Rev Pam Hynd's sermon for Pentecost 12
Jesus walks into a Synagogue and two people who are suffering from severe paralysis: One with a chronically twisted spine and the other with paralysed faith and twisted theology. Which one do you think might be easier for him to heal?
So, Luke 12:49-59 is probably not the favourite Bible passage of anyone nice. But let's hear Jesus out. Anyone who challenges structural evil is going to speak out in a way that creates division. Jesus is not asking us to use violence. He never did. He is not calling for senseless provocation. But he is saying that when we challenge structural evil it will challenge us back and it will not be pretty!
Is faith about saying the right words? Is it about believing the right things? According to Hebrews 11, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It is about setting out on a journey in which the destination is not yet on the map. In other words, it is about following a dream.
Australians are anxious about the rising cost of living. Many are not only anxious but genuinely struggling to meet their financial commitments. The Reserve bank has sought to encourage anxious Australians with talk of buffers that will help us weather this storm. Household savings are one of those buffers. A lot of Australians have been putting money away, in savings or in additional mortgage payments. And there is no doubt that those who have done that will have a greater chance of holding onto their assets as interest rates rise. I am not an economist by any means, but while I feel uncomfortable focussing on wealthy Australians with large buffers, rather than the many Australians who are one pay packet away from eviction, I can see the sense in people putting money away as a buffer if they possibly can. That’s what makes us feel uncomfortable with this parable.
Are you old enough to remember that Colgate ad? (If not, I'm sure you are capable of looking it up!) As you can see, I couldn't find a good picture of the chalk, but capillary action in flowers is prettier anyway. If ink gets into chalk, and coloured dye gets into flowers, what might praying the Lord's Prayer every day do to our brains?
Are you a Mary or a Martha? No, don't tell me! We should stop asking that question and all just get on with following Mary's example by "sitting at the feet of Jesus" - that is, by being his disciples.
What do you do when you see someone in need? Almost certainly you A. Help them if you can. B. Feel frustrated if you can't help them. C. Feel guilty if you don't help them. That is the power this story has had on our world
Rev Pam Hynd's sermon for Pentecost 3
There are all sorts of storms: Lightning-and-thunder-and-pelting-rain storms Devastating-waves-and-menacing-wind storms Flooding, invasive, water-getting-in-everywhere storms. Outrage-erupting-on-the-streets political storms Battle-for-dominance-and-autonomy-and-land-and-loyalty war storms I-am-right-and-you-are-wrong relationship storms Terrifying, violent, tormenting inner mental storms All sorts of storms In Luke 8 Jesus calm a lake storm on his way to meet someone struggling to survive at the intersection of just about every storm that life can throw at a person.