The Whittington Family Story: Ryland

Each time a child is born, we never know what their true nature is. This is a moving example of parents who loved their child enough to allow him to embrace his gender identity.

Southern Baptist Pastor Accepts Gay Son, Changes His Church

This one incident provides some hope that eventually we will all realize we are children of a loving God and reach a loving and non-judgmental fellowship with each other. We need to pray for those who stay and those who feel called to leave. (deniray+)
 

May 29, 2014

Hi John,

I wanted to introduce myself to you. My name is Danny Cortez and I pastor a small Southern Baptist Church in La Mirada, CA. We’re about a mile from Biola University in a very conservative neighborhood.

Anyway, I recently became gay affirming after a 15-year journey of having multiple people in my congregation come out to me every year. I scoured through your whole website and read everything I could. And it was especially the testimony of my gay friends that helped me to see how they have been marginalized that my eyes became open to the injustice that the church has wrought.

In August of 2013, on a sunny day at the beach, I realized I no longer believed in the traditional teachings regarding homosexuality.

As I was trying to figure out what to tell my church, I was driving in the car with my 15-year-old son Drew when a song on the radio came on. I asked Drew who sang it, and he said, “Mackelmore.” And then he asked me why I was interested in it. I told him that I liked the song. He was startled and he asked me if I knew that the song’s message was gay affirming. I told him that I did know and that’s why I liked the song. I also told him that I no longer believed what I used to believe.

As we got out of the car, I could tell he was puzzled. so I asked him what he was thinking. In the parking lot, he told me in a nervous voice, “Dad, I’m gay.” My heart skipped a beat and I turned towards him and we gave one another the biggest and longest hug as we cried. And all I could tell him was that I loved him so much and that I accepted him just as he is.

I couldn’t help but think that my 15 year journey was in preparation for that moment. If it wasn’t for this 15 year journey and my change in theology, I may have destroyed my son through reparative therapy.

My son decided to make a coming out video on YouTube on Feb 7, 2014 which he posted on Facebook. [See Drew’s video below.] I then told my church on Feb 9 about my new position. [See Danny’s video below.] However, I expressed that my goal wasn’t about trying to convince everyone what I believe, but that we should allow room for grace in the midst of disagreement. I shared that the body of Christ is segregated every Sunday between gay affirming and non-gay affirming and that there must be unity and love.

Unfortunately, many weren’t pleased, so the church had to vote whether to terminate me or accept my proposition. On March 9, the church voted instead to prolong the period of prayer, study and discernment until May 18. We then invited teachers, both gay and straight, from both sides of the debate to speak to our church.

The church just voted two Sundays ago, on May 18, 2014, to not dismiss me, and to instead become a Third Way church (agree to disagree and not cast judgement on one another—see Ken Wilson’s book, “A Letter to my Congregation”). This is a huge step for a Southern Baptist Church!!

So now, we will accept the LGBT community even though they may be in a relationship. We will choose to remain the body of Christ and not cast judgement. We will work towards graceful dialogue in the midst of theological differences. We see that this is possible in the same way that our church holds different positions on the issue of divorce and remarriage. In this issue we are able to not cast judgement in our disagreement.

Unfortunately, many who voted to remain traditional will now separate from us in a couple of weeks. We are in the period of reconciliation and forgiveness. Please pray for us in this. Then on June 8, we will formally peacefully separate, restate our love for one another, and bless each other as we part ways. It has been a very tiring and difficult process.

All of this to say, I believe God is moving in beautiful ways. And I’m thankful that you were part of my journey through the many things I processed through your writings. I pray that you would be encouraged that a conservative evangelical church like ours has embraced the LGBT community.

I am now in conversation with other pastors who are now wondering what in the world we are doing. I’m thankful for these opportunities. I pray that the church will no longer be segregated. I pray that those who have been marginalized would feel safe in our churches. I pray that we as the church would set aside our difference and learn what it means to be the body of Christ. So please keep us in your prayers as the road ahead promises to be filled with difficulty. Thank you again for helping me through my journey.

Blessings
Danny Cortez
Pastor
New Heart Community Church

Bless you, pastor Cortez. And bless you, young Drew. You guys make me proud to call myself a Christian.

John Shore
 
 
Below is the coming out video made my Pastor Cortez’s son, Drew. Drew’s honesty, sincerity, kindness, strength and sensitivity are extraordinary.

 
And here is Pastor Danny Cortez, Drew’s father, speaking to his church on Feb. 9th:

 
 
About John Shore
John Shore (who is straight) is the author of UNFAIR: Christians and the LGBT Question, and three other books. He is founder of Unfundamentalist Christians (on Facebook), and executive editor of the Unfundamentalist Christians group blog. John is also co-founder of The NALT Christians Project, which was written about by TIME, The Washington Post, and others. His website is JohnShore.com. John is a pastor ordained by The Progressive Christian Alliance.
 

Maya Angelou, Lyrical Witness of the Jim Crow South, Dies at 86

We have lost a great woman, a voice for the ‘least’ and a brilliant author.

By MARGALIT FOXMAY 28, 2014

Maya Angelou in 2008. Credit Tim Sloan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Maya Angelou, the memoirist and poet whose landmark book of 1969, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” — which describes in lyrical, unsparing prose her childhood in the Jim Crow South — was among the first autobiographies by a 20th-century black woman to reach a wide general readership, died on Wednesday in her home. She was 86 and lived in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Her death was confirmed by her longtime literary agent, Helen Brann. No immediate cause of death had been determined, but Ms. Brann said Ms. Angelou had been in frail health for some time and had had heart problems.

As well known as she was for her memoirs, which eventually filled six volumes, Ms. Angelou very likely received her widest exposure on a chilly January day in 1993, when she delivered the inaugural poem, “On the Pulse of Morning,” at the swearing-in of Bill Clinton, the nation’s 42nd president, who, like Ms. Angelou, had grown up poor in rural Arkansas.

READ MORE ABOUT HER LIFE AT http://bit.ly/1pj9TqB

SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/arts/maya-angelou-lyrical-witness-of-the-jim-crow-south-dies-at-86.html?emc=edit_na_20140528&nlid=37571237&_r=0

The Conundrum – What day do we celebrate as our anniversary?

