The Real Christmas Story

Christmas Day

John 1.1-14

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

On Christmas Eve we hear the angels proclaim to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2.10-12). That’s the entire story of the nativity in a nutshell. The rest is just detail.

But now, in the stillness of Christmas Day, after the angels have gone back to their Heavenly home, after the shepherds have gone back to their fields, after all the adoring crowds at the manger have dispersed, we face the dawning of a new day—literally and figuratively. This is a day unlike any other that has come before in all of history. A new day that is the beginning of a new era in salvation history. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1.14).

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Guests at the Inn

Christmas Eve

Isaiah 9.2-7; Luke 2.1-20

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

We know the story. Of course, we just heard it read for the umpteenth time. But even so, we know it so well most of us could pretty much recite it from memory. At the very least, we would get all the major points right.

We know the place. The city of David called Bethlehem. And more specifically, a manger in a stable associated with one of the inns in Bethlehem.

And we know the cast of characters. Mary and Joseph, arriving in Bethlehem for the census. Shepherds living in the fields outside Bethlehem, tending their flocks. Angelic messengers sent from Heaven to proclaim the birth of “a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” And, of course, the baby Jesus, who is born into the midst of this place under the adoring eyes of this cast of characters.

But there’s one place that only receives a passing mention and a cast of characters that receives no mention at all—although their presence is implied. That place is an inn. One of many in Bethlehem. And the other characters are the guests of that crowded inn and others that are nearby.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Third Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Isaiah 35.1-10; James 5.7-10; Matthew 11.2-11

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

The season of Advent is about anticipating and preparing for the coming of Jesus, both at his birth in Bethlehem and at some unknown date in the future, at what we refer to as the Second Coming. And while this season is focused on the coming of Jesus, the “icon” for this season is most certainly John the Baptist, who epitomizes what it means to “prepare the way of the Lord.” In fact, John is featured on two of the four Sundays of Advent; and in two of the three years of our lectionary cycle, he even is featured in utero on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, leaping for joy in his mother’s womb at the arrival of Mary who is pregnant with Jesus.

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Invitation to Prepare the Way of the Lord

Second Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Isaiah 11.1-10; Romans 15.4-13; Matthew 3.1-12

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

There’s something I find puzzling, even unsettling, about today’s Gospel reading. No, it’s not crazy old John the Baptist, wearing clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, eating locusts and wild honey. It’s not John hanging out in the wilderness of Judea, which was—and still is even today—a pretty desolate place, literally in the middle of nowhere, ranting and raving “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” It’s not even the fact that there were actually people who came out to see what John was all about. That I can actually see, in a weird kind of way. After all, I guess if you happened to live in the middle of nowhere, you had to get your excitement wherever you could find it, even if it was from someone who appears to have gone off his meds. No, what I find unsettling, what I don’t quite get, is the fact that “many Pharisees and Sadducees” were going out to see John, to hear his message of repentance.

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The Restlessness of Advent

First Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Isaiah 2.1-5; Romans 13.11-14; Matthew 24.36-44

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Today is the first day of Advent—the beginning of a new year, liturgically speaking. For me, this day, this season, carries the same weight as does the beginning of the new year that we celebrate every January 1^st. It is a time of reflection about where I have been, what I have accomplished, in the previous year. And a time to acknowledge what I have not accomplished and to either let go of those hopes as being not that important or to resolve anew to make those things happen if they are indeed still that important to me.

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True Allegiance

Christ the King (Year C)

Jeremiah 23.1-6; Colossians 1.11-20; Luke 23.33-43

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. While Christians have always recognized and used the language of Christ as King, this is, surprisingly, a fairly new commemoration in the Christian liturgical calendar. For 19 centuries, the “civilized world” (i.e. Europe) was comprised of Christian nations. Their rulers—monarchs all—were generally viewed as being anointed by God. And in the case of our own mother country, England, the monarch even bore the title of “Defender of the Faith.” But all that began to change in the years after World War I. In the post-war years, the political map, particularly of Europe, began to change. And the nature of governments likewise changed. The modern world and its governments were becoming increasingly secular and non-Christian. The Church was losing its influence and, as a result, there was an increase in anti-clericalism.

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"It's a Trap!"

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 27 (Year C)

2 Thessalonians 2.1-5, 13-17; Luke 20.27-38

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

To quote Admiral Ackbar in the 1983 Star Wars movie, Return of the Jedi, “It’s a trap!” While this simple line became one of the most famous and beloved lines from the original Star Wars trilogy, and one of the more humorous, it speaks volumes when applied to the Gospel reading for today. But then again, for Jesus, “It’s a trap!” may be stating the obvious.

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The Communion of Saints: Past, Present, and Future

All Saints’ Sunday (Year C)

Luke 6.20-31

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

In today’s Gospel lesson, we hear the first third or so of the Sermon on the Plain—Luke’s parallel to Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon Jesus seeks to identify and develop a vision of a new world, and new behaviors needed to bring about that vision. This new world that Jesus envisions is grounded in the image of God as all merciful, all gracious. This new world that Jesus envisions can only be brought about through God’s children reflecting God’s graciousness in their own lives.

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Case Study in Humility

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 25 (Year C)

Luke 18.9-14

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

One of the common ways to enter into a passage of Scripture is to identify with a character in the story. Sometimes it’s pretty easy to do, such as the story of Mary and Martha. Most of us can clearly identify with one or the other. Or lacking such identification, at least experience an internal struggle between qualities of both characters. But what about in today’s passage? The choice is not so easy. Do we identify with the Pharisee, who is respectable and looked up to but who misses the point of what it means to live a righteous life; or do we identify with the tax collector, whose appearance and actions are called into question, but seems to get it when it comes to his relationship with God? Neither is portrayed in a particularly flattering light. At least not when you consider the whole package presented by each.

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Truly Living a Life of Faith

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 23 (Year C)

Luke 17.11-19

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

What does it mean to live a life of faith? Not just to have faith, but to actually live out of that faith?

Today’s Gospel reading gives us some insight into what living a life of faith truly means. We hear the story of ten lepers coming to Jesus, imploring him to have mercy on them. Just to be clear, when the Bible talks about people suffering from leprosy, it does not necessarily mean that they have Hansen’s Disease—what we commonly call leprosy. In the Bible, leprosy is used as a generic term for a number of forms of skin disease. According to Jewish law, anyone with so called “leprosy” was thought to be contagious and was considered ritually unclean. They were required by law to stay away from others, including their own family and friends. And because of being considered unclean, they were not allowed to participate in Temple worship and the rituals that were central to their faith. Because religion was so central to Jewish society, to not be able to practice their faith would have meant that these men stood completely outside the community. They were persona non grata—alone, abandoned by society, and by their faith community. It is out of a sense of desperation—desperation not only to be healed, but also to be able to return to their community and to Temple worship—that the ten dare to approach Jesus. They have faith that he will be able to heal them.

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Increase Our Faith!

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 22 (Year C)

2 Timothy 1.1-14; Luke 17.5-10

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’” (Lk 17.5). To my analytically oriented mind, that begs the question, “how does one measure faith?” After all, you need to measure something to see what you have before you can determine if it needs to be increased.

This request from the apostles comes right after Jesus delivers a lesson on what true discipleship means. That those who are true disciples need to hold one another accountable, they are to repent of their sins as soon as they are aware of them, and they are to forgive one another. But I think what the real presenting issue for the apostles seeking an increase in faith is the slowly dawning realization that the end is near. This conversation with Jesus takes place as he is traveling toward Jerusalem. Toward his death. Before setting his face toward Jerusalem, Jesus told his apostles two times what would happen—that “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Lk 9.22). And on this journey to Jerusalem, Jesus took the opportunity to teach his disciples about the inner workings of his ministry and gave 70 of his followers some hands-on practice in engaging in this ministry (Lk 10.1-16). I think all of this was bubbling under the surface, and as they get closer and closer to Jerusalem, as they reflect on where they have been and what they have seen, the reality is starting to set in. Soon, they will be left without their Master. They will be the ones responsible for carrying on his work. And that undoubtedly raises questions—and anxieties—about their readiness for such a monumental task. A task that can only be completed by acting out of faith. And compared to their Master, they realize they come up short in the faith department, and as a result, feel inadequate.

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Jesus Said What?

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 20 (Year C)

Amos 8.4-7; Luke 16.1-13

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

What is Jesus thinking? He tells a parable about a dishonest manager who, when he is fired by his master, has the master’s debtors falsify their bills, reducing the amounts they owe. Surprisingly, upon finding out what the manager did, the master is not particularly upset. In fact, he “commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly” (Lk 16.8a). And not only that, Jesus himself then says, “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth, so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes” (Lk 16.9). What? Did Jesus just commend the dishonest manager and lift him up as a model for his disciples to emulate? Well, yes. Yes he did. And I have just one thing to say. Who are you and what have you done with Jesus?

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Lost and Found

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 19 (Year C)

Exodus 32.7-14; 1 Timothy 1.12-17; Luke 15.1-10

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

We can all probably relate to the parables that Jesus tells to the Pharisees and scribes in today’s Gospel reading. Okay, it’s not likely that many of you have lost any sheep. But no matter how organized you are, at one time or another, you’ve likely lost something. Your car keys. Your cell phone. Your wallet. An important piece of paper. And of course, we never notice that something is lost or missing when we have free time to look for it. No, we generally notice something is lost at the worst possible moment. As we’re getting ready to walk out the door to go to work or to an important appointment. So, now, not only is the item lost, but you are also forced to lose even more—valuable time and energy, not to mention your sanity—as you put the rest of life on hold to look for the lost item. The experience can be maddening. The feelings of frustration and irritation—possibly even anger at self—as you seek that which is lost. Yet, out of necessity, there is that determination to continue to search.

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Choices

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 18 (Year C)

Deuteronomy 30.15-20; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14.25-33

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Choices. We always have choices. But sometimes those choices aren’t always so easy. Or are they?

I recall a conversation I had with my boss—no, not the Bishop, and not God. This was my boss in my “previous life” when I informed him that I would be leaving LSA, the environmental consulting firm we worked for, to go to seminary to become a priest. Lloyd knew I had been in the discernment process, so it did not come as a complete surprise. He knew it was not an easy decision for me. He knew that I loved my job at LSA and that there was a part of me that wanted to continue my work as a transportation planner. But he also knew that I felt I was being called to the priesthood—a call that had reached the point that I could no longer deny it. After I told him that I had made it through “the process” and had been cleared to go to seminary, Lloyd said to me: “It’s not very often in this life that we have a choice between two truly good things.” What Lloyd was getting at was that he understood the difficulty in making my choice between two things I loved. And affirming that ultimately, where I would find true life, true fulfillment, would be not as a transportation planner but as a priest.

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Feasting on Humility

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 17 (Year C)

Luke 14.1, 7-14

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Luke’s Gospel contains more references to eating, banquets, and being “at table” than any other Gospel. The table is a principal site for fellowship and discourse for the Lukan Jesus. The dining table seems to be one of Jesus’ preferred locations for teaching, encountering the marginalized, and even reprimanding. Today’s Gospel account incorporates nearly every aspect of what Jesus does at table. In this one lesson, he teaches, he reprimands—twice—and, at least figuratively through his second reprimand, illustrates what it means to engage those who are marginalized. Or to be more precise, he challenges his host and all present to engage with the marginalized.

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Wealth Management . . . Jesus-Style

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 13 (Year C)

Ecclesiastes 1.2, 12-14, 2.18-23; Colossians 3.1-11; Luke 12.13-21

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

There he goes again! Telling a parable that makes some of us squirm in our pews.

Jesus is approached be a man in the crowd, wanting him to intervene in a dispute over the family inheritance. Jesus refuses to be drawn into the argument. Instead, he uses the opportunity to warn those gathered about the destructive nature of greed and coveting of material possessions. The story of a rich man who has amassed so much wealth that he needs to tear down his old barns and build newer, bigger ones so that he can store it all. All of this with the intent that he can effectively retire—so he can “relax, eat, drink, [and] be merry.” But before he can begin to enjoy his retirement, his life will be “demanded of him.” In short, he’s going to die. That very night. So much for retirement.

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Develop an Attitude . . . of Prayer

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 12 (Year C)

Genesis 18.20-32; Luke 11.1-13

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

One day this past week, during the morning Groundlings Summer Day Camp staff meeting, Pastor Melinda asked one of the interns if she would close our meeting with prayer. Before the concluding prayer, the intern said, “let us be in an attitude of prayer.” Attitude of prayer? In that moment, the idea of “an attitude of prayer” struck me as a bit odd. Not that it was a new concept to me. I had heard the phrase before. But at that moment, it just seemed a little strange for some inexplicable reason.

Now, as I understand it, “attitude of prayer” implies placing oneself in prayerful position, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. To be in a position, a mindset, to be open to praying. I suppose, in its fullest sense, it would be about being in a position of being open to praying to God and to receiving whatever God wishes to convey back during our times of prayer.

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Choosing the "Better Part"

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 11 (Year C)

Luke 10.38-42

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Like many people, particularly in our success-driven, production-oriented society, today’s Gospel passage makes me a little uncomfortable. At times, I even feel chastised and put down by Jesus’ words to Martha. After all, Martha is my soul sister. I love my to-do lists and even have an app on my phone that allows me to categorize them and sort tasks by due date. And what is even better is that my phone’s to-do app syncs with my work computer, my laptop at home, and my tablet. I can access my to-do list wherever I am, whenever I want. And of course, I love my calendar. In fact, I keep both a digital and a paper version of my calendar. Quirky to have both, but the digital calendar is synced across all my electronic devices so I always have access to it no matter where I am. And the paper calendar provides a kinesthetic aspect that helps me remember my appointments better than just by putting them in my digital calendar. I am super-organized, so I know exactly where everything is (well, most of the time). And I absolutely love reading articles and blogs on productivity and time management in search of that one new gem that will make me even more productive or help me use my time even more efficiently. I tell you, Martha’s got nothing on me. I could run circles around her when it comes to being productive.

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We are the Seventy

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 9 (Year C)

Luke 10.1-11, 16-20

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

The season after Pentecost is all about growth, as evidenced by the color green—growth of the Church and growth of those of us who follow Jesus. Today’s Gospel reading is a pivotal story about growth, particularly growth of the Church. Of course, throughout his public ministry, Jesus has been traveling through the countryside winning hearts and minds with his message of love and his acts of healing. Growing the Jesus Movement. A little earlier in Luke’s gospel, Jesus sends out the Twelve to expand that work. But in today’s reading, that takes a definite turn, as Jesus seeks to step up his game.

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Freedom in Discipleship

Third Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 8 (Year C)

1 Kings 19.15-16, 19-21; Galatians 5.1, 13-25; Luke 9.51-62

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

As we begin this summer season, many of us are probably looking forward to plans for summer vacation. We all know how much work goes into planning and preparing for travel. There is always so much to do. Making travel arrangements, planning activities, arranging for pet sitters, stopping the paper and the mail delivery, making sure that bills will be covered during our absence. The to do list seems endless. Too much to do and not enough time to get it all done before the vacation begins.

There is something of that going on in today’s Gospel reading. Only, it is not a summer vacation Jesus is embarking on. What we just heard is the beginning of a new section in Luke’s Gospel. Sometimes referred to as the “travel narrative,” this is the longest section of Luke’s Gospel, spanning ten chapters. It is at this point that Jesus “sets his face toward Jerusalem,” where he will be “taken up.” Where he will be arrested, put on trial, tortured, and executed. This “travel narrative” is characterized by a strong sense of purpose and urgency. Not just the sense of purpose and the urgency of Jesus needing to get to Jerusalem to fulfil his mission and his destiny. There is also a strong sense of purpose and urgency because there is so much to be done in Jesus’ short time left. Not the least of which is intensive teaching and training of his disciples. Preparing them for the real work that will begin after he is gone. Jesus is unwavering in his commitment to his mission to go to Jerusalem, and he calls his disciples to a similar unwavering commitment to their mission—to continue the ministry he began.

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Inner Demons

Second Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 7 (Year C)

Luke 8.26-39

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Anyone here possessed by a demon? Given our Gospel reading for today, I kind of had to ask.

When I prepare sermons, I look at what is happening in the readings and try to determine what it mean for us today, 2,000 years later and half a world away. Often times, what we see happening or hear said in a particular reading may not make a whole lot of sense to our 21^st century American way of thinking. In which case, we sometimes need to take a step back and look at how what happens would have been perceived in Jesus’ time. To consider the historical, cultural, or religious context surrounding the readings. Based on a first century Middle Eastern understanding of the message being conveyed, I then seek to translate the message in such a way that it makes sense to us. Based on that, we can then explore what the central message means for us today. This is not always a linear process, sometime looping back on itself or heading off on tangents.

Today’s Gospel reading was a bit of a challenge. I mean, demons? Really? What do I do with that? What does demon possession have to do with us? I mean, that I know of, I don’t have any parishioners who are possessed by demons. Let alone a legion of demons. That I know of, none of my parishioners have to be chained up by their loved ones to prevent them from hurting others or themselves. That I know of, none of my parishioners run around cemeteries naked. But hey, what you do on your own time is your business. Who am I to judge?

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The Trinity is Love

Trinity Sunday (Year C)

Romans 5.1-5; John 16.12-15

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Today, Trinity Sunday, is the only Sunday in the entire year dedicated to a doctrine of the Church. This is because the Trinity is so central to our religion. Despite its centrality, it also happens to be one of the most difficult things to comprehend about Christianity. According to this doctrine, we believe in one God who is comprised of what theologians oh so confusingly refer to as three “persons”—a rather unfortunate and misleading label. These “persons” are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The difficulty is that there is little explanation of the Trinity in the Bible. There are texts about each of the “persons” individually. And there are also references to the interrelationship between various “persons” of the Trinity,” such as we hear in our readings today from Romans and the Gospel according to John. But there is little in the Bible to really bring it all together.

