Far be it from me to not believe.

Even when my eyes can't see 

And this mountain that's in front of me  

Will be thrown into the midst of the sea…  

So let go my soul and trust in Him  

The waves and wind still know His name… 

Through it all, through it all    

My eyes are on You 

Through it all, through it all   

It is well with me…  

It is well, it is well, with my soul (It is well, Kristene DiMarco)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that death does not hold a grip on us. One day we will all be accountable for our lives, but what a blessing that we are forgiven of all our sins and are offered new life in Jesus Christ. In the song, “It is Well” performed by Kristene DiMarco, we get a glimpse of the hope that God offers us. Despite our failings and the difficulties that we face, our relationship with Christ gets us through the toughest of times. When we are tired or exhausted by this pandemic, when we lose a loved one, when we have difficulties at work, when we are fighting sickness or disease, or when we struggle with depression, it is a comfort to know that Christ came to know and feel our pain. Our faith in God’s redeeming hope gives us the strength to go on even when there are mountains in front of us. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes to the disciples and said. “Peace be with you.” The cornerstone of every thing we believe is Jesus Christ because he came back after dying on a Christ to let us know that death has no dominion over us. In other words, God is telling us that even though things looked bad on Easter morning, “It is well.” God’s peace is that feeling that although we struggle during this pandemic, we have hope. What Mary and the disciples have seen and heard, enables us to be in fellowship with God and one another. The peace of God is relationship with Jesus Christ and one another. At St. John’s we witness our fellowship through our hospitality to others. Even though we cannot feed our visitors in the Parish Hall, we can invite others to zoom or stream our daily prayer or Sunday services with one another. We can do that by sharing our facebook live services. We can share the light of Christ to others by sharing our concerts, inviting folks to take Sacred Ground, sending a link to our morning prayer, or praying for one another every day.

People come to us with their children and ask us to baptize them in Easter. Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body the Church. The World Council of Churches defined Baptism as “the sign of new life through Jesus Christ” and described baptism as the “entry into the New Covenant between God and God’s people” St. John’s is the living faith that has been passed down to every generation since Mary, Peter, John and the disciples. It is our responsibility to teach the Word of God and Baptize the next generation. This is a more difficult task than it once was. We need every member of our congregation to proclaim that Christ is Risen and all will be well! By looking outward to others instead of inward toward ourselves, we can become the Easter people that God created us to be.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL EMAIL VERSION

“Some years ago in the last century George McLeod, returned from fighting in the First World War; a war that he came to realize was fought for no good reason. He eventually became ordained, and founded the Iona Community, and at one point he said this about this faith that we hold as followers of Jesus: I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves, on the town garbage dump, at a crossroads so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. It was the kind of place where cynics talk smut, thieves curse, soldiers gamble. That’s where he died. And that’s where we as Christians ought to be and what we as Christians ought to be about” (Presiding Bishop Curry).

It has been a full year since many of our parishioners have been at church at St. John’s. This has been very bittersweet. Some folks have been unable to connect to the virtual services and have fallen away from church. Some folks were already in the process of falling away before the pandemic. The experts say that between 20 percent and 30 percent of the members will not return to your church.

Yet at St. John’s, I get the sense that our community has gotten stronger during this pandemic. Morning Prayer, Bible Study, Spirituality Group, outreach, zoom services, streaming, Prayer shawl ministry, and in person services are all trending up. In addition, many parishioners have increased their giving to those in need. Our bulletin board is loaded with thank you letters and cards from grateful folks in our community. We have also worked really hard on racial reconciliation and have attracted many newcomers through our Sacred Ground program.

I attribute our success with the love we have for Jesus Christ and our willingness to share what we have with others. I see the most important trends so far at St. John’s to be increased bonds between parishioners, deeper relationships with Jesus Christ, a greater hunger and thirst for justice, and a willingness to go out into the community. As we celebrate Easter this Sunday and move towards the celebration of Pentecost on May 23^rd, I ask you to ponder the words of our Presiding Bishop and look for Jesus in the poor, naked, thirsty, hungry folks in our streets.

My sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to Holy Week services by giving your time, talent, and treasure. In the weeks and months ahead we will begin to assemble again in person as one body in Christ. Many of us have a pent up desire to be together in church and at coffee hour. Nelly mentioned the other day at Morning Prayer that Jesus is with us even in the darkest of times. Jesus will be with us as we get back together in church and he will be with us when we go out into the community. May you have a blessed Easter and meet our Lord on your journey, so that you may say, like Mary, “I have seen the Lord.”

In Christ's Love,

Rev. Duncan A. Burns, Rector

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL EMAIL VERSION

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:4-9). 

The mystery of the Cross, the redemptive death and resurrection of Christ, is at the heart of the Christian story of salvation of the world. Christ, offering himself as a sacrifice to atone for human sins on the Cross, reveals the divine mystery of the self-sacrificing love of God. The mystery of the Cross calls for the human participation in that sacred act, which is renewed and celebrated in the Eucharistic sacrifice. The corporate participation of all the faithful is the ideal and the norm of this objectively sacred act of sacrifice (Bishop Shin).

Lent is a time of preparation, when we teach the faithful to draw closer to the one we love. It is by our example of worship, study, prayer, and outreach that others will see that Jesus Christ came that we might have life and live it abundantly. Jesus Christ came that we might be transformed from a sinner to the beautiful children of God that we were created to be.

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

Eternal life begins today and never ends. Please use these next few weeks of Lent to draw closer to the one who loves you deeply. The most significant preacher in a congregation is not the person in the fancy vestments in the pulpit, but the people in the congregation going out into the world. Apostles have been transformed by the cross of our Lord, to do the will of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fact of the matter is that priests come and go, but the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the lives at St. John’s goes on from generation to generation. God loves us so deeply that Christ, God’s Son, suffered on a cross that we might be forgiven of our sins.

We have the power to transform the nightmare that the world can be into the blessing of the Kingdom of God. We are transformed through the bread of life and we become the transforming power in the world. Please have hope that God can fix this mess of hatred, addiction, gun violence, racism, and sexism. God will transform us into the beautiful children of God, if we would just turn to him, who died for our sins. So if you have been hurting, frustrated, sick, or a little down, have faith that God will make all things new again. We will emerge from this pandemic as we emerged from our baptism, wet in the waters of the Holy Spirit and anointed to become the beloved community that God calls us to be.

This past week, Pat Ahmad gave a wonderful presentation on the children’s book, Same Difference by Calinda Rawles. If you were unable to attend our Lenten Program, I ask you to go on our website at stjohnshuntington.org and watch the program at your leisure. Our racial reconciliation and social justice committee is putting on a fabulous Lenten series on Tuesday nights. Please join us for the next two weeks on Wednesday nights.

In Christ's Love,

Fr. Duncan

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL EMAIL VERSION OF THE CHALICE 

“The love which he incarnated, by which we are saved, is to become the love which fills us beyond capacity and flows out to heal the world; so that the Word may become flesh once more, and dwell (not just among us, but) within us. Having beheld his glory, we must then reveal his glory, glory as of the beloved children of the father, full of grace and truth.” 

(NT Wright and Michael Bird, The New Testament in its World)

Last Sunday, Alex, our choir, and the choirs and musicians of St. Augustine’s, Brooklyn put on a Gospel Concert. What made it remarkable was the deep spiritual content of the program. Gospel music can be incredibly more than just a genre of music. Claire told us that Gospel singing goes deep into our physical beings and I believe that it can go right into our souls. This way of thinking is expressed perfectly in the Gospel of John. Jesus says I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Fr. John said in Bible Study that there is one word that sums us the Gospel of John, Love. Paul said that, “The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us that are being saved it is the power of God” (1Cor. 1:18). Our mission at St. John’s is to feel deep in our hearts the love of God through Jesus Christ so strongly that the love of Jesus Christ exudes from our singing, hospitality, worship, prayer, mission outreach, and love of our neighbor.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus travels to Jerusalem early in his ministry. Jesus prepares for the Passover by going to temple in Jerusalem three times in John’s Gospel. The temple in Jerusalem was the center of attention for Jews in Jesus’ time and Passover was the time when Jews made a pilgrimage to the city. Jerusalem was the place that their God had promised to dwell with them. It was more than just the place where they worshiped; it was the center of all facets of their life. When he arrives he is angered by the money changers and the merchants. Some are trying to make a large profit by converting Greek or Roman coinage to Tyrian currency so that it may be donated to the temple. Others are controlling the sale of animals to be used in temple worship. Jesus can’t believe what is going on and he seems to totally lose control. He makes a whip and chases away the animals, turns over the tables and pours out the coins of the money changers. Jesus had the ability to see not only their actions, but also their motivation. This is a deep conviction from Jesus that the people of God have forsaken their relationship with God and reverence for God’s house for personal gain. Jesus is purging the temple of those who are taking advantage of the pilgrims.

Too often today, I see churches that are focused on being politically correct and as a result miss the truth. While taking the popular flavor of their cultural time, they miss the whole point of the Gospel. The Gospel is offensive to those who use God’s House for personal gain. The Gospel is offensive to those who pollute our environment for their personal comfort. The Gospel asks us to love God and our neighbor. Therefore, it is offensive to those who do not love God with all their heart, soul, and might. It is offensive to those who hate one another. The Gospel is offensive to those who perpetuate racism by what they say or don’t say.

“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3:15-22).

Today is a perfect day to hear the love of the Gospel of John and to give yourself fully to God. God waits patiently for a deeper relationship. Your witness in word and deed may be the only Gospel that many people will ever hear. Ring true to the love of God deep in your heart as our choirs and musicians did at our Gospel Concert!

In Christ's Love,

Fr. Duncan

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL EMAIL VERSION

Lord, your summons echoes true

When you but call my name.

Let me turn and follow you

And never be the same.

In your company I'll go

Where your love and footsteps show.

Thus I'll move and live and grow

In you and you in me (The Summons).

Paul’s finest letter, in my opinion, is his letter to the Romans. Written at about 57 BCE, Paul writes to the church in Rome to establish them in the true Gospel. The theme of the book is the righteousness of God. Righteousness (dikaiosune in Greek) is given by the mercy of God through faith. In this week’s lessons, we observe that Abraham was given the free gift of righteousness long before God gave the law to Moses through the Ten Commandments. Abraham did not earn the righteousness of God through the law. Salvation comes through the mercy and love of God simply because we are God’s beloved. When we were baptized, we were sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.

God makes a covenant that “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Genesis 17:7).

We were all created in God’s likeness and image. We are called to move and live and grow, me in you and you in me. We need to have faith in God’s ability to call us into relationship. God’s grace is unearned. We cannot earn salvation through any work of our own. All of us have committed sins, but because God loves us, God gave Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, to die on a cross for our sins. Many people worry about sins that we have committed. Those sins were washed away like the ocean washes away a sand castle at high tide. We are asked to repent or turn to God in Lent.

Our response to the love, mercy, and grace of God is to give God praise, develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and to love our neighbor. A perfect example of that was last week’s Gospel Concert. Our relationship with St. Augustine’s has created a bond that is palpable. Several members messaged me that they cried as the youth sang last Sunday. The music went beyond this temporal world, through the bones and muscles in our bodies, and into our souls. The deep faith of our congregation meets the deep faith of St. Augustine’s and creates a bond much stronger than our cultural norms that would divide us.

In today’s Gospel Jesus asks, “Who do they say I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:27-27). The Messiah by definition is the Savior of the people. Christian’s believe that Christ is the anointed Messiah, who came to save us. I ask you to put your trust in God. Have faith that your sins are forgiven and respond by listening to God, loving God and loving your neighbor. The Hebrew word Shema means to listen, but also to obey God’s will for our lives. We are children of Abraham because he modeled what Shema means. Shema is that bond that we create through racial reconciliation.     

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION

The spiritual journey is a process of liberation from programs for happiness that cannot possibly work: ones rooted in the gratification of instinctual needs for security, approval, power, and control. The journey is not just a method of mediation or a practice to find personal peace. Rather, it is a total surrender to the human condition, in all its ramifications, including its desperate woundedness. It is a transformative process into the light, life, and love of God. Then we no longer manifest the false self but the image of God within us and the likeness to God which is the assimilation of the mind and heart of Christ into our everyday life (Heartfulness, The Human Condition, Overview).

Lent is the time when we realize that the distractions of the world have kept us from God’s purpose in our lives. This pandemic has given us free time at home, but many of us are consumed with social media, online shows, the weather and all the political nonsense that the networks try to get us addicted to. If we want to be an authentic expression of Christ’s light, we need to pray, study, listen, and make God the center of our world again. Please journey with St. John’s and observe a Holy Lent this year. Take a few quiet moments to re-examine the gifts that God has given you and align yourself again to God’s purpose.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Please use this Lenten season to go into a deeper relationship with Christ. Join us for Morning Prayer at 9:00 AM. Join us on Tuesdays via Zoom for Stations of the Cross at 6:00PM, Evening Prayer at 6:30, and our Adult Christian education program from 7:00-8:00. We will look at racial reconciliation through children’s books this year. Next Sunday, February 21^st at 4:00 PM we will offer a Gospel Concert with our sister parish St. Augustine’s in Brooklyn. On Saturday February 28^th, Fr. John will lead our quiet day via Zoom from 9:30-11:30 AM. This year’s topic is “Eternity & the Public Library.” Monday nights at 6:30PM and Tuesday Mornings at 11:00 AM we will be offering Bible Study. Thursday nights we do compline at 8:15 PM.

Our Mission at St. John’s is to Know Christ and to Make Christ Known. Lent is the perfect opportunity to do this at St. John’s. You are God’s Beloved and God blessed you with gifts that you might a blessing to others. Despite this nightmare that many are facing during this pandemic, we can be a light to others. But first, we must take care of ourselves and one another. We offer extensive opportunities to step out of this confused culture we live in and into the loving arms of our Lord. May all that we do be to the glory of God!

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever” (Ephesians 3:20-22).

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION

Hope and Good News are in the Air!

This has been such a difficult year for most of us and recent events have added to our continued angst and feelings of hopelessness. But it is important for us to remember that there is always hope for Christians. With the change in our government along with clearer ways that we may receive our vaccinations, we may begin to see a brighter future ahead.

All of the scripture for Sunday is pointing toward that hope. The Psalm is so comforting – reminding us that God is our rock, our salvation and our stronghold. We can indeed trust God and lean on him. He is undeniably powerful and steadfast, and promises never to abandon us, even in the midst of turmoil and confusion.

The Gospel message has asked us to be available – to be ready to respond to Jesus’ call to ministry. That call for all of us at St. Johns is to deepen our knowledge of Christ and to make Christ known in our world. That, dear friends, is what evangelism is all about. How we spread the good news may depend on our unique personalities, our gifts and our temperaments, but there are as many ways to spread the Gospel as there are parishioners here at St. Johns. Of course, the easiest way is to know who Christ is and to live out his message in your daily actions. Perhaps taking a meal to one of our fellow-parishioners in need, or helping to transport a friend who is unable to drive to a medical appointment. It may be as simple as picking up the phone and reaching out to someone from whom you haven’t heard in awhile. This is not hard…we can all share the Gospel message of love and charity through our actions.

Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Corinthians that the “present form of this world is passing away.” We are being instructed to make the most of our time before Christ’s return. There is an urgency about answering the call. Let us not wait, like Jonah, for God to call us twice. We have been given the Good News. Now we too have been called, just like Jesus’ disciples to spread that good news – whether it be in words or actions, but please, let’s make our words and actions reflect the heart of who Jesus is.

Faithfully yours,

Claire Mis

Seminarian

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL EMAIL VERSION

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry uses the 2nd Inaugural Speech of Abraham Lincoln and the words of Martin Luther King Jr. to ask the question, “Who will we be?” Should we as a nation go forth in chaos or community? Jesus taught us to move towards the Kingdom of God. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then unselfish sacrificial love is the way beyond chaos to community. The Episcopal Church asks us to work together on a path away from chaos to Beloved Community. Please be an agent of God’s love by blessing someone in need this very day.

 “God, the Gospel proclaims, works that Divine Will not through the overwhelming demonstration of power, but rather by working from powerlessness and vulnerability that is both apparent and real. What transforms, what transfigures this powerlessness into the power that God uses to the Good is the willingness to be open to God. To be made, and remade, in God’s image. And that takes imagination, courage and faith” (The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk).

In today’s Gospel from the first chapter of John Nathanael meets Jesus and says to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Phillip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!”

In the Gospel of Mark, it is the Roman Centurion that acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God after he dies on the cross for our sins. In John’s Gospel, Nathaniel declares that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Jesus knew us well before we knew him and we are anointed with the Holy Spirit to be the Beloved Community that God calls us to be.

If you are wondering how we will proceed as a nation through all the chaos, I ask you to put your faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is in our vulnerability and powerlessness against this Covid virus that we need to stay safe and put our faith in God. Together we can make it through this. Once you have faith that God can transform this chaotic mess into community again, you are able to reflect the light of Christ to a dark world. We do that through proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord, seeking to develop our relationship with him in prayer and worship, and loving our neighbor. Please join me in prayer and worship on Sunday in person at 8 and 11 or on zoom for Morning Prayer at 8 and 9:15. I ask you to turn in prayer to the love of God in Jesus Christ. We would also like for you to join us at 9:00 for daily Morning Prayer and on Tuesday evening at 6:30PM for a dramatic Reading of the Gospel of Mark.

Let me end with the question that Presiding Curry asks us,” Who will we be?” Please have trust in God that we can break free in our vulnerability from the chaos and into Beloved Community if we love God and one another.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PRESIDING BISHOPS MESSAGE

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. “But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her (Luke1:26-38).

One of the greatest surprises in the story of God’s coming into our midst is that God did not choose a queen or a princess to be the mother of God’s Son. In fact, God chose a very unlikely person. Instead of choosing royalty from a high and mighty family, God chose a lowly maid. In a period of history that emphasized the importance of age, God chose a young virgin. In an empire where wealth was power, God chose a poor servant, betrothed to a Jewish carpenter.

God comes to ordinary people with an incredible plan to bring God’s reign in heaven on earth. As we look at the many ways God has come to people in the past, we can see a pattern in their response. Mary says, “Here I am Lord, let it be according to your will.” There is an incredible relinquishing of control that takes place when we faithfully say these words. I am convinced that giving up control to God is one of the most important keys to deepening our relationship with God and following God’s will and purpose for our lives.

God comes into this broken Covid world to make it whole. Mary was uniquely favored to be the “Holy Mother of God” the Theotokos or God bearer. God comes to ordinary people, but the grace given to Mary is especially unique, because in a short time, God will come from heaven to earth in a way that God has never come to earth before. A child is to be born very soon. God wants to heal this broken world through turning people’s lives and hearts to God’s will. God’s reign on earth can only come when people turn control of their lives over to God. At St. John’s we are drawing closer to God through out outreach, worship, and prayer. Please join us this Sunday for a zoom Christmas Concert. I know zoom and facebook live are not the same as being at church in the Christmas season, but we have a unique opportunity in a time of deep distress to turn again to God. Let’s make this Christmas extra special by patiently waiting for God to come into the world and into our hearts. God also waits patiently for ordinary people like you and me to be part of this incredible plan. We are simply asked to be faithful to God’s plan and either say yes or no to God’s will. My hope is that this Christmas our faithful response will be to say, “Here I am Lord, let it be according to your will.”.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION