They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. He will be killed and after three days he will rise. But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who had been the greatest.
Sitting down Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."
He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little ones in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
Mark 9:30-37
If you were in the service this past Sunday you heard this Mark 9 text followed by Ian MacLaren's excellent words of exhortation regarding our Christian duty to love our neighbours and care for those in need. I attended the 8 am service and as this scripture was being read a friend began to laugh out loud as she thought about those bickering disciples. You can picture it can't you?
"Listen up," John says, "I know I am right about this. I am the one who knows the Lord best, he always chooses me to help him out." Peter objects, "well if you know him so well how come you were so slow to identify Him as the Messiah, I believe I was the only one to speak that out." "Ya, Peter, of course you said it. You are always the first to speak BUT we ALL thought it," Andrew retorts impatiently. "Does being chosen to "help out" or being the first one to speak make you better than the rest of us?" The conversation on the road to Capernaum was rapidly deteriorating as disciples argued about who was the greatest.
My friend laughed because this conversation is foolish and immature and decidedly human. It is what we discover as sibling rivalry in our homes, what we see in the classroom every day as children elbow, push, whine and jockey to be first. This incessant striving, this dogged self determination, this me-first attitude is not our childishness however, it is our human nature in full view. This story from Mark isn't about school children after all, it is about grown men wanting to assert themselves and establish dominance over one another. This is our story too and while it does produce some measure of greatness it often leaves a trail of devastation in its wake. To enter the competition for greatness in the world you have to be willing to sacrifice relationships, putting yourself and your ambition ahead of everything else. We offer up endless praise to people who do this; we tell stories of their self discipline and sacrifice and courage. The stories about the people who were used along the way, the rules that were bent and the cost of cut throat competition on one's soul is a lesser told story, but we know it too. Jesus words expose our strivings, our desires and reveal a deeper truth about God and his Kingdom.
Sitting down Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first in my Kingdom must be the very last and the servant of all." The ways and means of greatness on earth are not the ways and means of greatness in God's kingdom.
It is not our way to look first to serve others. It is not our way to give up our positions of preference or power. Most often we look to others to serve our needs so that we can be first, not last. We wonder what someone else might have to offer us, whether it is social capital, time, help, access to something we want. Take a moment to think about how this is true in your life. Have you ever pursued a relationship with someone because the relationship helped you to get something you wanted, not because you were first interested in the friendship of the other person? Perhaps you have you been on the receiving end of this? Remember the palpable panic in your university classes when group projects were assigned and everyone clamoured to claim 'the great ones' who would be the key to the good grade? Or the time when you skillfully identified the one neighbour or school mom or colleague who seemed to unlock a whole social world for you. This is all wrapped up in what Jesus is talking about, positioning ourselves for 'greatness' - using people for our own ends instead of serving people towards the end of loving our neighbours and loving God.
Jesus envisions an entirely different way of being. Looking around he picked up up a small child from amongst them and said, "whoever welcomes one of these little ones in my name, welcomes me and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Jesus' love for children is clear but he wasn't speaking exclusively about welcoming children. In this text and later on in chapter 9 Jesus is speaking of the child as a disciple/servant. He is exhorting the disciples to become like children who have no basis of pretensions to greatness. The small child in this story becomes an example of discipleship. Therefore to receive a child (a disciple of Christ sent by Him) is the equivalent of receiving Jesus. To the disciples Jesus says, whoever receives you, receives me and the Father who sent me.
As followers he calls us to to give up our spots (our privilege/our greatness) at the front of the line by way of serving and loving others in a child-like way, not seeking after greatness but serving with a pure heart. Jesus imbues this call to the servant life with the utmost dignity by telling the disciples that anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me. This is holy work.
Like the disciples it is easy for us to find ourselves jealous, bickering, striving for greatness by the world's standard. Jesus wants to counter that tendency in us by always keeping before us the goal of loving service of others. Could it be that serving one another in love is the antidote to endless striving and competition? What does service look like for us and for the children? How does loving service change our homes, our schools, the playground, our work places?
Can you think of people who exemplify this life of love and sacrifice for others? Tell these stories to the children this week. Our leaflets and learning materials may tell stories of Mother Theresa and other well known disciples and while these are worthwhile stories to tell, they can sometimes end up being about greatness in their own way. I am sure Mother Theresa herself would rather you told stories of ordinary people in your life who model Christian discipleship.
If you are looking for a story to tell illustrating what the fruits of comparing, competing and posturing can produce in our lives, I have two: Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss and The Pain and The Great One by Judy Blume. Let me know if you are interested in either of these stories.
May we in our own lives become like little children who are not concerned about greatness; may our service keep us humble and grateful and may we encounter Christ as we follow him in this way.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Kids' Word is Underway for the 2015/16 School Year!
Last week we met with our classes for the first Sunday of this school year. In our Grade 4 class I asked the students why they come to church. The responses varied: worshipping God, giving thanks to him, confessing that we need God, being with other people who are Christian - who believe what I believe and who pray with me. In the responses that were shared I repeatedly heard children mention 'other people'. There was an acknowledgement that we cannot be Christian all on our own, we need each other. Children need the Church! Sometimes as adults we consider far too lightly the need children have for faith community. We think Sunday School has some merit for them but we may not appreciate their need to be formed in God's story, as people who belong to Christ.
This summer I spoke at camp and I was struck with the responses that children had to the Bible; in one week we gave out an entire box of bibles! One girl had the courage to come and ask me to read the bible with her during free time. She wanted to know how she could read it on her own; where should she start in this big book? Another boy, on the night of the camp out, asked a leader if they could read more of the stories of David from 1Samuel together. I teach kids from the bible all year long and here I was surprised by the interest Children had in the Bible! I am slow to learn. Children are fed by the scriptures too and they need to have the word of God opened up for them.
This summer I spoke at camp and I was struck with the responses that children had to the Bible; in one week we gave out an entire box of bibles! One girl had the courage to come and ask me to read the bible with her during free time. She wanted to know how she could read it on her own; where should she start in this big book? Another boy, on the night of the camp out, asked a leader if they could read more of the stories of David from 1Samuel together. I teach kids from the bible all year long and here I was surprised by the interest Children had in the Bible! I am slow to learn. Children are fed by the scriptures too and they need to have the word of God opened up for them.
Our children are also in the process of developing a Christian worldview in a very secular context, they are trying to figure out what it means to be Christian in the world they inhabit. This past week my daughter had to take a "Me Bag" to school; she packed four items into a small sac: a copy of Anne of Green Gables, her soccer jersey, a prized ribbon and her cross. I know that her baptismal identity and her sense of belonging to our church give her confidence to bring her cross to her class. As a parent I am grateful for the formation she has received from our community of faith, for all of the people who have been pouring into her life. Children need the encouragement of other Christians. They need to see people of all ages worshipping God, they need the songs, the sacraments, they need a place of contribution within a community, they need a place to ask questions, to learn prayer and be prayed for. They need church in much the same way we do.
Last Sunday I was humbled by the ways in which the children confessed their need to gather as the church. Far too often adults develop cynicism and question the value of gathering as the church. May the enthusiasm our children have for church instruct us all.
We did self portraits on Sunday; keep your eyes open for them this fall! And as you see them be reminded: we are the church, together we are the body of Christ on earth!
This Fall we are moving through the lectionary and in particular the book of Mark between chapters 8-13.
September 20: Peter's Faith Mark 8:27-38
September 27: Who's the Greatest, Mark 9:30-37
October 4: Share God's Love, Mark 9:38-50
October 11: Thanksgiving Sunday - A Large Group Reflection/Activity
October 18: A Rich Man's Questions, Mark 10:17-31
October 25: James and John, Mark 10:35-45
November 1: All Saints' Day - An Intergenerational Service
November 8: Bartimaeus Sees, Mark 10: 46-52
November 15: A Widow's Offering, Mark 12:38-44
November 22: Christ the King Sunday/Be Ready John 18:33-37, Mark 13:1-8
I hope we can also encourage our older students to read the book of Mark. Students grade three and up will find a reading schedule they make take home with them; it breaks the book of Mark into 30 readings which they can tackle throughout the next few months. Perhaps we can offer some incentive for reading the scripture before Advent begins on November 29 (Donuts/Breakfast/Fruit) Let's encourage students to share some of what they are wondering about/learning as they read the book of Mark and as we study it together. I have also found the book of Mark as a picture book, it is due for release mid-October and as soon as I have it, I will make it available to your classes.
Peter's Faith
Mark 8:27-38
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Phillippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am ?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at the disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "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 lose their life for my sake and the sake of the gospel will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with holy angels."
***********
This Fall we are in Year B of the Lectionary readings which places us in the last half of the Gospel according to Mark. It might seem an odd place to begin a year but, in fact it begins with two poignant questions: Who do you say that I am/Who is Jesus? and What does it mean to follow Jesus? These will be good questions to keep before us as we gather together this fall.
Who was Jesus? What were people saying about him at this point? He had certainly gathered notoriety in the region; his teachings were gaining large audiences. Just prior to Jesus asking this question four thousand people had followed him up a hillside to hear him speak; to everyone's astonishment (except maybe the boy who brought him the bread and fish) he fed them all. He had raised a girl from the dead, cast out demons, healed a man who was paralyzed. A woman who had been bleeding for years touched them hem of his cloak and was also healed. He had gathered disciples to him and sent them out with authority, preaching repentance, driving out demons and healing people. King Herod knew about Jesus; he was circling around him, wondering who he was, wondering if John, whom he had beheaded, had been raised from the dead, or if Jesus was actually Elijah or if Jesus was a prophet like ones from ages past. His identity eluded people. He ate with the unclean, he associated with sinners, he taught on the sabbath. The disciples knew what people were saying. They had heard people wrestle with the question: "Who is this man who speaks with this authority; even unclean spirits obey him." (Mark 1:27)
But when Jesus turned this question to them, what would the disciples say? Who did they know Jesus as?
This is a shining moment for Peter, the man who is sometimes most well known for being impetuous and double minded. He answered almost instinctively: "You are the Messiah." It is a moment of seeing - Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.
What does the word Messiah mean? Be sure to ask the children. Messiah is a Hebrew word, we know it from the old testament as meaning anointed one. The children will think of David, who was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel. It means: royal, priestly, prophetic, given over to God's service and under his protection. It meant a special relationship to God and to His people. The people expected a messiah to come from the line of David, an appointed agent of God whose coming would mark the fulfillment of the divine promise and the realization of Israel's hopes. Jesus is indeed the one to bring in God's Kingdom! This is an astonishing moment for the disciples. Jesus does not deny this, he accepts Peter's confession but then says, "do not tell anyone." The Jewish people had ideas of what it would look like to be liberated by a Messiah and how it would happen. But Jesus needed to show them the Messiahship God had ordained, that was spoken of through Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:
No one would have desired or expected Jesus' messiahship to include: "great suffering, rejection by the chief priests, elders, scribes - death and resurrection."
This sounded so strange and so devastating to the disciples that Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke him - do not speak these things, surely not, Lord. But Jesus words were stronger yet, "Get behind me, Satan." This phrase brings to mind Jesus' temptation in the wilderness and perhaps revealed to Peter that he is not that different than the Jews who want to be delivered by military power. It is a stinging rebuke - how quickly we can move between a moment of clarity and being obscured by our own ideas, hopes, philosophies and fail to see Christ.
Those of us reading the scripture today have the advantage of knowing the story and it's trajectory but for the disciples in the midst of this revelation, which included the death of Jesus (?!), trying to understand the work of God in Christ challenged them on every level. They had to give over their own ideas of who they wanted the Messiah to be, the ways and means by which they wanted salvation accomplished. They had to trust and follow Jesus. But wouldn't these words of suffering and death have profound implications for them?
Soon after Jesus has spoken of his Messiahship, he spoke to the crowd and his disciples saying, "if anyone would come after me he must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me.... for whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it." In other words: give your life to me, put serving and loving me first and you will find LIFE. John Stott writes this: "If you acknowledge that life is not yours by right, that all is privilege, and that it is to be lived in the love that the gospel story reveals. There is now nothing to lose and everything to gain. Suppose you gain all the worlds riches but lose the inner freedom of loving and being loved by God - what then? What will you give in exchange for the divinely given inwardness, which is the centre of all that is spiritual, the aspect of everything you are, the space God wishes to dwell? These are the choices being offered by Jesus, Messiah, Son of Man. The apparently gloomy news of the cross is now the way to total freedom and fulfillment" (Stott, the message of mark, p. 161). Jesus gave himself up on the cross for love of his people, that we might be saved from the sin and death and set free, that we might be healed and made whole. Our right response to the good news is to live in the light of God's love and to give ourselves wholeheartedly to Jesus.
This past Sunday was Feast of the Holy Cross - how appropriate to take some time to reflect on the meaning and significance of the cross. Have children note how many crosses we have around the church. Why do people wear them on their necks? Encourage the kids to consider what the cross means and what it looks like to give our lives to Jesus.
I look forward to what we will learn about who Jesus is and what it means to be his followers in this particular time and place.
God be with you as you share the Gospel with children this week.
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Phillippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am ?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at the disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "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 lose their life for my sake and the sake of the gospel will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with holy angels."
***********
This Fall we are in Year B of the Lectionary readings which places us in the last half of the Gospel according to Mark. It might seem an odd place to begin a year but, in fact it begins with two poignant questions: Who do you say that I am/Who is Jesus? and What does it mean to follow Jesus? These will be good questions to keep before us as we gather together this fall.
Who was Jesus? What were people saying about him at this point? He had certainly gathered notoriety in the region; his teachings were gaining large audiences. Just prior to Jesus asking this question four thousand people had followed him up a hillside to hear him speak; to everyone's astonishment (except maybe the boy who brought him the bread and fish) he fed them all. He had raised a girl from the dead, cast out demons, healed a man who was paralyzed. A woman who had been bleeding for years touched them hem of his cloak and was also healed. He had gathered disciples to him and sent them out with authority, preaching repentance, driving out demons and healing people. King Herod knew about Jesus; he was circling around him, wondering who he was, wondering if John, whom he had beheaded, had been raised from the dead, or if Jesus was actually Elijah or if Jesus was a prophet like ones from ages past. His identity eluded people. He ate with the unclean, he associated with sinners, he taught on the sabbath. The disciples knew what people were saying. They had heard people wrestle with the question: "Who is this man who speaks with this authority; even unclean spirits obey him." (Mark 1:27)
But when Jesus turned this question to them, what would the disciples say? Who did they know Jesus as?
This is a shining moment for Peter, the man who is sometimes most well known for being impetuous and double minded. He answered almost instinctively: "You are the Messiah." It is a moment of seeing - Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.
What does the word Messiah mean? Be sure to ask the children. Messiah is a Hebrew word, we know it from the old testament as meaning anointed one. The children will think of David, who was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel. It means: royal, priestly, prophetic, given over to God's service and under his protection. It meant a special relationship to God and to His people. The people expected a messiah to come from the line of David, an appointed agent of God whose coming would mark the fulfillment of the divine promise and the realization of Israel's hopes. Jesus is indeed the one to bring in God's Kingdom! This is an astonishing moment for the disciples. Jesus does not deny this, he accepts Peter's confession but then says, "do not tell anyone." The Jewish people had ideas of what it would look like to be liberated by a Messiah and how it would happen. But Jesus needed to show them the Messiahship God had ordained, that was spoken of through Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:
Who has believed what we have heard?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by others;
a man of suffering[a] and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom others hide their faces[b]
he was despised, and we held him of no account.
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by others;
a man of suffering[a] and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom others hide their faces[b]
he was despised, and we held him of no account.
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.
No one would have desired or expected Jesus' messiahship to include: "great suffering, rejection by the chief priests, elders, scribes - death and resurrection."
This sounded so strange and so devastating to the disciples that Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke him - do not speak these things, surely not, Lord. But Jesus words were stronger yet, "Get behind me, Satan." This phrase brings to mind Jesus' temptation in the wilderness and perhaps revealed to Peter that he is not that different than the Jews who want to be delivered by military power. It is a stinging rebuke - how quickly we can move between a moment of clarity and being obscured by our own ideas, hopes, philosophies and fail to see Christ.
Those of us reading the scripture today have the advantage of knowing the story and it's trajectory but for the disciples in the midst of this revelation, which included the death of Jesus (?!), trying to understand the work of God in Christ challenged them on every level. They had to give over their own ideas of who they wanted the Messiah to be, the ways and means by which they wanted salvation accomplished. They had to trust and follow Jesus. But wouldn't these words of suffering and death have profound implications for them?
Soon after Jesus has spoken of his Messiahship, he spoke to the crowd and his disciples saying, "if anyone would come after me he must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me.... for whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it." In other words: give your life to me, put serving and loving me first and you will find LIFE. John Stott writes this: "If you acknowledge that life is not yours by right, that all is privilege, and that it is to be lived in the love that the gospel story reveals. There is now nothing to lose and everything to gain. Suppose you gain all the worlds riches but lose the inner freedom of loving and being loved by God - what then? What will you give in exchange for the divinely given inwardness, which is the centre of all that is spiritual, the aspect of everything you are, the space God wishes to dwell? These are the choices being offered by Jesus, Messiah, Son of Man. The apparently gloomy news of the cross is now the way to total freedom and fulfillment" (Stott, the message of mark, p. 161). Jesus gave himself up on the cross for love of his people, that we might be saved from the sin and death and set free, that we might be healed and made whole. Our right response to the good news is to live in the light of God's love and to give ourselves wholeheartedly to Jesus.
This past Sunday was Feast of the Holy Cross - how appropriate to take some time to reflect on the meaning and significance of the cross. Have children note how many crosses we have around the church. Why do people wear them on their necks? Encourage the kids to consider what the cross means and what it looks like to give our lives to Jesus.
I look forward to what we will learn about who Jesus is and what it means to be his followers in this particular time and place.
God be with you as you share the Gospel with children this week.
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