By the Rev’d Lucy Nguyen
Season: 3rd Sunday of the Season of Creation
Readings: Ps 19 | James 3:1-12 | Mark 8:27-38
As you know, we are in the Season of Creation or Creationtide. The season started on 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and will end on 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. During this Season of Creation, Christians around the world are uniting in prayer and action to protect God’s creation. Many Anglicans, including Auckland Anglicans, including All Saints Howick Anglicans, including you and I… are taking the opportunity to reflect on our relationship with creation, and to consider how God may be calling us further into our Anglican Communion’s fifth mark of mission: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth”. To care for the taonga that is the world around us.
HOPE AND ACT WITH CREATION is the theme.
Hope can be a tricky word or concept. It’s a commonly used word: I hope you have a good day; I hope you’re feeling better; I hope I wake up on time, I hope I hope I hope… But what does hope mean in the context of our faith?
Are we just hoping God will show up like a magic genie? From a Christian faith perspective, “Hope is an instrument enabling us to overcome the natural law of decay. Hope is given to us by God as a protection and guard against futility. Only through hope we may realize the gift of freedom in fullness. Freedom to act not only to achieve enjoyment and prosperity, but to reach the stage in which we are free and responsible. Freedom and responsibility enable us to make the world a better place. Only when we work together with Creation can the first fruits of hope emerge.”
“Sadly, the times we live in show clearly that we are not relating to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, but rather as a resource to be used” to be used-up, made extinct with no concept of the implications.”
Knowing God through creation is a common foundational understanding in many indigenous cultures supporting the belief of a kinship between all things. We find in the psalms this understanding of knowing God through creation and hearing God in creation speaking through creation. Hear again the first 6 verses of Psalm 19:
“The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hid from its heat.”
Psalm 19 offers one of the boldest portraits of creation communicating a message, a word of God we ought to hear. This Psalm is more than poetry. In this psalm the sky proclaims an important message to us all, a message about the vibrant presence and creative word of God. When the skies/heavens declare the glory of God they are reiterating the words of Isaiah (6.3) that Earth is ‘filled’ with God’s living presence. We are invited to see that presence shining through. The skies also announce that the work of the Creator is everywhere, and that God keeps on creating all around us.
An awareness of God’s presence and care in every part of creation ought to motivate us to respect our planet as a sacred place full of songs and understanding from the sky. Awareness and Understanding are key for us as we engage in this season of creation. Are we understanding what are people saying about the eco crises? Are we understanding what we could/should be saying/doing about the eco crises?
This type of questioning is at the heart of what Jesus put to his disciples in our gospel reading this morning. One writer reckoned that this interplay between Jesus and the disciples is a bit like a midyear exam in Christology.
“Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (What are people saying about me?)
This first question is an entry level test question. Tell me what you have heard from others. Fairly easy and safe. These days we’d check social media accounts and google.
“[The disciples] answered him, [they’re saying you are] “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
Correct, that is what people are saying and yet it’s not the truth of who Jesus is. Jesus continues his teaching of his disciples. He asks the deeper question.
“He [Jesus then] asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” (What are you saying about me?) Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”
Which seems like the right answer. It’s what Jesus has been saying. But how does Jesus respond?
“And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.”
Peter’s response is what some call a “correct confession”. You’ve given the right answer, but you have no real understanding of what you’re saying. You’ve memorised and repeated for the exam but don’t really get it, yet. Mark as narrator and witness to the resurrection knew that although the story includes unspeakable suffering the story of Jesus continues beyond the grave in ways which still had impact in Mark’s time, and we believe on through the generations in to today. But Peter wouldn’t have known that yet! He was giving the correct answer, but he would be challenged and have failure of faith. He didn’t fully understand what it meant to follow Jesus.
We are still learning too.
How is your faith and understanding? We have the head knowledge. We’ve all read to the end of the story – are we ready to trust in God and respond in kind? Do we act in hope in the face of today’s challenges? And what is being asked of us? We’re going to use our remaining “sermon” time is to consider two questions before us – You may like to sit with the questions and reflect and pray quietly, turn to a neighbour to share or even move around a bit to have small group conversation.
Conversation Time Guidelines
- So, everyone who wishes to share has a chance to be heard, we’ll start with the practice of active listening.
- For each question, go around the group and let people, who wish to, respond so everyone is heard without interrupting.
- Be mindful to leave enough time for everyone in your group to speak.
- After a round is done with the first question, go back and start again with the second question.
- And then have a general conversation about ideas for us as faith community seeking to be actively hopeful in caring of all creation.
Questions
- What have you heard people (scientists, politicians, radio hosts, your neighbour etc), say is of concern with regards to the environment, creation, nature, resources, global warming etc.?
- What do you say is of concern if anything?
- What do you believe is a hopeful response from us as individuals, and as part of the church?
Thank you everyone, please come back into group. I hope this has been a helpful time. I encourage you to continue the reflecting and hopeful action. We have our eco group and resources if you like more information. And a guest speaker next week. I’ll close with a prayer.
God of beauty and God of truth, everything in your creation is connected, for all share a common origin in your creating hand. Fill us with a spirit of praise, gratitude, wisdom, and courage, that we might care for creation and not misuse it, ensure that its goods are shared in justice with all our brothers and sisters, and speak out on its behalf whenever it is threatened.
Amen.
Bibliography
- https://anglicanmovement.nz/seasonofcreation
- https://www.amacad.org/publication/daedalus/indigenous-americansspirituality-and-ecos
- Feasting on the Gospels Mark 8:27-39 (pg 239).
- https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/about-us/prayers-reflections/prayer-forthe-care-of-creation/