Category: Member Posts
The True Bread of Life ~ The Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPI
Based on Jn 6:24-35
Today our Lord Jesus is telling us that it is not the physical food of bread that we should be looking for and that we should be looking to be fed by the Holy Spirit. The bread of life is not the loaf in a packet that we buy from a shelf in the supermarket, but is indeed Jesus himself. Jesus was referring to himself as it is he that we need for life, he is essential for true life itself.
If we leave a loaf out overnight it is likely to become stale and perhaps mouldy as it is quickly perishable, whereas the true bread of live-Jesus is erernal. He is the bread that lasts and sustains us forever.
In my life I often come across people who are hungry because of their life circumstances, but many of these people regardless of this are filled with joy, love and hope as they know that Jesus is the truth and that he will always sustain them.
This is exactly what Jesus is telling us when he said, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus feeds us with love, hope, grace and forgiveness and he the true bread from heaven which we need to live the full lives which we were all created to live.
When we partake of the Holy Eucharist, we share in this bread of life. We share in our Lord Jesus with all our Christian brothers and sisters across all the world and across all of time.
We are to share the bread of life with others, to work for food which endures forever. We are called by God our Father to work for him, to share his love, and the good news of the salvation of Jesus.
We are called to be preach the word, to be peacemakers, to love each other for who we are irrespective of any differences. We are called to work to share the unconditional love and acceptance of our Lord Jesus to all and to live our lives as an outpouring of that love.
In whichever way you are called, let us go forth bringing the love and peace and the completeness of the bread of life into the world and into people’s hearts and lives.
St. Ignatius Loyola ~ Br. Igor Kalinski
Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a Basque nobleman and soldier born in 1491. During the battle of Pamplona a cannon ball hit him in the leg and he was forced to recover for quite some time until his leg healed and cured. In the meantime, stubborn and proud young men could find him reading nothing other than the lives of the saints and life of Christ. Over time those books attracted him so much so that, although he grew up as a faithful catholic, he discovered that there was much he did know know. He began to daydream about how to serve Christ as did the saints throughout history. This was the beginning of a long journey to conversion that wouldl take him to Jerusalem, then Paris, and finally Rome.
After recovering he decided to surrender all to God’s service. For almost a year he remained in a cave near Manreza and lived a time in penance, but felt God’s mercy. He felt that God raised “such students” to lead him in spiritual life. At that time he began to write his experiences in a book he later titled “Spiritual Exercises”
In Paris he met his first 6 friends. In 1534 the group has passed the vows of poverty and chastity. They also decided to work in a hospital and to do missionary work in Jerusalem. They felt if that were not possible, they would put themselves at the disposal of the pope, and go where he sent them. Ignatius became the first superior general and oversaw rapid growth of the Society of Jesus.
Ignatius grew from a young tempted person involved with global issues to a in great mystic. His extraordinary life of prayer is reflected in Spiritual Exercises-upon which the Jesuit life is based.
Ignatius was loaded with grace so that he could find God in all things. He wanted the Jesuits to be skilled people in making decisions and discernment, to feel the difference between good and evil and to be always ready to love and serve Christ and the Church
The Feast of St. Martha ~ The Rev. Deacon Dollie Wilkinson, OPI
The Kitchen Prayer
Lord of all pots and pans and things,
Since I’ve not time to be a saint by doing lovely things
or watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in the dawn light or storming Heaven’s gates
Make me a saint by getting meals and
Washing up the plates.
Although I must have Martha’s hands,
I have a Mary mind
And when I black the boots and shoes,
Thy sandals Lord I find.
I think of how they trod the earth what time I scrub the floor.
Accept this meditation Lord,
I haven’t time for more.
Warm all the kitchen with Thy love and light it with Thy peace
Forgive me all my worrying and make my grumbling cease.
Thou who didst love to give men food,
In room or by the sea
Accept this service that I do, I do it unto Thee.
St. Martha
Died 84 A.D
Feast day: July 29
Patron saint of cooks, wait staff, and homemakers
Today, July 29, is the Feast of St. Martha, sister of Mary Magdalene and Lazarus. We find her in the Scriptures three times, twice directly and once indirectly. In the first instance, Martha questions Jesus about her sister, who was sitting listening at the Lord’s feet while Martha was busy preparing the meal.
“Martha was busy about much serving. She stood and said: ‘Lord hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? Speak to her therefore, that she help me. And the Lord answering, said to her: ‘Martha, Martha, thou art careful and art troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:40-42).
Jesus is telling Martha that each person has a role to serve, whether cooking or cleaning, or sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to His holy word. I can sympathize with Martha. Too many times I’ve grumbled about some chore, or task, that I did not want to do. But the work must be done, and as long as it is always done to the Glory of the Father, then no task or job is too trivial.
We also find her questioning Jesus about the death of her brother, Lazarus, in John 11:20-27, where she comes to a deeper faith in the divinity of Christ. When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died, Jesus came to Bethany. Martha, upon being told that He was approaching, went out to meet Him, while Mary sat still in the house until He sent for her.
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
Here we have Martha doing something that most Christians, even today would hesitate to do – she questioned the actions of Jesus. He patiently reassures her that her brother, Lazarus, will rise again. Again, Martha takes an active role in her wish to understand more, to come to know that Jesus is really the Son of God.
Again, about a week before the crucifixion, as Jesus reclined at the table, Mary poured oil over Jesus’ feet. Mary was criticized for wasting what might have been sold to raise money for the poor, and again Jesus spoke on her behalf. (John 12:1-8)
“Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,”Jesus replied.”[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
By now, I imagine Martha is fed up with seemingly doing all the work, while Mary, her sister, seems to be the favorite of Jesus. I know I would be……but through these bible passages, we learn that everyone who is called to serve, will not do so in the same way. Nothing would get done if this were true. And on the flip side of this, thinking we had to do it all, as Martha must have first thought, would result in a very tired person. We all have roles, or parts, to play in the worship of our Lord. So do your part with gladness, as Mary and Martha did. As we can see on the basis of these incidents, many Christian writers have seen Mary as representing Contemplation (prayer and devotion), and Martha as representing Action (good works, helping others); or love of God and love of neighbor respectively.
Seventeenth Sunday in Kingdomtide – July 26, 2015
John 6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Large events like town or parish festivals, Komen benefit runs, and other charity functions… There is usually a team with a chairperson that organizes these events. Yet there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people show up to get in on the fun and action. Have you ever wondered how these events happen, when it appears impossible to make such events happen with only a few people organizing them? My previous parish’s youth group wanted to put on an annual event for the parish community, and as an adult leader for the youth ministry, I was part of the planning committee. Being part of a planning team for the inaugural event, I can tell you that it is not easy getting things off the ground. We had a budget and very little other resources, and we were reconsidering whether to have the event at all because the youth leaders were not sure it could be done. We were asked, “How can 15 of us make this happen?” The paid youth minister suggested the youth brainstorm about how to get additional resources, and that necessarily did not mean money. What he was trying to convey to them that the parish community was excited about the youth wanting to put on this event; so there were adults in the community that were willing to help. The event committee went from 15 being involved to 50; people working at the food tent, people setting up and taking down tables, and attendees even donated money to make it a success. Over 500 people came to the event, and with what donations were given, the youth group had money to put toward the event the following year.
Applying this to us… Ministry is often rewarding yet it can be very difficult, especially when there are only a few in ministry but so many need to be ministered to. We, as the UOCC, have seen many challenges in order to be effective in building the Kingdom, yet so much has happened to minister to others. The Church is small yet global, and growing by the grace of God. We have a presence, especially with Facebook and different broadcasted Media. Yet is there something missing? Are the clergy and people in formation taking it all on? Are there so many more people being missed? The laity that is out there is a great resource, and are we inviting them to get involved in things other than “liking” our posts on Facebook? I believe God was working through the youth minister to empower the youth, just as Jesus fed the 5000 through obtaining the resources to make it happen. God will provide the opportunity for growth if we take the time to understand how to utilize resources available to us. If we take on all of the ministry, we may get burned out.
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? ~ The Feast of St. Keteri Tekkawitha ~ Br. Chip Noon, Novice
Why can’t we all just get along?
Oh how many times have we heard that trite, yet poignant question? “Why can’t we all just get along?”
The clash of cultures, races, nations – even neighbors – has always been with us. Those who are different from us, who think differently, look different, sound different, dress differently, these are all signs that we should be on our guard. It must be inbred, this fear of “the other.”
How many generations does it take to assimilate? When do we stop noticing the differences? When do we all start getting along? Let me come back to that at the end of this homily…
How fitting is it that on this day of the Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the reading from Exodus tells the story of the Hebrew Moses and the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter, of the Hebrews and the Egyptians. How different can two cultures be? One that worshipped cats and crocodiles and the other that worshipped one God, unknown and unknowable. One people that lorded it over a foreign people, going so far as to kill the male children of those foreigners.
And then, when Moses grows to adulthood, he continues the clash of cultures, killing an Egyptian overseer who was mistreating the Hebrews.
Now let’s examine the time and place where today’s saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, grew and flourished: New York in the late 17th Century. Talk about culture clashes! There were the Mohawks, Mohicans, Hurons, Algonquians, Dutch, French, English, and clans within these tribes. A veritable cauldron of competing desires and aspirations, all quite incapable of “just getting along.”
And here is Tekakwitha (She who bumps into things) the daughter of a Mohawk father and a Roman Catholic Algonquin mother, the very embodiment of the mixture of cultures that marked New York at that time. She was even stricken by an Old World disease that killed almost half of the Native American population of the Northeast, including her family. It left her scarred and almost blind.
And yet, she was given sight by her mother in the form of Christianity, which she embraced with a fervor unknown to most of us. This set her apart from her family and tribe and caused her much grief and loneliness, all of which she bore with the grace that would later mark her as the first female Native American saint.
So are there parallels between the tribe of the Mohawks and the tribe of the Hebrews? Of course: murder, disease, treachery, compassion, love, grace. Everything that the Egyptians and Hebrews faced and suffered could still be found amid the frontier of the New World peoples. But what do we remember? The trials and tribulations are only the scenery of the world that good, gentle, and compassionate people moved among. Three thousand years ago or three hundred years ago, nothing has changed in human interactions. Even today! We have the same clashes, the same pains, and the same joys.
Now let’s get to the Gospel for today: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld? Jesus could ask the same of us today, or of the Mohawks and the French of St. Kateri’s time. We have seen the wonders and yet we think we are beyond and above them. We have seen the heartaches and the joys, and yet we think we are beyond reproach, beyond the trials of years ago.
“Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Chicago! Woe to you Bethsaida! Woe to you Bethesda!” Is Jesus still calling to us? Is he still warning us? Are we still complaisant?
How can we imitate a young woman ravaged by smallpox, shunned by her family for her faith, yet admired and recognized for her piety and true Christianity? Is Jesus calling to us as he called to St. Kateri? Do we look for the differences or do we look for the consistencies? How long, Oh Lord, how long?
St. Kateri at one time said, “I have deliberated enough. For a long time my decision on what I will do has been made.” We have deliberated enough, haven’t we? We know what decision we need to make. We know already what the path is. Why do we hesitate? Why do we not embrace Jesus and our neighbor as we already know we should? Are we not all made the same? Are we not all capable of “getting along?”
Lord, in your mercy guide us to that land where we work for the good of others and for the glory of God and not for ourselves. Where we bow to the compassion that Jesus showed for us and not for the things that we think set us above and apart. Help us to imitate St. Kateri Tekakwitha in her love for you and her clear determination to follow your footsteps. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
And They Went Out Two by Two ~ The Rev. Deacon M. Scott Brown, OPI
And they went two by two: Not Noah and the Ark – The Apostles silly!
Jesus told the twelve Apostles to go out two by two and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord. How far did they go? How long did it take them? Did they do this until they died? Did they do it for a few years until they got tired? They were to heal the sick, cast out evil spirits, and proclaim the gospel. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but I imagine that would have been a daunting task in those days. Cities were many miles apart, there were no paved roads, no mass transportation, and they were not even allowed to ride a camel per Jesus’s instructions.
We should consider these as our instruction as modern day Christians. We should be proclaiming the gospel of the Lord to everyone we meet, in every situation, and every day. We can heal the sick by helping the homeless and the poor with nutrition and food, we can cast out evil spirits by teaching people about Jesus and the love of our God. Not just on Sundays, but every day of the week; every place we go; and in every situation in which we find ourselves.
Jesus also told the apostles that if any place would not accept them to leave and shake the dust of that place off their feet. By this I believe he meant that only so much can be done in some situations. If someone does not want to listen to what you have to say then move on to the next. Not everyone is going to be open and accepting as we see in our world today in so many other areas such as equal rights and marriage equality. Do the best you can; if they won’t listen or don’t seem open then leave them and go where you are accepted and welcomed. I am sure the apostles were not welcomed with open arms everywhere they went. I highly suspect that they were even run out of some areas before they were even able to speak simply because of who they were. We run into that type of discrimination in our lives every day also. So what do we do when we encounter this type of rejection? We pray for those who are not willing to listen that the Lord will open their hearts and minds. We pray that the Lord will open their ears that they may hear the good news of salvation available to those who believe. I am sure that is how the Apostles handled the rejection they must have faced.
Jesus told the Apostles “You may take along a walking stick, but carry no food or money.” Because Jesus knew that the believers would take care of the Apostle’s needs as they traveled proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord, just as we should be taking care of our brothers and sisters that do this same work in this day and age. Jesus knew that his Apostles’ needs would be met and none of them would suffer while on their journey. Jesus said “When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town,”meaning that the Apostles should stay and preach until they felt they had accomplished all they could in that town. Not to just preach one sermon, but stay and listen to and answer questions, minister to the people of that town until the Apostles felt that they had reached every person who was willing to listen, and wanted to hear what they had to say.
Mark tells us that the Apostles healed many sick people and cast out many demons on their journeys. We still don’t know for certain how long it took them, how far they went, or how many people they had contact with. All we have is Church Tradition to fall back on, but I believe they carried out Jesus’s instructions well into their old age or even until their deaths, without ceasing and without fail. As modern day Christians we should pattern our lives in the same way: go and preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons. For if we do the Lord will see to it that our spiritual and physical needs will be met. Go on and be a modern day Apostle.
“Perfect in Weakness” ~ Sister Dollie Wilkinson, OPI
Our reading today comes from 2 Corinthians 12:2-10:
“I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows–was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”
In this second letter to the Corinthians, Paul is at first trying to explain why the people should listen to him, and follow his lead, in becoming children of a loving Father. He starts at first by boasting, but quickly realizes that that is not the right way to go. In the process, he learns a couple of valuable lessons. A couple of crucial lessons that are still relevant today.
The Lesson of Humility:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul had to learn two lessons. The first was the the lesson of humility. Paul had to learn that grace had to replace ego. This was difficult for Paul. We live in a culture that prizes strength. It was no different in Paul’s time. In spite of this fact, Paul said, “My authority comes because of my weakness.” Paul had revelations from God in which he was taken up into paradise. Paul could have said, “Look at all of these revelations I’ve had. These are my authority.” No, he said he would boast only of his weaknesses. He was a very learned man. He demonstrated great intellectual skills so God gave Paul an infirmity. He called it his thorn in the flesh. Scholars have expended a great deal of time, ink and paper speculating on the nature of the ailment but are not even close to an agreement. Some think it was an inflammation of his eyes that caused swelling, others contend that it was severe headaches or even malaria. While we do not know the precise infirmity we do know that Paul’s opponents used it against him. They argued that if he had enough faith or was truly called to be an apostle, God would have healed him.
Physical health is often used as a sign of God’s blessings. How many times have you heard someone remark, “Why doesn’t God heal me?” “What have I done to deserve this?” We assume that if we live a good life we will be free from chronic physical ailments or that spiritual maturity can be measured by good health. This argument may appear ridiculous to hear now, but how often do we think about this in moments of frustration. Or how often do we use some form of disability or physical ailment as a reason for not doing what we feel God has called us to do? I know, I do….for example, I have hand tremors. How many times have I let this neurological ailment prevent me from doing things? More often than I can count.
God had given Paul a vision so incredible that words could not describe it. Anyone who has had such a mystical experience would be tempted to brag about it. Paul’s thorn prevented that because the severe pain or the physical disfigurement reminded him each day that he was still just a mortal man. He had to rely on the grace of God, not on his good looks or skillful speaking to accomplish God’s work.
Sometimes, fear is what’s holding us back from becoming a better Christian, or from taking a more active role within the church. We are reluctant to try something new because we are afraid of failing. Or we are embarrassed by the quality of our work compared to someone elses. In the back of our mind we are saying that unless we can do an excellent job, then we will not risk doing the project. Of course there are some jobs that this attitude is indeed important. We do not want a NASA scientist doing a less than a precise job on the design and construction of the Space Station. We do not want our doctor saying when writing the prescription for our medication to make us feel better, “Now was that dosage 15mg or 150mg or 1500mg.” Nor do we want to hear the teller at the bank make a mistake in adding up our bank deposit. Those professions require an exactness. But God does not expect that every person will produce an award winning performance in every task, job, project or ministry.
Sometimes, its just showing up, and trying your best, that truly reveals how gifted you really are. You may not be able to teach Sunday School like a trained school teacher, but if you can share your love for Jesus who cares if you follow the lesson plan. You may not be able to heal the sick or say elegant prayers, but if you can just sit with someone who is sick and hold their hand no one will fault you. You may not be able to pound a nail in straight or climb onto the roof, but if you can mix up fruit drinks and serve sandwiches during a Habitat for Humanity project, then you will be just as important as the people doing the hard labor.
The Lesson of Weakness:
“my power is made perfect in weakness.”
We may consider ourselves inexperienced, unpolished, and unskilled. We may consider ourselves unqualified to serve God in the church because of our past or even a present that is not consistent with the teachings of Christ. We may consider ourselves unprepared because of a lack of education. We all have our weaknesses. We all have “flaws” but whatever we lack God can take it and make it into our source of strength.
Our weaknesses can lead to strength. Our weaknesses, struggles, and shortcomings, though they are painful and may be embarrassing, can keep us from that awful smugness and arrogance and open us to God. I myself have found that my own personal experiences and struggles, whether as a mom, wife, grandmother, and a Sister in the Church, have better allowed me to help others. If someone is talking to me on a matter with which they’re dealing, and if I can say, “Maybe I haven’t struggled with exactly that same thing, but, I have dealt with something similar”, then that recognition is my credential, not the college degree or formal training. A person can have all that and come off as pompous. I don’t think people are very helpful when they feel like they have not experienced the usual sufferings of life. When a person can say, “I understand that. I have experienced something similar”, a person may then go on to say, “My power really does come from God.” Paul is saying here that it is his personal weaknesses, including the thorn gifted to him by God, that reveals his greatest strengths. In this he feels justified in boasting, as should we all. For it is in being our most humble, and human, that brings us into a closer relationship with our heavenly Father.
Singin’ In the Rain: The Feasts of St. Peter and Paul ~ Br. Jarred Smith, Postulant
In today’s first two readings we find Peter and Paul in what looks to be in times of tribulation. They are both in prison, and in those days jail were not like the ones today. Most of the cells in those days were places where raw sewage would come in. There were no regular meals provided. There was no heat, no air conditioning. These were terrible conditions.
Peter is facing almost certain death. Paul is nearing the end of his race and his death takes place shortly after this passage was written.
What I find from these passages is that despite their surroundings and predicaments neither Peter nor Paul are complaining, or saying “why God?” But rather they are rejoicing!
Today on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul I would like to refer to this message as “singing in the rain”.
We all go through trials, tribulations, and hard times in life. It is often easy to say, “Why, God, am I going through this?” I am as guilty of this.
I suffer from anxiety and depression. My brain doesn’t produce enough serotonin. This simply means my brain doesn’t produce enough happy juice to surge through my brain. I go through trials of depression which often not only affects my mental state, but also affects me physically.
Back in November I started a deep depression which lasted till January. The whole time thoughts of, “Why God did you make me like this? I’ll never be happy or content.” Thoughts of worthlessness, and failure flooded me.
I tell you this because in those moments I doubted and wallowed in my own self-pity. I was asking, “Why God? How could God have created me like this?” Toward the end of this time period, I actually began to wonder, “Did God make a mistake when making me?”
When I actually gave voice to that question, and realized what I was feeling, it hit me hard. I realized that in asking that question I fully gave into my humanity and questioned God in his plan and his being God.
You see, God doesn’t make mistakes. Allowing trials to happen is God’s way of strengthening our faith, our resolve, and our relationship with him. Often it also is to give hope and to strengthen us, and to bring others to him.
It is so tough during these down and low times to find joy, or to say it’s been great, or to thank God for the persecution. Sometimes it is hard to praise God for all that you’ve been through or are going through. But Peter and Paul both point out that if we place our trust in God, he will see us through, and then he will do as he has promised.
What are we to learn from these scriptures?
We are not to dwell on the injustices that had befall us. Instead, we are to trust that God has us right where He wants us. Like Peter and Paul, we are to turn our attention to others, the church, and to God. You see, if we step back from our situations we might just see that no matter the outcome, God has provided us an opportunity to grow, to learn, and given us a chance to become closer to him. Romans 8:28 says, “All things work for the good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” In Jeremiah 29:11 we hear, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future.” In John 16:33 Jesus Himself addressed this when he said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up! I have overcome the world!”
Cheer up! Jesus has this! Cheer up! God has you in His hand! Cheer up! Or, as the musical says “I’m singing in the rain! Oh, what a glorious feeling to be singing in the rain”.
The Nativity of John the Baptist ~ Br. Michael Marshall, Novice
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord”
This is a song from the musical Godspell, which is John the Baptist foretelling the birth of Jesus. Some people thought John was the One, yet he knew he was not. The story of John’s birth is accounted for in all of the Gospels yet in today’s readings we read the story according to Luke:
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel. (1:55-67, 80)
We can see a foretelling of John, even though John is not specifically stated in the first reading from Isaiah (49:1-6), so this is definitely a very important part of history for humanity. What we need to keep in mind is that if there had not been John the Baptist, there would have been no foretelling of Jesus coming to this world. This all is rather obvious for us. But how does this really apply to us today other than understanding the Scripture?
John was a herald, a messenger in his own way; trying to help others understand who was to come. We as Christians today are called to do the same thing, yet help others understand that Jesus will return. As much as some folks try to use a fear tactic of damnation to bring others to Christ, that really isn’t our purpose. Our purpose is to show love, the love of Christ through our actions and faith. We are to be heralds and messengers, and share the Good News!
Stormy Weather ~ The Rt. Rev. Michael R. Beckett, OPI
Did you ever have one of those days? You know, one of THOSE days when you were tired, when you had had enuf, when you just wanted a break? When you wanted to get away? Me, too. And apparently Jesus and the disciples had them on occasion. In the Gospel reading for today, we find that Jesus wanted to ‘cross over to the other side’ of the Sea, so that he could have some time alone, away from the crowds, and with his disciples for some quality time, I would imagine. The disciples were all for it, and away they went. Jesus needed a break. He gets in the boat, and goes to sleep.
And then it stormed….. Not just your average run of the mill storm, but a STORM…..at sea even. Thunder. BOOM! Lightening. FLASH! Waves so high over the little boat that it was tossed about. CRASH! And to top it off, the boat started filling up with water. SLOSH…..Sink? And Jesus slept on. And on. And on.
And then it happened. The disciples, those stalwart fishermen, panicked; so much so that they wanted Jesus to panic, too. So, they woke him.
Now, I dunno about Jesus, and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have a Keurig on that boat, but anyone who knows me well, knows, that no matter what, one does NOT speak to the Bishop when he first wakes up until after his (at least) second cup of coffee. Can you not see Jesus? He throws the blanket off and says, WHAT?
The disciples point out the storm, Jesus’s eyes focus, and then he gets it. He understands what all the fuss is about…..and then, like so many of us, he says,
“Really?”
I can just imagine him rolling his eyes. He quiets the storm, grumbles, and goes back to sleep…..and the disciples are tripped!
This past week, we have had a storm…a dreadful, dangerous, haunting storm. And we are still in the midst of that storm. This past week, the thunder of gunshots rang out at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. This week, there have been torrents, waves of tears. This week there have been flashes of anger. This week, we have, many of us, felt that we were in danger of sinking. This week we have, all of us, felt the sense of being overwhelmed: with sadness; with grief; with disbelief; with horror. I am certain that this week there are those who wondered if God slept.
This week, we have seen evidence, proof, that God does not sleep. That God is very much awake, and involved, in our lives. This week we have seen the families of those martyred in Charleston demonstrate to the world what Love is all about: Forgiveness. Charity. Good will. Reaching out. Love. When we heard the victims’ families say to the young man who killed their family members things like, “I forgive you.” “We will pray for you,” we know that we have seen Christ in action. This week we have seen countless thousands come together to support each other, regardless of race, religion, creed, or any of the other differences that often divide us. This week we have seen, we pray, the beginning of the end of this storm of racial divide.
This storm is far from over. FAR from over. Before this storm ends, hearts will have to change, attitudes will have to change, laws, rules, regulations, the government, will have to change, society will have to change. And before any of that can happen, WE will have to change. We will, all of us, have to examine ourselves carefully, and honestly, to find the roots of our prejudice, our fears of those who are ‘other’ than ourselves. We will have to look with new eyes at all of those with whom we come into contact, ALL of them, EVERY ONE of them, and strive to find the Jesus in each of them. The Jesus in us must reach out to the Jesus in our brothers and sisters, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, sexual preference, ability or disability, or any of the other million and one things we use to denigrate, disgrace, and damn our brothers and sisters.
Like the disciples, we will be afraid. Sometimes we may even panic. But I can assure you that, like the disciples, we can go to Jesus. And when we do, he will say to us, “Peace. Be still.” And in the calm and quiet that results from our trust in Him, we will be able, with full hearts, learn to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Amen.
You must be logged in to post a comment.