Vicar in the 'burbs

An "Angel" in our midst

2011-12-19T22:50:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's been 6 months since I blogged. No excuses...it just has happened that way. I hope that this is the re-start of writing more often! But don't hold me to it -- life flies by when you're in the middle of your 6th decade...

Advent is almost over. Christmas is coming in less than a week, and we at St. Paul's have been blessed by an angel -- though I'm sure many of our parishioners have not recognized her as such, and I didn't either, until yesterday.

During this Advent, St. David's, Austin (my "home" church) has been experiencing some controversy -- in the news: radio, television and the newspaper, due to their unusual steps in attracting the downtown community to Advent: graffiti on the walls outside the church -- not the work of "gangsta" artists, but the work of one of St. David's young members, commissioned by the church. Their "theme" is Light Interrupts-- calling attention to the downtown community that when Christ's light appears, it interrupts our daily life. They have a daily email to go along with the theme, pointing out that God does interrupt our lives in many ways.

I've been so touched by many of the "Light Interrupts" posts, but today's really got me thinking about what has interrupted me, and turned on the light. A couple of weeks ago I got a phone call at the church from a woman who needed help. I had some money in my discretionary fund and told her to come to the church and I'd see what I could do. It was an interruption in my schedule, but at this time of year, with the economy the way it is, I wanted to help.

It was obvious that this woman, who called herself "Angel", was not a "normal" person: there were signs of mental instability, if not mental illness. Yet she told me a story that tugged at my heart, so with church funds I paid her electric bill and bought a Walmart gift card to buy food and gas for her car. It's one of the best "perks" I have as being a priest -- being able to make a difference in strangers' lives.

Most every church has one or more people living with mental disabilities. At St. Paul's, I guess we've been insular, or not blessed, because we haven't had anyone during my tenure that isn't simply your average, every day Christian (though we have been very blessed with having a few really saintly people). Now we have been blessed with Angel. She has been with us each time the doors have been open for worship.

Although she has caused a bit of apprehension with young parents of little ones because she loves babies and wants to touch them (as well as their parents), Angel is harmless and a loving soul. She's quite inappropriate at times, and as a result has interrupted my schedule frequently, but the most wonderful interruption was in Adult Ed yesterday. In our discussion, Angel suddenly raised her hand, asking permission to speak (though she didn't need to ask -- no one else does). She proceeded to explain the Hebrew meanings of our text, and explained the spirit behind what was written! After class, two of our members thanked her for her words. It is obvious that underneath her mental problems, she is quite bright, and has a lot of knowledge.

God interrups our lives in many strange and unexpected ways. Angel (though that is not her "real" name in the sense of the world) has become an angel to our congregation. May she continue to interrupt all our lives at St. Paul's, bringing our compassion to the fore, as she brings her life into our midst.

Who's "in" and who's "out"?

2011-07-21T00:07:00.000-05:00

Proper 11 – Yr A

Genesis 28:10 – 19a

Psalm 139: 1-11, 22-23

Romans 8:12-25

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

I think I could have written three sermons on the scriptures today. Each one is so filled with important messages for us. In our Old Testament reading, we have Jacob fleeing into the wilderness. For those of you not familiar with this story: Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, fought with his older twin brother Esau even in the womb. They were fraternal twins with nothing in common. Isaac loved Esau best because he was a hunter and brought meat into the household. Their mother, Rebecca, knew by prophecy that Jacob, though he was second-born, would inherit and rule over his brothers and receive his father’s blessing. Suffice it to say that in a moment of weakness Esau gave Jacob his birthright. At a later date, Jacob outright lied to their blind father to get Isaac’s blessing and therefore, Esau’s inheritance as firstborn. Esau promises to kill Jacob, and at this point in the scriptures, Jacob is fleeing for his life, out in the wilderness, trying to go to his mother’s brother for sanctuary. He feels as though he has lost everything, and may yet lose his life. Jacob lies down to sleep without even bothering to look for a soft or pleasant place – the sun had set, and he merely moves a stone to use as a pillow, and, exhausted, falls into deep slumber.

This man is not an upright and moral man. A liar, a thief if you will, and from his family, no less! Yet it is to him that God comes. God isn’t calling to Jacob from heaven, She is standing beside Jacob; repeating the promises made to Abraham and Isaac of owning great amounts of land, having many children and possessions; how Jacob and his family will bless the nations. God says that Jacob will never be alone; God will always be with him.

In the morning, Jacob realizes that this deserted place is the house of God. He takes the stone he used for a pillow, turns it into an altar, pours oil over it as a blessing, and names it Bethel, literally “house of God”. Throughout history, we have used oil for blessing, anointing and sanctifying, both people and places. Jacob is not worshipping the stone; he is making a sacrament, the physical and outward sign of an inward and spiritual event.

And this event: the coming of God to Jacob, changed not only the place where it happened, it also changed Jacob. Though it’s not in our reading for today, the next verse shows the dramatic turnaround that occurred in Jacob’s life: he makes a vow, telling God that if he survives the coming ordeal and is eventually allowed back into his father’s lands in peace, he will be God’s devoted servant. This opportunist and liar has become a man of God. God’s message to Jacob about how he will be a blessing to all the peoples of the Earth is surely a blessing to us. It shows us that there is always hope – hope that, with God’s help, we can turn our lives around, from a path of destruction such as Jacob was on, to a path where we will be a blessing to others.

Paul continues his letter to the Romans in our New Testament reading, and again I remind you that there is a great difference in the way Paul uses the word sarx or “flesh” and soma, which means “body”. Flesh has to do with an unhealthy attitude and focus on the body, whether it is an obsession with making your body perfect, or being obsessed in a sexual way. It has to do with power, over yourself or other people. The body (soma) has no negative connotation, it is neither good or bad, it is simply the body. In this passage, Paul is telling the people that because they have accepted Christ, they, and we, are God’s children, that we are heirs of God’s kingdom, brothers and sisters of Jesus.

The Roman Christians were experiencing persecution; enduring great difficulties in their lives. Paul reminds them not to fall back into fear: that as servants of God, we have no reason to fear. This world is not as it should be – it wasn’t then, and it isn’t now. Suffering is part of all of life; we all experience great pain at some point – whether it is physical or emotional, it just is, because the world is not as God wants it to be. Paul’s point is not that anyone (including Christ) earns glory by suffering; rather, as he seeks to describe what it means to be a joint heir with Christ: he notes that the joint heir's life is characterized by the same pattern that shaped Christ's life. To be connected to Christ is to know humiliation, and exaltation. To be an heir with Christ is to share in Christ's suffering and resurrection.  

Paul is not saying hope for heaven, in the sky, by and by. That freedom of which he writes is not freedom from the material world, but freedom within a restored creation. It is the freedom of an embodied life that reflects the image and glory of God. Paul points to that freedom and describes what it is like to hope for such a thing here and now. He uses the words for "son" and "child" to refer not to Jesus, but to his siblings, we who are led by the Spirit. As "flesh" referred to a power that enslaves us and keeps us from participating in God's glory, the Spirit is the power that frees and enlivens us for a new identity as children of God.  

  One cause of suffering for those who have received the Spirit of adoption, is that the Spirit has given us reason to hope for more than we can see. Paul’s meaning of suffering includes anything that threatens to separate us from God's love. For now, the suffering Paul speaks of is suffering that comes from knowing what the world could be, even as we live in the world as it is. Then he writes, “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Let us be patient, my friends: for the joy engendered in our relationship with our Creator through Christ Jesus is worth the wait.

Our Gospel is a wonderful teaching for us, though to simply read the scripture without digging deeper might only bring us confusion, and lead us in the wrong direction. We have wheat and weeds, comingled together, and the servants are anxious to pull up the weeds, to root out the “evil” in the field so that a bountiful harvest would grow, undeterred by evil weeds within the wheat field. I doubt that there is anyone here who hasn’t questioned why God allows evil to exist. Haven’t we all at some time wanted to take matters into our own hands and get rid of the evil we see? The master stops the slaves from doing anything of the sort. For one thing, it is not so easy to tell the weeds from the wheat, and for another, their roots are intertwined below the ground. Rooting out the weeds would uproot the wheat as well; doing more damage to the crop than leaving the weeds to grow until harvest.

It sounds as though Jesus is saying that there are two groups of people in the world -- children of the kingdom and children of the evil one, wheat and weeds -- and that their destinies are fixed from the beginning. Jesus says that at the end of the age, the angels will "collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin (skandala) and all evildoers, and will throw them into the furnace of fire”. Elsewhere Jesus warns those who put a stumbling block (skandalon) before any of the "little ones" that it would be better for them to have a millstone put around their neck and to be drowned in the sea. Similarly he warns that if your hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin (skandalizo), it is better to cut it off or pluck it out and enter life blind or maimed, than to be thrown into the "hell of fire" with body intact. All of these phrases are hyperbole of course, exaggerated speech meant to jar us into recognizing the seriousness of anything that leads us, or others into sin. It seems to suggest that skandalon may be something within a person rather than the whole person.

We know that it is not really our hand, foot, or eye that causes us to sin. Sin comes from the human heart: kardia, which in Greek refers to the inner self, the mind and will. No human is able to pluck out the inner self. Perhaps when Jesus says that the angels will collect all skandala to burn in the fire, he means that everything within us that causes sin will be burned away.

It doesn't quite fit the logic of the parable, which seems to be talking about two groups of people and speaks of throwing all evildoers into the furnace of fire. Yet it fits with other texts in Matthew about stumbling blocks.  Remember where Jesus tells Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block (skandalon) to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." In spite of these strong words and Peter's repeated failings, Jesus does not give up on Peter; rather, he entrusts the future of his mission to him and the rest of his disciples, who more often than not don’t understand what he’s trying to teach them.  So perhaps we shouldn’t take the parable too literally. In the world we know, weeds do not become wheat. Yet Matthew's story holds out hope even for those who stumble -- yes, even for the one whom Jesus calls a stumbling block!

Perhaps there were some overzealous "weeders" in Matthew's congregation who wanted to purify the community by rooting out the bad seed. This seems to be a temptation for followers of Jesus in every age. Many Christians carry on a weeding frenzy, certain that they know the difference between weeds and wheat, and that they know how to deal with the weeds! Jesus' parable makes clear that any attempt to root out the weeds will only do more damage to the crop. This has happened far too many times in congregations and denominations, with some determined to root out anyone who does not agree with the "right" interpretation of Scripture, liturgical practice, or stand on a particular issue, or way of life. There are many who pronounce judgment on people outside the church: on people of other faiths, for instance: declaring them to be destined for eternal damnation. Whether judgment is focused within the church or without, it does serious damage to the church and its mission.

Jesus makes clear that we are not the judge of who is "in" or who is "out." In fact, in scripture we are told that God's judgment about these matters will take many by surprise: that many will be “in” that we don’t expect, and many will be “out” that we never thought would be. The Bible tells us that God is love, and Jesus tells us to be a neighbor and friend to all. We can leave the weeding to the angels, and get on with the work Jesus has called us to do: loving all those we meet and caring for those in need. Amen.

My Memorial Sunday Away

2011-07-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

I thought I put this up a month ago! Well, here it finally is -- I've got to get better about keeping this blog more current! It seems that life is getting in the way of writing...

My Memorial Sunday Away

In Memoriam

Capt. Joshua S. Meadows, USMC

1979 – 2009

KIA, Farah Province, Afghanistan

We (about 50 of us) drove about 30 minutes from the wilderness campsite up rocky roads, parked and then hiked/climbed another 200 or so yards from the top of a West Texas mountain out onto a promontory that on three sides hung over a very deep canyon, hundreds of feet down. As we gathered around a mound of rocks that held an American flag at half-staff, four WWII trainer planes did a flyover, disappeared into the distance, then came back around and directly over us did the missing man formation. Thomas Meadows, a Murchison Middle School student and son of one of Josh’s cousins, played taps on his bass clarinet.

            I read scriptures about eternal life from The Committal (page 501, BCP) then spoke of how we were gathered to honor Josh, to place a plaque on “Pop’s Peak” in remembrance, and to release his remains, his ashes, back to the earth. I prayed the beautiful prayer also found on pg. 501 and then we all prayed the Lord’s Prayer.
            Josh’s uncle Henry told the family history of “Pop’s Peak”: how their father/grandfather/great-grandfather had loved that peak and how they had climbed it many times. Directly underneath the peak is a cave once used by Indians. Henry related how Josh, as a ten-year-old, had been down there with his grandfather and found potsherds, arrowheads and points. He then explained that after Henry, Sr. died, they’d placed a bronze plaque into the stone, and when Josh’s father, Robert died, they did the same for him. Now Josh has a plaque there, which would be unveiled at the end of the service. Then Henry turned on the music, playing tunes that were reflective of the Meadows family’s heritage: Celtic, American, Southern, and Marine.
            As the music faded, Angela (Josh’s wife) and his sister, Erin, joined together on the side of the cliff and speaking softly to one another; they took handfuls of his ashes and let the wind carry them away out over the valley. Jan, Josh’s mom, held his little daughter, Olivia Claire, who was born just weeks after her Daddy died.
            Then, Patrick (Josh’s cousin who arranged the ceremony) and Jan removed the Marine flag from Josh’s plaque so all could see. Angela took Olivia, and they knelt by the plaque. Little Olivia patted the plaque and said “Daddy,” and I couldn’t stop my tears from falling, along with many others around me. Then as Thomas played taps once again, we began the trek back to the parking area.
            Before we left the top of the mountain, about 25 or 30 people took their guns out of their trucks (including at least 4 automatic weapons) and proceeded to give Josh what was “billed” as a 2100 gun salute, shooting out over the canyon for quite some time. It was the perfect finish to Josh’s memorial. I was so very honored to be a participant. Josh is a hero, having saved the lives of all of the men with him when he covered their retreat. Josh was the only casualty of the fire team he commanded. He was an amazing young man. The world is lesser for his loss and heaven is blessed to have him.

Friday Five at RevGal!

2011-03-18T19:05:00.000-05:00

Jan at the Rev Gal blog spot asked these questions this morning, and for the first time, I'm playing:

Whether we liked it or not, we all "sprang forward" with the change to daylight savings time in the USA this past Sunday. There is lightness and brightness slipping in as spring approaches, so let us consider what is springing forth in our lives right now.

Name 5 things that are springing forth, possibly including :
what you hope for
what you dread
what you observe
what is concrete
what is intangible

Okay, here goes:

What I hope for: That the small mission I pastor will come alive in the Spirit during this Lent. We have been growing, and the love is ever-present. I pray that those on the edges that don't have experience of a church "family" will catch fire and want to be active and present.

What I dread: I know this one is quite personal. With so many horrendous things going on in the world, it seems selfish and self-centered. What I dread is my continuing problems with the pain and degeneration of my spine. I am so afraid that the doctors will never find a solution, and I won't be able to stand behind the altar to celebrate communion, or stand to preach, or do any of the things I want so desperately to do. I pray for a solution without pain.

What do I observe: Like so many of you, I'm very aware of Spring breaking forth. The redbud trees and the salvia, the special greens of new growth. Sitting on the porch to write as I watch the new gazebo rising in my backyard. So many blessings!

What is concrete: That God is love, and loves all of Creation!

What is intangible: The joy that springs from my heart as I do my priestly things. It is so right, and what I've been called to do. Thank you, God, for putting me in this place, a place where love abounds!

Pluck out your eye! Cut off your hand!

2011-02-16T10:29:00.000-06:00

I give thanks for the research and enlightenment of the Right Rev. Michael Rinehart of the ECLA Church. Much of his exegesis and some of his words are contained in this sermon. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hellfire and Damnation! You are going to burn – I Am Going to BURN!! If you’ve thought it in your mind or heart – you may as well have done it, because you are certainly going to get the punishment as though you had! Who hasn’t been angry with someone? Haven’t we all? Have you been divorced and are now remarried – or living with someone outside the vows of marriage?? It’s hellfire for you! It’s hellfire for me! Oh, NO!!!
How often have we heard these messages? From Dante’s “Inferno” through Milton’s “Paradise Lost” on up through our Puritan history to screaming televangelists today, what we hear leads us to look at these verses of Jesus and quake – shaking in our shoes that we really are in a world of hurt and there is no way to work our way out of the deep sin in which we find ourselves? Oh…My…God! What can I do? I find myself in a wonderful and decent marriage, but Jesus appears to call this one adulterous, because I’ve been married before! What shall I do?
Well, I think I can tell you what we all need to do, and that is: take a deep breath and calm down. Fundamentalist preachers have interpreted these words of Jesus for hundreds of years in a completely different way than most theologians read them, whether those theologians were from the ancient world like St. Augustine, and Luther, or modern theologians. People who read the Bible literally, without considering the circumstances in which they were said, can completely misunderstand Jesus’ meanings.
In this particular scenario, we are hearing a portion in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We’ve been reading it in order for the last three weeks. But suddenly, after the words about Salt and Light we heard last week, come these hard words. So different and so harsh from what has gone before. I think it is very important that we understand what Jesus was doing here.
When people hear “hellfire,” they take it quite literally. Jesus may have meant it literally, but I suspect not. Translated from the Greek, this phrase reads: “into the Gehenna of fire,” which refers to the dump south of Jerusalem where garbage was burned. I don’t want to negate the image of judgment here. Jesus certainly means to say that there is a Judgment Day coming, in which things are going to be sorted out, good and bad. Bad stuff will be burned like trash. But, we have to hear this as literary hyperbole. Here’s why: In just a few verses, Jesus will instruct his listeners to tear out their eyes if they are a cause of sin. I presume he didn’t mean this literally, as there’s no evidence that Jesus’ disciples mutilated themselves. St. Augustine assumes that Jesus is speaking metaphorically. These shocking images work. They ring in people’s ears two thousand years later. He’s using a powerful homiletic tool, preaching tool, to make his point.
So what is the point? Relationships are important: more important than vengeance, more important than retaliation. We can do violence with our words. When we do, mending those relationships is more important than going to church, or making our offerings. Asking others for forgiveness is as important as seeking God’s.
About the statement on anger, Martin Luther explained it this way: We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray, slander, or hurt our neighbor’s reputation, but defend, speak well of our neighbor, and explain everything in the kindest way.
About Lust, I’ve got a quote that may shock you, but it made me stop and think: our beloved C. S. Lewis said the following: “He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart.” What Jesus is really saying is, he is very interested in the heart. What you think matters: your motives matter. Transformation of behavior alone won’t do. Actually, it won’t work. The only hope is transformation of the heart, from which all actions flow.
I suppose even if we are entirely chaste, our lusting will work its way out in other ways, resulting in: anger? Resentment? Unhealthy relationships? Fear of intimacy? Selfishness? I’ve always felt that lust and covetousness came from the same source. It’s the desire for more, more, more, no matter how much I have. It is, at the heart of things, self-centeredness. God will have to deal with this in us, if we are to become spiritually alive.
And now, to Divorce: Consider this. A man could “put away” a woman by simply writing down a note. “I divorce her.” The Bible was used to justify this practice. The woman had very few options. There was a huge power differential. Jesus is upholding the sanctity of marriage. The goal is faithfulness. And fairness.
The Hebrew Bible’s laws about divorce are draconian and patriarchal. They are about men’s rights to divorce women, not women’s rights to divorce men. By and large, they assume women as a possession of men, traded for shekels like cattle. Women have few rights in this system. Consider this passage from Deut. 22: If a man meets a virgin who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are caught in the act, the man who lay with her shall give fifty shekels of silver to the young woman’s father, and she shall become his wife. Because he violated her he shall not be permitted to divorce her as long as he lives. So, if a man rapes a woman, his punishment is paying the father 50 shekels and marrying the woman. She is forced to marry her rapist. She cannot seek a certificate of divorce, and neither can he. One can only wonder about the marital dynamics in such an arrangement.
It seems to me that Jesus, by criticizing divorce, is making it more egalitarian. The woman couldn’t divorce anyway. Jesus is leveling the playing field. And he creates a loophole: “except on the grounds of unchastity.” And it’s quite a loophole. What qualifies? I can imagine physical or emotional abuse as being unchaste. There’s wiggle room here, just not, “the man said so.” Jesus is not a fan of divorce, or broken relationships of any kind. It’s tragic really. But even he leaves a loophole. There is grace here.
The following three statements on oath taking – only saying “yes” or “no”; going the extra mile rather than retaliating, and loving our enemies, are also points of grace. Without discussing them in detail, what Jesus is doing is calling his followers to a higher standard than the law given by Moses. He is saying that our behavior in adhering to the law does not bring life. Those who are peacemakers, full of mercy and hungry for justice will see beyond the letter of the law to its deep inner yearning for purity of heart and a world of justice. They will exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. Righteousness is not obedience to legislation, but perfect conformity to the will of God. The end product is that we are to be: children of our heavenly Father: righteous and merciful.
These words we’ve always heard as harsh and scary, are really words of love. Jesus calls all of us to respond in love to every situation, hurtful and hard as those situations might be. He is calling on us to be sacrificial with our thoughts, words, actions and feelings. He is telling us that we can change our hearts to hearts of non-judgmental love. Until our lives overflow with caring more and doing more for others than for ourselves, we’ve missed the boat on what it means to live the Christian life.
It is time to move into the next level. To move beyond our worship in this place, to moving out into the world, showing people we do not know and who don’t know us, what living in Christ’s love truly means to the world. It’s time to get our priorities in order: to go out and live the love we’ve been given. Amen.

The Exiled

2010-10-15T10:41:00.003-05:00

Parts of this sermon were strongly influenced by a sermon written by the Rev. Richard Fairchild. My prayers of thanksgiving for his work and willingness to share his talents with the world go up to God this day. Amen

Jesus was walking toward Jerusalem. On his final journey there that would end on the cross. He was near the border to Samaria when ten lepers call out to him. These people had a disease that was the equivalent of AIDS in the early ‘80’s, if you are old enough to remember the fear of AIDS at that time. These people were under a sentence of death. Leprosy was so feared that the victims of this disease were total outcasts.

By the rules of their society, rules created by a fear of contamination, lepers were forced away from society except with other lepers, and when they encountered healthy people, they rang bells that said to others, “keep away – I am lethal!”
Until very recently, people who had leprosy, what we now call Hansen’s disease, were treated as the living dead: shunned, avoided, feared, they were believed to be unclean, as men and women of the greatest misfortune (if not guilty of huge sins) as people beyond help and not worthy of notice except, perhaps a little charity.

As Jesus entered a village these lepers approached him and called from a distance: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” They must have cried out with a sense of futility, for so few people even acknowledged their presence. Jesus did something unusual for him. Rather than saying, “be healed” – “stand up” – “take up your bed and walk”, Jesus responded to their cry by saying “go and show yourselves to the priests.” Now Jesus was referring to Leviticus chapter fourteen, which specifies what a priest is to do with a leper who happens to get healed. If cured, the leper could gain readmission to the temple, and to the rest of society, if he was ritually purified and certified as “clean” by a priest.

Yet, despite the unusual response of Jesus, they turn and go, and as they walk down the path towards the priest in the village, they are healed. The Greek word translated “healed” in verses14 and 17 is a word that literally means cleansed or cured.

As we know, one of the ten, a Samaritan man, realizing he had been made clean, turned back and praising God with a loud voice he came to Jesus and prostrated himself: he fell on his knees and his face before Jesus’ feet, and thanked him. And Jesus looked down on him and said to his disciples:

“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?” And then he said to the man: ‘Get up and go on your way, your faith has made you well.’”

The word for “well” used here in the Greek can mean cured or healed, but it also means to be made whole or to be saved. My Friends, Jesus’ point is that it is faith that makes us whole. In this story, we have the opportunity to see faith in a different light than we might normally see it. We have the opportunity to see faith as something that leads us to a life that is more than just being well: it is what leads us to wholeness. Through this story we can see that faith is nothing more difficult, nothing more profound than remembering what God has done and giving thanks to him for it.

What, after all, is the difference between the nine lepers who are made clean and the tenth leper who is not only made clean, but also made whole? Just this one: of all the healed lepers, the Samaritan, realizes real resurrection. He alone comes back to say “Thanks”. He realizes that his healing comes from God, through Jesus, and that God has put him in a relationship with Jesus and that relationship alone has made him whole and alive again.

Both last Sunday and today, our reading from Jeremiah has focused on the people who were exiled: taken into Babylon when Israel was conquered. The people torn from their homes and their way of life, are similar to the lepers in our gospel. And there are people here in Central Texas who have been made to feel like exiles. There are many more around the country, and I believe that God is calling us to love them, to let them know that He loves them, just like we are told God loves all of Her creation.

There is something going on in our country that is being almost shouted from the rooftops. I think we’ve finally realized that we are drowning in incivility. People’s rudeness toward others covers the spectrum, with everything from road rage to employee abuse, to people taking their anger out on strangers. But what has really caught my attention, and most probably yours, if you put any focus at all on the news, is the increasing numbers of teen suicides as a result of bullying. Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among college-age students (after auto deaths) in the United States, with some 1,100 deaths a year. In yesterday’s paper I read about four high school kids in one Ohio town who killed themselves during the last year: one was a girl named Sladjana, whose family recently immigrated from Croatia, and she was ridiculed for her accent and unusual name. She hung herself. Another girl was gay, and another was teased mercilessly because she had a learning disability. Eric, a boy from the same town wasn’t gay, but the school bullies decided that he was because he liked to dress differently. He shot himself in the head.

You may have heard about the death of five teens that took their own lives in the month of September. Raymond Chase, 19; Seth Welsh, 13; Asher Brown, 13, here in Texas; and Billy Lucas, 15, in Indiana, all committed suicide after being bullied and harassed about their sexual orientation. And, just a little over a week ago, Tyler Clementi, 18, of New Jersey. He did it because he didn’t know how to live with what was done to him. A brilliant musician, Tyler was a freshman in college. He had an amazing future in front of him but, in torment over his roommates “outing” him by broadcasting a video of his sexual encounter with another man, Tyler threw himself off a bridge.

Honesty and openness about sexuality is difficult at any age. For teenagers, it can be simply paralyzing, an almost impossible subject to discuss with parents or other adults. Kids don’t know what to do, or how to protect themselves, and harassment is devastating to fragile, emerging personalities.

But bullying isn’t just about sexual orientation. It is a tragic and deadly trend in our schools that students are not being held accountable for their disrespect of others. In Bob Lively’s Faith column, also in yesterday’s Austin paper, he quoted theologian Richard Rohr, saying that though our human problems are for the most part psychological, the solution for those problems is mainly spiritual. It is so obvious to those of us who know and follow the Lord Jesus Christ that our world is hurting so much because we are not following his command to love one another and to treat each other as we would like to be treated.

In our baptismal covenant, we say that seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. We say we will strive for justice and peace among all people, and will respect the dignity of every person. As followers of Christ it is our place to step up in protecting those who are being harassed, and to try and show bullies a better, more compassionate way to be.

As the lepers were shunned and shut out of society, so are many of our children being shunned and shut out, or even worse. One of the many reasons I love my job is because I have the privilege of knowing the youth of St. Paul’s. I cherish each and every one of you, and you can pass the word to any and all of your friends and acquaintances. It doesn’t matter to me what the trouble is: anyone, any time, can feel free to come talk to me about anything in confidence– there will be no judgment given, only caring concern, and thoughtful support. There is nothing you can tell me that will shock me – and with love and God’s help, we can find a way to make things better.

The good news is that we can do something about this. Each of us has a responsibility to be present in the lives of our youth, offering them reminders of their belovedness as members of the Body of Christ, and giving them the support they need to thrive. As Jesus pointed out in the Gospel today, as we love and care for one another, and as we give thanks to God for his grace given to us, we have the opportunity to become whole. That it is through God’s loving grace, manifested through His people, that we all find healing and wholeness from the hurtful things of this world. And as one helps another, and that one loves another and helps them, the world can be changed. Amen, and amen.

What a FABULOUS Weekend!

2010-10-03T18:28:00.002-05:00

Oh, my, I feel like my prayers have been answered...at least for this past two days. St. Paul's had a yard sale on Saturday, and most of the church pitched in to organize things on Friday evening, and then came back to help with the sale. It was a real community effort just like we've been praying for, and everyone seemed to have a great time (and we made some good money to further along our plans for our 25th anniversary celebration too!).

Then, including the young ones in the nursery during worship, we had 52 people at church! And most of them stayed for Sunday school and our usual potluck lunch that we have on "First" Sundays (the first Sunday of every month). It was so good to study God's word together, and then visit while we ate and cleaned up the church.

Then, there was just time enough to run to the store to buy treats for the animals for our 2:00 PM St. Francis' Blessing of the Animals (as I promised and almost forgot to get). This was so that every pet that was brought by their person or people to the blessing service could enjoy refreshments just like the people did. We had 18 people, 12 dogs and 1 cat, including the two precious dogs from the Pflugerville Animal Shelter who are patiently waiting for someone to adopt them. One was an older female pit bull mix who was simply sweet and loving. The other was a young black and white terrier who, from a standing still stance, jumped almost 3' off the ground! And he did it over and over again, every time anyone paid him the slightest attention. If you are thinking of adopting a dog, get yourself to the PAS in a hurry -- these sweeties won't last long!

I'm not sure how much money we raised for the shelter, but there was enough dog and cat food to help them out for a few days anyway, and it was a real blessing to have animal control officer, Michael, with us again for the second year. It has been an amazing few days -- full of love and laughter and church family. We are so very blessed to have each other!

Where to begin....?

2010-08-31T12:00:00.005-05:00

The pilgrimage to Malawi was life-changing. I'm not sure how exactly, yet...I'm still processing it all. Such beautiful, joyous people -- joyous in the Lord, even when they are lacking any creature comforts, and live as our early ancestors did, with dirt floors and no water or electricity, and no toys for the children except balls made from plastic bags tied around with string. It made evident how very spoiled we are here in the States.

It all seems to relate to our Gospel reading for next Sunday, Luke 14:25 - 33: How much are we willing to give to be a follower of Christ? Are we willing to pay the price to follow Jesus? What is first in our lives? He tells his "many followers" that there is great cost in choosing him. He tells them that they must weigh the cost and choose. Have we truly chosen, or are we among those many followers who aren't really following Him -- simply walking along and listening, saying we believe and are followers, but not truly choosing to live the Christian life? What is most important in our lives?

It seems to me that we here, in a place that has every creature comfort imaginable, have become so attached to those things which give us comfort, or mindlessness, (read that as bleeping out on television, being a "workaholic", depending upon alcohol or drugs, watching sports or playing video games) that we have forgotten what could -- and yes, should, be the most important focus of our lives.

Why is it that we don't focus more on the one thing that truly can bring us the most joy that it is possible to experience? Is it because we have become so jaded with the "entertainment" or "busyness of work" that we can't allow ourselves to just sit and be with God? Is it because we have spent so little time with Her that it's uncomfortable to be in silence, doing nothing but paying attention to Him?

Yes, Jesus was telling the truth when He told those many followers that they needed to count the cost of following Him. Yes, we may lose friends and acquaintances, if they are just with us to play, and see what they can get from the relationship. If they are attached for selfish, or frivolous reasons. For what Jesus is saying is that if we are truly to follow Him, all that we have -- all that we possess in this life -- must become unimportant to us in comparison to our love for God. Somehow it seems that we should lose some "friends" or even family, if we choose to love God first. It seems obvious when I think about it, that when our priorities are in the proper order, our reality changes: we become immersed in God, and many other things fall away -- and there is a parting of the ways because we no longer relate to people in the same way we did when we were caught up in the trappings of the material world.

The most amazing thing is, that when we truly let go and release our attachment to all these things that we "love" on this Earthly plane, and focus on God as the source and destination of the only true love, we find ourselves complete -- lacking nothing -- and living in total joy.

This is what I experienced in Malawi, and what I experience in my own life when I allow myself to be still in the presence of God. It changes things. It is what makes life have meaning. What I don't comprehend is why I have such difficulty remaining aware of Him. It is the most glorious experience of my life, and yet I get caught in the mundane, and forget to focus on Her. It seems so hard in this place, back in everyday life. Perhaps this is why I had such a hard time leaving Malawi: Out there in the bush, working with the orphans and widows, God was so palpably evident...It was all I wanted to do for the rest of my life...

And then I realized that I can do more from here than I could ever do being there. That doesn't mean that I don't want to go again, and focus on certain things that I only got a glimpse of on this whirlwind trip to see so many different projects that are making a difference. But this is home, and it's where I belong.

In our Gospel for Sunday Jesus says we must hate our families, and I have trouble with that. Not only do I love my family and need to be with them; I also love my parishioners, and know that we are doing good work, growing in our love of God together. Although he literally used that word, hate, perhaps he was using it in a quantitative sense, that we should love God so much more. I don't know. I firmly believe that God is love and wants us to reflect that love throughout our lives to everyone -- perhaps Jesus was talking about attachment. There are so many opportunities to share the love of God, now matter where we are -- it seems to me to be a matter of putting God first.

I will not let go of my love of the land and the people of Malawi. They have taught me many great lessons: lessons of priorities, lessons of focus, lessons of love. Love in the deepest sense. Love that comes from deep within a relationship with God, which pours out to the entire Earth and all the people in it. For God loves all of His creation, and what I believe She wants each one of us to be is a conduit of Her love to all those we meet, and that happens no matter what continent we are on, or where we are on our journey.

Heading into the bush

2010-07-15T18:28:00.003-05:00

It is just a few days until I get on a big "bird" and fly to the other side of the world...as chaplain of a group of seven, including me, to experience pilgrimage in the country of Malawi. Don't know where it is? Well, Google a map of Africa and look southeast. Where we are going (in the southern part of the country) is completely surrounded by Mozambique, which is just north of South Africa. It is one of the poorest, most destitute countries of the world, plagued by AIDS and therefore, there are many orphans.

The Diocese of Texas signed a concordant agreement with the Diocese of Southern Malawi in January -- we are now "Sister" dioceses. We go to meet our brothers and sisters in Christ, to rejoice with them in the love of Christ, and to see how we might help them with worldly needs while they teach us how to love. You see, from what I know about the Malawian people, they don't have a bunch of "stuff" as we do here in the States, but they are overflowing with the love Christ calls us to live in. I think that they know more than we about real living.

I may be unable to post while I'm there -- I don't know what access I will have to wifi and the web, but know that my thoughts and prayers are with you all while I am across the world.

When their bishop, the Right Rev. Bishop James Tengatenga came to St. Paul's a few months ago, one of my parishioners asked him, "What will Judith do when she is in Malawi?" Bishop James replied, "Well, I hope she encounters God there." I, too, hope to encounter God among these beautiful, loving people. Please pray for our group while we are there. We all believe God is calling us to this place, and will help us realize how He wants us to be family together.

Have you time to make a call?

2010-07-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

July 4^th:Proper 9 -- Year C

II Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30, Galatians 6:1-16, Luke 10:1-11,16-20

What I gleaned from this Old Testament story of the healing of Naaman is something I believe is very important for all of us to hear. I think we usually tend to either sit around waiting for God to call us to do something dramatic, something out of the ordinary…or we’re so afraid that He might call us to do something that’s going to disrupt our lives, that we don’t listen for His call.

What the story of Naaman is telling us is that God usually calls us to do something simple, something that’s easy. What God most particularly asks most of us to do is a gentle healing of our lives and the lives of others through a simple change of attitude, a change of heart. These are both of the Old Testament lessons today. Rejoice, for God is with us and loves us, and…open your minds and hearts to be ready to do the little things, in simplicity.

Our Epistle reading from Galatians is about “Karma” – that Hindu and Buddhist word for the idea that, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” If you are selfish, you’ll get selfish people surrounding you. Ignore the presence of God around you, don’t pay attention to spreading His love around, and your life will pretty well be overgrown with weeds, with problems that are difficult to clean out of your life. But if you let God’s love grow in you and you share that caring love with those you encounter in your daily life, your life will bloom. Bear one another’s burdens and the burdens will be lighter for all of us.

Paul tells us to plant things of the Spirit within ourselves, and in those we meet, and what we will reap will be the joys of heaven. He writes that we are to do whatever we can for the good of everyone whenever we have the opportunity. And he reminds us of what our attitude should be when he says, “May I never boast of anything, except the cross of Christ.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. He goes on to tell his followers (and that’s us as well as those people he spoke to so long ago). He goes on to say that we don’t need any special preparation for doing his will. Simply go your way, and when you are with others, share God’s peace, help them however you can, tell them that God is near them, and your name will be written in heaven. Sometimes, God calls people to make dramatic changes in their lives, and to undergo huge sacrifices for the faith, but most of the time, God wants us to do His will right where we are, in the little things of life. Sometimes we don’t even realize that it is God’s urging that is moving us in new directions.

I have a story about some new friends that Lewis and I made on our trip. Timir Banerjee and his wife Elaine happened to sit with us at dinner the first night of the tour. They live in Louisville, Kentucky, where they are both active in their faith. Elaine is a nurse who is doing additional graduate work, and is interested in integrating spiritual aspects of life into the healing process. Timir is a retired neurosurgeon who has in the last few years begun teaching 5^th grade three mornings a week. He came to the United States several decades ago from India to practice medicine and improve his life: he is a naturalized American citizen. This story is one that Dr. Banerjee told us over dinner.

He started out by saying what an amazing country the United States is, how in this country things can happen that would never happen anywhere else. And he shared with us the story of Dennis.

The year was 1978, and Dennis was a 32-year old patient of Timir’s. Dennis had a debilitating lung condition that kept him from living on his own, or providing for himself. He spent lots of time in the hospital to undergo oxygen intubations for his condition. In consultation with Dennis’s mother, Timir found out that it didn’t matter to her whether Dennis was in the hospital or at home, she couldn’t rest. She never got a good night’s sleep due to her worry that Dennis would become unable to breathe, and would die with no one to help him.

When Dr. Banerjee discovered how distraught Dennis’s mother was, he couldn’t let the problem continue. He picked up the phone and called the headquarters of AT&T and asked to speak with the president of the company. He didn’t even know the man’s name, but he did know that at that time, AT&T owned Bell Laboratories, and he thought maybe they could help in some way. Timir actually got through to the top man, and he explained the problem. (You see, at this time there were some monitors built for pediatric use to alert nurses if a child had difficulties, but no monitors that alerted someone if an adult patient’s breath stopped.)

The President of AT&T told Dr. Banerjee that he didn’t believe he’d ever had a more important problem to solve, and he would be in touch as soon as he could. Just a day or two later, Timir received a call telling him that two engineers from Boeing were flying in from Seattle and they’d be in KY in a few days to get to work. These men came in and developed the medical monitor that results in an alarm if a patient stops breathing.

Dr. Banerjee, the hospital, Dennis, nor any of their insurance companies, were ever charged even a penny for the work that went into the development of the monitor. These men did what needed to be done because they wanted to help someone they didn’t even know. Timir told us that this type of thing is what makes us different, and why he wanted to be a citizen of this country. Timir explained that he wanted to be a part of a place where a relative nobody could ask for help from a powerful person just by picking up the phone.

Timir grew up in the Brahmin caste, the highest and most powerful level of India’s caste system. Here there is no caste system: each person is equally valued, be they a major corporate executive, or someone without a job or home. We have been taught from early childhood that all people have value, each person in the world has equal value with every other person: there are no untouchables here. Our forefathers founded this country on this basic principle that Christ teaches.

Timir has done some other dramatic and unusual interventions to help people since he became an American citizen. Shortly after the shootings in Columbine, CO, he formed a non-profit organization named SPAVA, an acronym for the Society for the Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence among Adolescents. Their mission statement says they exist to produce a nonviolent society by being mentors and role models for our youth. Last year, as a fundraising and public relations effort for the charity, Timir walked all the way across the country.

The message I got from all that Timir told us is that he believes what our forefathers wrote about equality and liberty, and he believes what he’s read in his Bible about caring for one another. These gave him the courage, or maybe simply the belief that we are all able and called to make a difference, so he does it. All it took to prevent Dennis’s death, and his Mom’s sleepless nights, was a phone call, and Timir made it. God calls all of us to take those steps: to make that phone call. Timir thought he came to the U.S. to practice medicine and have a better life. But because he saw a need and took the brief minutes necessary to make the call, thousands of lives have been saved, and will continue to be saved.

God calls us all to be open to love and to care for all of those we encounter. May each and every one of us, this day and every day, give thanks that we have been put in this place where we have the freedom to be conduits for God’s love flowing into the world. May we remain aware that no matter how young or how old, rich or poor, educated or not, we are able and capable of making a difference in the world around us, and this is what God calls all of us to do. Amen.

Sinners! Sinners everywhere!

2010-06-14T00:31:00.004-05:00

Here is my sermon for today: 6/13

Proper 6, Year C

2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15, Psalm, 32, Galatians 2:15-21, Luke 7:36;-39

Sinners…I see sinners…everywhere I look, within and without the church, in every Bible story I studied all week long, nothing but sinners! Now why do you think that’s so? Well, I got to thinking about all these stories of sinners, and it became obvious – everyone sins. Everyone but Jesus, that is. We can delude ourselves and start ticking off lists of all the wonderful things we do, and how we don’t cuss, and we remember to pray, and how much we love all the people we know, but I’m here to tell you, we all sin.

Some of us know how we personally sin, and many of us don’t. Sometimes it’s really hard to look at ourselves objectively and see where we are falling short. Some of us are aware that we get really angry with loved ones at times, and we don’t control it. Others of us have road rage. Sometimes we might mutter, “Stupid” under our breath when thinking of a coworker. Some of us don’t control our drinking, and it causes great strife within the family. And others of us get caught in looking at the negative side of things, and yet don’t realize that this too can be a sin. Sins abound around and within us.

So, it only makes sense that on occasion the Lectionary would focus on this pervading aspect of life, that every one of us experiences. Let’s look at these scriptures for today.

First we have the ancient tale of King David, and how, though he had hundreds of wives and concubines – an entire harem of beautiful women at his beck and call – he saw Bathsheba on her rooftop across the way from his palace, and he coveted her, the wife of his general, Uriah. We aren’t told how Bathsheba felt about the situation, but David, as a powerful king, could not be denied no matter what he wanted. Uriah was away, fighting battles for King David, and David is busy impregnating Uriah’s wife.

You probably know the story. How David sent for Uriah to come from the battlefield in hopes that he would be with his wife while at home in Jerusalem, and return to the battlefield, only to believe later that the child was his. But Uriah was an excellent soldier who would not leave his troops even while they were on R&R – he did not go home to see Bathsheba.

So David plotted to have Uriah sent into the most dangerous part of the battle, using his enemies to take care of his problem. Uriah was killed in battle and, after the proper period of mourning, Bathsheba was called to David and he made her another of his wives.

God sent Nathan to challenge David, to point out to him how he had flaunted the laws of God. And David didn’t even recognize himself in Nathan’s story. When David said that the rich man who had stolen the lamb from the poor man should be killed, Nathan replied, “You are the man!” David’s anger suddenly turned to great remorse. He realized his sin, and repented. He still had consequences to face because of what he had done, but his relationship with God was restored.

In our Gospel reading, we heard of someone so much like we tend to be. The Pharisee, Simon, was so sure that he recognized all the sinners around him, though his sin of judging others never entered his mind. He knew that the woman who followed Jesus into the house was not worthy to even enter his door, and yet there she was, crying over Jesus’ feet, drying them with her hair and anointing them with ointment. Simon was interested in who Jesus was and what he had to say, but he didn’t care enough for his guest to even make sure that what was considered common courtesy was extended to him: no one, not even the lowliest servant, came to offer him the opportunity to wash after coming in from the dusty roadways.

Yet when this unnamed female fell down at Jesus’ feet and cared for him, crying over her sins, Simon could only judge and wonder if Jesus really was a prophet, for surely no prophet would let a woman like that touch him! "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him-- that she is a sinner."

Jesus is quick to respond to Simon’s unspoken thought: "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, 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." Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

You see, Simon believed in the letter of the law, not the heart and meaning behind the law itself. He never considered or looked at why God laid down the rules: that they might be for healing and for love, rather than simply arbitrary laws to follow with no reason. Jesus was asking Simon to look deeper, beyond what he’d accepted as law…to look deeper to find the love God was trying to embody in his creation.

There are people outside of these walls who do not understand what we’re doing here. There are quite a few who say that churches are full of hypocrites. That we talk a good game about love and compassion, and then we go our merry ways, treating others just like every other cheat and swindler who plots to do evil. What those people haven’t understood (and it’s probably our fault because we haven’t told them) is that church is not a club for the angelic high choir whose members have it all figured out. Church is a hospital for sinners. It’s a place we come to hold up before our eyes the very best examples of how we wish we were. This place is for healing, and for forgiving, over and over again. We all sin, every day.

Oh, excuse me. There may be some here who don’t know the definition of “sin” and here I’ve been using the term all this time. The Encarta Dictionary defines sin as: “an act, a thought, or behavior that goes against the law or teachings of a particular religion, especially when the person who commits it is aware of this.” The second meaning is ”something that offends a moral or ethical principle.” Looking further, Jesus himself told us how we are supposed to live when someone asked him, “What is the greatest commandment?” He replied, “To love God with all your heart and soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.”

Anytime we aren’t living fully out of that place of love, we are sinning. Oh my word! It’s nigh to impossible to live in that love all the time, isn’t it? Jesus didn’t think so. It’s the only thing we are about in this place: reminding ourselves that we are sinners, attempting to grow more loving. Being aware of when we fall short of that love is the most important thing. For when we are aware of our shortcomings, we begin to change, and become more like Christ. When I suddenly realize that I have not been living in a Christ-like place, that I’ve been crabby and short and mean, immediately, contrition and confession pop into my mind. I turn to those I’ve been rude toward and ask for their forgiveness, and ask for God’s forgiveness also. And I repent: I turn around my actions and face God – becoming more loving once again,

This is what we are called to do. We, like all, have gone astray, and our repentance is what God asks of us. To turn our faces into His love, and to carry that love with us, as much as we possibly can. And to continue our striving to become the pure love God desires us to become. When we ask forgiveness, our Lord does forgive. Then we too, can sing with the psalmist, as we read today: “Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!” I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord, shout for joy, all who are true of heart.” Sinners, rejoice in the forgiveness and love of the Lord! Amen.

Summer of Love

2010-06-05T09:01:00.001-05:00

In San Francisco back in the 1960's, there was a certain summer that was called the "Summer of Love." In many ways, that place and time was simply a big, long party for the young people who indulged themselves in all sorts of hedonistic behavior. Though I cannot condone those aspects of that summer, I have also heard stories that vaguely remind me of the early church: stories of people who took in strangers and cared for them, people who shared their food with those who had none.

In the Christian life, all seasons, the entire year through, are designated as times of love. Jesus calls his people to love one another, no matter the place, time or situation. Summer in particular is a hard time for many of the poor here in Pflugerville. The breakfast and lunch programs available for children in the schools suddenly end with the summer break from classes. The Storehouse, our local food pantry, has an influx of people requesting more food because the children are home full time and the cupboards are bare. Remember our commitment to serve those in need. Bring your gifts of non-perishable foods, most especially canned meats and dry grains (rice and beans) for the storehouse.

Our community has many hurting people and they are praying for help. Your hands are God's hands, moving in the world to care for all God's people. Let's make this Pflugerville's Summer of Love by providing for the needs of the people of our town. May God bless you as you serve him through serving His people!

Don't Worry, Be Happy

2010-04-14T23:09:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about peace. In last Sunday's gospel, Jesus kept giving the disciples his peace. And one of the few things that never changes in a Eucharist liturgy is all the people giving each other God's peace. Wow! If we could just sit with that long enough, and be aware of God intensely enough, we really could have that peace that wipes away anxiety and worry. God does take care of us, and God wants us to enfold in our being that peace which passes understanding. Sounds almost like a Bobby McLaren moment...You know, "Don't worry -- be happy." Maybe that's my new mantra.....

2010-03-12T17:06:00.003-06:00

Oh, Dear Ones,
My heart is so heavy -- it is truly broken. St. Paul's has lost a most precious member of our family. Rose Binyi was just 44, wife of Michael Kilongson, both of them Sudanese immigrants, both of them citizens of the U.S.

Jude (7) and Edward (3) are their children, and Rose was pregnant with their third. On her way home from working a double shift, with streets wet with rain, and on a very curvy road, Rose lost control of her car, and she and her unborn child are now with God in heaven.

Michael lost his job in high tech over a year ago, and he has been caring for the boys and attempting to start his own healthcare business while Rose held down two jobs. Our dear Lord is the only one who knows how the three of them will continue on. St. Paul's is determined to pull together and provide whatever they need, as we are able. There is also a strong Sudanese immigrant community and they have really rallied around to help.

It seems odd to go online at my blog and ask for assistance, but this is bigger than any of us individually. If you have the wherewithal to do so, please send your check to: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 28, Pflugerville, TX 78691 -- and mark the check to the Kilongson fund. It will be a charitable contribution. We will use the funds to pay for the funeral and various other expenses to care for the boys until we can find employment for Michael and affordable day care for Edward. God bless you each and everyone!

1st Sunday in Lent: God has blessed us, Sinners tho' we be

2010-02-21T17:47:00.005-06:00

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Romans 10-8b-13
Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, just like all of us, was tempted. He was tempted to selfishly use his God-given power to relieve his own hunger and break his fast, rather than keeping to the discipline he had set for himself. He was tempted to grab earthly power and let his all too human ego take first place, tempted to become the earthly ruler that the Jews expected to come and rescue them from the Romans. He was even tempted to show off supernatural powers by seeming to take flight, and calling the angels to set him down gently on the hallowed ground outside the temple. Though it isn’t mentioned in the scriptures, I imagine that like any other thirty-year-old man, one who is torn by thoughts of being selfish, powerful and egotistical, he was also tempted by lust.

Does that sound sacrilegious to you? It’s important that we remember that while Jesus was fully divine, he was also fully human. He fully experienced every human emotion and trial that we experience, tempted and torn by the actions of others as well as his own inner feelings and desires, just like us. And yet, we are told that he was without sin. He chose God, and his relationship with God rather than succumbing to temptation. Would that we were like him!

However, we are not. We all fall short of the glory that he exemplified in his life here on Earth. We are tempted daily, whether by envy, or sloth, gluttony or selfishness, impatience, right on up to uncontrolled anger, and yes, lust, perhaps even adultery. Blaming others for our own mistakes, even if only in our thoughts. Being self-righteous and thinking we are better than other people. Not having a heart of forgiveness when others hurt us.

Our headlines for this week show us good examples of how temptation to sin can get out of control. Tiger Woods said it perfectly. He had worked so hard all his life to be the best, that he felt he deserved to enjoy all the temptations of life. And they are so easy to find. I am sure he never meant to hurt anyone…but he didn’t think, and he forgot God and his vows, and he hurt a lot of people, including himself.

Joe Stack appeared to be a normal, regular everyday sort of guy according to his acquaintances. But he held grudges he never mentioned to anyone, until it all boiled out of control on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. We don’t yet know, but I think perhaps he had deep-seated mental problems, rather than simply being tempted into sin. However, that’s how his illness played itself out: he sinned against hundreds of people, most especially the one he killed and those he injured and traumatized, as well as those he supposedly loved, his family.

Those are big, headline types of sin, but our scriptures tell us that sin is sin, and shouldn’t be graded according to how dramatic or well known it is. Sin is quite simply anything, thought or action, that separates us from God: anything that takes us away or removes us from relationship with God. If you are like me, you experience sin in your life on a daily basis. I know I am frequently aware that I have done or said something that has turned my back to God, and I must turn around again, for that’s what the word “repentance” means, to “turn around” and live moving toward God. It is a like being a soldier on guard, trying to be aware of every movement away from Him. There is no way to accomplish it, for we simply are not capable of being perfect.

And yet we are so blessed, in that God sent Jesus to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to Him. In our reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, we hear the glorious news that our sins no longer condemn us: "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

No matter how tough the times are for you right now, whether you’ve lost your job or your household is in chaos, there is no question that we are blessed. We have been given an amazing heritage through our faith, and through the lives of our ancestors, those who went before us and brought us to this country where we can worship and live in freedom. Our immigrant members know first hand how supremely blessed even the poorest of the poor are here in the U.S. How wonderful it is to live in a place where there is relative peace in our neighborhoods, and we have the ability to work and have shelter, food, and medical care. It truly is a land of milk and honey that we have inherited.

In our lesson from Deuteronomy today, we are told one of the ways we are to honor God and to thank Him for our blessings. We are to bring the first fruits of our labors to Him. Now I sincerely hope you don’t want to string me up for mentioning this subject again, but the scriptures brought it up: I’m merely following the lectionary. Among the things that blesses us most is our church community. We are extended family, and care for one another, and for the larger community around us. We come together to worship, and to learn about God, and to further his kingdom on Earth.

How are we to do that if St. Paul’s has to close its doors? Where will we meet if we can’t pay the electric bill? We’ve done some pretty amazing things in the last few years, mainly because we were able to find grant money, and a few people who were willing to help us anonymously so that we could build the new additions to our church. Those people and foundations who helped us were not members of this church, but they had faith in us that we were doing good work for God and his people. But now we’ve got a problem: quite a few of our members are not financially supporting us.

God asks each of us to give of our time, our talents and our money to further the work of the church. The church needs and expects all of those things from its members. If you have not turned in a pledge card, do so. And don’t leave the money part blank. Determine that you will find $5 or $10 dollars a week to give St. Paul’s, even if it means skipping a meal…you remember that fasting thing? It won’t disturb you greatly to try that out every once in a while. Depend on God to protect and guide you. And as the Psalmist wrote, “you shall say to the Lord, ‘You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust.’ Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the most high your habitation…He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

All of us are sinners, but we have been given an Advocate with the Father, His only Son, and he has sent the Holy Spirit, to guide and guard our ways. Let us praise God with all our being, giving ourselves and all our lives to Him in awesome gratitude for all He has given us! Amen.

Miracles of Wine and Spirit

2010-01-18T10:14:00.001-06:00

Sermon for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany

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

It always made me wonder: why did Jesus make so much wine? I mean, 6 huge pots that held 20 to 30 gallons each? That’s a prodigious amount of wine. Well, I’m going to explain why they needed so much. Marriage at the time of Jesus wasn’t a religious celebration so much as it was a contract between two families, with the prospective groom paying the bride’s father for the bride at the betrothal. The contract, or ketubah, was signed and given to the prospective bride, setting out the financial arrangements and terms of maintenance of the marriage. The wedding took place as soon after the engagement as the groom could prepare a home for the bride.
The actual wedding was a procession of the groom and his friends to the bride’s home, where they met the bride and her friends and family, and then everyone returned to the groom’s house to party, and I mean party. Jewish wedding feasts of that time went on for a full seven days! The bride and groom would go into seclusion during part of the time, but the guests continued to party and feast for the whole week. So, lots of wine would be expected and necessary. So much for the trivia, let’s take a close look at this exchange between Jesus and his mother.
To remind you of the sequence of things, Jesus had gone to the Jordan River and been baptized by John, at which time God announced from the heavens that Jesus was His son, in whom He was well pleased. The Gospel of John doesn’t mention Jesus’ temptation in the desert, but has him beginning to gather his apostles the very next day. And today’s reading begins, “on the third day” – so in John, this first recorded miracle occurs just two days after Jesus’ baptism. No wonder our Lord didn’t feel ready!
Theologians through the ages have argued back and forth over things we aren’t told in the Bible: Did Jesus know he was the Son of God while he was growing up? Could he and did he perform miracles as a child? Or was it at his baptism that it came fully upon him what he was and what he was called to do? From our story it seems as though Mary is telling her son to make more wine for the wedding, but if we didn’t know the story and were merely eavesdropping on this scene, it’s possible that we might expect Jesus’ next action to be to tell the servants to come with him to the wine shop to help carry the amphoras of wine back to the party. But by what he does, I believe his mother knew him well, and had no doubt of what he could accomplish.
Even though he says he isn’t ready, Mary expects her son to mind her request, and like any good Jewish son, he listens to his mother. As he performs his first miracle, it seems to be almost against his will. Jesus, like any of us human beings when called to a great and unusual task, tried to put it off, to say, not yet, not now, not me. Isn’t that what we most often do, when we are challenged to do something that is beyond our comfort zone, a bigger task than we’ve ever attempted before? Or something totally new and different that seems difficult? No, you don’t really mean me, do you? Oh, no, that’s a job for someone else, or maybe a committee needs to take this one on, not me.
In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians which Karen read to us earlier, Paul teaches them, and us, about spiritual gifts. He says that there are different types of gifts, and service, and activities in the kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit brings all these gifts; it is God who gives these abilities, and He gives every one of His children spiritual gifts for the common good. Every one: that’s you, and you, and you, and me. We are all given gifts, and we are to use them to serve God and our fellow man by doing different activities that our gifts suit us for to grow the kingdom.
In this particular passage, Paul speaks of the gifts of the Spirit: Some of us are given the ability to speak wisely and give good, Godly advice to those around them. Others can share their knowledge and have a natural talent for teaching; some people are endowed with great faith, and their quiet trust can be an example to us all. There are those here who have the gift of healing: who have a healing touch and a comforting way, and believe it or not, there is most likely at least one person here who could perform miracles, if they believed they could.
Prophecy is one we frequently misunderstand: it is not telling fortunes or foreseeing the future, it’s speaking the truth – telling people what is going on in the here and now that we might not realize or notice. It’s calling people out to be their best selves, and it is a great and fearsome gift, one that is not easily accepted, as we know by reading about the prophets in the Bible: people rarely want to hear the truth about themselves.
Paul speaks of discernment of spirits, and I found this explanation in the writings of the Rev. Murray Spackman: “The dictionary defines “discernment” as being able to see clearly, to distinguish, discriminate, to see or understand differences; to have clarity of mental insight. When this word is linked with “spirits” some may begin to think we are getting a bit spooky, but stick with me. Discernment of spirits then, is the ability, the God given gift, of being able to distinguish in a given situation, whether there are human, divine or demonic forces, spirits or powers at work. Discernment of spirits can operate from the very ordinary to the very spooky, but we need to be aware of the full range.
St. Paul, writing to the church in Thessalonica says – “”Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of the prophets, but test everything…” This is a good sound principle for the Church – test everything! Don’t just take at face value everything that is said or proposed, or spoken, even if a person claims to have a word from God. Check it out: test it! Someone will make a statement and it may sound fairly good and correct, but sometimes, how it is said, or the exact content of the statement, or the implications of what is said will cause a disquiet within one or some of those who hear it. That person may not be able to put their finger on exactly WHAT it is that gives them this disquiet and unease, but they will know that it doesn’t seem right. That is the gift of discernment of spirits at work. It is interesting that often those who are generally very quiet verbally are given this gift, and it is tremendously beneficial for the church. So, if you are one of those people who often sit quietly in meetings and don’t say much, but within your spirit you feel at some point a strong impression, either for good or of disquiet, then I encourage you to exercise your gift and share that feeling or impression. It may well be an important warning or signal for the church. So the gift of discernment of spirits, at its simplest level, can help us to discern when something is motivated by God’s spirit or else motivated by our own human spirit, and as we know, our wisdom doesn’t always follow God’s wisdom.”
Now the gift of tongues is one we Episcopalians know almost nothing about. And some Pentecostal churches that insist you aren’t saved unless you have this gift don’t seem to know much about it either. It is my understanding that the gift of tongues is something like the language of angels, and usually has a strong message for the church. Most often, the person speaking in tongues has no understanding of what the meaning of their utterance is: it is just gibberish to them. The way we know that it’s more than just noise is that someone truly speaking in tongues is always accompanied by another person who has been given the gift of interpreting what is being said. I’ve never seen this happen, but St. Paul says that the Holy Spirit activates these gifts just as surely as the Spirit activates all the others, just as the Spirit chooses.
Scripture tells us that we all are given gifts of the Spirit, and some of us even have the gift of doing miracles! All of these gifts are miraculous in their own way, and when God gives us something, we are to acknowledge it and use it to his glory and for the furthering of his kingdom on Earth.
God calls us. Sometimes He calls us through our friends. Perhaps he will call you through your children, or something you are asked to do here. Maybe you younger ones will be called through your Mother or your Father. Maybe we’ll argue, like Jesus did to Mary—“What do we have to do with this? It’s not my time.” Maybe you’ll say no for years. No, you don’t really mean me, do you? Oh, no, that’s a job for someone else. I know I said no for years, and kept doing the easy stuff, hoping God would say it was enough. But He kept at me until I gave in, gave myself to him completely and said yes. The funny thing is, though my life is different than I thought it would be, I’m happier and more full of joy than I ever knew it was possible to be. I didn’t have to give up anything that really mattered to me; I didn’t even have to really change at all. All that I did was surrender my life to Him, and let Him lead me, and oh, what an amazingly wonderful ride this past five years has been! I call you, on behalf of our Lord God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of Life, come! Give your life over to Him, and open your hearts to whatever gifts He has for you. My friends, you have a glorious life ahead of you! Say yes, say yes…Yes, Lord….Come, Lord Jesus…Amen.

Welcome to fall!

2009-09-14T17:26:00.002-05:00

Well, I certainly didn't intend to just drop the blog for the entire summer, but that's obviously what happened! Not only did I relax and read a lot, we traveled and in spite of the heat and drought had a wonderful summer. We're enduring recovery of my hero's recent foot surgery and he's not having the easiest time of it -- but it will be over in the not too distant future. Here below is the Rally Day sermon for our mission in the 'burb. Time to step up to the plate and hit some home runs out of the ball park. Hey, it is September, and the playoffs are close, football is taking over the airwaves! (Patricia, mentioned in the sermon, is our wonderful Director of Congregational Development.)

A little over a week ago, I went to the installation of Morgan Allen as the new rector of Church of the Good Shepherd. It was a beautiful service with Bishop Andy Doyle as celebrant. My dear friend, Dr. Roger Paynter of First Baptist was the preacher. Roger spoke to Morgan, and to all of us who are ministers, that our job is not simply to be pastors, but to also be prophets. Now many people believe that word “prophet” means someone who sees into the future, like a fortune-teller. That’s not the Biblical definition. What the prophets in the Bible, and prophets today do, is speak the truth in love. It is a job that isn't as easy as being a pastor -- someone who cares for and shepherds the congregation. Rather, Roger was telling us that it is important to speak out the truth of what we see in our congregations, and in the world. To not only love and care for our people, but also to challenge our people to grow in their love of the Lord – to help our members become stronger, more spirit-filled Christians, rejoicing in doing the work of God.
In our Old Testament reading for today, we hear words of prophecy. Wisdom cries out to the people, “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” The writer of Proverbs is telling the people that it is time to wake up and pay attention, that it is way past time for the people to turn from being caught up in the world, and time to focus on the truth to be gleaned from immersing themselves in holiness.
Peter was the “rock” upon whom Jesus built his church – the #1 disciple, right? And yet, in today’s Gospel, Jesus has no hesitation in saying to him, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." Jesus is prophesying, telling the truth to his premiere disciple, calling Peter to face his lack of understanding, to see how his view of life was caught up in the mundane, the worldly, rather than striving to see with a spiritual, God-focused heart.
We have a few people here at St. Paul’s who are obviously in love with God and his church. They actively embrace whatever opportunity is offered to learn more about God, and they join in study and conversation. They devote energy to making this community a family. They have never stopped seeking a deeper relationship with God.
And there are those here who have yet to hear the intensity and recognize the importance of God’s call. There are some of us who may see themselves in the words of this poem by Wilbur Rees:
I would like to buy three dollars worth of God, please.
I would like to buy just a little of the Lord.

Not enough to explode my soul and disturb my sleep.

Not enough to take control of my life.

I want just enough to equal a cup of warm milk.

Just enough to ease some of the pain from my guilt.

I would like to buy three dollars worth of God, please.

I would like to find a love that is pocket-sized.

I don’t want enough of God to make me love a black man, or pick beets with a migrant. Not enough to change my heart.

I can only stand just enough to take to church when I have time.

Just enough to equal a snooze in the sunshine.

I want ecstasy, not transformation.

I want the warmth of the womb, but not a new birth.

I would like to purchase a pound of the eternal in a paper sack.

If it doesn’t work, I would like to get my money back.

I would like to buy three dollars worth of God, please.

I would like to hide some for a rainy day.

Not enough for people to see a change in me.

Not enough to impose any responsibility.

Just enough to make folks think I am ok.

Could I just get three dollars worth of God, please?”

I speak frequently of the Holy Spirit setting hearts on fire – the transforming power that comes from being in love with God. Have you ever personally experienced it? Perhaps the flame burns brightly in your heart. Or has the flame now become a barely smoldering coal, or even gone cold? If you take a coal from the fire and set it on the edge of the hearth, the flame quickly dies down and the coal quits burning. Yet the coals in the midst of the fire will continue to burn brightly, because they feed each other. It is that same experience in the church. Yes, corporate worship is important, this altar is where we come to be fed, both spiritually and physically, it is where we praise and worship our Lord. But also important is our time together in study and group prayer, in sharing our lives, in getting to know one another intimately, becoming true family. Our Lord is calling us to build a close-knit community here, one that spends quality time together, interacting with one another as well as worshipping together. A community that rejoices in working together to bring hope to the world around us.
In the next few weeks, we are going to offer and encourage, challenge and inspire each and every one of us, of all ages, to come together and build up the fire of the Holy Spirit in this place. I have mentioned our audio Bible challenge over the past couple of weeks. We will begin listening to the New Testament next Sunday, the 20th, when every member will be given their free CD of the New Testament. In addition, Patricia and I have spent many hours praying for guidance for ways to bring us closer to one another and to God, to hear God’s vision for St. Paul’s. Patricia, please come up here and tell the people about some ideas we’ve had that we believe God is calling us to do.
(Patricia’s time, in which she spoke beautifully of storytelling, teaching/mentoring, outreach, pastoral care, and a social dinner gathering that the Episcopal Church calls Foyers. These will be continuing areas of study and activity. She also explained again our wonderful new program called "Faith Comes by Hearing" in which we all have CDs to listen to the New Testament, 28 minutes a day for 40 days. We will finish the NT just in time for Advent. We also welcomed the input of all members into a discernment process for other things we could do together to build the church.)

Closing Prayer:
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Bless us we pray. Send down upon this place the fire of your Holy Spirit. Break open our hearts, Lord; that we may be filled with your love. Hold us in your hand, Lord, and blow upon us the wind of your Spirit, that the light of your love will become a raging fire that will set this community ablaze. In the name of your Son Jesus we pray, Amen.

Playing for Change

2009-05-21T20:29:00.003-05:00

Dear Ones, This is an amazing amalgam of musicians, working together in unity and love. Listen to the newest song, then go to playingforchange.org to read about their philosophy, how they do what they do, and hear more music!

Easter Reflections

2009-04-15T22:28:00.002-05:00

What was Holy Week and Easter Day like for you? For me, it was very busy, and absolutely wonderful. On Palm Sunday we had a palm procession that began outside near the bell tower and we sang as we walked into the church. Our friend Alyssa Stevens and her mom, Laurie, came to play their violins, and along with Ron's organ playing made beautiful music for us all.

On Maundy Thursday, St. Paul's had its first Seder dinner, followed by our traditional service with foot washing. What an amazing time we all had together. It enriched us, and the Seder was meaningful: we learned a great deal about our history, and it was lots of fun, too.

A small group gathered on Good Friday evening to walk the Stations of the Cross. We used a wonderful book, "The Way of Sorrows" by Katerina K. Whitley, and we each came away with a feeling of having meditated deeply on Christ's journey to the cross.

On Holy Saturday, we gathered outside the church in the dark and lit a fire. With prayers, we lit the Paschal candle from the fire, lit smaller candles from the large one, and processed into the darkened church chanting, "The light of Christ, Thanks be to God." We read parts of our history from the Old Testament, the altar candles were lit and the lights came up as we proclaimed that Christ is risen! As in the Early Church, we proceeded with an adult baptism, my first time to celebrate that sacrament, then shared Eucharist together. It was a most holy night.

Easter Day brought a small group for a lay-led "Sunrise" service, followed by a crowd for the main Eucharist at 10:30 -- we had 14 visitors! Alyssa again brought beautiful music with her exquisite playing of the violin, which greatly enhanced the service. And, of course, we topped off the day with an Easter egg hunt for the children.

I am still glowing with all the memories. I pray your Easter experience will continue to bless you in every way.

Jesus Cleans House

2009-03-16T21:23:00.003-05:00

I was the preacher at a local retirement home yesterday afternoon. They asked for a longer sermon than I usually preach, but it was well received and I thought I'd share it with you. Hope you like it! (Some historical and theological information taken directly from rockies.net, zionism-israel.com and JStor.org websites.)

Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19
I Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, *O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. Amen.
This story of Jesus and his anger, yes anger and physically acting on that anger, sounds like a great deal of chaos in a holy place, doesn't it? We will look at what was going on and why Jesus did what he did.
But first, let's start out with our Old Testament reading of the Ten Commandments. As those of us who study the Bible know, these rules we call the Ten Commandments were far from being the only laws of the Hebrew people, but they are the first we come to in the Bible, and the ones we Christians focus on.
From a 21st century perspective, we can look at these commandments in four groups. The first three deal with the worship of Yahweh as the only invisible, holy God who makes a claim on the Israelites as their Savior. The next two, on the Sabbath and the honoring of parents, focus on economic and family aspects of life. Rest is necessary for productive labor and the family is the fundamental unit of human society. The next three have to do with the life of the family or individual in the larger community. They deal with such basic realities of human society as the sanctity of life, of marriage and sexuality, and the respect for property as an extension of persons. The last two are of a social nature speaking of truth in the law courts and honoring the rights of others.
It is strange how we view laws as things that hinder our happiness rather than as something designed to maximize it. Any parent, worth their salt, can tell you that they don't make up rules just for kicks, just to be arbitrary. They make up rules to keep their children safe and to enhance the peace and harmony of home and family life. The Law, the Ten Commandments are "cords of love," fences if you will, demarcating healthy boundaries. When we truly follow these rules with our hearts interpreting them fully, our lives engender a freedom which allows us to live in peace and harmony with God and one another.
A disclaimer here, I don't usually spend much time in my sermons teaching history, but I found the following information so interesting, I want to share it with you.
By the time of Jesus, the temple had been around for a very long time. It had existed in various forms: the first construction by Solomon, then its destruction during the Babylonian wars and its re-construction after the Hebrew people returned from exile. During Jesus' lifetime, King Herod had made dramatic improvements, even over and above the splendor of the original plan. And over those millennia many laws had been set up about how the people were to act and be when in the temple, where they could and could not go within the temple precincts.
Sacrifice of animals was an aspect of almost all religions in the ancient world, and the worship of the Hebrew people was no different. Gifts of the best lamb or kid of the flock, and a portion of the best produce of the fields or vineyards was what they gave to God. We must not forget that only a portion of that gift to the temple was burned on the altar. The remainder was used for food for the priests and their families. It was a way of supporting those who devoted their lives to interceding with God for the people.
Before there was a temple, from the Book of Exodus, we read, "When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his soul to the Lord when you number them…half a shekel…the rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less…And you shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your souls." This tax was to cover the expenses of the Levites, the priests who devoted their time caring for the tent of meeting, worship and sacrifices, to provide a livelihood for them and their families.
From then on, every Hebrew male over the age of twenty was expected to make an obligatory donation of a half shekel for the atonement, for the sacrifices. At the time of the Temple's construction, this modest sum allowed all Jews, of all economic levels, to participate in the building of the Temple. After the construction was completed, they continued to collect the tax for the purpose of purchasing the public sacrifices and other needs of the Temple. The collection began every year on the first day of the month of Adar, which was probably in late January, and it ended on the first day of the month of Nissan, in the spring.
Now most of the money to be found in Jerusalem was Roman coinage, which had the head of the emperor stamped on it. The temple authorities, in obeying God's word concerning idols from the Ten Commandments, would not accept any coinage which had the image of a person on it, because they considered it blasphemous. And so, bankers set up their stalls outside the temple, to exchange the coinage of Rome for silver shekels and half-shekels from Tyre, which had no such images.
It was most likely a shekel of Tyre that Jesus and Peter used to pay the Temple head tax (a half shekel each): From Matthew 17, you may remember the story of the coin in the fish's mouth, when Jesus tells Peter: "Go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. That take, and give unto them for me and thee" Moreover, Tyrian silver coins probably comprised the thirty pieces of silver infamous for the payment to Judas Iscariot for Jesus' betrayal.
However over time, over hundreds of years, these money changers moved from being outside the temple, to doing their work on the stairs at the entrance, to eventually moving into the outer courts of the temple. The people who were selling animals for sacrifice had done the same thing. It must have been total chaos in that place. Yet somehow, this movement happened so slowly that the priests of the temple paid no attention to the fact that commerce was happening in this holy place devoted to worship. And not only was that commerce not even-handed, it had become usurious, the marketplace had become a place of greed.
Jesus was incensed - and rightly so! He, who loved his Father above all, could not abide what was happening in his Father's house. So he took off his belt and wreaked havoc upon those who had denigrated the holy places. He cleaned house. He knew the laws of the temple, as well as the laws His father had given the people, and he believed they should be followed.
Isn't this what Jesus did throughout his ministry? Although this is the only time we see him angry and physically demonstrative, his entire ministry, all the words he said, were calling people to clean the houses of their minds, and see the law in the way God meant for us to see it. He said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." He wanted us to realize that the laws were meant to be read in the recesses of our hearts and souls, which brings joy and peace, not followed blindly as rules and strictures, which have no life in them.
This marketplace within the temple, had become a place of greed: does it not sound a lot like our world today? It appears that our nation has been consumed with commerce and greed. Certainly our country as a whole, and many who have been in control of our major monetary institutions, have been consumed by it. And it has impacted the entire nation. Our economy has been turned upside down, just like the moneychangers tables were upset by Jesus.
Now I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression. I do not believe that God has in any way impacted the national and world economy. What I do believe is that greed, and conspicuous consumption among our society at large has brought down our house of cards. Many of us built our lives on a foundation of sand rather than rock, and lived our lives as though our debts would never have to be paid. There are also many of us who have lived within our means, and yet now find ourselves caught in these bad times by unexpected illness, or from placing our savings into the hands of people we trusted who were untrustworthy, or the failure of financial institutions we depended upon.
Since most of us are on fixed incomes, living on our savings, pension plans, and investments, there may be some here who have succumbed to fear and worry. We have all seen our investments shrink in value, and it's hard when we don't feel we have control over what's happening. So what do we do in this time of cleansing, this season of Lent which is happening in a time of change? What can we do to brighten our days and calm our worries?
I would suggest to you that we look to the words of Jesus, and change our hearts. Look to the words of our Psalm for today, remember that God loves us, and that the law as Jesus fulfilled it is a way out of fear and a portal into joy and peace.
Rather than dwelling on what may go wrong, worrying over what may happen in the future, look around you and see where you might spread Christ's love. Stepping out of the focus on our own concerns and looking for ways to increase the joy of others, takes us into a place where Christ's light shines forth into the world, and his peace will begin to dwell within us.
Is there someone who tends to eat alone, or spend little time in company with others? Even if you've tried before, invite them again to join you and your friends. I've been told that this is a mighty friendly place, and that's certainly what I've experienced. Yet there is always more. How frequently do you personally go down the hall to the nursing wing, without a specific destination in mind? Might there be people down there who don't get visitors? Someone who is so frail that they cannot speak or perhaps even open their eyes? Simply going into the room and holding their hand for a moment, whether they can respond or not, is a way of spreading God's love into the world. A quick smile and "how are you?" can make someone's day.
In whatever way we can, Jesus calls us to embody God's love. When we shine that love out into the world, it is reflected back into our lives, tenfold. As the Psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork." How can we, as people of God, do any less? Amen.

My Brother's Challenge

2009-01-11T07:07:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago as my older brother and I were finishing a holiday lunch together, he took a corner of the restaurant bill and wrote something on it. He then handed it to me and said, "Write me a sermon on that." I looked down and the scribbled words were "2 Kings 6:29." Well, a little sister, no matter how old, cannot resist a gauntlet when it is thrown to the ground! And, at that moment, I had no idea what the verse was about, so that made it easier to say that I would get back to him with it.

When I got home and opened my Bible, these were the words: "So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son and we will eat him.' But she has hidden her son." Needless to say, this is a lesson in NOT pulling a single verse out of context! But I had to send him something. Here is what happened in my mind and prayers:

In the Episcopal tradition, we read lessons from the Old Testament, the Psalms the letters (epistles) from the New Testament, and a Gospel reading each day. It is very rare than in any of these readings there would be one sentence pulled out from a story. Rather, entire passages are read in context so that the people have a fuller understanding of the circumstances of the story and the meaning of the passage.

That said, I believe it is important to look at this entire story and to at least get a feel for what surrounded this woman's story of cannibalizing her own child. It was a time of siege in the capitol city of Samaria, and people were starving. We have all heard stories of cannibals, usually in the early exploration days of South America and deepest Africa. In Bible days, and even up into the 16th century, pagan cultures sacrificed their children to the gods.

We must recall as a part of this tory, the place of children in the society of the time. Women generally gave birth on an almost annual basis from the age of 13 or 14 until they died, or reached the age of menopause. Babies were sold to those who were infertile, or if the family was destitute and couldn't find anyone to take the child, infants were "exposed to the elements" -- left outside to die, when the family knew they couldn't care for the child. However, it must be stated that the Hebrew national has always treasured its children, and considered it a "mitzvah" -- a blessed requirement -- to bear children and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It may be that this small aside in the story was put there to explain how dire the circumstances were in the city during the siege.

The Donner Party is a 19th century example of survival by cannibalism, and in our own lifetime is the South American soccer team whose plan crashed in the Andes. In these cases, they ate the flesh of their friends who had died. A different, and perhaps less gruesome story than this one we find in 2 Kings.

Although we would like to believe that every mother adores and would die for her children, this is a high standard that our particular society has developed from our knowledge of the teachings of Jesus. Our most fundamental and strongest instinct is for survival: after survival comes preservation of the species, which means taking care of our offspring.

When everyone around us is dying, and our children are withering away before our eyes, it is hard to believe that God will provide. This woman may have dearly loved her baby but realized that if she died, her baby most assuredly would also die. If she herself survived, she could have other children. We can't know what torment this woman was in or how her mind was working.

We can only look at the entire story and see that God was working it. Had she only kept her faith for a few more days, both mother and baby might have survived. Surely in times of war and famine, not all do survive. It is our faith and hope that as we live through horrors such as these, that a remnant will survive to carry on our beliefs. God is always present, and in that knowledge we can only say that this is a lesson about living in hope. No matter how dire the circumstances, as people of God we continue to strive to live in faith and hope, follow the teachings of Christ.

A Blessed New Year

2009-01-01T09:43:00.000-06:00

Yes, the economy is in a major world of hurt, and many people are worried. Are you? I think we all tend to be a bit anxious, wondering what's going to happen. But do we ever know what's going to happen tomorrow, or even an hour from now?

Truth lives in the knowledge that each moment is new, not just this beginning New Year. When we are aware of that, we can celebrate each moment, just like many of us celebrated the birth of 2009 at the stroke of midnight last night. Each moment we are here is a gift, and a glorious one at that! So, let go of the anxiety over what might happen in the future, and give thanks for the gift of the present. Look with hope and joy and great thanksgiving for the dawn of the new day. May each of you experience many blessings in this New Year!

Thanksgiving Prayer

2008-11-18T06:31:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday at our monthly Convocation clergy lunch, my friend Fr. Robbie was called on to bless the meal. He had just walked in the door, and he obviously had not expected to pray at that moment. However, without missing a beat, he prayed a prayer that brought all of us to quiet contemplation that continued for a while after the prayer was completed. I offer it (or words similar) for your use. I believe I will pray this prayer for the rest of my life. Blessings to all, Rev Jude

For food in a world where many go hungry,
For shelter in a world where many have no place to lay their heads,
For family, friends and colleagues in a world where many walk alone,
We thank thee, O Precious Lord.

Monday musings

2008-11-03T14:26:00.000-06:00

Today is my birthday and the most wonderful gift is being birthed! Our church web site has been wonderful, but I didn't know how to operate or update it, and needless to say, it is WAY out of date. For my birthday, my son has rewritten the web site, updating everything and making it so that I will be able to update it myself. Or, if not, he says he'll do it for me once a month! I'm quite excited. We're not there yet, but within a few days curious people and even parishioners(!) can get information about our mission in the burbs.

On Saturday, we'll be feeding the workers on a Habitat for Humanity house. Most of our people are unable to actually climb up on roofs, etc., so we fix lunch for those who do -- making sure they have plenty of calories to burn while swinging those hammers! Then on Sunday, the Right Reverend Dena H. Harrison, Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Texas will be coming for confirmations. I just got a call that our new sign may be shipped tomorrow. There's a possibility it could be in place for her visit -- wouldn't that be wonderful? We have two confirmands, and one person being received into the Episcopal Church. It's going to be an exciting week....

I Sing a Song of the Saints of God

2008-11-02T06:05:00.000-06:00

I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean, God helping, to be one too.

They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and his love made them strong;
and they followed the right for Jesus' sake
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
and one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
and there's not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn't be one too.

They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes or at sea,
In church, or in trains or in shops or at tea,
for the saints of God are just folk like me,
and I mean to be one too.
(Lyrics: Lesbia Scott)

This is definitely one of the reasons I love being Episcopalian! I love this song, and I'd never heard it as a Baptist. We will be singing it this morning, as we celebrate All Saint's Day. Technically, on the church calendar, All Saint's was yesterday, but we are given the freedom to "translate" this feast day to the following Sunday, so we go for it at St. Paul's. We will be praying for the saints in glory. We will read a necrology, listing all the names of family, friends and church members who have died this year.

We lost a faithful church member this week -- Newt Millen, a wonderful man who was 90 years young. We will be celebrating his life in a memorial service on November 14th. I am remembering so many who are now with the saints, and giving thanks for their impact on my life.

Who do you give thanks for today who is no longer with you, except in spirit? Give God the glory for all those wonderful people, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who loved and nurtured you -- and continue to bless you from heaven! May you have a joyous week...

Are You Worried Yet?

2008-10-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

The following is the sermon I preached last Sunday. The scriptures from the Episcopal Lectionary for that day were: Exodus 32:1-14, Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23, Philippians 4:1-9 and Matthew 22:1-14, The problems we've been seeing in our economy have hit some of our parishioners pretty hard, and I felt called to reach out to them, and perhaps to you, reminding us all of God's love for us, and his saving grace and care. May God bless and keep you all.

Are you worried yet? I think we all feel some undercurrents of concern about what’s going on in the country today. In fact, there are more than a few of us who are downright scared. It’s no longer a matter of simply waiting for the elections next month and then everything will work out. Though we want to believe that if our candidate wins, changes will be made and our discomfort will dissipate: the economic downturn will somehow turn around and we’ll all be okay. But until that dream actually comes true some of us are having sleepless nights, and stomach pains, fearing what will happen next with the sunrise of each new day. Will we lose our home? Is my job going to be there next week? The shoes you bought for the kids when school started are already getting tight, and the slight reduction in the high price of gas somehow doesn’t make up for all the increased prices we’re seeing in the stores. It’s been eighty years and more since our country saw the kinds of problems we’re seeing today, and it’s easy to become frightened of this unknown and shaky chasm of a world that seems to have just opened up before us.

The Israelites were worried too. They were out in the wilderness and Moses their leader had disappeared up on the mountain in the clouds filled with thunder and lightening, and they were full of fear. I see a connection here between them and us, and I want to point it out: They, in their fear, grasped onto something to alleviate their unrest, their disquiet: and the thing they grabbed onto wasn’t God – in fact, it was GOLD: an idol of a calf made from gold -- it was wealth they worshipped. Isn’t everything better and worry banished if you have a surplus of shekels, plenty of gold, the luxury of a big bank account? For surely, having enough money to ward off the wolf from the door will result in happiness and freedom, right? Well, the Israelites found that the golden calf may have been the occasion for a party, but it did not bring lasting comfort and peace.

Our epistle for today, from Paul’s letter to the Philippians gives us some heartening news. He tells us that even when we don’t have enough…even in times of hardship and sickness and trouble: “The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And he tells us to rejoice. His words are literally, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”

I sometimes wonder, do we Christians really know how to daily, moment-by-moment, rejoice? Oh, I think we do a really good job liturgically, having a bang up good time at Easter --- but what about our living into the wonder and excitement and sheer amazing JOY that should be ours every hour of every day? Are we truly in touch with how much God cares for us, and if so, shouldn’t that manifest itself in our lives with a deep abiding peace and great joy?

Now, I know I can’t get away with ignoring the parable for today from the book of Matthew, as difficult as it is. There is a way to tie all of this together, so let’s go to the gospel and seek out the message for us there.

Most of us have heard the explanation that those who refuse to come to the wedding banquet are the lawyers and scribes, the Pharisees and the Saducees who were given the opportunity to meet and listen to Jesus but could not get past their belief that the letter of the Law was the only way to God. First off, they believed that to have relationship with God you had to be a Jew, circumcised and ritually clean, and then you had to follow all the rules and regulations in the Torah. Their minds were not open and so they could not see any other way and they did not accept his teachings. Though Jesus was sent first to the Jews, many did not embrace him and his message of God as Love. So his salvific grace was poured out on all the people of the world, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, saints and sinners: to anyone who would believe. This applies to us today, as surely as it did when Jesus said it. Christ’s love is offered to any and all – everyone is invited to the banquet.

But what about that poor man who didn’t have a wedding garment? This is the part of the parable where most of us, and I know I am one, have great difficulty. This is not our loving, accepting Jesus. The Jesus I know and follow wouldn’t say to bind someone hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness just because his attire was incorrect! Surely not: but maybe, just maybe, he is explaining something a bit deeper than clothing – perhaps something we do to ourselves. I feel confident that whoever this person was in the story, he went to the wedding festivities thinking he was doing the right thing: he’d been invited and had taken his place. He was there; he made the decision to accept the invitation. But perhaps he didn’t decide to be fully present to what was really happening, and perhaps that's what the wedding garment is all about. Perhaps he was there, having accepted the invitation, but his attitude, his garment, was one of sackcloth and ashes, rather than the spirit of joy that should accompany a wedding party. If the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding banquet, as children of the kingdom our natural attitude is to be peaceful, carefree, and full of joy – it’s party time all the time!

The more time and attention we pay to our relationship with God, the more we rely on Him, the more we are given that understanding of abiding – of living – in joy. Nobody has to have a closer walk with God. He has given us all the invitation and we can choose to accept it or not. You can walk alone if you choose to. You can choose to come to the wedding banquet and dance, and sing, and rejoice with all your heart. Or you can come to the wedding banquet and act like it’s a funeral if you want to. But why would you?

Remember Paul: that angry, frustrated, premier persecutor of Christians and anyone else who did not follow the letter, the jot and tittle of the Jewish Law? He had been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus, and when he was writing his letter to the Philippians, he was experiencing the words he wrote about living in joy. Paul had this attitude of living in joy when he was in the midst of other Christians and being well cared for, and when he was in pain and torment from physical ailments, and when he was in prison being beaten and maltreated for the faith. He, who had found a deep abiding joy through his awareness of being loved by God, tried every way he knew how to remind other followers of Christ to remain in that state of loving joy. When we can do that, when we can remain aware of how God cares for us, the worry and fear dissipate and blow away like so much smoke. It’s not a “pie in the sky by and by” sort of attitude, it is not that we don’t have to continue dealing with the hard decisions, it is simply and purely the blessing of knowing that as St. Julian of Norwich put it, “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” And as Paul tells us today, “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

So, try not to worry. Turn your concerns over to Him who will always guide and guard and keep you. Pay attention to the good, the amazing, overwhelming love in which He holds you. Rejoice in that love, share it with others, in His good time, all shall be well. Amen.

Working Out Our Salvation

2008-09-29T07:05:00.000-05:00

What are we doing here? Why do we come to this place each Sunday to gather and say these words of praise and prayer? And especially today, what is this we are doing? Bringing these precious little girls and an even tinier little boy up here to the front of the congregation, saying these words (almost an incantation) then putting water and oil on their heads? These sweet little children who have no concept of what is really going on here, and do we really know what we do this day? Let us take a look these scriptures and see if we can come to a deeper understanding of these sacramental acts of the Christian faith that will be performed today.
“By what authority do you do these things,” the chief priests and elders asked Jesus, and he turned the question back on them: “Did the baptism of John come from heaven or was it of human origin?” They were afraid to answer, afraid to say what they really believed, and afraid to open their hearts to the heavenly possibilities, so Jesus knew they would not be open to hearing his answer to their question. Their hearts were hardened, closed to the possibility that John and Jesus’ authority came from God. So rather than answer their question, he told them a parable, a story, about two sons, one who refused to do the manual labor his father asked of him, but then changed his mind and went to the vinyard to work. The other said he would go labor, but then did not. Jesus asked, “Which one did the will of his father?” When the elders said the one who did the work, Jesus acknowledged that they recognized the truth, but then also told them that though they recognized the right way, they would be at the very end of the line in getting into God’s Kingdom.
What was it about these elders and priests that kept them from the kingdom of God? They said they believed, they lived their lives in strict obedience to all of the laws and rituals as set forth in the Torah – they focused their entire lives totally on doing what was right according to the religious laws of Israel. Why would they be rejected in favor of the lowest of the low: the tax collectors and prostitutes? Because their faith was one of law, not heart. They had hearts that were closed to the idea that through the reconciliation of baptism, those who were ritually unclean, who were sinners, were washed anew and given a clean and perfect entrance into God’s kingdom.
There is a phrase that I love: “conversion of the heart” – a willingness and ability to open your mind, your heart and your attitude to the possibilities of love and openness toward your fellow man, even to those you always considered not worthy. This was the love that Jesus preached: the being born again – creating a new heart within each and every one of us. This was what he said the elders and priests had failed at – which would keep them from truly experiencing the kingdom of God. They were so convinced that their way was the only way, that they determinedly held on to what they just knew was right, and were not open to God’s amazing and more loving possibilities.
So here we are. We will spend this time this morning proclaiming that we believe in a loving God. These parents and their families and friends will bring Aidan, Kamala and Asenatta up here to Reverend Anne and give her charge of them, to baptize and bless them, and then we will all join in saying that we receive them into the household of God. WE receive them into the household of God? Yes, this place is one small manifestation of God’s home, God’s kingdom. We, the people of St. Paul’s of Pflugerville, state and acknowledge each Sunday that as believers we are a part of God’s kingdom. But what do we really mean, and how far along on that road of conversion of our hearts and minds have we truly come?
Our namesake Paul knew and lived with that conversion of the heart. It came upon him in a most dramatic way on the road to Damascus. For decades Paul persecuted the followers of Jesus because they did not follow a strict interpretation of Old Testament Law, and spoke of Jesus as the Son of God, and proclaimed the resurrection. And then, Paul was struck down to the point of blindness, and was brought low until his heart broke open, and he was as changed as any person can possibly be. His conversion changed him from a persecutor into a proselytizer, the greatest evangelist the world had ever seen. His letters tell us all about how to live as Christians, and this particular passage from his letter to the church at Philippi is among my very favorites.
The scholars believe that this beautiful poem, which he quotes in the letter, was originally written by Paul, and was probably recited or sung during worship in the very early church. But the preface to the poem is really what grabbed me in studying for this sermon, and I paraphrase: IFYOU BELIEVE AT ALL (and those words are mine) “IF then there is any encouragement in Christ, [if there is] any consolation from love, [if there is] any sharing in the Spirit, [if there is] any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”
My friends, IF we believe in Christ Jesus, IF we call ourselves Christian, this is how Paul tells us we ARE TO BE... And then the poem begins: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
And Paul continues, to those people at Philippi and to us, “Therefore, my loved ones, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION in awe and amazement; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
You see, we are here today to gather and support one another in working out our salvation! Proclaiming God’s love, at work in us all -- proclaiming the glory and joy his love brings…and then, working together to take that love out into the world. It is in community that we as believers hold each other up and remind each other of who we are supposed to be. We study and learn about God here, and we become one family through our acceptance and belief in His love. It is well and good and proper that these children are being baptized today, brought into the kingdom in an official way, marking what has already been promised in their names. These parents come, vowing to raise these three in the love and knowledge of Christ --- and these godparents also vow to make sure that these children will know God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three will grow up, never knowing a time when they didn’t have Jesus in their lives. This is what you parents and sponsors are promising today, before God and this family of faith.
But it’s nigh impossible to do all by ourselves: it is imperative for our spiritual growth that we not try to “go it alone.” So wherever you go, wherever you might live in the future, in keeping these vows, find a church family in which to belong. We hope that the Murrays and the Moggas will part of our church family for many years. But few of us stay in one place throughout our lives. However, wherever we go, there are church families waiting with open hearts and open arms to embrace us, and together, with fear and trembling (which means in total awe that God could love us this much) we walk together, working throughout our lives to learn how to love as Christ Jesus has taught us.
This is why we are here, and why we do what we do this day: We come to worship and to praise him. We come here, hoping and longing to have our hearts broken open: to strive for a true conversion of the heart: and in that conversion, that falling in love with Jesus, we learn to love each other and lift others up, and we go out into the world, giving God’s love and care to the very least and most needy.
Christians, Love one another as he has loved us!

Burning Bushes & Voices in the Silence

2008-08-30T20:20:00.000-05:00

Here’s a story the Rev. Stephen Portner shared on the internet (and I must credit him for many of these thoughts and words): “The search committee for a new rector was having difficulty making a decision. One member of the committee, who was admittedly tired of the whole process, offered one last letter of introduction from a pastoral candidate. She read:
‘To the pastoral search committee: It is my understanding that you have a vacancy in your pulpit, and I would like to apply for the position. I can’t say that I preach too well. In fact, I tend to stutter when I speak. I do have a lot of different experiences I could share with you, since I am over 75 years old. I have only just recently had an encounter with God and, despite my initial resistance to the idea, I heard a Voice which told me personally that I was the one to do the ministry for you. One never knows when God will appear right before your very eyes. As far as people skills go, I do tend to lose my temper every once in a while. I also tend to want things done my way, and can get violent if it’s not taken care of right away. Once I even killed somebody. But since I know you are gracious people, I know you will believe me when I say that’s all behind me now. I intend on showing up there in a few weeks to lead you into a brighter future. Although I was reluctant at first to work with you, I still feel called to be with you nonetheless.’
The committee member glanced up at the rest of the group. “Well, what do you think? Can this person be our leader or not?” The rest of the committee was aghast. Have an old, arrogant, temperamental, obviously neurotic, ex-murderer as their pastor? Was this committee member crazy? Who signed the letter of introduction? Who had such colossal nerve? The committee member eyed them all keenly before she answered, “It’s signed, ‘Moses.’”
Moses did not seem like a likely candidate to receive God’s call. But God doesn’t require the same qualifications for a job that we would. Is it possible God is calling you to some kind of ministry? I want us to look at Moses’ call and see if there’s a message there that might help us discern if God is calling us, both as individuals and as a church?
God tends to call us out of the ordinary circumstances of our everyday routines. Moses was going along, minding his own business, tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, when he encountered God for the first time. He wasn’t out looking to find God. But God wanted Moses’ attention. How would you feel if you saw something that did not follow the laws of nature? How would you feel if you were minding your own business and suddenly you heard someone calling your name, but no one was there? Would you think you had finally lost your mind?
I certainly thought I’d lost my mind when I heard God’s call for the first time. I was kneeling in the choir loft at St. David’s, as people walked past to go to the altar to take communion. It was Lent of 1987, and I was a new member of the choir. Out of the quiet of that moment, I heard a man distinctly call my name. The voice seemed to be coming from over my shoulder so I turned to see who could possibly be calling out during the service. There were only women behind me in the choir, and it was obvious that no one else had heard the voice. For some unaccountable reason, I burst into tears. The next Sunday, the same thing happened, and I was beginning to be frightened. When it happened again on the third Sunday, I finally thought I might know what was happening – like Samuel, the third time God called I knew, and in my mind, I replied, “Yes, Lord, I’m here. I am your servant,” while the tears flowed again.
I heard a distinct voice: a voice which did not come from my head, although no one around me heard it. Well, I thought I’d totally lost my mind. I was afraid to talk to anyone about it, even Lewis, for fear that they’d lock me away. For over two weeks I kept the experience to myself, but I was a wreck, and Lewis knew that something was upsetting me. Finally one night I gathered up my courage and told him what had happened, and what God had told me to do. That message from God did change my life, it changed our family life, because what God told me to do was to quit my job and present myself as a volunteer in St. David’s music ministry. I thank God daily for a husband who is open and willing to believe in the supernatural ways God can work. Lewis took me in his arms and told me that the next day I should give my two weeks notice, and go talk to St. David’s minister of music. Turning in my resignation was easy, but it took a while before I finally, tearfully, got up my nerve to speak with Les Martin the choir director. I was still of the mind that he would think I was nuts when I told him that God had spoken to me. Rather than that reaction, his eyes also filled with tears, and he told me that this was an answer to long and intense prayer by the entire St. David’s staff. I remained the music librarian there for almost five years.
When God is calling us, first he needs to get our attention. It may not necessarily be as dramatic as a burning bush, or a call such as mine that grabs your attention. But I believe however it happens, our defenses must be down before the holy can get through to us. I can only speak from my own experience, but I know when I have recognized definite communications from God, it has been when I have been open and willing to receive God’s call. Perhaps not purposefully, or even seeking His will, but simply having an attitude of willingness, of being willing to do things for God – of being open to the possibility of miracles.
I believe that God calls all of us, each and every one of us, to do something in this life that is for Him. You may be called to minister depending on the gifts and graces God has given you, gifts and talents you recognize in yourself. Or, he may call you to do something that you believe is totally beyond anything you can possibly do, like Moses, who refused the call at first, knowing he was not capable, or good enough to do what God called him to do. Like me when I finally realized that I was being called to priesthood, and I just knew I wasn’t smart enough or good enough to do it. But because God called, I would try my best. I stepped out in faith, and here I am, just a few months away from being your priest. Is God calling you? Is it possible that God is trying to get your attention?
Is it possible that God is speaking to your heart, desiring to have a relationship with you—despite any imperfections you think might stand in the way? When God calls us, it is for a definite purpose. God was very specific in what God expected Moses to do. God wanted Moses to lead the nation of Israel out of slavery. Every time I have discerned God’s call, his instructions have been very specific. God has a master plan, and all of us are called to have a certain role in that master plan. But God’s plan can only be fulfilled if we listen, and then do his will.
When God calls us, it is typical for us to object to it. When Moses heard what God wanted him to do, he said, “What? Who? Me? Who am I that I should go do that?” After all, he did not even know God’s name. And who would believe a wanted murderer who said he talked to a bush that was burning but was not consumed by the flames? You get the idea. When God calls you, it is because God has chosen you rather than you having chosen God. Is God calling you? Are you making some excuse for not answering the call? Are you even listening?
All I can tell you from my own experience is: when you are willing, you may hear God’s call. But it won’t necessarily be what you want or expect, and it will be hard to say, “Yes.” But if you do, you will experience a fullness of joy beyond any measure you can possibly imagine. Your life will be that full and abundant life that our Lord Jesus speaks of bringing to us. So be willing, and wait on Him, and even when it is not what you want to do, say “Yes.” And the joy will overflow. Amen.

Burning bushes

2008-08-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

Sermon thoughts are swirling, and the readings for this week are so rich, I wish I could spread them out over several weeks. Ah well. The OT lesson is Moses and the burning bush. Don't we all wish we could have a burning bush experience -- a way to know without a doubt what God is calling us to do and be? And the idea of holy ground and needing to remove our shoes because we are in the presence of God: isn't everywhere holy ground, and don't we need to acknowledge that God is with us at all times and in all places? The hymn "Holy Ground" keeps running through my head.

The epistle reading from Romans is a lovely list of how to live a Christian life -- a wonderful recipe for how to share Christ with the world. And Eugene Peterson's rendering of this passage in The Message is exceptional -- something I may want to use...

And Jesus explaining once again to poor, bumbling Peter that God's ways are not our ways -- that what appears as something horrible may not be in the end a bad thing. That death must happen for rebirth to occur...hmmm. Lots to think about, and not many days to pull it together!

and then again..

2008-08-18T18:22:00.001-05:00

Well, I may have more to say than I thought! It seems easier to think of this place as a letter to my best friend or a cousin rather than just sending this out there to whomever might want to log on...Here's an addition I replied to one of my cousins today.

This is an amazing thing to be doing. Giving people I don't even know a big send-off to heaven (the funeral home called and I did a service for an un-churched heart transplant guy who'd lived for almost 21 years after receiving his new heart. He was an amazing guy, and I loved getting to know his family. I hope they'll follow through like they said and come to the mission in the burbs. Then there are the traumas that come from having people in the parish out of work and struggling, and even in this small place there are abusive husbands, and family members who are in jail, and kids in trouble...it's never ending. I must say I'm giving way more of my time to it than my agreement with the bishop, but I don't care about that, I'm loving it. I just feel so very honored to be a part of so many people's lives.

What am I doing here?

2008-08-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

I never thought I'd blog, much less have my own space in which to do it. Never thought I was much of a writer or deep thinker, or had many thoughts worth sharing with anyone out there in the ether. But here I am. The reason for making the effort is that I have been so impressed with other bloggers, specifically the ladies on revgalblogpals, that I've wanted to be in touch with them. And the only way to do that is to be a blogger! So here goes....

I am a recently ordained transitional deacon of the Episcopal variety, in my early 60's. I pastor a small mission church in central Texas. These people are so special, and I am very blessed to have been assigned by the bishop to this place. Being with them and ministering to them in the deepest moments of their lives, sharing with each other during times of sunshine and of shadow is such an honor. The liturgy of the Church is my highest joy, and I look forward to my priestly ordination so that I may bless the sacraments.

However, sermon writing is the hardest thing I do! It is such a responsibility to glean the pearls of wisdom from each scripture reading, and to find ways to share those pearls that provide insights for learning. Finding ways to use the messages of the ages in living our daily lives. It is very intimidating and awe-ful to me that I have been given this task. Much prayer and research are the foundations to each week's preparation, and the writing takes forever! The preaching part is fun, once the thoughts have worked their way into some semblance of order.

Enough for now. I'm not sure how often I will add a posting. Perhaps some of those hard-to-birth sermons will make in onto this site. Perhaps questions about ministry, or even family life. Who knows where this will lead? But it is a beginning....Rev Jude