Celebrating Change, a Lively Holy Spirit, and the Comfort of a Holy Hope

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord. He
raises the poor from the dust,
and
lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He
gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!

— Psalm 113:1, 7–9

Walter Brueggemann, a great and talented contemporary Old Testament theologian, says to us that, “through this series of active verbs God is said to be at work turning the world upside down, revamping the economy, reordering the values of domestic life… the text is an invitation for us to think again about the depth and power and serious- ness of the news of the Gospel.

“The Psalm undoubtedly reflects the joy and astonishment of people in that ancient world who were helpless and powerless and in despair. And then, in ways they do not explain, they found the world revised. And they credited that revision to God. This Psalm is a celebration voiced by the poor who are invited back into the economy. It is the voice of the needy on the ash heap who sound like ancient street people. It is the song of barren women who were shamed in the ancient world for not producing children… People like us may find such a song a jolt, because we have settled for a more timid God; but this is not the one shown to us in the text!”

Is this Psalm not our song, our verse, our hallelujah!

We are experiencing changing times in our Diocese of Ottawa. The Holy Spirit is not letting go of us this time. Perhaps, our times are more urgent than before. Our days seem no different from the ancient days, where people of God are called to address, without option, the poor in the midst of
us, the needy, and the barren. We are called to address, as Brueggemann likes to remind us, the economy, our politics and power, and our outreach.

The nature of our parish communities, like in the Psalm, are being turned upside down. Our physical structures, our governance systems, and the foci of our ministries are undergoing a revolution. The plight of our poor and marginalized are foremost on our minds. Refugees are made to feel welcome in nothing less than what I would call, biblical proportions.

We are critically examining our wealth to ensure that our limited resources support the ministry of Jesus and not human sentiment and nostalgia. We are wrestling with the challenge of what it really means to welcome new people into our midst; that is, to accommodate their journey to Jesus and not expect them to be assimilated into “the way we always do it.”

If these words are a little unsettling for you, take comfort in knowing that they are for me as well. My natural inclination is to leave things as they are. I was raised in a comfortable church. I was raised in a church where I knew everyone and everyone knew me. Actually, everyone was a little like me. We didn’t talk about money or assets, we didn’t talk about evangelism, we didn’t seek out the kind of theological discourse that would challenge our hearts and minds in such an extent that we would be called to change who we are, who we must become, and how we must pray.

Yet, I have never felt more stimulated, more affirmed in faith, and more enthusiastic about the ministry the Holy Spirit is leading us into. I am so proud of our Diocese! Communities all over our Diocese are asking questions, coming up with new plans, new hopes and dreams, and a new vision; sometimes producing a successful result and sometimes not. But whatever the result, we are struggling to be faithful disciples, living in Holy Hope that Jesus remains with us in our lively experience of the Holy Spirit!

May God continue to bless us on the journey and bring us joy.


Written by: The Rt. Rev. John H Chapman, Bishop of Ottawa.
Originally published: Crosstalk, September 2017.

Crosstalk News

Crosstalk keeps church members up-to-date on news from the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa; providing lively commentary, photos, and meditations.

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Anglican Diocese Ottawa

Written by

The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, is a member of the Anglican Church of Canada. www.ottawa.anglican.ca

Crosstalk News

Crosstalk keeps church members up-to-date on news from the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa; providing lively commentary, photos, and meditations.

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