should be, how we should behave, what we are and what we are not. The question of Canadian identity has and continues to be an ongoing matter of reflection. Strong commercial interests want us to identify with their products, build out lives around what they sell. Are you a Coke person or A Pepsi person? Are you an Apple or a PC user? Drive domestic or import?  A recent McDonald’s commercial struck me in this regard. It was geared around Christmas, and showed a young couple, who had just moved into a new accommodation. It was Christmas and they didn’t have time to unpack, or set up a tree. So the man strung some lights over boxes and threw a table cloth on the floor where the two enjoyed a couple of big macs and fries. The message is that those things we might think are essential to the celebration—the tree, the fancy table, the turkey—they aren’t essential, really. But what is essential, what makes the holiday, what ties everything together, what holds the occasion together is MacDonald’s—the message is that we can ultimately find our identity under the golden arches. You are of course free to disagree, but such commercials tell us, or try to confer identity on us. “You are a consumer.” That is the message.  But there are other areas of life where labels are attached to people, and become sources of identity.  Some of these identities can be positive, some not positive. But here is the question: How many of these voices can confer, give us, our ultimate identity? How many voices speak a definitive voice about who we are? How many voices can confer unconditional love? How many voices can push back chaos and darkness and give us new life?

            The sound of such a voice is sorely needed in this day, and this age, and this place. The sound of such a voice longs to be heard by people who struggle with infirmity or addiction, who are dispossessed, or imprisoned or quietly desperate or depressed or anxious or confused.

           Some might think that baptism isn’t all that relevant to Christian life. But let us ask, “ How can such life-giving affirmation?” Be irrelevant. The Christian witness again and again proclaims that the spiritual medicine for life is found in baptismal waters, for it is there where the spiritual sickness is healed. It is there where the dirt of sin is cleansed It is there that the opponent of God within us is buried. It is there where we are created anew in the image of Christ. It is there where the Holy Spirit works this incredible change in us. It is there where faith is created. It is where life’s ultimate meaning is found, and the promise of eternal life enjoyed.

            Most of us will not be able to remember our baptism. But what helps us most  isn’t the memory. What helps us the faith that God has done something through the water and the Word, and what God has done is given us our identities. What God spoke in those moments was as powerful as anything else he has spoken. When God speaks, things happen. The Christian Church is called by God to baptize in the name of the Triune God—and there is a reason. The reason is to confer God’s great and glorious promise to the individual. Baptism is God’s work—his work of new creation. If people out there really understood that; if the people of this nation were truly awakened to this truth, you would not be able to find a seat in here or any other church on a Sunday.

            Right now, as we join together here today, there is—somewhere in this world or even this city—a transaction occurring. And that transaction is occurring between a prostitute and a client. And both people have been baptized in the name of the Triune God. Both are people who we might not think of when we consider those who have been baptized. In fact, we might use them as examples of people who have not been truly baptized, and to cite them in arguments against infant baptism. And there are some Christians who would, upon meeting such folks, encourage them to repent and be baptized.

         But what these two people have done, or not done, has not erased what God has done for them. What God has done for them is to communicate the same thing to them that he had to his only begotten son, which is to say, “ You are my beloved.”  God did that knowing full what they would do—the sin they would fall in, the serious mistakes they would make. Few human parents would ever reject their own child—even knowing that the infant they are holding in their arms would grow up to make mistakes. Parental love just isn’t like that. Imagine then the love of God which is so much greater than even the most loving human parent.          

        The  pastoral answer does not lie in asking  people  be baptized again—to repeat the rite-- but the answer lies in their understanding what their baptism means. The answer lies in their claiming the identity God has already bestowed upon them through the water and the word. And it is no different for any of us, any time we forget who we really are, any time any other identity  consumes us, or minimizes us, or falsifies us or marginalizes us. Remember who you are. In the baptismal waters you will find an an epiphany—the ultimate epiphany of God’s love for us.  Now may the peace which surpases all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.