Category Archives: Rev. Rebecca’s Reflections

Living alongside evil (Sermon) July 20, 2014

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Sermon – July 20, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 11) Track 1

The slaves said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, `No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest….’  Matthew 13:28-29

Please be seated

Recently I have been reminded about Jim Thorpe.  I knew about him as I was growing up.  He was Native American, Pottawatamie, Sauk and Fox, born in Oklahoma.  But growing up near Carlisle, PA, I learned about him, because he attended school in Carlisle.  In 1950, Thorpe was named the greatest American football player and the greatest American male athlete.  He had speed and stamina.  He won both the decathlon and the pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics.  He played baseball and football.  Unfortunately, until 1982, he had been stripped of his Olympic medals and taken out of the record books, because he played semi-professional baseball for two seasons, so it was deemed he was not an amateur athlete.  Of course, today that’s no problem at all.

But about that school….  Carlisle Industrial Training School.  The United States Government had a policy of destroying the native peoples of this country.   There was disdain for the way the native people lived and the colonizers believed the people to be subhuman and themselves to be far superior.  Often times, the government policy consisted of starving the people, providing them with blankets carrying the smallpox disease, which would kill the native people; or starving them by killing their food – the buffalo.

Richard Henry Pratt, an Officer in the Army, did not like these policies, and gradually developed what was considered a more humane way to deal with the native peoples – train them to be like European-American people.  This caught the attention of some wealthy people who became funders and eventually the Indian industrial schools were created.

Native families were forced to send their children hundreds of miles away to these boarding schools.  At the schools, children were punished if they used their native language.  Native ways of life about clothing and hair were not followed.  Hair was cut and clothing was European.  It was thought to be humane and charitable to make the Indians be like the European-Americans.

Total annihilation was certainly evil – the tares or weeds sown in the field.  The work of the “enemy” in our Gospel today.  The dominant people of the late 19th and early 20th centuries believed these Indian schools to be the good wheat the sower planted.

Yet, the outcomes of what was done were devastating.  You can find videos online of people who survived those schools.  Listening to their stories is heartbreaking.  The pain of being forced to lose your language, to lose your family, to lose the things that grounded you and helped you understand who you are.  And you never fully fit into the European-American world, and it was harder to connect to the native world because any time you’d try to speak the language or follow the customs, you were abused.  The loss of the spiritual connection was extremely painful.

We think we know evil.  As Christians, we aspire to live the Christian life…follow Christ and Christ’s commands.  It is wrong to be evil.  We judge ourselves.  We judge each other.  But throughout history, we see a trail of things once considered humane to now be considered evil.  For instance, the guillotine was considered a more humane way to execute people, but now we consider it barbaric.

One of the messages in this parable today is about living right alongside evil.  Some people say God can’t exist, because there is so much evil in the world.  But in this story, Jesus says there is evil and it grows up right alongside us.  Living the Christian life means living with evil right next to us.

We can certainly relate to this, especially this week with the tragedy of the Malaysian Airliner shot out of the sky, the hostilities between the Israelis and Palestinians playing out in the Gaza strip, and the influx of children crossing into the United States to flee violence in their native countries.  Who’s right and who’s wrong?  There are many sides.  Who’s responsible for the evil?  It’s hard to know who’s responsible and what the right thing to do is.  What is not evil.

In this parable, Jesus tells us the evil is so close, that pulling it out will uproot us!  Evil is so close, to get rid of it can end up destroying us!  I have pondered that all week.  You’d think we should do all in our power to uproot evil.  How can uprooting evil also destroy us?  You mean we are supposed to live with the evil?  So many questions.

One thought I’ve had is along the lines of Officer Pratt.  He thought he was doing a good thing.  He thought the Indian schools were the good wheat.  He did not think he was an evil man, especially when compared to what others did.  Yet, a century and a quarter later, we understand the evil of those schools and we know the horror of them.

Maybe evil resides in us and we just can’t see it or don’t know it.

Furthermore, we cannot be the judge.  I know, some things are pretty easy to judge and we shouldn’t throw our judgment out the window, but we do need to be careful about our judgmental attitudes.  And we must never think we speak for God, that is for certain.

Jesus lets us know in no uncertain terms that judgment comes and judgment is of God.  And on the Day of Judgment, evil that sprung up right next to us, evil that would uproot us should we cast it out, will be plucked and incinerated in the fire.   Whether it is the evil we have done or the evil done on our behalf, it will be finally shattered.

And so, today we must think about how we live with evil that is right next to us and even inside of us.  We can strive to be the good wheat shooting up, following God, living like Jesus to the best of our ability.  We can be humble, knowing that we are doing our best, but in the end, it is God who is the judge and we know we fall short.

And we can live in the assurance that evil will be destroyed and we will then shine like the sun in the kingdom of God.

Amen

This Sunday (July 20) at St. John’s

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And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  Genesis 28:12

This story we hear the story of “Jacob’s Ladder.”  Jacob’s vision is amazing.  It seems like Jacob is in that in-between place (liminal place) between the worlds of earth and heaven.  Jacob calls it the gate of heaven and marks the spot at Bethel (house of God).

A beautiful depiction of this gate between heaven and earth — a ladder with angels ascending and descending — is in stained glass at Grace Episcopal Church, Broadway, New York City.   The window was given in memory of Edith Corse Evans.  36 year-old Edith Corse Evans gave up her seat on Collapsible D, the last remaining lifeboat to be launched from the sinking Titanic. She selflessly offered her seat to Mrs. Caroline Brown, a 59 year-old woman with children by saying: “You go first, you have children waiting at home.” Ms. Evan’s body was never recovered and a memorial service was held at Grace Church Broadway.  The stained glass window and a plaque are in her memory.  

God assures Jacob he is in God’s care.  Jacob’s descendants will be in God’s care.  These are the promises and assurances we have each and every day.  Remember this gate and remember you are in God’s care

Blessings and you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Bulletin 07-20-2014

Rebecca’s Schedule

I will be attending the National Association of Social Workers’ National Conference next week in Washington, DC.  From July 27 until August 8, I will be on vacation visiting family and friends in Pennsylvania and New York.

Morning Prayer will be held on July 27 and August 3. I will return on August 10 and TJ Tetzlaff will once again preach.

Pastoral Care:  In case of pastoral emergencies please contact the Rev. John Burkhart 606-521-0345 or jandmburkhart@yahoo.com.

Adult Forum: This summer and early fall, we will discuss a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.   We will follow our Gospel lectionary, discussing the following week’s Gospel – Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52.

Pot Luck Sunday:  Next Sunday, July 27 is our monthly pot luck.  Bring a dish or drink to share.  And all are welcome!  Plan to fellowship with each other.

KCEOC Lunch Program:  The KCEOC Summer Youth Lunch Program is distributing lunch Monday through Friday, 11:20-11:35am in our parking lot.  Youth 18 and under are eligible for this free lunch.  Youth are enjoying sitting in our park eating their lunch.  Monday through Thursday is a cold lunch of sandwich, fruit or vegetable, juice, and milk.  Friday is a hot lunch.  Please continue to get the word out.

Interested in being a member of St. John’s?  If you have been baptized in another faith tradition, and want to be a member of The Episcopal Church and St. John’s Church, plan to attend confirmation classes this fall.  There will be 5 classes offered, most likely beginning in September.  If you are interested, please let Rebecca know.  If you have already been confirmed in another faith tradition and would like to be a member of St. John’s, let Rebecca know, so you can be received into the church.  If you are interested in baptism, also let her know.  Baptisms, receptions, and confirmations will be done when the Bishop visits.

Diocese of Lexington Stewardship event: “Life as a Steward” is the theme of a daylong event designed to assist parish leaders enhance our ministry of stewardship. National stewardship leaders Keith Stroud of the Diocese of Virginia and Gene Musser of Kirby Smith Associates will be our guest leaders, and will guide us in presentations of theology of stewardship as well as practical aids for your parish stewardship program. This event will take place Saturday, August 2, from 9am to 3 pm at Ascension Frankfort.  Click Here for the registration form.

Grow Appalachia:  The Vestry voted to move ahead with this project.  As we continue to work on this project, let the members of Vestry know your questions.  Their website ishttp://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

Financial Report

June2014

(5 Sundays)

 BudgetYTD ActualYTD MonthlyBudget ActualMonthly
Total Revenue $23,735.50 $14,991.06 $3,955.92 $2,453.11
Total Expense $23,735.50 $23,092.42 $3,955.92 $3,249.69
Difference   -$8,101.36   -$796.58

 

Computer and Furnace needed!  The furnace located in the sacristy, which heats part of the social hall and hallways must be replaced prior to this winter.  Cost is $2,250 for a furnace that will also be more energy efficient.  We’ll also need to replace two more furnaces over the next two years:  one that heats the parish hall and one that heats the rectory.  Our computer also needs replaced and $600 will get us a new one plus the needed software.  Donations for these two items can be put in the boxes back on the shelves in the parish hall.

