Rejoicing and Weeping
MEMORANDUM
FROM: The Apostle Paul
TO: The Church in Rome
RE: How to live in community (based on Romans 12:14-21)
Bless people who harass you (and don’t curse them under your breath).
Rejoice with those who rejoice; share tears with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another; consider everyone as equal
(please don’t think you are better than anyone else).
Seek after those with no social status and befriend them
(and don’t think you are smarter than them).
Show respect for what everyone else believes is good
(and please don’t plan getting even with others because it’s evil for evil; let God take care of getting even).
Feed your enemy and if they are thirsty, give them something to drink
(you can imagine heaping burning charcoal on their heads but don’t do it).
When you do these things, you will not be overcome by evil, rather, you will overcome evil with good.
Lastly, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.
Here ends the memorandum.
Paul wrote the letter to the Romans around the year 0057. It was a contentious time in the most important city in the empire. People of faith were not getting along. They were allowing societal and political whims of the day to affect how they had fellowship with one another. In the closing section (above) of the longest letter he ever wrote, Paul gives us difficult precepts — rejoice when they rejoice; weep when they weep. Bless those who harass you. Give food and drink to your enemies. Seek out those who have no status – not to make you feel smarter but instead to show we are all one. And, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.
Reading his letter today, I wonder if I am allowing social and political whims affect the way I see my neighbors and friends? Am I weeping with those who are weeping? Am I rejoicing with those who are rejoicing? Am I doing my best to live at peace with all people?
Scripture doesn’t tell us to do things that come easily; instead, Scripture tells us to do things that are difficult. We are told to do things we could never imagine, like giving water to a thirsty enemy. God loves all of us – including those we disagree with – because God is love. We are all precious in God’s eyes which is probably why we are told to feed our enemies.
It takes time and energy to live at peace with one another, but we are commanded to do it the best we can. There are some in our community who are weeping and fearful; we are called to provide them with reassurance and comfort. There are some in our community who are rejoicing; we are called to rejoice with them. With the love and strength that comes from God, we are called to show respect for the dignity of every human being whether we agree with them or not.
- Fr. Dave
FROM: The Apostle Paul
TO: The Church in Rome
RE: How to live in community (based on Romans 12:14-21)
Bless people who harass you (and don’t curse them under your breath).
Rejoice with those who rejoice; share tears with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another; consider everyone as equal
(please don’t think you are better than anyone else).
Seek after those with no social status and befriend them
(and don’t think you are smarter than them).
Show respect for what everyone else believes is good
(and please don’t plan getting even with others because it’s evil for evil; let God take care of getting even).
Feed your enemy and if they are thirsty, give them something to drink
(you can imagine heaping burning charcoal on their heads but don’t do it).
When you do these things, you will not be overcome by evil, rather, you will overcome evil with good.
Lastly, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.
Here ends the memorandum.
Paul wrote the letter to the Romans around the year 0057. It was a contentious time in the most important city in the empire. People of faith were not getting along. They were allowing societal and political whims of the day to affect how they had fellowship with one another. In the closing section (above) of the longest letter he ever wrote, Paul gives us difficult precepts — rejoice when they rejoice; weep when they weep. Bless those who harass you. Give food and drink to your enemies. Seek out those who have no status – not to make you feel smarter but instead to show we are all one. And, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.
Reading his letter today, I wonder if I am allowing social and political whims affect the way I see my neighbors and friends? Am I weeping with those who are weeping? Am I rejoicing with those who are rejoicing? Am I doing my best to live at peace with all people?
Scripture doesn’t tell us to do things that come easily; instead, Scripture tells us to do things that are difficult. We are told to do things we could never imagine, like giving water to a thirsty enemy. God loves all of us – including those we disagree with – because God is love. We are all precious in God’s eyes which is probably why we are told to feed our enemies.
It takes time and energy to live at peace with one another, but we are commanded to do it the best we can. There are some in our community who are weeping and fearful; we are called to provide them with reassurance and comfort. There are some in our community who are rejoicing; we are called to rejoice with them. With the love and strength that comes from God, we are called to show respect for the dignity of every human being whether we agree with them or not.
- Fr. Dave
Stories
Remember college? At the start of the fall semester, we asked each other this question: How was your summer? My summers were spent working, either as a camp counselor or for the National Park Service. They were awesome summers and I didn’t want to see them end (despite the excitement of a new year at college).
Speaking of summer camp, my parents were in the habit of listening to their sons talk about their summer camp experiences. They were both teachers – middle school and high school – so they knew the standard teenaged, one-word response to questions, like, “How was camp?” The reply, “Good.” But there will be a time when the teen will open up. The best thing to do, according to my parent’s behavior, is to sit and listen. Most likely, the stories will show up when you are doing something else. The key, however, is to listen to the stories when they come.
Let me ask you a question: how was your summer?
We have many parishioners who are returning to Longboat and our surrounding communities. Some are returning early to check on things; others will be delayed, but thanks be to God, they are returning. One returner from Minnesota, John Holtzermann (who gave me permission to write about him), said this, “Everyone who made it through the summer has a story to tell.” Yes, John, we certainly do.
In the summer of 2005, I was trained as a chaplain for the VA’s National Center for PTSD in Menlo Park, California. I can summarize the three-week program in four words: listen to their stories. Or, better yet, just listen, listen, listen, listen. Listen without judgement. Listen without haste. Listen without telling them that you’ve heard it all before. Listen without comparative judgement – oh, you think that’s bad, you should hear what so-and-so had to go through. Instead, listen with compassion. Listen with mercy. Listen with peace. It is both in the speaking and in the hearing that light can enter the soul to heal.
How was your summer?
There is a local guy named Capt. Dave. He had an interesting summer with quite a story to tell. The morning of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, his fishing boat sank off the coast of St. John’s Pass (St. Petersburg). He rode out 95 mph winds and 27-foot waves in a five-foot cooler. His life jacket had a beacon on it that the Coast Guard used to find him the following day – 20 miles offshore of Longboat. I don’t know if he was a man of faith prior to that incident; he is now. It is reported that he called the Coast Guard from his sinking vessel. They said the wind is too strong for them to go get him. He asked what to do. They said to activate his life jacket beacon, hold onto something big to keep his head above the sea, and pray that he sees the morning come.
How are we going to get through this season of rebuilding and restoration? I think we’ll do it the same way – to activate our beacon (let people know we are here), hold onto something big (like our church and faith tradition), and to pray.
For those who will be arriving soon, I ask one more thing: please be prepared to listen. Those of us who survived this summer need to tell our stories. With you listening, light will enter our weary souls which will help us to be beacons, to be someone for others to hold onto, and to be voices praying for hope, peace and restoration.
- Fr. Dave
Speaking of summer camp, my parents were in the habit of listening to their sons talk about their summer camp experiences. They were both teachers – middle school and high school – so they knew the standard teenaged, one-word response to questions, like, “How was camp?” The reply, “Good.” But there will be a time when the teen will open up. The best thing to do, according to my parent’s behavior, is to sit and listen. Most likely, the stories will show up when you are doing something else. The key, however, is to listen to the stories when they come.
Let me ask you a question: how was your summer?
We have many parishioners who are returning to Longboat and our surrounding communities. Some are returning early to check on things; others will be delayed, but thanks be to God, they are returning. One returner from Minnesota, John Holtzermann (who gave me permission to write about him), said this, “Everyone who made it through the summer has a story to tell.” Yes, John, we certainly do.
In the summer of 2005, I was trained as a chaplain for the VA’s National Center for PTSD in Menlo Park, California. I can summarize the three-week program in four words: listen to their stories. Or, better yet, just listen, listen, listen, listen. Listen without judgement. Listen without haste. Listen without telling them that you’ve heard it all before. Listen without comparative judgement – oh, you think that’s bad, you should hear what so-and-so had to go through. Instead, listen with compassion. Listen with mercy. Listen with peace. It is both in the speaking and in the hearing that light can enter the soul to heal.
How was your summer?
There is a local guy named Capt. Dave. He had an interesting summer with quite a story to tell. The morning of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, his fishing boat sank off the coast of St. John’s Pass (St. Petersburg). He rode out 95 mph winds and 27-foot waves in a five-foot cooler. His life jacket had a beacon on it that the Coast Guard used to find him the following day – 20 miles offshore of Longboat. I don’t know if he was a man of faith prior to that incident; he is now. It is reported that he called the Coast Guard from his sinking vessel. They said the wind is too strong for them to go get him. He asked what to do. They said to activate his life jacket beacon, hold onto something big to keep his head above the sea, and pray that he sees the morning come.
How are we going to get through this season of rebuilding and restoration? I think we’ll do it the same way – to activate our beacon (let people know we are here), hold onto something big (like our church and faith tradition), and to pray.
For those who will be arriving soon, I ask one more thing: please be prepared to listen. Those of us who survived this summer need to tell our stories. With you listening, light will enter our weary souls which will help us to be beacons, to be someone for others to hold onto, and to be voices praying for hope, peace and restoration.
- Fr. Dave
Gratitude and Thankfulness
On Sunday, a parishioner asked me this question: is there a difference between gratitude and thankfulness? To answer his question, let’s look at each one individually and see if they are the same. First up, gratitude. According to an article published by the Harvard Medical School Journal, gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what one receives, whether tangible or intangible, as he or she acknowledges the goodness in his or her life. An article in Psychology Today says gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what an individual has and not what an individual wants.
Thankfulness on the other hand is a response to an event or an experience. For instance, I am grateful to live in a wonderful community; I am thankful that my neighbor moved my garbage can on a rainy day. Thanks is something that we give (which is why it’s called thanksgiving). Gratitude is an attitude and an emotion. It is an emotional response to a series of occurrences that have made a difference in your life. It’s a nice thing to have a neighbor move your garbage can; but it doesn’t necessarily change your life. Having friendly neighbors that you talk with and that you trust over a period of years can change your life and that builds gratitude for one’s community.
Which one comes first, gratitude or thankfulness? I believe thankfulness (simple acts of giving thanks) is born out of gratitude (an emotion and state of mind). This is not a chicken/egg thing. Someone who practices thankfulness does it from the emotion of gratitude.
There are many synonymous traits to gratitude and thankfulness. One commonality of the two is that they make you, and someone else, feel good. Being grateful and giving thanks are free and don’t take much time. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, they both share this simple key: gratitude and thankfulness take practice.
One way to practice gratitude is through reflection. As an example, the other day, I was reflecting on watching sunsets from the deck of the sailboat I grew up with. The more I thought about it (or reflected on the experience) the more I felt my self-esteem rising. I felt gratitude for the way I was raised, for my parents, and for the time they took to take me out on the boat – it was a life changing series of experiences. I don’t remember ever thanking them for taking me out sailing each time but now, decades later, it makes me feel good to reflect on it.
I was taught that in Spanish, when someone says, “Gracias,” the proper response is, “De nada.” I looked up that phrase and discovered it literally means, “of nothing.” That is not what it means when said, but it made me think about the one of the hardest gratitude practices – active listening and receiving of a compliment. When someone pays you a compliment, don’t blow it off (it’s nothing) but listen to the compliment, receive it and say something like this: Thank you, when you say that, I feel grateful for our friendship. I know someone who receives compliments very well. When she gets her hair cut, I give her a compliment. Every time, she looks at me, smiles, and says, “Oh, you are such a dear for noticing; you made my day.” She is really good at practicing grateful listening and expressing her gratitude.
One other way to practice gratitude is to savor positive experiences. My wife and I intentionally take our time to savor eating sushi together. We’ve had servers ask us if we liked our meal because we were not gobbling it up. The answer is this: yes, we are thankful for this meal, so we are eating it slowly and enjoying every bite. A quick side note for sushi, I’ve noticed that with a steak, it needs to be consumed while it’s still hot off the grill, otherwise the taste changes. Same with French fries and hamburgers. But sushi basically tastes the same from the first bite to the last. So, like with sushi, take your time with life’s experiences; enjoy them, savor them, reflect on them and share them with others. And when you do, you’ll grow in gratitude and thankfulness too.
- Fr. Dave
Thankfulness on the other hand is a response to an event or an experience. For instance, I am grateful to live in a wonderful community; I am thankful that my neighbor moved my garbage can on a rainy day. Thanks is something that we give (which is why it’s called thanksgiving). Gratitude is an attitude and an emotion. It is an emotional response to a series of occurrences that have made a difference in your life. It’s a nice thing to have a neighbor move your garbage can; but it doesn’t necessarily change your life. Having friendly neighbors that you talk with and that you trust over a period of years can change your life and that builds gratitude for one’s community.
Which one comes first, gratitude or thankfulness? I believe thankfulness (simple acts of giving thanks) is born out of gratitude (an emotion and state of mind). This is not a chicken/egg thing. Someone who practices thankfulness does it from the emotion of gratitude.
There are many synonymous traits to gratitude and thankfulness. One commonality of the two is that they make you, and someone else, feel good. Being grateful and giving thanks are free and don’t take much time. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, they both share this simple key: gratitude and thankfulness take practice.
One way to practice gratitude is through reflection. As an example, the other day, I was reflecting on watching sunsets from the deck of the sailboat I grew up with. The more I thought about it (or reflected on the experience) the more I felt my self-esteem rising. I felt gratitude for the way I was raised, for my parents, and for the time they took to take me out on the boat – it was a life changing series of experiences. I don’t remember ever thanking them for taking me out sailing each time but now, decades later, it makes me feel good to reflect on it.
I was taught that in Spanish, when someone says, “Gracias,” the proper response is, “De nada.” I looked up that phrase and discovered it literally means, “of nothing.” That is not what it means when said, but it made me think about the one of the hardest gratitude practices – active listening and receiving of a compliment. When someone pays you a compliment, don’t blow it off (it’s nothing) but listen to the compliment, receive it and say something like this: Thank you, when you say that, I feel grateful for our friendship. I know someone who receives compliments very well. When she gets her hair cut, I give her a compliment. Every time, she looks at me, smiles, and says, “Oh, you are such a dear for noticing; you made my day.” She is really good at practicing grateful listening and expressing her gratitude.
One other way to practice gratitude is to savor positive experiences. My wife and I intentionally take our time to savor eating sushi together. We’ve had servers ask us if we liked our meal because we were not gobbling it up. The answer is this: yes, we are thankful for this meal, so we are eating it slowly and enjoying every bite. A quick side note for sushi, I’ve noticed that with a steak, it needs to be consumed while it’s still hot off the grill, otherwise the taste changes. Same with French fries and hamburgers. But sushi basically tastes the same from the first bite to the last. So, like with sushi, take your time with life’s experiences; enjoy them, savor them, reflect on them and share them with others. And when you do, you’ll grow in gratitude and thankfulness too.
- Fr. Dave
Hurricane Fatigue
Disaster fatigue is real.
NOAA and FEMA have identified disaster fatigue as a state where exposure to a disaster affects your health, emotions and well-being. Even if you did not live through a disaster, watching it on the news, and seeing it on the faces of those you love can also bring about disaster fatigue. According to FEMA, “One symptom is finding it hard to make decisions when so many decisions must be made.” Other emotional symptoms are as follows: anxiety, fear, sadness, anger, guilt, feeling heroic (like you can do anything) or lethargic (like you can do nothing) both of which are not true. And then, the most common symptom, fatigue.
After a significant natural disaster event, many people who are no longer running on adrenaline will crash, both physically and emotionally (and maybe even spiritually). The crash often doesn't happen right away. Sometimes it happens weeks after the event. If you feel this way you are not alone. It is normal. I felt the crash today and called my friend Alex Andujar. I did so while laying on my back staring up at the ceiling of my office. The good news is that the crash feeling, like the adrenaline rush, will pass. Just a twenty-minute conversation and I was back to being me.
If the crash-feeling doesn't go away after a period of time, there is help. There is a support line that connects individuals and families with peers who have made it through previous disasters. The support line is 888-850-SWFL. The American Red Cross has an assistance center that is available at 833-492-0094.
News channel 10 Tampa Bay offers these tips to combat disaster fatigue:
I appreciate 10 Tampa Bay’s list, especially the part about turning off the news. Here’s one more tip that I learned from my bishop in San Diego. He said this: keep your feet under you. He meant it as a metaphor for balance of life but there is a practical element to it too. Today (Wednesday), my feet feel like I have hiked ten miles with a 30lb pack. Keeping my feet under me means that I need to be intentional about taking time off my feet. To help, I am wearing running shoes right now, and not my normal dress shoes, to support my insole. These feet carry the way of peace, and so do yours. Remember to keep your feet under you.
Another aspect of keeping one’s feet under them has to do with the mind. Keep your mind over your feet. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself (or too far behind either). At four in the morning, my mind likes to go out beyond my feet to tackle problems of the world. I must intentionally remember to keep my mind over my feet – to handle what can be, and needs to be, done in the next twenty minutes (not over the next twenty years). My brain asked me this morning: what about hurricanes in the Gulf over the next ten years; what are you going to do?!? I honestly thought, at the time, I could answer that question. I got up, looked at the backyard and marveled at the fence that Elijah and I repaired. I realized I don’t need to worry about future hurricanes right now. I took some deep breaths and went back to bed. The next thing I remember was my alarm going off at 6:00 a.m. to go to the gym.
Speaking of exercise, in order to build muscle, one must work (fatigue) the muscle and cause metabolic fatigue. The body, through nourishment, hydration and rest, will strengthen its muscles. As each day passes, I am feeling more resilient about hurricanes, but not because I am wrapping myself in a ball of anxiety or trying to hide or ignore my symptoms of fatigue. Rather, by taking time to rest, keeping my feet under me, praying and giving thanks, and talking to others, I am gaining emotional and mental strength.
- Fr. Dave
NOAA and FEMA have identified disaster fatigue as a state where exposure to a disaster affects your health, emotions and well-being. Even if you did not live through a disaster, watching it on the news, and seeing it on the faces of those you love can also bring about disaster fatigue. According to FEMA, “One symptom is finding it hard to make decisions when so many decisions must be made.” Other emotional symptoms are as follows: anxiety, fear, sadness, anger, guilt, feeling heroic (like you can do anything) or lethargic (like you can do nothing) both of which are not true. And then, the most common symptom, fatigue.
After a significant natural disaster event, many people who are no longer running on adrenaline will crash, both physically and emotionally (and maybe even spiritually). The crash often doesn't happen right away. Sometimes it happens weeks after the event. If you feel this way you are not alone. It is normal. I felt the crash today and called my friend Alex Andujar. I did so while laying on my back staring up at the ceiling of my office. The good news is that the crash feeling, like the adrenaline rush, will pass. Just a twenty-minute conversation and I was back to being me.
If the crash-feeling doesn't go away after a period of time, there is help. There is a support line that connects individuals and families with peers who have made it through previous disasters. The support line is 888-850-SWFL. The American Red Cross has an assistance center that is available at 833-492-0094.
News channel 10 Tampa Bay offers these tips to combat disaster fatigue:
- talk with others; move your body – take a light walk, or stretch or meditate;
- take deep breaths;
- listen to music (turn off the news, turn off the phone, and take a moment to listen to relaxing music);
- remember your coping skills – think back to when you handled past traumatic events and use those skills now.
I appreciate 10 Tampa Bay’s list, especially the part about turning off the news. Here’s one more tip that I learned from my bishop in San Diego. He said this: keep your feet under you. He meant it as a metaphor for balance of life but there is a practical element to it too. Today (Wednesday), my feet feel like I have hiked ten miles with a 30lb pack. Keeping my feet under me means that I need to be intentional about taking time off my feet. To help, I am wearing running shoes right now, and not my normal dress shoes, to support my insole. These feet carry the way of peace, and so do yours. Remember to keep your feet under you.
Another aspect of keeping one’s feet under them has to do with the mind. Keep your mind over your feet. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself (or too far behind either). At four in the morning, my mind likes to go out beyond my feet to tackle problems of the world. I must intentionally remember to keep my mind over my feet – to handle what can be, and needs to be, done in the next twenty minutes (not over the next twenty years). My brain asked me this morning: what about hurricanes in the Gulf over the next ten years; what are you going to do?!? I honestly thought, at the time, I could answer that question. I got up, looked at the backyard and marveled at the fence that Elijah and I repaired. I realized I don’t need to worry about future hurricanes right now. I took some deep breaths and went back to bed. The next thing I remember was my alarm going off at 6:00 a.m. to go to the gym.
Speaking of exercise, in order to build muscle, one must work (fatigue) the muscle and cause metabolic fatigue. The body, through nourishment, hydration and rest, will strengthen its muscles. As each day passes, I am feeling more resilient about hurricanes, but not because I am wrapping myself in a ball of anxiety or trying to hide or ignore my symptoms of fatigue. Rather, by taking time to rest, keeping my feet under me, praying and giving thanks, and talking to others, I am gaining emotional and mental strength.
- Fr. Dave
Milton
Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us and the years in which we suffered adversity. Show your servants your works and your splendor to their children. May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.
Psalm 90:15-17
The first major earthquake I experienced was while living in Los Angeles. It hit around two in the morning and then had many aftershocks. I didn’t sleep well that night. When I got to work, I realized that no one else slept well either. The town (of 3 million people) that is normally a little on edge, and tired and frazzled, seemed even more so that day.
Unlike L.A., Longboat and the surrounding communities are normally not on edge or frazzled. We’re a friendly sort of bunch. While the community was starting to remediate damage from Helene, we had to get ready for Milton. The stress was like having early morning earthquakes every day for a week. Everyone seemed a little on edge and nervous – but in a friendly, Florida sort of way. I saw many near-miss accidents on our roadways from people either being inpatient or oblivious. Yet, as the lines at gas stations grew longer, Floridians were doing their best to be polite and help each other out. I even saw three people pushing a stranger’s car to one of the pumps (because the car had run out of gas while waiting in line).
A clergy friend of mine posted on Facebook that she has worked for 11 days straight and is actually looking forward to sitting down to wait for Milton to arrive. I know that feeling. My feet are tired. My brain is tired too. And, I can’t imagine the city staff at Longboat have had any rest for the past two weeks either.
Now post-Milton, I was allowed on the island this morning (Friday) to inspect the campus at All Angels. The officer on duty at the check point happened to be an officer I have spoken to many times. When he saw me, he said, “Good morning Father, glad you are here.” I told him I’m very appreciative for all that he and his entire department does. He gave me a weary smile and pointed me through the check point.
You may have already read this but it is well worth saying again – All Angels came through Milton very well. There is no damage to the buildings. Our landscaping is a different situation but it’s something that can be cleaned up. We have, yet again, come through a storm with flying colors. We are in the unique position to serve our island community and beyond. Once we get power, water and sewer back, we will resume our Comfort Station. Although we will not be as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as we would like, we will continue to offer community support, to be a place of peace, of rest, and a center where anyone from our community can gather and connect.
This is also a unique opportunity for those who return to Longboat for the winter and spring to refresh and support those who have made it through the series of storms. I always look forward to in-season; especially so this year.
