Good Shepherd Sunday Sermon

4 Easter/Year B - April 21, 2024

Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

Opening Prayer:  — written by Thom Shuman on Lectionary Liturgies

Day by day, God leads us: to the deep, deep pools of peace, to the green, lush lawns of grace. Day by day, Jesus calls us: to pour out ourselves in service, to anoint the stranger with hope. Day by day, the Holy Spirit shows us: the community we could be, the family we are called to become. Amen.

We are still journeying through the season of Easter…And on this 4th Sunday of Easter…every year…we set it aside as Good Shepherd Sunday…each year, we listen to a different part of chapter 10 in the gospel of John, that speaks about sheep and Jesus as the Good Shepherd…and every year, on this 4th Sunday of Easter, we read together psalm 23…

This psalm, to many, is comforting, especially in the setting of a funeral service, when it is most often read and heard…And it makes sense…because in our funeral services, the scriptures we listen to…are Easter related scriptures…we focus on the comfort and hope we find in Jesus’ resurrection, and how our belief in his resurrection, gives us hope not only for today…but for the days ahead…for the future that we cannot fully grasp just yet…

That’s why, for me…I love that we read this psalm together every year, outside of a funeral service…it’s a good reminder for us…to go back to the basics and core of what we believe…that we have a God that walks with us, all the days of our lives…A God that loves us, leads us, guides us, revives our weary spirits, comforts us, gives us hope in times of trouble, and assures us that in life and death…we can trust and believe that God’s goodness and mercy follows us, is with us, for this life…and for the future we cannot fully grasp just yet…

I think praying psalm 23…is a wonderful way to start the day…a daily prayer that can ground us and strengthen us…to be able to answer the call and commandment to love one another and serve one another, as Jesus has taught us…as the Holy Spirit, seeks to show us, and empower us to work together, to reach out to those in need in our communities, to continually seek ways to provide encouragement to those who are lonely, oppressed by society, in need of healing, guidance, and a sense of belonging…

And when I say a sense of “belonging”…I don’t mean that we want to welcome someone into some exclusive club…but to seek ways to truly welcome one another in love…a love that transcends our divisions; a love that shows us another way to deal with conflict without violence, without exclusion; a love that comforts and heals, and transforms us and reconciles us to one another…through a way of living that shows, not only in word and speech, but through truth and action - that we all belong…and that we will not cease in striving for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being…

Our neighbors, near and far, are crying out to be heard…to be seen…to be loved…to believe in something greater than the everyday violence, war, divisions, hunger crisis’, and exclusions from life-affirming care that many experience on a daily basis…

What you and I believe personally, what we believe about a God that loves us, and is truly with us always, is important…and praying psalm 23 can help us strengthen that relationship with God and affirm what we believe…

But it’s not meant to just transform me, and my life…I think of it as the cornerstone upon which we are called to build up the community of love around us…This love of God, made known to us through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, is meant to be shared…and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to do that…

I don’t know about you, but for me, some days, it is hard to envision a brighter future for all God’s children, when we are witness to the heart-wrenching ways God’s people treat one another, day after day…

But it is precisely in those moments of doubt and feeling overwhelmed, that I begin again, by focusing on the hope we can find in Jesus’ resurrection, and how our belief in his resurrection, can give us hope not only for today…but for the days ahead…for the future that we cannot fully envision or grasp just yet…

The Lord is my Shepherd…This I believe. The Lord is our Shepherd. What do we believe as the body of Christ, here in Sitka…and across the borders of lands and waters? This is an important question to ask ourselves from time to time to discern what we believe, and how we are being called to truth and action, here and now, in this time and in this place…

During this month of April, Child Abuse Awareness Month, I ask you to pray for our children growing up in violent times, pray for those who have been abused, and traumatized on daily basis…. Pray for the day that our children won’t be witness to so much violence in their lives…Pray and discern how God may be calling you to truth and action so that all children may be surrounded by an abundance of love that will help them to grow and flourish, as the beloved child of God, they were created to be from the very beginning.

May God’s Holy Spirit shows us the community we could be, the family we are called to become…and equip us with the boldness to love one another, not just in word and speech, but in truth and action…for this day…and for the future of God’s beloved kingdom, for the future of all God’s beloved children, here on earth, as in heaven.

Prayer/Hymn after sermon: Be a shepherd for my flock - Voices Found, #100

                    Be a shepherd for my flock. Feed them richly on my word.

                    Show them shelter in the storm, for I call you to serve.

1        With a mother’s tender love, care for all who need to hear

          they can run into my arms. Ease every fear. Refrain

2        To the blinded bring my light, to the weary my rest,

          to the poor abundant life forever blest. Refrain

3        Take my message to the world. Keep the stories ever new.

          Sing my truth, dance my joy. I’ll carry you. Refrain

Be a shepherd for my flock, #100 from Voices Found — Words: Traditional Nigerian. Music: Jane McAlister Pope. Words and Music: Copyright © 1998 Jane McAlister Pope. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

2nd Sunday of Easter Sermon

2nd Sunday of Easter/April 7, 2024

Today’s sermon by Chip Camden

Readings: Psalm 133, Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31

Our gospel lesson from John tells us the story of two post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, occurring one week apart on successive Sundays.  The first of these Sundays was the evening after the resurrection -- the same day that Mary Magdalene had reported to the disciples that she had seen the risen Christ that morning at the tomb.  That evening, although the disciples have gathered behind locked doors, Jesus appears in their midst, greets them, and shows them his wounds.  Then the disciples rejoice to see him.  The order in which this is told seems to imply that they didn't really see him for who he was until they saw his wounds.  In the parallel account in Luke, the disciples initially think that they are seeing a ghost.  When Jesus shows them his hands and his feet in that account, he makes a point of demonstrating that they are made of flesh and bone.  While the disciples are still having trouble believing it, he goes on to eat something, proving that his risen body is truly physical.  They needed to be convinced.

Is it any wonder, then, that in John's account when the disciples report this appearance to Thomas (who was not present), he has trouble believing them?  They tell him that they have seen Jesus’ wounds, but who knows, maybe they were having a mass hallucination?  Thomas wants to see this for himself.  Not only that, he doesn't want to trust his eyes alone.  He wants to feel the wounds with his hands -- and really feel them.  Our English translation has Thomas say that he wants to "put" his finger in the mark of the nails and his hand in Jesus' side.  But the Greek word used here is βαλλω (ballo) - literally, to "throw" or "thrust".  Thomas wants to go deep in order to be sure.

