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Berwick Trinity United Church, 240 Commerical Street, Berwick, NS (2026)

10/11/2026

Reflection- “Building Bridges By Giving Thanks” Based on Luke 17:11-19
When I was growing up, I had a love-hate relationship with writing thank you notes. It was something that my mom always had to remind me about after any special occasion when I received a gift from someone else-whether it be a birthday, Christmas, or some other special occasion. And every time, I found myself struggling to find the right words to acknowledge what I had gratefully received to the person that I had received it from, making it a chore that I did not look forward to. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that I was not grateful for the gift, but I just didn’t understand what difference it could make whether I sent the giver a thank you note or not.
It wasn’t until years later, when Ian and I got married, that I developed a new appreciation of what saying thank you can mean. In between our wedding day and the time when we were scheduled to move to our new home in New Brunswick, my new spouse and I found ourselves with a bit of time on our hands, and so we decided to devote that time to sending out the thank you notes to acknowledge all of the wedding and shower gifts we had received in the lead up to our ceremony. I remember how we split the list between us, with Ian writing notes to the folks that were on his side of the guest list, while I would acknowledge the gifts that came from my side of the family and those who were exclusively my friends. When we finished writing our thank you’s, we would trade notes and sign our names next to each other’s on the note before putting them in the envelopes to be addressed and stamped. Each time we would do this, we would read who the note was being addressed to, and if it was someone that we ourselves did not know, the one who wrote the note would tell us a little bit about the person, and how we were connected with them. For example, Ian would tell me about his aunt Jean, who I had only met briefly, while I would tell him about my childhood friend Glenda, allowing us to become better connected to those who had thought about us at this special time in our lives. My take away from this experience was an unexpected gift in itself, the understanding that the act of expressing thanks can build bridges that connect us, one to another, in a new and life giving way.
In our reading from Luke’s Gospel today, we find that a simple expression of thanks actually rebuilds a number of bridges in the life of the one who takes a moment to offer their gratitude to Jesus. In identifying the thankful individual in this account as both an afflicted individual and as a Samaritan, the writers of Luke remind us of the multiple obstacles that stood between this person and their inclusion in the culture of that particular time and place. As someone with what was believed to be a contagious skin disease (believed to be leprosy, a non fatal but debilitating condition), this person had been relegated to the outskirts of town, having to beg for the minimum of kindness and compassion from those who were travelling from one community to another, all while keeping their physical distance from those that they might meet along the way.
In this aspect of their isolation, this individual was not alone, as at least nine other similarly afflicted souls had made their home in that in between location, having been similarly marginalized by their commonly held condition. But even within that small, newly formed community, this singled out individual had another identifying feature that set them forever apart from their new neighbours in exile-their roots in the Samaritan culture. Remember, those who were Samaritan did not mix well with those who were from the Judaic culture, being regarded as enemies that were to be ignored, if not aggressively dismissed whenever their paths crossed. Funnily enough, this Samaritan was able to find community with the other nine, rooted in the affliction that they all had in common, but even in that small group, this person was still recognizable as being somehow even more separate from the group, based on what social group they identified with apart from their illness.
When Jesus comes into this group of ten’s orbit, the barrier created by illness is front and center, forcing the group to keep themselves apart from Jesus while still calling out to Him for whatever help He might be able to administer. Like He has done and will do with those kinds of stumbling blocks to community, Jesus does not allow them to separate those who need His help from receiving it, instructing all of them to go and have their restored health confirmed by the religious authorities in their communities, thereby giving these folks the direction they will need to reconnect themselves with the social and family circles that their illnesses had disconnected them from for so long.
As the ten of them make their way back into their geographic communities, the one who had been kept apart from those around them by both physical and social barriers alike makes the choice to turn back and say thank you to the one who had helped to restore them, even though that person was still representing a culture that was different and even hostile to the one this person had come from and was now able to return to. Perhaps this is why Jesus seems so surprised that of the ten who were cured, it was only this one person who came back to honour the connections that had been made through this act of healing-the connections between this person and their restored health, and the renewed connections between this person and the community they were now free to fully return to. But in acknowledging this expression of gratitude, perhaps Jesus is pointing to another connection that this person has decided to make through their act of giving thanks-one between two people from opposing cultures, who would now be forever connected through this act of healing and thanks that had been exchanged between them. And perhaps when Jesus tells the Samaritan that their faith has made them well, maybe He is referring to more than the physical ailments that had held this person apart from others for so long, that maybe more healing between people could result from this moment of thanksgiving.
When we turn our attentions to the notion of giving thanks for the blessings that are part of our lives, it’s important to hold before us the power that these expressions of thanks have to connect us more deeply and fully to those around us. When we acknowledge what we have received from another, it brings us closer to each other and to God in life giving ways that have the potential to bring healing and renewal to our lives and our world, reminding us that we are not alone, and that we are here for each other each and every day. In times of such division, it can’t hurt to turn our attentions and take time to acknowledge those exchanges that can and do bring us together. In fact, it might help in some way.
I’d like to close today’s reflection with one more story. When my mother died in 2013, my family and I held a visitation at the funeral home the night before Mom’s celebration of life. I don’t remember much about that occasion, but one memory that stands out for me to this day is an encounter that my brother and I had at the very end of the last visitation period. At the end of the line of mourners was a gentleman that neither my brother or I had ever met before. This gentleman came and shook hands with both of us and then said these words “I have never met either of you before, but your mother was one of the custodial care workers who sat with my wife in the hospital while she was dying of cancer a few years ago. When I heard that your mother had passed away, I had to come and say thank you to her, through the two of you, for the love and care and concern that she gave to me and my wife during that time in the hospital. You will never fully know what that meant to me and my family, but I still wanted to come and offer my thanks, and to let you know how special your mom was”. To this day, I cannot remember the name of that gentleman, but I will always remember how the sacred connection that his words of thanks built between his family and ours at that time of grief and sadness. May we do all that we can, on Thanksgiving day and beyond, to honour those precious connections however we can. May it be so. Amen

