Captivated by God’s Passion for Justice

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(May 20, 2012 – Jamie Munday)

CAPTIVATED BY GOD’S PASSION FOR JUSTICE

God has a passion for justice – of that there is no doubt. Isaiah (42:4) prophesies that “God will not falter or be discouraged until he establishes justice on earth.”

The word justice however has broad connotations. In our culture we have a good understanding of retributive justice – that punishes moral wrongdoings that are legally defined as crimes. So when a wrong has been committed like a theft or a murder, there is a collective sigh of relief when the perpetrator is brought to justice.

We also understand social justice – which has to do with the distribution of wealth and power. To “do justice” in this sense is to do such things as feed the hungry, clothe the naked and protect the powerless.
While both retributive and social justice are prominent themes throughout the scriptures, Biblical justice goes beyond these categorizations to offer a much broader and more holistic view of justice.

In Jesus’ visit to the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4), a picture of justice comes into focus that brings these categories together. In Jesus concise yet profound address to these law-abiding Jews, he outlines his ministry agenda, making it clear that, what is good news for the poor may be bad news for the rich.

(Jamie Munday)

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Captivated by God’s Passion for Placemaking

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(May 13, 2012 – Kim Pierrot)

CAPTIVATED BY GOD’S PASSION FOR PLACEMAKING

Passage: Jeremiah 29:4-11

The first time we encounter the word ‘placemaking’ is in 1562, when the second edition of the Geneva Bible (aka “The Placemakers’ Bible”) was printed. In it, the gospel of Matthew, chapter five verse nine reads: “Blessed are the placemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Oops! I do think God loves placemaking, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what Jesus actually meant in the Beatitudes.

In any case, the terms’ current usage can be traced back to the 1970s when architects and planners used the word ‘placemaking’ to describe the act of designing spaces that were pleasurable or interesting. Forty years later, the term is now understood more as a transformative communal process that seeks to build resilient and dynamic neighbourhoods and public spaces.

This morning, as we continue in the series “Captivated by God’s Passion”, we consider Jeremiah 29: 4-11 which gives us a vivid picture of what it might look like to care passionately about where you live and, together with others, to make it a safer, friendlier, better place.
(Kim Pierrot)

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Justice Sunday

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(April 29, 2012 – Gwen McVicker and Sue Todd)

Justice Sunday

Today is Justice Sunday at CapChurch. The Justice Hub@Cap has a four pronged mandate around advocacy for the marginalized: to celebrate God’s justice; to educate the community; to support Cappers doing justice; to call justice “passions” out of the community. Today is about advocacy on behalf of the sexually victimized. Read more

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How to Live In Community with People You Don’t Like

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(April 15, 2012 – Mike Nichols)

How to Live in Community with People You Don’t Like

Community. Yep we call ourselves—Cap Community because we believe there is much to learn from relationships. Community at its best is an experience, according to Henri Nouwen not only of, “I am beloved; you are beloved; together we can create space for God and others but also an uncomfortable place because it is often the place where the person you least want to live with always lives. Read more

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Resurrected Jesus and Believing Thomas

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(April 8, 2012 – Kim Pierrot)

Resurrected Jesus and Believing Thomas

Does it seem strange to you, on the Sunday when we declare and celebrate “Jesus is Risen!” that we are reflecting on the experience of Thomas, the one best known for his doubt in the whole resurrection thing? Well, frankly, I think poor Thomas has been given a lot of bad press over the years.

For when we look closely at the gospel account in John 20, when we take note of what Thomas was longing for and the way Jesus responded to him, we find a model, not for doubting, but for believing.

Sermon text: John 20: 19-31

(Kim Pierrot)

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Not What I Expected From God

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(April 1,2012 – Mike Nichols)

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED FROM GOD

Passion Week is a week of Stories—the stories of Jesus last week on earth—stories of a parade, a meal, a betrayal, a mock trial, an execution, and an empty grave. Stories invite us to see how our own personal stories jive with the larger story of God’s work in our world.

Our goal today, and on Good Friday at 10 a.m. and next Sunday Morning at 7:30 a.m. at Ambleside when we baptise 6 Cappers; and at the 10 A.M. Cap worship where we celebrate resurrection life, is to retell the stories of Jesus last week in a manner as close to the way the Bible tells the story. We believe that we find our stories in this grand story. So, join us for Story week.

(Mike Nichols)

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Torn Between One Way and Another

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(March 4, 2012 – Kim Pierrot)

TORN BETWEEN ONE WAY AND ANOTHER

Text: Romans 6-7

The idealistic pessimist (or should that be pessimistic idealist?) in me is deeply satisfied when I read Romans 6-7. We find two certainties outlined clearly within these chapters: first, that we are called to live differently as a reflection of our new relationship with Christ; secondly, that it is an immense struggle to do so.

This morning, as we explore this tension in the text, we come to realize that living out the truth of our death to sin and new life in Christ also involves agreeing with the apostle Paul as he describes the mighty struggle between the good he wants to do and the evil that he nevertheless keeps on doing. Living in the gap between the way God calls us to live and our seeming inability to do so positions us perfectly to understand and receive God’s immeasurable mercy.

As John Stott puts it: “Indeed, an honest and humble acknowledgment of the hopeless evil of our flesh, even after the new birth, is the first step to holiness.”

(Kim Pierrot)

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The Gospel’s Vast Embrace

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(February 26, 2012 – Mike Nichols)

THE GOSPEL’S VAST EMBRACE

The title of today’s sermon “The Gospel’s Vast Embrace” could be phrased as a question, “How vast is the gospel’s embrace?” This is a hot topic in church circles today under the rubric of inclusion and exclusion or who is in and who is outside of the Christian fold. Read more

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