Imagine a world… where loving God, by loving one another is the expectation…

4 Lent/ Year A/March 19, 2023

Collect of the day: Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; John 9:1-41

We are mid-way through the season of Lent according to the church calendar, or the liturgical calendar as we formally call it. There are a few historical traditions associated with this 4th Sunday in Lent.

(from An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church -  https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/)

In some church circles, notably the Catholic Church, and observed by some Episcopal parishes with a traditional Anglican-catholic piety, this fourth Sunday in Lent is known as Laetare Sunday.

The term is derived from the opening words of the Latin Mass, “Rejoice (Laetare) Jerusalem” (Is 66:10). The church is called to joyful anticipation of the victory to be won. This joyful theme provides lightening from the penitential emphasis of Lent. Since the thirteenth century the celebrant of the eucharist has been permitted to wear rose-colored vestments which express the change of tone in the Lenten observance. Laetare Sunday therefore may be called “Rose Sunday.”

This fourth Sunday in Lent is also known as Refreshment Sunday or Mothering Sunday. It was the traditional mid-Lent Sunday. It was a time of refreshment and relaxing the penitential discipline of Lent. Rose-colored vestments were allowed to take the place of the purple vestments of Lent. “Mothering Sunday” was a popular name in England for the fourth Sunday in Lent because the traditional epistle reading for the day from Paul’s letter to the Galatians states that the heavenly Jerusalem “is the mother of us all”. It was customary in some places to visit the mother church of one's diocese or chapel on this day. In other places it was customary to visit one's mother on “Mothering Sunday.” Apprentices visiting their parents on this day often took home a “mothering cake.”

 

(I’m still waiting for one of the fabulous bakers here at St Peter’s to bake one of these cakes for us to enjoy here on this 4th Sunday in Lent some year. But until then, come join us after the service for some other delicious refreshments).

I think we’ve probably all had an experience at one time or another…when we could use a boost…something to help get us moving in the right direction again after a time of draught or discouragement or even right now in the midst of a string of hard and heavy times for so many people…

In the season of Lent, today is the day we set aside to do just that…and we do that by reflecting on who it is that can restore and refresh our spirits…who it is that gives life to the world…

Both of those traditions that I just shared with you provide for a sacred “pause” to help us return, once AGAIN, to the source and center of our being, who gives life to the world…to take a moment to be still and rest in the presence of God, and be reminded that it is the Holy One who gives us joy and refreshment, it is the Holy One who can breathe new life into our weary souls, and it is the Holy One, the love of God made known to us in the life and teachings of Jesus, who can nourish our hearts, souls, bodies and minds to be instruments of God’s love and healing in a broken and hurting world. 

In today’s gospel reading and healing story, Jesus, as he does in nearly all of his teachings, seeks to open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to see, through the lens of God’s love, that there is surely another way for us to to live together in this world that better reflects our love for God, and one another in a way that brings peace, hope, joy, love and healing to a broken and hurting world…and as Bishop Mark noted this week in his e-news reflection: The gospel story for this Sunday is one of blindness and sight. Jesus heals vision by calling us to see beyond the limits of our sight and expectations. (Bishop Mark Lattime).

If we are truly honest with ourselves, we can see that we are people who go through this life setting up all kinds of expectations of God, for ourselves and others….Expectations, and setting goals in life, are well and good and needed…but when expectations lead to the oppression and exclusion of others, or if we keep doing something over and over, because we’ve always done it that way, or if other well-meaning expectations fail, or our best-laid plans are upended or don’t come to fruition, we often seek to blame and judge others, or we convince ourselves that there is not another way, or that we didn’t try hard enough, or do enough to make something happen or perhaps prevent something from happening.

If our expectations are solely rooted in what we envision or what we believe we have control over, when the unexpected, when the unimaginable happens, as they will, as long as we are a living, breathing human being walking this earth…it can feel as if the very ground beneath us is falling away.

If our expectations are solely rooted in what we have always known and believed, then we are blinding ourselves from seeing where God is always doing a new thing in this world all around us…

If our expectations are solely rooted in our own needs and desires,

we are blinding ourselves from seeing the love of God, the face of Christ, in every human being we encounter…We are cutting off the very lifeline that leads to healing and reconciliation which begins and ends with the assurance of God’s love, that is intended for everyone…

Imagine a world…

·        where loving God, by loving one another is the expectation…

·        where the expectation is that we will all work towards justice and peace and reconciliation without the need for violence of any kind…

·        where the expectation is that every child is loved and cherished just as they are…

·        where the expectation is that every elder is cared for with respect and dignity…

·        where the expectation is that everyone has a place to lay down their heads to rest in a safe dwelling…

·        where the expectation is that all would have access to healthy food and nourishment every day…

Imagine a world…where our expectations of God, ourselves, and one another, are strongly rooted in the love of God made known to us in the life and teachings of Jesus, the true bread which gives life to the world, the One who can nourish our hearts, souls, bodies and minds to be instruments of God’s love and healing in a broken and hurting world….

On this 4th Sunday in Lent, let us pause to rest, refresh, rejoice and re-envision, through the lens of God’s love, our expectations of God, ourselves and one another, and seek to align our vision with God’s vision and dream of a beloved community, here on earth, where all God’s children and all of creation are healed and reconciled to one another…

Let me close with this blessing based on Psalm 23 written by Roddy Hamilton – one that I commend to you for your daily pause with God…

 

In the lush pastures of life that hold meeting places with love,

may your feet know the way to find them.

 

By the still waters of the running stream,

may your hands shape a cup in it and drink deep from it.

 

In the valley of death’s shadow that ever threatens,

may your sense of life find the way through.

 

At the banqueting table set before your enemies,

may your cup be full and overrunning.

 

Like the anointing oil that runs down your head,

may the blessing that is you spill into the world with eternal promise.

 

In the way a shepherd’s staff warms off lameness from fear,

may trust be your protective companion on the way.

 

Through each day’s living as it unfolds,

may goodness and mercy make their way into every moment.

 

At the doorway to the house of the Lord of life,

may you recognise your home and your hearth.

 

And in the song that makes a dwelling-place in your heart,

may its music rise in your soul.

 

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Mucky Paws. http://www.nkchurch.org.uk/index.php/mucky-paws

 

Hymn after sermon: (LEVAS 104 -The Lord Is My Shepherd)

 

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

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

Questions...2 lent sermon

2 Lent/ Year A/March 5, 2023

Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; John 3:1-17

Questions, questions, questions…we all have them…throughout our entire lives…

But, children, are especially well-known for their curiosity, their minds full of wonderings and questions that are sometimes endless…

Children never seem to tire in wanting to know who, what, when, where, why…morning, noon, and night…especially nighttime… when they should be closing their eyes to finally get some rest…And for the most part, they trust in the answers that we adults give them…even when we just answer with…I wonder about that too… I wonder, too how these things could be….

My oldest son and I had a ritual every evening before turning out the light for sleep…I would be sitting on his bed, letting him know that the time had come to turn out the light…and that’s when the questions would begin…What are we doing tomorrow? What time will we have dinner? What will we have for breakfast the next day? Where will we go on Saturday? Will grandma and grandpa come to my birthday party (that was still 5 months away!)?

I allowed quite a bit of time for his questions every night…I felt like it was important to spend this time just listening and honoring his questions…and at the same time, building a relationship with him, based on trust….offering him assurance…that even in times of not having all the answers…he could still trust…that I was listening…and that I was there with him… and that I indeed loved him and cared about him…

I think there’s something to be said about night-time and questions…for children of all ages…but especially us adults….think about yourself for a moment…How many nights, do you lay your head down on the pillow, to finally rest after a long day…and in a matter of seconds or minutes…you are wide awake…your brain is fully awake and processing everything that happened in the past day, the past few months, the past year….while simultaneously thinking about the present moment, tomorrow, next month…later next fall….Our brains are an amazing thing…too amazing at times…

But do you know what is even more amazing…God’s love for every one of us…a love so amazing and wonderful…that God gave his only Son, Jesus, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. A love so amazing and unconditional that… Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. A love so amazing and life-changing, that it has the power to save us and comfort us in times of trials and temptations, to give us hope, to give us peace of mind and heart, in times of uncertainty, in times of suffering, in times of unknowing, in times of question, after question after question… How can these things be?

I wonder if the questions seem to arise more in the night-time, because we finally rest from the busyness of doing things, whether it’s caring for loved ones at home, attending to the needs of one’s children, running all around attending to everything that needs to be done during the daylight hours…thinking it’s all on us…to do it all… and get it done today…

I wonder if the questions seem to arise more in the evening because it’s dark, or because we are fearful of something, or we’re anxious about many things, or because it’s quiet,  or that we find ourselves feeling alone for a moment… and in that moment of quiet and stillness, an inner longing and hope swells up in us, telling us that there has got to be something more to this life than running around all day, in a state of worry, concern, and fear…there has got to be more than what we think we already know and allow ourselves to believe about God, ourselves, and one another…

IN our gospel reading today, I wonder if Nicodemus, a Jewish Scholar, who was very knowledgeable on matters of Jewish law and religion, was longing to believe that there was more to know about this life…more to understand about this Jesus who seemed to be stirring up so many questions wherever he went…and challenging all he thought he knew about God and himself…

IN those hours of the night when Nicodemus’ encountered Jesus…there were lots of questions that came up for Nicodemus…and Jesus offered responses that perhaps boggled Nicodemus’ mind…yet at the same time, seemed to slowly break open Nicodemus’ heart (and mind) to hear what the Spirit was trying to teach him anew…

Nicodemus said to Jesus, “How can these things be?”

The short answer, here…Love…God’s love…

A love so amazing and wonderful…that God gave his only Son, Jesus, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. A love so amazing and unconditional that… Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. A love so amazing and life-changing, that it has the power to save us and comfort us in times of trials and temptations, to give us hope, to give us peace of mind and heart, in times of uncertainty, in times of suffering, in times of unknowing, in times of question, after question after question… How can these things be?

I like to imagine Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night…as a young child again…allowing himself to ask questions through the heart of a child…a heart full of curiosity and wonder…allowing himself to grow closer to comprehending the mystery of God and God’s love for all people..

I wonder if we might try that? Instead of lying awake at night worrying and thinking we have to answer all of life’s difficult questions all by ourselves…we go to talk with Jesus with a seeker’s heart, as a child of God, curious and wondering….

But, not only at night time…but, in the morning, the day time…today, tomorrow, and the next day….go to Him, by spending time with Him, getting to know more…about earthly things and heavenly things…physical things and spiritual things…getting to know more about God’s love…God’s dream for the world, for you, for me, for our neighbors…

Do this, by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word, spend time in prayer, time in silence, time in worship and sabbath-keeping…

Do this, by striving to build loving relationships with one another, built upon the love of God that has been so graciously poured out for every one of us…

A love so amazing and wonderful…that God gave his only Son, Jesus, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. A love so amazing and unconditional that… Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him… A love so amazing and life-changing, that it has the power to save us and comfort us in times of trials and temptations, to give us hope, to give us peace of mind and heart, in times of uncertainty, in times of suffering, in times of unknowing, in times of question, after question after question… How can these things be?

 

Let us pray: (Hymn: Lord of all hopefulness)

 

1          Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,

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

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

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

 

2          Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,

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

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

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

 

3          Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,

            your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,

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

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

 

4          Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,

            whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,

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

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

 

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

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

Time to wrestle with the difficult questions

1 Lent/ Year A

February 26, 2023

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Matthew 4:1-11

 

Opening prayer: God of the wilderness, your Spirit leads us to face the truth, unprotected and exposed: in our times of trial help us to resist the worship of empty power, so that we may find our true food in Jesus Christ, the broken bread. Amen.  (Prayers for an Inclusive Church 2009)

Every year, on the 1st Sunday in Lent, we hear a similar version of today’s gospel reading, that begins with Jesus, being led by the Spirit into the wilderness, after his baptism…

The wilderness story every year, unfolds with the devil, the tempter, Satan, challenging Jesus in his time of extreme hunger and weariness through a variety of ways…trying to tempt him to give into the empty power of the ways of the world, that leave us famished way beyond any 40 day fast in the wilderness. Jesus emerges from his time in the wilderness, having wrestled with some questions about his purpose and calling after his baptism… Bishop and author Jake Owensby poses these questions simply, and suggests that they are two questions that we ought to consider, too: “Who or what is your God? Who are you?”

We might want to keep these two questions close to us…in our heart, mind, and prayer life… as we move through these 40 days of lent in the church year and as we draw closer to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, the true Bread of Life, on Easter Day.

Lent is a season of the church year when we are invited to go a little deeper to wrestle with the more difficult and challenging questions we face in our daily lives, to help us discern our identities, the purpose of our life and being in this world…

This Lenten season…I, personally, will be considering these questions in relation to the first temptation in today’s gospel reading:

The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But he answered, “It is written,

‘One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 

I will also be considering the two questions, this scripture verse, in the context of our Baptismal Covenant…to help me discern who God is calling me to be as a beloved child of God, and in my relationships with all those I’ll encounter in the coming weeks, and throughout my life…

Especially focusing on these two questions from our Baptismal Covenant:

*Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

*Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

I invite you this week, as we begin the season of Lent, if you haven’t already…to consider taking on a Lenten practice that will help you wrestle with some of the questions that are troubling you, challenging you, tempting you to turn away from God and others…take time for silence to just be in the presence of the Holy One…find a prayer partner to connect with, engage in some 1:1 visits with someone, join together with others in the book group, or other online offerings…Be intentional and engaged in something that will help you let go of all the worldly concerns, the worship of empty power, that leaves you chronically famished and hungry, knowing that there has to be something more to this life..…

Set aside time throughout these coming weeks to discern “Who or what is your God? Who are you?”

Take time to discover who God is calling you to be, as a beloved child of God, and in your relationships with those you will encounter in the coming weeks, and throughout your lifetime… Set aside time, every day - to be fed and nourished with the life-giving love and spirit of God,  by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 

HYMN: I am the bread of life

1        I am the bread of life;

          they who come to me shall not hunger;

          they who believe in me shall not thirst.

          No one can come to me

          unless the Father draw them.

 

                             And I will raise them up, And I will raise them up

                             and I will raise them up on the last day.

 

2        The Bread that I will give

          is my Flesh for the life of the world,

          and they who eat of this bread,

          they shall live for ever.

 

          And I will raise them up, And I will raise them up

        and I will raise them up on the last day.

 

 

Rev. Julie Platson, Rector

St. Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, Alaska

 

Giving thanks for the light, love and glory of God...

Last Sunday after the Epiphany/ Year A

February 19, 2023

Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9

 

Opening prayer: God our light, make us attentive to your Word as to a lamp shining in a dark place, that seeing your truth we may live faithful lives until that great day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. Amen. (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

 

Today we celebrate the last Sunday of the Epiphany Season…a season of the church year, in which we have spent time with the scriptures that have helped us to reflect on the identity of Jesus Christ, whose birth and coming into the world, as the long-awaited Savior…we celebrated on Christmas Day…

We celebrated the true light that came into being, which we believe is Jesus, whose presence among us came to scatter the darkness of the world...by bringing signs of love, joy, peace, and hope to God’s people, once again…. And throughout the season of Epiphany, our scriptures have focused on helping us to see that indeed 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...

This life, this light, this glorious light…was a gift from God, which revealed God’s incredible love for all of us….                                                         

It was only a seemingly few short weeks ago that we began the Epiphany Season…beginning with the visitation of the wise men, bringing gifts for this newborn king…And looking above us here in the church…the stars hanging above us, have been a weekly reminder and inspiration of the gift given for us…and a lasting gift to light the way for us…as we get ready to embark on a new season in the church year….

Reflecting back to the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany, we celebrated the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordon River…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.”

And here we are, several weeks later, and on the last Sunday after the Epiphany, ending with basically, the same words, that we began with on the 1st Sunday after the 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”…

Only this time, these words are heard from the mountain top…with a few additional words: “listen to him!”

In our reading from 2nd Peter today…we heard an eyewitness account from Peter regarding the experience on the mountain, when he says, For he (Jesus) received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain…. So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. 

“listen to him!” You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Listen to him….in the voice of the Majestic Glory that is spoken from the mountain tops…Listen to him…as you look up to the mountains, or climb them….Stay there for awhile… listen for the Spirit of God’s word for you….Watch for the glory of Christ’s presence among you…be transformed by his glorious light and life….

But don’t stop there…stuck in the amazement of the glorious light that shines before you…perhaps in a life changing moment…when you realize that yes, I do believe….that Jesus is the Son of God…that he is the beloved one…that Jesus is the light of the world…that he is the one who we are called to follow and help transform the world from the nightmare it seems to be at times…(as presiding Bishop Michael Curry often says) to the dream of God’s beloved community…where all people know that they matter to God, and to one another…

And consider this… after you allow yourself to abide in that moment of awe and awakening to something more than you could adequately explain with words…the time comes when you must descend that mountain…you must return to your walk in the world…where you will seek to do God’s will…where you will strive to listen to him….and strive to keep your eyes open to be led by the light of Christ’s presence among us, always….

There are so many moments around us daily, where God is seeking to get our attention, calling out to us: “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” and calling us to return to Him…and to the center of our being….where Christ’s love is burning in our hearts…overflowing with the love that we are being called to share with the world…overflowing with the Good News of God, in Christ…that we are being called to proclaim by word and example to the world around us….

There are so many opportunities for each one of us to reveal the power of Christ’s transforming light and love to others…as we seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; and strive for justice and peace among all people,  and respect the dignity of every human being….

But we have to take time, daily… to listen deeply…to hear what the Spirit of God is speaking to his people…so that we will respond from the center of our being, where Christ’s light and love will shine forth, through all of our words and in all of our actions…

Next Sunday, will be the first Sunday in Lent…we will return once again to Jesus’ baptism….to what begins immediately after his baptism…when he is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness…for 40 days…

We will be embarking on this journey with Jesus, as we enter this season of the church year in which we are invited to observe this season of Lent, as a time of introspection and self-reflection, and a time to be intentional about listening more deeply to God, ourselves, and others. (Living Well through Lent 2017: Listening With All Your heart, Souls, Strength, and Mind).

This year’s new Living Well Through Lent Devotional focuses on Practicing Compassion with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind…and begins with setting aside time to be intentional about listening more deeply to God, ourselves and others…

I would like to encourage you to take one of the devotionals for yourself…maybe another one to give to someone else…or take one of the daily Way of Love Lent calendars…and during the next several weeks, through the start of Holy Week…take time to visit with others…in person, or by phone, as needed…spend some time just checking in with each other, and spend some of that time talking about what’s coming to light for you in your readings from the devotional, the way of love calendar…or some other Lenten practice you take on in the next several weeks…

Epiphany has been a season of light and glory and majesty and booming voices from heaven speaking to us…about life…about the meaning of life…what matters...and who matters…

But next week, beginning on Ash Wednesday, in which we are reminded of our mortality and death, we will enter a new season of the church year that will teach us another way that God speaks to his people about the meaning of life… through silence…

No matter the season of the church year we find ourselves in… it is always the time to “listen to him!” …the Spirit of God….we will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.

As we come to end of this church season…

My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the beautiful stars that have been adorning the church these past several weeks…and my heart is full as we come to the end of this season after the Epiphany…full of the light, and the love, and the glory of God…that is with us now, and will be…forever….Amen

 

HYMN: How Great thou art

 

Rev. Julie Platson, Rector

St. Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, Alaska

Choices to make evey day

6 Epiphany/Year A

Feb 12, 2023

Sirach 15:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; Matthew 5:21-37

 

Our opening scriptures from Sirach today…invite us to consider the choices we face every day…

If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.

He has placed before you fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.

Before each person are life and death, and whichever one chooses will be given.

 

Now, we all know…that making a choice about some things aren’t always as easy as the writer simply states… If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.

Sure, we probably think it’s easy enough to say that we would stretch out our hand for water, and not fire…Sure, we would most likely say we would choose life over death…But, I wonder…as we go through life…do we really ever choose one over the other?

In baptism, we are baptized by water and sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever…The Holy Spirit, is the fire that ignites in us the ability to discern what’s right, and it’s the flame of hope, that can move us to act faithfully when we find ourselves in a moment of decision…

He has placed before you fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.

 

In baptism, we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.

 

Our baptisms unite us to Christ and one another, in life and in death:

For if we have life, we are alive in the Lord,

and if we die, we die in the Lord.

So, then, whether we live or die,

we are the Lord's possession.

 

Before each person are life and death, and whichever one chooses will be given.

 

I wonder too about the words in our gospel reading today…Jesus is continuing with his sermon on the mount…and today his teachings are becoming a little more difficult to hear, digest and understand…in last week’s gospel, he assured those gathered that he didn’t come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them.

So, today’s difficult teaching seems to be about moving hearts and minds and bodies even deeper beyond what’s on the surface of the law and commandments, and our spiritual practices and rituals, to consider what it means to make an intentional choice to love God and our neighbor, through following Jesus…and to see how the choices we make every day as a follower in the way of love that Jesus is advocating for…a love that is forgiving, merciful, just, kind, faithful in stretching out one’s hand to feed the hungry, release the prisoners, free the oppressed, welcome the immigrants, and care for one another…a way of love that can lead us to act faithfully, and help us strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being…

Jesus came among us to show us another way of what it truly means to love God, and one another…and how our every day choices have the power to transform this world into the beloved community that God created for all of us…

 

Let me close with an excerpt of the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s opening remarks at the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church meeting this past week…

‘Jesus Shows Us Another Way’

“I remember a few years ago while I was bishop of North Carolina, I remember reading a book. I was getting ready for Holy Week and was just doing some background reading and trying to listen to scholars and hear what they had to say, and I remember coming across the writing of a couple of New Testament scholars who said something I had never thought about before.

I knew that Palm Sunday and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and all of that was planned. I mean, he didn’t just happen to be hanging out in Jerusalem. It was targeted during the Passover season, depending on which versions, but basically probably during the Passover. That was intentional. It wasn’t an accident. Passover was the time when the conflict in faith was both you had the religion or the adoration or the fear of the empire and the hope for another kingdom, another way both met.

And so Jesus knew exactly what he was doing. Passover was and is a festival of freedom.

God made everyone to be free, everyone. And they knew that. And the Passover was that festival of that. And so Jesus was entering Jerusalem, in Jerusalem, at a particular time, a pregnant moment to send a message.

He didn’t have the option of satellite communication. Couldn’t send a text to send out the message. No email. Blessed days, no email. But he did have a pregnant moment to send a message that would last through time.

And so he entered Jerusalem at the beginning or near on the occasion of the Passover. All of that, I remembered from seminary, basically.

What I didn’t remember, I didn’t know, was that not only was the occasion of entering Jerusalem at the time of the freedom festival deliberate, but this happened probably at about the same time that Jesus would’ve known that Pontius Pilate, the governor of Rome, would be entering Jerusalem from the other side of the city, riding on a warhorse in front of cavalry and infantry, bearing the insignias of the empire, even the blasphemous title “Caesar is Lord.”

Jesus knew that was happening and entered Jerusalem from the other side. Not riding the warhorse, not in front of an infantry or cavalry, but entered Jerusalem on a donkey.

He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew that he was outlining another way of being human, another way of following him, a way that is not complicit with domination of anybody by anybody else. A way of true humility, not humiliation, but humility that finds its strength deep within.

And he entered Jerusalem and faced the future. The rest of the week, you know the story.

I say all of that to say that one of the things I’m struggling to learn in my own life is that I am constantly making choices. How will I enter? On the warhorse of privilege, my privilege, power, on the warhorse of domination? Or will I enter on the donkey? Will I enter in humility? Will I enter in the humility?

 And the etymology of it is related to the word “human.” Will I enter by being human with you, and you with me, and us with each other?

Jesus has shown us the other way. And at our time here at this meeting, but, more importantly, not only here, but when we leave here, may we ride the donkey and follow Jesus. “

 

Let us pray

Hymn: God of freedom, God of justice – (VF) 90

 

1        God of freedom, God of justice,

          you whose love is strong as death,

          you who saw the dark of prison,

          you who knew the price of faith—

          touch our world of sad oppression

          with your Spirit’s healing breath.

 

3       Make in us a captive conscience

          quick to hear, to act, to plead;

          make us truly sisters, brothers,

          of whatever race or creed—

          teach us to be fully human,

          open to each other’s need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

YOU...are the salt of the earth and the ljght of the world today

5 Epiphany/Year A/Feb 5, 2023

Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 112: 1-9; Matthew 5:13-20

 

Last week’s gospel reading, took us up the mountain, to sit and listen to the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount…his teaching on the mountaintop, commonly referred to as the Beatitudes…Chip led us through a deeper look at each verse, it’s context and Greek translation…to help us understand more fully this teaching of Jesus…to help us see that they were not just a list of instructions to learn, and a checklist of things to do…and mark off, as complete…but as a way of life, practicing lovingkindness towards others, that leads to transforming our own lives, and the lives of others… We considered how this teaching gives us a glimpse of what the kingdom of God is like…what the beloved community looks like…what matters and who matters…And…I noted in last week’s sermon, that it wasn’t what the world would expect…just as Jesus was not the Messiah that many would have expected…But that was precisely the hope that Jesus proclaimed….A Hope that isn’t dependent on how the world defines how life “should be”…But, a hope that is built upon a foundation of God’s unconditional love for all people…most especially the vulnerable, the forgotten, the lost,  those whose voices are silenced, those who are searching for signs of God’s love and light and hope in the world around them…

We continue this week, with the words of Jesus’ sermon on the mount…and continue with that thread of the unexpected “good news” that Jesus is always wanting his listeners to grab hold of…and believe in…

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

IN today’s gospel reading…I imagine Jesus looking directly into the eyes of all who are gathered…when he says to them…

You…You are the salt of the earth….

You…You are the light of the world…

You, gathered here today…are the salt of the earth and the light of the world…

You, are the ones that are necessary today, to show up…to be the living, breathing signs of God’s love and light and hope in a world that wonders at times… “where is this God of love, and mercy and compassion in the midst of so much suffering, anxiety, and uncertainty”…

The signs, Jesus teaches us, are not found in the ritual sacrifices, or on the altar, or following the commandments and checking off the boxes, or in the private prayers of the people…They are revealed most fully in the lives of the people among us now, and those who have gone on before us, who embrace Jesus’ invitation to live authentically as a child of God, as salt of the earth people, as light of the world people…

And Jesus encourages us to embody the Good News of God’s love and light and hope…by becoming agents of God’s healing and re-building of a world where the bonds of injustice are loosed, the oppressed are set free, bread is shared generously with the hungry, the homeless and poor all have access to safe and warm shelter, and all have the resources that they need…

You…You are the salt of the earth….

You…You are the light of the world…

You, are the ones that are necessary today, to show up…to be the living, breathing signs of God’s love and light and hope in a world that wonders at times… “where is this God of love, and mercy and compassion in the midst of so much suffering, anxiety, and uncertainty”…

These past few years have dulled our abilities, at times, to be surprised by unexpected signs of God’s love and light and hope in our day to day lives…we have been collectively affected by so much illness, grief, and disruption in our daily lives…we’ve mostly been living in survival mode…trying to hold on to the time when everything will get back to normal again…

 

Jesus invites us to begin again, right here and now…look around us, at the signs of hope and light and love of God, embodied in the people of God among us…that remind us that we have all that we need in this moment, to live life fully, abundantly, generously…right now… and with hope for what is possible and yet to come, in the days ahead…

We can trust and believe that we have the assurance of God’s love made known to us, in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

And we have each other.

Every one of us, Jesus tells us, is the salt of the earth…the light of the world…

You…You are the salt of the earth….

You…You are the light of the world…

You, are the ones that are necessary today, to show up…to be the living, breathing signs of God’s love and light and hope in a world that wonders at times… “where is this God of love, and mercy and compassion in the midst of so much suffering, anxiety, and uncertainty”…

 

You are the one called to share the good news that God is here, among us now…and that sometimes a light surprises us…and will most assuredly restore our Hope that God, indeed, is with us always…

 

 

Let us pray:

Hymn: Sometimes a light surprises – (H) 667

 

1        Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while she sings;

          it is the Lord who rises with healing in his wings:

          when comforts are declining, he grants the soul again

          a season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.

 

2        In holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue

          the theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new;

          set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,

          let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may.

                    

3        It can bring with it nothing but he will bear us through:

          who gives the lilies clothing will clothe his people, too:

          beneath the spreading heavens no creature but is fed;

          and he who feeds the ravens will give his children bread.

 

4        Though vine nor fig tree neither their wonted fruit should bear,

          though all the fields should wither, nor flocks nor herds be there;

          yet, God the same abiding, his praise shall tune my voice;

          for, while in him confiding, I cannot but rejoice.

 

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

 

Following the Light of Christ…

3 Epiphany  Year A/Jan 22 2023 

Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27: 1, 5-13; Matthew 4:12-23

Following the Light of Christ…

 

We are journeying through the season of Epiphany…the season that sheds light on Jesus and who he is…and the season that sheds light on the experiences of his first followers, who chose to leave the darkness, and step unto the path of light…

This third Sunday in Epiphany…extends an invitation to all of us…once again…to join in that long procession of those who left all they knew and loved…to follow Jesus…to follow that great light that was leading the way…towards the kingdom of heaven…

 IN our first reading today, we hear these words of hope from Isaiah:  “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.” The words of Isaiah shed light on our gospel reading today as we hear how Jesus made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,

on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people who sat in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

light has dawned.”

 

.We believe that Jesus is the great light that has come to scatter the darkness.

It would appear by the actions of Peter, Andrew, James and John…that they must have seen a great light shining forth through Jesus….a light that was so spectacular…that they got up, and followed him immediately…They must have seen or experienced something so mesmerizing and inspiring, that would cause them to leave all they knew and loved.

One of the questions that so often comes up when discussing this text with others, is “why did Peter, Andrew, James and John seem to go so willingly?”

All we hear in the scriptures today is the simple invitation Jesus extended to Peter and Andrew… “Follow me, I will make you fish for people”….and the simple call out to James and John, when he was passing by them, while they were at work, mending their nets. They didn’t hesitate… they just dropped everything…accepted the invitation to follow Jesus…to see where he would lead them…and as they followed Jesus throughout Galilee, they listened to Jesus teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and watching him as he was curing every disease and sickness among the people.

Imagine…how this must have touched them….they got a glimpse of what the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven looked like….they not only heard the good news proclaimed, but they also saw, with their own eyes, by the light of Jesus, that the good news of the kingdom of heaven, was indeed, very near to them.

They must have seen how the light overcame the deep darkness….the darkness of fear, uncertainty, grief, the darkness of pain and suffering; the darkness of those being oppressed by fear, the darkness of those without any hope…they must have seen the power in this new light …this light of joy, this light of peace, and this light of perfect love, to bring healing and hope to God’s people…

A simple invitation…a yes, without hesitating….and look what they found?

Signs of Hope….hope for an end to suffering, hope for an end to pain, hope for healing and renewal, hope for a new life, with the Lord…who is our light and our salvation…who is the strength of our lives…

Hope that the world and its people will once again be reunited together in love for God and for one another….working together to build up God’s Kingdom here on earth…where lives will be transformed by the love and light of Jesus, our Lord… our light and our salvation… the strength of our lives…

I believe that Peter, Andrew, James and John…were blessed beyond measure, by accepting Jesus’ invitation to follow him…..What a different story, it would have been if they said no…and did not choose to follow Jesus…just think what would have been lost…

Just think, for a moment, how many times we have closed our eyes and ears to this invitation…and said no…we closed our eyes tight…because we were afraid…we closed our eyes tight so we didn’t have to see the pain and suffering in our neighbors, or our loved ones…we closed our eyes tight, because we couldn’t see how we could be of help at all because there is too much darkness in the world in which we live…

Think about this though….if we close our eyes to the darkness in our world, we are also closing our eyes to the light that is out there…the light of love that others are trying to share with us; the light of joy that others want to celebrate with us; the light of peace, that others want to extend to us; and the light of Jesus who walked through the dark to scatter new light, to bring healing and restore hope once again, in each one of us, and in the world around us…

We have to be willing to say yes to Jesus’ invitation….to welcome this new light into our hearts and minds, to allow it to transform us and use us to scatter this new light  all around us…

Our world would be a much brighter place, if we allowed the light of Jesus to shine through each one of us….

Imagine…if we passed on the light of love and hope to others that we have experienced ourselves…imagine if we invited others to come and see and follow Jesus too….Instead of just one light out there…there would be millions and millions and millions of lights shining…that’s a lot of light and a lot of hope….

I think our world could use it…

Today…and every day, throughout the rest of this Epiphany season…

I will begin my day by praying the words of this hymn: Today I awake…I hope you will join me in this morning prayer…

 

Hymn: Today I Awake  (Words and Music: John Bell)

Recording the hymn: Today I Awake - Heather Jordan

Today I awake and God is before me.  At night, as I dreamt, God summoned the day; For God never sleeps but patterns the morning  with slithers of gold or glory in grey.
Today I arise and Christ is beside me.  He walked through the dark to scatter new light, Yes, Christ is alive, and beckons his people to hope and to heal, resist and invite.

Today I affirm the Spirit within me at worship and work, in struggle and rest. The Spirit inspires all life which is changing from fearing to faith, from broken to blest.
Today I enjoy the Trinity round me,  above and beneath, before and behind; The Maker, the Son, the Spirit together they called me to life and call me their friend.

 

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

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)