Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).

Do you remember going to church when you were young? What I remember is the mystery and transcendence of God back in the sixties. It was a different age in the life of the church. Churches regularly filled the pews and needed to set up extra chairs in the isles to accommodate the crowd at holiday services. I love to hear the stories of when St. John’s was packed on holidays, stories of youth group trips, Sunday school, Harvest Fairs, St. Hilda’s guild projects, and other fond memories that so many of our parishioners have. If there is one constant that I always hear at St. John’s, it is the family atmosphere, welcome, and friendships that people experience when they come here.

But in 2021, in the madness of this pandemic, we tend to lose focus on why coming to church on Sunday (or watching on zoom) is important. Many people see church as an option when it is convenient. God offers something far more precious than most people can ask or even imagine. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” This means that everything eternal will be just fine. Although our times may be difficult, Jesus has taken care of our worst fear. This used to be known by a majority of people, but a majority of folks now face uncertainty. Without faith in the resurrection, we are forced to live in anxiety and fear.

When I was young, I remember the words of the Eucharistic prayer and the sound of the clergy’s voice is forever etched in my memory, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you.” I then witnessed the transcendence of the bread at the table turned into the body of Christ. We were offered the real and tangible Body of Christ, who died on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. At the end of the service, after singing hymns like Onward Christian soldiers; we strode out of the church with Christ like purpose to bring the kingdom of God closer and to make God real to a hurting world. TH Episcopal Church was at the forefront of civil unrest because the life of Jesus Christ stood in opposition to the practice of racial bias and we choose to follow his path and not the path of the “real world.” Martin Luther King Jr. and others preached a Gospel that changed the way we behaved as a country and brought Good News and hope to those who were oppressed. We were a church that heard the Gospel and demanded justice in the world. I remember leaving the church building with the purpose of God, through the self-giving love of Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. I think of my memories of my childhood as the passing of an age. But I believe with all my heart that St. John’s is doing the work of Christ. We preach the saving grace of Jesus Christ through our faith and through our actions. Please join us.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness 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, forever and ever. Amen.” 

Ephesians 3:16-21

In today’s reading from Ephesians, Paul prays to the good people of Ephesus that their inner being will be strengthened by the love of God in Jesus Christ. We can all pray for the good folks at St. John’s that we will comprehend this love, that Christ will dwell in our hearts, and that we may reflect that love to all the people we meet in our lives. In today’s reading, Paul speaks of the oneness of God’s love. Although the world tries to divide us, the love of Christ is wider, longer, taller and deeper than anything in the temporal world. Please pray for social justice, “Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

One of the ways we work for oneness of God’s love at St. John’s and in this community is through our racial reconciliation and social justice committee. We meet on every third Thursday at 6:30PM and we are planning a wonderful schedule for the fall. We need to your help! Despite the odds, God can make all things new again. God “is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,” Please join me in the prayer for social justice and if you are so inclined, in the fight for God’s justice and mercy to all who are hungry, thirsty, naked, oppressed or hurting. It begins with prayer. Then we feel the love of God in our heart. After we reach our arms to others, the Holy Spirit will change the world to Christ.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

We profess our loyalty to God. God provides life and security. God is all we need! We shall lack nothing if we follow our shepherd. This is a way of being. Put your trust in God. Seek ye first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). The word shepherd in Hebrew can also mean friend or pal. Christianity is a relationship with our shepherd. The relationship that we have with Jesus Christ is passed on to others by the love that we show to those in need and by our burning desire for justice and righteousness.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Palestine is a desert and the sheep need to be led to green grass to eat and water to drink. This means that we will have sustenance (food and drink) from God. It means to be safe from harm. We wear our masks when necessary, stay a safe distance apart, and get our vaccines because we don’t want to spread this disease any longer. In fact we want to do what is necessary to end this pandemic, get our economy back on track, and care for those who have been affected by this past year financially, physically and mentally. The shepherd needed faith because there was not much sustenance in the desert. They needed to find food for that day. Tomorrow was always in God’s hands.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

God keeps me alive. Food, drink and shelter are provided. We depend solely on God. God draws us to the path of righteousness and justice . While some will be selfish and gather more than they need for themselves at the cost of others, Jesus teaches us to be self-giving. The environment is a great example of this. We need to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and we need to reduce our use of waste products like plastics that are filling our oceans and landfills. We need to stop using poisons and eating carcinogens. We need to eat healthy, exercise, rest, and give to others to maintain our good health. This pandemic has taught us that many folks don’t have enough access to healthy foods and have developed poor habits. As a parish, we need to accept our differences and work together.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

This puts God in charge of protecting us from walking in the shadows. God leads us home from exile. Jesus shows us the way from brokenness into wholeness and from death into life. We walk through the desert to higher ground. Jesus came out the other side of death to lead us to Beloved community. We don’t end up in the desert. Life doesn’t end in death. Death is always right there. But Shadows can’t hurt you. Angels are with you. He will send his angels (Mark 13:27). The shepherd is with us through the challenging times. The host of heaven is with you. 276 years of St. John’s folks are already through the desert and comfort us by their prayers for us.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

God is sovereign. God is in control, not us. In this week’s Gospel of Mark, Jesus asks the disciples to come with him and rest. We can follow a path of a selfish, unhealthy lifestyle of the shepherds in this week’s lesson from Jeremiah or the self-sacrificing path to glory. God’s Kingdom is right here and we need to witness to others the love in our hearts that overflows to others.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The word mercy in Hebrew is hesed (God’s love or mercy) Death has been rendered harmless in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God offers every single one of us abundant life that is characterized by goodness and mercy.

In Christ’s goodness and mercy,

Fr. Duncan

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In July, we will feature the cartoons of Cuyler Black.

I remember my EFM classes for the wonderful relationships we formed and for readings and conversations that challenged my faith. Early in my class, I learned that the people of God followed a regular pattern of creation, sin, judgement and redemption. One of objectives in EFM is the “development of skills in theological reflection. The goal is to learn to think theologically. By examining their own beliefs and their relationship to our culture and the tradition of our Christian faith, participants can learn what it means to be effective ministers in the world. In coming to terms with the notion that everything we do has potential for manifesting the love of Christ, we discover that our ministry is at hand wherever we turn.” This Sunday at 10:00AM, we celebrate the graduation of Dr. Nina Greif. Please join me in congratulating her for completing the Education for Ministry four-year program. Please consider joining our new class in September.

This week’s Gospel is Mark 6:14-29. Herod (Antipas) was a first century Jewish leader in Galilee. John the Baptist criticized him for marrying his brother’s wife.  Herodias had divorced her husband and married her husband’s brother. Herod had a celebration at his compound and was delighted by a dance that his wife’s daughter preforms for his guests. Salome was unmarried at the time, but later would marry her uncle and then her cousin. Herod offers his step-daughter (and niece) anything she wants, up to half his kingdom. Salome talks to her mother and Herodias tells her to ask for the head of John the Baptist, who Herod has imprisoned for speaking a truth that he didn’t want to hear. Herod beheads the prophet because he has offended his wife, Herodias.

At St. John’s, we try and stay focused on our mission to “Know Christ and make him known.” This Sunday at 4:00PM we will celebrate our Friendship Day with St. Augustine’s. There will be great music, witness talks and lots of singing from both of our choirs. You can view the program on zoom.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live. So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.” (Mark 5:22-29).

There is no doubt that Jesus is a healer. Jesus is healing folks and announcing the coming of the Kingdom. What is evident in the lesson this week and next week is that the coming of the Kingdom happens through our faith and through a relationship with God. In my teaching sermon two weeks ago, I mentioned that the Kingdom of God is the gathering of believers that follow the will of God. The irony of being a Christian is that without faith you can’t even imagine the coming of the Kingdom. With faith and a relationship with Jesus Christ, you can’t imagine anything besides the coming of the Kingdom.