Today is the first day of the conundrum – we have always celebrated our anniversary as 28 May (seventeen years ago); then we got legally married in New York on 13 December, and had a blessing of our lifelong covenant on 17 May. What date do we celebrate? (someone suggested that we celebrate all three).

Our dear friend Lurline Speer Dupree, who had never crocheted before, made us this wreath to celebrate the major events in our life – here is her explanation:

Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don’t know what color to use anywhere use green.

Green is favored by well balanced people. Green symbolizes the master healer and the life force. It often symbolizes money. It was believed green was healing for the eyes. Egyptians wore green eyeliner. Green eyeshades are still used. You should eat raw green foods for good health. Friday is the day of green. Green jade is a sacred stone of Asia.

Light red represents joy, passion, sensitivity, and love.

Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine qualities and passiveness.

There are many types of jasper; it is one of the oldest known gemstones. It is mentioned in the Bible several times. All jaspers are strong securing, stability stones. It is a powerful protection against things that are not good for you and it eases emotional stresses, making it a wonderful gemstone to have in your home.

There are 17 hearts.
27 jasper beads
13 random blings including beads with your initials and a shell

Honoring Those Who Made The ULTIMATE Sacrifice

Tomorrow is our annual Memorial Day holiday.

What do you think of when you think of Memorial Day – the beginning of summer vacation, barbecues in the back yard, family get-togethers?

In most churches Memorial Day is generally ignored because it is not one of the holy days on the church calendar. But I think it would be good for us to think about what Memorial Day really represents – its very name calls us to remember.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day to honor and remember those who died in our nation’s military service. It was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873, and by 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. It is now celebrated on the last Monday of May.

However, it is not important when and where Memorial Day was first celebrated. What is important is that Memorial Day was established at all.

Unfortunately, traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. Many Americans today have forgotten the meaning and traditions of “Memorial Day.” At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored and neglected. This is very likely because we no longer have a mandatory military service, but basically a paid army. It is ironic that the United States is still engaged in a war after 13 years – the longest war in our nation’s history, and yet, this patriotic and important day established to honor soldiers living and dead, has lost much of its meaning. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades.

Not only do we salute and honor our military on Memorial Day, but also we celebrate our independence as a nation. Let us not forget that our independence was bought with a price—the price of blood on the battlefields. Thousands of men and women, supported by wives, mothers and sisters, fathers and brothers, fought for our freedom.

Think of the numbers of those who died to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today:

Revolutionary War – 25,324
Civil War – 498,332
World War I – 116,710
World War II – 407,316
Korean War – 54,546
Vietnam War – 58,098
First Gulf War – 293
Iraq War – 55,000
Afghanistan – 2,223

Over 1.1 million men and women have died to guarantee our freedom as Americans. Today we need to think about those who fought and have given their lives to ensure that we could enjoy the freedom we have.

Notice the number of people affected by earlier wars is greater than those who currently serve – just another sign that we are far removed from the sacrifices of war with a volunteer military.

When I was a child (a military brat), if we lived within 10 hours of where I was born, we went back to celebrate Memorial Day. We laid flowers on graves, put flags on those graves of soldiers, visited those who came back from wars, and celebrated their giving to this country with parades and cook-outs and church services.

There wasn’t a resident in our little town, and in every town in America that wasn’t affected by the wars – we all knew a neighbor, a schoolmate, a relative who went to war to serve their country. They may not have had any choice because they had been drafted but many went voluntarily.

They went,

they fought,
and not all came back.

When they returned, the town joyfully greeted those came back and mourned those who were left on foreign soil or returned in body bags. The wars and those serving were part of their community.

Jesus told us:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

and that is exactly what Jesus did. . .

and exactly what our fallen soldiers have done.

The Memorial Day holiday was established to honor those who served, are serving and, especially those who died while serving in the military.

Please stand up if you have served or are currently serving in the military?

To all who are serving or have served and survived, we thank you.

(applause)

How many of you had parents, fathers, uncles, aunts, mothers who served in World War II or Korea?

For all who served to ensure that we would continue to enjoy the freedoms we have, we thank you.

(applause)

Would everyone who had a relative killed in a war stand up?

For all who served and paid the ultimate price, we ask for them eternal rest and peace.

(applause)

To all family members whose loved ones gave their lives in the service of others, thank you for your own sacrifice.

(applause)

Let us pray:

Dear God, please look with mercy on our brave and selfless brothers and sisters, who did not shirk from their task but gave themselves completely to the cause of defending and protecting us all. Bless all who have given their lives for the sake of liberty, and grant them eternal rest with You. We remember also our brave men and women now serving in our Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. Dear God, send out Your angels to protect them all. Help them discharge their duties honorably and well. Please bring them safely home to their families and loved ones. Please bring Your peace and mercy to our troubled world. We ask this, Father, in the name of Jesus, Your Son, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Taps is often sung or played at the grave sites of our fallen heroes. Let us sit quietly as we hear this last respect shown those who have died to preserve our freedom.

Day is done,
gone the sun,
From the hills,
from the lake,
From the skies.
All is well,
safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep,
peaceful sleep,
May the soldier
or sailor,
God keep.
On the land
or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night,
Must thou go,
When the day,
And the night
Need thee so?
All is well.
Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light;
And afar
Goeth day,
And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well;
Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise,
For our days,
‘Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
‘Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.
 
 
Delivered at In The Garden Community Ministry, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 25 May 2014

Happy Holy Week!

This past weekend was beautiful — sunny (finally!), with bright flowers starting to pop out everywhere and little birds singing. Winter seems to have finally left, at least for a little while (I hear we are going to get more snow on Tuesday!).

A friend of mine, said to me, “You must be busy getting ready for Easter. So what’s the thing to say — do you tell people “Happy Holy Week?’” “Well,” I said. “You could say ‘Happy Easter,’ when it’s actually Easter day, or ‘Christ is Risen!’.

But until then it’s kind of confusing: there’s a lot of different things going on in Holy Week.

Think about it. During Holy Week, we wave palms in the air and hail Jesus as king, the long-awaited messiah who’s going to save us, then we change our minds and scream that the Romans should crucify him; we share a loving last supper with Jesus and he washes our feet, then we sneak out after dinner and betray him. Jesus begs us to stay with him, we promise we will, then we don’t. We abandon him, he’s arrested and beaten; he forgives us, then we run away. Then Jesus is killed; we lay him in the tomb and weep; we go back for him, then he’s gone, then he’s back, and then — wait! — he’s not dead at all.

We call this week before Easter Sunday ‘Holy Week’ because it was originally the time of the Feast of Passover when the Jews were saved in Egypt, and because of the miraculous things that Jesus did in the last week of His Life.

We witness to Christ in song and story throughout Holy Week.

On Palm Sunday we process with our palms and incense and songs. We celebrate Jesus triumphantly riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Men, women and children lined the streets yelling ‘hosanna’ and waving palm branches. They were greeting the messiah who they believed had come to save them.

On Holy Monday we remember Jesus’ throwing all the money changers and vendors out of the Temple. The Temple in Jerusalem was the center of worship for the Jews and they were required to present money and animals for sacrifice to the priests when they visited. Animal vendors, and money changers had set up booths in the court. People believed that God actually lived in ‘Most Holy of Holy Places’ the inner sanctum of the Temple. This desecration angered Jesus so much that he turned over the tables of the money changers and ran all the animal vendors out.

On Holy Tuesday, Jesus spent most of the day on the Mount Of Olives, where he preached what we now know as the’ Sermon on The Mount’, telling crowds of people what the Kingdom would be like and how we could join Him.

On Spy Wednesday we remember Judas Iscariot, a zealot, who thought he was doing the right thing by agreeing to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

He thought that if Jesus was jailed, the people would rise up and overthrow the Romans.

On Maundy Thursday, Jesus shared a common meal with his disciples – this has become the celebration we call Eucharist or Communion. Many churches strip their altars and cover any icons and statues on Maundy Thursday in preparation for the mourning of Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday. There will be no celebration of Communion until the resurrection.

Many other churches hold feet washings, washing each other’s feet, to commemorate that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Jesus reminds us that we are to love each other as he loved us.

After the meal, Jesus went to the Garden at Gethsemane to pray. He asks the disciples to stay and pray with him, but they all fall asleep. Jesus is left to pray for strength for what is to come by himself, abandoned by his own disciples.

Judas then identified Jesus for the Roman guards with a kiss and He was taken away by the soldiers.

We don’t know why this Friday got the name of ‘Good Friday’ – it certainly was not a ‘good’ day. Jesus was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor, and sentenced to death. He was then forced to walk to the Hill of Golgotha, carrying the cross on which he will be crucified. There is a commemoration of this walk called the ‘Stations of the Cross’ where participants remember each of the steps to the crucifixion. Here at Trinity, we do a Stations of the Cross around the Statehouse, interweaving Jesus’ trials with social justice issues.

It is generally accepted that Jesus was nailed to the cross around noon on Good Friday and died after three hours. Many churches, including Trinity, hold a vigil with readings and music during this three hour period. The Bible says that when Jesus died, the world turned black, which scientists think was a solar eclipse in the middle of the day. Jesus’ body is taken down from the cross and buried in an unused tomb.

Holy Saturday ends the season of Lent for Easter Sunday will be a celebration of new life. Holy Saturday is a day of waiting for the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Some churches hold a twilight or midnight vigil waiting for the resurrection; others have people praying throughout the night, waiting for Easter Sunday.

The word ‘Easter’ comes from the German ‘ostern’, meaning the direction from which the sun rises, celebrating the spring sun, when all things return to life again. Some churches, if they do not do an Easter Vigil, hold a sunrise service to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus as the sun comes up.

This is a day of great celebration with banners and special music and great feasting. We have left the penitential season of Lent and are reveling in the fact that with the death and resurrection of Jesus, we all have new and eternal life. All our sins have been forgiven with His death and have been promised a place in Heaven for eternity.

So this Holy Week, think about each of the days and what preparation you can make to be ready for the festive celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, was we approach the week of the trials of your Son, let us remember our own shortcomings and vow to cleanse ourselves of those things that keep us from you. By raising Christ, your Son, you conquered the power of death and opened for us the way to eternal life. Let our celebration raise us up and renew our lives by the Spirit that is within us. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
 
 
Delivered at In The Garden Ministry, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square,
Columbus, OH 13 April 2014

Jesus Is ALWAYS With Us

Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:17-19)

As you just heard in the Gospel reading, Peter was the first disciple to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. He understood that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, promised for more than a millennia. Just like many of the Jews at the time, he expected a Messiah that would conquer the Romans – a military savior.

Jesus knew he not only would not conquer the Romans, but would be put to death by these same oppressors. But by conquering death, he would indeed overcome all things.

Let’s take a look at Peter for a moment:

Peter was the first of the disciples to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. All the other disciples recognized Jesus was special, but didn’t connect this man standing before them with the long-awaited Messiah.

Because Peter recognized Jesus, he was promised the ‘keys to the kingdom’. That is a pretty big thing: dignitaries are often given the keys to a city to show how important they are. And Jesus also told him that Peter would establish his church on earth.

Sounds like Peter was very secure in his faith. But, he wasn’t always that sure:

• Remember when he denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed while Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane?

• Remember when he was walking on water toward Jesus and then began to sink because he didn’t have faith?

• Remember when Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him more than anything else? Remember how angry Peter got with those questions?

Yet, after Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter and most of the disciples hid in a room, afraid to come out. . . not remembering that Jesus said he would rise from the dead in three days. They all lost their faith

Yet, after his resurrection, the risen Christ appeared to Peter and other disciples

• To Mary Magdalene at the tomb

• In the room where they were hiding behind locked doors;

• On the road to Emmaus;

• By the side of the sea;

• And even ate a meal with them.

He was always there for them, even when they had lost faith.

I know for me there are times that I question my faith

• when things are going badly

• when I am depressed or discouraged

just like Peter and the disciples.

But we all need to remember that Jesus is always with us – just like he was with Peter and the disciples – and has always been. When things look bleak or times get tough, remember that you can always call on Him and He will be there.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, may everything we do begin with You, continue with Your help, and be done under Your guidance. Be there when we are lacking in faith, upholding us with Thy lovingkindness until we can again feel secure in your love for us. Amen
 
 
Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church On Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 21 August 2011

What Kind of Samaritan Are You?

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he said, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the law? What do you read there? He answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. And he said to him, You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live. But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend. (Luke 10:25-37)

Before I start, let me do a little introduction of the role of the Deacon in preaching.

For those of you who were here least Sunday, Rev David McCoy did a good job of embarrassing me, and setting some expectations that I hope I can meet. At the Anglican Academy, we preach as part of the diaconal training, but only to other diaconal students. I really would like your feedback on my sermons. This diocese has established a thing called a deacon sermon which we are to preach. It differs from the priests sermon we are supposed to make you feel a little (or lot) uncomfortable and challenge you to take action to make a difference in the world.

So, here we go!

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Today’s Gospel of the Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the best known of all Jesus parables. There probably isn’t anyone who ever attended Sunday School who can’t repeat this parable.

On the surface, this parable seems to address Jesus teachings that we are our brother’s keeper; we are to take care of others whenever they need help.

But there is much more in this little story than appears at first glance.

Let’s look at each of the characters:

The LAWYER asks Jesus how he could have eternal life. Being a lawyer, he wanted a concrete list of dos that would guarantee he gets to Heaven. Jesus asks what the Jewish law says. Being a lawyer and a learned man, he recites the law:

love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength and all your mind; love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27)

This fundamental law can be recited by most Christians and exists in similar form in almost all religions. It is the primary requirement for our relationship with God.

But, is being able to recite the law enough to get to Heaven?

The THIEVES saw an easy mark in the man on the road. They beat him, stripped him of his belongings and left him for dead. Maybe they were loving their neighbor as themselves, but I don’t think that is exactly what the law meant. Do you?

Along came a PRIEST, someone who should be have been a living example of the law. Did he help the poor man? NO!! he crossed the road so he would not have to see him.

Whether he didn’t want to get his hands dirty or perceived he had something more important to do, he crossed to the other side of the road so he wouldn’t have to see him.

Enter the LEVITE, a member of one of the original tribes of Israel the tribe who was responsible for religious functions. Now, wouldn’t you think that he would come to the aid of the man? After all, a Levites primary purpose in the community was to judge actions against the Jewish law and remind people of their obligations to God.

So, did he? NO he crossed to the other side of the road so he would not have to deal with him. (Like being out of sight was out of mind and therefore he had no responsibility for his neighbor).

The INNKEEPER saw the injured man, not as his neighbor, but as a source of revenue. Had the man appeared at this door without the Samaritan, he would have been turned away. The innkeeper had better things to do than care for a battered, bloody man. And this poor mangled man lying around the inn would give his inn a bad name! This kind of trouble he did not need.

Then a SAMARITAN came along. Samaritans were the lowliest of all people to the Jews they evolved from the intermarriage of the Jews with idol worshippers when they were exiled in the north. They were a reminder the Jews would prefer not to remember. They were so hated by the Jews that most would not even say their name.

(Did you notice that the lawyer could not bring himself to say the Samaritan when asked by Jesus who was a neighbor)?

Samaritans were considered unclean and were to be avoided at all cost. Think about the story of Jesus and the woman at the well; remember the kind of grief he took from the disciples because he took water from her? We may not call them Samaritans today, but there are plenty of people who are outcast and marginalized that most people would cross the road to avoid. But are they not our neighbors?

The Samaritan, not caring that the man under any other circumstances would recoil from his touch, bandaged his wounds. Then he put him on his animal and took him to a nearby inn. . . a place where the Samaritan would probably not have been welcome, or would have had to enter through the back door. He tended the man until he had to leave; he gave the innkeeper money to see to his needs. He trusted that the innkeeper would do the right thing while he was gone; he promised to pay any additional expenses when he returned.

He was his brother’s keeper!

Where do we see ourselves in this parable?

Are we the priest or the Levite so assured in our holiness . . . or too absorbed in our own lives?

Are we the lawyer wanting a cookie cutter guide to Heaven, not willing to give up our own prejudices?

Or are we the Samaritan someone who goes out on a limb, inconveniencing ourselves so that someone who has greater needs is ministered to?

Do we consider that all people are our neighbors?

Not just those who live in Athens . . .

or Athens county and surrounds ?

Or those who are Episcopalian . . .

or Christian?

Jesus told us the greatest of these is love and showed us that love by his death on the cross . . . for his neighbors . . for all mankind.

There is no secret answer (even though the lawyer really wanted one). To the Samaritan, the man on the road was worth being cared for and loved.

Just as Jesus let us know by his death that all of us are worthy of dying for.

Amen.
 
 
Delivered at Church of the Good Shepherd, Athens, OH on 15 July 2007

Missionary Training 101

(Luke 10:1-11, 16-20)

May the words of my mouth be acceptable to you, O Lord, and encourage us to be ‘sent out’. Amen.

We always talk about the twelve disciples, but today our Gospel reading points out that there were a lot more disciples than just the original twelve. If you look at the meaning of the word ‘disciple’, the dictionary defines it as:

One who is sent

So, we have additional disciples ‘sent out’ by Jesus to bring the good news to the people. In this reading we heard that Jesus sent out seventy disciples. However, depending on the various Greek source, there are two differing opinions as to the number of new disciples. The New International Version of the Bible indicates that there were 72 sent out; the New Revised Standard Version which we use says seventy. Noted theologians consider the seventy sent out by Jesus to be the New Testament equivalent of the seventy leaders appointed by Moses in the Old Testament.

By sending the disciples out, Jesus transferred His Spirit to them, so they would be equipped for leadership in the new faith. The seventy were to be the hands, feet, legs, hearts, and minds of Jesus. That is still true today. For Jesus to complete his mission in today’s world, He needs hands, feet, legs, hearts, and minds; he needs willing hands, willing hearts, willing minds and willing spirits. Jesus still gets work done today through his disciples. These were not religious professionals or rabbis, but common ordinary people.

Jesus sent all his disciples out two-by-two, just as He sent out the twelve: the twelve were sent out two-by-two. The seventy were sent out two-by-two. (Mark 6:7)

Today, we think of young Mormon missionaries going out two-by-two. Why two-by-two? It gives courage, confidence and strength to go out with a partner. One reason Mormon missionaries are the most effective missionaries in the world today is because they are trained in missionary faith and then they are sent out together. Going together made for effective evangelism two thousand years ago and still works today.

Jesus gave these new disciples the following warnings:

• The work is urgent. There is not time to waste, for the harvest is ready.

• It won’t be easy. In fact, sometimes you’ll feel like you are like a lamb stalked by a wolf. Sometimes when you think the ‘harvest is ready’ it won’t be — there will be some who will be less than welcoming.

• You don’t need to take much with you. No cash or credit cards. Not a change of clothes. Not an extra pair of shoes. Not your cell phone, your new used car, or your Facebook page.

• You’re not in charge of how people respond. You are just the messenger, the one speaking on behalf of Jesus. You do not have any say about where and when you go. You will stay until it is time to go.

• You need to anticipate rejection by the world which is essentially hostile to the love of Christ.

If a village does not return peace, you must brush the dust off your sandals – leave and go somewhere else. (Luke 10:11)

• You will need to be able to simply accept the gifts of those who welcome you. You will eat what you are served; usual dietary rules are to be abandoned, if you are a vegetarian, you must might have to eat meat.

On the other hand, He gave them the following assurances:

• You will have a companion with you; you will never be alone. You will have each other to help keep your eyes on the goal; help each other when things get tough.

• You have a simple message — you are to declare peace wherever you go. You will be sent out with a declaration of the Kingdom and God’s salvation and authority. It is a message of blessing.

What a simple message!

I think we often tend to make things far too complicated. When a new worshipper finds her way into this church through our website, advertisement, curiosity, or be invitation, public relations will only get us so far. If new worshipper isn’t welcomed at the door; if a long time member doesn’t extend kindness to them; if the worshipper doesn’t hear the Gospel preached simply… I don’t believe they will return.

All of these unique gifts – welcoming, inclusion, true preaching of the good news of Jesus and friendship, are like what the seventy offered so long ago. People are reached in the same way: with kindness and with a message of peace. It is not fancy, but it is still very effective.

Jesus wasn’t going to send his disciples into places where he himself was not intending to go. In Luke 10:1, we hear He:

sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go (Luke 10:1)

Just like today, Jesus sends us into places and situations where He wants us to go and where he himself plans to be present. And he knows where the need is the greatest. . . where

the harvest is plentiful (Luke 10:2)

In Jesus’ day as in our times, people understood when the fields were ripe for harvesting. Plowing, planting, watering, caring for, weeding are all different activities before harvesting. Harvesting means that the plants are ready to be gathered in, or picked off the tree, or reaped from the field. Jesus was saying that people were ready to be harvested, gathered in.

Jesus knew there were people ready to belong to the kingdom but what was needed were more disciples. Jesus believed that people were ripe and ready for the gospel, ripe and ready for the kingdom, ripe and ready to hear the love of God. The time was right; the people were ripe. We dare not wait a moment longer. Sometimes it is a lot easier to tell when a real harvest is ready to be brought in than it is to tell when one is ready to hear the message. Perhaps this is why Jesus says we should be generous in our sharing. “Just go and do it,” Jesus seems to be saying. And leave the results up to God.

The same is true today in the twenty-first century: there are people all around us who are ripe and ready to hear about the love of God. But the laborers are few. Although there are some faithful people who are members of the church, sing in the choir, sit on the vestry, work on social projects at church, and do everything at church, we ALL must do everything we can to lead people to the church and the love of God and Jesus.

As many of you might know, Saint John’s is fortunate, at least I think so, to have two deacons as part of the staff. Vocational Deacons are called to a ministry that brings the church to the world and the world to the church. To quote Bishop Breidenthal, he wants his deacons “to be subversive, to not allow the church to become complacent, to get people out of the pews and bringing people to Jesus”. So you will find that Deacon Jackie and I will be ‘encouraging’ you to go out into the world. And we can be pretty persistent about it.

The church in America has plenty of people who are willing to do church work in order to keep the church running smoothly, but there are very few disciples willing to do the evangelism work to help people know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Rather than sitting in a pew or remaining in our little church group, Jesus calls us to be on our way, to be the hands, hearts and heads of Jesus, into a world around us.

From the Scripture, we heard that Jesus was sending and is still sending people out into situations where others may attack. Lambs NEVER feel safe and secure when wolves are around to attack them and eat them up; Christians NEVER feel safe and secure among folks who may be hostile to the gospel, who may be resistant to having Christ rule their lives with love and compassion.

Some basic principles of evangelism are derived from this gospel lesson:

• The disciples were to reach out to people who knew their need of God and their need for the ways of God.

• The disciples had an attitude of compassion and not criticism nor condemnation.

• The disciples were not religious professionals but common ordinary people.

• The disciples prayed to the Lord of the harvest to give workers who would do the work of harvesting, not people whose primary passion was working to maintain the church.

• The disciples were sent out two-by-two.

Our prayer is for other workers who will ‘encourage’ us to recognize that all peoples’ lives need to be ruled by the love and compassion of our Lord. And amazing things can and does happen!

This evangelism model is about multiplication. Let’s look at the math of the Kingdom of God.

IF we start with Jesus and his first disciple, that makes

1 +1 = 2

Then Jesus and his first disciple trains one other person:

2 + 2 = 4

And these four each train someone else

4 + 4 = 8

By the time this pattern has been repeated sixteen times, we have

131,072 + 131,072 = 262,114 disciples!

So, I challenge each one of you to reach out to just ONE person, carrying the message of the Love of God and salvation through Jesus. It isn’t that hard:

 Greet someone here who you do not know

 Talk to someone at coffee hour and ask them to come again

 Ask your neighbor to come to a church function.

If you do, marvelous things can happen!

Remember the words of Saint Teresa of Ávila:

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

For those of you who have taken communion from me, you would have heard

“Receive what you are, the body of Christ”

Let each one of us be a part of Christ’ body.

Amen
 
 
Delivered at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Worthington, OH on 7 July 2013

God’s Healing Mud

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:1-3)

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. (John 9:6-7)

We just heard about the blind man who suddenly found that he could see.

Everyone close your eyes very tightly – so tightly that you can see little sparks. Do you think you can’t see? Does the world seem a little different. Well, the blind man could not even see those little sparks we can see when we close our eyes very tightly. All he could ‘see’ was black.

But although the man born blind could not see with his eyes, he ‘saw’ with something much more powerful. . . through the eyes of faith.

When the disciples saw a man, afflicted with blindness from birth, their first thought is about sin. Did HE commit a sin or did his parent do something so horrible that he would be punished with blindness for the rest of his life? They see a man who has never seen a flower, a sunrise, the sea, his parents, or the place he called home – and they start wondering what he did wrong.

But Jesus doesn’t look at him as a sinner, he sees someone to lift up. So he reached down into the dirt of the ground, spit into his own hand, and slathered a paste onto the man’s eyes. He touched him. He got down in the dirt. He heals him. He lifts him up.

Because that’s what Jesus does.

Now, I know that this story of giving sight to the blind, like all the stories of Jesus giving sight to the blind, is about God giving spiritual sight to all of us who are spiritually blind. It’s about God showing all of us the way with new eyes, and a fresh look into the Universe that He made.

But, that also means that Jesus comes to us. And digs in the dirt. And spits in his hand. And slathers us with paste. So that our new eyes may behold the Light of the World.

I can’t help thinking of God digging in the dust of the ground in Eden, and giving us his breathe that we might live. God lifted us out of the earth in the beginning, and Jesus is still in the business of lifting us up. And opening our eyes. And bringing us Life.

There are a lot of broken lives out there that need picked up. Whole countries of lives, in fact. Japan. Libya. Sudan. The Middle East. Egypt. Yemen. Syria. Those UN workers who died in Afghanistan because that pastor in Florida burned the Qur’an.
Let’s not look on people like they’re pitiful sinners. Let’s reach out – into the dirt. Let’s dirty our hands. And let’s bring the Life that Jesus brings.

Let us pray:

God, who surrounds us with miracles, open our eyes to your presence in our lives. Help us to trust, not solely in our senses, but in our hearts. Teach us to reach out to one another in compassion and love, setting aside pity and fear. Remind us that our flaws and weaknesses as human beings are the very places where you so often touch our lives with grace. Teach us not to blame one another for sadness or illness or calamity but rather, to love one another in every circumstance. Where our vision is impaired, help us to see clearly, to perceive faithfully, to understand deeply. Grant us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to love. Amen.
 
 
Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church, Columbus OH, 3 April 2011

Our Disbelief

Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:15-20)

“Lord, please give me to say that which you want your people to hear. Help me serve you well this day.”

Today’s scripture is a continuation of the last three weeks, when we began to see the person that Jesus was to become. We witnessed the baptism of Jesus, enjoining Him with each of every one of us; then the wedding at Cana, where his mother made him turn water into wine; and, finally His preaching in his own synagogue and almost being run out of town.

Today we look at His first healing: this one on a small boy whose possession sounded a lot like epilepsy.

The father had brought his son to the Apostles for healing, but they could not heal him. Although they had been saved, commissioned and empowered by Jesus, they did not have enough faith to heal. They had gotten cocky and overconfident, and when put to the test, failed miserably.

As some of you know, I have a gift of healing – not curing but relieving dis-ease in people with my hands. But is it not me that does it; it is something that is holy and relies on my belief in the power given to me. When I don’t center and act as a vehicle, it just doesn’t work. I can understand how the disciples felt when they couldn’t heal the boy.

The father appealed to Jesus, distraught in his own disappointment and having his own doubts about the faith he had in this man from Galilee. He had heard such wonderful things about this man, but when the disciples failed, his faith became wobbly.

This is the first time that Jesus shows impatience. . .

almost anger . .

at the disciples for trusting in themselves instead of God.

And for the man, because the disciples inability to heal caused him to waver in his faith.

But Jesus did drive out the demons anyway. . . and they stayed out.

Many people assume this scripture is about the healing, but it is not. It is about faith and belief. The disciples did not have enough faith to heal and the father did not have enough faith to believe even though the disciples couldn’t heal his son.

One of the biggest challenges that face us today is to maintain that belief, no matter what happens. It is only human to doubt your beliefs if you are disappointed . . .

Or if someone you believe in lets you down after promising they won’t…
Or if things turn out differently than you want…..
We all believe somewhat.

But we live in a time when it is hard to believe in anything.

We are bombarded, being told what we ‘should’ believe,

or worse yet what we ‘do’ believe.

So many things are uncertain. We see wars going on and can’t justify them in our mind with what we have been taught about treating other people.

People in authority misuse or abuse the power and we don’t know what to do.

People who should be supportive suddenly turn their back on us.

But there is one constant throughout this turmoil. . . .

JESUS

He is there for us to believe in . . .

and have faith in.

He is never-changing and unending.

We as deacons need to bring this good news to the people of the world.

And more importantly we need to hang onto our own faith and belief in Jesus. . .

Not only for ourselves, but for others who need us to show them the way.

And soon we are going to proclaim something pretty marvelous. . .

something we believe. . .

Amen.
 
 
Delivered at Anglican Academy Friday Night Evening Prayer, 2 Feb 2007

The Final Enemy – Death – Is No More!

If life has a way of killing dreams, Christ’s resurrection has a way of bringing them back to life.

Life has a way of killing dreams, doesn’t it? You set out with high hopes—for your schooling, your career, your family, and your golden years. You have plans, aspirations, and expectations. But things don’t always turn out the way you expected. Plans fall through. People let you down. You let yourself down. Suddenly the life you’re living isn’t the life you dreamed of at all; or you find yourself in a place you never expected to be.

But we can have hope.

Hope.

What is hope, anyway? Wishful thinking? Naïve optimism? “Hope it don’t rain,” we say. “ “Hope the sermon doesn’t go too long.” (That is wishful thinking!) Emily Dickinson tells us it’s “the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul”.

The dictionary tells us that hope is “a desire with the expectation of fulfillment.”

So hope begins with a desire for something good, but then adds the element of expectation, of confidence. Without expectation, it’s just a wish. And wishes tend not to come true. When we hope for something, we’re counting on it.

But hope is more than a word – without it, we die. When a team loses hope, the game is over. When a patient loses hope, death is crouching at the door.

Viktor Frankl survived years in the Nazi concentration camps. He noticed that prisoners died just after Christmas. They were hoping they’d be free by then. When they weren’t, they gave up. He learned that as long as prisoners had something to live for, a reason to press on, they could endure just about anything. But once they lost hope, they quickly died. Dostoevsky said that “to live without hope is to cease to live.”

Bobby Knight has a different take on it. Bobby Knight, of course, is the legendary basketball coach who led the Indiana Hoosiers to three NCAA tournament finals; he was also famous for throwing chairs and chewing out officials, players, fans, and anyone in the vicinity. According to Bobby Knight, “hope” is the worst word in the English language. He says it’s foolish and lazy to tell yourself that “things are going to be all right.” They’ll only be all right if somebody steps up and does something.

Hope needs a reason. Something, or someone, that can get us to a better place. Without a reason, hope is just wishful thinking.

But for us, ‘hope’ is a who; hope is not a what, or a when, or a why. Hope is a “who.” Things don’t get better just because we want them to. They get better because somebody does something. Hope is always embodied in a person. Hope is a “who.” Somebody wise enough, strong enough, good enough, to get us to a better place.

And Jesus Christ is that someone. His resurrection proves that he is stronger than any setback, any failure, any loss, any disappointment—any fears. If life has a way of killing dreams, Jesus has a way of bringing them back to life.

That’s not to say we always get what we want, or that every bad thing can magically be un-done. Life doesn’t work that way. But it is to say that God can and will do something good with our future. Hope is the confidence that God can and will do something good. Hope is the confidence that God can and will do something good—in this life, and the life to come. Wherever you find yourself in this morning, whatever pain, loss, or disappointment you may be dealing with, God can do something good with it, or in it. That doesn’t minimize the pain or loss or evil of it. It simply means the story isn’t over yet.

In this life, we can find joy, beauty, forgiveness, healing, purpose, restoration, and the reality of God’s presence in our lives every day. In the life to come, we can look forward to reunion with those we have lost, the restoration of all creation, and to eternal life with God and one another in worlds beyond our imagining.

Hope isn’t wishful thinking—it’s confident living. It’s facing the future knowing that God can and will do something good, in this life, and the life to come.

Probably, the most unnerving thing in all our lives is the fear of death – we don’t what is going to happen, It is a fear that we will go into ‘nothingness’, a big black hole. What we are now and will become will disappear like dust in the wind.

We hope that it will be like Heaven, where we meet with our friends and family who have gone before us. That we will suffer no pain, have no disabilities, have no reason for weeping and mourning.

Fear of death is a morbid, abnormal or persistent fear of one’s own death or the process of dying; a “feeling of dread, apprehension or anxiety when one thinks of the process of dying, or ceasing to ‘be’”.1

It’s a fear that somehow we will die before we have reached our hopes and dreams. . . that we will leave things unfinished. It can be irrational and often debilitating, keeping us from achieving our hopes and dreams.

But by Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection He conquered the most fearful thing of all – DEATH.

We have been promised by Jesus:

And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. (John 14:3)

Death can no longer hold us in constant fear!

If you should find yourself in a tough place right now, have the courage to stay in that place and invite Christ to meet you there. If you know who’s dealing with pain, disappointment, or loss—share hope with them. Ask them how they’re doing. Listen to them. Be with them. Pray for them. And when the time is right, point them toward the resurrected Jesus. Because life has a way of killing dreams, but Jesus has a way of bringing them,

and us,

back to life!

Tomb, You shall not hold Him longer,
Death is strong, but life is stronger
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right;
Faith and hope triumphant say; Christ will rise on Easter Day.
While the patient earth lies waiting
Till the morning shall be breaking
Shuddering beneath the burden dread
Of her Master, cold and dead,
Hark! she hears the angels say; Christ will rise on Easter Day.
And when sunrise smites the mountains
Pouring light from heavenly fountains
Then the earth blooms out to greet
Once again the blessed feet;
And her countless voices say; Christ has risen on Easter Day. (Phillips Brooks)

Jesus Christ is the death of Death!

Let us rejoice and be glad!

Amen

1 Farley G.: Death anxiety. National Health Service UK. 2010, found in: Peters L, Cant R, Payne S, O’Connor M, McDermott F, Hood K, Morphet J, Shimoinaba K. (2013).

California Mayor Spends Night in Cardboard Box To Learn About Homelessness

Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva’s bed for a night
CREDIT: Anthony Silva, Mayor of Stockton Facebook page

Last week, the mayor of one of California’s largest cities spent a night sleeping in a cardboard box under the freeway in order to learn more about the plight of the homeless.

“I thought I would come out here for a night to spend a night with the homeless to see what it is that they go through,” Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva told Fox 40 on Friday as he readied his home for the evening.

During the outing, Silva visited with a number homeless people living in Stockton. He met one homeless man, Tim Barfield, who had been working 60 hours every week at an asphalt company before it went under. “From having that to nothing,” Barfield said. “Now I’m out here.” Barfield now lives in a tent with his pregnant girlfriend and is trying to find a permanent place to live before their child is born.

Watch footage from Fox 40‘s report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A2EugCv4_M”

Last year’s homeless census found 1,541 homeless people living in Stockton and the surrounding area. Though homelessness has been falling in Stockton recently — it’s down nearly 50 percent since 2010 — it remains nearly double the national level on per-capita basis.

The homelessness crisis was underscored when, the same night Silva slept outside, a 50-year-old homeless man was run over by a driver and killed in the same city. His name has yet to be released.

The severity of the problem in Stockton is what led Silva to learn more firsthand about homelessness. “Communities have to step up and come with answers and solutions on their own,” he said. One such proposal he’s putting forth is a new community resource center directed towards the city’s homeless population.

It’s quickly becoming a trend for lawmakers to spend time with the homeless. In December, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) shadowed a homeless person for a day to learn more about the challenges he faced. Meanwhile, Reps. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) recently stayed overnight in homeless shelters.

Every Woman is a ‘Mother’

NOTE: It is always hard to decide whether to preach about Mother’s Day or follow the Revised Common Lectionary reading. After much thought, since there are a lot of mothers who frequent In The Garden (most of whom are separated from their children), I decided to recognize the various kinds of mothers within the group and the wider community. Usually you hear a syrupy sweet sermon about motherhood, but I wanted to acknowledge there are a lot of other mothers who are probably hurting as the rest of the world celebrates the joys of motherhood).

Today we celebrate Mother’s Day. . . sometimes a little tricky time for all of us. Some of us have wonderful memories of our mothers, some of us had difficult relationships with our mothers, and some of us were not raised in a family with a mother at all.

And for those of you who are mothers it isn’t a bed of roses either: caring for lots of little ones is a tough job; some have lost their children through death or drugs or mental illness; some are separated for a variety of reasons. And some of you may be even awaiting the birth of a child.

There are all kinds of mothers and in this world; and there are women, who though childless, raise children; ‘mother’ children not their own, maybe better than the biological mother!. Mother’s Day should be a time to recognize all of them:

• To those who gave birth this year to their first child — we celebrate with you

• To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you

• To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you

• To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you

• To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you

• To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away — we mourn with you

• To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you

• To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you

• To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be

• To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths

• To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren – yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you

• To those who placed children up for adoption — we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart

• And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising – we anticipate with you

• For the seen and known joys of motherhood, we rejoice and smile and celebrate with you.

• For the seen and known suffering in motherhood, we ache with you.

For many of us, our mother or main caregiver when we were infants was our first experience of the love of God. To be a mother is to have the chance to show the unconditional, never-ending love of God to another.

So this Mother’s Day, let us remember all women, biological, adoptive and ‘stand-in’ mothers, and give thanks that they exist to express God’s love of us. . . a God who nourishes us, hold us safe in His Glory, bandages our wounds, and shows us the way home – and lets us all strive to show a mother’s abiding love to each other every day.

(I then asked individual people to talk about what their mother meant to them)

Amen.
 
 
Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, 11 May 2014

Lent – It’s History and Observance

Last Wednesday we celebrated Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. For those of us raised in the church (particularly the Roman Catholic Church), we never really talked about what Lent is. We just knew we had to be on our best behavior and give up something (the most common being chocolate).

The name word is a German word for Spring (lencten) and the Anglo-Saxon name for March – lenct – because Lent usually occurs in March. This is yet another example of Christianity borrowing from other traditions through the ages to help make worship more familiar to the people.

The word “lent” also means “lengthen” and stands for that time in spring when the days grow longer.

Facts About Lent
The original period of Lent was 40 hours. It was spent fasting to commemorate the suffering of Christ and the 40 hours He spent in the tomb. In the early 3rd century, Lent was lengthened to 6 days. About 800 CE it was changed to 40 days.

Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Easter. Those 40 days correspond with Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. But Sundays are not included in those 40 days.

Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, is celebrated in many parts of the world with feasting. The French call it “Mardi Gras”. The Germans call it “Fausching”. The feasting comes from the custom of using up household fats prior to the 40 days of Lenten fasting, when no fat is used. Shrove Tuesday takes its name from “shriving” or forgiving sins. The word “carnivale”, also used to indicate the time before Lent means “good-bye to meat”.

During Johann Sebastian Bach’s day, often the organ and choirs were silent during Lent. The thought was that there should be no music or beauty as we reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus.

Today, in liturgical churches, the Lenten season is intentionally set aside for examination, instruction, repentance and prayer. This season is one of preparation for all the people of God for the joyous resurrection of Jesus.

We often hear that Lent is a time of self-denial, a time to give up something. But Jesus isn’t concerned with chocolate and CD’s – he’s concerned with what’s going on in our hearts. Lent is a time to give up those sins in our lives.

It’s a time to give up the sin of hypocrisy – acting like a Christian on the outside, but being proud and self-centered on the inside.

Lent is a time to give up the sin of being two-faced – being a Christian on Sundays, but being an unbeliever on Fridays.

It’s a time to give up the sin of being lethargic – “someday I’ll get my act together spiritually. Right now, though, I’m just too busy focusing on everything except God.”

What is Lent? Lent is that tax collector who stood in the back of the temple, and looked down at the ground, and prayed to God,

“Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)

Lent is a time for us to be like that man, to give up our sinful habits, our sinful attitudes, to stand before God and to ask him to forgive us, to wash our sins away, and to empower us to turn away from our sinful past and to live new lives that are dedicated to God.

And after we lay our sins before Christ, Lent is also a time to give up our guilty. When we know that we have been forgiven. We can say:

“I no longer have to feel guilty about my sins. I no longer have to beat myself up about the way I’ve been living. I have been forgiven. My sins have been washed away by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I can start over. I can work hard to be someone who obeys God, who worships God every day with the way I live my life.”

Lent is an attitude – an attitude of honesty and humility, as we confess our sins to God. But Lent is also an attitude of relief and joy, knowing that our sins have been forgiven, that our Lord slate has been wiped clean as we seek to serve our God with our lives.

A lot of Christians no longer observe the season of Lent; they feel that they don’t need it. They feel that since we are saved by grace, we don’t need to do penitence. But we do!

Lent is an invitation and not an imposition. It is a gift and not a burden if we enter into it with our entire person, Lent can draw us into a deeper experience of the power of the Resurrection. Its focus on prayer, practices of piety, all beckon us to “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel”. When understood and entered into it can open us to a new experience of freedom. It is an ever necessary reminder of our own mortality –

Remember you are dust and to dust you will return (Genesis 2:7)

These next seven weeks is a time for us to look deep into our heart, to think about our life and how we’ve been living it. What sin are we going to give up for Lent, and for the rest of our life? Jesus will forgive that sin, wash that sin away at the cross. And Jesus promises to empower us to live a new life that glorifies us.

If people want to temporarily give up certain things for Lent as a sign of love for their Savior, that’s fine. But what Christ is really concerned about is what’s in your heart.

Tonight, we begin that long walk to the cross, where we see just how serious and terrible our sins are. But there we also see how wonderful and deep our Savior’s love is for us. The road doesn’t end there, but at the empty tomb, where Jesus rises from the dead to prove that all of your sins have been forgiven.

May God bless you as you begin your Lenten journey. Amen.
 
 
Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church, Columbus, OH, 9 March 2014