6th Sunday of Easter

6 Easter Day/Year C Sermon/May 25, 2025 Acts of the Apostles 16:9-15; Psalm 67; John 14:23-29 (Written by Rev Julie Platson)

Opening Prayer (Feasting on the Word Worship Companion)

Living God, you sent your apostle to preach the gospel to women gathered by a river, in a secluded place of prayer. There a businesswomen named Lydia was led by the Spirit to hear your word as truth. You opened her heart in love, and she opened her home for the spreading of the gospel. By the power of your Holy Spirit, fling wide the doors of our hearts this day, as we hear your word of life, that we too may open our lives to serve your world in love; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

The words in today’s gospel reading, are a healing balm for the soul.

A healing balm…that is available to all of us, as we learn to trust in Jesus’ promise of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, that would be sent after his leaving…a promise of the Holy Spirit to remind us of all that we have heard and learned from him…A promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us…to help us know and believe and trust…that God is always with us…the peace of Christ that the world cannot give, will always be with us…

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

In today’s gospel, Jesus is lovingly acknowledging and validating the disciples’ confusion, fears, and sorrow, as he has been preparing them for the time he would be leaving them, preparing them for the events that will be leading up to his death on the cross…preparing them for the news of his resurrection that would take place three days after his death…preparing them for the time that he must leave, so that the Holy Spirit, the Advocate could be sent, to deepen theirs (and our) relationship with him, and help us to be the hands and feet of Jesus now, bringing hope and peace and love as a healing balm to a hurting, broken, divided world.

Jesus’ words today about going away, are not meant to add more anxiety to our lives. They are an opportunity for us, to hold fast to the word of truth that Jesus has made known to us in the scriptures. To learn to trust, that all Jesus has been teaching us, showing us…has given us a pathway to healing and reconciliation with God, and one another. His teachings, and promises made to us, have revealed the love of God, the peace of God that surpasses all of our “logical” understanding…

We learn to trust in those promises and the call to walk in the way of love we have been shown through a lifetime of practice…by spending time alone and together with others, in prayer, listening for the Word of God spoken to us in the scriptures (through the power of the Holy Spirit), getting to know Jesus and the peace he can give that’s different from the peace the world gives, getting to know Jesus and the love he has shown us, that is often different than what the world teaches us, getting to know Jesus and the ways he has taught us to reach out and care for the most vulnerable, those on the margins, those who the world sometimes tells us…to exclude, instead of the radical welcome of God that says all people are worthy to be loved and cared for…and as our baptismal covenant reminds us of a few of Jesus’ core teachings…we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, and we are called to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being…

All of this is possible, with God’s help, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, to teach us, guide us, empower us, and strengthen us to show us the way, here and now, in this time, and in this place.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Believing in Jesus’ words and his presence among us, in life and in death, can be a healing balm for us now that has the power to bring comfort and peace and hope in the midst of all our fears, confusion, and sorrows that come with being alive in this world. They are a healing balm for our souls that can strengthen us to do whatever we can, wherever we are, whenever we can, to bring hope and peace and love to as many people as we can, for as long as we ever can…

My prayer for all of us today, is that the Holy Spirit will fling wide the doors of our hearts, transforming us by the living word of life proclaimed to us in the hearing of today’s scriptures… so that we too, like Lydia, may open our lives and our hearts to serve God’s world in love.

Closing Prayer/Hymn: (H) 505 - O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God

1       O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God,

         in every need thou bringest aid;

         thou comest forth from God’s great throne,

         from God, the Father and the Son;

         O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God.

2       O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God,

         increase our faith in our dear Lord;

         unless thy grace the power should give,

         none can believe in Christ and live;

         O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God.

3       O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God,

         make us to love thy sacred word;

         the holy flame of love impart,

         that charity may warm each heart;

         O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God.

4       O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God,

         enlighten us by that same word;

         teach us to know the Father’s love,

         and his dear Son, who reigns above;

         O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God.

5 Easter Sermon

Easter 5/Year C/May 18, 2025

(Written by Chip Camden)

Readings: Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35

The Gospel of John presents some challenges for Biblical interpretation.  It differs greatly from the other three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke -- which are called "synoptic" because they "see together", often in contrast with the account in John.  Many important events in the synoptic gospels (for example, the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper) are missing in John.  Conversely, some of the most powerful moments in the Gospel of John (washing the disciples' feet and the raising of Lazarus, for example) occur only in John.  John makes a much stronger case for Christ's divinity than anything that can be gleaned from the synoptic gospels.

John also gives us lengthy speeches from the mouth of Jesus.  Because there were no quotation marks in ancient Greek, it can sometimes be difficult to tell where Jesus' speech ends and John's commentary begins, but perhaps that distinction wasn't of as much importance to the author as the content of the message.  That content, however, can often seem inscrutable.  Any logical thread quickly becomes tangled or leads to some unexpected terminus.  The Jesus of John's gospel seems to use words much like Jackson Pollock used paints.  His monologues appear especially crafted to challenge and confuse, and John often records that kind of response from Jesus' auditors: "How can these things be?" (John 3:9) "This is a hard saying, who can listen to it?" (John 6:60) "Now we know that you have a demon." (John 8:52)

Nevertheless, many of Jesus's sayings that are unique to John strike such a deep chord of truth that they have become definitive of Christian consciousness: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16), "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), "I am the vine, you are the branches" (John 15:5), "It is finished" (John 19:30).

In today's gospel lesson, the scene is the Last Supper.  Judas has just departed to carry out his betrayal of Jesus.  Jesus says, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

If we read further, we find that Peter, at least, was again confused by what Jesus has said.  He asks where Jesus is going, and why he can't follow him. Jesus replies, in effect, that Peter isn't ready for that -- yet.  But Peter seems to have ignored the more difficult point in what Jesus said: that they should love each other as Jesus has loved them.

This phrase "as I have loved you" interests me.  We might have expected present tense (“as I love you”) or at least continuing action, in the verb "love" (which is the Greek agapao αγαπαω).  But John uses the aorist tense here, which usually indicates a past action at a specific point in time -- thus it is translated "have loved".  This probably refers to Christ's incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection, which within the narrative hasn't been completed yet, but for the readers of the gospel would be the defining act of Christ's love.  This is made clear in the Johannine epistles, which were written by the same author or group of authors. "By this God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atonement for our sins.  Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another." (I John 4:9-11)

Perhaps the greatest truth that Christianity offers the world is the realization that the limitless, all-powerful God has such a limitless love that this God enters deeply into our experience, suffers everything that we suffer, and ultimately redeems it all.

What does it mean, then, for us to love each other in the same way?

Sacrificial love means that nothing is more important than caring for each other.  It means setting aside selfish goals when they get in the way of helping others.  And even that must not be done in order to "check a box" or accrue brownie points -- it must proceed from genuinely loving our neighbors as ourselves. It means seeing others’ wrongdoing not as an offence that needs to be punished, but rather as a sickness that needs healing.  It means that we do not measure another's worth by the number of dollars they can put under their name, or the family they come from, or the talents they display, or even the good work they've done, but rather by the fact that they are fellow children of God, no matter how messed up their lives have become.  It means having the humility to see that we are no better than anyone else, and that God loves us as we are.  It means believing and desiring that all can be redeemed.

This kind of love is in direct conflict with the individualist materialism that we are taught from a young age in this world, so we need grace to unlearn those lessons and to grow in love.  As Jesus says in another passage from John's gospel, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

4 Easter Sermon Reflection

4 Easter Day/Year C Sermon/May 11, 2025 Acts of the Apostles 9:36-43; Psalm 23; John 10:22-30 (Rev Julie Platson)

Opening Prayer (Collect of the Day  - 4 Easter)

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today’s gospel reading always makes for a good discussion…There’s always the questions and concerns about how we hear God’s voice…some say...that they haven’t actually heard their name spoken….some say, they don’t know if they’ve  ever heard God’s call in a clear and audible way…some ask…how do we know it’s the Good Shepherd calling our name…how do we know whose voice it is we hear and not our own thoughts and ideas speaking to us?

When we get to the end of the discussion…there is never one clear answer…it seems as though the Lord call us each by name…in a variety of ways…but it is the one voice that is behind the call that we strive to discern…Jesus said… “The Father and I are one.”

Several years ago, in a book study during Lent, one of the participants shared a video with us, with a shepherd calling his sheep….we could hear him calling them…but it seemed like quite awhile before they started coming…but little by little they came running to the shepherd…a few of them…then masses of them…

I couldn’t help but wonder…if there were other shepherds not too far off, who were also calling for their flock…how would the sheep know which voice to follow?

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”

The Jewish authorities gathered around Jesus in today’s gospel reading said to Jesus, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you and you do not believe.”

“I have told you, plainly”…I imagine Jesus saying to them…

Just last week, in our gospel reading…Jesus asked Simon (Peter) – three times…

"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

And each time, Simon (Peter) answered him…"Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

Jesus responded to Simon (Peter) three times, plainly…

"Feed my lambs."

"Tend my sheep."

"Feed my sheep.”

I would say, that’s speaking pretty plainly…

Sometimes, we have a way of complicating things pretty well. Someone could be standing right in front of us, telling us and showing us something…yet we still don’t “hear” what is being said. It doesn’t sound familiar, it doesn’t make logical sense, it’s not what we’ve known before….so we don’t “hear” what’s being said.

The Good Shepherd’s voice is not always “heard” with our ears…or understood through “seeing”. It goes much deeper than that.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”

We’ve heard similar words before…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

We have a Good Shepherd among us, always…His Name is Jesus…and He calls us each by name…

The Good Shepherd’s voice is a voice that dwells within us…When we make it a daily practice to quiet ourselves long enough, to just “be” in His presence and listen for the voice who speaks to us…we will begin to recognize it, and hear his call to rise up and follow where he is wanting to lead us…

Therein, lies the challenge these days...how do we quiet ourselves…how do we open our ears, our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to hear what the Spirit is saying to us…How do we get past all the distractions?... the worries, the concerns, the unbelief, the busyness of daily life…

How do we get past all the beautiful distractions in Sitka?… the mountains, the trails, the ocean, the fishing, the birds, the animals, the beauty of the night skies and the long days of sunlight…We can get pulled in so many directions…

But are these really distractions?…or perhaps in those distractions…the troubling ones and the beautiful ones, nestled deeply within…the voice of the Good Shepherd is calling out…

The sea calls out to many… there are those whose fishing work provides food for many of us, whose work provides food for those children in the schools, who perhaps have only one meal that day...could that be the voice of the Good Shepherd calling out: "Feed my lambs." Take care of the young ones, and the vulnerable, among you.

The trails and the wooded areas that surround us in Sitka, beckon many to walk among the trees, the birds, and the animals… could that be the voice of the Good Shepherd calling out: "Tend my sheep." Take care of this beautiful creation…take care of one another…

The music that is played and sung throughout the year here, in a variety of forms, with a variety of instruments, and with a variety of voices…brings abundant joy, and often healing, and peace of mind and heart…could that be the voice of the Good Shepherd calling out: "Feed my sheep." Love one another, be hope-bearers, joy-bringers…

Jesus is the Good Shepherd...do you hear him calling? Will you rise up and follow him, and go wherever he leads you?

All we need in this life can be found in following him and trusting him to show us the way of walking in love with one another…the Lord, who is our Shepherd…

He will lead us to a place of rest and quiet, when the day feels too full…

He will revive our souls, gives us hope again, and guide us in the way we should go…

He will walk with us through the hills and valleys, he will keep us safe, he will comfort us in times of trials and fear…

He has prepared a special place for all of us, at the feast…with overflowing abundance…

And surely His goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Amen.

Prayer/Music after sermon: “You Hear the Lambs a-Cryin” (LEVAS II - #110)

You hear the lambs a-cryin’ hear the lambs a-cryin’,

 hear the lambs a-cryin’ O Shepherd, feed my sheep.

1 My Savior spoke these words so sweet,

O Shepherd, feed my sheep.

Sayin (Simon) Peter, if you love me, feed my sheep."

O Shepherd, feed my sheep.   Refrain

2 O Lord, I love thee, thou dost know;

 O Shepherd, feed my sheep.

 O give me grace to love thee more.

O Shepherd, feed my sheep.  Refrain

3 Easter Sermon Reflection

3 Easter Day/Year C Sermon/May 4, 2025

Acts of the Apostles 9:1-20; Psalm 30; John 21: 1-19

(Rev Julie Platson)

Opening Prayer (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

Living Lord, you meet us in unexpected places and surprise us with the abundance of your love. Feed us by your Word always, fill us with your Spirit so that we may follow you this day, and always; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. Amen.

I wonder at what point we would not be “surprised” by Jesus’ abundant love and meeting us in unexpected places?

I mean surprises can be good and wonderful…and I’m grateful for those times, when I get a glimpse of those moments when he does show up…just at that time I was wondering…How long, Lord…how long must your people suffer, endure hardship, face times of unrelenting, real fears…How many nights, Lord, must your people spend weeping, before joy visits them in the morning…How long, Lord will it be…until all your people are restored to life, and filled with the joy of your loving presence that can always be found in the everyday, expected places and circumstances of our lives…

The scripture readings today, give us some stories about people being surprised and transformed in seeing and experiencing the presence of Jesus…people being surprised that he shows up and meets them where they are…in the midst of their denials, persecution of others, in the midst of their grief, and wondering what to do next…

And Jesus says and does, what he’s been telling them, all along… “Follow me”… he’s not really telling them anything new today…he’s meeting them where they are today…walking along the road, fishing… and using words and stories and actions to help open the “eyes of their faith”…in the midst of their familiar places…Perhaps hoping that this time…they will really get it…that they will see and experience the abundance of God’s love in their ordinary, broken places of their lives…And that this love and its’ power to transform lives is not to be saved for special surprises now and then…or in unexpected places…

It's for every day… “Follow me”…says Jesus…I will show you the way…I will show you a way, when their seems as though there is no way…you might not see it right away…but stay with me…I have told you, I have shown you…and I’m here again right now…today…in the midst of all that is going on…

Sit here awhile with me…lets share a meal together…lets rest a while…

Let me begin again…Jesus says…

Following me…in walking the way of love looks like this:

Feed and tend to one another…the young and the old…care for one another in body and spirit; feed one another in body and spirit; be present to one another in body and spirit; encourage one another, in body and spirit; listen to the cries of the most vulnerable among us, in body and spirit; advocate for one another, in body and spirit…

Be assured, Jesus says, that following me…in walking the way of love means that I am there with you…all the time, all the time…ready to feed and tend to your body and spirit, as you in turn do the same for one another…

God’s way of love, as revealed to us in Christ Jesus…is for the body and spirit of all God’s people...It’s meant to be shared in all those places that seem so out of the ordinary…those unexpected places…

So, that one day…God’s kingdom will come here on earth, as it is in heaven…

So, that one day… all of God’s creation, all of God’s people are reconciled to one another and restored to life, and filled with the joy of the Lord’s loving presence that can always be found in the everyday, expected places and circumstances of our lives…

What small thing could you do this next week to bring that vision closer to fruition?

Prayer/Hymn: (LEVS) 157 – We Praise thee, O God – (v2 & 4)

2 We praise thee, O God,

For thy spirit of light,

Who has shown us our Savior,

And scattered our night.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! Amen,

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Revive us again.

4 Revive us again, Fill each heart with thy love,

May each soul be rekindled, With fire from above.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! Amen,

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Revive us again.

2 Easter Sermon Reflection

“If you were asked to choose from amongst all the people close to Jesus whom we’ve met along the way in our scripture readings, which one would you say you would most like to meet and get to know? Peter, our namesake? Mary, Jesus’s mother? Matthew, the tax collector? Joanna, wife of one of Herod’s stewards?Until last fall, I’d have a difficult time choosing between Bartimaeus, the blind man whose sight was restored, and the woman we know as Mary Magdelene. How many of us would say Thomas?”

Easter Day Sermon Reflection

Easter Day/Year C Sermon/April 20, 2025 Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Luke 24:1-12 (Rev Julie Platson)

Opening Prayer (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

Living God, by your Holy Spirit, open our eyes to see the new light of this day; open our lips to tell the story of the empty tomb; open our hearts to believe the good news; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We almost always hear the Resurrection story from the Gospel of John on Easter Sunday…but this year, I decided to go with Luke’s story….not that it is really much different (but it is a bit shorter)…and I’m guessing many of you, may not have noticed much…because, basically…just like the Christmas Nativity story we are all so familiar with…our Easter story is one that is equally familiar…

So, how do we listen to this familiar story year after year, and not allow our minds to go on “auto-pilot” while listening to it… What would it take for us to hear it, as if for the first time?

Well, for starters…we might acknowledge that we are creatures of habit…and many of us get stuck in routines, traditions, and leave no wiggle room for surprises…even the most adventurous people…probably still have some predictability about them…

Think about our work and school schedules over the years…alarms go off, coffee pot goes on, shower, maybe some breakfast, run out the door, take the same route to work or school every day, start at the same time, daily tasks are all about the same, end your work day or school day at the same time – time to head home after practices, or stop by the store to pick up a few incidentals for dinner, walk in the door, drop the bags in the kitchen, change clothes, do your homework, prepare dinner, sit and eat, then maybe relax a little bit...and start getting ready for bed…start thinking and preparing for tomorrow…set alarm and fall into bed…only to start all over again…8 or so hours later…

But think back again…was the day really all about routine and seemingly going about at the same pace? I’ll bet not…

Remember when… the coffee pot you set on the timer the night before, didn’t start, as planned… but instead, you got to enjoy the fresh aroma by being in the kitchen while it was brewing…or maybe you couldn’t have cereal for breakfast as you usually have…because you forgot to get the milk for the cereal the night before when you stopped at the store…but, instead, a family member steps up, and cooks up some eggs and pancakes for breakfast for the whole family to enjoy….

Chances are there were many times when you went to start the car, and it wouldn’t start…or …you had to shovel the driveway and scrape the ice off the car before you just run out the door and go off to work or school…But even while you muttering under your breath about shoveling and scraping ice…when you looked around at the newly blanketed landscape of winter snow…you were in awe of the breath-taking view on the mountain tops and in your own yard…and you even had a few extra moments to spare to build a snowman before school…I’m sure each of you could come up with more to add to these examples of those times, when your days, were anything but routine…days that were blessed, when amazing surprises interrupted your daily routine…

One of my favorite remembrances of a wonderful surprise that popped up in the midst of looking for something in the routine of usual places…was a time when I was preparing a funeral homily for someone back when I lived in Nevada. I was struggling to figure out what I would focus on to remember her that day…And, as I walked out of my house that morning, I came across the tiniest daffodil that I had ever seen, blooming in a small patch of dirt, in front of my home. I had never had any daffodils in my yard, ever…and I was so overwhelmed with awe, as to how this miracle of new life popped up in my yard, on this day. You see…this woman that I would be remembering in a few days...loved daffodils…and she lived on a 5 acre plot of land…that was splattered with daffodils every spring…they were her favorite flower…So this little tiny flower…was a reminder for me that God is a God of extraordinary surprises…and yet, at the same time, a reminder that God has always been with us in the daily routines of our lives…and is always trying to get our attention to remember, to remember the many stories and teachings of Jesus and God’s love, that we have heard so many times before…as we’ve gathered as a community of faith to listen to the scriptures, sing songs, pray together, break bread together, and celebrate in fellowship with one another…and then sent forth to go out into the world…to love and care for those in our communities…

Our gospel reading today begins in a way that would have been considered somewhat “routine” …or at least seemingly so...The woman in today’s gospel story were on their way to anoint Jesus’ body with spices - a task that was traditionally assigned to woman. After Jesus’ death on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea had been given permission by Pilate to take Jesus’ body and bury it in a new tomb. This all had happened so quickly, that the proper anointing and preparation for his burial had not been completed. This was one sign right here…that the usual routine was off track…

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body…

Not exactly what they were expecting…why was the stone rolled away? And where was the body? They had watched as Jesus was placed there just days before...They were expecting to find his body still there to anoint it with the spices they had prepared…they were expecting to be close to the one they had grown to love so much…and perhaps hoping to find some comfort in being with him again…

While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.

Who were these two men? What were they doing in the tomb? What had they done with Jesus? They weren’t supposed to be there. Only Jesus’ body was supposed to be there.

The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.

What? What are you talking about?

The light bulb comes on now….

And...Then they remembered his (Jesus’) words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.

They thought about it, ever so briefly….and yes…they remembered….and how nervously excited or perhaps surprised they must have been, and thinking...even for just a brief moment…wow…he really did rise from the dead….just like he said was going to happen…and they ran to tell the others…

Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

No break from the routine here…no surprise here…woman weren’t always regarded that well…and were probably thought to be over excited and misunderstanding what they thought they saw and heard...the apostles seemed to have just brushed them off…

But here comes a bit of a break in the routine….

Peter stuns them all…

But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Peter seemed to ever so slightly, perhaps, break out of the usual…perhaps pondered the woman’s words …and decided it was worth going to checkout for himself…and what he saw…amazed him…

And this amazing story is meant to be passed on…just as Peter went back home and told others, just as the woman told others…

The Easter story is an amazing one….because it breaks into the routine…it dares us to believe and to hope in something far beyond the usual, the commonplace, the every day trials and temptations that come with being human, and the heartbreaking surprises that impact all of our lives, and especially the most vulnerable peoples among us …

It dares us to believe in something/someone whom we can trust and be encouraged by, as we recall and remember the many stories we have heard throughout the years as proclaimed in the scriptures…stories of Jesus and his words, his teachings, his promises of hope, renewal, healing, reconciliation, peace, and joy that is open to all who desire to follow him, in walking the way of love with him, and one another…a a way of life that invites us to practice keeping our hearts and minds open to the abundance of signs and surprises of this life-transformative love that God is scattering every where we go….waiting for us to notice and respond not only with our lips, but in our lives… and as noted on the front page of the bulletin today, to keep our eyes and ears open to the extraordinary things that are always hiding in places people never think to look (Jodi Picoult)…

There is nothing routine or ordinary about the Good News of Easter…God is continually bringing new life out of death, new life into places in our hearts that have become numb to the suffering all around us and in us…God is breathing new life into every moment of each day…extraordinary, surprising, new life…waiting for us to discover, embrace and celebrate this joyful news and share it with those we meet along the way…

So, lets join together in singing a hymn to celebrate this joyful news…a hymn we sang on the night we celebrated the “good news of great joy” proclaimed by the angel about the birth of the promised One, Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection we celebrate on this joyful Easter Day…

Closing Prayer/Hymn: (H) 100 Joy to the World – (vs 1,2,4)

1 Joy to the world! the Lord is come: (RISEN)

let earth receive her King;

let every heart prepare him room,

and heaven and nature sing.

2 Joy to the world! the Savior reigns;

let us our songs employ,

while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,

repeat the sounding joy.

4 He rules the world with truth and grace,

and makes the nations prove

the glories of his righteousness,

and wonders of his love.

5 Lent - God is about to do a new thing

5 Lent/Year C Sermon/April 6, 2025

Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; John 12:1-8 

(written by Rev Julie Platson)

Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 126) written by Rev. Penny L. Lowe
Holy God, the world in which we live is as terrifying as it is wonderful. 
We need Jesus as much today as in times of old. 
Many sow in tears, and go out weeping. 
Replenish our lands, fill our hearts with gladness, restore our faith in you and each other, wipe away the tears of despair. 
As we gather today, we tilt an ear to listen close. 
Let the voice of your angel fill our minds with new understandings. 
We are waiting for you. Speak to us today. Amen. 

Every time we pause to read or listen to the scriptures, we have an opportunity to learn something new. Every time we pause to sing together, we have an opportunity to hear something new. Every time we pause to pray with one another, we have an opportunity to feel something new. Every time we pause to gather here in church, we have an opportunity to rejoice in seeing old friends and making new friends. Every time we pause to share a meal together, we have an opportunity to smell and taste something new.

Every time, we choose to pause…we make room in our hearts and in our minds…to hear the Good News of God’s extravagant love being poured out for us…we make room in our hearts and in our minds to hear God speaking to us today:

Thus says, the Lord, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

We are one week away, from the beginning of Holy Week…Jesus’ final week, of his earthly life…a journey that will lead to his death on the cross of Good Friday….But that new thing, he has been teaching his followers and all those who have been listening….is about to spring forth…on the third day…hold on to that vision…hold on to that hope…

Jesus has not shied away from telling his listeners and followers that the day was drawing close for the time of his death…the time in which the scriptures will be fulfilled in their hearing…through his death and resurrection.

 But no matter how many times he has tried to tell them that he would be leaving them, that they would not always have him with them… no matter how many miracles he performed, or no matter how many glorious signs he revealed to them that he is the one that they have been waiting for, the Messiah, the Savior of the world…many of his followers have still failed to grasp that this Savior, this Messiah, is about to endure a terrible death, he is about to sacrifice his own life, for the salvation of all God’s people…and set them free through the unconditional, sacrificial, extravagant love…that will be poured out for them and us, in the person of Jesus Christ….

This Savior, this Messiah, is about to do a new thing… hold on to that vision…hold on to that hope…

But, first…we must journey to the cross with him…we must face the truth of his death, so that we may rise with him, into a new life…

In today’s gospel reading…the truth of his impending death…seems to be drawing near…perhaps too close for some of those gathered for the dinner party.

Just think for a moment…it wasn’t too long ago, that we heard the story about Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus…all were grieving his death…people were coming to console Martha and Mary. We heard how deeply disturbed Jesus was from the news of Lazarus’ death and how He wept. We heard that Lazarus had been dead four days, so there was quite a stench. This story does end with good news with Jesus raising Lazarus to life again… unbinding him, and letting him go.

So…I can imagine...how uncomfortable the setting of this dinner party might have been…perhaps some of the emotions, and the smells associated with Lazarus’ death were still lingering in the air….

Here is Jesus, with some of the very same people, those he loved dearly, and those who loved him dearly, who just a short time ago, came face to face with death. Here, they are gathered together this evening… to face death, once again…Jesus’ death…just days away…

Only this time, not everyone is openly acknowledging that death is in the air. But, perhaps it’s Judas’ awareness that causes him to react as he did when Mary openly acknowledges Jesus’ impending death, by using a costly perfume made of pure nard, an oil used for the burial of the dead, to anoint Jesus’ feet and wipe them with her hair.

And I can only imagine, that perhaps as everyone watched how Judas reacted to Mary’s lavish outpouring of love...that they too…might have been stirred up, even for a brief moment…wondering….is the smell of death in the air?

Mary went where no-one else was ready to go, yet. She allowed herself to draw intimately close to death’s door. She boldly stepped forward, to offer her extravagant gift of love…to acknowledge Jesus, perhaps thank Jesus, perhaps honor Jesus, perhaps assure him that her love will go with him to the cross and beyond, and perhaps she turned her face once again towards Jesus, to affirm….that yes….she loves him…yes…she believes in him…yes…she will trust in him…and yes…she will dare to continue to hope in him …

She puts aside any doubts or worries or fears about Jesus’ death and she boldly offers her gift of extravagant love, at his feet…the feet that will journey to the cross and bear the weight of the world’s sins….

This Savior, this Messiah, is about to do a new thing… hold on to that vision…hold on to that hope…

I believe Mary was able to catch a glimpse of that vision and that hope, which enabled her to boldly step forward…She had spent much time throughout her life, pausing to just be with Jesus…learning from him, being assured by him, loving him…her heart was drawn closer to him, day after day….

May we be inspired by her example…taking time to pause every day to be in the presence of Christ…so that our hearts may draw closer and closer to him….so that even in times of our lives when the world feels as terrifying as it feels wonderful…we can hold on to the vision and the hope…that God is about to do a new thing!

Reflection for the 5th Sunday in Lent from Lift Up Your Voice, Singing through Lent and Easter (saltproject.org)…the resource we used for the silent retreat this weekend…

We’re approaching Jesus’ death – but only Lazarus’ sister, Mary, seems to realize it. She softly anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume, as if preparing his body for burial. Judas scolds her for not selling the perfume and donating the money to the poor, but Jesus defends her: she has understood what everyone else has missed. Jesus is about to be tortured and killed, and so his body should be treated with tenderness and honor. And perhaps Mary glimpsed even more: not just the coming death, but the coming resurrection, too, the rising into new life.

In any case, she anticipates his ordeal with a fine, beautiful balm. In the African American spiritual, “There Is a Balm in Gilead,” the anonymous author answers the prophet Jeremiah’s lament, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” (Jeremiah 8:22). We may well ask the same today: “Is there no balm? No tenderness and honor? No healing? No hope?” And the song answers: Yes, there is – take heart. Even on the eve of the journey to the cross, there is a balm in Gilead…

Even on the eve of the journey to the cross…God is about to do a new thing! Hold on to that vision and hope!

Closing Prayer/Hymn: (LEVS) 203

                           There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;

                             There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

1        Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain,

          But then the holy spirit Revives my soul again.

          Refrain

2        If you cannot preach like Peter,  If you cannot preach like Paul,

         You can tell the love of Jesus, And say He died for all.

         Refrain

3        Don’t ever be discouraged For Jesus is your friend,

          And if you lack for knowledge, He’ll ne’er refuse to lend.

          Refrain

There is a Balm in Gilead, #203 from Lift Every Voice and Sing II — Words: Traditional. Music: American Melody; arr. Carl Haywood (b. 1949), from The Haywood Collection of Negro Spirituals. Arr. Copyright © 1992 Carl Haywood.

3 Lent Sermon - Luke 13:1-9

March 23, 2025 Luke 13:1-9

(by The Rev. Kathryn Snelling)

Today we have arrived at the third Sunday in our season of Lent and we are in Year C, which means we get to wrestle with the age old question of human suffering.

Theologians and scholars through the ages - Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Barth, and everyone in between and since, have wrestled with this question.

And all the hypothesis and theory, brilliantly written as they are, never quite can arrive at a definitive answer.

And oh, don’t we humans love to have answers!

Because we all wrestle with this question every time we go through a painful experience. Or someone close to us does, or we pick up the newspaper or listen to the news.

Now this morning I have to tell you, I do not have the answer either.

Yet, we can wrestle with it.

So in our reading from Luke, some in the crowd tell Jesus about this horrendous news of Pilate ordering his soldiers to slaughter a group of Galileans and lay their bodies on the pyre to burn as part of his religious sacrifice to the emperor.

And Jesus gives voice to the question they have on their minds.

“Do you think that these Galileans suffered this way because they were worse sinners than any other? “

And Jesus offers another example: “Do you think that the 18 who died when the tower suddenly crumbled on top of them, were worse sinners than anyone else?”

To both he says, “No.”

The deeper, underlying question was, what did they do to deserve this? What kind of sin caused their deaths?

Because it was the common Jewish belief at the time, that when people suffered painful experiences it was a divine judgment. God had sent this upon them as a punishment.

And to that, Jesus says “No.”

And we’d like to think that this way of looking at calamities has gone the way of the Dodo bird; is extinct. But it still rears up at times. It hasn’t been that long ago, when the AIDS epidemic was raging. There was a lot of shaming and blaming around that.

But Jesus reminds us that these kinds of calamities can happen to any of us. We could be victims of some random act of violence, or a freak accident, or a debilitating disease. We are all vulnerable to the changes and chances of this world - and we all are sinners alike.

But God does not send the calamities upon us.

And that, right there, is Good News.

Jesus assures us -- That is not how God relates to creation and especially human creation.

So Jesus tells them a parable.

Now, parables are tricky little blighters.

They are full of mystery and open to many ways to try to interpret them and hear the message within. Which we also know, can vary with different times of reading through a parable.

And there are many methods we may use when trying to understand a parable.

This morning, and in the context of human suffering, I will choose to look at this parable allegorically.

Which is when you assign an identity to each of the characters in the parable.

And how I am hearing this parable, is that perhaps the inpatient vine grower represents the world. And we know our world to be a busy, hurry up kind of place.

We have TikTok and X and Instagram and instant food and instant this and instant that. And you better keep up, and measure up, and stay ahead of the game to thrive, or at least to survive.

And the little fig tree represents human beings - us - living our life as best we can.

In an environment, that though it can be very beautiful, can also be a dangerous and at times hostile place.

A little research tells us that grapevines thrive in a dry acidic soil, whereas fig trees do better in a soil with a more neutral pH balance.

And it takes a fig tree at least 3 years before producing fruit, and more often it is 4 to 5 years, depending on the variety.

Which brings us to the gardener.

Whom I view as representing God.

Father-Son-Holy Spirit-God.

Who, in the face of the impatient vine grower, who is ready to rip this tree up and order a new one from Amazon, says “No, wait, give it time.”

Here I envision the Ent. A creature in Tolkien’s trilogy, Lord of the Rings.

If you have not read the books or watched Peter Jackson’s movies based on them. An Ent is a treeish looking fellow, and is a shepherd of the forest.

He moves and says everything with slow, thoughtful deliberation.

And his most memorable line is, “Now, now don’t be hasty”

But, furthermore, this gardener has a special relationship with this little fig tree.

He desires nothing but good for this little fig tree.

And so he tells the vine grower, “Let us wait and let me tend to it.”

And he turns up the soil and adds nutrition to it and makes sure the little fig tree gets the water it needs, his breath touching her leaves as he works close around her.

Now the little fig tree is still in the same environment, with the same struggles.

But perhaps now has a different master?

One who gets down in the dirt with her, making a difference in her life.

Jesus wants us to know - deep in our bones - that God relates to us through love and is always with us through joyful times and through whatever pain and suffering we experience in this life;

Offering nurture with mercy, loving care, patience and presence.

Let us pray,

Merciful God, You teach us in your holy Word that you do not send afflictions but walk with us through them. Nourish our souls with patience, comfort and a sense of your abiding presence. In Christ’s Name we pray, Amen

***PHOTO: The Gardener and the Fig Tree

Dungarvan, Waterford, Ireland

2 Lent Sermon - March 16

Opening Prayer: (Feasting on the Word Worship Companion/Lent Year C)

Lord, open your Word by your Holy Spirit, so that we like Abram, may believe and trust in your promises to us. Amen.

Last Sunday after the Epiphany - March 2

Last Epiphany/Year C Sermon/March 2, 2025

Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36

(Rev Julie Platson)

Opening Prayer:  

By your Spirit, O God, enlighten our hearts, open our minds, fill our vision with your radiance, and give us life, as we hear your Word today. Amen.

Well, here we are again…we blinked and another season of the church year that began with the baptism story of Jesus on the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany is coming to an end this week with the transfiguration story of Jesus.

Jesus’ baptism story on the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany focused on the Holy Spirit descending upon him in the bodily form like a dove with these final words from the gospel that day:

From the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany: Luke 3: 21-22

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

Today’s gospel reading about the experience of Jesus and Peter and James and John on the mountain top offers us similar words, but makes it much more personal for us, the listeners, in the hearing of this similar verse: Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"

This season of the church year always begins and ends in this way. The first Sunday with the voice of the God speaking to Jesus…You are my Son, the Beloved; and the last Sunday, with the voice speaking directly to us: This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

We could also say, that even though those words were directed at Jesus on the day of his baptism, we do know that there were many witnesses and others coming to be baptized that day, so those words that they heard, and we hear year after year on the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany, or on any Sunday for that matter, are meant for us, today, too…The Spirit of the living God, helps us now, as we take time to pray with the scriptures, to pray in silence, to pray with one another, and discern what God is saying to us and calling us to do now, in this time and in this place, and to empower us to take those necessary steps and actions that align with the teachings and mission of Christ…

This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

I love that these are the last words we hear each year as we prepare to enter into the season of Lent that begins with this invitation from the Ash Wednesday liturgy: I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.

And this isn’t an invitation for us to become scholars of the bible, or to become more religious with our spiritual practices…It’s an invitation, to turn once again, with a commitment to listen deeply to the Word of God, to the life and mission of Jesus, with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind…

And to allow his voice, his teachings to be the voice we listen to and respond to in word and with loving and compassionate service, the One to guide us and lead us in following the way of God’s love, as I mentioned last week, a love that has the power to heal and transform the most difficult moments in all of our lives, so that we can hold on to HOPE, knowing that together, with God, and one another…the day will come, when God’s kingdom of love will come here on earth, as in heaven. The day will come when every human being knows that justice and peace and love and mercy and compassion and freedom and respect for one another, is for everyone. 

On the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, Jesus summed up his understanding of his mission and ministry with words from the gospel of Luke 4:14-21…The passage we heard that Sunday, was preceded by his baptism, his 40 day time in the wilderness being tempted by the devil: Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

Here are some more words of Jesus’ worth listening to from Mark 12:29-31: Jesus said, "The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."   

 This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

Need some other resources to turn to that have been informed by the scriptures, and summarizes what we affirm and believe about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

In our book of common prayer, you can turn to the Catechism section to learn more about this voice we are called to listen to…we can join in with the reading of the Nicene Creed every week, we can turn to the Renewal of our Baptismal Vows that includes the Apostle’s Creed, the creed of our baptism, along with several promises we strive to live out in our life, as followers of Christ, with  God’s help and in community with one another.

We are living in some very chaotic and heart-wrenching times for our beloved siblings here in our communities, and all over the world… There are many voices trying to get our attention and make us listen to “their voice”… many are loud, hurtful, hateful, revenge-filled voices threatening to drown out the voices and needs of the most vulnerable people among us, here and around the world, those losing life-saving medical care and basic food and shelter, those losing jobs, those being stripped of their human rights and dignity, those being tossed aside, those who are already struggling to make ends meet, and take care of their health and their loved ones health, those who are directly impacted by the terrors and suffering of war in their homelands…

But, the voice of God, as proclaimed through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ…are the words that we are called to listen to…

 This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

As we turn from one season to the next…and you are in the discerning stage of how you will observe a holy Lent…it need not be overwhelming…and can begin with a commitment to whose voice you will be listening to…

I invite you to light a candle every day throughout Lent, and I commend these words from today’s gospel to help you return and return again, every day…to heed these words proclaimed in today’s Gospel:

This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

I close now with these words from a song entitled, “Love shine a light”

As we take more time to listen to the voice, the light and love of Christ’s voice, may we too be transformed and transfigured by that light and love, and carry it out and share it with the world around us…

Closing Prayer/Hymn: Love Shine a Light (Kimberley Rew) – FULL LYRCICS

Love shine a light in every corner of my heart

Let the love light carry, let the love light carry

Light up the magic in every little part

Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts

Love shine a light in every corner of my dreams

Let the love light carry, let the love light carry

Like the mighty river, flowing from the stream

Let our love shine a light in every corner of my dreams

And we're all gonna shine a light together

All shine a light to light the way

Brothers and sisters, in every little part

Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts

Love shine a light in every corner of the world

Let the love light carry, let the love light carry

Light up the magic, for every boy and girl

Let our love shine a light in every corner of the world

And we're all gonna shine a light together

All shine a light to light the way

Brothers and sisters, in every little part

Let our love shine a light, in every corner of our hearts

And we're all gonna shine a light together

All shine a light to light the way

Brothers and sisters, in every little part

Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts

Shine a light in every corner of our hearts