October 9, 2016 (full size gallery)
This past weekend Hurricane Matthew came through. Johnny said that for the week he had received over 7 inches of rain. Saturday was a steady storm with wind and rain. But by Sunday morning the rain ended and the wind came as a front moved through. Gradually through the day the sun came out and by the end of the service, we were enjoying a completely clear day with deep blue sky.
It became the first fall day – at least it felt so . Numerous leaves were backed up against the fence to market street. The river was full of water. The air was cool and fresh. Delightful!
"Godly Play" today reenacted Noah’s Ark. "God’s Kids" took a break from the Old Testament and read the Gospel and considered the issue of leprosy in the world today
We had a congregation of 44 including former priest Karen Woodruff and Mike Kerr from the Trustees of the Funds. Mike was here to honor Clarence retiring as Church treasurer.
Catherine made a presentation recalling how Clarence kept the church together in the midst of division in 2003 when church split over human sexuality. Clarence provided a healing presence, one that helped to reconcile parties. He was able to keep the finances solvent. In the current time he has been able to preserve an emergency fund when many churches our size have difficulty staying a float. Karen Woodruff echoed Catherine’s remarks.
Mike Kerr from the Diocese praised Clarence’s steady leadership and jokingly said that he and Clarence helped start the Trustees in 1754! He wanted to expressed his thanks and to offer any help in the transition for Eunice. He thanked St. Peter’s for creating two funds in the Trustees of the Funds. Here is his video presentation.
We celebrated Woody’s 79th birthday – as he said he was entering his 80th year. We also brought Ken and Andrea to celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary which was today.
In the lectionary readings this weeks, Jesus continues the journey to Jerusalem meeting people or groups that can be lost.Many different people appear in the gospel readings this month– judges, the Pharisees, lepers and tax collectors.
Today’s readings remind us of the wholeness we experience when we allow God to heal and forgive. Two of the stories involve leprosy or similar skin diseases. Sufferers were quarantined, but only in advanced stages of the malady. In 2 Kings, Naaman’s healing leads him to acknowledge the one true God. Paul reflects on the centrality of Jesus Christ, who is himself the good news, bringing salvation. In today’s gospel, 10 lepers receive healing; one healed leper receives salvation.
These stories and not just about including the lepers but understanding who they are. Both Naiman and the Samaritan in the Gospel are foreigners – Naiman from Aram (Syria) and the leper in Luke from Samaria. There is a big difference in their standing – Naiman a commander in Syria and 10 lepers probably without distinction. The stories are a metaphor for the Kingdom of God being opened to all.
And they are highlighted for their reaction to the healing. The Gospel’s leper “turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.” This was in contrast to the other nine who did nothing. Naiman returns to Elisha and says "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel."
The sermon considered the issue of leprosy in relationship to frustrations in our life. "The lepers had to be frustrated.They were truly stuck—struck with a disease that turned them into outcasts and isolated them. ..When we get stuck in our own lives and we can’t seem to get past whatever it is that has us stuck, that’s when we usually remember to pray.
"Sooner or later, often still in the midst of whatever we are stuck in, we can feel a glimmer of hope, a hint of healing, a new beginning. And it’s so easy to leave God behind, God who blessed me with deliverance, and set me on the path, left in the dust behind me—I’ve got things to do, places to go! Over and over in our lives, we will find ourselves stuck. And we will pray for deliverance. And God is merciful and will answer our prayers—not necessarily in the way we expect.
"So why have gratitude? Gratitude is like a window in a windowless prison cell that holds us captive. Sometimes the window is invisible. And yet, even the tiniest trust and faith in God opens our eyes to see the window. Even the tiniest bit of faith will give us the courage to stand up and walk over to that window, and give our arms the strength to thrust it open. And once that window of gratitude opens, our hearts open in praise to God, and God sets us free see with our own eyes the resurrection life that is already ours, even when all seems lost.
She related a poem received from the jail ministry that past Wed night written by one of the prisoners, Rodney Johnson.
“Help my mind and body stay in place
“ Deliver me to your wisdom and grace.
“ Let not my eyes sin in lust.
“ Let not my hands sin with touch.
“ Let not my mouth speak with sin.
“Let not my heart take sin in.”
“Lord, give me the power to change who I am, To become a good and righteous man.”
“Let me have peace on earth and everlasting life with thee.” In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”
“Thank you, Lord, for all you’ve done in blessing me with your everlasting Son.” “Lead me on, again and again.”
The way becomes clear—and the starting place is gratitude. People, that is the prayer of a faithful man, a man full of gratitude, a man who even though he is in jail, is already free, already living the resurrection life. His faith puts mine to shame. That’s why I asked him to write this prayer, in his handwriting, in the front of my Bible. So that when I’m frustrated and feeling stuck, I can open my Bible and read his prayer—a gospel story for today– and throw open my own window of gratitude.