God Bless You - Sermon reflection by Deacon Kathryn

August 22, 2021 - 13 Pentecost 

Reflection by the Rev. Deacon Kathryn Snelling

 

To open, I’m going to borrow words from one of our collects

Blessed God, grant us so to hear, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest your Holy Word, that we may embrace the blessed hope of everlasting life which you have given through our savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Today’s reading brings us to the end of chapter six of the Gospel according to John that we’ve been reading through for these last five Sundays.  Our Bread of Life series.

And I want to start with a brief re-cap of what we’ve read and heard.

It began when Jesus has gone up a mountain with his disciples and sees a large crowd that has followed them. And he asks “Where will we get enough bread for all these hungry people?” And then we hear how first he tells the people to sit down. Then he takes the five barley loaves (and a couple of fish) that have been found and, blesses them, breaks them and everyone, about five thousand people, eat their fill.

And there is food left over.

And the people are rightfully amazed. When Jesus realizes that they want to take him by force and make him king, he slips away further up the mountain.

And then he rejoins the disciples later during the night as they cross the sea in their boat heading for Capernaum.

 But once in Capernaum it isn’t long before the crowds, who have crossed over themselves looking for him, find him and want to know how he got there.

But Jesus, knowing what they are looking for, more food, tells them to not work for food that perishes but for food that endures for eternal life. And they ask what they must do to perform the work of God. And his answer is –your work is to believe in the one whom God has sent.  But they ask for more signs – “What will you perform for us?” And they talk about Moses, and the bread he gave their ancestors in the wilderness. Which they had named “manna”.

Jesus says – yes – but it wasn’t Moses who sent the manna. It was God who rained down the bread from heaven. And that manna perished and those who ate it perished.

 I am the living Bread that came down from heaven.

At this some of the people were taken aback – saying how can he say he came down from heaven? We know his father Joseph and his mother. What is this talk?

But Jesus doesn’t stop there – he says again,

I am the living bread that came down from heaven

And the bread that I give for the life of the world --- is my flesh

Furthermore he says, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you.

And I ask us to pause this morning and to try to hear these words as those who heard them for the first time there in Capernaum. 

Without two thousand plus years of theological reflection.

Startling language. Shocking! And I think Jesus meant it to be so. He knows his time is short – we are told at the beginning of the chapter that the Passover was near. Jesus knows what is coming – for him and his disciples.

So he’s pulling no punches now.

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood -- abide in me and I in them. Just as I live because of God, so those who eat me will live because of me”.

Jesus knows that many are offended by what he is saying and he adds “The words I have spoken are spirit and life”

But now, many of the disciples who were following Jesus, shake their head and say – this is too difficult to accept. And they turn back and go. And no longer want to associate with him.

And Jesus turns to the twelve and gives them a chance to go. “Do you also wish to away?”

I can visualize the twelve all looking at each other --and then it is Simon Peter who speaks for them.

“To whom can we go? We have come to believe and know that you are the Hoy One of God.

Yet, even after saying these words, in the end, we know, that Simon Peter and all the rest did leave him. And one betrayed him.

Jesus knows – and doesn’t judge them – but accepts them where they are and moves forward.

It took the resurrection and experiences, and reflection and living and learning to truly and deeply come to believe and know

And I think it’s significant that John chooses to record Jesus’ blunt, offensive sounding words.

I think it is where all come eventually – a crossroads, so to speak, in following Jesus. Do we turn away – or turn to Jesus?

So how do we hear these words today?  

How do we “Taste and See”? How do we abide in him and him in us?

Well. Throughout this month we’ve heard some wonderful reflections on just that.

We heard in Julie’s reflections of the need to sit with Jesus – make the time in our busy, daily lives to be fed and nourished and learn from his life and teaching --- and know that amazing things are possible.

 Even the simply amazing thing of getting through another busy day.

She spoke to our need to always turn and re-turn to Jesus. Making use of all the ways available to us; reading and meditating on God’s word, spending time in prayer, time in silence, time in listening and listening to sacred music – whatever spiritual discipline you choose for yourself and what works for you. And those habits can be hard to maintain. But Jesus doesn’t judge, just waits, always there.

And from Kit we heard the importance and connection of bread throughout history – in her personal history and that of the world. The importance of bread as a staple of life. A perfect metaphor for Jesus.

And she gave us the beautiful image of the Holy Eucharist being connected through the ages to the very hands of Jesus.

And both Julie and Kit spoke of the Eucharist – the Lord’s Supper -- established as a gift -- for spiritual nourishment and that always points to the true source of life, God the Creator.

So what could I possibly add this morning? – A hardy Amen for starters.

And then I’d like us to focus on what Jesus said near the end;

 “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

And I pondered a while on that connection. Flesh and blood – spirit and life

We know Jesus as flesh and blood – as we are flesh and blood. And after his resurrection and ascension, he charged his disciples to be his physical presence in the world. To bring His saving life to the world through our lives and actions as we follow his way of love. True spirit – one with his-- and true life -- that is eternal

On the second Sunday of each month we provide the Manna Meal lunches. And Kit mentioned this her in reflection.

And I would add that the many hands that touch the lunches - through monitory donations or donations of supplies - the physical making of the sandwiches and of the soup and the handing the bags to the people, are tangible ways of being Jesus’s presence.

There is more than soup and sandwiches and homemade cookies and other sweets and beverages

Which are all very viable in themselves

But there is much more than material food going out with those sack lunches – we are also handing out spirit and life.

And those who receive the lunches perceive this, for occasionally one will beat me to saying “God Bless You!”

So this morning I say to you – God Bless You!     

Amen

 

 

 

The Gift of Bread - reflection from "Every Perfect Gift"

All through August we depart from Mark’s gospel in the Lectionary and explore the analogy of

Bread and Body with John the Evangelist. The more Jesus asserts that he is the Bread of Life,

come down from Heaven, the more urgent the opposition to this teaching becomes. Even his

disciples begin to question it. “This teaching is difficult,” they observe, “who can accept it?”

Click the button below for the full reflection featured in the “Every Good Gift” Pledge Campaign (tens.org)

Love and wisdom to guide us

12 Pentecost/Year B

August 15, 2021

Ephesians 5: 15-20; Psalm 111; John 6:51-58 (GNT)

 

Opening prayer: Lord, we thank you for changing seasons, and for being part of your creation that is full of rhythm and cycles. We pray for eyes to see and ears to hear the lessons you give to us in these periods of transition. We pray for a wise and discerning heart, and the wisdom to walk in your ways, making the most of our days, being filled with the spirit of love and gratitude, giving thanks to God the Creator, at all times and for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (sojourners, Ephesians)

It’s that time of year again, when we begin to feel the movement of change in the air…summer activities are winding down, children of all ages are heading back to school, or beginning school or college for the first time...people are transitioning from summer jobs into a new rhythm of work and rest…many have embarked on one final summer vacation before heading back to wherever home is…to begin again…with a fresh and renewed energy to move forward  into wherever the next season may be leading them…

Every day, people are transitioning through seasons of life….seasons of life marked with continual change…seasons of life and death, holding on and letting go, joys and sorrows, light and darkness, beginnings and endings…all around us…

But, even in the midst of all these changes…there are some things that never change….and that is the love of God for all people…and the love and wisdom that begins in God…

A love and wisdom that that guides us throughout all the changing seasons of our lives…a love and wisdom that reminds us that we are never alone to navigate the many different directions our lives make take us…a love and wisdom that unites us to one another, and with all the saints who have gone on before us and even those who still walk among us… a love and wisdom that invites us to walk in the ways of those who have taught us so much…who have been examples to us…of what it means to walk in love, in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards the One who loves us, and gives us life, new life, eternal life…through the gift given to us in Jesus Christ…the living bread that came down from heaven…

I am reminded in the scriptures today of just how God has lifted up His people, in the flesh and blood, to be examples to us by pointing us to the One through whom all wisdom begins…

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we hear the wise teaching about making the most of our days, seeking to understand the will of God, and to turn to the Lord for true wisdom…to be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And then, in our gospel reading today, we are given yet another example of the One who was sent to us by God, in the flesh and blood…The One who gave his life for us, a sacrifice for our sin…and an example of godly life… Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”

Jesus was a real person…a person made of flesh and blood like each one of us…he walked among the people to show them another way to live…by following him, in the way of love…He taught them and us, through the examples of his words and actions, the way to love one another, care for one another…forgive one another…He taught them and us, a way of living in love and community with one another, by uniting our hearts to one another…

When we take time to spend with Jesus, getting to know his ways better, being fed by his life-giving words of love, and peace, and joy, our hearts and our vision of a meaningful and purpose-filled life, begins to align with Jesus, and God’s dream of a beloved community…and we are pointed to what matters in this life, what is important, and what truly gives life to the world and its people…

It is Jesus who reminds us…that with him…we are truly alive…even in death…when we are raised to life…eternal life…with all the saints who have gone on before us…

This time of year, when our thoughts turn to the school year beginning...I can remember many every day saints, called teachers, whom I lovingly and gratefully remember for the support and encouragement they offered when I was young…

I can remember the elders and the others in my church family, and in my own family, throughout the years, who also, showered me with love and encouragement (and continue to do so)… Throughout my life, these every day saints, have revealed God’s love and wisdom by the ways in which they lived their lives...by walking in love…and sharing that love generously…

We have children among us here in the church family (I am looking forward to the time we can gather safely with them in the church buildings again!) and children in our community who have been entrusted to our love and care now… we are the grown-ups…we are the elders…we are all part of the family of God….it’s up to us now… to continue to model a life of which Love is spoken…the way of love that is evident in our lives…when we follow in the blessed steps of Jesus’ life and teachings…

And right here and now, in the month of August 2021, that love calls us to protect the children and families around us, by getting vaccinated, wearing our face masks, doing all that we can to keep them well and safe, and to give them the opportunity to join their friends and teachers in school in the coming weeks…

God’s love for us and all his people is revealed to us throughout all of the seasons of our lives…This time of the COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult season of our lives…but we are not without hope and a way to move through this time together…

Even in the midst of all these changes and this difficult season of our lives…there are some things that never change….and that is the love of God for all people…and the love and wisdom that begins in God…

A love and wisdom that that guides us throughout all the changing seasons of our lives…a love and wisdom that reminds us that we are never alone to navigate the many different directions our lives make take us…a love and wisdom that unites us to one another, and with all the saints who have gone on before us and even those who still walk among us… a love and wisdom that invites us to walk in the ways of those who have taught us so much…who have been examples to us…of what it means to walk in love, in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards the One who loves us, and gives us life, new life, eternal life…through the gift given to us in Jesus Christ…the living bread that came down from heaven…

On this Sunday, when we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, and as we prepare our hearts to re-member and to receive the living bread that came down from heaven…I leave you with these final words from the Ephesians reading last week…

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

 

Rev Julie Platson

St Peters by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

 

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

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

all else be nought to me, save that thou art-

thou my best thought, by day or by night,

waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

 

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;

thou my great Father; thine own may I be;

thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.

 

High King of heaven, when victory is won,

may I reach heaven's joys, bright heaven's Sun!

Heart of my heart, whatever befall,

still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

 

Bread of life...

10th Sunday after Pentecost/Year B

August 1, 2021

Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 51:1-13; John 6:24-35

 

Opening prayer:

(inspired by John 6) The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009,

O Bread of heaven, come down.

Come down and fill us with your Spirit—

for your Spirit satisfies like no other.

We hunger and thirst for you this morning

and long to be nurtured in your love and forgiveness.

So we come to this sacred time and place,

where our hungers are finally and fully satisfied as only your bread can do. We will wait and listen for your leading in this time together. Amen.

 

A few years back, I facilitated a Summer Sabbath Quiet day…a silent retreat…here at St Peter’s…The various readings and scriptures and music that were chosen, were all selections that were meant to help us to return once again to the source of all creation, to the source that feeds us, and nourishes, and strengthens us with the food that endures for eternal life…

There were selections chosen to help us return to a more balanced rhythm of work and rest…work and Sabbath rest…

There were selections chosen that invited us to recall the connection between our bodies and our spirits… and the need to take care of both….reminding us, specifically...that our bodies are God’s temple…

A place where the Holy Spirit of God lives and dwells in us, breathes in us and rests in us…a Holy dwelling where the spirit of God’s love has the power to inspire us and unite us to love one another as we have been loved, forgive one another as we have been forgiven, and help us to grow and build up his beloved community…a community centered around a table of God’s love…where the true bread of heaven, the bread of God which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world…is made known to us through the One whom God has set his seal – Jesus…

Jesus…the One whose words invite us back to the center of our hearts, where He lives and dwells, with the Holy Spirit….

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

It may be easy for us to truly hear these words and believe in them, when we are gathered together on a Sunday morning…here as we gather together on zoom, or in our beautiful church building, among the people we care for, young and old, and in the midst of a community in which we feel loved, and feel as if we belong…we spend time with scriptures, praying, singing songs of praise and worship…and partake in Holy Communion…the Eucharistic Feast…the highlight of our time together…which brings Jesus’ words to life for us…. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

But then Monday morning comes along…and we get swept up in the complexities and challenges of everyday living…we spend too much time watching the news, and get drawn into the web of negativity and words that ignite conversations built around division, anger, and hopelessness…we get caught up in worries over health, and family and community issues, especially in this time of the covid-19 pandemic; we fall into the trap of thinking that more money, more control to do the thing we want to do, will finally satisfy our longings, our desires…we continue to chase after things that we think we need to be happy…we search and search and search...meanwhile…all of these distractions, these worries, these negative and hurtful words and actions that we focus on day after day, night after night…leave us neglecting the health of our bodies, our minds, our hearts and our spirits…it leaves us with a lot of stuff to sort through…a lot of layers of needless stress, and worries that separate us from experiencing the love of God…and leaves us feeling tired, hungry, empty and thirsty…

This is where repentance comes in… which calls us to take an honest look at ourselves, and what’s in our hearts…how are we caring for the dwelling place of God’s Holy Spirit of love? Is this Holy Spirit of Love, and Christ’s presence in this Holy Temple of our bodies, buried in layers of fear and worry?

Is my heart troubled or filled with anger? Is my heart overwhelmed with uncertainty or unbelief? Is it causing me to hurt others with my words and actions, or perhaps myself? Am I using my words and actions to build up or tear down?

This is where repentance comes in...as part of a regular spiritual discipline of meditating on God’s holy Word, spending time in prayer, silence, or listening to sacred music….all ways which help us to return and focus once again, on the One…who is the bread of life…the one who satisfies our hungers, our longings, and our thirst…the One who brings life to this world, the One who brings new life into our hearts….Jesus…

Repentance can mean praying something as simple and beautiful as the verses from our psalm today which can help us to be mindful of the need to clean out the unhealthy thoughts and fears that have been slowly building up in our hearts… to make room for Jesus, and the Holy Spirit of God’s love….to renew in us…a right spirit within us...and to fill us once again with the saving help of God’s love and joy…and sustain us with his bountiful Spirit..

Our bodies are God’s temple…

A place where the Holy Spirit of God lives and dwells in us, breathes in us and rests in us…a Holy dwelling where the spirit of God’s love is revealed to us through Jesus, and is sustained in us by the Holy One’s bountiful Spirit…

Let us strive to care for our bodies, our minds, our hearts and our spirits…..not only on Sundays…but throughout the week…so that all of our words and our actions come from a deeply-centered place of immense love, unconditional love, that proclaims the life-giving way of love that is made known to us through Jesus…helping us to build up the Body of Christ, the beloved community, by speaking the truth in love…

Today, as we celebrate Holy Communion, the Eucharistic Feast…let us remember the life-giving, and nourishing words of Jesus: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

 

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

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

 

Hymn after the sermon: Bread of Life

 

Bread of life, hope of the world, Jesus Christ, our brother:

feed us now, give us life, lead us to one another.

           

As we proclaim your death, as we recall your life,

we remember your promise to return again.  Refrain       

Hold us in unity, in love for all to see;

that the world may believe in you, God of all who live.  Refrain

 

You are the bread of peace, you are the wine of joy,

broken now for your people, poured in endless love. Refrain    

 

An invitation: To taste and see that God is good

9th Sunday after Pentecost/Year B

July 25, 2021

Ephesians 3: 14-21; Psalm 14; John 6:1-21

Opening prayer: Creator, we give you thanks for all you are and all you bring to us for our visit within your creation. In Jesus, you place the Gospel in the centre of this Sacred Circle through which all of creation is related. You show us the way to live a generous and compassionate life. Give us your strength to live together with respect and commitment as we grow in your Spirit, for you are God, now and forever. Amen.

(gathering prayer from a disciple’s prayer book)

In the next several weeks, we will be hearing a lot about bread, the living bread, the bread of life, that we come to know as Jesus, as revealed to us, in the gospel of John, chapter 6. We will have the opportunity to re-focus ourselves and our lives on the true bread of life, that feeds us and nourishes us and strengthens us, when we once again are reminded to place Jesus, the gospel, in the center of all our gatherings here in the church, either in-person or on zoom, and in all that we do, as the church, as the body and living bread of Jesus, outside our buildings…in the community at large.

In today’s gospel reading, we have a wonderful story about the amazing things that are possible, and can happen, when the focus is on Jesus, on what God can do through him, and us. It extends an invitation to us to enter into this story, to taste and see that God is good…That’s what jumped out at me when I listened to the story the first time.

As I re-tell this story for the 2nd time, I invite you to put yourself into the story…and ponder what God, what Jesus, is saying to you…

Let me begin by saying,

We have some pretty spectacular summer weather in Sitka…especially when the sun is shining for days on end. On these days, I make sure I get in some extra time to walk…and also some time to just sit. I often sit outside on a bench across the street from the church, facing Crescent harbor and beyond…There is always so much to see from there….

As I was recalling one of these spectacular sunny days, my thoughts turned to today’s gospel reading…imagining myself being present with Jesus, his disciples and the crowds…

I began with imagining that I was sitting on the bench with Jesus, who had just crossed over from the other side of the ocean…hoping to get away from the crowds to rest a bit…But a large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs, the healing, he was doing for the sick.

Then Jesus decided it was time to move on again, in hopes of finding a place to rest and talk with his disciples. So, we headed up a mountain to sit down. But, just as Jesus looked up, the crowds were coming again.

This time, Jesus must have noticed that the approaching crowds were hungry and he asked Philip – “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”

Philip seemed to be a bit bewildered by his question, and started talking about dollars and cents and clearly doubtful of how they would ever feed the crowd that was now gathered with them on the mountain.

Andrew hesitantly brings up an idea that seemed a little far-fetched – and one could only imagine the look on Phillip’s face when he says this: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”

I suppose the rest of us had a puzzled look on our faces too…all those people – and five loaves of bread and two fish?

We all turned and looked at Jesus again, to hear what he now had to say…

Jesus simply said, “Make the people sit down.”

Now there was a great deal of grass in this place, so they sat down…about five thousand in all.

Five thousand people – double/triple the amount of extra people we see in Sitka on cruise ship days….A lot of people…only five barley loaves, and two fish…and Jesus simply begins by saying… “Make the people sit down.”

All eyes and ears were fixed on Jesus now…what is he going to do with those five barley loaves and two fish?

This is what we saw him do:

Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated and he did the same with the two fish – and gave the people as much as they wanted.

Everyone was satisfied, everyone’s hunger was satisfied. All who came, were filled…All who had been wandering, all who had been roaming, all who had been restless, lonely, longing for something, perhaps to belong…all who were yearning for days of fullness…all who came and shared in this circle of love and fellowship, and the sharing of a meal…were filled, they were satisfied…with Jesus…and in community with one another…there was more than enough for everyone..

When it appeared as though all were done eating, Jesus told the disciples to gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost…

So they went around, amongst the crowd and gathered up, from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, and they filled twelve baskets. Twelve baskets of the fragments left behind…

When the disciples placed the baskets in front of Jesus...and for all to see…there was a stunned silence…there was a sense of profound awe…How could this be? There was an overflowing sense of deep  gratitude that filled the air around us…pure and complete joy… as we realized… surely,  we were standing on Holy ground here, surely, we were witness to the presence and the power of God’s love, and grace and mercy…revealed to us…in the One who was with us…Jesus…

The one who simply asked us….to sit down…..to sit down for a moment and just be with him…listen to him, learn from him, be fed by him, be filled with the fullness of God’s love through him….and be nourished and fed for the work of going out into the world to share this love and this bread of life with all we meet…

When the people gathered saw the sign that Jesus had done, they began to say, “Indeed, this is the prophet who has come into the world.”

Indeed, in today’s gospel reading, we can see that amazing things are possible, and can happen in our own lives, and the lives of all God’s people, when the focus is on Jesus, on what God can do through Jesus, and us.

We gather today to celebrate the Eucharist…to give thanks...to remember the One who has indeed, come into the world to reconcile us to God, to one another, and all of creation…

Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we are given a glimpse, a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, the beloved community – where all are invited and welcomed at God’s table, all are fed, and satisfied…we gather together to taste and see that God is good…

Then we are sent out, strengthened and nourished by the bread of life, to go back out into our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our communities, our families, to proclaim the Good News of God’s abundant love and goodness, revealed to us, in the breaking of bread, in Christ Jesus…

There’s a lot of hungry people in the world right now…hungry for love, hungry for kindness, hungry for compassion, hungry for fellowship and belonging…hungry for the good news of God’s love for all people, at all times, and in all places…

I invite you to read this gospel a third time this afternoon….if you can…

And think about… “What is Jesus, the Gospel, calling you to do?

And then go… go and invite others to come and to taste and see that God is good.

 

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

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

Visual for Bishop's address committee report on Oct 10 2020.jpg


Hymn after sermon - WLP - #761 All who hunger gather gladly

Listen here   

All who hunger gather gladly;

holy manna is our bread.

Come from wilderness and wand’ ring.

Here in truth we will be fed.

You that yearn for days of fullness,

all around us is our food.

Taste and see the grace eternal.

Taste and see that God is good.

 

All who hunger, never strangers,

seeker, be a welcome guest.

Come from restlessness and roaming.

Here, in joy we keep the feast.

We that once were lost and scattered

in communion’s love have stood.

Taste and see the grace eternal.

Taste and see that God is good.

 

 

All who hunger, sing together,

Jesus Christ is living bread.

Come from loneliness and longing.

Here, in peace, we have been fed.

Blest are those who from this table

live their days in gratitude.

Taste and see the grace eternal.

Taste and see that God is good.

 


 

 

Choose the way of love...

Pentecost/Year B

July 11, 2021

Ephesians 1:3-14; Psalm 24; Mark 6:14-29

Let me begin by telling you, that today’s gospel reading from Mark is a really hard one to listen to…and I always wonder why…it has to be included in the Sunday lectionary…and I really struggled all week, to discern what “good news” the Holy Spirit could possibly reveal to me to share with you today…

But the more I read the gospel, (which translates as “good news”), and read the other scriptures appointed for today, and listened to the music for this week, and prayed the collect for this Sunday, in the context of all that was going on around me this week…the “good news” message that I wanted to share with you today…finally trickled down my cheeks with tears of sorrow and with songs of mercy and grace washing over me…

Tears of sorrow at how cruel human beings can be to one another at times, because of fear, and insecurities and the inability to forgive… and songs of mercy and grace…at seeing how others, facing similar circumstances, can learn to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, to help them choose the loving way, the way of love that Jesus has taught us…

In today’s gospel reading, we get a glimpse into a moment of decision…by several different persons… and how they chose to act in the story leading up to the beheading of John the Baptist…and the aftermath…

The decisions made by King Herod, Herodias, even the guests and bystanders at the birthday banquet…were all centered around themselves… and were based on the fear and insecurities they were experiencing, and they responded by using their power and control to ease their own anxieties in whatever way they desired…I don’t want to go through the whole story again to point out the ways that such cruelty and hate was evidenced in the story…you don’t need me to explain any of that…

But, what I do want to call your attention to … what prompted the sense of songs of mercy and grace washing over me … was the loving action of the disciples as told to us in the last verse of the gospel reading for today:

When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

While the others in the story feared Jesus, and one another perhaps, the fear escalated and spun out of control until the head of John the Baptist ended up on a platter...

The disciples, on the other hand…responded in their moment of fear…with love, and mercy and grace…

When his disciples heard about it, (the beheading of John), they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

The disciples responded in their moment of fear…with love, and mercy and grace.

They could have easily got caught up in the unfolding drama and violence that led up to the beheading of John the Baptist…they could have chosen to renounce Jesus; they could have easily stayed away, and let someone else take care of John, fearing for their own lives…now that they were being called to go out and invite others to turn their lives around, by turning their hearts and lives back to God, by focusing on Jesus, just as John the Baptist had done…

I like to think that the disciples caught on to last week’s teaching from Jesus that taught them not to fear, but to have faith in knowing that they weren’t being sent out alone…that they were being sent out in two’s…and with the power of the Holy Spirit to lead them and guide them…

We are faced with fears and insecurities and times of great conflict, every day. We are faced with hard decisions throughout our lifetime. But, we need not act upon our fears, with violence and hatred for one another. We need not act upon our fears by giving up hope, that people or our own circumstances will ever change.

We can call upon God, in times of prayer, we can learn to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, to help us know and understand what things we ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them…to choose the loving way, the way of love that Jesus has taught us…and the way of love that the disciples showed us in today’s gospel…

 

A well-known Frederick Buechner quote tells us this:

“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid.”

I would add to that today by saying: But if you are afraid, because as human beings there are many, many times, that we are afraid……don’t let fear keep you from choosing the way of love…trust that your fears will be transformed by the love and the mercy and the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in you.

Remember: (that) You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.


Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

 

Hymn after sermon: Loving Spirit (WLP) 742

Vs 1: Loving Spirit, loving Spirit, you have chosen me to be;

you have drawn me to your wonder, you have set your sign on me.


Travel companions along the way

6th Sunday after Pentecost/Year B

July 4, 2021

Psalm 48; Mark 6:1-13

 

It’s summertime…and this summer, a lot of people are beginning to travel again….

There’s excitement in the air for some…as they get to travel off the island of Sitka to visit families and friends in other places….and there’s excitement in the air, for those who get to travel here to Sitka! Lots of summer activities are filling up the calendar these days…ranging from summer camps to music festivals to fishing trips…to fourth of July weekend festivities…

There’s a lot to think about when we prepare to travel…especially in a time such as this, as we are moving into a new season of the COVID-19 pandemic that is still with us, and still effecting the lives of so many vulnerable people, near and far…

So, when we travel now, whether for fun, or for medical reasons, we have to research the covid-19 protocols at the airports we will fly in and out of and the protocols in place once we arrive at our destination…Are we vaccinated yet? if not…where can I get the vaccine before I travel, or where can I get the covid test before/after I travel??

As we prepare to travel these days…it’s a clear reminder that it’s not only about us who is traveling…but about those around us too…

And, yes, as always, we will have to decide what kind of clothing we will pack, where we will stay, how much money we will need, for meals, for transportation, for activities……

Yes…a lot to think about when traveling for vacations and family visits or medical visits…

In today’s gospel…we learn about a different purpose for travel… travel for the sake of proclaiming the love of God, as made known to us, in Jesus…travel with the hope of bringing a message of light and love and healing to those who will listen and hear…..and with the hope that they will be filled with the love and joy and peace of knowing that with God we always have a traveling companion with us, leading us and guiding us, to be a companion for others too, as we journey through the twists and turns, and the joys and sorrows of this earthly life, together…

So, for this type of travel…Jesus gives instructions to pack light…

Preacher Kate (an Episcopal priest and blogger at water daily spiritual reflections -http://preachergirlkate.blogspot.com/) has this to say about Jesus’ instructions to pack light…

I would have flunked Jesus' Packing 101. As he headed out on another teaching tour, he sent his disciples out too: He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.

I guess he didn’t mean sandals in seven colors, did he? They were to carry nothing, no luggage, no change of clothes, no money. As we will see when we look at his instructions about where they were to stay, he insisted they rely completely on the resources they could find in the villages to which they went. They had to live by faith and the Spirit's guidance.

Could we do this for even one day? Some do; others have tried it. I know of a bishop who lived homeless in New York City for a month, and there is Barbara Ehrenreich’s experience detailed in her book “Nickel and Dimed,” in which she attempted to live in America on minimum wage jobs, which would be even more challenging today. I don’t think many of us would get very far.

Why would Jesus insist on such stringent conditions for his disciples on their first trip out? To go with nothing, no money, no safety net?

Perhaps it’s because he didn’t send them out with nothing. For one thing, he sent them in twos; nobody went alone. And He sent them with the Spirit’s power and authority over unclean spirits. They had ammunition against the strongest danger they faced, spiritual temptation and interference from the minions of the Evil One. Physical challenges they could handle, if they could learn to trust.

Absolute faith would be required for those who were to carry forward the mission of God revealed in Christ. Absolute faith is still required.)

 

So, you see…Jesus’ instructions to pack light…are meant to help us turn and focus once again…on what is truly needed to travel through this earthly life…putting our faith and trust in the love of God, as made known to us, in Jesus…Putting all of our faith and trust in Jesus’ message that calls us to go…to be bringers of light and love and healing to those who will listen and hear…with the hope that they too will be filled with the love and the joy and the peace of knowing that with God we always have a traveling companion with us, leading us and guiding us, to be a companion for others too, as we journey through the twists and turns, and the joys and sorrows of this earthly life, together…

We will pray, later in our service this morning, for travelers…as we do every week at St Peter’s…

But, here I close with another short prayer, based on the hymn (Lead me, Guide me) to help us prepare for the kind of travel Jesus is sending us out to do….

Let us pray:

God of grace and traveling mercies: Lead us and guide us, along the way…Lord, let us walk each day with you…Give us your strength and power to help us in our weakest hour, putting all our trust in you…Lead us and guide us, and let us walk each day with you…Amen.

 

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska