The way of imagination

  Scriptural commentary: “What matters to God?” (Sunday, 4 Aug 19: FOB Passchendaele, Farnham Training Centre)      What really matters?   Right now, the answer might well be: “getting through this exercise”.   What matters to God?   Psalm 8 is very clear – YOU matter to God!   We really matter to God. “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars … what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor . You have given them dominion over the works of your hands…” (Ps. 8.3-6) Today’s readings emphasize our mortality and vulnerability – we are swept away like the dust that you sweep off the floor of your room; we are as resilient as …a blade of grass.   And yet, we are no less glorious for being such fleeting, fragile creatures.   Though we are but dust, we are the spitting image of our Creator.   As G.K. Chesterton said about the

  Scriptural commentary: “You cannot be my disciple” (Sunday, 8 Sept 19: Holy Spirit Chapel – St-Jean Garrison)      “You cannot be my disciple.   You cannot be my disciple.   You cannot be my disciple .” “If you don’t ‘hate’ the members of your family, and even your own life … If you don’t pick up your cross and follow me… If you don’t renounce all your possessions, you don’t qualify to be my disciple.”   Jesus is starting to sound a bit like a MCpl.   These are harsh things to say.   We, just like the people who heard Jesus that day, might have a number of different reactions: Who does this guy think he is?   How can he possibly claim that being his disciple is more important than me remaining alive?   Why would being his disciple require me not to own anything? Maybe I don’t want to be his disciple. What is a disciple anyway?      Jesus was a popular character ; in many ways, he was a celebrity .   As we saw at the beginning of today’s Gospel, it was usually pretty easy t