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One of my favorite descriptions of God is “architect of the universe”. I just imagine God sitting as his drawing desk, protractor, and pencil in hand, intricately measuring and designing a far-off planet for His good pleasure. In this weekend’s reading from Amos, we hear about God using a plumb line as a way to measure their faithfulness to him. If you didn’t know, a plumb line historically been used to survey property and boundary lines. 

The days of Amos were not unlike our day today. The time in which Amos was living (8th century B.C.) was a time of great power and prestige for the Kingdom of Israel, but this wealth and power also led to great iniquity and division between the urban elite and the rural villages. Amos’ most famous saying is 5:24, “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos was a small-time farmer who didn’t regard himself as a prophet but was instructed by God to prophesy to the Kingdom of Israel. Indeed, chapter 7 ends, “Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.” By the end of the 8th century BC, Israel would be conquered by the Assyrians. 

This is not the way God originally designed His creation, warring, conquering, iniquity, and division. The blueprint God has for us might seem daunting or unreachable. While He commands us “to be holy as I am holy” (Leviticus 21:8; Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 1:16) we know we fall short. But we have a plumb line. We have the blueprint. We have a way, when He picks us up after we fall, to follow the straight and narrow. Fulfilled in Jesus Christ and written in Holy Scripture, the Word of God speaks to us today like it did to Amos those many centuries ago, continually designing and forming us into a new creation.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Zach

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The Power of Christian Community in Action!

“Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits… They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” Mark 6:7, 13

Comic by Steve Thomason

The Lord now sends us forth
with hands to serve and give,
To make of all the earth
a better place to live.

By Jose Aguiar
Translated by Gerhard M. Cartford

Are you ready to seek and serve God in the mission field? Join me for services on Sunday, July 7^th for a collaborative message and a joyous send off to seek and serve!

Joining with you in God’s service,
Deacon Claire

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The picture above is a fresco depiction of the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage. I think of her story often because how seemingly easy it was for her to be healed. She simply touched his cloak, and in an instant she was healed! But it wasn’t easy. For one, she was an unclean person, so she needed to make sure she wasn’t recognized and caught. And secondly, the pain of what she had to go through plus the pressure of the dense crowd probably made her ability to get to Jesus a difficult one with that much more pain. But she knew the power of Christ. She may not have fully understood what that meant but she knew He could save her. It was not the cloak in itself that saved her, but her faith in Christ that saved her. Fr. Duncan has been reiterating Mark’s central question of, put succinctly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” The power of a simple touch, borne out of great faith, reveals to us the simplicity of this answer. Jesus Christ heals.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Zach

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The Kingdom of God

Things are not always what they seem!

This week, we will ponder anew what God’s Kingdom looks like. I can only imagine what it might look like to you, but there are certainly times when I wish God’s Kingdom on earth would be a place of total predictability. If I do A and God does B, then every time I do “A” God will do “B.”  If I pray for healing, God heals – immediately and in a way that I can totally understand and just as I would expect it to look like.

When I think of God’s Kingdom, I also want to see God as doing impressive and spectacular things – I want to be able to understand what’s going on. When life gets hard, I want to better understand what’s happening. In other words, when life gets hard, God at least provides decent answers to the “why?” questions, instead of leaving me to flounder in the unknown.

But my ideal is not God’s.

The prophet Ezekiel saw that his nation had abandoned the path of God. It’s wealthy rulers showed no compassion for the poor whom they continually oppressed. Ezekiel prophesied that his nation would be destroyed because of its corruption and sure enough that is what happened. While in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel told is people that God would preserve a remnant of the tree of Israel and nurture it so it would bear fruit. God would restore the way of justice and mercy so that the nation would become a beloved community. All those formerly oppressed would be lifted high. A kingdom of compassion and love.

By the time we get to Mark’s Gospel – over six hundred years have passed since God restored Judah to a place of compassion and love and it seems as if God’s people have totally forgotten Ezekiel’s prophetic words – which by the way, were pretty radical. And like Ezekiel, Jesus too has a message that is radical – so radical that he resorts to parables to get his point across.

In the first parable Jesus tells in this week’s Gospel, a gardener scatters seed on the ground, and then goes off to sleep. The seeds fend for themselves, and when the grain is ripe, the gardener harvests it. In the second parable, someone sows a tiny mustard seed in the ground, and it grows into a gigantic bush, large enough to offer birds shelter in its branches.

Both parables are meant to show us what the kingdom of God looks like. Parables are intended to stretch our imaginations far beyond any place we’d take them on our own. Not to keep us comfortable and complacent, but to prod and needle us into altogether different ways of perceiving and relating to what is sacred. What’s the kingdom of God? Are you sure you want to know? Okay, get ready for the mystery to unravel: the kingdom of God is like a sleeping gardener, mysterious soil, an invasive weed, and a nuisance flock of birds. 

As you prepare for Sunday’s service, take a look at the scriptures in advance. Ponder some of these questions:

• How is the Kingdom of God growing within you?
• How do you see the Kingdom of God growing around you?
• How is the kingdom of God ripening among us at St. John’s? Do you have your sickle?

In Christ's love,
Deacon Claire

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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 3:20-21).

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. 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. 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. 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. On Sunday, we will meet on Gerard Street and march with the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island in the Pride Parade at 12:00. Please meet our wardens Patti and Sean and show your support by marching to Heckscher Park. The Gay Men’s Chorus will be performing “Jukebox Saturday Night” at 5:30. This concert will feature some of your favorite songs from Billy Joel to Queen. LGBTQ+ folks have fought hard over their lifetime to be treated with respect and dignity. At St. John’s we are open and affirming and I ask you to show your support this Sunday for Pride Month by inviting the entire community to be a part of the St. John’s. 

This Sunday is Christian Education Recognition. We thank our Sunday school teachers and children for their participation. We will also award the Florence and Robert Scott Scholarship at the 10:00 service. Confirmation is Saturday at 11:00 am at St. John’s, Cold Spring Harbor. The confirmands will receive their bibles on Sunday. We ask all of our parishioners to join us on this special day.

In Christ's love,
Fr. Duncan

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Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored (Mark 2:31-3:5).

Jesus is attending service on the sabbath in the local temple. He becomes upset because the rules on the sabbath have become very burdensome. A man comes to temple with a withered hand and Jesus heals the man. There are bad feelings between the Pharisees and Jesus. This is an important lesson for the church. Endless rules and traditions that have nothing to do with the love of God make religion very difficult to follow. They say that faith and spirituality are alive and well, but religion is fading away. We need to focus on bringing others to the love of God if we want our church to thrive.

Last Monday lots of good folks went to the organic community garden to plant vegetables. These vegetables will be grown and donated to Helping Hands. Helping Hands will distribute the healthy, organic vegetables to folks in need in our community. St. John’s is stepping out into the community to help others. We have made lots of friends at the garden, and they have helped us to understand how to grow plants in this garden. We have also met other groups that grow produce for Helping Hands. The work is hard and the laborers are few, but this is a rewarding ministry that draws community together by working toward a common goal.

Religion can separate our community into like-minded groups. Community ministry uses diverse thinking individuals to work together for a common cause. We learn to have tolerance for those who do not look or think like us. Every denomination has struggled to accept gay and lesbian into their religion, but the Episcopal Church has been on the front line in being open and affirming. Those who feel like LGBTQ+ individuals don’t belong in church have diminished in the Episcopal Church. We believe that God created every person into relationship. June is Pride Month, and we will have a celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride during the Pride Parade in Huntington on June 9^th. We celebrate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in America.

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh (2 Cor. 7-11).

This Sunday, I will be preaching on “this treasure in clay jars.” Paul proclaims that we are formed by the hand of God for the purpose of God. In other words, God equipped you for a purpose at your baptism and has a plan for you. Jesus had the purpose of loving the sick, the thirsty, the poor, and the oppressed. Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead that we might have abundant life. The Pharisees had fallen off the path of loving God and one another and Jesus exposed them. The greatest need in our church is to understand that our ministry is in God’s hands. Jesus said, “Stretch out your hand,” and the man was healed. We do not wield the power of God, but we are vessels in the hands of the Lord. Please pray that we might shine the light of Jesus through our faith and our ministry at St. John’s.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan

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Abundant Life by Lisa La Grange

Abundant life is knowing You;

enraptured by Your grace.

Your promises are always true.

Your joy, none can replace.

For You’re the treasure hidden deep

my passion will unearth.

Those searching for Your Kingdom reap

the pearl of matchless worth.

You gave Your life to rescue me;

Your mercy overwhelms

and gives to me ability

to walk in victory’s realms.

Your glory pours down from above

and saturates my life.

I’m captivated by Your love;

delivered from all strife.

Majestic King in splendor bright,

You reign forevermore.

To be with You, my deep delight;

Your presence, I adore.

Our last concert at St. John’s was performed by the Jazz All Stars. The concert was wonderful because each of the artists had immense talent. What struck me was when they all played together in a manner that brought the crowd into unity. The crowd gave ovation after ovation to show their thanks of the beautiful jazz music. When the drummer, the singer, the bass player and the coronet artist all played a song, the audience was drawn together through the music. Our world is plagued with a cacophony of voices and opinions. Social media and television draw us into conflicting groups. The world is filled with hate and wars. Yet our appreciation of great music can align the conflicting forces into a unity of gratitude. The sound of the music brought me joy and a feeling of oneness with the crowd that attended. After the concert we met the artists and enjoyed some wonderful food as we met folks from the community of Huntington.

This is Trinity Sunday. The preacher will attempt to unravel the mystery of how God draws the world into a common path of joy, love, joy and hope. We are one in Christ as God is one as creator, redeemer, and sustainer. God created the world, and it is good because he gave us rational brains to live within it and sustain it. We give thanks for the beauty of God in creation and I hope you will get out today to experience and enjoy it. The whole concept of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is simply a drawing together of folks into mutual and unconditional love. On Memorial Day at 10AM, we will plant in the community organic garden on Dunlap. The garden brings us together as we serve those in our community who do not have enough fresh, healthy produce. Giving of ourselves for the sake of others brings us into unity with God.

Creator, God bring us into a new life of beauty and goodness in your creation.

Jesus, Redeemer, renew us through your Gospel by teaching us how to be in relation with others.

Holy Spirit, Sustainer, strengthen and guide us in unity.

In Christ’s love, Fr. Duncan

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Pentecost is my favorite feast day. While not as popular as Christmas and Easter, it is a special moment in our faith story, the story of when we as believers first received the gift of the Holy Spirit. I have always loved the Acts 2 reading and look forward to hearing it every year. The church is being fueled for a road trip and I am ready to go! Many believe this day to be the “birthday of the church”, and not just because the disciples turn into candles! No, it is the day the church has received “her soul”, the Holy Spirit! I will be focusing my sermon this weekend on the Holy Spirit, and what it means for the church and for me and you.

In the reading from Acts, Peter quotes from the prophet Joel, that God will pour out His spirit upon all peoples, both men and women. The Holy Spirit is for all people. One of the important marks of the church is the catholic nature of our faith. (There are three other “marks of the church”, which we affirm every week in the Nicene Creed, they are: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic). For many of us who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, we may be inclined still to think of catholic in that way. However, the Christian faith is catholic because it is meant to be universal, what catholic means. Several weeks ago, we met the Ethiopian eunuch who took his new faith back home. In the Acts 2 reading, we have the listing of the many nations where the Jewish diaspora could be found and from where these travelers had come. They also go back to their homes either preaching about their new faith or remitting news back home that new, strange movement of Jewish people had arisen. And that they suddenly knew our languages! All this to say that the church’s movement is not to be limited, but to go throughout all the world and permeate in every neighborhood.

 Our Catholicity has to do with much more than a formal institution. Our faith and our fellowship in our faith is meant to be held together by the Holy Spirit, the one who leads the church and each of us through our lives as Christians. This weekend, we will be honoring David Lasek with the Bishop’s Medal for Distinguished Parochial Service for his outstanding work he has done for the church. How the Holy Spirit has worked in his life and his love for this community is a great inspiration for us all. Since the beginning of the church, as shown in the second half of Acts 2, Christians have provided for the community since the beginning. Whether it’s making breakfast on a Sunday morning, tilling and harvesting soon at our community garden, or going on a mission trip abroad, a universal aspect of our faith is our commitment to loving our neighbors, whoever they may be.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Zach

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‘The Bright Field’ by R. S. Thomas

I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the
pearl of great price, the one field that had
treasure in it. I realize now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus prays that we might know the same love that the Father has shown to him. He is just hours from being sentenced, tortured, and hung on a cross and this is final prayer to God, “And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves” (John 17:11-13). Jesus knows we must have faith that our lives rest in the care of God. When we give of ourselves, wonderful things start to happen. Jesus prays that you will have this incarnate love that moves mountains. Are you ready for what is ahead of us at St. John’s? Our parish can do wonderful things, not because we are powerful or rich, but because God does marvelous things for those who have faith and give of themselves for others. We must have faith that our lives rest in the care of God.

Each weekday morning at 9 am, a large group of St. John’s parishioners join on zoom for Morning Prayer. Each morning we pray for those we love, the sick, the poor, the oppressed, those with birthdays, the church, and for those who have died. We are in unity with one another and God through our common prayer and the remembering of a common story. We are connected through our faith. This week’s collect asks God to send us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. We need to have a belief that there is something more in this world other than the chaos we see around us. There is a force of love and unity that we can tap into. That is the pearl of great price. It is valuable beyond measure because it came with a price. Jesus will teach, die, and be resurrected in three days that we might know that we are loved by God. The love and unity of God and Jesus are the way and the truth and the life. That is our common story.

Please join us in celebrating Mother’s Day at St. John’s this Sunday. We would love to see you and your whole family. May God’s blessing be upon you now and always.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan