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.

Message for the New Year

Dear Friends

Following is the message I am sending out to my current parish tomorrow.  May "The Power of Hope" (Rose Parade theme this year) be with you always!

“May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

As I was walking home from the market a couple of weeks ago, this mailbox and its message caught my attention.  It made me think of this quote (from “Mere Christianity”), for the January 2^nd entry in my book of C.S. Lewis meditations:

"The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter voice come flowing in.

We can only do it for a moment at first. But from those moments a new sort of life will be spreading through our system, because now we are letting Christ work at the right part of us. It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through."

You and I may not literally wake up happy every morning, but that is certainly the place we hope to reach at some point during the day. May Christ’s deep love soak right through you in new and surprising ways today, and each day of this new year.

Fr. John

Interim Rector

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Friends

With only 48 days until Valentine's Day, I was so relieved that the store I went into today was ready! I woke up this morning with only one thing on my mind: I was determined that I wanted to get my dear Valentine something special this year. When I saw I that I could "Spread the Love" for just $5.94, my heart soared!

Alas, when I looked more closely, I saw that the special cookies I had now decided to get for my Valentine were best if eaten by January 23rd!!! How could this be? Where is the manager? What am I to do?

Perhaps love can be spread early, even before February 14th. Or after February 14th, for that matter. And maybe cookies aren't the only way I can share my love this year. 

Indeed, just as I was trying to figure this all out in the parking lot, I saw a huge truck pull up to the loading dock. Imagine my surprise when I saw the truck driver open the back and bring down on a dolly several cases of........you guessed it, chocolate Easter Bunnies!!! He went by too fast for me to see when their "best used by" date was.

Perhaps some new words need to be written for that song....

"On the third day of Christmas, my true love game to me.. 

3 crumbling cookies and some chocolate bunnies coming real soon" 

John

Come, Holy Spirit, Come

Dear Friends

We are now headed for an impeachment in the House, an acquittal in the Senate, and a country more divided than ever. While I have a strong opinion about what the Senate should do, I am more concerned that our current Divider in Chief will continue to divide and make things worse, at a time when our country needs healing more than ever.

Since he is incapable of being a Healer in Chief, and the current political climate will make it difficult for anyone who might replace him to take on that role, the responsibility falls to "we the people".

Paul, writing at the very beginning of the 4^th chapter of his letter to the Ephesians says, “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

We can’t wait for or count on an election next November to end the deep divide we are experiencing now. It will still be present, whoever is elected, although hopefully it will be someone who can help begin to turn the tide. But consider this; by our baptism, we have already been elected to lead and be by example, instruments of God’s love and peace, healing and unity, by what we say, and by what we do.

That’s not always an easy job, so let us pray the final verse of Carl Daw’s hymn 513, as a reminder that we don’t have to do it alone:

With the healing of division,

with the ceaseless voice of prayer;

With the power to love and witness,

with the peace beyond compare:

Come, Holy Spirit, Come

John

P.S. Below: Picture of plaque of St. Francis, at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, Carmel Valley. Perhaps we should add a line to the prayer attributed to him:

Lord, make me an instrument of your healing

Lucky Leftover Friday

Dear Friends

I would argue that today is not only "Black Friday", but "Lucky Leftover Friday". By lucky, I'm not just talking about those lucky enough to be warming up a plate of turkey and side dishes today, (not to mention those turkey sandwiches coming soon). I'm talking about the turkeys who survived!

Just consider the lucky flock of turkeys we came across on the grounds of Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Salinas, as we continue to explore this beautiful area and found our neighbor parish. (see picture above)

Or consider the luck we had in finding a fresh turkey on sale which survived yesterday's dinner table, but will find a home on ours soon. Even the price label, if you look closely, identified it as "Lucky". (Did I mention we bought it at Lucky grocery store?...see picture below)




"With a Little Bit of Luck", of course, is a song from "My Fair Lady". We are thankful for our little bit of lucky timing represented in these two pictures, including the Lucky meat manager coming out to change the price label on the turkey just as we were looking at it! 

Could all this luck have anything to do with the fact that we drove to Dublin (California!) for Thanksgiving dinner with cousins yesterday? Or that Kathleen is half Irish?

Happy Lucky Leftover Friday!

John