The psalm for Sunday is a plea to God about saving help after a calamity. Known as the “prayer for the return of favor”, the middle portion of Psalm 90, acknowledges the hard times we have been through – when it feels like God is far away – and the hopeful anticipation that God will work through us to do his will on earth. Attributed to Moses, this psalm is believed to be 3400 years old. Yet, we certainly identify with the weariness of those who have been through a storm and that God always works through us to restore us and help others. It ends with these words that remind me of the mission and ministry of All Angels: May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.
- Fr. Dave
Psalm 90:15-17
The first major earthquake I experienced was while living in Los Angeles. It hit around two in the morning and then had many aftershocks. I didn’t sleep well that night. When I got to work, I realized that no one else slept well either. The town (of 3 million people) that is normally a little on edge, and tired and frazzled, seemed even more so that day.
Unlike L.A., Longboat and the surrounding communities are normally not on edge or frazzled. We’re a friendly sort of bunch. While the community was starting to remediate damage from Helene, we had to get ready for Milton. The stress was like having early morning earthquakes every day for a week. Everyone seemed a little on edge and nervous – but in a friendly, Florida sort of way. I saw many near-miss accidents on our roadways from people either being inpatient or oblivious. Yet, as the lines at gas stations grew longer, Floridians were doing their best to be polite and help each other out. I even saw three people pushing a stranger’s car to one of the pumps (because the car had run out of gas while waiting in line).
A clergy friend of mine posted on Facebook that she has worked for 11 days straight and is actually looking forward to sitting down to wait for Milton to arrive. I know that feeling. My feet are tired. My brain is tired too. And, I can’t imagine the city staff at Longboat have had any rest for the past two weeks either.
Now post-Milton, I was allowed on the island this morning (Friday) to inspect the campus at All Angels. The officer on duty at the check point happened to be an officer I have spoken to many times. When he saw me, he said, “Good morning Father, glad you are here.” I told him I’m very appreciative for all that he and his entire department does. He gave me a weary smile and pointed me through the check point.
You may have already read this but it is well worth saying again – All Angels came through Milton very well. There is no damage to the buildings. Our landscaping is a different situation but it’s something that can be cleaned up. We have, yet again, come through a storm with flying colors. We are in the unique position to serve our island community and beyond. Once we get power, water and sewer back, we will resume our Comfort Station. Although we will not be as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as we would like, we will continue to offer community support, to be a place of peace, of rest, and a center where anyone from our community can gather and connect.
This is also a unique opportunity for those who return to Longboat for the winter and spring to refresh and support those who have made it through the series of storms. I always look forward to in-season; especially so this year.
The psalm for Sunday is a plea to God about saving help after a calamity. Known as the “prayer for the return of favor”, the middle portion of Psalm 90, acknowledges the hard times we have been through – when it feels like God is far away – and the hopeful anticipation that God will work through us to do his will on earth. Attributed to Moses, this psalm is believed to be 3400 years old. Yet, we certainly identify with the weariness of those who have been through a storm and that God always works through us to restore us and help others. It ends with these words that remind me of the mission and ministry of All Angels: May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.
- Fr. Dave
God Goes With You
“I have commanded you: Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
After Hurricane Helene, I sent daily (or twice-daily) emails to the leadership team apprising them of what I knew about our parishioners and All Angels’ campus. This Reflection is based on one that I sent at 11 a.m. Saturday. The email began with the Scripture passage above. It’s not my normal pattern; to lead with a passage of Scripture; but I thought it was important to frame what I was about to say with courage. Here’s the message:
Longboat Key remains closed. There is a significant problem with water and sewer. All residents are to stay home so they can fix the problem as soon as they can (additional people on the island will slow down their efforts).
Tomorrow's service will be Morning Prayer on Zoom with a simulcast on YouTube. I would like to have an interactive service for those who want to participate. Elijah and Ethan are our Zoom hosts and will handle that side of it. Mackenzie is our scheduled lector so she will take the readings. I'll trade off on the prayers with David Stasney.
The above Bible lesson is from Joshua. He had significant reasons to be afraid and concerned; but, he went through each challenge knowing the Lord is with him. The Lord is with us. It takes courage to stay at home and trust others. It takes courage to pray and to trust in the Lord. And, when the time comes, it will take courage to lead and serve the people of Longboat and our surrounding areas. Whatever we do, and wherever we are, the Lord is with us.
Amen and alleluia.
If anything, I was reminding myself that sometimes courage is to stay still and to trust others and God. My heart wanted to travel to the campus, but I had faith that all was okay.
Sunday’s Zoom only service is one I will remember and cherish. It was vitally important for me to see one another, to hear from each other, and especially to have a place where we could tell our stories and listen to others. Most importantly, it was a place of love, acceptance, and support. God certainly was, and is, with us. The quote from Joshua above is meaningful for me today with the last three words – wherever you go. My son Elijah was the Zoom host. He did that from Ethan’s old room in our house. Christi was in the living room. Mackenzie – our lector – and Ethan (our respondent) were in their home in Lithia. My friend, Deacon Tom, proclaimed the Gospel from Westchester, PA. David Stasney led us in prayer from his home in Bradenton. My mom woke up at 6:45 Seattle time to be with us. The service had people participating from both coasts, the Midwest, Texas, Canada and the UK.
Joshua received his message from God in roughly the year 1406 BCE. It was 14 centuries before the birth of Christ and 34 centuries before Hurricane Helene. God-is-with-you wherever you go is both about time and location. It is past, present and future. It is from Seattle to London and certainly beyond. With God, who travels with us through both time and space, through good times and bad, through calm days and hurricanes; with God-with-us, what reason do we have to be afraid? Be courageous, therefore, God is with you.
- Fr. Dave
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
After Hurricane Helene, I sent daily (or twice-daily) emails to the leadership team apprising them of what I knew about our parishioners and All Angels’ campus. This Reflection is based on one that I sent at 11 a.m. Saturday. The email began with the Scripture passage above. It’s not my normal pattern; to lead with a passage of Scripture; but I thought it was important to frame what I was about to say with courage. Here’s the message:
Longboat Key remains closed. There is a significant problem with water and sewer. All residents are to stay home so they can fix the problem as soon as they can (additional people on the island will slow down their efforts).
Tomorrow's service will be Morning Prayer on Zoom with a simulcast on YouTube. I would like to have an interactive service for those who want to participate. Elijah and Ethan are our Zoom hosts and will handle that side of it. Mackenzie is our scheduled lector so she will take the readings. I'll trade off on the prayers with David Stasney.
The above Bible lesson is from Joshua. He had significant reasons to be afraid and concerned; but, he went through each challenge knowing the Lord is with him. The Lord is with us. It takes courage to stay at home and trust others. It takes courage to pray and to trust in the Lord. And, when the time comes, it will take courage to lead and serve the people of Longboat and our surrounding areas. Whatever we do, and wherever we are, the Lord is with us.
Amen and alleluia.
If anything, I was reminding myself that sometimes courage is to stay still and to trust others and God. My heart wanted to travel to the campus, but I had faith that all was okay.
Sunday’s Zoom only service is one I will remember and cherish. It was vitally important for me to see one another, to hear from each other, and especially to have a place where we could tell our stories and listen to others. Most importantly, it was a place of love, acceptance, and support. God certainly was, and is, with us. The quote from Joshua above is meaningful for me today with the last three words – wherever you go. My son Elijah was the Zoom host. He did that from Ethan’s old room in our house. Christi was in the living room. Mackenzie – our lector – and Ethan (our respondent) were in their home in Lithia. My friend, Deacon Tom, proclaimed the Gospel from Westchester, PA. David Stasney led us in prayer from his home in Bradenton. My mom woke up at 6:45 Seattle time to be with us. The service had people participating from both coasts, the Midwest, Texas, Canada and the UK.
Joshua received his message from God in roughly the year 1406 BCE. It was 14 centuries before the birth of Christ and 34 centuries before Hurricane Helene. God-is-with-you wherever you go is both about time and location. It is past, present and future. It is from Seattle to London and certainly beyond. With God, who travels with us through both time and space, through good times and bad, through calm days and hurricanes; with God-with-us, what reason do we have to be afraid? Be courageous, therefore, God is with you.
- Fr. Dave
Hopeful-mindedness
At a recent business networking meeting, the group’s treasurer, and member of All Angels, (and commercial real estate expert) Joe Martini, used his time to share an article with the group to help them in their business. It was my Reflection from last week! (Inner Voice) It is a mind-blowing experience to hear someone else read words that I put together. Since it meant something to him, and to the other business leaders in the group, I’d like to take that Reflection a little further.
Mindfulness is a practice that involves being aware of the present moment, without judgment, and observing your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Practicing mindfulness reduces anxiety, improves concentration, makes you kinder, a better friend and family member, and helps in becoming wise. Prolonged stress, however, is kryptonite to mindfulness. Stress blocks our ability to remain centered and calm without judgement. Logically speaking, mindfulness could also be kryptonite to prolonged stress; but unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case.
Since mindfulness cannot effectively combat stress, what can? Simply put, hope. Future-oriented thinking (hope) is kryptonite to stress. Author, and professor of management at North Carolina State University, Tom Zagenczyk, recently published his findings about hope and its ability to overcome stress. He, and others working on this project, determined that these three factors are a direct result of hope over time: resiliency, reduced tension and distress. Individuals experiencing periods of prolonged stress – unemployment, overemployment, poor health, family issues – were helped by focusing not on their present moment but on a better future.
The core process of mindfulness is not the same core process as hope. Mindfulness practices make one acutely aware of their circumstances; of the here-and-now. Stress is very much about the here-and-now, and the present moment is an unpleasant moment. Stress can take over thought processes and turn it negatively toward doom. Stress increases the heart rate and makes one turn inwardly which exacerbates the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Future-oriented thinking does something entirely different. It incorporates the ability to imagine a future that could be different, it invents and examines new possibilities, and helps us build an action plan to that better future. In other words, it gives us hope. According to Scripture, hope leads to joy, boldness, faith and love. Hope leads us to comfort and to encourage one another.
Co-author Sharon Sheridan wrote, “Being mindful can be tremendously valuable — there are certainly advantages to living in the moment. But it’s important to maintain a hopeful outlook particularly during periods of prolonged stress. People should be hopeful and hold on to the idea that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” Co-author, Emily Ferrise, wrote, “There is real value for organizations to incorporate hope and forward thinking into their corporate culture.”
You might wonder what this has to do with faith, spirituality and the Church. If you are feeling prolonged stress, you may want to consider the hope provided by Morning Prayer. It is an ancient tradition that starts with this psalm:
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. (43:3)
This is the future-oriented hopefulness that prayer and Scripture provide for us. Another phrase that is said in Morning Prayer is this:
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The future-oriented view is that God’s glory has been, is and always will be – no matter what stress or concern we have. Morning Prayer is concluded with this prayer: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in the world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
For as long as the Church has been keeping records, the faithful have prayed those prayers to start the day. And, for longer than the Church has kept records, humans have undergone prolonged periods of stress – from work, or health, or family, or frankly, all the above. Thankfully, we have access to the kryptonite of stress;
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me,
and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
- Fr. Dave
Mindfulness is a practice that involves being aware of the present moment, without judgment, and observing your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Practicing mindfulness reduces anxiety, improves concentration, makes you kinder, a better friend and family member, and helps in becoming wise. Prolonged stress, however, is kryptonite to mindfulness. Stress blocks our ability to remain centered and calm without judgement. Logically speaking, mindfulness could also be kryptonite to prolonged stress; but unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case.
Since mindfulness cannot effectively combat stress, what can? Simply put, hope. Future-oriented thinking (hope) is kryptonite to stress. Author, and professor of management at North Carolina State University, Tom Zagenczyk, recently published his findings about hope and its ability to overcome stress. He, and others working on this project, determined that these three factors are a direct result of hope over time: resiliency, reduced tension and distress. Individuals experiencing periods of prolonged stress – unemployment, overemployment, poor health, family issues – were helped by focusing not on their present moment but on a better future.
The core process of mindfulness is not the same core process as hope. Mindfulness practices make one acutely aware of their circumstances; of the here-and-now. Stress is very much about the here-and-now, and the present moment is an unpleasant moment. Stress can take over thought processes and turn it negatively toward doom. Stress increases the heart rate and makes one turn inwardly which exacerbates the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Future-oriented thinking does something entirely different. It incorporates the ability to imagine a future that could be different, it invents and examines new possibilities, and helps us build an action plan to that better future. In other words, it gives us hope. According to Scripture, hope leads to joy, boldness, faith and love. Hope leads us to comfort and to encourage one another.
Co-author Sharon Sheridan wrote, “Being mindful can be tremendously valuable — there are certainly advantages to living in the moment. But it’s important to maintain a hopeful outlook particularly during periods of prolonged stress. People should be hopeful and hold on to the idea that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” Co-author, Emily Ferrise, wrote, “There is real value for organizations to incorporate hope and forward thinking into their corporate culture.”
You might wonder what this has to do with faith, spirituality and the Church. If you are feeling prolonged stress, you may want to consider the hope provided by Morning Prayer. It is an ancient tradition that starts with this psalm:
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. (43:3)
This is the future-oriented hopefulness that prayer and Scripture provide for us. Another phrase that is said in Morning Prayer is this:
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The future-oriented view is that God’s glory has been, is and always will be – no matter what stress or concern we have. Morning Prayer is concluded with this prayer: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in the world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
For as long as the Church has been keeping records, the faithful have prayed those prayers to start the day. And, for longer than the Church has kept records, humans have undergone prolonged periods of stress – from work, or health, or family, or frankly, all the above. Thankfully, we have access to the kryptonite of stress;
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me,
and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
- Fr. Dave
Inner Voice
Most people have an inner voice. Some call it an internal monologue, verbal thinking, and (my favorite) stream of consciousness. Experts claim the inner voice is the result of brain mechanisms that cause a person to hear themselves talk in their head without actually speaking. It also works for memorization and self-motivation.
The discussion groups this past week covered a topic called “mindfulness” which is a practice that involves being aware of the present moment, without judgment, and observing your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. One key to mindfulness is attention. There are many things that distract us; mindfulness is the opposite of that – it asks that we pay attention, or focus, on the very present moment, right now, this second, and observe our thoughts, feelings and surroundings. You can do this when you first wake up, or are waiting at a doctor’s office, or a red light, sitting on the beach, while walking your dog, or in line at a grocery store. Unlike meditation where you close your eyes and focus on clearing one’s head, mindfulness asks that we stay fully aware and to simply check in on how we are feeling and what we are thinking at the present moment.
Mindfulness is frankly nothing new. The Church, over the centuries, has been steering people to pay attention to their inner voice, their stream of consciousness, through prayer and ritual. Thankfully, in our fast paced, hectic world, we have our Christian ethics and practices to make us more mindful which can steer our stream of consciousness into favorableness with ourselves and into closer connection with God.
The first encounter we have in the morning can shape our attitude for the day. Our ancient Christian practice is to give thanks to God when we first wake up – whether you feel like giving thanks or not. Some saints have taught that we are to name (to bring to mind in our stream of consciousness) five blessings or thanksgivings before we get up. Then using our inner voice, give thanks to God for those blessings.
Halfway through the day, the Christian practice is to stop and give thanks. But there is more to it than that. Our tradition from the Church of England has this noonday prayer: Gracious heavenly Father, we beseech thee to send thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us in accordance with thy will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into thy truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Asking the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts is a means of discernment, like doing a check-in – how are we feeling and thinking right now? We then ask the Holy Spirit to “direct and rule us” according to God’s will (not our own), to comfort us, to defend us from error, and to lead us into God’s truth. This prayer, using 21st century mindfulness language, asks us to take a moment around noon to check in with God and our inner voice. It’s a way of taking a moment to reflect on the morning that has passed, and to see, without judgement, whether we are on the right course for a good remainder of our day.
Our Christian tradition is to end the day with prayers of thanksgiving and to ask for protection through the night. You can pray this with whatever words you choose; our tradition offers the following: Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. Repeating this prayer while you are waiting for sleep to come is another practice to help us be mindful of the moment and to sleep in peace.
We can pray out loud or we can use our inner voice. Either way, God hears us. The important part, of course, is to do it. When we pray, we take a moment to check in with ourselves, to recognize where we are, and to share it with God. By following the ancient practices of gratitude, especially in the morning, a noontime check-in with the Holy Spirit, and an evening prayer for guidance/watching with Christ/sleeping in peace, we are following our tradition that has/can/will take us through whatever hecticness this world brings to us.
- Fr. Dave
The discussion groups this past week covered a topic called “mindfulness” which is a practice that involves being aware of the present moment, without judgment, and observing your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. One key to mindfulness is attention. There are many things that distract us; mindfulness is the opposite of that – it asks that we pay attention, or focus, on the very present moment, right now, this second, and observe our thoughts, feelings and surroundings. You can do this when you first wake up, or are waiting at a doctor’s office, or a red light, sitting on the beach, while walking your dog, or in line at a grocery store. Unlike meditation where you close your eyes and focus on clearing one’s head, mindfulness asks that we stay fully aware and to simply check in on how we are feeling and what we are thinking at the present moment.
Mindfulness is frankly nothing new. The Church, over the centuries, has been steering people to pay attention to their inner voice, their stream of consciousness, through prayer and ritual. Thankfully, in our fast paced, hectic world, we have our Christian ethics and practices to make us more mindful which can steer our stream of consciousness into favorableness with ourselves and into closer connection with God.
The first encounter we have in the morning can shape our attitude for the day. Our ancient Christian practice is to give thanks to God when we first wake up – whether you feel like giving thanks or not. Some saints have taught that we are to name (to bring to mind in our stream of consciousness) five blessings or thanksgivings before we get up. Then using our inner voice, give thanks to God for those blessings.
Halfway through the day, the Christian practice is to stop and give thanks. But there is more to it than that. Our tradition from the Church of England has this noonday prayer: Gracious heavenly Father, we beseech thee to send thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us in accordance with thy will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into thy truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Asking the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts is a means of discernment, like doing a check-in – how are we feeling and thinking right now? We then ask the Holy Spirit to “direct and rule us” according to God’s will (not our own), to comfort us, to defend us from error, and to lead us into God’s truth. This prayer, using 21st century mindfulness language, asks us to take a moment around noon to check in with God and our inner voice. It’s a way of taking a moment to reflect on the morning that has passed, and to see, without judgement, whether we are on the right course for a good remainder of our day.
Our Christian tradition is to end the day with prayers of thanksgiving and to ask for protection through the night. You can pray this with whatever words you choose; our tradition offers the following: Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. Repeating this prayer while you are waiting for sleep to come is another practice to help us be mindful of the moment and to sleep in peace.
We can pray out loud or we can use our inner voice. Either way, God hears us. The important part, of course, is to do it. When we pray, we take a moment to check in with ourselves, to recognize where we are, and to share it with God. By following the ancient practices of gratitude, especially in the morning, a noontime check-in with the Holy Spirit, and an evening prayer for guidance/watching with Christ/sleeping in peace, we are following our tradition that has/can/will take us through whatever hecticness this world brings to us.
- Fr. Dave
Ingressive Aorist
Have you read any good books this summer? I am deep into one that I am thrilled about, titled Wuest’s Word Studies by Kenneth Wuest. It is a reader’s companion series of the New Testament that clarifies many of the English words that do not (or cannot) capture the full meaning of the original Greek text. So, it’s not exactly a book one would read at the beach, but I find it captivating.
There are many problems with translating the original Greek manuscripts into English. One challenge (which I have written to you before) has to do with the “aorist” verb tense. The aorist tense is an action that happened in the past, which is still happening today, and will happen in the future. We have a hard time expressing this in English. A simple example of the aorist tense is with the phrase, “Jesus saves,” which, in English, would be written as follows: Jesus has saved, is saving and will save. You may be familiar with this phrase: as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. That’s an example of the aorist tense translated into English.
During my summer reading, Professor Wuest blew my mind by introducing me to a sub-aorist tense called the “ingressive aorist”. To capture the full meaning of the Greek ingressive aorist tense, one needs to think about geometry. Imagine a point in time that extends as a straight line to infinity. The ingressive aorist is that fixed point in time that then extends outward through time. Consider this phrase: once saved, always saved. The “once saved” is the fixed moment in time, the “always saved” is the outward extension of that action through time. Here’s an example: the rite of baptism is a fixed moment in time, but it does not wear off, or wear out, over time. Once baptized, always baptized.
Christi and I taught our daughter, Victoria, how to ride a bike. She now can, and always will, be able to ride a bike. “Taught” in this case is an ingressive aorist. Another ingressive aorist tense is when I fell in love with Christi. It was at a fixed point and time in space. I had a life before her, but it was not nearly as good. I fell in love with her and now my life has changed, is changing, and will change for good.
I am writing this on September 11th. The tragic events of that day in 2001 can also be expressed as an ingressive aorist. In other words, we will never forget, nor will we ever be the same. When I look at reading a book on theology, I always look to see if it was written before or after 9/11/01 because the way U.S. theologians understand God changed on that day and remains changed today. History looks at the Civil War, the industrial revolution, WWII and other moments in time that permanently changed the trajectory of the future. Each one of those moments are ingressive aorist moments.
If the term “ingressive” sounds familiar, it might be because there is such a thing as “ingressive speaking”. It is literally a sound, or word, that is made when breathing in; like a hiccup. It is hard to type in English but imagine you just heard something shocking; or on September 11th, you watched the south Trade Tower fall; a sound is made of shock or horror as we breathe in. That ingressive (and often time involuntary and reflexive) sound signals a fixed point in time in which nothing will ever be the same again. I prefer, however, to focus on the good ingressive-aorist’s in our life like love, children and graduation.
My summertime reading author, Professor Wuest, believes the ingressive aorist is good news for Christians. There was a time that we learned of the saving and redeeming power of Christ, and all life afterward was changed. For many people, it happened at their baptism, or at their confirmation, or, for some, when they were invited to All Angels. Once they attended, their life changed for the better.
I have friends that have powerful testimonies of what their life was like before Christ and how receiving him into their hearts was a life-changing ingressive aorist moment. For me, I started my journey with Christ quite early in life. I don’t remember the circumstances but, one night when I was young, I was worried about this and that and couldn’t fall asleep. I remember my dad telling me that I belong to God and that all will be okay. I trusted him and fell asleep. Turns out, more than fifty years later, that was my ingressive aorist experience because since then, I have found that all is well, it has been well, and it will be well; thanks be to God.
- Fr. Dave
There are many problems with translating the original Greek manuscripts into English. One challenge (which I have written to you before) has to do with the “aorist” verb tense. The aorist tense is an action that happened in the past, which is still happening today, and will happen in the future. We have a hard time expressing this in English. A simple example of the aorist tense is with the phrase, “Jesus saves,” which, in English, would be written as follows: Jesus has saved, is saving and will save. You may be familiar with this phrase: as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. That’s an example of the aorist tense translated into English.
During my summer reading, Professor Wuest blew my mind by introducing me to a sub-aorist tense called the “ingressive aorist”. To capture the full meaning of the Greek ingressive aorist tense, one needs to think about geometry. Imagine a point in time that extends as a straight line to infinity. The ingressive aorist is that fixed point in time that then extends outward through time. Consider this phrase: once saved, always saved. The “once saved” is the fixed moment in time, the “always saved” is the outward extension of that action through time. Here’s an example: the rite of baptism is a fixed moment in time, but it does not wear off, or wear out, over time. Once baptized, always baptized.
Christi and I taught our daughter, Victoria, how to ride a bike. She now can, and always will, be able to ride a bike. “Taught” in this case is an ingressive aorist. Another ingressive aorist tense is when I fell in love with Christi. It was at a fixed point and time in space. I had a life before her, but it was not nearly as good. I fell in love with her and now my life has changed, is changing, and will change for good.
I am writing this on September 11th. The tragic events of that day in 2001 can also be expressed as an ingressive aorist. In other words, we will never forget, nor will we ever be the same. When I look at reading a book on theology, I always look to see if it was written before or after 9/11/01 because the way U.S. theologians understand God changed on that day and remains changed today. History looks at the Civil War, the industrial revolution, WWII and other moments in time that permanently changed the trajectory of the future. Each one of those moments are ingressive aorist moments.
If the term “ingressive” sounds familiar, it might be because there is such a thing as “ingressive speaking”. It is literally a sound, or word, that is made when breathing in; like a hiccup. It is hard to type in English but imagine you just heard something shocking; or on September 11th, you watched the south Trade Tower fall; a sound is made of shock or horror as we breathe in. That ingressive (and often time involuntary and reflexive) sound signals a fixed point in time in which nothing will ever be the same again. I prefer, however, to focus on the good ingressive-aorist’s in our life like love, children and graduation.
My summertime reading author, Professor Wuest, believes the ingressive aorist is good news for Christians. There was a time that we learned of the saving and redeeming power of Christ, and all life afterward was changed. For many people, it happened at their baptism, or at their confirmation, or, for some, when they were invited to All Angels. Once they attended, their life changed for the better.
I have friends that have powerful testimonies of what their life was like before Christ and how receiving him into their hearts was a life-changing ingressive aorist moment. For me, I started my journey with Christ quite early in life. I don’t remember the circumstances but, one night when I was young, I was worried about this and that and couldn’t fall asleep. I remember my dad telling me that I belong to God and that all will be okay. I trusted him and fell asleep. Turns out, more than fifty years later, that was my ingressive aorist experience because since then, I have found that all is well, it has been well, and it will be well; thanks be to God.
- Fr. Dave
Change
I have become a Zoom and YouTube expert because we depend on those programs for in-person and online meetings and for worship on Sunday. Not that I wanted to become an expert but the demands of modern-day ministry requires a strong working knowledge of IT products. In other words, a major change has come to one of the oldest vocations in the world. No one asked our permission; the change just came, and we had to adapt.
Much to my dismay, Zoom has changed over the years. They moved the “share” button and other components I rely on. There is a lot going on in my mind during a hybrid meeting. Searching for where they moved the “share sound” button takes needed brain power and attention. Zoom does not ask me if I want the change, they just do it. So does YouTube. Often the updates to the programs are uploaded over the weekend which means on Sunday morning, when I have a lot on my mind already, I have to search for where things had been and where they are now.
I do not like change. I like things to remain the same, as they are now, dependable and reliable. But that’s not how life works. God may be unchangeable, but everything (everything) God makes changes. More about that in a bit.
When we moved to Bradenton in 2019, we had curbside recycling. There were large open spaces with beautiful Florida vegetation and wildlife. I wanted things to remain as they were; but that’s not how life works. We now drive our recycling to an often-changing drop off center and, at the corner of 75th and Cortez, 1200 acres of wildlife have been bulldozed making way for 6,500 homes, 3 million square feet of retail and offices and 500 hotel rooms. I wasn’t asked if I liked that change, or wanted it, but, ready or not, here it comes.
Astrophysicist Carl Sagan is quoted as saying this: In this universe, the only constant is change. Some believe he was quoting the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said there is nothing permanent except change. Sadly, they are both right.
I do not like change yet the church sanctuary has undergone changes in the past five years. We have a new organ, a new sound system, new paint, a new roof, new ceiling fans, a new exit and a renovated entrance with two new ramps. There are new icons, new needlepoints, a new Advent altar covering, replated chalices, and a new a/c cooling coil and a/c blower too. We recently (last week) upgraded the lighting, sound and video too. On that Sunday – when we had the updates up and running – we had more in attendance for a Labor Day weekend than before and we had even more joining us online. So I guess not all change is unwelcome.
Ready or not, here comes more change: this past Sunday, we had Coffee Hour in the gallery because the Parish Hall is being updated. The number one thing we do is gather for worship together both in-person and online. The second most important (and it’s a close second) is fellowship. Our worship space reflects who we are as a warm, welcoming and supportive congregation. It’s time for the fellowship space to do the same. We are getting new flooring and new paint (with removal of the popcorn ceilings). The interior of the Parish Hall will look like the interior of the church – same color scheme, ceiling texturing and wood colors. By the end of September, we will have waterproof flooring that will withstand future decades of spilled coffee and crumbs. The northwest corner, dedicated to the Spitler’s, will have new, sturdy bookshelves with comfortable furniture designed for small groups to sit and get to know one another. I am excited about all of it; and yet it is change (and you know how I feel about change).
In Jesus’ day, the scribes and Pharisees did not like change; they liked how things were. But, everything God makes changes. My dad, the biology teacher, would say that things must change, or they become extinct. That’s how God set up the physical world. Thus, the only constant is change. Whether I like change or not, we do need new flooring and paint in the Parish Hall. And, one day, that paint will become faded and will have to be replaced too. Heck, in thirty years from now, popcorn ceilings might become all the rage. And, that will be something for that Vestry and rector to work on. As for today, we are improving the functionality of the Parish Hall so we can continue to bring the Living Christ to those inside and outside the church.
- Fr. Dave
Much to my dismay, Zoom has changed over the years. They moved the “share” button and other components I rely on. There is a lot going on in my mind during a hybrid meeting. Searching for where they moved the “share sound” button takes needed brain power and attention. Zoom does not ask me if I want the change, they just do it. So does YouTube. Often the updates to the programs are uploaded over the weekend which means on Sunday morning, when I have a lot on my mind already, I have to search for where things had been and where they are now.
I do not like change. I like things to remain the same, as they are now, dependable and reliable. But that’s not how life works. God may be unchangeable, but everything (everything) God makes changes. More about that in a bit.
When we moved to Bradenton in 2019, we had curbside recycling. There were large open spaces with beautiful Florida vegetation and wildlife. I wanted things to remain as they were; but that’s not how life works. We now drive our recycling to an often-changing drop off center and, at the corner of 75th and Cortez, 1200 acres of wildlife have been bulldozed making way for 6,500 homes, 3 million square feet of retail and offices and 500 hotel rooms. I wasn’t asked if I liked that change, or wanted it, but, ready or not, here it comes.
Astrophysicist Carl Sagan is quoted as saying this: In this universe, the only constant is change. Some believe he was quoting the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said there is nothing permanent except change. Sadly, they are both right.
I do not like change yet the church sanctuary has undergone changes in the past five years. We have a new organ, a new sound system, new paint, a new roof, new ceiling fans, a new exit and a renovated entrance with two new ramps. There are new icons, new needlepoints, a new Advent altar covering, replated chalices, and a new a/c cooling coil and a/c blower too. We recently (last week) upgraded the lighting, sound and video too. On that Sunday – when we had the updates up and running – we had more in attendance for a Labor Day weekend than before and we had even more joining us online. So I guess not all change is unwelcome.
Ready or not, here comes more change: this past Sunday, we had Coffee Hour in the gallery because the Parish Hall is being updated. The number one thing we do is gather for worship together both in-person and online. The second most important (and it’s a close second) is fellowship. Our worship space reflects who we are as a warm, welcoming and supportive congregation. It’s time for the fellowship space to do the same. We are getting new flooring and new paint (with removal of the popcorn ceilings). The interior of the Parish Hall will look like the interior of the church – same color scheme, ceiling texturing and wood colors. By the end of September, we will have waterproof flooring that will withstand future decades of spilled coffee and crumbs. The northwest corner, dedicated to the Spitler’s, will have new, sturdy bookshelves with comfortable furniture designed for small groups to sit and get to know one another. I am excited about all of it; and yet it is change (and you know how I feel about change).
In Jesus’ day, the scribes and Pharisees did not like change; they liked how things were. But, everything God makes changes. My dad, the biology teacher, would say that things must change, or they become extinct. That’s how God set up the physical world. Thus, the only constant is change. Whether I like change or not, we do need new flooring and paint in the Parish Hall. And, one day, that paint will become faded and will have to be replaced too. Heck, in thirty years from now, popcorn ceilings might become all the rage. And, that will be something for that Vestry and rector to work on. As for today, we are improving the functionality of the Parish Hall so we can continue to bring the Living Christ to those inside and outside the church.
- Fr. Dave
Do Not Defile, Instead Reconcile
A couple of years ago, I was the officiant at a wedding at a local golf course. At the reception, they served the best cocktail shrimp I have ever had. Plus, they had caramelized bacon too! Have you ever wondered why Christians do not follow the dietary laws of the Jewish faith? In particular, why can Christians eat pork and shellfish?
During August, we took a five-week Bread-of-Life journey in John’s Gospel. Starting this Sunday, however, we pick up in Mark’s Gospel where we left off in July – Jesus started a movement, he called twelve fishermen (and one tax collector) to help him and now, wherever they go, he is recognized. People would lay the sick along the street hoping that they might just touch the fringe of his clothing so they can be healed.
As you can imagine, this movement caught the attention of the religious authorities in Jerusalem. Mark calls them scribes and pharisees. He chronicles five separate encounters where they asked hard questions to Jesus. Here are their questions in order:
Why does he [Jesus] eat with sinners and tax collectors?
Why are they breaking the Sabbath law? [they were eating grains of wheat on a Saturday]
Why are your disciples eating food with ritually unclean hands? [they had just healed people]
Can you show us a sign from heaven?
Does the law allow for a man to divorce his wife?
Should we pay tax to Caesar or not?
You’ll notice the first three are about food. The last two are about what we can, and cannot do, according to the Law of Moses. The story for this Sunday is the third question – why are they eating with ritually unclean hands? Jesus gives a profound, and surprising, answer: It’s not what goes inside you that defiles, it is what comes out of you that defiles. Many believe this was the beginning of the Christian tradition to transcend dietary laws. We believe that Jesus said something as practical as this: If you eat a pork sandwich, it won’t defile you. But if you steal the sandwich, or if you lie about it, or tell others not to do it (even though you eat it), if you hoard it, or insult others for eating it, or kill others for the sandwich, all those actions defile a person; but the sandwich itself does not defile.
This passage came up with my friend Alex in our weekly podcast, A Bridge Between Alex and Dave. He does a great job at summarizing difficult passages and concepts. This past episode he did it again. Alex said: Jesus doesn’t want us to defile but rather to reconcile. Jesus doesn’t want us to point out the faults in others. Instead, Jesus wants us to reconcile ourselves with God and with one another. The list of “defilements” that Jesus lists – theft, murder, adultery, greed, deceit, envy, insults, arrogance – are all actions that separate us from God and from one another. We are not supposed to call out faults in other people but rather are called to reconcile with God and one another. We are to admit to ourselves and to God all the times we have separated ourselves by means of envy, arrogance, greed and so on. We are to reconcile with others which means to do the hard work of forgiving as we have been forgiven.
Honestly, it would be easier to give up eating cocktail shrimp and pulled pork sandwiches than to do the work that Jesus calls us to do. But we are not allowed to adhere to strict dietary laws so that we can fault others. So eat up, enjoy your food. And, be sure to work towards reconciliation.
One last thing about not washing one’s hands before lunch, a sixth-grade student of mine tried (in vain) to convince me that Jesus doesn’t care if we wash our hands before eating lunch. I think Jesus wants us to have good hygiene. After a Bible study on this topic, a friend of mine gave me a reusable hand soap dispenser that has the following phrase on it:
Wash your hands and say your prayers because Jesus and germs are everywhere.
- Fr. Dave
During August, we took a five-week Bread-of-Life journey in John’s Gospel. Starting this Sunday, however, we pick up in Mark’s Gospel where we left off in July – Jesus started a movement, he called twelve fishermen (and one tax collector) to help him and now, wherever they go, he is recognized. People would lay the sick along the street hoping that they might just touch the fringe of his clothing so they can be healed.
As you can imagine, this movement caught the attention of the religious authorities in Jerusalem. Mark calls them scribes and pharisees. He chronicles five separate encounters where they asked hard questions to Jesus. Here are their questions in order:
Why does he [Jesus] eat with sinners and tax collectors?
Why are they breaking the Sabbath law? [they were eating grains of wheat on a Saturday]
Why are your disciples eating food with ritually unclean hands? [they had just healed people]
Can you show us a sign from heaven?
Does the law allow for a man to divorce his wife?
Should we pay tax to Caesar or not?
You’ll notice the first three are about food. The last two are about what we can, and cannot do, according to the Law of Moses. The story for this Sunday is the third question – why are they eating with ritually unclean hands? Jesus gives a profound, and surprising, answer: It’s not what goes inside you that defiles, it is what comes out of you that defiles. Many believe this was the beginning of the Christian tradition to transcend dietary laws. We believe that Jesus said something as practical as this: If you eat a pork sandwich, it won’t defile you. But if you steal the sandwich, or if you lie about it, or tell others not to do it (even though you eat it), if you hoard it, or insult others for eating it, or kill others for the sandwich, all those actions defile a person; but the sandwich itself does not defile.
This passage came up with my friend Alex in our weekly podcast, A Bridge Between Alex and Dave. He does a great job at summarizing difficult passages and concepts. This past episode he did it again. Alex said: Jesus doesn’t want us to defile but rather to reconcile. Jesus doesn’t want us to point out the faults in others. Instead, Jesus wants us to reconcile ourselves with God and with one another. The list of “defilements” that Jesus lists – theft, murder, adultery, greed, deceit, envy, insults, arrogance – are all actions that separate us from God and from one another. We are not supposed to call out faults in other people but rather are called to reconcile with God and one another. We are to admit to ourselves and to God all the times we have separated ourselves by means of envy, arrogance, greed and so on. We are to reconcile with others which means to do the hard work of forgiving as we have been forgiven.
Honestly, it would be easier to give up eating cocktail shrimp and pulled pork sandwiches than to do the work that Jesus calls us to do. But we are not allowed to adhere to strict dietary laws so that we can fault others. So eat up, enjoy your food. And, be sure to work towards reconciliation.
One last thing about not washing one’s hands before lunch, a sixth-grade student of mine tried (in vain) to convince me that Jesus doesn’t care if we wash our hands before eating lunch. I think Jesus wants us to have good hygiene. After a Bible study on this topic, a friend of mine gave me a reusable hand soap dispenser that has the following phrase on it:
Wash your hands and say your prayers because Jesus and germs are everywhere.
- Fr. Dave
Bread of Life, Part 2 Failure
This Sunday is the last installment of I am the Bread of Life, from John’s Gospel. I had an epiphany about this passage and I wanted to share it with you. In Jesus’s day, and especially in the Jewish faith and tradition, dead flesh and blood were seen as unclean and therefore undesirable. It was believed that blood is the life force of a human or animal. Only God can touch the life force (because he made it and it is his) and those who do on earth must ritually clean themselves before being allowed back in society. Jesus knew that saying he was the bread of life and those who ate of that bread would live forever would upset people. I don’t think he was surprised when they turned away and, in Sunday’s lesson, they left him in disgust (except for the 12 disciples he had originally called). Why did Jesus not fear the failure that would result from him saying those words?
According to John’s Gospel, the five thousand who were fed by Jesus’s miracle grew to perhaps ten thousand followers. Chapter 6, tells us that they were following him because they wanted more bread and fish. In chapter 7, Jesus goes to Jerusalem. In chapters 8-10 he teaches there. In chapter 11, he brings to life his dead friend Lazarus which caused the religious leaders to plot to arrest him. Jesus teaches more in chapters 12-17 and in chapter 18 he is arrested. It appears to me that John is outlining a short distance of time from the feeding of the five thousand to his arrest. My epiphany is this: how would his arrest have happened if there were more than ten thousand followers of his in Jerusalem? It most likely would have been violent. In his prayer, which is the entirety of chapter 17, Jesus says that he watched over those who followed him in God’s name and he kept them safe. In the following chapter, when he was arrested, Peter drew his sword and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. Jesus admonished Peter and allowed himself to be taken. Imagine if there were one thousand Peters with swords in the garden with Jesus. It certainly would have been a different outcome.
What if Jesus said the most outlandish thing he could think of to reduce the number of followers so that none of them would be harmed – except for himself. What if Jesus set out to fail in order to save.
The discussion groups this past week talked about the fear of failure. We learned failure has always been, and will always be, the seedbed of success. Failure is an excellent teacher if we are willing to learn. Failure helps us to develop critical thinking skills, innovation, tenacity, trust in oneself and courage. It also keeps us humble and appreciative of what we have been given. A veteran, Gary, who I got to know talked openly about his failures on the road to recovery. The VA assigned him a drug and alcohol counsellor. Here is how their first conversation went.
Gary to the counsellor: Are you a drunk? Yes.
How many times have you fallen off the wagon? Five. Are you clean and sober now? Yes.
For how long? 12 years. I mean how long into the future? I only know about today, tomorrow I’ll need help.
They developed a deep and lasting supportive relationship that saved Gary’s life.
St. Paul wrote: We proclaim Christ, crucified! In other words, we proclaim our savior to be one who is not afraid to fail – even death on the cross – in order to save us.
Today we believe the Bread of Life, in particular, Holy Eucharist, is a celebration. We depend on it and, at times, take communion for granted. Unlike the disciples, we know now that the Last Supper was foreshadowed in John chapter 6 when, at his last Passover, Jesus lifted up the bread and said, “This is my body, broken for you.” To us it is a success and a celebration. But to Peter and the rest of the twelve, it was scary and perhaps seemed as if it was a big failure (especially the crucifixion). Maybe that means when we fail at something, to God it looks like a success and a celebration. Maybe that is why we need not fear failure.
- Fr. Dave
According to John’s Gospel, the five thousand who were fed by Jesus’s miracle grew to perhaps ten thousand followers. Chapter 6, tells us that they were following him because they wanted more bread and fish. In chapter 7, Jesus goes to Jerusalem. In chapters 8-10 he teaches there. In chapter 11, he brings to life his dead friend Lazarus which caused the religious leaders to plot to arrest him. Jesus teaches more in chapters 12-17 and in chapter 18 he is arrested. It appears to me that John is outlining a short distance of time from the feeding of the five thousand to his arrest. My epiphany is this: how would his arrest have happened if there were more than ten thousand followers of his in Jerusalem? It most likely would have been violent. In his prayer, which is the entirety of chapter 17, Jesus says that he watched over those who followed him in God’s name and he kept them safe. In the following chapter, when he was arrested, Peter drew his sword and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. Jesus admonished Peter and allowed himself to be taken. Imagine if there were one thousand Peters with swords in the garden with Jesus. It certainly would have been a different outcome.
What if Jesus said the most outlandish thing he could think of to reduce the number of followers so that none of them would be harmed – except for himself. What if Jesus set out to fail in order to save.
The discussion groups this past week talked about the fear of failure. We learned failure has always been, and will always be, the seedbed of success. Failure is an excellent teacher if we are willing to learn. Failure helps us to develop critical thinking skills, innovation, tenacity, trust in oneself and courage. It also keeps us humble and appreciative of what we have been given. A veteran, Gary, who I got to know talked openly about his failures on the road to recovery. The VA assigned him a drug and alcohol counsellor. Here is how their first conversation went.
Gary to the counsellor: Are you a drunk? Yes.
How many times have you fallen off the wagon? Five. Are you clean and sober now? Yes.
For how long? 12 years. I mean how long into the future? I only know about today, tomorrow I’ll need help.
They developed a deep and lasting supportive relationship that saved Gary’s life.
St. Paul wrote: We proclaim Christ, crucified! In other words, we proclaim our savior to be one who is not afraid to fail – even death on the cross – in order to save us.
Today we believe the Bread of Life, in particular, Holy Eucharist, is a celebration. We depend on it and, at times, take communion for granted. Unlike the disciples, we know now that the Last Supper was foreshadowed in John chapter 6 when, at his last Passover, Jesus lifted up the bread and said, “This is my body, broken for you.” To us it is a success and a celebration. But to Peter and the rest of the twelve, it was scary and perhaps seemed as if it was a big failure (especially the crucifixion). Maybe that means when we fail at something, to God it looks like a success and a celebration. Maybe that is why we need not fear failure.
- Fr. Dave
Eternal
We are in our Gospel lectionary series of the I am the Bread of Life. This week, we hear that if we eat of Jesus’s flesh and drink his blood, we will have eternal life. But what does eternal mean, how long is eternity (and do we really want it)?
In Greek mythology (which was fascinated by the concept of eternal life), there is a story of a man – Tithonus – who was given eternal life by Zeus so he (Tithonus) could live forever with the goddess Eos. Sure, the first few years were eternal bliss but then Tithonus’s body aged. He became a 40-something, then a 120-something, and eventually a 380-something. His shriveled, small shaky body, with a voice barely louder than a whisper, showed everyone this adage: be careful what you wish for. This story was well-known in the time and place of Jesus. Is that the eternal life Jesus was promising? I sure hope not.
We reviewed our hurricane food supply – in particular, we were looking at expiration dates. We wouldn’t want to go through a hurricane that was so bad that we had to eat our emergency supplies only to get sick from an expired label. It got me thinking about eternal food (food that lasts forever). The lettuce on my sandwich is in the process of dying. The turkey is long dead and preserved for a little while. The wheat for the bread is dead and has been reprocessed but in its new form it is still in the process of dying. Even a Hostess Twinkie will perish at some point. Yet Jesus is promising food that is eternal.
The Greek word, used by the Gospel writer John, that we translate as “eternal” can also be translated as “abundant”. Instead of thinking of life through the myth of Tithonus which is unending even though the body deteriorates, we see marriage life as abundant. It is something that gives life even as the two human living bodies of the union are in decline. Friendships follow the same pattern. Two friends love and support and care for each other abundantly and perhaps more intentionally and abundantly when the body breaks down. Even with our pets, there is abundant life. I think I cherish my cat Oscar more now in his 14th year than I did when he was in his second year. My childhood dog, an Airedale named Andy, was put down when I was 12. I have more abundant memories and joy when thinking about him now than when he was a slobbering needy dog when I was in 6th grade.
When Jesus says to eat of him abundantly now and in the future (eternal), it is not like a leaf of lettuce that never wilts, or deli turkey that always remains fresh, or sourdough that never goes stale. The sharing of eternity with Jesus is in the act of breaking and sharing of him, of ourselves and of our abundance. Eternal/abundance with Jesus is in the remembrance of his love and forgiveness. Remembering him helps us to abundantly share love and forgiveness with others. That abundant/eternal life is represented in those for whom we love – spouses, friends and even pets. As time goes on, and as life further deteriorates the living flesh, our love and commitment and joy does not diminish, rather, it increases.
Perhaps the question isn’t how long eternal is. Perhaps the question isn’t so much about life at all but rather about experiencing love as eternal and abundant.
- Fr. Dave
In Greek mythology (which was fascinated by the concept of eternal life), there is a story of a man – Tithonus – who was given eternal life by Zeus so he (Tithonus) could live forever with the goddess Eos. Sure, the first few years were eternal bliss but then Tithonus’s body aged. He became a 40-something, then a 120-something, and eventually a 380-something. His shriveled, small shaky body, with a voice barely louder than a whisper, showed everyone this adage: be careful what you wish for. This story was well-known in the time and place of Jesus. Is that the eternal life Jesus was promising? I sure hope not.
We reviewed our hurricane food supply – in particular, we were looking at expiration dates. We wouldn’t want to go through a hurricane that was so bad that we had to eat our emergency supplies only to get sick from an expired label. It got me thinking about eternal food (food that lasts forever). The lettuce on my sandwich is in the process of dying. The turkey is long dead and preserved for a little while. The wheat for the bread is dead and has been reprocessed but in its new form it is still in the process of dying. Even a Hostess Twinkie will perish at some point. Yet Jesus is promising food that is eternal.
The Greek word, used by the Gospel writer John, that we translate as “eternal” can also be translated as “abundant”. Instead of thinking of life through the myth of Tithonus which is unending even though the body deteriorates, we see marriage life as abundant. It is something that gives life even as the two human living bodies of the union are in decline. Friendships follow the same pattern. Two friends love and support and care for each other abundantly and perhaps more intentionally and abundantly when the body breaks down. Even with our pets, there is abundant life. I think I cherish my cat Oscar more now in his 14th year than I did when he was in his second year. My childhood dog, an Airedale named Andy, was put down when I was 12. I have more abundant memories and joy when thinking about him now than when he was a slobbering needy dog when I was in 6th grade.
When Jesus says to eat of him abundantly now and in the future (eternal), it is not like a leaf of lettuce that never wilts, or deli turkey that always remains fresh, or sourdough that never goes stale. The sharing of eternity with Jesus is in the act of breaking and sharing of him, of ourselves and of our abundance. Eternal/abundance with Jesus is in the remembrance of his love and forgiveness. Remembering him helps us to abundantly share love and forgiveness with others. That abundant/eternal life is represented in those for whom we love – spouses, friends and even pets. As time goes on, and as life further deteriorates the living flesh, our love and commitment and joy does not diminish, rather, it increases.
Perhaps the question isn’t how long eternal is. Perhaps the question isn’t so much about life at all but rather about experiencing love as eternal and abundant.
- Fr. Dave
Wait Wait
I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy. Ps 130:4-6
This Reflection is coming to you while I am on vacation. It’s a staycation and I hope that I am out on the boat fishing while you are reading this. And I hope that I am catching something; but that is certainly not guaranteed.
The psalm for this Sunday is 130. It’s poetry so the psalm can be understood in a variety of ways. Some hear the isolation of the author as he or she searches for God. Others will hear that the author is seeking God’s forgiveness. I read it, however, and hear the author trying to get comfortable with waiting.
Are you good at waiting? I’m not. At home I am called the “short-order cook” because I specialize in pancakes, French Toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, anything grilled on the barbeque, and pico de gallo. All of these items require attention and work. In other words, no waiting around. I am not a good baker for three reasons: following recipes, measuring stuff consistently, and, most importantly, waiting.
Speaking of waiting, a lightning storm recently knocked out the cable box from our condo. I took it to the cable company store (because I didn’t imagine our tenant would want to wait the three days it takes to receive a new one in the mail). That was 73 minutes of waiting. Ugh.
I don’t think the author of Psalm 130 likes to wait either. Many think it was penned by King David who is not known for his patience. It was written in Hebrew which does not have superlative adjectives which means Hebrew cannot write softer/softest or bigger/biggest. If you want to write “bigger” it would be expressed as big-big. You’ll see this in our Sanctus hymn that starts Holy Holy Holy which, in English, means “holiest”.
I bring this up because the word “wait” is repeated four times in Psalm 130 starting with this line: “I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him.” The next line repeats. “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” The repeating of the words “wait” and “more than” is like a double-wait.
For those who don’t like to wait, just know that all world religions teach us that we need to wait… except for one, consumerism – the idea that one’s well-being and happiness depend fundamentally on obtaining consumer goods and possessions. Consumerism teaches us that we don’t have to wait, we can have it all now. Yet at some internal level, we know it is a false teaching. Consumerism is not, as Jesus would say, bread that satisfies. The ingested bread-of-consumerism only makes one hungrier, or hungry-hungry in Hebrew.
Does the choice come down to being hungry-hungry or wait-wait? Yes, I’m afraid so.
The good news is that, in Jewish and Christian belief, waiting for the Lord is synonymous with hope. The psalmist writes, “In his word is my hope.” God tells us to wait; but, while we wait, we are given hope. When we wait for the Lord, we do not wait alone, God is always with us. Our belief is that God is faithful (much more faithful than humans) so that we are not waiting in vain. While waiting at the cable store, I found that for each customer that was helped, I was getting closer to getting a new cable box. That was enough hope for me to stick it out. That hope inspired me to consider writing this Reflection.
Although waiting may never be entirely comfortable, we believe that when we wait-wait, there will be hope-hope. And now, back to fishing which is teaching me to wait and to have hope.
- Fr. Dave
My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy. Ps 130:4-6
This Reflection is coming to you while I am on vacation. It’s a staycation and I hope that I am out on the boat fishing while you are reading this. And I hope that I am catching something; but that is certainly not guaranteed.
The psalm for this Sunday is 130. It’s poetry so the psalm can be understood in a variety of ways. Some hear the isolation of the author as he or she searches for God. Others will hear that the author is seeking God’s forgiveness. I read it, however, and hear the author trying to get comfortable with waiting.
Are you good at waiting? I’m not. At home I am called the “short-order cook” because I specialize in pancakes, French Toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, anything grilled on the barbeque, and pico de gallo. All of these items require attention and work. In other words, no waiting around. I am not a good baker for three reasons: following recipes, measuring stuff consistently, and, most importantly, waiting.
Speaking of waiting, a lightning storm recently knocked out the cable box from our condo. I took it to the cable company store (because I didn’t imagine our tenant would want to wait the three days it takes to receive a new one in the mail). That was 73 minutes of waiting. Ugh.
I don’t think the author of Psalm 130 likes to wait either. Many think it was penned by King David who is not known for his patience. It was written in Hebrew which does not have superlative adjectives which means Hebrew cannot write softer/softest or bigger/biggest. If you want to write “bigger” it would be expressed as big-big. You’ll see this in our Sanctus hymn that starts Holy Holy Holy which, in English, means “holiest”.
I bring this up because the word “wait” is repeated four times in Psalm 130 starting with this line: “I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him.” The next line repeats. “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” The repeating of the words “wait” and “more than” is like a double-wait.
For those who don’t like to wait, just know that all world religions teach us that we need to wait… except for one, consumerism – the idea that one’s well-being and happiness depend fundamentally on obtaining consumer goods and possessions. Consumerism teaches us that we don’t have to wait, we can have it all now. Yet at some internal level, we know it is a false teaching. Consumerism is not, as Jesus would say, bread that satisfies. The ingested bread-of-consumerism only makes one hungrier, or hungry-hungry in Hebrew.
Does the choice come down to being hungry-hungry or wait-wait? Yes, I’m afraid so.
The good news is that, in Jewish and Christian belief, waiting for the Lord is synonymous with hope. The psalmist writes, “In his word is my hope.” God tells us to wait; but, while we wait, we are given hope. When we wait for the Lord, we do not wait alone, God is always with us. Our belief is that God is faithful (much more faithful than humans) so that we are not waiting in vain. While waiting at the cable store, I found that for each customer that was helped, I was getting closer to getting a new cable box. That was enough hope for me to stick it out. That hope inspired me to consider writing this Reflection.
Although waiting may never be entirely comfortable, we believe that when we wait-wait, there will be hope-hope. And now, back to fishing which is teaching me to wait and to have hope.
- Fr. Dave
A Donkey and an Angel Walk into a Vineyard
Not every story in the Bible makes it into the Sunday lectionary. One of them involves an obscure character named Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22). This story serves as a reminder that if we are lucky enough to have a pet who trusts us, we should also consider trusting them when they see things we cannot.
Here's the story: Balaam, a non-Israelite mystic, was summoned by a king who was about to get invaded by the Israelites. The king wanted Balaam to curse the Israelites and offered him a mansion with gold and silver as payment for it. Balaam was on his way (reluctantly, despite the promise of riches) but his donkey acted up. The story tells us that the donkey saw an angel of the Lord and stopped walking. Balaam got angry at the donkey for stopping (because he did not see the angel) and hit it with a stick. This happened twice; the third time, the donkey laid down in the middle of the path. Balaam hit him again with the stick. God gave the donkey the ability to speak. The first thing the donkey said was this: Why? Why are you beating me? Have I not been your donkey for a long time? Have I ever done this to you before? Why then are you hitting me?
Then God opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel blocking the path. The angel had his sword drawn. The angel looked at Balaam and said: Why did you beat your donkey three times? I came here to stop you from meeting with the king. If your donkey had not stopped, your body would have met my sword, and your donkey would be free of you!
One thing that stands out to me in this passage is the question “why?” As soon as the donkey had the ability to speak, it asked why. As soon as Balaam could see the angel, the angel asked why. The second thing that stands out for me is trust. The donkey was wondering why, after all the time they had been together, why Balaam didn’t trust his donkey. Trust is also mirrored in what the angel said, your donkey saved your life, consider then why you struck him three times?
If your pet was given the ability to speak, what would it say? Have you had a time when a pet saved your life? I know of an incident where a dog woke up its owner because there was a fire (and the fire alarm didn’t respond). There is a dramatic story from my youth where a rancher was caught in a wildfire that looked like it surrounded him. His horse ran into the ring of fire and showed him the path out to safety.
I believe animals have a greater sense about nature than we do. We know that cats can feel vibrations that we can’t and that dogs smell things we are oblivious to. I have a friend that believes his dog can see ghosts. So perhaps Balaam’s donkey, who could see and respond to an angry angel with a sword, isn’t so far fetched after all.
Humans have the capacity to lash out at things we do not understand. We also can resort to violence when we are frustrated. A friend of mine witnessed an argument break out in a line at Disneyland because both adults were hot, tired and frustrated that the line wasn’t moving faster. So much for the happiest place on earth. We humans don’t like to wait. We want things to run along our schedule. So when a donkey stops in the middle of a path, or even lays down on it, we can get frustrated which can lead to striking a defenseless animal.
There are not many stories in the Bible that involve pets. But this is one of them. Remembering that while we are the stewards of creation we also get pet companions along the way. They can see, feel, touch, smell and taste things that we cannot. This story can be a reminder for us to trust the animals that put their trust in us.
- Fr. Dave
Here's the story: Balaam, a non-Israelite mystic, was summoned by a king who was about to get invaded by the Israelites. The king wanted Balaam to curse the Israelites and offered him a mansion with gold and silver as payment for it. Balaam was on his way (reluctantly, despite the promise of riches) but his donkey acted up. The story tells us that the donkey saw an angel of the Lord and stopped walking. Balaam got angry at the donkey for stopping (because he did not see the angel) and hit it with a stick. This happened twice; the third time, the donkey laid down in the middle of the path. Balaam hit him again with the stick. God gave the donkey the ability to speak. The first thing the donkey said was this: Why? Why are you beating me? Have I not been your donkey for a long time? Have I ever done this to you before? Why then are you hitting me?
Then God opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel blocking the path. The angel had his sword drawn. The angel looked at Balaam and said: Why did you beat your donkey three times? I came here to stop you from meeting with the king. If your donkey had not stopped, your body would have met my sword, and your donkey would be free of you!
One thing that stands out to me in this passage is the question “why?” As soon as the donkey had the ability to speak, it asked why. As soon as Balaam could see the angel, the angel asked why. The second thing that stands out for me is trust. The donkey was wondering why, after all the time they had been together, why Balaam didn’t trust his donkey. Trust is also mirrored in what the angel said, your donkey saved your life, consider then why you struck him three times?
If your pet was given the ability to speak, what would it say? Have you had a time when a pet saved your life? I know of an incident where a dog woke up its owner because there was a fire (and the fire alarm didn’t respond). There is a dramatic story from my youth where a rancher was caught in a wildfire that looked like it surrounded him. His horse ran into the ring of fire and showed him the path out to safety.
I believe animals have a greater sense about nature than we do. We know that cats can feel vibrations that we can’t and that dogs smell things we are oblivious to. I have a friend that believes his dog can see ghosts. So perhaps Balaam’s donkey, who could see and respond to an angry angel with a sword, isn’t so far fetched after all.
Humans have the capacity to lash out at things we do not understand. We also can resort to violence when we are frustrated. A friend of mine witnessed an argument break out in a line at Disneyland because both adults were hot, tired and frustrated that the line wasn’t moving faster. So much for the happiest place on earth. We humans don’t like to wait. We want things to run along our schedule. So when a donkey stops in the middle of a path, or even lays down on it, we can get frustrated which can lead to striking a defenseless animal.
There are not many stories in the Bible that involve pets. But this is one of them. Remembering that while we are the stewards of creation we also get pet companions along the way. They can see, feel, touch, smell and taste things that we cannot. This story can be a reminder for us to trust the animals that put their trust in us.
- Fr. Dave
The Diaconate
I have a friend, The Rev. Tom Morelli, who will be at All Angels this Sunday. He is a deacon in the Episcopal Church and is on sabbatical from his home diocese of Los Angeles. I met Tom in San Diego in 2012 when he was not yet a deacon. We have served together; he has mentored me in the best practices of managing a non-profit, and I have mentored him through the ordination process. Above all, and most importantly, we are close friends and often refer to each other as brothers.
Tom has many gifts and has experienced many things in his seven decades on this planet. He is a Marine, a Vietnam combat veteran, a retired financial officer for a multinational corporation (which gave him the opportunity to live in Japan), he has coached athletes in the Special Olympics, he is a prison chaplain, he is a woodworker and plays the ukulele. And, of course, he is a deacon, who deserves a long and relaxing sabbatical. One of the hallmarks of his vocation is to educate the Church on what a deacon is. Following my brother’s example, I’d like to tell you a little about it.
There are three “orders” in the Church – the diaconate, the presbyterate, and the episcopate which are deacons, priests and bishops. I am a priest; in the office of the presbyterate. Many of you have met our bishop, The Rt. Rev. Doug Scharf. He is in the office of the episcopate. But some of you have never met a deacon.
Deacons are the first ordained order in the New Testament. The Apostles needed help serving people in need in the rapidly growing Church. The Apostles chose seven Greek-speaking men to serve as deacons and they laid their hands on them (in the same way that Jesus laid his hands on Peter and then Peter laid his hands on the Apostles). Their names were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon Parmenas and Nicholas. They were identified and selected by the community in Jerusalem based on their reputation, wisdom and being full of the Holy Spirit. In other words, they were already doing the work that God had called them to do; the Apostles recognized it and laid their hands on them.
As the Church grew, the episcopate made the order of presbyterate to consecrate communion, to baptize and to bless. By the end of the first 1000 years of the Church, the diaconate had lost its permanency and was used as a transitional step to the priesthood. Nevertheless, through the reformation, the Church, nearly 2,000 years after the ordination of the Seven, has reestablished the permanent diaconate.
Deacons have a three-fold ministry – ministry of the word, ministry of liturgy, ministry of charity and justice. Ministry of the word is being a living example of the spirit and message of Jesus in the public arena. Instead of being tied down to church governance and maintenance, they are free to show the world about the redeeming power of Christ. The ministry of liturgy is what you are going to see on Sunday. They call the congregation to worship, they read the Gospel, call everyone to confession, they set the table, administer the Sacrament to the people, and they dismiss the congregation. The ministry of charity and justice is something Deacon Tom is quite familiar with. Deacons run food banks, participate in prison ministry, offer support for widows and the lonely, bring communion to those who cannot make it to church, and speak for those in the community who have no voice – the marginalized, the sick, the homeless.
When a deacon is not present, the priest and the congregation take the role of ministry of the word, of liturgy and of charity and justice. This congregation is full of people who are a living example of Jesus’ message in our community. We have many leaders who assist with the liturgy and especially with charity and justice. Our New to You Art Sale is one of those shining diaconal ministries that many participate in.
It is my wish that All Angels has a deacon, or two or three deacons. If you are feeling interested in the order of the diaconate, please let me, or Tom, know.
The Word, the World, Charity and the Church need you.
- Fr. Dave
Tom has many gifts and has experienced many things in his seven decades on this planet. He is a Marine, a Vietnam combat veteran, a retired financial officer for a multinational corporation (which gave him the opportunity to live in Japan), he has coached athletes in the Special Olympics, he is a prison chaplain, he is a woodworker and plays the ukulele. And, of course, he is a deacon, who deserves a long and relaxing sabbatical. One of the hallmarks of his vocation is to educate the Church on what a deacon is. Following my brother’s example, I’d like to tell you a little about it.
There are three “orders” in the Church – the diaconate, the presbyterate, and the episcopate which are deacons, priests and bishops. I am a priest; in the office of the presbyterate. Many of you have met our bishop, The Rt. Rev. Doug Scharf. He is in the office of the episcopate. But some of you have never met a deacon.
Deacons are the first ordained order in the New Testament. The Apostles needed help serving people in need in the rapidly growing Church. The Apostles chose seven Greek-speaking men to serve as deacons and they laid their hands on them (in the same way that Jesus laid his hands on Peter and then Peter laid his hands on the Apostles). Their names were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon Parmenas and Nicholas. They were identified and selected by the community in Jerusalem based on their reputation, wisdom and being full of the Holy Spirit. In other words, they were already doing the work that God had called them to do; the Apostles recognized it and laid their hands on them.
As the Church grew, the episcopate made the order of presbyterate to consecrate communion, to baptize and to bless. By the end of the first 1000 years of the Church, the diaconate had lost its permanency and was used as a transitional step to the priesthood. Nevertheless, through the reformation, the Church, nearly 2,000 years after the ordination of the Seven, has reestablished the permanent diaconate.
Deacons have a three-fold ministry – ministry of the word, ministry of liturgy, ministry of charity and justice. Ministry of the word is being a living example of the spirit and message of Jesus in the public arena. Instead of being tied down to church governance and maintenance, they are free to show the world about the redeeming power of Christ. The ministry of liturgy is what you are going to see on Sunday. They call the congregation to worship, they read the Gospel, call everyone to confession, they set the table, administer the Sacrament to the people, and they dismiss the congregation. The ministry of charity and justice is something Deacon Tom is quite familiar with. Deacons run food banks, participate in prison ministry, offer support for widows and the lonely, bring communion to those who cannot make it to church, and speak for those in the community who have no voice – the marginalized, the sick, the homeless.
When a deacon is not present, the priest and the congregation take the role of ministry of the word, of liturgy and of charity and justice. This congregation is full of people who are a living example of Jesus’ message in our community. We have many leaders who assist with the liturgy and especially with charity and justice. Our New to You Art Sale is one of those shining diaconal ministries that many participate in.
It is my wish that All Angels has a deacon, or two or three deacons. If you are feeling interested in the order of the diaconate, please let me, or Tom, know.
The Word, the World, Charity and the Church need you.
- Fr. Dave
Meekness
I was asked this week to decipher the following phrase: Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. It is from the Gospel of Matthew in what is called the Beatitudes. There is a similar story in the Gospel of Luke, but that version does not include the above phrase (and the Gospels of Mark and John do not include the Beatitudes). The person who asked me to decipher it was particularly interested in the word “meek” and if it was a good or bad thing. The second question was this: is inheriting the earth a good or bad thing?
Jesus spoke this phrase (most likely) in Aramaic – the common language of 1st century Palestine. It is a Semitic language that is closely related to Hebrew. It would have been uncommon to write in Aramaic; instead, all the authors of the New Testament wrote in Greek. As we explore this phrase today, our journey will take us into Greek and Hebrew.
Blessed; it’s a good thing. There are two types of blessings in the Bible – blessings from humans to humans and blessings from God to humans. The two blessings are “eulogy” and “makarioi”. Eulogies are blessings from humans to humans and are found most commonly at funerals, at toasts and introductions. “Makarioi”, the second and much less common blessing, comes from God. Makarioi (not eulogy) is the word Matthew (and Luke) used which we translate as “blessed” or “happy”. Jesus begins his sermon with “Makarioi!” The crowd leans in wanting to know who it is that God blesses. Here is the list: the poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who hunger for righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Humans typically do not bless (eulogize) the poor in spirit, the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted, or those who mourn, or the meek, but God does!
Blessed are the meek. Meek – it doesn’t mean what you might think it means. In modern day English, the meek are seen as submissive, weak, compliant. That’s not what the Greek word means. The Greek word is “praus”, in which there is no direct English equivalent. Praus means strength-under-control. It is someone who has a long fuse. Someone who is so confident in their inner strength that they cannot be provoked to anger or rashness. Lastly, it is someone who is confident-under-injuries. The Hebrew equivalent is someone who does not take advantage of their position/privilege/power. As you can see, this word is contrary to the definition of weak or submissive.
Inherit the earth. The underlying theological belief in Scripture is this: God loves all that God has made. One of my favorite Bible passages is, “The sea is his because he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.” (Ps 95) Humans were the last created order. Originating from the mud of the earth, God formed the first human with God’s own hands and blew life into it. We are intricately intertwined with the earth and with all of God’s creation. And God loves it all! Inherit the earth is like a parent who passes their estate to the children. The children who have strength-under-control, who do not take advantage of their position – the meek – those are the inheritors of God’s estate which is the earth. Happy are the meek, indeed!
Instead of looking down upon those who are meek – thinking of it as a word that describes submissiveness – the Greek and Hebrew meaning of that word gives us a high bar to live up to. Have you considered your own meekness? One of the greatest compliments I have received is that I have a long fuse because it takes a lot for me to get angry. Nevertheless, I have lost my temper. I also try to remain calm under pressure, to be confident-under-injury, to not take advantage of power. But, from time to time, I have not been meek. Heck, I even passed a car on the GMD the other day. (So much for a long fuse) The “inheritors of the earth” are not perfect; no one is; and that is not the goal that Jesus was setting out before us. Rather, blessed are those who strive for meekness, for theirs is the blessedness of this beautiful earth.
- Fr. Dave
Jesus spoke this phrase (most likely) in Aramaic – the common language of 1st century Palestine. It is a Semitic language that is closely related to Hebrew. It would have been uncommon to write in Aramaic; instead, all the authors of the New Testament wrote in Greek. As we explore this phrase today, our journey will take us into Greek and Hebrew.
Blessed; it’s a good thing. There are two types of blessings in the Bible – blessings from humans to humans and blessings from God to humans. The two blessings are “eulogy” and “makarioi”. Eulogies are blessings from humans to humans and are found most commonly at funerals, at toasts and introductions. “Makarioi”, the second and much less common blessing, comes from God. Makarioi (not eulogy) is the word Matthew (and Luke) used which we translate as “blessed” or “happy”. Jesus begins his sermon with “Makarioi!” The crowd leans in wanting to know who it is that God blesses. Here is the list: the poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who hunger for righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Humans typically do not bless (eulogize) the poor in spirit, the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted, or those who mourn, or the meek, but God does!
