Advent 4 -- Song of Praise -- December 21

[guest blogger: Lori Sbordone]
The woman
She is a teenager - an oppressed member of an oppressed people. Like most teenagers, people can’t seem to figure out what she’s good for. And she’s a woman. She has heard how men pray, “Thank you God, that I am not a woman.” If she were a mule, at least she’d be good for pulling wagons and plowing fields. She is a nobody. She’s an orphan. According to tradition, her parents both died when she was young. The closest thing she knew to a home was the Temple in Jerusalem, but she is a teenager now and there are things happening in her body which makes her “unclean” once a month. It’s time that she be married, although she has no father for young men to approach asking for her hand. A local rabbi makes the arrangements, and she is betrothed to a good man, an older man with children of his own to raise. It’s time to grow-up, leave her childhood behind and care for other children now.

She is waking up to discover the world about her is not kind. She has experienced the capricious violence of the Roman soldiers, and she has watched the tax collectors snatch the few coins from the poor who were clinging to that money to feed their children. She has watched the older people in her village hang their heads, sit on their anger, clench their fists around their frustration until their nails tore holes in their palms. She has watched hot tears fall from their faces when the rabbi read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, “Arise. Shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has arisen upon you…for the LORD will rejoice in Jerusalem and delight in His people. No more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it or the cry of distress…They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity…before they call, He will answer; while they are yet speaking, He will hear. (60:1; 65:19, 23-24) The cry now leaps from her own heart, “When! When will you fulfill the promises? When will you send another to march up to the throne of Pharaoh and demand, “Let my people go!”?

The rabbis say that when God appeared to Moses, He chose an ordinary bush, not a useful tree such as the olive or the fig, put a plant of no account so that His glory might be revealed within it. So Mary comes before the God of her people; “LORD, I am a useless bush. Be it done unto me according to your word.” And so it is done. In the dark of the night, an angel appears to her and announces that she will bear a son who will be called great – the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His ancestor David, and of His kingdom there will be no end. For nothing is impossible with God.”

I imagine Mary sitting up all night, watching the sunrise, still shaking her head and wondering, “How can this be?” Life in her village cannot seem much different to her this morning; still the mothers will wake to feed their hungry children, and the fathers go out to tend their fields; still the merchants will drag their goods to the market and Herod’s agents will stand by the fishermen’s boats to take their cut of their labor. Nothing has changed, and yet everything has changed, and she is the only one who knows this. But how can it be? Perhaps she was just dreaming. God, in His wisdom and mercy, gave her something to hold onto, something concrete. She rises and heads toward the house of her aunt, Elizabeth, who the angel said was now in her third month of pregnancy. Elizabeth who is old, and to this moment has been childless, is singing a song of miraculous pregnancy as her ancestor Hannah had. If Elizabeth is singing when she sees her, then she will know that the angel was indeed a messenger sent from God, and all he said was true. Mary greets Elizabeth, and at the sound of her voice, both she and the child within her leap for joy. Everything has changed. God has heard the cry of His people.

Her Song of Praise
The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) is a song of revolutionary victory. As a revolutionary I think of the surrender of Kerensky to the Bolsheviks in Russia, the fall of the Batista government in Cuba or Somosa in Nicaragua, the end of apartheid in South Africa, people streaming into the streets to discover that Pharaoh’s army has been drowned in the Red Sea. They breathe for the first time, the sweet air of freedom. Mary’s song is at least as big as this. Bigger, because “of His kingdom, there will be no end.” This revolution is God’s doing, so there will be no undoing.

3 Advent 2008 -- John The Baptist "Stir Up" Sunday

[guest blogger: Joe Occhiuto]
The mission before us is Continuity and Change.
When times are tough, many tend to dwell on the past. Many also tend to fill themselves with comfort food.
However, it must be noted that living in the past can stunt your growth. Too much comfort food can make you fat!
Living without change that is driven by the Holy Spirit will stunt your growth and make you fat.

This coming Sunday (Dec. 14th), Advent 3, is often referred to as "John the Baptist Sunday" because the Gospel message is the preaching of John, the last prophet. In the preaching of John the Baptist there is no room for dwelling on the past, or seeking any kind of comfort. Recall that John was the man who wore only camels fur and ate bugs and honey. John proclaims not what was, but what is and what is to come. John proclaims the Light - a new and improved Light. You cannot turn on a light in the past. But you can turn on a light in the present, and you can prepare or make ready to turn on a light in the future.

To be sure, there is much that can be learned from the past (Continuity) - not everything done in the dark was bad, But something new is about to dawn. Don't you want to be in on it? It's going to be good!

Come - let's talk
Sunday Dec 14th - Noon - in the Church

Our study of Change Continues - Advent 2

[guest blog: Joyce Egginton]
Last week we focused on Change-- the ways in which the Divine does not stay in one place or time; the ways in which Change, or the prospect of change, can produce anxiety. Yet, this week's scripture readings begins with Isaiah 40:1-11. The prophet's words, rather than warning about change, announce a promise of comfort for a people who have been buffeted about. The compassionate comforting that God brings is heralded, just as the herald of change, John the Baptist, shows up on the scene in Mark 1:1-8.

Join presenter Joyce Egginton following the 10:30 liturgy on Sunday as we continue to ponder the reality that we are in for a change.

Advent Bible Study Series Preview: Advent I

[guest blogger: Bill Paine]

First, thanks to Father Reese for allowing me to lead Advent I's bible study session. I look forward to a wonderful shared learning experience with everyone who can join us at 12 Noon this Sunday, November 30th.

We will be taking a look at the three scripture lessons and the psalm appointed for this Sunday, Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, and Mark 13:24-37, through the lens of the Advent Series theme, "We're In For a Change."

There's an old joke that goes something like this... Question: how many Episcopalians does it take to change a light bulb? Answer (delivered in a horrified voice): Change??

Change is scary. Change is coming to the Big Game in a football uniform and being handed a squash racquet. Change is uncomfortable and challenging. Even our language celebrates things that do not change, calling them traditional, familiar, steady, unwavering—you can probably think of half a dozen more adjectives.

So why, then, talk about change during Advent, a season that culminates in what is probably the single most tradition-laden, timeless, warm-and-fuzzy, we-always-do-it-this-way holiday of the year? Because underneath the traditional hymns, the decorations, the anticipation and all that makes Advent familiar is a seldom acknowledged truth: Advent is not a celebration of the road to the manger; it is a warning that ahead of us is the road to the Cross.

Yours in Christ,
Bill

Formation in Faith

Greetings,

Throughout October we were considering the meaning of faith--experiencing the 'Real Presence' of God. Now, we take some time to consider our experiences of absence--when we do not feel as if God is really present or when our life experiences threaten to eclipse our seeing God really present.

The Wilderness Experience is our context for considering 'absence'. please read through the following questions as a way to consider the presence and absence of God in your life, as well as--very importantly-- your presence or absence before God.

Faithfully yours,
Tom

THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
For the ancient Israelites it was 40 years in the desert
with many and long stretches of experience and emotion
as strangers in a strange and hostile environment.
Of course, on the move through the desert, the people did not feel at home in this world.
More than once, they did not feel at home with their leader Moses, or even with their G-d, Yahweh.

What about for you; what have your desert experiences been like?
[Have you experienced any scary last minute escapes from trouble, crossing a kind of red sea of your own, coming out on dry land on the other side and rejoicing; yet soon finding yourself again in a confusing or painful desert which depleted you and threatened to deplete you even more?
What about hungers and thirsts?
Metaphorical as well as actual sickness, loss and death along the way(--after all, not everyone you started out with is still with you on the journey)?]

Are there ways in which you feel not at home, or out of place,
in the world?
[What have been some of your experiences? How did you respond/react/deal?]


