As I was collating the collection of poems I am going to use with the Saint John's Spirituality Group on February 23, I had an “Aha” moment. Immediately to the computer to download John Updike's Seven Stanzas at Easter. Below are the first and last stanzas of the poem.

Make no mistake if he rose at all

it was as his body;

if the cells' dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit,

the amino acids rekindle,

the church will fall.

····················

Let us not seek to make it less monstrous,

for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty,

lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are embarrassed

by the miracle,

and crushed by remonstrance.

Okay, Fr. John, you had a sudden epiphany. So what? Why is this so important?

1 Corinthians 15 is one of the crucial chapters in all of Saint Paul's corpus. In this chapter, he sets out the gospel as it was preached in the early church from the beginning. Evidently, the Corinth of the first century was very much like the culture today in the West. Indeed, in the Revised Common Lectionary (from which we take the readings for each Sunday), the Church has seen fit to omit some verses from this crucial chapter, even when the Season of Epiphany is not shortened because of an early date for Easter.

But Paul will have none of such editorial license; nor will John Updike; nor Fr. John: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” and Paul's full explication of this central moment in Christian belief must not be truncated. Now John Updike's poem is not the gospel; he carries no such authority. And Fr. John certainly is not. Yet the great poets and writers, composers and lyricists, artists and architects often serve the gospel through what they create, even if unknowingly, even if sometimes unwittingly. Updike commences his piece with a contingency: “Make no mistake if....” However, the contingent opening is clarified immediately. The church hasn't fallen; it still stands; the event of the bodily resurrection, rooted in history, is anchored in fact: “it was as his body.” A new day has dawned in human history: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.”

My friends, gathered together on a Sunday morning, you and I are neither individuals nor a conglomerate to be pitied, but Christians in the midst of a dark world who have had a new light shine in our hearts because, “in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.” The bodily resurrection of Jesus is not some sort of New Age spirituality that one can discover in the appropriate section of Barnes and Noble where you and I can aspire to ever higher realms of consciousness and spiritual development. If there is no future hope other than ever new proposals promised by the spirit of each successive age, then indeed we are to be pitied. That is why we need always to remind ourselves that the bodily resurrection of Jesus is not just one more variation on oft repeated themes, but the rock solid anchor on which Christianity is founded. A new day has dawned; “[B]ut in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.”

With all blessings, Fr. John+

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

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” (Psalm 138)

“so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.” (1 Cor. 15:11)

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” (Luke 5:10)

This week’s lessons really fall into line with the message from our Annual Meeting on February 3rd. We will worship God this Sunday at the 8:00 Rite I Holy Eucharist, the 10:00 Rite II Holy Eucharist, and the 5:30 Taizé service. We offer a variety of ways to give praise to God at St. John’s. We also offer many ways to sing praise to God. Alex and our choir have prepared beautiful music from the hymnal, LEVAS, our praise book, and Taizé chants.

In our bible study class we are studying Revelation. “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev. 4:11) Perhaps this is one of the most important things that we must do in our lives. Please pray deeply on these words of scripture and worship our God in the beauty of holiness.

Each of us is gifted by the Holy Spirit at our Baptism. We have a purpose in life, and we are given the gifts to accomplish that purpose. God’s steadfast love is always flowing in our direction and we are asked to follow scripture to stay on this path. “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) “For you yourself created my inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will thank you because I am marvelously made; your works are wonderful, and I know it well. (Psalm 139:12-13)

When we love God with all our heart, soul and mind everything starts to fall in line in our lives. Life is not made easy, but there is a peace that instills a deep sense of gratitude in our hearts. When we express that love back to our neighbors, people are drawn into the love of God. Let me give a few examples. You come into the St. John’s kitchen before the service and prepare breakfast for everyone that comes to the parish hall after service. A parishioner remembers the name of a newcomer and greets them by name. Someone else invites this newcomer to come to breakfast and sits with them. These simple acts can change a person’s life. As members of the Jesus Movement, we show our love of God and neighbor by our actions. We believe that, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” (1Cor. 15:3-4) We do not have to stand at the mall and hand out the theology of the Episcopal Church in a pamphlet as we yell, “Jesus died for your sins” in their ear. We just need to love as we are loved.

If we are to be “fishers of people” we must begin by deepening our own faith. Only by an authentic faith in God will we ever convince anyone to come to the Lord in this crazy post truth culture that we live in. We do not use scripture to explain the way we are and exclude others. We should find that when we have a deep faith, scripture rings true in our heart. Please keep a few of these scriptures highlighted in your bible, written in your journal, or just commit them to memory. The bible keeps us focused on some basic truths such as: God created us, God loves us, we should give glory to God, and when we share God’s steadfast love, others will follow.

In Christ’s love,

Rev. Duncan Burns 

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
and the greatest of these is love (I Cor. 13:13).

I would like to thank all our parishioners on a beautiful year in 2018 and encourage you to make 2019 even better 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 wardens, Scott and Rob, who have led this parish with our vestry and committee chairs.

This week our service times on Sunday are 8:00 am and 9:30 am because we will have our annual meeting after the late service. Please join us for food, fellowship, and a brief annual meeting as we elect a warden and three vestry members. In 2019, our priorities are Growth, Children and Youth, Outreach and Mission, and Hospitality. We are especially focusing on living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Jesus Movement.

My hope for the coming year is that you will deepen your faith and love in Jesus Christ. Please live out your Baptismal Covenant by coming to church, helping those in need in our community through our ECW, striving for justice by supporting our racial reconciliation committee, and getting involved in the ministry of St. John’s.

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 Racial Reconciliation Committee, HIHI, Thrift Shop, ECW, Altar Guild, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Youth Group, Christian Education, Readers, Breakfast Group, Spirituality Group, Nursery School, Ushers, Lay Eucharistic Visitors, Prayer Shawl Ministry, St. Hilda’s Guild, or one of our other committees. If you are new, think about our new members class that starts next Sunday.

Our Sunday school starts again next week at 9:40am in the Canterbury Corner. 1st Communion classes are beginning with Sue McGinnis on Wednesday March 6th at 5:30 pm and 1st Communion will be April 28th at the 10:00 am service. Confirmation classes start on Sunday February 10th at 5:30 pm. Confirmation is May 4th at 10:00 am at the Cathedral in Garden City. Our Youth Group meets at 6:30 pm on most Sunday nights with Ford Spilsbury and the rector.

Outreach is a focus again this year. Today is the Souper Bowl of Caring and our Youth Group is collecting donations to fight hunger in the Huntington Community. The Youth Group will be hosting people who are homeless on March 8th through our HIHI program right here at St. John’s. Please bring in food for the Food Pantry and donations for our Thrift Shop. If you are interested in volunteering for the Thrift shop on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays, please see Nancy.

In Christ’s love,

Rev. Duncan Burns 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39)

Last week, I asked our congregation to remember the time when they believed, truly believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. I mentioned that we all come to Christ in different ways and we sometimes wander off the path. God invites us into relationship through the person of Jesus Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus has begun his public ministry. He goes to the synagogue in his home town. He pulls out the lesson from the scroll and reads to them.  “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.” And he 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 say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-21)

Each of us is invited to be the light of Christ in a darkened world. This week in bible study someone mentioned that we might not be enough to overcome all the darkness in the world, but we can shine our light to those around us and that might just be able to start a ripple effect. Since the day that Jesus unrolled the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, followers have been commissioned to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. I ask you to find a bible passage that helps you to stay focused on our mission at St. John’s of knowing Christ and making Him known. We are called to love others as Christ loves us.

I have chosen Romans 8:38-39 because I realize that forces of darkness are always out there, but nothing can come between me and my relationship with Jesus Christ. I ask you to focus on a piece of scripture that helps you to stay focused on being the light (love) of Christ to those around you. Our parish is poised to fulfill the scripture right here and now. Please pray that wherever you might be, Christ will deepen his relationship with you. Please invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join us at St. John’s as we grow our presence and ministry of hospitality in Huntington.

Our warden, Scott Cooley mentioned that this is the time of year when new members join one of the many ministries that we do at St. John’s. If you are new to St. John’s, please join us next week on February 3rd at a special time of 9:30am for service and for the annual meeting from 11:00-12:00. Our Breakfast Group, Thrift Shop, Spirituality Group, Racial Reconciliation Committee, Hilda’s Guild, Bible Study, Prayer Shawl Ministry, HIHI, Confirmation, New Members Classes, Altar Guild, Vestry, Choir, ECW, and Youth Group would love to have you join them in their ministry. You too will unroll that scroll from Isaiah and exclaim, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Amen. Amen.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

On this weekend we remember the work and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, the issue of the day was forced segregation on city buses. Pastors gathered at a local Baptist Church to come up with a strategy to deal with the injustice. Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person and moving to the back of the bus. They tossed a few ideas around, but couldn’t settle on a single strategy until a young pastor volunteered to lead a boycott and civil disobedience. We segregated everything from schools to drinking fountains on the basis of ethnicity at that time in our history. Martin Luther King Jr. was not a perfect person, but when he had the courage to take action, he radically changed this country. He was called by God to lead the people of this nation to be transformed to a new place and it wouldn’t come without a cost.

I believe that people are called constantly by God, but we are too afraid of the consequences or too distracted to hear the voice of God. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. later wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which we studied in Advent. This letter was his response to the "A Call for Unity" where clergymen had criticized him and argued that social injustices existed, but needed to be resolved solely in the courts and not in the churches or the streets. His letter explained clearly that justice is a matter that we need to bring into the streets and into our churches. Dr. King argued that civil disobedience was justified in the face of unjust laws and was necessary if change was to occur.

I believe that it takes courage to transform ourselves into what God calls us to be. I agree with Dr. King that we should live in this new place where justice and equality prevail. We start by treating everyone with dignity and respect. We offer hospitality to all, food to the hungry, cloths to the naked, living water to the thirsty, and freedom to the oppressed. Let’s keep politics out of our conversation, but not be restrained from doing what is right. How do oppressed people get the respect and dignity that they deserve? Their hope lies in the abundance of God’s love. Jesus came that we might have the abundant life that turns water into wine and helps the poor, the orphaned and the hungry. Jesus teaches not only what this new place looks like, but shows us the path that we must take.

We have all the tools and resources that we need to make this an incredible year at St. John’s. Jesus, who can turn water into wine, can transform us into this new place, if we have the courage to take action. But it does not come without a cost. I would like every member of our parish to think about how they can bring the love of God to the community of Huntington. We promise in our Baptismal Covenant to continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to persevere in resisting evil, to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves, and to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. Perhaps you could help with the Thrift Shop, join our Racial Reconciliation Ministry, invite a friend to a service or one of our events, or just make a commitment to attend services regularly. God can do amazing things if we will only have the faith and courage to be a part of the transformation.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

Almost 40 years ago, Nancy Fees wrote a song titled I Have Called You by Name, a song that focuses, in part, on baptism and its attendant responsibilities. Below are the refrain and the third verse:

Refrain: I have called you by name and you are mine.
I will keep you as the apple of my eye.
I will hide you in the shadow of my wings.
I have called you by name and you are mine.

Verse 3: I have washed you in refreshing cleansing waters;
you are chosen as a child of God.
Go into the world as my disciples.
Share the light of Christ with all mankind. (To Refrain)

I have included only this verse because it is the one linked most closely to baptism and this morning's gospel.

At baptism, even at the baptism of Jesus, is the call of Jesus Christ that summons each of us from whatever we are doing as it echoes through the pews of our churches, the corridors of our work places, the streets of our towns, and calls each of us by name as it proclaims, “Take up your cross and follow me.” One of the first things one notices about Nancy's song is that it is an attempt to articulate a simple truth about God's desire to maintain a special relationship with his people, a special relationship initiated in baptism as the child is named. Though the child does not yet know it, though the parents perhaps haven't thought much about it, this is the moment that one can begin to discover just who he is. In the process of that discovery, one's entire existence begins to be re-shaped and takes on new substance. This simple act of naming and calling declares ultimately that who one is gives way to who one is in Jesus Christ.

Nancy's song commences with the refrain and we are plunged immediately into an affirmation of the integral nature of God's relationship with us. That relationship is announced in all tenses—past, present, and future—and is repeated at the end of each verse: God has called us; we are his; he will keep us. Cemented in the fact that each of us bears the divine imprint and is meant to reflect the Lord as he lives in us, we discover an intimacy that is deeper than any human relationship. To live this out is to enter into the process of who we really are.

The final verse (printed above) recalls for us our baptisms, that ancient rite that incorporated each of us into Christ's body, the Church. To be “washed in refreshing, cleansing waters” is not some empty ritual, but an act that refreshes, that renews, that erases the stain of sin. Fully initiated into Christ's body, we are now prepared for what Alan Jones defines as the “journey into Christ.” When we “go into the world as [his] disciples” to “share [his] light,” we confess that he is the blueprint for what it means to be fully and gloriously human. As we continue our journeys into the risen Christ that were begun at baptism, let us remember the call of our names imagined by Fr. John Stott, Anglican priest, biblical scholar, and evangelist: “Yes, I do know who I am, a new person in Christ, and by the grace of God I shall live accordingly.”

With all blessings,

Fr. John+

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.

Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19).

In my Christmas sermon this year, I preached about how God comes into this messy world in a position of vulnerability and powerlessness. God loves us so much that he came down to live with us, that we might know him and he might know us. God came down into this dark, messy world because he loves us. The God who takes on our flesh does not ignore the darkness but shines in the very midst of it. God transforms vulnerability into power when we are willing and open to God. This can come to us as an Epiphany when we see everything in the light of Christ instead of looking out from the darkness of humanity in its present condition. While one force makes us angry, selfish, envious, prideful, lustful, and greedy, God shines a new light that allows us to be humble, patient, self-giving, generous, and kind. Through the person of Jesus Christ, everything in the world looks different. Epiphany is when we reorient ourselves to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Our future looks very bright at St. John’s because we are willing to reorient our lives to the way God intended. The light of Christ is the hospitality we show to newcomers and strangers. From our ushers to our congregation, to our breakfast team, we offer everyone a friendly, hot meal after service. The light of Christ is the outreach that the ECW does in our community. Please support our ECW in every way you can in the coming year. The light of Christ is the passing of our faith to the next generation. Through our Sunday school, first communion classes, confirmation, and youth group, we share the light of Christ to our children and youth. The last way we shine the light of Christ is by bringing others to faith. Please invite your friends and neighbors to join us at St. John’s. We are growing because people come into our church and want to be a part of the Jesus Movement with us. Our priorities remain hospitality, outreach, children and youth ministry, and growth. I ask every member to think about how you might help us in these four areas of ministry in 2019.

  As we approach our 275th anniversary at St. John’s in 2020, I would encourage every member to open your hearts to the love of God. Jesus will teach us through the Gospel of Luke this year to transform ourselves, our families, and our community to this love of God.  The power of the Holy Spirit shines brightly in the darkness when we are open to the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Luke tells us that the harvest is great, but the laborers are few.  I ask you in this New Year to commit yourself to the Jesus Movement in our church. God is doing wondrous things at St. John’s and I believe that this can be another amazing year. May we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and praise God’s name forever.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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+