Tag Archives: Rev. Rebecca

Reflecting the Welcoming Love of Christ (Sermon) March 15, 2015

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Sermon – March 15, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Fourth Sunday in Lent Year B

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16

 

Please be seated.

 

Last week the Vestry adopted a Mission statement:  Proclaiming the Gospel, promoting justice, and preparing a diverse community of seekers to reflect the welcoming love of Christ.  At the meeting we also discussed what 3-5 goals we want to work on this year to make this statement not just words, but reality.  Between now and the April 12 Vestry meeting, we’re asking you to think about this.

As I reflected upon the Gospel for today, I was reminded of part of our Mission statement…. “reflect the welcoming love of Christ.”   Whenever I think about my experience of being welcomed, I think of my grandson.  Yes, it’s a danger to have a grandmother in the pulpit!

Logan is my first grandchild.  For nearly the first year of his life, I lived about 20 minutes away from him.  Needless to say, I visited frequently.  At one point, I developed a pattern of going every Sunday afternoon, taking my laundry with me.  I’d play with Logan and do my laundry, while my son and daughter-in-law went grocery shopping or had a little break.  Often Logan’s parents would arrive home to find me holding Logan on my shoulder and both of us sound asleep taking a wonderful afternoon nap.

But eventually I moved to Washington, DC, and visited about once every 5 weeks.  Now, I got to  stay at Logan’s house.  Again, we developed our routines.  I’d usually arrive on Friday evening in time to read Logan a story and put him to bed and then on Saturday morning, I’d get up when he was awake and we’d play and I’d fix breakfast for him.

When Logan was about two, he had his own mini chair – an Elmo chair.  I’d call my son as I was leaving my home to let him know I was on my way.  Logan would watch a movie, probably Cars, in his little chair.  They’d hear my car pull up to the house, usually at 7:30 or 8:00.  Logan would be tired, but he’d fight to stay awake when he knew I was coming.

 

I’d get out of my car and open my trunk to get out my suitcase.  Then my son’s front door would open and little, bald-headed Logan would break into a huge smile and squeal, “GRANDMAAA!”  He would be so excited to see me.

 

That’s what I think about when I ponder what “welcoming love” looks like.  Have you ever or do you now know what that welcoming love feels like?  That’s what we’re saying we’d like to be as St. John’s community.

 

And while my story makes welcoming love sound so easy, we all know it’s challenging.  It’s easy to love people we get along with and generally enjoy being with.  But John the Gospel writer, doesn’t say, “God so loved the people you love…..”  John says that God loved the world.

 

The word in Greek is from the word cosmos!  The entire creation!

 

And that’s why the church is essential and wonderful.  We have the chance to know and to learn to love people who may be very different from us…people we may not have ever met.

 

We are called to reveal… we are called to model to others the love that God has shown us.  Maybe we’ll have to work to be as excited as little Logan was to see me.  God welcomes each of us with deep love and joy.  Let us do the same….

 

Amen

The Sign of the Rainbow (bulletin and sermon) February 22, 2015

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NOTE:  Due to weather conditions, the bulletin is included with this sermon if you’d like to worship at home tomorrow.  We will have service at 11 for all who can make it.  Please be safe and warm….  Love, Rebecca+

Sermon – February 22, 2015
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
First Sunday in Lent Year B

Bulletin 2-22-2015

[God said]  When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:16

Please be seated

It’s been quite a week, hasn’t it?  More snow than has been in these regions for nearly 2 decades, followed by some of the coldest temperatures we’ve seen, followed by ice, sleet and rain.  Most schools were closed for the week, including colleges.  Stores and restaurants closed early or never opened.

Many activities were canceled or postponed.  We canceled our Shrove Tuesday pancake supper and still can’t quite figure out when to have it.  Very few could make it to Ash Wednesday services.   A good week to stay inside, but then there’s the cabin fever that sets in.

And while weather forecasts have gotten so much better, the one thing we know for certain is that the weather is unpredictable!  The forecast has been pretty accurate this week.  But remember just last month when a HUGE snowstorm was predicted for the East Coast?  New York City shut down the subway system and New York declared a State of Emergency before even one snowflake fell, based upon the best weather models.  Then something happened and the storm shifted east about 50 miles, totally missing New York City and pounding Long Island and New England instead.

My friends in that region blew up my Facebook page with their rants about the storm that never happened.  There were the usual jokes about how can meterologists keep their jobs when they’re wrong 50% of the time?  There were very real concerns that the next time a storm was predicted, people would not heed the warning and then get caught in some difficult situations.

But, you see, the nature of the weather is to be unpredictable.  There are just too many variables at work and the best science we have today cannot account for all of them and make a certain prediction.

We must learn to live with the weather we get and with the unpredictability of it.  Yet, most of us don’t like that unpredictability.  We feel anxious or we want to totally ignore the forecasts.  A good practice is to have an emergency kit with water, food you can eat without warming it up, candles, space blankets…things you might need if you didn’t have electricity for many days and were stranded.  Ready.gov (http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit) has suggestions and lists for what you need to be prepared.  I’ll copy the lists and have them available in the parlor.

Midst all of the unpredictability of the weather which affects our lives, today we hear God’s words to Noah after a weather event that wiped out nearly all life on the earth.  We know the story.  In Genesis 6:11-13, God says:

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth.’

And we know how God told Noah to build the ark and to take 2 of every creature plus Noah’s family and put them on the ark.  We know how it rained for 40 days and 40 nights and how eventually there was dry land.

In our passage today, we hear that after the flood, God decided to make a covenant with Noah and with all of Noah’s descendants.  Now, a covenant is a special kind of agreement.  It is a binding commitment between two or more parties.  It describes each party’s obligations and responsibilities.  It has the quality of constancy and durability.

And here’s the important piece…the covenant we hear about today is unconditional!  God says what God will do in regards to us with no consequences or action on our part – NONE!  Most of us cannot make a covenant like that, can we?

In verse 11, God tells Noah:  “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And so we’ll know and remember this promise and obligation of God, God gives us a sign.  A sign is the “visible evidence of the presence and purpose of God.” (Understanding the Old Testament 5th Edition; Anderson, Bishop & Newman; pg 68)  God’s sign to us is the rainbow!

 

Every time we see the beautiful rainbow, and you see lots of them at Cumberland Falls, we remember God’s promise to not destroy the earth and every creature on earth by water.  God’s promise to us is to save us…save us from ourselves.

 

This is God’s activity throughout the ages.  God comes to earth as Jesus to save us.  “…repent, and believe in the good news,” (Mark 1:15) we hear in today’s Gospel.  Repent – turn around and believe in the good news that God saves us…that living God’s way saves us.

 

In today’s Epistle we hear in I Peter 3:18, “Christ suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.”  God made a covenant with Noah …a covenant with no conditions…a promise durable and lasting.  God will not destroy us by water and God always, always acts to save us.

 

During this season of Lent, remember, think on and meditate on God’s saving actions.  While we cannot predict the weather… we can predict God’s saving action!  We can trust in God’s saving actions.  Remember the covenant every time you see the beautiful rainbow.

 

Amen

Find the Current of God (sermon) February 8, 2015

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Sermon – February 8, 2015
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
The Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, Year B
Observance of African-American History Month

but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

 Please be seated

I love the prairie.  I saw the tall grass prairie for the first time in 1994, in late April, after my husband had accepted a job in Topeka, KS.  I had visited Chicago as a teenager and I decided then that I did not really like flat ground, so I wasn’t all that excited about the prospect of living in a place so flat.

But even on that first trip, I loved the expanse of the sky.  The view was overwhelming.  You could see so far into the distance.  It’s not that trees cannot grow in Kansas, it’s that you have tall grasses, which easily catch on fire, especially during a thunder and lightening storm, creating new tender grass shoots, which attract large hoofed animals that massage the earth.  It’s just not conducive to trees.

So the grasses grow up to 8 feet tall during the summer.  And the wind NEVER stops blowing.  NEVER!  There is always wind.  So the earth warms up and the heat rises and the wind blows, creating the most wonderful air currents.

Raptors like hawks and eagles LOVE the Kansas prairie.  And because the vista is so expansive, you can watch the hawks and eagles catch the breeze and ride the currents.  They save themselves plenty of energy by doing that.

And in today’s Old Testament reading, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that when we are doing God’s work, we’ll find those air currents and be lifted high like the eagle… the eagle representing St. John.  We won’t get weary nor be faint when we catch that current that God provides.

Later this week, on Friday, we’ll remember Absalom Jones, the first African-American ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church.  Absalom Jones knew what it meant to find those currents from God that raise the eagles in flight.  Listen to the biography of Jones available on the website of African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia, the church Jones founded:

 The life and legacy of The Reverend Absalom Jones is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, his faith, and his commitment to the causes of freedom, justice and self-determination.

 Absalom Jones was born into slavery in Sussex County, Delaware on November 6, 1746. During the 72 years of his life, he grew to become one of the foremost leaders among persons of African descent during the post-revolutionary period. In his younger years in Delaware, Absalom sought help to learn to read. When he was 16, his owner Benjamin Wynkoop brought him to Philadelphia where he served as a clerk and handyman in a retail store. He was able to work for himself in the evenings and keep his earnings. He also briefly attended a school run by the Quakers where he learned mathematics and handwriting. In 1770, he married Mary Thomas and purchased her freedom. It was until 1784 that he obtained his own freedom through manumission. He also owned several properties.

 During this period, he met Richard Allen, who became a life-long friend. In 1787 they organized the Free African Society as a social, political and humanitarian organization helping widows and orphans and assisting in sick relief and burial expenses. Jones and Allen were also lay preachers at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA where their evangelistic efforts met with great success and their congregation multiplied ten-fold. As a result, racial tensions flared and ultimately they led an historic walk out from St. George’s.

