Come to the

Banquet

For Ministry Units in the Diocese of Willochra

A Year of Hospitality, Holiness

and HopeAdvent to Christ the King 2019

.Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,

for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2

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Ministry Development, Formation and Support

Diocesan Office8 Gladstone Street

Gladstone SA

The Venerable Gael Johannsen0402169143

ministry@diowillochra.org.au

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CONTENTS

Entertaining Angels (Introduction)3

Hospitality in the Gospel of Luke

God As Guest – Expectation and Preparation 9

Advent

God As Guest – Welcome 15

Christmas

The Guest at our Table - Recognising Holiness17

The Season After Epiphany

Listening to our Guest – Growing in Holiness 21

Lent

The Guest’s Blessing – Hope26

Easter (Readings from Acts)

God as Host – Expectations, Invitations and Surprise Guests

The Season After Pentecost

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Entertaining Angels

For us the Diocese of Willochra, the year of 2019 is designated as the Year of Hospitality. We are in Year c of our Lectionary cycle – the Year of Luke. On some Sundays, particularly during the Season of Easter, we will read from the Gospel of John.

In presenting this material for our year ahead, I intend to reflect on hospitality as presented in Luke in the light of what the Evangelist would have understood of the hospitality of their time and culture. In our time, we connect hospitality with the creature comforts of accommodation, shelter and meals – very much what we would associate with the Hospitality Industry. Middle Eastern hospitality was of course inclusive of these things, but there was a much broader dimension, including the interaction of guest and host; questions about who could eat with whom and the possibilities of ongoing relationship between guest, host and the host’s clan and community.

In the inhospitable and often dangerous terrain of middle eastern countries, hospitality to travellers was not optional. It was regarded as a part of life – fulfilling an ongoing need and a sacred duty. (Guests were regarded as a gift from God and thus sacred). The Greek word, used in the New Testament, for hospitality is Philoxenia – love of stranger. Strangers were easy prey for robbers and thieves on lonely roads and in the bustle of busy cities. It was a matter of honour to provide food, lodging, clothing, water, security and companionship. Hospitality was not haphazard. Water, oil, clothing and food were to hand ready for when a guest would arrive. Indeed, it was so much of a part of life that many people expected to eat their meals with guests and were disappointed when the opportunity did not present itself. Middle eastern hosts were known to go into the town centre to announce when their meal was to be served in the hopes that guests would join them.

The main elements of hospitality included the host welcoming the guest with a deep bow and the words “Peace be upon you”; an invitation to stay and to eat; water to wash; oil to soften the skin and mask the smells of the road; clean clothes; a meal in which many dishes were offered so that the guests could choose and not be forced to eat food that was distasteful to them; the offer of accommodation (not only for a night – the next day the host would urge the guest to remain longer); safety (the host was responsible for the safety of the guest who was under his roof); attention to the guest’s needs and a listening ear for all that the guest had to tell. In Rabbinic literature it is commendable that the host serves the guest, showing desire that the guest be satisfied with all that is put before him. When the guest was ready to depart, the guest and host would share a final meal – during this meal a covenant could be negotiated between the two. The host would then accompany the guest some distance along the way. When finally departing from the host, the guest would bless the host and ask if there was anything that he stood in need of. In some cases, if

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the guest wished to remain in the clan or in the locality of the host he was permitted to select a dwelling place where he would remain.

We see many of these elements of hospitality in Abraham’s encounter with the LORD at the oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18):

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entra nce to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

9 They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10 Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14  Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way. (NRSV)

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Abraham did not question from whence his guests had come, nor their race, religion or social status – and thus entertained the holy unawares. By the time of Jesus, boundaries had tightened, partly due to the Pharisees’ strict regulations around cleanliness. The Jewish people understood themselves to be a chosen people, holy and set apart for exclusive relationship with God. In Jewish understanding table fellowship was fellowship before God.

Questions then arose about who should be welcomed at table with God’s chosen people. Gentiles, sinners, women (according to Qumran material) and the marginalised in general were excluded. In many cases those who were excluded from table were excluded from membership of the people of God. Therefore, those included were those who fulfilled the obligations of the law in regard to morality and purity. Table fellowship defined who was regarded to be holy, and who was not. To complicate matters further, in Roman society the manner in which the meal was eaten and the people who were welcomed at table reflected the social system of the times. Reciprocity was expected from guests; thus the wealthy ate with the wealthy and the poor with the poor. Hospitality had become divisive.

This divisiveness is demonstrated when God (in Christ) acts as both guest and host to those who should have welcomed his arrival and rejoiced to sit at his table. The prophecy of Malachi “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1) is fulfilled through John the Baptiser (the messenger) and God’s Son Jesus. It was a Messianic expectation that God (YHWH) would return in person to Zion and make his home in the Temple.  Having abandoned Jerusalem at the time of the exile, his return was delayed, but he would come back at last. 

Luke makes it very clear that this expectation has been fulfilled. The Temple plays an important part in Luke’s gospel. The child Jesus is brought to the Temple by his parents and Simeon and Ana welcome him as Messiah. The adolescent Jesus is taken to the Temple (“my Father’s house) where he spends his time confounding the scribes with his wisdom. Jesus, as an adult, cleanses the temple, quoting a combination of Isaiah 57:6 and Jeremiah 7:11. “My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers.”

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In Jesus, God has made his return to Zion, but the Temple authorities do not welcome him. Authority and governance of Jewish religious life rested with the High Priest and the priests who served in the temple. Those who should have welcomed their holy and long expected guest in fact plotted to kill him. A number of Jesus’ parables will refer to servants or subjects who have not been prepared for the arrival of their master/king who they should have been eagerly expecting. Hospitality is not offered to God the guest, even in his Temple.

Who then offers hospitality to God? Who then receives his hospitality? The response to Jesus as guest and host turns the religious and social norms topsy turvy. The Gospel of Luke demonstrates that religious and social boundaries have been broken as surely as the chains that bind captives are shattered to set them free.

The recurring theme of the gospel, in regard to hospitality, is WHO? Who entertains the Holy (albeit unawares)? Who is entertained by the Holy? And by association, who then is holy before God?

The answer to WHO is surprising. A very young woman named Mary from the hill country of Galilee entertains an angel and agrees to offer the hospitality of her womb. Her aging cousin Elizabeth offers the pregnant (and probably disgraced) Mary and her unborn child the hospitality of her home. An innkeeper offers a stable for the birth of the Son of God and shepherds offer him a welcome. Wild animals share their hospitality with Jesus in the wilderness. Levi and Zaccheus, ‘tax collectors and sinners’, joyfully welcome Jesus to their tables.

Similarly, the hospitality of God is offered to poor fishermen, women, children, beggars, the sick and the marginalised. Those initially invited to the banquet are reluctant to attend, so the table is open to all who will accept the invitation. Hospitality is even offered to the traitor Judas at the last supper. In one of the last recorded scenes before Jesus breathes his last at Calvary, a dying thief is offered the hospitality of Paradise.

One of the essential needs offered to those who accept God’s hospitality is salvation. Luke uses the word salvation more frequently than the other gospels. John the Baptiser is to proclaim God’s salvation; Simeon sees God’s salvation in the child Jesus; salvation ‘comes’ to the house of Zaccheus when Jesus comes as guest. Jesus’ offers the hospitality of heart and table to all, and thus brings them wholeness and holiness before God.

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Thus Luke’s gospel is a gospel of hope. There are clear indications in the gospel, which will be confirmed in Acts, that this salvation, this making holy, is not just for the Jewish people. Early in the gospel Luke’s genealogy of Jesus traces his ancestry to Adam. Hospitality and holiness are not only for the sons and daughters of Abraham. Jesus’ kin are all of humanity – the sons and daughters of Adam. Gentiles, sinners, women, children, the unclean and the unloved are all offered the hospitality of God’s table and thus are made holy before God.

There is a wonderful story of reversal in Luke’s gospel. By tracing the genealogy of Jesus to Adam, Luke makes the Garden of Eden story a backdrop to what is commonly referred to as Luke’s ‘Salvation History’. To understand this in simple terms, ‘Salvation History’ stretches from the Creation to the present time of Luke’s writing, in three ages: - the time (or age) of "the Law and the Prophets", the period beginning with Genesis and ending with the appearance of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5–3:1); second, the time of Jesus, in which the Kingdom of God was preached (Luke 3:2–24:51); and finally the age of the Church, which began when the risen Christ was taken into Heaven, and would end with his second coming.

If we wish to illustrate these three ‘times’ or ages by continuing with our themes of hospitality and salvation we could do so by speaking of meals. At the beginning of history two people ate food offered to them by Satan. Their eyes were opened and sin and death entered into the goodness of God’s creation. At the climax of the second age in history two people, having walked the Emmaus Road with a stranger, entertained the Holy unawares. When they ate the food offered to them by Christ, their eyes were opened. They saw who Christ was and recognised the new age (the Age of the Church) dawning through his death and resurrection. The power of sin was broken and the Fall overturned. The two disciples returned to community in Jerusalem to begin the age that would continue until the return of Christ where another banquet – the Messianic Banquet – would take place.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples     a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,     of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.7 And he will destroy on this mountain     the shroud that is cast over all peoples,

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      the sheet that is spread over all nations;8       he will swallow up death forever.Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,     and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,     for the Lord has spoken.9  It will be said on that day,     Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.     This is the Lord for whom we have waited;      let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25 NRSV)

When it was time, Jesus sat down, all the apostles with him, and said, “You’ve no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It’s the last one that I’ll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God. (Luke 22:15, The Message).

Luke’s Age of the Church is an age of hope, stretching from the ascension to the time when ‘the Son of Man’ will be seen coming in a cloud, with ‘power and great glory’. The hope proclaimed in Mary’s Magnificat – the lowly lifted up; the hungry fed; the promises of the past fulfilled – is made tangible in the life of the Spirit empowered community that came to be known as the Christian Church. Through their ministry, the lost (those the Son of Man came to seek and save) are found and the poor, the hungry, the sorrowful and the persecuted know themselves as blessed. All of these, along with Gentiles (outsiders) and the marginalised are gathered around the table where the hospitality of God – the Body and Blood of Christ – is blessed and shared.

Living The Year of Hospitality

Through our year we will focus on various aspects of Holy Hospitality:

God As Guest – Expectation and Preparation (Advent)

God As Guest – Welcome (Christmas)

The Guest at our Table - Recognising Holiness (Epiphany)

Learning from our Guest – Growing in Holiness (Lent)

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The Guest’s Blessing – Hope (Easter)

God as Host – Expectations, Invitations and

Surprise Guests(The Season After Pentecost)

Resources for each season will be provided throughout the year.

ADVENT God As Guest – Expectation and Preparation

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called” the LORD is our righteousness. (Jeremiah 33:14-16)

Jeremiah’s prophecy is one of a number that sustained God’s people throughout long centuries of waiting. We know from the Old Testament accounts that the exiles returned to Jerusalem some 50 years after Jeremiah’s time. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and the latter prophets tell of struggle and disappointment. Hopes of re-establishing the monarchy seemed to centre around Zerubbabel, a descent of David, but nothing eventuated. Nehemiah rallied the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (in the face of aggression from the neighbouring Samaritans) in 445BC. Around 430, the last of the Old Testament prophets, Malachi, spoke of the

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coming Day of the LORD, prior to which Elijah would come to prepare the way. For the next 490 years, the voice of prophecy was silent.

Still the people clung to their Messianic hopes as they were oppressed first by Greece and then, after a relatively brief time of independence, by Rome. The wait was very long, yet, at the time of Jesus, the people were eagerly expecting their Messiah. During the centuries of waiting, Hebrew rabbis had methodically and earnestly taught their people that the Messiah was coming. They taught that the people should be expectant of his arrival and ready to embrace their Messiah when he appeared. As a means of preparation they emphasized the need for holy living and obedience to God's law.

During the Season of Advent, we share and remember the expectation and preparation for Messiah’s coming with God’s people Israel. We look back, remembering and celebrating the events that led to the advent (coming) of God’s Messiah, Jesus, as guest in his own creation. We also look forward, anticipating the promised return of Jesus, the guest who will come to dwell among us to host the Messianic banquet as we rejoice in the kingdom of God in all its fullness.

The reality for the church of our day is that we have waited far longer for the coming of our God than the people of Jesus’ time. Some 600 years is a relatively short time compared with two millennia. The edge of our expectation has grown very dull, and the focus of our Advent preparation is too often that of the coming Christmas holiday break and the festivities that surround it. How can we recover this wonderful sense of expectation, excitement and joyful preparation that should accompany our waiting for the arrival of a much-anticipated guest?

Prepare we in our hearts a homeOn Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cryAnnounces that the Lord is nigh;Come, then, and hearken, for he bringsGlad tidings from the King of kings!

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;Make straight the way for God within;Prepare we in our hearts a home,Where such a mighty guest may come. (On Jordan’s Bank – Advent Hymn)

A personal, and most helpful focus for Advent is that of preparing our hearts (our lives) for Christ to be born anew within us. He is the guest that comes to dwell within. Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 4:23 NIV). How then, do we prepare in our hearts a home for our holy guest?

The gospel readings for this season of Advent may be helpful for us. However, before we look at these readings, we need to be aware that

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preparation requires time and space. We know the experience of preparing for guests to our home. We clean the house, we prepare space and make up beds if our guests are staying overnight; we clear the benches in the kitchen and begin to prepare the meal – which we have previously planned and shopped for. This is a lengthy and pleasurable process. Once we have the meal in the oven or ready for the BBQ we may decorate the table and add some finishing touches. We would not rush home from work at 5pm expecting to welcome our guests at 6.

A preliminary to our Advent season is to SLOW DOWN. Forget the frantic preparations for Christmas! Do your shopping before Advent begins or a do little at a time over the weeks leading up to Christmas. Advent is a reflective season, a time of waiting, expectation, preparation, anticipation - the ‘end of year’ parties and dinners indulged in by the secular world just don’t fit. There are several Feast Days during Advent – St Nicholas and St Lucy among others. The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, a day of joy. Party on those days by all means, but otherwise make the attempt (it’s not always possible) to keep Advent as the contemplative, beautiful season that it is.

Have a SLOW ADVENT. Luke tends to be a slow gospel. Jesus does not burst on the scene as he does in Mark. His birth is placed firmly in human history and indeed, the history of the Roman Empire. Then we have an unfolding story leading up to his birth and that of John the Baptizer. Angels pay visits. As Zechariah serves at the altar, an angel appears and conducts a conversation with the priest. His barren wife Elizabeth is to conceive and bear a son. Zechariah refuses to believe this, so is silenced until the birth. When Elizabeth conceives, she remains in seclusion for five months, praising God for what he has done for her.

Six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy the angel Gabriel again pays a visit – this time to Elizabeth’s cousin Mary. There is a sense of unhurried unfolding of God’s purpose. The one who is announce the Messiah is conceived and growing in his mother’s womb. Now it is time for the Messiah himself to be conceived. Gabriel engages in a fairly detailed conversation with Mary, explaining God’s purposes to her.

Mary then visits Elizabeth – she is no doubt sent away to hide her pregnancy from the people of the village. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and blesses Mary and the child that she bears. Mary’s response is the Magnificat, her great hymn of praise. After which, Mary remains with Elizabeth three months. No hasty encounter or visit here – blessings, celebrations, songs of praise and a three month wait for the birth of Elizabeth’s baby. Still Luke holds the pace. Slowly and steadily, God’s purpose continues to unfold. John is born, Zechariah is

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able to speak, subsequently uttering a song of prophecy and praise to God.

These events and songs are much loved components of our Advent readings and worship. Significant for us is that they represent the unfolding of God’s plan after centuries of hope and expectation. Elizabeth and Mary do not give birth in the next verse or the next paragraph. Luke depicts the long months of waiting, preparation and dawning joy and understanding. Luke’s advent is a slow one. Let us also enjoy a SLOW ADVENT.

Advent Gospel Readings

Advent begins with Jesus’ speaking of the signs of the coming of the ‘Son of Man’ (Luke 21:25-28). Upon the earth there is distress and chaos and fear. This reading is commonly interpreted as being apocalyptic, referring to the End Times and Jesus’ second coming. A more immediate message for the early Christian communities may have been a message of comfort against the background of war, violence and persecution of their time. Chaos will reign, you will be afraid, but do not be distracted from your focus. Be patient and continue in hope. The Son of Man will come. Although the waiting seems long, your redemption is drawing nearer. Jesus urges his followers to wait in anticipation, not to give way to anxiety.

For us, there is a similar message. We live, according to Luke, between the two great events of God's intervention in the world: the coming of Christ to the world and his triumph over death and the coming of Christ in glory at the end of time to triumph over all the powers of earth and heaven. We are in an in-between time, a time of much trouble and chaos. It is easy to allow anxiety to cloud our understanding and thus neglect to anticipate Jesus’ coming.

At Advent we recognise that although Jesus has not yet returned for the final triumph, he is present in our lives. Always, he wishes to be more fully present, moving from the fringes of our busy lives to the very centre of our being. Are we distracted by what is happening around us? Are we fearful and anxious, or are we prayerful in anticipating Christ’s coming to us more fully this Advent?

Identify your anxieties. Prayerfully begin to move them aside from the central place in your life to the fringes.

Invite Jesus to come into your heart and be your honoured guest. Anticipate his coming and look for the signs that he is near.

Be fully present to the hope of Jesus’ coming rather than the things that cause anxiety and distraction.

On the second Sunday of Advent we read that the word of God came to John the Baptiser in the wilderness. John then went to the region

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around the Jordan, preaching ‘a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.’ John’s proclamation: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight….” Is a quote from Isaiah 40, a prophecy addressing the future time when the exiles (in Babylon) would be called to return home to Jerusalem. God, journeying with his people as through the wilderness at the time of Exodus, promises to ensure a way of safely through the hostile terrain that they must cross.

John, in preaching his baptism of repentance and forgiveness, is announcing that the coming of God to his people is imminent. In the understanding of the time, God did not return to his Temple after the exile, despite prophetic hopes. John is announcing that at last, God is coming. The wilderness through which God will travel to make his home with his people is the terrain of lives that have been made barren and unbalanced through sin. In calling for repentance, John calls for the paths to be made straight and all obstacles to God’s arrival be removed.

Set aside the second week of Advent to focus on repentance and forgiveness.

Where are the twisted paths in your lives? Where are there stumbling stones and obstacles that prevent your being fully present to God and his purpose?

Bring these things to God in prayer and accept his forgiveness.

The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, a day when we rejoice because our waiting is almost over. We continue to read John the Baptiser’s message. (Luke 3:7-14) He has a harsh message for those who regard themselves as God’s chosen people. He exhorts his audience to bear fruits worthy of repentance. There is no point in being complacent about their lineage. “Do not begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our ancestor, for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” John demands the evidence of repentance, not merely the religious status quo of the those who believed themselves to be ‘righteous’ because of lineage and obedience to the law. John destroys the notion that God can use only the Chosen People. God can easily create new children of faith – which, through the ministry of Jesus, is exactly what will happen.

What defines who you are in God’s family?

The people’s response to John’s message was: What should we do? What should you do? What do you do that witnesses to the fruit of a life turned toward God?

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John emphasises sharing with others and being satisfied with what you have. Consider ways that you can share with those in need this Advent Season.

On the fourth and last Sunday of Advent we read of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. Our psalm is Mary’s song – The Magnificat. Our scripture tells us not only of the interaction between Mary and Elizabeth, but of the response of the unborn child of Elizabeth, to Mary, the mother of the Lord. “And Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard your greeting the babe in my womb leaped for joy.” Mary is a major focus for the Advent season. Not only do we join her in waiting and preparing for the birth of the Son of God, but we also join her in bearing the Christ to others.

At this stage Mary’s pregnancy would not have been visible, yet the presence of the child that she hosted in her womb was tangible and invoked cries of joy. We too host the unseen presence of Christ, bringing him to everyone who encounters us.

Reflect on carrying Christ to others.

Is Christ’s presence tangible to those who meet you?

Like Mary, are you a bearer of joy?

Like Mary, are you able to rejoice in all that God has done for you and is doing in your life at this time?

Like Elizabeth, do you rejoice in the Holy Spirit when you encounter Christ in others?

We’re waiting for Jesus like Mary,We’re waiting for Jesus the Lord.

Come down, Lord Jesus!Come quickly, Lord Jesus!The whole world is waiting for Love,The whole world is waiting for Love.

© Marianne Misetich SNJM 1977. (An Advent Song)

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CHRISTMASGod as Guest – Welcome

The Scripture readings for our Christmas season are almost as familiar as our breathing. Luke, with his great talent for storytelling, draws us into the events of the night of birth. Joseph takes Mary to Bethlehem, where he must be registered for the census as a descendant of King David. Mary gives birth to her child and lays him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn. Often we give bad press to the innkeeper, who could not provide hospitality for the pregnant Mary, and ultimately, the Son of God.

This, however, is not entirely accurate. The manger in which Jesus was laid was a feeding trough for animals. Animals were often housed in a room under the house or to the side of the house. This was not a type of ‘shed’, but part of the main structure. Reality is that in view of the census, the inns in the town were full. The innkeeper, in compassion for the woman about to give birth, allowed Mary and Joseph to use the room kept for the animals. Room was found in a very full and busy inn.

Then, we hear of some shepherds entertaining angels. The angel appears and announces the birth of Jesus, then is joined by a multitude of the heavenly host. In this unique moment in history, heaven breaks through to earth. Those who see the angels are not kings or priests or scribes or rabbis. Shepherds, very low on the social scale, witness the shining glory of God and hear the angel song.

One of the heartening messages of Luke’s gospel is that God’s good news is for all – including the poor and the outsider. God actively reaches out to those who are marginalised – in this case sending an angelic visitor accompanied by a heavenly choir. There is also something else here, and I include a quote for your consideration. The shepherds, and their sheep, may have been highly symbolic.

Somewhere deep in Jewish tradition (revealed in writings called the Mishnah), a belief had arisen that the Messiah would be revealed from the Migdal Eder ("the tower of the flock"). This tower stood close to Bethlehem on the road to Jerusalem, and the sheep that pastured there were not the type used for ordinary purposes. The shepherds working there, in fact, took care of the temple-flocks, the sheep meant for sacrifice. (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Eidersheim)

If indeed these shepherds tended the sheep that were to be brought to the temple for sacrifice, we can see new meaning in this story. The shepherds hasten to Bethlehem, not only to welcome the one who will be The Good Shepherd, but also to welcome the Lamb of God, the one who comes to his temple to die for the sins of the world.

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There is something about hospitality here also. The shepherds hastened to Bethlehem and came to the place where Mary and Joseph and their child were sheltered. History tells us that shepherds were usually rough, smelly and disreputable characters who were not welcomed into the homes of the local townsfolk. What is remarkable that Mary and Joseph welcomed them into the presence of their newly born child. In Matthew’s gospel Mary will later welcome the Gentile Magi into her home. Mary and Joseph, who have shown hospitality to the Son of God, also show the hospitality of God to those whom the child has come to welcome to his table.

The narratives of the family life of Jesus continue on the First Sunday After Christmas. The family travel from Nazareth to the Temple in Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus is not among them as the group travel a day’s journey toward their home. His frantic parents find him, three days later, in the temple, sitting among the teachers and questioning them – amazing all with his wisdom. When questioned by his mother, Jesus seemed surprised that his parents would not know that ‘I must be in my Father’s house’.

We see here a coming together of humanity and divinity. The Son of God who has been hosted and loved by his human family now claims his rightful place in his Father’s House. The boy Jesus who travelled to Jerusalem with family now declares himself the Son of God who has returned, as expected, to God’s home in the Temple.

There is also something deeply significant in his parents searching for Jesus for three days.  This is a reference to Easter and Luke is pointing towards the resurrection. Jesus, dead and buried, is raised on the third day, and there is a new temple, Christ’s resurrected body and by extension the Spirit filled Church, Christ’s body in the world. The searching of all people will come to an end in new life, in which Jesus will come as guest and dwell in the heart of the believer.

The innkeeper found room for Jesus in the full and busy inn. At Christmas, a busy time, how do we find room for Jesus in our full and busy lives?

Mary, a woman of her time and culture, must have been horrified when the rough and dirty shepherds arrived at her birthchamber. Yet she welcomed them. Who would you find difficult to welcome in your context? How can you show the hospitality of God to them?

The parents of Jesus searched for him,yet were surprised to find him in the Temple. Where do you expect to find Jesus? How might he surprise you when you search for him?

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THE SEASON AFTER EPIPHANYThe Guest at our Table – Recognising

Holiness

The lovely season that follows the Epiphany takes us from glory to glory. The bright star that led the Magi to Jesus continues to shine on our paths as we journey towards Lent. During this season, our readings will reveal the holiness of Jesus. At the beginning of the season we see Jesus as the one on whom the Spirit descends, the well-beloved Son of God. On the last Sunday before Lent, the end of the season After Epiphany, we find ourselves on the mountain of Transfiguration, witnessing the shining Glory of the One who is again affirmed as God’s beloved Son.

The Holy Spirit is mentioned often. In fact the Spirit is mentioned many more times in Luke than in the other gospels. Even in the very earliest chapters of Luke, there are references the Holy Spirit: In the announcement of John’s birth, the angel tells Zechariah that John “will be filled with the Holy Spirit” (1:15): In the announcement of Jesus’ birth, the angel tells Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come on you” (1:35).Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” sings Mary’s praises (1:41-45).Simeon “came in the Spirit” to see and praise Jesus in the temple (2:27-32).

The Spirit comes upon Jesus at his baptism to empower him for his ministry. In Luke, the Spirit descends not at the time of baptism, but afterwards when Jesus is praying. There is a parallel here with the prayer of Solomon when the Jerusalem Temple was consecrated. The Glory of God descended at this time, a sign that God had come to dwell in his temple. At the time of exile, Ezekiel sees a vision in which the Glory (God’s presence – the Holy Spirit) departed from the temple. In Jesus God is again present with his people. The holiness that came to the temple with the descent of God’s glory has again descended to be accessible to God’s people. It is this Glory that will shine through on the mount of Transfiguration.

God has returned to his Temple in the presence of his Son. During the Season After Epiphany we will read of how the indwelling Spirit was apparent in Jesus’ life and teaching. The Spirit of holiness, shining in Jesus, is to be offered to all who will accept it, bringing even the ‘lost’ to holiness and hospitality at the Table of God. As we read, we will see that some recognise the holiness of Jesus (his Glory) and others do not. Who will recognise the guest who has come among them? Who will welcome God in Christ?

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In the one reading from John’s gospel during this season, Jesus ‘reveals his glory’ at the wedding banquet at Cana of Galilee – taking the place of the host when the wine has run out and turning the water of ritual into the finest wine of joy. This event prefigures the Messianic banquet at which the finest of foods and wines will be served by God the host. We read that when Jesus ‘revealed his glory’, his disciples believed in him.

Jesus announces in the synagogue at Nazareth, that “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Quoting Isaiah 61)Isaiah’s (The third prophet by that name) prophecy was uttered at the time that the exiles had returned to Jerusalem and things were not going well with them. Isaiah goes on to speak about those who ‘mourn in Zion’. The Year of the Lord’s Favour refers to the Jubilee Year of the Mosiac Law when all debts were forgiven, lands returned to their owners and slaves set free. The prophecy was not fulfilled in the time of Third Isaiah. Jesus announces that he is the one who is anointed by God to bring God’s salvation to those who ‘mourn in Zion’.

Perversely, the people who, at the time of John’s ministry, were full of expectation -even questioning John whether he was the Messiah, do not recognise the One they were expecting. They cannot recognise the holiness of God in the familiar person of Jesus. Jesus’ response is to speak of Elijah’s ministry to the widow of Zarephath (a Sidonian) when there were many widows in Israel. Also Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian when there were many lepers in Israel. The message is clear. God’s grace is for those who recognise where God is at work, in those that he has sent. Those outside of Israel have been recipients of God’s wholeness and hospitality in the times of the prophets, and so it will be again. Enraged, the people drive Jesus out of the town with the intent of killing him.

Simon Peter, on the other hand, recognises the holiness of God in Jesus. Having allowed Jesus the hospitality of his fishing boat so that Jesus can address the crowds, Peter then receives a blessing from his guest. There had been no catch of fish that evening, so Jesus gives his host what he needs for his survival. The fishermen obey Jesus’ command to put down the nets, which are then filled to breaking point. Peter’s words – ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man’, indicate that in recognising the holiness of Jesus, he has recognised also his own sinfulness.

Jesus then issues an invitation. “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.” Peter, with his partners James and John, leave everything to follow Jesus. Jesus has become host to the first of the new community of his disciples. The disciple follows the Teacher to learn from his teaching and his life. These disciples will begin to learn and grow in holiness.

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The next two weeks of gospel readings now turn to The Sermon on the Plain. The location of this sermon is significant. Matthew presents the Sermon on the Mount. He compares Jesus with Moses going up the mountain to receive the law. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus is the ‘new Moses’ who delivers a new law.

Luke, however, does not choose to speak of mountains. Moses went up the mountain to receive the law from God. The mountain was a fearful place where the presence of the Holy was tangible. The people could not come into God’s presence and live. Moses had to veil his face when he came down from the mountain. Jesus does not need to go up to a mountain to ‘receive’ the law. He is the law. He embodies all that the law is. As God who has come among his people, Jesus comes to a level place, where people from far and wide gather to hear him deliver the law of God’s Love. There is no fearful Theophany on this occasion. God has come in human form to dwell among his people and to live out the holiness of his law.

In contrast to Matthew, Luke’s beatitudes are stark. There are four only followed by four ‘woes’. Blessed are you who are poor… seems a very strange thing to say in a society where the poor were in fact destitute. However the word ‘blessed’ when used in scripture carries the meaning that the person is in a fortunate position because of a coming action of God. God intends to act on behalf of the poor in what will be the great reversal that Messiah’s coming brings about. Mary’s Magnificat has already celebrated what God will do. Jesus pronounces blessing upon those who will be raised up by God’s action. The vulnerable – many of whom stand before Jesus in the crowds – will be the ones to enjoy the generous hospitality of God.

There are also answers in the beatitudes to Luke’s question of WHO? Who are welcomed by God? Who are blessed by God? Who will share in the Messianic banquet at the table of holiness. The answers are blunt – the poor, the hungry, those who mourn, those who are hated and despised.

As the sermon continues, the teaching becomes even more radical. Jesus says …”Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek offer the other also…. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? ….. If you lend from those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?” As we have already noted, hospitality in Jesus’ context was about who was worthy to sit at the table, before God. It was also class based. The poor could not eat with the rich because they could not reciprocate with equivalent hospitality. Jesus is turning around the norms of society. These are the people that you should welcome, the people that you should love, the people who you should give to.

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Jesus is teaching his disciples, and the crowds that have gathered to hear him, about God’s love. Jesus is in fact present because God loves God’s enemies. He has come to die for those who have sinned and turned away from God, within Israel and throughout the nations. God’s love is extravagantly generous. Goodness and blessings and abundance are offered to the worthy and the unworthy. Those who have come to Jesus have come to God’s family. As Jesus is God’s Son so will those of his family become sons and daughters of God. Thus they must reflect their Father’s nature. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

In the religious understanding of Jesus’ time, holiness was about keeping the Law, including the oral law that had become so burdensome to the people. Jesus stands before the crowds to proclaim the Law of love. He, God among the people, personifies this Law, as he personifies the holiness of God.

The Season After Epiphany ends in a blaze of Glory. The Transfiguration is the climax of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. In Luke’s arrangement of the gospel Jesus will, soon after this event, ‘set his face to go to Jerusalem’. In typical Lukan fashion, the Transfiguration experience occurs while Jesus is praying. The Glory of God descends and Jesus is transformed. Jesus then plays host to two of the great biblical figures – Moses and Elijah, who also appear in glory to speak with him. There was an expectation that these two would return to earth in the Messianic age.

Only in Luke’s account of the Transfiguration do we hear the subject of the conversation between the three. They speak about Jesus’ departure – ‘exodus’ – that Jesus is to accomplish at Jerusalem. The word carries the image of God liberating his people from slavery as with the Exodus from Egypt as they passed through the Red Sea and the inhospitable desert. Through Jesus, God will liberate his people from slavery to sin as Jesus passes through suffering and death.

After Peter suggests, “Let us make three dwellings…” a cloud overshadows them. Peter correctly understands that this is a Messianic moment, but he mistakenly places Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. He has not yet recognised the unique holiness of Jesus. The voice of God from the cloud proclaims the true identity of Jesus ‘ “My Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” Then Jesus is found alone. The Messianic exodus is for him alone to accomplished. Luke records that the disciples are silenced and ‘told no one about the things that they had seen’.

Where do you recognise the Holiness of God?

Do you see holiness lived out in the lives of other people?

How does your life reflect holiness?

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LENT Learning from our Guest –

Growing in Holiness

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

The story of Mary and Martha is not one of our Lenten readings, but Mary’s posture is an example to us as we seek to grow away from sinfulness towards holiness during our season of Lent. Martha’s problem is not the hospitality which she shows towards Jesus in welcoming to her home and preparing a meal. The problem is that Martha’s distraction and worry leave no room for the most important aspect of hospitality -- gracious attention to the guest.

This Lent we will pay gracious attention to the teaching of Jesus – The guest in our hearts and the Host at the Eucharistic feast. Like Mary, let us put aside distraction and worry as we listen to the words of Jesus and grow in holiness. We will take a ‘Word’ for each week in Lent. We will reflect, pray and take these words into our hearts as seeds that will grow and bear fruit.

Temptation On the First Sunday of Lent we read of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. It was in the wilderness that Israel was tested, failing often and subsequently ‘putting the Lord to the test’. Jesus will also be tested, overcoming where his people had failed.

The temptations are subtle. Had Jesus acted in all three counts as the devil suggested, he could well have justified his actions as those that would bring good. Certainly his Messianic mission would have been launched in a blaze of glory had he turned stones into bread (think of all the hungry who could have been fed), seized political authority (this was exactly what the people expected of their Messiah) and casting himself down from the temple so that the angels could rescue him (after such a stunt, who could have doubted that Jesus was the Messiah). In response to each temptation, Jesus refutes the devil by quoting scripture.

Jesus, God’s Messiah is not looking for an easy path. He has come as fully human and will take the human journey to suffering and death. …..

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mentions that “Son of Adam as well as Son of God, he will enter into the pain and evil of the world to work the inner transformation that alone will render it hospitable to God (The Hospitality of God, pg 54).

The devil then departs from Jesus “until an opportune time”. He has not finished yet, and will return at Gethsemane for the final temptation which Jesus will overcome with the words, “Not my will but yours be done.”

What subtle temptations seek to divert you from God’s purpose?

What scriptures could you use to refute ‘the devil’?

How can we transform our inner landscape to render it more hospitable to God?

FruitfulnessOn the second Sunday of Lent we receive a warning. Jesus speaks of two recent disasters: - Pilate’s massacre of a group of Galileans and the accidental collapse of a tower at Siloam, apparently resulting in the loss of many lives. The thought of the times was that those who lost their lives were being punished for their sins (there was a similar attitude to illness and disability). It was the ‘fault’ of the person who suffered. Therefore, the religious authorities would have appealed to these events to emphasize the need for righteous living and adherence to the law.

Jesus rejects this attitude, as he will do on other occasions in the gospels. Rather than speculate on the sins of others, those who hear Jesus’ warning should take stock of their own lives. Jesus then relates the brief parable of the unfruitful fig tree. The tree has not borne fruit, but the gardener is merciful. Special care will be given to the tree for one more year. If it has not borne fruit in this time, then the tree will be cut down.

Jesus’ message is that it is by the fruit of the life that people are judged, not merely by religious observance. In the Old Testament, Israel is referred to as God’s vineyard, God’s planting. The prophets rebuke the nation for not bearing fruit for God. In Luke’s context, although the message of fruitfulness is for all, there is a special message for Israel. The last year has come. The Messiah is among them. Will they receive the nurture that he offers them in order to bear fruit, or will they continue to be barren?

Take stock of your life at this time. Is it fruitful? Are there times of barrenness?

What nurture and care is Jesus offering you to help you bear fruit?

Pray for an abundant crop.

Commitment

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As Jesus continues his journey toward Jerusalem and the cross, some Pharisees warn him to flee, as Herod is plotting to kill him. The response of Jesus to this warning shows his total commitment to the path before him. He has ‘set his face’ to go to Jerusalem, and nothing will deter him. Jesus speaks of his journey as being one of liberation – demons are cast out and the sick are healed of their diseases. On the third day (the Day of Resurrection) he will finish his work. Not before!

Jesus acknowledges that he must be on his way to Jerusalem, because it is there that prophets have traditionally met their fate. Yet despite this, Jesus loves the city. He would have offered the people of Jerusalem the hospitality of his care – as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings – but they were not willing. Jerusalem does not accept Jesus as either host or guest, yet he is committed to the journey and what will happen in Jerusalem itself.

The total commitment of Jesus to his fate in Jerusalem caused him to walk determinedly towards suffering and death. This was in obedience to his Father’s will. Are you aware of what God’s will for you may be at this time in your life?

How committed are you to the path that God has set before you?

The Christian Church in general has a difficult journey to face, which may, in many cases, be through death and resurrection. Are you able to commit to the journey despite the difficulties and the pain?

ForgivenessWe read the parable of the prodigal (wasteful and extravagant) son on the fourth Sunday in Lent. It is an appropriate reading for Mothering Sunday, as that day was formerly a time when people in service or working away would return to their family and their ‘mother’ church. Mothering Sunday is one Sunday in Lent where we may celebrate and feast (traditionally on simnel cake). On this day we are reminded of what we are celebrating – God’s wasteful and extravagant love.

The focus of this parable is too frequently on the son who squandered his inheritance. I believe that Jesus intended to focus on the Father, although the attitude of the two sons is also very relevant to Jesus’ audience. The younger son took his inheritance and left home. By so doing he brought shame on his father and family. The money should not have come to the son until his father was dead. His actions show that he regards his father as dead to him.

We know the story. Soon the money is squandered and the young man is in trouble. He is reduced to feeding the pigs – a shameful task for a Jew. No one, not even the pigs, offer him the hospitality of their table. At this point he does some hard thinking. His father’s servants at least have

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enough food to eat. Rather than starve, he will go back to his father and offer to live as ‘a hired hand’.

At this point the father reappears in the story – in a way that would have shocked Jesus’ audience. He catches sight of his son while he is ‘still far off’ – an implication that he has been constantly watching and waiting for his son’s return. Filled with compassion he runs to his son and kisses him. Such an action would have brought great shame on the father. A dignified business man did not run to a person of lower rank, particularly a renegade son. He did not show emotion in public, nor did he reward the son who had shamed him with extravagant gifts and lavish hospitality.

In short, the parable is about the Prodigal Father, who is wasteful and extravagant in his forgiveness and love for his son. He squanders his good name and the respect due to him to welcome home his lost son.

The point of the parable is that, of course, the Father is God. The Prodigal is the nations who have left their Father’s house and the son who has remained at home is Israel. In this parable that only Luke, of the four evangelists, relates, God’s wasteful and extravagant forgiveness is for all. Through what Jesus will do, the Father will at last welcome his lost children home.

Forgiveness is a very challenging concept, especially when someone has hurt or shamed us. Is there any person that you struggle to forgive?

What would extravagant forgiveness look like in your situation? How could you offer this to another person?

How do you feel about God’s extravagant forgiveness towards you? What does it mean for you that God joyfully welcomes you to his home and his table?

GenerosityOn the fifth Sunday of Lent we again depart from the gospel of Luke to read, in John’s gospel, the story of Mary Bethany anointing Jesus’ feet and wiping them with her hair. Following the story of the Prodigal Father, we have another account of a wasteful and extravagant action, and also one of great generosity.

It was regarded as hospitable to anoint the feet of an honoured guest, but with a little oil. Mary’s oil is perfume made with ‘pure nard’ worth what was approximately a year’s wages ($60,000 + in our terms). Many women kept such perfume for the night of their marriage, much as we would spray an expensive fragrance on ourselves. To waste such an expensive perfume was unthinkable. Mary would have honoured Jesus sufficiently had she used a little, but no, she poured the entire amount on his feet.

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Commentators speculate that she would have needed to break the jar to create the effect of the perfume pouring out and filling the house with its fragrance. However this happened, Mary’s gesture was one of extravagant and wasteful generosity.

Mary is contrasted to Judas, who piously demands why the perfume was not sold for his value so that the poor could benefit. In John’s opinion, Judas does not care about the poor, but is looking to his pickings from the common purse. Mary cares about nothing more than Jesus. Her great love prompts great generosity, prefiguring the generosity of God, who pours out his most valuable possession – the life of his Son in love for the world.

PassionOn the day that is known as Passion Sunday, we read of the Passion of Jesus. The observance of the stages of the cross finds its roots in Luke’s passion gospel. Only Luke gives us details about events along that final stretch of Jesus’ journey from Galilee. Jesus who has “set his face toward Jerusalem” now journeys towards the cross and death.

As Jesus undertakes this journey we read that Simon of Cyrene, a man who was merely passing by, is compelled to carry the cross of Jesus. Simon is presented as a model of discipleship in that he takes up the cross of Jesus and carries it “behind Jesus”. The phrase is identical to Jesus’ own teaching on discipleship: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:27).

Some of the crowds are still sympathetic to Jesus, who addresses the weeping women as ‘daughters of Jerusalem’, warning them of disaster to come, which the church would later understand to refer to the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Luke emphasises Jesus companionship with the marginalised to the very end. With him were two criminals, who were also to be crucified. One of the criminals, who asked Jesus for mercy, was to be offered the hospitality of Paradise.

After the soldiers have mocked Jesus and cast lots for his clothing, after the salvation of the repentant criminal, darkness came over the ‘whole land’ until three o’clock. Then, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two. This curtain, heavy and massive in height, separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. This was understood to be where God’s presence was to be found. Only the High Priest was able to enter on the Day of Atonement. As Jesus breathes his last, the message is clear. The Exodus is complete. God’s people are offered the hospitality of God’s holy presence. There is no longer a veil to separate God from those who would seek him.

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We speak of Jesus’ passion. Passion is a word that we often use for sexual love. However it carries the broader meaning of a very strong feeling for or a deep belief in something. Jesus did indeed express his passion in his deep feeling (love) for the people that he died for. Jesus was passionate in his belief in his Father’s purpose. To use a contemporary expression, for Jesus, God’s plan for his life was TO DIE FOR. He did!

What are you passionate about?

Do you have a passionate belief in God’s purpose for you?

How much would you be ready to give up so that God’s purpose could be fulfilled?

EASTER

So also with us. The joy and celebration of Easter morning is not a self-fulfilling, feel good worship experience meant to carry us through the rest of the season. As we reach out to embrace the Risen Lord, we hear him directing us to embrace his community and the world for which he died. We embrace God’s purposes for us and the relationship with God that will enable our growth and transformation. We find, like Mary, that Easter Sunday is only the beginning of our journey.

Embracing Mystery. The Greek word that St Paul uses for transformation is metamorphoo, referring to the context of a caterpillar entering the cocoon to emerge as a beautiful butterfly. Although we may have greater understanding of this process than Paul’s readers, we still regard the emergence of the butterfly with a sense of mystery and wonder. We know that we as human beings cannot create such a wonder of nature. The transformation of the caterpillar is an act of God.

So it is with our own transformation. We ourselves cannot transform our inner lives. Spiritual transformation is God’s work, and as such, it is a mystery. Therefore, we open ourselves to God’s activity in our lives, which means relinquishing our own sense of being in control and allowing God to determine, as does the Master Potter, the shape of our clay.  During Lent, we have learned to trust God more deeply. During Easter, let us live out that trust and allow God to begin the process that will begin our transformation into the image of Christ.

Embracing a Rule of Life. While we cannot do God’s work and bring about our own transformation, we can create the environment in which our transformation takes place.  This is where a rule of life or regular

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spiritual practice becomes important. We remember that the disciples, following the Ascension of Jesus, gathered together as a community of prayer.

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 1:14.

It was with prayer that the small community of believers prepared for their transformation at Pentecost. They also studied the Scriptures. When Peter speaks to his friends about the need to replace Judas Iscariot with another Apostle, it is clear that he had been reading the Jewish Scriptures to gain understanding and guidance.  In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.   He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” Acts 1:15-17

The spiritual disciplines of prayer and scripture reading are vital for our transformation. As with our Lenten disciplines, we grow in relationship to God and thus are better able to understand his plan for our lives as we submit ourselves to being shaped for his purpose.

Embracing Christian Community. Transformation is not instantaneous. Spiritual transformation takes place over a lifetime and within the context of community. We are all individuals, and God will shape us for our individual ministry. However, we are never more than parts of the whole Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 13). As we minister together and live our common lives we encourage one another. We learn from each other – from our mistakes as well as from those things that are edifying. We learn to love, we learn to share, we learn to forgive, and thus we grow. Robert Mulholland writes, “We can no more be conformed to the image of Christ outside corporate spirituality than a coal can continue to burn outside of the fire.” (Invitation to a Journey, p.145)

The Easter Season is not only the week following Easter. It is a great celebration of 50 days. During that time, the Christ Candle burns in our churches – the light of the Risen Christ shines in the midst of his people. This is a season to worship regularly, to pray with and for our Christian Community, and give thanks to God who has called us to ministry within his Church.

Embracing Mission to the World Spiritual transformation is a witness in itself. Changed lives and courageous and loving community are shining lights that glorify God. However, transformed lives and community, by the very nature of their transformation, impact the world around them and thus draw others to God’s light. As we progress further on this transformational journey, we find that obedience to the commandments of

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Christ is an increasing joy. Therefore we find in ourselves an increasing capacity to obey the greatest of commandments, to love God and love our neighbour.

The Church of God is called to live lovingly and actively in the world. At the last supper Jesus commanded the disciples to love as he loved.  “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn. 13:34-35) This is our new commandment. It is a call to witness, to care and show compassion, to work for justice and generally work for the betterment of the neighbourhood and community in which God has planted each individual community. Missional living is transformational living. Out of the abundance of our own lives we share and care and serve with one purpose – that Jesus might be known and God’s glory shown through the life of his Church.

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Living The Easter Journey

Individually: Firstly, attend to the personal elements of your journey. Embrace the mystery and place yourself in the hands of the Master Potter. Prepare to be changed! Prepare for the Spirit to inflame your heart and drive you in new and exciting directions on the day of Pentecost. Continue your practice of daily prayer. Join ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ – global prayer movement from Ascension to Pentecost (www.thykingdomcome.global). You will be sent resources and reflections electronically.

Read the Scriptures daily. If you don’t want to use the lectionary, there are many other resources. After your daily reading, spend some time in reflection. How is God at work in my life? Where is transformation taking place? Am I open to the way that God is shaping me? Am I resisting change? Spend some time in silence, listening to what God brings to you from the Scripture that you have just read.

Attend Sunday worship regularly. Move with the rhythm of the season and the disciples’ journey from the tomb to Jesus’ ascension and then to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. Really celebrate and engage with the wonder of Easter – resurrection, ascension, transformation, joy, renewal of hope and vision for God’s future.

In Community: The transformation of the disciples took place within the community. When Jesus appeared to individuals – such as Mary and the disciples on the Emmaus Road - they returned to the community to witness to their encounter with the Risen Lord. The community gathered to witness to Jesus’ ascension and were gathered together on the day of Pentecost.

When the Apostles took the good news out ‘into all the world’ their new converts quickly formed community. We may remember the jailer at Philippi whose whole household accepted the good news. Later Paul writes to the church at Philippi, a community that the Apostle deeply loves. The wealthy business woman Lydia believed and a church was formed in her household. It is probable that the church at Rome was seeded by those who had been converted by Peter’s speech at Pentecost. These young and initially small communities underwent a journey of transformation and growth – often under trying circumstances.

During this Easter Season (Year B) our scripture readings offer us some beautiful symbols of transformation. In simple, yet stunningly poetic language, the writer of the First Letter of John reminds us, over and over,

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of the transforming power of love and the joy of abiding in the community of love – that of Father, Son, Spirit and all of God’s sons and daughters.

If we are looking for reasons to give thanks during the Easter Season, just consider John’s list of the transformational elements of the Life we are given through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We have fellowship with each other as well as with the Father and the Son

We have joy

We walk no more in darkness, but in the light of God

We are cleansed from sin

We are God’s children

God’s love abides in us, and we love one another

We receive from God

We abide in God and God in us

We have the Spirit

We free from fear – perfect love casts out fear

We have the victory that conquers the world

There’s more to come…. “what we will be has not yet been revealed”

We have Eternal Life

One of the key words for this season is ‘abide’. Abide is not a static word. Abide carries the meaning - to continue or endure. Jesus uses ‘abide’ in the context of the vine and the branches (John 15). Through our abiding in Love, in community, we grow, blossom and bear fruit. Our focus for our Easter Worship will be abiding in God’s love. We may use the illustration of the vine and the branches, or, if we are creative, pitch a tent somewhere in the worship space. (In the prologue to John’s gospel, we read that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us – literally ‘pitched his tent among us’.) In your Easter resource pack you will find ideas about creating worship around these two symbols.

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We will continue our practice of giving our offerings following the peace. As we focus on the elements of our transformation (listed above), we respond to God’s generosity with generous thanksgiving.

During this season of Transformation, it is appropriate to begin a process of growth and transformation within your congregations or ministry units. If you are not already engaged in the diocesan program of GERMINATE, Easter would be an ideal time. GERMINATE consists of five sessions, each lasting the minimum of two hours. The workshops engage us with where we are now, who we are, what is our local context, how we nurture what we have – pastorally and spiritually, how we envisage our future and finally an evaluation of plant and resources – what are our assets and how do we use them? The Archdeacon for Ministry Development is the Facilitator for this program, but local facilitators may be trained.

The workbook Open Doors (Diocesan website – resources) may also provide a helpful focus. Open Doors encourages us to open our churches and buildings to create welcoming, hospitable and sacred space for others in our communities. At a time when we celebrate that we are transformed by abiding in God’s love, let us invite others to share our abode and enter the shelter of God’s dwelling.

Your Easter Pack will also contain weekly scripture reflections for Bible Study or to use within the worship service.

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Towards Thanksgiving An Extraordinary Journey Through Ordinary Time

The last, and longest season of the Liturgical Year stretches from the day after Pentecost through to the Saturday before Advent 1. Traditionally, this season was known as Ordinary Time. There seemed to be something not quite right about calling a Sunday ‘ordinary’ so we often call Ordinary Time The Season after Pentecost. For the purpose of our year’s journey, I suggest we revert to “Ordinary Time”.

Ordinary Time may include twenty–three to twenty–eight Sundays, depending on the date of Easter, but the first Sunday is always Trinity Sunday, and the last Sunday The Reign of Christ or Christ the King. The season also includes the weeks of Creation – September to 1st Sunday in October (optional) and All Saints. This year, we will also include Thanksgiving Sunday – the Third Sunday in November.

Although the scripture lessons in the lectionary for this half of the year go in a semi-continuous cycle through books of the Bible rather than follow a theme, the gospel lessons cover Jesus' teaching ministry. This is the time for us to focus on our everyday living out of the gospel – our discipleship. It is what we do in our everyday lives, particularly in the small things, that defines who we are. Wonderful as it is to participate in the great festivals of the Church, the reality of our Christian lives and our spiritual growth is grounded in our everyday living. We live, as ordinary people, in ordinary time, with an extraordinary inner reality. This year, we will pay special attention to the small and ordinary things in our ordinary environments and give thanks for them. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer suggests in the quote above, it is in focusing on the small (and yet not really small) gifts that we grow as disciples of Jesus, people of gratitude, generosity, blessing and thanksgiving.

We should now be well equipped for this final stage of our journey. During Lent we have practised trust. We have learned that we are called to trust the Lord with all of our hearts, all that we are, and all that we have. During Easter we have engaged with the process of transformation. We are aware that each day we are being transformed into the disciples of Christ that we were baptised to be. We are also aware that our journey is communal. As Christian community we grow together in trust – God is at the heart of all that we are and all that we will be. Trust calls us into God’s future. As community we are transformed into the community that Christ calls us to be – a sign of God’s kingdom. Having journeyed this far, now is the time to embrace the life of thanksgiving. Let us begin our journey to the place where we can give thanks for all that God has given us, and in thanksgiving, offer all that we have back to God.

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Cultivating an Attitude of Thanksgiving

In Western culture we tend to use the word “thanks” or “thankyou” as a courtesy – although at times the word may certainly be heartfelt. Sometimes we do something to say thankyou – so that thanks becomes an action. It is good to convey thanks in these ways, but our focus on thanksgiving will encourage us to cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving – which is the biblical position. We are told to give thanks in all circumstances, with thanksgiving to make requests known to God, to give thanks for all people. Thanksgiving is not just about a courtesy or a response. Christian thanksgiving is our very life and our being. We are called to be people who give praise (The Old Testament concept of thanksgiving) and thanks to God in all circumstances in our ordinary lives.

Prayer: First and foremost, continue to set aside time for daily prayer. There is always need for intercessory prayer, but too often intercession is the only element of individual and communal prayer. Resolve, during this season, to preface all of your prayers with thanksgiving. Give thanks for our world and the diversity of culture and peoples, THEN pray for the needs of world. After you have done so, give thanks that God is at work in the situations that you have prayed for. Give thanks for the people that God has sent into these situations who are working and witnessing so that your prayers may be answered. When you pray for the sick, give thanks for each of them before praying for their needs, then give thanks that God loves them and is with them in their need. Some situations, such as natural disasters and world tragedies, are not situations for which we can be thankful. However, we can give thanks for those who respond, those who care, those who support with aid and funds. You get the picture – give thanks in all circumstances

Pray also for yourself. Give thanks to God for all that he has given you. Name your blessings. When you pray for your needs do so with thanksgiving that God is with you and that his love sustains you. Pray for your church community, giving thanks for all that is has been and all that it will be as God’s future unfolds. Give thanks for your wider community, for your friends and those people you don’t like. Turn your prayer time into a great hymn of praise and thanks.

It is important to note the need for lamentation in our Christian journey. The Church of today can do nothing but lament in the light of the findings of the Royal Commission and our recognition that many innocent lives have been marred and destroyed. In our own lives, tragedy can strike. We lose family and loved ones. We go through periods of ill health or general difficulty. It is a misunderstanding of the Christian message to think that we must never show grief or distress or even cry out against God. Even Jesus begged that the cup of suffering pass from him. Even Jesus cried out from the cross… “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”

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Lamentation is a part of our humanity. So if lamentation is appropriate – lament! However, even in lamentation we may remember God’s goodness. We cannot hope in ourselves or in others, but we may hope in God to bring healing and new beginnings. The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall!My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,

his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.“The LORD  is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:19-24)

Scripture and Spiritual Reading: I recommend the lectionary form of reading scripture. Morning and evening prayer contains an Old Testament reading, a psalm and a reading from the New Testament. The Old Testament tells us much of God’s love and purpose for his people, the Psalms are songs of praise, trust and hope and the New Testament tells us of God coming among us in his Son Jesus, who out of his great love died for us. The story continues as we read of the early days of the movement that became known as Christianity and the power of the Spirit at work in the young Church. After reading each passage, pause and give thanks for what you have read – God’s steadfast love, God’s mercy, God’s victory, God’s justice and care for the poor and powerless…. How does what you have read connect with your experience of God? Give thanks!

Scripture is foundational to our life as Christians. However, we are also edified by the thoughts and experiences of others. There are a wealth of devotional and spiritual writings available. You may read the daily meditations of a contemporary Christian or the writings and life stories of the great saints. You may read of other’s experience in mission and ministry. There are many books in the Diocesan Library. If there is some particular topic you are interested in, ring the office and we can mail some material to you. Read the thoughts and experiences of others, make connections with your own experiences and give thanks!

Spiritual Growth: God is the Master Gardener who grows the healthiest and finest vines. Watered by the Spirit and fed by Word and Sacrament, we flourish. When we were children, our parents would proudly measure our growth. We knew that we were growing when shoes pinched and clothing became too short. Sadly, we often neglect to measure our spiritual growth, and thus we forget to be thankful to the God who tends and nurtures us so lovingly.

There are various ways to become more aware of our spiritual growth. For those who like to write, keep a spiritual diary. Make some notes about your prayer life, how you have responded to joys and challenges, how you have experienced God’s presence in your day to day life. Others may like to put aside a little time at the end of the day to reflect on the events of

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the day. Again, where have you experienced God? How have you responded to the day’s challenges? Have you been aware of the Spirit leading you or strengthening you? Turn your day into God’s day and give thanks.

Traditionally, those in leadership in the church have sought out what we call a “Spiritual Director”. Spiritual Directors are wise and discerning listeners who hear the story of your journey on a fairly regular basis, reflect back what you are telling them, and, guided by the Holy Spirit, encourage or challenge you as you continue your journey. Spiritual Directors help you to recognise where you have been on your journey and help you discern your path ahead. You may find Spiritual Directors at Sevenhills, The Loyola Centre in Adelaide or by contacting the office for a list of people that are available to the Diocese. You may also google available Spiritual Directors in South Australia.

For those who are not in the tradition of Spiritual Direction, there is the concept of a “Soul Friend”, one with whom we can share our inner journey. In some places, groups can be formed where each member shares their growth and spiritual insights while the rest of the group listens, prays and discerns.

Creation: How could we, in the Diocese of Willochra, not give thanks for God’s creation? I find that when I am travelling I am constantly giving thanks for the beauty that I see around me – from the majestic Flinders Ranges to the waters of the Spencer Gulf, rich farmlands and vineyards as well as the barren but beautiful country around Cooper Pedy. Wildlife abounds – birds and animals and sea creatures. My response to all of this is to give thanks and rejoice that God in his goodness has brought me to such a beautiful part of Australia.

During the Ordinary Season we have an opportunity to celebrate the Season of Creation. The Australian resources offer a three year cycle. Each particular Sunday in September gives thanks for a part of our creation – forests, deserts, rivers, the outback, the sea. The season ends with a blessing of animals on the Sunday nearest to St Francis. If blessing of animals is not going to work in your community, try a Garden Sunday. I have offered a service of thanksgiving for all that we grow in our gardens followed by a garden party open to the community.

Whatever you choose to do, make a special effort to give thanks for all the abundance and beauty of God’s creation. Liturgical resources will be on the website at the beginning of August or you may google https://seasonofcreation.com/worship-resources/liturgies/series-b

All the Small Things: How easy it is to overlook the small things in life. However, when we purposefully pay attention to the little things, we realise how rich and blessed we really are. One of the great Carmelite

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Saints, St Therese of Lisieux, once said, “To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul." It was Therese’s way to look for the smallest of opportunities to serve others, giving thanks to Jesus for an occasion to share his love. Therese’s autobiography, The Story of a Soul, is readily available and worth reading in the context of thanksgiving. Great emphasis is placed on the smallest of actions, the simplest of prayers and the weakest and most inadequate of persons. Therese speaks of this as her “Little Way”.

So, in all that we do, we give thanks. We open the door for someone or smile at a stranger as we walk down the street. Give thanks for the opportunity of sharing Jesus’ love. In all the small things we do as part of Christian community, we give thanks - whether we are making a cup of coffee or preparing the church for worship or handing out prayer books. Give thanks for the opportunity of serving God’s people. As others do little, everyday things for you, give thanks for them. Practice your own ‘Little Way” and you will find that your life, and the lives of others, will soon abound with joy and blessings.

Giving Back with Generosity and Gratitude: Generosity and gratitude flow freely and abundantly from the thankful heart. Generosity and gratitude are our response to God who is so generous to us. As we journey with thanksgiving through each ordinary day, and as we meet to worship and give thanks together on every Ordinary Sunday, surely the attitude of our hearts will be that of generous and grateful givers.

Giving is central to living the life of thanksgiving. The Biblical principle is that all that we have is God’s – all that we own, all that we enjoy, all that we are and all that we will be. The Church is God’s, our buildings and our communities and our leaders belong to God. Therefore, as a token of our thanksgiving, we give a tithe (10%). Tithing was not understood as a burden to the people of Israel. It was in fact a sign of God’s generosity. All that God asked was 10%. The rest of what God had given remained with the people.

There is also another element of God’s generosity. The ONLY time in Scripture when God says, “Test me” is in regard to giving. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10

Those who give generously receive blessing in abundance. There are many testimonies from those who tithe to illustrate this. On Thanksgiving Sunday, the third Sunday of November, we will be asking everyone to commit to generous giving. Resources to prepare for this special day will be available in advance. We are hoping that Thanksgiving Sunday will be a great day of celebration – very much like the

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Thanksgiving celebrated by our American friends. We, as a Diocese, will be giving thanks for all that God has given us, individually and collectively. Then we will make the formal action of pledging – of giving back to God with thanksgiving. Then, we believe, the storehouses of God’s blessing will open and God’s future in the Diocese of Willochra will began to unfold.

During the Ordinary Season we will continue to follow the Greeting of Peace with the giving of our offering. At certain points in the season we will encourage small steps of faith. Look at all the things that we can give thanks for – see all that God has given us! Why not increase your giving, just by a small percentage? Allow yourself to grow in generosity. Decorate your offering bowl or box with fruits – like a cornucopia. Focus on giving as one of the fruits of our communal growth.

Your resource pack for ORDINARY TIME will contain a service for Commitment to the Journey (Trinity Sunday) as well as liturgies for other significant events (remember that we gather together at the Cathedral on the last Sunday in July – Willochra Sunday). There will be some ideas for sentences and prayers to introduce the offering, as well as weekly scripture reflections for use in Bible Study or during worship. During Ordinary Time, you will receive your resource pack for Thanksgiving Sunday.

So, this is our year’s journey. Do resolve to undertake the journey within your church community. Please don’t see this as just another program or something that the Diocese asks us to do. The quote above is a favourite of mine and speaks of the attitude with which we should undertake our

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journey. Our year ahead is not about doing a program or ticking boxes. It is about growing in God’s love, growing in relationship with God, being transformed into the image of Christ, and learning to live in a way that is joyful, generous, thankful and celebratory. We are travelling towards the place that we, in our deepest selves, yearn for – a place where we may be the people that God calls us to be.

TRAVEL WELL!

Yours in the joy and wonder of Christ’s service

The Venerable Gael Johannsen, Archdeacon for Ministry Development, Formation and Suppor