We can still smile

Dear Friends

After “attending” church at our Washington National Cathedral, watching our El Camino Real Diocesan Easter Service and then doing some “Youtube Church Hopping” throughout the day---I would just like to bring you Easter greetings in a different and light way, through the two cartoons above. The caption to the second one is "What I don't get is how one minute we're a symbol of new life and the next minutes we're a sandwich".

Today, Easter Monday, and the entire week through this coming Sunday (which was once called “Bright Sunday”), has many rich traditions.  For centuries, in Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant countries, the week was observed by the faithful as "days of joy and laughter", with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. Churchgoers and pastors played practical jokes on each other, drenched each other with water, told jokes, sang, and danced. The customs were rooted in the musings of early church theologians (like Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom) who suggested that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. "Risus paschalis - the Easter laugh," they called it. It reminds me of that phrase from the first verse of the hymn “Glorious things of thee are spoken”:“thou mayest smile at all thy foes”.

I am not suggesting that any of these traditions are appropriate this year, as we continue to live through a time of global anxiety and suffering. We have so many to pray for including those making the greatest sacrifices of all. We continue to shelter in place and wear masks when we do go out, for love of neighbor and those who have to go to work.

But even in the middle of this deadly pandemic, we need to find reasons to smile and bring some joy to others-----like the sun breaking through clouds.  

John

What has not changed

Dear Friends

English Priest William Law, who died on this day in 1761 said,

“If we are to follow Christ, it must be in our common way of spending every day. If we are to live unto God at any time or in any place, we are to live unto him in all times and in all places. If we are to use anything as the gift of God, we are to use everything as his gift.”

I share these words because it is so easy, in these present circumstances, to focus on things which have changed and forget what has not changed. We are still following Christ. We are still loving God and our neighbor as ourselves. We are still trying to live forward, day by day, for the one who is loving and guiding us through this wilderness to a new land. We are still God’s beloved, without condition, beyond measure; knowing that can put this extraordinary time in perspective.

So on this Maundy Thursday, when we are, among other things, re-imagining what Eucharist is and can be, I would just offer this prayer “To be Thankful”, by Avery Brook from his book, "Plain Prayers in a Complicated World”, remembering that the word “eucharist” means thanksgiving:

We have many things to be thankful for, God. And sometimes we remember them, and other times we forget. When something large or small goes wrong, it fills our minds and we forget those things for which---when we remember---we are thankful. Help us to remember the good things, God (especially during this time). To name them; savor them; and be thankful to you.  AMEN.

John

P.S. Picture is from my office, in my home away from home. No buffalo roaming, but the wildflowers are blooming!

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