Beautiful Things - January 19

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48;Gen. 9:18-29; Heb. 6:1-12; John 3:22-36

Today’s Reflection

“Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over. Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.” –Hebrews 6: 7-10

During my last year at Seminary of the Southwest, I chose to do my field placement in what was considered a non-traditional context, the Episcopal Student Center at the University of Texas at Austin. I wanted to serve and learn at the ESC for a few reasons, one was that after a year of driving 45 minutes each way to a traditional parish in Wimberley, on the edge of the Hill Country, I was ready to serve someplace closer to home. And home, for us who lived on campus at SSW, was the University District. The street we lived on was a cut-through for students and professors who walked and rode their bikes to and from UT. We could hear every word from the PA system at Darrell Royal Stadium on football game days, every blast of canons or whatever it was they fired off when the Longhorns scored. All restaurants and stores in the area were both staffed by students and filled by them as customers. This was our neighborhood, not to mention all its keep-Austin-weirdness.

The other reason I chose to serve at the ESC was that I really missed being around college students, who were the main people I spent time with for the 12 years I worked as a professor prior to discerning a call to priesthood. I missed the energy, curiosity, and openness of college students, and was thrilled to have the chance to learn about ministry through worshipping and being in community with them that year.

We worshipped together on Sunday evenings in the Nave of All Saints Austin, the parish with whom they shared a campus, then shared a dinner together afterwards in the ESC common area. Worship was a beautiful blend of old and new: the jewel-tones of the stained glass illuminated by the setting sun, the very traditional worship space (including what was once an east-facing altar), chasubles worn by the priest, and even a thurible with a thick cloud of incense on special occasions came together with a mix of 18- to 30-year-olds (mainly undergrads with several grad students mixed in), and a group of musicians leading us in what were mainly the songs common to Camp Capers and Camp Allen (the camps of the Diocese of West Texas and Texas, where a number of our ESC people camped or worked in the summers).

A song that we often included in our Sunday evening Eucharists was “Beautiful Things” by Gungor. Oftentimes, this was used as the gradual hymn, or the song we sang as we processed out the Gospel. I had never heard this song before, but it quickly became one of my most beloved songs. The following summer, when I moved on to my curacy in College Station, I invited some of the UT ESC students to be part of my priest ordination service, and one of the songs I asked them to play during Communion was “Beautiful Things.”

All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change, at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come out from this ground, at all?

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around,
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found, in you

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

(Lisa and Michael Gungor, Beautiful Things lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 2010)

This song expresses in so many ways so much of what I believe about the transformative power of Christ’s love in our lives, both individually and together. As one of the songwriters, Michael Gungor, shared in an interview: “During the time of 'Beautiful Things' I was reading a lot of N T Wright and different theologians who have opened up my view of God and the world and his story. … Having the story opened up, realising this is GOD’s story, he's the creator of all things and we’re invited into this process of recreating that started with the empty tomb—that has been very inspiring.”

A verse included in our lectionary readings for today, Hebrews 6:7, calls to mind similar imagery of life rising up out of the dust, beginning to flourish and grow as God intended: “Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.” It seemed apt to be singing this song together with these faithful UT students, who were in this especially intense period of developing and growing into the people God had made them to be. But then, we are all still always growing up into the beautiful things God has created us to be.

Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

Listen to or read the lyrics of “Beautiful Things.” What memories or images does the song evoke for you? How does this song together with the Hebrews passage for today help you see where and how Christ’s love has transformed and is transforming your life?

Daily Challenge

Watch and listen as Lisa and Michael Gungor sing “Beautiful Things” here.

You can read the full interview with Michael Gungor here.

Did Jesus really say that? -- January 18

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 26, 28; PM Psalm 36, 39; Gen. 9:1-17; Heb. 5:7-14; John 3:16-21

John 3:16 was the first piece of scripture I memorized. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

It was a part of the curriculum for Vacation Bible School that summer. In my hometown, the Episcopal churches would get together and host VBS in a combined fashion. I remember the excitement of being in a new place for a special gathering with different people. I can still remember walking up the sidewalk toward the door at Holy Comforter in Montgomery, unsure of who would be there and what we would do, while also knowing that it was a safe, fun, and good time ahead. There was music, new friends to be made, and snacks – generally in the form of graham crackers and apple juice. My mom would usually volunteer, too, so my sisters and I would hang around after most people left, exploring nooks and crannies in the church while Mom finished what she was doing.

Though I know these words so well, I read two notes on this piece of scripture that grabbed me. One was in the Bible browser through which we share links of scripture. There was an asterisk at the end of John 3:21, linked to a note that said “some interpreters hold that the quotation concludes with verse 15”.  I pulled out my Jewish Annotated New Testament to read more about this detail. Adele Reinhartz, who compiled the notes for the gospel of John in this edition, has this to say about the words from John 3:16-21, appointed for today: “Because the Greek manuscripts do not include punctuation, it is not always easy to identify the speaker in these long discourses. These verses are often attributed to the narrator rather than Jesus.”

Wow. I let this new information sink in and found myself wondering, does it matter to me who said these words? Does the statement carry less heft if Jesus was not the speaker? I do not remember if, when I memorized this verse in the mid 1980s, we attributed these lines directly to Jesus…I don’t recall saying, “Jesus said, ‘God so loved the world…’”

I re-read some of the lines that precede this piece for today. The third chapter of John begins with Jesus talking with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who has some questions. He wants to understand the mysteries of God made manifest in Jesus. He has seen the miracles performed by Jesus, and says, “No one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” (3:2b) Jesus tells Nicodemus, “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.” (3:11)

We speak of what we know and talk to others about what we have seen. That is how the Good News is shared. We pass along the light of Christ to others. We teach kids at Vacation Bible School. We sit with someone as they await test results. We drop off a bowl of soup for a family who is sick. Our actions show what we have seen and we speak of what we know…that God so loved the world. that God sent Jesus the Son to bring eternal life to all. To turn our hearts toward God, toward belief, toward the light of redemption and reconciliation. Into a space of safety and care for all time.

Whether Jesus spoke those words of observation or if a narrator imparted them in weaving together the Good News of God in Christ, I believe that the power of the message is unchanged. They are an embodiment of the truth in Jesus’ words to Nicodemus: we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

Think of a time when you went to hear a talk – perhaps a Christian Formation gathering at Saint Stephen’s. Was the specific speaker / preacher / presenter more meaningful to you, or was it the topic that drew you in?

How do you respond to John 3:16 hearing Jesus say those words? How do you hear them when a narrator shares them? What changes? What is the same for you?

Daily Challenge

Listen for your own biases over the next few days. What do you notice? Are you more drawn to the voices and perspectives of people like you? Different than you? People who have positions of influence? Or those who have first-hand experience?

Intentions of the Heart - January 15

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117; Gen. 6:9-22; Heb. 4:1-13; John 2:13-22

Today’s Reflection

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.  –Hebrews 4: 12-13

Yesterday, our Romans Bible Study group was trying to wrap our brains and hearts around understanding Romans 7: 13-25. It’s not one of the lectionary passages for today, but it connects with the above verses from Hebrews, which are appointed for today. In these verses from Romans 7, which even the New Testament scholar N.T. Wright sees as “convoluted,” Paul is wrestling with the dilemma of believing what we should do and how we should conduct our lives, but then the tension with how we end up saying or doing things that are in conflict with how we believe God would have us to be. One Bible where I looked at this Romans passage gives it this title: “The Inner Conflict”:

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  —Romans 7: 14-25

Our group’s discussion of these verses was wide ranging, but one of the themes was intentionality. When a person intends to do something sinful—something that hurts God, another person, or even themselves—is that worse than when someone unintentionally hurts God, someone else, or themselves? Or, looking at it from another vantage point: If we don’t intend to hurt someone, but unknowingly or accidentally do so, is that considered to be sinful?

I don’t know that we were able to answer these questions around sin and intentionality with any more clarity than any of the many theologians who have wrestled with this over the centuries. But one member brought up a conceptual framework that may be helpful in reminding ourselves of what we know about our own intentions and what others can know about them, looking in from the outside. The Johari window is a framework from the field of psychology that is also widely used in other fields of thought, including interpersonal communication. The window has four panes, or quadrants: 1) the open area is that which is known to both ourselves and to others; 2) the blind spot is that which we do not see ourselves but that others observe about us; 3) the hidden area is that which we know about or see in ourselves but is unknown to others; and 4) the unknown is that which neither we nor others are aware of about ourselves.

This framework can help us gain insight into intentionality in that “the hidden area” of what we know about ourselves, including our intentions, may seem very clear to us and yet can remain unknown to everyone else out there. Or, depending how well people know you, some people may be clear about your purposes but those same purposes may be unknown or obscured to people who do not know you as well.

So, while it may be clear to ourselves (as Paul writes in Romans 7) that “I delight in the law of God in my inmost self,” what is in our inmost selves isn’t always readily apparent to others. All others can know about us is what we put our there into the universe for them to know—through what we say (and don’t say) and through what we do (and don’t do). However, what I find comfort in through our Hebrews 4 passage for today is this: God knows “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” All is “laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.”

While it is often important to make sure our purposes are clear to our fellow human beings, what is most important, ultimately, is that we know that God (who knows all our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts) loves us, cares for us, and is patient with us. As the great character Anne Shirley (from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables books) once said, “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" Thanks be to God!

Becky+

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Collect for Purity, Book of Common Prayer, p. 355)

Questions for Self-Reflection

Reflect on a time when you what you intended in your words or actions did not come through clearly to others. How did this misunderstanding of intentions impact your relationship? Were you able to clarify your intentions? What did you learn from the misunderstanding that helped you moving forward?

Retelling the Wonder of Jesus - January 14

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22; Gen. 6:1-8; Heb. 3:12-19; John 2:1-12

There is an organization I learned of during seminary called Invite Welcome Connect. The warm and engaging Mary Parmer began this ministry within the Episcopal Church, equipping parishes and their parishioners to “cultivate intentional practices of evangelism, hospitality, and belonging”.

As I think about what this looks like, I believe that it is so important for faith communities to look at how they tell the story of Jesus through the eyes of their church. After that bellybutton gazing of the “how”, we then get challenged to take that message out to others, re-telling stories of when and where God has moved them, inviting others to join and share their own stories of wonder in the love of Jesus. Mutual sharing and meaningful connection in Christ. That is the Good News.

My kids have taught me a good bit about the wonder of stories. Separately, they each have told me the story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It warms my heart to hear the energy that a 10 year old and 6 year old bring into this ancient story, and I am fascinated by the details they cling to. In this present moment, I also yearn to roll back the tapes of time and re-listen to their experiences in this story of surprise – where Jesus takes vats of water and changes them to wine – good, rich wine. Perhaps there is a young person in your life who has taught you a story of Jesus’ ministry, and in listening, you felt the heartening connection of God’s love.

Perhaps as we share stories of the Good News, we share giggles. My latest favorite is a meme relating the wonder of the wedding in Cana.

Jesus is reflecting on his ministry and is telling his friends about a recent experience and says, “You know, the wedding in Cana was a very emotional experience.”

One of the members of Jesus’ captive audience says, “Really?”

Jesus responds, “Yes, even the cake was in tiers.”

Silence.

Jesus emphasizes, “The cake was in tiers, Peter.”

An exasperated Peter says, “Stop talking to me, Jesus.”

The above depiction is not the same version of the story we read in John 2:1-12. It is silly news – and falls fully into the bucket of Dad Jokes, that are all the rage in my house these days. These kinds of puns have a surprise to make sure we are paying attention. They may not be deep, and sometimes they are a little cheap or cheesy, but they serve a purpose in bringing the audience to awareness, breaking the bonds of tension or distraction.

In sharing the wonderous stories of Jesus’ life and ministry, there are always surprises. Who knew that Jesus would go to a wedding and be called to summon unknown powers to fix someone else’s problem of running out of wine too early? When his mom told him to help out, Jesus had the servants empty and re-fill the six stone water jars normally used for handwashing. When the chief steward took a taste, it was a different sensation than expected. The punchline was different. There was no groaning. It was good wine. Really good wine.

Jesus did this, we are told by John, revealing his glory. Revealing a glimpse of his true self – mystical and surprising. And in that action, that revelation, the disciples of Jesus believed in him.

John tells this story one way. My kids tell it their ways. A silly meme frames Jesus giving his own perspective. How do you tell stories of the wonder of Jesus? Keep sharing those stories, as they serve as connection points. The Good News of Jesus, who lived, died, and rose again, keeps us tethered to hope and full hearts. The Good News of Jesus keeps inviting us, welcoming us, connecting us. We are called to pass it on. 

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When have you retold a story differently than someone else who was there at the same time?

What stories of the Bible do you love to retell? Which ones did you love to hear told to you?

Daily Challenge

Read more about Invite Welcome Connect. Invite someone to come to church. Or, if there is someone at church who is unknown to you, introduce yourself. If you are not connected yet with a ministry or group at Saint Stephen's, contact Amy Passey or the clergy -- we will help you find a meaningful point of connection!

Follow Me - January 13

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50; Gen. 4:17-26; Heb. 3:1-11; John 1:43-51

In my office is a large piece of paper with a house drawn on it.  There are four pillars that hold up a roof and a large base underneath.  This house is filled with words, specifically the many ministries of Saint Stephen’s.  The pillars are Formation, Outreach, Care of Creation, and Pastoral Care and the base is Administration.  All of these hold up Worship with the worship ministries being supported by everything else. 

The picture is a tool that helps our Vestry understand the mission and ministry of Saint Stephen’s.  It gives us a vision to live into that defines the values of our congregation and helps us organize the scope and trajectory of our church.  It also places worship at the core where everything in our church supports worship.  Worship is where most people engage with Saint Stephen’s.  It is by far the most widely attended activity at the church, what people search for, and where they are nourished by word and sacrament.  One could make the argument that it is the most important practice we do. 

But I was reminded of an old meme when I read the Gospel appointed for today.  In John’s Gospel, before the action of the Gospel takes place, before we witness signs that point us to who Jesus is, Jesus ventures off to Galilee.  When he meets Philip, he clearly says “Follow me.”  It’s the most important words that Philip will ever hear, instructions that will change his life forever.  And then Philip finds Nathanael and invites him to come and meet Jesus too.  The meme I was reminded of stated, “Jesus never told us to worship him. He instructed us to follow him.” 

That quote struck me today.  I love worship, and most of the time worship nourishes my soul and I believe gives me the strength to live into who God has called me to be, but the author is making a point that sometimes we confuse the two. Is it possible that sometimes we think worshiping Jesus is more important than following Jesus?

Jesus invited Philip to follow him.  And he invites us to do the same.  Our worship should always be the fuel for the journey, a practice that grounds us in how we live out our faith, that points us in the way of following Jesus.  How might you follow Jesus more nearly this day?

John+

Questions for Reflection:  What are ways that you follow Jesus?  How often do you think about these practices or values?  How do they shape your life?  Are there times when worship has helped you to follow Jesus?  What about becoming an impediment?

Daily Challenge:  As you are finishing answering your questions, try to pick one thing you can do to follow Jesus that is different from prayer and worship.  Do it today!

Sweetness Follows - January 12

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14; Gen. 4:1-16; Heb. 2:11-18; John 1:(29-34)35-42

Today’s Reflection

If you’ve never yet read anything by Sarah Condon, one of the hosts of the Mockingbird podcast and a regular contributor the Mockingbird blog and magazine, I highly recommend her writing. She’s an Episcopal priest out in the Diocese of Texas, presently serving as the campus missioner to Rice University. She once came to give a talk on personal spiritual practices, or rule of life, to my curate cohort at Camp Allen, and I found that her approach to connecting with God in prayer really resonated with me.

So, the other day, when a friend and colleague sent me a link to her most recent article, “A Light Year,” I knew I wanted to read on. Written as we transition from 2021 into 2022, Condon in this essay is making the point that just as much as we celebrate all of the hope and potential for good things ahead in the new year, just as much we need to be sure to honor everything that we went through in 2021 and how that has contributed to who each of us is as we look toward the year to come:

I do wonder if anyone is still making a New Year’s Resolution. Like an actual one, about weight, or money, or reading the Bible more. Doesn’t it feel like just living is enough right now? Between the news cycle and how everyone you know has Covid, isn’t it incredible that you are still here? You have made it through so much. You, the old you, the you who made it through 2021. Why would we ever need a newer version of the person who bravely faced so much pain? I rather like the 2021 you. And me. And I know God is in love with the old us. Absolutely head over heels. So here’s to that 2021 person.

Condon goes on to acknowledge a number of hard things and life transitions a person may have gone through in 2021, addressing what “you” did in the second person in a way that, if you happen to identify with one of the life events in the list, makes you feel like maybe she has been a fly on the wall in your life.

You survived the Christmas of 2021. … You got married this year… You got divorced this year. … You have run a church in the second year of a global pandemic…. You got a new job… You got diagnosed with cancer right before Easter. … Your parents both died in a car accident at the end of 2020. … Your [loved one] died of COVID.

Those who are familiar with Condon and her life story from her podcast and writing will recognize that at least one of items in this litany is something she personally experienced: the unexpected loss of her parents in a car accident a year ago. She has talked very openly about this loss as she has grieved for them and remembered them over this past year. Losing her parents, with whom she was especially close, made 2021 an even more challenging year, amidst all else. And maybe you can identify with some of other hard things in Condon’s litany—I know at least a couple have special resonance for me.

As I re-read Condon’s reflections on the losses and hardships we have suffered in 2021, I see a connection with today’s reading from Hebrews 2: For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.  –Hebrews 2: 16-18

In these verses, we are reminded of why God needed to be incarnate as Jesus. By living and dying as one of us, Jesus, too, was wounded. Jesus shared in our sufferings. And did this to help us—he didn’t come to help the angels (otherwise he would have become an angel). No, Jesus came to help us—that’s why, for a time, he lived and suffered as one of us. Because Jesus lived a human life in which he, too, was tested as we are, he is able to help us when we are being tested by trials and temptations of many kinds.

But, in the end, as we look back on all that we have gone through in 2021 and, indeed, over the course of our whole lives so far, we can hold onto hopefulness and a sense that, through it all, we are loved. A song that I listened to earlier this week also resonates with this theme that we will go through very hard things, but we also find, in the aftermath, that goodness remains. REM’s song “Sweetness Follows” (from Automatic for the People, 1992) begins with referencing a loss a lot like Condon’s:

Readying to bury your father and your mother
What did you think when you lost another?
I used to wonder, why did you bother?
Distanced from one, blind to the other

Musically and lyrically, it’s a rich song that I can’t do total justice to here (so you can listen to them play it at Glastonbury here). Much of what makes it a beautiful song is the way in which the bitter is blended with the sweet. We go through hard things. We suffer in ways in which, at the time, we are not sure how we will recover or things will ever better than they are in the difficult moment. But, in the end, we can look back on all that we have suffered and journeyed through with a sense of hope.

It's these little things, they can pull you under
Live your life filled with joy and thunder
Yeah, yeah we were altogether
Lost in our little lives
Oh, but sweetness follows
Oh, but sweetness follows

­Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

What did you go through in 2021 that seemed like it might “pull you under”? Looking back on it all, where do you see the “sweetness [that] follows”?

Daily Challenge

You can read Condon’s whole essay here. Or you can listen to the full REM song “Sweetness Follows” here.

A good coach - January 11

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 5, 6; PM Psalm 10, 11; Gen. 3:1-24; Heb. 2:1-10; John 1:19-28

This morning, I came across a bit written by Rick Karle, a sports enthusiast and one of the news anchors at the local NBC affiliate, WVTM-13. He was reflecting on the fallout from the National Championship game last night between Alabama and Georgia. In sporting events, coaches and players (who are barely two decades old) must sit in front of reporters and cameras, addressing a barrage of questions about their most recent actions on the field. When the winners are interviewed, it must feel easy to chime in with the accolades and celebration. When the losers are interviewed, it is a much more vulnerable and painful experience. I would dread having to do that.

Karle wrote this description of what he saw unfold last night:

“Bryce Young and Will Anderson were about to leave the podium after making their post game remarks.

Coach Saban said, “Hold up - I’d like to say something.”

He went onto say this:

“These two guys sitting up here, they're not defined by one game. They played great for us all year, they were great competitors, great leaders on this team and they contributed tremendously to the success of this team.

And we would not be here without them.

And both of them take responsibility for the loss, but both of them contributed in a lot of ways, in a positive way, to giving us a chance to win and a chance to be here to have an opportunity to win.

So, I just want to thank them for that and let everybody know how proud I am of these two guys.”

After pouring their hearts out, Coach Saban took time to let Bryce and Will know how much he appreciates them.”

These words of encouragement and praise were not held back for a time when the cameras were turned off, when the press had moved on to write up the play-by-play of how Alabama lost the National Championship game. Nick Saban imparted these words publicly for these young men at a time when they were vulnerable and full of regret, taking the lens wider, not just to the loss at the end of the game, but looking at the road that got them to this point. Saban’s choice to lead in this manner speaks to how he operates as a coach – with high expectations, coupled with compassion for helping these players reconcile losses and learn about responsibility as humans…not just on the football field.

The Old Testament reading for today is known as the story of the “fall”…chapter 3 of Genesis when humans became separated from the glory of God by eating of the fruit on the tree in the middle of the garden. This is a familiar story, and it is not one that I adore. There is much grist and fodder for reflection and refuting, in my opinion. Nevertheless, you may remember that in the fallout of the forbidden snack, God chastises the serpent who tricked the woman, then disciplines the woman, and finally the man. They are punished. God does not stop there, knowing that there is still the tree of life…and if the man and woman could be tricked or tempted to eat of that tree, the hardships ahead would never end. They must be protected from that pain. Fierce angels are stationed around that tree of life and the humans are sent forth from the Garden of Eden. They are not banished. They are let go together, out to the way they are to go next. To till the ground from which they had come.

As I reflect on this ancient story from Judeo-Christian lore, and on a post-game media conference in 2022, the players in each story are filled with regret and their shepherd knows that the experiences are going to shape those people moving forward. It is words of support that keep us going when we are broken.

I pray that God’s grace lifts and guides you today, and may your words and prayers be shaped by that amazing grace.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When disappointed, how do you respond?

 What words of encouragement have gotten you through a hard time?

Daily Challenge

Reread Genesis 3. Look for what in this chapter surprises you. What details stick out that you did not know before? What do you wrestle with? What do you take away from this scripture?

All Things Came Into Being Through Him - January 10

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1

John’s Gospel begins rather boldly.  One of the more memorable lines of Scripture, what John is essentially trying to say, at the beginning of Creation, when the moon and stars, the earth, and the seas, and everything was created, God was there, and so was Jesus.  I especially love the next line, that “all things came into being through him.”  It’s an equally bold statement: everything comes from God, designed by God, with purpose and design.

I’m reading an interesting book about gardening titled Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants by Douglas Tallamy.  His premise is rather simple: bugs can’t eat alien plants so when we introduce foreign plants it impacts the entire ecosystem.  At Saint Stephen’s, we have a project to remove all of our invasive species and reintroduce natives, but only now am beginning to deepen my understanding of why. 

Tallamy introduces a rather interesting concept (created by Peter de Ruiter at Utrecht University) in trying to understand the role of certain species in an ecosystem.  The hypothesis is called “the Jenga hypothesis.”  Jenga is the popular block game where a freestanding tower is built with blocks that can be removed, each player removing blocks as the tower becomes more and more wobbly until it finally comes crashing down.  Tallamy writes, “In the Jenga metaphor, the role of any given species in maintaining the stability of its ecosystem is similar to the role to the individual blocks play in keeping the tower from tumbling down.  Each block supports the tower in some way…Each time a block is removed, the relative importance of the remaining blocks change. 

John’s premise is that everything is created by God.  I love the Jenga metaphor because it speaks an unexpected truth, that we don’t understand the purpose and relationship of everything or even everyone.  We don’t quite get to know fully why or for what purpose everything is, or maybe more specifically people come into our lives, our communities, and our stories.  And we don’t understand the significance always when there is loss.  But it does change everything.  And that matters.   

So this morning, I’m going to remember that everything, and everyone can into being by God, and while I might not understand why, that’s ok.

John+

Question for Self-Reflection:  What are some of the things, relationships, people, and ideas that impact your life that you don’t often consider?  Are there recent losses that have changed other relationships?

Daily Challenge:  Take a walk outside.  Try to make it longer than you would normally.  I would suggest at least thirty minutes and try to see things you haven’t seen before.  If you see something extraordinary, let me know!

Hymn to the Christ - January 8

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 117, 118; PM Psalm 112, 113; Exod. 17:1-7; Col. 1:15-23; John 7:37-52

Last night, I thought I would get a jump on this morning’s reflection. I thought I could review the readings and something would immediately grab me. Something pithy from the week. Something pertinent from antiquity. Something. That did not happen.

So, I slowed down. I felt drawn to the letter to the Colossians, but I could not put my finger on what was stirring. And so, I did what my seminary professor Micah Jackson suggested when preparing to explore scripture for discussion or preaching: write out the scripture by hand. Each and every word. Allow space for breathing room between the lines. Mark the words that stand out. Underline phrases that have a cadence or phrasing that you want to know more about.

This practice of writing each word of the scripture is an amazing one to me. It is a practice that slows down and shifts the way I receive the Holy Scripture. Before those words pour out of my hand, they first flow into my eyes. They wander around my brain, triggering understanding and familiarity and newness. Then, the impulses of the words jump down and along the neurological pathways in my spine, shoulders, arms, and fingers, so that finally I press down upon the green pen in my hand so that it will lend its ink, spilling onto the lined page these ancient words.

In the splendor of this process, I revisited the words of Colossians. I heard the beauty of the Pauline message, a hymn to the Christ, unfurling slowly and clearly who Jesus Christ was, and is, and will be. There are words of Christ-centered genesis, reminders of holy order and organization, and the peace of God’s reconciling love in Christ. Take a moment and revisit Colossians 1:15-20:

“He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation;

for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created,

things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers –

all things have been created

through him and for him.

He himself is before all things,

And in him all things hold together.

“He is the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

so that he might come to have first place in everything.

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased

to reconcile to himself all things,

whether on earth or in heaven,

by making peace through the blood of his cross.”

These few verses deliver dense, developed theology, to be sure.

Here is what I hear: Jesus the Christ serves as the glue, holding all things together, across time. He is more that the prophetic human who walked upon the earth. He is the firstborn of all creation, and the firstborn to emerge from the dead. Jesus excels in all things and sets the tone for all from the top – that pinnacle, which was upon a cross. In the heartbreak and hardship, what emerged was redemption and reconciliation. The message that remains is that all things and all people are brought to a space of peace through Jesus.

May you find that hope and encouragement in Jesus as you take today one step at a time.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

How do you best receive information? Through listening, reading, writing, lived experience?



How does your awareness in this way spill over into your faith? What about your spiritual growth might you tweak, to deepen or broaden the ways you experience and share God's love?

Holy Longing - January 7

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 103; PM Psalm 114, 115; Deut. 8:1-3; Col. 1:1-14; John 6:30-33,48-51

Today’s Reflection

We humans are, at heart, hungry and thirsty beings. Of course, we need food and drink—along with clean air to breathe and rest for our bodies and brains—for our physical survival. But we are hungry and thirsty for much more than that. We are always hungering and thirsting for something more than what we already have, and to be something more than what we already are.

Unfortunately, the forces of this world—which are forces of darkness, if you see the world in a spiritual way—twist our inherent hungering and thirsting in ways that are destructive to us in mind, body, and spirit. In our contemporary U.S. culture, companies take advantage of this sense of longing and convince us that our hunger will be satisfied and our thirst will be quenched by things that we can purchase with money. If we can just have better clothes, or a better car, or a better house, or better vacations—or a better image of who we are relative to other people and their respective things. It’s OK to have nice things—but what’s not OK is to get sucked into believing that these things will fulfill our sense of longing, our hungering and thirsting for something more.

I believe that God has placed in each one of us, as God’s dearly loved children, a holy longing for something more—something much more than what the things of this world can give, and a holy longing more than anything we can ever achieve for or give to ourselves. We hear the threads of this theme of our hunger and thirst being satisfied and quenched by God woven throughout today’s scripture readings. In our Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy 8, we are reminded that, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3b). And in our Gospel reading from John 7, we hear Jesus declare this: “‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water’” (John 7: 37-28).

