Orlando

How can we not respond?  How can we not feel?  How can we not be outraged?

A few short days ago, very early morning on the Lord's Day,  a young man walked into a gay club in Orlando, Fl and shot 50 people to death and wounded at least that many more.  One hundred lives changed in an instant. In fact many more lives changed when you look to the family, friends and loved ones of those people who were shot.  It is mind numbing to think of it.

I know there will be those who will point fingers, politicians, news personages, and neighbors, but that doesn't help the dead or the injured.  So what do we do?  Do we take guns from the hands of potential risks, do we eliminate certain guns altogether or possibly do we take all guns away? I really do not know the answer, but I do know that something needs to be done soon.  How many more of these incidents of extreme violence will we live through with absolutely nothing being done?

I bleed inwardly for the families and loved ones of those who died.  God has taken the victims home where God's mansion has many rooms and there is no longer pain.  We will some day be joined with them.  The wounded and the families and loved ones will grieve and suffer for years and I pray for inner peace for them.  But, damn it, the politicians must break from the powerful money and do what is right for a change!

God's Blessings all those lives that were changed and damaged by the violence in Orlando.  May the Holy Spirit speed to them and heal and uplift them.

Michelle+

Ascension Day Again

I have long been struck with the perspective of the above picture of the Ascension.  Are we left here on earth looking up at the ascending feet of Jesus?  In the Gospel of Peter, a work that is generally not accepted as be authoritative, we see a resurrected Jesus coming forth from the tomb escorted by angels and followed by the Cross.  The Cross is speaking as a living being and Jesus rather than ascending as above extends into the heavens from earth all the way up.

In a way both interpretations are fantastic, but also in a way they both may hold some truth.  The Jesus that walked on earth was no longer in the presence of his followers.  He had walked with them and then been killed on the cross.  He was then with them again, but now was gone again.  This time he had gone to be with the Godhead and a new energy filled the followers.  There was also a belief that Jesus would come back again and this time to make real changes. "See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Rev. 22:13)

This all was nearly 2000 years ago.  So what does "I am coming soon" mean?   Revelations wasn't written in English, but Greek and we work from a translation.  The word that is translated "soon" can also mean "suddenly".  We really don't think of 2000 years as soon, but Jesus could still come suddenly.  In fact, Jesus warns that his coming will be unexpected and sudden and that we should be constantly prepared.

But did the Ascension mean that Jesus left us at all?  Paul years after the Ascension meets Jesus on the road to Damascus.  In Acts the meeting is described as a blinding light and a voice.  Paul in his own letters says that he met Jesus face to face.  Remember this was years after the Ascension.  Our conventional thinking of the Ascension is that the Disciples watched as Jesus Ascended, check the picture above. It is as if the church was on the train platform waving goodbye or possibly watched at Jesus left on a Jet plane.

The other aspect here is that just after the Ascension the Disciples had an infusion of the Holy Spirit.  What is the Holy Spirit?  God with us and in us, to guide us and support us on the way.   This is the way that the writer of Luke Acts portrays the time immediately after Jesus Death and Resurrection.  The other Gospel writers describe things quite differently " Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” "(John 20:19 and following)  The question in my mind is "Does the Ascension mean Jesus left or does it mean something quite different?"   What does "I will be with you always" mean? Does Jesus appear to us today still?  These are deep questions, but I am sure that somehow Jesus still moves within us and with us and still show us the way.

Here it is 2016!

Time really flies!  The last Blog post was in 2014 and it is already 2016.  Part of this has to do with the fact that I am at this Parish on a part-time basis.  The reality is that there is only so much time to go around.  I have been busy and that I guess is a good thing.  Possibly I have been too busy to do the Blog justice, an that isn't so good.

This will be a very busy year.  There is a very short Epiphany Season and that is followed by an early Lent.  Things are happening too fast.  I really hope that the Holy Spirit will help a bit and bring us all to a Holy Lent and most Blessed Easter!

God Bless!
Michelle

Feast of Christ the King 2014

The Crucifix depicted above is much like one that is above my desk at All Saints'.  It depicts what is these days referred to as Christus Rex or Christ the King.  The Feast of Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of the Pentecost Season.  As a festival it is relatively modern, originating in Roman Catholic practice. 

Even so the notion of Christ's rule is quite ancient and has been a part of Christian belief and practice for close to 2000 years.  There are Orthodox Icons of Christ Pantocrator that are quite ancient.  Christ Pantocrator meaning Christ the Almighty.

This year has been the year of Matthew, that is the Gospel of Matthew had been the major Gospel for our weekly Gospel readings.  Matthew stresses the position of Jesus as the Messiah (Christ) and therefore the anointed King and ruler of the Jews.  Yet Matthew points out that this kingship was denied by the Jewish Leaders and the Romans.  Jesus Kingship does not exist in armies and weapons or for that matter in any form of force.  Jesus' Kingship, his rule is over our hearts and souls and only to the extent that we submit ourselves. 

Christ's kingdom therefore lives within us.  We now bring that kingdom into the world and the work of that kingdom originates within us.  This is not a popular notion today especially in places where people are arrested for feeding the poor.  But we must remember that we meet Christ when we help the disadvantaged, the sick and disabled.  We feed Christ when we feed the poor.  When we are callous and cruel to others we are callous and cruel to Christ!

Meet Christ the King in your life.  Reach out to Christ in your life and make Jesus the ruler of your heart and soul. Reach out to Christ by reaching out to the needy.

Soup, Socks and Saints

The Feast of All Saints 2014

All Saints Sunday, Nov. 2nd was themed by everyone being asked to bring three things, Canned Soup for the needy, Socks to keep the homeless feet warm and a Saint that was known personally.  This may need some explaining.  The soup and socks I hope are clear.  The saint may not be so clear.  I asked for the name and description of a person known personally who displayed saintliness.  

From the contributed saints we built a tower of saints.  There were so many moving stories and contributions that it was clear the Spirit moved within us.  Praise God for all the Saints among us!

Blessing the Animals

Each year we have a service of Blessing of the animals near the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Aside from a neat thing to do what is the purpose of holding a service of Blessing of Animals?

At first glance it might seem a futile thing to do.  Do the animals understand what is happening?  Do the animals need blessing?  I think that we Bless the animals mostly for our own sake.  Very often the animals being blessed are beloved pets.  They have been brought to the service by their masters because their masters love the pets deeply and feel moved when the pets are blessed.  Pets become members of our families and we as pet owners want the best for them.

I have blessed animals that are other than pets, that is, farm animals.  Farm animals do not usually have quite the emotional ties to the owner.  They do have an economic tie, however.  The owner has a life investment in the animals of their farm.  These are important animals and their welfare is important to the welfare of the farmer and the farmer's family.  God's blessings on agriculture has long been something that has been sought.  It is a motivation that goes to the early origins of religion.

At a service of Blessing of Animals I have even been asked to pray for a pet's healing!  A very fine looking dog was brought before me and the owner asked not only for a blessing, but for healing.  The dog had terminal cancer.  I am sure that the healing was for the distraught owner.

I think there is a greater need for Blessing that we express in this once-a-year service and that is we seek to remind ourselves of our closeness to nature.  We bless God's creatures, but in so doing we recognize our need for them and our need for our environment.  We were given dominion over the earth and that implies that we were also given responsibility for that earth.  Our pets and farm animals do more than belong to us, they are our companions in this life.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that we may

not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Mt 11:28 -30)

This was in the Gospel for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost which was last Sunday.  I reflected on this in the Sermon, but I want to reflect on this more here.  In fact, for all of my life part of this passage has been a part of our liturgy in a much older translation "Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you."  This passage can be found in our Rite I Eucharist in the "comfortable words" following the confession and absolution.  Since Rite I is in fact mostly the Eucharist from the 1928 Prayer Book, this has been a part of my life as long as I have been alive.

What does it mean to us?  Jesus speaks in many different tones in the Gospels and this is more the tone of the Jesus Meek and Mild I learned of in Sunday School.  However, I left that Jesus behind me many years ago along with my naivete.  I have come to think of Jesus as a strong, forceful and directed person who teaches a God of Love and forgiveness.  This passage almost seems too kind and meek.  Is it though?

Jesus was facing a rough time.  He was being opposed by the very people in Judea who he was closest to in message, the Pharisees.  The Pharisees are the very strain of Judaic religion that eventually became Rabinic Judaism and has lead to modern Judaism. An if you are familiar at all with today's Judaism you know that is is very moral, charitable and demonstrative of the Love of God.  So, what was the problem?  It was for Jesus a problem that the Pharisees of his day were layering things on the Torah Law enough to make compliance very difficult, for some even impossible.  In our passage from Matthew we hear Jesus saying that his yoke is light and it is light because he does not layer impossible demands on the people.

This is something for us to keep in mind today.  The faith of the Church is much simpler by far than some would make it.  "Do not lay down any rules beyond what I appointed you, and do not give a law like the lawgiver lest you be constrained by it." This is a quote from the Gospel of Mary Magdalen, a non-canonical work.  It is a quote of the post- resurrection Jesus to his Disciples and it indicates the very principle I refer to.  Don't add a lot of extra things to the "way of Christ."  Let's keep the burden light!

God's Peace,
Michelle +