The Journey of the Magi - T. S. Eliot

'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp.
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away and wanting liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

When I think of the traditional story of the magi in the gospel, I most often recall pageants, at least the ones my children were in. Camera at the ready, all was recorded for posterity, that is if the flash attachment worked accordingly. Fifty years ago, I didn't focus on the deeper implications; no T. S. Eliot version for me, nothing that would call into question all too easy associations that didn't raise any important responses. Way back then, my journey into Christ didn't encounter any obstacles, largely because it was rather superficial, an equation grasped easily, a life without doubts, and certainly no voices telling me that the journey “was all folly.” Following the star seemed a piece of cake, at least on Sunday mornings, for an hour, until I actually began to encounter the “three trees” of Golgotha, the “white horse” of John's apocalypse, the “vine-leaves” of the Eucharist, the soldiers at the foot of the cross “dicing for pieces of silver.” And more, certainly. The encounter altered the nature of my journey, changed the course of my life, a slow process accompanied by occasional perplexity, but in the end leading to a new life in a risen Lord that was much more rewarding as well as more demanding. What is the nature of your journey?

Fr. John+

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching (Isaiah 42:1-3).

The Gospel of Mathew weaves together scripture from both the Old and the New Testament. Mispat in Hebrew means justice. Justice is relationship with God that brings the servant to do the will of God. As we explore the Gospel of Matthew in the coming year, we will constantly be looking at Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. At St. John’s, we celebrate our 275th by following our mission, To Know Christ, and Make Him Known. Please draw nearer to God by listening closely to the Word of God in the coming year that we might know Christ intimately and witness to his love, hope, and mercy.

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem (Acts 10:34-39).

At St. John’s, we proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. By this we mean that the grace and forgiveness of God is offered to everyone. At St. John’s, we proclaim that “all are welcome” which means that we believe that God shows no partiality. This does not mean that God approves of everything that people do, but that we are called to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Part of living in community is understanding that we do not all agree on what is right and acceptable to God, but that through the Word of God in the person of Jesus Christ, we can get a glimpse of God’s grace and mercy.

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well please” (Matthew 3:16-17).

Jesus comes out of the river, still wet from the waters of baptism and goes to the margins of society. He heals the sick, gives hope to the poor, and becomes the servant that he is called to be. Jesus then teaches how to give your life for the sake of others. This is what we mean by the Epiphany. God’s will is manifested in the actions of the Son. Jesus doesn’t worry about what the powerful are going to do to him, he prays and heals everyone he meets with a broken heart, every person that is lonely, sick, hungry, alienated and suffering. Jesus gets into the muddy waters of our messy lives and shows us the way to new life. God up in heaven loves us so much, that God shows us this path of emerging from this water into new life. In Baptism we are fully initiated into the body of Christ by the pouring of the water and by the indwelling of the Spirit. God has acted in our lives in the waters of Baptism, filled us with the Holy Spirit, and we have the power to emerge, as faithful witnesses to the love of God.

In Christ’s love, 

Fr. Duncan

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is
the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:15-19a).

It is my prayer that you will have the “eyes of your heart enlightened.” Paul begins with a compliment to the Ephesians because he has heard of their faith. He assures them that God is working through them and there is immeasurable greatness of his power. In the third chapter of Ephesians Paul said, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.” This spirit of revelation and wisdom is the knowledge that God loves us and gave us God’s only Son that we might have abundant life in this world and eternal life in the next.

I was watching 60 Minutes last week and one of the people on the show came to the realization that love is the key factor in the world. He said that even though we all know the importance of love in the world, we often get distracted by all that is going on in our lives. He turned back to love as the most important factor in his life and his life took a tremendous turn for the better. At Christmas, we experience the eternal love of God in a crude manger in Bethlehem. Kings travel from the East to pay homage to Jesus Christ. God calls us to fill our hearts with this love and share it with others.

Our first act of love should be thanksgiving to God in heaven for the birth of Jesus Christ, who came to enlighten the eyes of our hearts. Our next act of love should be to those around us. When loving God and loving our neighbor are combined, our brain stops playing the fear and anxiety video that leads our reptilian brain to increased heart rate and stress. We play the hope video that leads our brain to a healthier pattern of rational, moral behavior. This in turn sends the signal to our reptilian brain to produce endorphins, lower our heart rate, and reduce our stress. Most of us are aware that when we listen to music that triggers happy memories, laugh, exercise, have sex, or eat certain foods, our brain triggers the release of endorphins and other chemicals in the pituitary gland which gives us that sense of being in a euphoric state. Likewise bad experiences and traumas trigger feelings of pain, fear, and anxiety. Since we all experience these triggers to different degrees, we need to love one another in the knowledge that we have all been damaged by the actions of others and are all in need of love and comfort. We especially need to care for those who are most vulnerable and least likely to be loved and comforted.