09/30/2026

Every Child Matters

09/27/2026

Reflection- Based on 2 Corinthians 5:16, 18-19 & Matthew 5:21-24
I sometimes find it interesting to take a moment to look at the root meaning of certain words that have become part of our cultural lexicon. Since this Wednesday is Orange Shirt Day, better known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I thought it might be helpful for me to take a bit of a dive into the meaning of the word “Reconcilliation”. It’s one of those words that we often take for granted that we understand what it means, but maybe just for today, it’s worth brushing up on its definition, so that we can better apply it in our relationships, particularly with our Indigenous neighbours in community.
In an effort to gain a better understanding of the meaning of this word, I turned to our friends at Wikipedia (or more specifically, their sister dictionary site Wiktionary) for a definition of what the word “reconcilliation” means. And here is what came back
Reconcilliation-the re-establishment of friendly relationships between two or more people. This definition sounds very familiar, and is what we often think about whenever the word comes up in any context. But it’s when you read further into the entry that things get interesting, because listed amongst the definitions is one that is actually specific to what we are talking about today, which is reconciliation with our Indigenous neighbours. Referring to both Canada and Australia, reconciliation in this context is defined as follows:
The process of systemically atoning for the crimes and broken promises that a nation has historically committed against indigenous people.

“Systemically atoning”-words that mean that in order to make things right again, so that we may some day re-establish the connections of peace and friendship that our ancestors once had with the first inhabitants of this land, we must commit ourselves to doing what we can to heal the harms that we have done to our neighbours in ways that impact the system that we all inhabit. In 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation commission offered up 94 Calls to Action that were intended to facilitate these systemic changes and to improve relations between settler and Indigenous communities across the country. Ten years later, many of these calls to action have yet to be answered in a healing way. Add to this a rise in the tide of denialism in some circles, where some non Indigenous folks have made it their mission to actively dismiss and even challenge the truths of what happened in the residential schools, and it’s hard not to feel like we have barely scratched the surface of what needs to be changed to bring us to a fuller understanding of reconciliation. And if we feel this way, just imagine how those who were hurt, and whose lives and cultures were upended by the values of colonialism might feel about all of it.
As we turn to our readings from sacred scripture today, we see that the notion of reconciliation is one that has always been part of our identity and ideals as people who seek to follow the ways and teachings of Jesus in our lives. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul makes mention of this word and how it might have influence over the relationship that the people of this early church community might have with God, expressing the idea that if the connections between God and the people was going to be made whole from its current state of brokenness, the people would have to change how they regarded both God and their neighbours. Instead of seeing each other through lenses that elevated some while denigrating others, they would have to learn to regard each other in ways that humbly acknowledged the inherent worth of the person living alongside of you, respecting both their differences and the things that you might have in common with one another.
Such an outlook as presented by Paul draws deeply from the teaching put forward by Jesus in our reading from Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus asks His followers and those who sought to learn from Him about what true reconciliation was meant to be about. It wasn’t enough to remain pure in action when it came to such crimes as murder-your words and your attitude towards your neighbour would have to remain kind and friendly as well. To use your words to harm someone else could cause damage that might not result in a physical death, but could have the power to alter the once sacred connection that existed between one person and another. In times when such ruptures in relationship occurred, the main concern in the aftermath of the abuse would be to make things right once again. Nothing else-not even one’s relationship to the Divine as expressed through acts of ritual and worship-could be allowed to supercede the reconciliation that needed to happen between neighbours who had become estranged because of harm that had been inflicted through various actions and systems of oppression. Such repair would require deliberate action and sincere desire to mend what had been broken, so that healing could happen and wholeness could result in a shared future of friendship and peace.
As we move toward this year’s Day for Truth and Reconcilliation, let us all take the opportunity offered by this occasion to reexamine and reacquaint ourselves with the 94 calls to action, and find ways to learn more about these paths to reconciliation and how best to support them becoming realized in our lives and in the lives of our Indigneous neighbours. If reconciliation is something that we truly believe in, and want to make a part of all of our futures, it will require effort and commitment from us, as we seek to live in ways that will bring healing and trust back into the connections that we share with our Indigenous neighbours and relations. Let us make it so, in all that we do moving forward. May it be so. Amen.

09/20/2026

Reflection- Based on Matthew 20:1-16

Now that another school year is officially underway, it won’t be long before students of all ages embark upon some sort of class project that will occupy their time in and outside of school hours. Dioramas, book reports, science projects-you name it, they will be assigned and carried through to the finish line by all those who intend to make them part of their grade. Even though my academic years are pretty far behind me right now, I have very clear memories of what it was like to be assigned a project in a given subject by my teacher/professor. I remember how I would start my research or gathering materials and supplies the same day the work was assigned, and then work steadily at it each and every day leading up to the deadline, after which I would happily pass it in on the day it was due to be placed before my teacher for evaluation, hoping to have my work and diligence rewarded with a grade that reflected all of the effort that I put into it.
As I recall this bygone experience, another thing that comes to mind is how in my various classrooms, there were just as many different approaches to the same projects as there were students in the class. Some, like myself, would begin working on the project the day it was first assigned, while some would wait a few days or weeks before diving in to the project, working steadily until it was ready to be handed in on the due date. And then there were the folks who would fearlessly wait until the very last minute, and then spend the night before the assignment was due scrambling to complete what needed to be submitted the very next day. Somehow, some way, most if not all of our assignments would make it into our teacher’s hand in time, where they would then be marked according to the work that had been submitted.
I remember one particular assignment that I have slaved over for weeks on end, bending over backward to reach the deadline, while one of my closest friends chose to wait until the night before to even START on her project, barely getting it in under the proverbial wire. At the time I didn’t think much of it, but when we got our marks back, I was surprised to find that I was a little irked that my friend and I had made the SAME mark on our assignments. I guess in my young mind, the fact that I had spent so much more time working on the assigned project should have been translated into a higher grade in the eyes of my teacher. I never said anything at the time, but that memory of how that experience felt has somehow stayed with me all of these years later.
I found myself recalling those past academic adventures as I turned to today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus once again shares with His disciples a parable intended to describe for them the ideal world that was intended for them by the Divine. This “ideal world” was better known as the Kingdom of God, and it was envisioned by the people of God as a place where the injustices and oppressions of their current culture would no longer be baked into the day to day operations of the realm that God’s people had been promised would be their everlasting home during their lifetime. It would be a world where everyone would receive fair and equal treatment, no matter what they may have done or who they might be.
And yet…..in this particular story, Jesus presents His listeners with a scenario that seems to be brimming with economic injustice, when He describes four different teams of workers, all hired by the same landowner at different times of the day, having agreed to receive a certain amount of payment for the work they would complete in the fields. Four different teams of workers who, at the end of the work day, all receive the same amount of compensation that they agreed to work for, which also turns out to be the exact same amount for each person in each group, regardless of what time they may have started their work day.
It isn’t until the assembled workers all begin comparing notes on how much pay they were taking home that this idyllic vision of teamwork and camaraderie starts to become tarnished in the eyes of some. Namely, the workers who had been on the job since the early morning hours, who suddenly begin to see the pay that they have earned as being less valuable, because those who had done the same work for a shorter number of hours had received the same amount for their efforts. Not only that, but the work that these early hires had contributed to the day’s efforts now appeared to be unworthy of the compensation received for it, as the workers find themselves resenting investing so much of their time, effort, and sweat equity into this project, only to receive the same amount of pay as those who had only worked a quarter of that time.
In the eyes of these workers, all that they had done for the sake of this project had been nothing but a waste in their eyes, an opinion that they waste no time in bringing to the landowner, in a quest for what they believed to be fairer compensation. In response, the landowner reminds them that they have received 100% of what they agreed to work for, as had their co workers from the different shifts, and that they should be satisfied with that, because in reality, nothing had been taken away from them or their efforts. Their efforts had been rewarded as expected, and so had everyone else’s.
Through this explanation, the landowner makes clear their vision for the community they were trying to create for themselves and their neighbours was one where everyone’s effort to contribute to the common good would be regarded as having equal value, regardless of who had started first or who had been working at this project longer than others. This was the ideal world that the landowner was trying to create for those who would work alongside of them, and each other, so that all efforts to help would be considered to have equal value, and that all who contributed would come to see and appreciate the value of what they and others had put into this project, thereby making the world the more fair and equitable place that they all longed for. For those who were unable to accept this reality gracefully, let alone with gratitude for what they had received, there could be no place within this evolving kin-dom that was being built right before their eyes, through radical actions of sharing such as the one carried out by the landowner.
If we as God’s people are going to aspire to the ideal world that Jesus spent so much of His time describing to those who would listen, we may have to shift our own ideas about what that ideal world might actually look like, sound like, be like, so that we can find a place for ourselves within it. The ideals of fairness and justice that reflect God’s vision may prove to be ones that turn our accepted definitions of those goals on their heads, as they make room for everyone to have an equal part of what the kingdom of God is all about, and reverse the time honoured notions of first and last so that everyone is brought into equal alignment with one another, and so that every one will have an equal share of what God has sown in the whole of creation. This way of being may be unexpected, and even unfair when measured by our definition of such things, but by seeking to understand and embrace this different way of thinking about our world and the parts that we play within it alongside of others, we will, all of us, make ourselves much better prepared for how things can be in the world that God has always envisioned for us all. May it be so. Amen.