Do you ever experience feeling not at home or out of joint
in the church?
[Again, what is that like and how have you handled it?
Also, are any of your experiences of feeling not at home in the church connected to that same stranger/alien feeling about "the world"--society, work, politics, retirement, money, family and friendslover/partner/spouse, values, time:continuity and change or relentless sameness?]


Mountain tops and Promised lands--
Have you had expectations of church
that have not come through for you?

What did Moses and the Hebrews do throughout their desert journey?
As the journey neared its end, what happened to Moses and the Hebrews?
What are you doing?
What is going to happen to you?

The Newly Confirmed and Received Share Their Faith and Invigorate Ours

Dear Friends,

What follows are the affirmations of faith made by those who were presented to the Bishop during the All Saints' Day liturgy at our diocesan cathedral on November 1. Please read their statements and feel free to respond by adding your own thoughts about the two questions we have been considering this Fall:

What does it mean to be a Christian?
What is distinctive about being a Christian in The Episcopal Church?

First, you will read responses from three of our teen-aged members Anthony, Joe and Rowena), then from the three adults (Chris, Sal and Gabrielle).

(Anthony Lenti)
Being a Christian means having a unique relationship with God. It is not better than any other religion, nor is it worse. Being a Christina means holding true to your belief no matter what life throws at you. Being an Episcopalian is different because this group of church-goers has a more community view. At a bigger church, one would not be able to get to know every other person who goes to the same church. I feel more comfortable being a member of the Episcopalian church, more so than I would anywhere else.

(Joe Dinas)
To be a Christian is to believe that there are other worldly powers out there that are completely pure unlike what we know of here on Earth. I am not talking about aliens! I am talking about how one being somewhere has infinite powers and uses them to shape our lives so that hopefully we can do the right thing or help someone else do the right thing. Now there are a lot of different ways to express this belief. Not just as a Christian, but as a Jew, Muslim or even a Buddhist. These religions are all different with all their rituals and other beliefs. But one thing is always constant no matter how you re-word it, or try to change it. That fact is that they all believe in God or at least some form of great power that we live by. Now I feel that The Episcopal Church is different from all other churches (not necessarily other religions) in that they aren’t “brainwashing” you could say. The church lets you believe and have your own feelings about the faith. Unlike in the Middle Ages when the Church used the faith to make people their pawns. Or even something more current like fundamentalist churches that tell you how you must believe in God. That just isn’t what faith is at all. It is just gathering together with a group of people to listen.

(Rowena Chodkowski)
To be a Christian means to be a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. A Christian is a person who seeks, throughout his or her life, to understand God and seek him in all his different expressions. They do this through a variety of means. Personal introspection, scientific research, the study of religion and philosophy, regular church service and prayer, meditation and religious discourse—these are all ways that Christians seek to better understand God. A Christian lives by the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and understands the greatest human virtue not to be adherence to piety and dogma, but kindness and love. A Christian strives to follow the Ten Commandments of Moses and the Two Commandments of Jesus in order to better understand both God and his fellow man. A Christian employs what he or she learns through his or her faith and reason to live the best life possible—one in which the individual strives for an understanding of the infinite and unfathomable God. Most importantly, this is not done through dogma alone; it is done through tolerance, exploration, understanding, moderation and love. A Christian understands both sin and repentance, but does not dwell on the latter to erase the former. A Christian uses a close bond with God in order to find a path of moderation and kindness that leads him or her along the healthiest, most stable path along life: the one that is right for both the individual and his or her peers.

The Episcopal Church varies drastically over its scope: there are both highly liberal and highly conservative churches within the same communion. However, I will focus on the Episcopal Church that I have known for all twelve years of my religious education. The Episcopal Church understands the beauty of tradition and ceremony, but it does not place them above practicality and societal change. The Episcopal Church expresses the importance of dialogue and exploration of religion: it does not preach dogma for its congregations to memorize, but it teaches its members how to question their everyday activities and apply what they know to be good in order to be good to their fellow man. It understands the Bible as a document inspired by God but written by man, and does not take its word literally, instead encouraging exploration and discussion. Finally, it is a church of acceptance. The Episcopal Church does not harbor disdain for its members based on their current or former color, creed, race, religion, or sexual orientation. The final criterion in this list is especially important to me: I believe firmly that sex is a beautiful expression of love, affection and intimacy: it is not something dirty and abhorrent, nor should it be limited to heterosexual expression. Love is something for all people to share with each other, whether platonic, fraternal or erotic, depending on what is appropriate for their relationship. The Episcopal Church does not dispense with traditional morals entirely, but understands how best to negotiate their change as society changes over time.

(Chris Dippel)
To me, being a Christian is about answering Christ’s call to Love. He teaches us that in order to
find salvation, we must love God and one another. But what is love and how do we express it?
To paraphrase the Oxford English Dictionary, to love someone is to delight in their presence and
possess an earnest concern for their welfare. I like this definition. And love is expressed
through service– we help those we love; we sacrifice for them. We don’t think twice about
going out of our way for a family member in need. In fact, in our heart of hearts, we welcome
moments when we can help because it is an opportunity to show loved ones how much we truly
care. Christ’s challenge to us is not an easy one. To care for everyone in that same way, to see
the Christ in everyone, requires faith and sacrifice. I know that I fail more than I succeed. But
when we try, when we open our minds and our hearts to others, we are answering Christ’s call.
When we love each other, we show our love for God.

When I was a kid, my family did not attend church, but my mother taught me to be a Christian.
She told me about Jesus and read to me from a children’s book entitled, “The Greatest Bible
Stories Ever Told.” She taught me to be patient and kind, to accept others for who they are and
not what I want them to be, to love everyone. All wonderful things to learn, but as I got older, it
ruined me in terms of finding a church home. As I began to understand the stories of my father’s
break from the Catholic church because of their refusal to allow my mother, a non-Catholic, to
receive communion with her family, and I witnessed those who professed to be Christians
thumping their bibles and condemning those whose beliefs differed from their own, I became
aware of the closed-mindedness of many churches. None of that sounded like what I had been
taught by my mother. I began to believe that my relationship with God would have to continue to
exist outside of a church family. For a while I wanted nothing to do with any church. My faith
in God continued, but my contempt for organized religion grew. Then I met my wife, Claire.
She was brought up in the Episcopal Church, attended an Episcopal High School, and was the
most loving and accepting person I had ever met. When we got engaged, we decided to get
married in her home church, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Del Mar, California. This is how I
became acquainted with her priest, Father Tally Jarrett, the most wonderful human being whom
I have ever had the pleasure to know. This man knew love like my mother. He opened
his heart to others in ways I didn’t know were possible. Over the next seven years, we stayed in
close contact with Father Jarrett, and my conversations with him helped me to realize that The
Episcopal Church was the church I had looked for as a young man, and hadn’t found.

What is distinctive about The Episcopal Church is that it allows people to remain
individuals and helps to support personal relationships with God. It is accepting of everyone and welcomes all to Christ’s table. Members can disagree and still remain members. In fact, debate is welcomed. How wonderful is that! Ours is a church that believes that “continuing debate brings continuing insight.” It is a church whose core beliefs are so strongly rooted in the teachings of Christ that it can accommodate differences and remain unshaken. The Episcopal Church is a family, and “a family is bound together not by its ability to agree, but by its ability to love.”

(Sal Amato)
I was born into a Roman Catholic family. I grew up accepting my family religion as a matter of fact, never really feeling committed in any way. It was in my senior years that I became disillusioned with this faith for reasons both academic and personal. As a consequence of my wife being Episcopalian I would attend services at St. Luke's occasionally. Over a period of time I began, for the first time, to appreciate the beauty of Christ's teachings. I began to feel the place they had in my life, and the freedom to practice this new found spirituality in a free and thoughtful environment without being judged. I embraced my new found faith and wanted to be a part of it, not just an observer. I have to say a lot of how I feel has to do with the wonderful place that St. Luke's is and the kind and gentle leadership of Tom. It all adds up to a convivial faith community where all my former ambivalence melted away.

(Gabrielle Tafuro)
Christians are people who believe in Jesus Christ. It means you have a personal relationship with Jesus by accepting Him as your Lord and Savior. Being a Christian to me means being true to yourself and to God. It means living a life that I know in my heart pleases the Lord. It means being a disciple of the Lord Jesus and to love one another as he loved us.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, the Son of God, our Lord. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body And, the life everlasting.
I went through a difficult time in my life when I wasn’t sure if I believed in God anymore. I was watching a little boy suffer and eventually die of cancer. It made me question my beliefs….how could God let this happen? I began to lose my faith. I was angry at God. I was also not happy with the religion in which I was raised. It was not giving me what I needed. I felt disillusioned.

I guess in my heart I did not entirely turn away from God and I was able to open my heart and mind to follow God. It took the birth of my son to restore my faith and help rebuild my relationship with Jesus Christ. I could not believe this miracle God had given me. I was overwhelmed with love. It is difficult not to believe in something more when you hold a perfect little baby in your arms. I needed a way to thank God for what He had given me. But I knew I needed a more fulfilling way to worship and be part of a church where I felt comfortable.
I was drawn to the Episcopal faith and church through my mother .She and I would discuss how the Episcopal Church believes through baptism of any Christian denomination we become part of God’s family-any baptized person is welcome and encouraged to share in Holy Communion.
First of all, the sign outside every Episcopal Church reads “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You.”

I love that all are welcome to participate in worship together as a Christian family, that Scripture is the foundation of worship and that every worship service includes the reading of Holy Scripture from the Old and the New Testaments.
I want to be part of The Episcopal Church because it does not control interpretation and practice. Its members are encouraged to use reason to explore and comprehend God’s works. I want to be part of a community that strives to be open and inclusive.
I paraphrase what I have read through this journey Tom has taken me on as I prepare for my Reception into the Episcopal Church when I write… God does not call us to agree. God calls us to communion.
The Episcopal Church focuses on love, not sin. And, all are welcome.

(You) [post your responses by clicking on "COMMENTS."

Baptism - Eucharist - Ministry: Confirmation of Faith

Dear Friends,
If you have been following The Bethlehem Community blog lately, you know that we are praying for our confirmands and those who will be received into the Episcopal Church on All Saint's Day, November 1st. In this space, we, too, are considering the life of faith, using the preparation materials that candidates have been thinking about and discussing in their meetings together. Having already considered Scripture (see earlier blog entries), we now take a look at The Book of Common Prayer-- with a close look at Baptism, Eucharist and the Ministry to which all Christians commit.

What follows here are the Prayer Book pages to read and the questions to be thinking about--

301 - 305: These pages are from the Baptismal Liturgy. They will be very familiar to you.
1) On the bottom of page 302 (and top of 303) you find six questions and responses.
What's going on here?

2) On page 304 you find "The Baptismal Covenant" which begins with The Apostles' Creed--that's the statement of faith that those to be baptized have always recited (that's a 2000 year plus tradition). Notice that the Creed is broken into three parts (one for each person of The Trinity)--
a) Do you believe in God the Father? Read this section (it's only two lines) and then write it down in your own words.
b) Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? OK, now, this time list three things from this section that you do believe and also write down one thing about Jesus Christ that you have some trouble believing (or that you have your doubts about).
c) Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

361 - 363: These pages contain one of the four Eucharistic Prayers. The Eucharistic Prayer is the Thanksgiving Story for Christians. Eucharist is a Greek word that means Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving Story for Christians is God's Gift of Love given in Jesus Christ, shared by those who follow Christ, and then given again by the Church (that's us) to be shared with and in the world.
3) How would you tell this story?

** We have looked at Baptism and Eucharist, the sacramental focus of our lives.
4) What is a sacrament?

309 - 310: These pages are found found at the conclusion of the Baptism section in the Prayer Book. They are the special prayers at Confirmation.
5) What is Confirmation and Reception, based on the prayers on these pages?

365: This page has a Postcommunion Prayer, the closing prayer following Holy Communion. There's another one on p. 366 but we are just looking at this one.
6) How is the Postcommunion Prayer similar to a "Commencement Address" ?

OK, now go back to pages 304 and 305: Following the Apostles' Creed, five questions and responses are found (beginning towards the bottom of page 304 with the words "Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship..."). These are the Baptismal Promises-- they were made for us at Baptism. At Confirmation, when we affirm our faith, we reaffirm these promises. Basically, the five promises comprise the blueprint of what it means to lead a Christian life.
7) Very carefully, read the five questions that the Celebrant (priest) asks. Be thinking about the when, where, how and why of these questions; the "Who" is You! So, how you might keep these promises-- when, where, why?

Also, keep in mind that you are invited to post a response on this blog.
The candidates are working on statements that answer these two questions:
What does it mean to be a Christian?
What is distinctive about being a Christian in The Episcopal Church?

If you'd like to respond to these questions, please post your response here.

AFFIRMING FAITH -- An October Discussion (posted October 1)

Dear Friends,

I invite you to participate in an online discussion throughout the month of October.

In the Episcopal Church, we speak of the many ways in which members feel 'at home' and welcomed--included in the community of faith. This affirmation of our being accepted by God is a joyful and empowering gift.

At the same time, having been affirmed by God in Christ, and affirmed and welcomed by the other members of the community of faith, we are also called upon, in word and deed, to make an Affirmation of Faith.

What is the faith we affirm? What do we mean when we say we are Christian?
Such questions are on the minds of a number of people at Saint Luke's who are preparing for Confirmation on All Saints' Day, November 1st.

• Suppose you were approached by some one who is not Christian but who wants to understand a bit of why you are. How would you respond? What does it mean to be Christian?
• That same person then has a follow-up question for you: Why would somebody choose to be Christian in The Episcopal Church?

PLEASE POST YOUR RESPONSES. That way we'll be helping our candidates for Confirmation (and Reception*) prepare for their November 1st Affirmation of Faith and we'll be learning more about faith from our shared affirmations.

BY THE WAY: Among the topics that candidates will be studying and discussing are The Bible and The Book of Common Prayer.

DURING THE STUDY OF SCRIPTURE we have been focusing on The Gospel According to Mark. You might want to read it. It's a fast read--both by length and by the evangelist's tempo. It's a good place to begin a study of The Gospels. One particular section you might attend to is Mark 8:27-10:45. In this section, we read of how the followers of Jesus, and early Christians in Mark's church community, were misunderstanding what it means to call Jesus the Christ. It seems people had the idea that you could follow Christ as a way to be relieved of whatever ailed you. However, Jesus (and Mark writing about Jesus' ministry and message) warns people that to be a true disciple or follower does not mean a life of tranquillity and calm. GIVE THESE CHAPTERS A LOOK! Three times, Jesus predicts his Passion (suffering and death); three times his disciples don't want to hear it and as a result are misunderstanding the heart of Christ's mission; three times Jesus offers a teaching to correct their (and our?) mistaken views on what it means to call Jesus Christ and to follow him in faith as a disciple.

A CLUE TO SEEING THE THREE-FOLD PATTERN IN THIS SECTION OF MARK: As I said, there are three repititions of a) Jesus Predicts His Passion, b) the Disciples Misunderstand what it means to follow Jesus, and c) Jesus teaches them about Christ and Faith. The clue is that each of the three sections begins with a geographic reference-- it almost makes it like a mini-chapter heading: Section One starts at 8:27 (with a reference to Caesarea Philip); Section Two, at 9:30 (referencing Galilee and Capernaum); and Section Three, at 10:32 (Road to Jerusalem).

Next week (after Oct 7) check back here for some focusing questions on The Book of Common Prayer.

Faithfully yours,

Tom

(*Reception is the term used when a person, having been previously confirmed in another denomination, desires to be received into The Episcopal Church, making an adult affirmation of faith)