3 Advent

Jesus Is Not A Warrior King, But He Is Also Not Santa Claus

John, in today’s gospel, sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is “the one,” the messiah. Perhaps that seems strange to us because John baptized Jesus after balking, saying Jesus should be the one to baptize him. The reason for John’s question is Jesus has not lived up to be the kind of messiah John expected, or that anyone of the time expected. The Jews of Jesus’ time expected a warrior king like David; one who would cause fear and trembling, delivering terrible justice. Instead, Jesus heals the blind, the deaf and raises the dead.

But Jesus and God aren’t Santa Claus either. We can’t help but ask the question: why doesn’t God rescue John from prison and allow him, instead, to be decapitated? Why do we suffer today in so many ways? That is the mystery we all must struggle with in this Advent season. We know, as does John, that Jesus is the messiah because of the miracles he does. Yet we wonder why our personal wishes aren’t granted and, instead, we are called to learn to love all in the world, putting the other before the self. These are hard questions that I certainly don’t have the answers for, yet I try to sit with them in this time of anticipation.

Blessings as you try to do the same,

The Rev. M.E.+

5 Dec - Second Advent

In today’s Gospel lesson, we encounter John the Baptist. John is a well-known figure in Christian tradition. He is eccentric. A wild sort of man, all rough edges and sharp tongue. He wears a camel skin and, so we are told, subsists on a diet of locusts and wild honey. He announces that one greater and more powerful than he is coming. We interpret his statements to be an announcement of the coming of Jesus in his ministry.

But John the Baptist proclaims more than the coming of someone great. He also proclaims that a new kind of world is coming. There will be destruction of the old, of what is known. You would think that people would turn away from such a message. Quite the contrary, people flocked to John the Baptist in large numbers. They were eager to repent and to be baptized. They looked forward with anticipation to a new world order. Who were these followers? Most likely, they were the poor, the weak, the marginalized of their society. People who had nothing to lose and everything to gain if the existing power structure was destroyed.

John’s message, like the message of Jesus, is a message of hope. It brings light into the darkness of the world of pain, suffering, and lack of hope. As we hear John’s message in our world, we are aware of the darkness of our own world: economic downturn, high unemployment, violence. May John’s message bring the light of hope into whatever darkness may be in our own lives. May it bring the light and hope to the darkness of our world around us.



- Deacon Sue Nebel

First Advent

Our goals, in the words of today’s Epistle lesson: Lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; live honorably. Let Christ transform us into people who love one another.

We learn from the past. The Bible is a record of divine promises made and kept. God, who was faithful in the past, will be faithful in the future. We are free to give up any obsession we have with the past, past wounds, past anxieties, past hurts, fears, and doubts, and live freely in the present, hoping for the future because God kept God’s promises. God will keep God’s promises.

We are realistic about what is possible. Trusting in God, we are realistic when we hope for things yet unseen, even big things, like joy and peace and salvation and wholeness.

But we are realistic: all of these things lie ahead of us. All of these things are in our future. All our real wholeness, our real joy, our real love, completely, fully realized, is in our future.

That’s whey Advent, and our Christian faith, is future-oriented. Yes, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Yes, he actually died and was buried and rose again and appeared openly to his disciples. Yes, all these things, historically, in the past, happened. But they all happened so that we can live into the future which awaits us, a future for which God is preparing us, a future of which Christ, raised from the dead, is the first fruits.

We cannot underestimate the importance of our future goals. They not only give us hope, but how we envision the future breaks into how we live our present. Our future can form our present, rescue it, revitalize it, give it meaning.

- The Rev. Dr. Amy Richter, rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Annapolis, Maryland

Condensed from Sermons That Work

21 Nov - The Kingdom

Christ the King Sunday is new to the church. Pope Pius XI introduced it in 1925, a time when despotic rulers and systems began to take hold in Europe: Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin. The Pope wanted to advance a message of security through the rule of Christ over the chaos of tyranny.

And the kingdom of God does stand in stark contrast to the systems of this world. In this kingdom, there is justice. In this kingdom, the justice stands alongside mercy. In this kingdom, the innocents do not die. The kingdom of God is real. It exists, here and now, just not in what you see. It is the kingdom that exists in the heart of men and women who give themselves over to the King of Kings. It exists in the hearts of men and women who give themselves over to peace.

It is because of the peace of that kingdom that we – who live both there and here, at once – can promote justice here. It is because of that peace that we stand against genocide in Sudan and elsewhere. It is because of that peace that we feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

Justice, like a river, flows from that kingdom into this world, through you.

That is what the Kingdom of Christ means. It is otherworldly, and yet it is quite this-worldly. It is quite the here and now, light against darkness.

The light shone, and the darkness could not comprehend it, could not extinguish it.

Rev. Rob Gieselmann, author of "The Episcopal Call to Love"

Condensed from Sermons That Work

14 Nov - Staying Focused

In today’s lesson from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus cautions his followers to be alert for false prophets. He warns them not to be led astray by those who claim to be him or who try to tell them when the end is coming. Instead, Jesus tells them, they are to remain faithful, even though they may face difficult times. The time in which Jesus and his followers lived was a much quieter time than our modern world. In our world, we are surrounded by noise and all kinds of voices. Not just people talking around us, but voices of television and radio. The printed words of newspapers and magazines. The visual words and images the Internet. What a challenge it is to stay faithful to Jesus’ message, his teachings.

I was reminded of this challenge one day this week as I listened to an interview with Bishop Gene Robinson on National Public Radio. Bishop Robinson is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. His election as the first openly gay man to serve as bishop caused much controversy and division in the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion. Bishop Robinson announced last week that he intends to retire in January 2013.

In the interview, the reporter spent most of the time talking with Bishop Robinson about the controversy. Then, at the end of the interview, she asked him what he hoped to do after his retirement. He mentioned a few possibilities. Then he said, “I hope that I can continue to do what I have always done: share with people the good news of a God who loves all of God’s children.” ‘Wow,’ I thought to myself, ‘here he is in the midst of all this stress and pressure, but foremost in his mind is the fundamental Baptismal promise to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ.’ I say “Amen“ to that.

Peace,

Deacon Sue

7 Nov - All Saints Day

It seems to me All Saints Day celebrates the cycle of life. For those who have it bad, things will get better. And for those who’ve got it good, well, things could take a turn for the worse. The only thing we can be sure of in this life is everything changes – except the love of Jesus Christ. Conditions always change.

Last night we watched a sweet old movie: Friendly Persuasion (starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire and a young Anthony Perkins). The movie is about a Quaker family living in southern Indiana during the Civil War. It is hard enough to live the rules of the Quaker faith in everyday life. But as the Rebel army moves its way north, each family member struggles with how to deal with the impending violence. Not wanting to spoil the movie for you, let me just say I believe this movie is the beatitudes embodied, with the characters ultimately living into “do to others as you would have them do to you”.

I pray that we can learn to live into Jesus’ message and to remember that we are all saints of God.

Peace and Blessings,

M.E.+

31 Oct - Willing To Share Jesus

Dear Friends,

In today’s gospel, Luke 19:1-10, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and he passes through Jericho. Many of the citizens hear that Jesus is coming and they turn out to see him. Among them is a man who is both pathetic and formidable. He is formidable because he has been given great power by the Roman authorities. He is pathetic because his authority has placed him outside the respect or affection of anyone in this town. This man, Zacchaeus, is a chief tax collector. And for some reason, he is determined to see Jesus.

Zacchaeus is “small of stature,” as Luke puts it. As he tries to see the famous Rabbi, the crowd makes it impossible. In desperation, Zacchaeus scrambles up a tree, and when Jesus stops beneath him, greets him, and suggests dinner, Zacchaeus is ecstatic! Something happens between the two men that evening that transforms Zacchaeus’ life. We know the reason for this desperation to meet Jesus. He had come to one of the “turning points” in life that can make all the difference if the right conditions are present. This time they are, Jesus claims this “teachable moment,” and the man’s life is turned around.

The other people in the story are the religious folk of Jesus’ time. They grumble about Jesus’ willingness to meet and eat with the wrong people, with sinners, even with this tax collector! Then there is Zacchaeus, thrilled to welcome this unconventional Rabbi to his home. Happy to be accepted and loved. Happy to learn. Happy, in time, to throw off his old life, to part with some of his wealth to the benefit of others in need, and to begin anew! And there are the grumblers in the crowd, pious and fearful, determined to stifle the Teacher, Jesus, and his new ideas. And there is Jesus, friend to the curious, the open-minded, threat to the closed-minded, Jesus, doomed to die on a cross.

We will close with a question for all of us today: How does it feel to see Jesus reach out into the crowd, reaching beyond us, reaching as far as a notorious sinner, this guy, Zacchaeus, whom we think is surely beneath us? We can’t believe that Jesus would show grace to somebody like that! I think this story leaves us with an assignment. If we are going to stay close to Jesus, share bread and wine at his table, then we better be willing to be close to sinners: sinners on the inside of the church, and sinners on the outside.

Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost. So, if we want to be close to him, we’ll have to be willing to share him with the lost. By such sharing, and by such scandalous Grace, salvation comes to MY house, and to YOUR house, this day, and always.

Peace,

Fr. Bob+

24 October

In today’s Gospel lesson (Luke 18:9-14), Jesus uses a parable to teach his followers. This story focuses on two familiar figures in the society of Jesus’ time: a Pharisee, a respected person who strives to preserve the laws governing human behavior, and a tax collector, usually despised person because of the burdens imposed on people and, quite often, unfair practices. In the parable, we see the two men offering prayers. The Pharisee gives thanks because he is better than other people. The tax collector acknowledges his sinfulness before God and asks for mercy.

Parables are wonderful teaching tools. Because they present ordinary people, we are drawn into them. We see aspects of ourselves reflected in the characters. Both of the characters in this story demonstrate our own humanness. The desire to feel good about ourselves, often by comparing ourselves to others. We live in a society that encourages us to make such comparisons. Advertising urges us to buy products that will make us “better” than others. And then there is the other part of ourselves. The honesty that admits our tendency to selfishness, to moving away from God.

Each time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to confess our sins. To recognize the Pharisee and the tax collector in ourselves. To be forgiven and reconciled with God once again. That is good news indeed!

Peace,

Deacon Sue

Pentecost 21

I take comfort from two parts of today’s parable of the unjust judge and the widow. The first is justice is possible. Sometimes we need to be persistent and keep at the system that works so slowly. In the words of today’s sequence hymn (# 711):

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness,
And all these thing shall be added unto you;
Allelu, alleluia!

Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall find,
Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you;
Allelu, alleluia!



The second comfort is that even grouchy, haughty people do the right thing sometimes. The unjust judge certainly did not rule in favor of the widow because she had a good case or because he believed it was the right thing to do. He did it so she would stop pestering him! I believe that is the work of the Holy Spirit and one of the many ways the mystery of God is manifest. Alleluia indeed!

Peace and Blessings,

M.E.+

10 Oct - Running Towards Fullness of Life

Nine healed lepers ran from Jesus.

I’m quite sure that if someone had asked, they might have slowed down long enough to say that God was really swell to do this for them and that Jesus was the most wonderful person in the whole world. But it would have been hard to catch them. There was so much to do, so little time.

No, the issue wasn’t gratitude. The issue wasn’t feeling good about Jesus or anything like that. The issue was that those who had received so much were running so hard in the wrong direction.

They were so full of what they had received, of their gift, that there was just no room for the giver, the source of the gift. They weren’t ungrateful, they were just busy. That’s all; they were just terribly busy. There we are. There is our world. There is our life, in one small, bitter nutshell.

It’s impossible not to see ourselves. It’s impossible not to ask questions such as : What direction are we running? What are we running toward? What are we leaving behind? How often do we stop, or even slow down, long enough to pay some attention, not only to our gifts, not only to all we have and all we have to do, but also to the giver, to the source of it all? Are we so busy running, so busy using what we have, that we can see no farther?

All ten were healed, all ten were given their lives, but Jesus had more to give than that. That’s why he watched and waited, that’s why coming back was so important – because Jesus had more to give. But you had to be there. So only one was made whole, only one was fully made well. All ten were given their lives back; but only one was given the fullness of life.

Direction matters. Let's run towards fullness of life!


The Rev. James Liggett
Rector of St. Nicholas’ Episcopal Church in Midland, Texas
Sermons That Work

3 Oct

We launched our year-long reading of the Bible (in the version called The Story) today. Rev. Frank Yamada led introduced us to the Bible and facilitated some discussion of what the Bible means to us. What words, what feelings, and what beliefs we associate with the Bible. I sensed a powerful energy in the room as people shared their thoughts—first in small groups of 2-3 people, and then in the larger group. I was impressed and moved by people’s curiosity about this important resource in our Christian tradition and a heartfelt desire to learn about it. I think we are in for an exciting time.

Next week we will begin reading and learning together in the Sunday morning Adult Forums after the 10:00 service. We will start with Chapter 1 of The Story, focusing on Genesis. In recent weeks, I have talked to many parishioners who have expressed excitement about this learning project, but some have expressed concern that they have to miss some sessions because of other commitments. We are exploring ways that we people can be involved in active learning, even if they cannot always attend a Sunday morning session. Perhaps one of the most accessible ways will be use of the Internet—some kind of group discussion format, a Facebook page on which people can post questions or observations, or email.

As we begin our work together, I ask that we remember that it is now, and will be throughout the year, a “work in progress.” We will learn by doing, what works best. So, in addition to your reading of the chapters in The Story, I ask you to be active learners. Come with questions. Come with observations of what is working for you and what isn’t. Help us to make this a great experience for everyone.



Peace,

Deacon Sue

26 Sept - Recognizing Lazarus

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH OUR PHYSICAL AND TANGIBLE POSSESSIONS? HOW DO WE DEAL WITH OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS? JESUS REQUIRES AN ANSWER. (Luke 16:19-31)

Throughout this sixteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus is talking about us and our possessions. He says again and again that this is one of the most important relationships in our lives, and that we will be judged largely on the way we have dealt with it.

Jesus has also been saying that possessions can be both outer and inner. Our relationship to our outer possessions, from which we take so much pleasure, is only an outward sign of our relationship with our inner possessions, our spiritual riches. We can be very rich outwardly and very poor inwardly. We can be poor outwardly and rich inwardly. We can sometimes be rich both outwardly and inwardly, but only if we are prepared to be good stewards of our riches before God.

The chapter ends with Jesus telling a powerful and poin - - - story of the rich man and Lazarus. For his listeners, Jesus was presenting the rich man as an image of themselves, rich and comfortable, but without any compassion for others. These “religious” people claimed a special relationship with God, but how was this spirituality seen in their actions? Jesus is emphasizing the way judgment takes place in human life. We judge ourselves by making our own choices and living the consequences.

When, in the story, the rich man beseeches Lazarus at least go to his still-living brothers, the answer he gets is a terrible one. They have placed themselves beyond reach, and cannot be made to hear. The terrible truth is that we can, by our own patterns and choices, place ourselves out of the reach of God. That will not be God’s wish for us, but it will nevertheless take place. We are free beings, free to make moral decisions. There is of course always a way back, but only we can choose to take it. Thank God that we are offered the love and grace again – and again.



