Fifth Sunday in Lent

A full transcript of the Fr. Swann's Homily:

“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie...” this very familiar and well loved Christmas carol was written by Phillips Brooks an Episcopal Priest and who was briefly Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts. He had other talents, he was also responsible for one of the masterpieces of American nineteenth-century church architecture: Trinity Church in Boston’s Copley Square. Brooks played a very direct role in Trinity’s design. However, there is one feature of Brooks’ design that is visible only to those who preach in Trinity church. Brooks had these words carved on the inside of Trinity’s pulpit: “Sir, we would see Jesus.” Here is where I “connect” this to our Gospel lesson for today.
These words, “Sir, we would see Jesus” are, of course, the words that “some Greeks” spoke to Philip when both they and Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. The Greeks were more than likely non-Jews who were fascinated by Judaism’s antiquity and its profound ethical teaching. They were known as “God-fearers,” and they were numerous in the first century. Many of these “God-fearers” would have converted to Judaism had it not been for the rigid requirements of Jewish rituals. Along with Jesus and his disciples, the “God-fearers” were on their way to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. But---- Jesus was also on his way to suffer, die on the cross, and be raised again.

When Philip reported to Jesus that the Greeks had asked to see him, Jesus exclaimed, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” This is a major turning point in John’s gospel. Scholars tell us that John is divided into the “book of signs” and the “book of glory.” In the “book of signs” (the first part of John) Jesus performs seven miracles that John refers to as “signs.” You may recall that they begin when Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana and end with Jesus’ greatest miracle: raising Lazarus from the dead. Throughout the “book of signs” Jesus makes enigmatic references to his “hour” or “time” and says that it has not yet come. When his mother tells him that the revelers at the wedding feast have run out of wine, he says, “My hour has not yet come.” In John 7:8, Jesus tells his disciples that he will not go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths because his “time has not yet fully come.” But when the Greeks asked to see Jesus, he knew that the hour had come for him to be “glorified.” We realize that Jesus’ idea of glory and our idea of glory are radically different. For Jesus, to be glorified was to embrace the cross, the epitome of suffering:

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. … Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say – ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. … And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Because non-Jews such as the Greeks were “seeking to meet Jesus,” he knew that his mission was no longer restricted to Israel but had become universal. It was time for him to be lifted up – that is, crucified – so that all people could be drawn to him. For us “glory” is about having more: more money, more prestige, more power. For Jesus, glory was about giving more, and he demonstrates this throughout John’s gospel, but nowhere more vividly than in the final chapters. Jesus gives himself to his friends by washing their feet. Then he gives himself to the world by dying on the cross.

From the beginning words of John’s gospel “The cosmic Word” by which God spoke creation into being descends from on high and is clothed with flesh, “and we beheld his glory.” The Word Incarnate heals the sick, feeds the multitude, raises the dead, and finally completes his task by dying on the cross, and only then--- resumes the glory that is rightfully his. “Sir, we would see Jesus.” Bishop Phillips Brooks knew that everyone who steps into a pulpit and presumes to preach needs to think about those words, because the great temptation of preaching is to give our hearers something other than Jesus. “We would see Jesus,” our listeners plead, and sometimes there is too little of Jesus in our preaching.

But it is not only preachers who do this. All around us are people who “want to see Jesus.’ Do they see Him in us? I ask that to all of us—all of us who have been “signed with the sign of the cross,” who are in the Church, who ARE on the Lord’s side. Are you and I ‘on His side’- just as an “ornament? OR are we “on the Lords side” – TO DO SOMETHING? Father Darwin Kirby, then Rector of a parish in Schenectady, NY, wrote a short piece- aimed directly at Episcopalians- who feel that they DO NOT have the gifts to evangelize- or simply to invite others to share the “Jesus you have found in this tradition.” It spoke to me. I found it in a book that I purchased in Lent, 1962. He goes on to say that we may feel terribly “inadequate”: BUT so did Moses. You might say the “wrong thing”—BUT so did Peter. You may have once been unaccepting of the Church- BUT so did Paul. BUT GOD used them and will use us.

Father Kirby goes on to say: Has it occurred to you that we in our little Anglican Communion have the greatest treasures to offer – and everything to give? WE stand for a Catholicism which is democratic, not autocratic; dynamic, not static; free, not feudal; apostolic, not papal; genuinely universal, not crammed into a mold of a single Mediterranean group. WE look upon Roman Catholics as our brethren beloved, and we look upon Protestants as our brethren beloved. WE think that the Romanists have gone too far their claim to be the “whole” Church; and we think that the Protestants have reacted too violently against 15th & 16th century abuses into an atomism which denies the purpose of Christ. So with all of our faults, and they are many, we stand in a unique position to assist all souls into a restored, organic, unified body of Christ.

WE are Catholic in Faith, polity and liturgical worship. WE are axiomatically Protestant against ALL human infallibilities, whether of the Bible or the Pope. Within the Anglican Communion are the dimensions of authority and freedom, of individual initiative and corporate controls, of rapt mystical experience and humble submission to discipline. WE have a Catholicism without superstition, and a Protestantism without vagueness. We may well be the “particle” on which the whole amorphous solution of Christendom will one day crystallize. Now that we have “patted ourselves on the back’- let us commit to helping others “see Jesus” in us as we move through Holy Week to the Great Festival of the Resurrection. AMEN.

Pray for healing especially for:
John Cunningha, Betty Stenger, Terese Gluck, Rose Mauzy, David Garber, Pete Walburg, Ella Lane, Sara Pace, Bill Gardner, Katie Armstrong, the Heaton family, Lisa McNelly, Jimmy Milas, and Pete Stanish.

Tommy Fagiana is in an extreme amount of pain and Aunt Terese lives with him. A simple phone call or card can help keep his spirits up. Let us show him how much he and Aunt Terese mean to us all by calling and sending cards. I will post on Facebook and to the blog more information as it becomes available on his upcoming surgery.  


Collect:
O ALMIGHTY GOD, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men: Grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(1st Reading Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 119:9-16, 2nd Reading Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33)

Announcements:
**Palm Sunday is also potluck Sunday (April 1) bring a guest and enjoy lunch.
**There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board for those who would like to give money for Easter Lillies in honor or in memory of a loved one.
**Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. The liturgy will begin in the grassy area behind the church and we will process inside.
**Maundy Thursday (April 5) Mass 6:30PM.
**Good Friday (April 6) Communion will be from the Reserved Sacrament at noon.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

The most known scripture in the Bible is John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." God gave everything to provide grace for us. We remember that God's gift of grace is through faith. We are not justified by our works - so that no one may boast. We were made through Christ for good works, which was prepared to be our way of life. Some people question if as Christians we are immune from harm, disappointments, heart ache, or illness. Unfortunately, we are not. We face the same potential problems as other people. However, we are strong because we have the promise God will never leave us. It is hard to imagine any kind of hope in the loss of a spouse (or partner), mother, father, cousin, nieces, nephews, or siblings. However, even in such a tragedy we have the hope of life eternal where we will be reunited to our loved ones that share in our faith by the grace we were granted by the sacrifice of Christ. The world can be a bad place. Evil deeds and destruction are all around but we remember so clearly the words, ''come to me and I will give you rest (-Jesus)." For almost the entire time the world has existed there have been murders, thefts, intentional injuries, arsons, and many other abuses that people have committed against each other. God could have very well sent Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but he did not. Scripture says, "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." As you look at the altar remember that in the Eucharistic feast we have faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When you approach the altar rails to receive the body and blood I invite you to come to tears. Bring all of your disappointments, fears, pains, hurt feelings, failures, and injuries. I invite you to be made whole. Every time we partake in Holy Communion remember God's sacrifice and God's promise never to leave us. Life can be challenging and does not always go according to what we plan, but we can get through it. At the lowest points of our lives God is at his best. When we do wrong God is drawing us back to the fold. God loves you. He really does love you, in spite of anything you have ever done, or ever will do. Even the most unlovable person is valued and cared for by God. Take all your burdens and leave them at the feet of our Lord. Cling to the Christian promise of never being forsaken. Come dear Jesus, be our light and our refuge, our rock, and our salvation. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Collect:
GRACIOUS FATHER, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread of heaven which giveth life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Pray for healing especially for:
John Cunningha, Betty Stenger, Terese Gluck, Rose Mauzy, David Garber, Pete Walburg, Ella Lane, Sara Pace, Bill Gardner, Katie Armstrong, the Heaton family, Lisa McNelly, Jimmy Milas, and Pete Stanish.

(1st Reading Numbers 21:4-9, Psalm 107:1-3,17-22, 2nd Reading Ephesians 2:1-10, Gospel John 3:14-21)

Announcements:
**Father Swann will be available to hear confessions during Lent (by appointment).
**The last Lenten Work Day will be held this coming Saturday (03/24/12) from 9AM-Noon
**Christian Enrichment Training has begun and starts every Sunday morning at 9:20AM in the Parish Hall. Please come show your support for this vital part of our shared life together. In order to be a witness to others you have to know your faith.

<<<<<<< This special St. Patrick's Day cake was made by Lani Brooks. The cake tasted as good as it looks. You did a fantastic job, thank you.

Third Sunday in Lent

Transcript of Father Swann's Complete Homily for Lent 3:

Security is important to most all of us. It is part of being a “human being.” There are things in our lives, some of them very large, and others that may seem insignificant—that keep us from feeling “adrift.”
Among the things that make us “feel secure” is our Church. Not only the ‘gathering of the people’ here --that we know and love, but the physical appointments and building itself. Our little St. Paul’s Church may be only roughly 6 years old, we worship here—there is a sense of “ownership” and comfortable feeling about this place, whether you have been here 6 years or six months. It is our “sacred space.” There is a small exception to “6 years together” statement – David and Carolyn Thomas--- whose love for this place goes back many years. To the first century Jew, all that sentiment and feeling that we have for Church, was felt by them for their Temple. Whether they lived close to it, or far away in Rome or Babylon, the Temple was a “magnet” that drew them to its splendor. The Temple that Jesus entered was built by Herod the Great in an attempt to “curry favor” with is subjects. It stood on the site of Solomon’s great building, which was destroyed many centuries before when the Jews were conquered and enslaved. It was something like a “cross” between our Capitol building and the Washington National Cathedral. Over the centuries the belief that “God had chosen Israel” to be unique—special had “devolved” into a kind of ‘exceptionalism’ and “nationalism.” They forgot that the “setting apart”-- the word HOLY has at its ‘root’ the notion of “being separated”—BUT was not intended to justify “nationalism.” Holiness was about what we call “mission.” Nationalism had caused their destruction, and with it the destruction of the Temple itself.Let us turn to the appointed Gospel for today—from John. In it—Jesus is certainly NOT—“gentle Jesus meek and mild.” He WAS NOT some “Casper Milquetoast” kind of person. Far from it. He makes a whip, kicks over the tables, destroys the bird cages, stampeded the cows, and dumps the cash drawers on the floor, and throws the rest of the ‘money changers’ out the door! The Jesus in this Gospel lesson isn’t a “cartoon.” Sadly even to some adults--- Jesus is seen as a “superhero,” a teddy-bear, a ‘cosmic bell-hop, at our “beck and call.” He is as “real” as it gets in his fury at the idolaters, blasphemers and money changers. Exactly WHY was Jesus so angry at the “goings on” in the Temple? AS you know the Temple was the only place to offer a “sacrifice” for the Jews. “Sacrifice” meant the offering to God of that which God had created, either in the form of grapes, doves or lambs, depending on the purpose of the sacrifice. It meant the offering of “life” on behalf of individuals and families once a year on the Day of Atonement—on behalf of the nation itself. Those operating the Temple had a clever racket. For example, a family brought its sacrifice to the Temple. It had to be “inspected” to make sure that it was of high enough “quality” to be acceptable. If the “object” was rejected-- guess what- they had others “for sale.” When the head of the family offered payment –guess what-- his money was rejected—because it was “Roman coinage.” However they could “exchange” these coins for pure “Temple coinage” at a very high conversion rate. No wonder Jesus was furious, something that was meant to be holy had been turned into a crooked commercial transaction. It was a “cover” under which the “will of God” was used as a front for abusing God’s most vulnerable, poorest children. He threw out these crooked merchants, many of whom were priests. Jesus goes on to shout that the Temple would be destroyed. That struck at national security and national faith. No doubt that event contributed greatly to the crucifixion of Jesus later. The profound forceful salvation message that Jesus gave that day in the Temple—AND—the message he gives us today is: that it is NOT through: animal sacrifice, making pilgrimages, the purchase of anything, whether it be Temple Coinage, the misguided medieval notion of purchasing an “indulgance” within a corrupt church, or giving your money to a “prosperity TV evangelist. JESUS ALONE IS THE WAY. It is as if Jesus said: “I’ll get you to the Father without the payment of a single coin, without the blood of a trembling animal. My life sacrificed for YOU, it is finished; access is NOT just a hope, IT IS A DEAL SEALED WITH MY BLOOD. Therein lies our security. That is the Good News on this Lent 3. AMEN.

Collect:
ALMIGHTY GOD, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pray especially for healing for:
John Cunningham, Betty Stenger, Terese Gluck, Rose Mauzy, David Garber, Pete Walburg, Tommy Thompson, John & Delberta Allen, Pete Stanish, Nathan McConnell, Peggy Ann Turner, Pam Shinault, Donald Kaltenback, and Susan Beeler.

(1st Reading Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19, I Corinthians 1:18-25, Gospel John 2:13-22)

Announcements:
**Lenten Work Days are being held every Saturday morning at 9:00AM during Lent.
**Father Swann will be available to hear confessions during Lent (by appointment).

Second Sunday in Lent

A Pentecostal woman visits beautiful St. Paul Cathedral and is taken aback by its beauty. Intrigued by what she sees she decides to go to service. The priest begins a touching Homily about Jesus and the woman shouts, "Amen." The priest loses his spot on his notes and when he finds his place begins again. The priest continues with his homily and then he says something she agrees with strongly again and she shouts, "Hallelujah, preach it brother." An usher comes up to the woman and taps her nervously and says, "Madam, you can't do that here." The woman replies, "Brother, I have religion." The usher says, "That you may have, but you didn't get it here." Now that we are all in a good mood let's talk about Lent. We have to examine ourselves. We should do this all the time, but in Lent we do this as a large community of believers. We celebrate together as a community. Likewise, we mourn together as a community. Our community is built of individuals from all walks of life. We are strongest when we are together. Just one person can make a difference, but imagine how much of a difference a community can make. In our Epistle we read about the covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah. God says to Abraham, "I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you." God, in effect, makes a community with Abraham and Sarah as the head. The Second Reading also reflects on Abraham stating, "The promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith." Our faith is made stronger when we realize our attachments to worldly possessions, items, or people should not be our greatest desire. Jesus speaks to his disciples concerning his pending rejection, suffering, and death. Jesus says, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'' To paraphrase our Lord, you should forget about your troubles and follow Jesus unapologetically, and everything else will fall into place. May we let our light so shine that He smiles upon us. Let us be ever mindful that while he was on the cross we were on his mind. Imagine the sense of community we have when our ambition is to individually follow Christ, and then come together and share all that this means. To God be the glory for all that he has done. Amen.

Collect:
O GOD, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from thy ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of thy Word, Jesus Christ thy Son; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pray especially for healing for:
John Cunningham, Betty Stenger, Terese Gluck, Rose Mauzy, David Garber, Pete Walburg, Tommy Thompson, John & Delberta Allen, Pete Stanish, Nathan McConnell, Peggy Ann Turner, Pam Shinault, Donald Kaltenback, and Susan Beeler.

(1st Reading Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Psalm 22:22-30, 2nd Reading Romans 4:13-25, Gospel Mark 8:31-38)

Announcements:
**Lenten Work Days are being held every Saturday morning at 9:00AM during Lent.
**We thank Carolyn Thomas for filing in on the organ in the absence of David.
**Father Swann will be available to hear confessions during Lent (by appointment).
**Boyd's Creek Community Outreach will be meeting this Saturday (03/10/12) at 10:00AM at Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church.