*serious issues with video today...sorry. Only anthem & sermon video posted*
(sermon transcript below)
“The Unhoused & The Call of the Humble Christian” ~ Hebrews 5: 1-10 & Mark 10: 35-45
October 20, 2024 ~ Northwood United ~ Rev. G. Scott Turnbrook
Most of us are not very good at reading the fine print. Years ago, while holidaying in Mexico I was delighted to find that my family had won a “free” afternoon boat cruise. The only caveat was that we attend an informational meeting about a new time share that was being constructed. Somewhere between the second or third hour of this presentation, I realized that I had entered an aggressive propaganda meeting and wished that I had read the fine print. Some time later, I became a member of a book club. Initially, delighted to receive a few free books in my mailbox, I later dreaded my membership as I found a seemingly endless stream of undesired books. Have you read the fine print? You might recall record and tape clubs and many organizations that placed odd demands upon their members. Clubs we wished that we had read the ‘fine print’ prior to signing up! I am sure that you have your own stories.
Have you ever considered what the membership demand upon a Christian is? Some might flippantly respond noting your year-end charitable tax donation receipts for church and other organizations you support. Or you might submit a log of the hours spent giving time to your church and other organizations. And these would certainly be examples; however, the rarely mentioned truth about our faith is that the demand upon the Christian is much greater. The demand upon the Christian is more than just their giving of hard earned dollars or the offering of one’s time. Noted author and preacher Charles Swindol was accused of assigning the gospel of grace too freely upon his listeners. In his “Grace Awakening” series, some argued that he didn’t challenge people to live their faith as much as they should. They argued that he prescribed the grace of God as a free gift to all, and was lambasted for such a laissez faire approach in teaching the gospel. What do you think? What responsibilities are thrust upon the ‘card-carrying Christian’? Or are there any? Do we receive salvation/ God’s grace simply as a by product of our birth? as a result of our faith? as a result of the way we express our lives as Christians? Or as some combination of above?
This is an interesting dilemma to consider as we look towards “Homelessness Awareness Week” that is set just over one month away (December 2-8). Many of us have participated in a homeless count that is done throughout our city. Many support the Surrey Food Bank or perhaps even our food bank right here at Northwood. We have rolled up our sleeves to cook meals through various ministries (and most recently through the Cloverdale Community Kitchen). In our society, homelessness has become an increasing concern. So much so that our local government has initiated this annual campaign to raise awareness and engage further dialogue. While I would like to assign a higher level of benevolence to our government, we are also aware that the increasing fiscal costs associated with homelessness has moved homelessness up the priority list. If you have been following this issue, you would be aware that homelessness as a defined social problem is relatively new, dating back only the last half century. In 1990’s researchers throughout North America, began tracking unhoused people’s patterns. They found a relatively similar pattern across North America.
A significant discovery, that might surprise, is that only about 10% of the group are those that we think of as homeless. This 10% minority are those with mental illness or addiction. These are the folk we see sleeping on park benches, finding shelter in a covered space like the covered area at the church, frequenting First-United Church and the Union Gospel Mission downtown. This group comprises just 1/10th of the homeless population. They discovered that the large majority of homeless are, in fact, not chronic users, but are people who are victims of “the system”. 80% of homelessness lasts for smaller period. Sometimes just a few days. A person is evicted from their apartment; a woman flees an abusive home; a fire burns someone’s home to ashes and homeless shelters become a temporary sanctuary for these people. You have heard of places like the SUMS ~ The Surrey Urban Mission Society, who offer help in these kinds of situations. The other 10% are those using shelters during the inclement weather ~ the wet and cold weather resources that open up as the temperature dips. As social concern and financial costs continue to rise, the general consensus is that we must move away from our current model of problem management and shift towards a model that is focused on problem solving. Language is significant here. Advocates for those in need encourage the use of the term “the unhoused” (seeing it as a social problem that must be addressed together).and shifting away from the term “the homeless” (i.e. it is their problem. They are homeless). This shifts our perspective to seeing folks with dignity, worth and also viewing our social responsibility to help. I’m wondering how you feel about this issue? Do we have a deep social concern over homelessness? Do we turn a blind eye? Did we vote with this issue in mind? Do we give thanks that we can be part of the solution to this problem?
I would like to suggest that this issue has a very special place in our faith story as we approach the texts this morning. Digging deeply, I think we discover the call for the humble Christian. In the letters to the early churches, beginning with the letter to the Romans and continuing, we quickly notice one of the core areas of discussion being a salvation by works versus one by faith. Essentially, the question is: do we find a deep relationship with God (salvation) through our personal faith or do we find this relationship with God through the works we do? Is our connection with God established through our tangible acts of service or is this relationship a result of our faith? As we listen in to Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, we ponder this question more deeply. And to put Paul’s dispute in context with the conversation of today’s service, does the Christian have a unique responsibility to the homeless that is born out of our faith? We discover Jesus is one who did not seek glory. Rather he was one who suffered, who was humble, who was obedient. Jesus’ perfection as ‘The High Priest’ was achieved in his humility.
Shifting into the gospel text further highlights the Christian’s call to humility. If there was ever any confusion over a belief-only faith that dismisses the need to care for others, it is clarified here. James and John asking to be at either side of Jesus and he calls them to humility and service. The text calls us to a faith that is born in humility and cannot help but be lived out! Jesus humbly tells them that greatness is only achieved through sharing in the suffering; it is achieved through sharing in the pain of others; greatness is achieved by humility. Jesus says: “are you able to drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with”. In these words, Jesus is referring to the Jewish understanding of the cup of suffering that is shared among the faithful. The cup that would be humbly shared around the table in the Upper Room, a humble cup that hearkens all the way back to the days of Hebrew captivity in Babylon. Jesus continues contrasting the practice of the secular leaders lording their authority over others; whereas in Jesus’ view, “whoever wants to become great among you, must become your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
It is quite odd this morning. We have an odd convergence this morning of gospel and culture. While quite often see faith calling us to pit us against culture, this morning’s call of the gospel and the upcoming campaign of homelessness awareness call us in the same direction. This morning’s call is that of sharing in the suffering of others, opening up the arms of our community, tearing down the walls of division and finding a place for the unhoused at the table. I wonder what that will look like? I wonder how we will open our hearts to the needs of those around us? I wonder what sacrifices we will be called to make in order to live this text embracing the suffering of others. While this passage is one which lifts up the necessity of living our faith, the risk is that we ever become so focused on the doing that we lose sight of the one whose name we do it in. So focused on the work that we forget to sit down and nourish and feed our souls with our faith. Indeed, getting back to our earlier conversation there is an essential connection between faith and works. We have faith, and that deep faith calls us to live it out, as we live it out we further deepen that faith. How could it ever be an either or? Once in a while, we simply need a reminder to refocus on faith or on works. But they are BOTH essential!
I would have loved to introduce you to a friend from my first ministry in Prince George. He is affectionately known as Cowboy Bob. Bob is a retired RCMP constable who was known throughout the back alleys of that city as “Cowboy Bob”. I met Bob when he was into his 20th, or so, year of a personal mission of caring for the homeless in that city. Bob would stay awake most hours of the night roaming through needle row as a friendly face to those battling addiction. He knew all the sex-trade workers by name. He would hold an addict’s hand who was trying to commit suicide and remove the knife. He would carry a homeless person to safety who had passed out in a snowbank in the middle of winter. And one day, he would walk into my church, in the heart of downtown Prince George: big cowboy hat and boots, long gray hair and a big smile and say “Hi, I’m Bob”. His immediate concern was to see if ‘the new minister’ at the downtown church would be welcoming to the homeless. Apparently, my predecessor had not been, and he wanted to ensure that I was. Over time, we created a weekly Bible study for people whom he met. Increasingly, he became involved at Knox United. And just before I moved to my next church, he asked if I would baptize him. I was shocked! “Baptize you…I’ve never met a more active, committed Christian in my life and you have waited this long to be baptized?” He chuckled. He didn’t miss a step as he responded, “sometimes when you get so busy doing, you forget the importance of what goes on in here” (remember our faith and works conversation). Bob continued: “I couldn’t do what I do out there if I didn’t have my faith strong in here.” On Easter Sunday that year, Cowboy Bob was baptized and at that moment when the waters of baptism rolled off his forehead, I understood the interdependence of both faith and works of both believing and doing. The next year Bob was named Citizen of the year, but he maintained that his baptism into the church was still the only title that ever mattered.
Amen.