Sermons

Acts 17:22-31 1 Peter 3:13-22 John 14:15-21 Psalm 66:7-18

Come Holy Spirit, Come.  Be with us in the speaking; be with us in the listening; be with us in the in between.  Help us always to remember that there is a Third present.

This is a prayer that I treasure.  My dear spiritual director and I begin our sessions together with this prayer.  Occasionally, I pray this prayer at other times of one-on-one conversations and times of counsel.  It is a prayer that is pertinent also at the beginning of a meeting – times when, as always, we seek God’s guidance in the words we speak – words that should be spoken with gentleness and reverence; we seek God’s help in reminding us to listen patiently and with open hearts to the words others will speak; we seek the constant awareness of God’s presence in our recognition of our reverence for one another – God’s presence that, as we pray, will lead us to the common ground we share.  Come Holy Spirit, Come; be our Advocate, as promised by our Lord.

During my clinical chaplaincy experience while in seminary, our group of “chaplains in training” would gather two to three times weekly to discuss our experiences as chaplains in a variety of health care facilities.  In my group was a young Jewish woman, “Ruth,” from whom I learned a great deal and came to admire.

Ruth shared her frustrations in one particularly difficult situation, providing pastoral care for a family in which a family member was at the level of maximum life support – unable to breathe on his own or to communicate in any way.  Yet, the family held out hope that their loved one would recover; they were paralyzed in their decision-making, unable to even discuss the removal of the artificial support.

Conversely, the medical staff felt very strongly that medical intervention was useless, in fact, intensifying suffering, and should be removed.  One particular medical provider was quite adamant about her feelings against prolonged support and even angry that the family was not willing to consider removal.  Advocating for the family as their chaplain, Ruth had become the target of her heated words; they had begun to see each other as enemies.

Ruth struggled with the existing tension of at least three complicated elements:  1) the tenets of her own faith and belief in the sanctity of life; 2) her sense that the medical professionals were correct in that the prolonged care was increasing the patient’s suffering; and 3) her position as chaplain, thus, advocate for this family – her calling to make known the presence of the God in this heart-breaking situation.

How should Ruth respond to this medical provider whose anger was spilling over into her own abilities to provide compassionate care, complicating an already highly challenging situation, and increasingly being directed at Ruth who stood in the middle ground as the advocate for the family?  Our group went round and round as we struggled with her, seeking guidance in finding the right approach to diffuse the anger that was inhibiting Ruth’s duty to be the source of calm amongst the anxiety.

What words would Ruth say in the next dreaded encounter?  We listened and pondered.  Finally, from the Holy Spirit, through the voice of a group member, came the words for her antagonist: “I agree with you.  I, too, am growing impatient and frustrated.  I believe we are needlessly prolonging the patient’s suffering.  BUT, I am, first and foremost, pastor and advocate for this family, and I will not abandon them at this time of such great need.  I will not argue with you; I am not your adversary; I am their advocate.”

Come Holy Spirit, Come.  Be with us in the speaking; be with us in the listening; be with us in the in between.  Help us always to remember that there is a Third present.

Our advocate leads us to the “third way” – common ground on which to begin building a right relationship with one another – relationship in gentleness and reverence about which Peter speaks in his Epistle that we read earlier.

Jesus assures us of his presence with us through the presence of the Spirit of Truth – the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ last words to his disciples in the last hours before his earthly death – the end of times together as they had known them – Jesus assured his disciples that he would ask the Father to send “another Advocate” to be with them forever.  The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, as Jesus promised in the waning hours of his earthly life, is with us forever.

In two weeks, Pentecost, we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit as it was experienced for these early disciples 50 days after the Resurrection.  Today, we reflect on the blessing of our Advocate’s constant presence in our lives – this Spirit of truth about which Jesus speaks.  Jesus said, the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth because the world doesn’t see or know the Spirit of truth – the world unwilling to speak with lowered voices, unwilling to listen, unwilling to acknowledge the presence of the Advocate.

In our lesson from Acts, we find the Apostle Paul, arriving in Athens, as he journeyed in the awareness of the presence of the Advocate.  Athens was known to be the seat of Greek culture steeped in pagan worship and known down through the centuries for worship of multiple gods rather than the one true God.

Paul’s approach in these introductory remarks to the people of Athens relates his insight through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to seek common ground at the very outset of his Christian mission in this pagan land.

Thus, rather than target the pagan altar of the Athenians as an object of disapproval and dismissal in a display of his contempt and ridicule, Paul introduces his speech by noting an inscription upon the Athenian altar that reads “To an unknown god.”  Rather than shunning the Athenians for their inappropriate pagan-based worship center, Paul begins, wisely, by complimenting the religiously inclined nature of the people of Athens.  He looks beyond their ignorance and misdirected faith and chooses instead to capitalize on their willingness to acknowledge the existence of an “unknown god.”  Finding common ground, establishing a trusted relationship with the people of Athens, trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit – the Advocate that our Lord promised to all believers – Paul sets the stage for evangelism as he begins acquainting the people of Athens with Jesus Christ, “the known God.”

Our present world, the present state of our country is quite resistant to the idea of seeking common ground.  We’re not willing to listen to others; our own words seem unheard, shouted down by the opposition.   We are unkind to one another.  We label each other with stereotypes and fear any compromise will lead to total loss of position.  Is there anyone willing to seek common ground?  Can we find a starting place that we all value and begin to rebuild reverence for one another?  Where is the gentleness and reverence in our relationships about which Peter writes?  It starts here, it goes with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of truth; from here we take it out into the world.

Come Holy Spirit, Come.  Be with us in the speaking; be with us in the listening; be with us in the in between.  Help us always to remember that there is a Third present.

Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14

St. Augustine prayed, “Lord, my heart is restless until it finds rest in you.”

Happy Mother’s Day!  Thanks be to God for mothers!  Whether or not you are technically a “mother,” today is a day we celebrate the spirit of motherhood – the endless energy of the nurturing and nesting qualities of mother.  Today, we acknowledge our thanks for the quiet wisdom and guidance that we typically and positively associate with the maternal presence. 

We all carry these seeds of maternal wisdom in our lives – certainly, biologically, but also spiritually.  Wisdom, throughout the Bible, is addressed in the feminine.  Most of us by this time in our lives have learned the profound axiom: “If at first you do not succeed, do it like your mother told you.”  That is a seed of wisdom that sprouts and grows in our being more prolifically with each passing year.

I am sporting my Mother’s Day present – new earrings, a gift from my daughter; they are from Holly Lane Christian Jewelry.  The tiny ornament depicts a dandelion in its puffball stage.  The verse attached reads, “Remember lying in the yard blowing dandelions before you knew they were weeds?  May this piece [of jewelry] be a constant reminder that in the busyness of life, we can find true rest in Jesus.”

Steven, the apostle, knew of this true rest in Jesus Christ, even in the face of brutal death.  Our lesson from the Acts of the Apostles tells of the death of Steven who is known as the first Christian martyr whose death is described in scripture. 

In the days following the Resurrection and Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at the first Christian Pentecost, the Twelve Apostles chose seven new apostles to assist in the Christian mission and ministry.  These seven were officially appointed to assist in the spreading of the seeds of Christianity, which would begin in Jerusalem and spread to all the world as our attendance here confirms.  Steven was one of the seven chosen to assist in the spreading of these seeds.

Steven is described as being “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.”  [Acts 6:5]  As he gazed into heaven, embraced in the glory of God, and seeing the clear vision of Jesus Christ on his throne in heaven, Steven was dragged out of the city and stoned to death. 

We would not want to describe the seeds spread by Steven in his life and at the time of his death as weed seeds, but the seeds certainly were just as prolific as dandelion seeds.  The seeds carried in the breath of the Holy Spirit were spread in Steven’s life mission and, significantly, in his final prayerful requests.  As he died, Steven prayed calmly for the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit and to hold not the sin of his murderers against them.  The seeds were spread in the obvious presence of the true rest in Jesus Christ that Steven had found in life and that remained with him even in his violent torturous death.

Those in the murderous mob covered their ears; one amongst them, we are told, was a young man named Saul – specifically, Saul of Tarsus.  As the mob made efforts to stamp out the seeds of Christianity being spread by Steven, time would tell that the breath of the Holy Spirit blew those seeds upon Saul of Tarsus at whose feet the culprits tossed their coats. 

Saul, likely, had not covered his ears or diverted his eyes from the brutal scene of Steven’s death.  Saul had initiated and participated in many similar acts of violence – attempts to staunch the flow of the Christian message.  Saul, steeped in the Jewish faith from early childhood, had made it his mission to contain and destroy the followers of Jesus Christ such as Steven, whom he sincerely considered to be in opposition to God’s will for his people. 

With great earnestness and vigilance, Saul had pursued this mission, UNTIL these seeds of the Holy Spirit, which had lain dormant in him for a period of time, were brought to life on the road to Damascus.  Here, Saul, confronted face-to-face by the Risen Lord, found for himself these seeds of true rest that he had witnessed in Steven. 

Saul, who had spent his early life seeking that that he perceived to be the will of the Father, now recognized the Son, and understood that the true will of the Father is in knowing and following Jesus through whom God the Father is revealed.  At last, Saul acknowledged that God is revealed in the life and works of Jesus Christ – the mission whose seeds he had so ardently sought to destroy. 

Saul of Tarsus now understood the true rest in Jesus Christ that he witnessed at the stoning of Steven; Saul would receive the new name of Paul; his earnest and vigilant mission would be transformed to that of spreading the seeds of true rest in Jesus Christ.  Paul, in fact, would become, arguably, the most famous of all Christians.  He would give his life to and for the cause of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus, in his final earthly hours with his disciples, had said, “If you know me, you will know my Father also.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.”  The writer of John’s Gospel makes it clear to us that Jesus is not just the Son of God, as we like to say, but that Jesus and the Father are One in God.  In this lesson from John’s Gospel, the disciples are being asked by Jesus to believe that this inevitably doomed man is God or, at least, a portion of God, and that it will be through Jesus’ oneness in God that the promises of the Father had been and will be fulfilled.

In knowing Jesus Christ we have seen God the Father – our Father, our Creator, who wants only what is best for us.  In knowing Jesus Christ, the seeds of true rest are nurtured and guided to full growth; in life and earthly death we experience the fulfillment of the promise of the Father through the Son. 

On this day, we reflect on the seeds planted in us by our mothers and surrogate mothers; Some choose to conceptualize the Holy Spirit as the maternal mothering aspect of God – the Holy Spirit continuing to blow upon us the seeds of true rest and peace of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ.  And so, with ever increasing understanding we acknowledge that if at first we don’t succeed, we should do it like our mother – the Holy Spirit told us.  So … we could say Happy Holy Spirit Day!  May the seeds of true rest in Jesus Christ blow upon you.

Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10

“The sheep follow him because they know his voice.  They will not follow a stranger… [John 10:4b-5a]

This fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally Good Shepherd Sunday.  Year after year on this day, we read scriptures depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd on a number of occasions in the Gospel accounts.  Among the “I AM” statements of John’s Gospel, we read specifically in John 10:11, Jesus’ words, “I am the Good Shepherd.”

In this morning’s lesson, leading up to this pronouncement, Jesus indentifies himself as the gatekeeper of the sheep.  Only the true shepherd can enter the gate and call the sheep of his fold to follow his voice.  Jesus’ words are intended to chastise religious leaders who mislead the flocks entrusted to them.  Sadly, these commissioned to lead are strangers to those whose spiritual lives are their responsibility.  Jesus labels these deceptive leaders as thieves and bandits who enter the sheepfold for dishonorable reasons.  They are not true shepherds and they are not to be followed.

Shepherding is an humble profession.  We encounter imagery of the shepherd leading his sheep throughout the Bible – Old and New Testament.  Jesus frequently used analogies drawn from the imagery of sheep and shepherding, an aspect of life very familiar within the culture of the 1st century.  

Historically, shepherds have been lowly nomads, often smelly and travel-worn from endless days seeking greener pastures and safe territories for their flocks.  Shepherding was not an easy glamorous life, but Jesus used this profession as the very best illustration of the purpose of his life and mission.

Many of the key familiar figures of Hebrew history spent at least some time as shepherds – Father Abraham possessed a wealth of sheep; Jacob, who would become the father of Israel and his twelve sons had significant experiences with sheepherding; Moses was tending the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro when God appeared to him in the burning bush; and David was shepherding the sheep when the prophet Samuel summoned him to be anointed King.

David was an accomplished shepherd.  David knew well the challenges of providing for the safety and nurturance of sheep over long hot thirsty days on dangerous terrain and cool nights fraught with the threat of predators lurking about the herd.  David understood the necessity of constant vigilance and good judgment required to lead the sheep.  He understood the importance of the relationship and the comforts of familiarity between shepherd and sheep. 

David knew this role well and he used this motif as he wrote what has become the most well known of all the Psalms – Psalm 23, our appointed Psalm for today.  From his position among the flock, David illustrates his understanding of God’s ever-present compassion, protection, and guidance.  Though written long before the earthly birth of Jesus Christ, still, we look to this psalm to illustrate our life within the sheepfold of Jesus Christ – lives lived in abundance of the overflowing cup of God’s grace through our faith in our Risen Lord.

 To complement Good Shepherd Sunday, our appointed Psalm each year on Fourth Easter is this Psalm – the 23rd Psalm.  Of all the scripture in the Bible, this is the one that almost all – churched or non-churched – can recite nearly by heart.  We know the words so well that we do not even reflect on the words, as we should, until a slice of life brings the words to mind in surreal moments.

On the English countryside, sheep dot the landscape.  As the sheep rest seemingly effortlessly on the hillside in the lush green grass, basking in the warm sun and cool breeze; there is the sense that God has placed them there; they are nourished and protected – all needs provided, they want for nothing.  Riding along the paths through the rolling English hillside, viewing this pastoral scene, the words of Psalm 23 bubble up.  We shall not want; God, as our shepherd, makes us to lie down in green pastures of solace and sustenance.  We rest alongside the still waters of provision and peace from which we drink our fill in the still waters of abundant safety – all because our shepherd is supplying our need.

Our souls are revived as we are led along the right pathways.  The Hebrew in which the Psalm is recorded is much more descriptive than is our English interpretation.  The intention of meaning is that God fully restores/repairs the totality of our being with his complete and perfect care.  And, as restored beings of God’s creation, we follow his lead, aware of our total dependence on his guidance along the right path of life.

Yet, Jesus himself confirms that evil will be forever present until the end of time.  Thus, it is reality that we walk through “the valley of the shadow of death,” whether from external threats to our safety or times of deep personal despair and darkness.  This “valley of the shadow of death” always comes to mind for me when I view the photo of the people of New York City running panic-stricken through the street, the tall buildings creating a valley for the rushing firestorm of dust and debris that seeks to encompass them as the twin towers were exploding and collapsing behind them. 

Sheep remain always in danger; evil lurks and they are easy prey for predators.  Yet, even in the face of this constant threat, they are at peace – peace that comes solely from confidence in the vigilance of their shepherd – absolute trust in the shepherd’s protection – absolute trust in the gentle but firm discipline and guidance of the shepherd’s rod and staff. 

We, too, remain in constant danger, easy prey for our enemy the devil.  But, being disciplined and guided by our Lord’s rod and staff, we choose the right path with increasing appreciation and awareness of the Lord’s bountiful goodness and mercy, dwelling in the house of Lord now and forever. 

Jesus affirms, we do not go to dwell with a stranger.  Through prayer and scripture and worship, mission and ministry, we know our Good Shepherd’s voice and we follow.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” – dwelling in the house of the Lord forever – dwelling in the sheepfold of our Lord whom we know as our friend and not a stranger.

Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

“So he went in to stay with them.  When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”

Yesterday, your vestry met for retreat.  I’ll admit that when my alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. yesterday morning, I was not feeling enthused, but when it crawled into bed last night, I was still feeling the euphoria. 

The Rev. Canon Charles Robinson was our facilitator for a session on vestry leadership and responsibilities; he presented questions that helped us explore our mutual ministry as delegated leaders of the Church of the Advent.  We worked hard through the morning; then we celebrated the Holy Eucharist together; and then we shared a meal; and then we worked so more. 

I think we would all agree that sharing Eucharist and sharing the noonday meal was just as important to our sense of community and call and commitment to the mission and ministry of the Church of the Advent as was our discussion and decision making.

Perhaps you can remember a time that a meal was profoundly important in recognizing the presence of Christ – equally physical as spiritual – a warm loaf of bread for a grieving neighbor, a meaty sandwich for the homeless, comfort food for a child home from college – food, not just for the body, but even more so for the soul – food that articulates the presence of Christ.

 I will never forget the left over cashew chicken from a nearby Chinese restaurant that Roland brought me in the hospital on my first day of being allowed solid food following an emergency Caesarian.  The dish was so cold that the oil had coagulated; but to the amazement of my visitors, I ate it with great abandon, and have never forgotten its depth of nourishment.  I was physically starved and emotionally spent, and this cold cashew chicken fed my soul. 

Jesus talked a lot about food and shared important soul time at table; mealtime was clearly a holy time.  The hospitality associated with sharing a meal has been significant for the people of God since the beginning of humanity.  The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle that all four Gospel writers include in their Gospel accounts.  Jesus was eating at the home of one of the Pharisees when the unnamed woman bathed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 

Jesus was accused of sharing meals with sinners.  This violation is far more complex than local clergy being seen sharing a draft and a sandwich at the local beer hall.  Food for the faithful Jew is governed by all sorts of regulations – what foods can be eaten, how they are to be prepared, when they can be eaten, and with whom.  For Jesus to eat with someone outside his faith tradition would be a violation of a myriad of dietary decrees.  But, it was obvious that Jesus was eager to share a meal with anyone willing to join him for that experience.  Sharing a meal was and is about so much more than physical need.

Even after the Resurrection, we read of Jesus eating fish on the beach with his disciples.  Jesus highlights the importance of being physically fed; in so doing he emphasizes the intermeshing of physical and spiritual food.

Time and again this message is reinforced in the Gospel accounts.  We know, in fact, that in Jesus’ last evening with his disciples, the main focus was their meal together.  This is the meal in which we re-participate each time we share the Holy Eucharist– the meal we share in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, and not simply as a memorial, but as true participants – true members of that group of burdened and confused disciples on that night before the crucifixion.

In this morning’s Gospel lesson, we read again of Jesus sharing a meal – but not just an ordinary meal; this meal has the clearest of connections with the Holy Eucharist – the meal that we are instructed to continue in the memory of our Lord each time we come together for worship.

As we read from Luke’s Gospel account, “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” 

In the same way, as specifically instructed and demonstrated by Jesus Christ our Lord, we take the bread; we bless the bread; we break the bread; and, most importantly, we share the bread.  And, as we share this holy meal in communion with one another, our eyes are opened and we recognize the very real presence of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Our receiving of the Holy Communion is not intended to be an individual experience; it is a sharing in communion as one Body of Christ.

When I am asked the meaning of the Holy Communion, I refer to our prayer of thanksgiving that sums up the need, the blessing, and the purpose of the Holy Communion.  Let’s look together at that prayer. 

As our Vestry gathered in communion to share this holy food we received [Rite I: God’s grace to continue in holy fellowship, to do good works that our Lord has prepared us to do through the Church of the Advent.] Rite II: the strength and courage to continue to love and serve through the Church of the Advent as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord – as members incorporate/living members of the Body of Christ.

“At the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”

Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

Jeremiah 31:1-6, Colossians 3:1-4, Matthew 28:1-10, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Easter Day A

For our Prayers of the People this morning, our friend Eleanor Ward comes off the list of concerns and goes onto the list of those who have died.  Eleanor died Friday about midnight.  We’ve been praying for her for these many months since her diagnosis of lung cancer.  Eleanor was not a member of our parish; she had visited only a few times and was known to only a few of us. 

But, when Eleanor was stricken with severe breathing problems a few weeks ago, she reached out to her friends here – friends who faithfully gathered around her.  She knew she was very ill, and she was terribly afraid.  She needed to be assured of God’s presence with her; she needed to be assured that even though she had not had a close association with the Church, she was still loved by God.  She spoke of her love for God and her desire to follow his will.

Eleanor reached out in need of the Risen Christ who has fulfilled his promise of everlasting life.  As I read our Gospel lesson for this morning determining a direction for the sermon, I reflected on our discussion on my first visit to Eleanor in the ICU at Leigh.  We spoke of God’s most frequent command – a command we read hundreds of times throughout the Old and New Testament – “Do not be afraid.”  I believe, for most of us, this is the most difficult command to follow – trusting that God is truly the breath we breathe; Eleanor’s breaths came with great difficulty; perhaps she felt she was suffocating physically and spiritually.  The assurance of angels – friends and family gathered around her, surrounding her in prayer, was of great comfort.  God was present in these healing graces at this time of great fear and uncertainty.

Hundreds of times throughout the Bible, we hear, “Do not be afraid.”  These are the words of the angel to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as we have just read in our Gospel account from Matthew of Resurrection morning.  In the words of the angel whom these two women encounter, we hear echoes of other familiar joyous scripture.  We remember the angel Gabriel’s words to another Mary, the newly expectant mother of Jesus, when she was told she would bear a son – the Messiah – “Do not be afraid; you have found favor with God”; and, we remember the words to the shepherds as the angels appeared to them to announce the birth of Jesus.  “Do not be afraid; you will find the babe wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 

To Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the angel said, “Do not be afraid.  He has been raised.  He is not here.  Come, see the place where he lay.”

And, to their great amazement, as the women turned to run to share these glad tidings with the other disciples, Jesus, himself, appeared, and again we hear the words, this time from Jesus’ lips, “Do not be afraid.”  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were beginning to understand.  It was important that they go and gather the other followers – carry Jesus’ message that they were to gather in Galilee.  Jesus, their teacher and leader, had kept his promise.  He had overcome death and risen again.  All who believe would be gathered to him as one Body.

You have come this morning to gather with others to find and to share the assurance of this message of great joy – that Jesus Christ lies no longer in the grave.  Jesus Christ has risen to overcome death and evil and he gathers us to him, sustaining us with his ever-abiding presence, so that we are not to be afraid.

We arrive for worship as individuals or perhaps two by two as the women came; we come shouldering our earthly cares and fears.  As we gather with one another – friend or stranger, and as we worship and pray, we come to believe and understand bit by bit that we are one in the Body of Christ.  Living into our worship together, gathered as one, our fears are assuaged; in the place of our fear we find greater faith.

We gather in communion with one another to receive the Body and Blood of Christ; we become one in the mission of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ mission on earth was completed and perfected by his death and Resurrection.  The mission is ours to carry on.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!  The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Do not be afraid.

Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Come and gather with him at His Table

Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Go and tell the others.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, Isaiah 52:13-53:12, John 18:1-19:42, Psalm 22

_{Good Friday}

_{“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from helping me?”  [Psalm 22:1a]  These are the words of the great King David, known as the author of so many of the Psalms.  David experienced periods of extreme desolation and fear; times when he surely felt that God had abandoned him, even such distress that he brought upon himself these feelings of separation from God due to his own poor, misdirected choices.} 

_{Few of us go through life without some periods of spiritual desolation, desperate for glimmers of hope – some tiny bit of confirmation of God’s presence – no place to go except to our knees.}

_{Because of our humanness, we need these times of desolation to remind us of our dependence on God, these times that force us to our knees and drive us to seek a renewed awareness of God’s presence.  These are periods of our greatest suffering and sense of abandonment; separation from God is our greatest fear – a fear much greater than that of our earthly death.}

_{Jesus demonstrates this suffering for us from the cross.  The writers of Matthew and Mark’s Gospels put these same words from Psalm 22 in Jesus’ mouth as he dies on the cross.  But, we know (because we can smell the lilies being stored in the room across the hall) that Jesus will rise from his earthly grave and reign victorious over suffering and death; Jesus will confirm beyond all earthly doubt that God does not abandon us; we are not to fear death; we cannot be separated from God.}

_{At the same time, if we rationalize away our suffering; if we tamp down our desperate feelings of desolation and abandonment; if we gloss over the reality of death, how can we ever truly experience this ecstasy of victory in the assurance of God’s everlasting presence in the good times and the bad times.}

_{Our current culture encourages us to minimize the reality of our earthly death.  We tippy-toe through carpeted halls and whisper about our loved one who “passed.”  Passed what?  Are we afraid to say he “died?”  Funeral home chapels offer anterooms where family members are secluded and shuttered from the others in attendance at funerals.  Is grieving something of which we are to be ashamed – not to be shared with others who care?}

_{Similarly, many avoid attending Good Friday services.  We just don’t want to talk about death; we’d rather skip Good Friday and Holy Saturday and get on with the glorious celebration of Easter.  But, how can we stand at the cross and shout Alleluia from the depths of our souls without experiencing the abandonment of Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  Where was God on Holy Saturday?}

_{How many times have the worst experiences of our lives been converted to the very best experiences?  These three days are the ultimate assurance of life’s triumph over death – the ultimate conversion of Evil into Good; there is no evil that is not overcome by the God’s good.}

_{In her book Faithful Living Faithful Dying, Cynthia Cohen alerts us to the gift of life; bringing home the point that death reminds us that life is not self-created or self-sufficient.  Dying faithfully requires living faithfully – living in the full acknowledgment that death is part of life.}

_{This journey with Christ into death is our journey into the life of God.  It is on Good Friday that we hear Jesus’ last words as recorded by John, “It is finished.”  These are not words of finality and defeat; these are words of perfection and completion; these are words of triumph.  Jesus has completed with perfection the task given to him by the Father.  Jesus Christ, his earthly life “passing away,” confirms the perfection of our journey into the Kingdom of God where we will never again feel forsaken or abandoned.  Assured of the promise of everlasting life, we do not fear our earthly death.}

_{With Jesus Christ as our example, we live faithfully; we die faithfully.  On Good Friday, God’s promise was perfected.  We are here to acknowledge Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins; we are here to celebrate the perfection of Jesus’ mission in the world – the task given him by the Father.  It is finished.}

Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 , 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Psalm 116:1, 10-17

_{Maundy Thursday}

_{The account of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples is found in John’s Gospel only.  In this setting on the eve of the Passover on the night before Jesus will be crucified, the followers of Jesus have come together to share a meal.  This is a very private intimate occasion.  Jesus is aware that his public ministry and his earthly life are nearing the end.  For three years now, the disciples have observed Jesus’ example of what it is to be a true disciple, bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth.}   

_{Now, the hour has come; God’s time is the right time for Jesus to depart from this world and go the Father.  Soon, Jesus will no longer be physically present with these disciples to teach and exemplify true discipleship.  His focus now is his private ministry to his closest followers, preparing them as best he can for their future beyond his departure.}

_{To these most intimate followers together for the last time, Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment that you love one another.”  It is from the Latin translation of our word “commandment” that Maundy is derived.  Thus, on this Maundy Thursday, we hear the powerful words of Jesus’ new commandment – we are to love one another, and we see that commandment of love demonstrated in an ultimate display of humility and self-sacrifice as he washes the feet of his disciples.} 

_{This command to love doesn’t sound so new; we’re accustomed to Jesus telling us and showing us how to love one another.  We might think of this “new” commandment, more accurately, as a fresh, new way of understanding the message of love that has been God’s message since creation.}

_{We read of God’s message of love throughout our Old Testament – the Hebrew Scriptures.  But, these writings prior to the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ often feel very legalistic.  Our lesson from Exodus, you notice, is very specific about the preparation of the lamb for the Passover feast.  If you read the book of Leviticus, you will find hundreds of specific rules and ritualistic regulations for how God’s people are to live and worship; how they are to dress; what foods can be eaten and when, and how the foods are to be prepared; what to do and not to do on the Sabbath.  We get a sense of this specificity of the Law of God, and the people’s difficulty in following it in order to please God.  And, we develop a sense of fear for the consequences of falling short in any one of these specific requirements.}

_{Much like the people of Jesus’ time misunderstanding God’s command, we might follow God’s law out of fear of punishment rather than as God’s Law is intended; God’s law is intended to be guidance in how we are to live in relationship with one another – God desires that we follow his law, not out of fear, but because we love God and God loves us; and, therefore, we want to please each other just as in any loving relationship.  This “reunderstanding” of God’s law is an important aspect of Maundy – the new commandment.} 

_{I depend upon my handicapped parking space analogy to help clarify.  The parking just outside the door is reserved for anyone who has been identified legally and medically as needing handicapped parking.  Those not designated as handicapped do not park in these parking spots because we fear being fined or perhaps towed.  In other words, our fear of punishment keeps us from parking in those spaces.} 

_{But, let’s say, I, as your priest have agreed to pay any fines, or suppose I assure you I will not call the tow truck.  The law says you are not to park in those spots, but I have freed you of the fear of punishment for parking there by taking your punishment for you.  You are now free to park in handicapped parking without fear of reprisal.}

_{But, you are not going to park in those handicapped spaces even if you have no fear of being punished.  This is the new commandment – the new understanding; you are not going to park there, because doing so would inconvenience or endanger your fellow parishioner who needs that parking space in order to access the church entrance safely.  We need the law because we are human; we need these guidelines to remind us of the needs of others.  But, because we are followers of Jesus’ commandment to love one another, we honor and respect one another’s needs over and beyond what the law requires.}

_{Jesus came to redeem our sinful and evil nature; he came to vanquish death; he paid all our fines.  But, his new commandment is that we are to love one another without fear, to live according to God’s desires for our lives – not out of fear of punishment by God but because we just want to do what is right in God’s eyes and in our commitment to one another – just because God loves us and we love God.}

_{In the margin of my most-worn and pencil-marked Bible, next to this account in Chapter 13 of John’s account of the washing of feet, I at some time in the past had written this quote from an unrecorded source: “Regardless of our countless inadequacies, we are all God needs to bring about the Kingdom of God.”}

_{We, in humble self-sacrificing, fearless love to one another, following the new commandment of Jesus Christ, are all God needs to bring about the Kingdom of God.}