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He is Risen!

Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.                             Matthew 28:5-6

Happy Easter! My eldest son thinks it is pretty great that Easter falls on April Fools’ Day. He has been trying to think of little pranks he can pull. Two of my favourite ideas from Facebook I have seen are wrapping grapes in foil to look like chocolate eggs and telling the kids the Easter Bunny is planning to bring vegetables this year!

While April Fools’ Day has been around for several centuries, Easter is an older tradition, and one rooted in a much more serious and joyful event. When the women went to the tomb that Sunday morning, it was in a state of deep grief. Their hope and future was all in Jesus, and he was gone. They were afraid, as they thought about how to get to Jesus’ body to anoint it properly and how to deal with the guards left there by Pontius Pilate. Their fear was heightened as they saw the empty tomb and wondered what had happened to the body of their Lord. Finally, they experienced shock and joy as they learned Jesus had risen. They even got to encounter Jesus and worship him right there in the garden. All of this is found in Matthew 28, as well as in the other Gospels. While all of this sounds outrageous and impossible, the event is remarkably well supported through various historical documents and sources. For a quick summary of why one atheist became a Christian after trying to debunk Jesus’ resurrection, see this video by Lee Strobel.

There are many events happening in April at St. Stephen’s! After celebrating on Easter Sunday, we will be spending the weeks between Easter and Pentecost looking at the many different ways we are invited to worship God. This is really the only logical response to our risen Saviour, as seen by the reactions from his disciples. Did you know, you can worship God at work? Through your wealth? In nature? I look forward to worshiping with you in many ways this month!

I am going to end this with very exciting news. Pegi Jenkins has graciously agreed to become our permanent Worship Director! Pegi has been an integral part of our music ministry at St. Stephen’s for years, and we are delighted that we can drop “Interim” from her title. I look forward to many years of diverse worship with Pegi.

Blessings,

Meg

Welcome our new minister Rev. Meg Patterson

Welcome Meg Patterson!

The congregation of St. Stephen’s is thrilled to welcome Rev. Meg Patterson as its Minister of Word and Sacrament!

Meg was ordained in October after completing her Master of Divinity degree at Knox College, University of Toronto. Meg has a life-long association with the Presbyterian Church but prior to her call to ministry she worked as a mechanical engineer while completing her theological studies part time.

Meg and her husband Ian have three wonderful children ages 9 and 6 (twins) and all are very excited at the prospect of a new adventure in Ottawa and with the family of St. Stephen’s.
Meg wrote in her profile submitted during the search process:

It is a joy for me to plan and lead worship! I gave my first sermon at the age of 14, and it has been something I have enjoyed since then. I like to experiment a bit with my preaching style, although it is always based on Scripture. Music has always been important to me, and I appreciate meaningful, theologically sound, sing-able praise songs that speak to the theme of the Scripture for the day.

I would love to minister within a community of people who are passionate for Christ and for God’s mission within that neighbourhood, as well as in the larger global context. I am looking for a community that sees the entire congregation as ministers of grace and love, where I am the pastor of ministers, equipping people to be Christ’s hands and feet in the community. I have young children, so I do hope to be in a community where they can thrive in a healthy, vibrant environment.

We believe God has answered her and our prayers!

 Sign language

June 2017

“when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses…”– Acts 1:8

Have you ever been in a place where you didn’t speak the language?  Maybe you managed by making hand gestures, or pointing. A kind of sign language.

Helen Keller grew up blind and deaf in the 1800s. For six years she lived in dark silence: self-absorbed, frustrated, undisciplined, and ferocious. She threw violent kicking tantrums. Locked her mother in a closet. Dumped her baby sister out of the cradle.

Then Annie Sullivan began to teach her sign language. She would place Helen’s hand on a thing and spell it. Weeks later, at the water pump, Helen suddenly connected the word spelled on her hand, and the water flowing over her fingers.

Words transformed Helen. Words gave her power to understand the world, to understand people, and to communicate her thoughts. What a gift! Every relationship is based on communication. Even our relationship with God. It begins as God speaks to us.

When we try to live without God, we are a bit like Helen Keller before she discovered language. Without God’s light bringing us hope; without God’s voice speaking love, truth, forgiveness, and purpose, the darkness can make us frustrated, selfish, hurtful.

But Jesus pierced the darkness with God’s light and God’s speech. In Jesus, God’s Word arrived in person. Jesus communicates God’s love for us and for the world. Sets us free from the prison of living for ourselves. Invites us into life with him & with each other.

And when he returned to his Father, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live in us: our companion, guide, and teacher. In Jesus, God moved into the neighbourhood. Now, by the Holy Spirit, God moves into our very lives. 

The Holy Spirit is not just an optional extra. He comes on every person who trusts in Jesus as Lord. When you welcome Jesus, the Holy Spirit gets to work. He guides us into truth. He speaks God’s truth to our hearts, and gives us the ability to speak truth. “You will be my witnesses,” Jesus says.

The Spirit transforms us, the way language transformed Helen Keller. He grows our love, and joy. Peace and patience. Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness… even self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

The Spirit changes the way we see our neighbours. He ignites love in us. And he gives us a voice. New ways to share the good news of Jesus. You could call it sign language: signs of God’s love.

The Spirit makes us bold to speak where we once lacked courage. He gives us words, where we once had no clue what to say. He creates opportunities to show someone God’s compassion in practical ways.

