O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God

6 Pentecost/Year A

July 12, 2020

Psalm 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Opening Prayer: O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God: Open up our hearts and our minds, to listen and understand those things that give life and peace to our mortal bodies. Help us to be strongly rooted in Your Love, as we learn to open our hearts and our minds to Your wisdom, in the hearing of your Word in the scriptures, in the stories, in the parables, in the prayers, in the music and in the silence. O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God….may it be your Word that is a lantern to our feet and light upon our path…Amen.

Last week, in my sermon…I noted, that in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lots of voices trying to get our attention these days… often conflicting voices about the best way to address the COVID-19 pandemic; there are other conflicting voices between those crying out for justice and peace for the entire human family and those who continue to oppress and silence the voices of the people who have been trying to tell their stories for years.

I went on to speak about the importance of making time for prayer…especially for our health and well-being, in times such as these… taking time to pray and listen closely for the voice of God… through the one voice, that matters most…the voice of Jesus, whose life-giving Words, are the ones who will strengthen us, teach us, lead us and guide us through all of the ups and downs and mountains and valleys of these turbulent and uncertain times we find ourselves in.

This week… for me…this same core message is at the heart of today’s scriptures.

These turbulent and uncertain times are not going away anytime soon. We need to consider and adopt ways to continue to take care of our hearts and our minds and our bodies for the long journey. And prayer, in its many and varied forms….helps us to take care of our whole selves…our hearts and our minds and our bodies.

Taking time for prayer…is important.

Our hearts and our minds and our bodies are nourished by prayer.

Taking time to spend with the scriptures, is a form of prayer.

Our hearts and our minds and our bodies are informed by prayer.

Taking time to pray for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and our minds to hear and understand the scriptures, the Word of God….will help us listen for the one voice, in the midst of many, that truly matters…she will remind us of the Spirit of Christ, which dwells in us, and gives life and peace to our mortal bodies…

Our hearts and our minds and our bodies are transformed by prayer.

Let’s take some time right now to pray with today’s gospel reading…as written in the Good News translation…

That same day Jesus left the house and went to the lakeside, where he sat down to teach. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the crowd stood on the shore. He used parables to tell them many things.

“Once there was a man who went out to sow grain.  As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep.  But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up.  Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants.  But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.”

And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!” (Matthew 13: 1-9)

Next, Jesus explains the parable of the sower…verse by verse…

“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )

Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in them. (Matthew 13:19)

Silence

O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…

We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…to quiet our minds and our hearts to hear your words  and understand them, and hold fast to them, in hope, so that nothing can snatch away the love of God, the Spirit of Christ, which dwells deep in our hearts.

“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )

The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it.  But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. (Matthew 13:20-21)

Silence

O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…

We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…for us to be rooted deeply in God’s love and God’s fullness of joy….so that we are not easily wearied, swayed or blown astray by the many changes and chances of this life…and instead learn to rest in your eternal changelessness…

“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )

The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don't bear fruit. (Matthew 13:22)

Silence

O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…

We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…to inspire us to turn our hearts back to you, to repent of the sins of greed and selfishness that mark our mortal lives, and to place all of the cares and worries of this world, into your forgiving and merciful, loving hands…

“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )

And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it: they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)

Silence…

O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…

We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…and we give thanks…we give thanks for the times we can pause and dwell in the scriptures…and listen for the one voice which truly matters… Jesus’….knowing, that in this time of praying with the scriptures, our hearts and our minds and our bodies…are nourished, informed and transformed by the love of God for us, and we are strengthened, encouraged and sustained by this love, to go out into the world…to bear the fruits of God’s love with all those we meet….and to share the fruits of God’s love with a world who is starving and hungry to know that…all shall be well…and all shall be well…and all manner of thing shall be well…

Prayer…..in all of its forms is important for the health and well-being of all of God’s beloved human family…it nourishes us, informs us, and transforms our hearts, our minds and our bodies, so that we can go out into the world – to love one another, as Christ has loved us and taught us.

This week…I encourage you to consider setting aside a time of prayer…daily….for reading or listening to the scriptures….Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your heart and your mind to hear and understand the Word of God….Pray, in remembrance, that the Spirit of Christ, already dwells in you… and will help you listen for the one voice, in the midst of many, that truly matters…The voice of God,  the Word of the Lord, the lantern to your feet and the light upon your path…

Let us pray in the words of this hymn, vs 3 & 4:

O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God (H 505 – 1982 Hymnal)

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.

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. Amen

The Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Consider and listen closely for the voice of God…

5 Pentecost Year A/ July 5, 2020

Psalm 45:11-18; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Consider and listen closely for the voice of God…

Consider and listen closely for the voice of God…this was the refrain before and after our psalm this morning …

Every time I read that phrase throughout this past week, prayer is what kept coming to the front and center of my mind and my heart…

Reminding me of the importance of taking time for prayer, to listen closely for the voice of God.

There are so many different voices trying to get our attention these days… voices shouting out from numerous, often conflicting sources, about the best way to address the COVID-19 pandemic; voices crying out for justice and peace for the entire human family; voices of those who still insist on oppressing the voices of the people who have been trying to tell their stories for years; there are voices which are barely audible, because they have been silenced for so long….yet they are rising up, with a voice and a song and a story to tell. There are the voices of white people, who are finally beginning to speak up and repent of the ways that we have participated in and benefitted over the years from systemic racism. There are many different voices trying to get our attention these days.

All of this can be wearying to the body, mind, and spirit….and as we grow weary, we become angry and inpatient with one another, and we stop listening to one another, we stop caring about one another, and we stop short of loving one another as Jesus has taught us. 

Setting aside time for prayer, often and regularly…is an important daily practice for our health and well-being. It allows us to be in sync with the one voice, Jesus,  who will strengthen us, teach us, lead us and guide us through all of the ups and downs and mountains and valleys of these turbulent and uncertain times we find ourselves in.

In prayer, it is the voice of Jesus calling to us…to come home…to lay down all of our burdens and worries for a moment and allow ourselves to be yoked, to be connected with Jesus in prayer….and to rest…and to listen…

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

When we take time to consider and listen closely for the voice of God, as we gather to worship and pray together here on Sundays, or at our Wednesday Noon Day prayer service, we are reminded of the ways that we are all yoked together, through the love of God, as revealed to us in Jesus. We are encouraged, strengthened, supported, and our spirits are renewed and revived, once again, through our communal prayer time, to leave this time of resting in God…to go out into our communities…proclaiming the love of God for all of our neighbors…through our words and our actions…

This balance of prayer and action, was modelled for us by Jesus throughout the scriptures….We have heard often, how Jesus stepped away for a bit to pray and rest…and it wasn’t to escape what was happening…but it was a time to listen closely for the voice of God, to be in sync with God, and God’s will… to be equipped and strengthened for the mission and work he was being called to do…

I invite you this week to reflect on your prayer practices…

Are you making time throughout the week to pause: to consider and listen for the voice of God…

Are you setting aside some time to pause to listen for Jesus’ voice…calling you home…..to lay down all of your burdens and worries for a moment and allow yourself to be yoked, to be connected with Jesus in prayer….and to rest…

Listen…listen closely…

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling…calling for you and for me…

Come home…come home…ye who are weary…come home…

(Hymn: Softly & Tenderly/solo by Ali Hosford)

 

The Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Meaningful and hopeful journey

3 Pentecost/Year A

June 21, 2020

Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Matthew 10:24-39

Our words from Matthew today…are difficult…difficult to listen to…difficult to imagine that Jesus would be telling us, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. It is difficult to imagine that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, standing among us, would cause divisions among family and friends…

But, what if we did dare to believe…that these words are truly words spoken by Jesus…to his first disciples…(and to us today)…words that were part of many teachings about what it might look like…to go out into the world…preaching the good news of God’s love, as Jesus had…especially to those in power, and to those who didn’t want to hear things that would challenge their current beliefs and comfortable way of living…uncomfortable words, perhaps, that would challenge them to think again, about whether or not they were truly following God’s commandment to love one another, as Christ had loved us and shown us…

What if we listened between the lines for a moment…to envision what Jesus was saying to us…about the long and difficult journey, of truly learning to love one another, as Jesus has shown us…working tirelessly in “a time such as this”, striving for justice and peace, and respect for the dignity of every human being…

What if we decided to begin this journey…what might happen if we did? Sometimes, others will not agree with us…and become angry with us…when we set off on this new journey, of listening to others more deeply, and educating ourselves on ways we can become better communicators and agents of God’s healing and reconciling work in our communities…

What if we could imagine for a moment…that this sword…was about cutting off the livelihood of the long-standing systems of oppression, that have been so ingrained in our lives for centuries, often unrecognized or clearly known…

Sometimes…people will turn against us, and fight with every ounce of their strength and power to prove us wrong and to insist…it’s not an issue anymore…it’s not my problem.

What if we could see in Jesus’ words…that this sword was about cutting off the systems of judgment, once and for all, that have been used to determine whose lives are worthy, and whose are not…

Sometimes…people will walk away from us…when we choose to take a stand for another person, and their ancestors, who have been unjustly judged and persecuted, and oppressed for a lifetime.

What if we could see the hope, in the midst of Jesus’ difficult teaching, that this sword was, and is, and ever will be…about the long and worthwhile journey of learning to respect the dignity of every human being, and striving for justice and peace among all of God’s people…a journey of learning to turn away from our fears of one another, that keep us separated from God and one another, and to turn our hearts back to God and to one another…..to make a new way forward, together, in this life….grounded in Peace, in Joy, in God’s Love, for all of God’s children…

Yes…We are in the midst of some very troubling times, difficult days…We see the human family turning against one another right now, but we are also seeing how people are turning towards one another, in love…Let’s hold onto that…let that be the light, in these dark days, that we look for and follow…

This is not the first time, God’s people have faced “a time such as this”..

We can look to those who have gone on before us… and be inspired by those even now,  who have much to teach us…about a life of faith and hope that has led them through times of struggles and uncertainties…especially in times of struggles for justice and peace and respect for the human dignity of every beloved child of God..

We will assuredly learn from them…that it has been really difficult work…but it has been meaningful and hopeful work… to press on, with God’s help, for the day to come when all of God’s people…will truly be free to live and work and dream dreams for themselves and their children….and to fully share in the laughter and the joy and the delight in all God desires and hopes for all of God’s people.

I’m going to let our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry sum up this message for today… Habits of Grace Reflection  - Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

(posted on June 15 2020)    https://youtu.be/4TBujRjgN-g

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church Sitka, Alaska

Laughter, astonishment and joy

2 Pentecost/Year A - June 14, 2020

Genesis 18:1-15; (21:1-7); Psalm 116:1, 10-17; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:8

 God will transform our private laughter of disbelief into shared laughter of astonishment, joy, and delight. (saltproject.org)

I was able to attend and participate in two different graduation ceremonies this week…One was online…the other was in person.

The one I attended in person, to give the opening invocation, and the closing benediction, was a local ceremony for those graduating from the Alaska Law Enforcement Training Academy…The graduating class, was a diverse group, who had endured a rigorous and well-rounded training, equipping them to serve their communities where-ever they would be called to go after their graduation. I heard inspiring words by the speakers, who spoke of lessons learned and wisdom gained in these past few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent uprising of voices and actions taking place across the world, in response to the centuries long issue of systemic racism.

The other graduation this week, was for Muriel…one of the children who grew up here at St Peter’s…Muriel and other students from her college were celebrating a new goal reached in their lives...in earning their master’s degrees in the arts and music field…Muriel was one of the speakers for the ceremony…and offered some inspiring words…as well as some of the other speakers…who also shared the lessons learned and the wisdom gained in these past several months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent uprising of voices and actions taking place across the world, in response to the centuries long issue of systemic racism.

At both of these graduations…although for two very different career paths…they shared much of the same lessons learned, and wisdom gained. Each one of the ceremonies…pretty much began with the words of unbelief…never imagining that this year would unfold in the way it had…there were shared sentiments…that today’s graduation ceremony, was not what they would have envisioned.

There were shared insights, that spoke of how difficult these past few months had been in their journeys…yet their stories of perseverance, their commitment to their goals, their dreams, their aspirations to use their diverse and varied gifts to serve the people, and the world around them were full of hope and reasons for joy and laughter and celebration…

So, although, initially, they were perhaps, nervously laughing to themselves, in disbelief at how their year and culmination of all their months and years of training, had been thrown into the midst of such chaos…they came through this time…with new, and unexpected joys, new and unexpected delights, new and unexpected reasons to laugh and celebrate…new reasons to laugh and celebrate and give thanks for the way that God, transformed their private laughter of disbelief, into shared laughter of astonishment, joy and delight…

I came across that wonderful phrase this past week, on a website called saltproject.org (not sure on the author)

God will transform our private laughter of disbelief into shared laughter of astonishment, joy, and delight. (saltproject.org)

This makes me think about Abraham, and Sarah in today’s 1st reading….

Sarah initially laughed, in disbelief when she and Abraham were told, that even though they were old, and advanced in years, that Sarah would bear a child, they would have a son. Here’s that passage again that we heard a few moments ago:

So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

We later heard in that first reading, that indeed Sarah did bear a son, just as God had promised….and he was named Isaac…Sarah’s laughter was transformed…

Now Sarah said, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

And then, my thoughts turned to our gospel reading today…and I wonder too, if the disciples were laughing to themselves in disbelief, when Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. I wonder, if this diverse group of the apostles, that are named in today’s reading, were laughing nervously to themselves, in disbelief when Jesus sent them out into the world  with these instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

I imagine these first laborers sent out to do the work they were being called to do…to proclaim the good news of God’s love…and kingdom coming very near…here on earth…found themselves laughing to themselves, often, in disbelief….crying, in disbelief…ready to give up, in disbelief…tired, beyond tired…in looking out at the world, and looking at themselves, and thinking…when will all this disease and illness end…when will all this suffering end…when will the kingdom really be near…because right now…it stills seems pretty far off…

What about you and I?  We’ve been summoned by Jesus, too… How often, lately, have you shook your head, and nervously laughed to yourself, in disbelief…cried in disbelief…ready to give up, in disbelief…tired beyond tired…in looking out at the world, and looking within at ourselves…and wondering…when will all of this suffering end…when will this pandemic be over…this covid-19 pandemic that is infecting our hearts and our bodies and our lives in the past several months…this pandemic of racism, that has infected our hearts and our bodies and our lives for hundreds of years… when will this kingdom, built upon a foundation of Love for God, for one another, and all of God’s creation, really be near… because right now...it still seems pretty far off…at times..”

When? When we stop laughing to ourselves in disbelief, thinking nothing will ever change…When we repent of our sins that keep us from fully loving our neighbors, and turn our hearts again towards trusting and believing in the Word of God, in the promises of God,…putting all of our hope in God…knowing that it is God who will transform our private laughter of disbelief into shared laughter of astonishment, joy, and delight. (saltproject.org)

We know it’s possible…we’ve seen how God has transformed laughter of disbelief, into a laughter of unexpected joy and delight, as we heard in the story about Sarah and Abraham today…

We know it’s possible, we have seen how God has transformed laughter of disbelief, into a laughter of unexpected joys and delights, as we heard in the stories of the two graduation ceremonies that I spoke about today…

We know it’s possible, we have seen how God has transformed laughter, of disbelief …. into bringing unexpected joy and delight to people whose lives had been oppressed for many years….

We have been witness to this transformation in the stories of the labors of our ancestors, and other saints and martyrs who have gone on before us…who began the hard work of paving a way for justice and peace and equity for all God’s people….

We know this work has really only  begun… we still have a long way to go, for all God’s people to be truly free to live and work and dream dreams for themselves and their children….and to fully share in the laughter and joy and delight in all God desires for all of God’s people.

It’s our turn now…to continue the work, that was started, so very long ago.

God is inviting each one of us, to work together, with our varied gifts, right where we are…no matter what stage of life we find ourselves in…to proclaim the good news of God’s love for everyone…to strive for justice and peace for everyone…to respect the dignity of every human being… to proclaim a gospel of hope…

A Hope in God, A Hope in Jesus Christ, A hope that will not disappoint us…because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

A hope that proclaims: this is not the end of the story…a hope that decides that death is no longer an option…(The Rev Dr William Barber III); A Hope, that encourages us, to begin anew, every morning…A Hope that whispers to us… I am with you always…

Hope in God….God will transform our private laughter of disbelief into shared laughter of astonishment, joy, and delight. (saltproject.org)

After sermon: The Hymnal 1982 - #376 Joyful, joyful, we adore thee/piano

Rev. Julie Platson, Rector, St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, AK

Trinity Sunday: 1st Sunday after Pentecost

June 7, 2020

Today’s scriptures

Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20

 

In the beginning, God had a dream.

God’s dream was so vivid, and full of so many beautiful and exquisite details. Nothing was left out.

We listened to a summary of God’s dream, in our Creation story today.

I can only imagine, how eager God must have been, to create this world God saw in this dream.

I wonder, though…if this was a one-time dream, that was so profound, that God had to do something right away…

Or, I wonder…if this was a dream that God dreamed about, for many days, and many nights?

And, I wonder, too…what it must have felt like to begin the work of creation…and to see its’ vision come to life…and then to sit back, on the 7th day, and look upon it all, this gift for all humankind to share in, for eternity…. and to rest…and declare it all good…very good.

In this dream, God thought of everything…

Beginning with light…to separate the light from darkness – calling the light, Day and the darkness, Night.

On the 2nd day, the waters were separated from the waters, and God created a dome and called it Sky.

On the 3rd day, the dry land appeared, and God called the dry land, Earth. And the earth brought forth the vegetation, plants yielding seed of every kind, trees of every kind, bearing fruit.

On the 4th day, God created two great lights – to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day, and over the night.

On the 5th day, God created all the living creatures of the sky and the seas.

On the 6th day, God created all the living animals of the earth and God created humankind in the image of God.

And then, on the 7th day, God looked upon all that was created, with great love…and rested…confident, assured…thankful…that the world and all that was in it…was indeed, good…very good.

God, thought of everything!

In God’s dream, there was enough for everyone.

In God’s dream, people were entrusted to take care of the land, the waters, the creatures of every kind, and most especially the care of each other.

For all God’s people, were created in the image of God. And the image of God is love. We were created out of this love…to love one another.

I wonder, if that’s what God sees now, when God looks upon us:  Does God see people of all cultures, different colors of skin, and diverse walks of life,  loving one another, as we have been so loved by God?

I wonder, if God is grieving for all of creation, and for all of humanity right now…as God’s beloved children are suffering in so many ways…hurting each other, turning against one another…

I wonder, how devasting it must feel, to God, to have such a beautiful dream, become distorted and destroyed, by the very people God created, in the image of God, to love one another?

What about you?

Have you ever had your dreams shattered?

Has your heart ever been broken, day after day, year after year, and as you have heard in the stories of your grandparents, and ancestors?

Can you think of a time, in your own life…that you have been utterly distraught, and left powerless, as you watched a loved one suffer needlessly, at the hands of another human being? And while others stood by…and watched, in silence…

We have all been witness to this horrific scenario, the past couple of weeks.

We have watched together, as a nation, and a world-wide community, protests, acts of violence, and the outrage of people whose dreams have been shattered for centuries – whose brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, have not been given the opportunity to fully live into God’s dream that was created for them, and for all people.

That is, because as individuals, and as a society, as a whole, we have fallen short, in loving one another as we have been so loved by God, and as Jesus has shown us what it means to walk in the way of love, in word, and in action.

We have broken God’s heart, over and over again, by the ways in which we have not allowed all God’s people to love and dream and live into the abundant life that God dreamed, and created for every one of us.

We have not respected the dignity of every human being, every person that God so loves, and has created equally, in God’s image.

We have acted out in fear, instead of trusting and believing in God’s dream, for all of God’s people.

Here is the hope, that we can hold onto…

Because of God’s unending and all-encompassing love for us, and because we believe in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection – we know that this is not the end of the story…this is not the end of the dream…that God envisioned for God’s people…in the beginning.

God was there in the beginning.

God is with us now.

God will be with us, always…to the end of the age.

We can no longer, stand by and just watch. We must become part of the re-building of God’s dream, here on earth….and beginning now.

This is our moment now, to begin anew...to repent of our ways, known and unknown, our words and actions and inactions that continue to oppress others, and take the life and breath out of our fellow human beings…

This is our moment now, to begin anew…to listen with our whole selves, to the voices which have been silenced for too long…and to work alongside of those whose dreams have been shattered and stifled, for a lifetime and longer…

This is our moment now, to begin anew…remembering, that on the day of our baptism, we were sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit, the gift given to each one of us, to strengthen us, to empower each one of us…to always begin again...to empower each one of us…to work together, by loving one another, as Jesus has loved us,  and to heal and rebuild the beloved community, the dream of God – for all God’s people.

God has not given up on God’s dream for all of creation, and for all of God’s people.

And neither should we.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be a part of building up this kingdom of God…this dream of God...here on earth…right now…wherever we are…a beloved community where all will be free to dream dreams for themselves and their children, for generations to come…and to live into those dreams, that God has envisioned for them, and for all who will follow in their footsteps.

Oh, what a day that will be…when we, with God, can finally rest on the 7th day, and see, that indeed, all of this that God has created, for every one of us…is indeed good…very good.

In the beginning….God had a dream…

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all…

Rev. Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, Alaska

 

A Word to the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska (from Bishop Mark Lattime)

June 3, 2020

"The Way of Love is the Church"

This has been a season like no other season. While we continue to make our way through the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to adapt to the loving work of protecting the most vulnerable, we are now witnessing large-scale social unrest and protests that lay before us the abiding sin of racism in our nation.

Now is the time for all who claim the faith of Jesus to renew our Baptismal identity. Now is the time to make clear that we are not our buildings, our symbols, or even our liturgies. Now is the time to be the Church that cannot so easily be co-opted or appropriated by the powerful and used to endorse or bless injustice and oppression, and to repent for the many ways we have. Now is the time for us to walk in love: to be the body of Christ standing in the public square; the body of Christ listening to the voices of the oppressed; the body of Christ walking the stony road with our brothers and sisters; the body of Christ bearing the weight of the cross of injustice; the body of Christ proclaiming in word and deed the way of love over the way of domination and death.

While we continue to wonder, wait, and prepare for when we might safely return to worship in our buildings, I pray that the Holy Spirit's fire will kindle in our hearts a passion for being the Church Jesus calls us to be: a Church present and at prayer outside the walls of our buildings; a Church that perseveres in resisting evil and the powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God--the children of God; a Church that follows and obeys Jesus Christ as Lord.

His way of love, his faith, his justice, his life--these are not just our calling, they are our hope.

Please join me in praying the The Baptismal Covenant every Friday for the month of June

(BCP pgs 416-417).

****FROM REV JULIE: WE WILL CONTINUE TO RENEW OUR BAPTISMAL CONVENANT DURING OUR SUNDAY SERVICES, TOO…IN THE MONTH OF JUNE****

God's gracious love is always with us

7 Easter/Year A - May 24, 2020

Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36; John 17:1-11

I want to begin this morning…with a brief check-in with all of you…

How are you doing this morning? What is weighing heavily on your mind and in your heart, this morning?

Let’s take a moment of silence right now…Let your thoughts be known to God alone…and imagine that God is right there with you…listening to every heartfelt cry, and listening to every hope that you are holding onto…silence…

With the words of the psalmist this morning, I pray… You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *you refreshed the land when it was weary. I give thanks for this moment to be still and remember, that God is always listening to us, God is always with us, pouring out his gracious love upon us; refreshing the land, and the places, we call home, a home with God, where we can find true rest, and refreshment for our weary hearts. Amen.

I wonder how often any of us, are taking moments like this throughout our day, throughout our week?

I know that I have not done it, faithfully and as often as I should, lately.

Like most of you, who have jumped in with two feet, who have hit the ground running, and who have poured out every ounce of energy within you to respond to the immediate needs, and the ever changing landscape in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic…I’m right there with you…understanding that we’ve all been doing what we need to do, to survive and try to keep up with all the changes.

We have been thrust into learning new things daily, changing and updating plans daily. We’ve endured loss after loss in these past several months…and we’ve been witness to other’s accumulating losses;  our hearts are heavy as we try to cope with the news of how this current pandemic is affecting the lives of the most vulnerable people among us. We are overwhelmed at times, in our attempts to comprehend the dizzying swirl of news and resources that are being published and broadcast daily.

And then, boom…here we are…fully two months into this season of our state and city’s response to the pandemic…and longer, in many other areas of the country and world…and we realize…that we’ve barely had a chance to stop and catch our breath to even begin to mourn any of our losses…

We haven’t taken a moment to stop and grieve for the people we love, and miss, who have fallen ill and died during these past few months, and for others whose names we don’t know, whose deaths have been attributed to the COVID-19 virus….almost 100,00 in the United States, alone...We haven’t taken a moment to stop and grieve for the friends and family we’ve been unable to meet up with, in our usual gatherings in our church buildings, our schools, and other public places that have been closed.

And even now…when some of the places are slowly opening, there are still so many uncertainties, there are still so many restrictions and requirements associated with opening safely…that cause us to continue to grieve…and wonder…how long, Lord…how long, Lord?

When will you send some relief…when will you send some comfort…when will you put our hearts to rest, and refresh our hope in life again?

Jesus addressed a similar question the disciples were asking him in last week’s scriptures.

Jesus was talking about the time that was coming, when he would be leaving them, yet not leaving them orphaned.

They were worried and distressed about so many things and wondering how would they go on without him? Jesus offered words of assurance and hope, that they would not be left alone.

Jesus spoke of sending the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to live and dwell with them, and in them…reminding them that they would never be left alone to navigate the heart-aches of this world.

He spoke of sending the Holy Spirit, who provides a seed of stillness to calm and comfort the sorrowful heart.

He spoke of sending the Holy Spirit, who whispers words of encouragement to support the weary heart.

He spoke of sending the Holy Spirit, in moments of stillness and prayer, to help us let go of whatever grieves our hearts by offering up every heartfelt cry, every worry and sorrow, and every hope we are longing to hold onto…and to place it all, in God’s hands…reminding us that God is always listening, and that God is always with us, pouring out his gracious love upon us; refreshing the land, and the places, we call home, a home with God, where we can find true rest, and refreshment for our weary hearts.

And again this week, in our Gospel reading, Jesus offers additional assurance, in his final words to his disciples before his arrest… Jesus lifts up a prayer of love to God, for all of us…lovingly and passionately asking God to take care of us, to protect us, and to bind us to one another in this life and the life to come, through the love of God, through the remembrance of the many ways the love of God was revealed to us in Jesus, and through the love of God, that will continue to be revealed to us, abide in us, comfort us, and restore and refresh our hope in life again, through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As we prepare to begin a new week….Be sure to include time for prayer…for yourself and for others, as Jesus so lovingly prayed for us…. Make a plan to set aside some time in your day to regularly pause and breathe, for a moment of stillness and prayer with God. 

Ask the Holy Spirit, to help you let go of whatever grieves your heart….take time to mourn your losses…and place it all, in God’s hands…believing and trusting that God is always listening, and that God is always with us, pouring out his gracious love upon us; refreshing the land, and the places, we call home, a home with God, where we can find true rest, and refreshment for our weary hearts.

A home, too…where we can find true joy…in gratitude for the many blessings in our lives that remind us to smile, to pray for one another and to love one another…

***Show photo/video collection of the children at St Peter’s***

 

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Spring flowers, colorful gardens and beautiful places

6 Easter/Year A

May 17, 2020

Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:7-18; John 14:15-21

Today, I just want to talk to you about spring flowers, and colorful gardens and beautiful places.

This year, it seems as though the colors of the flowers, and the variety of colors in the spring gardens are especially vibrant and beautiful.

Every shade of green, in the trees, the flowering bushes, and the growing grass…seem especially fresh and alive.

As I walk around town and throughout the neighborhoods….my heart is at rest, and at peace…because when I look at the spectacular landscape of spring all around me…I remember God, who made the world and everything in it…I remember that it is God who gives us life and breath and all things….I remember, ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’

And I remember, Jesus…I remember Jesus and his resurrection…his promise of new life, in death; new joys in times of sorrow, new hopes, in the midst of a world that shouts for our attention, and grabs on to our deepest fears, and threatens to extinguish any joy, any hope, any love that we have for ourselves and one another.

I remember all of this. I do believe in Jesus’ resurrection, and in the many ways it matters to me now. I do believe that the way of love that has been revealed to us in Jesus’ words and actions, has the power to transform our all of our lives, as we follow Jesus and his commandments to love God and one another.

But sometimes, in a world that feels so overwhelming at times, it is difficult to believe it and live it out in our daily lives…or sometimes, life just feels too full at times, and we are tired…and we forget this Good News that lives in us, dwells with us, and can never be taken from us.

‘For in him, we live and move and have our being.’

And Jesus reminds his disciples of this.

They are worried and distressed that Jesus is talking about leaving them. They want him to stay with them forever.

Jesus tells them that he is leaving, but he will not leave them orphaned. He assures them, that another Advocate, the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, will be given to them, will abide with them, and in them, and will remind them of every word of love, every act of love, every commandment to love God, and one another as Jesus taught them when he walked his earthly life with them.

They would never be alone. Jesus and his love are only ever a heart-beat away.

This Advocate will provide a seed of stillness to calm and comfort the sorrowful heart.

This Advocate will whisper words of encouragement to support the weary heart.

This Advocate will remind us of the love and the beauty in the world that is still very much alive in this time and in this place, even in the midst of so much grief and loss.

We’ve all been touched in our lives, many times…by the death of a loved one…or the physical separation or leaving of someone we deeply loved. We are heart-broken and grieve over our lives never being the same. We grieve day after day, month after month, year after year sometimes, feeling like we could never find joy again, or hope again, or people and places to love again.

But then, little things begin to happen, in our lives…that remind us, that indeed our loved one still lives with us…they have never really left us. They are coming to us in new ways…new joys and new hopes, that we never knew were possible.

Every time, we see a new spring flower pop up, that was our loved one’s favorite…every time, someone plants a new garden, with the rich variety of flowers, every time the grass starts growing, the day dawns, the night falls and we finally close our eyes and rest…we can be assured that there they will be, they will always be…in our hearts, in that place, where we are all joined to one another by this love of God, that abides in us, and dwells in our hearts…

I’ll always remember my first experiences of arriving in Sitka, in 2015.

When I walked on the seawalk along Crescent Harbor, my thoughts immediately took me back to my grandfather, sitting by the harbor in Cape Cod every day, having his lunch.

When I came back to Sitka to begin serving with you here, the spring flowers took my breath away, and immediately took me back home, to my mother’s gardens and other family member’s gardens that were so lovingly created year after year…winter after winter.

And then my first Easter with all of you, and my first time taking part in the flowering of the Easter Cross….a tradition that continues to grow and flourish and fill my heart with such joy, at the sight of its beauty, year after year.

And, the gardens here at St Peter’s…continue to delight and surprise me every year…and these simple joys are the joys that I want to share with others.

All of these beautiful creations, lead me back to remembering people, people whom I love, near and afar…people whom I love, who have passed on, and left this earthly place, but are still very much alive in my heart, and influencing every word and action, and every invitation to love God and our neighbors.

This Advocate, this Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit will remind us, that we are never left alone.

We need only to look all around us, to be reminded, in the people, in the flowers, in the gardens, and the many other beautiful places surrounding us…that God is with us, Jesus is still teaching us, and the Holy Spirit is calling us back home to that place of peace and rest that dwells in our hearts, when we remember:

God, who made the world and everything in it…when we remember that it is God who gives us life and breath and all things….when we remember, ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’

May this be our vision, ever held before our eyes, and in our hearts…

Click below to view the video of St Peter’s spring flowers…

Spring Flowers (April/May 2020) at St Peter’s by the Sea - Sitka, AK

Rev. Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

The Hymnal 1982 - #488 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart

 

There are many, many rooms

5 Easter/Year A

May 10, 2020

1 Peter 2:2-10; Psalm 31: 1-5; 15-16; John 14:1-14

In this time of social distancing, and quarantines, and sheltering-in-place…I’ve been thinking a lot about rooms this week…

There’s been a lot of church memes circulating lately…that make light about people attending worship online, discussing where they will attend church on Sunday morning…the kitchen, the bedroom, or the living room?

Zoom has been a popular way for people to gather online now…and when we talk about zoom, “rooms” are a familiar buzzword we hear in the conversations often… there are even breakout “rooms”, that can be set up for people to meet with a just a few others for private conversations or for additional personal prayer time.

I’m thinking about the rooms we have set up in our homes that were probably not used for the things many people find themselves using them for now…using rooms for work, for church, or for school…or perhaps for a family member to be quarantined after travelling. I’m thinking about rooms, and how much time people are spending in their rooms, in their homes, during this time of the covid-19 pandemic.

I’m thinking about the rooms in the hospitals, in the pioneers home, and other care facilities…I’m thinking about how busy they are, in all of those rooms…but also how quiet everything is in some of those rooms…

I’m thinking about rooms in buildings, in churches, in restaurants…that are empty right now…empty of people...who would normally fill those places…

I’m thinking about those empty rooms, the full rooms, the changed rooms, and the new rooms, as I read this week’s gospel.

Our gospel reading today opens with Jesus offering words of comfort…some words of assurance…and some words of love for his disciples, who were experiencing a lot of worry and distress, as Jesus was speaking about the time coming when he would no longer be physically present with them, yet would still be with them…in a way that they could not fully understand, as of yet…

In the NIV version, we hear these words spoken like this: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

 “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus said.

I imagine Jesus continuing with these words…

Let me show you what I mean by that.

Let me show you the way, the way of love that has been prepared for you, all along.

Let me tell you a few things about all the rooms that have already been lovingly prepared for you…and for others…

First…you really need to know….that God has spent a lifetime preparing a room for you. Even before you were born, your room was being prepared for you, with great love.

God has prepared every room, with great care and attention to the details of your life….God cares about part of your life.

All rooms, in God’s home…are a place of refuge, a castle to keep you safe, a place to trust God with all your prayers.

Every room, in God’s home…is a place of unconditional love, a place where you are welcomed with the wide, and open arms of Jesus’ love and compassion…

In God’s home, the rooms are a place of forgiveness, for grace and mercy, for healing and reconciliation.

There are many, many rooms…Jesus assures us…in God’s home.

There are signs of God’s love in all the rooms we are living in and working in now…signs that reveal to us that we do know that God is present…because Jesus has shown us the way of love…the way to love one another.

In the hospital rooms…God’s love is present in the way the nurses, the doctors, the CNA’s and all staff are caring for those entrusted to their care, for healing and comfort.

In the rooms, in nursing homes and other group homes, God’s love is present in the way the staff members treat all of those entrusted to their care, with love, and respect for the dignity of every person there.

In the rooms of our family homes, God’s love is present in the way the mothers, the fathers, the grandparents, and the caregivers are all doing their absolute best to teach their children, to care for one another, and love one another, in these times of feeling overwhelmed and worried.

In the rooms of our teachers, God’s love is present in the way that they have continued to give of their time and efforts to support the children and their families.

In the rooms of our city and state governments, God’s love is present in the way that our leaders are striving to guide us all through some very difficult times.

In the rooms of all the businesses that have chosen to stay open, and are beginning to open again, God’s love is present in the way the workers are safely serving the community, by providing access to food, and other necessities…

In the rooms of our homes, God’s love is, indeed present in the ways people are learning to do new things every day, with great love: learning patience, learning empathy, learning to deal with worry, day after day; learning to cope with death and loss, learning to be the church of God, the people of God…in our neighborhoods…by reaching out to others through phone calls, letters, words of hope, and love and encouragement…and reaching out to others by serving one another, in all the ways you are able..

Yes…you do know the way after-all…Jesus says to us today…

You do know that I am the way, the life and the truth…every time you have chosen to walk in the way of love…

I have been witness to your understanding and living out this love, in so many ways…in so many people…in so many lives…. And in so many rooms…

And from my heart to yours…

Thank you, for all the ways…you are taking care of each other, in the many, many rooms in God’s home…

As you begin a new week, I invite you to take some moments throughout your day, to just sit in your room…any room…and believe…believe that God is present with you, loving you, caring for you, guiding you, and giving you all that you need, for this day…and all your days to come.

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Hymn (457) after the sermon: Thou art the Way, to thee alone

1 Thou art the Way, to thee alone

from sin and death we flee;

and all who would the Father seek,

must seek him, Lord, by thee.

2 Thou art the Truth, thy word alone

true wisdom can impart;

thou only canst inform the mind

and purify the heart.

3 Thou art the Life, the rending tomb

proclaims thy conquering arm;

and those who put their trust in thee

nor death nor hell shall harm.

4 Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life:

grant us that way to know,

that truth to keep, that life to win,

whose joys eternal flow.

Words: George Washington Doane (1799-1859), alt.

Music: St. James, Raphael Courteville (d. 1735)

Meter: CM

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