Emmanuel Episcopal Church

The Reverend Pamela Webb Visits Emmanuel

The Reverend Pamela Webb visits with Virginia Chapin and Vic Millner.

For the second time in two weeks, Emmanuel welcomed a visiting priest on Sunday, May 6 as we continue the search for a fulltime priest. The Reverend Pamela Webb and her husband, Dan, joined the Emmanuel family to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and enjoy an extended coffee hour.

Reverend Webb’s sermon was a discussion of Jesus’ identity, beginning with “I am the true vine...” which began the morning’s gospel reading. Vine, light, bread, gate, shepherd... all these familiar, earthy, “I am” metaphors were used by Jesus, Reverend Webb explained, to help us to know better that which, ultimately, cannot ever be fully understood by man.

As in the previous week’s visit with the Rev. Gary Barker, we all enjoyed the opportunity to become more familiar with Rev. Webb during an extended coffee hour beautifully hosted by Alice Coles, Beth Coles, Janice Cheney and Janis Simpson. Afterwards, Pam joined the vestry in a closed-door session.

The Reverend Gary Barker Visits Emmanuel

The Rev. Gary Barker (second from right) visits with parishioners.

By Susan Paynter

On Sunday, April 29, the Reverend Gary Barker joined us to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and to become acquainted, afterward, during an extended coffee hour.  The visit was one step in the Rev. Barker’s quest to find a new church family and Emmanuel’s simultaneous search for a priest to fulfill our pastoral needs.

In his sermon, Gary confessed that Good Shepherd Sunday has not historically been one of his favorites.  He has felt it’s an interruption in the continuity of the Sundays of Easter.  But he said that he’s beginning to come to terms with it, gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation. 

He reminded us that sheep don’t go willingly where the shepherd bids.  There’s a reason, he said, for the shepherd’s crook, with its hook on one end and sharp prod on the other.

He further related our difficulty in leading a Christ-like life to the poetry of the Victorian poet, Christina Rossetti, whose feast day had fallen two days before on the liturgical calendar.  Gary read the final stanza of her poem, “A Better Resurrection”:

 My life is like a broken bowl,

A broken bowl that cannot hold

One drop of water for my soul

Or cordial in the searching cold;

Cast in the fire the perish'd thing;

Melt and remould it, till it be

A royal cup for Him, my King:

O Jesus, drink of me.

There’s no doubt that Gary Barker drew us into his deeper understanding and appreciation of Good Shepherd Sunday.

Coffee hour was a pleasure as always, with good food and good company.  There was a lot of talking, telling of tales, catching up and laughing.  Parishioners provided mushroom quiche, ham biscuits, tabouli salad, fresh strawberries, cakes, cookies, brownies, bars and peach pie! 

Gary took the time to visit with us individually and in groups of two, three or four.  Certainly he must have gotten a good feel for who we are, and vice versa:  all in all, a successful day.

Emmanuel Welcomes Visiting Priest the Rev. Wayne Kinyon

Emmanuel welcomed the Rev. Bryce Wayne Kinyon as preacher and celebrant for the Holy Eucharist on Sunday, January 29. Mr. Kinyon, a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has served churches and chaplaincies throughout the southeast during his ministry.

He is  a graduate of Duke University and received his Master of Divinity from Sewanee and currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina.

Mr. Kinyon's homily was based on the day's Gospel reading from Mark for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - Mark 1:21-28. Most of the Gospel readings for Sundays in 2012 will be taken from Mark.

Mark's Gospel is written in a straight forward, no nonsense manner and throughout emphasizes the following five themes:

1. Jesus was an observant Jew following the laws and customs of his time and people, including attendance in the synagogue on the sabbath, unless there was a very good reason not to do so.

2. Jesus was a teacher; one might even say teaching was the central tenent of his ministry.

3. Jesus was a healer both of the body and of the spirit, even commanding unclean spirits.

4. Jesus did not seek public acknowledgment or praise. In fact, on several occasions, he admonished those whom he had healed to keep quiet about what had happened to them.

5. Jesus fame spread throughout the region. The Gospel message was intended for everyone and spread rapidly taking on a life of its own.

Homily for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany - Here I am Lord

(RCL) 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20); Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51

By the Rev. Rob Gieselmann

Hannah was barren. She could not have children. In the ancient times, this was a disgrace, but her husband loved her and did not care. Hannah cared. She stood deeply ashamed in the presence of other women. She was an underdog.

Like so many of us who turn to the Lord when we need help, Hannah turned to the Lord God, the friend of the underdog. The Lord heard Hannah’s prayer.

Eli was the priest on duty when Hannah petitioned God, and he announced, “God has granted your petition. You will have a baby.”

Within the next year, Hannah gave birth to a son, Samuel. When Hannah returned the next year to pray, she did the unthinkable: she donated Samuel to God, leaving him behind to be raised by Eli. In dedicating Samuel to God, Hannah proclaimed: “There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

Years later, this same Samuel anointed Saul and David as kings over Israel. It was to the boy Samuel, only 12 years old, to whom God spoke today’s strange prophecy of judgment. This prophecy was his first, and he didn’t quite know what to do with it. After all, the prophecy was directed at his adopted father, Eli, his mentor and caretaker.

“Here I am,” Samuel answered God, who spoke out loud. How terrifying it must have been for a boy to hear God’s harsh judgment from dark corners of the night.

That is the “Old” Testament, isn’t it? Dark corners, rash judgment, and cruel penalties? Perhaps, but consider, well, the “rest of the story.”

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Name - What's in a name?

By the Rev. Ken Kesselus

(RCL) Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 2:15-21

We know very little about Jesus’ childhood. There is nothing in Mark or John. From Matthew, we learn that an angel told Joseph to name Mary’s child “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This, he reports, they did, and then he relates the account of the Wisemen’s visitation, followed by the flight of the family to Egypt and their moving to Nazareth.

Luke provides the most detail, beginning with the birth in Bethlehem that we hear during the Christmas liturgy. Then he gives us the brief story from today’s gospel, followed by an account of Jesus being presented in the temple a few weeks later. Finally, Luke tells us about the 12-year-old Jesus, again at the temple, confounding religious teachers with wisdom beyond his years. He ends with a summary: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.”

That’s it, until he emerges fully grown, prepared for the Baptism of John and the beginning of his ministry. So, our little snippet of information today is quite important within such a limited body of knowledge of Jesus’ first three decades of life. One sentence: “After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” Our prayer book deems it so valuable that whenever the eighth day of Christmas, January 1, occurs on a Sunday, Holy Name takes precedent over the regular liturgical day. We commemorate the occasion when Jesus was circumcised and when he was named.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent - John the Doorman

The Gospel - John 1:6-8, 19-28

Homily by the Rev. Charles Hoffacker

John the Doorman

Imagine the scene. You are downtown in one of the world’s great cities. You’re standing at the main entrance of a huge, opulent hotel, whose solid stone walls soar upward for many floors. The canopied entrance features a red carpet that crosses the sidewalk to the street, and brass fittings that gleam like gold. It’s a damp winter evening. Flurries dance through the air.

Presiding over this elegant space in front of the hotel is the doorman. A mountain of a man, he cuts quite a figure, dressed in a knee-length blue topcoat brightened by braid on the shoulders and the sleeves. The stripes on his uniform pants lead down to his black, shiny shoes. A serious hat rests on top of his head. With utter dignity, he opens doors, orders cabs, greets people coming and going, and lends even more substance than it already has to the building behind him.

There you are at the main entrance. You’ve never been to this hotel before. In fact, in the small town you come from, there are only motels, and no doormen, especially not the sort who are grandly uniformed. But you have come to this metropolis for a convention, and the big banquet is tonight, here at this hotel.

The massive figure in the topcoat and braid now looms right in front of you. Never before have you seen the likes of him, except in old movies. Why should you do?

One option is to question him. Ask him whose army he is in, or is he an admiral? Ask him to count the brass buttons on his splendid coat. Ask him to come in out of the cold; you know a warm hotel lobby, and it’s only a short walk away.

A better option is simply to let him do his job. You’ve come for the banquet; his job is to open the door for you. A genial nod in his direction is all that he expects by way of recompense.

Which option do you choose?

Homily for Last Sunday After Pentecost - Christ the King

The Gospel - Matthew 25:31-46

Homily by the Rev. Kay Sylvester

Christ the King

The celebration of Christ the King Sunday arose when Pope Pius XI found the increasing secularism of modern society eroding people’s faith. This was in 1925, and the Fascists under Mussolini were making their presence felt in Italy. Pius thought it was necessary to remind the faithful that whatever political powers might hold sway, ultimately, it is Christ who is “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

It seems we keep having this conversation. The very first statement of Christian identity, the first creed, if you will, was “Jesus is Lord.” In the first century, the part that no one said aloud was: Jesus is Lord, not Caesar.

We are faced with a few issues in claiming that “Christ is King.”

Parish Welcomes Visiting Priest

Emmanuel welcomed the Reverend Dr. Theodore Johnson as preacher and celebrant at this morning's service of the Holy Eucharist. Dr. Johnson, who currently resides in Basye, Virginia, has devoted much of his ministry to congregational development.

Prior to the morning service, Dr. Johnson led the Adult Bible Class in a discussion of the context and manner in which Jesus acquired his first disciples as told in the Gospel of John (1:29-42).

Dr. Johnson's homily expanded on the dual notions of time used by the Greeks (the language of the New Testament): chronos - time as measured by the clock, and kairos or cosmic time, those moments when God speaks to us and time seems to stand still. John the Baptizer's calling out Jesus to his (John's) disciples - "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" - in verse 36 appears to have been one of those kairos moments. Andrew and the other disciple immediately took up with Jesus as the one whom they should follow.

Following the service of Holy Eucharist, parishioners and friends gathered for refreshments in the Parish Hall to visit with Dr. Johnson as well as friends and neighbors. Thanks to the Vestry for arranging Dr. Johnson's visit and Alice Coles for coordinating the bountiful refreshments.

Dr. Johnson engages Langhorne Jones and Garrie Thompson in conversation.

(Photos by Rosemary Nichols)

Homily for the First Sunday after the Epiphany - Seeking Another Way

The Gospel - Matthew 3:13-17

Homily by the Rev. J. W. Mathieson

Seeking Another Way

Epiphany is about seeking. We are all seekers - seeking another way, a new way to a better life in Jesus Christ.

During my time in ministry, I have had the privilege of participating in two different Billy Graham Crusades. If you recall, or are not familiar with Dr. Graham's crusades,  there is a time after the completion of Dr. Graham' s sermon or message, when people are invited to come down to the front of the gathering in an altar call to accept Jesus as their Savior, to renew their Christian vows, or simply because they are seeking something new or different in their lives for which they desire God's help.

Homily for the Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - Doing Our Duty

The Gospel - Luke 21:5-19

Homily by the Rev. J. W. Mathieson

Doing Our Duty

This morning I want us to imagine we are completing an overseas flight, and the usual hustle and bustle is happening as we prepare ourselves for the end of the trip.

The past hour you can feel and experience more movement aboard the plane – people queuing up at the bathrooms, others reaching up to either put something away or to retrieve an item from the overhead compartment. Talking has accelerated.

The flight attendants are moving quickly along the aisles cautioning people to “buckle up,” cleaning up the debris from a night’s breakfast. They have passed out customs information blanks with instructions as to the procedures to enter the flight’s country destination.

The ladies have put on lipstick and even changed clothes. The men are stretching and acting macho letting everyone in earshot know the important business they have completed, or the great round of golf they had while on vacation. A lot of name-dropping is part of the conversation.

The pilots are running over their landing procedures, and we can feel the change of pitch to the engines, and a sense of descending – with an occasional shudder to the plane. Anxiety heightens.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter - Peace be with you

The Gospel - John 20:19-31

Peace be with you.

Today's Gospel story is most often thought of as the story of Doubting Thomas - the disciple who would not believe that Jesus had risen lest he personally see and touch Jesus' nail-scarred hands, and place his hand into the wound in Jesus' side.

Thomas' story is an important one, and he is often unfairly maligned. After all, he was only asking to see what the other disciples had already seen!

But there is another story here which has to do with why the disciples were gathered in a locked room.

The Gospel story says that they were hiding in fear of the Jews. But there is no evidence that the Jews, or the Romans, or anyone else for that matter, was looking for them. After all, they had fled when Jesus was arrested and they had watched the crucifixion from afar - from the top  of a distant hill.

Homily for Ash Wednesday

The Gospel - Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of a new Christian Season known as Lent.  Lent is one of the oldest observations of the Christian calendar.  Its purpose is one of self-examination and penitence, demonstrated by self-denial in preparation for Easter.  It began as early as 130 a.d. with Irenaus of Lyons. 

In 325 the Council of Nicea discussed a 40-day Lenten season of fasting.  In 540, Gregory the Great moved the beginning of Lent to a Wednesday to secure the exact number of 40 days…not counting Sundays…and it is Gregory who is credited with giving Ash Wednesday its name. 

Homily for the Last Sunday after Epiphany - Close Encounters with God

The Gospel - Luke 9:28-36

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Close Encounters with God

Today’s readings take us into close encounters with God: the kind that don’t seem to happen too often, but when they do, they are the ones that change us. Today’s gospel reminds us to search our past to find times when we have already experienced transfiguration, and calls us to be open in the present to transfiguring experiences in unexpected places and times.

In the natural world, the metamorphoses of tadpole to frog, of caterpillar to butterfly, of acorn to oak tree, of bulb to tulip, depend on a complex and miraculous combination of factors coming together: genetic, environmental, seasonal, and more. What’s amazing about these natural processes of transformation is that each being’s biological potential has already been programmed by God into their very genes.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Christmas - Why are they here?

The Gospel – Matthew 2:1-12

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Why are they here?

As roles go in the annual Christmas pageant, most girls want to play Mary, and no boy wants to be Joseph; mainly because every girl wants to be Mary. Inevitably whatever boy gets tapped to be Joseph must suffer a torrent of taunts from his buddies….”Joseph and Mary sittin’ in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First comes love then comes marriage, then comes Joseph with a baby carriage.” 

Being a shepherd was O.K., but the costumes were always drab and shepherds got relegated to the background, playing third fiddle to the angels, Joseph, Mary and of course the Wise men.  The role every boy really wanted was to be a Wise man.  They had, by far, the coolest costumes, usually some fancy brocade number with a spiffy turban.  They got to carry something too, and their entrance was usually accompanied with much pomp and fanfare.  The taped music would have trumpets blowing and all the shepherds would offer a little genuflect as they approached the manger.

Interestingly enough, we really don’t know how many there were, or who they were.  We have based our assumptions of three on the number of gifts, and their names, Melchior, Gaspar, and Baltasar were more than likely imagined by the Venerable Bede, an 8^th century English monk.

But for the original readers, the story we read today was a shock.  Matthew never intended this sort of royal treatment of the Wise men to emerge.  In fact the presence of the Wise men in the story was scandalous and the first readers would have known that.

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent - We Remember!

The Gospel – Luke 21:25-31

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

We Remember!

A new year begins. 

Different from the secular year or fiscal year, or school year, today marks the beginning of Advent and yet another Christian year.  It is the end of what we call “Ordinary Time” or rather the time during the cycle of the Christian year when nothing “extraordinary happens”…..like Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost ….those are extraordinary times and the six months when none of that is going on is Ordinary time.  So here we go in the extraordinary time….again. 

Homily for the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – Go There!

The Gospel – Mark 13:1-8

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Go There!

Today’s Gospel lesson can be read in a number of ways.

From an historical point of view, Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem’s great buildings suggests that Mark’s Gospel was written during or shortly after 69 – 70 AD. It was during this time that the Romans, in response to a Jewish rebellion in Palestine destroyed the Temple, literally wiping away any trace of where it had been. Attributing such a prophecy to Jesus would surely have increased Jesus’ standing among the people.

On a more whimsical note, the passage can be read as a “tourist moment”, not unlike someone’s first visit to New York City – “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!”

The passage is also an example of apocalyptic literature about “the End Times” and the use of fear and guilt to coerce people into a particular state or direction: “Do this or you will burn in hell!” Over the centuries, the church has proven itself very proficient in the effective use of fear and guilt.

But Jesus may have been saying something entirely different. He may be saying to us that war, rumors of wars, and earthquakes will always be with us. Don’t get caught up in worrying about when they will be over. They won’t. There is no rescue. Rather, look to see what you can do to alleviate the suffering and anguish which result.

Go There – to where people are suffering and anguished. It is there that you will find the Kingdom of God.

Homily for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - The Two Dances

First Lesson - 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

The Gospel - Mark 6:14-29

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

The Two Dances

Have you ever noticed how naturally and easily young children dance?

I was washing my car at home recently. All the doors were open and I had my mp3 player plugged into the radio with the music cranked up on random play. Three young children – ages 2, 4 and 5 – were playing in their yards at adjacent homes.

At one point, a song by James Brown came on – I Feel Good – and it was loud.

Suddenly, all three of the neighboring children stopped what they were doing and just began to dance. They moved and swayed easily to the music as James Brown belted it out, oblivious to how they looked or who might be watching.

Dancing seems hard-wired into young children’s make up. But somewhere between age five and later adulthood, we seem to lose that easy, uncaring ability to just dance.

Today’s Gospel lesson is about the ugly circumstances, including a dance, leading to the be-heading of John the Baptizer. It is a strange and unpleasant story for a Gospel reading.

But if we first look at today’s lesson from 2 Samuel, what we find are two stories about two very different dances.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost - A New Dimension of God's Nature

The Gospel - Mark 5:22-24,35b-43

Homily by the Rev. Helen McKee

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter - Love One Another

The Gospel - John 15:9-17

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Love One Another

Next Sunday is Ascension Sunday when we will celebrate Jesus’ ascension into Heaven to be with the Father. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is preparing his disciples (friends) for his imminent departure.

When we leave this life, we will leave things behind. Jesus also left things behind. Three of those things are mentioned in today’s Gospel.

First, Jesus promised his followers the Father’s Love. We might be saying to ourselves, “That’s great; we would like some of that too please.” But are you sure that you know what Jesus meant by the “Father’s Love”?

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter - Abide In Me

The Gospel - John 14:15-21

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Abide In Me

Theologians through the ages have written about Christians’ penchant for a “milquetoast Jesus,” who is, in today’s parlance, something of a wimp. Dorothy Sayers, better known for her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries than her essays, wrote in exasperation in her book The Greatest Drama Ever Staged:

“We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him ‘meek and mild,’ and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies.”

We don’t have to look very far to see this image played out in liturgy and song. Think of the hymn:

Awake, awake to love and work!
The lark is in the sky;
The fields are wet with diamond dew;
The world’s awake to cry
Their blessings on the Lord of life,
As He goes meekly by.

Jesus is depicted here as meekly passing by.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter - The Good Shepherd

The Gospel -  John 10:11-16

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

The Good Shepherd

 I am the Good Shepherd.

People who live in sheep raising countries such as England, Australia, and New Zealand have a different notion of and appreciation for sheep and shepherds than most people would here in our own country.

The Bible is filled with stories about shepherds and herding sheep. Think of the Psalms – especially Psalm 23.

The children of Israel had been a nomadic people whose livelihoods and sustenance relied on sheep. Sheep provided meat and milk, wool for clothing, and hides for making tents. Sheep were even used as a form of money or exchange.

Our own image of shepherds watching their flocks by night often seems peaceful, even idyllic. But the life of a shepherd was not like that. It was hard, dirty work, often without sleep.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter - We Are All Thomas

The Gospel - John 20:19-31

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

We are all Thomas

The Apostle Thomas has gotten a bad rap.

Remember your days in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. Thomas is almost always portrayed as “Doubting Thomas” – the disciple who would not believe that Jesus had risen from the grave unless he himself could see Jesus’ wounded hands and side.

The “Doubting Thomas” persona is seemingly reinforced by Jesus’ words near the end of today’s Gospel, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

But that’s not the whole story. Jesus in no way rebukes Thomas’ for his doubts. Instead, he welcomes his request, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

Homily for Easter Day - Go!

The Gospel - Mark 16:1-8

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Go!

Good morning! Happy Easter and welcome to Emmanuel. We are glad to have you here.

Easter is the central festival of the church year. More people attend church on Easter Sunday than any other day of the church year – more than on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

But regardless of whether you attend church once a year or every Sunday, we are glad you are here.

Easter is also the Sunday when more words are spoken than on any other Sunday - especially by the clergy!

And our Gospel lesson for today from Mark’s Gospel is about the meaning of words.

Homily for Palm Sunday - What do you want me to do for you?

The Gospel - Mark 11:1-11a

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

What do you want me to do for you?

Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.

During Holy Week, we have the opportunity to experience a full range of emotions – from the joy and merriment of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem which we remember today, to the sorrow and despair we feel on Maunday Thursday and Good Friday, to the elation that comes from our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and triumph over death which we will celebrate next week on Easter Day.

On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It was Passover week in Jerusalem – a time of festivals, merriment and parades. People lined Jesus’ route spreading their garments and leafy branches on the road to ease his way.

Homily for the Fifth Sunday in Lent - Dying to One's Self

The Gospel - John 12:20-33

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Dying to One's Self

One can learn a lot by listening to a group of teen-age girls talking among themselves. Not only can they all talk at once while understanding everything that everyone is saying, they are oblivious to an adult presence. You are in fact invisible.

Accompanying some 14 Chatham Hall students on the recent service trip to South Africa, I was struck by the difference in their conversations going over versus coming home.

On the bus to the airport from Chatham, the conversations were all about cell phones, music, boys, and dresses for the coming spring formal – typical teen-age conversations.

Coming home at the end of the trip, the conversations were about what they had seen and done in Africa – the needs of the people, the lack of Internet access in the schools, service projects that they could carry out in Chatham, ways in which they could continue to participate in the lives of the people whom they had visited.

These students were living today’s Gospel – they had died to self and were now living for others.

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus said, ”Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Lent - For God So Loved the World

The Gospel - John 3:14-21

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

For God So Loved the World

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever should believe in him would not perish but have eternal life.” 

No doubt this is one of if not the most memorized quote of the entire New Testament; the gospel in miniature.  I “Googled” John 3:16 and received 1.5 million hits to sites that offered interpretation, scrolling screen savers with music, baseball caps and t-shirts with the verse inscribed thereon, and my personal favorite, “JC Racing” a NASCAR team with 316 as the car number and “Jesus Saves” painted on the hood. 

More often than not, we memorize this passage out of context, and forget it was spoken by Jesus to illustrate the necessity of his death and the need for us to die to self in order to fully enjoy the wonder of God’s salvation.  Eternal life we like, death we don’t.  That’s too bad because one does not come without the other.

Eternal life is not something that comes after we die.  It always has been.  Since the moment we were conceived in the imagination of God our eternal life began. (Eternal, by definition has no beginning and no end).  Our eternal life takes on another dimension when our bodies die, that’s for sure.  However, between birth and death, eternal life is buttressed and strengthened by our willingness to die to self, to rise above the constant nagging of self interest and take on the well being of the world ahead of our own.

Homily for the Third Sunday in Lent - Re-setting Our Priorities

The Gospel - John 2:13-22

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Re-setting Our Priorities

One driver sticks post-it notes all over the dashboard of her car to make sure she remembers each errand. Kitchen calendars fill up with family appointments. Many cell phones now include calendars so their owners can have instant access to appointments that are too numerous to remember.

Chronic stress accompanies an increasing number of Americans who feel busy beyond measure. It’s a common problem for the current generation, even among the retired. People are so overwhelmed that one of the greatest luxuries of the twenty-first century is free time.

Busy-ness intrudes on all of us because we have so many opportunities. And because we want everything – and more. We have become slaves to what we desire, not what we need. We have become possessed by our activities – our getting and spending and doing. Isn’t that part of the malady that infects us during this difficult economic period? Living beyond our means? Materialism and greed? No boundaries to keep us in check?

Obviously, we need to re-set priorities and follow them.

Homily for Ash Wednesday - A Time for Penitence and Prayer

The Gospel - Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

A Time for Penitence and Prayer

The highlight of the Christian year is not (contrary to popular perception) Christmas.  The highlight of our year is Easter.  Resurrection marks the moment of distinction between Christianity and all other religions.  Jesus’ resurrection becomes the touchstone of His divinity and we hear and see the clear promise of eternal life.

But no matter the wonder of Jesus’ resurrection, we often take it for granted.  Our familiarity does not breed contempt; it creates lethargy and nonchalance. 

We need some time to think about it.  We need some time to put our souls and hearts in a place of gratitude.  Like Advent whips us into a frenzy for Christmas, we need time so the Holy Spirit can work on our nonchalance and have Easter be for us the be all and end all of life’s wonders.

Homily for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - O How I Love Jesus

The Gospel - Mark 1:40-45

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

O How I Love Jesus

“O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus … Because he first loved me.”

These words from Hymn 95 in our Life Every Voice and Sing hymnal come to mind as we think about the amazing miracles of Christ. Today’s story, about the healing of a leper, reminds us of why we love Jesus, why we’re so moved by who he was and what he did – why his story is the focus around which we have built our religious and spiritual lives. Jesus must have been an incredible person – courageous, compassionate, committed. And we love him because he loved us first.

To understand what this story really says about not only how great Jesus is, but about how much he loves us, we have to talk about leprosy and about the cultural norms of those times. The term “leprosy” in the Bible was used to name a number of different skin diseases. And according to the religious law of the Jewish people, a person with any one of these so-called leprous diseases was considered unclean, untouchable, unwanted.

Here’s how the code of Leviticus puts it:

Homily for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - A Call to Action

The Gospel - Mark 1:29-39

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

A Call to Action

The story in today’s Gospel is a follow on to the story we read last week.

You may remember that last week Jesus appeared in the Temple with some of his disciples and began to teach. And those who heard him “were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark Ch 1:21)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus leaves the Temple after teaching and goes out into the town – much as we come to church, worship and then go home. The difference is in what Jesus did when he left the Temple versus what we usually do when we go home.

Homily for the Third Sunday after Epiphany - What's in a Name?

The Gospel - Mark 1:14-20

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

What's in a Name?

Today’s Gospel continues the story of the calling of the twelve to be Jesus’ disciples. And it seems appropriate and fitting that as we prepare this morning to baptize Andrew James Coles that two of the disciples in today’s lesson should be named Andrew and James.

Jesus first sees Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets as he walks along the Sea of Galilee. Later, he comes upon James and his brother John. In both instances Jesus invites these fishermen to follow him and they immediately leave their nets to do so.

These invitations and their resulting ready acceptances did not just happen out of the blue. Andrew and James had been following John the Baptist and they had been watching and listening to John as he preached about “the one who will come after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to untie.” So, their response to Jesus’ invitation was a logical next step for them.

In the Bible, names mean something about the people who bear them. Abraham meant “father of many nations.” Jacob, you may recall, meant “trickster, conniver, cheater, thief.”

Andrew means “a man of great value.”

Homily for the Second Sunday after Epiphany - I am what you have been looking for.

The Gospel - John 1:43-51

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

I am what you have been looking for.

I am what you have been looking for all of your life.

Today’s Gospel tells the story of the calling of Nathaniel to be a disciple. Philip, who had accepted Jesus’ call on the previous day, found Nathaniel and said to him, “we have found him of whom Moses in the law and all of the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

When Nathaniel asks Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replies, “Come and see.” Philip’s question is the one asked by everyone who first hears a message they do not believe, or do not wish to believe: “Can anything good possibly come from that dirty little town or place or person?” Philip’s response is the one offered continuously by Jesus: “Come and see for yourself.”

Upon seeing Nathaniel and Philip approaching, Jesus said, “ Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathaniel was the opposite of deceitful – he said what he thought and thought what he said. Today’s Gospel ties together two stories – one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. The Old Testament story is the one about Jacob wrestling with God.

Homily for the First Sunday after Epiphany - Where are all the young people?

The Gospel - Mark 1:4-11

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Where are all the young people?

New Year’s Resolutions - we have this built in reason to dramatically change behavior, to become something different and not have anyone think we are strange. “Why are you doing that?” we may be asked, and can simply reply, “It’s my new year’s resolution,” and that’s reason enough.

And there is no better Gospel lesson for today than what Jesus had to say…."Repent”.  Because repentance and resolutions are the same thing. 

They are both agreements to change.  To take another road.  Do a 180 and keep going.  Repentance and resolutions are prompted by some sort of new understanding…An EPIPHANY… An “aha” moment that convinces us to turn about.

I love to read parish profiles from churches around the country – these documents that parishes must prepare to describe themselves as they begin the search for a new priest or minister. Churches want two things: More young people (since the typical Episcopalian is 55 years old, single and female) and more money…enough said.

But what’s interesting is that most churches have no idea how Christians and therefore Christian churches are perceived by people between the ages of 16 and 32, and if we did understand it, we would readily see why that age group, for the most part, is not here.

Homily for the Second Sunday after Christmas - Following the Sign

The Gospel - Matthew 2:1-12

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Following the Sign

Today’s gospel recounts the story of the Wise Men who followed the star to find and worship the baby Jesus.

Many of us are forever waiting for a sign from God as to what we should do with our lives. But too often we are waiting for a big, bold, obvious sign – that rarely happens. We, like the wise men, must be alertly watching for the sign we seek because the signs are all around us if only we will open our eyes to see them.

And once we have seen the sign, we are still free to choose whether we will follow it because our relationship with God is based on freedom of choice. We are always free to choose whether we will follow God or not.

Following the sign also involves overcoming many obstacles.

Homily for Christmas Eve - Today My Son Is Born

The Gospel - Luke 2:1-20

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Today My Son Is Born

Today my son is born. His mother will squat on her knees in the straw and pull him from her body. There will be no doctor, no nurse, no midwife, no sister, no mother. Only a good-hearted man.... baffled and confused...like most men, and all new fathers.

Today my son is born and the first thing he will smell is manure. Not to be glib, but it seems only appropriate considering all with which he will be forced to contend.  Manure and fur, and his mother’s shawl...wrapping him against the cold desert night and the icy rudeness of traveling taxpayers unaware.

Today my son is born and I am hopeful and happy... distressed and despondent all at once.... providence is paradox.... the first shall be last and the last shall be first. I am  happy and hopeful, this timeless moment will change all time... I am distressed and despondent, seeing the time it will take.  But, time I have... and can always create more.

Homily for the Last Sunday after Pentecost - God's Economy

The Gospel -Matthew 25:31-46

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

God's Economy

 

This is the last day of the Christian year.  Next Sunday marks the beginning of Advent.  Our annual journey through the liturgical calendar begins anew.  Like any new year, it is time to reflect and plan.  To assess who we are, where we have been and where we want to go. 

Paramount on everyone’s mind of course is the economy, and as we begin to plan for our next year as a parish family, the economy will be part of the planning.  One of the dangers of terrible economic times is that we have a tendency to become insular; to protect our assets, to hold tightly to what we have for fear of losing everything.  But during days of economic crisis, the church needs to do just the opposite. 

Homily for the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost - The Bottom Line

The Gospel - Matthew 22:34-46

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

The Bottom Line

 

Have you run into any bureaucracies lately?  

Not long ago, I had to call a national denomination office to secure some information. I called one morning around 9:30, and got a recording telling me the offices weren't opened.   So, I called back the following day, and got another recording telling me no one was available to answer the phone, to call back latter.  Instead, I decided to dial direct to the particular division at the National Headquarters. 

When I did that, I got another recording by the person I was trying to reach telling me that he wasn't in his office at the moment and for me to leave a message and he would call back.  I did that and also followed with another attempt to another division that might be able to get me the information I needed.  Yet another recording came on with the same message. 

Homily for the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost - The Crisis of Citizenship

The Gospel - Matthew 22:15-22

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

The Crisis of Citizenship

Here in the midst of an election year, particularly with an economic mushroom cloud looming overhead, it is impossible to avoid candidates’ pledges to decrease taxes and increase services.  Taxes, taxes and more taxes…each candidate accusing the other of being irresponsible with our tax dollars.

A sportswriter asked the boxer Joe Louis, "who hit you the hardest during your ring career?" His reply was, "Uncle Sam."

Oscar Wilde, play-write and cynic, once protested about the taxes on his house.  He was told that by living there, he used the protection and services of the government even while he slept.  Wilde quickly answered, "Yes, but I sleep so badly."

As the old saying goes, there are only two things in life we can't avoid...death and taxes...but we are all reminded regularly that death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.

Taxes have been the bane of people's existence forever.  We get a taste of it in the passage we read today.  The crucial question is simple, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

Homily for the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost - I'm Too Busy

The Gospel - Matthew 22:1-14

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

I'm Too Busy

This lesson today has two parables for the price of one.  Matthew has sewn two stories together.  Since both had weddings as their setting, the combination worked.  The first parable had to do with sending out the invitations, and the response of the people.

Some of you who are teachers are blessed with receiving some of the greatest excuses of all time.  The Atlanta Constitution invited teachers to submit excuses they had received from their students.

A student explaining why he was late: "I was kidnapped by aliens and interrogated for three hours."

Another, telling why she had failed to turn in her essay: "The bus driver read it and liked it so much he kept it to show the other passengers."

Yet another, "I got mugged on the way to school.  I offered my money, my watch, my new shoes, but all he wanted was my essay."

And Mike, a 14-year-old came up with a water tight excuse for arriving at school an hour late with his pants soaked to the knees: "I was just about to board the buss when I found I'd lost my ticket.  Since it would take too long to walk to school, I hopped a fence onto a golf course.  I headed for a creek that crisscrossed several fairways until I found a likely spot for lost balls.  Retrieving three balls from their watery graves, I made for the clubhouse...where I sold the balls for bus fare.” And that's why I'm late."  That was the winning entry.

Homily for the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost - Moving On

Text - Philippians 3:14-21

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Moving On

He was one of the greatest soldiers of his time.  He lived at a time when our country needed great soldiers.  However, his past so discouraged him that he almost never became the great leader his country needed.

Hiram's father was so harsh and cold that he would always see his son as a failure.  His mother was not a great source of comfort either.  He never saw her so moved by any life event that she cried. 

At age 17, his father pushed him into West Point.  Hiram was only 5'1" and 120 pounds.  He feared failing.  He hated the school but he didn't dare buck his father's decision.  In fact, when the academy listed his name wrong, Hiram was too timid even to get the error corrected.  He went through the rest of his life under a partly erroneous name.

Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - An Unpayable Debt

The Gospel - Matthew 18:21-35

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

An Unpayable Debt

The Bible is loaded with hyperbole.

How many descendants will Abraham and Sarah have?  Thousands?  Hundreds of thousands?  No! Like stars in the sky, like sand on the seashore. 

How hard is it for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven on his own efforts?   Pretty tough?  Unlikely?   No!  You’d have a better chance slipping a whole camel through the eye of a sewing needle. 

What’s it like when you criticize other people but don’t tend to your own messes?  Kind of annoying?  A bit irritating?  No!  It’s like walking around with a whole tree trunk sticking out of your eye socket even as you criticize other people for not wiping the sleepers out of their eyes in the morning.

The Bible is full of hyperbole.

And so, Peter wonders if forgiving someone seven times would do the trick.   Seven times for one person is a lot, right?  Seven strikes and you’re out.  Sounds reasonable.  Except that Jesus says even seven times would barely get things going.  “You’re just scratching the surface of forgiveness when you hit #7, Peter.  Keep going 77 times.”

Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - Unending Forgiveness

The Gospel - Matthew 18:15-20

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Unending Forgiveness

What Jesus has to say here seems a bit out of character and makes us scratch our heads.  Churches have codified this instruction and use it as the vehicle by which the unsavory among us can be sent off packing.  However, doing so grossly misrepresents Jesus’ intentions, particularly when we put today’s lesson in the context of what comes before and after.  

Just before what we read today Jesus, says finding one lost sheep is worth putting the whole flock in jeopardy, and just after he says we must forgive not seven times, but 77 times, neither of which ring the bell of banishment.

Forgiveness is the theme, but before we can understand forgiveness, it helps to understand sin. Sin is alienation from God, self, neighbor and nature. 

• Alienation from God = arrogance
• Alienation from self = disconnect and depression
• Alienation from neighbor = destroys community
• Alienation from nature = just look around

But alienation is a constant in our lives.  We all experience it, and we all perpetuate it.  And, were this alienation all we experienced, life would be horrible and fractious.  Everything would explode into bits.

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - A Call to Martyrdom

The Gospel -Matthew 16:21-27

Homily by the Rev. Dr. John S. Ruef

A Call to Martyrdom

I remember well in the first church for which I was responsible talking to one of the ladies in the congregation about Jesus being a Jew, to which she replied, “Oh no! Jesus couldn’t have been Jewish. He was the first Christian.” This drastic disconnect of Christianity from its historical base in first century Judaism is all too common in the minds of many church people. 

But Jesus was a Jew. He thought out of a Jewish background. He knew the Jewish tradition and did not always agree with it. Part of that Jewish background was the notion that God conquered the enemies of His chosen in order for them to possess the Promised Land. The early settlers of this United States transferred that notion to themselves.

Further, the notion that keeping the commandments, which is a very strong motif in Deuteronomy from which our first lesson is taken, has resulted in a kind of wooden literalism in interpreting the Scriptures, which continues to produce serious complications in the life of the Church.

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Answering the Question

The Gospel -Matthew 16:13-20

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Answering the Question

There are two questions Jesus asks his disciples.  One is easy and one is hard.

Question #1..."Who do people say that I am?"  That's the easy one.  All they had to do was report what they had heard. "You're a great prophet", "You're John the Baptist returned"...speculation was rampant and the disciples were willing to speak of it freely.

Maybe Jesus sat there patiently and listened.  Maybe he let them go on about who had heard what and who had said what, and who had told what to whom.  Maybe they even laughed about it a bit...how some had even said he was a demon.... big belly laughs...and Maybe even Jesus laughed along with them.  The laughter died a bit, followed by one of those moments of calm in conversation, and then Jesus surprised them all.

Question #2 is the difficult one; the question that made them squirm a bit, had the disciples responding like we do when asked to pray...looking out the window, shuffling feet, coughing uncontrollably...They weren't prepared for it. "Who do you say that I am?" Only Peter was ready to say what was on his mind.  One out of twelve, 8% was willing to speak, 8% was ready to say,  “You are the Christ of God."

Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - The Portrait

The Gospel - Matthew 15:21-28

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

The Portrait

At first reading, this story is quite a shock.  Our lifelong impression of Jesus' nature is somewhat assaulted.  We always fashion him to be soft spoken and kind...concerned about the welfare of all people with no consideration of background, ethnic origin, economic status, political prowess.  But this event flies in the face of our preconceived notions.  It almost sounds like he is being a snide, stuffy, bigot. 

Jesus and his men have left the home turf.  They have ventured outside the boundaries of Israel.  This is like walking down a dark alley on a Saturday night in a part of town you know you should not be in.

But apparently Jesus reputation preceded him.  The people had heard of him and they too came to see what he was all about. The invasion of his privacy is quaintly illustrated with the relentless approach of this woman.      

Her daughter was sick.  Some demon she said. "Have mercy on me, O Lord Son of David, My daughter is severely possessed by a demon."  Despite her request, we are told Jesus didn't say a word to her, and the disciples were quite rude, "Send her away."  

Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Unbounded Imagination

The Gospel - Matthew 14:22-33

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Unbounded Imagination

Robert Fulghum tells a wonderful story about a kindergarten class that decided to perform the story of Cinderella. There are lots of roles in Cinderella, but still casting was a chore. All the girls, of course, wanted to be Cinderella. Finally all the children were assigned roles except one--a small tubby kid named Norman.

The teacher asked, "Norman, what are you going to be?"

"Well," said Norman, "I think I will be the pig."

The teacher said, "Norman, there is no pig in the story of Cinderella."

And Norman said, "Well, there is now."

The teacher could tell it would be senseless to argue, so she left it to Norman to decide what role a pig played in the Cinderella story. As it turned out, the pig went everywhere that Cinderella went and did whatever Cinderella did.

Homily for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - Seeking the Kingdom

The Gospel - Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Seeking the Kingdom

If ever we see the impossibility of clearly and finally describing the nature of the Kingdom of God, it is here.  Even the Lord himself could not find a simile that worked all the time, or was broad enough to illustrate clearly everything he wanted to say.  The Kingdom of God is too much.

And no doubt about it, Jesus is on something of a simile binge.  The kingdom is . . . a mustard seed . . . a bit of yeast in dough . . . a hidden treasure . . . a pearl of great value . . . a net catching fish.    It’s most interesting how easily Jesus slides from the agricultural to the culinary to the marketplace and then to fishing.  At first, it all seems quite jumbled together

But even though Jesus is throwing out these various images at a fast and furious pace, he is also explaining one of the most remarkable truths that emerges from the gospel: namely this, the kingdom of God is hidden and utterly defies our ability to capture it.

Homily for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost - The Invitation

The Gospel - Matthew 11:25-30

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

The Invitation

 I trust everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. We are still basking in the afterglow of fireworks and patriotism, the land of the free and the home of the brave, "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 

We also celebrate the anniversary of our constitution, which says, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union offering everyone the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

 

As we considered the 4^th, I hope all of us took to heart these qualities of our life together.  For some, the 4th of July is merely another sanctioned opportunity to celebrate, to whoop it up and to have a day off.  But it should be more.

Homily for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - Abraham's Test

Text - Genesis 22:1-14

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Abraham's Test

The story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac is frightening.  I still remembering hearing it in Bible School one summer and having a panic attack. The next time my father asked if I wanted to go fishing with him I had second thoughts. “No, you go ahead, I think I’ll stick around the house with Mom.” 

Of course if someone were to do that sort of thing today, child services and the police would have a field day. 

But it was a different time and a different place.  Child sacrifice was not unusual, particularly among the Canaanite tribes even as late as 800 B.C.  It was a sign of ultimate religious fervor and loyalty to one’s god, and the fact that Abraham was willing to move in that direction indicated to all his neighbors that he was as devoted to his god as they were to theirs. 

Fortunately, God stopped Abraham in the nick of time and from then on, one of the story’s purposes was to serve as a polemic against child sacrifice and an announcement that Hebrew people would have nothing to do with it. 

However, the story is there nonetheless, and indeed God did instruct Abraham to kill his favored son, and we still think it has a touch of lunacy and weirdness that God would suggest such a thing. 

But before we jump too quickly to condemn God’s purpose and intentions, the event needs some context – God’s request for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac does not happen in a vacuum. 

Homily for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - I Wish He Hadn't Said That.

The Gospel -  Matthew 10:24-39

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

I Wish He Hadn't Said That.

How often do we read the gospel lessons and shift a bit in our seats?  How often do we hear Jesus’ words and say to ourselves, “I wish he hadn’t said that”.  Today is no exception. In no less than 6 verses, Jesus says three things that make us cringe a bit.   

However, before we look at any of them, it might be interesting to figure out why there are things we wish Jesus had never said. 

We don’t mind hearing the parts about love and forgiveness and the promises of eternal life, but in the great scheme of Jesus’ teachings those sayings were few and far between.  Especially when we realize Jesus had five times more to say about money than he did about prayer. 

So what is it about these sayings we don’t want to hear? 

Most of the time, they do not serve our self-interest.  Instead of making us feel warm and fuzzy about who we are and our lifestyles, we are confronted with our prejudices and excuses.  They make us squirm because we realize there is a greater good than the one we are living and we don’t like to be reminded of our shortfalls.   

It’s sort of like hearing your recorded voice played back, and our first reaction is, “I don’t really sound like that!” 

But on the other hand, the tough sayings of Jesus are very good for us to hear.