Texts: Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Mark 10:46-52

The Synod of our Diocese met from Oct. 19–21. I am grateful to Pat Turner for the first impression report she gave during the announcements last Sunday. A more detailed report will be given to Vestry at its next meeting, and made available to the congregation shortly thereafter.

One of the things to which Pat alluded was a noticeable tension among delegates, particularly on the Saturday morning. We had several contentious and potentially divisive resolutions still to consider as the scheduled adjournment drew ever closer. Because people rightly wanted to be heard, Synod voted not to refer the resolutions to the Executive Committee, thus committing us to further deliberation after lunch.

I was scheduled to preside and preach at the closing Eucharist, and had prepared a brief homily along the lines of "Let us take what we have done and give thanks for our gathering and our decisions, and go home and implement them to the benefit of our home parishes." With major decisions still ahead of us, that did not seem an appropriate message, so I found myself having to "wing it." As many of you will be aware, that is not how I normally choose to work.

Last Sunday, Pat referred to my words as "inspired." Certainly, I had little sense of what I was about to say when I stood to preach to Synod, but just opening one’s mouth to speak is no guarantee that the Spirit will put the words there. The proof of the Spirit’s work must come in the effect those words have.

Briefly, what I told Synod was that we needed to stop thinking about "winners" and "losers" around our decision-making, because that only divided the Church. When we so divide ourselves, the only loser is Christ—to whose victory we are committed. In Vestries and Congregational meetings and in Synods, we are called to seek the good of the church—Christ’s agenda, not our own.

The work of Synod on the afternoon of October 21 appeared to reflect a renewed desire on Synod’s part to uphold the community of the Diocese of Brandon. I thank God for whatever small part I may been given in helping this change to take place.

The Church’s great call is to build up the Body of Christ, proclaiming the love of God to all by word and example. When community is broken, our task is to participate with God in its restoration.

The healing which God offers through Jesus is always aimed at restoring sufferers to community. Found mainly in the Book of Leviticus, most of the scriptural "prescriptions" for healing involve excluding the sufferer from community. The treatment of lepers is perhaps the best known of these.

When Jesus healed, he typically reached out to those whose maladies had left them on the margins of society, and restored them to full community. Today’s Gospel is one such story. Bartimaeus was doubly marginalized, first by his blindness, second by being forced to beg. His faith healed him (the Greek is "saved"), as he called out to Jesus—loudly, using a title that Jesus did not want, and boldly asking to see again. And then Bartimaeus got up and followed Jesus "on the way."

This man was restored to the life of his community, but it was a changed life, because now he was following Jesus. Where did that following lead him? Jesus went to the cross, calling all his disciples to take up their own crosses. When anyone encounters the living God, life will never be the same.

Job encountered God in his suffering and in the voice speaking to him from the whirlwind. God never really answered Job’s questions, but Job emerged from his experience a changed man. We heard most of the book’s ending today. It is problematic, because it is actually two endings, sort of like a DVD that allows the viewer to choose between alternative endings to a movie. We have the mysterious and challenging ending, with Job standing awestruck and repentant before God. We also have the "happy ending," with God restoring two-fold all that Job had lost. The "utterly other" God who will not answer Job’s questions becomes the "here and now" God who showers Job with material goods.

Behind these apparently contradictory views we find a very real possibility for restoration of community. Yes, Job had health, family, and wealth restored. That’s not the point. Job’s essential community was in his relationship with God, which now emerges changed and more solid than ever, because it is based on real dialogue.

In the first ending, Job admits his error.

In the second ending, God effectively admits an error, in allowing Job to be treated so badly. The double measure back looks like God atoning for his actions, like extra compensatory damages in a lawsuit. Now, I recognize that this idea will make many people very uncomfortable. How can God make a mistake? On this level, the passage is very troubling, but I would point out that there are other passages in which God changes his mind, repenting of what he has done. The outstanding one may be the covenant with Noah.

Job’s words say, "I was wrong."

God’s actions say, "I was wrong."

When two parties admit even the possibility of error, then we have opened the door to true dialogue, and the building of true community. What I heard last Saturday at Synod was people on both sides of issues beginning to acknowledge that they may not in fact have the final answer to some burning questions, and beginning to listen to each other. For that I rejoice—because this is the beginning of true community in the church and beyond.

Bartimaeus was restored to life in his community, but chose to follow a new way with Jesus. Restored sight meant changed life.

Job was restored to life in his community, but his encounter with the living God changed the foundations of his understanding of himself and of God. Restored blessings meant changed life.

When our own sense of community is broken, in our family, in our church, in our neighbourhood and our country, let us turn to the living God, who offers healing and restoration—and a life changed beyond our imagining.

"More than we can ask or imagine," is all God offers in Christ.

Thanks be to God.