 In 1792, under the dual leadership of Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, “The African Church” was organized as a direct outgrowth of the Free African Society. Both Jones and Allen wished to affiliate with the Methodists, but the majority of the congregation favored the Episcopal Church. Richard Allen withdrew with a part of the congregation to found Bethel Church (later, Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church). The African Church became The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas with Absalom Jones as its Lay Reader and Deacon. In 1802, Jones was ordained by Bishop William White as the first African American Episcopal Priest.

 During the severe yellow fever epidemic of 1793, Absalom Jones and Richard Allen mobilized the Black community to care for the afflicted. In 1797 and 1799 Absalom Jones, with other free Africans, presented tenable petitions to Congress and to the President of the United States opposing slavery. Two schools and supportive services for the Black community developed under his leadership.

 Absalom Jones died on February 13, 1818 at his residence, 32 Powell Street, Philadelphia, PA. Tributes and accounts of his funeral appeared in several periodicals. The Episcopal Bishop, William White, spoke of Jones’ devotion and care of his congregation and of his many contributions to the life of the city. The February 13th Absalom Jones Feast Day was added to the Episcopal Church Calendar in 1973. His ashes are enshrined in the altar of the Reverend Absalom Jones Chapel of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, and a memorial stained glass window commemorates his life and work.

http://www.aecst.org/ajones.htm

 What this biography fails to mention is the trials Absalom Jones went through to get his church recognized by The Episcopal Church.  He was denied admission to General Theological Seminary, for instance.  There was also some opposition to the church being fully recognized by the Diocese.

Can you imagine…here were many people drawn to The Episcopal Church and its understanding of faith in Jesus Christ, rejected only because of the color of their skin.

But Absalom and the members of St. Thomas under his cure, persevered.  He and they read St. Paul’s letters, including the portion we read today from the first letter to the Corinthians, “If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!” 1 Cor. 9:16

They only wanted to proclaim the Gospel, just like Jesus did and we heard in our Gospel lesson today:  “And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.” Mark 1:39

Even though The Episcopal Church of their day segregated them, they caught the winds and flew like eagles even into the current day.  Many Dioceses in the country celebrate Absalom Jones Day with special services and special offerings for the Historically Black College of The Episcopal Church, St. Augustine’s in Raleigh, NC.

When we become weary and tired as we usually do, let us remember the perseverance of Absalom Jones…let us remember how the eagles find the current and rise, saving their energy.  Let us rest, find the current of God, and rise like the eagles.

Amen

Follow Me (sermon) January 18, 2015

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Sermon – January 18, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

The Second Sunday After Epiphany, Year B

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ John 1:43

Please be seated

Every week, you sit in this space and worship in the midst of this beautiful stained glass window of John, the Gospel writer.  This year we’ll hear quite a bit from John’s Gospel.  On Friday, we had a clergy day in Lexington.  The presenter was Gail O’Day, Dean of Wake Forest Divinity School.  She was in town for the ordination of one of her students, Andrew Hege, the new Associate Rector at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.

Dr. O’Day is also a New Testament scholar and has written much commentary on the Gospel of John.  Also a Professor of Preaching, she was helping us look at the Gospel in new ways.  She said that the Gospelwriter wanted to emphasize the extravagant love of God for us.  She also said that during Jesus’ time, the religious authorities wanted to silence Jesus, because his teachings and upheaval they were creating amongst the Jewish people, were causing the Roman occupiers to take more notice.  The authorities didn’t want any scrutiny from Rome.  They wanted to be left alone.  John is writing to say that there is a cost to remaining silent…that there is a cost to rejecting the teaching of Jesus, God incarnate.

 

And this weekend we remember The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who certainly embodied the point John was making.  Just like Samuel, God called Dr. King’s name and set a mission for him.  Just like Philip and Nathanael, Jesus called Dr. King to follow him.

In 1956, after the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Dr. King left Montgomery.  He said, “History has thrust something on me which I cannot turn away.”  Dr. King was well educated, graduated from high school early.  He was to be a great preacher like his father, most likely at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where his father was pastor.  That was the life laid out for him and the life he expected.

While I’m sure he thought he’d be part of a movement for justice, he never expected to be a major leader in that movement to the point where he was away from his family and congregation for long periods of time and in so many cities in the United States.  A role that meant his home was bombed and death threats surrounded him.  It seems like the prudent thing to do would have been to remain silent, but Dr. King could not turn away from his calling.

That’s not the life he planned, but it was the life God called him to and just like Samuel, Dr. King said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”  And just like Philip and Nathanael, he responded to Jesus’ call by following Jesus.

And he knew that following that call could mean he would die relatively young.  He knew that following that call could mean being murdered.

I still remember when Dr. King was assassinated, even though I was only 10 years old, how he had seemingly foretold his death.  Over and over again, the news played excerpts from his speech the night before.  He said,

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I’m not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God’s will.  

I just want to do God’s Will.  I just want to follow Jesus.  I just want to serve God.  That’s what we all need to be saying and figuring out.

Because not doing God’s Will…not following Jesus…not serving God, has consequences.  We heard that in our reading from Samuel.  Eli had not stopped his sons from disrespecting and speaking against God, so God told Samuel, Eli’s family would be destroyed.

So, there are consequences for ignoring God’s Will. We may try to ignore God’s calling to us out of fear of what will be required of us.  It’s probably not in our life plan.  And look what happened to Dr. King and who wants a short life and a death like his?  What could be worse than the consequence of death?

But here’s the paradox:  when you are doing God’s Will and when you are following Jesus and when you are serving God, death doesn’t frighten you anymore.  Death has no power over you.  The night before he died, Dr. King ended his speech by saying,

[God’s] allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I’ve looked over.  And I’ve seen the promised land.  I may not get there with you.  But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land.  And I’m happy, tonight.  I’m not worried about anything.  I’m not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.  

I’m happy…I’m not worried…I’m not fearing anyone!

Follow me, Jesus says and St. John writes.  The following may not be easy.  We may even lose our life, but we will know the abundant love of God.  We’ll be happy.  We won’t worry and we won’t be afraid.

Amen

 

Born Saying God’s Name (Sermon) January 11, 2015

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Sermon – January 11, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

The First Sunday After Epiphany:  The Baptism of the Lord

Year B

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ Mark 1:10-11

Please Be Seated

Yesterday, my son, Scot, turned 40!  Where did the time go?  Naturally, at this time, I recall the day he was born and many other memories over the years.  His son, Logan, is so much like him that I often call him Scot instead of Logan!  It’s like I’m seeing my son grow up all over again, sort of.

But even in remembering, there’s so much we forget.  I don’t think too many, if any, of us remember the day we were born.  As adults, we talk about how traumatic it must be for a child to be born after nine months in a comfortable place with all of their needs met.  We make jokes about how a baby cries when it’s born.  Of course it’s important for a baby to cry at birth as a sign their lungs are cleared out and working well, but it seems to resonate with the trauma of being born into the world.  But none of us remembers that trauma, at least not overtly.

Sinead O’Connor in her recording from 1995, had a song that suggested babies are also born in spiritual trauma.  The words are:

 

All babies are born saying God’s name
Over and over,
All born singing God’s name
All babies are flown from the Universe
From there they’re lifted by the hands of angels
God gives them the stars to use as ladders
She hears their calls
She is mother and father
All babies are born out of great pain
Over and over
All born into great pain
All babies are crying
For no-one remembers God’s name

 

All Babies, Sinead O’Connor

 

“All babies are crying for no one remembers God’s name.”  It’s like when we’re born, a process of forgetting God ensues.  We’re born into a world that values what we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands or physical selves over what we can see with our hearts and touch with our spirits.  A world that discounts intuition and a sixth sense.  A world that in many places and in many ways is uncomfortable with, even afraid of, mystery and of unknowing.

 

We are born into this world with strong connections to God and our own spirits.  We don’t have a way to communicate with words for awhile, so we are very connected to our bodies and to what we experience in them.  But, it seems like as we grow older, we’re taught to ignore our bodies and hearts in favor of passing the standardized math and reading tests.  We forget how to read ourselves and each other.

 

Many times, we begin to accept this “vain” world’s assessment of us.  We’re not pretty.  We’re not smart.  We think funny.  We dress funny.  We don’t make enough money.  We aren’t good enough.  We forget that God created our diversity and that the norm is diversity rather than conformity.

 

That’s why renewing our baptismal vows is important.  Those of us baptized as children may only have a photograph of the event, but in a very real sense, that baptism was telling our spirits to remember where we came from…to remember God’s name.  As we got older and once again surrendered to the world’s assessment of us, renewing our baptismal vows reminds us that in the waters of baptism, we died to the world’s view of us and were returned or reborn to God’s view of us.

 

And God’s view of us is that we were perfectly created.  No, we are not God.  We are not perfect in that we know everything or can do everything or see everything.  We are perfect in the part of the body of Christ that we are.  We are perfect in our humanity.  We don’t have every talent, but we have talent…talent necessary for the world.  We don’t possess all knowledge, but we possess knowledge that is necessary for the world.  We don’t have all intelligence, but we have intelligence that is necessary for the world.  We don’t have all understanding of God, but we have understanding of God that is necessary for the world.

 

When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, the heavens were torn apart, so the Holy Spirit could break in and the voice of God could confirm that Jesus was a child of God, beloved of God and that God was pleased.

 

And we need those same reminders.  When we renew our baptismal vows…when we feel the water sprinkled on us, God is breaking through to us…recalling to us what we knew when we were born…reminding us of God’s name.  God is reminding us that the Holy Spirit is right with us.  God is reminding us that we are beloved children and that God is well pleased with us.  Then we are prepared to go into the world in peace to love and to serve God.

 

Amen

Sing and Rejoice O Daughter Zion (Sermon) Christmas, 2014

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Sermon – December 25, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Christmas Day

 

Zech 2:10-13

zech 2:10-13

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

Be silent, all people, before the Lord; for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

1 John 4:7-16

God Is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

John 3:31-36

The One Who Comes from Heaven

The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.

 

 

Well, it’s that time of year.  TV, newspapers, blogs and all kinds of media have retrospectives of the year…2014 in review.  Even Facebook and Google Plus will take the photos you’ve posted this year and create a year in review.  It’s kind of scary to see what they put together.

Sometimes it’s hard not to despair.  I’ve told you before that everyone alive on earth right now has the same mother from 50,000 years ago….mitochondrial Eve, she’s called.  So, technically we’re all brothers and sisters.  Yet we treat each other so badly, sometimes.  I mean ISIS/ISIL is so horrifying, aren’t they?  They’re such a puzzle.  And we were touched personally whenAbdul-Rahman Kassig, Anne Day and Jeff’s friend of their daughter Sarah, was executed.  Every day, we hear things that break our hearts or make us shake our heads at how cruel we can be.

That’s why this vision from Zechariah is so comforting:

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. Zech 2:10-11 

This is a vision of joy, because God has come to live with us and thus bring all nations together as one people.  A vision of unity.  Now, we know that this does not mean we are all alike or think alike.  We are a typical family and very, very diverse!  Yet, we hold one thing in common and that is our joy in God’s coming.

And then in our reading from 1 John, we get a second dose or guide to hope.  We hear the central truth that God is Love.  And we get this guidance:

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:11-12

Our love of each other is a response to God’s amazing love to us…a love we celebrate this morning.  And in loving each other, we create a place for God to dwell and not only that, God’s love becomes perfect in us.

The best gift we can give today…the best way we can reflect our joy on this day, is to resolve to better love each other.  It’s not easy, we know, but we can redouble our efforts to try.  Loving each other is the only way to know God.

Amen

This Sunday (November 2) at St. John’s

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Taste and see that the LORD is good; *
happy are they who trust in him! Psalm 34:8

This Sunday we remember all of the saints, living and dead.  Yes, we are saints, too, here on earth.  And there are those who are no longer with us.  It’s important to take the time to remember them, because they showed us by their very lives that God is good.  They showed us what is meant to trust in God.  They showed us the joy that comes when we trust in God.

Now, it’s our turn to be that example and guide for others.  It’s not always easy.  We think happy means we are never down or sad.  But happiness more connotes peace…the peace that comes from knowing we are grounded in our faith and grounded in God.  There is serenity.  Even when lots is happening around is, we rest in the assurance that God is good and we can trust in that.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

November 2 bulletin

News & Notes
Rebecca’s Schedule: Rebecca will be at St. Agnes’ House Monday, November 3, through Thursday, November 6. Her Sabbath Day will be Friday, November 7. You can get a message to her by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or by e-mailing priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org

Weekday Morning Eucharist will be available Wednesday, November 12, 9am, in the Sanctuary.

Adult Forum: The Adult Forum meets each Sunday at 10:00 am in the Parish Hall. This Sunday we will conclude our series on Living with Money.   Next Sunday’s session will focus on end-of-life issues.

Godly Play: The Godly Play program is for children and is offered each Sunday morning at 10:00 am. All children are invited to participate in this special form of spiritual development.

Worship Committee will meet this Sunday, November 2, after church.

The Diocesan Budget Committee will be at St. John’s on Wednesday, November 5, 7-8:30pm to talk about the 2015 Diocesan Budget. Come meet the Committee, ask questions and learn where our collective dollars go.

Belk Charity Sales Day: The annual Belk Charity Sales day will be Saturday, November 8, 6-10am. Members of St. John’s are selling tickets for $5.00 for this special event. The church keeps the $5.00 and for each ticket you receive $5.00 off an item. If you can help, please contact June.

Addiction and Grace, a service for people affected by addiction, will be held at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, November 9, 3:00pm.  If you’d like to car pool to the service, see Blythe Swinford.

On November 9, we will honor our members who are veterans of the Armed Forces. To have a name read at the service, please place it in the offering plate or leave a message on the church phone or email webmaster@stjohnscorbin.org by November 2.

Youth grades 10-12 are invited to Happening at Cathedral Domain from 6:30pm Friday, November 14 until Sunday, 5:00pm. See Rebecca for more information.

The Second Diocesan Ministry Fair will be held Saturday, November 15 at Emmanuel Church, Winchester, 8:30am – 4:30pm. Keynote speaker is The Rev. Stuart Hoke, Th.D. He will speak on the church’s role in addiction recovery. Cost is $20. Forms are on the bulletin board and online registration is at www.diolex.org.

Our Annual Meeting and Potluck will be held on Sunday, November 16. We will pass a 2015 budget, vote for new Vestry members to begin their terms on January 1, and vote for Delegates to the Diocesan Convention in February.

Thankoffering Sunday will be November 16. Please bring your United Thankoffering boxes to church that day.

The Communitywide Thanksgiving Service will be held on Monday, November 17, 7pm, Freedom Point Church of God, 472 N Hwy 1223.

St. John’s Game Night, Friday, November 21, 6:30 – 8:30.  Pizza provided.  Bring your own drink.  The young adults in the parish are hosting a game night.  If you have a favorite card or board game that you’d love to play, let Jason or TJ Beams-Jackson, Les Carter, James Partin or Blythe Swinford know.  Everyone is invited!

We will celebrate Native American Heritage Month at our service on Sunday, November 23. Ken and Shelia Phillips will lead our observance. We are reminded that the worship of The Episcopal Church is in many languages and traditions each and every week of the year.

Chocolate Fest, Saturday, December 6, 9am – 3pm. If you can contribute something to the fest, please turn in your donation form by November 23.

Rotary Club of Corbin is collecting 500 new winter coats, especially for boys and girls ages 3-9. Coats will be distributed at the Empty Stocking Fund party on December 22. If you’d like to donate a coat, bring it to church and give it to Rebecca. You can also make a financial contribution to Empty Stocking Fund and give it to Rebecca.

Two furnaces replaced, 1 more to go! The furnace located in the sacristy has been replaced and funds received for the second furnace. Thanks so much to all who donated! Now we need to replace the furnace in the rectory. Cost is just under $1,700 for a furnace that will also be more energy efficient. Donations for the furnace can be put in the box on the table in the parlor.

Kroger Rewards: St. John’s is now registered with the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Please register your Kroger card at http://krogercommunityrewards.com . Our NPO number is 47782.

The Vestry has voted to donate $25 each month to Everlasting Arm Homeless Shelter. If you’d like to contribute, put your donations in the collection box by the guest register or mark your donation and put it in the collection plate.

Please prayerfully consider the gifts God has given you that you will give back to St. John’s for Christ’s ministry and mission during 2015. Pledge cards should be returned this Sunday to prepare for our November 16 Annual Meeting and adoption of the 2015 budget.

My church is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them. It will do great work, if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I invite and bring them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these same things. Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things that I want my church to be. Amen Archdiocese of Rochester

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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Seeing with our eyes, but not crossing over (Sermon) October 26, 2014

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Sermon – October 26, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 25) Track 1

The LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, `I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Deuteronomy 34:4

 Please be seated.

Recently, my children, Scot and Carrie and I had the opportunity to tell someone how much they meant to us and how they affected our lives.  It was my second husband, Fred’s, birthday and his wife Daphne asked for people to send photos and memories to Fred to celebrate his birthday.  Fred is in treatment for some pretty serious cancer and Daphne thought the memories and photos would be fun for Fred.

So often in life we do the best we can, don’t we?  Sometimes we know when we are doing something that someone appreciates and other times, we never know.  I know there are many ways that my life is different because Fred was so supportive of the things I wanted to do in life.  Even though we divorced, I am grateful for the part he played in my life.  I am also grateful for the ways he was a father to my two children.

How wonderful to see the words my children wrote on Fred’s Facebook page.  Scot wrote:

“Thank you for everything that you have done for me. Thank you for all of the trips to the crazy places that I never wanted to go to, but I was always glad I went. Thanks for the trips down to the 7 Eleven where I could NEVER make up my mind. Thank you for letting me play poker before it was the cool thing to do. Thank you for bringing me on the camping trip to find the next place to have the next 4th fest. And especially thanks for stepping up and being my father when you didn’t have to!”

Carrie wrote:  “You chose to be a father to Scot Brown and I; you helped raise us and loved us and hold us in your heart. I’m sure there were times we didn’t make it easy for you, but you didn’t let go. I remember you telling me that I was so good at science and math that I better find a career in it. And look at me now  I teach science! You helped shuttle me around to dance recitals, choir recitals, band practices, parades, and events. … I’ve tagged you in photos that I could find to help you remember all you’ve done and how much more you have left to do! Hope it’s a wonderful year full of love, health, and peace!”

To see what my children remembered and what meant so much to them…what helped them grow into the people they are today… was heartwarming for me, reminding me that we can never tell how our interactions shape the future.  Many times we never hear words as clear as those of my children to their stepfather.  Sometimes we never know.

Today in Deuteronomy, we hear how God showed Moses the Promised Land.  God called Moses to stand up to the oppressive enslavers of the Israelites, leading the people from slavery into freedom.  Then God called Moses to lead the people in the wilderness for 40 years, until new generations could be born, who could see the vision of freedom and live into the vision of freedom, not as a reaction to having been enslaved, but as an embodiment of trust in God who was with them the whole way.

But Moses was not going to lead the people into the Promised Land.  Remember how the people were wandering in the wilderness and started to complain because they had no water?  Remember how they wanted to go back to their oppressors, rather than be without water?  Well, in Numbers Chapter 20, God tells Moses God will provide water for the people.   In verse 8, God says, “Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and command the rock before their eyes to yield its water.”

So Moses and Aaron gather everyone together before the rock and in verse 10, Moses says, “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”  Then Moses strikes the rock twice.  Plenty of water comes out.  But do you see what Moses did?  Moses did not say that God would provide the water.  Moses acted like he and Aaron were going to provide the water when he said, “shall we….”  Moses confirmed his own actions by striking the rock, rather than obeying God’s instructions to command the rock to release its water.  Moses did not trust God or God’s words and did this his own way.

As a result, in verse 12, God tells Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”  Now, it’s nearly 40 years later and God lets Moses look upon the Promised Land, but reminds him he shall not go into the Promised Land.

And that is so true of how we are called to live our lives.  We live them in today, yet we must be ever mindful that our actions today carry on and into places we will never see.  We may be tempted to live only in the now…only in the short term…only find valuable those things whose results we can see right here and right now.

But that’s not what God requires of us.

Today is pledge Sunday when we turn in our pledges in the offering plate…when we, with God’s help and direction, say how much of what God has given to us, we will return to God for God’s work through the community of St. John’s Episcopal church.

Look at the church….  Even physically in what we can see and touch.  Who sat in that pew you were sitting in?  Someone sat there many years ago…many years before you were born, even.  Their gifts of time, talent and dollars made sure that pew is here for you today.  They could not imagine, sitting there when they did, how the church would look today or what the church would be doing today.  They could not see you…had no vision of you.  Yet, they gave, so St. John’s would be here for you.

Like Moses, we are asked to do our part…to use our talents, dollars and skills in God’s service…to lead people through the wilderness, if God asks.  This is our call…to do as much as God asks of us, knowing God may let us see it with our eyes, but not cross over there.

Amen

God’s Productive Tenants (Sermon) October 5, 2014

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Sermon – October 5, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 22) Track 1

When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. Matthew 21:34

Please be seated.

We are doing a number of things today.  It is stewardship Sunday when we focus on what of God’s we return to God.  And we are remembering St. Francis, whose commemoration was yesterday, with having our pets here with us this morning and blessing them after the service.

I’m more of a cat person than anything.  Since the day I was born, cats have lived with me off and on.  Sometimes it’s one cat and sometimes it’s as many as three cats.  Many of my cats have come to me, chosen me.  Seems they are messengers from God, really.

For instance, in late 1980, I was going through a tough time.  I was a single mom, barely able to make ends meet.  At Christmas, though, I held my traditional open house.  At some point in the evening, someone opened the door and in walked a beautiful tiger cat!  Just walked in, mind you!  Later the next summer when we moved to Ithaca so I could go to college fulltime, he came with us and used to sit on my books while I was studying.  My two young children and I needed his love, antics and companionship.

So many stories I could tell of the cats who have just walked in to my life and just shown up as loving companions along the way.  I’m sure you have many of your own.

We’ve talked before about what it means to be a steward:  being a steward is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care….  It is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.

When we have pets, we must be good stewards.  Pets rely upon us to care for them.  We feed them well.  We do what we can to keep them safe from harm.  We do what we can to give them a good home.  When they’re sick, we do what we can to help them get well.  When we can’t do these things, we find them good homes with someone else.  We feel so strongly about this as a society, that we have laws about what it means to be good stewards to the animals in our care.  We are appalled by cruelty to animals.  We “get” what being a good steward of God’s creation means through caring for our pets.

And today, we are being asked to consider what it means to be good stewards to God’s church, the church of God’s son, Jesus Christ.  Most specifically, we are being asked to consider what it means to be a good steward of St. John’s Episcopal Church.

God tells us through Jesus’ parable.  God provided a vineyard…a carefully built vineyard.  It had everything – a fence to keep animals out; a wine press so the harvest could be preserved; and a watchtower, because the workers would live in the vineyard during the harvest and the watchtower provided safety.  The workers provided the labor to ensure, as much as possible, that there would be a good harvest.  Of course, they couldn’t control the weather, but they could otherwise tend to the grape crop.

Similarly, God has given us all of the basic things we need to be The Episcopal Church in this region of Kentucky.  We are charged with providing careful and responsible management of the basics God has given us, so that God’s mission with God’s people can be realized.  And for those of you who just finished confirmation class, you know that this mission of the church is to “restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” (BCP, pg 855)

And according to our catechism, the church pursues our mission, “as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.” (BCP, pg 855)  Now, we probably need to have regular conversations about what we truly need to be the church.  What do we add to the fence, the watchtower, and the winepress that God has provided?

But for today, let’s assume that we agree that to pursue our mission, that to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ, that we need a facility, a park, items for worship and for spiritual growth, resources for outreach and a priest.  Those are the elements necessary to being the church…to restoring all people to unity with God and each other in Christ…to pray, worship, proclaim the Gospel, and promote justice, peace, and love.

God has given us everything we need.  God asks only that we do the labor and produce a good harvest.  God asks us to be good stewards…to be careful and responsible managers of what’s been entrusted to us.

We know what this means with our pets, yet become squeamish when it comes to talking about what it means for the church, what it means for St. John’s.  And that’s the question put to us in today’s parable.  When God sends God’s workers to collect the harvest, what will be our response?  Will we kill the workers and even God’s Son, so we can steal what is rightfully the landowner’s…what is rightfully God’s?  Or will we do our part to care for the vineyard…to provide the resources necessary for a good harvest?  Will God need to find new tenants for God’s vineyard known as St. John’s Episcopal Church?

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matching Intentions with Actions (Sermon) September 28, 2014

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Sermon – September 28, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 21) Track 1

“Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”  Matthew 21:31

Please be seated.

As I was thinking about Latino/Latina Heritage month, I was remembering my friend Maria.  She was a NewYoRican, having lived some of her life in Puerto Rico, but much of her life in New York City.

By the time I met Maria, she had relocated to Harrisburg, and she had been in recovery from drug addiction for many years.  She was a counselor in an outpatient treatment clinic and a mom, raising a daughter the same age as my daughter.  She was very active in the community, advocating for justice.  And she was a patient and loving teacher and a wonderful trainer.

I first got to know Maria through an informal group that organized to address racism in the Harrisburg area.  Throughout her life, we continued that work in many places and in many ways.  And we also became very good friends, having children who grew up together, going camping, taking trips, going to dinner and the movies.

When I was living in North Carolina, Maria and her two grandsons came to visit for a weekend.  When Maria got to my house, she realized she’d forgotten her suitcase!  Well, there was a GoodWill store within walking distance of where I lived.  Maria bought a whole wardrobe for the weekend, jewelry, belt and shoes included, plus a toy for each of her grandsons, for about $20!  She was classy in her style of dress and loved bargains.

Maria taught me so many things, including the fact that good intentions don’t let you off the hook for your actions.  She’d say, if you put your foot on my neck (an action), do you expect me to thank you when you lift it off just a little (good intentions.)?  In other words, even if you intended for good, the results of your actions were the key.

That’s what we hear in our Gospel today, isn’t it?  Jesus tells a parable about intentions and actions.  The first son did not intend to follow his father’s request, but then acted in compliance with the request; whereas, the second son intended to follow his father’s request, but his actions proved otherwise.

How many times are we like the second son? We refuse to take the actions we know are best or right or Christian, yet when the consequences of our inaction occur and people are hurt, we bargain for credit or even total pardon, because our intentions were good or honorable.  Today Jesus says, “The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions.”

Because, there are consequences when our intentions do not lead us to action.  The father experienced consequences in the vineyard.  Not as much work was able to be done that day.  Maybe he was out finding others to labor in the vineyard or figuring out how to live on the reduced harvest.  What would you say to the son who intended to go out and work and then did not?  The father would find it hard to trust this son.  Yes, there were definitely consequences when the intentions did not match action.

The scribes and elders intended to be faithful, to follow God, serve God, worship God… to do God’s Will, but Jesus lets them know their actions do not follow their intentions.  That the actions of the outcasts, prostitutes, tax collectors, people usually not deemed to want to follow God, serve God and worship God, nonetheless acted in ways that were faithful to God’s will.

Christ is calling us to match our intentions with our action…to love our neighbor as ourselves; to not be so attached to our property; to work for justice and fairness; to be good stewards of all God has given us.  We intend to and we fall short.

So today, we also hear Paul exhort, “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12).  We intend to work out our own salvation, knowing that following Jesus saves us and we are imperfect in our actions.  That is why we are humble…why we do so with fear and trembling. Not because we are afraid God will punish us, but because we know we must be vigilant in our efforts to match intention with action, because we know how often we will fail.

Even though Maria eventually moved to Rhode Island, and I moved to DC, we stayed in touch.  She called me one December, about 2007, I think, and left a message on my phone.  Now I can’t remember whether I called her back to not, but I kept that message on my phone, just to hear the sound of her voice.  A couple of months later, I received the news that Maria had advanced cancer.  She died within a couple of weeks.  I kept that message on my phone for years.

You see, Maria taught me about the strength of community.  She taught me how we work our our own salvation, acting with great humility, with the fear and trembling Paul talks about.  She taught me how important it is that intentions match action.  She taught me that my good intentions did not and could not let me off the hook for the consequences of the actions I took or failed to take.  I couldn’t bear to know her voice was no longer in the world.  I felt I had so much more to learn.

So, we come together in the community of St. John’s today.  We are in the same boat and it’s easier to share with others who are also doing their best.  It’s easier when we pray together for and receive forgiveness.  It’s easier when we break bread and drink the cup of wine together.  We can begin again.  Together, we work out our salvation and do the will of the father.

Amen