Peace,

Fr. Bob+

19 Sept - Balm in Gilead

Is there no balm in Gilead? (Jer 8:22a)

“Balm in Gilead” is, or may be, a phrase with which some are familiar. You may even know the hymn “There is a balm in Gilead.” But what does the phrase mean? Dick Donovan writes that “Gilead was a mountainous region on the east side of the Jordan River” and was known for a healing balm made from resin from a type of tree that grew in the area.

The answer to the question asked in scripture is that indeed there is a balm in Gilead and the doctors with the skills to use it well. But Jeremiah (and God through Jeremiah) asks the question mournfully because what ails the people of Israel is not of a physical nature; rather, it is spiritual. The balm they and we need to look for is the balm of God’s forgiving grace.

By all means, take advantage of the physical balms available. But also, remember that God is constantly offering healing and love through the gift of Grace. I hope you are able this week to feel comfort in that knowledge.

Peace and Blessings,

M.E.+

12 Sept - Parish Picnic Photos

New parish picnic photos are available.

12 Sept - Think Upside-Down

Several years ago I read a book titled The Upside-Down Kingdom, by Donald Kraybill. The author writes about Jesus’ teachings about God’s vision of the world. He points out that Jesus upends our usual ways of thinking. He insists that we should not think vertically, i.e. in terms of power: who is more important, more successful, richer. Instead, he insists that we turn all of that upside-down and concern ourselves with those who are usually considered the lowest, the least significant: the poor, the people on the margins. People who are often overlooked because they aren’t considered important.

Today’s Gospel lesson (Luke15:1-10) is an example of upside-down thinking. When the Pharisees and the scribes grumble that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them,” Jesus quickly responds with two stories. One about the shepherd with a flock of one hundred sheep who puts great effort to finding one that is lost, rather than simply sighing and saying to himself, ‘Oh well. One sheep is all that important. After all I still have ninety nine.’ The second story focuses on a woman with ten silver coins. When she loses one, she searches high and low for the lost one. Like the shepherd, she could have simply let herself be satisfied with what she still had: nine coins.

Jesus constantly challenges us to turn our thinking upside-down. Not to think in the worldly terms of success, power structures. Instead, to have the broadest kind of thinking. To be always on the lookout for those who are easily neglected or forgotten. And to reach out to them. To honor them, to show them respect, to help them.

Peace,

Deacon Sue

5 Sept - Follow Me

Every step we take with Jesus in this part of the gospel brings us into harsher and harsher circumstances. His tone gets grimmer. “Whoever comes to me and does not hate . . .”(Luke 14:26). To hear that passage even after many centuries is to be chilled by its harshness. It could be terrifying to hear.

This is a time in our Bible reading and study when we must be aware that such exaggerated language was commonplace in Jesus’ society and culture. If we go further down the passage to verse 33, we find the heart of Jesus’ meaning. His demand for ultimate discipleship is that a man or woman “give up all.” What Jesus is pleading for is that to follow him is to offer our lives to him with singlemindedness and deep commitment. To have a religion or faith that is a mildly diverting weekend hobby is not following Christ. Having an intellectual interest in theology is not following Jesus. These things are in their own way admirable, but they are not what Jesus meant when he said to people, “Follow me.”

The decision to follow Jesus Christ is one of ultimate significance in a human life. Very few of us can respond to the call of Christ on the level that some great souls have done. To “renounce all” in a literal way is a fearful thing and is possible only for some. That is precisely why we know these men and women as great souls or saints, both in the past and in our own time. But when Jesus calls us, we decide to follow at the level at which we can. And Jesus accepts us! Good news.

Peace,

Fr. Bob+

29 Aug - Pride

If someone were to ask us to compile a list of our favorite quotes from Scripture, I doubt that this week’s Gospel lesson (Luke 14:1,7-14) would make anyone’s list. It is an account of an occasion when Jesus really “zings” his listeners, as well as us, with a sharp criticism. The setting is a Sabbath meal at the home of a leader of the Pharisees. Jesus is an invited guest. When he arrives, he notices that guests choose places of honor at the table. He then tells a parable about a similar situation, advising his listeners that they should always choose one of the lowest places, rather than following their initial inclination to choose a higher place.

This parable gets to us because it targets our sense of pride, our desire to feel important. We live in a society that values “higher” positions, based on criteria such as social standing, wealth, power, physical beauty. Jesus, of course, turns all of that upside down. He says it succinctly: “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled.” Jesus teaches us, again and again, that we are valued as human beings, as children of God. The values of society that rank people by other standards should be ignored.

This teaching may not make our favorites list, but it should. It is an important one, one that we should always keep in mind. Every day.



Peace,

Deacon Sue

22 Aug - The Power of Touch

Touch is so important. It is one way we experience the love of God and the love of others. I’d like to share a portion of a poem by Geraldine W. Dellenback called “A Psalm of Joy” because it puts into words how I am feeling about God, love and touch:


O Lord God, how glorious is thy love in all the world!
The love that touches the hearts of all people,
The love that causes souls to blend in harmony,
The love that fills hearts to overflowing.

O Lord God, with my whole heart I thank thee!
For beauty and strength,
For warmth and tenderness,
For sincerity and humility,
But most of all for love and for those we love.

O Lord God, protect and guide these loved ones I pray!

Amen.


Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC

16 Aug - Fierceness of Faith

In today’s Gospel lesson (Luke 12:49-56), we encounter a Jesus who is strong, emphatic, angry. His words are disturbing: “I come to bring fire to the earth. . . .Do you think that I come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” We are much more accustomed to a gentle, caring Jesus, who reaches out to the poor, the sick, the disenfranchised. Giving them a message of hope, of a better life.

What we see here is fierceness of faith. It is all too easy to forget that such fierceness is characteristic of Christian faith in many parts of the world. Each Sunday we pray for our companion diocese, the Diocese of Renk in the Sudan. The Sudan is an area where Christians suffer persecution for their faith and, yet, they hang on fiercely to the beliefs that are important to them. We witnessed fierceness of faith in accounts of the recent massacre of medical missionaries in Afghanistan. Fierceness of faith in the workers who were working to help the people in remote areas of the country. Fierceness of faith in the determination of the International Assistance Mission, the sponsoring organization, to continue their work.

Fierceness of faith. A quality to be admired. A quality to be celebrated. A quality to hope for in ourselves.

Peace,

Deacon Sue Nebel

What Sacrifices

Sacrifices – what kind of sacrifices are we supposed to make to God?

The Isaiah reading (Isaiah 1:1, 10-20) seems like a God is ranting. God tells the people that there is no meaning to the sacrifices of burnt offerings and incense. Instead, God calls the people to clean up and that the offerings God wants are more tangible, more personal. We are to cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Doing all that will take a lot of work and sacrifice.

Jesus’ message to the disciples is similar. He tells us not to be afraid, that what should concern us is the Kingdom of God; that the things of this earth are less important. Jesus tells us to sell your possessions, and give alms. These actions take trust on our part and ask us to sacrifice.

What sacrifices are we willing to make to live into the Kingdom of God?

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC

31 July - Rich Towards God

Jesus often uses parables to illustrate his teachings. We have one of those parables in today’s Gospel lesson. Jesus begins by making clear to his listeners that he wants them to guard against greed in their lives. Then he tells a short parable about a man who harvests a large amount of crops, so large that he decides to build new barns to hold them all. Once he does that, he declares his delight in having so much. ‘All is well,’ he thinks. Not so. God calls the man a fool for what has done. For storing up possessions. For his sense of self-satisfaction.

Jesus concludes his teaching with the statement,” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Rich toward God. What an intriguing phrase! Most of the time, we think or say “rich in.” Food is rich in flavor. Music is rich in tone. A place may be rich in resources. When referring to people we may say that they are “rich in wisdom” or “rich in insight.” In all of those phrases we look inward, noting qualities that are possessed.

