The Greatest of All Shrubs - July 20

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 45; PM Psalm 47, 48; 1 Samuel 25:1-22; Acts 14:1-18; Mark 4:21-34

Today’s Reflection

He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ –Mark 4: 30-32

Did you know that mustard plants are considered by many to be weeds? This is because they are plants that, by virtue of their tiny seeds, can spring up easily and spread to places where we may not have planned for them to grow. And when they grow, they really grow. Because of this, many gardeners would say that mustard seeds, and the plants they become, do not belong in the garden. But even the seed of a weed can flourish and become life-giving: a safe place for birds to find food, shade, and a place to nest. In the kingdom of God, boundaries are crossed. Categories come into question. The tiny seed of a weed becomes “the greatest of all shrubs.”

And yet, for an audience steeped in images from the Hebrew scriptures of the great cedars of Lebanon, a mustard shrub evokes a much less grand vision of God’s plans and promises. Perhaps, as scholar Pheme Perkins points out: “Jesus has pulled a swap. God’s creative presence can still provide abundantly for all creatures even in a region without mighty trees. For people who expect God's reign to show itself in mighty deeds, transforming nature and nations, the mustard bush is hardly an appropriate sign. It is just an annual plant, after all, not a great tree sought by pharaohs and kings to adorn palaces and temples.” And yet, because of its smaller scale and more humble reputation, the mustard seed is the most appropriate sign of what it means for us to grow into a kingdom for God.

However, as Jesus well knew, the mustard plant is not great because of its size but rather because of what its branches can provide: shelter and shade. The mustard seed grows from the tiny seed of an often-unwanted plant into a bush whose expansive branches provide for others.

God's economy is based on reversals or incongruities. The weak become strong. The poor become rich. A little child shall lead them. So, it makes sense that when God tells us about how we can expand his kingdom on earth, that he tells us to go about it in a different way than many earthly leaders would. It’s not about making earthly empires great and gaining power over other people. Rather, growing from a tiny seed into “the greatest of all shrubs” is about growing into a plant--or a church, or a community, or a culture—that is in fact an ecosystem, one which provides sustenance and shelter to a diversity of living things. As scholar Suzanne Henderson observes, “Where the seeds of God’s kingdom do take root, they grow with abandon even alongside the plants that wither or seeds that disappear. Like the mustard bush, the kingdom will overtake its surroundings (4:30–32), but it does so organically and offers hospitable shade to ‘the birds of the air.’”

So, how can we build God’s kingdom now? Growth and new life require changes in state. A seed ruptures open whenever a new plant begins to germinate. A tall plant or tree requires pruning. A plant cutting must first form its own new roots in water before it can be transplanted into the soil and begin to grow. The question we must consider is this: Are we willing to be tiny mustard seeds with the determination to grow into the greatest of shrubs—even when we grow within the boundaries of a garden in which we may at first be seen as just another weed? 

—Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

In what kinds of circumstances or situations do you feel (or have you felt) especially small? Have you ever experienced a time when you entered a situation (be it a room, an event, a task, or a role) feeling very small but over time ended up growing into it?

Daily Challenge

You can read more about mustard plants in the context of the ancient Near East in this article on the Old Dominion University Bible Plants web site, where you can also read up on all other sorts of plants mentioned in Scripture.

Parable of the Sower - July 19

Today’s Lessons: AM Psalm 41, 52; PM Psalm 44; 1 Samuel 24:1-22; Acts 13:44-52; Mark 4:1-20

Just last week, I was commenting about how it finally felt like summer and now we are accelerating way too fast towards the fullness of the fall.  Our family is planning to put a large calendar on the left side of our refrigerator to help us keep up with everyone’s schedules.  I’m guessing we are making up for last year filling the school year with cello and banjo lessons, travel soccer, ballet, girl scouts, cheer, and choir.  I seriously wonder how it is all going to work.

In today’s Gospel lesson, we hear the familiar parable of the sower.  One image is of grain that falls among the thorns and the thorns sprout up and choke the grain, keeping it from growing.  One of the more provocative ideas I have heard in reference to this Scripture was a sermon fifteen years ago or so from a priest in East Tennessee that suggested that thorns might be all the really good stuff that we fill our schedules with each year.  The preacher was talking about the same dilemma I am cautiously considering.  Funny how things haven’t really changed.

Over the past year and a half, many have commented how the forced opportunity to slow down has been a gift in their own life. Activities were postponed, camps canceled, and soccer games were missed.  We wouldn’t have asked for it in a million years, and I am grateful for those moments of enjoying a family meal that would have been a practice, of working on a few more puzzles, of knowing my neighbors better than I could have imagined. 

I’m not sure how to navigate parenting, how to say no to some of the things that my family has been looking forward to doing.  I’m guessing we are going to go back to pre-pandemic participation in the smorgasbord of child development.  But today’s reading is a reminder to focus on what really matters.  A relationship is more important than making all of the soccer practices.   Cultivating fertile soil for our spiritual growth is not doing more, but instead the quality and intentionality of what we set out to learn and do. There is a big difference.  And I have some work to do.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What are the most meaningful practices in your life?  What are the activities that fill you with joy and purpose? 

Daily Challenge: Is your calendar overbooked?  If it is, open your calendar and find one thing that you can let go of that can help provide some relief in your day-to-day life?  If your calendar is more open, find one thing to add that is meaningful and life-giving.  Some ideas could include scheduling a trip to the Birmingham Art Museum or Botanical Gardens, attending one of the formation opportunities at Saint Stephen’s, or going to lunch with a friend. 

Jesus and the melee - July 17

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 30, 32; PM Psalm 42, 43; 1 Samuel 22:1-23; Acts 13:26-43; Mark 3:19b-35

He writes, “No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness.” He describes it as a kind of suspense—so many habits, so many outcomes, are stopped in mid-air. Made impossible now, because of what has changed—is changing. – Kate Bowler, writing about C.S. Lewis’ book A Grief Observed

My colleague Becky is the first who brought up Kate Bowler to me. I cannot recall exactly what she told me about the author, speaker, and Duke Divinity School professor, but it was enough to encourage me to learn more. During the pandemic Lent of 2021, Bowler put out a livestream video many mornings of Lenten reflections and life’s musings. Watching her speak in vulnerability and of struggle reminded me of the choppy waters of openness the inimitable Brene Brown explores in her works. And so, I now find myself on the “Kate Bowler train” of curiosity into spaces of hardship from which we yearn to flee, yet when times are hard, what we must do is bear it. In Psalm 30 today, the psalmist writes, “Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (v. 6) While I really want to get to the joy of the morning, sometimes I must spend the night in tears. I have to feel it and get through it … whatever the hard “it” is.

My eye caught this graphic earlier in the week and it really hit home for me: “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” C.S. Lewis wrote these words in his book A Grief Observed. I have never thought about grief in these terms, and yet I totally get it. There is the dread of experiencing the loss…and the fear of a similar loss happening again. We can find ourselves suspended, restrained, in limbo – all because of our grief and fear. Those are big, big feelings.

I wonder what big feelings Jesus’ friends and family were having in Mark 3, appointed for today. After he has called the twelve disciples to follow him, Jesus goes home and the throngs who have been following him are back. It is so crowded that they cannot even sit down together and eat. We read that Jesus’ family heard – either they got a report about the commotion, or they actually heard the sounds of the gathering. Their response is to restrain Jesus – to retain him and remove him out of the chaos of the crowd. But it gets more complicated than that, for we hear that people are saying Jesus is insane. Astounded. Out of his mind. Then the scribes get their hacks in, asserting that Jesus is possessed by Beelzebub, and through the power of evil, he is casting out the evil in others (as we read about in Mark 3:11).

So, this is more than just a melee…could it be that those closest to Jesus are having a type of intervention with him? What an experience of grief and fear, because of what has changed and what is still changing in their landscape. I wonder how afraid and uneasy Jesus’ followers and family feel in times like this. I wonder, too, how Jesus feels; does he grieve the hard heartedness of the scribes, who are blaspheming the Holy Spirit? Does he understand the intentions of his friends trying to intercede for him?

While C.S. Lewis wrote to illuminate a framework of the grief happening within himself and around him, Jesus does not do that for us. He is in the thick of ministry. He interprets in the moment what needs to be addressed. What we hear from Jesus is a dismissal of the false assertions of his possession by an unclean spirit. We hear a few parables about Satan’s weakness and Jesus’ strength.

Sometimes to get through a hard time, we must cling to the things that are reliable, when the rest of the world is shifting under our feet. Jesus is the strong one, who cannot be taken down. He is with us in our times of being surrounded by a melee, grieving and fearful, knowing that God’s joy and peace, which passes all understanding, will come in the morning.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

“No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear.”

How does this statement strike you? What thoughts does it elicit from your experience? Who else might need to hear this bit of insight?

Daily Challenge

Take a few minutes to read as Kate Bowler explores grief and C.S. Lewis’ book A Grief Observed in this link. If you are looking to delve deeper into what grief means through Lewis’ eyes and reflect on your own experiences, I commend this Lewis book and the book study questions to you.

Jesus and the Get-Away Boat - July 16

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35; 1 Samuel 21:1-15, Acts 13:13-25; Mark 3:7-19a

Today’s Reflection

“Jesus is a character with many and varied traits. What Jesus ‘does’ reveals primarily the extent and nature of his authority from God. What Jesus ‘says’ discloses his understanding of himself as agent of God and his purposes. Both what Jesus does and what he says expresses his values and show his integrity in living up to those values.”

–David Rhoads, Joanna Dewey, and Donald Michie in Mark as Story (Fortress Press, 2012)

Of the four Gospel accounts, two of them (Matthew and Luke) ease into the life of Christ by first telling us of his origins—his ancestors, his birth and childhood—before beginning to detail his baptism and the events of his three years of public ministry. The other two Gospels, Mark and John, immediately bring us into Jesus’ story at the prime of his earthly life, telling us of his baptism upfront and then taking us right into an up-close and personal viewpoint on the intensity of Jesus’ daily work of teaching, preaching, healing, and casting out unclean spirits.

In Mark 3: 7-19, we find Jesus desperately seeking a well-deserved break from this constant whirlwind of activity and attention. Everywhere he goes, people are flocking to him because they have heard the news about what he did or said at his last stop along the way. And critics like the Pharisees and Herodians were taking note of his words and deeds, adding to the pressure building upon Jesus and his disciples, as we saw earlier in Mark 3 after Jesus entered the synagogue and healed the man with the withered hand.

Feeling the weight of this building pressure, Jesus’ instinct (a very good one) was to withdraw with his disciples to the sea. This reminds me of when you or I decide to talk a walk or a run or drive to go get some fresh air, some space to breathe and think and pray in the midst of our own busy lives and stressful situations. But still, even when he tried to take a breather, the crowds continued to follow Jesus—so he told the disciples “to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him” (3:9). Doesn’t it sound like Jesus was having the disciples arrange for a get-away car (or in this, a get-away boat) to help whisk them away from all the crowds and the craziness?

From there, Jesus went up the mountain and “called to them those whom he wanted.” Yes, Jesus took the get-away boat so he could go on a mountain retreat with some trusted friends. And not only that, but Jesus decided to do another very smart thing to deal with the mounting pressure of his public life and ministry: He delegated authority so these companions could begin to share with him some of the responsibilities of ministry, specifically the work of preaching and casting out demons. And once Jesus had assembled this team of co-laborers, at the end of the day he did one more, very wise thing: “Then he went home” (3:19).

It can be easy to trick ourselves into believing, even with the best of intentions, that we are what we do and say. But it’s also important to remember that we are more than the sum of our actions, words, or reputations. As Jesus models so well in today’s passage from Mark 3, we are also formed by what decide not to do—moments when we say no to the culture of accomplishment, achievement, and productivity.

In other words, Jesus was able to step away from the whirlwind of activity and attention to find moments to rest, refocus, and just be. Even the Son of God, equally divine and human, needed to arrange for the get-away boat, a retreat up the mountain, and then, when all was said and done, just go home. If we are to follow more faithfully in the footsteps of Jesus, we must remind ourselves (and one another) that sometimes the best thing to do is get in the boat, go up the mountain, and then head home to recharge our souls and reconnect with the people who love us regardless of what things (be they magnificent or mediocre) we may have said or done that day.

—Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

What helps you to recharge and refocus? Where are the happy places or quiet places you choose to go to get away from the craziness and business of daily life? Who are the people you turn to share responsibilities or listen as you process the stress and pressure you may encounter along the way?

Daily Challenge

Commit to carving out a full hour (or two, or three) so that, like Jesus, you can away from your responsibilities of your to-do list and just be the person God created you to be.

We are Made for Love - July 15

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 37:1-18; PM Psalm 37:19-42; 1 Samuel 20:24-42; Acts 13:1-12; Mark 2:23-3:6

I am guessing a few people looked over their shoulders or glanced in their rearview mirrors yesterday.  An accident on I-459 had people taking a detour down Overton Road.  This meant a line of cars from past my house to the church (over 1 mile long).  Needing to get to church, there was no way I was going to drive so I hopped on my mountain bike in my bright red pants and my clericals (black shirt with a white Anglican collar) whizzing by cars on my way to Saint Stephen’s.  I hope some people are asking questions, or at the very least smiling. 

Well, this led me to have to ride my bike home for lunch, probably more than anything because I wanted my car and didn’t want to ride my bike home late on Wednesday evening.  So, I pushed up the hills, and arrived home, sweaty and out of breath. I had lunch and then went to jump in my car, tired from a hot bike ride in pants, clerical collar, and a long sleeve shirt, only to step on one of the dog’s toys and twist my ankle, throwing my can of water, falling to the ground, and letting out some words that my daughter wasn’t too pleased to hear.   As Anne got some ice for my foot, I said to her, “my feet aren’t made for stepping on stupid dog toys.”  She chuckled and I hobbled to the couch to lay down. 

We aren’t made for walking on dog toys, or Legos for that matter.  Our bodies probably aren’t designed for spending more than a few moments outside in the sweltering humidity and heat of Alabama.  Anthropologists claim that we were meant to be leisurely creatures and yet we find the most ridiculous things to occupy our boredom.  I think the Olympics are so exciting because we witness humans doing what is nearly humanly impossible.  We are motivated by humans doing what they weren’t designed to do. 

I think there is an element of this understanding when Mark writes that humans weren’t made for Sabbath.  Left to our devices, we seem to be best at living into two opposite possibilities: not working at all, or working so hard, we leave no room for growth and wellbeing.  Both ends of the spectrum accentuate the same truth: we do know how to care for ourselves or do what is necessary for our own wellbeing.  We need God’s law to remember why we were created, which is not about how hard we can work, or how much we can accomplish in a workday.

This is precisely we have God’s given instruction that even though the creative process is about life-generating work, even though, our purpose is to breathe life, creativity, and love into this world, rest is necessary for the cycle of life.  We need a divine commandment that is counterintuitive to how we want to live to help us thrive and grow.  We need Sabbath. It was made for us. 

Which drives the next point of today’s Scripture: why break one of God’s rules if it was made for us?  We might not have been made for walking on dog toys, or Legos, or riding bikes uphill in 100-degree heat, or any Olympic sport, which should beg the question – what were we made for?  Simple answer: to love each other and God.  Rules are rules.  We have a rule that is to remind us of this.  And these rules are meant to be broken if it is about our more divinely created purpose of caring for each other and pointing us more greatly to our love for God.

We were made to love.  Maybe we were made for love too.  Sometimes we need to be reminded so all that other stuff we think we are doing doesn’t overwhelm the greater reason we are here.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What do you see your primary purpose in life to be?  What do others see it to be?  How much of your vocation or previous vocation is wrapped up in this?  How can you grow in your capacity to love others?

Daily Challenge:  Create one practice that will help you grow in your ability to love.  Consider friends, neighbors, and strangers and pick one thing to do to deepen your ability to love one of these groups.

Come to the party - July 14

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48; 1 Samuel 20:1-23; Acts 12:18-25; Mark 2:13-22

Jesus went out again beside the lake; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax-collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. (Mark 2:13-15)

This passage from Mark has a lot going on. The narrator advises us of several things at play in this scene: Jesus is by the water. He is surrounded by people. He is teaching them. And then he and the crowd walk past a tax booth staffed by Levi. Jesus says, “Follow me.” Levi does just this. Then, the parade of people break their travel at Levi’s house and have dinner.

As I slow down and envision the scripture coming to life, I have a couple of questions. First is this: there is a tax booth somewhere near the lake. I imagine the booth resembling Lucy’s psychiatric help booth from the Peanuts cartoon, and just on the shoreline (as it is summertime and I have beach on the brain). However, I also imagine the water being a bit away from the city center, so it sounds comical that a tax collection station would be set up remotely – and maybe on a beach?

The second point that stops me short this morning revolves around the shared meal. In truth, this is an impromptu party, where folks just arrive and begin the festivities at Levi’s house, from as much as scripture tells us. Now, perhaps there was more dialogue – like we have in the story of Zaccheus the tax collector (Luke 19:1-10), in which Jesus tells the wealthy chief tax collector that he is coming to his house. Maybe Levi offers his home as a venue along the way. I don’t know about your house, but my abode is not always ready at a moment’s notice to welcome a pop-up dinner gathering. (That being said, it would delight my daughter to no end to have our entire church family come to our house for a party!)

At the heart of this excerpt from Mark, I love the desire for gathering together as community, sharing a meal, and putting aside the differences that keep us apart. Jesus knows that we all need nourishment and inclusion, whether we have been sitting alone or have our peer group to bring us assurance. What a joy and grace it must have been to sit with Jesus and tell stories and listen to one another.

The Messiah challenges us to be vulnerable and be open to receiving the healing love of God. When we are open to receive, our hearts will flutter and we’ll feel that exhilaration and hopefulness that comes with something fresh and joyful – a new vista, a surprising connection, or a brush with angels’ wings. Join me in the joy and trepidation of being vulnerable to need God’s healing today.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When have you been surprised by someone who invited you to join them?

Think of a time when you invited someone to come to church or talk about the Bible or prayer. What did you share? What did you learn?

Daily Challenge

 Find a way to sit in stillness today for five minutes. Breathe deeply. Imagine being open and receiving healing from Jesus. Pray for your own needs. Then take time to pray for the needs of others. End in words of gratitude for God.

Through the Roof - July 13

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 26, 28; PM Psalm 36, 39; 1 Samuel 19:1-18; Acts 12:1-17; Mark 2:1-12

Today’s Reflection

Imagine living in Jesus’ neighborhood and then hearing that your neighbor finally has returned home from a long trip—and you’ve heard all sorts of stories about amazing things he said and did while traveling through so many other villages and towns. What would you do? Run over to Jesus’ house, of course, to see and hear for yourself!

This is just the situation Mark describes in the story we hear today from Mark 2. So many people want to get close to Jesus and hear firsthand from him that they crowd into and all around his house: “So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door” (2:2).

A particular group of five friends has heard the stories of what their neighbor Jesus has been doing in other towns and they talk amongst themselves about how they really need to get into Jesus’ house, too. One of their group is paralyzed (whether short-term or long-term, we don’t know) and the other four friends are determined that they will make a way for their friend to get in front of Jesus so that he can be healed. Since the door is blocked by the crowd spilling out of the house and into the street, they think about their options and realize there’s another way in—through the roof!

In our time, we may not think of the roof of the house as having much potential for being an entryway into the house. But the kind of house common to Capernaum at the time was constructed in such a way that this was possible. According to one commentary, “A flat roof could be accessed from the outside. It consisted of branches and sticks, combined with clay, and Luke adds the detail that the roof had clay ‘tiles,’ which were used on some houses at that time” (ESV Study Bible 1896). So, the way this roof was constructed meant that if someone were determined enough, they could make a way into the house from above: “And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay” (2:4).

We learn a lot about the faith of these five men through this very creative, determined act of friendship. Perhaps the paralyzed friend had been in an accident or had suffered an illness while Jesus had been out of town. Finally, they heard the news that Jesus was home—and they weren’t going to let the crowd stop them from getting their friend in front of Jesus.

Now some would have been angry to find people digging an opening in their roof, skipping in the line, so to speak, by lowering a man in through the ceiling. But Jesus saw this as an indication of their great faith in God, not to mention their great love for their friend: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ … ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’” (2: 5, 11-12).

In the book, Mark as Story, which we were assigned to read by our beloved New Testament professor at Seminary of the Southwest, the authors share some insights on what we learn about faith through these nameless characters in Jesus’ story: “The faith of the minor characters is important, because the work of the rule of God is contingent on people who ‘turn around and put faith in the good news.’ … Sometimes, friends or family bring the person to be healed… The active faith of these surrogates counts for the faith of trust of those on whose behalf they have come.”

As Mark describes, “When Jesus saw their faith,” it was then that he pronounced forgiveness and healing would be given to the paralytic man. The faith of his friends had made it possible for the man to be restored to health by Jesus. However, as the authors of Mark as Story observe, “For Mark, faith does not itself restore the suppliant, for it is God alone who restores. However, because neither Jesus nor God forces healing, faith becomes essential as a way to release and receive healing. Faith does not have to do with correct beliefs about Jesus. For Mark, faith is a matter of trusting that God will act through Jesus. Such faith gives people access to God’s power.”

As believers in Christ, sometimes we are blessed to be given the role of suppliant on behalf of another—God allows us the privilege of being in a position, through our own faith, of seeking healing on behalf of someone else. We do this through praying for someone in need, but also as we stand by someone as they seek healing. Maybe we go with someone to their appointments, a prayerful and reassuring presence, an advocate for them with their medical team. Maybe along with others we help point someone who has been resistant to healing toward new resources for health and wholeness. As we are reminded today in Mark 2, “By faith, the suppliant is empowered to be a partner in the healing with God” (Mark as Story 131-132).

—Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

When has someone been a suppliant on your behalf, praying to God for your healing? When have you experienced others taking the role of advocate for you, making sure you have access to the caregivers and resources needed to promote health and wholeness in your life? When have you taken on these roles for others, and what did you learn by living out your faith in this way?

Daily Challenge

If you’re looking for a good resource to help you dig deeper in the Gospel of Mark, consider getting your own copy of Mark as Story, which helps us understand this Gospel account through focusing on its narrator, settings, plot, characters, and audience.

Change is Coming - July 12

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; 1 Samuel 18:5-16,27b-30; Acts 11:19-30; Mark 1:29-45

Last night, I worshiped at our 5:00 p.m. Celtic service of Holy Eucharist.  At that service, we have a number of alternative prayers, candles, and instrumental music, and lately, we have been using Eucharistic Prayer C from the Book of Common Prayer.  Often referred to as the ‘Star Wars’ prayer, it draws attention to “the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.”  It’s weird and earthy, and I love it. 

But it’s not my favorite for those reasons.  At the end of the Eucharistic Prayer is my absolute favorite few lines.  We are commanded to “Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name.” What a powerful way of communicating the hope and power of the Eucharist!  We are coming to be renewed, strengthened, and changed!  Yes, it is about sin and redemption, but it’s also about a lot more. 

Here is the kicker:  if we need to be renewed and strengthened, then there is something we all need that we don’t already have.  The people who show up on Sunday are not complete without God’s grace and renewal.  And the people who leave Sunday are better off than they were before they walked in. 

In today’s Gospel, there is a lot of healing.  Demons are cast out, people are cured, a leper is made clean.  People’s lives are fundamentally changed.  When people encounter Jesus, they are not the same people as before.  

The power of the Gospel is that this same gift is what we experience each invitation to the table, to be healed, to be renewed, to be made clean, to be strengthened, and to be changed.  In the words of Annie Dillard, ‘we are mixing up a batch of TNT.”  You and I will be different when we walk out of the building. I think a more serious consideration should be if we are open and willing to that change? 

If you have the option of going to Church this Sunday and you feel safe doing so, please do.  If you can’t get to church and live in the Birmingham area, someone from Saint Stephen’s will bring you the Holy Eucharist (just let me know).  And I’m praying that after those sacred moments, once again, life will never be the same.  Isn’t that what believe?  Or does it all hinge on an openness to believe that truth? 

Change is coming, and it’s coming Sunday.  Are you open to what could happen?

John+

 Questions for Self-Reflection:  Is the Holy Eucharist a part of your life of faith?  What role does it play?  How has the pandemic changed that practice for you?  What has filled its place?

Daily Challenge:  Spend some time with the four different Eucharistic Prayers in the Book of Common Prayer.  On the sidebar click “the Holy Eucharist” and then click “Rite II.”  Consider which language is most meaningful to you. 

The Shepherd and the Philistine – July 10

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117; 1 Samuel 17:31-49; Acts 11:1-18; Mark 1:14-28

I can still remember being eight or nine years old and sitting on my bed with my mom, as she read stories to me from this large burgundy book, Hurlbut’s Story of the Bible. It was hers when she was young, and she shared it with me. One of the tales that fascinated me was the epic fight between David the shepherd and Goliath the Philistine giant. I can see in my mind’s eye the picture of little boy David and enormous warrior Goliath, a mismatched pair for battle. And today, we get to read a portion of the story through the scripture appointed from 1 Samuel.

Reading the story today, two things stick out. First, David speaks of himself to Saul as “your servant” - in third person, which is both amusing and odd. Second, this shepherd is not just a meek and mild pretty face. David is a badass:

“But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.’” (1 Samuel 17:34-36)

Yes, you read that correctly. This shepherd fought lions and bears with his bare hands, and it sounds like he did it singlehandedly. He would grab their jaws – which sounds nearly impossible while evading the powerful paws and claws of these predators. He would wrench the prey from their mouths. He would then kill the offending beast. I imagine the animal as immense as a grizzly bear, with Werner Herzog narrating the documentary, but even if the powerful predators were the size of a puma or bobcat, what David describes is harrowing and bold. He a fierce protector of his flock.

In verse 37, the shepherd credits Yahweh (the Lord) with keeping him safe, saving him from the paws and jaws of bears and lions. If God protects David from predators, then surely he will be safe from the hands of the offending Philistine. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that though it was offered to him by Saul, the beautiful shepherd boy wears no external armor to shield his body or head when he goes into battle. David trusts the Lord to be with him as he wields his sling – slight in presentation yet dangerous as a weapon of ancient warfare.

When the Philistine (referred to only once as Goliath of Gath in 1 Samuel 17:4) meets his opponent on the field of battle, he says, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” David retorts with a great speech:

“You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear;  for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.” (v. 45-47)

David, speaking eloquently, brings a strong resolve that is unparalleled. To him, it is not a singular match between two people. Rather, David is representing all of Israel and is backed by God, facing the defiance of the Philistines who have affronted the Lord. David far from a meek and mild pretty face, the baby of the family. He is on fire for God. It is God’s righteousness that propels him forward into battle. And David prevailed.

While I have always seen David as an underdog in this epic battle, perhaps I was looking through the lens of the Philistine, Goliath of Gath. This morning I see the story differently. The story that Israel retold to their daughters and sons showed what we see in holy scripture: a fierce shepherd trusted fully in God, while tending sheep and facing adversaries.

The hand of the living God is here to save David, and that hand is here to save you, too. Whatever struggle is plaguing you or those you love, I pray that you see the loving, strong hand of the Lord guiding you in pleasure and in hardship. May you be strengthened by God this day.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When was a time you were underestimated? Who have you gauged incorrectly before, who appeared stronger or more resilient than you expected? What happened next?

Daily Challenge

David was prepared for battle because he was grounded in God's love for him -- not in his own drive for success. Spend two minutes in quiet prayer about how the Lord is equipping you in love and life - for what battles are behind and ahead for you. Then, take five minutes to journal about what comes up for you in the witness of David the shepherd.

Like a Dove - July 9

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22; 1 Samuel 17:17-30; Acts 10:34-48; Mark 1:1-13

Today’s Reflection

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” –Mark 1: 9-11

I’ve always found birds both comforting and fascinating. Their songs bring me a sense of joy and peace. Their fluttering and gliding about the yard, eating seeds, finding worms, splashing around in water, reminds me always of the ways God provides for even the birds of the air. Birds’ interactions with one another often remind me by analogy of the ways in which we people can interact with one another—there’s enough seed for everyone, and different kinds of birds can all come and find sustenance together around the same feeder. In my childhood home, one of my bedroom windows looked out onto a small patio, from which hanging pots hung down from the eaves. I still remember the mother dove who once decided to make a nest for her eggs in one of these potted plants, just outside my window, and I recall watching with expectation for when the dove eggs would hatch.

So, it’s not surprising that, when I made my first visit to the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin back in February 2016, I noticed the doves. Maybe birds are not what everyone notices when they visit a seminary campus, but the doves’ presence there was very striking to me. The seminary campus is quite small, a cloister of two-story, limestone-covered buildings gathered roughly in a circle facing inward toward an open area called the Motte (which, as our seminary dean shared with us is a term, specific to the Southwest, for a grove of trees). The trees in the Motte are all oak trees, many of which are beautiful old live oak trees that have been there since the Rather House (now the seminary administration building) was a family home in the old days of Austin.

In the quiet of that first evening at the seminary, and again in other quiet moments on that campus visit, I noticed the sounds of doves calling in these oak trees. The acoustics of the stone buildings arranged around the Motte amplified their calls. As one who was there as part of an intense period of discernment, and as one who has long looked for and listened for God in nature, I found a sense of God’s peace and holiness in the sounds of those doves. It felt like confirmation, in a way, that this would be a peaceful and holy place to be formed for ministry. Later, when my family moved there for seminary, we put out a feeder to attract these same doves to the little tree that shaded our front porch. And as I went about my seminary life those three years, I always stopped to listen when I heard the doves continue to call out to one another—and, maybe, also to me.

In our Judeo-Christian heritage, doves have long played an important role in the relationship between God and people. When the earth flooded and Noah took his family and the animals into the ark, he sent a dove out to see if it would return; when the dove returned with a sprig of olive leaves in its beak, Noah saw it as a sign that the waters were receding. In the Song of Solomon, doves are used in this love poem as a way of describing the beauty of the beloved. Throughout the Scriptures, doves are frequently mentioned as the sacrifice that people of meager means, like Joseph and Mary, could afford to bring to the temple.

And so, when we read in Mark’s Gospel that at the baptism of Jesus the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus “like a dove,” we are not surprised to read of the Spirit being described in this way. If you’ve ever watched doves, you know that they flutter their wings in a particular way as they hover down to a landing. This seems to be what Mark was getting at when he uses the image of the dove to describe the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus as he rose forth from the waters of the Jordan.

Over this past year of living in Birmingham, I’ve enjoyed all the birds who call our big backyard beneath the pecan and oak trees home. Rarely (if ever), have I noticed doves amongst the cardinals and thrashers and blue birds and the rest. But lately, just these past few weeks, a pair of doves has started to appear, and call me mystical or out there, but when I see them I do feel a sense of peace and reassurance—a sense that God’s Spirit is in our midst, and has been all along.

—Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

What reminds you of the presence of the Holy Spirit at work in your life and in the world around you? A gentle breeze? A gusty wind? A cleansing rain? The waves of the ocean? The flickering of a candle’s flame? A roaring fire? The sounds of doves? The voice of a friend?

Daily Challenge

See and read about one visual representation of Christ’s baptism in the Visual Commentary on Scripture. You can also use the search feature on this web site to explore how other artists have used doves in visual interpretations of scripture over the centuries.

"My Well is Dry, and that's Okay" - July 8

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50; 1 Samuel 16:14-17:11; Acts 10:17-33; Luke 24:36-53

On Monday morning, I awoke at 5:15 a.m. to start writing my reflection.  Sometimes I write in the afternoon or evenings, and sometimes I get a late start with an exceptionally early morning.  A fun celebration on the 4th of July after a full day at church had me waiting until the next morning.  

I’d been thinking a lot about independence and freedom, had even prepared by reading the Declaration of Independence and as I sat there in front of my computer screen, the words stumbled off my fingers.  I tried to write about freedom (I had just preached about this the day before).  I typed words from the readings, and the special collects for the day, and cut excerpts out of the Declaration of Independence.  I worked through a full pot of coffee. 

An hour and a half later, I looked at my computer screen and for the first time since March of 2020, I closed Microsoft Word with nothing to show or share.  I drafted an email to Katherine and Becky, saying “My Well is Dry” but decided not to send that either.  And I left for a long bike ride on a beautiful Monday morning 

For most of the morning (and on and off this week), I have felt guilty.  Writing multiple times a week for the past year and a half has been a huge gift, a practice that has shaped my own process for reflection, forced me to spend more time in Holy Scripture, and been a vehicle for creativity and contemplation.  It’s a practice I plan on upholding for as long as I can, one that I hope will last much longer. Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed that I couldn’t make everything work on Monday. My own self-reflection is a reminder about how easy it is to value our self-worth on what we can produce, or accomplish, or achieve. 

Today’s Gospel is the very end of the Gospel according to Luke.  It is an account of the Resurrection.  In a way, the disciples are commissioned to go forth living into the reality of the truth that had been revealed to them.  I like Luke’s interpretation because he reminds the disciples that they “are witnesses of all these things.”  It’s not up to the disciples to create content, produce value, start something new, but instead to be witnesses. 

You and I are not wrapped up in this crazy story of Resurrection and God’s love because of what we can do or produce.  We are a part of this movement of faith because of what God has already done.  It’s a helpful reminder. Take a day off, skip the meeting, ignore the email, and remember it’s not about what you can do, but what God has already done.  We are witnesses and that is good enough. I’ll try to believe it too.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Where are moments lately that you haven’t been able to accomplish what you set out to?  What role does ambition, accomplishment, and pride play in your ego?  How do you understand God’s call to be witnesses of the Resurrection?

Daily Challenge:  Let go of something you are supposed to do today.  Instead, read a passage of Scripture, call a friend or loved one, and offer to pray with them. 

Angels among Us – July 7

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Acts 10:1-16; Luke 24:12-35

In Acts 10 and Luke 24, we read of human brushes with angels.

A centurion named Cornelius has a vision in which he clearly sees an angel coming toward him and it calls him by name and gives him direction: ‘Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.’ (Acts 10:4-6)  Cornelius obeys, in a story that is unfurled more in the following verses in chapter 10. Because of the angel’s intercession, Cornelius and three others heard Peter share the Good News and they were baptized. The angel’s message opened the door to a more robust encounter with the Divine.

After the death (and unbeknownst resurrection) of Jesus, two of his followers were walking on the road to Emmaus. Jesus began walking alongside them, though their eyes were prevented from seeing it was truly the Christ. He asked them what they were talking about. They unfurled the happenings of late, retelling of the death of Jesus and odd happenings in the wake of the Nazorean’s burial:

“Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” (Luke 24:22-24)

Jesus calls them foolish for not understanding all that was going on, and then talks through the story of Israel as God’s people – retelling the scriptures and interpreting the scriptures that had foretold Jesus’ ministry and sacrifice. When they reached Emmaus, it looked as if the “stranger” (Jesus) was going elsewhere, but they convinced him to join them. In Luke’s account, we read:

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:30-32)

Though they had just wrapped up a long walk to Emmaus, the two headed back to Jerusalem at once to tell Jesus’ inner circle and others of their brush with the risen Lord.

Reading these scriptural accounts of angelic interactions (and brushes with the risen Christ), I think about the power of divine revelation. I am struck by how God’s gift of angels upon our journey is fleeting, surprising, and yet powerful in bringing us to deeper understanding of the Lord’s involvement in our lives. The song that keeps bubbling up in my mind this morning is “Angels among Us”, recorded in the early 1990s by the country band Alabama. Those angels among us might help us find our way on a foggy night. Those angels among us might be the medical team bringing us strength and encouragement after a terrible injury. Those angels among us might be the words of assurance in our darkest hours, when it feels that all is lost.

If you find yourself in need and are calling out in sadness, talk to a friend. Reach out to your clergy at Saint Stephen’s. Know that you are loved by God and that you are not alone.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When you think of stories of angels, what comes to mind? What does the term "angelic" mean to you?

Who is a messenger of God's love in your life?

Daily Challenge

In Acts, Cornelius the centurion was a prayerful soldier. An angel came to him in a vision after his fervent prayers to God and his disciplined giving to the church to help those in need.

Take time this week to pray like Cornelius - pray that God will open your eyes to where you are needed. Give like Cornelius, giving alms to the church to help those who are hungry, suffering, and in a dire time.

The First to Share the Good News - July 6

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 5, 6; PM Psalm 10, 11; 1 Samuel 15:24-35; Acts 9:32-43; Luke 23:56b-24:11

Today’s Reflection

Growing up in a different kind of church and in a different time (the 70s and 80s), the emphasis of what we learned about the Bible was likely quite different than what children coming up at Saint Stephen’s are learning today. We did get very good at learning the books of the Bible in order, through songs and the always popular “sword drill” (in which a book of the Bible is named and the competition is on as to who can open their Bible to it the fastest). And we heard many stories of the “heroes” of the Bible—people like Noah and Abraham and Moses, David and Jonathan, the twelve disciples, Zaccheus (who can forget the song where he climbed up in the sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see), and the apostle Paul.

Though I went to Sunday School just about every week growing up, and learned many interesting stories from the Bible, looking back I don’t recall hearing much about the faithful women to be found in Scripture. The main women I remember learning about were Eve (along with Adam) and Mary (along with Joseph). Until I began reading Bible stories to my own children, years later, I didn’t really learn the details of other women’s stories, like those of Esther and Ruth and Naomi. While it’s true that fewer stories and voices of faithful women are recorded in Scripture, their stories are there—it’s just a matter of listening for them and shining a light on them when they do appear so that the experiences of all people of faith are valued.

Today’s Scriptures give us a couple of opportunities to learn from the experiences of these faithful women. In our Gospel passage from Luke 23-24, we read of Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some anonymous others who arose early in the morning, the day after Jesus’ crucifixion, to go to the tomb to anoint his body with spices and ointments. But when they arrived at the tomb and found it empty, “they were perplexed” and then when they were met by “two men in dazzling clothes” (angels we assume), “they were terrified.” These faithful women had gone to do their duty, following the tradition of their faith by going to anoint the body. But then they were met with a situation they could never have expected—the body was gone!

The angels helped the women to realize what had happened to Jesus: “‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.”

Though their initial response was to be perplexed and terrified, once it sunk in that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead—just as he had said—the women realized what they must do next: They must go and tell the apostles and all the rest. And that is just what these faithful women did—which means that the very first people ever to share the Gospel (or Good News) of Jesus’ resurrection were these women. This is a perspective on Scripture that was never taught to me growing up—that women played such a pivotal role in the spreading of the Gospel. I am grateful for the role that women have played in spreading the Good News about Jesus from the very beginning—and the good example they are for us all to step out in faith to share the story of Jesus, even when, at first, we may feel perplexed or afraid to do so.

—Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

What Bible stories stand out most to you from when you first started to learn about the Bible?

Daily Challenge

What women and men have you met along the way, in your own life, who have inspired you in your faith? Take the time to pray for them today, and maybe take the time to send them a note or give them a call to thank them for how they shaped your faith.

What’s in a name? – July 3

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), 144; PM Psalm 104; 1 Samuel 14:16-30; Acts 9:10-19a; Luke 23:32-43

Family names are a big deal on my mom’s side of the family. I was named after my great grandmother Katherine Beaufort Tweedy. My parents almost gave me the same middle name, too, so that my monogram would match hers, but my dad dissented (thankfully) and they used Stuart instead, which is my mom’s middle name. I attended a small private school in Montgomery. While many of my classmates had long lineage in the state’s capital city, my family was from north Alabama. We were not “old Montgomery” folks. Nevertheless, in the class of roughly 45 kids who attended from kindergarten through twelfth grade, there were four Katherines (some spelled differently) and two others who went by a nickname rooted in their given name, Katherine. If you called for Katherine, more than 10 percent of the class would answer!

There are three distinct people with the name Ananias in Acts, a likely cause for confusion when reading the Bible. The Ananias in Acts 5 is the one who is not living fully into the ethos of full sharing and disclosure. When he and his wife Sapphira sell land and secretly decide to keep part of the proceeds for themselves, Ananias is confronted by the apostle Peter about his “Satan-filled heart” and immediately drops dead. The other Ananias is the high priest on the Jewish Council (Sanhedrin) in Acts 23 who examines and censures Paul for being a source of friction and disorder.

However, the Ananias referenced in Acts 9 is crucial in the conversion story of Saul to Paul. We read that he is a disciple – a follower of Jesus – in Damascus, Syria. He has a holy collision with God through a vision:

The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ (v. 10-12)

At first blush, this whisp of a vision is both inspirational and humbling, right? God reaches out to this person who is a disciple for Jesus the Christ, and the Lord is asking him to do something. The words from God are so clear and descriptive, with the name of the person in need, exactly where to find them, and what they are specifically praying in the moment. Ananias responds differently than expected. Rather than saying, “Yes, Lord, I will go right now,” he says, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” (v. 13-14)  Ananias needs some holy convincing, for what he knows makes the situation appear tenuous.

God does not drop it. Ananias is needed…by God and by Saul/Paul. The Lord says, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (v. 15-16)  Can you almost hear Ananias sigh as God finishes that sentence? Ananias trusts God. He knows that God is faithful, and that he must do as God has asked.

I sat on a web conference last week for Alabama faith and community leaders about COVID-19. This call was to help leverage grassroots community efforts to improve vaccine education and get as many Alabamians as possible immunized against COVID-19. Saint Stephen’s own parishioner Danielle Dunbar, Executive Director of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, was on the call and spoke eloquently about success stories of COVID-19 vaccination efforts led by Alabama churches and nonprofit organizations. One of the messages being driven home by the White House Office of Public Engagement – which coordinated the meeting – was that local trusted leaders can help connect people, answer questions about resources to get vaccinated, and share science-based information to fully inform communities about this terrible disease.

According the Mayo Clinic’s vaccine tracker website this morning, only 40% of Alabamians have had at least one COVID-19 dose. One-third of Alabamians ages 18 to 64 are fully vaccinated, with about 41% having one dose. So, friends, please receive this message of concern and care from someone who has public health experience and pastoral immersion over this past year with families who have lost loved ones from COVID-19: if you know of someone who is uncertain about vaccines, encourage them to talk with their health care provider. All questions are valid and deserve to be addressed. If you want to be vaccinated against COVID-19, you may easily locate vaccine sites near you by going to http://vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233.

Be healthy. Be well. Know that you are loved by God.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When have you needed holy convincing? When have you prayed for someone else to hear the holy convincing message of God?

Daily Challenge

Consider talking to someone about COVID-19. Inquire how this pandemic has affected their faith, their experience with neighbors, and their livelihood. Let them know about community resources for vaccination. Ask how you can pray for them.

Holy Lightning - July 2

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 140, 142; PM Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12); 1 Samuel 13:19-14:15; Acts 9:1-9; Luke 23:26-31

Today’s Reflection

The story of Saul’s conversion is so dramatic that now, when people have a similarly life-altering, perspective-changing experience we might say they had a “road to Damascus” experience. A total 180-degree change in purpose and life direction. Paul had been a zealous persecutor of “any who belonged to the Way,” which is how Luke refers to the earliest Christians. He had just asked for a letter allowing him to go bring any Christ followers in Damascus, bound, to Jerusalem to answer for their faith.

Saul was on his way to go persecute more Christians when God decided it was time for Saul to hear from him directly and thereby have his whole life’s purpose changed. The way God went about this was not just spiritual but also physical, making it impossible for Saul and his companions to ignore: “a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice.” God used something that could be seen and felt and heard, things Saul and his companions could physically sense, to make sure they listened to the message he had for them: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” When Saul asked who was speaking, the reply he received was this: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up, enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.”

Not only was the way of getting Saul’s attention dramatic—something akin to being struck by holy lightning—but the message was dramatic as well. It’s not just that Saul was persecuting followers of the Way of Jesus, but in so doing Saul was persecuting Jesus himself. If the church is the body of Christ, then it makes sense if you persecute the church then you are by extension persecuting Jesus himself. This sounds reminiscent of Jesus’s earlier admonition, “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.”

These days, it can be hard to imagine God speaking to us in as dramatic of ways as Jesus spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus that day. But I believe that God is always speaking to us, always wanting to us to be aware of his daily presence in our lives and wanting to us to really listen to how God is moving in us and in the people and world around us. Maybe we will not literally hear the sound of Jesus’ voice in as plain of a way as Saul did, but if we orient our lives toward God through prayer, scripture, worship, time with other Christ followers, and time in God’s creation, we will find that God still speaks to us as we make these spaces for holy listening and holy conversation a central part of our lives.

Speaking for myself, some of the most life-altering, perspective-changing experiences I have had tend to come through turning points in my health or relationships or professional life. Seven years ago, I began to have some significant health problems that came on rather suddenly. I wasn’t struck down by heavenly light, but through a noticeable change in how I felt physically and not being able to do as much physically as I was used to being able to do, the experience has had a long-lasting impact on my relationships with God and others. These physical changes in me made me less able to do everything for myself—and thereby made it necessary for me to physically stop and ask for help from God and others. My sense of what was possible, what was necessary, and what was important was changed through this time of physical illness, and the ongoing implications for my health. This time of being ‘struck down’ physically seven years ago also coincided with a shift in me spiritually, which ultimately led me on a path on which God changed the course of my whole life and vocation through calling me to serve God and his people as a priest.

I wonder how God has been and is continuing to work in us, individually and collectively, through this worldwide time of pandemic. We have been stopped in our tracks and forced to see ourselves, our health, and one another in sometimes radically different ways. Living together through this time of intensity and fear, with so many lives lost, has reminded us in dramatic ways how our lives are inextricably interconnected to one another’s, both with people in our community and church, and with people throughout the world.

As we emerge from this dramatic “road to Damascus” moment that is the COVID-19 pandemic, I wonder how we will find ourselves changed. How will we get up and move forward even when at first, like Saul, we still cannot see the path forward for ourselves? Saul needed his friends to help him get up and lead him toward sustenance in that moment. Let’s remember we all need to stand ready to offer one another a hand and help each other up as we move forward from this life-altering, road-to-Damascus experience of living through a global pandemic. We need each other to discern our next steps and make sure we make it safely together to the next place down the road.

—Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

Through the past 16 months, how have you noticed your perspective on life changed by living through this time of global pandemic? Has your sense of how your life is interconnected with others changed—if so, how? Has your perspective on yourself and your role in the lives of others changed—if so, how?

Daily Challenge

In your prayer time today, set aside some time to reflect on how you have seen and felt God working in your life this past year. Thank God for specific people who have taken the time to reach out to you and your family. Ask God to place someone on your heart who you should reach out to today, someone who needs an extra word of reassurance or maybe even a helping hand.

Bending the Rules, Just a Bit - July 1

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 131, 132, [133]; PM Psalm 134, 135; 1 Samuel 13:5-18; Acts 8:26-40; Luke 23:13-25

I am deeply moved by the story in Acts today about the Ethiopian Eunuch and his desire to be baptized.   We are led to believe the Eunuch is Jewish, going to Jerusalem to pray.  He has a chance encounter with a man named Philip who shares a vision about Jesus.  It is such a powerful experience that they stop when seeing some water and the Eunuch asks to be Baptized by his new friend, Philip.  “He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him (Acts 8:38).”

There is no long process, or filling out forms, setting dates on the calendar, and inviting family.  The text certainly doesn’t suggest a fancy baptismal gown that has been passed down for generations, like the ones that are so important in my family. 

One of the practices of our faith community that has been very different over the past year and a half is the sacrament of Baptism. Eight years ago, I had two different friends reach out to me inviting their newly ordained friend to baptize their children. One was a friend of mine since we were in second grade and the other, a friend since high school. Both were people that I spent a lot of time with as an adult, and I was hopeful my faith could have an impact on their lives in tangible ways. 

I was fresh out of seminary, deeply formed from lots of reading and discussion with classmates, and I can remember how important I felt it to be for us to do public Baptism.  I encouraged my friends to consider doing the Baptism as a part of one of my church services, but neither friend was active in my faith community, or any faith community for that matter.  The end result was my friend from high school found another priest to do a private Baptism, one that wasn’t such a stickler for the community tradition (or had a better pastoral sense), and my oldest friend’s child has still not been baptized.

And now, after a year and a half pandemic, almost all of our recent baptisms have been private (although we are beginning to do public again), and I am regretting that missed opportunity years ago. As much as I still believe that Baptism is for the community, I am learning that sometimes our ideas about the way things should be, need to be stretched and challenged.  And sometimes we do things even if there is a better way because not doing it is a worse alternative.

I hope I am always open to what the Spirit might be up to in the future, and the willingness to go along just like Philip.  The text suggests that it wasn’t just the Eunuch’s life that was changed, but Philip’s too. “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea” (Acts 8:39-40).

John+ 

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What are decisions that you regret because you stuck too much to the rules?  How would you do things differently today?

Daily Challenge: Pick one rule that you should bend a little bit today and try to do just that.  Consider how this might be helpful to your own growth. 

Can't Buy Me Love - June 30

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130; 1 Samuel 12:1-6,16-25; Acts 8:14-25; Luke 23:1-12

Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.‘ But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!   Acts 8:17-20

Yesterday was the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and so I was thinking about the impact these two big hitters of the apostles have been upon the life of the church – as they helped shape what a people following Jesus – called Christians – do through action and belief. The scripture from Acts 8 today draws me moreso toward Peter – and particularly his role as a leader through right and wrong, highlighted by the interaction with Simon Magus.

We meet Simon in Tuesday’s reading from Acts – “Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, ‘This man is the power of God that is called Great.’ And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.” (8:9-11) Simon wooed and amazed the crowds with sorcery, passing off his powers as divine. Yet, when the apostle Philip came to Samaria (a region in Palestine) proclaiming the word of God and doing acts of faith and healing, Simon Magus was intrigued. Men and women alike were being baptized. Simon found his own faith piqued and sought baptism, too. He became a follower of Philip, astounded by the miraculous power he demonstrated.

So, we have this guy who has made his living doing tricks and leveraging people’s interest, allowing them to deify him: “This man is the power of God…”. Then we see a conversion event in which he is baptized. In Greek the word for amendment of life is metanoia. Perhaps you can think of someone who has turned their life around from a path of hopeless darkness to a space of joy and potential. Those are stories of inspiration, reminding us that change can happen and redemption is possible. That is not what is going on with Simon the Sorcerer, sadly.

The apostles’ continued demonstrating the power of God, for God’s glory and not their own. John and Peter also came prayerfully to Samaria, hearing that they had received the Good News of God in Jesus. They laid hands upon the heads of these newly faithful and the Holy Spirit flowed upon them. Simon Magus wanted a piece of that attention and prestige, so he offered a portion of his riches in exchange – to have the power that the apostles had. The apostle Peter – upon whom God said the Church would be founded – put his foot down. God’s spiritual gifts could not be bargained for with earthly possessions. Simon Magus’ heart was not in the right place, as he was posturing for personal gain, not the glory of God.

It is from Simon Magus’ example that the term simony is derived. 13th century theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote about simony in his work Summa Theologica, defining it as “a deliberate design of selling or buying something spiritual or annexed to the spiritual”. The term is also used to point to gaining a role in the church through the exchange of money. This was a heated issue in the not-to-distant history of Thomas’ time, for late in the 11th century, the Investiture Controversy arose due to a battle of control between Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and newly elected Pope Gregory VII over who would appoint bishops. Bottom line among the drama: money would not influence God’s will.

Friends, God cannot be controlled by human whims. Simon Magus missed that in his penchant for influence. As we think about the witness of Jesus and the movement of the Holy Spirit in God’s church, we are called to joy and wonder before our God. It is that exuberance and swirling that inspires and draws others near. It is by offering our hearts to God that we are invited in – and God then moves us in beautiful ways.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

Can you think of a conversion event in your own life? What or who brought about the change? Who knew about it then? Was the change one that continues still today?

What does the story of Simon Magus leave you wondering?

Daily Challenge

Want to learn more about the complicated character we call Simon Magus? Set aside ten minutes to check out this fascinating entry on Simon the Sorcerer in an online version of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia.

Let Us Go into the House of the Lord - June 29

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm [120], 121, 122, 123; PM Psalm 124, 125, 126, [127]; 1 Samuel 11:1-15; Acts 8:1-13; Luke 22:63-71

Today’s Reflection

Certain lines of scripture—or poetry or lines of music—can with just a few words bring me back to a particular place or time that I associate with those words. It can be like that with tastes or smells or sounds, too. Maybe it is like that for you, too. The first verse of Psalm 122 is like that for me: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

Whenever I hear or see this verse now, it takes me back to the children’s chapel service we would do each Tuesday and Wednesday morning with the preschoolers from the St. Thomas Early Learning Center at my church back in College Station. On the weeks that I was the priest to lead preschool chapel, I would go outside to the courtyard between the church and the school and ring the very large, very loud bell that would let all the teachers and students scheduled for chapel on that day know it was time to stop what they were doing, line up, and make their way over to the historic chapel for our weekly time of songs and Bible story and prayers. If a class got over to the chapel before I had the chance to ring the bell, they would stand there and watch me or the school director, Beth, ring the bell—though some would very sweetly cover their ears because it was so loud. The ringing of the bell, which we also did about five minutes before each of our Sunday worship services, let everyone know it was time for “us to go to the house of the Lord.”

Once we were inside, classes would start to file into their class pews in our smaller, wood paneled historic chapel. I would go to the front and begin to light the candles, which I waited to do until they started to come in to as some of them especially loved to be there for that moment when the candles would be lit. After everyone was there, the teachers and I would raise a hand in the air to let everyone know it was time to be quiet so that we could begin. And then we would sing our morning song together, the same song every time, which no doubt becomes embedded in each one’s memory and carried with them through life long after they graduate from St. Thomas ELC:

Good morning, Lord! It’s a beautiful day!

Good morning, Lord! I’m going your way.

Open my eyes, and let me see

Someone who needs a friend like me.

I know that I can surely be

Loving, caring, always sharing.

Good morning, Lord! It’s a beautiful day!

Good morning, Lord! I’m going your way.

I can still picture and feel all of the movements we would make with our hands and arms to enact the different lines of the song, and can picture the little ones doing all the motions as they would sing this morning song in their sweet preschool voices.

As soon as we would finish the last line of that song, we would pause just a second and then I would begin our opening sentences, kind of like the opening acclamation or other parts of our liturgy, which we would say together responsively—always these same lines:

Leader: I was glad when they said to me,

Children: We will go into the house of the Lord.

Leader: What does the Cross say?

Children: God loves us.

Leader: What does our being in Chapel say?

Children: We love God.

Leader: What do the candles say?

Children: God is the light of the world. God gives His light to shine upon our way. He hears the songs we sing, and listens when we pray.

So much simple truth is embedded in these opening lines, beginning with when we hear Psalm 121: 1, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘We will go into the house of the Lord.’” And the other parts of the responsive reading, too, really focused on why we were gathering there at chapel that day: Because God loves us. And we love God. God lights our way, hears our songs, and listens to our prayers. From their earliest memories, these children will have these simple truths embedded deep within their minds—and hopefully, too, within their hearts. They will carry these simple truths about God’s love with them as they grow older, and hopefully, no matter where in the world they may go, or what they grow up to do, they will always know, deep down, what it means to go into the house of the Lord—a place where they will be reminded of how much God loves and cares for each one of them.

The chapel liturgy continued to unfold with preschool versions of the Gloria, a Creed song, Prayers of the People, the Lord’s Prayer, and most importantly for some, a Birthday Blessing, when I would get to say a prayer over each little one having a birthday that week. In all its beautiful simplicity and repetition—using the exact same responses, songs, and prayers each and every time, this short, 20-minute chapel service reinforced not only the shape of the Episcopal liturgy (at a level the children didn’t even realize), but more importantly through repetition it reinforced how much each child is loved and cared for by God. I’m grateful that I had these simple truths about who God is and how much God loves us reinforced in my heart and mind through that year of sharing chapel with the children of St. Thomas.

—Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

What does it mean to you to go into the house of the Lord? What did you miss most about sharing corporate, in-person worship together in the many months we had to worship remotely from home? What parts of the Morning Prayer service or the Holy Eucharist liturgy stick in your head and remind you simple truths about God and our faith?

Daily Challenge

You can see the full children’s chapel liturgy from St. Thomas Early Learning Center here.

What the Spirit is Up To - June 28

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 106:1-18; PM Psalm 106:19-48; 1 Samuel 10:17-27; Acts 7:44-8:1a; Luke 22:52-62

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are for ever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.” – Stephen, 36 CE.  

This is Stephen, also known as Saint Stephen, apostle, martyr, and the one whom we as a community live up as the namesake for our own community. It’s also a Grateful Dead song that was played often in the 1960s and many have speculated it was just too difficult to play and eventually the song was phased out.  Even the song met its gruesome death, although in this case, I don’t think it was the crowd’s fault.

Stephen’s death sets up the great irony of our church community:  we are known for being welcoming, warm, accepting, and inclusive.  Historically we have been a place where people with all sorts of different views have built meaningful relationships that have deepened each other’s commitment to mutual understanding and holy listening.  This has caused tension at times, but I think that most of us realize that nothing worth doing is easy.  And yet Stephen is killed for his preaching and truth-telling.

It is these words that Stephen preaches that enrage the crowd and led Stephen to be taken out and stoned to death.  If this story doesn’t scare the beJesus out of preachers, I don’t know what would.  Let’s just say, I not sure I am ready to invite someone who embodies Stephen’s preaching style into our pulpit. 

But what he offers might be the most important theological truth we can consider: the Holy Spirit is active.  What Stephen witnessed was the Holy Spirit doing something new in the midst of his people, deepening their understanding of God, who had access to God (it was more than just the circumcised), and people were threatened. They were threatened that the institution that they had loved was going to look entirely different. 

As many of us are returning to in-person worship, some gone from being in person for almost two years, I wonder what we will notice that is new and different.  Is it the people who are gathered, the way we sing, or how close we sit together?  Is it the structures of leadership, new Bishops who have been elected, new clergy ordained, new people baptized and confirmed?  Will the church look and feel different?

A good reminder at all critical junctions in our lives is to consider if we are longing for the way things have always been, or are we open to what the Spirit has been doing? These seem to be at the crux of what Stephen is preaching. At least, in the words of Stephen, my hope is we are ‘not opposed to what the Spirit’ might be up to.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Have you ever shared a truth that has caused people to be upset?  What was your process for discernment in sharing that message?  Do you still believe that it was the right time, place, and way to share that truth?  Would you do it differently today? 

 Daily Challenge:  Part of making space for what the Holy Spirit is up to in our lives is to grieve for what we are losing.  Make a list of all things in church/faith that you miss that you used to enjoy and are no longer possible.  Now consider new things that you have found meaningful and life-giving that were not possible before.  How can we celebrate both?

Kneeling in prayer - June 26

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 107:33-43, 108:1-6(7-13); PM Psalm 33 1 Samuel 9:15-10:1; Acts 7:30-43; Luke 22:39-51

While at Camp McDowell for this session with rising 8th and 9th graders, the theme is “Since I Laid My Burdens Down”…exploring the life we lead as we carry around our burdens. We are naming some of those worries and stresses in our lives. We are learning ways to put those burdens down through prayer to God and practices to bring us stillness and a sense of calm. We are dreaming about what the fullness of life looks like when we put some of those burdens down. We are challenging ourselves to show respect and kindness to ourselves and to others, even when there are hard things we carry around. It is heavy and holy work that these campers and their counselors are doing to look at and put down their burdens. As these young people are maturing in their bodies and in their lives of faith, the program team is knitting together skits, activities, and scripture references to support this arc of learning.

One of the first nights here in “God’s Backyard”, I pondered and prayed about the many stresses swirling about – those named and unnamed. I felt the fearful weight of those worries…the heft of the reality that goes along with unearthing the burdens around us. I felt that I needed get down on my knees (kneeler or no kneeler) to pray. I prayed through fears and concerns, with my head bowed low. The weight was too much for me to resolve, so through prayer I tried to relinquish those worries to God.

As I read about the mercies of the Lord in good and bad times in Psalm 107, these verses jump out at me:

Yet when they were diminished and brought low,
through stress of adversity and sorrow,
He lifted up the poor out of misery
and multiplied their families like flocks of sheep.  (Psalm 107:39, 41)

The words from Luke 22 resonate, as well, as Jesus and the disciples are facing the heavy burden that the Son of Man will be capture, tried, and put to death. The earthly ministry they have experienced to date will be ending. Jesus acknowledges to his friends that things are hard, and then moves a short distance away (a stone’s throw), kneels on the ground, and prays to God.

I believe there are times when it helps to get down on our knees - especially when we feel “diminished and brought low through the stress of adversity and sorrow”. We see it modeled in Jesus’ ministry. Maybe you have experienced it, too.

God is present with us and ready to greet our joys and sorrows…so, let’s lay some of our burdens down this day.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

Think about a time you've gotten on your knees in prayer. What is meaningful about that posture?

Daily Challenge

Take time today to ponder how changing your posture affects your prayer life. If kneeling is hard for you, think about a mindset that is akin to moving your body into a prayerful posture. Try praying on your knees to unload a burden from your shoulders.