Here We Are, Lord

Today’s scripture continues the great commissioning of the disciples which started with last week’s gospel reading. Jesus had been traveling through the cities and villages, teaching in the synagogues, healing the sick and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom. He quickly realized that there was much more work to be done than He could accomplish by himself – that He would need help. So He began to select his apostles. The word ‘apostle’ in Greek may be translated as ‘sent ones’. These apostles He selected followed Him, watched him preach and teach, heard his parables and tried to become prepared to help Jesus with his work – sort of like a ‘disciple school’. [They were now prepared to proclaim and spread the good news, just as Jesus had done.]

It is important to notice that Jesus called all sorts of people – you didn’t have to be as pure as driven snow. None of these men were born leaders, highly schooled, or well-positioned in the synagogue. And although Matthew does not tell us this, we also know from other scriptures that Jesus called women to be disciples. None of his followers had training to heal or preach before they met Jesus; none would have been considered persons headed for sainthood or martyrdom. But they dropped their nets, left their jobs and families and followed Jesus without looking back. What a motley crew they must have been. Scripture tells us that they didn’t even get along with each other; there was all kind of jockeying to be Jesus’ favorite. Some mothers even got into the act.

Let me remind you who they were:

Simon Peter, a fisherman, became the spokesperson for the group, although his impetuousness often got him in trouble. Although his faith always seemed to go from strong to doubt (remember he denied Jesus three times and almost drowned while trying to walk on water), Jesus called him ‘the rock’ on which the church would be founded. He spent his life after Jesus’ death evangelizing and eventually ended up in Rome and was crucified upside down for his faith.

Andrew, also was a fisherman and the brother of Peter, stopped following John the Baptist to join Jesus. Andrew was the one who introduced Peter to Jesus, letting him step into the limelight as the apostles taught and converted people. He spent his life bringing people to Jesus and like so many of Jesus’ followers he was killed because he preached the gospel. History suggests that he was crucified on a cross shaped like an ‘X’.

James was one of the fisherman sons of Zebedee who followed Jesus. He is often called ‘James the Greater’ to distinguish him from the other apostle James. He and his brother John were known as the ‘Sons of Thunder’ because of their loud voices and desire to punish anyone who slighted Jesus. James was the first of the 12 apostles to be martyred, killed with the sword on orders of King Herod Agrippa I of Judea, about 44 A.D.

John, the brother of James and also a fisherman, was called ‘the apostle that Jesus loved’. John obviously was one of Jesus’ favorites because he entrusted his mother, Mary, to him at his crucifixion. John is credited with writing the gospel of John, first, second and third John, and the book of Revelation. John continued to teach and preach against heresy until he died of old age, the only apostle who did not die for his faith.

Philip was one of the first apostles to be called, having left John the Baptist to follow Jesus. And he wasted no time calling others, like Nathanael, to do the same. Although little is known about him after the ascension of Christ, Bible historians believe Philip preached the gospel in Phrygia, in Asia Minor, and died a martyr there at Hierapolis

Nathanael is thought to have been known as Bartholomew, who was introduced to Jesus by Philip and immediately recognized him as the Son of God. Although little is known about Bartholomew, legend has it that he preached in India and was crucified upside down.

Levi, who became the Apostle Matthew, was a customs official in Capernaum who taxed imports and exports based on his own judgment. The Jews hated him because he worked for Rome and betrayed his countrymen. But when Jesus said ‘follow me’, he did and became the author of the Gospel of Matthew. Legend has it that he traveled to Ethiopia and was martyred there.

Thomas, who we all know as ‘Doubting Thomas’ spread the gospel to the east after the death of Jesus and was martyred.

James the Less, son of Alphaeus, was called ‘the less’ to distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee. He is the least known of all the apostles – he is only mentioned with all the other apostles in the Upper Room.

Simon the Zealot has almost no mention in scripture except in lists of the apostles. Sometimes he is referred to as ‘Simon the Canaanite’, as we heard in last week’s gospel. His life before following Jesus and after the resurrection is a mystery – the name ‘zealot’ may refer to his religious zeal or that he was a member of the Zealots, an assassin group during that period.

Thaddeus or Jude is another one of the unknown apostles, only referenced in a list of the apostles. Some biblical scholars think Thaddeus wrote the book of Jude. Church tradition says that he founded a church in Edessa and was crucified there.

Judas Iscariot is probably the most infamous apostle, and not for a good reason. We all know the story of his betrayal of Jesus, followed by his suicide. There is some theological thought that Judas’ betrayal was part of God’s plan, but that is for discussion at a later date.

So those were the apostles that Jesus called to follow and help him throughout his short life on earth – rather an ill-assorted crew, people from all walks of life. But what it says is that Jesus can, and does call all kinds of people to follow him – people that would normally never be friends or associates, but were brought together because of their belief in Jesus and his message.

How little did those disciples know what lay ahead for them. Their path would be fraught with discomfort, persecution and often painful death. Yet, so intense and amazing was this man Jesus and their attraction to him that they followed Him anyway.

The apostles were told to gather the ‘lost sheep’ into the fold. Sheep without a shepherd are a foolish lot; they will wander off and not be able to find their way home. There is absolutely nothing more pitiful than a group of sheep with no one to lead them. Jesus commissioned the apostles to bring these sheep back to the fold, and He clearly gave them the power to do so. In Matthew 10:19-20 Jesus told them:

“do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time”

Today, as then, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls all people to know and be part of the Kingdom of God. So throughout the ages He has sent, and today He sends, apostles, prophets, evangelists, priests, deacons and teachers to go forth and preach His word.

And YES, he even sends YOU and ME!!!!

Each and every one of us is called to be disciples for Jesus. The word ‘disciple’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘learner’. We are called to be disciples when those three handfuls of water are poured over our heads in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and we are brought into the family of Christ. We cannot escape – we dare not escape – that calling from the baptismal covenant. As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to proclaim the Gospel.

As Christians, we have a special responsibility to stop the church from becoming complacent and forgetting its commitment to God and God’s purpose in the face of struggles with changing demographics, budgets shortfalls, ecclesiastical protocols and Biblical interpretations. The church is, first and foremost, asked to build a community where one does not exist, or reinforce a community that is fractured. We are challenged to bring calmness and peace to the chaos of individuals’ souls and lives and to reach out and follow Jesus’ command to ‘feed my sheep’.

Just as the apostles were directed, we can learn to reach out to bring lost souls to the grace and salvation of Christ. As members of His body, it is up to us to do His work. And just as the apostles were varied and an unusual lot of people, so are we. Just as Jesus looked into their hearts and knew what they were capable of, so does he look into our hearts and knows us far better than we know ourselves.

Now, I expect some of you think that you can’t be shepherds to lost sheep, that you are not called to do the work of Jesus. We all have many excuses why we can’t be disciples for Christ:

• We don’t know what to do;
• There are ‘professionals’ to do this;
• “It’s not my job”;
• We don’t know what to say to people;
• We are not good enough Christians to witness to others;
• We are afraid.

So I ask you, how did YOU get to know the love and grace and salvation of God through Jesus???????

Didn’t someone gather YOU in like a lost sheep? Didn’t someone show you the grace of God and welcome you into the fold, regardless of who and what you are?

• Was it a pastor?
• A friend or family member?
• A stranger who gave you love or hope?

The love of Jesus comes to us through the eyes, hands and hearts of everyday people, just like you and me. We are all called to be shepherds, to love and guide each other in the path of Jesus.

A visionary from the fourteenth century, Saint Teresa of Avila, reminds us:

God has no hands but our hands, to do his work today;
God has no feet but our feet to lead others in his way;
God has no voice but our voice to tell others how he died;
And, God has no help but our help to lead them to His side.

You say you do not know what to do. God has equipped all with the tools necessary: Prayer!!

• Pray for open hearts, ready to hear the hope in God’s love
• Pray for the strength and courage to share that hope with others
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to work his power in the hearts of others.

The best evangelist is one who reaches those around them. Perhaps first learn to talk about your faith to fellow church members through study groups and witnessing. Through this you may then learn to talk about your faith to the disenfranchised and strangers. Most of all, be an example of the gospel message, then the needs, hurts and fears of the lost sheep will be made known to you.

Remember, God is love in this world!

This love is free and need not be earned and cannot be bought.

This love is complete and total, with no restrictions and no boundaries.

God sent His Son Jesus, to live as a man and die a most painful death as a man to teach us God’s love, to teach us that our ultimate fear – death – does not exist – Is not an end, but a beginning.

What good news indeed!
What great love!

This is the love that we can grow into and learn to give each other freely and without end.
We are reminded that we are all children of God. And no matter what happens to us, we will always be His children and He will always be there for us.

This, then, is our great commission: our great baptismal pledge, to live this love every day, to show it in every choice we make and to everyone we see. This is how we become his true disciples.

God will give us the tools,
God will give us the words,
God will give us the strength,
God will teach us.

A well-beloved mission song says:

(sung) Here I am Lord,
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord, If you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart.

Let us all become true disciples of Jesus, follow him and feed his sheep with love peace, forgiveness and joy!

Let us pray:

(sung) Here I am, Lord,
Here we are Lord,
Send the people of Saint John’s.

To do your work.
Amen.
 
 
Delivered at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Worthington and Parts Adjacent, Worthington, OH; 25 June 2017

You Can Change Your Habits!

I ran across this story as I was working on this homily and want to share it with you:

“A bazaar was held in a village in northern India. Everyone brought his wares to trade and sell. One old farmer brought in a whole covey of quail. He had tied a string around one leg of each bird. The other ends of all the strings were tied to a ring which fit loosely over a central stick. He had taught the quail to walk dolefully in a circle, around and around, like mules at a sugarcane mill. Nobody seemed interested in buying the birds until a devout Brahman came along. He believed in the Hindu idea of respect for all life, so his heart of compassion went out to those poor little creatures walking in their monotonous circles.

“I want to buy them all,” he told the merchant, who was elated. After receiving the money, he was surprised to hear the buyer say, “Now, I want you to set them all free.”

“What’s that, sir?”

“You heard me. Cut the strings from their legs and turn them loose. Set them all free!”

With a shrug, the old farmer bent down and snipped the strings off the quail. They were freed at last. What happened? The birds simply continued marching around and around in a circle. Finally, the man had to shoo them off. But even when they landed some distance away, they resumed their predictable march. Free, unfettered, released . . . yet they kept going around in circles as if still tied.

The moral of the story is:

“Until you give yourself permission to be the unique person God made you to be . . . and to do the unpredictable things grace allows you to do . . . you will be like that covey of quail, marching around in vicious circles of fear, timidity, and boredom.” [1]

Our lives today are essentially the sum of our habits.

• How in shape or out of shape are we? A result of our habits.
• How happy or unhappy are we? A result of our habits.

What we repeatedly do (i.e. what we spend time thinking about and doing each day) ultimately forms the person we are, the things we believe, and the personality that we portray.

We all have gotten ourselves into ruts of behavior (or habits) that we don’t even think about . . . we just do. Take a minute and think about something that you do ‘because you have always done it that way’.

We need to look at why we established the habits in the first place. Habits generally get established because we get something in return for the behavior. We need to ask ourselves what kind of reward do we get when from the habit? Is the reward good or bad? Do we really want to keep the habit?

Habits are hard to break. . . anyone who has tried to stop smoking will tell you that. And there are other habits just as destructive to our health and well-being. But deep-seeded, habitual habits are hard to break.

Have you ever thought that you could climb out of that rut and change? It’s easy to get caught up in the desire to make massive changes in our lives. But, we all know that it is not easy to change a habit (ask anyone who has tried to stop smoking). Habits are so ingrained in us that we often don’t even know they are habits. And to change a habit is not easy, and can’t be changed in on fell-swoop. They have to be changed one little piece at a time.

Mark Twain once said:

“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”

So how do we break a habit?

First, we have to acknowledge that we have the habit. We can’t change something that we can’t or won’t name. After we admit we have that habit, we need to determine why we started the habit in the first place – did we start biting our nails as a child because we were afraid? Did we start cracking our knuckles to irritate the girls in our schoolroom? Whatever habit we want to change, we must first name it and figure out why we do it.

Secondly, we need to write it down – take a piece of paper and write ‘I will stop. . . . “ whatever the habit is and put it on the refrigerator, or bathroom mirror, or in your wallet, or anywhere you will see it many times during the day. This will remind you the desire to break the habit. Don’t’ say ‘I will try to stop. . .’ – be positive – we can break a habit if we really want to and are willing to expend the energy.

Another trick is to put a rubber band around your wrist, and every time you do the habit, snap the rubber band. Trust me. it won’t take long to remember to stop the habit. Or if you are a smoker, switch to Life Savers or gum when you feel the need to put that cigarette in your mouth. We only have so much room for habits, so replace that destructive habit with a good habit.

The last thing we need to do is forgive ourselves if we fall back into that habit. Habits are not changed overnight; some of them take months, even years to break. Be ready to forgive yourself when you don’t slip back into the old habit – changing is not easy! And EVERYONE has habits they would like to break.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we read:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Be kind to yourself. . . remember that God loves each and every one of us and we should love ourselves. Habits are not unsurmountable! We can overcome them!
 
 
[1]      Charles Swindoll, Dallas Seminary Daily Devotional, 2-7-05; http://www.preaching.com/newsletter/
 
Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH; 25 Jun 2017

 

“I Am Always There”

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

By listening to the readings for the last couple weeks, we see that the followers of Jesus are beginning to feel separation anxiety; the man they gave up everything to follow is about to leave them. They don’t really understand what is going to happen to Jesus, what is going to happen to them, and where they were going to go. Many of the disciples left their homes, their wives and families and their livelihood to follow Jesus. They no longer had a source of income, and were far away from the security and comfort of home.

When we are about to lose something that is valued, someone close, or someplace familiar we worry, become disagreeable or feel depressed. That is only human. I am sure that the disciples were feeling all of these – some kept it to themselves, and others, like Thomas, questioned and questioned. The mood around Jesus and the disciples must have been pretty despondent.

But Jesus left the disciples with a promise.

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

As we heard last week, Jesus promised that He would leave the Holy Spirit to help and guide them. So the disciples then, and we for the last 2000 years and now, are not left alone.

• The Holy Spirit, that nameless and most mysterious part of the Trinity, is still and forever with us.
• That still small voice that comes into our hearts when we are the most overwhelmed or confused; that is the Holy Spirit.
• When you are the most befuddled and lost for answers, it comes to you – that is the Holy Spirit.
• When we are despondent, our hearts are broken and we don’t think we can go on, it’s the Holy Spirit that fills our hearts with love and encouragement that lets us know we can.
• When we see someone hurting or upset, needing comfort and we don’t know how to help, suddenly the right words begin to come and we find solace – that is the Holy Spirit.
• When we look in the faces of our grandchildren, when we are overcome with the beauty of springtime or the twinkling of a starry sky or the touch of a loved one’s hand, that is the Holy Spirit reassuring us ‘lo I am always with you’, even to the ends of the earth.

The Holy Spirit is always with us, even when we don’t acknowledge the presence. The Holy Spirit walks with us, leading, guiding and supporting us on our journey. The Holy Spirit may come in the form of a person or a spirit. How many times, when you are at your lowest, does someone appear that walks the path with you and supports you as you dig your way up into the light? The Holy Spirit hears us when we cry out and comes to prop us up.

A well-beloved spiritual originating from American slaves who were the most downtrodden and alone comes to mind:

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,

A long way from home, A long way from home.

But Jesus goes on to say

“I am with you always, to the end of the age”. (Matthew 28:20)

No matter how alone we feel, we are not alone. We are a member of the family of Christ, protected eternally by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In this little phrase, Jesus promises that we will be not be onlookers to a love we can never possess; instead, he says

“Where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20)

That means that every time we gather for In The Garden, Jesus is with us. And just as Jesus is with us here, we must be not leave others alone. As members of the family of Christ, we must not leave anyone on the outside looking in. We all know the phrase:

“what you do for the least of these, you do for me” (Matthew 25:40)

Just as Jesus has not left us alone and unguided, so must we be our brother’s keeper. Does your intimate circle include those who are orphaned or disenfranchised or abandoned by the world?

Jesus also tells us that we should keep His commandments. In Matthew, we are told that the greatest of the commandments is to love . . .

Love God and love thy neighbor. (Mark 12:31)

No matter what happens, what goes wrong, how remote God seems from us, Jesus assures us that He will always be with us. As long as we love God and our neighbors and keep his commandments, He and the Holy Spirit will always be with us. We will always be a part of the family of Christ.

We will never be alone!

Let us pray:

Holy Spirit, be with me today. Be my teacher, my guide, my counselor, my friend. Fill me with your gifts, especially the gifts of wisdom, discernment, knowledge, understanding, compassion, love, and awe in God’s presence. In all that I think, say, and do, let it be in accordance with your most holy and perfect will. I ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
 
 

Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH; 11 Jun 2017

Who is God?

The last couple of weeks I have been talking about following Jesus and that the Holy Spirit has been sent to help us do that. But one of the things that is often overlooked, is

‘just exactly who is God’.

As I was preparing for this homily, I was thinking that we hear about Jesus and have a pretty good understanding of who He was and what his life, suffering and resurrection mean for us. And although the Holy Spirit is a bit of a mystery, we can accept that the Holy Spirit was breathed upon us to help us follow the teachings of Jesus. But it suddenly dawned on me that we never talk about who God is – probably the most important person – the creator of us all and everything that lives and breathes.

Little children often ask that question, ‘who is God?’, but by the time we reach adulthood, everyone assumes we know who God is – therefore no one talks about that. I think it is time for us to look at who we believe God to be and what God means to each one of us.

We hear in the story of creation in Genesis that the world and everything in it was created by God in only six days. Now, we don’t know what a ‘day’ was in the time before creation, but science has just proven that the earth is a little over 4.4 billion years old. So God, the creator, has been around for a very long time – since before the universe.

God is known by many different names; sometimes God is called ‘Lord’ – not in a political sense, but as a sign of ultimate respect.

Wikipedia defines ‘God’ as ‘the Supreme Being’, the principal object of faith and worship,’ all knowing’ (omniscient); ‘being every present everywhere’ (omnipresent); ‘having unlimited power’ (omnipotent) – after all, you would have to be pretty powerful to take nothing and make the world out of it – and ‘all-loving’ (omnibenevolent).

But, God has no gender. I have a bag that says ‘God is not a boy’s name’, which often causes a stir at some religious functions. But I believe, and theologians agree, that God is not a man, nor is God a woman as we often hear in feminist theology. The Bible says God is a spirit (John 4:24)—without physical form (not in a human body as we are). And, contrary to all the pictures we see of God, He is not a white man! God has no color, He is a spirit, formless – we normally see pictures of God as a white man because people needed something they could see. The picture we often see of God is an old man with a long white beard sitting on a cloud in the sky; the most famous of these depictions is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican – most everyone has seen this fresco and associated God with that depiction.

And in love (1 John 4:16), God created us in His image as we read in Genesis 1:27:

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

What we do hear repeatedly in Scripture, and need to remember, is that we are all children of God, the same God, no matter what God is called. And we are all beloved children of God (1 John 3:2).

But that still doesn’t answer “Who is God?”

Let’s look at what the Bible says:

When Moses asked God who he was, God answered:

“I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14)

And later in Revelation 22:13:

“I am the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end”

In most faith traditions, God is the ultimate, the Supreme Being, the creator and sustainer of all living things, one to be worshipped.

Some of the things that we hear in the Bible about God is that he is:

just (Acts 17:31),

loving (Ephesians 2:4-5),

truthful (John 14:6), and

holy (1 John 1:5).

God shows compassion (2 Corinthians 1:3), mercy (Romans 9:15), and grace (Romans 5:17) to all his people. And although God may judge our behavior (Psalm 5:5), He always offers forgiveness (Psalm 130:4) – again and again as we stray from the right path.

God is a loving God. He cares about us; and always loves us, no matter what. And He sent Jesus down to help us learn how to live right. And by grace, even when we make mistakes, we are always forgiven. We know from the scriptures, that Jesus brought us eternal life, through his crucifixion and resurrection.

God is the ultimate Being in existence, perfect in power, love, and character. Since God wanted to share His love with others, He created people – us – spiritual creatures who can relate to Him. Because God is love, He wants us to love Him and love other people (Matthew 22:37-40).

That is the God that we know, who knows us and loves us, and the one we worship.

Let us pray:

Dear God, creator of our world and all that is in it, please grant us forgiveness when we don’t follow Jesus’ teachings, help us to remember that you created all people and we are commanded to love them as Jesus loved us. Help us to preserve your creation and live in love with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.
 
 

     Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH; 18 June 2017

Receive the Holy Spirit

Easter is over, but Jesus has not yet ascended to be with God. But the disciples know that He will be leaving them soon; He had told them that and they were afraid. He had been their teacher and guide; now he would not be there to tell them what to do.

And just as happened after the crucifixion, the disciples were locked inside a room, afraid of the Jews and even their own shadows. But we hear in the gospel of John:

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:19-22)

First, Jesus reassured the disciples saying:

“Peace be with you” (John 20:19)

He wanted them to know that everything was going to be alright; they were to go about teaching, preaching, and healing as He had taught them. We know from other passages in the Bible, that the disciples were not sure they could do what He has instructed them to do (Matthew 17:16-19). They did not believe they had the power. Then He blew on them and gave them, and us, the greatest gift of all: the Holy Spirit.

But what is the ‘Holy Spirit’? The Holy Spirit is, an energy, a power, that little voice we sometimes hear in our head when we are troubled or questioning what we should be doing. It has to be experienced, acknowledged, and kindled from within us like a holy fire. It is a guiding light, leading us in the way we should go to follow the teachings of Jesus. It is a spiritual light – not one we can actually see, but one that lives within us. . . we can feel it, but not see it. Saint Paul tells us

“that God’s Holy Spirit is a mark of God’s ownership of us.” (Ephesians 4:30)

Each one of us belong to God; we are one of His beloved children. And to help us through life, through Jesus, we have received the ‘Holy Spirit’.

We experience the Holy Spirit at various times in our lives – often when we are troubled or depressed or at the lowest points in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit that comes and shows us what is real, not what we suppose or imagine, but what is ‘real’ in the situation we are in. The Holy Spirit is very important because it comforts and guides us so we can get through dark nights of doubt and despair. Although we may not identify it, the Holy Spirit comes into the lives of each one of us. Jesus promised he would send up an advocate, and the Holy Spirit is that reassuring force.

The Holy Spirit is there to remind us that God has told us He will never desert us. In the depths of the darkness or despair, never doubt or forget that. Remember that the resurrection of Jesus is real; Jesus said He would

“go and prepare a place for each of us” (John 14:2-3)

and He has. When our time comes, we will join Jesus in eternal life.

If we just listen, we can be led by the Holy Spirit to do the things God has planned for us. It can be a guide, a counselor, advising us how to follow Jesus. Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit will comfort us when we’re hurting, saying.

“I will not leave you as orphans,” (John 14:18),

promising that the

“the Spirit will bring us peace” (John 14:27).

But the Holy Spirit can’t do all the work for us. We are still responsible for doing our part—asking the Holy Spirit to show us the truth and teach us how to live. All we have to do is let the Holy Spirit enter our lives. Just listen to that small voice to follow the teachings of Jesus and have eternal life.

Let us pray:

Spirit of the Mighty, Gentle One, come upon me, anoint me.

I see the oppressed. I name them; I hold them close. Make my life into good news for them.

I see the brokenhearted. I name them; I hold them close. Give me gentle grace to bind up their hearts.

I see the imprisoned. I name them; I hold them close. Give me true words and deeds to release them.

I see the ruined cities. I name them; I hold them close. Make me a part of their building up.

Spirit of God, be upon me. I see my own ruins, my chains. Hold me close and set me free, that I may be your good news for others.[1]

Amen
 
 
[1]      Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes, ‘Spirit, be upon me’, Unfolding Light
 

Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH; 4 June 2017

Memorial Day 2017

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, a day of remembrance. Memorial Day began to honor and celebrate Union Soldiers who died serving their country during the Civil War. After the end of World War I, Memorial Day was extended to include all American men and women who died serving their country in any military action or war.

On Memorial Day people often read a poem honoring fallen veterans or look up their family history and honor those in their family who have served our country. Many people go to the cemeteries and put American flags on veteran’s graves, that’s why it was known as Decoration Day for a while.

It is important for us to honor our veterans. Service in the military changes your life; men and women give the best years of their lives to our country. Some give the ultimate sacrifice but all sacrifice whether in peace or times of war. Never forget those who made that sacrifice for us and our freedom. Today is a day to remember men and women who died while serving their country. Statistics say that over 37,000,000 men and women have served our country since its existence with over 640,000 men and women giving up their lives for you and me.

On this special holiday, if you are or have served in our armed forces please stand. We thank you for your service.

If you have a spouse/partner/parent who served, please stand. You may not have served, but ‘those serve who also stand and wait’. Let us recognize these people and thank them for their service, loyalty and patriotism.

And yet even with a national holiday, we are still a forgetful people. The phrase ‘out of sight out of mind’ applies to us most of the time. But right now, we have over 2,266,883 men and women serving in some branch of military service, including reserves. Over 6,000 have lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq; 44,266 have been wounded. War is not a pleasant thing, and most people would like to forget.

But we cannot and must not forget those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. . . for each one of us.

The meaning of this day has been lost… it is more than an excuse to fire up the grill, have a picnic, get together with family. Though we forget, take it for granted and perhaps treat the day lightly, the sacrifices of the men and women who have fallen have provided us with many things. Let me point out only three of those things.

Liberty

Of the many things the deaths of our soldiers provide us, liberty is the greatest. Those freedoms don’t come freely, but at a great cost. These brave people fought to give us the greatest country on earth. They fought and some died to ensure that we could have the freedom to speak our minds, to travel where we wish, to vote for representative government. We have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Security

Every night we go to bed in the safety of my own dwelling, whatever that is, while wars are fought on foreign soil. Our autos will not be blown up, we’re not going to face bombers on the way to work, no missiles flying overhead, no chaos in the streets. We have lost our stomach for war – but let that war rage on the streets of this nation, in our neighborhoods, on this home front…let the bombing and shooting and kidnapping and beheading take place in this land and we’ll be reminded of the safety and security we enjoy. . . all because some men and women chose to serve to make us more secure.

Peace

Because we have liberty and security, we live in a time of peace. There may be dissension between special interests in the country, but we still are at peace. We are a nation so at peace we are oblivious to the terror and turmoil most people in the world face on a daily basis. We can sleep at night in peace, we can have our coffee here at In The Garden in peace – we need to thank a solider for that. It is because they have given their lives we enjoy the peaceful lives we do, lives no one else on earth has like we do in America.

This Memorial Day, we should not only honor those who gave everything in service to our country, but continue to share their stories and give voice to the heroes who can no longer speak for themselves. I think the best way we can honor the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom is to live lives worthy of their sacrifice. There are many other things we enjoy at the expense of the lives of our soldiers, so today we want to honor their courage, their valor, their sacrifice by simply saying “Thank You” for what they have given to us.

Let us pray:

We pray today for those who have suffered and sacrificed in service to their country.

We honor the sacrifice of soldiers and sailors who have died, and for their loved ones, who still suffer.

We pray for those who are injured, especially those poorly cared for.

We pray for those whose who are injured in heart or mind or soul.

We pray for those whose spirits died when they were forced to witness or commit horrible things.

We pray for homeless veterans, for addicts and suicides and vets haunted by PTSD, for they too are casualties of our way of war.

We pray for those who have served who are lonely, who are sad, who are guilty or ashamed.

We pray for those who are proud but unappreciated.

We pray for healing for all those who bear the wounds we choose others to suffer and to inflict.

And we pray for those of other nations, too.

God bless all who have suffered and sacrificed: may they know healing, grace, and deep peace.

Amen.

 

Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH; 28 May 2017