Feb 28 2021 - Sermon - Following Jesus/Hoping against hope...

2 Lent/Year B

Feb 28, 2021

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38

Hoping against Hope: If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Our gospel reading today begins with some startling words spoken by Jesus: Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly.

And from what we saw by Peter’s response, I think it is fair to assume that he was caught totally off-guard – as we saw in the way he reacts so quickly to Jesus’ shocking words…He even goes as far as taking Jesus aside to rebuke him…to criticize him for what he’s saying…to tell Jesus to stop talking like that….

And Jesus responds just as quickly as Peter reacted…He turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

And just as quickly as this whole exchange just unfolded…Jesus urges them to listen again to what he was saying….He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.

I don’t know about you….but I’m still trying to catch up with all this back and forth between Jesus and Peter and the disciples and the crowds….and wondering what? What are you saying Jesus?

Peter and the disciples have got to be thinking out loud here, too….All this time we’ve been following you Jesus…and you’ve been doing some pretty amazing things…healing people, teaching us about trusting God, to have faith in God, teaching us to love God and our neighbors, and all of creation, and you’ve been performing some pretty amazing miracles…what’s all this talk about Satan, and telling me I’m focusing on human things and not divine things…what do you mean , if we want to become your followers that we have to deny ourselves, and have to take up our cross to follow you… what do you mean when you say to us…

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.

Here’s where I am going with all of these questions this week…

We have just started the season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, with an invitation to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word…..some of us take these words to heart, and give up some things, some take on some new things…some do a combination of both….as we set out with our intentions to walk with Jesus, to follow him more closely….all the way to the cross on Good Friday of Holy week, and all the way to the glorious resurrection on Easter Day…

We don’t enter this season of Lent with already having the answers to all these questions…or any questions the scriptures bring up in our human minds, and in our human hearts…In fact, the scriptures should always lead us to more questions, more wonderings…and always asking…How can this be? The Word of God, does have a way of helping us to wrestle with our default of setting our minds on human things, and not on divine things….they help us wrestle with our faith…who and what we put our hope and our faith in? Do we have the faith of Abraham, hoping against hope…Do we really understand what it really looks like to be a follower of Jesus?

This season of Lent is meant to be a season of asking hard questions…it’s meant to make us uncomfortable….maybe to feel a little more disoriented at first….but as we let our minds and hearts be transformed by the love of God, in this holy season of Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word…we will emerge from this time of wrestling in the wilderness of Lent…knowing that all along, we have never been left to navigate this ever-changing world, these days of such uncertainty, without the one who is always there to lead us and guide us, and walk with us always…

Jesus is always ready to lead us….if we would yet trust, that he knows the way…and to turn once again to set our eyes, our hearts, and our whole selves towards following him….

And one of the best things I saw this past week to remind me of what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus….is the image of a walking route a little boy and his dad took on the streets of Sitka recently…

When we decide to follow Jesus…it’s not a clear cut line from point A to point B to point C, etc…. it’s not a clear path from start to finish…from beginning to ending…but it will usually end up looking much more like these images…with twists and turns everywhere…..starts and stops here and there…***see attachments

But hoping against hope…even when our human minds say none of this makes sense… with faith, we say yes, anyway….and say yes, Jesus…we will follow you ….wherever you lead us…

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn after sermon: LEVSII – 144 – Where He Leads Me

1        I can hear my Savior calling, (x3)

          “Take thy cross and follow, follow me.”

          Where He leads me I will follow, (x3)

          I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

2        I’ll go with Him through the garden, (x3)

          I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

          Refrain

3        I’ll go with Him through the judgement, (x3)

          I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

          Refrain

4        He will give me grace and glory, (x3)

          And go with me, with me all the way.

          Refrain

Words of Comfort, And Prayers of the People

Words of Comfort, And Prayers of the People (Feb 24, 2021)

(National Council of Churches)

As we grieve the milestone of over 500,000 deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States, NCC invites you to join us for “Words of Comfort, Prayers for the People.” We hope these prayers from our member communions will sustain and encourage everyone during this time of mourning and continued struggle due to the pandemic.

https://youtu.be/LqDxc15uOQU

1 Lent - Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday

Today is the 1st Sunday in Lent, and we also highlighted the work of Episcopal Relief and Development today…

The sermon shared in today's service was given by The Right Rev Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows..

Her sermon (and other info about ERD) can be found here:

https://www.episcopalrelief.org/plan-an-episcopal-relief-and-development-sunday/.

Behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

Last Epiphany/Transfiguration Sunday

Feb 14, 2021

2 Kings 2:1-12, Psalm 50:1-6, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9

We are marking a turning point on the lectionary calendar again….I wonder if you feel like you hear me say that every week! It sure feels like that at times, for me…And I know you’ve heard me say often, that my whole experience of time, since the pandemic began last year, has been marked in ways that I can’t really explain…the days, and weeks and months seem to unfold in slow motion, yet at the same time, when I look again… the days, and weeks, and months have flown by…I continue to ponder this mystery often….

So, it is, once again, that we come to the ending of the season of Epiphany…and begin to turn with all of our being towards the season of Lent which begins in just a few days…. 

IN this season of Epiphany, we journeyed with Jesus and the disciples, and covered so much terrain in this season of light…a season of shining light on Jesus….revealing who he is, showing us who God is….through his teachings, through his healings, through his love that shone so brightly in all that he was doing….

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4: 6

In this season of Epiphany alone, in the midst of our travels with Jesus, in the scriptures we’ve listened to, in the music we have heard and sung, in the prayers, and in our time gathered here for worship on zoom….we have most likely navigated some personal lows and extreme highs in our personal lives…

We have journeyed with Jesus and with each other through the valleys of grief and loss, only to find ourselves climbing once again to find some joy, some peace, to find something to focus on, that will guide us forward with hope…

And every time we find ourselves at the top of that steep climb…that’s where we have the opportunity and invitation to find our focus once again…by the glorious light of God, in the face of Jesus….

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4: 6

We have endured a lot of twists and turns in our lives, in this short season of Epiphany…being led by Jesus and with others, into valleys, into never-ending plains, and walking slowly and deliberately up mountains with him to catch glimpses of who he is, who God is….and what a comfort it has been, to look back on this season…and see that in all of these travels, we were never left to walk alone…Jesus revealed that to us….that God has always been with us, God will always be with us…God will be with us, in all of our days to come….in the valleys, and as we climb the steep mountains of life, to see God, in all God’s glory….revealed in Jesus – on the mountaintop….

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4: 6

I simply ask of us this morning….that we just remain here for a few extra moments…with this vision of Jesus on the mountaintop….we will descend the mountain soon enough…and Jesus will walk back down with us…Emmanuel…God is with us…

But for this moment…let us ponder this glorious mystery, that invites us to the mountaintop, where we will hear the word of God, who once again invites us to behold Jesus…as the center of the sacred circle through which all of creation is related…God’s Son, God’s beloved…and to listen…

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4: 6

Let me close with a short reflection on Sacred mountains…as we pause in this moment upon the mountaintop with Jesus…

Sacred Mountains   (written by William Loader)

We are surrounded by mountains, sacred mountains, which watch over us, beckon us, call us to approach and begin the journey.

Mountaineering is a risky venture and exhausting, but our mountains are accessible. Every day we meet them and their magic tells us: just stop, just turn aside here for a few moments, let me lift you to the sacred place.

There are no gates or barriers. These mountains don’t close after sunset. They just lie in wait, offering a quiet space, inviting us to a new view. Even with the greatest disabilities, the frailest limbs, the faintest heart, there is a place for us. No one is too big or small. No one is unworthy.

Touch the mountain and we touch the earth, we touch the universe, we touch God. Just to say we are coming is more than half the journey. It is to say we belong, to enter the wide embrace of the mountainside, and to say, yes, to love.

There is a mountain stream for the thirsty and its waters are there for cleansing. There is peace and forgiveness and renewal. The wind of the Spirit sometimes blows strongly, challenging us to stand firm, or gently touches us with memories of God’s goodness.

Climb the mountain and you see a long way. People you have not noticed. Distant needs which want to say also: “I am here”. And in the silence of the sacred space are voices of hope, of joy, of pain, of possibility. Climb the mountain and you will see Jesus.

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4: 6

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Hymn after sermon: Christ Upon the Mountain Peak (H) 129

Christ upon the mountain peak

stands alone in glory blazing;

let us, if we dare to speak,

with the saints and angels praise him.

Alleluia!

Trembling at his feet we saw

Moses and Elijah speaking.

All the prophets and the Law

shout through them their joyful greeting.

Alleluia!

Swift the cloud of glory came.

God proclaiming in its thunder

Jesus as his Son by name!

Nations cry aloud in wonder!

Alleluia!

This is God’s belovèd Son!

Law and prophets fade before him;

first and last and only One,

let creation now adore him!

Alleluia!

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday 2021

Feb 9

The ending of the season of Epiphany, and the start of the Lenten season begins next week...

*Shrove Tuesday - Feb 16, 2021 - Marking the end of the season of Epiphany
***Due to the pandemic, we are unable to gather in person at the See House for our annual pancake supper. Hope you can plan to have a little fun this year, and make some of your own pancakes to celebrate at home, any time on Tuesday February 16. Please send a photo to the church of you enjoying your pancakes if you do!

Shrove Tuesday
Better known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent begins. In the Middle Ages, people used up all the fat in the house—butter, milk, eggs, meat—on the night before Lent began so that they could come closer to God by giving up these foods as they prepared for the great feast of Easter. Pancakes are traditional in England for this, so Episcopalians often have breakfast for dinner, while those celebrating Mardi Gras are likely eating gumbo and Kings’ Cake. What kings, you ask? The Magi—the ones who brought gifts to the holy child at Epiphany.

churchpublishing.org/faithathome

ASH WEDNESDAY - FEB 17, 2021 - Marking the beginning of Lent

There will be an Ash Wednesday service held on Feb 17 @ Noon

(on zoom)

https://www.bcponline.org/ (BCP 364)

*Drive-by "Ashes to Go" will be offered in the church parking lot from 1pm-2pm on that day...

*There will also be ashes available for pick up on the See House porch table, in a small baggie, for those who would like to impose the ashes with the sign of a cross on your own forehead (while looking in a mirror?), or for another household member...

(***if you are unable to pick up ashes at the church, Bishop Mark also suggested that you might make your own ashes to use at home, by burning your palm from Palm Sunday last year, or some other plant/branch that has significance)

Prayer to use for imposition of ashes at home (BCP 265)
Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the
earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our
mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is
only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

The ashes are imposed with the following words

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

"Souper" Bowl of Caring Sunday - Feb 7 2021

“Souper” Bowl of Caring Sunday

February 7, 2021/5 Epiphany

Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-12, 21c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

Today is Super Bowl Sunday….

I would say most people know a thing or 2 about today’s match up and what had to happen in the past year to be one of the teams playing in this final championship game this afternoon…

Perhaps you have a favorite team you are rooting for? Kansas City or Tampa Bay? Maybe you have a favorite player on one of the teams?

Growing up in New England…you can probably guess who my family and friend’s all time favorite team and player is….this year they get to root for their favorite player…even though he’s not on their beloved New England team anymore!

I confess, I’ve never really followed football…but when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, I always at least know who the 2 teams are, find out who is singing the national anthem, who is doing the half-time show, and other special details surrounding the event itself….I usually tune in for a bit, to watch those highlights…and there’s actually been a few times, when I turned on the tv for the 4th quarter, and noticed it was a really close game, and actually watched until the end! It didn’t take long for me, to see how it is that people can become so engrossed in watching football….(especially when your team is close to winning!)

Today though, we are turning our attention towards another Super Bowl event…a lesser known one….and one that calls our attention to the needs of the hungry among us…

In 1990, Souper Bowl of Caring began with a simple prayer from a single youth group: “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those without a bowl of soup to eat.” (tacklehunger.org)

One simple prayer that inspired an action to address the needs of the hungry and the poor…the ones who are often forgotten, the ones we don’t always choose to know more about, the ones we just assume will be taken care of by somebody else, or some other organization…

Jesus reminds us often…that the poor, the sick, the hungry…are people we should be mindful of…they are beloved children of God, who live among us in our local communities, who live in other states and countries that often feel so far removed from us…but in the family of God…they are indeed, very near to us… They are among the children of God, who need to hear and believe that the Good News of God’s love and healing is proclaimed for them too….

We are the hands and feet of Christ now…we need to make it our business to know…to know about the needs of the hungry and the poor, to understand the needs of the hungry and the poor, and to seek and find ways to act upon this knowledge…so that one day…we can live in a world…where none of God’s children would be hungry…hungry for food, or hungry to know God’s love for them…

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus has just recently emerged from the wilderness after his baptism, and his thrust into beginning his public ministry….he has called his first disciples…and he is now just at the very beginning of teaching the newly called disciples what it looks like to follow Jesus…

He shows them, by his actions, its about proclaiming the Good News of God’s love, by going to those in need of healing…and he also shows him, that there needs to be a time away for prayer, to connect with God, once again…to be reminded of who God is, and who we are, to align our vision with God’s vision of abundance, enough for everyone… for all people, for our neighbors, near and far, for those who are chronically poor and hungry….and then go…go out into the world…to work towards bringing an end to hunger and poverty in our time…

Can you imagine a world without hunger?

That’s always, always, always the challenge before us…

That’s always, always, always the vision we can work towards bringing to fruition….a world without hunger…

In God’s kingdom…it is always, always, always our business to be mindful of the needs of the hungry and the poor among us.

There are many ways, local and worldwide, to learn more, and find ways to help in this important area of ministry…

Bread for the World - https://www.bread.org/

Episcopal Relief and development – episcopalrelief.org

Manna Meal

Sitka Mutual Aid

Farm to family food boxes

Local Food banks

Just to name a few…

Imagine if we could work and strive towards achieving an end to hunger and poverty in our time, putting forth the same effort it takes for a football team to win the Super Bowl each year…

Let’s do more than imagine it…let’s put all of heart, soul, spirit and strength…into accomplishing it…with God’s help, following in the footsteps of Jesus, and being sustained and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, for the long season ahead of us…

Today, on Super Bowl Sunday, we have the opportunity to begin again with this simple prayer…

“Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those without a bowl of soup to eat.”

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Hymn after sermon: (H) 567 Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old

Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old

was strong to heal and save;

it triumphed o’er disease and death,

o’er darkness and the grave.

To thee they went, the blind, the deaf,

the palsied, and the lame,

the leper set apart and shunned,

the sick with fevered frame.

And lo! thy touch brought life and health,

gave hearing, strength, and sight;

and youth renewed and frenzy calmed

owned thee, the Lord of light:

and now, O Lord, be near to bless,

almighty as of yore,

in crowded street, by restless couch,

as by Gennesaret’s shore.

Be thou our great deliverer still,

thou Lord of life and death;

restore and quicken, soothe and bless,

with thine almighty breath:

to hands that work and eyes that see,

give wisdom’s heavenly lore,

that whole and sick, and weak and strong,

may praise thee evermore.

Annual meeting day reflection: Slow and steady…we will get through this pandemic, together…

Annual Meeting day

Jan 31 2021

Rev Julie Platson/sermon/annual meeting report

Typically, I would use this time to reflect and share a response on the Gospel reading for today…

But today, is annual meeting day, and I would like to be mindful of people’s time of gathering here on zoom…and offer my official report to the congregation at this time…and use the time after the service, to listen to other reports and updates and thanksgivings, as we spend time reviewing the past year…and look forward, with gratitude…to beginning another year together…

No one here needs me to remind you of what a tough year 2020 has been, for many reasons. Here at St Peter’s, on a personal note, we lost some beloved members of St Peter’s in 2020…Ursula Zertuche, David Workman, Denise Massey and Harriet Kinberg…

And 2020, has now become 2021….and things are still tough…but every day, we inch closer and closer to emerging from this time of the covid-19 pandemic…

We must not lose sight of that…we must continue to find ways to walk forward, together, with steadfast hope in God, and with a genuine concern and love for one another…One of the latest next steps to help us get closer towards an end to this pandemic is to get the vaccine, if you are able…and encourage others to do so, if they are able…and continue to be diligent in other ways that have already been established to help prevent us and our neighbors from becoming sick with COVID 19…

As tired as most of us has become with all of the restrictions and never-ending changes related to this time of the pandemic…now is not the time for us to forge on ahead quickly and carelessly…

We are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic…we haven’t reached the end yet….slow and steady will help us win this race….

Remember this story? The Hare and the Tortoise

Slow and steady…we will get through this pandemic, together…

We need to continue, to put our hope in God, and with steadfastness and faith…knowing that every day, we wait and walk with God…we are continually being shown ways, to love and care for one another, through the experts, the scientists, the medical community, through the lives of everyday people and heroes, who are constantly teaching us new ways to respond to the needs of the people, all around us….

Slow and steady…we will get through this pandemic, together…

We have much to be thankful for, especially as we reflect back on this past year, and see how far we’ve come, since the pandemic first began……. The psalmist declares it best today - Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart!

click below for video review of 2020

Review of 2020 – St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Now is the time to proclaim the love of God…

3 Epiphany Year B

January 24, 2021

Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:6-14; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

A few years back, I was reminded of a wonderful quote, that is often used as a closing benediction at services of all kinds…or sometimes, simply shared with others as words of encouragement, to accompany a call to action….

“Life is short. We don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” (Henri-Frédéric Amiel)

In a time of so much uncertainty and unrest marking our daily lives right now, this quote is certainly one that speaks truth and wisdom with such unwavering clarity, leaving no room to doubt the urgency of its message… “Life is short. We don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” (Henri-Frédéric Amiel)

Our scripture readings today…reference the urgency of a similar message for God’s people, too, then and now…

In Jonah, we heard that the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…and this time, after many, many times of God speaking to Jonah, and Jonah dismissing what he heard, he finally goes to the people, and proclaims the message just as God asked him to…. In our reading from the letter of Paul to the 1st Corinthians…Paul says to the people: brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short…

And finally, in the gospel of Mark today, we sense the urgency of proclaiming the Good News of God’s love and nearness right here, right now, in this moment… when the reading began in this way:

After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

As the reading continues, we sense the urgency of responding to God’s call, when Jesus calls Simon, Peter, and they immediately leave their nets and follow him….and we hear the urgency of Jesus’ invitation, when he comes across James and John, and immediately calls them, too.

If we look back over the past year, since the covid-19 pandemic began to show up, we can see first-hand, how people, all around us, have responded to the urgency of what was right in front of them: a new, unknown virus that we began to hear about early last year…We have seen how people of all walks of life, have responded to the urgency of the needs all around them, by using and sharing their expertise and gifts as signs of love and care and kindness for others…

Scientists, front-line workers in hospitals and facilities, teachers, grocery store staff, restaurant personnel, travel industries, mothers, fathers, children….people of all ages, all cultures, all walks of life…too numerous to count….have learned to respond to the urgency of now…not by walking away from the unknown…but by trusting and believing, that God is very near, that there is a way forward, together…a way of love and kindness that turns away from my needs only, to a way of love that calls us to be mindful of the needs of others…. a way of love and kindness, that makes a way for the well-being and healing for all people when we turn our hearts to follow the way of love Jesus calls us to….a call to action that says…now is the time…to proclaim this love….for God, and one another…

We’ve seen signs of God’s love all around us, in the creative ways and new ways people have learned to love and care for one another, in these difficult times…we wear our masks, keep our distance, wash our hands, and now a vaccine is another new opportunity to love and care for one another, in these difficult days…

We’ve also seen, all around us, that we’ve fallen short at times, in loving one another as we have been called to……And when we acknowledge this, we can repent, turn around…begin again…the time is now…

There are endless possibilities and opportunities to continue to love one another and help one another through these difficult days of the COVID-19 pandemic…We will get through this together….by continuing to seek ways to listen to the needs of one another, and respond in ways that speak and proclaim that the love of God…is very near to every one of us…

We only need to look back and see how far we’ve already come by working together, and by having faith and trust in a God, who has been with us along, and will be with us for all our days to come…

The time to respond to the urgency of God’s call to love one another, and to follow Jesus, in the way of love he invites us to…is always now…in this moment…

“Life is short. We don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” ( Henri-Frédéric Amiel)

The time is now….in this moment…

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:14-20)

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn after sermon: Wonder Love and Praise - #758

You have come down to the lakeshore

You have come down to the lake shore

seeking neither the wise nor the wealthy,

But only asking for me to follow.

O Jesus, you have looked into my eyes;

kindly smiling, you’ve called out my name.

On the sand I have abandoned my small boat;

now with you, I will seek other seas.

You know full well my possessions.

Neither treasure nor weapons for conquest,

Just these my fish nets and will for working.

Refrain

You need my hands, my exhaustion,

working love for the rest of the weary

a love that’s willing to go on loving.

Refrain

You who have fished other waters;

you, the longing of souls that are yearning:

As loving Friend, you have come to call me.

Refrain

A story about God's love...

2 Epiphany/Year B

January 17, 2021

1 Samuel 3:1-10; Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; John 1:43-51

Its been awhile since I‘ve simply shared a story with you…

When we were meeting in the church in person, with the pews filled with young children and children of all ages….I often shared some stories whose message was geared towards young children. But mostly, even the stories geared for young children, had some important messages for all of us, beloved children of God, of all ages…

Today’s story that I want to share with you, is a Love Story…A love story written from the perspective of God, the artist, the creator of all, capturing the essence of God’s love for all of humanity, in the many different faces of God’s children…

It’s a story that transcends all time...and all places… It’s a story that captures that essence of The Rev Dr Martin Luther King’s Dream of a beloved community, where all God’s children would know their value and their worth, their belovedness, and would be set free to live and love and work and worship and raise a family, without the constant threat of hatred and violence seeking to extinguish their human dignity, their belovedness, and their very lives….

There are so many familiar quotes attributed to Dr King….but the one that comes to mind for me this morning, as I prepare to share this story, is the one about his dream for his children….“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

….“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” (MLK, Jr)

Our children, need to know, that like the boy Samuel, in our first reading today, God is calling their name…calling them beloved…Our children need to know, like the psalmist from our reading today, that God searches them out and knows them, and loves them, and that God will be with them on all their journeys, and in their resting places…Our children need to know that Jesus calls them, too…as he invites everyone…to “Come and See”…Follow me…follow me in the way of love….that leads to building up the beloved community, here on earth, as it is in heaven…

Our children need to be re-assured, through the words and actions of us…. in this time and place in history….a time of political unrest, a time of fear, a time of great hatred and division infecting the hearts of the human family….The children need to be re-assured….that there are people, right now…adults living among us right now…who are committed to doing the hard work of seeking justice, freedom, and equality for all God’s beloved…the work that Dr King, and so many others with him, and even those before him, in ages past - have begun, those who followed the sacrificial way of love that Jesus called them to, a way of love that would build up the beloved community, that God dreamed of, from the very beginning…

Our children need to be re-assured, in the hearing of scriptures, and in the stories we share with each other, that the story of God’s love, is for them…. that God’s love, Christ’s glory…is illuminated and shines so beautifully, in their Faces…

*Read Book: Faces, A Love Story by Roger Hutchison

*Closing Words/after the story/ before the hymn…

The work of building up a beloved community that the Rev Dr Mt Luther King, jr dreamed of, that God dreamed of, that Jesus calls us to, as a way of life that ensures ….all children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, by the content of their character.” (MLK, Jr)….will be difficult and discouraging and wearying… it will take all of us, to be united in Christ, in the interest of all God’s people, to do this hard work…It will take courage, and perseverance, holding on with hope and faith…

Do not be afraid…do not be discouraged….we are never alone to do this work on our own…

In the words of one of Mt Luther King’s favorite hymns, when he was feeling discouraged and needed a lift… these were the verses he sang often…

Hymn after Sermon: There is a balm in Gilead – (LEVS II) 203

Piano/vocalist - Ali Hosford

            There is a balm in Gilead

            to make the wounded whole;

            There is a balm in Gilead

            to heal the sin-sick soul.

1          Sometimes I feel discouraged,

            And think my work’s in vain,

            But then the holy spirit

            Revives my soul again.

          Refrain

2          If you cannot preach like Peter,

            If you cannot preach like Paul,

            You can tell the love of Jesus,

            And say He died for all.

            Refrain

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

In Baptism - we begin again…

1 Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord

January 10, 2021

Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11 

Today is the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany…the day we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate on Christmas Day, each year…On Epiphany day, the glory of God, was revealed in Jesus, when the wise men came face to face with him, and laid their gifts before him, and decided to take a different road home, as they began a new journey…filled with the light of Christ…. Today, we listen to the scriptures that speak about Jesus’ baptism, which invite us to recall and remember our own baptisms…

We begin a new journey on this first Sunday after the Epiphany...A new journey, that begins with baptism…that begins with a renewed commitment….to turn our hearts towards God, once again, towards the unfolding story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection in the coming year…stories that will invite us to respond, with love, to all that is going on in our lives, not only with our words, but in our lives…

For today, the beginning of that journey, invites us to rest in this good news…we may not feel like we have the capacity to respond to all that is happening in our country right now…and that’s OK…it’s OK to just stop, and rest, and lay down whatever emotions and feelings are in your heart today…grief, anger, weariness…. allow yourself to rest, today, in the presence of God’s love and hands…and begin there…

That is the one of the many gifts of baptism, and our baptismal covenants….

It provides a framework for us to go back to time and time again…to remember that we are called beloved….it provides a lifelong framework which invites us to begin again, with our baptisms…to be reminded that we are baptized into a community of faith, into the family of God, united by the love of Christ…a family who strives to love one another, care for one another, and have compassion for one another….sometimes this means, we just sit and grieve together, share our silence with one another…until we are able to begin again…

Where will the journey lead? The path may be obscure. But promised hope of things unseen will keep our footing sure… (Hymn: O God of gentle strength, WLP #771)

It is my hope and my belief, that as we take time to remember the covenant we made with God and one another, at the time of our baptisms, and on a day such as this, when we will renew our baptismal vows together, this journey will lead us back to the God who is love, the God who gives us life, the God who declares this love for us, in our baptisms, and empowers us once again to respond, with love, to anything that comes our way, with the assurance of this love that dwells within us, and all around us, and equips us, and guides us to follow in the way of love, that Jesus has taught us and revealed to us, throughout his life….

From the NZ Prayer Book, the Liturgy for Baptism begins in this way with God’s call….

God’s Call

The bishop or priest says

(Dear friends in Christ,

God is love, God gives us life.

We love because God first loves us.

In baptism God declares that love;

in Christ God calls us to respond.)

At the conclusion of Bishop Michael’s Curry’s: Word to the church, sent out on Jan 8, he asks us to respond with 2 things at this time…

I'm asking you to make a commitment, a renewed commitment, to live the way of love as Jesus has taught us and to do it by making a commitment to go out and bless somebody. Bless somebody you disagree with. Bless somebody you agree with. But to go out and bless somebody by helping somebody along the way. Go out and bless somebody by listening to their story and their life. To go out and be an instrument of God's peace, an agent of God's love.

And then I would ask you to pray. Pray for this nation but pray with some specificity. Pray that we may have the wisdom and the courage to love.

Where will the journey lead? The path may be obscure. But promised hope of things unseen will keep our footing sure…  (Hymn: O God of gentle strength, WLP 771)

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn after the sermon: O God of gentle strength…(WLP 771)

(sung by Ali Hosford)

O God of gentle strength, your love embraces me. Within the sureness of your care my heart rests willingly.

Your waters of rebirth have claimed us as your own. As members of one body, we shall never be alone.

And when life’s challenges eclipse our minds with doubt, let holy wisdom spark a flame to drive the darkness out.

Where will the journey lead? The path may be obscure. But promised hope of things unseen will keep our footing sure.