Grounded and rooted in the love of God

7th Sunday after Pentecost/July 16, 2023

Psalm 65: (1-8), 9-14; Isaiah 55:10-13; Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Opening Prayer: (based on Matthew 13:1-9/ Christine Longhurst, re:Worship)

O God, we gather together in Your presence with expectation, hungry for an encounter with You, eager to hear Your Word. Open our eyes and ears to the presence of Your Holy Spirit. May the seeds of Your Word scattered among us this morning fall on fertile soil. May they take root in our hearts and lives, and produce an abundant harvest of good works and deeds. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our teacher and our Lord. Amen.

When we gather on Sundays, part of our worship always includes the reading of the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures.

Reading and listening to them each week are part of a practice of prayer, and meditating on the Word of God, the living Word of God, together in community…preparing and nourishing our hearts and minds and spirits to discern what God is saying to us today and asking of us today.

For many of us, Sunday might be the only day we are engaged in reading and praying with the scriptures.

In this week’s focus on the 2nd Mark of Mission: Teach/Learn…

Bishop Mark challenges us to commit to more than just meditating on the scriptures on Sundays only…and to commit at least 15 minutes each day to reading and praying on the Gospel lesson assigned for Morning or Evening Prayer.

This is not for the purpose of becoming biblical experts, but rather, an opportunity, every day, to explore and ponder our understanding of who God is, who Jesus is, and how it is that the Holy Spirit can teach us and guide us and strengthen us, in our relationship with God and one another, and help us prepare and nourish our hearts and minds and spirits to be grounded and rooted in the love of God, assisting us in discerning what God is saying to us and asking of us, each and every day…

Those of you who are gardeners, know that working in a garden, and with the soil, preparing it, tending to it…is not a once-a-week project. It’s a commitment to a daily and weekly practice to create a fertile soil for the fruits of your labors to grow and flourish abundantly. And most know that there are all sorts of external forces that can affect the outcome of your labors. The same happens in our own person lives at times, leaving us wondering where God is when things don’t go as planned despite our best efforts. Yet, God is there. That is the hope we can hold onto. We can begin again and again, to see what changes and re-working of the soil might be needed so that the widely scattered seeds of God’s love, may fall upon fertile soil and take root in our hearts and in our lives.

Reading and meditating on the Word of God, the living Word of God, every day, instead of once a week…is one small change we can make in our faith journey…that will not only transform our own lives to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, and hopeful, but these same abundant fruits of God’s love, when shared with others, will transform our entire communities.

I’m going to take a few moments to share some “gardening of the soul” practices and resources that, when used, can help enrich the soil of our hearts, and minds and spirits to equip us for answering Bishop Mark’s call to commit to more than just meditating on the scriptures on Sundays only…and to commit at least 15 minutes each day to reading and praying on the Gospel lesson assigned for Morning or Evening Prayer.

There are an abundance of ways you can access the Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer services and assigned scriptures, online, and specifically the gospel reading that Bishop Mark is encouraging us to focus on.

There’s a list in your bulletin insert, and they are all included on St Peter’s website for easy access. There’s even a free online copy of the Book of Common Prayer on the website, as well.

But there are other simple ways, too, using the hard copy of the Book of Common Prayer and a hard copy of a bible.

I invite you to open up your Book of Common Prayer to page 933. This is the beginning of the section for the Daily Office Lectionary where you will find the daily scripture readings appointed for Morning and Evening Prayer services. The Daily Office Lectionary is arranged in a 2-year cycle. We are currently in Year 1.

The year begins on the 1st Sunday of Advent, just like our Sunday Revised Common Lectionary. So, moving ahead to this coming week, I invite you to turn to page 974.

You will see the heading Proper 10…(week of the Sunday closest to July 13)…

This is where you will find the readings for this coming week.

The left page, 974 is Daily Office Year One, the right page/975 is Daily Office Year Two. This pattern continues in this Daily Office Lectionary section…Year one is on the left; year two is on the right.

Let’s look at Monday. The psalms are listed first. Psalm 25 is the psalm for morning prayer. Then you will see 4 dots...what follows are the psalms for evening prayer. Then you will see the old testament reading, the new testament reading and then the gospel reading.

Bishop Mark is calling on all Episcopalians in Alaska to commit at least 15 minutes each day to reading and praying on the Gospel lesson, only assigned for Morning or Evening Prayer.

And to think about these questions:

How does the passage relate to your life, your situation? How is the Gospel part of your story?

Maybe your answers to these questions, and your related stories, will come in the silences of your own heart and mind, maybe a reading partner will help you see something you haven’t noticed before, maybe you will respond to the questions by writing in a journal, or through art, music, prayer, or maybe the answers will come to you while out taking a walk.

After reading and reflecting and praying with the gospel lesson,

Bishop Mark encourages us to share our story with others. Share what came up for you when reading and reflecting on the assigned gospel reading for the day.

It takes time, a willingness to begin again and again, and prayer to commit to taking on anything new, especially a new faith journey practice. Committing to reading and reflecting on the gospel only, is a small, and simple way to begin.

It’s an invitation and an opportunity to transform lives by strengthening our relationship with God and one another, through the daily reading and praying with the Word of God, the Holy Gospel, that can prepare and nourish our hearts and minds and spirits to be grounded and rooted in the love of God, assisting us in discerning what God is saying to us and asking of us, each and every day…

And most assuredly, the daily reading and praying with the gospel lesson assigned for the day, can be a hopeful reminder, in the midst of so much turmoil, chaos, and uncertainties that people live with every day, that we have a loving God who is with us, always…

God calls each one of us, to go out into the world teaching and sharing the Good News, Gospel stories,  in all the ways we possibly can, and as authentically as we can, with the hope that one day all God’s children will come to know and believe that the God of love, and joy, and peace, and hope, as revealed to us in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, …is for everyone, and will be with us all, forever…The Word of the Lord shall be forever…

Hymn: Go out with Joy (#167 – Maranatha Praise Chorus Book)

Go out with joy and be led forth in peace, the mountains and the hills shall break forth singing.

Go out with joy and be led forth in peace, the mountains and the hills shall break forth singing.

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands, the Lord (God) shall be praised. And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands, the Word of the Lord shall be forever.

Rev Julie Platson

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

A kingdom of love- July 9 sermon reflection

6 Pentecost/Year A/July 9, 2023

Readings: Psalm 145:8-15, Zechariah 9:9-12, Matthew 11:16-19,25-30

(SERMON BY CHIP CAMDEN)

Our Psalm for today and our reading from Zechariah use the metaphor of king and kingdom to describe God's relationship to us.  This may seem unfortunate.  In the United States, we have had a less than trusting attitude towards monarchy since before 1776, and just this past Tuesday we celebrated the anniversary of our formally dispensing with it.  Much of the twenty-first century world views kingship and other forms of dominion by a single individual as at best outdated and at worst dangerous to liberty and justice.  To oppressed peoples, “kingdom” represents a caste system that places some people over others in order to justify and perpetuate oppression.  From the feminist perspective, kingship is the pinnacle of male dominance.

The Bible uses the words king and kingdom hundreds of times, in reference to both human and divine kingship.  In earlier polytheistic religion, it was natural to conceive of the society of the gods along the same lines as human society, and the idea of a high god who is the king of all the other gods predates the Bible.  In the Canaanite religion of the Ugaritic texts from the late Bronze Age, for example, this high God was named El.  El and Yahweh are identified as the same god throughout the Hebrew Bible.  A belief also circulated that each god ruled over a specific nation, and Yahweh was the god of Israel (see Deuteronomy 32:8-9).  But being identified with El placed Yahweh over the council of the gods (see Psalm 82, Psalm 95:4, I Kings 22:19-22, Job 1:6-12), thus giving Israel an exalted status as well.  Eventually the other gods in the council were reinterpreted as angels.

The Biblical God is not only the king of the gods, though.  As the god of Israel he is also Israel's ultimate king -- and eventually the king of all nations (Psalm 82:8).  In I Samuel 8, the Israelites ask Samuel to anoint a human king for them.  Samuel, though not pleased with their request, agrees to it -- but he warns them about the abuses of power that will be the inevitable result (verses 10-18).  Here we begin to see that when the word "king" is applied to God, it does not mean the same thing as when it is applied to a human.  A human king will make the people his slaves and seize their property for his own purposes. By contrast, as it says in our Psalm for today right after extolling God's kingdom, "The LORD is faithful in all his words and merciful in all his deeds.  The LORD upholds all those who fall; he lifts up those who are bowed down."

The prophetic tradition in the Bible maintains an uneasy acceptance of human kingship throughout the monarchical period.  Even though the prophets often call the kings to repent for their misdeeds, they are nevertheless God's anointed ones (משיח, meshiach in Hebrew, from which comes the English word Messiah).  The king is called God's son (Psalm 2:7, II Samuel 7:14).  After the Babylonian captivity, hope emerged for the rise of a new Messiah -- a king who would restore the kingdom.  This hope became more and more apocalyptic in nature by the time of Jesus.

In the New Testament, Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of this hope for a Messiah.  The title "Christ" is the Greek translation of Messiah, meaning "anointed one".  But Jesus' ideas about the kingdom that he came to establish differ greatly from the popular model.  Jesus the king comes in humility, demonstrating his identification with our reading from Zechariah by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a war horse.  Unlike human kingdoms, the kingdom of heaven is not about conquest and domination.  As Jesus says in his parables, this kingdom is about the power of God to transform us from within.  It is like a seed that grows into a plant, or like yeast that starts small but eventually leavens the whole lump of dough (Matthew 13:31-43).  It's like a wedding banquet to which you are invited (Matthew 22:1-14).  It's a kingdom of undeserved generosity (Matthew 20:1-16).  And the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21).

Jesus' kingdom is not about domination, nor is it about achievement or doing the right things (Luke 18:9-14).  But neither is it an anarchy of fulfilling selfish desires.  The divinity of Christ makes Christ's kingdom align with God's kingdom: a kingdom that lifts up those who are bowed down -- a kingdom of love.  This is an easy yoke, a light burden, but paradoxically a difficult one -- for we are called to this kingdom in order to live in that same love towards each other.

It may seem unfortunate that the Bible uses the metaphor of kingdom to describe God's relationship to us.  But let us be wary lest in avoiding words that offend us we also lose the lesson of how God transforms what those words denote.  As with anything else we can say of God, God transcends our categorizations and transforms our concepts, redeeming and releasing them from the narrow meanings that we apply to our human experience.  It is yet another aspect of incarnation, that in addition to entering our embodied experience, God also enters into our limited language, lifting our words out of dead denotation to become lights on a path to truths that cannot be expressed.  Just so, God also lifts us up and transforms us into something far exceeding our small ideas of ourselves.  God wants to form us into the likeness of Christ.  Then the kingdom will truly be within us.  May it be so.

whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me...

5th Sunday after Pentecost/ July 2, 2023

Psalm 89:1-4,15-18; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Matthew 10:40-42

Opening Prayer:

Open our hearts, O Lord: Give light to our eyes to see and know you in ourselves, and in our neighbors…May your light and loving spirit, unite us all, as we welcome one another, in your Holy Name. Amen (unknown author)

Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

These past few weeks, we’ve been listening to the words from the gospel of Matthew…and we’ve been reviewing the 5 Marks of Mission (specifically Tend and transform the past 2 weeks).

We’ve been reading aloud and hopefully taking time to inwardly digest some of Jesus’ difficult teachings and instructions for his newly called disciples (and us) who he was sending out with a mission to proclaim God’s love and blessing upon all they would meet along the way…

Jesus has been walking with them, day by day…helping them to see that they too, would have the ability to transform people’s lives and communities into a beloved home where all are welcomed, loved and valued as the person God created them to be…

And, as I mentioned in last week’s sermon…walking in the way of love, as Jesus has taught us, doesn’t mean it will be easy, as we inevitably will face challenges and conflicts with those we will encounter throughout our lives…But…as we strive to truly and deeply listen to one another through the heart of God, through the lens of Jesus Christ, and through the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit, we will be strengthened and guided in all that we are called to do, to bring the kingdom of God, the love of God, the mercy of God, the justice of God, the healing presence of God, the peace of God, nearer to the hearts of those, who are often excluded, made to feel unworthy, unloved and not welcomed.

My heart is heavy this week, for all those who are feeling excluded, unworthy, unloved, unwelcome, and not valued as the person God created them to be.

Jesus’ instructions for us, have been simple, and yet – yes…can be challenging and complex and difficult to comprehend.…I know that…I struggle every day, too in striving to live in a way of love as Jesus has challenged us, and persisted with an unwavering hope by encouraging us to not give up on finding ways to love one another, welcome one another, and be reconciled to one another…

In all we are called to do and be…one day at a time…we must begin anew with every thought, every prayer, every action, by being grounded in the love and faithfulness of God, through the compassionate and merciful lens of Jesus Christ, and through the abiding love and welcoming Spirit, that can unite us all…

Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

May it be so.

May all come to believe in this Love that welcomes all.

May the day come when we will all rejoice and sing together, in the words of our psalmist and hymn today:

Hymn: I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,

I will sing, I will sing,

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

With my mouth will I make known,

Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness,

With my mouth will I make known,

Thy faithfulness to all generations,

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

Rev Julie Platson

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

4th Mark of Mission: Transform

4th Sunday after Pentecost

June 25, 2023

Psalm 69: 8-20, Romans 6:1b-11, Matthew 10:24-39

Opening Prayer: (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

God of the covenant, your compassion reaches beyond the mere making and keeping of promises. Teach us to listen to one another with your heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord…Amen.

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart….

If we stop for a moment and think about that brief phrase…, Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart….what is it saying to us that we haven’t already heard before…what is it trying to teach us about listening…about our prayers…about our faith and trust?...especially in those times in our lives… that we just don’t get it…those times, when loved ones are hurting…or suffering with health issues…or those times in our lives, when we are struggling to understand the divisions and conflicts that seem to be present in so many aspects of our daily lives: in our families, our church families, our communities, and worldwide… and perhaps those times that we wrestle with ways to make peace with one another, and within ourselves, looking for a way forward, that speaks to us from a place of hope, faith, love and trust…

I think the key phrase in this particular prayer is …“with your heart… meaning the heart of God…through the lens of Jesus Christ and through the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit….

A prayer that can help us turn our attention to listening to each other, in a deeper context, below the surface of our words and our own thoughts, from the center of our hearts, through the lens of Jesus Christ, and through the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit…

Today’s scriptures, and surely other scriptures, at times, often include some difficult verses and words to make sense of…Jesus doesn’t usually mince his words...it takes a lot of stretching of our minds, our hearts, and perhaps lots of discussion among others to begin to make sense of what is being said…what the meaning may be…what it may have to do with you or I…

There is often a lot of tension between what we hear, what the other person hears…and how we approach the difficult task of trying to come to some sense of assurance and consensus, and attempt to verbalize what it is we believe....Often times, it can feel as if we are speaking entirely different languages…Even though we are reading the same set of scriptures, in the same room with one another, and maybe, even with the same people you gather together with each week….there are still a myriad of ways the scriptures, the living word of God, will speak to us…

The same holds true, when we are dealing with human conflicts and uncertainties among ourselves, in our families, churches, work place or civic life…there are a variety of ways that people hear the same news about the challenges and divisions all around us…yet the ability to come to any consensus or understanding on the various issues and how to address them...is certainly no easy task…

There are a variety of “backstories” that come into play, and often cause great conflicts when people become engaged in the work of peace, justice, and reconciliation…

We’ve been reviewing the 5 Marks of Mission…as adapted by Bishop Mark and presented at our annual diocesan convention this past fall, and in St Peter’s annual pledge campaign for 2023…

This week, we are touching briefly on the 4th Mark of Mission: Transform…. To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation.

And more specifically, on this 4th Mark of Mission, as adapted by Bishop Mark in his call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska:

 I call on all Episcopalians in Alaska to participate in the work of peace, justice, and reconciliation.  Where do you see Jesus and his love being wounded?  Where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation?  Disciples make peace.

Let’s take a look at this week’s bulletin insert, that has a list of just a few organizations for you to check out to help you learn and better understand some of the ways that we can join with others in a commitment to participate in this lifelong, difficult work of peace, justice and reconciliation… I hope you will choose one to explore further…

As I read the names of each of these and a little bit about their mission…I will pause afterwards… and then invite you to pray these words with me: Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

As baptized Christians, we are called to participate in the

work of peace, justice, and reconciliation

Resolution Supporting: The Episcopal Church’s Truth Telling about Indigenous Boarding Schools           

In this work of discovery and truth-telling about our connections to Indigenous Boarding schools, where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? 

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing

In this work of dismantling racism, where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? 

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Bread for the World

In this work of ending hunger in our time: where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? 

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Episcopal Migration Ministries

In this work of welcoming and advocating for refugees: where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? 

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Episcopal Church: Various Ministries/Advocacy Resources

In this work of evangelism, racial reconciliation and creation care ministries: where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? 

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Alaska Correctional Ministries

. In this work of proclaiming God’s redemptive and unfailing love to Alaska’s inmates, and supporting re-entry programs in our communities: where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? 

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church

In this work of serving those affected by addiction who have lost their health and freedom: where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? 

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Bishops United Against Gun Violence

In this work of addressing gun violence through public liturgy, spiritual support, sound teaching, and persistent advocacy: where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation?

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

The HOPE Coalition

In this work of preventing substance misuse among youth, young adults, and over time, older adults: where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation?

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

As followers in the way of Christ, the way of love and peace and justice and reconciliation that Jesus teaches us …we are called to be a part of this holy and life-transformational work in our communities…

Following Jesus in the Way of Love, doesn’t mean we will find any easy answers or solutions to life’s greatest challenges and conflicts…but by striving to listen to one another through the heart of God, through the lens of Jesus Christ, and through the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit, we will be strengthened and guided in this work of peace, justice, and reconciliation that will transform people’s lives and communities into a beloved home where all are welcomed, loved and valued as the person God created them to be.

Teach us, O God, to listen to one another with your heart…

Let us pray:

Closing prayer/Hymn: (LEVS 249) Hear Our Prayer, O Lord

Hear our prayer, O Lord, hear our prayer, O Lord;

Incline thine ear to us, and grant us thy peace.

Rev Julie Platson

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

Called, empowered and sent...

3rd Sunday after Pentecost/June 18, 2023

Psalm 100, Exodus 19:2-8a; Matthew 9:35-10:8

Opening Prayer: (A New Zealand Prayer Book)

Almighty God, by your grace alone we are accepted and called to your service; strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and empower our calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have you ever heard the saying, often spoken in jest, “be careful what you pray for”?

I thought about that as we listened to the beginning of today’s gospel reading.

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. (The Message).

Jesus called them, empowered them, and sent them out to do the same works that he did.

He sent them out to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and to cast out demons.

He sent them out to help fulfill God’s mission in the world… to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of the sight to the blind, and to set the oppressed free…

We too are called, empowered, and sent out to do the same…to fulfill God’s Mission, Christ’s Mission in the world….

The Mission of Christ…is the Mission of the Church…

At our 2022 Diocesan Convention, Bishop Mark issued a call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska to re-commit ourselves to living a “Jesus-shaped life”, to making disciples who live the faith and hope of Jesus in such a way that they become an invitation to a new life that is consistent with His way of love. To help us do that, he called our attention to the “The Five Marks of Mission” that have been around since 1984…

Those 5 Marks of Mission, the Mission of Christ are:

1. Tell: To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

2. Teach: To teach, baptize and nurture disciples

3. Tend: To respond to human need by loving service

4. Transform: To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation

5. Treasure: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth, and to be good stewards of all God’s gifts.

He adapted these 5 Marks of Mission with a more specific call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska for the coming year: Calling us to a time of renewal and growth in discipleship through the Five Marks of Mission.

We’ve just begun reviewing these again, since we shared our 2023 stewardship plan for St Peter’s earlier this year…

This morning in our announcement time and from your bulletin insert, we shared a little about the 3rd Mark of Mission: TEND.

You can see the many ways that the people of St Peter’s have been involved in outreach in the church and in the community. Yet there are so many other opportunities and ways for other folks to be involved in the various outreach ministries, too.

There are additional ways to be involved on a different level, by being engaged in the advocacy part of outreach programs and ministries…working with others to transform unjust structures of society that keep people trapped in cycles of poverty and substance misuse and homelessness and incarceration…and working with others to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation…especially for those who continue to be oppressed because of the color of their skin, culture, religion, and other reasons that strip people of their dignity and worth… 

Advocacy for the needs of those we are serving in our various outreach ministries and in other areas we may not yet be involved, is a key tenant of the 4th Mark of Mission: TRANSFORM… To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation…

This 4th Mark of Mission cannot be separated from our call to TEND, to respond to human needs, all around us, with love and compassion for one another, as Jesus so clearly taught us and showed us, and calls us and empowers us to go out and do the same…

In the next couple of weeks, you will hear more about the 4th Mark of Mission…

But, for today…I leave you with this…

Be careful what you pray for, meaning, be “care-filled” for what and whom you pray for, be intentional for what and whom you pray for: There’s always a need to pray for the well-being and needs of our neighbors. There’s always a need to pray for those who are supporting and serving the vulnerable in our communities. There’s always a need to pray for more loving and compassionate laborers to gladly answer Jesus’ call to join with others in loving and serving our neighbors in our communities, and throughout our world…

Jesus said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”….to love and serve God and one another…

Closing prayer/Hymn: (LEVS) 126 – Here am I, send me

1        Hark! The voice of Jesus calling, Who will go and work today?

          Fields are ripe the harvest waiting, Who will bear the sheaves

         away?

      Loud and long the Master calleth,

       Rich reward He offers free;

       Who will answer, gladly saying,

      “Here am I, send me, send me.”

2        Let none hear you idly saying, There is nothing I can do;

          While the souls of some are dying, And the Master calls for you.

          Refrain

3        Take the task He gives you gladly, Let His work your pleasure be;

          Answer quickly when He calleth, “Here am I, send me, send me.”

          Refrain

 Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Walking through this life together...

2nd Sunday after Pentecost/June 11, 2023

Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Opening Prayer (adapted):  —Dr. Kathy Bozzuti-Jones

Loving God, Your merciful hand is at work all around us. Open our eyes and our hearts, we pray, to practice the virtue of steadfast love and mercy, wherever there is exclusion and division and a desire and need for healing. Help us to reach out and walk with one another in times of need and in times of thanksgiving. Help us to become more like You, a loving and merciful God. Amen

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is on the move…not as in hurrying from one place to another to get in as many visits, tasks, appointments with others…but he’s on the move…walking in the way of love …walking in a way that he hopes his disciples and those who are paying attention to Him…will catch on to this way of understanding what God desires of us, and for us…a way of life that seeks to unite us to God and one another, through a steadfast love and mercy, that can promote healing and unity for all of God’s people, and all of God’s creation…

I love how the reading unfolds today…and especially how the first sentence seems to set the pace for what it looks like to walk in the way of love with Jesus and each other…

The gospel begins… As Jesus was walking along…

And as Jesus is walking along…the story begins with the call of Matthew, to become one of his disciples…Matthew gets up from what he is doing, leaves behind his old life, and follows Jesus…Perhaps wondering…why is Jesus calling me to follow him and be one of his disciples? Me, Matthew, not the most favorable and trust-worthy person to encounter or be found interacting with…

Then they gathered for dinner and conversation with other tax collectors and outcasts or sinners as the Pharisees had labeled them…And as we heard in the reading…the Pharisees begin questioning why Jesus, this religious leader and his disciples are eating with such “people? – the tax collectors and the sinners…Jesus responds in this teachable moment with these words: Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’

 “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice”… (Hosea 6:6)

While Jesus was still speaking to the Pharisees, a leader of the synagogue came in to ask Jesus to come lay his hands on his daughter, who has just died, believing that Jesus’ touch could help her live. Jesus takes notice of him and his plea…And at his request, Jesus gets up and follows him, with his disciples.

Next, as Jesus, and his disciples are walking along…

They encounter a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years, someone considered by society as unclean, untouchable..…she prayed simply to touch his cloak, believing she would be made well by doing this…Jesus takes notice of her…acknowledges her reaching out to him, and affirms that her faith has made her well…

Today’s journey continues…as Jesus, and his disciples are walking along…

They finally arrive at the home of the leader of the synagogue who had asked Jesus to come lay his hands on his daughter, who has just died, believing that Jesus’ touch could help her live. We are told that there was a lot of commotion going on in the house when they arrived. Jesus sent the flute players and the crowds outside…telling them that the girl was sleeping, not dead. And they all laughed at him. But the story continues with yet another healing when Jesus reaches out to take the girl’s hand, and she gets up…

As we look back on all the encounters Jesus and his disciples had along the way while they were walking with each other…

I wonder if Matthew’s hope for a new purpose and sense of dignity and worth was restored when he answered Jesus’ invitation and call to follow him?

I wonder if the woman who suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years, had her hope re-ignited for a life she had yet to imagine would ever be possible…

I wonder if the father and the daughter, and all who thought she was dead… had their hope awakened to see how healing and new life is possible…in ways that we may never fully comprehend…

I wonder if you can think of all those times, you have given a glimpse of hope to someone by simply noticing them, acknowledging them and their worth and dignity…

I wonder if you can think of some people along the way who have given you a glimpse of hope through their steadfast love and mercy…

That’s all God desires of us and for us…is that we walk through this life together, with steadfast love and mercy with God and one another…

I wonder where Jesus and his disciples, and you and I, will journey to next…as we walk through this life together….

Here’s a closing thought that I wrote on a recent retreat when we were given the word “Journey” to reflect on…

I am walking along…with Jesus, with you, with all the gifts of creation, eager and willing to show us signs of hope…

I am on a journey to discover this hope in myself and share it with others…and I hope you will join me on this journey, too…so that you and I and all of creation can live and flourish in love and hope and peace and unity in this life…and in the life yet to come…

Closing prayer/Hymn: (LEVS) 93 - Give thanks to the Lord

          Give thanks to the Lord for He is so good, His mercy endures forever.

1        To Him alone who does mighty wonders,

          Who by His understanding made the heavens.

          Refrain

2        He made the sun to govern the daytime,

          The moon and stars to govern o’er the nighttime.

          Refrain

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Go forth into the world for God…and for all of God’s beloved children…

1st Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday/June 4, 2023

Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; Matthew 28:16-20

Opening Prayer: written Rev. Dr. Libby Grammer

God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity,

We know that in self-giving love,

Your very nature teaches us how to love one another.

Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, Spirit and Advocate,

We call upon you to teach us this hour.

Teach us to pray. Teach us to love.

Teach us to be one, as you are one. Amen.

This past Thursday, June 1st, we not only began a new month on our 2023 personal calendars, but as we gather here today, we are also turning the page on the  

2022-2023 church calendar or liturgical calendar as it is sometimes called…Today, in Year A of our liturgical calendar, we begin the longest season of our church year that will take us all the way through to the 1st Sunday in Advent on Dec 3rd…

On that Sunday, our new church year, Year B will begin, and we will continue to cycle through a series of scripture readings, as appointed for each Sunday and Holy Days, according to the Revised Common Lectionary…as we have been doing this year…Scripture readings that teach us about God as: Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, and Spirit and Advocate.

Scripture readings…that help us to see and experience God’s love and presence all around us…from the beginning of Creation through the end of the ages…

Scripture readings, that remind us of the Good News of God’s Redeeming love made known to us, in the life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ…

Scripture readings, that remind us of the gift of the Holy Spirit and Advocate that was poured out for ALL of us to open our eyes and ears and hearts and minds to be transformed by the love of God, made known to us in Jesus…and then sent out into the world…wherever we are… to share this love which has the power to transform people’s lives, uniting us in love and community with one another.

We follow this cycle of scripture readings on Sundays for three years…years A, B, C…covering varied old and new testament readings, psalms, and gospel readings….and then we start over at Year A…and begin again…

As I thought about that this week in relation to today’s special observance on the church calendar, Trinity Sunday. …I was struck, anew, by our denomination’s use of this lectionary format (and other denominations that follow the revised common lectionary)…I realized I have never thought too much about the fact that we followed a “3-year” cycle of readings and repeat the year cycle over and over again…

I knew we followed a three -year cycle…but it got me wondering and appreciating more this special day on the church calendar…

What I’m appreciating about today, as we recognize God in Three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is how we pause and set aside this day, every year, as we end a season and begin a new season in the church year…the longest season in the church year yet to come…

We set aside this day to name and summarize what we have learned together in the hearing of scriptures so far in our lives and summarize what we have come to believe about God: as Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, Spirit and Advocate…

And we can use that same summary of what we have come to believe to stand firmly upon that foundation of faith, to help us look to the future with a confidence of hope, and peace, and joy and love for all God’s people…and for what is possible for all God’s people…when we abide in God’s love, when we acknowledge the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, and when we go out into the world, being strengthened and empowered by the Holy Spirit and Advocate, to share this life-giving, life-restoring, life-fulfilling love of God that has the power to transform people’s lives, uniting us in love and community with one another.

So, yes…I appreciate that we have this special day to pause and reflect on the summary of our faith…which we also recite together most every week, in the words of the Nicene Creed…

But, if you are anything like me…I need daily reminders, monthly reminders, yearly reminders to help me “keep the faith”…at times…

So, 3-year cycles of readings, daily readings, all the seasons of the church year, special days set apart…I look forward to them all…

And I want others to have this same opportunity for their hopes and spirits to be lifted up, too when they may feel like there is no hope or chance of any new possibilities or a future worth looking forward to…

That’s where each one of us can make a difference in the lives of others…

We are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism, and named as Christ’s own…forever.

Through the power and grace, strength, encouragement, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, each one of us is called to share our gifts, and this love and hope we have come to believe in God: as Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, Spirit and Advocate…

As a church body, as a community of faith, as the people of God…we are called to join our hearts and hands together…to go forth into the world for God…and for all of God’s beloved children…

  (written by The Rev Julie Platson)

Closing prayer/Hymn - Go forth for God (RENEW - #291)

1        Go forth for God; go to the world in peace;

          be of good courage, armed with heavenly grace,

          in God’s good Spirit daily to increase,

          till in his kingdom we behold his face.

2        Go forth for God; go to the world in love;

          strengthen the faint, give courage to the weak;

          help the afflicted; richly from above

          his love supplies the grace and power we seek.

3        Go forth for God; go to the world in strength;

          hold fast the good, be urgent for the right;

          render to no one evil; Christ at length

          shall overcome all darkness with his light.

4        Go forth for God; go to the world in joy,

          to serve God’s people every day and hour,

          and serving Christ, our every gift employ,

          rejoicing in the Holy Spirit’s power.

The Day of Pentecost

The Day of Pentecost/Year A/May 28, 2023

Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23

Opening prayer: (Common Prayer for Children and Families)

When Pentecost Day arrived, a fierce wind filled the entire house and they saw flames of fire alighting on each disciple. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.

 (Acts 2:1-4, adapted)

Let us pray: Creator of speech and silence, Holy Spirit of water, fire, and wind, we give you thanks for all the languages of the earth; fill our souls and the Church with your holy flame and bless our tongues to tell the world of the love that unites us all. Amen.

Today is the day we celebrate the coming of the promised gift of the Holy Spirit…The Day of Pentecost…

*From Day 5 of a Thy Kingdom Come reflection that I read this past week, Bishop Mike Royal General Secretary, Churches Together in England) gives us a little background info about Pentecost…

*(As Christians we know Pentecost as the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Church, but 2000 years ago it was known as the Jewish festival celebrating the ingathering of the first fruits of harvest. It was a festival that attracted people from all over the known world to Jerusalem: a beautiful movement of unity in diversity – displaying God’s great abundance in the diversity of peoples, languages, food, and cultures. It is on that day, on those gathered people that the Holy Spirit was poured out, so all may hear of Jesus.)

It was on that day and today as we celebrate the Day of Pentecost…that we are reminded of the gift of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, which has been poured out for ALL of us, to open our eyes and ears and hearts and minds to be transformed by the love of God, made known to us in Jesus…and then sent out into the world…wherever we are… to share this love which has the power to unite us all…

Here's the thing… “this love” made known to us, through Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit…is a love that can be understood by everyone, through everyone, and for everyone…

It’s a love that comes to life and understanding in ourselves and others, when we invite the Holy Spirit to guide our words and actions…a love and understanding between each other….no matter race, culture, language, or any of the diverse beliefs you might think separate us from God or one another…

It’s a love that you, equipped and inspired through the gift of the Holy Spirit, are called to share in ways, that only you authentically and uniquely can…

It’s a love that gives food to the hungry…it’s a love that provides shelter for the houseless, it’s a love that offers safe space for the abused, it’s a love that reminds others of their worth and dignity, it’s a love that cares for all of creation, it’s a love that works with others to find solutions to bring an end to gun violence and all forms of violence in our communities, it’s a love that encourages someone to begin again, it’s a love that thanks others for their gifts of generosity and service for the benefit of others, it’s a compassionate and active love that gives voice and hands and feet to the prayers of all God’s beloved children…

On this Day of Pentecost, we are equipped with all we need, to go out into the world, to share the love of God, made known to us through Jesus, and by the gift and inspiration of the Holy Spirit…

On this Day of Pentecost, let us pray once again, to receive anew in our hearts, the Holy Spirit, the Breath of God, poured out for all of us…so all may hear of Jesus’ love which has the power to unite us all…

Rev Julie Platson

***IMAGE CREDIT - James He Qi - www.heqiart.com

Closing prayer/Hymn: (VF) 59 - Breath of God, life-bearing wind

1       Breath of God, life-bearing wind,

          waking matter into birth,

          planting promise, prompting hope:

          with your life renew the earth.

2       Breath of God, word-bearing wind,

          truth—revealer, prophet’s speech,

          guide to vistas of the mind:

          let your word excite and teach.

3       Breath of God, fire-bearing wind,

          source of power, love, and light,

          melting fears and joining tongues:

          with your fire our hearts ignite.

4       Breath of God, song-bearing wind,

          stirring wonder to rejoice,

          yearning’s echo, grace’s dance:

          let your song give our prayers voice.

Prayer...in word and action...

7 Easter/Year A/May 21, 2023

Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36; John 17:1-11

Opening prayer: Spirit of Glory, Spirit of God, bless us with a word of life this day to restore, support and strengthen us as we seek to be one with you. Amen.  (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is praying…. He prays for himself, he prays for the disciples, he prays for all those who will come to know the love of God in Jesus Christ themselves through the testimony of this love through others… He knows his earthly mission is coming to completion and that it is time for him to leave this world…and he wants his disciples and all those who come after him, to know that they will never be left alone…

Jesus prayed for his disciples because he knew that his disciples had to live in the world now without him, and that they would be tempted and discouraged by so many things throughout their lives…He knew that up to this time, it had been him who had kept them together, but now that he was about to leave them he wanted them to understand, that they would need God’s help to stay together, so they could support one another and continue in the work of building up God’s kingdom of love, here on earth as in heaven, as was made known to them through Jesus… He knew that if his disciples came together as one, just as he was one with the God, that they would be much stronger together than they would be all alone in this world. So, he prayed, with all of his heart, and asked God to protect them and to help them to become one, just as he and God were one.

Jesus’ prayer for his disciples at this hour, I think, is one of the most beautiful and moving scriptures in the bible…Perhaps, because it captures the power of praying for one another, and on behalf of one another…in way that unites us as one family, and binds us together in love, through Christ’s love…

At St Peter’s, we come together in community every week to praise God with our voices and our songs, to listen to the Word of God in the hearing of the scriptures…to be reconciled to God and each other through Jesus Christ in the breaking of bread, and in our prayers. Through our prayers, and in the breaking of bread together, in the name of Jesus Christ, we become one as Jesus has prayed for us, “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Jesus has set an example for his followers by teaching them and showing them throughout his life, that prayer has the power to inspire actions that transform lives by bringing people together, inspire actions that promote healing in families and communities, inspire actions that strengthen, support, comfort, and restore hope, in places where people are longing for it…And most importantly…prayer reminds us and those we pray for, that we are never alone…

Since 2016, the Church of England has promoted a focused time of prayer for others, during the 11-day period from Ascension Day (this past Thursday) through the day of Pentecost (next Sunday).

***Intro from the: THY KINGDOM COME PRAYER JOURNAL 2023:

Thy Kingdom Come is a worldwide prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost. Since its launch by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in 2016, Christians from 172 countries and over 100 denominations have taken part in praying for friends and family to come to faith in Jesus Christ. These days have always been full of expectation and anticipation. As the Lord Jesus ascended, He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable the disciples to be witnesses. As they waited for the promise to

be fulfilled they devoted themselves constantly to prayer (Acts 1:14). So, the renewed call across the church is to set these days apart to pray, and each individual to pray for 5 people to come to know the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

Thy Kingdom Come always focuses on praying for people to know the love of God in Jesus Christ for themselves. However, this year, (they) are also encouraging people to consider taking a step further, to go the extra mile, to love and serve the needs of those you are praying for or others who are in need- ‘Living the Kingdom.’

In this prayer journal: Each day there is a passage from the Bible, a short reflection, a time to pause and pray, and a ‘Living the Kingdom’ action. There is also space each day for your own notes.

Even though this seasonal prayer movement began this past Thursday…you can still begin today…and continue through next Sunday – The Day of Pentecost…when we celebrate the coming of the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

I’ll send out the link to the prayer journal that you can read online…and I have a few hard copies here today…

Thy Kingdom Come - General info and resources can be found HERE

Prayer journal below

I do hope that you will choose 5 people to pray for this week…and set aside some time of prayer and reflection and take on some “Living the Kingdom” actions… so that all will come to know the love of God in Jesus Christ for themselves. So that they may encounter God’s love and experience God’s blessings…through your testimony of love, in prayer and action…

Closing prayer/Hymn: (VF) 120 - O God, we praise your holy name

O God, we praise your holy name, as one in Christ we stand.

You’ve made us (siblings) through your son with kin in every land.

Anoint us now with your own grace that we might ready be to touch the world with gentleness as through Christ’s eyes we see.

Oh, God, in joy we lift our song, your words we will proclaim, until the love we share today throughout the world shall reign. Amen.

Rev Julie Platson

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

Love is the way...

6 Easter/Year A/May 14, 2023

Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:7-18; John 14:15-21

Collect of the Day: (A New Zealand Prayer Book)

Eternal God, light of the minds that know you, joy of the hearts that love you, strength of the wills that serve you; grant us so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may gladly serve you, now and always. Amen.

Our gospel reading today, picks up where we left off last week…in chapter 14 of the gospel of John. Last Sunday, today, and next week’s gospel reading are all part of a section of the gospel of John, often referred to as Jesus’ farewell discourse…the section of the gospel of John, (chapters 14-17) where Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure from this world. He’s trying to offer assurance for the days ahead when he will no longer be with them. He’s trying to comfort them, in the midst of their grief and confusion. And he’s reminding them once again…that love is the way, that love never ends…and that love will always be there to lead them and guide them to finding peace and solace and healing and strength to go on, from the center of their hearts where he will abide in them, and they will abide in him. 

In today’s gospel reading, love comes up a lot, as it most always does when Jesus is engaged in some important conversations and teachings with his disciples. The reading begins with Jesus saying to them: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus goes a little deeper and further with his teaching about the commandment to love one another as he has loved them, by assuring his followers that even though he would be leaving them, they would not be left orphaned or comfortless, or without any reminders of this love that he has given them and shown them while he was with them. He promises them that another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will be sent to them, to be with them forever and remind them of this love. And that they will recognize and know this Spirit of truth, because this Love abides with them, and will be in them.

The gospel reading today ends where it began with the reminder to keep the commandments that Jesus taught them: “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

In the gospel of John, do you ever feel like Jesus is talking in circles? Another episcopal priest posed that question during an online mini-retreat I attended recently.

And it was specifically referring to today’s short gospel passage…as Jesus seems to circle around in his message about love and his commandments to love one another, as he has loved us…reminding them, as he always does…that love is the way…and that his love will always be a breath away…

As I took time to reflect more on that question…the image of a labyrinth came to mind… 

***Talk about Labyrinths/share handouts…

So, perhaps Jesus isn’t talking in circles, afterall…but in a way that invites us and leads us to prayerfully walk with him and follow him in a way of love, that leads us back to the place in the center of our hearts, where another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth…will remind us of the love and light of Christ that abides in us, and will be with us always… reminding us around and around…that love is the way, that love never ends…and that love will always be there to lead us and guide us to finding peace and solace and healing and strength to go on, from the center of our hearts where God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit abide in us, and we will abide in them. Amen.

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

HYMN RECORDING: Libera - Love Shine a Light

Closing prayer/Hymn: Love shine a light (words and music by Kimberley Rew)

Love shine a light in every corner of my heart

Let the love light carry, let the love light carry

Light up the magic in every little part

Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts

Love shine a light in every corner of my dreams

Let the love light carry, let the love light carry

Like the mighty river, flowing from the stream

Let our love shine a light in every corner of my dreams

And we're all gonna shine a light together

All shine a light to light the way

Brothers and sisters, in every little part

Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts

Love shine a light in every corner of the world

Let the love light carry, let the love light carry

Light up the magic, for every boy and girl

Let our love shine a light in every corner of the world

And we're all gonna shine a light together

All shine a light to light the way

Brothers and sisters, in every little part

Let our love shine a light, in every corner of our hearts

And we're all gonna shine a light together

All shine a light to light the way

Brothers and sisters, in every little part

Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts