As part of the Jesus movement, we follow the One who loves us so much that he gave his life so that we might understand God’s never-ending love for all of creation. And here’s the hard part: As followers of Jesus, we are called to give all of ourselves to God’s work in the world (TENS).

There are so many exciting things happening at St. John’s right now. Next weekend is our Harvest Fair! There will be great food, raffle baskets, a white elephant sale, St. Hilda’s Guild crafts, holiday boutiques, baked goods, Vermont cheese, designer clothes and handbags, Thrift Shop clothes, and more. We are called to be generous in giving of our Time, Talent, and Treasure at St. John’s. Generous living is much more than what we do with our money. We are called to be kind to one another and to all living things. We are called to deal with each other honestly and to be humble. Stewardship is a call to action to each of us as followers of Jesus. Jesus showed us the way to live generously: by welcoming the outcast, by overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple, by dining with the poor, by healing the sick, by teaching, by forgiving, and by ultimately giving his life so that all might have life abundant.

Each year, I am asked to preach and teach on stewardship. The fact is that if you put God first in your life, everything else will come in line. Of course, we want to keep the building in good shape, to hire a curate, and to give to the poor, but what is really important to me is your spiritual health. When your heart feels the redeeming love of God, you will naturally love others. When you feel the forgiving grace of God, you will naturally forgive others. When you realize that everyone is welcome in the Episcopal Church, you will want to show hospitality to everyone you meet. Stewardship is so much more than money and it is what makes St. John’s such a special place. We are like one big family and although we can be a little dysfunctional at times, our greatest gift is our hospitality. Please know that this is the greatest gift you can give to St. John’s. Before you put one dollar in the plate, please give yourself that others might have life abundant.

We make a pledge each year to help the wardens and vestry make a budget for 2019. You will receive a pledge card in the mail this week and I ask you to prayerfully consider the gifts that you receive and ask you to make a pledge to St. John’s. If you have not received a pledge card yet, they are available on the table in the back of the church. We will collect pledge cards for the next three Sundays and bless them at the altar on November 4th on Loyalty Sunday. Each week, you will hear parishioners witness about what they love about St. John’s.

Our Diocese has hired a stewardship consultant, who advised us to figure a suggested annual pledge. We are trying the suggested pledge this year. Please use this number as a guide. We are thankful for whatever you can pledge. In order to hire a curate next year, we need to increase our pledges. Please consider raising your pledge this year so that St. John’s may continue to grow and flourish. Another way you can help is to invite someone to St. John’s. Perhaps they can come to the Harvest Fair or join you on Sunday. It is a hard subject for most of us to bring up, but many people are frustrated with their own church and now is the perfect time to invite people to St. John’s.

I am so grateful for you. Your faithful membership at St. John’s and your generosity sustains our ministry and is a source of encouragement to me. I am always proud of the fantastic turn out at Harvest Fair and all the outreach and mission that we do. God bless you!

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone. (Thomas Merton)

As Jesus is setting out for a journey, a man kneels before him and asks, “What must I do to have eternal life?” The Greek word for eternal is aionion. The definition for eternal in this week’s Gospel message is life from God. Jesus Christ who was, is, and will come again helps us to understand what a life in God means. Eternal life comes through the grace of God and not through our own effort. We are asked to believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. We pray to God and follow the example of Jesus Christ the best we can. We come to church to hear the Word of God and to be in communion with Jesus through a continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again. When we give of ourselves for the sake of others, we feel the peace that passes all understanding. This is a foretaste of the eternal life that we will experience in the next life.

At St. John’s our mission is to know Christ and to make Him known. Our priorities are our children, hospitality, mission, outreach, stewardship, and pastoral care. Every year we have our entire congregation work together on the ECW Harvest Fair. We will raise a substantial amount of money that will be distributed by the ECW (women of the parish) to local charities. A donation will also be made for the continued ministry at St. John’s. I ask each of you to fully participate in this year’s Harvest Fair on October 27th. I would especially encourage our newcomers to volunteer. There is a sense of family at St. John’s that is palpable when you volunteer at the Harvest Fair. When we try and align ourselves with the purpose of God, we can experience this feeling of purpose and good will.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks the man to sell his possessions and give to the poor. We have heard in the Gospel, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). God asks us to care for one another and to give a tenth of what we earn to the poorest among us. Stewardship comes in the form of Time, Talent, and Treasure. Our Harvest Fair gives each of us the opportunity to help out to benefit the ministry of St, John’s and charities in our community. I believe that when we give a little of ourselves, our gifts, and our money to benefit those who are less fortunate than ourselves, we are following Jesus Christ. If we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, we too will be inheritors of eternal life, both now and in the Kingdom to come.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

After several weeks (it seemed longer) reading Job as the Old Testament lesson for Morning Prayer, the committee that put together the Episcopal edition of The Revised Common Lectionary decided that twenty-nine days with evil, pain, suffering, and redemption at the last (thank goodness) were insufficient and made Job the First Lesson for four successive Sundays. Supplement that decision with a phrase from today's selection from Hebrews that suggests that with suffering comes perfection—“...should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect (italics mine) through suffering”—and one is sorely tempted to shout “Enough already.” I am neither wise nor gifted enough to tackle this subject in any depth in The Chalice (or even in this morning's sermon), but I do have some ideas to offer, ideas that refuse to run away and hide, that demand attention, ideas that I hope you will take the time to explore on your own or with others, ideas that will aid us as we lock horns with the dilemmas of evil, pain, and suffering.

1. The Collect for Wednesday in Holy Week: “Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed....
2. “It is not the glowing prospect of a happy afterlife, but the experienced happiness of being in a state of grace while in throes of agony that released the wonderful powers in the martyrs.” (Max Scheler, The Meaning of Suffering)
3. “The Christian doctrine of suffering asks for more than a potent toleration of suffering....The pain and suffering of life fix our spiritual vision on the central, spiritual goods of...the redemption of Christ.” (Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago)
4. “Resurrection is not just consolation—it is restoration. We get it all back...but in new, unimaginable degrees of glory and joy and strength.” (Luke Ferry, Brief History)
5. “I only knew Jesus was all I needed when He was all I had left.” (Canon Andrew White reporting what a man who had suffered in Iraq said to him)
6. “If God is no exception—if even he has suffered—then we cannot say he doesn't understand...or that he is a cold king who lets things happen without caring about what we are going through.” (Peter Berger in Timothy Keller's Walking with God through Pain and Suffering)
7. “Jesus Christ suffered, not so that we would never suffer but so that when we suffer we would be like him. His suffering led to glory.” (Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering)

It is difficult to engage such observations, even painful, but that doesn't let one off the hook and so I always look for help and often find it in great writers, in prayer, in the never failing Passion of our Lord. One of those writers admitted candidly that he was a great coward with regard to pain, that when he thought of it, of “anxiety that gnaws like fire and loneliness that spreads out like a desert,...of dull aches that blacken the landscape or sudden nauseating pains that knock a man's heart out at one blow, of pains that seem already intolerable and then are suddenly increased,” his spirit is dashed. I read these words; I think of the cross; I conclude, “John, you're never alone.” As we will sing at the end of the service, this “God of glory,” this “Lord of love” whom we worship and adore not only “Melts the clouds of sin and sadness” and drives away “the dark of doubt,” but also gives to us “immortal gladness” and “fill(s) us with the light of day.” Those are no empty words; they are the sure and certain hope of the gospel. My spiritual guide reminded me that he could not make palatable the old Christian belief of 'being made perfect through suffering'; rather that it was not incredible.

With all blessings for joy on the journey toward the cross and the crown. 

Fr. John+

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 124:8).

I believe with all my heart that we need Jesus Christ right now. We live in a Post Truth Society. What we mean by that is that his truth and her truth will differ depending on what media we listen to. America no longer has complete access to the truth. Everything seems to get a spin on it to draw us to a particular viewpoint. The confirmation hearings for Brett Cavanaugh to the Supreme Court have illustrated this fact with a classic, he said, she said. If you are tired (or angry) from all this, I have a few words from Jesus Christ to comfort you.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

Jesus Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. The Gospel gives us an example of how we are to live our lives. Jesus tells us to be at peace with one another. He says that we need to be salted with fire. That fire that we are salted with is the love of God. The creator, who made heaven and earth loves you deeply and wants to be in relationship. That fire is what we demonstrate when we love our neighbors as ourselves. In the next month, we are gearing up for Harvest Fair. The proceeds will bring the love of God to many in our community. I urge you to focus on this event and sign up to help out or bring lots of friends and family with you on October 27th.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:26).

