Y’ALL – Young Appalachian Leaders and Learners

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Bruce W. Cory

This was a note received in our e-mail. I have decided to forward it to post it to the website in case it would be of interest to anyone.

Bruce

Hello Grow Appalachia friends,

I’m Kathryn Engle, site coordinator for GA at the Lend-A-Hand Center in Walker, Kentucky. Hope everyone’s gardens are growing well!

I am also on the steering committee of the Appalachian Studies Association (http://appalachianstudies.org/). ASA does a lot of great work in the region and is looking to reach out to different groups doing important work in communities like yourselves and your Grow Appalachia organizations.

I am also the co-chair for “Y’ALL” “Young Appalachian Leaders and Learners” http://appalachianstudies.org/members/committees/yall.php Young Appalachian Leaders and Learners (Y’ALL) is a committee within the Appalachian Studies Association. We seek to facilitate connections and relationships between young people in Appalachia, provide opportunities for professional advancement and training, as well as encourage lifelong scholarship and activism in the region. We strive to foster an inclusive environment that breaks down walls between institutions and encourages engagement, leadership, and collegiality.

Y’ALL is just getting off the ground and is hoping to work with awesome people and organizations throughout the region. We are doing a quick survey and would love for you to be involved! You don’t have to be a member of ASA or even “young” for that matter.

The purpose of this survey is to gather ideas for the possible structure of Y’ALL (Young Appalachian Leaders & Learners) committee of the Appalachian Studies Association (ASA), possible future projects, and to locate areas where we can collaborate with existing groups and efforts. Your answers will not be published as research or used on any forums other than to assist the Appalachian Studies Association and Y’ALL. We invite responses from individuals who would consider themselves “young Appalachians” and those who do not, members of ASA, and non-members, alike. Please share the link to the survey https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2i2CfxbUgzDVHi5 with interested parties.

I know Grow Appalachia has a lot of amazing leaders and learners, and ASA would love to collaborate with you and your organizations. I truly think the Grow Appalachia network of organizations is one of the most exciting things going on in the region today!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns or simply want to share ideas and chat.

Thank you so much for your time,

Jordan Laney, Y’ALL co-chair

828-406-6514 jlaney@vt.edu

Kathryn Engle, Y’ALL co-chair

859 893-0947 kathryn.engle@uky.edu

—

Kathryn Engle

Department of Sociology

University of Kentucky

Patterson Office Tower 1505

Lend-A-Hand Center

Grow Appalachia Site Coordinator

859 893-0947

kathryn.engle@uky.edu

www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

Registering with Kroger Community Rewards

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Bruce W. Cory

As mentioned in the announcements, we currently have nine participating members in the Kroger Community Rewards program. Additionally, even current participating members must re-register in August!

Here are the instructions for registering your Kroger card with Kroger Community Rewards:

Visit http://www.kroger.com/communityrewards
Scroll down to find your location and click “Enroll Now”
Sign in to your online account, or create an account
Find and select our organization, and click “Save”

If you need it, our organization number is 47782, but you should be able to find us by searching the list.

“Tempests in Teacups” – Sermon (June 21, 2015, Proper 7B: Mark 4:35-41)

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Bruce W. Cory

Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee. Rembrandt. 1633. Oil on canvas. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA, USA.

Several times this past week I have caught myself using the phrase “tempest in a teacup.” Many of us have heard or used this phrase to describe some small event that someone, even ourselves, has blown out of proportion. I am not sure whether it was just a coincidence to catch myself using this phrase, whether I was more alert to it due to meditation on this week’s gospel passage, or whether this week’s passage inspired it, but I do think this passage from Mark describes a very similar situation to a “tempest in a teacup.”

Jesus and the disciples are traveling by boat across the Sea of Galilee. We do need a bit of a geography lesson as very few of us have been to the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is not a major body of water, although the use of the word “sea” sometimes implies that it is. It is an inland body of water and something one might more likely call a lake rather than a sea. In fact, with an area of 64 square miles, it is just a little more than half the size of Lake Cumberland that measures at 102 square miles. On the western shores of the Galilee were the Jewish settlements from which the boat has departed, and it is headed toward the eastern shores, toward Gentile settlements. This becomes very important in the next portion of the gospel when we encounter the story of the healing of the Gerasene demoniac from whom the unclean spirits are cast into a nearby large herd of swine, animals that would have been very welcome in the predominately Jewish western shore of Galilee. So, Jesus and his disciples are passing from the Jewish side toward the Gentile side. This and the next chapter recount at least two crossings between these two sides of the sea and Jesus spends time on each side preaching, teaching and healing.

As the boat is making its way an unusual storm arises. Our English translations do not do this storm justice. The word used for the storm is λαῖλαψ (lailaps), a word that can be translated as “hurricane.” Quite literally the beginning of verse 37 can be translated as, “And there began a great hurricane of wind.” A great hurricane of wind… On an inland lake smaller than Lake Cumberland… I lived for thirteens years in Cleveland, Ohio, near the shores of Lake Erie, a lake considerably larger than the Sea of Galilee and Lake Cumberland (9,940 squares miles, in case you were wondering), and while I had heard reports of strong storms and the appearance of water spouts similar to tornadoes on the lake, I never heard of a hurricane. We begin to see our tempest in the teacup appearing.

The disciples are suitably overwhelmed by the unusual nature of this storm. The waves are cresting over the side of the boat and filling it with water, and I am sure as experienced fishermen they were doing everything in their power to keep the boat on course and bail the water as fast as they could. All this time Jesus is in the stern asleep. So the disciples wake him and accuse him of not caring, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

In response, Jesus rises and sternly commands the winds and the seas to be still, and they obey. However, he takes a surprising step and challenges the disciples. He asks them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Jesus seems to minimize the fear the disciples were experiencing, assuming that survival of this storm was always within their power and something they should have expected.

It is quite possible the community to which Mark told this story could relate to the overwhelming sense of doom the disciples face in this story. The church at the time of the composition of the Gospel of Mark was going through a change from a predominately Jewish-Christian community, possibly symbolized by the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee, to one that is becoming predominately a Gentile-Christian community, symbolized by the gentile side of the sea. This period of change was probably causing conflict and confusion in the community. They were experiencing storms of contention and they may have felt that God was ignoring their plight as they attempted to keep their floundering community afloat against seemingly overwhelming odds. Mark’s community is crying out to Jesus to save them, and Mark wants to assure his community that Jesus can bring peace to the storms, but Mark also wants to challenge the community. They must have faith, for through faith they can deal with the storm that is confronting them.

We at St. John’s are experiencing our own challenges during a time of transition. We just said goodbye to a talented priest who has guided, supported and challenged us for two years. We know our financial situation will not allow us to call a full-time priest to serve our community, and we wonder about the likelihood of finding someone who could serve part-time for our church. We may at times feel that the waves are crashing in upon us and the boat is going to capsize. However, we must remember that Christ is with us and he may be giving us the opportunity to step out in faith and confront this storm – a storm that may seem far more overwhelming than it actually is. Throughout its history St. John’s has not only survived, but it has thrived for many years without regular, full-time clergy, and we will continue to do so for many more years to come. Like those disciples in the boat we are far better equipped than we recognize for we have a healthy congregation and the support of the diocesan staff and of our Bishop. The transition from a primarily clergy-centered church to a church where we each claim our baptismal call as ministers of the church in cooperation with the clergy will be a difficult transition, but we will survive it and become stronger in the process.

In addition to speaking to our corporate life as the community of St. John’s, this passage should also speak to us personally. There are times in our lives where the storms may seem overwhelming and that we will not be able to overcome them. We may feel that God is asleep in the stern and allowing us to perish. We need to be challenged to face these storms with faith, knowing that though the storm may seem to be a hurricane on the inland lakes of our lives, with God’s help we can confront the storm and overcome it rather than allow it to overcome us.

And sometimes we need to look with honesty at the hurricanes on our inland lakes, evaluating them calmly through the eyes of faith. Sometimes they just might be tempests in our teacups.

St. John’s Statement of Inclusion

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Bruce W. Cory

Believe OutLoud Episcopal Congregations In pursuit of the goal to list St. John’s Church on the IntegrityUSA website as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning, the vestry approved the following statement of inclusion on June 14, 2015.

St. John’s Statement of Inclusion

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY, is a proudly inclusive Christian community. All members are encouraged to participate fully in the life and leadership of the church regardless of age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic condition, physical or mental ability. We believe all people are created by God to model the diversity in unity which is the Holy Trinity and we seek to live out that diversity in unity within the faith community.

This Sunday (June 21, 2015) at St. John’s

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Bruce W. Cory

And they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38b)

There are times when it seems the waves may overpower us and pull us and the boat we are in down under the waters. We may even feel that God is ignoring our plight, sleeping peacefully in the stern as the ship goes down with us in it. However, we are not being ignored, but rather being challenged to confront the issue and ride out the storm. We have already been gifted with all we need to see us through the crisis. All we need is faith.

News & Notes

Pastoral Needs: If a pastoral need arises, please call the church office at 606-528-1659 and leave a message. Voicemail messages will automatically be forwarded to a member of the vestry who can arrange pastoral care. You may also contact the senior warden, Bruce W. Cory, by phone at 440-227-0035 or by e-mail at bwcory@gmail.com

Next Sunday: We will be celebrating Morning Prayer. Jeff Davis will lead Morning Prayer and Bruce W. Cory will preach.

Adult Forum: Each Sunday through July we continue a summer series on the Gospel of Mark.

Al-Anon Family Group: An Al-Anon Family Group will meet in St. John’s Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.

KCEOC Summer Lunch Program: The KCEOC Summer Lunch Program for youth ages 18 and under will serve lunch Monday through Friday, 11:45am – Noon in St. John’s Church Park. Youth can pick up their lunch and enjoy it in the park. The program begins June 8^th and ends July 31^st. This is the second year for this program at St. John’s. Please help spread the word!

Wednesday Fellowship: Gather at 6pm on Wednesday evenings for a service and fellowship.

Celebration of the Ministry of Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin, June 21, 3:00pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington. Join in this celebration of Kay’s ministry in the Diocese of Lexington.

Family Game Night: The next Family Game Night will be a family movie night, possibly outdoors, 6:30-8:30pm, June 26. Bring your favorite snacks and drinks.

The installation of the Rev. Lisa René Eye: The Presbytery of Transylvania and Corbin Presbyterian Church invite you to the service of worship installing the Rev. Lisa René Eye as Pastor June 28 at 4:00 pm at Corbin Presbyterian Church, 601 Master St., Corbin, KY.

Kroger Community Rewards: Supporters (9 households) who shopped at Kroger between 03/01/2015 and 05/31/2015 (Cycle 1, Qtr 3) have contributed to your $57.57 total donation.

May 2015 (5 Sundays)	Budget YTD	Actual YTD	Monthly Budget	Actual Monthly
Total Revenue	$21,511	$23,882	$4,302	$4,314
Total Expense	$21,511	$22,797	$4, 302	$3,953
Difference		$1,095		$355

2015 Goals: The Vestry has adopted the following goals for 2015, in line with our recently adopted Mission Statement; Proclaiming the Gospel, promoting justice, and preparing a diverse community of seekers to reflect the welcoming love of Christ:

Support Al-Anon group meeting at the Church.
List St. John’s Church on theIntegrity and Believe Out Loud websites as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning.
Remodel space for use as a sacristy.
Repurpose the parlor.
Serve as a site for the KCEOC Summer Lunch program for youth ages 18 and under.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website: http://www.stjohnscorbin.org/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/

This Sunday (June 14, 2015) at St. John’s

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Bruce W. Cory

The new St. Francis statue in Grow Appalachia garden.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29, NRSV) from this Sunday’s readings.

We have been doing some scattering and the seed has been doing some sprouting in the Grow Appalachia community garden. We also have some new additions to the garden: St. Francis, St. Fiacre, and some concrete frogs and bunnies. Be sure to stop by the garden and see the new additions!

This Sunday the Rev. Terry Taylor will be joining us and presiding at the service of the Holy Eucharist at 11:00 am.

Next Sunday: We will be celebrating Morning Prayer and commemorating LGBT Pride month. Jeff Davis will lead Morning Prayer and Bruce W. Cory will preach.

Adult Forum: Each Sunday through July we continue a summer series on the Gospel of Mark.

Al-Anon Family Group: An Al-Anon Family Group will meet in St. John’s Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.

KCEOC Summer Lunch Program: The KCEOC Summer Lunch Program for youth ages 18 and under will serve lunch Monday through Friday, 11:45 am – Noon in St. John’s Church Park. Youth can pick up their lunch and enjoy it in the park. The program begins June 8^th and ends July 31^st. This is the second year for this program at St. John’s. Please help spread the word!

Wednesday Fellowship: Gather at 6 pm on Wednesday evenings for a service and fellowship.

Celebration of the Ministry of Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin, June 21, 3:00 pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington. Join in this celebration of Kay’s ministry in the Diocese of Lexington.

Family Game Night: The next Family Game Night will be a family movie night, possibly outdoors, 6:30-8:30 pm, June 26. Bring your favorite snacks and drinks.

The installation of the Rev. Lisa René Eye: The Presbytery of Transylvania and Corbin Presbyterian Church invite you to the service of worship installing the Rev. Lisa René Eye as Pastor June 28 at 4:00 pm at Corbin Presbyterian Church, 601 Master St., Corbin, KY.

Support Al-Anon group meeting at the Church.
List St. John’s Church on theIntegrity and Believe Out Loud websites as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning.
Remodel space for use as a sacristy.
Repurpose the parlor.
Serve as a site for the KCEOC Summer Lunch program for youth ages 18 and under.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website: http://www.stjohnscorbin.org/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/

We are Family (Sermon) June 7, 2015

Posted on June 7, 2015 by St. John's Episcopal Church

Sermon – June 7, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Pentecost III, Proper 5, Track 1

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:34-35

Please be seated.

Throughout my life I’ve had many mothers. Yes, I had the mother who birthed me, loved me, and always cheered me on (and also was frustrated by me sometimes!) But seems like I always had a collection of others who were in the generations above me.

When I was a child, I had aunts and great-aunts who served this function. My mother’s parents lived 300 miles away from us and each summer, we’d travel there to spend at least a week.

The week was filled with my visits to these mothers – Aunt Mary next door, my grandmother’s sister, who’d invite you into her lovely gingerbread-trimmed home for a cookie or some watermelon, or take me to bingo or to see my great-grandparents and get some ice cream.

Then there was Aunt Mary around-the-corner, my great-great Aunt, who’d appear on the steps at her back door, beckoning me in for a visit, which always included cookies. Sometimes Uncle Angelo, her husband would stop by, bringing a piece of Mary Jane or Bit o’ Honey candy from his little grocery store across the street.

And then at least one day, my grandmother’s older sister, Frances would come by in her big blue car. Aunt Frances was short and squat. She had to sit on a pillow to drive the car. She was married at 15 and had 11 children, some only 10 years older than me! She’d yell at my brothers and I to get in her car and come to her house for the day. Can you imagine a house that had 11 children growing up in it? The house was huge, with a wonderful attic. Lots of toys had been left behind, including a nearly junked truck go-cart out back. And Aunt Frances had a mangle iron, one of those larger irons that can even iron the sheets.

Each of these women loved me and cared about me throughout their lives. As you can see, I have so many fond memories of them and I miss them so much.

And so the pattern continued through to this day. Dr. Harper writes me notes and takes me to my favorite restaurant when I’m in DC. She makes sure I buy new clergy shirts a couple of times each year. Miss Penny has moved and doesn’t call as often and I know she’s praying for me.

Jesus asks, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Jesus is challenging us to get out of our ages old patterns of family making…of looking only at our own blood family or our own group, however you define that group. Throughout Jesus’ life and teaching here on earth, he told us to go past those human-created boundaries. Today he says, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” What! Oh my, that could include so very many people, even ones I don’t particularly like or feel uncomfortable around. That’s a pretty tall order to expand my definition of family.

I had the worst time finishing his sermon. Just seemed like if I didn’t finish it, I wouldn’t have to say good-bye. Because, you have expanded my understanding of family. You have shown me new ways to live my life.

You have shown me the church of the future, which is truly the church of old. There weren’t priests available every Sunday in the early church, were there? The faith was kept alive by small groups gathering, sometimes in each other’s homes. They shared their experience of Jesus and God. They cared for and loved each other. They kept the faith alive during terrible persecutions.

And you here at St. John’s have created a warm, welcoming, loving community. You work hard to keep the particular faith we share alive in this region. It’s not the most popular understanding of God, however, you know it is an essential understanding of God.

You’re doing God’s Will and you are family.

Now, we all know family can be messy. None of us are perfect and neither is St. John’s. I think The Rev. Cecelia Williams-Bryant says it well:

“We often romanticize the table as something pristine. We must recognize that the table in which we rush to was a mess. There was conflict at the table. There was betrayal at the table. The table was very dysfunctional. But what does Jesus do? He keeps passing that cup, keeps passing that bread; keeps encouraging hospitality, keeps encouraging us to go deeper. He doesn’t leave. We have to wrestle with staying at the table.”

So, mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and sons and daughters of St. John’s… thank you for your hospitality; thank you for welcoming me into your lives; thank you for allowing me to be your priest; thank you for letting me love you; thank you for loving me.

Keep doing what has been done in this place for over a century. Keep passing the cup. Keep passing the bread. Encourage hospitality. Wrestle with staying at the table. I may be leaving and all of us leave eventually, but one thing is for sure: Jesus doesn’t leave. Jesus never leaves us.

Amen

This Sunday (June 7, 2015) at St. John’s

Posted on June 4, 2015 by St. John's Episcopal Church

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Proper 5, p. 229, Book of Common Prayer).

Our Collect this week asks God to inspire or breath through us so that our thoughts may be right or in line with what God desires. But it’s not only our thoughts that must be right….it is that once that happens, we MUST TAKE ACTION!

I don’t know about you, but that’s quite a process for me. First of all discerning whether my thinking is in line with God’s Will. In 12-step groups, you are cautioned about this. You’ll hear things like, “when I’m in my head, I’m behind enemy lines.” You hear people talk about the “chatter in their heads,” which is often our negative talk to ourselves. Sometimes people talk about the “committee in their heads.” Yes, our thinking can be dangerous to our health and wellbeing.

Silencing that chatter in our heads requires some work and discipline. Prayer can help. Writing it all out on paper can help. Talking to others can help. All of these actions of getting that chatter out of our heads, make room for God’s guidance to enter.

And just as we do this as individuals, I suggest we must do this in our communities. We can have community thinking that “lives” in despair or in denial or in negativity or in rigidity. We need to get this chatter out of our collective thinking so God can enter in.

Taking action isn’t always easy, but I’d say it’s impossible if we haven’t gotten all of our chatter and non-God thinking out of the way!

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

This Sunday: Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin will join us for the Good-goodbye as we say farewell to Rebecca.

Next Sunday: On June 14 we will be welcoming the Rev. Terry Taylor who will be present to celebrate with us the Holy Eucharist.

Adult Forum: Next Sunday we continue a summer series on the Gospel of Mark.

Al-Anon Family Group: An Al-Anon Family Group will meet in St. John’s Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.

KCEOC Summer Lunch Program for youth ages 18 and under, Monday through Friday, 11:50am – Noon, St. John’s Church Park. Youth can pick up their lunch and enjoy it in the park. The program ends on July 31. Please spread the word!

Gather at 6pm on Wednesday evenings for a service and fellowship.

Celebration of the Ministry of Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin, June 21, 3:00pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington. Join in this celebration of Kay’s ministry in the Diocese of Lexington.

The next Family Game Night will be a family movie night, possibly outdoors, 6:30-8:30pm, June 26. Bring your favorite snacks and drinks.

Support Al-Anon group meeting at the Church.
List St. John’s Church on theIntegrity and Believe Out Loud websites as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning.
Remodel space for use as a sacristy.
Repurpose the parlor.
Serve as a site for the KCEOC Summer Lunch program for youth ages 18 and under. St. John’s is serving as a site Monday through Friday at 11:50am until noon through July 31. Youth can get their lunch and enjoy it in the St. John’s Park.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website: http://www.stjohnscorbin.org/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/

We bind ourselves…. (Sermon) May 31, 2015 Trinity Sunday

Posted on May 31, 2015 by St. John's Episcopal Church

Sermon – May 31, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Trinity Sunday

“Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity….” Collect for Trinity Sunday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 228

Please be seated.

In August of 2010, I left my job in Washington, DC, got in my daughter’s car, and she drove me to seminary in New York City. Yes, in a true twist, my daughter drove me to college. Well, I had a bachelor’s and master’s degree already, but I’d never gone away to college and lived on campus.

And my daughter performed the duties most parents do when their children go away to college…the same things I did when I took her to college. She helped me set up my apartment. My daughter had lived in New York City for a number of years, so she knew her way around and had no fear of driving in the City. She knew the perfect place to buy the air conditioner and we even made a Target run!

At the end of September, there was a matriculation ceremony. I’m not sure how I even knew anything about this ceremony. Information was provided in dribs and drabs, I believe. One thing I knew for sure, during the service, I’d need to sign THE BOOK! The book was the 19^th century version of a database. In it was recorded the name and signature of every student who matriculated to the seminary since 1822!

The evening came and I was in my finest, including my famous hat. We went through Evensong and then the final hymn began, hymn 370, signaling the start of the book signing ceremony.

“I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.” (370 ECH)

I felt like I was going to be pulled to the floor. I wanted to cry. There was such power in that moment…binding myself to the Trinity and signing the book… a long line of people who also bound themselves.

Jeff Davis challenged me to preach on the Trinity. Today is the Sunday many preachers dread. You see, there is no way to explain the Trinity without committing heresy or nearly committing heresy. It’s a concept that isn’t all that easy to explain. As Bruce says, you need to live into it.

In seminary a professor had us read a book, “Being as Communion” by John Zizioulas, which really helped me love the Trinity. Zizioulas talks about the Trinity being a model for how we live our lives.

First of all, the Trinity represents unity in diversity. While Zizioulas is Greek Orthodox, this notion is very Anglican. We can be diverse in how we live our Christian faith, but we are still unified in our belief in God who created the world, Jesus, God’s Son who came to live among us and teach us, and the Holy Spirit who still continues to speak through our lives.

In the early church, there were great struggles in understanding the relationship between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Much of this was based on different philosophical differences at the time. Finally, there was agreement that the Trinity is one substance and three persons. You can read more about this in The Creed of Saint Athanasius on page 864 of The Book of Common Prayer.

These three persons are in a unified relationship with each other – diversity in unity; unity in diversity.

We are certainly individuals, but Zizioulas distinguishes between living as an individual and living as a person. When we live only as an individual, we are bound by our biological nature. We are often exclusive in our dealings with each other. Individualism leads to being cut off and to death.

But to be a person, we must be in relationship with other persons. We know who we are as persons when we are in relationship with each other. In order to be a person, we must be in community. Being a person…in community…in relationship means freedom and authenticity.

The church is a special kind of community, says Zizioulas and here are some ways the community of the church is important:

The church community brings us into a relationship with the world that is “not determined by the laws of biology.” (Being as Communion, 56)
We learn to “love without exclusiveness….” (p. 57) We don’t just love within our family or our tribe. Rather we go beyond the “normal” human boundaries.

And it is when we gather together as the community that we experience a new freedom, because we are not bound by the human biological condition. We’ve learned a new way to be in the world.

Each of you is here today and your presence allows you to be in relationship with each other and with God, to fully be an authentic person, because that can only happen in community. It’s not always easy for we humans to be unified in our diversity. The community of St. John’s is one place we can work on that.

In the time I have been with you, I have witnessed your strong community. I have seen your diversity. I have seen you welcome others in to the community. Today is a good day to look at your relationship to this community. There are many ways to connect: choir, altar guild, property committee, attending services, financial pledge, and prayer. By connecting to this community, you have the opportunity to be an authentic person…the person God created you to be, the person Jesus taught you to be, the person the Holy Spirit moves through.

Bind yourself to this community and live into the Trinity…the unity in diversity.

Amen

This Sunday (May 31, 2015) at St. John’s

Posted on May 28, 2015 by St. John's Episcopal Church

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. Isaiah 6:1-2

In 2011, I was blessed to visit England. For part of my visit, I stayed with my friend, Esther (de Waal) Moir, in her family cottage on the Welsh border near Hereford. Esther is a prolific author, especially on Benedictine and Celtic Spirituality. I had received spiritual direction from her when I lived in Washington, DC and we’d stayed in touch.

One evening, we were eating plums from her plum tree and looking out the kitchen window. She told me the plum tree that produced our delicious dessert was right in the way where the Seraphim played. She was thinking of taking the tree down, so the Seraphim would have more room to play.

Now I didn’t see the Seraphim, but I knew what she was talking about from this passage in Isaiah. They are odd creatures aren’t they, with 6 wings? AND they attend the Lord God. Every time I hear about Seraphim, I think of them playing in Esther’s beautiful English countryside.

Further we hear Isaiah tell us that the Seraphim brought a live coal and touched his lips and tongue, cleansing him and preparing him for God’s work, which was that of a prophet. It takes great courage to be a prophet, because most often, people really don’t want to hear what you have to say. But, being cleansed, he was ready and told God to send him to do this challenging work.

The Holy Spirit continues working and moving. May you be cleansed by the coal of God brought by the Seraphim, so you can respond, “Here I am. Send me.”

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

05-31-2015 Trinity Sunday Bulletin

News & Notes

Schedule: Rebecca will be at St. John’s Monday and St. Agnes’ House Tuesday through Thursday. Her Sabbath will be Friday. You may leave a message for Rebecca by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or at priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Pot Luck and Celebration of Ministry, Sunday after church. The monthly pot luck is this Sunday. Bring your favorite dish to share.

Adult Forum: This Sunday we continue a summer series on the Gospel of Mark.

Al-Anon Family Group: An Al-Anon Family Group will meet in St. John’s Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.

Testament of a Naked Man: A contemporary dramatization of the Gospel of Mark will be presented by The Rev. Dr. Angus Stuart on Monday, June 1, 6:00-8:00pm, in the St. John’s Church Sanctuary. Plan now to attend and invite your friends to this powerful performance.

Gather at 6pm on Wednesday evenings for a service and fellowship.

The Good Goodbye: The Rev. Rebecca Myers’ last Sunday will be June 7. Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin will be present on behalf of the diocesan leadership to lead us in a Litany of Leave-taking.

Celebration of the Ministry of Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin, June 21, 3:00pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington. Join in this celebration of Kay’s ministry in the Diocese of Lexington.

Support Al-Anon group meeting at the Church.
List St. John’s Church on theIntegrity and Believe Out Loud websites as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning.
Remodel space for use as a sacristy.
Repurpose the parlor.
Serve as a site for the KCEOC Summer Lunch program for youth ages 18 and under.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website: http://www.stjohnscorbin.org/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/