08/30/2026

Reflection- Based on Matthew 16:21-26
When I think back on my love of reading as a pastime, I realize more and more that I owe much of my love of books to my mother. It was she, after all, who used to read to me at all hours until I learned how to do it for myself, and when I got older she would introduce me to some of her favourite stories and authors, allowing me to share in them as well. But, as I get older, I find myself remembering more and more one lesson about the love of books that my mom passed down to me-one that is a more of a cautionary tale than anything else.
Whenever my mom would pick up a new book that she was going to read for her own enjoyment, she always did the same thing. She would pick up the book, flip to the last chapter, and proceed to read it first. And then, if the ending was not one that ended in a happy or satisfactory manner, she would set it aside without turning back to the beginning to read. She did this with practically every one of her books, and one day as I watched her carry out this ritual, I decided to ask her why she would always read her books backward, and not continue with the story once she knew the ending. And I will never forget what she told me, which was “I don’t want to keep going with the story if it doesn’t have a good ending”.
Even as a young person, I had a hard time understanding that particular brand of logic. I might take a peek at the last page or the last chapter of whatever book I might be reading, but something always compelled me to keep reading the story from beginning to end. Some of those stories were even ones that my mother had discarded, because her enthusiasm for the story had turned sour once she knew how it ended. It never really made sense to me, but it was one of many areas of life that my mom and I had to learn to agree to disagree about during my years of growing up.
In our reading from Matthew’s Gospel today, we find none other than Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ most committed followers, fighting the temptation to drop out of the ongoing saga that is the ministry that He and the other disciples have agreed to be a part of as followers of Christ. Remember, it was only a few lines ago where Peter made his daring declaration that he believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was none other than the Messiah, the one sent by God to restore the dignity and freedom of the people of God in their lifetime. To be fair,, this admission of faith probably came with a lot of long held expectations about how this larger than life saviour of the people would bring about this new era in the people’s history-many of which probably involved a great deal of fighting and bloodshed, all of which would come to an end when the Messiah emerged victorious and ready to take over God’s kingdom here on earth, with a fully engaged entourage of believers and supporters by his side.
This is what Peter and the others expected would happen, because in their vivid yet limited imaginations, this was the ONLY way that such an outcome could be achieved by the One that God had provided them with in this time and place. This was the only ending that made sense, and this was the only ending that they could accept for a story that they had just recently promised to be “all in” on. To remain open to any other kind of outcome would mean accepting failure and humiliation as being an acceptable result of their faith and dedication, and that was something that this band of believers just could not fathom as having any part in Jesus’ story.
And yet, when Jesus begins to tell His followers what will happen next in their shared story, this is exactly the chain of events that He describes to those who were now part of the journey with Him, as they had promised to be. What Jesus details is not a story of easy victory or foreseeable triumph after so many years of being oppressed at the hands of the state and religious authorities. No, what He regales His disciples with is a story where He will be defeated by those who now had, and would then have the upper hand. He would lose His life, dying like a common criminal who would be made an example of by way of the ultimate method of public execution-crucifixion. Even though there is some mention of a reversal of these fortunes once the dust has settled, Peter and the others are not able to look past the more dramatic and gruesome parts of the story that He has just shared with them, so shocked and appalled as they are by them.
In an effort to salvage the situation, Peter tries to silence Jesus’ attempts to unflinchingly share the whole story with them, telling Him not to delve into such uncomfortable outcomes, because to do so would make this story utterly unpalatable for those who might yet still be attracted to following Christ in the times ahead, let alone those who had recently declared their own commitment to the one they believed to be the Messiah. Jesus responds to this reaction by declaring both Peter and his views on the subject to be unacceptable, because this would be how things would turn out, whether or not those closest to Jesus would approve of it, before going on to declare that now that all of the disciples knew how this particular story would end, they now had to decide for themselves whether or not they would stick with it.
Jesus explains that this way of life would not be an easy or a glorious one, and that those who followed it would just as likely wind up carrying their very own cross someday, as being too closely associated with Jesus would make them a threat to the status quo as well. And as such a life, it would require a deeper sense of commitment from those who chose to engage it than would a life that was a bit less controversial or disruptive to those who would disagree with it and would have the power to s***f its’ influence out. It’s not enough for Jesus to simply have His followers’ word that they were in this with Him-they would have to hold on to their beliefs as this uneasy story unfolded before them, not wavering or flinching from what reactions would be inflicted upon them because they had made this their story as well. It would not be an easy path, but eventually it would lead them to a world and a way of being that would remain true to all that they believed about the power of God to change the world and their lives for the better. If they could uphold their commitment to a story whose ending might be different from what they had expected.
It’s often surprising that after two thousand plus years, the story of Jesus still finds a way to resonate with us, with all of its messiness and complications. It seems like a story that could have been discarded centuries ago, in favour of other, more positive narratives that can offer comfort with happy endings and heroic outcomes. And yet, here we are, along with communities just like ours, gathering on a given day at a given time to hear the story again, even though we know its twists and turns by heart. Perhaps the story is not over yet, and we are still taking it in and making it our own, allowing it to make us more resilient and determined as a people to ensure that the hard parts of the story don’t get the last word, and that a good outcome can still be gained at the end of the day. May it be so. Amen.