Today’s readings acknowledge that God has placed within each one of us a holy sense of longing—a longing for something more than what could ever be fulfilled by the things of this world or by our own sense of accomplishment. In these passages of Holy Scripture, we find reassurance that God will meet our needs and give us a way to fulfill our inherent longing for something more. We hear that the way to begin to fill ourselves up with something deeper, something truer, something that will sustain us spiritually is to begin with these two things: the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

God has given us access to a sense of who God is, a sense of what is right and true, of what is meaningful, of love, mercy, and grace that will endure for ever. God has given us means by which we can tap into this source of living water and manna from heaven in our lives still today. How? By spending time with God through studying Holy Scripture. By reading and reflecting on other holy words by wise and holy people. By sharing in holy conversations with our fellow Christ followers. By finding time to listen for the Holy Spirit’s still small voice through setting aside time for silence and prayer. By getting outside of ourselves and our needs and focusing on the needs of others.

We have just begun the Season of Epiphany, the season in the church between the Season of Christmas and the Season of Lent. We shouldn’t discount the Epiphany season as just an interim period of ordinary time between more joyous or penitential liturgical seasons. Rather, let’s see the Season of Epiphany as a season to focus on seeking after Jesus, as the Magi did—a season of asking, “Where can we find Jesus?” in our daily lives, and helping others seek Jesus, too.

Just as Paul prayed for his friends in Colossae, this is my hope and prayer for us this day, as we begin this season of seeking something deeper, something truer in our lives as we seek to find and then follow Christ:

I pray that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.  –Colossians 1: 9-10

Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

Do you ever have a sense of holy longing, that God has placed in you a hunger and thirst for more than what the things and pursuits of this world can fulfill? When do you most sense this longing? What spiritual practices have you found that satisfy this longing for more, and redirect you toward bearing spiritual fruit you can share with others?

Daily Challenge

As we begin the new year, consider committing to a weekly formation group or outreach ministry as ways of deepening your faith and bearing good fruit.

A Different Way Home

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 46, 97; PM Psalm 96, 100; Isa. 49:1-7; Rev. 21:22-27; Matt. 12:14-21

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, although the Daily office readings don’t do the best job of capturing the story.  If we were to have Eucharist today, you would hear the story in Matthew’s Gospel about Herod calling the wise men to learn about a special star and sending them to search for the Christ child.  In the reading, the wise men search and upon finding the place where Jesus is resting, they are overwhelmed with joy. This is the moment when the wise men enter the house and present the child with gifts. Think of the old hymn “We three kings!”

There is a part of the story that the nativity pageants and hymn leave out and that is the last verse where the men “having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”  It’s an interesting twist to the story.  Their lives have been altered by the encounter with Jesus.

Today marks the day that we celebrate the very light that leads us on a path to find God’s glory. It’s likely many of us can easily point to that light.  It could be a friend, a partner, a grandparent, a mentor, our church community, or more.  It’s beautiful to reflect on how people lead us to find Christ Jesus, and probably important to pause and give thanks for those people and those communities.   

And yet, it is even more provocative to then ask ourselves how now is our journey home called to be different?  It’s a new year, and as this season has concluded, we have all encountered Christ, made a journey just like the wise men.  So how does our journey home change? How have our lives been altered?

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Who are the people who lead you to know Christ more deeply? How has that happened? Do you play that role for others?

Daily Challenge:  Send a text, write a letter, or call one of these people who shapes your faith and give thanks for the role they play in your faith life.

The twelfth day of Christmas – January 5

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 2, 110:1-5(6,7); Joshua 2:2-9; Eph. 6:10-20; John 11:17-27, 38-44

Last night as we were cleaning up after dinner, Sam asked a question. He asks a similar question each year. For nearly fifteen years. “When is it that I can start taking down the tree? Thursday?” He has been wanting to take down the tree since December 26. And yet, we keep it up – for Christmas is a season, not a solitary day, that spans from Christmas Day until sundown on the twelfth day (today) – and tomorrow is Epiphany!

If you read about the meaning behind the twelve days of Christmas in popular lore, there are many rabbit trails of exploration: the history of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” heralded by some as the most annoying Christmas carol; theological ties to the twelve gifts; how the twelve gifts named in the lyrical poem (penned in England circa 1780) contained secret codes for ancient Christians; and so forth. While I am not certain of the veracity of all these web results, especially the secret code part, I do commend to you the rendition of this song presented by John Denver and the Muppets: https://youtu.be/8ygW5hLgnn4.  

In seeking to understand the framework undergirding our rhythm of the twelve days of Christmas, prior to the celebration of Epiphany on January 6, I looked further back in history. I found this assertion: “In 567, the Council of Tours ‘proclaimed the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany as a sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in preparation for the feast.’” This sounded pretty legitimate – and so I sought out more information on the 566-567 Council of Tours. The first lead I read summarized this council in this way: if a cleric was found in bed with his wife, he was excommunicated for one year and returned to the laity. Ha!

I kept searching and came across the transcripts in Latin from this council of the church, by way of an absolutely informative and timely blog entitled, “When to take down the Christmas decorations? A canon of the 2nd Council of Tours (567)”! Thanks to the dedication of Roger Pearse, who penned this article, I learned that the canons which emerged from the second Council of Tours did speak of the days leading up to Christmas and those between Christmas and Epiphany. The content of those directions addressed the daily habits of monks. Fasting was to happen daily in December, in the days leading up until Christmas. During the Christmas feast time, the monks were to eat a breakfast daily, rather than the norm through much of the year, which included fasting three times per week.

The canons (sadly) gave no guidance around the timing of dismantling Christmas trees and removing twinkly lights at the homes of clergy or laity.

So, what does all of this mean, on the twelfth day of Christmas? As the beat of twelve drummers drumming pulses in my head, the words of the apostle Paul in the daily lectionary send us off as we ring in the final day of Christmas: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power…Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.” (Ephesians 6:10, 14) Paul calls the church at Ephesus to unity, for the real struggle is not against the people around us, but against the spiritual forces of evil which seek to darken the light of Christ. Paul gives direction to the Ephesians, preparing them to proclaim the gospel and live in faith, equipped with the protection of God’s salvation, Spirit, and word. He ends this instruction with a boost, to keep them always grounded: “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (v. 18-19)

Wherever we go, we are called to march together, walking in step with our sisters and brothers for Christ, living into the gospel hope. We are to pray in the Spirit of God and pray for one another. And, if one of our brothers or sisters takes down their decorations before sundown on the twelfth day of Christmas, it does not make that person an enemy to the faith. Jesus came to equip each of us to walk in love.

I pray that songs of joy fill your heart this and every day.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

What drives you to be curious to understand the "why" of something that is commonly accepted?

Who encourages you to be curious, and who encourages you to deepen your faith in God?

Daily Challenge

Today, whether you are packing up decorations or facing a desk full of tasks, get curious. Do some research. Perhaps it is on a matter of faith. Perhaps it is on a matter of genealogy. Perhaps it is to understand your neighbor better. Pray that God moves your heart and mind to greater understanding of those around you - and perhaps of yourself, too.

A Fragrant Offering and Sacrifice to God - January 4

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 85, 87; PM Psalm 136; Joshua 3:14—4:7; Eph. 5:1-20; John 9:1-12,35-38

Today’s Reflection

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  –Ephesians 5: 1-2

In each service of Holy Eucharist, we have a transitional time after the Liturgy of the Word as we move into the Liturgy of the Table. We exchange the Peace of Christ with one another and then we take a moment to share words of welcome and announcements about happenings in the life of our church. At the end of this interlude, the Celebrant signals the beginning of the next part of the service, the Liturgy of the Table, by saying what is called an Offertory Sentence. The Book of Common Prayer gives us several options, but I always say this one: “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Now the Prayer Book uses a slightly different version of this sentence, leaving out the word “fragrant.” But I always reinsert “fragrant” as this stays truer to the Scripture, as this Offertory Sentence is a direct quote from Ephesians 5, verse 2. Why is it important to keep the “fragrant” in the line “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God?” For one, keeping “fragrant” in the sentence reminds us of the embodied nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus lived a human life, a life fully enfleshed as a person who experienced the world through all the senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Oftentimes, because much of what we know of Jesus comes through Holy Scripture, we think of the words we have heard that Jesus said or the words that others said about him or in response to him—or words that we sing or hear others sing about him. We also think of Jesus as artists have portrayed him through the years, how they have imaginatively depicted his image in paintings and stained glass and sculptures that we can see with our eyes.

But what of the other senses? Here’s where scent and the fragrant offering and sacrifice may more fully develop our understanding of and experience of Jesus. For one, think about the fact that the God who created the Universe lived and died as one of us—with all the bodily fragrances all the rest of us experience and create. As a baby, I imagine that Jesus emitted the sweet baby scent that we all love to experience when we nuzzle a small baby close to us—but also all the icky scents we take in when caring for babies whose bodies are getting used to processing milk and food for the first time. Or as a grown man, walking along hot, dusty roads in the ancient Middle East, I imagine that Jesus’ scent was as pungent and sweaty at times as anyone else’s! We may also think of the scents of the end of his life as his body hung on the cross, and as it was carried to the tomb. The women came to the tomb with strong scented spices to prepare his body for burial—only to find it missing.

Walking in our shoes by living a fully human life put Jesus in touch with a life with all the sights, sounds, tastes, feelings, and scents of humanity—both by experiencing other people through his senses as well as allowing others to experience him through theirs. While Paul may have had in mind the fragrances of Temple sacrifice as he used this phrase in his letter to the Ephesians, the life of Jesus points us to him being “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” in these other senses of the word, too.

The other thing to notice is the difference between the translation used in the BCP’s version of the offertory sentence “walk in love” versus what we read today in Ephesians 5, “live in love.” Our Paul’s Letters Bible study group has had multiple discussions of what it means to “walk in love” or “live in love.” Walking is perhaps a more evocative image—we can picture how a person might walk in a certain way, where a person might walk, who they would walk with, etc. And we can picture all the stories from Scripture of Jesus walking along the way, walking from one town to the next, walking with his friends, walking on water, walking surrounded by the throngs of people, walking toward Jerusalem. Walk in love is a more vivid turn of phrase but live in love is more spacious language—live in love encompasses all the activities we engage in, as we lean into the lives and calls God has given to each one of us.

So go, walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God!

Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

What scents do you most associate with God or being with God’s people? What scents seem heavenly to you? Incense or candles in a church? Freshly baked cookies or warm cinnamon buns? Magnolia blossoms or honeysuckle vines? The scent of meat being smoked at your favorite barbecue joint? A salty sea breeze?

Daily Challenge

The Old Testament Scriptures include much discussion of the details of Temple sacrifice, including that part of the reason sacrifices were made was to send up a “pleasing aroma” that God would enjoy. Learn more about “fragrant offerings and sacrifices” in the context of ancient Israel in this brief article by a professor of religion at Emory University.

Sheer Silence - Jan 3

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 68; PM Psalm 72; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Eph. 4:17-32; John 6:15-27

I believe the temperature here in Alabama begin in the 70s yesterday.  I broke a sweat on my walk, if that is any measure.  And then today I awoke to snow on the ground!  As I have heard a number of times in my four years living here, “Only in Alabama!”

A colleague of mine is not the biggest fan of Eucharistic Prayer C, the one that calls Earth our “fragile island home.”  He argues that mother nature isn’t fragile at all but strikes back with vengeance and might.  He suspects (even much to the chagrin of Elon Music and Jeff Bezos) that the earth will be around far longer than humans.  

Mother nature is pretty extraordinary.  In the Gospel for John this morning, there are storms on the Sea of Galilee.  But it is the reading in Kings that takes it to a whole new level (kind of like Alabama).   There are winds that break mountains, fires, and earthquakes. I am struck that the word of God reminds Elijah that Lord God is not in the earthquake, or fire, or wind, but the sheer silence that follows. 

 It’s a quiet morning.  I’ve just returned from taking the dog out.  I suspect some people are rising others are enjoying the extra moments of warmth on an especially cold morning.  For many, offices are closed, school has yet to resume, and people are sleeping in from vacations or travel.  The world is eerily quiet this morning.  Maybe the reading from Kings is reminder that when everything slows down, that is when maybe we can best hear the voice of God. 

In the quiet of today, as you ready for all that today, this week, and this year are calling you to, how do you hear the voice of God in the silence?   If you have some down time today, maybe it is an invitation to listen.  Where do you hear the voice of God?

John+
Questions for Self-Reflection:  What are moments of silence that have shaped you?  How can make time for silence or quiet if that is missing from your life?  

Daily Challenge:  Take a picture with your phone of the silence of today.  Once you have found the perfect picture, sit for a while and enjoy the quiet. 

An Imperfect Yet Holy Family - December 24

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 45, 46; Baruch 4:36-5:9; Gal. 3:23-4:7; Matt. 1:18-25

Today’s Reflection

“Joseph, who only a few scripture sentences earlier had considered abandoning Mary, is now behaving like a loving, earthly father to this strange holy infant. The window reminds me that God is taking a confused man, a teenage woman, and an unexpected baby, and turning them into a holy family; echoing the message of the other window nothing is impossible with God.” —The Rt. Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry in her 2021 Christmas Message to the Diocese of Alabama

In Scripture, we hear the story of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. In Luke’s version of the nativity story, we hear of the annunciation to Mary, which is when the angel appears to her and tells her she will bear a child, conceived in her by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that child will be the Son of God, who will inherit the throne of his forefather David and rule over the house of Jacob. However, in Matthew’s Gospel, which we hear today, we learn of another annunciation—an annunciation through an angel of the Lord to Joseph. The angel tells Joseph he is not to abandon Mary, but that he is stay committed to her beyond all societal and legal expectations.

And not only that, but Joseph is to make a social and legal commitment to Mary’s baby—a child not biologically his own. The commitment Joseph makes comes through obeying the command that Joseph will be the one to name the baby Jesus. Joseph’s role in naming Jesus is no small detail—it’s very important to Jesus being the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the long-awaited Messiah. If we think back to how the book of Matthew begins, we hear the long genealogy that spans the generations from Abraham and Isaac and Jacob down through to Jesse and David and Solomon and then all the way down to Joseph.

When we start reading Matthew 1, this genealogy seems kind of tedious to get through with all its many, many generations of long, complicated names. But this genealogy is so important because it traces the family tree of Jesus as stemming from the line of Abraham and David—and it connects Jesus to the Abrahamic and Davidic line through Joseph. What this means is that, in order for Jesus to come from the line of David, we have to understand Joseph as being Jesus’ father. But how can that be if Jesus is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit?

This is where Joseph’s obedience to God, in the most difficult and unlikely of circumstances, is so important. Joseph steps up and does what God (through the angel) told him to do, which was to name the baby Jesus. That act, of being the one to name him, is the act that culturally and legally made Jesus part of the house of Abraham and the house of David. Joseph naming him allowed the name of Jesus to be added after his own in the genealogy of the house of Abraham and the house of David.

Of course, it’s essential that Jesus was born of Mary, in that the divine also entered humanity by being born of a woman, living and dying as one of us. However, some would argue that it is equally important that Jesus was also named and adopted by Joseph, because that is how Jesus would come to recognized as the fulfillment of prophecy. And it makes sense that Matthew, of all the Gospel writers, emphasizes this aspect of the nativity story, because, as one commentator describes, “Matthew crafted his account to demonstrate Jesus’ messianic identity, his inheritance of the Davidic kingship over Israel, and his fulfillment of the promise made to his ancestor Abraham. … Matthew’s Gospel [was] an evangelistic took aimed at [Matthew’s] fellow Jews, persuading them to recognize Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah” (ESV Study Bible 1816). Jesus is marked as the long-awaited Messiah by virtue of his kinship with Joseph, the man who obeyed God by naming him Jesus and thus adding that name into the house of Abraham and the house of David.

God turns us back toward restored relationship with himself by letting his face, or his countenance, shine on us that we might be saved. But what does it mean for God to let his face shine on us—and how does that save us? God let his face shine on us by allowing the Word to become flesh and dwell among us. God let his face shine on us by allowing his Logos or Incarnate Word to be borne of Mary, and then allowing him to be named and adopted into the house of David by Joseph. Jesus, fully divine and fully human, is the way through which the God of Abraham and the God of David could shine the light of his face into our world, by living and dying as one of us. In Advent and at Christmas, we remember and celebrate how God came down to us as a baby, grew and developed as a child, lived and walked among us as an adult, and then conquered sin and death for us. And so, today, we echo the psalmist’s cry to God: Restore us, O God, let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved!

Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

Bishop G recently shared a beautiful Christmas message with the Diocese, in which she reflects on the Christmas story through the lens of the four stained glass windows in the Chapel of the Holy Family at her former parish, All Saints. Reflect on these thoughts that our bishop shared about Joseph (see quote above), and what this brings up for you in light of your own experiences and memories of family.

Daily Challenge

You can read or watch Bishop G’s Christmas message about longing, imperfection, and the hope we find in Christ here.

Naming the New Thing - December 23

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 146, 147; 2 Samuel 7:18-29; Gal. 3:1-14; Luke 1:57-66

I wonder what it was like for Zechariah. He was without a voice since the moment he learned that his wife was pregnant with their child. For nine months he has been silent, unable to communicate in spoken word, and then as he shares the name of his son, John, on a tablet, his tongue is freed, and he immediately begins speaking. He is able to live more fully into who he is.

I don’t think this is the intent of Luke necessarily, but it does seem to me to be pretty profound that when Zechariah properly names what God has done (the birth of his son) he is able to live more fully. It is as if, recognizing what God has done actually changes our lives and gives us the ability to live fully into who we are as God’s beloved.

What is God doing in your life? What is God birthing that needs to be named? In just a few days we give name and credence to the new thing that God has done in the world. I’m willing to bet that has implications for each of our own lives too.  Maybe it’s time we name it.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: How much time do you spend pondering what God is up to in your life?  Do things happen because of your due diligence, hard work, charisma, or luck, or is God at work in your life too?  How does naming what God doing change your perspective?

Daily Challenge:  Consider three new avenues in your life.  Spend time journaling about or daydreaming about new things that God is calling you to in the new year. 

Doing more than the minimum - December 22

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 111, 113, 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Titus 2:11-3:8a; Luke 1:39-48a(48b-56)

The reading from Luke this morning includes the song of Mary - what we call the Magnificat. In the lectionary assigned, one could break the reading after the first line "‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant." If we were to do that, we would miss her prophetic components of the song in verses 48b through 55. Point by point, the content of this optional reading could be listed like this:

1. Others will revere her (Mary) as blessed.

2. God does much for Mary.

3. God's mercy is bestowed on those who put God first, time after time.

4. God is strong and levels those who put themselves first.

5. God brings life to those who are feeling low and empty.

6. God is at the center of each way we feel full and cared for.

7. God is our ever-present help to those who serve the Lord.

8. God makes promises that are everlasting.

If we read the bare minimum, we miss some good stuff. We miss one young woman's reflections on who God is and how God is in relation to each of us.

There is a lot going on in my day today. I bet you have a lot going on in yours. Let's do what we can to give God our full attention, and not just the bare minimum. We miss some beauty and encouragement if we skim. Though spread thin on these tender days leading up to Christmas, let us lean into God and hear the song being placed upon our hearts.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

What is your priority today? Who is your priority today? How do you use your words and works to show where your priorities lie?

Daily Challenge

Be attentive to the music moving you today. Perhaps it is the clicking of a child's tongue, calling a dog to come in from the cold. Perhaps it is the ringing on bells on the back door. Or maybe it is the Magnificat, the song of Mary, bringing you hope and inspiration in a time of uncertainty.

Believing Thomas - December 21

Today’s Readings: Psalm 27; Isaiah 43: 8-13; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:24-29

Today’s Reflection

Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  –1 Peter 1: 8-9

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Thomas, the apostle who had some questions when he heard from his fellow disciples that they had seen the risen Christ. Thomas wanted firsthand testimony. Thomas wanted to collect his own evidence and judge for himself whether this was the Jesus he knew.

The three post-resurrection encounters we hear about in John 20 highlight the importance of firsthand testimony and personal experience of Christ. Mary shared her testimony of the empty tomb and her encounter with the risen Christ with Peter and John. But they didn’t just believe her. They ran to the tomb to see for themselves. And then Peter and John went back to their homes and shared what they saw, we assume with Mary and the other disciples. But their response was lock themselves away in fear, waiting until they could learn more, waiting to see if they would see Jesus for themselves. And then Jesus appeared to the 10 disciples, greeting them in peace, showing them his wounds, commissioning them to go out, sent with the Holy Spirit to guide them.

And then the 10 shared their firsthand testimony with Thomas, the absent one. And, like them, he wanted to see for himself. Now, of course, his choice of words in expressing this was very vivid: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Thomas had a strong reaction. And rightly so. I imagine that Thomas very much hoped that what his friends was telling him was true. But, like them, he needed to have a firsthand experience. And, as we know from the rest of the story, when Jesus returned the following Sunday, Thomas had his chance for his own personal encounter with the risen Christ.

Just like Mary knew who Jesus was by the way he said her name, “Mary,” so too did Thomas recognize Jesus by what he said to him: “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Jesus said these words to Thomas to show that he knew what Thomas had said to his friends when he wasn’t there—knowledge that Jesus would have because he was not just human, but also divine. And so, instead of responding by placing his finger in Jesus’ wounds, Thomas responds by giving what is considered by Bible scholars to be the “highest confession” found in all of the Gospels: “My Lord and my God!” in that Thomas’ confession recognizes the full identity of Jesus, he is both Lord and God.

Jesus’ response to Thomas has been read by those less sympathetic to Thomas, the ones who label him a doubter, as a sort of put-down: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” However, what other commentators have noted is that Thomas, because he was absent, serves as a representative figure for all of us who would come later and not have the opportunity to see Jesus in the flesh and then believe. Jesus’ encounter with Thomas here in John 20 comes just before John’s concluding, purpose statement in John 20: 30-31: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  

John’s Gospel was written well after the other three, synoptic Gospels. John wrote his Gospel around 70-100 AD. More time had passed since the years when Jesus had walked the earth and had firsthand encounters with people. And so when John wrote his Gospel account, he did so with this purpose in mind: to develop his characters and stories with such detail and depth that it would allow those who heard it who had never seen, heard, or touched Jesus for themselves to experience, through his Gospel, Jesus for themselves in such intimate detail that they would indeed believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing would have life in his name.

Friends, we are among those who have come after John and Mary and Thomas and the other disciples, who are called to believe based on what others have seen and the words that they have left for us in these Gospel accounts. We can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, because the Gospels are true, reliable accounts. And yet we, like Thomas, want to experience the risen Christ for ourselves. My encouragement to you is that we can and do experience Christ for ourselves—each time we listen and pray, each time we engage with Scripture, each time we participate in worship and engage with fellow Christ-followers. In the words of 1 Peter: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Becky+

Collect for Saint Thomas the Apostle: Everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in your Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Questions for Self-Reflection

Recall a time when you doubted something had happened, or when you later second-guessed something that at first you felt confident about. What evidence did you need to resolve your doubts and second thoughts? Or did something else—perhaps a conversation with a trusted person or committing the doubt-filled situation to prayer—help you to move from doubt to certainty?

Daily Challenge

Learn more about the power of asking questions in this article from the Harvard Business Review.

The Wisdom of Titus - December 20

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 61, 62; PM Psalm 112, 115; Zeph. 3:14-20; Titus 1:1-16; Luke 1:1-25

Honestly, I don’t spend much time reading the Epistle to Titus. I haven’t read it since this passage was quoted a few years ago after Bishop Kee announced his retirement and Saint Stephen’s hosted one of the listening sessions as together, we discerned our vision for the Diocese of Alabama.  In a room full of lay and ordained people, a clergy member read verses 9-11.  These are certainly good attributes for a bishop, who in our tradition is the unifier and the ultimate spiritual authority.

It is with this lens that I read the Scripture this morning, remembering that part of the church is to live in tension with conflict.  The epistle lays the groundwork for conflict acknowledging that it exists, one of the only constants in 1900 years of history since this Epistle was likely written.  I don’t think I would have paid attention to Titus as much today if we hadn’t heard Titus two years ago, but I am especially drawn to the first part of verse 15.  “To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure.”

This little line of scripture is a response to the conflict, specifically the people in Crete who stir up trouble in the church.  I am struck by the profound nature of this sentiment that to the corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure. I wish we would have kept reading at the listening session instead of stopping at verse 11!  It is almost an implication, that part of being pure, and maybe a better translation of pure, would be ‘Godly’ is to see goodness and possibility and hope in every situation.  It is to lead with hope before doubt, goodness before lack of it, and to be generous at our characterization of others at every turn. 

Part of being Godly is to see God in every situation, to see hope in every life, to begin with generosity.  Maybe Titus has some wisdom for the ages.  Start with a generous possibility for others. “To the pure, all things are pure,” because the alternative corrupts our view of everything else.    

Maybe this reading comes at the perfect time of the year just a few days before the gift of the Incarnation.  Because isn’t that what Christmas is really about? God, is here, and we have to be open to the idea that God is everywhere, in humble and human form.  And being Godly is being open to where God could show up – in literally everything.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: Consider your own gut reactions to conflict.   What are the barriers to generosity that keep you from seeing the best in others? How does trying to see the best come into conflict when people hold views or have actions that are problematic, destructive, or painful?  How can this be resolved?

Daily Challenge:  Think of three people who have frustrated you greatly in the last year.   Write or say something nice, kind, and generous about them.  If you are really up for it, actually write them a note, email, or card.

Sorting - December 18, 2021

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 55; PM Psalm 138, 139:1-17(18-23); Zech. 8:9-17; Rev. 6:1-17; Matt. 25:31-46

“…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”  Matthew 25:35-37

This morning’s scripture from Matthew grabs me. Jesus is prophesying through parables. He is painting a picture of what righteousness and salvation look like, holding up the sharp contrast to the fate of the stingy and self-righteous. Jesus presents a message that is challenging.

At the end that is ahead, there will be a time for evaluation and honest observation conducted by the Son of Man, who we know as Jesus. He will sort some to the right hand – considered in antiquity to be the hand of honor and favor – and to the left hand – the unclean, undesirable side. Those shunted to the right side will be called blessed by God and have the promise of great reward, for they showed mercy upon those in need – feeding, clothing, nursing, visiting. The Son of Man will then turn to those at his left hand and declare them heading for doom and eternal fire, for they neglected to be welcoming or compassionate to those who were hurting, lost, hungry, and vulnerable.

I am fascinated this morning by the distinct parallel between the responses of those jettisoned to the right and to the left. Those who showed compassion respond, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” The answer from those who were aloof is, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” I am intrigued by the rhetorical angle of Jesus’ message, for the symmetry laid out in the story is beautiful. I feel compelled by the view of human experience, too. Those who fall into each category have no idea of their actions, or their impact upon their lives of faithfulness to God. It is as if their eyes are covered in cotton, and the veils are being pulled back during this time of reckoning and reflecting.

This piece of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew is the final one before he and his disciples share the Last Supper. This is Jesus’ final attempt at preparing the people for what is ahead. Truly, there are days when I need these words to awaken me and get my eyes and heart recentered. These are words that prepare each of us to welcome Jesus and live fully into the promise and gift of connectedness and faith. These are the words that help us look at our own choices and evaluate how we are doing. This message feels like one appropriate to Lent and germane to Advent – in this season of preparing, clearing out, and waiting for the joy that is to come.

I think of Micah 6:8, in which the prophet reminds the people of God’s instructions for living well: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This truth shared through the gospel of Matthew this morning reminds me that while the message of doing good is simple, it is also hard to be disciplined each moment. I am grateful to have God’s grace and the encouragement of others as we wander this path of faithfulness. Let us prepare our hearts each day to welcome Jesus, seeing Jesus in one another. As such, I pray that we are each moved to show compassion to those around us in need – for when we do justice, live kindness, and walk humbly with God, we are in tune with our neighbors and in touch with the God who made us and loves us all.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

In Matthew 25:31-47, Jesus talks about sorting people into sheep and goats. How does this sit with you? What are the feelings that bubble up for you? What stories from your present or past do you think about when you read this scripture?

Daily Challenge

Today’s reading from Matthew is an encouragement to open our eyes to see God in those around us, and especially in those who are in need. Spend time in prayer today that God will open your eyes and your heart to help those around you. Then, make plans for how you will show compassion to others (e.g., carry a blessing bag to share food or water with someone on the street, call someone on the Saint Stephen’s prayer list, send a card to a person who is incarcerated, etc.).