Christianity leads us down a rational, moral path that helps us to feel good about ourselves and trigger that feeling of contentment and satisfaction in our lives. Instead of selfish, egotistical, controlling and sometimes hurtful behavior, we follow Jesus Christ in self-giving, humble, loving behavior. This leads our brain to a healthy pattern of releasing chemicals that give us a sense of wellbeing. A healthy diet, lots of clean drinking water, loving relationships, exercise, and good sleep contribute to a happy and heathy life.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help!
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them;
who keeps his promise for ever;
Who gives justice to those who are oppressed,
and food to those who hunger.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger;
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked (Psalm 146:4-8).

On this third Sunday in Advent let us rejoice that we have been part of God's inbreaking Kingdom. Let us rejoice that the Holy Spirit is with us right here and now and that Jesus Christ is coming again in great majesty. Let us not think of the coming of Jesus Christ as some kind of a birthday or celebrating of a onetime event. Let us see, hear, and feel that Jesus Christ is coming into our hearts that we might follow the will and purpose of God. 

There is a wonderful energy at St. John's right now. So far in Advent, we provided resources and companionship at Laundry Love, gave out food cards to the needy, sent over 100 shoe boxes all over the world with Samaritan’s Purse,  fed and sheltered the homeless at HiHi, brought gifts for the ECW Adopt-a-Family program, made hundreds of Christmas wreaths, and received large donations from the ECW, Breakfast Group, and the Thrift Shop. Fr. Anthony Jones and our Spirituality Group led a Quiet Day, Fr. John and Claire helped me with the Advent program on Tuesday nights, we completed our Bible Study with The Path, we prayed Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, we had Children's Chapel for our Nursery School, we visited shut-ins, and today we will decorate the church after the 10:00 service and complete another successful stewardship campaign. Tonight we will enjoy our Sing Noël! concert at 7:30 pm.

We prepare our hearts to receive the incarnate love of Jesus Christ so that we may be the hands and feet of God's love in the world. This week's collect reminds us that we are sorely hindered by our sins. We have the potential to bump into each other in our busyness. We have the potential to be on our plan instead of God's plan. We forget that this season can be very painful for many. I ask you all to be extra generous and kind to one another in the coming week and a half before Christmas. We have suffered the loss of several family members and we need the love and mercy of God. Please take a few days to rest and gather the ones you love together. God's wonderful Kingdom will be ushered in a poor manger on a quiet evening. All the preparations that we do are important, but we cannot miss the whole point of the season in our busyness. God loves us unconditionally and so deeply that despite our sins, God can bring this world to peace, hope, love, and joy through the incarnation of a little baby on Christmas again and again.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

Isaiah 35:1-10

James 5:7-10

Matthew 11:2-11

Psalm 146:4-9

The wolf shall live with the lamb, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox...
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the
nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious (Isaiah 11:6-10).

In the Advent season, we wait in joyous expectation for the birth of Christ. Isaiah the prophet gave us these words from God that we might have hope in uncertain time. The price of peace is coming to each of us that prepare our hearts. We are asked in this season to realign ourselves to the path of Jesus Christ. Each of us will have a living experience with our incarnate savior, if we believe in him. I ask each member of St. John's to draw closer to our Lord in the coming year. Please consider deepening your faith in Christ by loving God and one another. The best way to get started is to pray to God that your heart may be kindled again. Please look for the living presence of Christ at St. John’s and witness to others your experience. Please contact me if you would like to witness to the congregation what St. John’s has meant to you and when you have felt the hope and power of the divine love. Invite your friends and family to our Christmas Pageant on December 22nd at 10:00 am and Christmas Eve services at 4:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 11:00 pm.

The peaceable kingdom described by Isaiah is coming through God, not us. We are asked to repent or turn away from selfish desires and return to loving God and our neighbor. We accomplish this through prayer, study and worship. On Tuesday December 10th, I will present a program on the Gospel of Matthew. Evening Prayer begins at 6:00 pm with dinner at 6:30 pm, and a presentation at 7:00 pm. Please bring your bible.

The St. John's Youth Group will be selling wreaths between 8:30 am and noon today. The money will go towards feeding and housing the homeless right here at St. John's by our Youth Group. The Youth will provide three meals and a warm roof on Friday, December 13th. Today is also the day to turn in your Adopt-a-Family gifts to the ECW. We will deliver them on Saturday. There is a very important meeting at 11:15 today in the Guild Room for the ECW.

Our Sing Noël! Concert will be on Sunday, December 15th at 7:30 pm. Take a joyous break from the holiday rush and join us for our annual concert of Christmas songs, carols and stories. Join us in the Great Hall afterward to meet the artists and enjoy some Christmas cheer. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Leslie Valentine.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:5)

In the Advent season, we wait in joyous expectation for the birth of Christ. We shift our attention from worrying about the problems that face us to a crude manger in Bethlehem, where all of God’s promises are fulfilled. We shift from thinking about scarcity to the abundance that we have from God. Please take time to relax in this busy season and journey with all of us at St. John’s to Bethlehem.

Please join us on Saturday December 7th at 9:00 am beginning with breakfast. Rev. Lawrence Womack from St. Augustine’s, Brooklyn will lead us in a SJSG Advent retreat. Fr. Anthony Jones will join us for the program, “Preparation: Matthew’s Journey through Advent.”

Advent is a time when we love each other as Christ loves us. It is a time when we remember those who we love by sending cards, baking cookies, and giving presents. We take the time to visit with our family, co-workers and friends. Advent is a time when we give of ourselves to others as Christ gave of himself to us. We bring about the coming of the kingdom of God by looking beyond ourselves. We pray for one another and help the poor and needy where we can.

The St. John’s Youth Group will be selling wreaths ($25), Christmas cactus ($10), and poinsettias ($15) this Sunday and delivering them on Saturday December 7th from 10:30-1:00 and Sunday December 8th from 8:30-12:00. This fund raiser supports our youth on mission trips and youth events.

Please join us this Sunday for Advent Wreath Making after the 10 am service in the Great Hall. This is an intergenerational event for everyone in the parish. St. John’s has a wonderful family atmosphere, where everyone feels welcome. If you are new to St. John’s or coming back to us again, we ask you to stay after the service today and enjoy the wonderful hospitality that we offer. We serve a breakfast of eggs, pancakes, French toast, muffins, or bagels every Sunday and we would really love to have you join us.

I ask each member of St. John’s to draw closer to our Lord in the coming year. Join us for Holy Eucharist on all four Sundays in Advent. The best way to get started is to pray to God that your heart may be kindled again. Our bishop has asked us to focus on our study, worship, and prayer. Please consider deepening your faith in Christ by loving God and one another. Join us on Tuesday mornings for Bible Study at 11:00 am in the Guild Room or join me for Morning Prayer in the church at 9:00 am on Monday or Tuesday. Enjoy the Christmas Pageant on December 22nd at 10:00 am and Christmas Eve services at 4:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 11:00 pm.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

Isaiah 2:1-5

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:36-44

Psalm 122

Our gospel call to “social action” as understood 151 years ago, as is today, comes from the center of our worship life, prayer, and study.  Our liturgical life cannot be free of the concerns of God’s people. The very liturgy, a work of the people, must be a weekly (if not daily) celebration in which each person is further equipped to live in the world as a member of the Body of Christ. Our liturgical experiences (that is what happens in the church service) must encapsulate a legitimate, sacramental encounter with God, a binding together of God’s people and the offering of prayers representing the genuine needs of the world…A crisis in the ministry of the church today is our inability to clearly and faithfully articulate the impact of Jesus’ message—his life and teaching, his death and resurrection in the midst of a complex and fractured world…The Church must return to being the Church. There is no substitute for real community, actual—not virtual—prayer, conversation and study, liturgical action and sacramental encounter. Sisters and brothers, I am calling upon each of you once again, to return to the basics of our common life and common prayer, our formation and education and our sharing with everyone around us. Literally return to church. Be together more. Teach our children how to be together, work together, pray together. (Bishop Provenzano)

As we transition from Christ the King Sunday to Advent, I ask you to spend time in prayer, study, and worship. Please make an effort to attend church every Sunday in Advent and draw closer to the One that loves us all unconditionally. During our Advent suppers on Tuesday evenings (beginning 12/03), we will study the Gospel of Matthew as we prepare for the coming of Christ.  Join us on December 7th from 9-1 for an Advent Quiet Day. Our topic is “Preparation: Matthew’s Journey through Advent” with Rev. Lawrence Womack of St. Augustine’s Brooklyn. Fr. Anthony Jones will also be joining us for breakfast and the program. I ask you to sign up today, so that we can prepare enough food for the event.

At St. John’s our mission is to know Christ and make Him known. Most of us need to build a deeper relationship with Jesus. In both the Sunday Gospel and in our daily prayer, we are studying Matthew. Please read and meditate through Matthew in the coming month. Forward Day by Day daily meditations are also available for those of us on the go. Just take one line of scripture and meditate on it each morning. Please pray each and every day that the Holy Spirit will draw you closer to Jesus Christ through your prayer, study, and worship. Our bible study meets on Tuesdays at 11:00 am and will be finishing the “Path” in the next four weeks. We will study the Acts of the Apostles in January.

Our Youth Group will host HiHi at St. John’s for the homeless on December 13th. Our youth will be selling Christmas wreaths on December 7th and 8th. Please fill out your order form after service today. This is the last Sunday to bring Operation Christmas shoe boxes. Please pick up a tag, wrap a gift, and bring it back to St. John’s by December 8th for the ECW Adopt-A-Family program.

Please mark your calendars for the last Taizé service of the year on Sunday December 1st at 5:30 pm. This is a contemplative prayer service with beautiful music from Alex and friends.  Join us tonight at 4:00 pm for “Year’s End” with the Rambling Readers. Last, but not least is our biggest concert of the year. If you are new to St. John’s, please join us for songs, carols, and stories that are sure to put you in the Christmas spirit! Sing Noël! will be held on December 15th at 7:30 pm.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan   

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Canticle 16
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

“When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down’” (Luke 21:5-6).

The temple at the time of Jesus was beautifully adorned. Josephus describes the temple as such, “whatever was not overlaid with gold was purest white” (Josephus, Jewish War 5.5.6). King Herod had lavishly adorned the temple with gold. No one could imagine that this beautiful temple could be destroyed. In the year 70 C.E. the Romans, under Titus, burned and destroyed the temple to the ground. Not a stone in the temple was left unturned. Gold was removed from each stone before setting the temple on fire. When Jesus spoke in the temple, it was beyond the imagination of the Jews that something so beautiful would be destroyed in their lifetime. When Luke wrote the Gospel, the prophecy that Jesus spoke had already come true. The magnificent temple in Jerusalem had already been utterly destroyed. The stuff that we see as magnificent pales in comparison to the love of God found in the Good News of Luke’s Gospel. As we finish our wrap up of the Gospel of Luke for this lectionary cycle, let us remember the question that we have been dealing with all year. “Who is this who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:19). Jesus was called the Son of God, Prophet, Lord, Messiah or Christ, Son of Man, and Savior. Jesus preached God’s redemptive plan for the salvation of all humanity. Even death no longer had a sting.

This week we look towards our mission trip next summer to Puerto Rico. Hurricane Dorian leveled parts of the Bahamas recently with winds in excess of 180 MPH. Our parish sent funds to help the Bahamas recover. Puerto Rico was utterly turned upside down by Hurricane Maria a few years ago and we are working on a long-term relationship to help them recover. Last year we heard stories of terrified individuals that had no place to go and weathered the storm. One 80-year-old woman survived by holding a sheet of plywood against the windows to prevent water from rushing in her house. Another family put all their pigs, chickens and dogs into their living room to save them from the wind and water. Several years later, roofs are still leaking and there are not enough adequate shelters ready for the next hurricane. On July 5-10th, St John’s will send a mission team to continue our relief effort. Most of all, we make good friends and bring the love of God into their lives. If you are interested, please attend the meeting after the 10:00 service in the guild room.

Jesus asks us to see the temporal world for what it is and to look beyond to the eternal world. Last week I said that the resurrection proves that love is stronger than death. In fact, God’s love is stronger than anything. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God… 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 8:18-19, 38-39).

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan

Isaiah 65:17-25
Canticle 9
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Luke 21:5-19

Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things.
With his right hand and his holy arm has he won for himself the victory.
The LORD has made known his victory; his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
Sing to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the voice of song.Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, the lands and those who dwell therein.
Let the rivers clap their hands, and let the hills ring out with joy before the LORD, when he comes to judge the earth.
In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98)

The book of psalms articulates God’s coming reign and calls us to pray and sing praise as we await God’s peace, justice and righteousness. I am an associate of Holy Cross Monastery and for ten years, I spent every Friday praying the psalms with the brothers. For me, the singing of the psalms articulates my lament to the evil and pain in the world and praise for the love, mercy, joy, and hope in the person of Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that Psalm 98 is often sung on Christmas because we recognize in the birth of Jesus Christ that God’s Eternal Kingdom is ushered into our mortal existence. From the day you recognize that Jesus Christ is the Messianic King, you are called to love God and love your neighbor. At St. John’s and in many areas of this country, we give a tenth of what we have to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Today we will donate a few dollars to provide baskets for the women through the Long Island Against Domestic Violence organization. We will provide 12 Christmas baskets to families of four through our Youth Group, the ECW, and your generosity. This week we will also collect 100 Operation Christmas shoe boxes that will be sent all over the world to children that will only receive a present through your generosity. 

God’s Reign comes to humanity through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today’s psalm we react to the love, mercy, and justice of God in praise and prayer. We come to St. John’s to praise the name of Jesus Christ as we await his coming again. In today’s psalm, we are reminded what God has done for us, what God is doing, and that God’s righteousness and justice will reign forever.  God is steadfast and faithful to each of us. God will judge us in righteousness with justice and equity.

We are called to celebrate what God has done and to praise and worship God. Sing to the Lord and shout with joy. Pray with your whole heart. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

People have sung the psalms for thousands of years. They represent our tears of sadness and joy. The psalms express every emotion that we feel back to God. Psalm 98 is a psalm of praise and worship. It asks us to join in with the sea as it makes its noise, the rivers as they clap their hands and the hills that ring out with joy. I have expressed many times how I enjoy listening to the ocean, hiking in the hills, and wading in the river. Praising and worshiping God connects us to the eternal truth that God created everything and everybody and loves us unconditionally. While our culture draws us into focusing on our little iPhone box, God draws us into relationship with all of God’s creation. While our culture draws us to be independent and self-absorbed, God draws us to be united with Jesus Christ and our neighbor. This Sunday give praise and worship to God and connect to the love, joy, hope, and mercy that surrounds us as we await the coming of God’s Kingdom.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan

Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Psalm 98
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Luke 20:27-38

Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:20-21, 31)

In last week’s sermon, I spoke about the self-giving love of Jesus Christ. We are the light of Christ when we give of ourselves for the sake of others. I can’t think of a better example of this than our Harvest Fair. The atmosphere at the fair was amazing and the comradery among our parishioners was palpable. Many of our parishioners gave an incredible amount of time, talent, and treasure to make the weekend such a huge success. We had lots of newcomers working on the Harvest Fair, and we invite you to continue in the ministry of St. Johns. We will break another record in total sales. The ECW will use the proceeds to help our community through ECW donations to charitable organizations, our Thrift Shop, Laundry Love, our HIHI Homeless Ministry, Operation Christmas Child, Adopt-a-Family, Thanksgiving Baskets for the domestic abuse shelter, our Prayer Shawl ministry, St. John’s Hospital Toy Drive, our Book Ministry, our mission trips to Puerto Rico, and a sizable donation to support all the other ministries at St. Johns.

I would like to thank our entire ECW team that worked so hard to make the event such a huge success. There are posters in the Great Hall with the names of charities that the ECW gave to last year, the vendors that contributed to our baskets, and the names of all the sponsors that made this year such a success. Please support our local businesses that support our Harvest Fair. There will be an ECW meeting on November 3rd at 11:20 in the Guild Room to recap the Harvest Fair. A special thanks to Chris Boccia and Fran Gorman for their leadership in the ECW and at the Harvest Fair. There are too many people to thank individually, but please know that I appreciate the work and ministry of everyone that helped out this year.

During our stewardship campaign, people will witness to what makes St. John's so special to them. Dave Lasek spoke about how the parishioners at St. John’s are like family to him. He pointed out people like Mary Simon who quietly visits and calls people who are sick or in the hospital. Dave and Nelly work on the breakfast team on Sunday mornings, they volunteer in the Thrift Shop, help with HIHI, and are part of the Spirituality Group (to name of few of the ministries that Dave and Nelly support). Last week, Michael Ade talked about coming to St. John’s as an Ex-Pat. He found the congregation incredibly friendly and is heading the 275th Anniversary Committee, working on the vestry, and leading our grounds committee in 2020. Michael’s partner, Sean has also been active at St. John’s and volunteers as an usher. Through parishioners like Dave, Nelly, Sean, and Michael, we make St. John’s an extraordinary parish. Please listen to Susan Cronje and Scott Cooley on our Loyalty Sunday as they witness to their experience at St. John’s.

Our parish is dedicated, "to know Christ and to make Him known." We are trying to live in the present reality as we move towards the kingdom of heaven. Please love God and one another as Jesus Christ loves us. We have something very special here at St. John's. Giving your time, talent, and treasure brings both you and this community to a place where we can minister to our children, the poor, the sick, and the thirsty. This year’s stewardship campaign is “Shining our Light.” Please place your pledge card in the offering plate today. There are extra pledge cards in all the pews. The cards will then be blessed at the altar.  Giving of ourselves for the sake of others literally ushers in the coming kingdom.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan