Tag Archives: Year A

Our Distorted Faith (Sermon) November 23, 2014

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Sermon – November 23, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Last Sunday after Pentecost, Christ the King

Year A Proper 29 Track 1

Observance of Native American Heritage Month

`Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.  Matthew 25:45-46

Please be seated.

Today we are observing Native American Heritage Month.  I think I told you last year that as a child, I was scared to death of Indians.  There was Wagon Train, and so many other westerns.  There was the train ride at Hershey Park where Indians attacked the train.  And my father said some of our ancestors came to Kentucky with Daniel Boone, but were killed by the Indians.  There were historical markers in PA for Indian massacres.

Then there were the other images given me by learning about Jim Thorpe who was relocated to Carlisle, PA at the Indian Boarding School there.  At age 14, my parents took me to Tahlequah, the Cherokee Nation Capital in Oklahoma and taught me about the Trail of Tears. I had lots of confusion, fear, and curiosity about Indians as I grew up.

In 1989, I joined a group to address racism in our local community.  Eventually, we connected with the New Orleans-based Peoples’ Institute for Survival and Beyond.  I was fortunate to attend a nationwide training on Undoing Racism in the early 1990s.  It was held at a retreat center on the Gulf of Mexico, just outside of New Orleans.

The morning after I arrived, I took a walk along the Gulf.  On my way back to the center, I noticed one of the women from the training.  She was from the Navajo Nation in Arizona.  She motioned me over and told me she was doing a blessing in thanksgiving for safe travels.  She also told me she was from a water clan and this was the first time she’d seen the ocean, so the moment was very special for her.  She had traveled with a friend, but the friend was from the Wolf clan and the ocean/gulf felt very intimidating to her.

She asked me to join her in the blessing, which I did.  We turned in all of the directions and gave thanks for all of creation.  It was a wonderful prayer moment for me.  And more than that, I started thinking about who I was in a different way.  I, too, loved the ocean, and realized that my mother’s family was also “water clan people” of a sort since they’d been on Italian islands for many, many years.

Also, that this woman knew her clan and identified that as important information, made me think, too.  In fact, during the training another woman who was Indian asked why white people always introduced themselves by telling about things – their job or where their house was – rather than about their relationships – clan, mother, daughter.

And then, there was the whole notion of not owning the land!  That was a hard one to wrap my head around – that the land was just like the air we breathe and belonged to the community, not to individuals.

I’m sure you know of the awful history of how the Immigrants, for many of us, our ancestors, treated the indigenous people of this land.  The dominant society, who claimed to be Christian, certainly did not read the section of Matthew we read today nor other sections of the Gospel where Jesus clearly tells us how to treat one another.  No, many of our ancestors came, and played mental tricks so the Indians were not seen as human beings, and therefore, could be destroyed.  It’s a painful history, which has led to a painful legacy for all of us.  We have all been hurt.

And for we Christians who identify with the dominant culture, our understanding and faith in Jesus Christ has been distorted by the actions and legacy of our ancestors.  Rather than listening to the indigenous peoples about the reality of the context of life here, right here in what is now known as Corbin, KY, we imposed our understanding of the land and resources where we came from.

The indigenous peoples, the Indians, had been on this land for over 14,000 years!  They’d seen Cumberland Falls develop and change, most likely.  They’d learned the patterns of the seasons, the patterns of all living creatures.

In thinking about our observance today, I was going through some books I have.  One is God is Red:  A Native View of Religion by Vine DeLoria, Jr.  At the end of the book, Mr. DeLoria says (p. 296, 30th Anniversary Edition):

Who will find peace with the lands?  The future of humankind lies waiting for those who will come to understand their lives and take up their responsibilities to all living things.  Who will listen to the trees, the animals and birds, the voices of the places of the land?  As the long-forgotten peoples of the respective continents rise and begin to reclaim their ancient heritage, they will discover the meaning of the lands of their ancestors.  That is when the invaders of the North American continent will finally discover that for this land, God is red.

Ken Phillips will now share some words with us.

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday (November 23, 2014) at St. John’s

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Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for Christ the King Sunday)

Last Sunday we learned of the death of Abdul-Rahman Kassig.  Sarah Pollom was a close friend and Anne Day and Jeff Davis knew him well, so we were especially connected to this event, having prayed mightily for his release.  Sarah was interviewed by CNN earlier this week.

By all accounts, Abdul-Rahman Kassig loved all of humanity.  In his 26 short years, he was an Army ranger and Iraq War Veteran, who traveled to the MidEast region during a college spring break in 2012.  There he found his calling, leaving school to help people who were suffering.  “Here, in this land, I have found my calling,” he continued. “Every day that I am here I have more questions and less answers, but what I do know is that I have a chance to do something here, to take a stand. To make a difference.”

He did just that, easing the suffering of people until his capture by ISIS in October, 2013.  As he faced the very real prospect of his death, he wrote to his parents:

“If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need,” he wrote.

“Just know I’m with you,” he added. “Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me.”

Our Collect for this week asks that we may be freed from sin and brought together under God’s most gracious rule.  Let us remember Abdul-Rahman Kassig as a person who worked for that goal.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Bulletin 11-23-2014

This Sunday we celebrate Native American Heritage Month.  In commemoration of Native American Heritage month we will be gathering in the parish hall and process to the parlor to begin our service. We will remain in the parlor while Ken and Shelia Phillips smudge the nave and sanctuary. The smudge used is of the four sacred herbs to the Cherokee: sage, tobacco, cedar and sweet grass. After the sanctuary and nave have been smudged you are invited to smudge yourself as you enter the nave by washing your face seven times in the smoke, an action that cleanses the mind and heart as one takes in the smudge. The smoke of the smudge carries our prayers to heaven in the same manner that the Psalmist observes, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice!” (Psalm 141:2)

Rebecca’s Schedule: Rebecca will be on vacation for the week If you have a pastoral emergency, please call the Rev. John Burkhart at 521-0345.

Weekday Morning Eucharist will be available Wednesday, December 3, 9am, in the Sanctuary. 

Adult Forum: The Adult Forum meets each Sunday at 10:00 am in the Parish Hall.

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

Advent Lessons and Carols, November 30, 4pm.  Begin Advent with this special evening service of Scripture and hymns

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

A St. Nicholas Festival for children will be held on Saturday, December 6, 4:00pm, at Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington.

Join Rebecca for Eucharist on Tuesday, December 9, 11am at Mission House in Lexington.  Lunch will be served after Eucharist and a tour of St. Agnes’ House will be available.

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.

Donations for Christmas Flowers are being accepted until December 14.  Donations can be made in Honor of, in Memory of or in Thanksgiving for a person or blessing.  Envelopes are available in the parlor or put your offering in the plate marked, “Christmas Flowers.”

Decorate the church, Sunday, December 21, after church. Bring your lunch and stay after church on December 21 to help us decorate for Christmas.

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.

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.

Hymn Selection Group If you’d like to choose hymns for services, join this group.  You will choose hymns for an upcoming service and then meet with the entire group to confirm the final selections.  See Billy Hibbitts if you are interested.

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.

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 spring. 

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.

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.

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.

Well Done! (Sermon) November 16, 2014

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Sermon – November 16, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

23rd Sunday after Pentecost Year A Proper 28 Track 1

`Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21

Please be seated.

I think I’ve talked to you about Betsy, the woman I worked for before I went to seminary.  I thought about her again as I pondered this Gospel for today.  While I’ve been fortunate to have many good people overseeing my work career, I do think my favorite was Betsy.

When I went to work for Betsy, I was 49, so not young in my work career; however, Betsy pointed out so many talents I never acknowledged I had.  I learned I love to do historical research, so Betsy often asked me to do that and then to put the words together to draft a speech for her.  I learned I loved being a speechwriter!

During one of those wonderful employee evaluations, Betsy told me I was a good writer.  Now I do love words and putting them together and I’ve written a lot in my career.  I know I can write a sentence that is grammatically correct and gets a point across.  But Betsy said I was not only a good writer, but that I should do more writing and more writing that would be published.  She gave me plenty of opportunities to work on projects that were published, including co-writing a chapter for the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work.  And just yesterday, I received a copy of the latest book with a chapter I co-wrote:  Hope Matters:  The Power of Social Work, as well as a galley proof of another article that will be published soon in a religious journal.

And Betsy told me I “connected the dots” between people, ideas and organizations in ways she had never seen, so she created a job for me where that’s what I did.  And I loved it.  I knew I was a connecter and I knew I liked that, but I hadn’t understood that I was unique in seeing how things were connected.

Betsy saw my skills and abilities and gave me every chance to use them.  She also gave me helpful information about myself for every task I’ve taken on since that time.  I hope you’ve had a person like Betsy or people like her in your life.

And in today’s Gospel, we hear a parable of the master who leaves his property in the care of his servants.  This master knows his servants well and gives to each one the amount appropriate to their skill and ability.  But one of the servants was afraid of the master, so did not use what was given to him, but buried it in the ground, which incited the anger of the master.

God has given each of us various skills and abilities and expects us to use them for building up God’s Kingdom here on earth… for being Christ to the world.  We are not supposed to bury our skills and abilities, hiding them from the world!

I know it’s tough.  We’ve been taught not to boast and to try to be humble.  There is a line between boasting and stating the facts.  In order to not be boastful, we tend to hide our skills and abilities.  We don’t want to cross that line.

But God gave us those skills and abilities so we could do good in the world…so we could bring the Kingdom of God to fruition here and now.  Our skills and abilities are needed not only in all of our personal endeavors and relationships – our vocation, our family, our friends – but also the Christian community of St. John’s needs our skills and abilities.  There are some things in bringing about the Kingdom of God that must be done by a community – that we could not make happen as individuals.

When two or more are gathered together in God’s name, God is in the midst of us, we say in the Prayer of St. Chrysostom.  In some places, people can support their own chapels, but most of us need a community to provide a place of meeting, where we can gather, study and pray together.  When we pool our resources together, we have a choir, an altar guild, adult forum, learning for children.  We can provide a place for children to eat lunch during the summer.  We can share our joys and our burdens.  We can have a community who loves us, remembers us, and prays for us.

In a few minutes, we will have our Annual meeting.  I’m told people don’t come to church for the Annual Meeting.  We don’t always like the facts and business side of our life together, do we?  And we know a piece of the Annual Meeting involves talking about our money and the money we’d like to have towards making real the vision for the Christian community of St. John’s.

But just like our Gospel today…our master has left us with all of the resources we need to grow, and expand the Kingdom of God.  We have the time, talent and treasure of each of us.  Our annual meeting is the time each year when the master returns home to see what we’ve done with what we’ve been given.  Have we used our time, talent and treasure to increase the presence of Christ in this region or have we just buried our time, talent and treasure in the ground and hidden it from view?

God has given us everything we need and God demands a return equal to what has been given to us.  Let’s work together so we can hear God say to us, `Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

 Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing for the Kingdom of God (Sermon) November 9, 2014

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Sermon – November 9, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

22nd Sunday after Pentecost Year A Proper 27 Track 1

Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Matthew 25:13

Please be seated.

Recently, I was looking through some old photographs.  Yes, actual photographs.  Unfortunately, I was not a good cataloguer of my photos.  I didn’t always write the date on them and I didn’t put them in albums in chronological order and many times, I got duplicate photos then stuck them in different albums!  I’m so grateful that we now have online archives of digital photos and computers that somehow know when the photos were taken!

So, I was looking through album after album, remembering the process of taking the photos, using up the roll of film, taking it to be developed, maybe even to a 1-hour processor, and then getting them back, and finally seeing if they were any good or not.

Then I saw it.  I had forgotten I took the photos of the event, but it is seared in my mind as a place and time when I got a glimpse of the Kingdom of God here on earth.  It is a photo of a diverse group of people…diverse in culture, gender orientation and age.  We are sitting around some tables having dinner and conversation and plenty of fun.

I looked closely at the photo from the early 1990s.  I did know most of the people and am still in touch with many of them.  But some have died.  I couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant, although I remember a lot about the owner, whose name I’ve also forgotten.  I didn’t even remember what time of year it was or why we were there.  But I clearly remembered it as a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.

Why is that?  Because there were so many things in that group that could have divided us…could have kept us separate.  Things like race, culture, class, age, sexual orientation.  Yet, we were together and having fun and so grateful for our friendship.  I just knew and know the Kingdom God is like that.

In today’s readings, we are asked first of all in Joshua, to choose the God we will serve.  Last week I asked you what makes you cling to Jesus, despite the challenges of being a Christian.  Now this week, you are asked to be clear about whether you will serve God or whether you will serve other things in your life that you think are God?  Will you serve your own pride and ego?  Will you serve money?  Will you serve property?  Or will you serve the God of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca…the God whose Son, Jesus Christ came to live and die as one of us?

If you will serve the God of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, the Father of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, then in the Gospel of Matthew you are told to “Be Prepared” for the coming of the Kingdom of God!  Those of you who were members of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will remember those words!

Always be prepared.  Always be prepared for the Kingdom of God!  So how do we prepare for the Kingdom of God that we’ve never seen?  Jesus did give us some hints.  The Kingdom of God will be filled with all kinds of people, especially those we least expect.  Remember Jesus found that the outcasts of his day…the marginalized of his day…the tax collectors, the women, the prostitutes, the Gentiles…were the very ones who believed in him…believed in his message…and changed how they lived their lives.  Having oil in our lamps…Being prepared and awake…means that we look around us and see how our relationship is with those people today who are marginalized or on the fringes.  Does our church look like the Kingdom of God because all people are active members of our body?

Jesus said we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  So at the heart of the Kingdom of God is love.  Do we love ourselves?  Do we forgive ourselves?  Do we learn from our mistakes, ask forgiveness and move on?  Or are we constantly abusing ourselves?  Having oil in our lamps means that we love ourselves, faults and all.

And what about our neighbor?  Are we judgmental, rather than using good judgment?  Do we work so that all of our neighbors have what they need to live a good life or are we just concerned with ourselves and our family?  Having oil in our lamps means that we love our neighbors.

So, choose this day whom you will serve, and then Be Prepared…keep awake…have enough oil in your lamps, because the Kingdom of God is amazing and you won’t want to miss it!

Amen

Cling to Jesus (Sermon) November 2, 2014

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Sermon – November 2, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

All Saints Day (Transferred) Year A

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1

 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven…. Matthew 5:11-12

Please be seated.

I don’t know how many of you were here the other Wednesday night when Tom talked about the difficulties of Christians in Pakistan.  I was sorry to miss it.  Tom gave me the information he passed out and he’s sent me various articles and emails about the situation.  In an October 17 Washington Post article, In Expansive Pakistan, Christians struggle to find space for cemeteries, reporter Tim Craig describes the life for Christians, who are 5.5% of the population.  Listen to this:

“In this tiny village [Torey Wala] where most homes don’t have windows and meals are cooked over fire pits, Christians are used to feeling like second-class citizens.

 Christians say they earn less than $2 a day working in the sugarcane fields. They must shop at the sparsely stocked Christian-run rice and vegetable store. They are not allowed to draw water from wells tapped for Muslim neighbors. Now, in what many consider to be a final indignity, they and other Pakistani Christians are struggling to bury their dead.”

Tom has been involved in supporting a family of 8 Christians, who fled from Pakistan to Thailand after protesting the imprisonment of a fellow Christian, 50 year-old Asia Bibi.  Ms. Bibi has been in prison for over five years, charged with blasphemy against Allah.  She was sentenced to death.  She lost her most recent appeal on October 16.

Now, certainly there have been times in the history of Christianity where people of different beliefs have been persecuted and killed, so it’s not that we are free as a faith from this kind of action.  However, what I thought about on this All Saints Day…what I think about any time I’ve read about the martyrs of our faith… is the depth of faith of these people and what about following Jesus is better than life itself and would I be as faithful as the many Christians around the world who are so persecuted and abused?

Because, really, it’s not all that easy to follow Jesus for many of us in places where we face little persecution for our faith.  Jesus says we must forgive, 70 times 7!  Forgiving others is not easy, even though it’s healthy.  We’d rather plot our revenge against the other person.  We’d rather prove how right we are. We’d rather hold on to “they dun us wrong,” than let go and be in peace.

Following Jesus confronts us with our earthly desires and worldliness.  How much is enough?  Are we too attached to our possessions?  Are we greedy?  What about our money?  Over and over again, we are challenged to examine the way we live our lives.

Jesus also gave preferential treatment to those who were marginalized during his time, to those who were not considered in the mainstream or dominant culture.  And that is true today.  Following Christ means listening to the voices of those who are the outcasts of today…those living in poverty, those whose cultures are considered “minority.”  In Luke 4:21, Jesus told the people of Nazareth he came to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah:

 The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)

 And in our Episcopal denomination, we are asked to live into our Baptismal covenant, which is truly a summary of what it means to follow Christ.  On pages 304 and 305 in the Book of Common Prayer we are asked to:

  • Continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers
  • Persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever we fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord
  • Proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ
  • Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves
  • Strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being

Quite a tall order to live by, isn’t it?

And then there’s so much required of us in reconciling the beliefs and understandings of thousands of years ago with our current times.

And yet, in many places in the world, people hear the Good News and they cling to Jesus.  They cling to Jesus, even if it means they will die for their belief.  They cling to Jesus even if it means they will be discriminated against, given the lowest paying jobs or maybe no job at all.  They cling to Jesus even if it means they must flee from their homes.  What about following Jesus is so necessary…as necessary for life as the air we breathe?

In today’s readings, we have that beautiful one from Revelation, a glorious vision of heaven and we can see our loved ones right there at the feet of Jesus, can’t we?

For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Rev. 7:15-17

It’s such a comforting and wonderful vision.  Maybe this is one reason why we Christians cling to Jesus.

Then in 1 John, we hear that we are children of God.

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1

We know and experience God as our parent, the perfect parent, another comforting vision and reason we as Christians cling to Jesus.

The heart of following Jesus is all about love.  Jesus puts it so simply.  We just heard it last week in our Gospel from Matthew, when the Pharisees tried to trip up Jesus.  Which commandment is the greatest, they ask?  And Jesus replies, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  And then he says the second most important commandment is similar to the first, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matthew 22:34-46)  This love Jesus describes and calls us to, is the very breath of our lives.  Without this linchpin, life just isn’t worth living.

And there is mercy and forgiveness.  Living into our baptismal covenant, living into the two most important commandments, is not easy for us.  But over and over again, we are forgiven and God shows mercy to us.  God still loves us.  Paul told us that in his letter to the Romans (8:39),

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 Those saints who have gone before knew in their souls what it was about following Jesus that was life itself.  Those like Asia Bibi and the Gill Family, experiencing persecution and exile for following Jesus demand that we feel in our very bones what following Jesus means to our lives.  They demand that we know why we cling to Jesus. It is the least we can do in return for God’s love of us, claiming us as children.

Amen

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

This Sunday (October 26) at St. John’s

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Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another. Psalm 90:1

On Tuesday, my son posted a photo of my grandson walking up to his bus stop in a lot of fog.

Walking confidently into the fog. (Photo by S. Brown)

Walking confidently into the fog. (Photo by S. Brown)

I truly love this photo, not only because I love almost anything that includes a photo of my grandson, but because of the deeper meaning (and no it’s not the Stephen King story, I’m talking about 🙂

We are familiar with lots of fog here in the region.  With fog, you can’t see too far in front of you.  You really can’t see your destination.  Sometimes as you move closer into the fog, things become a little clearer, but often not too far in front.

Now, if we’re familiar with the path or road we’re on, we may travel a bit faster to our destination.  We know the way.

I like this photo, because my grandson is walking confidently into the fog.

This Sunday we turn in our pledges.  Right now, in the end of October, we make a promise to God and to the community of St. John’s regarding our intentions to contribute to the ministry of Christ here in the region during 2015.  We do our best to return to God, what is God’s in the first place…what God gave into our care.

We can’t see what 2015 will bring.  We don’t know what will happen over the next year.  Next year is foggy to us, not clear at all.  Yet, we walk confidently…we pledge boldly, because, you see, we know the destination.  Just like the Psalmist, we know God is our refuge.  We walk confidently, because we know we walk into God’s loving arms.

Blessings as you finish your week.

Love, Rebecca+

I will be at St. John’s this week,Wednesday through Friday.  My Sabbath Days will be Monday and Tuesday.  You can get a message to her by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

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 by Sunday to prepare for our November 16 Annual Meeting and adoption of the 2015 budget.  So far, we’ve received 6 pledges for a total of $9,960.  These pledges and your gifts of time and talent sustain the Christian community of St. John’s and allow us to be Christ to our region.

Prayer of St Ignatius

God, Take and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will – all that I have and call my own.
You have given it all to me;
To you, God, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.
Amen

Join me Sunday afternoon as I celebrate Eucharist at Christian Care Communities.  Elmer Parlier will be playing the guitar.  The service begins at 2:30pm and is 30-45 minutes and the residents would appreciate your attendance.

Godly Play offered for children.  All children are invited to participate in this special program of spiritual development.

If you are interested in becoming a Godly Play Teacher serving when you can, plan to attend a meeting on Wednesday, October 29, at 6:30pm.

Adult Forum – The Adult Forum focus is Living with Money.

Godly Play Teachers needed.  Meeting Wednesday, October 29, 6:30pm.  Godly Play teachers are needed.  Training is provided.  This is a wonderful program of spiritual development for children and we’d like to keep it going in the parish.  Please let Rebecca know if you are willing to be trained and serve as a teacher for a period of approximately 1 month.

Weekday Morning Eucharist will be available Wednesday, October 29, 9am, in the Sanctuary. I will also celebrate on Wednesday mornings, November 12, December 3 and December 24.

Trunk or Treat, Friday, October 31.  We will be distributing candy from the church on Halloween evening.

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.

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.

Grow Appalachia!  The Vestry has voted to move ahead to become a Grow Appalachia site for 2015.  Please talk to the Vestry about your ideas, questions, and concerns.  The Grow Appalachia website is http://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

 The Grow Appalachia Committee will meet Sunday, October 26 after church. 

 All Saints Sunday, November 2.  We observe All Saints Day and will read the names of those saints close to us who have died.  To have the name of your loved one 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 October 26.

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

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

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.

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.

Belk Charity Sales Day, Saturday, November 8, 6-10am.  We 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.   We will also sell tickets on Thursday, October 2, 10am – 2pm.  If you can help, please contact June.

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.

Daylight Savings Time ends next Sunday, November 2.  Remember to turn your clocks back 1 hour.

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.

 Hymn Selection Group If you’d like to choose hymns for services, join this group.  You will choose hymns for an upcoming service and then meet with the entire group to confirm the final selections.  See Billy Hibbitts if you are interested.

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.

United Thank Offering.  Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church.  The next collection will be Sunday November 16.

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.

Addiction and Grace, a service for people affected by addiction, will be held at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, November 9, 3:00pm. A similar service will be held at Christ Church Harlan at 3pm.  Please let me know if you’d like to attend one of the services.

Saying Yes to God’s Banquet (Sermon) October 12, 2014

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Sermon – October 12, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 23) Track 1

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. Matthew 22:1

 Please be seated.

I LOVE weddings.  As a little girl, my mother gave me her beautiful half slips for my dress-up clothes and you could often find me wearing them on my head as pretend veils.  At 7, as a Roman Catholic, I “made my first communion.”  The experience was fraught with trying to remember so many details.  The best part was wearing the beautiful white dress and the veil.  The best part of the Sound of Music was Maria’s wedding dress.  I still have my Barbie doll’s wedding dress.  And if you would have seen me Friday, my day off, you’d have seen me watching a marathon of, “Say ‘yes’ to the dress.”  I guess in addition to the love and community witness of weddings, I especially love the clothes.

Recently, my grandchildren attended the wedding of their former day care teacher, Miss Tina.  I loved seeing the photos from that day.  The kids looked like they were having so much fun dancing with the bride and with each other.  Later, I was talking with my son.  He said my 8 year old granddaughter, Sydney, really loved the wedding.  She asked her daddy to hold her so she could better see the bride come down the aisle.  As the bride approached, escorted by her father, Sydney whispered in her father’s ear, “We’ll be doing that some day.”  My son said it was all he could do to not start blubbering.

Yes I’d say I’m a feminist and all for women’s rights.  I am astounded by the costs of a wedding and understand why people elope.  All of that is true and I still love a traditional wedding.

And if you’ve planned a wedding or even a big party, you can relate to the king in our Gospel lesson today.  How wonderful that your child is being married.  The day comes and you prepare a sumptuous banquet and party for the community.  You’ve sent invitations and asked people to let you know if they’re coming so you know how much to prepare.  Once the banquet is ready, you send out the notice and suddenly people who said they’d come, don’t even acknowledge you!

Of course you can’t believe it, so you once again send out, explaining all of the work you’ve gone to to create a wonderful party.  Now, those you’ve invited are annoyed and even kill the messengers!  Finally, you just need the food to be eaten — kind of like we try to get people to take home food after pot luck – and you invite everyone, every single person you can find, both bad and good, we are told.

Jesus is trying to explain the Kingdom of God to us.  God prepares a sumptuous banquet, like any parent would prepare for their child who is getting married.  But the day comes and what happens?  Oh, so many other things appear to be more important.  Just like the Israelites in the desert worshipping the golden calf, we find so many other things pulling at us.  This wonderful, loving banquet seems unimportant.  We don’t want to go to the feast.  Sometimes, we even kill those who bring the invitation to us.

And God wants people at the banquet.  God invites all people.  The banquet is open to everyone!  God’s feast is available to everyone, not just a few.  God’s feast is available to everyone who will come to partake of it.

Yet, you cannot come lightly or thoughtlessly, like the man who showed up disrespectfully without a wedding robe.  You cannot expect to slip in, eat some food and dash out!  Stepping into the banquet hall requires responsibility and accountability.  Stepping into the feast God has prepared for us means we acknowledge our host, we respect our host, and we do the right thing by our host.

We join the banquet community.  We do our best to live as God has asked us to do and as Jesus showed us and as the Holy Spirit continues to speak to us.  We do our best to put aside the golden calves in our lives and remember the giver of the feast.

God is delighted to prepare the banquet of life in Christ for us.  God is delighted for us to know how much we are loved.  God is delighted to show us how to live in ways that serve each other, reject evil, worship God in community, and strive for justice and peace and respect the dignity of every human being.

We must first accept the invitation, then we must show up, and finally, we must come prepared.

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