In my journey with Dave Von Bieker and his vision for Alberta Avenue I have been focusing on a passage in the bible from the book of Exodus. This book tells the story of the Hebrew peoples exodus from slavery in Egypt to freedom in their land of promise.

For this journey from Egypt to Canaan they constructed a temporary shelter for the presence of God. It was outside the camp and it was pretty basic. That changes when  Moses, the leader hears from God. The message: I want you to build a  space for me that is beautiful and sacred.

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering …“All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded:

All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. Exodus 35: 4-10, 22 Today’s New International Version

So much was offered that Moses had to tell the people to stop giving and when it was completed God’s presence filled the space.

³⁴Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Today’s New International Version 40: 34-35

A couple of things stand out for me.

It was important to God that this sacred space that he wish to inhabitwas beautiful. I believe that the Bleeding Heart sacred space will pleasing to God; I believe he will be present and I believe artists and others will be drawn to His presence. It will be our responsibility to nudge them (in the words of Leonord Sweet) in the direction God is calling them.

He asked only those willing to participate. We are asking all of Urban Bridge who are willing, to participate in creating this beautiful sacred space call Bleeding Heart with our time, our skills and our money. Over the next weeks each of us needs to answer the question for ourselves and when  when we respond as God speaks I am confident that we will have more than enough.

for more on Bleeding Hearts Sacred space:  http://www.iloveartists.ca/2011/09/the-bleeding-heart-art-space-frequently-predicted-questions/ 

Each summer we change things up by telling original, allegorical, redemptive stories birthed in the creative minds of the Urban Bridge Design team, This Summer we writing an allegory called A Good Gathering – A tale of redemptive community in a post-apocalyptic world. Sunday July 3 was week 1 of 6 weeks.

Clear with blue skies, it was another beautiful, sad day. Eve swung her legs over the cot, stretching and reaching to touch her left occipital bone. It was an automatic response and she quickly forced her arm down not allowing her hand to reach the bony destination behind her ear. The disease that had killed so many marked its presence with a tenderness of the occipital bone. It could not even be described as pain. More like the inconvenient soreness of an adolescent pimple. Yet the innocent inflammation marked a count down to death within 48 hours. The end was as mild and embarrassing as the first symptom.

Those with  “48” as it was now known followed the same pattern: minor discomfort behind the left ear, followed by vertigo at 47-hours and death by 48. No great suffering, people just tipped over and died. 48 was the scariest word the world.

It took about a week for “48” to destroy most of the population. No one knew how it started or why it ended…if it had ended. It touched down like an invisible silent tornado. A mother would fall over with her healthy infant still in her arms cradled and crying. Two lovers kissing; one would lose their balance and the other would not. Sometimes entire families, entire communities died while others next door or across the street were safe.

Though a new case of “48” hadn’t been reported in months Eve like every other survivor resisted the urge to touch that spot behind the left ear because to be seen touching the spot was to invite the mark of “48” followed by segregation for 48 hours.

If you had the mark you had to put 48 on your door. If you were in a public place you were compelled to shout 48 repeatedly and run until you were alone where you would be isolated for 48 hours. To not comply was to invite a different kind of death. Though sometimes it came despite the mark and the shouting. Robert, Eve’s husband hadn’t shouted “48”quickly enough or loud enough. A brick to the temple ended his life.

Eve pulled on her scrubs and cutting through the alley passed hills of waste so high her vision was restricted to the labyrinth of garbage. She continued towards the Emergency Room entrance of the Hospital where as Head Surgeon of the emergency ward she did her best to take away the pain. Pausing, she stooped at this spot each day to pick a bouquet of blue bells growing wild atop an unintended compost pile.

The charge nurse gate keeping the ward mocked her for the flimsy attempt to add life and colour to an old woman’s desk but Eve was certain it was appreciated. As she rounded the last corner a desperate shout of “48, 48!” startled her. The hunched figure of a middle-aged man in an adjoining dead end alley yelled his curse. “How much longer?” Eve shouted back. “24,” he replied. “…Could you bring me some water?” Eve tugged a bottle of bartered for, re-filtered water from her pack, hesitated, and then hurdled it towards the figure. Another shout, this one was from behind and it frightened her. A group of teenage girls and boys called “orphs” were cursing her generosity, their leers exposing their thoughts.

Orphs, their families lost to “48” reminded her of the young male elephants in Africa she had read about, who, having lost their social mooring at the death of the heard Matriarchs to poachers gathered together in dysfunctional violent groups and harassed the villagers. The orphs were shadowing her. She would have to change her routine.

The ward was full, like yesterday, like every day. Three kinds of people populated this world: Those who had injured themselves because of a decaying, broken world. Those who were sick with pre “48” illnesses, and those without hope. “Eve, Hospital admin is calling a meeting for 4 pm.“ The former orderly now tasked with running messages because of a failed communications system smiled at her hopeful as ever that his crush on her would find its way past the desk. Fearful it wouldn’t he spun on his squeaky shoes, taking a quick side step to crush a cockroach before making his way to the next office.

Eve loved her job, still loved her job. Her father had been a doctor and his father before him. She and Robert met in medical school. She loved that she could offer hope; she loved that her actions could mend not just the sick but also the hearts of loved ones who suffered with them. She loved the tension and the drama. She did not love meetings. A surprise benefit of “48” was that meetings were short. Like every other post “48 “ activity, as little energy as necessary was expended.

“We are out of money.” The CFO announced. Someone snickered.  He continued, “We are handing out B.V’s – Barter Vouchers. Pausing with the pursed lips of someone who does not believe their own words he continued, “We have been promised that vendors will honour them. Then tagged on: “City Hall says it is doing its best to find us supplies and more money. They say they are close but they won’t commit to when, won’t make any promises and nor can I.” He turned and walked out; too busy, too preoccupied or too embarrassed to offer encouragement or take questions. “48” had also killed many social graces. Eve smiled. She did not love that either.

Neil caught up with Eve as she passed through the hospital grounds to the entrance of the tent city hanging on the periphery. An EMT they met as rookies in their respective hospital roles. Post  “48” life had removed most social barriers and they had become friends.” What are you going to do?” he asked “What can we do but wait for City hall to come up with what we need. They say things will get better, they say they have some solid leads” Neil hesitated, “I don’t think so Eve, They keep saying things will get better but they don’t. Hey let me buy you a drink I found another re-filter bar near the monument. “She bent and grabbed a clutch of blue bells.

The monument had fresh significance since “48.” Survivors had gathered in its shadow the days after and it became a safe zone, inoculating against the hopelessness. Each night many would gather, relaxing in the normalcy it offered.  Climbing its outstretched configurations was once forbidden, now it was the norm.

Neil and Eve, their drinks paid with hoarded aspirin used the B.V’s as coasters, and positioned their chairs so both could see the monument. The immense design, pride of the city, and applauded around the world for its uniqueness and genius, embraced the figures clamoring over it.

They both jerked to the staggering sound. Like a branch snapped from a giant tree the terrible noise was coming from the square. “Is it moving?” “ Is what moving?” Neil responded.  “The monument, is it moving?” “I don’t think it….yes it is!” Neil shouted. The monument was tilting almost imperceptibly. The bar emptied to the street as pointing, shouting and crying drenched the air. They ran towards the monument pushing against the rush of panic. Then, another echoing snap, and they froze watching tiny figures dropping from the monument like overripe fruit. As though it too was suffering with vertigo the great icon leaned, and leaned finally crashing.

Dust and air rushed to catch the crowd as the monument exhaling in death, tried one last time to touch its admirers.  The two joined by others worked through the night treating the wounded and comforting the dying.

Morning came, clear with blue skies; it was another beautiful, sad day. Eve swinging her leg over a cast off piece of hope announced, “There has to be something better and I’m going to find it.”

Monuments take many forms in our lives. They almost always begin as noble ways to point us to Christ but they can loose their original purpose and need to be revisited. You may recall the Old Testament Exodus account of Moses fashioning a bronze snake on a pole as a healing focus for dying Israelites, generations later King David destroys the snake because it was being worshipped.

Christ had this to say about difficult times and monuments

Matthew 10:37

If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Matthew 10:38

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Matthew 10:39

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it. NLT

What are the monuments in our lives, in our church?

How has a fallen monument affected your faith?