The following Sunday, the disciples are gathered as before, but this time Thomas is with them.  Jesus appears, as before, and immediately addresses Thomas.  "Bring your finger over here... bring your hand and thrust it into my side" (using the same verb, ballo, that Thomas had used) "and don't become faithless, but rather faithful."

We aren't told whether Thomas followed through on those actions.  The narrative seems to indicate that he didn't need to.  For him, seeing Jesus was enough after all.  He immediately exclaims, "my Lord and my God!"  This reminds me of Job's encounter with God.  After about forty chapters of demanding that God would respond to his complaint, when God finally shows up Job needs no further response: "but now my eyes see you" says Job, and that settles everything.

Jesus says to Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

So many interpreters have taken this as a criticism of Thomas' faith.  "You made it across the line, Thomas, but you could have done better.  Real faith is believing without any evidence whatsoever.  Try harder next time."  Interpretations like that have done a great deal of harm, by casting faith as a kind of spiritual performance that can be measured and graded.  I don't think that is what is meant here at all.

First of all, to whom is Jesus referring when he talks about "those who have not seen and have believed".  Certainly not the other disciples!  They've seen the risen Christ at least twice as many times as Thomas has, and they took more convincing when they did.  Is anyone else in this story believing without seeing?

The past tense of the verbs here could be taken to indicate the prophets and all those who believed that a Christ would come, but never saw that happen in their lifetime.  The great chapter on faith in the epistle to the Hebrews refers to "these all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn't receive the promise" of the coming Messiah.  But I think in our present narrative the reference is really to all of us who would come to faith in Christ after the apostles -- the same group referred to in I Peter 1:8, "[Jesus Christ,] whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don't see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

To underscore this idea, John tells us in the next two verses that "Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name."  Even we aren't asked to believe without any evidence -- John's gospel seeks to be at least some of the evidence that we need by providing a vicarious experience of the living Christ.

Jesus did not withhold the evidence from Thomas that he needed, and God does not require blind faith from us either.  God only requires the faith that we're capable of.  For thirty years, after becoming fed up with hypocrisy and harmful doctrines in my experience of Christianity, I became an agnostic in theory and an atheist in practice.  I never rose to the hubris of declaring that there is no God, but I tried to live as if that were the case.  During those years, I often thought that if there were a God, surely God must honor honest doubts.  Surely God would not be gratified by a pretense of belief.  There is a kind of doubt that is also a pretense -- a doubt that seeks to end the conversation because it doesn't want to know the truth.  But there is also a kind of doubt that says, "I don't know if I can believe that to be the truth, but I want to know what is the truth."  That kind of doubt has more in common with true faith than the so-called faith without question in what you're supposed to believe. 

After thirty years, God gave me the answer I needed -- possibly the only answer that would work for me.  God wonderfully revealed to me just how mistaken I could be about things, and that opened a new realm of possibility that I began to explore.  Thus my faith grew out of questioning my assumptions, rather than relying on them.  God meets each of us where we are. 

Honesty equals humility.  If we honestly admit our doubts instead of posing as spiritual giants who have none, then we open ourselves in humility to the real working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  May we have the courage of Thomas, Job, and countless others who have faced their doubts head on.  God will arrive, bringing a better faith.

According to tradition, Thomas later traveled to India as its first missionary and was martyred there.  There is still a Christian denomination in that region of India that claims direct succession from Thomas.  One of its members emigrated as a child with her family to the United States.  She eventually joined the Episcopal Church, and we became friends when I lived in Palo Alto.  She has become one of the most beloved Christian authors of our time.  Her name is Debie Thomas, and she has a new book out entitled, "A Faith of Many Rooms: Inhabiting a More Spacious Christianity."  It even contains a chapter on the Apostle Thomas.  I highly recommend it.

Palm Sunday Reflection before the Passion Reading

March 24, 2024/The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Liturgy of the Palms Gospel: Mark 11:1-11

Opening Prayer: Jesus, when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation. Grant that when the shouting dies, we may still walk beside you even to a cross. Amen. (NZPB)

Every year, when the church gathers together for worship on the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week…the celebration always invokes a dizzying array of emotions as we listen first to the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the waving of palm branches and shouting hosannas…that quickly changes to a more somber note, as we listen to the reading of the Passion Gospel…the scriptures that heartbreakingly remind us of Jesus’ final week that led to his suffering and death on the cross on Good Friday. Yet, we know, on this side of history, that death did not have the final say…because, as we will be reminded in the scriptures next Sunday –just three days later, the tone changes quickly, once again, with the joyous news of Jesus’ resurrection that we proclaim on Easter day….Alleluia! Christ is Risen…the Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Yet for today…we begin again…as we recall, remember, reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross this Holy Week….as the shouting of the hosannas are about to go silent… replaced with loud shouts to Crucify Him!

Jesus’ passion story has something new and important to teach us every year if we will allow ourselves to enter fully into the stories and experiences and events that unfold throughout Holy Week…I invite you to pay attention to all the voices…the loud ones, the quiet ones, and all those in between…listen intently...listen deeply…and listen for the Word of God to transform your hearts and minds through the love and passion of Jesus Christ…

And now…Let us settle in, quiet ourselves, open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to hear what the Passion Gospel according to Mark has to teach us anew…in this time...and in this place…

we wish to see Jesus/March 17 sermon

5 Lent Year B

3/17/24

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 119:9-16; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33

Collect of the day: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The opening collect for today, often makes me smile and chuckle a bit to myself when I hear the words “unruly wills”….but after I think about it for a moment, I guess it does describe us pretty well at times. I think we spend a lot of time trying to figure out whose will we are following, or I should say, whose will we think we are following…God’s or our own….The mind and the heart have quite a reputation for not being on the same page…so indeed….our thoughts and actions can be a little disorderly and unruly at times…And often, at first glance at the scriptures, those words don’t always bring those unruly thoughts and wills into focus easily…

It takes practice, it takes discipline, and God’s grace, to try and make sense of the scriptures. It takes practice, it takes discipline, and God’s grace, to bring those unruly thoughts and wills into focus…It takes practice and discipline, and God’s grace to learn to love what God commands and to align our desires with God’s promises …It takes practice and discipline and God’s grace, in the midst of all the swift and varied changes of the world,  to allow our hearts to be fixed where true joys are to be found… that is, in Christ Jesus.

