July 30, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Better With You

Last September I was in Gillette for a Soul Shop seminar.  Soul Shop is a faith-based suicide prevention/awareness program and I went to learn more about how to identify and speak to people about suicide.  I was then asked to be trained as a Soul Shop facilitator/trainer, which is what I was doing in Casper most of last week.

One of the things Soul Shop says is that we are better with you than without you.  As I was going through the training I recalled the sermon I preached on the lost sheep and lost coin – that we lose things we value, we need, and/or we love.  When we think of finding the lost sheep or lost coin in relation to other people, we should change our perspective and think about how we need those people in our lives – that we are better with them than without them.

We are all going through our own stuff.  Whether that stuff is financial, work or family related, health related, an addiction of one kind or another, or any number of other things, everyone has stuff they’re going through.  Sometimes that stuff is insignificant, other times that stuff can be overwhelming.  And the thing is, very few of us know exactly what others are going through; which is why, in a world where you can be anything, it’s so very important to be kind.

Our faith tells us that the two greatest commandments are:  Love God and Love Neighbor.  As the parable of the Good Samaritan shows us, our neighbor includes those in need.  People considering suicide are in need – they are in need of being seen, they are in need of coping skills, they are in need of love.  In our regular interactions with our neighbors we might see hints, discrepancies, or things that are just off from what we normally see.  If we see that, we need to have the courage to ask them how they’re doing and invite them into a conversation.

Wyoming is one of the top three states for suicide rates in the country.  I’m working on scheduling a Soul Shop event in September because it’s important we all know how to recognize and help prevent our friends and neighbors from ending their own lives.  If you need to talk but don’t know who to call, start with the 988 hotline that is always staffed to take calls.

With that in mind, I want to remind you that, as your priest and as your neighbor, I am available to talk if your stuff starts to get too overwhelming.  And I also want you to know that my life is better with you in it.

Blessings,

July 23, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Home

Last month Joelene traveled back to Maryland for the wedding of a former co-worker, to visit old friends, and to see our daughter.  While she had a good time and enjoyed catching up with people, she was also glad to be back home.

Earlier this month our friend Pol came out from Maryland for a visit.  During his weeklong stay, he saw several new birds he’d never seen before and saw a whole lot of Wyoming.  But after a week of staying in our guestroom, I’m sure he was also glad to be back home.

For the past three weeks we have been worshiping according to the 1789, 1892, and 1928 Books of Common Prayer.  It’s been interesting to see where we, the Episcopal church, came from, how things have changed, and how things have remained the same or similar.  And we’ve had some good discussions about those books, their similarities, and their differences.

But I gotta tell you . . . I’m looking forward to coming home to the 1979 BCP.  Are there some things about that book I would change?  Certainly.  But that book is home.  The services, rubrics, and cadences are familiar and well-worn roads that allow me to be fully present with you as we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  It’s also a bit like Linus’ blanket in that the 1979 BCP provides a sense that I can sit with that book and feel secure in the presence of God.

So while the past three weeks have been an interesting little side trip in our worship, it will be good to be home again.

I hope to see you this coming Sunday for our homecoming.

Blessings,

July 16, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Thank you

We have had a busy first few weeks of July.

First, we began our historical journey through the various BCP’s of the Episcopal church.  This meant putting together bulletins reflecting Holy Communion from 1798, 1892, and 1928.  It also meant moving the altar back against the reredos and modifying how the Altar Guild prepped for service.

Second, we had two memorial services only a few days apart.  On Saturday, July 12, we hosted the memorial and luncheon for Dawn Crain Moreland.  And on Tuesday, July 15, I officiated the graveside service for Debra Rubottom with a reception held back in the parish hall.

And on Sunday, July 13, we served breakfast following the 1892 worship service.

All of these events required the time and talents of a lot of people.  And while all of these people do these things as part of the life of Saint Luke’s, it’s important to thank them.

Thank you to JoAnn Pearson and her team for organizing and putting together the two funeral receptions almost back-to-back.  Pam McFadden, JoAnn Palmer, Marilyn Novotny, Mildred Johnson, Bettina Nimick, Marsha Parker, and Margo Mader (I hope I’m not missing anyone) all deserve thanks for their hard work and hospitality for these two events.

