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Showing posts from 2014

The Other Verses to "Silent Night"

Did you know that there are six verses to Silent Night ? Most of us are familiar with the first three verses, which are beautiful and memorable, but there is more to this gift given to us by Joseph Mohr, who wrote these lyrics in 1818. (My changes to the lyrics are indicated by [ ].) 4. Silent Night, Holy Night Here at last, healing light From the heavenly kingdom sent, Abundant grace for our intent. Jesus, salvation for all. Jesus, salvation for all. 5. Silent Night! Holy Night Sleeps the world in peace tonight. God sends [the] Son to earth below A Child from whom all blessings flow Jesus, embraces [hu]mankind. Jesus, embraces [hu]mankind. 6. Silent Night, Holy Night Mindful of [our mortal] plight The Lord in Heav'n on high decreed From earthly woes we would be freed Jesus, God's promise for peace. Jesus, God's promise for peace. As I read/sing through these lyrics, I am struck by a couple of images this year.  The first is the image of Jesus as our

Gaudete Sunday and Blue Christmas

There are two Sundays in the Church calendar when the liturgical color of choice is pink.  One is Gaudete Sunday, or the third Sunday of Advent; the other is Laetare Sunday, or the fourth Sunday of Lent.  Both seasons of Advent and Lent are penitential in nature, although Lent is more austere, and these Sundays offer a bit of a reprieve.  Gaudete and laetare both mean “rejoice” in Latin and the names for the Sundays are taken from the Latin wording of the introits used during worship.  While Anglican worship has never been in Latin, we acknowledge the tradition and see it reflected in our lectionary: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances .” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) And while most churches do not have pink altar appointments (I do know of a church that actually has two sets!), we do have a pink candle on our Advent wreath that we light as a way to commemorate the day. While the liturgical lesson is interesting, the reality of living into the expectatio

Enjoy the Journey!

I always find it a little odd that the Sunday lectionary for Year B has us start the Gospel of Mark in chapter 13 on Advent 1 and then go back to chapter 1, verse 1 on Advent 2.  Even though it seems out of order from a literary point of view, theologically it makes sense as we have Jesus giving us a vision of the kingdom of God that will be established for ever more, and then we have John the Baptist inviting us into that kingdom through faithful commitment and repentance of sins.  Even while we are in the sacred and secular confluence of waiting for Christ(mas), we recognize in these readings that both John and Jesus were focused less on the Christ then on God and God’s work in the world.  As Christians, we understand the message and actions of God most directly and vividly through the work and words of Jesus, but he himself was not about self-promotion.  Jesus himself might even be a bit embarrassed by all the hubbub made about his birth (even though it is more about economics

Forgive us, for we know not what we do

“Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they are doing.”  Even on the cross, Jesus pleaded with God to show mercy and compassion toward the stewards of creation because of our short-sightedness and inability to love our neighbor as ourselves.  I believe Jesus still intercedes for us with these same words from time to time when our broken systems perpetuate unjust structures. On Monday we learned that Darren Wilson, a police officer in Ferguson, MO, will not be indicted in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.  I will admit I am torn about this conclusion.  I do not know all the evidence that the grand jury was presented with, nor do I know all of the particulars about this case.  But my heart aches for a community torn apart by violence and oppression.  While I want to believe that Office Wilson acted as needed in order to protect himself and the community, I can’t accept that no one will be held accountable for an unarmed young man’s death. Forgive us, Michael, for we know not w

Crown us with many Crowns

This Sunday is the Last Sunday of the Season after Pentecost, which is also referred to as “Christ the King” Sunday.  It is the Church’s opportunity to celebrate the triumphant Christ enthroned in heaven, reigning over the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.  All has been accomplished and is even now coming to fruition, if we choose to see it.  And before the Church begins to tell our story all over again starting with the season of Advent, we take a moment to commemorate what has been accomplished, and, perhaps more importantly, find our place in the midst it. For those of us who attended the 10:30 service last Sunday, we were blessed with the opportunity to say “Farewell” to a longtime member of the congregation, Eugenia Turkson, who is headed back home to Ghana.  She wore a beautiful traditional head wrap in brilliant gold, and it reminded me of a crown.  That reminded me of a photographic study I saw called Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats by Michael Cun

All Gave Some - Some Gave All

As I write this, it is November 11 th , the day our country has set aside to remember and honor those who have served our country in the armed forces.  I apologize to our Veteran’s that I forgot to mention this occasion this past Sunday as our collective consciousness was focused on the International Benefit Dinner.  Regardless, we are indebted to you for your service and sacrifice. While some of us may have never been in military service, I am sure most of us are humbled by the commitment that both the soldiers AND their families make in order to keep us safe and protect our way of life.  It is a sacrifice – a giving up of time, presence and security – in order to give the rest of us those things.  Many say it is worth it, even those whose sacrifice included physical and mental scars. What are we willing to sacrifice?  What do we believe in enough to offer ourselves regardless of profit or laurels?  The ideal of the United States of America ignites that desire in many people,

Because of St. Barnabas . . .