We don’t easily wrap our minds around the idea of loving what someone commands of us. Our minds don’t easily accept the swift and varied changes of the world.

We don’t easily acknowledge that we have sinned, against God or our neighbor, or ourselves. We don’t easily understand why things have to die, for something new to begin. We don’t easily get it when Jesus tells his followers things like this: “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

But, even in the midst of all of life’s uncertainties and all the unknowns, and the things we struggle to understand,  we can consider this message of promise and hope: that the peace that surpasses all our understanding, in times such as these, can be fulfilled in us and our neighbors, when we strive to be in a loving relationship with Jesus and one another. And a relationship with Jesus, begins in the heart with this desire and hope… “I wish to see Jesus.”

When we begin, simply, with those words…“I wish to see Jesus”…they can move us to set aside time to meet with Jesus… to get to know him more fully, through the reading of scriptures, praying them, discussing them with others. We can get to know Jesus more fully by setting aside time to sit in silence, and allow the thoughts in our heads, in our minds, to subside for a time so we can hear the good news being spoken about Jesus and his love, in our hearts…And we can get to know Jesus more fully, when we allow the fruits of God’s love, made known to us through Jesus’ heart and ours, joined together as One…to inspire us and move us to seek the face of Jesus in all whom we meet and serve in our daily lives…  

It is in the meeting and the joining of our hearts with Christ and one another, when the Holy Spirit reminds us of the promise of a new covenant between God and his people, as foretold and spoken through the words of Jeremiah…But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people…

It is in the meeting and the joining of our hearts with Christ and one another, when the Holy Spirit reminds us of the words of the psalmist today…with my whole heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commandments. I treasure your promise in my heart…

Our Lenten journey is winding down now, with Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, just a week away…

At the start of Lent…we were invited to examine our hearts…and throughout Lent…attend to them in ways that would help us turn back to God, turn back to Christ…to re-align our unruly wills…to better align with God’s will and vision of a beloved community that flourishes when all know that they are loved, valued, and respected as the beloved child of God they were created to be.

As you reflect back on these past few weeks…Have you sought ways to see Jesus, in your own life, and the lives of those you encountered along the way? Have you taken the time to look inward to see what corners of your lives have been cluttered with the things that have built up and hardened your hearts? Have you spent some moments in silence, letting go of the things that have taken away the joy and peace that wants to live and breathe in your heart? Have you engaged in certain practices this Lent that have allowed you to strengthen your love and relationship with Jesus and your neighbor?

Now that we’ve seen glimpses of Jesus again throughout this Lenten season, are you prepared to walk with Him once again on his journey to the cross during Holy Week? Or will you be tempted to look away because it’s too much to bear?

This is a time like no other…a time to focus all the more on seeing Jesus in the events of Holy week...even though we don’t fully understand in our minds why it has to be like this: Jesus dying on the cross, for the promise of his resurrection to be fulfilled, why things have to die, for something new to begin, and how it is...that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

For if we keep our eyes on Jesus throughout Holy week, through his death on the cross, and keep watch and see Him rise again on Easter Sunday…it will all become clear…we will see the glory of the cross….we will see how it is that “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

By the grace of God, our unruly wills and sinful ways are forgiven. Jesus’s death on the cross, his resurrection and ascension, has opened the way once again for us to begin life anew, over and over again.

We are given the opportunity, each and every day, to begin and begin again in the heart with this desire and hope… “I wish to see Jesus.”…and then to go…to go out into the world to seek and serve Christ…in all persons…loving God and one another, loving your neighbor as yourself…….with all your heart, soul, mind and strength…

Prayer/Hymn: Open our eyes, Lord – Bob Cull (#229 –praise chorus book)

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch him, and say that we love Him.

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen, open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

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

 *PHOTO: 4th c. Christian Mosaic

Lullingstone Chapel

Eynsford, England

4th Sunday in Lent: God so loved the world...

4 Lent/Year B – March 10, 2024

Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21

Opening Prayer/Words: ~ written by Katherine Hawker

For God so loved the world;

The sparrows, the mountain lions,

the fish and the people.

For God so loved the world;

In success and failure,

in sickness and health,

in mediocrity and extraordinary.

For God so loved the world;

Enough to become one of us,

enough to suffer along with us,

enough to offer new life for us.

For God so loved the world….Amen, Amen, Amen.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization publicly characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic…our lives were changed dramatically in those early days…and even now…four years later…we, as a local, national, and worldwide community are still struggling to recover in so many ways…    

It was on the 4th Sunday in Lent that year, March 22, 2020…when we held our first ever zoom service…in the early days following the initial news of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting close to home here in Alaska…

I took time this past week to go back and read and reflect on some of my sermons from those first few weeks…and this morning…I want to take us back to that 4th Sunday in Lent in 2020…and share a few words from my sermon that day…

March 22, 2020 – 4th Sunday in Lent

(I don’t imagine that any of us sitting here this morning…had ever imagined that this season of Lent, would unfold in the way it has…Just a few short weeks ago, it seems,…the COVID 19 virus was impacting lives in China, and other countries…Yes…our hearts were going out to the people in those countries…our hearts were breaking for people enduring such uncertainty, chaos, and fear…But, the physical distance from these countries, in the beginning…felt so remote…

It was happening somewhere else…not here…somehow…I still felt safe here…as if it would only happen somewhere else…and not so close to home…

I can’t even remember, right now, when the moment hit me, that what was happening somewhere else…was happening here too…

The events in the past few weeks have been changing in a blink of an eye…and it seems as if we are caught up in a whirlwind, in which we are being tossed every which way…a whirlwind of information being thrust upon us, at the same time another dose of loss and uncertainty being added into the mix, hour by hour…

Every day, we are being asked to do one more hard thing, after another…things we’ve never had to do before… making some very difficult decisions that we’ve never been faced with before…We are being asked to stay home, keep our distance from each other, don’t travel, don’t gather in groups, don’t meet in the church as we’ve always done, don’t send the kids to school or to the playground to be around other families,  don’t visit anyone in the pioneers home, don’t visit the elderly, the vulnerable, those whose health is compromised, don’t travel to see your aging loved one in their care facility, because they aren’t allowing visitors, don’t travel to attend a long-planned wedding, don’t plan a wedding right now, don’t plan any kind of a celebration that would bring lots of people together, don’t worry, don’t panic, do not fear…

When we hear these words over and over again…don’t do this, don’t do that…it can be very difficult to do the very thing we are trying not to do…to not worry, to not be fearful, to not panic…and yet to we can turn once again to our faith, our beliefs, and our trust in God…that indeed we can believe, that in Jesus, we have a Shepherd…who will lead us and guide us, in all times, and in all places, and in all circumstances…)

I share these words from four years ago with you today which was only the very beginning of so many other life-altering changes that followed in the coming days and months… as a reminder of how much we have been through together in these past few years, I share them as a reminder of how far we have come since then …and I share them as a reminder to all of us of what has brought us safely to this day: The gift of God’s grace and love for us, for the whole world, in life and in death…our love and faith and trust in God through those days of great turmoil and uncertainty…and our willingness and perseverance in sharing the gift of God’s grace, love, light and hope, as revealed to us in Jesus, with those in our communities, near and far…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

At the diocesan convention in October 2020…in the first few months after the start of the pandemic we were reminded of the ways we could  be “United with Christ in the interest of others” during a time we were being separated physically from one another and wondering about ways we could still reach out and express our love and care for our neighbors…And as I looked at the list of 20 ways we came up with…My thoughts turned to our willingness and perseverance in finding ways to share the gift of God’s grace, love, light and hope, as revealed to us in Jesus, with those in our communities, near and far…

Here's the list:

1.  make a phone call to someone

2. contribute to local food banks

3. pray for one another

4. Take a walk with a friend

5. write a prayer note to a church or fellow church member

6. March for equality

7. Vote!

8. Drop off a meal for a friend

9. connect with church members

10. Visit outside with an elder

11. Wear a mask

12. wash your hands

13. Write a thank you note to the medical community

14. sharing our harvest

15. Be patient and kind with one another

16. Sing with a friend

17. clean up trash

18. invite a friend to church

19.Reject cruelty and divisiveness

20. Embrace empathy and diversity

These 20 ways to share the gift of God’s love, light and hope in Christ Jesus, for the well-being of our neighbor…are certainly not exclusive to the early days of the pandemic…

They can be a lifeline to those among us now who may feel as if there is no hope, and that there is no end in sight through these troubling and overwhelming times that are present even now in 2024...

That’s why setting aside time to remember together is so important …to reflect back often on where we have seen God’s love and healing presence among the people in the biblical stories, and among us in those times when we had no idea how we would put one foot in front of the other…to remember and rejoice in how far we have come… and to remember, how time and time again, God has brought us safely into a new day… a new day with opportunities for us to share the gift of God’s grace, love, light and hope, as revealed to us in Jesus, with those in our communities, near and far…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

(below written by Katherine Hawker)

For God so loved the world;

The sparrows, the mountain lions,

the fish and the people.

For God so loved the world;

In success and failure,

in sickness and health,

in mediocrity and extraordinary.

For God so loved the world;

Enough to become one of us,

enough to suffer along with us,

enough to offer new life for us.

For God so loved the world…Amen, Amen, Amen.

(written by Katherine Hawker)

Closing Prayer/Hymn:  Amazing Grace

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

3rd Sunday in Lent/Sermon - remember the sabbath...keep it holy

3 Lent/Year B – March 3, 2024

Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

Opening Prayer: God of the Sabbath: We pause with You on this seventh day, the end of a busy week for some and a week that has dragged along for others, approaching You with our trials and joys. We come to rest in your presence. We bring to You our complicated encounters, the difficult news and reasons to rejoice, the aches and pains that have hindered us, the strains from labours and long work hours. We come to rest in Your presence. Thank You that You meet us here, Creator who rested on the Sabbath, Son who wrestled in the wilderness, and Spirit, who comes among us now, inspire, refresh and guide us. We come to rest in Your presence.  Amen (Church of Scotland)

What brings you to church this morning? What keeps you coming back…week after week…year after year?  - the prayers, the music, the scriptures and bible stories, the celebration of Holy Communion, the traditions, the fellowship time with those gathered here on a Sunday morning?

Is this your sabbath day, to pause and rest after a busy week that has dragged on with many challenges and frustrations…or perhaps this is your Sabbath day that you set aside to give thanks to God for the blessings you encountered during the past week…

Maybe it’s a little of both…a day to remember, to give thanks, and to rest in God’s presence in all times and in all circumstances…

One of the many gifts of pausing to observe the sabbath, a day of rest…is the reminder that God meets us here…Jesus meets us here...and the Holy Spirit meets us here, inspiring us, refreshing us, guiding us in centering our hearts on Jesus and God’s purpose and will for us, once again.

When I say “here”, I mean here in this time and space that we gather together in, and I mean here in our hearts, and in our minds and in our bodies, and in our souls.

It is so easy for us to get overwhelmed by all the rapid daily changes among us, and to get caught up in all of the concerns of our lives and the traumatic events that happen every day worldwide. And before we know it…we have wandered so far off from God…we forget who we belong to, who loves us and all of God’s people, and we forget God’s will and purpose for us…as the people of God, as the Church of God, as the body of Christ.

We forget that the Mission and purpose of the Church is inspired by the Mission of Christ.

Let’s turn to the prayer book for a moment, to see what the Catechism section has to teach us about the Church…

The Catechism – BCP 854-855

The Church

Q.      What is the Church?

A.      The Church is the community of the New Covenant.

Q.      How is the Church described in the Bible?

A.      The Church is described as the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the New Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth.

Q.      How is the Church described in the creeds?

A.      The Church is described as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Q.      Why is the Church described as one?

A.      The Church is one, because it is one Body, under one Head, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Q.      Why is the Church described as holy?

A.      The Church is holy, because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, consecrates its members, and guides them to do God's work.

Q.      Why is the Church described as catholic?

A.      The Church is catholic, because it proclaims the whole Faith to all people, to the end of time.

Q.      Why is the Church described as apostolic?

A.      The Church is apostolic, because it continues in the teaching and  fellowship of the apostles and is sent to carry out Christ's mission to all people.

Q.      What is the mission of the Church?

A.      The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

Q.      How does the Church pursue its mission?

A.      The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.

Q.      Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?

A.      The church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.

Why did I bring up this teaching about keeping the Sabbath and rediscovering the Mission and purpose of the church?

Because, as we heard and saw in today’s gospel reading…God’s religious folks can sometimes get caught up in rules and systems and laws that distort God’s will and purpose of becoming a beloved community…

In today’s gospel reading, the people had wandered so far off from the teachings of God, and God’s will and purposes… This time of Passover, of remembering liberation, was being used to exploit, marginalize and exclude: The money changers charged a fee for their services that impacted the poor; the animals offered for sacrifice had to be perfect and unblemished, and they were charged fees by the inspectors for their services that cost 15 times more inside the temple than outside; the poor, the majority, either had to borrow the money to buy their offerings or they couldn’t afford them. Their choice was either to get into debt to fulfill their religious obligations, or default on them, find themselves classified among the sinners, and be excluded from the number of the righteous. No laws were necessarily being broken by these Temple practices, but in the very place of divine encounter, the spirit of the law, the love of neighbour, was being denied.  Jesus was justifiably angry. (Church of Scotland)

Across the church…this is a time of a great reckoning, a time to examine the ways we too have established systems and practices that have exploited, marginalized and excluded people from experiencing the fullness of God’s love and liberation intended for all.

This is a time in the world when rapid changes are happening, and societal influences are impacting our role as the church here and now, in our communities.

This is a time of great opportunity for us to offer hope to a hurting, lonely, and broken world.

So, it’s important for us, as the church, to set aside time to re-discover what our purpose and mission is as the people of God, the Church of God, as the body of Christ.

And one important practice to help ground us in this important re-envisioning work is to remember the sabbath day…and keep it holy.

These might be moments throughout the week, as you pause to pray and sit in silence with the Holy One…

And in those times we gather together here on Sundays, when we are reminded that God meets us here…Jesus meets us here...and the Holy Spirit meets us here, inspiring us, refreshing us, guiding us in centering our hearts on Jesus and God’s purpose and will for us, once again…

And when I say “here”, I mean here in this time and space that we gather together in, and I mean here in our hearts, and in our minds and in our bodies, and in our souls.

This season of Lent is a perfect season of the church year to help us practice the importance of sabbath keeping, helping us re-discover God’s will and purpose for us as the people of God, as the church of God, as the body of Christ, here and now.

Closing Prayer/Hymn:  Speak, Lord, in the Stillness/The Quiet Hour

1 Speak, Lord, in the stillness

while I wait on Thee;

hushed my heart to listen

in expectancy.

2 Speak, O blessed Master,

in this quiet hour;

let me see your face, Lord,

feel your touch of power.

3 For the words You speak, Lord,

they are life indeed;

living bread from heaven,

now on my spirit feed!

5 Fill me with the knowledge

of your glorious will;

all your own good pleasure

in my life fulfill. Amen

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

2nd Sunday in Lent/Sermon - hoping against hope...

2 Lent/Year B – February 25, 2024

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38

Opening Prayer: (written by Bishop Telmor Sartison)

God of compassion, the way of the cross is as much a mystery to us as it was to the immediate followers of Jesus. But we have heard how your grace is exercised in the journey of suffering and rejection experienced by Jesus. Help us to hear with ears inspired, to see with eyes opened to your ways, and to respond with lives committed to your service. Amen.

On this 2nd Sunday in Lent…I’m wondering if anything particular jumped out at you from any of the readings, as you were listening to them today?

Were there any words or images that were familiar and comforting to you?

Were there any words or images that are challenging you?

Were there any words or images that you just can’t get out of your mind?

I think this week’s lessons give us a little bit of everything…as do most of the readings you will be listening to throughout the season of Lent…

There were familiar and comforting and hopeful words in the Genesis reading in God’s covenant with Abraham…yet at the same time, those very words could be seen as challenging…almost impossible sounding to Abraham and us…and an image that I can’t get out of my mind from this reading…is how stunned Abraham must have been in hearing God proclaim his plans for his covenant with him…

In the reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans…the familiar and comforting words for me are the ones reflecting back to story of God’s covenant with Abraham…and his steadfast faith…and what Abraham’s steadfast faith has to teach us now…The challenge for me in reading this passage was to slow down to be able to grasp everything being said…the reading is a very “wordy” one, with long sentences…it felt like one very long sentence that kept going around and around…yet without a doubt, the image that I can’t get out of my mind…all centers on these three words… Hoping against hope…

The reading from Mark…surely is a familiar one to most of us and a challenging one, from start to finish…… beginning with Jesus teaching his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again…the interactions between Jesus and Peter felt intense and harsh…Jesus’ words to the crowds and disciples were one challenging teaching after teaching…Telling them that if any want to become one of his followers, that they need to deny themselves and take up their cross, and follow him, telling them that those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it….Telling them that  those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Certainly, I think today’s gospel reading gives us several images and words that we probably can’t get out of our mind today…

But here’s the real challenge for us today…what are the comforting words or images that jumped out at you today in the hearing of today’s gospel?

Maybe nothing jumped out at you at first…I know that my practice is to read it more than once…and often, and in different translations…so just reading it once, and as a stand alone reading…can make it difficult to discern the good news embedded in today’s gospel…

So, here’s a few thoughts to ponder on finding comfort in today’s gospel reading…

 As difficult as Jesus’ words were about his impending suffering and death…the teaching didn’t end there…it ended with the good news about his resurrection three days later…He was open and honest and truthful about what they should expect in the coming days…he was preparing them and giving them a glimpse of what was to come…

Peter didn’t want to hear this…he stopped listening when he heard the difficult  words about Jesus’ suffering and death…he missed the good news about Jesus rising again in three days…and the hope that they could hold onto…

Jesus then tries to re-direct Peter’s focus on his good news message instead of getting pulled astray by the worldly temptations and limitations of our minds and the influence of evil one in the world…He tells Peter… you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.

 He’s telling Peter…focus on the divine things…focus on God, focus on me…listen to what I am saying to you…trust me… “follow me”

Jesus tells the disciples if any want to become his followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross…but he doesn’t end there…he says follow me… I have more good news to teach you and show you…follow me…

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?

Jesus wants us to have an abundant life…not to forfeit our life…God desires an abundant life for every one of us...that is good news!

And Jesus’ invitation to follow him is a way of life, walking in love with God and one another, that can lead us to an abundant, joyful, hope-filled life..

I’d like to close this morning with a reflection that I shared with the vestry this past week…written by the Rev Scott Gunn… he invites us to consider some other good news found in today’s difficult gospel reading…

(“Dear friends in Christ, (Today’s) Gospel brings a challenging message from Jesus. Among other things, Jesus says, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”

Wow. That’s rough. But it makes total sense. If all I worry about is protecting myself, I end up closing myself off from opportunities for God’s grace to work in my life and, through me, in the world. It makes everything about me. But if I can make everything about God’s grace and mercy, I begin to live a life that is steeped in gratitude and overflowing with love.

Jesus says we have to choose whether riches are more important to us than living an abundant, joyful life. If I spend my life chasing earthly things, I will almost certainly miss out on knowing heavenly things. Focusing on stuff leads me to lose my soul for the sake of… not much, really.

But when we make God’s grace and mercy the core of our being, we discover gratitude beyond our imagining. And we cannot help but spill over with mercy and grace for the world around us. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly astounding.

This season of Lent offers us the gift of a time to focus on what’s important. Perhaps we first need a reminder, so we notice what’s important! And then we can try to live the life to which Jesus calls us—rooted in gratitude, grace, and mercy.)

 As we begin the 2nd week of Lent…I invite you to read through today’s scripture readings again… And reflect on…

Any words or images that were familiar and comforting to you?

Any words or images that are challenging you?

Any words or images that you just can’t get out of your mind?

And with steadfast faith and hoping against hope…take up your cross and follow Jesus…in a way of love that can lead us to an abundant, joyful, hope-filled life for all of God’s people…

Prayer/Hymn: Where He Leads Me/ Lift Every Voice and Sing II, #144

1        I can hear my Savior calling,

          “Take thy cross and follow, follow me.”

                             Where He leads me I will follow,

                             I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

2        I’ll go with Him through the garden,

          I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way. Refrain

3        I’ll go with Him through the judgement,

          I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way. Refrain

4        He will give me grace and glory,

          And go with me, with me all the way.    Refrain

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

1st Sunday in Lent/Sermon...experiencing God anew...

1 Lent/Year B – February 18, 2024

Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 25:1-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15

Opening Prayer:  God of wilderness and water, your Son was baptized and tempted as we are. Guide us through this season, that we may not avoid struggle, but open ourselves to blessing, through the cleansing depths of repentance and the heaven-rending words of the Spirit. Amen.

(https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/prayers.php?id=71)

Our gospel of Mark reading today opens with a familiar setting, once again, that begins with the baptism of Jesus. Just last week we were reminded of these same words from the beginning of the Epiphany Season, as well as the variation of the same scripture just last Sunday, on the final Sunday of the season of Epiphany… Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

As we begin this new season of the church year, the season of Lent…we, who have been attending Episcopal Church services for several years, will most likely associate this season with a lot of familiar traditions, scriptures, and service rituals….

On the night before Lent begins, we have our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, its name coming from the Germanic-Old English word “shrive,” meaning absolve, and it is the last day of the liturgical season historically known as Shrovetide. Because it comes directly before Lent, a season of fasting and penitence, this was the day that Christians would go to be “shriven” by their confessor. Shrove Tuesday also became a day for pre-fasting indulgence. In particular, the need to use up rich ingredients such as butter, milk, sugar and eggs before Lent gave rise to the tradition of eating pancakes on this day. (episcopalchurch.org – 2018)

The season of Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes in the shape of the cross on our foreheads, and the invitation, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.  Other familiar highlights of this season include the color purple, the Great Litany that we prayed at the start of the service, no alleluia’s until Easter, Holy Week observances…Palm Sunday processions, Maundy Thursday foot washing, Good Friday passion readings, Holy Saturday, a day of silence before the Resurrection Sunday/Easter day!

What has really jumped out at me, as we begin the season of Lent in 2024…are the familiar marks of the cross upon our foreheads at the time of our baptisms, and as we begin the season of Lent.

At the time of our baptisms, we mark a beginning…the priest makes the sign of the cross on our forehead with the Chrism oil and says these words… you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever. Amen.

When our foreheads are marked with ashes in the shape of a cross on Ash Wednesday, our thoughts turn towards our mortality, our end of life when the priest says these words… Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Yet, in both of these familiar and seemingly different times and seasons of our lives…we are marked as Christ’s own forever…in life and in death. In all our beginnings and in all our endings…in everything that is familiar…and in everything that is unfamiliar to us…

I think that is important for us to consider…as we seek to not only rejoice in those familiar times when surely we know God is present…but to learn to trust that God is present with us, even in those times in our lives when we are challenged to navigate the unfamiliar times, the temptations and trials of this world that cause us to despair, or make us hesitate to believe that God is about to show us anything new…

Lent is a good season to practice this…through self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word…we can come to trust in a God who is present, in all times, in all places…in life and in death…in all our beginnings and in all our endings…in everything that is familiar…and in everything that is unfamiliar to us…

It is often in the unfamiliar territory, in the wilderness times of our lives, when we do have the opportunity to grow spiritually, and experience God anew in our own lives, and in the people and places that surround us now, and in every stage of our lives…

But it’s not always easy to let go of the familiar, to enter into the unfamiliar spaces…yet I find hope and comfort in today’s gospel message that begins with Jesus’ baptism, and the voice from heaven affirming Jesus’ identity, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him…

I like to believe that God’s angels, God’s messengers of hope are always there to attend to our temptations, our hurts, our doubts, our need for guidance when we are thrust into times of unknowing and uncertainty…and as we intentionally set out to walk a new, unfamiliar path, in hopes of living a more authentic life, as the beloved child of God we were created to be…and as a beloved child of God, who was named and marked as Christ’s own forever…

As we begin this season of Lent anew…one theme that is often highlighted, is our need to let go of some things…let go of some things that get in the way of our relationship with God and one another…and that might mean…we need to let go of some of the “familiar things”…

I close this morning, with a reflection on Letting go of the FAMILIAR, written by Bishop Rob Wright, from the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta…

The Spirit “drove” Jesus into the wilderness and away from the familiar for a season. Spirit herded/hearted him away from home and routine, placing him among “wild beasts” and in the hands of attentive “angels.” He was at the same time, vulnerable and cared for.

Adventures with God are always like that, God subtracts and then God multiplies. That’s fine for Jesus and his adventure, you might say, but who wants to leave the familiar, really?

Remember whether we’re talking work, marriage, learning or life with God, the familiar should come with a warning label! The familiar can become a rut and a rut can become a grave. If we’re not careful we can adventure-proof our lives and make them memorials to who we and God formerly were rather than living testimonies to who we and God are right now.

Consider the wisdom of the garden spider, the web she weaves serves her purposes, it never snares her. I’ll just bet that if we were to ask Jesus about his wilderness of the unfamiliar, he would tell us that it was worth it.

Worth it because new trust in God grows in new circumstances. Worth it because there’s blessing to receive even and especially in loss. Worth it because

God’s wisdom about how to grow our souls is wiser than our best thinking. Worth it because God relishes opportunities to show us the abundance in what we believed to be desolate places.

What the unfamiliar, disorienting, and even fearful patches of life can teach us, is the time is always right to trust God anew. Remember: What is unfamiliar to us isn’t unfamiliar to God!

Prayer/Hymn (H) 559

1        Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

                   o’er the world’s tempestuous sea;

          guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,

                   for we have no help but thee,

          yet possessing every blessing,

                   if our God our Father be.

2        Savior, breathe forgiveness o’er us;

                   all our weakness thou dost know;

          thou didst tread this earth before us;

                   thou didst feel its keenest woe;

          yet unfearing, persevering,

                   to thy passion thou didst go.

3        Spirit of our God, descending,

                   fill our hearts with heavenly joy;

          love with every passion blending,

                   pleasure that can never cloy;

          thus provided, pardoned, guided,

                   nothing can our peace destroy.

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

Last Sunday after the Epiphany Sermon...Listen to him!

Last Sunday after the Epiphany/Transfiguration Sunday/ Year B

February 11, 2024

2 Kings 2:1-12; Psalm 50:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Mark 9:2-9

Opening Prayer: 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. Amen (A New Zealand Prayer Book)

Today is the last Sunday after the Epiphany, also called Transfiguration Sunday. The season of Epiphany, as you may recall, began with light: the light of a star that led the magi to the Christ child; the light of the glory of God that was revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.

This week, as we mark the conclusion of this season of Epiphany, we will end, as we began - with light: the light of Jesus' radiant countenance, his transfiguration upon the mountaintop...when his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them…

It is worth noting another similarity between the beginning of the Epiphany season and today, our last Sunday of Epiphany: Both included stories in which we hear the voice of God being proclaimed from the heavens…and descending upon the earth to reach the eyes and ears of those who were watching and listening…

On the first Sunday in Epiphany, we heard the story of the baptism of Jesus, with its climax in the Voice of God speaking to Jesus, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Today’s gospel reading takes place at Jesus’ baptism, too… and sets the scene right before Jesus’ 40 day journey in the wilderness, and his journey to the cross, his death on the cross…and once again we hear the Voice of God speaking…

This time it is the disciples who hear the Voice of God. The Voice of God says this time, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

Religious scholar Marcus Borg comments on this verse: The disciples, in a way, represent us in that passage. "Listen to him." Listen to Jesus.

How hard it is for us to just listen….

How hard it is for us to just stop whatever we are thinking or doing to just look, to notice, and to listen to all that this moment with Jesus has to offer us…

In today’s gospel story…Peter just couldn’t hold his tongue…The other-worldly experience of the moment, either excited Peter or frightened him…or both all interwoven as one…Whatever he was feeling,  he had the urge to blurt something out, because he just didn’t know how to react to this vision of seeing Jesus transfigured before him…he didn’t know how to respond to the dazzling, bright white light before him…He didn’t know how to make sense of having just witnessed Elijah and Moses  talking with Jesus on the mountaintop……

Thankfully, God steps in, and says to the disciples…“This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to Him!”

He doesn’t say to the disciples, take care of him, find a place for him to stay, he doesn’t give any instructions right then. He tells them plainly, This is my Son, the Beloved; Listen to him!

How hard it is for us to just stop whatever we are thinking or doing to just look, to notice, and to listen to all that this present moment has to offer us…

It is human nature for us to want to figure something out, to get to the “why” of something right away…we want to find the words to explain what is happening…and we want to do it now…so we can get on to the next thing, and the next thing…

And as much as some of us may say we love to be surprised and find no shortage of experiencing an awe-inspiring sense of wonder in the many unexplainable everyday mysteries around us…If we were to be honest with ourselves, this is easy to do when we look up at the vast sky, consider the starry heavens, notice the tall mountains that surround us, and contemplate the depth and breadth of all that lives in the great-wide waters of the world…

But when we are faced with uncertainties, and unexplainable happenings in our lives that make us fearful or anxious…such as health issues, end of life transitions, insurmountable world-wide human rights issues…we just want to fix it all now, we want to make sense of it all right now…so we can move beyond the pain, the worry, and the weariness of not knowing what to do.

It is in these days that we most need to practice stopping whatever we are thinking or doing to just look, to notice, and to listen to all that this moment has to offer us…in the light of the glory of God that is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ… in the light of the glory of God that is revealed in the voice of God… “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to Him!”

When we can take time to practice pausing, to look, to notice, and to listen to all that this moment has to offer us…we are reminded, that we are never alone, that we need not be fearful of what troubles us now or makes us anxious about the future…the truth of God’s light and love that shines all around us, in all ways, is revealed to us in the face of Jesus Christ…

In just a few days, we will begin a new season in the church year...The Season of Lent…a 40-day journey through the scriptures giving us yet another look into the life of Jesus…It’s a season of the church year that we are invited once again, to consider taking on a new spiritual discipline or practice to help us draw closer to God and each other…

It’s a perfect time for us to consider taking on a spiritual practice that can encourage us to make sure we make room to pause and pray and listen… to stop whatever we are thinking or doing to just look, to notice, and to listen to all that this moment, all that this upcoming season of Lent has to offer us…in the light of the glory of God that is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ… in the light of the glory of God that is revealed in the voice of God… “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to Him!”

