For a people living under the iron rule of the Roman Empire, you can’t sing a song much more hopeful – or much more dangerous – than that.   The other three gospels include one more word in this hope-filled and dangerous song:  Hosanna, literally “save us”.  For the disciples and the others who have been traveling with Jesus as his movement grew, it must have seemed as if his entry into Jerusalem meant that now, finally, he was going to enact messianic kingship.  For those who were just caught up in the moment, watching this Galilean rabbi approach the city accompanied by his jubilant followers, it would have represented a moment of possibility.  Is this the one we’ve been waiting for?  Are the days of the Empire numbered?  Hard not to sing hosanna – “save us” – that day.

(more…)

Church, Commentary | No Comments »

Let us call the community into a time of prayer. God we pray for the strength to imitate your son Jesus by trusting you in our most difficult times.  May we know when we suffer due to unemployment, loss of a loved one, broken relationships, bullying at the workplace, financial problems, poor health, physical pain, addictions, depression, sorrow, worry about family and friends, you are there.  Remind us that we can seek you out as Christ did cry out for your love.  (more…)

Prayer | No Comments »

This past weekend, a group of about 45 people from saint benedict’s table headed out to Camp Cedarwood (and don’t let the word “camp” fool you… the place is pretty comfortable!) to spend a few days engaged in play (to see a pictorial review of the weekend, just click here). We played a heroic game of broomball, endless rounds of cards and board games, air hockey and foosball…  but most significantly we “played” in the parables of Jesus; What follows in this post is some of the material that informed our approach, liberally citing the work of Robert Farrar Capon.

I

want to begin this weekend with a quote from the theologian who has more informed my reading of parables than has anyone else… Robert Farrar Capon.  This is from The Parables of the Kingdom, which is the first in Robert’s trilogy on the parables, wherein he sets out why we should be playful in our approach both to the parables specifically and to the scriptures in general:

… in high seriousness and with equally high glee, we should play with Scripture.  The (treasure) of the kingdom is not something to be kept in the attic and dragged out only on Sundays for loan exhibitions in museums; nor is it something that people should stare at only when wearing solemn faces and three-piece suits.  We may be the (masters) of the treasure of God, but we were meant first of all to spend huge amounts of time in the attic just poring over it and trying all of it for size.  And we were meant, above all, to invite the world up into the attic to play dress-up with us.  We are supposed to be kids, you see:  ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes.’  You can’t get more encouragement than that for holy horsing around.” (p. 173)

So, this weekend we’ll be doing a bit of “holy horsing around,” with parables as our starting point.  But first, a few opening notes on the nature of parables. (more…)

Events, News | 1 Comment »

F ather, as our Lenten journey continues, we remain in a stance of reflection, discernment, dark days and quiet nights as our steps take us closer to the cross.  In the bleakness of the season, tonight’s lesson reminds us of needs being met; water for the wilderness, rivers in the dessert, drink to the people, the anointing of Jesus’ feet.   Similarly, we anticipate transformation of our landscapes – from darkness to light; from contemplation to action; from dark, bleak earth to green and full with life.  As we face challenges, as we question our faith, as we move with the ebb and flow of work, family and parish life, keep us safe in our stories; in the midst of pain and brokenness,  in joy and celebration. (more…)

Prayer | No Comments »

A bit of a community exploration of the practices of this season

A

t the beginning of this season of Lent, we did some teaching around how these days might be framed for people, encouraging folks to find a pattern that would be helpful for them.  Last Saturday in the Winnipeg Free Press, a few of our members were actually featured in an article written about Lenten disciplines, and we thought it would be useful to expand that conversation a bit.  We put out the word through e-mail, that we’d be interested in seeing what and how people were doing this year, and what follows is a bit of a summary.

One of the households which was featured in the Free Press article is making a practice of stopping for a bit at 9:00pm each evening, to pray a prayer from Teresa of Avila.  In a nice, domestic touch, the prayer is posted up on the refrigerator door.

(more…)

Commentary | 2 Comments »

ideaExchange | opportunity for African farmers

Some years ago in Zambia Stuart Taylor realized business might not always be the enemy of poor people in poor countries. But in the world of international development, that kind of thinking is close to heresy. Stu’s insight and research eventually led him to his current position as Executive Director of International Development Enterprises Canada‚ a Winnipeg-based non-profit that raises the incomes of families living on a dollar a day through design of extremely low-cost technologies and development of markets that work for low-income customers and producers.

In this compelling edition of ideaExchange, Stu explains what happened to him on his road to Emmaus and what that journey looks like today. The presentation is followed by a lively discussion period.

There are three ways to hear this ideaExchange podcast (runs 58:15):

• click on the arrow below
• use the podcast widget in the left sidebar
• click here to download the episode from iTunes

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Podcast, ideaExchange | No Comments »

G od of dirt and moss and budding leaves, we know Lent isn’t over yet, but we can’t help ourselves—the earth keeps chanting “Easter is coming, Easter is coming” and we join in. We fill our lungs with as much air as possible. We soak our bodies in sunshine. The silent, frozen landscape is beginning to change—Aslan is on the move. Even though we are sensible enough to be prepared for more snow before summer, the excitement will not be shaken. The small child in all our hearts is squirming in her seat, impatient to get back outside. (more…)

Prayer | No Comments »

a sermon preached on 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 and Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

N

ow all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

That’s the crucial set-up line for the parable of the Prodigal, as for the two parables that directly precede it: the parables of the lost sheep and of the lost coin.  It might even be better to call this one we read today “The parable of the lost son”, and then to ask which of the sons is the most lost.

You know the story.  A father has two sons, the younger of which comes and asks his father to effectively drop dead: “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.”

I’d like the inheritance now, thank you very much.

And the father effectively does drop dead – “So he divided his property between them” – and I suppose retires to the rocking chair on the front porch, maybe wondering where his parenting had gone wrong. (more…)

Church, Commentary | 1 Comment »

a sermon preached on Isaiah 55:1-9 and Luke 13:1-9

H

aving just heard read aloud words from the prophet Isaiah and from the gospel according to Luke, the first thing we need to do is to explode two commonly held assumptions about the bible

First, there is the assumption that the Old Testament is all about a judgmental understanding of God, while the New Testament is sweetness and light.  Yet would it be fair to say that as you heard those two readings, Jesus sounded pretty tough, while Isaiah seemed to be voicing something with strong notes of mercy, hope, and forgiveness?  “Unless you repent,” says Jesus, “you will likewise perish,” while Isaiah sings, “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; you who have no money, come, buy and eat.  Come, buy wine and milk without money, without price.”

(more…)

Church, Commentary | 1 Comment »

Lord, God, our Father, we thank you that here with each other we can call on you and listen to you. Before you, we are all equal. You know the life, thoughts, path, and heart of each of us, down to the smallest and most hidden detail, and before your eyes none is righteous, no, not one. But you have not forgotten, rejected, or condemned a single one of us. Quite the opposite: you love each one of us; you know what we need, will grant it to us, will look at nothing but the empty hands that we stretch out to you, in order that they might be filled—not sparingly, but richly. (Karl Barth, Fifty Prayers)

Lord in Your Mercy, hear our prayer. (more…)

Prayer | No Comments »