Christmas, 2005

Christmas Day 2005

Most of you have probably watched, at one time or another, ACharlie Brown’s Christmas. Iwant to remind you of a conversation between Charlie Brown and Linus that happens in that story;

Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

Linus: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is about. Lights Please! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown!

The theologian Linus Van Pelt seems to consider the appearance of angels to the shepherds the most important part of the Christmas story. Maybe it is. This morning I invite you to join me in focusing on these supporting actors in the drama. We all know something about Mary, Joseph, and hopefully we know quite a bit about Jesus. But what do we know about the shepherds in the field? In many ways, they are the strangers in the story of the birth of Jesus.

What can we learn from these strangers? First of all, keep in mind that as shepherds, these were poor men, considered low class in the culture of their time. In today’s world, they might be the equivalent of parking lot attendants. Add to this the fact that according to Jewish law, because they worked in the field and with livestock, they were considered unclean. Before they could enter the temple, they were required to undergo a purification process. The shepherds were low on the totem pole within Jewish society.

Yet, these shepherds are the ones chosen to be given the announcement of the birth of the Messiah. God did not chose the kings or the philosophers or the scholars or the high priests to be the first to hear this announcement. He chose ordinary poor shepherds, watching their flock at night.

In the bible, we consistently see God showing a bias in favor of the poor, the disenfranchised and the oppressed. When Jesus called his disciples, he selected selected regular folk. Mary tells us of Jesus’ mission in the Magnificat:
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.

This does not exclude the educated and wealthy, of course. On the Feast of the Epiphany, we will celebrate the arrival of the Magi, learned men from the East, who arrive in Bethlehem to honor the Christ child. Among Jesus followers, we find Nicodemus, a prominent Jewish leader, and Joseph of Arimethea, and wealthy man who gave Jesus his tomb. But notice that the host of angels proclaim the birth of the Christ child first to ordinary shepherds.

Maybe some of us today feel like we are just regular folk in God’s kingdom. We’re not all that special. Maybe we feel like we don’t have much to offer God. We’d never imagine that god would show us favor, or give us a special mission. If that describes you, I encourage you to consider the shepherds. God may surprise you, as he has a blatant bias in favor of ordinary folks like you and me.

How did the shepherds respond to suddenly seeing the sky filled with an angelic chorus? Our Gospel lesson tells us:

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." (Luke 2:8 and 15)

They left their sheep behind, and made their way to Bethlehem. This in itself was amazing. Their job, their primary vocation, was to watch the sheep. But now they found themselves charged with an even more important mission; to be witnesses to the birth of the savior of the world.

Notice what has happened here. One definition of “Angel” is a messenger from God. In one sense, these shepherds have become angels. In the stable, where Jesus was born, there were no angelic choirs, there was no celestial fanfare. A woman gave birth among the livestock, with her husband standing by and helping when he could. A very humble scene. A rather ordinary scene for those times. What makes this drama become extraordinary is the arrival of the shepherds, who tell the mother and her husband what Has happened to them in the field. Ordinary shepherds become the messengers of God, and transform an ordinary domestic scene into a powerful drama that has transformed the world.

We who have encountered the living God have also been given a new vocation; a new mission. We are called to be angels, to be the messengers of God, and proclaiming to the world the Good News, that there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The perception that there was a chasm between heaven and earth was refuted once and for all. Heaven and earth are seen to be joined. The Kingdom of God is at hand!
And finally, notice what these shepherd angels do when they finally take their leave;
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The events of that night transformed the lives of these shepherds. They glorified and praised God. We can assume that they continued to praise God every day for the rest of their lives. Not just the next day, or the day after that. Not just until the end of the season on January 6.

We need to remember that today we are not just remembering an event that happened thousands of years ago. Jesus Christ is born today! It is the living God, who is born anew in each of our hearts on this day that we celebrate. Cgristmas doesn’t end when the stocking and decorations are put away. We continue to praise God every day of our lives for dwelling among us and within us.

We ordinary folk are given a new mission this day. We are called to become a host of angels, proclaiming to the world, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

November 20, 2005

Christ the King, 2005

Today is the feast of Christ the King. The image of Christ, reigning on the cross, is one of many identities we give Christ. In a way, its an uncomfortable image to us. Americans don't care much for royalty. We don't like people having that much authority over us.

Most of us don't have much problem with the image of Christ as our Savior. The saving power of Christ, who saved us from a life oblivious of God, and shackled to sin and death, gives us all reason to rejoice. But accepting Christ as our Lord, or as our King, is another matter. Christ as Lord asks for our obedience. We are to obey Christ, for our own sakes, as well as for the sake of the kingdom of God. We are a people who are under the authority of Christ.

This week, we will commemorate Thanksgiving. One remarkable thing about thanksgiving is that it hasn't become as commercialized as other holidays. And there are many families who normally never say grace before meals who will suddenly feel compelled to offer some form of thanks before carving up the fattened bird and diving into the dressing.

I think that Thanksgiving can become more than this country's sacred day of overindulgence. I think it could be the day when we acknowledge our blessings, offer our thanks to God, and then pass on the abundance of God's love that has so freely been offered to us. If Christ is our King, then maybe we need to listen to him. Maybe this thanksgiving we need to hear our King, as he reminds us that we are to use our blessings to bless others.

Henri Nouwen, a famous theologian and writer, offers some insights into how we might share our abundance of blessings with others. He quit the faculty of Harvard to join the staff at Daybreak, a residential community for handicapped people. He went from working with the world's brightest and best to working with people the some would rather forget.

In his book, In the Name of Jesus, Nouwen shares his insights on this radical expression of servanthood.

"Most of my past life has been built around the idea that my value depends on what I do. I made it through grade school, high school, and university. I earned degrees and aw2ards and I made my career. Yes, with many others, I fought my way up to the lonely top of a little success, a little popularity, and a little power. But as I sit beside the slow and heavy breathing of Adam, (a resident of Daybreak), I start seeing how violent that journey was. So filled with desire to be better than others, so marked by rivalry and competition, so pervaded by compulsions and obsessions and so spotted with moments of suspicion, jealousy, resentment and revenge."

Can we know Christ without knowing those whom Christ identifies with in today's Gospel text? Can we know Christ without knowing the weak, the poor, the hungry, and the prisoners among us?

As we look for Jesus, we soon begin to see his faces in the faces of our brothers and sisters, especially in those faces twisted in pain.

Mother Teresa once asked some visitors to hold up one hand. "The Gospel is written on your fingers," she said. Holding up one finger at a time, she accented each word. "You did it to me." Then she added, "At the end of your life, your five fingers will either excuse you or accuse you of doing it unto the least of these. You did it to me.

We share our blessings with others. We do this not because we are good people. We do it because our king has commanded us to do it. We help others, with their physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health as our goal. We offer them compassion, we meet their immediate needs, and we introduce them to Christ. Not the other way around. One of most powerful witnesses as Christians is the compassion of Christ. As William Barclay has said, "More people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love than by all the theological arguments in the world, and more people have been driven from the church by the hardness and ugliness of so-called Christianity than by all the doubts in the world.

Let us honor our king this Thanksgiving. Let us offer our thanks to God for our many blessings. Then, let's find a way to share those blessings. This thanksgiving, commit yourself to being the hands of Christ in the world today.

Allrighty, Then...

It looks like our blog gets caught in the net of search engines whose owners like to leave spam in the comments. Fortunately, Blogger has a function that allows us to moderate the comments. Please be patient if your comment doesn't appear immediately. Thanks.

And happy Advent!

Grace and Peace

Many thanks to all those who showed their love and support at the sudden and wholly unexpected passing of my dear father.

September 18, 2005

The story in this morning’s Gospel doesn’t seem fair, does it? Those who work for a full day get the same pay as those who work only one hour. The ones who put in a full day’s work have every reason to be upset, don’t they?

Notice the landowner’s final statement; “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

It is the landowner’s option to be generous, as it is God’s option to be generous with us. If God was fair, if God really gave each one of us what we deserve, would any of us survive? I doubt it. God is generous with us. God has given us the free gift of God’s grace, God’s unmerited favor, even though we don’t deserve it. In light of such generosity, we are moved to be generous with those we encounter in our day to day lives.

Fr. John Claypool, Rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama, once told an old rabbinic parable about a farmer that had two sons;
“

As soon as they were old enough to walk, he took them to the fields and he taught them everything that he knew about growing crops and raising animals. When he got too old to work, the two boys took over the chores of the farm and when the father died, they had found their working together so meaningful that they decided to keep their partnership. So each brother contributed what he could and during every harvest season, they would divide equally what they had corporately produced. Across the years the elder brother never married, stayed an old bachelor. The younger brother did marry and had eight wonderful children. Some years later when they were having a wonderful harvest, the old bachelor brother thought to himself one night, "My brother has ten mouths to feed. I only have one. He really needs more of his harvest than I do, but I know he is much too fair to renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he is already asleep, I'll take some of what I have put in my barn and I'll slip it over into his barn to help him feed his children.”

At the very time he was thinking down that line, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me these wonderful children. My brother hasn't been so fortunate. He really needs more of this harvest for his old age than I do, but I know him. He's much too fair. He'll never renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he's asleep, I'll take some of what I've put in my barn and slip it over into his barn." And so one night when the moon was full, as you may have already anticipated, those two brothers came face to face, each on a mission of generosity. The old rabbi said that there wasn't a cloud in the sky, a gentle rain began to fall. You know what it was? God weeping for joy because two of his children had gotten the point. Two of his children had come to realize that generosity is the deepest characteristic of the holy and because we are made in God's image, our being generous is the secret to our joy as well.

Life is not fair, thank God! It's not fair because it's rooted in grace.

It is God’s nature to be just. But it is also God’s nature to be merciful. Thanks be to God!

How does this apply to the church? Sometimes, I think we folks who have been part of the church for along time forget what this church thing is supposed to be all about.

We have been given a charge by God. This charge is usually referred to as “The Great Commission.” It can be found in the 28th chapter of Matthew;
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Or, as Archbishop William Temple once summarized it, “The Church is the only institution that exists to serve those who are not yet members.”

Our commission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Our commission is to proclaim the message of the Gospel beyond the walls of this building.

In light of that, who is the most important person here this morning? It’s not the priest, or the wardens. It’s not the faithful volunteers, or the one who’s been a member the longest. The most important person here this morning is the stranger in our midst, the person who shows up among us seeking a community that will help them along with their spiritual journey.

We here at Holy Spirit have a special responsibility regarding the Great Commission. As the Toms River area begins to fill up, more and more people are moving farther south. This areas is growing fast. There are currently building permits for over 2,500 living units being considered in this area. It is projected that as many as 12,000 new residents will move to our area by 2008. Many of these folks will be seeking spiritual food. We must be ready to offer them a community of faith that will meet our new neighbor’s spiritual needs. If we are to be faithful to the great Commission given to us by Christ, we must begin to prepare our household of God to be an inviting place for those who will be seeking a new spiritual home.

