And the Word Became Flesh

Christmas Day

John 1.1-14

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 19:35)

 

Perhaps it’s an occupational hazard—whether of my current vocation as priest, or of my previous career as an engineer, it’s hard to say—but I can’t help getting wrapped up in analyzing the similarities and differences between the two versions of the Christmas story. The birth narrative from Luke’s Gospel that is customarily read on Christmas Eve, and the Prologue to John’s Gospel that is customarily read on Christmas Day. Two very different versions of the same event.

 

Setting aside for a moment that we know these two stories are differing versions of the same event, someone unfamiliar with the story of our faith would most likely see these as two completely different and unrelated stories. Not just because of the very different tones. While both speak of birth, in some sense—one being about the birth of a messianic child and the other describing the incarnation of the Divine—neither mention Jesus’ name. So, one could be forgiven for not knowing these stories speak of the same event, only from different perspectives.

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Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

Christmas Eve

Isaiah 9.2-7; Luke 2.1-20

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 31:10)

 

Among my most prize possessions are a number of cross-stitch pieces done by my mother. She went through a period of prolific cross-stitching. For a number of years, we could count on receiving at least a couple of pieces each year as birthday and Christmas gifts. For me, Mom primarily did pieces with Native American or Christian themes. While they are all very dear to me because they were lovingly prepared by her just for me, one of my all-time favorites hangs in my study at home. It hangs on the wall opposite my desk, so that when I look up from my work, it’s right there. It contains a portion of tonight’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah, although in the King James Version as opposed to the New Revised Standard Version we heard this evening: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end” (Is 2.6-7a).

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"Actions Speak Louder Than Words"

Third Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Matthew 11.2-11

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 16:40)

 

Most, if not all, of us, are familiar with the old saying, “actions speak louder than words.” The recognition that just because someone says something does not necessarily make it true; particularly when it comes to how they live their own life. It’s easy to make statements about one’s beliefs, one’s position on particular issues, even one’s actions. Whether they are true or not is another matter entirely. The only way to ascertain the veracity of such statements is by observing the actions of the individual in question. Are their actions consistent with their pronouncements? Perhaps the questionable nature of some people’s words relative to their actions is what gave rise to another well-known saying: “talk is cheap.” That you can say whatever you want, but it’s your actions that reveal the truth of what you believe, of who you are.

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Turning Everything Upside Down

Second Sunday of Advent (Year A)

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

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 16:35)

 

When it comes to the anticipation and preparation for various holidays, most would agree that there is more expectant anticipation for the coming of Christmas than any other holiday. And perhaps more so than any other time of year, our preparations for Christmas and the actual celebration of Christmas itself, are deeply rooted in tradition. While there are certainly specific traditions around such holidays as Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, none tend to be as elaborate as those surrounding Christmas. And none tend to be as sacrosanct. Our preparations include traditions surrounding Advent wreaths, putting out figures for the creche on a prescribed schedule, special Christmas concerts and dinners, and the greening of the church. And God forbid anyone change one single detail of those preparations.

 

And I’m sure we all have our family traditions. For example, my mother is very particular about how she decorates various rooms of the house. Some things vary from year to year, but some things are always the same. For example, the Christmas tree always must have the old beat-up tin star that my parents purchased for 39 cents at a drugstore for their first Christmas together in 1960. One year, they did purchase a new star to replace the old tattered one. I think it only lasted a few days before ending up in the trash, with the old beat-up star back where it belonged. Mom said, “It’s just not Christmas without that star.” I’m sure you have your own traditions surrounding preparing for and celebrating Christmas that are non-negotiable. And God forbid anyone even suggest changing something. Because it’s just not Christmas without that particular activity, that particular decoration, that particular food item. This is our image of preparation during this season—filled with never-changing traditions.

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The Place of Advent

First Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Matthew 24.36-44

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:20)

 

Happy New Year!

 

Yes, it’s the beginning of Advent and therefore, the beginning of a new year, at least as far as the Christian Church is concerned. Time to restart our annual liturgical calendar and reset our cycle of lectionary readings. Time to reset our intention as to what it means to live a life of faith in the One whose coming we celebrate this season and throughout the year.

 

But I have one question: Why Advent as the beginning of the Church year? Why not January 1^st to coincide with the secular calendar? Why not Christmas to coincide with the birth of our Lord, the One who ushers in a new era? Why not Easter to coincide with the resurrection and the promise of new and eternal life, really ushering in a new era? Why not Pentecost to coincide with the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church? Of all the choices available for marking the passage of time and for demarcating a new beginning, there are certainly plenty of choices. But Advent? There’s nothing particularly notable about Advent. It is not a as much an event as it is a time of anticipation and preparation for actual events. Not to mention that, unlike Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, which are specific events that could actually be marked on a calendar (the actual date of Christmas notwithstanding), Advent is essentially just a made-up season. Although that little fact does not make Advent any the less valid. After all, the Church came up with Advent for very good reasons.

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Dual Citizenship

Christ the King (Year C)

Jeremiah 23.1-6; Luke 23.33-43

The Rev. Michael K. Fincher

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 18:45)

 

I know it happens every two years, like clockwork, that the feast of Christ the King falls a mere couple of weeks after our general elections in early November. But to be honest, I have never particularly thought about it before. The elections come and go, we move on, and a few weeks later we celebrate the last Sunday after Pentecost, the feast of Christ the King. But this year, it somehow seems more poignant. Perhaps because, in some ways, the election continues, with a few House races and many local races still up in the air. And as we await the final outcome of those races, of those final decisions about our earthly governance, we also celebrate on this day, governance of a different sort. For us Christians, a governance that is more important—or at least, should be—than any decisions about mayoral or gubernatorial races, about who controls the House of Representatives or the Senate.

 

Not to diminish the importance of our national and local elections. They do have their place. Through our election process, we have collectively chosen those who, at least theoretically, will govern in our name and on our behalf. Those names that have become known to us through the campaign season. Names elevated to prominence through the will of the majority on November 8^th. But today, we recognize that regardless of who is elected, we as God’s faithful, are subject to, as the Apostle Paul tells the Philippian church, “the name that is above every name”: Jesus Christ.

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Faithfulness and Endurance

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 28 (Year C)

Luke 21.5-19

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 16:05)

 

All three of our scripture readings for today, either directly or indirectly, deal with perceptions and concerns about the end times and God’s judgement. Concerns that contain images of and speak to the potential for destruction and ensuing chaos. And, to an extent, with the angst that such times produce. Not unlike some of the speculation of what might have happened—and maybe still could happen—as a result of Tuesday’s midterm elections. The exact nature of the destruction and chaos varying, depending on who you ask and who actually ends up being elected after all the votes are counted, runoff elections held, and probably even a few legal challenges adjudicated.

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Ancestors

All Saints' Sunday (Year C)

Ephesians 1.11-23; Luke 6.20-31

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 22:05)

 

Throughout history, there have been a number of cultures and religions that have—and still do—place a great deal of emphasis on the place of ancestors in the ongoing life of the community. A variety, if not most, cultures, now ancient history, have recognized the importance of their ancestors through practices and rituals. Some of these continue into our own day. For example, a number of Asian cultures and religious expressions, as well as Native American tribes and religious systems, recognize the importance of the ancestors. And we are certainly familiar with the celebration of Día de Los Muertos, in which the dead are honored by leaving gifts for them on ofrendas, or special altars honoring the departed.

 

In such cultures and religious systems, there is a recognition that the ancestors, even though physically dead, continue to be active in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. In some cases, this is a recognition of the contributions the ancestors made to the communal life and well-being. A way of remembering family lineage and maintaining kinship values and family loyalty. In some cases, it is believed that the ancestors intervene in the lives of the living, providing guidance and blessings to, sharing in joys and sorrows of, their living relatives. In some cases, the ancestors are even believed to serve as messengers between the divine and the living. While sometimes referred to as “ancestor worship,” this really is a misnomer. Such cultures and religions do not generally worship the ancestors as divine, but venerate them as having a special place of honor in the lives of families and communities.

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It's a Trap!

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 25 (Year C)

Luke 18.9-14

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 15:40)

 

As we delve into today’s Gospel reading—the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector—it becomes increasingly apparent that, like so many of Jesus’ parables, this story has multiple layers. As is often the case in parables, two things are going on. First, there is a certain degree of hyperbole expressed. Sometimes to the point of being ludicrous. And second, things are turned inside out, expectations are upended, as a way of ultimately getting to the point Jesus wants to make. Jesus does this because it is the hyperbolic and the unexpected outcomes that would have stuck in the minds of his hearers, thereby helping them to more fully process and remember his lessons. Today’s parable is no exception. We have loads of hyperbole and an unexpected outcome. But there is also a cherry on top, which is meant to further emphasize the main point. And that can best be characterized in words not from Jesus’ times, but rather from “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” In the words of Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi, “It’s a trap!” But we have to really delve into the parable to see just how it is a trap. A trap that leads to the real point of the parable.

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Struggles

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 24 (Year C)

Genesis 32.22-31; Luke 18.1-8

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:15)

 

You have to admit, life is full of struggles. Sometimes these can be pretty major. Struggles with challenging situations, finances, relationships, health issues. Struggles that may be ongoing and often have a significant impact on the shape or trajectory of our lives. Sometimes even struggles that come to define who we are in a significant way. And then there are struggles that are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. Sure, in the moment, they may seem pretty overwhelming, but in actuality, not so much. Struggles that quickly fade into the background once resolved. Becoming little more than a distant memory, if remembered at all. Unless one lives an absolutely charmed life, or is completely delusional, we readily accept that challenges and struggles are an inherent part of our existence. And some would argue that without challenges and struggles, life is meaningless. Without challenges and struggles, there is no opportunity for growth, for change, for improvement.

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Getting Out of Our Own Way

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 22 (Year C)

Luke 17.5-10

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 20:40)

 

I just love the unique and varied ways God chooses to slap us upside the head right when we need it. Earlier this week, I sat down to look at the Scripture readings for today, to start to get a sense of where I wanted to go with this sermon. Or where God wanted me to go with it. As I was just getting ready to look at the Gospel reading for the first time this week, I was interrupted by a text message. A parishioner sent me some information I had requested. Then came another message from the same parishioner: “Sorry it took so long to respond.” I replied with “No worries. I’ve been a little tied up with other issues, so you have not been in my way. I’ve been in my way.” The response came back: “Better you than me.” At first, I did not think much of the banter via text. As I returned to the Gospel reading, I was hit in rapid succession with the image of the apostles saying to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” and the reminder of my own text: “I’ve been in my way.” And the realization that a flippant text message in the 21^st century actually provided some insight into a possible response to the apostles’ desire for increased faith.

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Failure to Communicate

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 21 (Year C)

Luke 16.19-31

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 23:50)

 

In the 1967 prison drama film “Cool Hand Luke,” the prison warden delivers a line that has crept into our cultural lexicon: “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” Jesus could just as easily have said these words as a way of summing up today’s Gospel reading. Or words that could have been spoken by Abraham to the rich man. Which he essentially does, only in more theological language.

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Finding the Lost

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 19 (Year C)

Luke 15.1-10

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:00)

 

Before my parents got married, my mother was a bookkeeper for a printing company in her hometown in Kansas. She was very good at her job and had a reputation of being thorough and detail-oriented. Even though she gave up that job when my folks got married (and she had to move halfway across country to join my father who was stationed in North Carolina), those bookkeeping skills have remained with her to this day. As soon as Mom gets her bank statement, she sits down and reconciles her accounts. She is not comfortable until she knows every last penny is accounted for. And she has been known to spend hours, even days, trying to find even a few cents on those rare occasions when her statement and her check register do not agree. Not that a few cents would break the bank. But for Mom, it’s the principle of the thing. She just doesn’t feel at ease unless she knows that everything is balanced and reconciled. So, when she does find those missing few pennies, she is overjoyed. And relieved. I’m sure we can all relate to the relief of finding those few missing pennies in our check register or finding those keys or other item that somehow were misplaced. And we can all relate to the joy, the sense of relief, when we find what had been lost.

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Cost of Discipleship

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 18 (Year C)

Luke 14.25-33

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 11:05)

 

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

 

How do these words make you feel? Uncomfortable? Confused? Fearful? Maybe even angry?

 

Make no mistake about it: these are not just some words Jesus said to a crowd of people 2,000 years ago. These words are clearly spoken to anyone who follows Jesus. Any one, for all time. These words are, therefore, spoken directly to each and every one of us.

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Status

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 17 (Year C)

Luke 14.1, 7-14

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 18:25)

 

What would Miss Manners or Emily Post say? Probably that the whole situation could have been avoided if the host had simply used place cards. Of course, 2,000 years ago, place cards at dinner parties were not a thing.

 

Jesus is at a dinner party hosted by a leader of the Pharisees. Which, in some ways, seems strange in and of itself. After all, the Pharisees spend a lot of time criticizing Jesus and his message. And Jesus spends a lot of time condemning the actions of the Pharisees and the temple authorities. And yet, this particular leader of the Pharisees invited Jesus to dinner. And yet, Jesus accepted.

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Active Faith

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 14 (Year C)

Genesis 15.1-6; Hebrews 11.1-3, 8-16; Luke 12.32-40

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 5:40)

 

What is faith? What does it mean to be a person of faith? What does it mean to live a life of faith? These are the fundamental questions we continually seek to answer every time we gather together as a worshiping community—what we sometimes refer to as a “community of faith.” And while we touch on these all-important questions every Sunday (or at least we try to), while we explore various aspects of the life of faith every Sunday (or at least we try to), it occurs to me that we don’t spend a lot of time talking about the broad, overarching questions I just posed. Perhaps because we take it for granted that we all know what we mean by “faith.” What we mean by “person of faith.” What we mean by “life of faith.”

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What Defines Who You Are?

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 13 (Year C)

Luke 12.13.-21

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 19:20)

 

One of the things I particularly enjoy is watching YouTube videos on such topics as minimalism, essentialism, decluttering, and organization. Always searching for tips and ideas about how I can live a more minimalist lifestyle. In the strictest sense, a minimalist is one who only has what they absolutely need to live. The idea being that much of what we have is not really necessary and, if anything, distracts us and gets in the way of living more intentionally and doing what matters most to us. Invariably, the focus is about creating space in our lives for what is essential: for our relationships and for pursing those activities which contribute to who we ultimately want to be. Whatever and whoever that is for the individual. In the church, we would use the language of focusing on those relationships, on those things and activities, that help us to live more fully into who God has created and is calling us to be as beloved children of God.

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OUR Father

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 12 (Year C)

Luke 11.1-13

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at  23:15)

 

The disciples were very familiar with Jesus’ relationship with God. That God—at least, according to Jesus—was his father. Now, how literally they took that is anyone’s guess. Did they really believe that Jesus was the actual, physical, Son of God? Or did they believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, the Anointed One, the One chosen by God to be his chief messenger, was the metaphorical son of God? Just as we would recognize any person—regardless of their messianic status—as a son or daughter, as a child, of God. Regardless of their own understanding, the disciples had certainly become accustomed to hearing Jesus refer to God as Father. In fact, there are places in the Gospels where Jesus refers to God as Abba, which we translate as “Father,” but is more accurately translated as “Daddy” or some other more intimate and familiar term for father. So, yeah, it would have been pretty obvious to the disciples that Jesus had a close and intimate relationship with God as his Father.

 

While we are used to thinking of God as Father, such thinking would not have been commonplace, or even normal, for Jesus’ disciples. It may be okay for Jesus to think of God as Father, but they most likely would not have been comfortable viewing God as their Father. In that time and culture, the role and place of “father” was viewed very differently than we commonly view it today. In a time when women were second-class citizens at best and often viewed as property, and children were even lower in status than women, the father as head of the family had absolute power over the lives of family members. Far-reaching and coercive power that even extended to control over adult children. Now, how that authority was wielded, how the father actually dealt with the members of his own family, varied father by father, family by family. And we certainly see throughout the Old Testament examples of fathers who were kind, loving, and benevolent toward their children. But the absolute authority that came with the role of father would have been there, in the back of the mind of those subject to their father. As my own father once noted with respect to who has authority over whom in the military, the one with the superior rank never thinks about it and the one who is subordinate never forgets it. In other words, awareness of who has authority over you becomes a part of you.

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Driven to Distraction

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 11 (Year C)

Luke 10.38-42

St. Gregory's, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 18:45)

 

Six years ago, I was looking for a job. One of the places I was in the search process was St. Gregory’s. In fact, I was one of the finalists for the job as your Rector. And six years ago yesterday, I had my formal interviews with the Vestry. The interviews that would determine whether I would become the fourth Rector of St. Gregory’s, or whether one of the other candidates would have that honor. I remember that day well. All too well.

 

That Saturday morning, as I got ready for the interview, I was feeling all excited and self-confident. And a little nervous, of course. But I was prepared. I had brought my best suit to wear. I brought a clergy collar and the accessories to fasten it to my clergy shirt. I brought a cross to wear. I had everything I needed to make a good impression. To dress the part of the parish priest. And then came the horrible realization that I forgot to pack a clergy shirt. A critical piece of the priest’s “uniform.” As I was getting ready to leave the day before, I had become so distracted, so worried, about beating the Friday afternoon traffic that I had not doublechecked to make sure I had everything I needed.

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Go and Do Likewise

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 10 (Year C)

Luke 10.25-37

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 18:20)

 

Things were going so well. This lawyer comes to Jesus and asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” A noble question. In asking something of that nature, the man must have really wanted to live a good and righteous life. Good for him. In typical Jesus fashion, he turns it back to the man: “What is written in the law?” Probably trying to see if his response might give an indication of where the man’s heart really was. Whether he was sincere, or whether he was just trying to game the system. Jesus obviously felt that turning to the Jewish law would be a good starting place. The man answers, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Ding, ding, ding! Perfect answer. He hit all the salient points of the law. “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

 

Instead of going and doing likewise, the man goes into lawyer mode. He asks, “and who is my neighbor?” Now, we have no way of knowing the intent behind the follow-up question. Was the lawyer trying to cover his bases and wanting to make sure he knows what is meant by “neighbor,” so that he can squeak by with minimal effort, with only loving those that he absolutely had to love in order to obtain eternal life? Or did he somehow sense that the key to all of this was in the definition of “neighbor” and so he was seeking to be as inclusive as possible?

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Instructions for Ministry

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 9 (Year C)

Luke 10.1-11, 16-20

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 20:15)

 

Ministry is hard. Sure, sometimes things go really well. People are receptive to hearing the Gospel. Sometimes—most of the time—people are appreciative of the work that we do on their behalf. But that does not mean that it is always easy. It takes a lot of work. A lot of time and energy. A lot of resources. But, when it goes well, it is all worth the effort. We walk away from those situations with a sense of satisfaction. With a sense of having fulfilled our purpose. With a sense of having truly lived the Gospel as Jesus commands us to do. That we “nailed it.”

 

And then there are those times when ministry can feel like we’re beating your head against a brick wall. When things just don’t go the way we planned. When, despite our best efforts, they are not appreciated. Those are the times when it is easy to question, “why bother?” When we walk away from those situation with a sense of failure. With a sense of not doing what God called us to do. With a sense of not having lived the Gospel as Jesus commands us to do. Thankfully, those times are generally few and far between. And generally, not because of our lack of trying, because of our lack of commitment. Although, in the moment, it is easy to think that things fell apart because we were not good enough, that we are not cut out for this. But the reality is that sometimes, for whatever reason, those whom we seek to minister to just don’t want to hear what we have to say. Don’t want a part of what we have to offer.

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Commitment and Resolve

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

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 20:55)

 

Our Gospel reading for today opens by telling us that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” This is a transition point for Jesus. Thus far, he has been traveling throughout Galilee preaching, teaching, and healing. That he “set his face to go to Jerusalem” is a term that is often used to describe a shift in focus to his ultimate destiny—to his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension—which will occur in Jerusalem. This change in focus does not mean that he ceases to preach, teach, and heal. That will continue until his dying day, and beyond. But this is the point where the trajectory of Jesus’ ministry begins to take turns that will be necessary to accomplish his mission. Setting his face to go to Jerusalem entails multiple turns. A geographic turn, as he begins to slowly work his way south toward Jerusalem. A theological turn, as he slowly, sometimes subtly, seeks to expand the circle of those whom he ministers to, of those who are included in God’s kingdom—expanding beyond his initial Jewish-centered audience to include Gentiles as well. And a programmatic turn, as he begins to focus more on the education and formation of his disciples, preparing them for the time when they will be called upon to take up his mantle. It is this latter turn that is of particular concern to us, not only today, but throughout the remainder of this season after Pentecost, where we walk alongside Jesus, learning from him as he makes his way to Jerusalem. As he prepares his disciples—and us—for what is to come.

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Casting Out Demons

 Second Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 7 (Year C)

Luke 8.26-39

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 22:35)

 

At first glance, our Gospel reading for today may seem to be a bit archaic. A bit irrelevant to life in the 21^st century. I mean, demons? Really? We don’t generally think of people as being possessed by demons in our own day and age. Other than in “The Exorcist” and similar movies. Indicating that, in our time, demons have been relegated to the realm of pure entertainment. But is that really a fair assessment? If we really look around, aren’t there people in our own time who could be considered demon-possessed? Aren’t there conditions or situations which could be considered demonic? And no, I am not talking about your inconsiderate neighbor who plays loud music at two in the morning or that political figure you love to hate. I’m talking demonic in the true sense of the word. As implied in our Gospel account of the Gerasene demoniac.

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Invited Into the Work of the Trinity

Trinity Sunday (Year C)

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:30)

 

Early in my life as a priest, when Trinity Sunday inevitably rolled around, I felt that I had to provide some sort of explanation of the Trinity. What it is and how it operates. Which, inevitably proves to be an exercise in futility, as we just cannot understand the “new math” involved when it comes to the Trinity: Three in One and One in Three. That our one and only God is comprised of three “persons”: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And that, despite being manifest as three “persons,” as three unique entities, they are each comprised of the same substance and nature, making each “person” fully and completely God. All three “persons” being our One God. Three in One and One in Three. It’s enough to make your head hurt. And if your head hurts trying to sort all that out, just imagine how much my head hurts trying to come up with new ways to explain the doctrine of the Trinity every year.

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Jesus' Prayer for Us

Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 17.20-26

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 19:00)

 

Today is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Next Sunday is the Day of Pentecost. Which means we are in the home stretch of this Eastertide marathon. This last week of Eastertide is a bit unique in its feel because, from the perspective of the disciples, Jesus is gone. Out of the picture. This past Thursday we celebrated Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. During the last six weeks, between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension, he has been preparing his disciples for this eventuality. And always quick to reassure them that he was not abandoning them. That he would send his Spirit—the Holy Spirit—to be a guide and companion in their ongoing mission and ministry. We know that it was a mere ten days between the Ascension and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit did arrive. But they don’t know that at the time. So they find themselves in a liminal time of waiting. They are a bit at a loss as to what is happening. Not unlike the uncertainty and sense of loss they experienced during another liminal time just seven weeks before. During that time between Jesus’ death and his resurrection.

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The Peace the World Cannot Give

Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 14.23-29

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:50)

 

Wednesday morning I attended a meeting of CLUE—Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. An interfaith organization that “educates, organizes, and mobilizes the faith community to accompany workers and their families in their struggle for good jobs, dignity, and justice.”[i] As is pretty common at meetings of such organizations, you start off giving your name and the organization you represent. And more often than not, there is some sort of check-in question. The question at the start of Wednesday’s meeting was “How is your soul doing?” I don’t normally care much for check-in questions, finding them to be a bit contrived. But this question really resonated with me that morning. And I have returned to that question several times since then, sort of checking in, not with a group, but with myself. Checking in with my soul. Before I go any further with my sermon, I’m going to stop for a moment and ask you to ponder that same question. How is your soul doing?

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Who Are We to Hinder God?

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Acts 11.1-18; John 13.31-35

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 20:40)

 

I don’t think it would come as a shock to anyone here that we have an “us” versus “them” problem. I’m not specifically talking about here at St. Gregory’s. I’m speaking in general terms. That societally we have an “us” versus “them” problem. Virtually everywhere you turn, the prevailing messaging is about how “we” and those who are like us or who agree with us are good, and “they,” “them,” “those,” and others like them or who agree with them are bad. Or if not bad, at least need to be viewed with suspicion. This is most evident in the political sphere. Increasing division between liberals and conservatives, between our political parties. With each “side” having its core positions that one has to agree with in order to be considered one of “us.” Identity politics playing out in the once-sacred halls of our governmental institutions, not to mention on the nightly news, in social media, in our streets, and even around our family dinner tables. Just look at the issues occupying all these forums in recent days and weeks. Some being pretty clear-cut, like the war in Ukraine. Definitely “us” and “them”—Russia attacking Ukraine on the spurious pretense of liberating the Ukrainian people from their allegedly neo-Nazi government. Or closer to home, the vast increase in racial tension over the last couple of years. A very visible “us” versus “them” based on color of skin and stereotypes about behavior and character that supposedly go with skin color. Then there are the divisions based on deeply held beliefs, be they religious or otherwise. The most current being pro-life versus pro-choice, as we await the United States Supreme Court’s impending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Or throughout the pandemic, those who believe the science around COVID-19 versus those who think its all a hoax. And the related issues of requiring vaccinations or masking, boiling down to protection of public health versus perceived individual rights. And there are so many more “us” and “them” issues out there. Some that impact our society as a whole, and some that impact only a subset of our population. Divisions that are perhaps more insidious and potentially more dangerous as they often go virtually unseen by most people. Resulting in an attitude of “why should I be concerned with that if it doesn’t directly affect me?”

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The Good Shepherding of the Lamb of God

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Revelation 7.9-17; John 10.22-30

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 20:40)

 

We are still in the Easter season, but as of last week, we exhausted our accounts of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to his disciples. In the remaining four weeks of Eastertide, our Gospel readings focus on Jesus’ teachings about faith and intimacy with God. Focusing on our relationship with God. How we relate to God and how God through Christ relates to us. And the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Easter always focuses on one of the most well-known and perhaps most beloved images of that relationship: the Good Shepherd. With each year of our lectionary delving into a portion of the Good Shepherd discourse from the Gospel according to John.

 

I find it interesting that whenever I prepare a sermon, no matter how many times I have preached on a particular theme or particular set of readings, I invariably notice something that I had never noticed before. A detail in a reading jumps out, as if being read for the first time. Or how the whole set of readings for a particular Sunday come together to present an image I never noticed before. That is what happened for me this week, as I contemplated how to preach about the Good Shepherd for the umpteenth time in my career as a priest. As I pondered the readings for today, something jumped out at me that never had in my nearly 17 years of ordained ministry. As I tried to figure out how to approach the story of the Good Shepherd this year, as I tried to come up with a new angle, I noticed that the image of sheep figure prominently in our reading from the Gospel according to John and in the Epistle reading from the Revelation to John. Both books traditionally attributed to the same author: to John, the Beloved Disciple. The Gospel according to John using the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd to his sheep, and the Revelation to John incorporating the image of Christ as the Lamb of God. Both images pointing to answers to the question Jesus is asked as he walks through the Temple: “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (Jn 10.24). You will note that “the Jews gathered around him” asked this question. It is important to recognize that throughout John’s Gospel, when he refers to “the Jews,” he typically is referring to the Jewish authorities.

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Meeting Us Where We Are

Third Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 21.1-19

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning 19:45)

 

I love all the accounts of the post-resurrection appearances that we hear in these days after Easter. They are all very different, each conveying something about the Risen Lord, but also something about the people Christ appears to. And in the process, these stories somehow weave together attributes of the Risen Lord and attributes of those to whom he appeared, to say something about who we are as the Body of Christ. As those called to carry on his mission and ministry in the world in our own time.

 

It's hard to pick which of the post-resurrection stories is my favorite, as they are all so wonderful and endearing in their own unique ways. But today’ account of Jesus appearing to the disciples on the beach definitely ranks right up there. First off, I like the fact that the story is a bit whimsical. Portraying both Jesus and the disciples in a bit of a lighter manner than in many of the other post-resurrection appearances. As a result, this account is so relatable in many ways. The disciples are certainly relatable in their reactions. And even Jesus is relatable. Which I find interesting, as throughout the Gospel according to John, Jesus seems a bit unapproachable. Not that he is, but John definitely seeks to portray Jesus from a perspective referred to as “high Christology”—that Jesus’ divinity is more evident and on display than in the other Gospels. Given John’s high Christology, what I find so appealing about this story is that after Jesus’ death and resurrection, when he is definitely inhabiting more the divine realm than the human realm, that Jesus comes off as more human. More approachable. More relatable. Even, more playful. And maybe that’s the key to today’s Gospel story.

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Faithful Thomas

Second Sunday of Easter (Year C)

John 20.19-31

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:55)

 

If there was ever an election to select a saint for our times, for our contemporary age, Thomas would get my vote. Of the many names given to the times we live in, one of the most common used in secular society is “the information age.” An age in which we generate and consume more information than ever before. An age that is defined by the use—and I would add, abuse—of information. An age which has seen the advent of “fake news.” That has seen self-proclaimed experts and pundits of all political persuasions spin stories and twist their explanations of what should be observable events in ways that would make the most accomplished of contortionists blush. An age in which so much of what is presented as news, as fact, bears no relation to the objective truth. It’s absolutely dizzying and mind-boggling. Its times such as these in which we need the likes of our friend Thomas. The one so often referred to as “Doubting Thomas.” A moniker which, in itself, is actually an unjustified spin on the events of the actual encounter Thomas has with Jesus. The result of fake news, if you will.

 

Let’s take a look at our Gospel account. An objective look. Or as objective as we can get given the information presented.

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The New Normal

 Easter Day (Year C)

Acts 10.34-43; John 20.1-18

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 22:15)

 

Today has been a long time coming! The last time we celebrated Easter Sunday in-person was in 2019. I’m sure we all recall the beginning of the pandemic and the mandatory stay-at-home order that went into effect on March 20^th of 2020. At that time, when the Bishop ordered the cancelling of all in-person worship, he was hopeful that this would all be behind us and we would be back to in-person worship within three or four weeks. Just in time for Easter 2020. And all us clergy were talking about what a glorious Easter that would be, as we celebrated Christ’s resurrection and the end of the pandemic. Right. Not only was church not reopened by Easter, we were not even allowed to live stream from within the church at that time. Instead, our Easter service was live streamed from my dining room. I have to tell you, that was a pretty depressing Easter. At the end of the service, I closed my laptop and started crying. Sure, we had celebrated the Lord’s resurrection. We had brought back the “Alleluias.” We had even sung two quintessential Easter hymns: “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” and “The Strife is O’er.” And yet, it did not feel like Easter. I did not feel as if Christ had risen. At the least, the Body of Christ that is St. Gregory’s had not risen. And the strife was not o’er. As it turned out, it was just beginning.

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Why Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead?

 Great Vigil of Easter (Year C)

Luke 24.1-12

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 1:07:20)

 

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” These are the words that the angels spoke to the women at the tomb. Maybe I’m being a little too literal, but the women were not looking for the living. They were looking for a dead body. Jesus’ dead body. To prepare it according to their burial customs. But, as we see, this was really the angels’ way of reminding the women of what Jesus had told them before they even came to Jerusalem. That after he was crucified, he would rise again on the third day. That new life can—and in this case, does—come out of death. And, of course, the angels do then confirm for the women that Jesus has risen.

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Solidarity

 Good Friday

John 18.1—19.42

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 33:15)

 

How do we begin to make sense of the horrific events that we commemorate on Good Friday? Theologians have been debating that pretty much since the first Good Friday. Trying to understand just what happened. Why it happened. Why it had to happen. And even how it happened. Not how as in the mechanics of Jesus being nailed on the cross, but how as in just how did Jesus’ death accomplish what we claim that it accomplished? That his death and subsequent resurrection defeated sin and death. In short, what is collectively known as atonement theory. Fear not. I am not even going to attempt to delve into atonement theory. Because between you and me, I don’t find any of the classical theories of the atonement particularly satisfying. Or, for that matter, particularly reasonable if our God is who we say God is: all loving, merciful, and compassionate. For me, the specifics of atonement are a great mystery, understanding of which is way above my paygrade. That it ultimately boils down to a matter of faith. One of the central tenants of our faith as Christians.

 

And yet. And yet. We still feel a need for some sort of explanation to help us understand just a little of what this has been all about. As in such truly unexplainable events, there are undoubtedly a variety of ways of looking at what happened on Good Friday. Of explaining why Jesus had to die on the cross. I think one of the best explanations—at least one that makes about as much sense as any, at least for me—is solidarity. That Jesus underwent suffering and death out of solidarity with us.

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The Right Place at the Right Time

Palm/Passion Sunday (Year C)

Luke 22.14—23.56

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 40:30)

 

Today, with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we formally begin our journey through Holy Week. Where we witness Jesus’ final days. Where we witness his Passion—his betrayal, his arrest, his trial, his torture, his sentencing to death, his journey along the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, his execution. On Palm Sunday, or what is sometimes referred to as Passion Sunday, we are provided with an overview of the week’s events. Giving us the lay of the land. And then, throughout the remainder of the week, on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, we delve more deeply into the events of those days.

 

Looking at the arc of events, this year I find there is one verse, one image, in today’s Passion Narrative that has captured my attention. Focusing on a single person. One who, in many ways, serves as a guide for what will happen. Not so much a guide through the week, but one who can serve as a guide for understanding what this means for us and our lives of faith. “As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.” (Lk 23.26). Simon of Cyrene. An obscure character, to say the least. Yet, as we shall see, one who serves as an exemplar for how we can begin to approach the horrific events of this week and help us to be transformed by them.

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Through Faith in Christ

Fifth Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Philippians 3.4b-14; John 12.1-8

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 15:45)

 

On the first Sunday in Lent this year, I preached a sermon that I entitled “Making it Through the Wilderness.” I talked about Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil. I went on to talk about how this story and other biblical stories of wilderness experiences provide an image for our own wilderness times: times of being tempted and tested. How our Lenten journey, if anything, is an image for what those times of tempting and testing have been about in our own lives. How our Lenten journey is not so much about the specifics of the temptations, but about our responses to those temptations which may come between us and our relationship with God. That regardless of the specific temptations, Jesus tells us there is a universal response. That we are to recognize our reliance upon God. Because it is in relying on God, in being obedient to God, that we open ourselves to be molded and shaped by God. In so doing, we have the opportunity to live into the fullness of who God creates and calls us to be as his beloved children.

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Making it Through the Wilderness

First Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Deuteronomy 26.1-11; Luke 4.1-13

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 18:25)

 

While Lent officially began four days ago on Ash Wednesday, there is a part of me that feels like the period between Ash Wednesday and the First Sunday in Lent is a time to ease into our Lenten journey. A time to get up to speed, as it were. Now, that is not the official position of the Church; it’s just my personal view. I think it is because on the First Sunday in Lent, our Gospel reading is always the temptation of Jesus. Perhaps my personal sense that Lent begins in earnest on this day is precisely because the Gospel reading recounts Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, where he is tempted by the devil. And that our 40-day Lenten journey—with its own temptations as we struggle with our Lenten disciples—is intended to call to mind, even parallel in some ways, Jesus’ 40 days of being tempted and tested.

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Are You Ready?

Ash Wednesday

Isaiah 58.1-12; 2 Corinthians 5.20b—6.10; Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21

St. Thomas of Canterbury, Long Beach (7:00 AM)

and St. Gregory’s, Long Beach (7:00 PM)

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 15:00)

 

Are you ready? Today is the beginning of Lent—the 40-day journey of preparation for Easter. Traditionally, this is a time when we engage in special Lenten disciplines to help us in our preparations. So, have you decided what you are going to be doing for your Lenten discipline this year?

 

Traditionally, our Lenten practices revolve around the three disciplines outlined in our reading from the Gospel according to Matthew: giving of alms, prayer, and fasting. We most commonly think of this as including giving up something, like your morning Starbucks beverage of choice, television, chocolate, or any other number of things. Reminiscent of the discipline of fasting Jesus talks about in our Gospel reading. For some, this is a time to take on something additional, particularly by way of outreach ministry—helping at a food pantry, or a homeless shelter, or making additional charitable contributions. Reminiscent of the discipline of almsgiving Jesus talks about in our Gospel reading. And for many, there are additional spiritual practices, such as special devotional readings, like the “Living Well Through Lent” book our two congregations are using, or extra worship services, or study programs, like our joint Lenten program exploring various versions of the Stations of the Cross. Reminiscent of the discipline of prayer Jesus talks about in our Gospel reading.

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Transfigured

Last Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Exodus 34.29-35; Luke 9.28-36

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:50)

 

Today we are at a transition point. Both in terms of the liturgical calendar, as well as in the stories of both the Hebrews’ forty-year journey in the wilderness and Jesus’ own journey through his life and ministry. As to the liturgical calendar, this is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany—where we wrap up our Epiphanytide focus on the many ways that Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, as the Messiah, and we begin to turn our attention to the season of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday. The readings appointed for this day, particularly the Old Testament reading from Exodus and the Gospel reading from Luke both have themes that relate to this shift in focus from Epiphany to Lent. Stories that help us make the transition from the time of revelation we experienced over the last two months to the time of living into what that revelation means to us in our own lives of faith.

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Sharing the Gift of God's Love

Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Genesis 45.3-11, 15; Luke 6.27-38

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

 

Today’s Gospel reading is a continuation of the Sermon on the Plain which we began last week. As you (hopefully) recall, Jesus starts this sermon with a series of four “blessed are” statements and four counterbalancing “woe to you” statements. I ended my sermon on Jesus’ sermon by noting that his words are intended to be a tool, a guide, to help us assess where we are in our lives and how that affects our lives of faith. How where we are affects our relationship with God and with one another. That we are invited to live a Christ-centered life by finding ways to be a blessing to others, and that in so doing, we ourselves are blessed. In today’s Gospel, Jesus shifts his focus, moving from the theoretical to the practical: providing instruction on how to live a blessed life. And it all boils down to love. Although, I’m sure you have gathered from what we just heard, this is easier said than done.

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Blessed Are . . .

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Jeremiah 17.5-10; Psalm 1; Luke 6.17-26

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 16:45)

 

We’re all familiar with the Beatitudes. The series of pithy sayings, each beginning with “Blessed are,” recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew as part of the Sermon on the Mount. Today, we hear Luke’s version of this sermon, which is slightly different. While Matthew has this sermon taking place on a mountain, Luke notes that this sermon happened “on a level place.” Hence, this is often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain. There are other notable differences, as well. Namely in the structure of the sayings delivered by Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew records nine sayings, all beginning with “Blessed are.” Luke, however, records eight sayings. But only four begin “Blessed are.” The other four begin “Woe to you.” With the “woe” statements being the opposites of the “blessed are” statements. Some scholars believe these may be the same sermon, just that the details were remembered differently. After all, both Matthew and Luke were written about 60 years after the fact and were not even written by eyewitnesses to the events; both relying on secondhand accounts and possibly other source documents now lost to us. Others think they may be different sermons with common themes. The themes presented were certainly part of Jesus’ core teachings, so he undoubtedly repeated himself a lot over the three years of his public ministry.

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Whom Shall I Send?

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Isaiah 6.1-8; Luke 5.1-11

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 16:45)

 

All of our readings today deal with the subject of “call.” Of being called to ministry. Quite appropriate for the day on which we are holding our annual parish meeting. Quite appropriate for the day on which we celebrate the ministries—and more importantly, the ministers—of this parish. And when I say ministers of this parish, I am not talking about myself. As the Catechism in The Book of Common Prayer asks, “Who are the ministers of the Church?” Answer? “The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons” (BCP, 855). Notice that you—the laity—are listed first. Because you are the most important ministers of the Church. The Catechism then goes on: “What is the ministry of the laity?” Answer? “The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church” (BCP, 855).

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Fulfillment

Third Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Luke 4.14-21

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 17:15)

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is in the early days of his public ministry. He has obviously been engaged in this ministry for at least a little while, as “report[s] about him spread through all the surrounding country . . . and [he]was praised by everyone” (Lk 4.14-15). Even so, what we hear today are the first recorded actions of his public ministry: his teaching and preaching at the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. His sermon is short and sweet, just nine words: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4.21). My sermon, however, will not be so short.

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All Are Invited

Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Isaiah 62.1-5; John 2.1-11

St. Gregory's, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 14:55)

 

In this year, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary, we are blessed to have the opportunity to look at all three of the traditional focal points for Epiphany. The three events through which Jesus’ identity is revealed. These three are the visit of the Magi, which we commemorate on Epiphany; the baptism of Jesus, which we commemorate on the first Sunday after Epiphany (last Sunday); and Jesus turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana. While we have the opportunity to celebrate the first two events every hear, we only get the story of the Wedding at Cana once every three years. Which is really too bad because it is a pretty awesome story. Awesome because it reveals some things about Jesus that are not readily apparent in the coming of the Magi or Jesus’ baptism.

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