Mother’s Day is a good day to remember women of courage who live out their faith with authenticity and boldness. Who speak the words and walk the walk. We thank God for the example of Godly, courageous, visionary, Just, compassionate, strong women who are mentors and examples and leaders in our world.
That not only includes mothers but so many other women –-
teachers, health-care workers, friends, grandmas, aunties, sisters, pastors, community workers, advocates –- so many great examples that impact our world and impact our lives and our families and each of us here.
I remember a many years ago, when a young woman, who later became one of our youth leaders came to our church for the first time. She was a social worker and was interested in seeing what our church was like.
We had a reputation for having very cool worship, fantastic preaching, and the small groups and Bible study groups were just awesome. So unbeknown to us, she turned up in an old unfashionable coat with stains in it, no make-up, shoes with holes in them and a generally pained and dishevelled appearance.
She slouched, sat down at the back to enjoy what was an awesome service - except no one spoke with her. They all kept their distance, glancing at her and exchanging whispered comments. After it was all over she introduced herself to me and we talked it through.
We’d all lustily sang songs about the grace of God, touching others with Christ’s love and sacrificing everything for a life of mission, but when the rubber hit the road, there was a big difference between our ‘information’ or about our ‘formation.’
The question is: Have you learnt about Jesus, or have you learnt Jesus? Are you ‘putting on’ the capacity to think about Christ?’ or are you ‘putting on Christ?’
Do we, on Mothers Day, admire and applaud at a distance, the women and mothers who inspire us? Or do we learn from and imitate the example they are setting for us?
The scriptures talk about God calling out a people of faith, who are learning to live and act and proclaim the love and the justice and the grace of God in Jesus, amidst the principalities and powers of this World.
A small people, standing against the empires and influences and injustices that shape the world we find ourselves in, and yet a people who dare to hope that God’s reconciliation, God’s new creation, God’s presence, God’s grace and God’s power can break forth through them to transform others.
We are putting on the attitudes and practises of Christ, in distinction to being, as Romans 12 puts it being: “Conformed to the pattern of this world.”
Some years ago, for about four years, I travelled across to
Sunday 16th of January.
Slept in today – ‘have to confess I didn’t go to church. Around 10am strolled down to old Pasadena. Sunny, warm 25C degrees – They do winter well here, Oh yes! Got a nice large latte at a Starbucks attached to a massive bookshop and sank into a deep comfy leather armchair to read my book on being genuine missionaries wherever we are.
‘Felt strong and very cool behind my shades and black missional tee shirt. Really getting into the book, picturing myself single-handedly (with God’s help, of course) changing the world…
Rudely interrupted by an elderly woman. Friendly wrinkled round face, very crooked yellow teeth, worn ragged clothes. “Please sir, could you spare a dollar?” She was very quiet and looked very embarrassed. She wasn’t some wild-eyed gangster; just a scared, shabby, little, old woman. What was I to do? She’d obviously been past the other two well-dressed guys on my left and got short shrift. “Don’t encourage these people, they’re just manipulating you,” said my mind in a panic. “Can’t hurt to give her some change, just to move her on.” I reached into my wallet. I felt what seemed like a one-dollar note. “This will have do, I’m not going to keep fumbling around for coins.”
I hastily passed her the note; and as she unravelled it we both realised it was a twenty dollar note!
Her whole face changed – it was like she’d won Tattslotto! Next thing, she’d swept me into her grubby hands and clothes, hugged me tight and planted a sloppy wet kiss full on my lips. “Thankyou, sir! Thankyou so so much!” And with that, she was gone.
You know, my first response shocked me…. All I could think was: “Ugh! She kissed me! What if she has some horrible illness! And how embarrassing, the other urbane looking customers all saw me hugged by a homeless old woman. How naïve they must think me!”
Hmmm. So much for mighty ‘Mission-Man!’ I’m not sure Jesus would have thought about those things. How our middle-class pretentiousness sets us apart from the poor!
We think we can do mission by just doing charity at ‘them’. Take up a collection, run a programme – but don’t let ‘them’ into our lives. Ugh! Hugging lepers like Jesus did? You must be crazy! We’ll run programs and give generously BUT Don’t ask us to get close with people who are on the edge. “I want them OUT of my house thanks!”
It takes more than head knowledge and good intentions to resist the pressures to conform to respectability, safety, privacy, and comfortableness ..... End of diary entry.
Formation, or In-formation? Learning about Jesus OR learning JESUS?
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book The Tipping Point, tells the story of John Darley and Daniel Batson, two researchers who were interested in what motivates people to help others. They met with a group of Princeton Divinity students, individually, and asked each one to prepare a short talk on a given Biblical theme, and then to walk over to a nearby building and present it to a waiting audience of new students.
Darley and Batson introduced three variables into the experiment, to make its results more meaningful.
Darley and Batson introduced three variables into the experiment, to make its results more meaningful.
First, before the experiment even started, they gave the students a questionnaire about why they had chosen to study theology. Did they see Bible College as a means for personal and spiritual fulfilment and service? Or were they looking for a degree to help them get into vocational ministry or mission?
Secondly, they varied the subject of the theme the students were asked to talk about. Half of the subjects were told to talk about ministry employment opportunities for Bible College students after graduation, and the others were told to discuss the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Finally, instructions given by the experiments to each student varied as well. In some cases, as the students were sent on their way, the experimenters would look at their watch and say, “Oh you’re running late -- They were expecting you a few minutes ago; you’d better get moving." In other cases, they might say: "It will be a few minutes before they're ready for you, but you might as well head over now."
Darley and Batson's experiment begins during each students’ walk over to the building to deliver their talk. All of the students (hurrying on their way to give their talk to the new students) passed a man who is slumped over against a wall, apparently in need of assistance. The man is, in reality, an associate of the two experimenters. As the students pass the man, he coughs twice and groans pitifully. If the subjects ask him if he needs help, he says ‘no, no, it’s OK’, even though he clearly is in distress.
Now, if you were asked to predict which Bible College students stopped and played the role of the Good Samaritan, you would THINK it would be the students who were doing Theological Studies to help people and, those reminded of the importance of compassion by having just read the parable of the Good Samaritan.
In fact, neither of those factors made any difference.
On several occasions, a seminary student going to give their talk on the Parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he or she hurried on their way. The only thing that really mattered was whether the student was in a rush.
Of the group that was running late, only 10 percent stopped to help. Of the group who knew they had a few minutes to spare, 63 percent stopped.
Says Gladwell: “... The results of the study are a stunning triumph of social convention over compassionate action. The importance of being on time and presenting their talk well, as instructed by a relatively unknown researcher, outweighed the capacity to step outside the norm to assist an apparently distressed individual.”
The subjects were, after all, not a random sample of Uni Students who mightn’t all be that interested in helping those in need -- These were Bible College students! These were students supposed to be motivated by the example of Jesus!
The beliefs that these students held dear, however, were easily manipulated from an instruction by an unknown experimenter to hurry. And, even reminding them of the parable of the Good Samaritan had no real effect on the subjects relative to the instruction to hurry.
Are we Sunday Saints or Good Samaritans? The purpose of our time together when we Praise God or do Bible Study or Pray, is not just to give us good information and to make us feel good -- but to provide us a space for formation.
We do it to build people who can live as intentional disciples of Jesus against the expectations and pressures of civilised 21st century materialism and self-centeredness – 24/7.
Examined lives; Devoted lives; Lives that choose to live out the way of Christ. Followers who with Jesus can proclaim: ”The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." (Luke 4: 18-19)
And Jesus identified himself with this: “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” and he will tell them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matt 25:37-40)
On several occasions, a seminary student going to give their talk on the Parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he or she hurried on their way. The only thing that really mattered was whether the student was in a rush.
Of the group that was running late, only 10 percent stopped to help. Of the group who knew they had a few minutes to spare, 63 percent stopped.
Says Gladwell: “... The results of the study are a stunning triumph of social convention over compassionate action. The importance of being on time and presenting their talk well, as instructed by a relatively unknown researcher, outweighed the capacity to step outside the norm to assist an apparently distressed individual.”
The subjects were, after all, not a random sample of Uni Students who mightn’t all be that interested in helping those in need -- These were Bible College students! These were students supposed to be motivated by the example of Jesus!
The beliefs that these students held dear, however, were easily manipulated from an instruction by an unknown experimenter to hurry. And, even reminding them of the parable of the Good Samaritan had no real effect on the subjects relative to the instruction to hurry.
Are we Sunday Saints or Good Samaritans? The purpose of our time together when we Praise God or do Bible Study or Pray, is not just to give us good information and to make us feel good -- but to provide us a space for formation.
We do it to build people who can live as intentional disciples of Jesus against the expectations and pressures of civilised 21st century materialism and self-centeredness – 24/7.
Examined lives; Devoted lives; Lives that choose to live out the way of Christ. Followers who with Jesus can proclaim: ”The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." (Luke 4: 18-19)
And Jesus identified himself with this: “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” and he will tell them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matt 25:37-40)
When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, he did so deliberately to shock his audience. ‘Who is my neighbour?’ asked the lawyer. Jesus turned the question back on him: in this story: "Who turned out to be neighbour to the man in the ditch?"
Like so many of Jesus’ stories, it operates at several levels. At the simplest level, of course, it is a spectacular invitation to a life of self-giving love, love in action, love that’s prepared to roll up its sleeves and help no matter what it takes.
But, as NT Wright notes, at the next level down, it’s a story designed to split open the worldview of its hearers and let in a shaft of new and unexpected light. Instead of the closed world of Jesus’ hearers, in which only their own race were properly to be counted as neighbours, Jesus demands that they recognise that even the hated and feared Samaritan is to be seen as a neighbour.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, the well-educated and devote and religious people pass by on the other side, leaving the injured man to his fate - a stunning triumph of social convention over compassionate action. Instead, it’s the ‘despised’ and ‘ignorant’ Samaritan who graduates with High Distinctions as a Godly person.
The way we choose to live, declares what we believe, more powerfully than mere words can do.
The silver lining of this disruptive and disturbing time of isolation is that it also disrupts the social conventions; the patterns of busyness; the treadmill; the demands and expectations of a wealthy middle-class society such as ours.
We have an opportunity to re-appraise and realign with the Way of Jesus. To re-set patterns and habits more consistent to what we say we believe.
Let us show through our lives that there is a different way to live, a way which shows up selfish individualism for what it is, a way which declares, in the face of all the post-modern cynicism and addictive materialism, that there is such a thing as the self-giving love of God, and that it is magnificent and it is powerful.
What we do, and what we are, stands as a sign of challenge to the follies of our world, because it stands as a signpost pointing along the pilgrim way, the holy way, the ‘highway to Zion’.
This is our calling as members of Jesus church – not just the
minister or the leaders or those sent as missionaries or denominational workers! We join a church and we meet together, not for our leisure, but to be strengthened as disciples travelling, like the Good Samaritan, on the Jerusalem to Jericho road each week!
This is the road along which you and I travel, looking for those in need of healing and in need of hope: the road, in fact, towards God’s coming new creation.
So may God bless you and encourage you, and guide you and make you signs of hope wherever you go in the days to come!
Like so many of Jesus’ stories, it operates at several levels. At the simplest level, of course, it is a spectacular invitation to a life of self-giving love, love in action, love that’s prepared to roll up its sleeves and help no matter what it takes.
But, as NT Wright notes, at the next level down, it’s a story designed to split open the worldview of its hearers and let in a shaft of new and unexpected light. Instead of the closed world of Jesus’ hearers, in which only their own race were properly to be counted as neighbours, Jesus demands that they recognise that even the hated and feared Samaritan is to be seen as a neighbour.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, the well-educated and devote and religious people pass by on the other side, leaving the injured man to his fate - a stunning triumph of social convention over compassionate action. Instead, it’s the ‘despised’ and ‘ignorant’ Samaritan who graduates with High Distinctions as a Godly person.
The way we choose to live, declares what we believe, more powerfully than mere words can do.
The silver lining of this disruptive and disturbing time of isolation is that it also disrupts the social conventions; the patterns of busyness; the treadmill; the demands and expectations of a wealthy middle-class society such as ours.
We have an opportunity to re-appraise and realign with the Way of Jesus. To re-set patterns and habits more consistent to what we say we believe.
Let us show through our lives that there is a different way to live, a way which shows up selfish individualism for what it is, a way which declares, in the face of all the post-modern cynicism and addictive materialism, that there is such a thing as the self-giving love of God, and that it is magnificent and it is powerful.
What we do, and what we are, stands as a sign of challenge to the follies of our world, because it stands as a signpost pointing along the pilgrim way, the holy way, the ‘highway to Zion’.
This is our calling as members of Jesus church – not just the
This is the road along which you and I travel, looking for those in need of healing and in need of hope: the road, in fact, towards God’s coming new creation.
So may God bless you and encourage you, and guide you and make you signs of hope wherever you go in the days to come!
