Sermon for Year B Proper 24

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE

At the time,

my mother was still very,very active

and I was still doing consulting work for museums 

and other non-profits.

This was before ordination, before seminary,

before my mother’s dementia began

and quite a few years before her death.

It was an ordinary day.

My mother was going next door to where my sister lived

to babysit for my niece, my sister’s daughter.

As my mother went up the porch steps--

who knows what really happened--

but my mother fell,

crashing down onto the hard cement of the porch.

She knew something very bad had happened.

Indeed, she had broken her pelvis in several places.

After a trip to the hospital and x-rays and other tests,

my mother returned home,

in bed,

to heal.

There is not much that can be done for a broken pelvis 

other than time immobilized,

pain management,

and some rehabilitation with physical therapy--

but mainly it takes time.

Six to ten weeks usually.

Both my brother and sister at the time were very busy attorneys.

They had little flexibility in their schedules.

I was a consultant for museums.

The assumption was--well, you don’t have a “real” job

so can you come 

and be with Mother and help out

while she is recovering.

Well, consulting is a very real job,

but it does--sometimes-- have some flexibility.

I was in the middle of an enormous exhibit research 

and development project

but the truth was I could do that work

in Raleigh as easily as I could do it in Valle Crucis--

so I loaded up my car 

with boxes of files and boxes of books

and headed east.

I stopped along the way and bought a laptop computer.

My first.

When I got to my mother’s house,

I set up a wooden TV tray as my desk in her bedroom

where she was confined at the time

and it was just fine.

My mother was grateful for my presence.

And I was happy to be there for her,

for she had been there for me many, many times.

She slept a lot.

That was good for my getting work done.

But repeatedly, when she was awake,

she would say,

“You know, I just don’t understand.

I have tried all my life to live a good life.

To be kind and loving.

I just don’t understand what I did 

to make God punish me like this.”

Now I wasn’t ordained yet

but I was more than willing to jump into the theological fray 

of this question.

“Mother, you didn’t do anything.

God is not punishing you.

Sometimes things just happen.

God does not cause our suffering.”

My mother would nod and say,

“Oh, I know. You’re right. You’re right.”

But usually it would only be a matter of hours,

before she would begin wrestling once more 

with this age old question:

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why does God allow good people, 

                        innocent people to suffer?

This question has been around for a long time.

This very question is the heart of the book of Job. 

Our readings for the past few weeks--and for a few weeks to come--

are taking us through Job’s struggle.

The book of Job is a long poetic reflection 

about the problem of human suffering.

We don’t know if Job was a real person

or just a symbolic human 

representing everyman and everywoman.

If God is good,

then why is there evil in the world?

Job is a faithful good person.

He has a loving wife and ten wonderful children.

He is successful. He is prosperous.

But most importantly,

he is faithful.

And then his world falls to pieces.

He loses everything.

Literally everything--his family, his livelihood, his health.

Everything.

And his friends--as some friends are apt to do--show up 

and want to “fix” things, 

explain things to Job.

Something is wrong here, Job.

You must have done SOMETHING bad.

God is punishing you for something.

Righteous people, good people 

don’t have bad things happen to them.

So say Job’s friends.

But they are wrong.

Though their reasoning makes sense--

and we still hear that type of theology today.

Indeed, until the book of Job, this is the theology 

we hear in the Old Testament.

Do something bad--and God will punish.

Do something good--and God will reward you.

It’s just not that simple.

Sometimes life and loss and despair and death just happen.

Life sometimes just does not make rational sense.

Job tries to handle it.

But finally--he just explodes at God.

And God explodes right back.

That’s what we hear in the reading from Job today.

And there is good Creation season images in this scripture.

“Where were you, Job, when I, God, laid the foundations of the earth?

Where were you when the morning stars sang,

when the seas were formed...

God is telling Job,

“Look, my friend, you’re not God.

You didn’t create the world

and at times 

                 you are not going to be able 

                 to understand the world.”

The question is regardless of what happens to us,

can we still hold on to faith?

Or do we have faith because we want to be rewarded?

We live in a world which preaches that we deserve to be rewarded 

for our hard work.

This just does not always happen.

I know quite a few people who work work work

and they still live barely above the poverty level.

And I know students who study study study

and they still can’t get above a C- in Spanish class.

