Sharing the the Light of Christ

2 Epiphany/Year A

January 15, 2023

Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-12; John 1:29-42

 

Prayer: Holy God, you sent your son to be the light of the world, so that all may know the brightness of your love. Fill us with grace this day that we too may bear witness to his light and serve your coming reign. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen  (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

We celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany just nine days ago, on January 6th…On this day, every year,  we read the familiar scriptures that take us on a journey with the wise men following a star that leads them to the Christ child, Jesus, and his family… a journey that enabled them to be among some of the first witnesses to the light of the holy child that was born, an encounter that changed them, transformed them, and sent them home by another way…

As we begin this season in the church year, that follows after the Epiphany, I want to invite you to look up at one of the stars above you (that the Sunday school kids created for the family Christmas pageant this year) when we are gathered here in the church, pause for a moment, and be reminded of the wise men’s journey to the Christ child, Jesus, as they followed the star that led them to finding the One, they were looking for…

And my hope for all of us, as we move through this season after the Epiphany, is that we, too will be changed anew and transformed anew by the light of Christ revealed to us in the scriptures, the prayers, in the music, in the company and fellowship with one another, these next several weeks…and that we too will discover new ways, along the way, to bear witness to this light of Christ, to follow Jesus, in the coming year…

The gospel readings throughout the next several weeks will point us towards getting a clearer picture of who this Jesus is, revealing more about who Jesus is, inviting us to “come and see” for ourselves, in our own lives, and through the witness of others, that indeed Jesus is the One who we’ve been longing for, hoping for, looking for…

On the 1st Sunday after Epiphany – last Sunday – we celebrated the Baptism of our Lord…in which the Spirit of God descending like a dove, alighted on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Today, on this 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”…and later on, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, when Jesus walked by and exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Next week, On the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, we will hear about Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, being called by Jesus to come and follow him…and how they immediately leave their nets to follow him…

On the 4th Sunday after Epiphany, we will listen to Jesus’ words to the crowds that were gathering all around him, as he spoke and taught them, what is commonly referred to as the beatitudes…the opening words from his Sermon on the Mount…

On the 5th Sunday after Epiphany – Jesus’ teachings continue to reveal his wisdom and divinity as he speaks about coming “not to abolish the law or the prophets…but to fulfill them”.

On the 6th Sunday after Epiphany – Jesus spends time teaching and breathing new life into the commandments… as they were understood in ancient times…

And then, finally, on the last Sunday after the Epiphany, we hear about Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountaintop, and circle back around to the beginning of the Epiphany season, by ending with the same words, that we began with on the 1st Sunday after Epiphany, at the time of Jesus’ Baptism: “from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased”…

As we move through this season after Epiphany, I pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds anew with awe and wonder to all the possibilities of discovering that yes, Jesus, is the One…Jesus is the One who is the light of the world, the hope of the world…Jesus is the One who invites each one of us…to follow him…walking as a Child of the Light…bearing witness to his love, light, hope, peace and joy…wherever our feet take us throughout the day…

In a world where so many people are grieving, struggling, living with chronic pain, worrying, not sure where their next meal will come from, or how they will pay rent this month… and in a world, where so many peoples’ worth and dignity are still brushed aside, and discriminated against, and oppressed and turned away at every corner….In a world where a deep sadness seems to blanket the everyday lives of so many of God’s beloved children…We are called to share Christ’s light in all the ways we can, with all the people we can, in all the places we possibly can….

By our baptisms, we are called to testify to the light…to share the light and love of God, revealed to us in Jesus….

At the time of our baptisms, a small candle lit from the paschal candle, is given to the newly baptized child…the light of Christ…

Every one of us, have the light of God within us…inviting us to share it with the world around us….

To shine our little light is to be the presence of Christ in the world today.

(Face to the Rising Sun: Reflections on Spirituals and Justice, The Rev Mark Bozzuti-Jones)

 

Prayer: Holy God, you sent your son to be the light of the world, so that all may know the brightness of your love. Fill us with grace this day that we too may bear witness to his light and serve your coming reign. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen  (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

 

Hymn after the sermon: This Little light of Mine

This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine…(x3)

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…

This Little Light Of Mine (Jazz Ensemble)

https://youtu.be/8kYFIji1KNQ

(Rev Julie Platson, St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church)

Christmas Day Sermon

Christmas Day/Year A - 12/25/22

Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 98, John 1:1-14

“What has come into being in him was life,

and the life was the light of all people.”

                                                                     John 1:4

What an incredible gift we were given again this Christmas…..a divine gift…the gift of life….the life which was offered to us as a light for all the people….

The gift… the life…  Is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ….the source of all life….the focus of all our hopes….A gift given to us, because of God’s incredible love for his people…A gift that was given to us for eternity…it is this life that both creates us and redeems us….

“What has come into being in him was life,

and the life was the light of all people.”

                                                                     John 1:4 

We have something to celebrate today….the good news that God came to be among us…we have seen his glory through the birth of his Son, Jesus, who came into the world as the true light….a light that enlightens everyone…we have been given life, so that we may have it more abundantly….a life abundant with love, joy, hope and peace…

So, let’s reflect for a moment on our celebrations at Christmas time… We love to celebrate…We love to give and receive gifts…

Max Lucado writes in his book, One Incredible Moment…about Divine Gifts…

Oh, the things we do to give gifts to those we love.

But we don’t mind, do we” We would do it all again. Fact is, we do it all again. Every Christmas, every birthday, every so often we find ourselves in foreign territory. Grownups are in toy stores, dads are in teen stores, wives are in the hunting department, and husbands are in the purse department.

 Not only do we enter unusual places, we do unusual things. We assemble bicycles at midnight. We hide the new tires with mag wheels under the stairs. One fellow I heard about rented a movie theatre so he and his wife could see their wedding pictures on their anniversary.

And we’d do it all again. Having pressed the grapes of service, we drink life’s sweetest wine – the wine of giving. We are at our best when we are giving. In fact, we are most like God when we are giving.

Have you ever wondered why God gives so much? We could exist on far less. He could have left the world flat and gray; we wouldn’t have known the difference. But he didn’t.

He splashed orange in the sunrise and cast the sky blue.

And if you love to see geese as they gather, chances are you’ll see that too.

Did he have to make the squirrel’s tail furry?                                               

Was he obliged to make the birds sing?

 And the funny way that chickens scurry or

the majesty of thunder when it rings?

Why give a flower fragrance? Why give food its taste?

Could it be he loves to see that look upon your face?

 If we give gifts to show our love, how much more would he? If we  - speckled with foibles and greed – love to give gifts, how much more does God, pure and perfect God, enjoy giving gifts to us?

God’s gifts shed light on God’s heart, God’s good and generous heart. Jesus’ brother James tells us, “Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light (James 1:17 MSG).

Every gift reveals God’s love…(end of Max Lucado book excerpt)

Let us be reminded this day, of God’s gift to his people…a gift that revealed his incredible love for his children….The Gift of life and light in this world….God’s only Son, Jesus…. Jesus is the light of all his people…a true light….who came into the world to enlighten all people….

“What has come into being in him was life,

and the life was the light of all people.”     John 1:4    

                                

So let us “Sing to the Lord a new song…for he has done marvelous things!” Psalm 98:1

Let us celebrate the gift of life given to us on this blessed Christmas Day… Jesus, our Savior…Emmanuel…God is with us…God is always with us…

Hymn after sermon:  Love came down at Christmas (recording by Shawn Colvin)

1

Love came down at Christmas,

love all lovely, love divine;

love was born at Christmas:

star and angels gave the sign.

2

Worship we the Godhead,

love incarnate, love divine;

worship we our Jesus,

but wherewith for sacred sign?

3

Love shall be our token;

love be yours and love be mine,

love to God and neighbor,

love for plea and gift and sign.

Words: Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

 

Christmas Eve Sermon

Christmas Eve – Dec 24, 2022

Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Luke 2:1-20

 

What a night this is to behold…

It’s our first Christmas Eve together, in person, since December 24, 2019….It seems like a lifetime ago…and we all know…that these past few years have been full of a lot of loss, suffering, times of uncertainty and rapid changes that none of us, could have ever imagined…

Yet, these past few years, in the midst of so much uncertainty, has also been a time of great spiritual growth and resilience, many of us didn’t know we had within us…

It’s been an incredible time of learning together what it truly means to live as people of hope; to discover and celebrate together, the little and the big joys that continued to mark our lives together; we’ve learned to reach out and love one another in ways that we never knew were possible…and if we take a close, introspective look, we can see how our once limited perspectives on what love looks like and acts like…was stretched and expanded beyond anything we had yet to dream of…

This is the kind of love, we are talking about tonight, as we celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus, the Love of God, who came down to dwell among us…to remind us of the light, the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love and presence of God who is always among us, always surrounding us, always reminding us…that whatever is going on in our lives…we are not alone…

Emmanuel…God is with us…God has always been us from the beginning…God will be with us…as we walk together in the coming year…

On Christmas Eve, our scriptures and our hymns and our prayers remind us of this good news…The shepherds, the angels, all those looking up at the night sky…saw the stars, saw the signs of God’s glorious light and love coming into the world, a gift given, not just for this one night…but for eternity…forever…

The night sky, the stars, are there for us even today…to look up and remember…this love that was born for us…this love that came down at Christmas…

The stars hanging here on the nativity table, were made by the youth here at St Peter’s…and were brought forward as part of the family pageant last week…So, it was with great joy that I discovered this beautiful book, unexpectedly this week, to share with you tonight…It’s called the Christmas Star…by Margaret Pfister…

That light, that glorious light, that beacon of hope…was born for us on Christmas Day…

Hymn after sermon: Love came down at Christmas (youtube recording/Andrew Remillard)

1       Love came down at Christmas,

                 love all lovely, love divine;

         love was born at Christmas:

                 star and angels gave the sign.

 

2       Worship we the Godhead,

                 love incarnate, love divine;

         worship we our Jesus,

                 but wherewith for sacred sign?

 

3       Love shall be our token;

                 love be yours and love be mine,

         love to God and neighbor,

                 love for plea and gift and sign.

Expectations....

3 Advent/Year A - December 11, 2022

(Sermon by Rev Julie Platson)                              

Isaiah 35:1-10; Canticle 15; Matthew 11:2-11

 

3rd advent candle: JOY

We light three candles on our advent wreath today… one for HOPE and one for PEACE…and today we lit the third candle, the rose/pink candle of JOY. On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, the church invites us to rejoice -, we can rejoice now because we know that God is faithful to God’s promises. Jesus is coming soon…(Living well through Advent 2022)…The Hope, Peace, Joy, and love of Christ…is coming again soon…

 

Expectations…that’s the word that’s been on my mind this week…

The opening words from today’s gospel certainly got me thinking about expectations…

“When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

In today’s forward day by day devotion, for this 3rd Sunday of Advent, Sallie Schisler…reflected a bit on this verse…and it gave me some food for thought all week, as I thought about how I manage expectations of myself, others, what I’m looking for in life, what I’m expecting in my life and the world around me, as I anticipate, prayerfully wait and watch, and ponder the meaning, once again, of the 1st and 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…

Let’s listen to what she writes:

The Roman ruler Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist because he publicly challenged Herod’s divorce and remarriage. As John languishes in prison, his faith in the powerful predictions he has made about the one who is to come may be wavering. So, John sends messengers to ask Jesus if he is the one.

Jesus says: Yes, John was right. The blind now see, the lame walk, and good news is proclaimed to the poor. These are all signs of how God’s kingdom would come into the world. But John was expecting a bigger splash. He assumed the Messiah would seize power and trounce the enemies of God. Blinded by his own expectations, he almost missed the significance of Jesus’s ministry.

I wonder when my expectations are viewed through the lens of my own desires. When might I have missed the point? (end of her reflection)

I love this time of year...this season of advent… and particularly this 3rd Sunday in Advent…because it invites us to slow down, ask questions, wonder aloud, and think about the lens through which we view our expectations…

Are we missing the signs of God kingdom breaking into our world already? Are we missing the signs of God’s hope, peace, joy, and love all around us now because we are looking through the lens of our own desires, our doubts, and in our weariness and unbelief, that nothing could ever change, nothing new is possible? Are we missing signs of the One we’ve been waiting for, who is indeed already here with us, in the many ways God’s people are proclaiming the good news to the poor, lifting up the lowly, feeding the hungry, in our communities?

Setting aside time to do this wondering and discernment, is a gift given to us, in this season of advent… it can help us identify those areas in our lives, where we might need to re-align our views and our expectations with God, and through the lens of God, rooted in the hope, peace, joy and love of the One, who is promised…will come again…Jesus Christ…

I wonder how our views and expectations would be changed and transformed in this time of slowing down a bit, this time of reflecting further on the scriptures, the music of advent, this intentional time spent in quiet and prayer, time set aside for worship and fellowship with others each week…I wonder, if we would begin to notice more around us…to notice God already at work in the world…to notice where the work of peace and justice is being advocated for and enacted in our communities… to notice where new relationships are being formed…to notice where healing is beginning… to notice where unexpected songs of joy and laughter are breaking through all the disappointment and discouragement we experience in our daily lives when our expectations are continually viewed through the lens of our own desires, our doubts, and in our weariness and unbelief…

Jesus poses another set of questions in today’s gospel when speaking to the crowds about John the Baptist…Another set of questions that invites us to think more about our expectations…  “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see?”

What about you? What are you looking for? What then did you go out to see?

As we journey through these final weeks of Advent - What are your expectations? What are you hoping for? What are you longing for?  

Take some time to think more about your own expectations…

Are your expectations viewed through the lens of your own desires, doubts, weariness and unbelief…or through the lens of God, rooted in the hope, peace, joy and love of the One, who is promised…will come again…Jesus Christ…

And take some time this week… to notice and pay attention to the unexpected songs of joy and laughter all around you…

Rejoice with Mary…today…and according to our advent calendar it’s a day to stir up something sweet for dessert…so let’s celebrate together...the long-expected Jesus is coming again soon!

Let us pray:  HYMN after sermon:  Come, thou long-expected Jesus (vs 1 & 2)

 

2 Advent/Year A

December 4, 2022

(Sermon by Rev Julie Platson)                              

Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

 

2nd advent candle: PEACE

We come to prepare the way;

The way for Christ –

the hope of Christ, the peace of Christ –

to enter our world,

to enter our hearts.

We cry out together in the wilderness:

The kingdom of heaven has come near.

We come to be part of the light– the light of peace…

the light that shines in the darkness.

~ written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Spacious Faith. http://spaciousfaith.com/

Today is the 2nd Sunday of Advent…and it stirs up a lot more questions…and shakes up the quiet start to our season, just a short week ago…

Last Sunday, we began the season of Advent with an invitation to ponder the old, but new questions that come up every year as we begin Advent…What time is it? How much longer? How will we know? What signs should we watch for? How many more days until we can celebrate once again the beloved stories of Jesus’ birth shared during our Christmas celebrations? How much longer must we watch and wait until Christ comes again?

We were encouraged to use the advent calendar, to help us slow down, be quiet, prayerfully watch and wait, as we ponder the meaning, once again, of both the 1st and 2nd comings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to consider what it means for us, in this time of our lives…

The readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent provide for some beautiful visual imagery and some harsh sounding words that proclaim a sense of urgency… as we watch and wait and ponder anew…the 1st and 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…

We listened to these words from Isaiah…giving us a vision of peace among all creatures…

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down

with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze,

their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

In our psalm today, the words painted a beautiful picture of the coming of this new kind of king and kingdom…a kingdom where justice and peace shall flourish…

He shall defend the needy among the people; *he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *from one generation to another.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *like showers that water the earth.

In his time shall the righteous flourish; *there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, we were reminded once again…

Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.  And the reading concludes with the familiar and beautiful words from the end of our morning prayer services:

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our gospel reading is a pretty familiar story…we hear some version of the story about John the Baptist, every year during the Advent season… This year’s version begins with John the Baptist appearing in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” We listened to the description of John the Baptist, who wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and whose food was locusts and wild honey. We listened to his bold and harsh words for the Pharisees and the Sadducees who were coming to him to be baptized… questioning their motive perhaps?

And we heard his urgent and straightforward words, once again,  that point to the One who is more powerful coming after him…

Sometimes, the messages that come through the scriptures seem pretty subtle…they seem to come through to us, in a faint whisper…stay awake, watch and wait, pray, be quiet, be still…but there are other times in the reading of the scriptures, where the words jump off of the page in loud and bold letters…

This Sunday…is one of those Sundays.

I like to think that maybe they seem louder today, because I am one week into my advent discipline of a more prayerful, contemplative journey throughout Advent…slowing down, finding time to be quiet, and using the advent calendar to help me focus on “being ready”, spiritually ready, as I watch and wait for the coming of Christ again...and as I turn my heart and my attention towards Jesus, once again, remembering to keep him at the center of all my holiday preparations, and celebrations at Christmas, and beyond…

But then, I truthfully examine my journey thus far…and realize I have strayed off course already, I am failing miserably in my first week…

So perhaps the loudness today isn’t really loud at all because I am focusing more on quietness…but maybe it seems likes its getting progressively louder, and more persistent because I keep getting distracted and fail to pay attention to the words of wisdom, and the urgent messages being proclaimed by the messengers, the prophets, that I’ve heard more than once…I’ve heard them many times…and every time, I think I’ll pay attention, and try to make some small change in my life… and spiritual practice, because of the good news that I heard…

I often wonder if God ever becomes impatient with us, as we do with others in our lives, when we are trying to teach them something…something urgent, something wonderful, something we know will transform their lives in a hopeful way, in a peaceful way, in a joyful way, in a loving way…

Anyone who has raised children, teenagers, or those who work as any kind of caregiver or teacher in some capacity…knows how difficult it is to get our words of wisdom and urgent messages across to someone we love and care for…we often raise our voices, in desperation and exhaustion, as we strive to get our message across…

What we usually find out though, is that it’s not really how loudly we speak that makes them to listen…but instead, with the persistence of our loving intentions, words and visions of hope for them to hang on to, and with the intervention of the holy spirit, there is an opening of their own minds and hearts, and a willingness to hear something new for themselves, that prompts them to “turn around”, change direction, and begin again… It is in this turning around…where new life begins to flourish…

John the Baptist is the urgent and persistent voice of love and hope calling us, to turn around…and watch for the more powerful One that is surely coming…

In this season of Advent, as we are urged to slow down, be quiet, watch and wait, together…we will hear quiet voices, and urgent and persistent voices…calling our attention to turn around…to focus on the One, Jesus Christ, who the prophets proclaim boldly, will come again…the One whose life, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, is where new life begins in us, and where the seeds of hope, peace, joy and love begin to grow and flourish among all of God’s people and all of creation…

 

Let us pray:  HYMN after sermon: (VF) 33 -The grain is ripe

 

1        The grain is ripe: the harvest comes!

          good seed of hope, your time is now

          justice will stream from hill and river,

          more than you dream and running over.

 

2        The righteous God gives this and more:

          grace is the mode, mercy the key,

          God comes in truth, the sharpest laser

          to scan the earth, to take our measure.

 

3        The work of peace is all for all,

          face turned to face in open trust,

          all famine gone and thirst and bleeding,

          the harvest comes from love’s good seeding.

Stay awake - be ready!

1 Advent/Year A

November 27, 2022

(Sermon by Rev Julie Platson)                              

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

 

1st advent candle: HOPE

God of hope, be with us in our Advent journey to the stable and beyond,

be with us in our meeting and in our travelling together,

be with us in our worship and our praying together,

be with us in our Advent journey to the stable and beyond,

our God of hope. Amen.

 

Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent – the beginning of a new year on the church calendar…

Our season of Advent begins with an invitation from our Isaiah reading: Come, let us walk in the light of the world…Psalm 122 gives us an image of peace…Peace be within your walls and quietness within your towers…In Paul’s letter to the Romans…we are told: You know what time it is, how now is the moment to wake from sleep…In the gospel of Matthew we are urged to stay awake and be ready….for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour…

The season of Advent…stirs up a whole lot of new, but old questions…

What time is it? How much longer? How will we know? What signs should we watch for? How many more days until we can celebrate once again the beloved stories of Jesus’ birth shared during our Christmas celebrations? How much longer must we watch and wait until Christ comes again?

Well, today…is only the 1st Sunday of Advent…the beginning of a new year on the church calendar…So, we are just beginning again…to ask all of these questions anew…to ponder the meaning, once again, of both the 1st and 2nd comings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to consider what it means for us, in this time of our lives…

I think one of the greatest tools we have for our use in this season of Advent, to assist us in this time of waiting and watching and asking the questions that help us stay awake and be ready for the ways God is showing up in the most unexpected times, and places…is our advent calendar…

The advent calendar can help us slow down, take a one day at a time approach, help open our minds and hearts to focus on “being ready”, spiritually ready, watching and waiting for the coming of Christ again...and help us to put Jesus back in the center of all our celebrations at Christmas, and beyond…

This time of year, society is always pressuring us to hurry up, do more, you better get ready, the holidays are coming soon… you need to get all the shopping done, get all the gifts wrapped, get all the baking and decorating done, plan all the Holiday parties…all the things that, yes…can be fun and bring us so much joy…but can also, leave us exhausted by the time Christmas Day actually arrives…and once Christmas Day is over…can leave us feeling let down sometimes…and leave us wondering – now what? And, for people missing loved ones this time of year, the constant pressure to “get ready” for the holidays can make this time of year even more overwhelming and difficult…

The advent calendar can help us “be ready, spiritually ready…by transforming our minds and hearts to be watchful, to be awake to the ways God has always been longing to get our attention…is longing to come again into our lives…longing for us to pay attention to the signs of hope all around us…signs of renewal and hope for ourselves, and for the people in our communities, who we journey through this life together with…

This particular advent calendar that Forward movement publishes every year, with new daily short messages, questions to consider, small actions to take…is just one that I commend to your use this Advent…

Hang it up somewhere in your home, where you will see it…and take time to pause and reflect on the daily message…

The large words at the top should catch your attention, every morning…Slow down. Quiet. It’s Advent…The sub-title’s words, Twenty-Eight Days to Seek new life within and around you…can give you a vision and a hope for how your heart, mind and life can be transformed anew, and indeed made ready, in this new year, to welcome the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ into your lives, once again…this Christmas…and beyond…

As we begin this season of Advent, we are given the opportunity to continue to explore, further, the Five Marks of Mission, as adapted by Bishop Mark in his call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska, to a time of renewal and growth in discipleship… And this Advent Calendar…is a great resource to help us do that…to help us think more about our relationship with Jesus, and share stories about our faith and our hopes with others; to help us learn more about the gospel readings we hear throughout the season of Advent, and how they relate to our lives now; to help us discern where we might be called this time of year, to reach out and offer support to a neighbor in need; to help encourage us to do something to promote racial reconciliation this Advent season; to help us take note of the love of God as revealed in creation, in this month of December and discern ways to protect this precious gift…and to help us be faithful in other ways, teaching us to be good stewards of all the gifts and treasures entrusted to us to use for the good of our community… our finances, our time, our talents…

The advent calendar can help us slow down, take a one day at a time approach, help open our minds and hearts to focus on “being ready”, spiritually ready, watching and waiting for the coming of Christ again...and help us put Jesus back in the center of all our celebrations at Christmas, and beyond…

Watching and waiting is something that is best done, together...together, you and I, and with Jesus, at the center of our lives…

So, let’s enter into this season of Advent together…with a commitment to help each other stay awake…and be ready…for the Lord is coming soon…the hope, peace, joy and love of God…is coming into our lives again soon!

 

Let us pray:  HYMN after sermon: Stay awake, be ready

My Heart Sings Out, #62 – vs 1 - recording

 

1        Stay awake, (clap, clap) be ready. (clap, clap)

          You do not know the hour when the Lord is coming.

          Stay awake, (clap, clap) be ready. (clap, clap)

          The Lord is coming soon!

          Alleluia, alleluia!

          The Lord is coming soon.

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.