This week, we read the story of the Prodigal Son, in Luke 15: 11-32. Most of us are most familiar with this parable, but the lectionary actually takes us back to the beginning of Luke 15:  All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Jesus goes on the share two parables depicting loss. The first, is the parable of the lost sheep. If even one out of the hundred is lost, the Good Shepherd of us all will leave the other ninety-nine and go search for the one who is lost. When found, there is much rejoicing and celebration. The message to the Pharisees and Scribes is that there is more joy in heaven over just one sinner who repents than over the ninety-nine who believe they are righteous and need no repentance. The second parable is about a lost coin. “…there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15: 10. These parables say much about the character of God, whose love pours forth in measures we cannot even comprehend. They clearly remind us that God’s grace is sufficient for us, that we can rest in the safety of God’s arms if we are willing to turn and return to God when we have strayed – even like lost sheep – and we have all erred and strayed.

The parable of the Prodigal Son takes our lostness a little further. When we allow the words of our confession to flow through us – the words that say, “we have sinned against you in thought word and deed”, God, as represented by the father in this story, will not just rejoice when we turn toward him, but will actually run towards us. We, in fact are met on our way home by a loving and forgiving God.

In the rabbinic literature of Pesikta Rabbati, the story of turning and returning is summed up like this:

“A King had a son who had gone astray from his father on a journey of a hundred days. His friends said to him, ‘Return to your father.’ He said, ‘I cannot.’ Then his father sent word, ‘Return as far as you can, and I will come the rest of the way to you.’ So, God says, ‘Return to me, and I will return to you.’”

We are in Lent, a time when we are called to quiet our minds and search our hearts. Where is it that we are being blocked from returning – returning to our loved ones, returning to church, but most of all returning to God. May we continue our Lenten journey with open hearts knowing that our most loving and gracious God is already celebrating our homecoming!

In God’s love,

Deacon Claire Mis

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At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Luke 13:31-35)

“The Episcopal Church, one of the largest mainline Protestant denominations in the U.S., conducted the survey of American adults with market research company Ipsos in part to identify those gaps [how we perceive ourselves versus how other people perceive us], according to Curry. The denomination also wanted to open a conversation and dialogue, the presiding bishop said. Christians need to learn to listen, he added. “This was an attempt on our church’s part to actually listen to what others were saying about Jesus, about us. We dared to ask, ‘How are we perceived?’” “There is a disconnect between the reality of Jesus and the perceived reality of Christians,” Presiding Bishop Curry said.

We need to love one another as Christ loved us. To do this, we need to gather together and listen to the Word of God, repent of our sins, be forgiven, and go forth loving God with our entire self and loving our neighbors. God gathers us together as a mother hen gathers her chicks. Jesus asks us to turn from living in fear of one another and return to the loving arms of God. Thomas à Kempis said "If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him" (The Imitation of Christ, Book II, ch. 7). In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd leaves 99 sheep unattended to look for the one lost sheep. The shepherd gathers the lost sheep over his shoulders and rejoices when the lost sheep is found. Jesus says that there will be great joy in heaven when just one lost person returns (Luke 15:1-7). The parable of the prodigal son is another great example of returning to God. The son asks for his inheritance and takes it to a distant country. The son squanders the money and then comes on very hard times. When he returns to his father he says, “I’ve been bad and I’m not worthy.” The father is so happy that he is back that he gives him a robe and a ring and slaughters the fatted calf for the celebration (Luke 15:11-32). Each year in Lent we are called back under the mother hen’s wing. Please join us on Saturday March 12th for a Lenten Quiet Day with Bishop Wolf.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan

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The Cross is the judgment seat of Christ, the holy of holies for Christians. In every Eucharist the faithful approaches and comes face to face with the crucified Christ. Here death is not the end but the threshold into eternal life. The gifts of bread and wine, the produce of the earth and of human labor and toil, are united with and transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. In receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, our souls and bodies are united with Christ. This is our participation in the eternal life of Christ here and now (The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, A Lenten Journey).

