Pastor's Messages from Prints of Peace
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Why Liturgy?

A while back I was asked about our liturgy. The question was broad in scope. “Why do we do what we do?” Initially I had wanted to explain it on a Sunday morning, on a second thought, I offer this:

Firstly, we need to know that every Christian denomination has an order to their service, it is never arbitrary. Therefore a set order of service is not unique to liturgical churches.

Liturgy itself has a dynamic movement. I may be the same every Sunday (although it is not: prayers, songs, readings reflect the different seasons of the year) but we never leave where we started, we never leave unchanged. We come as petitioners, we leave as people blessed and sent, carrying within us not only God’s gifts but God Godself.

The movement of the liturgy begins by remembering that we stand in God’s presence. This is a good thing to recall, not only on Sundays, but every moment of our lives. As we remember that God is present, we are both in awe and wondering how we, mere sinners, can stand in God’s presence and live, how we can approach God. In the name of Jesus we appeal to God’s mercy. Having received God’s pardon we seek to remain in God’s presence, we cling to God’s every word, praise God through prayer and song, seek intimate communion in the sacrament. We leave as people made new, strengthened, united, and sent. We remember that we received the gift of faith for the healing of the world, and go forth embodying the peace of Christ. The movement of the Sunday liturgy relives the basic movement of the Christian life: We die with Christ and we rise with Christ. (1 Cor 15:22)

The words of the liturgy are from the Holy Scriptures (see Biblical Roots of the Liturgy). In our worship we use words that are familiar, faithful, and carry meaning that is backed up by God’s promises and the lives of those who have gone before us and who have trusted those same words. Using these familiar words is reminiscent of role-play. We long to grow into the full stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13), therefore we open ourselves to God’s presence in words that are familiar, (often) spoken by biblical characters we know and love or by our Lord himself.

Some elements of the liturgy are optional. Essential elements relate to content and structure: Prayer of the Day, readings, sermon, Hymn of the Day, Prayers of the People, the Offering , Communion, Benediction. (It is of note, that from the time of Justin Martyr in the second century Christians have kept the Lord’s Day with a service of Word and Sacrament including the reading and preaching of the Gospel, the offering of prayer, and the celebration of the Eucharist.)
A description of the function of the different elements follows.

The Confession and Forgiveness was once part of the minister's)’ preparation for worship, it is everyone’s preparation now, entering worship with honesty, humility and trust.
The Gathering Hymn gathers us as congregation, collectively praising God.
The Greeting reminds us why we are here and in whose name we gather.
The Kyrie (lord have mercy) recognizes our fundamental need of God.
The Hymn of Praise knows and gives thanks that God has answered our call.
The Readings know that God alone has words of eternal life. We proclaim and hear this Word to share in this life.
In the sermon(s) we seek to understand God’s call, blessing, word, for us. We know that God spoke not only of old but also speaks to his church now through his Spirit.
In the Hymn of the Day we reflect on readings and sermon.
In the Creed we answer to the proclamation with our confession of faith. The creed is not simply a repeating of doctrine but an act of worship, a prayer.
In the Prayer of the People we acknowledge God as healer of all our ills, we pray for the mission of the church and for the needs of others.
In the Communion Liturgy we are united with Christ and one another as God nourishes us with God’s own presence. In this meal we remember Christ’s suffering and love, we remember that we belong to him and in this fellowship, we are forgiven and made new.
As we came into worship carrying our own brokenness and the brokenness of the world we now share in the resurrection through all that God has done for us.
In the Post-Communion Canticle and Prayer we give thanks that God has given us his salvation.
In the Benediction we are assured of God’s continued presence (even outside these walls, even outside this
assembly). We are the new creation sent into the world. We are sent as those who bear Christ, live and tell the Good News, as those who seek to follow Christ in humble service and love.
At the Coffee Hour (pot-lucks, etc.) we share our life with one another realizing that we are the family of God, brothers and sisters.

A few general thoughts:
• The liturgy allows us to be part of worship in a non-subjective way. The liturgy carries the individual rather than the other way around. It is good to feel worshipful but even if I don’t, the liturgy allows me to fully participate.
• The liturgy unites us with the whole church, in part because we join in the liturgy together, but not only here but with countless Christians across time, space, and denominations.
• The liturgy is participatory. Liturgy means ‘the work of the people’. Liturgy is always an interplay between presider/assistant and the congregation. It is, however, also the work of God for God is the giver of all gifts we receive in worship. God is even the giver of faith.
• The liturgy ensures we don’t leave anything out. Worship is centred around Word and Sacrament (Acts 2:42). Central are a) the reading and understanding the Holy Scriptures and b) the celebration of Holy Communion.
• It is true that some of us remember Holy Communion celebrated only three times a year. However, for most of the church’s history worship naturally included Holy Communion. Holy Communion is not so much a duty as it is a gift. How could we not accept God’s invitation?
• As there are seasons of our life and seasons in the natural world around us, so the liturgy knows seasons. In observance of the seasons of the liturgy it conforms our life to the life of Jesus.
• Readings are taken from the Pentateuch narratives (Genesis to Deuteronomy), the prophets, wisdom (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs), the historical books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, etc), Psalms, New Testament letters, Revelation, and all four Gospels. The lectionary follows the themes of the church year while it ensures that we don’t dwell only on our favourite readings.
• The actions of the liturgy are always symbolic. They have a meaning which transcends the moment: we receive the forgiveness that Christ wrought for the whole world, not just for us; we hear the Word in which God is present, the Word through which God created and continues to create; we share the peace of Christ that is the promise of the coming realm of peace; we share the meal that is the foretaste of the feast to come.


Yours,

Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 15:22

Christ and Culture

We occasionally give rides to team mates on our kids’ soccer teams. It’s good to be able to help each other out (and pollute a little less). One day we picked up a team mate who seemed mesmerized and somewhat absentminded. His mother explained that he had just got a new video game which he had been playing for the last two hours.

When asked, the boy explained that the object of this game was to find your father’s killers and then take revenge. Of course, it is only a game, but revenge is not a Christian principle. It’s pretty clear that revenge is the Lord’s, because it’s better that way. Jesus even tells us to turn the other cheek. So, I didn’t think that this game was a great thing, without disputing the fact that it may have some value in ‘killing time’. I am also afraid that many of these games offer a mechanisation of ethical problem solving and function to desensitize us. Of course, empirically we cannot establish a link between a violent culture and violent games. And it is certainly true that most kids who play violent video games do not become violent offenders. But just because a link cannot be proven does not mean that it doesn’t exist. I do believe that experience, stories, and paradigms shape us and the way we approach life. This is why we should be selective about the stories and paradigms we choose. In a democratic society the police have a monopoly on the use of force in the pursuit of justice to prevent the spiralling of violence in clan and gang wars. Revenge is the function of the reptilian brain; it brings us back to the most primitive human emotions we thought we had long overcome. Cultivating these is not Christian.
In a new spin on violent video games Sony Corporation has now crossed a new line in displaying disrespect not only to cultural norms but also to faith communities and their values. All in the name of entertainment, or profits, you decide.

I remember visiting Venice many years ago. I was wearing a tank top when I wanted to visit St. Mark’s Basilica. I found out what I already knew, that wearing a tank top was considered disrespectful and that I would not be allowed to enter the Basilica unless I wore at least a T-shirt.
Sony has taken the tank top to the next level by taking gun battles with hundreds of casualties inside of a photorealistic video copy of Manchester Cathedral. This ignores the Christian tradition of sanctuary which from the 5th century onward has meant that a person was safe from arrest inside a church. In our day the sanctuary that sometimes is granted to deportees who fear persecution in their home countries is a continuation of this tradition. Remember also that at least North American Puritans left their weapons outside before they entered the sanctuary of a church. (see below)

The following are excerpts from BBC news coverage concerning Sony Entertainment and Manchester Cathedral:

Cathedral row over video war game

The Church of England is considering legal action against entertainment firm Sony for featuring Manchester Cathedral in a violent PlayStation video game.
The Church says Sony did not obtain permission to use the interior in the war game Resistance: Fall of Man. The game, which has sold more than one million copies, shows a virtual shoot-out in the cathedral's nave in which hundreds of enemies are killed. Sony said it believed it had sought all necessary permission for the game.
The company said in a statement: "Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the Bishop of Manchester and the cathedral authorities... and we naturally take the concerns very seriously. … "We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game." The firm said it would be contacting the cathedral authorities on Monday "to understand their concerns in more detail".
But the Church said Sony did not ask for permission to use the cathedral and has demanded an apology and the removal of the game from shop shelves - otherwise it will consider legal action. The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, described the decision to feature the city's cathedral as "highly irresponsible" - especially in the light of Manchester's history of gun crime. "It is well known that Manchester has a gun crime problem," he said. "For a global manufacturer to re-create one of our great cathedrals with photo-realistic quality and then encourage people to have guns battles in the building is beyond belief and highly irresponsible. ….
Published: 2007/06/09 17:32:10 GMT © BBC MMVII

It is fitting that the game is called “Fall of Man”.

In Christ,
Pastor Christoph


As for the Puritans:
All understood their peril, and flew to arms. Every man carried his musket to church, and they were stacked outside the door, while a sentinel paced up and down. More than once the long sermon was interrupted by the crack of the red men's guns and their wild whoops, as they swarmed out, of the woods. Springing down from the pulpit, the minister was among the foremost in beating the heathen back, and, when quiet was restored, probably he resumed and finished his sermon.
--A New History of the United States, The Greater Republic by Charles Morris, LL.D., W. E. Scull, 1899.

and...

Isaac de Rasieres, who visited Plymouth in 1627, reported how the Pilgrim's began their church Sunday: "They assemble by beat of drum, each with his musket or firelock, in front of the captain's door; they have their cloaks on, and place themselves in order, three abreast, and are led by a sergeant without beat of drum. Behind comes the governor, in a long robe; beside him on the right hand, comes the preacher with his cloak on, and on the left hand, the captain with his side-arms and cloak on, and with a small cane in his hand; and so they march in good order, and each sets his arms down near him."
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 10:13

Rules of Engagement: Listening, Caring

I would like to engage people.

I am guilty of it myself. “They won’t change their mind anyway,” is what I think more often than I should. Some people are much more persistent, at times because they know no nuances in their interaction. And so not every point expressed with conviction serves to persuade, sometimes it does the opposite: It drives people away.
So how do you engage people?
The start maybe by letting yourself be engaged. By sharing in others’ stories, joys, sorrows, life.
I remember how surprised our neighbours across the road were when we dropped off a baby gift. Not that we have since developed a friendship, or that they have started coming to our church, but at least we say “hi” when we see each other. Last year we even spoke to each other about a suspected grow-op.
What we learn in the gospels is that Jesus not only taught and healed people, but that he genuinely cared about people, about the rich young man who was possessed by his possessions, about extortionists (i.e. tax collectors), about people with sexual sins, about people possessed by demons, and of course Galilean fishermen. The only people with whom we don’t see much positive interaction is the religious establishment. They felt too threatened by Jesus to allow such positive communication (except the pharisee Nicodemus). Besides, the gospels reflect the tension experienced between early church and established religion.
The point is that we may at times be guided by prejudice as to whether someone may be open to relationship, to conversation, invitation, faith. Jesus did not know such prejudice.
I wonder whether we can re-program ourselves out of the anonymity of our society. Looking at the relationship of Jesus with his disciples as well as the life of the early church (as recorded in the New Testament) we see that Christians always know themselves in relationship to and with others. Our life together as the community of Jesus is precisely about that.
Besides, people care far more than we would like to believe. Let others engage you. Be open. Trust God.

Yours,

Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, May 28, 2007 at 11:51

Called to Serve?

... whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, ... (Matthew 20:26-28)

Sometimes it’s hard to be a preacher. Jesus just doesn’t tell us what we want to hear. The material is hard to work with. One would think that had Jesus had the support of a PR department or advertising agency, his message would have attracted more than a handful disciples and a bunch of sympathizers, none of which in the end were willing to go to bat for him. Then again, advertising slogans don’t create deep loyalty or conviction, they create desire and emotional response. Still the message isn’t an easy one to sell.
It’s easier to sell comfort, security, success, life-style, and independence. After all, those are not ambiguous values, they are all things we desire. Sometimes we are tempted to declare them things that God wants for us. This we find easy to believe because we want to.
The truth is that those of us in the church desire pretty much what everyone desires. There is no harm in these things except when they become an end in themselves. Our desires then become entitlements and our independence isolates us from each other. The problem seems to be to know when to stop, when to shift gears.
Jesus’ rebuke for showy displays of piety has often been taken as pretext for a purely private faith. We are no longer part of a Christian community, not because we don’t believe but because we’re so busy, and besides, we have told ourselves that we don’t need to.
It is true that Christian communities are plagued by all the human problems we find everywhere else. Christians aren’t better people and Christian communities aren’t better communities. What makes Christian communities distinct is that they are intentional about focussing their life on God, that they believe God’s values should order their life. Even if they haven’t arrived there yet.
Servanthood is not our natural inclination. That’s why it is good to be in a community of faith where we remind each other of the things that matter, the things that are important, the things that last. Serving others is essential to following Jesus because it is a way in which we turn to others and by so doing find God present in our neighbour. In turning to our neighbour we forget ourselves for at least a little while. This is not easy but takes practise. When Christians engage in serving others they do both: they genuinely care about others and they practise an alternate life style. They also know that there is nothing better, as paradoxical as it may seem.


Religion Column May 17, 2007, Abbotsford News
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, May 28, 2007 at 11:50

The Prophet Amos & Us

I attended the Bishop’s Study Conference last week. In case you’re wondering why I attended the Bishop’s Study Conference even though I am not a bishop (yet ... :-)): It’s our Synod’s annual conference for church workers that used to have a much longer and very unwieldy name.
Dr. Patricia Dutcher-Walls presented: “Amos – Voices for Justice: Prophet and Reformer”.
The prophet Amos lived around 760 to 745BC. He connects the injustice he sees around him to a society bent on wealth and prosperity and forgetful of the true worship of God. “Thus says the LORD: ... because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals – they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way; .... Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.” (2:6-7a; 5:11)
Alongside our reading of Amos we were given a social analysis of the feudal agrarian society of his day. We were then given the task to look at current situations of injustice in our society, apply the same analysis (who exercises what power?), and formulate prophetic oracles for our time.
I admit, it felt a little silly at first. My gut feeling was that this was a little black and white (after all we live in a democratic society). But given our near perfect disconnect between faith and justice, it was probably a good exercise to help reconnect. Besides, should we shy away from social justice just because we may go overboard? It may only be right if the pendulum swung at least once a little too far the other way.
A couple of weeks ago I looked up the address of U2's Bono to the National Prayer Breakfast in 2006 in the US. He is not a theologian but makes a pretty compelling case: It’s not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It’s not an accident. That’s a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. [You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.] ‘As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.’ (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor.
In a church that functions on the law-gospel paradigm and that treasures justification by faith how can what is good news to the poor be good news to us? Will we not feel indicted by such preaching? After all, we don’t go to church to get beat up.
I hope that we can recognize our gifts as a charge. Salvation and redemption are not just answers to personal happiness (and not just related to the hereafter), they are expressions of God’s love for the whole world. Besides, the more we care about others, the happier we will be. This may be counter-cultural but so is the Gospel. It is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Yours,

Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, April 30, 2007 at 11:55

The gift you give to our community

Sometimes I experience a little bit of envy at others’ bigger and fuller churches. But big isn’t everything.
When I was a teenager we had a youth group with an average weekly attendance of about 80 kids. One of the dynamics of this was that we weren’t very concerned about what programming was offered. We went simply because our friends were there. There was something self-perpetuating about this. It was a happening place because so many kids were there. We also knew that in a crowd of 80 we could hide and wouldn’t necessarily stand out if we didn’t want to.
There is another aspect to size. We generally equal size with success and success is a principal value of our society. So when people look for a church, size often does play a role, at least subconsciously.
Of course, I don’t deny that there are advantages to size regarding staffing, programs, variety. But I also know that size has its unique challenges.

I know our community gifted for your presence. Let me tell you why:
I know that you cannot disappear in a smaller community. You cannot come and go unnoticed. People will get to know you and you will get to know them. People will begin to care about you and you about them. People may even disturb you and you will have to find appropriate ways to address this, or realize that it was your reaction that was inappropriate.
People will ask you to do things, you will be called on to share your gifts and take on responsibilities in a way you can choose, but not entirely. In a smaller community you have to be deliberate in your attendance. You won’t just go because there is yet another great event you cannot afford to miss, but you will go in quiet dedication to the people of that community, to the mission of that community, to your Lord.
The gospels tell us of crowds that followed Jesus and greeted him wherever he went. But the Gospels make a distinction between the crowds and the disciples. It was in the group of disciples that people were committed, willing to learn from each other, willing to bear with one another, and willing to bear each other’s burdens.
Every community needs to want to grow, for the moment it gives up on the vision to grow it gives up its mission for others, it becomes self-satisfied.

I give thanks for you all who are committed to live with each other, to serve one another as you serve the Lord, to learn with and from each other. This is a sign of the presence of God’s Holy Spirit among us. May God’s Spirit continue to challenge us and prod us in his ways.

Yours,

Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, April 02, 2007 at 20:29

In the Wilderness

Israel’s journey through the desert lasted forty years, it began in Egypt and ended in the plains of Moab, at the threshold to the promised land.
Forty years is a long time for the journey, even before the invention of motorized travel. This is explained in part with the ongoing rebellion of the people who again and again long for the certainty of slavery, nostalgically idealizing the past, unable to understand the present or see the future. The people’s rebellion climaxes in the account of their response to the first report of the promised land by spies (Numbers 13 & 14). While the land is indeed flowing with milk and honey the people despair at the strength of the inhabitants and the fortification of their cities. It’s an account of doubt and little faith, of forgetting that God is part of the equation. The result is that God declares a whole generation shall pass before Israel will enter the land (except for Caleb and Joshua who had proven faithful).
If we go back in the story, we learn that the other reason for the time spent in the desert is so Israel can learn what it means to be God’s people, as the Lord had commanded Moses to say to Pharaoh, “The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness.’” (Ex 7:16)
That means that the wilderness was not only a place of rebellion but also a place of transformation, even when it is a wilderness of our own making. God is there with us, not missing an opportunity to affirm that we are His.
There is one other aspect of the story worth mentioning. Caleb and Joshua are not subject to the same punishment as the rest of Israel, unlike everyone else they will enter the promised land. What is fascinating is that these two still have to wait for the generations to change. Yes, they outlive everyone but they cannot and do not enter the promised land alone. Their status as God’s children is defined by belonging to God and by belonging to God’s people. In this context it appears that belonging to God’s people is of greater importance than entering the promised land.
I believe that this can help us understand what it means to be God’s people: The covenant is lived in community. The covenant cannot be lived by ourselves but includes even bearing the punishment for the sin of others.
When part of a community it is easy to stand aside and distance ourselves from what others do. We know that distancing ourselves is simple but Caleb and Joshua show us that it is impossible when we want to live as God’s people.
Blessings to you as we travel together!

Yours,
Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 13:56

Listening?

Strangely, most of the time I have something to say (or at least I think so). Of course, what I mean is that God is good to me, for without God’s inspiration I couldn’t preach Sunday after Sunday. And if it’s a dud you know not to blame it on God but on me for not listening.
I know myself very blessed. I have always wanted to be a pastor. I am grateful for your trust and friendship, for your sharing of your stories, sharing how God has led you and continues to lead you. I am grateful for being privileged to study the scriptures each week in preparation of the Sunday sermon. These are important personal moments in my spiritual life, even though these moments are not at all about me but about God and about you.

It’s newsletter week. Kathy will want my article by tomorrow and while I have been pondering many things, some of them aren’t ready to be said, and some of them aren’t for the newsletter. So I find myself drawing a blank.
It’s conceivable that not having something to say is a good thing. For one, there has never been a point in talking just because we can’t stand the silence or because we like the sound of our voice. In this case silence is a good thing.
But it’s good for another reason. There is so little silence in our world today. Either we are always surrounded by media, or we are so busy (often by our own devising), that sometimes we don’t know anymore what silence is.
Silence is one of the reasons I run. When I run the phone does not ring, no one demands my attention, and the only thing to distract me are my own thoughts.
When I am silent, I can more easily pray for others, because the silence allows my focus to shift. Others have observed the same. The Trappist monk Thomas Merton said: “It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers .... for what they are...”
Silence is also the place where God speaks to us because silence gives God room to speak. Of course, God speaks to us all the time, through his Word and through others, but we must make room to listen if our heart wants to hear his life-giving voice.
Sometimes it’s good not to have much to say. Make room for quiet and silence in your life so that God’s voice may be heard. This silence is the silence of hope and expectation. “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.” (Psalms 62:1)

Yours,

Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Tuesday, February 06, 2007 at 14:26

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