“The Child Within”
Rev Dennis Ryle 19/09/2021
Full Service is provided..
In acknowledging elders past, present and yet to be on this Noongar Whadjuk country on which we meet, I also introduce the theme for our gathering today – “Wisdom- the Child Within.”
Recently a group gathered at the Saw Avenue Pavilion in King’s Park to reflect on the season of Djilba (or early Spring) and its connection to conception leading to child birth. It was part of a Dayspring program called “Spirituality of the changing seasons” aimed at recognising the synchronicity of our own internal cycle of changing seasons with those of nature around us. Spring is the season universally celebrated as birth and new life – traditionally an Easter time for the soul.
Kaarta Koomba is the traditional name for this part of King’s Park and there is plenty to explore and connect with, especially when awakening the child within. Our immediate surrounds had plenty to awaken the curiosity, wonder and playfulness that we recognise and encourage in our young and even the seven year old that is buried deep within ourselves.
The nearby and recently opened “Kid’s Bridge - Koolangka” links the Perth Children’s Hospital to the lush green spaces of Kaarta Koomba, suggesting the link between childhood and healing.
In gathering for worship this morning we express thanks to the ancient local traditions for guiding our thoughts and reflections to a wisdom that is as old as the Kings Park escarpment yet as young as a newborn child. Our own Christian tradition also seeks to share wisdom that is old and ever new – it ever resonates with the child within. Let us worship.
· Musical Reflection on the Beatitudes
· Lighting the Community Candle
TiS 491 Father welcomes all God’s children
Anyone who is engaging with the deep questions of life will soon become aware of the paradoxes and contradictions that we learn to hold in balance.
How can a child be wise?
How can a person of advanced years and experience return to the womb and be born again?
This week saw the passing of a mentor for many of us, who seemed to embody holding these kinds of enigmas. A man who drew us to abandon dogmatic constructs that defied wisdom in order to embrace a childlike and intelligent reframing of faith. His forging of the path was dogged by antagonism and controversy amongst his peers. He was Bishop John Shelby Spong.
“Our problem is not that we’re fallen; our problem is we haven’t become human yet. The question is, what can make us human, so that we can give life away and give love away and not be grasping after trying to protect our own lives all the time? That’s the way I see the Jesus story, and I think it’s a powerful and profound story.”
I recently sought to engage a group of people with the Beatitudes, core teaching in that part of Matthew’s gospel known as Jesus Sermon on the Mount. The challenge was how to move our understanding from a rote half-awareness that defied deep knowing and often leads to misapplication to embracing an experience of childlike wisdom.
First a quick word study - Beatitude
o Latin “beati” = happy, rich, blessed
The corresponding word in the original Greek is “makarioi”
Cicero coined the term “beatitude” to describe a state of blessedness and so it was incorporated into the chapter heading for Matthew 5 in various translations of the Vulgate.
Anglicised to “beatytudes in the Great Bible of 1539.
Blessed! Who knows what this means? Good luck?
Healthy
Healed
Aligned with the One
Tuned to the Source
Integrated
Resisting corruption or delusion
Fully awake
I recall visiting the Melkite Church of the Beatitudes established by Abu Elias Chacour in Tabgha, Israel. Abu Chacour, a Palestinian Christian working for healing through community building and education in his land is an embodiment embodiment of the Beatitudes. He has the heart of a child and the intellect of a scholar.
On the Beatitudes
The following reflection on the Beatitudes comes from Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian, in "We Belong to the Land" (pp 143 - 144).
Knowing Aramaic, the language of Jesus, has greatly enriched my understanding of Jesus' teachings. Because the Bible as we know it is a translation of a translation, we sometimes get a wrong impression. For example, we are used to hearing the Beatitudes expressed passively:
· Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.
· Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
· Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
· Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
"Blessed" is the translation of the word MAKARIOI, used in the Greek New Testament. However, when I look further back to Jesus' Aramaic, I find that the original word was ASHRAY, from the verb YASHAR. ASHRAY does not have this passive quality to it at all. Instead, it means "to set yourself on the right way for the right goal; to turn around, repent; to become straight or righteous."
How could I go to a persecuted young man in a Palestinian refugee camp, for instance, and say, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," or "Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?" That man would revile me, say neither I nor my God understood his plight, and he would be right.
When I understand Jesus' words in the Aramaic, I translate like this:
Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for you shall be satisfied.
Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you peacemakers, for you shall be called children of God.
To me this reflects Jesus' words and teachings much more accurately. I can hear him saying, "Get your hands dirty to build a human society for human beings; otherwise, others will torture and murder the poor, the voiceless, and the powerless."
Christianity is not passive but active, energetic, alive, going beyond despair.
One day two bats fell into a pot of milk. The pessimistic bat said, "What can I do? Will I struggle and sink, and die so very tired? I will not die tired." He sank and drowned immediately. The optimistic bat said, "I will strive to the end, and at least they will say I tried everything." She struggled and struggled, trying to fly, until she fainted. Later she awakened and found herself resting safely on a big roll of butter. This is not giving in to despair, but going beyond despair.
"Get up, go ahead, do something, move," Jesus said to his disciples.
To awaken ourselves from the soporific familiarity we wondered how we could engage the Beatitudes as if for the first time, to experience them in childlike wonder, We did it by comparing three translations – NRSV, The Message (a dynamic translation), and the Peshitta, (Syrian Aramaic, arguably the closest expression of the native language of Jesus)
NRSV
The Message
Peshitta (Syrian Aramaic)
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
3 You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
3 ‘Tuned to the Source are those who live by breathing Unity; their “I can” is included in God’s.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
4 You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
4 Blessed are those in emotional turmoil; they shall be united inside by love.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
5 You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
5 Healthy are those who have softened what is rigid within;
they shall receive vigour and strength from the universe.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for physical justice; they shall be surrounded by what is needed to sustain their bodies.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
7 You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
7 Blessed are those who, from their inner wombs, birth mercy;
they shall feel its warm arms embrace them.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
8 You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right.
Then you can see God in the outside world.
8 Aligned with the One are those whose lives radiate from a core of love’ they shall see God everywhere.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
9 You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
9 Blessed are those who plant peace each season;
they shall be named the children of God
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
10 You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
10 Blessings to those who are dislocated for the cause of justice;
their new home is the province of the universe
· Musical Reflection on Beatitudes (Aramaic)
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a
3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.
3:14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.
3:15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.
3:16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.
3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
3:18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?
4:2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask.
4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Mark 9:30-37
9:30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it;
9:31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again."
9:32 But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
9:33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"
9:34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.
9:35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."
9:36 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them,
9:37 "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."
Hymn TiS 549 God be in my head and in my understanding
Context of Mark’s Gospel – Christians fleeing Rome under Nero’s Persecution (cf current plight in Afghanistan)
Underlying question – how do I live, sustain and integrate faith in the face of loss and suffering?
How does this question impact our lives today? – COVID, financial stress, housing, refugees
This week, I attended an Aged Care Spirituality Conference – aged care providers including chaplains grappled with the question of the various kinds of loss experienced in the journey of aging (with dementia a recurring theme.)
What does the wisdom of the child within bring to such a conversation?
Jesus directs his disciples (and those fleeing Roman persecution) from obsession with grasping at outmoded ideas of greatness – the things we try to hang onto – to mature service – a new wisdom, The symbol of this new wisdom?
9:36 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them,
9:37 "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."
What does the wisdom of this child bring to our conversation?
A keynote speaker at the conference was Dr Angela McCarthy (Notre Dame) who described herself as rare phenomenon of her faith tradition - a “Nana Theologian”
In describing a way forward for those experiencing significant loss, she recommended studying a framework provided by Pauline Boss – Guidance for resilience in the face of loss. I’d like to compare it with the guidance we can draw from this encounter of the disciples with Jesus in Mark’s Gospel
1. Finding Meaning
Loss often means a seismic shift in the stability of the world as we have been experiencing it. We search for fresh meaning, often going through some or all of the classic stages of grief. Disciples try to establish a new world order – they see the writing on the wall. Clutching at old straws doesn’t work Jesus suggests childlike service to one another as the new benchmark.
2. Tempering mastery
We want to be in charge. We want to have control. The reality and circumstances of the loss may render us with the challenge of temporary or permanent surrender to the circumstances. Consider again the disciples seeking to wrest control as Jesus teaches them about his demise and assertion that he will rise again. They did not understand and were afraid to ask him.
3. Reconstructing identity
Who am I? is a recurring question we ask ourselves. We have spent a lifetime building our identity, answering our calling. Many layers of identity stare back at us from the mirror each morning. What happens when loss strips them away one by one and all at once. Is it the frightened insecure 7 year old that stares back at us. Can this last layer be reoriented to begin a fresh new journey as he/she embraces the challenges ahead.
4. Normalising ambivalence
We get to a stage in life, often by the middle years, where we realise that our carefully thought out plans haven’t quite materialised the way we thought. The disciples expecting restoration of the Davidic Kingdom are grappling with the puzzle of a cross of execution and a promise of third day rising. Those fleeing Roman persecution expected rescue by heavenly intervention. Some of us here expected a quiet retirement. Life had ever thrown us unexpected curve balls. Peace comes when we abandon our expectations while yet cultivating a receptiveness born of expectancy. Life is full of surprises!
5. Revising attachment
We hang on to things! Remember the rich young ruler who wanted to know what was needed to experience abundant life right now (the true meaning of “eternal life?”) Jesus said, “Go sell what you have, give the proceeds to the poor, and come, follow me. The man went away sad for he had many things. What are we attached to now – material and ideological - and what would it mean if we lost them? The spiritual discipline of “detachment” as taught and practiced in the contemplative tradition goes right back to Jesus.
6. Discovering hope
If we have managed all these hope that is real and beyond mere wishful thinking becomes not just a possibility but a reality. Hark back to the wisdom of Abu Chacour. Blessedness is in the doing, the acting, of what you have discovered to be truth – informed, childlike service of the other. What does that service look like? Let resilience in the face of loss be our guide. Even in our diminishment, it may be as simple as a listening ear to another, or attending to what is happening around us down at the shops. A sympathetic smile can erase a scowl on a mum harassed by her demanding toddler.
Let the wisdom of our inner child come to the fore. Let that child serve you. Let that child lead you into informed mature service to those around you.
TiS 640 Jesu Jesu fill us with your love / Kneels at the feet of his friends
Intercessory Prayers
Creator of the universe,
From everlasting to everlasting, you are Lord.
By your Name, Almighty God, you make us whole;
Through your energy, you defend your cause;
You help us in the midst of trouble; you, O Lord, sustain our lives;
You uphold us when we are surrounded by opposition and rescue us from every trouble;
We freely offer you our service;
Silence.
You are worthy, Holy God, to receive all our praise. We worship you in the glory of your Creation and ask for grace to steadfastly trust and proclaim your call to union.
We pray for your church;
Teach us to be servants of all.
We pray for all in leadership;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
We pray for all our brothers and sisters in the faith;
That we would joyfully care for the people of the world.
You are the Christ, and we would follow hard after you;
Show us how to lose our lives for your sake.
I invite you to add your own prayers for the worldwide church, communities of faith united by Christ’s call to love and serve one another,
Silence.
Creator of the earth, you spoke the world into existence and sustain all things by your life giving word. Consider the toil and sorrow of the people of the earth and, in your compassion, have mercy on the world.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
We pray for the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger;
Relieve and protect them, O Lord, and grant them eternal hope in you.
Teach us how to rightly steward the gift of your creation;
That the resources of the world would be shared for your honor and glory.
I invite your prayers for the needs of the world.
Silence.
God of all love and peace, we come to you in faith, offering you access into every area of our lives.
O Lord, we are beset by our own brokenness;
In humility, we ask for your grace.
Put far from us jealousy and selfish ambition;
We confess our discontentment and covetousness.
Give us your wisdom from above
That we would be full of mercy and good fruits.
Show us how to sow peace in our daily lives;
That we might reap a harvest of justice for all.
Teach us how to order our desires in accordance with your will;
We look to you, Lord of all, mindful of our helplessness;
Glorify your being in the midst of our need.
I invite you to cast all your cares and concerns on the Lord, remembering that He cares for you.
Silence.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
We believe in you, Lord Christ.
We cry out to you, Father God.
We receive your witness, Holy Spirit.
Abide with us as we abide in you this week and always, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
TiS 613 Lord of all hopefulness Lord of all joy
Sending
Let us go to walk the road of service.
We will feed others with God's hope.
Let us go to break down the walls of resentment.
We will join the Servant of the world in embracing the refugees of despair and fear.
Let us go to teach kindness in our world.
We will gather up our sisters and brothers, and rest in the Spirit's peaceful lap.