Timely Words

Dear Friends

It would be easy to miss the fact that today, March 29th, is not only the 5th Sunday of Lent, but also the Feast of John Keble, Anglican Priest, 1866. You can google his name to learn more about him. While inspired by different circumstances, the collect written for his feast and one of his two hymns (#10) in our hymnal, are so timely!  

Grant, O God, that in all time of our testing, we may know your presence and obey your will; that following the example of your servant John Keble, we may accomplish with integrity and courage what you give us to do, and endure what you give us to bear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

For you musical folk, his hymn below can be sung to these other familiar tunes (among many):

Old 100th          Praise God from whom all blessings flow....

Puer Nobis       What star is this, with beams so bright...

Rockingham    When I survey the wondrous cross...

New every morning is the love 

our wakening and uprising prove;

through sleep and darkness safely brought, 

restored to life and power and thought.

New mercies, each returning day, 

around us hover while we pray;

new perils past, new sins forgiven,

new thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.

If on our daily course our mind 

beset to hallow all we find,

new treasures still, of countless price,

God will provide for sacrifice.

Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be

as more of heaven in each we see

some softening gleam of love and prayer

shall dawn on every cross and care.

The trivial round, the common task,

will furnish all we ought to ask:

room to deny our selves; a road

to bring us daily nearer to God

Only, O Lord, in thy dear love,

fit us for perfect rest above;

and help us, this and every day,

to live more nearly as we pray.

This comes with continuing prayers for all. If you are interested in seeing and hearing me reading Morning Prayer and giving my sermon for today, the easiest way would be to google stdcv which will lead you to the website for St. Dunstan's, Carmel Valley. There you will find the link to our You Tube channel.The sermon is under 10 minutes!

John

Animal Kingdom PSA ?

Dear Friends

I know we are being overwhelmed with information and inspiration (both important) right now, but I just had to share this photo I took 12 days ago, and today's Forward Day by Day meditation. Is this the animal kingdom's "Public Service Announcement" for "social distancing"? (Someone said it is really physical distancing we are being told to practice.) While we are, the timely meditation below, written many months ago to be ready for publication today, reminds us that God is as close to us as ever on this first full day of spring. 

The peace and presence of Christ be with you---today and always!  (Hugs from Carmel Valley)

John


FRIDAY, March 20                           

Mark 6:50 For they all saw [Jesus] and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 

Earlier on this day, Jesus and his disciples are on one side of the sea of Galilee with a crowd of five thousand people. What Jesus blesses, breaks, and gives to meet the crowd’s need is a miraculous abundance of more than enough.The disciples don’t have a chance to process the meaning of this miracle before they see the next one. Their exhaustion opens up their imaginations when they see Jesus walking on water, the same and very real water against which they are straining. Jesus boards their boat and the storm ceases—they are utterly astounded. They don’t yet understand that Jesus’ power and presence is the power and presence of God Almighty. Like us, the disciples struggle to understand that this miracle is about God being with them—present to them, saving them in the face of sure destruction. We are in good company. “Take heart—do not be afraid.”

Life is changed, not ended

Dear Friends

“Life is changed, not ended”

That phrase from our prayer book memorial service, refers to our mortality, the death we will all face, and the resurrection we embrace and celebrate as Christians.

But right now, I use it in terms of our immediate future---life is changed right now, but it is not ended! Our whole life is filled with little and big “deaths” and “resurrections”, little and big changes that lead to new ways of living this wonderful gift of life.  What’s different, for now, is that we are all experiencing a time of HUGE CHANGE and NEW KIND OF LIFE at the same time. Of course, the impact is and will be far greater for some, but we’re all connected.

We don’t know exactly for how long, or what lasting changes may come, but life will continue. In the meantime, let us ask God for wisdom, courage, patience and peace to calm our hearts and minds. 

And on this Happy St. Patrick’s Day, let us pray some of the words from his great hymn:

I bind unto myself today, the power of God to hold and lead

His eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to hearken to my need

The wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward

The word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard

Christ beneath me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me

Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me

Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger

Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend in stranger

May the peace of Christ be with you and prevail!

John

Picture is from Carmel Mission grounds where spring has sprung!

John

It's about time!

Dear Friends

Lent comes from an old English word which means “lengthen”. While the days have been getting a little bit longer since December 21st, they will seem much longer this Sunday afternoon, with the return of Daylight Savings Time.

I am reminded of the cartoon showing a man speaking to his doctor. “What’s wrong?” the doctor is asking his exhausted patient. “Doc, I just don’t know how many more times I can spring forward and fall back!” Shall we add, after last Saturday, February 29th, “leap for a year”?

By the way, do you have a minute? On the face of it, hands down, now is a time to ask “Where did the time go?”  It seems it was only yesterday when we were “falling back” (Nov. 3^rd) to get an extra hour of sleep. Now, the Lord who gaveth us that hour is going to taketh it away, although one could argue the Lord is our light and he recognizes that now it is time to giveth us more light at the end of, not the tunnel, but the day. In any case, watch out and band together as we move forward together, holding little hands and big hands, or perhaps for now, just bumping wrists.

And talk about leaps of faith. I don’t want to leap (or jump) to any conclusions. We could be saying “Four more years!” (the next time we will have 366 days in the year), but do we want to risk being misunderstood? 

And finally, midway between “Leap Day Saturday” and “Spring Forward Sunday”, there is one more day to consider. And that is today. What else can I say but

March forth, to love and serve the Lord!

John

Take a Closer Look

Dear Friends

A couple of weeks ago, I was wandering through the Carmel Valley Art Association gallery in the village. Among the many works of art, I saw this painting of a lighthouse on a beautiful, rugged coastline. With all my attention on the natural beauty of the scene, I was surprised to see that it was titled “Girl in a Red Coat”. I had not noticed her before. Only when I looked again, more carefully, did I see the little girl (and two other people). You can see them (barely) if you look carefully where I am pointing.

It made me think that sometimes, we can be so entranced by the beauty of the natural world---in this case the rocks and water and waves, the sky and clouds, the sand and shrubs, light and shadows and colors of many hues and shades---that we can miss the glories of God’s creation in the form of human beings. How often have I been with family and friends in nature and ignored their beauty, right beside me, for the beauty I was focusing on with or without my field glasses!

Living in New York City for three years, I noticed how often people avoided eye contact on streets and subways. It happens in other places too, of course. But when we do take time to look into the eyes of another person, we are reminded of God’s glorious creation in the form of another human being.

Maybe when we read this verse from psalm 46---“Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, what awesome things he has done on earth”---we should remember that includes not only the greatest “natural wonders”, but you and me and those we love, and the stranger on the street.

John

We are now the jury

Dear Friends

A picture may be a thousand words, but this cartoon raises three questions for me.

First, who is doing the most damage?

Second, which will be harder to repair?

Third, who said this in the early morning hours of Nov. 9, 2016:

“Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division…it is time for us to come together as one united people. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans and this is so important to me…I am reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country.”

Of all his ongoing lies, this is the biggest, as far as I am concerned. When will a reporter remind him/confront him with this whopper?

After a week when God and religion and prayer and Jesus being quoted (“Love your enemies...”) made national news on Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast and the East Room of the White House, the Forward Day by Day meditation for today, February 8^th, (written months ago to be published in this edition) is so timely and relevant. The meditation concludes:

“Jesus lives and ministers in the midst of harsh criticisms. However, he never retaliates by shaming and blaming others. Through it all, Jesus learns to trust more deeply in God. This model, though hard to follow, is one that we should all seek to embrace---not to shame, blame or judge others but to treat everyone with dignity, respect and ---most of all---love.”

Lord have mercy.

Help get out the vote!

John

Life is short...

Dear Friends

Every single day, people die without warning. Family and friends close to the situation are suddenly and painfully reminded of how fragile and fleeting life is. On some days, as was the case on Sunday, millions of people are made aware of the sobering truth that tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

But life is short for us all. Whether we make it to 13, or 41, or 101, our lives are a blink of an eye against eternity. That does not mean they have no meaning or purpose. Indeed, even those whose lives are cut short have lasting power and significance, celebrity or not.

To all the prayers and scriptures and sayings that try to help us make some sense of the senseless, the brevity of life and the importance of making every day count, I would simply add this blessing which is used at St. Dunstan’s. Without our knowing about the tragedy, it was being pronounced at our 8 and 10 am services, soon before and soon after the time the helicopter went down. It was written by Henri-Frederic Amiel (1821-1881), an example and reminder that what we do or say now, may still have an impact long after we are gone.

Life is short

and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts

of those who travel the way with us.

So be swift to love. Make haste to be kind.

And may the blessing of God; 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Be upon you and remain with you always. AMEN.

John

P.S. Included in those who died are Sarah Chester, 45, and her daughter Payton, 13. Sarah was on the Board of Trustees at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, and Payton

was a student there. Her brothers Hayden and Riley are 10^th graders at the school.