The Chalice Friday, February 02 2024
>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” (Mark 1:35-38) Jesus heals the man with an unclean spirit and then goes out and heals many people. God’s sovereign power is bringing the world to wholeness and the renewal of all creation. Jesus is given the power of God to do the purpose of God so that you and I will believe in God, believe in the gifts given to us by God, and that God might be manifest in the way we live our lives. Jesus went out to the margins of society, respected the dignity of everyone, healed the sick, forgave the penitent, and ate with sinners and outcasts. His words were so revolutionary that they transformed the community. His action of giving up his life on a cross that they might have life was also transformative because it means that we are forgiven and loved by God, even when we mess up. Please come to church, listen to the Gospel, be transformed by the revolutionary words of Jesus Christ, and shine the light of Christ so brightly that it will transform others to the love of God. If we are all made in the image of God and beloved by God, there is no reason to judge others. We are called to become a Beloved Community of God. Prayer was the foundation of everything Jesus did and prayer is the foundation of everything we do at St. John’s. Our Morning Prayer group meets every weekday at 9:00 am and prays for our friends, neighbors, and for all in need. This week our service times on Sunday are 8:00 am and 10:00 am and we will have our annual meeting after the late service in person only! We will elect one warden and three vestry members. I ask each committee to personally invite new members to join their group. If you are a new member or would like to help out please consider joining our Altar Guild, Thrift Shop, EFM, Racial Reconciliation and Social Justice Ministry, HIHI, ECW, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Youth Group, Christian Education, Readers, Spirituality Group, Nursery School Steering Committee, Ushers, Lay Eucharistic Visitors, Prayer Shawl Ministry, St. Hilda’s Guild, or one of our other committees. This lent we will focus on health, wellbeing, and prayer. There will be Ash Wednesday services at 12 noon and 7:00 pm on February 14th. On February 18th and March 5th, we will have Stations of the Cross in person at 6 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm and a program on health, wellness, and prayer at 7:00 pm. On Tuesdays from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm we will join the Spiritual Imagination Center for Meditation and Contemplative Prayer Online. Our time together will include a guided meditation based on an ancient monastic prayer practice, time for intercession, silence, and beautiful ancient chants. Our Sunday school starts at 9:45 am and we would love to get a few more new families to attend regularly. 1st Communion classes are Wednesdays at 5:00 pm. 1st Communion will be April 7th at the 10:00 am service. Next Week, February 11th is the Super Bowl and our Youth Group is collecting donations to feed the homeless in the Huntington Community. We will cook for the homeless in Huntington on February 13th and 15th. Please join us in the kitchen at 3:00 pm. If you are interested in volunteering for the Thrift shop on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays, please drop by on one of those days from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. In Christ’s love, Fr. Duncan Friday, January 26 2024
>>>> CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION In today’s Gospel, Jesus immediately begins teaching in the synagogue and the people are amazed at the authority by which he teaches. By authority I mean that by the actions of Jesus Christ, justice and righteousness are served. It was the Sabbath and most Jewish folks went to the synagogue. In Jesus day, they had the same problem that we have in our day. Folks follow the law or rules of the church because they believe that they will be made holy. They believe that they can become spiritual by following a set of rules. Suddenly they are faced with a new interpretation of scripture that makes sense to them. Not only does Jesus preach on the Hebrew scripture, but Jesus follows the teaching with a healing. Richard Rohr said, “Jesus enters the synagogue and of course he recognizes the evil ones, and they recognize him (Mark 1:24). They’re exposed. This is the first exorcism, or casting out of a demon, and it’s in a most amazing place. It’s not in the marketplace, it’s not in the prostitutes, it’s not in the tax collectors. The devil is in the synagogue itself! This is no small symbol. The only way evil can succeed is to disguise itself as good. And one of the best disguises for evil is religion. Just pretend to love God, go to church every Sunday, recite the creed, and say all the right things. Someone can be racist, be against the poor, hate immigrants, and be totally concerned about making money and being a materialist, but still go to church each Sunday and be “justified” in the eyes of religion.” We pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus proclaims, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of heaven has come near; repent and believe in the Good News” God is active at St. John’s and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to witness to the love of God and to be the light of Christ in a land of darkness. The Good News is that Jesus came to show us that God loves us, equips us with the gifts we need to respect and love one another, and gives us what we need to live an abundant life. We are a healthy and active church in the Diocese of Long Island. If we are healthy, it is because of our relationship with Jesus Christ and our willingness to witness to that love. If we are active, it is through the grace of God, in the love of Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. We can shine a great beacon of light because everything we do comes through the peace, love, and grace of God. Ask yourself this, "If St. John's were not here, would it make a difference to this community?" Let’s be the beloved community that God calls us to be in 2024. At St. John’s, we can witness to our faith by coming to church, worshiping and praising God, and being sent out to the community to love and serve Christ. We are a parish in an ever secular, fast moving, polarized, and violent world. Paul asks us to, “be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” In other words, we are all one in Christ. Please be confident that God has the strength to bring us to the Kingdom, that place where heaven and earth intersect, if we will only allow ourselves to be transformed. In Christ’s love, Friday, January 19 2024
>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION The Call to Follow Jesus We are in the season of Epiphany – a season that continues well beyond the Feast Day itself, when we experienced the joy and wonder of the magi who travelled so far from the east. Following a light – a star that aroused their curiosity, that aroused them out of complacency. But God was clearly calling them to move!
Have you ever experienced an epiphany – a moment of recognition – a moment of light and awareness? Perhaps your epiphany occurred when you recognized a call and you deeply believed and discerned that it was from God. Some may wonder, is that you, God? Nevertheless calls from God can be life changing, like seeking ordained ministry, changing your career, realizing that you need to use your gifts on the Vestry. Calls can lead us into new directions and enable us to meet new people and use new skills, – like volunteering for Hospice, for a local hospital, or for our Thrift shop. You never know who you will meet and how that will change your life. No call from God is too small. A whisper in your ear (that still small voice) tells you that you need to make a meal for your sick neighbor, or to stop to help someone who fell on the sidewalk. But you heard a call and you discerned it to be from God. Our lectionary this week focuses on “the call.” “Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ…” We know that Mark is a Gospel of action and urgency. Jesus approaches Peter, Andrew, James and John and simply says “follow me.” And, “immediately” they drop what they were doing to follow. Their willingness to respond to the call changed our world.
Recognizing God’s call is not always easy or obvious. That is why we spend time reading the scriptures in Bible Study, or come together for Morning prayer – which exposes us to the daily lectionary. In both instances we are in community, learning to hear God’s call. The interesting thing about God’s call is that God is persistent, as we will see in Jonah this week. He returns to Jonah again and again until Jonah responds. The beauty of responding to God’s call is that God is always there to guide and support you in every step of the journey. Where is God calling you? See you in church! Friday, January 12 2024
>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION For you yourself created my inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
Doctors often give us the advice that we need to listen to our bodies in terms of our physical (including mental!) health. But this weekend in the readings, I sense that God is asking us to listen to our bodies in terms of our spiritual health. Our spiritual life and our physical life are always connected, each part is what makes us human beings. Perhaps we think more often of how our physical life impacts our spiritual life and rarely about how our spiritual life impacts our physical health. This is, of course, a two way street that should be heavy with traffic because they are so well connected.
So how does our spiritual life impact our physical life? Our lives are influenced daily by the world around us. I think we understand how and when this occurs, and certainly I’ve preached here already on this topic. When we sin, Paul teaches, our bodies are affected. And as the Psalmist declares, our God knows everything about us. Like the members of our prayer shawl ministry pray over their shawls, God knitted us together in our mother’s womb and prayed over us, declaring who we are. “Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb; all of them were written in your book.” (Ps. 139:15a) Yet the world is alright with using you and me and discarding the rest. Our careers, our schedule, the media, heck even church if not properly prioritized (i.e., know when to say yes and when to say no), can all have negative effects on our physical health.
To remember we are God’s can be a daunting task because we may feel like we do not need him. But we are not ours only, we are not only our parent’s child, we are children of God. We are God’s own; our bodies are meant to be loved and cared for by Him. They are temples to be used for God’s glory who gives us the strength to endure. No spiritual life is perfect, but when regular rhythms of prayer and reflection are introduced, they absolutely play a part in one’s physical and mental restoration.
You want to know your body and soul better? Seek God and all these things will be added unto you.
In Christ, Sunday, January 07 2024
>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION “How do we as a community encounter the living presence of our risen Lord? How do we celebrate that presence in the midst of our heterogeneity—together as one people of different ages, genders, political parties, races, sexual orientations, ethnic and cultural backgrounds? How do we incorporate that presence into our daily routines? How do we act on that presence through our baptism? How do we live out our relationship with Jesus joyously and take its baptismal responsibilities seriously? In other words—How do we live mission?” (Rock Schuler) John the Baptist is proclaiming that the Messiah is coming to liberate the people from sin and death and to baptize them with the Holy Spirit. John baptizes Jesus in the river Jordan. God acts through the water. As Jesus comes out of the water, the heavens are torn apart, the spirit descends on him like a dove and a voice from heaven says to Jesus, “You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased.” At that moment of Mark’s Gospel, at the age of thirty, Jesus’ ministry begins. Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit as Messiah to lead us out of death and into everlasting life. As Jesus comes out of the water, the heavens tear open. Mission is the inertia behind healthy, dynamic congregations. When we are empowered to live this vision—life-changing ministry happens. Jesus’ baptism is a moment of literal divine intervention into the realm of this world. Jesus will come to challenge the status quo and centers of political and economic power. Isaiah and other prophets promised justice for the poor and disenfranchised, and Jesus came from heaven to proclaim God’s justice and to show us what the peace of God feels like. Jesus comes out of the river, still wet from the waters of baptism and goes to the margins of society. He heals the sick, gives hope to the poor and in other words—Jesus teaches us how to do mission. Jesus then teaches how to give your life for the sake of others. Jesus doesn’t worry about what the rich and powerful are going to do to him, he prays and heals everyone he meets with a broken heart, every person that is lonely, sick, hungry, alienated and suffering. Jesus gets into the muddy waters of our messy lives and shows us the way to new life. God up in heaven loves us so much, that God shows us this path of emerging from this water into new life. Our mission at St. John’s is to know Christ and make him known. We do this through our mission in the community. Please join us making meals for the homeless through HIHI on January 5th and 26th, February 13th and 16th and March 1st and 9th. We also bring gift cards from Dunkin, McDonalds, Burger King and Taco Bell. Join us in the Thrift on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 12-3 pm. We also need lightly worn winter clothes, boots, gloves and hats. Our ECW meets again on January 28th at 11:15 am in the Guild Room where they will plan a whole year of outreach and ministry. This year we will be traveling to Sedona, Arizona and Bluff, Utah to do mission work with the Navajo. Please let me know what dates work for you, if you are interested. St. John’s is also providing opportunities to deepen your spirituality with the Lord this year. We will travel to Holy Cross Monastery for a retreat from March 19-21. The cost is $220 for lodging and meals. On May 6-8, we plan to travel to the retreat center of Trinity Wall Street in Connecticut. Please consider joining us this year by contacting Coral or by reaching out to one of our clergy. Space is limited on all trips. In Christ’s love, Friday, December 22 2023
>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION “What’s in a word?” This Sunday, which is firstly the Fourth Sunday of Advent, there is great emphasis in the lectionary readings about the “word” or speech in general. A word from the Lord comes to Nathan who instructs him to tell David to build a permanent tabernacle. Psalm 89 is sprinkled with references on words or speech. “My mouth will proclaim…” “Oath” “Spoke in a vision…” We should be well to remember that the Lord spoke all of creation into existence. “The Lord said, let there be light…” And then Mary proclaims one of the hardest and most humbling words we as Christians, and anyone to anyone else for that matter, can say. “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Difficult if only because our human nature wants to follow our will, my will, what I want to do. If you were at Spirituality Group last week, you heard me talk on hope using my favorite theologian and thinker, Jacques Ellul. In another book of his, titled Humiliation of the Word, Ellul makes the distinction between reality, which is seen and has to do with sight, and the truth, which is spoken and heard through word. God reveals himself as Truth to all of reality (the reality he created by his Word) through the Word made Flesh. In today’s world, we seem to be more interested in what is seen. We demand proof and evidence (like St. Thomas!). Television, social media, advertisements have created what seems like a vortex of our attention. We spiral into binge watching our favorite TV shows or stay up late watching TikTok reels. We know that attention spans are decreasing. While many of grew up with television, we didn’t grow up with so many choices of screen time. Phones, tablets, televisions, video games, etc. I don’t wish to critique any parenting styles and know how convicted I am in my participation of screen time. All of these images, however, can have the power to disconnect us from the source of all goodness and truth, God, who in his mighty power, came down to us, as a baby. (I’ve always wondered about those initial sounds baby Jesus made, those sweet coos, the yawn, the little grunts babies make when they stretch, just like the rest of us). Ellul does not argue that word and truth are superior to image and reality. Both are needed for the fullness of understanding who we are. So, what’s in a word? Everything else needed to make sense of what is in front of us. Jesus Christ will soon be here, the truth of God in the fullness of our reality. We are more than consumers of media or images. Do you listen for a word from God? Sometimes this Word isn’t what we want to hear. Sometimes it’s exactly the answer to a prayer. It’s amazing who we can be and what we can do when we stop and listen and wait for the Word that creates us anew and allows us to say, “You called me, God, let it be done according to you.” I hope you had a blessed Advent and have a Merry Christmas! Fr. Zach Sunday, December 17 2023
>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us. Let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us, through Jesus Christ our Lord… (Collect 3 Advent) When I was studying for my M-Div. degree my professor recommended that when we open a book for his class, we should first read the last chapter and then begin the book. In the case of the Gospel, we start every year knowing how the book ends. Our church year begins in Advent with lessons from the last chapter of Mark. In the second week, we start at the beginning of Mark with the prophet John the Baptist. This week we go to the first chapter of John. In verse five, John says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” We will now get to see the serum light enter into humanity. The Gospel goes on with the story of John the Baptist on the river Jordon near Bethany. The first century historian Josephus wrote: "John, that was called the Baptist… who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness.” We begin Advent in the darkness of the world with the second coming of our Lord and then go back to the time and place in history when the prophet, John the Baptist pointed to the light. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). Jesus enters our story in Mark as he begins his ministry. Our lectionary experts have given us a head start on the disciples. We will watch them struggle to understand who Jesus is. Mark points us backwards to what God has promised to us through the prophets. The prophet Isaiah says, ”The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified (Isaiah 61:1-2). It is time to prepare some space in our heart for Jesus Christ. Last week, Deacon Claire promised that God is searching for us and we merely need to turn towards God to accept him in our life. This week we are asked to look for the light coming out of the darkness. Jesus came to bring the good news of the love of God. We have this hope in Jesus Christ that carries us through difficult times. God’s grace and mercy will surely come to those who wait. In Christ’s love, Fr. Duncan Sunday, December 10 2023
>>>>CLICK HER FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION Advent conjures up lots of words, thoughts and questions. As I spent time pondering what to write for this week’s Chalice my mind was overrun with many questions Perhaps you have some also: · What do we most need this Advent? · What are we waiting for? · Who are we waiting for? · Where is our wilderness? · In the busyness of our lives, are we able to hear the voice that cries out to our hearts? · If God is coming to bring us peace, how and where can we find it? · How do we prepare a home in our hearts for the one to come and come again? So, we come to church – a place where we can worship God, to be inspired and grounded, to be part of a community, to be blessed and find support in the timelessness of Holy Scripture, maybe even to become better people. Church can also be for many of us a place of peace – a respite from our daily challenges – a place to retreat from the world and slow down as we search for answers that will endure. As I looked at the word art that is at the top of this message, it took a long time for me to find the one word I was desperately looking for – something I need: Peace. I know I am not alone in this need. See if you can find it! It is barely noticeable. Yet, peace, comfort, patient waiting and even a call to turn our hearts to God, to seek forgiveness, are among the many themes found in our lectionary for this Sunday. Psalm 85 verse 8 tells us: Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Where is this peace to be found? Henri Nouwen tells us, “The answer is clear. In weakness. First of all, in our own weakness, in those places of our hearts where we feel most broken, most insecure, most in agony, most afraid. Why there? Because there, our familiar ways of controlling our world are being stripped away; there, we are called to let go from doing much, thinking much, and relying on our self-sufficiency. Right there where we are weakest, the peace which is not of this world is hidden.” (emphasis added) I pray that you will all join us this Sunday – for a time of peace – perhaps to get some answers to the deeper questions that are challenging you. Maybe even to find peace. Shalom, Deacon Claire Friday, December 01 2023
>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION “May he whose second Coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love” (Advent Blessing). Advent is a season of faithful action, as we wait in joyful expectation for the coming of Christ in the world. As we heard in last week’s Gospel, we can look for Jesus in the oppressed of the world. We see Christ through caring for the sick, feeding the poor, and welcoming the stranger. We give thanks for all who gave to our Thanksgiving Baskets. To some of us, this year has had its share of difficult times and we ask the Lord to come into our hearts and sustain us. Please join us for Blue Christmas Healing on December 14th at 7 PM. To others, like the persecuted church of the first century, we just hope that God will help us endure to the end. Regardless of where we are right now, we know that our redeemer will come one day and put things right. Since we do not know when, we want to always be alert and ready. We come to church each Sunday to thank and give praise to God. In this Advent season, let us with steadfast faith, open our eyes and hearts to the coming of Jesus. This Advent, let us keep awake, to see what really matters. In the words of Isaiah, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down…we are the clay and you are the potter; we are the work of your hand.” Let us be clay in the potters hand on that day when the sky darkens, so that we might not fear that day, but be ready for it. Isaiah tells us that we will all fade like a leaf and wither like the grass. While we are here, let’s focus on the eternal, the things that shall not pass. Let us give testimony to the Gospel. Advent is a time when we wait for the revealing of Christ. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing. Advent is a time when we align our lives with the will of God. Last week in my sermon, I spoke of bringing friends, family, and our community to all the wonderful events we have at this time of year at St. John’s. Please keep a holy Advent and plan to come to church these next four Sundays. Worship and prayer are what we all need to do in these troubling times as we prepare for the coming of Christ. Our Advent calendar is a little different this year because Advent IV happens on Christmas Eve. We will have our Christmas Pageant rehearsal and the greening of the church on December 16th. On December 17th we will have a Rite I service at 8 AM and our Christmas Pageant at 10:00 AM. On Sunday December 24th we will have our Advent IV service at 9:00 AM. We will have Christmas Eve services on Sunday, December 24th at 4 PM, 7 PM, and 10 PM. Christmas morning service will be at 9 AM. I am so thankful for the dedicated folks at St. John’s that will be giving a little extra this year to make this happen. This weekend, our youth group will be selling Christmas wreaths and flowers. Please contact Fr. Zach or Ford ASAP to reserve your wreath. Please join us on Tuesday, December 5th and 12th at 6 PM for Evening Prayer, supper, and our Advent program. Bishop Wolf will join us on December 9th at 9:00 AM for an Advent Retreat. In Christ’s love, Friday, November 24 2023
>>>clck here for full email version I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come (Ephesians 1:16-21). St. John’s, Huntington has something that you need, your family needs, your friends need, and your neighbors need. It is the love of Christ in your heart. This love starts by realizing who Jesus is and what he did, does, and will do for anyone that believes in him. With the “eyes of our heart enlightened,” we can bring the peace “that passes all understanding” to our inner circle. Have you felt the tension that folks are feeling on social media, on the roads, and at your workplace? We are headed into an election year again and we all know this divides us as a nation. The world is divided by war and unspeakable evil. Many churches are dying. Paul tells us that there is hope in Jesus Christ. It begins with a thankful heart. Please give thanks for everything that you have been given. This week’s Gospel asks if we have fed the hungry, given a drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited those in prison. We need you at St. John’s, and perhaps the love of Jesus Christ and the peace of God is just the remedy that the world could use right now. We would love for you to fill out a 2024 pledge card and catch up on your 2023 pledge. These are difficult times financially for churches. Let’s carry on the tradition of the last 278 years at St. John’s. We ask for you to volunteer or bring in some gently used winter clothing for the Thrift Shop. We ask for you to support our Adopt a Family. We need you not only to come to church, but to invite others for Advent programs, Christmas Concerts, and services. We stand at the crossroads and we need everyone to make a choice. Will we accept the love of God or will we be sucked into the division and hatred that has enveloped our world? There will be Advent Wreath Making after the 10:00 AM service on Sunday November 26th at the coffee hour. Join us for our Advent Series from 6-8 PM on Tuesdays, December 5th and 12th and on our Advent Retreat with Bishop Wolf from 9 AM-12:30 PM on Saturday, December 9th. Please order your Youth Group Christmas Wreath and Flower by November 28th. Our youth will hand out your wreath and flowers on Saturday December 2nd from 10:30-1 and Sunday December 3rd until noon. Please fill out your Altar Guild Christmas Poinsettia Memorials and Thanksgivings forms ASAP! Please attend our concert, Peace on Earth on December 10th at 7 PM and our St. John’s Christmas Concert on December 17th at 7:30 PM with Leslie, Christine, and friends. In Christ’s love, Fr. Duncan Latest Posts
Archive
|