St. John's Episcopal Church, Huntington, NY

The Chalice

Friday, October 11 2024

An old adage goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” Recently, I was listening to an interview on a podcast and the person being interviewed decried this phrase. She reminded us listeners that words have meaning and they have power. We also have meaning. We also wield power. Thus, when we use our words wrong, we can have the power to hurt someone else. Surely, we have been on each end of this experience. But on the flip side, we know the words we use can help someone, comfort someone, or make someone laugh or think.

The readings from Hebrews and Mark show us the effect of Jesus’ words on our life. It may seem a bit dramatic that the word of God is “sharper than a two-edged sword”, and yet many times Jesus speaks, people are left confused, angry, and like the rich young man in Mark’s Gospel, he runs away grieving. In Acts 2, when Peter is preaching his first sermon, the listeners, we are told, are “cut to the heart”. We, as Christians, believe in a God who is alive and active in this world. His Word still has power and meaning that is fully realized in the person of Jesus Christ. It is also revealed to us in the Holy Scripture, where we go when we wish to reflect, meditate, and pray on the activity of God in each of our lives.

God’s Word is life. It has the power to create and to revive the soul. It is the power that seeks to comfort, to aid, to strengthen each of us so that our words may be used to His greater glory. Are our words aligned with what God wants for us? It could be as simple as curse words. Perhaps we find ourselves being too cynical or too complacent (meaning we need to speak up!). Words are a powerful tool in which we need God's assistance and guidance in order to use this tool well.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Zach

Posted by: Rev. Zach Baker, curate AT 01:35 pm | Permalink | Email

Let the Little Children Come to Me

Friday, October 04 2024

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Relationships

This week’s lectionary can be quite challenging for preachers. It certainly was a test for me. Yet, if we look at three of the scriptures appointed for this Sunday, there is a thread that runs through them all: That of relationships and how important they are to God – and to us.

Genesis:

“The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner” Loneliness, even in the presence of God shows that human beings are wired for companionship. We have been made in the image of God and part of reflecting God’s image is to live in community together. With the creation of woman out of the rib of Adam, God gives us a clear picture that the relationship he created between Adam and Eve was designed to reflect his love, unity and faithfulness.

Hebrews:

“…but in these last days, he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds…” The Son of God forsook his relationship with his Abba-Father to lower himself into a position to establish a better and closer relationship between humans and God. In establishing a more intimate relationship with humans, we now call him our Brother.

Mark:

“But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a message that does in fact honor the marital relationship between husband and wife while at the same time, Jesus’ larger message is that God desires that we each have many blessings and positive experiences from every human relationship – the way God originally desired for us all.

“ Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” We are all God’s children. God includes all of us in God’s kingdom in a relationship like that of the unquestioning trust by the child and obedience to the will of the parents. God’s Kingdom is for all of us, the children, the weak, the vulnerable, the sick, the disenfranchised – All of us!

Hoping you will join us this Sunday as we explore the meaning of relationships in our world, our church and in our lives!

In God’s love and peace,

Deacon Claire

Posted by: Rev. Claire D. Mis, Deacon AT 01:37 pm | Permalink | Email