We Three Kings of Orient Are…

… but not the magi of Bethlehem in Matthew 2:1-20!

  • We don’t know how many there were – tradition varies from the popular three to the less known twelve.
  • The magi are not described as “kings” – there are two kings in Matthews’s account – Herod and Jesus – and the nature of their respective kingdoms were (are) in conflict.
  • Neither are the magi described as wise men – indeed this reference best fits the scribes and scholars urgently summoned by Herod to disclose what could be known about the Messiah sought by the magi. They represent the wisdom tradition of Israel.
  • While the word magi is often translated “magician” or “astrologer”, an 8th century Syriac text renders the word for magi as those called “to pray in silence.”
  • Matthew’s gospel goes on to describe the kingdom of heaven as “hidden from the wise and revealed to little children.” The kingdom of heaven invites its heirs to service of one another and thus of God (exemplified in Matthew 25). To the extent that the magi of Matthew 2 reveal these characteristics in the brief account of their visit, they are both wise and royal.
The point of all this Christmas card iconoclasm?
To let Matthew’s gospel say to us what it really intends to say.
God is universally revealed in the human presence of Jesus right from his infancy. Those who approach Jesus with the clarity of simple child-like attention and a servant heart that eschews displays of power are the truly wise and regal.
(From this morning’s harangue!)

A New Year’s Resolution awaiting fulfilment…

A bit of bush doggerel for a job I have to get done…

I sit by the fountain on New Year’s Day;
the bricks shimmer and shine in burning heat.
Through the parched bowls the leaves swirl and sway;
no streams of water – the pump is beat!

Beneath the cover the water is brackish;
the pump underneath needs tradesman’s skill.
Although the still depths are cold and blackish,
I plunge down my arm – and, Oh! What a thrill!

The church built the fount six years past –
a feature for the courtyard – so we were told.
With garden seat and plants that last,
‘twas a place for resting for young and old.

And so it happened – the fount became a feature,
the running waters a delight to behold.
Not only people, but every bird and creature
rested and played by the streams of gold.

Shoppers passing,  old folk sitting,
mums with toddlers seeking distraction,
school kids massing, matriarchs knitting –
the ecclesiastic fountain gave strong attraction!

Three bowls gushing, an old man musing:
“Surely the Trinity!” pondered he with alarm.
A lone one sitting at midnight perusing
the sights of bubbling, the heart’s good balm.

In times of trouble, the fount gave solace,
Remember the tribute to Van Tuong Nguyen?
The waters yearn to resume their promise.
Let’s replace the pump and begin again.

I sit by the fountain on New Year’s Day;
the bricks shimmer and shine in burning heat.
The dented bowls and debris clamour to say
“Live streams again will return a good treat. “

Gulp!! – every day??!!?

You’ve got to be kidding. WordPress has just issued a challenge to it’s blogging community to post something every day. This is meant to inspire confidence and competence in “fit-start” bloggers like myself.
Well, I’m up for it – even though I’m a sprinter rather than a marathon runner!
The trick will be to keep things moderately interesting to at least 10% of those who stumble on to this page (a self- defeating statement in itself – but I’m leaving it ‘ere to keep me ‘umble)
So, roll on 2011!

WA Council of Churches full of delightful surprises.

What a council we had today!

It was hosted by the Syrian Orthodox Church, a small community which is itself hosted by the Norbertine Priory in Queen’s Park – a unique partnership. The richness of the opening prayer service in Aramaic (also bilingual) heralded a morning of celebrating good news of inter-church sharing at the grassroots.

  • Perth Prayer began as a small group of praying businessmen in a tall office building. It expanded quickly to other offices in this boom town. Such was the variety of Christian traditions represented that a very simple common manner of praying and sharing over a Wednesday lunch hour has been adopted. The move to the central venue of the Wesley Uniting Church in the middle of Perth and the imprimatur of the council of churches has seen this initiative become a powerful witness to the unity to which Christ calls his churches.
  • Project54 is calling individual churches across all traditions to adopt a Commonwealth nation for prayer during the lead-up to CHOGM 2011 which is scheduled for Perth in October (12 months from now). To participate, all a church has to do is register through the website at www.commonwealthprayer.org
  • Anglican Archbishop Roger Herft shared his journey as a participant on the International Anglican-Orthodox Commission. In particular he noted the respectful candor of the talks as potentially divisive issues sought a basis for discovering unity in diversity of theological perspective (eg ordination of women). In particular he noted the challenge of the assertion that if we do not express that to which we are most passionately convicted, we are acting hypocritically, and the dialogue fails to accomplish its purpose. Fr Boutros Issa of the Syrian Orthodox Church responded, outlining the history of Anglican Orthodox relations.
  • We explored the challenge of ecumenical work across Australia as we pondered the slow takeup of the National Council of Churches of Australia  “Covenanting Together” initiative.   It was hoped that the process, commenced in 1996, would have greater traction now. It was discerned that different contexts gave different means of expression to some of the intent behind the document. Although it reveals an important historic marker in the national ecumenical journey, there are more fluid church relationships alongside the traditional institutional expressions which must be taken into account.
  • Changes in governance, staff job descriptions and a freshly articulated commitment to grassroots ecumenism are pointing to a currently energised and focused council.
It’s always good to go home from a Council meeting feeling inspired and excited!

What more could you want in an Aussie Saint?

It seems Australia’s disadvantaged, including indigenous, mentally ill, and those seeking asylum, have a newly sanctioned advocate. Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop has become Australia’s first Saint.   On a day of celebration owned by Catholic and non-Catholic, religious and secular, believer and non-believer, one of our own has been ushered into the select company of the Roman Catholic Church’s Canon of Saints.

The fact that the intercessory properties of saints are hotly debated in my part of the Church does not detract from the fact that Saint Mary represents something quintessentially Australian. With a heart for the poor, she is best known for establishing schools and advancing education in rural Australia. She often had to stand up to the authorities, even enduring a period of excommunication. In other words, she was a battler and prepared to stand up for others so they could get a fair go!

What more could you want in an Aussie Saint?

Synchronicity had Mary’s  sainting day coincide with Luke 18:1-8 on the Revised Common Lectionary. It is the story of the relentless widow hammering on the door of the indifferent judge until he finally relents and gives her the justice she seeks. Jesus guides our reflection to the self-talk of the judge, who relents, not for the sake of justice, but for fear of being worn down – perhaps the tarnishing of his own reputation. Advocates for justice have a fairly realistic take on the lie of the land. Institutionalised oppression, like the judge, “fears neither God nor man.” The perseverance of the cry for natural justice, however, cannot be dampened, and the lesser resolve eventually caves in.

Perhaps this reality is at the base of St Mary’s story and it provides a beacon of hope to all who seek justice on the part of the dispossessed.

H2O

It’s Blog Action Day and the topic is “water.”

I grew up with a love/hate relationship with the stuff. Loved playing with it. Hated the enforced swimming lesson that entailed jumping off the Port Adelaide wharf into the canal on the end of a rope. Swallowed lots of water and never went back. Never learnt to swim  after such a dis-motivational experience. Yet I find holidays by the water very restful – whether its pounding waves against a rocky cliff-face or a still mill-pond.

I guess this  reflects the ambivalence we have in this land that thirsts for decent rainfalls – most of the time there’s not enough. Suddenly there’s too much. Like Hanrahan, there’s the prevailing mood that “we’ll all be rooned.” As a son of South Australia, once nominated as “the driest state in the driest country”, I suppose I should be somewhat more passionate about water. After all, the Murray flows now following superlatively high rainfalls, but the water fights upstream look set to continue for a while. My hometown of Adelaide will always be at the behest of access to water “allowed” to flow from the the east.

Yet my thoughts turn to other places on the planet where the need for water is not so easily met. It’s always been close at hand for me. Just turn on the nearest tap which is never far way. Thousands of communities have no access at all to potable water, let alone the convenience of a tap. For some years now my Google home page has been set to http://www.wateraid.org/australia/ – a running background reminder to just how critical water is for maintaining healthy sustainable communities. This is just one of many aid organisations aimed at improving provision of this most basic of commodities.

I hope this Blog Action Day project will heighten awareness and stimulate international and political will for imaginative solutions to water access problems.

World Communion Sunday

I used a day of leave to experience communion in a tradition quite different to that which I am accustomed, so I took myself off to the 10 am Choral Eucharist at St Georges Cathedral of the Anglican Arch Diocese of Perth, Western Australia.

I have participated in communion services of the higher liturgical traditions before, most notably at our local ecumenical Pentecost services. I was quite looking forward to cathedral pageantry and the sacred music of Bach and Handel. I was not disappointed – on the contrary there were some moments where the sacred took me by surprise.

Let me share three moments in particular:

  1. The reading of the gospel from Luke 17:5-10. I knew how this was to be done, with the bible carried aloft to the midst of the congregation with organ fanfare and choral alleluias. The whole congtregation stands in expectancy of the words to be heard. The cantor chanted the words of the passage, and it was as if I heard them anew. It was a thin moment.
  2. The address by The Reverend Bill Sykes, Chaplain Emeritus and Fellow of University College, Oxford. It was one of the best sermons I’ve heard in a long time (not that I hear many – I’m usually dishing them out!). He was speaking to the gospel text “Increase our faith” and described how he answered a question asked of him by a very intellectual post grad student – “What do you believe?” It was one of the most straightforward and comprehensive yet rational evangelistic presentations I have encountered. He went on to explain how he has set up thirty reflection groups throughout Oxford that explore a range from 220 issues pertaining to faith and life. Apparently the reflections, designed for multi-faith discussions, are in his book, The eternal vision: the ultimate collection of spiritual quotations. (Mental note to get a copy).
  3. The communion service.  The pew sheet says, “We break bread for the whole world. We invite all who seek God and are drawn to Christ, and all who walk the way of faith to come forward to receive communion or a blessing.” The Open Table in a high liturgical tradition suddenly melded with my more familiar homely table in the free church restorationist tradition.

World Communion Sunday. If you are participating in a communion service somewhere in the world today, may the peace of Christ be with you!

Our streetscape is changing…

For two years our street has been a bit like a ghost town… some would prefer to say serene and quiet. It is only four weeks away from the second anniversary of the Sunday afternoon fire that took out the shopping centre – all eight businesses including the supermarket that had just had a multi-million dollar upgrade. That second anniversary will be pretty close to the opening celebrations of the new centre that is nearing completion. The community will have its marketplace back with enhanced gathering and eating areas. As the final coats of paint are applied and signage erected, one can sense the growing anticipation. The street will be abuzz again with the sounds of people of all ages meeting, greeting and shopping.

In addition, an adjoining site has been cleared for new development. The Liberty service station has been demolished to make way for eleven additional shops and eight apartments. Our quiet residential street is about to become once again the even busier commercial hub of the suburb. Some of our neighbours will lament the loss of peaceful days. Others will relish the fresh influx of people into the street. I am looking forward to the renewed interface of church and community that these developments will make possible.