Rosella's Baptism Blog

 Dear Friends

There have been and will be in the future, special pictures with my granddaughter. But the ones from Rosella’s baptism last Sunday, will always be near the top. I’m still smiling.

We are so thankful for the church families which nurtured Christopher, helped him along on his lifelong journey to “grow into the full stature of Christ”---Trinity, Redlands, where he was baptized, and where he “sang” in the choir every Sunday (he was in the snuggly Kathleen wore every Sunday as she really was a member of the choir)  and of course St. John’s, Corona which included everything from church school, vacation bible school, youth group, acolyte and for many years, playing the piano and keyboard for our services which led to being the accompanist for the Circle City Chorale.

Needless to say, we were so glad Christopher and Raizah chose an Episcopal church to have their daughter baptized (All Saint’s, Riverside, where he was confirmed during a deanery service many years ago). While we wished all our beloved Trinity and St. John’s church friends could have been there, we are thankful for the 21^st century technology that lets us share special events. (You can watch the April 21^st 10 am service on the All Saint’s Riverside facebook page and I have also attached my sermon below).

We hope for and look forward to many other special events in Rosella’s life, as all grandparents do. But this one will be hard to beat. A special bonus was having Christopher and my sister Susan each offer piano offerings and Emily taking pictures from the balcony. And all this taking place on my sister Mary Bek’s birthday. Just five days shy of her stroke one year ago, she continues to be an inspiration to us all.

John

 Easter 4 B                   All Saint’s, Riverside                  April 21, 2024

In the name of our risen Christ and Good Shepherd.  Amen.

       Today is the 4^th Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday because of the collect and gospel appointed for this day.  And today, according the the Gospel according to Google, April 21^st is National Chocolate-covered Cashews Day, National Yellow Bat Day, and National Kindergarten Day, among others.  April 21^st is also, among others, the birthday of Charlotte Bronte, Tony Romo, Patti Lupone, Charles Grodin, Queen Elizabeth and Mary Irvin Baker. Only my sister Mary could make it today. Happy Birthday and here’s your birthday gift; a bag of chocolate covered cashews!

       But there is one more person who was born today. And some words spoken by this person will lead us to what we are celebrating on this Good Shepherd Sunday. This person said, “Heaven knows, that John the Baptist was not more eager to get all his fellow sinners into the Jordan, than I to baptize all of mine in the beauty of God’s mountains.” 

       Happy Birthday, John Muir, on this Earth Day Eve, from this congregation that cares about creation care! 

     Muir makes one more reference to the sacrament we are going to administer to Rosella Elicia Kanita Saville in a few moments: “This sudden plush into wilderness---baptism in nature’s warm heart---how utterly happy it made us!  (Speaking for all of Rosella’s family who I want to welcome this morning, how happy this day is making us). Muir continues: “Nature streaming into us, wooingly teaching, preaching, her glorious living lessons…Here, without knowing we were in school, every lesson a love lesson…”

      Baptism in nature’s warm heart. Those words greeted me on a signpost as I started one of the most physically and mentally challenging backpacking trips of my life. The hike felt like a baptism by immersion into one of the most beautiful parts of Yosemite National Park. Today we are baptizing Rosella into the warm heart of the Good Shepherd, by pouring water and marking with oil and lighting a candle. Like we welcome all of God’s children of any age into the Body of Christ, we pray that she may be immersed in a life full of God’s love and joy, grace and peace.

      Martin Luther said “when you wash your face, remember your baptism”. I like to simply say, “Rembember you are baptized”. So while much of the rest of this sermon is directed to Rosella, I encourage you to eavesdrop. Remembering you are baptized, each day you wake up, can make all the difference for that day, for every day, for whatever any day may bring.

     Rosella. I know your parents will help you learn your ABC’s. At your dad’s baptism 39 years ago, I preached about the three B’s of baptism: Belonging, Bearing Fruit and being Born Again. Since then, over the years, I have developed an outline for baptism instruction which I’d like to introduce to you today, and we’ll go over it as you grow up. Maybe over ice cream after we play all the miniature golf courses at Castle Park!