Blessed are the meek. Meek – it doesn’t mean what you might think it means. In modern day English, the meek are seen as submissive, weak, compliant. That’s not what the Greek word means. The Greek word is “praus”, in which there is no direct English equivalent. Praus means strength-under-control. It is someone who has a long fuse. Someone who is so confident in their inner strength that they cannot be provoked to anger or rashness. Lastly, it is someone who is confident-under-injuries. The Hebrew equivalent is someone who does not take advantage of their position/privilege/power. As you can see, this word is contrary to the definition of weak or submissive.
Inherit the earth. The underlying theological belief in Scripture is this: God loves all that God has made. One of my favorite Bible passages is, “The sea is his because he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.” (Ps 95) Humans were the last created order. Originating from the mud of the earth, God formed the first human with God’s own hands and blew life into it. We are intricately intertwined with the earth and with all of God’s creation. And God loves it all! Inherit the earth is like a parent who passes their estate to the children. The children who have strength-under-control, who do not take advantage of their position – the meek – those are the inheritors of God’s estate which is the earth. Happy are the meek, indeed!
Instead of looking down upon those who are meek – thinking of it as a word that describes submissiveness – the Greek and Hebrew meaning of that word gives us a high bar to live up to. Have you considered your own meekness? One of the greatest compliments I have received is that I have a long fuse because it takes a lot for me to get angry. Nevertheless, I have lost my temper. I also try to remain calm under pressure, to be confident-under-injury, to not take advantage of power. But, from time to time, I have not been meek. Heck, I even passed a car on the GMD the other day. (So much for a long fuse) The “inheritors of the earth” are not perfect; no one is; and that is not the goal that Jesus was setting out before us. Rather, blessed are those who strive for meekness, for theirs is the blessedness of this beautiful earth.
- Fr. Dave
Just Reward
Over the Fourth of July weekend, Elijah and I completed a project in our condo. We replaced two toilets which were manufactured in July 1980. I remember the summer of 1980 – I was at camp and spent time sailing on our boat, Patience. I wonder if in 44 years from now, Elijah will remember the summer of 2024 as the time he learned about plumbing and tile work.
Ten years ago, someone remodeled the bathrooms in the condo and instead of lifting the toilets and tiling underneath, they simply tiled to the base of the toilet and left it at that. That meant that I had to break the grout cement that held the toilets to the floor and then tile the floor because the new units have a different footprint (of course). We discovered that tiling is tough work, especially if you don’t own a tile saw. Start to finish, the project took us two days. The actual amount of time it took to lift the old unit off the floor and put a new one in its place is about twenty minutes per bathroom. But that’s how it is with home improvement projects.
My friend Alex is preaching on Psalm 24 this Sunday. We spent some time talking about it on our weekly podcast, A Bridge Between with Alex and Dave (available on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube). One verse from Psalm 24 that caught my attention is this: They shall receive a blessing from the Lord and a just reward from the God of their salvation. The Bible is full of questions and ponderings but the phrase, they-shall-receive is uncommon which is why it piqued my interest.
The psalms are written with this binary approach: there are two types of people in the world, the righteous and the scoffers. The righteous follow the Lord and are like trees planted by streams of water. The scoffers choose to be scornful, to give advice that only helps themselves, makes others stumble, and to walk on paths that feed their egos. According to Psalm 24, both the righteous and scoffers shall receive a just reward. The scoffers receive an empty gift from their god because they believed themselves to be their own salvation. On the other hand, the righteous follow the way of the Lord, they help others, and, as Jesus would say, they treat others how they would like to be treated. They too receive a reward from the God of their salvation which is joy, peace and contentment.
I have found that plumbing and tiling requires a good amount of time on one’s knees. There is also ample time during manual labor to think. The allegorical time-on-one’s-knees is a Jewish and Christian and Muslim concept of humility, prayer, devotion and listening to God. Likewise, spending reflection time to think is a concept of all three Abrahamic faiths as well as many other faith traditions in the world. Admittedly, when the project started, I was not thinking positive or uplifting things about the person who had tiled the toilets to the floor. I thought, if that guy had just spent the twenty minutes it takes to lift the toilet, tile under it, and then place it back, I would be fishing right now. But what lesson would I have learned from that?
Elijah and I learned important lessons from our Independence Day weekend project, and I quelled two fears – not being skilled enough to do plumbing or tiling. If a toilet needs to be replaced at church, I now have the experience to do it and I am blessed with a good and brave helper. The church would probably hire a plumber to do it, but just knowing that I can do it, and that Elijah will help, is a big reward.
Another lesson I learned from this is compassion for scoffers. Those who think only of themselves, live only to better themselves (especially at the expense of others), and trust in their own righteousness, they too will receive a reward from the god of their selfishness. I do not envy that reward. It makes me want to live more into our shared mission of bringing the living Christ, the God of our Salvation, to show others there is a better way of living that brings a reward of peace and contentment. Sometimes that reward reveals itself when doing plumbing and tile work.
- Fr. Dave
Ten years ago, someone remodeled the bathrooms in the condo and instead of lifting the toilets and tiling underneath, they simply tiled to the base of the toilet and left it at that. That meant that I had to break the grout cement that held the toilets to the floor and then tile the floor because the new units have a different footprint (of course). We discovered that tiling is tough work, especially if you don’t own a tile saw. Start to finish, the project took us two days. The actual amount of time it took to lift the old unit off the floor and put a new one in its place is about twenty minutes per bathroom. But that’s how it is with home improvement projects.
My friend Alex is preaching on Psalm 24 this Sunday. We spent some time talking about it on our weekly podcast, A Bridge Between with Alex and Dave (available on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube). One verse from Psalm 24 that caught my attention is this: They shall receive a blessing from the Lord and a just reward from the God of their salvation. The Bible is full of questions and ponderings but the phrase, they-shall-receive is uncommon which is why it piqued my interest.
The psalms are written with this binary approach: there are two types of people in the world, the righteous and the scoffers. The righteous follow the Lord and are like trees planted by streams of water. The scoffers choose to be scornful, to give advice that only helps themselves, makes others stumble, and to walk on paths that feed their egos. According to Psalm 24, both the righteous and scoffers shall receive a just reward. The scoffers receive an empty gift from their god because they believed themselves to be their own salvation. On the other hand, the righteous follow the way of the Lord, they help others, and, as Jesus would say, they treat others how they would like to be treated. They too receive a reward from the God of their salvation which is joy, peace and contentment.
I have found that plumbing and tiling requires a good amount of time on one’s knees. There is also ample time during manual labor to think. The allegorical time-on-one’s-knees is a Jewish and Christian and Muslim concept of humility, prayer, devotion and listening to God. Likewise, spending reflection time to think is a concept of all three Abrahamic faiths as well as many other faith traditions in the world. Admittedly, when the project started, I was not thinking positive or uplifting things about the person who had tiled the toilets to the floor. I thought, if that guy had just spent the twenty minutes it takes to lift the toilet, tile under it, and then place it back, I would be fishing right now. But what lesson would I have learned from that?
Elijah and I learned important lessons from our Independence Day weekend project, and I quelled two fears – not being skilled enough to do plumbing or tiling. If a toilet needs to be replaced at church, I now have the experience to do it and I am blessed with a good and brave helper. The church would probably hire a plumber to do it, but just knowing that I can do it, and that Elijah will help, is a big reward.
Another lesson I learned from this is compassion for scoffers. Those who think only of themselves, live only to better themselves (especially at the expense of others), and trust in their own righteousness, they too will receive a reward from the god of their selfishness. I do not envy that reward. It makes me want to live more into our shared mission of bringing the living Christ, the God of our Salvation, to show others there is a better way of living that brings a reward of peace and contentment. Sometimes that reward reveals itself when doing plumbing and tile work.
- Fr. Dave
Art and Independence
Historian and author David McCullough gave us a beautiful and stirring look into America’s second, and underappreciated President, John Adams. Thankfully Adams wrote a lot of letters, especially to Abigail, and thankfully we kept them (and thankfully McCullough uses them to illustrate Adams’ amazing life). In a letter, Adams wrote that July 2nd is a “Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.” As I look at the calendar of Independence Day activities in our area, nowhere do I see a parade on July 2nd. Why do we celebrate on the 4th and not the 2nd as Adams had predicted?
As with most historical events, especially revolutionary events (pun intended), they happen over a series of days or years. Looking back, the event seems quick, almost spontaneous, but in reality, these things take time and are usually a result of a lengthy process of change. Declaring independence did not happen overnight. It was a process taken on by the Continental Congress starting overtly in June 1776 and not fully completing until August. The agreement to break free was signed on July 2nd but the formal and public document took two days of edits and was accepted on July 4th. It was then sent to a local Philadelphia printer who made 200 copies (of which 26 remain today).
The artwork shown above is John Trumbull’s most famous painting, “Declaration of Independence.” Placed in the Capitol rotunda in 1826, the iconic painting has come to represent the actual signing of the nation’s most precious founding document. But it didn’t actually happen that way — the signers were not all in the same room at the same time. Art historians point out that Trumbull was capturing a new moment under the sun. Countering the Book of Ecclesiastes; which repeats the phrase, there is nothing new under the sun, all is vanity; Trumbull’s artistic rendering showed that there is something new under the sun and it is liberty! Independence and liberty are not vanity; they are not guaranteed and do not come easy. The trouble for modern day viewers, though, is that it looks like he captured a photo of the event. … of an event that took time and happened in a variety of different places.
You’ve undoubtedly seen Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of the Last Supper. There is a church joke about the painting that goes like this: St. Peter walks into a restaurant and says to the host, “A table for 26.” The confused host looks at Peter and says, “But there are only 13 of you.” Peter replies, “Yes, but we are all going to sit on the same side.”
When I talk about the Last Supper in a sermon or a Bible study, I must remember that most people see da Vinci’s painting in their mind. As a teacher, I start with that artistic rendering and then lead from there. Despite what one sees, or does not see in that painting, Passover celebrations involve one’s families. If this Passover had only Jesus and the twelve as the only participants, it would be a very odd occasion. My favorite artistic depiction of the last supper shows forty people, young and old, male and female, all crowded around a table listening intently to what Jesus is saying.
The Last Supper certainly is something new under the sun. Da Vinci captured that moment in the way he constructed the painting. From the look on Judas Iscariots’ face, and his posture at the table, the viewer also recognizes that the liberty Jesus was proclaiming – He lifted up a chalice and said, “This is my blood, poured out for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” – does not come easily or without a price.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence took a while to process the momentousness of what had occurred (and is occurring). It wasn’t until July 3, 1777, that they remembered the date of the signing and started the process of remembrance. There are many ways to remember and celebrate Independence Day. As we settle into this holiday weekend, let us remember that freedom isn’t free. There is something new under the sun. And, as our prayer for heroic service eloquently states, Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines.
-Fr. Dave
As with most historical events, especially revolutionary events (pun intended), they happen over a series of days or years. Looking back, the event seems quick, almost spontaneous, but in reality, these things take time and are usually a result of a lengthy process of change. Declaring independence did not happen overnight. It was a process taken on by the Continental Congress starting overtly in June 1776 and not fully completing until August. The agreement to break free was signed on July 2nd but the formal and public document took two days of edits and was accepted on July 4th. It was then sent to a local Philadelphia printer who made 200 copies (of which 26 remain today).
The artwork shown above is John Trumbull’s most famous painting, “Declaration of Independence.” Placed in the Capitol rotunda in 1826, the iconic painting has come to represent the actual signing of the nation’s most precious founding document. But it didn’t actually happen that way — the signers were not all in the same room at the same time. Art historians point out that Trumbull was capturing a new moment under the sun. Countering the Book of Ecclesiastes; which repeats the phrase, there is nothing new under the sun, all is vanity; Trumbull’s artistic rendering showed that there is something new under the sun and it is liberty! Independence and liberty are not vanity; they are not guaranteed and do not come easy. The trouble for modern day viewers, though, is that it looks like he captured a photo of the event. … of an event that took time and happened in a variety of different places.
You’ve undoubtedly seen Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of the Last Supper. There is a church joke about the painting that goes like this: St. Peter walks into a restaurant and says to the host, “A table for 26.” The confused host looks at Peter and says, “But there are only 13 of you.” Peter replies, “Yes, but we are all going to sit on the same side.”
When I talk about the Last Supper in a sermon or a Bible study, I must remember that most people see da Vinci’s painting in their mind. As a teacher, I start with that artistic rendering and then lead from there. Despite what one sees, or does not see in that painting, Passover celebrations involve one’s families. If this Passover had only Jesus and the twelve as the only participants, it would be a very odd occasion. My favorite artistic depiction of the last supper shows forty people, young and old, male and female, all crowded around a table listening intently to what Jesus is saying.
The Last Supper certainly is something new under the sun. Da Vinci captured that moment in the way he constructed the painting. From the look on Judas Iscariots’ face, and his posture at the table, the viewer also recognizes that the liberty Jesus was proclaiming – He lifted up a chalice and said, “This is my blood, poured out for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” – does not come easily or without a price.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence took a while to process the momentousness of what had occurred (and is occurring). It wasn’t until July 3, 1777, that they remembered the date of the signing and started the process of remembrance. There are many ways to remember and celebrate Independence Day. As we settle into this holiday weekend, let us remember that freedom isn’t free. There is something new under the sun. And, as our prayer for heroic service eloquently states, Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines.
-Fr. Dave
Home
Christi, Elijah and I went on vacation to California this past week. Ethan and Mackenzie stayed home, fed the cats, and ran the background systems at church on Sunday. It was the first time Christi and I have traveled to California without Ethan. The feeling was strange, yet it was an important step for all of us.
I grew up in the Seattle/Tacoma area of Washington State and went to college near the state capital of Olympia. Christi grew up in Marin County (northern San Francisco Bay Area). We are a part of an increasingly rare community of kids who went to elementary through High School in the same school district – again, she in California and me in Washington. We have not been able to do that with our kids (we even moved Ethan halfway through his High School career).
Despite the way I grew up, I left my home state after graduating from college. I had a feeling I was being called somewhere else; yet Washington was always home for me. At some point around 2010-ish, we flew up to Washington from our home in the San Diego area and I suddenly had this feeling: Washington is where I am from, it is no longer home. My family, and some very close friends, are there. I still follow Seattle sports. Nevertheless, it is not home, it is where I am from.
One of my favorite places on this planet is “the cabin”. It is a three bedroom, two bath house nestled in the majestic Sierra Mountains of California. At nearly 6,500 feet above sea level, the air is thin and dry. The cabin is surrounded by rugged terrain and towering fir trees. It is near a mountain lake where we swim and paddle around. The cabin is owned by my sister-in-law and her husband. Thankfully they let us use it whenever possible and are wonderful hosts. For a variety of reasons – Covid being number one and living in Florida as a close second – we have not been to the cabin in five years. It was very good to be back.
Seeing California again, despite all its beauty, I realized it was no longer home. California, like Washington, is now a place where I am from. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy spending time with Christi’s family in Sonoma Valley (where the best California wine is grown and produced). I very much enjoyed being with them and hope that we see them again soon. But it was no longer home.
On the flight back to Florida, the route took us along the shoreline of Clearwater. We saw the Skyway Bridge and then followed it to our fair city of Bradenton and then landed in Sarasota. This feeling came over me: I am home. We never expected or dreamed that we would live in Florida; but here it is, our home.
Like seeing Florida from the window of a plane and having the feeling of being home, being on the campus at All Angels also felt home. I was reminded that for many people, All Angels is their spiritual home. Some can only visit their spiritual home once a year. Many are here for a season and then participate online; others are here year-round. There are some who call this home but have never stepped foot here or have not physically been here for more than half a decade. Yet, for all of us, All Angels is home.
St. Paul wrote that our true home is God’s kingdom. Our temporary home is in the body and “We know that while we are living in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord. We live by faith and not by sight.” None of us who call All Angels home were born on Longboat Key. We have all been led here by faith, not by sight. I left Washington not by sight – by seeing what God had in store for me – but by faith. In faith we are called from one home to another. In that sense, All Angels is our home which prepares us for our One True Home with the Lord.
- Fr. Dave
I grew up in the Seattle/Tacoma area of Washington State and went to college near the state capital of Olympia. Christi grew up in Marin County (northern San Francisco Bay Area). We are a part of an increasingly rare community of kids who went to elementary through High School in the same school district – again, she in California and me in Washington. We have not been able to do that with our kids (we even moved Ethan halfway through his High School career).
Despite the way I grew up, I left my home state after graduating from college. I had a feeling I was being called somewhere else; yet Washington was always home for me. At some point around 2010-ish, we flew up to Washington from our home in the San Diego area and I suddenly had this feeling: Washington is where I am from, it is no longer home. My family, and some very close friends, are there. I still follow Seattle sports. Nevertheless, it is not home, it is where I am from.
One of my favorite places on this planet is “the cabin”. It is a three bedroom, two bath house nestled in the majestic Sierra Mountains of California. At nearly 6,500 feet above sea level, the air is thin and dry. The cabin is surrounded by rugged terrain and towering fir trees. It is near a mountain lake where we swim and paddle around. The cabin is owned by my sister-in-law and her husband. Thankfully they let us use it whenever possible and are wonderful hosts. For a variety of reasons – Covid being number one and living in Florida as a close second – we have not been to the cabin in five years. It was very good to be back.
Seeing California again, despite all its beauty, I realized it was no longer home. California, like Washington, is now a place where I am from. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy spending time with Christi’s family in Sonoma Valley (where the best California wine is grown and produced). I very much enjoyed being with them and hope that we see them again soon. But it was no longer home.
On the flight back to Florida, the route took us along the shoreline of Clearwater. We saw the Skyway Bridge and then followed it to our fair city of Bradenton and then landed in Sarasota. This feeling came over me: I am home. We never expected or dreamed that we would live in Florida; but here it is, our home.
Like seeing Florida from the window of a plane and having the feeling of being home, being on the campus at All Angels also felt home. I was reminded that for many people, All Angels is their spiritual home. Some can only visit their spiritual home once a year. Many are here for a season and then participate online; others are here year-round. There are some who call this home but have never stepped foot here or have not physically been here for more than half a decade. Yet, for all of us, All Angels is home.
St. Paul wrote that our true home is God’s kingdom. Our temporary home is in the body and “We know that while we are living in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord. We live by faith and not by sight.” None of us who call All Angels home were born on Longboat Key. We have all been led here by faith, not by sight. I left Washington not by sight – by seeing what God had in store for me – but by faith. In faith we are called from one home to another. In that sense, All Angels is our home which prepares us for our One True Home with the Lord.
- Fr. Dave
A Place to Know and Be Known
Last week I wrote to you about friendship and how it makes life worth living. There are a few more thoughts on it that I wanted to share with you, in particular, I wanted to write about ecclesiological friendship. Ecclesiology is a fancy word for the study of the Church. What does it mean to be a church friend and how, if any, does that friendship impact our life?
At Grace Episcopal, the first church I served as Rector, I had a new parishioner, Mary, who previously identified as Roman Catholic. I asked her how she knew that she should join Grace Episcopal Church. She said that one Sunday she arrived at Grace and realized she had left her pocketbook at home. She said, “Thanks be to God” and walked into the church. I asked why she said thanks be to God. She replied: At the (Roman) catholic church, I always made sure I had my driver’s license with me when I went to mass because if I fell, or became unconscious, they could find my license and know my name. But at Grace, these are my new friends; they know my name, they know where I live. And I thank God that I don’t have to bring my driver’s license to church anymore.
Now that’s what I call an ecclesiological friendship. It’s a place to know and be known.
The friendship theme of my last Reflection made some of you think of the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Written by Joseph Scriven, that hymn was originally a poem to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. For Scriven, comfort for lonely souls comes to us in church through the love of Christ. Jesus is the one who hears every word we pray and in return he shields us and gives us solace. What a great friend we have indeed! But there is more to a church friend than our relationship with Jesus.
A church friend can be someone who we share more with than our regular or secular friends. Looking at this through the lens of an AA meeting (usually held in churches), what one shares in that circle with friends is much more than one would share with typical friends. At church, we share our weaknesses, things we have done and not done, we share our grief as well as our celebrations, our sources of joy and peace.
I have experienced a deeper dimension of friendship through the church which is this: church friends make for better secular friendships. What you hear at church will sink in, eventually. The peace that we share will eventually seep out into other relationships in your life. Have you noticed that once in a while, while talking with a friend outside of church, a theme from church will sneak in? A (church) friend recently told me that he helped a secular friend accept forgiveness from another member of the group. It seems that all the talk about forgiveness – to give and to receive – helped him be a better friend for someone who needed to be nudged to accept an apology.
There is another ecclesiology that I have not talked much about. Some hold the ecclesiology that the two most important people in a church is the individual and Christ. That belief holds that everything the church does is to support those two people in their relationship – individual prayer time, quiet time, lighting an individual candle. Bible studies are geared for individual learning and not getting to know others in the group. That is an important aspect of church to many people, and I do not mean to knock it but the downside to that belief system is that friendship with fellow congregants takes a back seat. As a result, people feel as if they have to bring their identification to church.
We believe God knows us all by name. At All Angels, we strive to know one another by name too. All Christians can rest in the peace and comfort that comes from having a friend in Jesus. But how much sweeter is that friendship when it is shared with someone else.
- Fr. Dave
At Grace Episcopal, the first church I served as Rector, I had a new parishioner, Mary, who previously identified as Roman Catholic. I asked her how she knew that she should join Grace Episcopal Church. She said that one Sunday she arrived at Grace and realized she had left her pocketbook at home. She said, “Thanks be to God” and walked into the church. I asked why she said thanks be to God. She replied: At the (Roman) catholic church, I always made sure I had my driver’s license with me when I went to mass because if I fell, or became unconscious, they could find my license and know my name. But at Grace, these are my new friends; they know my name, they know where I live. And I thank God that I don’t have to bring my driver’s license to church anymore.
Now that’s what I call an ecclesiological friendship. It’s a place to know and be known.
The friendship theme of my last Reflection made some of you think of the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Written by Joseph Scriven, that hymn was originally a poem to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. For Scriven, comfort for lonely souls comes to us in church through the love of Christ. Jesus is the one who hears every word we pray and in return he shields us and gives us solace. What a great friend we have indeed! But there is more to a church friend than our relationship with Jesus.
A church friend can be someone who we share more with than our regular or secular friends. Looking at this through the lens of an AA meeting (usually held in churches), what one shares in that circle with friends is much more than one would share with typical friends. At church, we share our weaknesses, things we have done and not done, we share our grief as well as our celebrations, our sources of joy and peace.
I have experienced a deeper dimension of friendship through the church which is this: church friends make for better secular friendships. What you hear at church will sink in, eventually. The peace that we share will eventually seep out into other relationships in your life. Have you noticed that once in a while, while talking with a friend outside of church, a theme from church will sneak in? A (church) friend recently told me that he helped a secular friend accept forgiveness from another member of the group. It seems that all the talk about forgiveness – to give and to receive – helped him be a better friend for someone who needed to be nudged to accept an apology.
There is another ecclesiology that I have not talked much about. Some hold the ecclesiology that the two most important people in a church is the individual and Christ. That belief holds that everything the church does is to support those two people in their relationship – individual prayer time, quiet time, lighting an individual candle. Bible studies are geared for individual learning and not getting to know others in the group. That is an important aspect of church to many people, and I do not mean to knock it but the downside to that belief system is that friendship with fellow congregants takes a back seat. As a result, people feel as if they have to bring their identification to church.
We believe God knows us all by name. At All Angels, we strive to know one another by name too. All Christians can rest in the peace and comfort that comes from having a friend in Jesus. But how much sweeter is that friendship when it is shared with someone else.
- Fr. Dave
Friendship
What makes life worth living? When I was young and infatuated with the television show LA Law (when I thought I was going to be an attorney), I assumed that money was what made life worth living. Come to think of it, television programming in the mid-1980s seemed to lift up the prestige of making money, power, and influence. An interesting thing about aging is the shift of what one finds important and specifically, what makes life worth living.
My closest friend from High School, Brian, and I have been doing some catching up this past week. He lives in Minnesota, and I last saw him in 2019, but we work at keeping in touch. He and his wife Julie are facing the realities of an empty nest and physically declining parents. I suppose this is the season of life that we are both in. Friendship holds as a bond through it.
It should be noted that when I was fifteen, I may have thought I had the world all worked out and that I knew what I wanted – which very clearly was to be an attorney and drive a red convertible 911 Porsche. The equation looked like this: attorney + Porsche = happiness. Forty years later, I have a different equation running in my head. None of it has to do with practicing law or driving a convertible. The new equation has more qualities to it. Love + family = happiness. Friendships + serving a healthy and happy church = happiness. Being outdoors and being with those who I love = happiness. Getting a good night’s sleep should be in there too. I have written to you about love and family and church and being outdoors. But what about friendship and happiness?
My wife is my best friend. Thankfully I married my best friend, and we are still friends to this day. That’s enough to equal happiness. Yet, she is not my only friend. I have Brian who has known me for most of my life. I have Alex who is both a clergy colleague, fellow podcaster, and friend. We are making plans to go out on the boat with our families on Friday afternoon. That equals happiness too! I have a new friend, Julia, who is also the senior pastor at the Presbyterian church on Longboat Key. I have made friendships with the business leaders in my Tuesday networking group. And I am blessed to serve in a church where I work side by side for the mission of the church – to bring the Living Christ to those inside and outside the church – with, as St. Paul wrote, friends and fellow coworkers for Christ. I often introduce you all as “friend” instead of the traditional “parishioner” title.
What makes life worth living for Jesus? He is quoted in John’s Gospel saying this: I no longer call you servants; I call you friends. It makes me wonder if having servants makes life worth living. Probably not. But friends, that’s a whole different way of being. It makes me wonder about the theological premise of the Trinity. What if it’s based on friendship and love and happiness. Christi and I are different, but we are one in marriage and in friendship (and our kids seem to think we are interchangeable – tell one something and the other one will know it). Back in High School, Brian and I had a similar, trinitarian, relationship where we knew what the other was thinking and felt what the other felt. Perhaps we still have that today which is why when we talk it feels as if time has not moved in-between conversations.
One of the most beautiful aspects of All Angels by the Sea is our fertile garden of friendship. We have a friend (and parishioner) who recently moved into a memory care center. Her friends from All Angels have been showing up to give her a hug and listen to her wisdom. I have seen friendship blossom at All Angels even with people who only know each other through our online system. Again, friendship is because of our common ties with the mission of the church and our desire to know one another. Clearly this goes way beyond my understanding of happiness in my teens – thinking happiness was about one’s profession and earning a paycheck.
Nowadays I know better, All Angels + friendship = a worthwhile life.
- Fr. Dave
My closest friend from High School, Brian, and I have been doing some catching up this past week. He lives in Minnesota, and I last saw him in 2019, but we work at keeping in touch. He and his wife Julie are facing the realities of an empty nest and physically declining parents. I suppose this is the season of life that we are both in. Friendship holds as a bond through it.
It should be noted that when I was fifteen, I may have thought I had the world all worked out and that I knew what I wanted – which very clearly was to be an attorney and drive a red convertible 911 Porsche. The equation looked like this: attorney + Porsche = happiness. Forty years later, I have a different equation running in my head. None of it has to do with practicing law or driving a convertible. The new equation has more qualities to it. Love + family = happiness. Friendships + serving a healthy and happy church = happiness. Being outdoors and being with those who I love = happiness. Getting a good night’s sleep should be in there too. I have written to you about love and family and church and being outdoors. But what about friendship and happiness?
My wife is my best friend. Thankfully I married my best friend, and we are still friends to this day. That’s enough to equal happiness. Yet, she is not my only friend. I have Brian who has known me for most of my life. I have Alex who is both a clergy colleague, fellow podcaster, and friend. We are making plans to go out on the boat with our families on Friday afternoon. That equals happiness too! I have a new friend, Julia, who is also the senior pastor at the Presbyterian church on Longboat Key. I have made friendships with the business leaders in my Tuesday networking group. And I am blessed to serve in a church where I work side by side for the mission of the church – to bring the Living Christ to those inside and outside the church – with, as St. Paul wrote, friends and fellow coworkers for Christ. I often introduce you all as “friend” instead of the traditional “parishioner” title.
What makes life worth living for Jesus? He is quoted in John’s Gospel saying this: I no longer call you servants; I call you friends. It makes me wonder if having servants makes life worth living. Probably not. But friends, that’s a whole different way of being. It makes me wonder about the theological premise of the Trinity. What if it’s based on friendship and love and happiness. Christi and I are different, but we are one in marriage and in friendship (and our kids seem to think we are interchangeable – tell one something and the other one will know it). Back in High School, Brian and I had a similar, trinitarian, relationship where we knew what the other was thinking and felt what the other felt. Perhaps we still have that today which is why when we talk it feels as if time has not moved in-between conversations.
One of the most beautiful aspects of All Angels by the Sea is our fertile garden of friendship. We have a friend (and parishioner) who recently moved into a memory care center. Her friends from All Angels have been showing up to give her a hug and listen to her wisdom. I have seen friendship blossom at All Angels even with people who only know each other through our online system. Again, friendship is because of our common ties with the mission of the church and our desire to know one another. Clearly this goes way beyond my understanding of happiness in my teens – thinking happiness was about one’s profession and earning a paycheck.
Nowadays I know better, All Angels + friendship = a worthwhile life.
- Fr. Dave
The Gifts and the People
Holy: set aside for a high purpose; belonging to or associated with a divine power.
I was asked recently if the phrase – the gifts of God for the people of God – included him. The look on his face was serious and so was my response. I answered, simply and firmly, “Yes, it includes you.” He replied, “But I don’t feel holy; how can it be for me?”
Does the phrase people of God (which is meant to be inclusive) feel exclusive?
Should one dare consider themselves to be included with the holy people of God?
The answer is a firm yes. Let me explain why.
The Episcopal Church USA has had three prayer book revisions in our 235-year history. The first U.S. prayer book was ratified in 1789. It was a revision of the English book from 1662. The 1789 book was updated in 1892. It was revised in 1928. That prayer book was updated and ratified in its current form in 1979. Interestingly enough, the 1979 prayer book is the first prayer book, written in English, to bear the phrase, The gifts of God for the people of God. Let’s let that sink in a bit; from the first English book of common prayer from 1549 until 1979, the gifts for the people was not included. Did someone just make it up and insert it into the prayer in the late ‘70’s for the fun of it? No, of course not.
Eastern liturgies of the fourth century contained the phrase, The Holy for the holy. Those words were said before administering communion. Other ancient documents show this phrase: holy things for holy people. Bear in mind, Christianity was persecuted during the first part of the 4th century. That means these liturgical documents (they didn’t have “prayer books” back then) represent some of the earliest Christian expressions of worship. Many of the documents from the late first century and much of the second century were burned as a part of the persecution from the Roman empire and are lost to history. This means the eastern liturgies of the fourth century most likely represent what was passed down by the apostles.
In Peter’s first letter, he writes this: You are holy – a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation – God’s own people [and] possession. (2:9)
Many believe Peter was quoting Moses from Deuteronomy – If you keep the Lord’s commandments and walk in his ways the Lord will establish you as his holy people. (28:9)
And from Isaiah: They shall be called, The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord. (62:12)
This means that the phrase, “The holy for the holy”, comes from Scripture – from Peter the chief apostle, from Moses, the giver of the Law, and from Isaiah representing the prophets. We are commanded to continue in the breaking of the bread, of the teaching of the apostles, and in the prayers. When you see the priest lift up the broken bread, you are continuing in the tradition we were given from generation to generation. By participating in the eucharist, you are following what the Lord has commanded and are walking in His ways, thus, you are God’s holy people.
The definition of “Holy” can mean a set aside time, or place, or ritual. It can also mean belonging to or being associated with a divine power. And, because we are Episcopalian, it can mean all of those things and more! With the prayer book revision that started in the 1970’s, they went back to the ancient liturgies to mirror our day with theirs. They found this beautiful phrase that is associated with Peter who received instructions from Jesus himself. You don’t have to feel holy to be included or associated with the Divine. You simply have to see, or hear, it happening. The command to continue in the breaking of the bread, the teaching and the prayers does not have strings attached or prerequisites or metrics for accomplishment and success. The command only requires the willingness to show up, in person or online, and to be a part of it. As such, when I say, “The gifts of God for the people of God,” I’m talking about you.
- Fr. Dave
I was asked recently if the phrase – the gifts of God for the people of God – included him. The look on his face was serious and so was my response. I answered, simply and firmly, “Yes, it includes you.” He replied, “But I don’t feel holy; how can it be for me?”
Does the phrase people of God (which is meant to be inclusive) feel exclusive?
Should one dare consider themselves to be included with the holy people of God?
The answer is a firm yes. Let me explain why.
The Episcopal Church USA has had three prayer book revisions in our 235-year history. The first U.S. prayer book was ratified in 1789. It was a revision of the English book from 1662. The 1789 book was updated in 1892. It was revised in 1928. That prayer book was updated and ratified in its current form in 1979. Interestingly enough, the 1979 prayer book is the first prayer book, written in English, to bear the phrase, The gifts of God for the people of God. Let’s let that sink in a bit; from the first English book of common prayer from 1549 until 1979, the gifts for the people was not included. Did someone just make it up and insert it into the prayer in the late ‘70’s for the fun of it? No, of course not.
Eastern liturgies of the fourth century contained the phrase, The Holy for the holy. Those words were said before administering communion. Other ancient documents show this phrase: holy things for holy people. Bear in mind, Christianity was persecuted during the first part of the 4th century. That means these liturgical documents (they didn’t have “prayer books” back then) represent some of the earliest Christian expressions of worship. Many of the documents from the late first century and much of the second century were burned as a part of the persecution from the Roman empire and are lost to history. This means the eastern liturgies of the fourth century most likely represent what was passed down by the apostles.
In Peter’s first letter, he writes this: You are holy – a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation – God’s own people [and] possession. (2:9)
Many believe Peter was quoting Moses from Deuteronomy – If you keep the Lord’s commandments and walk in his ways the Lord will establish you as his holy people. (28:9)
And from Isaiah: They shall be called, The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord. (62:12)
This means that the phrase, “The holy for the holy”, comes from Scripture – from Peter the chief apostle, from Moses, the giver of the Law, and from Isaiah representing the prophets. We are commanded to continue in the breaking of the bread, of the teaching of the apostles, and in the prayers. When you see the priest lift up the broken bread, you are continuing in the tradition we were given from generation to generation. By participating in the eucharist, you are following what the Lord has commanded and are walking in His ways, thus, you are God’s holy people.
The definition of “Holy” can mean a set aside time, or place, or ritual. It can also mean belonging to or being associated with a divine power. And, because we are Episcopalian, it can mean all of those things and more! With the prayer book revision that started in the 1970’s, they went back to the ancient liturgies to mirror our day with theirs. They found this beautiful phrase that is associated with Peter who received instructions from Jesus himself. You don’t have to feel holy to be included or associated with the Divine. You simply have to see, or hear, it happening. The command to continue in the breaking of the bread, the teaching and the prayers does not have strings attached or prerequisites or metrics for accomplishment and success. The command only requires the willingness to show up, in person or online, and to be a part of it. As such, when I say, “The gifts of God for the people of God,” I’m talking about you.
- Fr. Dave
The Christian Buffet
There is a thought from last Sunday’s sermon that I’d like to consider in this Reflection. It has to do with the Discussion Group reading from Wall Street Journal that claimed the U.S. President was not a good (Roman) catholic but instead was an a la carte catholic. What the guest author of the article Pope Franics Shuts Down the Cafeteria meant by “a la carte catholic” has to do with a recent declaration by Pope Francis. The declaration, called the Dignitas Infinita, is a fixed set of beliefs. No one, not the U.S. President, or anyone else for that matter, can pick and choose from it. In other words, either you take the entire meal, or you have none at all, there is no a-la-carte faith.
I disagree with this ecclesiological and theological approach. Our faith journey by its very nature is a la carte. But first, let’s start with an Organizational Chart to show a chain of command. The Pope can’t tell me, or the Episcopal Church, or the world-wide Anglican Church what to do. Starting in 1534, the English Church makes its own decisions. The Anglican Communion is the second largest religion in the world. The Pope, however, is in charge of the largest religion, the Roman Catholic Church. Most people don’t know there is a difference which is why I am writing about it.
Back to my disagreement. I have a deeper faith in Christianity now than when I first started. This journey began by attending an Episcopal church with my parents. In faith we believe we are God’s children, not God’s grandchildren. That means at some point, we take the faith our parents have and then make it our own. And, for some of you, you take the lack of faith your parents gave you and you turn it into what you now believe. When we are baptized, we are first asked if we renounce the evil powers of this world. Once we say yes to renouncing, we are then asked if we turn to God and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Once we say yes to that we are baptized and received into the household of God. We are invited to “Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share in his eternal priesthood.” From what I have read of the Roman rite, it mirrors our own (of course, because Christ has one Church).
The journey begins in baptism by turning to God. What we do with the faith of Christ crucified, how we proclaim his resurrection, and how we share in his eternal priesthood is an open book. Or, perhaps, a buffet. We get to pick and choose how to live out our faith life. We begin somewhere and we end somewhere else. The way I see it, the Pope’s Dignitas Infinita assumes we all have the same journey and all come to the same conclusions. But that’s just not how faith and life works, at least as I experience it.
In our faith tradition, we can disagree on a whole variety of topics that were addressed in the Dignitas Infinita including human sexuality and identity, reproductive rights, the source of poverty and its cure, war and capital punishment. These are some of the most important topics for us to discuss in the 21st century and, like the Pope, I agree that compassionate Christian voices are vital in the discussion. But we all start somewhere and end somewhere else. Again, I didn’t believe everything at my baptism, or my confirmation, or even my ordination that I believe deeper and more fully now. I can hardly wait to see how my faith develops over the next ten years and for the rest of my lifetime. It’s an exciting journey to be sure. And I see it as a buffet. I was attracted to Christianity because it had an answer for the fear of death. What attracts me most about Christianity now is how to live in peace and harmony today, before death.
Taking it one step further, I see the vast diversity and array of churches in our community and nation as a buffet too. What All Angels by the Sea focuses on, and does well, is different from that of other Episcopal churches in our area. The same goes for St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church on Longboat and other Roman churches in Sarasota. They are all Roman Catholic but have different missions – yet they are one Church. And I believe that we are all One Church with one Shepherd and one faith. While we discuss, and sharply disagree, on several important topics, we believe in one God, the creator of all things seen and unseen. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only son of God. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. How we live out our faith, and how deeply we go into our faith, is still up to each one of us in this grand buffet of life.
- Fr. Dave
I disagree with this ecclesiological and theological approach. Our faith journey by its very nature is a la carte. But first, let’s start with an Organizational Chart to show a chain of command. The Pope can’t tell me, or the Episcopal Church, or the world-wide Anglican Church what to do. Starting in 1534, the English Church makes its own decisions. The Anglican Communion is the second largest religion in the world. The Pope, however, is in charge of the largest religion, the Roman Catholic Church. Most people don’t know there is a difference which is why I am writing about it.
Back to my disagreement. I have a deeper faith in Christianity now than when I first started. This journey began by attending an Episcopal church with my parents. In faith we believe we are God’s children, not God’s grandchildren. That means at some point, we take the faith our parents have and then make it our own. And, for some of you, you take the lack of faith your parents gave you and you turn it into what you now believe. When we are baptized, we are first asked if we renounce the evil powers of this world. Once we say yes to renouncing, we are then asked if we turn to God and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Once we say yes to that we are baptized and received into the household of God. We are invited to “Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share in his eternal priesthood.” From what I have read of the Roman rite, it mirrors our own (of course, because Christ has one Church).
The journey begins in baptism by turning to God. What we do with the faith of Christ crucified, how we proclaim his resurrection, and how we share in his eternal priesthood is an open book. Or, perhaps, a buffet. We get to pick and choose how to live out our faith life. We begin somewhere and we end somewhere else. The way I see it, the Pope’s Dignitas Infinita assumes we all have the same journey and all come to the same conclusions. But that’s just not how faith and life works, at least as I experience it.
In our faith tradition, we can disagree on a whole variety of topics that were addressed in the Dignitas Infinita including human sexuality and identity, reproductive rights, the source of poverty and its cure, war and capital punishment. These are some of the most important topics for us to discuss in the 21st century and, like the Pope, I agree that compassionate Christian voices are vital in the discussion. But we all start somewhere and end somewhere else. Again, I didn’t believe everything at my baptism, or my confirmation, or even my ordination that I believe deeper and more fully now. I can hardly wait to see how my faith develops over the next ten years and for the rest of my lifetime. It’s an exciting journey to be sure. And I see it as a buffet. I was attracted to Christianity because it had an answer for the fear of death. What attracts me most about Christianity now is how to live in peace and harmony today, before death.
Taking it one step further, I see the vast diversity and array of churches in our community and nation as a buffet too. What All Angels by the Sea focuses on, and does well, is different from that of other Episcopal churches in our area. The same goes for St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church on Longboat and other Roman churches in Sarasota. They are all Roman Catholic but have different missions – yet they are one Church. And I believe that we are all One Church with one Shepherd and one faith. While we discuss, and sharply disagree, on several important topics, we believe in one God, the creator of all things seen and unseen. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only son of God. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. How we live out our faith, and how deeply we go into our faith, is still up to each one of us in this grand buffet of life.
- Fr. Dave
Pets
May 23, 2024
I saw this prayer on a coffee mug: Lord, help me to be the person my pet thinks I am.
This past Sunday after Coffee Hour, I did a service in our pet memorial garden. By a statue of St. Francis, we placed in rest the ashes of a much beloved pet named Reba. The black standard poodle, Reba, had a very good life. She was a trained therapy dog, lived on a canal on Anna Maria Island, and had two very good roommates – Ginny and Ed – who kept her fed, groomed and most importantly, loved. Occasionally, Reba would come to All Angels where she did her favorite activity of chasing lizards.
Prior to her passing, Reba visited me for the last time. I was thankful that her chauffeurs (Ed and Ginny) brought her. She was afflicted with sores and a quickly spreading cancer. She was wearing a red shirt so that she didn’t feel the need to lick her fur. As always, Reba was happy-go-lucky and was pleased to see me. We all sat in my office, I offered some prayers, mostly for her handlers, but also for her to have a holy and peaceful ending. The prayer ended with thanksgiving to God for blessing us with such a wonderful creature and that we are now returning her back to our Creator.
The dog had a ministry. She was able to bring comfort and joy to people who were in the last stage of life. Hospice pet-therapy dogs provide people with joy. They also reduce the feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. I have seen where a pet-therapy animal takes a patient’s mind off their situation and the hopelessness they may feel. The presence of a pet encourages family members to share stories and open up about their own feelings. Maybe pet-therapy animals are like a coffee table book that helps break the ice. Or perhaps they have a special, spiritually tuned gift. Reba did both. She had so much positive energy that people would naturally feel uplifted by her presence. She would greet each person and wait to be petted on the head, which would help break the ice of doubt and confusion that hospice can bring.
Pets have a way of being in tune with their owners, or guests, that can help them open up in a safe way. I have had tough days in ministry that were softened greatly by the purr of a cat and a good lap fix. Although I clean the two cat boxes every day and give Oscar and Jellybean their “crunchies”, I think I receive more from our two cats than what I give. In that way, our pets have a ministry to their owners – they bring attention and calm. Jellybean was a Covid cat – we needed/wanted another cat because our much beloved cat, Pancake, was in his final stage of life, and couldn’t imagine going through a pandemic with just one cat, Oscar.
Speaking of Oscar, now in his 14th year, he is starting to say goodbye to us in the way that pets do when they know their time is coming. Normally fastidious about his shiny black coat, he is starting to look a little scruffy. He’s becoming thinner too. Yet, being a cat, he still has energy to play chase with our orange and white cat (Jellybean).
The way I read the Bible, it appears that humans went through “The Fall” but animals did not. We found ourselves separated from God, but I don’t think animals do. Like their human companions, each pet has a particular gift or set of gifts. We call Oscar our Big Baby because he always wants to be on our lap and loves to purr. He also likes guests and will quickly jump on their lap and wait to be petted too. He’s like the welcome party of the Marshall household. And this is what makes saying goodbye to pets so difficult. They give us so much and ask for little in response. They don’t need books for college, or braces, or need driving lessons. Pets are quick to forgive and give lots of love.
While Reba’s ashes were being placed in the Memorial Garden, I said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done.” She ran her race on this planet by giving love to others, especially strangers. Our pets give us an example of how to live and love and how to treat one another. May we all be the kind of person our pets think we are.
- Fr. Dave
This past Sunday after Coffee Hour, I did a service in our pet memorial garden. By a statue of St. Francis, we placed in rest the ashes of a much beloved pet named Reba. The black standard poodle, Reba, had a very good life. She was a trained therapy dog, lived on a canal on Anna Maria Island, and had two very good roommates – Ginny and Ed – who kept her fed, groomed and most importantly, loved. Occasionally, Reba would come to All Angels where she did her favorite activity of chasing lizards.
Prior to her passing, Reba visited me for the last time. I was thankful that her chauffeurs (Ed and Ginny) brought her. She was afflicted with sores and a quickly spreading cancer. She was wearing a red shirt so that she didn’t feel the need to lick her fur. As always, Reba was happy-go-lucky and was pleased to see me. We all sat in my office, I offered some prayers, mostly for her handlers, but also for her to have a holy and peaceful ending. The prayer ended with thanksgiving to God for blessing us with such a wonderful creature and that we are now returning her back to our Creator.
The dog had a ministry. She was able to bring comfort and joy to people who were in the last stage of life. Hospice pet-therapy dogs provide people with joy. They also reduce the feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. I have seen where a pet-therapy animal takes a patient’s mind off their situation and the hopelessness they may feel. The presence of a pet encourages family members to share stories and open up about their own feelings. Maybe pet-therapy animals are like a coffee table book that helps break the ice. Or perhaps they have a special, spiritually tuned gift. Reba did both. She had so much positive energy that people would naturally feel uplifted by her presence. She would greet each person and wait to be petted on the head, which would help break the ice of doubt and confusion that hospice can bring.
Pets have a way of being in tune with their owners, or guests, that can help them open up in a safe way. I have had tough days in ministry that were softened greatly by the purr of a cat and a good lap fix. Although I clean the two cat boxes every day and give Oscar and Jellybean their “crunchies”, I think I receive more from our two cats than what I give. In that way, our pets have a ministry to their owners – they bring attention and calm. Jellybean was a Covid cat – we needed/wanted another cat because our much beloved cat, Pancake, was in his final stage of life, and couldn’t imagine going through a pandemic with just one cat, Oscar.
Speaking of Oscar, now in his 14th year, he is starting to say goodbye to us in the way that pets do when they know their time is coming. Normally fastidious about his shiny black coat, he is starting to look a little scruffy. He’s becoming thinner too. Yet, being a cat, he still has energy to play chase with our orange and white cat (Jellybean).
The way I read the Bible, it appears that humans went through “The Fall” but animals did not. We found ourselves separated from God, but I don’t think animals do. Like their human companions, each pet has a particular gift or set of gifts. We call Oscar our Big Baby because he always wants to be on our lap and loves to purr. He also likes guests and will quickly jump on their lap and wait to be petted too. He’s like the welcome party of the Marshall household. And this is what makes saying goodbye to pets so difficult. They give us so much and ask for little in response. They don’t need books for college, or braces, or need driving lessons. Pets are quick to forgive and give lots of love.
While Reba’s ashes were being placed in the Memorial Garden, I said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done.” She ran her race on this planet by giving love to others, especially strangers. Our pets give us an example of how to live and love and how to treat one another. May we all be the kind of person our pets think we are.
- Fr. Dave
Orca Alley
May 16, 2024
My first interaction with a whale was at the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia. They had an underwater viewing area with a thick glass wall that allows for viewers to see the whale in its environment. What first caught my attention was the sheer size of the creature. I had been around horses and one elephant (thanks to a traveling circus that came to Tacoma) but nothing prepared me for something that big to effortlessly swim by. The second thing, which I remember vividly, was the whale’s eye. It was looking at us while we were looking at it. This was no fish eye – which I had seen plenty of thanks to a childhood full of fishing – that doesn’t seem to have intelligence behind it. The whale’s eye showed me that it is intelligent, curious, and (this might sound weird) compassionate. My mom was caught up in the experience. She placed her left hand on the glass and the huge creature swam up and placed its head where my mom was touching. They stood there staring at each other. Mom started to tear up. I had a feeling that she was going to say to us, “Get comfortable, this is our new home.”
Where I grew up, in Puget Sound, there are three residential pods of Killer Whales, named J, K and L. I have seen the J pod, they are the rock stars of the Orca world. As you can imagine, I am interested in whales. There is a storyline that I have been following for a few years about a sub-pod of Orca whales in the Strait of Gibraltar. Called the Orca Thugs, or the Gibraltar Gang, this pod is known to attack sailing vessels in the region. Years ago, I read a harrowing story of a couple that was harassed by them over an 18-hour period. The juvenile orcas started pushing on the 48’ sailboat’s keel, tipping it back and forth by five to ten degrees. It made it difficult to be on deck because they were worried they would fall off. The couple went below deck to hold on. As soon as they were out of sight, the orcas started making high pitch sounds and then would continue to push on the hull. The sounds made it painful to stay below. They took the sails down and drifted. The orcas then started to hit their rudder; eventually damaging it enough that they could not sail.
Reports like this have been coming more frequently. Two people were rescued this past Sunday after a group of orcas caused enough damage to sink their boat. It was the fifth sinking in waters off the Iberian Peninsula in recent years. The earliest recorded episode was taken in Spain in 2020. Since then, there have been around 500 incidents with physical damage occurring 20% of the time. The motivations of this pod are unclear, but their actions are obvious.
Orcas are some of the most studied whales (although they are technically dolphins, not whales). They do not intentionally harm humans; despite their name. SeaWorld has stopped their orca encounters because of the death of the trainer, Dawn Brancheau. Again, it is believed she was not killed intentionally but because of what has been described as juvenile mischief. The parallel is that the sub-pod in the Strait of Gibraltar is also made up of fifteen juvenile orcas.
A favorite hymn at All Angels goes as follows: All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small… the Lord God made them all. We have been gifted with memory, reason, and skill. We are tasked to be stewards of the earth. One of the difficult tasks of that responsibility is to remove our human way of thinking and to study with curiosity and openness all creatures great and small. When we label this sub-pod of orcas as the bullies-of-the-Maghreb, or the gangsters-of-Gibraltar, or the hoods-of-Morocco, those are all human attributes which might allow us to treat the orcas harshly. This sub-pod is in distress. Their food sources are becoming scarce. They are not reproducing in the numbers as they used to. While I don’t think they are taking-it-out-on-passing-ships, as some have suggested, they are opening our eyes to explore their world. In doing so, we will see our world, our interactions with one another, and our role as stewards of the environment, in a new way.
- Rev. Dave
Where I grew up, in Puget Sound, there are three residential pods of Killer Whales, named J, K and L. I have seen the J pod, they are the rock stars of the Orca world. As you can imagine, I am interested in whales. There is a storyline that I have been following for a few years about a sub-pod of Orca whales in the Strait of Gibraltar. Called the Orca Thugs, or the Gibraltar Gang, this pod is known to attack sailing vessels in the region. Years ago, I read a harrowing story of a couple that was harassed by them over an 18-hour period. The juvenile orcas started pushing on the 48’ sailboat’s keel, tipping it back and forth by five to ten degrees. It made it difficult to be on deck because they were worried they would fall off. The couple went below deck to hold on. As soon as they were out of sight, the orcas started making high pitch sounds and then would continue to push on the hull. The sounds made it painful to stay below. They took the sails down and drifted. The orcas then started to hit their rudder; eventually damaging it enough that they could not sail.
Reports like this have been coming more frequently. Two people were rescued this past Sunday after a group of orcas caused enough damage to sink their boat. It was the fifth sinking in waters off the Iberian Peninsula in recent years. The earliest recorded episode was taken in Spain in 2020. Since then, there have been around 500 incidents with physical damage occurring 20% of the time. The motivations of this pod are unclear, but their actions are obvious.
Orcas are some of the most studied whales (although they are technically dolphins, not whales). They do not intentionally harm humans; despite their name. SeaWorld has stopped their orca encounters because of the death of the trainer, Dawn Brancheau. Again, it is believed she was not killed intentionally but because of what has been described as juvenile mischief. The parallel is that the sub-pod in the Strait of Gibraltar is also made up of fifteen juvenile orcas.
A favorite hymn at All Angels goes as follows: All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small… the Lord God made them all. We have been gifted with memory, reason, and skill. We are tasked to be stewards of the earth. One of the difficult tasks of that responsibility is to remove our human way of thinking and to study with curiosity and openness all creatures great and small. When we label this sub-pod of orcas as the bullies-of-the-Maghreb, or the gangsters-of-Gibraltar, or the hoods-of-Morocco, those are all human attributes which might allow us to treat the orcas harshly. This sub-pod is in distress. Their food sources are becoming scarce. They are not reproducing in the numbers as they used to. While I don’t think they are taking-it-out-on-passing-ships, as some have suggested, they are opening our eyes to explore their world. In doing so, we will see our world, our interactions with one another, and our role as stewards of the environment, in a new way.
- Rev. Dave
The Community of John
May 9, 2024
I wrote to you earlier about the experience I had reading the First Letter of John in Greek and how it got me hooked into reading Scripture in its original language. As I continue my studies in John, and other Gospel writers, I am beginning to consider something new. John’s writing has an edginess that seems out of place today. I am wondering what we should do with it.
Let’s start with what we think we know about John. He is a part of the 1st century Jewish faith tradition. There are five New Testament documents ascribed to him – the Gospel (of John), three pastoral letters and the Book of Revelation. It is debated which of these are of his own hand. It’s also debated whether or not that is important. He refers to himself in the Gospel as “the disciple that Jesus loved”, he outran Peter to the empty tomb, and he took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Tradition says that he was the youngest and was the only apostle not to be martyred – he was exiled on the Island of Patmos which is where the Book of Revelation was written.
This author believes that the first pastoral letter he wrote, called 1 John, was most likely the first “Christian” document ever. I believe it predates Paul’s letters. I also believe that parts of his Gospel were also the first written. It is nearly undisputed that his Gospel was the last of the four to be completed; but again, I think parts of it were the first written. The contrast of light (of the world) and dark (of sin) is very important to him. John is also the Gospel that uses the phrase, “The Jews” the most, and never in a flattering way. It appears that John is writing to an audience that is not familiar with Jewish traditions and practices. This leads many to believe he was writing to a Gentile audience.
In his first letter, John writes extensively about false teachers (who he calls “anti-Christs”) who are trying to lead people astray. Likewise, Revelation features a major character called the anti-Christ. John seems to write in a black and white fashion – either you believe and you are in, or you don’t believe and you are out. If you take that writing style, add the unflattering way he refers to “The Jews”, and the concern about anti-Christs, the reader can come up with a rather un-Christian way of looking at people. I am not calling John un-Christian because he clearly is writing in support of the mission and ministry of Jesus in our daily lives. Unfortunately, his writing has been used by some, antisemites in particular, for horrific actions against people of the Jewish faith. During this week, we observed Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is why I am writing this to you.
Based on all that I have read about John and his community, it seems likely that an expulsion was happening within the faith tradition. Jesus taught in the synagogues and on the streets, in homes, in fields and in the Temple. Peter and the rest of the apostles did the same. History shows that sometime during the mid-late 1st century, those who talked about Jesus as the Messiah were closed out from speaking in synagogues and in the Temple. Was it because the movement had reached the Gentiles? Had it grown too big? Were religious authorities angry that their power was being usurped by the Jesus movement? Did the Roman guard infiltrate the synagogues and intimidate the leaders until they kicked out the followers of Jesus? No one really knows for sure; but we do know at some point the apostles and their disciples shifted into preaching in homes and other places – and not in houses of prayer. I think this expulsion affected John and his writing. Perhaps this is why he takes a negative view of religious leaders in his tradition.
The big question is this: How do we read John today? I have a commentary on the New Testament that is written from a 1st century Jewish perspective. The authors in that book have suggested John was writing with divisiveness to make the movement stand on its own. So what about our day? In the 21st century, I’d say the movement is standing on its own. I also believe that the Spirit of unity and wisdom is seeking the leaders in our tradition to be working side by side with people of the Jewish faith and other faith traditions.
Does this mean we stop reading John? Absolutely not. I invite us, however, to read him differently. I suggest we look through the lens of his own faith tradition and understand what was happening around him, and how that affected his spirituality and his writing about it. And I suggest we live into the belief system he was establishing in his writing which is summed up in this passage (from John 12:32):
Jesus said, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
Christ is drawing everyone with love. He calls for us to have love and concern for one another. We are called to be the light of the world in contrast to the darkness of isolation, fear and loneliness. Let us continue to set ourselves apart, as the early Church did, by loving one another and helping our neighbor in need.
- Rev. Dave
Let’s start with what we think we know about John. He is a part of the 1st century Jewish faith tradition. There are five New Testament documents ascribed to him – the Gospel (of John), three pastoral letters and the Book of Revelation. It is debated which of these are of his own hand. It’s also debated whether or not that is important. He refers to himself in the Gospel as “the disciple that Jesus loved”, he outran Peter to the empty tomb, and he took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Tradition says that he was the youngest and was the only apostle not to be martyred – he was exiled on the Island of Patmos which is where the Book of Revelation was written.
This author believes that the first pastoral letter he wrote, called 1 John, was most likely the first “Christian” document ever. I believe it predates Paul’s letters. I also believe that parts of his Gospel were also the first written. It is nearly undisputed that his Gospel was the last of the four to be completed; but again, I think parts of it were the first written. The contrast of light (of the world) and dark (of sin) is very important to him. John is also the Gospel that uses the phrase, “The Jews” the most, and never in a flattering way. It appears that John is writing to an audience that is not familiar with Jewish traditions and practices. This leads many to believe he was writing to a Gentile audience.
In his first letter, John writes extensively about false teachers (who he calls “anti-Christs”) who are trying to lead people astray. Likewise, Revelation features a major character called the anti-Christ. John seems to write in a black and white fashion – either you believe and you are in, or you don’t believe and you are out. If you take that writing style, add the unflattering way he refers to “The Jews”, and the concern about anti-Christs, the reader can come up with a rather un-Christian way of looking at people. I am not calling John un-Christian because he clearly is writing in support of the mission and ministry of Jesus in our daily lives. Unfortunately, his writing has been used by some, antisemites in particular, for horrific actions against people of the Jewish faith. During this week, we observed Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is why I am writing this to you.
Based on all that I have read about John and his community, it seems likely that an expulsion was happening within the faith tradition. Jesus taught in the synagogues and on the streets, in homes, in fields and in the Temple. Peter and the rest of the apostles did the same. History shows that sometime during the mid-late 1st century, those who talked about Jesus as the Messiah were closed out from speaking in synagogues and in the Temple. Was it because the movement had reached the Gentiles? Had it grown too big? Were religious authorities angry that their power was being usurped by the Jesus movement? Did the Roman guard infiltrate the synagogues and intimidate the leaders until they kicked out the followers of Jesus? No one really knows for sure; but we do know at some point the apostles and their disciples shifted into preaching in homes and other places – and not in houses of prayer. I think this expulsion affected John and his writing. Perhaps this is why he takes a negative view of religious leaders in his tradition.
The big question is this: How do we read John today? I have a commentary on the New Testament that is written from a 1st century Jewish perspective. The authors in that book have suggested John was writing with divisiveness to make the movement stand on its own. So what about our day? In the 21st century, I’d say the movement is standing on its own. I also believe that the Spirit of unity and wisdom is seeking the leaders in our tradition to be working side by side with people of the Jewish faith and other faith traditions.
Does this mean we stop reading John? Absolutely not. I invite us, however, to read him differently. I suggest we look through the lens of his own faith tradition and understand what was happening around him, and how that affected his spirituality and his writing about it. And I suggest we live into the belief system he was establishing in his writing which is summed up in this passage (from John 12:32):
Jesus said, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
Christ is drawing everyone with love. He calls for us to have love and concern for one another. We are called to be the light of the world in contrast to the darkness of isolation, fear and loneliness. Let us continue to set ourselves apart, as the early Church did, by loving one another and helping our neighbor in need.
- Rev. Dave
The Final Final
May 2, 2024
My son Ethan has taken his final final – it is his last exam to achieve his undergraduate degree. Prior to this week, I gave him some advice. I did not savor my final final. During the exam, it dawned on me that this was it. There are no other exams, or tests, or papers due. A weird feeling stirred in my stomach – both joy and grief, hopeful expectation, and as if I was falling off a cliff. I asked Ethan to take time this week to ponder his entire educational career. And, as such, I am doing that now.
Ethan’s first teacher was Ms. Cathy at Head Start at Christ Episcopal Church, Alameda California. An inspiring woman of African descent who loved all her students as if they were her own children, who had strict rules to follow, and a heart big enough to swallow up the entire city block. She put Ethan on the right path for inquisitive learning, knowledge, and care for others. After graduation from seminary, we were called back to our home diocese. He enrolled in the Lutheran Academy of the Master in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. As a “LAM” they taught extensively about Jesus our great shepherd. Again, he had a fantastic teacher who gave the children a thirst for knowledge and a caring heart for those around them.
When the Spirit called, we moved to the San Diego area during his kindergarten year. He enrolled in a public school; it was a difficult environment for him. It wasn’t clicking the way Head Start and LAM did. I shared this with my bishop. That conversation led me to accept his invitation to lead and serve at Saint John’s Episcopal Church and School (pre-k through 8th grade). Although this was by far the hardest pastoral assignment I had received, it was the best academic environment for Ethan. Starting in 4th grade, Christi and I watched him come out of his shell. Episcopal education is special and so were his teachers. They challenged, encouraged, pushed, and rewarded him. He was the salutatorian at his 8th grade graduation. From there he attended a Roman Catholic High School and continued to excel.
Halfway through his sophomore year, the Spirit called again – this time to southwest Florida. He said goodbye to his San Diego friends and started the spring semester at Bradenton Christian School. He remarked that the teaching style from a Catholic school to BCS was substantially different, but he excelled with the diversity of style. At BCS, four years ago, he met Mackenzie, his soon-to-be wife. During his time at BCS, the world struggled through a global pandemic. Yet, Ethan found that he could thrive in an online environment. After graduating with honors, he started his freshman year at the University of South Florida at the Sarasota campus. Over the last three years, Ethan has taken classes at all three USF campuses. They say one’s GPA normally drops a full point in college. Ethan’s has not. In fact, from my perspective, many of his classes seemed easy when compared to his rigorous High School experience. One thing Christi and I observed was that Ethan was way ahead of many of his classmates when it came to academic preparation and performance.
I have felt guilty for moving-with-ministry because it interrupted his academic life. Yet, as I reflect on his final final, I can see that he has learned how to adapt to changing scholastic situations. Moving from one USF campus to another did not faze him. As you can imagine, I am more proud of him than I am able to express. I am thankful for Ms. Cathy and all of his teachers who have helped him along his journey. This is probably not his last final in academia. But it is a life-changing, permanent step that he has taken. I thank God that I have the privilege of walking with this amazing man and calling him my son who has taught me about love, connection, and has given me a thirst for knowledge and helping others.
- Rev. Dave
Ethan’s first teacher was Ms. Cathy at Head Start at Christ Episcopal Church, Alameda California. An inspiring woman of African descent who loved all her students as if they were her own children, who had strict rules to follow, and a heart big enough to swallow up the entire city block. She put Ethan on the right path for inquisitive learning, knowledge, and care for others. After graduation from seminary, we were called back to our home diocese. He enrolled in the Lutheran Academy of the Master in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. As a “LAM” they taught extensively about Jesus our great shepherd. Again, he had a fantastic teacher who gave the children a thirst for knowledge and a caring heart for those around them.
When the Spirit called, we moved to the San Diego area during his kindergarten year. He enrolled in a public school; it was a difficult environment for him. It wasn’t clicking the way Head Start and LAM did. I shared this with my bishop. That conversation led me to accept his invitation to lead and serve at Saint John’s Episcopal Church and School (pre-k through 8th grade). Although this was by far the hardest pastoral assignment I had received, it was the best academic environment for Ethan. Starting in 4th grade, Christi and I watched him come out of his shell. Episcopal education is special and so were his teachers. They challenged, encouraged, pushed, and rewarded him. He was the salutatorian at his 8th grade graduation. From there he attended a Roman Catholic High School and continued to excel.
Halfway through his sophomore year, the Spirit called again – this time to southwest Florida. He said goodbye to his San Diego friends and started the spring semester at Bradenton Christian School. He remarked that the teaching style from a Catholic school to BCS was substantially different, but he excelled with the diversity of style. At BCS, four years ago, he met Mackenzie, his soon-to-be wife. During his time at BCS, the world struggled through a global pandemic. Yet, Ethan found that he could thrive in an online environment. After graduating with honors, he started his freshman year at the University of South Florida at the Sarasota campus. Over the last three years, Ethan has taken classes at all three USF campuses. They say one’s GPA normally drops a full point in college. Ethan’s has not. In fact, from my perspective, many of his classes seemed easy when compared to his rigorous High School experience. One thing Christi and I observed was that Ethan was way ahead of many of his classmates when it came to academic preparation and performance.
I have felt guilty for moving-with-ministry because it interrupted his academic life. Yet, as I reflect on his final final, I can see that he has learned how to adapt to changing scholastic situations. Moving from one USF campus to another did not faze him. As you can imagine, I am more proud of him than I am able to express. I am thankful for Ms. Cathy and all of his teachers who have helped him along his journey. This is probably not his last final in academia. But it is a life-changing, permanent step that he has taken. I thank God that I have the privilege of walking with this amazing man and calling him my son who has taught me about love, connection, and has given me a thirst for knowledge and helping others.
- Rev. Dave
Thanks to Karen
April 25, 2024
I met Karen Hensel in the parking lot of All Angels in April 2020. She was in the driver’s seat of her silver Honda SUV and her husband was next to her. They were driving around on Sunday morning to see what the pandemic lockdown had done to the island. When they drove by the church, they saw people outside sitting in lawn chairs participating in the service that was being broadcast on loudspeakers. They pulled up and listened. The next week, she was greeted by Debi, one of our ushers, who passed them a bulletin through their open window using our pool sweep basket (to keep distant). As the year went on, we became more sophisticated – eventually live-streaming on YouTube. Each week, Karen and her husband faithfully attended, remotely.
Two years ago, she asked if I could meet her at the hospital. Her husband was on a breathing machine (non-Covid related) and it was time to say goodbye. We participated in Last Rites, and then they disconnected the machine. A few months later, she attended All Angels in person, via her walker (some of you may remember Karen), but she found it was better for her to participate at home.
Some of you know that I attend a weekly business networking group called BNI. There are many reasons why a priest would participate in a networking group, but the main one for me is thanks to Karen. At one point, she needed computer help. There was a local guy who had been by the church a couple times to market his in-person IT business for seniors, so I passed his card to Karen. Unfortunately, it was not a good fit for her. That showed me I need to have a strong network of business professionals to be able to make good referrals. Shortly after that, my friend, and parishioner, Tryla, invited me to BNI and the rest is history – thanks to Karen.
Six months later, Karen passed away. I was contacted by her estate attorney because All Angels was named as a beneficiary in her will. This week, we deposited a large check from her estate. Our finance committee will review our capital needs and make recommendations to the Vestry. My gut feeling, however, is that we are going to use a portion of it to improve the campus; perhaps resurfacing the parking lot and upgrading our live-streaming system; and the rest will go into the endowment for growth and future use. I feel that way because the parking lot and our A/V system is what Karen depended on to receive the good news about the living Christ. I think she’d approve.
The early Church (before the Gospels were written down) went through persecution. As a result, they met in the homes of wealthy widows. Without these faithful and brave women, the Church today would be dramatically smaller. If you have ever wondered why we use a silver plate and chalice for communion, it is to remind us of the widows who opened their home to the Church and used their finest serving ware for the Holy Eucharist. The Church went through a hard time in the pandemic lockdown. Yet, just like in the early Church, faithful and brave people stepped forward and continued the tradition of offering peace and community in the name of Jesus.
I don’t think Karen would consider herself a wealthy widow, but she certainly opened her heart to the mission and ministry of All Angels which is to bring the living Christ to those inside and outside the church. She has left a substantial sum for us to invest for the future and to improve our campus today. She has joined a long tradition of people who have given to the Church of the future by remembering All Angels today in their will. I look forward to the improvements that are coming, and I will be sure to give thanks to God, and thanks to Karen too.
- Rev. Dave
Two years ago, she asked if I could meet her at the hospital. Her husband was on a breathing machine (non-Covid related) and it was time to say goodbye. We participated in Last Rites, and then they disconnected the machine. A few months later, she attended All Angels in person, via her walker (some of you may remember Karen), but she found it was better for her to participate at home.
Some of you know that I attend a weekly business networking group called BNI. There are many reasons why a priest would participate in a networking group, but the main one for me is thanks to Karen. At one point, she needed computer help. There was a local guy who had been by the church a couple times to market his in-person IT business for seniors, so I passed his card to Karen. Unfortunately, it was not a good fit for her. That showed me I need to have a strong network of business professionals to be able to make good referrals. Shortly after that, my friend, and parishioner, Tryla, invited me to BNI and the rest is history – thanks to Karen.
Six months later, Karen passed away. I was contacted by her estate attorney because All Angels was named as a beneficiary in her will. This week, we deposited a large check from her estate. Our finance committee will review our capital needs and make recommendations to the Vestry. My gut feeling, however, is that we are going to use a portion of it to improve the campus; perhaps resurfacing the parking lot and upgrading our live-streaming system; and the rest will go into the endowment for growth and future use. I feel that way because the parking lot and our A/V system is what Karen depended on to receive the good news about the living Christ. I think she’d approve.
The early Church (before the Gospels were written down) went through persecution. As a result, they met in the homes of wealthy widows. Without these faithful and brave women, the Church today would be dramatically smaller. If you have ever wondered why we use a silver plate and chalice for communion, it is to remind us of the widows who opened their home to the Church and used their finest serving ware for the Holy Eucharist. The Church went through a hard time in the pandemic lockdown. Yet, just like in the early Church, faithful and brave people stepped forward and continued the tradition of offering peace and community in the name of Jesus.
I don’t think Karen would consider herself a wealthy widow, but she certainly opened her heart to the mission and ministry of All Angels which is to bring the living Christ to those inside and outside the church. She has left a substantial sum for us to invest for the future and to improve our campus today. She has joined a long tradition of people who have given to the Church of the future by remembering All Angels today in their will. I look forward to the improvements that are coming, and I will be sure to give thanks to God, and thanks to Karen too.
- Rev. Dave
Metron
April 18, 2024
I am excited for my friend Alex. He is the new Rector of St. John The Divine in Sun City Center (near Ruskin and Apollo Beach on the east side of Tampa Bay). Back when I was introduced to the diocese, Alex was the first clergy person to ask me out to lunch. We became fast friends and, flash-forward five years, we are now in Season 2 of our podcast, A Bridge Between with Alex and Dave (available on iTunes, Spotify and YouTube). I have walked with him during his time of transition – being called from Rector of a smaller parish in St. Petersburg to the larger St. John’s. He has asked me to preach at his installation service coming up on May 2nd. I am thrilled to do so.
The lessons Alex has chosen for his installation service – and the ones I will be preaching on – include a reading from the Letter to the Ephesians where the author, presumably St. Paul, writes about the gifts that God gives each person: some are apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. As you would expect, I read the passage in Paul’s original language of Greek. There is a word in it that I’d like to share with you. The word is “metron”. It’s a fun word to say. But, there is a lot more to it than what we see at first glance. In English, metron is a description of a major city or a subway (metro); it is a device used by musicians to give time to music; and it is a repeating section, 3 to 6 syllables long, of a poetic meter. How can English have these three different definitions of the same word? In Greek, the primary use of “metron” is in measurement. We can measure a great number of things – the size of a city, of a transportation system, of music and of written word. It can all be metron-ized if you will.
Metron popped out at me because it was repeated; but, it had two entirely different English words – measure and properly. Yes, you are reading that right, metron is written in one sentence as “measure” and another sentence as “properly”. Here is the first sentence from chapter 4, verse 13: to the measure of the full stature of Christ. The second sentence from verse 16: as each part is working properly promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
How can this be? Verse 13 – metron – according to my Greek dictionary, is described this way: “the required measure, the due, fit, measure.” Verse 16 – metron – is this: “in proportion to measure.” One is required measure, the other is measure-in-proportion. What does this mean in our life of faith?
You may have heard the phrase, “all fall short of the glory of God.” In comparison to that, we are to measure [metron] our lives with living into the full stature of Christ. That’s the goal, or, in this case, the measurement. At a funeral of a notoriously sinful person, the preacher said, “All fall short of the glory of God; the deceased fell shorter than most of the full measure of Christ.” That’s metron in action.
The second use of metron, in verse 16, I find particularly valuable. It harkens back to the Greek philosophical question of can love be measured? Love can be felt, received and given, but is love measurable? And, once one measures love, does it disappear? Perhaps in response to those questions, Paul is asserting that although love is without measurement, when people are working together in faith, in proportion [metron] love grows.
Alex and his family are feeling proportional love from their new parish home. It warms my heart and reminds me of the love the Marshall family has felt, is feeling, and will feel at All Angels. When people are working together in faith, in metron, love grows as a result.
- Rev. Dave
The lessons Alex has chosen for his installation service – and the ones I will be preaching on – include a reading from the Letter to the Ephesians where the author, presumably St. Paul, writes about the gifts that God gives each person: some are apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. As you would expect, I read the passage in Paul’s original language of Greek. There is a word in it that I’d like to share with you. The word is “metron”. It’s a fun word to say. But, there is a lot more to it than what we see at first glance. In English, metron is a description of a major city or a subway (metro); it is a device used by musicians to give time to music; and it is a repeating section, 3 to 6 syllables long, of a poetic meter. How can English have these three different definitions of the same word? In Greek, the primary use of “metron” is in measurement. We can measure a great number of things – the size of a city, of a transportation system, of music and of written word. It can all be metron-ized if you will.
Metron popped out at me because it was repeated; but, it had two entirely different English words – measure and properly. Yes, you are reading that right, metron is written in one sentence as “measure” and another sentence as “properly”. Here is the first sentence from chapter 4, verse 13: to the measure of the full stature of Christ. The second sentence from verse 16: as each part is working properly promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
How can this be? Verse 13 – metron – according to my Greek dictionary, is described this way: “the required measure, the due, fit, measure.” Verse 16 – metron – is this: “in proportion to measure.” One is required measure, the other is measure-in-proportion. What does this mean in our life of faith?
You may have heard the phrase, “all fall short of the glory of God.” In comparison to that, we are to measure [metron] our lives with living into the full stature of Christ. That’s the goal, or, in this case, the measurement. At a funeral of a notoriously sinful person, the preacher said, “All fall short of the glory of God; the deceased fell shorter than most of the full measure of Christ.” That’s metron in action.
The second use of metron, in verse 16, I find particularly valuable. It harkens back to the Greek philosophical question of can love be measured? Love can be felt, received and given, but is love measurable? And, once one measures love, does it disappear? Perhaps in response to those questions, Paul is asserting that although love is without measurement, when people are working together in faith, in proportion [metron] love grows.
Alex and his family are feeling proportional love from their new parish home. It warms my heart and reminds me of the love the Marshall family has felt, is feeling, and will feel at All Angels. When people are working together in faith, in metron, love grows as a result.
- Rev. Dave
First John
April 11, 2024
This Sunday we are reading from the First Letter of John. I love this letter because it got me interested in studying Greek. I want to tell you about that but first we have to start with the basics – who is John and what is his First Letter.
John is most likely the Apostle John – the one whom Jesus loved, the youngest, the one who outran Peter to see the empty tomb, the one to whom Jesus said from the cross, “John, this is your mother [Mary],” and, “Mom, this is your son [John].” It is believed that the author John also wrote the Gospel attributed with his name. And some people (like me) believe he was exiled on the Island of Patmos where he had the vision which was written down as The Book of Revelation. In other words, John is one of the most influential and important of all the Apostles.
Many believe his letter was one of the first written Christian documents. It is not addressed to any particular congregation or region but rather the entire assembly or gathering of the followers of Christ. It is written in an easy-to-read version of Greek. There are even a couple of grammatical mistakes which have been carried forward for centuries. Clearly, the letter is written by someone who has taken Greek as a second language. More on that in a moment.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, John is passing along a message that is timeless. He is writing about the things that he has seen, heard, touched and understood as the Word of Life. It is a first-person account of Jesus in the flesh as the Logos (Word). Secondly, he is issuing a warning: there are detractors of the faith who he calls “anti-Christs” which should be taken literally – as people who are the opposite of Christ – and not demonically. Third, he is writing with hope – we are loved so much that we are called God’s children. The world did not “see” Christ so they therefore cannot “see” us. But, keep this hope: we are seen by God, loved by God and we are God’s own.
John’s First Letter is used by seminaries to teach the basics of understanding Greek. After a couple of months of doing a graduate level study of his letter, I distinctly remember holding the Greek New Testament version, in an easy chair with the soft afternoon California light shining on my lap, and just reading it. No translation needed. I read word by word. And then something miraculous happened: I understood it! I “saw” what John himself was writing. I grasped it. I was holding onto the Word that he himself held. That spark of the Word of Life has remained with me to this day.
John wrote about what he saw and touched and heard. He was compelled to write; just like I am compelled to write. And what a gift he has given us – a simple written expression about the miraculousness of God in the flesh that he knows. This written testimony may have been what caused him to be arrested and placed in exile on the Island of Patmos. But, he had to do it. I am thankful that he did. And so is the Episcopal Church. The number one name for an Episcopal Church is “Christ” with 527 churches bearing that name. The second is St. John with 524 churches bearing his name. Number three is Trinity at 520 churches.
John wrote about what he saw and touched. He also gave the early Christians this two-fold warning: there are some who did not see Jesus who therefore cannot see us; and there are people in the world who are the exact opposite of him. But, do not lose heart. Remember that God so loved the world that he sent Jesus, his only son, to redeem it. Remember that you are loved by God. Remember that you are a child of God. And even when things look dim, the light that shines through Christ shines in you and will illuminate the whole world.
- Rev. Dave
John is most likely the Apostle John – the one whom Jesus loved, the youngest, the one who outran Peter to see the empty tomb, the one to whom Jesus said from the cross, “John, this is your mother [Mary],” and, “Mom, this is your son [John].” It is believed that the author John also wrote the Gospel attributed with his name. And some people (like me) believe he was exiled on the Island of Patmos where he had the vision which was written down as The Book of Revelation. In other words, John is one of the most influential and important of all the Apostles.
Many believe his letter was one of the first written Christian documents. It is not addressed to any particular congregation or region but rather the entire assembly or gathering of the followers of Christ. It is written in an easy-to-read version of Greek. There are even a couple of grammatical mistakes which have been carried forward for centuries. Clearly, the letter is written by someone who has taken Greek as a second language. More on that in a moment.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, John is passing along a message that is timeless. He is writing about the things that he has seen, heard, touched and understood as the Word of Life. It is a first-person account of Jesus in the flesh as the Logos (Word). Secondly, he is issuing a warning: there are detractors of the faith who he calls “anti-Christs” which should be taken literally – as people who are the opposite of Christ – and not demonically. Third, he is writing with hope – we are loved so much that we are called God’s children. The world did not “see” Christ so they therefore cannot “see” us. But, keep this hope: we are seen by God, loved by God and we are God’s own.
John’s First Letter is used by seminaries to teach the basics of understanding Greek. After a couple of months of doing a graduate level study of his letter, I distinctly remember holding the Greek New Testament version, in an easy chair with the soft afternoon California light shining on my lap, and just reading it. No translation needed. I read word by word. And then something miraculous happened: I understood it! I “saw” what John himself was writing. I grasped it. I was holding onto the Word that he himself held. That spark of the Word of Life has remained with me to this day.
John wrote about what he saw and touched and heard. He was compelled to write; just like I am compelled to write. And what a gift he has given us – a simple written expression about the miraculousness of God in the flesh that he knows. This written testimony may have been what caused him to be arrested and placed in exile on the Island of Patmos. But, he had to do it. I am thankful that he did. And so is the Episcopal Church. The number one name for an Episcopal Church is “Christ” with 527 churches bearing that name. The second is St. John with 524 churches bearing his name. Number three is Trinity at 520 churches.
John wrote about what he saw and touched. He also gave the early Christians this two-fold warning: there are some who did not see Jesus who therefore cannot see us; and there are people in the world who are the exact opposite of him. But, do not lose heart. Remember that God so loved the world that he sent Jesus, his only son, to redeem it. Remember that you are loved by God. Remember that you are a child of God. And even when things look dim, the light that shines through Christ shines in you and will illuminate the whole world.
- Rev. Dave
Solomon's Gift
April 4, 2024
Heidi Haverkamp in her article, The Wisdom of Not Knowing, wrote, “An infinite, all-inclusive buffet for the mind is now spread before us online. We can find out just about anything we have ever wondered about, at any time, and at almost any place on earth.” This was our discussion group article and to start the conversation, I read from the Bible about the young King Solomon (who took over from his dad, King David). In a dream, God asked Solomon what he wished for. The response: Please give your servant a discerning mind in order to distinguish good from evil, because no one is able to govern without your help. God granted him a discerning mind and now Solomon is known for his wisdom.
Discernment is different than knowledge. While it is probably true that we live in an infinite, all-inclusive buffet for the mind, it won’t give us wisdom or discernment – especially knowing good from evil. If anything, that buffet-for-the-mind makes discerning good from evil all the more difficult.
A parishioner on Tuesday responded to a popup on her computer from Microsoft. It said that her computer was vulnerable to attacks. She called the phone number on the screen and a helpful person answered almost immediately. He asked for permission to take over her computer. Once it was granted, he discovered that she had been hacked. When he asked for her home address and information off her credit cards, she backed away from the conversation. Thankfully, at the same time, the internet on Longboat Key went dead – it was a helpful coincidence. After the encounter, she asked me if I thought it was legitimate. I did this Google search: “Does Microsoft alert me if I have been hacked?” The answer: No, that’s a fake so-called Tech Support scam. Real error messages from Microsoft, or other big tech companies, never include phone numbers.
One of my neighbors is a skilled tradesman from a family of law enforcement in New Jersey. The other day, he asked if I received a phone call from the power company about changing out our meters. I had not and asked what happened. He said he was out on a job, ankle deep in hydraulic fluid, and his phone rang. Thinking it was his boss, he answered it and it was “the power company”; they were at his house and needed to reset the meter so they could install a new one. They asked him to verify information. He did, and even gave them his social security number. I said, “You did what?!” He dropped his head, said some unpublishable words, and then walked inside to make some phone calls to his bank and other institutions. I’m telling you this because if the scam happened to him, it can happen to any of us.
The most common crime you’ll encounter is white collar. At the same time, it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish good from evil. This means we need to be wise, like Solomon, and ask for a discerning mind to help us navigate this all-inclusive buffet for the mind.
I will never send you an email, a text, or a voice mail that asks for money or gift cards. At the same time, All Angels asks for contributions because we depend completely upon the generosity from our congregants and friends of the church. If at any time you think you may have received something from us, but you are not sure, please (please please) ask. Also, remember these two things: 1) Good will remain; evil is impatient. If there is someone at your electric meter, he’ll wait while you verify. Evil, on the other hand, will not wait for you to verify, it’ll move on to the next potential victim. 2) Wisdom and discernment happen when two or three are gathered together. If at any time, you receive a popup, a text, an email, a phone call and are wondering if it is good or evil, be sure to ask someone else.
- Rev. Dave
Discernment is different than knowledge. While it is probably true that we live in an infinite, all-inclusive buffet for the mind, it won’t give us wisdom or discernment – especially knowing good from evil. If anything, that buffet-for-the-mind makes discerning good from evil all the more difficult.
A parishioner on Tuesday responded to a popup on her computer from Microsoft. It said that her computer was vulnerable to attacks. She called the phone number on the screen and a helpful person answered almost immediately. He asked for permission to take over her computer. Once it was granted, he discovered that she had been hacked. When he asked for her home address and information off her credit cards, she backed away from the conversation. Thankfully, at the same time, the internet on Longboat Key went dead – it was a helpful coincidence. After the encounter, she asked me if I thought it was legitimate. I did this Google search: “Does Microsoft alert me if I have been hacked?” The answer: No, that’s a fake so-called Tech Support scam. Real error messages from Microsoft, or other big tech companies, never include phone numbers.
One of my neighbors is a skilled tradesman from a family of law enforcement in New Jersey. The other day, he asked if I received a phone call from the power company about changing out our meters. I had not and asked what happened. He said he was out on a job, ankle deep in hydraulic fluid, and his phone rang. Thinking it was his boss, he answered it and it was “the power company”; they were at his house and needed to reset the meter so they could install a new one. They asked him to verify information. He did, and even gave them his social security number. I said, “You did what?!” He dropped his head, said some unpublishable words, and then walked inside to make some phone calls to his bank and other institutions. I’m telling you this because if the scam happened to him, it can happen to any of us.
The most common crime you’ll encounter is white collar. At the same time, it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish good from evil. This means we need to be wise, like Solomon, and ask for a discerning mind to help us navigate this all-inclusive buffet for the mind.
I will never send you an email, a text, or a voice mail that asks for money or gift cards. At the same time, All Angels asks for contributions because we depend completely upon the generosity from our congregants and friends of the church. If at any time you think you may have received something from us, but you are not sure, please (please please) ask. Also, remember these two things: 1) Good will remain; evil is impatient. If there is someone at your electric meter, he’ll wait while you verify. Evil, on the other hand, will not wait for you to verify, it’ll move on to the next potential victim. 2) Wisdom and discernment happen when two or three are gathered together. If at any time, you receive a popup, a text, an email, a phone call and are wondering if it is good or evil, be sure to ask someone else.
- Rev. Dave
Swallowing Up Death Forever
March 28, 2024
On this mountain, the Lord will prepare for all peoples a rich feast and choice wines. He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe tears from all faces; the Lord has spoken. – Isaiah 25:6-8
The first lesson for Easter Sunday is from Chapter 25 of Isaiah from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). This is a popular reading for funerals and yet here it shows up on Easter Sunday too. I’d like to walk you through why it is good news for both funerals and Easter.
On this mountain. The first mention of a mountain in the Bible is during Noah’s flood. The water rose above the mountains and, as the water receded, the Ark rested on one. The second reference was when Abraham was told to go sacrifice his son Isaac (on a mountain; and, thankfully, God stopped him from going through with it). The burning bush Moses saw was on a mountain. The Ten Commandments were given on a mountain. The Promised Land is outlined by mountains. If you have been to Jerusalem, you will know it’s on top of a mountain. In the New Testament, mountains play an important role including the Transfiguration (when Jesus’ clothes turned dazzling white), the Sermon on the Mount, and when Jesus ascended to heaven, his disciples were on a mountain. In other words, mountains are places of transformation where, metaphorically speaking, heaven and earth touch. Isaiah’s “On this mountain” highlights a time of great transformation.
All peoples. “All” in Hebrew is the same in English, it means all. “Peoples” means the different groups, tribes, languages, ethnicities of the world. “All” is an intentionally repeating word in this passage – all faces, all people, all the earth. In other words, no one is left out.
A great feast. The food and wine, as described in detail in Hebrew, take a long time to prepare. Likewise, it takes a long time to eat. This passage is why we believe in heaven there is a great feast for all people.
Swallow up death forever. Most likely an intentional play on words; while all people are eating and drinking (swallowing) what is God eating? The answer: death. When: forever.
Wipe tears from all faces. God is the Feast Preparer, the Inviter of all people, the Swallower of Death, and God is the Great Comforter. Wiping away tears is an intimate, individualistic act. Probably an intentional play on words, the text switches from “all people” to the eyes of each individual. As a loving, compassionate parent wipes away tears from the face of a crying child, so too will God do with you.
The Lord has spoken. A trivia question for you: what’s the first thing God said in the Bible? If you answered, “Let there be light,” you are correct. That light, once spoken, is still active and present and will be here tomorrow and all the tomorrows forever. What God speaks happens; now, and in the future. The feast; swallowing up death; wiping away tears – God has spoken (and is speaking and will speak for every tomorrow for ever). In other words, if you see light in the day and the stars at night, God too will do this on the mountain.
We read this at funerals and on Easter Sunday because it is a summary of the Good News. God has/is/will prepare a feast for you, and for everyone you include in your “all”, and for everyone outside of your “all” too. Therefore, we fear death no more and we rely on God our Great Comforter. The food is being prepared; let us meet God on the mountain and celebrate!
- Rev. Dave
The first lesson for Easter Sunday is from Chapter 25 of Isaiah from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). This is a popular reading for funerals and yet here it shows up on Easter Sunday too. I’d like to walk you through why it is good news for both funerals and Easter.
On this mountain. The first mention of a mountain in the Bible is during Noah’s flood. The water rose above the mountains and, as the water receded, the Ark rested on one. The second reference was when Abraham was told to go sacrifice his son Isaac (on a mountain; and, thankfully, God stopped him from going through with it). The burning bush Moses saw was on a mountain. The Ten Commandments were given on a mountain. The Promised Land is outlined by mountains. If you have been to Jerusalem, you will know it’s on top of a mountain. In the New Testament, mountains play an important role including the Transfiguration (when Jesus’ clothes turned dazzling white), the Sermon on the Mount, and when Jesus ascended to heaven, his disciples were on a mountain. In other words, mountains are places of transformation where, metaphorically speaking, heaven and earth touch. Isaiah’s “On this mountain” highlights a time of great transformation.
All peoples. “All” in Hebrew is the same in English, it means all. “Peoples” means the different groups, tribes, languages, ethnicities of the world. “All” is an intentionally repeating word in this passage – all faces, all people, all the earth. In other words, no one is left out.
A great feast. The food and wine, as described in detail in Hebrew, take a long time to prepare. Likewise, it takes a long time to eat. This passage is why we believe in heaven there is a great feast for all people.
Swallow up death forever. Most likely an intentional play on words; while all people are eating and drinking (swallowing) what is God eating? The answer: death. When: forever.
Wipe tears from all faces. God is the Feast Preparer, the Inviter of all people, the Swallower of Death, and God is the Great Comforter. Wiping away tears is an intimate, individualistic act. Probably an intentional play on words, the text switches from “all people” to the eyes of each individual. As a loving, compassionate parent wipes away tears from the face of a crying child, so too will God do with you.
The Lord has spoken. A trivia question for you: what’s the first thing God said in the Bible? If you answered, “Let there be light,” you are correct. That light, once spoken, is still active and present and will be here tomorrow and all the tomorrows forever. What God speaks happens; now, and in the future. The feast; swallowing up death; wiping away tears – God has spoken (and is speaking and will speak for every tomorrow for ever). In other words, if you see light in the day and the stars at night, God too will do this on the mountain.
We read this at funerals and on Easter Sunday because it is a summary of the Good News. God has/is/will prepare a feast for you, and for everyone you include in your “all”, and for everyone outside of your “all” too. Therefore, we fear death no more and we rely on God our Great Comforter. The food is being prepared; let us meet God on the mountain and celebrate!
- Rev. Dave