A Call to Justice and Reconciliation
God is a God of justice; righteousness is rooted in God’s character. Any endeavour by God’s people must be cognizant of this truth. The late Tim Keller claims that “Biblical justice is not a set of rules and guidelines. It is rooted in the very character of God, and it is the outworking of that character, which is never less than just.” He further states that “biblical justice requires that every person be treated according to the same standards and with the same respect, regardless of class, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or of any other social category.”
On Sunday, June 4, remembering God's call to justice, we will observe a Service of Lament. In our service, we will lament the ways our church is part of the injustices done against Indigenous peoples in Canada through the Residential school system and other forms of racism and discrimination. Lament is “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.” As such, we will express this grief by walking with the First Nations community and confessing our sins to bring healing and reconciliation.
Joining us in our worship is Rev. Levi Beardy, Oji-Cree member of Muskrat Dam First Nation. He will preach God's ways of forgiveness and also invite us in a sacred cleansing ceremony, smudging. Because this practice will be new to many of us, and mindful that there are differing views of incorporating smoke and incense elements in Christian worship, I want to share with you this morning about the practice of smudging to prepare us for worship.
One of the most meaningful cleansing ceremonies performed by Indigenous peoples is smudging wherein the smoke of tobacco, sage, cedar, or sweet grass is wafted over a person using a feather. There are Christian groups who believe that such practices should not be observed in a Christian context as it is not biblically based and is rooted in the spiritual practices of indigenous peoples, thereby contrary to Christian beliefs. Through prayer and biblical study, others have come to different conclusions.
In the article "Is Smudging Compatible with Christian Faith?", Rev. Vida Jaugelis, a Lutheran minister in Vancouver, explores the practice and how Christians might meaningfully and faithfully participate in a smudge ceremony. She notes that some Christians see smudging as similar to incense rituals practiced by God’s people in the Bible. For example, God instructs Moses to burn incense and herbs as an offering to the Lord (Ex. 30:8-9; 34-38). Today, there are still Christian churches (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran among others) that still practice burning incense as part of their worship tradition. Other churches burn scented candles where the scent is perceived as a reminder of God’s presence.
Rev. Jaugelis also reflects on the words of Dr. Cheryl Bear, Christian academic and songwriter of the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation. In the book “Traditional Ritual as Christian Worship: Dangerous Syncretism or Necessary Hybridity?”, Bear writes about the smudging ceremony. She writes, "Jesus did not dismiss the meaning of the cleansing ceremonies found in the Old Testament, but rather he deepened them.”
Cheryl Bear further writes:
Cleansing ceremonies point to our need for cleansing from sin—from the sins we have committed before God and the sins that have been perpetrated upon us. We know we need this cleansing. The beauty of the smudge ceremony lies first of all in the Indigenous person recognizing this great need to turn to Creator—the One who started everything, the One who made everything, the One who holds everything, the One who watches over us, the Great Spirit, the Great Mystery, the Being up on High.
The editors of "Traditional Ritual as Christian Worship...", upon reviewing the writing of contributing Christian authors, support the conclusion that “orthodox Christianity is hybrid Christianity.” The observance of traditional practices like smudging is a meaningful way of contextualizing our Faith.
Friends, we as prepare for worship on June 4 and Rev. Beardy invites into something new, I commend us all to note that to build meaningful relationships with First Nations communities, it is important to consider and recognize their traditional practices. Tomorrow, come ready to express your grief and regret for the sins and injustice inflicted upon the Indigenous peoples. And do join in the smudging ceremony as an expression of cleansing and reconciliation.
May we heed God’s call to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16).
Pr. Nes
