St. Martin's In the Desert

Month: June 2021

  • Sermon – June 27, 2021

    Sermon
    Fifth Sunday after Pentecost:
    Year B
    June 27, 2021

    First Reading 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
    Psalm 130
    Second Reading 2 Corinthians 8: 7-15
    Gospel Mark 5:21-43

    “Do not fear, only believe” verse 36

    “Faith”.
    Story:

    Once a poor Chinese woman went up to the foothills to cut grass.
    Her baby was tied to her back, and a little child walked beside her.
    Just as she reached the top of a hill, she heard a roar. Frightened, she turned and saw a mother tigress
    springing at her, followed by her two cubs.

    The illiterate woman had never attended school or church, but a missionary once told her about “Jesus” who is able to help you when you are in trouble.

    ” As the tiger’s claws tore into her arm, the woman cried out, “O Jesus, help me!”
    The tiger, instead of attacking again, suddenly turned and ran away.

    Gospel Reading: Mark 5:21-43
    In this chapter of Mark, we have two different stories of Jesus’ healing of two daughters of Israel that are intertwined with each other. Desperate and Interrupted

    Let’s use some of our imagination

    “Jesus” can see another large crowd waiting for him as he crosses the sea of Galilee. Some have come just to see him, follow him, touch him, and some want to see what the fuss is all about! With the healer and the teacher, they have heard about. One of these waiting in the crowd is Jairus. He is walking back and forth, pacing and pacing, we don’t know how long he was waiting…

    The boat caring Jesus, is a speck in the sea of Galilee…as he watches and watches…it gets a little bigger and bigger, but he can’t make out the faces…is that him? Oh…the anticipation of it all…could it go…. any slower???

    “Jesus” has arrived!

    We have learned that not all Jewish leaders disliked Jesus and one of these leaders of the synagogue is Jairus. Jairus a man of influence and prestige… undoubtedly was prominent in the community, and he falls at Jesus’ feet. The Greeks and Jews were often reluctant to do so, because it could be construed as worship. Nevertheless, Jairus falls at Jesus’s feet and begged him repeatedly…. “My little daughter is at the point of death, Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”

    Lay your hands on her!
    Laying hands on someone to bless them was an ancient, Biblical practice.

    Jairus, is this synagogue official, has been challenged by his feelings and fear but! he is going to trust in the “Lord Jesus” to spare the life of his critically ill daughter.

    Without delay, Jesus starts to go with Jairus…he has this crowd following him and pressing against him, but wait he is interrupted….

    Jesus will have to ask Jairus to hold on to his ‘faith”, there is a woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years. This woman of great faith knows she can’t just walk up to Jesus and ask him for help!!! she is unclean by Jewish standards. She was a woman of great means and has spent all she had on physicians and different remedies for that period of time, nothing helped and now she is worse off, she is unclean, anyone who touches her is unclean, and worse, she cannot worship in the temple. In order for her to come up to Jesus, like Jairus did, she would have needed to be companied by a male figure, husband, bother, uncle. But this woman showed her great faith in-trusting, all she needs to do is…. to reach out and touch the hem of Jesus’ garment…. a secret healing, She talks to herself… I can’t just walk up to the teacher…the healer… but I will find a way to touch His garments.

    She was among this large crowd and as Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house, the women bent down and touched the edge of his hem and the power of God went through Jesus and she was made well… after 12 years of suffering.

    Jesus immediately stopped…to Jairus surprise!
    “Who touched My clothes?” His disciples, in disbelief just as Jairus was, they said,
    “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say “Who touched me?”

    Jesus looks around…he sees her…he already knew who she was, Jesus knows us already. The unnamed women had taken nothing from Him…but He had given healing to her. In fear and trembling, she fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.” “While He was still speaking” words of affirmation and confirmation to the daring women whose “faith” had made her well.

    Jairus….got the bad news from the leader’s house, to say “Your daughter is dead, why trouble the teacher now?”

    Jairus’ world “just changed” …His daughter is dead!
    Jesus overhears this and said to Jairus….” Do not fear, only believe”

    He only allowed Peter, James, and John to go with him and leaving the crowd behind he continued on to the home of the synagogue leader. Outside Jairus’ house, was the people crying and wailing loudly… When he enters, He “said” to them “Why do you make such a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.”

    They laughed and mocked Jesus, so he put them out, why should they witness the power of God.

    Jesus… in front of her father and mother and the three he brought with him, he takes the girls hand and “said” to her,
    “Talitha cum,” which means, “little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about. They were overcome with amazement. “He” ordered that no one should know this and told them to give her something to eat.

    Conclusion:
    Has fear like Jairus or Shame like the women who was bleeding… ever stopped you from going to Jesus in prayer? We are faced every day with choices and difficult decisions. We cannot replace our “faith” with fear…

    The Chinese women in the beginning…. cried out “Oh Jesus…help me!” Because she listened to the missionary, and her faith protected her.

    Jesus’ healing of the two daughters of Israel, Jairus came with influential means to ask Jesus to save his daughter and the unnamed women who was bleeding for 12 years had nothing left,

    “Jesus” helped them both…with love and respect because of their faith.

    The unnamed women…who I will call the “Daughter of Faith” she was at the tail-end of hope…what did she have to lose… at this point? She has been through it all, she now will live by faith…and touch the hem of his clock.

    Jesus, tells her…” Daughter your faith has made you well.”

    Jairus…he has to trust in the Lord Jesus…. and he had to have great patience’s,

    he was waiting with the crowd for Jesus to come…desperate he finely falls on his knees.

    Our good news

    Faith is more powerful then fear and Fear is not an option over Faith.

    We have been given the gift to trust in believing in God’s promises, trusting God and knowing that we are saved through our relationship with Jesus Christ and we have nothing to fear.

    Many of us have been faced with doubts, fears, worry, loneliness and despair…when we are faced with difficult times…we have God’s promise that Jesus Christ will never leave us or forsake us and to be with us always.

    When you have these challenges, fall on your knees, pray and ask Jesus for help, turn it all over to him and believe…. have “Faith”.

    Amen
    The Rev. Lola Culbreath

  • Sumner Serenade Flute/Harp Duo in Concert

    Sunday, June 27, 4:00 pm
    St. Martins Episcopal
    631 W. Irene Street
    Pahrump, Nevada

    About the Duo…
    Elizabeth Coronata was born in Seattle, Washington where her parents immigrated from Chile. Liz started flute at age 11, earned a Bachelor’s degree from the Peabody Institute /Johns Hopkins, where she studied with Britt Johnson. Her most important teachers were James Pellerite and master jazz teacher, Joe Henderson. Liz now plays with the Sacramento Philharmonic, and Opera and Ballet Orchestras. Elizabeth and Beverly first met performing with the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Donald Kendrick which led to the establishment of their flute/harp duo in 2003. Their first CD, Winter Moon was released in 2008 and led to the release of three additional seasons: Spring Bloom in 2010, Summer Serenade in 2013, and Fall Apart: A CoVid Quarantine Collection in 2019.

    Beverly Wesner-Hoehn, earned the Doctorate of Musical Arts, with High Distinction, from Indiana University in Bloomington; she was later appointed Assistant Professor of Music. It was during her college years, Beverly studied harp at the Conservatoire Royale in Belgium and won a Harp Performance Prix while on a scholarship from Rotary International. Dr. Wesner-Hoehn taught harp at CSU, Sacramento for many years, and performed regularly with the Modesto, Sacramento, Folsom and Auburn Symphonies, California Music Theatre Broadway shows, Sacramento Choral Society, UC Davis, Johnny Mathis, and young singing star Jackie Evancho. Dr. Bev has relocated to our desert community, and is a member of St. Martins Episcopal where she plays the Wickes pipe organ for services – when not travelling on her active performance schedule! Follow her full career at drbevharp.com.

    All are invited to attend this free recital; a reception will follow the concert to greet the performers.

    Please call The Rev. Lola Culbreath at 775-595-4846 for reservations, questions, or further information.

  • Sermon – June 13, 2021

    Sermon – June 13, 2021

    Third Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 6
    Year B
    June 13, 2021

    First Reading: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
    Psalm 20
    Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 11-13, 14-17
    Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

    Collect:

    Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen  

    “HOW BIG IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD”

    Gospel:

    Mark 4:26-34

    In our Gospel today, Jesus is explaining to the crowds and the disciples about the kingdom of God.

    “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nest in its shade.”

    In the US and world today, billions of seeds are planted. Just how important is seed to us and the world? Everything! Did you ever look at it and think about the millions of people and animals that benefit from seed?

    The harvest of corn, soy barley, beans, alfalfa, apples, oranges, potatoes and numerous others, that we and other nations produce and send to our poorest of nations.

    And the forest fires that occur every year, but within a few years the seeds of the trees are sprouting and new trees, new life began to grow to re-plenish the forest.

    The forest is so important for the environment, but also for building of homes, furniture, ships.

    The Rain Forest. Has produced important drugs that treat malaria, glaucoma, anesthetics, muscle relaxant for surgery, also drugs to treat muscle disorders like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Pediatric leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease.     

    You see now, just how big the kingdom of God is!

    I’ll take this from a movie and say “The Greatest Story Every Told” is the story of Jesus Christ, how God sent him to the world…. Jesus is God’s kingdom and his disciples spread the good news, the more the story grew to be; 

    “The greatest of all shrubs, and that puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” 

    This my friends is God working through us, to provide branches of his love, shelter, food and clothing for his beloved kingdom.

    I haven’t always understood these parables until now, but the disciples understood, He would speak to them in private and explain to them. 

    When I read it and re-read it, to find his meaning, for some reason I always focused on the mustard seed and how small it was, to grown into the greatest of all shrubs.

    With that parable and the others to follow, he tells us just how big the kingdom of heaven is. 

    He is saying, it is not far off in a distance, or up there, or somewhere out there. The kingdom of God is everything, it is bigger than our minds even know how to imagine.

    In the Gospel of Matthew 13, the mustard seeds are so small that they can go un-noticed when planting wheat and the farmer would sow his wheat and soon a mustard seed would sprout up with the wheat.

    The farmer of course, would want them re-moved, because they were weeds in his field.

    Jesus is saying, it is hard to separate the good from the bad, but as his kingdom grows and like the smallest of the seeds, become the biggest in the field, to offer shade and comfort to the smallest of birds. (people)

    Showing us and the people at that time, how God is at work in the world. 

    Jesus goes on to describe growth of the mustard seed and the flour mixed with the yeast and it turns out to be leavened bread.

    If we look and see, God’s beautiful creation, imagining his presence it all things. His love is in all things, all people of race and color. 

    Yes, just like the field of wheat, the seeds are difficult to see and the bad mixed in with the good, it is difficult to separate out. 

    God is telling us, it is not your job to do that, I will do that when I send the angels and they will separate the evil from the righteous.

    Jesus wanted them, to see that it was a way to describe, how God is growing in the community and working in them to spreading the news of how God grows in each one of us.

    The problem with us, is we don’t see God in all places and in all things. We only look for God when we need him, we don’t realize that God is working in us every day in his kingdom, that is bigger than we ever thought. 

    In Romans: 8:28-30, that Paul says, “All things work together for good for those who love God”.

    People are God’s creation and we can’t be separated from his creations we have been called and we are glorified in him.

    Conclusion and Good News. 

    We are in communion with Christ Jesus, and God’s kingdom lives in each one of us. It is comforting to know that through us, God’s kingdom will continue to grow.

    Last year we were not together in the church and we missed our music and the liturgy, we prayed for the world and our community for healing, strength and that we could be back together again.

    2 Corinthians says, we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight.

    We also know that; nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   And God’s purpose will prevail!

    Jesus, help us to remember not to focus on things that are on the surface, things that are too small, but to focus on what is eternal and to not live in the artificial world, but to live for the spiritual world which is where we find our strength and our salvation in God’s kingdom! 

    Amen.

    The Rev. Lola Culbreath