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Faith in the city

Splice Chaplain John McDonald explores what it means to have faith in the city 
Rev John McDonald

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Faith in the city

Transcript
Tena, koutou Tena koutou, katoa friends, I share with you greetings this morning from the congregation of 80s and James. And Methodist Mission, Northern and life wise. And the a dial Property, Trust that funds, much of the mission work that splice and LifeWise does and offers to the city center. Helen, thank you for inviting me this morning. I am pleased to take any opportunity to stand for the folk, I've walked in city centre and their hood for their good. Friends. I'm one of 47,000 City, said City Center residence. And I've been hanging around these streets for almost four years as chaplain at Large. A role offered to the city centre as a gift by the focus and James Presbyterian congregation and the aito congregation of Methodist Mission. Northern We can talk about those niceties. Plenty of times other times. But we don't often focus on the gospel for today. The one for today. And being a presbyterian. I would normally inflict significant 5-point, sermon on you. However, when in Rome and I'm told that the microphone turns off after 12 minutes, the invitation of Jesus to Matthew. The tax collector. Who was working from his Booth, the invitation, or week sometimes call call. Was simply. Follow me and he did. And the story moves very fast. We move straight to one of those little awkward moments your place or mine. They could go to the synagogue, the temple, the place of sacrifice the holy place, the righteous place, the bosom of Abraham Place, perhaps like this place so I religious Faith place. Or his place Matthews Place. And Jesus and his mates went off to Matthews place where the invited the called one met you. Is the host. And his mates and their mates are the gig. And so, today's Gospel, simply and starkly. Not only mentions the call of Matthew. But more importantly, the decision of Jesus, not to go to the house of religious, Thrones The Cradle of the faith, but to Matthew's house, and this is at the heart of the story, the point of the story for today, Matthew was invited called, as we say from his tax Haven. And then there is that your place or my moment and we enter the den of inequality, not the sanctuary but the place of depravity where Jesus and his friends, new and old friends eat and drink of the lavish Spoils of decadence found in tax-collecting and he is there along with others named by the religious outside this place as sinners. Outside beyond the Jesus and Matthew party. The theologians those who have a sense of Monopoly on God, the Pharisees, the parishioners, the priests, the Levites, the Sanhedrin, the members of the synagogue and the Templars kind. The folk representing the state's religion and ritual, the folk for whom this gospel was written. This is the gospel put together very deliberately, it seems for a people who should have known better. And I wonder if that's us today. Is that us? what I discovered very quickly on taking up the role of chaplain the city centre was the clear, decisive disconnect between what was happening and most, if not all Sunday, focused religious expressions and what happens beyond our temples in this Village of 47,000 people, the Auckland City Centre And this week gospel extract this morning, should be contextually contextually reflected on this day, 24th of September 2016 in the Auckland City Centre. We are the god worriers, the god Warriors, the theologians, the priests and parishioners the worried. Well, the state religion and ritual aligned, we have we This is our safe haven of cannons and lore books and books of orders and Creeds all of which support us and hold us together in a fine corset re too difficult for most to penetrate. We are the focus of this gospel that identifies the namesake of this very building and September 24, 2016. Thus, we gospel extract identifies where Jesus will be standing in our community are 47,000 people this morning. We will see him out there where he has Mets and invited the worst of the worst to follow him. He will be found receiving Hospitality from those who have not measured up to our piety, our rationale, our ritual, He will be with those rich and poor for whom. Mentally ill has been the label attached to their forehead. He will be with the board trustee who struggles with definitions of fear, Trade, Fair Play, and fear pay. He will be out there with folks for whom love has an ugly face a demeaning face, a face, not recognizable, any longer. He will be out there with The Unforgiven lost and guilt shame cracked and still no light coming in. He will be out there with those who show and no, no mercy. Have you ever been out there? Have you ever been out there? He will be out there in places of huge. Discomfort offering Comfort using only the tools, the gifts he has courage and compassion. Love and forgiveness, and mercy, and Grace, and love, and courage, and forgiveness, and mercy and Grace, compassion and courage, and mercy and forgiveness. Mercy, forgiveness, courage, Grace love. He will be out there going to their place rather than ours. So let us shift from Jesus Day To This Day, 2016 in Auckland City Centre, and this invokes, Another reality in the story. That we're not always ready to Grapple with, but let us try this morning. When guests come to your place, you have a sense of control as the host. This is usually reciprocated by the win and Rome rule from another gospel narrative. However, in today's glimpse of the Gospel way of living, we go to the house that is despised. How would you feel? The home that symbolizes all. It is corrupt, corrupt and sinful. How do you feel? We go to the place where the ground of our being is ultimately Disturbed. How do we feel? We wonder why this is happening. But this is what Jesus did in the story. And so in Our Minds Eye, now in the footsteps of Jesus, so to speak Venture Beyond this, place to that place, like Matthews Place. And all you have to offer is the way of life, the gifts of life, that you have crafted out in your journey. Take them into the context of a dramatically disconnected, dysfunctional, community. You're now in a community, where isolation is Hallmark. We are suicide is very regular, a very regular occurrence. We people can freeze to death on the street at night. Where there is no local school for our children. We are silos of diversity, Thrive cultivating, a vacuum, and social infrastructure than which Despair. And this piece will probably ignite and some tragic way sooner than later. Where people walk the streets with headphones and earplugs on so that all sound is blocked out and you can only hear what you choose to hear. We're smiling as a questionable, Act of friendliness. Where loneliness is disguised under. Some must have fashion created in a sweatshop in some other place. We're kindness. Must have ulterior motives. Where you expect to be frightened. That's where today's Gospel takes us in Auckland City Center. Soon after arriving, in the city centre, I discovered a great monument and Emily place. It's a monument celebrating the life and work of a city center, chaplain missioner The story is of this man, chiseled in polished marble. It's a great story of dedicated mission. A beautifully crafted chisel story from our city history. But just a line or two from the bottom of this chiseled story. At some point, someone has noticed a spelling mistake. And then at some other point, the missing letter of the misspelled word has been chiseled in and chiseled above the line. Many times I've thought about that missing offending Rogue letter, not where it is expected to be. And how maybe this missing letter represents the gospel, focus on the Lost. Nothing about the word or the sentence on that marble dedication. Makes sense until the missing letter has its place and its rightful place above the line. Jesus of Matthew story was out there with the Rogues, those offending, the realm, the missing the out of place. Those deemed to be Sinners by the religious, who were watching Jesus, that work, those who should have known better. We're garnishing. Jesus was scorned at his behavior. His determination to challenge the religious Court. And all its years of crafted self-righteousness. Friends, there are three out there Beyond these walls, activities projects that you're missioner, priests and chaplains and beacons are working on in response to today's Gospel. And this is your invitation not to be part of the scornful religious camp. But the party was the disciples with gifts of love and compassion, and Grace, and forgiveness. The first of the three is a project known as housing first. And it's a partnership project being led by life eyes and your City Mission. Moira Lawler and Chris Farley are focused on re-crafting and internationally recognized model that addresses homelessness for our Auckland City Center. Residence. It's not a model that creates and develops and nurtures a homeless community on the streets of the city centre. But rather starts by offering providing a permanent home for the homeless and in their own home residents will be nurtured with love. And dignity is appropriate for all of us. This project will bring into Stark Focus, what? It means to be a neighbor, the gospel coming home to roost As we engage with the city's most vulnerable residents. And secondly, in the next few days, we will be voting on local body representation. The number of City Center residence. On governing City. Center boards is less than satisfactory But that will continue as long as the city center is perceived only as a CBD. A place where the city state and commerce and education are perceived to be the drivers that focus on community life. Unless there is a concern to develop the soul of the city center the city, since the city state will continue to ignore residents and will be an egocentric playground for planners and policy writers politicians, who have no connection with the realities of residential living in our part of this growing City. Social infrastructure will continue to be ignored isolation and disconnection will Thrive. And the health of the most intensely populated Village in aotearoa New Zealand will generate even further. And thirdly and it's related the retention and acquisition and development of public spaces to be enjoyed by all. But most particularly by the 47,000 residents and for the thousands of new residents, who will go into Apartments, currently being built. this issue has to be a priority if we are really concerned for the health and well-being of residents in the city center, Fringe translate the gospel for today, as you wish. Remember the invitation to Matthew included, the decisive moment for Jesus, where he declared to the world that the party was at Matthew's house. And that's where he belonged. He belonged there, loving and forgiving, and hugging and weeping and caring and showing grace, and mercy forgiving showing compassion, courage, loving forgiving, was his way to life. I mean.