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Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:35-36)

Jesus asks us to love our enemies. When we disagree with “the other,” the situation can deteriorate to a tipping point. Once words are said or actions are taken in anger that cannot be taken back, hatred grips the very core of both parties. Hamas did things to Isreal in October 2023 that caused swift retribution. Eventually both sides see their only option as the total annihilation of the other. The situation in the Middle East doesn’t look like it will end well. Yet South Africa showed us the method of truth and reconciliation that ended the hostilities through forgiveness. Martin Luther King Jr. taught nonviolent resistance. Injustice needs to be dealt with, but violence and hatred are never the path of the Kingdom of God. Jesus teaches forgiveness through his own sacrifice and standing up to oppression through truth and love. We know there are people in the world that want to do harm to us. Jesus was a pacifist who said that we should never strike back in revenge. Jesus asks us to repay evil with generosity and kindness. He does not say that there isn’t a price to pay but leaves it to God to administer justice. This is a hard lesson for us to comprehend. Mother Teresa had a saying on her wall to try and keep these ideas in focus: 

          People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. 

Forgive them anyway.

           If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. 

Be kind anyway.

           If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. 

         Succeed anyway.

          If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. 

Be honest and sincere anyway.

           What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. 

Create anyway.

           If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. 

Be happy anyway.

           The good you do today, will often be forgotten. 

Do good anyway.

        Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. 

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

If you find yourself at odds with another group of people and it is creating anger and anxiety, may I suggest using your energy to help those in need instead of fighting with those you hate. Social media is a breeding ground for division and really solves very little. Loving your family and friends and helping those in need helps you get through difficult times. Fighting for injustice can be done in nonviolent protest, and when you travel the high road, you find your team back in power before you know it. We need to ask others to behave with kindness and love. We can ask for others to love their neighbors. We are allowed to ask that others show mercy. But can we do that if we are not willing to be kind and merciful? If you are hurting from what is going on in the world, my suggestion is to breath, speak the truth, and act in loving ways. I join many of you in worrying where we are going in this world. I have been a pacifist since I was in the seventh grade. Our class may not have accomplished much by refusing to participate in music class until the United States got out of Vietnam, but we eventually ended that war. I believe that peace is possible between any two groups of people. Maybe I am totally ignorant, but I follow in the path of folks like Martin Luther King Jr., Archbishop Tutu, and Jesus. They all achieved results with truth, forgiveness and love. Maybe we can too.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Holy, holy, holy!” cry the angels!

What does it take to be holy? Does it take perfection? Does it take our good works? Does it take only our faith and we can move on thinking, “Well, at least I believe!” Holiness can sound like a daunting word. Only God is holy, yes, and yet He tells us that we are “to be holy, as I am holy” (Leviticus 21:8; 1 Peter 1:16). “To be holy” is to be set apart by God for a special purpose. The people of Israel were set apart from rest of the nations in order that through them the power of God might be revealed. The light shown to us in Epiphany is a holy light because it is the light of the One set apart to reveal God’s power in human flesh.

One of my favorites pieces of Scripture is Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp before my feet, and a light to my path.” This light guides us into holiness. It guides our life so that it may be set apart to reveal to others Jesus Christ in the world today. Through our faith, through our actions, through our very lives, the holiness of God can be revealed.

But perhaps you don’t feel very holy. That’s ok, I, too, don’t feel very holy much of the time. Leading you through service, or Bible study, or prayer, doesn’t make me holy, per se, though they are holy things. God doesn’t expect perfection. That’s why we have Jesus Christ. That is the well we will always go to in order that we can perceive what holiness is and learn from Him and grow in sanctification. Jesus Christ bestows His holiness upon us so that we may live with purpose and in the abundance of His blessings.

Let us pray that God’s light may shine in you and lead you grow in holiness. Amen.

Fr. Zach

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Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, 

and your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,

your justice like the great deep; 

you save both man and beast, O Lord.

How priceless is your love, O God! 

your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

They feast upon the abundance of your house; 

you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the well of life, 

and in your light we see light.

Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, 

and your favor to those who are true of heart. (Psalm 36:5-10)

Epiphany is the season that manifests the divinity of Jesus. This season is filled with powerful Gospels that bring us closer to God. The season starts with the recent birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi who follow the light in the sky on the day of the Epiphany. The Baptism of our Lord was observed last Sunday. We baptized three young men and celebrated the diaconal ministry of Deacon Claire Mis. Jesus was baptized and as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22).

The gospels for next three Sundays of the Epiphany season describe the wedding at Cana, the reading of Isaiah in the temple by Jesus, and the opposition to Jesus in Nazareth. The next group of Gospels will describe the calling of the fishermen and the beatitudes. On the last Sunday of Epiphany we will experience the transfiguration. Jesus' identity as the Son of God will be dramatically revealed in the Transfiguration gospel. 

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the coming of the Kingdom of God in today’s lesson. He says that you will no longer be forsaken and you will no longer be desolate. You will be blessed and loved by God. So God sent his only Son so that everyone would know that God rejoices over them and brings about righteousness and justice so that we all will know that we are loved and blessed by God. When we affirm that Jesus is God’s son, our mission becomes spreading God’s love to the world. That mission is blessed by God and we are loved as Christ’s own. I ask each member of our congregation to listen to the word of God this Epiphany season as we prepare a new mission statement for our annual meeting on February 2nd. 

This weekend we celebrate a modern day prophet. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that he had a dream. God’s righteousness and justice were needed to change the way people were treating each other. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’" He said that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. The evidence is massive that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God does have a dream that we can live together and respect the dignity of each other.

In Christ’s light of love,

Fr. Duncan

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This weekend we will be commemorating the Baptism of our Lord for the First Sunday after Epiphany which was this past Monday. It is one of the days that our Book of Common Prayer lists as special days in which baptisms can occur (though every Sunday outside of Lent allows for baptisms). This Sunday, we will be baptizing three young men, brothers, Casey, Grant, and Leo Poinelli, who recently started attending with their father, Les. The eldest son told me due to a TikTok challenge, he started reading the Gospel of Luke, reading a chapter day in December leading up to Christmas, as the Gospel has 24 chapters. I guess the Holy Ghost can use technology.

Also, we will be sending off Deacon Claire to her next chapter. Clergy departures are never easy, and I know this has greatly affected many people who have found inspiration, comfort, and connection from her and her ministry. Still, I find great symbolism in the fact that Claire’s last day with us is also a day of baptism. Such can be our Christian life, a life in which we allow for God to guide our steps and open up for us new adventures and new possibilities. 

This was a purpose of Jesus Christ being baptized, as you might be wondering why Jesus needed to be baptized at all. He had to submit to the Father in all ways and baptism, even in the pre-Chrisitan rite found in Judaism, was a symbolic way of doing that. As Jesus is also fully human, and Jewish, the rite of baptism was an act of repentance and ritual cleansing. No, Jesus did not sin and therefore had truly nothing to repent for, but he needed to mark his humanity in the same way as us.

Claire’s departure is a sign of the Holy Spirit in her life, which goes back to her baptism. If you’ve studied Acts of the Apostles, you know the movement of the Holy Spirit throughout the book and how it helped grow the early church. The Holy Spirit is the key to church movement and growth. And now as we bring in three new Christians into the fold, I rest in the fact the Holy Spirit is at work in the world today gathering in those who seek Jesus. And through others, helping them to disciple and minister. I pray that this year, we can seek deeper understandings of the Holy Spirit in our lives individually and as a parish to help us on this adventure of the Christian life. God bless!

In Christ,

Fr. Zach

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My dear family in Christ,

It is with deep and conflicting emotion that I find myself writing this message to you. We have just navigated through Advent 2024 – a season of expectation and hope. And now, our hope is with us, as we once again celebrate and welcome with joy the ever coming of Christ into our world.

But the moment has now arrived for me to share with you my departure from St. John’s. Bishop Provenzano and I have discerned that it is time for me to move on. The Spirit is stirring in me to grow and serve in new ministries within our vineyard. The diocese is large, the needs are great, and the deacons are few. I will preach my last sermon on December 29th and my last Sunday at St. John’s will be January 12th. I hope to see many of you on those two dates so we can celebrate our time together – 5 years, in fact! While this departure is earlier than planned, it will afford me the opportunity to spend much needed time with my family before venturing into new outreach work.

I am grateful to our Rector, Fr. Duncan for his encouragement and leadership – giving me the latitude to discover my own ministry – which, in fact is not one ministry but many. And no ministry is done in a silo. You, the parishioners have been open and receptive to new ideas and are always ready to hop on board!

I thank God for the work that Coral puts in to keep us all organized as well as to Alex, whose musical gifts are beyond amazing – and always profoundly touching and healing. Thanking God also for all the creative and vibrant ministries at St. John’s!

So, I leave with sadness and joy. Sadness because I love you all – so deeply have you become engrained in my heart. The opportunity to accompany you on your personal journeys has been your gift to me. And I will miss you. But there is joy, because I know that you are a strong church and that you will thrive and continue to grow through the leadership of Fr. Duncan, Fr. Zach, and your Vestry – which has been so generous to me, and so creative in its forward thinking.

May our loving God be with us all as we continue to serve wherever we are being called. God never abandons us, but at the same time, God does not stand still, and neither must we! 

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord!

Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

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‘My soul magnifies the Lord,

    and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.

   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

   and holy is his name.

 His mercy is for those who fear him

   from generation to generation.

 He has shown strength with his arm;

   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

   and lifted up the lowly;

 he has filled the hungry with good things,

   and sent the rich away empty.

 He has helped his servant Israel,

   in remembrance of his mercy,

 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

   to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ (The Song of Mary)

Have you ever just had a good feeling about things? A few weeks ago the bishop came to our 10:00 AM service. The place was packed, the music was fantastic, and the bishop left with a very good feeling about our church. He said that the spirit was present. He felt the hospitality and joy of a community filled with the love of Christ. In today’s Gospel Mary greets Elizabeth and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They rejoice because Mary has given of herself so that the whole world might have a savior. This Sunday we will have the Children’s Pageant at the 10:00 service. I hope you will witness the joy of the Holy Spirit in story of Mary and the birth of our Savior. At St. John’s, God comes to us as the incarnate Word of Jesus Christ to lead us to a new way of life.

Be joyful that we may live faithful lives through this incarnate Word. My hope is that each of you will feel a completeness that comes from being in the place where God has called you. God wants to make a broken world whole and comes to ordinary people to do great deeds. Do you remember the first teaching of Jesus in the synagogue? Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Isaiah proclaimed to an oppressed people that soon they would be freed. For generations and generations, people waited for that prophecy to come true. Jesus is the fulfillment of ancient prophecy and Mary and Elizabeth cannot contain their joy that they have been blessed by God to be a part of it. As Advent comes to an end and the ancient promises are about to be fulfilled, we await in expectant joy. Are you excited that Christmas is almost here? God will come yet again us to free the oppressed and bring Good News to the poor.

St. John’s has been blessed for 280 years that people have rejoiced in the power of the living God. God comes again and again to fulfill ancient prophecy. By the Spirit of God, we have done many good things here. I wait in joyful expectation to hear and see what God will do among us.

Christmas Eve Services, Tuesday, December 24th

4 pm - Rite II Choral Family Eucharist

7 pm - Rite II Choral Eucharist

10 pm - Rite I Holy Eucharist

Christmas Day Service, Wednesday December 25th

9 am - Rite II Holy Eucharist

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:22-24).

Last Sunday Fr. Zach spoke about the hope of putting God first in our lives. It is only through a relationship with Jesus Christ that we can become the folks that God calls us to be. We are not heading towards the outcome of a political race, but to the Kingdom of God. In today’s lesson we are asked to encourage one another to pray together, to love each other, and to help those in need. These are three goals that bring us to a place of purpose and meaning in our life. In my experience, bickering with one another brings only heartache. Imagining worst outcomes is not healthy. Put your trust in the Lord! Micah asks, “O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”

Being a Christian is rooted in our relationship with Christ. My biggest goal for next year is that you will strengthen your relationship with Christ. The bishop has requested that every member of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island pray for one hour per day. Maybe you could start with a small prayer for your loved ones. A group of us meets for Morning Prayer at 9 AM every weekday on zoom. We pray for the sick and our loved ones by name. Pray at meals in thanksgiving for all you have received. End your day with a prayer to keep your loved ones safe. My great grandmother taught her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to talk to Jesus in our prayers like Jesus is your closest friend. When troubles and fear come in your life, you will have an advocate to lean your head on.

Please join us in offering our hospitality and community to our guests. In the Episcopal Church, we say that all are welcome. Please reach out to new members and invite them to participate in your small group ministry. On December 3^rd and 10^th we will offer the Alpha Program. We request that you invite someone to deepen their faith through this program. You can also invite non-Christians to learn about our faith.

The bond that we form in groups like EFM, the ECW, the Thrift Shop, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, HIHI, and St. Hilda’s Guild create an atmosphere of faith and love. We grow together in the love of Christ by sharing our love with one another. Join us for HIHI every other week from 3 PM to 5PM starting Friday December 13^th. We will make 30 meals for the homeless and bring them to the Roadway Inn, where they are housed for the winter. Please sign up for a child to support in the Adopt-a-Family program during our coffee hour.

Thank you to all members of our congregation who have already pledged. Your generosity allows us to continue the faith and love that have been shared for the past 280 years. Finally, I ask you to attend this Sunday’s concert, Mass in Blue. Bring family or friends with you to enjoy a spectacular jazz concert featuring the Sound Vocal Jazz Choir and the Alex Pryrodny Quartet.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan