Moment of Clarity With Rev. Lorrie Daly-Price

Sunday, April 5, 2020 | As Jesus approached Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, many people had gathered on the roadside to welcome him. Many of these had no doubt witnessed his healing, and listened to his preaching, but some perhaps were there to have a glimpse of this man who had been causing a stir by his radical teaching. As crowds go this would not have been much different from any other crowd then and ever since. John’s gospel specifically notes that many of the Jews who had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus had followed Jesus to Jerusalem and were telling everyone what had happened. News had already arrived ahead of them, and so many in Jerusalem came out to meet him because they had heard about Lazarus. Why are these people rejoicing? Because the raising of Lazarus has given them hope. Hope imagines a better world, a better outcome, a different future.

March 29, 2020 | Waiting for something to happen is one of the hardest task we all face. Waiting in line, waiting in traffic, waiting for a test result. Waiting is hard. The road to Easter is part of this waiting. As in so many times in life, we struggle before we arrive at our destination.In the reading this week from John’s Gospel, Mary and Martha grieve the death of their dear brother Lazarus.With that grieve comes loss, frustrations, questioning and lack of understanding by those closest to him. A delayed arrival to Bethany is not what they had expected from Jesus. If only he had come sooner. If only…Jesus’ delay though is understandable from a purely defensive, logical stance. A trip through the area would make him vulnerable to his enemies. Yet, Jesus does set out anyway and when he arrives everything changes.This week, two weeks before Easter, we have a foreshadowing that tells us that the Jesus story is a story of dying and rising. It’s a story of our own dying and our own rising. It’s about the life – our new life – that is possible, even after terrible loss.

March 22, 2020 | In the reading this week from John’s gospel, Jesus gives sight to a man blind from birth. He does it with just a little spit, some ordinary dirt, and a few words. It certainly doesn’t seem like something that could really happen. In fact, the religious leaders, the disciples, the community gathered and his parents all have a real problem with the whole scenario. However, the man is bewildered by what has just happened for he was once blind and he can now see for miles.

Jesus is still in the business of miracles. He takes us, ordinary, yet named disciples and equips us to be his people. He takes our humble gifts and multiplies our meagre offerings in ways that can’t be explained rationally.

In the midst of all that is going on in our world right now let’s think about that. How can a small congregation rally together to raise funds creatively to meet the needs of our church? How can a few folks band together to rally around those feeling isolated by our communities need to stay indoors? Such miracles of hopeful grace happen every day when Jesus opens our eyes.

March 15, 2020 | In our reading this week from John’s gospel we hear the story of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman. It is important, when hearing this scripture, to remember that men would not have tended to speak with unmarried women to whom they were unrelated. It is also important to point out that the Samaritans were people looked down on by all their Jewish neighbours. 

Despite the history and context, Jesus offers the Samaritan woman the same salvation he brings to the Jewish people. To the woman, he is the Messiah and he gives her living water. She is overjoyed, tells her neighbours, and becomes one of the many people who spread the gospel in that region.

March 8, 2020 | This week in our gospel reading Nicodemus comesto Jesus as an owner, supervisor and gatekeeper of Israel’s religion. He doesn't own the religious tradition but he’s certainly one of its chief stewards – one of its guarantors, one of its border guards. Israel’s religion is his baby. He comes to Jesus expressing both a genuine interest and at the same time a guarded caution about what Jesus is doing. We think you’re one of us, he tells Jesus. God must clearly be on your side given what’s happening around you in your ministry. Is Nicodemus, speaking on behalf of official Israel? If so, why has he come at night and in secret?

March 1, 2020 | Temptation, confession, repentance, and forgiveness—or resisting temptation from the start? As we begin our Lenten journey these are the things that we are asked to think about. In our reading this week from Matthew’s gospel we learn that even the most intense temptations were resisted by Jesus. In the wilderness, Jesus confronted the voices within. “Use your power for yourself!” the tempter urged. “Change these stones into bread, like Yahweh made manna in the desert!” “Show your power to those big shots in Jerusalem! Then come up the mountain, and I will show you all the kingdoms of the world. They can all be yours... if you worship me.”

Don’t think Jesus didn’t struggle hard against these thoughts. At that very moment, Roman soldiers were occupying his land. What aspiring king, president or politician could have turned down such an offer?

Resisting temptation is hard. When have you repented of a sinful act and found forgiveness? When have you found the support—of friends or family—to resist temptation?

Feb 16, 2020 | Our reading this week from Matthew’s gospel is one we might approach with a sense of trepidation and with deep certainty that we have a whole lot of questions.

For on the one hand, we know that our choices do matter. They shape our every day. On the other hand? Well, we know that so much has already been chosen for us. For by virtue of our birth place and opportunity, some choices have never been ours to make in the first place. And yet every moment of every day we have choices to make. Will we disregard the alarm clock and snuggle down under the blankets and enjoy more sleep? Will we continue to mindlessly eat the box of chocolates we got the other day for Valentine’s Day or set it aside for another day…or better yet share it with others? And these are the easy choices of course.

Indeed, most of the choices we are called to make in the day-to-day really do not seem like they are much about ‘choosing life,’ do they? Or do they? Perhaps they prepared us for the day when the choice we are offered will be monumental and life altering. This was the case for the disciples that Jesus spoke with that day. Our choices do matter. Sometimes we’ll get it right. Often we won’t. Either way, every day the gift and privilege and yes, the challenge, is to sort out what life looks right and to try to choose it.

Feb 9, 2020 | In our reading this week from Matthew’s gospel Jesus is addressing a group of listeners about two basic things we all use which are salt and light. Two things that are both essential for life and growth and are reinforced by many different references in scripture.

I remember hearing the words that a person was the “salt of the earth” in Sunday School, which meant that they were trustworthy, brave, just good solid individuals. Just the way that it was expressed you knew it was nothing exotic, this was not frankincense or myrrh, this was plain old table salt. Salt was regular, not fancy; salt for every day, not just for company. So if we were to be like salt, it meant we were to be useful.

But salt doesn’t work alone. It preserves, it adds flavour, and it zests things up. It changes the way water tastes and the very function of the human body. For salt to work it must be used with something. To be a disciple, Jesus was saying, is to be like salt, mixed right into the middle of life, adding passion and making a difference.

And then Jesus talks about light. Light is like salt, it too is essential for life and growth. It has the power to illuminate things and brings that which is hidden into view. It is measured by what it does, and how it is able to change the environment.

February 2, 2020 | This week we hear a reading from Matthew’s gospel. It begins with Jesus receiving the news that John the Baptist has been arrested, so he leaves the district and goes to Galilee where he continues his ministry. 

In Capernaum we find Jesus ‘by the sea’. Some of us have lived ‘by the sea’: known of community’s influenced by the sea and what is in it, or under it. Some of us like to holiday ‘by the sea’: we take a break from our usual surroundings and responsibilities. The setting and pace of these verses from Matthew’s gospel create one of the most picturesque scenes in scripture. It reads or sounds like the travelogue of someone who describes a beautiful coastal holiday village and then highly recommends it for a visit. ‘Living by the lake…’, ‘walking by the sea...’, ‘men fishing in their boats…’, ‘men mending their nets…’

The setting is tranquil and interesting with plenty to see. Who would not want to holiday there, or even better live there for a while?

Yet, contrast this peaceful, steady setting with the strongly significant events that take place this week. Are they up for the challenge? Are we?