Good Thorns Choking the Vines - May 6

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79]; Lev. 25:35-55; Col. 1:9-14; Matt. 13:1-16

Last Friday, a letter from my son’s school arrived in our mailbox, a full schedule of his classes next year.  He will be moving into Junior High where coursework becomes more difficult.  He has decided to add a period to his day that he can also participate in band. He also wants to run track, compete on a robotics team, and is committed to playing competitive soccer again.  Anne and I looked at the schedule and found ourselves wondering just what will give in the fall.  When will homework happen?  Will Jack ever again get a good night’s sleep?  Are we letting our children put too much pressure on themselves?  These were just a few of the questions we were asking. 

Today’s Gospel is the parable of the sower, where the sower scatters seeds all over the place including ground where thorns grow up and choke the vines, keeping the vines from reaching their full potential.  I wonder sometimes if the thorns in this parable could be good things that require lots of attention choking up all of the available free time and space to grow.  My children certainly don’t know how to be bored, and that’s a little concerning. 

I don’t have answers, and both Anne and I know we are not the only people struggling with this reality.  It seems to be more and more prevalent in our own community.  And it’s why we need the wisdom of our faith tradition to help us make challenging decisions and prioritize our lives.  This is faithful and holy discernment and we’ve got work to do.  And if you feel the same way, know that you are not alone.

Faithfully,

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Where can I create more space to grow in the person God is calling me to be?

Shine the Light of Wellness – May 1

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73-96
Lev. 19:1-18; 1 Thess. 5:12-28; Matt. 6:19-24

Over the last week, I attended CREDO, a continuing education retreat for Episcopal clergy. The purpose of the gathering is for total wellness: physical, spiritual, financial, psychological, and vocational. The leadership team pays attention to every detail so that there are spaces for educational sessions, personal reflection time, small group conversations, daily worship, and invitations to professional consultations. And fun. After one week away, clergy can return home reinvigorated and with direction to reengage in our calls to serve God with the best that is within us.

CREDO 412 met at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in Greenfield, New Hampshire. I joined 30 clergy from across the country as we learned and laughed, shared healthy meals and hiked, and laughed some more. While it is consistently warm in Alabama at this time of the year, in New Hampshire it was solidly “sweater weather”. Below-freezing temperatures on multiple mornings rendered brisk steps during morning walks. I noted stark branches on trees and shrubs, not yet opening the buds of promise upon their shoots. And as the week progressed, the weather warmed and the sun shone brightly. Those buds of promise began blossoming. Sepia switches burst forth with yellow flowers. Lime-green leaves emerged tenderly on boughs. God brought about transformation and new growth in rural New Hampshire – to the flora and to those attending CREDO.

As I reflect with gratitude on the gift of an intentional wellness retreat, a piece of today’s reading from the gospel according to Matthew stands out particularly. Jesus offers the Sermon on the Mount, and this is a portion midway through: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23)

Our eyes do often portray how we are doing. Someone with tired, watery eyes may be coming down with a cold. A person with squinted eyes, glaring at you or someone else, is angry. Bright, sparkly eyes indicate wholeness or playfulness. Maybe we avert eye contact with people when we are uncomfortable or sad – because we do not want to connect or communicate how we are.

I wonder why Jesus includes this piece of wisdom and observation in the Sermon on the Mount. He begins this chapter with how to pray – humbly and with decorum. He gives words to pray that we call the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus advises his audience to forgive others and they will be forgiven by God. When fasting, it is to be a choice of private devotion, not for public feedback. Then, he speaks about generous living. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” where things get used, consumed, and decay. “No one can serve two masters.” The lightness of our being – and how we display it – is sandwiched between the two.

I believe that generous and intentional interactions are rooted in how we share the Christ-light within ourselves. When we can get in touch with the core of God’s love, we beam with that brightness and pass it on. Sometimes our bodies and our lives have scars and wounds that dim that light. May healing and peace be upon you this day, so that you may shine with the hope of Christ.

In resurrection hope,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Reread this scripture from Matthew 6:19-24 and listen for how it resonates within you. How do you engage in eye contact with others? How will you share the light of God’s love in this world today?

Trust Ambiguity - April 22

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 41, 52; PM Psalm 44; Exod. 32:1-20; Col 3:18-4:6(7-18); Matt. 5:1-10

Did you read today’s epistle from Colossians?  How did it sit with you?  “Wives be subject to your husbands… Slaves, obey your earthly masters.”  This text is called a household code, and household codes show up in a similar format in three of the Epistles.   I suspect it is not hard to imagine how these texts could be misused in relationships with an imbalance of power. 

Years ago, I read Plato’s Republic, Plato’s exploration of justice, philosophy, and political theory related to society.  It was written around the year 375 BC.  Oddly, a text that is almost identical to the household codes found in scripture can also be found in Plato’s Republic, and I suspect there is a strong correlation between the Roman Empire and Plato’s Republic, but that is not my expertise. 

I remember asking a seminary professor if Paul had plagiarized the text.  The professor asked a question instead.  “What if Paul was sneaking that text in to show that Christianity could exist within the Roman Empire instead in a more subversive way, suggesting that Christianity wasn’t a threat to the Pax Romani?”    We don’t know the mind of Paul, but that question has stuck with me for over a decade. 

More than trying to answer the question it exposed the possibility that Scripture is filled with nuance and context and there is more grey area than we might be comfortable with when it comes to the Word of God. 

A former clergy colleague of mine would often remind me to trust ambiguity.  I’m still learning, but it seems more and more important every day.  In this present day, we seem addicted to certainty, knowledge, and truth, and maybe there is something faithful about trusting ambiguity, a reminder to be more open than we might normally be. 

Faithfully,

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What stories do you struggle with in scripture?  Where could you trust ambiguity in your own life? 

Good Shepherds--April 19, 2024

Today’s Readings

St. Alphage, Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr

Psalm 34: 1-8, Colossians 1:24-29, Luke 12: 35-40

Reflection

Today we honor St. Alphage, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1005 until he was martyred in 1012. Alphage was beloved for his sense of justice. He was unwilling to allow his mostly poor people pay an outrageous ransom for his release from the Danes. Ultimately, Alphage's captors killed him.

This Sunday is what is often termed, "Good Shepherd Sunday." As I prepare my sermon for our time together, I am especially reminded of Ezekiel Chapter 34 which outlines the qualities of a good shepherd, as well as the qualities of a bad shepherd. The Good Shepherd cares more for the sheep than for his or her own life even. The bad shepherd is self-serving to the detriment of the sheep. Obviously St. Alphage was a brave and sacrificial shepherd. As a priest, I cannot help but wonder "Have I been a good shepherd?" I will continue to pray with that answer, knowing I have not always lived up to the promise of the vows I took when ordained 10 years ago. I pray and hope I will grow in courage and sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel and our Christian community.

I am also remembering with gratitude those "shepherds" in my life who follow in Jesus' way. Jesus of course not only being the "Good," but the "Best Shepherd." One shepherd loved her people so much she would show up in court, or the psychiatric ward at any time of the day or night to let them know they were not alone in the most vulnerable times of their lives.

Another, was my mentor in seminary. She gently guided me, held me in a crisis of faith, and inspired me to love more expansively.

In preparation for this Sunday's service, I encourage you to consider who has been a good shepherd to you. Also, how does envisioning Jesus as our Good Shepherd impact your relationship with him?

Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+

Questions for Reflection

Who has been a good shepherd for you? How did he or she model Jesus' sacrificial love for us? Who might you be invited to shepherd at this time?

Feeling the BOOM of God's power - April 17

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48
Exod. 19:16-25; Col. 1:15-23; Matt. 3:13-17 

Growing up, our neighborhood association in Old Cloverdale had street parties annually. My dad loved a good party. He loved music and throngs of people gathering. He was at his best in these times. As such, my parents were some of the leaders in pulling these fun gatherings together. I remember sitting on the floor in the back living room of our house to listen as the adults met to make plans for getting the band, setting up tents, getting permits from the city to block off streets, and even more creative ideas like other live entertainment – that included a belly dancer one year. (Perhaps this is one of the reasons I love working at Saint Stephen’s, for we coordinate creatively to plan the events at this lovely place!)

The street dances would start in the late afternoon on a warm summer night and would go on until probably 10 o’clock. I recall one band who played. Their music was loud and it was dark. The drummer played boldly and was well amplified by the sound system. The drum’s beat resonated in my chest. I could feel the music and was mesmerized by the wonder of that sensation. I drew near and sat on the rocky, paved road in front of the band to keep experiencing that pulsing resonance in my nine-year-old self until my mom gathered me to come home as the party was ending.

I think the resonating boom of that drum shaking my insides as I read from the Book of Exodus this morning. Moses and the Israelites have come to the base of Mount Sinai to meet God. There is a thick cloud of smoke around the mountain, plus flashing lightning and booming thunder. As the plumes of smoke rose, the mountain shook and the blast of a trumpet escalated in volume. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder. I can imagine the wonder and terror of that space. All senses are in play: smelling the burning fire, feeling the shaking of the ground, hearing the rumbling of the thunder, seeing the bursts of lightning, and perhaps even tasting the acrid smokiness in the air. I am moved by the power of God shared so vividly in this scripture.

“Go down and warn the people not to break through to the Lord to look,” God says to Moses. “Otherwise, many of them will perish. Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves or the Lord will break out against them.” Those words stuck with me as I read this scripture: “The Lord will break out against them.” Isn’t that fascinating and terrifying? This phrasing highlights the untamed power that God holds, though it is restrained (for now). It is worth noting that today’s scripture directly precedes when God spells out the commandments to the Israelites – how they are to revere God and live in community with one another. God is getting the attention of the Israelites before speaking from heaven to impart the commandments to them.

As I go through this day, whether it is to be wacky or boring, my prayer is that each of us can reflect on the awe of God and the way God’s power resonates within our cores. Let us all be attentive to God’s presence and glory, giving thanks.

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

How do you see and feel the boom of God's power in your life? How do you blend the vast might of God with the approachable presence of Jesus?

Trusting and Resting--April 12

Today’s Readings

AM Psalm 16, 17, Exod. 17:1-16; 1 Pet. 4:7-19; John 16:16-33

Today’s Reflection

In this morning's passage from Exodus, I notice the twin mandates of rest and trust sit alongside one another. What is it like for you to give yourself space to rest? I was recently with a friend who retired a year ago. She said it took her that long to feel comfortable reading a book in the middle of the day. Since exercising her guilt-free right to a midday read, she is more creative and has more energy and patience in the latter part of her day.

What is like for you to trust God?

The Israelites had only been free from the Egyptians for a month and the complaint meter was registering in the red zone. God promised to provide manna each day, they were not to hoard from one day to the next. They were to trust that what they needed would be provided by God. Because the seventh day was a mandated day of rest, they were to gather twice as much manna on the sixth day. This encounter with God through Moses is when the concept of sabbath was introduced to the Israelites. The the theology behind and importance of sabbath is further developed in both the book of Exodus and Deuteronomy.

I wonder why rest and trust are yoked in this way. What do you imagine? I am aware that our world is a busy, busy place. We are encouraged to "work hard" which is not in itself a bad thing; feeling like we are contributing to society is a vital component of a flourishing life. Additionally, when we experience life's challenges we are rewarded for "pushing through." Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it is wise to work hard or push through; sometimes it is toxic. How do we know the difference? Through discernment. In the Ignatian tradition, "discernment involves prayer and weighing facts and feelings about several  good choices with ultimately leads to a choice about what is the best fir for an individual."

In a recent report published in the Human Resource Director, the United States ranks 196 of 197 countries for paid time off. Only Micronesians have less time off than we Americans. Clearly our culture privileges work over rest to an extreme degree. Perhaps this work, work, work, mode encourages an over-active sense of self-reliance." I work hard." "I can do it." As opposed to resting in and trusting in God to work through us. Might God be inviting us to a rhythm of rest and trust that brings us closer to God's vision for the world and less tied to our own?

It's just a thought--what do you think? As one of your priests, I would like to encourage you to take seriously God's command to sabbath rest--holy time for giving thanks for the gifts God has given us, for savoring, praying, laughing. Friday and Saturday the Birmingham Botanical Gardens hosts its annual plant sale. I plan to buy some beauities, grab the trowel, get my hands dirty and trust something new will grow. How will you rest and revel in your love of God?

Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+

PS--Years ago I read Wayne Muller's Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight In Our Busy Lives. This book literally changed my life and understanding of what it means to honor God's invitation to holy rest.



Question for Self-Reflection:

What is your experience of sabbath rest? How might you embrace resting in God's love, trusting all will be well, and giving thanks to God?

Living Stones - April 10

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14
Exod. 15:22-16:10; 1 Pet. 2:1-10; John 15:1-11 

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 2:4-5

An odd fact about me is that I love rocks. When Sam and I went to Joshua Tree National Park a couple of years ago, I marveled at the huge rock faces. As we hiked through the desert terrain in 105-degree temperatures, I snapped photo after photo of rocks in the shade, stones in the sun, rocks with lizards on them. And so, at the mention of stones in the scriptures appointed for today in this second week following Easter, I am energized as I read from the apostle Peter’s first letter to early Christians in exile.

Peter hopes to inspire those receiving his letter to draw near to the steady, strong presence of the Son, for it will change them. Come to Jesus, he writes, the living stone. Stones have long been used as markers for memories, as indices of territory boundaries, as tools for processing and protection, and as images for strength and stability. Jesus is all of this and more, though many do not see him for who he is – precious in God’s sight.

In the light of the Easter season, I want to sit with this and savor this image of Jesus the living stone. All the alleluias we proclaim, all the trumpets resounding, and all the joy we feel is built upon the living stone of Jesus. He is the foundation from which all the festivities emanate. Our songs of resurrection and hope resonate through the living stone of Jesus. And when our voices falter with grief and our bodies are tired, it is Jesus the living stone who gives us a space to sit down, low to the ground. Low and not alone.

My friends, Peter knows that space. Peter who denied Jesus. Peter who questioned Jesus. Peter who kept living as a follower of Jesus. Peter, who is known as Cephas – the Rock. It is Peter who invites us to be enlivened by the living rock, so that we, too, will be like living stones, being built into a spiritual house, becoming a holy priesthood, offering gifts of love and dedication to God with the help of Jesus.

Peter writes this letter to help the new followers of Jesus understand what the rejected, yet resurrected Son is doing for them. The apostle knows that as God’s gift of Jesus is extended to us, we are called to do something about it. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is meant to change us. Living as followers of Jesus takes us down different paths and changes the ways we interact with people along the way. Peter is working to open our eyes, so that we see what God is doing to and for us in our lives.

As Christians, we are meant to be living, rolling stones. May this bring you Easter joy today.

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

What does the image of Jesus as the living stone kindle within you? What going on in your life really needs the steady foundation of Jesus right now?

April Fools: A Moveable Feast - April 8

Today’s Readings: AM: Psalm 85, 87; Isaiah 52:7-12; Hebrews 2:5-10 PM: Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 132; Wisdom 9:1-12; John 1:9-14

Today is a weird day liturgically.  Typically, the Annunciation of our Lord (Luke 1:26-38) falls on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas Day.  This year, March 25 was the Monday in Holy Week which means the date was skipped and moved to today, April 8.  In a spoof social media post on April 1, Archbishop Justin Welby shared that due to the shift from March 25, to April 8 (after celebrating the eight days of Easter), that “In order to preserve the connectedness between these liturgical feasts, therefore, the Nativity of Our Lord will be transferred to fall nine months after the Annunciation.  As a result, Christmas Day will be moved to January 8, 2025, and celebrated for the 12 days afterward.” 

I appreciate a good April Fool’s joke, although I thought that Birmingham Now declaring Brookwood Mall was to be converted to an Aquarium to be more exciting.  With April Fools being the day after Easter, a day where clergy rarely check emails or even get out of their pajamas, I feel like I missed out on April Fools.  So, I would like to declare April Fools to be a new movable feast to today and encourage all of the tomfoolery and shenanigans you can muster upon reading this reflection. 

In all seriousness, Easter is a season of hope, where people encounter Jesus Christ when they least expect it.  There is something about hearing news that is unbelievable or that we can’t imagine being true that comes with faith. Maybe it’s when a person who has broken your confidence more than you remember acts in a way that surprises you and shows growth and hope.  Maybe it’s when the person who you have failed to see eye to eye with, who stands counter to your nature, teaches you something about grace and mercy. Maybe it’s when a person chooses love and humility when there is no reason to offer, love and humility, a counter-action to the nature of our universe. 

To believe in Easter is to be open to what nature tells us we shouldn’t believe. And maybe, there is some wisdom in April Fools, an idea that infuses us with surprise and mystery, to tell us what we shouldn’t believe has a place in this universe. 

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: What would surprise you most this day that you long to hear?

Tell The Story - April 5

Today’s Readings

Friday: AM Psalm 136; Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16; 1 Cor 15: 51-58;Luke 24:1-12

Today’s Reflection

Last month, in an Adult Sunday School Forum, parishioner Craig Cecil inspired many as he recalled his courageous story of transformation from addiction to new life in recovery. I do not remember every detail Craig's account. I do remember Craig battled his addiction for many years and bravely admitted it was a miracle he was still alive. I do know that today, my friend Craig is a triathlete champion and a coach. I do know that Craig credits Christ as the conduit for this transformation; and that witnessing Craig tell his miraculous story gave me hope. It gave me hope for all of the people I know who are struggling with the Holy Saturday darkness of food, alcohol, and shopping addictions. I have retold Craig's story to others whom I know are struggling.

Many of you know that less than two weeks ago my dear, sweet, beautiful, faithful mother died. I have recounted the details of her passing many times to those who would listen. In her obituary we mentioned that some of her last words which were, "Tell people I am not afraid." A part of my need to recount the story of mom's last days is in service to my grief--we need to tell our stories to help process them. And some of the retelling is to provide hope, because she was graced with a peaceful death confident in the hope of the resurrection. I know for many of us that is not what has happened with our loved ones. And if that is your story, I am so sorry and I pray for healing for you and trust and believe the healing has already happened for your loved one who is now held in the depths of God's love. I have found hope as I face the reality of my own mortality and that of every person I love, in the many beautiful words I have heard by the bedside of those who were transitioning from this life to the next. In the veil of that thin space, new life shimmers.

In today's Gospel reading, after Mary Magdalene, JoAnna, and Mary the Mother of James encounter the empty tomb with fear, they leave with joy and hope, and then they run to tell the resurrection story to the other disciples. Today, we are still telling that story and countless lives have been transformed in the telling and the hearing. Part of our mission as Easter people, as Christ-followers, Christ-bearers, is to tell our resurrection stories.

Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+



Question for Self-Reflection:

What is/are your resurrection story(ies)? Are you in need of a resurrection story?

If so, who might you reach out to and ask them to share?

The Great Commission – April 4

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 146, 147; PM Psalm 148, 149
Exod. 13:3-10; 1 Cor. 15:41-50; Matt. 28:16-20 

Following the joyous celebration of Easter, the clergy and staff at Saint Stephen’s took a few days of rest and paused daily reflections earlier this week. We now will resume our posts and appreciate that you join us in study of Holy Scripture, prayer, and reflection.

The retelling of Jesus’ life and ministry through Matthew’s gospel ends with Jesus saying to his friends, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” I am touched by the promise of faithfulness and closeness. The promise of presence is reassuring, when that one who remains is a source of stillness and healing and nourishing and unbounded love. That is what made letting go of Jesus so painful to his disciples.

Perhaps you have lost a dear one in your life – someone who radiated positive energy and light. If so, you know that chasm of longing that gapes open in your chest. The tears and the fears that swirl in a perpetual storm of loss. And you feel stuck. Or frozen. I have been there, and it is so hard. Jesus says to each of us, “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus is with us. Jesus knows that loss is hard. He knows the deep feelings of disappointment, separation, and longing. And he knows that loss is not the last thing. You see, his message of proximity is more powerful than simply an “I will abide with you” promise. He tells them how to keep living in faithfulness.

Jesus appears to the eleven remaining disciples on the mountain and gives them what is called the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). They all worship him, and Matthew tells us that some have doubts. Nevertheless, Jesus begins with a statement of power: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” If anyone else were to say those words, they would be met by cries of, “Blasphemer! Blasphemer!” We know of the works of Jesus of Nazareth and the holy truth he brought forth in his ministry.

With this opening, Jesus undergirds the heart of the Great Commission, issued to those who have deep faith and those who have little: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” He commands them to go tell others of their experiences. Tell others what they have seen and heard and tasted and felt. The disciples are to do this through baptism and through teaching them to obey everything Jesus told them to do. Through water and word, there is new life. There is hope and renewal.

And Jesus closes with that promise of remaining near: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The resurrection hope delivered to us by Jesus is powerful because it is deeply woven into the threads of love and loss. It is powerful because it is a reminder that the pain of death is not futile. Resurrection hope transforms loss from devastation to a space of potential that is not yet understood or realized. And it is not simple, or meant to diminish the reality and gravity of grief.

Why else would Jesus make the promise to remain with us? Because he knew the work of talking of our loss through the lens of faith and belief in God is taxing. It is vulnerable. It is dangerous. It is incredibly hard. It empties us out…so that the salvific love of God will lift us up, building us with strength upon strength.

Resurrection hope is no easy task or immediate fix. Take courage in the light of Easter joy. You are not alone. Keep leaning on Jesus as you tell your stories of faith. And shine on, friends.

In the joy of the Risen Christ,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Reread the Great Commission slowly (Matthew 28:16-20). Listen for what words resonate with you. Listen for the ones that trip you up. Where do you feel God calling you to pay attention? How is the Easter hope of Jesus' resurrection real to you in these words?

Jesus finds himself hungry - March 25

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 51:1-18(19-20); PM Psalm 69:1-23; Lam. 1:1-2,6-12; 2 Cor. 1:1-7; Mark 11:12-25

I find myself drawn to the first line of today’s Gospel, “On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.” This line immediately follows the passage we heard in church on Sunday where Jesus enters Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.  In the previous verses, Jesus is greeted by swarms of people who have placed cloaks on the ground and cut branches of palms to be placed on the street. They are shouting “Hosanna in the highest!”

Almost anytime our church (and many others and especially in the south) gathers, food seems to be at the center of our gathering. Children rush from the doors on Sunday mornings to see if there are snacks in the gathering space. Our staff usually shares a meal or two each week. Meals on Wednesday nights, Sunday evenings or Newcomer gatherings are critical ways to engage our community in fellowship.  Potlucks seem to be synonymous with church gatherings. 

Maybe this is why I am surprised that Jesus is hungry. He has been surrounded by followers and I’m interested to know, where are the leftovers?  Obviously, this passage is about the fig tree and Jesus’ hunger is an entry point into the parable.  However, it also draws an awareness of a spiritual truth that I am beginning to discover.

That spiritual truth is worship begets more spiritual growth.  My hope for you is that this Holy Week, as you journey with your congregations in worship, the journey will only make you hungrier to know God and to love God.  My prayer is that it leads you to a deeper faith and desire to find growth opportunities, service opportunities, and opportunities to share the love of God.  May we be hungry too.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  When have you felt hungry for the love of God?  How did you satisfy that hunger?

Open the Eyes of My Heart – March 13

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144
Gen. 50:15-26; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Mark 8:11-26

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:3) He was ensuring that the new church knew what truth in God’s word looked like.

There are two big statements Paul rolled into a tight space. First, those speaking on behalf of God – with the power of the Holy Spirit – would not curse the Son. While we criticize ourselves and cut down one another, God does not curse God’s self. Jesus, in a dispute with the Pharisees, said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” (Matthew 12:25b) In his bid to become a U.S. Senator, Abraham Lincoln used those familiar words in his address to the Illinois Republican State Convention in Springfield on June 16, 1858. As he saw it, the division between people living in liberty and those subjected to slavery was no longer tenable. He anticipated the nation would become all for it or all against it.

Over and again, division is disorienting. We forget who we are and whose we are. That separation hangs over us like a sticky gauze of suffocation and sadness. We hurt one another. This is not a new story, is it? Thankfully, it is not the only narrative at play.

The second statement the apostle Paul offered what the Holy Spirit does do. When someone’s eyes are opened to see the truth of Jesus, the Divine is at work in them to see more clearly and understand more fully. It is not unlike the way that Jesus healed the blind man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-25). Jesus took the blind man by the hand and put saliva on his eyes and asked, “Can you see anything?” The man could see faintly, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” So, Jesus laid his hands on the man’s eyes again. The man looked and his sight was clear. Jesus opened the eyes of that man – and opened the eyes of his heart to see everything clearly.

What are we to do with the division of the world? What are we to do with our blindness? God reminds us, over and again, to dare to trust the power of the Divine that binds us together in the midst of chaos and disruption. And when there are divides that are bridged, let us be bold enough to name that the power of the Holy Spirit is bringing fusion and connection. The healing grace of God is growing in those spaces where hunger is being banished, where injustice is being exposed, and vindictive words fall aside to prayer and kindness.

When we can tell these stories of hope and reconciliation, we are professing our faith. When we offer these experiences, the apostle Paul said that our words are fueled and our eyes are opened by God’s power moving within us. Our testimonies are God-filled.

As I wrap up this morning’s reflection, I leave you with the song that has been running through my mind as I wrote today, “Open the Eyes of My Heart”. The lyrics are simple and repetitive. They are an invocation to prepare for prayer, worship, and all that the day holds for you and me.

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
I want to see you
I want to see you.

To see you high and lifted up
Shining in the light of your glory
Pour out your power and love
As we sing “Holy, Holy, Holy”.

Ask God to send the Holy Spirit to open your awareness to the Divine Presence this day. And may this day feel like the gift that it is.

My prayers are with you this Lent,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Before you pray this week, sit in silence and ask God to open the eyes of your heart so that you can see and understand the space of the Divine.

Words upon Our Hearts – March 20

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130
Exod. 7:8-24; 2 Cor. 2:14-3:6; Mark 10:1-16

When I was a third or fourth grader, I had to memorize a poem for an English project. We had a Golden Book version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poetry that Mom would read to my sisters and me from time to time. This project had parameters that exceeded the resources we readily had at home. So, my mom went to Bog Sted, the local bookstore in Cloverdale, and bought a book titled “Piping Down the Valleys Wild”. This compilation was for adults and children alike, as a primer to expose readers to the who’s who of poetry.

There was surely gnashing of teeth in the deliberation process to select a poem. I dragged my feet. My mom reminded me of the deadline, as the assignment was more than a show-and-tell exercise. Memorization and recitation were the other pieces of this. In the end, I chose “Sea Fever” by British poet laureate John Masefield. Even now, 40 years later, the words of that poem are exhilarating to me:

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and the grey dawn breaking…

I learned then, and it is true for me now, that memorization is not easy for me. I can hold the spirit of something within me. Repeating verbatim is excruciating…for I doubt myself and fear I will get something wrong. And yet, I can hear the words of “Sea Fever” in my head. I recall my mom’s voice reciting them and coaching me along. Those words are some of the many phrases written clearly on my heart and gently etched in my memory. Do you have creative works indelibly marked upon your essence?

I was taken back to this long memory as I read the epistle appointed for this morning, an excerpt of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. He pens this note to the church in Corinth to ensure they are following the guidance of those who truly follow the mission and ministry of Jesus. As he positions himself as a source of authenticity, he rhetorically asks if he needs letters of recommendation to lend him credence. And then he says this: “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (3:2-3)

When I read these words this morning, I think about the words of the prophet Jeremiah we heard in worship on Sunday from our Old Testament lesson:

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

I love the line: “I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Friends, we keep reading and studying Holy Scripture so that God’s word will be written upon our hearts. We will live out the words of God’s love. We will do more than say the prescriptions. We will act and speak and become people of sincerity, “sent from God and standing in his presence” (2 Cor 2:17). It is a big job, I know. And that is why we study and pray and wrestle with our faith. It does not come easily. As the apostle Paul reminds us, we are not competent in ourselves to accomplish this. “Our competence is from God who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (5b-6)

My prayers are with you this Lent,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

What are the words that sit as indelible marks upon your soul? What other words do you wish to be added? As you read the Bible, make note of the words that you want to keep on the tip of your tongue. Write them down on slips of paper. Keep them in your pocket. Put them under your pillow. Let those words shape your prayers with God this week.

Holy Disability - March 18

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35; Exod. 4:10-20(21-26)27-31; 1 Cor. 14:1-19; Mark 9:30-41

But Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

The opening line of our Old Testament reading this morning points to Moses’s own understanding of his leadership capacity. Moses has reservations about his ability to lead God’s people. He has been called by God to lead his people and yet has concerns about his limitations. Other translations say he had “impeded speech.” Many see this as Moses naming his own disability.

In an article I read from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, professor Sarah Wolf arrives at the conclusion that “being created in God’s image then does not mean that humans are endowed with some kind of divine perfection, but rather that humans are granted both abilities and disabilities, and that this mirrors something essential about the divine as well.” Wolf further argues that this is a “powerful way to conceptualize a God who gave the Torah through a revelation that was incomplete and in need of human interpretation.” To be Godly is to have power and limitations. For Wolf, “a prophet with a speech impediment is not a person with a flaw to be overcome, but rather the truest representation of the divine voice.”

If I am honest with you all, I mostly try to mask my flaws or limitations of which there are many.  In human systems, when we are competing with others, we look to expose the perceived weaknesses of others. This passage could be seen as a passage on leadership, that part of what Moses is required to do is embrace his limitations by inviting his brother Aaron to help him in shepherding God’s people. And God’s lifting Moses up as the one to lead God’s people through slavery into freedom is such a powerful reminder that God does not require us to be perfect, but instead requires us to be faithful. 

We all have limitations and great gifts, disabilities and abilities, and these are all a part of who God has created us to be. May we embrace the gift of our sacred humanity and embrace it in others too. 

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What limitations do you try to mask?  What imperfections do you struggle to see as part of who God has created?

Humble Access - March 11

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 89:1-18; PM Psalm 89:19-52; Gen. 49:1-28; 1 Cor. 10:14-11:1; Mark 7:24-37

 I’ve always struggled with this Gospel text.  I can remember the first time I read this text as a Deacon, proclaiming it from the center of my congregation on a Sunday shortly after being ordained.  The Syrophoenician woman seems to be compared to a dog who eats up the crumbs under the table, and she seems to embrace this role.  It was hard to read.  I don’t remember the sermon I preached but I do remember my discomfort with the text. 

Last week, I went to visit some old friends to share in Holy Communion in their home as hospice care was being called in.  It felt right to do Holy Eucharist, Rite I, a prayer with the origins from the 1928 Prayer Book. These are the prayers with the old language which has not been a practice at Saint Stephen’s.  It has been several years since I have used this language in worship.

After the Eucharistic Prayer and before the distribution of communion, there is a prayer that can be recited called the Prayer of Humble Access. We read it together, with one friend reciting it from memory.

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen. (page 337)

It's a beautiful prayer, and I’m grateful for the prayer to remind me of the mercy of God and the humility we are called to have, and it helps me to read our Gospel text today.  This prayer is how I make sense of our Gospel text.  Sometimes prayer can help us sit with what isn’t comfortable, and I’m grateful for the Prayer of Humble Access.  What prayer do you need to sit with the readings that you find challenging? Is there scripture you struggle with?

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What scriptures have you struggled with over time?  How have you become more comfortable with those scriptures? 

Do not quarrel along the way – March 6, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82
Gen. 45:16-28; 1 Cor. 8:1-13; Mark 6:13-29

Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, had a complex family dynamic. If you remember the way the story is told in Genesis 35, Jacob had children by several different women including Leah and Rachel, and their handmaidens Zilpah and Bilhah. There were twelve sons in all, and one named daughter, Dinah. That must have been a lot to manage.

As I write, I hear my two children bickering about access to their shared bathroom and that someone needs to mind their own business and apologize. I am pretty sure someone shoved someone else. The quarreling can get out of hand, and some mornings it is a lot to manage.

Today in Genesis 45, we read a slice of interaction among Joseph and his brothers, as he equipped them to travel from Egypt to gather their father Jacob in Canaan. He gave them provisions for the journey – “good things of Egypt” and grain, bread, garments, and more. As the reunited brothers set out on their trek, Joseph said to them, “Do not quarrel along the way.”

We do not get to read the details of conversations along the sojourn. We do not know if there was bickering or nattering. Or if someone spoke cross words in resentment for something done or left undone. Here’s what is for sure: tensions naturally happen within all relationships. When we are agitated, we are not at our best. This reminds me of the collect we pray this week for the third Sunday in Lent (found on page 218 in the Book of Common Prayer) which starts, “Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves…”

Does this ring true with you? If so, lean on God and pray along with me for help in the ways we care for ourselves – inside and out:

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

My prayers are with you this Lent,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

When quarrels happen in your relationships, what is your role? What tensions are you avoiding today? Which ones are worth the conversation?

Before engaging in an interaction that could be trying, take a deep breath. Sit with God in prayer. Ask that the Holy Spirit gives you courage to speak truth in love and wisdom to listen well.

Listen to learn – February 28, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73-96
Gen. 42:18-28; 1 Cor. 5:9-6:8; Mark 4:1-20

Last night, my family and I caught up on the latest episode of “Young Sheldon”, a CBS sitcom that tracks the upbringing of a little boy of impressive intellect in an east Texas town. In this final season of the show, Sheldon is an early teen studying string theory abroad in Germany for the summer, while accompanied by his mom. The boy is accustomed to having all the right answers and schooling his professors, pointing out quandaries and pointing to his own genius. In this new pod of classmates, the baseline of understanding is far superior to what Sheldon expects. This young man’s eyes are opened to the truth: he still has a lot to learn. It is not an easy space for him. He is urged to learn in a new way: to stop speaking and simply listen. Listen to the professor. Listen to his classmates. Listen.

This morning, I sit with Jesus’ parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20) and read about the seeds generously imparted upon the ground. They are tiny gifts of growth potential that cannot be received on terrain that is unsafe, rocky, packed down, cluttered, or bone-dry. The seeds bounce off, dry up, get consumed by winged creatures and bugs, or get choked out. None of these can take root to the point of bringing nourishment. The failed grounds do not receive the gift of the sown seeds. By contrast, the good soil embraces the seeds and becomes a space where grain grows tall and yields much harvest.

How does Jesus begin this teaching? With the word LISTEN! How does Jesus end this teaching? “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” The word of God is offered to the curious and hungering crowd, yet it is hard for the message to be received. Or perceived. Or understood. Or acted upon. Often it takes outside assessment from a skilled teacher to raise our awareness to name or accept a truth in ourselves.

There is much for us to learn in life and in this season of Lent. Continue studying holy scripture. Keep a sage guide nearby. Check in honestly. And listen.

My prayers are with you this Lent,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Pay attention to threshold moments this week. Make note. Journal about where God is in this space. Sit in silence. Pray prayers of mourning, gratitude, guidance, or healing. Ask someone about their threshold realizations and share this holy space.

"He went Home." - February 26

Today's Readings: AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; PM Psalm 64, 65; Gen. 41:46-57; 1 Cor. 4:8-20(21); Mark 3:7-19a

“Then he went home.”

What an odd way to end a Bible passage. Jesus had just called all of his disciples, even giving one disciple, the name, “Sons of Thunder.” How is that for cool? “Then he went home.” It’s anticlimactic, at least for the time being. No jubilant cheers. No victory lap. No celebratory party or special prize. Jesus has just selected the disciples, arguably the most important assembly of teams in the history of humankind. “Then he went home.”  

Maybe I’m struck by the ordinariness of Jesus’ action or it how it gives us a window into the humanity of Jesus and his followers. They worked. And they had long days where they had to go home and hang it all up until the next day or the following week. Even Jesus couldn’t accomplish it all without rest or balance. 

Lent is a good reminder of our limitations. Fasting and self-denial are spiritual disciplines appropriate for Lent precisely to help us embrace our limitations because we need to. 

What is yours to let go of this Lent? What is yours to hang up and be finished with, even without the big congratulatory victory lap? What is yours to close the book to and be done? To return home?

Faithfully,

John+

A Temple For the Holy Spirit--February 23, 2024

Today’s Readings

Friday

AM Psalm 40, 54; Gen. 40:1-23; 1 Cor. 3:16-23; Mark 2:13-22

"...do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you..."

1 Corinthians 3:16

In the Rhythm of Life that some of us are completing this Lent, there is section that addresses the physical aspects of our lives. The booklet says, "Jesus chose to become incarnate in a human body, sanctifying all of creation.

How would we treat our own and others' bodies if we honored the sanctity of each and every one of us? We each have unique bodies and abilities--all beautifully and wonderfully made. The messages we were given about our bodies when we were growing up from our parents, the culture around us, even our faith communities, greatly impacts our sense of our bodies. Too much focus on our body can become a source of vanity or pride; too little or even lack of caring for our bodies a source of dishonoring the gift of life from God."

One of the intentions with the Rhythm of Life initiative is for us to choose at least one area in our life where we prayerfully commit to a certain practice or practices that will enhance our well-being and our connection to God. Below are some questions for you to ponder about physical well-being. If you desire a conversation about the Rhythm of Life or your Lenten practice, please reach out and I or someone to whom I can refer you, will be grateful to ponder with you. I pray you continue to have a most Holy Lent.



Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+

Questions for Self-Reflection from Rhythm of Life Booklet

What messages were you give when growing up about your body? Sexuality?

How do you, or will you, regularly care for your body? Exercise? Nutrition? Rest?

Is there a believe about your body that is harmful to your well-being? If so, what support might be helpful to heal this pain in your life? How do you practice care of the body of creation--earth, our planetary home?

Realizing change has come – February 21

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]
Gen. 37:25-36; 1 Cor. 2:1-13; Mark 1:29-45

Yesterday I grabbed a bite to eat at the local Chick-Fil-A, since the lunch I prepared for myself was safely stowed in the refrigerator at home. As I sat in quiet for a few minutes before the bustling afternoon and evening ahead, I observed two moms with young kids near the enclosed playroom. One of the little girls was singing loudly for all in the restaurant to hear: “For the first time in forever…for the first time in forever…for the first time in forever…nothing’s in my hair!”

I recognized the tune and chuckled, though I could not see the face of the child belting out lyrics to the 2013 Disney film “Frozen”. (And for those wondering, the final line of that song is actually, “Nothing’s in my way!”)

Sam and I spent many hours seeking a tiny break while our kids (now 12 and 8) worked out energy on a cold day in these indoor jungle gyms. Sitting there, I felt that I was crossing a threshold. No longer do I intentionally seek out a space like this and wait for my kids in the tiny play place, watching their little hands pressing on the glass door at 28 inches above the floor. There is some sadness in this realization. And freedom. And gratitude. Perhaps many of you reading this have already passed this mile marker on the wayfarers’ route of parenting. You may have told others that these moments will come…the breaths of recognition when time is fleeting and the tenderness of today is passing away, yet still tangled up with never-ending struggles. It is in these moments of clarity that we each can savor the breaks between the crashing waves.

In the Old Testament reading for today, we catch a snippet of the saga surrounding Joseph and the tension with his brothers, who plot to sell him into slavery as they seek in jealousy to remove him from their family (Genesis 37:25-36). The brothers bring a tattered robe dipped in goat’s blood to their father Jacob, who cries out that his beloved son Joseph must have perished in an animal attack. He mourned the loss of his son deeply. We know how this story ends – with Joseph rising in the ranks of Pharaoh’s inner circle. With his brothers humbly seeking aid in a famine. With God’s grace and reconciling love reconnecting Jacob with his son Joseph and the other sons. But in this moment, we find Jacob sitting at a threshold, realizing that the love and joy of the past is now changed. His realization is profoundly painful – and infinitely more extreme than a mundane a-ha at a local fast-food establishment in 2024.

Regardless of the magnitude of threshold, the stories of our Bible and the stories of our lives in faith reiterate for us that God is in each movement and breath. How grand and how precious it is to behold this reality. We are never far from God, and yet we are often far from comprehending God. Perhaps we each need reminders of this today, for there are times when God feels so far from us.

In Kate Bowler’s Lenten reflection for today, she offers this blessing…and I pass it along to you:

God of all that we hardly notice,

ruler of the ground under our feet

and the sky stretched over our heads.

Send your spirit to direct our steps and our thoughts

as we stumble around this day and night.

My prayers are with you this Lent,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Pay attention to threshold moments this week. Make note. Journal about where God is in this space. Sit in silence. Pray prayers of mourning, gratitude, guidance, or healing. Ask someone about their threshold realizations and share this holy space.