Check out today’s sermon: Love in Action…(wtritten and shared by Kit Mellema)
Pop-up Prayer
22 Pentecost/Year B
Oct 24, 2021
Psalm 126; Jeremiah 31:7-9; Mark 10:46-52
Pop-up Prayer
A few years back, The Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invited us to become part of the Jesus Movement by adopting a rule of life, based on ancient monastic communities who shaped their lives around rhythms and disciplines for following Jesus together. He gave us a framework to use called The Way of Love: Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life.
It includes seven practices...Turn – Learn – Pray – Worship – Bless – Go – Rest…and it doesn’t need to be followed in any particular order…
We’ve been exploring these practices the past several weeks in our books and conversations gatherings…using the Traveling the Way of Love video storytelling series, that has highlighted several churches and ministries across the United States, engaged in these different practices in their own communities…
This past week at our Books and Conversations gathering, we focused on the practice of Pray, as outlined in The Way of Love: Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life.
It’s described in this way:
PRAY: Dwell intentionally with God each day.
Jesus teaches us to come before God with humble hearts, boldly offering our thanksgivings and concerns to God or simply listening for God’s voice in our lives and in the world. Whether in thought, word or deed, individually or corporately, when we pray, we invite and dwell in God’s loving presence.
We watched and listened to a story about Pop-Up Prayer…a Facebook ministry of “Pop-Up Prayer” that was started up by the Rev Katie Churchwell in the midst of preparing for a hurricane in St Petersburg, Fla, in 2017 when suddenly all the churches, buildings and businesses had to shut their doors in preparation for the storm and everyone suddenly found themselves cut off from the church, and everything that gave them comfort.
Her pop-up prayer ministry on facebook was a mix of simple prayers, short morning and evening prayer services, all offered, from her home, with her family, and at varying times of the day, and without a set time.
As I reflect on her ministry of Pop-Up Prayer, and the description of the practice of Pray…I am struck, how she humbly, and boldly offered this time of prayer, in a great time of need, and clearly in response to listening for God’s voice, in the lives and in the people in her community. Facebook and prayer together was a new and bold offering back in 2017. I’m sure you can all identify with it presently, in this time of the pandemic…as a pretty common way to pray and worship together. And a powerful testimony to remind one another, of God’s loving presence and our connectedness being only a prayer away.
This practice of Pray and Pop-Up Prayer reminds me of Bartimeaus, the blind beggar, in our gospel reading today. He gives us another great visual of what pop-up prayer might look like. He’s just sitting alongside the road, when he heard it was Jesus, who was about to pass him by. He shouted and called out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”…And when the others tried to quiet him down, he persisted all the more, and even more loudly, with his prayer, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still. And told the others, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” Bartimaeus sprang up, throwing off his cloak, perhaps the one thing that protected him, and brought him much comfort and security…and he came to Jesus. His pop-up prayer…led him to Jesus…face to face…heart to heart…Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man answered him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.
I wonder how many of us recognize that we’ve probably been engaged pretty regularly during this time of the pandemic in the practice of “Pop-up prayer”. Only we don’t often think of it as that. I know I’ve often talked about our need to set aside time to dwell intentionally with God in prayer, in some times of silence and quiet. So, I am loving this other image of prayer, that reminds us that at any time, and in any place, and in any situation we find ourselves in…when we humbly and boldly cry out to Jesus, to God, in our time of need….our cries for mercy and God’ amazing grace will always be heard…Jesus asks us always what we need, and awaits our response…waits to hear our desires and our hopes….and our faith helps us to trust this, and know this…and to believe that indeed, we are seen by God, we are called beloved…But it doesn’t stop at just knowing this, our faith invites us to respond, to start anew with following Jesus, in the way of love…just as Bartimaeus did….Being showered in God’s love, mercy and amazing grace, it’s a renewed call to GO: witness to the love, justice, and truth of God with our lips and with our lives….
Closing prayer: O Jesus Christ, teacher and healer, you heard the cry of the blind beggar when others would have silenced him. Teach us to be persistent in prayer and give us courage to ask plainly what we need from you, that we might respond in your name by the power of the Spirit through the ministry entrusted to us for the sake of the gospel. Amen.
(Posted on Thematic, Intercessory and Scripture Prayers for the RCL, Vanderbilt Divinity Library. (http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/)
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Music Reflection after Sermon: Amazing Grace - sung by Ali Hosford
1 Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
was blind but now I see.
2 ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
3 The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
4 Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
than when we’d first begun.
We are seen, heard and loved...
20th Sunday after Pentecost/Year B
Oct 10, 2021
Psalm 90:12-17; Amos 5:6-7,10-15; Mark 10:17-31
Help! That seems to be the cry of desperation of the man who ran up to Jesus and knelt before Him, in our gospel reading today…
The man asked Jesus: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Jesus’ response was probably not what the man was expecting…we are told that he was shocked…and went away grieving…It appears as if this man really believed he was already being faithful enough, doing all the things he thought he should do to inherit eternal life….and thinking that by following all the commandments, at the end of the day, he could just check everything off his list of “good things” done for the day. Perhaps he was waiting for Jesus to tell him, “well done, good and faithful servant.” But, I suspect, he knew he was in need of some help, some kind of healing…he knew in his own heart, there was something missing, there was something lacking in his life.
And Jesus addresses his quiet cry for help…by telling him….yes…there is something lacking…. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
I wonder what that the one thing was?
Did he really trust God to provide all that he needed?
Did he really believe that God cared for him, even in times, when he doubted his own worth?
Did he really think that God or others would value his worth, if he didn’t have lots of possessions and worldly things to prove himself to be of value or importance to the world?
Did he really trust that if he gave away all that he owned that he would still have more than enough of what he needed for himself?
I wonder if the one thing he lacked was his belief that he was a beloved child of God? That there wasn’t anything more or anything less that would take away from God’s love for him, or for any other person or creature on this earth, or in heaven?
Jesus looked at him, loved him…reminded him in that moment…that he was loved…that the possessions he was holding on to so tightly could never take the place of this love…Without this love, the love of God revealed to us in the way of love that Jesus has shown us, time and time again, there would always be the gnawing feeling that something was missing…
As we go to God in prayer, turning our hearts and our whole selves to kneel before Jesus, to cry out for help and healing, we discover what is missing….the saving power of God’s love to restore us into the beloved community with God and one another…in this life…and for eternal life…
By God’s grace, and through the saving power of God’s love poured out for us in Christ Jesus, we discover that we are indeed a beloved child of God.
Imagine, how our daily lives would be transformed by the knowledge of this truth of God’s love for us?
Imagine how each other’s lives would be transformed, if we spent time every day sharing this generous love, and our gifts with one another?
Just imagine a world, where we all love one another and respect the dignity of every human being…we know it’s possible….for with God, all things are possible….
May the graciousness, (and the love) of the Lord our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork. Psalm 90:17
HYMN after sermon: Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind
Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
gentle as is the dove:
teach us the truth and help us believe,
show us the Saviour’s love!
1 You spoke to us long, long ago,
gave us the written word;
we read it still, needing its truth,
through it God’s voice is heard.
Refrain
2 Without your help we fail our Lord,
we cannot live his way;
we need your power, we need your strength,
following Christ each day.
Refrain
Words: Margaret Old (1932-2002)
Music: Skye boat Song, Scottish traditional melody; arr. James Whitbourn
Meter: 86. 86 with Refrain
Chet Valley Churches
FROM THE SITKA SENTINEL: CLIMATE CONNECTION
OCT 1, 2021
Climate Connection: Feeling Change: October
We have experienced another summer of extreme weather events. For all the destruction caused, they have also brought an increasing awareness of what a changing climate looks like. And especially what it feels like, in all its unsettling uneasiness. And with this awareness, there seems to be a growing appetite for solutions.
When approaching a problem, an important first step is to define the task at hand. For climate change, our collective task is becoming clearer. It’s to change those behaviors and activities that are pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and warming the planet. Or more simply put: to stop burning so much fossil fuel.
As individuals though, this can feel overwhelming. After all, the scope of this problem is truly global in nature.
Not only that, but we are more closely feeling the impact of a changing climate. If we didn’t directly experience an extreme weather event this year, it’s likely we know someone who did. Someone whose home flooded, or was threatened by fire. Someone who was without electricity or air conditioning during sweltering heat waves. Someone who had to hunker down during unusually powerful storms.
We need to understand the nature of the problem that climate change poses. Because in some important ways it’s not like other problems. It’s something that is both everywhere and nowhere at once. We can’t exactly touch it , but we can feel it all over the place.
One term to describe these kinds of problems is as hyperobjects. Other hyperobjects include COVID, the internet or black holes. Things so big, they are beyond our ability to fully grasp. They also tend to challenge our belief in human mastery. After all, it’s this belief that gives us the confidence to complete a task or solve a problem.
And this is what can make climate change so scary. It’s not only the scope of the problem, but the threat it poses. Not just the threat to our own and other lives but a profound threat to the possibility of life itself.
So we know our collective challenge in reversing the trends driving climate change. But what about our task at the personal level? Can we define this in a way that gives us a map to move forward and courage to meet this challenge? The next few articles here will explore these questions.
––––––––––
John Lewis is a behavioral health professional and a member of the Sitka Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Posted in the Sitka Sentinel on Oct 1, 2021
Could anyone ever see enough of this splendor?
Creation Care Sunday
Oct 3, 2021
Sirach 42:15-25, Psalm 104:1, 2b-5, 10-13,Matthew 6:26-34
Periodically, throughout the year, we take the time during a Sunday service, to focus on Creation Care…Of course, this isn’t meant to suggest that our focus on creation care should only be a once in awhile thing to think about …It just gives us an opportunity, today, to intentionally turn our hearts and minds, once again, to the gifts of God, and the glory of God, revealed to us in Creation…in the land, the mountains, the deserts, the trees, the waters, the animals, the birds, the fish, the butterflies, the planets, the stars, the expanse of the skies, and in the people all around us…It’s meant to re-awaken the gift of wonder in us…as we are reminded of the magnificence and beauty of God’s handiwork in all things bright and beautiful, in all creatures great and small, and in all the wise and wonderful things made by God, as revealed to us in the scriptures, in our prayers, in the music, and as we look at the created world all around us, in the places, we call home….And it allows for a moment of contemplation, in the midst of our time together today to wonder, “Could anyone ever see enough of this splendor?” (Sirach 42:25)
“Could anyone ever see enough of this splendor?” (Sirach 42:25)
When was the last time, a question like this even bubbled up in your heart…with such deep gratitude…for the beautiful works of God and the gifts of God given to us, in creation?
When was the last time these opening words from A General Thanksgiving (from our Book of Common prayer) came to mind, and you couldn’t help but to speak them out loud…
Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.
If we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we often fall short, in taking time to thank and praise God for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.
Somewhere along the way, as we grow into adults…our hearts and our minds get quite distracted by so many other things…we grow weary of all the changes and chances of this life…we get discouraged by the never-ending sufferings and heartaches that affect our families and friends, we fill up our time with so many other things that draw our attention away from the simple beauty in the gifts of creation that have so much to teach us and so much to reveal to us, about the nearness of God…As we become adults, we often “think” on too many impossibilities, instead of the infinite possibilities when we look at the created world through the eyes and the heart of God…And as noted in this week’s Every Perfect Gift reflection, “we replace the act of wonder with the practice of worry.”
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus invites us to look to the wonder of creation, to ease our worries. He says to his disciples who are worried about many things - Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
Children, too, have a lot to teach us about the gift of wonder in creation… Have you ever watched or walked with a child taking a hike in the woods or on a trail…or perhaps at the shore of the beach…they take notice of every little thing…the color, the movement, the texture, the smell…they ask questions, and more questions, and more questions…they never grow tired of wondering…they never grow tired of being amazed at all the wonderous gifts in creation…
So, yes, we can learn so much from Jesus about the wonders of creation to ease our worries, and we can learn so much from the children about keeping the curiosity and wonder alive in our minds and in our hearts, so as to never give up hope for what is still to come…and we can vow to make a renewed commitment to practice more wonder and joy in the gifts of God, revealed in creation… and we can stop regularly for a moment of contemplation to wonder aloud, or in silence, “Could anyone ever see enough of this splendor?” (Sirach 42: 25)
But, it can’t stop there…with just the awe of it all…we are called to respond with gratitude, not only with our lips, but in our lives…in the ways we love and cherish and care for these beautiful gifts of creation, and in the ways we love and cherish and care for one another today…
Yet, we don’t just do all of this for the sake of this time and this place, and with those we walk with now, but for those who will come long after us…We want them too, to be able to look around at the magnificence and the beauty of God’s handiwork in all things bright and beautiful, in all creatures great and small, and in all the wise and wonderful things made by God…and to be able to just pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and wonder…“Could anyone ever see enough of this splendor?” (Sirach 42:25)
Let us pray: A General Thanksgiving (2007 Version)
Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have
done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole
creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,
and for the mystery of love.
We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for
the loving care which surrounds us on every side.
We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best
efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy
and delight us.
We thank you also for those disappointments and failures
that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.
Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the
truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast
obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying,
through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life
again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.
Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and
make him known; and through him, at all times and in all
places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.
Rev Julie Platson, St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, AK
Hymn after the sermon: All Things Bright and Beautiful (H) 405
Organist: Kathi Jones & St Peter’s Choir
It's about a balance of both: A time for prayer and a time for action
18 Pentecost/Year B
Sept 26, 2021
James 5:13-20; Psalm 19:7-14; Mark 9:38-50
Let me begin this morning by asking you to do a quick check-in with yourself about your own well-being…How are you doing this morning? Feeling well-rested or feeling tired? Feeling assured that all will be well or feeling worried and anxious? Feeling hopeful or feeling discouraged? Feeling grateful or feeling a bit disgruntled? Feeling joyful or feeling a little sorrowful?
I wonder if you are like me, at times…when I don’t always have one clear answer to those “either/or” questions… Sometimes, a mix of those feelings can come up in the span of minutes and by the hour…They can change quite often throughout the day, depending on what kind of conversation I’m engaged in, or what I’m reading online in the daily news, or who I’m talking with…or what I’m observing or listening to, in the variety of settings I find myself in…and most especially, I know that the fluctuation of my feelings, is influenced by how faithful I’ve been to setting aside time for prayer, throughout the day…
It can feel pretty unsettling, at times…to live in such a time as this…The toll of this lengthy time of the covid-19 pandemic is having an impact on all of our lives…it’s affecting our spiritual lives, our physical health, and our mental health…all of us…no-one is being spared from the ripple effects of this pandemic…
We can see evident signs of the toll it is taking, in the ways we are interacting with each other in the public square, in the ways we are reacting to what’s going on in our own lives in regards to what is within our control, or the realization of what has never really been within our control…On some days, time seems to be dragging on…on other days, we wake up, and wonder…how could another week have gone by…how can it be that another month has already gone by…Has it really been over 18 months, since the pandemic hit close to home here in Sitka? When, we often lament, will this time of the pandemic and all the suffering associated with it, ever come to an end?
So many questions, at times, with so few answers, it seems, at times… …and the disorientation that we sometimes feel with not always having clear yes or no answers, or being able to make a clear choice between this or that or “either/or”…leaves us wondering…what can we even do?
Well, last week, I shared that there is always one thing we can do…
And that is to just stop for a moment to pray… take a few deep breaths, any time of day, and often throughout the day and evening, knowing that God is present, Jesus is ready to listen, and the Holy Spirit is always ready to comfort.
Prayer, whether it’s in silence, reading the scriptures, listen to music, or taking a walk outside, is always something we can “do”. Time spent in prayer is always time well-spent. It helps us to grow in our understanding of God’s ways, and in our relationship with God; it helps us to better align our desires and longings with God’s vision of what is possible; and it helps us to discern what other things we can “do” to love and support one another…in becoming the beloved community that God created us to be.
It’s a simple beginning…something we can always do…but it’s often the one area of our lives that we easily push aside, and try to cut corners, and just jump on to “do the next thing”.
In our reading from James today, we see that the decision on whether to take the time to pray, or to jump straight to the action is not an either/or decision we are called to make each day…It’s always a balance of both…Taking time for prayer equips us, encourages us, and can lead us to faithfully respond in our actions: to reach out to one another with love, to pray for one another, to confess our sins to one another and forgive one another, so that all of us, the people of God of all ages, races, cultures, and walks of life, working together and walking together, will discover that it is the love of God, and our love for one another, that will bring healing and hope and joy into all our lives, once again, and it will be this love, that we can trust, will carry us safely through to the end of these pandemic times…
Listen again to what we just heard in our reading from James this morning…
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
Now, more than ever, we need the collective prayers of our faith to help guide us and lead us all to engage in some very simple, life-affirming actions, to encourage one another and support one another, and re-ignite hope and joy for one another, and in our shared lives in this community…and beyond…
I commend to you, once again, a list of 20 simple actions to choose from that came out of our 2020 diocesan convention last year…
20 ways to be United in Christ, in the interest of others
1. make a phone call to someone
2. contribute to local food banks
3. pray for one another
4. Take a walk with a friend
5. write a prayer note to a church or fellow church member
6. March for equality
7. Vote!
8. Drop off a meal for a friend
9. connect with church members
10. Visit outside with an elder
11. Wear a mask
12. wash your hands
13. Write a thank you note to the medical community
14. sharing our harvest
15. Be patient and kind with one another
16. Sing with a friend (from a distance)
17. clean up trash
18. invite a friend to church
19.Reject cruelty and divisiveness
20. Embrace empathy and diversity
And there’s one more to add to the list this year…that wasn’t an option for us last October… yet, it’s probably one of the most important actions today that will help us all move out of these pandemic times…and will help us lessen the suffering and burden on those who become ill with the covid-19 virus, and will help us lessen the suffering and burden on those on the front lines of our health care systems who are working tirelessly to care for the sick and dying…
21. Get Vaccinated. And encourage others to do the same.
Let us pray: Hear our prayer, O Lord, hear our prayer, O Lord;
Incline thine ear to us, and grant us thy peace. Amen.
Rev Julie Platson, St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, AK
Hymn after the sermon: Hear Our Prayer, O Lord (LEVS II) 249
Walk for Recovery - Letter to the editor
From the Sitka Sentinel, Sept 23, 2021
‘Walk for Recovery’
Dear Editor: September is National Recovery Month and to honor those in recovery, our community is hosting a masked and socially distanced “Walk for Recovery” on Saturday, Sept. 25, starting at 10 a.m. in front of Centennial Hall. Community resources, button making in honor of recovery and a limited number of free purple T-shirts will be available. Purple is the official color of Recovery Month.
Recovery is for everyone because it benefits everyone. In recovery, we build new connections to ourselves, our families, and our communities.
The 2021 National Recovery Month theme, “Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community,” reminds people in recovery and those who support them that recovery belongs to all of us.
We are all called to end gatekeeping and welcome everyone to recovery by lowering barriers to recovery support, creating inclusive spaces and programs, and broadening our understanding of what recovery means for people with different experiences.
While it may be tempting to characterize recovery as a universal experience or single journey, our community is proof there are as many pathways to and of recovery as there are people. Our strength is our diversity and because of who we are, the recovery community has unique opportunities to learn, challenge, grow and dream. By expanding traditional, limited conceptions of recovery, which center on white, heterosexual, cisgender, religious, wealthy perspectives, we enrich everyone’s experience.
Mental health and substance use disorder are not one-size-fit all conditions, nor do they affect everyone equally. Culturally competent multilingual resources and gender-expansive programs should acknowledge and include LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning), BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), and other historically marginalized community members.
Looking beyond our individual experiences strengthens and supports recovery in all its forms. The recovery community has a powerful foundation of mutual aid, peer support, and adaptability. As we grow in empathy and understanding, we save lives by adding protective factors and building resiliency. We honor the incredible contributions from communities within recovery as groups connect and implement resources that serve their unique needs.
The powerful bonds built in recovery are life-altering. To honor those bonds, in every form they take, is a significant factor in sustaining recovery as well as building bridges between our communities. When we connect with open minds and hearts, we learn from one another and create life-saving opportunities.
Loyd Platson, Sitka
Welcoming a child in our midst - is welcoming God in our midst
17 Pentecost/Year B
Sept 19, 2021
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Psalm 54; Mark 9:30-37
Let me begin this morning, by telling you how grateful I am to be spending this time together in worship with all of you…
I look forward to this time together each week, for so many different reasons…but mostly, I look forward to this time together…whether it’s in person in the church building…or on zoom and by telephone…because it’s a time to focus on our relationship with God, and with one another… It gives us an opportunity to re-focus, re-member, and re-center our lives…on what matters most…the Love of God, for the people of God…the beloved children of God, of all ages, races, cultures, and walks of life…and most importantly, in this time together in the church, each week, we are reminded of our call to love one another, as we have been so loved by God…
When we gather each week for church, it is time well-spent, by offering us the physical space and the heart space, to be encouraged and strengthened through the Word of God, through the prayers of the people, and in the breaking of bread together. And, in our time drawing nearer to God and one another, we are reminded of the gifts of God, for the people of God, gifts that are meant to be shared. So, it is with the good news proclaimed in our time together, that we are encouraged and equipped with strength and courage, and sent out into the world at the end our worship time together each week, to be the church, to be disciples of Christ, in following Jesus, in the way of love…to go out into our communities, promoting healing, justice, love and peace…
Our time gathered together in the church each week, is time well-spent. I think most of us, can agree on that.
The biggest challenge comes once we leave the comfort of that space on Sunday morning…to be the church in the world…especially in a time such as this, with the ongoing challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the numerous sufferings and loss of lives, worldwide, due to this particular virus, the ongoing grief that many are experiencing…not only grief associated with the pandemic, but the other losses due to fires, floods, earthquakes, and violence perpetrated in too many ways to count.
And in the mix of all that, there are those persons already undergoing daily struggles with food insecurity, unemployment, and still others struggling with mental health issues, cancer treatments, and other chronic illnesses, that were part of everyday life, long before the COVID-19 pandemic came along.
We are all tired…and we don’t always treat each other with the love and kindness that we ought to. We don’t always act in ways towards one another, that aligns with being the church in the world. What can we do, when we are all so wearied by all the changes and chances of this life?
One thing we can always do, is to just stop for a moment to pray… take a few deep breaths, any time of day, and often throughout the day and evening, knowing that God is present, Jesus is ready to listen, and the spirit is always ready to comfort. Time spent in prayer is always time well-spent.
Now, let’s take a look at what Jesus has to say about the challenges of being the church in a world when all are wearied and have lost sight of what really matters…and, as a result, get entangled in divisive conflicts and disputes with one another…
When the disciples are not sure what to make of all Jesus’ talk about the Son of Man being betrayed into human hands, being killed, and rising to life three days later, we are told they didn’t understand, and they didn’t ask any questions either. I imagine they were tired, wearied, confused…thinking that following Jesus was going to be an easy path that would lead them to places of honor and prestige and positions of power in Jesus’ circle of friends…and now here is talking to them about their need to give up their quest for greatness in their minds and in the eyes of society, after he overhears them arguing with one another about who is the greatest…Jesus bursts their bubble of self-assurance of their greatness, and tells them that, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”
What Jesus does and says next…is the key to helping us re-focus, remember, and re-center ourselves around what truly matters…
Jesus’ message becomes clear when he places a child among them…to remind them of what is important…actually, not what…but who…a little child...a beloved child of God…
Jesus took a little child and put him among them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
I love that image of Jesus, placing the young child in their midst…one who was typically thought to have no power, worth, or usefulness in society, and perhaps was often brushed aside. Jesus’ message to them/and us…is to stop, stop arguing with one another in your weariness, let go of the earthly anxieties that steal your joy, turn your eyes over here, look at the love of God, found in the face of this child, focus your time and attention on this child, this vulnerable human being…The young children need our love and our time and our compassion…yet they will be the ones who will teach us about the wisdom from above that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, they will be the ones to remind us of what and who matters in this life…they will be the one to remind us, of our call to love one another…so, spend your time there, focus your love and commitment there, on this beloved child of God…
Time spent welcoming a child into the family of God…is time well-spent…That’s what being the church in the world looks like…it begins with seeing everyone as a beloved child of God…
If you’ve had a chance to read the letter I sent out this weekend, to let you know about the start of our fall pledge campaign, you might recall, that the focus of my letter was on the gift of time… and highlighted the ways you give to the church, by sharing your gift of time, in the various ministries in the church and in the community. In the letter, I shared an excerpt from the Little Prince, in which Saint-Exupéry says of the Prince’s tending of his beloved rose, “It is the time you have spent on your rose, that makes your rose so important.” Our church is that rose, tended gently and blessed abundantly by the effort, love, prayer, and time you give to us.
I also say to you, this morning…that children, are that rose…they help us to re-focus, re-member and re-center our lives around what matters most in this world…. the Love of God, for the people of God…the beloved children of God, of all ages, races, cultures, and walks of life…And the church, the people of God, are called to love them, care for them, nurture them, pray for them, and teach them about the love, and peace, and hope and joy, found in walking the way of love in this world with God, with one another, and with all of creation.
In just a short while, (at the 10am service), we will welcome a baby boy into the household of God. Thanks be to God for this joyous occasion to celebrate the baptism of a young child in our midst today.
Rev Julie Platson, St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, AK
Hymn after the sermon: Lord of all hopefulness (H) 482
Where does the road lead? Today's sermon
16 Pentecost Year B
Sept 12, 2021
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 116:1-8; Mark 8:27-38
I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living, a verse we just heard in today’s psalm reading…has taken on a whole new meaning for me since arriving in Sitka six and a half years ago…and it continues to lead me on many twists and turns along the many roads I find myself navigating…especially now, in the midst of these uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic that we have been journeying in together these past 19 months…
I rediscovered my love of walking when arriving in Sitka, because there were (and are) a lot of new and beautiful things to take in…. I never get tired of the beauty of creation that surrounds us in this beautiful place…or the wonderful and loving people who make this a beautiful community to be a part of….But just like any where I have lived, there is always the “not-so-beautiful things” that we come face to face with every day…losses of all kinds, fear of the unknowns, getting up to do the next hard thing every morning, feeling helpless to support others in their sufferings and trials, being witness daily to the way human beings can be so cruel to one another with their words and actions, at times…and the way, our actions and in-actions continue to cause harm to our mother earth and all of creation….
Here’s the thing, though….Re-discovering my love of walking, seeing the beautiful and the not-so- beautiful things that grieve all of our hearts, has inspired in me a new commitment to what it means to walk in the way of love that Jesus has shown us…a renewed commitment to live in hope, to be persistent in hope, even in the midst of coming face to face with so many unknowns and other daily losses and death…
I thank God, every day, that you and I have the privilege to be able to do just that…to begin again, as a new creation, every day, because of our faith and belief in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, in our baptisms, sent to live in us, to inspire us, encourage us, and equip us to follow Jesus, NOW…
Now, in this time and in this place, it is the Holy Spirit that can prompt us to step up to be a leader in walking the way of love, today, by going out into our neighborhoods, and into the wider world, striving to live out our baptismal promises that call us to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and love our neighbor as ourselves; and to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.
When we strive to walk in this way of love that Jesus is inviting us into, we will be transformed by this love of God. And by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we will desire to invite others to join us, too, in walking in the way of love, a way of life that promotes healing and reconciliation with one another, that unites us as the body of Christ, as a family of God, that seeks to build one another up, to help one another through the difficult moments of life and most of all…to ensure that no-one ever lay their heads down at the end of the day, closing their eyes…thinking that they are alone in this world, or without any hope….
So, I pray and hope that you, too can be inspired in these difficult times, to begin again…to re-commit yourself to and strive to walk in the way of love, a way of life that Jesus is calling us into….a way of love, a way of life…that brings hope and healing to all corners of the world…a way of love, and a way of life that invites each one of us to let go of our fears, to let go of the things that get in the way of trusting God to lead us through these difficult times, and to take up our cross, with hope in our heart, be a leader, in following Jesus, walking with Jesus and with one another…wherever the road of life may lead us….
Last week, in my closing words of my sermon, I shared the seven practices that can help us establish a walk of life, that centers on Jesus’ walk of love…Those 7 practices again were to:
Turn: to pause, listen and choose to follow Jesus
LEARN: To reflect on scriptures, especially on Jesus’ life and teachings
PRAY: To dwell intentionally with God each day
WORSHIP: To gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and dwell with God….
BLESS: To share our faith and unselfishly give and serve
GO: Cross boundaries, listen deeply and live like Jesus…
REST: To receive the gift of God’s grace, peace and restoration
This week, I commend to you another way to put these practices in motion….Get outside, if you can…and take a walk…rediscover the blessing of walking with God and one another, every day…Whether you are outside walking or sitting in your chair at home, envision a walk throughout your lifetime, take a few moments to remember where God has been walking with you or others you have known before, and rediscover what it means to follow in the way of love, a way of life that Jesus is calling us into now…Take up your cross, with hope in your heart, be a leader…and trust that Jesus will always lead you and those you are entrusted to lead and guide…into the land of the living…an abundant life, in God, with one another, and all of creation….
In closing, I invite you now to listen along as I share with you a newly published children’s story, for all ages, entitled, “What the Road Said”, by Cleo Wade…
Read audio recording of:
Book: What the Road Said (by Cleo Wade…illustrations by Lucie de Moyencourt)
Where does the road lead? Jesus said, be a leader and find out…
With hope in your heart, Take up your cross and follow me….
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, Alaska
Healing and Recovery is for Everyone
15 Pentecost/Year B
Sept 5, 2021
Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146; Mark 7:24-37
National Recovery Month 2021
Recovery is for Everyone: Every person, every family, every community.
Our gospel reading today, begins with telling us that Jesus went away to the region of Tyre, and entered a home there, in hopes that no-one would recognize him, and in hopes that he might get some much- needed rest. But that was not to happen for him, just yet. Someone recognized him right away.
I will never forget the time (my husband) Loyd and I thought we were getting away from it all for some quiet time at a resort, at the far end of the strip in Las Vegas, actually in Henderson, far from any other businesses or other hotels ….and over 70 miles away from our home in Pahrump….We were somewhat surprised when we ran into someone we knew from Pahrump….and the encounter moved quickly into the usual conversation around church, and one women’s current journey of grief and personal matters…We thought for sure, we wouldn’t meet anyone we knew that far away from our hometown…
Jesus’ encounter was slightly different, though…he encountered a woman, he DIDN’T know…but she knew enough about him…to approach him, in hopes that he WOULD see her…and hear her plea for her daughter to be healed….
We hear the shocking exchange that happens between Jesus and the Gentile woman of Syrophoenician origin…someone, who at this stage of his life and ministry, did not seem to be the focus of his primary concern…
But, the encounter with her now - became his primary concern. He noticed her and listened to her words, her plea…he could not turn his back on this child of God, this woman of God…His eyes were opened to a need that perhaps he hadn’t noticed before…But, because, he took the time to listen to her voice, a voice that many in society had regularly dismissed before – this woman, and her daughter were healed…And who knows, how many other lives were affected positively, by those witness to this healing encounter between Jesus and this woman…
In the second part of today’s gospel reading, Jesus moves on in a different direction after his encounter with the woman, and we hear another story about a healing for someone else who most likely had been living his life, as an outcast, and outside of the usual circle of inclusion in society…This time, it sounds like a few people brought this deaf and mute man to Jesus for healing…They too pleaded and begged Jesus, to just see him, and touch him, with his healing hands. And Jesus, once again, could not turn his back on another child of God, or to the other voices of God’s beloved, pleading on behalf of the deaf and mute man, to be healed, and to be welcomed into a circle of care and life-affirming community.
I don’t think anyone sitting here today, has to think too hard to see where these same stories and voices of desperation, and desire for healing and hope are still crying out today to be heard and responded to with a loving and compassionate response…and with a response that affirms that we respect the dignity of every human being….
The pandemic, the earthquakes, the fires, the floods, the places of violence and war, our political divisions…have all broken our hearts open and hopefully brought to our attention on some level, the needs of the most vulnerable among us…the poor, the hungry, the prisoners, the disabled, the elderly, the women, and the children…
And, today…I would also add to that list…the people on a journey of recovery from the impact of substance misuse, mental health related struggles and other forms of trauma.
Their needs are often disregarded because society often looks away…saying “not me, not my kid, not my sibling, not my spouse”…or we often look away, because we dont want to admit that it is a problem for ourselves because of the fear of being judged by others, or we are quick to judge others by their outside appearances and behaviors…or we simply don’t take the time to listen to someone else’s cry for help…and let it change us, and move us to take the next step to seek to understand through the voice of the one crying out for healing, and to seeks ways, together, to be a loving support for someone on the journey of recovery….
September is National Recovery month…a good time for us to learn more about the journey of recovery for the people in our community…
Because as the theme for this year’s national awareness campaign highlights…Recovery is for Everyone: Every person, Every family, every community.
I hear Jesus saying that very same thing to us….Healing and recovery is for everyone…every person, every family, every community…
Now, we must ask ourselves, as those who seek to follow Jesus in the way of love that builds up a community where we believe that healing and recovery is truly for everyone…
*Will we TURN to Jesus: Pause, listen, and choose to follow Jesus to lead us and guide us in supporting each other in the work of healing and recovery?
*Will we take time to LEARN: To reflect on scriptures, especially on Jesus’ life and teachings, and take time to learn about our fellow human being’s struggles and hopes for themselves and their loved ones?
*Will we take time to PRAY: To dwell intentionally with God each day – to be reminded …that our hope is always found in God….
*Will we take time to WORSHIP: To gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and dwell with God….to give thanks for the gift and the support of community, in all that we do….
*Will we take time to BLESS: To share our faith and unselfishly give and serve to build up the beloved community of God, a community of love that promotes healing and recovery…
* Will we answer the call to GO: Cross boundaries, listen deeply and live like Jesus…responding to others’ cries of desperation and hopes for healing…
*Will we take time to REST: To receive the gift of God’s grace, peace and restoration…a gift to ensure that everyone has the strength and the support to take that 1st step towards healing and recovery…
Taking on these *7 practices to follow Jesus in the way of love…is just one path that can help us and others on a journey of healing and recovery…No matter what…it all begins with taking the 1st step…to “Be Opened” To be opened to the power of God’s love, at work in the world through each one of us, today…a love that proclaims that healing and recovery is for Everyone: Every person, every family, every community.
*The Episcopal Church: Walking the Way of Love
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, AK
Some local recovery resources - Sitka
AA local Sitka phone number - (907) 747-8866