Author Archives: marcuscurnow

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#9 Host Great Banquets #40ways40days

February 19 #9 Host Great Banquets / Make Eating Sacred Luke 5:29-6:5; 7:34; 9:1-10; 22:14-23; 24:13-32; 41-42

Luke 5:29-6:5

29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table with them.30The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’31Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’

33 Then they said to him, ‘John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink.’34Jesus said to them, ‘You cannot make wedding-guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.’

Our family was involved in the Footscray Seeds community with the Curnow family for many years. It had a focus on shared eating and we had a community dinner every Wednesday night. Over those years I grew from a newly married woman who got uptight about hosting dinner parties to a one half of a couple who could cater for 25 at the drop of a hat. We pride ourselves on hospitality and love to make great banquets.

-Katherine K.

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#8 Leave and Follow #40ways40days

#8 Leave and Follow:  Luke 5:11, 27-28; 9:23-27; 9:57-62,

Luke 5:27-28

 After this he went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up, left everything, and followed him.

Screen Shot 2016-02-19 at 4.28.23 PMSan Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

In his masterpiece, “The Calling of St. Matthew”, Caravaggio imagines the tax collectors huddled in a darkened room counting their money. Jesus emerges from out of shot and, backed by a supernatural light, bids Levi “Follow me”.

Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

Immediately. Without question or hesitation. He left everything and followed him.

I wonder if Levi had known the journey that lay ahead whether he would have been so bold? If, perhaps only for a moment, he might have taken pause.

It’s only later in the story that he learns the true cost of discipleship. Leaving vocation and family, a life on the road stripped of the comforts of home.

As Bonhoeffer put it: When Christ calls he bids us come and die.

Many of us experience a call like Levi’s. A supernatural moment when we are overcome by the presence of Jesus. And like Levi, it’s only later that we realised the cost.

Jesus finds us huddled in our darkened rooms, counting our money and our blessings.

It’s only after we journey along the road for a while that he puts the hard word on.

He calls us again, this time to death. The death of our greed and our selfishness.

He invites us to share the burden and the privilege of the cross.

As we walk our own road to Calvary this year let’s listen hard for where Jesus is calling us.

He might be calling us to a difficult place.

If we’re lucky, it might even be to death… and to life.

-Mark. P

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#7 Try Again! Let Down your Nets #40ways40days

February 17 #7 Try Again! Let Down your Nets:  Luke 5: 1-10

Luke 5: 1-10 

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’

febfast-promo

This year the feb fast was meant to happen.  It had been quite a lovely summer but it was time to give up the alcoholic bevies and detox the body!  That was until Feb 1st.  This was the day my daughter started Primary school.  And I was proud as punch as she independently walked through the classroom doors in her adorable oversized uniform.  It is our school’s tradition that the prep mums and dads gather around for some, “gee we’re glad we’ve made it this far”, festivities, hosted by the grade 1 parents.  And that’s when I found myself on the 1st of Feb at 8:55am sipping on a celebratory champagne.  My feb fast had lasted almost 9 hours – 7 of which I was asleep!  Luckily Lent was just around the corner and I had another week of a bit of Sauvy B. before I got into the serious fasting!

In this story, unlike my original fasting efforts, Simon had been working hard all night trying to catch some fish. By the time Jesus rocked up I imagine he was a little tired and despondent.  Have you ever busted your gut doing something you believed in only to reach poor outcomes or no outcomes at all?  Then have you ever had someone come and tell you perhaps you should do it all a bit differently? Quite a humbling experience.  But Simon had the sensibility to recognise that Jesus was speaking and that he should take his advice.

I love the way that when Simon knew he was onto a good thing he beckoned his mates over to share the love.  Soon they had two boats full of fish.  It now wasn’t just Simon who was amazed with Jesus but a whole bunch of fisherman.  But what was their reaction?  It seemed that they were afraid of Jesus because all of a sudden it seemed they didn’t have this fishing thing figured out. They were so humbled they didn’t want to be around Him.

And Jesus chose them! Jesus chose the humble and afraid fisherman.  The fisherman who didn’t have everything figured out, but who were willing to listen to him and try again.  These were the ones called to be Jesus’ first disciples.

I look forward to hearing how Jesus humbles and amazes us this Lent as we reflect upon what he is asking us to do differently.

Blessings,

 – Cathie S.

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#6 Participate in the Mission of God #40ways40days

#6  Participate in the Universal Missio- Dei!  Luke 4: 13-30; 7:22; 9:6; 10:1,17

Luke 4: 13-30

When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. 

 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
   because he has anointed me
     to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
   and recovery of sight to the blind,
     to let the oppressed go free, 
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ 
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

 

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#5 TEMPTATION #40ways40days

February 15 #5 Temptation Luke 4:4-12, 22:40 

Luke 4: 1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Reflection 1:

Jesus & scorpion 3This is one of my favourite paintings of Jesus. Its by the British artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) who was fascinated by Jesus and the themes of resurrection in the ordinary.
Sit with the painting for a while –

What do you like/dislike about this depiction of Jesus?
What do you think Spencer was trying to convey about the wilderness experience?

For me its about facing the risks ahead. Jesus is holding the scorpion in his hand – contemplating the risks ahead of embracing the unlovely; the treacherous; the vindictive ones, knowing that at any moment they can sting and fatally harm him. He welcomes these symbols of risk (notice a second scorpion by his feet). He does not shrink from them or bash them with a rock, but holds them in love and attentiveness.
And it is in this commitment to accepting the risks of his ministry that Jesus recognises his temptation or vulnerability to take the short cuts to achieving his goals, and to avoid the pain and suffering that might be entailed.

As we consider the year ahead – what risks will we embrace?
Where might we be tempted to take an easier path?
What are the temptations we face to avoid pain or sacrifice?

-Anne W. H.

 

 

Reflection 2:

 

Traditionally, Lent is the period in the Christian calendar when followers of Jesus imitate his journey into the desert. In the forty days before Easter we remember the time when Jesus fasted for forty days, before being tempted by the devil. This year, I wonder what we might “give up” in our own Lenten journey. For some it might be our drug of choice – the morning cup of coffee or an evening glass of wine (or two). Others might choose to limit their retail spending or TV viewing. In doing so we seek to remove those things that inadvertently take the place of God. Those things that draw our attention away from God. With that in mind, this year I am planning to give up God for Lent. Well perhaps not God, maybe just my idea of God. We all construct our own picture of God. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but over time this picture begins to look a lot like us. It reinforces our own ideas and worldview. Like Jesus, we need to spend time in the desert, re-evaluate, re-centre, re-discover. As we enter the desert, we leave behind our preconceived notions of God. And yet ironically, this is where we find God. We search, we long, we grow thirsty. Like Jesus, we are tempted by a picture of God that gives us all we desire. Bread and water, a safety net to fall into. Like Jesus, we must recognise this is a picture of a God as we would like God to be. The One who promises to meet all our needs and make all our dreams come true. Jesus resists this picture of God, and we should too. He doesn’t seek the Oasis in the desert, rather, he lets the desert be desert. The quiet place where God might be heard, perhaps even known. And so, as we enter into the desert this Lent may we let the desert be desert, may we let God be God. Grace and peace,

– Mark. P