I know quite a few people who would love to have a job

but they haven’t been able to find one--

and yes, they have looked--and are still looking.

We have heard in the news recently about a 14 year old Pakistani girl, Mulala, was shot in the head,

simply because she wanted an education.

What happened to her is wrong, is evil

But the question is not why is there evil 

or why do good people have to suffer?

The question is

can we still continue to do good in the world

even in the face of evil?

Can we still continue to love

when we are surrounded by hate?

The question is how will we respond to evil, to suffering, 

to our own misfortune?

What will we do?

Will we cast ourselves in the role of the pitiful victim?

O Woe is me!

We will go about

complaining and blaming and scapegoating?

Those paths lead no where.

We need to continuously cultivate a reservoir of faith, of hope--

for when the drought hits--

and sooner or later, it strikes all of us.

Usually when we least expect it.

It doesn’t take long to go from lucky to unlucky.

Illness.

Death.

Disappointment.

Failure.

Loss.

No one is protected.

No one.

God gives us free will.

We are not puppets.

God gives us free will--this is what we believe as Episcopalians.

We are given choices.

We choose how we live.

We choose how we react when good things happen to us

and when bad things happen to us.

We all live a version of Job’s story.

Perhaps not quite as harsh or horrific.

Or perhaps for some, even more so.

Job makes a choice 

to continue to love God and to love life

no matter what.

Job knows that God is with him--

throughout all the bad things that have happened to him.

God is present.

Just as God is present with us when good things are happening.

Job teaches us something else as well.

And this is important.

Job teaches us that it is okay to yell at God.

It’s okay to lose all patience and just say,

“What are you thinking!!!???

Why is this happening?

ANSWER ME, GOD!!!!”

I think God understands when we shout and rage 

against injustice and suffering and evil and disappointment.

I think God always prefers our real and honest emotions

instead of false piety or easy cliches.

God hears. Sometimes God even responds and speaks to us

as he did to Job.

But most of all,

God never abandons us. God never walks away.

When there is nothing left, God is still right beside us.

And here is the hard truth:

we cannot avoid suffering or failure or heartbreak.

What we are called to do by God

is to go THROUGH it--

not to dance around it or avoid it or run from it

or try to deny it is really happening--

we are called to go THROUGH it.

And yes, sometimes it does indeed 

feel like we are walking THROUGH

the valley of the shadow of death.

But, if we go THROUGH it --as Job did, as Jonah did,

as John the Baptist did, as Jesus did--

if we go THROUGH it WITH God,

we WILL come out the other side--

we don’t get to pick what the other side looks like--

but we WILL come out on the other side.

Frederick Buechner, in his wonderful book WISHFUL THINKING

writes about Job and says:

Maybe the reason God doesn’t explain to Job

why terrible things happen

is that he knows what Job needs isn’t an explanation.

Suppose that God did explain.

Suppose that God were to say to Job 

that the reason the cattle were stolen,

the crops ruined, and the children killed

was thus and so, spelling everything out

right down to and including the case of boils.

Job would have his explanation.

And then what?

Understanding...why his children had to die, 

Job would still have to face their empty chairs

at breakfast every morning.

Carrying in his pocket

straight from the horse’s mouth 

a complete theological justification for his boils,

he would still have to scratch and burn.

God doesn’t reveal his grand design.

He reveals himself.

He doesn’t show why things are as they are.

He shows his face....

Even covered with sores and ashes, [Job] looks oddly

like a man who has asked for a crust 

and been given the whole loaf.

Sometimes we look for answers and explanations

when we really need to just pay attention

and look for the face of God.

Amen.

.

Year B Proper 23 The Rev. Deacon Tim Jones

  The Rev. Deacon Tim Jones was with us at St. John's this past weekend. 

      Here is his very fine sermon.

I have a strange confession to make. My close friends and family already know this about me. I cannot parallel park. I simply cannot do it. It’s like a brain block with me. It’s not for lack of trying or practicing on my part. I have taken all the tips and performed them just as instructed and still I end up either partly in the street or partly on the curb.

Now if you know anything about the downtown area of my hometown, Hendersonville then you know that means about half the parking spaces there are not available to me. My wife will say, “There’s one. It’s open. Get it.” I will respond with, “I think I will just keep circling until one of the regular ones becomes available.”

