Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

The news this week has been very difficult for most of us. There was a young African American boy on Long Island that was bullied online. They sent him images of the KKK and super-imposed his image on a gorilla and other disturbing photographs. There was a news story that a Trump supporter was not being served because he was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. A judge ruled that it is legal to deny Trump supporters service at a business. I heard many people on the internet who have increased their mental temperament from anger to rage over the immigration issue. What are we to do?

My first reaction is to be upset at all the news that is coming out this week. My defense mechanism is to avoid all forms of media and not encourage those who are sharing their political anger on Facebook. My next instinct is to pray about all the tension in America and try to bring people together through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. In our Baptismal Covenant last Sunday, we all promised to proclaim by WORD AND EXAMPLE the Good News of God in Christ, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Racism is completely unacceptable. Children are our treasure and should not be separated from their parents.  Hatred toward the other political party is not Christian behavior. If we want to change America for the better, we need to have compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Please vote your conscience and get your people into office, but please treat your neighbors (and especially fellow St. John’s parishioners) with dignity and respect regardless of their political views.  We are a divided nation that is starting to have a mob mentality. Make a difference by standing up against injustice, helping the poor, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked. Use your energy to do good and to make a difference.

In Christ's love, 

Fr. Duncan

Christ sleeps in the deepest selves of all of us, and whatever we do in whatever time we have left, wherever we go, may we in whatever way we can call on him as the fishermen did in their boat to come awake within us and to give us courage, to give us hope, to show us, each one, our way. May he be with us especially when the winds go mad and the waves run wild, as they will for all of us before we're done, so that even in their midst we may find peace...we may find Christ (Frederick Buechner).

This morning we will sing the Naval Hymn. The song reminds me that there are people in harm’s way defending my freedom. I pray for their families that worry about them and I pray every day that they will safely return home to their loved ones as soon as possible. Most of us have never been on the front line like our military, our police, our rescue workers, and our firemen, but almost all of us have felt the deep fear when we have been in danger. Maybe it was a serious illness, an auto accident, turbulence on a plane, or a storm when we were on a boat, but most of us have felt that sick feeling in our belly.

Some of the disciples were experienced fishermen, so we know that the danger was real when the boat began to fill with water as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee. One of the disciples woke Jesus up and asked him if he cared if they were perishing. Jesus said, “Peace. Be still.” 

The world is a scary place. Just read the newspaper or watch the news and you might be fearful. Our culture and politics in particular use fear to drive your emotions. This week, a large group of people from Huntington protested the separation of immigrant families. Did you know that “Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2013 carried out more than 72,000 deportations of parents who said they had U.S.-born children, according to reports to Congress?” The fact is that all of us could be more compassionate to immigrants in this country. Take Action! Write Congress to stop family separation and defend access to asylum! If you’ve already reached out, get in touch with 5 friends now and encourage them to speak out too. Be an Informed Advocate. Learn more about immigration issues through these educational resources from the Office of Government Relations:

WATCH: “Understanding Our Immigration System" or 

“Loving Your Neighbor: Faithful Action on Immigration” webinar

Additional Resources: 

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Joint Statement on Family Separation at our Borders 6/7/2018

Statement from Rebecca Blachly, Director, Office of Government Relations                       

Immigration and Refugee Policies of The Episcopal Church                                         

UNHCR urges family unity at southern US border                                                   

Actions from the Women’s Refugee Commission                                             

Frederick Buechner believes that Jesus Christ is asleep in each of us. When the Gospel stirs our hearts, we can practice the loving-kindness that our Lord shows to us. We can begin to work together for justice with compassion in our hearts. You can lead the way by waking Jesus in our hearts and loving one another as God loves us. Be an Informed Advocate and take collective action.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan  

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for Proper 6 Year B)

On most days of my job, I come into contact with a person that is having a difficult time in their life. It might be a homeless person, a recovering addict, a person that just lost their job, a recently divorced person, someone who has received a dire medical diagnosis, a person suffering from depression, or someone who has lost a dear friend or family member. I sometimes wonder how God can allow all the suffering in the world. My best understanding is that God doesn’t cause pain, but gives us strength to endure it.

The deaths of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade have shown a spotlight this week on the pain that many people are feeling. I had quite a bit of time to think about how disconnected our culture has become from the wellspring of life that is a source of joy and contentment. For me, hiking in Norway connected me to God and creation. Going to church and praying every day, keeps me in relationship with Jesus Christ. Church is more important than ever, because each of us needs to be connected to God and one another.

In today’s lessons, we are asked to “walk by faith, not by sight.” Faith for me is my connection to the Creator and all creation. I believe with all my heart that God loves every person that comes to me for help and that God can give anyone the strength to get through those difficult times that we all face in our lives. It is important in our busy lives to stay grounded in God throughout our lives. It is important to look after one another.

My prayer for everyone that is reading this chalice is that you will draw closer to the one who gave his life for you that you might have abundant life in him. We are part of the Jesus Movement in the Episcopal Church because, we believe that Christ came to show us the way, the truth and the life. We need God and one another to stay healthy and to have strength to face those difficult times that will undoubtedly come to each one of us.

Please enjoy your vacations this summer and remember to pray and give thanks in our good times and in our bad times. Proclaim the Gospel boldly by word and deed and do justice with compassion. God loves you dearly and we are blessed to have such a wonderful community at St. John’s. I also ask you to keep Deacon Anthony in your prayers while he is away at seminary this week.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan  

You might not have noticed, so ingrained am I with him, but I haven't called attention to “he who must not be named” in any of my homilies since I returned to Saint John's in January. However, in this edition of “The Chalice,” I want to begin with some remarks made to me by Fr. Walter Hooper, C. S. Lewis's personal secretary toward the end of Lewis's life. These remarks may be found in the Introduction to “The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses,” a collection of essays and sermons by Lewis: “The Weight of Glory” is so magnificent that I dare to consider it worthy of a place with some of the Church Fathers. It was preached at the invitation of Canon T. R. Milford at Solemn Evensong in the twelfth-century Oxford University Church of St. Mary the Virgin on 8 June 1941 to one of the largest congregations ever assembled there in modern times.”

I have heard this sermon preached at St. Mary the Virgin on three occasions, twice by Joss Ackland, the British actor who played Lewis in the acclaimed production of Shadowlands, and once by David Suchet, best know for his role as Hercule Poirot, the detective created by Agatha Christie. The sermon lasted precisely forty-seven and one-half minutes, both when Lewis preached it originally and when Ackland and Suchet revived it. A virtual NO NO by today's standards, but no one left in 1941 and neither did anyone when I heard it—and it was the third time through for me (not to mention the many times I have read, hi-lighted, and commented on it in my copy of the sermon). I mention this because the sermon unwraps many of the mysteries in the elusive phrase “the weight of glory” in this morning's reading from 2 Corinthians. As an aside, the passage is one of the New Testament suggestions in The Book of Common Prayer for use at a funeral; it is one I have selected for my funeral.

The following short passages are all from Lewis's sermon. They are offered for your contemplation and prayer; they are a sneaky way of enticing you (hopefully) to read the entire piece.

1. “We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meany by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
2. “To please God...to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.”
3. “At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.”
4. “The whole man is to drink joy from the fountain of joy.”

In some way, each of us is meant to reflect a different facet of God's glory, to be like diamonds held up to the light, radiant to behold. As one scholar phrased it, the renewed human race is “meant to be the mirror in which the rest of creation can see who its creator really is, and can worship and serve him truly.” As an old hymn puts it, let each of us so shine with the love of Jesus that we “fill this land with the Father's glory.”

Under the Mercy,
Fr. John+

More than a decade ago, a member of this parish gave me a copy of Books and Culture. It was in this bi-monthly publication that I first encountered the name of Michael O'Brien, the Canadian Roman Catholic novelist and icon painter, and his best known piece of fiction at that time, Father Elijah: An Apocalypse. I knew the reviewer and several other scholars who lauded the author's works. After reading Father Elijah, I was hooked.

The reason I mention this in this reflection is because there is a passage in the novel that makes a significant point with regard to the baptism of Noah Weinstein this morning, though O'Brien certainly did not have this intention in mind: “I think that it means that in every person's soul there is an icon of what he is meant to be. An image of Love is hidden there. Each soul is beloved beyond imagining. Each soul is beautiful in the eyes of God. Our sins and faults, and those committed against us, bury this original image. We can no longer see ourselves as we really are.” The assertion is made by Fr. Elijah to a dissolute, self-loathing man who fancies himself a realist; the remark penetrates his seemingly impenetrable shell; it functions as a catalyst for his eventual conversion.

This morning we are baptizing a very young child. This little chapter, really a preface, perhaps only a title page, is just the beginning for Noah Weinstein. As he grows into the full stature of Christ with the help of his family, most notably his parents and godparents, the holy material of his everyday life will be defined by the choices he makes. As C. S. Lewis notes in The Great Divorce, those choices, in their singular part in the drama of the universe, will shift the balance of the world. Though we may not know it, though we may not think about it this morning (especially if we attend the eight o'clock service), a baptism in a small church on the north shore of Long Island occupies a prominent place in the divine drama of salvation. As Pawel Tarnowski, the primary character in O'Brien's Sophia House, says, “[You and I] must live by the conviction that each human life—even the humblest—is of infinite worth.”

This is true even of a baby who has no grasp of what is to transpire at Saint John's. O'Brien puts it this way: “Every soul is an icon of Christ.” Gathered together, you and I transmit the message this morning that the life of Noah Weinstein is of paramount importance because he will make Christ manifest to others. This morning we sing “Open your ears, O faithful people.” Let our ears be so open to God's word that we will live out our promise to shepherd Noah on his journey, that he will know that God has come to him.

Under the Mercy,

Fr. John+

For somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 years, I have been saying the Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed during a service. Early on, I checked off all the proper boxes for Confirmation class; twenty-five years later the boxes, though more subtle, were once again checked while I completed my seminary studies. However, merely passing tests on essential doctrine or giving a purely intellectual assent to them was not enough. To believe in the triune God, to worship him was not a piece of cake, at least not for me. I needed to anchor myself in something every day, something that would provide a path back when I strayed.

In Chapter 16 of John's Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that when the “Spirit of truth comes he will guide [them] into all truth.” Whenever I have been blown astray, whenever doubts have arisen, and they still do, Jesus himself is always the corrective, the one whose Spirit gets me back on course. Hence, every morning I anchor myself in a truth expressed in a hymn attributed to Saint Patrick: “I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One and One in Three.”

Numerous moments have occurred in my life when, suddenly, like lightning from a clear sky, all the tests I had passed, all the boxes I had checked, all the formulas I had memorized became actualized. In an instant, all that lay within that rehearsed, memorized, recited line was crystallized, rock solid, a firm foundation on which I stand and build. It was all true and unfolded before me, a gift of grace that swept away whatever doubts there were, at least for a time.

As is often the case, my imagination encompassed more than my brain could articulate, but in those moments the doctrine of the Trinity became more than a document debated and arrived at by ancient scholars; it was lived out in a life; it was proclaimed in pagan arenas over 2000 years ago as Christians died for this God; it is still proclaimed in pagan arenas today as Christians across the world believe (and act on that belief) that they, today, have a faith worth living and dying for. I continue to discover that the central faith of the New Testament is as present and relevant in today's world as it was even before the doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out in a church council.

Yet a question remains for me, one that arises daily in my life at some point: Will I, at this point, build on the ancient belief that the one God and “his relationship with the world has been fulfilled in Jesus and implemented by the Holy Spirit”? However the answer works itself out for the remainder of my life, will I be obedient to the creator God, incarnate in Jesus, and active in the Spirit who lives in me, breathes in me, so that others might believe in him? The answers to questions like these can best be answered in a line from Michael Ende's The Never-Ending Story: “But that's another story and shall be told another time.”

Under the Mercy,

Fr. John+

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability (Acts 2:1-4).

St. John’s offers an incredible variety of ministries and opportunities for spiritual growth. This Sunday is the UTO Ingathering and Newcomers Sunday. Today we will ask for donations to the United Thank Offering and we ask everyone to come back and meet our new members at coffee hour. In addition, I will encourage our newcomers to join a ministry at St. John’s. We have Morning Prayer, EFM, Bible Study, Friday Breakfast, Spirituality Group Quiet Days, Friday Night Out, Hilda’s Group, ECW, Altar Guild, and the Thrift Shop (to name a few). God is truly awesome, and our congregation has unlimited potential when we align ourselves with God’s transforming love. 

Herbert O’Driscoll, renowned Anglican theologian and preacher, believes that God offers all of us this transforming love, but the heartbreaking paradox is that even though we desire meaning, purpose and fulfillment more than ever in our age, the many demands for our time and sheer busyness in our lives often push God’s transforming grace to the periphery of our thoughts.

Our rational, linear world-view can squeeze out the possibility of seeing the breaking in of God into our world and the gift of God’s love. Without signs and windows, we slide back to a darkened world where we blame sin for our afflictions, where we search for meaning that we cannot find, and where we attempt to earn grace that cannot be bought.

As the rector of St. John’s, my responsibility is to help you experience the presence of Jesus Christ in the scriptures and in the breaking of the bread. If you would like to journey deeper in your spiritual life, I recommend talking to me, joining our bible study on Tuesdays at 11:00, EFM on Monday nights next Fall, or picking up a copy of our book of the month, Verna Dozier’s The Dream of God.  

The Good News of the Gospel is not just that Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. The life changing, transforming love that God offers us unconditionally is offered readily through the Holy Spirit in the real presence of Jesus Christ. We have a fabulous opportunity through the power of the Holy Spirit to bring the transforming love of God to our friends, neighbors, and family. A good example of this is our efforts of our Racial Reconciliation Ministry.

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. We gather together like the disciples and the hundred and twenty others in today’s lesson from Acts. The Holy Spirit is definitely here, but we must have faith in God’s presence. I’m not sure you will see tongues of fire, but I hope you will feel the love of this church.  The Holy Spirit brings us together to love one another as Christ loves us.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

Happy Mother’s Day!

As we celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, we honor, celebrate and remember mother’s, grandmother’s, aunt’s, Godmother’s and all women who love, nurture, inspire and enrich the lives of others.

I did a little research this week into the history of Mother’s Day.  Although there had been occasional ceremonies to honor mothers in the late 1800s, the first “official” celebration of Mother’s Day is recorded as May 10, 1908.  Celebrated at Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the service in 1908 was organized by Anna Jarvis along with the support of John Wannamaker of Philadelphia.  In addition to honoring her own mother, Ann Jarvis, who had taught Sunday School at the church, Anna campaigned to honor mothers everywhere.  The observance spread and was widely celebrated in New York the following year.  By 1914 a law had been enacted which designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Our mission at St. John’s is “To Know Christ and to Make Him Known.”  You will see this statement printed in our church publications, on our website, and on our Facebook page.  In last week’s Chalice publication, Father Duncan invited each of us to consider how our relationship with Christ can grow and how we are called to proclaim Christ in the world.  God has bestowed grace on us and out of God’s abundant grace we share with others.  God can and will work in and through us we make ourselves available to him.

I did not know much about the history of Mother’s Day before this week.  But what a great example we see in the work of Anna Jarvis and the Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church – how the inspiration of one person and the vision of her faith community would lead to a national day of observance and the honoring and raising up of all women.  Anna Jarvis had the inspiration and vision of honoring women and she did something to share that with others.  However, it involved the cooperation and work of the entire faith community to join her in the vision that would set that first Mother’s Day on the path to be what it is today.

Every person, every voice, every vision is important at St. John’s.  We are seeking to know Christ and to make him known.  How is God calling you to grow in a deeper spirituality?  Where is God calling you to join with others in this faith community to share God’s love and grace in the world?  How is your life and our life together making Christ known?  Will we, like Anna Jarvis and Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church, be willing to share our vision?

For grace is given not because we have done good works,
but in order that we may be able to do them.    — St. Augustine

Blessings this Mother’s Day,

Deacon Anthony

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:9-12)

Leslie Valentine led a vestry retreat last Sunday to look at our mission statement using a theological reflection. This is a method of seeing the world through four different lenses. We looked at our mission statement to “Know Christ and Make Him Known.” Leslie used the invitation method of hearing all voices that was created by Eric Law. Each member invited another to respond to questions such as: what we love about St. John’s and what the mission statement says in different contexts. We reflected on the action, tradition, culture, and personal statements of the group. We ended with a look at where God is calling our church to be in the future. The entire session was surrounded by prayer. 

I want to share a few of the group’s answers and ask you to respond to the questions yourself. The vestry loves St. John’s for its: spiritual growth; people; personal relationships; music; fellowship; warmth; love; spiritual family; pursuit of ministries; acceptance/community; generous spirit; use of gifts; family; hospitality; generosity; children who are our treasure; a beautiful place; support; fellowship; morning prayer; and a great place to raise a child.

Our vision for the future is: more diversity; younger, open minded, invested people who have a purpose; to be more evangelistic; growth in attendance; becoming a community center; allowing organic diversity in leadership; a center of life in our community; building community for our youth; keeping our building in good repair for future generations; a clear mission and purpose; and to do these things while retaining our traditions.

If you are interested in deepening your own spirituality, I highly recommend signing up for “Education for Ministry” next fall. Starting in September, the classes are held on Monday nights and the community that is formed is a model for all committees and groups at St. John’s. EFM does require a fair amount of reading each week, but many of our graduates tell me that it is the best class that they have ever joined. There will be an inquirers class on Tuesday, June 19th at 6:45 pm. If you would like to know more about the program, please contact Leslie Valentine.

We are called to love one another as God has loved us. We need to be a reflection of God’s love to one another. The vestry retreat was very uplifting because our vision of the future is very bright. I am very thankful for being in the midst of such a terrific group of people that really care about each other and those who are less fortunate in our community. If you are a new member, I invite you to attend a special service in your honor on May 20th. We want to thank you for joining this wonderful parish and we want to get to know you better.

In Christ’s love,

Rev. Duncan Burns