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Unless the eye catch fire,

God will not be seen.

Unless the ear catch fire

God will not be heard.

Unless the tongue catch fire

God will not be named.

Unless the heart catch fire,

God will not be loved.

Unless the mind catch fire,

God will not be known.

~William Blake

There are many places where I experience the living presence of God. I love to worship God in familiar liturgy that survives the test of time like Rite I. I love prayers that I have been saying since I was young like the Lord’s Prayer. I love holy, beautiful, and magnificent spaces like Cathedrals. I love to hear God praised through prayer, chant, and song. I love to share Eucharist in community. I love to read the bible in community and discern what the Holy Spirit is saying.

But church is not the only place where I experience the eternal. I love to watch the sun rise and watch the sun set. I love to watch wind as it blows through trees. I watch wind as it forms ripples on the water and moves across the sea, I love to see waves at the ocean and to hear the melody of the water crashing against the shore. I love to watch water flow from the top of a mountain, through a waterfall and form a river. I love to stare into a fire. I enjoy the smell of burning wood, the feeling of warmth on a cold night, and the crackling of the fire. I love to hike deep into the woods. I love to hike so far and high into the wilderness that the only sounds I hear are the birds singing, the water rushing, and wind dancing through the forest.

It is in these places that I drift off from my mortal existence to the eternal truth and presence of the One, Holy, God. Time seems to dissipate as my soul emerges from the restrictions of my conscious mind to the beauty and freedom of my sub conscious existence. I don’t know what heaven will be like, but I imagine that God gives me a taste of the eternal in these and other ways. God’s eternal presence seems very close to me.

I tell people that the first step is to have faith that Jesus Christ is Lord. Faith requires a little shift from the front lobe of your brain, and that is where the experience can be lost before it even starts. This shift only occurs when we express true love and thanksgiving to God. I wish this were easier than it is, but God asks us for nothing less than our whole self. God responds by giving us a taste of the eternal. This love eventually burns in all of our senses. Our soul becomes a conduit through all our senses of the ever living God. So what are you waiting for? Go catch the fire of God’s love and share it with everyone you meet.

This Fall, we will travel to the Holy Cross Monastery on September 27^th to September 30^th. We will be led into the living presence of God through worship with the monks and then out into God’s beautiful creation to experience God in the changing of the seasons and in the beauty of mountains, rivers, and lakes. It will be a guided retreat with wonderful meals, great worship, and time to relax. Please contact me if you would like to attend. Please join Fr. John Morrison on zoom on Thursday, June 9th at 4 PM for a Spirituality Group presentation, “music, music, music.” The Spirituality Group is also sponsoring a labyrinth walk on June 11^th. We will meet at St. John’s at 10:00 AM and proceed to CW Post and then to Bar Frites for lunch.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 1:12-17). 

Jesus preached love amidst hatred; unity amidst divisiveness; faith amidst the legalistic religious leaders of his day; inclusiveness amidst exclusionary religious leaders; wholeness amidst the brokenhearted; freedom amidst those held in yokes of bondage; Jesus spoke truth to power. Christ preached a love so radical that it cost him his life. 

Meister Eckhart, a renowned German mystic said: “We must learn neither to seek nor to take our own advantage in any matter, but always to find and procure the advantage of God. For God does not give gifts, nor did he ever give one, so that man might keep it and take satisfaction in it; but all were given – all he ever gave on earth or in heaven – that he might give us this one more: himself. With all his giving he is trying only to prepare us for the gift that he himself is; and all his works – all that he ever did on earth or in heaven – he did for the sake of this one more: to perfect our happiness. Therefore I say that we must learn to look through every gift and every event to God and never be content with the thing itself. There is no stopping place in this life – no, nor was there ever for any man, no matter how far along his way he’d gone. This above all, then, be ready at all times for the gifts of God and always for new ones.”

Jesus prays for all believers in the present and in the future. The disciple’s will need the love of Christ to carry the Word of God. They will give glory to God and write about it in the New Testament so that others from every generation will come to believe. If we believe that through Jesus’ unity with this radical love that the glory of God is shown, then we are Easter People. We are resurrection people and we can bet that being unified in this radical love is not going to bring us in harmony with everyone around us. Paul practices this same type of unity with the father and he ends up in prison. A slave girl who can tell fortunes is being used to make profits for her owners. When Paul removes the spirit that gives her the power to tell fortunes, the owners get angry. Paul is just doing what is right, but if that affects their profits, then the Roman authorities can throw him in jail. The glory of Jesus is at the center of our lives. Every ministry we do, every person we help, and every use of the gifts that we have been given are for the glory of God and not ourselves. 1 John 4:11: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” This week’s sermon is about unity. We may not be in unity with everyone. Our unity is in the glory of God.

The confirmation class will meet next Sunday after the 10:00 service with me. It is Pentecost Sunday. We will decide what outreach the church will do with the funds received for the bishop’s visit. We have $1,960.00 to spend! Thank you to everyone who gave to our outreach fund.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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In John’s fifth chapter, we hear Jesus having mercy on a man who has been sick for a long time; the gospel writer says the man has been sick for thirty-eight years. This is an obscure number to mention and it caught my eye. This number mirrors us back to the Old Testament. In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites were in the desert for thirty-eight years, plus the two beforehand of building the ark and seeing the miracles God had presented them. Once the forty years were over, God gave mercy and revealed a time of hope and prosperity in this new place.

In John’s Gospel this Sunday, at the Pool of Beth-zatha, the man there could never be healed – he couldn’t find the hope he sought. The Pool of Beth-zatha isn’t your average pool. It is ancient pool in Jerusalem that was in an undiscovered location until the 19th century. Legend says that angels would swirl the water in the pool and the first person who entered the swirling water would be cured of ailments of many kinds, cleansed of illness, filled with promises of a better life ahead.

Jesus asked the man, “do you want to be made well?” The sick man talked about the impossibility of the occurrence. “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool.” He obviously had an ailment in walking; he is struggling to get to the pool, to attempt to receive healing from the waters stirred up by the angels. He also appears to be a faithful, believing man. Jesus never asked the man what he did or what he had done to try to heal. He simply asked “do you want to be made well?”

Are you suffering from an ailment? It could be physical, emotional, or even spiritual. Perhaps you have struggled for many years and the suffering continues, even though you have prayed daily and attended church weekly. ‘Where is God?’ you wonder. Maybe this is an issue of forgiveness. Do you need to forgive yourself? Easter is a season of resurrection and new life. Jesus is calling to you: “do you want to be made well?” He is prepared to send the angels to swirl the pool for you. Yes, he wants to heal you. God wants to give you His mercy and reveal to you a time of hope and prosperity, but first, Jesus asks this most provocative question, “Do you want to be made well?" How will you answer Jesus?”

Your sibling in Christ,
Fr. James

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Open Unto Me, Lord by Howard Thurman

Open unto me — light for my darkness.

Open unto me — courage for my fear.

Open unto me — hope for my despair.

Open unto me — peace for my turmoil.

Open unto me — joy for my sorrow.

Open unto me — strength for my weakness.

Open unto me — wisdom for my confusion.

Open unto me — forgiveness for my sins.

Open unto me — love for my hates.

Open unto me — thy Self for myself.

Lord, Lord, open unto me! Amen.

I was watching 60 minutes this past Sunday. They were doing a story about anxiety among 7th and 8th graders. This Covid pandemic had a profound effect on the mental health of young people. Kids that were "A" students are failing classes because of the stress and difficulties in remote learning. Lots of kids have suffered from mental illness because of these past two years. I think it is safe to say that this pandemic has caused mental health consequences for almost every age group. Jesus said, “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other” (John 13:34-35 The Message).

Howard Thurman’s poem asks God to open unto me hope for despair. This week’s reading tells us that God will live among us and “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, for the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21: 4). The point of these passages is that God can get us through the tough times in our lives. Instead of fighting with one another, we can help each other. Instead of being mad at one another, we can listen to one another. In today’s lesson from Acts, Peter finally understands that God’s love is offered to everyone. We are to love God and love our neighbor.

The solution is not to scream or get angry and frustrated at one another, but to love one another. The solution is to follow Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. We are to steadfastly follow the Way of Love according to our collect this Sunday and our Presiding Bishop Curry. Sometimes God answers your prayers with the help you need.

This week, I ask you to give a warm welcome to Fr. James Reiss, our new curate. I am excited to have him join Deacon Claire and me as members of our St. John’s clergy. We have been hoping and praying for help. The bishop has sent us a newly ordained priest who will help our younger folks and families. His many talents include music ministry, children, youth, and young adult ministry, theater, military chaplaincy, and his abounding energy and love of Christ will be a real asset to our active parish. I am delighted that he will start with us this Sunday, May 15^th. We are asked to help him grow into his ministry with kindness and support. Please join him for some treats and coffee after church today in the parish hall.

Lastly, I am teaching bible study in May and June on the resurrection. Jesus came unto us to change our world from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and from turmoil to peace by giving himself for us. As he rose on Easter, we will rise as a congregation through loving and caring for one another. Open your heart to the life changing love of Jesus Christ. If you are feeling a little down, please don’t lose hope. God’s love is all around you in this place.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

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The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

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

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

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.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

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 (Psalm 23 KJV).

I ask you to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Maybe you are like Thomas and ask, “How can we know the sound of your voice?” One way to hear the voice of the shepherd is to align your mission with our Anglican Mission. The Five Marks of Mission are:

• To proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God.
• To teach, baptize and nurture new believers.
• To respond to human need by loving service.
• To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliation.
• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the Earth.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer has been one of my favorite theologians because he loved the Lord and followed the Good Shepherd. He wrote about the beatitudes and helping the poor and oppressed. He challenged those who where doing evil to others. Unlike many Christians that kept silent during the Nazi reign, Bonhoeffer gave his life to try and stop Hitler. The Quakers heard the voice of the Shepherd and spoke up against slavery when most churches were silent. They stood up for a group of people that had no money nor power and therefore had no voice. God calls those with a voice to stand up for those who have no voice. The White Supremacy movement, as of late is very disconcerting. The Racial Reconciliation and Social Justice Committee at St. John’s urges you to join us in the next section of Sacred Ground. The Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Long Island, and the congregation of St. John’s have all committed to the long term work of transforming unjust structures and promoting racial reconciliation in our community. I believe that the Good Shepherd calls us to this work and I hope that you will participate in this ministry. I for one will not be silent about our need in America for racial reconciliation. Who in the church will stand up with me and speak the truth against the hate mongers in our midst?

Another way to hear the voice of the Shepherd is through creation. God created every living thing and everything in the universe. I like to garden with my wife. This month we will begin a unit on creation care. We will try and improve the way we care for creation. We will assemble a green team that will gather recommendations for both St. John’s and individuals. More people hear the voice of God in nature than in churches. We will invite Rev. Matthew Moore to preach on July 17^th and he will speak as the Missioner of Environmental Justice in the Diocese of Long Island.

Last weekend we confirmed, received and gave first communion to many of our children, youth, and adults. We will continue to teach children and have baptisms. Please pray for Christine and our teachers and bring your kids to Sunday school at 9:45 on Sunday mornings. It takes a whole village to raise a child. This week our confirmands will decide where the money collected last weekend will go to support mission and outreach per our bishop.

We will continue to respond to human need by helping the homeless through HIHI, helping families in need through laundry love, donating to charities through our ECW, and helping others through our Thrift Shop. Please drop off some cloths, buy a raffle ticket, or visit us on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“The story of Jesus as he goes to the cross is the story we all know: the story of what happens when our vision of the world and of ourselves come crashing down. Jesus comes to the place, not where the signposts originally appear to be pointing, but where they have collapsed… we find that the God who we might have hoped would meet us in the place to which justice, love, freedom and truth had pointed has instead come to meet us in the place where justice, love, freedom and truth were denied and trampled upon. Our place. Our broken place. Our broken world” (NT Wright).

The Creator of the universe launches a new way of living (the Kingdom of God) in a tiny manger. Jesus is born as fully human and fully divine to show us the truth that God hears our cries and sends Jesus that we might have life and live it abundantly. Jesus eats with sinners, brings hope to the dispossessed, gives living water to the thirsty, feeds the hungry, and brings wholeness to those who are broken. Jesus is sentenced, tortured, and suffers a cruel and horrible death. Several women witness his resurrected body and he appears to a few folks on the road to Emmaus. Jesus appears to Doubting Thomas and the other disciples. Then he appears to several hundred others and God’s new order is launched. Later, Jesus appeared to Paul and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. We wake up this morning to a broken world to a God who still listens to our cries. God sends Jesus to us when we are hurting and to those places in the world where God’s love is needed.

When I interviewed in graduate school, the first question they asked me was, “who in the bible can you relate to and why?” I answered, “Peter.” There was a long pause. Dr. Akma opened his eyes wide, shook his head, and asked, “Why?” I stumbled and stuttered and said, “None of this makes any sense to me. My wife, three kids, and a dog are leaving great jobs, a beautiful home, good friends, and a happy life, but I feel in my heart that this is where Jesus is calling me. So here I am, even though I really don’t have a good answer for you.” Later I would learn the Gospel story of Peter. Peter was a fisherman, who lived with his wife in Capernaum. He shared a house with his mother-in-law and his brother, Andrew. They had their own boat and were friends with the Zebedee boys, James and John, Jesus called to them from the shore and said, “Would you like to change the world.” Jesus later asks Peter, "Who do YOU say that I am?” Peter said, “You’re the Christ," he said, "the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16: 15 -16). When Jesus spoke of being tortured and killed and on the third day raised again, Peter said, "God forbid, Lord. This shall never happen," and that's when Jesus said to him. "Get behind me, Satan" (Matthew 16:21-23). One day Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and tried to walk out on water, but he lost his nerve and began to sink. (Matthew 14:28-31). At their last supper, when Jesus started to wash the disciples' feet, it was Peter who protested--"You will never wash my feet!" "Listen, listen," Jesus said, "the cock won't crow till you've betrayed me three times" (John 13:36-38).

In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes to Peter’s favorite beach. He is a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, and Peter and his friends loved to cook some of their fish on a charcoal fire on the shore. Jesus stands at Peter’s happy place and calls out to him. When Peter figures out that it is his Risen Lord on the beach, he throws on his tunic, jumps off the boat, and swims to shore. Jesus asks him three times if he loves him and three times, Peter tells him that he loves him. Jesus then tells him to feed my sheep. If we are to launch the Kingdom of God here at St. John’s, let us begin with the words, “Here I am Lord” say the words, “You know that I love you, Lord” and let us end by following Jesus to the broken places in the world.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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).

In this week’s bible study, Paul tells the good folks in Philippi that sometimes things go well and sometimes things don’t go well, but Jesus Christ always sustains the believer. I know that the war in Ukraine, inflation, and this ongoing pandemic are taking their toll on many of us. 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 of this pandemic, lose a loved one, have difficulties at work, are fighting sickness or disease, or 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. 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.

It is well with my soul when I see children in Sunday school, our confirmation class, our youth group and the first communion class hungry and thirsty for the love of Jesus Christ. It is well with my soul when we have individuals like Deacon Claire, Ford Spilsbury, Christine Dore, Laura Wickey, and Sue McInnis who are willing to proclaim their faith to our children. It is well with my soul when we invite newcomers to the coffee hour to share a meal together. It is well with my soul when our Thrift Shop is thriving.

As we share a meal at the Lord’s table, at coffee hour, and anytime when we get together as a congregation to share a meal, please be aware that the Risen Christ is present with us. People come to us with outstretched hands every Sunday looking for the bread that will fulfill their hunger and the drink that will quench their thirst. The bread of life is a tangible taste of God’s love for us. The bread is broken as Christ was sacrificed for our sins. We are called to have faith God comes again and again to make us whole. So celebrate the resurrection with zeal and passion. There is nothing in the world that can make you whole in troubled times like the love of God in the resurrected Christ.

My hope is that our love and relationship with Jesus Christ will open the eyes of our faith to see his redeeming work. I know that God loves us all and sent his son that we might have life and live it abundantly. Jesus Christ came to redeem us from being self-absorbed and selfish. 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,

Rev. Duncan Burns 

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First and last alike, receive your reward.

Rich and poor, rejoice together!

Conscientious and lazy, celebrate the day!

You who have kept the fast, and you who have not,

rejoice, this day, for the table is bountifully spread!

Feast royally, for the calf is fatted.

Let no one go away hungry.

Partake, all, of the banquet of faith.

Enjoy the bounty of the Lord's goodness!

Let no one lament persistent failings,

for forgiveness has risen from the grave.

Let no one fear death,

for the death of our Saviour has set us free.

~John Chrysostom

We celebrate the Eucharist by remembering the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The prayer of remembrance is called the Anamnesis. This Greek word for remembrance comes from one who has lost their amnesia. Those who have lost their identity or purpose need to re-member what God has done for them and to know that they are unconditionally loved by God. I urge you to call your friends and family who have wandered from the church and invite them to re-member that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Palm Sunday and Easter are the core liturgical observances of the Christian year because we re-member what God has done, is doing, and will do for us. They are also the time when many people who have been away, come back to church. This year we ask all our parishioners to join us at our Holy Week Services in the church or online. Bishop Wolf will be at our 10:00 Palm Sunday Service. We meet in the Great Hall, then process with our palms through the Garden of Blessings into the church singing Hosannah in the highest! Hosannah!

Maundy Thursday is a simple service in the tradition of the last supper. We begin our evening at 5:30pm with a zoom Christian Seder. The Gospel from John is read and we wash each other’s feet at the 7:30pm service. The service ends with a dramatic stripping of the altar and we begin a prayer vigil through the night.

Good Friday is a somber reminder of the depth of God’s love for us. We pray at the foot of the cross with Mary and John. At 7pm we have a zoom and in-person Stations of the Cross followed by a 7:30pm Good Friday service in the church, on Facebook and on zoom. We pray in silence and ponder the incredible love of God in the act of Jesus death on the cross for our sins.

Easter Sunday is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection and the hope that Christ gives to each of us. All are welcome to share with us in his resurrection. Easter Sunday Services are in the church at 7:30am, 9:00am, and 11am or on zoom. .The children will celebrate with an Easter egg hunt. We will proclaim the resurrection. The 11:00am service will feature the steel drum band from St. Augustine’s. These services help us to see ourselves as part of a community baptized into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I urge you to come to as many Holy Week services as you are able, to invite guests and to welcome everyone with open arms.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair” (John 12:1-3).

Barbara Brown Taylor, calls this display by Mary "an act so lavish that it suggests another layer to her prophecy: there will be nothing prudent or economical about the death of this man, just as there has been nothing prudent or economical about his life. In him, the extravagance of God's love is made flesh. In him, the excessiveness of God's mercy is made manifest." We heard last week about the extravagance of the father who celebrated the return of the prodigal son by giving him the finest robe, a ring, and the fatted calf. The point of last week’s Gospel is that the radical love of God is unfathomable and God’s mercy is unbounded. I love the extravagance of our faith during the next couple of weeks. Please try to be a part of it. We pray for the joy and hope of the Lord to fill our hearts. I give thanks to all of you who will work so diligently in the coming weeks. We could not do what we do at St. John’s without you.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes back to the place where he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Extravagant moves like bringing people back from the dead are bound to get noticed and Jesus is now considered dangerous and a serious threat to the status quo and the powerful men that benefit from keeping things as they are. We are six days before the Passover and just a few miles from Jerusalem. Jesus knows that his days are numbered and only hopes that his disciples can grasp the situation.

Martha cooks up a nice dinner and Jesus sits down with Lazarus. Mary does her disappearing act and comes back with a costly bottle of sweet smelling ointment that was used for burial. Mary anoints the feet of Jesus and wipes them with her hair. Mary is extravagantly showing her love of Jesus on one of his last few days.

Let us each show hospitality and grace to all those who will visit us over the holiday. On Palm Sunday, our confirmation class will read the passion. Bishop Wolf will be with us at the 10:00 service. Please gather in the Parish Hall before the service so we can process with our palms into the church. On Maundy Thursday, we will have a Seder at 5:30PM on Zoom and at 7:30PM we will have our “normal” Maundy Thursday service with footwashing and the stripping of the altar. On Good Friday, we will have Stations of the Cross at 7:00PM and Good Friday service at 7:30PM. Easter Sunday will be in in the Garden of Blessings at 7:30AM. We will light a fire and bring the light of Christ into our church. The family service is at 9:00AM with an Easter Egg hunt after the service. At 11:00AM we will celebrate Easter with the St. Augustine’s Steel Drum Band. Please join us in person or on zoom for all services except the Seder. 

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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