Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place….

9 Pentecost/Year A/August 2, 2020

Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-21; Isaiah 55:1-5; Matthew 14: 13-21

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place….

I wonder how many of us are longing to do just that?... right now…  to just step away from the news of how the Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to cause great suffering among people of all walks of life; to just step away for a few moments from the reports of violence and unrest…that has left no community untouched….

As we scan our local and national news feeds…and look around in our various communities where we live…we are being reminded daily…that there is so much suffering and so many hurting people among us,  who are grieving, longing for things to change… longing for relief for themselves and their family members…longing for comfort…for love…for mercy…longing for equity….for justice…longing for compassion….for peace…in the midst of so much uncertainty…

Jesus gets it…we are not alone in this.

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place…just after he received the news of John (the Baptist) death. He withdrew for a moment, to be alone with the God of abundant love and compassion….The One who hears every cry, who hears every longing for an end to such grief…and acts upon it, even now… with a love and compassion that feeds and nourishes one’s soul…with a love and compassion that has no limits… in bringing healing and a peace that surpasses all of our understanding….in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in…

When Jesus, emerges from this moment alone with God, and looks out at the crowds who had followed him, as soon as they heard Jesus was nearby, we are told Jesus had compassion for them.

I imagine that Jesus’ heart was breaking with compassion for the crowds gathered…for he could see them now, through the heart of God’s abundant love and compassion that was a healing balm for his soul…he could see they were longing for something, he could see that they were searching for answers to questions that maybe they weren’t even sure what they were…they were hungry for something…they were hurting…they were longing for some measure of hope and peace…in the midst of so much uncertainty that was present in their daily lives…

And it was in the actions of what happened next, ..after Jesus saw them, and had compassion on them…that they were provided a measure of hope and peace….Not just because Jesus saw them…but that he helped the disciples to see them and act with compassion and love too…

When the disciples complained that evening to Jesus, and wanted to send the crowds away for them to fend for themselves, Jesus reminded them of their neighbors they were called to love and care for, and said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

But, but, but…the disciples say. We don’t have enough…only five loaves and two fish, that we can see around here…no way that would be enough to feed the thousands who are gathered here today…

Jesus tells them…to bring him what they have…and he tells the crowds to sit down…

After all this frantic worrying by the disciples, Jesus invites everyone to sit down…to sit down together….to just begin…by acknowledging one another, being present to one another…seeing one another, as God sees all of us…

Then Jesus prays, and the disciples and all who were gathered, were empowered to feed one another, care for one another, love one another….

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, (Jesus) he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.

All were filled that day with a measure of hope and peace, through love and compassion for one another, through a love and compassion, grounded in the love of God, that fed and nourished souls in a time of great need, and in a time of so much uncertainty…

These days, reaching out to love and care for one another, can feel overwhelming. We can barely keep our own emotions in check these days. Perhaps it’s a good time to ask ourselves – what our spiritual diet is looking like these days? Are we taking time to feed and nourish our souls...so that we can be strengthened, ourselves and to be able to reach out in love to others?

Jesus reminds us, in today’s gospel…that we are not called to do any of this alone….we are called to navigate all the suffering, the beauty and the joys of this world together….and with the love and the presence of a gracious God in the midst of all we seek to be and to do…

We are all a broken people, at times, and we are all in need of a love and compassion, that begins and ends with God….that begins with time away, by ourselves to a deserted place, a time of prayer and stillness,  to connect with a gracious God of abundant love and compassion….the one who feeds and nourishes our souls…

It is from that place of prayer, that our hearts, and our minds are refreshed, and encouraged, once again, to not only care for ourselves, with the blessing of God’s love and compassion,  but to look up and around to our neighbors, who we share this world with…and offer that same blessing of God’s love and compassion to them, through our words and in our actions…on behalf of the whole human family…

For today: Be filled with a measure of hope and peace.

Pray with God and with one another.

Love and serve one another with compassion.

Bless one another.

Do this again tomorrow, and the next day…and all the days after that…

Be filled with a measure of hope and peace.

Pray with God and with one another.

Love and serve one another with compassion.

Bless one another.

Hymn after the sermon: (LEVSII) - #146 Break Thou the Bread of Life

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

The kingdom of heaven is like...

8 Pentecost/Year A

July 26, 2020

Psalm 105:1-11, 45b; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

Let’s begin with a moment of silence….as we get ready to listen and wonder along with the voices who will share their reflections and insights on what the kingdom of heaven is like…in Jesus’ parables today…

Be silent, be still, aware; for there in your own heart the Spirit is at prayer; Listen and learn, Open and find, Heart-wisdom, Christ.

~ posted on the Malling Abbey website.  http://www.mallingabbey.org/index.htm

SILENCE

I love today’s gospel lesson you are about to hear…I love how the parables, have a way of drawing us into the wonder and mystery of what the kingdom of heaven, what the kingdom of God is all about…I love how the parables, through the help of the Holy Spirit in us, has the power to help us listen and learn, search for meaning and purpose, look for the marvels God has done….and is doing, still…I just love…that we can take the time today, to imagine together…what the kingdom of heaven is like…and to encourage one another to see that the kingdom of God….God himself, is right here in the midst of our everyday lives, and most especially to be reminded that there is nothing, in this world…pandemics, violence, death, oppression by others, nothing…that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, let’s begin…and listen with the “ears of our hearts” to what these parables are saying to us today…

GLENDA

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

KIT

Many years ago, I gave a message on this gospel at the family service. It seemed right to use a visual aid, so I brought a bottle of mustard seeds and asked one of the children to give everyone a few seeds. Did you know mustard seeds on the floor are like little ball bearings?

I don’t remember what I said that day, but I do remember the children in the pews, some of them so small they would swing with the bell pull as they rang the bell. And I remember feeling a sense of hope and wonder at the potential in front of me. Those children are adults now, with degrees and careers, homes and businesses, some with children of their own.

When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven, he didn’t describe halos and wings, or puffy clouds and choirs. No, he spoke of things of the earth – of hard work and planting, dirt and seeds, shrubs, and trees sheltering birds. Jesus described the kingdom of heaven as what we can see and hear and touch, right here and now.  I realize the feeling of hope and wonder I felt all those years ago was the recognition of the kingdom of heaven as it really is - right here on earth, in the children who have now grown, who are spreading out their branches and nurturing children and all of Creation as they continue to build and renew the kingdom of heaven.

And I feel more hope and wonder when I see all the potential as the new ‘mustard seeds’ grow up, learning to love God’s creation and starting to spread their own branches as they find their ways to build and renew the kingdom of heaven. Right here. Right now.

GLENDA

(Jesus) told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

Kevin Keating/professional bread baker in NYC (read by Julie)

To me the key thing I find amazing is how yeast (in that time it would've been leaven/levain/sourdough starter) is just a collection of tiny microorganisms that through the work of reproduction and fermentation manage to cause the dough (in this case three measures of flour is the equivalent of over 50 pounds, which means a total dough weight of over 100 pounds!) …

This tiny collection of microorganisms, through the work of reproduction and fermentation, would manage to cause the dough to double, even triple in size AND, most importantly, they are responsible for transforming the flour into something that can nourish our bodies - without that process we can't easily digest flour nor absorb its nutrients into our bodies. So it's the work of these tiny single-celled organisms all working in tandem that all of the nutrition and flavor and aroma and pleasure (and relatedly, the cultures and communities built on top) of bread is made available to us.

(JULIE’s words – How amazing it is to think about all God’s people working in tandem so that the fullness of God’s love, joy and pleasure would be experienced by everyone..)

GLENDA

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

KATHRYN

I walk around the path that meanders through my side yard as I ponder this parable of Jesus’ - about a treasure hidden in a field. A treasure so valued that it is worth giving up all else to obtain it. That is what the Kingdom of God is like, he tells the crowd.

My side yard, has many hidden treasures, like the little volunteer holly bush I found growing, hidden among the berry bushes.

If we think of the Kingdom of God as treasure, what do we do to obtain it? Do we, with joy, sell all we have like the man in the parable? Visions of St. Francis walking around buck naked come to mind. Oh, my! But God knows what is necessary for us to live in this world and looks on the heart not the outside of a person, right?

So, what is it for us to “sell all that we have”? Is the Kingdom even something to be obtained? Or is it more something to live in to?  And not keep hidden but rather to cultivate? We all find the Kingdom of God in our own field when we seek it. And we find it far greater than we can imagine. Yes! It is worth putting first in our lives. No! It is not easy, don’t expect easy, but do expect joy and transformation.

GLENDA

Jesus said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

NANCY JO

“Pearls are formed inside the shell of certain mollusks as a defense mechanism against a potentially threatening irritant.” (wikipedia)

How irritated are we with our fellow human beings with all the unrest and pandemic concerns? 

Are we actively listening and learning to what troubles those different from us?

Are we the “merchant”, the one with all the capital and privilege?

Can the “pearls” represent our faithfulness and discipleship to love our God and love our neighbor?

Today, I am wearing several pearl necklaces and earrings.

Notice there are different colors - blue, pink, yellow and white. 

This reminds me of our human race that we are all different colors, shapes and sizes from different parts of the world; strung together we become beautiful pearls.

GLENDA

Jesus said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.  So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

JULIE

The kingdom of heaven, is like a net that spans wider and deeper, than our human minds can comprehend… When God tosses his net of love out into the sea of people everywhere…this net of love, gathers in everyone together… every color, culture, shape, size, friends, enemies… into the embrace and arms of God’s love….It is in this place of love, and with God, that all have the potential to grow in love and compassion for one another…to recognize how our lives are interconnected and dependent upon one another, and to see that even in the midst of so many differences and divisions, and uncertainties, the love of God is in the midst of all our lives, and can transform hearts and minds in ways and at a time, not always known to us… but only to God. That’s all we need to know….we are not called to be the judge of who is in or who is out. In God’s kingdom. In God’s eyes…everyone is worthy…everyone is valued…everyone is loved.

GLENDA

Jesus said, “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

JULIE

I invite and encourage you this week….to set aside time daily…to pray…to seek a deeper understanding of God’s kingdom of love…and to contemplate more on what the kingdom of heaven might look like for you, and through the eyes and lives of others….call upon the Holy Spirit for guidance, to help you listen and learn, search for meaning and purpose, and to look for the marvels God has done….and is doing, still.

Hymn after the sermon (H) 635  - If Th but trust in God to guide thee Ali/solo

If thou but trust in God to guide thee, and hope in him through all thy ways,

he’ll give thee strength whate’er betide thee, and bear thee through the evil days.

Who trusts in God’s unchanging love builds on a rock that nought can move.

Sing, pray, and keep his ways unswerving; so do thine own part faithfully,

and trust his word, though undeserving; thou yet shalt find it true for thee;

God never yet forsook in need the soul that trusted him indeed.

Shared Gospel/Sermon today by:

The Rev Dn Glenda Quintana, The Rev Dn Kathryn Snelling, Kit Mellema

Nancy Jo Bleier, Kevin Keating, The Rev Julie Platson

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

First 2020 Sitka Farmer's Market

JUNE 23, 2020 BY CHARLES BINGHAM

Scenes from the first Sitka Farmers Market of the 2020 summer

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****