08/23/2026

Reflection- Based on Matthew 16:13-20

A family of four decides city life doesn’t suit them anymore
So they sell their house in the suburbs and buy a dairy farm, complete with a dozen livestock.. After a week or so, the dad and 2 sons are out mending the fences, when their neighbor comes driving up the road and stops to introduce himself.
“How y’all doin? My name’s Al, and my friends call me Big Al. Are you folks new to the trials and tribulations of ranching?”
The father said yes, and the pleasantries continued until Big Al asked if the family ranch had a name.
“Well,” said the father, “I wanted to name it “The Flying Q”, but my wife suggested “The Lazy A”, my older son Gary was partial to “The BAR-J”, and the younger one Steve liked “The Pistol T.” So we had a family compromise and named the ranch “The Flying Q Lazy A BAR-J Pistol T Family Ranch.”
“That’s quite a mouthful,” says Big Al. “But where’s all your cattle?”
“Well,” said the father, “so far, none have survived the branding.”

The longer I live as someone who aspires to follow in the way of Christ, the more I have come to understand one uncomfortable yet simple truth, and it is this: The faith we know as Christianity has a very serious branding problem, one that springs from how those of us who seek to represent ourselves as followers of Christ in the world behave in that same world. Too often when the word “Christian” is uttered in mixed company, certain images of those who represent that particular faith come to mind, and lately, it has been harder and harder to reconcile those images with what the person we know as Jesus had in mind for the way of life and ministry that would one day bear His name.

This problem is one that cuts along denominational lines, but is only, I would argue, partially responsible for this identity crisis. To use a sports analogy, if Christianity was a game that we were all attempting to play together during our time in the world, it wouldn’t really matter at the end of the day what particular TEAM we were playing with as we participated in upholding the image of Christ in the world. What would matter is how we as individuals played together in that game-how we treated each other, how we cared for each other, how we combined our efforts to make this world, our world, God’s world, a better place, all while expressing our commitment to representing Christ and Christ’s way using whatever outward expressions felt meaningful to us. For example, would a gold cross worn around someone’s neck as a form of jewelry retain its original meaning, if the someone behind it had made it their life’s work to uphold policies and ways of being that are a direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus Christ? Would a mega church that was standing room only on a Sunday really be able to claim that its leaders and members were truly following the way of Christ if, during a torrential hurricane, they refused to offer their space as shelter to those in need? Would someone, anyone, who was bold enough to speak about the love of God as expressed through Jesus, then claim, with a straight face, that such a love should have limitations, ones that made it acceptable then to shun those who might be different from them in some way shape or form, all while making it impossible for them to have access to the same rights as others? Would someone who could quote Gospel passages off by heart, chapter and verse, still have the same sense of credibility if they were to support leadership that lived by a set of values that was antithetical to the ones that Jesus sought to impart to the world? Would Jesus, could Jesus, and anyone’s relationship with Him, possibly survive the ways in which His brand is being misrepresented in some circles that claim to hold Him and His teachings to be something sacred?
This is the very question that comes before Jesus and His original band of followers in our reading from Matthew’s Gospel today. As the group makes their way into the territory of Caesar Phillipi-an area once known as being favoured by the Gods of Greek and Roman mythology, and one currently known as the location of one of King Herod’s many vanity projects- a grand palace given as a gift to the God Augustus and upheld by his son Phillip, who named it in his own honour-it’s as if there are any number of gods or influencers vying for the loyalty of ordinary mortals such as the disciples, and so, in the midst of so much architectural and cultural splendour, Jesus decides to ask His students to place HIM somewhere in the visible hierarchy that is at this moment surrounding them and taking their breath away.
Jesus does this to get a sense of how His followers understand Him and what He is really all about. After all, by this point in the story, these disciples have been following Him for a while, and it’s important for them to know who Jesus is, and why He and His way are worth living up to. What better place to get these answers than in a place that held so many reminders of who the disciples COULD be following in this day and age-past gods or present dictators-both influences that would need to be set aside and even ignored if they were truly going to be representing someone as radically countercultural as Jesus of Nazareth.
And so He opens the conversation with this question-who do other people say that I am? Who am I to the masses who know me as the Son of Man-and knowing me in this way, who have they made up their minds about who I am to them? In response, the disciples offer up various kinds of hearsay that they have become privy to over the course of their journey, name dropping such late great leaders of the faith as John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah, while acknowledging the commonly held belief that Jesus was someone who reminded the people of the cloud of past prophets who had reminded them of God’s great and everlasting connection to them, even in times of great trial and controversy.
Only partially satisfied with these responses, Jesus then asks these individual disciples, the ones who have gotten to know Him on a much more up close and personal level than anyone else, this much more pointed question-”But, who do YOU say that I am?” Forgetting all of the other influences around you right now, forgetting even those from the past who had done their best in their eras to represent God’s true nature to the people of God, Jesus asks these followers to decide for themselves who and what Jesus is, and why He is here with them now.
Speaking for His colleagues, Simon Peter makes a declaration-He has recognized, through Jesus’ words and actions up to this point, the brand that Jesus is trying to promote in the lives of the people of God. This brand is none other than Messiah, a member of God’s own family, sent by God to make a difference in the world. The same person that people like Peter and his fellow disciples have been waiting for to liberate their people and set them free in God’s name. The person who, because of who they truly are, would have their undying loyalty, even in the midst of so many other idols who could be seeking their attention and their commitment in the world right now.
In response to this declaration of brand loyalty, Jesus declares these disciples, through Peter, the ones who would carry that same brand into the world so that all people would come to recognize and find rest within it. And how would they, these ordinary individuals with their lofty ideals and deep aspirations, do this? By showing through THEIR example who Jesus was, is, and would be in the lives of the whole people of God. Their words, their actions, their willingness to fully and sincerely live according to the teachings of Christ-these would be the things that would reveal Jesus and the saving grace of His identity to the people. The people who would themselves become bearers of the brand of Jesus would learn about it from watching and listening to how these, the closest followers of Jesus, treated each other and how they behaved towards others who had yet to find a place for themselves within this new world order. And it was through this type of brand representation that all that Jesus sought to represent in the lives of God’s people would thrive and flourish and grow in such a way that it couldn’t help but take on a life of its own. Maybe this is why Jesus is so quick to follow up His bestowing of His mission on the newly identified rocks of His foundation, Jesus immediately tells these same followers NOT to tell anyone that He was the Messiah-because to merely tell them through superficial things such as easily spoken words, beautifully built construction projects, and maybe even visually impressive merchandise-would not, could not be enough to change the world in the ways it needed to be changed to make things better forever for the whole of God’s creation. No, if these disciples were going to align themselves with Jesus as the Messiah, they would, as His brand ambassadors, have to live and behave in ways that SHOWED others that He was the Messiah, in ways that could be both understood and never denied.
The same stands true for us as Christians doing our best to live up to Christ’s example in our day and age. It’s not what we wear, what we say, what scriptures we can recite, or where we establish our physical presence in a given geographic community that identifies us as followers of Jesus-those things offer only a glimpse of what we are really trying to be all about in the name of the One who calls us to be one in God’s name. No, when it comes to truly representing all that Jesus represented in His life and ministry, it is how we act and how we behave towards each other that brings Jesus’ brand of faith to life, and brings life to it as well. By committing ourselves to this challenging, radical way of being, we do more to make God’s dream for humanity and creation come true than all the cross pendants, all the mega churches, and all the impressive regurgitations of sacred scripture in the world could ever hope to do. People will come to know us as Christians who live Christ;s way behind these doors, by how we behave and interact with all people beyond these walls and beyond these doors. That’s the way it’s been since the beginning, and it’s the way it will be as each of us and all of us move into our shared future in Christ’s name, together. Amen. and Amen

Berwick Trinity United Church

10/11/2026

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