Sep 25, 2022 |
Wealthy Now
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
Wealthy Now
We want to be okay. We want to know that we are taken care
of. We want to enjoy life, but also our pursuit of that can sometimes make us
forget about the people around us. And if we make the pursuit of wealth and the
pursuit of power and the pursuit of luxury, if we make that the center of our
lives, then its Hades and torment coming our way, plain and simple.
This is powerful on a number of levels for us. On one level it's very powerful because by the way, when Jesus talks about heaven and hell, he's not talking about people believing the right things or acting the right way or going to synagogue, or going to church. He's literally talking about how we treat each other in this life.
And he's not just talking about being kind to one another or being understanding and tolerant of one another. He is literally talking about the fact that we live in a space of deep inequity, and we are completely complicit in it. And this is Jesus talking 2000 years ago. This isn't just an America problem or a Cincinnati problem. This is a human problem.
This is powerful on a number of levels for us. On one level it's very powerful because by the way, when Jesus talks about heaven and hell, he's not talking about people believing the right things or acting the right way or going to synagogue, or going to church. He's literally talking about how we treat each other in this life.
And he's not just talking about being kind to one another or being understanding and tolerant of one another. He is literally talking about the fact that we live in a space of deep inequity, and we are completely complicit in it. And this is Jesus talking 2000 years ago. This isn't just an America problem or a Cincinnati problem. This is a human problem.
Sep 18, 2022 |
The Robinhood Parable
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane
The Robinhood Parable
One of the films though actually turned out to be a lot like our Gospel lesson for today. Spoiler alert, it wasn't the one where the woman loses her voice and needs to kiss a prince to get it back. The story I'm thinking of is the story of a shrewd little fox who befriends the poor, the orphan, and the widows, while their coins are collected for taxes, as they search for food and safety and security.
This Foxy protagonist of the film, who I had a crush on as a kid, hangs out with misfits and crippled old men, rambunctious kids, and friars, like Francis. He sleeps in the trees of the forest owns only one outfit as far as I can tell. And he's always on the move. Any guesses to which Disney hero I'm thinking of? Yes, Robin hood! Many of you remember the famous tagline of this infamous hero, he stole from the rich to give to the poor, or maybe just possibly, was he a shrewd manager who gave back to the people, what was rightfully their own?
Sep 11, 2022 |
Holy Credit Score
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
Holy Credit Score
We think of our relationship with God in an arbitrary way. We say, God is mysterious and yes, God is mysterious. But we act like the whole thing is completely up for grabs and we think, I just hope that I have done enough good. That when God sees me, my credit score will allow me into heaven, and hopefully, I haven't accrued so much bad behavior, so much debt...
...We are not defined by some scale of good or evil. We are defined by the God who has become one with us in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the answer to the question, Am I worth it? Because Jesus is God joining us in this life, sharing our life, sharing our pain and our fear and our sorrow and our anger. Sharing in our joy and our laughter, our affection and our care. Jesus is God living for us and with us, dying for us and with us. And then raising us all up into the truth of our utter and unconditional belonging to God.
It is not that Jesus gives you the right credit score and if you believe in him, your number will go up. It is that Jesus explodes that idea of value altogether and reminds you of your primary identity as beloved. This is the work of Jesus Christ.
...We are not defined by some scale of good or evil. We are defined by the God who has become one with us in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the answer to the question, Am I worth it? Because Jesus is God joining us in this life, sharing our life, sharing our pain and our fear and our sorrow and our anger. Sharing in our joy and our laughter, our affection and our care. Jesus is God living for us and with us, dying for us and with us. And then raising us all up into the truth of our utter and unconditional belonging to God.
It is not that Jesus gives you the right credit score and if you believe in him, your number will go up. It is that Jesus explodes that idea of value altogether and reminds you of your primary identity as beloved. This is the work of Jesus Christ.
Sep 04, 2022 |
The Costs We Incur
| The Rev. Joyce Keeshin
The Costs We Incur
...Our minds start processing cost. We start processing costs
in our decisions, and we're recognizing at times when the cost may be rising or
already too high. But lots of times we need to make cost assessments in order
to move forward.
We all face choices throughout our daily lives. And even the most positive choices have a cost to them. We may decide to pursue a new career opportunity, but the cost may be forsaking the familiarity and the competence we have developed over years. We may be losing the companionship of colleagues who we treasure.
