2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation: Learn

Creation Proper 18, Year A: “Learn”

Romans 13:8-14; Psalm 119:33-40; Matthew 18:15-20


The Creation Collect for the Day

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the powerful who oppress and dominate Creation, so you never forsake your creatures who live in harmony with nature’s order; through Jesus Christ the Wisdom of Creation, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Profession of Faith (from the Season of Creation Episcopal Liturgical Guide)

We believe in God, who creates all things, who embraces all things, who celebrates all things, who is present in every part  of the fabric of creation. We believe in God as the source of all life, who baptizes this planet with living water.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the suffering one, the poor one, the malnourished one, the climate refugee, who loves and cares for this world and who suffers with it. And we believe  in Jesus Christ, the seed of life, who came to reconcile and renew this world and everything in it.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, who moves with God and who moves among and with us today.

We believe in everlasting life in God. And we believe in the hope that one day God will put an end to death and all destructive forces. Amen.



Sept 3 - 1st Sunday in the Season of Creation: PRAY

14 Pentecost/Year A/1st Sunday in the Season of Creation: Pray

September 3, 2023

Romans 12:9-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Matthew 16:21-28

 

Opening Prayer:  A Prayer for Our Time and for the Earth

(Bishop Carol Gallagher, from the 2019 meeting of the House of Bishops, Fairbanks, Alaska)

Dear God, Creator of the earth, this sacred home we share: Give us new eyes to see the beauty all around and to protect the wonders of creation. Give us new arms to embrace the strangers among us and to know them as family. Give us new ears to hear and understand those who live off the land and sea, and to hear and understand those who extract its resources. Give us new hearts to recognize the brokenness in our communities and to heal the wounds we have inflicted. Give us new hands to serve the earth and its people and to shape beloved community. For you are the One who seeks the lost, binds our wounds and sets us free, and it is in the name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen.

You’ve probably noted in today’s bulletin, and in my church emails this past week, that we will be joining with the worldwide community in the next five weeks, to celebrate the Season of Creation.

I’d like to begin, this week, by giving you a brief overview about the Season of Creation as noted in this year’s Season of Creation Episcopal Liturgical Guide.

In the introduction section from the Season of Creation Episcopal Liturgical Guide, we are told that the celebration of this Season began when Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I established a Day of Prayer for Creation for the Orthodox in 1989. The World Council of Churches extended the celebration into our current pattern, as we observe now. The yearly themes, logos, and other resources are provided by the ecumenical organization to which we belong as members of the Anglican Communion.

This year’s theme is: Let Justice and Peace Flow.

Continuing in the introduction of this year’s theme, it sheds light on the chosen theme for this year:

Prophet Amos cries out: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24) and so we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity. As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice.

 It goes on to tell us about the symbol for 2023:

The symbol for 2023 is a mighty river. Biodiversity is being lost at a rate not seen since the last mass extinction. The futures of young people are threatened by the cascading impacts of the loss of biodiversity and a changing climate. The urgency grows and we must make visible peace with Earth and on Earth, at the same time that justice calls us to repentance and a change of attitude and actions. As we join the river of justice and peace with others then hope is created instead of despair.

Why is it important to mark the Season of Creation?

• Because of the urgency of climate and ecological crisis and the need for a bold, prophetic response.

• Because of our Gospel call to grow in faith as we affirm that God in Christ loves, redeems, and sustains the whole of Creation, not only human beings.

The Season of Creation Guide goes on to give some detailed information on why it’s important to mark the Season of Creation. The full guide can be found on St Peter’s website, on the Devotions and Resource Page. There is a lot of helpful info included there, that I hope you can further explore in your time of reflection and prayer throughout the coming weeks.

Season of Creation Episcopal Liturgical Guide

And starting on Monday Sept 11-Oct 9, we will have Creation Care Conversations at 11am (on zoom) to talk more about some of the questions and wonderings and challenges that are addressed in this guide.

On Sundays, we will focus on a 5-fold Creation Care Pattern, to guide our time together.  This idea was provided in the Liturgical Guide by The Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, who has oriented her creation care ministry around a four-fold pattern of Pray, Learn, Act, and Advocate approaches for resources and inspiration. To this, it was suggested to add Bless as a fifth approach so that these may be considered as guiding themes for each of five Sundays in the Season.

So, as is important to any time we find ourselves embarking on a new journey, or in the midst of a new season, or as we transition from one place to another, or as we find ourselves, stuck perhaps…wondering, what can I possibly do to have an impact on these urgent needs for all of Creation…we begin this week, on this first Sunday of the Season of Creation, with the reminder to always begin with PRAYER…

To Pray, first…to pray often…to pray without ceasing…to pray for guidance, to pray every time we face hard, difficult, confusing decisions, to pray for forgiveness and insight on how to change our attitude and actions for the good of all Creation, to pray for our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to be opened by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and through the teachings of Jesus, helping us to learn to trust more, in these divine encounters, that can help align ourselves with God’s will, and one another…that can strengthen us, support us, transform us in all we, as the people of God are being called to do together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans today, these opening words give us a strong foundation, and guiding principles to keep in mind, in all our interactions and discussions, as we begin this new journey together, on behalf of all Creation…

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in PRAYER.

Persevere in PRAYER….in all times, in all places, and in all circumstances, and especially now, as we are being called to join the river of justice and peace with others, so that through the love of God, made known to us in Jesus, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, healing will be possible, hope will be created, and all of God’s creation will be renewed and restored as the beloved community, as it was created to be.

 

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in PRAYER.

Rev Julie Platson

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

 

Hymn prayer after sermon: God, creator, source of healing

(Voices Found Hymnal)

 

1        God, creator, source of healing

          here we pray for wholeness and health.

          Guide our work, our thoughts, and feeling,

          guide the sharing of our wealth.

          Give discernment in our decisions

          give compassion in our care;

          reconcile our strife and divisions

          as we search for means to share.

 

2        Jesus, known to friend and seeker

          exercising healer’s art,

          may the strong support the weaker

          showing love with head and heart;

          give fresh energy and purpose

          when unreasoning blocks your grace,

          spare us harm, in danger alert us,

          show the radiance of your face.

 

3        Holy Spirit, bring us wholeness,

          come with your transforming love;

          give us freedom, hope and boldness,

          raise our eyes to see from above;

          shape our systems, institutions,

          clarify our blinded sight,

          as we seek God-given solutions,

          help us greet the just and right.

 

4        Trinity of awe and wonder

          yours the glory, yours the praise.

          Strike our binding chains asunder,

          liberate our cramping ways.

          May our lives reflect your splendour,

          in abundance Lord we ask.

          God, our guide and our befriender,

          give new meaning to our task.

 

 

Sermons for August 27, 2023

13 Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 16/Year A

Collect of the day: Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do

people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others

Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say

that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus

answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this

to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my

church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the

kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you

loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone

that he was the Messiah.

Sermon for August 20, 2023

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A glorious and inexplicable revelation of a light and love too deep for words…

Transfiguration Sunday/August 6, 2023

Psalm 99; Exodus 34:29-35; Luke 9:28-36

 

Opening Prayer: (from A New Zealand Prayer Book)

God of glory, you gave the vision of your Son to those who watched on the mountain; grant that by our glimpses of him we may be changed into his glorious likeness; for he is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever. Amen.

Today, we celebrate a major Feast Day of the church calendar, The Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. And every year, on August 6th, we hear a version of today’s gospel about Jesus’ radical change of appearance while in the presence of Peter, James, and John, on a high mountain. The Transfiguration revealed Christ’s glory (his divinity) prior to the crucifixion, and it anticipated his resurrection and ascension. And in the description of this feast day in the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, it is noted that it may have given strength and comfort to his disciples in the difficult times that followed. (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/transfiguration-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-the/)

The past couple of weeks, I’ve been talking a lot about setting aside time for prayer, that begins by settling into stillness and quiet reflection with Jesus at the center of our morning and evening prayers and scripture reading time. And just last week, I spoke about our need to set aside time and space to connect with the Holy Spirit, the gift Jesus promised would be given to us, as he prepared his disciples for the time he would no longer be with them/us…Jesus assured them that they/we would not be left alone without a helper to get through our sometimes difficult moments that all of us face throughout our lifetimes…and that we would be sent the Holy Spirit, an Advocate, a comforter, a helper, to be with us for ever…

And I shared with you that I believe one way we can connect and tap into the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit, is by pausing from our time of doing and allow ourselves to “just be.”.  Stop ourselves from running from God and the quiet, and run to God, and allow our hearts to be still…allow our hearts to remember…that it is the Spirit that helps us in our weakness…the Spirit which intercedes for us...with sighs too deep for words…

As my heart and mind turn to today’s gospel reading…I’m still thinking about Paul’s words last week in relation to prayer…. that it is the Spirit that helps us in our weakness…the Spirit which intercedes for us...with sighs too deep for words…

I’m thinking about the Transfiguration story today as another Holy Spirit infused moment in prayer, that is not only described with sighs too deep for words…but as a glorious and inexplicable revelation of a light and love too deep for words…

As I contemplate this story:

I’m thinking about Jesus…who took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

I’m wondering what they were praying about…

I’m thinking about what Peter, John, and James witnessed that day in their time of prayer with Jesus on the mountain… as they looked upon Jesus and watched the appearance of his face change, and his clothes become dazzling white….as they were left speechless for a moment when he was transfigured before the eyes..

I’m thinking about what a glorious gift Jesus gave to them on the mountain top…a gift that could not be contained in 3 shelters…but a gift, a vision, that would keep giving them hope, comfort and peace…long after Jesus would no longer be with them during their earthly days.

I’m thinking about Peter, who so desperately wanted to use words to help make sense of what was happening…perhaps, in light of a recent conversation and reminder from Jesus…that the day would be coming soon, that he would no longer be with him and the others.

I’m thinking about what a terrifying and confounding experience it must have been for Peter, John, and James to hear that booming voice from the cloud say, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

I’m thinking about the many, many times, that Jesus was encouraging those who gathered around him, to listen to him…to not get caught up in the messages that the world was continually throwing out at them, despairing and discouraging news and promoting false promises that would lead them further and further away from believing that there is a loving God, who cares about them, and all of creation…

I’m thinking about that profound silence that surrounded Jesus, and Peter, and John, and James after the words were spoken so loudly from the cloud, and I’m thinking about the silence of the days following when the disciples were all alone again and wondering about that time of prayer and all that they had just experienced on that mountain with Jesus…

I’m thinking, especially today, about our times of silence and what it means to listen deeply and patiently without the need to respond with words right away to everything we see or hear in our own lives… and I wonder if Jesus keeps trying to get through to you and I…that it is in those sacred pauses, without words and between words, that the love of God, made known to us in Christ Jesus, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit…is more fully and deeply embedded in our hearts and lives…giving us all that we need to walk through this life together as a people of hope for all that is present in our lives now…and for what is yet to come…

Setting aside time for prayer… with sighs too deep for words…and to allow our hearts and minds to be open to witnessing those glorious and inexplicable revelations of a light and love too deep for words that have the power to transfigure and transform us and our lives together, too...means setting aside time to turn once again, and again to God, as we look upon the face of Jesus...whose light and love reveals God’s glory and grace and love so beautifully, and so fully.

 

Hymn prayer after sermon: (#97 – Maranatha! Music Praise Chorus Book)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Amen.

 

Rev Julie Platson

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

The Spirit intercedes for us…with sighs too deep for words

9th Sunday after Pentecost/July 30, 2023

Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

 

Opening Prayer:

Breathe in, the Holy Spirit of God…Breathe out, the concerns of the day…

Breathe in, the Holy Spirit of God…Breathe out, the words that get in the way…

Breathe in, the Holy Spirit of God…Breathe out, the transforming love and peace of Jesus Christ…Amen

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus puts before us another parable, and another, and another, and another, and another…little nuggets of teaching…to continue to open up the eyes, ears, hearts and minds of those wondering and wrestling with “what the kingdom of heaven is like”, “what the kingdom of God is like…”

And I believe, it’s the gift of the Holy Spirit, that can help us, as we strive to hear and make sense of the Word of the Lord…as we strive to listen more deeply to understand what the Spirit of God is saying to us, today, and every day…when we enter into a time of prayer with our scriptures, in our daily prayers, and in our times of silence…

So, this morning, I’m going to focus on the reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans…that speaks a bit about the Spirit…

Anybody here ever feel like you just don’t know how to pray? Ever feel like you just don’t have the right words or the right intentions? Ever feel like your prayers are not effective…or perhaps you’ve reached a point where you just don’t know how to pray or what to pray for anymore…

We can stress ourselves out pretty good trying to be faithful in our prayers…sometimes we come to that point, where we feel like the well-being of all those in our circle of life depend on our prayers, alone…sometimes our prayers eventually become just another thing on our to-do list, but perhaps even more distressing, our prayer life becomes a burden on us…instead of a life-giving practice, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to bring comfort, to bring peace of heart and mind, to help guide us and strengthen us to support one another and unite us to one another, through the love of God in Christ Jesus…in this life…and in the life yet to come…

Let’s take a look at the what the opening verses in the letter of Paul to the Romans says about the Holy Spirit…“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”  Romans 8:26

Spirit…The Spirit helps us in our weakness…The Spirit intercedes for us…with sighs too deep for words…

Has the Spirit been a part of your prayer life? Or have you noticed that you’ve been hurrying through your prayers to get on to the next thing, or perhaps trying hard to find the perfect words you think you have to say, forgetting for a moment, that the Holy Spirit, the advocate, the comforter, is deeply present in your heart, always there, ready to be called upon for strength, direction, comfort, and peace…

Do you set aside a time of silence before you begin your prayers and throughout your prayer time… to tap into the presence of the Holy Spirit?

If not…perhaps, the Spirit…is the missing piece...waiting to be tapped into…Perhaps, we have forgotten for a moment that we say we believe in a Triune God…God as Father, God as Son, and God as Holy Spirit…and that the Holy Spirit was the promise given to us by Jesus, as he prepared his disciples for the time he would no longer be with them…he assured them that they/we would not be left alone without a helper to get through our sometimes difficult moments that all of us face throughout our lifetimes…and that we would be sent the Holy Spirit, an Advocate, a comforter, a helper, to be with us for ever…

So, how do we connect with this Spirit? I believe that we connect with Spirit, when we just stop and pay attention to what is present now in this moment…stop ourselves from “doing” and allow ourselves to “just be”. Stop ourselves from running from God and the quiet, and run to God, and allow our hearts to be still…allow our hearts to remember…that it is the Spirit that helps us in our weakness…the Spirit which intercedes for us...with sighs too deep for words…

Throughout the gospels, we have been given numerous illustrations of Jesus’ prayer life in which he stopped what he was doing, to go off and “be” with God…He knew the importance of being renewed and strengthened by the One who gave him the strength and the power to do the work he was being called to do…

Think about how energized and encouraged you feel sometimes after you talk to a good friend or family member… you may start off the conversation feeling pretty down and tired and exhausted from day to day life and responsibilities, worries, etc….You have the opportunity to talk about what’s on your mind, share your thoughts and feelings… and the most amazing thing that happens during this conversation, is the quiet listening presence on the other end of the phone…there are no words, no judgements, no advice, just silence, and a “deep sigh”, and a profound realization that you are not alone…this person listened…they understand…. They gave you the strength and courage to go on…

And so, it is with the Spirit and our prayers…We have a friend and helper, when it comes time for our prayers and discerning what’s next…we don’t always have the “words” we are looking for, and we don’t always need them…but with the Spirit…it is often in the deep sighs where we find the greatest strength, guidance, comfort and healing, and peace…

Let us pray:

Hymn prayer after sermon: (#82 – Marantha Praise Chorus Book)

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Amen.

 

 

Rev Julie Platson

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

we are called to be quick to love... - July 23 sermon

8th Sunday after Pentecost/ July 23, 2023

Psalm 86:11-17; Isaiah 44:6-8; Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

 

Opening Prayer: (from H424)

Thanks be to God, For the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us, most of all, that love has found us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Last week, I shared a little bit about the 2nd Mark of Mission: Teach/Learn as adapted by Bishop Mark Lattime, in his call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska, to a time of renewal and growth in discipleship through the Five Marks of Mission. In the 2nd Mark of Mission, he encourages us to commit at least 15 minutes each day to reading and praying on the Gospel Lesson assigned for Morning or Evening Prayer.

Today’s parable of the weeds and the wheat is definitely one of those gospel readings that we could spend at least 15 minutes on…And even if we spent way more than 15 minutes reading and praying with it…the good news into today’s gospel reading might still leave you scratching your head, and a bit confounded by how Jesus explains the parable.

One of the other resources that I didn’t share with you last week, that might be particularly helpful with these kinds of challenging scriptures and parables, was “A Disciple’s Prayer Book”. Many of you are familiar with it and have used it in various ways over the years. It’s a simple format to use, for your own reflection on the gospel reading for the day. And can be even better, when you gather with at least one other person, to go through the short prayer time, with a focus on the Gospel reading for the day.

The opening prayer for the daily reflection time always begins with The Gathering Prayer: Creator, we give you thanks for all you are and all you bring to us for our visit within your creation. In Jesus, you place the Gospel in the center of this sacred circle through which all of creation is related. You show us the way to a compassionate life. Give us your strength to live together with respect and commitment as we grow in your spirit, for you are God, now and forever. Amen.

I think the prayer gives us a super helpful tip: that our focus in the Gospel reading, is on Jesus.

Next, you read a psalm of praise, and then you do a slow reading of the Gospel of the Day. Not once, but three different times, often using three different translations. And after each time of reading it, you pause for a time, and then reflect and respond to the reading with question dedicated to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd reading of it.

After reading the first time, the question is: What word(s), idea(s), or sentence(s) stand out for you in the Gospel of the Day?

A few things that stood out for me, on the first reading this week was: the kingdom of heaven may be compared to, while everybody was asleep, the plants came up, as well as the weeds, let them grow together, the field is the world, angels will be sent, all causes of sin, shine like the sun in the kingdom….

After reading the second time, the question is: What is Jesus (the Gospel) saying to you?

Some things that came to mind for me when I read through it a second time: Jesus tells us, that in God’s kingdom, we grow together. There is no us vs them. It’s God’s seed of love being scattered for everyone. In every one of us, our hearts are overgrown with weeds sometimes…because of stress, sorrow, anger, fear…and we sometimes want to react and judge one another in a way that deems them unworthy of God’s love, compassion, and mercy. We forget that God loves every person that we will ever meet. And that truth confounds us. We can’t fathom that much of the time, especially when we think about the hateful and horrifying ways that people treat one another, at times.

We forget sometimes, that we ourselves, have held some hatred, contempt and judgment in our own hearts, and were often given many, many chances to grow and learn and begin again, through the realization of God’s love for us, made known to us through the loving and caring presence and actions of another person, who didn’t give up on us, when the world was quick to judge us and give up on us.

After reading the third time, the question is: What is Jesus (the Gospel) calling you to do?

 A line from today’s psalm made me think of Jesus’ words today: “But, you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.”

I think Jesus is calling me to be quick to love, instead of quick to judge.

I think meditating and praying with the gospel readings on a regular basis, individually and with others…will help us do that…following Jesus in a way of love that calls us to be quick to love, instead of quick to judge.

And I think when we can practice doing that, it will help us when we take a look at the question posed in Bishop Mark’s adaption of the 1st Mark of Mission which is to Tell…he encourages us to pray and reflect on our individual relationship with Jesus and to prepare a simple, from the heart, answer to the question, “Why is my hope/faith/love with Jesus Christ?” And as you are comfortable, share that statement of hope, faith, and love with someone else.

If you are so moved, I invite you to pray and think about this question, and write down your answer on a sheet of paper, then bring it with you next week, place it in the offering plate when you arrive, and we will lift up a prayer of thanks and gratitude to God, for the gift of Jesus Christ, who gives us hope, renews and strengthens our faith, and helps us to be quick to love God, and one another.

In a world, where everything seems to be speeding up, more and more…and with people being so quick to label and judge everything that happens in our lives…I invite you to hurry up to slow down and give thanks to God for the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us, and most of all, that love, God’s love has found us. And we are all worthy of God’s gracious love and compassion, and kindness – Thanks be to God!

Hymn prayer after sermon: (H) 424 For the fruit of all creation

For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God.

For these gifts to ev’ry nation, thanks be to God.

For the plowing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping,

future needs in earth’s safekeeping, thanks be to God.

 

In the just reward of labor, God’s will be done.

In the help we give our neighbor, God’s will be done.

In our worldwide task of caring for the hungry and despairing,

in the harvests we are sharing, God’s will be done.

 

For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God.

For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.

For the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us,

most of all, that love has found us, thanks be to God.

 

 

Rev Julie Platson

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

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.