Readings:
Genesis 2, 18-24, It is not good for the man to be alone.
Psalm 128, May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Hebrews 2, 9-17, He is not ashamed to call them brothers.
Mark 10, 2-16, Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery.
Sabrina at 17 with her parents, John and Alison
Genesis:
Date of Compilation: Most likely during the Babylonian Captivity, i.e., around 600-550 BCE. But the material for the sources was coming together over 200 years.
Authors: 4 major sources–
The J or Y source (for Yahweh), coming from Judah, the southern half of the divided Jewish state after Solomon's death.
The E source (for Elohim), coming from Israel, the northern half of the Jewish state which was destroyed by the Assyrians ca. 700 BCE.
The D source (from Deuteronomy), coming from the revisions of the prophet Jeremiah & his companions.
The P source (from the priests), which or who during the Babylonian time took the material from the first 3 sources, wove them together, and edited them.
How do you know: by text analysis, noting different styles of writing, place references (e.g. mention of the Tigris & Euphrates in chapter 2, which says "Babylon."), event references, people references, and agendas behind the stories (e.g. Sabbath & Creation Story #1).
Blakely Dean coming for baptism
Subject Matter: A panorama stretching from the two stories of creation, through The Fall, Cain & Abel, Noah & the flood, the Tower of Babylon, the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, Joseph and his jealous brothers, Joseph as governor of Egypt & his brothers' visit & eventual migration to Egypt.
Our Selection: we will read the whole of creation story #2, chapter 2. The story comes from the Y or J source, but note the mention of the Tigris & Euphrates, which a person in Babylon would appreciate ( A clue that a priestly source has inserted a geographic reference. Why would a Jewish high priest be familiar with Babylonian rivers? Babylonian Captivity. ).
Blakely with her mom, Kelly
Hebrews: We will read from Hebrews for the next 6 weeks (excluding All Saints), right up to the feast of Christ the King, which marks the end of the liturgical year. Then we begin Advent and a new liturgical year.
Author: unknown, but he wrote excellent Greek. Not Paul.
When Written: 85-95 CE, i.e., 50 plus years after Jesus' death
Subject: superiority of Christ. Rather convoluted.
Blekely's Baptism, she liked it and wanted to play in the water
Then He Embraced Them
This morning I want to talk about the last paragraph of Mark, the one about accepting the little kids and how He embraced them.
This past week Rosemary & I went to Lindsay, Ontario, a small town north east of Toronto. When I spent 4 years studying in Toronto I came to know a number of people. The Reddick family I have especially loved and kept in touch with since I left there in the early 70’s.
Blakely with her dad and mom, Daniel and Kelly
The mother of the family lives in Lindsay, and for some years we visit her to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving, which is tomorrow. This year we went to celebrate a memorial for one of her children, Robin. All of the spread out family was coming.
Robin was a special child when she was born in 1958. She had Down’s Syndrome. Robin never spoke and spent all of her life in excellent residences provided by the Ontario Provincial government.
Robin with her mother, Kay
Kay, Robin’s mother, spent all the time she could carve out from taking care of her 5 other children with Robin. Robin lived 53 years and died about a month ago. The memorial was delayed until Rosemary & I could be there.
3 lessons I take from my relationship with Robin.
First, gratitude for what I have, for example, my ability to ride 60 miles yesterday in the Make a Wish bike rally. Plus so many other gifts.
Secondly, I have loved that precious girl and she taught me how to expand my love to include special people.
Thirdly, she invited me to look at and stand in awe of the mystery of life. What is it? What gifts get handed out to whom and why?
Robin Reddick, Lindsay, Ontario, 1958-2012
I learned at least one lesson from Kay. Namely, how to love a special person even when it is impossible to keep the person at my side.
There was a touching side story in all this. Some woman told Kay that she had specialized in care for specialized people because as a teen she had worked with Kay. At a big Catholic Church in Toronto Kay had run like a religious ed class for a large group of special kids. Even though Robin could not be in it.
So, we had the memorial Wednesday at the United Church in Lindsay. The following is Kay’s message to her dearest Robin.
Robin's ashes at her Memorial in Cambridge United, Lindsay, Ontario
Roberta Mary Reddick, my Special Robin,
You and I have had quite a journey together since May, 1958, and during that time I have felt blessed and proud to be your mother.
I remember the Sunday morning you were born and as the nurse lay you in my arms, she said “I think these 2 need to get acquainted.” I have thought often of these words as I suspect she guessed what I did not yet know that ours would not be the usual mother/daughter relationship.
However, my little one, you showed me a different part of life and changed my world without saying a word.
Some memories:
You hated shopping and standing around. So if I was debating too long on a purchase, you uttered those bored noises which I took to mean, “I may just throw up if we don’t leave soon.”
Also, your impatience in a restaurant as you never took you eyes off the waitress until your meal arrived.
Your love of lego and flipping through magazines endlessly.
Your nurturing side came out when living at Christian Horizon Group Home and you would bring Tom his slippers and made sure he was okay.
Of course, while living at Christian Horizon you became one of the family and were loved and cared for every day.
At this time I than k all the people who helped you through your days and nights. The last 4 years of your life at Case Manor the caregivers were your hands, feet, eyes, ears, and voice without complaint. I can truly say they must be angels. Thanks you.
But most of all, Robin, I hope you always know how much you were loved and now as your beautiful spirit is free and you have your wings, remember that in my heart you will forever live.
Last Wednesday, the day of Robin's Memorial, Lindsay in fall color, the leaves turning.
In Mark, Jesus says, "Let the children come to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
First of all, I want to thank all of you in this community for being so child friendly. You are marvelous.
Secondly, in your life, whom do you love like this?