This is what makes St. John’s such a special place. Many of us have journeyed through difficult waters during the pandemic, but our faith and the prayers of our brothers and sisters have guided us. Jesus not only healed folks with faith like the woman in the Gospel, but heals faithful folks every day. God can’t fix every problem we have, but Jesus can walk with us through the stormy days. The Kingdom comes when we feel our fellow St. John’s parishioners right there with us.

Even Jairus, a synagogue ruler, believes that Jesus has the power to heal his daughter. There is no doubt that his power comes from above. When your mind is closed to the possibilities of the coming of the Kingdom, you will struggle to have faith in a being greater than yourself. The woman in our story believes that Jesus has the power to heal her. This is not to say that God will answer every prayer and heal every disease, but that the healing had a purpose in God’s plan. Jesus feels the energy leave his body as this faithful woman touches Jesus’ prayer shawl. Jesus will often tell folks that their faith has made them well. When we open our minds to the possibilities of the Kingdom, God will keep us on the path to the Kingdom of God. When we believe that Jesus was merely a Carpenter who did good things instead of the Son of God, we close the door on the power of the Holy Spirit. When we have faith that God loves us dearly and we are open to the power of the love of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, we can have an incarnational expectancy.

St. Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. Therefore, there is no one on this planet that God loves more than you and no one that he loves less.”  An incarnational expectancy is the knowledge and faith that God is present at St. John’s and that we are in store for amazing things.

Ministries like our thrift shop, our racial reconciliation committee, our nursery school, our concert and music programs, altar guild, our morning prayer, lay ministers, nursery school, spirituality group, Hilda’s group, or bible study all point to the coming of the God’s Kingdom when we have faith. Mission trips next year to Puerto Rico, Navajoland, and the southern border in Arizona will happen only if we have faith in the power of God’s love.

Right now, as we emerge from the pandemic, is a great time for all of us to re-claim our faith, develop our relationship with Jesus Christ, and discern God’s call in our lives.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

(Mark 4:41)

In last week’s sermon, Fr. Duncan spoke about the parable of the mustard seed, and how, although even the smallest of seeds may grow to be a very large bush. The seed represents the humble beginnings of the kingdom of God. We are God’s seeds. Have we nurtured our individual seeds through prayer – to become strong enough to advance God’s kingdom in our own world today? We cannot successfully go forward unless we know who Jesus is – and we learn through prayer, study, and being in communion with all of the faithful. This is how our faith, knowledge, and ability to be obedient grow, enabling us to be more effective in our various ministries.

This week, further on in Mark, the disciples find themselves in the midst of a storm. While they have been listening to Jesus preach and heal all day, when that storm surges and they believe they are all going to die, the fear that arises in them is palpable. It almost seems like an eternity before they turn to Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) They clearly expected a response from Jesus, but after he calmed the storm, their fear did not abate. “Who then is his that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Who IS this Jesus?

Is our God big enough to calm the storms in our lives?  Lately there have been many storms that we have been suffering through together, and perhaps some that you have had to endure on your own. Think about Job. In this week’s lesson, God actually speaks to Job from the whirlwind of a storm – chastising him for not really knowing him deeply enough:

“Who is this that obscures my plans

Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.” (Job 38: 1-3)

Job’s picture of his God was just not big enough, but ultimately, Job is forced to grow and to see God in a much grander way.

Like Job, the disciples too are now forced to take another look at this Jesus who calms the storm. Clearly, he is more than a teacher. His disciples at least got the question right, but the story is more than just about their lack of faith. “Who IS this Jesus?” 

In both Job and Mark, the storm reveals something about God, the world, and faith. Ultimately, in the case of Job, he will begin to have hope and even risk starting a new family after his many great losses. In Mark, the disciples now take one more step toward recognizing Jesus as their Messiah.

As we navigate the storms in our lives, let us work together to grow our faith.  Perhaps then, our tiny mustard seeds will grow into amazing bushes more visible and vibrant as we continue to live out our Mission in the community: “To Know Christ and To Make Christ Known.” Maybe our bush will even bloom into exciting new ministries!

Faithfully yours,

Claire Mis, Seminarian

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The Parable of the Mustard Seed

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade” (Mark 4:30-32).

Parables are a powerful tool used by Jesus to communicate the coming of God’s reign and the coming of the Kingdom. They are compelling stories of everyday people that often surprise us. Who would expect the Prodigal Son to be met with open arms by his father after wasting his inheritance? What a surprise that the man that is robbed and beaten does not receive help from the priest, but from the hated Samaritan? Who would expect the greatest shrub to come from a tiny seed? Parables have the ability to change the way we see the world and therefore are able to transform us into seeing from the divine perspective instead of through our normal cultural lenses. God’s reign spreads from a spark to a wild fire when we hear, accept, and grow in God’s love. Even a seed as small as the mustard seed will flourish when it is sown in the ground. I see the mustard seed as the love of God that is sown in our hearts. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that everyone that believes may have eternal life. Jesus love is sown into all of our hearts and each of us can, have, and will do amazing things. From small beginnings come great things through the power of God. Today’s Gospel demonstrates God’s mystery and power in commonplace events and activities.

In last week’s sermon, I used Mark’s question of “who is Jesus? “It is somewhat ironic that the disciples heard the parables in the Gospel of Mark and then showed us what not to do by their actions. It is important to see the literary context of this Gospel. The rhetorical effect of asking these questions is that the reader must look for their own answer. To heighten this rhetorical effect, Mark portrays the disciples as totally unaware of who Jesus is. The audience now shares the enlightened viewpoint of Jesus with the narrator. We therefore need to approach the passage within the context of this irony and Mark’s overall purpose in this Gospel. We cannot just look at the passage from a historical perspective. Mark isn’t just trying to tell us a story. Mark challenges us to answer the question, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Peter denies Jesus three times before hiding in the upper room during the crucifixion. When Mary comes and tells the disciples that “he is risen,” they don’t believe a word of it (until they meet Jesus themselves in Galilee). This is one of the great lessons in the Gospel of Mark. Sometimes a mustard plant might look like a weed, but when we nurture it and take care of the plant it can grow to be a twelve foot shrub.

We too can have our doubts at certain points in our lives. Many churches act like the disciples and do exactly the opposite of what God asks them to do. Most of us get off the path at various times in our lives. This is why the Word of God is vital and daily prayer is so important. God loves us unconditionally and offers us the way, the truth, and the life through the Gospels and through the parables of Jesus Christ. They ring true yesterday, today, and always because they were uttered by God to keep us on the path. When we let scriptures wash over us and when we enter into the unexpected story of the parable, God is able to do amazing things through us. I am thankful for the sinners and saints that have preceded us in the past 276 years at St. John’s. May the Holy Spirit guide us this day and always to God’s path.

In Christ’s love, 

Fr. Duncan

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Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind” (Mark 3:19-21).

As we study the Gospel of Mark this year, I ask you to look a little deeper into this Gospel. The passage contains several questions that lead you to Mark’s main purpose of the Gospel. The Gospel begins, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1 NRSV). In the end of the passage the disciples are asking, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:41b NRSV)” It is important to see the literary context of this question. The rhetorical effect of asking these questions is that the reader must look for their own answer. To heighten this rhetorical effect Mark portrays the disciples as totally unaware of who Jesus is. The audience now shares the enlightened viewpoint of Jesus with the narrator. We therefore need to approach the passage within the context of this irony and Mark’s overall purpose in this Gospel. We cannot just look at the passage from a historical perspective. Mark isn’t just trying to tell us a story. Mark challenges us to answer the question, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” My hope is that you live with an expectancy of many great possibilities with the Risen Lord at St. John’s.

In Sunday’s Gospel, the people are saying that Jesus has gone out of his mind. The disciples will struggle to understand the mission of Jesus until the resurrection on Easter Sunday. The understanding of his brothers and sisters being those who follow the will of God is still tricky for us today. God is able to reach his arms of love through Jesus Christ to find the lost, heal the sick, cloth the naked, repair the broken and give Living Water to the thirsty. At St. John’s we are called to open our doors wide and welcome everyone into our church. On Sundays at noon, we will open our church for a concert from Alex. Three days a week, we will open our church to AA. Twice a week we open our doors for the Thrift Shop. Next Thursday at 4:00 our Spirituality group meets. Every morning a group welcomes folks to Morning Prayer at 9AM. We have bible study on Tuesdays at 11AM. This summer we will follow Forward Day by Day. Copies are available at 12 Prospect St. and on the table in the back of the church. Hilda’s Guild meets at 12noon on Tuesdays. Sundays we have service at 8 and 10 in person, on zoom, and on Facebook Live. Please join us this week and please invite a friend!

While the country is ravaged with gun violence, political strife, apathy, and selfishness, Jesus calls on you to be peaceful, loving, caring, and selfless. Be kind to everyone who enters our space and love them like they were your family. This month is gay pride month and we celebrate all our LGBTQ+ members. We are focused on racial reconciliation and we are called to love one another and be thankful for the diversity of race that we are blessed with at St. John’s. I am proud to fly the American flag in front of our church and support our troops and all that serve in uniform. God loves all of us as children of God and we are called to do likewise. While many are leaving the church and joining the political tribalism of today’s culture, I would rather follow our Presiding Bishop and be one of those “Crazy Christians.”

In Christ’s love, 

Fr. Duncan

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“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you,

and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment,

that you love one another as I have loved you.”

(John 15:11-12)

On the second Sunday of May we honor our mothers. For those still blessed with their mother, we try to give thanks to them in person. Last week I mentioned that agape love is the unconditional, abiding love that God shows us. This is expressed in the person of Jesus Christ and demonstrated in the relationship of the Father and the Son. Yet for many of us, this is demonstrated to us by the love that we are shown from our own mother. For me, I treasure the example of Christ’s love that my mother has shown to me in my lifetime. For those who no longer have your mother, I hope you give thanks and treasure the memories that become more precious with each passing day.

This week in the church, we celebrate the lives of two wonderful saints who were both mothers. Julian of Norwich was an English mystic who taught that divine love could best be expressed with motherly love. She wrote one of the first and certainly one of the best known books in the English language written by a mystic, Revelations of Divine Love. During her lifetime, the city of Norwich suffered the devastating effects of the Black Death, which affected large parts of England in 1381. Mother Julian fell seriously ill and she thought she was on her deathbed. She received a series of visions of the Passion of Christ. Her perspective of a mother and a mystic is somewhat lacking in scripture, but we find several good examples. The prophet Isaiah asks, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

The Catholic theologian, St. Augustine knew the love of God through his mother, Monica. We celebrated the life of Monica this week as a saint and mother on Tuesday. Augustine remembered in his book Confessions that his inner life was dominated by the love that his mother, Monica had for him. Augustine speaks of his mother as follows, “In the flesh she brought me to birth in this world: in her heart she brought me to birth in your eternal light” (Confessions). In the temporal world, his mother lived her whole life for that one moment when her son would come to the eternal life of Christianity. She stayed with him in prayer at every turn of his life. She told Saint Augustine, "There was one reason, and one alone, why I wished to remain a little longer in this life, and that was to see you a Christian before I died"(Confessions). 

For me, I knew God’s love before I knew God through the love of my mother. Her constant care, prayer, and love have been consistent through my whole life. With the same unconditional love that God loves us, we can love one another. At times in my life and certainly in the life of St. Augustine, we walk in paths that are divergent to that agape love, living for ourselves and unappreciative of those who love us. By the grace of God we eventually find our way and turn back to God. This is also important to remember if some of our moms have not always lived up to our own expectations. We forgive them as they forgive us.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms! Thank you for everything you do. Thanks be to God whose perfect love can be seen in the Gospel through Jesus Christ. All praise and glory be to you forever and ever.

In Christ’s love, 

Fr. Duncan

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