Praying for Sydney Mardi Gras

One of the most polarizing events in Sydney’s cultural calendar is the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. What started as a political advocacy and protest march has grown into a major Australian tourism extravaganza. It regularly attracts international celebrity and acclaim. Locally it’s a popularly promoted festival and gives rise to various protests and campaigns in reaction and response from the more conservative, usually Christian, members of the Sydney community (although not exclusively these days), who are concerned about the tone, message and lifestyle mardi gras promotes.

I wonder though, how Jesus, friend of sinners, would react and respond to the occasion. I don’t see any precedents in the New Testament that indicate he would be a red-faced, screaming, placard holding protester. Neither, do I see the Son of God off his face at the after party having popped a few of whatever may be the latest party drug or stimulant. I suspect his action would be one of grace, love, compassion and service.

Local Sydney Pastor, (among other things), John Dickson, penned this prayer. I think Jesus would be the one who would model how this prayer is answered and lived out to the glory of God.

For my friends, who are at Mardi Gras tonight, and, well, if you read this at all, are probably doing so late Sunday afternoon or Monday at the earliest, hear the words of this prayer as my prayer for you AND me.

A PRAYER FOR THE NIGHT OF MARDI GRAS – by John Dickson

Dear Lord,
God of the righteous and the wicked,
Have mercy on your people, the church,
for their wickedness:
for allowing biblical convictions about love and sex
to justify unbiblical words and actions
toward men and women made in your image.

As it rains on tonight’s parade,
may this speak not of your judgment
but of your promise to cleanse and forgive
all who turn to you for grace.

And teach our nation,
especially your church,
to follow Jesus, the Friend of Sinners,
that we would learn how to care deeply
for those with whom we profoundly disagree;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

 

The first Christmas gift

Merry Christmas to all my readers!

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26)

 

A cry for justice from Newtown

The faces of the victims of the Newtown massacre (copied from the FB wall of Tim Tebow) make us cry out for justice. The suicide of the gunman leaves that out of our reach now. We will have an unrequited need for something to be done, some closure or restoration to enable healing and recovery for those affected. That is precisely what God initiated in sending Jesus.

How? He offers mercy to all who fear him from generation to generation. Those who take refuge in Christ (by entrusting themselves to him) stand behind him as he propitiated God’s judgement against their sin. Those who reject that offer of mercy in Christ will stand alone as God judges their sin. And, to whom much is given, much shall be required. That gunman was given much, and he took much more and for eternity he will experience the full just reward for his actions.

This is not a cause to gloat or angrily stomp on his grave, because as one has many times before, but for the grace of God… To look at these faces and wonder, what price shall be paid by the one who took them away prematurely is also to invite the question of what price has been paid so that they, and you, might rest in God’s mercy? Cry out for justice. Makes changes to increase the safety and protection of children, but remember to rest in the mercy of God.

Related articles

• For they will be comforted (apologies.wordpress.com)

 

 

For they will be comforted

That is the promise of Jesus as he sat down to teach his followers about the economy and ethics of a God-based worldview.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” ~ Matthew 5:4

Jesus comments on a present situation and offers a future promise. “We are apt to think, Blessed are the merry; but Christ, who was himself a great mourner, says, Blessed are the mourners.” (Matthew Henry) There is a notion we have of what is “blessed” and what is not. God’s blessing isn’t offered to the rich, the great, those who live free of worry and pain, but to the opposite end of human experience. Any other idea of “blessed” comes about through the striving, efforts and seeming good fortune of those that “make it.” Apart from God’s subversive interloping that is all they have to look forward to. For those that mourn, those that suffer whether from their own sin and stupidity or at the hand of an evil perpetrator, where does their “blessing” come from? Where do they look for help? Hope? Happiness?

In the face of such evil and wickedness that would result in the deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School I hope that, for those of you that attended Church this morning you heard from your pastor/minister words of assurance and comfort; a promise of justice and a prayer for the comfort of those who suffer and those who serve and help them in the days ahead; a reminder that forgiveness triumphs over bitterness and most of all, how on earth the message of Jesus answers this deplorable tragedy.

I hope you didn’t hear trite platitudes or insensitive political posturing about either end of the gun control debate (that will come and is past due, but today is not that day, today is the day of mourning). I hope your pastor challenged you to consider that it is exactly because of such evil that Jesus had to come into our world and begin to set it aright. If there was no Christmas, then full justice isn’t even a pipe dream, it’s an empty wish for a pathetic bunch of proteins that collided in the cesspool of humanity.

Your pastor doesn’t have all the answers. I certainly didn’t for my congregation. I can’t tell you, specifically, why this gross sinful evil was perpetrated. But I do know that “the wicked shall be cut off in darkness” and that justice will be carried out and that comfort, mercy, relief and forgiveness is possible. Jesus, having suffered for sin has been appointed the judge of all. When the books are opened and we face judgement, the shooter will also, and the judge of all the earth will do what it right. I can’t begin to make a clear determination of what that will consist of, because, I too am deserving of judgement for my sin. Rather than celebrate his damnation, I cling, as invited by Jesus, to the promise that mourning precedes comfort.

As I lead my congregation in worship this morning, I spoke to this end to remind and encourage that Jesus came at Christmas to put an end to sin and suffering and death. And I prayed, albeit inadequately, that the God of all comfort would keep his promise and give healing to those affected by this awful event.

Heavenly Father, to all generations you have always been faithful and extended your mercy to those that fear you. Let us rediscover what that means today and continue to help us and give us more of your unending love. Provide your mercy, compassion and healing to those families who lost children in the shooting and for those still suffering from serious wounds. Provide calm leadership to their community as they seek justice and try to rebuild their lives and their school. Be the shield and protector of those children, staff and families who are experiencing trauma. Provide them with counsel and support that will enable them to recover and grow. Enable them to commit themselves to you as a faithful and good judge of the sin that occurred and enable them to trust in your forgiveness so that they are not consumed by bitterness. Give strength to the police and social workers who will serve these families in the days ahead that they can provide counsel that will start the process of recovery. Thank you that Jesus has come to make this possible and has full justice at his disposal. We rest in your goodness and power as we pray to you in Jesus name. Amen.

Here are some other helpful reading for Christians to think through how they can respond to the Newtown massacre serve their friends and community.

• Three Thoughts (and several resources) for Addressing Sandy Hook at your Church – Ed Stetzer
• Rachel Weeping for Her Children, The Massacre in Connecticut - Albert Mohler
• And Slew the Little Childer – Doug Wilson

 

What is the gospel?

It’s good news and if you have just 4 minutes, this video will tell you exactly what it is.

HT: St Ebbe’s

 

In what way is God pleased with us?

What a support to our faith is this, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption! And what a comfort is this, that, seeing God’s love rests on Christ, as well pleased in him, we may gather that he is as well please with us, if we be in Christ! 

Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed, p2.