Feast of St. Joan of Arc - May 30th

Let us pray...

In the face of your enemies, in the face of harassment, ridicule, and doubt, you held firm in your faith. Even in your abandonment, alone and without friends, you held firm in your faith. Even as you faced your own mortality, you held firm in your faith. I pray that I may be as bold in my beliefs as you, St. Joan. I ask that you ride alongside me in my own battles. Help me be mindful that what is worthwhile can be won when I persist. Help me hold firm in my faith. Help me believe in my ability to act well and wisely. Amen.

Sermon: Easter VI RCL A - "Be Still"

Gospel: John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."

One day, God speaks to Noah. "Noah", he says, "I want you to build another Ark."… "What, like the last one?" asks Noah…. "Yes," replies God, "Except this time, I want it to have 14 decks."… "And shall I lead all the animals into it, two by two, like last time?' asks Noah…. "No, this time I only want you to lead fish into it"… Noah is a little puzzled. "Just fish?" he asks… "Yes," says God. "In fact, just carp."… "Just carp? Why carp?" Noah quizzes… "Well," says God, "I've always wanted a multi-level carp Ark!"

Our New Testament reading from St. Peter’s first letter makes a rather interesting statement… Speaking of Jesus, Peter writes.. Jesus “was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey”.. it is from this passage that we receive those lines from the Nicene Creed which read… “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.. and.. He descended to the dead.”.. We understand this to mean that after Jesus died, he descended into hell, where he preached to those souls who had not the benefit of hearing his teachings prior to his coming…. And it is here that Peter specifically mentions those who died in the great flood during Noah’s lifetime.. “when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.”

This particular passage is speaking of how like those eight persons were saved through the waters, so we too are saved through the waters of Baptism… but it also reminded me of something Jesus said about his second coming when he also referenced those days of Noah part of which I mentioned last week… Jesus said, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”

The people in Noah’s time had no idea that the Lord was coming.. they were going about their business as though they would live forever.. never giving thought to the hereafter.. Jesus was also saying that at his second coming.. it would be the same.. and even though it is speaking specifically of those days of the second coming.. I would suggest to you that it is also speaking of “these days”.. as so many walk around unaware of the Lord.

There was a remarkable story that came out in the Washington Post a few years ago.. an event took place at the Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning...

It seems that a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule…. 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar; a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk…. 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to the violinist, then looked at his watch and began to walk again…. 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed him hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly…. 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The violinist collected a total of $32…. 1 hour: He finished playing, and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

Also.. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He had played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million. Two days before, Joshua Bell had sold out a theatre in Boston, where the seats averaged $100… This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and people’s priorities. The questions raised: In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made….How many other things are we missing?

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

Jesus says that the world will not see or know the Holy Spirit.  Why?  Because the world is very much like that Washington DC Metro Station with thousands walking by.. so involved in their own lives that they fail to recognize.. to hear beauty.. and in a similar manner.. the world fails to stop.. to hear and see God.

Unfortunately.. when I say the world fails to see and hear God.. I have to include us as well… That Washington Post noted that only six people stopped and listened for a short while… and in that categorization of the world, I think those six could be marked up as the Christians.. and they only stopped for a bit.

Here’s a question you won’t like… In the last six days.. how much time have you spent listening to God… Or let me rephrase.. In the last six days how much time have you just spent with God?  In prayer.. study.. meditation?  Any here that could stop, look at their watch and say, “Well, I’ve been here for __ minutes, so I’ve spent __ minutes with God in the last six days – notice.. I didn’t force you to deduct the time that you drifted away in your mind to other subjects during the last __ minutes.”.. You ain’t foolin’ nobody!

In the days of Noah.. the people were going about their business.. paying no attention to God.. and we do the same thing today.  I believe that you all have spent more than __ minutes with Him this week, but there are those days when the Creator of the heavens and the earth and our Savior.. never crosses our minds.  Jesus said, “those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.".. but how can he reveal himself, if won’t stop long enough to see?

The Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God”… the Lord is not far from anyone of us.. but we must.. Be still and know that He is God… We must take the time to allow him to reveal himself to us.

The French Missionary Jean Eudes, speaking of Jesus writes, “He belongs to you, but more than that, he longs to be in you, living and ruling in you, as the head lives and rules the body.  He wants his breath to be in your breath, his heart in your heart, and his soul in your soul, so that you may indeed ‘Glorify God and bear him your body, that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in you.’”

Jesus desires to be made manifest in you.. that is.. to be made clearly visible within you… the question is… Is that what you want?  To answer “No” to that question, isn’t saying you desire to be damned for all eternity, but it does say – like all those that missed out on the beauty of the music in the Metro Station – that you are missing out on the beauty of God.  My prayer for us all today is that we will learn to be still for longer than __ minutes a week, and know that He is God.

Let us pray… O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Deficiencies

An article for the local papers.

It is a wonderful gift to have the magnanimous capacity to excuse one’s self of one’s own faults, while simultaneously discerning the multiple deficiencies of one’s neighbor.  It also makes one a bit of a jerk!  Yes, Holy Scripture speaks often of this: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone” (John 8:7) and “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)  Yet, so often, we overlook these teachings and so are unwilling to extend to others the same grace that our Lord extends to us. 

Take fore example these words of Thomas à Kempis on how we view others in comparison to ourselves, “We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask. We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.” (Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Ch. 16)

To see one another through the eyes of Jesus is to see one another through the eyes of love.  It means that instead of seeing one another’s deficiencies, we allow our judgments of others to be covered by grace, just as Jesus has covered ours.

Thomas Merton tells the following story, “Once two brothers were sitting with Abbot Poemen and one praised the other brother saying: He is a good brother, he hates evil. The old man said: What do you mean, he hates evil? And the brother did not know what to reply. So he said: Tell me, Father, what it is to hate evil? The Father said: That man hates evil who hates his own sins, and looks upon every brother as a saint, and loves him as a saint.” (The Wisdom of the Desert, 70)

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)  See one another as saints and demonstrate this love by showing your willingness to extend God’s grace to all.

Sermon: Easter V RCL A - "Boldly and Unapologetically"

Gospel: John 14:1-14

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

Harold Camping, the 89 year old leader of Family Radio Worldwide – through complex mathematical formulas – predicted that yesterday – May 21st – the rapture, that is God calling his people home, would occur and the world would end as we know it… Now.. if all of you were still here after the rapture, I wouldn’t be surprised, but since today is the 22nd and I’m still here.. I figure he was wrong…. By the way.. Camping also predicted that the world would end on Sept. 6, 1994.. and that didn’t happen either, he wrote that off as errors in his computations… Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”.. and if the angels don’t know the hour or day, then someone with a calculator and a Bible won’t be able to figure it out either.

Now, across the country, atheist were having all sorts of fun by having “end of the world parties,” and although I think Mr. Camping was wrong – and now proven to be so – I still don’t know that it is a good idea to mock him.. and I’ll tell you why… People of have been looking for Jesus return for 2,000s years.. They have been praying for his return for 2,000 years and for good reason… Linda Strefeurt sent me a quote a few weeks back by Anne Lamott that sort of summed it up, she wrote, “We are Easter People, living in a Good Friday World.”.. We are an Easter people believing in the resurrection, old things passing away.. new life.. the promises of the Good News.. but the world around is in shambles.. and for some.. they see the world around us and they interpret its condition as the end, “How could we go on anymore?”… So in the midst of the shambles, folks want to see the Lord’s return so badly, that they begin to look for it even more closely.. and want it so much that they even make the mistake of trying to predict it… In a way, it is an act of desperation.

Harold Camping and the others who have become desparate because of the world around them are not alone.  Consider the apostles in our Gospel reading today… Jesus has already shared the Last Supper with his disciples, he has predicted his death, he has told Peter and the others that they will deny him.. essentially he is giving final instructions and saying, “Goodbye.”… For the apostles, their world is spinning out of control.. their world is turning into shambles, so Thomas says to Jesus, “Give us directions on how we can follow you.”… and Philip wants Jesus to show them the Father.. but in both cases, instead of breaking out a map or showing a photo, Jesus responds, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”… “If you have seen me then you have seen the Father.”.. and for the apostles that still sounds a bit cryptic, because they did not fully understand Jesus’ purpose.. what his mission was all about… that understanding would not come until later, and the events surrounding Stephen that we also read about today are key to this understanding.

You will recall that after Jesus’ death the apostles went about preaching and teaching; however, as more folks came to belief in Christ it became more difficult for these few followers to care for them all, so they elected seven others – the first deacons – to assist in the ministry.  One of those seven was Stephen and he was very passionate about his work – not only did he do the work of a deacon, but he also proclaimed the Gospel message and just as the religious leadership did not want to hear it from Jesus, they didn’t want to hear it from this young upstart either.  So it came to pass that on one particular day Stephen gave them a great tongue lashing.. saying to them they have always been disobedient to God.. they have always limited God.. and persecuted the prophets that God sent them.. and the crowning jewel of this tongue lashing comes when Stephen tells them that they have murdered the Son of God.

.. and it is hear that scripture records an amazing scene… ‘Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"’.. and for this “blasphemy” they stone him to death…

But in believing and proclaiming the Gospel. Stephen – the first martyr of the church – saw the place that Thomas had asked Jesus for directions to.. and Stephen saw the glory of the Father that Phillip had wanted to see… What Stephen was witness to was the Good News.  Jesus’ Kingdom was not bound to an earthly realm.  You don’t need directions on how to get there or a photograph to know the Father.. you only need one thing… Care to guess what that one thing is?.. Jesus.. and that is the Good News.

But here is a question for you… Who do you see.. Who do you think of when you consider a person like Stephen?  I mean.. he knew that because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God it got him crucified, but here Stephen is making the same claims only a short time after Jesus’ death.  Don’t you think he had to know that it would incite the religious leaders once again?  Was he like one of those street preachers you imagine in Time Square, standing on a milk crate flailing a Bible around shouting at those passing by.. but all along knowing that what he said could get him killed?  Was he on a suicide mission.. simply begging for death?...

.. or.. was he being the light of the world.. that city on a hill that can’t be hidden?  Was Stephen a hero?  Was he someone whose character and behavior we should model and follow?

Now please don’t think I’m picking on anyone in particular this morning, I’m not.. Instead, I’m being very equitable and picking on all of us.. because we are all guilty of something particular in our Christian walk… Folks like Thomas and Philip ask to see God.. others like Harold Camping and his followers want to see God so badly that they predict dates when they actually will… but they are not the only ones.. the world is in shambles all around us.. and folks, whether directly or indirectly, ask us those same questions.. “Can you show me the way?”.. “Can you help me to understand and see God?”.. indirectly they may pour out to you the turmoil within their souls.. their anxious thoughts and personal concerns and so on.. but when they do.. what we are all guilty of is being too polite… How many of you have heard this (or heaven forbid actually said it), “Faith.. or someone’s relationship with God is a personal matter.”.. or “I don’t want to force my religious views on anyone.”.. or “I might make them angry if I talk about God.”

I asked you if you if you thought Stephen was some sort of madman or a hero.. and the correct answer is that he is a hero.  We should emulate his behavior, which means we shouldn’t always be so polite and say or do what is considered socially proper when it comes to our faith.. after all.. it is THE Good News.. and that Good News is not there just so we can have some comforting words to say at someone’s deathbed or worse their funeral!  The Good News is for today..  It is for the living.. and is worth and for sharing…. If someone happens to get angry and throws a few rocks.. then so be it.. they may leave a bruise or two.. but the Good News is worth it for those others who will hear and believe.

Scripture said that Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit and we too are filled with that same Spirit which will allows us share this Good News just as boldly and unapologetically as he did… Yesterday was not the end of the world.. so folks are still wanting to know the way to Jesus.. they want to see the Father.. and you.. each and everyone of you can provide them with both.

The Psalmist declares, My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all… I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone… Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds… Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Don’ let that simply be something you read or hear when it comes around in the Psalter… Let it be something you live.. a way of life… be aware of the many opportunities that the Lord provides you to share your faith.. and then grasp those opportunities and proclaim the Good News that is within you.

Let us pray… Father in heaven, you have made us for yourself; our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Fulfill this longing through Jesus, the bread of life, so that we may witness to him who alone satisfies the hungers of the human family. By the power of your Spirit lead us to the heavenly table where we may feast on the vision of your glory for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Mary's has a home!!!

Below are some pictures (please excuse the poor quality) of St. Mary's home, which is located in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Butte. 

Our first service will be held at 10:45 on Sunday, June 5th.

$10,000 Challenge Grant

St. Mary's has received a challenge grant for up to $10,000!  Please don't think I'm being greedy here, but let's not leave a single dollar on the table.  If you would like to help then feel free to comment or send me an email.  Blessinigs to you all.

Location.. Location.. Location

The search for a church building in Butte for St. Mary's to meet in has commenced.  Please include this in your daily prayers.

It is official!

St. Mary's Episcopal Fellowship in Butte will hold its first service on Sunday, June 5th.  The time and location of this service will be announced soon.