I invite any 7-12 grade students to join our confirmation class on Sundays at 5:30 pm. I invite any newcomer to join our newcomer’s classes at 11:15 am on Sundays starting March 20th. I invite any second grade student to take our First Communion classes on Wednesdays at 5pm. I invite all those wishing to be received by the Bishop to join us on Sundays at 5:30 pm. I invite every member of St. John’s to a holy Lent through prayer, study, and worship. Confirmation and Reception will be held on April 30^th at 11:00 am. First Communion will be held on May 1^st at 10:00 am.

Lent is a time of preparation, when we teach our confirmands, newcomers, children, and youth to draw closer to the one we love. It is by our example of worship, study, prayer, and outreach that they will see that Jesus Christ came that we might have life and live it abundantly. Jesus Christ came that we might be transformed from sin 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 bread 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 transform our hearts to see the problems of war, the environment, racism, and sexism. So if you have been hurting, frustrated, sick, or a little down, have faith that you can come to the altar at St. John’s and receive the bread of life that has the power to transform us all from sin to righteousness. Please join us at St. John’s this Lent. Masks are optional, coffee will be served after service, and small groups are meeting again in the church. Please join us for Holy Eucharist again so that you may participate in the eternal, right here and now.

Here I am, a servant of the Lord, may it be according to your Word,

Rev. Duncan Burns

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“Life on the surface keeps us judging the circumstances. We look at the circumstances as a picture. If it is pretty, pleasing, and shows us what we want to see then God is good and life is as it should be. When we don’t see what we want then we often look for a new picture. The restless searching, the longing for more, the desire for meaning are not, however, usually answered by changed circumstances. The answer is found in depth, intimacy, and the vulnerability of the interior journey. We do not need to see new things. We need to see the same old things with new eyes. We do not need to hear a different voice. We need to hear the same old voice with different ears. We do not need to escape the circumstances of our life. We need to be more fully present to those circumstances. When this happens life is no longer lived at the surface. These are the transfigured moments, moments when the picture of our life has becomes a window into a new world and we come face to face with the glory of God.” (Michael K. Marsh)

Our presiding bishop asks us to meditate on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He asks us to join the Jesus Movement. If we are to listen to Jesus, what is the message that he wants us to hear? The Jesus Movement begins with an internal movement of repentance, proceeds with a change of heart, results in a peace that passes all understanding, and moves externally by our finding our place in the world. As we approach Lent, I ask you to change your habits just enough to hear that still, small voice of God. In today’s collect we pray, “O God who before the passion of your Son revealed his glory on the Holy Mount, that we may we be strengthened to bear his cross.” As the world has moved closer to a World War, we need to remember the great toll the previous wars had on humanity. We need to see these wars with new eyes and ears so that they are never repeated. Please pray with me every day for the people of Ukraine and for world peace. Please pray daily as we approach another Lenten season.

Christian discipleship consists of the discipline of self-denial and taking up the cross daily. It is refraining from the narcissistic self-indulgence and from feeding the superficial false ego to self-destruction. It is rather embracing my true self, the true image of God reflected in the depth of my soul. It’s a daily journey of self-discovery as a child of God and a daily walk toward a spiritual union with God (Bishop Allen Shin).

When Jesus came down off the mountain, he loved those who were most in need of love, healed those who were most in need of healing, gave water to those who were the most thirsty and food to the hungry. He taught us about what the Greeks called agape love and what the Jewish people call hessed. Jesus came to teach us a way of loving one another. May we gather together on Ash Wednesday at 7pm at St. John’s or on Zoom. May we attend service regularly during Lent. Please join our bible study, Morning Prayer, Lenten retreat and Tuesday night programs during Lent. May we refrain from letting our anger turn to vengeance in the world and allow the lovingkindness of our Lord to fill our hearts.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:27-31)

What Jesus wants you to hear today is about the love and mercy of God. Let’s not start by thinking about who we despise, but look at ourselves. God is compassionate even when we are undeserving. God’s lovingkindness is called hessed in Hebrew. We know this way of being because we know the grace and mercy that God gives to each of us. We are loved with God’s unconditional agape love.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Love is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all people, so that you love everybody, because God loves them. You refuse to do anything that will defeat an individual, because you have agape in your soul. And here you come to the point that you love the individual who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. The key to loving enemies is to resist the urge toward vengeance. When we show kindness, we provide opportunities for redemption. Love has redemptive power. It has the power to transform and to change both the lover and the beloved. This is our path into the Trinitarian life. The love between the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit, and that same Spirit rests with us, giving us power to love in the face of all kinds of worldly evils.” (A Knock at Midnight p. 49)

Most of us understand the concept of unconditional love. Married couples vow to love one another unconditionally. This understanding of love leads us to the speech of prayer. We pray for those we love and those we don’t love to receive the blessing of God. God asks us to take the radical next step to literally act towards people that hate us with lovingkindness. This is very counterintuitive. Let me approach it in another direction. God’s lovingkindness begins with a deep love of Jesus Christ and the reciprocal love that God gives to us even when we are not deserving at times in our lives. Today’s lesson teaches us that even when we mess up, God loves us deeply. When we walk away, God calls us back and when we come again, God gives us a hero's welcome like the prodigal son received. God is good, all the time.

Love as you are loved by God. Forgive others as you are forgiven. Pray for those that hurt you. Love your enemies and act accordingly. The reward of lovingkindness of those who hate us is that we become the children of the most high. We begin to see the good in all people and in all things. When we love our enemies we possess the redemptive power that can restore individuals and people to the love of God. This power can overcome racism, sexism, and the problems of our day. This power can overcome our divided nation and maybe even our government. Ghandi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you,

revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven;

for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. (Luke 6:20-24)

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus gives a passionate teaching to all who will listen. Most of us know this as the Sermon on the Mount, but today, Jesus is sitting on level ground teaching his disciples, all who have gathered to hear him speak, and those who are trying to touch him in order to get healed. In fact, Jesus is speaking to all people in all times. We all hear these words again and again. Some of this teaching is very difficult to understand, but one verse stands out to me as a summary of all the rest. Even my nursery school children know this verse from scripture. They know it as the “golden rule.” We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. While this is a simple rule to understand, Jesus turns the perspectives of world upside down in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus will cross boundaries, break religious rules, and cause people to be so uncomfortable that they will nail him to a cross to suffer and die. We must also push the boundaries of our own understanding, if we are ever to truly understand these radical teachings from Jesus.

The truth that God loves each and every one of us and that through the transforming grace of God in heaven, through the incarnation of God coming down to us and being both fully divine and fully human, we too can go into the deep water and meet the Risen Lord. Jesus is able to kindle a fire of love in our hearts that we may shine that light to all people. Please take some time to listen carefully to the Gospel of Luke over these next six months. I truly believe that this Gospel has something to say to you that can change your life and make you a beacon of hope. We will see God’s redemptive purposes, hear about God’s saving grace offered to all, learn about the dangers of loving money and material things, feel the blessings of poverty, and learn how to be a disciple, sent out into the world to be an authentic witness of God’s truth.

I spent the week at Holy Cross Monastery to deepen my relationship with Jesus Christ. Each day we spent the majority of the day giving praise to God and praying for the world. I give thanks for Coral and Deacon Claire for covering for me at St. John’s. I give thanks to my wife for letting me have a week of obedience, humility, and silence with the Benedictine Monks.

Please take a look at all the offerings that we have at St. John’s during Lent:

Ash Wednesday - Imposition of Ashes

March 2, 2022 at 7:00 pm in church and via zoom

Morning Prayer

Monday - Friday at 9 am via Zoom

Bible Study

Mondays at 6:30 pm via Zoom

Tuesdays at 11 am via Zoom

Lenten Series- "Living Beyond the Borders"

Tuesdays in Lent via Zoom

March 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, April 5th - 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm

The Rev. Canon David Ulloa Chavez, Canon for Border Ministries for the Diocese of Arizona, will lead a five-part series referencing the book The US Immigration Crisis by Miquel de la Torre. For our 2022 Lenten Series we will partner with St. Francis of the Valley. The program will be offered at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm to accommodate our different time zones. You are welcome to join at either time. At St. John's, we will begin with Stations of the Cross at 6:00 pm, Evening Prayer at 6:30 pm. The program will be from 7:00-8:30 pm.

