November 6, 2024

Wednesday Word . . . Set in Stone?

Our first lesson this coming Sunday comes from Ruth.  While one of the shortest books in the Bible, it’s one of the longer stories – and what a story.  A Jewish man, his wife, and two sons lived in Bethlehem.  When a famine strikes, he moves the family to Moab in order to survive.  The man dies and the two sons take wives.  After about ten years, both sons also die, so the wife/mom, Naomi, decides to return to Bethlehem and her extended family.  Ruth refuses to let her go alone, so she accompanies her mother-in-law on the long journey.  Eventually Ruth meets Boaz, they get married, and everyone lives happily ever after. 

This is a story of loyalty, perseverance, love (and lust), and kindness; and it’s one of those stories that makes you feel good about people and God.

The story is set in the time of the Judges, and the book is placed between Judges and 1 Samuel because it turns out that Ruth and Boaz become the great-grandparents of David, son of Jesse, who will become king of Israel after Saul.

The Book of Deuteronomy is the last book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) and records Moses’ narration of the Law to the Israelites before he dies and before they cross over into the Promised Land.  This is both Moses’ farewell address and his instruction to the people about the importance of loyalty to God.  Toward the end, Moses requires the Israelites to swear an oath upholding the law and their covenant with God.

In this recitation of the Law there’s this:  “No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD.  Even to the tenth generation . . . because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey out of Egypt . . .” (Deut. 23:3-4)

God’s law is clear and is not to be broken:  Foreigners are not to be admitted into the assembly of the LORD (this basically prevented intermarriage) for ever.

But Ruth, a Moabite, married Boaz, a Jew, and became the great-grandparents of David, only three generations later; AND she gets a book in the Bible named after her.

Be very careful around people who quote Scripture as an unchangeable monolith carved in stone for all time; because Scripture will contradict itself in places and even God is willing to revise the law when appropriate. 

The point of Scripture isn’t to lay down laws set in stone to hold us accountable – the point of Scripture is to provide a guide to a right relationship with God.  And when it comes right down to it, God will always choose justice, kindness, and mercy over an unchanging monolithic law.

Do justice.  Love kindness.  And walk humbly with God.

Blessings,

October 30, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Surprising Offers

The weather was absolutely gorgeous this past weekend.  If I were in charge of the weather, that’s what fall would look like all the time around here.

Joelene and I took advantage of that beautiful weather and made our first drive through Crazy Woman Canyon, something we had been told we needed to do since we came out for the interview.  On our first attempt last spring we made it to the lower entrance only to find the road closed.

Summer and better weather came, but so did schedules, the move into the new house, and other obligations; not to mention a strong desire to not be in the canyon with a thousand other tourists at the same time.  So we put it off until last weekend.

It was as advertised and well worth the drive.  Joelene and I took a slate of obligatory pictures to share with friends, and she found a couple of spots that she wanted to get the two of us together.  In one, someone driving the opposite direction saw us balanced precariously on a rock with Joelene trying to get a good selfie and me trying not to fall off.  They stopped, the woman stuck her head out the window and said, “Would you like me to take your picture?”

At another, less precarious spot, Joelene was taking another selfie of the two of us when a woman who was also stopped with her group, asked, “Would you like me to take your picture?”

Neither of these two people were asked if they would take our picture, they simply volunteered to do so. 

This got me thinking about two things.  First, what if we kept our eyes open to noticing when people were in need and stopped what we were doing to offer assistance?  That could be anything from offering to take someone’s picture to helping carry groceries to you name it.  Rather than look to explain away why they need help, we just offer it.

And second, what if, when we think we’re doing fine, we accept help when it’s offered?  There are so many instances when graciously accepting help is as much of a gift as offering help.

If this became our primary way of operating, we just might find ourselves living into Jesus’ example of servanthood.  And that would be a very good thing.

Blessings,

October 23, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Holy Visions

I may have told part of this story before, and I know I’ve told a few people here at Saint Luke’s, so forgive me if I’m repeating myself. 

There are spaces, places, and times that seem to grab you as being holy:  a holy space, a holy place, and a holy time.  I’ve come across several of those in my life:  a sitting rock overlooking the lake at the summer camp of my youth; the cathedral where I was ordained to the diaconate; the way the sun shone through the stained glass windows at Saint John’s at certain times of the year; and there are others, but you get the idea.  I’m sure you can think of your own places.

One particular time for me was during the COVID shutdown.  On Sundays we had five people in the building:  the organist, the lector, the livestream tech, the deacon, and myself.  It didn’t take much wine in the chalice to handle Communion.  One Sunday, as we were reciting the Lord’s Prayer, I looked into the almost-empty chalice and there, reflected on the inside of the cup, was the wrought iron rood screen and cross behind me.  As time went on, that was a holy vision I looked forward to seeing every Sunday.  It eventually went away when the people returned and more wine was poured into the chalice.

Fast forward to now.  We don’t have a rood screen, nor do we have a nearly-empty chalice at Communion.  As we were reciting the Lord’s Prayer a few weeks ago, however, I noticed that the way the light hits the chalice causes a double ring reflection to appear on the corporal.  This ring of light encircles the paten and chalice.  It’s a holy vision of light encircling the consecrated elements of the Body and Blood of Christ.

This is one reason why I don’t rush through the service, taking time for silence, moving slowly and deliberately through the liturgy – because if we rushed through the service, we might miss those holy visions.

What spaces, places, and times are holy to you?  Where have you seen holy visions of God?

You might see more if you take the time to slow down and look.

Blessings,

October 16, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Rest

Last weekend took an unexpected turn when I received a phone call Thursday evening confirming the fact that I would officiate the funeral of Korina Bartlett on Saturday.  I had had a conversation earlier that this might happen, but I was never contacted . . . until Thursday evening.

So Friday morning I met with a family member and ironed some things out, then I went into the office where Monica and I quickly produced a funeral bulletin.  And on Saturday I did the funeral where Korina was laid to rest.

Sunday was Sunday with our first livestream worship on the new system.  There were a few glitches that we’re working out, but in general it went well.  And then Joelene and I met with the youth group later that afternoon.

Monday, Indigenous People’s Day, was a day off for me.  It came at just the right time and I didn’t do a single productive thing.  I slept in.  I thought about what needed to be done, and then just planted myself on the couch, watched a few mindless shows, and dozed off a few times.  It was a day of rest that I needed.

Also on that day, the Diocese of Wyoming returned a couple of hundred Native American artifacts that had been in its possession since the 1940’s back to the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone from where they came.  Click here to read the story.  After being stored away in Casper for many years, these items were returned home to rest.

Rest can show up in a variety of ways, and my idea of rest may not be the same as your idea.  Nevertheless, we all need to find space to rest.  I hope your rest really is restful, and you can recharge, reconnect, and be at peace.

Blessings,

October 9, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Shine

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.

This is the opening line of Canticle 11, The Third Song of Isaiah, from Morning Prayer and most often said on Wednesdays.  It also happens to be one of my favorite Canticles.

It goes on to say, “darkness covers the land, deep gloom enshrouds the peoples,” and, “Nations will stream to your light . . . Your gates will always be open.”

Looking around, Canticle 11 certainly seems to be speaking to us today.  Everything from the current political climate to the drought and fires around us to the devastation of Hurricane Helene and the impending disaster of Hurricane Milton to war in the Middle East and Ukraine, darkness covers the land and deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.

In the midst of all of that, though, we are called to shine the light of the Lord into the world.  We did a little of that when we gave $5000 to the Fire Relief Fund.  We do a little of that by providing Meals for the Soul for individuals who need a quick meal or a supplement between grocery trips.  We do a little of that through our support of the Food Pantry. 

Our gates aren’t always open, but we’ve begun opening them every weekday at noon for a time of prayer and/or quiet meditation for those who need the space.  Nations may not be streaming to us, but beginning on 10/13 or 10/20, we will be streaming out to the nations when our video feed goes live.  And I’m working out the details of putting a labyrinth on our grounds that will always be open for people to come and participate in that prayer walk.

Canticle 11 is a song of hope . . . hope in the fulfillment of God’s promises and hope that God’s people will do their part to shine the everlasting light of God onto the world around them.

I pray that each of us individually, and all of us corporately, shine the light of God onto a world covered in darkness and people shrouded by gloom.

Blessings,

October 2, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Serving as Holy Angels

This past Sunday was the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels; and it was also the day we baptized Hope into the household of God.  Last Thursday I came across a podcast from The Living Church where the host, Amber Noel, interviewed Fr. James Dominic Brent, a Dominican Friar who lives at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and the title of the episode was, “Angels and Demons (but mostly Angels).”

In that episode Fr. James was discussing the mystery of the angelic hierarchy (which, by the way, was a word coined by a priest to divide the angels into orders) and he pointed out something interesting:  the mystery of the hierarchy is based in service; and not only service, but reversed service.

If you think about all of creation, the order of beings is God àAngels àHumans.  This is reflected in Hebrews 8:7 when the author writes, “You have made [humans] for a little while lower than the angels.”

You might normally think that humans, being the lowest of those beings, would serve the angels, who would then serve God.  But Fr. James pointed out that this wasn’t necessarily so.  The mystery of the hierarchy is that the higher serve the lower.  Angels serve and protect humans (think guardian angels, or the angels that protected Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah).  Archangels serve angels.  And God, in a stunning turn, also serves humanity.  This is most clearly shown in Philippians 2:6-8 when Paul writes that Jesus, though in the form of God, took human form and humbled himself, and in John 13:5 when Jesus washes the feet of the disciples.

If this angelic hierarchy is arranged in a “reversed service,” with even God serving us, the lowest of these forms, then what does that say about how we are to act and behave toward others?  Is there not only a mandate to care for the lowly, oppressed, and outcast because that’s the right thing to do, but shouldn’t we be serving the lowly, oppressed, and outcast because that is, in fact, the system God has ordained: the higher serves the lower.

Who do you see as “lower” than yourself, and how are you serving them?

Blessings,

September 25, 2024

Wednesday Word:  A New Life of Grace

This coming Sunday is the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels.  Michael is one of four archangels mentioned in scripture (the others being Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel).  We are most familiar with Michael and Gabriel, as it is Michael who leads the other angels to battle against Satan and Gabriel who is God’s main messenger (appearing to Zechariah and Mary to announce the births of John and Jesus).

Michael is also known as a healer and as the angel who guards people at the time of their death, leading them to everlasting life.

Adding to all of that, this coming Sunday is the baptism of Hope.  She is about 1-1/2 years old and the daughter of Joshua.  She is also fearless, which makes her a great companion to Michael.

This Sunday Hope and her family will attend Saint Luke’s for the first time.  She will be presented, renunciations and affirmations will be made, support will be given, prayers will be offered, she will be baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and she will be marked and sealed as Christ’s own for ever.  And in that moment, Hope will be raised to a new life of grace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I once heard someone in another congregation say something along the lines of, “Why are they being baptized here if they aren’t part of our congregation?”  I have a snarky response to that question, but, instead, I’ll give you my best answer.

We baptize people who aren’t part of our congregation because they ask.  Baptism is the official entry point into the household of God.  Unlike Communion, the only requirement to being baptized is a desire to do so.  Baptism is the beginning.  We can hope that people who present themselves or their children for baptism have a desire to be part of a Christian community.  It then becomes our job to welcome them, feed them, pray and worship with them, and walk with them on the Christian journey.

This coming Sunday, let us welcome the newly baptized.  Let us affirm that we will stand with the family and Saint Michael as we do battle against spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God.  Let us offer a place of warmth, joy, and support so they know we appreciate their presence.  And let us celebrate this new life of grace to which we are all a part.

I look forward to sharing this special day with you.

PS:  Did I mention there’s cake?