St. Martin's In the Desert

Month: February 2020

  • Sermon – February 26, 2020

    Sermon – February 26, 2020

    Sermon
    February 26, 2020 
    Ash Wednesday
    All Years

    Isaiah 58:1-12
    Psalm 103:8-14
    2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
    Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

    We can anticipate a beautiful spring working in our yards and gardens to clean out the old underbrush that has accumulated this past year and trim off all the old branches that no longer nourish the plants.

    Lent is a time that we do the same with ourselves, time to get rid of the old thoughts that has harden our hearts and minds, so we can start new, with asking for forgiveness and nourish our bodies with a new life in Christ.

    Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten observance, it is one of two days that we in the Episcopal Church fast (the other day is Good Friday).

    The Prophet Isaiah, “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
    Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
    Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.
    Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself?
    Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
    Share your bread with the hungry.

    Fasting is about humbling ourselves before God, it is what will make us acceptable before God.

    It is “also” a time of prayer and reflection, confession and self-denial. We are reminded of our mortality and fragility of life.

    Ash Wednesday is a day that we are marked with Ashes and a day to remember that We are dust and dust we shall return.

    As we have the Ashes marked on the outside of our foreheads, it is what’s marked on our hearts that matter.

    Lent is a time that everything matters, it isn’t about making ourselves better. It is about remembering God’s love for us. In fact, Lent is a good time to remind ourselves of the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, who offers salvation for us.

    Every word we speak, every action we take, every choice we make matters. Every person we meet and every person in our life matters. Not only to us, but to God. What we do during the season of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, “but” it doesn’t stop there after Lent, is should continue as our daily practice.

    Gospel: Matthew: 6:1-6, 16-21
    In the Gospel today, Jesus reminds us that God see’s everything we do, we do not have to let everyone around us know what we are doing. We don’t need trumpets sounding when we do something for someone. We do not need others to praise us. We don’t have to pray in front of others to be noticed. We don’t walk around boasting about what your giving up for lent or what you’re going to do in lent. All of this should be done in secret with only your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    We must go to that secret place of ourselves and not just open and slam the door shut again, but stay there and pray to the Father. It is a time I want to share by bread with someone and to extend my hand to someone that might need something, a kind word and prayer. When we walked around the stations…thinking about the life of Jesus thinking about the 40 days he spent in the desert and then the walk to Jerusalem for his final days.

    I think of him praying…always praying.

    As we start our Lent season and prepare our walk for 40 days with our Lord, let us deliberately spend time before God in a way that is different from the rest of the Church Year.

    In a few minutes we will receive ashes on our foreheads…a cross, a sign that we were all created out of the same dust, we share a common humanity with all people who have ever walked this earth…including Jesus of Nazareth.

    The crosses of our baptism and a sign the we also can be a light to the world. 

    Amen
    Rev. Lola Culbreath

  • Pancake Day, February 25, 2020

    Pancake Day, February 25, 2020

    Pancake Day
    bv Ellen Castelow

    Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession. This came to be called the “Pancake Bell” and is still rung today.

    Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. In 2020 Shrove Tuesday will fall on February 25th. Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.

    A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a frying pan. A traditional English pancake is very thin and is served immediately. Golden syrup or le:mon juice and caster sugar are the usual toppings for pancakes.

    The pancake has a very Iong h.istory and featured in cookery books as far back as 1439. The tradition of tossing or flipping them is almost as old: “And every man and maide doe take their turne, nd tosse their Pancakes up for feare they burne.” (Pasquil’s Palin, 1619)

    The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolize four points of significance at this time of year:

    • Eggs – Creation
    • Flour – The staff of life
    • Salt – Wholesomeness
    • Milk – Purity

    Recipe

    To make 8 or so pancakes you will need 8oz plain flour, 2 large eggs, 1 pint milk, salt.

    Mix all together and whisk well. Leave to stand for 30 minutes. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan and let it cook until the base of the pancake has browned. Then shake the pan to loosen the pancake and flip the pancake over to brown the other side.

    In the UK, pancake races form an important part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations – an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress to race down streets tossing pancakes. The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first, carrying a frying pan with a cooked pancake in it and flipping the pancake as you run.

    The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney in Buckinghamshire. According to tradition, in 1445 a woman of Olney heard the shriving bell while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching her frying pan. The Olney pancake race is now world famous. Competitors have to be local housewives and they must wear an apron and a hat or scarf. Each contestant has a frying pan containing a hot pancake. She must toss it three times during the race. The first woman to complete the course and arrive at the church serve her pancake to the bellringer and be kissed by him is the winner.

  • Meditation – Reflections

  • Sermon – February 2, 2020

    Sermon – February 2, 2020

    The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple
    Year A
    February 2, 2020

    First Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
    Psalm 84 or 84: 1-6
    Second Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18
    Gospel: Luke 2:22-44

    My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation

    As the Christmas season is ending and on the Feast of the Presentation, also marks the end of the Epiphany season. …. 

    The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, is to officially, to induct him into Judaism, and that is celebrated by many Christian Churches with the Candlemas…like we had this morning.

    Malachi 3:1-4

    I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to the temple.

    Gospel: Luke 2:22-44

    Following the Commands of God

    The Holy Family has come to Jerusalem, the big city of many people. The law says, that the first male is sacred. Jesus is to be presented in the Temple, an important tradition in Judaism. Mary has given birth 40 days ago and she has to wait to go to the temple for purification.

    I close my eyes and imagine the sights, the smells, the sounds of Jerusalem. They are selling and trading goods, the markets are busy! As this family moves through the city… do you think there is just…Maybe…. a little excitement on their part, because they know their son is special and they want to follow what God’s Word has commanded them to do, they bring the Child to be presented in the Temple, in obedience to the Torah. 

    I think of it today… when a family is preparing their child for baptism or their first communion. How excited the entire family would be.

    Along the way, they need to pick up a couple of turtledoves or two young pigeons, as an offer of a sacrifice, according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, and the turtledoves or young pigeons are all they could afford.

    Two Prophets

    In the temple, we have two prophets……. waiting patiently for the Israel’s people to be restored and looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

    As they enter Jerusalem, there is a very old man there, name Simeon. The scriptures tell us, this man was righteous and devout, and he is looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit…rest on him.

    The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah and The Holy Spirit led this righteous man, to the temple; where he waited years.

    Also, in the temple is Anna, she is very old herself, and for years she has never left the temple, she worshiped there fasting and praying night and day. The Holy Family is met by Simeon first, who see’s them 

    “Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; “for my eyes have seen your salvation” which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people of Israel.”   

    Simeon has been promised that he will see the Messiah, the Christ, whose name means salvation and promise. He has waited decades with hope and trust and the fulfillment of God’s promise. I don’t think it was because he could finely die and be set free to go in peace, but the promise of salvation for all God’s people. 

    Anna, at the moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

    The Holy Family is faithful to the Law of Moses.

    And…the two prophets, devoted and dedicated to God’s promise.  

    Conclusion

    In our ancient biblical days having occurred a long time ago, they wanted and waited for the messenger of God to come into the temple.

    They waited for years, decades and when you go by biblical years maybe centuries.  

    We can’t wait 10 minutes in lines at the store or bank. We want fast food, faster service, faster internet…. can you imagine if we had to wait, so “our” world and lives could be restored?

    The New Year is well on its way. We are looking to the promises of God to bless us with a new and healthy new year because we have a loving heavenly Father who wants only good things for us, and a Lord and Savior who is with us in our good times and in bad times too. 

    Today, right now, we have received Jesus in the Temple of our “hearts”. He dwells within each of us, we give thanks today that we have our salvation, because God allowed Jesus into our lives.

    We do not have to wait for Jesus to come…but we have to show up! 

    “In order for our eyes to see our salvation”, given to us!

    Amen
    Rev. Lola Culbreath