Thank you to Jim Wood and his Crew of Capable Cooks – Tom Berry, Joey Killian, and Perry Smith (and Monica Smith for the GF waffles and blueberry topping) – for cooking a great breakfast on the 13^th, and for cleaning up afterward.

Thank you to everyone on the Altar Guild who adapted to a different way of prepping the altar for these special services.  They all work behind the scenes to help make our Sunday worship what it is.

And thank you to Monica who worked so very hard to put together the bulletins for the month.  It was more complicated than anticipated, but she pulled it off.

In conclusion, don’t forget to thank all those people in your life who help in both obvious and not-so-obvious ways.  Because, really, none of us are as independent as we might think we are.

Blessings,

July 9, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Holy Food for Holy People

This past Sunday was our first in the BCP series that fills our July calendar.  As you know by now, we are looking at Communion services from the 1789, 1892, 1928, and 1979 prayer books.  As we go through those services, take note of what’s familiar, what has changed, and the overall feel of each service.

As I said earlier, the services are just similar enough that they might throw you for a loop if you rely on your liturgical memory.  I did this right off the bat when I was so preoccupied with the differences that I forgot to light the altar candles and play the opening hymn.  Oops.  That aside, this first service on Sunday went fairly well.

If you either attended in person or watched online, one of the things you no doubt noticed was how very clergy-centric the service was.  I lead all the prayers.  I read all the lessons.  I even read a few things that we normally think of as being said together. 

Even with all of that – with the priest doing most of the work, with the constant reminder that we are miserable sinners, with an east-facing altar, and with any number of other differences – the thing that still bound us together was Holy Communion.  The words of institution have not changed all that much and the words of administration, though a little different, are probably still familiar to people.  In the end, it was holy food given to holy people.

So as we go through the different forms of Communion this month, take time to notice the differences; but also take time to notice the similarities.  As an Episcopalian, I find it reassuring to know that our style of worship has been in place for some 450 years, and is probably even recognizable to the liturgies of the early Church from the 2^nd century. 

You are part of a long chain of holy people partaking of the holy food of God.  No matter what comes your way, hold onto that fact.

Blessings,

July 2, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Spiritual Disciplines

I was supposed to be at the diocesan clergy retreat in Evanston this week, but I received an e-mail last Tuesday saying it had been canceled due to low turnout.  The topic of the retreat was Spiritual Disciplines as a Foundation for Life and Ministry, and I was looking forward to it, even if it was in Evanston.

The topic, though, got me thinking about spiritual disciplines in general.  Whether we realize it or not, we all have a variety of disciplines we follow in our lives – some more meaningful than others, some more rigorous than others.  One discipline we have might be getting up early in the morning to exercise or spend time in quiet prayer/meditation before the busy-ness of the day.  Maybe we have a discipline of intentional family conversations.  Or maybe that Lenten discipline you followed has stuck with you and you continue to make it part of your daily life.

There are as many spiritual practices as there are people, I would imagine.  Sometimes people get hung up about these, though.  They want to do something meaningful.  They want to do something regularly.  And they want to do it correctly.  About this last point, I remember a monk who came to lead a clergy retreat when I was in Maryland talking about this very thing.  He said, “The spiritual or prayer discipline/practice that you DO is the right one.”  The implication, of course, being that as long as you are doing something, you’re doing it correctly.

Read a chapter from the gospels each morning.  Read a chapter from the gospels each evening.  Pray through the Psalms each month (the BCP breaks the Psalms into groups that can be read/prayed morning and night).  Take some time and pray from the Daily Devotions we have available at the church.  The BCP has a list of prayers for all sorts of occasions beginning on page 810 – find a prayer there to pray daily.  Find a short, meditative prayer you can easily repeat in times of silence (I find the trisagion on the bottom of pg. 356 to be helpful).

As the Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

When it comes to spiritual disciplines, start small, stay consistent, and go from there.

Blessings,

June 25, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . John the Baptist

Yesterday was the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist.  In the Christian tradition, he is the last of the prophets before the arrival of Christ.  Christianity sees Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and John is seen as the embodiment of the prophets pointing the way to Jesus.

He appears in all four gospels, with his birth narrative and relationship to Jesus given in Luke.  He had a large following with some of his disciples becoming followers of Jesus (see John 1:35-42).  It was his public denunciation of Herod’s immorality that eventually led to his execution.

Everything John did and said pointed toward Jesus.  This often didn’t sit well with the religious and political leaders of his day (see the aforementioned execution), and John reminds us that living and speaking for the gospel in the face social and political pressures can have dire consequences. 

We need to remember that the Gospel was written to give hope to a persecuted people.  One of its purposes is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”  If the message of the Gospel doesn’t challenge us or cause us to reevaluate our priorities, we are missing (or ignoring) a large part of what it has to say.

As we remember the forerunner to Jesus, may we have the courage to follow the example of John the Baptist and, in the words of John Lewis, renowned Civil Rights activist, make “good trouble.”

Blessings,

June 18, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Juneteenth

Tomorrow is June 19 and the celebration of Juneteenth, which originated at the end of the Civil War.  On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln announced that the Emancipation Proclamation would go into effect on January 1, 1863.  On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation – 900 days after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, 71 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered, and 24 days after the Confederate army in Texas was disbanded.

This event, unfortunately, did not lead to immediate or widespread freedom and equality for former slaves and people of color.  Jim Crow laws, the rise of the KKK, redlining, HOAs, the disparity in the GI Bill, segregation, and other policies upholding systemic racism worked to ensure that non-whites were “kept in their place” for generations – including up to today.

As we continue to struggle to live into our baptismal covenant promise “to respect the dignity of every human being,” it’s important to see where we fall short.  On the arrival of Juneteenth, I encourage to read, listen, and contemplate some of these words of freedom and equality.

Frederick Douglass and “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech

“Wehold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that theyare endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights . . .”

“With liberty and justice for all.”

Blessings,

June 11, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Trinity Sunday

This coming Sunday is Trinity Sunday.  This is the only day of the year when we specifically honor the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  And while our Collects, Creed, Prefaces, Blessings, and some other parts of the service all often reference the Holy Trinity, this is the only day specifically dedicated to our understanding of God.

The concept of the Trinity is not specifically stated anywhere in the bible.  Instead, it is the result of years of study and revelation that led to people developing the concept of a God who is three-in-one and one-in-three.

As Christians we see evidence of the Trinity in the story of creation when God began to create, the Spirit swept over the waters, and the Word of God spoke.  We see it when Abraham was met by the Lord (singular) appearing as three men.  We see it in John when Jesus says he is in the Father and the Father is in him, and that the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus from the Father.  There are other places, but you get the idea.  It was Tertullian (160-225) who first developed an early Trinitarian theology and was the first to use the term “Trinity.”  Over many years and several conflicts, Trinitarian theology won out and left us with the understanding that the eternal godhead consists of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one-in-three and three-in-one, co-equal and co-eternal.

That’s a lot to wrap your head around.  It’s been said that if you don’t want to commit heresy, stop there and don’t try to explain any further.  It’s also been said that if you don’t want to commit heresy on Trinity Sunday, have someone else preach.  But since that’s not an option, I’ll see what I can do.

In the meantime, when thinking about the Trinity think about God in a perfect triune relationship of love, communication, and existence.  Proceeding from that, then, should cause us to contemplate how we, as humans made in the image of God, can work to include all of our diverse fellow humans equally in bonds of love, communication, and existence.

Blessings,

June 4, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Pentecost

Pentecost is this coming Sunday.  This is the day the Holy Spirit descended on the twelve apostles and they began speaking in other languages to all the people gathered in Jerusalem.  People had come from far and near for the Feast of Pentecost, a Jewish festival that took place fifty days after Passover to celebrate the harvest.  And on that day the people in Jerusalem heard the apostles speaking in their own languages:  Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, and others.

And it’s in this story where we hear one of the greatest lines in Scripture.  After someone accuses the apostles of being filled with new wine, Peter says, “These men are not drunk as you suppose, it’s only 9 o’clock in the morning.”

In this story of Pentecost we see the thrill and wonder of the apostles in that room as they are bathed with the fire of the Holy Spirit.  In this story of Pentecost we see people gather together to celebrate a traditional feast and celebrate the presence of God.  In this story of Pentecost we see twelve men so compelled to share the good news of God in Christ that they did so in a very public way without worrying about what people thought (“filled with new wine”).

This Pentecost we will gather to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We will be reminded of the promises we made and the expectations placed on us as we renew our baptismal vows.  And then we will gather after the service to spruce up the building and grounds and enjoy each other’s company at a potluck lunch.

We may not have 3000 in attendance, but I have no doubt the Holy Spirit will be present.

Blessings,

May 28, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Feast of the Ascension

Tomorrow marks 40 days after Easter and is celebrated in the Church as the Feast of the Ascension.  There is only one place in scripture where this event is told in this way – 40 days after Easter – and that is in Acts 1:1-11.  It’s in this section of Acts where we are told Jesus appeared to his disciples over the course of 40 days before ascending to heaven.

One of my favorite images from scripture comes from Acts 1:9-11a:

            When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  While he was going and they were gazing up to toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.  They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you sand looking up toward heaven?"

I have this image of the disciples standing around, looking up to the sky, and saying, “Well, NOW what??”

But then these two angels show up and ask why they are standing there looking up.  Only then does it all sink in, spurring the disciples to action.  From that moment on the disciples devoted themselves to prayer, to proclaiming the gospel, and to living their lives not simply as followers of Christ but as leaders.  This is what Jesus was preparing them for and this is the role they take on.

I wonder how similar we are to the disciples at this point.  We come to church and lift our eyes heavenward as we worship and pray, but do we ever stand here looking up to heaven and wonder, “Now what?”

The Feast of the Ascension makes clear that we have work to do.  It’s not our job to stand here looking up to heaven.  It’s our job to get to work praying and proclaiming the good news of the gospel. 

It’s never too late to start working for the gospel, but if you wait for a couple of angels to show up on your doorstep, you just might miss the opportunity.

Blessings,

May 21, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon

The frequency illusion, or the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, is a cognitive bias event in which a person notices a specific concept, word, or phrase more frequently after becoming recently aware of it.  For instance, if you have just discovered that a baguet is a long, narrow loaf of French bread, you might suddenly begin seeing these in bakeries where you’ve never noticed them before.

This recently happened to me when I was scrolling through some science videos and came across the idea of the Infinite Hotel Paradox, also known as Hilbert’s Hotel.  It’s a mathematical thought experiment demonstrating infinite sets.  In short, you have a hotel with an infinite number of rooms where every room is occupied, and yet it can still accommodate an infinite number of additional guests, which can then be infinitely repeated.

Shortly after watching that video I started reading a book called The Life Impossible, in which the main character references the mathematician David Hilbert who originally presented this paradox in 1925.

Then this week I was casually perusing Basic Writings of Saint Augustine, as one does, and Chapter III of The Confessions was along these same lines.  Augustine writes, “Everywhere God wholly fills all things, but neither heaven nor earth can contain him.”  This chapter is mostly questions about the nature of God, such as:  If God fills all things, is there any part of God left over?  If God contains all things, are there any things that contain God?  If God is entirely everywhere and in everything, is there anything that can contain God entirely?

It can make your head hurt.  But that’s sort of the point – that the vastness of God cannot be explained or comprehended by mere mortals.  This is one reason I like being an Episcopalian, because there is room for mystery that doesn’t have to be explained and controlled.

So now that you know about Hilbert’s Infinite Hotel accepting an infinite number of guests, and Saint Augustine’s musings about God containing all things while also being contained in all things, I hope you experience your own Baader-Meinhof event in which you begin to notice and struggle with all things being filled entirely with God even though all things cannot contain God altogether.

Blessings,

May 14, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Worse than Holy Week?

I learned a long time ago that if you start planning and organizing for Holy Week a month in advance, you’ll have all the hard work completed the week before Holy Week.  This means that all of the bulletins and supplies for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil, and the Easter Day services are ready to go by the time you actually get to Holy Week.  Being prepared for these events is also necessary for the health and sanity of clergy, office staff, and altar guild members.

This week feels as if Holy Week has arrived again, but without all of the advanced preparation.  Monica and I have been working on bulletins and service details for four funerals – two this Friday and Saturday, one in early June, and one in mid-July.  JoAnn Pearson has also been involved as she is organizing the various receptions associated with those funerals.  Added to all of this is the preparation for the Vestry meeting next week, working on details for the Spring Spree, preparing the usual Sunday bulletins, a Meals for the Soul cooking day, and Monica trying to accomplish all this before she leaves on vacation soon, and, well . . . it feels worse than Holy Week.

As Wednesday Words go, this isn’t as much of a spiritual reflection/meditation as it is a place to yell into the void. 

Sometimes, though, you just need that.  Sometimes you just need a good primal yell that serves no other purpose than to act as the safety relief valve on a pressure cooker.

So this is me, just your average small-town priest going, “AAAACCCCKKK.” 

I need to thank JoAnn for all her work, Monica for everything she does, and everyone else who pitches in and helps make this place go in all kinds of circumstances.

Yes . . . I’m fine.  We’re fine.  We’re all fine.

Blessings,

May 7, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . On Death

Monday I received notice that Pitchy Gammon had died.  Yesterday I was informed that Dick Naill had died.  This is shaping up to be a difficult week for Saint Luke’s.

I have been to my share of funerals – most have been services I officiated and fewer have been services I’ve simply attended.  Those services have ranged from very good to very bad.  It has been the bad ones that have remained in my memory as cautionary tales of how not to conduct a funeral.  Because of that I have always worked to balance the needs and desires of families with the rubrics of the BCP.

There are two places I find to be extremely helpful.  The first comes from the opening paragraph on page 491:  Whoever has faith in me shall have life, even though he die.  The second comes from the Note about burial services on page 507:  The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy [and it] is characterized by joy.  This joy, however, does not make human grief unchristian.

We grieve at the death of our family and friends, but we are also comforted in the knowledge that we are the Lord’s possession.  It is times like these that our faith and hope in the resurrection offers us both strength and a place surrounded by love.

When it comes to death and dying, there are two things we can do.  The first is to know that we all die and we should make as many advanced plans as possible so that those left behind are not overwhelmed by all that needs to be done.  The second is to be present for those left behind to grieve with them, support them, and remind them that they are not alone.

I will, of course, let you all know when funeral details have been decided.  In the meantime, surround these two families with love and prayers so that they may not be overwhelmed, but have confidence and strength to face the days to come.

The Lord bless them and keep them, the Lord make his face to shine upon them and be gracious to them, the Lord lift up his countenance upon them and give them peace.  Amen.

April 30, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Saint Mark the Evangelist

Last Friday, April 25, was the Feast of Saint Mark; but because the Easter Octave (the first eight days of Easter) takes precedence over any other feasts, his feast day was transferred to this past Monday.

As with many biblical characters, there isn’t a lot of information about Mark.  There are several places in the New Testament where the name Mark appears, but it is unclear if these refer to the same person or several persons.

Church traditions hold that he was one of the seventy sent out by Jesus, was present at the wedding in Cana, served with Paul on his mission trips, was a cousin of Barnabas, that it was at his house where both the resurrected Christ appeared to the disciples and where the Holy Spirit descended on the Day of Pentecost, and that the gospel bearing his name was a result of him writing down the stories and sermons of Peter.

As we move through the Easter season and reflect on the various resurrection stories, I’m sure we all have our favorite (or favorites).  Maybe the Road to Emmaus story touches you.  Maybe you find the story of Mary Magdalene searching for Jesus in the garden to be pivotal.  Or maybe it’s not just one story but the overall whole where you find inspiration.

I’ve always appreciated the ending of the Gospel of Mark:  “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (16:8).  This ending was so unsatisfactory to many early Christians that, at some point, scribes added both a shorter and longer ending to tie up loose ends.

What this original ending says to me (and to all who read it, I think) is that the story of the resurrection doesn’t end with the women fleeing the tomb.  Unlike the other three gospels where there is a definitive end, Mark leaves his gospel open-ended, causing us to ask:  Will we be as afraid as the women, saying nothing to anyone; or will we have the courage to speak of the resurrection?

As we move through the Easter season, may we all have the courage to speak openly of the Lord of life who destroyed sin and death and calls us to live in abundant, radical love.

Blessings,

April 23, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Vacation

Joelene and I are off on vacation this week.  We took the time to head back up to Washington to see her mom whom we haven’t seen since she made the trip out to Maryland several years ago, and I took part of that time to pop over to the west side and see my mother.  Since we drove, we were also able to visit friends in Bozeman, Spokane, and a few points in-between. 

I normally don’t like lengthy vacations because it always seems like I need a vacation from my vacation when I get home.  Laundry needs to be one.  Finances need to be dealt with.  There’s a pile of mail to sort through.  And there’s that inevitable stack of stuff to do sitting on your desk. 

Even with all the stuff waiting for me when I get back, it’ll be good to see our moms again as well as a few friends along the way.

After the busy-ness of Holy Week and Easter, with all the activities you may have participated in and all of the family obligations you may have had, I hope you have a restful week.  I hope you find time to contemplate with joy the resurrection of our Lord.  And I hope you see evidence of resurrection in the world around you.

I’ll be back in the office next week.

Blessings,

April 16, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Freedom

The function of freedom is to free someone else – Toni Morrison (Feb. 18, 1931 – Aug. 5, 2019)

I came across this quote yesterday morning while eating breakfast.  As we are in the middle of Holy Week with the Triduum beginning tomorrow evening, my first thought went to Jesus.  There are plenty of examples in Scripture claiming Jesus acted to free us from sin and death:

 

            Acts 13:39 – by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free [from their sins]

            Rom. 8:21 – creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay

            Gal. 1:4 – [Jesus] gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age

            Rev. 1:5 – To [Jesus] who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood

 

There are other examples both in Scripture and in the BCP where we hear that Jesus used his freedom, giving himself up to death, to make us free by the power of his resurrection.  In other words, Jesus didn’t use his freedom only for himself, he used his freedom to free others.

We should view freedom in the same way – that our freedom is to be used to free others.  We didn’t do this during the age of slavery in the US.  We didn’t do this when our government banned non-Christians from being elected.  We didn’t do it when we moved Native Americans to reservations.  We didn’t do it when we barred women and minorities from voting.  We didn’t do it when we placed Japanese Americans in prison camps during WWII.  We didn’t do it when we created red line neighborhoods designed to keep minorities out of certain areas.  And the list goes on.

If we are going to be a truly free society, we cannot expect freedoms for me but not for thee.  We must, like Jesus, use our freedom to ensure others have the same freedoms we enjoy.

As we move through Holy Week, the passion, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ, may we work to ensure the freedoms we have are accessible to everyone.

Blessings,

**Stations of the Cross devotions are held every day in Holy Week at Noon at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church.  Today’s service will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.  https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services

April 9, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Eleventh Station

Jesus is nailed to the cross

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace:  So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name  Amen.

I came across a video the other day from the Rev. Joseph Yoo talking about the “why” of the crucifixion.  In the history of the Church, there are a lot of reasons put forward about this – things like, “He was the perfect offering to satisfy an angry God,” or “He had to die so he could defeat death,” as well as several others.  I don’t think there is one right way to understand the crucifixion, and neither does Fr. Yoo.

His current take on the crucifixion is this:  What if Jesus died on the cross because humanity keeps choosing violence, power, and fear over love, justice, and mercy?  We see this all the time where people in general, and those in power in particular, choose to follow their fears and commit acts of violence to uphold their power.  We saw it with slavery, in fascist Europe, in the fight against civil rights, and we’re seeing it now.

Jesus offered a way of love, and as he stretched out his arms to welcome everyone into God’s loving embrace, those in power nailed his arms to the cross. 

Love and resurrection will win, and we are on the verge of seeing that on Easter Day.  But even with that assurance, those who utilize violence, power, and fear will do all they can to keep God’s perfect love from manifesting itself in the world.  In these times, may we, like Jesus, stretch out our arms in love.

Blessings,

**Stations of the Cross devotions are held every Wednesday in Lent at Noon at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church.  These services are also livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.  https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services

April 2, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Ninth Station

Jesus falls a third time

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life:  Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

A few of the Stations are not scriptural but taken from pious tradition; Jesus falling while carrying his cross to Golgotha is one of them.  While not scriptural, it is theologically correct as it affirms his humanity – for which of us would not fall under the burden of a cross after being beaten and whipped?  And sometimes we do fall under the burdens we bear.

Jesus, Second Person of the Trinity, co-equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, who was in the beginning, begotten not made, gave us the example of his great humility by taking on human form and by suffering a shameful death upon a cross.  In the journeys of our own lives we will be faced with trials, sorrows, and times of pain.  Through it all, may we continually work to understand the ways of God and be strengthened through his holy Word.  And may we remember that following Christ doesn’t preclude us from suffering but does allow us to share in his resurrection. 

Blessings,

**Stations of the Cross devotions are held every Wednesday in Lent at Noon at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church.  These services are also livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.  https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services

March 26, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Eighth Station

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Teach your Church, O Lord, to mourn the sins of which it is guilty, and to repent and forsake them; that, by your pardoning grace, the results of our iniquities may not be visited upon our children and our children’s children; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Jesus, an innocent man, was put to death by the union of religious and political desires – something Isaiah called a perversion of justice.  When church and state are not kept separate, it becomes so much easier to vilify people for “wrong” beliefs and punish them through state-sanctioned violence.  Things like the Spanish Inquisition, Roman/Protestant conflicts from the Middle Ages down through the battles in Ireland, the Salem witch trials, atrocities committed against Native Americans, and attacks against lgbtq people are just a few examples.

When the Church manages to convince governments to be an instrument of God’s wrath rather than of God’s mercy, it has effectively fallen into idolatry and heresy.  Idolatry for accepting the devil’s offer and worshiping power.  Heresy for thinking we alone know the mind of God and are therefore given permission to act as we choose.  These two sins, idolatry and heresy, are the opposite of loving God and neighbor, and from those two sins all others fall.

In this season of Lent, may we mourn the sins of which we are guilty, repent, and amend our lives.  May we repent of the evil we have done individually, and the evil done corporately on our behalf.  And may we make full amendment of life in order to live in a holy relationship with God and our neighbor.

Blessings,

**Stations of the Cross devotions are held every Wednesday in Lent at Noon at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church.  These services are also livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.  https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services

March 19, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Fifth Station

The cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene

As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus..

After his “trial” by the religious authorities and his meeting with Pilate, Jesus suffered a number of physical traumas.  Roman guards spit on him.  He was whipped, leaving deep wounds on his back.  He was punched and slapped in the face.  A crown of thorns was beaten down onto his head.  He was verbally humiliated.  And then, after enduring all this, the Gospel of John records that he was forced to carry the instrument of his own death to the execution site.

The Synoptic Gospels do not record that Jesus carried his own cross, but they do record that the soldiers conscripted Simon to carry the cross for him.

In our own lives there are times we suffer physically.  There are times we suffer spiritually and mentally.  And there are times we suffer all three at the same time.  Sometimes, like in John, it feels like we are carrying these burdens of ours all by ourselves.  But other times, as in the other three gospels, someone is there to help us.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Don’t be afraid to allow someone to walk with you through whatever struggles you are facing.

This journey may be the most difficult thing you have endured; but as we discovered with Jesus, there is life on the other side.

Blessings,

**Stations of the Cross devotions are held every Wednesday in Lent at Noon at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church.  These services are also livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.  https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services

March 12, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The First Station

Jesus is Condemned to Death

“As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate.  And they all condemned him and said, ‘He deserves to die’.”

In the First Station, an innocent man is condemned to death through the machinations and alliances of religious and government leaders looking for an expedient way to dispose of a troublemaker.  His trial before the religious authorities was a kangaroo court where the verdict was already predetermined.  The governmental leaders, not wanting to upset the powerful religious leaders, found a legal way to execute the accused.

In our own day we need to be watchful for, and wary of, the joining of religion and government.  A religion that insists on controlling the government, and a government that insists on one religion, are both dangerous combinations.  We have seen the terrible results of these alliances from the time of Jesus on down through our own day.

May we have the courage to speak out against anti-Christ behaviors.  May we be willing to act counter to mob mentalities.  May we be willing to be condemned for putting Christ first.  And may we respond as Jesus did:  with dignity, compassion, and unyielding loyalty to God alone.

Blessings,

**Stations of the Cross devotions are held at Noon (MDT) at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church every Wednesday in Lent.  These services are also livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.  https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services