Eucaview

Easter 5: Gold and Dross

Readings from Psalms and 1 Peter this week both talk about living stones. There have been several times this week when I have felt more like dross than gold. Maybe that is why this quote from Bruce Prewer really resonated with me:

"Our best efforts are veined with impurities,

yet our worst days have flecks of glory that we might not notice."

Here's hoping you notice the flecks of gold.

The image of the nugget is from the US Geological Survey

Lent 4: Who is my Neighbor - A Samaritan?

This week from John's Gospel we hear how Jesus was neighbor to a Samaritan woman.

I used to read this story as though the Samaritan entirely missed Jesus' point. This was based on a misguided belief that as a non-Christian/non-Jew she had to be wrong and that Jesus could not learn anything from her.

But unlike Nicodemus last week (who I still happen to think missed the point) I now see a much subtler conversation occurring here. I mean if Jesus can use a water metaphor of "drinking water" to talk about his spirituality, then the Samaritan can equally use the metaphor of her "ancestor's well" to talk about hers.

At first the Samaritan is defensive about her religious traditions, which like the well, she traces back to her ancestor Jacob. Jesus offers her a different way based on Spirit and truth – not defending past traditions. After a taste, the Samaritan woman starts to share Jesus’ life-giving water with her neighbors.

Some questions for us this weekend: When is my spiritulaity more like an old well and less like a living spring? How do we be neighbor to ‘Samaritans’ or want to keep drinking from an old well?

Woman at the Well is by artist Wayne Forte

Lent 3: Who is My Neighbor - A Pharisee?

Through Lent we are reading how Jesus was neighbor to a wide range of characters. The week we hear from John’s Gospel how Jesus was a neighbor to Nicodemus the Pharisee.

Nicodemus is intent on pigeon-holing Jesus: "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God" and Nicodemus is quick to make judgments about who has appropriate authority: "no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."

Even though Nicodemus thinks he is on the right track because he judges in favor of Jesus, he is missing the point. Jesus is setting a different agenda based on being born of the Spirit - not based on proving who has the right authority. Nicodemus never seems to quite grasp it.

Two questions for us this weekend are 'How do we be neighbor to ‘Pharisees’ like Nicodemus?' and 'How do we identify the ‘Pharisee’ in ourselves?'

Study for Christ and Nicodemus on a Rooftop by Henry Ossawa Tanner from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Transfiguration: Choosing your neighbors

Our theme at Northern Community this year is “who is my neighbor?” It is a question that we hope will help us as explore our core value of developing community and obviously relates to our south Morang Missional Team. Sometimes it is a question for which the only true answer is “I don’t know!”.

In Genesis 12:1-4 If you asked Abraham who his neighbors were he would have to say “I don’t know!”, because at God’s calling, Abraham left the neighborhood he knew for a new one God had not yet shown him. If we always stayed put we might know our neighbors real well - but God doesn't always want us to stay put.

In Matthew 17:1-9, Peter is happy to form a new community but he wants to choose who his new neighbors will be. When it comes to building houses he likes the idea of a spot for Jesus, Elijah and Moses. But God tells Peter to pay closer attention to what Jesus says. As I recall, Jesus' most famous example of a neighbor was a Samaritan - probably not Peter's choice for number one ticket holder of his new 'gated community'.

As we journey towards Easter maybe Jesus, is telling us as individuals and a church we have to be prepared to make our home among neighbors we do not yet know.

The pic comes from Habitat for Humanity

Lent 1: Jesus' Temptations

The gospel reading last Sunday was the story of Jesus' temptations from Matthew 4:1-11. The thing that always gets me about this was not that the Devil tried to tempt Jesus - evil always wants to stop good. The thing that gets me is that Jesus was actually tempted.

You could leave the keys in some sporty car and although I would have the opportunity to steal it, I would not actually be tempted to steal it. Its not something I would do. You could suggest to me that I tell some salacious untruth about someone, even someone I didn't like, but I wouldn't be tempted to slander them - that's just not me.

On the other hand if you gave me the chance to eat the last chocolate without offering it to a guest, or I had the opportunity to paint someone I despised in a bad light for true but unnecessary reasons, well that is more likely to push my buttons. Then I would be tempted.

The Fresco is called The Temptation of Christ from the Hermitage of San Baudelio de Derlanga in Spain.