Many years ago, my late grandmother was determined that she was going to teach me how to parallel park. I think it was a source of both embarrassment and exasperation on her part that her grandson could not do such a simple, easy thing.

My grandmother owned a Lincoln Town Car. Now you have to understand this was in the very late 1980s when they were still these enormously long land yachts. Do you remember those? She set out to prove to me that if she could parallel park her metal monstrosity then surely there was no reason I could not learn how to park my little Toyota.

We were on a narrow section of 3^rd Avenue just off Main Street. She walked me through steps as she attempted to fit this huge vehicle into a spot that seemed way to small for it to ever happen. She did it. She slid that thing in there so flawlessly that it was just stunning to behold. She looked at me as if to say, “There, that’s how it’s done” and the next thing she did was to open her door as she looked at me and ---“Boom”---right into a car passing by on the street.

Yep, I sure got a valuable driving lesson that day. If you are going to parallel park on a busy street then it pays to look before you sling your door open into traffic!

She was so focused on teaching me how to parallel park. She did everything right and she did it perfectly, but in focusing on all that she let one small detail slip her attention and it was a costly mistake. You know what they say about education being expensive!!

In today’s Gospel reading we have a wealthy young man who has it all together. He is wealthy, powerful and his claim to Jesus that he has lived in accord with the moral code of the Hebrew Scriptures is never challenged by Jesus. He’s crossed every “t” and dotted every “i”. He has done everything right.

Did you notice how he phrased his question, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” I suspect that he was used to getting things done. He is a doer and what he does, he does well. Just the way he asks the question and then his follow up to Jesus,“Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” I think he may have thought Jesus was going to say, “Nothing, son, you are so impressive and moral…you have already done everything perfectly. If anyone has eternal life then it surely is you.”

Mark’s Gospel reading today says, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” Jesus loves him so he tells him the hard, hard truth. Jesus is not being mean when speaks. Understand that what Jesus says next is not meant to just blow him off or discourage him. It is the truth spoken in love to this young man. It is meant to set him free.

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing”

. What? This guy has everything. He has acquired wealth, power, respect. He was not used to hearing that he lacked anything. Maybe other people, but not him. He has it all together. What in the world could this man not have?

“Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

Jesus puts his finger on the one thing that he was lacking and had nothing to do with acquiring yet one more thing. It had to do withletting go of spending his life acquiring yet one more thing.

“When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.”

Just like my grandmother who had focused on every little detail of the parallel parking and performed it flawlessly, but in doing so she missed one vital detail, so this young man had done everything perfectly, but he missed one very important thing.

It was not about what this young man owned. It was about what owned this young man. The issue is always about who or what owns the vision of heart. The material things were not the problem. They were simply the symptom. Jesus was not trying to impoverish this man. He was trying to liberate him from the grasp of what really held him in bondage so he could give him what he was asking for and so much more!!

He offers him the treasure of becoming one of his followers. Think about that. This fellow could have joined the ranks of the disciples. This is the very same call that we heard Jesus make when men like James and John and Peter dropped their nets to set out on the grand adventure that ended up changing the world.

But in order to lay hold of that offer, he is going to have to let go of his death grip on his stuff. There is always a cost and a promise to everything. In this case the young man could not celebrate or even see the promise because the cost stood in the way and blocked his vision of the gift that Jesus was offering him.

My brothers and sisters the call to live as a follower of Jesus never comes at a convenient time or place. It’s always an interruption of the status quo in our lives. It often means letting go of familiar things that we have grown comfortably secure with so that we can embrace a direction that is radically new for us.

But the invitation to follow Jesus is not only about sacrifice, it’s also about a call to experience the joy of eternal life---now not just in heaven one day.

Later on in Mark 10 we hear Simon Peter telling Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold.”

Yes, these men left behind the safety and stability of their nets…and in doing so they changed the world. They gave up what must have seemed like so much at the time, but they ended up making such a deep impact for the kingdom of God that they are on our stained glass windows and we name our churches after them.

I have heard far too many sermons on discipleship over the years that only focused on that cost of discipleship and never celebrated the promise of discipleship.

The challenge of living as a follower of Jesus is not simply the challenge of the sacrifices that it often requires, but the even greater challenge of trusting that Jesus is asking us to follow him to something wonderful.

The great tragedy in this story is that this man’s stuff so owned him that he could not see what was of even more value. It eclipsed the true value of the gift that Jesus was offering him. Jesus was offering him the opportunity to be a part of his mission in this world.

The call to be his follower is always a call to the experience joy of living for something bigger than ourselves---to touch and transform human lives. The real issue that stands behind the call to follow Jesus is whether or not we can become so convinced of the goodness of God that we dare to risk letting go so that we can receive the gift of God. Are we willing to believe in the radical generosity of God and trust that what God is asking us to make room for is so much greater than what we cling to for dear life?

When it gets cold outside the freezing temps bend and break our rules at the Rescue Mission. In other words, we move heaven and earth to make sure no one has to stay outside. That’s because it is often literally a matter of life and death. One of the sad things about gathering with my counterparts from various Rescue Missions around the country is that I have discovered that we all seem to know people who have died of exposure. It’s serious business.

Years ago, on a winter’s night when everything was in deep freeze, a man came to the door and asked to check into our overnight shelter. No problem. I sat down with him and started asking him about some of the basic information we have to get from everyone. He interrupted me. “I won’t stay if Fred can’t stay.” “Who is Fred?”, I asked. He replied, “My pet fish.” “You have a pet fish? We don’t allow pets in the dormitories for many different reasons.” “If Fred cannot stay then I am staying.” “Where is Fred?” He reached into his backpack and pulled out one of those large peanut butter jars with the red tops that screw on. Sealed up inside it was some cloudy water and something floating around in it that sort of resembled a fish. It was clear that Fred had gone on to his reward some time previous to that night. I had one of those moments where I looked around to make sure I was not on candid camera or something. I fully expected the man to burst out into laughter and say, ‘I am just kidding.’ He did not. “If he can’t stay, I am leaving.” If that fish could not stay right with him he was going out into the cold night. No matter how much I tried to reason with him and get him to understand that what I was offering could literally save his life in exchange for his fish, he just was not buying it. I looked out into the lifeless winter night and then I looked at Fred and then there was this long, uncomfortable silence. Of course, he and Fred both stayed. The next day I caught all manner of teasing from people over checking a dead fish into our shelter program.

I once had the exact same scenario over man’s lawnmower that he was pushing. It was a rusted out old lawnmower that had probably not started in years, but the fellow told me that it was the last thing he had in the world and he was not going to let someone take that from him as well. I ended up having to double chain it up with a lock inside our locked utility building in order to convince him to stay. He was seriously going to sleep outside in the freezing cold before he was going to risk letting his lawnmower go.

We look at that and clearly we can see the heartbreaking illness that would cause someone to risk freezing to death before they would let go of a dead fish or a rusted out, old push mower. To them, in the way they saw the world those items were more valuable than even life itself. They could not see it any other way.

How often have I done the same thing with things that from the divine perspective must be just as silly to cling to?

The call to be a follower of Jesus is a call to let go of our death grip on the things that we are comfortable with---the things that provide us with a sense of security identity--- so that we can lay hold of the amazing opportunity to share in his work in this world.

It’s not really about what we own. It’s about what owns us.

My brothers and sisters I ask us all to hear the good news that the call to be followers of Jesus is both frightening and wonderful at the same time. It is always an invitation to begin anew because the Gospel is always about new birth, new beginnings and fresh starts. It’s about the opportunity to touch the lives of others for God. This young man was a good, upright person, but Jesus does not play games about are we good enough or worthy enough or qualified to be his followers. He cares less about where we have been and what we done and more about where we are willing to go from here. He always only asks one thing…are you willing to let go and follow me?

Sermon for Year B Proper 22

D-I-V-O-R-C-E

The year is 1968.

We are here at the Second Annual Country Music Awards.

They are about to announce the winner of the Female Vocalist of the Year.

The envelope please.

And the winner is...

TAMMY WYNETTE !!!

For her hit song:  D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

D-I-V-O-R-C-E. Divorce.

Times were different in 1968.

Tammy wasn’t just spelling the word “DIVORCE” 

so little four year old J-O-E wouldn’t know what was happening.

Divorce was shameful.

So much so that DIVORCE...

well, mostly it just WASN’T.

Wasn’t talked about. Wasn’t acknowledged. Wasn’t acceptable.

Times were different.

Times were different in the first century too.

Today in Mark’s gospel we find Jesus doing something he does so well:

teaching.

He has a crowd of people of people gathered around him

and not surprisingly, the Pharisees show up,

to ask questions.

Not because they really want to know what he has to say,

but more because they want to trap Jesus.

They want to prove that Jesus is not only NOT the Messiah,

Jesus is not even orthodox.

So here is their question: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

And Jesus, as he often does,

responds to their question with a question:

“What did Moses command you?” he asks.

And of course they are as quick as Fox news with the answer:

“Moses allowed a man to divorce a woman.”

Now they are telling the truth.

Under specific conditions, divorce was an accepted practice among

the Jewish people during the time of Jesus.

Deuteronomy 24: 1-5--if you want to check it out.

HOWEVER, this law only allowed a husband to divorce his wife 

if he finds her to be indecent.

Of course, the problem here is, define “indecent.”

Indeed, Jesus has a problem with this law.

Jesus happens to believe that this law was a concession, a cop-out.

Jesus quotes from the book of Genesis

that God intended for those who are married

to be fully committed to one another, 

so bound together that they are “one flesh.”

“What God has joined together, let no one separate.”

The Pharisees are not going to accept this backtalk against Moses

so they keep pressing Jesus.

And finally Jesus just flat out says,

“If a man divorces his wife and marries another,

he commits adultery.”

And then he continues,

“And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another

she commits adultery.”

Adultery!??? Whoa! That’s harsh.

Jesus’ words may bother our ears--

after all, we live in a time when we have come to accept 

that some marriages just don’t work.

That more pain is caused by staying together than by separating.

That some couples never even started at the “one flesh” point,

much less have been able to maintain it.

Jesus’ words are not harsh to the Pharisees,

they are absolutely scandalous.

Not only is Jesus speaking out against Moses,

essentially saying, 

“Well, you know, Pharisees, times change.

The world changes.”

Not only do they hear his words as blasphemy against Moses,

they are probably speechless.

Because you see, a woman could not--under any circumstance--

divorce her husband.

It wasn’t done

and it couldn’t be done

and it mustn’t be done.

Men had power and privileges that women would never have.

But Jesus--well, Jesus says,

if a man can find his wife “indecent”

then a woman can find her husband “indecent.”

A man can divorce a woman and a woman can divorce a man,

but...

But says Jesus, God calls us to unity, to being one--

not to be divided.

And then we switch to Jesus talking about children.

He speaks sternly to the disciples for trying to prevent people 

from bringing their children to him.

He welcomes the children,

takes them into his arms, lays his hands upon them 

and blesses them.

We follow this same example at communion even today.

Before a child is old enough to eat the bread or drink the wine

the priest will bless that child.

This scripture is an interesting juxtaposition: divorce and children.

One of my favorite blogs is written by Peter Woods,

a retired Methodist minister who lives in South Africa.

He recently wrote:

“Divorce does not help the protection of children. The vulnerability of children is increased when the ideal nuclear family is disrupted, often due to the selfishness of the parents. I am divorced,” he continues, “ so I know how this works and I am not proud of it but nor am I ashamed of it...I know that children in families are also at risk where there is domestic violence and conflict, and often divorce is a healthier option than obedience to church laws. This is not a simple problem and it surely does not have a one size fits all solution.”

Peter Woods is right. 

Divorce is seldom a black and white issue.

There are usually at least 50 shades of grey 

if not a million nuances of grey.

The Pharisees want Jesus to say “This is right and this is wrong.”

Jesus seldom says that.

Even in this gospel reading we hear today,

the point Jesus is making is that we have to respect

the dignity of every human being.

We are to respect the dignity of both men and women,

and yes, children, too.

If we can do that,

it does not necessarily mean there will never be a divorce,

but perhaps it does mean

that we can reduce the harm and hurt that comes along with divorce.

Jesus so often invites us to consider all the possibilities--

and to take those possibilities in our arms and embrace them,

not push them away.

Perhaps that is why he loves children so much.

He looks at children and sees a world of possibilities.

Jesus is especially tuned in to those who are marginalized,

oppressed.

Women.

Children.

The list is long.

The list was long in the first century

and unfortunately it is still long in our own time.

Times have changed.

We accept things today that we could never have accepted 50 years ago

or even 10 years ago.

And the world will continue to change.

We need to open our eyes and our minds and our hearts

to embrace the possibilities.

This does not mean that we accept an “anything goes” sort of world

or even an “anything goes” sort of church.

We are called to realize that we are called to go into all the world--

today’s world--

and spread the gospel.

And sometimes that requires finding new ways, changed ways

to do just that.

A friend of mine recently wrote to me and said,

“I have little faith in the Church.”

To which I replied,

“Some days I have little faith in the Church, too.

But I have great faith in God

and I still believe that with God,

all things are possible.”

When we find ourselves afraid of the changes,

when we feel overwhelmed and full of fear,

worried that life is not as it once was for us or the Church

or the world

we need to remember-

that we, each one of us, each person on this planet,

is a child of God.

And with that identity,

God’s arms are always open to us,

God’s love is always waiting to be wrapped around us,

God’s blessing is ready to be given.

“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”

Amen.

Blessing of the Animals 2012

No, we didn't have a camel at the Blessing of the Animals at St. John's this year, but isn't this a wonderful, joy-filled photograph? It's one of my favorites. We did have a lovely service out in the courtyard that Saturday evening. Felt like the perfect autumn evening to gather and give thanks for all God's critters and creation.

Here's the sermon. Blessing of the Animals always a short sermon. I have learned that animals don't have much tolerance for long sermons.

Glorify the Lord O Creatures Great and Small

The official feast day of St. Francis 

was actually on Thursday--October 4th.

But today we gather to give thanks--

to give thanks to God and to bless

those creatures that look so very different

than us human beings--

those creatures 

who wear fur, feathers or fins--

those amazing created beings

that make our hearts fill with inexplicable love!

We gather to bless animals to honor St. Francis

who is known in our Christian tradition for his love 

and respect for all creatures.

I recently read that there are over 62 million pet cats in the United States.

There are estimated to be over 78 pet million dogs in America.

I couldn’t find statistics for ducks, fish, gerbils, ferrets, hamsters or snakes.

but I think it is safe to say that most human beings

love animals. Even if they don’t have a pet, 

most people really love animals.

There was something about animals 

that made Francis feel closer to God.

Perhaps that is true for us as well.

After all, 

why do those of us who love animals

VOLUNTARILY add to our responsibilities and 

expenses by having a pet?

Aren’t our lives already hectic enough?

Yet here is something about animals.

They make us happy.

Yes, sometimes they make us want to tear out our hair

but ultimately, 

even a photograph of a sleeping puppy

can bring a smile to our face 

or an “Awwww...!” to our lips.

I read an article in PSYCHOLOGY TODAY

that said that we humans are pack animals

and part of being a pack animal 

is a desire to make others happy.

This article said the desire to make others happy 

is literally hard-wired into us.

Those of us who are religious 

would say it is “God-wired” into us.

The truth is,

it is far easier to make an animal happy 

than to make a human being happy.

Our human happiness is complicated, complex.

A little food, a favorite toy, a scratch behind the ears--

animal bliss!

God created us to love other creatures--

and fortunately God created other creatures

to have the capacity to love us!

Animals bring us joy.

Some--like our pets--we love up close.

Others--lions, tigers and bears come to mind--

we love and admire and respect from afar.

St. Francis was all about joy.

He would have fit in well here at St. John’s.

Francis teaches us that every creature is important to God.

Our Genesis story speaks well to this.

God creates the living creatures

and God says it is good.

Later in the Genesis story we will hear another story--

about Noah--

when the world was destined for destruction

by a flood,

God saved both human beings and animals.

Sometimes when we are having trouble seeing the GOOD

in the world,

animals can open our eyes to God’s goodness.

The love we give to animals

can draw us more deeply into a larger circle of life

and into a larger circle of relationship

with our Creator God.

All things bright and beautiful

all creatures great and small

all things wise and wonderful

the Lord God made them all.

Amen.

Don't look back

Was it Bob Dylan that sang, "Don't look back...."? I remember when I first arrived at St. John's and found the record books missing a few years of entries. When I mentioned it to my Bishop he said, "Don't look back. Just go forward." So I did.

The same is going to be true with this blog. Sorry, folks. I know I haven't posted a word since Holy Week last year. So rather than torturing myself, trying to find a block of time to go back and post all the missing sermons, I have decided to just go forward.

Blogging seems to be a lot like exercising or praying. I am good to go if I do it regularly--as in every day--but if a day or two or three days slip by, I seem to let it slip and slide even longer.

So onward.....