5th Sunday in the Season of Creation: BLESS

18 Pentecost/Year A/5th Sunday in the Season of Creation: BLESS

(Pray, Learn, Act, Advocate, Bless)

Oct 1, 2023

Philippians 2:1-13; Psalm 25:1-8; Luke 12: 22-32 (from St Francis’ feast day)

Opening words: Show us your ways, O God, and teach us your paths…

On this 5th and final Sunday in the Season of Creation, we pause to reflect on the theme of “BLESS” this week.

The Season of Creation series that we’ve been participating in these past few weeks officially ends on October 4th.

Today’s gospel reading that we just heard, is the gospel reading assigned for the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, which many churches will observe on the actual day, Oct 4, or today or in the next week sometime, and will most likely include a Blessing of the Animals as part of their services. If you’ve brought your pet with you this morning, we will have a blessing of the pets, immediately following each service today.

Most people associate Francis with his love of animals, and his praise and thanksgiving to God for all of creation, as is beautifully written by him in, “The Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon”. In our 1982 Hymnal, hymn #406 captures a beautiful version of this Song of Praise and Blessing.

Francis comes to mind for many, as we often read the prayer attributed to St Francis on page 833 (in the BCP) – Lord, make us instruments of your peace…

But, the description about Francis that may be lesser known to many, can be found in the lesser feasts and fasts publications…In this episcopal church resource, we learn about his early years, and a time of radical transformation that shaped his faith and the way he looked upon the people and the world around him…and how his faith and prayer life shaped the way he lived out his life in relationship with all of God’s creation…

Listen to an excerpt from that…

Francis, the son of a prosperous merchant of Assisi, was born in 1182. His early youth was spent in harmless revelry and fruitless attempts to win military glory. Various encounters with beggars and lepers pricked the young man’s conscience, however, and he decided to embrace a life devoted to Lady Poverty. Despite his father’s intense opposition, Francis totally renounced all material values and devoted himself to serve the poor. In 1210, Pope Innocent III confirmed the simple Rule for the Order of Friars Minor, a name Francis chose to emphasize his desire to be numbered among the “least” of God’s servants. His last years were spent in much suffering of body and spirit, but his unconquerable joy never failed.

His unconquerable joy never failed…I believe, because his faith was continually teaching him and reminding him that wherever he looked, he could find signs of God’s blessing being poured out upon all of God’s creation…

In the midst of a life where he dared to renounce all material values according to worldly standards, and serve his most vulnerable neighbors, trusting that God, through the hands and feet and actions of himself, and all those who would join with him, in serving the most vulnerable among them…his faith was continually teaching him and reminding him that wherever he looked, he could find signs of God’s blessing being poured out upon all of God’s creation…

I look to his story, his whole life story, as we have heard about it so far…and I find hope in his witness…and in the words of today’s Gospel reading…that….

In all our times of trial and worry about all the material needs and the overwhelming issues always before us…we need only look all around us in the gift of Creation, and in the changing seasons throughout the year, to see where time and time again, we can be reminded that even when we are not sure, even when life seems overwhelming, even when we can’t see it or believe it ourselves yet -we can hold onto the hope and trust that God has always been present, always caring, always providing, always acting, always advocating on behalf of all creation…

In the beginning, God was.

Here and now, God is.

In the future, God will be.

It’s up to us now, the time is now, for us to share this good news with those who struggle with seeing themselves in God’s beloved story and included in the embrace of God’s love and blessing. And this includes our island home and all fellow creatures that we share our breath and daily life with…

Like Jesus, like Francis, we are called to pay attention to all of God’s people, all of God’s creation…

And as we continue to grow in our faith, through the practice of praying, learning, acting, and advocating on behalf of all of God’s people, all of God’s creation…we can hold onto the promise and the resurrection hope, that following Jesus in the way of love and life Jesus has taught us and shown us, and remembering the examples of St Francis, and all the other every day saints who walked before us, will lead to the healing and reconciliation and restoration of life for all of God’s creation.

Show us your ways, O God, and teach us your paths that lead to your abundant blessings showing forth in all of creation, and in the lives of all we will meet on our earthly pilgrimage…

Let us pray: Hymn prayer after sermon: Bless now - Voices Found, #142

1        Bless now, O God, the journey that all your people make,

          the path through noise and silence, the way of give and take.

          The trail is found in desert and winds the mountain round,

          then leads beside still waters, the road where faith is found.

2        Bless sojourners and pilgrims who share this winding way,

          whose hope burns through the terrors, whose love sustains the day.

          We yearn for holy freedom while often we are bound.

          Together we are seeking the road where faith is found.

3        Divine Eternal Lover, (Creator)You meet us on the road.

          We wait for land of promise where milk and honey flow.

          But waiting not for places, You meet us all around.

          Our covenant is written on roads, as faith is found.

Rev Julie Platson

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

*TODAY’S FINAL BLESSING:

Go forth now to care for God’s world.

Use resources wisely. Share your knowledge.

Sacrifice where necessary.

Live in harmony with all creation.

Go out into all the world as prophets of a new way of

living and preach the good news to all.

And the blessing of the Creator God, the Risen Son,

and the Promised Holy Spirit bless you

that you might be a blessing to others

today and always. Amen.

• BLESSING: Prayer from “Prayers for the Planet” at a service at Hinde StreetMethodist Church, London, before the Climate March, December 2005, as published in Season of Creation 2 (Green Anglicans, the Anglican Church of Southern African Environmental Network, 2012)

4th Sunday in the Season of Creation: ADVOCATE

17 Pentecost/Year A/4th Sunday in the Season of Creation: ADVOCATE

(Pray, Learn, Act, Advocate, Bless)

 September 24, 2023

Philippians 1:21-30; Psalm 145:1-8; Matthew 20:1-16

Opening Prayer: (adapted from A Litany for the Earth, Form A)

Creator God, you call us into being. Inspire us with your extravagant generosity, and sustain us with hope in resurrection life. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of all Creation. Amen.

On this 4th Sunday in the Season of Creation, we pause to reflect on the theme of “ADVOCATE” this week.

In the past few weeks, we’ve touched upon the themes of prayer, learn, and act so far as they relate to the gospel readings assigned in this Season of Creation. The gospel readings, more specifically Jesus’ teachings on what it means to be a follower of Christ these past few weeks, have been some of the more difficult ones for his listeners to grasp. And we have been challenged to think about what it means to be a follower of Jesus, as we are called to be instruments of healing and reconciliation for all God’s people, and for the healing and restoration of all God’s creation.

In the sermons these past few weeks, we’ve wondered aloud and explored how it is that prayer, and learning from creation using all of our senses, can help us better understand and discern how to take that difficult first step in following Jesus in the way of love and life he is advocating for... through the action of turning and returning over and over again to the source of all Creation, by centering our hearts, minds, and lives on the life-giving, life-liberating love of God made known to us in Jesus…

Even when we don’t fully comprehend what Jesus is talking about, even when his teachings are such that it turns upside down everything the church, the world and its people have taught us over the years, even in those times we would rather just walk away from the hard truths and needs right before us that are evident in the people, in all of creation that we share this planet with, even when all of this seems overwhelming…we can hold onto the promise and the resurrection hope, that following Jesus in the way of love and life Jesus is advocating for, will lead to the healing and reconciliation and restoration of life for all of God’s creation.

I hope you have noticed so far that none of these themes, to pray, learn, and act are stand-alone concepts.

And as we touch upon the theme of advocate this morning as it relates to the gospel reading and the Season of Creation – I hope you will see how being an advocate for God, being an advocate for our loved ones, our children, our grandchildren, being an advocate for our neighbors, being an advocate for all of Creation…is another one of those critical links, not a stand-alone concept, that is needed to bind us to one another, under the banner of God’s generous love for everyone and for all of creation.

In today’s gospel reading, there are a variety of ways this story could be told or interpreted…from the perspective of the landowner, the early morning laborers, the manager, the laborers hired throughout the day, and at the end of the day.

Yet, in any story that we read, or listen to, we most often view it or hear it through our own lived experiences, our own “backstories”. Take a moment right now to think about any reactions or feelings that came up for you when you heard this parable of the workers in the vineyard this morning. Who or what do you think you most identified with in the story? Which part perhaps rubbed you the wrong way?

Now take a moment to imagine some other peoples’ reactions to the story, other peoples’ lived experiences or perspective on this same story that we all just heard… Are you able to open up your mind and heart just a bit to consider and welcome their perspective on the story? Their backstory, that we really don’t have all the details, as of yet. If not, what’s holding you back?

In Jesus’ parable today, Jesus begins the story by saying, “the kingdom of heaven is like”…And as the story unfolds, he invites us to pay attention to the whole story, to pay attention to the needs and perspectives of all people, of all creation, and most especially to be an advocate for the voices that are often silenced or pushed aside, and most especially to be an advocate for all of creation, who is crying out every day to be cared for, honored, healed and restored, so that all God’s people, so that all of God’s Creation, will share in the benefits of God’s generous love for everyone, and for all of creation.

The challenge before us, in seeking to understand what the “kingdom of heaven on earth is like”, is to first acknowledge and accept that there are other voices crying out in the room to be heard, voices that are not speaking from the same lived experience as you and I; there are other forgotten people, who are passed by every hour of the day, who have been judged unfairly as not being worthy of respect and stripped of their human dignity; there are those who are regularly not invited to the table or invited early on to help with the decision-making and work of the day…and when they are…their words and offer to help are often brushed aside.

Creation is calling out for her voice to be heard. We can’t ignore her pleas any longer.

Our children are calling out for their voices to be heard. We can’t ignore their pleas for us all to take actions now, to reverse the harm and destruction that threatens their livable planet, long after most of us have passed on.

As adults, as parents and grandparents, as aunts and uncles, we advocate on behalf of our children’s needs every day.  The care and protection of creation is one of the greatest needs we must advocate for, on behalf of the children among us now, and their children’s children, and their children’s children, and all those in generations to come.

We advocate for them and their future when we advocate for all of creation’s needs.

Here’s a simple plan to get us started as we begin this 4th week in the Season of Creation…

We begin with prayer, with all of our senses we can learn about the ways we can do this together, we can discern ways, together, that we are being called to act on behalf of all creation, and we can pay attention to the gaps, the broken links, and we can advocate for all of creation, who is crying out every day to be cared for, honored, healed and restored, so that all God’s people, so that all of God’s Creation, will share in the benefits of God’s generous love for everyone, and for all of creation.

Let us pray: Hymn prayer after sermon: Here Am I, Send Me/Lift Every Voice and Sing II, #126

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

***PHOTO TAKEN BY LIZ FINN - SEE HOUSE GARDENS/SEPT 23,2023

3rd Sunday in the Season Creation: ACT

16 Pentecost/Year A/3rd Sunday in the Season of Creation: ACT

(Pray, Learn, Act, Advocate, Bless)

September 17, 2023

Genesis 50:15-21; Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13; Matthew 18:21-35               

Opening Prayer:  Called to be God’s partners in the care of the planet (Prayer from The Book of Occasional Services 2018, 339)

Bountiful God, you call us to labor with you in tending the earth: Where we lack love, open our hearts to the world; where we waste, give us discipline to conserve; where we neglect, awaken our minds and wills to insight and care. May we with all your creatures honor and serve you in all things for you live and reign with Christ, Redeemer of all, and with your Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

On this third Sunday in the Season of Creation, we pause to reflect on the theme of “ACT” this week. And today’s scriptures invite us to consider this theme in relationship to the topic of forgiveness. Not forgiveness as the world defines it, and acts or doesn’t act upon it, but forgiveness as Jesus has taught us and shown us. Forgiveness that creates a space for healing to happen, not only between human beings, but for the healing and restoration of all creation.

Peter, once again, this week…is wrestling with understanding Jesus’ teachings on what it means to be a disciple of Christ. He asks the question this week, How often should I forgive, How many times must I forgive?

Jesus answers him, effectively telling him…that there is no set number.

That forgiveness, as Jesus is talking about, is a daily practice of re-orienting our hearts, and minds, and lives, beyond the confines of our learned and stubborn human ways and systems, to help us imagine a new way of being in relationship with God, each other, and all of creation.

A new way out of the confines of human minds and limitations, to imagine all the multitude of possibilities and opportunities for healing for all God’s people and all of creation.

What’s the change of heart and mind needed? How do we re-orient our lives around Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness?

We begin again and again with prayer…a prayer that can open up our minds and hearts to learn more, to consider a new way of being in the world with God and each other and all of creation.…prayer that asks for forgiveness for things done and left undone…and prayer to help us move from just learning about something, and just talking about something, to taking that first step, a simple action, with a “yes”, I will try that new hard thing, even though it’s not convenient or in my comfort zone, even though my mind currently says it makes no sense…even though it would seem easier to just walk away, and let someone else take care of it…

Every one of us is called to be God’s partner in the care of our planet and the healing and restoration of all of creation. All of us.

And the best way to help us discern, where to even begin…is through the action of turning and returning over and over again to the source of all Creation, by centering our hearts, minds, and lives on the life-giving, life-liberating love of God made known to us in Jesus…

And in today’s teachings about forgiveness, we are reminded that it is the love, compassion, mercy, and grace of God is that KEY touchstone along the way, that can help us forgive as we have been forgiven, that can help us love as we have been loved, that can help us heal as we have been healed…and to help us move from prayer, to learning, to taking actions that will lead to the healing and restoration of all God’s people, for all God’s creation.

Looking forward, as we begin the 3rd week in the Season of Creation: begin each new day with prayer, asking for forgiveness for the ways in which we, individually and communally, have contributed to the harm and destruction of God’s beloved creation, and then through the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, choose at least one simple action that you can take this week, on behalf of healing our planet…

Let us pray: Hymn prayer after sermon: An Evening Prayer

Lift Every Voice and Sing II, #176

1        If I have wounded any soul today,

          If I have caused one foot to go astray,

          If I have walked in my own willful way,

                    Dear Lord, forgive!

2        If I have uttered idle words or vain,

          If I have turned aside from want or pain,

          Lest I offend some other through the strain,

                    Dear Lord, forgive!

3        If I have been perverse, or hard, or cold,

          If I have longed for shelter in the fold,

          When thou hast given me some fort to hold,

                    Dear Lord, forgive!

4        Forgive the sins I have confessed to thee;

          Forgive the secret sins I do not see;

          O guide me, love me, and my keeper be.

                    Dear Lord, forgive!

          Amen.

Rev Julie Platson

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

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.

August 13 2023 sunday sermon

Enjoy this weekend’s sermon shared at St Peter’s by the Sea!

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