Getting Lost in the Woods

  Believe it or not, once upon a time, a young carpenter and religious leader took up an advice column for the Galilean Times.   This was the most recent letter that he received: Dear Jesus of Nazareth, I am so glad you’ve started this advice column. Next weekend I am supposed to go to a Sabbath meal with several other influential community members.  This being my first time joining them, I am unsure of the etiquette.  Most especially, where do I sit?      Sincerely, Anonymously Anxious  This was the advice given: Dear Anonymously Anxious, So often at these gatherings we want to sit near the host and the most distinguished guests.  To the degree that we will sometimes strategize how to get the best seat.  I do not recommend this course of action.  When we go after the best seats, our actions are telling others just how important we believe we are, and risk putting our host, other guests, and ourselves in a truly awkward position....

This summer I have been preoccupied with one question:  What does it mean to be the Church today? It’s possible this question is redundant; unnecessary even.  After all, in some respects the answer is unchanging.  In today’s Collect we actually see some of that unchanging answer outlined: “Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name…” In other words, we are united by the Holy Spirit as a body of Christ, called to proclaim in thought, word, and deed the transformative power of God’s Love.  To proclaim to the world the ability of our Creator to change this world for the better when humanity works in concert with God and one another. This particular calling of the Church belonged as much to the early Church as it does to us today.  What does change are the particular contexts that each generation finds itself.  Over the last several decades...

  In today’s lesson from Mark’s gospel we see Jesus teaching the gathered people about the kindom of God. (1 & 2)  The first parable compares the kindom of God to a seed, which someone has scattered on the ground, and after several days notices that the seed has sprouted and seems to grow more every day.  The one who scatters the seed has no idea how this seed is transforming.  It would seem the earth herself is producing the stalk, then the grain, and then the full grain head.  With time, the grain becomes ripe and is harvested.  The second parable compares the kindom of God to a mustard seed,  which when scattered on the ground grows somewhere between 6-20 feet tall, and with branches stretching as wide as 20 feet. (3)  How incredible that such a tiny seed could grow into such a massive plant, as well as become a habitat for area birds. So what is Jesus getting at with all this talk of seeds?  It would seem he is trying to tell the gat...

On a hot summer day this past July, our family explored Grafton Street in Dublin. We wove in and out of shops, ate lunch at Bruxelles Pub, and admired the street vendors' beautiful flowers.  While my family excitedly took in a street performer creating spray paint art, I began to look for a quiet corner where I might disappear. The sheer number of people on the street was overwhelming, and I felt myself shutting down. The only thing to do when this happens, is to find an out of the way place, where I can take a deep breath, and remind myself I only need to endure the over stimulating environment for a bit longer, which grounds me enough to re-enter the crowd. I think it's safe to assume that we have all experienced being overwhelmed or over stimulated. It could be a crowd, or trying something new. It might be the deluge of despair-filled posts on social media. It could be the stack of bills waiting at home, or the impossible to do list. It could be found in the tension of confl...