The many conflicts we face can make us anxious, upset and even angry. The love of God comforts our pain and suffering and focuses us on helping those in need in our community. This weekend lots of folks will come to our Thrift Shop and find fabulous deals or use the vouchers that we sent out. By cleaning out your closets, garages, and basements, you help those in need in our community. Our Thrift Shop is expanding because we have volunteers dedicated to this ministry. Helping others brings us the peace that passes all understanding.

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more (A Thousand Years, Christina Perri).

God’s love for us will carry us through times of pain and anxiety. This song speaks to my heart about the deep love I have for my wife, my children, and my mom. God has been waiting for each one of us to be in relationship. We need to focus on loving God and loving our neighbor and not be distracted by the all the nonsense. At St. John’s, we have a wonderful opportunity to love our neighbor through our Thrift Shop and our Harvest Fair. I urge each of you to support these two important ministries this month.

In Christ’s love

Fr. Duncan

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

We will pray this opening prayer as we begin our time of worship this Sunday.  There are so many day-to-day worries that can cause us anxiety – work, school, relationships, finances, health – and the list goes on.  No doubt, it is easy to let anxiety creep into our lives.  When it does, it is easy to be consumed by it.  Anxiety is linked to depression and leads to fear.

Did you know that the Bible speaks to us directly about anxiety?  In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV) So, we can see that feelings of anxiousness are not unique to our time and place. 

Paul’s advice to the Philippians was to present it all to God – give it to God and leave it there.  How true are these words of wisdom for us today!  How often do we pray about our needs, burdens, and worries but fail to leave them there?  Too often we pray about those burdens that are causing us to be anxious, but we don’t leave them with the Lord.  Too often we say amen and take the burdens back.  Paul says present your requests – and that means present them and leave them trusting that God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds. 

Fear is closely related to anxiety – and Paul speaks about that too.  He says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)  We really have no reason to live in fear or anxiety because God is for us.  He knew us in the womb before we were born (Isaiah 44:24) and He knows our needs before we even ask (Matthew 6:8).  I find comfort, peace, and hope in that. 

Earthly circumstances and situations change and pass but Jesus is our solid rock and foundation that endures.  Hold fast to him and trust him, know that he cares for you.  Hold fast to the words of scripture.  Commit them to memory so that when trying times come, you can draw upon those words and promises. 

Would you join me in memorizing Philippians 4:6-7 and 2 Timothy 1:7 this week?  Perhaps this can be for you a starting point for committing even more scripture to memory - it will become your well to draw from.

Blessing on the journey!

Deacon Anthony

This summer Susan and I spent a month at what is affectionately designated the “family compound” on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh. For several evenings over the extended and celebratory Fourth of July period nearly the entire family gathered at the long dinner table on the porch that looked out on the tranquil lake—in laws, children, grandchildren, cousins, second cousins. Conversation was always lively, diverse, often punctuated by genuine laughter, even prolonged laughter. Only one subject was forbidden—POLITICS. Being the occasional breaker of decorum, I impetuously decided to seize the verbotten topic by the throat and asked brazenly, “Did anyone read the 'No Trump' column in this morning's Press Republican?” Silence. And then I added, after a suitable pause, “It appeared in the Bridge Column and dealt with opening leads against No Trump contracts.” Amid initial groans as my brother-in-law rose to leave the table, accompanied by “Honey, you promised,” a drawn out “Dad,” and “Uncle John” and “Grandpa,” there was a long sigh of relief but not much laughter.

At this point in our nation's history, no one seems able to divide a room of intelligent people into often angry factions or a closely-knit family into tempestuous antagonisms than our current president—unless that person is Jesus Christ. Conversation is amiable, genuinely inquisitive until someone asks innocently, “Well, Dad, what's it like to be back at Saint John's?” And as I commence an updated and integrated account of how one responds to “Who do you say that I am?” as it manifests itself in my life and in the lives of parishioners with whom I have become close once again, someone begins to clear the table, forgetting that the task is done by the grandchildren, while another has to get two babies ready for bed, though they are already sound asleep, or the pie has to be cut, though no one has room for dessert after a sumptuous dinner.

The mention of Jesus Christ, the confession that he is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, no matter the circumstances, manages to bring division into the equation; okay, if you must, mention the Messiah, after all we asked the question, but do so without passion, without conviction, without any hint of conversion. Never introduce the extreme variable of how Jesus has shaped your life, continues to shape your life. In one of his biblical commentaries, Kent Hughes illustrates this by citing a scene from a G. K. Chesterton novel in which a conflict occurs between a Christian and an atheist and they are brought before a magistrate. The Christian claims that his antagonist is an “enemy of God,” to which the judge responds that “God has nothing to do with us. Religion is too personal a matter to be mentioned in a courtroom...of course there is a formal oath to be taken, but to talk in a public place about one's most sacred sentiments—well I call it bad taste.--(Slight applause).” Finally, the Christian and the atheist are committed to an insane asylum, but Chesterton makes it apparent that their captors are the ones who are insane, not they.

As we have begun an examination of Revelation in the Tuesday morning Bible Study group, Fr. Duncan has emphasized that the text is not an historical artifact, that it is as pertinent today as it was 2000 years ago, that the letters to the seven churches are meant for us, and he has asked us to consider where we fit in, how the letters apply to the contemporary Church as praise and warning as well as to the early Church. One of the things that stands out in the study group and in the question asked by Jesus in this morning's gospel selection from Mark is that one's confession of Jesus as Messiah, as the Christ, as Lord will often be an occasion for division. Stand firm in the marketplace of antiquity, modernity, post-modernity, or any other current fashion and it will become apparent that how you and I answer “Who do you say that I am?” will take us to whatever cross lies before us. Jesus will disclose the nature of that journey as we decide to follow him, but if we will drink of his living water, he will fill us and sustain us and we will rest in him.   

With all blessings, Fr. John+          

“Open my heart, O Lord that I may lay aside the preoccupations of my life
and know that you are already here. Teach me your desire for steadfast closeness and swallow me in your love.
Open my ears that I may know an intimacy that is already there.
You have dwelled in me since my baptism.
Let me deepen my desire for intimacy with you (Martin Smith).”

Martin Smith gave me this prayer at a retreat I was leading. I wrote it in my journal and share it with you because I think that the preoccupations of our lives are becoming overwhelming and the peace of Christ that passes all understanding is a treasure that we all need and desire. I pray that you will open your heart and your ears to the love of Christ and that St. John’s will continue to be a place of radical welcoming, hospitality, and God’s grace. May we crave the One whose steadfast love is eternal. May we share that love with our families, our congregation, and our neighbors. May we love one another as Christ loves us.

As you volunteer your time, talent, and treasure at St. John’s, it is my responsibility to keep you centered in Christ. One of my most important roles as pastor of this congregation is to lead each of you to a deeper spirituality. We are all very busy people and most of us can relate to “running” from one place to another in our life. It gets so crazy at times that I think people forget where they are running to.

Please take a few minutes from your busy life and enter into the peace that passes all understanding. God loves you deeply and wants you to live a meaningful life. When we draw close to the love of God, we begin to see the path of self-giving love that Jesus Christ has taught us through his life, death, and resurrection. At St. John’s, you will see many examples of those who give themselves to others.

There are saints among us that have such a deep love for Jesus Christ that the love of God exudes from their ministry. They often care for the sick, visit the lonely, feed the hungry, and provide Living Water to those who thirst. They provide this Living Water by living a Christian life that is rooted in their faith and love of Jesus Christ. They may work on the breakfast team, visit shut ins, or serve on our Hilda’s Guild. You will not often see them taking credit for anything they do and may never even notice the wonderful ministry that they do, until you are in need yourself and they care for you and love you like family.

I ask you to join us this Sunday to celebrate the saints that serve at St. John’s. We will remember John Simon and William (Uncle Bill) Slade through a memorial dedication. Please join Mary Simon and her family at the 10:00 for a very special service. Then join us after service for a hot breakfast and coffee. We look forward to seeing you back again this Sunday.  

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

My beloved speaks and says to me:

'Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;

for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away (Song of Solomon 2:8-13).

Some of us will remember hearing this passage at a wedding. Many couples choose this lesson because the words of the poet express a love that is deeply passionate and long lasting. The attraction we feel to one another at certain times in our lives is palpable. The promise of the passage is that the winter of our lives is over. We yearn for a love that will last our whole life, but the reality is that not all marriages work out and many end in divorce. Our loves oned pass away and it leaves us feeling a little empty. Those of us who have experienced a time of separation or loneliness know the feeling of a long winter. Those who have gone through a difficult time know the feeling of a rain that just wouldn't seem to end. Christ offers us a lasting hope through the love of God. We are offered a relationship with Christ that will ease our pain, fulfill our yearning, and quench our thirst.

God loves us deeply and wants us to come away. God's love is always flowing towards us and drawing us into deeper relationship. The Hebrew word for God's love is hesed. Jews believe that God's loving kindness to them is steadfast. The stories of the Torah witness to God's love for the people of Israel. To Christians, God's love is expressed fully in the Gospel. God gave Jesus Christ to live among us, provide healing, and to teach us how to love God and our neighbor. He suffered, died, and was buried for our sins and shows us the way to eternal life.

In our bible study on Tuesday mornings at 11:00 am, we are discussing the letters to the seven churches in Rev. 2:1-3:22. In the letter to Ephesus, the people are told that if they lack in love for their neighbors, it indicates their lack of love of the Lord. We are asked to love God and all our neighbors, especially those who are most vulnerable. I see our nation divided over many issues and a growing trend of not respecting the dignity of our brothers and sisters. Please pray for racial reconciliation in our community and support our efforts to love all our neighbors as ourselves.

The Sunday after Labor Day is usually the time that everyone comes back to church after school starts and we are back from vacation. We have a special memorial dedication planned for Mary Simon and her family. Please join us this Sunday to give praise and thanksgiving to God. God loves you deeply and waits for your love each and every day. God's love is steadfast and eternal. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee (Psalm 84 2-4 KJV).

Thousands of years ago, Pilgrims who were coming into Jerusalem after a long journey might sing or recite this psalm as they entered the city. To the Pilgrim, giving of oneself on the journey for the purpose of experiencing communion with God produced a feeling of shalom. Psalm 84 is a profession of a deep faith and longing for God. It is a psalm about the deep experience of well-being, peace, and joy that one feels in the presence of the living God.

We can experience this feeling of peace by a steadfast love of God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Marvin Tate said, "Visible actions become the means of grace and revelation of the real presence of God." On Sunday, we will pray, "My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God." We are drawn to St. John's by the hesed (steadfast love) of God. We respond to that love by coming to church, hearing the Word of God, giving praise to God, and experiencing God's presence at the Holy Eucharist. We are then sent out in the world to share that love with our neighbors and to bring others back to an experience of the living God. When we follow the will and purpose of God, our lives are filled with the peace that passeth all understanding. We come to church humble in heart, full of praise, and yearning for another taste of the living God.

 Shalom,

 Fr. Duncan

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and he will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 21:1-4)

This week in our bible study on Revelation, we spoke about the coming together of heaven and earth. The mixing of heaven and earth is difficult to understand. I find the Eucharist both deeply meaningful and still somewhat mysterious. New life comes when we believe that Jesus is the bread of heaven. Each and every Sunday morning we can feel the real presence of God in the bread and wine that we receive at the altar at St. John’s. The Anglican Theologian Hooker said, “Through Christ’s presence in the sacrament, God’s causative presence in the world was transformed into his saving presence in the Church.” “The benefits we receive are the forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another, and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life.” (BCP 859) This foretaste of the heavenly kingdom is what makes St. John’s such a special place. We are one in the love of Jesus Christ and we have the power to transform the world by God’s love. Isaiah tells us that the wolf shall lie with the lamb, there will be no sorrow or pain, death will be swallowed up forever, the desert will rejoice, and the swords will be beaten into ploughshares. Does that sound like a place that you would like to spend eternity in? If it does, I ask you to recommit yourself this fall to St. John’s and try your best to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. God calls us to bring others to receive this foretaste of heaven.

In Christ’s love,

Rev. Duncan Burns