Pintler Cluster of the Episcopal Church

NEW SITE

2011-05-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Pintler Cluster has become

St. Joan of Arc Regional Ministry

you can find us at

http://sjaregionalministry.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

Sermon: Easter IV RCL A - "Soul Stealing"

2011-05-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

Text: John 10:1-10

Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

An armed hooded robber bursts into a little bank in South Louisiana, and forces the tellers to load a sack full of cash… On his way out the door with the loot one brave Cajun customer grabs the hood and pulls it off, revealing the robber's face… The robber shoots the guy without hesitation!... He then looks around the bank to see if anyone else has seen him…. One of the tellers is looking straight at him and the robber walks over and calmly shoots him also… Everyone by now is very scared and looking down at the floor… "Did anyone else see my face?" calls the robber… There are a few moments of silence...then Boudreaux looking down tentatively raises his hand and says: "I think my wife, Marie, peeked."… there’s an opportunist in every crowd.

We were up at Camp Marshall on Flathead Lake this week for Clergy Conference. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the meetings, which were all held in doors were absolutely long, but its done for another year.. Well.. they weren’t that bad.. but while I was walking around the lake.. I remembered something that I had seen a few summers ago…

It was a bit of an overcast day and I was once again walking along the side of the lake. I noticed quite a ways off a large group of ducks cruising along. They were mostly spread out.. finding bits of things to eat.. but as I watched.. they began to organize.. and rather quickly they all started gathering up in a tight group.. I wasn’t sure why until out of the corner of my eye I spotted a Golden Eagle.. and he was circling this group of ducks.. getting closer and closer.. until they were in that tight little ball. I say circling, but what he was actually doing was corralling, because once he had them all gathered up.. he took a nose dive into the center of that group of ducks and came up with dinner. It was amazing to watch. The eagle was a real opportunist.. I don’t know if when he dived into their midst if he had his eye on a particular duck.. or if he knew that with them being gathered so tightly he was bound to get something.. but in either case.. he flew off with a bit of Peking Duck.. and you would think that the rest of the ducks would have headed closer to shore or something, but instead.. it wasn’t more than a minute before they were all spread out across the lake looking for a bite to eat themselves.. as though nothing had happened…

The eagle created the opportunity to have all the ducks gathered in one tight formation.. and then took full advantage of that opportunity… Jesus said in our Gospel today.. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”.. and even though Eagle was acting purely out of instinct.. that is exactly what he did.. steal, kill.. and destroy.

Have you ever watched someone who is very devout in their faith.. slowly.. but constantly turn from that faith? At first they are in church most of the time.. they are faithful in participating in Bible studies.. times of fellowship and such… At first you notice they are not around as much, but you just figure they are going through some busy times.. when you see them around town they are friendly enough, but it appears that they are eager to keep moving along.. a bit more time passes along and you realize one day that you haven’t seen them for over a month.. as more time passes.. you think of them.. but you really don’t expect to see them on Sunday at church or any other church functions.

Now you may think, “I know where he’s going with this one.” We, like that flock of ducks, get picked off by the eagle – the devil – and we are lost.. and yeah.. you could go down that road… but in truth, the enemy of God’s people – that is the Devil – well, he is not so obvious… his methods are much more subtle.. so as silly as it might sound.. I saw that flock of ducks as representative of our individual souls..

I think you will agree that within our souls.. we have this tendency to wander.. to become distracted. Like those ducks that were scattered across the lake.. our soul scatters according to various needs.. concerns.. interests.. and so on. A part of it goes with our family their needs.. another part goes with friends and other relationships.. for many a part of their soul relates to their work and being successful.. then there are our own interests – sports, books, more books.. and even silly things like TV… like those ducks on the lake.. our soul becomes scattered out…

Now when crisis comes.. we have a tendency to focus our energies.. our soul on whatever that crisis might be.. just as the ducks formed up in that tight cluster on the lake.. yet when the crisis is over.. after the eagle has swooped in and snatched one of the ducks and flown off.. we discover that we have lost a bit ourselves.. a bit of our souls.. and we find ourselves diminished… It may not be a large bit of ourselves, but it is enough that it shows… I remember back when I was a kid.. during the summer we were always outdoors, but in the winter we stayed in – it can get cold down in Louisiana, don’tcha know – Anyhow.. I remember one winter when we passed the time putting these giant 1,000 piece puzzles together… and I also remember losing the occasional piece… 999 pieces in place, but with that one piece missing.. eh.. extremely frustrating… Yes, it was finished as far as we could go.. you still knew exactly what the image was supposed to be.. but you also knew that there was a hole.. something wasn’t right… we may only lose a little piece of our soul, but there is still a hole there when it is gone.. and something isn’t right… Over time, when more and more pieces go missing.. the damage becomes dangerous.

You would think that we would learn after a while, but we don’t. Why? It’s the craziest thing.. think back on the ducks.. following the eagle’s attack they all scattered out again and went back to eating... like them.. even though we have lost a bit of our souls.. we have this fault of going back to those same distractions.. allowing ourselves to be drawn once again into a type of spiritual apathy.. or indifference.

Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit…” and he goes on a few lines later and says.. “They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers."

… and that is true. When our soul is focused and turned toward Jesus we will know the difference between the voice of the stranger and the voice Jesus .. we will not follow the distractions, but will indeed run from those things that draw us away from him… but what Corrie ten Boom wrote is also true, “When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy.”

William Gurnall put it this way… “Satan knows what order you keep your house; and though he has not a key to your heart, he can stand in the next room to it, and lightly hear what is whispered there. If once he but smells which way your heart inclines, he knows how to take the hint; if but one door is unbolted, here is opportunity enough.”

I asked you earlier if you knew anyone that had slowly fallen away from the church.. and this is how it happens. One little piece of their soul at a time.. because the devil is an opportunist.. Oh, sure.. there is the occasional full frontal attack, but for the most part it is much more subtle than that… many times even going unnoticed.. and that is why we must not allow ourselves to become distracted from the voice of our Shepherd… we must listen carefully for him.. keeping our focus on him.. actively participating in the fellowship of believers.. and receiving the sacraments… and in doing so.. He will lead us out of the valley of the shadow of death.. and into the green pastures of eternal life.. with our souls intact.

Let us pray… God, our Father, may we love You in all things and above all things. May we reach the joy which You have prepared for us in Heaven. Nothing is good that is against Your Will, and all that is good comes from Your Hand. Place in our hearts a desire to please You and fill our minds with thoughts of Your Love, so that we may grow in Your Wisdom and enjoy Your Peace. Amen.

Sermon: Easter III RCL A - "A New Creation"

2011-05-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week, two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Little Johnny’s mother tells that the family had this great ten year old cat named Jack. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on the mat in the bathroom. Now Johnny was the middle kid of three.. and he was three.. his older brother was four and younger brother one.

Now when Little Johnny was three, he really loved chap stick. LOVED it. He kept asking his mom to use her chap stick and then he would lose it. Finally one day she showed him where in the bathroom that she kept her chap stick and explained he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer after he finished because she used it sometimes several times a day.

That year, on Mother's Day, the family was having the typical rush around to try to get ready for church with everyone crying and carrying on. Johnny and his older brother are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. Mom is trying to feed the little one.. while at the same time putting on her make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this wonderful day is supposed to be about honoring mom and the amazing job that she does.

Finally she has the older one and the baby loaded in the car, and is looking for Little Johnny. She searches everywhere and I finally goes into the bathroom. There was Johnny. He was applying her chap stick very carefully to Jack the cat’s rear end. Johnny looked right into his mom’s eyes and said, "chapped..."

Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right - their little rear ends do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind. And the only question to ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Little Johnny had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth!?!

Little Johnny’s mother says that this is her favorite Mother's Day moment ever, because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize... They've been using your chap stick on the cat's butt.

You ever think that God looks down from heaven.. shakes his head.. and asks himself, “You know… I buy them books.. send them to school.. so why is it that they are applying the chap stick to the cat’s butt.”

In our gospel reading today.. when Jesus catches up to Cleopas and his companion – who may in fact be Luke the author of the Gospel – Jesus doesn’t ask them why they are applying chap stick to the cat’s rear end, but he does declare that they are being a bit foolish…"Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?"

It is not a fact as to why Cleopas and Luke were heading toward Emmaus, but I have an informed and educated guess for you… they actually say it themselves… When Jesus asks them what they were talking about as they walked .. Not knowing that it was in fact Jesus who asked them, they answer him as though he has spent the last three days in a cave or something – three days in a cave.. three days in a tomb? Never mind… They say to Jesus that there was the greatest prophet Israel had ever known.. the long awaited Messiah who was going to free the people.. but that the chief priest had him put to death… Put another way.. “O woe is us.. all is lost.” …they are going home.. in their minds they are defeated and there is no point hanging out in Jerusalem any longer…. Even the direction they are heading is telling.. Emmaus is almost due west of Jerusalem.. the sun is setting.. the day is over and sun has set on the Messiah.. where they once walked in the light.. all is now turning dark… and it is then that Jesus speaks us and says, “stop putting chap stick on the cat’s butt… don’t be so foolish.. let me explain it to you.. let me show you how you are wrong.”.. and he does so in two very important ways… First, He opens the scripture for them and explains it in such a way that their hearts burned with in them… and second, he breaks bread with them just as he had done at the last supper – Word.. the explaining of Scripture / and Sacrament.. the breaking of bread – and in that instant.. they knew him.

They knew Jesus through Word and Sacrament.. just as we now know Jesus.. through Word and Sacrament.. and there is only one place to encounter both Word and Sacrament.. and that is in the Church… Archbishop Rowan Williams declares.. “The Church is the new creation, it is life and joy, it is the sacramental fellowship in which we share the ultimate purpose of God, made real for us now in our hearing the Word and sharing the Sacrament.”

My good friend Thomas a Kempis writes, “You have given me in my weakness Your sacred Flesh to refresh my soul and body, and You have set Your word as the guiding light for my feet. Without them I could not live aright, for the word of God is the light of my soul and Your Sacrament is the Bread of Life.”.. and these two life giving and soul lighting gifts are found only in our mother.. the Church.

And as part of our Baptismal Covenant.. we declare that not only will be take part in these gifts ourselves, but that we will share them with others… The question in the Covenant is asked, “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?”.. and we answer, “I will, with God’s help.”

Through our Christian life we seek to live out this vow.. sometimes in small ways and sometimes in great leaps of faith… Today, we as St. ____ and the Pintler Cluster we have been asked to take one of those great leaps of faith.. today we begin a new stage in our life together as we continue in this process of becoming that “new creation”.. old things are passing away and new thing are coming… In this case.. the old thing passing away is the Pintler Cluster.. and the new thing – well, it has a much more impressive name – St. Joan of Arc Regional Ministry. The old thing as the Pintler Cluster had three churches.. whereas St. Joan of Arc Regional Ministry will have four…. You and I are becoming missionaries so that we may proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ… This mission field we are entering into is in a foreign land.. known only as Butte… the new church to join our happy union is St. Mary’s… and the first service in this new creation will be held on a June 5th.

I’m sure that this is a lot of information to process at one time.. change is never easy.. and this change will not come without its challenges, but I am confident that the Lord will be with us and guide us each step of the way… because this is not our church, but His. The things we do are not for our glory, but His… In addition He has made sacrifice for His church.. and so must we… It is through our sacrifice that we will be able to make Him further known to the world in His Word and Sacraments… In His Church.

I will do my best to keep you all informed on what is happening.. how it is happening.. and when it is happening, but if you have questions you are always free to call or write. Through this transition I asked for your patience as we smooth out the organizational details.. and your understanding, because we are doing this.. not so that John can have his own little empire in southwest Montana.. but so that we can all continue together in this ministry… Finally.. and more important than all that.. I ask for your prayers, because it is only through them that we will be fruitful.

Let us pray… We pray You, almighty and eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ has revealed Your glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Your mercy, that Your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of your Name. Amen.

Sermon: Easter II - RCL A - "Thomas"

2011-04-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

The sermon this week was prepard by Lea Colvill.

May the thoughts of my mind, the mediations of my heart and the words on my lips be pleasing to you Lord, Christ.

My name is Lea Colvill. It is my privilege to address you at the invitation of your rector, Father John Toles. I want to thank him and you for your hospitality. I would like to speak today about Doubting Thomas, whom I admire. But to explain why I admire Thomas, I need to begin by talking about tombs, and funerals or rather funeral receptions. Every church has its own funeral practices. At St. Peter’s Cathedral, in Helena, where I work and worship you are buried on Thursday or Saturday at 11 am or 2pm. Your friends and family will tell stories about you over dozens of tiny cookies and cry into adequate coffee or the best cranberry punch on the planet. You will be invited to linger. No one will get a parking ticket because our meter man is so nice. I know you, too, have your best ways to come together and remember. Funerals are always sad but a funeral, without a body, is even worse. To understand Thomas and our own selves we need to go to a funeral reception. But before we can go to the funeral reception we need to go back to the tomb of Jesus. Come on, let’s go…

Jesus’ burial was ritually proper. Joseph of Arimethia knew ritually proper. He was a Sanhedrian which was a bit like a Religious Supreme Court Justice. He was also a secret follower of Jesus. Joseph obtained Jesus’ body from Pontius Pilate after he was crucified probably because he had so much status. This was unusual because normally a body would only be released to kin by the Romans. Joseph washed Jesus’ body, then anointed it with spices and aloes that he had purchased himself, wrapped the body properly and placed Jesus in his own family tomb before sunset on Good Friday. This should have been the task of his mother and other female kin and perhaps they were there too. Jesus’ burial was ritually proper but it was a socially improper burial because Jesus was not in his family tomb in Nazareth. He was in another man’s grave.

The next day was the Jewish Sabbath, the disciples and his kindred tried to recall God’s acts of mercy and power and tried not to alter creation. They were not allowed to mourn even this most awful death on the Sabbath. When Sabbath was over Mary Magdalene and others went to Joseph’s family tomb perhaps to mourn or perhaps to take Jesus’ body back to Nazareth. It was the custom to bring the body home. Now we remember that story from last week and from all the Easters we can recall. Jesus is risen and calls Mary Magdalene by name and she tells the disciples but they don’t understand.

Now our Gospel, today, tells us that the disciples were gathered together on that Easter Sunday. We don’t know exactly who was gathered in the house when Sabbath ended and the mourning practices were resumed. Jewish mourning practices are called shivah or sitting shivah. There are official mourners in a Jewish mind and we recognize that too with reserved pews. The official mourners are the parents and siblings. In shiva practice the official mourners sit on lower than usual chairs or on the floor. This has been the practice since the death of Abraham and reminds us that we, like the disciples, can be struck down by grief.

Perhaps you know that ten adult Jewish men were required to say the mourner’s prayers near a candle which burns for seven days. Those men were to sit quietly with the mourners and only speak if invited to speak. Can you imagine an Episcopalian funeral reception that went on for seven days in silence except the prayers? The official mourners would have rent (or torn) their clothing, and would have been unshaven, with clean hands but otherwise unwashed and possibly barefoot. There would have been no pretense of keeping up appearances. There would have been no meat and no wine because these are the signs of joy. The disciples would have been charged with providing company and comfort to the mourners for seven days. Every funeral planner knows that comfort means food even if it goes uneaten. The thing to eat at a Jewish funeral is boiled eggs, a symbol of Life. The first Easter egg was not hidden or dyed. It was salted with tears. Jesus had been betrayed, scorned, tortured and crucified and now his body was missing. Mary Magdalene said the most confusing thing…she had heard and then seen Jesus that morning and Peter and some others said that the tomb was, in fact, empty. Certainly the room was abuzz with wonder and weeping. This was a funeral without a body. This was the worst kind of sad.

Remember, there were twelve disciples to begin with but Judas Iscariot was dead so that left eleven. It takes ten men to say the mourning prayers. Here are the prayers

May the great Name of God be exalted and sanctified, throughout the world, which he has created according to his will. May his Kingship be established in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire household of Israel, swiftly and in the near future; and say, Amen.

May his great name be blessed, forever and ever. Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored elevated and lauded be the Name of the holy one, Blessed is he- above and beyond any blessings and hymns, Praises and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen.

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who makes peace in his high holy places, may he bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel; and say Amen.

Their prayers never mentioned Jesus or even death itself. It takes ten men to say the prayers and one to run to the market. I suppose that Thomas stepped out while the others were gathered to consol each other and the official mourners. Perhaps Thomas went out for bread, and goat’s milk and eggs. In my mind, it is always goat’s milk. Perhaps he went out to clear his own head; it just four days ago that all the disciples were eating Passover together. Wouldn’t you want to take a walk after a weekend like that? While he was out, the world changed.

We know the middle of this story. Thomas returns and those who were sitting shivah are now full of joy. They have seen the Risen Christ! Peter speaks for all but Thomas on our first reading from Acts “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope.” Now Thomas was a brave man and a devoted follower of Christ. When others warned Jesus that he could be killed if he went to Jerusalem, Thomas boldly declared that he would be glad to be stoned to death if that was necessary. Remember Peter said, “Let’s go home.” At the last Supper, Thomas asked “How can we follow you, if we do not know the way?” He just wanted to be near Jesus.

We want to be near Jesus too. A young woman I know lost her mother when she was an infant. She told me that she understood Thomas to be saying, “I can’t bear to lose Jesus again. I can’t do this again. So unless I see him, the real him, I can’t dare to hope.” Have you been there? Have you salted your coffee with tears? Have you tried to receive the well-intended comfort of others but felt alone when everyone else was feeling better? I bet you have. I have.

Jesus does not leave Thomas there in his pleading. Thomas is so brave. There is no pretense of keeping up appearances. His doors are not locked. He is willing to enter into the wounds of Christ to be present to the suffering that heals all of us. He is willing to enter another man’s wounds. I don’t know about you, but I could not contemplate the mystery of redemption without the Holy Spirit and my own community. I am too scared, to confused, too human. Jesus, too, is willing to enter Thomas’ wounded, mourning, heart. He brings admission to the Kingdom though Thomas’ questions, not in spite of them. Thomas was not afraid to Get Real with Jesus who was his friend and teacher. I admire that. Jesus did not disappoint him. He gets real too. I rely on that. I want to say with Thomas "My Lord and my God!" but I can’t get there without getting real with my self and my Lord. Jesus promises us, through Thomas, that we are not locked out of a vivid relationship with Him because we were not one of the holy quorum gathered to weep and wonder. We need only to ask to hear and to see and He will be present to us as well…

Church sociologists say that one of us in every pew, one in seven, is mourning something; mourning like Thomas. It could be a death, it could be a job loss, a lost dream, a decline in health, a chance never taken or something known only to God… So we wash our hands before we come to community so that we might do no harm and walk softly, as if barefoot. We console each other as Jesus would console us by drawing near and listening. We walk in doubt sometimes. We prepare to enter into each other’s wounded-ness. It might even feel as it we enter another man’s grave for a while. I would like to offer that this is one benefit of the doubt.

So to you, this holy quorum: Gather up your best ways to console and remember. Bring your symbols of life, your Easter eggs and your tears to each other. Gather up, also, your holy questions. Bring them as an offering to the One who will inhabit your grave so you don’t have to. Prepare for the benefit of the doubt which is one path into His kingdom. Here the words of the psalm that must have rung in Thomas’ ears: My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope. For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the Pit. You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. Amen.

Sermon - Easter Sunday

2011-04-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Back in High School I was a pretty good student except for two classes. The first was math.. never figured out why I needed to know the value of X3. The other was French.. Lord only knows why they even try to teach a bunch of kids from Louisiana how to speak a foreign language – seems to me that “Southern” is foreign enough. (but at least is ain’t Yankee)… Anyhow, I took two years of French and nearly failed them both. Masculine. Feminine.. all that was confusing enough, but the pronunciation was the worse and that is where I got in trouble the most. I can’t remember my teachers name, but she couldn’t pronounce my last name – Toles – simple enough, but it was always “Monsieur TOllez” this and “Monsieur TOllez” that… When I got my final report card, having barely scraped by once again with the word Pronunciation highlighted I wanted to say to my teacher, “When you learn to pronounce my name properly I’ll learn how to parlez vous Francais thank you very much.” Names are important and no one really likes it when they are mispronounced or misspelled.. Liza Minnelli even wrote a song about it.. “It’s Liza with a Z, not Lisa with an S.. cause Lisa with an goes SSS not ZZZ.”

Anyhow.. Many will remember back in the 1960s that the San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district was hippy central; however, by the end of the 1960s the district reverted to high rent, and many hippies moved down the coast to Santa Cruz. They had children and got married, too, though not necessarily in that order. But they didn't name their children Melissa or Brett. People in the mountains around Santa Cruz grew accustomed to their children playing Frisbee with little Time Warp or Spring Fever. And eventually Moonbeam, Earth, Love and Precious Promise.. and all ended up in public school… That's when the kindergarten teachers first met a child named Fruit Stand. Every fall, according to tradition, parents bravely apply name tags to their children, kiss them good-bye and send them off to school on the bus. So it was for Fruit Stand. The teachers thought the boy's name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it.

"Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?" they offered. And later, "Fruit Stand, how about a snack?" He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the day, his name didn't seem much odder than Sun Ray's. At dismissal time, the teachers led the children out to the buses. "Fruit Stand,” they asked, “do you know which bus is yours?" He didn't answer. That wasn't strange. He hadn't answered them all day. Lots of children are shy on the first day of school. It didn't matter, because the teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children's bus stops on the reverse side of their name tags.. So the teacher simply turned over Fruit Stand’s name tag and there it was.. neatly printed.. “Anthony."

Now what’s really embarrassing is to forget someone’s name… they come up to you and say, “Hi John. How’s it going?”.. and you respond, “Hey… there. Good.” What’s really odd is that you can walk down the street.. even of a small town and see someone and not only do you not know their name, but you’ve never even seen them before, even if they’ve lived here all their life.. walk down the street in a city.. and its just a blur of bodies – except maybe for the girl in the red dress… but in this vast sea of humanity, we become anonymous… Those big national banks like to advertise, “You’re not just a number to us”.. but don’t kid yourself.. you are just a number to them.. and it is no wonder.. as of 10:48 Friday morning the world’s population was 6,913,820,840 and it has gone up since then.

… and yet we know … Jesus “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”.. and not only that.. he calls us each by name… Jesus says… The one who enters [the sheep pen] by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”.. Jesus goes on to say, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”.. and he has always called his people by name.. and led them.

Moses.. Moses goes up on the mountain to see that wondrous sight of the burning bush… When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, and the Lord called out to him by name.. “Moses! Moses!”.. And Moses said, “Here I am.”… “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground… I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

Jacob.. God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.”

The prophet Samuel.. the Lord came and called out to him.. “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

By name the Lord called them all.. but it didn’t stop there… Jesus called them by name as well… Jesus looked at one who would become his disciple and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter)…. What about this one… Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” .. and the dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

… and today… Mary Magdalene turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him.. Teacher!

The Lord called Moses by name and he led the Israelites out of slavery… Jacob was called by name as the father of nations… Samuel – called by name as prophet… Peter as an apostle… Lazarus was called out of death… and Mary was called into the understanding of who Christ truly is.

Jesus tells us that - in the end - he will clothe in white those who are victorious in Him and will walk with them.. Jesus declares, “I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.”

The Lord knows each and every one of us.. by name.. and he has known us from the beginning… as the Psalmist declares… You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”… He knows us in the fullest sense..

…and on that first Easter Sunday… Jesus walked out of the tomb. And now.. now he turns.. and staring back into death’s gaping mouth.. he calls to each of us by name.. __, __, __ “Come out!”.. come out of the darkness.. come out of death.. and walk with me in the glory of the Resurrection.

Let us Pray… Mary, on this, the Lord's Day, we celebrate with joy the fulfillment of the miracle God began in your womb. He became what we are so that we might become what he is. He is Risen, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. He reigns as Lord and God forever. In your marveling at the great things the Mighty One worked in you, we find our own awe at being chosen sons and daughters of God, of being empowered to become a nation of saints, of being commissioned to bear Christ to the world. With you as our companion and model, may God bring this good work to completion and may our dedication to you of all that we have and are bring us to share in your blessedness. Amen.

Sermon - Great Vigil of Easter

2011-04-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

As I’ve told you in the past.. I like for my television programming to be intellectually stimulating… I like to constantly be stretching and growing my mind.. so I stay away from things on the History Channel or the Learning Channel.. and go straight for the meat and potatoes – America’s Funniest Home Videos with an occasional episode or two of Friends just for a good laugh – but I do watch other things as well that are equally as stimulating. For a while I was on Mythbusters.. then I moved over to Miami Ink – especially when Kat Von D was on for a while.. followed by Deadliest Catch. However.. now I’ve found one that I am absolutely hooked on – Ghost Adventures… With my buddies Zak, Nick and Aaron. Zak is the front man with the weird hair.. Nick is the serious one… and Aaron is the one who acts a bit like Shaggy in Scooby Doo.

They’ve got all this really great equipment too for detecting the ghosties… digital recorders to capture EVPs – that’s Electronic Voice Phenomenon for you non-Ghost believers… there are the night vision cameras.. infrared imaging.. the works. What is so tragic is that so often the ghost drain the energy of their cameras.. so just when they are about to capture something good like a full body apparition on tape.. the camera dies and so they just have to tell you about instead of showing it to you – I’m so disappointed for them.

The reason I mention this is because of our Gospel reading today. Jesus has been dead and in his tomb for three days, yet now.. he is appearing to the living... Is he a ghost? Is this the full body apparition that Zak, Nick and Aaron are always talking about, or is it something all together different?... The gospel writers are very careful about this in helping us to understand that what these women are seeing - and for that matter at all the appearances of Jesus following his resurrection - is not a ghost...

For example our gospel from today said... Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.... “they took hold of his feet”.. well you can’t grab a hold of a ghost - everybody know that.... In later appearances we are told that they also touched him... others walked down the road with him and broke bread with him... there is the time when he will meet with the disciples on the shore of the sea - and all of these things occurred after his death and resurrection.. and none of these things could have been done by a ghost -- it was the Risen Lord.. He IS alive.

Now.. After his resurrection we know that he ascended into heaven so that we can no longer see him as he was.. and for many their response to that event is, “Well isn’t that convenient.”... a bit like the witness to a crime going missing leaving only someone else’s word that the crime actually took place... I think the lawyers would say that its all circumstantial evidence.. or something like that.

Perhaps more folks would believe that Jesus is in fact the risen Lord if they could take hold of his feet... have breakfast with him on the shore of the sea... As we read in our Gospel tonight.. Jesus told Mary “tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." and many today would ask, “Where is my Galilee that I might see Him?”... You know how I respond to that?... Open your eyes.. he is all around you... It is as St. Patrick wrote..

Christ beside me, Christ before me;
Christ behind me, Christ within me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;
Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising;
Christ in heart of all who know me,
Christ on tongue of all who meet me,
Christ in eye of all who see me,
Christ in ear of all who hear me.

Open your eyes.... you won’t see a ghost.. you’ll see the Risen Lord... you’ll see Jesus.

Sermon - Holy Saturday

2011-04-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

On Holy Saturday I will do something a bit different and share the chapter "Giving" from Brennan Mannings book the furious longing of God.

It begins with a brief telling of the story The Giving Tree read in its entirety by Brennan below.

Sermon - Good Friday

2011-04-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

High on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, there lived an old blind man who was a genius. Legend had it he could answer any question anyone might ask of him. Two of the local boys figured they could fool the old man, so the caught a small bird and headed for his residence. One of the boys held the little bird in his hands and asked the old man if the bird was dead or alive.

Without hesitation the old man said, "Son, if I say to you that the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. If I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and the bird will fly away. You see, Son, in your hands you hold the power of life and death."

Today we focus on the crucifixion of Jesus.. In witnessing this event through the pages of scripture we are often asked to understand what part we play.. what would our role have been at the crucifixion? The correct answer is that we were the ones who crucified Jesus. We were the ones who nailed him to the Cross. Most have understood this… Rembrandt, in his painting, The Raising of the Cross, has one clear figure lifting up the cross of Christ.. himself. Mel Gibson in the movie the Passion of the Christ, when it came to the scene of the soldier holding the nail to Jesus’ palm he could think of no one more suited for the job than himself. We are the crucifiers of Christ… but our roles do not end there…

John’s Gospel version of the Passion tells us.. “There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.”.. yet when we go to Luke’s Gospel we hear the words that were spoken by these two criminals… Luke writes… One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” … But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”… “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Both knew that the wages of sin is death.. yet the first.. even though he had knowingly sinned.. believed that he was being unfairly treated… However, the second knew his sin well.. and knew that as awful as it was.. he was being treated fairly. The first cursed God… the second called on God’s mercy…. The result of their actions… The first received eternal death.. and the second received eternal life…. Yes.. we are the ones who crucified Jesus, but we are also one of these two thieves… as the wise man outside the city of Venice said to the boy, “You see.. in your hands you hold the power of life and death.”… Not the life or death of a bird.. or of another human being.. you have the power of life and death for yourself.

At some point in our lives.. we are all given the opportunity to recognize our need for God’s grace.. we are given the opportunity to turn to Jesus and say to Him the same words that the second thief spoke, “Remember me.”… and in the instant we speak those words .. the fact that we were responsible for crucifying Jesus is remembered no more.. and those blessed words of Jesus are spoken to us.. “Amen, I say to you, today, you shall be with me in paradise.”

There is a Christian band named Third Day. A few years back they came out with a song titled “The Thief.” Today in closing I would like to share the lyrics with you…

I am a thief, I am a murderer,
Walking up this lonely hill.
What have I done? I don't remember.
No one knows just how I feel;
And I know that my time is coming soon.

It's been so long, oh, such a long time,
Since I've lived with peace and rest.
Now I am here, in my destination,
I guess things work for the best;
And I know that my time is coming soon.

Who is this man? This man beside me,
That they call the King of the Jews.
No, they don't believe, that He's the Messiah,
But, somehow I know that it's true.
They laugh at Him in mockery,
They beat Him till he bleeds,
They nail Him to the rugged cross,
And they raise Him, yeah, they raise Him up next to me.

My time has come, and I'm slowly fading,
But I deserve what I receive.
Jesus, when You are in Your kingdom,
Could You please, please remember me.
Well He looks at me still holding on,
And the tears fall from His eyes,
And He says I tell the truth,
Today, yeah, you will live with Me in paradise, woah yeah.

And I know that my time, yes my time, is coming soon, woah yeah.
And I know that my time, yes my time, is coming soon, woah yeah, yeah
And I know that paradise, paradise is coming soon.

Sermon - Maundy Thursday

2011-04-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

It is told that Alexander the Great and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified walled city. Alexander, standing outside the walls, raised his voice and demanded to see the king. when the king arrived, Alexander insisted that the king surrender the city and its inhabitants to Alexander and his little band of fighting men. The king laughed, “Why should I surrender to you? You can’t do us any harm!” But Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff. The townspeople gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After ten soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the men to return to his side. The townspeople and the king immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They realized that if a few men were actually willing to commit suicide at the command of this dynamic leader, then nothing could stop his eventual victory.

It is told that the abbot of a monastery took a dead stick and stuck it in the ground, then turning to a monk named John.. he told him to tend the stick as though it was alive.. and for a year John.. tilled the soil around the stick.. kept it weeded.. and without exception brought water up twice a day and watered the dead stick.

There is a word that many of us are not so fond of.. because in most cases it means that we have a superior who commands us.. and that word is “obedience.” We will be obedient for a variety of reasons.. fear.. loyalty.. ideals.. and so on… and as we know.. God calls us each to obedience.

Think of Jesus’ first miracle.. the wedding at Cana. Jesus’ public ministry has not yet begun, but when the wedding party runs out of wine… Mary – Jesus mother – turns to him and says… “They have no more wine.”… “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”… His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”… Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons… Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim… Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”… and of course it was the finest of wines.

Yet when Mary said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you.”.. she was not just speaking to them.. we know that she also speaks to us… and we are given commands by Jesus that we must follow.. and that is what Maundy Thursday is all about.. it is about commands and being obedient.. that’s where the word Maundy comes from… from Old French we have the word mandé which is something commanded and from the Latin mandatum which also means commandment… and Mandatum is the first word of verse 34 that we read today.. Mandātum novum dō vōbīs… “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

.. and Jesus demonstrates to us how WE are to be obedient to this command by serving one another.. by loving one another.. by taking the lowest position.. the position of a slave.. and washing each other’s feet… As a Christian people.. are you prepared to follow this Mandatum novum.. this new commandment?... and if Yes.. then how far are you willing to go in being obedient?... No I’m not asking you to go jump off a cliff as Alexander’s men did, but like Jesus would you be obedient unto death?... Watering a dead stick might seem silly to the world, but if Jesus asks you to look silly in order to be obedient.. will you follow?... Would you kneel in front of a stranger and wash their feet?... These are the things Jesus calls us to be obedient to.. but not out of fear.. or loyalty.. or some great idealism but out of love. … “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Holy Week Schedule

2011-04-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Easter Triduum will take place at St. James' in Deer Lodge

Maundy Thursday - 6:00 p.m.

Good Friday - 6:00 p.m.

Holy Saturday - 12:15 p.m.

The Great Vigil of Easter - 8:00 p.m.

Easter Sunday Schedule:

St. James' / Deer Lodge - 9:00 a.m.

St. Mark's / Anaconda - 11:15 a.m.

St. Andrew's / Philipsburg - 4:00 p.m.

Sermon: Palm Sunday - "Jericho to Jerusalem"

2011-04-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Below is an image of what was once the main road from Jericho to Jerusalem.

It was George Burns who said, "The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible.".. I think you would agree that today.. that space between the beginning and ending should be even shorter… In truth.. not much more needs to be said, the liturgy and the readings have spoken for themselves.. Yet.. that still won’t stop me from saying a few words

Following the Exodus from Egypt and their wanderings in the desert for forty years the Israelites came to the Jordan River and it is near that place on Mt. Nebo that Moses dies. Following his death Joshua became the leader of the Israelites and would be the one who would finally lead them across the Jordan River and into the land that God had promised. Several days prior to the crossing the Lord spoke to Joshua telling him that if he and the Israelites followed the Law that had been given to Moses, then they would be prosperous… During this particular discourse – three times – the Lord says to Joshua that during the days ahead he should be “Strong and courageous.”.. at the third time the Lord says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”… Days later the people would cross the Jordan and conquer the first city they came to – Jericho… from there Joshua and the vast numbers of Israelites went out into the Holy Land as God had commanded.

There is an interesting similarity to that event and Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem that we read about today… you see.. we often get a vision of Jesus travelling up to the gates of Jerusalem and there being met by the people waving palm branches.. but as it turns out the crowd has been with him for quite a while.. in fact they had been with him for about seventeen miles… Scripture says, “As Jesus and his disciples were leaving [a certain city], a large crowd followed them.”… What was that certain city? Jericho.

I found it kind of interesting that Joshua and the Israelites set out from Jericho to conquer the Promised Land.. and that Jesus also set out from Jericho to conquer the eternal promised land.. and I wondered if in leaving that place and heading to Jerusalem and the cross if Jesus was also comforted by those words that the Lord had spoken to Joshua… “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

But it doesn’t end there.. for the road that Jesus took is also one that we too must travel… Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”.. To be Jesus’ disciples we too must head out from Jericho and take that road to Jerusalem, knowing all along where it leads. Knowing that in the end we also will be crucified with Christ.. but also knowing that that road leads through some very barren, desolate, and rugged areas.. places where there is no water.. no nourishment… places where you can be robbed, beaten, killed.. places where you can very easily lose your way and become lost..

.. therefore as we travel along that road.. we must stay near to Jesus… We must keep our eyes firmly fixed on him and where he leads.. for He is the Way… and in doing so.. in OUR hearts.. we will also hear those words of comfort, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Let us pray… Father in Heaven, You made us Your children and called us to walk in the Light of Christ. Free us from darkness and keep us in the Light of Your Truth. The Light of Jesus has scattered the darkness of hatred and sin. Called to that Light, we ask for Your guidance. Form our lives in Your Truth, our hearts in Your Love. Through the Holy Eucharist, give us the power of Your Grace that we may walk in the Light of Jesus and serve Him faithfully. Amen.

Sermon: Lent V - "4Give Yo'self"

2011-04-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Conclusion of the sermon series "Forgiveness"

A lady of society was gazing upon an image she had never seen before in the city’s art museum. "My dear fellow," she said condescendingly to the Curator, "I have never seen this painting before. I find the image shallow and rather crude in appearance. What do you call this?" The curator answered without giving the slightest expression, "That madam, is a mirror."

Mirrors are weird… I can look at myself in the mirror and with all confidence declare to the world, “Stud! Image of pure masculine perfection!”.. but then someone takes a picture of me and “Oh my God! Who the heck is that pudgy.. balding.. dork?”

Show some folks a mirror and they can stand there all day admiring what they see, but for most of us it is a simple tool.. hairs brushed.. nothing fuzzy on the teeth.. shirts not on backwards.. and so on

However.. there are other times when we can look in a mirror a bit more philosophically.. because we look not at the reflection.. but just below the surface of the reflection… and it is there.. that we often times don’t like what we see.

America’s Funniest Home Videos – clearly the greatest show on television – had a segment on silly animals (Zeke with his tongue stuck to the minus seventeen degree metal fence post could have won hands down) but they had this Corgi dog that was going absolutely postal on its own reflection in a mirror.. barking.. growling.. then running around to the back side of the mirror trying to catch its reflection (obviously as bright as Zeke).. but this Corgi was relentless in its attempt to attack and destroy itself..

For many of us.. when we look in the mirror.. and when we gaze just below the surface of the reflection.. we act towards ourselves in a very similar manner.. if we could get at that reflection.. we would tear it to pieces… and this often times comes from the fact that we are disappointed in ourselves for something we did or didn’t do.. because we are angry with ourselves… simply put.. we can’t forgive ourselves.. Like David declares in Psalm 51.. “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”.. and our reflection is only a constant reminder of who we believe ourselves to be.

So.. how do we learn to forgive ourselves? The difficulty in addressing this from a biblical perspective is that there really are no scriptures speaking to it… and then again.. much of the New Testament and specifically the teachings of Jesus.. speak of nothing else… as St. Paul declares.. In Jesus “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”..

You see.. forgiving yourself is not about some trick of the mind.. some psycho analytical exercise.. its not any of that… Forgiving yourself is about believing.. the words.. of Jesus.. and what did Jesus say?.. Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven”.. period… No heavy conditions were placed upon those words.. there is no payment required.. there is no need to carry around the burden of our past sins any longer… Why do you think Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”… The Lord declares that your sins are forgiven so that you might be unburdened from them… Allow Him to release you.. To say that your sin is too great, is to declare that God is too small.. and if that’s the case, then we are all doomed.

Take Judas Iscariot for example.. he sinned.. he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver… at Jesus’ arrest he recognized that he had done wrong.. Scripture says, “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders… “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”… “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” … So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself…. Judas had been with Jesus from the beginning… time and time again he had heard those words spoken by Jesus, “Your sins are forgiven.”.. but he could not believe – he saw in the mirror the reflection of himself that the Devil wanted him to see.. that he was sinner of such greatness that he could never be forgiven by God.. and it destroyed him… but.. would Jesus have forgiven Judas?

I remember that story about Bishop Jack Nicholls, the Bishop of Sheffield, who once asked a sixth grade girl where she thought Jesus was between Good Friday and Easter – that time we are told that Jesus descended into hell – the young girl replied, ‘I think he was in deepest hell.. looking for his friend Judas.’

Do not allow the haunting memories of your own sins to destroy you.. instead.. allow Jesus to give rest for your soul….. Your sins ARE forgiven. Believe it.

Let us pray… From the depths of our hearts we thank You, Dear Lord, for Your infinite kindness in coming to us. How good You are to us! With Your most holy Mother and all the angels, we praise Your mercy and generosity toward us, poor sinners. We thank You for nourishing our souls with Your Sacred Body and Precious Blood. We will try to show our gratitude to You in the Sacrament of Your love, by obedience to Your holy commandments, by fidelity to our duties, by kindness to our neighbors and by an earnest endeavor to become more like You in our daily conduct. Amen.

A healing service will follow the sermon today so that we may experience not only the healing of our bodies, but the healing of our souls from the pains of sin.

Sermon: Lent IV - "Imitators of God"

2011-04-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Part IV of the sermon series "Forgiveness"

The new priest is nervous about hearing confessions, so he asks an older priest to sit in on his sessions. The new priest hears several confessions, then the old priest asks him to step out of the confessional for a few suggestions… The old priest suggests, "Cross your arms over your chest and rub your chin with one hand."… The new priest tries this. The old priest suggests, "Try saying things like, 'I see, yes, go on, and I understand, how did you feel about that?" … The new priest says those things, trying them out. The old priest says, "Now, don't you think that's a little better than slapping your knee and saying, 'No way! What happened next?'" – I’m not sure if this would be a good time to encourage you all to go to confession during Lent or not.

It is in the fifth chapter of James that we hear specific instructions on healing.. he writes, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil.”… and then a verse later James writes.. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”… He shows us that there is a definite link between sin and sickness, therefore he encourages us to confess our sins to each other. Often, when we hear these instructions we think of the confession between an penitent and a priest, but James is also talking about Christian speaking to Christian as a means of accountability… for example – if you have a problem with “X” then you can confess this to a trusted friend or even a group of trusted friends who will in turn hold you accountable.. not so they can beat you over the head when you slip and fail, but so that they can support you in your time of weakness and give you encouragement when you hold strong.

So we confess our sins to God and to a priest for absolution.. we confess to one another for accountability and encouragement.. but we also confess so that we might receive forgiveness from the person who we injured… and.. as we said a few weeks ago, this all seems a bit unfair, because the person who was injured now has to be the one who has to do all the work by saying those three words, “I forgive you.”

Back in the day before I was the saint that I am today, I had a favorite expression for someone who made me angry – it’s a bit crude – but when asked if I would forgive someone I heartily responded, “I wouldn’t pee on them if they were on fire.” – That left very little room for reconciliation and Jesus was not amused… yet finally I heard that call from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” – as we said a few weeks ago, that doesn’t mean “forgive and forget,” but it does mean that we must forgive.

.. and I would suggest to you today that when we choose to forgive someone, we do so far a variety of reasons… just like many of the other choices we make.. there is obedience / fear… guilt… or out of imitation.

Some folks choose to go to work out of obedience and fear. Obedience in that they know what is expected of them and fear that they will be fired if they don’t. Sometimes we forgive for a similar reason… take for example the parable Jesus tells in chapter eighteen of Matthew’s Gospel… It tells of a servant who owed a great debt to his master and yet was unable to pay when his master called in the debt. He therefore begged his master for forgiveness and the master forgave the debt and let him go.. however.. when that servant went out he encountered someone who owed him a debt and demanded that it be paid.. when the man said he couldn’t pay the servant had him thrown into prison until he could… When the other servants saw what had happened they went to the master and reported it. The master recalled the servant and said to him, “‘you wicked servant; I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed…. Jesus concludes by saying, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” --- we may also forgive someone out of obedience to the command to forgive and out of fear of the repercussions of not forgiving… Is that forgiveness? Yes.. as long as it is from the heart.

We may also choose to do certain things out of guilt. Take for example the parable of the man who had two sons… Jesus said that the man -- went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’… “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went… “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go… Jesus asked those who were listening to him, “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”…“The first,” they answered… what turned the first son’s heart?.. probably a number of things, but I suspect it started with guilt… “Dad asked me to do this… errr..” and off he goes…. In a similar manner – because of guilt – we may choose to forgive… You remember from several weeks back I shared with you that passage from the visions of Catharine Emmerich regarding the crucifixion of Jesus and the nails in his hands? Several of you were very upset with the passage and with me for sharing it, but it pointed to the truth of the crucifixion… To “guilt” some into forgiving others.. all I need do is point them to the horrible truth of the crucifixion and all its terrors and say, “That is what Christ did so that your sins would be forgiven; therefore, you should forgive others their sins”.. and some will forgive because of the guilt they experience over the consequence of their sins.. that Jesus paid…. Is that forgiveness? Yes.. as long as it is from the heart.

Finally, we choose to do things by imitation… Why do you do something in a particular way? Oh, that’s how my dad always did it. Why are you a dentist? Oh, my mother was a dentist. We imitate the behavior we see from others. In the first paragraph of the first chapter of the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, “‘He that followeth Me walketh not in darkness,’ said our Lord. These are the words of Christ, by which we are taught how we must imitate His life and virtues if we wish to be truly enlightened and freed from all blindness of heart.”

The NIV of the Bible translates Ephesians 5:1-2 as “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”… “Follow God’s example” is also translated in other versions as “Be ye therefore imitators of God.”… that word “followers” / “imitators” is translated from the Greek word “mimEtai” (μιμηταὶ) .. it is where we get the word “mimic”… What is it we are to imitate / mimic as dearly loved children of God? “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” -- That is what we are to imitate.

If you forgive from your heart out of obedience or guilt.. then you have done as Christ commanded. You have forgiven because you have been told to forgive and know that you must.. and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that… however… in being a follower / imitator / mimic of Jesus you are forgiving – not because you have been told by Jesus to do it – but.. because you want to be like Jesus... See the difference?

Is that asking too much.. is it to hard – to want to be like Jesus? If so, then to paraphrase George Herbert.. set it up there as a mark.. something to aim for “since he shoots higher that threatens the moon, than he that aims at a tree."

Let us pray… a prayer by St. Augustine… Breathe into us, Holy Spirit, that our thoughts may all be holy. Move in us, Holy Spirit, that our work, too, may be holy. Attract our hearts, Holy Spirit, that we may love only what is holy. Strengthen us, Holy Spirit, that we may defend all that is holy. Protect us, Holy Spirit, that we may always be holy. Amen.

Sermon: Lent III - "Why does God forgive?"

2011-03-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Part III of the sermon series "Forgiveness."

We always seem to have a very enjoyable time at the various Bible Studies throughout the week. In Anaconda we are working through the history of the church and some of the better movies about great Christians. In Deer Lodge we are working through a video series on Great Christians throughout history and in Philipsburg we are studying the Rule of St. Benedict and how it applies to us today.

It was in Deer Lodge this week and our study of St. Augustine that we came across a rather interesting experiment concerning language and symbols – and it all starts with a horse. For a moment.. I want all of you to think about a horse… now… ___ what does your horse look like? (3xs) ___ where is your horse? (2xs) We all have a picture of a horse and where that horse might be, but did anyone have the same image of a horse? Not likely.

Let’s try this one… This is a priest host used at Holy Communion. At the moment it is simply a piece of unleavened bread. However, after the words of consecration are said what is it? This actually gets a bit tricky… because some will say that it represents the Body of Christ.. while others will say that it is the Body of Christ. There is a right answer to this, but that’s for another day.. the point is, each will look at this piece of unleavened bread after it has been consecrated and see something different.. and even those who see it as either the Body of Christ or not, will also various understandings of what it is… the symbol will mean different things.

How about this one… God. Now we have stepped off into the deepest of waters… We are all Christian, but the word – the language – God.. we all understand, but what that word points to is different for each of us.. and not only that.. it is quite fluid even in our own minds.. one moment we see Him as Father.. and the next as Judge… One moment we need Him as Healer.. and the next as Guide.

Where is this going… well it struck me in our discussion on forgiveness that when I say, “God forgives,” you may all have different perspectives on what that actually means. You may hear “God forgives” and think, “Yeah, but not that.”.. or “Yes, He forgives them, but not me.”.. or “He would never forgive that.”.. you may think He forgives, but that He’s definitely keeping score.. or perhaps, “Phew, got away with that one!”… You see the point… So what does “God forgives” actually mean?

If you read your Bible often – which I know you all read it everyday for at least fifteen minutes – then you probably have discovered that the third book of the Old Testament, Leviticus, is an excellent remedy for those nights when you can’t fall to sleep.. Can I just say, “Oy!” It is the book of the law and deals with all the various “you shall nots” and “how tos” including a description of the various offerings and sacrifices, one of which is the sacrifice for sin.. one section in chapter six reads, “The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the LORD in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy”.. and so on.

Yet even in the Old Testament we begin to discover that these sacrifices are not enough to make right our sins before God… When King Saul has done evil in the eyes of the Lord, the prophet Samuel says to him… “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”… and David in the Psalms confirms this, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.”

However, just as the word “horse” pointed to something different.. the sacrifices of bulls and goats were a symbol also pointing to something else.. They were ineffective in their ability to “cure” sin, but they were quite useful in pointing to our need for a better remedy… as St. Paul wrote in the letter to the Hebrews, “”The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves… because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”… The symbol of the sacrifices of bulls points us to the one and final sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. What the sacrifice of animals could never accomplish.. the sacrifice of Jesus accomplished once and for all.. because of this sacrifice of Jesus, the Lord declares, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more”.. and as Paul concludes, “and where these sins have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.” Jesus’ sacrifice replaced the sacrifice of animals…

.. which brings me to that picture on the front of your bulletin… You have there a picture of two escalators.. one leading up to heaven and the other down into a fiery hell. I’m not sure if you can read the little sign in the middle, but it reads, “It’s your choice.”.. heaven or hell.. but that is not completely accurate, because Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” As Peter declares, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Heaven or hell is not our choice.. it was Jesus choice for us.. and it was He who opened the way for us to eternal life.. and our choice is not heaven or hell.. our choice is to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and the sacrifice he made once and for all.

It is in this act of acceptance that “God forgives”.. that our lives are atoned for. Scripture says, Jesus “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”.. and that word “atoning” – atone – is key to understanding what “God forgives” truly means… There are all sorts of other words that attempt to define atonement… reconciliation.. amends.. reparation.. but none really do it justice.

.. and there are various ways of breaking the word down.. one shows how the word can mean to “be in the same seat”.. but simply put.. atone is a contraction.. a shortening of two words.. “at” and “one”.. before Christ, were we “at one” with God? No. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”.. so we needed to again be made one with Him.

And so.. on the night before Jesus was crucified.. he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.. towards the end of that prayer and just before he was arrested, Jesus said, “I pray … for those who will believe in me through their message – the message of the disciples – that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”.. and Jesus’ prayer was fulfilled by his own atoning sacrifice.. because through it we can once again be united to our God… That is what it means when we say, “God forgives.”

Yes.. God forgives so that you won’t go to hell… God forgives so that you can go to heaven… but the ultimate reason that God forgives you.. is so that you may be one with Him just as Jesus is one with Him.. and participate in the fullest expression of His love.

Let us pray… God, our Father, You redeemed us and made us Your children in Christ. Through Him You have saved us from death and given us Your Divine life of grace. By becoming more like Jesus on earth, may I come to share His glory in Heaven. Give me the peace of Your kingdom, which this world does not give. By Your loving care protect the good You have given me. Open my eyes to the wonders of Your Love that I may serve You with a willing heart. Amen.

Article: "Just for Today"

2011-03-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

An article for the local papers.

There are more than a few Christians who keep one eye on the news channel and the other eye in Holy Scripture, which is in response to Jesus’ teaching to “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42) What is it we are to watch for? A few verses before this call to “keep watch,” we are told that the disciples of Jesus had come to Him and asked, “Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered them, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars... Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:3b, 6-7)

Earthquake in Japan. Wars in Afghanistan and now Libya. Famines throughout the world. Is it? Is this the day? Truth is, folks have been asking that question for almost 2,000 years, but that day has not yet arrived. Jesus even teaches that no one, except the Father, knows what day that will be. However, we can’t view the world around us and not wonder, but if we are not careful we can become obsessed with the “What ifs” and miss the blessings of today. We so worry about what might be that we take no notice of what is.

When my mind becomes cluttered with such thoughts and worries I remember a little prayer from St. Augustine’s Prayer Book, “Just for Today.” I share it with you in case you also find yourself consumed with the world around you or perhaps with matters much closer to home. I pray that it will bring you comfort.

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs,
     I do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin
     Just for today.
Let me both diligently work,
     And duly pray.
Let me be kind in word and deed,
     Just for today.
Let me be slow to do my will,
     Prompt to obey;
Help me to sacrifice myself
     Just for today.
And if today my tide of life
     Should ebb away,
Give me thy Sacraments divine,
     Sweet Lord, today.
So for tomorrow and its needs
     I do not pray,
But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord,
     Just for today. Amen.

The Rev. John Toles is Rector of the Pintler Cluster of the Episcopal Church in Montana. We are a mixed community of sinners called to be saints.

Sermon: Lent II - "Forgive and Forget?"

2011-03-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Part II of the sermon series "Forgiveness."

I checked my sermon records and it was back in February of 2006 that I told you a story about Simon Wiesenthal… does anyone remember it? Good! Because I’m going to tell it to you again today… it is far too appropriate not to.

Simon Wiesenthal, was Jewish and the number one Nazi hunter… after World War II he assisted in the capture of over 1,100 Nazi’s … Prior to the war and the Nazi invasion.. he lived in Poland and worked in architectural office… From 1941 until the end of the war in 1945 he was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps… he survived, but 89 of his relatives did not.

After the war he wrote a book called The Sunflower. The Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness. In that book he relates an odd but haunting experience. At one stage Wiesenthal and some fellow prisoners were given the job of removing garbage from a hospital for wounded German soldiers. As they did so they would pass a cemetery housing German soldiers who had died. The graves were covered with sunflowers, something Wiesenthal envied knowing he would probably be buried in a mass grave under a pile of other Jewish corpses.

One day a nurse approached him as he was on garbage detail at the hospital. She asked him to follow her, and led him into a hospital room containing a wounded soldier. He came across a man whose face was covered in bandages, with openings cut for mouth, nose, and ears... he was dying.

The man spoke to Simon... "My name is Karl...I joined the SS as a volunteer. I must tell you something dreadful.... Something inhuman. It happened a year ago... Yes it is a year since the crime I committed. I have to talk to someone about it, perhaps that will help."

He grabbed Wiesenthal by the hand, holding him tightly so he could not get away. "I must tell you of this horrible deed - tell you because...you are a Jew." Karl told of atrocities too savage to repeat. Of hatred and rage directed against Jews. Then he turned to Simon Wiesenthal and said "In the last hours of my life you are with me. I do not know who you are. I know only that you are a Jew and that is enough. I know what I have told you is terrible. In the long nights while I have been waiting for death, time and again I have longed to talk to a Jew and beg forgiveness from him. I know what I am asking is almost too much for you, but without your answer I cannot die in peace…finally Karl announced the purpose of this unusual meeting… I beg for forgiveness…"

Simon Wiesenthal, had been an architect in his early twenties prior to the Nazi occupation, now he was a prisoner… thinking… he stared out the window at the sunlit courtyard… He turned and watched a bluebottle fly buzzing the man’s body. Wiesenthal writes in his book The Sunflower… "At last I made up my mind… And without a word… I left the room." In the book… Simon tells his story then solicits reactions from various people on how he responded… some agreed.. others did not. I must confess that there are many days that I want to stand up and cheer for how he acted.. and there are other days when I wonder if he was wrong.

Forgiveness is a very difficult business, because what it says is that you have been hurt in someway and now.. now the onus.. the pressure.. is on you to make it right, by saying to the person who hurt you, “I forgive you.” To borrow the phrase from many school children, “That’s not fair.” I’m the one that was hurt, so why should I have to do all the work?

Part of the difficulty in this forgiveness business has nothing to do with what real forgiveness is all about, instead.. it has to do with certain myths.. misunderstandings that have crept in over the ages… and it seems to me that most of these misunderstandings stem from the adage, “Forgive and forget.”… By a showing of hands.. how many here think that in order to truly forgive someone we must forget what they did?

We get this notion from Holy Scripture and what it speaks of God… In Jeremiah the Lord says, “I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins.”.. and in Psalm 103, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He.. has God.. removed our sins from us.” We believe that we must forgive in the same manner as God forgives.. as St. Paul teaches in Ephesians 4:32... "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

There is the story of a young peasant woman living back in the middle-ages who began to have visions. The report of her visions spread far and wide, eventually reaching the ears of the Archbishop. Not believing that a young peasant woman could possibly be having visions, he went to see her and asked her what she saw.. and she told him. Still in disbelief he told her, "The next time you have visions of Jesus you ask him what I confessed at my last confession. If you can answer that, then I will believe.” Some months later the report reached the archbishop that the woman was again having visions, so he went to her again and asked if she had spoken to Jesus and asked the Lord about the archbishop's last confession. Her response, "yes." "Well then," said the Archbishop, "What did he say?"... Her response, "Jesus said, 'I don't remember.'"... God forgives and God forgets.

However, there is also the story of the woman who went to visit her priest in great distress. Through many tears she told him about how they had discovered that her father had been sexually molesting her daughter for several years. When questioned even more, the woman told the priest that her father had also sexually molested her as a little girl. She said that in her later years, "Not only did I forgive my father, I worked very hard at forgetting what he had done to me. I didn't want to remember; it was too painful."... she had tried to do the what we see as the "godly thing"... however in forgetting, she did not remember that her father never confessed to a wrong, never repented.. so in her forgetting she placed her daughter in great danger.

When we forgive.. we cannot forget.. not only is it not spiritually possible, but in many cases.. to forget will only increase the harm done to us or to others... Perhaps a better saying would be to say, "Forgive and be prudent."... forgive and use sound judgment.

Before Jesus sent out the twelve for the first time he said to them, "Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves." In other words, Jesus says.. “I know that the world is not a safe place.. therefore, be peaceful in your actions, but stay alert.. be prudent in your dealings with this unsafe world."

The Psalmist writes, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways”.. and again.. "Whoever strays from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead."

We forgive the wrongs that are done against us... we forgive them even if the person who committed the wrong never repents or even refuses to repent - to say that they're sorry... When we forgive we are not saying that what happened didn't matter... and we have to keep in mind that forgiveness is very much a process.. it is probably not going to happen over night unless you are a saint.. so there will be days long after you believe that you have forgiven when the anger rises up in you all over again.. it doesn't mean you haven't forgiven.. just that you are human.

With that said.. there are bits that we should forget... we should forget the anger that leads to that desire for retaliation - that's not saying you won't do all that you can to prevent them from hurting someone else in the future.. it just means you won't fantasize about slitting their throat in a dark alley.

By forgiving we may - and that is key - we MAY allow the other person to feel better about themselves for bringing harm to us or someone else.. but our forgiveness is NOT for their sake or their benefit .. instead it is for the sake of our own souls... so that it will not torment us and draw us into our own sin. .. and that is the bottom line... forgiveness is really about healing. If it can heal relationships - Good. If it can heal other situations and bring comfort to others - that's fine too... but ultimately, forgiveness is about healing you... it is about freeing your soul so that you may experience the joy of the Lord.

Today we close with a prayer from Mary Stewart who died in 1904.. Let us pray… Keep us, O God, from all pettiness. Let us be large in thought, in word, in deed. let us be done with fault-finding and leave off all self-seeking. May we put away all pretense and meet each other face to face, without self pity and without prejudice. may we never be hasty in judgment, and always be generous. let us always take time for all things, and make us to grow calm, serene and gentle. Teach us to put into action our better impulses, to be straightforward and unafraid. Grant that we may realize that it is the little things of life that create differences, that in the big things of life, we are as one. And, O Lord God, let us not forget to be kind! Amen.

Sermon: Lent I - RCL A - "Forgiven?"

2011-03-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Matthew 4:1-11

After Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written,

'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

It was several weeks back that we began working our way through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Anyone remember how that one begins? The Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, peacemakers, and finally the persecuted…. I recall.. before fully understanding what Jesus was saying.. that I was so going to Hell. I saw myself as a miserable Christian.. with no chance of getting into heaven, because I am none of those things… The only thing I had to look forward to was purgatory and hell – My one consolation is that I can look around the congregation and know that I’ll at least have several friends with me!

This notion of going to hell was only confirmed when I worked through that list on the front of your bulletin today.. The seven deadly big ones! The seven deadly sins. We saw how we would do while trying to live up to the Beatitudes, so let’s see how we measure up to this list….

Pride.. how could I possibly be prideful when I’m the humblest person I know? Greed? Yeah. Here’s a good one… The LUSTFUL!.. you know what I think of when I think of being lustful? Roy Orbison… No. Not Roy himself, but that song, “There she was just walking down the street.. Singing do wah diddy diddy down diddy do… She looked good, she looked fine… And I nearly lost my mind” – What is wrong with me? Sloth? Wrath? Gluttony? Please! Just look at me…. I couldn’t come close to measuring up to a single one of the Beatitudes, but give me the seven deadly sins and I’m batting 1,000.

In our Gospel today Jesus was able to overcome all the temptations that the Devil threw at him – worldly pleasures, fame, power, everything – but if you were to set a double beef cheeseburger, large fries and an ice cold Coca-Cola down in front of me.. I’m fairly certain that I would commit at least half of the seven deadly sins… And if you set that same double beef cheeseburger, large fries, and ice cold Coca-Cola down in front of somebody else, I would probably break the other half.

Now – I know it is Lent and we aren’t suppose to be having any fun in Church, but I’m sure you see the point as it would apply to a wide range of sinful activity that’s a bit more serious than a double cheeseburger.

St. Peter implores us, “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”… As a Christian people.. that is the goal, but so often we end up in the same boat as St. Paul, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

Pride is at the top of the list of the seven deadly sins, because it takes a great deal of humility to admit that we have sinned. Think how difficult it is to go to confession.. how much humility it takes to confess your sins to another - many can’t even make themselves practice this sacrament, but if we do humble ourselves, we can recognize that we have sinned.. that we have broken God’s commandments.

But do you want to know what the saddest part of all of this is? We can discuss the fact that we have sinned. We can identify times in our lives that we committed horrible acts. We can identify times in our lives when someone committed horrible acts against us. We will gladly beat ourselves up time and time again for something we did wrong.. even if it was years ago… I can stand up here.. point you out.. and say, “You are a sinner.”.. and in humility you will hang your head in agreement and defeat…

The Psalm.. 51 .. from the Ash Wednesday liturgy struck home with me… “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight… Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, a sinner from my mother’s womb.”

But you know what?.. That’s not the sad part. The sad part is that in the next sentence after I have said you are a sinner.. in the very next sentence I can tell you that you are forgiven – you are forgiven – and.. the sad part.. in so many cases.. you will not believe that you are forgiven.. you won’t.

Jesus said, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”… again Jesus said, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’.. and again, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”… Peter declares, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”… St. Paul writes, “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”… St. John confirms, “I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of [Jesus] name.”… All that.. and you still won’t believe…

Not only that.. but believing that we are forgiven is almost as difficult as it is for us to forgive others.. that whole bit about “forgive, that you may be forgiven.”… “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.”.. Yeah, there are days when I definitely don’t want to pray that!

The thing is.. forgiveness – in every form – is big in the teachings of Holy Scripture. We know that it is a large part of our Christian identity, but what does it really mean? I should probably spend Lent beating your over the head with your sins, but instead, I’ve decided that we should look at this rather illusive topic. So we are going to spend these weeks of Lent looking at the various aspects of forgiveness..

So to begin with.. you have an assignment for this week – Think about forgiveness. No. Not about who you should forgive or anything like that, but ponder your ideas about forgiveness. What do you think Jesus means when he says we should forgive? How can I forgive myself? … Next week we will begin with many of the myths out there about what true Christian forgiveness is all about and see if what we believe is right or wrong.

Let us pray. Happy those whose offences are forgiven, whose sins are remitted. O happy those to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile. We kept it secret and our frames were wasted. We groaned all day long, for night and day your hand was heavy upon us. Indeed our strength was dried up as by the summer's heat. But now we have acknowledged our sins; our guilt we did not hide, we said: "I will confess my offence to the Lord." And you, Lord, have forgiven the guilt of our sins. So let faithful men and women pray to you in the time of need. The floods of water may reach high but they shall stand secure. You are our hiding place, O Lord; you save us from distress. Rejoice, rejoice in the lord, exult, you just! O come, ring out your joy, all you upright of heart. Amen.

Sermon: Last Epiphany - RCL A - "Dirty Socks"

2011-03-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

It was in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that Draco Malfoy attempted to jinx Harry when his back was turned, but in the knick of time Madeye Moody stepped in and hit Draco with a transfiguration curse and turned him into a white ferret. I mention this because today, when some folks hear of the Transfiguration of Jesus – as we did today in our Gospel reading – they now think it was Jesus performing a bit of magic, just like they assume he did when he changed water into wine or walked on the water.

Yet the Transfiguration was not a magic trick – it was a revealing of Jesus in all his glory. The light that the apostles witnessed was not a light from above, but was instead the glory of God radiating outward from within Jesus.. it showed him as he truly is and it showed him as we will one day not only see him.. but see ourselves when we are restored to our Father.. As Jesus says, “Behold, I make all things new” and this is what we will be when we are made new in Christ.

The only trouble with this is.. that is then.. and this is now. Then we radiate the glory of God, but now.. now we have six loads of dirty laundry in the basement that have got to be washed, including that nasty pair of socks that someone – and you know who you are – that someone could not be bothered with turning right side out before they through them in the dirty clothes hamper – my goodness.. you know what I’m talking about…. There is the Transfigured Lord.. there we will one day be.. and there lays piles and piles of dirty laundry!... How can the two possibly be reconciled in this life?! We ask that question as though we are the first to encounter such a predicament, but as it turns out.. that’s the way of history.

Take for example those two men who were seen with Jesus on the mountaintop… Moses and Elijah. Moses was the great savior of the people from Egypt and the one who presented God’s law to the people. Moses went up on the mountain and witnessed the glory of the Lord. He saw Him in the burning bush.. He saw God in the cloud… The glory of the Lord passed before Moses as he stood protected in a crevice in the mountain. Moses comes off the mountain, he is glowing with glory of the Lord. God has given him the ten commandments written on two stone tablets by God’s own hand… and what does Moses encounter when he gets down off the mountain? The people have made a golden calf and they are all dancing the hoochy coochy around it.. He is literally radiating with the Glory of God.. and yet he’s surrounded by piles and piles of dirty laundry.

The prophet Elijah.. he was in fear for his life. The people were trying to kill him… The Lord said to him.. “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”.. Scripture then says… Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave… Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”… Elijah climbed the mountain and encountered God in the still small voice… he came down off the mountain and found himself back in the laundry room.

The same occurred with Jesus.. he was transfigured and as soon as he came down off the mountain there were people calling to him for help… the apostles who had witnessed the Transfiguration.. when they came off the mountain would not be floating through life on angel wings… No.. in just a few short weeks they would witness the Transfigured Christ being arrested, beaten, and crucified. There is the mountain, the transfiguration of the Lord, the glory of the Lord all around.. and no sooner than you think you have found the answer.. finally gotten it right.. then you crash back down again to what we so simply refer to as the “real world.”

.. However.. even in the midst of that “real world,” you will never be the same, because in the Transfiguration you have seen what will be. This is what Martin Luther King, Jr. was referring to in his famous speech. He declared, “… I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know … that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy… I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

We have a tendency to say, “When I get all this laundry done, then I will be with God … I’ll stop and pray when the “real world” just isn’t so dang real... but the Lord would have us understand that what we witness on the mountain is not something that we leave.. up there. Instead, we bring it with us… we cherish it.. we allow the light of that one transfigured moment to penetrate every aspect of our lives… Not just as a dream of things to come, but a promise for today.

Remember that quote from last week I shared with you.. no, not the scary one.. but the one from the theologian John Brodie? He wrote, “Oneness with ultimate reality [with God] is not an abstract idea; it is a spiritual experience of knowing that the timeless God is at the door inviting your to full union. It is an attentiveness to the present, a readiness, at every moment, to receive reality, to enjoy deeply even the simplest things. In the words of the poet Paul Murray: ‘This moment, the grace of this one raptureless moment [the grace of this one joyfully ecstatic moment].’”… well it applies to many areas of our life… Last week we were dealing with worry, we understood it to mean.. you can’t change yesterday and you can’t change tomorrow – you are here…. Well the same idea applies to living in this immediate presence of God…. You are going to have to do laundry – everything from having to turn those nasty socks right side out to dealing with all the other things.. good and bad.. that life has to throw at you.

… but again.. as last week.. there is that confidence in knowing that God is here. Remember: He has written your name on the palms of his hands. Blessed Bonaventure instructs us wonderfully… he says, “In the midst of our employments – in the midst of our daily lives – we ought to have God present to our minds, in imitation of the holy Angels who when they are sent to attend on us.. [quiet] themselves of the function of this exterior ministry as never to be drawn from their interior attention to God.”.. They don’t allow those things outside of themselves draw them from the glory of God that is within. --- Here is a challenge for you: The next time you have some menial boring task to attend to, perform it well, but do so with the glory of the Transfigured Lord in your heart.. and see what a difference it makes.

The Transfiguration is a glimpse.. it is a sacred snapshot of what is to come and it reminds us that whether we are on the mountain with God or in the laundry room with piles of dirty laundry.. God is with us… and as we say to our God at Evening Prayer in that most ancient of all hymns the Phos hilaron: “O Gracious Light”.. we declare.. “You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life, and to be glorified through all the worlds.” … at all times… not just when we are in church for an hour on Sunday.. or when it is convenient.. or when we are in the right mood.. but at all times. At all times we can know the glory of the Transfigured Lord.

Let us pray. Holy God, mighty and immortal, you are beyond our knowing, yet we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ, whose compassion illumines the world. Transform us into the likeness of the love of Christ, who renewed our humanity so that we may share in his divinity, the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: Epiphany VIII RCLa - "Palms of His Hands"

2011-02-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, `What will we eat?' or `What will we drink?' or `What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

I always enjoy telling you funny stories probably because I like things that make me smile and laugh.. America’s Funniest Home Videos is probably the greatest shows ever created. Robyn just rolls her eyes when I sit in my comfortable chair in the evening and cackle like I’ve slipped a screw or two.. but I read a line from our scriptures today.. and I thought to say anything funny would be sacrilege… With that said.. I want to share with you something from the mystic Anne Catharine Emmerich.. It is longer than what I should read to you during a sermon, but hey… I’ll warn you up front that it is more than a bit upsetting and graphic.. so if you don’t like upsetting or graphic.. then just tune me out for a few minutes… I’ll let you know when it is OK to tune back in…

It deals with the crucifixion of Jesus.. and at this point in her vision.. Jesus has already been lead to Golgotha.. he has been stripped of his clothes… Anne writes… He shook like the aspen as he stood before them, for he was so weakened from suffering and loss of blood that he could not support himself for more than a few moments; he was covered with open wounds, and his shoulders and back were torn to the bone by the dreadful scourging he had endured. He was about to fall when the executioners, fearing that he might die, and thus deprive them of the barbarous pleasure of crucifying him, led him to a large stone and placed him roughly down upon it, but no sooner was he seated than they aggravated his sufferings by putting the crown of thorns again upon his head. They then offered him some vinegar and gall, from which, however, he turned away in silence. The executioners did not allow him to rest long, but bade him rise and place himself on the cross that they might nail him to it. Then seizing his right arm they dragged it to the hole prepared for the nail, and having tied it tightly down with a cord, one of them knelt upon his sacred chest, a second held his hand flat, and a third taking a long thick nail, pressed it on the open palm of that adorable hand, which had ever been open to bestow blessings and favours on the ungrateful Jews, and with a great iron hammer drove it through the flesh, and far into the wood of the cross. Our Lord uttered one deep but suppressed groan, and his blood gushed forth and sprinkled the arms of the archers. I counted the blows of the hammer, but my extreme grief made me forget their number. The nails were very large, the heads about the size of a crown piece, and the thickness that of a man’s thumb, while the points came through at the back of the cross. The Blessed Virgin stood motionless; from time to time you might distinguish her plaintive moans; she appeared as if almost fainting from grief, and Magdalen was quite beside herself. When the executioners had nailed the right hand of our Lord, they perceived that his left hand did not reach the hole they had bored to receive the nail, therefore they tied ropes to his left arm, and having steadied their feet against the cross, pulled the left hand violently until it reached the place prepared for it. This dreadful process caused our Lord indescribable agony, his breast heaved, and his legs were quite contracted. They again knelt upon him, tied down his arms, and drove the second nail into his left hand; his blood flowed afresh, and his feeble groans were once more heard between the blows of the hammer…

End of the graphic bit… In our Old Testament lesson today from Isaiah, the Lord is saying to the people, “I will never forget you. I will return you to your land and to your former glory.” And he concludes with the verse of scripture that spoke to me so strongly, the Lord says, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands” and it struck me that Jesus inscribed our names on the palms of his hand.. not with a writing pen.. but instead.. he inscribed our names on his hands with the nails that crucified him to that cross.

It is in light of this understanding that we can read our Gospel with much greater understanding and clarity… AND confidence in knowing He is there… Jesus says, “do not worry about your life”.. I have written your name on the palms of my hands… You are of great worth to God and to prove it.. I have written your name on the palms of my hands…. All these things have been given to you.. so do not worry about tomorrow.. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged”… I “will never leave you nor forsake you.”.. I will never forget you.. for your names are written on the palms of my hands.

Some folks – when they read this passage of scripture – seem to think that Jesus is saying that we can sit around on our butts all day long and expect him to feed us bonbons… That’s not at all what he is saying.. Instead he is saying that there is not a thing you can do to change the past.. and the future is nothing more than a worry. He is saying, “You are here.”.. at this moment.. at this time.

The theologian John Brodie writes, “Oneness with ultimate reality [with God] is not an abstract idea; it is a spiritual experience of knowing that the timeless God is at the door inviting your to full union. It is an attentiveness to the present, a readiness, at every moment, to receive reality, to enjoy deeply even the simplest things. In the words of the poet Paul Murray: ‘This moment, the grace of this one raptureless moment [the grace of this one joyfully ecstatic moment].’” You are here… this is your time.

There is a song that I remember from a while back by Wayne Watson – “For Such a Time as This.” /// He writes.. Now, all I have is now… To be faithful… To be holy… And to shine… Lighting up the darkness… Right now, I really have no choice but to voice the truth to the nations a generation looking for God…… You - Do you ever wonder why it seems like the grass is always greener under everybody else's sky.. But right here, right here for this time and place.. You can live a mirror of His mercy.. A forgiven image of grace… … Can't change what's happened till now.. But we can change what will be.. By living in holiness that the world will see Jesus… [In the chorus he writes] For such a time as this I was placed upon the earth.. To hear the voice of God and do His will whatever it is… For such a time as this… For now and all the days He gives.. I am here, I am here.. And I am His… For such a time as this.

I may be sounding like a broken record on this one… but as with the last several weeks readings.. we are still in the Sermon on the Mount.. so Jesus is not speaking to us about worldly matters, but about “heart” matters instead.

Johannes Tauler was a 14th century German mystic and he tells the story of one day meeting a beggar. "God give you a good day, my friend."… "I thank God," said the beggar, "I am never unhappy."… Tauler said in amazement, "What do you mean?"… "Well," said the beggar, "when it is fine I thank God. When it rains, I thank God. When I am hungry, I thank God. And, since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?"… Tauler looked at the man in astonishment. "Who are you? He asked…. "I am a King," said the beggar…. "Where, then, is your Kingdom?" asked Tauler … The beggar replied quietly, "In my heart."

There may be a day when you truly and literally go hungry.. but in your heart you will be satisfied, because you have fed on the body and blood of your savior. You may stand naked before the world, but you will be clothed perfectly in his righteousness. Yes.. tomorrow may be the worst day of your life, but worrying about it today will not change it.. and more importantly.. we can have faith in the knowledge that the Lord will walk through that day with us.. as scripture says… Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”.. and in that covenant the Lord declares.. I “will never leave you nor forsake you… See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.”

Let us pray… Most holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our first beginning and our last end, You have made us in accord with your own image and likeness. Grant that all the thoughts of our minds, all the words of our tongues, all the affections of our hearts, and all the actions of our being May always be conformed to your holy Will. Thus, after we have seen here below in appearances and in a dark manner by means of faith, we may come at last to contemplate you face-to-face in the perfect possession of you forever in heaven. Amen.

Sermon: Proper VII RCL A - "Live Generously"

2011-02-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I came across a blog entry last week titled.. “Bible Version Schizophrenia”.. One of those leaving a comment about this rising dilemma among Christians said, “I just wish I would stop getting the guilt trip from my NASB when I walk out the door on Sunday mornings with my HCSB! And of course, they were both stunned when I took the TNIV with me last night to my class.”… a bit silly actually.

We do have the occasional spat over which version of the Bible is better, but like the old saying goes, "If the King James Version was good enough for the Apostle Paul, then it's good enough for me!" – by the way.. that’s a joke, the KJV of the Bible was not completed until 1611. Since then we’ve received all sorts of variations and translations, but did you know that: • The first translation of the Bible based on Hebrew and Greek manuscripts was done by Jerome between 382 and 405 A.D. It became known as the Latin Vulgate, and it served as the basic translation for all of Western Civilization for over a thousand years, until the mid-1500's or that • Chapter divisions were developed in the 1200's by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury and that the • Verse divisions were created in the 1500's by Robert Estienne, printer to the King of France… and you are probably saying to yourself at this point, “John, did you know that we really don’t care.”

What’s the point… It was several years back that Eugene Peterson – a very respected and one of my favorite modern theologians – came out with his own translation of Holy Scripture called The Message. It has a wonderful easy to read common sense flow to it. If you ever just sort of look at your Bible and ask it to speak to you in plain English, then this may be a good resource for you. The reason I mention all this is because he took our Gospel reading for today and said it perfectly… No.. it wouldn’t hold up well in biblical studies, but it does interpret it well for us… Taking today’s gospel – from The Message – Matthew writes….

“Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously…. You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that… In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Let your enemies bring out the best in you… grow up… You are children of God – live like it… summed up… Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

I’m sure you won’t have to think to hard about this one… but can you remember the time that someone did you wrong.. took advantage of you.. dissed you..? Of course you can – Me just asking if you could remember it probably stirred it up in you all over again… “That sorry.. son of.. I’ll tell you what..” and off you go.

Let me ask you this.. What purpose has all that anger served? Has it brought all sorts of lighting and the fury of God down upon their heads? Did any of those less than charitable thoughts you’ve had toward that person ever come true? Are you ever really going to meet them in that dark alley that you dreamed up in your imagination and beat them senseless with their own shoes …. Most likely, while you were up all night dreaming up a witty comeback to their insult, they were sleeping soundly... While you spent a day brooding over a hurt, they spent the day at Disney World… While you were missing out on all the joy God is offering to you, they were blissfully ignorant of you.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus is saying, “Don’t let your enemies do that to you.” Don’t let them drag you into your own sinfulness, instead rise above it. I’m not saying become a doormat or someone’s punching bag… but recognize that the evil done against you is someone else’s sin.. They ARE going to have to answer for it – might not be in this lifetime.. then again it might be – but they will answer for it… just as you will answer for yours.. so don’t add to your own, because of theirs… and in the process, you might just change them…

Thomas Merton tells a story of Abbot Anastasius, one of the early desert monks… Abbot Anastasius had a book written on very fine parchment which was worth eighteen pence, and had in it both the Old and New Testaments in full. Once a certain brother came to visit him, and seeing the book made off with it. So that day Abbot Anastasius went to read his book, and found that it was gone, he realized that the brother had taken it. But he did not send after him to inquire about it for fear that the brother might add perjury to theft… Well, the brother went down into the nearby city in order to sell the book. And the price he asked was sixteen pence. The buyer said: Give me the book that I may find out whether it is worth that much. With that, the buyer took the book to the holy Anastasius and said: "Father, take a look at this book, please, and tell me whether you think I ought to buy it for sixteen pence. Is it worth that much?" Abbot Anastasius said: "Yes, it is a fine book, it is worth that much."… So the buyer went back to the brother and said: "Here is your money. I showed the book to Abbot Anastasius and he said it is a fine book and it is worth at least sixteen pence." The brother then asked: "Was that all he said? Did he make any other remarks?" "No," said the buyer, "he did not say another word." "Well," said the brother, "I have changed my mind and I don't want to sell this book after all."… Then he hastened to Abbot Anastasius and begged him with tears to take back his book, but the Abbot would not accept it, saying: "Go in peace, brother, I make you a present of it." But the brother said: "If you do not take it back I shall never have any peace."… After that the brother dwelt with Abbot Anastasius for the rest of his life.

We need to learn how to allow the light of Christ shine forth from us even onto those who do us harm, but we have to be careful that we are not simply going through the motions… remember.. a few weeks ago we were looking at the Beatitudes.. “Blessed are the poor.. the meek.. and so on” and it was mentioned that the Beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel are the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.. well today’s reading from Matthew is also a part of that same sermon.. so what we said then applies to today.. and that is.. Jesus is not interested in your best practices.. your best works… Jesus is interested in transforming you.. he is interested in your heart.… so if we apply that transformation of the heart to today’s reading from Matthew – for example – where Jesus says … “If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it.”.. You may give them your coat as a gift-wrapped present, but a transformation of the heart can not be witnessed in the fact that you gift wrapped your coat and gave it to them.. instead the transformation of the heart can be witnessed by what you wrote on the card… Did you write, “With love” – and mean it in your heart… or did you write “With love” and add in your heart.. “and you can shove it where the sun don’t shine.” I’m fairly certain you .. see the difference…. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

Let us pray… O Dearly beloved Word of God, teach us to be generous, to serve You as You deserve, to give without counting the cost, to fight without fretting at our wounds, to labor without seeking rest, to spend ourselves without looking for any reward other than that of knowing that we do Your holy will. Amen.

A head full of cold medicine and a nice warm fever were not conducive to sermon writing this week, so I would like to thank Neil Chappell for the inspiration for this one. You can visit his blog and sermon at

http://aweirdthing.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/what-do-you-want-a-medal/#comment-19

Sermon: Epiphany V, RCL A - "Chutzpah"

2011-02-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:13-20

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Do you remember from a few months back I spoke several Sundays about “God the Cosmic Vending Machine?” Do you remember how I said I wasn’t going to speak about God the Cosmic Vending Machine any more? Well… you can be thankful that I am keeping my word, but I am going to tell you another Brennan Manning story like I did last week, so if you don’t like him that much, then you can say to yourself, “Well, at least it wasn’t about God the Cosmic Vending Machine.

Manning tells a wonderful story about Esther Schwartz – a Jewish woman – and her three-year-old grandson, Jacob. She was planning a trip to the beach with her precious Jacob, so she purchased him a canary yellow sun hat so that his beautiful little face would not get sunburned. She also got him a little pail and shovel so that he could play in the sand. The day arrives and they head to the beach. She marvels over little Jacob as he carefully picks the sand up with his little plastic shovel and puts it into the bucket. In her heart she prays, “Oh, Yahweh, thank you so much for Jacob.” Just then a tremendous wave comes along, picks up her precious Jacob – pail, shovel, canary yellow hat and all – and washes him out to sea. Esther Schwartz was very upset. She yells up at God, “Who do You think You are? Do You know who I am? I am Esther Schwartz. My husband, Solomon Schwartz, is a physician, and my son, Billy Schwartz, is a dentist. How dare you do that?” At that moment a second huge wave crashes in washing little precious Jacob, pail and shovel, right back on shore at Esther’s feet. She smiled down at her grandson, then looked to heaven with her hands on her hips and shouted, “He had a canary yellow hat! Where’s the hat?”… Brennan Manning writes, “That, my friends, is Chutzpah”

Chutzpah is a Jewish word defined as having unmitigated gall or nerve or having great fortitude. I nearly fell out of my chair when I read the example on the front of your bulletin – The classic example of Chutzpah “is a man who kills his parents and then demands mercy from the court because he’s an orphan.”… Chutzpah.

At the beginning of our gospel reading today, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.”

According to the doctors, you and I like our salt way too much, but in the time of Jesus it was very important. A Roman saying puts it this way, “There is nothing more useful than sun and salt” and for the people it carried three special qualities. First, given its color – white – it was a symbol of purity. Second, it was the most important preservative of the day and third, it lends flavor to food..

Therefore, to say that person is the salt of the earth is to say that they should be a symbol of purity, that they should guard against those thing that bring about decay and corruption in ones life and – contrary to popular belief – the Christian is one who should bring flavor to life… it was Oliver Wendaell Holmes who said, “I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers.” Or Robert Lewis Stevenson who wrote in his diary as though he was recording something extraordinary, “I have been to Church today, and am not depressed.” It is not supposed to be that way.. the Christian is to add flavor – joy, hope, love to the world around them…. Jesus says, if we are not these things then we have lost our saltiness and although salt cannot lose its saltiness, Jesus is saying that if we are not these things, then we are useless.

Now, I would contend that you all are a salty lot – just like taking a big old gulp from the ocean – so I have no complaint against you that way, but I think for all of us there is a problem we experience… Let me explain…

It doesn’t happen out here, the air is too dry, but when I was in seminary in Wisconsin we always had breakfast and lunch together in the refectory – the main dining hall. There was about fifty or so of us each meal. Now the refectory was a dome shaped design and the sound traveled incredibly well, so with those fifty people it was always quite loud with the voices and the clattering of dishes and all that. As folks came in you could always hear their conversations quite well and when they sat down, almost to the person, you would hear {tap – tap}. No, it’s not a funny way of saying your prayers in seminary; instead, it was the salt shakers. You see, the humidity in Wisconsin is so high that the salt in the salt shakers sticks together and to the shaker itself, so a little {tap – tap} of the shaker against the edge of the table loosened it up enough to use.

We are a salty lot – no problem there – but occasionally I think we get stuck in the salt shaker, so we need someone to come along and {tap-tap} us. WE need a little chutzpah.

It is Super Bowl Sunday. If you are a Green Bay Packer’s fan or.. what’s the name of the loser team ____? Right! If you are a Packer’s fan or a Whiner’s fan you will probably be hoarse by tomorrow morning from all the hollering you’ll be doing this afternoon, and even if your not a fan of either, you’ve probably got a bit on the spread or something, so you too will yell at the TV for one reason or another – by the way, the Church wants its 10% of your winnings! – In preparation for all this – as we speak – there is food cooking, beer chilling, and you’ve probably already got you favorite chair all staked out. In other words, it is fair to say that you are excited about the game – put another way, you’ve got a bit of chutzpah, a bit of “get and go”, and so on about this game and you won’t be afraid to cheer on your team.

Now, if you are smart – which you are – you know where this is going and if stings a little, well “Hey, I’m just doing my job!”… You have excitement about this game, preparation has gone into it, get up and go… chutzpah! But have you ever had this kind of chutzpah about your faith? Now don’t start looking at your hands and tuning me out! Have you ever had this kind of chutzpah about your faith.. or.. are you still stuck in the salt shaker?

Paul Tillich, a theologian, says that “lodged in the heart of every Christian is the power to walk into somebody’s life and give him or her ‘the courage to be.” (The Furious Longing of God, p. 93-4) There is that song that says, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love,” to which Brennan Manning adds, “Or not.”.. They’ll know us.. they’ll know Jesus, by OUR love.. or not. Don’t be afraid to have a bit of chutzpah.. speak up. As St. Paul would say, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

One more short story… A little old Jewish lady sells pretzels on a street corner for 25 cents each. Every day a young man leaves his office building at lunch time, and as he passes the pretzel stand, he leaves her a quarter, but never takes a pretzel and the young man and the woman never exchange a word. This goes on for more than three years… each day, dropping in a quarter, but never taking a pretzel. One day, as the young man passes the lady's stand and leaves his quarter as usual, the pretzel lady finally speaks to him. "Sir, I appreciate your business. You are a good customer, but I have to tell you that the pretzel price has gone up to 35 cents."

When it comes to your Christian faith, to being the salt of the earth, be bold, be brave, get out of the salt shaker and show a bit of chutzpah. St. Paul teaches us in the letter to the Romans, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” and then he asks, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

You have b-e-a-utiful feet. You have the Good New of Jesus. You have the love of God. You have the power to give someone the courage to be… to be that which Christ Jesus has called them to. Don’t keep it bottled up. Share it, “so that they may give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Let us pray… Glory to you, O Lord our God, Your love calls us to be your people. By sharing our many and diverse gifts we share in your mission. We ask you, Lord, to shape us into a community of faith. Nourish us by your word and sacraments that we may grow into the image of Jesus. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, heal us that we, in turn, may heal the wounded. Form us to be instruments of love, justice, and peace in our land, and send us to proclaim your saving work. Renew us, Lord, that we may renew the face of the earth. Amen.

A Priest's Confession

2011-02-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

Article for local newspapers

The Rev. Brennan Manning in his wonderful book, The Furious Longing of God, reflects on his own translation and understanding of Galatians 5:6 – “the only thing that matters is the faith that expresses itself in love” – and observes the following: “According to Paul’s criterion for greatness in the New Israel of God, the person who is most Christlike, closest to the heart of Abba, is not the one who spends the most time in prayer. It’s not the one who has the most PhDs. It’s not the one who has the most responsibility entrusted to his care. It’s not the pastor of the biggest megachurch. No, it’s the one who loves the most.”

As a priest I should never confess this, but I cannot quote scripture. I know what the Bible says, but I just never had the knack for rattling off some point of scripture and then providing the chapter and verse.

As a priest I should never confess this, but I’m not very good at praying. Oh, I pray all the time, but it’s not in eloquent language, it’s normally pretty choppy, and (O Lord, must I confess this!) I often get distracted – one minute I’m in the middle of good prayer time and the next I discover that my mind has wandered and I’m trying to remember if I paid the water bill.

As a priest I should definitely never confess this, but I’m not a very good Christian either. You see, I think a nice single malt scotch and a cheap cigar make for a delightful combination; I am a big fan of Harry Potter (come on July 15th); I can be rather irritable, etc. etc. etc.

Then again, as Fr. Manning says, the person who is most Christlike is the one who loves the most. By some standards, there may not be a one of us that makes very good priest material or even a good Christian, but there are many who are Christlike and know what it means to truly love. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another;” (John 13:35) therefore, “Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Mahatma Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Being Christlike is much more difficult than being a “good” Christian.

Sermon - Epiphany IV, RCL A - "I'm so going to Hell!"

2011-01-28T16:16:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Did you ever read the Beatitudes and immediately think to yourself, “I’m so going to hell.” Just look at this list: “poor in spirit” and “mourning” – Nope, not me. I’m pretty happy. “Meek?” - What’s that even mean? “Hunger and thirst for righteousness” and “merciful?” Well, sure.. some of the time. “Pure in heart?” – not so much. “Peacemaker?” – Yes, but I occasionally think that “Peacemaker” would be an awesome name for a thermonuclear weapon, so I’m a bit hawkish. “Persecuted and insulted?” Mmm.. No. At least not to my face. Bottom line: I’m going to H – E – double toothpicks!

One woman reports with great distress that her son has dropped his Christian identity and left the church because of the Beatitudes. He is a military man.. strong, intelligent.. and definitely not poor, sad, weak or mild as he believed the picture of the perfect Christian was supposed to be, based on the Beatitudes. He said to his mother, “That is not me. I can never be like that,” so he left the church. That is the sentiment of many who look at the Christian faith based on the calling of the Beatitudes. And there lies the problem. We set the Beatitudes up and say, “Contained within these verses is the description of the perfect Christian,” to which we add, “and it is something I will never be.

But let let’s look at them from a different angle. In your knowledge of God, do you ever really get the impression that He wants you poor in spirit? Depressed? Or Mourning? What about all that business in Scripture about being joyful in the Lord? Or as St. Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

What does it really mean to be meek? Are we talking humble or becoming a doormat or even worse abused? You may hunger and thirst for righteousness and quite often when we think of that we are visualizing the world out there, but what about the person who hungers and thirst for righteousness.. in here, buts fail time and time again falling into sin? “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy,” but in today’s language, “Woe to the merciful, for they shall be taken advantage of.”

You see the point and where this leads, so I wonder if perhaps we have been looking at the Beatitudes in the wrong way – or not even that – but can we look at them from a different perspective? As we’ve said before, Scripture is multivalent, it has many levels. So today, instead of beating ourselves over the heads with the Beatitudes and declaring I will never measure, let’s look at them a bit differently.

And let’s start with baptism. Why do we baptize infants? Within many traditions you must wait until you are an adult in order to be baptized so that you can make a profession of faith, which means, you must do the work in order to receive the grace that God pours out upon us at baptism. You have to work for your salvation, yet Paul says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Therefore, the salvific grace we receive at baptism has nothing to do with us or our works; instead it is all about God and what He is doing within us.

How does that apply to the Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor… the mournful… the meek. You know, I can make myself poor, mournful and meek. I can walk around my entire life acting like an Eeyore. But remember, not by works, but by grace alone. So if I work to meek, poor, depressed.. Eeyore, will I then be blessed? No. Yet by setting the Beatitudes up as a mark we can aim for so that we can “earn” our salvation simply is not the way it works.. it is by grace alone. So if this salvation by works is not what Jesus meant when he gave us the Beatitudes, then what did he intend?

In the time of Jesus and throughout history, folks have believed that the rich, the famous, the powerful—the elite of society are the ones who are blessed by God. Therefore, if you had walked through the streets of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus you would have noticed those elite of your society, the well to do… you would have noticed the priest. And because of who the were – fat and happy – and what they supposedly did – serve God – then the connection was simple… Serving God = being blessed by God = being fat and happy. However, because you were more than likely dirt poor and more subject to being oppressed by the occupying Romans, because your life was basically miserable, then you must be the wicked sinful sort and therefore were not blessed by God. Think of the time that Jesus came upon a man who was blind since birth, and his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Even the disciples assumed if you were afflicted with anything, then it was because you were wicked. So, instead of being one of those that was fat and happy, you were the poor and depressed.

Now, consider the setting of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus preached the Beatitudes. He is in the beginning of his ministry, he has just called his disciples, and has begun preaching.. Scripture then says, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” They brought all the people – who in the eyes of the everyone – were apparently the wicked and sinful… Then we pick up with our reading from today with Jesus saying.. Blessed are the poor.. the meek.. etc… Jesus gives us the Beatitudes, but he has not just given us the formula for good Christian living – that would be too tame – instead, Jesus has done something extremely radical, he has turned the world on its head.

Jesus is saying, blessed are the rich, but blessed are all these poor that you now see surrounding me. Blessed are the joyful, but blessed are all these that mourn. Blessed are the powerful and blessed are the meek, the oppressed, the persecuted. 1 Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Or Luke 16:15, “What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”

In the Beatitudes Jesus says.. the Good News.. the healing of God for a broken body and a broken world is not about external matters – rich / poor, joyful / mournful, powerful / meek. Instead, it is about internal matters.. it is about the heart.

Think about this… Have you ever know someone very wealthy who loved God and was truly blessed by Him? – Yes. Have you ever known someone that was joyful that loved the Lord? Have you ever known someone who was poor that was a snake in the grass? Have you ever known someone who mourns, but everyone knows their sorry behind is going to hell? Of course you have. Again, it is not about external circumstances, it is the heart.

Dallas Willard writes, “Blessed are the physically repulsive, Blessed are those who smell bad, the twisted, misshapen, deformed, the too big, too little, too loud, the bald, the fat, and the old – for they are all riotously celebrated in the party of Jesus.”

Jesus was not about setting up a laundry list of requirements that you must meet in order to be blessed. The Israelites had already been given one of those in the Old Testament – the Law, that laundry list of 613 rules you had to obey that no one could. Yet even though it couldn’t bring salvation, it did point to one very important fact – perhaps even the most important fact – and that is, we are all in need of God’s grace. Jesus is not interested in your best practices.. your best works; however, Jesus was AND is interested in transforming you.. he is interested in your heart.

Let us pray… Blessed Virgin Mary, on this, the Lord's Day, We celebrate with joy the fulfillment of the miracle God began in your womb. He became what we are so that we might become what he is. He is Risen, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. He reigns as Lord and God forever. In your marveling at the great things the Mighty One worked in you, we find our own awe at being chosen sons and daughters of God, of being empowered to become a nation of saints, of being commissioned to bear Christ to the world. With you as our companion and model, may God bring this good work to completion and may our dedication to you of all that we have and are bring us to share in your blessedness. Amen.

Sermon: Epiphany III, RCL A - "Come now, my love"

2011-01-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

Matthew 4:12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

“Come now, my love. My lovely one, come… For you, the winter has passed, the snows are over and gone, the flowers appear in the land, the season of joyful songs has come… The cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land… Come now, my love. My lovely one, come… Let me see your face. And let me hear your voice. For your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful. Come now, my love, my lovely one… come.”.. that is one of the many beautiful passages from the Song of Songs also known as the Song of Solomon…

Brennan Manning is the author of several books.. one of which I think we will be reading for our Bible study next year… however.. recently I read The Furious Longing for God… As an introduction he begins by saying that he is an alcoholic.. a Catholic.. a priest.. and a sinner, saved by grace. He tells various stories about his life.. but one in particular I found quite amazing…

While living in New Orleans.. he had become involved at the only leper colony in the United States in Carville, Louisiana. He talks of visiting there on many occasions, but as he arrived one day a nurse came running up to him and urged him to come quickly.. a patient – Yolanda – was dying. He hurries to the room to anoint her.. he knows that earlier in her life Yolanda was one of those stunning beauties.. she could have been a model from the sounds of it.. but now.. at the ripe old age of thirty-seven.. because of the disease.. her nose is pressed into her face.. her mouth contorted.. she has no fingers.. by the world’s standards she is hideous… Two years earlier her husband had divorced her and taken the kids with him… so Yolanda was completely alone.. dying in a strange bed.. in strange surroundings.

Brennan sat on the edge of the bed and anointed Yolanda with holy oil and prayed.. he then recalls how a stream of sunlight came in through the window and lit up her face.. and to his surprise he said she looked so very happy.. he asked why... she said.. “The Abba – the Father – of Jesus just told me that He would take me home today.”… and then she spoke those words from the Song of Songs with one small change.. “Come now, my love. My lovely one, come… For you, the winter has passed, the snows are over and gone, the flowers appear in the land, the season of joyful songs has come… The cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land… Come now, my love. My Yolanda, come… Let me see your face. And let me hear your voice. For your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful. Come now, my love, my lovely one… come.”

Brennan writes… “Six hours later her little leprous body was swept up into the furious love of her Abba. Later that same day, I learned from the staff that Yolanda was illiterate. She had never read the Bible, or any book for that matter, in her entire life. I surely had never repeated those words to her in any of my visits. I was.. as they say… a man undone.”

Find some diehard rationalist and they will be able to explain to you why an illiterate woman who has never read the Bible could quote it so perfectly.. but I for one believe in miracles.. and so I believe that Yolanda heard the voice of her Abba.. Our Father.. calling to her saying, “Come.”….

Now.. Over in the 15th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us three different parables about things that are lost… First.. there is the parable of the lost sheep… what shepherd if he has 100 sheep and loses one of them will not leave them to go and find the one that is lost.. and when he finds it says to his neighbors, “Rejoice with me.”… Next is the parable of the lost coin.. the woman loses the coin somewhere in her house and carefully cleans the house until she finds it.. when she does.. she says to her neighbors.. “Rejoice with me.”… and finally is the parable we know as the Prodigal Son.. instead of a sheep or coin that is lost.. it is a son… when the son returns home.. his father declares to his other son … “we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”….. we even get that great hymn from this one.. “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound.. That sav'd a wretch like me!.. I once was lost, but now am found,.. Was blind, but now I see.”

We hear these parables and we rightly place ourselves in them… I was the lost sheep that the shepherd found… I was the lost coin… I was the prodigal son.. I once was lost, but now am found… and God in these parables.. is represented by the shepherd, the woman.. and the father… and so we understand that we are the ones that are lost.. but what is it that these parables are saying about God?... We know what they say about us.. but what do they say about Him?

The shepherd left everything and searched for the lost sheep until he found it…. The woman searched well into the night.. having to light a lamp in order to keep searching for the lost coin.. and did not give up until she had found it…. The prodigal son is a bit more difficult to see.. but what does it say about the father?… As the son was returning home.. “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him..”.. the son did not know it.. but the father was watching for him.. he was searching for him…. The parables speak of us being lost.. but they also speak of God searching for something that has been lost from almost the very beginning..

What has been lost from the very beginning… Remember the Genesis story.. Adam and Eve.. snake.. piece of fruit.. all that and after they had eaten of the fruit we are told.. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’”… Where are you..?.. and since that fateful day.. God has been searching for you…

.. And he is a God who never gives up… Like the shepherd.. he leaves everything to find you… Like the woman who lit the candle.. God sends his Light into the world to find you… and when he does.. he cries out to all who can hear “Rejoice with me”… and the angels sing… And like the father.. when you draw near to him.. he embraces you and clothes you in his righteousness.. and says, “Come now, my love. My lovely one, come.”… as he said to Peter and Andrew.. “Follow me.”

You know.. when we hear those words, “Follow me” we can hear them as a command.. like some drill sergeant barking them out at us.. “FOLLOW ME!”.. or we can hear them as they were intended.. the voice of God calling to us.. “Come now, my love.. I have been searching for you and have found you.. my lovely one, come… follow me.”

God has been searching for you.. he has found you… and now he says to you… “Come now, my love.. come.. follow me.”

Let us pray.. O Lord, our God, You called Your people to be Your Church. As they gather together in Your Name, may they love, honour, and follow Your Son to eternal life in the Kingdom He promised. Let their worship always be sincere, and help them to find Your saving Love in the Church and its Sacraments. Fill with the Spirit of Christ those whom You call to live in the midst of the world and its concern. Help them by their work on earth to build up Your eternal Kingdom. May they be effective witnesses to the Truth of the Gospel and make Your Church a living presence in the midst of the world. Increase the gifts You have given Your Church that Your faithful people may continue to grow in holiness and in imitation of Your Beloved Son. In His name we pray. Amen.

Sermon - Epiphany II, RCL A - "Follow Me"

2011-01-15T15:10:00.000-08:00

John 1:29-42

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

A sermon by Susan Bartlett

Several years ago my husband and I were in Detroit Metro Airport with one of his sisters. As we were walking along, he noticed that she kept looking at the floor as we walked and talked...and quite honestly, she was lagging! So he asked her why she was doing that and she replied that her eyesight wasn’t very good anymore. Then he asked her how she got around places and got where she was going. She said: “I just follow the crowd”. My husband then asked her what happens if the crowd isn’t going where you are – then what do you do? She said: “Well, I don’t know…I just get there somehow!”

I found an interesting part of today’s Gospel to be the fact that there is a lot of pointing…searching…finding…and, the best part…following. It begins with John the Baptist walking along with two of his own disciples and pointing to Jesus he says: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He deliberately points away from himself and points to Jesus. That is his whole purpose in life. The next day, he does it again. And THAT is when the disciples begin to follow Jesus. Jesus then sees them following Him and asks them: “What do you seek?” They just want to know “where are You staying?” to which He replies…”Come and see.” Now, when the disciples respond to Jesus’ question with their own question, they are not asking Jesus for the location of his tent, they want to know about the enduring , permanent, eternal dwelling place of this Lamb of God. “Where are you staying?” Where can we find you? Where can we go to be with you? Where can we go to receive what you have to offer? Where can we be in the very presence of God? “Come and see”.

“Come and see”. Not “come and all will be wonderful in your life”; not “come and you will no longer be weary”; not “come and you will no longer have burdens”. Just a simple…“come and see”. There is no carrot dangling, nothing to bribe them with, no threats…it’s just that their curiosity is now peaked. Jesus is actually giving them a choice. If you want to know, come with me. Open your eyes, and your hearts and you will know. You will know what you are seeking. You will know where you are going. So the disciples stayed with Jesus and followed Him. Then they found a brother…and they brought him to Jesus.

Pointing…searching…finding…following. It all seems rather effortless; undemanding; uncomplicated; even, easy. So the hard part would seem to me to be the “remaining”. As I said, we have a choice. The choice to follow is ours. The choice to hear and see…and follow is ours. If we look with the eyes of faith, staying with Christ is a permanent situation. It cannot be a “now and then” or “when I feel like it” or “when I have time leftover”, or “when I can fit it in”. It has to be every moment of every day. This can sometimes be difficult for us all. But here’s something for us to remember: It is never too late. It’s never too late for us to respond to God’s call to a fruitful and obedient life. It will take us in the direction of the One who calls, The Lamb of God, The Messiah, The Christ. Upon answering, we will find ourselves following. By pointing away from ourselves; by looking up…we will find what we are all seeking. Opening our eyes to the wonder of Jesus will bring us to the miracle of the moment.

Now, granted, we will still have the days where we feel muddled; confused; and distant. Those are the days we must work hard to follow Jesus. Jesus doesn’t promise us a life full of rosy days…He promises us much, much more. He promises that if we come and follow and remain in Him, and abide in Him…He will remain in us. Even on the tough days…He’s not far…He never leaves us. So…it is up to us. The choice is ours.

We come to church on Sundays, and we lift our hands and our voices and we sing HOLY and ALLELUIA. We praise, we confess, we worship, we give thanks and proclaim that The Lamb of God will take away the sins of the world…quietly hoping that it means our own world, too! We are reminded that Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins. It is to set us free from the guilt of sin – for yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We should be able to throw our heads back, with our arms stretched out, and let our sins go. Even while the chains of yesterday surround us, Jesus will cast them away. And in the arms of mercy, let there be rest. Only when the Temple of human hearts, polluted by sin and rebellion, is made clean…can the presence of God come and live there. Jesus is the one upon whom God’s spirit comes down and rests. And this means that He is the one who will baptize not just with water, like John the Baptist, but with the Holy Spirit. And while we think we are the ones doing the “seeking”…guess what? Jesus is “seeking” us!

As a part of our Women’s Renovare’ Group, which is a spiritual formation adventure, we are currently studying “Practicing the Sacramental Life”. Each section has exercises that we complete in between sessions. I would like to share one of them with you and I would also like you to try it this week. It won’t take up your whole day and it is very easy! It is titled – “Remove the barrier that keeps God outside” and it goes like this: As you sit in a chair, imagine that you have on full-body armor that keeps God’s Spirit out of the innermost parts of your being. Hold this image in your mind for a moment. Then rip off the armor and invite the Spirit of God to penetrate you, to overwhelm you with his love, to take up permanent residence in your body, to make you a “tabernacle”. Continue sitting quietly until you feel that the work is complete, expressing your gratitude when it is done. I tried this the other day, and I have to tell you – I felt such clarity and love, and tremendous peace envelope me. I then felt a permanent place in my soul for the Holy Spirit. So, I encourage you all to try it out – it’s never too late to “come and see”.

Sermon - Epiphany I, RCL A - "The Baptism of Jesus" by Jim Fay

2011-01-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Meditation by Jim Fay

There was a discussion between several men over coffee about the merits of adult baptism versus infant baptism. An individual decided to ask the eldest man in the group whether he believed in infant baptism. He stated that not only did he believe in infant baptism, he had actually seen it!

The Gospel this morning is about Jesus baptism. This comes pretty quickly as just two weeks ago we were celebrating his birth at Christmas, but Jesus was definitely an adult in today’s presentation of the Gospel. Some scholars point to Jesus baptism as the midway point between Christmas and Easter, not chronologically, but as the point where the church year begins to point towards Easter rather than back to Christmas. Jesus baptism has a lot of meaning for us today as we consider the meaning of His baptism as well as our own, whether we were baptized as children or we came to this sacrament as adults.

Many people have asked why Jesus had to be baptized as he was without sin. John had been baptizing in the desert and asking sinners to repent of their wrong doing. There are several reasons for Jesus baptism,

One is this is the time God chose to publicly reveal His Son to the world. Not only were there taxpayers, prostitutes, the poor and the downtrodden of society in the desert seeking forgiveness of their sins and John’s baptism, but there was also a gathering of Sadducees and Pharisees who had come to see what was going on in the desert with John the Baptist. God’s voice saying this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased was a clear statement to all who were present. Earlier this week we remembered the wise men’s visit to the stable in Bethlehem on the feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany means a manifestation or revelation. This was to a small group of scholars and astrologers from the east. Jesus revelation as the Son of God at His baptism is often called a theophany or a divine manifestation of God to man. It was performed in a very public setting. Today we perform baptisms in public services, not in private.

A second reason for Jesus baptism by John is to demonstrate his total commitment to participation in our humanity by humbling himself to a sinner’s baptism. The people who came to be baptized by John knew they were sinners and had fallen short of the grace of God. Jesus did not come to this earth as a typical king or ruler who was above the people, but as someone who participated in everything as we do as humans, even unto the point of dying a criminal’s death on the cross. He never presented himself as being above us. Jesus demonstrates this same humanity through his birth in a humble stable in Bethlehem among the farm animals surrounded by shepherds who left their flocks as they grazed on nearby pastures.

And probably the most important reason for Jesus baptism is He was called to do this. It was an act of obedience to his father. It was foretold by the prophets and part of God’s plan for His Son and for our salvation. His baptism was an example of what we are expected to do, to be faithful to the Lord’s will. God had called Jesus to perform His ministry on earth and He calls us to respond to Him and follow in the steps of ministry. Jesus baptism represents the official start of His ministry. Our baptism represents the start of our Christian journey and ministry.

We are all called and chosen to be a part of God’s kingdom, not just in this life, but also in the next. It is up to each of us to acknowledge and accept this gift and then to share it with others. This is true whether those promises were made for us by parents and God parent when we were infants or if we made those promises as an adult. You see, baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God. Baptism is our response to God’s call to be a part of his family. The Jews performed a similar rite of acknowledgement through circumcision. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple after 8 days to acknowledge his belonging to God through membership in the Jewish faith. You see by God’s grace we are called to be somebody! We are called to be children of God and to live in His grace!

When we are physically born into an earthly family we are given a family name, it might represent an ancient occupation with names like Sawyer, Butcher, Cooper or Cartwright or it could signify our parentage with names like Johnson, Williamson or Peterson. When we are baptized we are publicly acknowledged as belonging to the Christian family, beloved by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The sponsors present the candidate by name signifying God’s ownership of us as God did when Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan. The sponsors affirm the child will be brought up in the Christian faith and life. By their prayers and witness the congregation helps the child grow into the full stature of Christ. As Christians we are set apart and named as God’s own people.

John the Baptist stated in Matthew 3:11, just a few verses before the start of this morning’s Gospel, “One would come after him who wouldn’t just baptize with water, but with the Holy Spirit“. The participants at Jesus baptism saw heaven opened up and the Spirit of God descending upon Jesus. We are baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Then the priest prays over the newly baptized, offering thanksgiving that by water and the Holy Spirit, God has bestowed forgiveness of sin us and raised us to a new life of grace. Water was used for cleansing in many of the Jewish rituals. The ancient Jewish priests washed themselves before and after the presentation of sacrifices in the temple. Every devout Jew had water for members of his household and his guests to wash upon entering his home. Yet these ritual sacrifices and washings had to be performed time and time again as the people never became clean inside. Because our Lord and Savior made the ultimate sacrifice upon the Cross, one baptism is sufficient for all our lives. We don’t have to continually make sacrifices or undergo repeated cleansing such as sinners did in the day of John the Baptist and before

You see when we are baptized and the Holy Spirit descends upon us we are given grace. Through this grace Jesus and the Holy Spirit continue to minister to us. Many use the term “born again” to signify we have been transformed and are made new. Through this grace we continue to grow in our faith. We are able to continue in the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. We can persevere in resisting evil, and when we fall into sin, to repent and return to the Lord. We can proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. We are able to seek and serve Christ in all people, loving our neighbors as ourselves. And to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being. The priest marks us with the sign of the cross and places consecrated oil on our forehead as he says “you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own for ever.”

Baptism welcomes us, joins us to the family of faith, the family of all believers. We are not all alike; we are young and old, richer and poorer, black, white, brown and yellow, liberal or conservative. Through the water of baptism and God’s Holy Spirit we are bound together in a covenant relationship, a promise that we will be God’s people and He will be our God. We are given God’s peace, yet we also are called to serve others, to make them our family also, to give them peace and to minister to their needs. It is God’s wish that we renew ourselves and the world through the water and the spirit in baptism.

Let us pray.
We thank you Almighty God for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus Christ received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Sprit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us through his death and resurrection from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.

We thank you father for the water of baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in His resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into His fellowship those who come to him in faith, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to whom be all honor and glory, now and forever. AMEN

Sermon: Christmas II - RCL A - "I want to be a Saint!"

2010-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Now after the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."

A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three year old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the child asked for cookies and her mother told her "no." The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, "Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don't be upset. It won't be long."… He passed the Mother again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little girl began to shout for candy. When she was told she couldn't have any, she began to cry. The mother said, "There, there, Ellen, don't cry. Only two more aisles to go, and then we'll be checking out."… The man again happened to be behind the pair at the check-out, where the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there would be no gum purchased today. The mother patiently said, "Ellen, we'll be through this check out stand in five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap." … The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing that you were as patient as a saint with little Ellen..."… The mother broke in, "My little girl's name is Tammy... I'm Ellen."

I was curious as to how many total people have lived on the earth since day one.. and scientist / mathematicians have determined based on birth / death rates and other information that the total number of humans born is approximately 106 billion… now.. of those 106 billion only about 10,000 have been classified as capitol “S” saints.. St. Peter.. St. Francis.. St. Theresa and so on… which means one person out of every 10,600,000 will become a capital “S” saint… What are the chances of any of us becoming a Saint? Well.. for me it’s a bit better than a 50/50 chance right now.. but for you all… not so much!

Perhaps instead of asking “Who will become a Saint?”.. we should ask.. “Who should strive to become a Saint?” It might seem a bit bold to us.. but many of the great Saints purposely described themselves as working to become saints… and some went as far as to predict that they would… One saint writes, “I would be the happiest of men if I could become a saint soon and a big one.”… Bl. Mary Fortunata Viti says, “I am fortunate to be given this opportunity to become a saint. I want to become a saint.”.. and St. Margaret of Cortona says, “A time will come when you will call me a saint, and you will go on a pilgrimage to my tomb with the staff and wallet of a pilgrim.”… this might seem to negate that whole idea of humility we see in the saints, but instead it is pointing to the fact that they took seriously Christ’s command to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”…

Thomas Merton in his autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain describes a rather remarkable conversation that he had with his friend Robert Lax… apparently they were arguing over something as they walked.. when finally Robert stopped.. turned to him and asked, “What do you want to be, anyway?”… Merton had a few poor answers in his mind.. when he finally said, “I don’t know; I guess what I want is to be a good Catholic.”…. Robert says… “What do you mean you want to be a good Catholic… What you should say.. what you should say is that you want to be a saint.”… “How do you expect me to become a saint?”… Robert’s response.. “By wanting to.”… Thomas says, “I can’t be a saint.”… and remembering the mood of this conversation he writes… “my mind darkened with a confusion of realities and unrealities: the knowledge of my own sins, and the false humility which makes men say that they cannot do the things that they must do, cannot reach the level that they must reach: the cowardice that says: “I am satisfied to save my soul, to keep out of mortal sin,” but which means, by those words: “I do not want to give up my sins and my attachments.”…. Robert continued, “All that is necessary to be a saint is to want to be one. Don’t you believe that God will make you what He created you to be, if you will consent to let Him do it? All you have to do is desire it.”…. the following day.. looking for a way out.. he told a friend, “[Robert] is going around saying that all a man needs to be a saint is to want to be one.”… his friends response, “Of course.”

Our Gospel reading this morning spoke first of Mary, Joseph and Jesus’ flight to Egypt and then the return… Matthew also reminds his readers of a prophecy with regards to this return… "Out of Egypt I have called my son.".. we understand that scripture is multivalent – that is – many layers.. so not only is this prophecy speaking of Jesus return to Israel.. but it also speaks to us and Christ’s mission…

… we know that for the Israelites, Egypt was a place of bondage.. slavery.. and that through Moses God called his sons and daughters out of that place into the land of milk and honey… For us.. Egypt is also a metaphor for the bondage and slavery of sin.. of which God – through Christ – has called us.. his sons and daughters out of into eternal life with him.

Now.. on Christmas Eve.. we said that God had chosen us.. that he made the decision to love us.. despite our sinfulness.. the passage from St. Peter was.. St. Peter declares… “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light…or.. that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of Egypt into eternal life”… See how that works?

Out of love you were chosen by God.. then you were called out of Egypt.. out of darkness into his wonderful light and eternal life….. Why?... So that you could become that one person in 10,600,000… So that you could strive to become a saint… and before you say, “I can’t become a saint”.. consider the words of Thomas Merton when he said he couldn’t… you see.. when we say we can’t.. it is because we become painfully aware of our sins.. we are confronted with those things in our own lives that we are often times unwilling to change in order to be more saint-like.

John.. become a saint!... I can’t become a saint!... Why?... Because of pride, gluttony and anger?... Well.. then learn humility, moderation and forgiveness… If you did those things.. would you then be a saint? Probably not, but I might be a step closer.

Is this an easy task?.. Not at all! and for many reasons, but near the top of the list of difficulties is the necessity to turn our critical eye toward ourselves, because this battle is not one that is out there.. but in here [self]… “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”…

It is difficult.. you will never reach perfection in this life.. and you may never receive the title “Saint”.. but that is no reason to not continuously and faithfully strive for it… St. John Vianney says, “We must never lose sight of the fact that we are either Saints or outcasts, that we must love for Heaven or for Hell; there is no middle path in this.”… Don’t be satisfied with being one who enters heaven “as one escaping through the flames”… instead, strive to hear those words.. “Well done, good and faithful servant!”.. Say with me, “I want to become a Saint!”.. Now.. there’s a New Year’s resolution worth keeping!

Let us pray… Dear Jesus, in the Sacrament of the Altar, be forever thanked and praised. Love, worthy of all celestial and terrestrial love! Who, out of infinite love for us, did assume our human nature for our eternal salvation. Now illumined with lively faith.. with the outpouring of our whole souls and the fervor of our hearts.. we humbly beseech You, through the infinite merits of Your painful sufferings upon the cross.. give us strength and courage to destroy every evil passion which sways our hearts.. to bless You by the exact fulfillment of our duties.. supremely to hate all sin.. and thus.. to become a Saint…. In your most precious Name we pray. Amen.

Sermon - Christmas Eve Mass

2010-12-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

Lesson: John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

The wedding was to take place at this big posh resort.. and all the guest were arriving. When the mother of the groom and the mother of the bride got together for the first time they were all nicey nice.. wanting to visit.. see each others dress.. etc. All was well right up until the time that the two women discovered that they had chosen the exact same dress for the wedding. They both were visibly upset.. but the mother of the groom was the most vocal.. she went into rant about how she had set this dress aside months ago.. how much it cost.. why she should be allowed to wear it to the wedding and not the mother of the bride… The mother of the bride consented.. and the day before the wedding.. the bride and her mother were out shopping for a new dress… they found one that would do just fine.. then the daughter noted that they still had some time and asked whether or not her mother would like to return the other dress… “No,” said the woman, “I’ll just wear it to the rehearsal dinner.”

From our Gospel reading today… “In the beginning was the Word.. and the Word was with God.. and the Word was God”.... When the Apostle John wrote those words.. he wanted us to think of that other beginning when... "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"... He wants us to understand that when God created - Jesus was there... When the sun and the moon first appeared in the heavens - Jesus was there... When the dry land was separated from the water .. when the animals were brought forth - Jesus was there... When life was first breathed into the first man, Adam - Jesus was there... All things came into being through the Word of God.. through Jesus.

Yet.. in the midst of this perfect creation God allowed humankind to have free will.. He allowed us to have the gift to choose… Now the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom may choose the same dress to wear to the wedding.. and one may choose to get even with the other.. but for the most part.. our choices are as widely varied as the snowflakes are varied one from another... some folks think chocolate covered mint is a wonderful combination (its disgusting) while others see peanut brittle as God's confectionary gift to the universe... some vote democrat other's republican.. but even if you put all the immensely smarter republicans in the same room and mention Sarah Palin you're still likely to have a war...

..whatever the case.. to be allowed to choose is a wonderful gift.. it is what allows us to grow.. think.. create.. This ability to choose is what allowed Leonardo Da Vinci to paint the Mona Lisa's smile in just such away as to captivate admirers for centuries... The right to choose led all those great men to sign the Declaration of Independence and declare with one voice, “we will be free.”... it is what leads brave men and women every day to sign up and serve their country.. no one is forced.. but of their free will they choose.

That free will can also lead to some rather bad decisions… take for example the man caught out on his boat in the middle of a lighting storm… his friends that were with him report that instead of going to shore.. he stood up.. stretched his hands towards heaven and declared… "Here I am, Lord, let me have it!".. and God did!…. Or what about.. the twelve British publishers who rejected a children’s story about a boy wizard named Harry Potter… how poor of a decision was that?

This free will can also lead to evil decisions.. consider Adolph Hitler.. an aspiring artist.. yet the decisions he made led him to become a sadistic madman… On the day before we celebrate the birth of our Lord.. we won’t go down this list..

Point is.. God said.. you may choose… and we do… Not all of our choices are so black and white.. because the choices we make on a daily basis are at the extremes and every place in between.. we choose to help.. we choose to ignore.. we choose to praise.. we choose to curse.. to give to steal.. and on and on.

And it is through our less than perfect choices - our sins - that we become separated from God.. just like.. In the beginning.. when Adam and Eve chose to eat of the tree that God had forbidden them and were cast out of the Garden.

Yet, God.. in spite of our good, bad, and evil choices.. He also made a choice.. He chose to love us.. by entering the world.. and becoming one of us... Leo the Great writes… “Thus the Son of God enters this lowly world. He comes down from the throne of heaven, yet does not separate himself from the Father’s glory. He is born in a new condition, by a new birth…. He was born in a new condition, for, invisible in his own nature, he became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death.”

All of this.. because God chose to love you – there’s a Merry Christmas for you!

St. Peter declares… “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”… All because God chose to love you… and made possible because.. some 2,000 years ago.. a baby was born in a manger.

Let us pray… Lord, in this holy season of prayer and song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonders you have sent us: for shining star and angel's song, for infant's cry in lowly manger. We praise you for the Word made flesh in a little Child. We behold his glory, and are bathed in its radiance.

Be with us as we sing the ironies of Christmas, the incomprehensible comprehended, the poetry made hard fact, the helpless Babe who cracks the world asunder. We kneel before you shepherds, innkeepers, wisemen. Help us to rise bigger than we are. Amen.

Christmas Eve Mass

2010-12-23T17:37:00.000-08:00

St. Andrew's / Philipsburg

3:00 p.m.

St. James' / Deer Lodge

5:30 p.m.

St. Mark's / Anaconda

8:30 p.m.

Sermon: Advent IV - Year A RCL - "Sacrificial Love"

2010-12-17T16:21:00.000-08:00

Lesson: Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,"

which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

A missionary, speaking of the need on the foreign fields, was to receive an offering to help out with the work. A man was sitting next to the aisle about halfway up. He had folded his arms and sat with a grim look, a scowl and a frown. He evidently didn't want to be there. Perhaps his wife had made him come. When the usher held the plate in front of him, he just shook his head. The usher jiggled the plate invitingly. Still the only response was the head shake. The usher leaned over and whispered, "It's for missions, you know." Still the scowl and a mumbled sentence, "I don't believe in 'em." This usher was a sharp man. He leaned down and said, "Then you take some out, brother. It's for the heathen, anyway."

For the most part.. I believe that we are always more than willing to give to missionary work in the world.. an interesting but little known fact is that “The Episcopal Church” is not the official name of our Church.. it is The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.. so a little bit of everything you give on a Sunday goes to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world.. and that is a good thing.. but I wonder.. what part of ourselves are we willing to give for the increasing of God’s Kingdom… and “No”.. I’m not talking about money.. I’m talking about of ourselves.. and not what’s just convenient or what we can afford… but a giving that could be considered sacrificial?.. Costly to the point of having to deny ourselves?.... We all love giving Christmas presents, but how many of us would be willing to give a gift that would cost us our own dreams and ambitions? That would cost us to set aside our lives for someone else’s?

Today in our Gospel reading.. we have the story of Joseph.. who was engaged to Mary. Now Joseph we know was a carpenter. It was honest work and a good trade. He was older than Mary, but likely very respected in the community. He was of the lineage of King David, which was quite special. I don’t think he was wealthy.. but likely – given his work – he was comfortable… and everything was good, right up until the time that he hears that Mary is pregnant… Because they are not yet married, everyone – including Joseph – assumed that Mary has committed adultery. As we said last week, Joseph could have accused her and she would have been stoned to death… but instead, he decides he will quietly walk away… until an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream… "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."… and Joseph did as the angel had instructed him.

It took a great deal of faith, but what Joseph did was sacrificial giving. We may not like it, but he would have been justified at the time in accusing her, but he didn’t. He would have had to swallow a bit of pride, but it would have been even more convenient to just walk away… however.. he instead looked upon this woman and took her as his wife… He looked upon her and he loved her…. Not some sort of gooshy love where he would pour out gifts and kisses upon her, but a love far superior … He loved her enough to say that I will give up everything.. I will sacrifice all that I have and all that I am in order to see Christ – to see God given to the world through you.

---- You all know that the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis is my favorite devotional book, but I went through multiple writers and devotional books before I discovered it. The one that stuck with me the longest was My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.. but I have to tell you, I through Oswald across the room a number of times – I have a tendency to do that when I don’t like what an author is saying – the reason I through Oswald across the room is because he would always seem to say “What” a person needed to do in order to have a deeper life with Christ.. but the problem for me.. was that he never seemed to say “How” a person was to go about doing it and I found that infuriating.. and flung him across the room.

The reason I mention this is.. that if last week I had been sitting in the congregation and had to listen to the sermon I preached to you – especially with the way I ended it – I would have thrown me across the room… How did I end?... anyone remember?.. I said if you want to have true joy in your life.. then “Learn what it means to love.”… Now, what kind of ending is that? It is certainly wasn’t any help… Well I left you there intentionally, because I wanted you to think about it…. What does it mean to love?.. The love that I’m referring to includes.. but is far greater than say the love between a husband and a wife… it is sacrificial love… It is a love that is completely about and for another.. regardless as to whether or not there is any benefit for you.. in fact.. it may cost you a great deal.. and the purpose of this sacrificial love is to see Christ born in another… It is this sacrificial love that Joseph demonstrated to Mary.. and it is this sacrificial love of Joseph for Mary that is set as an example for you and I to follow.. and we follow this example for the same reason - to see Christ born in another.

Its not an easy question to answer.. but what part of yourself would you not be willing to sacrifice in order to see God born in another? What is so important about you.. that you could not sacrifice it… and if that’s not enough… who do you sacrifice it for?

There is that quote from Archbishop Michael Ramsey that I have shared with you in the past… In speaking to a group of ordinands on the night before their ordination to the priesthood he said, “Amidst the vast scene of the world’s problems and tragedies, you may feel that your ministry is so small, so insignificant, so concerned with the trivial. What a tiny difference it can make to the world that you should run a youth club, or preach to a few people in a church, or visit families with seemingly small results. But consider… the glory of Christianity is its claim that small things really matter, and that the small company, the very few, the one man, the one woman, the one child are of infinite worth to God."

We are called to love sacrificially.. not just for the thousands or hundreds… but for the one… We are to love sacrificially.. even if it means that Christ will only be born.. in one.. other.. person….

Jesus said… “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Joseph loved Mary sacrificially and Jesus Christ was born into the world… Jesus loved you sacrificially even to death on a cross and was born in you… You also are to love sacrificially so that Christ might be born in another.

You know… I finished listening to a book this week.. it wasn’t a very good book, but it had a beautiful line… “If we are not here for each other, then why are we here.”… Love sacrificially so that the Lord’s joy may be made complete in you.. and born in others.

Let us pray… Jesus, tender and loving Lamb of God, Utmost Sacrifice of all sacrifices, Your glory is reverberated in the highest. Being preoccupied with our well-being, You chose to self-sacrifice Yourself, setting aside all Your personal glories. We thank You Lord Jesus for this, Your act of love! Your action has drawn us closer to You. Teach us to model in smaller things, to sacrifice in order to help others, guiding our souls to persevere. Lamb of God, we thank you eternally! Amen.

Sermon: Advent III, Year A RCL - "Learn what it means to love."

2010-12-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

The Song of Mary Magnificat - Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Gaudéte in Dómino simper… Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice; let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God… in the very early Latin Mass – If I have it correct – instead of an opening hymn like we do now.. you would have an opening Psalm for the processional which began and ended with an antiphon.. a short liturgical text.. On the third Sunday of Advent – which we are at today – that antiphon began “Gaudete in Domino simper”… the word Gaudete translating as Rejoice.. so this Sunday is Gaudete Sunday… It is set apart from the other Sundays of Advent to act as a reminder… What is the reminder? You’ve probably noticed that our readings these past few weeks have not been about baby Jesus in the manger and shepherds and all that.. Instead.. it has been, “You brood of vipers! Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near!”… You see.. Advent is a penitential season.. it is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ.. just as Lent is a season of preparation leading up to the Resurrection of Christ.. therefore it has this penitential design to it… However.. Gaudete – Rejoice – Sunday is a bit of a breather in the midst of this time of penance and preparation.. because we must not ever forget that the coming of the Lord is in fact a joyful event for those who believe… So today we can say “Rejoice in the Lord always!”… not to mention the fact that I get to wear rose/pink.. not my best color.. but since everyone of you broke out in a smile (or a guffaw) when you saw me in it.. then I suppose it helps with the rejoicing.

The dictionary says that “rejoicing” means to give “joy”.. and joy is defined as the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires .. as a state of happiness.. and.. as a source or cause of delight… and we.. as a Christian people.. and like everyone else for that matter look for this joy… this one thing that will make us happy… trouble is.. we may spend a lifetime looking… or when we do find it.. the lyrics a song … “Baby! I've got my sight set on you and someday you'll come my way. But when you put your arms around me I'll be looking over your shoulder for something new.”

Its like a church conference.. we’ll call it a Presbyterian conference because Episcopalians would never act like this… but the attendees were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians, they weren't free to say "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord."… so all through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over.. about one-third of the balloons were unreleased… they had just kept waiting to see if maybe the next thing would be more joyful.. and so they were never joyful, because they just kept looking.

At issue.. is the fact that we often time look for true joy in the wrong place… C. S. Lewis – the one that wrote the Narnia series that they’ve been making movies out of was a great Anglican theologian.. he says.. “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Yet.. as we said.. like the rest of the world we go on looking, but what Lewis is pointing to .. and what Jesus would have us discover is that true joy is not found in something you can buy.. or touch.. or see.. true joy is from above…. Consider this story by St. Francis of Assisi…

I return from Perugia and arrive here in the dead of night; and it is winter time, muddy and so cold that icicles have formed on the edges of my habit and keep striking my legs, and blood flows from such wounds. And all covered with mud and cold, I come to the gate and after I have knocked and called for some time, a brother comes and asks: 'Who are you?' I answer: 'Brother Francis.' And he says: 'Go away; this is not a proper hour for going about; you may not come in.' And when I insist, he answers: 'Go away, you are a simple and a stupid person; we are so many and we have no need of you. You are certainly not coming to us at this hour!' And I stand again at the door and say: 'For the love of God, take me in tonight.' And he answers: 'I will not, Go to the Crosiers' place and ask there.' I tell you this: If I had patience and did not become upset, there would be true joy in this and true virtue and the salvation of the soul.'"

So cold that icicles are forming on your clothes and banging into your legs causing wounds that bleed and the brother won’t let you in… makes me joyful every time! Not!.. Yet.. a mark of great holiness that we find in the saints.. is the ability to find happiness in the most unpromising circumstances, to rejoice in deprivation, pain and sacrifice…. As St. Francis de Sales declared.. “A sad saint is a sorry saint.”

Consider the Blessed Virgin Mary… unwed.. teenager.. engaged to be married.. pregnant…. Because of her circumstances.. if her husband Joseph accuses her.. then legally.. she can be stoned to death… How does she respond?.. Is there much wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth? Does she go out on some drinking binge declaring “Woe is me!”… Answer: None of the above.. instead she sings.. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.”… She looks on what we might consider VERY unfortunate circumstances and considers them to be favors from God… Her soul is not depressed and dejected.. quite the opposite.. “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”…. How do they find joy in freezing.. possible stoning.. being outcast…

It is written that a third-century man was anticipating his death.. so he penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them."

As a Christian.. where does our joy come from?... Our joy is in truth … it is in the promise of eternal life.. it is in forgiveness.. it is in the Cross and redemption.. our joy is found in the love of God and in loving Him… In loving .. and being loved by one another… Jesus said… “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Would you like to know how to rejoice on this Gaudete Sunday?.. Would you like to know how to have joy for the rest of your life?.... Learn what it means to love.

Let us pray… God, our Father, may we love You in all things and above all things. May we reach the joy which You have prepared for us in Heaven. Nothing is good that is against Your Will, and all that is good comes from Your Hand. Place in our hearts a desire to please You and fill our minds with thoughts of Your Love, so that we may grow in Your Wisdom and enjoy Your Peace. Amen.

Christmas Eve Mass Schedule

2010-12-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

St. Andrew's / Philipsburg

3:00 p.m.

St. James' / Deer Lodge

5:30 p.m.

St. Mark's / Anaconda

8:30 p.m.

Sermon - Advent II, Year A RCL - "You talkin' to me?"

2010-12-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
`Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.'"

Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

"I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

The American Film Institute has some interesting “Top 100” lists… 100 best movies.. 100 best musicals… 100 best heroes and villains.. and so on… They also have the “100 top movie quotes” (for you internet readers you can go here to see the various lists) I figured “Expelliarmus” would have been number one on the list – didn’t even show up anywhere – instead.. at the top of the list from Gone with the Wind we have Rhett Butler declaring, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.".. at number six is Dirty Harry staring down the punk saying, "Go ahead, make my day"… and of course Hans Solo’s, “May the force be with you.”…. Closing out the top ten is one spoken by Travis Bickle.. you may not remember him.. he was played by Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver… know the line… "You talkin' to me? You talkin’ to me!?"

Well.. when John the Baptist turns on the Pharisees and Sadducees.. I can imagine them looking at one another .. then at John .. and in their best Robert De Niro impression asking.. “You talkin’ to me?!”… As we know.. Johns’ criticism didn’t stop with the religious leaders.. later he would criticize Herod for marrying his brother’s sister which landed him in jail.. which eventually led to his beheading… yet for the prophets – of which John the Baptist was one – they were almost always upsetting someone and finding themselves in danger.

In the book of Acts.. The first deacon Stephen.. just before he was stoned to death declared to his soon to be murderers.. “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?”… the answer to that question is “No.”.. not really.

Yet.. the role of the prophet was to rouse up the people… to point out their errors and have them return to God… In the first chapter of the book of the prophet Jeremiah .. we have the calling of Jeremiah by God… The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”… “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”… But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant…. I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant”… and the prophet is to do these things with the words that God gives to him.. not speaking for himself.. but for God.

Even so.. the people did not listen.. from 2nd Chronicles.. “The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.”

As with John the Baptist.. the people did not listen to the prophets of old.. they heard what they said.. but instead of responding to God’s call.. his corrections.. they became angry with his messengers and persecuted them.. often times putting them to death.. legend has it that Jeremiah was eventually stoned to death… Thank goodness we are not like the kind of people who would do something like that!... We take criticism very well… When someone speaks Godly correction to us.. we don’t get angry… no sir… hmm.. we might get even.. but we don’t angry!.. Riiight.

Let me ask you this… you hear John the Baptist crying out.. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."… What do you do?.. How do you respond?.. The human thing to do is to look at everyone around you and say, “Darn tooting.. ya’ll need to repent! Get right with the Lord!”… The whole time thinking John the Baptist couldn’t possibly be talking to you…. Or what about this.. Christian groups love to quote this one – also from 2nd Chronicles – “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”… First thing that goes through my mind when I hear that verse is… “If those crazy democrats would just learn to pray they’d be voting straight republican ticket every time.. can I get an ‘Amen!’”.. because this call to turn from wicked ways has nothing to do with me!

The prophet on the other hand.. gets in your face.. and says… “Oh yes.. it is all about you.. you are the one that needs to get right with God.”.. and just like everyone else.. we don’t like hearing it…. therefore.. we must be willing to allow the words of John the Baptist.. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”.. we must be willing to allow these words to speak to us personally and corporately – as the Church… and allow God to correct us… so that we are not the ones arousing God’s wrath… Instead.. through this process of correction.. we are allowing him to perfect us.

How do we allow the words of the prophets to speak to us and correct us? There is a wonderful phrase from Martin Luther… “Crux probat omnia … The Cross tests everything.”

If we test our thoughts, actions and deeds in the same manner that the Pharisees and Sadducees tested theirs.. then we respond as they did… “You talking to me.”… yet.. if we – not only personally, but also corporately.. as the Church – test these same thoughts, actions and deeds by the Cross.. we may discover a different result….

I wonder – If we are willing to.. and brave enough.. to look closely.. which part of ourselves, our lives, our being would we not be willing to put to the test of the Cross... I suspect there are aspects of all our lives which are much safer tucked away in their own personal niches – there own special places of worship within our souls.. even illuminated with one of those little votive candles.. that are far too honored by the Great "I" to be put to such a test. Yet, if we did, if we nailed those silly notions to that most sacred tree.. to the cross.. Well.. they would likely scream out in protest and blasphemy.. just like the wicked thief did that was crucified with Jesus… but in the end – in the end we would be set free.

Yes… the prophets come with messages to a world gone wrong… but the message they bring is for us also… So, I pray.. as scripture says.. “whoever has ears” will hear.. and will turn in repentance.

Let us pray… God, You raised up St. John the Baptist to prepare a perfect people for Christ. Fill Your people with the joy of possessing His grace, and direct the minds of all the faithful in the way of peace and salvation. Grant that, as St. John was martyred for truth and justice, so we may energetically profess our Faith in You, and lead others to the Way, the Truth, and Eternal Life. Amen.

Sermon - Advent I, Year C RCL - "All Things New"

2010-11-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Matthew 24:36-44

Jesus said to the disciples, "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

“If we want to be part of these events, Advent and Christmas, we cannot just sit there like a theatre audience and enjoy all the lovely pictures. Instead, we ourselves will be caught up in this action, this reversal of all things; we must become actors on this stage. For this is a play in which each spectator has a part to play, and we cannot hold back. What will our role be? Worshipful shepherds bending the knee, or kings bringing gifts? What is being enacted when Mary becomes the mother of God, when God enters the world in a lowly manger?”

What IS taking place when God – Jesus – enters the world? It was just a few weeks ago that we had a reading very similar to today’s. These prophecies by Jesus regarding the end of days… and like before.. we can get so caught up in the “what ifs” and “looking for the fulfillment of signs” .. the events themselves, that we miss the most important part.

So what is taking place in all these events… from that Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote… “What is being enacted when Mary becomes the mother of God… When God enters the world in a lowly manger?”… this being the First Sunday of Advent.. the first Sunday of the Church year helps us to understand what is taking place… because Advent gives a deep sense of anticipation .. An expecting of something new.

We talk of “wars and rumors of wars”… about one person being taken and another left behind… and about staying awake… and “Yes”.. we are to do these things.. to watch.. to pray.. we must be alert as we seek his coming… but the reason for His coming is so that He may create all things new.

Almost everyone knows at least rumors of the Book of Revelation with all its wormwood.. four horsemen of the apocalypse.. and bowls of God’s wrath… and the second coming of Christ… When he comes.. St. John reports… “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns… he goes on.. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven.. followed Him … Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. … And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

And we Christians hear of that and shout “Hooraah!”… but what is the purpose of it all…? The Book of Revelation contains twenty-two chapters… most of it is all this end of the world.. apocalyptic writing… but the beginning of chapter 21.. St. John writes… “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new… It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

God says.. I do all these things.. so that I may “make all things new.”… and some say.. that’s just great John… when the Lord returns I will begin to experience this new life.. and my response – eeeehh.. Thanks for playing please try again – for it is St. Paul that helps us in understanding that this “New” is not only off in the future somewhere.. but it is today… Paul writes.. “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!.. The new is here!”... Yes.. the Kingdom of God is a future event.. but it is also a present event…

.. and to that some might add… “Well, John, if this is the Kingdom of God then I’ll take what’s behind door number three.”.. and there is the rub.. because today we only see in a mirror dimly.. for although we are made new.. the world has not yet been made new.. and so we live in this in-between time.. the now and the not yet.. and so we wait.. and as frustrating as that may seem.. this waiting is what Advent is all about… Bonhoeffer again writes… “Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. – however.. he goes on to say – Waiting.. is an art that our impatient age has forgotten…. We must wait for the greatest, most profound, most gentle things in the world… nothing happens in a rush.. but only according to the divine laws of germination and growth and becoming.”.. we must wait.

Yet.. in the midst of this waiting.. As part of this becoming.. God allows us glimpses of future blessings through the sacraments of the Church and through one another… therefore, today, following the Confession and before the Peace.. we will offer the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. Through this sacrament of Unction – of healing.. I pray that you will see.. and perhaps experience.. the new life that God is offering to you.

Sermon - Christ the King

2010-11-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Luke 23:33-43

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

A young girl reports that her brother adopted a snake named Slinky, whose most disagreeable trait was eating live mice. Once she was pressed into going to the pet store to buy Slinky's dinner. The worst part of this wasn't choosing the juiciest-looking creatures or turning down the clerk who wanted to sell her vitamins to ensure the mouse’s longevity. The hardest part was carrying the poor things out in a box bearing the words "Thank you for giving me a home."

I suppose there are times when we all feel a bit like a hypocrite.. What is a hypocrite… one definition states.. "A hypocrite can be defined as someone who complains that there is too much sex and violence.. on his DVD Player.".. The word hypocrite actually means an “actor” … it is someone putting on a false persona.. front… I don’t believe that any of us do it intentionally… Yet.. by our actions – that sinful nature that is alive and well in all of us – we do from time to time find ourselves behaving in such a manner that is contrary to our vows as a Christian.. as disciples of Jesus.

If you’ve ever been down to my little cavernous office in Anaconda.. the first thing you notice is the chaos… papers strewn everywhere.. opened books stacked on top of more open books… and a plethora of dirty coffee cups… On the walls I have pictures of baptisms and weddings I’ve performed.. and in a place of honor I have a Golden Snitch (Harry Potter paraphernalia for you muggle minded folks.).. And.. interspersed amongst the clutter are some of my favorite paintings… There are some of our Blessed Mother.. some of Jesus.. one of Bishop Brookhart.. and one of Bishop Tuttle (The first Bishop of Montana and a bit of a hero of mine)… There is also one titled the “Victorious Lion of Judah”.. which shows Christ enthroned above the earth… but the two that I am drawn to the most are “The Legacy” and “The Story of the Missionary”

The Legacy shows a young preacher standing behind a pulpit.. clearly preaching a good one… The title – Legacy – comes from those standing behind the young preacher… all those who have preached the Word of God before him… Abraham.. John the Baptist.. Peter.. Moses.. and right beside him is Jesus with his hand on the young man’s shoulder.. the young preacher continues the legacy that has been passed down to him by all these that have gone before.

The Story of the Missionary also shows a man preaching.. but in this case it is an older monk who is obviously very poor.. but most sincere in his faith – he has passion and conviction… the setting for this picture is a rather posh seating room with fine couches and chairs.. all the amenities of a fine home… The missionary is seated on a stool in the middle of the room and seated on all the fine furniture are a variety of highbrow priests… There is one in his red cassock and slippers smoking a cigarette and sipping coffee while appearing to listen to the missionary.. another looks skeptical… one in the corner is visiting with a young upstart kind of priest and still another is off to the side playing with a dog… none of them really hearing what the old missionary has to say…

Now.. in my mind.. I combine the young preacher in the Legacy.. with the old monk in the Story of the Missionary.. and when I do that… hmm.. I see myself. Now.. Isn’t that fun! Oh yes.. I’m going to stand up there and I’m going to preach the Word of God.. I’m going to bring it! and everyone will shout, “Amen!”… Not only that.. amongst my peers.. like the missionary.. I am this amazing servant of God – much holier than they can imagine.. and its at this point that the line from a movie – I won’t mention the title – comes to mind.. this character Jules.. in all self-righteousness declares… “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.” – Then he shoots everyone in the room…

But.. I get these two images going through my silly head and I think, “Yeah – super preacher! – Billy Graham and Pope Benedict all rolled into one! God’s gift to the Church.. Can I get an ‘Amen!’”… It is then that I look over at my hero Bishop Tuttle’s picture.. and the expression on his face speaks very clearly to me.. in no uncertain terms he tells me.. “You’re so full of monkey manure.. it ain’t even funny.” (he was a Bishop, he would never swear)… Through our own self deception.. we end up hypocrites.. It is what led Gandhi to declare.. “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”.. but – as I said earlier – we don’t set out to be hypocrites.. it just sort of sneaks up on us.

The King of kings and Lord of lords – Jesus – was crucified between two thieves.. our gospel tells us that the one on the left railed against God and Jesus.. He believed that he was being treated unfairly.. that his crime deserved no punishment.. he had deceived himself about who he was… So.. not only was he a hypocrite in the eyes of the world.. but he was also hypocrite to himself.

Yet, the thief on the right.. knew who and what he was… He was honest with himself and the world.. and therefore believed that he was receiving a just punishment for his crimes… and somehow – through the power of the Holy Spirit – he recognized that Jesus was God… yet in recognizing this.. He did not ask for God to set him free.. to miraculously deliver him from his punishment.. In fact.. He didn’t even ask God to forgive him of his sins… he only asked that Jesus remember him… that is all he wanted – to be remembered by God.

You see.. at this time.. Judaism was still unsure about the afterlife.. some believing in a form of resurrection.. others not… Therefore.. eternal life for them was not a life with God following death.. eternal life was to be remembered.. not forgotten by those who came after you… So the thief on the right – if he was remembered by God – would live on through God’s memory… and it is here that Jesus changed everything.. for he says.. not only will I remember you.. but I will give you new life with me… "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.".. not only a memory of you.. but YOU will be with me… you will live.. in and through me.

There is wonderful poem by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.. “Voices in the Night”.. It is about him lying on his cot at night in side the barracks of a Nazi concentration camp… He listens and he hears the unrest of the old men sleeping as the nightmares pass through their minds.. he hears the sighs of the young men dreaming of what could have been… yet just before dawn.. outside his window he hears the tentative steps of another prisoner being led by guards to the gallows… In his mind Bonhoeffer goes with him to that place of his execution.. and the man speaks to Bonhoeffer before he dies, he says… “Brother, when the sun shines no longer for me, you must live for me!”

The thief says to God.. “Remember me… you must live for me.”… Jesus’ response.. I will die for you and I will live for you… and you will be with me in Paradise… In the story of the prodigal son the father says… “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”… Jesus tells us.. “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

When we stand before the Lord.. all of those false images we have of ourselves will be stripped away.. like the thief.. we will be stripped naked before the world and God… Like the thief.. we will say to God.. “Remember me.”.. and … “Then the King will say… ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

Let us pray… Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sermon - Proper 28c RCL - "The End is Near"

2010-11-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

In Memory of Marty Butler

Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down."

They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!' and, `The time is near!' Do not go after them.

"When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

"But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls."

On a road through a desert in Arizona, a preacher named Nathaniel Evans walked every day, preaching to the many people who roared past in their cars… "Repent, the End of the World is Nigh!" was his constant theme… One day, as he was walking, he came to a big lever in the middle of nowhere, just by the side of the road. 'Pull this to end the world' said the sign on it… Now Nathaniel saw this as the perfect spot for him to preach, and soon many automobiles were parked nearby, the people all swayed by his powerful elocution… All was well, until there were so many people, and so many cars, that the road was nearly blocked. Then a big 18-wheel rig came down the highway, and couldn't stop in time. The driver had a choice: run over Nathaniel, or run over the Lever… As the driver explained to the Highway Patrol later, he actually had no choice. Pointing to the red smear on the road that used to be Nathaniel Evans, he said "Better Nate than Lever."

You know we can laugh about the end of the world now.. but it won’t be so funny on December 21st 2012... that being the day that the world will come to a cataclysmic end… which in fact.. is a real personal bummer for me.. as that will also be my 47th birthday.. therefore I’ve decided to move my birthday next year to December 20th when I will hold my first annual end of the world birthday party… you are all invited…

Folks have been waiting for the end of the world for a long time.. and no one has ever predicted it correctly… but that hasn’t stopped them from trying or from trying to scare us all.. there are even some that attempt to prophet off of the end of the world… for example.. the following advertisement once appeared in a Christian magazine: BE PREPARED FOR THE END TIMES! Our Deluxe Survival Kit includes enough long-lasting, freeze-dried food to supply a family of four for three months, fifty gallons of pasteurized water, a completely stocked medical case, and a .357 magnum revolver in case your neighbors attempt to take advantage of your Christian foresight. — Tribulations Outfitters, Inc., Lawing, Utah… my goodness.. hopefully nobody will accidentally shoot the Lord with their brand new .357 Magnum when he returns.

This may all sound a bit crazy.. but as a Christian people.. we do believe that Christ will return.. and when he does he will set all things right.. the old shall pass away.. and the Lord will create all things new… So in our Gospel these signs that Jesus states will signify his return.. have they come to pass.. is the time near?... Let’s break this Gospel down a bit and see…

First.. Jesus speaks of the temple in Jerusalem where He and the all the other Jews came to worship.. it was a magnificent structure.. with some of the stones of the wall weighing up to 360 tons… Jesus says that it will be destroyed… today.. all that remains is the western wall.. known as the Wailing Wall… in the year 70 AD the Romans came in.. wiped out Jerusalem and completely destroyed the temple…

What are the other signs… false prophets will come in Jesus name declaring “I am he.”… I am the Messiah.. the one who can save you… my goodness can you believe they are already talking about who will supposedly save us in the next presidential election… or what about all those promising happiness.. health.. and wealth… watch TV and you will be bombarded with advertisements that will tell you all about how you can take this drug or that one and live forever (provided you don’t succumb to one of the side effects such as death).. I don’t know that the one drug that will make your eyelashes grow longer make you live longer, but at least during your lifetime you won’t be put to shame for having short eyelashes… Another sign.. “The time is near”.. folks have been claiming that for centuries.. 2012 being the most recent fad.

What about the wars and insurrections… Afghanistan.. Pakistan.. Peru.. Sudan.. presently there are almost 30 active wars in the world with seven of them being classified as “high intensity conflicts” because there are more than 1,000 causalities per year… that also pretty much covers nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom also…

There will be great earthquakes.. can you say “Indonesia”.. what about China.. Haiti.... Famines – most of Africa presently suffers from famine… plagues.. back to Haiti for the most recent Cholera epidemic…. Dreadful portents and great signs in the heavens… just toss in a good dose of global warming.. increased sun spots.. and the occasional UFO and by golly we are batting a 1000.

As far as being arrested in Jesus name.. all I can say is don’t go preaching the gospel in too many foreign nations or you will find yourself in jail facing death…. We look at all that and more.. and we have a complete fulfillment of the signs .. so today we can say with 100% confidence… The End is Near.

Or is it?... Hasn’t it been like this all along… haven’t there been wars.. plagues.. earthquakes… all that… Of course there have…. And this is just on a grand scale… How many folks can claim for their own lives… “the end is near.”

Think of the head of a household.. loses their job.. can’t find work.. bills adding up.. bank threatening to foreclose.. Is the end near for them?.... The person who has just been given X number of days to live… Is the end near for them?... The person driving down the street listening to Kenny G on the radio.. not knowing that at the next intersection some drunken jerk is about to run the red light doing 70 miles an hour and is going to hit them broadside… Is the end near for them?... Have I depressed you yet today?

No.. I’m not making light of the end of days… they will come.. and they will be dreadful… As we say almost every week.. “Christ has died.. Christ has risen.. Christ will come again!” – thanks be to God… yet as we look at these signs.. we have a tendency to think of them as the main event… you see.. when we look at what Jesus said… he tells us all this will happen.. all the pain and misery… yet it is the last two sentences of this Gospel reading that are in fact the main event… this will happen and that will happen… then Jesus says… “BUT… not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

Jesus says… your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish…. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand…. St. Peter says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time… The Lord wants none to perish.

If you place your hope in the world around you – you will always be disappointed!... If you place your hope in the next greatest politician.. miracle drug – you will also always be disappointed!... If you place your hope in “imagining world peace” – you will be severely disappointed… In the novel, Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., an important book comes to light… It’s title "What Can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?" The chief character is anxious to read it. But when he does, he finds that it doesn't take long. The whole book consists of one word: "Nothing."… what can man hope for from the world… “nothing.”… but as a Christian people our hope is not of this world.. our hope.. is in the Living God… Our hope.. is in the one who declares “I am resurrection and I am life.”.. our hope tells us that not a hair on our head will perish.. our souls will live forever.

There is a wonderful George Iles quote… “Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.”… when you hold out your hand in this dark world.. with its signs and portents… you can know within your very soul.. that God will be there to take it.. to lead you.. to guide you.. and to give you peace…. Jesus says, “When the world looks like it is going to heck in a hand basket, know that I will be there in the dark to take your hand and see you through.”

Let us pray… Jesus, magnificent Fountain of hope, in times of happiness and despair, you are the motivation of our hearts.. our hopes of greater things to come. Our consciousness is obsessed with You; we hunger for the day we will meet.. when our longings will become a reality. Transmit to our souls daily reminders to always hope for greater things. For without hope.. life is futile. Hope is a spiritual pillar of faith, containing many rewards of its own! Amen.

Spiritual Retreat

2010-11-07T22:40:00.001-08:00

It was a great weekend with the Cluster churches. Here is a photo of the group.

Sermon - All Saints' Sunday

2010-11-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

This 85 year old couple, having been married almost 60 years, had died in a car crash. They had been in good health the last ten years mainly due to her interest in health food, and exercise. When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they "oohed and aahed" the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "It's free," Peter replied, "this is Heaven." Next they went out back to survey the championship golf course that the home backed up to. They would have golfing privileges everyday and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on earth…. The old man asked, "what are the green fees?". Peter's reply, "This is heaven, you play for free." Next they went to the club house and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out. "How much to eat?" asked the old man. "Don't you understand yet? This is heaven, it is free!" Peter replied with some exasperation. "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol tables?" the old man asked timidly. Peter lectured, "That's the best part...you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven." With that the old man went into a fit of anger, throwing down his hat and stomping on it, and shrieking wildly. Peter and his wife both tried to calm him down, asking him what was wrong. The old man looked at his wife and said, "This is all your fault. If it weren't for your blasted bran muffins, I could have been here ten years ago!"

I’m guessing Robyn is still going to be on me about exercise, dieting, and my cheap cigars, but the guy had a point…. Thing is.. whether we are young or old.. we all want to know how to get to heaven…

Often times we think that our ticket to heaven has to be “paid for” by some great act… we think that it is all about what we can do to prove our love and loyalty to God… Listen to these words of St. Therese de Lisieux… “Open, O Lord, the Book of Life in which are written the deeds of thy saints; all the deeds told in that book I long to have accomplished for Thee. I would be a Martyr, a Doctor of the Church. I should like to accomplish the most heroic deeds--the spirit of the Crusader burns within me, and I long to die on the field of battle in defense of Holy Church. … I would be a Missionary… I would be scourged, I would be crucified! I would be flayed like St. Bartholomew, plunged into boiling oil like St. John, or, like St. Ignatius of Antioch, ground by the teeth of wild beasts into a bread worthy of God… With St. Agnes and St. Cecilia I would offer my neck to the sword of the executioner, and like Joan of Arc I would murmur the name of Jesus at the stake.”

Like all these great saints.. she is willing.. she wants to do these things for God.. and when you and I read about such saints we believe that we too must have a heart like theirs.. like hers… we must be willing to die for the defense of the Church and so on…

Yet the sufferings these saints endured were only events of their lives and the outcome of one simple truth… They loved God… Yes… St. John was boiled in oil, but it was because he loved God…. St. Ignatius was fed to the lions… because he loved God… St. Agnes and Cecilia were beheaded because they loved God… St. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.. because she loved God… See a pattern there?

These saints endured these things not so they could pay the price of their ticket into heaven.. they did these things for no other reason than they loved God… saints are not saints because of the events of their lives.. they are saints because they loved God above all else… Here what Thomas a Kempis has to say in the Imitation of Christ… BLESSED is he who appreciates what it is to love Jesus and who despises himself for the sake of Jesus. Give up all other love for His, since He wishes to be loved alone above all things. Affection for creatures is deceitful and inconstant, but the love of Jesus is true and enduring. He who clings to a creature will fall with its frailty, but he who gives himself to Jesus will ever be strengthened. Love Him, then; keep Him as a friend. He will not leave you as others do, or let you suffer lasting death. Sometime, whether you will or not, you will have to part with everything. Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death; trust yourself to the glory of Him who alone can help you when all others fail. Your Beloved is such that He will not accept what belongs to another -- He wants your heart for Himself alone, to be enthroned therein as King in His own right.

It is the love of God above all else that creates saints… You know.. I saw that picture that’s on the front of your bulletin and it made think of what most folks think “being” Christian is all about… You’ve got that one black lab sitting up front and all those cookie cutter concrete labs behind her… In terms of Christianity.. many will look at that picture and think the black lab is the odd man out – the one going to hell – and that all the cookie cutter concrete dogs are the Christians.. all marching along in this set rigid form…

Yet as St. Peter declares.. you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. … the Saints of God are not cookie cutter forms.. they are the ones who step out into something greater than the norm… and as St. Francis de Sales said… “Sanctity does not consist in being odd, but it does consist in being rare.”… and the rare ones are the ones who love God above all else.

Today is The Sunday of All Saints’ when we celebrate all those rare individuals who placed God first… and today.. I’m not asking you to offer yourself up to be burned at the stake like Joan of Arc to demonstrate your love of God.. but I am asking you to give your love for Him a higher priority in your life… What might that look like?... Say for example you were to look at your life and say… “X” is my number one priority.. then “Y”.. then “Z”.. then God – everyone of us would like to say “Oh no Fr. John.. God is first”… but then you’re just lyin’… So you’ve got priority X, Y, and Z.. then God… It would be a rather dramatic and probably unrealistic goal to say, “Today God is going before everything else.”.. and boom.. Its God, X, Y, and Z… But how might it look if you said.. “Today, I want to place God ahead of ‘Z’.”… So your list of priorities are now X, Y, God, then Z.

It would be a good place to start… and it is honest… I may not be able to show my love for God above everything else.. but I can love Him more than Z… and.. after a while.. you move Him above Y.. and so on… No one becomes a great saint overnight.. and if being “called out” by God is rare.. then becoming a great saint is even more rare.. but as George Herbert states in his efforts to become a good priest.. we can set the goal - becoming a great saint – as something to “aim at: which also [we] will set as high as [we] can, since he shoots higher that threatens the moon, than he that aims at a tree."

Let us pray… Lord, I am yours, and I must belong to no one but you. My soul is yours, and must live only by you. My will is yours, and must love only for you. I must love you as my first cause, since I am from you. I must love you as my end and rest, since I am for you. I must love you more than my own being, since my being subsists by you. I must love you more than myself, since I am all yours and all in you. Amen.

Sermon - Proper 26c RCL - "Zacchaeus"

2010-11-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Homily delivered by Susan Bartlett

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

Wouldn’t it be cool if our lives could be operated the same way a computer is? If there were parts of our lives we didn’t like, we could just HIGHLIGHT and push the DELETE button? Or if there was a part that we REALLY liked, we could HIGHLIGHT, RIGHT BUTTON CLICK, COPY AND PASTE it over and over again??? And, my favorite, if life was getting out of hand, we could just simply press CONTROL; ALT; DELETE and actually REBOOT ourselves to start acting right?? Well, consider this…God is in the rebooting business and in the life-changing business. He gives everyone of us an opportunity for a fresh start. He gives everyone of us an opportunity to change our lives for the better. Today’s Gospel is a reminder of just that!

Today’s Gospel with our old friend Zacchaeus revolves around a despised, sinful, rich, little man whose curiosity to see Jesus only made the community hate him more. He hears that Jesus is coming through town and is determined to see Him. Zacchaeus was unable to push through the crowds to find a spot where he could see Jesus. He was not only short but, recognizing him, the people were undoubtedly unwilling to make way to let him through. Zacchaeus was a man who lived with social rejection. He lived with sin…he lived with loneliness...he lived with isolation…he lived with shame. But, by golly, he had all the material things anyone could ever want! He had a mansion, he had servants, he had the finest of clothing, yet with Jesus blowing through Jericho, he somehow knew he needed more…his determination to see Jesus tells us so. And to the community of Jericho, the unthinkable happens…Jesus tells Zacchaeus that He must stay at his home.

I am wondering…how many of us, myself included, have really given any thought about what it would be like to actually have Jesus visit our home. Really…what would you do if Jesus knocked on your door and said, “I must stay at your house today?” Would you be excited? Would you be embarrassed? Would you say “sorry guy, my house is a mess – come back another time?” I would be mortified if those words flew out of my mouth in His presence!! I would like to think that I would be so excited that I would be stumbling all over the place trying to make Him comfortable. I am quite certain that I would be in ABSOLUTE AWE of the circumstances that had presented themselves……H O W E V E R, I also know that He would be in the company of a sinner, and that’s almost more than my heart can bear. But, here’s the thing…the Lord is always ready to make HIS home with us…it matters not the sins we carry…it matters not the shame in our hearts…it matters not the cleanliness of our home…it matters not our stature…The only thing that matters is that we open the doors of our hearts and allow His mercy and grace and love to enter.

In this same manner, Zacchaeus needed God’s merciful love and in his encounter with Jesus he found more than he imagined. His whole life had revolved around money and had no other purpose. In Jesus he saw the truth, and in this sinful, unworthy, mean little man…Jesus saw potential. Jesus saw the potential of a saved heart…and He knew Zacchaeus was ready to come to faith. He knew Zacchaeus was ready to change his ways. He knew Zacchaeus was ready to repent. He knew Zacchaeus was ready to be rebooted. And all it took was an encounter with Jesus. He went from being a miserable and greedy man to one who became generous and faithful. He did this by breaking bread with Jesus. He did this by opening his heart and allowing the Lord’s mercy and grace to enter. With that came a door to hope. Hope for redemption for his sins and a change into salvation. And Zacchaeus grabbed the opportunity by saying “I will give to the poor half of my possessions and if I have defrauded anyone of anything I will pay back four times as much”. And by saying “I will” he is really saying “I do”…unmistakable proof that he was a new creature. There was decisiveness in his words and in his actions. He wasted no time in showing who he was and to whom he served. In Revelation Chapter 3, Verse 20 Jesus says: “I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me.” All we have to do is open the door of our hearts and He will come to us.

We all know that any kind of change doesn’t come easy. It most often comes with sacrifice of the things we are comfortable with. We quite often meet change with resistance and find that it is easier to remain as we are because it’s just too hard to make the change by ourselves. When God comes to us and asks us to make a change in our lives, what we must remember is that we will not be doing it alone. He is with us every step of the way. And we must be obedient! We must continually submit ourselves to change in order to receive salvation. We must go from seeking the worldly possessions we crave to seeking the One who craves us. He gives us the power to change our lives. But salvation is more than one decisive moment…it is a life long process…moment by moment and day by day.

The last line of our Gospel today is “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost”. Raise your hand if you have ever been lost…and I mean the kind of “lost” where you feel completely alone, no one to care about you, no one to carry your shame for you, no one to accept you and your sins…no one to provide for you…you get the idea. Well, guess who really is seeking you out during those times? If we can remember that the Son of Man has come to seek out and to save the lost…we are no longer alone…we are no longer lost.

I would like you to leave here today with these questions in your heart: What do you see when you meet people? Do you see a lost soul? Do you see a soul that needs salvation? Do you simply see people as they are, with sin? Or do you see what they can become? Having a heart for the lost is having a vision like Jesus had for us. Having a heart like Jesus allows the rebooting to begin. So this next week, I would like us all to take a good look into the people we meet and think about what we see. Just as Jesus brought Zacchaeus home to Him, and gave him the power to change…we can do the same in our own lives.

Let us pray…

Heavenly Father, we are so grateful to You for the blessings You have given us! We pray to You today to continue to open our hearts in order to receive Your grace and mercy. We ask that You help us to open our hearts to accept the changes that You ask of us. We ask that You open our hearts to the lost souls we may meet. We pray that when You knock on our door to stay in our home, that we accept You into our hearts with joy and thanksgiving. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ…Amen.

Sermon - Proper 25c RCL - "Knowing God?"

2010-10-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, `God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee…. Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour…. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain…. Amount American Airlines saved in '87 by taking out 1 olive from each salad served in first class: $40,000… Polar bears are left-handed…. Exactly how much useless information is out there?

A recent study states that the amount of information up until 1900 could be measured as a 1 inch bar on a graph… the information gathered from 1900 to 1950 could be measured as a 2 inch bar on the same graph, while the information presently available would measure as high as the Washington Monument. That would be 6,665.5 inches… that is a lot of information.. yet…

Finagle's laws of information states…
1. The information you have is not what you want.
2. The information you want is not what you need.
3. The information you need is not what you can obtain.
4. The information you can obtain costs more than you want to pay… and round and round we go!

The library at Nashotah House where I went to seminary presently has a collection of approximately 111,000 books and subscriptions to about 300 periodicals… I would wager to guess that about 98% of all those books.. all that information is related to some aspect of God… theology.. the church.. prayer.. and so on… yet if someone could retain and comprehend all that information.. would they really know anything about God?

It was Cicero who said… “There is nothing so absurd but some philosopher has said it.”… and philosophy makes for bad and rather boring sermon fodder.. but just the same I wanted to share with you some thoughts.. on what we know – or think we know – about the information we have about God.. and if it wanes too philosophical.. then just stay with and maybe it will get better…

In the beginning of the third chapter of the Book of Exodus.. we have the event of the burning bush… Moses is out tending his sheep and he looks up on Mt. Horeb.. the mountain of God.. and he sees this strange site.. a bush that is on fire.. yet is not consumed.. so he goes over to it.. and the voice of the Lord speaks to him from the bush… he tells Moses of the abuse of the Israelites in their slavery in Egypt and he appoints Moses as the one who will go and speak to Pharaoh about the freeing of the people.. and Moses asked.. “But who am I”.. and God says.. Don’t worry.. I will go with you.. in response.. Moses essentially asked.. “Ok.. but who are you.”

Scripture reads… Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" … God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

God defines himself as “I AM”… in some respect.. it is as though God were asking Moses to fill in the blank… “I am God.. I am mighty.. I am love”.. and so on.. but in another respect it is not God saying “I am this, that, or the other,” but.. “What am I not.”… I am everything – If you just heard this large popping sound, don’t be concerned, it was just my head exploding….

You see.. in our walk with God.. we often attach titles and adjectives to God… We say things like, “God is Love”.. “God is mighty”.. “God is eternal”… but after a while.. we begin to understand that God is so far beyond “Love” that he is not love.. Yes he is mighty.. but is that Superman kind of mighty.. or is it even more… He is eternal.. but he is outside of time.. so is he really eternal.. or is he just.. “I AM…”?

An anonymous quote speaking of God reads… “Describe him as you will: good, fair Lord, sweet, merciful, righteous, wise, all-knowing, strong one, almighty; as knowledge, wisdom, might, strength, love, or charity, and you will find them all hidden and contained in this little word… is.”

The point – which you are probably praying for by now – is that the more we know God.. the less we know God… The more information we have of Him.. makes us realize how little we actually do know… Consider this… if you stand off from a mountain several miles.. you get the general outline of the mountain.. as you move closer and closer.. more details pop out at you.. that ridge line.. a clearing here.. or a spring pouring down a steep ravine.. but as you get even closer.. you can only see what is right in front of you.. all these details you thought you had a grasp of are lost to sight.. when you find yourself “nose to nose” – so to speak – with the mountain.. you can’t see anything except a few feet around you.. you know there is more to the mountain than you can see.. but because you are closer.. you lack the ability to see it all…

It is the same with God… from a distance.. you think you have Him all figured out.. but as you are drawn deeper into a relationship with him you realize that there is just an infinity of information about God that you don’t have a clue about.

End of philosophy lesson – thanks be to God – but what can we gain from this?... Well.. when it comes to our understanding of God.. we can make one rather grave error… that is.. as we draw more near to Him.. we can convince ourselves that instead of knowing less of Him.. that we actually KNOW Him… that we have Him all figured out.. we are on the inside and we know how things work.. big thumbs up to Buddy Jesus!

What does that error look like?... take our Gospel reading for today… "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”… the Pharisee was one who was very learned in the things of God.. the tax collector.. not so much – generally looked on as a plague of society… you would think that the Pharisee would be the one that was vindicated before God..

Yet the Pharisee makes our grave error.. for when he prays.. he believes that he knows the mind of God.. how things work.. and so he is all puffed up… when he prays he says to God… “You know me and I know you.. we’re tight.. and thank heaven I’m not like that poor slob over there… You and me.. we’re good.”.. he views himself as an upright righteous person, because he thinks God views him as an upright righteous person.

Yet the tax collector.. we are told.. could not even look up toward heaven when he prayed… In the temple.. he stood as far away as he could.. he did not pretend to “know” God.. but... he did know himself.. and so he prayed.. “God, be merciful to me.. a sinner!”

All the information that the Pharisee had regarding God.. did him no good… because even with all that information.. he never knew the one thing he needed most of all… God’s mercy… What was the second point of Fragile’s law of information.. “The information you want is not what you need.”… the Pharisee NEEDED this one piece of information and he too would have gone away justified, but instead.. it was the tax collector – “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” – who went away justified.

Remember.. at one point the Pharisees were complaining to the disciples because Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners.. and scripture says, “On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."… I know this sounds contrary to what we often believe… but Jesus does not love us because we are upright – because we know all there is to know about him.. that we go to church (even though we need to).. or Sunday school (which helps us to grow).. say the Rosary five times a day (although once a day wouldn't hurt anyone) and so on... Jesus loves us.. because we need his mercy – because we need his mercy.

Who here is need of Jesus’ mercy…?... Then you are loved by Jesus.. by God.. and through Him you are justified… and therefore you are exalted like the tax collector.. you are raised up.. not in your own righteousness.. but in the righteousness that comes only from God.

Let us pray… Saviour, Majestic Redeemer of mankind, through Your kindness and forgiveness, You secured what was rightfully Yours. Having sinned against Your greatness, lured away by the prince of darkness, Your mercy released us from bondage. Grant us the insight of this great mercy, that we may understand the sinful nature and be as merciful as Your Holy Grace. Merciful Lord, anchor our souls to Heaven, never letting them out of Your sight, ensuring our eternal presence with You! Amen.

Sermon - Proper 24c RCL - "God the Cosmic Vending Machine, Part II"

2010-10-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, `Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, `Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Ever wonder why vending machines have one of the craziest warning signs ever… It reads – “Never Rock or Tilt: Machine can fall over and cause serious injury or death.”… Well it seems a 19 year old college kid came home drunk from a night of "binge drinking" and -- in a misguided attempt to steal a can of soda -- rocked a 920-pound Coke machine and sent it tipping over upon himself… in layman's terms, he was squished and died following the accident, resulting in his relatives suing Coca-Cola Co., and two other companies.. including the college for about $660,000 in damages and funeral costs. They alleged that the machine was not secured and lacked in warning signs.

Now.. I’ve never rocked or tipped a vending machine to try and get something for free out of it.. but I have given one a good slap on occasion when it didn’t dispense what I paid for… especially the ones that have the kind of spinning cork screw dispensers.. and just before the product drops the spinning stops and the product doesn’t fall… well a good whack will normally dislodge it.. and then there are other times when you want something.. you’ve put your money in.. but nothing at all happens.. so again.. whack whack.. trying to get it to operate… We’ve all done it.

Last week.. we talked about how we sometimes treat God as some sort of cosmic vending machine.. how we pop our quarters.. our prayers in.. get what we want and walk away without every looking back to give thanks… however.. there are other ways that we also treat God like a vending machine.. and it often looks a bit like that poor kid that got himself squished.. or even us.. when we go banging and kicking on the machine.

However.. given our parable from Jesus today.. we have to ask the question.. is that banging and kicking on the cosmic vending machine all wrong? In the case of the parable from today.. the unjust judge was one who cared nothing for God.. and nothing for people… He was all about himself and what was most convenient for him… yet.. in the case of the persistent widow.. he says to himself… “If I don’t give her what she wants.. she will just keep nagging and nagging.. and I won’t get a moments peace.”

Jesus’ response… If the unjust judge will give the widow what she wants.. how much more.. will your heavenly Father who loves you.. give you justice if you persist in prayer and do not lose heart… how much more will he bless you… So yes.. we must and can continue to come to God in prayer.. yet our attitude toward God must be maintained… It just doesn’t seem prudent to me to go kicking and slapping God.. or we might end up being the ones who get squished.

Instead.. listen to what Psalm 37 says.. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”

Do not kick or slap the cosmic vending machine.. Wait patiently.. refrain from anger.. do not fret… For your Father in heaven loves you…

Yet.. at the heart of the issue is that this patient waiting without anger or fretting.. is difficult.. as we’ve said before.. we are all built around immediate gratification – I put my money in and I want it – Dang it!.. and there are many who will tell you that this is the way – if you have enough faith – it will work… They will tell you that God wants you to be a millionaire – it is what is called the prosperity gospel – you give me and my ministry ten dollars and God’s going to give you back a $100 or a $1000… and yet I believe that is part of what St. Paul was talking to Timothy about in our epistle reading this morning… Paul said… “the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.”…

our itching ears.. our own desires tell us that we deserve to have what we want and that God will give it to us… but a life with God is not all about getting what we want.. it is about participating in this life with Him.. it is about our communion with Him… it is about every aspect of that relationship…

Consider these words of Thomas a Kempis… JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while – if the cosmic vending machine doesn’t give them what they want then – they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection – they start smacking the machine. – Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus -- love that is free from all self-interest and self-love!

Our relationship with God is not about what we can get out of it.. it is based in love.. and we love him in good times and bad.. when we get what we want and when we don’t… That is what the statement at the end of our gospel is saying… “Will God grant justice to his chosen ones? … Will he delay long in helping them? … I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.”.. then Jesus says… “And yet.. when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Will he find faith.. or will he find us kicking and screaming.. storming off in a temper tantrum… will he find endurance.. patience.. will he find his people secure in the knowledge that He is their God…?

As God’s chosen people.. we are the ones who participate in his resurrection.. but we must also carry our own cross… We are the ones who will take part in that great heavenly banquet.. but we must also share in his fasting… We will drink from the river of life.. but there is also the chalice of his passion..

Next week.. I will do my best to not preach on God the cosmic vending machine.. but I do want you to continue to think about that analogy.. because as silly as it is.. it really does go a long ways in explaining how we treat our Heavenly Father and his most beloved Son… as we said last week.. when we stop viewing God so casually and begin to see Him as the Creator.. the Savior.. the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… then our relationship with him is placed in an entirely new perspective.. and instead of diminishing ourselves.. we are being raised up... we are given greater hope and faith.. because when we realize who He truly is – or at least some idea beyond our own simple notions of who He is and what His “job” is – then our relationship with him can mature.. grow deeper.. and instead of going to Him simply for what we want.. we begin to walk with him and become his disciples.. so that when he does return.. he WILL find faith on the earth.

Let us pray… Lord, we believe: we wish to believe in Thee. Lord, let our faith be full and unreserved, and let it penetrate our thoughts, our ways of judging Divine things and human things. Lord, let our faith be joyful and give peace and gladness to our spirit, and dispose it for prayer with God and conversation with men, so that the inner bliss of its fortunate possession may shine forth in sacred and secular conversation. Lord, let our faith be humble and not presume to be based on the experience of our thoughts and of our feelings; but let it surrender to the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon - Proper 23c RCL - "God the Cosmic Vending Machine"

2010-10-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

GOSPEL: Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

Folks can be quite creative when it comes to making excuses for not showing up to work… for example… I am stuck in the blood pressure machine at the grocery store…. I can't come in to work today because I'll be stalking my previous boss, who fired me for not showing up for work. OK?... When I got up this morning, I took two Ex-lax in addition to my Prozac. I can't get off the toilet, but I feel good about it…. I can't come to work today because the EPA has determined that my house is completely surrounded by wetlands and I have to arrange for helicopter transportation…. For the religious: My stigmata is acting up…. If it is all the same to you I won't be coming in to work. The voices told me to clean all the guns today.

We have a knack for making excuses so that we won’t have to do those things we don’t want to do.. everything from sitting down to pay bills.. to not going to Church (unbelievable!) we can find some reason to put things off.. sometimes the reasons may be good.. but other times – they are just excuses…

Take for example the lepers in our Gospel reading today.. out of the ten that Jesus healed.. only one came back to give thanks… but where were the other nine? I was visiting with my friend Heidi on this reading and we both agreed that they weren’t all a bunch of ungrateful heathens.. maybe some of them were.. just couldn’t be bothered, but leprosy was a horrible disease.. and those afflicted were essentially sent into exile.. they could not be near the community and often times lived and died alone.

So when these ten were healed.. it may not have been that they were ungrateful.. it could have just been that they were so happy to be healed that they wanted to return to their families.. friends.. to be reunited after being away for such extended periods of time.. They were literally given their lives back.. and wanted to get on with things.

Even so… folks back then.. and even us today.. do have a tendency to “use” God.. we ask for what we want.. we get it.. and we move on… Heidi referred to this as treating God as though he were a cosmic vending machine… with a vending machine you drop in your quarters.. get what we want… and move on.. never looking back…. Ever treated God the same way?.... Of course you have… Ever have a meal that you don’t give thanks for?... Ever see the beauty in creation and not praise God?... Ever hear a really great sermon and not shout “Amen!”.. umhmm.. you know what I mean… We popped in our quarters.. we got what we wanted and we moved on.

Why?... because it is oftentimes easier and more convenient to do the things we WANT to do.. instead of what we are SUPPOSED to do… There is nothing to popping a prayer into that cosmic vending machine and getting what you want… but when we stop treating God as though he were a vending machine.. and begin seeing him as the Creator of the heavens and the earth.. as the Savior of the world.. the King of kings and Lord of lords… then we can no longer view him so casually.. instead… we have to stop what we are doing.. what we want to do.. and again turn to him.. but this time.. not asking for something.. but giving thanks and praise for the love he has shown us.

As a Christian people.. this is part of how we follow Jesus.. not always easy.. sometimes inconvenient.. sometimes difficult.. but our duty to God outweighs our own desires…

During the Civil War.. there was Union officer.. Major Sullivan Ballou… he had been married for six years and had one son… a week before the first battle of Bull Run July 14, 1861 he wrote to his wife…

My very dear Sarah: The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days—perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more . . .

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing—perfectly willing—to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt . . .

Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness . . .

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights . . . always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again . . .

Sullivan Ballou was killed a week later at the first Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861…. Did he love his wife?... Did he love his child?... Did he want to return to them and his life before the war?... But he had a duty.. a calling that forced him to set it all aside.. to forego his own desires and dreams.. to repay that debt.. to fulfill his duty.

All ten lepers owed Jesus a debt – one that could never be repaid – but they still owed.. yet there was only one who set aside their own desires to fulfill that duty… We too have a debt – one that we can never repay – but we have a duty to return to Jesus and be grateful and give him praise.. for those blessings both large and small.

Listen to what Thomas a Kempis writes… “The saints who are greatest before God are those who consider themselves the least, and the more humble they are within themselves, so much the more glorious they are. … They attribute to God whatever good they have received; they seek no glory from one another but only that which comes from God alone. They desire above all things that He be praised in themselves and in all His saints -- this is their constant purpose…. Be grateful, therefore, for the least gift and you will be worthy to receive a greater. Consider the least gift as the greatest, the most contemptible as something special. And, if you but look to the dignity of the Giver, no gift will appear too small or worthless.”

Our God is not some cosmic vending machine.. where we pop in our prayers, get what we want, and walk away… The book of Revelation tells us that the heavenly hosts continually sing out… "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.".. Therefore.. we too must find the time to praise our God in thankfulness.. without excuse.

Would you turn with me to page 836 in the Book of Common Prayer.. and let us pray together the General Thanksgiving…

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have

done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole

creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,

and for the mystery of love.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for

the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best

efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy

and delight us.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures

that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the

truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast

obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying,

through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life

again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know him and

make him known; and through him, at all times and in all

places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.

Sermon - Proper 22c - RCL / "In the Desert"

2010-10-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Gospel: Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, `Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, `We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'"

For more than 20 years Professor Edwin R. Keedy of the University of Pennsylvania Law School used to start his first class by putting two figures on the blackboard 4 2… Then he would ask, "What's the solution?"… One student would call out, "Six." Another would say, "Two." Then several would shout out "Eight!" But the teacher would shake his head in the negative. Then Keedy would point out their collective error. "All of you failed to ask the key question: What is the problem? Gentlemen, unless you know what the problem is, you cannot possibly find the answer."… This teacher knew that in law as in everyday life, too much time is spent trying to solve the wrong problem – it’s a bit like polishing brass on a sinking ship.

You have probably noticed on the news or in the papers that there is a new round of peace efforts – or should I say “failing” peace efforts – taking place in the Middle East… No.. don’t be afraid that I’m diving off into world politics today.. but as I listen to what both sides are saying.. what answers are being offered.. it sort of strikes me that everyone is shouting out answers.. but no one has really ever figured out the problem… for you see.. the fighting over there is not a recent phenomenon.. it hasn’t been going on for hundreds of years… the fighting in that region of the world has been going on for THOUSANDS of years.

For example: You’ll recall that after the Israelites were freed from Egyptian bondage.. they had their forty years of wondering in the desert.. then arriving at the Jordan River.. they crossed over into the land that God had promised them and began to conquer it… After gaining a fairly good handle on things.. they went about dividing this land up according to the twelve different tribes of Israel… The Levites were the tribe of the priests.. And the tribe of Judah received the largest portion of land which was the southern region.. and the other ten tribes took the north.

For many years.. these twelve tribes lived in relative harmony under the leadership of leaders known as the Judges (In the Old Testament we have the books of 1st and 2nd Judges which gives us a brief account of their history… However.. the people of Israel wanted to be like the other kingdoms around them.. so they cried out for a King – we read about them in 1st and 2nd Kings in the Old Testament – and it was the Prophet Samuel who anointed Saul as the first king.. Saul was fairly good at first, but a bit crazy.. after a while.. the Lord raised up David – the greatest of the Kings – who was able to truly unite the twelve tribes of Israel under one monarch.. and he established Jerusalem as his capital…

There was relative peace during the reign of David and his son Solomon… however.. when Solomon died.. the northern tribes – basically all but Judah – rebelled against the new king – Solomon’s son Rehoboam – and the kingdom was divided.. the Kingdom of Israel / North and the Kingdom of Judah / South…. And as Jesus would later say.. "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined”.. About three hundred years after the kingdom was divided.. in 720 BC the Kingdom of the North was conquered by the Assyrian Empire (they are considered the ten lost tribes of Israel) and in 586 BC the Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonian Empire… Jerusalem was essentially destroyed.. and the Temple of God was burned… It is believed that Jerusalem was uninhabited for most of the 6th century.

As I said… I just don’t think modern day peace initiatives are looking at the problem.. but then again.. no one has asked me… but what does all this have to do with today?..... Well.. in the year 586 BC when Jerusalem was destroyed.. the prophet Jeremiah was in the land… he had warned the king of Judah about the coming destruction should he act in a certain way.. the king didn’t listen.. and Jeremiah was proven to be correct… Jerusalem was destroyed.. after the destruction.. many of the inhabitants were taken into captivity… however… since Jeremiah had prophesied about the Babylonian empire conquering Jerusalem.. the Babylonian’s actually treated him very kindly.. and he was given freedom and the opportunity to live anywhere he liked…. Yet his beloved Jerusalem.. the city of the temple and the house of God was destroyed… and so Jeremiah lamented its loss.. and cried out to God… “How lonely sits the city that once was full of people!... How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations!”… In case you didn’t notice.. those are the opening words of our reading from the Old Testament today.. from Lamentations…

Many will argue against it.. but tradition holds that the Prophet Jeremiah is the one responsible for writing Lamentations… a “lament” where the title comes from.. is an expression of mourning.. but the original title of the book in Hebrew is Ekah.. meaning “How!”.. which of course is the first word in the book… “How lonely sits the city…”… the book of Lamentation gives the very bleak images of the destruction of Israel.. and also tells why the Lord has done these things… in addition.. it also gives great hope.. for those that return to the Lord… But as I read these passages.. I could almost see Jeremiah sitting on the top of one of the hills surrounding Jerusalem.. and looking down on the burning city.. and crying out to God for the loss for all that he loved… like a desert.. it had become a wasteland where nothing lived.

With a bit of imagination… you can almost view this history of Israel as a life.. growing up.. coming into your own.. kind of figuring out how things work.. focus… mission.. purpose.. and then a stumble.. confusion sets in.. things begin to fall apart.. and in the end.. there is not much to do but to lament over what was… For that life we cry out “How!”.. how could this happen..? What went wrong?.. a life that was flourishing and doing so well.. suddenly becomes a wasteland in itself.. a desert .. with no life…

I apologize if I’ve depressed you this morning – not my intent – and not every life is this way.. many continue to flourish and are blessed.. but for many.. there are those times when life – through our own fault / misfortune / sickness.. whatever.. there are many who stumble and fall… and of them.. many just can’t seem to find the road back.. they end up living in that wasteland.. that desert of their lives… but as a Christian people.. we know that “the desert is the threshold to the meeting ground of God and man”.. (Alessandro Pronzato)… and as Elizabeth Hamilton states “The desert is a place where the soul encounters God, but it is also a place of extreme desolation – a place of testing, where the soul is flung upon its own resources and therefore upon God.”… so the desert is not a place we take up residence, but it is a place that we pass through.. with God… “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

So what is the difference between someone who gets stuck in the desert.. not knowing how to get out.. and the one who finds there way through…?... In our Gospel reading today the apostles said to Jesus… "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.”… the “faith” they are asking for.. and the “faith” that Jesus says they need.. is not “faith in themselves”.. “faith in the world”.. “faith in riches”… instead.. it is faith in God…. You can have all the faith in the world in yourself.. and it won’t do you nearly as much good that the tiniest amount of faith in God can do.

So.. What’s the difference between one who is stuck in the desert and the one who passes through… ?... It all depends on when you say, “Lord.. increase our faith… Increase MY faith in YOU.”… if you wait until you are neck deep in alligators to ask the Lord to increase your faith.. then in all likelihood you are so frantic and desperate.. that you will be stuck in the desert a lot longer.. whereas.. if you ask him now.. then you begin to discern that still soft voice.. you become familiar with his touch and his guidance.. and so when you find yourself neck deep in those alligators.. even through the chaos.. the turmoil.. in that desert and place of desolation.. you know that voice.. you know that touch.. you know that guidance.. and you know.. that he will lead you through.

Call upon the Lord and ask him to increase your faith.. not tomorrow.. not when you are most desperate.. but today.. so that when you find yourself in that desert you will know he is with you.. and He will guide you through.

Jesus, Your faith was in the Heavenly Father, Your steadfastness being our living model! Kindly grant us the richness of such faith, To embrace Your Father as our true Provider, Having staunch belief in His eminent powers And to remain loyal to Him until our last days. If our faith shifts as temporary waves, Rush to our rescue without any hesitation, Protecting others from our fleeting frailty. May Your Presence always be lively enjoyed, Enabling us to shine as a flames of faith. Jesus our Lord.. our faith loyally reaches out to You! Amen.

Sermon for John Greene's Funeral

2010-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

“A few weeks before I moved back from Wisconsin and seminary I had the opportunity to speak with Anne on the phone. She sounded terrific and I was so looking forward to visiting with her after the move.”… No.. I haven’t slipped a cog.. but a couple of days ago.. I went back to look at the words I had spoken on July 23, 2004 when we were all gathered here to lay to rest John’s beloved Anne… Interesting thing.. is that since that day.. I’ve been in an ongoing friendly argument with John… It seems that after all his studies of scripture and other writings.. he had come to the conclusion and convinced himself that he was not going to be able to see Anne when he got to heaven.. and I kept arguing that, “yes, John.. you will.. along with all the other loved ones that have gone before you.”… but “No”.. he insisted.. it just wasn’t gong to happen… So now.. I have one thing I would like to say directly to John with all of you as my witnesses… “John… I told you so!”… probably the only argument I ever won with him…

Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.”… John may not have believed me with regard to Anne.. but I know in my heart that when heard these words of Jesus… he did believe… and so it is with great confidence that I can say.. not only is John with Anne.. but he is also with his Savior.. he is with the Lord Jesus.

Now… just like I couldn’t prove to John that he would see Anne again… I can’t prove to you that they are with Jesus.. for that matter.. I can’t even prove that there is a heaven.. but that is what faith is all about.. as St. Paul writes… “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”... “certain of what we do not see.”… not guessing.. or wishing.. but certain… because of this certainty that comes with faith.. then although I can not prove to you anything… I do “know”.. I do know.. that there is a God.. a heaven.. a Savior… and through the power of the resurrection.. John is there and with them… my prayer.. is that you too will believe.. and on the day of the Lord’s choosing.. join them… and all those that have gone before us.. in celebration.. at that great heavenly banquet……

I wanted to find a prayer to close with that would be suitable for John.. and I came across one that was published on May 5, 1897… It seems that an old railroad worker was converted to the Christian faith.. and following the service he was asked to lead the group in prayer and after a brief hesitation he began… "O Lord, now that I have flagged Thee, lift up my feet from the road of life and plant them safely on the deck of the train of salvation. Let me use the safety-lamp of prudence, make all couplings with the link of love, let my hand-lamp be the Bible, and keep all switches closed that lead off the main line into the sidings with blind ends. Have every semaphore white along the line of hope, that I may make the run of life without stopping. Give me the Ten Commandments as a working-card, and when I have finished the run on schedule-time and pulled into the terminal, may Thou, superintendent of the universe, say, Well done, good and faithful servant; come into the general office to sign the pay-roll and receive your check for happiness. Amen.”… I am delighted that John has entered into the joy and happiness of the Lord.

Sermon - Proper 21c RCL

2010-09-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

I will be at Diocesan Convention this weekend so Jim Fay agreed to preaching and leading the services. Thanks Jim for such a wonderful sermon.

Gospel Reading: Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said, "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, `Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, `No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

A Chasm too Wide to Cross?

An elderly gentleman returned home from church one Sunday. His daughter who was not able to attend with him that Sunday asked, “What the sermon was about?” He responded, “It was about sin”. She said, “Well, what did the pastor say about sin?” “He was against it!” For some people this might pretty well explain their understanding of theology, but I think this morning’s Gospel requires us to dig a little deeper.

Have you ever had a longing, a real deep desire? Have you wanted something to happen or events to unfold a certain way, but yet it just wouldn’t happen no matter how hard you tried or how bad you wanted it? Maybe you desired someone’s attention or affection, but they didn’t respond? Possibly you wanted a particular job but couldn’t meet the qualifications or training required? Maybe it was a dream of living in a certain house or neighborhood or a car, boat, camper, etc that you desired. A dream vacation or an exotic retirement on a remote desert island? The point is we have all wanted something at one time, we weren’t able to achieve it and it hurt to let go of our desire. Maybe it was something we did that prevented us from achieving our goal, maybe it was circumstances or perhaps, a choice made by another or sometimes it was simply a turn of events.

I can think of stories in popular culture where young lovers were kept apart by family, by different customs, cultures or racial differences, such as Romeo and Juliet or similar themes in numerous popular songs about star struck lovers. A recent film called “Into the Wild” detailed the story of a young man who cut his ties with family and society to travel and seek adventures. When he decided he wanted to go back, a river he had crossed easily earlier in his adventure had grown large and swollen with spring runoff and was now impassable. How about so many people we know or have read about lately who have had to re-evaluate their future plans to retire based on changes in the economy and the performance of their investments?

Today’s Gospel story is about a chasm or great divide that prevented the Rich Man from crossing over from Hades to Heaven where Abraham and Lazarus were residing in relative comfort. Earlier in Luke 16 Jesus had been talking about materialism and the love of money. He condemned the Pharisees for their love of money and lack of concern for the poor. Often Jesus used parables to convey these spiritual truths. But is this story a parable? It is different from many other parables we are familiar with. Most of them could be an actual slice of life in the Judean world where Jesus and his followers lived. This story is of a more allegorical nature and the spiritual truths are presented more directly. It isn’t designed to reveal an actual picture of heaven. Some scholars believe it is based on a popular Jewish folk tale that takes place in Egypt. In that story a rich man and a poor man both die and their roles reversed in the afterlife. We hear jokes about this sort of role reversal in our popular culture frequently, like the rich person that gets a skate board to ride on in heaven and the poor person who gets a Rolls Royce or the common person who gets a mansion and the lawyer who has to sit outside, and on and on! They all play on popular stereotypes of the day. Maybe this was Jesus intention with this story, to tell a story that resonated with the popular culture of the day. Jesus isn’t making a joke however, He is making a direct spiritual point.

The sin of the rich man was not his wealth, nor even the manner in which he lived. Abraham had great riches and dined well. Rather the fate of the rich man is because of his lack of concern for others, his lack of concern for Lazarus who represents the less fortunate. This rich man had the means to help Lazarus and provide him relief from his great sufferings. The rich man thus represents a life of unbelief and unconcern as contrasted to Lazarus life of faith. We are not to judge Lazarus for his poverty and his sickness, but to have compassion and look upon his soul because he loved the Lord and God loved him also. This is represented by his final reward resting on the bosom of Abraham. You can picture Lazarus at that great banquet in Heaven reclining his head upon Abraham’s bosom dining sumptuously in Heaven, just as the rich man had done in his life on earth. The name Lazarus is a shortened version of the name Eleazer, which means “he whom God helps”. The rich man had the opportunity in his life to be the “hand of God” and to provide assistance to Lazarus but he failed to perceive that vision and allow God to lead and direct him in his earthly life. The rich man’s dogs that licked Lazarus’ wounds were probably better fed than Lazarus.

Both the rich man and Lazarus die and go on to their respective rewards. The rich man spies Abraham and Lazarus in Heaven from his viewpoint in eternal damnation. He makes a request to have relief provided to him by Lazarus, the one whom he despised, rejected and ignored in life. This cannot be done due to the great chasm that separates heaven and hell. We are separated from God by our sins. Hell is the ultimate and eternal separation from God due to our unrepentant sins. Lazarus could not cross over to provide relief to the rich man. The rich man asks that Lazarus rise from the dead and carry the message to his brothers still living on earth. Abraham replies they have Moses and the prophets, if they will not listen to them they would not be moved by someone who rose from the dead. This seems to be a ringing denouncement of the Pharisees. They didn’t get the message of compassion and concern for the poor from Moses and all the prophets. And they wouldn’t get it from Lazarus if he rose from the dead either. By implication they wouldn’t get it from Jesus himself when he rose from the dead.

So do we get it or not? Once we die our wealth, (or you can insert here, ”good fortune”, “good position”, “earthly accomplishments”, “good looks”, etc.) don’t count for anything. It is how we live our lives and the faith or belief we are able to exercise. Wealth and good fortune without an active concern or mercy for the less fortunate is not a good thing. If we close our eyes to the messages God has given us in both the Old Testament and the New Testament we are doomed. In this text Jesus is condemning the Pharisees for their love of money and lack of mercy. They missed their opportunity to show mercy to the poor and to seek justice for the downtrodden. William Barclay titles his commentary on this Gospel lesson, “The Punishment of the Man who Never Noticed”. Lazarus was at the rich man’s door and he never noticed him.

Who is at our door that we don’t notice? Immigrants to our country in need of medical assistance? Single mothers living below the poverty level? A family suffering from unemployment and lack of opportunity in today’s recession? A neighbor who only needs a little bit of our time to share her concerns? Or the poor in 3rd world countries who we may consider to be out of sight and out of mind?

Back to the question we began this discussion with, “Do you have a yearning or desire that has been unfulfilled?” Possibly it is God’s will, maybe it is the result of a sin of omission or commission in our life or maybe it is just the fate of our existence that this desire has been unfulfilled. I would suggest that our Lord is concerned with our desires and longings of the heart. He sent His only son to die for our sins. Jesus is the bridge over that chasm which separates us from God. It may be His will to fulfill some of our desires, but then again it might not be. He may have something better for us in mind. His desire is to bridge the chasm between life and death for us. His desire is for us to have eternal life. Maybe we feel we are struggling today and can’t see the needs others may have. Turning our life and will over to Jesus can help us to put it all in perspective. He can help us to achieve our goals. He can help us with those goals or desires that have been unmet and to reevaluate them according to His will. He can give us the eyes to see the needs of others who may be knocking at our door. We can become the bridge for another to meet their needs in this world, by doing so we show another the love of Christ and enable Jesus to be the bridge from this life to the next, both for them and for us.

Will you pray with me?

Father, we thank you for the many blessings you have given each of us in this life. Give us a heart for the poor and those who may be suffering around us. Help us to strip away the hurt we may have had in our lives from desires and goals we haven’t achieved, help us not to be calloused to the others who may be in pain. Lord, let me love the poor as Jesus loved them and loves them now. Help us to let our knowledge and love of you become a blessing we may share with others you place in our lives. Help us to be your arms and legs in carrying mercy, concern and compassion to others. Lord Jesus, We pray this in your most precious name. Amen

RIP - John William Greene

2010-09-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

You can visit John's obituary in the Montana Standard here.

May his soul

and the souls of all the faithful departed,

through the Mercy of God,

rest in peace,

Amen

Sermon - Proper 20c RCL

2010-09-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Gospel Reading: Luke 16:1-13

Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' Then the manager said to himself, `What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, `How much do you owe my master?' He answered, `A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, `Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' Then he asked another, `And how much do you owe?' He replied, `A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, `Take your bill and make it eighty.' And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

"Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

In Mt. Vernon, Texas, Drummond's Bar began construction on expansion of their building to increase their business. In response, the local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. After the bar was burned to the ground by a lightning strike, the church folks were rather smug in their outlook, bragging about "the power of prayer", until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church "was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means". In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise. The judge read through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply and at the opening hearing he commented, "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that now does not."

You know how your dog will sort of cock their head to the side when you are speaking to them.. and it is almost as though they are fully understanding you and trying to catch every word?... Its cute.. but is shows intelligence? – Well.. this is not so much with dumb and dumber – Sure they understand the word “treat”.. but after that.. when they cock their heads you can almost hear them saying… “Uh.. What?” – its just blank…. I got that same feeling when I read this article about the praying beer joint operator and the non-believing in prayer church … and just about everyone gets that look when they read our parable from today… “then the master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence.”... something just does not seem to be making sense here.

Most will avoid this parable like the plague.. and some have used it to attack Christians saying that Jesus is promoting lying and thievery… Julian the Apostate – a forth century Roman emperor wrote, “it showed the inferiority of the Christian Faith and its founder [Jesus]” by promoting such evil… yet a closer examination shows that Jesus is not commending the steward for lying and stealing.. but instead.. for being shrewd… for thinking… as Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

A couple of modern examples come to mind on what Jesus is saying and how to interpret this parable… You have all probably heard of the young computer programmers who worked for a bank and decided to make themselves a few extra dollars.. ? .. Here is how their scheme worked… When you and I earn interest on a bank account.. it is always reported to us down to the penny – for example.. if it was the interest on my savings it would be something like $0.24 per month – however.. in calculating that interest.. it rarely if ever comes down to whole pennies… so instead it might actually have been $0.243667 in interest earned… well these two programmers developed a program that put that $0.24 in my account.. and that .003667 in one they had set up for themselves… it might not sound like much.. but consider literally thousands of accounts dropping in money every day and after a while you’ve accumulated a good bit of cash… Now – they were stealing, but you have to admit it was pretty clever…

Or how about this one I heard in business school… A grocery store with a fairly steady business is constantly losing money… the experts can’t figure it out so they bring in some other experts who do an inventory to see if the merchandise is being stolen.. there is a little bit.. but not nearly enough to make up for the loss… so when this continues over several months.. they decide to do an inventory of the entire store… everything.. they close the store and start counting.. down to the number of shelves and light fixtures hanging from the ceiling… What did they discover?... An extra checkout line! It seems the manager of the store at some point had done a bit of remodeling on his own and installed an entirely new checkout line that remained open all the time.. but instead of the receipts from that register going to the store.. it went directly into his pockets.. and no one had been the wiser!... Again… Stealing = bad!, but my goodness.. that was brilliant!

When Jesus commends the dishonest steward.. he is not saying that it was good that he was lying and stealing.. he is simply saying.. that the steward found himself in a very bad situation.. but because he was clever.. he was able to think his way out of it… He is commended for his cleverness.. not for his wickedness…

What is the point the parable is making?... Jesus is saying that we – as the human race – are clever in all sorts of ways.. able to figure out scams and how to improve our situations.. but… we lack the drive and the desire to figure out and achieve our eternal salvation… as Jesus says… “for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light”

.. and on top of that!... if the master commends the steward for his cleverness even though the steward had cheated him – How much more – will your Father in heaven commend YOU if you actively seek after him and follow him in all righteousness…?

Jesus says… “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"… the Master commended the dishonest steward for being clever and shrewd.. then how much more will the Heavenly Father commend you for being righteous?

So.. consider yourselves… unlike the dishonest steward.. I believe that you all play by the rules… and having spent time with you.. I can say that in different ways you are all quite successful… and there are others of you who have retired and are enjoying the fruits of your labors and so on… and so.. with regard to the ways of the world.. LIKE the steward.. you have been clever (well most of you [smile]).. you have used your gifts, talents, skills, resources, and your time to better yourselves, your situation and that of your families… but… have you used those same gifts, talents, skills, resources, and time – that same cleverness – to improve your relationship with God..? To work out your salvation? To discern His will for your life?

“Oh I just hate it when he asks those kinds of questions!”

But have you?... Or.. how about this… Last week we spoke about the fact that you are ministers of Christ.. part of that Royal Priesthood --- Which reminds me, “Did anyone share with one of those lost sheep in the world the story of how God has worked in your life?”… yeah… you were hoping I had forgotten that weren’t you?? --- but in order to be that effective and genuine minister of Christ.. you first have know Him.. to have spent time with him…. Just as you spend time improving yourself for your job and family… you must also give of yourself in that relationship with Christ so that you will improve and become more effective as His ministers… You must declare yourself a Christian.. but in order to be faithful and true – in order to be “clever” in the positive sense of the word.. then you must also practice your Christian faith…

John Huss was one of the great Christian reformers during the 15th century.. a century later Martin Luther would take up the same battle cry against the Roman church… But Huss was a leader of reformed Christians in Bohemia.. long story short.. he was lured in to meeting in hopes of resolving the differences between his followers and the Church… and shortly after arriving at the meeting place he was imprisoned… We are told that when Huss was arrested and informed that he would be burned to death for his faith, he purposely practiced holding his hand over fire to prepare for his final test. He burned himself in preparation. He wanted to be faithful to the end…. I’m not saying go and practice burning yourself… but do go and practice being inflamed with God’s glory so that you might be as clever.. as passionate in your work for God as you are in worldly pursuits.

Let us pray… Most loving Creator.. You gift us with all the good gifts that make us the persons you created us to be. Help us to know and find your will and to trust that you will help us to understand the path you call us to journey in life. Where there is doubt give us courage. Give us hearts open to your quiet voice so that we can hear your call to us. Help us to know your faithfulness and help us to be faithful to that which you call us to. Amen.

Sermon - Proper 19c RCL

2010-09-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Three ladies were discussing the travails of getting older. One said, "Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand, while standing in front of the refrigerator, and I can't remember whether I need to put it away, or start making a sandwich."… The second lady chimed in with, "Yes, sometimes I find myself on the landing of the stairs and can't remember whether I was on my way up or on my way down." … The third one responded, " Well, ladies, I'm glad I don't have that problem. Knock on wood," as she rapped her knuckles on the table, and then said, "That must be the door, I'll get it!"

It is always disturbing to me when someone comes up and says.. “I still remember the sermon you preached on ____ and told the story about ____.”.. and I don’t have a clue as to what they are talking about. What is even more disturbing.. is that I save my sermons on the computer and so after someone says something like that.. I’ll go do a quick search of words to see if I can find the one they were talking about only to discover that I had preached it just a few weeks before!

My vast ego tells me that every sermon I’ve ever preached has been so profound and inspiring that you remember them all – perhaps even verbatim – but my good sense tells me otherwise… with that said – if you’ve heard this before – please forgive my repetition…

Most folks seem to think that to become a priest.. the person must have led an extremely holy life.. and more or less lived in the church their entire life.. but that is just not the case… On December 24th, 1983 I was a senior in High School – about five minutes before the midnight Christmas Eve Mass began.. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.. in Shreveport, Louisiana.. I walked out of the church.. very upset and extremely ticked off – the details as to why aren’t important.. however.. I did not step back into a church.. for over ten years… I had had my fill of God and everything involved with Him.. it was all bogus and I didn’t mind giving anyone my opinion… Those ten years were not pleasant.. and they were anything but holy…

I had several Christian friends who would talk to me about Jesus.. but I more or less laughed at them and changed the subject… however.. some of them were quite persistent.. and because they knew I loved to read.. they were constantly giving me books.. all of which went unread.. until one Friday night when the bookstore had closed and there was nothing else left to read in the house but these books.. so .. grumbling I took one off the shelf… This Present Darkness.. a novel by Frank Peretti… all about spiritual warfare.. angels and demons.. crazy fun to read – I highly recommend it to you all – and enjoyable enough that it made me want to read the sequel… Piercing the Darkness…

Now this one was also fun.. but what made it also very interesting was that the main character – Sally Beth Roe – had led a life that was remarkably similar to mine.. and as I read of her life.. it was a bit like reading my own – a sheep that had gone astray – so I engaged with the book on a different level… and toward the end.. it came to the critical climax of the story.. in which Sally Beth Roe recognized her need for a Savior.. for Jesus… so she went into a secluded area and she prayed, “Jesus… I want You to come into my heart. I want You to forgive me. Please forgive me.”

Now.. as I said.. the book was about angels and so on.. so the author always told you what was going on the spiritual world while things were happening in our world.. and so.. while she prayed he writes…

All around her, like spokes of a wondrous wheel, like beams of light emanating from a sun, angelic swords lay flat upon the ground, their tips turned toward her, their handles extending outward, held in the strong fists of hundreds of noble warriors who knelt in perfect concentric circles of glory, light and worship, their heads to the ground, their wings stretching skyward like a flourishing, animated garden of flames. They were silent, their hearts filled with a holy dread.

As in countless times past, in countless places, with marvelous inscrutable wonder, the Lamb of God stood among them, the Word of God, and more: the final Word, the end of all discussion and challenge, the creator and the Truth that holds all creation together--most wondrous of all, and most inscrutable of all, the Savior, a title angels would always behold and marvel about, but which only mankind could know and understand.

He had come to be the Savior of this woman. He knew her by name; and, speaking her name, He touched her.

And her sins were gone…..

A rustling began in the first row of angels, then in the next, and then, like wave rushing outward, the silken wings from row upon row upon row of warriors caught the air, raising a roar, and lifted the angels to their feet. The warriors held their swords Heavenward, a forest of fiery blades, and began to shout in tumultuous joy, their voices rumbling and shaking the whole spiritual realm… “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain… He has purchased Sally Beth Roe.”… and at the same time I read that I believe an angelic shout went up around me declaring… “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain… He has purchased John Forest Toles.”… In the novel.. a lost sheep was found… and so was I… and the same has happened for you.

In our gospel reading.. Jesus said… “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.".. I think that is what makes a person want to become an ordained priest.. is that they want the lost to experience this rejoicing for themselves – there are a lot of other things that go with it – but that is the primary calling…

… and right now you are perhaps thinking.. “this is a really sweet sermon.. and I like it because it has absolutely nothing to do with me.”… oh, but you know I would never let you off that easily… for St. Peter says – to ALL of us – “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God”… you were purchased by God.. you belong to him.. you are his chosen and holy people”… Why? --- St. Peter concludes, “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”… “That you may declare the praises of him.”

You have been purchased by God so that you might become a royal priesthood.. ministers of Christ.. to go out into a dark and sinful world and find the lost sheep that have gone astray so that you may proclaim to them the Good News..

I shared with you part of my spiritual journey.. walking out of the church.. Frank Peretti and all that.. how I was the lost sheep and was found.. So here is a question for you… “Do you have a story like that?”… how God has worked in your life.. brought you into a deeper relationship with Him?.. A story that makes the angels in heaven rejoice?.. or even just makes your own heart glad?... I ask do you have one – but that is a rhetorical question – because the answer for each of you is “Yes”… You all have a story of the workings of God in your life – I’ve heard many of them?... But – one of those big buts so pay attention – You all have one of those stories.. but.. have you ever shared it? Have you ever shared with others the wonders that God has worked in your life?

You see.. St. Peter also says… “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”… always be prepared to share the story of God’s workings in your life… Why?... So that you can be that minister of Christ.. that shepherd that finds the lost sheep.. that brings about rejoicing in Heaven…. You are all called to his Holy Priesthood.. His ministers.. so... This week I leave you with a challenge (feel free to report back to us next week how it went)… the challenge is… share with one “lost sheep” the story of how God has worked in your life – Will you do that?... Notice I didn’t ask, “Can you do that?”.. because I know you can.. but will you? As ministers of Christ.. will you share the Gospel message with the lost sheep of the world? – and that… is not… a rhetorical question.

Let us pray… O Lord, our God, You called Your people to be Your Church. As they gather together in Your Name, may they love, honor, and follow Your Son to eternal life in the Kingdom He promised. Let their worship always be sincere, and help them to find Your saving Love in the Church and its Sacraments. Fill with the Spirit of Christ those whom You call to live in the midst of the world and its concern. Help them by their work on earth to build up Your eternal Kingdom. May they be effective witnesses to the Truth of the Gospel and make Your Church a living presence in the midst of the world. Increase the gifts You have given Your Church that Your faithful people may continue to grow in holiness and in imitation of Your Beloved Son in whose name we pray. Amen.

Lay Ministry Month

2010-09-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

PASTORAL LETTER FROM BISHOP BROOKHART FOR LAY MINISTRY MONTH

As always we begin with Holy Baptism. In that sacrament God acts upon us and makes new our identity. By virtue of this act, we are now ministers of Christ---at least, that is the way God views us.

Here is the way the New World Dictionary defines the word “minister”: “a person acting for another as his agent and carrying out his orders or designs.” This is a good description of a disciple or follower of Christ , if we plug “Our Lord Jesus Christ” into the definition

The work that our Lord wants us to do as his agents is the reconciliation of the whole world to God. And that reconciliation has been accomplished already through the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ.

The problem with the word “minister” is that many have applied the term only to the ordained. Yes, those of us who are ordained are ministers, but in a special sense. The ordained work within the life of the church, administering the Word and sacraments, so that the regular ministers, the laity, are equipped to be faithful agents of Christ in the world.

I hope for our diocese is that more and more of the laity will claim this identity and rejoice in it. I believe it will make a significant difference in peoples’ lives if they view themselves as ministers, as agents, as ambassadors.

Lay persons’ primary area of ministry is their families, their workplaces, their community, and the world. The world “out there” desperately needs what Christians have to offer: a message of forgiveness and hope, a word about the faithful love of God, the compassion and generosity of our hearts, concern for the whole community and the creation. It is through us that our Lord does his work of reconciliation.

As you enter church note the baptismal font; in many of our churches it is properly near the entrance. Because of your baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ we have the high and noble calling of being ministers.

+Franklin

Sermon - Proper 18c RCL

2010-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

This week I read the Gospel last Sunday evening so that it would start percolating... after just one reading.. I immediately had an idea - Who can I get to preach for me this Sunday! My goodness.. “hate” everyone! I’ve always said that I’m a bit disappointed when they omit verses from our scripture readings just so that we won’t have to cover the hard parts, but this one seems as though we should have passed right by it... Just like they did for our Psalm this morning... Psalm 139 is one of my favorites.. but did you notice they skipped some verses and then omitted the last six.. a couple of verses say... “Do I hate those, O Lord, who hate you? and do I not loathe those who rise up against you?... I hate them with a perfect hatred; they have become my own enemies.”... and so much for loving your neighbor.. turning the other cheek and all that... or is it?

I think you are all probably aware that nowhere in the Gospel does Jesus preach hate... a lot of people “use” the Gospel to preach hate, but it is not what Jesus intended... In this passage.. Jesus is using a Semitic exaggeration which was a popular way of expressing an idea during this time frame... the word is properly translated as hate.. but it means that we should have no ties that bind us or limit our freedom in serving God. And it doesn’t mean that we should have no relationships.. but it is asking us to put God first... to stay focused on Him, because to be distracted from our focus on him can lead us down the wrong path...

I’m sure you’ve gotten into a construction zone on the interstate while they are painting the stripes... big trucks.. flashing lights all that... but have you ever come across one of those sections where the guy driving the paint truck got distracted... there is the line going as straight as you please.. and suddenly it starts veering off in one direction.. then there is a sudden jerk back to where it was supposed to be...? I always laugh and wonder what got their attention... Did a bee fly through an open window...? Did their cell phone ring... or did they drop a lit cigarette in their lap? Truth is... I don’t know how hard of a job that is to run that truck.. but I’m thinking the person who drives it has to have the mental ability to stay quite focused on the job... otherwise there would be lines all over the place...

When Jesus tells us that we must “hate” these other relationships in our life.. what he is actually saying is that we must not allow ourselves to be distracted from him... the two short parables that follow - starting a building without first determining the cost to see if you have enough money... and going to war without first determining if you have the resources to win - are both asking the same question... Before you commit yourself to becoming a disciple of Jesus... have you stopped to consider the cost? Are you prepared to make him first?... Why?... because as we learned in our study of the Ten Commandments... “Our God is a jealous God”.. he wants nothing between us and him…. If that is the case.. then what should it look like in our lives?

Here is a modern day parable that I came across… There was a boat way out in the Pacific ocean that encountered a horrendous storm in the middle of the night… and the boat ended up being capsized… near by was an island and when day break came.. there were two men lying on the beach – the only survivors. As they pulled themselves together.. they discussed what they should do and concluded that they should pray – go figure.

However, the first man got the idea that perhaps one of them might be more righteous than the other and that God might hear the prayers of one or the other.. but maybe not both if they stayed together.. so the first man devised the plan where they would split the island.. and each was to stay on his side without coming on the others… the second man calmly agreed.. and so they shook hands and went their separate ways.

On the first night.. the first man prayed for something to eat. The following morning he came into the most remarkable grove of fruit trees imaginable.. everything a person needed to keep alive.. not only that.. a small cove on his side of the island provided an abundance of fish that he easily caught with his bare hands… For the second man… there was nothing. He did find an old piece of nearly rotten fruit on the beach that he tried to choke down.. but it was hardly enough to keep him alive.

Several weeks later the first man decided that he did not want to be alone on the island.. so he prayed that the Lord would send him a wife… that night.. another shipwreck and the lone survivor was a beautiful woman that washed up on the shore… they were perfect companions and got along famously… for the second man… again nothing – he couldn’t even find a volleyball that he could name Wilson… perfectly dreadful was his condition…

Well the months went by and the first man and his wife decided they might try and pray to be rescued.. and wouldn’t you know it.. the following morning a boat floated up in the cove… it was all gassed up and ready to go.. so they swam out to it.. fired it up and headed off.. when suddenly there was a voice from heaven… “Are you going to leave the other man behind?”… “Sure,” said the first man, “Look at him. He is obviously some heathen. Here I have prayed and received everything I asked for.. and he has received nothing. He must be some great sinner to be in such rotten shape.. so I see no need to save him.”…. “On the contrary, he has also had everyone of his prayers answered, even though he prays the same thing everyday.. and if it weren’t for his prayers – none of yours would have been answered.”… “Oh,” says the first man, “what was his prayer?”…. “He prayed that all YOUR prayers be answered.” (Got this little story from here)

Jesus said… "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”… and that is how we are to hate one another – not like the first man.. but like the second… We are to unselfishly offer everything to God and without attempting to control it ourselves.. allow Him to “sort it out.”

I once heard it described like this… Suppose you have a pie that represents every aspect of your life.. family, friends, work, joys, difficulties – everything. Often times we will take that pie.. and we will slice it up saying this is for my family.. this for my friends.. this for my work.. and so on… Then we “tell” God how it all is supposed to work out… However.. when we put God first.. we must hand him the pie – uncut – and allow Him to slice it up according to his plan… What we discover when we do this.. is that we give it to Him.. and He gives it back to us perfectly prepared – with ice cream on top.

Want to know how you should love.. even your enemies – then love God fully with all your heart, mind, and soul.. and he will teach you how to love others… Don’t know how to carry all your burdens?.. Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.".. give the burdens to him and he will give you rest.

Some of you may be thinking today that, “Fr. John is a simple minded overly optimistic Pollyanna freak boy,”.. so let me ask you this, “How are your plans working out? Everything going the way you want it to? Life like a box of chocolates and you like everyone of the pieces… or do you occasionally pull out one of those nasty chocolate covered cherries?”

When Jesus says we are to “hate”… he is saying we must be fully prepared to put him first and to trust him. I know that is not always easy to do.. I know that we will not always get immediate gratification.. I know that it will not always work out the way you think it should work out… but I do know – like the second man on the island – you can trust him.. with everything.. with everyone.. and with your very life… Keep your eyes focused on him.. be his disciple and follow him.. and trust where he leads.

I ask you to pray this prayer in your heart as I read it for you… Let us pray…
I offer You, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on You;
my words: to have You for their theme;
my actions: to reflect my love for You;
my sufferings: to be endured for Your greater glory.

I want to do what You ask of me:
in the way You ask,
for as long as You ask,
because You ask. Amen.

Sermon - Proper 17c RCL

2010-08-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Little Johnny was having a tough day in his fourth grade math class which ended with him standing toe-to-toe with his teacher who did not look at all pleased... Behind them was the blackboard covered with math problems that Johnny hadn’t been able to finish. With rare perception Johnny said, "I'm not an underachiever, you're an overexpecter!"

Little Johnny is almost always a wisenheimer.. an expert at turning any situation to his own advantage.. however.. he may have been onto something here.. because there are overexpeters in the world… and often they turn their expectations on others—for example.. the parent who vicariously lives through their child and pushes them tirelessly to succeed even when there is no enjoyment in the exercise for the child.. or the employer who doesn’t assist an employee to succeed, but sets them up to fail instead—those are overexpecters…

We can also be overexpecters of ourselves.. Take for example some of those poor folks on America’s Got Talent actually thinking they’ve got talent – my goodness, the dumb dogs can sing and dance better than some of those folks… or when we think that we can do something now just as easily as we did when we were twenty years younger…

And.. as we’ve talked about here just recently.. we can also be overexpecters of ourselves when we begin to think that we are in fact all that and a bag of chips… somewhere humility has to come into our lives where we can recognize that the world does not revolve around us and that we are in need of God’s grace...

Our Gospel reading today speaks very clearly to this… "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, `Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.”… the perfect example of the overexpeter… its a bit like when James and John request to sit at the right and left hand side of Jesus when he comes into his kingdom.

To avoid such humiliation Jesus teaches.. “when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, `Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.”… a good example of humility, if in the process you can avoid the attitude of “Look at me.”… but as I was thinking on this teaching I was struck not by the lesson on humility.. but instead.. I thought of the wedding banquet.. and more specifically the invitation TO the wedding banquet.

What if.. you received an invitation.. let’s say that it was miraculously delivered to you by an angel… and the invitation was to join Jesus at a banquet… and you… you were going to receive the seat of honor at his right hand.. just like James and John had requested… Do you take it? Do you feel worthy to sit at the right hand of God? Are you someone deserving of such an honor?

In our relationship with God.. if we are honest with ourselves.. most of us are not overexpecters… as opposed to saying, “By golly I deserve this seat of honor.”.. we instead believe that we are unworthy to have even been asked.. not only should we not have the seat of honor.. or even the lowest seat at the table.. but we firmly believe we should have no seat at all… Everyone always talks about that mansion in the sky.. and I always think that if I can just get a cot in some dark room in the basement I’ll be happy – know what I mean?... But the thing is.. we are all invited to the banquet... so there is humility in recognizing that grace is from God and that we need him.. but there also must be a willingness to accept that grace.. otherwise - through those feelings of unworthiness - we may never actually receive that grace and be thankful for it..

George Herbert.. the Caroline divine and great Anglican poet felt this same unworthiness.. and wrote a poem with the simple title “Love” where he expressed it… In the poem.. Love is the name Herbert gives to Jesus…

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

If I lack'd any thing.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";

Love said, "You shall be he."

"I, the unkind, ungrateful? ah my dear,

I cannot look on thee."

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame

Go where it doth deserve."

"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"

"My dear, then I will serve."

"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."

So I did sit and eat.

Jesus invited him in to the banquet.. yet in his perceived unworthiness he believes that he cannot accept… I am so unworthy that I cannot even look at you.. Jesus asked.. who made your eyes?... You Lord.. but I have tainted them with my sin… send me where I deserve… I could.. but I have redeemed you… I have made you worthy to enter into the joy of the Lord.. come and eat… and he did… He accepted the Lord’s invitation.

Think of the parable of the prodigal son... The young man decides he wants to live on his own.. so he asked and received from his father his inheritance... he goes off to a distant land and squanders it all... with nothing he was starving.. so he goes to work for a landowner feeding pigs... and wishes that he could at least eat some of the food that he was feeding the pigs... so he says to himself.. I will go home to my father... because there even the hired hands eat well... when his father sees him coming in the distance.. he rushes out to greet him.. but the son declares... “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”.... How does the father respond? “You’re right.. get out of my sight you miserable ingrate.”... No... He ordered that the finest robe be put on his son.. and a ring.. and shoes... He ordered a feast with music and dancing... Why?... “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again.. he was lost and is found.”

The son had to humble himself and return to his father... but not only that.. he also had to receive the grace his father was extending to him in order to return as a son... If he had persisted in his insistence of unworthiness.. he could not have returned as a son.. but not only that... can you imagine the sadness the father would have experienced had he not been able to love his son as he so desired?

We are like the son.. we are not worthy to sit at the table with Jesus.. yet he invites us all – not because of “who” we are and what we’ve done... but in spite of who we are and what we’ve done.. and through his redeeming work on the Cross he receives us back as God’s children..

In his poem.. George Herbert says.. “Love took my hand...”.. Jesus took my hand desiring to lead him into the feast.. the joy of the Lord.. and Herbert allowed him... Today... today.. love has taken your hand.. and his greatest desire is to lead you into the feast and joy of the Lord --- You have been made worthy to receive it.

You know... our gospel reading ended today at Luke 14:14... I was a bit disappointed when I saw verse 15 because I thought it should have been included... It says... “When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.’" -- You are the blessed that are spoken of.. because if you will receive God’s grace.. then you WILL be the ones at the feast in the Kingdom of God.

Let us pray… Take, Lord, and receive all our liberties, our memories, our understanding and our whole will, all that we have and possess. You gave it to us; to you Lord we return it. Everything is yours; dispose of it according to your will. Give us your love and your grace for they are enough for us. Amen. (Adapted from the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola.)

Sermon - Proper 16c RCL

2010-08-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

A wonderful sermon from Susan Bartlett

A young teenage boy went to church one Sunday…His preacher was doing a special healing service in which the boy was interested. The preacher asked the congregation if there was anyone that needed healing. The boy raised his hand and said he needed praying over his hearing. So the preacher went over to him, put a finger in his ear and started pray to the Lord to remove the cause of his hearing problem and restore the boy’s hearing. He prayed loud and he prayed hard for quite a few minutes. Then he removed his finger from the boy’s ear, and asked him how his hearing was….the boy answered…”Well Preacher, I don’t know, I don’t meet with the judge until Tuesday”!

Our Gospel reading today is commonly titled “Woman, Thou Are Loosed!” It is all about how Jesus can set us free…spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially. This poor woman, who had suffered with her infirmities for 18 years, was suddenly healed. It is a great miracle, indeed.

For all of the years she suffered, she continued to go to the synagogue every Sunday. She continued to pray, and believe, and to have faith in the Lord. She knew she could not, under her own power, overcome her condition. Not only was she coping with the physical aspect of her ailment, she was labeled a social outcast…an object of mockery and pity. She was alone, and isolated from society, unwanted, unloved and uncared for. Yet, nothing deterred her from her prayers and her faith in Jesus. She persisted in her faithfulness…even when it appeared to her that God wasn’t going to answer…she persevered and remained faithful. She knew in her heart that God knew best and that He loved her and was worthy of her love in return. It is a great miracle, indeed.

What do we, mere mortals, do when we feel broken, defeated, weak, damaged, or rejected, unloved, or uncared for? How many of us simply throw in the towel and give up? How many of us fall on our knees in tears feeling hopeless and helpless? How many of us play a solo game of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, and phone a friend? How many of us actually reach out for help? I wish I could answer that for us. But, I can’t. But, I can tell you that if you haven’t ever felt these things in your life, consider yourselves very blessed by God. It is a great miracle, indeed.

Honestly, the reality of this is that we ALL have dark times in our lives…little valleys that we believe to be insurmountable. It is a given that we are to suffer. So, it’s not if we are going to suffer, but rather when. The key to overcoming our darkest hours though, is reaching out. It’s so very easy to run away from those who love us. It is so easy to skip our church services. It’s so easy to stop praying when facing any kind of adversity. These are the absolute worst ways we can free ourselves from the things that bind us. What we really must do is the opposite of human nature. We must reach out to our family and friends, our church family, and most importantly, we must reach out to our ever-loving, ever-faithful, ever-trusting Jesus Christ. The king of suffering. He suffered for us, so that we may have life. It is a great miracle, indeed.

Let’s think about the woman from our Gospel reading today…As hurt as the woman was, she was probably one of the strongest and most powerful women of the New Testament. She persisted in her faith…while God only watched. Despite the many obstacles that she faced, she loved the Lord and she remained committed to Him. Whether or not he healed her…she didn’t care…she knew God was worthy of her worship. We must do the same…we must rid ourselves of the heaviness that binds us and hinders us from our worship of the Lord. Don’t worry about what you’ve done, the sins you may carry…if doesn’t matter…God’s love goes out to everyone. And the beautiful truth is that you and I are included. His love for us will free us…if we love Him and allow him to heal us. It is a great miracle, indeed.

Like the loosed woman…when we feel hurt or sick, inside or out, we must allow ourselves to pour out our souls to God. When God hears our cries in the middle of the night or the cries of our miseries and brokenness…God really hears a melody. Let it all go! Give it to God and let the healing begin. Let the glorious breath of the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and souls with His love. Let the Lord set us free. It is a great miracle, indeed.

And speaking of miracles…how dare any of us Christians not believe in miracles! We have become really good at reducing our world to what WE see as possible. Let’s, instead, open ourselves up to the confirmation that miracles really do happen. In our Gospel today it was a miracle that Jesus was there teaching…on the Sabbath. Apparently, it was a very intentional day of teaching for Jesus. However, the leader of the synagogue was a bit upset that Jesus had performed a miracle on the Sabbath day. But, the Lord set the leader straight by telling him he was a hypocrite! The Sabbath is the gift of our Creator. It is a time for us to focus on God….the source of our healing. The word “Sabbath” comes from the Hebrew word “Shabat”, which means to rest or to cease activity. That’s why the synagogue leader was upset…because no work, especially a miracle was to be performed on this day. Thankfully, the Lord cleared it up for him! The Sabbath is here so that we can stand up straight…so we can be who God intended us to be…whole people praising God. It is to make our faithfulness intentional…one day a week. For Christians, Sabbath is on Sunday. But, it can be any day of the week…as long as it is INTENTIONAL! We have a gal in our cluster of churches who sometimes has to work on Sundays. And on those days, she arranges her lunch time so she can attend our church service and then she goes back to work. She is a perfect example of intentional faithfulness. We can all learn from her. We can all learn that our time with God should be a time to be strengthened by God’s spirit, rejuvenate our souls, and rest our weary bodies and minds. A time to dry our tears and calm our fears. It should also be a protected time to pour out our hearts to Him without fear of any repercussions…a time to let it all go…a time to give it all to God. And let the healing begin. It is a miracle, indeed.

Let us pray… Heavenly Father, we are all in need of Your healing touch today. Our journeys are sometimes filled with great difficulties. The darkness of fear covers our thoughts even as we pray for hope. We pray that perseverance leads us to blessings You will bring about. In our pain, You offer compassion and comfort. In our worry and uncertainty, You offer mercy. We pray for the strength to walk with You intentionally. We give our thanks to You for loving us on our darkest days and reminding us that if we continue to walk with You, we will find pure joy, healing, wholeness, and the nourishment that only You can provide. Amen.