December at St Tim's

Here are some pictures of St Timothy's in December. Included in this slideshow are scenes from the Advent wreath workshop, volunteer appreciation lunch, OWLs lunch, and St Nicholas Day.

We're Back!

After 8 days of fighting some sort of virus, we're back online! The cold and norovirus are going around Winston-Salem, so be sure to wash your hands frequently (and don't stick them in your mouth!).

The 1979 Book of Common Prayer recovered the practice of baptism as full initiation into Christ's Body. This means baptism makes a person a full member with access to the fullness of the sacramental life of the church. Previously, under the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, confirmation was required for persons to receive communion. Confirmation before communion is the practice familiar to so many. But with the recovery of baptism as full initiation and confirmation being moved more and more to 14 and 15 years (instead of 11 or 12), how can we help parents feel as if their children are being taught what the Eucharist is without denying them the Eucharist until they are teenagers?

Last night we had our first children's communion class. This is not exactly like first communion, since all who attended last night have already received the Eucharist. Instead this is a class on what we do every Sunday and why. We talked about Passover and the Last Supper. We talked about how Christ is present with us because he loves us and we are never alone. We learned how to receive the bread and wine (and we even rang the sanctus bell!). We took a tour of the sanctuary, looked in the tabernacle and took a tour of the sacristy. Finally we made bread. On January 18 the children will share what they have learned and the bread they made will be used for communion. It was truly a great night.

The next class (covering the exact same thing) for those who missed last night will be January 4 at 4pm.

Still Here, Just Sick

To the readers - I haven't given up blogging, just been sick for several days.  I'll be back soon.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
www.sttims.blogspot.com
336.765.0294

Sunday's Sermon (11/30/08)

Go here to hear it.

PS: Look for pictures from the Advent Wreath workshop later....

Sunday's Sermon

Click here for the audio.

Save Canterbury!

The Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal has now reached the £9 million mark. The Appeal, established to fund an extensive £50 million conservation and development programme, has made good progress during the two years since its launch enabling critical conservation work to be carried out.

Following its high profile launch in October 2006, the Appeal quickly settled down to business and has been attracting donations from a number of sources. The focus for the Appeal in the first two years has primarily been the local community of Kent.

Commenting on this new milestone, Matthew Butler, Chief Executive of the Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal, said; "We have seen a tremendous response to the Appeal in the last year, particularly when considering the current economic climate. We have continued to be delighted by the generosity of people who have donated financially, run events or volunteered their time. There is still a long way to go - £41 million to be precise, and we have much planned for the next few years to ensure we secure these donations."

The next fundraising event will be the Appeal's annual Christmas Concert in the Nave of the Cathedral on Saturday 13th December. "A Baroque Christmas" will feature many popular and familiar classical Christmas pieces performed by members of the English National Opera and the internationally acclaimed choir, The Sixteen. Tickets are £10 and can be purchased on 01227 464764 or by calling into the Appeal's office at 27-28 Burgate, Canterbury, CT1 2HA.

For more information on the Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal or perhaps to make a donation please contact 01227 865346 or visit the website at www.savecanterburycathedral.com.

The photograph attached is of work to the South East Transept roof that has been funded entirely by donations to the Appeal.

End

For further information/requests for interviews, please contact:

Email: nyes@canterburghy-cathedral.org

Notes for editors:

It costs over £14,500 each day to run Canterbury Cathedral which includes £9,000 of daily running costs. Canterbury Cathedral receives minimal external funding and is dependent on its own resources and donations for funding.

It was founded in 597 by St Augustine, who was sent from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons. It is the oldest institution in the country

In 1170 Thomas Becket was murdered in the Cathedral by four knights, who acted on the words of Kind Henry II "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Within 3 years, Thomas Becket had been made a saint and Canterbury became one of the leading pilgrimage centres of Europe

King Henry VIII destroyed the Shrine of Thomas Becket in 1538

Canterbury Cathedral has long been associated with literature. The Canterbury Tales were written by Chaucer following a pilgrimage to the Cathedral. Christopher Marlowe was educated here. More recently T.S. Eliot and Dorothy L Sayers wrote plays performed in the Cathedral's Chapter House

The Cathedral houses the finest 12th Century stained glass in the UK. The Quire is the earliest Gothic building in the country and the Cathedral has leading examples of every type of Gothic architecture

Canterbury and Durham are the only two cathedrals in the UK that are World Heritage Sites. Other World Heritage Sites include the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China.

From the Anglican News Service

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
www.sttims.blogspot.com
336.765.0294

Come and See

Some Pictures Around St Timothy's

A scene from last night's vestry meeting.



Kids at the After Mass Bible Blast program this past Sunday.



A scene from a Wednesday Night Dinner (come join us, 5:15pm on Wednesday!)

Sermon for November 16, 2008

Due to the acoustics, etc., the sound is always a beat off. We are working on having a good video with sound of all our services.

Sir, we would see Jesus.

Take a look and learn a little about Charles Simeon, whose feast is today.

http://intervarsity1.uchicago.edu/kal/simeon.html

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
www.sttims.blogspot.com
336.765.0294

A Prayer for Veterans' Day

O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thanksgiving for Heroic Service, BCP 1979

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
www.sttims.blogspot.com
336.765.0294

Coming Soon to St Timothy's!

Just kidding.

From the World of King David...

Yesterday at our 8:15am and 6:30 adult studies, several folks mentioned an article in Winston-Salem Journal about an archeological find around the time of King David. Here's an excerpt from Biblical Archeological Review:

A ceramic shard with what may be perhaps the oldest Hebrew inscription ever discovered has scholars speculating on the nature of King David’s kingdom. Archaeologist Yossi Garfinkel of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem is the director of the dig at Khirbet Qeiyafa, an ancient, fortified site near the modern city of Beit Shemesh in the Judean foothills. The pottery shard has been dated to 1,000 and 975 B.C., the same time as the Biblical golden age of David's rule in Jerusalem. Dr. Garfinkel maintains that the inscription and the sophisticated nature of the settlement ruins are evidence that a powerful kingdom existed at the time of King David, a theory that had come under fire from some scholars who say that the legendary kingdom of David was little more than a small chiefdom, if it existed at all. Read the entire article here.

Here's the first paragraph from the NY Times:
Overlooking the verdant Valley of Elah, where the Bible says that David toppled Goliath, archaeologists are unearthing a 3,000-year-old fortified city that could reshape views of the period when David ruled over the Israelites. Five lines on pottery uncovered here appear to be the oldest Hebrew text ever found and are likely to have a major impact on knowledge about the history of literacy and alphabet development. Read it all here.

St Timothy's in the Fall

From the Desert Fathers

A hermit was asked how it was that some people said they had seen angels. He answered, 'Blessed is he who always sees his own sins.'

Prayer for Today

Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your
purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, page 822

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
www.sttims.blogspot.com
336.765.0294

All Saints' Sermon

All Saints

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.



--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Mobile Update

A reader sent me the following email concerning Christmas decorations on Hardee's. Thanks!

Hey Steve--it is a little early for the Christmas decorations at that Hardee's, but here's something I didn't know until a couple of years ago:  Hardees puts out those decorations for the kids in Baptist who are on one of the floors overlooking Hardees...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It's Halloween

Driving past Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center I noticed the Hardee's on the corner was decked out in Christmas decorations - already!  We're not at Christmas yet, we haven't even made past Halloween.  So in the spirit of taking one day at a time, here are some readings and prayers for today taken from the Book of Occasional Services.

The Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:3-25)

Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, you have made all things in your wisdom and established the boundaries of life and death: Grant that we may obey your voice in this world, and in the world to come may enjoy the rest and peace which you have appointed for your people; through Jesus Christ who is Resurrection and Life, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Vision of Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 4:12-21)

Let us pray.
You, O Lord, have made us from the dust of the earth and to dust our bodies shall return; yet you have also breathed your Spirit upon us and called us to new life in you: Have mercy upon us, now and at the hour of our death; through Jesus Christ, our mediator and advocate.  Amen.

The Valley of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Let us pray.
O God, you have called your people to your service from age to age.  Do not give us over to death, but raise us up to serve you, to praise you, and to glorify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The War in Heaven (Revelation 12:1-12)

Let us pray.
O most merciful and mighty God, your son Jesus Christ was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary to bring us salvation and to establish your kingdom on earth: Grant that Michael and all your angels may defend your people against Satan and every evil foe, and that at the last we may come to that heavenly country where your saints for ever sing your praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

All Hallow's Eve Carnival

What's a Sunday Like at St Timothy's?

Just for Today

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs, I do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin, just for today.
Let me both diligently work and duly pray.
Let me be kind in word and deed, just for today.
Let me be slow to do my will, prompt to obey;
Help me to sacrifice myself just for today.
and if today my tide of life should ebb away,
Give me thy Sacraments divine, Sweet Lord, today.
So for tomorrow and its needs I do not pray,
But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord
Just for today.
Amen.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Rekindling the Bible in Rome

Roman Catholic bishops have been meeting in Rome for the Synod of Bishops.  The theme for this meeting is, basically, the Bible.  It seems as if the Pope and St Timothy's are thinking along the same lines - how can we rekindle love and interest in the Bible - the story of God's salvation of humanity?  Today we finish our final Rekindle the Bible gathering.  All month we have looked at the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament, the New Testament, and today we'll talk about making the Bible a part of our daily life and practice (plus some time spent looking at hard parts in the Bible).  Come join us!  (8:15am - which is about to start!!, and 6:30pm)

For your reading - a link with articles about the Synod of Bishops.
http://www.usccb.org/synod/

Here's a story on the Bible reading marathon started by the Pope.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/06/bible.marathon.ap/#cnnSTCText

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Notice Anything?

Take a look at this Sunday's Old Testament reading. 

What sort of things jump out at you as you read this?

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain-- that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees-- as far as Zoar. The LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, `I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there." Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD's command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Where Does That Leave You

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:

   "As I live and breathe," God says,
      "every knee will bow before me;
   Every tongue will tell the honest truth
      that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

Romans 14:10-12
from The Message

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws

Habamus Infantum

We have a baby!
Walker Easton Rice
8lbs 14oz
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Timing Contractions

I'm blogging from my cell phone. While we are timing contractions, I thought you might like to read an article from the Anglican News Service on Christians in Iraq. This topic was brought up at our Wednesday night program.

------Original Message------
From: Anglican Communion News Service
To: scrice@mac.com
Subject: ACNS4535 Christians in Iraq
Sent: Oct 17, 2008 10:23 AM

Christians in Iraq

Posted On : October 17, 2008 3:13 PM | Posted By : Webmaster
ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/10/17/ACNS4535

Related Categories: Middle East

The Anglican Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf, whose diocese includes Iraq,
has expressed his strong solidarity with all Christians there at a time
when they in particular are suffering a spate of violence.

The bishop recently visited Baghdad, where he met religious and
political leaders, including major Shi'a and Sunni figures, as well as
diplomats.

Speaking from Nicosia, Cyprus, he said:

"I am in close touch, as always, with our priest in Baghdad, Canon
Andrew White, and with leaders of our congregations, especially at St
George's church in the north-western suburbs. The threats, injuries, and
deaths in the Mosul area are a deep grief to all Christians in the
nation of Iraq and throughout the world, and fly in the face of
centuries-long coexistence and toleration in the land, where Christian
families have lived and prospered from near the very beginnings of our
faith.

"I am glad to hear that key figures in both the Christian and the main
Muslim communities are united in condemnation of the violence and are
soon to meet.

"It is a comfort, too, to know that Muslim and Christian clerics and
scholars meeting in the UK to discuss interfaith encounter, led by the
Archbishop of Canterbury and by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, have joined in
unequivocally declaring that no one should be persecuted or threatened
on account of their religious faith.

"My prayers are for the whole nation of Iraq, and especially with the
Christian Churches and their leaders, such as the deeply respected
Chaldaean Catholic Patriarch Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, and believers
of all traditions, as well as our Muslim brothers and sisters."

The Anglican church of St George Baghdad regularly sees up to two
thousand worshippers each week, all indigenous Iraqis. The chaplaincy
led by Canon White also currently serves multinational congregations
inside the International Zone of the city.

+ Bishop Michael Lewis

___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is
distributed to more than 8,000 journalists and other readers around
the world.

For subscription INFORMATION please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.cfm

To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your address, please click here:
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For daily updates on local, national and communion-wide news stories
please visit the ACNS Digest page:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Baby Update

There is a backup of babies...so we are waiting in line. More later!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Baby Watch

We're going in at 8. Check back with this blog and I'll email a post when the newest member of St Timothy's arrives!

Teresa of Avila

Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada (later known as Teresa de Jesus) was born in Avila, Spain, 28 March 1515, one of ten children whose mother died when she was fifteen. Her family was of partly Jewish ancestry. Teresa, having read the letters of Jerome, decided to become a nun, and when she was 20, she entered the Carmelite convent in Avila. There she fell seriously ill, was in a coma for a while, and partially paralyzed for three years. In her early years as a nun, she was, by her account, assiduous in prayer while sick but lax and lukewarm in her prayers and devotions when the sickness had passed. However, her prayer life eventually deepened, she began to have visions and a vivid sense of the presence of God, and was converted to a life of extreme devotion.

