Rev. Valerie's Reveille

Our Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Michael Curry, has been proclaiming that we are “the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.”  By that, he is reclaiming our identity of being part of the early movement started by Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry and passed on to the apostles and to the communities they helped establish.  These communities were not created to begin a new religion, but to follow “the Way,” that is the way of life Jesus preached and taught to his followers – to love God, love your neighbor and love yourself. In our post-Christendom society (i.e. where faith is no longer a priority in many people’s lives), the Church is looking to reclaim relevance and impact.  We cannot depend on the model that people will come looking for us because we have something they want.   Rather, we need to be more like the members of the early movement and find ways to go out into our community and share Jesus’ message of redemption and love. That sounds ...

This Sunday we celebrate Trinity Sunday, which is an important part of our Christian tradition, but unlike many other holy days, it celebrates a concept rather than event.  (Other days like this include All Saint’s Day and The Reign of Christ {or Christ the King} Sunday.) The very nature of such an event seems to beg confusion at best and irrelevance at worse for the average lay person.  But I am here to make a case for not only celebrating the Trinity, but also making the effort to see its importance in our life today. In our worship we refer to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit often enough that it can lose meaning.  The purpose for stating the three parts of the Godhead is a constant reminder that God is a relationship within one entity, through which we experience God in different ways. Yet we must tread lightly here to be careful not to fall into an explanation that can be heretical – against the Church’s teachings. What is your favorite heresy?  Don’t ha...

The Collect for the 7 th Sunday of Easter - O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. I’m pretty sure this prayer comes under the heading “Be careful what you ask for.”  On the surface it seems reasonable, even hopeful.  Who doesn’t want to be comforted or comfortable?  That is what society tells us we should strive for all the time.  That is the ultimate life pursuit – to find comfort.  But if we really understand this prayer, we realize that we are not seeking comfort to the exclusion of all else, but the strength to deal with what Christ as also done. Wait, what?  Do we mean the rejection, suffering, torture and death?  Yes, but ...

Jesus said, “You heard me say to you, `I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.” John 14:28 This cryptic saying was in the Gospel lesson last Sunday, but due to the focus on International Sunday, it was read, heard, and (probably) promptly forgotten.  It is from the portion of John’s Gospel known as “The Farewell Discourse” when Jesus addresses his disciples at the Last Supper, offering assurance, support and a lot of strange rhetoric that doesn’t seem to make sense until after his death and resurrection.  However, this verse only makes sense in light of Jesus’ ascension, which the Church commemorates 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection.  This year Ascension Day is May 5 th . The Ascension is one of those important events that many modern Christians forget about even though it is mentioned in the Creeds and most Eucharistic Prayers.  This event doesn’t seem im...