Sign language allowed Helen Keller to speak, and others to speak to her. The Holy Spirit comes like a joyful new language. He helps us communicate with God and receive God’s love. He helps us converse with folks who live in the dark, bringing them clues of God’s love.

Denise

‘Do you love me?’

May 2017

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said. “You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” – John 21:15

Simon Peter swore he would lay down his life for Jesus. But then, Peter swore that he didn’t know Jesus. Three times. Now, Jesus is alive again! Peter longs to set things right. To learn whether Jesus still loves him.

Does he? Does he love us? Knowing who we are inside? Knowing our bluster and our weakness? If Jesus is really risen from the dead, does he love you?

But Jesus turns that question on its head. He asks Peter: “Do you love me?” “Yes, Lord.” “Well then, feed my lambs.” As though he hadn’t heard, Jesus asks, “Do you truly love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replies. Three times.

What we love matters. Love is at the centre of who Jesus is, and what he came to do. Love is at the heart of why Jesus died. Love is at the core of what Jesus is doing. Today. Here.

Yes! Jesus loves you! He died for you. He rose for you. And he asks us, “Do you love me?” It’s a strange concept—to love one we can’t see or touch. But it’s what God has longed for since the start. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Teresa of Avila said: “God, I don’t love you. I don’t even want to love you. But I want to want to love you.” God can work with that. Because it’s always God who loves first. We only begin to love God as we discover God’s unfailing, limitless love for us.

Do you love me more than these? Jesus asks. Whatever ‘these’ are: Job. Friends. Independence. Grades on our transcript. The amount of our paycheque. Our health. Do you love me more?

Jesus asks Peter the love-question as a sign of forgiveness. And an invitation to get in on what Jesus is doing.

Imagine this: One evening a mom entrusts her teenaged daughter with the car to get groceries. Instead, the daughter picks up friends and goes for a joy ride. She takes a corner too fast, and ends up in the ditch. The car’s front end looks like an accordion.

The next time the mom puts her daughter to work with car keys and a grocery list, that work will mean the daughter is forgiven, and the mom is ready to trust her.

Because Jesus has forgiven Peter, Jesus gives Peter work to do. Because he has forgiven us, he gives us work to do, too. And what we need in this job is love for Jesus.

But like Teresa of Avila, it’s often true that we really don’t love Jesus. Well… even our love for Jesus is not something we produce on our own!

He pours his love into us without condition. His love changes us. The more we embrace his love; the more we welcome him and trust the risen Lord, the more we’ll learn to love him. And the more we love Jesus, the more we’ll open our hearts to receive his gifts for the work he gives us.

As we depend on Jesus, he helps us do for others what he has done for us. Jesus is alive! He loves you. How will he put you to work?

Denise

Where?

April 2017 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?…

He has not disdained the suffering of the afflicted one… but has listened to his cry for help. – Psalm 22:1, 24

At supper, they are all there. Perplexed, but confident. Sure of themselves, celebrating Passover. Yet Jesus is solemn. He serves the bread and wine of God’s promises, and says: “these are my body and blood, to nourish you.”

In Gethsemane, Jesus is overwhelmed with grief. They’ve never seen him like this. “Stay here with me?” he asks. But they sleep. “If possible, take this cup from me,” Jesus pleads with his loving Father. Not the cup he has shared with friends, this cup is God’s judgment on Unlove. Untruth. Greed. Arrogance. Violence. Jealousy. “Not what I want; what do you want?” prays Jesus.

Three times Jesus returns to draw strength from his sleeping friends. At his arrest his friends run for it. Leave. Get lost. Except Peter. He sneaks into the place where Jesus is questioned, accused, spit upon. Where is Peter? There in the courtyard, swearing: “I don’t know the man!”

When nails are driven into his hands, Jesus’ friends have fled. Scattered. Those he has taught and healed are sheep without a shepherd. And Jesus is forsaken. Alone.

Isaiah said he would be: God’s beloved Son would carry our pains: “all the things wrong with us. … It was our sins that …ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.” (Isaiah 53:5-6, The Message).

As Jesus identifies totally with our sin—yours and mine—he is cut off from God. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Where are you? Since he was a child, Jesus has revelled in God’s love. Now, at the moment when he fully embodies God’s love, Jesus finds himself God-forsaken. Lonely to the core.

Here’s the strange truth: in Jesus, God himself has waded into our loneliest moments. Our darkness. In our sorrow, our failure, our fear, our suffering, where was God? He was there. Jesus is Emmanuel, “God-with-us.” On the cross. He does not deny his faithless friends. In effect, he says: “I know them. I love them. I am here. For them.”

Jesus is there. Lifting our burden. Going the distance. By his wounds we are healed.

“My God, why have you forsaken me?” begins Psalm 22. It paints Jesus’ death in stunning detail. And then it envisions an unfathomable turn-about. A rescue to set the world rejoicing.

In his song, You were on the cross, Matt Maher writes:

And where were You when all that I’ve hoped for, …when all that I’ve dreamed
Came crashing down in shambles around me?
You were on the cross, my God, my God, alone
You died for us, alone, alone.
You were on the cross, victorious, all along, all along
You were there in all of my suffering
And You were there in my doubt and in fear
I’m waiting on the dawn to reappear.

Denise