How do you finish the sentence, “Because of St. Barnabas . . .”? The awesome planning team for this year’s International Benefit Dinner used this phrase in their materials to remind us of the important role this church community has in our lives and to those who are touched by our faith and ministries.  In the midst of a social context that relegates faith and religion to the margins, it is important to stand fast in our beliefs and be the body of Christ in the world.  We do that through worship, formation, stewardship, mission and FELLOWSHIP. Because of St. Barnabas, I know a Christian community that likes being together by sharing ourselves with each other through food that reflects our various cultures.  I think of the term “comfort food” when I consider the menu for the IBD.  While many of the dishes seem exotic to me, they are central “comforts” to those who prepare them.  We eat “comfort food” to feel nurtured and cared for, and what is a more natural expression of a Christi

For all the saints, who from their labors rest - and those still at work!

All Saints’ Day is the church’s autumnal Easter celebration; a liturgical moment out of time that invites us to connect the Church Expectant and the Church Triumphant (those living and those who have died). It is an opportunity to give thanks for those whom we love and see no longer, finding consolation that even now they are feasting at the heavenly banquet table.  In the wonderful mystery of the Eucharist, we, too, share in that heavenly meal, knowing  “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 I know I mentioned this about 6 months ago, but because it is an important, it bears repeating – if you are over the age of 18, you should have a Will and hopefully an Advanced Directive, sometimes referred to as a Living Will.  These documents are extremely helpfully for your fami

Happy Birthday, Dad

October 23 rd would have been my father’s 75 th birthday.  Now it marks 5 months since he died.  Eight months ago my siblings and I were already talking about what we would do for Dad’s birthday.  It would have been hard to top what we did for his 70 th birthday when we surprised him with 2 parties and gave him his first Kindle.  We were looking forward to it – none of us dreamed he would be gone months later. We make plans for the future daily, usually expecting that future to take shape just as we imagined it.  We can get frustrated, even angry when things don’t turn out the way we expected them to.  If we respond to the lesson from Deuteronomy this week (Deut. 34:1-12), which recounts the death of Moses, from this point of view, it seems logical to be disappointed for Moses as he doesn’t get to go into the Promised Land and angry at God for showing Moses what he will never have.  However we have to remember that God never promises anything that God does not deliver.  God nev

Time to Participate

We have two very timely events coming up this weekend.  On Saturday at 8 am there will be a “Walk Against Domestic Violence” starting and ending at the Wetherill Historic Site at 269 Georges Road in Dayton.  I plan on attending and if anyone would like to meet me at the church at 7:30 am to car pool over, please let me know.  Domestic Violence is pervasive, yet until it becomes headline news when NFL players and other celebrities are charged with the crime, it can go unnoticed or unaddressed.  As Christians we have the responsibility of “loving our neighbor as ourselves.” As Episcopalians, we also adhere to the Baptismal Covenant, which flows from that great Commandment to state “we will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.” We have the obligation and duty to stand up for those too intimidated or cowered by their circumstance to confront their abusers.  No one, unless they are standing in a boxing ring, should be physically assaulted in any way,

That wonderful and sacred mystery

I am a proud graduate of The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church.  Some of you may be aware that that beloved institution has had a difficult and troubling week.  I do not know all the specifics of the situation, but I do know that 8 faculty members sent a letter to the students last Friday (Sept. 26 th ) stating that they informed the Board of Trustees that after several failed attempts to negotiate with the Dean and President they would no longer teach, attending meetings or worship without a meeting with the Board in order to address problems they have with the leadership of the Dean, who has been in the position about a year.  On Tuesday (Sept. 30 th ), the Board sent out a letter stating that, after much consideration, they have taken the letter as the resignations of these faculty members, though they are willing to talk with any faculty member that wishes to reconsider his or her position. To say the least, my heart is breaking.  I loved my time at General

Fair's Fair

There are some sayings in the English language that most people agree with out of habit because they seem reasonable.  One such saying is “Fair’s fair.”  On the surface, it is a believable statement and one most would agree with, especially 8 year-olds figuring out how to divide a cookie (one breaks, the other one chooses first).  But the reality is that life is rarely that clear cut.  In education, many students need accommodations in order to succeed.  Years ago when I was studying to be a teacher, we were told many times, “Fair is not the same as even.”  Some kids need more specialized attention or adaptations to the curriculum in order to be on “the same playing field” as other kids.  Those with physical handicaps need accommodations as well, whether it is a ramp to get into a building, material in Braille in order to read or a sign language interpreter, to name a few. While most people would agree that such sensitivities to people’s needs is the right thing to do, there is stil

9/11 Remembrance and Forgiveness

Tomorrow is the 13 th Anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil.  In some ways it doesn’t feel like it has been that long because of our continued consciousness of terrorist activities since then and the ripple effects they have on our everyday lives.  Yet it also seems long ago as those entering high school this year have almost no memory of those events. Some adhere to the “Never Forget” motto with the desire to celebrate the many victims and heroes of that day, while others think it is better to move on and not live in the past.  Since September 11 th has been and always will be my birthday, I have a different affinity for the day than most.  I cannot face the day being sad or depressed because my birthday has always been a day of celebration, of giving thanks for being born and enjoying the life I have.  I do understand that some have difficulty facing the day due to memories and losses. I can only pray that God’s healing presence will console them and that lo

Journeying with the Israelites 101

My niece, Kylie, starts high school today and she is a bit apprehensive. I can appreciate that, as every major transition in my childhood filled me with much anxiety. I used to start the school year by looking at the back of the math text book and thinking that there was NO WAY I would ever understand how to do those complicated problems.  I would work myself up into a tizzy until my mother would remind me that we had to work through the entire book BEFORE we got to that part, and that if I learned each step, by the time we got to the end, I would know what I was doing.  It was good advice, even if I was too stressed to really hear it, but – of course – she was right.  Part of me wishes I could walk with Kylie this morning as she navigates the halls of her high school, as I am sure her parents do, but we all know that she must make this journey herself with all the starts and stops it will have, in order to learn who she is and where her place is in the world.  So I prayed for her t

Jesus' Prejudice - Still Doesn't Make It Right

Due to our Vacation Bible School activities, I was not able to write a St. B’s News article last week about the troubling events that have been occurring in Ferguson, MO since August 9 th , and while we had a good group of parishioners at the 8:30 service, many of you did not hear my sermon in response to the events of the week.  I do invite you to listen to that sermon, which is posted on our website – www.stbarnabas-sbnj.org .  The Gospel lesson that it refers to is Matthew 15:21-28: Jesus left Gennesaret and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "

Sowing the Seeds of Love

The Youth Mission Trip to Washington D.C was awesome, challenging and fun.  Seven youth and three adults from St. Barnabas joined 11 youth and three adults from All Saints' Episcopal Church in Morristown, TN (where my family attends) to work with the homeless and/or hungry in our nation's capital.  We worked with an organization called Youth Services Opportunities Project (Y.S.O.P.) that connected us to many different agencies and non-profits that help address the various needs of these at-risk populations.  We learned some of the causes of homelessness (mental illness, lack of affordable housing, addiction and job loss to name a few) and that regardless of the circumstances, all people deserve the dignity of being treated as a child of God and offered the opportunity to better their lives. Many others may not be homeless, but may not be able to afford food in addition to rent, medication or medical treatment, transportation to and from a job, etc.   The youth were awesome

2014 Mission Trip!

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:37-40 On Sunday, 7 youth and 3 adults will leave for Washington D.C. to help serve the homeless and hungry in our nation’s capital, and I, finally after 3 years at St. Barnabas, will be among them.  It is a joy to participate in a Mission Trip and I have no doubt that those involved with get out of the experience more than they expected, even though we won’t get as much sleep as we would like, it will be hot, and, at times, we will be dealing with people and situations that may be uncomfortable.  Yet this is why we are Ch

"Texts of Terror"

According to the Church calendar, we move into “Ordinary Time” this week (based on the word ordinal , as in 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd etc. Sunday after Pentecost).  During Ordinary Time, the Lectionary gives us the opportunity to hear a (mostly) continuous narrative of certain stories from the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as the “meat and potatoes” of Jesus’ earthly ministry (preach, teaching and healing).  This week we enter into the Old Testament narrative a bit late (since Easter was rather late this year).  It is the story of the dismissal of Hagar and Ishmael by Abraham through Sarah’s insistence.  This is one of Phyllis Trible’s Texts of Terror , as it is one of the harshest stories in the Bible.  It is a very important story for us as modern Christians to know because it is the foundation for the ancient rivalry between Jews and Muslims (Ishmael is an ancestor of the prophet Muhammad, and ergo the reason why the 3 religions claim Abraham as our common ancestor). Many times we i

The Sublime Nature of the Trinity

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The sublime nature of the doctrine of the Trinity can be a bit daunting to explain.  As Trinitarians, we believe in one God with three expressions, while still proclaiming adherence to a radical monotheism. Our critics do not believe this tenet is truly monotheistic since we talk about the three “persons” of the Trinity in distinct terms (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).  The point is valid as far as it goes, but there is so much more to this doctrine that gets lost when we try to simplify it or talk about it in metaphorical terms, like water existing as a solid, liquid and gas.  While most of us probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the Trinity, such contemplation does offer us the opportunity to stretch our spiritual foundation by focusing our attention of how we understand God and what God does in the world.  As the diagram above shows, we understand each person of the Trinity as distinct from the others, yet working in harmony with them.  Perhaps we can understand the

Timeliness of the Holy Spirit

I’m not sure where the past 50 days have gone.  While the season of Lent is only 40 days long, that seemed to take much more time than this season of Easter.  And yet this Sunday is the day of Pentecost and with it the season of Easter is ended.  It strikes me that it is part of our human nature that enjoyable events seem to “fly by,” while things that are difficult or testing seem to take “forever.”  I am sure the 10 days in between Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit felt much longer than that for the apostles and other faithful, as they waited, but not knowing for what.  Similarly, the following 10 days must have sped by “in the blink of an eye” as they experience the indwelling of God’s Spirit in new and awesome ways. Being aware of this seemingly fickle passage of time is what is most important, regardless of the events, as it reminds us to be reflective in the midst of joy AND sorrow, pleasure AND pain, the good times AND the difficult ones.  When we recognize

I AM The Gate

In the poem Mending Wall, Robert Frost muses that, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” yet one of the characters offers the refrain, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Usually the context of the wall offers more or less of a visceral reaction.  Before it fell, the Berlin Wall was a harsh testament to the repression of Communism, erected to keep out influences those in power deemed dangerous.  It felt like a victory of social progression when that wall came down, but now a similar wall is being constructed in Israel to separate the Jews and the Palestinians.  This new wall draws a stark line between those in political power, access to resources and the ability to live freely.  The Israelis believe this “fence” to make good neighbors, but the Palestinians do not. The Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday,” when we reflect on one of Jesus’ provocative metaphors to explain his mission and ministry to his followers.  Interestingly enough, however, this y

Making Final Arrangements

It is something we prefer not to think about, and often avoid the subject all together because it makes us uncomfortable, or there might be a better time to do it later, or . . . The TRUTH is we will all die one day.  It is what our mortal bodies are made to do. It is the natural end to life, yet it is still shrouded with mystery and sadness, which is why we are so good at avoiding the topic or distracting ourselves with life and all its activities. I can tell you from personal experience that when death happens, it interrupts all our regularly scheduled plans, even if the death is expected, even welcomed.   The reality that a loved one is gone changes life. But what makes that moment easier to deal with is KNOWING what arrangements our loved one wanted. As the Church begins our annual remembrance of Jesus’ passion and death during Holy Week, it is a good time to think about our own death and what arrangements we want.  This is not a morbid fascination with death, but acknowledgin

Walk faithfully with Christ, and he will walk faithfully with you

When the idea of expounding upon the fruit of the Spirit throughout Lent was taking shape, I immediately knew that I wanted to “save” the fruit of faithfulness for Holy Week. There is an organic connection between the dramatic emotional journey we engage in during this time and our desire for faithfulness in lives, especially during difficult and trying times. Although the triumphant “end” is in sight, we do ourselves a disservice if we neglect our spiritual development if we do not walk with Jesus from the celebratory entry into Jerusalem, to the Passover table, to the garden and to the cross. Our own faithfulness is inspired and bestowed upon us through Jesus’ sacrifice. All of the fruit of the Spirit are clearly present in Jesus’ life and actions.  He is the embodiment of what it looks like to live according to God’s will and how it allows us to be closer to God.  Yet the Gospels show us that it is not easy to follow God’s will, even when you are God incarnate.  A pattern of pu

Resuscitating Self-Control

In the era of “Reality TV,” where bad behavior gets one elevated to celebrity status, even a modicum of self-control is ridiculed.   It has no sense of drama or angst associated with it, and so it fades into the background with other traits like honesty, wisdom and responsibility. The last mentioned fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:23, self-control usually gets relegated to diet-related aspects of our behavior, “If I had more self-control, I wouldn’t eat this donut.”   But this is a superficial way of engaging in a crucial part of our spiritual lives. As St. Paul writes to the Romans, “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Romans 7:18b-19) It seems to be part of human nature to work against our better selves, to work against God’s will in our lives, even when we know better.  Relying on the ideal of self-control as a something initiated from within the individual sets us up for utter failure.