• Content

  • Pages

  • Upcoming Events

    • Sunday service - Holy Communion March 22, 2026 at 9:30 am – 11:00 am Grace Church 215 Pleasant Street, Sheldon, VT Website: www.gracechurchsheldon.comTime:  09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)        Every week on Sun.Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/83929911344?pwd=alZQTWZMN0ZkWFFPS1hmNjNkZkU2UT09Meeting ID: 839 2991 1344Password: Call for detailsOne tap mobile+13126266799,,83929911344#,,1#,816603# US (Chicago)+19294362866,,83929911344#,,1#,816603# US (New York)Dial by your location        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)        +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)Meeting ID:…
    • Sunday service - Morning Prayer April 5, 2026 at 9:30 am – 11:00 am Grace Church 215 Pleasant Street, Sheldon, VT Website: www.gracechurchsheldon.comTime:  09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)        Every week on Sun.Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/83929911344?pwd=alZQTWZMN0ZkWFFPS1hmNjNkZkU2UT09Meeting ID: 839 2991 1344Password: Call for detailsOne tap mobile+13126266799,,83929911344#,,1#,816603# US (Chicago)+19294362866,,83929911344#,,1#,816603# US (New York)Dial by your location        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)        +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)Meeting ID:…
    • Sunday service - Holy Communion April 12, 2026 at 9:30 am – 11:00 am Grace Church 215 Pleasant Street, Sheldon, VT As of January 16, 2022 our service online only (via Zoom). Website: www.gracechurchsheldon.orgTime:  09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)        Every week on Sun.Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/83929911344?pwd=alZQTWZMN0ZkWFFPS1hmNjNkZkU2UT09Meeting ID: 839 2991 1344Password: Call for detailsOne tap mobile+13126266799,,83929911344#,,1#,816603# US (Chicago)+19294362866,,83929911344#,,1#,816603# US (New York)Dial by your location        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) …

Pentecost 17 Proper 19C RCL September 15, 2013

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Beth Crane
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
 Psalm 14
 Timothy 1: 12-17
 Luke 15:1-10
In our opening lesson from Jeremiah, God’s people have strayed from God’s values of compassion. The ultimate result is that their society is crumbling and that they will suffer a foreign invasion.
In his letter to Timothy, his student and apprentice, Paul expresses his gratitude to Jesus, who has called Paul to minister in Jesus’ name and has given Paul grace to carry out his ministry even though Paul was, in his own words, “a persecutor and a man of violence.” As we know, until he met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul was totally dedicated to killing the followers of Jesus.
In our gospel for today, we see Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who leaves the ninety-nine sheep who are safe and secure and goes out to rescue the one who is lost and in danger.
Our lessons and collect for today lead me to take some time to reflect on a topic we had discussed some time ago, and some folks had asked for some reflections on this topic of Original Sin and Original Blessing.
There is one strain of Christian theology that was strongly promoted by St. Augustine of Hippo, who had led a wild life before he finally found faith. This theology says that all of us are born sinners. Even little babies are born sinners, and we will all be very bad people and will do bad things except for the grace of God. This is also the theology that says that unbaptized babies will go to hell or limbo. And this theology says that we baptize babies to prevent them from going to hell or limbo. This theology makes God into a bad and hateful parent.
The theology of Original Blessing is a theology that looks at the account of the creation in the Book of Genesis and sees that, at every stage of that creation, there is a wonderful refrain, “ and God saw that it was good.” Original Blessing, or Creation Theology, also says that God created people as good. Little babies are not horrible sinners bent on doing evil. They are wonderful little human beings who are curious, open to love and learning. They need good guidance from all of us to grow up and be creative people.
The theology of Original Blessing says that all people are created essentially good and that God has given us free will. We have choices.God loves us with all of God’s heart. God loves us unconditionally. God wants us to love God back. But, if God simply programmed us to love God and others, like robots or puppets, that love would mean nothing because it would not be our free choice. So God gives us free will.
The story of Adam and Eve in the Bible is an early attempt to explain how evil came into the world. Adam and Eve are given a beautiful garden and all they have to do is not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and, as we all know they eat the fruit. This story is the basis for the theology of Original Sin. Basically, the theology says, Adam and Eve committed that first, original sin, and now we are all afflicted with the sin that originated with them, namely, Original Sin. That theology says that we were all mired in sin, and God sent God’s only Son to free us from that curse.
The theology of Original Blessing, described by Matthew Fox in his book, Original Blessing, says that God created the world and it was good, and God created people and they are basically good. God gave us the gift of free will and we can make some humdingers of bad choices and messes, but God never stops loving us and is always there to help us.
This loving God would never condemn his Son to die as a sacrifice for us because God is not a God who needs sacrifices. Jesus is God walking the face of the earth, God came among us to lead us and guide us and show us how to live, how to love God and how to love other people.
We humans do have a tendency to want to do it our own way rather than to follow God’s guidance. This is what we call the sin of pride. We don’t want to stick to those boring old Ten Commandments. We don’t want to pursue the virtues of faith, hope, and love, prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. We can find ourselves at times drawn almost irresistibly to pride, wrath, envy, greed, lust, gluttony, and sloth. We can be like two year olds. We don’t want to love God back and love our neighbor.
All of this means that we can sure use some good help, and that is why Jesus came to be with us, to show us the way, to be someone we can follow and to give us the grace and power to follow in his footsteps. This is our loving God seeing that we need help and grace and coming to be with us.
Because the creation is good and we are trying to follow Jesus, we are also called to cherish the creation—the earth, the oceans and lakes and rivers and seas and skies, the plants and animals, everything that God has given us. In other words, we are called to be good stewards of every part of the beautiful world that God has given us.
Celtic theology expresses many of these concepts in a beautiful way, and there was a Celtic theologian, Pelagius, who tried to express the idea that God made the creation good and saw that it was good, and this included people. But his words and ideas were twisted and misinterpreted, and he was branded a heretic.
I have always loved our collect for today. Here is the version from the 1928 prayer book. “O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
In this prayer, we are saying that without God we are not able to please God. Does this mean that we cannot do anything good without God’s help? Does this mean that we are helpless without God? I don’t think that is the meaning. I think the meaning is that God has created us good and that we can do many good things, and that God wants us to choose to be partners with God. God wants us to be co-creators with God in doing and creating good things, in taking care of the creation, in loving
God back and in loving others as God loves them. I think that it means that what pleases God the most is our accepting God’s love and loving God back. When we do that, our “hearts are fixed where true joys are to be found.” We will be following Jesus for the rest of our eternal lives.
Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Pentecost 16 Proper 18C RCL September 8, 2013

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Beth Crane

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

Philemon 1-21

Luke 14: 25-33

In our first reading for today, again from the prophet Jeremiah, we have the metaphor of God as the potter, shaping the life of God’s people. If we, as individuals and as a nation, seek the direction of God, we can allow God to mold and shape our lives and our life together in accordance with God’s will.

In our gospel, we are now back on the road to Jerusalem. Herbert O’Driscoll suggests that perhaps the crowds are growing too big and that Jesus wants to cull out those who are just curious and appeal to those who are in for the long haul. In any case, Jesus is telling us that following him is not easy. If we want to follow him, discipleship has to come first. Scholars tell us that the word translated as hating our families does not really mean hate in the sense that we think of it. The meaning is that we have to put following Jesus first. He is talking about a sense of priorities. Jesus is not calling us to hate our families.

This morning, though, I would like to focus on the reading from Paul’s Letter to Philemon because it has so much to teach us about the early Christian community and about our life in Christ.

Paul is under house arrest in Rome. He is still active and busy. Scholars point to many letters which he wrote during this time.

A young man named Onesimus arrives at Paul’s door. Onesimus is a runaway slave. Scholars tell us that, according to the law of that time in the Roman Empire, Onesimus could have been killed for running away and that Paul, in welcoming and sheltering Onesimus was committing an illegal action punishable by death. Yet we know that Paul is extending hospitality to this young man, something our loving God calls us to do. This is a higher law than the Roman law.

At first, Paul has no idea of the background of Onesimus, but, as time goes by and more of the facts emerge, Paul realizes that Onesimus is owned by a devout fellow Christian named Philemon, someone Paul has known, someone Paul converted and nurtured in the new faith. Philemon is a leader of the Church in Colossae, a community dear to Paul. Talk about a small world situation!

So here is Paul becoming a mentor and guide to young Onesimus and finding out that Onesimus belongs to someone else whom Paul has also mentored in the faith.

As time goes on, Paul realizes that Onesimus has many gifts, as all of us do, thanks be to God. Perhaps Onesimus is able to be a secretary to Paul and copy his letters. We do not know the details. Paul comes to love Onesimus as his own son, as his own heart.

And yet Paul knows the law, He knows that Philemon has the legal right to come and capture Onesimus and take him back to Colossae.

So Paul decides to send Onesimus back to his master and to beg Philemon not to kill Onesimus as a criminal who has run away but to welcome Onesimus, not as a slave or as a possession, but as a brother in Christ.

Paul is an expert on the law, and he also acknowledges that while Onesimus has been away, Philemon has suffered a financial loss because he has not had the services of Onesimus. So Paul offers to pay Philemon for this loss.

Because Paul has been Philemon’s teacher and mentor and because Paul has a high rank in the community, he could command Philemon’s obedience to his request, but he does not do that. He describes their friendship as brothers in Christ; he recalls all the good work they have done together in the past to spread the love of Christ; he commends Philemon for his ministry in the community at Colossae; and then he calls Philemon to be obedient to the values of the kingdom of Christ. Paul says that, in sending Onesimus home to Philemon, he is sending his own heart, and he asks Philemon to welcome his slave as he would welcome Paul, his teacher and mentor.

This letter, so real, so practical, so deeply emotional, expresses the theology of our Lord’s shalom. The last shall be first, the first last. Jesus is turning the world upside down, and we see it happening in this letter from Paul to a beloved brother he has nurtured in the faith.

Paul gave this letter to Onesimus to take back to Philemon in the hope that Philemon would welcome Onesimus home, not punish him.

Paul, a Pharisee and a Roman citizen, knew the power of the law, but he also know the power of a higher law, the law of love in Christ. We don’t know what happened to Onesimus or to Philemon, Did Onesimus return to Philemon and give him the letter? What did Philemon do? We do not know for sure. But we can imagine.

Here we see Paul building the new community, In his Letter to the Galatians, he writes, “In Christ, there is no slave nor free, no Jew nor Greek, no male nor female, but we are one in Christ Jesus.” Here he is living out these words.

Loving and gracious God, you are always seeking us; you are always loving us. Help us to be open to your guidance. Help us to seek and do your will. Help us to build the new community of love. Help us to follow where you lead. Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Leave a comment »

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost—Proper 17C RCL September 1, 2013

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Beth Crane

Jeremiah 2:4-13

Psalm 81, 1, 10-16

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Our opening reading, from the prophet Jeremiah, dates back to 626 B. C. E. After God has been with the people every step of the way, guiding them from slavery into the promised land, they have turned to “worthless things,” to idols, specifically the worship of Baal, the fertility god.

In our reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we have a powerful and inspiring description, almost a blueprint, for life in Christian community. We are called to love each other, to extend hospitality, which means to love everyone we meet. We are called to “remember those who are in prison and those who are being tortured.” I know we are all praying for those who are suffering in Syria, as well as in other places around the world. We are called to be faithful to our spouses. We are called to put money in its proper place as a gift from God and not to be caught up in greed. And above all, we are called to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our gospel for today picks up on these themes. In the part left out at the beginning of the reading, Jesus has just healed a man with palsy on the Sabbath. As we have noted, he is always calling us to look at the spirit of the law, not the letter. He is available to heal and free people. Seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.

Jesus is invited to go to a Sabbath meal at the home of a Pharisee. Scholars tell us that when a host planned a meal in those days, he was very careful to place each guest in the appropriate seat according to his social status. Especially at an important event such as a wedding feast, people were vying for the places of honor. This was just the way it was. Status was everything.

Into this stratified setting, Jesus brings the vision of his kingdom, his shalom, where the last shall be first and the first shall be last. He tells us not to jostle for position, not to seek the limelight. He says to sit in the most humble place. He is not talking about that kind of false pride which goes and sits in the back seat hoping to be recognized and given the place of honor. He is talking about true humility, total lack of selfcenteredness. The word “humility,” as we know, comes from the root word humus, good, fertile soil open for planting. When we are people of humility, we are open to God’s leading and teaching and love and healing. We are not concerned about power and prestige and status. We know that God loves us more than we could even imagine. And that is enough for us. We are beyond the old world-weary template of seeking power and prestige. We are more interested in helping others than in finding fame and fortune for ourselves. The quality of humility, and the gifts of love and hospitality are clearly evident here at Grace, and that is one reason among many why it is such a joy to be with you.

Jeremiah’s words, written down by his scribe Baruch, may date back almost three thousand years, but we humans still forsake God and worship idols. Most analysts agree that the sin of greed was a major factor in creating the Great Recession. Jesus said that we cannot serve God and money, but some of us haven’t gotten that message. That is one of the major idols in our world today. Power and prestige are two others. There are many groups and people who would scoff at Jesus’ words in today’s gospel. But we do not scoff. We take our Lord’s call to humility very seriously.

Our epistle for today never ceases to amaze me. What fresh, timeless words to live by. Love for everyone, hospitality—feeding and welcoming everyone, and faithfulness in word and deed are the foundation stones of our life together.

This past Wednesday we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the I Have a Dream Speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The work of achieving equality for all people is essential to the bringing in of God’s kingdom.

We are also praying and thinking about what is going on in Syria. Driving in the car on Friday, I heard a report from a BBC correspondent in which a father was bringing in his seven month old son for treatment after one of the attacks. The father had been injured as well. My baby grand daughter had just left the day before. The little seven month old baby boy was crying constantly from his wounds. His cries sounded just like the cries of my grand daughter, just like the cries of any baby.

I am not trying to say anything about what we should do in this situation, but these two events this week are both part of the fabric of God’s kingdom, the big family that God is trying to create.

When we are called to “let mutual love continue,” and to extend hospitality to strangers, that includes our brothers and sisters of all races. It transcends and dissolves all barriers that are set up to divide people. And it is based on the truth of God’s love for all people. Those babies and children crying are our grandchildren and our nieces and nephews in the family of God.

The other news story that I happened to see on TV was about a hospital in Israel that is taking in patients who have been injured in Syria. The doctors and other medical personnel are Jewish. The Syrians have been long-term enemies. The medical folks are highly skilled. The care given to burn victims and children and adults who need amputations requires extensive training and expertise. The monetary value of this care is extremely high, in the thousands upon thousands for each patient. The medical folks have no idea where any payment is going to come from. People are bringing these patients to them and one of the doctors said, “They need help, and we are helping them.” That is the shalom of God.

“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Pentecost 14 Proper 16C RCL August 25, 2013

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Beth Crane

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Psalm 71:1-16

Hebrews 12:18-29

Luke 13:10-17

In our opening reading today, we hear God’s call to the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was very young when he was called to his prophetic ministry. Scholars tell us that he was only about eighteen years old.

God says these wonderful words to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you a prophet to the nations.” As Christians, we believe in a loving God who knows each of us intimately. God has called each of us to be God’s unique and precious child. Each of us is called to use the gifts God has given us to love and help others and to build God’s kingdom.

Like so many people in the Bible who face a call from God, Jeremiah feels that he just can’t do the job God is calling him to do. In Jeremiah’s case, his excuse is that he is too young. Moses said he wasn’t a good enough public speaker. Isaiah said that he wasn’t holy enough. God has an answer for all these objections. God says, “I know it’s scary to answer my call, but I’ll help you.” To Jeremiah he says, “I have put my words in your mouth.” When God puts God’s words in one’s mouth, that pretty well ends the discussion. Jeremiah was a faithful and courageous prophet of God. He did not have an easy time of it, but he never compromised God’s message to God’s people. He always called them to be faithful to God’s standards.

What I want us to think about today is that this lesson is for each of us. God knows each of us and loves each of us. God has known us and loved us from the very beginning of time and God will love us for all eternity. God has called us to do our ministries and will help us every moment of every day.

In today’s gospel, as in every gospel, we see in Jesus God walking the face of the earth, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue. He sees a woman who has been crippled for eighteen years. In those days they thought this was due to a spirit. Now we know there would be a medical reason for this illness. The woman could not even stand up straight.

In this encounter we see the loving nature of our God. Jesus notices this woman, He cares about her illness and her suffering, He does not wait for her to ask him for help. He loves us. He wants to help us. Before we even think of reaching out to God for help, God is already reaching out to us.

Jesus tells the woman she is free from her illness. He lays his hands upon her and right away she stands up straight and praises God. But then some religious leaders say that Jesus has not done things the right way. He has broken the laws about the Sabbath. How often we religious people allow a literal interpretation of the law or rules or Scripture to get in the way of God’s work of love and healing. God and Jesus and the Spirit will free us from illness and bondage of any kind at any time. As Jesus points out, the law provided for folks to take care of their animals on the Sabbath, and God is going to heal and free God’s children every day of the week.

Our reading from the Letter to the Hebrews traces our growing understanding of God. When Moses went up on the mountain to meet with God over three thousand years ago, people were scared of God. They knew that God was powerful and they described God in terms of smoke and fire and thunder. They believed that one could not look into the face of God and live. That is what is being referred to in the beginning of today’s epistle. But then we come to “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.”

Our understanding of God has grown over the centuries. Yes, God is powerful, but God uses God’s power differently from how we humans sometimes tend to use power. God uses God’s power the way Jesus used his power to heal this woman in today’s gospel.

God loves you. God loves me. God calls us to be the persons God has made us to be—loving, caring, compassionate, healing persons, each of us using our God-given gifts. God reaches out to us. God heals us and frees us from everything that would hold us in bondage.

Jesus is our model, He is the logos, the Word, the blueprint for how to live a human life in the service of God. As we study his life, his actions and words, we grow more and more into his likeness. We grow more and more into serving others as he served. That is what our journey in faith is all about.

Loving and gracious God, may we answer Yes when you call. May we grow more and more into your likeness. Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Pentecost 13 Proper 15C RCL August 18, 2013

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Beth Crane

 

Isaiah 5:1-7

Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Luke 12:49-56

In our first lesson this morning, God has lovingly created a vineyard, but the vineyard has borne wild grapes. The vineyard is a metaphor for God’s people, the Southern kingdom of Judah, who have strayed very far from God’ s call to take care of those who are most vulnerable. Unjust societies usually fall under their own weight. There will be tragic consequences for Judah.

In our gospel for today, we find Jesus grappling with some terrible realities. He is going to Jerusalem. The authorities are already after him. Fire is a metaphor for judgment. We know that the authorities of Jesus’ time were running a society that was far from God’s values, so the message of Jesus and the coming of God’s kingdom would mean a severe judgment of the world’s values and a huge upheaval. The baptism that Jesus is going to be baptized with is his death. The root word for baptism means a drowning, death. Jesus knows what he has to do. He knows that the authorities are going to try to stop him, and he just wants to get on with it.

So our Lord says these haunting words, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” He has come to bring his shalom, but, given the gap between how this world works and the kingdom of God, the birth pangs of the shalom of God are going to be wrenching.

The example that always comes to my mind when I read this gospel is the situation of a family of plantation owners in the southern United States in the Civil War. These people are devout Christians. Some family members, after agonizing prayer, have come to the conclusion that one human cannot own another. Other members of the family feel that they must continue as they have in the past. We know that then, as now, people could read the Bible and find that slavery was an accepted part of society in Biblical times. People could use the Bible to defend either side in the debate over slavery. Now, after many years, we have realized that one human being cannot own another. We are called to respect the dignity of every human being. This year, we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring “I Have a Dream” speech, which describes God’s kingdom of justice and harmony. We have made progress, but we still have a long way to go on this journey.

All of us have seen families divided by difficult issues. A young man brings home his beloved, whom he has met in college, to meet the family. He is white; she is African American. The family cannot accept her.

A young man brings home his beloved, whom he has met in college, to meet the family. His beloved is a fine young man. The family disowns their son, packs their bags, and sends them away.

A father wants his daughter to take over the family business. But she feels deeply called to join a religious order and work with nuns who are helping young African women start their own businesses and work for economic justice. The father cannot understand this.

The kingdom of God has begun. It is not yet complete, but it is growing. How do we know whether something is part of God’s kingdom or not? The Church says that when we are examining challenging issues, we are called to consider them in the light of three areas: Scripture, tradition, and reason.

What does Scripture say about the issue we are thinking about? And here, we have to be careful to study the Bible in a responsible way. We look at the work of scholars as we examine the Bible. It does not take a very long time to realize that the Bible contains many contradictions. The Bible is not meant to be a compendium of facts. It is a library of writings inspired by God but written down by fallible humans. The Bible is full of truth, but not necessarily literal, factual truth. For example, the story of creation has much truth in it, but it is not designed to be a scientific article. When we are looking at very difficult topics and questions, such as issues of race or human sexuality or economic justice I think that it is extremely important that we place primary emphasis on the gospel, What did Jesus say about it? What are the actions of Jesus in relation to this issue?

The next thing we look at is tradition. What has the Church said about this issue over these past centuries? What have theologians and scholars written about this topic?

Thirdly, we look at reason. God has given us minds to be used. As one of the posters by our Church ad service says, we Episcopalians are not asked to check our brains at the door. So we read the research of scientists. We look at all the knowledge that has been gained on whatever topic we are studying.

For example, when I was in grade school, I saw well-intentioned teachers trying to help left-handed students learn to write with their right hands. Research happened, and we learned that, across all cultures and times, a proportion of human beings are created by God as left-handed people. What we are called to do is to rejoice in all their gifts, not try to change them.

Scripture, tradition, and reason. We research these three areas as we consider tough issues. But, if we were going to try to boil it all down, I think we could say that God has a big family. It includes everyone, and each person is loved and cherished infinitely. That’s why last week Jesus said that the master sits us servants down and feeds us. There are no masters, no servants. Everyone is infinitely precious and cherished in God’s kingdom, in God’s shalom.

We all know how gentle and caring our Lord is. Today we see his unflinching courage and his steely determination.

Lord Jesus, as we move ahead, surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, all the saints of God, we ask you to give us your grace, your caring, and your courage, so that we may build your kingdom of compassion and justice. Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Pentecost 9 Proper 11C RCL July 21, 2013

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Beth Crane

Amos 8:1-12
Psalm 52
Colossians 1:15-28
Luke 10:38-42

In our opening reading, God shows Amos a vision of summer fruit. The fruit is beautiful to see and it is sweet and delicious to taste. But the fruit is going to get rotten. This is a vision of a society that is so corrupt that it is rotten to the core.  Those in power “trample on the needy and bring to ruin the poor of the land.” They find ways to rig the scales so that they can make something less than a pound look like a pound and charge more for it. They make a profit wherever they can. They do not care about their fellow human beings. Because the people are not even trying to seek or do God’s will, God says that God is going to cause a famine, not of food, but of God’s word. People will finally realize that they need to seek the will and the word of God, but, when they do, they will not be able to find it.

In our epistle, we read a beautiful poem of praise to Jesus, the eternal Word, who called the creation into being and who is also the logos, the plan, the blueprint for human life. “In him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” In him, the whole creation is reconciled. As we listen to this passage, we can visualize the creation of stars and galaxies and solar systems, our own solar system, and “this fragile earth, our island home.” We can sense the love and care of God in every aspect of creation and especially in the life and ministry of Jesus. Paul writes, “God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Christ is in us, and we are in Christ. We are his body here on earth.

In our gospel we have another beloved and familiar story. In John’s gospel, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are a brother and two sisters. Here in Luke’s gospel, Martha is the head of the household. As such, she welcomes Jesus.  In those days, it was unusual for a woman to be the head of a household.

It is traditional to offer hospitality, and Martha sets about preparing a meal. Meanwhile, Mary sits at the feet of Jesus in the traditional posture of a disciple.  Jesus fully accepts a woman, Martha, as head of the household and another woman, her sister Mary, as formal disciple.  This is revolutionary thinking and action regarding the roles of women.

But then Martha comes to Jesus and complains. She asks Jesus to get Mary to help her with the work. Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better part.

Scholars tell us that, in the past, we have made some errors in the way we interpret this story. So, the first thing we want to do is correct those mistakes.  Jesus is not saying that those who are students and contemplatives are better than those who make meals and wait on tables and do other tasks which we can call diakonia, that is, the ministry of servanthood, the ministry of deacons. We need all the gifts. Many contemplatives have said that the more we pray, the more we are compelled to take action, to realize that we have to get out there and help people.

Jesus is not scolding Martha for fixing and serving the meal. He is giving us some priceless guidance. In the words of my beloved friend, Carole Brown, Jesus is telling us, “Fret not thy gizzard. A fret gizzard incapacitates.” It’s not the cooking that’s the problem. It’s getting worried and frazzled that’s the problem.

This account of Mary and Martha is put right next to and paired with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Somehow, the Good Samaritan was so steeped in the word of God and the Spirit of God and the law of God that, when he saw that man  lying half-dead on the Jericho road, he didn’t even have to think what to do; he knew. This is my neighbor, my fellow human being. I have to take care of him, I have to treat him as I would want him to treat me.  And that’s what he did. No fretting, No wringing of the hands. No questioning. Just action. Action which expressed, as the hymn says,  “pure, unbounded love.”

When Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, she is extending the best of hospitality because she is going to bask in his presence, She is going to sop up all the love and all the wisdom and all the presence he has to offer. And then she and Jesus and Martha and the other disciples can fix the meal together.

One commentator talks about how in the Church we have bake sales and we have tag sales and this project and that project and we lose sight of what we are here for. In a word, we become frazzled. Fortunately, we do not do this at Grace. We come and we sit at the feet of Jesus in peace and quiet and love, and we absorb his presence. Nobody frets about irrelevant things. We just gather to be with Jesus and with each other, to be his Body here in this place.

When we take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus, everything else flows from that with a minimal amount of fretting and wasting of energy. That precious time spent in his presence energizes and galvanizes us to be his risen Body in this place.

Prayer is important. Learning from Jesus is important. Sweeping and vacuuming and painting and repairing things and cooking and serving and all these things are equally important. But it all starts with listening to Jesus and responding to his guidance and love.

Blessed Lord Jesus, thank you for calling us together to be with you, to sit at your feet, to learn from you. Thank you for calling us to follow you.  Thank you for giving us your peace and your love deep in our hearts. Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Pentecost 8 Proper 10C RCL July 14, 2013

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Beth Crane

Amos 7:7-17
Psalm 82
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:25-37

Amos is one of my favorite people in the Bible. He is the perfect prophet for Sheldon, Franklin County, and Vermont. He is a farmer, a shepherd, a “dresser of sycamore trees.” He is not a member of the stuffy and sometimes corrupt professional prophetic guild. He has been called directly by God to leave his home and his work in the Southern Kingdom of Judah to go to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which is enjoying a time of great prosperity and has expanded its territory through military conquest. Those in power are living in the lap of luxury, accumulating vast wealth, while the rest of the people are barely surviving.

God gives Amos the vision of God’s plumb line. God is setting this plumb line, this measurement of what is on the level, what is true and what is not, in the midst of God’s people. Here is this little shepherd and farmer speaking truth to power.

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel and an ally of King Jeroboam, tells Amos to go back home to the Southern Kingdom.  But Amos stands firm.

From time to time it is a good idea to apply God’s plumb line, God’s ethical measuring stick, to our lives and the life of the Church. Are we living in harmony with God’s vision, God’s values?

In today’s gospel, we have one of Jesus’ best known parables, A lawyer is trying to test Jesus. He is not trying to learn something. He is simply trying to challenge Jesus. He asks, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asks him what the law says. The Law says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And Jesus tells him he has given the right answer.

But then the lawyer asks that question, not for enlightenment but for testing, “And who is my neighbor/’ Commentator Eric Barreto says that the lawyer is really asking, “how wide he must cast the net of love in his world. In the eyes of God, who counts as my neighbor?”

We all know the story. A man goes on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attack, They strip him, beat him, and leave him lying in the road half dead. A priest passes by on the other side. So does a Levite. But the Samaritan comes to him, has pity on him binds up his wounds, puts him on his own animal, takes him to an inn, and takes care of him, The next day he pays the innkeeper to continue the man’s care and promises to reimburse the innkeeper for any further expenses when he returns.

Scholars tell us that it is almost impossible for us to grasp how difficult it would have been for Jesus’ hearers to think of a Samaritan doing anything good. There were deep differences of culture and religion and ethnicity between Jews and Samaritans. If we think back a couple of weeks ago when the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus and the disciples asked him if he wanted them to rain down fire on the Samaritans, that captures the degree of hatred between these two groups.

We also have to remember that travel in those days was dangerous. People did not travel alone. Rich people had retinues for protection and most people would travel in family groups for safety. The Jericho Road was notorious for robbers. People of that time could well have thought that this man was foolish to go alone. Maybe he had a family emergency or urgent business.

Secondly, it is very easy for us to look down on the priest and the Levite. But they were religious officials who were supposed to follow the law, and a major point of the law was to preserve ritual purity. The traveler was well on the way to being dead, which would have made him ritually unclean. Jesus’ hearers would have understood why the priest and the Levite kept their distance.

But this Samaritan, this outcast, this man who is the lowest of the low, follows the law—love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength—and love your neighbor as yourself. His pity, his mercy, his compassion, overrides all other considerations.

I am going to try to retell this parable in terms that try to approach the shock value of Jesus’ story.

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell into the hands of robbers who stripped him, beat him and left him in the road half dead. An Episcopal priest was going down that road, and, when she saw the man, she passed by on the other side. So also, an Episcopal deacon, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a member of Al Qaeda, while traveling, came near him, and when he saw him, was moved with compassion, He went to him, applied antiseptic, and bandaged his wounds, Then he put him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and when he had to leave to attend to his business, he paid the innkeeper to take care of him until he was well.

That is the level of shock value. This person needed help. We didn’t stop and help him, An outcast, a hated person, showed the kind of care we are called to show.

Justo Gonzalez writes, “Jesus’ final injunction to the lawyer, ‘Go and do likewise,’ does not simply mean. Go and act in love to your neighbor, but, rather, go and become a neighbor to those in need, no matter how alien they may be.”

Once again, Jesus is breaking down barriers, calling us all to be one.  It is not easy to live into this vision of shalom. It is not easy to see the hated other as our brother or sister. As Paul points out in our epistle, we can only live as our Lord calls us to live through God’s gifts of faith, hope, and love.   Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Pentecost 6 Proper 8C RCL June 30, 2013

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Beth Crane

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62

In our first reading, the great prophet Elijah is about to die. Elisha is called to be his successor. Herbert O’Driscoll notes that our reading this morning shows how Elisha grows into maturity so that he can take up the mantle and ministry of Elijah.

We all have had wise mentors and guides who have helped and advised us. We all have to grow into maturity and carry out our ministries. The Church itself constantly has to accept challenges and grow to meet the needs of new times and new situations, always staying true to the gospel.

In our gospel, Jesus is setting his face toward Jerusalem. He has to go. He may not want to go, but he has to. Bishop Butterfield once said that to be called means that we are compelled by God to follow a certain course of action.

Jesus sends messengers ahead to let people know he is coming. He is in Samaria.  The people do not make Jesus welcome. Scholars tell us that this might be because the Samaritans are offended that Jesus is going to Jerusalem because the Samaritans worship on Mount Gerizim in Samaria rather than at the temple in Jerusalem. Fred Craddock writes that this event “testifies to the racial tension between Samaritans and Jews.”  The disciples further illustrate this tension by offering to rain fire down on the Samaritans.  Please make a mental note of this scene. We will come back to this in a couple of weeks.

In the rest of the reading,  Jesus has encounters with three people. The first person says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus points out to this person that following him does not offer security. Jesus is homeless at this point in his ministry. Jesus calls the second person to follow him, but the person says he has to go home to bury his father. The third says he needs to say goodbye to his family. In his responses to these people, Jesus is not telling us that we should fail to pay our respects to family members who die, nor is he telling us that we should abandon our families. He is making it clear that, in following him, we have to set our priorities very carefully. Following Jesus requires the highest level of loyalty.

Paul writes these ringing words, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” Does this mean that we can do anything we want to? No. As we have said on other occasions. Freedom is not license. Paul is walking a careful balance between freedom and license. Freedom is less an individual matter and more a community matter. Freedom does not mean unlimited autonomy for me or for you. Christ has set us free so that we can live in community, so that we can love and support each other in the life in Christ.

Here, in Galatians 5:22, Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit. Where the Spirit is, these fruits abide. Paul writes, “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness. and self-control.” These are the qualities that we see in a healthy community whose members are living in the freedom which our Lord has given us, a freedom rooted in the love and grace of God.

Love. One of my mentors, David Brown, former rector of Christ Church, Montpelier, says, “Love is taking God and other people seriously.” Love is more about what we do than what we feel. Treating others with compassion and respect is not a touchy-feely thing. It takes prayer and discipline to be people of compassion.

Joy is something that goes beyond mere happiness or contentment. It is rooted in God’s love. There is true joy in knowing and realizing God’s love and responding to that love and sharing that love as we do in Christian community.

Peace, God’s shalom of health and wholeness, lives deeply and strongly within every person who is living in the Spirit. Within such a person is a deep serenity, an unruffled deep well of peace.

Another fruit of the Spirit is patience. We take life one day at a time one moment at a time. We are here in this moment. We do not have to rush about frantically. We can wait upon God. Yes, we have to do our part, but we have the patience born of peace.

Kindness. We follow the Golden Rule. We treat others as we would like to be treated. We treat everyone as a child of God.

Generosity is also a fruit of the Spirit. When we are following God to the best of our ability, we feel deeply blessed and loved by God. We grow more and more grateful for God’s blessings and love. Out of that gratitude flows generosity in sharing the gifts which God has given to us.

Faithfulness. We know that God is present in every moment. We know that God wants the best for us. We are living a new life in Christ. We are following Jesus with complete faith in his leading.

Gentleness. We who have died with Christ, we who have shared in the suffering of Christ, we who have experienced the compassion of Christ, are careful not to hurt others.

And, finally, self-control, the ninth fruit of the Spirit which St, Paul mentions in this letter. We are rooted and grounded in God. We do not need to fly off the handle. We remain in balance. With God’s grace, we try to do and say only that which God calls us to do and say.

The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control. These are the fruits that grow in a Christian community. Beverly Gaventa writes of these gifts of the Spirit, “They reflect…a mind-set that is informed by the Spirit of God and the real freedom that comes in Jesus Christ.” Gaventa adds, “Paul holds that these gifts of the Spirit come about, not as the accomplishments of human knowledge or wisdom, but as gifts of the Spirit….”(Texts for Preaching, Year C, p. 408.)

I thank God that the fruits of the Spirit are so evident here at Grace Church. They are precious gifts from God which make our life together rich and full of love and joy and faith and peace. Thanks be to God for these wonderful gifts and thanks to you for nurturing and sharing them.

Amen

 

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Pentecost 4 Proper 6C RCL June 16, 2013

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Beth Crane

1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a
Psalm 5:1-8
Galatians 2:15-21
Luke 7:36-8:3

Our opening reading today is a shocking story, yet scholars tell us that it is one of the most important accounts in the scriptures. Why is such an account placed in the Bible? Because it clearly contrasts the blatant misuse of power by Ahab and Jezebel with the faithfulness of Naboth. Many of these accounts of the ministries of Elijah and Elisha are crucial reminders to us of God’s call to all of us, especially those in power, to remain faithful to God’s values of respect for others, justice for all, compassion toward the vulnerable, and humility.

We should keep in mind that Ahab and Jezebel were terrible rulers. They lived in luxury while the poor and vulnerable scrabbled for a meager living. And, as we see from this story, their selfishness is beyond limits and they will stop at nothing in order to achieve their goals.

Naboth the Jezreelite has a vineyard which is right beside King Ahab’s palace. A vineyard in Jezreel was a prized possession.  These were the best vineyards in the land.

King Ahab comes to Naboth. He asks Naboth to give him his vineyard so that Ahab can use it for a vegetable garden. This is disrespectful and downright rude. You didn’t just tear down a vineyard and make it into a vegetable garden. Even worse, Ahab is asking Naboth to sell his inheritance. In the law, in the Book of Leviticus, people were told it was illegal to sell your family property to anyone except a member of your family. Ahab knew the law, and it was despicable of him to ask Naboth to sell the vineyard. So Naboth, who is a prime example of the faithful person, refuses to sell.

Ahab whines to his wife, Jezebel. I won’t review the details, but she sinks to the depths in her scheming to murder Naboth and get the land for Ahab. Ahab goes to claim the land, and there is Elijah to hold up God’s ethical standards and declare Ahab’s behavior as unacceptable.

Does this mean that God is vindictive and out to get people? No. This story points out that, when we act as Ahab and Jezebel act in this account, there are consequences. Those in power cannot treat people in this way and maintain any kind of spiritual health.

God calls us to treat everyone with respect, whether they are rich or poor, no matter what race or gender they are, no matter who they are. Everyone is a child of God.

Our gospel for today is on the same topic. Simon the Pharisee invites Jesus to his home for dinner. In comes a woman. She is referred to as a sinner. Her sin is not named.  She is not named. There is nothing in the account to suggest that she is a prostitute, as many writers have described her, and there is nothing to indicate that the woman is Mary Magdalene, who is mentioned later in the story as one of Jesus’ supporters.

In some way, this woman has gotten the label of “sinner,” and this means that, no matter who she is underneath that label, she is treated with zero respect. She has heard that Jesus is in the house, she comes in and anoints his feet with oil, weeps on his feet, and dries his feet with her hair. Maybe she has already had an encounter with Jesus in which she has experienced healing and forgiveness. Or maybe she has just heard from others about how he accepts people and heals them.

Simon is scandalized. How terrible that this sinner should do this to the teacher. But Jesus tells Simon that this woman has extended hospitality to him when Simon didn’t. And then he tells a story about a debt.  If we owe someone a lot of money and we have no way to repay and they forgive that debt. We will be grateful and love them. Or, when we feel lower than the lowest form of life and someone shows us respect, and caring, we are grateful to them and love them in return. This woman has experienced Jesus’ love and forgiveness, and she loves him back.

Simon, on the other hand, is at the top of the social scale. That is a dangerous place to be, because it is so easy to become arrogant, to think that one is better than others, especially some like this sinner woman.  Arrogance can shut out God’s love, Jesus’ love. Simon will never be able to let God’s love into his heart because pride and arrogance shut out the love of God.

Paul is writing to the church in Galatia, in Asia Minor, what we would now call Turkey. He founded the church. But now others are coming in and saying that you have to follow the law, you have to be circumcised, before you can follow Christ. It’s amazing how we humans cling to structures that can get in the way of God’s work if they are not viewed in the correct light.

Paul is trying to find a way to get through to these people. I think he is speaking very much as the woman in today’s gospel might speak. I have met Christ, Paul is saying. I have been crucified with Christ. He now lives in me, and I live in him. My whole life is steeped in his presence and power. External laws are not a part of this equation. He himself has told us that he has come to fulfill the law. The life I live I live by faith in Jesus, not by a set of rules, although this faith includes and goes beyond that set of rules.

Here we go back to our gospel, and we see this woman, who is carrying a label and has been treated with scorn for years, exemplifying  God’s love far more deeply and clearly than the arrogant Simon will ever do unless he somehow opens up to God’s grace, which is quite unlikely, since he has everything well in hand and under control, and everything will be done his way rather than God’s way.

“Pride stands sentinel at the door of the heart and shuts out the love of God. God can only dwell with the humble and the obedient. Obedience to God’s will is the key unlocking the door to God’s kingdom. You cannot obey God to the best of your ability without in time realizing God’s love and responding to that love. The rough stone steps of obedience lead up to where the mosaic floor of love and joy is laid. Where God’s spirit is, there is your home, There is heaven for you.” So reads the meditation for April 10 in a book called Twenty-Four Hours a Day.

Dear Lord, thank you for your love. Save us from arrogance. Help us to stay humble. Give us the grace to open ourselves to your love, and to love everyone as you love us.  Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Easter 2C RCL April 7, 2013

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Beth Crane

 Acts 5:27-32

Psalm 150

Revelation 1:4-8

John 20:19-31

In our first reading, Peter and the other apostles are at work in Jerusalem spreading the Good News. They have been ordered by the authorities to stop teaching in the name of Jesus, but, of course, they have continued because, as Peter says, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

Herbert O’Driscoll points out that this encounter shows us a law of human affairs. He says, “ Any new force acting in a society or an institution will meet resistance from forces already entrenched.” The High Priest is trying to contain this threat.

The Book of Revelation was written thirty or forty years after our first scene from the Book of Acts. Already there are seven churches in Asia. The new faith is growing and spreading over a larger and larger geographical area. John writes that our Lord, who loves us has “made us a kingdom, priests  serving his God and Father.” We are called to offer ourselves to God in every way that we can so that God can use us in the work of spreading the Good News.

Now we move to the gospel for this day. It is the Day of Resurrection. It is that first Sunday. Jesus has just risen from the dead. The Church has not yet begun to spread.  Jesus’ followers are gathered in the house in Jerusalem where they had stayed whenever they were in the city. It is the evening of that first day of new life.  Mary Magdalene has gone to the tomb and has seen the risen Lord, but the reality has not yet sunk in. John tells us that the doors were locked for fear. They are afraid. Terrible things have happened. Some of them have seen Jesus die on the cross. They are afraid of the authorities with good reason.Jesus moves right through the doors, the walls of fear. What does he say? “Peace be with you,” Shalom be with you, Shalom, the wholeness and harmony, the peace which passes all understanding, Shalom, the restoration of all the whole creation be with you.  Then he shows them his hands and his side, He shows the wounds so that they will know it is he. And they are so happy to see him and to recognize him.  He has come through it all. And he says again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And he breathes the Holy Spirit into them. When Jesus was here among us he told us that the Holy Spirit is within us.

And he gives them and us the ministry of reconciliation. Traditionally, this is the beginning of the ministry through which priests confer absolution when people make private confessions. Now, as we understand baptismal ministry and the ministry of all believers, we know that all of us as Christians are called to listen to the confessions of our brothers and sisters who share the things they have done which have hurt themselves and others and for which they seek God’s forgiveness. All of us hear confessions all the time and all of us can assure others of God’s mercy and forgiveness. There are some times when people are in great pain and remorse over their sins and should seek the sacrament of Reconciliation of a Penitent, or private confession to a priest. Oftentimes, folks can receive the assurance of God’s forgiveness from a lay person.

Thomas was not with them when the risen Christ appeared. They tell him that they have seen the Lord. But he has to see for himself. He cannot believe at a second or third hand level. Just imagine Jesus’ love. Two weeks later, they are there in the house and he comes back again. Our Lord does whatever it takes to help us to have faith. “Put your finger here and see my hands,” he tells Thomas. Thomas falls on his knees in pure adoration. “My Lord and my God!” he whispers in awe.

And then Jesus says something which is a blessing to you and to me. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have  come to believe.”

We weren’t there in that room with the apostles. We were not there on the Road to Emmaus or on the beach when Jesus welcomed them to a breakfast of fish and bread. We weren’t there on the Road to Damascus when Paul was blinded by the light. Yet we have seen the risen Christ. We have felt his presence. We have experienced his forgiveness and healing. And we believe in him. And we are blessed every day by his presence and power in our lives.

The Easter season lasts for fifty days, until the Feast of Pentecost. During this time, we will continue to hear about the work of the early Church in spreading the Good News and we will be with the disciples as our Risen Lord appears to them and to us.

If any of you speak a foreign language, please let me know so that we can use those languages in our Pentecost celebration. During the Great Fifty Days of Easter, our readings are all from the New Testament or Greek Scriptures. We are especially celebrating the presence of our Risen Lord and our mission to spread the Good news of his victory over death and brokenness.

May we share in his victory and in his ministry of healing and reconciliation.

Amen.

Filed under: Reverend Janet Brown, Sermons | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

« Previous Page — Next Page »