The Connexional Officers join me in greeting you as we commence another Connexional Year. We rejoice in the goodness of God, and we know that our gracious and loving God who faithfully goes with us through the valley of the shadow of death, protects us, preserves us, and provides for us, stands with us at the portal of this new year and hushes every fear and anxiety.

Last year was a various year. Some have known and experienced grief and sickness; some have rejoiced at miracles in their lives or the lives of family and friends. Some faced some very anxious moments when we were concerned about living each day but through it all we can affirm firmly that God is good.

We commend to your love and care all our ministers and especially those who have been transferred and are being welcomed into new Circuits; those who have superannuated and will move into another phase of their life’s journey, those who will be taking up their first Circuit appointment and those who have answered the call and will commence their theological education and ministerial formation.

We invite you to join and participate in the launch of Year 3 of the MCCA Unified Strategic Direction (USD) on:

• September 4 in English,
• September 5 in French,
• and September 9 in Spanish.

God wants the MCCA to be a growing, vibrant church that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and responsive to the needs of the communities in which we minister. Therefore, let us join in prayer and play our part in the successful implementation of the USD in all Districts, Circuits and Congregations.  Let us always remember that God is with us, and God is not finished with us as a Church.

Approaching the new year can be unsettling because none of us knows the future. We do not know what this year will bring, what storms may rock our boat, what wind will blow and how we may be tossed from side to side. As we push out from the shores of the 2022/2023 year and launch out into the new, uncharted waters of 2023/2024, let us be aware that whatever comes our way God is with us and God has the power to calm the waves. When we pass through the waters God will be with us, and the rivers will not overwhelm us, the fire will not consume us (Isa. 43:2).

Let us press on in God’s mission always cognizant of the fact that we are stronger together and united we stand divided we fall.

Go forth with confidence, the Lord is with you!

“Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” 2 Tim. 3:12.

Whoever seeks to live a Christlike life must expect some form of hostility from an ungodly world. The spectrum of persecution ranges from mild to intense, starting with ridicule, restriction, harassment, and discrimination,  and  progressing to torture, imprisonment, ostracism, and death.

Writing from prison, Paul told young Timothy, pastor of the Church in Ephesus, that “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” 2 Tim. 3:12. He wrote from his lived realities, having had a lifetime of suffering for the sake of Christ. Timothy knew all about his “persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured”. It was in Lystra, Timothy’s hometown, that Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, and left for dead (see Acts 14:20).

Summarizing his experiences, Paul said: “Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning” (see 2 Cor. 11:24-25).  So, Paul was not speaking theoretically and philosophically, but realistically, practically, and experientially. He lived it.

Not only did Jesus alert his disciples to the inevitability of persecution by saying: “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you…If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:18); He also said persecution for righteousness’ sake should be regarded as an honour. He stated: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake” Matt. 5: 11. William Hendricksen wrote that “Scars are the price which every believer pays for his loyalty to Christ.” 

In this increasingly secular and materialistic age, it is becoming progressively more unpopular to be followers of Jesus and to publicly declare our faith in God. Followers of Jesus are prone to be insulted, ridiculed, misunderstood, criticized, and even hated. Don’t be surprised if family and friends turn against us, revile and scorn us because of our zeal for the Lord. Let us regard it as an honour and a small price to pay for our loyal service to Christ. The scars of gossip, hatred, name-calling, envy, malice, and vindictiveness should be worn as a badge of honour by the soldiers of Christ. Jesus and Paul had their scars. Do you have any scars as a result for your faithfulness to God?

Living a Christlike life in this broken world that idealizes relativism can be costly. Standing and speaking up for the marginalized, victimized, and abused; defending the rights of children and vulnerable adults; and speaking out against injustices in high and low places are acts that are unlikely to be warmly embraced, but which are more likely to be followed by a knife in the back. 

Nevertheless, followers of Christ are assured that no amount of “trials, tribulation, distress, persecution…peril, or the sword, is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Therefore, I join Henry K. White and F.S. Fuller-Maitland in saying:

“Onward then in battle move;
More than conquerors you shall prove;
Though opposed by many a foe,Christian soldiers, onward go.” 
(VIP # 336)

Thought:    Always do what is right, even if it is costly.

Prayer Focus:
Pray for all those who are being persecuted for doing what is right.

The parable recorded in Luke 16:1-15, and generally captioned, The Parable of the Shrewd Manager, can be thought-provoking if not confusing. On the surface, it appears to be about the use and abuse of money or possessions. Here we witness the actions of a canny employee, about to be fired because of mismanagement. There is no mention of the actual deed; however, it is made evident that he used his control over his employer’s possessions to acquire the friendship of his subordinates, so that he could secure himself against an uncertain future.

He decided to “cook the books” by reducing his master’s debtors’ invoices by 25% on wheat and 50% on oil. This must have both shocked and pleased the debtors. If this parable is about money and possessions, then it is wise to remind ourselves that one’s attitude to earthly possessions can indicate one’s shrewdness or silliness, trustworthiness or untrustworthiness, or miserliness or generosity. So, yes! There is the very fundamental issue of honesty and using someone else’s possessions to “feather one’s bed”; but I am sensing that there is a deeper message.

The actions of the protagonist of this parable highlight the value of relationships and community. His anxiety about falling from grace and losing his job, about not being strong enough to dig, and too ashamed to beg (16:3), forced him to contemplate the alternative course of securing community support. When he was fired, he wanted people to welcome him in their homes (16:4). He did not want to become friendless. He wanted to avert his impending situation by applying the principles conveyed in the Guyanese proverb: “Hand wash hand make hand come clean”.

Human relationships and community acceptance and support are critical for meaningful existence. Humans are made for relationships; we need each other to survive. As John Donne put it: “No man is an island. No man stands alone …We need one another, so I will defend each man as my brother, each man as my friend.” The steward’s actions and intentions speak to the fact that stigma, discrimination, isolation, and loneliness are counter to true humanity. It is only through being together that can we move through darkness, sickness, divorce, unemployment, and brokenness, and become whole and healed people of God.

It is most regrettable that this man only knew the value of his community when his back was against the wall. When all was well and he was in his master’s good books, he didn’t seem to have given any thought about others. It is conceivable that he may have priced the goods unreasonably high. Now that he was heading for a crash, he quickly sought the support of the community.

For various reasons, we often find ourselves in circumstances where we need each other to survive and live meaningful lives. So, Charles Wesley was correct when he made his plea:

“Help us to help each other, Lord,
Each other’s cross to bear,
Let each his friendly aid afford,
And feel his brother’s care.

Help us to build each other up,
Our little stock improve.”

Thought:  We are created for community and interdependence.

Prayer:      Lord, help us to always remember that we are made to embrace community all the time, and not only when our backs are against the wall. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

By: Everald Galbraith
October 2022

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV

Moses, the leader of God’s people and statesman of the Hebrews, wanted to ensure that all God’s chosen people, young and old alike, remembered all that God had done to and for them. Consequently, he urged parents to educate their children in the knowledge and activities of God. By doing so, parents would have the opportunity to recall God’s faithfulness while conveying the narratives of God’s goodness from one generation to the next.

God’s activities on behalf the Hebrews formed the groundwork of their religion, the base of the covenant relationship and the covenant legislation. These activities also served to distinguish the Hebrews and their religion from their neighbours. They would understand and appreciate that the God who had done all these things was also the God who demanded and deserved their allegiance, obedience, and commitment. 

However, this plea to “watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget” comes against the background of the human tendency to forget. We are prone to forgetfulness, and that’s not because of Alzheimer’s. Some persons are guilty of forgetting where they came from and what God has done in their lives; some forget the rivers they have crossed, the battles fought, and the compassion and amazing grace of God with which they have been blessed. When we forget, there is the likelihood of becoming puffed up with pride and being deluded into believing we have accomplished all these things on our own.

Every believer can say with Donnie McClurkin, “We’ve come this far by faith/ Leaning on the Lord/ Trusting in His holy word/ He never failed me yet”; and it is highly recommended that we remember, reflect on, and reveal what the Lord has done in our lives. We must develop the habit of telling our church, co-workers, children, classmates, and family members, about the wonderful deeds of God. Remembering and advertising God’s actions will strengthen our faith and brighten our path. We will grow in confidence in God.

I agree with Dottie Rambo who wrote:

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then,
show me where you brought me from
and where I could have been,
oh remember I’m human and humans forget,
so remind me remind me dear Lord.

I appeal to you today: Do not forget what God has done in your life, and tell others about it.

Thought: Memory is one of God’s greatest gifts to humans. Prayer:    Lord, help me to use my memory to retain good things and not evil things and evil thoughts. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

“For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive due recompense for actions done in the body, whether good or evil” 2 Cor. 5:10

The Bible is replete with references to judgement in the temporal and spiritual realms. When I ponder the subject, I contemplate its scope and purpose. Who will be judged and why? Will all persons, including believers, face the judgement? There will be separate rewards, but will there be a separate judgement for believers and non-believers? Is the purpose different for the believer and the non-believer?  

In the selected text, Paul told the Church in Corinth that all believers must appear before the judgement seat of Christ. This is not for the judgement of our sins, because our sins were judged, and Jesus took the punishment for our sins on the cross. The word “appears”, or better yet, “manifest”, means to be investigated into, to be searched and examined thoroughly. In this judgement, Christians will give an account of the lives they have lived—whether good or ill.

The Corinthian Church was riddled with divisions and competitiveness of a potentially destructive nature. In the previous chapter, Paul assured the believers that the glory of eternity with Christ outweighed the suffering experienced in this temporal realm. Assured of this, Paul was willing to courageously risk more suffering to advance the cause of the Gospel. He was motivated by the desire to please Christ in the temporal realm.

So, the judgement will be an examination, an appraisal, of what each Christian has done “in the body” since putting faith in Christ.  Paul told the Romans that each believer will “give an account of himself to God” Rom. 14:12. That’s the judgement.

We are assured that every good and bad action will be rewarded. The Bible says, “the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free” (Eph. 6:8). Believers whose actions were designed to glorify Christ will receive God’s “well done”. Actions designed for selfish gains, and which failed to glorify God, will be “burned up” or shown to be worthless. This what Paul said: “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” 1 Cor. 3:15.

Therefore, believers must live circumspect lives. Followers of Jesus should live righteous and sober lives and not according to the dictates of the world. The guiding principle must not be  “when in Rome do as the Romans do”, but what the Holy Spirit impresses upon our hearts. In the face of obvious injustice, discrimination, evil, and wrong-doing, Christians should not remain silent, blind, and deaf.  When there are persons seeking refuge or needing a helping hand, and we can help, we should not pass by on the other side. Why? Because we must stand before the judgement seat of Jesus and be examined. Paul was motivated by this awareness, and so should we. 

Thought: Our actions should prepare us for the judgement.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that nothing can separate me from your

love; but help me to remember that all my deeds will be judged by you and your standards.

By Everald Galbraith
August 4, 2022

“Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the churchsins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seventimes” Matt. 18:  21-22.

Forgiveness is a conscious, intentional decision to release feelings of bitterness or retaliation towards a person or group who has harmed you, irrespective of whether they really deserve to be forgiven or not. We often hurt or offend others, be it consciously or inadvertently. Consequently, one of the most urgent needs in communities, churches, families, offices, and workplaces, is forgiveness. This is a common need, irrespective of race, creed, age, or stage in life. 

Jewish rabbis taught that people should forgive those who offended them three times. It was a common subject in Jesus’ teachings and interactions. Considering this, Peter, wishing to be exceptionally generous, asked Jesus if he should forgive an offender seven times. Jesus said not seven but seventy times seven. 

In the parable of the forgiving master and the unforgiving servant, Jesus tells us that God, the master, forgives because God is gracious and compassionate. God will not treat us as we deserve. The Psalmist said: “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered” Psalm 130:3-4. What is required is honesty and repentance. John says: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:8-9. This demonstration of grace is limitless. We forgive seventy times seven and keep going. 

Unlike the recently-forgiven, unforgiving servant in the parable, who refused to walk in forgiveness, we should forgive those who hurt us not because they deserve it, but because we have been forgiven and must therefore show compassion towards others; it is also good for our spiritual, psychological, and physical health for us to forgive. I agree with Nelson Mandela that: “When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.” Forgiveness brings the forgiver peace of mind and frees him or her from corrosive anger and a festering wound. It empowers the forgiver to acknowledge the wound and pain suffered without allowing that hurt to define him or her, enabling reconciliation and the strength to move on. The forgiven must walk in forgiveness. 

Forgiving others who have hurt us is not easy, because it is much more than saying “I am sorry” or glossing over or denying the seriousness of the offence. For forgiveness to become a permanent attitude rather than an occasional act, we need the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to empower us. That’s why Alexander Pope said: ‘To err is human; to forgive, divine’. You and I need the grace and power of the Holy Spirit to be forgiving persons. 

As we go through this Lenten season, let us ask God to enable us to walk in forgiveness. 

Thought: An unforgiving heart displeases God.

Prayer Focus:
Gracious God, cleanse the depths of our hearts and eradicate all resentment, so that we can be reconciled with you and our fellow human beings, and that our lives can spread your peace.
For Christ’s sake. Amen

GRASPING OPPORTUNITIES

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money” Matthew 25:14-18.

Years ago, I started piano lessons with Teacher, free of cost. I didn’t mind the “Sit up straight”, but I could not appreciate the sound and after-effects of the ruler on my knuckles. I abandoned the opportunity and have lived to regret it.

Have you ever heard the saying: “God will supply us with the opportunity, but it’s up to us to do something with it”? Taking advantage of our God-given opportunities is precisely the message of our text. The focus is on the servant who failed to use his opportunity and ended up losing the little he had.

The context of this Advent parable is the departure and anticipated return of Jesus. In this perspective, Jesus directs the listeners’ attention to the issues of faithfulness, preparedness, and risk, rather than to the obsession with speculating about when Jesus will come again. Waiting and watching for Jesus’ return requires being good stewards of our resources and opportunities. In the parable, two of the servants took advantage of their opportunities; the third did not. When viewed from this perspective, this is a disturbing story about what we Christians do or do not do with our opportunities while we await the manifestation of the Kingdom of God and the second coming of Jesus.

The three servants fall into two categories: faithful and unfaithful. The faithful servants took their opportunities and put them to work for their master. The unfaithful servant refused to use his opportunity. He buried it. Ironically, whereas his master expressed confidence in him, he judged his master to be a harsh man.

It is worth observing that the servant who buried his talent was not a dishonest servant who was out to get whatever he could from his master. There is no hint of fraud, deceit, or scandal. He seemed to have had no plans to embezzle the funds or to swindle his master. Furthermore, there is no indication that he was a philanderer or a prodigal out having a good time. Far from it! Discretion, caution, and deliberateness were his virtues. Unfortunately, his virtues became vices.

Friends, prudence can become impeding self-protectiveness and restraint. If we are not guided by a higher power and principles, that which is our strong point can weaken us. In this case, his inhibition turned to fear, and the servant ended up refusing to grasp his one opportunity.

By doing nothing, he committed a sin and robbed his Lord of service and increase. The Master reprimanded the servant for wasting his opportunity, and took this opportunity away from him, giving it to the one who had made the best use of his opportunity.

Opportunities are all around us: opportunities to witness for Jesus; to lend a helping hand to a child or to someone in need; to assist an individual financially; to say an encouraging word to a disheartened person; to tell of the goodness of God; to see and appreciate the beauty of creation, and many more. Only God knows why some people are given more opportunities than others. So having opportunities is not really the issue, because we all have been awarded something. Therefore, let us ask God to make us alert enough to grasp and use the opportunities given to us.

Thought: What we do not use for the Lord, we are in danger of losing.

Prayer: Providing God, help us to be aware of the opportunities you give to us, and to use them according to your good pleasure and your glory. Amen.

Bishop, The Rev’d Everald L. Galbraith
President of Conference