In 1560 she resolved to reform the monastery that had, she thought, departed from the order's original intention and become insufficiently austere. Her proposed reforms included strict enclosure (the nuns were not to go to parties and social gatherings in town, or to have social visitors at the convent, but to stay in the convent and pray and study most of their waking hours) and discalcing (literally, taking off one's shoes, a symbol of poverty, humility, and the simple life, uncluttered by luxuries and other distractions). In 1562 she opened a new monastery in Avila, over much opposition in the town and from the older monastery. At length Teresa was given permission to proceed with her reforms, and she travelled throughout Spain establishing seventeen houses of Carmelites of the Strict (or Reformed) Observance (the others are called Carmelites of the Ancient Observance). The reformed houses were small, poor, disciplined, and strictly enclosed. Teresa died 4 October 1582. (She is commemorated on the 15th--why not the 14th, I wonder--because the Pope changed the calendar from the Julian to the Gregorian system, a difference of 10 days, on the day after her death.)

Teresa is reported to have been very attractive in person, witty, candid, and affectionate. She is remembered both for her practical achievements and organizing skill and for her life of contemplative prayer. Her books are read as aids to the spiritual life by many Christians of all denominations. Her Life is her autobiography to 1562; The Way of Perfection is a treatise on the Christian walk, written primarily for her sisters but of help to others as well; The Book of Foundations deals with establishing, organizing and overseeing the daily functioning of religious communities; The Interior Castle (or The Castle of The Soul) deals with the life of Christ in the heart of the believer. Most of these are available in paperback. 31 of her poems and 458 of her letters survive. Her feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is 15 October. The Lutheran Church (ELCA) commemorates her on December 14 together with St. John of the Cross.

Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

from here.

Sunday's Sermon

We're experimenting with podcasting. Stay tuned.



PS: This is the statue that now resides in Bowling Green park in NYC.

She's a Theologian (and a morning person)

My four-year-old pops in the bedroom this morning.
"God told me to get up."
"God told you to get up?"
"Yep, he made the sun shine in my window."

Can't argue with that.

More on the financial crisis...

from the Anglican Communion News Service:

Web users looking for support during the current financial situation have boosted traffic to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice by over 70 per cent, and increased visitor numbers to the Church’s online prayer page by more than a quarter.

The Matter of Life and Debt website section - containing a new ‘debt spiral’ feature so visitors can work out if they are one of the many families who will be seriously affected by the credit crunch, and useful advice for those worried about debt - has seen a 71 per cent increase in traffic in recent weeks.

It can be viewed by visiting www.cofe.anglican.org/debt.

A new Prayer for the Current Financial Situation has been viewed nearly 8,000 times since it was published online in September - increasing traffic to the popular Prayers for Today section by 28 per cent.

It can be found online at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, recently said: “At this time of international financial turbulence, it is important that the Church should be offering the opportunity for prayer and reflection.”

Prayers for Today also contains many other useful contemporary prayers - covering issues such as exam stress, and world peace.

Prayer for the Current Financial Situation

from the Church of England

Lord God, we live in disturbing days:

across the world,

prices rise,

debts increase,

banks collapse,

jobs are taken away,

and fragile security is under threat.

Loving God, meet us in our fear and hear our prayer:

be a tower of strength amidst the shifting sands,

and a light in the darkness;

help us receive your gift of peace,

and fix our hearts where true joys are to be found,

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing of Hands

Funny...

Pope: financial crisis shows futility of money

from Yahoo news:

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI says the global financial crisis show the futility of money and ambition.

Benedict says that "now with the collapse of big banks we see that money disappears, is nothing and all these things that appear real are in fact of secondary importance." He urges those who build their lives "only on things that are visible, such as success, career, money" to keep that in mind.

The pontiff was speaking Monday as he opened the works of a meeting of 253 bishops at the Vatican.

Benedict says "the only solid reality is the word of God."

Rave

I don't know what a rave is, but I went to one last night. 30 of our youth enjoyed what they always enjoy on Sunday nights - a Bible Study (Ephesians), food, and a great time. One thing I do know - a rave involves black lights, strobe lights, and a lot of fun.

The ABC at Lourdes

ABC is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Lourdes is where Bernardette saw the Virgin Mary 150 years ago.
This is the ABC's sermon.

This sermon (and his presence) has created quite a little wave. What do you think?

Mad Max

In 1982, the sequel to the Mel Gibson movie "Mad Max" hit theatres. This movie was entitled "Road Warrior" and was set in a post-apocalyptic world where gas was the most scarce and sought after commodity. This movie came to mind today when gas stations locally are out of gas the oil jumped $25 a barrel yesterday. What will gas prices be tomorrow? What about the stock market and AIG? Years ago C.S. Lewis wrote "The Screwtape Letters." "Screwtape" is a (obviously) fictional collection of letters between two demons - one seasoned and the other, a novice. In their correspondence is a lesson on the future. The seasoned demon, Screwtape, advised his novice nephew to cast his "patient's" attention on the future, instead of the present. The future is uncertain and unknowable. Who knows what will happen with gas prices and energy costs? We cannot afford to avoid, however, the present - the here and now. As we are worried about (and rightly so) about our brothers and sisters in Galveston and other hurricane devastated areas and our own futures, we can't forget our own spiritual status right now - our connection with God -right now. How we are treating others - right now. As Jesus reminds us - tomorrow will have it's own worries. Let us live today, in the here and now. Let us pray for those who are suffering. Let us be responsible with our energy. Let us not forget our need for daily bread.

Sermon for September 14

per a request. This is unedited (which means I think faster than I type and what was in my head and what came through my fingers may not always match, be spelled correctly or make grammatical sense).

___

In a few minutes, after the sermon and after the Nicene Creed and after the Prayers of the People, the Confession, and Absolution, we’ll exchange the peace.

Friday morning I had a delightful conversation with some friends and this thing we do – the passing of the peace – came up. And this isn’t the first time that I’ve been asked about the passing of the peace so let me share a little bit about what we are doing and why.

First of all, if this is your first time with us at St Timothy’s and especially if this is your first time in an Episcopal Church, after we have come together and heard the readings and listened to the sermon and said the creed and prayed for the people in the church and the world, and after we have confessed our sins and received absolution, I will say “The Peace of the Lord be always with you,” to which you will say, “And also with you.”

It’s a lot like watching a Stars Wars movie, except we are not saying, “May the Force be with you,” but “the peace of the Lord.”

And then a lot of different things happen. Some folks will turn and face those around them and say “Peace be with you” or “the Peace of the Lord be with you” or simply “Peace.” Some other folks will go up and down the aisles greeting everyone, and typically I stand in the middle and say “Good morning, peace be with you!” which is my nice priestly way of saying, “sit down!”

When I was in the Methodist Church we had fellowship time. I would say “let us greet one another in the name of Christ,” and for five minutes we’d smile and slap people on the backs and glad hand and talk about the football game the day before or the potluck dinner that’s coming as soon as church is over. I know they have this in Baptist and Pentecostal Churches too.

Too many times we are running late to church and we have places to go as soon as it’s over, we’ve got company coming in or there’s a ballgame our kids have to go to, and it’s sometimes impossible to greet people in our church family. But that’s not what the passing of the peace is for.

Nor is the passing of the peace one of those things on our liturgical check list that we have to do. It’s not designed to be cold or informal and it’s really not designed to be a time of catching up either.

The passing of the peace used to be a kiss. In the early church newly baptized members were greeted by everyone by a kiss, not unlike the new baby that is passed around to aunts and uncles at Thanksgiving. Everyone gets to hold the baby and before they pass him down, that little kid gets a kiss on the forehead. The newly baptized, whether they are 6 months old or 60 years old, were passed down to all the spiritual aunts and uncles and before he was passed down, that little kid or very grown up person, received a kiss.

Over time the kiss of peace was exchanged by everyone all the time. It even had a hierarchy. The priest would kiss the altar, the place were Christ’s Body and Blood reside and would then kiss the deacon and the deacon would kiss the sub-deacon, and the sub-deacon would kiss the acolyte, and the acolyte would kiss the first person in the pew and so on until it was all passed down.

Nowadays we don’t typically kiss, we shake hands or nod or make a slight bow, but the point is still the same.
Now that we have come together as the Body of Christ, and we’ve heard the readings that proclaim the good news and the reconciliation and peace in Christ, and we’ve heard sermons sharing the application of this peace and we’ve confessed our faith in Christ, prayed for each other and received forgiveness of our sins, we are now called to put all that we’ve heard and proclaimed in action!

It goes back to what Jesus said in the 5th chapter of Matthew’s gospel: “If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first to be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

If there is anyone here that we are at odds with, fighting with, or holding something against, we are called to make peace. Before we go to the altar, we are called to make things right.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Sunday before Lent begins, the church gathers together for evening prayer. On this night something incredible happens. Everyone there, including the clergy, goes to everyone in the church – everyone gathered that night – and asks for their forgiveness.

One person stands in front of another and says “Forgive me, a sinner.” The person responds, “God forgives.”

I tried this one time. It wasn’t the Sunday before Lent but it was on Ash Wednesday. After everyone had received the imposition of ashes we all snaked around the church and went to every single person and asked for their forgiveness. Husbands and wives were crying, having the opportunity to say things to each other that their pride would not allow them to do behind closed doors – here in the midst of a Church, forgiveness was taking place, ice was melting and hard feelings and bitterness and resentment was slowly, but surely, being replaced…by peace.

There was one person in that room that did not stand up. No one had to stand up and ask for forgiveness, this was a new and strange thing we were doing on Ash Wednesday and I didn’t expect everyone to participate. But there was just one. I think he thought no one else would stand up either, but when everyone else did, and people were being honest and real and sincere just by saying, “forgive me, a sinner” this one person was so overwhelmed with the need for forgiveness and the need to forgive that he left.

Of all the diseases that Jesus encountered, the one that he addressed the most was the cancer of a hard heart.

Jesus tells a parable about a king who wanted to settle his accounts. There was a slave that owed the king 10,000 talents. The slave could not pay. 10,000 talents was the equivalent of 100 million denarii. The average worker made ONE denarii per DAY! It would take him 100 million years to pay off the debt. The slave pleads with the king and the king forgives him his debt.

When that same slave, the one just forgiven 10,000 talents or 100 million denarii, sees another slave that owes HIM just 100 denarii or a little over 3 months of wages, the slave grabs him by the throat and demands that he pay up.

But the slave could not pay. He didn’t have the money. So he begs for forgiveness and mercy JUST LIKE THE OTHER SLAVE DID TO THE KING. But he would not have mercy and he would not forgive his debt and he threw the debtor into prison.

When the king heard about this he was furious. He seized the slave and asked him, “Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” And the king had the slave tortured until he could pay his debt.

Now first of all, it would be impossible for a slave to have borrowed 100 million denarii, but Jesus wants to get our attention. He is comparing what God has forgiven us to what we are called to forgive others. God has forgiven us 100 million denarii and we are called to forgive 100 denarii.

God has mercifully restored us to new life and we could never even begin to work off our debts, but we are so many times reluctant to forgive the smallest infraction done to us.

If we do not forgive then we are stuck in one place, one time, and with one person. If we refuse to forgive we can never move forward. We are always thinking about, steaming about, complaining about things that happened back then and when we do that we can never fully enjoy and experience the here and now and we cannot look forward to the future.

How can we enjoy a life that has been forgiven when we do not forgive?

Forgiveness is a process. God can forgive and forget in an instant, but we are not God. It takes us time. It takes us time to work through it and gain perspective and to let go. If we refuse to forgive we are refusing to let go. If we refuse to forgive we are allowing other people and other events to have control over our thoughts and feelings, and if someone or something has control over our thoughts and feelings – then we are not free. And if we are not free – we do not have peace.

In a few minutes we’ll pass that peace. In other words, done right and with sincerity, we’ll pass forgiveness. We’ll pass freedom.

And the hope is that we’ll take the peace, the freedom, the forgiveness and spread it beyond the people in the pews in front of us, beside us and behind us. The hope is, and the call from Christ is, that we’ll take it to our homes and to our jobs and to our friends and to strangers. The hope is that we’ll always remember the unpayable debt that has been forgiven us – and that we’ll not pay it back – but pay it forward.

And pass the peace. Amen.

We are Growing in God's Kingdom

Yesterday we had our first "After Mass Bible Blast." 17 children from St Timothy's stayed after church and we learned about what makes us grow. Jesus frequently talked about seeds, soil, and growth and the children talked about what makes plants grow and what makes us grow - spiritually that is. I had great pictures from the camera but alas, the transfer to the computer is not working. BUT! I do have this one grainy picture from my cell phone of the children decorating planters and filling them with soil and seed.

PS: Below is the unedited version of the sermon from yesterday.

Last week I had a surprise in church. Actually I had two surprises. The first one was that my mother actually brought naked pictures of me to the ECW shower for Cherilyn. Frankly I do not know why pictures of me in my birthday suit are in any way relevant to Cherilyn and the birth of our son.

But the second surprise occurred at the 10:30 service right as I started to read the Gospel. In the back of the church, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jocelyn Scofield. Now, you don’t know Jocelyn, she’s not from here and before last week I’m not sure if she has ever been in Winston-Salem. And I haven’t seen Jocelyn in almost 20 years. But I remember her well.

You see, in all my years in school, I was sent to the principal’s office one time. And for that one time – Jocelyn was the reason. You have to understand my mother was, and still is, an elementary school principal. She would have weekly conference calls with teachers and principals just to make sure I didn’t have my name on the board or anything remotely considered misbehaving.

But Jocelyn was the reason. In all honesty it wasn’t her fault. We were in Mrs. Risinger’s glass and I was holding a pair of scissors and she had long blonde hair, and one thing led to another, and before I knew I was sitting in the principal’s office with locks of Jocelyn’s long blonde hair between my fingers.

And in that hot seat, sitting in a chair with the lights bearing down on my face, and a principal frowning at me across his desk, and knowing that my mother and father would not find my attempt at cosmetology funny, I wanted and wished so hard to be somewhere else.

There is a great scene in the movie “Forrest Gump.” Do you remember Forrest Gump? The simple Alabama boy who found himself in the most extraordinary situations? Do you remember the scene when Forrest and Jenny, his best friend – just like peas and carrots – took off in the corn fields trying to hide from her daddy?

Jenny wasn’t in school one day so Forrest, being her ‘very best friend’ went to her house to see if she was sick or out of town or whatever. When he walked up to her house Jenny bolted and took Forrest by the hand and together they ran off to the cornfield. Forrest didn’t know it then, but Jenny was trying to avoid her abusive father. All day long she had been cooped up in the house with her father. All day long she had been subject to abuse, and when she saw Forrest, they took off to the cornfields.

When her father heard the screen door slam as Jenny ran outside, he got up from his nap and started looking for her, calling her name, and he started for the cornfield. In an act of faith and desperation, Jenny took Forrest by the hand and they knelt down in the middle of the corn and Jenny prayed.

Do you remember her prayer?

Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far; far, far away.
Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far; far, far away.

Throughout time Jenny’s prayer has also sounded like this:
Dear God, if you would just get me out of this.
Dear God, help me find a way.
Dear God, let this cup pass before me.

St Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians while he was in prison. It is sometimes hard to put the events of Paul’s life in order and we aren’t sure if he was in Rome or if he was in Ephesus or really where he was but we do know he was in prison.

The book of Philippians is one of the prettiest books in the New Testament. It’s in the book of Philippians that we find the Christ Hymn, the song that includes the verses ‘that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’

But it’s also a book written by a man in prison. It’s written by a man who is chained. It’s written by a man who wishes he was a bird, so he could fly far, far, far away.

At least it seems that way. St Paul tells the Christians in Philippi that he would rather be with Christ – in fact if he had his druthers he would be with Jesus in heaven – but he knew that he needed to keep fighting to help the struggling, new Christian Churches.

St Paul says that he hard pressed between his two options – to be with Christ or to stay in the flesh. And it doesn’t take an advanced theological degree to see that St Paul really, really wants to escape from his present circumstances. He’s in prison. He’s chained. Who knows what might be in store? Who knows what his captors have in store for him?

In fact, some scholars have actually wondered if St Paul is considering taking his own life to escape from his own hardship. He argues with himself until his comes away with the conviction that he needed to stay strong, he needed to stay in the flesh so that he might be of help to the Philippians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Romans, and Christians everywhere.

The point is, the two most important figures in our faith both experienced times when their circumstances were so great, the stress was so incredible, they wished to be somewhere else. St Paul wanted to be with Christ and not in a damp, dirty, inhumane cell.
Jesus asked God to let his cup pass before him.
Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far; far, far away.

When I hear St Paul writing to the Philippians and when I remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, I know that the feelings I have are not just my own. I know that when there are times and there are places and I am with people when the circumstances seem too hard for me to handle, and when the stress feels like it is going to break me.

We all can nod in agreement with that. We’ve all had times when money or family or work or sickness or those inner demons pile on our souls to the point that we scream for an escape – and sometimes we do destructive things hoping we might escape.

But the most unique thing about our faith is that we don’t have a God who simply tells us how to handle our stress. We have a God who actually showed us.

Christ carried his cross. St Paul labored until he was executed. Neither one was delusional. Neither one had any misconceptions about what faced them ahead. And at their weakest point – they show us God’s immense strength.

Isn’t that funny to say? That at our weakest point, the point where we are the most vulnerable, where we are the most wounded – that we are also at our strongest?

At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, British sprinter Derek Redmond tore his hamstring in a 200 meter semi-final. He fell to the ground. The hard surface of the track cut in to his skin. His race was over. His Olympics were over. Olympic officials raced over to Redmond and tried to take him off the track, but he brushed them off. He wanted to cross the finish line.

And then he felt the arms of someone familiar around him. It wasn’t an official, it wasn’t another runner, it was his father. His father after watching him fall, ran down the stands, evaded the security guards and put his arms around his son and together they limped to the finish line.

Do you remember watching that scene? No one really remembers who won that race and no one really remembers who won the gold medal that year. Because the strongest person at that race wasn’t the fastest.

The strongest person was the one that at the point of greatest weakness still marched on to finish the race. The fact that in the face of humiliation and disappointment and pain – he kept on fighting moved 65,000 people to their feet cheering him on. At that point the crowd didn’t care about the winner. They didn’t care about a medal. His story is the one we remember.

When we find ourselves in times, places, and people where everything is crashing in and we can’t seem to even stay above water and we wish, we wish with all our might that we could vanish or be whisked away to another place or even another time – let us remember that God’s strength is the most evident when we are at our weakest.

At that even if we do fall down and if the track we are running on does cut and scrape and if our dreams are dashed and our hopes are not realized, God is there to wrap us up in loving arms and walk with us across the finish line.

That’s a story people will remember.

Amen.

Here's the video of Derek Redmond:

We Never Want This to Happen

Pope Benedict: 'Accept Death at Hour Chosen by God'

"Unfortunately we know only too well: the endurance of suffering can upset life's most stable equilibrium, it can shake the firmest foundations of confidence, and sometimes even leads people to despair of the meaning and value of life,"
- Pope Benedict from the mass at Lourdes, France

Read the entire story here.

This can be hard. On one hand, Christ's suffering is an example to all of us. Pope Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, famously said as he was ailing and many were calling him to step down, "Christ did not come down from the cross."

On the other hand, it is very hard to watch a loved one suffer and many times methods used to make one comfortable can also speed up death (for instance, Morphine as I understand, reduces pain but also slows breathing).