Closing prayer/hymn: Turn your eyes upon Jesus (#97 – Praise Chorus Book)

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

Rev. Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Called to be agents and instruments of healing and wholeness… Sermon Feb 4, 2024

5 Epiphany Year B

February 4, 2024

Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-12, 21c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1: 29-39

Before I begin my sermon…I invite you to listen to today’s message in the context of our stewardship theme for this year…To renew and strengthen our call as the church to be outposts of hope in our communities…

Opening Prayer: Everlasting God, you give strength to the powerless and power to the faint; you raise up the sick and cast out demons. Make us agents of healing and wholeness, that your good news may be made known to the ends of your creation. Amen. (Bread for the Day)

I invite you to pause and think for a moment…Can you recall a time in your life when you thought of yourself as an agent of healing and wholeness? Or maybe a time you were witness to someone else being an instrument of healing and wholeness to someone in need? Did you later share your experience…with anyone else? If so…what stands out for you, in remembering that encounter?

My guess would be that pretty much all of us, have been an agent of healing and wholeness to someone…but I’m not sure we may have recognized it as such…and perhaps you didn’t think to share your experience or encounter with someone…just brushing it off…as I didn’t really do anything...I was just there…

Now, I do know that there are plenty of folks who are very strong believers in the power of prayer and healing…and are not shy in proclaiming this good news with others…they are firm in their faith, knowledge and understanding…they are passionate about their calling to be the healing hands of Jesus in our time…

We have some very passionate prayer chain members here at St Peter’s, who pray daily for the needs of local persons, family and friends far away, they pray for our leaders and our nation, they pray for healing, they offer prayers of thanks, they pray for the repose of the soul of those who have died…they pray for healing on so many levels…

And there’s the expectation too, that your priest and your deacons would be committed to a way of life and spiritual discipline that includes daily prayer…

There are many others besides the prayer chain members and clergy who are passionate, and persistent in their ongoing prayers for any needs they hear about here at St Peter’s, in Sitka…and in the wider, world-wide community…

Yet…there are still many among us… who may underestimate their ability to be an agent and instrument of God’s healing and path to wholeness…

We are ALL called to be agents of healing and wholeness…and we need not shy away from sharing this good news with others…there are so many who need to hear what you have heard, see what you have seen, experience what you have experienced…especially in times when people may be feeling like there is no path to healing…no light of hope that they see right now…

What makes us agents and instruments of God’s healing and wholeness?

We begin, by acknowledging that everyone of us is a beloved child of God. We respect the dignity of every human being. We strive to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ Jesus...a Good News that proclaims that God is love in all that we are and do…in every interaction and encounter we have with one another…and with all of creation…

It is God’s love for every one of us, it is God’s power that strengthens us and empowers us, throughout our lives, to be agents and instruments of healing and wholeness…in our families, in our communities, and in our world…

God gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint…

We have a beautiful and simple healing story in today’s gospel… the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law…Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up…

3 simple actions here…

Jesus came…he showed up…he went to her bedside…

Jesus took her by the hand... he reached out to her…

Jesus lifted her up…he healed her…body, mind and spirit…by lifting her up with his Love, with his presence, with his compassion…

We don’t hear any words spoken in this healing moment...

Only the assurance of God’s presence, his healing touch, and the love of God brought to this moment…through the hands and heart of Jesus…

We, too…can bring healing into the lives of others…with our hands and our hearts…and most of the time they are in simple everyday moments like this…

Now think back to one of my questions at the start of my sermon today… Can you recall a time in your life when you thought of yourself as an agent of healing and wholeness?

I would guess that it was much like this example of Jesus healing Simon’s mother-in-law…

You saw a need, perhaps the person was lonely...and you went to visit her…You reached over, and held her hand, while you sat quietly and listened to her concerns…Your love and concern, your physical presence with her, your touch to remind her that she wasn’t alone…surely brought healing to her heart and mind and spirit…

What about the other time...when a young child came running up to you in tears…You stopped whatever you were doing…you sat there with him…You held his hand, you held him close with your other hand… And through your presence, your touch, and your love being poured out for this child in need…within moments…this little boy was up and running around…assured once again…that yes, indeed…I am loved…

No words spoken, here…just the sharing of the Holy presence of God’s love for another person…

This past week, our news reports and social media feeds were buzzing with a story about Elmo, a pre-school age character on Sesame Street…Elmo posted a question on a social media feed, asking a simple question… “How is everyone doing?” Millions of people responded to the questions, pouring out their feelings of despair and discouragement on just how hard life has been lately… And many thanked Elmo for asking the question, and many felt, seen, heard and acknowledged…and perhaps didn’t feel so alone anymore…

ALL of us…whoever we are, wherever we are… are called by God to be agents of healing and wholeness…

The thought of that doesn’t need to overwhelm us…

Jesus has given us a simple model to follow…

When we see someone in need…

Go to them…look at them…acknowledge them….

Reach out your hand…and grasp the hand of the other… reach out with your eyes meeting the eyes of the other…

Bring along the Good News…that God is love…

It is God’s love, revealed to us through the life and teachings of Jesus, that brings true healing and peace to all of God’s beloved children…

May we all know the healing power of Jesus’ love for ourselves, our neighbors, and all of creation…and share this Good news with others…share it generously…

And…be sure to take time away for prayer, often, as Jesus has modeled for us…so that we may we never tire of proclaiming and sharing this Good News…for that is what we are called to do…To proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ…That God is love….and this love is for all of us...God heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds. God counts the number of the stars and calls them all by their names…

God calls us each by name….to be agents and instruments of healing and wholeness…

Closing Prayer/Hymn: Wonder Love and Praise - #772 O Christ, the healer

1      O Christ, the healer, we have come

          to pray for health, to plead for friends.

          How can we fail to be restored,

          when reached by love that never ends?

2 From every ailment flesh endures

          our bodies clamor to be freed;

          yet in our hearts we would confess

          that wholeness is our deepest need.

3        How strong, O Lord, are our desires,

          how weak our knowledge of ourselves!

          Release in us those healing truths

          unconscious pride resists ourselves.

4        In conflicts that destroy our health

          we recognize the world’s disease;

          our common life declares our ills:

          is there no cure, O Christ, for these?

5        Grant that we all, made in one faith,

          in your community may find

          the wholeness that, enriching us,

          shall reach the whole of humankind.

Rev. Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK