The greatest love story ever told...

4 Lent/Year B

March 14, 2021

Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21 

Today is the 4th Sunday in Lent….  We are mid-way through the season of Lent… and it seems like a good opportunity to pause…to rest…and to remember…our place, and our belonging, in the greatest love story ever told…the story of God’s love for all people, and for all of creation….

Today, I would like to invite us to pause and rest for a few moments, in the knowledge and in the assurance of this love for us…and to remember…to remember just how far we have come, together, since March 2020, through our faith, through our persistent hope, and by the gift of God’s grace and mercy…

Moment of Silence

Just a couple of days ago, on March 12th, we marked the one-year anniversary date of the first COVID-19 case recorded in Alaska…

On March 15, 2020, on the 3rd Sunday in Lent, we held our last in-person service in the church, until just a couple of weeks ago…

On Monday morning, March 16, 2020…I signed up for a zoom account to begin our planning for online services.

On March 22, 2020, the 4th Sunday in Lent, our worship and all of our programs held at St Peter’s…moved to an online format called zoom…a format that many of us had never even heard of before…

I was reminded this past week just how fast the initial planning took place, for that 1st service to be held on zoom, on the 4th Sunday in Lent…when I received notification in my email inbox, to renew my zoom account…

This was only a beginning…ALL of us have learned so many new things along the way this past year…to help each other stay connected…and to remain hopeful…in the midst of so many losses, uncertainties, and never-ending changes that unfolded, in this past year of the pandemic…

I am sure that there are many other anniversary dates that all of you can remember this past year…they seem to help us, and steady us a bit, as we look back to see where we’ve been, and how far we have come…

But, it’s not just the dates, we find ourselves remembering in times like this…Those dates and the many other milestones marked this past year are associated with the remembrances, most importantly, of people, those who have died, the loved ones we have been separated from, and those who have given so much of themselves for the well-being of others…God’s beloved children of all cultures and races, all walks of life, mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, frontline workers, grocery store workers, restaurant staff, teachers…all beloved children, known and unknown to us….all surely a part of the greatest love story ever told…the story of God’s love for all of us, and for all of creation….

I looked back to my sermon on March 15, 2020 to see what I had written in the 1st few days after Alaska reported the first case of covid-19 in our state…

This was my new prayer mantra, that I shared on that day…and the one I would keep before me every day since then…

God is in the midst of all of this…God has always been with us. God will be with us for the long journey ahead….

God will be with us for the long journey ahead….

This is the promise, anew, every morning…

This next year will still be filled with continued uncertainties and learning many new, hopeful, and life-giving things…and through God’s continued grace and mercy, and through our faith, and our persistent hope, 2021 can be a year of healing for all of us….

One of the best things we can do to encourage and support healing, in these coming days and months….is to listen and share our stories with one another…take time to rest and remember… share the stories of what has helped you in this past year, share the stories about the people who have inspired you and have helped you in this past year…listen to the stories of those who are grieving…listen with the ear of your heart….and share the greatest love story ever told…the story of God’s love for all of us, for all of creation…

A Story of Love

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Listening to the Stones. http://newkilpatrickblog.typepad.com/nk-blogging/mucky-paws/ 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son….” John 3:16

gather round

I have a story to tell

of one who reached inside himself

and took a handful of love

like a pile of stardust

and said: this is for you

it is all you need

it is all you will ever need

there is enough here

to change the whole world

take it

many laughed at him

mocked him

and ignored the invitation

but some dared to take it

and those who did

noticed something about this love

they found they could do what the gift-giver could do

they could stand with the lost

welcome the traveler

eat with the hungry

they found themselves doing what the man first did to them

give something of themselves to others

they became like the man

offering themselves

and as they offered themselves

others took the invitation

and many still do

and many still trust

it is enough to change the whole world.

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

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn after sermon: Come, thou fount of every blessing

John Lewis: guitar/vocals

https://youtu.be/5UQQAfHz8ys

"Re-seeing" our relationship with God and one another

3 Lent/Year B

March 7, 2021

Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

This past week, I received a zoom invitation to attend the Wednesday evening Lenten study, being led by Pastor Sandra at Sitka Lutheran Church….

The title of the weekly series caught my attention….

“RE-SEEING the RESURRECTION”…an exploration of portrayals of the resurrection in the visual arts.

It was wonderful to view some of the pieces of art this past week, which highlighted women present at the tomb and at the resurrection….she included stories about the artists…and allowed time to just be present with the art…and to give us time to adjust our focus a bit, our thinking, our wondering, our questions…assisting us, in this time of prayer…to re-see, re-imagine, and re-envision a part of the resurrection story that we hear every year on Easter, and throughout the Easter season…

In this season of Lent…I wonder if we can approach today’s gospel reading, in the same way….perhaps re-naming it for the context of today’s gospel reading… “Re-seeing the Cleansing of the Temple by Jesus”…

This is another pretty familiar scripture reading to folks who have attended church on a regular basis, throughout the years…we often hear this or other versions of this story, every year, during Holy week…in the days leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday…It’s also a pretty startling scripture reading…as we get a different view of what we would normally expect of Jesus…

The image I shared with you during the gospel reading, a painting by Bernardino Mei, of Christ Cleansing the Temple, was first brought to my attention during our book group study this past Jan/Feb….

Painting by Bernardino Mei…website link Christ Cleanses the Temple

It was so startling to me….it made me feel so uncomfortable…it was so jarring…that I really didn’t want to keep looking at it…

And as I thought about whether to share it today…my first thoughts were… “what if someone is hearing this particular scripture for the first time today, what if someone is looking at this image, for the first time today, which appears to portray Jesus as being an angry, violent person…one who appears to be frightening others…”

And then, I reminded myself…just as I did when I was engaged in Pastor Sandra’s re-seeing the resurrection offering this past week…that I was only viewing a small part, of a much bigger story, a part of a much broader and expansive story about the Love of God for all people, for all of creation…for all times, and in all places…

And I was reminded that we, by our baptisms…are entrusted to share the whole story of God’s love from the beginning, all the way to the Good News that is proclaimed and revealed to us, in Jesus’ life, Jesus’ death, Jesus’ resurrection and ascension…

As we pause today, to listen to this one part of a much larger story, it is good for us to know, that from the beginning…God created us…God created it all: the land, the water, the plants, the animals, every living thing… The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork…. He called it all… good. And on the 7th day…he rested and called us to do the same…a day set aside to rest in God…

God has loved us…all of us…all of creation…and from the beginning, God’s people struggled with believing this and living out their daily lives, as a beloved child of God…and they often fell short in seeing the belovedness of others….and they did all that they could do to make themselves feel important and feel worthy, in God’s eyes…often at the expense of other peoples’ lives…Lording themselves over other people, oppressing and excluding others, and neglecting to care for the created world….

The people wanted to be faithful to God, they wanted to do all the right things, offer up all the appropriate sacrifices according to the religious laws of the time…but they often fell short…and struggled to understand how to be faithful to God in their daily lives: to love justice, to do mercy, and to walk humbly with their God.  

In an effort to help people understand their “duty” to God and their neighbors, to help them be in a right relationship with God and one another, God’s people were given a set of “rules” that we know as the 10 commandments…In the Catechism section from our Book of Common Prayer (pg 847), it is noted that the purpose of the 10 commandments were given to define our relationship with God and our neighbors…they spoke of our relationship with God, and our relationship with our neighbors…Jesus later summed up the understanding of the commandments, simply…Love God and Love your neighbor…

Sin, fear, power and greed distorted the people’s understanding of what our relationship with a Loving God, and what our relationship with loving our neighbors was all about.

We see the results of that when we come to today’s gospel reading. The temple, the sanctuary, the church…was being used for purposes, which distorted the vision of a right relationship with God and our neighbors. The activities happening in the temple, were not “love of God” inspired, for God, or their neighbors. The actions were the result of human weakness, fear, sin and greed, that, over time, had taken over their lives.

Jesus often confronted others to help them “re-see” a right relationship with God, and their neighbors…Sometimes he did this through parables, through teaching in the temple, through miracles, through healings, through calling others to follow him…and today… we saw him in action in the cleansing of the temple.

Jesus is the one who lived among us, to help restore us to a right relationship with God and one another….and that begins with re-seeing our relationships with God and one another.

The season of Lent is a perfect time to engage in a prayer practice or spiritual discipline that assists us in re-seeing our relationship with God and one another. And one key practice to help us do that, is the invitation for us to cleanse our hearts…to cleanse our own temples…our minds and our bodies…acknowledge our faults, our sin of distorting the use of God’s holy name, by acting in ways that are far from the vision of God’s beloved community… It’s an opportunity for us to take time in daily prayer, to acknowledge our neglect and exclusion and oppression of others, for our own comfort, for our own needs…It’s a time for us to pause and acknowledge that we have been allowing fear to govern our lives, and to acknowledge that we have been too busy trying to control everything through our own might and power…This practicing of emptying ourselves, of cleansing our hearts…can leave us feeling refreshed and open to receive the grace of God’s forgiveness and healing balm…

Another practice, you might engage in…would be to pray with the scriptures using a practice called Visio Lectio…look at some religious art, such as today’s…and sit with it…gaze at it for some time…ask the hard questions…and then look for a current photo in the news today…sit with it…gaze at it for some time…sit with the photos that are jarring to your spirit…and ask the hard questions…

Are there places and circumstances where you envision Jesus would be entering today, that would make him angry, cause God’s heart to break…Would Jesus stumble upon places where he would need to chase people out, over-turn the tables? Would he find places and circumstances where God’s people have distorted the vision of God’s dream of a beloved community? Then pray…pray for guidance on how you might be used as an instrument of God’s restoration and healing in the world…

Another simple practice to help you “re-see” the world around you?

Stand on your head and look around???? Things look a little different, don’t you think????

There’s one last thing I would suggest as an option to practice this week…

Look back over this past year, since the pandemic hit close to home in March 2020….There have been so many experiences along the way…that have helped us to “re-see” our relationship to God and our neighbors, and all of creation….Sit with the remembrances, in the presence of God: rest in them, pray with them,…all of them…

And then, pray some more…Pray for the Holy Spirit to rise up in you…to lead you and guide your steps in following Jesus, in a way of love, that restores us into a right relationship with God and one another... a way of love that builds up God’s dream of a beloved community…here on earth…a way of love, that reveals that everyone is part of a much greater story…a story of God’s love for his people…and all of creation…

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

Hymn after sermon: Voices Found - #57 No longer settled

No longer settled or sure of our ways we leave ourselves open, in moments of grace, to fresh ways of seeing—scales fall from our eyes and in our new visions, the Spirit shall rise.

Rise on our wings, awake to new birth, breathe in our bodies, and free all the earth.

Claiming our passion, embracing our rage strengthens our love to refashion this age, unleashes the power to challenge our lies and in righteous anger, the Spirit shall rise.   Refrain

Voices long silenced and mem’ries denied call out for healing, for justice and pride. Our hearts hear the anguish of each sacred cry and in our compassion, the Spirit shall rise.      Refrain

A Pastoral Letter/Covid Update from Bishop Mark Lattime - Alaska - March 2 2021

March 2, 2021

Please take a look at Bishop Mark’s latest Pastoral Letter to the Church, which includes an updated Diocese of Alaska Public Worship and Congregation COVID-19 Mitigation Plans…..

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