"I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD These are such hopeful and uplifting words, it is surprising that what precedes these verses is in fact bleak: just before, we hear the psalmist cry out to God with fear in his voice, facing “adversaries” who are “breathing out violence.” The psalmist feels threatened, endangered, afraid. Yet, amid this adversity, the psalmist’s voice rises up in hope and expectation: “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Surrounded by “false witnesses” and “enemies,” the psalmist still believes that God’s goodness will come near. The psalmist’s hope is not a remote possibility but a present and earthly hope, a firm conviction that God will come close, right here in this world. The psalmist’s hope is indeed the hope of Advent. One scholar points out that “wait for the LORD” means anticipating God’s rescue, expecting that God will save and deliver (Miller). When the psalmist waits, it is not with frustration but anticipation, not with impatience but expectation. The psalmist discovers hope in waiting, because he believes he does not wait in vain. Living in western society in 2011, we are among the most impatient people ever to have walked the earth. Our society takes for granted that slow is bad and fast is good, assuming without question that patience is tedious and rushing is best. And so, as we reach Advent—the season of waiting—we struggle to wait. Fred Craddock, the American professor and preacher, puts it this way: “At times we fuss at God: ‘How long, O Lord? How long will you tarry?’ Our generation is impatient. Advent lasts too long.” Still, the Church does well to learn from the psalmist, who shows that waiting for the Lord is not a chore waiting; we wonder as we wait. We wait in the heavy joy of repentance, which cleanses us to be ready to receive the One Who Comes. We renew baptismal vows. We encourage one another in order to be a community of fresh expectancy. And we pray, ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ and ‘Come, O Long Expected Jesus.’” This Advent, may you find hope and strength in expectation, believing that Christ has come and will come again, trusting that we “shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Blessings to you all! The Rev. David Clark "Through the office of ruling elder In September, Calvin witnessed an exciting event, as six members of the congregation were ordained as Ruling Elders and admitted to the Kirk Session. It is helpful to pause and consider the significance of that Service of Ordination. Elders are vital to the life and ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The eldership is indeed so central that our denomination is named after it: in the New Testament, the Greek word for elder is presbyteros, which gives us Presbyterian. This centrality arises from our conviction that Christian ministry is a shared ministry. As Living Faith expresses it: “The Lord continues His ministry in and through the Church. All Christians are called to participate in the ministry of Christ” (7.2.1). Ministry is not only the task of ministers: ministry is the task of the entire people of God. God calls us all to share in Christian ministry, yet our contributions vary depending on the gifts God has given us. As we hear in Ephesians, “each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (4:7). To some, Christ gives the gifts needed for the eldership, and the Church is called to discern these gifts in one another. In recent months, this congregation discerned these gifts in Andy Aitchison, Sarah Collie, Cathy Love, Grant Love, Gord McKay, and Judy McKay. In our tradition, we understand ordination as recognition: when we ordain elders, we recognize that God has placed gifts within them. Accordingly, ordination is a joyful affirmation of God’s faithfulness: as we ordained new elders, we thank God that He has raised up new leaders in every age, and continues to gift His Church today. The calling that God lays upon Ruling Elders is a challenging one. Elders are called to be examples of the Christian life. Elders serving in the Session are called to provide the congregation with bold leadership, discerning where Christ is directing us to go and determining how we may faithfully follow His lead. Calvin’s elders have had the courage to accept this calling, and the congregation can make an important difference by supporting them, encouraging them, and praying for them. May Christ give grace to us all, as we engage in the challenging tasks of our shared ministry, to the greater glory of God. Blessings to you all! The Rev. David Clark "All this took place This passage from the Gospel of Matthew invites words like ‘expectation’ and ‘meditation,’ but - as Advent nears - a more apt vocabulary might include ‘shopping’ and ‘rushing’! So many activities cluster around Christmas that we tend to associate Advent with the tasks we do. The problem is that this leads us to treat Advent like a period of human activity. This, of course, is a necessary ingredient in the consumerist currents that invariably seek to co-opt this liturgical season: clever marketing will once again attempt to persuade us that, unless we spend and consume, Christmas won’t happen. The implied message of much marketing is that our credit cards in fact activate Christmas. The narrative of consumerism treats God as an irrelevant consideration, an inert factor. One way that the church may resist all that is to pause with the meaning of four words from the Gospel passage above: “God is with us.” As we linger silently and prayerfully with those words, we begin to realize that it is sheer and unshakeable grace. Without any help from us, the Lord has come alongside us, the Saviour has been born among us - and still today, “God is with us.” As we reach Advent, may we remember with thanksgiving that - contrary to all the consumerist pressures - this is in fact a season of divine activity and human passivity, because the only thing that needed to happen at Christmas has already happened, some two thousand years ago. “For us and for our salvation,” God took on human flesh in Jesus Christ, dwelling with His people. This is the most precious Gift, and we have received already. Regardless of what challenges and joys await us in the weeks ahead, we may take comfort in this Good News: “God is with us.” Blessings to you all! The Rev. David Clark I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, In the Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul celebrates the blessings that God has granted humankind “according to the riches of His grace” (1:7b). The letter includes a sweeping account of God’s grace, offering a breathtaking survey of God’s loving purposes for all creation. Then, halfway through the letter, Paul’s focus shifts from God’s activity to human activity, as he explores the contours of Christian life. In light of God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ, how are we to live? How can we shape our lives according to the grace of God? In other words, how shall we “lead a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called”? In response to these questions, the author urges us - indeed, “begs” us - to live humbly, gently and patiently, promoting unity and peace as we love one another. These are not random ideals, but rather represent patterns of life that God revealed in Christ’s own life. Christ, the Son of God, humbled Himself in the incarnation, taking upon Himself the dangers and disrepute of a life of poverty. Christ was unjustly executed, yet still responded with longsuffering kindness, overcoming cruelty with love. Christ restored human life through His self-giving death on the cross, bringing peace and unity with God. In our life together at Calvin Presbyterian Church, we are called to show such love - such humility, gentleness and patience - that our lives may mirror the love of God. May the Spirit of Christ continue to shape us and reshape us, so that we “may maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Blessings to you all! The Rev. David Clark |
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