Month: February 2023

The First Sunday in Lent and Forgiveness Sunday
Year A
February 26, 2023

First Reading: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Psalm 32
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-1
Temptation and Forgiveness 

To be tempted, God test the faith of the righteous (Genesis 22:1) God tested Abraham’s faith to see if he would actually sacrifice his son. 

When God saw that Abraham fears him enough that he “would” give up his own son, God sends and Angel to stop him.

Adam and Eve’s fall from Grace!

In (Gen: 2:15-17,3:1-7) God tests Adam and Eve with an apple in the garden.

“And the serpent was craftier than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made.” 

The serpent tells Eve that she will be like God, knowing good and evil. 

After both her and Adam ate the forbidden fruit….” Then the eyes of both were open”.

Jesus and Adam (Romans 5:12-19)

Paul tells the Romans. “For if that many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the “grace of God” and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many.”

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

“After Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.”

At first you think about Jesus spending 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. We don’t know how he was able to do this? but by faith and Angels… The Angels had seen Jesus, “As God” …. Before He became a man. 

We do know… that he was sent there by his father and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

He was not alone and the Angels came and began to minister to Him. (Matthew 4:11) But not until he was tempted by Satan. (Matthew 4:3-11) describes how Satan tempted Jesus several times, he wanted him turn stones into bread if he wanted to eat…Jesus says’ 

It is written ‘One does not live by bread alone. Jesus fought off Satan’s temptation several times.

We humans need more than the simple necessities to keep us biologically alive, we need things that feed us mentally and spiritually. We need things, that gives our lives meaning.

While food will satisfy our physical needs, a relationship with God will satisfy our spiritual and emotional needs and this my friends, feeds the soul.

Jesus fasted 40 days and he was hungry and thirsty; the devil thinks he sees weakness in Jesus, and moves in to temp him.

Satan temps Jesus several times and Jesus and Jesus said to him 

“Again, it is written,” ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

But Satan does not give up and continues to try one more time…promising him the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; if Jesus would fall down and worship him.

“Away with you….it is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”

Conclusion: 

The beginning of Lent is the time we realize that God has given us this gift of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ or Lord.

It is a time of forgiveness, not just for ourselves, but forgiveness of others in our lives. 

Because of our relationship with God, He has shown us the way and He put’s people in our lives for a reason, trust the Lord your God and “Worship the Lord your God with all your hearts and all your minds. 

We spend the next 40 days with Jesus and we can simply meditate on the Lord’s Prayer.

“Our Father”

Whatever you need Father…” Your will be done”

Spiritual Food…” feed our souls and our spiritual needs”   

Forgive our sins Father…” As we forgive those who sin against us”   

Lead us Father… “away from temptation”

Deliver us…. “Away from evil” 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
The Reverend Lola Culbreath

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

Collect:

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgave the sins
of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we,
worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you,
the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Isn’t it appropriate that Spring is in the air and Lent is here?
The word lent comes from the English word, Lente…” Spring” also Lengthen, “to
lengthen (daylight)”

We have been blessed with so much rain and we are all anticipating a beautiful spring
of wild flowers in the desert and especially in Death Valley. Is it possible we could get another Supper Bloom?

I have heard it only happens every 10 years. God may have other plans. We can anticipate a beautiful spring. Work 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 and get rid of the old thoughts that
has hardened our hearts and minds. Start new by asking for forgiveness and nourishing our bodies with a new life in Christ.

Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten observance and 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 myself? 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 the 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.

And

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 when everything matters. Every word we speak, every action we take, and 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 sees everything we do, we do not have to let everyone around us know what we are doing. We do not need trumpets sounding when we do something for someone. We do not need others to praise us. We do not have to pray in front of others to be noticed.

We do not walk around boasting about what we are giving up for lent or what we’re going to do in lent. All of this… should be done in secret with only your Father, who sees and 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 my bread with someone. Not literally bread, but to extend my hand to someone that might need something, Even a kind word or a prayer. Every year I take a moment and 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 thought of him praying…always praying.

As I start my Lent season and I prepare my walk for 40 days with my lord, I want it to be a time that I deliberately spend time before God in a way that is different from the rest of the Church Year.

Prayer Support us, O Lord, with your gracious favor through the fast we have begun; that as we observe it by self-denial, so we may fulfill it with inner sincerity of heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever.

Amen
The Reverend Lola Culbreath

Last Sunday after the Epiphany

Year A
February 19, 2023

First Reading: Exodus 24:12-18
Psalm 99 
Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21
Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

Collect:

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; though Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Be Changed into His Likeness

Imagine Jesus on a normal day, walking with three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John.

Jesus had led three disciples with him, Peter, James, and John, high on a mountain while he prayed.

Jesus appears to them to be normal… when he asked them to come with him, but this was far from an ordinary morning, or an ordinary walk, because, as he prayed a light that appeared was so bright, it was almost blinding.

We all at one point in our lives have looked at a light, so bright, that we had to look away or close our eyes, because, it was so bright.

For the disciples right before their eyes, and while he prayed, the appearance of his face changed, it shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white. Jesus was transformed right before his disciples.

Suddenly they see Elijah and Moses talking to Jesus…they were so terrified by this, that Peter, not really knowing what else to say…says, Master or “Rabbi, maybe we shouldn’t be here, do you want us to go and prepare three dwelling places, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”? 

This may have been his way to honor them, by putting up three dwelling areas of worship for them. While he was still speaking, a great cloud overshadowed them…and a voice came from the cloud.

“This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” Jesus is completely, thoroughly, and fully loved by God.

Let us go back, they climb this mountain and are separated from the other disciples, then Jesus is transformed before them in a bright light, and two of God’s greatest, are there talking to Jesus about his own departure, his own exodus, the new exodus, that leads to his death, resurrection and ascension.

Next comes the shadow of heavy clouds and a Thundering voice out of the clouds….” This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.

After this, Jesus was found alone, how do you think he was feeling? Did he feel any different? This was an important moment, it is set on the mountain, where the human meets God, and Jesus is the connection.

They start down the mountain and when they reach everyone else…they say nothing, they kept silent.

I think they talked coming down and they agreed to this, who would believe them and how would they explain it…after all Jesus is still there and they do not really know what is going on! 

But it is a key to the fact, that the identity of Jesus as the Son of God is reviled to some of his disciples.

Peter, James, and John have experienced the past, the present, and the future all in an instant.  

Conclusion:

I wonder how we would find that experience. I would hope we would be transformed in our own lives.

It is possible, that some of us have had different experiences in life, maybe not as clear and involved as the three disciples, but we… all have had our own time on the mountain of life. 

We all have connected to God in different ways, through experiences of our own, and through our faith.

And there are people still waiting for that one experience in life, that will help transform their lives, and believe more than they do. 

We will have times in our lives when our faith is being tested and challenged. It is not until we faced our own mountain to climb, the challenges and struggles, that we can discover our courage and then we are able to understand, that we will always rely on the Lord’s strength to give us confidence.

Jesus will always be there to help us transform ourselves, we cannot just have one experience and then say, okay, I made it, and I can stop there. 

No, we must come down the mountain with him and turn around and go back up again and again.

There is plenty of growing to do, and we must be ready for that invitation from Jesus to go. 

Keeping a strong spiritual life will help us to be ready when he says, come, we have another mountain to climb.

God spoke twice, when Jesus was baptized and, in this scripture, God says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.

Listen to him in Sunday worship, listen to him when reading the scriptures, and listen to him when you are in personal prayer.

Say to yourself every morning: Lord I am Listening! Let yourself be transformed. Be changed into his likeness. God, I too want to be your Beloved!

Amen
The Reverend Lola Culbreath

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Year A
February 12, 2023

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 119:1-8
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37

Collect:

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, The Strength of All Who Put Their Trust in You

In our first reading of Deuteronomy, God is telling the Hebrew people that Here, I have set before you, life and prosperity, death, and adversity, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments. Then you will have life and your God will bless you in this land.

The whole point of these laws for humanity that God lays out in the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, is that, we can choose life and the way to live now. 

Deuteronomy is not talking about everlasting life as we are taught in the New Testament, but it was about right now, here, with each other.

God wants to give us life and the best way to do that is, to follow His commandments. He says, “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God.”

In the Gospel of (Matthew 5:21-37) A couple of weeks ago we had the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, was giving us a list of how to live our lives in a positive way, that would benefit everyone. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Today’s scripture, can be terrifying, instead of reading a list of things that can help us choose life together, we read a list of different ways that can feel like, we can get kicked out of God’s family. I am sure every preacher hesitates in doing a sermon that deals with divorce or adultery and plucking eyes out, cutting off hands. Reminds me of some of the crime dramas we watch. 😊

In Matthew, Jesus is talking to the Jewish people that have become Christians. Jesus did not put aside the Laws, but has come to explain them. He quotes the Law and then comments on them. He quotes the commandment on murder, the commandment on adultery, the commandment of bearing witness. 

It is not good enough that one does not bear false witness, just when under oath, but always a person’s word must be truthful so that no oath is ever necessary.

In Jesus, teaching, he does want his followers to expand their knowledge and not only observe the laws, but expand on them in their lives, and inwardly (what is in their hearts) as well as outward observance.

We are called as Christians to grow according to the teachings of Christ. As Paul put it in the Epistle reading, God gave the growth, “The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

Living a life in Christ, walking in love with Christ, but also let your heart be in Christ.

Our calling is to be transformed daily in the way we live inwardly and outwardly in order to show the world that we can live together.

Conclusion:

We can make peace with our brothers and sisters if we wronged them. We can forgive those who have wronged us.  Sometimes we think it is not possible to reconcile with each other when there is so much pain that stands in our way. We believe in the risen Christ who not only suffers with us in the darkest of places but leads us out of darkness into light.

We can go to the Altar and give knowing we are living as we have been taught through the old prophets and through the teaching of Jesus Christ.

We are marked and transformed a little at a time by the grace of God. And above all, we have been shown a way of living, through the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Ten Commandments, and it was made possible only through the Grace of God, who loves us, who has redeemed us from sin and who has made us Holy.

Amen
The Reverend Lola Culbreath

The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple

Year A
February 5, 2023

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 is 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