Category: Sermons

This passage is about Jacob’s success over his brother Esau. We learn that Jacob the younger brother emerges from the womb gripping his brother’s heel. The boys grew to be very different men, not only did they look different, but they acted differently as well. They represented two very different lifestyles which were in conflict. Esau was a skillful hunter; Jacob was a shepherd. Esau’s livelihood was based on the wilderness inhabited with game, while Jacob’s livelihood required pastureland for his flocks. It is a possibility that the pastureland had started to encroach on hunting lands limiting the game that was available.

Jacob was cooking and Esau wanted some of the stew; Esau was on the point of starvation. Jacob asked Esau to sell him his birthright, which was Esau’s inheritance as first-born son. Esau agrees to sell Jacob his birthright in exchange for a meal. 

The story is not just about the two brothers who are very different, it is about the struggle that happens when the needs and desires of two dissimilar lifestyles come into conflict. Remember each of these boys became the head of two different nations. How many times have we seen this in our world today, the conflict between different nations.

Psalm 119: 105-112

This is a beautiful Psalm that professes a deep faith in the Lord and the righteousness of God’s law. The Psalm emphasizes the importance of God’s word in living a faithful life. God is not something to be heard or to read, but to apply the message to our hearts and our souls.

Romans 

Paul discuss the flesh and the spirit repeatedly in this passage. When we set our minds, of things of flesh ( our own destructive desires); We are not living in the Spirit our bodies are “dead because of sin” . Our spirits are still alive because of Christ’s Spirit, which dwells within us as righteousness. When we set our minds on the “Spirit it brings life and peace.” God dwells in us so that we can live with the spirit, we are called to live with a Spirit of hope. God is working through us, so that we can help create a better world for all those who inhabit it.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Jesus used parables to teach; when we take a deeper look at the parables of the sower. We are offered four ways of hearing the “Word of the Kingdom”  – as a path, to God’s Kingdom. The four ways are about soil, much like our souls. The first the farmer scattered the seeds in a wide arc, some fell on the path to be eaten by birds. Think of it as when someone hears the word of the Kingdom but does not understand it, basically the evil one comes and snatches it out of their hearts. 

The second, some of the seeds fall on rocky ground; when the plant springs up there is not sufficient depth of soil to put down roots; think of individuals who quickly and eagerly initially responds to the Gospel. But soon falls away when life creates obstacles for them. Then there are the seeds that fall into thorns and weeds which choke the plant growth out. These seeds are like those who hear the word, but outside concerns and desires for riches soon lure them away.

Finally those seeds that fall in good soil and bring forth an abundant harvest is like hearing and understanding the good news of the Kingdom as proclaimed by Jesus; helps us to live bountiful lives of discipleship. 

How may of us have been in all four of these places at various times in our life. We get so wrapped up in where, we want to go, and what we want, we neglect to notice what God has put right in front of us. 

To grow in faith we require practice; sometimes we find ourselves in the good soil and sometimes we find difficulty and questions, the key, is to keep practicing. God is always with us and will be there to help us try again.

Sermon
Firth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 9
Year A
July 5, 2020

First Reading: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49,58-67
Psalm 45:11-18
Canticle: The Song of My Beloved (Song of Solomon 2:8-13)
Second Reading: Romans 7:15-25a
Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19,25-30

Collect:
O God, who hast taught us to keep all thy commandments by loving thee and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to thee with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 11: 16-19,25-30
Jesus said, “To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another. “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn. ‘For John came neither eating nor drinking. And they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Come To Me  
Jesus speaks to the crowds (11:11) that! John the Baptist is the fulfillment of prophecy, of Elijah and he is sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah.

In Jesus’ generation, John’s lifestyle led people to accuse him of having a demon, while Jesus’ habit of eating and drinking with sinners earned him a bad reputation. 

His generation, takes offense to both John and Jesus. 

The Scribes and Pharisees, are like children in the marketplace who cannot decide what games they want to play.

So, God is revealing these hidden things to the religious leaders, the “wise and intelligent” ones, or at least the scribes and Pharisees thought of themselves this way.

Instead, God reveals these things to infants, Jesus prays to the Father and thanks him.  

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will”.

When he refers to the infants, he is referring to the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the persecuted, all those, Jesus calls blessed. They are the sick, lame, the lepers, the outcast of society. 

The tax collector and sinners ARE! the ones to come to Jesus for healing, because they are the ones who listened and the ones who believe.

They are the ones that God refers to as children…. they hear what Jesus is saying, they are not blinded by greed and self-importance.

Jesus reveals this greatest gift to us!

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Conclusion:

This scripture couldn’t be more powerful to me, then now. In the world of the pandemic, the loss of lives, the uncertainly of our future. So many people have lost jobs and businesses. 

These words…” Come to me and I will give you rest”, makes me relax in his arms…I know that our faith in Jesus will carry us all through these different and uncertain times and we can find rest for our souls.

Having faith is to believe that someone or something deserves to be trusted.

But faithfulness is also about being present in the love of God who loves us; a God who is present in each and every moment, every event in our lives, even the hard times.

It is refreshing to know that in every moment, God is already present and taking care of things. He has us to turn over our stress, our anxieties or fears.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2)

I have found this time in aloneness a time to self-reflecting and being silent and present in God. 

I feel the release, and catch a glimpse of just how much God loves us and it cost nothing. 

The Good News

He says, Come to me! No matter what we are going through Jesus invites us to “faith, trust, and hope” 

Faith is about being in a storm and knowing Jesus is standing right in the middle. 

We don’t have to figure out everything, we just have to let go. 

And!

When we center ourselves on Jesus, we have a power that cannot be taken away from us. 

We can go to him and rest our souls. 

We can be more like children and not worry…be joyful and have faith and trust. 

The more we come to Jesus, the more we find peace, his yoke and rest.

Amen
Rev. Lola Culbreath

O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your lovingkindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In todays reading we see evidence of just how deeply our God cares and watches over our lives. In the old testament we are shown how Abraham is troubled by sending Hagar and Ishmael into the desert. His only comfort is the message provided by God that the child and his mother will be safe. In fact the child will be the founder of a new nation. Faith provides Abraham peace and comfort in the decisions and actions he is called to make.

Building on this the Epistle reminds us of our relationship with Jesus and what His covenant provides to ease what ever concerns we might have. The affirmation of our acceptance into His arms assures us the request to move from sin to love is absolutely the foundation of our peace in this life.

In the Gospel we are given the understanding of the expectations of God that we be unconcerned with the daily struggles we face. In this wonderful reading we are advised that our path may not always be calm and unfettered but can be confrontational, irritating and sometimes frightening. Filled with threats, anger and demeaning words. It reminds us that Jesus came to give us the opportunity to take up our cross and follow Him into a growing faith and path to paradise even in the most difficult of times.

Our relationship with God is a wonderful and awesome gift and my prayer for us is that we never lose direction even when the the world seems to be filled with fear, hysteria, anger and going is a bit troublesome let this be our prayer.

Faithful God, your love stands firm from generation to generation,

your mercy is always abundant.

Give us open and understanding hearts, that having heard your word,

we may seek Christ’s presence in all whom we meet. Amen.

May the blessing of God Almighty Father, Son and Holy Spirit be among us today

and remain with us always.

Amen
Fr John

Sermon Proper 7

Genesis 21:8-21

Abraham is remembered for the covenant God made to him, telling Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, we also can not ignore Sarah and Harar, without them, Abraham, would have no descendants.

Hagar: the servant girl was forced against her will to have a sexual relation with her master Abraham, she gave birth to his son Ishmel who became the forefather of Islam. Think about the conflicts that we read about in the newspaper and hear on the evening news. These conflicts are not simply modern conflicts. When we consider difficult passages such as this reading from Genesis 21: 8-21 it is not just a moment in history but part of an ancient struggle that continues today.

Abraham’s wife Sarah gave birth to his second son Issac. Issac also became the leader of a Great Nation also the Lord’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled and through Ishmel and Issac, Abraham became the father of two great nations.

Psalm 86:1-10 ,16,17

The psalmist calls to God for help against his enemies. The psalmist states that having a relationship with God is not limited to only petition or only praise but is a combination of both. Words of praising God before asking for deliverance from enemies and going into thanksgiving even before God provides  help. The hope of favor comes from God. We should reach deeply into our scriptural tradition. Then we are able to call out with faith and hope to God who has helped us and comforted us.

Romans 6:1b-11

This passage with references to sin and references to death does not appear to be very pleasant. But Paul is explaining how through Christ our lives are not limited to sin and death. But through the grace of God, we may be united with Christ and escaped the bonds of sin and death. It is through Baptism we are united with Christ and we come to share in the joy of the resurrection and the grace of God.

Matthew 10:24-39

One complaint against Christianity brought up by non-believers is why does an all-powerful, loving God allow terrible things to happen in the world – just like the current virus and all the up heave it has caused. This criticism only holds up, if one believes in the common misunderstanding that Christianity is a religion of sunshine, rainbows, unicorns, and puppy dogs, with no suffering and pain. Matthew’s gospel shows that God’s kingdom comes with much pain and suffering.

Todays reading teaches us that following Christ and living a life of faith will not always be easy. But Jesus empowers us to stand in opposition to our oppressors and proclaim the peace and love of God. Proclaiming the Good news will always make those in power uncomfortable and sometimes this means people in our own families. Ultimately, we will be rewarded for doing what is right and God will acknowledge us. 

Prayer for the day

Gracious and everlasting God, who in Jesus Christ came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many, so clothe us in your Holy Spirit that when we face adversity of persecution for the sake of the Gospel, we may remain love bearers and faithful servants of your unfailing goodness until the Day of the Lord,. Amen

Sermon
Second Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 6
Year A
June 14, 2020

First Reading: Genesis 18:1-15; [21:1-7]
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
Second Reading: Romans 5:1-8
Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:8. [9-23]

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

 Compassion and Forgiveness

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus, gives the twelve disciples following him, instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Proclaiming the good news, the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The lesson is a narrative summery of Jesus’ activities and ministry. He is a teacher, healer and a proclaimer of good news for all the people.

He tells his disciples, that the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you!

I will admit, I am not a very good evangelist…I have always struggled with going up to perfect strangers and telling them about the good news of Jesus Christ. 

If someone should approach me, I am good with it and have no problem telling them how much Jesus loves you.

But, on that note, how do we change the face of the world? How do we help heal the world?  

It is not just a few people that need healing, it is all countries around the world…somedays it appears we are losing the fight.

I do not want to believe that we are all lost. 

In the past couple of months we saw the very best in people, during the Corona virus we witnessed, people standing up and leaning out their windows clapping for the Doctors, Nurses and all health care people, they also were thanking the police, first responders and firefighters, all putting their lives on the line to save others.

Everyone stepping up to feed people and helping people who lost their jobs knowing they had no way of feeding their families.

In an instant, things changed and we saw the worst in people…. but! people fighting again for social injustice, wanting and demanding change.

Mr. George Floyd, should not have died that day. The pouring of outrage was understandable and everyone felt compassion for him and his family. 

I personally…imagined Jesus laying on the ground with him, with his arms around him, holding him and saying, I got you George, you will be in paradise with me today.

In order to feel as Jesus felt, we need to feel compassion. The Greek verb translated,

“felt compassion”, is used often in the Gospels. It is related to a noun meaning, “inward parts.”

Changes start here… (pointing to my heart). Changes start inwardly and flows outward to those who suffer. 

“Jesus saw the crowd and he had compassion on them”

Paul’s letter to the (Colossians 3:12-13) As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord’ has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Conclusion:

All our decisions should be on the teaching of Jesus Christ, not on leaders of social groups or political parties.

The only way to bring people to a life that will lead us to salvation, is to evangelize and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is not our place to judge or condemned or punish, but to love, forgive and spread kindness and compassion on “All God’s people” regardless of race and background. Jesus says it is up to us, or duty as Christian’s is to teach and spread the love of Christ.

Martin Luther King says, “I have decided to stick to love, hate is to great a burden.”

And it starts right here. (pointing to my heart)

Turning ourselves to the Devine, we will experience an unbelievable stirring of the soul and awaking of the soul. Our soul needs to be Christ like.

We cannot heal the world until we heal ourselves.

St Augustine of Hippo, “The soul is restless until it rests in Thee”

Let your soul rest in Christ Jesus and embrace Gods grace and forgiveness and be kind to each other, have compassion for each other and teach compassion and forgiveness.

Good news:

“The Gospel lessons of peace, love, compassion, truth, understanding, and positive activism are all things that transform our lives.” And the scriptures lead us to our Salvation. 

Amen
Rev. Lola

Let us pray:

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable to You my strength and my Redeemer. Amen

What an awesome story and promise in the readings today. From the very beginning of our understanding we are given the pictures of God’s mighty creativity in action. The absolute deliberateness of putting all the right things together so they fit into His plan. Plants, animals, humans the very planet and its ecology are placed just right so as to nurture all creation for a wonderful growth and majesty.

We are gifted with the stewardship of these creations and lovingly taught how we should treat each other to please our creator and grow with love, peace and joy. In this season of Pentecost the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to the desciples just as Christ had told them, to provide a guide, teacher and comforter as they continued in their ministry. As Christs first gift to his followers He charges them to provide it to all who embrace a relationship with Jesus, the same assurances given to this day. How wonderful and grace driven to accept and share such a wonderous gift.

As we continue to deal with the issues facing us today it seems there is no rapid resolution for either our medical concerns or our social unrest being fueled by some terrible current events. The gift we have been provided still offers us conciliation and a guide to how we can hold our hearts in a safe and loving posture, even as the disciples were witness to Christ final promise we are also provided these words of assurance

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So today my prayer for us all is we never lose sight of the giftss, guidance and love we have and continue to receive from our God. Let our hearts and minds be put at ease as we walk the path laid before us and know we are never alone.

May the blessings of God

Father, Son and Holy Spirt be with us today and remain with us always.

Amen
Fr John

The Holy Eucharist:  Rite Two
The Word of God:

Celebrant:                          Alleluia, Christ is Risen

People:                            The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid:  Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen

Glory to God in the highest,

   And peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King, 

Almighty God and Father,

    we worship you; we give you thanks,

     we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God, 

you take away the sin of the world:

    Have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:

    receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Most High,

      Jesus Christ,

      with the Holy Spirit,

      in the glory of God the Father. Amen 

Celebrant:  The Lord be with you, 

People:       And also with you.

Celebrant: Let us pray.

ALMIGHTY God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

The Lessons:

A Reading: Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filed the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability .Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean.” But others sneered and said. “They are filled with new wine.”

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 

In the last days it will be, God declares that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and you sons and your daughters shall prophesy. And your young men shall see visions, and you old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women , in those days I will pour out my Spirit: and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the Earth below. Blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God 

Psalm 104: 25-35, 37

 25. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.

26. There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

27. These all look to you to give them their food in due season. 

28. When you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are   

       filled with good things. 

29. When you hide your face, they are dismayed” when you take away their breath, 

       they die       and return to their dust.

30.  When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of     

The ground.

31. May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works-

32. Who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and

       they smoke.

33. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I 

Have being. 

34. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. 

35. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Praise the Lord!

Second Reading: form 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13

Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, “ Let Jesus be cursed” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord and there are a variety of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Gospel John 20: 19-23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked  for fear  of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again ,”Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on then and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

SERMON

Prayer For The Day

Eternal and loving God, on this day you poured out on your people the gift on the Holy Spirit, so that every race and nation may come to know you as Father, and Jesus Christ as Lord. May the Holy Spirit forever bind us together in perfect love, give us right judgment in all matters, strengthen us to do your will, and finally bring us to our eternal home in Light everlasting Amen. 

Pentecost was known as the Feast of weeks, when the communities offered thanksgiving for the early grain harvest. By the first century, Pentecost had become a commemoration of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mr. Sinai, celebrating the fifty days after Passover.

The followers of Jesus were gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost when God’s empowering Spirit came upon them, accompanied by tongues of fire setting on each one to the followers. The disciples or anyone else who have been granted thee gifts, they are not to be kept for themselves but to be shared with others and fining the love of God, which we are called to

We are to share God’s word not with just those that are like us and think the way we think. The Holy spirit at Pentecost reminds us of our responsibility to share our gifts and love with those that are different from us. God empowers us to stand up and bring the gifts of the Spirit by crossing cultural, social and language barriers. 

 It is hard to pay attention to God at times like these, the virus has surrounded us with pain and suffering, lack of companionship, having to keep our distance from others. God is still with us and working in the world right now. Psalm 104 gives us places to go to be remined of the peace, the great sea and the loving things too many to number, creatures both small and great. God is working in the midst of the grief and joy of life. It is okay if we cannot always see God in a situation.  It is okay to be upset. God still meets us in this place.

In the letter to the Corinthians Paul reminds his readers that it is the gift of the Spirit that “Jesus is Lord.” The church is created by the Spirit, which gives its members the faith to believe. We are also reminded we are intended to be in community with one another deeply living into our relationship with God and with each other. By sharing of everyone’s gifts of the Spirit knits together the Body of Christ.

Many of us have been subject to doubt on occasions. The story of “Doubting Thomas.” Jesus implores Thomas not to let doubt get the better of him. Thomas was not the only disciple that had trouble believing in Christ’s return. It is not whether we are going to be subject to doubt, but instead, what are we going to do about it? When we are out in the world forgiving others, loving others, and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ – we are not letting doubts get the better of us. We Have been empowered to struggle with doubts and still be the loving rejoicing, forgiving, disciples Christ called us to be. 

Rev. Kathyleen Funk

Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty
maker of heaven and earth, 
of all that is, seen and unseen

.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, 

the only Son of God, 

eternally begotten of the Father, 

God  from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God, 

begotten, not made, 

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made. 

For us and for our salvation 

  he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

  he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

  and was made man. 

For us and for our salvation 

   he came down from heaven: 

by the power of the Holy spirit 

    he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, 

     and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; 

    he suffered death and was buried.

     On the third day he roe again 

     in accordance with the Scriptures; 

he ascended into heaven

      and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again glory to judge the living and the dead, 

      And his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord. The giver of live.

        Who proceeds from the father and the Son.

        With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

        He has spoken through the Prophets.

        We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

         We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

         We look for the resurrection of the dead.  

              and the life of the world to come. Amen 

Prayers of the People

 Form II

I ask your prayers for God’s people throughout the world; for our Bishop(s)__________; for this gathering; and for all minister and people. 

Pray for the Church.

I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people.

Pray for justice and peace.

I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry the oppressed, and those in prison. 

Pray for those in any need or trouble.

I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. 

Pray that they may find and be found by him. 

I ask your prayers for the departed {especially_______) 

Pray for those who have died.

I ask your prayers for _______.

I ask your thanksgiving for  _______.

Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored {especially_______ whom we remember today}.

Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Lord, hear the prayers of thy people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to do glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Sermon

Seventh Sunday of Easter
Year A
May 24, 2020

First Reading: Acts 1:6-14
Psalm: 68:1-10,33-36
Second Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Gospel: John 17:1-11

Collect:
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen

On this Memorial Day, we pray for those who courageously laid down their lives for the cause of freedom. May the examples of their sacrifice inspire in us the selfless love of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless the families of our fallen troops, and fill their homes and their lives with Your strength and peace.

Amen.  

Gospel: John 17:1-11

Jesus looked up to heaven

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

This is a beautiful gospel; I would suggest you grab your bibles and read this lesson, in its entirety.  

Meditate on the words of Jesus to his Father; Let the prayer, enter your thoughts and slowly settle in on your hearts.

Knowing that Jesus is asking God now, to glorify him as he was, before being sent to be among us.

This is Jesus’ final prayer for himself and his farewell to his disciples. The hour has come for Jesus to manifest his eternal glory. 

Before he goes, He prays.

I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. 

Jesus is praying to God, and He is praying for those who belong to him. You can say, He is praying for you and I. 

How comforting is that to know that Jesus is praying for us?

He says, they were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. (17:6)

We know that everything that God gave Jesus, he gave to us, to continue to do has he has taught.  

He gave us the Holy Word of God. He said “they have received them and know in truth that” I came for you; and they have believed that you sent me.”

We are glorified in Christ “All mine, are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.”

Jesus was glorified by God and we were glorified by Jesus, WE are part of this bigger picture, “He in God and We in Him!”

We have been given eternal life, through the death and resurrection, because we believed, we know the true God and we know that God sent Jesus to be with us and to teach us, to comfort us, He also will send the Holy Spirit has his advocate, to show us the way. 

We have tried all our life, to understand and make meaning of the scriptures, and we will continue to read and study the scriptures and the lessons of the parables, we might not always understand, but that is where faith comes in. 

Saint Augustine wrote:
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand”.

Conclusion:

Because of our Faith, we believe in things that we cannot see.

In these days of the coronavirus, a virus we cannot see, it makes us feel isolated from those we love, from our church and community.

It is not a feeling of comfort for some and can be scary for many. And yet, we know we are not alone. 

We know that all things will pass and we can sit aside all the fears, anxiety and wait.

Take this time to read the Holy Scriptures, meditate on them.

Most importantly, Pray! For those who have lost loved ones, those who lost jobs and their income. Pray for the world and all who are alone and isolated.  

Believe in the God of Love and through that Love, all things will be well. 

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)  

Good News: 

This virus, or anything or anyone, will never separate us from the love of God and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Rev. Lola Culbreath

17 May 2020 Sixth Sunday of Easter

Let us Pray:

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Today’s readings remind us that the one true God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.

As Paul reflected with the Athenians as he visited their shrines and places of worship, that they had identified an unknown presence amongst their deities. That their own poets reflected concerning this unknown God “For we too are his offspring.”

Paul reflected that since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. That while God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

So, as we are His offspring then what should we fear? If we are subjected to suffering in our quest to share Jesus with the world we can be assured that our efforts do not go unnoticed. As John reminds us in his gospel Jesus assured the apostles, and assures us that we will not be alone in our faith. HIS gift of the Holy Spirit is with us today as Jesus promised and provided to the apostles in their time, and the Holy Spirit continues to fill us with strength, hope, peace and love today. So as we go through the current trials and tribulations our assurance of HIS presence gives us peace and comfort even in the most trying of times. As we support each other and reach out to those are still searching for hope let us not ever forget the passion that Jesus
exhibited to provide us the awareness of our kinship with HIM.

While we pray and share the assurances of our faith with each other don’t allow the hysteria and confusion the enemy uses draw us from our Father in heaven who has made our place with HIM clear.

My prayer for us this day is that together we support and share in the most precious of gifts given to us from love, so as to reflect the true commitment Jesus gave us. Love our God with all our heart, soul and strength and love our neighbors as God loves us.

May the blessing of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with us with us this day and remain with us forever.

Amen

Fifth Sunday of Easter

When the Sanhedrin heard that Stephen was speaking Blasphemy, he was to be stoned to death. The passages from Acts shows the risks and suffering faced by the first Christians as they lived out  their faith. When he was brought before the council in Jerusalem Stephen  gave a fiery speech and accused the people of Jerusalem of consistently resisting the Holy Spirit, persecuting God’s  prophets, disobeying the law, and murdering Jesus. The crowds were angry and dragged him outside the city, to stone him to death. Stephen’s vision of heaven as he died was an affirmation, of victory over death promised by the Resurrection of Jesus and also proclaimed in the Psalm for today. “I take my refuge in the Lord – deliver me in your righteousness. You are my rescue, lead me, guide me. I commit my spirit – deliver me my faithful God.” 

Peter calls us to “Come to him a living stone, rejected by humans but chosen by God, and precious to God – you, like living stones, are being built, into a spiritual house.” (Greek for stone may mean a common stone but frequently is a specially cut stone suitable for a building: The Greek word oikos translate as “house,” but also as a household. Our Christian life is a pattern of study, prayer, and worship. This is the footprints of those who follow Jesus. We must live our lives of faith with the life of the community – seeking the “pure spiritual milk”, of God’s word in study and offering praise and Thanksgiving. We are the living stones, not people set in stone.

The gospel today is Jesus’s farewell address to his disciples. It is the evening of the Last Supper. Jesus says to the disciples. “ I am with you only a little longer” , and He reveals that where he is going the disciples can not follow, but he assures them. Do not let your hearts be troubled”.  Jesus never wanted his disciples, then and now, to have a life without trouble. But Jesus promised that we could have an untroubled heart even in a troubled life. Basically, we are being asked to “Set our Hearts” at ease and unclench our heart and let go of our fears. Put our trust in God; for the last several weeks we have been staying at home and distancing ourselves from our friends, and our church community worried about the future and when we will see everyone again. For us today this is an invitation to put our trust in God and to find peace in Jesus. It is not hiding our fears, but to be aware of our fears and our anxieties and to put our trust in the living God.

Today is Mother’s Day and I would like to share this reflection from Erma Bombeck: describing the complex task God had in creating mothers. Afterall, He had to create a creature who would “run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that disappears when she stands up; a kiss that can cure anything form a broken let to a disappointed love affair; six pair of hands and three pairs of eyes.” It went something like this:  An angel pleaded with God not to work so hard. “Lord” said the angel gently. “Come to bed.” “I can’t,” said the Lord, “I’m so close to creating something so close to Myself.” The angel circled the model of a mother slowly and said with a sigh, “It is too soft.” “But tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You can’t imagine what this mother can do or endure.” Finally bending over and running her finger across the cheek. The angel pronounced: “There’s a leak. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.” “It is not a leak.” Said the Lord, “It is a tear.” “What is it for?” asked the angel. The Lord answered , “It is for joy, sadness, loneliness, pain, disappointment and pride.” “You are a Genius, “the angel replied. The Lord looked somber, “I didn’t put it there.”