2nd Sunday in Lent - What is God Like?

Lent/Year C

March 13, 2022

Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Psalm 27; Luke 13:31-35

Last Sunday, I shared a reflection with you written by Tricia Gates Brown – a deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon…She invited us to consider doing something different this Lent…She encouraged us to think of Lent as a time to go deep into the roots of a thing.  To ask ourselves, what do I want to experience more deeply? What might I use this Lenten time to know on a deeper level, so I can be nourished and changed by it? Not only changed…but transformed…

This past week, and as we begin a new week in the season of Lent…my mind is focused on a few new & different “things” that I want to take a deeper look at…and to offer up for your consideration also…

Last week, we started our new Books and Conversations gathering…discussing a book called: Witness at the Cross (by Amy-Jill Levine)….Each chapter of this book invites us to look through the eyes of the various witnesses that were at the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion…The author, a well-known and sought-after scholar/college professor of New testament and Jewish studies, unpacks a lot of historical insights into the passion story that we listen to every year on Good Friday. …You are welcome to join us (on zoom) on Mondays at noon, even if you don’t have the book…We view a short video summary of the chapter each week, featuring the author, that helps us kick off our discussion time….

This past week, I attended (on zoom) the 1st of a 5-part series called “The Lenten Virtual Borderlands Experience”… This is being offered by the Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries in partnership with EMM [Episcopal Migration Ministries]. It is designed to expose (us) to the border crossing experiences of immigrants, including their experiences with detention centers, and the work of churches and other organizations to support them. The presenters are individuals involved in immigration ministry and advocacy, as well as the immigrants themselves who personally experienced the impact of our national immigration policies…The 1st session was very powerful…and even if you can’t attend the live presentation each week, they send out the recordings and other associated materials after each session…

These 2 offerings, certainly provide an excellent framework for one to go much deeper to the root of a thing: to experience more deeply the Good Friday Passion story, as viewed through the lenses of witnesses at the cross at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion; and the Virtual borderlands experience, certainly helps us to listen more deeply to the stories and experiences of immigrants, and what kind of resources are available, and what is still needed to provide even the most basic forms of humanitarian support to our neighbors.

On a somewhat lighter note, as we begin the 2nd week of Lent…the opening words of a reflection on today’s gospel reading, written by Debi Thomas, prompted me to consider another opportunity to “go deeper to the root of a thing” this Lent….and consider “What is God like?”

In her opening words she writes: If I asked you to draw a picture of Jesus, what would you draw?  A blue-eyed shepherd holding a staff?  A lion? (As in, Aslan of Narnia, or the Lion of the Tribe of Judah?)  A loaf of bread and a cup of wine?  A door, a gate, a light, a bridegroom?  What about a chicken?  Would it occur to you to draw a chicken? 

 The writer goes on to say: To answer my own question: if I had to draw a picture of Jesus, no, I would definitely not draw a chicken.  So I come to the lectionary reading from Luke’s gospel this week, and stumble at Jesus’s self-description: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing.”

Can you picture it?  Jesus, the mother hen? (END of Debra’s words)

Today’s gospel gives us just one glimpse into the essence of what God is like as revealed to us, through this particular image of Jesus as “mother hen” as Debra notes…one who loves us beyond our imagining, one who is vulnerable, one who is persistent in walking the way of love, one who is merciful, one who grieves with us and for us, one who longs for us to come home, to come home unto the arms of a wide-embracing wonderous love…the love of God, for all people, for all times, and in all places…

So, let me close today with a children’s story, an invitation to go deeper this Lent in exploring and wondering more about what God is like…

What is God Like (written by Rachel Held Evans and Matthew Paul Turner; illustrated by Ying Hui Tan)    

 What is God like (read by Rev Julie)

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

Hymn after sermon: (H) 455

1 O Love of God, how strong and true,

eternal and yet ever new;

uncomprehended and unbought,

beyond all knowledge and all thought.

2 O wide-embracing, wondrous Love,

we read thee in the sky above;

we read thee in the earth below,

in seas that swell and streams that flow.

3 We read thee best in him who came

to bear for us the cross of shame,

sent by the Father from on high,

our life to live, our death to die.

4 We read thy power to bless and save

e’en in the darkness of the grave;

still more in resurrection light

we read the fullness of thy might.

1st sunday in Lent - Reflection for today...

1 Lent Year C/March 6, 2022

Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Luke 4:1-13

Last week I sent out an email to all of you about the start of a new season in the church year…that begins on Ash Wednesday every year…In our Ash Wednesday Service, we are invited to observe a holy lent by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. We are marked with ashes on our forehead and with these words: Remember that You are dust, and to dust you shall return…

In the email, I also wrote: As with all seasons of the church year, and in all seasons of our earthly life....there are always changes happening, some large...some subtle....but there is no denying that changes, and signs of new creation, are all around us....all the time...

Lent is a season in the church year that calls us to be intentional and mindful of what's going on in our lives, and in the lives of others...It's a season of reflection, looking at changes we might need to be making in our own lives; it's a season that calls us into letting go of unhealthy practices that separate us from the love of God, and those things that get in the way of us loving others; It's a season that invites us to take on new spiritual practices, to grow in our love for God, and for all of our neighbors...near and far...

On the 1st Sunday in Lent, I want to offer another way for you to consider how you might observe a holy lent this year….by exploring ways to allow yourself to go a little deeper…to allow the season and practices of Lent to change you and transform you…

This reflection that I am sharing with you this morning is written by Tricia Gates Brown, a deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon…

Start of her reflection:

Going into the roots: Letting an alternative practice of Lent change you

(By Tricia Gates Brown – Deacon, The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon)

A few years ago, I created a practice that brought Lent to life for me—a new way to commemorate or practice the season. You see, for me, Lenten imagery is strikingly about the darkness and dormancy preceding Easter, like the darkness and dormancy of winter that precedes Spring. A plant goes dormant in wintertime, but it does not die. In fact, the nourishment of winter is essential to its growth. Winter is when roots are strengthened, made ready for the coming vitality. The imagery and symbolism of Lent also points to the tomb, to the time between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, when something mysterious happens. We don’t know quite what that mystery was, but the lacuna of the tomb prepared the way—the way for Easter, for the Jesus Movement.

So too, in Lent, we go deep into the roots, into a time of mystery and tomb, into nourishment and dormancy. For me, thinking of Lent as a time to focus on ‘sinfulness’ and giving things up as a kind of penance, didn’t resonate like thinking of Lent as a time to delve deep into the roots of a thing. Anticipating Lent, I started to ask: How do I want to go deeper this year? What calls me into a practice of deeper reflection?

The first year, I landed on quantum physics. I wanted to understand it a bit more. I wanted to delve deeper than I previously had into understanding the fundamental workings of the universe. So instead of ‘giving something up’ for Lent, I added something. Every few days I’d listen to an interview, audiobook, or lecture by a quantum physicist. It was a plunge, and it was fascinating. However cursorily, I nourished the roots of my understanding about this area of science; and some of what I learned permanently changed my view of myself, this world, and how the Divine works within it.

Last year for my Lenten practice I landed on music. I wanted to dive more deeply into relating to music, appreciating music in a way that impacted me profoundly. For Lent, I created new playlists and spent time music-listening in a new way—letting music wash over me and work its way in me. From that time on, my relationship to music has changed. I’m more likely to take time to hear music, to let it impact me in a way that’s therapeutic or emotional or spiritual—instead of simply playing music in the background of my life.

This year for Lent I’ll dive more deeply into being with nature. Not being in nature because I’m doing something else, such as taking a walk or praying or soaking in my hot tub. But for Lent, taking a little time—at least a few times a week—to sit in nature and simply be. To let nature work in me deeply, in a new way, to listen to what it might say.

The liturgical world has a long tradition of ‘giving something up’ for Lent in a penitential sort of way—and this can be helpful. If it resonates for you, I recommend it. But this year I encourage you to consider an alternate way of thinking about Lent, especially if this way impacts you more: thinking of Lent as a time to go deep into the roots of a thing. Ask, What do I want to experience more deeply? What might I use this Lenten time to know on a deeper level, so I can be nourished and changed by it?

And then, let it change you. (and transform you)

End of her reflection:

On St Peter’s website, we have a lot of resources for you to choose from to “go deep into the “roots of a thing”, to experience something more deeply this Lenten season…and we have some hard copies of a few resources also (and many of them can be printed off for your use)….topics range from Letting Go, to giving thanks with the United Thank Offering Gratitude journal, to learning more about the Episcopal Migration ministries, or Episcopal Relief & Development, to learning about Vincent Van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent…these are just to name a few….

I hope and pray that you will find something to help you go deeper into the roots of your heart and your lives in this 40 day season of Lent…I pray that you will nourished and transformed in this season in a way that will help you to grow in your love for God, and for all of our neighbors...near and far...

Hymn after the sermon: (H) 150 – Forty days and forty nights

Forty days and forty nights

thou wast fasting in the wild;

forty days and forty nights

tempted, and yet undefiled.

Should not we thy sorrow share

and from worldly joys abstain,

fasting with unceasing prayer,

strong with thee to suffer pain?

Then if Satan on us press,

Jesus, Savior, hear our call!

Victor in the wilderness,

grant we may not faint nor fall!

So shall we have peace divine:

holier gladness ours shall be;

round us, too, shall angels shine,

such as ministered to thee.

Keep, O keep us, Savior dear,

ever constant by thy side;

that with thee we may appear

at the eternal Eastertide.

All were astounded at the greatness of God…. - Sermon/Feb 27

Last Epiphany/Year C/Feb 27, 2022

Psalm 99; Exodus 34:29-35; Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a]

All were astounded at the greatness of God….

When was the last time, you experienced something…that left you astounded at the greatness of God?

When was the last time, you were brought to your knees in humble gratitude for the greatness of God?

All were astounded at the greatness of God….

These were the words from the conclusion of our gospel reading today…

Words that seemed to sum up the events of the day…from Peter, James, and John’s experience on the mountaintop with Jesus, where they were clearly astounded by the greatness of God and what had happened there…so much so…that they were left in silent awe at what they had been witness to…and then we listened to the account of what happened after they transitioned down the mountain, to be witness to Jesus responding to the cries of a man, on his knees, begging Jesus to heal his son and lamenting that the disciples had not been able to help him…We catch a glimpse of Jesus’ frustration in this story with the disciples lack of faith or understanding perhaps, after all of his time trying to teach and equip the disciples with all that they needed to go out into the world, to  be healers, hope-bringers, peace-builders, joy givers, extravagant love-bearers…All…possible…because of the greatness of God…as made known to us, in Jesus…in times such as these…on the mountaintops of life in prayer, setting aside time to listen to the voice of God,  and as we descend the mountains to dwell in the valleys with the gift of prayer, and the voice of God still speaking to us, to comfort us, and guide us, in every step we take…

Prayer changes us and transforms us from within… it has the power to change and transform all we say and do, with our outward facing every day words and actions…

Jesus regularly took time away to pray…and 1st and foremost…that is the place we are called to go to, also…to set aside time to go up the mountain,  or a place set aside from the everyday grind and turmoil of what swirls around us and troubles us…to just pray, to open ourselves up to have an encounter and experience with the love and light of God, and an encounter with the reasoning and aligning of our wills and our lives with God, when we listen for the voice of God…a voice and a guiding light that will stay with us and within us as we descend the mountain…as we go back into the everyday trials and tribulations that we most assuredly will face…

Prayer 1st, to transform us within, each and every day, we are called to go out and be healers, hope-bringers, peace-builders, joy givers, extravagant love-bearers…to a weary and hurting world…

Repeat this rhythm, practice it often throughout the day, every day…make it a lifetime practice…to follow Jesus in this way…a life of prayer, that informs our love and actions towards all God’s children and all of creation….

Let’s begin again right now, to pause for a moment of silent prayer... to pray for the children, of all ages, and everywhere growing up in a time of war and conflicts…Pray for peace in all our hearts, and in all our lands… And offer a prayer of thanks for the times we have been astounded at the greatness of God, for the times we have been brought to our knees in humble gratitude for the greatness of God’s love for every one of us…

Silence…..

Let us pray: Thank you, God, for this time of prayer with you on the mountaintop, and in the everyday difficult places we find ourselves in.  May we find our hope, and our joy, and our peace always in you. Thank you for opening our eyes and hearts to be astounded by the greatness of you and your love, for every beloved child we share this wide and wonderful world with. This we pray, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and in the One, whose light and love is always changing us and transforming us, Jesus, your Son. Amen.

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

After sermon: (H) 137 – O wondrous type! O vision fair

Recording: Organist, Kathi Jones & St Peter’s choir

O wondrous type! O vision fair

of glory that the Church may share,

which Christ upon the mountain shows,

where brighter than the sun he glows!

With Moses and Elijah nigh

the incarnate Lord holds converse high;

and from the cloud, the Holy One

bears record to the only Son.

With shining face and bright array,

Christ deigns to manifest today

what glory shall be theirs above

who joy in God with perfect love.

And faithful hearts are raised on high

by this great vision’s mystery;

for which in joyful strains we raise

the voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.

O Father, with the eternal Son,

and Holy Spirit, ever One,

vouchsafe to bring us by thy grace

to see thy glory face to face.

Love and compassion in the hard things...

7 Epiphany/Year C Sermon

February 20, 2022

Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42; Luke 6:27-38

Opening Prayer: Holy and gracious God, I give you thanks for this day, and for the opportunity to gather with others to praise you, to pray, to sing, to hear the word of God. I pray that all of our ears and eyes and hearts and minds may be opened to hear what the Spirit is saying to us this morning and to help us understand what is being asked of us. This we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, the One who strengthens us with love and compassion to go out into the world to love one another in all the ways and places we are called to go.  Amen.

Today’s gospel is a continuation of Jesus’ sermon on the plain that we heard last week…Jesus is on a roll with his difficult teachings. And as I mentioned last week…Sometimes Jesus’ teachings sound poetic and lovely, and we have no trouble connecting with the message he is trying to get across to His listeners. But other times, his teachings are quite simple and direct…and not so lovely sounding…and they don’t always leave much wiggle room for interpretation. But, we as human beings, have some pretty strong minds and wills…so we are quite adept at filtering out what we think He is saying, and finding creative ways, to dismiss some of his more difficult teachings, as only pertaining to certain people, in certain times, and in certain places.

Our brain’s default, is often to “hear” and “see” what we already know…and feel comfortable with…So, I do think our challenge…in learning new things, considering and accepting new teachings…does call for us to pray to God, to open wide our eyes and our ears…and especially our hearts and our minds…to consider these uncomfortable teachings...these basic and direct teachings that Jesus is longing for us to understand.

Let’s take a look first, at the reading from Genesis this morning… We may be shaking our heads in disbelief, wondering, how in the world could Joseph ever return to his family, to his brothers who did the unthinkable, first plotting to kill him, but then decided instead to sell him into slavery… and the brothers also caused years of deep heartache and suffering for their father, lying to him and telling him that his son Joseph was likely killed by a wild animal. And how unthinkable, or impossible, that Joseph not only returned to his family, his brothers…but he forgave them…he chose to love them again…having been sent by God to return to them to save them from starvation and poverty…Imagine having to forgive and love and bless the very people who abandoned you and cut you off from your livelihood? Difficult, very difficult to imagine…yet with the love of God poured into Joseph’s heart…we saw how that was possible…Joseph had mercy upon his brothers, forgave them, making room for love to reconcile and heal their family.

Jesus’ sermon on the plain in today’s gospel is equally hard to digest. As if the Blessings and the Woes that Jesus spoke about last week were not confusing enough. Today, he is tackling the very uncomfortable topics about loving your enemies, and forgiveness …

These are some pretty basic, no-frills, direct words from Jesus today. Difficult to digest. Hard to make sense of. Easier said, than done.

Difficult, hard, uncomfortable…yes…but they need not keep us from striving to understand and striving to live into the live-giving ways of God, made known to us, through the love and compassion, and the difficult teachings and witness of Jesus Christ. For this love is the greatest gift given to us and for us…a gift given to strengthen us to be a people filled with love and compassion for those difficult and uncomfortable moments we are often faced with, when struggling to love and forgive one’s enemies…and when we struggle to see where we ourselves are in need of that same forgiveness and love too…

…..This gift of love, this way of love, this difficult teaching of Jesus, has been offered up for us, as a way to help us transform this world, as Presiding Bishop Michael Curry often says, from the nightmare it sometimes looks like, into the dream of God, a family of God, where we love one another, forgive one another, share all of our resources and gifts with one another: with all that we have, and all that we are…so that this dream of God, the peace and the love and the joy and the mercy and the justice of God…would someday come to be in all its fullness …here on earth, as in heaven…

Our 1st step in approaching something difficult can begin in such a simple way: with stillness and trust…

The psalmist tells us today: put your trust in the Lord, take delight in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, be still before the Lord…and wait patiently for him…If nothing makes sense today…don’t give up…

Begin again tomorrow morning, or as you get ready to close your eyes at the end of the day… put your trust in the Lord, take delight in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, be still before the Lord…and wait patiently for him…for God’s mercies are new every day… begin again and again with asking God to open your ears, eyes, hearts and minds to hear what the Spirit is trying to teach you about the healing power of God’s love and compassion…and then go…knowing that you are strengthened by this love and compassion to transform the world around you!

Lift Every Voice and Sing II - #176 An Evening Prayer

Recording of An Evening Prayer can be found HERE

1       If I have wounded any soul today,

          If I have caused one foot to go astray,

          If I have walked in my own willful way,

          Dear Lord, forgive!

2       If I have uttered idle words or vain,

          If I have turned aside from want or pain,

          Lest I offend some other through the strain,

          Dear Lord, forgive!

3       If I have been perverse, or hard, or cold,

          If I have longed for shelter in the fold,

          When thou hast given me some fort to hold,

          Dear Lord, forgive!

4       Forgive the sins I have confessed to thee;

          Forgive the secret sins I do not see;

          O guide me, love me, and my keeper be.

          Dear Lord, forgive!

          Amen.

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Envisioning the dream of God...

6 Epiphany Year C – Feb 13, 2022

Psalm 1; Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 6:17-26

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.

This is one of those Sundays, that I wish I were one of those artists that could stand up in front of you, and paint a beautiful picture as the scriptures are being read…A couple of years back we did have an artist, a Lutheran Pastor, Paul Oman, at the diocesan convention who did just that…and a couple of years ago, I shared a lent series with you of his short sermons being narrated by him, and as we watched him paint a beautiful picture that brought the scriptures alive for us in a new way…and at the conclusion of the readings and the short message, he presented a finished piece of artwork that captured the scriptures and the story of the day in a such a beautiful way…Added to this story behind his beautiful work each time, was the fact that he painted the whole picture upside down as he was doing it…and when the story was ended, he turned it right-side up to reveal the masterpiece…And even though we were hearing some of the more difficult lessons associated with Lent, leading up to the cross of Good Friday…the paintings captured the good news being proclaimed right in the midst of the difficult teachings.

If we stop and think about it for a minute…we might see how it’s not only in Lent we are hearers of some difficult teachings…but it’s really almost every time Jesus opens his mouth to teach his disciples and all who were being drawn to him to hear what he had to say, and to be healed by him.

Today’s gospel reading is clearly a mix of beautiful and lovely images, all mixed up with some of Jesus’ difficult teachings. But, if we can step back from zeroing in just one or the other, we might be able to envision the finished painting that Jesus was trying to present…we might be able to get a wide-view, panoramic glimpse of what God’s dream for his people and for all of creation was really meant to look like…here on earth…here and now…as will be in heaven…

In the few verses leading up to the setting of today’s gospel reading, Jesus and his disciples had been accused by the Pharisees of doing unlawful things on the Sabbath…Jesus was walking through the grainfields, the disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands and then ate them…On another sabbath, Jesus was in the synagogue, teaching, when a man with a withered hand was healed by Jesus on the sabbath.

 The pharisees and the scribes were furious with Jesus and discussed what they might do to Jesus…that’s when Jesus went up to the mountain to pray all night…And when morning came, he called for his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he named as his apostles…

Now it was time to go back down the mountain…now it was time for Jesus to continue with some more teaching for his newly appointed apostles, for the great crowd of disciples and for the great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon that were now gathered where Jesus stood among them on a level place….

All of them, we are told, had come to hear Jesus, and to be healed of their diseases; those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

But, what comes next, in Jesus’ teaching about the blessings and the woes…most likely, as Jesus’ teachings always did…cause a few people to feel hopeful and warm and loved inside, and yet at the same time, there were others scratching their heads, pacing back and forth, maybe even a little angry…and wondering…what on earth are you talking about Jesus?

Jesus never minced words about what this dream of God was supposed to look like and be like and what it would take from each of us to bring about this beloved community that God so desired for all of creation…. From the beginning…Jesus was turning things upside down and inside out…in order to help us get a glimpse of the “right-side up” kingdom of God, the dream of God, the family of God…here and now…

He lays out the vision of blessings and woes living side by side in the dream of God…he lays out the places of challenge and opportunities for each one of us to envision how we really could build a world, together…that looks more like the dream of God, than of the nightmarish picture it sometimes looks like…

He lays out a vision of how the kingdom of God, the family of God includes everyone, where no-one need ever be hungry for food or for love; where all will experience the joy and laughter that comes after a night of weeping….

He lays out the vision that takes every one of us… to strive to love another, forgive one another, share our resources and gifts with one another: with all that we have, and all that we are…so that this dream of God, would someday come to fruition …here on earth, as in heaven…

It can be so difficult at times…to really envision this dream of God for our time…it can seem so unrealistic and “other-worldly”…. I imagine those who heard Jesus teach over 2000 years ago, had similar thoughts…as we do…

Yet…even in the midst of such uncertainty and not fully understanding what Jesus is striving to teach us…even when we can’t see the whole finished masterpiece yet, we can always begin again and again and again, in each moment of prayer, in each moment of stillness, in each moment of praise and song… wherever we find ourselves…we can begin again with trusting Jesus…trusting Jesus with all our heart, soul, strength and mind…

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.

And now, let us pray, with a paraphrase of one of the most beautiful and well-known psalms that speaks about this trust…and creates a beautiful image of trusting in the Lord…our God…

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn/prayer after sermon (H) 663

The Lord my God my shepherd is

Sung by Ali Hosford

The Lord my God my shepherd is;

how could I want or need?

In pastures green, by streams serene,

he safely doth me lead.

To wholeness he restores my soul

and doth in mercy bless,

and helps me take for his Name’s sake

the paths of righteousness.

Yea, even when I must pass through

the valley of death’s shade,

I will not fear, for thou art here,

to comfort and to aid.

Thou hast in grace my table spread

secure in all alarms,

and filled my cup, and borne me up

in everlasting arms.

Then surely I can trust thy love

for all the days to come,

that I may tell thy praise, and dwell

for ever in thy home.

Saying yes to following Jesus in the way of love

5 Epiphany/Year C

Feb 6, 2022

Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 138, Luke 5:1-11

Opening Prayer: (excerpt from a litany for Feb 6, written by Bishop Carol Gallagher)

Loving Creator, God of abundance,

You taught the people from the workplaces

you restored their catch and filled their nets

you dwell now in the midst of your people

restored us now to share your bounteous love.

Help us, Lord, to get up again and follow you. Amen

What a wonderful set of readings we heard today on the heals of our annual meeting just last weekend…the gospel reading, in particular…a favorite and well-known story…especially for its’ images in helping us see the call and response aspects of seeking to understand more clearly the role of our faith and beliefs and how they impact our daily decisions and actions throughout our lives…as individuals, and as a community of faith called to follow Jesus, in a way of love that enables healing, freedom from oppression, delivers us from a mindset of scarcity, creates abundance and more than enough for everyone, and promotes and establishes justice for every beloved child of God….

But, I seem to be getting a little bit ahead of myself here…

When I read and listened to this gospel story again this week…what’s really jumping out for me…is that small window of time when a split-second decision is about to be made…when we verbalize our intention…with a yes or a no…and then participate in all that enfolds after that…

Today’s gospel reading is full of such moments of declaring ones’ intentions…with a yes…

The crowds are pressing in on Jesus to hear the word of God….

Jesus sees two boats there at the shore of the lake…

The fisherman are no longer in their boats…they are off washing their nets now…they are done for the day.

Jesus could have told the crowds to go away, he could have kept walking until he found someone else who was already sitting in their boat, getting ready to head out in their boat…but no…

Jesus makes a decision to get into one of the boats already there empty, and looks over and calls out to Simon, whose boat he is sitting in, and he asks him to put out a little way from the shore…

Simon could have said no…I’m too tired…go find someone else…

But, he didn’t send Jesus away. He said, yes…and joined Jesus in the boat, and listened along with the crowds as Jesus taught everyone who was there to listen that day about the love and grace of God that endures forever…

When Jesus was done speaking to the crowds, he could have just made the decision to ask Simon to go back to the shore, now that he was done teaching.

But, instead, he told Simon to go out a little deeper now, and to let the nets down. Jesus most likely knew that Simon and the others had already worked all night, and caught nothing, and were tired. Yet, perhaps Jesus desired to bring the scriptures alive for them, to surprise Simon and the others, to ease their discouragements, and shower them with signs of God’s abundant grace all around them…in what happened next.

Simon could have just said no, firmly sticking to his known story, that they had already fished all night, and there was nothing there to be caught. But, he responds to Jesus, with a yes…still not certain why he was even saying yes. Nevertheless…he says Yes…

And in the split-second decision of wavering between a yes or a no…the yes, even with all of its’ uncertainty…brought in a boatload of fish…an abundance of so many fish, that their nets were beginning to break…

I can only imagine the looks on the faces of the fisherman as all of this was happening… I can only imagine the chaos that ensued trying to handle it all…

Probably overjoyed, bewildered, astounded and overwhelmed by it all, they call out to their partners in another boat, to come and help them.

They could have just chosen to deal with it all on their own and not invited others to help, and the others could have responded No, when asked to help. But, once again…an invitation was extended and a yes answer revealed that Jesus, in the midst of them, was uniting them in love and care and support for one another.

There were so many fish…there was so much help…more than enough…

After all this happened…Simon Peter wasn’t even sure what to make of it all…maybe he was doubting all along, saying “no” under his breath, every time he said yes to Jesus…and feeling a bit humbled to have been called by Jesus to help him by using his boat; perhaps he was feeling unworthy to participate in and behold such a miracle…

All the others who were witness to this catch of fish were amazed too…and I imagine a little afraid, also…

What happened next after witnessing all Jesus taught, seeing the abundance of fish that were caught, and as we heard, all involved saying “Yes” to Jesus and to each other?

First…Jesus, assured Simon Peter …to not be afraid at all that he had just been witness to…to not be afraid of all the varying emotions that were most likely swirling around in his mind and his heart…

Jesus goes on to tell him… “from now on you will be catchers of people”.

Maybe Simon Peter is shaking his head again now…wondering what Jesus was talking about???? Catchers of people????

Or maybe, Simon Peter understood in some small way…what he meant…After all, Simon Peter did call out to invite others to join him in helping him with the miraculous catch of fish that was about to break their nets and sink their boats? Maybe he did “catch people” in this net of love?

The gospel reading ends today…with another affirmative response to Jesus…Simon, James and John say “yes” to following Jesus…

When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him….

During these past couple of years of the pandemic, we’ve been thrust into a lot of yes and no decision-making moments, in the midst of so much uncertainty…We’ve probably had to leave a lot of things behind, that we have loved…and we’ve had to learn new ways of trusting where our faith is leading us now…

I’d like to believe that you, along with me, have surely seen some abundant blessings fill your nets to overflowing during these uncertain times:

*because you have had the courage to say yes (when what you really wanted to say was no because you were afraid),

*because you have had the courage to trust the prompting of the Holy Spirit, as she nudged you forward to imagine something new (when you were tempted to say, “but we’ve always done it this way”),

*because the Holy Spirit nudged you to go someplace hard, that you’ve never had to do before…

*because the Holy Spirit nudged you to invite someone else to join you in your faith journey, encouraging them to answer yes to explore with you what it means to follow Jesus in 2021 and now in 2022…

Last week, we had a few new people say “yes” to joining the vestry, to serve as deanery and convention delegates…In our pledge campaign for this year, we had many returning pledgers and new pledgers say yes to making a financial commitment and gift to the church this year…we have new people responding to help with the worship services, with the upcoming work on the church buildings, and with outreach in the community…there is always, always, always, always room for more people to be invited and to be engaged in this work of the church, in our places of worship, and most assuredly, out in our communities and the neighborhoods where we live…

It really does take all of us, to be engaged in this kingdom-building, life affirming work of God…

So, the next time you find yourself in a moment of uncertainty, in a moment of decision that leads to declaring yes, I will follow you Jesus…Remember, that this work of God, is never something we do alone….God’s amazing grace goes with you always…

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn 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.

Annual Meeting Day Sermon Reflection

4 Epiphany/Year C

January 30, 2002

Annual Meeting Day

Sermon time – Rev Julie Platson

*Share the St Peter’s year in Review 2021 (photo video)

Click on the link below:

St Peter's by the Sea - A year in Review 2021

Prayer (written by Kaitlin B Curtice)

Jesus,

We go through life assuming that you journey with us only at certain points, that only specific moments catch your eye.

But in truth, you journey with us everywhere and through everything.

You are there in the beginning, and you are with us through every new experience, in every space we inhabit, every season that calls us to ourselves and to the people around us.

You journey with us because your goodness is constant, and in that goodness we are, of course, never alone.

Hallelujah, that you have always been one who journeys.

Hallelujah, that you do not abandon the task…Amen.

As we prepare to meet after the service for our annual meeting…let this be a reminder for us…that God is here. God has always been with us. God will be with us for the long journey ahead….

Hymn after the sermon: Lord of all hopefulness (H) 482

Sung by Ali Hosford

1        Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,

          whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,

          be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,

          your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

2        Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,

          whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,

          be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,

          your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

3        Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,

          your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,

          be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,

          your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

4        Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,

          whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,

          be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,

          your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit - JAN 23 SERMON

3 Epiphany/Year C – Jan 23, 2022

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Psalm 19; Luke 4:14-21

We hear a lot about the Spirit in today’s readings…

No, it’s not the Day of Pentecost…the feast day on the church calendar in late May, early June each year, when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon us, to unite people of all languages and cultures, in the family of God and to empower and equip each one of us…to proclaim the good news of God’s love, made known to us through Jesus and his marvelous works..

Today, on this 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, we are reminded, once again, of the power of the Holy Spirit poured out upon Jesus, in his baptism, and in us, by our own baptisms into the household of God…and how calling upon the Holy Spirit, is key in influencing and sustaining our actions and outpouring of love in the world around us…

If we go back a few verses to Luke, chapter 3, we recall that Jesus has just been baptized…  and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

And immediately following his baptism, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.

Jesus emerges from the wilderness time, full of the power of the Holy Spirit, ready to begin his public ministry…first in Galilee…where he was praised by everyone…then on to his hometown, of Nazareth.

The Spirit led him and guided him in the wilderness time, in a time of temptation, and the Spirit is upon him now…as he answers the call to proclaim the good news to all in his presence that day in the synagogue, and as he sent out into the world to proclaim the good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Some have called these past couple of years of the pandemic a wilderness time. It’s surely been a time of struggle, and temptation to abandon our faith and our hope that anything will ever get better or change for the good of everyone…It surely has been a time that has left us wearied at times, and unable to see any clear opening or way forward in front of us…

It’s surely been a time of wondering and questioning…what can I do to help the poor, the hungry, and the homeless; what can I do that would proclaim release to the captives, those who are stuck in fear and hopelessness; what can I possibly do to help others see the hope that is present in this moment that can enable us to imagine a hope and a future before us; what actions can I take to set the oppressed free; what words can I offer to another; what words of love and support could I share with someone today, to set them free to know they are a beloved child of God…and set them free to love others, too…

I think that Jesus’ examples of being filled with the power of the Spirit, acknowledging and relying on the Holy Spirit to guide and prompt one into taking the next small step, gives us a starting point to discern what we can do.

As blogger, preacher girl Kate says, If Jesus, whom we believe was at once fully divine and fully human, needed to be filled with the Spirit of God – his own Spirit – to be effective in ministry, what does that say about us?

Perhaps, as baptized Christians, it reminds us to pause and pray for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes, and ears, and hearts and minds, as we explore our wonderings and questions…because when the world wants us to look away from the poor and the suffering, and only think about our own survival,  the Spirit says …look here…listen here…open your heart and hands to help…

Perhaps, as baptized Christians, it reminds us to pause and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us in all our decisions…because when the world tells us there isn’t an answer, the Spirit opens doors over and over again to new possibilities, new ways of doing things…

Perhaps, as baptized Christians, it reminds us to pause and pray for the Holy Spirit to help us recall our baptismal vows, and lead us in ways that help build up the body of Christ in the world…because when the world says just think about yourself…the Spirit prompts us to strive for the greater gifts…to love and respect the dignity of every human being…

Perhaps, as baptized Christians, as the Body of Christ, made up of many members, united by the one Spirit, here on earth and in heaven, it reminds us to pause and pray for the Holy Spirit to help us discern our call and the gifts given to each one of us to uniquely proclaim and share the good news of God’s love, revealed to us through Jesus and his marvelous works…To share this good news with all those we meet…at home, in church, in our communities or our workplaces…because when the world tells us we are not smart enough, good enough, gifted enough…the Spirit whispers a reminder from God that each one of us needs to hear…You are beloved…with you I am well pleased…You are enough….

In the words of Teresa of Avila….

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Let us pray now for the Spirit of the Lord to be upon us and to unite us in the work and ministry we will be called to do in the coming days and months as the Body of Christ here on earth…In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, and by the power of a Gracious Spirit and loving God, we pray…

Hymn after the sermon: Gracious Spirit, give your servants – (WLP) 782

(sung by Ali Hosford)

Gracious Spirit, give your servants

joy to set sin’s captives free,

hope to heal the brokenhearted,

peace to share love’s liberty.

Through us bring your balm of gladness

to the wounded and oppressed;

help us claim and show God’s favor

as a people called and blessed.

Word made flesh, who gave up glory

to become our great high priest,

taking on our human nature

to redeem the last and least:

let your courage and compassion

shape and guide our ministries;

as our Savior and our Shepherd,

lead us to the truth that frees.

Loving God, who birthed creation

from the nothingness of space,

kindling life where all was empty,

turning chaos into grace:

when we feel confused and fruitless,

dawn upon our restless night;

give us faith’s imagination,

hope’s renewing, love’s delight.

Triune God, eternal Being,

never ending, unbegun,

boundless grace and perfect justice,

righteous and forgiving One:

so enfold us in your mercy

that our wills and yours unite;

through us may the world behold you,

find your love, your truth, your light.

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Signs of God’s glory, light and love are all around us…

2 Epiphany/Year C/January 16, 2022

Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

Signs of God’s glory, light and love are all around us…

When was the last time, you really thought about that…and believed it…with your whole heart, body, mind and spirit…

Signs of God’s glory, light and love are all around us…

In these sometimes, dark and difficult days we’ve journeyed through together these past couple of years of the pandemic…and as we begin a new year, with a fresh surge of the covid virus, when was the last time, you looked up, and all around you, with the hope of catching a sign of God’s glory, light and love all around us…

Today’s scripture readings, on this 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany…call our attention to being aware of these signs and looking for these signs…and seeing the light of God, revealed in Jesus, and brought to life in our relationships with God, with one another, and with all of creation…

Last week, on the 1st Sunday after Epiphany, Jesus was revealed in his baptism, as God’s beloved Son, and anointed by the Holy Spirit…and we were reminded that by our own baptisms, by water and anointing of the Holy Spirit, we too are called beloved children of God, and anointed by the Holy spirit to share in this way of life, with Jesus, the light of the world.

This week, we get another glimpse of who Jesus is, in the story about the wedding at Cana. And similar to last week’s setting with a crowd gathered at the Jordan River, this revelation happened in the midst of a community gathered again, only this time…for a wedding.

I think that’s an important piece to consider of how it is that we come to see signs of God’s glory, light and love all around us. 

Signs of God’s glory are revealed to us, when a community is gathered, with Jesus at the center, with Jesus as the light that opens our eyes, and our hearts to see the belovedness in ourselves, and one another. And I believe that the Holy Spirit is brought alive in us, when we recognize that in ourselves and in each other.

Think about all that happened in the wedding scene at Cana today.

There was Jesus, there was his mother, there were the servants, the chief steward. Each one helped each other take the next step, to ensure the guests, all those gathered to celebrate a marriage…were filled with joy…

And as many of us know, who have planned a wedding or recalls being in the midst of the celebration itself…it takes everyone, to ensure that it is a grand celebration…it takes all ears, and eyes and bodies to be on the lookout, for one another’s well-being…and enjoyment of the festivities for everyone gathered.

We all have a role in this shared life together…to be on the lookout for signs of God’s glory, light and love all around us…some days we are the ones helping others see the hope and the light and the love all around us…and on other days…someone else may be shining the light for you in your dark and sad moments…

Each one of us, as our reading from 1st Corinthians reminds us, has a gift to share in all of this… Think for a moment of those people in your life who have helped you see your belovedness… Have given you the courage to take the next step…Think for a moment of those YOU have helped along the way…ones you have helped to see their own belovedness and gifts they have been given, to share in this world…

Our lives together, are enriched and brighter beyond measure…when we all seek to be aware of the signs of God’s glory, light and love and seek to share it, through the gifts given to us, gifts meant to be shared with everyone we meet!

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn after sermon: H538 – God of mercy, God of Grace

(vocalist: Ali Hosford)

God of mercy, God of grace,

show the brightness of thy face.

Shine upon us, Savior, shine,

fill thy Church with light divine,

and thy saving health extend

unto earth’s remotest end.

Let thy people praise thee, Lord;

be by all that live adored.

Let the nations shout and sing

glory to their Savior King;

let all be, below, above,

one in joy, and light, and love.

1st Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord

Today’s sermon reflection by Kit Mellema

Jan 9, 2022

Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22