3rd Sunday of Advent - 12/17/2023

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Not that I’m counting, but there are 7 days until the baby Jesus is born.  The creche is out, but no baby or wise people or camels are there just yet.  Christmas preparations are under way:  decorations, gift exchanges, cookie parties, shopping, making, shipping and delivering.  Children gleefully free of school until the new year.  Holiday gatherings taking shape.  In all the doing, all the effort to create a ‘perfect’ Christmas, where is God?

2nd Sunday of Advent - 12/10/2023

Readings for today.

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These opening verses from Mark give us a sense of the story he is about to relate.  We jump from last week’s Gospel story from Mark that comes just before Jesus’ Passion back to the very beginning of Mark.  Unlike Luke or Matthew, Mark is unconcerned with Jesus’ birth story or pedigree.  With a sense of immediacy, Mark crafts an opening that draws in the listener, engages our minds and hearts, and moves us to action.

1st Sunday of Advent - 12/03/2023

Readings for this week.

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On a walk this week, I heard a snippet of a passing conversation - like you do.  Another walker was describing a spiritual vision-quest with an intention of opening themself to non-self-judgmental clarity about their feelings.  That was all I heard as we passed one another.

That brief glimpse into another life reminded me of our human desire to know and understand life and ourselves. And the courage it takes to be present and aware of all the feelings we experience.  There is something holy about softening the crusty protective shell around our hearts.  About taking the risk to acknowledge our disappointment, shame, anger, fear, sorrow and all the other feelings we have when it seems like our lives and our world are falling apart and we are helpless to stop it.  God knows what is in our hearts already - and loves us.  Our wholeness and peace come when we also know and love who we are.  

Last Sunday after Pentecost / Christ the King Sunday - 11/26/2023

Readings for today.

I find it intriguing that the final Sunday of the church year (that’s today) most often falls on Thanksgiving weekend.  We have just spent a few days taking stock of the parts of our lives for which we are grateful and feel blessed.  The orientation to gratitude and its sister generosity gets our hearts ready for the new year and the season of Advent.

This Sunday marks one of the rare times when Christianity’s two Advents come into close connection.  Yes, I said TWO Advents.  The word ‘Advent’ means ‘coming.’  The first Advent is the coming of Jesus at Christmas, and the second Advent is the Second Coming at the end of the age.  The one who rules on the ‘throne of glory’ this week is the same one whose birth as a helpless child in a nowhere town we will celebrate in a few weeks.

25th Sunday after Pentecost - 11/19/2023

Readings for today.

Back in April or May, I shared this parable with the Vestry with the sentiment that I never want to be that servant, the one who was so afraid of failing or disappointing someone that I don’t try. Together, we reflected on Trinity’s talents and generated a list of ways to multiply them.  The overall theme that emerged was Stewardship of Neighborhood: something we do by strengthening relationships, by spending time together doing things socially, and by being generous with our gifts of time and food and welcome for our neighbors. The ideas for how to live into our abundance included:

• Hosting Night Out on August 1

• Creating t-shirts to let our light shine when we go out into the neighborhood

• Making 8th Ave safer, especially crossing Cherry Street

• Meeting and interacting with our neighbors 1:1

• Gathering for fun as well as trainings to increase our feelings of safety at church

Moved beyond fear of disappointing our selves or God, Vestry leaders summoned courage and hope, committed resources, took a deep breath and started some things to see what God might do with us.

24th Sunday after Pentecost - 11/12/2003

Readings for today

Is there anyone here who likes to wait?  

Who among us revels in the feeling that someone else has all the control over what happens to you next?  And it all depends on something you did or didn’t do?  Or that whatever news comes next will be life-changing?  

If you are that rare person who enjoys waiting, please let me know; I would love to learn from you.  

We wait for all kinds of things.

The arrival of a child

Closing on our dream house

 A job offer

College acceptance letters

Pregnancy tests

Diagnoses of mysterious symptoms

Election outcomes

To see if next year’s budget requires downsizing staff

Peace instead of war

Plowshares in place of guns

For Jesus to come again in glory

Waiting causes anxiety.  Anxiety comes from fear that the thing we await will be more than we can endure, learn, deal with, survive or thrive from.  We fear the unknown. And when the answer is delayed or the waiting is prolonged, we feel even more anxious.  Why haven’t we heard?  What’s the hold-up?

All Saints' Sunday with Baptism - 11/05/2023

The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs by Fra Angelico

 Readings for today.

Coffee hour last Sunday was a glorious celebration of Trinity’s generous gifts of hospitality. I arrived a bit late and admired the delicious offerings, including a tree themed dessert table.  The chocolate trunk of the tree was heavenly!  

Beyond the bounty of food and coffee, a warm parish hall and the hum of conversation, I saw several unhoused neighbors being welcomed in.  I learned that one of those neighbors is a young woman I had seen in church.  It was really cold last weekend, and before the service, one of our congregants invited her to come in.  The same person sat near her and helped her find her way through the service.  She was invited to coffee hour, where people learned her story and that she needed a place to sleep safely.  One person went down to the WHEEL shelter to find out about shelter resources.  Upon learning that there were beds available at a nearby location, a second person walked her to that shelter.  

A cold and frightened young woman found compassion, kindness, and hope because this community together shared their gifts for welcome, and connecting resources with urgent needs, and gentle companionship.  What a beautiful, lived statement of our faith!