THE MORNING
THE WYCLIFFE COLLEGE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER JANAUARY 13 2020 | VOL. 14
STAR
Money
UPCOMING EVENTS
BY Ann Jervis Jesus talked a lot about money. Though I haven’t done the accounting, I suspect that money is one of his primary topics. Think of Jesus’ parables: the lost coin, the two debtors, the rich man and Lazarus, the Pharisee and the tax collector, the talents, and so on. Jesus’ talk about money may partly be rooted in who his listeners were. When he taught in Galilee, Jesus’ listeners were people whose economic life was insecure. They were agrarian and overtaxed – some estimates are that the tax rate was 30 per cent. If there was a bad harvest or catches of fish, many went into debt in order to pay the tax. And once a debtor, it was next to impossible to climb back into a good economic place. Given the circumstances of his listeners, we might expect that Jesus would have said some explicit things about resisting Roman taxes, or that he would have helped his followers to create a movement demanding economic justice. Some interpreters of the New Testament think that is what Jesus was doing when he talked about the kingdom of God.
Jan 15, Wed Wednesday Event with Prayer Book Society, p. 3
Jan 20-24 Mission Week—More info to come
Jan 22, Wed Wednesday Event with Bishop Kenya Wondera at 3 p.m.
Jan 31, Fri Theology Pub Night, p. 3
Feb 18, Tues
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Preaching Day, p. 3 PAGE ONE
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Money in its proper place I don’t hear Jesus this way. Rather, Jesus thought that the kingdom of God is necessarily a place where all are cared for and no one takes advantage of others. This is the case not so much because money has been fairly distributed (although it would be), but because money is in its proper place. That is, I hear Jesus radically diverting attention away from money even while he talks about it almost ceaselessly. He is revealing an alternative way of perceiving and relating to money and to other people (the kingdom of God), rather than an alternative economic system. Money will fall into the right place when God and not money is the focus. One of the clearest things Jesus said about money is that it wants our service – “you cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13). Here Jesus makes plain that he sees money as dangerous for those who want to serve God. Money wants only more of itself. It wants to replicate itself: it tempts those who have it to serve money’s goal – making more money;
“Money will fall into the right place when God and not money is the focus.” and it promises those who don’t have it that it is the only answer to their needs. Jesus describes the kingdom of God as an environment where money has no power. The kingdom of God is for children (Matthew 18:1-4) and the poor (Luke 6:20). It is where people care for one another and where the goal is not wealth but God’s will. Money as a means to love Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God is near (Mark 1:15) and that it is present in his person (Luke 17:21). The kingdom of God is present now as we in the presence of Jesus care for each other in practical, monetary ways. It is present as we eschew service to money, and rather relate to it as a means to love.
This way of being is so profoundly different that Jesus spoke of it as being born anew (John 3:3). We see the kingdom of God when we see Jesus. And when we see Jesus – God’s love in our world – we also see the only wealth worth serving. The richness of knowing God’s will and love replaces money’s hold on us, freeing us from enslavement to money, whether our enslavement is our worry or our desire for more. In the kingdom of God, money’s purpose is God’s good. Money is typically a concern in theological schools – both students and institutions tend to worry about it. May we all pray for the mind of Jesus in our various economic realities – whether that means we should be more generous, or fret less. May we focus where Jesus focused: doing the will of God for the sake of the world God loves. Or, as Jesus said, “seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matthew 6:33).
ABOUT Ann Jervis is Professor of New Testament at Wycliffe College. A scholar known for her expertise on the Apostle Paul, during the Winter 2020 semester, Ann is teaching “Learning About Paul Through Galatians,” an intensive course at the graduate level that will take place over two, two-day sessions. During the Spring 2020 semester, she will teach a course on the gospel of Mark.
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From the Student Council WEDNESDAY EVENT WITH THE PRAYER BOOK SOCIETY Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. in Principal’s Lodge, Wycliffe College The Prayer Book Society of Canada (PBSC) has generously donated a new set of pew copies of the Book of Common Prayer for use in Founder’s Chapel. We give thanks to Almighty God for this generous gift and we will have a dedication of the books on January 15th during community Eucharist and will learn about the PBSC at the Wednesday event in the Lodge. Here members of the PBSC will speak further about what they do to advocate for the use of the Book of Common Prayer and its traditions within the Anglican Church of Canada and will learn from parish priests who are growing their congregations. PBSC is an organization devoted to the continued use of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in both the churches within the Anglican Church of Canada and the private lives of Canadian Anglicans alike. The PBSC seeks to defend the inherited liturgical, theological, and history of the Anglican Tradition as found in the rites of the Book of Common Prayer. To this end, the PBSC has offered financial support, in the form of bursaries, to theological students who share an interest in the preservation of the Prayer Book Tradition that represents the authorized reference point for theological discourse and doctrine within the Anglican Church of Canada. Please join together with students, alumni, and faculty this Wednesday for fellowship, learning, and thanksgiving.
Public Events at Wycliffe THEOLOGY PUB NIGHT WITH MARION TAYLOR AND KIRA MOOLMAN — BREAKING SILENCE: THE GRANDMOTHERS WE NEVER KNEW WE HAD Friday, January 31, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in Leonard Hall, Wycliffe College Professor Marion Taylor, scholar of Old Testament and Women’s Interpretations of the Bible, will join Kira Moolman, PhD student at Wycliffe College, on uncovering the voices of women in the history of biblical interpretation and theology. Come hear some of the fascinating stories of women who were pioneers in these areas, how the culture of interpretation shifted in the beginning of the 20th century, and what work is yet to be done in this emerging field. This is a free event and it is open to the public. There will also be snacks and beer so bring your friends! For more information: wycliffecollege.ca/theologypub
PREACHING DAY—THE PSALMS: SONGS OF HEALING Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Wycliffe College Preaching Day is an annual event at Wycliffe College. This year we welcome Dr. Ellen Davis from Duke Divinity School, whose research interests focus on how biblical interpretation bears on the life of faith communities and their response to urgent public issues, particularly the ecological crisis and interfaith relations. For this event, Dr. Davis will be exploring preaching from the Psalms in the context of some of the traumas we experience in life and in ministry such as the opioid crisis, PTSD, and the global refugee crisis. Purchase your tickets at wycliffecollege.ca/ preachingday. PAGE THREE
From the Registrar Student Orientation An orientation session for students beginning their programs this January will be held in the West Lecture Room beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 16. All new students are welcome to join, please let Jeffrey Hocking (jhocking@wycliffe.utoronto.ca) know if you will be attending. Dinner will be provided. Jeffrey Hocking, Assistant Registrar
Some key academic dates
Last date to drop and receive a full refund of tuition is Jan. 19, 2020. Please note that if you drop the last class you will be charged the $286 minimum fee.
New January academic starts in the Winter Session can opt out or enrol their spouse and/or dependent children in the UTSU health plan between Jan. 1 – 31, 2020 for coverage from Jan. 1 – Aug. 31, 2020.
Jan. 24, 2020 is the date the U of T cancels registrations for non payment.
Are you Registered on ACORN? If you haven’t done so already, please check your financial invoice on ACORN and make sure you have a REG status by making a payment.
Bookstore Hours Wycliffe course textbooks are available at the Law Bookstore, Room P125, 78 Queen’s Park. January 6-19 Hours: Mon-Thurs 9 am – 5 pm and Friday 11 am – 7 pm; Saturday Jan 11 ONLY: 11 am – 2 pm January 20-31 Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 am – 4 pm and Friday 3 pm – 7 pm
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