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Fire and Wind

Day of Pentecost (Year C)

Acts 2.1-21; Romans 8.14-17

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. [and] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2.2-4).

Here in California, particularly in Southern California, we are all too familiar with the power of the two “elements” reported in the account of the first Pentecost in our reading from Acts: fire and wind. Every year we face the threat of wildfires, particularly in the more wilderness areas of our state, with each year seeming to be worse than the previous year. Last year was no exception, with 2018 seeing the worst destruction from wildfires in history, with 1.89 million acres destroyed, along with thousands of structures, and sadly, the loss of numerous lives. And every year we face the threat of incredibly strong Santa Ana winds, downing trees and powerlines, causing more destruction.

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In Search of Unity

Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 17.20-26

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Today’s Gospel is the final few verses of what is referred to as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” It is an extended prayer that Jesus prays on what we now know as Maundy Thursday, right before he goes to the Garden of Gethsemane. In the part that we heard to today, Jesus prays, “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one” (Jn 17.20-21a). And he goes on to reiterate the most important aspect of his prayer: “that they may be one, as we are one” (v 22). Not just one, but “that they may become completely one” (v 23). What Jesus is talking about here is unity. That the disciples and those who follow after them—that would be us—are in unity. Yeah, good luck with that.

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Companions on the Journey to Health and Wholeness

Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 5.1-9

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

And we think we have problems with access to health care. Regardless of your personal opinions on our societal debate regarding health care—HMOs, PPOs, private insurance, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medi-Cal, socialized medicine, and universal health care—our frustrations with accessing health care are nothing compared to what the invalid experiences in today’s Gospel reading. He obviously has a pretty lousy health care plan. He tries to get an appointment, but there are none to be had. Only walk-ins, which are treated on a first-come, first-served basis. And once that first patient walks in the door, the clinic closes for the day. Or for the week. Or until whenever the doctor decides to see patients again. Well, that’s not quite what happens, but almost. And if you’ve ever had to wait for an appointment or for a referral from your GP or through your HMO, you know a little of the frustration the invalid is experiencing.

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Who Are We to Hinder God?

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Acts 11.1-18; Revelation 21.1-6; John 13.31-35

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

There are certain doctrines that are foundational to who we are as Christians. These are statements of our beliefs that are inviolable. That are not open to negotiation. Commandments found in Scripture, such as the Ten Commandments and the Great Commandment. And statements of faith carefully crafted by Ecumenical Councils, such as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. And then, of course, there are the two doctrines that reign supreme throughout the Church: “We’ve always done it that way” and “We’ve never done it that way.”

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"My Sheep Hear My Voice"

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 10.22-30

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

About 20 years ago, give or take, I was in a mall in Riverside a couple of weeks before Christmas. I had been so busy that I had to take a weekday off so I could do my Christmas shopping. This was before online shopping had become the favored means of commerce. I was in a women’s store looking for some things for my mother and my sister. There were obviously the store employees, as well as other shoppers in the store. As a result, there was the sounds of a number of voices. There was also the sound of Christmas music over the speakers, and a myriad of other sounds drifting in from other parts of the mall. All of this mixed together to create a sea of background noise with one single component almost indistinguishable from the rest. I was in the front corner of the store looking at some sweaters, trying to decide which ones to get for Mom and Lisa. All of a sudden, I noticed something vaguely familiar. At first it didn’t quite register, but there was something in that background noise that grabbed my attention. I whipped around in the general direction of the seemingly familiar sound. Sure enough, there in the back of the store, probably as far away as the front doors to the church, I saw my mother talking to one of the clerks. My mother does not have a particularly loud voice. Yet, over all the other sounds and voices in the place, hers reached my ears and was recognized.

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Tale of Two Conversions (Maybe More)

Third Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Acts 9.1-20; John 21.1-19

St. Thomas of Canterbury, Long Beach

As we journey through the 50 days of Easter, moving farther and farther from the Day of Resurrection, we notice a shift in the nature of our Scripture readings. On Easter Sunday and the first couple of Sundays after, our Gospel readings focus on various of Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances to his disciples. But fairly quickly, we run out of these appearances. After all, the resurrected Jesus was only around for 40 days before his Ascension into heaven.

During this same time, our first reading for each Sunday is from the Acts of the Apostles—the story of the early Church as it came to grips with the reality of life and ministry, not only post-Resurrection, but post-Ascension. The adventures, the joys, the challenges, the struggles, as Jesus’ followers navigate the religious landscape of their day to forge a new religious path based on the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, as we move forward through Eastertide, the stories of post-Resurrection appearances gradually give way to the stories of the early Church and its formation.

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With Gratitude to "Due Diligence" Thomas

Second Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 20.19-31

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

On this Second Sunday of Easter, we always get a “twofer.” Two Resurrection appearances for the price of one.

The first happens on the evening of the day of Resurrection. Earlier in the day, Mary Magdalene had come to the disciples, announcing the remarkable news: “I have seen the Lord” (Jn 20.18). But they just were not able to believe Mary. Such a thing as a bodily resurrection had never happened before, and was therefore beyond their comprehension. So, unlike Mary, they do not go out and share the good news. Instead, they hid. After all, their leader was brutally killed by the Romans. So, they fear that they will suffer the same fate.

Now, the Risen Jesus appears to the other disciples, greeting them with “Peace be with you” and shows them the wounds in his hands and his side. Presenting his risen body as proof of this new reality. Only then are the disciples able to recognize Jesus, and to rejoice at the miraculous thing that has happened. Only then are they able to experience for themselves the truth that Mary had proclaimed earlier that day.

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"No Explanations Inside the Church"

Easter Day

John 20.1-18

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

When I was in Israel in January, I noticed that several churches marking holy sites in the life of Jesus had signs by the doors that read “No explanations inside the church.” This was not so much for the visitors as a reminder to tour guides leading pilgrims through these holy places. If you’ve ever been on a tour, you know that they can be filled with non-stop chatter. Many tour guides tend to be very talkative—trying to convey as much of their knowledge about places visited as possible. The sign “No explanations inside the church” is intended to remind the talkative guides that this is a place of prayer. A holy place to be experienced in the silence of the heart rather than in the cacophony of facts and figures and historical anecdotes inundating the ears and the mind.

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Happy Birthday!

Great Vigil of Easter

Genesis 7.15, 11-18, 8.6-18, 9.8-17; Exodus 14.10-31, 15.20-21; Ezekiel 31.1-14;

Romans 6.3-11; Luke 24.1-12

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Happy birthday!

No, I haven’t lost my mind. Although at this point in our Holy Week and Easter celebrations, that is entirely possible. But I assure you, that is not the case.

During our worship services this Holy Week, we have focused on the parallels between the original Jewish Passover and the New Passover that began on Maundy Thursday, continued into Good Friday, and culminates on this most holy of nights. Today, on Easter, on this Feast of the Resurrection, we witness the culmination of that New Passover experience. The promise of our passing from bondage to freedom through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God—through the death of Jesus Christ. That culmination coming in the form of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. And we celebrate the fact that through his sacrifice for us on the cross, Jesus took our sins upon himself. And that through his death, the bondage of sin itself was destroyed. And that in his rising from the dead, the bondage of death itself was destroyed. This is the Passover—our Passover—with Christ from darkness to light, from sinfulness to redemption, from bondage to freedom, from death to life. This is the celebration of our entering into new life. So not only is this our New Passover, this is also our birthday. Our birthday into new and eternal life.

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Christ Reigning from the Cross

Good Friday

Isaiah 52.13—53.12; John 18.1—19.42

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Tonight we continue with our exploration of the New Passover—of how our Christian commemoration of Holy Week, through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter—mirror and reframe the original Jewish Passover in a Christian context. Last night, at our Maundy Thursday service, we began our commemoration, our exploration, by comparing how what happened on that first Passover is, in many ways, mirrored in Holy Week. How the Israelites were given instructions to sacrifice lambs as a meal to nourish and sustain them as they began their Exodus out of Egypt. As they began their new life of freedom from the Egyptians through their journey to the Promised Land. How the blood of those lambs was to be placed on the doorposts and lintels as a sign to God to “pass over” the homes of his people, to spare them from death and destruction. We primarily focused on how in our Christian tradition we often talk about Jesus as being the Lamb of God. And how in his institution of the Last Supper, bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, nourishing and sustaining us in our own journey of faith. Our own journey to new life in Christ. And how through him, we obtain freedom from sin and death.

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Christ OUR Passover

Maundy Thursday

Exodus 1-14; 1 Corinthians 11.23-26; John 13.1-17, 31b-35

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

During most of the year, at the fraction—the moment when I break the bread at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer—I begin the Fraction Anthem: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” and the congregation responds: “Therefore let us keep the feast.” And on most Sundays, I begin with the A-word and your response ends with the A-word. While the rubrics in the Prayer Book specifically state “In Lent, Alleluia (I can say that in Lent because I am using it in an academic explanation) is omitted. I intentionally don’t even use this anthem during Lent because invariably someone goes on autopilot and add the A-word. Or, truth be told, I fear that I will go on autopilot and start with the A-word.

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Preview of Coming Attractions

Palm/Passion Sunday (Year B)

Luke 19.28-40; Luke 22.14—23.56

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

In the span of a mere 45 minutes (give or take), we have gone from the Liturgy of the Palms to the Liturgy of the Passion. We have gone from Bethphage, through the gates of Jerusalem, to the Upper Room, to the Garden of Gethsemane, to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, to Pilate’s Praetorium, to Herod’s palace, back to Pontius Pilate, then on through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha. We have gone from celebrating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem to witnessing his arrest, his trial, his execution, and his burial. We have gone from shouts of “Hosanna!” to shouts of “Crucify him!”

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Be Extravagant!

Fifth Sunday in Lent (Year C)

John 12.1-8

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

                                                   

There’s nothing like a little drama at a dinner party. Mary is in the middle of performing an act of generosity and love, pouring perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiping them with her hair. Not your everyday dinner party activity. But then again, this is no ordinary dinner party. This party is a celebration of the fact that Lazarus has been raised from the dead by Jesus. And Mary’s actions are her way of expressing to Jesus her love and gratitude for giving her brother back to her and her sister Martha. Not only that, what we know, but the rest of the party-goers do not, is that this will be the last dinner party Jesus attends. The next day, Jesus will leave the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and walk from Bethany, down the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley, and make his final, triumphal entry into Jerusalem. And by week’s end, he will be arrested, put on trial, found guilty of blasphemy, and put to death. So, whether she knew it or not, Mary was foreshadowing that moment the following week, when Jesus’ lifeless body would be taken from the cross, and prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, before being placed in the tomb.

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The Parable of the Two Lost Sons

Fourth Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Luke 15.1-3, 11b-32

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

                                                   

Today’s Gospel lesson, commonly referred to as the parable of the Prodigal Son, is one of those stories that is so well known, so central to our life of faith, that it hardly needs any explanation. It is so foundational to our faith that many have referred to it as “the gospel within the gospel.” In many ways, it sums up our fundamental understanding about God and our relationship with him. It is a story of disobedience. It is a story of losing one’s way. It is a story of repentance. It is a story of unending love. It is a story of infinite mercy. It is a story of radical forgiveness. It is the story of death. It is the story of resurrection and new life.

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That's Not How God Works

Third Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Luke 13.1-9

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

During the past week, I have figuratively walked with a dear friend and cherished colleague who has been dealing with a pastoral crisis in a family in his congregation in Honolulu. Back in November, the daughter and granddaughter of his parishioners were tragically killed in a house fire. An utterly devastating event in the life of this family. Finally, about six weeks ago, there was some joy for them. Their son, the brother of the woman who had been killed, got married. But then, a week ago today, tragedy struck again. The son—the young man who had recently gotten married—was on a fishing boat 24 miles south of O’ahu. He had just caught a large ono. While posing for the obligatory picture with his prized catch, the fish managed to jump back into the ocean, pulling the young man overboard. He became entangled in the lure, still connected to the fish, and was pulled under the waves, which were higher and choppier than normal. For several days, the Coast Guard and scores of Good Samaritans performed search and rescue operations, hoping to find the young man. Sadly, to no avail. The Coast Guard called off all search and rescue procedures Wednesday evening. Monday night, as my friend sat at the pier with his parishioners, waiting for the rescue boats to return from the second day of searching, the father of the young man—the father of the woman who died in the fire, the grandfather of the girl who died in the fire—said to my friend, “our family must be cursed.”

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Discerning Our Identity

First Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Luke 4.1-13

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Have you ever struggled with trying to figure out what you were supposed to do? Have you ever had to make a major decision about your future, about a relationship, about your identity? Or if a decision had already been made, perhaps imposed on you by another, have you ever had to try to figure out just what it meant in your life, or just how you were going to make that decision a reality? That’s essentially what Jesus is going through in today’s Gospel lesson—the story of his temptation. This is a time of discernment for Jesus. He is trying to figure out his life. How to get his proverbial act together.

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Lenten Disciplines for Relationship and New Life

Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Today we make an abrupt shift in our liturgical focus, which in turn is reflective of the focus of our spiritual lives. We shift from the season of Epiphany, with its focus on the nature of God and Jesus and on the many and varied ways in which God is manifest in and through Jesus, to the season of Lent, with its focus on our own mortal nature, using the key images of sin and death. To be sure, we tend to have a love-hate relationship with the season of Lent and its less-than-positive imagery. Some people hate Lent because, compared to the seasons both before and after, it seems so dark and dreary. And some people really love Lent, viewing it as a time of intentional spiritual exploration in preparation for the glories of Easter.

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The Gospel of Change

Last Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Transfiguration Sunday

Exodus 34.29-35; 2 Corinthians 3.12—4.2; Luke 9.28-36

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” I would have to disagree. There is a third thing that is certain in this world. Change.

While many people may not care for change, it’s pretty certain that it happens regardless. Just look at the changes that we undergo as we go through our lives. After we are born, we are completely dependent on others for our care. As we mature, we are able to begin taking care of some of our own basic needs. As we get a little older, we begin school. We graduate from high school. Some of us go on to college. After graduation (from whatever level of education), we enter the workforce in our chosen field. At some point in this process, most people leave their parents’ home and move into their own home. Eventually, many get married. They have their first child—maybe eventually having more children. Our children grow up, go to school, and eventually leave home. In due time, we retire. And throughout this series of changes, some people experience even more changes—moves to different homes, changes in jobs or even careers, health issues, etc. Each of these milestones brings with it changes in mental and physical ability, changes in our appearance as we age, changes in our way of life, and even changes in our sense of identity. Such changes are inevitable.

Our Scripture readings for today are all stories that, in one way or another, involve change. Change in appearance. Change in relationship. Change in identity.

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"Chancing the Arm"

Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Genesis 45.3-11, 15; 1 Corinthians 15.35-38, 42-50; Luke 6.27-38

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Today’s Gospel reading can be filed under the category of “easier said than done.” Or “yeah, but.”

In his Sermon on the Plain, Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again” (Lk 6.27-30). These words can be a little hard to hear. And for those who have been wronged by another, by someone who now may be viewed as “enemy,” these words are even harder to stomach. Particularly given the “no ifs, ands, or buts” attitude Jesus seems to have when he invites his followers to show radical love, blessing, generosity, and yes, even forgiveness, on those who have wronged or harmed us in any way. Particularly those who have wronged or harmed us in a serious enough way to warrant, in our own minds, being deemed “enemy.”

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Somebody Needs an Attitude Adjustment

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

1 Corinthians 13.1-13; Luke 4.21-30

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Today we have the continuation of last week’s Gospel reading, where Jesus is in his hometown of Nazareth. He is in the synagogue where he grew up, and has just read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk 4.18-19). We pick up where last week’s Gospel reading left off, with Jesus preaching a one sentence sermon: “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4.21). The remainder of today’s reading is effectively a response to Jesus’ profound statement in which he succinctly states the nature of his ministry.

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Jesus' Scandalous Baptism

First Sunday after the Epiphany – Baptism of Our Lord

Isaiah 43.1-7; Luke 3.15-17, 21-22

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

The first Sunday after the Epiphany is always the commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord – when Jesus went to the River Jordan to be baptized by John. While we take this event in stride, we really shouldn’t. Because quite honestly, the Baptism of Jesus is actually quite scandalous.

Why do I say this? Consider what we know about the circumstances of Jesus’ Baptism. We are told that John proclaimed “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk 3.3). So far so good. But we also believe that Jesus, as the One who is fully human and fully divine, as the Son of God, must therefore be without sin. This sets up a theological conundrum, a disconnect in our way of viewing Jesus and this particular event in his life. If baptism is for the forgiveness of sin, and if we believe that Jesus was without sin, then why was Jesus baptized? What would possess Jesus to want to be baptized? Didn’t he have anything better to do that day?

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What Gift Will You Lay Before the King?

The Epiphany

Matthew 2.1-12

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

As quickly as it started, the 12-day season of Christmas is over and we enter a new season, Epiphany, celebrating the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. Which is also what Christmas is about. So Epiphany is really just a continuation of Christmas. But instead of emphasizing the birth of Jesus, the season of Epiphany emphasizes the ongoing ways in which God is manifest in and through Jesus.

The icon for this season, or at least for the Feast of the Epiphany, is the appearance of the Magi. While we often think of the Magi as being part of the Christmas story, they really are not. This is because in our imagination we have conflated Luke’s narrative of the birth of Jesus with Matthew’s account of the Magi. In reality, these are two different stories, with the Magi arriving not on the night Jesus was born, but rather sometime later. Based on Herod’s actions later in Matthew’s story, the Magi could have arrived up to two years after Jesus’ birth.

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