      The title of the study guide is “Baptism: It’s a matter of death and life.” Verses from Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians which inspired that title are “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus, were baptized into his death?”  “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”  I’ll share more later, but that’s really good news.

     Now, here are seven things happening today and in time, I’ll go over each one with you and the bible verses which support them:

Today, Rosella, you are being adopted into God’s family.

Today, you are being grafted into the vine.

Today, you are being admitted into the hospital for sinners.

Today, you are being drafted into God’s army.

Today, you are being ordained for ministry.

Today, you are being elected to the communion of saints.

Today you are being placed under the loving care of the Good Shepherd.  

       And you thought, you were just being baptized!           

      On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let me share a bit more about being assigned to the Good Shepherd. I am reminded of the parable of the lost sheep and the good news that no matter what, however lost we may become, our Good Shepherd will always seek and find us, and bring us home. Today’s gospel reminds us of the intimate relationship we have with Jesus: “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” And from the 1940 hymnal, there is this hymn I grew up singing which begins:

“Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear me,

Bless thy little lamb tonight;

Through the darkness, be thou near me,

Keep me safe till morning light.”

    We’ll learn that hymn plus one inspired by the parable of the lost sheep called, “Once a sheep was in a pasture”, set to a tune you’ll love by a guy named Beethoven named, “Ode to Joy”.

     Rosella, the water I pour on you represents God’s washing, and cleansing and drowning, so you might be raised to a new life, every day of your life. The oil used to make a cross on your forehead represents God’s Spirit, sealing and marking you as Christ’s beloved child forever. The candle you receive represents the light of Christ that will lead and guide you through all the changes and chances and challenges of this life, and bring you through them and home, safe and sound.

      Speaking of candles, I’m guessing there may be one this coming September 29^th when you turn one. April 21^st will be another day to celebrate each year, the day you were welcomed into the Body of Christ by the saints of All Saints Riverside, where we help each other to keep growing into the full stature of Christ-----which will only take a lifetime.

     Oh the places you’ll go, Rosella. Baptized into nature’s warm heart, you will see animals and birds, (lots of birds), flowers and trees, mountains and rivers. Oh the places you’ll go, Rosella. Baptized into the Good Shepherd’s warm heart, you will hear stories and meet saints; you will hear music and sing songs; you will feel Jesus’ love and forgiveness; you will taste and see that God is good and always close by, as close as your breath, as close as your heartbeat.  

      In the meantime, here is a prayer for everyone; for all who have been or will be baptized, at whatever age, and wherever they find themselves on this journey we all share, together.

     Loving Father, it is a precious thing to see a life begin. I celebrate Rosella’s beginning this morning. And, I celebrate that you have sought out and will continue to seek me out with your love. I knew a man who was 76 years old, and he said he was just starting out with you, just beginning to live. I want that, Lord. I want that freshness, that sense of beginning with you. Thanks for unlimited chances to begin again. Amen.

 

 

 

       

 

Welcome Spring!

 

Dear Friends

Step aside, St. Joseph. I know it’s your feast day. But it is also the first day of Spring, a feast day for our senses, leading to a whole season to taste and see and hear and smell and feel the new life emerging.

We don’t have to wait for “42 days to bloom” as the seed package says or need to know “When should I start planting?” as the guide on the back of the package asks. We can plant seeds every day. We can find blooms every day.

To mark this day, I want to share what thirteen famous and not so famous people have said, one for each week of spring:

“Along the river, over the hills, in the ground, in the sky, spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm, new life, new beauty, unfolding, unrolling in glorious exuberant extravagance---new birds in their nests, new winged creatures in the air, and new leaves, new flowers, spreading, shining, rejoicing, everywhere.”  

John Muir

“The ring I hear today is not the alarm clock, not the phone, not the doorbell. The ring I hear is the arrival of spring and my heart sings with joy and hope as I anticipate God’s new surprises!”

John Saville

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” 

Audrey Hepburn

 

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s Party!”

Robin Williams

 

“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”

Leo Tolstoy

 

“Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.”

Jim Carry

 

“The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”

Harriet Ann Jacobs

 

“The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.”

S. Brown

 

“Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will bet warmer.”

Anita Krizzan

 

“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring”.

Lilly Pulitzer

 

“My favorite weather is bird chirping weather.”

Terri Guillemets

 

“The earth laughs in flowers.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Spring forward (day by day) indeed!

John

 

 

What would Jesus eat?

 Dear Friends

While I am trying to be even more intentional about eating healthier than I was before my cardiac event last fall,  (WWJE:What Would Jesus Eat?) and yes, it is Lent, there are times for indulging. (Notice I'm not asking what John the Baptist would eat!)

Today, February 22nd, is not the most important baseball day of the year---there are the dates when “pitchers and catchers report”and  the “first full squad workout”. Of course “Opening Day” is the sweetest sound of all.

But today was the first day of Spring Training games. So I left my dried fruits and veggies and nuts and legumes in the fridge and the cupboard and reached into the meat tray to get my recently purchased Turkey Franks to observe and celebrate this holy day.

With Dodger Dogs expected to be going for $25.00 each this year to meet their payroll (I heard if you want a bun and condiments, it’s just 5 more dollars) I felt I could afford the package of 8 Turkey Franks which were on sale at Smart and Final for $1.59 (down from $1.69). My calculator doing the math, that’s 0.19875 cents a frank! The print on the packaging proclaims “No MSG and No Artificial Flavors or Colors and Gluten Free. With that good news, it’s easy to overlook the first 3 ingredients: “Mechanically Separated Turkey, Water, Corn Syrup…” Yikes! I skipped the chips and went back to the fridge for carrots sticks, cherry tomatoes and Dodger blue berries to make it a five color meal. (see picture below)

I hope to attend a couple of Dodger minor league affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quake games this summer and maybe get to the Blue Cathedral in Los Angeles on half price hot dog day.  But I will also be content, to paraphrase that song, to be taken out to my living room after I buy me some low fat, salt free peanuts and cracker jacks at the store.

Play Ball!

John

P.S. Breaking News: The Dodgers won their Spring Training Opener today, 14 to 1.

Letter to Editor

Dear Friends

An op-ed in the LA Times caught my attention last week. The author said that because of the political reality we face (Trump could win the nomination and be re-elected) she was not able to feel particularly happy about the holidays. While scripture reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God (or enjoying the holidays for that matter) I was sympathetic to her concern. I’m not sure I will be feeling so happy next December if the former president is elected. 

In any case, above is my letter to the editor which the Times published the other day.

There are enough challenges and enough chaos in life already. Our country doesn’t need any more. In the meantime, I leave you with this prayer which sums up the good news of Christmas we have just celebrated (the Word became flesh ) and will celebrate next December, no matter what.

God, You understand our humanity.

You’ve been where we are. You’ve walked in our shoes.

Help us to take You at Your word

And lean into Your love. Amen.

John

P.S. In case the letter to the editor above is not clear, here is the text:

If, God forbid, the former divider in chief is elected president in 2024, we cannot say “There’s enough blame to go around.” The blame will be squarely on those whom Erin Auby Kaplan describes in her spot-on opinion piece about the turmoil facing our country.

She writes, “Without the adoring crowds and Republican Party sycophants who follow their lead (former President Trump) turns back into what he is: a clownish, petty, whiny, utterly irrelevant fake celebrity.”

Here’s to hoping that next December, she and all of us can say “happy holidays” because people stepped back, paused, and saw Trump for who he really is.

For him, instead of “four more years”, the chant should be “not one more day.”

John Saville

Corona

And by the way, in case you missed it, check out President Biden's speech just delivered in Blue Bell, PA. (near Mt. Vernon) including some powerful and timely quotes from President Washington. 

 

 

Call 911

 

My soul bear thou thy part, triumph in God above

And with a well tuned heart sing thou the songs of love!

Let all thy days, till life shall end, what e’re he send,

be filled with praise.

(Richard Baxter Hymn 625 v. 4)

 

Dear Friends

Some of you know that I took an unexpected trip to the ER a week before Thanksgiving. The trip was because I experienced what I thought was a “little cardiac episode”.  Thank God I called 911, because they ended up finding the main artery to my heart (LAD) was almost completely (95%) clogged.

Thanks to the 911 operator who told me to find and start chewing an aspirin. Thanks to the Corona firemen who offered initial care, followed by the paramedics who gave me three flavored chewable aspirin and nitroglycerin and then drove me to the hospital. And thanks to all the good folk at Corona Regional Medical Center for the next 48 hours, including the steady hands who put in a stent.

My reason for sharing is to remind us all, in any circumstance, not to hesitate to ask for help, including and especially when it is something like this. When in doubt, call 911!  

While I am writing a fuller reflection about this attention getting experience with some fun details and humor, this is enough for now. In the meantime, in light of the words quoted above, I feel my heart has had a major tune up and now, under the care of a good cardiologist I met yesterday, I am confident I am well on my way to a complete recovery.

This all happened on November 16^th. That morning, just a few hours before I called 911, I had read from a book of 365 daily meditations the one for November 16^th called “Do It Now”. Here is how the meditation ends:

“The greatest shock in my life,” said Billy Graham on a recent birthday, “has been the brevity of life. Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows”.

I am thankful beyond measure for the nearly four weeks of tomorrows since November 16^th. Thanks for your prayers and good wishes. Blessings for all of you or your family or friends who have or are going through this experience.

John

Serious and Silly

Dear Friends

The poem and cartoon above represent two very different moods---serious and silly.

I am sharing them because they are both timely and they remind us that life is full of mixed emotions which we often carry at the same time.

Thanks to The Rev. Canon Kelli Grace Kurtz, rector of All Saints’ Riverside, for the wonderful poem about today, All Souls, also known as All Faithful Departed. After celebrating well and widely known figures on All Saints Day, November 1^st, today is a day to remember those we knew personally. The communion of saints referred to in the Apostles’ Creed is not about members of a Spiritual Hall of Fame receiving bread and wine at the altar together. It is about the continuing relationship we have with all those we love and honor and remember.

The cartoon explains itself, and so Kathleen and I would like to be the first to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

John

P.S BREAKING NEWS FROM THE INTERNET: Walmart has announced they will be closed on Thanksgiving Day so all the self-checkout people can be with their families!

 

God Help Us

 

Hope on, then broken spirit; hope on, be not afraid;

Fear not the griefs that plague thee and keep thy heart dismayed;

Thy God, in his great mercy, will save thee, hold thee fast,

And in his own time grant thee, the sun of joy at last.

Dear Friends

During a cloudy, misty, early morning walk a couple of days ago, I took the picture above of the sun trying to break through. It reminded me of these words from one of our hymns. It is too soon to sing them, however. It is too soon to speak of hope and sunlight or say, “everything will be okay” because nothing is okay after what has and is happening.

I am at a loss of words, but I still find it helpful to write something. This is part of a prayer I offered this week at my Rotary meeting and was invited to share again the next morning at the Corona Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Let us pray:

In the midst of things we cannot begin to imagine, or fathom, or understand; in the face of unspeakable, barbaric acts; we lift up to you, those who are dying; those whose hearts are breaking; those who are living in fear; those who are desperate for information; those who are angry beyond measure; that they may cling, in this moment, to at least a sliver of hope in the overwhelming goodness in this world, and not let what is happening keep them from knowing the shared grief of so many people pouring out their love and prayers, and standing by to bring help.

We pray for leaders who must make difficult decisions. Grant them wisdom, courage and clear vision to try again to disrupt and break the vicious, repeating cycle of hate and terror and violence, which has no place in this world and doesn’t accomplish anything.

God have mercy upon us. Accept our outrage and our tears. And, as we may wonder and worry about what will happen next, help us remain focused in our daily lives, to keep on speaking and doing what is good and right and true. Help us continue to see and treat each other as beloved, fellow children of God, and discover the difference that makes. 

God have mercy upon us. God help us. Amen.

John