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November 16, 2008 – Year A – Proper 28

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have

given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Zephaniah 1:7,12-18 - 12 “Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath; in the fire of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; Psalm 90:1-8,12 - Our iniquities you have set before you, *and our secret sins in the light of your countenance. 12 So teach us to number our days * that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. I Thessalonians 5:1-10 - For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.? Matthew 25:14-15,19-29 - "For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away."

TEXT - "For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away."

Complacency Today, we are confronted with the "Day of the Lord." Zephaniah prophesies about a two-fold coming of judgment upon the people. The first was God's judgment against an Israel that was complacent in their faith & regard for the ways of the Lord. We find lots of examples of God calling his people Israel away from their stony or complacent hearts back to relationship with him. We even find the Prophecy of the Book of Revelation as God addresses the church in Laodicea: "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re to hot – far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit." ~ Rev. 3:15f.

Ignoring God Zephaniah warns against a complacency in which God's people take no regard for what he has provided, nor do they care about pleasing him. Have you even been complacent about something? Was it really a good place to be? Was it productive? Did it fulfill you? Did it please God?

Bury your Talent? The Lord follows last week's parable in the Gospel this morning with the oft repeated and studied story of the Talents. Something I rediscovered in researching this parable is the value of a talent. A talent was not just Jesus' way of telling us that we are to be wise in using the gifts and abilities that God has endowed us with, but the talent was an actual valuation used in Jesus' day. The value of a talent was the equivalent of 15 years wages for a common laborer. So, while the minimum wage was not what it is today - nonetheless, to entrust to these servants the stock portfolio that the master did, was quite a stewardship. They had a lot of chance to build it into a larger sum, or they could be like the final servant, and bury it. It would gain no value and it could be a risk in that it could be stolen.

Stewardship is a Trust issue The Stewardship was indeed a trust issue, and the master entrusted each according to his abilities. To the first wise steward, he entrusted 75 years equivalent of his wages, to the second, he gave thirty years wages, and to the last, 15 years. The first two stewards took care and responsibility, worked and were faithful, and doubled the stewardship - each made a good return in the stock market. And the master acknowledged the wisdom and abilities of each, and gave them a promotion in the company, and the promise of even better positions in the future.

And … even as we are as slaves to God, he gives us the freedom to decide how we use or invest or inflate in value, the measure of Giftedness we have received from him. But there is a day of accounting; we can’t just leave the talent invested.. We have to cash out at the Master’s return.

Ziplock Stewardship The final servant was fearful, foolish and complacent. He was fearful of the boss - which means he really didn't trust his fairness; He was also disrespectful in that he actually blamed the Master for his own unfaithfulness. We might conclude, He had not made the effort to really get to know his master. He went and put the money in a Ziplock bag, and buried it under the lilac bush in the back yard. In giving it back, he tried to buffalo his master in saying, "here you are sir, your money is all safe and sound." The master responds of course, "even if you'd have put it in a passbook savings account, at least it would have gained a small percentage - and over the long time I was gone, it would have grown some. You're fired, get out of here! And don't ask me for a letter of recommendation!"

How are we with our stewardship? Do we avail ourselves of the talents He has given US, and invest our efforts wisely? Or do we languish in laziness, never acknowledging our gifts? How are we doing with the Talents and Abilities he has given us? Do we grow them, concentrate on making them better? Or are we complacent, lazy, cold toward what God has done for us? I doubt if any of us are that way, or we wouldn't be hearing the sermon. But life is hard, sometimes. We don't always approach living with a thankfulness that we should. And when we experience the kind of economic downturn that is currently happening world-wide, we don't often remember that it is all God's, and we sometimes don't use much creativity when we handle the Stewardship which God has intrusted to us.

Just as Jesus drew our attention to the reality that not all men are created with equal abilities at everything, every child of God has an equal importance and an equal value to the Father. But we are not all the same, and some of us have talents in one area that another does not. But that other is valuable in another area. All have an equal responsibility and accountability to use and develop that with which God has blessed us. We need to work hard, strive to grow, invest our energies and be faithful.

Let us never be complacent; God was not stingy or complacent when he created the earth and all that is in it. He was not complacent or tight when he created us with two eyes, two ears, two hands to raise in praise to him. He deserves our whole-hearted thanks and faithful service, and our joyous Love and praise for his generosity in saving us through his son, Jesus.

Proper 27A – RCL November 9, 2008

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Amos 5:18-24 At God’s coming we face hard reality, not fantasy—a black cloud with no silver lining. “I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want. Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 -

…and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality, and immortality brings one near to God;

Psalm 70 - 4 let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – 16 there will be the shout of command, the archangel’s voice, the sound of God’s trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; 17 then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Matthew 25:1-13 - the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.

TEXT - "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him. … Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.'"

How do you like working with someone who is friendly one day, and cold toward you the next? How about one who is kind and jovial one minute, but who turns on you the next and rips your head off? What about the person who consistently promises certain productivity, but you find you can never really count on them to produce as you had hoped? It was in this way that Israel treated Yahweh.

Cold one minute, Hot the next. Loving and faithful one minute, and distant and self-serving the next minute.

These kinds of relationships are common in our lives - even in our church sometimes, but with our God, we have his faithfulness and consistency on which we can rely. And in our lives and faithfulness we should strive to mirror the reliability of Jesus. Was he ever unresponsive to his Father? Did he dodge responsibility, even when he was facing death, did he complain? He asked that the cup of suffering pass from him if it was possible, but in the end he was willing to enter into his death. It was always a joy to Jesus to serve?

I was surfing through the TV channels recently and landed on a discussion of parenting. The interviewer was asking an adoptive mother about the energy involved in being a parent. I was interested in her answer. She reflected on the many years of yearning to be a mother when she was childless, and made a commitment that if given the chance to raise a child, she would always try to look at the opportunities of life each day as a parent, rather than the necessity.

Rather than having to serve the Lord, we get the chance, the daily opportunity to serve him. Attitude can change our whole perspective on things. Rather than looking on life’s problems, we see the opportunities God presents to us, to jointly solve with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

If we look at life as a matter of getting through it, of managing to the end of the day, then it would seem to me that there is little point in working very hard at it, or putting much effort out. But if our lives daily are a chance to live, to grow, to enjoy, to learn, to reflect, to play, to imagine, to hope and dream as we serve the Lord and others, then we will look forward to each new dawn and we will rise with desire and intention.

Not every day is going to be wonderful, but even as we prepare for each new day, we can know that the Lord will be with us, and we can depend on his Holy Spirit to guide, focus and infuse us with grace and spiritual energy. It is a matter of choice; we choose Jesus Christ anew every day, and if we choose with the right attitude, even if we go home to heaven with him, that very day, we will be prepared to give account of our stewardship, of how we have used and enjoyed the many gifts he has given us. We will have done our work, and Jesus, our Lord and mediator, can give a good accounting for us.

Friday evening, Peggy and I had dinner guests, a lovely supper and good fellowship. As I had been away most of the week, Peggy was left with all of the preparations of the house, kitchen and table. After our guests were gone, She commented that if we were having dinner guests weekly, we could be forced to keep our house a lot cleaner, and then not have to spend all week with housework. We decided that we should have planned on having some guests on Saturday night, as well, while things were tidy. Life seems to happen spontaneously all the time, but truly, life can be planned to a great extent. Living involves preparation.

That is true also of the parable of the bridesmaids: the commentator observes: “Preparedness is essential, for the time is coming when getting ready will no longer be possible; the door will be shut.”

Just as each believer must be prepared, do you suppose that the Lord wants to his Body of Christ on earth to focus, prepare, plan, organize and then implement His will in the world around us?

The Vestry and I seek the Lord on a regular basis as to how we may serve Jesus in an intentional way in our community. The wonderful folks who lead us in worship and music, plan the music ahead; praise doesn’t just happen. Christian education around here is planned. And most likely, all of you plan your week, your meetings, your work, and may even plan to come to church to worship each week.

May we continue to serve the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, with the insights and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We want to be prepared to always be able to give an accounting to the Lord for the Hope that is in us.

We should yearn to go in to the wedding supper of the Lamb; We should be planning every day to meet our Lord. May the Lord spare us from the words: “`Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, `Truly I tell you, I do not know you.'.”

Reflect and think of the way you have been preparing yourself for

the coming of Jesus Christ. Or have you even thought of it? Is the relationship you have with him right now, enough? What can we do further to prepare for the Kingdom of God as individuals and as a community?

All Saints’ Celebration - Year A- November 2, 2008

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. AMEN.

REVELATION 7:9-17 - "...and the one who is seated one the throne will shelter them." [tent - tabernacle over them = covering/covenant] PSALM· 149 - "Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; * let them be joyful on their beds."

1 John 3:1-3 - What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. MATTHEW 5:1-12 - "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

TEXT: "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made they white in the blood of the Lamb."

All Saints Day is a celebration of our Christian Family. I want to try to clarify my understanding of the Communion of Saints in the life of the church.

In the Epistle to the Hebrews, the author makes references to numerous Old Testament Patriarchs (Saints) who lived before Christ and who looked forward to the Eternal Kingdom and relationship with Yahweh which he promised to the Israelites.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith? our ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.?

He goes on to list a great number of the patriarchs and prophets who lived out that faith, and then concludes, as he begins chapter 12: (Prov 3.11—12)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,?? and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of? the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

So we may conclude that we may gain insight and understanding of faith as we observe those of our forebears who exercised and lived faith out in their relationship with God.

As we celebrate the saints, who are we honoring and what are we doing? It is thanking God, for our own immediate family and our extended family, as well as our extended Family in Christ (that is often referred to as the Communion of Saints.) With the greater emphasis lately on thinking more globally in the Anglican Communion, we are asked to celebrate our global and eternal relationships on All Saints.

Most of the time, we think of the Saints as either the holy people who inhabit history, stained glass windows or whose likenesses are cast in plaster statues. They are those who died as martyrs by the sword, or by being fed to lions, or those great grandfather and grandmother type saints who lived long and pure lives, or whom we imagine died as monks and nuns or living as hermits in the desert.

The Saints may be to us those of our own friends who had a positive affect on our spiritual and emotional development in the faith. They helped form our character, forge our souls with good judgment, and fed our spirits with the righteousness which comes from God. We should remember them & thank God for their lives this morning.

The Feast of all Saints is a chance to remember and thank the Lord for those who have gone before us, who have lived out Christian Virtue and have modeled sanctity for us: “those who have sheltered the homeless, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick and those in prison.”

The saints are those who have counseled the abused, bound the physical and spiritual wounds of warriors, protected the homes and the people in our communities. “They may have been our teachers, social workers, nurses…” police, firefighters, military chaplains “or simply those who have shared acts of kindness” in the name of Christ. “We are connected to them in the communion of saints, a fellowship among all Christians in this world and the next.”

Those are the Saints of God, those believers, those brothers and sisters in Christ, whom we love, and who love us. Along with others, they are the saints we should rejoice in today - the ones for whom we should praise God. They ARE the saints who by their example have taught us how to LOVE the Lord. They have taught us how to PRAY, they have cracked open the Word to us; they have been our examples of Christian LOVE and KINDNESS. They have been the ones to FORGIVE us, even before we were repentant, and they have been our examples in sowing the seeds of PATIENCE and in TEACHING us to seek God in his Holy Sprit. They have been God's saints to us, as they have lived, been victorious in adversity, and they have taught us how to suffer with God’s grace and dignity. Most of them still reside with us, though, as the Scriptures say, some have already "fallen asleep," and they have taught us how to die gracefully, in the Lord.

And if we reflect on the Beatitudes in the Gospel this morning, it is our brother and sister saints who seek by His grace, to live out those virtures Jesus teaches us about.

They are the Saints who have gone before us here in Montrose and this Valley, and who established this stronghold of Christ’s presence here at St. Paul’s Church. The saints of God have borne every burden before us, so that our generations would have this place in trust for the worship of God and the sharing of the Gospel. How shall WE, the saints of God, leave our mark on the hearts of the future saints as we give to the Lord and His Church? How shall we be remembered and honored? Will it be by monuments of brick, metal and plaster? Or will it be by the children of God who will be borne out of the seeds we plant in this fellowship, in this community, in this world?

I want to share with you a repeat of a piece I read to you last year on All Saints Day. It is called Honor all the Saints

I saw them walking beside me on roads I had walked thinking I was surely all alone, and I heard them laughing with me on golden days where the sun still shines even now.

I saw them with their arms around me and their tears falling mixed with mine, in places so dark there was barely enough light for our tears to glisten.

I remembered those places, and then I knew what it meant to be on holy ground -- ground that had been made holy by the One who made it and by those who walk it and do the work of the Christ on it.

We do not often see the place we are standing as holy ground. But the fault does not

lie with the ground; it lies with us.

We do not always see the saints among us, either, but that is because we do not see what it is we are looking at.

We do not always see that we should be moving about our days and lives and places with awe and reverence and wonder, with the same soft steps with which we enter the room of a sleeping child or the mysterious silence of a cathedral.

There is no ground that is not holy ground. All the places of our lives are sanctuaries; some of them just happen to have steeples.

And all of the people in our lives are saints; it is just that some of them have day jobs and most will never have feast days named for them. -- Robert Benson in "Between the Dreaming and the Coming True: The Road Home to God"

Proper 25 - Year A - October 26, 2008

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 - You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Psalm 1 - [3] You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. Psalm 1:3 (MsgB) 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 – [7] We weren't aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. [8] We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did. 1 Thes. 2:7-8 (MsgB) Matthew 22:34-46 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart ....

Text ~ "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?" Matthew 22:36 (MsgB)

We were talking in our Men’s Study on Thursday morning about how difficult it is at times, to live by Christian Principles and how hard it is to know the will of God. We are studying The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and the letter we were discussing was drawing attention to what a blessing it is to the devil when we assume things about God’s will that aren’t true. And one of the conclusions we came to was that while the message of Jesus is pretty straight forward: Love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself, putting that into practice is often one of the most difficult things in the world.

Perhaps one of the most important things that I have learned in my Christian life has to do with relationships. God’s desire not only to create us, but to go beyond that and have a relationship with us, is just mind boggling when you reflect on it. And then, to empower that relationship we have with him, to spill over into spawning relationships with our fellow humans.

A relationship is a two-way situation. It involves investment, commitment, energy, desire, planning, evaluation, caring, sacrifice – all sorts of things. It took me a long time to realize that while I might want to give of myself to God, somehow to earn his love and forgiveness, God didn’t plan for it to work that way between us. He decided to simply love me. In that process of loving me, all of the things I just mentioned and more, were involved in the cost that God was willing to invest in loving Larry Day. Then, out of the Love he had for me, he has been willing to give up the life of his Son, Jesus, for me. And Jesus was willing to give of himself as well. And, whats more, God intends us all to invest that kind of love in each other.

Amazing isn’t it? Well, it is hard – this loving stuff – and we aren’t always very successful at it. The guidance we receive from Leviticus this morning places special emphasis on what our dealings with our neighbors and our family members is supposed to look like. And we are told that unless we act this way, we will find it impossible to please God.

A couple of wise sayings that have helped me over the years to invest in this business of loving my neighbor have been these:

1) We are to love whomever God loves…. And, since God loves every one whom he has created, I even have to love my enemies, let alone those people I don’t like or am neutral about.

2) Your brother (or Sister) in Christ is NEVER your enemy! You might disagree with them, you might dislike them, they might treat you with disrespect and not honor you as the Lord would desire, and you don’t have to like them. But you must learn to love them and they are never your enemy.

In the Book of Common Prayer, Rite One of the Eucharist, We have Jesus’ words from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 linked together as he does, in what we call the Summary of the Law. Jesus draws these statements about loving God and loving one’s fellow man together as one declaration about how we are to live. He links the two ideas together as a statement of relationship. IF we are to relate to God in love, then we are to relate to our neighbor in love also.

One of the commentators I consulted says this, “Jesus puts God first and men second; men only become loveable when we love God. Jesus reminded the listeners that The Father's commandments are meant to put men in relationship with Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 is the basic and essential creed of Judaism, … It means that we must give a total love to God, a love that dominates our emotions, a love that directs our thoughts, and a love that is the motivation of our actions. In the culture at the time of Jesus, to love means to be totally attached.”

First then, we are reminded that before we start to love God, He loves us first. As always, He is longing for our love for Him in return. I am reminded of the teaching from St. Paul to the Romans, “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:8

Second, what does this say to us about how we are to love God? Totally, right? Without reservation, with complete abandon, as we might love in an earthly romantic-love relationship?! As we love our children; with totality! And then, based on the reality that God’s image can be seen in all humans, we are to love others with a sacrificial love also!

I know that I may sound like a broken record, but Loving does not equal liking. Loving means respecting another’s right to be here; one who is a creature of God, no better and no worse than we are. They have the right to be here on earth to learn to love God just as we do. And, God calls upon us to help them in the process, to share the truth of Jesus and the gift of His Holy Spirit.

That's Loving one's neighbor, and it is Evangelism. See – the E-Word is really not that frightening if we realize that we ARE sharing Jesus when we love our neighbor.

One of the wonderful things that I have noticed about the family of Christ here at St. Paul’s is how hard you seek to practice loving each other. I know that some of you might not particularly care for each other. I know that you clash from time to time and disagree periodically, but boy, I am proud to be associated with a group of Christians who seek so much to practice the godly art of loving as Christ has loved us. Please join me in prayer

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us

through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole

human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which

infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us

unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and

confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in

your good time, all nations and races may serve you in

harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ

our Lord. Amen.

Proper 23 - Year A - October 12, 2008

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 25:1-9 - On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. Psalm 23 - You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; * Philippians 4:1-9 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 22:1-14 - Then he said to his slaves, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.'

TEXT ~Psalm 23:3 (MsgB) [3] True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Matthew 22:14 (MsgB) [14] "That's what I mean when I say, 'Many get invited; only a few make it.' "

Each of our Lessons today are a wealth of wisdom, and I would recommend that you take your bulletin home and spend some time reflecting on each of them this week. All are worthy of a sermon, but I doubt you'd let me get away with that on a single Sunday. I would like to spend some time with the Gospel and the Psalm.

Few of us would deny the beauty, poetry and peacefulness of Psalm 23, but it’s almost invariable link with funerals and its shear familiarity often leads us to miss or overlook the weight, value and power contained in its verses. If we will reflect on the individual verses as making up a profound whole, I think we will grow in our appreciation of what King David is saying to we post-modern Christians.

The Lord is my Shepherd ~ Just as the shepherd of old was the provider of all good things to the sheep, so Jesus, or Shepherd is the provision for our lives. We depend on him for physical, social, emotional and spiritual well-being. He protects us from the evil one and those who circumstances of life which would ultimately harm us.

I shall not want ~ We are not in want when we are in Christ, at one with the shepherd who leads us. We are well cared for and every good thing is made available to us through God’s Spirit. We need only avail ourselves of his companionship.

He makes me lie down in green pastures ~ Working in a fulfilling job and with low stress and much satisfaction.

He leads me beside still waters ~ A walk with your big brother, the Lord through your life’s blessed circumstances

He restores my soul and leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. ~ I like the way the Message Bible renders this verse: “True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.” Jesus will always lead us in the right direction, if we will always follow his lead.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; ~ There is nothing to fear – Jesus’ perfect love casts out all fear that we might fear. There is no darkness that is too dark. Jesus’ light, shining in our lives will restore our sight and show us the path to walk.

your rod and your staff-- they comfort me. ~ When we lean on the framework of the Lord’s love and power, we are given comfort and a conviction of his presence and availability. Holy Security at it’s best!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; ~St. Paul warns us not to ever gloat, and if we have a banquet prepared by the Lord in the presence of enemies, we can be assured of just how much love and provision God has in store for us. Or, if we want to give this another interpretation, a premise I have held for years, we may end up sitting at the banquet table in heaven with people we never got along with here, but that’s just like Jesus; he will forgive all sorts of us!

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ~ Anointing is always for those who are honored: monarchs, prophets, priests. We are called to be judges of the twelve tribes of Israel. God fills our cups every day of our lives, with his grace overflowing!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, ~ If we spend time with our Savior and Shepherd, the Goodness and Mercy of the Lord will be our constant companions. God’s love working in us will grow us in goodness, and as we have been shown mercy by the saving power of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit plants a spirit of mercy in our hearts toward others.

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. ~ While we may believe that this verse refers to our hoped for heavenly home with the Lord, I believe that as we dwell with Jesus, as we are “in Christ, as new creations” we are living in the presence of the Lord every moment of every day that we draw breath. We don’t have to wait for pie in the sky by and by, we have the over abundance of God’s love and blessings here. Who could ask for more?

How to get yourself killed ~ Commentary on the Gospel.

As we examine the Gospel reading this morning, we see that again, Jesus is locked in conflict with the scribes and the Pharisees. Chapter 21 ends with the realization that Jesus is directing the parable at them. Today's parable draws him even more into a section which might be labeled “How to get yourself Killed.” The story will up the ante in pitting Jesus' message and presence against the authorities, almost forcing them to crucify him.

In my commentary, there is the reality statement which will help us view this allegory with deeper understanding. “Following in the prophetic tradition of the fiery, angry love of God for his faithful people, the risen Christ speaks this parable to the Church just as the “historical Jesus” proclaimed it to warn against the disastrous leadership of the chief priests and Pharisees. In each case it is uttered in love.” Clearly, the Old Testament reading from Isaiah today refers to the Final Age of Salvation in terms of a great feast, and weddings were among the most special in Jesus' time as ours. Isaiah 25:6 says “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.”

After the Jews reject God's invitation which he sent by way of the prophets, twice over, he finally runs out of patience when they murder the prophets and reject his invitation. He casts them down and destroys them. Finally, he extends the invite to the unworthy, the outcast, and eventually, even the gentiles.

This finally fills the wedding hall, but there is an oddity - Again the commentary guides us: The Gentile mission resulting from Jesus’ rejection by the leaders of his own people is to continue, and we are warned not to take the king’s invitation lightly. This is a command performance, not a matter of preference. It would not be a bad occasion for the preacher to take on the voluntarism of the American church. God expects his people to show up for the wedding banquet of his Son.

And if God has called you off the streets (or from Luke’s highways and hedgerows)—and if you are Gentile he has called you off the streets—then you had better appreciate the invitation and show it respect. You too can be punished if you respond with disdain. You don’t need to kill any prophets to rouse the king’s wrath. Taking the invitation lightly and showing up in your cut-offs may get the same reaction.

Once we see the historical and allegorical significance of the first parable, the second becomes as easy as I indicate in the above paragraph. Matthew is speaking to Jewish and Gentile Christians. Both depend on God’s patience, and the Gentiles cannot just come barging in without respecting the truth and Torah that God has revealed to Israel. Swinish Gentile behavior must be left behind.

Note how much this is like the concerns that Paul tackles. Gentiles do not have to become Jews, but they do have to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ and leave immorality and idolatry behind. Jews are not rejected, but they are accountable for their history and their misplaced zeal and presumption in the past.”1

Where does this leave us? We who would claim 21st Century sophistication and Biblical-Scholastic insight had best pay close attention to the call to righteousness which Jesus extends to us and for which he gave us his Holy Spirit. Because, while many are called, few have been chosen. The chosen will respond in holiness, which comes finally by God's grace.

1Van Harn, R. (2001). The lectionary commentary : Theological exegesis for Sunday's texts (127). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans

Proper 22 - Year A – RCL - October 5, 2008

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 5:1-7 - When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? Psalm 80 or 80:7-14 - 8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; * you cast out the nations and planted it. 9 You prepared the ground for it; * it took root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered by its shadow * and the towering cedar trees by its boughs. 11 You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea * and its branches to the River. 12 Why have you broken down its wall, * so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?

Philippians 3:4b-14

Matthew 21:33-46 - 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?

TEXT - "...the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom."

Agricultural vs. Industrial/Technical Society How would you classify Montrose - as an Agricultural community, an Industrial community? A Retirement Community? When I ministered in Cortez, the productivity was based on a Agri-tourism-mining culture which was brought about an interesting mix of Farming and Ranching, CO2 and Oil production, and tourism trades. In Colorado Springs, it was a military/technical/educational/religious-organization community. Regardless of where we live - we all know the importance of Productivity in a community!

Yesterday, a number of people from our Church and the Christian Community at large gathered in Sharefest to be productive for the benefit of their neighbors here in Montrose and Olathe, just letting them see the love of Jesus in action.

Production As I have served in various corners and centers of Colorado, whether it was in Greeley, where Argiculture and Education are the hub, Whether in Fort Morgan where Sugar Beats and Feedlots were king, whether in Denver where tourism and government rule, or Cortez where the idea for a healthy economy and community was Production. Didn't matter whether you were involved in running cattle, grazing sheep, selling Native American pottery, guiding German or Japanese tourists through the Anasazi ruins, or mining for CO2, everyone worked together most of the time for the good of the community and the individual prosperity of the members.

Recently, in the Banks and on Wall Street we have seen the fruits of a lack of production. What has happened in our economy is the result not of serving our neighbor or contributing to society’s well-being, but what is happening in my opinion is some people's greed bearing fruit. It is just that it is bitter fruit, and a curse, instead of the fruit of milk and honey, that is sweet to the spirit.

Over Production and Sharing Fruit At this time of year, we are joyfully aware of the production of fruit, the fruits of the field, tree, and vine. Most of those of you who had gardens this year and didn't get hailed out, are just happy to pawn the produce off on others. Those of us who didn't have gardens, are happy recipients of the blessings of your over abundance. Our Spiritual lives need to follow the same course, sharing the production of the fruits of the kingdom.

Negative Fruit Is that true of the Gospel, and our acquaintances? Are we sharing our produce? - Better, are we producing and sharing good fruit - as Jesus puts it - fruit of the kingdom? Or are we still caught up in negative production? I am glad that few of you are aware of the negativity of our Diocesan Convention which occurred over the last three days.

John Reiher, Penny Paxton, Sharyn Crayne and myself your parish representatives as we served as delegates and alternate in Colorado's diocesan convention this weekend. While I believe we learned some things in the workshops that will be useful to us here at St. Paul's, the business meeting, speeches and reports, were of questionable value in the sense of time, travel and cost. The Diocese of Colorado spends so much of it’s time reassuring itself that it is pleasing to the Lord, that there is little time or effort toward spiritual production. I hate to say it, but I haven’t found it very useful to the Gospel's spread, for me to be in attendance at Convention for a number of years.

But, and fortunetly, there is a joyous piece to this sermon … fortunetly, there is productivity going on here in the Body of Christ at St. Paul’s. We are growing in relationship with Jesus, with each other, in our knowledge of the Word, and as we serve each other, the Lord will equip us to be productive in our service of His creation.

A week ago, Twenty-five or so of our Sisters in Christ spent the weekend together and with the Holy Spirit. They prayed, sang, danced, taught, learned, worshipped, and I’m told, never stopped eating. When I had the blessing to join them for Eucharist late in the morning on Sunday, they were certainly wound up in Jesus and the Spirit. They shared some exciting things with me, and I’m certain, once again, the Holy Spirit’s enduring presence was renewed and unleashed in them. No doubt, they will unleash him on you and others.

This is the joy of what I’ll call Christian productivity: the Fruit of the Spirit being poured out on His Church by his Children. Let us continue the productivity of fruit-bearing, of our being able to face reality, our maturity in continuing to face our weaknesses, failures and mistakes, our willingness to continue to grow will all make a difference in how easily the Lord will be able to count on us to produce fruit of the kingdom.

Let us continue to live out “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. – Galatians 5:22-23

Proper 20 - Year A - September 21, 2008

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jonah 3:10-4:11 - "and also many animals?" Psalm 145:1-8 - The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, *

slow to anger and of great kindness. Philippians 1:21-27 - "Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel," Matthew 20:1-16 - "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?"

TEXT - Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? ~ Jonah

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. ~ Paul

I quote the second element from Paul – not because I am going to preach about it, but because I want to call you to prayer. Prayer for the Episcopal Church and Prayer for Bishop Bob Duncan, Diocesan Bishop of Pittsburgh and Moderator of the Common Cause Partnership. As you may or may not know, the Episcopal House of Bishop last week, at their Fall meeting in Salt Lake City, voted to depose Bishop Bob Duncan, Bishop Duncan, was given no trial, given no presumption of innocence, given no hearing. He was accused by the Presiding Bishop of “abandonment of the communion of this church.” And by a vote of 87 to 36, he was banned from his diocese and ministry in TEC, and will be deposed as soon as possible.

I seems to me, simply, that this vindictive action taken before Bishop Duncan even acted to move his association away from TEC to the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone – South America – was an unchristian and hateful action against a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and supporter of the full Gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the Holy Scriptures.

Like Paul, I think that Bishop Duncan would say to his diocese and any other Episcopalians, "Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel,"

Jonah's Original Sin Jonah, like all of us, was called by God to a task, a ministry. He was to go preach to the pagan people of Nineveh, and call them to repent and turn to God. There were pagan people; he must have hated them, and because Jonah knew the Lord's mercy, he ran away instead, because he knew that if he got a positive response from the Ninevites, then God would relent. And that would not be Jonah's will. He didn’t want to have anything to do with these unclean pagans. The Jews had forgotten their original purpose as a nation--to be a blessing to the rest of the world by sharing God's message with other nations

Are we surprised when some unlikely person turns to God? Is it possible that our view is as narrow as Jonah's? We must not forget that, in reality, 'we' do not deserve to be forgiven by God, either. But as God called the Ninevites through Jonah, so God is calling all sorts and conditions of people to be his Children right along side of us, and that may not always seem fair to us. “I’ve been serving the Lord all these years, I have avoided sin, even the fun ones, and yet here is this spiritual deadbeat and God wants to save him too!” or “I'm a saintly member of church of what's happenin' now, and God wants to save those Episcopalians?

So what do we say about Jonah – and about OUR ministry? Can we renew once again, our response to God's call? To faithfully follow where Jesus has led the way, and love everyone whom God loves. That means I even have to love the members of the House of Bishops – and their leader. I must love, but as I have said before, I don't have to like them.

A Pastor’s Joy What more could a pastor say to his people than Paul said to the Christians in Philippi? What more might I say to you?

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

God’s Call on Us! Over the last few years, as the Vestry and I have discussed and prayed over how we might respond to God in the call he has placed on us as a parish, we continue to be brought back to the reality that we are to be a people of Worship, Instruction, Fellowship, Evangelism and

Service. And we are to examine what God has called us to be for our City and the world. It is also clear that we are to remain a people of the Word and of the teachings of Christ as reflected through the historic Church. I also believe that God is calling us to grow, but maybe not in all of the ways we might imagine.

There are several issues which arise also when we discuss growth. Why do we want/need to grow? Are we willing to grow? Are we willing to do what we need to do, to allow growth to happen, and allow and welcome new people who join us? We must be very careful of our motives through this time, and we must be careful to avoid caring for the wrong things or ignoring the very elements of the Church which God is seeking to bless.

What was the focus of Jonah’s delight and later despair in the OT reading this morning? He was more concerned over the rise and fall of a plant that shaded his head than over the lost souls of the pagan people of Ninevah.

Gospel Parable - With all that in mind, let us reflect on the parable of the laborers which Jesus shares with us in Matthew:

At that time, the whole day was divided into 4 parts (watches) for night time and 4 parts (hours) for day time. The first hour is at dawn, the third hour is about 9 in the morning; the sixth hour is about noon, the ninth hour is about 3 in the afternoon and so on.

Day laborers did not actively seek employment, but gathered with their tools at the market place in the hopes of being hired. Being hired was considered a privilege. During Jesus' time, harvest time was most hectic since the grapes had to be harvested as fast as possible before the rain came, which would ruin all the unharvested grapes; a householder would need to hire workers.

One denarius was the lowest wage for a day of labor, it would not leave a man and his family much of an income; they would be just scrapping by. Those who still waited till the eleventh hour were desperate for work to feed their family.

Let’s examine: What are my reasons for responding to God’s call. Am I doing it out of love and appreciation of Christ’s salvation? Or Am I expecting a reward for something God owes me for my good works? Do my Good works tip the scale compared to the Love and forgiveness God has offered to me?

How would I react if I perceived that God is more generous with others than with me? How would I react? ~ Commentary Reflections from the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community

Willingness to Welcome So do we DARE resist God's call to go out into "the highways and byways, and the community, and compel them to come in?" And will we move over so that they can move into "our row, our section?" Will we move over so that they can find their ministry and maybe work in "our committee?" Will we teach them? Will we learn with them? Disciple them? Expand our warm and cozy groups to include them?

Now or Never Evangelism St. Paul’s future of Mission and Ministry is on the horizon folks. We are a spiritually healthy family. We are a loving congregation, We are seeking to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, but we are small and in need of stimulation, and new life, new folks to join us, if we are all going to continue to grow in the grace and love and knowledge of God. Let us listen and follow where the Holy Spirit leads.

Proper 18 – Year A – September 7, 2008

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Ezekiel 33:7-11 - Say to them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel? Psalm 119:33-40 - Make me go in the path of your commandments, * for that is my desire. 37 Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless; * give me life in your ways. Romans 12:8-14 -Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Matthew 18:15-20 - Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

____________________

Disasters Many if not all of us have been watching the TV this week seeing the results of hurricane Gustav along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It wasn’t as bad as Katrina, we say, but it was bad, and while New Orleans dogged a bullet to a degree, it was bad in other communities. The best thing we can say is that THIS time, people took it all seriously. They didn’t let the fear paralyze them, they acted.

Whether in Katrina, Gustav or the other ways that Life shakes our worlds, there are ways in which we act and react that will often determine how we come out of those life-shaking experiences. And I would offer this thought as the way through: Relinquishment of one’s life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Catastrophe strikes and a person’s world falls apart. People respond _variously, but two of the more common responses are denial and despair. Denial refuses to acknowledge the catastrophe. It shuts its eyes tight or looks the other way; it manages to act as if everything is going to be just fine; it takes refuge in distractions and lies and fantasies. Despair is paralyzed by the catastrophe and accepts it as the end of the world. It is unwilling to do anything, concluding that life for all intents and purposes is over. Despair listlessly closes its eyes to a world in which all the color has drained out, a world gone dead.

“Among biblical writers, Ezekiel is our master at dealing with catastrophe. When catastrophe struck—it was the sixth-century b.c. invasion of Israel by Babylon—denial was the primary response. Ezekiel found himself living among a people of God who (astonishingly similar to us!) stubbornly refused to see what was right before their eyes (the denial crowd). There were also some who were unwilling to see anything other than what was right before their eyes (the despair crowd).

“But Ezekiel saw. He saw what the people with whom he lived either couldn’t or wouldn’t see. He saw in wild and unforgettable images, elaborated in exuberant detail—God at work in a catastrophic era. The denial people refused to see that the catastrophe was in fact catastrophic. How could it be? God wouldn’t let anything that bad happen to them. Ezekiel showed them. He showed them that, yes, there was catastrophe, but God was at work in the catastrophe, sovereignly using the catastrophe. He showed them so that they would be able to embrace God in the worst of times.

Prophets & the Church Prophets have always had a tough job to do; they don't get paid much, and they are usually unwelcome speakers in most contexts. In the Church, some people are called to a ministry of Prophet. Other persons are periodically given prophesy to give to the church or congregation or an individual, and sometimes the whole church is to act in the position of sentinel - to warn one another or the world about a belief or practice or behavior that is foreign to the will of God, or to call the society or the broader church to a renewal of spirit toward God. Whenever we hear a message, we need to hold up the yardstick of the Holy Spirit, The Word, Our knowledge of the Heart and Love of Jesus. If the prophesy is in line with those measurements, then we can trust it. If not, we probably need to weigh it again, and see if we heard correctly or if it was received or delivered correctly.

Confrontation & Reconciliation Similarly, the kind of plan of reconciliation which Jesus outlines in the Gospel today is not something that will make you extremely comfortable or popular. First, it is difficult for us to even admit that Christians will have disagreements, or to allow sin to arise in the church, but it happens. So it is very important that we have a way to allow for repentance and reconciliation.

Jesus first directs that you keep the issue between you and the brother or sister who has sinned against you. This is a covering of love – that the person’s sin not receive public exposure. But, if the first method fails to bring about repentance and forgiveness, then we are to expose the sin to at least a small group of folks who will come along and act as witnesses. Lastly, if that still fails, we are to shun them from fellowship in the church. These methods are to be used in the local congregation, for the maintenance of the health of the church community.

Restoration of Fellowship Jesus proposed this as a means of reconciliation of a believer back into good fellowship within the body. It was never intended to be a means of teaching or enforcement of the beliefs of the body on the non-believer, or a person outside of your fellowship. Case in point: Pro-life people shooting Abortionists. It is not for the Christian to exercise judgment of those who have not heard the Word.

There is a proper justice for all to exercise. We must be careful to let God exercise his justice. We are not in a clear enough position of vision and discernment most of the time, to see exactly what God can see. We don't ever, as human beings, have a wide enough perspective to correct the general population on some issues. Jesus does tell us and show us, how we are to treat one another, how we are to be prophets to others. Illustration: Jesus' behavior after John was arrested.

The Gospel mention of his presence in the Body of Christ even when there are only two or three Christians gathered, is a great reassurance to all of us – Jesus wants to dwell with us even when there may only be husband and wife or two friends gathered.

However, there is also another meaning to this verse which may come as new insight to us: He reminds us that even in the midst of turmoil and conflict – even between Christians, Jesus is present. Jesus is present to focus His light on the situation, Jesus is present to bring truth, Jesus is present to bring about repentance and responsibility, Jesus is present to bring His Peace which passes all human logic and understanding.

Even the smallest spark in dry grass, can bring about mighty forest or wild fires. If we Christians are dry grass, that says something about our openness to the destructiveness of the enemy. But if we are aglow with the Spirit, growing good crops in well-watered land, then we won’t be quite as susceptible to his wiles.

So, remember, Jesus is among us – to help, to love and to teach. And where we are, and where Jesus is, is Holy Ground.

True Christian Community This is how we are to go about living our Christianity in community. Our main striving ought to be letting our love be genuine, and living in harmony. I think that is our whole task as human beings. So I pray this week that Jesus will show you his love, draw you closer to him, and fill you with a burning to love your neighbor, and may we never need anything but God's grace and Word to bring us into His will! Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Proper 17 – Year A – RCL - August 31, 2008

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in

us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Jeremiah 15:15-21 - Conversation between Jeremiah and Yahweh, Yahweh gets the last word: gI will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.h ~Jeremiah 15:21

Psalm 26:1-8 - Give judgment for me, O LORD, for I have lived with integrity; * I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.

Romans 12:9-21 - Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

Matthew 16:21-28 -Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ~ Matthew 16:24-25

TEXT – Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

I Believe the message that St. Paul is trying to get across to the Roman Christians in his letter this morning is that God gave everyone in the Church grace to live in good relationship with the other members of the Family of God and, if possible, blessing those in the world in the name of Jesus. God created the church to function as an organism and to be guided by the Holy Spirit, not human knowledge or philosophical conclusion. Even as an organism it functions in a logical, cause and effect, give and take relationship. In fact, relationship is the key to the function of the church, and the function of our relationship as church to God and church to one another. We cannot function independently of one another and when we sin, our sin causes dis-ease in the body. When we gain sanctity and holiness, it strengthens the body.

When we love in a genuine way, our behavior is sacrificial – willing the best for the other members, being understanding and patient, hoping for fullness and blessing to others, and loving as God loves.

When we understand God’s intent to love all of us, then we are able to honor every member of the congregation and the gift and contribution, which they have to make. I pray that as we continue to discover together, where the Lord is leading St. Paul’s Church, all of us will seek to listen, hear, and honor the vision, which God is giving to each member of the parish. No one has a better plan or a worse plan due to their position in the church. God speaks to all, and desires that all can speak. God loves all and wants to live out his love in all and through all. Let us remember that likewise, God gave us variety in the church for the benefit and blessing of the church. Not all are alike, not all have the same gifts, and it is to our benefit that we are different. God calls us to be complementary to each other.

In our Gospel today, we come to understand what that dedication and involvement in the church may bring us. Last week’s reading – in the section just before this one, Jesus praises Peter for his insight that Jesus is Messiah and Son of God. Peter got it right for a change, and was bold to confess the truth he understood about his master’s role and place in God’s economy.

This week, we have the immediate turn around – the fall Peter makes back into unfortunate normalcy. Jesus is trying to unhinge Peter’s earthbound devotion to the realities of the politics of the world system. In his delusion, Peter has bought into the dream that the Messiah will fix the social system that the Jews were experiencing at the time. And much of the Jewish leadership had been living with the same delusion.

As I was reading a reflection on these readings, I found this statement: “Only those who follow Jesus unconditionally will receive eternal salvation. We don't come to church to 'find ourselves' but to lose ourselves. And that means we have no guarantee that our personal needs will be met by our religion. In fact, there is no promise we will receive any reward that the world values.” 1

As we listen to the political speeches this Summer and Fall, let us not be deluded into thinking that any of the candidates have all the answers to our world problems. Unless they are guided by God's Holy Spirit, they can use all of the stirring oratory they want, and fire up the people with charisma, but the solutions to our problems will only be found in the guidance of God.

The Jews looked for an earthly Messiah, one who would help them throw off the domination of Israel by others. Sadly it was a delusion; nothing like that was really even in the plans of God. I doubt that moving the Jews out of Gaza and the West Bank and turning it over to the Palestinians will solve the problems of the Jews in the Middle East either. I wonder if it is possible while there are Jews and Muslims trying to share the same lands in the Middle East, for there ever to be the peace we yearn for. Maybe a cease-fire, but probably not much more than that is possible.

I have suffered such delusion as Peter and the Jewish leaders too. Have You?

I have been looking all my life (in my ignorance and lack of realism) for a parish where everyone gets along, where the sick get ministered to by the well, where the poor are voluntarily assisted by the rich, where the ignorant are taught by those who understand, and where everyone goes the extra mile to respect and give extra understanding to the weaknesses of the weakest member and everyone has patience with the pastor. Silly me! The church is filled with all of us who need help from God; we are the broken and sinful, the weak and the intolerant. And yet, I have to give you the praise that you deserve; St. Paul’s comes as close so far to being that sanctified parish that I long for as any. You people really are very mature in your faith and virtue; just don't let the enemy arouse the sin of pride in you.

We are Joyous in the midst of pain, the Encouraged in the midst of our depression, Worshipful in the midst of our daily distractions. We are the Body of Christ on earth; Jesus’ hands, feet and love to the World. Being a part of the church may be a struggle and a challenge at times. We wrestle with the Word and do spiritual battle with the enemies of the Cross of Christ, and nothing else in the world even comes close to allowing humans to be who they are in the midst of the transforming grace of God coming upon them to heal!

You and I cannot beat being part of the Church. Sure all these folks around us are strange and odd, but we DO love them, God has called us to love them, and we have His promise that we get to spend eternity learning how to more fully love them. Praise Jesus!

1The Living Church, August 31, 2008, Sunday's Readings.

Proper 16 – Year A – RCL – August 24, 2008

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 51:1-6 - For the LORD will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. ... my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended."

Psalm 138 - The LORD will make good his purpose for me; * O LORD, your love endures for ever; do not abandon the works of your hands.

Romans 12:1-8 - but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Matthew 16:13-20 - And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.... whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

TEXT – But I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.

Todayfs Gospel lesson contains one of the more misunderstood and misquoted of the scriptures when it comes to the Churchfs polity or form of government. In the catholic churches ? the Roman Catholic, The Eastern Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion, the form of government is episcopal in nature. Since the word Episcopal means ghaving bishops, or rule by bishops,h we find that to a greater or lesser extent, those clergy who have been ordained deacon, priest and bishop are in greatest positions of authority. The three varieties of clergy are basic to the origin of the ministry found in the early church. In addition, over the centuries, other levels of authority have been developed: canons, archbishops, metropolitans, cardinals and the pope. All of these collectively can be called primates and no further ordination is required beyond bishop. They are usually installed, seated, enthroned or some other term on establishing their position or responsibility.

It is alleged, by the Roman Catholic Church, that Peter was the first pope, and on that basis, the understanding of this scripture is that the rock is Peter, and therefore the foundation of the Church ? the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church. We believe that Peter may have been the first bishop of Rome, but that Jesus was acknowledging Peter's faith, not Peter as the foundation of the Church. As one of the commentators on Matthew has said:

gPeter is called the rock because he has faith and confesses that faith in Jesus as the Christ of the living God. For no other reason does he receive the new name and its attendant promise.

Peter is the symbol of all who follow Jesus. In Peter, whether boldly treading the waters or sometimes sinking like a rock, whether full of understanding or often of little faith, whether confessing him or denying him, Jesus sees what building material he has for his church. It is material that must be shaped altogether by grace. That is why Jesus sees in him the whole future community of disciples and confessors. Jesus looks away from Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes (15:1–20) and, gazing upon Peter and the Twelve, sees the church (the term occurs only here and in 18:17), the new community which bears the gospel into the world until the end of time.”1

As we reflect on Peter and the other disciples then, we are reminded on the lesson of faithfulness, obedience and a dedicated following of Jesus as Lord, Savior, Messiah, King, and model of all that can be holy in humanity.

This leads us I believe, to ask the question once again, what makes His Church Holy? What qualities or virtues are they which endue to Grace of Faithfulness and Holiness?

Our Baptism and confession of faith, saves us, spiritually, and as we respond to Christ's love, we are led to the place where St. Paul is trying to teach the Roman Christians in our Epistle today: Do not be conformed to the world around you, he tells the church. But, Paul says that we should seek to develop our holiness by renewing our minds so that we can discern the truth and will be transformed and know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

How then, are we transformed? We are Baptized, We are Confirmed, We are filled with the Spirit and responsive to the direction the Spirit leads us. We are fulfill our Baptismal Covenant in following the Apostles Teaching & Fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in The Prayers. We seek, we ask, we find, we pray, we respond, we attempt and try to follow Jesus. We fellowship with other Christians, we worship and praise, we read and study his Word, we allow ourselves to be transformed & healed, to be made into the kind of people God has called us to be.

In so much, the renewed Christian Life is a life of cooperation and willingness to serve.

If I just want God to grant me Salvation, he is certainly willing and desirous to save me. If I only want Jesus as my Savior, that is fine. But if I want to serve Jesus as my Lord, then I need to cooperate more fully with his Holy Spirit as he inspires me and leads me.

The only way I know to allow the Spirit this kind of access to my life is as I establish what is known as a rule of life. Please understand that setting up a rule of life is not moving ourselves back under the Law or under a set of rules that will allow Satan to accuse us of failure.

A rule of life guides, not rules over us, and it should always lead to deeper involvement of our lives in the life of Christ and His work which he has to yet accomplish through the Church.

Ideally and traditionally, a rule of life involves prayer, study and work. The Prayer part can and should involve all they types of prayer: Adoration, Thanksgiving, Confession, Petition, Intercession. Adoration = Praise & Worship; Thanksgiving = Prayer of Appreciation & Thanks; Confession = of one's sins and failings; Petition = Requests of God for one's own needs; Intercession = Prayers for Others' Needs. It might involve reading Morning or Evening prayer or Compline before you go to bed at night.

Study ought to include Bible Study and other Christian Reading as well as reflection on some of the thoughts we develop while in prayer. We might title that meditation.

Work is a gift of our time in service to Jesus and his Church as well as work for the community and in betterment of the earth. This might include serving on the Vestry, making coffee for Sunday morning, reading the lessons at the Eucharist, visiting the sick and home-bound, working to build a Habitat house, serving on City Council or being active in the Chamber of Commerce. Volunteering here and there to serve Montrose or simply being a good citizen by stopping at stop signs and signaling when you are about to turn.

As we begin to follow a Rule of Life, we will find that our lives become more manageable and in tune with the Mind of Christ. That is one of our Goals as we serve Him. 1Van Harn, R. (2001). The lectionary commentary : Theological exegesis for Sunday's texts (96). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.