Christian Community exists when Christ followers connect with each other in authentic loving ways that encourage relationship with Christ.

Christian community exists when we engage in transparent relationships that cultivate and celebrate Christ’s love for humanity.

Taken from Spiritual Disciplines handbook, practices that transform Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

The idea of community as a transforming practice is foundational to our faith as followers of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes:

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ’s body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.

But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part!

Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 1Corinthians 12:12-27

This passage recognizes our individuality but has the unquestioned understanding that the reader is in community. The idea that one could be a Christian and not be in community was simply not considered. To consider oneself part of a choir is to participate in the Choir.

Eric Whitacre is one of the most performed composers of his generation. After creating and conducting the “virtual choir” in 2010 — hundreds of voices from around the world singing together on YouTube — he’s back with a larger, even more ambitious work 2000 voices from around the world: “Sleep.”

http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_whitacre_a_virtual_choir_2_000_voices_strong.html

Whitacre highlighted the individual choir members; he shared how each participant had access to music, a conductor track, and a piano track.  To consider oneself part of a choir is to participate in the Choir, but that does not mean that we sacrifice our individuality. He does a marvelous job of showing how individuality is essential for the success of the choir.

One of the mantras of Urban Bridge Church is that “if you think you belong you belong.” We say this understanding that Christian communities have often placed unrealistic expectations on individuals regarding what it means to belong.

We say that we belong when we feel that we feel we connect and the connection is significant.

We belong when we are committed to something meaningful to us.

We belong when we participate in a meaningful way.

An unfortunate outcome of this philosophy is a myopic, selfish participation, based on our needs. If you think you belong but you aren’t prepared to commit and when necessary sacrifice to community, do you belong?

I was impressed that Whitacre’s choir members took initiative to be part of this shared vision and that some of them did 50 to 60 takes for the shared vision

So let me add one more qualifier for belonging to the church, for belonging to Urban Bridge Church: We belong when we commit, sometimes sacrificially for the sake of others. We are part of a shared vision, something bigger than any individual pursuit. And the music we make together is beautiful.

Each of us has individual expressions of our faith, but we come together in shared values, in community for things like: The HIV Edmonton walk for life, picnics, and smaller groups. We volunteer for activities like worship teams and urban kids. Our commitment is often not for our sakes, but for the sake of community.

Urban Women smaller group story

Community is God working on more than building a church. He has created so much beauty, structure, order and love that he needs us to partner with him to create community. Community can be people partnering to do a number of things; anything from gardening, reading books, performing art, studying micro-organisms, and baking cake

By doing this we allow ourselves to come together with other like-minded (not the same, but with similar) people to laugh, cry, challenge and grow together.

Urban Women is a group of women living their lives in community with one another. It is a safe place where we can connect, practice and live out our faith together.

Why does Urban Women work? None of us are perfect and we all have plenty of room to grow. We are simply living life together, knowing how to be vulnerable, giving and receiving encouragement, learning from and inspiring each other (as well as a certain favorite literary male presence…uh hum, Donald Miller!).

We understand that real community takes time, honesty and commitment, but that it can come from all walks in life.

Thy kingdom come and thy will be done is accomplished in community. Heaven is perfected in community and we spend our days on earth practicing for it.

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:12-13 NLT

One of our shared values is Authenticity; “We will encourage people to be who they are, change who they are, discover who they are and walk with them through the process” Yet when we are in a crisis of faith or when we disagree we often pull away from community rather than push in for resolve. Our differences and inclinations naturally pull us away. We have learned that the tension generated by overruling our natural inclinations through intentional community makes us stronger as a community and as individuals.

Whitacre  referred to dissonance and harmony as complimentary qualities. Scott Drennan who belongs to a choir  explores Harmony and dissonance

We think of harmony as notes that sound good together, but really harmony is much more complex. Harmony includes consonance – pitches that ‘fit’ together and that sound relaxed, and dissonance – pitches that ‘clash’ together and that creation tension.

The reasons that certain combinations of pitches are perceived as sounding more consonant or dissonant have a lot to do with physics and mathematics, but they are also tightly bound to culture, tradition, and expectation.

One way of defining good music is that is has a balance of consonance and dissonance – a balance of relaxed and tense moments that unite to form a whole harmonic landscape.

“The creation and destruction of harmonic…tensions is essential to the maintenance of compositional drama. Any composition…which remains consistent and ‘regular’ throughout is, for me, equivalent to watching a movie with only ‘good guys’ in it….” – Frank Zappa

Because the human voice can normally only produce a single note at a time, the only way to achieve any kind of harmony in singing – consonant or dissonant – is as a group, a choir. Singing as part of a choir is one of the richest parts of my life, it’s come to define a lot of who I am and it’s been an enormous blessing for me for about 22 years now.

I think singing together with others is also one of the most intimate experiences people can share. When you are creating harmony with another person, it’s not just an auditory experience – you can feel it too. I’m not being metaphorical here: because of the physical vibrations and air movements involved, you can actually feel it in your mouth, your throat, your nose, your head, your chest, and sometimes your toes and your eyeballs too.

Singing in consonance with another voice augments both voices – it makes each note stand out more while at the same time weaving a greater whole of those parts. It sounds good and it feels good. Singing in dissonance with another voice is a whole different kind of awesome. Just as you can physically feel the melding of the parts in consonance, you can feel the clashing and ripping of the parts in dissonance. It’s like having a really good argument, where each voice competes to assert itself, until finally the voices move and achieve a resolution.

Most people I know who pursue choral music have absolutely zero interest in becoming soloists, at least in part because we would miss that intimate conversation that we find when singing together. I have been in many choir and many types of choirs in my life. And so often I have finished singing a piece of music only to look around and discover everyone around me beaming not only with pride but also with the joy of experiencing this shared act of creation.

For a really great example of how music, community, and the creative act function together, read the Ainulindalë at the beginning of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Silmarillion.”

The church in community is how God, by the Spirit of Christ fuses us to each other and to God. It is God’s primary method of transforming you and me and society into the image he has of us.

Practices that transform- Community

Reflection

1      How do you respond to the words : dependent, independent, and interdependent? How does your response affect your experience in Christian community?

2      How does the life you are living reflect the value that Christ places on community?

Spiritual exercises

1      Ask someone to tell you his or her story. How does their story give you a deeper understanding between you, them and God?

2      Include others outside immediate family in a family gathering.

3      If you have something against another person go to them and make it right.

4      Write thank you notes to those who have helped you.

5      Join a smaller group.

Taken from Spiritual Disciplines handbook ractices that transform Us Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Spiritual practices that transform give the Holy Spirit room to slowly saturate our lives with Him. Spiritual  practices allow us to walk with Christ, to keep company with Christ and to learn to live freely and lightly. Christ poses this question:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 the Message

One would think this would be a simple topic but it  isn’t. There is more than one philosophy regarding simplicity. Not everyone believes that simplicity is a virture or that simplifying our lives is possible or desired.

“SIMPLE solutions to difficult problems are exceedingly rare. Their attraction, however, is undeniable. The world is awash in cults, fanaticisms and miracle cures. Millions of media minutes are devoted to how we can stop climate change by dumping iron filings in the ocean, prevent cancer by taking massive doses of vitamins, or eliminate stress by tidying our closets.” So says Robert Gibson “Sounds Good, if you don’t Mind a Dollop of Ignorance with Your Bliss.”

Gibson makes as good point. But is he referring to simplicity or does he challenge being simplistic, dumbing down the challenges of life?

Christ said“ Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

Simplicity is letting go, loosening the attachment to own and having. Jeanne Williams in our design team discussion for today shared that a raccoon will reach into a small hole to grab a shiny object, and then won’t let go of the object, even though a hunter is coming towards it. …She also said it could be an urban myth.

Regardless we can all  relate with letting go of my “shiny object” knowing that doing so will give us freedom, but still not wanting to let go. It is the childhood memory of being caught with our hand in the cookie jar. It was simple wasn’t it all we had to do was let go of the cookie and escape.

What does it mean to loosen our grip to ownership and over attachment? Most examples of lifestyles of simplicity are heavy on doing your own gardening or in the extreme  seeing  technology as  the great Satan? One of the risks of simplicity is that we embrace polarizing ideas on how one ought to live. In doing so we revert to another kind of fundamentalism where we criticize and point our fingers at those we consider too materialistic.

Is the practice of simplicity as simple as giving everything away? Simplicity is the spiritual practice most prone to legalism at it’s worst moving to asceticism. Asceticism and simplicity are conflicting practices.

Asceticism renounces possessions/simplicity sets possessions in proper perspective. Asceticism finds contentment in renouncing all comfort. Asceticism takes pleasure in harshness.

Asceticism is legalism.

If asceticism  knots us in legalism, simplicity  loosens the bonds in freedom. For the practice of simplicity to be effective it needs to be voluntary.

“Voluntary simplicity,  emphasizes “the examined life,” “One part of it very much has to do with the environment. People understand global warming and issues of pollution. Another thing is that I don’t think we’ve ever lived at such a frenzied pace, and people are feeling they just can’t take it anymore. It’s looking at the way we live and asking, `Is this really the road to happiness?’” Simply Simple: ‘Voluntary Simplicity’ Helps Busy Families Take Time to Stop and Smell the Roses. Alexandra Rockey Fleming

Unlike asceticism simplicity finds contentment  and pleasure in having nothing or having much. We’re familiar with the perspective of the Apostle Paul,

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Philippians 4:11-12 NLT

Yes one can be wealthy and practice simplicity it is just harder The practice of simplicity is first and foremost a spiritual practice. It  is letting go, loosening the attachment to own and having. ….Whether we have a little or a lot. It is “an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle” Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Still, Wealth creates challenges. It can give us a sense of entitlement. We often develop an unhealthy self-sufficiency in what we have acquired It also creates opportunity and choice. This is good right?  Not necessarily so.

We often wear our complicated, knotted lives like a badge. Our identity our value is found in how much we are doing, or acquiring. How many times do you reference your conversations or greetings with how busy you are? And if we say we aren’t, if we say we have plenty of time to do what we enjoy we feel guilty. We work hard to have choices but we find that increased choices do not increase our happiness or our contentment. “Expectations in increase with choice and more choice may not mean more control.” The Paradox of Choice, Why More is Less: Barry Schwartz

Simplicity must migrate from belief to practice.

Richard Rohr reminds us that

“Mere beliefs do not necessarily change the way we live in this world.  What we have been calling “Emerging” Christianity or “Lifestyle Christianity” involves a real movement toward simplicity-at all levels.  A return to a simple lifestyle is the only way we are going to be able to respect this planet and create honest community instead of this social climbing we are involved in today.”

Simplicity is letting go, loosening the attachment to own and having. It begins as we align our inward expression, our beliefs with the teachings of Christ. Everything we have is God’s and we are given the task of managing it.

The following are  outward expressions of simplicity:

• Buy things for their usefulness not their status.
• Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
• Be generous: Develop the habit if giving things away – particularly if it is becoming addictive.
• Tithe.
• Living under the limits of your income opportunities .
• Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
• Develop a deeper appreciation for creation.
• Reject anything that supports oppression in others.
• Turn from anything that distracts you from your relationship with Christ.

taken from Finding rest when the work is never done Patrick Klingaman, Celebration of Discipline Richard Foster

The outward practice of simplicity results in inner freedom and a generous spirit. Simplicity creates margin in our lives it frees up space room to maneuver and it honours the resources of earth.

The time to practice simplicity  is now. The decision for simplicity  is best made before life becomes complicated. The challenge to  simplify is often reflected in the difficulty the aged have in down sizing, of letting go. Living well and aging well are expressed in how well can simplify.

City slickers

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? This. Holds up his finger

Mitch: Your finger?

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean &#$%.

Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”

Curly: That’s what you have to find out.

The practice of simplicity

How has culture’s “more is better mentality” influenced you?

Simplicity

Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

In what ways are you susceptible to the entitlement mentality?

How has the more is better mentality shaped you?

Do you envy those who have more things or opportunity?

How much of your identity is in what you own or where you go?

What is it like to give way the things you like and still want?

When have you downsized?

Practice Simplicity

Untie the knot of your life by practicing letting go: e.g. Simplify your vacation plans, simply your eating habits, give something away or  clean the clutter in your home i.e. pick a spot: garage, closet, attic, bedroom?

Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, practices that transform

Adele Ahlberg Caloun

in the 16 century John of the Cross, a Carmelite monk having gone through a period of time when he felt abandoned by God wrote his most famous work “The Dark night of the Soul.” ( for an on line read go to http://www.ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/dark_night.toc.html)

Out of his experience John learned that when we intentionally  engage with God in relationship at some point we may feel abandoned, hopeless in our pursuit of God, question whether God exists, and if he does, does it matter.  John of the Cross discovered that God did care but was leaving him in the dark to purify him. This is old stuff and rubs against our correct but perhaps over over emphasized identification of God’s nurturing, benevolent, happy “Jesus loves us”  side. Rob Bell’s upcoming book is stirring up all kinds of controversy as he apparently puts hell on trial rumour has it he argues that God’s love overrides confining anyone to eternal damnation. I’ll have to wait to read it but it sounds like a real zinger. My point is John of the Cross would tell us that he experienced hell on earth in the absence of Christ’s presence, Christ’s version of  tough love.

This raises s a couple of things for me. One,  we need to be in intentional pursuit of meaningful relationship with Christ as it is hard to argue that Christ has abandoned us if our previous relationship was casual and sporadic.

Two, and for this you’ll need to read him. There is a tough side to Christ, something we need to measure up to.

We continue our series on the lives of Christ’s disciples, entitled “Last Picked”, as we examine the lives of these unlikely leaders.

Who is your favourite villain? My favourite is Dr. Zachary Smith, foreign secret agent from Lost in Space. Every story needs a villain.

¹It was now two days before the Passover celebration and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and put him to death. ²“But not during the Passover,” they agreed, “or there will be a riot. ³Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head. ⁴Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why was this expensive perfume wasted?” they asked. ⁵“She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!” And they scolded her harshly.

(The Apostle John tells us that the indignant one is Judas, that he didn’t in fact care for the poor but as treasurer of the disciples had been stealing from the purse – he was thief John 12:4-6)

⁶But Jesus replied “Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me? ⁷You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer. ⁸She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. ⁹I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be talked about in her memory.” ¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. ¹¹The leading priests were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised him a reward. So he began looking for the right time and place to betray Jesus. ¹²On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread (the day the Passover lambs were sacrificed), Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover supper?” ¹³So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem to make the arrangements. “As you go into the city,” he told them, “a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁷In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples. ¹⁸As they were sitting around the table eating, Jesus said, “The truth is, one of you will betray me, one of you who is here eating with me. ¹⁹Greatly distressed, one by one they began to ask him, “I’m not the one, am I?”²⁰He replied, “It is one of you twelve, one who is eating with me now. ²¹For I, the Son of Man, must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for my betrayer. Far better for him if he had never been born!” Mark 14:1-20 NLT

Every story needs a villain and Judas Iscariot is one of the most infamous in history. Almost everyone knows Judas as the betrayer. He is one of the most reviled characters in history.

Some have thought that Judas betrayed Jesus out of disappointed expectations that Jesus would lead an anti-Roman rebellion. Others have argued that Judas could have thought he was giving Jesus the “push” necessary to launch a rebellion against the Romans and their Jewish followers. For many it is straightforward; Judas betrayed Jesus out of simple greed: 30 pieces of silver.

Recently, there has been a rehabilitation of Judas Iscariot.

Austin Cline says:

Judas Iscariot was important in the gospel stories because he filled a necessary literary and theological role: he betrayed Jesus. Someone had to do it and Judas was picked. It’s questionable whether Judas even acted of his own free will.  If Judas hadn’t done it, someone else would have.

http://atheism.about.com/od/christianhistory/ig/Jesus-Apostles-Christianity/Saint-John-Apostle-Christian.htm

Peter Rollins asks us to consider that Christ conspired with Judas to ensure history unfolded, as it should and that Christ betrayed Judas the betrayer.

Judas Iscariot was the only one of the 12 disciples not from Galilee; Iscariot means “Man of Kerioth” Kerioth was a town in south Judea. Judas was from Judea.

Judeans prided themselves on being pure-blooded Jews and looked on Galilee with contempt.

Galileans often were of mixed blood and spoke with a local accent. They were rustic, provincial, salt-of-the-earth fisher folk. Judas was not, Judas was a cut above. He was well spoken; he was from a better place with a better reputation. He had a position of trust as treasurer and I expect with this role he was often the spokesperson for Christ. Judas had star quality. If I were picking, he would be first picked. Every story needs a villain and Judas Iscariot filled this role very well.

How many times have we seen a variation of the Judas theme played out; 30 piece of silver is synonymous with betrayal. The kiss on the cheek is as good as dead. In the end like all good stories the villain gets what he deserves; Judas became Christ’s fall guy. And the best part – when he realized his mistake, it was too late. He got what he deserved, justice was served, and we are satisfied.

Most discussion and sermons about Judas centre on his evil nature and great betrayal and how we should not be like him. I see another story. Christ saw beyond Judas’s polished persona early in their relationship. He knew that Judas had a fatal character flaw: that Judas was consumed by evil and that Judas would be his downfall. Still Christ chose to keep the villain, Judas, in his story. He sent Judas with the other disciples to heal the sick and proclaim his message of good news. He allowed Judas to hold the group’s money. He walked with him, shared his life with him, and ate with him.

In the greatest of ironies, he washed Judas’s feet, a symbol of cleansing, knowing that Judas, having rejected this offer of forgiveness, would in the next hours betray him.

Why?

I believe Christ was practicing what he preached, living the example we are to follow. He said this, and when he did I wonder if he was making eye contact with Judas.

²⁷“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. ²⁹If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. ³⁰Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. ³¹Do for others as you would like them to do for you ³²“Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that! ³³And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! ³⁴And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return. ³⁵“Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don’t be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. ³⁶You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:27-35 NLT

Christ’s life stands in counter point to a prevailing worldview that often savors stories with outcomes of vengeance, revenge and punitive action. If ours is to be a life worth living and sharing, we need a villain in our story, be it a person or a circumstance. That sounds wrong on so many levels, but this is why.

The tension that the villain creates:

Forces us to pray – hard.

Requires that we trust Christ.

Demands that we give thought to what we believe.

Insists that we be intentional in the practice of our faith.

Keeps hope alive for restoration and forgiveness.

And in the end our Christ-like life gives the Holy Spirit opportunity complete his redemptive work in our lives and in society.

I found this article while going through my ritual of checking my News Pro app

BOSTON (Reuters Life!) – Bringing ritual to your workday can be a way to stay calm and focused among the constant distractions, says Harvard Business Review.

“Many people constantly feel starved for time, hurrying through the day while fighting countless distractions and struggling to stay focused. One way to remain calm and centered is by bringing rituals into your workday. Rituals are about paying attention. If you take a moment to notice what you are about to do, you remind yourself to appreciate and focus on the task, rather than rush through it. For example, when you sit down at your desk in the morning, pause before your turn on your computer or pick up the phone. Take a deep breath and give thought to what you are about to do. You may find this focus helps you accomplish tasks more carefully and productively.” -Today’s management tip was adapted from “The Value of Ritual in Your Workday” by Peter Bregman.

One of my most consistent rituals is to walk Lou the Dog while talking to Christ and it seems that even if I have it wrong and Christ isn’t listening I  still benefit ( Lou does for sure).

I find myself constantly looking for something interesting, something to stimulate my mind, an immediate and easy response for “nothing to do.”

Kathleen Norris writes, “Is it not a good joke that when God gave us work to do as punishment for our disobedience in Eden, it was work that can never be finished only repeated, day in and day out, season upon season, year after year. It is precisely these thankless, boring, repetitive tasks that are the hardest for the workaholic or utilitarian mind to appreciate, and God knows that being rendered temporarily mindless as we toil is what allows us to approach the temple of holy leisure.”

Our lives are lived in the mundane doesn’t it make sense that we make peace with the ordinary, the boring; accepting the inconsequential as good in itself and worthy of our attention. If it is so that  God pays attention to and finds pleasure in our lives then we are most like him when we too find joy in ordinary.

“Do not forget that the value and interest of life is not so much to do conspicuous things…as to do ordinary things with the perception of their enormous value.” Teihard de Chardin.

Richard Foster in this meditation suggests writing the word “play” on a 3×5 card  and placing it to remind us that our work can be our play

New Year at Urban Bridge:

January 2 2011
Brunch on Sunday – We will be gathering as a community for Brunch at the Fawcett’s.
Time:11 am
Date: January 2 2011
Address:46 Glenwood Dr SHERWOOD PARK AB T8A 0L1
Contact:Debbie Fawcett bdfawcett@shaw.ca, 1 (780) 464-4042

¹At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ²(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³All returned to their own towns to register for this census. ⁴And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time.⁶And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.⁸That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, ¹⁰but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! ¹¹The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹²And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”¹³Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God:¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”¹⁵When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”¹⁶They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. ²⁰The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

Luke 2: 1-20 NLT

Why were the shepherds the first to be invited? Shepherds were considered a lower class of people; out side the margins of respectability though I find it ironic that some iconic Biblical figures were shepherds: Jacob, Joseph, King David, and Moses.

Non-the less, shepherds at the time of Christ did not have a good reputation.

It has been put this way “They were suspected of not being very careful to distinguish ‘mine’ and ‘thine’; In fact their reputation was so bad they were barred from giving evidence in court” (Strack-Billerbeck).

But their job was necessary, even important. Some speculate that the flock of sheep we read about being kept just outside of Bethlehem was being readied for upcoming Passover celebration.

Being a shepherd was not something you bragged about, certainly not one a parent wished for their children. It might be like working in Edmonton’s Composting plant. We have the largest most sophisticated composting system in North America. Not including what goes in your blue bag, 60 % of the waste that goes to your garbage bag is turned into compost. Yet for all the world-class technology, people are still needed to literally sort through your garbage as a part of the process. Half my garbage is Safeway bags of my dog Lou’s poo, so though the sorter’s job is necessary it is not a conversation starter.

I’m sure that few shepherds were as untrustworthy as many claimed; still as a group they were stigmatized. Today we might call if profiling. When I was a boy WW2 was still a fresh memory, Japan was rebuilding and creating a niche in exporting/manufacturing. We had a derisive, condescending response for things that broke, We would say, “ Must have been made in Japan”. If you or I were creating a marketing plan in Christ’s day we would not use a shepherd as our spokesperson and there would be no sheep on our brochures.

Think about whom in your world you not trust? A person, a people group, or an organization? Do you have an image?

Now Relax, Close your eyes.

Picture Christ as the doll in the magnetic dress up kit. Dress Jesus in the clothes of the people you don’t trust?

Can Christ redeem their “look”?

Fast-forward 400 years, fast-forward 2000 years. Your dress up Jesus is the enduring metaphor of Christ; it is the often-used illustration of Christ.

It is important that the take away for this morning is more than another Urban Bridge message on social justice and compassion – what we refer to as mercy. It is more than that.

It is a message for all of us, and all of those who are unlikely, who do not fit the profile of being witness to Christ the messiah. For Christ to use sheep and shepherds to illustrate the best of his kingdom was unlikely, it was not plausible. I wonder if it took his listeners by surprise. He could have illustrated his life and teaching from any number of acceptable individuals or groups.

He didn’t.

Jesus has redeemed the “shepherd” look. In doing so he compels us to reframe his message for our lives and our culture. It begins with you and me.

Each of us knows, deep down in our secret places that we are often untrustworthy as witnesses for the messiah. There are things in our lives that we know should not be held up as Christ like qualities. How many of us dressed ourselves over the magnetic Jesus?

Yet the spirit of Christ  – the Holy Spirit calls us out, asks us to dust our selves off and be witness to this event: To come as we are. “¹⁶They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,” Luke 2: 16-17 NLT.

This reframing extends beyond us. It extends to those whom we consider unlikely, or implausible, untrustworthy. Last week I shared the story of my friend who now follows Christ. She considered herself an unlikely, implausible, even an untrustworthy witness for the messiah. And so did I. But if we are to follow Christ’s example, they are exactly the ones Christ invites to be witness to this event.

Those considered unlikely, implausible, untrustworthy are often wiling to be witnesses to this event but they need someone to take Gabriel’s song to them.

Ed Stetzer says, “They are open but we are afraid. ”

Why are we afraid to be witnesses of the Messiah?