What do you think?

Preview for Tomorrow....

...Forgiveness is a process. God can forgive and forget in an instant, but we are not God. It takes us time. It takes us time to work through it and gain perspective and to let go. If we refuse to forgive we are refusing to let go. If we refuse to forgive we are allowing other people and other events to have control over our thoughts and feelings, and if someone or something has control over our thoughts and feelings – then we are not free. And if we are not free – we do not have peace...

What a Day....

reflection coming soon!

Angels and Ministers of Grace

I know that (the above title) is a line from Shakespeare. For weeks I have driven by a statue near the local Starbucks of an angel holding a man. It wasn't until Monday that I actually walked up to the statue to see it up close. The statue is of an angel holding a man with a broken sword. The man does not look defeated but rescued in the arms of the angel. The broken sword suggests a battle and a battle in which there was a great foe. Did the man die in battle? Where is this battle in the first place?

And then I looked down at the plaque. The statue stands as a memorial to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

May their memory be eternal.

Sunday's Sermon

Matthew 18:15-20

I played football with Darrin and Gil. Our lockers were pretty close to each other. From 3:30 to 6 o’clock Monday through Friday we were around each other. We also had first period algebra together which meant we started the day together and we ended the day together. The problem was Darrin and Gil didn’t like each other. My job was to be in the middle. I sat between them in first period and unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) I was between them in the locker room too.

I don’t know what it was that made Darrin and Gil not like each other. They had a lot in common. In fact, they had most things in common. They were the same age, had similar interests, and the biggest thing they had in common is that they didn’t like each other. The problem might have been that they were too much alike and the things they didn’t like about themselves were amplified in each other.

I didn’t know what the problem was. This was years before Dr. Phil ever came on television.

Somewhere around the third week of school, something happened. I don’t remember what it was, I’m not even sure I knew what it was then, but something happened to escalate the tension between Darrin and Gil. I know because I had to sit between them. I was the peacemaker. I don’t know about you, but that job has been given to me all my life – peacemaker. If there was conflict in the family, my job was to go and smooth things over. If friends in school were having problems, I was sent to mediate a truce.

But with Darrin and Gil, I decided to take a peacemaking vacation. First of all they were older and bigger than I was so I wasn’t going to get in the middle of them. If they wanted to throw angry glances at each other – go ahead. If they wanted to snort or grunt every time the other one said something – knock yourself out. If they wanted to fight – let ‘em fight.

And that’s what they did. Like I said, I don’t remember what started the escalation but something was said or something was done that changed the tension in the classroom to an appointment made for a fight. Which, by the way, now that I think about it, it’s simply amazing how they arranged the fight. They actually scheduled it.

“How about Thursday afternoon?”
”No, I can’t then; I’ve got to go to the dermatologist. What about Wednesday?”
“No, my mom is taking me to buy some new shoes.”

You would have thought they were scheduling a play date and not a fight.

I think they finally agreed on Wednesday. Gil got his mom to buy him shoes on another day. As soon as the bell rang, Darrin, Gil, and about 30 other people went out to some field to fight. I didn’t go, because I knew it would be my luck that the police would come and somehow I would be in the one to get in trouble. Uh-uh. Not me.

I didn’t have to go because I knew the next morning I would have the play by play. And I did. Gil came into first period with a black eye. Darrin didn’t look too hot either. Neither one of them said anything. And nothing changed. I sat between them and didn’t speak to each other. In locker room, they didn’t look at each other. And when they had to talk to one another, their words were not all warm and fuzzy. In other words, nothing changed between them.

Now this story is one of millions of after school backyard fights. It happens every day. It starts when we are in preschool and someone gets our spot in the sand box and we start to scream and complain and fight then. Then the issues change but the behavior does not. Even if we earn diplomas, things do not change. Even if we have careers, we are never too far from the sandbox. And even if our names are not Darrin or Gil, we still know what it feels like to not like someone.

We know what it’s like to cut our eyes and shoot daggers from our corneas and grunt or snort or roll our eyes when the say something or do something. We know what’s like to gossip and talk about them and secretly, or not so secretly, rejoice when they stumble or fail.

And even though we may no longer arrange for fist fights after school, our methods have evolved, or shall I say devolved, into passive aggressive swipes and attacks.

Friday morning I went outside while it was still cool and pulled out my lawn mower with the plan of cutting the grass before the Tropical Storm rains came in. Being the expert mechanic that I am (I’m pausing to let the absurdity of that statement sink in) I checked the gas, kicked the tires, and cranked it up. When I did every Roman Catholic in my neighborhood came outside because there was so much white smoke coming from the lawn mower you would have thought a new pope had been elected.

Well I didn’t know what the problem was, but the more the thing smoked the angrier I became. The old defective lawn mower, I said under my breath. I’m going to write a strongly worded letter to Sears about this, I ranted. Now I can’t cut the grass. Now I’ve got to get a new lawn mower, now this and now that, until it finally dawned on me that there is a reason the lawn mower is smoking.

One day after church years ago, a woman that was known for conflict and negativity was giving me an ear full about something. I don’t even remember what it was about but I do remember that it was so silly and insignificant that it couldn’t have been the real issue.
“Why are you so angry?” I asked.
And she didn’t know what to say.

Don’t you think we are like lawn mowers? We get all cranked up and start spewing smoke and sputtering and we get all hot or someone else is pouring out smoke and exhaust and we get angry or hurt and it rarely occurs to us to ask – what is causing the smoke? What is the real problem?

In the 18th chapter of Matthew, Jesus builds something incredible for us.

At the beginning of the chapter he says that we must become like little children. I used to assume that he meant we needed to have the simple and profound trust and faith as a child does – but now I wonder if he means we are to become like children in how we deal with each other. I’ve never heard a five-year-old gossip. Every toddler I’ve met has had the trait of honesty – it may be brutal honesty, but it’s honesty none the less.
Then Jesus says that we are not to be stumbling blocks for others. If there is something that we do or say that hinders another in their spiritual growth – don’t do it.

Next he tells the story of the lost sheep, remember the 99 sheep that were in the fold and one wandered off and the shepherd left the 99 to recover the 1?

And finally he comes to today’s lesson in dealing with people in the church who sin against us. At first glance, we can read today’s lesson as Jesus telling us how to deal with conflict, and it’s a good lesson: if someone sins against us, go to them. Talk to them. Don’t let it simmer, don’t stew. Deal with it. Face to face. In person. In private. If there is no resolution, then take someone else with you and try to resolve it. If that doesn’t work, then bring the whole church in. And if that doesn’t work, then let them go.

