Sermon – February 23, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin
Seventh Sunday After Epiphany

“You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. . . .” Matthew 5:43-44

 Please be seated….

You know I am a social worker, but you may not know I was trained as a clinical social worker.  Now, clinical social workers often are private practitioners or therapists and I was always more interested in larger changes …the things that required political change or mass community efforts.  Nonetheless, in getting my MSW, I wanted to see where clinical work mostly with individuals and groups intersected with larger change movements – systems changes — and I took the clinical track to receive my MSW.

But clinical work is definitely not my strength.  I am not patient enough for it.  I’m much more suited to short term clinical work.  However, for a time, I was a therapist.  I worked in an outpatient clinic for people with traumatic brain injuries.  It was the classic 50 minute hour of individual therapy.  I prayed mightily to God that God would guide me in being with the people who came to me… that God would give me the words to say and that I would be a conduit for God’s guidance and spirit.

There were many gifts in this experience.  One of them was coming to the awareness that in working with others, I was offered the possibility  to work deeply on myself.  That as people came to me and spoke to me, they could trigger my own issues that needed healed.  One Friday, my last client started to talk about rejection and how he was being rejected by others.  The session went well.  I was in that place of being open, listening intently, and being that conduit for the Spirit of God.  I left work feeling good about the day. 

After work, I started on a 3-hour trip to visit my Aunt.  On the drive, (this was before cell phones, you know, or I would have been on the phone) I was thinking about this session and about rejection.  I started making my list of people who had rejected me.  I was getting angrier and angrier as I made a longer and longer list in my head.  Getting angrier meant I was crying and crying.  Now this is not a good thing to do when you’re driving on an interstate highway about 70 miles per hour!  Oh, I had my list of enemies and persecuters and it was getting to be quite long.

All of a sudden, I had this flash of insight and realized that my #1 enemy…my #1 persecuter… the one who had rejected me most, was ME!  All of the times I had said I’d do something I should have said “no” to.  The times I had stuffed down my feelings, too embarrassed by them, not wanting to acknowledge that part of me.  All of the times I’d stuffed down my feelings, because I wanted to avoid conflict with another person.

On that trip to see my Aunt, I saw more clearly how I had rejected me.  I saw how when I rejected myself, there was no hope, really.  Who else was there, if even I couldn’t support me?

Loving our enemies seems preposterous, doesn’t it?  Yet for many of us, learning to love ourselves is even more preposterous…seems one of the hardest things to do.  Sometimes “we” are the enemy we must love.  Sometimes “we” are the ones who persecute ourselves.  Some of us talk to ourselves in ways we would never talk to another person.  . 

Social worker and researcher, Dr. Brene’ Brown was interested in understanding more about the topic of belonging and connection, such a deep human need …to belong, to be connected.  In six years of research, and story after story, she found that the people who had a strong sense of belonging and connection to others, also believed they were worthy of love.

When she looked at the interviews with people who lived from a deep sense of worthiness, she found they possessed “wholeheartedness.”  Wholeheartedness consisted of three Cs:  courage, compassion and connection. 

Courage was the courage to be imperfect.  Compassion was about being kind to themselves first, which ultimately led them to have compassion for others.  Connection occurred as a result of authenticity.  Wholehearted people let go of who they thought they SHOULD be to be who they were. 

Brene’ Brown discovered that wholehearted people embraced vulnerability.  They took risks with no guarantee of return.  They did things not knowing what the outcome would be.  They understood that it was their vulnerability that made them beautiful. 

We know some of this.  Think of the times you have been loved with no expectation in return.  I asked, and some of you told me, how being loved has changed your life…given you hope…made you see the world in a different way.  How understanding that we all need love and giving that love generously and in ways the person can receive it, creates deep connection and joy. 

In short…love has the power to transform.  Love your enemies…love those who persecute you.  Love is unexpected in those situations.  Shouldn’t we chastise ourselves?  Aren’t we to strive to be better people?

Well, yes, we always hope to be the best Christians we can be AND it’s how we get there that is also important.  Remember I’ve told you we improve more by knowing what we do well.  It is a paradox that we improve most when we more clearly see our faults and more clearly accept them…when we can love ourselves just the way we are.

Our lessons today are full of appeals and recommendations for how to love each other.  In Leviticus, we hear what we’d call commandments.  These rules of how to care for each other – don’t steal, don’t lie – are clear and helpful.  And not always easy to keep.  Sometimes we get so hung up on the letter of the law, that we forget about each other… we lose the human side. 

Our Psalm pleads for God to teach us how to go – teach me your statues, we cry.  And we all know how hard it can be to keep those.  We fall short and we have the desire to keep asking.

Then Paul reminds us that we are God’s temple – that God dwells in us.  You mean we are worthy enough to be God’s dwelling place?  Only the priests could go into the inner room of the temple – the holy of holies, where God’s footstool was.  But Paul says God dwells in us!  Incredible!

For the past two weeks, I have heard this fairly new song over and over again.  It is by John Legend and while he wrote it for his wife, I often hear it as a song God is singing to us, God’s creation.  Listen to part of the refrain and hear God saying this to you, God’s beloved:

All of me loves all of you
All of your curves and all your edges
All of your perfect imperfections

Those curves and edges we think are enemies….all of those imperfections we persecute ourselves about.  Love your enemies.  Love you.  You will be transformed and in the process, you will transform others.  You are God’s Temple….You are the holy place where God resides.  Be courageous.  Be compassionate.  Be authentic.  In doing so, you will find connection to the Spirit of God that dwells in you. 

Amen

Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Lev. 19:2

Do you think of yourself as sacred and consecrated to God or dedicated to a divine purpose?  That’s what Leviticus is telling us.  We are holy people.  The passage goes on to talk about how holy people behave.  We don’t lie to one another or steal from one another.  We don’t unjustly judge one another nor “profit from another’s blood.”

Think of how we treat the holy things in church.  The wafers of communion are simple discs of wheat and the wine is from the liquor store; however, in the context of our service, these simple, ordinary things become precious and special to us.  These elements are special to us because of their relationship to Christ’s body and blood. We treat them with reverence.  We don’t drop them on the floor.  We don’t pour the wine down an ordinary drain.   That’s what it means when ordinary things are holy.   

So you are an ordinary human made holy because you are of God.  How are you reverent in your life?  How do you treat yourself with respect?  How do you dedicate yourself to God?  Don’t think this means you must be somber, either.  How are you holy and consecrated to God in joy?

Blessings as you finish your week!

Rebecca

Next week, I will be in Corbin on Friday, February 28, and my Sabbath days will be February 25-27.  Please feel free to get messages to me any time, however, by calling 859 -429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Today through Saturday is Diocesan Convention.  Please pray for the Diocese as it meets in Convention.  Our Deputies are Gay Nell Conley, Bruce Cory, John Harris, Billy Hibbitts and The Rev. Myers.

Next Sunday, March 2,  we celebrate Women’s History Month.  Our hymns will reflect the voices of women.

Lazarus at the Gate, a series on economic discipleship finishes this week.  Bret Swinford will lead us in a session on How to give effectively and giving together.  

Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness.  Next week, we begin a series on Living Compass Program, designed to help us assess our lives, plan for change, strengthen our faith, and wellness.  You can find more information about the program, including the Living Compass Assessment at  http://www.livingcompass.org/adult/program.html/

Pot Luck This Sunday!  Bring your favorite dish or drink to share!  In any case, please join in the fellowship and fun!  The men of the parish will meet to discuss the Tuesday, March 4, Shrove Tuesday pancake supper! 

Our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be held March 4, 6pm in the parish hall.  Free will offering.  (Suggested donation is $2 per adult and $1 per child).

Ash Wednesday service with Eucharist and imposition of ashes will be at 6pm on Wednesday, March 5.    

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.

 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.

 United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.

Your UTO offerings are collected twice each year.  Each time you feel thankful during your day, put some change into your box.  We will gather these gifts of gratitude in May and begin again for the November offering.

If you need a UTO box, please see Rebecca.

 Reimagine the Episcopal Church:  In 2012, the General Convention created a taskforce to reimagine The Episcopal Church for the future. The members of the Taskforce want to hear the memories, hopes and dreams that people have for The Church. We are trying to reach as many people as we can over the next few months. We will use what we hear to help us shape recommendations for The Church’s structure, administration and governance. To add your memories, go online at http://reimaginetec.org/ or see Rev. Rebecca for a paper copy you can submit.  Deadline is March 4, 2014.

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.

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.

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Sermon – February 9, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.   Matthew 5:13, 14

Please be Seated.

In 2012, you know I studied in the Holy Land.  The course was offered by St. George’s College, based in Jerusalem.  It was called the Palestine of Jesus.  One of the extra trips was a Saturday visit to Masada and the Dead Sea.  We were given many instructions the day before.  We were told not to shave or we’d be very uncomfortable.  We were told to be careful if we had any cuts on our bodies.  Pouring salt into a wound is not a comfortable experience, is it? 

It was a really hot day, about 110 degrees.  Masada is built on a rock plateau in the Judean desert, not the coolest place to be in the heat.  I love the water, but wasn’t sure the Dead Sea would be all that refreshing.  I thought with all of that heat, it might be like swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in the middle of summer – more like a warm bath.  What an experience, though.  You simply cannot sink in the Dead sea.  In fact, once you are on your back, you almost cannot stand up!  That was the hardest thing…standing up after I was on my back. 

Salt or Sodium Chloride or NaCl (my daughter the chemistry teacher would be so proud) is an amazing thing.  First of all, it has been used by humans for thousands of years.  There is one salt mine in Austria that has been in use for 7,000 years.  Salt was an early preservative.  It draws out water so bacteria cannot grow.  It can be used medicinally.  In cooking, salt can bring out the flavor of the ingredients and it also mixes in perfectly, dissolving in the liquid.  We’ve used plenty of salt this winter to melt ice.  And our bodies absolutely must have sodium, which we get from salt, so our hearts beat and our brains work, and our muscles relax. 

Pure salt does not lose its flavor, but in Jesus’ time, salt was less pure.  The salt would sometimes leach out or dissolve, so what was left had no salt in it.  It was then thrown outside on the streets.  That’s what Jesus is referring to. 

So, we are the salt of the world.  We, as Christians are the salt of the world.  When we are our best Christian selves, we bring spice and flavor.  We bring a different way of living and seeing the world that is essential for survival.  Imagine a world without forgiveness, reconciliation and love.  Just like the dead sea, the salt known as the Christian community keeps us afloat, even when we don’t know how to swim. 

The salt of Christianity…of following Christ… allows us to live.  It enhances who we are.  Notice what I said, it enhances who we are… it brings out our flavors. 

We are so used to looking at what we’ve done wrong.  Most of us can list many imperfections, but fall short in listing just as many strengths for ourselves.  Unfortunately, most of our evaluation systems are based on the flawed methods of pointing out what we did incorrectly, pointing out our mistakes, rather than building on what we do especially well. 

In 1982, researchers at the University of Wisconsin were studying how people learn to improve.  They videotaped two bowling teams over several games.  Later the members of the teams reviewed their videos in an effort to learn how to improve their performance.  Unknown to the team members, the videos had been edited differently.  One team saw a video showing everything they did wrong.  The other team saw a video highlighting everything they did well.  Now both teams improved their bowling scores.  But the team that was shown what they did well…where their strengths were… improved twice as much as the team that only saw what they did wrong. 

So how does this relate to us being salt?  We all are salt to the world just the way we are.  Are we perfect?  No.  Our imperfections are why we need Christ and why we need each other.  But God uses the best of us as salt to the world.  This morning I ask, how are you salt to the world?  What is wonderful in you that adds flavor to the world?  What is strong in you that the world cannot do without?  Maybe it is your organization.  Maybe it is your follow through.  Maybe it is your viewpoint.  Maybe it is your reliability.  Maybe it is your compassion.  Maybe it is your sense that we are all loved by God.  Take a moment and consider… what are your strengths and your gifts.  They are salt to the world….

PAUSE

“You are the light of the world,” Jesus says.  What you bring to the world…those same strengths…bring light.  You, as a Christian, bring a new way of looking at the world.  Look at our Book of Common Prayer.  The prayers tell you a lot about the light we bring.  Pages 159-261 are filled with prayers, not only for each Sunday of the year, but also for many issues and occasions…for the sick and for social service, for the nation and for the church, for daily work and for peace.  Every Sunday we pray for those who govern.  Now, it doesn’t say we have to like or agree with those who govern, but we pray for them.  We pray that they follow God’s Will and God’s voice and govern with justice. 

Our baptismal covenant, the agreement we make with God and each other, on pages 304 and 305, affirms the light we bring to the world.  We “continue in the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread and in the prayers.”  We “persevere in resisting evil,” and when we can’t resist evil, we “repent and return to the Lord.”  We “proclaim by word and example the good News of God in Christ.”  We seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving [our] neighbors as [ourselves].”  We “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” 

What would our world be like without the light we bring?  What would the world be like?  Can you imagine no forgiveness?  Can you imagine no way to return to God?  Can you imagine no love, no fellowship, no chance of redemption? 

Think about how you live out your Baptismal covenant, bringing light to the world. 

PAUSE

We are the salt of the world.  We are the light of the world.  We do our best….  We build upon the gifts and talents God has given us.  We are humble, because we know we are not perfect.  We are like the beauty of the moon, which reflects the light of the sun.  We are the salt absolutely necessary for life…for heart, for brain.  We season and light this community.  We season and light this world. 

Amen 

Hallelujah!
Happy are they who fear the Lord *
and have great delight in his commandments!

They have given freely to the poor, *
and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
they will hold up their head with honor. 

Psalm 112: 1, 9

Our Psalm for this Sunday lists the attributes of those who fear the Lord.  They will be happy.  They also “give freely to the poor.”  In Adult Forum we’ve been talking about our wealth and resources.  We’ve also been talking about giving of our resources, especially giving them in ways that would alleviate poverty.  We’ve had some thought provoking discussions.

This verse suggests giving of your resources in a “free” way.  That’s hard, isn’t it?  We don’t want someone to scam us.  How do we know the money will be used for what the person asked and not for something of which we might disapprove?  And why are people poor?  Isn’t being poor a result of a person’s actions and behavior?

Over and over the Bible, both in the Hebrew Bible and in the teachings of Jesus, we hear the command to give freely to the poor or to sell all of our possessions and give to the poor.  It seems so ludicrous to do just that, doesn’t it?

First of all, there is something about parting from our possessions and giving up control of what someone else does with those precious possessions.  Doing so requires trust and faith.  People probably will misspend the money or might misuse our possessions, because we humans are not perfect.  But it is the act of freely letting go that is pleasing to God.  That act says we are not in control; we have handed over a portion to God.

Secondly, it is important to continually examine what is enough.  There are two recent stories I heard about wealthy people who gave up everything.  They were unhappy, even midst all of their wealth.  So they gave it up.  Read about Eleanor Steele and the Foundation she created.  Read about Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus and their minimalist lifestyle.  Both of these stories provide some perspective on what is enough.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

My Schedule: Next week, I will be in Corbin on Thursday, February 13, and my Sabbath day will be Friday, February 14.  Please feel free to contact her any time, however, by calling 859 -429-1659
or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Lazarus at the Gate is an eight week series on economic discipleship. This week Doug Thelen will lead us in a session on Living Economic Discipleship.  Next week, Dania Egedi will lead us in a session on The Giving Circle.

Sunday, February 9
10:00am – Adult Forum and Godly Play
11:00am – Eucharist
2:00pm – UK Opera at Our Saviour Richmond to benefit St. Agnes’ House

Wednesday, February 12
4:30pm – Confirmation
6:00pm – Worship

Sunday, February 16
10:00am – Godly Play and Adult Forum
11:00am – Eucharist
12:30pm – Vestry

Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness.  During Lent, I will lead us through the Living Compass Program, designed to help us assess our lives, plan for change, strengthen our faith, and wellness.  If you plan to participate, please let me know by February 16, so I can order the materials.  You can find more information about the program, including the Living Compass Assessment at  http://www.livingcompass.org/adult/program.html/  

Confirmation Classes continue on Wednesdays at 4:30pm through February 12.  Classes are open to everyone.   The February 12 session will focus on the sacramental theology of the church, including Baptism, Eucharist and other sacramental rites.  This will be the last session.

Godly Play: There will be Godly Play classes this Sunday.  If you are interested in assisting with these classes on an occasional basis, please let Anne Day Davis or Dura Anne Price know.  You will observe the classes for 4 sessions and once you have received this training, you may be called upon to assist as you are available.  Let the children deepen your faith!

On this Sunday, February 9, 2pm, enjoy some great music by the UK Opera Theatre and benefit St. Agnes’ House.    Concert is part of the second Sunday series at Our Saviour, Richmond.  Suggested donation is $5.00.

2014 Church Calendars are available on the shelf in the parish hall.  A donation of $2.00 is suggested.

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.

We will celebrate African-American History Month at our service on February 16.  Celebrating these months reminds us that people of all cultures belong to the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

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.

A message from Bp. Doug Hahn concerning St. James, Prestonsburg – On Tuesday, January 28, St. James, Prestonsburg, was vandalized. The violence done to the altar and church were very disturbing to the parish, and indeed to all of us who treasure our sacred spaces.

The young man who committed the damage has been caught and his family has reached out to us. We are currently working with the appropriate systems of justice and juvenile care to make sure that the young man finds the help that he needs and that the process of restorative justice will be honored.

In the meantime, I invite you to join me in making a financial gift to the ministry of St. James. Thank goodness insurance will cover most of the physical damage, but our financial gifts will be a sign of solidarity and grace with this small but vital ministry in Prestonsburg. In service to God and on our behalf, this parish coordinates feeding ministries that affect hundreds of people in Eastern Kentucky.

If you wish to join me in financial support, you may make an online gift through the Diocese of Lexington website, designated, “St. James Prestonsburg” or you may send a check with the same designation.

I also invite you to send your words of support to the parish by emailing Sr. Judy Yunker at revjudyy@gmail.com or by a note to St. James Parish, 562 University Dr, Prestonsburg, KY, 41653

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In our Adult Forum, we have had discussions about wealth and possessions.  Elmer Parlier found this article and it certainly lends to the discussion.  There are some easy steps to take, too.

Sermon – February 2, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin
The Presentation

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
   according to your word;
 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
Luke 2:29-31

Please be seated.

When I was nine years old, my mother decided to join my father’s church and become a Lutheran.  It’s odd the things you remember from your childhood.  Something I remember is singing these words of Simeon every Sunday for 17 years until the new service book and hymnal came out in 1982.  I don’t think I knew they were from Simeon for many years.  They were sung after communion.  I still hear the words and music in my head.  Maybe I remember the words because they signaled the end of the service?

Fast forward another 40 years and it’s 2006.  As I mentioned recently, I was living in Washington DC, having taken a job there.  And all I wanted to do was be in church.  I was delighted that my 50^th birthday was on a Sunday!  I sang with my choir at the 9am service, stayed for the 11am service, went to my favorite restaurant within walking distance from the Cathedral, and came back for the 4:00 Evensong service. 

These words of Simeon – the Nunc Dimittis…now you dismiss – are a canticle that is often sung at Evensong after one of the lesson readings.  That day, my 50^th birthday, the words I’d learned so long ago and that were deep inside of me, washed over me.  In that moment, I felt tremendous joy.

“I’d love to live a whole lot more years,” I said to myself.  “But if I walked out of this place and was hit by a bus, I’d be at such peace.  Because I’ve lived an AMAZING life. . . . A life beyond my wildest dreams.”  I knew what Simeon meant:  “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word…” (BCP, p. 66)  Simeon was at peace with his life. 

Are you at peace with your life?  Can you, like Simeon, let go of your life in peace?  Or does the very idea make you anxious?

Now, maybe it’s just aging that brings some acceptance of life or maybe it’s the glibness that of course I can let go of my life, because I know there is more left to it?  Maybe I’m playing a game with myself.  However, here for your consideration, are some of my observations about what leads to peace with life….

We need patience.  In 2004, after 6 years at my job, I was beginning to feel it was time to leave…that I had given the organization all I had to give and it was time for someone new to lead.  I usually stayed at a job for 3 years, so I had already doubled that record.  And my experience had been that when I felt it was time to move on, something almost magically appeared and getting another job was easy.  This time, that was not the case.  It took two more years.  At times I grew so impatient that something wasn’t happening.  At other times, I could see the Wisdom of God at work.  I needed to learn some things that could only happen if I stayed where I was.  Learning to keep at a job, and bring my best to it even when I was tired or bored, for instance.   Learning that the most important thing was doing God’s work and that work could be done anywhere and did not require a new location or a new job. 

We need to trust the leading of the spirit.  I don’t know about you, but I have had so many interesting “coincidences” in my life.  I’m sure I’ve always had them, but only started identifying them in the last 15 years.  In 2004, when I started the work of where and what I needed to do next, I had a number of interesting experiences like this.  I knew I liked to work in nonprofit organizations and I was interested in being a consultant to them.  People told me I was good at what I did.  Then I heard from a number of different and unconnected people that I was a good organizer.  So, I started exploring organizing on the internet.  The first things that came up were organizing people’s stuff or closets.  No, I wasn’t really interested in that. 

Then a name started to emerge – Margaret Wheatley.  First, I heard her name from a mentor who lived in Montana, who had just met with Ms. Wheatley.  I heard about her book entitled, Leadership and the new Science.  Then I went to a meeting for work in Washington, DC and Ms. Wheatley’s name and work were mentioned.  Things were clicking.  Eventually I discovered Ms. Wheatley was a leader in organization development and finally I discovered the Organization Development Network. 

I was excited about this organization.  It was an association for organization development professionals and I liked what I read about this profession.  It seemed that’s the type of organization work I was looking for.  Organization Development professionals work with corporations and groups to strengthen their functioning…to find ways that the working together works for diverse teams of people.

And the coincidence about the Organization Development Network was that in the next month, they were sponsoring a webinar with Margaret Wheatley as the presenter!

So, off I started on the path to becoming an Organization Development professional, which led me to obtain a Certificate in Organization Development, which led me to consider moving from Harrisburg to Baltimore or Washington, DC.  You see, there weren’t many Organization Development positions in the Harrisburg area.  I felt I needed to stay close to my parents as they were aging and had serious health issues.  My son was married and I knew he and his wife wanted children, so I wanted to be close by.  Baltimore/DC area was a hub of Organization Development positions, as well as consulting firms. 

But here’s the other thing…In the end, things may not look or happen as you expect them to.  You know how people sometimes ask, especially in job interviews, where you want to be in the next 5 years?  I have grown to greatly dislike that question.

You see, I thought I was well on my way to becoming an Organization Development professional.  I worked towards my Certificate from a highly reputable organization.  I networked with people in the field, often driving the 90 miles from Harrisburg to the DC metro area for meetings.  I applied for jobs.  But it seemed like things weren’t happening as quickly as I would have liked.  Eventually, I started to apply for positions in the DC/Baltimore area that weren’t necessarily Organization Development, but could utilize those skills and also the skills I already had on my resume’.  From some things I’d read and what was occurring as I applied for positions, I thought it might be easier to get a job in DC working in Associations, which would allow me to move to the area and then I would be better positioned for Organization Development positions.  I ended up at the National Association of Social Workers.  In 2004, I would have told you I’d be an Organization Development Professional, but that’s not where I ended up.   Yet, I had a terrific position in DC and truly loved my job.  We need to be careful about locking ourselves into a box and not being open. 

Faith Helps.  I told you how I cried when I heard God’s call to priesthood.  Yet, I agreed to walk in the direction God was leading me.  I didn’t know if it would ultimately lead to priesthood.  I only knew God was calling me in that direction.  Maybe there were people I was supposed to meet, lessons I was supposed to learn, work I was supposed to do that only could be done walking down that path.

For instance, I’d always thought it would be nice to live in New York City, if you had the money.  And I was given that gift through attending seminary.  I lived in an amazing part of New York for rents that were unheard of, because I was in school.  Often I could attend events or go to museums for the student price.  Not only did I receive an excellent education and preparation for priesthood, I received the great experience of New York City and sharing that with my family was also a great joy. 

Now, all of this sounds so easy and it’s not.  The times and times I was on my knees or even on the floor prostrate, crying to God.  Was I doing the right thing?  Was I listening to God?  Was I going in the right direction?  Why do you want me to do this, Lord?  I’m not sure I can do this, Lord. 

Yet, remember I said it was 2006, when the words of Simeon washed over me as never before.  What I didn’t know was that my life would contain more amazing things…things I never put on my bucket list…things I didn’t even know I wanted to put on my bucket list.  My position in DC allowed me to travel the world, to attend meetings at the White House, even one in the West Wing. 

Moving to Washington DC, gave me spiritual connections, mentors and guides.  It led me to seminary in New York City, visits to England and the Holy Land and finally to be ordained to the priesthood and to come here to Kentucky to be with you. 

God calls each of us to an amazing life.  Our job is to listen…to be open…to be patient and to have faith. 

However many years we have on this earth, may we be like Simeon…at peace with the lives we’ve lived in faithful service to God. 

Amen

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? …For he is like a refiner’s fire…  Malachi 3:2

Words from our readings this Sunday may be familiar.  George Frederic Handel used many of these words in his famious work, The Messiah.

Who of us can stand before God?  The Prophet Malachi likens God’s power to that of a refiner’s fire. A refiner’s fire was used to clear all of the impurities out of the rock holding silver or gold.  To become either of those beautiful and shiny metals requires a fire that is over 1800 degrees Fahrenheit!

The prophet lets us know that following God is a serious undertaking.  In doing so, we go through the refiner’s fire and become the beautiful and precious silver and gold.

Enjoy this version of Handel’s piece set to a soulful setting:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TewE8cH4vHc

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

My Schedule: I will be in Corbin on Monday, February 3, and my Sabbath day will be Friday, February 7. Please feel free to contact me any time, however, by calling 859 -429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Lazarus at the Gate, an eight week series on economic discipleship, will begin at the Adult Forum on Sunday January 5. This week, February 2, Elmer Parlier will lead us in a session on Wealth is for Sharing with the Poor.  Next week, Doug Thelen will lead us in a session on Living Economic Discipleship.

Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness. During Lent, I will lead the Living Compass Program, designed to help you assess your life, plan for change, strengthen your faith, and wellness. If you plan to participate, please let me know by February 16, so I can order the materials. You can find more information about the program, including the Living Compass Assessment at http://www.livingcompass.org/adult/program.html/

Confirmation Classes continue on Wednesdays at 4:30pm through February 12. Classes are open to everyone. Sessions will focus on the history, theology and structure of The Episcopal Church. On February 5, Bruce Cory will lead a discussion on the structure of the Episcopal Church.

Godly Play: There will be Godly Play classes this Sunday. If you are interested in assisting with these classes on an occasional basis, please let Anne Day Davis or Dura Anne Price know. You will observe the classes for 4 sessions and once you have received this training, you may be called upon to assist as you are available. Let the children deepen your faith!

The Big Class: How to Be a Crazy Christian with Michael Curry This is a free online course, which you can take any time Monday, January 27 through Monday, February 3.  In this 45 minute class, Bishop Curry will tell us:

• What Is a Crazy Christian?
• Why Being a Crazy Christian is Easy – and Hard
• Habits of a Crazy Christian
• Giving Yourself Permission

To sign up for the course, go to http://www.churchnext.tv/school/catalog/course/how-to-be-a-crazy-christian-with-michael-curry/

Ministerial Alliance Joint Service, February 2, 3pm, Parkway Church. Join me in this ecumenical service celebrating the joining of Williamsburg and Corbin Ministeriums.

Sunday, February 2
10:00am – Adult Forum and Godly Play
11:00am – Eucharist
3:00pm – Ministerial Alliance Service, Parkway Church

Wednesday, February 5
4:30pm – Confirmation
6:00pm – Worship

Sunday, February 9
10:00am – Adult Forum and Godly Play
11:00am – Eucharist
2:00pm – UK Opera at Our Saviour Richmond to benefit St. Agnes’ House

On February 9, 2pm, enjoy some great music by the UK Opera Theatre and benefit St. Agnes’ House. Concert is part of the second Sunday series at Our Saviour, Richmond. Suggested donation is $5.00.

Daughters of the King meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30pm.  The next meeting is February 19.

We will celebrate African-American History Month at our service on February 16.  Celebrating these months reminds us that people of all cultures belong to the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

2014 Church Calendars are available on the shelf in the parish hall. A donation of $2.00 is suggested.

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.

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.

Reimagine the Episcopal Church: In 2012, the General Convention created a taskforce to reimagine The Episcopal Church for the future. The members of the Taskforce want to hear the memories, hopes and dreams that people have for The Church. We are trying to reach as many people as we can over the next few months. We will use what we hear to help us shape recommendations for The Church’s structure, administration and governance. To add your memories, go online at http://reimaginetec.org/ or see Rev. Rebecca for a paper copy you can submit. Deadline is March 4, 2014.

United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.Your UTO offerings are collected twice each year. Each time you feel thankful during your day, put some change into your box. We will gather these gifts of gratitude in May and begin again for the November offering. If you need a UTO box, please see Rebecca.

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Sermon – January 26, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin
3^rd Sunday after the Epiphany

As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Matthew 4:21

Please be Seated

I moved to Washington DC in the spring of 2006, as a result of a new job.  And all I wanted to do was to be in church!  One day in June, I happened to be at a meeting near St. John’s Lafayette Square.  You’ve heard of that church.  It’s the one that Presidents attend.  As it happened, my meeting ended and I was able to make their 12:10 Eucharist.  The priest at the service was a woman I’d see at the National Cathedral.  She worked for the Diocese of Washington and often assisted at the Cathedral. 

St. John’s Lafayette Square is an old church with box pews that are fairly high.  When the Eucharist came, we knelt and I could barely see over the front of the pew.  As the priest was breaking the bread, I heard a voice say, “You can do that.”  The next morning, one of the first things I did was to go online and look up Episcopal Seminaries.  “You’re going to seminary,” I heard.

Then I started to cry.  For about a week, I wrestled with God.  I had a list of reasons a mile long.  I loved my job and the life I had in DC.  I knew being a priest was hard work.  I read the news reports about the lack of jobs.  I knew that while social work is a low paid profession, so is the clergy.  I didn’t want the expense of another degree.

But finally, I knew that if God wanted me to be a priest, God would keep asking me to take those steps.  I experience God’s voice as quiet and persistent.  “Come this way,” it says.  I knew I’d keep hearing that voice.  That God would not let me go.  I also knew that maybe the path and what I did would lead in all sorts of directions and places.  That maybe there were people I was supposed to meet or things I was supposed to do and going this route was the only way to do that.  That maybe I wouldn’t even be ordained, but there was something God needed me to experience or to do and I didn’t know what it would end up looking like.  I had faith and trust that God would give me the next step and I had the commitment to do that next step to my utmost ability.

But it sure wasn’t like the Disciples’ call we hear today.  They heard Jesus say one or two lines and left everything to follow.  What does your call from God look like?

Frederick Buechner says, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

And that was certainly true in my becoming a priest.  While I wasn’t so sure about it, once I got to seminary, I LOVED it.  I hadn’t realized how much my soul, the deepest part of me needed seminary and the training.  I hadn’t realized how deeply being a priest was held in my being.

This past week I picked up a book called “Managing Polarities in a Congregation.” (by Roy M. Oswald and Barry Johnson)  The premise is that some things are not problems to be solved or arguments to win, but rather polarities to keep in balance.  There is no right and wrong.  My friend Esther Moir calls this living in paradox and points out that a functional arch has just that right amount of balance and tension to make it work. 

One of the polarities is that between Call and Duty.  We must heed our call, understanding that it will change over time and at the same time take on duties or responsibilities that align with “what we want our life to be about.” 

When we have Call in balance, the book says, we will

1.  Feel a sense of fulfillment in serving as an instrument of God
2. Identify our motivated gifts – this may be where we wonder about whether we should try something or not.  Maybe others suggest we’d be good at something or that we try something or maybe we just feel that tug and wanting to try something out.
3. Be positive witnesses to others
4. Serve members and nonmembers in new ways.  Think about what you could offer to the church that would be in keeping with our mission.
5. Grow spiritually as we respond to God’s call.  

AND we can also become so locked into Call that we neglect duty.  There are responsibilities that must be carried out.  I believe these tie into our call, but may not be what excites us most about our call.

When we have duty in balance, we will

1.  Experience the rewards of contributing to the community.  This was true for me in participating in faith-based community organizing in Washington, DC.  The issues weren’t always #1 for me, but the community was important, so I made every effort to show up and do what was asked.
2. Experience growth because everyone is doing their fair share.  You know how it is in your personal life, as well as at church, if you feel like you are doing more than your fair share.  You burn out and start to feel resentful.
3. Offer a positive witness to life with Jesus, just as we do when we are acting out of a sense of call.  Jesus certainly was dutiful in going to the cross.
4. Carry out the necessary responsibilities that being a Christian involves.  Remember a couple of weeks ago, we spoke about our baptismal covenant?  Respecting the dignity of every human being, seeking to love and serve Christ in every person.  We have Christian duties.
5. Grow spiritually as we are part of a community and contribute to that community.

Duty may not be the things we love and yet we love them, because we are called to be part of the community or the team.  

So what is God calling you to do?  Are you living out your call or has it changed?  What duties are you performing?  Are you being dutiful to the neglect of your call or are you attending to your call at the neglect of your duty?

There are things in this world that only you can do…things that God has created you to do.  God uses everyone.  God desires every one of us to heed our call and to perform the duties that go along with it. 

Then, we too, will be like the fishermen, Peter and Simon and James and John who dropped what they were doing to follow Jesus because they heeded the call.  

Amen

There will be no gloom for those who are in anguish.  Isaiah 9:1

A defining feature of our faith is that of hope.  During the time of Isaiah, life was really tough for the people.  While Isaiah called them to task for their behavior, he nevertheless held out hope.  He carried the vision given by God for a new world.  This hope kept the people going through tough times.

This verse also keeps us going through tough times today.  Sometimes our lives change too fast.  Sometimes our lives don’t change fast enough.  Our bodies give out and some of us are in chronic pain.  We grieve the losses in our life, even if they are the result of changes we chose.  We are in anguish.

God promises a day when there will be no gloom.  We can rest in the promise that God is with us in our anguish and that eventually we will feel better.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Bulletin 01-26-2014

Pot Luck Sunday: This Sunday is our monthly pot luck.  We expect guests from Everlasting Arms, so plan to bring LOTS of your favorite food or drink to share.  All are welcome!  Stay and enjoy the fellowship.

My Schedule: I will be in Corbin on Monday, January 27, and my Sabbath day will be Friday, January 31. Please feel free to contact me any time, however, by calling 859 -429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Lazarus at the Gate, an eight week series on economic discipleship, will begin at the Adult Forum on Sunday January 5. This week Jeff Davis will lead us in a session on Wealth as a Potential Idol.   Next week, February 2, Elmer Parlier will lead us in a session on Wealth is for Sharing with the Poor.

Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness. During Lent, I will lead the Living Compass Program, designed to help you assess your life, plan for change, strengthen your faith, and wellness. If you plan to participate, please let me know by February 16, so I can order the materials. You can find more information about the program, including the Living Compass Assessment at http://www.livingcompass.org/adult/program.html/

Confirmation Classes continue on Wednesdays at 4:30pm through February 5. Classes are open to everyone. Sessions will focus on the history, theology and structure of The Episcopal Church. There will be no confirmation session on January 29. On February 5, Bruce Cory will lead a discussion on the structure of the Episcopal Church.

Godly Play: There will be Godly Play classes this Sunday. If you are interested in assisting with these classes on an occasional basis, please let Anne Day Davis or Dura Anne Price know. You will observe the classes for 4 sessions and once you have received this training, you may be called upon to assist as you are available. Let the children deepen your faith!

The Big Class: How to Be a Crazy Christian with Michael Curry This is a free online course, which you can take any time Monday, January 27 through Monday, February 3.  In this 45 minute class, Bishop Curry will tell us:

• What Is a Crazy Christian?
• Why Being a Crazy Christian is Easy – and Hard
• Habits of a Crazy Christian
• Giving Yourself Permission

To sign up for the course, go to http://www.churchnext.tv/school/catalog/course/how-to-be-a-crazy-christian-with-michael-curry/

Ministerial Alliance Joint Service, February 2, 3pm, Parkway Church. Join me in this ecumenical service celebrating the joining of Williamsburg and Corbin Ministeriums.

On February 9, 2pm, enjoy some great music by the UK Opera Theatre and benefit St. Agnes’ House. Concert is part of the second Sunday series at Our Saviour, Richmond. Suggested donation is $5.00.

2014 Church Calendars are available on the shelf in the parish hall. A donation of $2.00 is suggested.

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.

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.

Reimagine the Episcopal Church: In 2012, the General Convention created a taskforce to reimagine The Episcopal Church for the future. The members of the Taskforce want to hear the memories, hopes and dreams that people have for The Church. We are trying to reach as many people as we can over the next few months. We will use what we hear to help us shape recommendations for The Church’s structure, administration and governance. To add your memories, go online at http://reimaginetec.org/ or see Rev. Rebecca for a paper copy you can submit. Deadline is March 4, 2014.

United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.Your UTO offerings are collected twice each year. Each time you feel thankful during your day, put some change into your box. We will gather these gifts of gratitude in May and begin again for the November offering. If you need a UTO box, please see Rebecca.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Subscribe to our Website Feed!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin Website: http://stjohnscorbin.org/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin

Sermon – January 12, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin
The First Sunday after Epiphany:  The Baptism of Jesus

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. Matthew 3:13

I have a skewed view of rivers.  You see I grew up near the Susquehanna River, which is 464 miles long and goes through New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland before emptying into the Chespeake Bay and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.  When the river gets to Harrisburg, it is 1 mile wide.  My father crossed one of the bridges every day to go to work in the City and my family crossed that river at least once a week.  So, when I heard or read about rivers, I pictured the Susquehanna, only to learn as I grew older that most rivers in the world are as wide as the creeks that I grew up around. 

Yes, the Susquehanna is wide, but at Harrisburg, it is also pretty shallow and sometimes in August, if you’re careful about the deep holes, you can walk across that river.  When I was 15, the river flooded….  It came to twice its size because of a tropical storm that stalled over New York and Pennsylvania – nearly the entire length of the river.  I happened to be at my grandmother’s house in another town, so watched the flooding on TV; however, my church was in the city and my father came to pick me up early from my grandmother’s house, so I could join others from my church in clean-up teams.  Our church was in an old part of the center city and it was the only place that escaped the flooding, but we had many church members who weren’t so lucky.

I still remember the devastation.  A man from my church committed suicide, not seeing any way to recover.  Mud covered everything and it was a mud that was oily and slimy, because of all of the stuff the river picked up along the way.  People lost things you cannot replace like photos and mementos.  One woman at the church had been in the hospital.  I will never forget going to her apartment.  Everything was neat and in order, except for the coating of mud on every piece of furniture, the bed spread and curtains.  We went to move a small table and the whole thing fell apart from having sat in the flood waters much too long.

Many people fled the city.  Others lived in trailers for months while their homes were repaired.  Some homes were torn down forever.  That flood changed where people lived and how they lived for the future. 

That wide river that you could walk across in the hot and rainless days of August…that seemingly lazy and benign river could also be powerful and destructive.  I lived along that river for a number of years and would walk along it nearly every day.  That flow of the water provided perspective on life.  Scientists estimate the river has been flowing over 66 million years!  The birds and animals migrated in patterns they’d kept long before my lifetime.  So anything that seemed to loom large in my life was reduced to its proper size.  And watching the flow of the river and its rising and falling and changes through the seasons calmed me.  Oh, the sound of a river as it freezes – that slushing sound as the ice builds up — is a sound I still recall. 

And just as the water is both powerful, strong, dangerous, comforting, calming and lifegiving, so is our life in Christ initiated through baptism.  Listen again to our Baptismal covenant – our agreement with God (pages 304-305, Book of Common Prayer):

We believe in God

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God

We believe in God the Holy Spirit

We agree 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

Are you astonished at these promises?  I am.  Oh, my.  I can’t always see the sin in myself and even when I can, I don’t always want to own up to it, but that’s what’s required of repentance.  I don’t pray near enough.  I am not always the best example of the Good News of God in Christ, especially when I’m driving back and forth from here to Lexington.  I judge people way too much.  I don’t always love myself, therefore, I don’t love my neighbor.  While I love working for justice and peace, it’s not easy and I work to remain ignorant of how my lifestyle affects others.  And there are certainly some human beings who are very difficult to respect. 

The fellowship and breaking of the bread can be calming, soothing.  The service and prayers based upon ancient rites, give strength and put things into perspective.  Hearing the Good News of God in Christ and knowing there is a different standard by which to live…all comforting.  And at the same time, they herald a death of what is comfortable…a continual assessment and questioning about how we live our lives and the command to move from self-centeredness to commonwealth – what is the public good or advantage.  And not the public good or advantage from our individual or narrow human viewpoint, but the public good or advantage in the eyes of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is both lazy, shallow river and enormous, flooding river.  Keeping our baptismal covenant is challenging.  We can make our best effort, trusting in the words of the Apostle Peter reported in today’s in Acts:

…God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him…and…everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:34-35, 43

Amen