The Vestry has voted to donate a niche in the Columbarium to the family of Deacon Dane.  A bronze plaque needs to be purchased to mark the niche.  The cost is $208.   If you would like to donate to the cost of this plaque, please let Gay Nell know.

Are you interested in assisting with the Sunday service?  Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Crucifers, Altar Guild Members and choir members are all important for each Sunday service.  If you’re interested in serving, please let Rebecca know by phone 859-429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arm, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.
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Are We Rich Soil? (Sermon) July 13, 2014

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Sermon – July 13, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 10) Track 1

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Matthew 13:5-6

Please be seated.

Letting go is easy sometimes.  When I was in the second year of a 2-year discernment process, I found letting go of my things to be very easy.  I had no idea whether the Bishop would approve to send me to seminary and even if he did, I figured it’d be another year until I could start.  Yet, I was ready to get rid of things.  Things like part of my doll collection I’d had since a child.  Things like my Geisha Girl China I’d had for years and the gilded corner cabinet it went in.  Things like the 43 year old kitchen table my parents bought when we’d moved into our new house when I was 11 years old, a table my brother had used in New York City for many years.

I was ready to let go…to downsize…to say good-bye to these things I’d carted from my childhood home and five addresses in Pennsylvania to Connecticut, New York, Kansas, North Carolina, and DC, through two marriages and raising two children.  They held many memories and connections.  Something new was happening and I knew I needed to let go of these things.  They began to weigh me down…hold me down.  These things and my holding on to them felt like the hard soil Jesus speaks of today.  The new thing coming in my life would wither and die trying to plant itself within the things of my past.

Now this openness to change, to parting with my things, was something that only developed over time.  You see, at one time, I kept every single card someone had ever sent to me.  I never threw anything away, it seems.  I paid plenty of money to haul these things back and forth across the country and to rent storage space when I couldn’t accommodate these things in my living space!  I loved the hard soil these things made.  Sure they were often stuck away in boxes, hidden from view and rarely viewed.  At times, I didn’t even notice the clutter they created…getting so used to working around it or having a smaller space in which to live.

Do you create hard soil in your life, so that new seeds sent from God spring up quickly, but easily wither and are scorched by the sun?  Trying to keep things the way they were traps us in a past that is long gone.  It does feel safe, when all around us is changing, but the safety is an illusion and a temporary comfort.

Yesterday, I was trying to plant a rose bush out in the garden.  Now, I didn’t have the right kind of shovel, but even so, the ground was so hard.  I’m not sure that bush has enough depth of soil to survive.  There is some hard ground around here…

Yes, where have we here at St. John’s created hard soil within ourselves so the seeds God sows wither and die?  What do we cling to…things that at one time might have been new seeds, planted in good soil, after all, but now have created hard soil and reject the new seeds?  We didn’t always have the parish hall.  We didn’t always have the kitchen and parlor area.  We didn’t always have the meeting rooms.  The parlor was once offices.  The park was once a school yard.  Each new person who came to St. John’s needed to find the good soil to plant themselves and each new plant created a community with different needs and different skills and different passions.  The one thing that didn’t change was the worship of God and the connection to The Episcopal Church.  But other than that, many things have changed in the church’s 108 years.

God isn’t afraid of the change, I don’t think, because God keeps calling us to do God’s work here in this place.  Yet, are we so hardened, that God’s mission for us withers and dies?  Are we so attached to what is comfortable for us that the seeds do not find depth of soil?  Are we so afraid of change, that we doom ourselves and the community of St. John’s to death?

The church has been here many years.  God has faith in us, I’d say.  God keeps calling us and guiding us to be the good, rich soil that produces thirty, sixty, and even one hundred fold.

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday (July 13) at St. John’s

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Thus Esau despised his birthright.  Genesis 25:34

I’ve talked before about my grandmother being raised by a stepmother, who we called Cia.  Every afternoon, Cia made the girls in the family crochet with the small hooks and white crochet thread.  They made doilies and fine crochet work.  My grandmother’s sister, Mary, told me she would kick the thread under the couch because she hated to crochet.  My grandmother stuck with it and I have many beautiful things she made, including an amazing bedspread with a bird pattern on it.

My grandmother said it wasn’t always easy growing up with their stepmother.  About her brother and sisters’ behavior towards their stepmother, she said, “Our heads were little.  We didn’t understand.”

And Esau does not understand about his birthright.  He despises it and hold it of little value.  He sells it for a bowl of stew.  How many times in life do we take something or someone for granted?  How many times do we cast something aside of great value, because in the moment, it appears something else is more important?

My grandmother and her siblings took care of Cia throughout her life.  While times were rough early on, they eventually understood how fortunate they were to have their stepmother in their lives.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

My grandmother's stepmother made her crochet every afternoon. My grandmother made this bedspread prior to getting married!

My grandmother’s stepmother made her crochet every afternoon. My grandmother made this bedspread prior to getting married!

 

bulletin 7-13-14

Rebecca’s Schedule: Next week, I will be in Corbin on Thursday, July 17, and my Sabbath day will be Friday, July 18.  You can get a message to me by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum: This summer and early fall, we will discuss a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.   We will follow our Gospel lectionary, discussing the following week’s Gospel.  This week, we’ll discuss Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.  Next week, we’ll discuss Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52.

KCEOC Lunch Program:  The KCEOC Summer Youth Lunch Program is distributing lunch Monday through Friday, 11:20-11:35am in our parking lot.  Youth 18 and under are eligible for this free lunch.  Youth are enjoying sitting in our park eating their lunch.  Monday through Thursday is a cold lunch of sandwich, fruit or vegetable, juice, and milk.  Friday is a hot lunch.  Please continue to get the word out.

Corbin Alumni Concert: The Corbin Alumni Band will be performing in the park on Saturday, July 12th.  Bring a lawn chair and join us for an evening of fellowship and music.

Gospel Jamboree 7th Birthday and Pig Roast:  Saturday, July 19, in the park 3pm – 9pm.  Come enjoy the music and the food!

DOK: Daughters of the King:meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30pm.  The next meeting is July 16.  Anne Day Davis will conclude her presentation on oils of the Bible

Diocese of Lexington Stewardship event: “Life as a Steward” is the theme of a daylong event designed to assist parish leaders enhance our ministry of stewardship. National stewardship leaders Keith Stroud of the Diocese of Virginia and Gene Musser of Kirby Smith Associates will be our guest leaders, and will guide us in presentations of theology of stewardship as well as practical aids for your parish stewardship program. This event will take place Saturday, August 2, from 9am to 3 pm at Ascension Frankfort.  For more information, including a flyer and registration form, click on the highlighted title of this paragraph.

Grow Appalachia:  The Vestry voted to move ahead with this project.  As we continue to work on this project, let the members of Vestry know your questions.  Their website is http://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arm, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.

 

The Yoke of Jesus (Sermon) July 6, 2014

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Sermon – July 6, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 9) Track 1

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:29-30

For the past couple of weeks, I have begun volunteering at the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour in Lexington.  This radio, TV, and internet show is usually taped in Lexington at the Lyric Theater, 44 weeks out of the year, usually on Monday evening before a live audience.  The diversity of entertainers who are on the show is interesting.  They usually find it easy to stop in Lexington on their way to somewhere else like Nashville or Chicago or New York.  The show is unique in that the guests perform their work and also talk about their craft.  In addition, the show relies heavily upon volunteers to set up, staff and tear down the stage.

I’m still learning, but right now, I arrive at 4pm on a Monday afternoon and put lightbulbs in the floor lights or set up for dinner or do various errands.  Usually once the show begins, I can sit down and enjoy it.  It is the tear down at the end of the show that requires many people.

There is the sign to take down and store, the floor lights to dismantle, unplug, and stack.  The various instrument stands and amps to put away.  And the cords to wrap….  You see, there is a special way to coil the various cords so they don’t get tangled and so that they easily uncoil to be used for the next show.  If you do it right, you can fling the cable out and it will not be tangled at all.

And of course, the more people who are there, the shorter time it takes to do the work.  The work is spread among many people.

At the end of our Gospel today, Jesus encourages his followers to put on his yoke.  Now a yoke is something used with various animals – water buffalo, oxen – animals who help with work.  A yoke is important for a variety of reasons, so Jesus’ plea to his listeners has much to impart to us.

 

  1.  A yoke provides guidance and direction, letting the animals know which way to go and where to go next.  We all need God’s guidance in our lives.  Jesus’ teaching and example and the Holy Spirit are the yokes in our lives, telling us where to go next.
  2. A yoke provides training.  Yokes can be used to train the animals how best to work.  Throughout our lives, we need teaching and training about the work God is calling us to do and the best way to live the Christian life.
  3. A yoke allows animals to work together.  Most of us are familiar with seeing a pair of oxen yoked together.  The yokes prevent the oxen from fighting with each other, and allow the oxen to pull and to work together.  Jesus tells us our burdens will be lighter if we take on His yoke.  One of the reasons is that we can share our burden with each other in Christian fellowship.
  4. A yoke allows the animals to do more work and move heavier loads.  By its very design, the yoke makes it easier for the animals to work.  And isn’t that true with the yoke of Jesus?  Jesus’ teaching and example…Jesus’ love…Jesus’ meal, all make our loads lighter.

When I think about tearing down the Woodsong’s stage all by myself, I feel overwhelmed.  First of all, I don’t know how I’d get that sign put away! My burden would be heavy. It would take many hours.  With so many of us, though, the burden is spread. I’m excited to help…happy to help…feel satisfied when everything is put away.

And that’s how it is with Jesus’ yoke.  When we carry our burdens alone, we feel overwhelmed, even paralyzed, weighed down and heavy.  We may think, (and how many of us have done this) that we must bear our burdens alone.  Or we want to be in total control, so we rely only upon ourselves.  We don’t want anyone telling us what to do!  We don’t want anyone else to know what’s going on with us!  We believe to be grown up and mature, we need to do it ourselves.  We are afraid God will demand too much from us.  So we refuse the yoke.  We refuse the guidance.  We refuse the teaching.  We refuse to spread the burden around to make it easier to bear.

Jesus reaches out, encouraging us to put on his yoke.  “Don’t be afraid,” he says.  “I am gentle and humble,” he says.  And here is the most blessed promise, “…and you will find rest for your souls.”

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday (July 6) at St. John’s

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 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes.”  Genesis 24:60

Of course I have always listened to these stories about Rebecca since I was named after her.  In my 2012 pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I actually visited the site commemorated as Rebecca’s tomb.  This site is revered by Muslims and Christians.  Rebecca’s tomb is inside a mosque and women must totally cover themselves up.  I had to wear a brown sheet-like garment over my clothing.

Me covered up and with an odd look at Rebecca's tomb in the Mosque at Hebron.

Me covered up and with an odd look at Rebecca’s tomb in the Mosque at Hebron.

Just last week, we read about Abraham nearly sacrificing Isaac. This week Isaac is grown and needs a wife. He finds one in Rebecca. As Rebecca leaves her family, they bless her.

Isn’t that what we all want from our friends and family…their blessing? We hope the choices we make meet with our family’s blessing and love. It’s a wonderful and joyous gift…one that doesn’t always happen. But one thing is sure, God’s blessing is always available to us!

Blessings to you as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Bulletin 7-6-2014

Happy 4th of July!

On this 4th of July, take time to read some important documents.  Read the Declaration of Independence or the 4th of July speech of Frederick Douglass, challenging the empty rhetoric of the promises in the founding documents of the United States.  Read the Iroquois Confederacy document, written in the 15th century, which influenced the writers of the Declaration and the Constitution.  Think of our life in Christ and whether these founding documents further the Kingdom of God or not.

Rebecca’s Schedule: Next week, Rebecca will be in Corbin on Thursday, July 10, and her Sabbath day will be Friday, July 11.  You can get a message to me by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Happy 50th Anniversary to Jerry and Barbara Hollifield, July 3.   Jerry and Barbara were married at St. John’s Church.  Flowers have been sent from the church and a card will be available to sign at the Sunday service.

Eucharist at Christian Care Communities: Join Rebecca this Sunday afternoon as she celebrates Eucharist at Christian Care Communities.  Elmer Parlier will be playing guitar.  The service is 30-45 minutes and the residents would appreciate your attendance.

Adult Forum: This summer and early fall, we will discuss a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.   We will follow our Gospel lectionary, discussing the following week’s Gospel – Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.

KCEOC Lunch Program:  The KCEOC Summer Youth Lunch Program is distributing lunch Monday through Friday, 11:20-11:35am in our parking lot.  Youth 18 and under are eligible for this free lunch.  Youth are enjoying sitting in our park eating their lunch.  Monday through Thursday is a cold lunch of sandwich, fruit or vegetable, juice, and milk.  Friday is a hot lunch.  Please continue to get the word out.

Corbin Alumni Concert: The Corbin Alumni Band will be performing in the park on Saturday, July 12th.  Bring a lawn chair and join us for an evening of fellowship and music

DOK: Daughters of the King:meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30pm.  The next meeting is July 16.  Anne Day Davis will conclude her presentation on oils of the Bible

Grow Appalachia:  The Vestry voted to move ahead with this project.  As we continue to work on this project, let the members of Vestry know your questions.  Their website ishttp://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

Flowers for the altar: Donations for flowers for the altar are accepted for any Sunday of the year. Please place your donation in the envelope, marking whether they are in honor of or in memory of someone.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arms, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.

 

 

Welcoming Jesus (Sermon) June 29, 2014

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Sermon – June 29, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
Celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month
Third Sunday After Pentecost (Track 1)

Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Matthew 10:40

Please be seated.

“How was your weekend?,” is a common question on a Monday morning in many workplaces. Usually we give a nondescript answer of , “It was fine,” but with some friends, we may go further.  “It was great, because I saw my family.”  “It was wonderful, because I just relaxed.”  “I got a lot done in the garden and it’s looking really nice.”  “Well, cleaning wasn’t all that fun, but at least the house looks better.”  The question seems innocuous and friendly; a good way to get into the week.

But for some, that question is scary.  For people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender, they have to think about this and many other seemingly simple questions.  They must carefully pick their words.  In some places of work, they could be fired because of their sexual orientation.  Even when protected in their place of work, co-workers can shun them or put them down because they are LGBT.

Many of us hug when we say good-bye, especially when we are catching a train or a plane.  We give each other hearty hugs upon returning home.  You see it at transportation terminals all of the time, yet LGBT people must be very careful about this.  Is it okay to walk down the street holding hands?

And what about church?  So many religious groups reject people who are LGBT, even telling them they can change or easily deny themselves.  That being LGBT is not inherent to who they are, but an aberration of humanity.  And so some start on a life of hiding, trying to be something they are not.  Loving God, loving Jesus deeply and profoundly, sometimes called to religious service, they suffer.

Even when embracing who they are, coming to see themselves fully as loved and created by God, they can’t be sure that the faith community of their choice will welcome them.  In a church I belonged to, it appeared that LGBT people and couples were accepted, but when one couple wanted their photo for the church directory to portray them together as a couple, there was protest.  One of the men said, he never knew how much he could say about his life to others in the church, especially the young people, because he wasn’t sure the young person’s parent approved of him.

All of that hiding takes its toll.  The suicide rate for youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning is much higher than the norm.  People who are Lesbian and Gay form heterosexual marriages, hoping they might change…marriages that, while the two people truly love each other, often end in disaster.  People who are transgender find it difficult to get the medical care they need and the support needed to effectively transition.

While things are much better than they were even ten years ago, we continue to live in a society and a country that is unwelcoming and inhospitable to people who are LGBT.  For instance, I did not put in the newspaper that we were having this service.  I asked some of our members who are LGBT about whether to do this, because I don’t live as a person who is LGBT, so I can’t say totally what the dangers are here in this community or this region.  Ultimately, it seemed best to keep it quiet, but maybe I was wrong.

I informed Everlasting Arms of our service today, because I knew their faith understanding is different from ours.  You see, they are not here.  I thought of so many stories to tell you, but realized telling them would embarrass or make things difficult for some people.  I censored myself and what I am saying today. All of these little things are so painful.  As someone who is heterosexual, and fully understanding how heterosexism has been oppressive to people who are LGBT, I am sorry.  I hope I and I hope we at St. John’s can do better and lessen and stop the suffering.

Desmond Tutu says the most evil thing you can do is make a person think they are not a child of God.  Forcing people who are LGBT to hide tells them there is something wrong with the way they were created.

Jesus says, whoever welcomes the stranger, welcomes me.  There are no “buts.”  There are no qualifiers.  The passage doesn’t say, “Welcome the stranger, but only if….”

No, Jesus welcomed all and we are challenged to do the same.

In doing so, we truly are challenged.  As we talked about when we read the book, Radical Welcome, when we truly welcome as Christ did, our lives will be changed and may be reordered.  How was it to come into the sanctuary today with the rainbow paraments on the altar and the candles?  Being welcoming does not mean staying in control; it means being in partnership with those welcomed, creating something new in the process.  It means listening and hearing what the person, who before this time has been considered “other,” finds welcoming and hospitable.  It means trying to find a way for all of us to feel welcome.  It requires a new way to live together.

When we can truly welcome one another…when we can truly be hospitable, we bring the Kingdom of God right here and right now.

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday (June 22) at St. John’s

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We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6

How many times have our old selves been crucified with Christ?  I believe this happens many times throughout our lives.  Our faith grows.  Our understanding deepens.  As we continue to pray, worship, live in community with each other, we hear God guiding us in new ways.

When I was twelve years old, I belonged to a wonderful church youth group.  We were on one of our semi-annual retreats.  I had been pleading to know Jesus…to really feel in my heart that God existed without a doubt.  We were having a service (it wasn’t Eucharist, because you had to be confirmed to receive communion at that time.)  We started saying the Lord’s Prayer and I knew without a doubt that God existed.  I’ve never forgotten that moment.  While my faith has waned at times, that experience has stayed with me and is the foundation of my old self being crucified with Christ.

And I know throughout my life, these old selves have been crucified with Christ.  I never thought I’d live in Kansas nor Washington, DC, nor New York City, nor Kentucky.  Many things I’ve experienced were not even on my “bucket list.”  God bids me say good-bye to my old selves, yet like most of us, I want to hold on to them.  “I like the path I’m on,” I plead with God.  And God tells me there’s so much more waiting for me if I can let go.

What old self are you clinging to?  What old self is God asking you to let go of?

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

This Sunday we welcome Tyler “TJ” Tetzlaff to the pulpit.  Tyler ‘TJ’ Tetzlaff received his Masters of Divinity at Episcopal Divinity School in May of 2012.  He has worked with several religious orders and a number of church communities throughout the Boston area.  TJ is exploring the process for ordination in the Diocese of Lexington.  He currently serves on the board for the Clark County Homeless Coalition and works for the Nonprofit “STRIDE” as a mentor to developmentally handicapped adults.  He lives in Winchester KY with his wife, Chana, who is Minister-In-Charge of Emmanuel Church. 

Rebecca’s Schedule

Next week, I will be in Corbin on Thursday, June 26, and my Sabbath day will be Friday, June 27.  You can get a message to me by calling the church office, 606-528-1649 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum: This summer and early Fall, we will discussing a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.   We will follow our Gospel lectionary, discussing the following week’s Gospel. This Sunday, we will discuss Matthew 10:24-39.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Month is June.  We will have a special service on Sunday, June 29.

 United Thank Offering.  Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church.  The next collection will be in the fall.

Pot Luck Sunday:  Next Sunday, June 29, is our monthly pot luck.  Bring a dish or drink to share.  And all are welcome!  Plan to fellowship with each other.

Wednesdays in the Park.  Our Wednesdays in the park conclude this Wednesday, June 25.  We will play games with the children.

This Sunday (June 15) at St. John’s

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Greet one another with a holy kiss. 2 Cor. 13:12

Paul ends his second letter to the church in Corinth with this command.  The kiss Paul is referring to is intimate, but not in a romantic sense.  The church community was supposed to be intimate…sharing joys and struggles.  Sharing the true nature of each person, because of the freedom to be who they were, through the love and teachings of Jesus Christ.

The kiss of peace as it is known is where we get our “passing the peace” in our weekly service.  It is a sign of our intimacy as a parish.  It is a reminder, too, that if you cannot give a holy kiss to those around you, then you need to reconcile with your neighbor.  Ultimately that’s what our movement towards communion is.  The most intimate meal we share together.

Blessings as you finish your week.

Love, Rebecca+

My Schedule
I continue with my vacation through Saturday, June 21.  The Rev. Peter Helman, St. Mary’s Middlesboro is available for pastoral care.  He can be reached at 940-735-1235.

Morning Prayer will be the service this Sunday.  Bruce Cory will be the preacher.

Adult Forum: This Sunday, June 15, through early fall, we will discuss a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.   We will follow our Gospel lectionary, discussing the following week’s Gospel – Matthew 28:16-20

Wednesdays in the Park:  Join us each Wednesday through June 25 for hot dogs and fun.

Daughters of the King meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30pm. The next meeting
is June 18. Anne Day Davis will present on oils of the Bible.

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Month. We will have a special service on
Sunday, June 29.

United Thank Offering (UTO): is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Our ingathering of your UTO offerings will be today.  The UTO Boxes will be gathered and brought forward with the offering.

Grow Appalachia:  The Vestry voted to move ahead with this project.  As we continue to work on this project, let the members of Vestry know your questions.  Their website is http://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

Would you like to write Prayers of the People?  If you are interested in writing these prayers (there are resources that can help with this task), please let Rebecca know by phone or email priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Are you interested in assisting with the Sunday service?  Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Crucifers, Altar Guild Members and choir members are all important for each Sunday service.  If you’re interested in serving, please let Rebecca know by phone 859-429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Flowers for the altar: Donations for flowers for the altar are accepted for any Sunday of the
year. Please place your donation in the envelope, marking whether they are in honor of or in
memory of someone.

 Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arms, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.
  • KCEOC’s Women’s Emergency Shelter is in need of donated baby items, including baby clothing (sizes 6/9 months), diapers, wipes, bottles, etc.  Donations can be dropped off at KCEOC Community Action Partnership main office at Gray, KY.

Being Sent (Sermon) June 8, 2014, Pentecost

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Sermon – June 8, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
Pentecost

Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:20-22

Please be seated.

When I was in 8th grade, over 40 years ago, I had to write about myself for my health class.  When asked about my future, I said I wanted to be a social worker.  I’d read many biographies about the work of famous women.  While I loved Clara Barton and Florence Nightingale, it was Jane Addams’ work and the settlement houses she established that really caught my attention.  I said I wanted to be a social worker.

When I was 16, I was selected for a Girl Scout Wider Opportunity event in Chicago.  We lived on a college campus and each participant had a volunteer job for two weeks with a social service agency.  This was perfect for me.  A highlight was visiting Jane Addams’ Hull House.

So in high school while I still wanted to help people, I was also interested in politics.  Now, I was on the 10 year, parttime, kids and husbands college plan.  When I finally had the opportunity to go to college fulltime in 1981, I chose a human service major that combined family development and politics.

Early in the semester, in one of my classes, the professor had a social worker come speak to us.  I sat there, mesmerized.  “That’s what I want to be,” I nearly shouted.  I knew social work training would be excellent in politics and would be a flexible career.  I could do so many things and live nearly anywhere.  I immediately changed my major.  That call God had placed in my heart when I was 13 years old was revived in me and I answered it.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ followers are still locked up together.  The women have told them about Jesus’ resurrection, but they are still afraid of the Roman and religious authorities.  Then Jesus appears, creating great joy.  He calms them.  “Peace be with you,” he says.  Then he gives them a command to go out.  Unlock the doors, Jesus says.  God sent me, now I send you.  Now you must go out into the world.  Then Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon them.

Jesus promised they would not be abandoned.  Jesus promised an advocate would come.  Jesus promised a guiding companion.  We know something happened, because they did go out.  The gospels were written.  The story has survived the world’s history of nearly 2000 years.

We come on a Sunday morning.  We may come other times too, like Wednesday nights or weekdays when preparing for events.  Even if we’re not here, many of us feel a connection to this place…this parish of St. John’s Episcopal Church.  We know there are people here who care about us.  We know people are praying for us…thinking of us…wondering how we are.  We know we are seen and heard here in ways the world cannot see us nor hear us.  Things we say, do, believe, and guide us here, seem crazy in the world’s standards.

This place.  This St. John’s is our refuge.  A place where we can be close to God, reminded of our relationship with God, strengthened in God.  Just like those early followers, we are tempted to lock ourselves up in this room.  We, too, are afraid of what the outside world may do to us, say to us, challenge us with.

AND yet, every Sunday, Jesus comes.  Jesus comes in the bread and the wine.  Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on us.  We are sent out.  “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord, Alleluia, Alleluia.  Thanks be to God, Alleluia, Alleluia.”  We must go out!

What is that work God is calling you to?  You, an unique human being.  Never before seen on this earth. Never to be seen again.  A special combination, physically mixing with all of your life experiences, creating you.   We in the world are waiting for you, because there is wisdom and there is truth and there is love that only you can bring to the world.  There is work that only you can do in the world…work to further God’s Kingdom.

As part of my seminary education, I spent a summer as a hospital chaplain at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan.  One of my floors was maternity.  That summer reinforced that every birth of a child is important to me.  I will most likely never see those children I blessed that summer.  However, their very being on the earth, changed the earth.  The energy they brought, their spirit, how they changed their parents and families, all ripples out through the world, changing it and changing us.

More immediately, on Thursday Aidan Wayne Love-Gray was born to Maura Love.  Maura is changed.  Laura and Herschel are grandparents and are changed.  And St. John’s is changed.  Even though little Aidan at this point is capable of so little – crying, sleeping, eating, and needing his diapers changed – he has done so much.

This Pentecost day…the birthday of the church…we rejoice in this community…this St. John’s.  We rejoice that the followers of Jesus, infused with the Holy Spirit left that locked room and with courage spread the Good News to any who would listen.

Now let us go forth and do the same.

Amen