At first glance it seems like Jesus is saying three strikes and you’re out. If they don’t listen to you, strike one. If they don’t listen to two of you, strike two. If they don’t listen to the church, strike three and you’re out.

But in the context of the whole chapter, I think he’s saying something else.

If someone sins against us, Jesus says; if someone hurts us by their words or their actions. If they are gossiping or engaging in passive-aggressive warfare or if they are just down right mean and ugly – find out why.

Find out why there is smoke pouring from their hearts. Not because you’re trying to diagnose them, but because you love them. Conflict and anger and hurtful words and actions come from brokenness. Smoke coming from a machine is the result of brokenness.

And the entire 18th chapter of Matthew’s gospel is about Jesus saying to us – love each other. Love each other the way children love each other. Don’t do anything to bring someone down. If they stray away from the group – risk and go find them and bring them back. And if they are acting out – love them into mending the brokenness.

And of course, that goes for us, too.

When we act out, when we stew, when we gossip, when we smoke and sputter – there’s too much oil in the tank or there’s not enough. Something is not working right. There is brokenness.

It’s going to happen. It’s happening now. For all of us. That is the human condition. But the divine response is for us to love each other enough to seek healing in each other. My job is to help you heal what’s broken and you’re job is to help me heal too.

That’s part of our baptismal covenant with God and with each other. And that is the command from Christ.

I haven’t seen Darrin or Gil in over ten years. I don’t know if they are still mad at each other or not. I do know that their backyard school fight didn’t solve anything. And fighting, gossiping, and inwardly stewing never does.
If we love each other, then we’ll be open and honest. If we love each other we’ll work for peace and reconciliation at all times and between all people. If we love each other, then we’ll seek to see the brokenness in each other and work to be instruments of healing.

If we love each other.

And maybe that should be our prayer; not that we’ll know how to deal with conflict or difficult people or in other words broken people; but that we love.

And in our loving – may we care enough to ask. And in our asking, may we love enough to listen. And in our listening, may we be patient enough to understand. And in our understanding, may we be wise enough to love all over again.

Let us pray:
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.

Breakfast/Sunday School Begins Tomorrow!

Hungry on Sunday? We've got two ways to be fed. Breakfast will be served in Drake Hall from 8:30-9:30. Once you've got your fill, don't leave! Sunday School for all ages will begin. For youth and children, it starts at 9:15. For adults, stay put in Drake and we'll start at 9:30.

Other things happening tomorrow - at the 10:30 service - the commissioning of choir members and Sunday School teachers.

See you then!

Wow! What a Wednesday at St Timothy's!

I don't want to ruin this by too many words! Instead I want to share with you some pictures of yesterday's kickoff Wednesday. At 8:15am we began the day with our study topic in the ECW Hall. At 9:30 we celebrated the Eucharist (with prayers for healing). At 10:30 we had an hour of games and fellowship and at 11:30 we broke cornbread with a fabulous soup lunch.

Mrs. Vi screams Yahtzee!
Jenga at 10:30am.

Soup Lunch.


Then....that evening phase two kicked off. Over 130 folks came for dinner, children's choirs (3 choirs in all!), youth Bible study, children's program, and the adult study - Does God Exist? The end the evening our choir warmed up their voices. Take a look and enjoy and remember: we're doing this every Wednesday! Come and see!



Children's Choir

The Language of Christianity

My mother, an elementary school principal, shakes her head in shame whenever I mention the following fact: I've never diagrammed a sentence. Never. Not once. Wouldn't know what to do if I had to. I can write a sentence and I can read a sentence, but I have never in my life been asked to break one a part and diagram it. Frankly, I don't know why. I might have been in school at the time when diagramming sentences was not en vogue; whatever the reason - I don't know how. My assumption is that the education trends at that time were for students to learn grammar by reading comprehension. The more you read, the thought might have been, the more you will just naturally pick up the nuts and bolts of nouns, verbs, and adverbs. And I think to a large degree that is true. The others in the class and I might have absorbed most of the grammar we needed, but if you asked me to explain it, to break it down, I would look silly (stupid).

My own feeling is that for a long time, the leadership in mainline churches has also assumed that members will just 'pick up' the vocabulary and grammar of faith. The more they come and worship and they more they are involved with this or that, the more fluent they will come in the language of Christianity. I think that is true. If we volunteer at Habitat for Humanity or go on a mission trip we will pick up some very important parts of the language of faith. If we sit in worship for years and years we will have absorbed an incredible amount of spiritual nouns, verbs, and adverbs. But can we articulate it? Can we explain it? Can we share it?

At St Timothy's we will not assume everyone knows how to diagram a spiritual sentence. And if we can't, it doesn't mean that we aren't spiritual or faithful or wanting to learn (after all, I finished college and graduate school and never learned how to diagram a sentence). We will seek to teach and live both by doing and by learning. We want to absorb the sentence of faith and we want to learn more about what we have absorbed.

Charles Wesley Diary Decoded

Fascinating....

LONDON -- A secret, coded diary kept by one of Methodism's founding fathers for 20 years has been deciphered by an Anglican priest in Britain, illuminating historical efforts to keep Methodists in the Church of England.

The task of decoding Charles Wesley's handwritten 1,000-page journal took the Rev. Kenneth Newport of Liverpool Hope University nine years, he told journalists.

Wesley's brother, John, founded Methodism. Charles was a prolific hymn writer whose works include "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."

Newport said that Wesley's complicated writing omitted vowels and abbreviated consonants in a style ascribed typical of a gentleman and preacher of the 1700s.

Wesley's journal begins with his trip to America in 1736. It offers an insight into Wesley's determination to prevent the Methodist Societies from breaking away from the Church of England, according to the Times of London.

It also detailed "disagreements with his more influential brother" John over whether the movement should break with the Church of England.

The two volumes that Newport has translated make up what has been described as the first complete transcription of the text.

Why Believe in God?

Looking at my bookshelf I see no less than eight books with titles such as The God Delusion, God and Religion, The Atheists Bible, God is not Great, The Varities of Religious Experience, and the Portable Atheist. With the exception of a couple, most of these titles were published in the past few years. Back in in Georgia, I would visit Borders books every week. In the beginning I noticed that a few books on antheism would be placed in the religion section, but not many. But it wasn't long before Atheism had its very own section.
I'm not sure the official structures of the church have done a great job explaining at the most basic level - why should a person believe in God? Because we in the church have not done a great job, others are asking that question on behalf of the church and their conclusions are not the same. This topic interests me on many levels, but perhaps the most important one is that this topic is a hot one.

Why should we believe in (a) God?

The first night of our Rekindle the Gift Wednesday's will focus on that very question. We'll look at the common (and increasingly popular) reasons given for NOT believing in God. We'll look at classical philosphoical proofs of God's existence, and of course, we'll share our own thoughts and experiences.

Wednesday, September 3 - 8:15am or 6:30pm - Rekindle the Gift - Why Believe in God?

Angel Sightings?

Take a look for yourself at this page on beliefnet.com. Celestial or not - they're neat.

Have you ever seen something...angelic?

Prayers for School

On behalf of everyone at St Timothy's Episcopal Church, our prayers are with and for the family of Matt Gfeller, the young Reynolds High School student who lost his life this weekend.

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon them.

_____________________

Yesterday's Sermon:

I’m glad I don’t have to go to school tomorrow, aren’t you? Oh, I’m sorry, there’s a significant portion of folks here who DO have to go to school tomorrow. I know because I can see it in your faces! All the stress and anxiety and angst. And I can see it in your parents’ faces too! All the joy and freedom and happiness. But even though I wish you well tomorrow and later we’ll ask for God’s blessing on your new school year, I’m glad I’m not going tomorrow.

I’ve already spent 20 years of my life in school. That’s 20 years of homework, tests, and trying to impress the brunette sitting beside me. I plan to go back to school some more and have more homework and more tests and Cherilyn has said I can’t flirt with any brunettes, but for right now, I’m glad I done.

No more pop quizzes, projects, homework, extra-credit, or being sent to detention. No more two-a-day football practices or late-night cram sessions for a test I waited to the last minute to study for.

But that’s not really telling the truth. Because everyone here who has already finished school will agree that there are always pop quizzes, projects, homework, extra-credit and the threat of going to detention. There will always be long practices and late-night cram sessions for tests we waited to the last minute to study for. At least in high school you have a mascot.

I say all of this because today Jesus gives his disciples perhaps the first pop quiz in all of the bible. As they were walking into the cosmopolitan seacoast town of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus stops class and tells his disciples to pull out their pencils.

This is a two question test, Jesus basically says.

Question number one: Who do people say the Son of Man is?
Now first of all, I think that is a trick question. That would make me chew on my eraser for a minute because Jesus used that enigmatic phrase ‘Son of Man.’ And I don’t like trick questions. But his disciples respond quickly to that one.

John the Baptist, one disciple said. Elijah, another answered. And the others said Jeremiah or one of the prophets. I guess that wasn’t too hard of a question. All Jesus did was ask his disciples what other people thought.

I actually like those kinds of questions. It’s not that hard to explain both sides of an argument. It’s purely academic – which makes sense seeing as this was an academic exercise. If we had a pop quiz right now and asked the same question and you pulled those little pencils out of the pews we could all answer.

Who do people say Jesus is?
Well some say he is a great teacher, a prophet even. Most everyone believes that the person Jesus lived in the first century and he started a movement. Most everyone believes that he died from the Roman form of crucifixion.
And there are others who say that he was the Son of God, in fact he WAS God. Some say that he rose from the dead destroying death and sin, and ascended into heaven and all of this – his life, death, resurrection, and ascension – saves us from the power of sin and death, too.
But like all tests, like all pop quizzes, the second question is harder:
Now that you’ve told me what everyone else thinks, now that you have given me an academic explanation as to the diversity of opinion – tell me what you think. Who do YOU say that I am?

When Jesus asked the first question, many, maybe all of the disciples answered. John the Baptist! Elijah! Jeremiah! One of the prophets! But with the second question, we don’t hear a chorus – we only hear a solo.

Simon Peter raises his hand and says “You are the Messiah, or the Christ, the Son of the living God!”

And the teacher smiled.

But do you realize what that meant for Peter to say that? If Jesus was like John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or any of the other prophets, he would have been a great teacher, his words would have been full of wisdom and the disciples would have been wise to listen to him and learn from him.

But to say that Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God, was to say something completely different.

Peter was saying that Jesus was the Revelation of God, he was the image of God. And if Jesus is the image, the revelation of God, then Peter’s life should be completely and totally oriented by the life and message of Jesus.

How should Peter live? By following the pattern of Jesus. How should Peter deal with other people? The same way that Jesus dealt with people. How should Peter handle hardship, suffering, horrible news? In the same way that Jesus handled it.

When Peter said Jesus is the Christ – he confessed that Jesus is his Lord.

But do you know what happened immediately after Jesus praised Peter? Do you know what happened immediately after Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter and called him the Rock (Peter means Rock) and declared that the church will be built on him and that he will have the keys to the kingdom of heaven?

Four verses later, Jesus basically calls Peter the devil. Four verses after Peter aced the pop quiz and correctly identified Jesus as the Son of God, he pulls Jesus aside and starts telling him what to say and how to act.

It’s easier to answer correctly than to live correctly, isn’t it?

That’s the thing about Peter. Look at his life. He takes a leap of faith to walk out to Jesus on the water and falls. He confesses that Jesus is the Christ and then he acts like the devil. He fights to defend Jesus and even cuts off someone’s ear in the process, but when the question came if Peter knew Jesus, he denied him three times.

But of all the disciples, I’m glad Jesus looked at Peter and called him the rock. Because of all the disciples Peter is the one that I can relate to the best. There are times when I feel as if I’m so close to God it’s hard to explain, and then there are times when I do things, when I say things, when I think things…that are hard to explain.

I think that’s why Jesus called Peter the rock – because we all can see ourselves in him. We can see the process of faith – high one minute and rock, there’s that word again, rock bottom the next. Jesus called Peter the son of Jonah – do you remember Jonah from the Old Testament? He was the one that ran from God and spent three days in the belly of a fish and was spit out before he did what God called him to do.

But even on a rock as shaky as Peter, even on rocks as shaky as the flawed souls in this room, the Church stands strong. And if that’s not evidence of God’s grace, I don’t know what is.

Even though most of us aren’t going to school tomorrow, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t daily faced with homework, projects and pop quizzes. That doesn’t mean we don’t need our backpacks blessed!

Who does the world say Jesus is? That one is easy.
But who do we say Jesus is?
If he’s just a prophet or good teacher, then his words are valuable and we should listen.

But if he is the Son of the Living God, he is the Revelation and Image of God. If Jesus is the Christ, and that is our confession, then like Peter our lives should be completely and totally oriented around him.

How do we live? We pattern our lives after Jesus. How do we deal with people day in and day out? We remember how Jesus dealt with people? How do we deal with hardship, pain, suffering, and terrible news? We carry our cross with Jesus.

By saying Jesus is the Christ, we are saying that he is the stick by which all things are measured, he is the plumb line – he is the standard.

Who is Jesus of Nazareth to us?
That is the most important question we will ever have to answer in our lives.
And this one is not just academic.

Amen.