{"id":1017,"date":"2024-07-18T11:21:47","date_gmt":"2024-07-18T14:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mountainviewunited.ca\/?p=1017"},"modified":"2024-07-18T12:23:40","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T15:23:40","slug":"abridged-worship-july-21-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mountainviewunited.ca\/index.php\/2024\/07\/18\/abridged-worship-july-21-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Abridged Worship – July 21, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Breaking Down Barriers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abridge Worship Provided By:<\/strong> Rev. Jacob Shaw (Please note that this is not a verbatim account of our Sunday morning worship, but rather a condensed version for those at home to study and enjoy, Blessing)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening Prayer: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healer of division, Your Son came to abolish enmity and to create one humanity in His name.\u00a0 Unite us with Your saints and bring us into the peace of Your household, that we might dwell as one family through the one Spirit. Be present in our worship this day and seal us in the heart of Christ, our shepherd.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture Readings: Ephesians 2:11-22 and Mark 6:30-34, 53-56<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ephesians 2:11-22

<\/strong>Therefore, remember that formerly\u00a0you who are Gentiles by birth and called \u201cuncircumcised\u201d by those who call themselves \u201cthe circumcision\u201d (which is done in the body by human hands)\u2014\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners\u00a0to the covenants of the promise,\u00a0without hope\u00a0and without God in the world.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>But now in Christ Jesus you who once\u00a0were far away have been brought near\u00a0by the blood of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For he himself is our peace,\u00a0who has made the two groups one\u00a0and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,\u00a0by setting aside in his flesh\u00a0the law with its commands and regulations.\u00a0His purpose was to create in himself one\u00a0new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,\u00a0and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,\u00a0by which he put to death their hostility.\u00a0He came and preached peace\u00a0to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.\u00a0For through him we both have access\u00a0to the Father\u00a0by one Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,\u00a0but fellow citizens\u00a0with God\u2019s people and also members of his household,\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>built\u00a0on the foundation\u00a0of the apostles and prophets,\u00a0with Christ Jesus himself\u00a0as the chief cornerstone.\u00a0In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple\u00a0in the Lord.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The apostles\u00a0gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,\u00a0he said to them,\u00a0\u201cCome with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>So they went away by themselves in a boat\u00a0to a solitary place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.\u00a0So he began teaching them many things.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.\u00a0As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.\u00a0They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.\u00a0And wherever he went\u2014into villages, towns or countryside\u2014they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak,\u00a0and all who touched it were healed.

<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Reflection: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Jesus\u2019 ministry and Salvation did something massive in history, it created a barrier breakdown between two worlds; the Jew and the Gentile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

This was monumental because the Roman Empire, (which was a social and cultural oppressor for the Jews), was part of the gentile world, and, much throughout the history of Israel, the gentile world had brought danger, oppression, slavery or temptation to the people of Israel. So, to have a breakdown of this dividing line was a big deal. Also, you should remember that Israel was seen as a chosen people, designated, yes by the law, but also by bloodlines. So a breakdown between Jew and Gentile would have felt like adopting in your family, an enemy, which had been out to get you for generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though this breakdown would take time to develop and change, and, though, most people on the Jewish and Gentile sides did not welcome the breakdown. Over time, this invitation to think and worship differently began to reshape the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we remember that Jesus\u2019 inspired this sort of historical transformation it can also remind us of other powerful and life-altering passages in the bible such as, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. <\/em>(Gal. 3:28) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or perhaps Roman 2:11, For God shows no partiality.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, “As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u201cIf the whole body were an\u00a0eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the faith, there is this openness for all those of every walk of life, every color, sex, age, and status, to come and be at the feet of Jesus. It didn\u2019t matter if you were a king, or if you were a slave, your spot at Jesus\u2019 feet was the same. It didn\u2019t matter if you were the most righteous person to walk the earth, or the greatest sinner, at Jesus\u2019 feet all were called to come with repentant minds and hearts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, this sort of thinking would shape the way we think and live today. For example, the idea of fundamental human rights comes from the Biblical idea, of all being welcome to the Kingdom, to Jesus, because this universal invitation to all, shows that there is value in each person in God\u2019s eyes. And there is no measure outside of God\u2019s wisdom, which can scale the value of one person\u2019s life and well-being over another. This extends to not just people of faith, but sinners and enemies as well, because, not only does Jesus call us to love these people, but seek their betterment, through repentance, conversion, and baptism. There always is more room in the kingdom for even those who persecuted us. Spiritual life in Christ in no longer about borders, bloodline, historical rights or wrongs, or merit, but about a radical invitation for all to trust, repent, and live out a new life, a new citizenship in God\u2019s love. A human right can only be present if human value resides in something that transcends their material and worldly output; a love from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fundamental of basic human inherent value is one of the things that helped to propagate the abolition of slavery, the development of just war theory, and to look toward concepts of equality for women and children. It shaped our legal systems, such as innocent until proven guilty<\/em>, and such ideas as reforming criminals, and it has even inspired our capacity to vote for political representation because every voice matters not just those with worldly power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, don\u2019t get me wrong, none of these things are done perfectly, even though they were products generated by the philosophy embedded in the Biblical narrative, they are still human productions and open to corruption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of humanities inability to do things perfectly, the fact remains, that this basic idea, of human value, of creatures blessed and inherently worth something, sprouted from the idea that people were not only created in God\u2019s image but loved by the source of that image, meaning, that all matters of human existence, life, and wellbeing should be taken with seriousness, and that each person, regardless of who they are, where they have been, what the have done, should be seen and looked upon with the same hopeful love that their destiny will ultimately rest in God\u2019s glory, God\u2019s eternal love and forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This understanding of the value of individuals was forged into our history by God\u2019s hand and magnified when God tore down the barrier between Jew and Gentile through Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, as a result, all the things like hope, love, peace, joy, forgiveness, mercy, and restoration become feasible between people when people hold each other in this high regard and value; when people look at each through the eyes of the divine. It would seem that the foundation of human peace has been paved and that kumbayah moment of everyone holding hands around the globe is just around the corner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But wait, it has been 2000+ years since Jesus, sure we have made some progress, but often it seems like there is more human suffering than ever. What\u2019s the deal? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, I think we know the answer, humans have never been good at treating each other as they would like to be treated. That whole golden rule thing, maybe be quoted a lot, but often not acted out. Most people struggle to live out the ideal of loving as God loves, even for their close friends and families we struggle to do this, let alone a stranger or enemy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We struggle with this because the dominant sins in the human heart are pride, idolatry, and nihilism, and in our self-preservation, self-affirmation, and struggles with despair, we often sacrifice others in the pursuit of maintaining our worth, our desires, and our purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is something, we need to come to terms with, in order to be humble before God. Each of us here, has a part of us, willing to sacrifice others for our own benefit. This is not an easy truth to hear, but we know this to be true when we think too long about people and groups we believe to be oppositional to us. And, in recent decades, we have introduced an item into our world that makes this tendency to sacrificing others for our own benefit so much easier and more carefree. The internet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point in recent history, the internet was believed to be a free vehicle for people to access information about every topic of interest in the world, but more recently it has become a tool for people to isolate inside a world of like-minded thought, it becomes an echo chamber of one belief, truths and values, and as a result there is no exposure to outside thought, feeling, or belief, let alone, seeing the real human hearts and face, behind the people who think differently than you do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think we have seen this grow heavily in the last decade, especially around politics. The liberal\/democrats seem to depict all conservative\/republican types as archaic, racist bigots, and all the conservative\/republicans depict the liberal\/democrats as na\u00efve, hypocritical, pedophiles. And these twisted stereotypes become easy to swallow when the media and news reinforce the sacrifice of other people\u2019s names, reputations, and values to serve their idolatrous pride and self-affirmation. And it doesn’t hurt that all this social drama drives rating up, and rating pay the bills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The left, the right, the up and down, we all have through the internet, the news, the universities, our clubs and associations, a microcosm to hide in, to protect us from anything and anyone that thinks and feels differently, and as a result when we do encounter something beyond or comfort and pleasure, it feel alien and hostile, and there is a headline waiting for us to tell us we are right to think of them as monsters for what they do and believe. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There used to be a standard of understanding in the West, that a person’s beliefs or ideas were debatable, but their worth as a person was not. And, the point of civil debate, free speech, and human rights was to ensure that ideals and philosophies could flourish and develop without ever degrading the value of the people caught up in the storm of it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have begun to lose this. We have canceled the inherent human value for personal self affirmation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I think one of the reasons, if not the core reason, we have begun to lose this, is because those things from the Bible; the ministry and salvation of Jesus, are being forgotten by many people. The life, liberty, and the revelation of God\u2019s love for the individual is being eroded from the common consciousness in society and being replaced by social markers and scores of human worth. That breakdown of barriers between Jew and Gentile, is being replaced in people\u2019s memories with digital identities and tribalism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We as the faithful, I believe, need to push back on this eroding of the belief of an inherent human value. We need to start breaking down the dividing walls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus broke down these walls by bringing people to the truth of who he was. Christ and King. There is no room for division when we all bow before truth eternal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this breaking down is not a passive welcoming of every thought, philosophy, and feeling and seeing them all as equally valuable as the postmodern relativism. Nor is it an eliminating of every thought or opposing view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather it is the faithful witness to the value behind the thoughts and opinions of others, and seeing the truth of their human image behind the vigor of the enemy lines, and bringing that image they bear and reuniting it back with the source of their creation. Ultimately in is having a evangelistic heart for Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will break down the barriers the more we bring people to know and love Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s by shinning a light back upon Christ, shining a light back upon Jesus; the image from which we were created, that we will see walls crumble. It is by shinning a light of mercy, forgiveness, and welcoming even upon our enemies and those who have wronged us, and calling them into a relationship with God that will bring the barriers down. It is time we begin to see the human value in the eyes of others. It is time we trust in God\u2019s love for people, over our own pride, desire and dividing lines.

Let us pray\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bringer of peace, You shaped Your people and gave them a home.\u00a0 In gratitude for Your steadfast love\u2014for calling us to feed in\u00a0 Your pastures and rest safely in Your fields— we bring our gifts before You this day.\u00a0 May they offer the love of our shepherd to those in your tender care.\u00a0 Amen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homework: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look upon a person or group or people that you dislike, or even hate, set aside for a moment why you disagree with them, and try to to feel empathy and love for them as inherently valuable image bearers of God. Then try to understand why their belief or idea would speak to them, make sense to them. This does not mean you need to agree with them, or even believe society should tolerate their ideas or beliefs, it merely means you can appreciate their human nature, both in its loving creation by God, but also in its limitation as fallen creatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need help on this reflective journey email: minister@mountainviewunited.ca<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing Prayer:<\/strong> Father is Heaven, help me see the world through your eyes. Help me see the suffering and struggle of the people of this world. Help me be inviting and healing to those around me. Help me to promote reconciliation with You, our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Our Judge and our Hope. And remind me, that my dispositions may be just as flawed, my conclusion could be ripe with sin, allow me to engage the world with humility, and always resting in Your grace. Amen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Meme of the Week: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for joining us this week. If you have any thoughts, feelings, or prayers, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Please be respectful of others’ posts and make room for all those joining us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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