We may be facing longer hours in a steeper learning curve. We may choose to move to a new home, but the cost may be the expense of a move and a higher mortgage. Or if downsizing the decisions as to what we are prepared to let go of. And in either case possibly the loss of dear neighbors who will become part of our lives, even those things that pull us forward, have a cost to them.
We may be confronted with painful choices for ourselves, or loved ones. Decisions about best treatment approaches for an illness. Or even when to cease treatment. Best care arrangements for a family member needing more support, we can look at the pluses and minuses of each option. Whatever our choice is, there is a consciousness that there is a cost, a cost of the path not chosen.
We all face choices throughout our daily lives. And even the most positive choices have a cost to them. We may decide to pursue a new career opportunity, but the cost may be forsaking the familiarity and the competence we have developed over years. We may be losing the companionship of colleagues who we treasure.
We may be facing longer hours in a steeper learning curve. We may choose to move to a new home, but the cost may be the expense of a move and a higher mortgage. Or if downsizing the decisions as to what we are prepared to let go of. And in either case possibly the loss of dear neighbors who will become part of our lives, even those things that pull us forward, have a cost to them.
We may be confronted with painful choices for ourselves, or loved ones. Decisions about best treatment approaches for an illness. Or even when to cease treatment. Best care arrangements for a family member needing more support, we can look at the pluses and minuses of each option. Whatever our choice is, there is a consciousness that there is a cost, a cost of the path not chosen.
Aug 28, 2022 |
This Heavenly Banquet
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane
This Heavenly Banquet
In our gospel lesson for today, Jesus invites us to a dinner party that probably looked sort of similar to that. Spices piled high, colors and rosewater tea, spiced meats and heaping piles of baklava. We're invited to imagine ourselves there. In the first part of the lesson, as a guest. And in the second half, as the host. In each instance Jesus giving us direction by parable of how we ought to behave at a wedding feast, at a dinner party. If you're just catching on, wedding feast is gospel code for the heavenly banquet. As guests in the parable, we are told to take a seat at the lowest place. If you've been to big family gatherings at Thanksgiving, this spot is marked: Kids Table. That's the spot for you. Where it's loud and messy. And you're likely to have something thrown at you or spilled all over you. We are not, as Jesus says, to take our place and the head of the table. This is the spot right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy. That's not our spot, Jesus says. Unless we are invited to sit there. It would be pretty bad if you went and sat at the head of the table and then were asked to go over and sit by that weird Jello pudding thing that Aunt Mildred brought. Because then you feel ashamed and disgraced. In the first part of this parable, we are there as the guests. And Jesus says to us, know your place. And assume when you arrive that you are seated below the salt, as they say.
Aug 21, 2022 |
In Defense of the Hypocrites
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
In Defense of the Hypocrites
I think one of the real true disservices most Christians
have done to the faith is not taken the Sabbath day seriously. We use these verses like this, ‘well, people
used to not have to do anything on the Sabbath, but then Jesus showed up and
did some healing on the Sabbath and now I can take my kids to soccer and do
laundry and get the shopping done.’ It's a really big stretch there, isn't it?
From Jesus healing on the Sabbath to us just being like, ‘who needs a day off from anything?’ But Jesus is doing something powerful here, he's healing someone. This is a big deal, especially to her, how many of us have experienced chronic conditions and pain and things we wish would just go away? And then Jesus just shows up and takes care of it. If you're that person, who cares what day it is? If anything, it makes the Sabbath thing more Holy to you? And this is what Jesus is getting on about. Jesus is recognizing that the call of keeping the Sabbath Holy is not just about worshiping, right? It's about how we participate with God, how we share in the healing that God brings into this world.
But he does this in a way that is very upsetting. He does it in a way that interrupts and changes and upends and subverts the way people experience their worship. I'm one of those people who find myself wishing Jesus was a little gentler. That he wasn't putting them to shame but was a consensus builder and trying to get everybody on the same page. It's not how he rolls though; I haven't read that story yet.
From Jesus healing on the Sabbath to us just being like, ‘who needs a day off from anything?’ But Jesus is doing something powerful here, he's healing someone. This is a big deal, especially to her, how many of us have experienced chronic conditions and pain and things we wish would just go away? And then Jesus just shows up and takes care of it. If you're that person, who cares what day it is? If anything, it makes the Sabbath thing more Holy to you? And this is what Jesus is getting on about. Jesus is recognizing that the call of keeping the Sabbath Holy is not just about worshiping, right? It's about how we participate with God, how we share in the healing that God brings into this world.
But he does this in a way that is very upsetting. He does it in a way that interrupts and changes and upends and subverts the way people experience their worship. I'm one of those people who find myself wishing Jesus was a little gentler. That he wasn't putting them to shame but was a consensus builder and trying to get everybody on the same page. It's not how he rolls though; I haven't read that story yet.
Aug 14, 2022 |
Hinges of our Heart
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane
Hinges of our Heart
The little curb led me up to the giant front doors. They had
huge iron handles that signified to me, strength. I reached for them. I was
begging to be let in, but the doors of the church were locked. I tugged harder,
but they wouldn't budge in complete defeat I collapsed to the ground feeling
beneath me, what I felt inside that day, dust. Where are you, Jesus? Why aren’t
you here for me? Why can't I get in there? Why is this door locked when I need
you? Why this dividing wall between us?
I sat there in the dirt for quite some time, and I noticed things about the place that I hadn't before. An old bench that hid in some tall grass near that sign that posted the worship times. A swarm of bees had made a nest in a nearby Oak tree. And someone had left a little cross in the fresh concrete many years ago on the edge of the slab that was under my body.
I sat there alone in silence and looked around and my sister pulled in. I could see the look of relief on her face. There you are, it said. She didn't say anything though, just opened the door to her car and sat down beside me and took my hand in her hand. It's locked, I said, the church is locked. With clarity and wisdom, she looked at me and said, no, it's not, I'm right here.
A new door opened before me, in her words. That's the thing about doors. They can divide things, or they can bring things together. Doors mark a distinction, in and out, system and belonging, comfort and challenge, peace and violence, hostility and home, being broken apart and being knit back together... I want you to think of how we might remove the hinges from our hearts and tell to friend and stranger that all are welcome in our hearts in this place. In the kingdom of God.
I sat there in the dirt for quite some time, and I noticed things about the place that I hadn't before. An old bench that hid in some tall grass near that sign that posted the worship times. A swarm of bees had made a nest in a nearby Oak tree. And someone had left a little cross in the fresh concrete many years ago on the edge of the slab that was under my body.
I sat there alone in silence and looked around and my sister pulled in. I could see the look of relief on her face. There you are, it said. She didn't say anything though, just opened the door to her car and sat down beside me and took my hand in her hand. It's locked, I said, the church is locked. With clarity and wisdom, she looked at me and said, no, it's not, I'm right here.
A new door opened before me, in her words. That's the thing about doors. They can divide things, or they can bring things together. Doors mark a distinction, in and out, system and belonging, comfort and challenge, peace and violence, hostility and home, being broken apart and being knit back together... I want you to think of how we might remove the hinges from our hearts and tell to friend and stranger that all are welcome in our hearts in this place. In the kingdom of God.
Aug 07, 2022 |
Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be
| The Rev. Joyce Keeshin
Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be
I had no rug in the living room and I finally found one that I thought was beautiful and I justified it because I was thinking, I'll give this to my granddaughter when I die. You know, she'll love this rug, right? She'll probably put it in a garage sale, but anyway, that was my justification.
That rug was in my living room less than a week when my brother came to visit. It was a big deal, his coming to visit, because he hadn't been well. And he walked into my home, and he sat down in my living room, and he forgot that he had an open can of Diet Coke in his pants pocket, his back pants pocket. And you can imagine this Diet Coke pouring out all over my treasured little rug.
That was the first initiation that rug received. The second one was my dog Sweet Pea during one of her anxiety attacks. I could go on and on. Beautiful rug, beloved two-legged and four-legged creatures. You know, we have to lean towards the beloved creatures. We can be attached to stuff or having funds to purchase stuff, yet they are just possessions. Things that can disappear in a fire, they can be washed away in a flood, they can be decimated in a storm, they can be stolen by thieves and then stuff ultimately will be given away. It will belong to someone else. Or it will be put out in the garage sale, or maybe just directly to the trash.
If stuff, if our possessions are treated as our treasure. Then our hearts may feel constricted indeed. for where your treasure is there your heart will be. Moments confront us that challenge us to see things differently.
That rug was in my living room less than a week when my brother came to visit. It was a big deal, his coming to visit, because he hadn't been well. And he walked into my home, and he sat down in my living room, and he forgot that he had an open can of Diet Coke in his pants pocket, his back pants pocket. And you can imagine this Diet Coke pouring out all over my treasured little rug.
That was the first initiation that rug received. The second one was my dog Sweet Pea during one of her anxiety attacks. I could go on and on. Beautiful rug, beloved two-legged and four-legged creatures. You know, we have to lean towards the beloved creatures. We can be attached to stuff or having funds to purchase stuff, yet they are just possessions. Things that can disappear in a fire, they can be washed away in a flood, they can be decimated in a storm, they can be stolen by thieves and then stuff ultimately will be given away. It will belong to someone else. Or it will be put out in the garage sale, or maybe just directly to the trash.
If stuff, if our possessions are treated as our treasure. Then our hearts may feel constricted indeed. for where your treasure is there your heart will be. Moments confront us that challenge us to see things differently.
Jul 31, 2022 |
Rich Toward God
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
Rich Toward God
You've heard me talk about this before, I 100% do play the
lottery and I 100% think that the lottery is a total disaster. And it's not
healthy. It's not a moral system. And, I completely play it. And the whole time
I'm thinking about all the good that I will do. There will be enough money left
over for a little remodel of the house, but I've got a lot of plans to do good
for the world, of course. But this time as I was mulling over the 480 million,
that was unquestionably going to become my coming my way, one of the things
that I was really thinking about is why do I do this to myself? Why do I care? And why do I play this? What
is this? And I mean, obviously part of me is like, why wouldn't you, right? I
mean, give it a shot. ...for myself, I think what is this thing? Why am I
caring? And I realized, as I was
thinking about all this money that I thought I could do such great things with,
one of the things I was really realizing I wanted was this idea that overnight,
just like that, a switch could be flipped, and I wouldn't have to worry.
I thought I wouldn't have to worry about anything when it comes to financial issues for my family, for me, for my brothers, for my parents, for my kids, for any of it, probably their grandkids and great grandkids. I'd have it. We'd be all set. And that is so attractive. Oh, my goodness. What an amazing possibility that I wouldn't have to worry anymore. Snap, one day, one thing happens and I'm fine. And I could say to my soul, soul all is well, relax, eat, drink, and be merry we're finally ok. And you all can laugh with me at this because you know what it's like, whether it's the lottery or not, you know what it's like to have that desire.
I thought I wouldn't have to worry about anything when it comes to financial issues for my family, for me, for my brothers, for my parents, for my kids, for any of it, probably their grandkids and great grandkids. I'd have it. We'd be all set. And that is so attractive. Oh, my goodness. What an amazing possibility that I wouldn't have to worry anymore. Snap, one day, one thing happens and I'm fine. And I could say to my soul, soul all is well, relax, eat, drink, and be merry we're finally ok. And you all can laugh with me at this because you know what it's like, whether it's the lottery or not, you know what it's like to have that desire.
Jul 24, 2022 |
Unexpectedly in Prayer
| The Rev. Joyce Keeshin
Unexpectedly in Prayer
We were walking past one of the glorious churches in New
York City and on impulse, I wanted to go in and offer a prayer for my friend's
grandmother. So, we stopped, and I did, and I can still remember the dim
lighting, the coolness of the space, and the comfort and kneeling in prayer.
Very soon after that, we learned that something had gone terribly wrong and my
friend's grandmother had died, died very suddenly and unexpectedly.
It was a total shock to everyone and there was deep grieving. And while my rational mind knew that none of this had any connection with my simple prayer. It was a very long time before I prayed again. Maybe you've encountered unexpected moments in your life that seemed to challenge your faith in new ways, challenge your sense of God's love, your worthiness, and your relationships. If not, perhaps you've seen someone else in this struggle. I didn't consciously think of prayer as being scary or anything, I just didn't think about it.
Years later, I was pregnant with my son and there were questions and concerns about the pregnancy. And I found myself lying in bed in the dark one night. Trying to stitch together, some humble prayer starting with, I don't know God if you're there, but wanting so desperately for my child to live. Prayer’s tumbling out in the dark and silence of night can sometimes overcome our daytime resistance. Maybe you found yourself in the midst of a sleepless night, found yourself unexpectedly in prayer.
It was a total shock to everyone and there was deep grieving. And while my rational mind knew that none of this had any connection with my simple prayer. It was a very long time before I prayed again. Maybe you've encountered unexpected moments in your life that seemed to challenge your faith in new ways, challenge your sense of God's love, your worthiness, and your relationships. If not, perhaps you've seen someone else in this struggle. I didn't consciously think of prayer as being scary or anything, I just didn't think about it.
Years later, I was pregnant with my son and there were questions and concerns about the pregnancy. And I found myself lying in bed in the dark one night. Trying to stitch together, some humble prayer starting with, I don't know God if you're there, but wanting so desperately for my child to live. Prayer’s tumbling out in the dark and silence of night can sometimes overcome our daytime resistance. Maybe you found yourself in the midst of a sleepless night, found yourself unexpectedly in prayer.
Jul 10, 2022 |
Who is the Good Samaritan?
| The Rev. Joyce Keeshin
Who is the Good Samaritan?
Substitute Samaritan with another identity that gives us a
better sense of how these words might have sounded to those who heard them in
the earliest years. If we substitute that, we also have the chance to
substitute who it is that's been injured. Is it a stranger? Is it someone who
we'd never encountered before?
Or might we be the one who was injured and suffering? Would we care what the identity was of the one who came to help? No, I think we would just thank God that someone that stopped had cared. So, who is our neighbor? Who are we called to extend mercy to? To potentially receive mercy from? It has nothing to do with identifiers that separate us from one another.
It has to do with mercy, with kindness and compassion and love. These may not seem like big things, but they can change everything. And perhaps they are everything. When I think of love of neighbor and mercy and kindness, there are names and faces in this congregation that come immediately to mind. People who just always seem to be checking in checking the pulse of individuals, checking the pulse of this community. To look out for people who might have needs. To be in response to those needs, whether it's within this community or in the broader Cincinnati community.
Or might we be the one who was injured and suffering? Would we care what the identity was of the one who came to help? No, I think we would just thank God that someone that stopped had cared. So, who is our neighbor? Who are we called to extend mercy to? To potentially receive mercy from? It has nothing to do with identifiers that separate us from one another.
It has to do with mercy, with kindness and compassion and love. These may not seem like big things, but they can change everything. And perhaps they are everything. When I think of love of neighbor and mercy and kindness, there are names and faces in this congregation that come immediately to mind. People who just always seem to be checking in checking the pulse of individuals, checking the pulse of this community. To look out for people who might have needs. To be in response to those needs, whether it's within this community or in the broader Cincinnati community.
Jul 03, 2022 |
God like Math
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane
God like Math
In case it's been a little while, since you were in math
class, remember that geometry is the study of shapes and forms. Some simple and
some very complex, some flat and some multidimensional. And calculus on the
other side is the study of the rate of change made complicated by instantaneous
rates that lead to integral movements toward an infinite answer.
I wish someone would have told me a long, long time ago that math is actually just a lot like God. Maybe then I would have liked it a little bit better or understood it a little bit better. Maybe if you love math, you're thinking, now I understand God.
We observe God like math in many forms, many shapes from many angles while the world around us is constantly changing. And as Christians, we are constantly making instantaneous decisions about how to observe and perpetuate God's divine nature in the world. Our decisive actions say something true about her integral, whole self. Geometry, the study of shapes and calculus the study of change, are actually a lot like God. Algebra then is the human side of the equation, because algebra deals deeply in generalizations and assumptions about how it all adds up. That's why we usually start with algebra. that's why we usually start with prejudice and fear, safety, and security. We usually start with the less complicated side of God, just like we start with the least complicated side of math.
I wish someone would have told me a long, long time ago that math is actually just a lot like God. Maybe then I would have liked it a little bit better or understood it a little bit better. Maybe if you love math, you're thinking, now I understand God.
We observe God like math in many forms, many shapes from many angles while the world around us is constantly changing. And as Christians, we are constantly making instantaneous decisions about how to observe and perpetuate God's divine nature in the world. Our decisive actions say something true about her integral, whole self. Geometry, the study of shapes and calculus the study of change, are actually a lot like God. Algebra then is the human side of the equation, because algebra deals deeply in generalizations and assumptions about how it all adds up. That's why we usually start with algebra. that's why we usually start with prejudice and fear, safety, and security. We usually start with the less complicated side of God, just like we start with the least complicated side of math.
Jun 26, 2022 |
Let Go of Your Footprints
| Guest Speaker
Let Go of Your Footprints
In the Bible in Daniel, Jobs, Zacharia, Chronicles, Isaiah, Proverbs, Psalms, all over the place, they talk about God as a refiner, purifying, cleansing, and making things new. But to be transformed, to change, you have to be willing to let go of your footprints to let them fade here, so you can make new ones there. Or maybe let go of the beautiful image in your mind of the footprints you're going to leave on some beautiful road, in order to let your feet sink a little deeper in your place.
Either way what you're doing is letting go of your expectations for your life to follow your call. And we know it's never easy. You're going to have to go through a little fire. So, when those would-be disciples from our story today, tell Jesus that they are in, that they are ready to follow, but just have one little thing, one little thing to take care of over here.
Essentially what they are saying is that that part of their life, is separate from their act of following Jesus.
Either way what you're doing is letting go of your expectations for your life to follow your call. And we know it's never easy. You're going to have to go through a little fire. So, when those would-be disciples from our story today, tell Jesus that they are in, that they are ready to follow, but just have one little thing, one little thing to take care of over here.
Essentially what they are saying is that that part of their life, is separate from their act of following Jesus.
Jun 19, 2022 |
Oppression is a Legion
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane
Oppression is a Legion
The drowning of the pigs is not good news to everyone, as it
turns out, it is certainly not good news to the swine herders, the farmers who
owned these pigs, the people whose economic livelihood depended on these
creatures of God that they have come to possess. This upheaval and subversion
of the system is not welcomed by these and not welcomed by those who have
benefited long from a system that was happy to keep the freed man in chains
rather than look for a collective salvation...
What I didn't know when I was a little child that I'm glad I know now is that demons cannot live in the waters of baptism. And we, as God's people, have the blessing and the great responsibility to exercise them from our hearts and our souls, from our homes and our communities, from our nation and from our world.
What, I didn't know when I was a little child that I'm glad I know now, is that slavery is not that long ago, and not that far away. It is present in our labor market and our prison system, in our economy and in our schools, it is present in our wage gap and in our healthcare system. Oppression is a Legion, but we are a force to be reckoned with.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT HERE
What I didn't know when I was a little child that I'm glad I know now is that demons cannot live in the waters of baptism. And we, as God's people, have the blessing and the great responsibility to exercise them from our hearts and our souls, from our homes and our communities, from our nation and from our world.
What, I didn't know when I was a little child that I'm glad I know now, is that slavery is not that long ago, and not that far away. It is present in our labor market and our prison system, in our economy and in our schools, it is present in our wage gap and in our healthcare system. Oppression is a Legion, but we are a force to be reckoned with.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT HERE
Jun 12, 2022 |
A Trinity for All
| The Rev. Joyce Keeshin
A Trinity for All
The message of the Holy Spirit was being sent to all. It was accessible to all because God is seeking a relationship with all. Today is called Trinity Sunday and it celebrates the three expressions of the Trinity that we address in our prayers throughout our services, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Our tradition has tended to be steeped in masculine language. And that has been an obstacle for many to relate to God. This Trinity is also frequently described as, Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier and there are other descriptions as well, but it's an attempt to express these three different aspects of God.
I find that human words really struggle in trying to describe God. But the focus on Trinity Sunday is to acknowledge those three in the unity of God. As our opening collect expresses, Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servant's grace by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of your divine majesty to worship the unity... God expresses through scripture, this deep longing to be in relationship with us. And that is no easy task...
Our God wants to be in relationship with all of God's people. Our Gospels are filled with expressions of God's love for God's people. Expressed in the very being of Jesus, his teaching, his healings, his embrace of all, his outreach to all, his sacrifice for all, his sending of his disciples to the ends of the earth, that all might receive the saving message of love. That all might be one.
Jun 05, 2022 |
What Language Will You Learn?
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
What Language Will You Learn?
All of a sudden, the disciples are speaking. All the
disciples, by the way. Their first language is probably Hebrew or Aramaic,
which is a dialect of Hebrew. And instead of speaking the Gospel in their own
language, they're now speaking the language in whatever language, the people
around them speak. The first thing the Holy Spirit does to make people church,
is turn them outward and give them a language to speak love to others in
whatever way they will understand.
Please notice that the Holy Spirit does not make it so everyone else in the room understands the disciples when they speak in their native language. It is historically culturally the custom of a lot of churches to try to make the world look more like us and speak more like us and learn our language.
But in the story we have today, the birth of the church happens when the people who love God are turned outward and learn how to speak other people's language. This is a super Supreme act of vulnerability, by the way, learning to speak someone else's language. Have you ever tried to learn another language?
READ THE SERMON TRANSCRIPT
Please notice that the Holy Spirit does not make it so everyone else in the room understands the disciples when they speak in their native language. It is historically culturally the custom of a lot of churches to try to make the world look more like us and speak more like us and learn our language.
But in the story we have today, the birth of the church happens when the people who love God are turned outward and learn how to speak other people's language. This is a super Supreme act of vulnerability, by the way, learning to speak someone else's language. Have you ever tried to learn another language?
READ THE SERMON TRANSCRIPT
May 29, 2022 |
What Will Shake Us?
| The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane
What Will Shake Us?
Every morning at my son's Montessori school in the
Cincinnati public school district, they take two minutes to center themselves
to begin a new day. A chance to embrace their school motto, peace, love, and
PRM. Every child is given the opportunity to pray in their own way at school and
no one is excluded from this time of daily reflection, I decided to stay with
the teachers there in that place of prayer and together we begged God, “Please
do not let this be their last day.”...
My seven-year-old son, and your seven-year-old son, and your seven-year-old grandson, and your seven-year-old niece, and your seven-year-old neighbor. They are currently being taught. They are learning from our society that if they want to be saved, that they need to turn off the lights, get low, barricade the doors, stay silent. And sacrifice themselves so that gun manufacturers can continue to make tons of money off of people's anxious fears of home invasion or worse, the pleasure at the sport of murder.
What must we do to be saved? What will shake us? What is our foundation? And will we believe on the Lord Jesus who came that we might have life and might have it more abundantly?...
My seven-year-old son, and your seven-year-old son, and your seven-year-old grandson, and your seven-year-old niece, and your seven-year-old neighbor. They are currently being taught. They are learning from our society that if they want to be saved, that they need to turn off the lights, get low, barricade the doors, stay silent. And sacrifice themselves so that gun manufacturers can continue to make tons of money off of people's anxious fears of home invasion or worse, the pleasure at the sport of murder.
What must we do to be saved? What will shake us? What is our foundation? And will we believe on the Lord Jesus who came that we might have life and might have it more abundantly?...
May 22, 2022 |
What Kind of Christians Are We?
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
What Kind of Christians Are We?
What kind of Christians are we? Throughout Easter we've been focusing on these readings from the Book of Acts. We've been preaching from that space and we've been listening to these stories of the early church and the first believers and how they became the church.
And it's been a little bit uncomfortable for us, Episcopalians, because we're hearing stories of people going out and sharing their faith lives openly and actively with other people. And if there's any kind of Christians, we aren't, it's often those kinds of Christians. The kinds who are going out and making believers.
And I do get that, I'm one of us. I like to tease our people and myself even, but I get that. I get why we try to distance ourselves from that kind of evangelism. Because many of us have been raised up in a place where we were taught that a Christian's job is to believe exactly the right things and act exactly the right way so that we go to heaven when we die, instead of going to hell and burning eternally forever.
And therefore, when we see people who aren't part of the thing that we're a part of, we are taught to worry about them. They're not like us and that's a cause of concern for us, and for them. We're taught to hold people who believe things differently at a distance, to fear. And if we're charitable and loving in Christ's name, to work really hard to change their minds. We like to get people to believe what we believe and call that a conversion experience. This is what we're taught, not Episcopalians, Christians, like so many of us are taught to be like this.
This is a deeply unhealthy way of experiencing other people...
And it's been a little bit uncomfortable for us, Episcopalians, because we're hearing stories of people going out and sharing their faith lives openly and actively with other people. And if there's any kind of Christians, we aren't, it's often those kinds of Christians. The kinds who are going out and making believers.
And I do get that, I'm one of us. I like to tease our people and myself even, but I get that. I get why we try to distance ourselves from that kind of evangelism. Because many of us have been raised up in a place where we were taught that a Christian's job is to believe exactly the right things and act exactly the right way so that we go to heaven when we die, instead of going to hell and burning eternally forever.
And therefore, when we see people who aren't part of the thing that we're a part of, we are taught to worry about them. They're not like us and that's a cause of concern for us, and for them. We're taught to hold people who believe things differently at a distance, to fear. And if we're charitable and loving in Christ's name, to work really hard to change their minds. We like to get people to believe what we believe and call that a conversion experience. This is what we're taught, not Episcopalians, Christians, like so many of us are taught to be like this.
This is a deeply unhealthy way of experiencing other people...
May 15, 2022 |
Find Blessing Today
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
Find Blessing Today
This sheet comes down. Peter sees all these animals that he's supposed to stay away from. And the voice from above from God says, Peter kill and eat. And Peter says, no, absolutely not. He thinks, you're testing me. I know this one. I don't get to eat those things.
Three times this happened. And three times Peter says, no, I know the rules. And God speaks from above and says ‘nothing that God has made clean is unclean.’ And again, we're not talking about God's scrubbing.
You have said, these things are not worthy of nourishment. They are not worthy of being presented as a sacrifice. Blessing is not in them, but I am telling you, there is blessing and nourishment and power here too. Don't lose sight of that. Don't miss what's right in front of you. That's easy enough for us.
As Christians and as Gentiles, we often take this reading simply to mean one or two things, perhaps. Now we get to eat bacon, cool, thanks God. But we have this issue as Christians, where we treat the dietary restrictions that are presented before us of God's people, we treat them as true as unthinkable.
We diminish the faithfulness of our Israelite ancestors and of people of contemporary society in our faith, in our lives. Now, many of our Jewish siblings and many siblings from other faiths across the world have very specific dietary restrictions...
Three times this happened. And three times Peter says, no, I know the rules. And God speaks from above and says ‘nothing that God has made clean is unclean.’ And again, we're not talking about God's scrubbing.
You have said, these things are not worthy of nourishment. They are not worthy of being presented as a sacrifice. Blessing is not in them, but I am telling you, there is blessing and nourishment and power here too. Don't lose sight of that. Don't miss what's right in front of you. That's easy enough for us.
As Christians and as Gentiles, we often take this reading simply to mean one or two things, perhaps. Now we get to eat bacon, cool, thanks God. But we have this issue as Christians, where we treat the dietary restrictions that are presented before us of God's people, we treat them as true as unthinkable.
We diminish the faithfulness of our Israelite ancestors and of people of contemporary society in our faith, in our lives. Now, many of our Jewish siblings and many siblings from other faiths across the world have very specific dietary restrictions...
May 08, 2022 |
Autonomy
| The Rev. Joyce Keeshin
Autonomy
...we now hear of another potential crisis
and the overturning of protection for women's autonomy, and their health and
reproductive decisions. There is a temptation for us to stand back because
there are simply too many crises. There are too many things that seem to be
falling apart and we may choose to stand back, particularly if we don't feel
that we're going to be directly impacted by what's going on.
I hear that voice in myself sometimes. It's a voice to reassure me, it'll be okay, because I'm not being directly impacted. But immediately hearing that voice, I hear that other voice. That voice of Jesus reminding me that I am called to witness and serve, to love my neighbor as myself to strive for justice and peace and to respect the dignity of every human being. I hear that voice.
And regardless of our age, our gender, our orientation, our race or ethnicity, our politics, we are called to walk a path of love together. We are called to do that. I am certain, we have many different views, some passionately held about the most recent issue regarding women's reproductive rights. We can talk personal views and experiences, religious beliefs, beliefs of various traditions. We can talk about science and laws and even politics. In this beloved community we can discuss and respect differing views.
What is central for me is a person's autonomy in making well-informed, compassionate, and prayerful choices for their own body and their own life circumstance. I believe that any human being identifying however they do, has the right to have their autonomy regarding their bodies; that autonomy protected.
I hear that voice in myself sometimes. It's a voice to reassure me, it'll be okay, because I'm not being directly impacted. But immediately hearing that voice, I hear that other voice. That voice of Jesus reminding me that I am called to witness and serve, to love my neighbor as myself to strive for justice and peace and to respect the dignity of every human being. I hear that voice.
And regardless of our age, our gender, our orientation, our race or ethnicity, our politics, we are called to walk a path of love together. We are called to do that. I am certain, we have many different views, some passionately held about the most recent issue regarding women's reproductive rights. We can talk personal views and experiences, religious beliefs, beliefs of various traditions. We can talk about science and laws and even politics. In this beloved community we can discuss and respect differing views.
What is central for me is a person's autonomy in making well-informed, compassionate, and prayerful choices for their own body and their own life circumstance. I believe that any human being identifying however they do, has the right to have their autonomy regarding their bodies; that autonomy protected.
