Take a vote!

Dear Friends

First, let us pray these words from the Burial Office found in our  Book of Common Prayer:

O God, whose beloved Son took children into his arms and blessed them: Give us grace to entrust _______ to your never-failing care and love, and bring us all to your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord...Amen.

I had planned to send out a 70^th Birthday Blog today, but that can wait. I, perhaps like some of you, am trying to balance my mixed emotions of “weeping with those who weep” and dealing with some real anger.

Thanks to President Biden, Senator Chris Murphy and Warriors coach Steve Kerr for expressing some of the anger I am feeling.

As for action, I have called my two senators to summarize my letter below, which was published in the Press Enterprise last Sunday:

Senate Democrats seem to care more about a woman’s choice to have an abortion than my choice to go grocery shopping or to church (and now to drop off someone I love at school), without the fear of being shot. It took them just a few weeks to write, debate and put the “Woman’s Health Protection Act” to a vote, in response to a leaked memo. They knew it wouldn’t pass, but they wanted to get Senators’ votes on the record.

In the meantime, HR 8, the bipartisan universal background check bill passed by the House well over a year ago, continues to collect dust on Senator Chuck Schumer’s desk. And nothing has been done for decades to reinstate the ban on assault weapons which are made to and continue to kill many people quickly.

Why would we send our current Democrat Senators back to Congress with our votes, if they aren’t even willing to take a vote on overwhelmingly popular, common sense gun legislation? Are they afraid of being on the record for supporting such measures?

John Saville   Corona, Ca.

Lord have mercy upon us.

John

                  Letter to the editor and the headlines that inspired it

 

 

 

 

 

 Dear Friends

Forty years ago yesterday, I graduated from General Theological Seminary in New York City, the oldest of our Episcopal Seminaries. (In the picture, I am on the far left.) It has been a wonderful 40 years of ministry, including the last five being retired. And the retirement opportunities continue---I will be doing vacation supply for 15 of the next 16 Sundays at five different churches. I am glad to provide some rest and respite for my still front line colleagues! 

And now back to the blog: 

Question: What do Petula Clark, the Mamas and the Papas and Alvin and the Chipmunks have in common?

Answer: They all recorded versions of the 1964 Billy Page hit song called, “The In Crowd”

I used this as an illustration last Sunday when I was preaching on the lesson from Acts (11:1-18). It includes the story of Paul’s vision which helped him understand the radical idea that God had poured out the Holy Spirit on the once excluded Gentiles also, that “God has given even unto the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” Words from the lesson which especially stuck with me included “The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us.”

In other words, with God, there is no “in crowd”. God plays no favorites. “God shows no partiality” to quote from Acts 10:34.

I could share more of my sermon (to help you get to sleep tonight) but here is something better. A member came up to me after the service. She has a habit of taking notes during the sermon and fashioning them into a poem and giving it to the preacher immediately after the service! Here it is:

With God there is no “in crowd”

So we say it clear and loud

God doesn’t care about your pedigree

Doesn’t discriminate between me and thee

Clean or unclean it matters not

We need to share the good news we got

So toss out the labels, fully embrace

Anyone, everyone receives God’s grace

It starts when we stop with us and them

Until the whole family of God can shout “Amen”.

 

Needless to say, I was blown away! Her 10 line poem summarized the message I took 12 minutes to deliver.

Most importantly, in light of recent events in Buffalo and Laguna Woods, it is a critical message we need to continue to share and spread and act upon.

John

P.S. Below is the poem she handed me