In person Lenten Retreat - Quiet Day with Bishop Wolf

Saturday, March 12, 2022, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Assistant Bishop of Long Island, will lead a Lenten quiet day of reflection and prayer at St. John's. We will meet in the Great Hall, there will also be an option to Zoom in. Suggested donation $15.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

I would like to thank all our parishioners who made this year deeply spiritual for one another. The Rev. Claire Mis, Deacon has certainly been an inspiration to all of us. Thank you to everyone who attended her ordination at the cathedral or on Zoom. Our Morning Prayer group mets every weekday at 9 AM and prayed for our friends, neighbors, and for all in need. Prayer is the foundation of everything we do at St. John’s. Thank you for your leadership, your generosity, your ministry, and your continued faith in Jesus Christ. We are very blessed by your presence. I would also like to thank Coral, who has done an outstanding job as our administrator, Alex our talented musician and choir director, Jen, our St. John’s Nursery School superintendent, and our warden, Scott, who has led this parish with our vestry and committee chairs. May God continue to bless your ministries!

“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:1-2)

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. Please join us for our annual meeting on Zoom. We will elect two wardens and three vestry members. Please let me know if you would like to be a delegate to Diocesan Convention. Our theme for this year’s Annual Meeting is from Philippians 2:1-11. I ask you to read this passage before our service and Annual Meeting on Sunday and think about the question: “What does it mean to be of one mind in Jesus Christ?” My hope for the coming year is that you will deepen your faith and love in Jesus Christ and deepen your fellowship at St. John’s. Please live out your Baptismal Covenant by coming to church, worshiping with us on Zoom, helping those in need in our community, donating to our Thrift Shop, volunteering in our Thrift Shop, striving for justice by supporting our racial reconciliation and social justice committee, and getting involved in a ministry of St. John’s such as our Altar Guild.

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, EFM, Racial Reconciliation and Justice Committee, HiHi, Thrift Shop, 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, Laundry Love, or one of our other committees. Please talk to Deacon Claire about joining our mission team as we prepare for our trip to the Arizona border on October 24-31. In 2023 we will travel to Puerto Rico in early July and to Iona Scotland in the fall for a wonderful pilgrimage with Leslie Valentine.

Our Sunday school starts again next week at 9:45am in the St. Hilda’s Guild Room. 1^st Communion classes are beginning soon with Sue McGinnis on Wednesdays at 5:00 and 1^st Communion will be May 1st at the 10:00 service. Confirmation classes start on Sunday February 27th at 5:30pm. Confirmation is April 30^th at 10:00am at our Cathedral in Garden City.

Next Week, February 13th is the Souper Bowl of Caring and our Youth Group is collecting donations to fight hunger in the Huntington Community. Please donate for our local food pantries, bring in food for the Food Pantry, or drop off Feminine Products. If you are interested in volunteering for the Thrift shop on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays, please drop by from 12-3.

In Christ’s love,

Rev. Duncan Burns

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Jeremiah 1:4-5, 7-8

The word of the Lord came to me saying,

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Jeremiah’s call to preach was a job he neither asked for or desired. There he was, a young boy, from a family of priests living in a little town called Anathoth, located just three miles north of Jerusalem, where his family had been displaced years earlier by Solomon.

Simply minding his own business, God unexpectedly barged into his life calling him to be a prophet for God’s people. Has that ever happened to you? Snuggled up with a good book and all of a sudden you receive a prompting from God? Is it really you, God? You want me to do what?

That is exactly what happened to Jeremiah. Reluctant to obey, he made all kinds of excuses – too young, not experienced, not even able to speak before a crowd. “No God, I don’t think I can do that.” But God wouldn’t take any of it. No was simply not an option.

But the Lord said to me,

"Do not say, 'I am only a boy';

for you shall go to all to whom I send you,

and you shall speak whatever I command you,

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to deliver you,

says the Lord."

This rendered Jeremiah speechless until Jeremiah remembered that the Lord had indeed provided all that he needed to go forth and do the work God called him to do.

I am always amazed at how God approaches and indeed chooses the most unwilling people to do God’s will. Why Jeremiah, so young and inexperienced?  Perhaps it is because God saw other qualities in Jeremiah that could be used effectively to bring God’s message to the people of Jerusalem, which was on the brink of collapse. He provided the words and the message, and learned to trust God’s promises to be with him.

When God calls us, it can sometimes be a frightening moment. We are not able to see the big picture, but rather only see our small selves not being worthy or capable of moving in God’s direction. While we too may banter a bit with God, telling him that we are too old, or too busy, or thinking, hey, maybe it isn’t even God that’s talking to me, or well, I might be able to serve on the Altar Guild but not now, maybe next year.

If we hang in there and continue to dialogue with God, we might begin to see things from a different perspective. We too might begin to enter into a deeper trust relationship with the One who loves and treasures us so. Moving beyond our fear requires being in relationship with God who holds you in the palm of his hand. That is not to say that the task God gives you will be easy, but you will know that God has your back. How could you go wrong? And, maybe, through God’s little nudge, or push, you will discover the amazing person God created you to become! 

In Christ's Love and Service,

Claire Mis, Seminarian

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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Isaiah proclaimed to an oppressed people that soon they would be freed. “Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to zealously preach, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing"(Luke 4:20-21).

Jesus is going out into the world to demonstrate God’s love and mercy through his ministry. Deacons are a prime example as to how this ministry should be carried out. I am so thankful that we have the example of Jesus Christ us to show us the path of truth in this misguided pandemic-ridden world. God calls us to see those who are hurting and oppressed in the world, to roll open the scroll, and to fulfill the message of loving your neighbor through your actions in the world. When we throw a pebble into a still pond, the impact creates a ripple effect. That is what evangelism is all about, sharing the love of Christ in a self-indulgent, greedy, violent, and sinful world. Evangelism is not about getting people back to church. It is developing a relationship with the living presence of the Lord and bringing love and help where and how it is needed in the world. It is about listening to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in community and aligning our lives to the will of God. It is about understanding that we all have our own set of cultural beliefs, yet being able to love and serve those who may not completely agree with you. It is about the invitation, hospitality, and incorporation of others into the faith and love of Christ and the ministry of St. John’s. My hope is that you will have a belly burning thirst for helping others and that others will wonder, what inspires you to do good? When they do, I hope you will invite them to come and see the love and mercy that God offers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When they come back, I hope you will invite them to work in the Thrift Shop, to bring in a coat for the homeless, to help the St. Hilda’s Guild on Tuesdays on zoom, help out with ECW fair, sing in the choir, help read the lessons on Sunday, serve at the altar, or if you like, just join us each week at worship on Sunday.

Next Saturday, Clair Mis will be ordained to the deaconate. Claire has been such a blessing to St. John’s! “Deacons are members of one of three distinct orders of ordained ministry (with bishops and priests). In the Episcopal Church a deacon exercises 'a special ministry of servanthood' directly under the deacon's bishop, serving all people and especially those in need (BCP, p. 543). This definition reflects the practice of the early church, in which deacons were ordained 'not to the priesthood but to the servanthood [ministry] of the bishop'... Since ancient times the liturgical functions of deacons have suggested the activity of angels. As they proclaim the gospel, lead intercessions, wait at the Eucharistic table, and direct the order of the assembly, deacons act as sacred messengers, agents, and attendants. The revival of the order of deacons in the twentieth century has emphasized social care and service. Many bishops in the Episcopal Church expect their deacons to promote care of the needy outside the church” (Episcopal Dictionary).

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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