Our new members will be given as much love and attention as those of us who have been part of this community from the beginning. That’s not fair, is it? But it is generous. Since God has showered his generosity on us, we must follow God’s example, and, with generous hearts, embrace the stranger in our midst.

September 11, 2005

The ministry of Jesus Christ is the ministry of reconciliation.

Reconciliation. What does that mean? The dictionary defines “to be reconciled” as “to reestablish a close relationship”.

That is the ministry of Jesus; to reestablish, to restore, our relationship with God. Through God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ, the chasm between God and this world has been bridged. Heaven and earth have been joined.

We have been reconciled with God through Christ. God’s grace flows freely through us. As the stewards of this wonderful gift, our mission is to enable this same grace to flow from us out into the world. Our mission is to carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ, being ministers of reconciliation in the world today. Our role, as Christians, is to help others, and each other, to reestablish a close relationship with God, and one another.

As the Book of Common Prayer tells us, on page 855 of the catechism, “The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” Once again, it all boils down to the summary of the law’ love God, and love your neighbor.

Who is my neighbor? From God’s perspective, everyone is my neighbor. As St. John tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.” Whosoever. God’s love does not exclude anyone. Consequently, neither can we. We work towards the restoration of all people to unity with God and each other. In the kingdom of God, there is no “us” and “them.” In the kingdom of God, there is only “we.”

This is not a comfortable notion for us. Since we were children, we have been taught to compete, to divide people up into “us” and “them.” How can we be ministers of reconciliation, when our natural inclination is to dissect the human race into understandable groupings?

We can’t help others, or ourselves, restore their relationships on our own. But we don’t have to. If we are willing, God will fill us with his presence, with his spirit. It is God working through us that will engage in the ministry of reconciliation.

To be a receptive vessel for this gift, we may have to make some room in our lives for God. One way to begin this internal house cleaning is by confessing to God the things that have drawn us away from our relationship with him. We begin by confessing our sins. In the Book of Common Prayer, on page 447, we find the confession of sin referred to as the rite of the Reconciliation of a Penitent.

Part of this rite includes these words said by the penitent; “For these and all other sins which I cannot now remember, I am truly sorry…and I humbly beg forgiveness of God and his Church.” Part of the priest’s response is to say; “The Lord has put away all your sins…Go in peace.”

God’s willingness to forgive us, and put away our sins, makes the restoration of a healthy relationship possible. It becomes a new relationship.

There’s a story about a certain Catholic woman who was having visions of Jesus. The archbishop decided to check her out.

"'Is it true, ma'am, that you have visions of Jesus?' asked the cleric.

"'Yes,' the woman replied.

"'Well, the next time you have a vision, I want you to ask Jesus to tell you the sins that I confessed in my last confession. Please call me if anything happens.'

"Ten days later the woman notified her spiritual leader of a recent apparition.

"Within the hour the archbishop arrived. 'What did Jesus say?' he asked.

"She took his hand and gazed deep into his eyes. 'Bishop,' she said, 'these are his exact words: "I CAN'T REMEMBER. "

When we sincerely confess our sins to God, and intend to amend our lives, we start all over again with a clean slate, a new relationship with God.

Sometimes, restoring our relationship with God will lead us directly into the next step; restoring our relationships with our neighbors. God’s spirit may illuminate areas of our life in which we have hurt someone, maybe intentionally, or maybe just thoughtlessly. As ministers of reconciliation, we go to that person, and ask their forgiveness. We say, “I am sorry.” Such a simple thing. Those words will never undo the harm we have done. And, if we do not offer them sincerely, they are worthless. But, without them, there can be no hope of restoring the relationship.

The next step in becoming a minister of reconciliation is being willing to forgive others for the wrongs they have done to us. In this morning’s Gospel, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” This is not always an easy thing to do. But it is essential if we are to be reconciled with our neighbor.

It is essential to our own spiritual health as well. Carrying a grudge for too long is like taking poison. The bitterness and anger eats away at our peace. Let go of it, for God’s sake, for their sake, and for your own sake.

Casting Call!!

Frank Davide of St. Theresa's Roman Catholic Church in Tuckerton has sent out an ecumenical casting call to the local churches for a Christmas production called "Journey for a King." The production will use recorded orchestral music from some of the world's great operas, as well as Broadway show tunes.

Both child and adult actors are needed.

Also Needed:

Actors/Actresses
Chorus
Stage Crew
Production team: publicity, advertising, bulletins, ushers, seating, etc.
Other: any other area of the overall production you think you or your organization would like to participate in.


Production dates: December 8, 9, 10 at 7:30pm and matinee on Sunday, December 11 at 2:30pm/

The first meeting & audition will be on Tuesday, Sept 13 at 7pm in the basement of St. Theresa's church.

St. Theresa's is hoping to raise funds to help with the construction of their new church, and also to establish an annual community-wide ecumenical event to celebrate the Christmas season.

No Man Is An Island

In many of our minds this morning are the images of the disaster in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Our hearts go out to those who are suffering great losses.

These horrible losses touch each one of us. As John Donne said;

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

We share in these losses. A part of ourselves is suffering right now. We respond by doing whatever we can to help those who are in such desperate need.

Our response to this disaster is important for reasons connected with our faith as well. There are those who find such stories of natural disaster and ask us “Where is your God now?”

I don’t have a good response to that question. All I know is that there are reasons why the laws of nature are in place. We can’t see the big picture. We don’t know what further disasters would result if these laws were suspended. And the result is that sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Natural disasters do not challenge my belief in God. A scenario which would call into question my faith would be imagining the high winds and floods, and then see no one showing up to help, no one risking their own lives to save someone else, see no communities rushing to provide aid , see no relief agencies spring into action, see no one acting in the name of their God to offer help, aid, and prayers.

If that was the response I saw, if I witnessed no response from those who are safe, then I would say that there is no such thing as a compassionate God.

Critics of religion are quick to point out that radical terrorists invoke the name of God when they commit their atrocities. What these critics often miss is people of faith responding to help those in need.

When we are faced with this present disaster, we see that our hands become the hands of God, our feet the feet of God, our words the words of God. As Stan Purdum, a writer and Methodist minister puts it: “This is a time to urge the church to be the church, and remember that when Jesus told us to love our neighbor, he had a really big neighborhood in mind.”

Sometimes, our religious tradition seems so complicated, doesn’t it? When that happens, I find it helpful to remember Jesus’ summary of the law:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Love God, and love your neighbor. Pretty simple, really. But we need to remember the order of priorities. Our relationship with God must come first, otherwise we have little to offer our neighbor.

In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." It is Jesus in our midst that makes the difference. Without the belief of Christ among us, we would be nothing more than a social club.

When we work together in the name of God, Christ works with us. When we reach out to those who are hurting in the name of God, we are empowered to re-present Christ to those in need of a word of hope. When we become the united body of Christ, working together towards common goals with Christ in our midst, we can literally transform the world.

Let us respond with the compassion of God to those suffering from hurricane Katrina. Let us also allow this tragedy to sharpen our vision so that we can see more clearly those in need all around us. Let us respond to those who are suffering, both spiritually and physically, with the healing power of God’s love.

Let us pray;

O God, we remember when the disciples of Jesus were terrified after a long night on a turbulent sea. When they cried to you for help, you stilled the sea and brought them to safety. We ask now that you comfort and still the hearts of those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

We pray for those who have been displaced and who now must return to homes destroyed or damaged by the storm.

We pray for those whose lives were lost and for those who now must grieve the loss of a loved one.

We pray for those who are attempting to offer help and relief to victims.
While we wonder why such devastation can occur, where lives and property can seem held so capriciously in the hand of what is uncontrollable, we know, O God, that you count every hair on our head and that our names are written on the palm of your hand.

Let your loving grace wash over those who must now face damaged lives, homes, and possessions. Hold them close to yourself until they are sure of the security of your loving embrace. Calm their hearts and still their souls, O Lord. We ask this for the sake of your love. AMEN.

September 4, 2005

A Lutheran, a Catholic, and an Episcopalian at the Pearly Gates...

In this morning's Gospel, Jesus gathers his disciples together, and asks them, "Who do you say that I am?"

In theological libraries around the world, there sits volume after volume that attempts to answer this same question. It's an important question. Who do we say Jesus is in the world today?

Three clergy, a Lutheran, a Catholic and an Episcopalian, end up at the pearly gates one day. It was St. Peter's day off, so Jesus was administering the entrance exam to heaven that day. "The question is simple," he said. "Who do you say that I am?"

The Lutheran stepped forward and began, "The bible says..." but Jesus interrupted and said, "I don't care what the bible says; who do you say that I am?" The Lutheran said, "I don't know," and immediately he fell through a trap door to the other place.

The Catholic stepped forward and began, "The pope says..." but Jesus stopped him and asked, "I don't care what the pope says; who do you say that I am?" "I'm not sure," said the Catholic, and immediately he fell through a trap door to the other place.

Jesus then turned to the Episcopalian and asked, "Who do you say that I am?" The Episcopalian replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Then, just as Jesus smiled and began to open the pearly gates, the Episcopalian continued, "...but on the other hand..."

Who do we say Jesus is?

Here are a few names for Jesus, assembled by Alice Camille in U.S. Catholic (August 2002):

Saint Thomas Aquinas called Jesus the perfect mediator between God and humanity.

Protestant theologian Horace Bushnell named Jesus the “poor man’s philosopher, the first and only one that has appeared.”

Fidel Castro said Jesus is “a great revolutionary.”

George Bernard Shaw called him “a first-rate political economist.”

Johnny Cash said he was “the foundation of my life and my strength.”

Author and storyteller John Shea describes Jesus as “God’s challenge and invitation.”

For Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Our Lord Jesus Christ ... is our hero, a hero all the world wants.”

So, who is Jesus Christ?

In this morning's Gospel we hear Peter proclaim the clearest answer to our question, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

There are two very different biographies of Jesus floating around in the world today. We can see the story of Jesus as a story of man's religious quest with Jesus cast as the hero. The plot of this story is one of log cabin to the White House. Born in a stable, his home a carpenter's cottage, rising through love for humanity to the height of the ultimate sacrifice, his death on the cross, Jesus is the supreme hero in the story of humanity's spiritual evolution. Jesus is the example of what humanity ought to be. This is a dominant view of Jesus. It's not the bible's version of the story. It's only been around for the last 100 years.

The story of the heroic Jesus is a modern creation. It is not what we find in the Gospels. Their story is just the opposite, It is a story of White House to log cabin, or royal palace to slum. It is the story of the king of glory casting aside his royal robes and coming to live as a human being on earth. Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, humbled himself and came to dwell among us.

Think of the stories we've all heard about the king going out among the people in disguise. When the king returned to the throne, his time among the people allowed him to know them in a new way. He had laughed and cried with them. He had seen their burdens and their accomplishments first hand. A new relationship begins to grow, a relationship that had never existed before. No citizen of that kingdom would ever forget that the ruler of the realm once considered him worthy of being his friend. A new dignity is born and the people have a new sense of their own value. If this king now asks for service, he would be obeyed not out of fear, but out of gratitude. This is a form of voluntary morality, rising out of a relationship, not bound by laws and threats of punishment.

The word became flesh and dwells among us. This is the heart of the Good News we have to offer to the world. This is the unique message of Christianity.

I've spoken to you before of one way to understand the trinity. I want to mention it again, as I think it may be helpful in understanding who Jesus is. One way of thinking of the Trinity is to consider the Father as the Lover, the Son as the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit as the Flow of Love. Since before the beginning of time, since before the creative act of God, there has been a constant Flow of Love between the Lover and the Beloved. Then, something unique happened. The Beloved entered our world and dwelt among us. The Flow of Love between the Lover and the Beloved continued, now spanning the chasm between God and humanity. We are told that if we are willing to become the adopted sons and daughters of God, if we are willing to stand in the place of the Beloved, if we act in the name of Jesus Christ, we can also access this same Flow of love, and enter into a new kind of relationship with God. We can become who we have always been intended to be: the Beloved of God!

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The God we serve is not a distant God, who rules from a throne far away. He dwells among us. He is with us, and in us, right now. Our mission is to help others become aware of God moving among us, transforming us, and making all things new.

Who do we say Jesus is? He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, whom we serve by serving those around us.

August 21, 2005

The Nice Thing About...

"The nice thing about living in a small town is,
If you don't know what you're doing, somebody else always does." :D

--from a parishioner

Not Set In Concrete?

This morning’s Gospel story tells us of Jesus and the Caananite woman, whose daughter Jesus refused to heal because she wasn’t Jewish. When the woman offers a quick comeback, saying that even the dogs deserve the crumbs that fall from the table, what does Jesus do? He changes his mind and heals her daughter.

Jesus changed his mind. Does that strike you as strange? Jesus Christ, who we proclaim as the same, yesterday, today and forever, changed his mind. Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God, changed his mind.

We have other examples from the scriptures of God changing his mind. Listen to this conversation between Moses and god from the book of Exodus:

But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, …Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, `I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people. -NRSV, Exodus 32:11-14

I've read this story about the golden calf many times, but it wasn't until a recent reading that the impact of that last verse hit me. God changed his mind! Do you see the implications of that? This also brings to mind the story of Jonah, and how the Ninevites repented, and God changed his mind and spared the city (Jonah 3:4-10). And the story of Abraham bargaining with God to try to save Sodom, and God agrees that if 10 righteous men can be found in the city, he will spare it (Genesis 18:16-33). It brings to mind this morning’s Gospel lesson.

Before continuing, I suppose it would be prudent to clarify exactly what I'm talking about here. The Hebrew term, which the New Revised Standard Version translates as "changed his mind," is nacham. Often it is translated as "repent," as in the Revised Standard Version: "And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people."

This appears to be in direct contradiction to the immutability (changelessness) of God, as in Malachi 3:6; "For I, the Lord, do not change." In that passage, the Hebrew term is shaniti, a reference to the unchanging character of God, which would include mercy, love, compassion, and righteous judgment. In Exodus, the change, or repentance (nacham) of God was not a change of character, but a response to the actions of humanity, consistent with the unchanging nature of God. The promises and warnings of God are always conditional, based on the response of humanity (Ezekiel 33:13-16). So, to be clear, I'm not suggesting that God is a flip-flopper! Yet, it does seem apparent that in order to be consistent with God's nature, there is room for revision of the original plan. When the situation changes, God doesn't change, but sometimes the plan does.

Even within that more nuanced definition, the implications are still startling. Doesn’t this mean that the future may not be poured in concrete? Doesn’t this mean that we have an important role in the acts of God; that we are, at times, co-creators with God? The Israelites repent, and God doesn’t destroy them. Absolutely amazing. When our response to God changes, the plan changes.

Keep this in mind the next time someone tries to tell you that Armageddon is coming. Those prophesies are but one way the story might end. It is not necessarily the only way. What if humanity repented like the Ninevites? What troubles me the most about these kinds of “end times” prophesies is that they tend to function as a self-fulfilling prophesy. We begin to make them come true, by our actions or inactions.

Maybe God changes his mind once in awhile. Maybe our future isn't written in concrete after all. We have a reason for hope offered to us in this morning's text. The end of our story, the end of humanity's story, might not yet be written!

God demands justice, but it is also God's nature to be merciful, so merciful that the plan can be changed. We have a role in the unfolding of this plan. We are not puppets on a string. We have some degree of responsibility regarding how the future unfolds. We are partners with God, working together to transform this world.

Jesus changed his mind about the Caananite woman. God wants to change his mind about people. That’s what love means. Judging comes easily to us. Changing our minds about people isn’t that easy.

God has changed his mind about each one of us. In this divided world we live in today, maybe we can change our mind about how to respond to those with whom we disagree. God has shown us great mercy. Let’s pass on this mercy to those we meet in our day to day lives, by not being so quick to judge others, and instead, consider changing our minds about them.

This world’s story is not over yet. Our personal story is still unfolding as well. We can be healed, we can become whole, there is still time. The final scene is not yet written. This is good news! Thanks be to God!

August 14, 2005

"Even the dogs..."

This summer I've gotten to know our dog better. He's become my little buddy now. He's been following me all around the house as I go about my special summer-chores, like deep-cleaning, "clean-sweeping," organizing, painting, and so on. This is the first dog I've ever had (normally I'm a Cat Person). Because having a dog is new to me, I notice things about him that are Different From Cats. ("Dogs have masters; cats have staff"). I think the dog has decided that I'm "his person," which I find absolutely delightful. :)

One of our doggie's endearing little habits is his way of stationing himself beneath the table where we happen to be sitting. It doesn't matter which table it is: if I'm sitting there, he plants himself beneath it. If we're in the kitchen, he's under the kitchen table. We used the dining room last night: there he was, beneath it. When we visit my parents with doggie in tow, he plunks himself down beneath their table. So far we haven't run across a table with a central column instead of four legs, but I imagine that if we ever do, he'd find a way to plant himself more or less beneath it.

He's got pretty good manners about begging at the table, but he's still a dog, and I think dogs just can't help themselves. Because I didn't grow up with dogs, this business of begging-at-the-table is new to me, and I really don't mind it. I have seen other dog owners stop their pets from doing the table begging routine. We don't stop him. It's just too cute. (Saves on some floor-sweeping, too, after a meal). Having a dog around is a little like having a walking garbage disposal. Nothing that falls from the table stays on the floor for very long.


The first time he sat there looking at me pathetically with his big brown eyes, waiting for a table-tidbit, I gave him one and watched his tail just about wag off his little body. "Ah-ha: THAT'S what they were talking about in the gospel!" I thought. "But rabbi, even the dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master's table!" If you've never had a dog around, you don't really "get" the full meaning of that passage, I think. You have an idea, but a dog incarnates that story for you, and that's when you really understand its nuances.

It makes me ponder the meaning of that gospel story: "Even the dogs get the crumbs that fall from the Master's table."

Our doggie is very patient and humble when he waits by my side to get something from the table. He doesn't whine or make a nuisance of himself, but he does stay there with an amazing degree of steadfastness until he gets a crumb. I watch him, and I think that the phrase "prayer of humble access" fits the look in his eyes and his posture perfectly.

When he wants something from the table, he is steadfast and patient. He trusts that eventually I'll give it to him. And when he receives it, he is joyful and grateful. Sometimes he doesn't get what he wants - sometimes what's on the table just wouldn't be good for him, so I don't give him any.

That doesn't stop him from asking again the next time. And there is always a next time. But what if we're having spaghetti one night? Dogs wouldn't like spaghetti. They wouldn't know what to do with it. And you can't give chocolate to cats and dogs; I've heard it can be poisonous for them. But my doggie doesn't sulk or hold a grudge just because he didn't get what he thought he wanted that day. And he goes through the very same cute little routine when the next meal comes around. He doesn't complain when he doesn't get what he thinks he wants. Somehow, he trusts me to give him only what I know is good for him. He is steadfast and patient; he is loyal and loving. Because he didn't get a table scrap one day does not mean that if someone threatened me, he wouldn't have at their throat in a heartbeat. He's super-protective of me. A week or so ago, he nearly made the Comcast repair man faint. He sounded so ferocious. This protective behavior and his loyalty is what won my parents over to Dogdom: my father especially didn't care for dogs, but when he saw how protective our dog was of me, Dad changed his mind.

Even though our doggie doesn't always get exactly what he's asking for, that doesn't stop him from asking again the next time, nor does it change his basic nature and attitude toward me.

Trusting, patient, loving, faithful, loyal, and perservering. That's how dogs are.

And no matter what, he keeps on trying for a table scrap. Not getting what he asked for before doesn't stop him from asking again. Because--who knows? The next time, it might just be steak.

You Just Never Know

During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed: "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will, though, I love you and trust you. Amen."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.

As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Hah, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. As the great leader, Nehemiah, reminded the people of Israel when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, "In God we will have success!" [Nehemiah 2:20]

And remember: Whatever is happening in your life, in God, a mere spider's web becomes a brick wall of protection.

With thanks to one of our parishioners for passing this story on. Original source unknown.

We're Famous (sort of)

Not only a new vicar, but a new website and a new blog, too

We see that the Church of the Holy Spirit, Tuckerton, has launched an informative new website: www.holyspirittuckerton.org. So far, so good. But they’ve included a blog — holyspirittuckerton.blogspot.com — which allows any church member to write and post an entry or reply to another’s comment. The rector has even (gasp) uploaded his sermon! Congratulations to the Reverend Terry Martin and his web team.

From "2Times a Month," the diocesan newsletter.

We Need a Savior

There’s an apocryphal story that claims that when Peter started sinking into the water, Jesus turned to John and muttered, “Should I tell him where the stepping stones are?”

It does seem obvious from the story that Peter is in big trouble. He took his eyes off Jesus, and started sinking fast. He couldn’t save himself. He needed a Savior. And a Savior is just what God provided him, in the person of Jesus Christ.

This is probably the biggest difference between a Christian and much of the rest of the world. We know we need a Savior. We know that we cannot always pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.

Many people think they can make it on their own. They carefully structure their lives so they feel safe and in control. But then some catastrophe strikes, and they realize that they were never really in control at all. They are drowning, and they need a Savior, but don’t know where to find one.

Although, some of us Christians do the same sort of thing, don’t we? We act as if they are in control, until they get in a jam and start sinking beneath the waves, and then they remember to turn their eyes back on Jesus. “We live in sheer dread of giving up control and abandoning ourselves to God,” writes Larry Crabb in Shattered Dreams. “Only when we discover a desire for him that is stronger than our desire for relief from pain will we pay the price necessary to find him.”

That’s a powerful statement, isn’t it? It’s one that I think we need to hear, however. I don’t think we can ignore the fact any longer that this world is in desperate need of a Savior. I think it is time that we humans gave up control. We haven’t exactly done a very good job on our own. I think it’s time that we be willing to pay the price; to be humbled, to confess our sin, to amend our lives, so that we might find our savior.

Yesterday, August 6, was the Feast of the Transfiguration. To remind you of that story, here’s the Gospel lesson appointed for yesterday;

About eight days after Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. - Luke 9:28-38

Here is the lead story from the BBC on August 6, 1945:

The first atomic bomb has been dropped by a United States aircraft on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

President Harry S. Truman, announcing the news from the cruiser, Augusta, in the mid-Atlantic, said the device contained 20,000 tons of TNT and was more than 2,000 times more powerful than the largest bomb used to date.

Yesterday we commemorate Jesus Christ being revealed in glory as the Incarnation of God. Yesterday we also remembered the unleashing of the most destructive force humanity has ever created.

We desperately need a Savior. We need to be saved from ourselves.

We are the ones who, like Peter, know where to turn when we are drowning. But there are many in this world who believe they have nowhere to turn when natural or manmade disaster strikes.

This is our mission; to point beyond ourselves to the Savior, not only with our words, but with our actions.

Sometimes it seems to me that the Church often functions as a group of people standing on the beach shouting to another group who are out in the deep water, “Hey, you’re drowning!” They know that! What they need is for us to go out to them, and offer them our hand, and lead them back to the shore. They need a Savior.

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's hunger meet. --Frederick Buechner

We are the hands of Christ in the world today. We are the ones who are called to witness to God’s saving power through our actions; by being Christ for the world.

In closing, allow me to offer the collect for the feast of the Transfiguration:

O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

August 7, 2005

Our Website

We're up to 50 70 hits....



I just noticed that you can play with the puppy dog by clicking "STOP" (the red "X" on the toolbar) and then "Refresh" to get him moving again. When you click "STOP" the animation freezes in various positions, all of which are goofy. :D

--The WebDove, obviously with way too much time on her hands

Brooding, Hovering, Moving: Ruach Hakodesh, the "Spirit of God"

I thought it might be interesting to compare some translations of the first few lines of Genesis, where the Spirit of God "moves" over the "face of the waters." In some translations the Spirit simply "moves"; in others, the Spirit "broods" or "hovers." The NAB version has the most dramatic description of the Spirit's actions, where the Spirit is a "mighty wind." In Hebrew, the grammatical gender of "Ruach Hakodesh" (the Holy Spirit) is feminine. The Holy Spirit is also associated with "Holy Wisdom," or "Hagia Sophia."


Genesis 1:1-2
New American Bible
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

New International Version – UK
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

King James Version
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

New Life Version
In the beginning God made from nothing the heavens and the earth. The earth was an empty waste and darkness was over the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was moving over the top of the waters.

Amplified Bible
IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

English Standard Version
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

The Spirit is said to have been "moving, hovering, and brooding" over "the waters" at the creation.

"You Feed Them..."

In this morning's Gospel, Jesus looked and saw a great crowd gathered around him, and he had compassion for them. Compassion is seen as not simply an emotion, but a catalyst to action. Jesus heals the sick. Mark's Gospel tells us that he teaches as well.

When evening came, we hear of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples , so that everyone could eat.

We feel the same compassion towards those we meet who are hurting. Hopefully, we also find compassion compelling us into action. There are a few things we can learn about being compassionate from this story.

First, no one has to earn God's compassion. The people gathered together on that day didn't do anything to make themselves deserving of Jesus miraculous gifts. All they had to do was show up.

No one needs to earn our compassion, either. We offer God's healing and God’s spiritual and physical nourishment to everyone whether they deserve it or not.

We feed the hungry because we have compassion for them. Not because they deserve it. Not because they are good people. Not because they meet an income guideline. We feed them because they are hungry.

I would imagine that some of us here this morning have had to go hungry for long periods of time. After a couple of weeks, I'm told that the craving for food goes away. My experience in this rich nation is that you can always find a little food once in a while, so you never get to the point where you lose the craving for food. I remember times in my life when the only thing I was aware of was my empty stomach. I would agree to all kinds of strange ideas if it would help me get a meal. Would I “accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior” for a meal? You bet. (This is known as “making rice Christians” in mission work.)

We don't feed the hungry with the hope of making converts. We feed them because they are hungry—period. We feed them because this is what Jesus told us to do. In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus commends those who have fed the hungry, clothed the poor and visited the sick. He tells us that ”when you have done this for the least of those who are of my family, you have done it for me.”

I acknowledge the idea behind "if you feed them a fish, you feed them for a day, but if you teach them to fish, you feed them for a lifetime." There is wisdom in that. And I understand the idea of tough love—that sometimes we have to use drastic measures to stop enabling the dysfunctional behavior at the root of some people's poverty. But sometimes, I see those responses as simply excuses not to help those in need.

The United Nations estimates that today 852 million people are suffering malnutrition to the point where their health, productivity and life expectancy are impaired. Each day, 20,000 people die of hunger-related causes.

No one should go hungry. There is enough food. I think we need to reconsider treating the poor like trained seals. We don't reward them for right behavior. We feed them because of the compassion of God we have experienced in our lives.

Sometimes, feeding the hungry seems like an overwhelming task. It is, if we try to do it alone. At the beginning of this story, Jesus told the disciples to feed the people. They gathered what they could find: five loaves and two fish. They presented these meager provisions to Jesus. And it was enough. We do what we can do first, and then we trust God for the rest.

I think we miss that point sometimes.

There’s a story about a man who was visiting a local church. He arrived at the church early, so he sat on the front steps waiting for the church to open. The first person he saw was an elderly man slowly limping up to the front door of the church. The visitor introduced himself, learned that the elderly man’s name was Joe, and that he had been opening up this church every Sunday for 35 years.

Joe turned on the lights, got the furnace going, and prepared the church for the service.

Afterward the service, as people were filing out of the church, the visitor noticed that a number of people spoke to Joe, asking about his bad knee, and promising to remember him in their prayers. When they were all gone, the visitor mentioned to Joe that it must make him feel good to know all those folks would be praying for him.

“Yes, the prayers are nice,” said Joe. “But today, what I really could have used was a ride home!” We do what we can do first, and then trust God for the rest.

At the other extreme, we also have to be careful we don’t start thinking that we can solve the world’s problems all by ourselves. I find that when I try to show compassion on my own, I am often thwarted because of the fear that there might not be enough. I want to help, but my glass is already half empty. When I remember to take the situation to God in prayer, I am instilled with hope, because the glass is now half full.

There is enough food to feed all the hungry. There is enough grace to feed all the faithful. There will always be enough, if we put our trust in God’s abundance, and not in the ways of this world, driven by a fear of scarcity.

We have the compassion of God to offer to a hurting world. Let us work together to alleviate the suffering all around us. Let us do all we can do, and then trust God for the miracle.

July 31st, 2005

Second Work Day a Success!

The hallway and ceiling have been painted, and they look great. Lunch was brought in by one of our Lunch Angels (Thank you, Lunch Angel). Our Junior Warden painstakingly sanded the wrought iron railing and then (equally painstakingly) repainted it, and it looks like new now! Thanks to the Ceiling Painter, the bricks painters and brush-washers, the Vicar's son (who painted the upper walls), the painter who realized that the WebDove didn't paint part of the molding around one of the doorways (oops) and doesn't mind standing on scaffolds, and the people who came in to visit and cheer us on while they did their Altar Guild jobs.

There is a cleaned-up lid in the Sexton's closet on the top shelf with the formula for mixing the next batch of paint in the right color at Home Depot.

Diocesan webpage has been updated!

YAY, we've been updated on the diocesan website listing all the parishes! Click here: www.newjersey.anglican.org

Yippeee!!!

--A very happy WebDove

We've been added to Google

I just added us to the Google URL search catalog. Pray for a fast propagation!



--The WebDove

July 30: Next Painting Day!

Saturday, July 30th, we will have another "Work Day!" Wear "paint clothes" and come paint with us; or, just come and cheer us on.

Ruach: the "Holy Spirit"

Definition of "ruach" from Anne Robertson:

When I read the word "wind" I always want to look back to Hebrew for one of my favorite words, ruach, which is what this word is. It means wind, breath, spirit. It's the word ruach that Genesis 1 talks about hovering over the waters at creation and bringing things to life. It's the ruach that God breathed into Adam and Eve, giving them life. It was the ruach that brought life to Ezekiel's valley of dry bones. The wind that blows away the chaff and leaves the mature grain is the breath of God. Notice that it doesn't single out the wicked for fiery breath. It doesn't breathe especially easy on the righteous either. The same ruach blows across the threshing floor of the full heads of grain and the empty ones. But the wicked haven't grown. They haven't matured. They have no substance. They are merely shells, and when that wind blows, it blows them away.

from Anne Robertson's sermons at St. John's, Dover

The Spirit's Soundings - Newsletter of June, 2005

From the Vicar...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great excitement that I join this household of God. It is my hope that together we will press forward towards the mission that God has given us.

How will we accomplish this mission? How will we live into God's calling for this congregation? I think that we must begin by listening; by discerning what it is that God would have us do. We will then need to develop a plan, with specific objectives and time frames. We will identify the gifts that God has given each of us, and seek to match these unique gifts with specific objectives.

Your Vestry has already started this process. Some preliminary decisions have been made. But it is essential for the future of this community that every member be heard and be given an opportunity to offer their gifts. To accomplish this, we will be holding at least three Community Meetings over the next months, with the first one to occur in September.

At our first Community Meeting, we will focus on the question, "Where have we been?" We will consider our past in an attempt to gain insight into the unique character of this congregation. At the second Meeting our question will be, "Where are we now?" We will reflect on the present, assessing our gifts, and our growing edges, in this present moment. In our final Meeting, we will ask ourselves, "Where are we going?" Using the insights we have gained from considering our past and taking inventory of our present situation, we will seek to discern the direction God is calling us to move into the future.

Your Vestry will then consider the insights gathered at these meetings and develop a strategic plan that will map out how we will implement our future goals.

In the meantime, what can we do?

1. Pray. Hold up our members in prayer. Seek God's guidance as we begin this new chapter at Holy Spirit together. Remember the Church in your daily prayers. Join with your community for prayer on Sunday and during our weekday worship opportunities.

2. Care. Continue to shower one another with God's love. Take the initiative to reach out to those who are hurting or in need of a hand up. Be the hands of Christ in the world today.

3. Proclaim. With our every word and deed, proclaim to the world the faith that is in us. Let your life be a testimony to your relationship with God. Be enthusiastic about your community of faith, and invite your neighbors to church.

We are entering an exciting time in our common life together. We can see God moving among us, from glory to glory. Let us seek to move with God, from faith to faith, into the future that has been prepared for us.

In Christ's Love,

Fr. Terry+