As much as I would love to control the future, I know that's not happening. Just staying connected to everything going on the present can be a challenge. In the Gospel reading this week, Jesus cautions his followers about listening to those who talk about the end of time. Do not be led astray, Jesus warns.
We also have a reading from the Book of Daniel. Daniel speaks about an apocalypse when the resurrection will occur. While he is talking about the future, Daniel's words are really meant to bring comfort those in the present who are suffering. The point being, that ultimately God will bring justice, and ultimately the righteous will have all that they deserve in God's kingdom.
It is amazing to me that so many have taken these readings and used them to incite fear in others - sometimes to control members of religious groups and sometimes to exploit the fear for personal gain. There is actually a website, Eternal Earth-Bound Pets that offers to take care of your pets after the rapture. It costs only $110 for the first pet and $15 for each additional pet. The $110 fee is good for ten years, if the rapture does not come in that time, you have to pay $110 more, and so on every ten years.
Jesus encourages us to focus on the present, and trust that God will take care of the future.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Appearances vs. Reality
This Week's Sermon: Appearances vs. Reality
Theme: Doing things for the sake of appearances is a waste of time for those who seek to grow close to God and who want to live a faithful life. Check it out at www.spoth.org.
Theme: Doing things for the sake of appearances is a waste of time for those who seek to grow close to God and who want to live a faithful life. Check it out at www.spoth.org.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Bazaar
Tomorrow from 8am to 2pm, St. Paul's on-the-Hill will host its Bazaar. There will be lots of great food to buy, a tasting room and cookbook that goes with admission, and items to buy that make great gifts. Come and have lunch with us.
It takes a huge amount of time and energy to plan and carry out this event. It is a great community effort. Through such parish life events, we get to build connections within the church, and we get to meet those who will come to the Bazaar.
It takes a huge amount of time and energy to plan and carry out this event. It is a great community effort. Through such parish life events, we get to build connections within the church, and we get to meet those who will come to the Bazaar.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Spiritual Direction/Discernment
First - thanks to the 10 of you who are officially following this blog!
I'm at the Episcopal Seminary in Alexandria VA, VTS, for today and tomorrow meeting with the people for whom I serve as a spiritual director. It is a joy for me to be able to work with seminarians from around the country. As a spiritual director, I am a companion with others as they seek to deepen their relationship with God.
Of course, deepening our relationship with God, or one could think of it as expanding our vision of how God is already deeply in relationship with us, is something every Christian can do/hopes to do/might want to do. We are always growing in faith and our understanding/experience of faith. One way to do this is to meet with a spiritual director one-on-one, but most people don't have a spiritual director. So how can one "do spiritual direction or discernment" in any situation. I recommend practices described in the book Sleeping with Bread by Dennis, Matthew and Shelia Linn.
I think the full title is Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life.
The authors describe how children at the end of WWII were given bread to keep with them at night so that they could feel secure, knowing that they would have food in the morning. What is it that gives us life and helps us feel secure? Answering that question requires discernment, prayerful consideration of our situation in life, what is happening in the situation, what do we hope will happen, and how God is involved with it all.
While matters of discernment can seem complex, the Linns make to easy to at least get started. They suggest that at the end of the day, we consider what is that gave us energy and also what drained our energy that day - what gave us joy or did not give us joy. Much of the time, what gives us energy and joy is something we are called to. Those things that drain our energy maybe be bad for us in some way or at least not what we are called to do. This is a great exercise to do with children. The Linns make the point children can understand what it is to feel good about something and as they reflect with their parents about what is going on in their lives, they are learning about this thing we call discernment - which gives them (and us) confidence to choose wisely among the many options life presents everyday.
I'm at the Episcopal Seminary in Alexandria VA, VTS, for today and tomorrow meeting with the people for whom I serve as a spiritual director. It is a joy for me to be able to work with seminarians from around the country. As a spiritual director, I am a companion with others as they seek to deepen their relationship with God.
Of course, deepening our relationship with God, or one could think of it as expanding our vision of how God is already deeply in relationship with us, is something every Christian can do/hopes to do/might want to do. We are always growing in faith and our understanding/experience of faith. One way to do this is to meet with a spiritual director one-on-one, but most people don't have a spiritual director. So how can one "do spiritual direction or discernment" in any situation. I recommend practices described in the book Sleeping with Bread by Dennis, Matthew and Shelia Linn.
I think the full title is Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life.
The authors describe how children at the end of WWII were given bread to keep with them at night so that they could feel secure, knowing that they would have food in the morning. What is it that gives us life and helps us feel secure? Answering that question requires discernment, prayerful consideration of our situation in life, what is happening in the situation, what do we hope will happen, and how God is involved with it all.
While matters of discernment can seem complex, the Linns make to easy to at least get started. They suggest that at the end of the day, we consider what is that gave us energy and also what drained our energy that day - what gave us joy or did not give us joy. Much of the time, what gives us energy and joy is something we are called to. Those things that drain our energy maybe be bad for us in some way or at least not what we are called to do. This is a great exercise to do with children. The Linns make the point children can understand what it is to feel good about something and as they reflect with their parents about what is going on in their lives, they are learning about this thing we call discernment - which gives them (and us) confidence to choose wisely among the many options life presents everyday.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
All Saints' Day 2009 sermon preview
When we have the Gospel reading tonight at the 5pm service, I might look out into the congregation and see someone who looks like Lazarus. Covered in strips of cloth kind of like a Zombie (if you're thinking about Halloween movies)...Lazarus emerges from the cave. Jesus commands: "unbind him and let him go." Lazarus was dead, but Jesus called him to come out of the cave...to come out of death into life.
This is a great reading for All Saints' Day because it speaks of the eternal life we share with God through Christ. Jesus says, "I am resurrection and I am life" meaning that through him, at that time, Lazarus could live. Just as through Jesus, you and I can live the life of grace now...the life we will know at its fullest after we die to live with God.
And because we share that life with God now, we also share in that life with those we love but see no longer - the saints in heaven. When we say we believe in the communion of Saints we say that we know that we, the saints on earth, are in relationship with the saints in heaven. All Saints' Day is all about connections. Jesus is connected with those who have died; we are connected to Jesus; we are connected to the saints in heaven. Every time we come to the Altar to receive the Bread of Heaven, we know we are connected.
This is a great reading for All Saints' Day because it speaks of the eternal life we share with God through Christ. Jesus says, "I am resurrection and I am life" meaning that through him, at that time, Lazarus could live. Just as through Jesus, you and I can live the life of grace now...the life we will know at its fullest after we die to live with God.
And because we share that life with God now, we also share in that life with those we love but see no longer - the saints in heaven. When we say we believe in the communion of Saints we say that we know that we, the saints on earth, are in relationship with the saints in heaven. All Saints' Day is all about connections. Jesus is connected with those who have died; we are connected to Jesus; we are connected to the saints in heaven. Every time we come to the Altar to receive the Bread of Heaven, we know we are connected.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
To Really See
This week's sermon focuses on Bartimaeus and what it means to really see what Jesus and the spiritual life are all about. Bartimaeus was blind; he knew Jesus could help him. Jesus, who went to every one's help, asks that Bartimaeus come to him. And then Jesus asks him, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asks, if there could be any question - but it was important for the man to tell Jesus want he really desired. His sight is restored and he follows Jesus without question - unlike Jesus' closest followers who had been arguing about who was the greatest among them.
Bartimaeus regains his sight and immediately follows Jesus. He does not wonder if he should go at that moment or worry about the trip, he is able to see and knows that he wants to be with Jesus. This story is in shape contrast to the accounts we have been reading about Jesus’ closest followers and friends not knowing what to do or understanding what Jesus was trying to tell them. It is ironic that the man who could not see…sees the most even before he regains his sight. He knows who Jesus is what that means for him, the difference Jesus could make for him. Then he regains his sight and follows Jesus. Seeing leads to action. Seeing is not just for its own sake for also for what will come next.
Bartimaeus regains his sight and immediately follows Jesus. He does not wonder if he should go at that moment or worry about the trip, he is able to see and knows that he wants to be with Jesus. This story is in shape contrast to the accounts we have been reading about Jesus’ closest followers and friends not knowing what to do or understanding what Jesus was trying to tell them. It is ironic that the man who could not see…sees the most even before he regains his sight. He knows who Jesus is what that means for him, the difference Jesus could make for him. Then he regains his sight and follows Jesus. Seeing leads to action. Seeing is not just for its own sake for also for what will come next.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Following Jesus Part Two
This weekend's sermon continues to examine what it means to follow Jesus. James and John tell Jesus that they want to share in his glory, but they don't really understand what that means. They want places of honor next to Jesus. But Jesus' glory is another sort of glory - it is a paradox (thanks Brs. from SSJE). Jesus is clear that they will share in his glory whether they understand it or not.
How well do we understand what it means to follow Jesus? These days, many people "church shop" looking for the church that will give them what they want. But really the better way to approach that choice is to ask, "is this the church where I can give the most I have to offer - the gifts that God has given me." You certainly can at St. Paul's on-the-Hill!
What role does hope play in all this? What are our expectations and our desires for our church? (Listen to the sermon tomorrow to hear how the film "Rudy" has to say about hope and who that relates to church - it does really.)
How well do we understand what it means to follow Jesus? These days, many people "church shop" looking for the church that will give them what they want. But really the better way to approach that choice is to ask, "is this the church where I can give the most I have to offer - the gifts that God has given me." You certainly can at St. Paul's on-the-Hill!
What role does hope play in all this? What are our expectations and our desires for our church? (Listen to the sermon tomorrow to hear how the film "Rudy" has to say about hope and who that relates to church - it does really.)
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