But Jesus is telling us that we should be “rich toward God.” We should not be directed inward, but outward—toward God. What does it mean to be rich toward God? A few possibilities come to mind: openness to God, service, prayer. I invite you to reflect on the question yourselves. How can you be rich toward God in your life?

Peace,

Deacon Sue

25 July - The "Us" In The Lord's Prayer

It is amazing to me how deep a prayer can be in our memories, in our hearts. Sometimes it seems like I have always known the Lord’s Prayer. And it is always a Spirit-filled moment when I’m praying with someone who is semiconscious and fairly non-responsive that, when I begin the Lord’s Prayer, that person joins in.

Even though the Lord’s Prayer is the basic way we learn to pray individually, it is important to notice the plural. The prayer uses the words “us” and “we,” not “I” and “me,” because community is where we find Christ. If you pray this prayer alone, I guarantee you that somewhere in the world, someone else is praying with you.

Because the words can be rattled off from memory without much thought, I’d encourage you to take time with praying the Lord’s Prayer. Really think about what you are saying. Really think about the blessed relationship we have with God that we can pray this prayer with confidence – especially the confidence that God is listening.

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC

18 July - Sides

Mary and Martha
Luke 10:38-42

This story from Luke’s gospel wants us to take sides, between these sisters, Mary and Martha. Taking sides is often what we need to do: lukewarm is not a gospel temperature. But this story is not one of those cases where taking sides will be “life-giving.” Why pit the sisters against each other, or their ministries of domestic management and hospitality on the one hand, and attention to the living Word on the other?

Of course, we busy ourselves with too many things, today more than ever, and we need to refocus our attentions. But the story as it meets us should fill us with holy suspicion: What is the cost of taking sides here? For whom will there be a cost? How can we converse with each other, with our homegrown traditions, and with Christ, in a way that will build a church in which all ministries are honored, and in which the very shape of ministry can change in response to the world’s needs? Perhaps we will find the answer to those questions sitting at Jesus’ feet, with Mary, and with Martha, after the evening banquet.

(With thanks to Jane Redmont for her inspiration)

Peace to you this week,

Fr. Bob+

11 July - The Good Samaritan

Today’s Gospel lesson is one of the most well known stories in Scripture: the Good Samaritan. Even people who are not familiar with the Bible or have not participated in a formation program as children recognize the term “Good Samaritan.” Hospitals and laws concerning actions to help others in trouble bear his name. We have memorialized this nameless man, known only by his ethnic identity, for his willingness to help someone in need.

I think we need to look at this familiar figure from a slightly different perspective: how he moves through life. We see him traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, alert to his surroundings. Perhaps he is somewhat wary, watching for possible danger. The priest and the Levite who have preceded him have exhibited the same alertness. But when they come to the man who has been beaten by robbers lying at the side of the road, the first two see him and move on. They travel with their eyes open, but their hearts closed. Not the Samaritan. He moves with his eyes and his heart open. Seeing someone in need, he responds with compassion and generosity of heart. He reaches out to help.

On this “Good Samaritan Sunday,” I suggest that we reflect on how we move through life. Do we travel along with our eyes open, but not our hearts? Or do we proceed with hearts and eyes open? What is your answer to those questions?

Peace,

Deacon Sue Nebel

4 July - Curing Dis-Ease

Jesus began his ministry by drawing around him a small circle of new disciples; it was the number of Israel’s tribes. Because he felt that his task was to form a new people of God, a new Israel, he took this number as symbolic.

Now Jesus takes the next step in his mission to the world. He selects seventy people and sends them into the surrounding countryside two by two. One thing we can’t help noticing is that there are very few directions. They are “to greet no one on the road.” They are to say “Peace to this house.” They are to accept hospitality. If they are not received they are to leave. In addition, they are told to heal the sick, and say to them “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

It is significant for Christian life today that the only specific action Jesus commands is to heal the sick. Increasingly for contemporary Christians, the healing ministry is strong and widespread. We can be thankful that healing ministry is an important part of our ministries at St. Simon’s. And then, there is a realization that in a frantic and tense and fearful world, the great power of Christian faith can be to bring healing to the lives of individuals– the healing of fears, angers, anxieties. Perhaps just as valuable is the ability of Christian faith to bring a renewed sense of meaning and purpose into people’s lives.

Our generation of Christians may well be called to a ministry whose primary task is healing, both in individual lives as well as in social and political situations. As we watch Jesus send people out on an essentially healing mission, we realize that healing may be a Christians’ primary vocation in a world of great “dis-ease.”

Peace,

Fr. Bob Dekker+

27 June - Faith

When we gather on Sunday mornings for our celebration of the Holy Eucharist, an important part of the service is the affirmation of our faith. We use the Nicene Creed, a statement of Christian beliefs that dates back to the 4th century. We say those words in community, joining a long string of people that have said the same words over the centuries.

The words are familiar, sometimes too familiar. It is all too easy to say them in rote fashion, without giving much thought to their meaning. I find it helpful to occasionally experience (and say) statements of faith that use new and different phrases. I offer you an example, one that I experienced at the conference of the North American Association of the Diaconate that I attended this week.

Affirmation of Faith

We are not alone, we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.
We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Peace,
Deacon Sue

20 June - Banishing Demons

This Sunday’s Gospel – Luke’s version of the healing of the Demoniac – raised an interesting question when we studied the passage at Vestry last Tuesday: is this story meant to be taken literally or figuratively?

My answer was: “Yes.” It doesn’t matter if you believe in “real” demons or want to try to understand the story by putting the modern medical label of schizophrenic on the Demoniac – either way the story is still incredibly powerful. Jesus’ authority is abundantly clear. Legion knows who Jesus is and how powerful he is. The real question is: do we? And are we willing to let Jesus banish the “demons” in our lives? We are all, in one way or another, resistant to change – especially self-change. Equally, we are all comfortable with the phrase: “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”.

I think this story is inviting us to look at our demons (addictions, times we dig in our heels, etc.) and question whether or not we trust that Jesus has the power to banish them. We are loved by God now. And we will be loved by God if and when we change and let go of our demons. But do we love ourselves now? Do we really trust in God’s love?

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC

13 June - Forgiven

A theme constantly in Jesus’ teaching and very near to his heart was the necessity for forgiveness in human relationships. The day Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray he put the issue of forgiveness at the heart of our relationship with God. In two simple and inseparable petitions, he teaches us for all time that forgiveness is conditional. We cannot be forgiven unless we ourselves are forgiving people.

We mention this because something very like it is at the heart of the story in the gospel. It was customary at a meal in the Greco-Roman style for strangers to stand around the edge of the room in the shadows. They might be poor or in some other need. They might be trying to attract the attention of a prominent guest from whom they wished a favor. In Jesus’ case, a woman wants to thank him. She does so very effusively and passionately. Jesus’ host is silently appalled by her behavior and Jesus notices.

How does Jesus deal with the situation? From what he says, we can assume that he and the woman have had a previous encounter. She is known as a sinner, possibly a prostitute. It is obvious that Jesus has made all the difference in her life, probably making it possible for her to deal with the anger and self-hatred which are part of her existence. Anger and self-hatred are part of many of our lives and to get this point across, Jesus tells a story. Its message is that the greater a person’s sense of being forgiven, the greater the gratitude will be. Jesus then applies this to our inner lives. The key statement Jesus makes is in verse 47. “I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

This theme obviously was central in Jesus’ thinking. We hear it in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple. We hear it again in the story of the prodigal son. On each occasion, Jesus seems to be saying that to realize without illusion who we are, to realize how little we can claim to be, yet at that same moment to realize that we are accepted by God precisely on these terms, is to discover the secret of inner freedom and inner acceptance. To taste this is to taste the Kingdom of God.

Peace,

Fr. Bob +

30 May - Trinity Sunday

Paul explains that the life of faith is a slow and laborious process and that hope is born of character, character is born of endurance, and endurance is born of suffering. At each moment the world must be understood in its momentary revelation in order for the greater truth to emerge. Unless we allow ourselves to experience suffering, not shying away, we will not know endurance. Only by giving ourselves over to a self that values endurance will we be of character, and only for those of character does hope endure, allowing us to live with and through suffering. The cycle begins again.

Jesus, likewise, invites us to a life of faith built on slow growth, on timely revelation, saying, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot hear them now." Wisdom in God also is revealed according to the concreteness of our experience, its place in time, inviting us to see clearly the age and the faith we inhabit, to witness its limits, knowing that only in that full knowledge does continued and renewed revelation emerge.

The disciples look on in bewilderment. "We cannot hear?" they wonder, examining themselves for their own unreadiness. What is it in us that cannot hear, what in us prevents us from looking at our faith with open eyes, stepping into its mystery, its slow unfolding, patiently examining its details so that when God reveals himself anew we might know the difference?

This Trinity Sunday we are invited to stand in faith, to stand precisely where we are, in the mystery of the Trinity, in the mystery of a God revealed to us in this moment, this age, this life and this faith, a mystery that we explore, unravel and receive together, knowing that in seeing more truly, with each new revelation, we step into greater hope, greater joy, greater love, greater knowledge and communion with the three, the one.

Read Entire Sermon

- excerpt from "Sermons That Work:" Jason Sierra, Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministries, Episcopal Church Center

23 May - Jesus Is Everything

Dear Friends,

Am writing to you on the Eve of Pentecost, the day before we will celebrate much in the liturgy for the Day of Pentecost, including: the birthday of the Church through the coming of the Spirit upon the disciples; Holy Baptism as we welcome Annalise as the newest member of the church; and First Communion with 14 children on a very special day in their lives. So much to celebrate!

And then, on the next day, Monday, we are called to carry on the work of the Church in the world. We are not alone, since the Spirit will be with us to inspire us and support us in all of our work. And, the Church that we call home is founded on the One through whom we have all been given new life, our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I invite you to meditate this week on the names by which our Savior is known, and give thanks for being called as Jesus’ follower.

“Hope, life, way, salvation, understanding, wisdom, light,
Judge, door, most high, king, precious stone, prophet, priest,
Messiah, sabaoth, teacher, spouse, mediator,
Scepter, dove, hand, stone, son, and emmanuel,
Vineyard, shepherd, sheep, peace, root, vine-stock,
Olive tree, source, wall, lamb, victim, lion, intercessor,
Word, man, net, rock, house:
Christ Jesus is everything.”
- (Damasus, Fourth century)

God bless you as we begin this season after Pentecost, the days of “ordinary time.”

Peace,
Fr. Bob +

16 May - The Perfect Hiding Place

Today, the 7th Sunday of the Easter season is an in-between place. Three days ago the Church celebrated the Feast of the Ascension, marking Jesus’ final departure from his followers to settle in his place with God. Jesus has assured his disciples God will be with them. The gift of the Holy Spirit, which we will celebrate on Pentecost, has not yet arrived. I wonder what it was like for Jesus’ followers in that place of not knowing. What was familiar has disappeared and they do not know what lies ahead. All they have is an assurance that God is with them. I imagine them wondering to themselves, ‘So, where are we going to find God?’ This question reminds me a wonderful folk wisdom story that provides one answer. I share it with you.

“A legend tells how, at the beginning of time, God resolved to hide himself within his own creation. As God was wondering how best to do this, the angels gathered around him.

‘I want to hide myself in my creation,’ he told them. ‘I need to find a place that is not too easily discovered, for it is in their search for me that my creatures will grown in spirit and in understanding.’

‘Why don’t you hide yourself deep in their earth?’ the first angel suggested.

God pondered for a while, then replied, ‘No. It will not be long before they learn how to mine the earth and discover all the treasures that it contains. They will discover me too quickly, and they will not have had enough time to do their growing.’

‘Why don’t you hide yourself on their moon?’ a second angel suggested.

God thought about this idea for a while, and then replied, ‘No. It will take longer, but before too long they will learn how to fly through space. They will arrive on the moon and explore its secrets, and they will discover me too soon, before they have had enough time to do their growing.’

The angels were at a loss to know what hiding places to suggest. There was a long silence.

‘I know,’ piped up one angel, finally. ‘Why don’t you hide yourself within their own hearts? They will never think of looking there!’

‘That’s it!’ said God, delighted to have found the perfect hiding place. And so it is that God hides secretly deep within the heart of every one of God’s creatures, until that creature has grown enough in spirit and understanding to risk the great journey into the secret core of its own being. And there, the creature discovers its creator, and is rejoined to God for all eternity.”

From One Hundred Wisdom Stories from around the World

Peace,

Deacon Sue

2 May - I Value You

A theme of “value” seems to flow through this Sunday’s readings (5 Easter). Peter learns not to question the value of spreading the Good News to gentiles. In Revelation, John testifies that God will dwell with us and we with God; all will be made new. Even in the Gospel, Jesus’ new commandment dictates that we learn to love (i.e. value) one another.

William Slone Coffin wrote in Letters to a Young Doubter about a way to look at value I’d never thought of before. He writes:

“…God’s love doesn’t seek value; it creates it. It’s not because we have value that we are loved, but because we are loved that we have value. Our value is a gift, not an achievement. Just think: we never have to prove ourselves; that’s already taken care of. All we have to do is express ourselves—return God’s love with our own—and what a world of difference there is between proving ourselves and expressing ourselves.” (96)

I am grateful for Coffin’s words and hope that we can live into Jesus’ commandment expressing our love for all, especially God.

Peace,
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC

18 Apr - Earth Day and Easter?

Following the celebration of Easter, Earth Day now comes along. The timing, frankly, seems a little off. Those who proposed and celebrated the first Earth Day probably didn’t consult the Christian calendar. If they did, they may well have chosen to mark Earth Day during the season of Lent.
Earth Day needs to call us to a stance not unlike that of Lent: a day to reflect on how our own lives and our society’s economic practices impact God’s creation. A time to reflect on our own call in relationship to God’s creation, human and non-human.
In the second chapter of Genesis we read that we were put in the garden to “till and keep” or to “work it and take care of it.” If we take a look at the Hebrew word often translated as “till” or “work” or “cultivate,” we find the word abad. Abad is the Hebrew word for “serve.” It’s the same word that shows up in the profound words of Joshua: “As for me and my house, we will abad the Lord” – meaning we will “serve” the Lord.
It’s telling to note that, by and large, we humans don’t think of “serve,” as appears in that second chapter of Genesis, as the best descriptor of our role in relationship to God’s Earth. Rather, it’s safe to say that more of us think of “dominion,” as appears in first chapter of Genesis. That’s the more famous verse.
But I believe our role here on God’s good earth is to be servants of creation, and there's a long litany of evidence suggesting our service is not going so well. Species, expressions of God’s abundance and creativity and love, are going extinct at a rate not seen since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. They are disappearing at 1,000 to 10,000 times the “background rate” or natural extinction rate. Human activity, particularly habitat distruction, is the cause of such extinctions.
While the debate in the United States goes on, it’s hard to look into the eyes of a Pacific Islander or Alaskan coastal native or Filipino farmer and say climate change is not real. Leaders of the Anglican Communion in the Philippines recently wrote the following in a letter to a justice network in the Diocese of Olympia:
“A year ago, our own Bishop of our Diocese of North Central Philippines, Rt. Rev. Joel A. Pachao, said in a meeting with some of our foreign partners, ‘We are doing all these environmental stewardship programs so that you can continue to drive your SUVs.’ It was an expression of anger … over the fact that it is us in the so-called ‘developing … countries’ who are suffering most from the effects of climate change which can be attributed to carbon … emissions, the bulk of which are from the western developed countries.”
Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, recently told an audience at Southwark Cathedral in London that people had allowed themselves to become “addicted to fantasies about prosperity and growth, dreams of wealth without risk and profit without cost.”
Those fantasies have disconnected us from our innate biophilia. Williams contends that those fantasies lead to a lifestyle where the human soul was “one of the foremost casualties of environmental degradation.” He went on to say:
“Many of the things which have moved us towards ecological disaster have been distortions of whom and what we are and their overall effect has been to isolate us from the reality we’re part of. Our response to this crisis needs to be, in the most basic sense, a reality check.”
So perhaps part of the really good news of Earth Day is that it offers the opportunity to heal our disconnection from that which we love so deeply. The distortions of who and what we are will begin to heal; we will reunite with that innate biophilia; no longer will we quiet the song of another species, or of a babe in arms. The angels and all the creatures surrounding the throne depicted in Revelations will be healed and proclaim praises in full voice.
May it be so. It may sound utopian, but it is something Jesus believed in so much that he was willing to die for it – for such will the Kingdom of God be like. Maybe Easter is, after all, an appropriate season for us to mark and celebrate Earth Day.

Michael Schut, Economic and Environmental Affairs Officer of the Episcopal Church

»read full sermon

18 Apr - What's Your Conversion Story?

What’s your conversion story?

Do you know you’re an instrument of God?

These are the questions that come to my mind when I read this portion of Acts. The conversion of Paul is probably the most famous conversion story in the Bible because it’s pretty dramatic. Let’s review a little bit. Saul was zealous at trying to ferret out men and women who were “of the Way” – early Christians. He was a man who believed he was right and doing God’s work.

So he’s on the way to Damascus and suddenly a bright light, brighter than the noonday sun, envelops him and he falls to the ground and he hears: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And Saul’s reply is: “Who are you, Lord?” It’s not quite as ironic as it sounds because “lord” is really translated better as “sir”. I’m sure he was surprised and terrified to hear it was Jesus calling him. The light goes away, but he can’t see. He is totally helpless. Those travelling with him take him to Damascus; take him to a place where he’ll be safe, where he prays and fasts.

Enter Ananias. Ananias, plain old guy – this is the only time we see him. We might as well call him “John Smith” and he’s called in a vision by God to go and heal Saul. And he says: “Whoa! Wait a minute. I’ve heard all the stories about this guy. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” And God says: “Go!” But Ananias is privileged enough to hear why – that God has chosen Saul to be an instrument of spreading the Good News to the Gentiles. So Ananias goes and lays hands on him; heals Paul and fills him with the Holy Spirit. I think it’s important that we notice that. Ananias, John Smith, plain ole guy, not an apostle, nobody truly special, but heals Paul and fills him with the Holy Spirit. We are all full of the Holy Spirit. This is what we can do.

I imagine that there are lots of stories of conversions here in this congregation; maybe not even conversions to Christianity or even becoming an Episcopalian. But I would venture to guess that every story made you a better person and a better Christian. We are all instruments of God. I invite you to open your hearts, especially when you’re feeling helpless. Open your hearts to what God is trying to say and celebrate with the joy of Paul in proclaiming that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles

11 Apr - You Are Free

Every night the same routine played out. It happened around the time the 11 o’clock news was on. As a child she usually slept right through it, but there were those occasions when she’d rouse from sleep, hearing the familiar gate of her father’s footsteps walking first to the kitchen door, then to the front door, then tramp downstairs to the basement. Dad would walk through the house and check the doors and secure the locks if need be.

It was a safe feeling to have – knowing that Dad was making everything safe and secure and that she and her family were out of harm’s way. Locked doors, secure doors, were comforting. The doors said, “If you just stay holed up here until daylight, then all will be well.” It was as if, in their silent and stalwart way, they were saying, “Everything is going to be okay, nothing can get through me, and I’m not going to let anything get to you.”

In short, locked doors assuaged fears, trepidations, anxieties, and uncertainties, and quelled the late-night wanderings of an active imagination.

Perhaps that is what the disciples felt on that Easter night so long ago. They were in the room behind the locked doors in fear of those who killed Jesus. They had walked alongside him for three years. They had been out in the public with him and engaged in his work and crusade. Then they who had spoken so confidently had, in the end when it mattered most, deserted him and the cause. They not only deserted him, some even denied they knew him.

Maybe what the disciples were doing was not so much shutting out the world, but locking themselves in. Isn’t that the way it goes with our hearts?

We face fears, anxieties, trepidations, uncertainties, and even shame on a daily basis. We slam home the bolts of the locks on our hearts, and we realize that by locking the world out, we are really shutting ourselves in. We become a prisoner of our own sins, shame, and self-perceptions. Like the disciples, we try to hide from our shame and disappointment in ourselves by locking the doors to our hearts and not letting anyone in.

“To forgive,” in Greek, also means “to set free.” It means to release from bondage and captivity. When Jesus stands among the disciples in a room with a locked door and announces, “Peace be with you,” he is saying not only are “You are forgiven,” but also “You are free.”

At the center of the gospel is the proclamation that Jesus Christ has come looking for us – even behind closed doors. According to John’s text, he walks right through the locked doors to find us. He shows us his wounds from the cross, which are the marks of our forgiveness. Then he says, “Peace be with you.” You are forgiven, peace is restored to your troubled soul, and you are free.

The Rev. Scott Baker, Rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Newport News, VA

»read full sermon

4 April - Easter Mediation from Bishop Lee

Watch Bishop Lee's Easter Meditation Video

Bishop Lee's Easter Meditation

In these days of Holy Week and throughout the Easter season, we have the opportunity not just to remember the events of Jesus’ passing from death to life, but to enter those events ourselves, to experience them in our own lives. A great theologian of the ancient church wrote this: “The Father accepts the sacrifice of Christ, not because he demands it, still less because he feels some need of it, but in order to carry forward his own purposes for the world. Humanity had to be brought back to life by the humanity of God. We had to be summoned to life by God’s Son.” (Gregory of Nazianzus, 4th c.)

The life of the church, the community of those who have been baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ, is nothing less than the extension in time and space of God’s humanity. When the apostle Paul writes to one of his churches, “You are the Body of Christ and members of it,” he’s not kidding. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus includes us, it embraces all humanity. The mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection extends to all the deaths and resurrections taking place daily around us. Every injustice, every act of violence, every instance of poverty is a participation in the cross. Every act of justice, kindness and mercy bears the potential for transformed, resurrected life.

The mission of the church is to align itself more and more with God’s decision to enter our humanity – with all its pain and possibility – and redeem it. We have the astonishing invitation from God to join in God’s project of restoring all creation to right relationship. As Christians we can only do that by realizing our fundamental identification with the dying and rising of the Lord Jesus. As members of his living Body, we are his hands and heart God has given for the needs of a broken and bleeding world. This Holy Week and throughout the Easter season, let us live the words we say. Let us renew our commitment to become who we are. A blessed celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Christ,

Jeffrey D. Lee
Bishop of Chicago

28 Mar - Giving Everything

What was missing from Luke’s description of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem that we heard in the first part of the service?

Palms.

There are no palms in his description.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – from his description would you call it triumphant?

I wouldn’t. What was normal for a king like Caesar, or even someone like Pontius Pilot, to do upon entering a city like Jerusalem was to find the finest, largest war horse and put on the finest armor and follow a parade of soldiers and chariots. The idea being that this is a triumphant king and no one would dare challenge him. Now Jesus – Jesus enters as a king of peace. He enters on a donkey, a work animal. And he enters just as he is.

The other thing missing from Luke’s description is the people who welcome him are not everybody in Jerusalem, but his disciples – the people that have followed him and the people who have heard of his great works and believe in him. And instead of palms, they lay before him their cloaks.

What’s so special about a cloak? According to Jay Cormier in the Lenten Reflection Not by Bread Alone that we’ve been reading this Lent, a cloak was the single most valuable item of clothing a person in that time had. You got one. You mended it and took care of it and for some, for the poor, it was more than just something to keep them warm, it was their home. So here the disciples are laying before Jesus their best.

What might Jesus have been thinking and feeling as he rode into Jerusalem, not just to give his best, but to give everything for us?

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC

21 Mar - You Do Not Always Have Me

We are nearing the end of our Lenten journey. Just ahead of us lies Palm Sunday, when we will remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, hailed as a king. Then, quickly, we shift into the events leading up to his death: his arrest, trial, and death. It is a moment for us to pause and take a deep breath.

In the Gospel lesson for the 5th Sunday of Lent (John 12:1-8), we find a similar moment.

Jesus is a guest at the home of his friend Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. We are reminded that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, and now he sits at the table with the other guests. Although it is not mentioned here, Jesus was a guest in this home earlier in his ministry. On that occasion, Martha was preparing the meal, complaining that Mary wasn’t lifting a finger to help. Instead, Mary was seated at Jesus’ feet, eager to learn from him. Here, Martha is serving the guests. And Mary? Mary is no longer sitting quietly at the feet of her teacher. She has become active, assertive, even daring. The Gospel tells us: “Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.” It is an action of lavish love and hospitality. The fragrance of the nard fills the room. No one could miss what is happening here. Mary’s action is an extraordinary, lavish demonstration of love for Jesus. It is an act of intimacy, using her hair to wipe his feet. This event reaches beyond the specific time frame of this Gospel story. Jesus tells the others that Mary bought the nard to be used on the day of his burial. Past, present, and future are intertwined in this story.

In the final sentence of the Gospel passage, Jesus says of this moment, “. . .you do not always have me.” He is pointing to the future, anticipating his death. The reality that soon he will no longer be present to his friends and his followers. Not in the same way that he is here in this story. Not in the way that he has been throughout his ministry. Right now, in this time and this place, everyone should take a deep breath and focus on the moment. Focus on Jesus as present, as honored guest. Value what they have. Be aware of what lies ahead.

So we, like the people in the Gospel story, pause to remember and celebrate Jesus’ ministry. To give thanks for what has been. To gather our own courage for what lies ahead. As you move on in the final part your Lenten journey and into Holy Week, may it be a blessed time. Rich in anticipation. Rich in experience. Rich in meaning.

Peace,

Deacon Sue

7 Mar - Lenten Thought

Luke 13:1-9

This gospel lesson today sounds so strange to our ears. People brought Jesus this report about Pilate killing Galileans in the midst of their offering sacrifices in the temple. The crowds wondered what those people had done wrong – why were they being punished. And more to the point, how could they avoid meeting the same fate. As is quite normal for Jesus, he doesn’t give them the response that they expect. After adding two more stories of his own, the story of the tower of Siloam and the story of the Fig Tree, he says, “Unless YOU repent, YOU will all perish.”

In other words, Jesus took two violent stories, and used them to talk about repentance – to warn people that they too would perish unless they repented. The story of the fig tree was similar. Jeremiah had talked about the people of Israel as barren fig trees – the people to whom Jesus was speaking knew that. This is also a frequent theme of Jesus. Our lives, he tells us again and again, are accountable. We are responsible beings who are judged by the fruits of our lives. Then, the parable gives us a glimpse of a merciful love which will give this tree more nourishment, more tending, more time – yet another chance. So will a merciful God respond to any possibility of a response in us. So Jesus says, “Unless YOU repent, you will perish.”

When we think of repentance, we usually think of feeling sorry for something we did wrong. But feeling sorry is just the first step. The second step in repentance means changing something – changing some behavior. True repentance requires making changes. Making changes is never easy. But repentance can be an everyday thing – by making small changes, a daily purging of the things that cause us trouble - - a daily turning more and more toward God.

I will close with an invitation. Let me invite you to think of one thing that you need to change today. What do you need to do to make your life better? What do you need to do to bring your life into harmony with God’s plan for you? What repentance do you need to make? Then ask yourself, “Why am I having trouble letting go of this thing that is causing me trouble?” Then, make a decision, get rid of that thing, and change direction – make a course correction - - and prepare to receive God’s great blessing!

Lenten blessings to you, Bob+

28 Feb - Lenten Message

Jesus now moves steadily toward the capital city, toward Jerusalem,
and toward his fate on the Cross.
And as he does, without a thought for his own fate,
he takes a moment to warn us about our own fate.
Jesus takes a moment to call God’s people, and each of us, to repent.
Lent is the season of repentance,
40 days of honest reflection upon our identity as sinners,
yet sinners who, by the grace of God,
are being redeemed through the work that Jesus goes to do in Jerusalem.
Yet we shall not be redeemed unless we repent.
Jesus calls us to repent – urgently.

There is an urgency in Jesus’ call for Jerusalem to return to God,
to be Re-created, Renewed and Reborn as God’s people,
and of course, that call comes to us once again in Lent.
God sees what our life is like, what it might be like without God,
what our life could be like, with God as our center.
There is an intensity in God’s love for us,
And there is an intensity of God’s wanting to show us mercy.
Jesus speaks about this when he says that he has often desired
to gather the children of Jerusalem together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.
God’s desire to do that for all of us is unceasing.

And there’s a fierceness about God’s love and mercy.
There’s a fierceness about Christ.
Frederick Buechner writes about our Lord as “Christ the Tiger.”
Jesus’ fierceness is hounding us – calling to us,
tiger-like in its strength.
Mother-hen-like in its gentleness.
Those two are not working alternately, but rather, simultaneously.

Jesus is not putting up barriers or hurdles for us to leap over.
Instead, Jesus is willing to give himself up for us,
in order to transform each one of us.
Jesus will give himself up to be killed if that will help him to do that for us.
And that is precisely what Jesus does for us.
Jesus gives himself up to be crucified, knowingly,
because Jesus just can’t give up being a mother hen for us - -
to gather us up under those loving wings.

Blessings on your Lenten journey,

Fr. Bob

21 Feb - Tempted to Fear

Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13

At Vestry Bible Study this week, one of the vestry people said that this passage, for them, really pulls out the human side of Jesus. I totally agree!

So there’s Jesus, newly filled with the Holy Spirit after being baptized, and he goes out into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted. And after forty days of fasting – no food, it said – the devil comes to him and says: “Why not make yourself some bread?” But Jesus says: “it is written: we don’t live by bread alone.” All the temptations touched some core human fear and in this case the fear is not having enough, not being able to sustain. And Jesus, when he replies “we don’t live by bread alone” is saying that we need more than just food to sustain us. We need God. We need the Holy Scripture.

Then the second temptation – the devil shows all the kingdoms of the world and says to Jesus: “I will give you authority over all of this, if you will just worship me.” This touches on our fear of being inconsequential, powerless. But Jesus says: “nope. We’re only supposed to serve God – God only” because if he were to give in, he wouldn’t really be in control. It’s an illusion. The devil would be in control.

And the third temptation – he takes Jesus up to the pinnacle of the temple, the highest point in Jerusalem and says: “Jump!” Because after all, “isn’t it written,” the devil says, “God will send his angels and servants and make sure your foot doesn’t hit the ground.” This, pretty obviously, touches on our fear of death and fear and doubt that God doesn’t exist. And Jesus says: “Don’t put God to the test.”

Temptation is all around us.

What is God asking us and teaching us in this? To discern. Jesus, in each case, addresses a human fear by quoting Scripture, assuring us that God is there and saying, “read the fine print”. How many people or stories have we heard about getting duped out of their life savings in a pyramid scheme or some other con, all because they’re worried about something; they’re fearful that they’re not going to have enough. So – to discern. If you get the feeling that it might be too good to be true, it’s probably too good to be true. Read the fine print. Ask yourself, where’s God in this? What am I being fearful about? So whether it’s fear of not being able to sustain, fear of feeling inconsequential, fear of death, fear and doubt, we have a God who fills us with the Holy Spirit at our baptism, just like Jesus; who forgives us when we fall down and who hopes that we will turn to him because, just as the devil moved away from Jesus for a more opportune time, the devil moves away from us for a more opportune time.

Peace,

Deacon Sue

14 Feb - Dazzling With Spirit

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, Luke 9:28-36, (37-43)

On the last Sunday of the Epiphany season, we have the story of Jesus’ transfiguration. Jesus has gone up on a mountain with a few of his disciples. While there, his appearance suddenly changes. His faces changes and his clothes become dazzling white. For us, living in the 21st century, these are not what we might think of as extraordinary images. We have seen all kinds of special effects in movies and television—the more spectacular, the better. A shining face and dazzling clothes? That is pretty ho-hum stuff for us. What happens if we shift from our position as modern-day onlookers and enter into the story? Put ourselves in the place of the disciples—in their time, in their setting. Jesus, a leader and teacher whom they know well, has changed in some dramatic way.. The writer of this account describes the change in terms of physical appearance: changed face and dazzling clothes. The response to this? Jesus’ followers are stunned. What is familiar has disappeared. They are plunged into uncertainty. They have to stretch their minds and their hearts to take in this new experience.

The transfiguration is a sudden, dramatic event, but it is part of the on-going story of Jesus’ ministry. The story of Jesus and his disciples. Time and again, we hear how Jesus stretches their understanding, leads them to new places. The story of those early followers is one of constantly being stretched. Embracing Jesus’ vision of a better, different world. Moving into the unknown. We have much in common with those early disciples. Like them, we listen to the teachings of Jesus and his challenges, his commands. Calls to move to new places of understanding. To respond to needs in the world. To reach out in acts of love and compassion farther than ever before. We know the story of those early followers of Jesus. They listened. They responded. They made a difference. It is up to us to carry on that story.

Peace,

Deacon Sue

10 Feb - Fish With Faith

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples "You will be catching people."

If we claim to be Jesus disciples today, what can this promise mean for us? It will mean different things for each of us. It will mean risking more, being not quite so comfortable in our pews, holding back less, investing more of ourselves in living.

I hope it will mean our being less of the "establishment church," and more of being like the people that pressed after Jesus, seeking his teaching - people who look for, and see, the holy in living.

Surely it means for all of us, that we find some way of sharing with others - that our faith in Jesus Christ is an important factor in our lives. After all, if you or I discovered something of tremendous help to us, wouldn't we share it with people that we care for?!

Maybe this day, what we need most to pray for, as the people of God, is a return to being like the people who pressed after Jesus - "in-between people" if you will - people who dwell neither completely inside nor outside the structures in our society, but once again to live primarily, in the freedom of God's Spirit. Amen.

Peace,

Fr. Bob +

1 Feb - Unconditional

1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28

Many of us have heard the 1 Corinthians chapter 13 lesson read at a wedding or a funeral. I would propose, though, that we shouldn’t have because it’s not a lesson written for individuals and the love is not romantic love. As with any time one takes a passage of scripture out of context to create its own meaning, we miss the point of the overall big picture.

Last week we heard chapter 12, where Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the gifts of the Spirit and he was aware that the Corinthians were using these gifts of the Spirit as a form of competition. So, chapter 13 is a continuation of that conversation where Paul is chiding them. Love is not an emotion, as he writes of it; it is a state of being and an action.

For Paul, love is the center of all things. Through the spiritual gifts and our actions we stay connected and in relationship with God. Now you might notice that the word “God” is not in this passage at all.. However, God is throughout this passage. Two sentences that are most commonly quoted: “Love is patient. Love is kind”; those words are how Paul describes God in his letter to Romans in chapter 2: patience and kindness.

Then there’s verse 13: “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” Well, what does that mean? William Barclay writes: “Faith without love is cold; hope without love is grim. Love is the fire which kindles faith and it is the light which turns hope into certainty.” The heart of our Christian faith is these three things. Paul is asking us, and the Corinthians, to strive to be Christ-like, to express love in a state of being and in our actions; actions such as simple things like taking out the trash, doing the dishes, not screaming and yelling and making obscene gestures to the person who cuts you off in traffic. Will we fail? You bet! I do. However, what are we called to do?

And I propose that Paul says it best in the first sentence of chapter 14: “Pursue love.”

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC

17 Jan - Sharing Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11

In the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul offers a teaching about the Holy Spirit. He writes, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” Whatever our individual gifts are, they all come from God. God activates them in us. Our words and our actions are the Holy Spirit manifest, made visible in us.

Paul also states, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Our basic orientation in life is toward the common good. What we say, what we do affects the other members of that family. As people of the Spirit, the intention of our words and our actions is basically good. Our desire is to have a positive impact on others, so that our common life may flourish.

We live in relationship to one another. What we do matters. When something happens to our sisters and brothers, wherever they are, it matters. It affects us. We have become painfully aware of that reality with the earthquake in Haiti. Our response? Our orientation to the common good, our deeply rooted gift of compassion takes hold. We ask: What can we do? We want to help, but how?

First, we can pray. We can pray collectively as a faith community and as individuals. Pray for the people of Haiti: for the dead, for the injured, for those who have lost loved ones, homes, possessions, and hope. Pray also for those who are actively working to help Haiti recover and rebuild.

Second, we can support the relief efforts for Haiti. What is needed most right now is money. Episcopal Relief and Development is an agency that is already at work in Haiti. You can make a contribution to ERD on-line, or St. Simon’s will help you make a contribution. On Sunday, January 24th, the free plate offering will be designated to ERD. You can write a check to St. Simon’s and note Haitian relief on the memo line. We will gather those checks and the cash and send a check to ERD. Or, you can choose another relief organization that is working in Haiti and support their efforts with your contributions. As time goes on, I am sure there will be other opportunities for us to support the relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

Peace,

Deacon Sue

10 January - The Holy Spirit In The World

Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Our denomination doesn’t celebrate Epiphany the way we celebrate Christmas and Easter. But it’s just as important because it is when Jesus’ divine being was made manifest to the gentiles and this happened through the Magi; foreigners coming and seeing Jesus and knowing that Jesus was both human and divine.

Then we come to the baptism of Jesus and in the baptism it says that, after he was baptized with everyone else and was in prayer, the heavens opened and the Spirit descended like a dove and God said “I am well pleased.” This is the moment that Jesus was fully empowered for his ministry. Now, Luke writes a lot about the Holy Spirit. Before we even get to this chapter, he’s talked about Jesus being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. John and Elizabeth and Zechariah and Simeon are all filled with the Holy Spirit at various times. It even says that Jesus was growing in the Spirit. But now, with the baptism, his filled with the Spirit and empowered.

To paraphrase J.B. Phillips, every time we say: “I believe in the Holy Spirit” we are saying that we believe that the Living God can come into our lives and make a difference and help us serve others and discover our ministries. How often do we think about this every Sunday when we say the Nicene Creed? How often do we think about it when we say the Baptismal Covenant? How much do we think about it when we make promises when an infant is baptized that, yes, the Holy Spirit fills us and will fill you and we will help you to discern the Spirit and discern your call to ministry? We should.

Because we are saying the Baptismal Covenant today (because it’s a special day), I invite you to think about the Holy Spirit, when you pray that “I believe in the Holy Spirit” and think about how the Holy Spirit empowers you; how you might feel the Holy Spirit in others communicating with you and how the Holy Spirit is calling you to your ministry of serving others as Jesus served others and his Divine nature was made manifest.

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC