The Reign of God's love...here on earth...as in heaven

Last Pentecost/Year C

November 20, 2022

(Sermon by Rev Julie Platson)                              

Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 46; Luke 23:33-43

Collect for today: Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

We come to the end of the church year today...the last Sunday after Pentecost or also known as Christ the King Sunday…. The Sunday, we begin with the words of our collect, praying to an almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in God’s well-beloved Son…Jesus…the King of kings and Lord of lords….and we pray that God’s people, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought under Jesus’ most gracious rule…in a kingdom that proclaims forgiveness, mercy, grace, joy, and hope….a kingdom that proclaims: this is what God’s love is…this is what God’s love looks like…this is what God’s love can do, through you and I…here on earth…as in heaven…

We just spent a whole year watching, listening and reflecting on the stories that were shared each week about Jesus…And if we were paying attention to Jesus’ teachings…we were given examples over and over again, of what God’s love is, what God’s love looks like, and what God’s love can do for us, and our siblings who walk this earth with us…a love that has the power to transform lives through forgiveness, through mercy and grace, through healing, through hope…a love that has the power to build, encourage and strengthen our relationships with one another, in the kingdom of God…a family of God…where Jesus, our Shepherd, guides us, and leads us, in walking the way of God’s love…

Our church year, began with the season of Advent, a season, that invites us to turn our focus once again, to anticipate the coming of a new kingdom, a new and renewed hope for God’s saving Love to come down among us…… and we celebrate the fulfillment of this hope and this Love, coming into the world on Christmas Day...when we hear the story of Jesus’ birth. 

We spent the season of Epiphany listening to the scriptures that illuminated and showed us who this Jesus was, we heard about Jesus’ Baptism and his being sent out into the wilderness, as we embarked on a journey with him in the season of Lent…we stood still with him on Good Friday, when he was crucified on the Cross, and we rejoiced once again as we celebrated his resurrection on Easter morning, three days later….The next 50 days we listened to scriptures about the resurrected Jesus, and the experiences of those who saw him, in his new glory…we celebrated his ascension into heaven, and on the Day of Pentecost, we celebrated the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us…and then we walked faithfully through the long, ordinary season after Pentecost, when we became the “students” of Jesus, and learned a lot about what it meant to be a follower of Jesus…

In this past year, we learned a lot about what the kingdom of God is like…a kingdom that proclaims what God’s love is… what God’s love looks like and what God’s love can do, through you and I…here on earth…as in heaven…

We learned a lot about the kingdom of God and God’s love…because of Jesus…

And as we mark this last Sunday after Pentecost, and the ending of a church year, we are still learning about the kingdom of God and God’s love...even, and especially, as we listen to today’s difficult gospel reading…which speaks of Jesus’ death on the cross…

In the reading today, Jesus is crucified with two criminals...one on his right, and one on his left…and Jesus’ prayed from the cross, asking for forgiveness for those who crucified him, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross, the leaders scoffed at him, the soldiers mocked him…

One of the criminals who were hanged there, beside Jesus, kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he turned to Jesus and said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

At this moment, I envision Jesus looking directly into the eyes and soul of the criminal when he responded with words of unconditional love and forgiveness, assuring him: "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

With these few words, spoken by Jesus on the cross, Jesus gives us another glimpse of what God’s love is, what it looks like, and what God’s love can do…In this moment, we are witness to a sacrificial and unselfish love that proclaims words of forgiveness from the cross…a love that sets us free, from the entanglement and enslavement of sin in our worldly lives… a merciful love that sets us free to hope and trust in God’s goodness and love… and a powerful love that reconciles us to God, one another, and all of creation…

So, yes...this church year is coming to an end today, and in today’s scripture reading, Jesus’ life on earth, is coming to an end…but this isn’t just an ending, this is also a new beginning…

…a beginning that will bring forth the hope of something new, something better than we can ever ask for or imagine, something more fulfilling and life-affirming and joyful…than we have ever experienced….

This is an ending that brings forth the promise of a new kingdom to come, a new beloved community to come to fruition here on earth, as in heaven, when we commit ourselves to following the way of Jesus, together…working alongside of each other, serving and reaching out to one another, tending, nurturing, encouraging, and caring for one another, so that we can create and build loving, equitable, just, compassionate, merciful, grace-filled communities, where no one goes hungry, where violence is no more, where all our siblings are valued and respected, where no-one is without shelter, where everyone has a chance for recovery from substance misuse, where the lonely are uplifted by the love and attention of others, where those who are grieving are assured of the joy that will come again, where forgiveness and mercy and grace are offered freely and often…

This is the vision and the hope of God’s kingdom to come here on earth, as in heaven, that Jesus proclaims from the cross… a sacrificial and unselfish love that proclaims words of forgiveness from the cross…a love that sets us free, from the entanglement and enslavement of sin in our worldly lives… a merciful love that sets us free to hope and trust in God’s goodness and love… and a powerful love that reconciles us to God, one another, and all of creation…

Let our prayer and our hope ever be for the reign of God’s love, God’s kingdom…to come here on earth…as in heaven…

And now, as we come to the close of this church year, let us prepare our hearts and our minds and our lives for the new year ahead, by confessing our sins against God and our neighbor, through the words of this hymn…

Let us pray:

HYMN after sermon: (L) 176 – An Evening Prayer

 Recording by Mahalia Jackson

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.

Teach/Learn

23 Pentecost/Year C

November 13, 2022

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Psalm 98; Luke 21:5-19

(Sermon by Rev Julie Platson)                              

Just a brief reminder:

For the month of November, and as part of our Fall pledge campaign season, we will be exploring the Five Marks of Mission as adapted in Bishop Mark’s call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska to a time of renewal and growth in discipleship through the Five Marks of Mission…

Here at St Peter’s, we will be using this framework of the Five Marks of Mission throughout the next year, to help us discern what we are being called to do, by being opened to them changing us, transforming us, and guiding us in all that we will do here at St Peter’s and in the community…

Last Sunday, we reviewed the 1st Mark of Mission…to TELL…

That one invites us to pray and reflect on our individual relationship with Jesus, and to prepare a simple, from the heart response to this question: “Why is my hope/faith/love with Jesus Christ?” And we are invited to share our answer with others, often, in times of casual, personal conversations with others…Last week, Kit and Deacon Kathryn, both shared some personal reflections, and responses to the question, while thinking about a beloved family member they considered a saint in their lives, who influenced their faith journey…

This week, we are exploring the 2nd Mark of Mission…to Teach/Learn…

Mandy Evans, a vestry member and active member of St Peter’s…introduced us to this 2nd Mark of Mission, in a mid-week email that I sent out…

These are her words…

Bishop Mark wrote (regarding this 2nd mark of mission), “I call on all Episcopalians in Alaska to commit at least 15 minutes each day to reading and praying on the Gospel lesson assigned for Morning or Evening Prayer. How does the passage relate to your life, your situation? How is the Gospel part of your story?”

I love routines, and one of my favorites is Morning Prayer. When I read this call from our bishop, I realized that my habit has been to focus on the Psalms more than other scriptures. In the past few days, I shifted my focus to the Gospel lesson, and I thought about this change.

 I love the Psalms - the cadence, and imagery, the familiar and comforting words. So, what treasures will I gain from this focus on the words of our Christ each morning? My first “a-ha” was (remembering) these words, these parables, and explanations that cause more questions, these expressions of love in so many different forms - they burn away all the rest. Jesus shows us our Creator’s Love. Nothing else really matters. All of our human debates on policies and practices are reflected back to us in a sometimes humorous, sometimes scathing, and always loving voice that shows us the Way.

IN the email, I included several online options to be engaged in Morning Prayer or evening prayer services, to use throughout the week…

What I want to add to this introduction that Mandy provided us with… are a few other hands-on, creative practices that can assist us in reflecting further, and going a little bit deeper on these daily gospel readings that come up on the daily lectionary…

This invitation to reflect on the gospels daily, are not meant to make us biblical scholars…they are meant to assist us in putting Christ in the center of our lives, in all we do, and to listen and look for the good news, and the Hope that is found in Jesus’ words and teachings…

The daily practice of allowing the words of Jesus to wash over us, are meant to bring light to our darkest moments, to show us the way…to guide us when we think there is no way…to help us see where God is present with us, always, and especially in those times, when everything around us can be terrifying, when it seems that there is no end to the news of  wars, and destruction, famines, weather disasters, when we can’t understand why bad things happen to good people, or when life seems to be full of so many questions….with very few answers that can soothe our anxious soul…

The daily practice of being engaged with the gospel readings, can help support us and encourage us, when the daily grind of life zaps the energy out of us, and leaves us weary in believing that anything new or hopeful is just around the corner…

Many of you have heard about the Disciples Prayer Book…or what is called Gospel-Based Discipleship…And quite a few of you may already use this as a way to reflect further on the gospel reading for the day…

It’s something individuals can use, but many small groups use it to reflect on the gospel readings together…and many clergy, including myself, use this simple practice of engaging in the reading of the gospels, and other scriptures, as a way to help prepare for the weekly sermons…

Gospel Based Discipleship is not a program. It is not Bible Study. It is an encounter with the Gospel, designed to engage people with the Gospel appointed for the day.

In the Disciple’s Prayer Book, it follows a simple format of the daily office services of morning prayer, noonday prayer, evening prayer, and at the close of the day.

Included in the order of the service, is a time to pause, read, listen, and reflect on the gospel reading, reading and listening to it 3 times, often using different translations…, and after each reading, responding to these questions…

After the first reading:

1.     What word(s), idea(s), or sentence(s) stand out for you in the Gospel of the Day?

After the 2nd reading:

2.     What is Jesus (the Gospel) saying to you?

After the 3rd reading:

  3. What is Jesus (the Gospel) calling you to do?

And what I would like to invite you to consider, as you engage in this reading of the gospels in this way…is that you think of other ways to help you listen more attentively and learn more about the way of Jesus, beyond just the conventional idea that might look like sitting by your yourself, reading the bible, or sitting around the table with a few others, and responding to the questions in conversation-style….

I was reminded this week, of the many ways that we all learn things…some are more hands on learners , some learn by watching, some learn best by reading, some may find listening to help them learn new things, some may need music on in the background, some may need long periods of silence….most of us, probably learn best with a combination of approaches…

As an example to try…after the 1st reading…take a colored pencil, highlighter, and circle, mark the words, ideas, or sentences that jump out at you…

After the 2nd reading…try responding to the question: what is Jesus (the gospel) saying to you…by looking at those words you initially marked, and highlighted…and write them out on another piece of paper…hang it up in front of you…and take some time to look at the words in front of you…giving you a new perspective on what you initially heard, and saw...and perhaps you draw some lines between the different words you put on that separate piece of paper…connecting things that seem similar…or maybe you draw a line between several words…that don’t seem to connect…

After the 3rd reading…and responding to the last question… What is Jesus (the Gospel) calling you to do?

Maybe you draw a picture of what you imagine Jesus is calling you to do…maybe you respond in a journal by writing a letter to Jesus…Maybe you have a list of 20 more questions that came out of your gospel reflection time after hearing it 3 different times, in 3 different translations…maybe your response is to sit in silence for a time…or maybe your answer at the moment…is to get up and bake a cake to bring to someone...or make a phone call to someone…write a letter to someone…pray for someone…

There is no right or wrong answer…it’s simply getting into the practice of engaging in the gospel readings, the scriptures, on a regular basis…placing Jesus in the center of our lives, helping us embrace and

ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which has been given to us in our Savior Jesus Christ.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry wrote in a publication about being engaged in Gospel-Based Discipleship: Groups and individuals using GBD regularly should expect to begin to see their call to mission differently.

That’s my hope for us, here at St Peter’s…that as we strive to be engaged not only in this 2nd Mark of mission, but the other four marks of mission, as well,  that we will all be changed, and transformed in the process to see and hear anew, where God is calling us and leading us in the days, months, and years ahead…as the body of Christ, here at St Peter’s and in the community we are being called to love and serve…

Let us pray:

HYMN after sermon: (H) 628 – Help us, O Lord, to learn

Recording of Hymn 628

1        Help us, O Lord, to learn

                   the truths your word imparts:

          to study, that your laws may be

                   inscribed upon our hearts.

2        Help us, O Lord, to live

                   the faith which we proclaim,

          that all our thoughts and words and deeds

                   may glorify your Name.

3        Help us, O Lord, to teach

                   the beauty of your ways,

          that yearning souls may find the Christ

                   and live a life of praise.

All Saints’ Sunday/Fall Pledge season kick-off Sunday

November 6, 2022

Ephesians 1:11-23; Psalm 149; Luke 6:20-31

Sermon by The Rev Julie Platson

A CALL TO RENEWAL AND GROWTH IN DISCIPLESHIP THROUGH THE FIVE MARKS OF MISSION

All Saints’ Sunday – is one of my favorite days on the church calendar…

Why? Because here in the midst of all of us gathered in church today, we take time to recall not only the famous saints in church history, but to remember the cloud of witnesses all around us, the family and friends who have died and no longer physically sit in the pews beside us, or at the dinner table at home with us…but are very much alive to us now, in the ways they continue to inspire and encourage us today…

All Saints’ Sunday, for me – takes all the liturgical seasons of the church year, all the stories about God, all the stories about the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, all the stories of our own baptisms, all the stories about our families and friends, all the stories of the losses, hurts, dreams and hopes that unite us as one humanity, and it invites us to pause and think about what it all means…for us, and for the lives of those around us now, and those who will come after us…

As we move closer to the end of this liturgical year, it invites us to pause and ask ourselves…What do I believe? Why do I continue to strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and those who have impacted my life of faith…why do I continue to Hope in the One, Jesus Christ, who in the gospels, gives us alternative visions of what our world could be like, as we work and pray together, with all the saints, the living and the dead, for God’s kingdom to come, God’s reign of Love to come, here on earth, as in heaven…

It's a time to pause and think about this question: “Why is my hope/faith/love with Jesus Christ?”

That question refers to the 1st Mark of Mission, to Tell… as adapted in Bishop Mark’s call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska…to a time of renewal and growth in discipleship through the Five Marks of Mission…

Here at St Peter’s, we will be using this framework of the Five Marks of Mission throughout the next year, to help us discern, shape us, transform us, and guide us in all that we will do here at St Peter’s and in the community…

In this month of November, and in this Fall Pledge campaign season, we will do a brief overview and exploration of these Five Marks of Mission, and invite some personal stories and responses to each of the Five Marks of Mission…

It’s important to know, that these Five Marks of Mission, as adapted to capture Bishop Mark’s call to the people of this Diocese – aren’t just a list of five things to do once, and then check the box off that you, we’ve completed it. They are meant to keep us practicing and discerning throughout the entire year, and lifetime, as we seek to grow together as the people of God who live the faith and hope of Jesus in such a way that we become an invitation to a new life that is consistent with Jesus’ way of love.

So, today, we begin with the 1st Mark of Mission – to Tell…

This one invites us to pray and reflect on our individual relationship with Jesus, and to prepare a simple, from the heart response to this question: “Why is my hope/faith/love with Jesus Christ?” And we are invited to share our answer with others…This can be done in times of just having a casual, personal conversation with someone…

Your answer to this question may change and include a variety of reasons and responses to the question over time, as you become more attuned to recognizing Jesus’ presence in your life, and more comfortable in articulating why you believe what you do…

On this All Saints’ Sunday – I think we can all agree – that there have been (many) saints in our lives – everyday, ordinary saints that we call family and friends, who have influenced our faith, and can help us answer this question today - “Why is my hope/faith/love with Jesus Christ?” And it’s not because they were perfect or had never wavered in their faith that we call them saints, but because we can see where these everyday folk, like you and I, had dared to put all of their hope/faith love in Jesus Christ…and got up every day and went out into the world to strive to live out their beliefs in the best way they could…and with as much love that they could share with all of those they met along the way……

I’ve asked Kit (Kathryn) to share a personal story this morning, reflecting on that question, as she thought about one (of many) saints in her life who continues to influence her faith journey now…

*Kit share (at 8am) – see short version of Kit’s reflection below

  Kathryn & Julie share (at 10am) – check in Kathryn & Julie sometime about the “family saint” that they talked about today…

As you head out into your week…I invite you to simply reach out to someone this week – by phone call, out for a walk, visit over a meal…or begin by sitting with someone at the potluck after the 10am service today…and have a casual conversation, sharing stories with each other about the special saint in your lives who continues to inspire you and influence your faith journey and your life now…and share some heartfelt words that help you express why your Hope/faith/love is with Jesus Christ…

Let us pray:

HYMN after sermon: A Thousand Alleluias (A Cloud of Witnesses Around Us)

Music: Gary Rand. © 2015 Plural Guild Music Text: Brian Wren. © 1996 Hope Publishing Company

 Click here for Recording of the Hymn

A cloud of witnesses around us, a thousand echoes from the past,

proclaim the One who freed and found us, and leads us on, from first to last.

For such a gift, let all uplift a thousand alleluias.

A carnival of faiths and cultures parading through our settled praise,

with jangled rhythms, songs and dances, expresses Love’s expansive ways.

Christ is our song. To God belong a thousand alleluias.

A crowd, that clamors pain and anger, prevents us from nostalgic pride;

the cries of poverty and hunger recall us to our Savior’s side.

There we entrust, to God most just, a thousand alleluias.

A throng of future shapes and shadows, a world that may, or may not be,

names us the servants and the stewards of all the Spirit longs to see.

In awe we bend, and onward send a thousand alleluias.

A rainbow-host of wandering children, God’s varied image, from all lands,

awakes again our founding vision, that onward, urgently expands.

Give all, give more. Let love outpour a thousand alleluias.

*Kit’s story at the 8am service today - ‘Tell’ Mark of Mission

I first met Larry and Helen Steele at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Okinawa in the fall of 1986. They looked as if they’d stepped out of a Norman Rockwell illustrator. They were both DODDS teachers at the Marine base high school; every summer, they returned to their small farm in Palmer to grow potatoes and other crops. As a teenager, Larry had health issues that left him with some mobility and balance issues, but that never stopped him from living an active life, from finding joy and beauty all around, and from always expressing gratitude in words, in worship and in action. He always had lollipops and small bills in his pockets in case someone in

need approached. Larry and Helen were the most generous people I’d ever met, giving freely of their time and their treasure, because they understood everything they had was a gift from God, given to them so they could share with others.

Larry and I were paired up on a stewardship team, and spent many hours exploring our beliefs on giving and living and being. I soaked up Larry’s experiences and teaching. In 1990, we were transferred to mainland Japan, and Larry and Helen retired from teaching, sold their Okinawan home and moved permanently back to Palmer. We lost touch until 2001, when I contacted them while on a trip to Anchorage; we caught up with each other over a long lunch. As we left the restaurant, Larry asked, ‘So what are you doing with stewardship these days? We’d like to help you re-charge those batteries.’ We met up a year later at the Episcopal Network for Stewardship conference in Washington DC, with Larry and Helen covering most of my expenses.

For the next 4 years, we stayed in touch – in person, by phone, by mail and email – and exchanged thoughts and prayers. In September 2006, I received a letter from Larry’s daughter, Daisy, telling me her father had passed away suddenly a few days before. It took a while, but I realized that Larry and Helen Steele were paying it forward when they gave me the gift of the ‘stewardship recharge,’ but their gift wasn’t just for me. They knew they were also giving a gift to the people of St. Peter’s, to the community of Sitka, to the Diocese of Alaska. That’s how they lived their lives.

Sermon for Oct 30 - Disrupting our lives with HOPE

21 Pentecost/Year C

Alternative lectionary: BE Campaign: Intersection of Religion & Politics – week 5 October 30, 2022

Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 126; Ephesians 2:13-22; Matthew 5:43-48

Today is the last Sunday of a 5-week series of alternative readings that we’ve been using as part of a national movement called the BE Campaign… It has been based on the teaching of the prophet Micah, who, in a time not unlike our own in 700 BCE, asked the question: “What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?” For the month of October, we joined other Churches nationwide, in using this alternative lectionary to help us pause, focus, and reflect more intentionally on what it means to BE Just, to BE Kind, to BE Humble, in a time of so much division, uncertainty and anxiety in our world…

Last Sunday…we took a look at what it means to BE just, to BE kind, to BE humble, in the context of what it means to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR…

All of them… The ones who don’t look like you, think like you, love like you, speak like you, pray like you, vote like you…the ones you agree with and the ones you don’t agree with...the ones you call friends, and the ones you call enemies…

We acknowledged that it’s surely a challenge to love some of our neighbors...to go beyond just understanding that we are called to love our neighbors to actually striving to take the next step forward to follow Jesus, to Love our neighbors, in a way of love that is built upon a foundation of justice, kindness and humbleness, a way of love that can transform the lives of every one of us…

The final theme for this sermon series is called The Intersection of Religion and Politics…and what comes to mind for me this week is the word “Disrupt”…

And I think of Jesus as being the greatest disrupter of all time…standing firmly in the intersection of all our conflicting ideas and thoughts and sorrows and hopes…always trying to help us see that there is another way to live with one another in this world beyond the hatred and fear of one another, beyond our misunderstandings of one another, beyond what floods our news feeds and mailings in this season of our mid-term elections. I think of Jesus as the great disrupter of helplessness, anger, grief, sorrow…a great disrupter of squashing our doubts that anything could ever change…that there will always be divisions, that there will always be neighbors we don’t like and don’t understand, that we will always live in a divided world that is always about us vs them.

Jesus stands firmly, compassionately and patiently among us very time we find ourselves at the crossroads and intersections of what we know and perceive now, and what we can only hope is possible… He stands among us to disrupt our old thoughts, our old ways, to encourage us to step out in faith and take the road that Jesus is showing us, to believe and dare to invite HOPE to disrupt our daily lives…showing us that indeed, a new way of life is possible, when we strive to walk in a way of love with God and one another…towards a new future and a new creation for all of God’s people…

IN today’s gospel reading, Jesus seeks to disrupt an old way of thinking:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven….

So that all of us, with Jesus as the cornerstone, as the foundation of what it means to BE just,  to BE Kind, to BE humble, can strive to walk in a way of love that contains the HOPE of all that disrupts what divides us and separates us from God and one another, the HOPE that transforms the lives of every one of us, and the HOPE that can inspire in us and equip us to work alongside of each other to build one new, common humanity, so that we will no longer be strangers and alien, and enemies to one another, but will all be members of the household of God…of a diverse, loving, family of God….

So, as we come to the end of this month and sermon series, I would like to commend a new spiritual practice for you to use in the month of November that will not only be a help to us now when we would rather be grumbling about the political climate…but it will help us get in the habit of disrupting our daily grumblings and doubts with Gratitude…It’s a 30 day United Thank Offering Gratitude Challenge with daily reflections and opportunities to disrupt our old patterns of thinking, to make way for the new…for all the new ways we will be called to a time of spiritual renewal and growth as the Body of Christ here at St Peter’s and in the wider community, in the days and months ahead…

To help us turn now with our hearts and minds towards this one day at a time challenge…let me close with this short children’s story by Cynthia Rylant (and illustrations by Nikki McClure) – All in a Day….

A day is a perfect piece of time to live a life, to plant a seed, to watch the sun go by.

A day starts early, work to do, beneath a brand-new sky.

A day bring hope and kindness, too…a day is all its own.

You can make a wish, and start again, you can find your way back home.

Every bird and every tree and every living thing loves the promise in a day, loves what it can bring.

There is faith in morning time, there is belief at noon. Evening will come whispering and shine a bright round moon.

A day can change just everything, given half a chance.

Rain could show up at your door and teach you how to dance.

The past is sailing off to sea, the future’s fast asleep.

A day is all you have to be, it’s all you get to keep.

Underneath that great big sky the earth is all a-spin.

This day will soon be over and it won’t come back again.

So, live it well, make it count, fill it up with you.

The day’s all yours, it’s waiting now…

See what you can do.

You’ve been given the gift of a new day.

I hope this day, and every day, and when you find yourselves at the crossroads and intersections of life, that you will welcome Jesus to disrupt your old thinking, and to inspire you to approach your day with a heart full of gratitude, and with a vision of hope, love, joy, and the peace of God, made known to us in Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad indeed.

(psalm 126: 4)

Closing prayer/hymn: Give thanks with a Grateful Heart (Renew # 266)

GIVE THANKS HYMN

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because he’s given us Jesus Christ, his Son.

And now, let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done for us…

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because he’s given us Jesus Christ, his Son.

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

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR - Oct 23

20 Pentecost/Year C

Alternative lectionary: BE Campaign: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR – week 4

October 23, 2022

Ruth 1:1-8; Psalm 133; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a; Luke 10:25-37

(As a reminder): For the month of October, we are joining other Episcopal and Methodist Churches nationwide, in using an alternative lectionary as part of the BE Campaign…TO BE JUST, TO BE KIND, and TO BE HUMBLE…It’s based on the teaching of the prophet Micah, who, in a time not unlike our own in 700 BCE, asked the question: “What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?”

As we gather today on this fourth (out of five) week series, we are exploring how all of this comes together this week with what it might mean and look like to Love Your Neighbor …in a time of so much division, uncertainty and anxiety in our world…

I wonder if you noticed anything new about what it means to “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR” in listening to today’s reading from Luke and reflecting back on the sermon themes from the past few weeks: To Be JUST, to BE KIND, to BE HUMBLE…

It is such a familiar parable… I think most of us believe we understand this story pretty well…and can see ourselves identifying with the different persons in the stories at different times in our lives…

The Episcopal Church teaches that we believe the scriptures are the living Word of God…so if we approach the reading and hearing of scriptures with open eyes, ears, hearts and minds, the spirit is always nudging us and asking us to consider what New Good news is being offered to us in the hearing of the scriptures today – in this time, and place in our lives…

What jumped out at you today in hearing this familiar parable of the Good Samaritan?

Something in pretty much every sentence jumped out at me today...but if I had to just offer up a few words…I would mention…love, God, heart, soul, strength, mind, neighbor, moved with pity, cared for, showed mercy…go and do likewise…

Let me read this scripture passage again from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Children of God storybook bible…This chapter of Luke is entitled The Good Neighbor:

Jesus said, “All you need to remember is to love God and your neighbor as much as you love yourself.”

But who is my neighbor? a teacher asked.

Jesus told a story to explain.

“One day, a Jewish man was robbed and wounded and left lying in the road. A little while later, a priest walked by, but pretended he didn’t see the injured man. Soon, another man came by. He worked at the temple, but he didn’t stop either. At last, a Samaritan came down the road. His people were enemies of the Jews. But the Samaritan stopped! He got off his donkey and walked beside him to the nearest inn. He put him to bed and took care of him.

Now, asked Jesus, “which of these people was a good neighbor?”

“The Samaritan,” replied the teacher.

“That’s right,” said Jesus. “You are all part of the same family – God’s family. God wants you to be like him, loving and kind to everyone – even your enemies.”

What questions are coming up this time for you after hearing it a second time? What do you think Jesus (the Gospel) is saying to you and asking you to consider?

What does it mean to Love God and your neighbor as much as you love yourself? Are you wondering, who is my neighbor? Are you wondering why someone who rob and wound a Jewish man, and leave him lying on the side of the road for dead? Are you wondering why the priest and other temple leader didn’t stop to help?  Are you wondering – how it is – that a Samaritan, whose people were known as enemies of the Jews, was the one who stopped to help and offer care for the injured man…are you wondering how you could be a good neighbor…especially to those who aren’t on your friends’ list, or in your usual circle of care and concern?

We’ve heard this parable of the “Good” Samaritan: the Good Neighbor, the Just Neighbor, the Kind Neighbor, the Humble Neighbor, numerous times over the years…and even those without any particular church affiliation, or in other faith traditions – are pretty familiar with this teaching story, too…

I think we understand what is written in the “law”… “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

I think we know who our neighbor is…there’s plenty of posters out there on facebook that remind us of that:

 And as Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has often included in his messages to the whole church:

I think we know and understand all of this…

That’s why we are here….to love God, and our neighbors...all of them…

Yet our challenge is always to figure out how to move beyond just knowing all the right words, saying all the right words, and claiming to understand the meaning of all Jesus’ parables and teachings…because as Paul reminds us in today’s reading from 1st Corinthians … If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

LOVE, God’s love, made known to us in the life and teachings of Jesus…can make all the difference in the world…for us and our neighbors…

This way of love asks us to take the next step out in faith, with God and with one another, to Love our Neighbors, as Jesus has loved us and taught us, to Love our Neighbors, with our hearts and our hands and our feet…not by just sitting comfortably with all the right words and understanding of what the teachings are all about, and with those we already call friends - but to reach out with a loving heart and a helping hand across the divide, to invite others to help you and join you in reaching out and caring for others in your midst…and to cease with the judgment of who is worthy or not to be loved and cared for and treated with respect and dignity…

This is no easy task…to love our neighbors as Jesus has shown us…to love our neighbors, as we love ourselves…but when we strive to follow Jesus in this way of love…our acts of love built upon a foundation of justice, kindness and humbleness, can transform the lives of every one of us…

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…Love never ends…

God’s love never ends …for us and for all our neighbors…

When you go home today…find another translation of today’s familiar gospel reading about the Good Samaritan……read it for the 3rd time, sit with it, pray with it…and ask yourself this question, to help you discern what’s next for you…

What is Jesus, (the Gospel) calling you to do in this time and in this place, as you are being sent out into the world to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR?

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

Closing prayer/hymn: The Gift of Love (RENEW #155)

Words by Hal Hopso

"The Gift of Love" Recording by Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, Essex Fells, NJ

Though I may speak with bravest fire,

And have the gift to all inspire,

And have not love; my words are vain,

As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

Though I may give all I possess,

And striving so my love profess,

But not be given by love within,

The profit soon turns strangely thin.

Come, Spirit come, our hearts control.

Our spirits long to be made whole.

Let inward love guide every deed.

By this we worship, and are freed.

BE HUMBLE....

19 Pentecost/Year C/October 16, 2022

Alternative lectionary: BE Campaign: BE HUMBLE – week 3

Genesis 33:1-12; Psalm 131 (GNT); Romans 12:3, 9-18; John 13: 3-17

(As a reminder): For the month of October, we are joining other Episcopal and Methodist Churches nationwide in using an alternative lectionary as part of the BE Campaign…To BE JUST, TO BE KIND, and TO BE HUMBLE…It’s based on the teaching of the prophet Micah, who, in a time not unlike our own in 700 BCE, asked the question: “What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?”

Bishop Mark invited us to participate in this offering as a way to help us take a closer look at some scriptures that illuminate what it means to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God; and to open our eyes and ears and hearts and minds to more fully understand how these scriptures can shape, transform, and inspire our communities to look a bit more like the Kingdom of God…in a time of so much division, uncertainty and anxiety in our world…

This week’s focus calls upon us to BE HUMBLE…to walk humbly with God…

And just as the last couple of week’s themes, to BE JUST, to BE KIND were BIG and BROAD terms to define and act upon as followers of Jesus in a time of so much division, uncertainty and anxiety in our world...this week’s theme also invites us to discern what it means, as a follower of Jesus, to BE HUMBLE, in a time such as this…

And when I use that phrase…in a time such as this…I’m especially calling to mind at the moment…this month of October, and these final weeks leading up to the mid-term elections in our nation…

I’m wondering, what it means to be humble, in an election season…

I’m really wondering aloud, what it could look like, to be humble, as the one offering themselves up as a candidate for election, or to be humble, as one of the campaign team members, or to be humble, as ones who will be engaged in conversations about our views and hopes for our favorite candidate to be elected in November…

I don’t think it would take much effort for any of us to imagine what an election season could look like…if the guiding principles were to be humble, to be just, to be kind…and what it could like, if one made it a daily practice to strive to not think of oneself more highly than one ought to think, to let love be genuine, to bless those who persecute you, to rejoice with those who rejoice, to weep with those who weep, to hold fast to what is good, to outdo one another in showing honor, to not claim to be wiser than you are, to not repay anyone evil for evil, but to take thought for what is noble in the sight of all…

Yet, the challenge for us, is to not only imagine and believe that something different is possible, but to have the courage and the resilience to practice making small, simple intentions and changes in our daily lives that can move us from rationalizing and categorizing everything in our minds, to living out a way of love, that is centered around our humble trust in God…that is centered around the love of Jesus that inspires in us…a new way forward in this life…that calls us to walk humbly with God, and each other…every day…

A new life going forward, …that calls us to not only imagine a new way of life together that is not marked with daily acts of violence, hatred, and division, in our words and actions among God’s diverse family…but to do the very thing as Jesus has taught us and shown us in today’s gospel reading that can lead to deep healing and reconciliation between all God’s people...when we humble ourselves before God and one another…and as we seek and strive to love and serve one another…and respect the dignity of every human being…

In our gospel reading today, we listened to the familiar foot-washing story we hear every year during holy week…that captures the essence of what Jesus is teaching his disciples who say they want to follow him…to BE HUMBLE…

After Jesus had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So, if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.  (John 13:12-15 NRSV)

Jesus said, I speak from my heart…The one who serves is not greater than the one who is served. A message bearer is not greater than the one who sent him. If you walk in this way of blessing, you will do well, and it will return to you - full circle. (John 13:16-18 First Nations Version)

(Micah 6:8) What does the Lord require of us, in this election season, and every season of our lives together - but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?”

Let us pray this morning, for the healing river of the Spirit to move among us and guide us as we seek a new way forward together in this election season, in this season of our church life and community life, to walk humbly with God and one another…so that we can not only imagine and believe in a world without division, hatred and violence…but that each one of us, may be empowered by the love and power of God: The Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, to go out into the world to make it so…

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

Closing prayer/hymn: Healing river of the Spirit

1        Healing river of the Spirit, bathe the wounds that living brings.

          Plunge our pain, our sin, our sadness deep beneath your sacred springs.

          Weary from the restless searching that has lured us from your side,

          we discover in your presence peace that world cannot provide.

2        Wellspring of the healing Spirit, stream that flows to bring release,

          as we gain our selves, our senses, may our lives reflect your peace.

          Grateful for the flood that heals us, may your church enact your grace.

          As we meet both friend and stranger, may we see our Savior’s face.

3        Living stream that heals the nations, make us channels of your pow’r.

          All the world is torn by conflict; wars are raging at this hour.

          Saving Spirit, move among us; guide our winding human course,

          till we find our way together,flowing homeward to our source.

Small opportunities to BE KIND to one another…surround us every day...

18 Pentecost/Year C - October 9, 2022

Alternative lectionary: BE Campaign: BE KIND – week 2

1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 103:1-13; Colossians 3:12-17; Matthew 20:29-34

(As a reminder): For the month of October, we are following an alternative lectionary, a special series of readings that was put together, by clergy and lay leaders in the Episcopal Church and Methodist Church, as part of a national movement called the BE Campaign…It’s based on the profound teaching of the prophet Micah, who, in a time not unlike our own in 700 BCE, asked the question: “What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?”

Our diocesan Bishop, Mark Lattime, invited us to participate in this offering…as a way to help make our communities a bit more like the Kingdom of God…in a time of so much division, uncertainty and anxiety in our world…

This week’s focus is on KINDNESS…to LOVE KINDNESS…to BE KIND…

And just as last week’s theme, to BE JUST, was a BIG and BROAD term to define and act upon, leaving room for a thousand different ways, small and large, to go about being JUST in our broken and anxious world...this week’s theme to BE KIND, also invites us to discern what it means, as a follower of Jesus, to BE KIND, in a time such as this…

To BE KIND…sounds so easy…we talk to our children about it often…be kind to your friends, to your classmates; be kind to animals…We hear reminders all the time to be kind to one another, be kind to the waiter or waitress who is taking your order, be kind to your co-workers, be kind to your caregivers, be kind to the road construction crew, be kind to the airline staff…

This list could go on and on because there are so many small opportunities all around us, every day, to BE KIND to one another…

Yet, as simple as those two words sound:

When we are weary, worried, fearful, anxious and feeling overwhelmed by all the changes and unknowns in our own lives, in our communities, and around the world…to BE Kind, or merciful to ourselves or those around us…is not always our default reaction to something we did not expect or plan for…

So, what can we do? Is there any hope for KINDNESS to be the first thing that comes to mind when faced with difficult circumstances?

I believe so…and I believe there is One we can turn to, again and again, to show us the way…

I believe that Jesus, is that One, who can help us strive to be merciful, to BE Kind to one another…

I believe that a regular practice of setting aside time to get to know who Jesus is, through the reading of scriptures and in our times of prayer, can help us as we strive to BE KIND to one another…in a world that often feels unkind, and in a world, that sometimes defaults to being concerned more about one’s own needs, instead of the needs and concerns in the lives of people all around us…

In today’s gospel, we get a glimpse of what KINDNESS looks like through the teaching of Jesus, and through the lens of God’s love and mercy for all people…

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet, but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”

Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.

I wonder where you see signs of kindness in this story today.

I see signs of kindness in the way Jesus noticed the two blind men, acknowledged them, asked them what they needed from him, listened to them, and Jesus responded with compassion that healed them in a such a way…that moved them to want to follow Jesus.

I imagine people passed by the two blind men every day…turned the other way…ignored them, tried to silence them, didn’t want to listen to them, perhaps made all kinds of assumptions about them…about their worthiness…Yet…they were the ones who sensed and knew that Jesus was near them…and they called out to him for help…knowing by experience, that many of the others had passed them by, all the time…never stopping to consider what they needed.

It seemed as though something as simple, as being mindful that these two blind men, were children of God… they had lives marked by sorrows, worries, and hopes and dreams just like everyone else who passed them by.

I wonder how this understanding of what kindness looks like might help us next time we are in a situation that asks us to respond with compassion and kindness?

In those times – when the waiter or waitress comes back to the table with the wrong order… When our co-worker seems to be distracted and not doing their share of work…When the caregiver keeps getting frustrated when the care receiver doesn’t want to cooperate…When you think the road construction crew is making you wait too long to get to where you are supposed to be going…

When your flight is cancelled…and the airline staff can’t accommodate the changes you want…And in this time of the election season – when you and your neighbor seem to disagree on everything…

Could we take a moment to pause and take a deep breath, before responding in our time of frustration…to acknowledge that each one of these people are most likely experiencing the same sorrows, worries, weariness, hopes and dreams that impact all of our lives…

Can we, as a community of God’s people who gather here in the church, and as God’s people out in our communities, strive to BE Kind as Jesus has taught us…by noticing others, acknowledging others, asking others what they need, take the time to listen to each other, respond with compassion, desire healing for all God’s people…

To BE KIND – in some circumstances can feel like a big ask, a big deal, not something we think we are capable of…

But, I think the pearl of the week, highlighted in your bulletin today, helps us to frame it in such a way that we can say “Yes” to BE KIND…more often than we think we can…

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.  Sally Koch, CSJ

Small opportunities to BE KIND to one another…surround us every day…We can begin anew every day…right where we are…

So then, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. Forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you.  And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.  The peace that Jesus gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:12-15 (GNT)

Closing prayer/hymn: Thank you, Lord

(Voices Found Hymnal: 160)

RECORDING OF  Thank You Lord. By Diane Andrews

1        Thank you, Lord, for this fine day,

          thank you, Lord, for this fine day,

          thank you, Lord, for this fine day,

          right where we are.

                   Alleluia, praise the Lord!

                   Alleluia, praise the Lord!

                   Alleluia, praise the Lord!

                   Right where we are.

2        Thank you, Lord, for loving us,

          thank you, Lord, for loving us,

          thank you, Lord, for loving us,

          right where we are.

         Refrain

3        Thank you, Lord, for giving us peace,

          thank you, Lord, for giving us peace,

          thank you, Lord, for giving us peace,

          right where we are.

          Refrain

4        Thank you, Lord, for setting us free,

          thank you, Lord, for setting us free,

          thank you, Lord, for setting us free,

          right where we are.

          Refrain

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

Do justice, love kindly, walk humbly with God and each other

17 Pentecost/Year C

Alternative lectionary: BE Campaign: Be Just – week 1

October 2, 2022

Micah 6:6-8; Psalm 99:1-5; James 2:14-17; Luke 4:16-21

Hymn after today’s sermon: Today we all are called to Be disciples

Loving Others Now

16 Pentecost/Year C/Sept 25, 2022

Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalm 146; Luke 16:19-31

As I sat outside on a bench a couple of weeks ago on the Sea walk, in front of the church, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with thoughts of gratitude: I looked all around me at the beauty, thankful for God’s creation, thankful for the home I live in, thankful for all the daily blessings I enjoy, thankful for the work God has given me to do, thankful for my family and church family, thankful for the food that nourishes my body, thankful for the choices that are available to me every day to enrich my life and the lives of others…Thankful for the many ways in which I see signs of God’s love and blessings all around me, every day…

Then my thoughts turned to consider another person in my community, sitting on a bench just a few feet away from me, and I wondered if he was thinking along the same lines as I was, counting his blessings on this glorious sunny day in Sitka… But, this is what I heard him say, instead:  I can’t help but be overwhelmed by all the sorrows and troubles in my life. I look all around me, and I don’t see that beauty you talk about. When I look around me, I see the busy street and sidewalk, with cars and people passing me by. I have no home to be thankful for. I have no money to spend as I please. I have no job, no family to go home to. I don’t have a church family. I often go days without a meal. I haven’t been offered the same choices as you have. Nobody will talk to me…they just turn the other way and pretend they never saw me. It’s hard for me to believe and hope in the God you proclaim gives justice to those who are oppressed, food to those who hunger, sets the prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down, cares for the stranger and sustains the orphan and widow.

It’s hard for me to see signs of God’s blessings around me. I feel abandoned by God and others.

So here we have two very different views of one’s life from the bench on the Sea walk… sitting just a few feet from one another… yet, at the same time…so distant from one another…

And you know what…There’s nothing uncommon about this scenario…

This is the stark reality of life in our communities: locally, nationwide, and worldwide. There are people among us who believe that they see signs of God’s love and blessings in their lives every day, and there are those who are left wondering and lamenting day after day why God has abandoned them…why God’s people have abandoned them…and left them leaning at the gate by themselves, longing to satisfy their hunger, with mere scraps of attention and love from those who pass them by…

We have people living right next door to each other…just a few feet away it seems, but the “chasm” is great as noted into today’s gospel reading.  And the gap between the rich and the poor, continues to widen…we continue to abandon Lazarus at the gate…instead of reaching out our hand in love to lift him up…

How can this be? Here, now – in the 21st century? We have more than enough riches and resources in this world to share with each other, to ensure that all of God’s children are fed, clothed, sheltered, have access to quality health care and educational opportunities…

We have more than enough Love to go around, God’s Love, to share with one another, so that no-one is ever left behind, and abandoned at the gate…

We have more than enough gifts and talents and love to share as the body of Christ, here in the church, and with all those we meet in our everyday lives…small, little acts of love and kindness that each of us can offer to another person…a simple glance and smile at someone as you pass each other on the street, an invite to someone to come sit on the bench with you on the Sea walk, an invitation extended to someone to come to church with you, to experience the mystery and fullness of God’s love and grace made known to us in the way of love and life that Jesus is calling us to; a phone call or note to an elder, caregiver, parents raising up children in these uncertain times; take some time to learn about ways you can help support folks in our community who are struggling or feeling abandoned and take the first step to reach out a helping hand to them…small acts of love and kindness can make a big difference in helping to bridge the gaps that separate us and divide us into categories of “them and us”…

In God’s kingdom, in the family of God, in the dream of God…there is no them or us…It’s simply “Us”, all of us… all of us together, in all our diversity - loving God, loving our neighbor, caring for one another, encouraging one another, reaching out a hand and lifting up one another to receive the fullness of God’s grace and love…in this life and in the life, yet to come.

Let me close with this short story attributed to Mother Teresa who is well known for teaching us about reaching out to care for the most vulnerable among us with small acts of love…

*(Book: In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories, Prayers - Mother Teresa)

One day I visited a house where our sisters shelter the aged. This is one of the nicest houses in England, filled with beautiful and precious things, yet there was not a smile on the faces of these people. All of them were looking toward the door.

I asked the sister in charge, “Why are they like that? Why can’t you see a smile on their faces? (I am accustomed to seeing smiles on people’s faces. I think a smile generates a smile, just as love generates love.)

The sister answered, “The same thing happens every day. They are always waiting for someone to come and visit them. Loneliness eats them up, and day after day they do not stop looking. Nobody comes.”

Abandonment is an awful poverty. There are poor people everywhere, but the deepest poverty is not being loved. The poor we seek may live near us or far away. They can be materially or spiritually poor. They may be hungry for bread or hungry for friendship.

They may need clothing, or they may need the sense of wealth that God’s love for them represents. They may need the shelter of a house made of bricks and cement or the shelter of having a place in our hearts.

In God’s kingdom, in the family of God, in the dream of God…there is no them or us…It’s simply “Us”, all of us… all of us together, in all our diversity - loving God, loving our neighbor, caring for one another, encouraging one another, reaching out a hand and lifting up one another to receive the fullness of God’s grace and love…in this life and in the life, yet to come.

Let us pray:

HYMN at the conclusion of the Sermon:   MHSO #105 - We are all children of the Lord

We are all children of the Lord, young and old, big and little.

We are all children of the Lord, let us live in harmony!

Many names, many faces, many lands, many places,

but through time and through spaces, we are one humanity.

We are all children of the Lord, one by one, all together.

We are all children of the Lord, just like one big family.

Natalie Sleeth (1930-1992), adapt. from the anthem "Children of the Lord"

Sermon: Rev Julie PLatson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

A Love and Assurance found in the presence of communal prayer...

15 Pentecost/Year C/ September 18, 2022

Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Gospel: Luke 16: 1-13

Today’s collect is a favorite of mine…I realize you have probably heard me say that many times before…so maybe I should edit my words a bit…and say… that today’s collect is one of many favorites of mine!

Let’s listen to today’s collect again:

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I find great comfort in this prayer....because it seems to be an honest confession of our struggle between earthly things and heavenly things….it seems to name our anxiety and fears about the many changes that are happening in our lives, moment by moment…and day by day….and it gives me hope….that there is a love that endures forever, for every one of us…a love and assurance found in the presence of prayer, with each other, and in our faith and trust in the Holy One who hears our prayers, always…and helps us to live as a people of hope…

I don’t know about you, but over the years, and now, my prayers have become much more “real” and honest….and have taken on a whole different meaning…as I continue to face the changes and challenges that come with not only living through these pandemic times, but by being a living, and breathing human being…and as I continue to observe the changes and challenges that many of God’s beloved people are facing every day…families are being separated from each other, in so many different ways; people are struggling daily to make ends meet, and find affordable housing and childcare; children are growing up in an unsteady and confusing world; some of our elders are feeling alone and afraid as their increasing years bring them weakness, distress, or isolation; there are siblings among us who are struggling with addiction and mental health disorders, there are people out of work, there are people and countries at war with one another…there are neighbors who are poor, oppressed, silenced, living in homes marked by daily violence…all around us, we see changes unfolding in our creation that are a concern for all life on this earth… the list of changes and challenges is endless…

Yes…the changes and challenges can feel overwhelming at times…and seem endless and even hopeless…

Yet, in the midst of this anxiety and uncertainty…there is help…there is hope…there is a hope that we can cling to… A hope and a vision to hold fast to, a life worth living for…as we turn our hearts and minds back to God, whose love made known to us, through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has the power to transform us by this Love and unite us all as a people who can trust and believe in this vision and assurance of hope… in this life, and in the life yet to come…

In the midst of all this, there is a Love that transcends all of our understanding…a love that endures…way longer…than any uncertainties, challenges and sufferings of this earthly place…

A love and assurance found in the presence of prayer, with each other, and in our faith and trust in the Holy One who hears our prayers, always…and helps us to live as a people of hope…

A love and assurance found in the presence of prayer…in communal prayer…all of us…joined together…supporting one another, loving one another…helping one another to navigate this ever-changing…ever-challenging life we journey through together…

My remembrance of prayer in my early days growing up in the Episcopal Church were just prayers I read…I was just caught up in the routine and ritual of the weekly service of prayers…. and didn’t give much deeper thought to them…

But, even so…I never stopped praying. I found comfort in knowing that I was always in the company of so many others, the living and the dead, praying alongside of me. And in those times, when my prayers were feeling empty, or inadequate, knowing that there was someone else praying for me, and with me… gave me comfort and hope…

In the Episcopal Church, we believe that communal prayer (praying together with others) always comes before personal prayer, as the first informs the second. While we maintain the importance of personal prayer, we hold a continuing concern that prayer not become individualistic or privatized. Prayers of intercession are central to our common life and are part of every worship experience, whether it is the Holy Eucharist, Morning Prayer to any other rite in the Book of Common Prayer. (From A People Called Episcopalians)

I think about how a lifetime of communal prayer, has shaped my personal prayers. As I mentioned earlier…my prayers in recent years have taken on a whole different life…real and honest…and no hiding behind anything…they are raw, at times, full of anguish for others, full of hope for others…they are what they are…I no longer search for the perfect words to express my thoughts in prayer…God already knows my thoughts…my disappointments, my worries, my struggles, my concerns, my sins, my hopes and my dreams…

The beauty and power of communal prayer is that we realize our connectedness to one another…we are accountable to one another, we pray alongside each other, for each other, we support one another, we lift one another up into the presence of God’s all-encompassing love, made known to us through Jesus, and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; we remind one another, that even while we are placed among things that are passing away, we can hold fast to those things that shall endure…Love…God’s love...for every one of us…endures forever…

The past few weeks, we’ve included some special litany of prayers, and prayer focuses, as part of our prayers of the people time…September is set aside as National Recovery Month and National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Today, I invite you to be mindful of those who are struggling with substance misuse and mental health disorders… I invite you to think about the ways you might be called on to support anyone who is struggling emotionally and spiritually…Take some time to listen and to learn about their struggles and how you can be a support to them; light a candle as you remember them in your prayers, participate in the community events that help us to be more aware of the needs of those around us, and to be there to stand with them and walk with them…assuring them, they are not alone…be a living, breathing sign of hope for them…be a living, breathing sign of a prayer answered for them…

Every week, we pray for a variety of needs, concerns, hopes and thanksgivings…Not only in the prayers of the people…but throughout our entire worship service…

We offer up our prayer requests, intercessions, thanksgivings, in our music, in our scripture readings, in our times of silence, in our time of confession, in our time of offering, in our time of celebrating the Eucharist, in our time of prayer at the conclusion of our service, and in our dismissal sentence, as we are sent out into the world, having been soaked in communal prayer, to be a living, breathing sign of hope to all those we will meet in our day to day lives…and for all those, we have yet to meet and share the good news of God’s love…

A love that endures forever, for every one of us…a love and assurance found in the presence of prayer, with each other, and in our faith and trust in the Holy One who hears our prayers, always…and helps us to live as a people of hope…

…As a people who are called to love one another, encourage one another and support one another, in whatever ways we can, beginning anew every day with a time of prayer…Prayer, that opens our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to the needs and hopes all around us, and transforms us to be faithful in small ways that lead to great joys… for all of God’s people…and all of creation…

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn after sermon:  Lift Every Voice and Sing II - #249 - Hear Our Prayer, O Lord

Hear our prayer, O Lord, hear our rpayer o Lord; Incline thine ear to us, and granbt us thy peace.

The Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska